According to The Washington Post, ESPN tried to replace Jemele Hill on Wednesday night’s broadcast os SportsCenter, but her fellow Black hosts refused to fill in, and her co-host Michael Smith refused to go on without her. Good for them. ESPN is denying this story, by the way.
A group has lodged an ethics complaint against Sarah Huckabee Sanders for calling for the firing of Jemele Hill. Apparently, in doing so she violated a law, 18 U.S. Code § 227, that reads:
(a)Whoever, being a covered government person, with the intent to influence, solely on the basis of partisan political affiliation, an employment decision or employment practice of any private entity—
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 15 years, or both, and may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.
Meanwhile, her boss went on Twitter to whine about the whole thing this morning. Obviously.
In Other TV News
STOP GIVING THE MOOCH ATTENTION, Y’ALL.
David Lynch isn’t saying that another season of Twin Peaks is happening, but he isn’t saying it’s not happening.
ALERT: 30 Rock is leaving Netflix! I repeat, 30 Rock is leaving Netflix in October! BINGE WATCH ALL OF THE 30 ROCK NOW WHILE YOU CAN. (Also leaving, Friday Night Lights and How I Met Your Mother. ~shrug~)
So, David S. Pumpkins could be back to wring the last drops of humor from that particular SNL sketch.
A word of public relations advice, Star Trek: Discovery, it’s never a good sign when reviews of a new show are embargoed until it airs.
How network executives throw shade.
This is interesting: this fall will see the debut of a number of military series, but such patriotic programming probably won’t do well overseas.
Goat yoga, guessing the weight of a cow at a state fair, seat cushions and other sad ways shows are trying to promote themselves. Yes, goat yoga.
This story about a Difficult People joke about Max Landis has everything: outrage, humor, and a surprise feel-good ending.
Radiohead and Hans Zimmer have written a new song for Blue Planet II.
J.B. Smoove is writing a book as his Curb Your Enthusiasm character, Leon, entitled The Book of Leon: Philosophy of a Fool.
Trevor Noah and Chris Wallace are going to be staying in their respective jobs for a while.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lawrence is a secret self-appointed Real Housewives producer, not that Nene is worried.
Oh no, one of the players featured on Last Chance U has been charged with homicide.
Get better soon, Heather Locklear!
In Development
- History has greenlit The Breach, a six-part series about the Clinton impeachment drama.
- George R.R. Martin-produced sci-fi drama Who Fears Death is closer to happening over at HBO.
- ABC bought We All Got Junk, a comedy about a family-run recycling business.
- Pickler & Ben, a daytime talk show hosted by Kellie Pickler and some guy named Ben, has landed at CMT.
- CBS picked up The Big House, a family comedy about an ex-con who moves back in with his ex-wife.
- Red Rush, a sci-fi thriller from Charles Randolph and Rupert Wyatt, is being developed as a series.
- Sex Tape, a reality series in which couples film themselves and then view the footage with other couples — which, just, NO — is being developed for U.S. markets.
Casting News
- Jim Carrey will star in Kidding, a Showtime comedy from Carrey’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michael Gondry.
- There’s a ton of Good Omens casting news: the wonderful Michael McKean, Adria Arjona, Ned Dennehy, Ariyon Bakare and Nina Sosanya are all going to be in the series. And it was just announced that Miranda Richardson and Jack Whitehall will be in the cast, too.
- Hiroyuki Sanada has been confirmed to be on Westworld in season two, which suggests that Samurai World might, in fact, be shown.
- Meghan McCain is leaving Fox News as a contributor.
- Jermaine Rivers revealed he will be on The Gifted.
- Shaun Sipos will be Adam Strange on Krypton.
- Hari Nef is joining the cast of Lifetime’s You.
- Lulu Wilson and Victoria Pedretti have been cast in The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.
- Micahel Stuhlbarg is going to be in Gore on Netflix.
- Liannet Borrego is joining The Last Ship.
- Isabella Arraiza will be in The Oath on Crackle.
- Stephen Graham will star as Tony “Pro” Provenzano in Martin Scorcese’s Netflix film, The Irishman.
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
American Vandal: #WhoDrewTheDicks? Netflix
First They Killed My Father: It’s Angelina Jolie’s light-hearted comedy about the Cambodian crisis. Netflix
Strong Island: In this documentary, a man investigates his brother’s murder by a cop. Netflix
SATURDAY
Drink, Slay, Love: First of all, what a title. Second of all, this is about a teen vampire who becomes the coolest girl in school. Yes. 9 p.m., Lifetime
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: “Bear and Vanessa Hudgens rappel from a helicopter into the high Sierra for a scenic adventure; Bear and Vanessa evade a boulder avalanche, summit a massive dormant volcano, and encounter a rattlesnake; Vanessa talks about her rise to stardom.” LOLOLOLOL 9 p.m., NBC
LaLa Land: This is happening. 7 p.m., HBO
SUNDAY
The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards: Stephen Colbert hosts TV’s most self-congratulatory night. And there are a lot of them. 7 p.m., CBS
The Vietnam War: It’s Ken Burns’ latest obsession. Series premiere. 7 p.m., PBS
Vice Principals: Who Shot Gamby? Season premiere. 9:30 p.m., HBO
The Strain: Series finale. 9 p.m., FX
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Friday): Benedict Cumberbatch, Savannah Guthrie, Andy Grammer featuring Lunchmoney Lewis Watch What Happens Live (Sunday): Bevy Smith, Derek J, Miss Lawrence
FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | Shark Tank (repeat) |
What Would You Do? (new) |
20/20 (new) |
CBS | Big Brother (new) |
The 11th Annual ACM Awards (live) |
CW | Masters of Illusion (new) |
Masters of Illusion (repeat) |
Penn & Teller: Fool Us (repeat) |
Local |
FOX | Masterchef (repeat) |
Beat Shazam (repeat) |
Local |
NBC | America’s Got Talent (repeat) |
Dateline NBC (new) |
—
SAT. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 | 11:00 | 11:30 |
ABC | College Football: Miami vs. Florida State (live) |
News/Local |
CBS | NCIS (repeat) |
NCIS Los Angeles (repeat) |
48 Hours (repeat) |
News/Local |
FOX | College Football: Texas vs. USC (live) |
News/Local |
NBC | Dateline NBC (repeat) |
Running Wild with Bear Grylls (new) |
News/Local | Saturday Night Live (repeat) |
—
SUN. | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | America’s Funniest Home Videos (repeat) |
Celebrity Family Feud (repeat) |
Steve Harvey’s Funderdome (new) |
The $100,000 Pyramid (new) |
CBS | 60 Minutes (repeat) |
The 69th Annual Primetime Emmys (live) |
FOX | NFL (repeat) |
The Orville (new) |
The Simpsons (repeat) |
Family Guy (repeat) |
NBC | NFL: Packers at Falcons (live) |
“(Also leaving … How I Met Your Mother. ~shrug~)” HIMYM lost me with their series resolution. All that build up and anticipation, a great “meet cute,” a really wonderful actress to play the mother, and they killed her off just to get Ted and Robin together. All those years watching, wasted. Worse than Bobby in the shower.
I think I was the only person who didn’t hate the ending. That last season being like 2 days was an awful decision though. I did however find it way too rushed. I really think if they would have spent the first half of the season at the wedding and the second half exploring the montage scenes with the mother, it not only makes her death more meaningful and emotional, but makes the decision to get with Robin make at least a little sense.