Numb.

It feels wrong to talk about anything other than the horrific shooting that took place last night in Las Vegas and has cost at least 58 people their lives. But I don’t know that a TV blog is an appropriate place and, frankly, I don’t know what to say about it as I’m feeling pretty numb right now. I would scream at the top of my lungs for gun control — and once I shake off this shock and horror, I certainly will. But the truth of the matter is, if we decided nearly five years ago that 20 first graders are an acceptable loss so that gun owners can keep their toys unmolested, some 58 dead adults aren’t going to change anything.

I would like journalists to start asking individual lawmakers what their numbers are, though: how many people need to die in a single incident before they would consider sensible gun control measures? How many mass shootings must happen before they would consider sensible gun control measures? Because according to the Gun Violence Archive, yesterday’s massacre was the  273rd mass shooting in the 273 days of 2017.

For now, that’s where I am going to have to leave this particular tragedy because I genuinely can not wrap my head around it. I can not wrap my head and my heart around how the parents of the Sandy Hook victims must be feeling this morning, knowing that their babies’ lives were not enough to prevent us from allowing this to happen again. (And again, and again, and again, and again…)

Instead, I’m going to move on to an entirely different tragedy, one that is at least tangentially related to television news: our President’s war with the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

As I’m sure you know, Trump lashed out on Twitter against Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz for daring to say on television that the federal relief efforts were lacking and begging for the administration to do something about the bureaucratic nightmare that FEMA had created. This went against the administration’s official story that Puerto Rico was doing great and that it was a “good story.” And so with his typical grace and dignity, Trump attacked Mayor Cruz with the following tweets:

But the tweets that are most relevant for this blog are the ones in which he attacks the news media for daring to report on the conditions on the ground and not just accept the White House’s propaganda about how great the relief efforts are going:

Pay close attention to what he is doing — first of all, the racist dog whistling is quite impressive. Second of all, there is some pure gaslighting going on here: “who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?” But third, and most dangerously, he is aligning himself with first responders and the military against the “Fake News” and Democrats.

This accomplishes two things: 1. it allows his base to assume that any criticism of how the relief efforts are going, or any reports that the disaster is much worse than the White House is claiming is just more hysterical Trump hate, just more leftist partisan nonsense that they can ignore and therefore they can also ignore the crisis altogether and 2. any criticism of Trump or how he has handled this situation becomes by extension criticism of first responders and the military. He pulled this bullshit in Houston during Harvey, too, and it is infuriating.

I genuinely don’t have the energy this morning to go on one of my expletive-filled rants right now. Instead, I urge you to read this damning Washington Post report on how when the hurricane first hit, the White House did seem to have some control over the situation. But then Trump went on a four-day golf weekend. This, by the way, would be an entirely different golf vacation from the one he just returned from.

And here’s a nice place to stop and play my favorite game, “What if Obama did it?” Can you imagine how the right-wing media and the GOP would have responded if President Obama even played one round of golf while a United States territory was drowning after a catastrophic hurricane? MUCH LESS IF HE HAD FLOWN OFF IN AIR FORCE ONE FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS TO HIS OWN PRIVATE GOLF CLUBS TO PLAY A FEW ROUNDS?

And once you’ve read that piece, if you want to help Puerto Rico out, a couple of suggestions from Javier Grillo-Marxuach, a Puerto Rican television writer who worked on Lost and The 100, created Middleman, and is currently creating The Dark Crystal series, and is someone I have long followed and respected.

He and my buddy and fellow Lost blogger Jo Garfein have created a Lost-themed auction to raise money for Puerto Rico, items include Dr. Candle’s DHARMA coat. Check out the auction here.

And if you’re not a Lostie, but want to donate money someplace other than Red Cross, Javi also compiled this list of organizations that are helping our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico:

 

The Simpsons also responded to the crisis in Puerto Rico, with some suggestions on how to help:

Also, the PuberMe challenge continues afoot, and is a bright point in this dark time.

2017 is indeed the darkest timeline.

In Other TV News

Brace yourself, spoilers are coming.

All the drama behind the end of the Sex & the City movie is pretty delicious.

Oh, snap: Leah Remini might take on the Jehovah’s Witnesses in season three of Aftermath. (Note: Aftermath has not yet been renewed for a third season, but it probably will be.)

Way to make Darrell Hammond cry, guys.

No, Oprah is not running for President in 2020. BUT WAY TO GET OUR HOPES UP, OPRAH.

If you care about this sort of thing, here’s what advertisers are paying for 30-second ads on each network show. For the first time in four years, a new series is not in the top ten.

Hulu will be the place for all your TGIF nostalgia binges.

Wait, there are people who think Cheryl Hines is really Larry David’s wife (or ex-wife as the case would be)? And, wait, she’s actually married to Robert Kennedy Jr.? What?

Apparently, McDonald’s nugget sauces are very important to some TV nerds out there, so mark your calendars for this Saturday.

“Fox News’ Sean Hannity Sets Slobbering Blowjob of Donald Trump.” There, I fixed your headline for you.

In Development

• Sounds like there will be another Real Housewives set in Florida — but not Miami.
• The Partner, a legal drama from John Grisham, is being developed at Fox.
• ABC is working on an adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities.
• Amazon Prime has picked up A Very English Scandal, starring Hugh Grant.
• We might be getting more Kids in the Hall…
• MTV has ordered more episodes of Siesta Key.

Casting News

• Jon Hamm is joining the cast of Good Omens as the archangel Gabriel.
• Danny Glover has joined Locke & Key on Hulu.
• Shannen Doherty will appear in Heathers.
• It’s official: Lionel Richie will be the third judge on American Idol.
• Shay Mitchell will star in ABC drama, The Heiress.
• Tom Hanks, Peter Dinklage, Mikey Day, Streeter Seidell and Bobby Moynihan are all going to star in the David S. Pumpkins animated special.
• Betty Buckley is joining Supergirl.
• J.C. Mackenzie and Craig Vincent are joining The Irishman, the Martin Scorsese Netflix film.
• Leslie Gort is joining DC’s Titans.
• Amy Carlson has left Blue Bloods.
• Tara Palmeri is joining ABC News.
• Kara Scannell and Dianne Gallagher have joined CNN as correspondents.
• Former America’s Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille might be joining Real Housewives of Atlanta in a limited role.
• Sounds like Kenya Moore is being phased out of Real Housewives of Atlanta because her new husband won’t agree to be filmed.

R.I.P.

Monty Hall, Host and co-creator of Let’s Make a Deal

Paul Rodriguez, Sound executive

Dave Strader, Sportscaster

WATCH THIS

The Real Housewives of Dallas: DILDOS. 9 p.m., Bravo

9JKL: Series premiere. 7:30 p.m., CBS
The Gifted: Series premiere. 8 p.m., Fox

Lucifer: Season premiere. 7 p.m., Fox

Star Wars: A New Hope: It’s not too early to start getting excited about the upcoming new Star Wars movie. 7 p.m., TNT

The Godfather: I have to watch this movie when it comes on TV. It’s the law. 7 p.m., AMC

Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Miley Cyrus Late Night with Seth Meyers: Michael Strahan, Justin Hartley, Tash Sultana, Gene Hoglan The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Pierce Brosnan, Jason Alexander, Ta-Nehisi Coates The Late Late Show with James Corden: Debra Messing, Jay Pharoah, Elizabeth Gillies, the Shins Jimmy Kimmel Live: Anthony Anderson, Alex Rodriguez, 21 Savage Conan: Adam Scott, Marsai Martin, Grouplove The Daily Show: Robin Thede The Opposition with Jordan Klepper : Asha Rangappa Watch What Happens Live: Jennifer Tilly, Peggy Sulahian

MON.

7:00

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

ABC

Dancing with the Stars (new)

The Good Doctor (new)

CBS

The Big Bang Theory (new)

9JKL (new)

Kevin Can Wait (new)

Me, Myself & I (new)

Scorpion (new)

CW

Supergirl (repeat)

Penn & Teller: Fool Us (new)

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FOX

Lucifer (new)

The Gifted (new)

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The Voice (new)

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