Declining ratings? What declining ratings? Apparently on a phone call with investors yesterday, the CEO of AMC said that The Walking Dead will go on for decades:
“The use of the word ‘franchise,’ we don’t take lightly. It’s not a sloppy or casual word,” Sapan said. “We’ve studied the best. Some have been around 30, 40, 50 years. We have a chance for a lot of life in the franchise.”
First of all, FIRST OF ALL, we will all be lucky to be here in 50 years, and TV will be lucky to be here in 5 years. But second of all, this idea that there is no end in sight for The Walking Dead universe just confirms the worst about the series: that there is no plan, there is no point or message or purpose. It’s just going to be an endless shuffle of characters stumbling through the apocalypse fighting one another over nothing for forever. Super.
The Country Music Association is demanding that journalists not ask artists political questions or questions about gun control on the red carpet for the upcoming CMA Awards. This despite the fact that the worst shooting in American history was just a month ago at a country music festival so this all just makes sense and seems very reasonable.
Angela Basset wants to be in a Murder House-Coven crossover season. SHE BETTER BE IN IT, RYAN MURPHY.
Production on Westworld has been delayed after an unnamed actor had an unnamed medical emergency. WHAT AREN’T YOU TELLING US, HBO? DID THE ROBOTS ACTUALLY KILL SOMEONE?
Sarah Hyland is claiming that Haley Dunphy is bisexual, which, I mean, OK.
ESPN has changed their social media policies in the wake of the Jemele Hill mess, though they are saying that it’s not because of the Jemele Hill mess. OK.
Scottie and Larsa Pippen have called off their divorce, LOVE LIVES.
Harassment Updates
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert told Jeremy Piven to fuck right off. I mean, not in those words, but the message was the same.
Another man has come forward to claim Kevin Spacey raped him when he was 15. House of Cards producers admit that Spacey was investigated for an incident on the set of the show. They have set up an anonymous tipline for others to come forward. The London police are now investigating Spacey and his agency and publicist have dropped him. orly? why?
THIS. THIS ALL DAY.
Corey Feldman named John Grissom as his molester and filed charges against him with the LAPD.
Hey, how’s that case against Danny Masterson going? It’s not? It’s not going anywhere? Cool cool cool.
Alec Baldwin has admitted to “bullying” women. OH, YOU DON’T SAY.
Hey, the Dutch are going to start airing a show called Raped or Not next week. So that’s great.
Renewals
- Fox renewed The Orville, for fuck’s sake.
Cancellations
- Somewhere Between has been canceled at ABC. Possibly. It’s not exactly official.
- Fox maybe canceled Wayward Pines? Maybe?
In Development
- THE TWILIGHT ZONE IS BEING REBOOTED AND JORDAN PEELE IS GOING TO BE IN CHARGE OF IT AND … it’s going to be on CBS All Access. Oh. Well, shit.
- NBC is working on three — THREE — cop projects: Darwin’s Blade, MSU: Motorcycle Specialty Unit, and Walkaways. Oh, and they’re all from the guy who created Fast and Furious, so, you know.
- And ABC is developing Harmony, a musical cop series with music from Five for Fighting because I guess everyone has just forgotten about Cop Rock.
- The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Drunk History, and The President Show will have holiday specials on Comedy Central.
- Shudder is going to have its own talk show, The Core, which is going to be made in partnership with Uproxx, so that’s pretty cool.
- They’re making a TV version of In the Name of the Rose over in Europe and it’s going to star John Turturro.
- Netflix has acquired the rights to Tau, a sci-fi film.
Casting News
- Annabeth Gish is joining The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix.
- Nathan Parsons is joining the cast of Once Upon a Time.
- Josh Stamberg, Jake Etheridge, Rainee Lyleson, Nic Luken and Dylan Arnold are all joining Nashville.
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
Alias Grace: Looking for something to fill the Handmaid’s-Tale-shaped hole in your life? Series premiere. Netflix
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Rebecca terrorizes Josh. Which is pretty much the entire series. 7 p.m., The CW
Shaun of the Dead: A perfect movie. 9 p.m., TMC Extra
SATURDAY
Saturday Night Live Larry David & Miley Cyrus 10:30 p.m., NBC
The Lost Wife of Robert Durst: Reminder: This lunatic peed all over the candy at my CVS. 7 p.m., Lifetime
Get Out: If you haven’t seen this great little horror film, I’m SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO SEE IT. 7 p.m., HBO
SUNDAY
Shameless: Frank tries to make amends in the 8th season premiere. 8 p.m., Showtime
The Girlfriend Experience: New season, new stories — two of them this year. Season premiere. 8 p.m., Starz
SMILF: A young single mom struggles to have a life in this new comedy. 9 p.m., Showtime
The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Kim and NeNe are BOTH back, y’all. Season premiere. 7 p.m., Bravo
The Walking Dead: Morality is hard. 8 p.m., AMC
Late Night: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: (Friday): Jeremy Piven, Kelsea Ballerini Watch What Happens Live (Sunday): NeNe Leakes
| FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Once Upon a Time (new) |
Marvel’s Inhumans (new) |
20/20 (new) |
| CBS | MacGyver (new) |
Hawaii Five-0 (new) |
Blue Bloods (new) |
| CW | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (new) |
Jane the Virgin (new) |
Local |
| FOX | Hell’s Kitchen (new) |
The Exorcist (new) |
Local |
| NBC | Blindspot (new) |
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 (live) |
News/Local |
| CBS | College Football (live) |
News/Local |
| FOX | College Football (live) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Breeders Cup (live) |
Dateline NBC (new) |
Saturday Night Live (new) |
News/Local | Saturday Night Live (Larry David & Miley Cyrus) |
—
| SUN. | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | The Toy Box (new) |
America’s Funniest Home Videos (new) |
Shark Tank (new) |
Shark Tank (new) |
| CBS | Football (new) |
60 Minutes (new) |
Widom of the Crowd (new) |
NCIS: Los Angeles (new) |
Madam Secretary (new) |
| FOX | Bob’s Burgers (repeat) |
Bob’s Burgers (new) |
The Simpsons (new) |
Ghosted (new) |
Family Guy (new) |
The Last Man on Earth (new) |
| NBC | NFL Football (live) |
I feel like in all fairness you should hate recap a new show each season. Possibly even change to a new one at the beginning of the year. Variety is the spice of life.
OH, I AM. TRUST.
-T