~deep breath through the nose out the mouth~
Apparently, Fuller and Green asked for a larger budget, but the series’ production company, Freemantle, which was already giving them $10 million an episode, balked. According to people clearly sympathetic to Fuller and Green, Freemantle hadn’t factored season-to-season budget increases or exchange rate fluctuations with Canada where the show is filmed. Also, too, Fuller and Green are busy with other projects and GOD DAMMIT, FREEMANTLE, HOW DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN.
So, Fuller and Green are out, and as of now, they do not have replacements. The marginally good news is that Neil Gaiman is still onboard as a producer, and half of the season two scripts have already been written. The not at all good news is that Gaiman is already busy making Good Omens, the entire look and sensibility of the show is Fuller and ONLY HALF OF SEASON TWO HAS BEEN WRITTEN. At the very least it’s doubtful that season two will arrive next summer as Starz had hoped. At the very worst, Stasrz might walk away from going forward with the series. Pray to the TV Gods. (Or Media. She might be available.)
AND I KNOW I’VE ONLY WRITTEN HALF OF THE RECAPS FOR THE FIRST SEASON GET OFF MY BACK.
Anyway. Here’s a picture of John Hamm as the archangel Gabriel in Good Omens.
In other shows that I am behind on (had given up on), there are a ton of changes happening on Fear the Walking Dead, including the big news that Maggie Grace — better known as Shannon on Lost for some of us — is joining the cast, making her the most recent recognizable name joining the cast. Here are all the changes happening over on the show that I am afraid I’m going to have to start recapping again.
Want some of that sweet jingle jangle that all the cool kids on Riverdale are doing? Go to Trader Joe’s.
Aaron Sorkin could see a West Wing with Sterling K. Brown as President. A few thoughts: 1. Sterling K. Brown is great but 2. we’ve had an African-American president in real life so 3. if West Wing were to be rebooted which 4. no but 5. if West Wing were to be rebooted how about we try pulling a Shonda Rimes and “normalize” a female President instead? Oh and also, and forever on a loop: 6. GO AWAY AARON SORKIN. (Am I the only one who will not be surprised when shit comes out on that guy?)
All of your Godless questions answered!
Congratulations, Nurse Bobbie!
Morning Joe had to address the President’s suggestion that Joe Scarborough murdered a woman in 2001 because this is the FUCKING INSANE TIMES WE LIVE IN RIGHT NOW.
RT’s Congressional press credentials have been stripped. GOOD.
ALRIGHT. GROPEY TIME.
Garrison Keillor has been fired by Minnesota Public Radio after being accused of inappropriate behavior. MPR will also stop rebroadcasting old episodes of A Prairie Home Companion, and will change the name of the series going forward. Keillor is being somewhat defiant about the whole thing. And I’m not saying that this one isn’t surprising, just that maybe some eyebrows should have been raised when he wrote that Washington Post piece defending Al Franken.
Screenwriter Jenny Lumet has come forward to accuse Russell Simmons of basically kidnapping her and sexually assaulting her in the 90s. Her story is terrifying and worth reading. In response, Simmons has stepped down from his companies.
A senior producer on CNN’s State of the Union has been fired for inappropriate behavior.
Geoffrey Rush is denying accounts of inappropriate behavior.
Android creator Andy Rubin is taking a leave of absence after a report of inappropriate behavior at Google.
And Deadline has a report about how Disney worked around John Lasseter’s gross conduct. “He was inappropriate with the fairies,” is quite a quote.
As for Matt Lauer.
More specifics came out about what this asshole did: a woman has accused him of essentially raping her in his office; women claim he had a secret button un his desk that would lock the doors to his office so that people couldn’t walk in on him; one woman claims he sent her a dildo with an explanation on how he’d like to use it on her; another woman claims he dropped his pants, exposing himself to her and then later reprimanded her for not engaging in a sex act; and frequently asked female producers about their sex lives. He has also been accused of sexting staffers and interns.
Matt Lauer has released a statement claiming that some of the stories are untrue, but that he’s sorry. NO. BAD APOLOGY. TRY AGAIN.
Of course, all of his gross behavior was out there in the open if you just looked. Here are 12 notorious stories about this creep. There’s also the time he was in a 2012 sketch pretending to be the real victim of sexual harassment:
Or the sketch in which Matt Lauer drops his pants in front of his co-workers, says to them “drink it in, ladies,” and they complain that this is the third time this week he’s done this. (Around the 5-minute mark):
Meanwhile, Matt Lauer’s former co-anchor Ann Curry, whom he has been accused of pushing out of The Today Show, says she is “still processing” the news of his ouster. And by “still processing” she means “popping the champagne.” A reminder of how that whole mess went down between them.
There are a thousand think pieces about the Lauer story, and what it will mean for NBC News, The Today Show, and morning television in general.
OH MY GOD, GERALDO RIVERA. You know who is really not interested in having their on-air personalities defending sexual harassers? Fox News.
AND WATCH YOUR STEP, GERALDO. You could very well be next and no one would be the slightest bit surprised:
Renewals
- Mindhunter has been renewed at Netflix.
- Showtime has given the delightful and raunchy SMILF a second season.
- Fox has given Ghosted more episodes and a new showrunner.
- Zac and Mia has been given a second season by something called AwesomenessTV.
- The Night Manager is moving towards a second season.
Cancellations
Mark Your Calendars
- Robot Chicken returns to Adult Swim with a holiday special on December 10.
- Summer House returns on Bravo on January 22.
In Development
- George R.R. Martin’s Nightflyers is beginning production for Syfy.
- CBS is developing Class Action, a comedy from a former Modern Family writer and winner of Survivor.
- NBC is developing a family comedy from a Hamilton producer.
- Writer Corinne Kingsbury has sold a sisters comedy at CBS and an hour-long project at The CW.
- Netflix is adapting the book Sorta Like a Rock Star into a movie.
- The Smart Money is being developed as a series.
Casting News
- Johnny Galecki will make an appearance in one Roseanne episode.
- Georgia King is going to be the female lead in Amazon’s Making Friends.
- Tiffany Hines is joining BET’s Hit the Floor.
- Kendrick Sampson will be your Brainstorm on The Flash.
WATCH THIS
The Orville: I hate this show and I hate all of you who voted for it. Just a reminder. 8 p.m., Fox
Supernatural: The boys steal a trunk. 7 p.m., The CW
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The best Charlie Brown special, though. 7 p.m., ABC
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration: I mean, if this is your bag. 8 p.m., ABC
The President Show: I Came Up with Christmas: The Trump Christmas special we didn’t know we needed. 9 p.m., Comedy
RoboCop marathon: I’ll take RoboCop over Disney every day, but that’s just me. 5 p.m., El Rey
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Kumail Nanjiani, Kristaps Porzingis, Miguel Late Night with Seth Meyers: John Oliver, Rachel Bloom, Will Dorsey Jr. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Kate Winslet, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Wolf Alice The Late Late Show with James Corden: Jennifer Garner, Bryan Cranston Jimmy Kimmel Live: Elizabeth Banks, Matt Smith Conan: Josh Hutcherson, Talib Kweli featuring Anderson .Paak The Daily Show: Henry Louis Gates Jr. The Opposition with Jordan Klepper: Paul Scheer Watch What Happens Live: Greta Gerwig
| THURS | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | A Charlie Brown Christmas (new) |
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration (new) |
| CBS | The Big Bang Theory (new) |
Young Sheldon (new) |
Mom (new) |
Life in Pieces (new) |
S.W.A.T. (new) |
| CW | Supernatural (new) |
Penn & Teller: Fool Us (new) |
News/Local |
| FOX | Gotham (new) |
The Orville (new) |
News/Local |
| NBC | NFL Football (live) |