HELLLLLLO! I am back after a week+ vacation with my family to California for some sightseeing, college visits and some skiing in a blizzard. While I didn’t do much work, work still managed to find me: during our visit to Hollywood Boulevard and Grauman’s Chinese Theater, the entire block was shut down to traffic to shoot a scene for an upcoming pilot, The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, which is based on the true story of the oldest rookie in the LAPD.
While we were checking out the Hollywood stars (and deliberately ignoring one President Reality Star’s), we were hustled back from the edge of the street by very cantankerous production assistants so they could shoot a chase scene in which Nathan Fillion and some other cop chase a man in unfortunate pants through traffic and up onto the sidewalk where we were standing.
This is the only photo I took, moments before the chase began. I did not take a photo of the aftermath of the chase when Nathan Fillion was standing DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME because I am an idiot and would never make it as a photojournalist. Note: Nathan Fillion is still very handsome.
Anyway, when The Rookie finally debuts this fall, know that I was standing RIGHT THERE when Nathan Fillion chases the crazy-looking man in the plaid pants through traffic and up towards the sidewalk (where I suspect crazy-pants man probably gets away, and then there is a whole “is Nathan Fillion too old for this job?” part of the story, but that’s just a guess.)
We also swung by the Scientology Celebrity Center so that my teen son could take an ironic photo in front of it (he has the same weird obsession with cults that his mother does, go figure) on the same day that Scientology announced that they were launching their own network. COINCIDENCE?
ABC pulled an episode of black-ish because it included a debate on the issue of athletes taking a knee during the National Anthem, which is some straight-up bullshit. This is what this show is designed for: to present to the rest of America these conversations that African-Americans are having within their own community. BOOOOO, ABC, BOOOO. Meanwhile, Jordan Peele praised black-ish‘s Get Out parody.
We have a Season 8 American Horror Story subtitle: “Radioactive.” HMMM. Remember, Murphy said in an interview that the season will take place in the future: “It’s still topical, but [set in] the future, which I’ve never done… I think people will like it. It’s different from what we’ve done before.”
In case you were wondering what Ned Stark was saying right before he was SPOILER ALERT FOR THE TWO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO DON’T KNOW THIS YET beheaded, it was exactly what you think it was.
If you are curious about in Amazon’s viewership numbers, we have some info now, and it’s interesting. Is this a sustainable model? Especially when they’re talking about spending this much on Lord of the Rings?
Saturday Night Live is accused of being homophobic and stealing jokes. In other news, water is wet.
Here are a bunch of Westworld pictures for you. And here is a description of the Westworld attraction that you didn’t get to go to at SXSW.
If you were looking for an explanation for what happened on Legion last season, this isn’t it.
Fascinating: Christopher Eccleston claims he was “blacklisted” by the BBC after Doctor Who, and it was because of an accent?
There are few things I enjoy as much as reading Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s thoughts on The Bachelor, in all honesty.
Wardrobe “malfunction” and not “deliberate attempt to take attention away from the Countess Luann.” OK.
Steve Baldikoski and Bryan Behar have been named the new showrunners of Fuller House, after the creator of the show had to leave for being gross. Congratulations, guys! Also, somehow I am Facebook friends with Bryan Behar, but I’m not sure how that happened?
CNN is moving Chris Cuomo to primetime, stripping Anderson Cooper of one of his hours. So who will replace him in the morning?
Syfy’s Nightflyers has already lost its showrunner.
Family Guy did a thing last night.
Black Panther is going to host Saturday Night Live.
D’oh!
Get better soon, Bret McKenzie!
One last Nathan Fillion note: He’s going to reunite with NPH in A Series of Unfortunate Events, yay!
Time’s Up
Famous women who have been harassed or screwed over:
A famous woman who says she hasn’t been harassed, but whose comments about being “powerful” and how she wasn’t “like those pretty girls with those nice little noses. Maybe that’s why” she wasn’t harassed doesn’t actually do anyone any favors BECAUSE THAT’S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS, BARBRA:
Famous (“famous”) people who have been accused of harassing:
Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences President John Bailey
Atomic Blonde producer David Guillod
Former CAA agent Cameron Mitchell
Santa Fe International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees boss John Hendry
https://instagram.com/p/BgEm89tHmzJ/?utm_source=ig_embed
People who need to sit down and think a little bit harder about all of this before they go running their mouths in public:
HBO’s Senior Vice President of Drama Francesca Orsi
People who are making things better:
Time’s Up (kinda obviously)
People I have a hard time worrying about:
Renewals
- The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, America’s Funniest Home Videos and Child Support have all been renewed by ABC.
- The Wall has been renewed by NBC.
- Will & Grace has been given a third season at NBC.
- Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath has been renewed by A&E.
- Travelers has been renewed at Netflix.
- Power has been renewed at Starz.
- Snoop Dogg Presents the Joker’s Wild and Drop the Mic have been renewed by TBS.
- Flip or Flop Nashville has been renewed by HGTV.
- Britannia has been renewed at Sky Atlantic.
Cancellations
- Sounds like Jane the Virgin is going to end after its fifth season.
- Young & Hungry has been canceled at Freeform.
- Nothing is confirmed, but it sounds like The Exorcist and The Last Man on Earth are both in trouble … stay tuned.
In Development
- Hulu is the big winner of Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon’s Little Fires Everywhere.
- Oh my God, Kelly and Donna are working to bring Beverly Hills 90210 back.
- Oh my God, someone wants to do a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot.
- Deal or No Deal is returning with Howie Mandel.
- Norm MacDonald is getting his own Netflix talk show.
- Starz has greenlit The Spanish Princess.
- Bravo is working on a miniseries about Brian Epstein, the “fifth Beatle.”
- Hulu is developing Demons, a series about the Satanic panic of the 80s and 90s.
- HBO has ordered Israeli teen drama Euphoria.
- Netflix has bought documentary series Bobby Kennedy for President.
- Seven Year Switch is moving from FYI to Lifetime.
Casting News
- Nicole Kidman is going to star in David E. Kelley’s The Undoing for HBO.
- Jeremy Sisto has been cast in the lead of F.B.I. on CBS. Missy Peregrym has been cast as the female lead and Ebonée Noel is set to co-star.
- Annabella Sciorra has been cast as the villain in Luke Cage season 2.
- David Tennant will star in the HBO comedy Camping.
- Dax Shepard is filling the Danny Masterson-shaped hole on The Ranch on Netflix.
- Chris Parnell is joining the cast of a CBS comedy pilot, Our People. Saidah Arrika Ekulona has also been added to the cast.
- Peyton List has been cast in the lead and Christine Lahti is going to co-star in Fox’s Gone Baby Gone. April Bowlby is also joining the cast.
- Robin Tunney has been cast in the lead of ABC’s pilot, The Fix. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr. Eko!) and Adam Rayner are set to co-star.
- Nina Dobrev is the star of the CBS comedy pilot Fam. Tone Bell is set to co-star.
- Sarah Drew and Michelle Hurd are your new Cagney and Lacey.
- Christopher Abbott has been cast in the lead of Catch-22 for Hulu.
- Lex Scott Davis has been cast as the lead in the ABC pilot For Love. Wolé Parks & Chloe Wepper have also been cast.
- Steve Coulter and Deborah Ramsay are your new Charles and Camilla.
- Wood Harris is going to star in ABC drama pilot The Mission.
- Devere Rogers and John Gemberling are going to star in NBC comedy pilot Friends-in-Law. James Davis and Nicole Parker are also set to star.
- Dave Annable has been cast as the lead in the CBS pilot The Code. Anna Wood, Ato Essandoh, and Raffi Barsoumian are also joining the cast.
- Graeme Thomas King, Kelly Rutherford, Haley Erin, Sydney Park and Eli Brown are joining The Perfectionists on Freeform.
- Lyndon Smith is the new lead of The CW pilot Dead Inside.
- Cindy Luna is joining NBC’s pilot In Between Lives. Anne-Marie Johnson is also joining the cast.
- Austin Nichols has been cast in the lead of The CW’s pilot, In the Dark. Kathleen York and Derek Webster have also joined the cast.
- James Buckley has been cast in the NBC pilot I Feel Bad: All Day, Every Day, About Everything. Johnny Pemberton has also been cast.
Mark Your Calendar
- Ransom returns on CBS on April 7.
- Code Black will return on CBS on April 25.
- Elementary will return on CBS on April 30.
- Patrick Melrose will debut on Showtime on May 12.
- You will debut on Lifetime on September 9.
- Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance will debut on Lifetime on May 13.
- The Bad Seed will debut on Lifetime on September 9.
R.I.P.
Stephen Hawking, Supergenius. Reportedly, his only request when he appeared on The Simpsons was to not be depicted as drunk.
Bill Brady, CBS News director
Michael Gershman, Cinematographer
Nokie Edwards, Hawaii Five-0 guitarist
Brandon Davis, HGTV producer
Robert Scheerer, TV musicals director
Merritt Blake, Talent agent
Ken Dodd, British comedian
WATCH THIS
Arthur Miller: Writer: English majors, ALERT! Arthur Miller’s daughter presents this portrait of her father, the legendary American playwright. Premiere. 7:30 p.m., HBO
Epic Warrior Women: This new series, narrated by Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, explores badass warrior women throughout history. Series premiere. 7 p.m., Smithsonian
American Psycho: I love this movie, and am glad that people finally understand it for the satire that it is. Now, how about some love for its sibling movie, Rules of Attraction? 7:50 p.m., MoreMax West
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Blake Shelton, Scott Eastwood Late Night with Seth Meyers: Bill Hader, Rosie Perez, Tayari Jones, Lil’ John Roberts The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Drew Barrymore, Adam Devine, Moby The Late Late Show with James Corden: RuPaul, Kumail Nanjiani, Jenny Slate, Craig David Jimmy Kimmel Live: Tyler Perry, Jensen Ackles, Dua Lipa Conan: Burt Reynolds, Dylan Moran, Rachel Feinstein The Daily Show: Mitch Landrieu The Opposition with Jordan Klepper: Julia Ioffe Watch What Happens Live: Stassi Schroeder, Brittany Cartwright
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | American Idol (new) |
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Living Biblically (new) |
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The Resident (new) |
News/Local |
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