The fantastic Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair has spent the Game of Thrones hiatus at the Writers Guild of America library pouring over the show’s scripts from the past seven seasons — which are apparently there and available for anyone to read! Who knew! And she’s found some very interesting details that help clear up some questions fans might have had like, “Is Tyrion in love with Daenerys?” and “Was Sansa and Arya’s fight in the last season for reals?” and “Is Cersei really pregnant?” and “In Daenerys’ vision of the Iron Throne, was that ash or snow?” It’s a good deep dive if you have any lingering questions.
Here’s an interview with The Mountain, not that he’s going to tell you anything about the final season of Game of Thrones.
But you know who is talking? The Night King. At a convention, Vladimír Furdík revealed that the epic battle that everyone keeps hyping up is going to take place in the third episode, which is notable because Game of Thrones traditionally holds their big battle scenes towards the end of the season. HMMMMM.
We haven’t seen the last of the Coven witches on American Horror Story, and thank the goddess for that because they are literally the best thing about that damn show. ALSO PLEASE TO RESURRECT MYRTLE AGAIN THANKS.
Vulture predicts who will be nominated for Golden Globes, but I’m going to wait and shit on the actual nominees after they are announced tomorrow morning.
I wouldn’t usually put a story that has virtually nothing to do with a TV show or the business this high up in the post, but this is important: JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN ADOPTED AN EMU AND A DONKEY WHO LOVE EACH OTHER AND THEIR NAMES ARE JACK AND DIANE.
Hulu’s CEO thinks that cable networks will be a thing of the past in the next decade. Maybe! Probably! As more and more people cut the cord and rely on streaming, this is becoming increasingly likely. And considering every damn studio seems to think they need to have their own streaming platform, it seems less and less likely that they will be selling content to traditional networks. I am of mixed feelings about this — streaming is the obvious future of televised entertainment, but in that period between the death of cable and the total takeover of the streaming model, it’s going to be expensive for someone like me who can’t just go and cut the cord already.
As I noted yesterday, Netflix is keeping Friends for another year, and it ain’t coming cheap. The New York Times says it’s going to cost Netflix $100 million; The Hollywood Reporter places the cost at $80 million. Whichever the figure is, it’s a hell of a lot more than the $30 million they had previously been paying.
However, with the loss of the Marvel series and the increasing number of other streaming platforms popping up, Netflix is going to have to start paying up. Daredevil, for instance, was its fourth most popular series, and they just “canceled” it. (Quotation marks only because I suspect Marvel refused to allow Netflix to renew the series in anticipation of Disney+.)
Peter Jackson might offer a little help with the Lord of Rings series after all.
Interesting: Mahershala Ali’s True Detective character was originally supposed to be white. But the shocking part of this story is that Ali had to convince that dumbass Nic Pizzolatto that the character could be black. Instead of, you know, Pizzolatto BEGGING Ali to play the role as would be expected because it’s Mahershala Ali, you idiot.
Adam Levine did a dumb on last night’s elimination episode of The Voice, and Kendrick Perkins is among many people who are NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT.
The American Film Institute named their top ten shows of the year, and only one was a broadcast network series.
There is going to be a Four Weddings and a Funeral reunion for Red Nose Day this year. As long as Andi McDowell delivers her greatest line: “Is it raining? I hadn’t noticed,” in that same flat monotone, I’m down.
Emily Rossum’s final Shameless episode will see Frank being Frank, apparently.
Oh, Jesus Christ, Sonja Morgan is doing improv now.
Variety has a nice breakdown of Ryan Murphy’s repertoire players, but, excuse me, where the hell are Emma Roberts and Billie Lourde? Or Lea Michelle? Do Scream Queens and Glee just not count?
Even cult members hate motion smoothing on your TV. They may be crazy, but they’re not CRAZY.
Laura Ingraham compared people who protest Confederate statues to ISIS, because that’s reasonable. Meanwhile, even her brother hates her. Fair.
So I’m not going to talk too much about the Mueller investigation here because if y’all had a sense just how much time I spend obsessing about it, you’d no longer have any respect for me, TRUST, but I will say that yesterday was like Christmas Eve over on MSNBC as they anticipated the Flynn memo, and once it arrived, it was as though they unwrapped their presents to find only socks and underwear, while being told by their older brother that Santa isn’t real.
Sex Monster News
The report on Les Moonves is done and GOD DAMN, LES MOONVES, YOU ARE A MONSTER. Not only did he harass and assault all those women that we already knew about, but he kept a CBS employee on the payroll for oral sex, a board member knew all about his behavior, and he destroyed evidence and lied to investigators. Somehow I don’t think you’re going to be getting that $120 million golden parachute. At least, you better not, asshole.
It’s difficult to be a mom and a TV news journalist, y’all.
Harvey Weinstein is trying to make a deal in the 2006 Cannes Film Festival rape case against him.
Lena Dunham is still an asshole.
Renewals
- The Good Place has been renewed for a fourth season on NBC. Holy shirtballs!
- Narcos: Mexico has been renewed for a second season on Netflix.
Cancellations
In Development
- A Between Two Ferns movie is coming to Netflix.
- Hulu is developing a John Grisham “universe” with multiple series based on The Rainmaker and Rogue Lawyer.
- Hulu has also signed a deal with Sony Pictures Television to produce a number of anime series.
- Swagger, a basketball drama from Kevin Durant, is being developed at Apple.
- A Dr. Mirage series is in the works at The CW.
- Bill Lawrence has signed a deal with WBTV and sold a store sitcom to NBC.
Casting News
- Kevin Hart will be the host of the Academy Awards.
- Andy Cohen will co-host CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast with Anderson Cooper.
- Jessica Lange will star in The Politician on Netflix. (I thought we already knew this, but I guess this makes it official.)
- Toby Kebbell will star in the M. Night Shyamalan’s Apple series.
- Edward Burns will star in and executive produce an episode of Amazing Stories on Apple
- Ruben Blades and Daniel Sharman are returning to Fear the Walking Dead. Huh!
- Jessica Meraz will be Menagerie on Supergirl.
- Polly Walker will recur in Pennyworth on Epix.
- James Norton, Ben Miles, and Ellie Bamber will star in The Trial of Christine Keeler on BBC One.
Mark Your Calendars
- American Gods returns on March 10, so I guess I better finish recapping the first season, dammit.
Lifetime has announced their winter slate of films:
- Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story will air on January 19.
- Love You to Death will air on January 26.
- Death of a Cheerleader will air on February 2.
- Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter will air on February 9.
- Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You will air on February 16.
- Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter’s Tale will debut on Netflix on December 14.
- Temptation Island debuts on USA on January 15.
- Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable will debut on Netflix on December 18.
- Deadly Class debuts on Syfy on December 15 and wait, Henry Rollins is in it? Awesome.
- The Jean-Luc Picard Star Trek series will debut on CBS All Access sometime in late 2019.
- American Dream/American Knightmare will air on Showtime on December 21.
- Demon’s Path will debut on Netflix on December 22.
- Ovation has released all of their winter premiere dates.
R.I.P.
Philip Bosco, Tony-winning actor who appeared in Damages, Law & Order SVU, Law & Order, among many, many others and whose first role was as Sam Houston in the 1950s series You Are There.
Roger V. Burton, Actor on Baskets, House, Fargo, The Cool Kids among others, jazz musician, Harvard-educated psychologist, and all-around interesting person.
Paul Gregory, Producer
Tony Lynn, Former executive at Showtime
Jael Strauss, Former America’s Next Top Model contestant.
WATCH THIS
The Real Housewives of Dallas: The reunion begins. 9 p.m., Bravo
The Real Housewives of New Jersey: Oh shit, Amber’s back. 8 p.m., Bravo
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: The Emmy-award-sweeping series is back for a second season. Amazon
America’s Mississippi: A three-part documentary that explores our nation’s greatest river. 7 p.m., Smithsonian
Border Live: This is exactly what it sounds like: a live broadcast of law enforcement as they work on the U.S.-Mexico border. We are living in very normal times. Series premiere. 8 p.m., Discovery
A Thousand Words with Michelle Obama: COME BACK, MICHELLE. 8 p.m., BET
Late Night: Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, John Legend Late Night with Seth Meyers: Howie Mandel, Danielle Macdonald, Mehdi Hasan, Nikki Glaspie The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer The Late Late Show with James Corden: Jude Law, Steve Coogan, Sam Morril Jimmy Kimmel Live: Jennifer Aniston, Chris Elliott, Rita Ora The Daily Show: Jeremy Scott Watch What Happens Live: Jennifer Aydin, Jackie Goldschneider
| WEDS. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | The Goldbergs (new) |
American Housewife (new) |
Modern Family (new) |
Single Parents (new) |
A Million Little Things (new) |
| CBS | Survivor (new) |
SEAL Team (new) |
Criminal Minds (new) |
| CW | Riverdale (new) |
All American (new) |
Local |
| FOX | Empire (new) |
Star (new) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Chicago Med (repeat) |
Chicago Fire (new) |
Chicago P.D. (new) |