This Jussie Smollett story is rapidly turning into a future episode of ‘Law & Order: SVU’

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

The Jussie Smollett story is becoming … messy. Yesterday, news broke that the Chicago police had identified and questioned the two persons of interest and that they were of Nigerian descent and at least one had been an extra on Empire. A local Chicago reporter tweeted that the police were investigating the attack as a hoax that Smollett had orchestrated because his character was being written off of Empire.

Except … the Chicago police immediately responded that they were not investigating it as a hoax:

And Fox, Empire’s showrunner and writers confirmed that Smollett is not being written off of Empire:

Additionally, the police have said that the two men they questioned are not at the moment suspects … aaaaaaaand UPDATE: they’ve been arrested. According to Variety, the attorney for the two men who have been brought in for questioning do know Smollett:

“They do know Jussie,” she told the station. “They have worked with him on ‘Empire.’ My preliminary investigations show that on set it’s very tight. They’re all very cordial with each other, so they’re baffled why they are people of interest.”

So what the hell is going on? Who knows, but it is a developing situation and everyone needs to step back and not jump to conclusions. The right took way too much glee yesterday in what turned out to be actual fake news.

Meanwhile, I guess it’s safe to assume that it’s not Jamal in that coffin on Empire.

Oh, God, we’re already scheduling the first 2020 Presidential debates. Is there some way I can go into a deep coma and be revived on November 4, 2020?

Mary J. Blige is going around saying that she did her own stunts for The Umbrella Academy, and you know what? I believe her. Mary J. doesn’t fuck around.

Oh, wait, Kit Harington didn’t spoil the ending of Game of Thrones for Rose Leslie, just the end of season 7. ~insert eye roll here~

Here are some interesting connections between True Detective, seasons 3 and 1. Season 2 is best left forgotten.

If you’ve watched Abducted in Plain Sight on Netflix, you know how batshit insane that story is. Vanity Fair has some of the details that were left on the cutting room floor, but you shouldn’t read it until you’ve watched the documentary.

The Academy is now trying to say that their own announcement that some awards would be handed out during the commercials is fake news. John Bailey, President of the Academy: ‘As the result of inaccurate reporting and social media posts, there has been a chain of misinformation that has understandably upset many Academy members.’ LOL OK. But this is the thing — the thing is, when the most powerful man in the world goes around claiming that you can’t believe your lying eyes, everyone else is going to try to get away with it, too, and what I’m saying is there is no such thing as truth anymore and we are done for.

Galentine’s Day is real.

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Where my Dungeons and Dragons nerds at?

Guess which asshat thinks he needs to be involved in another music festival. No, really, go ahead, guess.

This is not really TV-related, but apparently, for Valentine’s Day, Kanye West trapped Kenny G. in a room filled with roses in individual vases because Kanye REALLY NEEDS TO GO BACK ON HIS MEDS ALREADY and anyway, Twitter had some feelings about it.

Time’s Up

Welp, Ryan Adam’s upcoming album has been put on hold, and he’s being investigated by the FBI for his sexts with an underage girl. GOOD. WELCOME TO THE PARTY, ASSHOLE. By now, the FBI should have a whole department devoted to pedophile singers, right R. Kelly?

Speaking of R. Kelly, he’s probably going to face indictment in Illinois for sexually assaulting a minor, based on a sex tape that Michael Avenatti, of all people, has turned over to the authorities.

Penthouse came after Judd Apatow for going after Louis C.K. with a 15-minute video of Apatow’s old stand-up routines that are not particularly politically correct. Except the thing is Apatow’s jokes are literally from the 80s, and Louis C.K. was joking about the Parkland kids LAST MONTH. It’s not hypocritical to grow and mature as a person and recognize that material you did in the past was offensive and no longer acceptable in our different cultural moment.

And while we’re discussing Louis C.K., Pete Holmes talked about him on Busy Tonight, and like many of us, is disappointed in how he’s responded: “It would be wonderful if he would evolve and grow and share in a funny and interesting way, but he’s not.”

Renewals

Cancellations

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendar

  • Love Death + Robots will premiere on Netflix on March 15 and it looks like …  A LOT.
  • DC Superhero Girls will debut on Cartoon Network on March 8.

WATCH THIS

FRIDAY

It’s Superhero Friday, apparently:

Umbrella Academy: A superhero family tries to solve the mystery of their adopted father’s death in this bananas-looking new series. Netflix

Doom Patrol: These superheroes are “traumatized and downtrodden.” Series premiere. DC Universe

Kim Possible: And the live action film of this animated series about a teen girl who saves the world from supervillains in her spare time is here. Premiere. 7 p.m., Disney

Proven Innocent: In this new legal drama, an underdog criminal defense firm is led by a young woman whose brother was wrongfully convicted. Series premiere. 8 p.m., Fox

Lorena: Superheroes don’t always wear capes. Series premiere. Amazon

SATURDAY

Deadpool 2: Because I suppose we’re not done with the superheroes just yet. 7 p.m., HBO

Saturday Night Live: Don Cheadle & Gary Clarke, Jr. 10:30 p.m., NBC

Ransom: Season three premiere. 7 p.m., CBS

SUNDAY

Last Week Tonight: John Oliver is back, THANK GAWD. Season premiere. 10 p.m., HBO

Elvis All-Star Tribute: The King is celebrated on the 50th anniversary of his Comeback Special, also known as Peak Sexy Elvis. LOOK AT THIS MOFO:

Anyway, a bunch of new country artists are going to pay tribute to this, but ain’t none of them are going to be as good (or sexy) as this. 8 p.m., NBC

Star Wars: The Force Awakens: No lie, I put this in the top three Star Wars movies. Fight me. 7 p.m., ABC

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Friday): Terri, Bindi & Robert Irwin, repeat segments with Kim Kardashian West, Christina Tosi
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: (Friday): Jeff Goldblum
  • Watch What Happens Live (Sunday):  Kim Zolciak-Biermann, Eva Marcille

 

FRI. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC Fresh Off the Boat
(new)		 Speechless
(new)		 20/20
(new)
CBS MacGyver
(new)		 Hawaii Five-0
(new)		 Blue Bloods
(new)
CW Whose Line is it Anyway?
(repeat)		 Whose Line is it Anyway?
(repeat)		 Penn & Teller: Fool Us
(repeat)		 Local
FOX Last Man Standing
(new)		 Proven Innocent
(new)		 Local
NBC Blindspot
(new)		 The Blacklist
(new)		 Dateline
(new)

—

SAT. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30
ABC America’s Funniest Home Videos
(repeat)		 America’s Funniest Home Videos
(repeat)		 20/20
(new)		 News/Local
CBS Ransom
(new)		 NCIS
(repeat)		 48 Hours
(new)		 News/Local
FOX PBC Fight Night
(live)		 News/Local
NBC America’s Got Talent (repeat) Saturday Night Live
(repeat)		 News/Local Saturday Night Live
(Don Cheadle & Gary Clarke, Jr.)

—

SUN. 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC America’s Funniest Home Videos
(new)		 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(new)
CBS 60 Minutes
(new)		 God Friended Me
(new)		 NCIS: Los Angeles
(new)		 Madam Secretary
(new)
The CW Local Supergirl
(new)		 Charmed
(new)		 Local
FOX The Simpsons
(repeat)		 Bob’s Burgers
(repeat)		 The Simpsons
(new)		 Bob’s Burgers
(new)		 Family Guy
(new)		 Family Guy
(repeat)		 Local/News
NBC How to Train Your Dragon Elvis All-Star Tribute

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