While I was gone last week, Jay Leno gave an interview to NBC News where he was asked if he misses being in late night and the following happened:
“No, it’s different — I don’t miss it,” said Leno. “You know, everything now is if people don’t like your politics — everyone has to know your politics.”
“I kind of used Johnny [Carson]’s model,” he explained. “People couldn’t figure out: ‘Well, you and your Republican friends…’ or ‘Well, Mr. Leno, you and your Democratic buddies…’ And I would get hate mail from both sides equally. And I went, ‘Well that’s fabulous! That’s exactly what I want.'”
The hosts reacted enthusiastically to Leno’s response.
“But when people see you as one-sided, it just makes it tough,” Leno said. “And plus, I did it when, you know, Clinton was horny and Bush was dumb, and it was just a little easier,” he added, a line that got more laughs from the NBC team.
“You know, now it’s all very serious, everything so, so na—” he said, stopping himself mid-line. “I’d just like to see a bit of civility come back to it, you know?”
Anyway, as you could have predicted, President Binge Watcher took notice of Leno’s comments and twatted about it:
Is he using the royal we here? Also, the late night shows are clearly not unwatchable for the Screamer-in-Chief, because just yesterday morning, he was twatting about a RERUN of Saturday Night Live:
That’s right! He is again threatening to sic the FEC and FCC on a satirical late night show because they hurt his fee-fees. But because these were two of TWENTY-EIGHT tweets yesterday, it was just collectively shrugged off because who can pay too close attention when he is also screaming about the Mueller Report being illegal, SCURRRRY IMMIGRANTS, Representative Omar, retweeting Qanon crazies, and lies about the Democrats trying to steal the election.
Oh, and also yelling at Fox News for suspending Judge Jeanne Pirro and for keeping actual journalists on the payroll:
Right, so one of the other things that happened while I was gone was Fox News had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. In the same week that Fox News hosted an emergency pitch to advertisers to beg them to not abandon the network over the bigoted and hateful things their evening hosts have been spewing, Judge Jeanne Pirro said on her show that Representative Omar’s hijab means she is “against the Constitution,” and Media Matters dug up old radio shows in which Tucker Carlson defended a child rapist, made gross comments about teen pageant contestants, and had LOTS of horrible things to say about women.
Fox News temporarily suspended both hosts — which is unsurprising considering just days after Pirro made her Islamaphobic statements, a terrorist attacked two mosques in New Zealand, killing 50 innocent people. I should note here that the shooter released a manifesto that praised Trump as “a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose.” But that, of course, didn’t stop President Bigot from racing to the defense of Jeanne Pirro and her disgusting comments.
So that’s where we are: with the Acting White House Chief of Staff having to go on Fox News to insist that the President of the United States isn’t a white nationalist, because people are wondering if the President of the United States is a white nationalist after he defended Fox News white nationalists in the wake of a hideous massacre by a white nationalist.
In Other TV News
THE BACHELOR PRODUCERS HAVE NO REGRETS ABOUT MAKING HANNAH B. THE BACHELORETTE WHY DO YOU ASK.
Aaron Paul is not saying that a Breaking Bad movie is happening. But if it IS happening, Jesse will be the star.
Jon Cryer’s being Lex Luthor is his redemption story.
Other Things I Missed Last Week:
The biggest entertainment story of the week was that Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were among a number of wealthy parents and college athletic directors who were arrested by the FBI for being part of a college bribery scheme. The details about this scandal are amazing, including photoshopping kids faces onto actual athletes’ pictures, flying kids here to Houston to take the SATs and ACTs with a proctor who would help them cheat, and parents trying to hide the fact from their children that they were cheating their way into these schools.
But my favorite parts of this story all stem from the Lori Loughlin chapters. She bought her daughter Olivia Jade a spot at USC. Olivia Jade is not what you would call a scholar:
Lol indeed.
And Olivia Jade was so lazy (and stupid) she couldn’t figure out how to fill out the college application, you guys:
While Huffman was arrested at literal gunpoint at 6 a.m., Loughlin managed to evade the fuzz for a full day, finally surrendering on Wednesday. Both actresses were released on a $1 million bond. You won’t be seeing their mugshots anytime soon, you vultures.
And while her mother was being arrested, our hero Olivia Jade was spring breaking on the yacht that belongs to a member of the USC board of trustees. I COULD NOT MAKE THAT DELICIOUS DETAIL UP. However, it looks like Olivia Jade will not be returning to USC following her yacht trip. And it seems this isn’t Olivia Jade’s first time winning something she didn’t earn. Olivia Jade is my new favorite monster.
Loughlin has been fired by the Hallmark Channel and from Fuller House and a new When Calls the Heart episode has been pulled. The Hallmark Channel promises When Calls the Heart will not be canceled. Meanwhile, this whole scandal mirrored a Full House episode.
As for Huffman, there is some question as to why William H. Macy wasn’t charged, considering he appears to have been a very active participant in the whole scheme. Here’s Macy talking about how “stressful” the college application process is. OH IS IT, WILLIAM H. MACY? AS A PARENT WHO JUST WENT THROUGH IT WITHOUT BRIBING ANYONE, I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT HOW STRESSFUL IT WAS FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE TO BUY YOUR CHILDREN’S WAY INTO COLLEGE.
And David Mamet came racing to Huffman and Macy’s defense, which, um, no thank you?
And this tweet didn’t age well:
Dummy Jr. tried to dunk on Huffman, but it didn’t go well for him.
Huffman and Loughlin have left social media since the scandal broke, which, honestly is probably for the best.
Finally, we all know who the real victim in this whole mess is: Meghan McCain.
The Sharp Objects showrunner is hinting that there might be a second season after all.
Adnan Syed will not be getting a new trial after all.
Jussie Smollett was indicted on 16 charges of disorderly conduct following his supposed attack in Chicago. Smollett pled not guilty to all 16 charges. Last week, Empire returned on television, but there are many questions regarding its future following the Smollett scandal. Will the show be canceled, replace Smollett or kill off his character altogether? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
#MeToo
From last week:
Neil deGrasse Tyson will be returning to TV with Cosmos and Star Talk following an investigation into sexual harassment allegations.
Leaving Neverland has shown a very necessary light on the practice of grooming sexual abuse victims, with searches for the term spiking over 500% in the days following the airing of the documentary.
Renewals
From last week:
- The Blacklist has been renewed for a seventh season on NBC.
- Battlebots has been renewed on Discovery and Science.
- Holmes & Holmes has been renewed at HGTV.
Cancellations
- Tanked has been canceled at Animal Planet.
In Development
From last week:
- Hometown, a comedy film produced by Tina Fey, has been ordered by Netflix.
- Mike Judge has signed an overall deal with HBO.
- Taika Waititi will co-write and direct Time Bandits at Apple.
- Jerry O’Connell might be getting his own talk show on Fox stations.
- Our Man in … Japan is coming to Amazon.
- Erik Oleson has signed an overall deal with Amazon.
Casting News
- Freddie Prinze Jr. will star in the Nancy Drew pilot at The CW.
- Christian Borle is joining the ABC pilot, Until the Wedding.
- Jonathan Sadowski has joined the cast of Patty’s Auto, a Fox comedy pilot.
- David Del Rio has joined the cast of the ABC pilot The Baker and the Beauty, which continues to be a TERRIBLE name for a series.
- Michael Mosley is joining neXt at Fox.
- Bryce Charles and Tate Moore have been cast in Women Up at ABC.
- Ben Lawson has been cast in the ABC comedy pilot, Nana.
- Zabryna Guevara has joined the cast of Emergence at NBC.
From last week:
- Ethan Hawke is going to star in Good Lord Bird at Showtime.
- Finn Jones has been cast as the lead in Fox’s pilot Prodigal Son. Keiko Agena is also joining the cast.
- Sarayu Blue has been cast in the lead of the CBS drama pilot Under the Bridge, so I guess I Feel Bad is canceled?
- Zazie Beats and Betty Gabriel are joining Twilight Zone on CBS All Access.
- Bill Bellamy has been cast in Nana, an ABC comedy pilot.
- Donald Faison is going to star in Emergence, an NBC drama pilot.
- Jean Luc Bilodeau will co-star in Carol’s Second Act on CBS.
- Kimberly Guerrero will co-star in The Republic of Sarah pilot at CBS.
- David Denman and Olivia Macklin have been cast in the Fox pilot Filthy Rich.
- Kirby Howell-Baptiste will star in Why Women Kill at CBS All Access.
- Richard Cabral will star in an episode of Into the Dark at Hulu.
- Juliet Rylance is joining The Hypnotist’s Love Story pilot at ABC.
- Wilson Bethel has been cast in the CBS pilot Courthouse.
- Kris D. Lofton is joining Unrelated on Freeform.
- Edwin Hodge and Mallory Jansen have been cast in Triangle, a drama pilot at ABC.
- Stony Blyden is joining the cast of the pilot Bluff City Law at NBC.
- Jason Michael Snow has been cast in the ABC comedy pilot United We Fall.
- Adrian Martinez has been cast in the ABC pilot Stumptown.
- Michelle Veintimilla has been cast in the ABC pilot The Baker and the Beauty.
- Alexis Fields has been cast with Leslie Odom in an untitled ABC pilot comedy.
- Megan Hilty and Jessie Mueller have been cast in CMT’s Patsy & Loretta.
- Adrian Paul will recur on Arrow.
- Bailey Chase and David Andrews are joining the cast of Queen of the South.
- Tyrese Gibson will host Celebrity Grand Prix at MGM TV.
- Sandra Oh will host Saturday Night Live on March 30.
Mark Your Calendar
- Siren will return on Freeform in July.
From last week:
- Chernobyl will debut on HBO on May 6.
-
The Daily Show Presents: Desi Lydic: Abroad will air on Comedy Central on May 13.
- The Rook will debut on Starz sometime this summer.
- Ramy will debut on Hulu on April 19.
- Santa Clarita Diet will return on Netflix on March 29.
- If I Could Tell You Just One Thing is going to premiere on YouTube on March 27.
- Delhi Crime will debut on Netflix on March 22.
- My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic will return for its final season on Discovery Family on April 6.
- I Love Lucy: Funny Money Special will air on CBS on April 15.
- Love Takes Flight will debut on Hallmark Channel on April 27.
- Street Outlaws will return on Discovery on April 1.
- My First Love will debut on Netflix on April 18.
R.I.P.
Richard Erdman, Actor in countless movies and TV shows, you might remember him as Leonard on Community.
George M. Lehr, Producer of many series including Man From U.N.C.L.E., Police Woman, and Masquerade.
Tom Hatten, Actor, announcer, and KTLA host.
John Carl Buechler, Special effects master
Dick Dale, Legendary surf rock guitarist
From last week:
Jed Allan, Soap actor on Days of Our Lives and Santa Barbara
Kelly Catlin, US Olympic Silver Medalist in cycling
Lotte Van Der Zee, Former Miss Teen Universe
Hal Blaine, legendary drummer
WATCH THIS
9-1-1: My favorite thing about Ryan Murphy’s batshit insane emergency services procedural is how everyone is like, “HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BATSHIT INSANE SHOW?” Yeah, welcome to Ryan Murphy shows, bitches. Mid-season premiere. 8 p.m., Fox
The Fix: Marcia Clarke’s revenge fantasy. Series premiere. 9 p.m., ABC
Black Lightning: “The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter Two: The Omega.” Well, THAT sounds ominous. Season finale. 8 p.m., The CW
Late Night:
- Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Jordan Peele, Malcolm Gladwell, Marlon du Toit, Sharon Van Etten
- Late Night with Seth Meyers: Oscar Isaac, Winston Duke, Emily King
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Lupita Nyong’o, Vicky Ward, Karen O & Danger Mouse
- The Late Late Show with James Corden: Adam Scott, Taron Egerton, Miles Kane
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Mandy Moore, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Dean Lewis
- The Daily Show: Gov. Jay Inslee
- Busy Tonight: Cole Sprouse, Haley Lu Richardson
- Conan: Ray Romano
- Watch What Happens Live: Lindsay Hubbard, James Kennedy
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | American Idol (new) |
The Fix (new) |
| CBS | The Big Bang Theory (repeat) |
Man with a Plan (new) |
The Big Bang Theory (repeat) |
The Neighborhood (new) |
Bull (new) |
| CW | Arrow (new) |
Black Lightning (new) |
Local |
| FOX | The Resident (new) |
9-1-1 (new) |
News/Local |
| NBC | The Voice (new) |
The Enemy Within (new) |