I was going to write something about the “SEND HER BACK” chants at President Fucko’s rally the other night, but I think I’ll just let Amber Ruffin and the Go Back to Your Country Girls from Late Night with Seth Meyers handle it. Their response is perfect and I have nothing to add to it:
And while we’re talking about racism, Trevor Noah discusses the Scarlett Johansson dilemma and how much representation matters intelligently and insightfully in this Between the Scenes. I’ve always understood intellectually why representation matters, but I only became a loud and strident advocate of this concept embarrassingly late in life thanks to a Star Wars movie. When I saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I saw a female Star Wars hero who was the actual protagonist, not a sidekick (all my love to Princess Leia, but let’s be real), it made me cry. As a kid who grew up with the original Star Wars trilogy, these movies meant so much to me and seeing someone I could identify with — really identify with — be the hero, it felt like being seen for the first time. And I am a white woman living in a society that caters almost exclusively to white people, so I can only imagine what it is like for people of color to see themselves reflected back in pop culture. Anyway.
I know this should go under “In Development,” but this is TOO IMPORTANT to be hidden down below: NBC has greenlit a comedy from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock about a mayor of Los Angeles and Ted Danson is going to star. “Written by Fey and Carlock (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), the as-yet untitled comedy stars Danson as a wealthy businessman who runs for mayor of Los Angeles for all the wrong reasons. Once he wins he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his staff, and connect with his teenage daughter, all while controlling the coyote population.” Just inject this directly into my veins, pls.
Some news out of Comic-Con:
- Stumptown held a panel where they addressed the lead character’s PTSD, bisexuality and the inclusion of indigenous characters. It sounds really promising.
- Undone, a trippy-looking new animated series coming to Amazon Prime, screened its first two episodes — and it’s set in San Antonio? Huh. It sounds intense.
- Cobra Kai will return to Okinawa in season three.
Robert Kirkman suggested that a Walking Dead spinoff comic based on Negan is a possibility.
Mark your calendars: A live performance of the original Fleabag play will come to movie theaters on September 12.
So how worried should Netflix be?
Here’s someone saying what I’ve been screaming for a couple of years now: the coming streaming wars are going to SUCK.
The next Democratic Presidential debates were set by a weird lotto process, and it looks like Bernie Sanders will go head-to-head with Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden will face Kamala Harris again. Good luck, Uncle Joe. If your comment about challenging Donald Trump to push-ups is any indication, you’re going to need all the help you can get.
In Development
- They’re rebooting Nash Bridges at USA. Don Johnson is returning.
- LEGO Masters, a LEGO building competition, has been bought by Fox Entertainment.
- Eddie Murphy is in talks for a stand-up special at Netflix.
Casting News
- Chloe Sevigny is going to star in We Are Who We Are on HBO.
- Christine Lahti is joining the cast of Evil on CBS.
- Jack Huston, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, Jessie Buckley, Salvatore Esposito, Andrew Bird, Jeremie Harris, Gaetano Bruon, Anji White, Francesco Acquaroli, Emyri Crutchfield, and Amber Midthunder have been cast in Fargo, season four.
- Jeremy Jordan is returning to Supergirl.
- Tara Lynne Barr is joining the cast of Dispatches from Elsewhere on AMC.
- Rose Leslie is leaving The Good Fight.
Mark Your Calendar
So, Comic-Con started yesterday which means we are going to be inundated with trailers for the next several days.
- His Dark Materials will debut this fall on HBO and it looks like something else:
- This is Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D‘s final season. Here is a look at the final four episodes:
- Van Helsing returns on Syfy this fall.
- Creepshow will debut on Shudder in September.
- Unbelievable will debut on Netflix on September 13.
- Dear White People returns on Netflix on August 2.
- Hitsville: The Making of Motown will debut on Showtime on August 24.
- Spectrum will begin running all 164 episodes of Mad About You on August 1.
- South Park returns on Comedy Central on September 23.
- Unmasking Jihadi John will debut on HBO on July 31.
- I Was Prey will return on Animal Planet on August 14.
- Alaskan Bush People will return on Discovery on August 4.
Lifetime is going to have a bunch of cheerleader movies this summer:
- The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders debuts on September 2. It stars Denise Richards, by the way.
- Identity Theft of a Cheerleader debuts on September 7.
- The Wrong Cheerleader debuts on September 8.
- The Cheerleader Escort debuts on September 14.
- Undercover Cheerleader will debut on September 15.
PBS has released its fall TV schedule:
- Ken Burn’s Country Music will debut on September 15.
- Poldark will return on September 29.
- Frontline returns on October 1.
- Retro Report will debut on October 7.
- POV returns on October 14.
- Independent Lens returns on October 28.
- American Experience will return on September 10.
- Great Performances will return on September 20.
- Masterpiece: The Doruls in Corfu will return on September 29.
- Nature returns on October 2.
- Masterpiece: Press will debut on October 6.
R.I.P.
Warren Appleby, Special effects coordinator who died while filming a stunt on the set of DC Universe’s Titans.
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee: Eddie Murphy, Seth Rogen, Ricky Gervais, Matthew Broderick, Jamie Foxx, Sebastian Maniscalco, Martin Short, Mario Joyner, Melissa Villaseñor, Bridget Everett and Barry Marder get in cars with Jerry Seinfeld and they get coffee. Netflix
Queer Eye: DON’T CRY. Netflix
Los Espookys: Andrés learns the truth of his parentage in the season finale. 10 p.m., HBO
Killjoys: Final season premiere. 9 p.m., Syfy
SATURDAY
Moon Landing Live: Using NASA footage and news archives, this special recreates the moon landing 50 years to the day. 8 p.m., BBC America
First Man: The Neil Armstrong story. Particularly fitting today. 7 p.m., HBO
SUNDAY
Big Little Lies: Ooh! I hope Meryl Streep screams some more! Season finale. 8 p.m., HBO
Gordan Ramsey: Uncharted: Hey, it’s that show where Gordon Ramsay pretends he’s Anthony Bourdain. Series premiere. 9 p.m., National Geographic
Jaws marathon: Dun-dun dun-dun … 4 p.m., Starz Encore
Late Night:
-
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: (Friday): John Oliver, Joe Namath
- Conan: (Friday): Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Ryan Hansen, Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, Kirby Howell-Baptiste; (Saturday: Orlando Bloom, Cara Delevingne)
- Watch What Happens Live (Sunday): Monique Samuels, Tamica Lee
FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (new) |
20/20 (new) |
CBS | Love Island (new) |
Hawaii Five-0 (repeat) |
Blue Bloods (repeat) |
CW | The Big Stage (new) |
The Big Stage (new) |
The Outpost (repeat) |
Local |
FOX | First Responders Live (repeat) |
MasterChef (repeat) |
Local |
NBC | American Ninja Warrior | Dateline (new) |
—
SAT. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 | 11:00 | 11:30 |
ABC | Shark Tank (repeat) |
Press Your Luck (repeat) |
Card Sharks (repeat) |
News/Local |
CBS | Million Dollar Mile (live) |
48 Hours (new) |
48 Hours (new) |
News/Local |
FOX | PBC Fight Night (live) |
News/Local |
NBC | Bring the Funny (repeat) |
Dateline | News/Local | Saturday Night Live (repeat) |
—
SUN. | 6:00 | 6:30 | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | America’s Funniest Home Videos (repeat) |
Celebrity Family Feud (new) |
The $100,000 Pyramid (new) |
To Tell the Truth (new) |
CBS | 60 Minutes (new) |
Big Brother (new) |
Instinct (new) |
The Good Fight (new) |
The CW | Local | Burden of Truth (new) |
Pandora (repeat) |
Local |
FOX | Last Man Standing (repeat) |
Last Man Standing (repeat) |
The Simpsons (repeat) |
Bob’s Burgers (repeat) |
Family Guy (repeat) |
What Just Happened?! With Fred Savage (new) |
Local/News |
NBC | Hollywood Game Night (repeat) |
America’s Got Talent (repeat) |
New Amsterdam (repeat) |
How is that lego building show not called Master Builders?!?! Time it to come out with The Lego Movie 3 and rake in the dough.