The TCAs are over, but I have one small bit of business left that I forgot to post last week: The TCA Awards. The awards were held two Saturdays ago, so this isn’t exactly new information, but they are worth looking at because they are often good bellwethers for the Emmys and Golden Globes. Also, expect all of these to be on end-of-the-year Best Of lists. I built a gallery over at Chron.com of all the winners and nominees, and let’s just say, it was a good night for Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s upcoming Los Angeles mayor comedy that will star Ted Danson (and all those words together make me so happy) was originally envisioned as a spinoff of 30 Rock that would be about Jack Donaghy becoming mayor of New York City before they repurposed it altogether. 10/10 would absolutely watch either version.
The actress (Natalia Tala), who played wildling Osha on the HBO series (Game of Thrones), told Yahoo’s White Wine Question Time podcast that she enjoyed the first three episodes of the final season, including the Battle of Winterfell. “But after that… I just didn’t understand,” she said. “The caliber of writing towards the end and the plots and everything that happens and how they wrapped it up compared to any other season, any other bit, it just feels like it’s been written by different people. It doesn’t make sense, for me.” Tena, who admits she was wine-drunk at the time (she picked the right podcast), “binge-watched the whole thing, but I ended up… my boyfriend had to leave the boat because I was ranting for an hour at him about how much I didn’t like it. And then I rang my friend to rant to him.”
Pose will jump ahead to 1991 in the season finale, and according to Ryan Murphy, he envisions it ending in 1996, the year AIDS medications became more readily available. Interesting. Also, the reason Stan and Patty aren’t in season two is because Angel’s breaking up with Stan was about giving her “agency.” (Also, I suspect Evan Peters was cast in the first season to try to drag American Horror Story fans and white eyeballs to the show. When it was a success, he wasn’t needed for the second season.)
Did you watch Succession last night? Then read this piece.
Here’s more love for wrestler and actress Kia Stevens, GLOW’s Tammé Dawson, whom I am glad is finally receiving the attention she deserves.
Russian Doll supposedly has a “dark, shameful secret” in the writing that the creators discovered during the edit, but Lyonne won’t say what it was. I don’t really understand this story, but OK?
There is one [mistake] that is so big that none of us has ever spoken about it because we’re all so ashamed. (Laughs.) We corrected it in the edit. Someday when this show is really over, I’ll happily talk about. But it’s our dark, shameful secret. When I think about how hard we worked at the script level and for us to then discover it in the edit? The idea that despite all those layers of protection — where in each phase we were discovering something new — we missed this one thing so glaringly was a real shock to us. If there was something I learned, it was to continue to be able to look at it with fresh eyes. Maybe we need to keep one person in the dark on the whole thing who can read it all down from a distance meticulously in the end. A job called “fresh eyes.” Someone who has never been in the room and who comes in at the eleventh hour, like Harvey Keitel in Pulp Fiction. I’m going to hire Harvey Keitel as the Fixer of Russian Doll, to be the monitor of all loops.
I haven’t had a chance to watch The Boys yet, but this picture from the set of season two suggests they are my kind of people.
A small token for #TheBoysTV fans. World's first pic of #Season2. As you can see, we're up to our old tricks. If you haven't seen, JOIN US. Streaming now on @PrimeVideo @TheBoysTV #TheBoys #SPN #SPNFamily #Timeless pic.twitter.com/3z29mVBfNl
— Eric Kripke (@therealKripke) August 10, 2019
Jameela Jamil continues being a badass. #letabitchlive
I know it’s hard because we are perpetually scrutinized and criticized in this industry, but I’m begging other influencers, actors, and models to join me in not allowing airbrushing. We have to stop setting standards for others that we ourselves don’t even meet. #letabitchlive ❤️ https://t.co/Z3t88YOO5J
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) August 10, 2019
I’ve seen some tepid reviews of BH90210, but I happened to love the pilot episode. Anyway, here is a bunch of fact-checking (read: gossip) about how closely the show reflects the real lives of the actors.
Missy Elliott will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at this year’s VMAs, which yay, Missy! But about that award’s name … Hey: MTV, maybe considering renaming it the Madonna Video Vanguard Award? It will piss a lot of people off, sure, but she’s not accused of raping children, so, you know.
Wait wait wait, Penn Badgley could have been Jesse Pinkman? I reject this.
Don’t get too attached to What Just Happened??! on Fox. It’s not canceled … yet.
You’ll be able to buy a Friends LEGO set soon. I’m holding out for a LOST LEGO set — or maybe Game of Thrones. OOOH! The Sopranos! At the Bada Bing! MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
Everything we know about The 100‘s final season, according to TV Guide.
If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go drown in a binge-watch of The Hotter Half on Netflix. (And by the way, Instant Hotel? Is amazing. If you’re looking for a mindless binge, it’s your show. I promise.)
Armie Hammer is here to ruin your enjoyment of the Marvel properties.
Looks like someone is having a lot of “executive time” this week:
….cause big disruption by going to Manhattan. Working almost all of the time, including evenings. Don’t have to be in W.H. to do that…And sooo many other false statements. He is right about one thing, though. I will win again in 2020. Otherwise, he pays 95% in taxes!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2019
..TV talent. Then, during the 2016 Election, I would watch as Joe Scarborough & his very angry Psycho wife(?) would push Donny to the point of total humiliation. He would never fight back because he wanted to stay on TV, even on a very low rated show, all in the name of ambition!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2019
…..other than the fact that this Administration has probably done more than any other Administration in its first 2 1/2 years of existence. Anthony, who would do anything to come back in, should remember the only reason he is on TV, and it’s not for being the Mooch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2019
Think how wonderful it is to be able to fight back and show, to so many, how totally dishonest the Fake News Media really is. It may be the most corrupt and disgusting business (almost) there is! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2019
Never has the press been more inaccurate, unfair or corrupt! We are not fighting the Democrats, they are easy, we are fighting the seriously dishonest and unhinged Lamestream Media. They have gone totally CRAZY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2019
Remember when the President of the United States didn’t have time to scream about TV on Twitter because he was too busy running the country? Yeah, me neither.
#MeToo
Welp, Jeffrey Epstein is dead and people have LOTS OF QUESTIONS and LOTS OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES (including our president who has soup for brains). An autopsy has been performed, but it is being held back pending further investigation. Reportedly, he wasn’t on suicide watch, despite trying to kill himself a week earlier. HOW? BUT HOW THOUGH? Epstein died the day after documents related to his case were unsealed, revealing allegations against a bunch of powerful men, including George Mitchell and Bill Richardson among others.
Annabella Sciorra will not be allowed to testify at Harvey Weinstein’s trial that he raped her.
Because of the reprimand Officer Bishop received late in Season 1, after it was discovered that she omitted her felon of a foster brother from her police academy PHQ (personal history questionnaire), “She was never going to get a fair shake at the LAPD. So ultimately she’s transferring over to a federal agency,” Hawley said. “There she can start with a clean slate and hopefully rocket to the top of the ladder.” As such, Hawley said, “It is an organic” exit for the character, given the aforementioned storyline.
In Development
- Love Me, a one-hour drama has been given a put pilot order at ABC.
- Starstruck, a comedy, is being developed by HBO Max and BBC Three.
- Skin Tight: The Bizarre Story of Guess vs. Jordache is being turned into a limited series.
- Shiver, a snowboarding thriller, is being developed into a TV series.
- Sister Code, a legal drama, is being considered at BET.
- Baywatch: The Documentary is in the works, y’all.
Casting News
- Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater are going to star in the series Dr. Death, which does not have a network yet.
- Debra Jo Rupp has joined the Nate Bargatze comedy pilot at ABC, joining Kurtwood Smith and making a That 70s Show mini-reunion.
- Rachel Dratch and Anthony Alabi are going to recur on Shameless on Showtime.
- Kether Donohue is going to co-star in Royalties on Quibi.
Mark Your Calendar
- The Morning Show will debut on AppleTV+ this fall.
- Batwoman and Supergirl premiere on The CW on October 6.
- The Deuce will return on HBO on September 9.
- Treadstone will debut on USA sometime in October.
- Empire will return on Fox on September 24.
- The Resident returns on Fox on September 24.
- All American returns on The CW October 7.
- HBO released a preview for their upcoming programming for 2019 and 2020:
- The Crown will return on Netflix on November 17.
- The Challenge: War of the Worlds 2 will debut on August 28.
R.I.P.
Miriam Rivera, The first transgender reality TV star
WATCH THIS
Bachelor in Paradise: “Kristina asks for Blake’s explanation before getting back together with him.” WAIT, WHAT? NO. WHAT? 7 p.m., ABC
The Terror: Infamy: The new season takes place in the Japanese internment camps we set up during World War II. Believe it or not, this season was developed before the news of the horrors of our own border policies came to light. Certainly seems prescient. Season premiere. 8 p.m., AMC
Our Boys: A miniseries about the events that led to the outbreak of war in Gaza. Series premiere. 8 p.m., HBO
Lodge 49: Dud recuperates from his shark attack in the season premiere. 9 p.m., AMC
So You Think You Can Dance: The top 10 perform live for the first time. 8 p.m., Fox
Legion: “The end of the end.” That’s all I got. Series finale. 9 p.m., FX
Late Night:
- Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Common, Kate Upton, Swizz Beatz
- Late Night with Seth Meyers: Kathy Griffin, George Takei, Jacqueline Novak, Nate Smith
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Cate Blanchett, Marc Maron
- The Late Late Show with James Corden: Greg Kinnear, Judy Greer, Bazzi
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Bob Odenkirk, Whitney Cummings, Pete Yorn
- The Daily Show: Rep. Ayanna Pressley
- Lights Out with David Spade: Wayne Brady, Tim Dillon, Lauren Lapkus
- Watch What Happens Live: Hannah Ferrier, Steve Gold
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Bachelor in Paradise (new) |
Grand Hotel (new) |
| CBS | The Neighborhood (repeat) |
The Big Bang Theory (repeat) |
The Big Bang Theory (repeat) |
Mom (repeat) |
Bull (repeat) |
| CW | Bulletproof (new) |
Whose Line is it Anyway? (new) |
Whose Line is it Anyway? (repeat) |
Local |
| FOX | Beat Shazam (new) |
So You Think You Can Dance (new) |
News/Local |
| NBC | American Ninja Warrior (new) |
Dateline (new) |
So what they are saying is I should check out this “Fleabag”