What is wrong with us that a PSA like this is even necessary?

Hello from soggy Houston, Texas. Things aren’t great here: Tropical Storm Imelda, which came out of NOWHERE, is the 7th wettest tropical event in American history, dumping some 40+ inches of water on the area in the past 48 hours or so. I’m fine! My only struggle through all of this is keeping my terrified dogs calm while I try to write this post (and trying to figure out how I’m going to pick up my kid from school since HISD didn’t cancel classes). But please keep my neighbors and fellow East Texans in your thoughts. It’s going to be a rough recovery for an area that has just barely recovered from Hurricane Harvey.

I’m going to start with this stunning PSA created by Sandy Hook Promise because it’s more important than anything else you’ll see on (or about) TV today. I’ve watched it several times and it hurts my heart every single time. How can we continue doing this to our children? And for what? So that some small minority of people can have unrestricted access to weapons of war? Does that make any sense at all?

Meanwhile, despite all of our recent mass shootings — two here in Texas in a month — nothing is happening, nothing is going to change thanks to the toxic cocktail of President Terrified of the NRA and Massacre Mitch McConnell. In an interview on Fox & Friends this morning, our coward President was asked about a legislative package his own Department of Justice presented, and he assured Ed Henry the NRA that nothing is happening. “No, we’re not moving on anything,” he said adding, “We’re going very slowly in one way, because we want to make sure it’s right. We want to — we’re doing a very careful job.  We’re working with the Democrats, we’re working with Republicans.” In other words, he’s waiting out the outrage. Again.

I don’t have any new words about the need for real and effective gun control measures. I’m the mean mommy who is ready to take everyone’s toys away since they can’t play with them responsibly (and by the way, I do believe that the gun rights movement is fueled in part by this Freudian fear that Mommy wants to take their guns/penises away). But I will say that I have absolutely no hope that anything is going to change anytime soon. It never does because we are trapped in a political stranglehold. The only thing we can do is win the White House next year and — and I can’t stress this enough — EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY flip the Senate. For our kids, our babies, let’s vote these fuckers out once and for all.

In other TV news

The head of ABC Reality doesn’t have a really great justification for choosing Peter Weber over Mike Johnson for the Bachelor, just: “we felt he was the guy who would give us the best 22 hours of television.” Meanwhile, I’m with Rachel Lindsay: YAWN.

Ralph Lauren is putting out a “Rachel from Friends” collection because everything must be monetized.

Here’s a long piece about the upcoming Netflix Breaking Bad movie, El Camino. Apparently, we will be getting a trailer on Sunday. Also, apparently AMC tried to cancel Breaking Bad after only three seasons. WERE THEY HIGH?

This deep fake video of Trump and Kushner in Better Call Saul is spooky stuff. And as Boing Boing points out, if a pee tape ever did surface, it would just be dismissed as a fake.

Tami Taylor is telling you to let it go. She’s right.

UH-OH, WE HAVE A POTENTIAL UPSET ON OUR HANDS. Stumptown has pulled ahead of Evil and Emergence. Are you going to let this stand, Evil (potential) fans?

Older News That I Missed Last Week

BET+, BET’s subscription streaming service goes live today for $9.99 a month which is pretty expensive in comparison to Apple TV+ and Disney+.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is going to do a residency at the Flamingo casino in Las Vegas. TIME TO BOOK A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS.

Award-winning novelist Walter Moseley resigned from the Star Trek: Discovery writers’ room after using the N-word and being admonished by HR not to use the N-word. Dude. Don’t use the N-word at your job. It’s really not difficult to avoid using the N-word.

Have you ever wondered how TV makes it look like actors are doing coke? I mean, that’s a really specific thing to wonder, but wonder no more!

According to Brad Pitt, Quentin Tarantino has considered making a Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood TV series. 10/10 would watch.

Fox has finally settled its lawsuit with the Bones stars and producers.

Lol, “presidential candidate” and loon Marianne Williamson was caught on a hot mic bitching that Fox News is nicer to her than “the lefties.” GEE, WONDER WHY, GIRLFRIEND.

Get well soon, Cameron Mathison!

Sex Monster News

Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer says his client’s life has been “ruined.” PRESENTED WITHOUT COMMENT.

A massage therapist who claimed Kevin Spacey assaulted him has passed away. It’s unclear if the lawsuit against Spacey brought by this man will proceed.

Women in television have begun using the hashtag #NotWorthLess to bring attention to pay inequality. The hashtag came about in the wake of screenwriter Adele Lim’s decision to walk away from the Crazy Rich Asians sequel when she was offered less money than her male counterpart. Fuck that noise.

This was in corporate: After I quit, a male co-worker called and asked me my salary bc he was afraid he was being underpaid. I said "you first" and he blurted out a number that was 10k more than me. There was a long silence. He was the newbie and…I trained him. #NotWorthLess

— EdithD (@edithdrod) September 18, 2019

CBS then made a final offer 25% below that. Me: Nope. CBS then hired a white male writer w/ fewer credits, 9 years less experience, made him an EP, & paid him tons more than my offer & more than I ASKED for. (PS w/in 8 months, he was fired after HR complaints.) #NotWorthLess 2/2

— Patti Carr (@PattiCarrWrites) September 18, 2019

As I was being fired, my showrunner told me "I'd be fine" because I was a woman and talented and could get another job. He then named several fellow writers (all men) who "needed" the job because they weren't good enough to book another gig. #NotWorthLess

— Lilla Zuckerman (@lillazuck) September 18, 2019

Renewals

• Fancy Nancy has been renewed for a third season at Disney Channel.

Older Renewal News

• South Park has been renewed for three more seasons at Comedy Central.
• Wife Swap has been renewed by Paramount Network.

In Development

• James Patterson’s Toys is being adapted for Quibi.
• The Hacienda is being adapted for TV.
• Maria Bartiromo has signed a multi-year deal with Fox.
• Donick Cary has signed a deal with Comedy Central.
• Nahnatchka Khan has signed a deal with Netflix.

Older Development News

• A Julia Childs project starring Joan Cusack is in the works at HBO Max.
• An amateur detective drama is in the works at CBS.
• Dads, a documentary by Bryce Dallas Howard, has been bought by Apple.
• Washington Black from Sterling Brown’s production company is being developed at Hulu.
• LA’s Finest, a dramedy from Gabrielle Union’s production company, is being developed at Spectrum.
• The Cleansing Hour has been bought by Shudder.
• JJ Abrams has signed a mega-deal to stay with WarnerMedia.
• Netflix signed a deal with Kuku Studios.

Casting News

• Neither Mark-Paul Gosselaar nor Tiffani Thiessen has been approached for the Saved by the Bell reboot.
• Jim Parrack is joining 9-1-1: Lone Star on Fox.
• Noah Centineo is going to guest star on Good Trouble on Freeform.
• Willa Holland is returning to Arrow.
• John Cena will guest star on Nickelodeon’s Substitute.

Older Casting News

• Uzo Aduba is going to star in the upcoming season of Fargo.
• Darren Criss is going to star in and executive produce Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood series on Netflix.
• Liv Tyler will star in 9-1-1: Lone Star on Fox.
• Richard Dormer will star in The Watch on BBC America. (He was Beric Dondarrion on Game of Thrones.) Also joining the cast, Adam Hugill, Jo Eaton-Kent, Marama Corlette, Lara Rossi and Sam Adewunmi.
• Craig T. Nelson will recur on Young Sheldon.
• Anne Ramsay and Jerry Adler are returning to Mad About You on Spectrum.
• James Purefoy is joining A Discovery of Witches.
• Mads Mikkelsen will star in Alexander Payne’s Netflix film.
• Naomi Ackie has joined The End of the Fucking World on Channel 4 and Netflix.
• Mishel Prada is joining Riverdale.
• India De Beaufort, Michael Thomas Grant, Kapil Talwalkar, Alice Lee, and Stephanie Styles have joined the cast of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist on NBC.
• Brad William Henke has been added to the cast of Manhunt: Lone Wolf on Spectrum.
• Ali Skovbye and Roan Curtis are joining Firefly Lane on Netflix.
• Ashley Zukerman, Marielle Scott, Shane Harper, Adam David Thompson, Rya Kihlstedt, Camila Perez, Cameron Moulène, and Ciara Bravo are joining the cast of A Teacher, a limited series on FX.
• Tim Johnson Jr. is joining Ballers on HBO.
• Miriam Shor will guest star on Mrs. America on FX.
• Bernard David Jones, Laci Mosley, and Jerry Minor are joining the cast of Scroll Wheel of Time, a digital series set on Eko.

Mark Your Calendars

• Raising Dion will debut on Netflix on October 4.

• The Sinner will return on USA in 2020.

• Peaky Blinders returns on Netflix on October 4.

• Buzz will debut on HBO on September 25.
• Going From Broke will debut on Crackle on October 17.

• 24/7 returns on October 2.
• Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro will premiere on Food Network on October 27.

Older Dates

• His Dark Materials will premiere on HBO on November 4. (BBC will air it on November 3, if that’s of any interest.)
• Catherine the Great will debut on HBO on October 21.

• Queer Eye: We’re in Japan will debut on Netflix on November 1.

#QueerEye: We're In Japan, a four episode special, premieres November 1 — FIRST LOOK: pic.twitter.com/IyBiciwSWN

— See What's Next (@seewhatsnext) September 5, 2019

• Kidding returns on Showtime on November 3.

• The Purge will return on USA on October 15.

• The Family Man will debut on Amazon on September 20.

• Grey’s Anatomy returns on ABC on September 26.

Ask and you shall receive 😏#GreysAnatomy pic.twitter.com/mIXIvVH3hJ

— Greys Anatomy (@GreysABC) September 6, 2019

• Black Lightning will return on The CW on October 7.

• Riverdale returns on The CW on October 10.

• The NBC comedies return NEXT WEEK!

• The End of the Fucking World will return on Netflix sometime in November.
• Relentless with Kate Snow will premiere on Oxygen on October 4.
• Super Soul Sunday will debut on OWN on September 15.
• Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure will premiere on Disney Channel on October 7.

R.I.P.

Daniel Johnston, Singer-songwriter and artist from Austin but with deep ties to Houston. In fact, if you have a Houston Chronicle subscription, I invite you to read the obituary my friend Andrew Dansby wrote for him, it’s heartfelt and lovely.

Jacqueline Wilson, A producer on RuPaul’s Drag Race

Mardik Martin, Screenwriter known for Raging Bull and Mean Streets

Jessica Jaymes, Porn star, who also appeared as herself on Weeds, Celebrity Rehab Sober House, and Vivid Valley.

Arthur Sando, PR Executive

Jeff Fenholt, Broadway actor and original “Jesus Christ Superstar”

WATCH THIS

The Paley Center Salutes The Good Place: PLEASE DON’T GO. I’M NOT READY TO BE IN THE BAD PLACE WHERE THERE IS NO MORE THE GOOD PLACE. 8 p.m., NBC

Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event: The cast talks about the upcoming movie because we have to fill the last week before the fall TV season begins somehow. 7 p.m., NBC

The Last Days of Phil Hartman: I still remember where I was when I learned Phil Hartman had died. He was a comedic genius and I miss him terribly. 8 p.m., ABC

First Wives Club: Originally this was supposed to be on TV Land? But then it moved to Paramount Network? And then somehow landed on BET’s new streaming service? I don’t even know. Series premiere. BET+

Late Night:

• Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Sylvester Stallone, Cedric the Entertainer, Mark Normand
• Late Night with Seth Meyers: Glenn Howerton, Andrew Yang, Margaret Atwood, Yesod Williams
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Taraji P. Henson, Aasif Mandvi
• The Late Late Show with James Corden: Michelle Dockery, Max Greenfield
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Hugh Bonneville, Maren Morris
• The Daily Show: Edward Snowden
• Conan: D’Arcy Carden
• Lights Out with David Spade: Drew Carey, Fortune Feimster, Nikki Glaser
• Watch What Happens Live: Elizabeth McGovern, Allen Leech
• A Little Late with Lily Singh: Chelsea Handler

THUR

7:00

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

ABC

Celebrity Family Feud (new)

The Last Days of Phil Hartman (new)

CBS

Young Sheldon (repeat)

Young Sheldon (repeat)

Big Brother (new)

FBI (repeat)

CW

The Outpost (new)

Two Sentence Horror Stories (new)

Two Sentence Horror Stories (new)

News/Local

FOX

MLB Baseball: Cardinals at Cubs (live)

News/Local

NBC

Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event (repeat)

The Paley Center Salutes The Good Place (new)

Law & Order: SVU (repeat)