Guess how many scripted shows there were last year. Go ahead, guess.

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

FX came to the TCAs yesterday, and they came with fascinating numbers and they came with trailers:

The head of FX, John Landgraf always uses these TCA events to comment and report on the state of the Golden Age of Television — which has become an incredible glut of television. According to Landgraf, there were 532 SCRIPTED series in 2019, a 7% increase from the year before which already had too much television. He added that this is number is expected to increase substantially this year thanks to the likes of Disney+, Apple TV+, Peacock, Quibi and everyone else joining and trying to keep up with the streaming party. This is insane. WHO ISN’T WORKING IN TELEVISION AT THIS POINT?

FX, as you will notice below, has paired with Hulu for some of its projects, a plan that Landgraf hopes will expand the FX brand past the 85 million homes it already reaches. All I know is that for the past decade, FX has hour for hour produced the best TV out there, and judging by the trailers below, the trend will continue.

Fargo will premiere on April 19 and OMG, YOU GUYS, it looks terrific. According to Noah Hawley, it will be connected to previous seasons through subtle easter eggs. It was also announced that Yellowstone‘s Kelsey Asbille has joined the cast.

Mrs. America, about Phyllis Schlafly — the woman responsible for the ERA never passing — and starring an amazing cast, will premiere on April 15.

Devs will stream on Hulu on March 5. It features Nick Offerman in a stringy wig being cryptic as shit. It’s from Alex Garland, the director of Deus Ex Machina and Annihilation (both of which are TREMENDOUS and worth your time).

From the panel:

Said Garland, “I’m worried about the future. I’m not a pessimist, but an optimist. I do think it’s very clearly the case that technology and technological advances are happening at a rate that we are not able to keep up with. It’s not the first time it’s happened, but I think of the period of time when every society around the world rejected monarchies, and decided to have prime ministers and presidents.” This created a system of checks and balances to keep power in check, per Garland.

“Technology doesn’t have checks and balances; it’s not a good thing,” says Garland calling out social media as an example.

“With the election, Twitter and the way information gets disseminated in a distorted way…it’s causing problem situations around the world.”

Better Things returns on March 5. Will Adlon be allowed to use the C-word by Standards and Practices as it was written in a particular fight scene? WHO KNOWS:

Breeders will premiere on March 2. Listen, sometimes parenting drives you to screaming f-bombs at your children. It’s rough out there, man.

Dave will premiere on FXX on March 4 and dammit if this little rap isn’t catchy:

As for your other favorite FX shows:

What We Do in the Shadows will return on April 15. And Mark Hamil has been set to guest star.

Atlanta is not going to return until 2021. BOO. But seasons 3 and 4 will have more episodes than expected. YAY.

As I noted yesterday, American Horror Story was renewed for 3 more seasons and the head of FX kinda hinted that season 13 would be the final one. Sarah Paulson will definitely be in the next season, thank goodness.

And in a bit of good sense, American Crime Story: Impeachment has been postponed until 2021, and well AFTER the election. It’s just not worth taking the risk, guys.

FX is in talks for more It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (and, y’all, I was just in Philadelphia last week to visit family. I love the shit out of that town, but it’s not fiction, it’s a documentary), The Weekly and would like more Charles Dickens adaptations and Taboo.

Gone Hollywood, an 80s talent agency drama, is no longer going forward at FX.

Finally, John Landgraf also revealed the magic of a really great show title — or the beauty of a really generic one. HEY, ABC, ARE YOU LISTENING?

In Other TV News:

Westworld was at the Consumer Electronics Show this week and held a super-creepy and immersive dinner for reporters. You should read this story — it’s BANANAS.

The New Pope is coming soon and I can’t wait because while The Young Pope was one of the loopiest shows I’ve ever seen, it was also one of my favorite of that year. Coo-coo, you guys. Completely nuts.

The NAACP Image Awards nominations came out and Watchmen should win everything, the end.

Here’s a handy The Walking Dead universe explainer.

You’re welcome:

Time’s Up

Surviving R. Kelly Part II has driven a 40% increase in calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline. I always feel weird having a “good” response to this, as it is deeply depressing news, but I am genuinely relieved that survivors are reaching out for the help they need.

Charlie Rose has admitted in a deposition that he had “inappropriate” relationships at work. OH REALLY, MR. BATHROBE? YA THINK? He apparently was called “Charlie ‘fuck’n’ Rose” at CBS This Morning. HUH. WHY?

Megyn Kelly and some of the other women from Fox News haves responded to Bombshell. It’s a mixed bag of “Yep, that absolutely happened,” to “This part was a complete fabrication.”

Courtney Friel, an anchor at KTLA and a former Fox News reporter, has claimed in her new book that The Groper-in-Chief called her when she was at Fox News and propositioned her. He was married to Melania at the time. Friel was notably off the air after an excerpt from her book was published at The New York Daily News. HMM.

This is a fascinating paradox: there were a record number of female protagonists in movies last year, and yet the number of female speaking roles overall decreased.

Whoopsie: the government “accidentally” destroyed the video footage of Jeffrey Epstein’s first suicide attempt. This will DEFINITELY calm everyone down.

The #MeToo movement has made younger men rethink how they behave with women. Good.

Renewals

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendar

  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine returns on NBC on February 6.
  • Better Call Saul will return on AMC on February 23.
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina returns on Netflix on January 24.
  • The Soup will return on E! on February 12.
  • McMillions will premiere on HBO on February 6, and it looks wild:

R.I.P.

Harry Hains, Actor on American Horror Story and The OA, among others

Edd Byrnes, Actor who appeared on Sunset Strip and in Grease.

Alexis Eddy, Contestant on Are You the One?

WATCH THIS

FRIDAY

AJ and the Queen: RuPaul stars in this new dramedy about drag queens and a 10-year-old kid. Series premiere. Netflix

Medical Police: A spinoff of Children’s Hospital. Those of you who know, know. Series premiere. Netflix

Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector: Detective Lincoln Rhyme hunts for a serial killer in this new series. 7 p.m., NBC

SATURDAY

John Wick 3: Y’all need to leave his puppy alone. 7 p.m., HBO

NFL Football: IMPORTANT FOOTBALL GAMES. 3:35, NBC & 7 p.m., CBS

SUNDAY

The Outsider: The murder of an 11-year-old boy leads to … profound weirdness. Series premiere. 8 p.m., HBO

Sandition: A new series based on the unfinished Jane Austen novel. Series premiere. 8 p.m., PBS

The 25th Annual Critics Choice Awards: As if anyone actually cares what critics think. 6 p.m., The CW

NFL Football: Houston Texans are somehow still in it, you guys. They play at 2. 2 p.m., CBS & 5:40 p.m., Fox

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Friday): Martin Lawrence, Matthew Lopez, Kyle Soller, Karol G
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: (Friday): Laura Dern, Kesha
  • Watch What Happens Live (Sunday): Kandi Burruss, Elaine Welteroth

 

FRI. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC American Housewife
(repeat)		 Fresh Off the Boat
(repeat)		 20/20
(repeat)
CBS Hawaii Five-0
(new)		 Magnum P.I.
(new)		 Blue Bloods
(new)
CW Penn & Teller: Fool Us
(repeat)		 Whose Line is it Anyway?
(repeat)		 Whose Line is it Anyway?
(repeat)		 News/
Local
FOX Friday Night Smackdown
(new)		 Local
NBC Lincoln Rhyme: The Hunt for the Bone Collector
(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 The Conn-ers
(repeat)		 The Conn-ers
(repeat)		 The Gold-bergs
(repeat)		 The Gold-bergs
(repeat)		 20/20 News/Local
CBS NFL Playoff
(live)		 News/Local
FOX Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back
(repeat)		 Deputy
(repeat)		 News/Local
NBC Dateline Saturday Night Live
(repeat)		 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
(new)		 Kids Say the Darndest Things
(new)		 Shark Tank
(new)		 Shark Tank
(repeat)
CBS 60 Minutes
(new)		 God Friended Me
(new)		 NCIS: Los Angeles
(new)		 Madam Secretary
(repeat)
The CW Local The 25th Annual Critics Choice Awards
(live)		 Local
FOX NFL Playoff Game
(live)		 Local/News
NBC America’s Got Tlent: The Champions
(repeat)		 The Voice
(repeat)		 New Amsterdam
(repeat)

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