Viral Madness
HOW ARE YOU FEELING? DO YOU HAVE A FEVER? A COUGH? Sorry for screaming, but things are getting serious around here: The World Health Organization just declared the virus officially a pandemic, and Dr. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the House Oversight Committee that “it’s going to get worse.”
So be careful out there, think about those who are immune-suppressed and can’t defend themselves from this virus, avoid big gatherings and crowds and, for the love of God, WASH YOUR HANDS.
UPDATED: we just shut down the Houston Rodeo. Why it wasn’t canceled before this is a whole other question.
- Live with Kelly and Ryan!; The View; Good Morning America; Tamron Hall; and The Wendy Williams Show all taped without audiences this morning, and it was … weird.
- Sunday’s Democratic Presidential Debate is going to tape without an audience, too.
- A crew member of the upcoming Fox series NeXt has tested positive for the virus.
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier production has been postponed.
- Heidi Klum missed the taping of America’s Got Talent for illness, and I’m not saying that it was because of coronavirus but … here’s Howie Mandel arriving on set.
- A&E has canceled their Upfront presentations.
- E3, an annual video game trade show, has been canceled.
- YouTube has canceled an in-person event.
- The Writers Guild has canceled in person member meetings.
- Movie theaters around the world are shutting down.
- Emmy’s For Your Consideration events might become casualties of the virus.
- They haven’t canceled or postponed the Olympics … yet …. but if they do, it could hurt the soft launch of Peacock.
- Comic-Con hasn’t been canceled … yet.
- Cannes hasn’t been canceled … yet.
- Disneyland has set the opening date for their Avenger’s Campus for July. Yeah, good luck with that.
- And not in entertainment news, but file this one under irony: a Doing Business under Coronavirus conference has been canceled for obvious reasons.
Meanwhile, your idiot President has no idea how any of this works and is doubling down on his rallies and shaking hands to prove that he has the greatest, most terrific, most luxurious immune system of all time? To show the world that this is no big deal so as to not tank the stock market (which hasn’t been working as it is down 1200 points when I just checked) and his re-election chances? Or maybe it’s as simple as he doesn’t want his own businesses to be hurt by the crisis and he’s trying to put a good face on it for the sake of Doral and Mar-a-Lago?
BERNIE RALLIES: cancelled
BIDEN RALLIES: cancelled
TRUMP RALLIES: “We love shaking hands then touching our faces don’t we folks? The media hates it but we love it.”
— Chris Jackson (@ChrisCJackson) March 10, 2020
Also, the administration has ordered health officials to treat their coronavirus meetings as classified, thereby hampering the government’s response to the pandemic SO THAT’S COOL. WHAT A VERY COOL WAY TO DIE.
And because this is a TV blog, here’s what the creator of Chernobyl has to say about this decision:
Chernobyl. https://t.co/RbzUfiKqKa
— Craig Mazin (@clmazin) March 11, 2020
Sex Monster News
Harvey Weinstein just received 23 years in prison for being a raping monster. He had hoped for five years.
ADIOS, MOTHERFUCKER.
Ahead of his sentencing, over 1,000 pages of court documents were unsealed, revealing that he called himself a “sex addict” and claimed that he had PTSD. He also whined that he was merely a womanizer and cheater, not a rapist. He apparently said that Jennifer Anniston should be “killed” after he believed she had complained about him. And his brother Bob, he not only believed that Harvey attacked all these women, but he also had no sympathy for his brother, writing in an email:
“U deserve a lifetime achievement award for the sheer savagery and immorality and inhumanness, for the acts u have perpetrated. Oh I forgot. They were all consensual. Then what are u in rehab for? Sex addiction. Don’t think so,” Bob Weinstein wrote in an email (via Vulture). “You wouldn’t have harassment, assault and rape charges u have now received, from 82 women for active consensual sex. U must be being treated for something. I guess sexual predator comes to mind.”
“U have been a sexual predator and abusive person for over fourty [sic] years,” Bob Weinstein also wrote. “F— u Harvey Weinstein. I pray there is a real hell. That’s where u belong. I suppose being you, is its own hell, if u could feel it, but no chance. OJ, didn’t kill Nicole Simpson and u had consensual sex with all those poor victimized women.”
Corey Feldman released his documentary, (My) Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, and in it he accused Alphy Hoffman, and actor Jon Grissom of abusing him as a teenager, and Charlie Sheen of raping Corey Haim on the set of Lucas. Sheen has denied the claims.
Dear U.S. Soccer: Fuck you. Signed, All Women.
In Other TV News
Mike Schur, the creator of The Good Place, is writing a book on how to be good. Step one: WASH YOUR HANDS.
Chris Rock sounds really excited about his role on Fargo, comparing it to his Tony Soprano moment. Fargo returns on April 19, and not a moment too soon.
We have our first American Horror Story season 10 tease:
So, some sort of shipwreck story? Ok.
Here’s a fascinating fact: The Outsider had better ratings than Watchmen AND True Detective. So why wasn’t it buzzier? I really enjoyed the series and recommended it to everyone I talked to and on this blog countless times, but it didn’t feel like it had the same cultural relevance as either of those two shows. I wonder why?
TV Guide has a nice little refresher on what to remember about Westworld before it returns this weekend.
Don’t hold your breath for Song of the South to be added to Disney+.
Quibi is being sued for technology theft.
Cancellations
In Development
- Pantheon, an animated series, has been given a two-season order at AMC.
- Sanctuary is being rebooted at Syfy, with Amanda Tapping set to return.
- Call Your Daughter is being developed at Netflix.
- Wahl Street, a documentary series from Mark Walhberg, is in the works at HBO.
- Squeaky Clean is being developed at Quibi.
- Disgraceland is being developed into a series.
- John Boyega’s production company is developing films for Netflix.
Casting News
- Scott Foley will star in The Big Leap, a Fox dramedy pilot.
- Erin Roberts has been added to the cast of the ABC pilot, The Brides.
- Jake Abel is returning to Supernatural.
- Diana Maria Riva and Dale Dickey are joining ABC comedy pilot Prospect.
- Lulu Wilson will star in the ABC comedy pilot Valley Trash.
- Meaghan Rath will star in the CBS comedy pilot Jury Duty. Sadie Calvano and Alanna Ubach have also joined the cast.
- Shelley Hennig, Alice Lee, Tiana Okoye, and Nick Cafero have been cast in the NBC comedy pilot Crazy For You.
- Natalie Alyn Lind and Jesse James Keitel will co-star in the ABC drama pilot The Big Sky.
- X Mayo is joining the cast of the ABC comedy pilot American Auto.
- Clare-Hope Ashitey, Adrianna Mitchell, and Pepi Sonuga have joined the cast of Harlem’s Kitchen, an ABC drama pilot.
- Landry Bender, Ian Duff, and Forrest Goodluck are joining The CW pilot The Republic of Sarah.
- Devyn A. Tyler and Lucca De Oliveira have been cast in Clarice, the CBS pilot.
- Nabhaan Rizwan and Philippine Velge have been cast in the HBO Max series Station Eleven.
- Matt Lucas is going to replace Sandi Toksvig on The Great British Bake Off.
- Shannyn Sossamon has left the cast of The Cleaning Lady, a Fox drama pilot.
- Arturo Castro is joining the Apple TV+ series Mr. Corman.
Mark Your Calendars
- Altered Carbon: Resleeved will debut on Netflix on March 19.
- Crip Camp will debut on Netflix on March 25.
- Celebrity IOU starring the Property Brothers, will debut on HGTV on April 13.
- Tom Segura: Ball Hog will debut on Netflix on March 24.
- Summertime will debut on Netflix on April 29.
R.I.P.
R.D. Call, Actor on Last Man Standing, Into the Wild and Born on the Fourth of July
WATCH THIS
On My Block: The complete third season. Netflix
Dirty Money: This is an investigative series that explores corporate greed (that I’m sure the Sanders campaign wish had been released maybe a couple of weeks earlier). Complete second season. Netflix
The Funny Dance Show: Comedians compete in a dancing competition. Really, the title pretty much says it all. Series premiere. 9:30 p.m., E!
Late Night:
- Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Aaron Paul, Angela Bassett, Isabel Hagen
- Late Night with Seth Meyers: Nick Offerman, D Smoke featuring Davion Farris, Steve Ferrone
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Hank Azaria, Suzy Nakamura
- The Late Late Show with James Corden: Emily Blunt, Sam Heughan, Niall Horan
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: David Spade, Eiza González, Grace VanderWaal
- The Daily Show: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Dave “Lil Dicky” Burd
- Conan: Marshawn Lynch
- Lights Out with David Spade: Tony Rock, Cristela Alonzo, Jim Jefferies
- Watch What Happens Live: Casey Wilson, Dolores Catania
- A Little Late with Lily Singh: Rob Corddry, Pete Holmes
| WEDS. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Modern Family (repeat) |
Modern Family (repeat) |
Modern Family (repeat) |
Modern Family (repeat) |
Modern Family (repeat) |
Modern Family (repeat) |
| CBS | Survivor (new) |
SEAL Team (new) |
S.W.A.T. (new) |
| CW | Riverdale (new) |
Nancy Drew (new) |
Local |
| FOX | The Masked Singer (new) |
LEGO Masters (new) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Chicago Med (repeat) |
Chicago Fire (repeat) |
Chicago P.D. (repeat) |
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