Welcome to Week Four of The Apocalypse, everyone! How are you holding up?
Choosing your quarantine character 🍾👏😂
— Danielle Baskin (@djbaskin) April 5, 2020
Personally, I’m the one in the robe with the wine bottle and glass, but I assume you all probably guessed that. 🍷🍷🍷
Alright so, TV business in the time of plague, what’s going on out there?
ABC, NBC and CBS are going to jointly host a telethon on Sunday, April 18, One World: Together at Home. Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel are set to host, and set to appear: Alanis Morissette, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, David Beckham, Eddie Vedder, Elton John, Idris Elba,, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Kerry Washington, Lizzo, Paul McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sesame Street friends, and Stevie Wonder, among others.
All Rise, CBS’s new courtroom drama, is the first series to embrace the situation we are currently in and is going to put out a episode in which Judge Carmichael virtually presides over a court case. The episode will be filmed over FaceTime, WebEx, and Zoom. It’s ironic that the medical dramas have the most connection to the world we are living in, and yet, it’s impossible for them to film now.
Archer‘s 11th season premiere date has been pushed back to later in the year.
NBCU is going to cut back on commercial air time as advertisers are scaling back their advertising budgets during an economically uncertain time.
HBO is making Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections free to stream. And good timing, too.
CNN’s Erin Burnett broke down in tears interviewing a widow of a coronavirus victim.
"He was such a giver. And in every respect of the word. He just loved to make people happy… loved to make people feel loved."
In an emotional interview with @ErinBurnett, Maura Lewinger mourns her husband, a father of three and assistant principal, who died from coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/4qCNfOK4KM
— CNN (@CNN) April 4, 2020
Fox News is suddenly taking things a lot more seriously:
Chris Wallace confronted Surgeon General Jerome Adams for defending states for not shutting down and saying that coronavirus was like smoking, which NO? IT IS NOT?
Fox News Anchor Steve Hilton urged governors to issue stay-at-home orders.
Fox News Anchor Eric Shawn urged viewers to stay at home.
It’s almost like they are getting sued for their earlier irresponsible coverage. OH WAIT.
A wild coyote running down one of the busiest streets in America during the middle of the day. (Michigan ave in Chicago) pic.twitter.com/ahfvwPzBV7
— Jeff Lewis (@ChicagoPhotoSho) April 5, 2020
Boris Johnson has been moved to the ICU due to complications from COVID-19.
Forrest Compton, an actor known for The Edge of Night and Gomer Pyle, has passed away from COVID-19.
Tom Dempsey, famed NFL kicker, has passed away from COVID-19.
Bucky Pizzarelli, a jazz guitarist, has died from virus complications.
Lee Fierro, an actress in Jaws, has passed from COVID-19.
Jay Benedict, UK-based American actor has passed away from the virus.
Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling says she’s recovered from COVID-19 symptoms.
My future husband when I was 13, Duran Duran’s John Taylor, has revealed that he has recovered from COVID-19
Singer Marianne Faithfull has been hospitalized with COVID-19.
Pink reveals that she and her son tested positive and have recovered. She had some pointed things to say about our federal response and revealed that she was donating $1 million to two different hospitals.
(1 of 2) ❤️ pic.twitter.com/giodqm0PWf
— P!nk (@Pink) April 4, 2020
(2 of 2) pic.twitter.com/miIDZYLnPq
— P!nk (@Pink) April 4, 2020
Good for her.
NBC’s Kate Snow has revealed that her husband Chris Bro has symptoms.
Singer Christopher Cross revealed he tested positive for COVID-19.
Saturday Night Live‘s Michael Che revealed that his grandmother passed away from COVID-19 in a post that is angry and trying to be funny but just kinda ends up being racist towards Chinese people and … you know what? I’m giving him a grief pass.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-pjWBNJ7Uy/
And a Bronx Zoo tiger has tested positive, clearly trying to cash in on this whole Tiger King moment.
People sitting at tables right next to each other in restaurants on tv shows look like naked hippies at Woodstock to me now.
— ben schwartz (@benschwartz_) April 6, 2020
Dr. Drew is an idiot and should not be paid attention to.
Instead of my daily rage scream about President Fuckup, on this day when we have officially passed 10,000 deaths, I urge you to read this damning Washington Post piece about how the government blew a 70-day lead we had on this thing. That’s it. That’s all I’m going to say about him.
For today.
Good News:
The Astros’ own Justin Verlander and his lovely wife Kate Upton are donating his MLB paychecks to different charities.
The ATX TV festival is going virtual.
The Irish Prime Minister is going to work as a doctor one day a week. Imagine having a leader like that …
Queen Elizabeth II: History will remember your actions in the COVID-19 pandemic https://t.co/yi9GlTBvhU pic.twitter.com/MG94vHrcCY
— TIME (@TIME) April 6, 2020
Here are all the free streaming options you have available right now. But if I can recommend one not-free series to watch right now, it would be Avenue 5. If you haven’t yet watched HBO’s criticism of the Trump administration disguised as a space comedy, it is even more relevant now than when it was conceived and came out.
Finally, listen to the nerds, and maybe we can get through this thing.
All Other TV News
Here Jason Bateman discusses the future of Ozark and The Outsider. The long and short of it: Ozark has not yet been renewed for a fourth season, and he’s unsure if it will be. (It probably will be — but based on Netflix’s curious profit-sharing model for most of its shows in which casts get some larger percentage for every season after the fourth, it might very well be its last.) As for The Outsider, it sounds like a second season is very likely. (Good!)
Natasha Lyonne and Mark Ruffalo both want to play Columbo and I’m for it:
I’ll fight Ruffalo for it if I have to. Me and you, after class, Warriors style for Columbo. @MarkRuffalo Seems like the only reasonable way to settle this hypothetical. https://t.co/rooiodGjUQ
— natasha lyonne (@nlyonne) April 2, 2020
Natasha, I think Colombo is so great a part we should all be able to play it. I want to play Agatha Christie too! https://t.co/mNX0e68PfL
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) April 5, 2020
Everyone can stand down: that Friends reunion has, somehow, been filmed. Maybe.
Kevin Smith has revealed that he almost made a show for Disney+, but it was canned because he used too many Disney characters.
The next season of Dirty John is going to be about Betty Broderick. This is a brief version of her story if you don’t remember (or aren’t old enough to remember). They don’t have a premiere date yet, but probably will soon enough.
Quibi launches today: and it’s either the perfect time to launch this phone-only platform or THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.
Publix cake decorators should get $50/hr pic.twitter.com/QeBgRAIM8f
— Roxy (@redrawnoxen) April 5, 2020
OK, Tiger King updates:
- According to Jeff Lowe — who, if you’ve seen Tiger King, you know is not necessarily the most reliable source — Netflix is going to be adding a new episode sometime this week.
- Larry David couldn’t make it through the first episode because he thought the characters were “too crazy,” and this is a man who thinks Woody Allen is innocent.
- Rob Lowe is threatening us with a Tiger King project with Ryan Murphy. (For it.)
Joe Exotic was interviewed from prison on March 22.
Here's what he told us pic.twitter.com/ueqTeWfKxh
— Netflix (@netflix) April 3, 2020
Cancellations
- Deputy has been canceled at Fox after one season.
- Lights Out with David Spade has had the lights turned out at Comedy Central. They plan on shopping it to other networks.
In Development
- Hardlfip, a skateboard drama, has beenn picked up at Quibi.
- Black Mafia Family, a drama from 50 Cent’s production company has been ordered at Starz.
- Investigating The Strange World Of Joe Exotic is in the works at Investigation Discovery.
Casting News
- James Taylor is going to serve as a mentor on The Voice.
Mark Your Calendar
- The Walking Dead: The World Beyond will debut sometime later this year, who even knows:
Learn the truth… #TWDWorldBeyond premieres later this year. #TWD pic.twitter.com/K6aHiDVAsl
— The Walking Dead on AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) April 6, 2020
- Blindspot returns on NBC for its final season on April 30.
- Crikey! It’s the Irwins: Bindi’s Wedding will air on Animal Planet on April 18 because OF COURSE she filmed her wedding for TV.
- Born Wild: The Next Generation and Jane Goodall: The Hope will debut on National Geographic Channel on April 22.
- ShaqLife will air on TNT on April 9.
- The Last Kids on Earth will return on Netflix on April 17.
R.I.P.
Logan Williams, Actor who played Young Flash on The Flash
James Drury, Star of The Virginian
James King, One of the stars of My 600-lb Life
Honor Blackman, Actress best known as a Bond girl
Shirley Douglas, Actress and mother of Kiefer Sutherland
Rebecca Ramsey, Visual effects editor on Watchmen, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
WATCH THIS
Quibi: Just all of the Quibi. They are releasing some 50 shows and movies today. I don’t have the time or space (this is obviously a lie — I literally have nothing but time and space) to list them all here but this is a great list. Quibi
Manifest: The final hours of Zeke’s life approach. Or maybe they don’t. Season finale. 9 p.m., BC
Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Secrets & Surprises: Regis Philbin and Meredith Viera are interviewed about their time hosting the popular game show (but not Chris Harrison because who cares) (I mean, I don’t know, maybe Harrison is, but he’s not listed in the description). 9 p.m., ABC
Late Night:
- Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Billie Joe Armstrong
- Late Night with Seth Meyers: Tracy Morgan
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: TBA
- The Late Late Show with James Corden: TBA
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Kaley Cuoco
- The Daily Show: The Daily Social Distancing Show
- Conan: evin Bacon
- Watch What Happens Live: Kristen Johnston, Melissa Etheridge
- A Little Late with Lily Singh: Adam Rippon, Anna Camp
MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | Celebrity Family Feud (repeat) |
Celebrity Family Feud (repeat) |
Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Secrets & Surprises (new) |
CBS | The Neighbor-hood (new) |
Bob Hearts Abishola (new) |
All Rise (new) |
Bull (new) |
CW | Whose Line is it Anyway? (new) |
Whose Line is it Anyway? (repeat) |
Roswell, New Mexico (new) |
Local |
FOX | 9-1-1 (repeat) |
Fox Presents The iHeart Living Room Concert for America (new) |
News/Local |
NBC | The Voice (new) |
Manifest (new) |