Happy Juneteenth, friends!
Celebrate! But remember, my fellow White folks, nothing about this holiday is about making you feel comfortable! So maybe be quiet and try to learn something!
There’s a bunch of great TV and movies that you could dive into:
- For instance, Sherman’s Showcase: Black History Month Spectacular airs tonight
- There’s a Watchmen marathon happening as I type this — or you can stream it for free all weekend
- You can also binge When They See Us on Netflix for free this weekend
- FX, FXX, and FXM are airing Atlanta, black-ish, Selma and Hidden Figures
- Black Panther and Just Mercy are airing on TBS/TNT/truTV
- BET is airing a Juneteenth Freedom Day Marathon
- Starz is making a number of movies free to stream, including America To Me; A Huey P. Newton Story; Emanuel; For Ahkeem; Out Of Omaha; Scandalize My Name; Stranger Fruit and The Rape Of Recy Taylor
- The Criterion Collection has offered movies made by Black filmmakers available for free
- TV Guide recommends some Netflix stand-up specials from Black comedians
- And they also recommend some great movies by Black filmmakers you can watch on Netflix.
- And there are more ideas here.
Kenya Barris and Pharrell Williams are working on a musical film about Juneteenth for Netflix. (That animated clip at the top was from Barris’ show black-ish, by the way.)
Homicide or Justified, a docuseries about police-related deaths, is in the works.
Don Cheadle talked about being stopped by the police “more times than [he] can count” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Ri-Karlo Handy, a Black filmmaker, posted on social media looking for Black editors to add to a list so as to help productions with diversification efforts. But White people came swooping in, screaming discrimination and showing their asses. It was really embarrassing.
Not to get into this too deeply, because it is so fucking stupid, but on Thursday, in a House Judiciary meeting about race and policing, Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond was discussing his worries for his Black sons, and for some damn reason, White Florida Congressman and General Asshole Matt Gaetz became offended because White people always have to make it about White people, and he started yelling that Republicans have children of color, too.
'Either man up and say you don’t believe in it or talk about the real issue’ — Watch @RepRichmond shut down Rep. Matt Gaetz’s angry white fragility pic.twitter.com/5n9Lm7Mp2r
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 18, 2020
So everyone was like, “What the fuck are you talking about, Matt Gaetz? You are an unmarried 38-year-old man with no children, why are your panties getting into a twist about some imaginary children?” And he busted out with this COMPLETELY BIZARRE tweet yesterday:
For all those wondering, this is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida.
I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life. pic.twitter.com/JB96wzOzYU
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 18, 2020
So you can imagine some of the more salacious theories that were flying around out there about this bizarre announcement, which I will not get into. But I will say the best case scenario is that Matt Gaetz is using his friendship with a young Cuban man to score political points during a racially fraught time. White fragility is an amazing force.
Even Meghan McCain thinks that is some absolute bullshit:
My sister is from Bangladesh but that wouldn’t give me any insight into what it’s like to be Black in America. https://t.co/9rqQEeLHSX
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) June 18, 2020
And when you’ve lost the argument to Meghan McCain …
Anyway, happy weekend!
So You Think You Can Dance has been canceled — at least for this summer — which is a huge bummer but completely expected. They were scheduled to do auditions in March but had to cancel when the lockdowns went into place. Hopefully, they’ll be able to return next year and this isn’t a canceled-for-good situation.
Celebrity Game Face will debut on E! on July 6. It will be hosted by Kevin Hart and feature celebrities going head-to-head in “outrageous at-home challenges.”
NBCUniversal has begun the process of reopening their lots and studios. Good luck with that.
HBO’s football series Hard Knocks is scheduled to return in August — we will see — and as of now, they are planning to film the league’s efforts to test and deal with COVID, but it’s unclear if they’ll be allowed to use any of that footage. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, President Making It All About Me, insists that the NFL is coming back no matter what that dumb Dr. Fauci says, and adds that he won’t be watching if they allow the players to kneel.
Tony Fauci has nothing to do with NFL Football. They are planning a very safe and controlled opening. However, if they don’t stand for our National Anthem and our Great American Flag, I won’t be watching!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
- It is not up to President Whatever the Opposite of Safety First Is to decide if the NFL plays in the fall. It is a decision that the league and its players will make.
- Then don’t watch. You lost this culture war and no one is scared of you anymore.
Jeffrey Katzenberg is still blaming the virus for Quibi’s underperformance. Yeah, that’s not it, dude.
Some directors are huge babies.
President Delusional thinks that the act of wearing a mask is a wholly symbolic one to represent the wearer’s opposition to him. His narcissism literally has no bounds.
Movie Theaters are catching hell for announcing that they would not require patrons to wear masks because they didn’t want to be political. SCIENCE DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR POLITICS, YOU GODDAMNED IDIOTS. AMC walked back their dumb policy after seeing the social media backlash, as did Regal Cinemas and Alamo Drafthouse is going to require all patrons to wears masks.
The 2021 Critics Choice Awards has been pushed back to March 7.
Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard wrote a new Walking Dead comic, after having ended the series, to try to give comic book shops a little boost during the pandemic.
The Chicago comedy theater The iO is shutting down permanently, unable to survive the financial hit of the virus.
And speaking of shutting down — there is a lot of concern about this pandemic being an extinction-level event for restaurants. Last night on Watch What Happens Live!, Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio told Andy Cohen that in a survey done by the Beard Foundation, only 20% of restaurants said they would definitely reopen. Order some takeout from your favorite joint and cross your fingers.
All Other TV News
Jimmy Kimmel is taking the summer off, and good for him. Beginning July 6, the show will be hosted by a bunch of different guest hosts. You’re going to want to watch how he — and the hated Matt Damon — make the announcement:
Here’s an uncomfortable fact: Rob Lowe is friends with Clarence Thomas and has his personal phone number.
You can watch the video here, I’m not going to embed it because I don’t have to. But the gist of it is that CNN reports that a black toddler is running away from a white MAGA baby when the TRUE story is that they are best friends, the story that CNN refuses to report.
In response, CNN has urged the President to grow the fuck up.
But CNN isn’t the only news network pissing off President Remote Control. His beloved Fox News published a poll that shows him with a 12 point deficit behind Joe Biden …
New Fox News poll of registered voters has Biden leading Trump 50 to 38 pic.twitter.com/K2hebrMA50
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) June 18, 2020
… and he is not taking it well.
.@FoxNews is out with another of their phony polls, done by the same group of haters that got it even more wrong in 2016. Watch what happens in November. Fox is terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
LOL, OK.
He probably also won’t be happy to learn that this ad will be airing on Fox News in Oklahoma this weekend when he goes there for his COVID campaign rally.
In Development
- Jodie, a spinoff of Daria starring and produced by Tracee Ellis Ross, has been picked up at Comedy Central.
- Giving Voice, a documentary about the August Wilson Monologue Competition, has been bought by Netflix.
- Salma Hayek’s production company, Ventanarosa, has signed a first-look deal with HBO Max.
- Sam Dean has signed an overall deal with HBO Max.
Casting News
- The cast of The Talk will be your hosts for the Daytime Emmys on CBS on June 26.
Mark Your Calendar
- Close Enough will debut on HBO Max on July 9.
- Absentia will return on Amazon on July 17.
- United We Fall, a mid-season family comedy starring Will Sasso and Christina Vidal Mitchell, will premiere on ABC on July 15. (Which, considering they could have used this to pad a tenuous fall season but chose not to, suggests a lack of confidence in this one.)
- Pose-a-Thon, emceed by Billy Porter, will air on FX and Freeform on June 26.
- The Alienist: Angel of Darkness is going to premiere on TNT on July 19.
- Scoob! will debut on HBO Max on June 26.
- The Real Housewives of Potomac will return on Bravo on August 2.
- All-Star Best Thing I Ever Ate will premiere on Food Network on July 20.
- Hard Knocks: Los Angeles will premiere on HBO on August 11.
- The Beach House will debut on Shudder on July 9.
- Lifetime will premiere Obsession: Stalked by My Lover on July 10; Obsession: Escaping My Ex on July 11; and Obsession: Her Final Vengeance on July 12.
- The CW released a new promo:
R.I.P.
Ian Holm, Legendary actor from Alien, Lord of the Rings, Time Bandits, The Madness of King George, and Chariots of Fire
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
Sherman’s Showcase: Black History Month Spectacular: OK, so part of the joke here is that Black History Month is February, not June. But Juneteenth is an excellent day for a Black History special — and scheduling this for right now feels eerily prescient. 9 p.m., AMC
Great Performances: Holland Taylor becomes our great governor Ann Richards. 8 p.m., PBS
Wasp Network: Penélope Cruz, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Édgar Ramirez star in this film about Cuban spies that infiltrated the United States. Netflix
The Politician: Season two. Netflix
Dads: Celebrities talk about their fathers in this documentary directed by Bryce Dallas Howard just in time for Father’s Day Apple TV+
7500: Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in this film as a pilot of an aircraft during a hijacking. Amazon
Floor is Lava: In this new game show, competitors have to use curtains, tables, and chairs to traverse a room. Series premiere. Netflix
SATURDAY
Ford v. Ferrari: Cars go fast. 7 p.m., HBO
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: TAKE ME. TAKE ME TO YOUR PLANET AND AWAY FROM THIS PLACE. 7 p.m., Showtime Beyond
SUNDAY
Perry Mason: Matthew Rhys stars in this origin story of the fictional detective. The wonderful Tatiana Maslany co-stars. Series premiere. 8 p.m., HBO
John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day: A Father’s Day tribute to all the dads out there from America’s favorite family. 7 p.m., NBC
United We Sing: A Grammy Tribute to the Unsung Heroes: Harry Connick Jr. drives across the country to thank front line workers with performances and appearances from Sandra Bullock, Drew Brees, Queen Latifah, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, and Renée Zellweger, who will deliver surprise messages to America’s unsung heroes. The special will also feature performances by GRAMMY winners Harry Connick, Jr., John Fogerty, Jamie Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, and Irma Thomas as well as GRAMMY nominees Jon Batiste, Andra Day, Rockin Dopsie and Trombone Shorty. 7 p.m., CBS
The Chi: Emmett has to juggle work and family in the season premiere. 8 p.m., Showtime
The 2020 Espys: I still think this might be the stupidest awards ceremony. Yes, stupider than even the Golden Globes. 8 p.m., ESPN
Lucy Worsley’s Royal Myths & Secrets: The chief curator at the Historic Royal Palaces walks us through the history of famous royal figures. Series premiere. 7 p.m., PBS
Yellowstone: Beth finds a trespasser on the ranch in the season premiere. 9 p.m., Paramount
NOS4A2: Vic learns alarming news about Charlie Manx in the season premiere. 9 p.m., AMC
Tournament of Laughs: Jason Sudeikis hosts this tournament of comedians, including Jeff Ross, Margaret Cho, Gilbert Gottfried, Judah Friedlander, Michael Rapaport, Jim Norton, Fortune Feimster, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Natasha Leggero, Cameron Esposito, Godfrey, The Sklar Brothers, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Josh Wolf, Clayton English, Yamaneika Saunders, Gina Yashere, Tim Dillon, Moshe Kasher, Jessica Kirson, Paul Rodriguez, Sarah Tiana, Matteo Lane, Beth Stelling, Vladimir Caamano, Ian Edwards, Aida Rodriguez, Megan Gailey, Preacher Lawson, Piff The Magic Dragon and an additional two performers to come. Series premiere. 9 p.m., TBS
| FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Shark Tank (repeat) |
20/20 |
| CBS | MacGyver (repeat) |
Magnum P.I. (repeat) |
Blue Bloods (repeat) |
| CW | Masters of Illusion (new) |
Masters of Illusion (repeat) |
Whose Line is it Anyway? (repeat) |
Whose Line is it Anyway? (repeat) |
Local |
| FOX | Friday Night Smackdown | Local |
| NBC | World of Dance (repeat) |
The Wall (repeat) |
Dateline |
—
| SAT. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 | 10:00 | 10:30 | 11:00 | 11:30 |
| ABC | The Last Dance (repeat) |
The Last Dance (repeat) |
The Rookie (repeat) |
News/Local |
| CBS | NCIS (repeat) |
48 Hours | 48 Hours | News/Local |
| FOX | Gordon Ramsay’s 24 Hours to Hell and Back (repeat) |
LEGO Masters (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 | Celebrity Family Feud (repeat) |
John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day (new) |
Press Your Luck (new) |
Match Game (new) |
| CBS | 60 Minutes | United We Sing: A Grammy Salute to Unsung Heroes | NCIS: New Orleans (repeat) |
| The CW | Local | Stargirl (repeat) |
Supergirl (repeat) |
Local |
| FOX | Last Man Standing (repeat) |
Duncan-ville (repeat) |
The Simp-sons (repeat) |
Bless the Harts (repeat) |
Bob’s Burgers (repeat) |
Family Guy (repeat) |
Local/News |
| NBC | Hollywood Game Night (new) |
The Titan Games (new) |
America’s Got Talent (repeat) |