Welcome to Friday!
To start off your weekend, here’s a dramatic video of a sea otter hiding from a very hungry orca on a boat. Stick around for the last few seconds of the video — it’s worth it:
300,000 dead. That is 100 9/11s, or 75,000 Benghazis for those who measure things in such metrics.
Trump says schools should open because: "This thing's going away. It will go away like things go away."
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) August 5, 2020
And this is super cool: Dr. Fauci’s family is being threatened because dipshits in power decided to politicize this fucking virus.
Dr. Fauci: "I wouldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams that people who object to things that are pure public health principles are so set against it … that they actually threaten you. I mean, that to me is just strange."https://t.co/O2JgITxU72
— NPR (@NPR) August 6, 2020
Additionally, now Fauci doesn’t feel comfortable answering questions about the relative safety of mail-in voting lest he be turned into a soundbite that could make it seem like he’s speaking out against President Contagion. EVERYTHING IS SUPER GREAT AND FINE AND I’M NOT SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS RIGHT NOW.
Meanwhile, the Georgia student who was suspended for posting that picture of her high school, attributed John Lewis’ “good trouble” for inspiring her actions. God bless.
They tried to suspended this child to teach her a lesson but all they did was free her up for 3 days of media rounds. ADVANTAGE: Student https://t.co/3HGWaDBcVj
— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) August 7, 2020
The principal explained that mask-wearing was a “personal choice,” and millions of high schoolers and former high schoolers everywhere were like, “OH. SO NOW HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HAVE COME AROUND TO THE CONCEPT OF ‘PERSONAL CHOICE’? INTERESTING.”
“Wearing a mask is a personal choice and there is no practical way to enforce them.”
I got bored and found their terribly designed and very specific dress code policy online, which they apparently enforce. https://t.co/bzgrtSSKG4 pic.twitter.com/5mtpgNnikD— 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 ✿ (@dianaofvirginia) August 6, 2020
Georgia school districts literally banned Black kids from wearing their natural hair…but yeah, a face mask to stop a deadly virus that's killed 162K Americans & counting is suddenly a "personal choice."https://t.co/z2Z561vfMW https://t.co/BtHi1wJeRZ
— Qasim Rashid for Congress (@QasimRashid) August 7, 2020
A school superintendent in GA says, "Wearing a mask is a personal choice and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them." Tell that to EVERY SINGLE GIRL who has been sent home from school/forced to change for wearing spaghetti straps or shorts above the knee.
— K.A. Holt 🏳️🌈 (@karianneholt) August 5, 2020
The Tribeca Film Festival has pushed its 2021 dates back. And Sundance has pushed its dates back a week and shortened the festival by three days.
The State Department put out a travel advisory to Americans traveling to New Zealand because they have ~checks news~ 23 positive cases of COVID-19. BITCH, MY STREET HAS 23 CASES OF COVID-19. Also, New Zealand isn’t exactly allowing any Americans cross its border anytime soon, so really this is all hilariously meaningless.
Special message from the cast of #TheBoys pic.twitter.com/roMTw1S0gY
— The Boys (@TheBoysTV) August 6, 2020
Fox Corp’s non-production staff will continue working from home through the end of the year. This, despite the Fox News talking heads downplaying the virus. Cooooooooool.
Fox’s new singing competition, I Can See Your Voice, has resumed filming.
When The Good Doctor returns, it’ll have a COVID-19 storyline. Of course, that will require filming to resume, which it has not as of right now.
Oh, this is interesting: the Real Housewives of New York City reunion was held in person — the first in-person Housewives reunion since the pandemic began.
Oh my God. pic.twitter.com/OJ1W29GPyl
— Derek Montilla (@Cap_Kaveman) August 7, 2020
All Other TV News
Thighland.
The creator of Lovecraft Country, Misha Green, has some very interesting thoughts about the horror genre and Black storytelling. (I know I keep saying it, but I’m really excited for this series.)
I never thought horror was limiting. Every time people talk about “elevated horror,” I ask, “What’s the problem with the ‘not elevated’ horror?” I love slasher films like “Nightmare on Elm Street.” But when I really started to think about this genre, I wondered, “Why don’t they have Black people, or why do the Black people have to die in the first 10 minutes?” So when I read Matt’s book, I thought he beautifully reclaimed this genre space that hadn’t been for people of color.
That’s what I pitched to HBO. We can launch off the platform of his book, reclaim the reclamation, and make a television show for people of color. In that respect, the show isn’t just horror but really an all genres space. When we were in the writers’ room, we would have our syllabus for each episode. For secret societies, we thought of “The Shining” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” Or a ghost story: “Poltergeist” and “Amityville Horror.” Or adventure: “Indiana Jones” and “The Goonies.” I was like, “This can be all of it.”
But at the end of the day, it’s just a family drama, and we want to love the characters and what they’re going through. What’s so exciting is to see people of color, who don’t typically get to be in those genre spaces, in these spaces now.
Related, here’s a good primer on H.P. Lovecraft, his mythos and influence (and his racism).
Dude, This Is Us‘ Justin Hartley told his wife he’d filed for divorce via text. Not cool.
The Shudder movie Host was inspired by this Zoom prank the filmmaker played on his friends back in April:
I’ve been hearing strange noises from my attic, so I called a few friends and went to investigate… pic.twitter.com/CxmJAf44ob
— Rob Savage (@DirRobSavage) April 21, 2020
The Host trailer if you haven’t seen it:
Renewals
- Cursed Films has been renewed at Shudder for a second season.
- Soulmates has been renewed for a second season on AMC ahead of its premiere.
- Taste of the Nation and Love, Victor have been renewed for second seasons on Hulu.
In Development
- A League of Their Own, the series, is coming to Amazon.
- American Song Contest, a singing competition modeled on Eurovision Song Contest, is in the works.
- The Pack, a dog adventure competition series hosted by Lindsey Vonn, has been greenlit at Amazon.
- Stay Tuned, a series based on the 1992 movie, is being developed at AMC. Below is a trailer for the movie which I have NO MEMORY OF WHATSOEVER, but it is TV-based, so relevant to this blog:
- Born Again Virgin, a comedy series, has been bought by Warner Brothers Television.
- Untamed is being adapted into a series by Bad Robot.
- The New Wilderness is being developed into a television series.
- Desert Dolphin is coming to Netflix.
- The Rich Eisen Show has moved to Peacock.
- Lizzo has signed a first-look deal at Amazon.
- Mona Chalabi, Naomi Ekperigin, Cameron Esposito, and Jena Friedman have all signed deals to make true crime series for AMC.
- They’re making a Knight Rider movie.
Casting News
- Daniel Dae Kim, Katie Chang, and Scoot McNairy have joined the voice cast of the animated series Pantheon on AMC.
- Valerie Mahaffey has joined the cast of Big Sky on ABC.
- Kwame Patterson and Arlen Escarpeta have joined David Makes Man on OWN.
Mark Your Calendar
- The Undoing will debut on HBO on October 25.
- The Third Day will premiere on HBO on September 15. It looks spooky.
- Your Honor will debut on Showtime soon.
- Pen15 returns on Hulu on September 18.
- Hoops will debut on Netflix on August 21.
- Woke debuts on Hulu on September 9.
- Antebellum will now debut on VOD on September 18.
Finally discover #Antebellum, the ultimate big screen event – watch on demand at home September 18, 2020. pic.twitter.com/EdFehlqMM0
— ANTƎBELLUM (@antebellumfilm) August 6, 2020
- 100 Days Wild will air on Discovery on August 21.
- Small Axe: Mangrove will premiere on Amazon sometime later in 2020.
- Aggretsuko will return on Netflix on August
- Fox released a promo for their fall shows:
- A Discovery of Witches will return on Sundance Now and Shudder sometime in early 2021.
- Animaniacs will debut on Hulu on November 20.
- Monsterland will premiere on Hulu on October 2.
- Eater’s Guide to the World will debut on Hulu on November 11.
- I Am Greta will premiere on Hulu on November 13.
- No Man’s Land will debut on Hulu on November 18.
- Josh Gates Tonight will air on Discovery on August 9-13.
- Starz & Strife will be available on VOD on August 11.
- Wild Card: The Downfall of a Radio Loudmouth will air on HBO on October 7.
R.I.P.
Brent Carver, Tony-award-winning actor
Wayne Fontana, Singer
WATCH THIS
FRIDAY
Pan y Circo: Diego Luna hosts conversations with politicians, activists, and celebrities about a number of topics including gender violence; climate change; decriminalization of abortion; racism and identity; drug legalization; immigration; and COVID-19. Series premiere. Amazon
Being Reuben: Reuben de Maid is one of the biggest make-up vloggers in the world and he’s only 14. This new series takes a look at his family and life. Series premiere. 8 p.m., The CW
Tiny Creatures: Cute animals because God knows we need some right now. Premiere. Netflix
SATURDAY
Richard Jewell: Clint Eastwood directed this movie based on the man who was falsely accused of planting a bomb at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic park. It received decent reviews, though there was an outcry for its depiction of Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalist Kathy Scruggs as a woman who would trade sex for stories, so that’s gross. 7 p.m., HBO
Modern Times: Charlie Chaplin’s classic film is the last time he portrayed The Little Tramp. In it, The Little Tramp tries to survive an industrialized world in the middle of the Great Depression. No reason. 8:45 p.m., TCM
Edge of Tomorrow: In one of Tom Cruise’s best roles, he plays a soldier who is forced to live the last day of his life over and over again. Nope, don’t know what that feels like AT ALL. 8:30 p.m., TNT
SUNDAY
Surviving Jeffrey Epstein: Jeffrey Epstein gets the R. Kelly treatment in this new docuseries that tells the stories of his survivors. Series premiere. 7 p.m., Lifetime
Perry Mason: A sensational trial comes to a close in the season finale. 8 p.m., HBO
Shark Week begins: All sharks all the time. 7 p.m., Discovery
FRI. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
ABC | Shark Tank (repeat) |
20/20 |
CBS | The Greatest #AtHome Videos (new) |
Magnum P.I. (repeat) |
Blue Bloods (repeat) |
CW | Masters of Illusion (new) |
Masters of Illusion (repeat) |
Being Reuben (new) |
Being Reuben (new) |
Local |
FOX | Friday Night Smackdown | Local |
NBC | 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 | AFV: America This is You! (repeat) |
Shark Tank (repeat) |
The Good Doctor (repeat) |
News/Local |
CBS | PGA Championship (live) |
48 Hours | News/Local |
FOX | Fox PBC Fight Night (live) |
News/Local |
NBC | Stanley Cup Playoffs (live) |
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 (repeat) |
Celebrity Family Feud (repeat) |
Press Your Luck (repeat) |
Match Game (repeat) |
PGA Championship60 MinutesBig Brother
(repeat)
CBS |
The CW | Local | Fridge Wars (new) |
Taskmasters (new) |
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 | Cannonball (new) |
The Titan Games (new) |
America’s Got Talent (repeat) |
So I don’t know if anyone else ever watched Stay Tuned, but it was the favorite movie of a 13 year old Josh for quite a while. It’s basically a pretty funny movie made exclusively to make puns about Hell. I had completely forgotten about it.
I love that this was once your favorite movie. A TV fan from the start.
-T