Fox News is trying its hand at comedy again and it’s not going well.

by Therese Odell, posted in Uncategorized

It’s Friday!

It’s hard to take a fight seriously when it is this cute.

Going Viral

Yesterday, I was one of the 3,403,061 Americans who received a vaccine — my second Moderna dose. And while receiving the vaccine itself could not have been simpler and faster (the 10 minutes we had to wait for an adverse reaction was the longest part of the entire process), I will admit, the side effects from the second dose are no joke. My husband and I both woke up in the middle of the night with fevers, chills, and intense body aches, but now, some 24 hours later, I’m feeling a lot better. The Moderna shot is a ride, but it is well worth it.

And for those of you in the Houston area who have not been able to get a vaccine yet, the counties to the east of us have thousands of vaccines that aren’t being used, and they instructed us to tell everyone we could to come get them. It’s a worrisome trend in Texas’ whiter, poorer, and less-educated counties that vaccine skepticism has taken hold, which will delay our state’s ability to reach herd immunity, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and preventing dangerous mutations. And, of course, it’s not limited to Texas: over in Mississippi, they had some 73,000 unused shots as of yesterday, and only 25% of their population has been vaccinated (which isn’t far off of Texas’ own numbers, and similar to other southern states).

And I’m as shocked as you are that I’m about to say this, but Jerry Falwell Jr. is actually being a decent role model in trying to address this situation:

Listen, if attacking Democrats helps get Republicans vaccinated, DO IT. WHATEVER IT TAKES. But the bottom line is we need more conservatives and religious leaders out there modeling this behavior if we’re going to beat this virus. Meghan McCain is an idiot here (what else is new), simultaneously arguing that the White House and Democrats are not “doing a good job to get Republicans on board with getting vaccinated,” while also making the point that “Conservatives and Republicans, part of our DNA is questioning big government, is questioning being told what to do, is questioning our privacy.” And that’s ultimately the point: Democrats will never convince hard-core right-wingers to get vaccinated, and the more we scream they should, the more reluctant they will be to do so. This is a mess the Republicans have to clean up.

Oh, and hey, let’s get our restaurant workers vaccinated, please.

A doctor who happens to co-own the Los Angeles Lakers is trying to make an oral vaccine.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is going to be in person next January, so good for them!

All Other TV News

This week saw the launch of Gutfeld!, a late-night talk show hosted by “comedian” Greg Gutfeld, and Fox News’ attempt to enter the late-night talk show arena. It’s not good. It’s very bad. It’s literally painfully bad. Leaving aside the just sheer mean-spiritedness of Gutfeld’s material, he’s just not funny. His idea of a joke seems to be sneering and angrily yelling a bunch of imagined grievances.

Oh, and repeating the same “jokes” literally every night:

Here he is making the same jokes about Brian Williams two nights in a row:

I mean, a Fox News show has the audacity to call other cable news networks “obsessed with Trump”:

He is literally hurting his audience:

Off to a terrific start, guys!

But say what you will about his “comedy,” at least Greg Gutfeld’s fake laugh isn’t as annoying as this (h/t Pajiba):

Oof.

HBO made a new trailer for season 8 of Game of Thrones even though it premiered ~checks notes~ TWO YEARS AGO, but sure. Maybe it’ll convince those few innocent babes out there who haven’t watched it that it is worth it:

Ryan Murphy is reducing our choices:

The newest NCIS spinoff, NCIS: Hawaii will be the first NCIS franchise to have a female lead. I mean, it only took them almost 20 years, but good for them, I guess?

Sharon Osbourne is still fighting with her former The Talk co-hosts. Go home, Sharon, you lost.

Chris Meloni knows you like his butt and he’s good with it.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 started a Kickstarter to make new episodes, and have already exceeded their fundraising goal.

Netflix has signed a deal with Sony to be the exclusive home for their theatrical releases for 18 months. This is not great news for Starz.

Discovery+ is now on Xfinity Flex and will be on X1 soon enough.

The Seinfeld apartment is an architectural impossibility and it is causing an existential crisis.

NO. MORE. CELEBRITY. PRESIDENTS.

Your watch is done, Jim.

Oh no, Jungle Jack Hanna! Our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones.

Renewals

In Development

  • Magic Mike is being turned into a competition series at HBO Max.
  • Queer as Folk is being rebooted at Peacock.
  • Sugar, a comedy set in the sugar baby world, is in the works at HBO.
  • The Downstairs Girl is being developed into a TV series.

Casting News

Mark Your Calendar

Fox has announced their summer premiere dates:

Sunday, May 23

  • Duncanville

Tuesday, May 25

  • Mental Samurai

Wednesday, May 26

  • The Masked Singer
  • Crime Scene Kitchen

Monday, May 31

  • Hell’s Kitchen: Young Guns
  • Housebroken

Tuesday, June 1

  • LEGO Masters
  • Mental Samurai

Wednesday, June 2

  • MasterChef: Legends

Thursday, June 3

  • Beat Shazam

August 2021

  • Fantasy Island

Oh, and the Last Man Standing series finale (for real this time) will air on Fox on May 20.

  • The Woman in the Window will premiere on Netflix on May 14.
  • The Chi will return on Showtime on May 23.
  • High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will stream on Disney+ on May 14.
  • Run The World will debut on Starz on May 16.
  • Saints & Sinners will premiere on Bounce on April 11.
  • Into the Beat will debut on Netflix on April 16.
  • Dark Side of the Ring will return on Vice on May 6.
  • Dark Side of Football will premiere on Vice on May 13.
  • Murderous History will debut on Smithsonian Channel on April 25.
  • Cher & The Loneliest Elephant will debut on Paramount+ on April 22.
  • The Innocent debut s on Netflix on April 30.
  • The 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards will air on BBC America on April 11.
  • Piano Y Mujer will debut on HBO Max and HBO Latino on April 16.
  • Milestone will premiere on Netflix on May 6.
  • Law School premieres on Netflix on April 14.

R.I.P.

Anne Beatts, Original Saturday Night Live writer and creator of Square Pegs, and female comedy pioneer

Quindon Tarver, American Idol contestant and child singer in Romeo + Juliet

James Hampton, Veteran character actor who appeared in F Troop, The China Syndrome, and Teen Wolf, and wrote and directed sitcoms, including Evening Shade

DMX, Hip-hop icon and legendary rapper

Howard Weitzman, Lawyer who represented celebrities the likes of O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, and Marlon Brando

Prince Philip, Husband of Queen Elizabeth

Meanwhile, predictably, Fox News and Piers Morgan are out here blaming Meghan Markle for the death of a 99-year-old man who has been on death’s door for months now.

WATCH THIS

FRIDAY

Thunder Force: Melissa McCarthy and Olivia Spencer are two childhood best friends who become accidental superheroes in this new comedy. Premiere. Netflix

Wynonna Earp: Series finale for the cult favorite. 9 p.m., Syfy

Doing the Most with Phoebe Robinson: In her new celebrity interview series, comedian Phoebe Robinson explores new career paths, like winetasting with Gabrielle Union or magic with The Property Brothers. Series premiere. 10 p.m., Comedy Central

SATURDAY

Saturday Night Live: Carey Mulligan & Kid Cudi 10:30 p.m., NBC

The New Mutants: A group of young mutants fights to escape from a secret facility where they are being held in this, the final X-Men film. (Give it five years, and they’ll be rebooting the X-Men movies.) 7 p.m., HBO

The Goonies: Goonies never say die! 6:30 p.m., CMT

SUNDAY

The Nevers: A supernatural event gives women superpowers in Victorian London, putting them in grave danger in this new series. Series premiere. 8 p.m., HBO

Fear the Walking Dead: Strand sends Alicia and Charlie on a mission in the season premiere. 8 p.m., AMC (premieres on AMC+ on Thursday)

Shameless: R.I.P. Shameless and good luck and God speed Gallaghers. Series finale. 8 p.m., Showtime

 

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (Friday): Demi Lovato, Alan Kim
  • Watch What Happens Live (Sunday): Kandi Burruss, Anila Sajja

FRI. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC Shark Tank
(new)		 20/20
CBS MacGyver
(new)		 Magnum P.I.
(new)		 Blue Bloods
(new)
CW Whose Line Is It Anyway?
(repeat)		 Whose Line Is It Anyway?
(repeat)		 Penn & Teller: Fool Us
(new)		 Local
FOX Friday Night Smackdown Local
NBC The Blacklist
(repeat)		 Dateline

—

SAT. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30
ABC NBA Basketball
(live)		 News/Local
CBS Bull
(repeat)		 48 Hours 48 Hours News/Local
FOX The Masked Singer
(repeat)		 Game of Talents
(repeat)		 News/Local
NBC Law and Order: Organized Crime
(repeat)		 Law and Order: SVU
(repeat)		 Saturday Night Live
(repeat)		 News/
Local		 Saturday Night Live
(Carey Mulligan & Kid Cudi)

—

SUN. 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC America’s Funniest Home Videos
(repeat)		 American Idol
(new)		 The Rookie
(new)
CBS 60 Minutes NCIS: Los Angeles
(repeat)		 NCIS: New Orleans
(repeat)
The CW Local Batwoman
(new)		 Charmed
(new)		 Local
FOX The Simp-sons
(repeat)		 Bless the Harts
(repeat)		 The Simp-sons
(new)		 The Great North
(new)		 Bob’s Burgers
(new)		 Family Guy
(new)		 Local/News
NBC Ellen’s Game of Games
(repeat)		 Ellen’s Game of Games
(repeat)		 Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
(new)		 Good Girls
(new)

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