DRAMA QUEEN. (H/T: Boing Boing)
Has “Bachelor Nation” seen the last of Chris Harrison? It was announced yesterday that Harrison will not be hosting Bachelor in Paradise this summer. Instead, he will be replaced with David Spade and some other comedians (who have not finalized their deals yet, which is why Spade is the only one we’re hearing about).
Harrison was already replaced with Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette beginning on Monday, and it sounds like he probably won’t be back for The Bachelorette starring Michelle Young which will air in the fall. According to multiple sources, the soonest he might be back will be for The Bachelor which — if it is renewed (it will be, probably as soon as they figure out this Harrison mess) — won’t air until January 2022. Apparently, a lot of his fate depends on how people respond to this upcoming Bachelorette season, so stay tuned.
Nickelodeon has cast its first trans teen in a live-action show: Sasha Cohen will play a trans teen on an upcoming episode of Danger Force.
In a very interesting round table interview, Gillian Anderson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Cynthia Ervio, Elizabeth Olsen, Mj Rodriquez, and Sarah Paulson discuss acting and are very frank about the emotional toll it takes on them, sometimes leading to breakdowns and a need to retreat from the public.
There will be an explanation for Sam’s absence on iCarly, calm down.
Fox is apparently bringing The United States Football League back next year. Did anyone actually ask for this?
So here’s a stupid thing: people began calling Ellie Kemper — of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and The Office fame — a “KKK Princess” on Monday when it was revealed she had been crowned the 1999 “Veiled Prophet Queen of Love and Beauty” in St. Louis.
First of all, the group that named her their “Queen,” the Veiled Prophet Organization, is not the KKK or even associated with the KKK, but instead is a social organization that was founded back in the 1870s by, yes, Confederates, but beginning in the 1970s was forced to accept Black members. Feel free to show me any organization that was founded in the 18th or 19th century in the South — or, Hell, really anywhere in this country — that doesn’t have some racist roots. I’m not saying that the Veiled Prophet Organization isn’t deeply problematic, but calling Kemper a “KKK Princess” because she participated in a St. Louis fancy society tradition is a bit much. Calm down.
Renewals
- City on a Hill has been renewed for a third season at Showtime.
- People Puzzler has been renewed for a second season at Game Show Network.
- Virgin River has been renewed for a fourth season on Netflix.
- The Beast Must Die has been renewed for a second season at BritBox.
Cancellations
- Jupiter’s Legacy has been canceled at Netflix after one season, but … see below.
In Development
- The Horror of Dolores Roach, starring Justina Machado, has been given a pilot order at Amazon.
- Supercrooks has been ordered at Netflix. It’s a spinoff of the Jupiter’s Legacy universe, though Jupiter’s Legacy will not be going forward.
- The Lost Apothecary is being adapted into a series at Fox.
- The Distance from Me to You is being developed at HBO Max.
- The Atomic Bazaar is being adapted by Netflix.
- Arpo Robot Babysitter is being developed at Amazon Kids Plus.
- BBC and ITV are co-producing four series for the Indian market in a deal that is the first of its kind: Gold Digger; Sticks and Stones; Trauma; and 35 Days.
- The President, a limited series about George Washington directed by Antoine Fuqua, is being shopped around.
- Angie Harmon has signed a multi-picture deal with Lifetime.
Casting News
- Mary-Louise Parker will co-star in The Days of Abandonment on HBO.
- Gerald McRaney is joining NCIS: LA as a series regular.
- Helen Mirren will narrate When Nature Calls with Helen Mirren on ABC.
- Louis Herthum, Chris Coy, Melinda Page Hamilton, Katie Leung, and Austin Rising have been added to the cast of The Peripheral on Amazon.
- Kevin McHale, Dyllón Burnside, Charles Melton, and Nico Greetham are joining American Horror Stories on FX.
- Mason Gooding, Emily Rudd, and Lukas Gage are joining Moonshot on HBO Max.
- LaMonica Garrett, Alexis Louder, and Tom Amandes have joined The Terminal List on Amazon.
- Kevin Alejandro will star in Life During Wartime, a limited series that as of yet does not have a home.
- Demi Lovato, Olly Alexander, Mawaan Rizwan, Trixie Mattel, and Daniel Howell will be participating in YouTube Pride 2021 on June 25.
- Jodie Turner-Smith is in talks to join White Noise on Netflix.
- Evelyn Lozada is leaving Basketball Wives on VH1.
Mark Your Calendars
- Reminiscence will premiere on HBO Max and in theaters on August 20.
- We The People will premiere on Netflix on July 4.
- Bosch returns for the final season on Amazon on June 25.
- Flack returns on Amazon on June 11.
- Sisters on Track will premiere on Netflix on June 24.
- Son will begin streaming on Shudder on July 8.
- Starstruck will debut on HBO Max on June 10.
- Headspace: Unwind Your Mind: An Interactive Experience will premiere on Netflix on June 15.
- Sherni will premiere on Amazon on June 18.
- Netflix’s Geeked Week begins on June 7.
- Roadrunner will be in theaters on July 16 and HBO Max sometime after that, I presume, since they produced it (and I don’t usually include movie trailers that are exclusively in theaters here usually, but I love Anthony Bourdain and consider him part of the television universe and also it’s my blog, I do what I want)
- The Housewife and the Hustler will premiere on Hulu on June 14. CAN’T WAIT.
- Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen returns to the studio — WITH AN AUDIENCE — on June 13.
- Crashing Through the Snow will debut on Hallmark Channel on July 10.
WATCH THIS
Beat Shazam: Season premiere. 7 p.m., Fox
Station 19: Andy and Sullivan’s marriage is challenged in the season finale. 7 p.m., ABC
Grey’s Anatomy: Meredith takes on a new role at the hospital in the season finale. 8 p.m., ABC
Law & Order: SVU: Benson and Rollins try to help a homeless single mother in the season finale. 8 p.m., NBC
Law & Order: Organized Crime: Bell and Stabler have to deal with a new development in the Wheatley case. Season finale. 9 p.m., NBC
Lisey’s Story: Juliane Moore and Clive Owen star in this adaptation of the deeply personal Stephen King novel about the widow of a popular novelist who has to deal with memories of her marriage to save those she loves. Premiere. Apple TV+
We Are Lady Parts: A Muslim female punk band searches for a lead singer and a gig in this new comedy. Series premiere. Peacock
Why Women Kill: Allison Tolman and Nick Frost join for season two. Season premiere. Paramount+
Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA: This documentary explores the story of Star Trek star Nichelle Nichol’s crusade to make NASA’s program more diverse in the 1970s. Premiere. Paramount+
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie: Premiere. Netflix
Late Night:
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Michael Che, Cillian Murphy, the Linda Lindas
- A Little Late with Lily Singh: Lilly’s favorite sketches, moments & guests from the past season
| THUR | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Station 19 (new) |
Grey’s Anatomy (new) |
Rebel (new) |
| CBS | Young Sheldon (repeat) |
United States of Al (new) |
Mom (repeat) |
B Positive (repeat) |
Clarice (new) |
| CW | Walker (repeat) |
Legacies (repeat) |
News/Local |
| FOX | Beat Shazam (new) |
Housebroken (repeat) |
Duncanville (new) |
News/Local |
| NBC | Manifest (new) |
Law & Order Special Victims Unit (new) |
Law & Order: Organized Crime (new) |