If she stays perfectly still, they’ll never notice.
Here’s A BUNCH OF TV News
Last night’s The Idol was the season (series?) finale — one episode shy of the original 6-episode order. But why? (You know, other than the sheer awfulness of it.) Well, after the original director, Amy Seimetz, left the series over “creative differences,” according to an insider, “… Sam [Levinson] took over and made significant changes. The story only ended up requiring 5.”
“I’ve decided to forbid bigots and homophobes from watching ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The White Lotus,’ ‘Goodfellas’ or any movie or TV show I’ve been in. Thank you Supreme Court for allowing me to discriminate and exclude those who I don’t agree with and am opposed to. USA! USA!”
While I was gone, Paramount+ became the streaming home to Showtime. The Paramount+ premium subscription now includes Showtime’s content for $11.99 a month. The less expensive non-Showtime Paramount+ still has raised its cost a dollar, to $5.99 a month.
Insecure is now available on Netflix, and it will soon be joined by Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Six Feet Under, and Ballers.
This year’s Emmy statues will include a “75” onthemt to mark the 75th anniversary of the awards. Now, when those awards will actually take place …. ????
Here are The Witcher folks saying a lot of words about splitting up the season into two parts as if it was some sort of creative decision and not one that Netflix has normalized to try to boost ratings over two different financial quarters.
Although we didn’t plan this, there’s a sense in which our departure coincides with an inflection point in the entire TV industry. As everyone is aware, the bottom has dropped out of linear viewership, and the ratings have had increasingly less utility. (Last Thursday’s cable ratings in the 18-49 demo included 25 shows clustered between 0.09-0.12, basically molecules of difference.) The balance of home viewing, for better or worse, has swung toward streaming, and the proprietors of those companies have chosen to be opaque with their information, providing data that’s incomplete and unverified when it’s available at all. That very lack of transparency is one of the key issues in the ongoing Writers Guild strike. Meanwhile, scrutiny of linear numbers is becoming a preoccupation akin to documenting angels on the head of a pin.
I know this is a little bit inside baseball about the TV business, but this suggests things are grim over on the cable/broadcast side of things.
Angela Basset and Mel Brooks will receive well-earned honorary Oscars this year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are in trouble with Netflix. Y’all gotta make that content, guys.
A Snuggie ripoff has made Shark Tank‘s Barbara Corcoran half a billion damn dollars in three years. What even y’all?
Hold up, HOLD UP: Larsa Pippen is dating Michael Jordan’s SON? WHAT THE ACTUAL WHAT? I guess I should have caught up with The Real Housewives of Miami …
I’ve been an ABC soap girl my entire life and absolutely loved Loving back in the day, so I’m shocked I didn’t realize all of these actors were on the show until this post from TVLine.
Congratulations, Rose Leslie and Kit Harington! Again!
Renewals
- Leguizamo Does America has been renewed for a second season on MSNBC.
Cancellations
- The Other Two has been canceled at Max after three seasons. BOO.
- Reservation Dogs will end with season three on FX. BOO.
- Single Drunk Female has been canceled at Freeform. BOO.
- Breeders will end with season four on FX. BOO.
- High Desert has been canceled at Apple TV+ after one season. BOO.
- The Watchful Eye has been canceled after one season on Freeform. Eh.
- Inside Amy Schumer, From Cradle to Stage, Tell Me a Story, Ghislaine: Partner in Crime, Fantasy Football, and Snow Day have been pulled from Paramount+ with Showtime.
- Alaska Daily and The Company You Keep have both been pulled from Hulu.
In Development
- An animated Among Us series has been greenlit at CBS Studios.
- Your Christmas Or Mine 2 has been greenlit on Prime Video.
- The Rachel Incident is being adapted for television.
Casting News
- Neve McIntosh and James Anthony-Rose are joining All Creatures Great and Small on PBS.
- Max Beesley has joined The Gentlemen on Netflix.
- Jessica Hynes and Akemnji Ndifornyenhaves joined the cast of Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC.
Mark Your Calendar
- Heartstopper returns on Netflix on August 3.
- Heels returns on Starz on July 28.
- Jim Gaffigan: Dark Pale will premiere on Prime Video on July 25.
- Fatal Seduction debuts on Netflix on July 7.
- Nineteen to Twenty will premiere on Netflix on July 11.
- How to Date Billy Walsh will premiere on Prime Video on September 8.
R.I.P.
Alan Arkin, Legendary Oscar-winning actor
I love this man so much. The favorite of all my movie dads and so brilliant,
inspiring and kind for so long. ♥️♥️ https://t.co/IK44X85oDQ— natasha lyonne (@nlyonne) June 30, 2023
The legendary Alan Arkin was an unforgettable friend to us. Whether he was performing on The Muppet Show or giving tours of our studio in our movie The Muppets, he was always making us laugh. Thanks for the memories, Alan! pic.twitter.com/DF6a6RPm2w
— The Muppets (@TheMuppets) June 30, 2023
A world without Alan Arkin is …not so great. I’ve loved this man from the moment he came on screen in “The Russians Are Coming..” (“Whitaker Walt!l) I was 8. Getting to know him – and getting a laugh out of him – is a highlight of my life. RIP dear friend.
— Paul Reiser (@PaulReiser) June 30, 2023
This one hurts—losing Alan. After appearing on The Muppet Show we became affectionate pen-pals. An extraordinary, undefinable talent & unique human-being-mensch. Alan would hate maudlin things being said about him.Okay, Alan. I'll stop. But if you don't hear from me, I blame you
— Frank Oz (@TheFrankOzJam) June 30, 2023
David Lander and I got to know him a little through his talented son, Adam, in the late '70s, and I got to work with him in Mexico in 2002. Charming, hilarious, and armed with a flawless bullshit detector, he was pure pleasure to be with.
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) June 30, 2023
Did ANYONE have the range Alan Arkin had? Hilarious, sinister, insane, tragic. No mood he couldn’t live in. RIP. pic.twitter.com/pUVa5j8Tqc
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) June 30, 2023
Julian Sands, British actor, star of A Room With a View among others
Nicolas Coster, Star of Santa Barbara, All My Children, All the President’s Men, Reds, and Facts of Life among others
Dr. Frank Field, The first meteorologist in New York television, and later presenter on programs related to science
Lawrence Turman, Oscar-nominated producer
Ryan Mallett, Former NFL player for the Texans, Ravens, and Patriots
Lew Palter, Actor in Titanic
Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, Actor and grandson of Robert De Niro
Caleb Willingham, Husband of 1000-Lb. Sisters star Tammy Slaton
Rick Froberg, Singer, guitarist and visual artist
Officer Don Kennedy, Host of a popular Atlanta kids’ show
Jo “Joesthetics” Lindner, Bodybuilding social media star
WATCH THIS
Unknown: A four-part series that explores “awe-inspiring uncharted territories” including pyramids and robots. Series premiere. Netflix
Flip the Strip: The male dancers from Thunder Down Under start their own home renovation and flipping business in Las Vegas. Hence, “flipping” the “Strip” (but also “strip”.) How has this show not already been made is my only real question. Series premiere. 10 p.m., HGTV
Independence Day: On Independence Day Eve — and with the government revealing more and more about the truth about our alien neighbors — it’s time to celebrate with Will Smith’s masterpiece. 6 p.m., Starz Encore
| MON. | 7:00 | 7:30 | 8:00 | 8:30 | 9:00 | 9:30 |
| ABC | Claim to Fame (new) |
The Bachelorette (new) |
| CBS | The Price is Right at Night (new) |
The Neighborhood (repeat) |
Bob ♥ Abishola (repeat) |
NCIS (repeat) |
| CW | The Rising (new) |
Nancy Drew (repeat) |
Local |
| FOX | Stars on Mars (repeat) |
Crime Scene Kitchen (repeat) |
News/Local |
| NBC | American Ninja Warrior (repeat) |
The Wall (repeat) |
Weakest Link (repeat) |