Super cool news: your streaming subscription dollars are going towards the destruction of the White House

Therese Odell

6 months ago

Here’s A BUNCH OF TV News

To begin today, a fun little storytime. About a year and a half ago, my husband had to go to London for work, and I tagged along with him. One morning, I headed to the National Gallery, where I had a tour scheduled. I arrived at Trafalgar Square early and immediately noticed they the entire area where the famous fountains are was closed off, because they were filming something there.

Being the looky-loo I am, I wandered around and got as close to the set as I could, trying to figure out what was being shot. I watched, fairly close up, as they shot one scene over and over again, featuring an older man and a younger woman, both in suits, drinking coffee on the side of a fountain, and having a fairly serious conversation.

I didn’t recognize either of them.

But I took pictures, thinking that maybe they were from a British movie or series, and my guide would recognize them.

He did not.

But he was agreeable about snooping around the set for a while before heading into the museum. At one point, an extra had some sort of medical emergency and had to be taken away in an ambulance, which was about the most exciting thing we witnessed.

Here’s one of the photos I took:

Recognize them?

Well, I did not until last night when Husband and I were catching up with some Netflix, and this scene unfolded in the third episode of the most recent season of The Diplomat:

And now I know. (What’s really funny is that last night I didn’t immediately recognize it when the scene began — but somewhere in my subconscious I did, because when the scene began, the first thing I said to my husband was: “The next time we go to London, you should let me take you to the National Gallery,” which is, of course, where I had been going when I spotted the scene being shot in the first place. It was about halfway through the scene before I began screaming, “OH MY GOD, I KNOW THIS!” And I guess the lesson is always take pictures when you see something being shot — you never know what it might be.)

Unsurprisingly, Elizabeth Warren and the Writers Guild are opposed to Paramount devouring Warner Bros.

If Paramount Skydance buys up Warner Bros, many of the shows you watch will all be owned by the same company — and they can jack your prices up.

We can’t let that happen. We have antitrust laws for a reason, and it’s on Donald Trump to enforce them. pic.twitter.com/5s5SGWgN0O

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) October 22, 2025

“Merger after merger in the media industry has harmed workers, diminished competition and free speech, and wasted hundreds of billions of dollars better invested in organic growth,” the union said in a statement. “Combining Warner Bros. with Paramount or another major studio or streamer would be a disaster for writers, for consumers, and for competition. The WGAW will work with regulators to block the merger.” — Writers Guild West

Somehow, I had no idea filmmaker Osgood Perkins (Longlegs, The Monkey) was the son of Anthony Perkins, but he is, and he is not thrilled with Monster: The Ed Gein Story, or the true-crime genre in general.

Doesn’t sound like The Bear will be back anytime soon. Boo.

Get better quickly, Christiane Amanpour. You can beat this thing again.

Oh hey, Bari Weiss is considering hiring Fox News’ Bret Baier to anchor CBS Evening News. Which is exactly the kind of bullshit people thought would happen when Bari Weiss was brought in to ~~destroy~~ helm CBS News.

Jon Stewart’s contract with The Daily Show expires on January 1, and the question is: what’s next? Will he remain? Will the show even exist? Will Comedy Central even exist?

The FBI announced they arrested a number of NBA players and coaches involved in an underground gambling scheme with the mob. Stephen Smith suggested the investigations are part of President Vegeance’s revenge agenda, and Kash Patel was all, “NUH-UH.”

Someone is out here claiming that The View producers are urging the women to tone down their anti-President Move on Her Like a Bitch rhetoric, because they’re scared of being canceled. But I seriously doubt this entire story: I’m sure there are some at the show and at ABC that wish they’d bring it down a notch, but after the backlash ABC and Disney received following the Kimmel kerfuffle, I suspect no one is going anywhere.

So, yes, President Destructo has completely demolished the East Wing of the White House to build the Epstein Ballroom, and I’m so angry that I’m numb, which is exactly what they want us to be, I know that. But what I didn’t know was that Meta, Amazon, Comcast, Google, Microsoft, and Apple are just some of the corporations that have donated to this vulgarity. Thrilled to hear my subscription dollars are going towards so much authoritarian bullshit.

No reason.

Inside the Hermitage, the winter palace where Tsar Nicholas II and his family lived before they were executed—in a country where Russians were starving.
— Steven Beschloss (@stevenbeschloss.bsky.social) 2025-10-23T13:50:07.451Z

Renewals

Rainmaker has been renewed for a second season on USA.

In Development

Black Hole is being adapted into a series at Netflix by Jane Schoenbrun, the creator of I Saw the TV Glow.
Hollywood Arts, a spinoff of Victorious, has been set at Netflix, and will premiere on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon later.
A documentary about Kevin Durant is in the works at Netflix.
Fox has purchased a stake in B.J. Novak’s pop-up restaurant, Chain, which includes a first-look deal.
A documentary investigating the veracity of The Salt Path is in the works at Sky.
Claudia Winkleman might be getting her own talk show at BBC.
A scripted series about the Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal might not be going forward after all. Huh.

Casting News

Jesse Williams is returning to Grey’s Anatomy on ABC.
Lindsey Normington, Jaime Pressly, and Andrew Rannells will guest star on Elsbeth on CBS.
Ashley Madekwe, Motell Gyn Foster, Cale Ambrozic, Anna Tierney, Chloe Longname, Sarah Abbott, Emily Roman, Michela Luci, Bella Neuspiel, Julia Lowe, and Christine Solomon have been added to the cast of The Body on Netflix.
Greta Lee is, in fact, has left The Morning Show on Apple TV.

Mark Your Calendar

Landman returns on Paramount+ on November 16.

Dark Winds returns on AMC and AMC+ on February 15.

Malice premieres on Prime Video on November 14.

My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story debuts on Paramount+ on November 13.

A Demon’s Revenge premieres on BET+ on October 30.

The New Yorker at 100 debuts on Netflix on December 5.

Tiffany Haddish Goes Off debuts on Peacock on November 13.

Selling The OC returns on Netflix on November 12.

Love & Hip Hop: Miami premieres on BET on November 4.

The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday returns on Roku on November 3.

Mango premieres on Netflix on November 7.

Christmas in Rockefeller Center will air on NBC and Peacock on December 3.
One to One: John & Yoko premieres on HBO on November 14.
Wicked will air on NBC on November 19.
Merry Little Mystery will debut on Roku on November 19.
The Heist: The Louvre’s Stolen Crown Jewels premieres on CNN on October 26.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will premiere on Disney+ on November 25.

R.I.P.

Shirley Abicair, British children’s TV presenter

Emmanuelle ‘Emman’ Atienza, Social media star

WATCH THIS

FRIDAY

A House of Dynamite: When a missile attack is launched at Chicago, the government races to determine who is responsible and how to respond in this Kathryn Bigelow thriller. Premiere. Netflix

Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost: Ben Stiller directed this documentary about his parents, the wonderfully talented Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Premiere. Apple TV+

Leslie Jones: Life Part 2: We love Leslie Jones at FoolishWatcher. Peacock

Being Texan: A Texas Monthly Special: Texas Monthly writers explore Texas identity through a variety of stories that span the state. Premiere. 9 p.m., PBS

World Series Game 1: I don’t care, the Astros aren’t in it, so. 6 p.m., Fox

Descendent: A man who sees a mysterious light in the sky begins having dark visions as his wife’s due date approaches in this spooky-looking thriller. AMC+

SATURDAY

Weapons: This darkly funny little horror film asks, “Where did all the kids go at 2:17 a.m.?” 7 p.m., HBO

Predator marathon: You got your Predators, and your Alien vs. Predators, but you should definitely go check out Prey on Hulu if this is your jam. 2 p.m., FXM

SUNDAY

IT: Welcome to Derry: A new family moves to Derry, Maine, in 1962, just as a young boy goes missing, setting off the events that will eventually unfold in the films. Series premiere. HBO Max