A TV Watcher’s Dream Job
Two Great Stevens in One
Okay, so Steven Spielberg and Stephen King spell their names differently, the pairing is still genius. Spielberg has been working on a film version of King’s book The Talisman since 1981, and it’s finally coming to light as a series, executive produced and adapted by, get this, the Duffer Brothers of Stranger Things fame. It’ll be produced by Netflix in association with Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Paramount Television Studios. It doesn’t get any better for the genre…or for Netflix.
Oh Mandy
Mandy Patinkin is one of the best parts of any show he stars in, so we’re happy to see now that Homeland has breathed its last, he has another series lined up, and it is one of our favorites! We’ll be able to see the Emmy winning actor on The Good Fight for its fifth season, now on Paramount+. He’s contracted to be a series regular for at least a year, and how could they not have him back for season six?
Who Won Critics Choice Awards?
We know you were probably watching Oprah’s interview of Harry and Meghan Sunday night, so you may have missed the 26th Annual Critics Choice Awards show on the CW. All in all, I think we did a pretty good job on the presentation, considering all the restrictions. In the end, Nomadland and The Crown cleaned up. See who else won here.
What Will Be Different About the 26th Annual Critics Choice Awards This Sunday
Yes, the 26th Annual Critics Choice Awards (Sunday 7 pm, CW), will be remote, as all the other awards shows you’ve seen this year have been. But here’s the good part — the live show will be stuffed with clips from great movies and shows you may not have seen but heard a lot about, which will give you all sorts of fresh new entertainment options. It will also have an appearance from Chris Hemsworth. What more could you ask?
It’s Paramount+ Day!
It’s Paramount+ day! The ViacomCBS-owned streaming service “launches” today as a rebrand of CBS All Access, but with muchisimo mas content, and a new pricing structure. You can now try 1 month free, and after that, plans start at $5.99 per month. It includes all our favorite CBS All Access shows like Star Trek Discovery and The Good Fight, but also programing from BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV and the Smithsonian Channel, plus classic Paramount films, news and sports. Sounds like a good deal to us!
I Am Woman, Hear Me…
Roar, a new anthology series from Apple, has assembled an A-list cast including Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Merritt Wever and Alison Brie. Based on a book of short stories by Cecelia Ahern, each episode will feature a different take on what it means to be a woman. The able creators of GLOW, Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch working on the adaptation even as we write.
Pachinko to Play on Apple TV
Did you read the novel Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee? Who didn’t? It was a National Book Award finalist in 2017. Even if you didn’t, be excited, because it’s being made into an eight episode limited series for Apple+. Told in Korean, Japanese and English, it chronicle the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family—and wow, is it ever compelling! No air dates have been announced yet, so there’s still time to read the novel. We know you have a lot on your plate.
Ray Donavan Returns
Feeling like Showtime’s Ray Donovan ended a little prematurely? Don’t worry! The terse fixer is coming back, as it was recently announced that Liev Schreiber will return to his titular role, starring alongside Jon Voight, who played his father, and Kerris Dorsey, who played his daughter. We’re sure other regulars will comeback as well, once their agents sort things out. Filming will begin later in 2021 in New York, and will reportedly pick up where Season Seven abruptly left off.
We’re Not Getting Any ‘Younger’ (After Season 7)
Don’t get us wrong. We LOVE Sutton Foster in Younger. But the entire series is based on her passing as a 20 something, which is becoming less believable for the actress, in her mid-40s, to do as time goes by. So it has just been announced that the upcoming seventh season will be the final one for the favored Darren Star series, and, get this, it will be premiering on the new streamer Paramount+ before it runs on its TV Land home later this year.
Julia Roberts Playing Martha Mitchell on TV? Uh Huh
Sean Penn and Julia Roberts have signed on to star in a new Starz anthology series called Gaslit, the untold story of Martha Mitchell’s role in the Watergate scandal. The story will center on Mitchell, played by Roberts, a big personality with an even bigger mouth. She’s a celebrity Arkansan socialite and wife to Nixon’s loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell, played by Penn. Despite her party affiliation, she’s the first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon’s involvement in Watergate, causing both the Presidency and her personal life to unravel. You can bet I’ll watch!
The Dating Game With a Celebrity Twist — You Won’t Believe Who’s Hosting!
The second you hear those three words, “The Dating Game,” if you’re old enough, you’ll have that Tiajuana Brass theme song running through your head? In any case, it will be interesting to see what ABC does with this classic in their update, in which bachelors and bachelorettes will vie for dates with mystery celebrity guests. And get this — it will be hosted by none other than Zooey Deschanel and Michael Bolton. Groovy!
