USA and SYFY announced premiere dates for the new season of Resident Alien starring Alan Tudyk and the series premiere of Revival. Fans will get to catch up with their favorite visitor from outer space when Resident Alien returns for season four on June 6, 2025 at 11pm ET/PT on USA and SYFY. Revival, based on the Image Comics series, debuts on SYFY on June 12th at 10pm ET/PT.
In addition to Tudyk, season four stars Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, Corey Reynolds, Elizabeth Bowen, Levi Fiehler, Meredith Garretson, and Judah Prehn. Guest stars include Gary Farmer, Gracelyn Awad Rinke, Jenna Lamia, Sarah Podemski, Linda Hamilton, Enver Gjokaj, Terry O’Quinn, Edi Patterson, Jewel Staite, and Stephen Root.
Alan Tudyk is making his television directorial debut with the new season, directing two season four episodes. Chris Sheridan adapted the Dark Horse comic and executive produces along with Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Nastaran Dibai.
“Resident Alien follows a crash-landed alien named Harry and his life on planet Earth. The fourth season starts with Harry and his baby, Bridget, stuck in prison on the Grey Moonbase, while a shape-shifting Alien called a Mantid has taken over his body on Earth passing himself off as the real Harry Vanderspeigle,” reads SYFY’s synopsis. “Harry manages to escape the Greys and arrives back on Earth for a showdown with the Mantid Alien but soon finds he may not have what he needs to finish the job. Asta and D’arcy struggle to keep a secret from Ben and Kate, who are both desperate to find answers to what has been happening to them. Sheriff Mike and Deputy Liv attempt to solve some mysterious deaths in Patience that Sheriff Mike is beginning to think aren’t caused by anything human.”
Season one of Revival stars Wynonna Earp‘s Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman (The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh), David James Elliott (Heels), and Andy McQueen (Outer Banks). Steven Ogg, Phil Brooks (CM Punk), Gia Sandhu, Katherine King So, Maia Jae, Nathan Dales, Mark Little, Glen Gould, Lara Jean Chorostecki, and Conrad Coates appear in recurring guest star roles.
“On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the recently deceased suddenly rise from their graves. But this is no zombie story as the ‘revived’ appear and act just like they once were,” reads SYFY’s synopsis. “When local Officer and single mother Dana Cypress is unexpectedly thrown into the center of a brutal murder mystery of her own, she’s left to make sense of the chaos amidst a town gripped by fear and confusion where everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.”
Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Bryce created the series, based on Tim Seeley and Mike Norton’s Image Comics series. Koontz and Bryce are the co-showrunners and executive produce along with Melanie Scrofano, Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, Samantha Levine, Neil Tabatznik, Daniel March, Greg Hemmings, Stephen Foster, and Amanda Row.
The teaser for Discovery Channel’s Ghost Adventures episode four reveals that comedian Matt Rife might not be cut out for investigating paranormal activity. It also shows the censor’s going to be busy bleeping out Rife’s colorful commentary.
Episode four will air on Discovery Channel on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
“The Ghost Adventures crew – Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley – head to Primm, Nevada, to investigate the recently shuttered Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino, a sprawling historic property marred by murder, mystery, and unexplained activity, and believed to be haunted by the notorious bootlegger for which its named,” reads Discovery Channel’s synopsis. “Joined by special guest investigator, comedian and paranormal aficionado Matt Rife, the team is immediately affected by the dark energy and ominous activity within the building.
The crew’s mission to document the afterlife takes them to iconic haunted locations this season alongside special guest investigators. As they embark on groundbreaking investigations shrouded in paranormal legends, the team uncovers frightening accounts of ghostly activity that invoke chills at every turn. Conducting immersive lockdown investigations using the latest scientific gadgets and technology, they seek to capture physical evidence of the paranormal and a deeper understanding of these supernatural mysteries.”
Robyn Betteridge, Beatrice Cohen, and Holliday Grainger in ‘The Stolen Girl’ episode 3 (Disney/Matt Squire)
We’re halfway through Freeform’s thrilling limited series The Stolen Girl, with episode three airing on April 30, 2025. Episode three begins in the past, nine months to be exact, before Lucia was taken. Rebecca (Holliday Grainger) is in France when a woman recognizes her but calls her Nina. The woman, Delphine, reminds Rebecca they met at a wedding, and she asks about someone named Nicolas. Rebecca/Nina informs her that he passed away four years ago, and Delphine asks if her girls are with her. Rebecca claims they’re away at boarding school.
The action remains in the past, this time seven months before Lucia was taken. Rebecca opens up the house that later becomes her hideout. Jumping to four months before Lucia was taken, Rebecca asks a woman to introduce her to Milan Matkovic. The woman tells her no, but Rebecca insists she can pay well. The woman responds, “You can never pay enough.”
Rebecca refuses to give up and claims her daughter was taken from her. Rebecca shows her a picture of her “daughter” (it’s Lucia), clearly pulling at the woman’s heartstrings.
The timeline shifts to three weeks prior to Lucia’s abduction. Rebecca gets the keys to the vacation home she used when she took Lucia.
Returning to the present, Rebecca finds Lucia (Beatrice Campbell) asleep on the bathroom floor. She not only continues to call Lucia by this other name, Lily Rose, but she also claims to be her mother. Lucia does not answer. The tears streaming down her face are answer enough. Furthermore, Rebecca claims that other family (the Blixes) were looking after her because she was too sick to do it herself. When Rebecca insists the Blixes wouldn’t give her back, Lucia finally speaks up. She wants to call her mom. Rebecca corrects her and says she is Lucia’s mother, and besides that, they don’t have a phone. She brings out a stuffed bunny and tells Lucia she used to carry it around.
Fred (Jim Sturgess) appears at the police station and is fingerprinted, swabbed for his DNA, and led to a cell. When DI Shona Sinclair (Bronagh Waugh) calls Elisa (Denise Gough) to inform her Fred turned himself in for assault, Elisa loses it and begins hitting things.
Selma’s (Ambika Mod) boss, Kaleb (Michael Workeye), informs her the higher-ups are impressed with her hoax article and traffic to the website is up. The Lucia Blix case is now hers, and Kaleb wants her to continue digging. Her first order of business is to search the UK electoral registers for Elisa Blix.
After getting nowhere there, she searches birth records. Kaleb calls her while she is driving, and Selma reveals that Elisa was born in some sort of religious commune. She’s heading to the town listed on the birth certificate to check it out. Kaleb doesn’t seem happy and wants her back first thing in the morning.
Selma introduces herself to a woman, quickly learning that the police have also been there and spoke with Elisa’s mother, Deborah. The grandmother hasn’t seen Lucia much. In fact, she hasn’t seen her in four years and claims she and Elisa don’t see eye to eye. Elisa wasn’t keen on the lifestyle they were living.
Denise Gough in ‘The Stolen Girl’ episode 3 (Disney/Matt Squire)
Elisa arrives at the police station to pick up Fred, and DI Sinclair has important news for them. They identified the man on the CCTV footage that was seen with Lucia in France. He is, in fact, the man Rebecca inquired about for help, Milan Matkovic. Elisa and Fred don’t recognize him or the woman who is his partner. Elisa pushes to have the photo as well so she can share it on her social media.
Sinclair’s attention turns to Fred, and she voices her concerns about his financial difficulties. Elisa blurts out, “I went to the bank. I know about the loan.” Fred confesses he spent the money on their extravagant life.
Meanwhile, Selma tries to get more information from the woman she introduced herself to, but she wants to trade Selma shoes for the information. Selma’s not sure if it’s worth trading the shoes her girlfriend gave her but agrees. The woman tells her that Elisa left when she was 16.
While having breakfast, Josephine (Robyn Betteridge) offers to show Lucia her baby photos. In one photo, a man is holding a baby, and Lucia notices her birthmark on the baby’s shoulder. She wonders who the man is holding the baby. Rebecca says it’s her father and that he died in a car accident.
Rebecca sees Elisa’s social media post and calls Milan Matkovic in a panic. He, on the other hand, does not seem as worried. Milan tells Rebecca not to call again.
Selma’s girlfriend shows her Elisa’s post about Milan. After telling Kaleb about her adventure to the commune, Selma pitches him the idea of writing a story about Elisa and her life, past and present. Kaleb signs off on it.
The story goes live on the site, and Elisa is devastated. Fred wonders if there is anything he should know; Elisa never liked talking about what it was like where she grew up. Elisa reads the comments on the article from people accusing her of killing her daughter.
Marcus (Xavier Samuel), the mystery man in prison, sends off his letter addressed to Elisa. He’s stopped by a fellow inmate who found his newspaper clippings about Lucia.
A neighbor, Anton, introduces himself to Rebecca, and she’s visibly uncomfortable. He drops off wine and sees the girls run by.
Josephine overhears Anton, and when he leaves, she asks Rebecca if she can talk to him next time he visits. Rebecca promises to take them out again to talk to people, but the girls can’t discuss their family. “Lily Rose was taken from us once, and we can’t let that happen again,” explains Rebecca.
Lucia wakes from a nightmare. She used to get nightmares a lot, and she would sleep with her stuffed mouse to help feel safe. Rebecca claims Lucia started having them after her dad died.
Ambika Mod in ‘The Stolen Girl’ episode 3 (Disney/Matt Squire)
While scrolling through the hate comments Elisa is getting on the article, Selma gets a call that Lucia’s blood was found at what is believed to be a safehouse where Lucia was being held. Kalab wants to take the lead since the Blixes complained about the article. Kaleb warns Selma to stay away from Elisa.
DI Sinclair informs the Blixes about the blood they found in an apartment, confirming it is Lucia’s blood.
Rebecca takes the girls to a beach where she spots a man reading a newspaper with Lucia’s face plastered on the front page. Delphine, the woman she ran into at the beginning of the episode, happens to walk by with her daughter. Rebecca becomes jumpy and says she and the girls were just about to leave. Lucia introduces herself as Lily Rose.
Back at home, Lucia looks at her baby photos again. Rebecca notices Lucia’s interest and says she will look for more. Rebecca opens a lockbox in a hidden compartment. Shockingly, The Stolen Girl episode three ends with Rebecca pulling out a laptop. She opens up photos of babies and photoshops a birthmark on one of them.
‘The Traitors’ earns 6 Critics Choice Real TV Awards nominations (Photo by: Euan Cherry/Peacock)
The Traitors follows up its four wins in 2024 with six 2025 Critics Choice Real TV Awards nominations. The popular reality competition series is nominated for Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, Best Show Host (Alan Cumming), Female Star of the Year (Gabby Windey), and two Male Star of the Year nods (Cumming, Dylan Efron).
Dancing with the Stars and Top Chef each picked up four nominations. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 9am PT/12pm ET.
“We are proud to once again recognize the best of the best in unscripted programming,” stated Critics Choice Association TV Branch President Ed Martin. “The Traitors once again leads nominees after sweeping last year’s awards ceremony with an impressive four wins. Dancing with the Stars rose toward the top with breakout star Stephen Nedoroscik and host Julianne Hough both nominated, while Top Chef continues to be a top choice for foodies and fans alike. The incredible range and depth of our nominees for the seventh annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards reflects the impact of the ever-growing genre.”
2025 CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS NOMINEES:
BEST COMPETITION SERIES
Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Media)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
The Summit (CBS)
Survivor (CBS)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Traitors (Peacock)
BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
American Idol (ABC)
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Roller Jam (Magnolia Network, Max)
Second Chance Stage (Magnolia Network, Max)
The Voice (NBC)
BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (Netflix)
Below Deck Down Under (Bravo)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
Naked and Afraid (Discovery Channel)
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo)
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu)
BEST STRUCTURED SERIES
Couples Therapy (Paramount+)
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out (Lifetime)
Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse (Magnolia Network)
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski (National Geographic)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
BEST CULINARY SHOW
Be My Guest with Ina Garten (Food Network)
The Food That Built America (History)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (Food Network)
Is It Cake? Holiday (Netflix)
Top Chef (Bravo)
BEST GAME SHOW
Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
The Floor (Fox)
Guy’s Grocery Games (Food Network)
Jeopardy! (Syndicated)
Press Your Luck (ABC)
Weakest Link (NBC)
BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW
Conan O’Brien Must Go (HBO | Max)
Expedition Unknown (Discovery Channel)
Getting Lost with Erin French (Magnolia Network)
The Great Food Truck Race (Food Network)
Long Way Home (Apple TV+)
No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski (National Geographic)
BEST BUSINESS SHOW
Bar Rescue (Paramount Network)
First-Time Buyer’s Club (OWN)
King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch (Netflix)
Kitchen Nightmares (Fox)
Shark Tank (ABC)
Start Up (PBS)
BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW
The Americas (NBC)
Mammals (BBC America)
Nature (PBS)
OceanXplorers (National Geographic)
Planet Earth: Asia (BBC America)
The Secret Lives of Animals (Apple TV+)
BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter (ID: Investigation Discovery)
The First 48 (A&E)
How I Escaped My Cult (Freeform)
Ozark Law (A&E)
Philly Homicide (Oxygen True Crime)
Scam Goddess (Freeform)
BEST SPORTS SHOW
30 for 30 (ESPN)
Hard Knocks (HBO | Max)
In the Arena: Serena Williams (ESPN+)
Pardon the Interruption (ESPN)
Untold (Netflix)
Welcome to Wrexham (FX / Hulu)
BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW
Farmer Wants a Wife (Fox)
The Golden Bachelorette (ABC)
The Later Daters (Netflix)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
Small Town Setup (Hallmark Media)
BEST LIFESTYLE SHOW: HOME/GARDEN
Bargain Block (HGTV)
Don’t Hate Your House with the Property Brothers (HGTV)
The Great Christmas Light Fight (ABC)
Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy (Magnolia Network)
Renovation Aloha (HGTV)
Rock the Block (HGTV)
BEST LIFESTYLE SHOW: FASHION/BEAUTY
Dress My Tour (Hulu)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+)
Say Yes to the Dress (TLC)
Wear Whatever the F You Want (Prime Video)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown (National Geographic)
Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color (National Geographic)
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer (Netflix)
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
Tucci in Italy (National Geographic)
The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood (MGM+)
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN AN UNSCRIPTED SERIES
Bobby’s Triple Threat (Food Network)
Claim to Fame (ABC)
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (Bravo)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Traitors (Peacock)
BEST SHOW HOST
Jonathan Bennett – Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Media)
Terry Crews – America’s Got Talent (NBC)
Alan Cumming – The Traitors (Peacock)
Colin Jost – Pop Culture Jeopardy! (Prime Video)
Kristen Kish – Top Chef (Bravo)
Jeff Probst – Survivor (CBS)
MALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Jonathan Bennett – Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Media)
Alan Cumming – The Traitors (Peacock)
Dylan Efron – The Traitors (Peacock)
Stephen Nedoroscik – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Antoni Porowski – No Taste Like Home with Antoni Porowski (National Geographic), Queer Eye (Netflix)
Stanley Tucci – Tucci in Italy (National Geographic)
FEMALE STAR OF THE YEAR
Joanna Gaines – Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines, Mini Reni (Magnolia Network)
Ina Garten – Be My Guest with Ina Garten (Food Network)
Julianne Hough – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Dr. Sandra Lee – Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out (Lifetime)
Lisa Vanderpump – Vanderpump Villa (Hulu)
Gabby Windey – The Traitors (Peacock)
The promo video for Fox’s The Cleaning Lady season four episode is intense, with Ramona tied up and begging Thony to let her go. Episode seven, “Keep the Family Close,” will air on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT.
“Keep the Family Close” Plot: Settling into their new arrangement, Thony tries calling the shots with Ramona. Meanwhile, Fiona has a heart-to-heart with Chris and Jaz as the family’s dynamic makes big changes. With Jorge’s project hanging in the balance, he takes his influence to the next level.
Elodie Yung leads the cast as Thony, Santiago Cabrera plays Jorge, Kate del Castillo is Ramona Sanchez, Martha Millan plays Fiona, Faith Bryant is Jaz, and Sean Lew plays Chris. Recurring season four guest stars include Danny Pardo as El Don, Daniel Bonjour as Dr. Sean Dupont, Alain Uy as Feng, and Brian Norris as Cowboy Hat.
The Cleaning Lady returns for an action-packed season four, with the series’ beloved characters in ever-changing and increasingly dangerous situations. After three seasons of being a pawn caught between the FBI and the world of organized crime, THONY (Yung) makes the bold decision to take charge of her own destiny — by exchanging her cleaning lady uniform for the scrubs of a surgical intern at a small community hospital.
Thony’s return to the medical career she sacrificed for her son, LUCA (Sanchez), opens a new path to citizenship for them both. But to make this happen, she must continue her service to the Sin Cara cartel — not as a cleaning lady, but as the new mob doctor — bringing her ever closer to JORGE (Cabrera), the cartel’s brooding new leader. Under the watchful eye of the hospital’s brusque yet handsome chief resident, DR. SEAN DUPONT (Bonjour), Thony straddles the line between two worlds until they inevitably come crashing into each other.
Newly enthroned as the head of Sin Cara, Jorge has ambitious plans to take the cartel in a surprising, yet lucrative, direction. He’s invested Sin Cara’s assets into a rare earth mine worth billions. It’s easy, legitimate money that will result in generational wealth for them all. But the old dogs of the cartel are unwilling to learn new tricks from their upstart leader, which results in a fracture within the organization. Flanked by his lieutenants, the veteran EL DON (Pardo) and quirky newcomer FENG (Uy), Jorge must fend off a mutiny within Sin Cara, which threatens the lives of everyone he loves.
Even from within the walls of a maximum-security prison, former head of Sin Cara, RAMONA (Del Castillo) remains a threat. She continues to exert influence through her unpredictable proxy on the outside, the loner only known as COWBOY HAT (Norris). But she’s vulnerable on the inside. When a tough prison gang puts Ramona in their crosshairs, she must dig deep into her devious bag of tricks to find a way to survive.
Meanwhile, FIONA (Millan) struggles to keep her cleaning business afloat, leading her into the world of identity theft. CHRIS (Lew) learns the painful truth about first love and channels his raw emotions into an unexplored passion — dance. And JAZ (Bryant) deals with the difficulties of being the perfect child in a decidedly imperfect family.
The Cleaning Lady continues its exploration of the experience of undocumented immigrants and the hurdles they face in this country. The series tells their stories of resourcefulness in the face of institutional adversity and the sacrifices they must make to achieve their American dream.
If you thought ABC’s 9-1-1 season eight episode 15 was a heartbreaker, just wait until episode 16. “The Last Alarm” will find the squad mourning the loss of Captain Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) and saying their last goodbyes. Episode 16 will air on Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT.
“The Last Alarm” Plot: Following the tragic events at the lab, the 118 must come together to lay their fallen hero to rest. Meanwhile, despite her own grief, Athena reinvestigates the death of a child to help a grieving mother.
The season eight cast is led by Peter Krause as Bobby Nash and Angela Bassett as Athena Grant-Nash. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays Maddie Han, Oliver Stark is Evan “Buck” Buckley, Kenneth Choi is Howie “Chimney” Han, Aisha Hinds stars as Henrietta “Hen” Wilson, Ryan Guzman is Eddie Diaz, and Gavin McHugh is Christopher Diaz.
Angela Bassett and Kenneth Choi in ‘9-1-1’ season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard)
9-1-1 Synopsis, Courtesy of ABC:
The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers—who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping conditions. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.
The show draws from the real lives of first responders who regularly face situations that are often unpredictable, intense, and uplifting at the same time.
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Oliver Stark in season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard)Kenneth Choi, Angela Bassett, Aisha Hinds and Oliver Stark in season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard)Anirudh Pisharody and Kenneth Choi in season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard)Corinne Massiah, Elijah M. Cooper, and Angela Bassett in season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard) Aisha Hinds, Brian Thompson, Kenneth Choi, Oliver Stark, Ryan Guzman, Corinne Massiah, Angela Bassett, Elijah M. Cooper, Beverly Todd, and Henry G Sanders in season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard)Lou Ferrigno Jr, Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Anirudh Pisharody, Ryan Guzman and Oliver Stark in season 8 episode 16 (Disney/Christopher Willard)
ABC announces 2025 summer premiere dates (Photos: Craig Sjodin, Caitlin Cronenberg, Mark Seliger, Casey Durkin, Matt Sayles, ABC, Disney)
ABC’s set its summer 2025 primetime lineup, announcing season/series premiere dates for three game shows and one reality dating competition. ABC will kick off its summer season with the July 7th premiere of Bachelor in Paradise season 10.
The network’s summer lineup also includes the series premiere of Match Game hosted by Martin Short and season 11 of Celebrity Family Feud hosted by Steve Harvey. Jimmy Kimmel is on board to return as host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
ABC’s 2025 Summer Premieres
MONDAY, JULY 7
8:00-10:01 p.m. – Bachelor in Paradise (season premiere)
THURSDAY, JULY 10
8:00-9:00 p.m. – Celebrity Family Feud (season premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. – Press Your Luck (new episodes)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16
8:00-11:00 p.m. – The 2025 ESPYS Presented by Capital One
WEDNESDAY, JULY 23
8:00-9:00 p.m.- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (season premiere)
9:00-10:00 p.m. – Match Game (series premiere)
BACHELOR IN PARADISE – Breakout fan favorites from The Bachelor franchise are heading to a new paradise in Costa Rica for a second (or third) shot at love, hoping to turn a summer fling into something real. With Jesse Palmer returning as host, Wells Adams mixing drinks as bartender, and Hannah Brown heading up Paradise Relations while bringing the bubbly from the all-new Champagne Lounge, this season is raising the bar on romance, with every detail perfectly shaken, stirred and sparkling. Plus, in a series first, fan favorites from the Golden seasons are joining the fun, proving once again that age is just a number as they bring their experience, and a little extra spice, to show the younger crowd how it’s done.
CELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD – Hosted by stand-up comedian, actor, author and Emmy Award winner Steve Harvey, the iconic game show features celebrities, along with their family members or their extended TV families, going head-to-head in a contest to name the most popular responses to survey-type questions posed to 100 people for a chance to win $25,000 for a charity of their choice.
THE ESPYS – Every year, The ESPYS hosts top celebrities from sports and entertainment who come together to commemorate the past year by recognizing major athletic achievements, reliving unforgettable moments, and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPYS also helps raise awareness and funds for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, the charity founded by ESPN and late basketball coach Jim Valvano at the first ESPYS in 1993.
MATCH GAME
Hosted by Martin Short, Match Game features four contestants each week vying for the chance to win $25,000 as they attempt to match the answers of six celebrities in a game of fill-in-the-blank.
PRESS YOUR LUCK
Hosted by Elizabeth Banks, Press Your Luck is a game of wits, strategy, and high stakes as contestants compete for a chance at life-changing cash and prizes. During each game of Press Your Luck, three contestants battle each other, answering questions to earn spins on the Big Board. Contestants then use their spins to win cash and prizes while trying to avoid the WHAMMY, which could take all their winnings and leave them with nothing. The winning contestant then moves on to the bonus round to face the WHAMMY in a final battle for the chance to win $1 million.
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE
Hosted by late-night’s Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire features pairs of celebrity contestants playing together in the hopes of winning $1 million for the charity of their choice.
A few years back, comedy director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy) ventured into the thriller genre with the surprisingly good A Simple Favor. Well, he’s teamed up with A Simple Favor costars Blake Lively (It Ends with Us) and Anna Kendrick (Woman of the Hour) once again for the sequel, which is appropriately called Another Simple Favor.
Another Simple Favor picks up with our heroines five years after the events of A Simple Favor, with Emily (Lively) in jail for murder and Stephanie (Kendrick) hocking the book she wrote about the whole experience. At one of Stephanie’s promotional book signings, Emily shows up unannounced, out of jail on appeal. She invites Stephanie to be the Maid of Honor at her wedding that is taking place on the Italian island of Capri (what?). After a combination of emotional blackmail and threats of lawsuits, Stephanie reluctantly agrees. And the intrigue of her and Emily’s relationship continues.
A Simple Favor was one of those movies that switched tone on a dime, going from a raunchy buddy comedy to a dark mystery at about the halfway point. Feig probably realized that he couldn’t pull off a surprise like that again, so he and writers Jessica Sharzer (who also wrote A Simple Favor) and Laeta Kalogridis (Shutter Island) lean more into black comedy than tense thriller with Another Simple Favor. This decision actually works in the movie’s favor, as the storyline is packed with absurdity and ridiculousness, so there is really no way that an audience can take it completely seriously.
Once on the island, Another Simple Favor lets all its flags fly. There’s Emily’s fiancé’s mysterious, possibly mob-related family. There’s Emily’s oddball mother and aunt (Weeds’ Elizabeth Perkins and Mom’s Allison Janney, respectively) who show up out of the blue. And who’s that strange woman who seems to be following Stephanie, both in America and in Italy? And none of this even touches upon how suspicious Stephanie still is of Emily and her motives for inviting her in the first place. The multiple colorful characters and deftly crafted plotting make Another Simple Favor seem almost like a Knives Out spinoff.
This is where the movie doesn’t quite work as well as its predecessor. With A Simple Favor, the blend of dark comedy and psychological thriller was seamless. With Another Simple Favor, the humor and the mystery don’t quite mesh as well. The humor is there—the movie is funny, even hysterical at times. And the mystery does keep the audience guessing, to the point where they’ve probably talked themselves out of believing something that is definitely happening (thanks to the incredibly unreliable narrators sprinkled throughout). It’s the combination that causes an odd tonality. The two movies-in-one thing isn’t quite as effective as it could (and should) be.
Still, it’s a fun romp, filled with over-the-top performances that chew every inch of the stunning scenery. The exotic locations seem to amplify the quirkiness of the characters. But, as a sequel, audiences are on to what Feig is doing here. It’s hard to provide the unexpected when people know what to expect. Another Simple Favor has fun and interesting twists, just like A Simple Favor, but now, audiences are looking for that.
Unfortunately for Another Simple Favor, there’s a stigma attached to Blake Lively, and it will most likely hurt the movie’s performance, both critically and commercially. And it’s a necessary evil, because quite honestly, Lively is the only actress who could play Emily Nelson. So, the sword is double-edged: either the movie gets review-bombed based on her reputation, or the movie suffers from inadequate recasting. Judged by its own merits, Another Simple Favor made the right choice with Lively. And Emily isn’t exactly a likable character anyway, so there’s that little silver lining.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Another Simple Favor relies heavily on the history of its characters and their relationship, so a refresher viewing of A Simple Favor beforehand is a good idea just to keep up with the sly winks and nods that are peppered throughout. It’s much more fun to watch Stephanie and Emily verbally spar when you get all their inside jokes.
While not quite as effective as A Simple Favor, Another Simple Favor is worth watching, especially for fans of the first movie. The characters are just as interesting as they were then, and they find themselves in situations that are just as intriguing. But it’s not surprising here. It feels like it’s all par for the course. It feels like we’ve seen it before.
GRADE: B-
Rating: R for sexual content, nudity, language throughout, suicide, and violence
Release Date: May 1, 2025 on Prime Video
Running Time: 2 hours
The History Channel describes the setting for the new season of Alone as one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Season 12 drops survivalists in the incredibly hot and dry Great Karoo Desert in South Africa, marking the series’ first time in the location.
Season 11 premiered in June 2024, and season 12 is set to premiere on June 12, 2025. New episodes will air on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT. The History Channel will air “Before the Drop,” a one-hour special introducing this season’s 10 survivalists, on June 12th at 8pm ET/PT.
Alone: Australia also returns with a new season on June 12th at 10:30pm ET/PT. The series will settle into its regular 10pm ET/PT timeslot on June 26th.
A scene from ‘Alone’ season 12 (Photo Credit: The History Channel)
Season 12’s synopsis: “In Alone, survivalists are dropped off in undisclosed, remote locations and equipped with just ten survival tools, and enough camera gear to self-document their harrowing experiences. The survivalist who endures the longest, facing total isolation, punishing weather, and deadly predators, will win the $500,000 cash prize. No camera crews. No gimmicks. Alone is the ultimate test of grit and human perseverance.
Season 12 marks one of the most visually stunning and intense seasons of Alone yet, where searing heat, foul water, and unpredictable storms are just the beginning of participants’ challenges. From frequent animal encounters and significant game harvests to unexpected medical extractions, impressive shelter builds, and creative foraging techniques, the survivalists’ mental willpower and wilderness skills are put to the test as they attempt to master new territory in hopes of being the last person standing.”
Teaser poster for ‘Shogun’ season 2 (Photo Credit: FX)
FX finally shared an official update on the much-anticipated second season of Shōgun, confirming the new season is targeting a January 2026 start of production in Vancouver. The award-winning first season premiered in February 2026, and the announcement seems to indicate fans may not get new episodes until late 2026 or early 2027.
The start of production announcement also confirmed the return of two season one stars. Emmy winner Hiroyuki Sanada will reprise his role as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, and Cosmo Jarvis will return as John Blackthorne. In addition, Sanada will serve as an executive producer and Jarvis is a co-executive producer.
FX’s announcement didn’t confirm any additional season two cast.
The critically acclaimed drama is based on James Clavell’s bestseller. Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks created the series and, per FX, “recently wrapped a writers’ room devoted to creating a wholly original new chapter to the first season.”
“In the first season, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada) fought for his survival as his enemies in the Council of Regents united against him. When a mysterious European ship was found marooned in a nearby village, its English pilot John Blackthorne (Jarvis) shared vital strategic secrets with Toranaga that tipped the scales of power in his favor to win a century-defining civil war,” reads FX’s synopsis. “Part two of Shōgun is set ten years after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.”
Season two is executive produced by Sanada, Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks, Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, and Michael De Luca. The first season established a new record for the most Emmy Awards won by a series in a single season with 18. It also won DGA, SAG, WGA, a Film Independent Spirit Award, and multiple Critics Choice Awards. The drama’s the most-viewed program in FX’s history.
