Fandango’s lists of the most popular movie-inspired Halloween costumes are topped by Pennywise the Clown from It, Wonder Woman, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 characters. Fandango surveyed more than one thousand movie fans and asked which 2017 film inspired their Halloween costume. Their lists, divided into male, female, and group costumes, show this year’s favorites spring from sci-fi, comic book-inspired films, and Star Wars.
Costumes from horror films It, Get Out, and The Mummy also made the cut, as did Emma Watson’s costume from the romantic musical, Beauty and the Beast.
“Wonder Woman has had an immense cultural impact on the world since Patty Jenkins’ film debuted over the summer, and it’s a real affirmation to see that character prevail as the top choice for female Halloween costumes inspired by 2017 movies,” stated Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis. “For the majority of fans, she is the most anticipated part of Justice League and is no doubt helping fuel our advance ticket sales. It’s also exciting to see Pennywise topping the male costumes list, and somewhat surprisingly, Ansel Elgort’s Baby Driver rounding out the top five.”
Top Movie-Inspired Halloween Costumes:
Top 10 Male Halloween Movie Costumes
1. Pennywise the Clown (It)
2. Stormtrooper (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
3. Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
4. Batman (Justice League)
5. Baby (Baby Driver)
6. Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
7. Wolverine (Logan)
8. Iron Man (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
9. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales)
10. Kylo Ren (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
Top 10 Female Halloween Movie Costumes
1. Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman, Justice League)
2. Belle (Beauty & The Beast)
3. Leia (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
4. Annabelle (Annabelle: Creation)
5. Rey (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
6. Lorraine (Atomic Blonde)
7. Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)
8. Ahmanet (The Mummy)
9. Gamora (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
10. Valkyrie (Thor: Ragnarok)
Top 10 Group Halloween Movie Costumes
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
3. Justice League
4. It
5. Thor: Ragnarok
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. Wonder Woman
8. Baby Driver
9. Get Out
10. Power Rangers
Destination America announced filming has begun on season three of Paranormal Lockdown. The series stars paranormal investigator Nick Groff and paranormal researcher Katrina Weidman. Season three, executive-produced by Groff, Justin Narragon, and Cathy Garland, is set to premiere in 2018.
Fans can look forward to seeing the team visit the historic Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, Kentucky during the upcoming season. The Paranormal Lockdown visit marks the first-ever televised exploration of the building by paranormal investigators. The team will also be returning to the Monroe House in Hartford, Indiana, a site they visited in season two. During the show’s second season, Groff and Weidman discovered a skeleton in the house’s crawl space. In season three, Groff and Weidman will consult a biological anthropologist for more information on the remains.
For those unfamiliar with the series, Paranormal Lockdown follows Groff and Weidman while they’re locked down for 72 hours inside haunted locations.
Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman star in ‘Paranormal Lockdown.’
About Nick Groff, Courtesy of Destination America:
“Nick Groff has been fascinated with the paranormal ever since surviving a near-death experience as a child. For the past 15 years, he has dedicated his life to the field in an effort to discover the next major breakthrough in paranormal research. Groff made his big break when he co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed, co-edited, and co-starred in Ghost Adventures: The Original Documentary, a New York International Film & Video Festival award winner and Eerie Horror Film Festival award nominee that aired on the SyFy Channel in 2007. Groff served as the executive producer, co-host, and co-investigator for seasons 1-10 of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures series starting in 2008. After founding Groff Entertainment, Groff executive produces and co-hosts the hit series Paranormal Lockdown, as seen on TLC and soon returning for a third season on Destination America. Also for Destination America, he currently co-hosts the network’s #1 series Ghosts of Shepherdstown and previously executive produced Ghost Stalkers (2014).
Groff is the co-owner of the Creepy People Management event company and the annual Cryptid Con event in Kentucky. He is the author of Chasing Spirits: The Building of the Ghost Adventures Crew and executive produced the Travel Channel show Vegas Stripped.”
About Katrina Weidman, Courtesy of Destination America:
“Katrina Weidman is a paranormal researcher and investigator, host, producer, and lecturer. She currently co-hosts the hit show Paranormal Lockdown alongside Nick Groff, as seen on TLC and soon returning for a third season on Destination America. Weidman has been working professionally as a paranormal researcher and investigator since 2006, but her passion for the supernatural began when she was a child living in historic Bucks County, Pa., where many locations are said to be haunted. She rose to national recognition in her role on A&E’s hit series Paranormal State, in which she worked on hundreds of cases of unexplained supernatural phenomena and interviewed thousands of witnesses with the world-renowned Paranormal Research Society (PRS) from 2006-2011. Weidman also hosted Chiller’s Real Fear: The Truth Behind the Movies (2012) and The Truth Behind More Movies (2013), following Weidman and her team as they traveled the country chronicling the real-life stories that inspired some of the world’s most iconic horror films.”
HBO has released a new trailer for the documentary film War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend directed by Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes, Earth Made of Glass). The heart-wrenching story of U.S. Special Operations soldiers and their incredible canine partners was produced by Scranton and Brett Rodriguez, with Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan, and Sheila Nevins executive producing.
The documentary will premiere on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, 2017 on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, and HBO GO. It will debut on HBO on Monday, November 13th at 8pm ET/PT.
War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend Details: Fewer than 1% of all military K9s are selected for Special Operations. Dedicated, fearless and highly trained, these canines and Special Operations forces are cut from the same cloth, forging unbreakable bonds and developing lethal fighting capabilities under the most grueling selection courses. In this world, where two-legged and four-legged warriors are considered equal members of a team built on loyalty, sacrifice and love, communication travels up and down the leash in a nameless language.
Paying tribute to their service, War Dog recognizes the invaluable impact of these K9s on their human counterparts. With unprecedented access, the film brings these extraordinary stories to life, featuring exclusive military footage, personal photos, on-the-ground combat and drone video surveillance footage, footage of war dogs training and in action, and revealing interviews with the handlers, who open up about the physical and emotional struggles they’ve faced.
Underscoring the unwavering loyalty and bravery that make these four-legged brother- and sisters-in-arms heroes in their own right, War Dog profiles three relationships between soldiers and dogs:
• U.S. Army Ranger Trent McDonald and Layka – On his 27th birthday, Trent lost Benno, his first canine partner, during a mission in Afghanistan. While mourning his loss, Trent instantly connected with young Layka. On her first deployment, Layka was shot by an enemy and the bullet tore through the ball of her joint, causing her to lose her leg from the shoulder, but Trent remained by her side as she was nursed back to health. The three-legged dog has since been honored for her service, and was featured on the cover of National Geographic. After serving in the war, Trent and Layka developed an even greater bond. “At the end of the day, when everything fell apart, the only person who had me was her,” he explains.
• U.S. Army Ranger John Dixon and Mika – In 2006, John was one of four soldiers picked to start a Ranger dog program. There, he quickly developed a bond with Mika. But on John’s eighth deployment, and second deployment with Mika to Afghanistan, they walked into an ambush. John was hit and while being evacuated, the two were separated. Though reunited in the hospital room, John was sent home, and Mika’s PTSD prompted the decision to retire her from military service to a police department in Mississippi. “I just want that relationship back with her and I want to be able to help care for her…that would mean a lot for me, because I feel that I owe her that,” John explained. He hoped for a reunion like the one he witnessed between fellow former Ranger and dog handler Donovan Hunter, who was able to adopt Nuke, his own retired dog, and credits the canine with helping him make the transition back to civilian life. Despite multiple attempts, however, John was unsuccessful in reuniting with Mika, who died this month.
• U.S. Special Operations Command Dave Nielsen and Pepper – “You’re a warrior I hold in the highest regard,” Dave reads from a letter he wrote to Pepper, his deceased canine partner. A decade ago, in the wake of Pepper’s death, Dave put mementos of her in a box. Now, as he goes through the items – a map of where she died, her picture, a napkin he used to bring pieces of steak from the chow hall to feed her – Dave remembers Pepper as “a lap dog who became a beast of fury on target.” The two developed a “bond that couldn’t be broken,” and she provided support for all the soldiers around her during hard times. During a deployment in Iraq, Pepper gave her life to push an enemy soldier out of hiding; the man was killed, but Pepper was never found. While he still mourns her death, Dave is grateful that his “daughter has a daddy because of Pepper…I know that one day we’re going to meet up.”
The CW’s Riverdale season two episode three focused on Archie’s obsessive hunt for the hooded killer. Although there was time for Archie to sort of relax at a sit down dinner with Veronica’s mom and dad, he basically spent all of his free time organizing a vigilante group to patrol the streets of Riverdale and investigate any suspicious activity. The season – and the hunt for the killer – continues with episode four titled “Chapter Seventeen: The Town That Dreaded Sundown.” Directed by Allison Anders from a script by Amanda Lasher, episode four will air on November 1, 2017 at 8pm ET/PT.
The season two cast includes KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge, Mӓdchen Amick as Alice Cooper, Luke Perry as Fred Andrews, Casey Cott as Kevin Keller, Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, and Mark Consuelos as Hiram Lodge.
The “Chapter Seventeen: The Town That Dreaded Sundown” Plot: TERROR IN RIVERDALE – When Archie’s (Apa) attempt to take matters into his own hands spirals out of control, Mayor McCoy (guest star Robin Givens) calls an emergency town hall meeting to deal with the growing chaos in Riverdale. Meanwhile, when Betty (Reinhart) finds herself at the center of a deepening mystery, her decision to keep some parts of it from Jughead (Sprouse) causes further friction between the two. Elsewhere, Veronica (Mendes) grows concerned for Archie when she realizes the lengths he would go to seek revenge against the person terrorizing Riverdale. Finally, tensions between the North and Southside finally come to a head and leads to an unexpected showdown.
Lin-Manuel Miranda at the premiere of Disney’s ‘Moana’ (Photo by Antonio Torres)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) is teaming up with Showtime on an adaptation of Patrick Rothfuss’ bestselling fantasy trilogy, The Kingkiller Chronicle. Tony, Grammy, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda will executive produce the series, with executive producer John Rogers (Leverage, The Librarians, The Player) confirmed as the showrunner. Miranda has also committed to composing the music for The Kingkiller Chronicle.
“Showtime has always championed bold storytelling,” stated Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Pat Rothruss’ Kingkiller series is some of the most exciting storytelling I have ever read. I could not be more thrilled to help bring the sights and sounds of his wondrous world of Temerant to the screen.”
“The Kingkiller Chronicle moves Showtime into a new genre in a powerful and unique way, led by the talented Lin-Manuel Miranda and John Rogers,” said Gary Levine, President of Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “We can’t wait for this talented team to harness the magic of Kingkiller to transport us all into an awesome new world.”
“The Kingkiller Chronicle is one of the most coveted properties in the world, and we’re thrilled to partner with a brilliant creator in Pat Rothfuss, a creative genius in Lin-Manuel Miranda and a renowned showrunner in John Rogers,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs. “With Showtime as our network partner, we continue to assemble a world-class team for our Kingkiller franchise.”
The Plot: Set in the world of the wildly popular fantasy series by Rothfuss, The Kingkiller Chronicle will follow a pair of wandering performers on their adventures through the unique and startling world of Temerant, immersing audiences in a universe of unexpected heroes, mystical places, and terrifying dark forces. It is a world that has delighted readers and critics alike, selling more than 10 million copies in 35 languages across the globe. The television adaption is a subversive origin story of legendary proportions set a generation before the events of the trilogy’s first novel, The Name of the Wind.
Fox’s Gotham season four episode six introduces a bizarre killer who has an affinity for pigs and brings Lee Thompkins back into the fold. The episode begins with Lee (Morena Baccarin) employed as the doctor in an underground fight club that Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) and Solomon Grundy (Drew Powell) happen to wander into. Nygma wonders if Lee’s still mad at him, and she sarcastically tells him she’s over the fact he killed Kristen Kringle and framed Jim so he’d be in jail when she miscarried their child. Solomon stops her from punching Ed in the face, and she calls him by his real name, Butch.
Ed doesn’t know what happened to Butch, but he’s happy the guy’s his friend/protector. More importantly, Ed’s there rooting for Solomon to fight and make money so that Ed can fix his brain and be smart again. He wants Lee to help him out and says if she helps him, he’ll help her. Lee turns him down.
Sofia Falcone (Crystal Reed) and Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) have dinner again for the third night in a row, and she wants to know where their relationship stands. The city now knows that he has the support of the Falcone family, and Penguin can’t believe he has someone he can trust. She suggests lunch the following day, and Penguin is all smiles.
Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) has been eavesdropping and wants to know her real plans for Oswald. He threatens to send her home if she doesn’t tell him, and she promises she’ll have Oswald in the palm of her hand in a few days.
Seven minutes in and we finally get our first killing of the episode. A man in a pig’s head butchers a cop.
The next morning Jim and Harvey (Donal Logue) show up at the crime scene and learn the victim had a pig’s face covering his own. The dead cop is Dave Metzger, a dirty officer known as the Candyman – Penguin’s bag man who delivered payoffs to cops in the precinct.
Jim pays a visit to Penguin to see what he knows about Metzger’s murder. Penguin doesn’t recognize the name, and Jim says the killer might be trying to send Penguin a message. Penguin has no idea who would do that but he asks Mr. Penn if he knows anything that could help Jim find the killer. Mr. Penn reveals Wally Clarke applied for a burglary permit for a butcher shop called the Pork Barrel.
Our introduction to Professor Pyg (Michael Cerveris) is a disturbing scene in which he touches up a pig’s face, applying makeup to make it look more feminine.
Jim and Harvey haul Wally into the station and accuse him of sticking a pig’s head on Dave Metzger. Apparently, the rest of the pig body was in a dumpster behind Wally’s apartment. Wally swears it wasn’t him and says it must have been the professor. Wally doesn’t know the man’s real name, but he received payment from him for four pigs’ heads.
Jim and Harvey think Penguin must have three more bagmen working for him who are going to be killed.
Oswald waits for his lunch date, but Sofia is a no-show. Victor Zsasz (Anthony Carrigan) breaks the news that something came up, not sounding in the least bit sympathetic. Oswald wants Victor to follow Sofia and see who she’s with.
Back at the fight club, Hammer takes on Solomon Grundy. The crowd cheers and Grundy takes multiple blows from Hammer’s hammer to his head and body. He doesn’t fight back until Ed, frustrated, tells him to. Solomon grabs Hammer’s hammer and punches the man, knocking him down. He then uses the hammer to finish him off as the crowd roars. The owner of the club, Cherry (Maria Benedict), tells Lee to take good care of her new cash cow, Solomon Grundy.
Jim and Harvey talk to other cops, trying to figure out who else is a bagman for Penguin. No one wants to talk to Jim and Harvey, but finally they lock one man in a car’s trunk and threaten to leave him there in the hot sun. He finally gives in and gives up Chris Whitlock, adding that they can find Chris in court.
Harvey learns the name of another bagman – make that bagwoman – and it’s Ginny Butler. Before heading out to find her, they stop at the court to find Chris Whitlock. Unfortunately for the bagpeople, Jim and Harvey are too late. Both are dead with pigs’ heads covering their real faces.
Jim thinks the killer is going after dirty cops, specifically the ones who work for Penguin – and he may not stop with just the bagmen. They still don’t know the identity of the fourth bagman.
Jim asks a talented musician playing in front of the courthouse if he saw anything unusual. He says he saw an old van with a plumbing company logo on the side. He didn’t see the driver’s face.
Lee takes care of Solomon Grundy’s wounds, astonished that his hand grew back. Plus, he’s not bleeding real blood; he’s bleeding swamp water. He also doesn’t have a heartbeat. She tells him Ed’s not really his friend and that he’ll discard him when he doesn’t need him anymore. Solomon’s sure they’re best buddies and says so as Ed walks up with a wad of cash Solomon won in the ring.
Ed reminds Lee they’d leave if she fixed his brain and she wouldn’t have to deal with him anymore. Lee once again refuses.
Lee leaves the club and heads to what looks like a clinic for low-income families. Ed follows her there and secretly watches as she examines a child.
Victor follows Sofia, snapping photos of her on the sly.
Harvey tells Jim things are heating up fast, and Jim shows him a list of names of cops who haven’t called in. Jim wants to take the list to Penguin and have him point out a name, but Harvey has it figured out. He’s heard one cop on the list is dirty, and officers are already on the way to his apartment. Harvey closes the door and lays out his theory that the killer is one of their own since he knew where each cop would be. They’re interrupted with the news there’s a lead on the plumbing van the musician identified as being near the crime scene.
Professor Pyg already has his next victim bound, gagged, and held in the back of a van.
Solomon Grundy is back in the ring and once again he doesn’t fight back right away. However, once he does the fight ends quickly with Solomon smashing his opponent in the head. Solomon’s the new champion of the club, and the crowd goes wild cheering for him.
Victor reports back to Penguin that Sofia had lunch with the mayor. His report is so thorough that he even lists off what each ate. Following the lunch, Sofia went to the Gotham Heritage Hotel. Mr. Penn says the old hotel was purchased recently by a secret buyer, and it was probably Sofia Falcone. Victor continues his report, saying Sofia then met with the zoning commissioner. That meeting probably had to do with the wall and gate she built around the place. Penguin deduces Sofia is planning a war. He tells Victor they’ll be having a chat with Sofia…a chat that involves a shovel and a trunk.
Ed bothers Lee at the club, and she tells him once again to bug off. Ed’s convinced it must be her who operates on his brain because she knows what he’s capable of. She refuses again, and Ed reveals he knows about the clinic she’s running. Lee doesn’t seem to care that he has this information, and Ed’s defective brain can’t articulate why he believes that information gives him power. He finally says, “If you don’t help me, I am going to do something to that clinic!” Lee just laughs and says, “Oh my god, you really aren’t smart.” (Cory Michael Smith is nailing the confused, intellectually impaired Ed Nygma!)
Harvey and Jim find the fourth cop, and he’s wearing a pig’s head but not yet dead. As Jim slowly removes the head, he sees there’s a wire attached and a hole in the cop’s stomach. Harvey and Jim barely escape as the plug is pulled from the grenade that’s been inserted in the cop’s body. He explodes and Jim and Harvey are sent flying from the blast.
Jim comes to taped to a chair. He yells for Harvey but it’s Professor Pyg who answers, introducing himself as a big fan of the detective. Jim wants to know where Harvey is, and Professor Pyg calls Harvey a dirty pig. He does, however, reveal Harvey’s still alive. Professor Pyg tells Jim he’s safe, and Jim asks him if he’s a cop. Professor Pyg believes they have something in common in that they see the corruption inside the GCPD. The city can’t survive unless the cancer is cut out. Jim doesn’t think killing Penguin’s bagmen will change anything, and Professor Pyg says he’s going to kill everyone on Penguin’s payroll. Jim admits that could be half the department. Professor Pyg says he suffered a great loss at the hands of the greedy pigs in power, and Jim offers to help make it right.
They’re interrupted by Harvey screaming from another room. Professor Pyg runs to the other room and Jim has no option other than to throw himself off a ledge in order to free himself from the chair. Jim escapes his bonds as Professor Pyg has a knife to Harvey’s throat. Professor Pyg slices Harvey and leaves him hanging in a noose as he runs away. Jim frees his partner and tends to his neck wound, promising Harvey he’ll be all right.
Lee’s back at the clinic and frustrated she doesn’t have enough drugs to help her patients.
Oswald pays an unexpected visit to Sofia at her home, and she apologizes for missing their lunch. She says she’s on her way out and doesn’t have time to talk to him, and Oswald screams at her that he knows she’s making the old Heritage Hotel into a fortress and then she’ll attack him. Sofia looks confused and says that’s not true.
Oswald’s angry she pretended to be his friend and Sofia says he’s making a huge mistake. Oswald demands to see what she’s building.
Ed’s drinking at the fight club when Lee asks him to hand over the money Solomon made. She can’t promise Ed she’ll fix him, and he wonders what changed her mind. Lee admits she doesn’t want to be doing this kind of work in the club or even in Gotham, but she couldn’t stay away. The Tetch virus hit The Narrows harder than anywhere else and she thinks that’s her fault. She has to help those people. As she walks away, she tells Ed to come by the clinic tomorrow.
Sofia brings Oswald and Victor to the hotel and shows him it’s been turned into an orphanage. She wanted to surprise Oswald with it after it was finished, and for once he’s nearly speechless. She tells him she understands he’s forced to see everyone as a potential threat, and he asks for her forgiveness. She grants it and tells him he owes her lunch.
Harvey’s in bad shape but he’ll be okay, according to the doctors. Harvey knows Professor Pyg could have killed him but instead he only cut him deep enough to leave Jim with a choice: chase the killer or help his friend. Harvey says he owes Jim and Jim asks him to pay him back now by telling him how long he’s been taking money from Penguin. Jim doesn’t know why he didn’t figure this out before, and Harvey says it’s only been since Penguin started doing these licenses. He had to comply, and then Metzger had envelopes stuffed with cash. Harvey says he has a lot of bills and debts, and Jim tells him that taking the payoffs must stop now.
The news reports Professor Pyg is still at large and people should report suspicious activity to the GCPD.
The episode’s final scene is Professor Pyg walking through a pigsty, reciting “Two Mother Pigs.” He tells them to sleep well because tomorrow the axe shall fall.
Evan Peters at Relativity Media’s ‘The Lazarus Effect’ screening (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Relativity Media)
FX announced Evan Peters (American Horror Story, the X-Men franchise), Kate Mara (House of Cards), James Van Der Beek (Varsity Blues, Dawson’s Creek, What Would Diplo Do?), and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, Stronger) have joined the cast of Ryan Murphy’s Pose. FX, Murphy, and Pose made television history by casting the highest number of transgender actors in series regular roles. The just-announced foursome join a cast that includes Tony Award winner Billy Porter, MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Ryan Jamaal Swain, and Dyllon Burnside.
Filming is expected to begin next month in New York City. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Steven Canals co-created the series. Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, and Sherry Marsh are on board as executive producers. Steven Canals, Our Lady J (Transparent), and author/transgender rights activist Janet Mock are writing the scripts. Hector Xtravaganza, Skylar King and Sol Williams are serving as Pose consultants.
The Plot:Pose takes place in the 1980s and looks at the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, the downtown social and literary scene and the ball culture world. Evan Peters and Kate Mara play New Jersey couple Stan and Patty, who get sucked into the glamour and intrigue of New York City in the 1980s. James Van Der Beek plays Peters’s financial kingpin boss Matt. Tatiana Maslany plays a modern dance teacher who takes a special interest in the talent of Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain).
FX also announced choreographer Ryan Heffington (Sia’s “Chandelier” video, The OA) will choreograph Tatiana Maslany’s and Ryan Jamaal Swain dance sequences.
Larry David in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (Photo by John P. Johnson / Courtesy of HBO)
HBO’s much-anticipated new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm continues with four new half hour-ish episodes in November 2017. The ninth season premiered on October 1, 2017 and airs on Sunday nights at 10pm ET/PT. Larry David stars along with Jeff Garlin as Jeff, Susie Essman as Susie, J.B. Smoove as Leon, Cheryl Hines as Cheryl, Richard Lewis, Bob Einstein, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenburgen. Katie Aselton, Elizabeth Banks, Ed Begley, Jr., Carrie Brownstein, Bryan Cranston, Lauren Graham, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Offerman, Nasim Pedrad, Elizabeth Perkins, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Damon Wayans, Jr., Steven Weber, and Casey Wilson guest star.
Curb Your Enthusiasm was created by Larry David, with David executive producing along with Jeff Garlin and Jeff Schaffer.
The Plot: The show stars Seinfeld co-creator David as an over-the-top version of himself in an unsparing but tongue-in-cheek depiction of his life. This season, Larry has a new venture that elicits promising feedback from a number of prospective investors – until a string of missteps undermines the plan, at least temporarily.
Curb Your Enthusiasm November 2017 Episodes:
Episode #86 (season 9, episode 6): “The Accidental Text on Purpose”
Debut date: SUNDAY, NOV. 5 (10:00-10:40 p.m. ET/PT)
Larry (Larry David) invents an ingenious ploy for getting his friends out of relationship jams. Larry upsets Funkhouser’s (Bob Einstein) new girlfriend.
Story by Larry David & Jeff Schaffer & Jon Hayman; directed by Larry Charles.
Episode #87 (season 9, episode 7): “Namaste”
Debut date: SUNDAY, NOV. 12 (10:00-10:35 p.m.)
Larry (Larry David) angers a hot yoga teacher, has an auspicious first date and seethes over a run-in with an unfair Uber driver.
Story by Larry David & Jeff Schaffer; directed by Jessie Nelson.
Episode #88 (season 9, episode 8): “Never Wait for Seconds!”
Debut date: SUNDAY, NOV. 19 (10:00-10:35 p.m.)
Bridget (Lauren Graham) asks Larry (Larry David) for a favor on behalf of her son. Larry earns unexpected gratitude in a buffet line, and realizes that tips are better than favors.
Story by Larry David & Jeff Schaffer; directed by Robert B. Weide.
Episode #89 (season 9, episode 9): “The Shucker”
Debut date: SUNDAY, NOV. 26 (10:00-10:45 p.m.)
Larry (Larry David) is blackmailed by an employee and tormented by someone from his past. Jeff (Jeff Garlin) and Larry pitch a new creative venture. Susie (Susie Essman) gets turned on by a surprising source.
Story by Larry David & Jeff Schaffer & Justin Hurwitz; directed by Jeff Schaffer.
Grammy nominee Demi Lovato has confirmed the details of her upcoming 2018 North American tour. Demi Lovato will kick off her 20 city tour on February 26, 2018 in San Diego, CA, and stops will include Las Vegas, Dallas, Brooklyn, Nashville, and Boston. The tour is scheduled to finish up on March 31st at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Demi Lovato will be joined on her 2018 tour by multi-platinum artist DJ Khaled.
Lovato will be touring in support of her latest album, Tell Me You Love Me, which debuted in the #1 spot on the iTunes album chart. The album’s single, “Sorry Not Sorry,” is one of Lovato’s biggest hits and has been streamed more than 350 million times.
Presale tickets will go on sale to Citi cardmembers on Monday, October 30, 2017 at 10am local time. Fans can register for the U.S. and Canadian tour dates through Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program, and tickets will go on sale to the general public beginning November 3rd at 10am local time via LiveNation.com.
DEMI LOVATO 2018 TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUEST DJ KHALED
Feb. 26 – San Diego, CA Viejas Arena at San Diego State University
28 – San Jose, CA SAP Center
March 2 – Inglewood, CA The Forum
3 – Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
4 – Phoenix, AZ Talking Stick Resort Arena
7 – Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
9 – Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
10 – Minneapolis, MN Target Center
13 – Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
14 – Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
16 – Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
17 – Montreal, QC Bell Centre
19 – Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
21 – Newark, NJ Prudential Center
23 – Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
24 – Washington, DC Capital One Arena
26 – Boston, MA TD Garden
28 – Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
30 – Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
31 – Tampa, FL Amalie Arena
Kiefer Sutherland in ‘Designated Survivor’ season 2 episode 5 (ABC/Ian Watson)
“They’re calling it Suckergate, sir,” says Lyor Boone (Paulo Costanzo) to President Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) after something he said to a senator was taken out of context in season two episode five of ABC’s political drama, Designated Survivor.
The episode begins with a woman running in the park when she’s shot and killed. The very next scene is a government-sanctioned hockey game with President Kirkman participating. After the game, Kirkman’s reaching out to a senator friend of his in the locker room trying to get him to push his Republican friends to vote yes on the pension bail-out bill. In trying to get the reluctant senator to agree, Kirkman jokingly calls the American people suckers, a moment he’s going to wish he could take back. The President gets word about the shooting in the park and it turns out the victim was Charlotte Thorne, a member of parliament. Kirkman has FBI Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) assigned to the case, with Aaron Shore (Adan Canto) overseeing.
Wells has teamed up once again with Damian Rennett (Ben Lawson) for the investigation, and they get a lead that a legitimate arms manufacturer/seller has been having a war of words with threats of lawsuits with the victim, Thorne, who was anti-guns. Wells and Rennett question Darius Cray but he knows his rights. After admitting to threatening Thorne with lawsuits, he warns them if they approach him again he’ll have them up on harassment charges. This doesn’t scare them off; in fact, they become even more determined to follow and observe Cray.
Meanwhile at the White House, it gets back to the President that his “suckers” comment was quoted by the senator when he was on television to make it seem like the President believes the American people are easily fooled. This begins to take on a life of its own, with every news program talking about it. Poor Seth (Kal Penn) tries his best to defuse the situation with the press but to no avail.
Kirkman doesn’t believe it to be that big of a deal until he’s told by Emily (Italia Ricci) and Lyor that if he doesn’t come out fighting and denying that he said it, this could derail his presidency. Kirkman tells them he can’t because even though what he said was taken out of context, he did say it and won’t lie his way out of this problem. Lyor’s upset as he leaves the Oval Office, telling Emily, “If I had known he was this truthful of a president, I never would have taken the job.” Emily points out that’s why Kirkman has a staff willing to walk through fire for him.
Tom makes time during this incident to talk to his wife, Alex (Natascha McElhone), and encourages her to hire White House counsel Kendra to represent her mother and to fight the subpoena. At first hesitant, Alex talks to Kendra (Zoe McLellan) and decides to hire her.
Kirkman meets with the senator who revealed the private conversation to the press and asks him to clarify what they were talking about. However, the senator stands his ground and tells Kirkman he won’t back him and that he does think the President at times views the American people as suckers. Kirkman and his staff are shocked by the senator’s words.
Later, Kirkman is talking to his security man, Ritter (LaMonica Garrett), who tells the President that what he admires most about him is how he brings hope to the people’s lives and that he should continue to spread hope even when others are throwing mud.
Out by a boat Cray owns, Wells and Rennett decide to do some snooping on board. (Don’t they need a warrant to board and search a boat?) This is when Cray comes up behind Wells, obviously looking to do her some harm, and gets shot by Rennett.
Back at the White House, Kirkman tells his staff he wants to do a man-of-the-people publicity outing. A few hours later, Kirkman’s in a diner shaking hands, holding babies, and laughing with the patrons while the cameras roll and cover it. Things are going extremely well until he’s met by the advocate for those who lost their life savings in the pension fraud. The advocate points out that if he isn’t willing to give her his word and promise to pass the pension bail-out bill, then maybe the American people are suckers for believing in him. Back to square one for President Kirkman.
As Kendra heads in to try to get the subpoena thrown out, she’s met by Alex who wants to be her co-counsel. Kendra tries to talk her out of it but Alex insists. During the hearing, Alex keeps interrupting Kendra and lets her temper flare about her mother getting a subpoena. Kendra calls for a 10-minute recess which she gets. She uses it to tell Alex that if she’s going to do her job, Alex can’t be a co-counsel. Alex finally agrees and Kendra heads back into court. She reveals the documents that led to getting the subpoena were obtained illegally. The Judge agrees with Kendra and squashes the subpoena.
Wells is relaxing in her apartment when Rennett stops by to say goodbye. Seems like Cray was doing some under-the-radar gun dealing and is the likely suspect for killing Thorne. Wells and Rennett flirt a little and finally, Rennett kisses Wells. Just as the two are getting to know each other better, Wells’ phone rings and it’s Aaron who tells her he needs to see her because there has been a development in the Thorne case.
Believing he does need to stop Suckergate from getting any worse, Kirkman reluctantly agrees to talk to television host Carson Kramer (think a male Barbara Walters) to expose the ugly secrets of the senator who created this problem. But just as he’s about to do it, he flashes on what Ritter said to him about hope and goes a different route. Kirkman admits to calling the American people suckers because they believe in the American dream and so does he, which makes him a sucker too. Kirkman then uses the rest of the interview to push the country’s urgent need for the pension bail-out bill.
Aaron tells Wells and Rennett that solid proof came in showing Cray couldn’t be the one who killed Thorne and that they’re still on the case.
As Kirkman is getting ready to call it a night, he gets a visit from the senator who caused Suckergate. Kirkman says he doesn’t have much time for him and the senator apologizes and tells him he will back his bill. The senator asks if he can explain and confesses to Kirkman that his wife has been battling cancer and he was unfaithful to her during part of that time. The senator goes on to say that he and his wife are trying to work things out and he thought he could pull one over on the president for one last win. He admits it was stupid thinking. Kirkman does his best to console the senator and shows him the file he had on him that revealed his indiscretions. Kirkman tells the senator the information is already out there if his people could find it and that he has to get out in front of it before it’s too late.
Designated Survivor Season 2 Episode 5 Review:
With Kirkman facing a silly crisis called Suckergate and a new political murder for Wells to investigate, the move to make the show a political drama/soap opera instead of a political thriller continues. One of the improvements this time is the murder of a member of parliament which could have much more to it than just being about gun control. This will give the show a little of the cloak and dagger aspect that was so strong in the first season and gave the show its suspense.
With Kirkman and his staff facing a major threat on the high seas in next week’s episode, here’s hoping the series starts to move back to the high-stakes politics and lives hanging in the balance risks it dealt with so well in the first season.
