The Big Bang Theory fans are going to geek out over Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The remainder of the world will be a little confused by the teaser trailer and concept of HBO Max’s new TBBT spin-off. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, the third spin-off from the award-winning comedy, will premiere on July 23, 2026.
New episodes of the 10-episode season stream on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The new series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart, Lauren Lapkus as Denise, Brian Posehn as Bert, and John Ross Bowie as Barry.
Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn, John Ross Bowie in ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe’ (Photograph by Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max)
HBO Max’s synopsis reads, “Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon. Stuart is aided in this quest by his girlfriend Denise, geologist friend Bert, and quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass Barry Kripke. Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don’t go well.”
Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady created the series and serve as writers and executive producers.
Expert storm chasers attempt to get as close to tornadoes as possible while not getting sucked into the storm in Discovery Channel’s new series, In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers. The series premiere sneak peek shows teams of chasers tracking massive tornadoes and trying to outmaneuver their fellow chasers.
The series premieres on Discovery on May 17, 2026, with new episodes airing on Sundays at 10pm ET/PT.
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers follows 12 teams of storm chasers in America’s Tornado Alley. Episodes are filmed without camera crews or producers; all the footage is shot by the teams themselves.
A scene from ‘In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers’ (Photo Courtesy of Discovery Channel)
Discovery Channel offers this description of the series premiere:
“In the premiere episode, veteran chasers and a new generation of storm spotters and weather streamers compete for position during one of the season’s most volatile tornado outbreaks. As a photogenic twister approaches the small town of Gary, South Dakota, each chaser angles to get ahead of the storm. But when extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer arrives with his high-tech armored vehicle, called ‘the Dominator,’ an unexpected fender-bender disrupts the chase.
Back on course, the chasers catch up with the fast-moving twister, but as it intensifies to EF-3 strength, it takes a terrifying turn. Realizing the tornado is about to destroy a farmhouse, chasers Brandon Copic and Will Vollman shift from storm chasers to first responders, launching a search-and-rescue mission inside the wreckage with the tornado still in sight.”
Conan O’Brien to host the 99th Oscars (Photo Courtesy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)
Conan O’Brien is a glutton for punishment. The six-time Emmy winner has committed to hosting the 99th Oscars, reuniting with the awards show’s Emmy-winning executive producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan for the 2027 Academy Awards. The 2027 Oscars will mark the third year in a row that Conan O’Brien has guided the Oscars broadcast.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has set a Sunday, March 14, 2027 date for the 99th Oscars, with the show airing live on ABC and Hulu beginning at 4pm PT/7pm ET. Emmy winners Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as producers, with Sweeney also serving as a writer. Sweeney’s credits include Conan O’Brien Must Go, Conan, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
“We are thrilled to be working again with Conan, Raj, Katy, Jeff, and Mike for the 99th Oscars,” stated Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “They are an incredible team and have produced such captivating, entertaining, and heartfelt shows over the last two years. We are so grateful for their ongoing partnership as we honor our global film community—and we look forward to Conan superbly leading the celebration with his brilliance and humor.”
“Getting to reunite with Conan O’Brien for a third year at the Oscars is really special. He brings that signature humor everyone loves, along with a real warmth and generosity that carry through the entire show,” said executive producers Kapoor and Mullan. “He’s a true creative partner, someone we trust completely, and someone who makes the whole process genuinely fun, both behind the scenes and on stage. We’re incredibly grateful to keep building this together and can’t wait to share what’s next.”
The 2026 Oscars drew in 17.8 million viewers, down from 2025’s 19.7 million.
CBS’s FBI wraps up season eight with an episode that finds the team trying to stop the release of a bioweapon. Season eight, episode 22, “Defector,” will air on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 8pm ET/PT.
“Defector” Plot: The theft of a bioweapon from an unwitting defector forces the team to work with an old foe to secure the lethal pathogen and prevent an outbreak in N.Y.C. Also, OA’s future on the team is put into question. Aaron Ginsburg, Ryan Maldonado, and Eduardo Javier Canto wrote the season finale, and Alex Chapple directed the episode.
Missy Peregrym stars as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki plays Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto returns as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, Alana De La Garza is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, John Boyd stars as Special Agent Stuart Scola, and Juliana Aidén Martinez plays Eva Ramos.
FBI is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect, and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects.
Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI. Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille, who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority.
The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office, whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator, as well as Special Agent Stuart Scola, an Ivy League-educated Wall Streeter-turned-FBI agent. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime, and counterintelligence.
Those lucky enough to live in the elite lakefront community of Cloverhill Lakes are drawn to it for its safety and top-notch school district. The moms meet for coffee at the park while their kids play, they’re heavily involved in the PTA, and the summers are filled with chardonnay, brunch, sundresses, and backyard bonfires.
But everything changes when Regan Hoffman’s car explodes at the annual Labor Day party. The wrong person is killed, but it was meant for her. As the carefully crafted walls of her community begin to crumble, Regan tries to keep it together—something made infinitely harder when she sees her dead husband…alive.
When a Cloverhill Lakes resident suddenly goes missing, dark secrets begin to surface from underneath the idyllic veneer of their beautiful community—and the truth threatens to destroy them all as Regan finds herself in a fight for her life.
Too Close to Home Review:
Move over, Desperate Housewives! The PTA moms of Cloverhill Lakes are here with their secrets and lies, but which one has an alibi?
Seraphina Nova Glass’s Too Close to Home is a gripping domestic thriller that does a terrific job of keeping readers on the edge of their seats from the very first page to the very last. Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger, which makes Glass’s 2026 novel difficult to put down.
The plot is engaging and the story is fast-paced, making me want to devour every word. The motivations and actions of each character feel relatable, given the extreme lengths people are willing to go to protect those they love. And I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by the ending, which I did not see coming.
Overall, Too Close to Home is a compelling read for anyone who appreciates page-turning thrillers with heart-pounding chapters.
Rating: ★★★★
Thank you, Seraphina Nova Glass, The HIVE, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gift of an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Scott Speedman stars in ‘RJ DECKER’ (Disney/Dana Hawley)
ABC’s fall 2026 primetime schedule features two nights of football, the return of 9-1-1 and 9-1-1: Nashville, and new seasons of R.J. Decker, Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, and Abbott Elementary. Dancing with the Stars returns for its 35th season, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune is back with Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, and David Muir and Deborah Roberts anchor a new season of 20/20.
ABC’s holding The Bachelor, Bachelor in Paradise, High Potential, Shifting Gears, The Rookie, and Will Trent until 2027. The network’s The Rookie spinoff, The Rookie: North, will also launch in 2027.
“We enter this fall season from a position of undeniable strength,” stated President of Disney Television Group Craig Erwich. “Our focus has always been simple: Make the best shows on television and get them to audiences however they want to watch. That strategy continues to drive the success of ABC and Hulu — from legacy hits being embraced by new generations to breakout series becoming the next cultural touchstones. With a standout slate of comedies, dramas, unscripted and live programming, alongside marquee events like the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff, the GRAMMYSⓇ and the OscarsⓇ in 2027, our content engine is firing on all cylinders.”
ABC’S 2026 FALL PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
MONDAY
8:00 p.m. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football”
TUESDAY
8:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
10:00 p.m. “R.J. Decker”
7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8:00 p.m. “The Wonderful World of Disney”
Jay Ellis and Chris Sullivan in ‘The Rookie: North’ (Disney/Darko Sikman)
THE ROOKIE: NORTH
Expanding the universe, The Rookie: North introduces Alex Holland who believed his midlife wasn’t worthy of a crisis. But after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as a rookie. Policing from the urban coast to the rural forest where backup isn’t just five minutes away, Alex must prove to his skeptical training officer, his fellow rookies, and himself that he’s finally found something worthy of the fight.
Jay Ellis, Janet Montgomery, Karen Fukuhara, Chris Sullivan, Froy Gutierrez, Mya Lowe, and Malik Watson star.
Chris Pratt stars in Prime Video’s ‘The Terminal List’
Prime Video has finally announced a premiere date for season two of the action thriller The Terminal List. Season two, based on the second novel in Jack Carr’s The Terminal List series, True Believer, will premiere on October 21, 2026 with the release of all eight episodes.
Chris Pratt stars as James Reece, Tom Hopper plays Raife Hastings, Constance Wu is Katie Buranek, Dar Salim plays Mohammed Farooq, and Luke Hemsworth is Jules Landry. Season two also stars Gabriel Luna, Costa Ronin, Olga Kurylenko, Yul Vazquez, Arnold Vosloo, and Shiraz Tzarfati.
“The psychological revenge thriller of season one opens up into a globe-trotting espionage thriller taking Reece across the Indian Ocean, Southern and Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe,” reads Prime Video’s synopsis. “Reece will uncover a conspiracy that reaches from Moscow to Langley and ties into his own family’s history.”
David DiGilio serves as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Chris Pratt through Indivisible Productions, author Jack Carr, Antoine Fuqua and Kat Samick through Hill District Media; former Army Ranger and writer Max Adams; and former Navy SEAL, writer, actor, and technical advisor Jared Shaw.
The Terminal List is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, MRC, and Civic Center Media.
The series premiered in September 2022, and season two followed in August 2024.
Prime Video hasn’t released a full season three returning cast list. Newcomers to Middle-earth include Jamie Campbell Bower, Eddie Marsan, Andrew Richardson, Zubin Varla, and Adam Young.
“From the very beginning, this series has embodied the scale, ambition, and cinematic storytelling that define Prime Video’s biggest global series,” stated Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios. “The extraordinary response from millions of fans around the world has made it clear that this journey through Middle-earth continues to resonate, and that momentum has only grown heading into season three.”
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay serve as showrunners and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Lindsey Weber, Justin Doble, and Kate Hazell. Charlotte Brandstrom directs and executive produces. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Synopsis, Courtesy of Prime Video
The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books and takes viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
The series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
Jumping forward several years from the events of season two, season three takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war, bind all peoples to his will—and at last rule all Middle-earth.
Netflix is betting that audiences will want to revisit the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie, first published in 1932. The original series, starring Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, and Melissa Sue Anderson, premiered in 1974 and ran for nine seasons.
The new take on the popular classic book series premieres on July 9, 2026.
“Part hopeful family drama, part epic survival tale, and part origin story of the American West, this fresh adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic semi-autobiographical Little House books offers a kaleidoscopic view of the struggles and triumphs of those who shaped the frontier,” reads Netflix’s synopsis.
Luke Bracey stars as Charles Ingalls, Crosby Fitzgerald is Caroline, Alice Halsey stars as Laura, and Skywalker Hughes is Mary. Warren Christie plays John Edwards, Jocko Sims is Dr. George Tann, Meegwun Fairbrother plays Mitchell, Alyssa Wapanatâhk is White Sun, and Wren Zhawenim Gotts is Good Eagle. The ensemble also includes Xander Cole, Kowen Cadorath, Thosh Collins, Barrett Doss, Michael Hough, Ryan Robbins, Maclean Fish, and Mary Holland.
The eight-episode season is written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, Francesca Butler, P. Carter Kristensen, Adam Starks, Eleanor Burgess, and Tom Hanada. Sonnenshine also serves as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Joy Gorman Wettels, Trip Friendly, and Dana Fox.
Sarah Adina Smith, Julie Anne Robinson, Kat Candler, Erica Tremblay, and Sydney Freeland directed the first season.
People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer returns for a second season, highlighting the stories of lucky individuals who managed to live through their encounters with killers. Season two premieres on June 2, 2026 on Investigation Discovery, with new episodes of the six-episode season airing on Tuesdays at 9pm ET/PT.
The second season focuses on survivors of killers including John Wayne Gacy, Robert Hansen (‘Butcher Baker’), Carl Eugene Watts (‘The Sunday Slasher’), Warren Forrest (‘The Washington Woodsmen’), Christopher Wilder (‘Beauty Queen Killer’), and Juan Rodriguez Chavez (‘Thrill Killer’).
“The new season will continue to deliver a powerful and unflinching examination of what it’s like to come face to face with true evil and survive, with new exclusive survivor interviews and access to the authorities who investigated these cases and the families who were affected,” reads ID’s synopsis. “Each episode will provide deep insight into the lives lost and the lasting impact on those left behind, while revealing how many of these survival stories helped bring dangerous predators to justice.”
Poster for People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer season 2 (Photo Courtesy of ID)
People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer Season 2 Episodes:
Surviving the Butcher Baker, airing on June 2
A sadistic client tortures a young sex worker named Cindy Paulson in Anchorage, Alaska in 1983, and then tries to fly her to a remote location. When she miraculously escapes, her harrowing story helps lead Anchorage authorities to discovering the man’s identity – Robert Hansen, known as the ‘Butcher Baker’ – who had been hunting young women across Alaska for years. Now, decades later, Paulson sits down and shares her story of survival.
Surviving the Sunday Slasher, airing on June 9
Two women – Leonore Knizacky and Diane Hoskins – survive homicidal maniac Carl Eugene Watts, a.k.a. “The Sunday Slasher.” For years, he eludes authorities until a third woman survives and brings him to justice. But hardly anyone knows his name.
Surviving the Washington Woodsmen, airing on June 16
For the first time, Warren Forrest’s crimes come to light as one of his survivors, Norma Lewis, tells her story in this exclusive that uncovers the secrets of the two-time convicted murderer and suspected serial killer.
Surviving the Devil in Chicago, airing on June 23
John Wayne Gacy is infamous for his Chicago house of horrors in the 1970s. Now several courageous men – David Bolton, Patrick Dati, and Tony Antonucci — step forward to share their chilling experiences with him as boys.
Surviving the Beauty Queen Killer, airing on June 30
Serial killer Christopher Wilder’s sadistic fixation on young girls ignites a nationwide FBI manhunt as he carves a seven-week, 8,000-mile trail of terror. Two survivors, Kristine Conyers and Tina Marie Risico, relive their harrowing encounters with the notorious “Beauty Queen Killer.”
Surviving the Thrill Killer, airing on July 7
Amber Carter and her children go into hiding in 2020 to stay safe from her abusive ex-boyfriend. At the same time, a serial killer prowls the Dallas area, gunning down residents seemingly without rhyme or reason — until he comes to Amber’s door.
