‘The Last of Us’ Scores a Season 2 Renewal

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January 27, 2023

The Last of Us Season 1 — Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal in ‘The Last of Us’ season 1 episode 3 (Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO)

HBO snags the title for the “least surprising news” announcement of 2023. Granted, the year is young. The network confirmed The Last of Us starring Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) has been renewed for a second season. Are you surprised? No? Neither are the 22 million viewers who’ve checked out episode one.

The Last of Us debuted to the second-largest audience, with only House of the Dragon drawing in more eyeballs.

“I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey,” said executive producer and co-creator Craig Mazin. “The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil (Druckmann, co-creator) and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in.”

The series pulled off an impressive stunt by increasing its viewership by 22% for episode two. According to HBO, that growth is the highest of any HBO original drama in the network’s history.

“Craig and Neil, alongside EP Carolyn Strauss, and the rest of our phenomenal cast and crew, have defined a genre with their masterful debut season of The Last of Us,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “After pulling off this unforgettable first season, I can’t wait to watch this team outshine themselves again with season two.”

The sci-fi action-adventure series is based on Naughty Dog’s video game developed for Playstation. Mazin and Druckmann serve as writers and executive producers. Additional executive producers include Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam.

“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” said executive producer Neil Druckmann. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”

In addition to Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, season one’s cast includes Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and Storm Reid as Riley. Merle Dandridge is Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce is Perry, Lamar Johnson is Henry, Keivonn Woodard is Sam, Graham Greene is Marlon, and Elaine Miles is Florence.

The nine-episode first season premiered on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT. The season finale is set for March 12th.

The Plot: The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

‘Quantum Leap’ Season 1 Episode 11 Photos, Cast and Plot: “Leap, Die Repeat”

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Rebecca Murray

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January 27, 2023

NBC’s Quantum Leap returns from its three-week break with season one episode 11, “Leap. Die. Repeat.” Episode 11, airing on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT, will find Ben dealing with a time loop.

The sequel stars Raymond Lee (Kevin Can F**k Himself) as physicist Ben Song and Caitlin Bassett as Addison. Ernie Hudson (The Family Business) plays Herbert “Magic” Williams, Mason Alexander Park (The Sandman) is Ian Wright, and Nanrisa Lee (First Love) plays Jenn Chou.

“Leap. Die. Repeat.” Plot: When Ben leaps into one of five people in an elevator at a 1962 nuclear reactor, he must figure which one triggers a bomb that kills them all. Each time the bomb goes off, he leaps into another one of them an hour earlier and the scene resets on a loop.

Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 11 — Caitlin Bassett as Addison and Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song in ‘Quantum Leap’ season 1 episode 11 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

Season One Synopsis:

It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.

Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Bassett), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She’s a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job.

At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won’t be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chou (Lee), who heads up digital security for the project.

As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leap and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.

‘The Power’ Series Preview: First Photos, Cast, and Plot Details

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

The Power Series — Toni Collette and John Leguizamo in ‘The Power’ (Photo Courtesy of Prime Video)

Prime Video has released the first batch of photos from the upcoming drama series The Power starring Oscar-nominee Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense). Described as an emotionally driven global thriller, The Power will premiere on March 31, 2023.

In addition to Toni Collette as Mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, the cast includes John Leguizamo as Rob Lopez, Auli’i Cravalho as Jos Cleary-Lopez, Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo, and Josh Charles as Daniel Dandon. Eddie Marsan stars as Bernie Monke, Ria Zmitrowicz is Roxy Monke, Zrinka Cvitešić is Tatiana Moskalev, and Halle Bush is Allie Montgomery.

The Amazon Studios and SISTER production is based on the award-winning novel by Naomi Alderman, with Raelle Tucker (True Blood) serving as showrunner.

Prime Video offered this description of The Power:

“The Power is our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The series features a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.”

Prime Video Releases the First Teaser Trailer

The Power Toni Collette — Toni Collette as Margot Cleary-Lopez (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power Auli'i Cravalho — Auli’i Cravalho as Jos Clearly-Lopez (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power — Zrinka Cvitešić as Tatiana (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power Toheeb Jimoh — Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power Ria Zmitrowicz — Ria Zmitrowicz as Roxy Monke (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power Josh Charles — Josh Charles as Governor Daniel Dandon (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power John Leguizamo — John Leguizamo as Rob Lopez (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

The Power Halle Bush — Halle Bush as Allie (Photo Credit: Prime Video)

Carol Burnett’s Incredible Career is Celebrated with ’90 Years of Laughter + Love’

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Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

NBC is celebrating the life of the incredible artist who’s brought joy to millions with Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love. The two-hour special event featuring dozens of Burnett’s famous friends and fans will air on April 26, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.

“I’m so excited NBC decided to throw me a birthday party and invited all of my closest friends,” said Carol Burnett. “I can’t wait to look back at so many wonderful moments throughout my career, I feel so lucky to share this night with everyone.”

The career retrospective will include musical performances by Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, and Kristin Chenoweth.

“It’s hard to imagine anyone in television more beloved than Carol Burnett,” said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “To throw this wonderful birthday celebration is clearly our honor, and we can’t wait to share the love that we all have for her with all her adoring fans.”

Aileen Quinn, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Bob Mackie, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Julie Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Lily Tomlin, and Marisa Tomei will join the celebration. Sofia Vergara, Steve Carell, Susan Lucci, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Vicki Lawrence are also on board to help Burnett celebrate.

Carol Burnett, Brian Miller, Steve Sauer, and Paul Miller are executive producing along with Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco & Linda Gierahn of Silent House Productions.

“This special is going to be the best party ever,” said Bracco. “It will be an evening of music, comedy, and dozens of big stars paying tribute to the one and only Carol Burnett. We look forward to everyone at home celebrating right along with us.”

Carol Burnett 90 Years of Laughter and Love — ‘Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love’ (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)

NBC’s Description of the Special:

The special will share some of the funniest and most memorable moments of Burnett’s legendary career. From her Broadway debut in Once Upon a Mattress, her early appearances on The Garry Moore Show, her hit films The Four Seasons, A Wedding, Pete ‘n’ Tillie, her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in Annie, to her acclaimed sketch comedy series The Carol Burnett Show, which ran for 11 seasons on CBS and played an instrumental role in the evolution of comedy.

The musical tributes will pay homage to Carol’s renowned career performances, including: “Old Friends,” dedicated to Carol’s 60-year friendship with Julie Andrews; “Only an Octave Apart,” which Carol sang alongside Beverly Sills in the 1976 television special Sills and Burnett at the Met; Carol’s memorable songs from the hit film Annie; and a tribute to her classic theme song, “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” from The Carol Burnett Show.

Fox’s Animation Block Earns Early Two Season Renewals

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

Fox just announced early pickups for three shows that are part of their Animation Domination block – The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers. The network has given the three shows two-season renewal orders.

The renewal will take The Simpsons through at least seasons 35 and 36 … just let that sink in … extending its record as the longest-running scripted series in history. Family Guy is now renewed through seasons 22 and 23. And Bob’s Burgers will stick around for seasons 14 and 15.

“With this trio of renewals, we celebrate excellence in animation on FOX, our wonderful, long-time partnership with 20th Television and the brilliant creators and incredible voices behind these forever favorites,” stated Michael Thorn, President, Scripted Programming for FOX Entertainment. “Three-plus decades of The Simpsons, more than two decades of Family Guy, and over a decade of Bob’s Burgers proves the enduring power of the animation genre on our network and the infinite fan affinity for these outrageously funny comedy classics.”

According to Fox, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers rank in the Top 10 among comedies in the 2022-23 season.

“Across 750 episodes of The Simpsons, 400 episodes of Family Guy, and 250 episodes of Bob’s Burgers, we couldn’t be more proud to continue delivering these three animated hits with the most brilliant teams in animation. Our relationship with FOX over the past three decades has allowed this trio of shows to thrive, grow and deliver immeasurable moments of hilarious and irreverent entertainment for fans, and we are absolutely thrilled that FOX is doubling down on each of these iconic shows,” said Marci Proietto, EVP of 20th Television Animation.

‘The Good Doctor’ Season 6 Episode 11 Photos, Cast and Plot: “The Good Boy”

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

Lea and Shaun witness a dog getting hit by a car on ABC’s The Good Doctor season six episode 11. The poor guy’s in bad shape, but Lea insists they don’t give up on him. Is it possible to love Lea even more? Directed by Gary Hawes from a script by Melaina Wright and Peter Blake, episode 11 – “The Good Boy” – is set to air on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.

Season six stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Hill Harper plays Dr. Marcus Andrews, Richard Schiff is Dr. Aaron Glassman, and Will Yun Lee is Dr. Alex Park. Paige Spara stars as Lea Dilallo, Christina Chang is Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann plays Dr. Morgan Reznick, Bria Henderson is Dr. Jordan Allen, and Noah Galvin is Dr. Asher Wolke.

“The Good Boy” Plot: On the way to their babymoon, Lea and Shaun get a quick lesson in parenting when they rush to aid an injured dog. Meanwhile, Dr. Danica Powell secretly performs an operation on a friend that could jeopardize her career.

The Good Doctor Season 6 Episode 11 — Freddie Highmore and Paige Spara in ‘The Good Doctor’ season 6 episode 11 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)

‘The Recruit’ Starring Noah Centineo is Renewed for Season 2

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

Netflix has made it official. The spy drama The Recruit starring Noah Centineo has been renewed for a second season.

The renewal announcement arrived along with a short video confirming the popular series is targeting a 2024 premiere for season two. Season one debuted in December 2022 and was a fixture on the streaming service’s most popular chart for five weeks.

“I’m thrilled to dive back into the fun, funny, action-packed world of The Recruit. Seeing how invested our audience became in the show’s adventurous take on the spy world and Noah’s turn as Owen has been incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to turn it all up to ’11’ in Season Two,” stated creator, showrunner and executive producer Alexi Hawley.

Noah Centineo will reprise his role as Owen Hendricks. According to Netflix, the new season will pick up from last season’s cliffhanger ending that found Owen and Max captured with their lives endangered.

“I know I speak for our entire cast and executive team at eOne and Netflix when I say that we are thrilled to be returning to The Recruit for a second season. I’m looking forward to seeing what Alexi Hawley has in store for us all,” said star and executive producer Centineo.

In addition to Hawley and Centineo, season four will be executive produced by P3 Media’s Adam Ciralsky, Charlie Ebersol, and Hypnotic’s Doug Liman, Gene Klein, and David Bartis.

The Recruit Series — Fivel Stewart as Hannah Copeland and Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks in ‘The Recruit’ (Photo Courtesy Of Netflix © 2022)

A Look Back at Season 1:

The series centers around Owen Hendricks (Centineo), a young CIA lawyer whose first week on the job turns upside down when he discovers a threatening letter by former asset Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), who plans to expose the agency unless they exonerate her of a serious crime. Owen quickly becomes entangled in a dangerous and often absurd world of power politics and mischievous players as he travels the world in hopes of completing his assignment and making a mark at the CIA.

Season one also starred Fivel Stewart, Vondie Curtis Hall, Kristian Bruun, Aarti Mann, Colton Dunn, and Daniel Quincy Annoh.

Netflix Sets a Premiere Date for Season 2

‘Succession’ Season 4: New Teaser, New Photos, New Cast, and Premiere Date

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

HBO’s set a March 26, 2023 premiere date for the much-anticipated fourth season of Succession. The critically acclaimed series is coming off its strongest season, and the bar’s been set incredibly high for the 10-episode fourth season. The first one-minute teaser is a strong indication that bar’s going to be raised once again.

HBO confirmed Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, J. Smith-Cameron, and Peter Friedman are returning. Additional cast members reprising their roles for the new season include David Rasche, Fisher Stevens, Hiam Abbass, Justine Lupe, Dagmara Domińczyk, Arian Moayed, Scott Nicholson, Zoë Winters, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Juliana Canfield, and Jeannie Berlin.

Alexander Skarsgård, Cherry Jones, Hope Davis, Justin Kirk, and Stephen Root will also return. Plus, HBO just announced Harriet Walter (Lady Caroline Collingwood), James Cromwell (Ewan Roy), Natalie Gold (Rava Roy), Caitlin Fitzgerald (Tabitha), Ashley Zukerman (Nate Sofrelli), Larry Pine (Sandy Furness), Mark-Linn Baker (Maxim Pierce), and Pip Torrens (Peter Munion) will be involved in season four.

Joining the drama in season four are Annabeth Gish, Adam Godley, Eili Harboe, and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson.

Succession has earned 48 Emmy nominations and racked up 13 Emmy wins. It’s also earned Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice, Directors Guild, Writers Guild, and Producers Guild awards over its three seasons.

Jesse Armstrong created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown, Lucy Prebble, Will Tracy, and Will Ferrell also executive produce.

HBO’s released the following description of the new season:

“Succession explores themes of power and family dynamics through the eyes of patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his four grown children, Kendall (Strong), Siobhan (Snook), Roman (Culkin), and Connor (Ruck). The sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Skarsgård) moves ever closer. The prospect of this seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal is complete. A power struggle ensues as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is severely curtailed.”

Succession Season 4 — Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin in ‘Succession’ season 4 (Photograph by Claudette Barius/HBO)

‘Fantasy Island’ Season 2 Episode 5 Photos, Cast and Plot: “The Urn”

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

Joely Fisher (‘Til Death, Last Man Standing) puts in a guest starring appearance on Fox’s Fantasy Island season two episode five. “The Urn” will air on Monday, February 6, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.

Roselyn Sanchez leads the cast as Elena Roarke, a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke played by Ricardo Montalban in the original ’70s series. Kiara Barnes (The Bold and the Beautiful) plays Ruby Akuda and John Gabriel Rodriguez (Rosewood) stars as Javier.

“The Urn” Plot: After an urn comes off the plane, three siblings must work through their past resentments in order to spread their mom’s ashes and fulfill her last fantasy. As the kids wrestle with their past, Roarke remembers their mom, her very first guest as the host of Fantasy Island. Meanwhile, Ruby is surprised to discover how little she knows about Isla.

Fantasy Island Season 2 Episode 5 — Roselyn Sanchez and guest star Joely Fisher in “The Urn” episode of ‘Fantasy Island’ (Photo by Laura Magruder / FOX)

Fantasy Island Description, Courtesy of Fox:

A modern drama series, Fantasy Island takes place at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected. Delving into the “what if” questions – both big and small – that keep us awake at night, each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.

Serving as steward of this mysterious island is Elena Roarke (Sanchez), a descendant of the iconic Mr. Roarke. Elena set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful, and always charming, her calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed. Assisting Elena is Ruby Akuda (Barnes), a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness, and is given a new lease on life there; and pilot Javier (Rodriquez), who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades.

‘Alert’ Episode 5 Photos, Cast and Plot Details: “Miguel” Preview

By

Rebecca Murray

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January 26, 2023

The case of a missing foster care worker leads the team down a rabbit hole on Fox’s Alert: Missing Persons Unit season one episode five. “Miguel” will air on January 30, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.

Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-0) stars as Jason Grant and Dania Ramirez (Sweet Tooth) stars as Nikki Batista. The season one cast also includes Adeola Role (The Blacklist) as Kemi, Ryan Broussard (Only Murders in the Building) as Mike, and Graham Verchere (Stargirl) as Keith. Fivel Stewart is a recurring guest star as Sydney, and Petey Gibson recurs as C.

“Miguel” Plot: A foster care worker is reported as missing, but after he ends his own life, the MPU starts to investigate a pregnant woman he was seen with who has been missing for two years. Meanwhile, Sydney follows Keith and fears he may be dangerous.

Alert Missing Persons Unit Episode 5 — Scott Caan in the “Miguel” episode of ‘Alert: Missing Persons’ (Photo by Philippe Bosse © 2023 Fox Media LLC)

The Plot, Courtesy of Fox:

Alert: Missing Persons Unit is a procedural drama set in the Philadelphia Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit (MPU). Each episode features a heart-pounding, life-or-death search for a missing person that runs alongside police officers JASON GRANT (Caan) and NIKKI BATISTA’s (Ramirez) season-long quest to find out the truth about their long-lost son.

Six years ago, while working overseas, Jason received the call that every parent fears – he and Nikki’s son, KEITH (Verchere), had gone missing. From that moment forward, the lives of Jason, Nikki and their daughter, SYDNEY (Stewart), were turned upside down. The frantic search to find Keith began and the mystery about his disappearance continues to this day.

Throughout the search to find Keith, Jason and Nikki’s marriage deteriorated and they grew apart. Jason moved into private security, while Nikki was promoted within the Philly P.D. to Head of the MPU, where she has been able to do for others what she wasn’t able to do for herself, bring a loved one back home.