We’ve had to wait, what, 12 years for a third season of Party Down? Wow, it really doesn’t seem that long ago, but I checked and it definitely was. Starz just announced they’re making fans of the ensemble comedy wait just a few months longer for the long-awaited third season, setting a February 24, 2023 premiere date for the launch of new episodes.
The premiere date announcement arrived along with a short teaser featuring the show’s cast. Returning stars include Adam Scott (Severance), Ken Marino (The Other Two), Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Martin Starr (Silicon Valley), Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars), and Megan Mullally (Will & Grace). Joining the motley crew for season three are Jennifer Garner (The Adam Project), Tyrel Jackson Williams (Brockmire), and Zoë Chao (The Afterparty).
Dead to Me‘s James Marsden will show up in a recurring guest star role.
The cast of ‘Party Down’ season 3 (Photo Credit: Starz)
The six-episode third season will launch on the Starz app and Starz’s streaming/on-demand platforms at midnight on February 24th. It’ll debut on Starz on Feb. 24th at 9pm ET/PT.
Executive producers include Rob Thomas (iZombie), John Enbom (Benched), Paul Rudd (Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Dan Etheridge (Veronica Mars) and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation). Enbom is season three’s showrunner.
Starz released the following description of the new season:
“Ten years later, most of the Party Down catering team have moved on, including actor/bartender Henry Pollard (Scott). After a surprise reunion, the gang find themselves once again stoically enduring the procession of random parties and oddball guests all over Los Angeles.”
Harry Shum Jr. and Michelle Yeoh in A24’s ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (Photo credit: Allyson Riggs)
Members of the Critics Choice Association (myself included) showered lots of love on the bizarre yet entertaining Everything Everywhere All At Once. Everything Everywhere topped the list of the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards film nominees, picking up 14 nominations including Best Picture, Best Comedy, Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), and two in the Best Supporting Actress (Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis) category.
Steven Spielberg’s most personal film to date, The Fabelmans, earned 11 nominations and finds the filmmaker back in the race for Best Director and Best Picture. Michelle Williams earned a Best Actress nomination, and Paul Dano and Judd Hirsch took spots in the Best Supporting Actor category (Hirsch is only in one scene, but made quite an impact). The film’s lead actor, Gabriel LaBelle, is nominated in the Best Young Actor/Actress category.
Babylon had a surprisingly good showing, collecting nine nominations including in the Best Picture, Best Actress (Margot Robbie), and Best Director categories. The Banshees of Inisherin also received nine nominations, including acting nominations for Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon, as well as a nomination in the Best Ensemble category.
Elvis and Tar received seven nominations each, including Best Picture nominations. Avatar: The Way of Water, Glass Onion, Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Women Talking picked up six nominations and all are also competing in the Best Picture category with the exception of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Winners will be announced during the Critics Choice Awards ceremony airing live on The CW on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 7pm ET/PT (tape-delayed on the West Coast). Chelsea Handler will be making her debut as the Critics Choice Awards host.
“We are so proud to be recognizing this incredible group of films and the people who made them possible,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “This recognition comes from a diverse group of more than 600 critics and entertainment reporters who share their opinions about film and television with millions of people every day, all year long. Our collective opinion about the year’s finest achievements is truly meaningful to the creative community.”
FILM NOMINATIONS FOR THE 28TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS
BEST PICTURE
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
RRR
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Women Talking
BEST ACTOR
Austin Butler – Elvis
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
Colin Farrell – The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser – The Whale
Paul Mescal – Aftersun
Bill Nighy – Living
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Tár
Viola Davis – The Woman King
Danielle Deadwyler – Till
Margot Robbie – Babylon
Michelle Williams – The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Paul Dano – The Fabelmans
Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees of Inisherin
Judd Hirsch – The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Brian Tyree Henry – Causeway
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Jessie Buckley – Women Talking
Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Janelle Monáe – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Frankie Corio – Aftersun
Jalyn Hall – Till
Gabriel LaBelle – The Fabelmans
Bella Ramsey – Catherine Called Birdy
Banks Repeta – Armageddon Time
Sadie Sink – The Whale
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
The Woman King
Women Talking
BEST DIRECTOR
James Cameron – Avatar: The Way of Water
Damien Chazelle – Babylon
Todd Field – Tár
Baz Luhrmann – Elvis
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
Sarah Polley – Women Talking
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Woman King
S. S. Rajamouli – RRR
Steven Spielberg – The Fabelmans
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Todd Field – Tár
Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner – The Fabelmans
Charlotte Wells – Aftersun
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Samuel D. Hunter – The Whale
Kazuo Ishiguro – Living
Rian Johnson – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Rebecca Lenkiewicz – She Said
Sarah Polley – Women Talking
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Russell Carpenter – Avatar: The Way of Water
Roger Deakins – Empire of Light
Florian Hoffmeister – Tár
Janusz Kaminski – The Fabelmans
Claudio Miranda – Top Gun: Maverick
Linus Sandgren – Babylon
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Hannah Beachler, Lisa K. Sessions – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Rick Carter, Karen O’Hara – The Fabelmans
Dylan Cole, Ben Procter, Vanessa Cole – Avatar: The Way of Water
Jason Kisvarday, Kelsi Ephraim – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Bev Dunn – Elvis
Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino – Babylon
BEST EDITING
Tom Cross – Babylon
Eddie Hamilton – Top Gun: Maverick
Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, John Refoua, James Cameron – Avatar: The Way of Water
Paul Rogers – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Matt Villa, Jonathan Redmond – Elvis
Monika Willi – Tár
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Ruth E. Carter – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Jenny Eagan – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Shirley Kurata – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Catherine Martin – Elvis
Gersha Phillips – The Woman King
Mary Zophres – Babylon
BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
Babylon
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Whale
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Everything Everywhere All at Once
RRR
Top Gun: Maverick
BEST COMEDY
The Banshees of Inisherin
Bros
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Triangle of Sadness
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Turning Red
Wendell & Wild
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All Quiet on the Western Front
Argentina, 1985
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Close
Decision to Leave
RRR
BEST SONG
Carolina – Where the Crawdads Sing
Ciao Papa – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Hold My Hand – Top Gun: Maverick
Lift Me Up – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Naatu Naatu – RRR
New Body Rhumba – White Noise
BEST SCORE
Alexandre Desplat – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Michael Giacchino – The Batman
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Tár
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Women Talking
Justin Hurwitz – Babylon
John Williams – The Fabelmans
Tate Donovan guest stars as Jake Reed, an old FBI partner of Isobel’s, on CBS’s FBI season five episode 10. Directed by Jon Cassar from a script by Claire Demorest, episode 10 – “Second Life” – will air on Tuesday, January 3, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season five stars Missy Peregrym as Special Agent Maggie Bell, Zeeko Zaki as Special Agent Omar Adom “OA” Zidan, Jeremy Sisto as Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, and Alana De La Garza as Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. John Boyd plays Special Agent Stuart Scola and Katherine Renee Turner is Special Agent Tiffany Wallace.
Recurring guest stars include Taylor Anthony Miller as Kelly Moran and Vedette Lim as Elise Taylor.
“Second Life” Plot: The abduction of a young woman leads the team back to a cold case from 18 years ago, which pushes Isobel to reconnect with her old partner Jake (Donovan) and take another shot at solving one of her first cases at the Bureau.
Episode 10 guest stars include Joan Collier, Kyra Belle Johnson, James Russell, Sebastian Barba, Rob Kellogg, and Reynaldo Rivera. NaTonia Monét, Matthew Sean Blumm, and Miranda Roldán also guest star.
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. The smart and outspoken Special Agent Tiffany Wallace, who spent six years with the NYPD, is partner to 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.
Willie Nelson in a scene from ‘Willie Nelson and Family’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival‘s lineup will include 64 Short Films and four Indie Episodic projects. More than 10,000 short film submissions were received, and the 64 selected represent work from 23 countries. 519 Indie Episodic submissions were submitted and the four selected represent five countries.
The 2023 Festival will take place in person from January 19–29. Select films will be available online beginning January 24th.
“Short films and episodic projects are an integral aspect of the overall mission of the Sundance Institute — to empower artists who are taking risks, bringing new perspectives to the forefront, and creating work that entertains and provokes conversation,” stated Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “These platforms provide artists with the ability to expand beyond the boundaries of traditional cinema while also motivating a unique creativity through an ever-expanding format.”
INDIE EPISODIC
Chanshi / Israel (Directors: Mickey Triest, Aaron Geva, Producer: Ayelet Imberman ) — Chanshi is from a Jewish-Orthodox Brooklyn family. She uses the story of a friend’s wedding in Israel as a cover to escape her conservative bubble and fiance. Free to fulfill her forbidden fantasy of sleeping with Israeli soldiers, her trip triggers a past trauma threatening to ruin her adventures. Cast: Aleeza Chanowitz, Henry Winkler, Caroline Aaron, Tomer Machloof, Marnina Schon, Lee Bader. World Premiere. Available Online.
The Night Logan Woke Up / Canada, France (Director and Producer: Xavier Dolan) — On a cold October night in 1991, an unspeakable event rocks a small town in Quebec, forever haunting a family who tries to hide their dark secret. Thirty years later these secrets buried deep in the past resurface, sending the family on an unstoppable pursuit of reconciliation. Cast: Xavier Dolan, Patrick Hivon, Eric Bruneau, Julie Le Breton, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, Anne Dorval. International Premiere. Available Online.
Poacher / India, U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Richie Mehta, Producers: Sean McKittrick, Raymond Mansfield, Edward H. Hamm Jr.) — A group of Indian Forest Service officers, NGO workers, police constables and Good Samaritans risk their lives trying to track down the biggest elephant ivory poachers in the history of India and bring them to justice. Inspired by true events. Cast: Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew, Dibyendu Bhattacharya. World Premiere. Available Online.
Willie Nelson and Family / U.S.A. (Directors: Thom Zimny, Oren Moverman, Producers: Keith Wortman, Mark Rothbaum, Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev) — The first authorized work exploring the extraordinary life of Willie Nelson traverses the personal and career ups, downs, and in-betweens of one of the world’s most beloved musicians, by turns spiritual, dramatic, and playful. World Premiere. 2 of 5 Episodes Available Online
Kali Racquel, Deirdre Friel, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Dana Powell, Rachael Harris and Kate Flannery in ‘Help Me Understand’ by Aemilia Scott, an official selection of the U.S. Shorts program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Mike Maliwanag)
U.S. FICTION SHORT FILMS
The Dalles / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Angalis Field, Producers: Madison Odenborg, Stacey Streshinsky) — Cam is used to seeing the same customers while working at his family’s cherry stand. After a handsome cyclist passes through and asks for directions to a local cruising site, Cam takes it as an invitation to follow him. Cast: Joshuah Melnick, August Ackley. World Premiere. Available Online.
The Family Circus / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Andrew Fitzgerald, Producer: Josh Cohen) — A Vietnamese-American family’s plan to cover up a drunk driving accident begins to unravel when their emotional baggage spills out in front of the police. Cast: Elyse Dinh, Michael Ironside, Scott Subiono, Michael Nguyen Manceau, Blake Dang, Christian Seavey. World Premiere. Available Online.
A Folded Ocean / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Ben Brewer, Producer: Emily Murnane) — A couple get lost in each other. Cast: Anabelle LeMieux, John Giacobbe. World Premiere. Available Online.
Headdress / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Taietsarón:sere ‘Tai’ Leclaire, Producer: David Spadora) — When a queer Native is confronted by a non-Native wearing a ceremonial headdress at a music festival, he retreats into his mind to find the perfect response from various versions of his own identity. Cast: Taietsarón:sere ‘Tai’ Leclaire, Sean Reidy, Rachel McKay Steele, Sami Griffith, Austin Pohlen. World Premiere. Available Online.
Help Me Understand / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Aemilia Scott, Producers: Paul Feig, Laura Fischer, Kesila Childers, Erica Fishman, Amy Geist) — Six women come to a consensus. Cast: Dana Powell, Dierdre Friel, Rachael Harris, Nicole Michelle Haskins, Kate Flannery, Ken Marino. World Premiere. Available Online.
I AM HOME / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kymon Greyhorse, Producers: JoJo Threehairs, Ernest Hill) — As time goes on and the world around us shifts, we adapt and change. Although we might look different, deep down we are still the same. We are made from Mother Earth – mud, wood, love, and patience. Cast: Tiara Folsom. Available Online.
I Have No Tears, and I Must Cry / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Luis Fernando Puente, Producer: Rollins Wimber) — Maria Luisa is ready to escape immigration limbo, but when her green card interview takes an unexpected turn, she faces the anxiety of losing the life she had planned. Cast: Alejandra Herrera, Enoc Oteo, Cherie Julander. U.S. Premiere. Available Online.
In the Flesh / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Daphne Gardner, Producer: Zach Fleming) — Tracey is just trying to jerk off with her bathtub faucet like normal when some old memories dredge themselves up, the pipes explode with dirty water, and she starts leaking black goo. Cast: Edy Modica, Mo Stark, Rob Malone. Available Online.
Mirror Party / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Bridey Elliott, Screenwriter: Angela Trimbur, Producer: Josh Ascalon) — Two friends role-play a breakup conversation. Cast: Angela Trimbur, Bridey Elliott, Billy Scafuri. World Premiere. Available Online.
Nocturnal Burger / India, U.S A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Reema Maya, Producer: Michael Y. Chow) — Somewhere between fantasy, trauma, paranoia, precaution, and the promise of a burger, a night gets catapulted into an investigation of child abuse at a dysfunctional police station in Mumbai. Cast: Bebo Madiwal, Millo Sunka, Trupti Khamkar, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Somnath Mandal, Pushpendra Singh. World Premiere. Available Online.
OURIKA! / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Xenia Matthews, Producer: Stephanie Malson) — The long-dead Ourika, a Senegalese girl enslaved by a French aristocrat, is awoken in the eerie space between life and death, between body and soul, where she finds her way back to life and into liberation. Cast: Evesha Harry, Joilet Harris-Lawton, Lynn-Catherine Daniels. Available Online.
Power Signal / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Oscar Boyson, Screenwriter: Erin DeWitt, Producers: Jordan Drake, Alex Coco) — While trying to navigate a city that won’t provide him a bathroom, a delivery worker discovers an unearthly presence infecting women all over New York. Cast: Babs Olusanmokun, Will Brill, Brooke Bloom, Angela Sarafyan, Tennessee King, Muhamed Gueye. World Premiere. Available Online.
Rest Stop / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Crystal Kayiza, Producers: Jalena Keane-Lee, Brit Fryer) — On a bus ride from New York to Oklahoma, Meyi, a young Ugandan-American girl, realizes her place in the world through her mother’s ambitious effort to reunite their family. Cast: Leeanna E. Tushabe, Alicia Basiima, Khalid Semakula, Robert Wanyama, Margaret Bisase, Olivia Nantongo. Available Online.
Ricky / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Rashad Frett, Producers: Pierre M. Coleman, Ramfis Myrthil, Simon TaufiQue) — An ex-offender struggling with new freedom pursues redemption at all costs when given a job from his neighbor. Cast: Parish Bradley, Maliq Johnson, Simbi Kali, Karen Chilton, Reese Antoinette, Shanice Marcia. World Premiere. Available Online.
Sunflower Siege Engine / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Sky Hopinka) — Movements of resistance are collapsed and woven together, from reflections of one’s own body in the world today, to documentation of Alcatraz, the reclamation of Cahokia, and the repatriation of the ancestors. World Premiere. Available Online.
Take Me Home / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Liz Sargent, Producer: Minos Papas) — After their mother’s death, a cognitively disabled woman and her estranged sister must learn to communicate in order to move forward. Cast: Anna Sargent, Jeena Yi, Joan Sargent. World Premiere. Available Online.
Tender / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Samm Hodges, Producers: John Magaro, Matt McLaughlin, Jimmy Miller, Devin Tusa) — A missing wallet threatens to destroy a teenager’s life. Cast: Will Brill, Louisa Krause, Alexander Hubble, Daina Griffith. World Premiere. Available Online.
Troy / U.S.A. (Director: Mike Donahue, Screenwriter: Jen Silverman, Producer: Evan Jonigkeit) — Troy has loud sex. Troy has loud sex 24/7. Troy shares a wall with Thea and Charlie. Troy is ruining their lives… Or is he saving them? Cast: Adina Verson, Michael Braun, Florian Klein, Dylan Baker, Dana Delany. Available Online.
The Vacation / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Jarreau Carrillo, Producers: Marttise Hill, Julius Pryor) — A Black man attempts to take a vacation. Cast: Drew Harris, Jarreau Carrillo, Ohene Cornelius, Trae Harris. Available Online.
Walk of Shame / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Dane Ray, Producers: Robert Tutiven, Julia Baylis, Sam Guest, Maya Solo) — A mourning widow suspects a stranger in town is wearing her late husband’s Army jacket. She cautiously stalks the man into the night in an attempt to find closure. Cast: Shannon Plumb, Chris Thomas. World Premiere. Available Online.
We Were Meant To / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Tari Wariebi, Screenwriter: Christina K. Licud, Producer: Jordan Vernon Tyner) — In a world where Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage, Akil must defy fears, insecurities, and societal barriers while discovering his perfect launch into manhood. Cast: Tim Johnson Jr., Amin Joseph, Karimah Westbrook, Jordan-Amanda Hall, Skye Barrett, Luke Tennie. World Premiere. Available Online.
Weapons and Their Names / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Melina Valdez, Producers: Raymond Knudsen, Paula Andrea González-Nasser) — Unable to process her grief after the death of her stepfather, a teenage girl escapes reality by shooting guns in the woods. Cast: Cecilia Rene, Greta Hicks, Greg Poppa, Lilia Karst, Maxwell Fox. World Premiere. Available Online.
When You Left Me On That Boulevard / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Kayla Abuda Galang, Producers: Alifya Ali, David Oconer, Udoy Rahim, Samantha Skinner) — Teenager Ly and her cousins get high before a boisterous family Thanksgiving at their auntie’s house in southeast San Diego in 2006. Cast: Kailyn Dulay, Melissa Arcaya, Elle Rodriguez, Whitney Agustin, Gina May Gimongala, Allan Wayne Anderson. World Premiere. Available Online.
INTERNATIONAL FICTION SHORT FILMS
AirHostess-737 / Greece (Director and Screenwriter: Thanasis Neofotistos, Screenwriter: Grigoris Skarakis, Producers: Ioanna Bolomyti, Dimitris Tsakaleas) — An air hostess collapses on flight, convinced that her problem is her new braces. However, her colleagues know the plane is carrying her mother’s dead body to her hometown. Cast: Lena Papaligoura, Konstantina Koutsonasiou, Haris Alexiou. U.S. Premiere. Available Online.
AliEN0089 / Chile (Director and Screenwriter: Valeria Hofmann, Producers: Augusto Matte, Daniela Camino, Pascual Mena) — While a gamer uploads a testimonial video to denounce the harassment she suffers in a video game, a stranger enters her home and hacks her computer, blurring the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. Cast: Mariana di Girolamo. World Premiere.
Azheh / Iran (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Hadi Rezayati Charan, Producer: Mahdi Rezayati Charan) — A boy lives in a border village with Azheh. After Azheh’s death, the boy tries to fulfill her will to be buried in his homeland. Cast: Pakray Khoshdel, Arshiya Zeinali, Alireza Dashtiyari. World Premiere. Available Online.
Baba / Canada (Directors: Anya Chirkova, Meran Ismailsoy, Screenwriter and Producer: Maziyar Khatam, Producer: Anya Chirkova) — A middle-aged Iranian man makes a desperate bid to keep his apartment as his relationship with his son unravels. Cast: Amir Zavosh, Maziyar Khatam, James Choy, Sina Djamshidiat. International Premiere. Available Online.
Claudio’s Song / U.K. (Director: Andreas Nilsson, Screenwriter: David Kolbusz, Producers: Lee Groombridge, Tanya Sokolova) — A young man faces the wrath of criminals targeting people who are famous on the internet. Things take an unexpected turn when their scheme fails. Cast: Zaza Chanturia, Georgiy Palovotskiy, Alex Avakumov, Nina Naboka, Didier Mallet. Available Online.
Evacuation of Mama Emola / Indonesia (Director: Anggun Priambodo, Screenwriter: Prima Rusdi, Producers: Reno Fitriny Junirman, Edwin, M Zaidy Amiruddin, Meiske Taurisia) — An incarcerated man is allowed a temporary release with a woman prison officer to evacuate his mother — who is trapped in a village during an earthquake that might lead to a tsunami — bringing them to an unexpectedly exciting experience. Cast: Ricky Malau, Siti Fauziah. International Premiere.
Hawaiki / New Zealand (Director and Screenwriter: Nova Paul, Producer: Tara Riddell) — At the edge of the playground close to the forest, the children of Okiwi School made a refuge they call Hawaiki. Hawaiki has spiritual and metaphysical connections for Māori as the children create a space for their self-determination. World Premiere. Available Online.
It’s Raining Frogs Outside / Philippines (Director and Screenwriter: Maria Estela Paiso, Producer: Gale Osorio) — A girl’s childhood home attempts to destroy her, using her own personal history, but she resists. Cast: Alyana Cabral. Available Online.
The Kidnapping of the Bride / Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Sophia Mocorrea, Producer: Sarah Valerie Radu) — Luisa from Argentina and Fred from Germany are confronted with their social roles at their wedding. The German tradition of kidnapping the bride shakes the couple’s equality. There is no room for love in this role-play of marriage. Cast: Rai Todoroff, David Bruning, Tatiana Saphir, Anne Kulbatzki, Michaela Winterstein, Niels Bormann. World Premiere. Available Online.
Mulika / The Democratic Republic of Congo (Director and Screenwriter: Maisha Maene, Producer: Leo Nelki) — An “afronaut” emerges from the wreckage of his spaceship in the volcanic crater of Mount Nyiragongo. As he encounters the people of present-day Goma in the city, he begins to understand how to change the future for his people. Cast: Sefu Weber-Kal, Faustin Biyoga, Ibrahim Twaha, Sarah Bahati. U.S. Premiere. Available Online.
The Newt Congress / Switzerland, Germany (Directors and Screenwriters: Matthias Sahli, Immanuel Esser, Producer: Filippo Bonacci) —The Newt Congress takes place at a conference building surrounded by nature where participants have come together to optimize the exploitation of giant talking newts. Adapted from the novel War with the Newts by Karel Čapek. Cast: Ursula Bienz, Tobias Bienz, Wiebke Mollenhauer. North American Premiere. Available Online.
Pro Pool / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Alec Pronovost, Producer: Patrick Francke-Sirois) — Newly graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and civilization, Charles-Olivier struggles to find a job in his field and must rely on a clerk position in a pool shop. Feeling down, he navigates his gig as best he can. Cast: Louis Carrière, Alexis Martin, Sylvie de Morais, Sébastien Rajotte, Oussama Fares, Louis Girard-Bock. Available Online.
Sèt Lam / France, Réunion (Director and Screenwriter: Vincent Fontano, Producer: Martin Mauvoisin) — In an insular city, a young girl is paralyzed by the fear of her loved ones disappearing. Her grandmother tells her the tale of Edwardo, the first one of his kind to have fought death. Cast: Françoise Guimbert, Nicolas Moucazambo, Nadjani Bullin, Sihame Saïd Ouma. World Premiere. Available Online.
A Short Story / China (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Bi Gan, Screenwriter: Xiao Hui Zhai) — An anthropomorphic feline wanders across empty cities and exurban spaces of contemporary China. Black Cat is on a quest to answer a single question: What is the most precious thing in the world? Cast: Zhuo Tan, Yong Zhong Cheng, Guo Hua Chen, Li Run Xie, Li Zhou Xie.
Simo / Canada (Director and Screenwriter: Aziz Zoromba, Producer: Rosalie Chicoine Perreault) — In order to prove his popularity to his older brother, Simo sneakily infiltrates his brother’s gaming channel and uses a suspicious object to help increase the viewers. His actions have the effect of a bomb on the whole family. Cast: Basel El Rayes, Seif El Rayes, Aladeen Tawfeek. International Premiere. Available Online.
Sweatshop Girl / Mexico (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Selma Cervantes, Screenwriter: Indra Villaseñor Amador, Producers: Solange Alonso Caballero, Bruno Gaeta, Jim Stark, Natasha Dupeyron, Yago Muñoz) — Inés works as a seamstress in a sweatshop where pregnancy tests are periodically administered. When she becomes pregnant, she is sure that her condition will get her fired. She does everything she can to keep it a secret. Cast: Yalitza Aparicio Martínez, Mariana Villegas, Juan Pablo De Santiago, Amorita Rasgado, Juan Carlos Medellín. World Premiere. Available Online.
Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie / Canada (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Nicole Bazuin, Screenwriter and Producer: Andrea Werhun, Screenwriter: Kitoko Mai) — A surrealist exploration of dissociative identity disorder (DID) based on the lived experience of a Black, nonbinary, disabled artist and former sex worker. Cast: Kitoko Mai, Dustin Hickey, Myfanwy Charlesworth, Morgan Bargent, Grace McDonald, Andrea Werhun. World Premiere. Available Online.
Unborn Biru / Norway (Director and Screenwriter: Inga Elin Marakatt, Producer: Per-Josef Idivuoma) — A pregnant widow steals silver from a dead body in order to survive and feed her daughter. But the silver is cursed and has consequences for all of them, including the unborn. Cast: Maret Sofia Jannok, Katja Omma Simma. World Premiere. Available Online.
White Ant / U.K, India (Director and Screenwriter: Shalini Adnani, Producers: Sara Bonakdar, Michael Graf, Kaarthekeyen Santhanam, Mrunalini Havaldar) — A man is summoned from Mumbai to his village to deal with a termite infestation threatening to destroy his childhood home. Cast: Denzil Smith, Harish Kesariya, Pushpa Madam Singh Chauhan, Sushannt Sapare. World Premiere. Available Online.
ANIMATION SHORT FILMS
BurgerWorld / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Maddie Brewer, Producers: Domitille Adebimpe-Collardey, Joseph Carnegie, Sierra Martin-Persi) — Two coworkers at a derelict fast food franchise accidentally discover a yonic meat portal to another realm — a “burger” world, wherein they’re the only ones who can liberate an oppressed vegetable populace from the all-controlling hand of big meat. Cast: Maddie Brewer. World Premiere. Available Online.
By Water / U.S.A. (Director: Iyabo Kwayana, Producers: Chris Hastings, Maori Karmel Holmes, Nevo Shinaar) — An unlikely hero’s journey into his own memories becomes a vehicle for reconciliation and healing for himself and his sibling. Available Online.
Christopher at Sea / France, U.S.A, U.K (Director and Screenwriter: Tom CJ Brown, Screenwriter: Laure Desmazières, Producers: Amanda Miller, Hanna Stolarski, Emily-Jane Brown, Nick Read, Pierre Boivin, Constance Le Scouarnec) — Christopher embarks on a transatlantic voyage as a passenger on a cargo ship. His hopes of finding out what lures so many men to sea sets him on a journey into solitude, fantasy, and obsession. Cast: Jocelyn Si, Andrew Isar, Florian DesBiendras. Available Online.
The Flying Sailor / Canada (Directors and Producers: Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis, Producer: David Christensen) — Two ships collide in a harbor, an explosion shatters a city, and a sailor is blasted skyward, where he soars high above the mayhem and toward the great unknown. Available Online.
fur / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Zhen Li) — A crush gone moldy… North American Premiere. Available Online.
Garrano / Portugal, Lithuania (Director, Screenwriter, and Producers: Vasco Sá, David Doutel. Producers: Agnė Adomėnė, Rodrigo Areias) — A Garrano horse is forced to pull a heavy load under a blazing sun. A young boy named Joel discovers a man who is about to set a forest on fire. Available Online.
In the Big Yard Inside the Teeny-Weeny Pocket / Japan (Director and Screenwriter: Yoko Yuki, Producer: Koji Yamamura) — When it shrinks, it expands. It floats and it sinks. It separates but connects. When I think I’m watching them, they’re actually watching me. Cast: honninman. Available Online.
Inglorious Liaisons / France, Belgium (Director and Screenwriters: Chloe Alliez, Violette Delvoye, Producers: Jean-François Le Corre, Mathieu Courtois, William Henne) — On the night of a big party for Lucie, Maya, and their friends, Jimmy has also come. Everyone knows he is here for Maya, but does she have the same feelings for Jimmy? Cast: Evmorfia Spanoudis, Hélène Bolenge Boteku. U.S. Premiere. Available Online.
Oxytocin / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Jeron Braxton) — Cash for organs and anything for love. Cast: Jeron Braxton. World Premiere. Available Online.
Pipes / Switzerland (Directors: Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier, Sujanth Ravichandran, Producers: Gerd Gockell, Jürgen Haas) — Bob is a plumber hired to fix a broken pipe. He lands, to his surprise, in a gay fetish club. Cast: Tom von Arx, Dave Striegel. North American Premiere. Available Online.
The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns / South Korea (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Jiwon Han) — Sejin once had the power to have anything she wanted just by thinking about it. Now she has lost her magic. Hours before her interview to be a tourist interpreter, Sejin heads to the weary sea to save her father. Cast: Hyunmin Joo, Yeonju Lim, Keum-san Kwon. International Premiere. Available Online.
Well Wishes My Love, Your Love / Sweden, Malaysia (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Gabriel Gabriel Garble) — Newly orphaned and freshly wounded from a loss, a boy lends his companion a prosthetic arm for the day. The companion records the limb being exposed to textures and materials. What will become of the limb and the video recordings? Cast: Gabriel Gabriel Garble. Available Online.
NONFICTION SHORT FILMS
Bigger on the Inside / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Angelo Madsen Minax, Producer: Lyle Ravi Kash) — Through snowy stargazing, flirting with guys on dating apps, taking ketamine (or not), and watching YouTube lecture videos, outer and inner space collapse – to draw a warped cartography of desire and distance. Available Online.
Call Me Mommy / Ireland (Director: Tara O’Callaghan, Producers: Aaron McEnaney, Louise Byrne, Ross Killeen) — Uncovering the multifaceted life of Sinead, a middle-aged single mother and online sex worker. North American Premiere. Available Online.
Kylie / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Sterling Hampton) — A young Black ballerina expresses her passion and pain as a dancer in the ballet community while performing in the inner-city neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Available Online.
Life Without Dreams / U.S.A. (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Jessica Bardsley, Producer: Caitlin Mae Burke) — Set in the outer space of consciousness, where the surfaces of far-out planetary bodies form the terrain for an exploration of 24/7 capitalism, insomnia, and the disappearance of darkness. Available Online.
Liturgy of anti-tank obstacles / U.S.A., Ukraine (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, Producers: Soo-Jeong Kang, Daniel Lombroso, Oleksandra Sorokhan) — In western Ukraine, sculptors who used to make religious statues are retraining for different skills. They now build anti-tank obstacles to help fend off the Russian invasion. Available Online.
Margie Soudek’s Salt and Pepper Shakers / U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Meredith Moore, Producer: Jonna McKone) — An artist and visual effects instructor connects with her aging grandmother, Margie, through collecting, art-making, and obsessing as a way to enhance reality. World Premiere. Available Online.
Parker / U.S.A. (Directors: Sharon Liese, Catherine Hoffman, Producers: Sharon Liese, Funmi Ogunro, Samantha Hake) — Three generations of a Kansas City family are finally unified when they do something that countless other Black Americans could not — choose their own last name. World Premiere. Available Online.
Shirampari: Legacies of the River / Peru (Director and Screenwriter: Lucía Flórez, Producer: José Miguel Pérez) — In one of the most remote places in the Peruvian Amazon, an Ashéninka boy must overcome his fears and catch a giant catfish using only a hook to begin his adult journey. Available Online.
Under G-d / U.S.A. (Director and Producer: Paula Eiselt, Producer: Darcy McKinnon) — The Dobbs U.S. Supreme Court decision sparked a national Jewish response. Inspired by the lived experiences of Jewish women, lawsuits are currently being launched by rabbis, Jewish organizations, and interfaith leaders to challenge the overturning of Roe v. Wade. World Premiere.
Will You Look At Me / China (Director, Screenwriter, and Producer: Shuli Huang) — As a young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown in search of himself, a long-overdue conversation with his mother drives them into a quest for acceptance and love. Available Online.
Eugene Levy hosts the travel series ‘The Reluctant Traveler’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Eugene Levy doesn’t like to travel so why is the Emmy Award winner hosting a globe-trotting travel series? Apparently Levy’s ready to face his fears and hit the road, and is welcoming Apple TV+ subscribers along for the adventure on The Reluctant Traveler. The eight-episode season will find Levy spending time in Costa Rica, Finland, Italy, and Japan. Levy will also be traveling to Maldives, Portugal, and South Africa, as well as United States, over the course of the first season.
There’s no word yet on whether either of his famous offspring – and Schitt’s Creek co-stars – will be joining him in the series.
Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler premieres on February 24, 2023. Levy and David Brindley executive produce, with Twofour producing for Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ issued the following description of the new series:
“Self-confessedly not your typical travel show host – he’s not usually adventurous or well-versed in globe-trotting, Levy agrees the time is finally right for him to broaden his horizons. Levy packs his suitcase with some trepidation but hopes his experiences might lead to a whole new chapter in life, even if it means confronting some of his long-held fears. Join him as he buckles up for the ultimate eye-opening adventure!”
Eugene Levy’s credits include A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, the American Pie films, and For Your Consideration. Levy’s won four Primetime Emmys (Schitt’s Creek, SCTV Network 90), a Critics Choice Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Netflix’s crime anthology series Kaleidoscope allows viewers to watch the episodes in any order, piece together clues, and solve a heist that’s inspired by true events. The just-released official trailer introduces the key players who’ve set their sights on breaking into a vault that’s weatherproof, shock-proof, and thief-proof. The payoff? $7 billion, if the team can successfully crack open the world’s most secure vault.
Netflix is hoping to lure in true crime fans and anyone with a knack for solving mysteries by dishing up the fun “watch in any order” twist. Only “White: The Heist” needs to be watched last. Otherwise, it’s up to each individual viewer to decide where to begin.
Kaleidoscope premieres on Sunday, January 1, 2023.
The series stars Giancarlo Esposito, Paz Vega, Rufus Sewell, Tati Gabrielle, Peter Mark Kendall, Rosaline Elba, Jai Courtney, Niousha Noor, Jordan Mendoza, Soojeong Son, and Hemky Madera. Eric Garcia created the anthology series and serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Automatik Entertainment’s Fred Berger, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Justin Levy are involved as executive producers along with Scott Free Productions’ Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Jordan Sheehan, and Clayton Krueger.
Executive producer Russell Fine, Everardo Gout, Mairzee Almas, and Robert Townsend direct. Evan Endicott, Josh Stoddard, Ning Zhou, Kalen Egan, Kate Barnow, and executive producer Garrett Lerner join Garcia as writers.
The Kaleidoscope Plot, Episode Titles, and Character Descriptions:
Spanning 25 years, Kaleidoscope is an all-new anthology series following a crew of masterful thieves and their attempt to crack a seemingly unbreakable vault for the biggest payday in history. Guarded by the world’s most powerful corporate security team, and with law enforcement on the case, every episode reveals a piece of an elaborate puzzle of corruption, greed, vengeance, scheming, loyalties and betrayals. How did the crew of thieves plan it? Who gets away with it? Who can be trusted?
Loosely inspired by the real-life story where seventy billion dollars in bonds went missing in downtown Manhattan during Hurricane Sandy, Kaleidoscope consists of eight episodes spanning from 24 years before the heist to 6 months after.
The compelling crime anthology series takes a non-linear approach to storytelling, building intrigue and suspense uniquely, with Netflix members each having a different immersive viewing experience. Some members may start with certain episodes (like episodes “Yellow or “Green”), then move deeper into their own personal viewing order with varying episodes (“Blue” or “Violet” or “Orange,” followed by “Red” or “Pink”) until the epic “White: The Heist” story finale.
All viewers will eventually see all episodes, but the order in which they watch the episodes will affect their viewpoint on the story, the characters, and the questions and answers at the heart of the heist. How will you experience the colors of Kaleidoscope?
“Yellow: 6 Weeks Before The Heist”
“Green: 7 Years Before the Heist”
“Blue: 5 Days Before the Heist”
“Violet: 24 Years Before the Heist”
“Orange: 3 Weeks Before the Heist”
“Red: The Morning After the Heist”
“Pink: 6 Months After”
“White: The Heist” the epic story finale.
The Crew of Thieves
LEO PAP (Giancarlo Esposito) – THE MASTERMIND
The Leader. Leo is whip-smart, intense, and driven, with an engineer’s mind and a meticulous eye for detail. He became a thief at a young age — and though he had a chance to get out, he couldn’t stay away from the criminal life and his relapse cost him his family and his freedom.
AVA MERCER (Paz Vega) – THE WEAPONS SPECIALIST
An attorney by day, she is equally at home on a gun range or gallery show as she is in the courtroom. Although she plays things fast and loose, deep down she’s a passionate soul who will do anything to protect the few people close to her.
JUDY GOODWIN (Rosaline Elbay) – THE EXPLOSIVES EXPERT
The crew’s demolitions specialist, Judy is headstrong and independent — an eccentric spitfire with a sarcastic edge who is clever and talented enough to stay a step ahead of her mistakes.
BOB GOODWIN (Jai Courtney) – THE SAFE CRACKER
A chest-puffing alpha male with a knack for safecracking and pushing people’s buttons, Bob is attractive enough to be a threat and smart enough to be dangerous to anyone who gets in his way when he’s on the hunt.
STAN LOOMIS (Peter Mark Kendall) – THE SMUGGLER
A small-time smuggler with a big-time passion for life’s epicurean pleasures, Stan’s got a mouth that never stops running and the heart of a hopeless romantic. Loyal to a fault, he’s willing to risk it all for the object of his desire — even if it means giving up the comfortable life he’s built for himself.
RJ ACOSTA, JR (Jordan Mendoza) – THE DRIVER
Shaggy and technical-minded, RJ is a self-taught engineer, a brilliant mechanic and car customizer, and a driver extraordinaire. What he excels in tech know-how, he lacks in common sense and people skills, but his loyalty to Leo knows no bounds. When he’s invited to join the crew, he jumps at the chance to prove his worth.
The Corporate Security Team with the Unbeatable Vault
ROGER SALAS (Rufus Sewell) – THE CORPORATE SECURITY TITAN
A former thief who has reinvented himself as a top-tier security expert, Roger is a salesman with an uncanny ability to manipulate people to his ends. Loyal, to a point, but his own ambitions and needs will win out every time.
HANNAH KIM (Tati Gabrielle) – THE PROTÉGÉ
Intelligent, ambitious, and adaptable, Hannah is a woman who wears many hats — and is driven by far more than money. As a chameleon who flows between the world of high-stakes finance and low-lying crime, she will have to use everything in her bag of tricks to find a way up and out.
LIZ KIM (Soojeong Son) – THE SISTER
Liz is Hannah’s younger sister, a free spirit and aspiring DJ/immersive dance captain. She’s a source of joy to Hannah, but her laissez-faire attitude conflicts with Hannah’s deep work ethic. Together, they’ll have to find a way to support each other and work hand-in-hand if they want to come out on top.
CARLOS SUJO (Hemky Madera) – THE HENCHMAN
Carlos is Roger Salas’s right-hand man and head of security — not just for the company, but for Roger himself. Loyal and intense, Carlos is the one who Roger turns to when he needs something handled off-book. Very few people really understand what Carlos does for Roger, but they all know it’s best to leave him a wide berth and not get in his way.
The Agents On The Case
NAZAN ABBASI (Niousha Noor) – THE DRIVEN AGENT
Driven, damaged, and tenacious to a fault, FBI Agent Nazan Abassi is the raging fire that threatens to burn the crew of thieves down— as long as those flames don’t consume her first.
AGENT SAMUEL TOBY (Bubba Weiler) – THE PARTNER
Special Agent Samuel Toby is a boy scout in the FBI, the kind of guy who’d take a strawberry milkshake over a vodka on the rocks. He’s got a sharp mind, and an immense admiration for fellow Agent Nazan Abbasi that seeps over from professional to personal. He’s attracted to her intelligence and skill in the field and devotedly aids her as she attempts to track down the crew. But when he realizes Nazan is way too deep into her obsession, he’ll have to choose whether his priorities lie in being on the right side of his career, or the right side of justice.
The official trailer for season two of Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia suggests fans should buckle up because we’re in for a bumpy ride. The trailer teases the rocky relationship between Ginny and Georgia now that she knows what her mom’s capable of, and Georgia acknowledges her issues, saying, “I’m not normal. I’m a damaged, trailer-park, teen-mom murderer.” Nailed it!
Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey are back leading the cast in the titular roles. Season two also stars Diesel La Torraca, Jennifer Robertson, Felix Mallard, Sara Waisglass, Scott Porter, Raymond Ablack, Chelsea Clark, and Katie Douglas.
Season one premiered in February 2021 and season two will launch on January 5, 2023. Both seasons of the twisted drama from series creator/executive producer Sarah Lampert consist of 10 one-hour episodes.
Debra J. Fisher (Alias) serves as showrunner and executive produces along with Jeff Tahler, Jenny Daly, Holly Hines, Daniel March, Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, and Armand Leo. Season two’s directors include James Genn, Audrey Cummings, Daniskha Esterhazy, Sharon Lewis, and Rose Troche.
The new season picks up the action two weeks after the events in the season one finale. “We spent all of Season 1 breaking these characters down and putting them in certain places,” said Lampert in an interview with Neflix’s Tudum. “So, we wanted to honor that by picking up Season 2 just two weeks later. We jumped right back into where we emotionally left everyone at the end of Season 1.”
“How do you live with the knowledge that your mother is a murderer? That’s what Ginny is going to have to figure out. Burdened with the new understanding that Kenny – her step-dad – didn’t die of natural causes, now Ginny must deal with the fact that Georgia not only killed, she killed to protect Ginny. Georgia on the other hand would much prefer that the past be left in the past, after all, she’s got a wedding to plan! But the funny thing about Georgia’s past is that it never stays buried for long…”
Sophie (Hilary Duff) and Jesse (Christopher Lowell) in ‘How I Met Your Father’ season 2 (Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)
Hulu’s set a January 2023 premiere date for season two of How I Met Your Father. Series star Hilary Duff made a short teaser video revealing the How I Met Your Mother spinoff’s Tuesday, January 24th second season launch date. Plus, the streaming service celebrated the premiere date announcement with the first batch of photos from season two.
In addition to Hilary Duff as Sophie, the season two cast features Chris Lowell, Francia Raisa, Tom Ainsley, Tien Tran, and Suraj Sharma. Recurring guest stars include Kim Cattrall, Daniel Augustin, Ashley Reyes, and Josh Peck.
How I Met Your Father is executive produced by Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger, Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Pam Fryman, and Adam Londy. Aptaker and Berger are the writers, and Duff serves as a producer on the comedy series from 20th Television.
The Plot, Courtesy of Hulu:
In the near future, Sophie (Duff) is telling her son the story of how she met his father: a story that catapults us back to the present where Sophie and her close-knit group of friends are in the midst of figuring out who they are, what they want out of life, and how to fall in love in the age of dating apps and limitless options.
Sophie (Hilary Duff), Valentina (Francia Raisa), Charlie (Tom Ainsley), and Ellen (Tien Tran) inn season 2 (Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)Charlie (Tom Ainsley) and Ellen (Tien Tran) in season 2 (Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)Jesse (Christopher Lowell) and Sid (Suraj Sharma) in season 2 (Photo by: Patrick Wymore/Hulu)
Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay and Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in ‘SWAT’ season 6 episode 9 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
CBS’s S.W.A.T. will return from a month-long winter break with season six episode nine, airing on Friday, January 6, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT. Episode nine, “Pariah,” was directed by Cherie Dvorak from a script by Michael Gemballa.
Season six stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Alex Russell as Jim Street, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, Kenny Johnson as Dominique Luca, David Lim as Victor Tan, Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks, and Rochelle Aytes as Nichelle.
“Pariah” Plot: When faced with a series of random shootings, one SWAT member’s family connections could be the key to stopping the next attack. Also, Hondo prepares to meet Rochelle’s parents for the first time, and Tan helps Luca navigate a sensitive situation.
Episode nine guest stars include David Rees Snell, Brigitte Kali Canales, Kelly Overton, D. Elliot Woods, Damien Leake, and Rhied DeCastro. Lys Perez, Alejandro DeAnda, Jandres Burgos, Alfredo Martinez Castillo, Deja Monique Cruz, and Monnae Michaell also guest star.
Kenneth “Kenny” Johnson as Dominique Luca, Alex Russell as Jim Street and David Lim as Victor Tan in season 6 episode 9 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
The Plot:
S.W.A.T. stars Shemar Moore as a former Marine and locally born and raised S.W.A.T. sergeant tasked to run a specialized tactical unit that is the last stop in law enforcement in Los Angeles. Torn between loyalty to where he was raised and allegiance to his brothers in blue, Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson strives to bridge the divide between his two worlds. Committed to the job and embracing personal change, Hondo prepares for fatherhood with his girlfriend, Nichelle, the operator of a South LA community center.
The other members of Hondo’s elite S.W.A.T. unit include David “Deacon” Kay, an experienced S.W.A.T. officer and dedicated family man who always puts the team first; Dominique Luca, an expert driver who gets them in and out of high-risk situations; Victor Tan, who started in the LAPD Hollywood Division and uses his confidential informants in the community to help the team; and Jim Street, the team’s cocky newest member.
Responsible for the management of all Metro Division S.W.A.T. units is Commander Robert Hicks, a senior LAPD official with the Special Operations Bureau. With Hondo leading the charge, these dedicated men bravely put themselves at risk to protect their community and save lives.
Alex Russell as Jim Street in season 6 episode 9 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)Anna Enger Ritch as Powell in the “Pariah” episode (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in season 6 episode 9 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)Kenneth “Kenny” Johnson as Dominique Luca, Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay, and Brigitte Kali Canales as Alexis Cabrera in season 6 episode 9 (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)Brigitte Kali Canales as Alexis Cabrera, Jay Harrington as David “Deacon” Kay and Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in the “Pariah” episode (Photo: Bill Inoshita/Sony Pictures Television/CBS Broadcasting, Inc)
Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song, Caitlin Bassett as Addison, and Justin Hartley as Jake in ‘Quantum Leap’ season 1 episode 4 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
Dr. Ben Song and his team at the lab will be jumping around in time for a second season. NBC’s officially renewed the sci-fi drama Quantum Leap for season two, announcing the renewal while season one’s on its winter holiday break.
“We’re leaping into a second season thanks to the incredible work by our cast, producers, writers and everyone who has played a role in giving this iconic NBC series a new life,” stated Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “As we continue to bring audiences to our must-watch dramas, it’s gratifying to know Quantum Leap will have a prominent place next season both on our NBC schedule and next day on Peacock.”
The season one casts includes Raymond Lee (Kevin Can F**k Himself) as physicist Ben Song and Caitlin Bassett as Addison Augustine, a co-worker whose hologram helps Ben out when he leaps. 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.
The series premiered on September 19, 2022, and the first episode, “July 13, 1985,” has pulled in more than 10.8 million viewers across all platforms. Martin Gero (Keep Breathing) serves as executive producer along with Dean Georgaris, Don Bellisario, Deborah Pratt, Chris Grismer, Steven Lilien, and Bryan Wynbrandt.
Nanrisa Lee as Jenn, Ernie Hudson as Magic, Mason Alexander Park as Ian, and Caitlin Bassett as Addison in ‘Quantum Leap’ season 1 episode 1 (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC)
The Quantum Leap Plot, Courtesy of NBC:
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 the 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 leaps and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.
