The Lincoln Lawyer has successfully argued the case for another season, with Netflix announcing the popular drama has been renewed for season two. The streaming service also confirmed Manuel Garcia-Rulfo will be reprising his role as Mickey Haller for the second season.
Neve Campbell will return as Maggie McPherson and Becki Newton is back as Lorna. Jazz Raycole and Angus Sampson also reprise their roles as Izzy and Cisco, respectively.
Per Netflix’s announcement, season two will consist of 10 episodes based on Michael Connelly’s fourth novel in The Lincoln Lawyer series, The Fifth Witness.
Queen of the South‘s Dailyn Rodriguez is joining Ted Humphrey as co-showrunner. Rodriguez and Humphrey will also executive produce along with series creator David E. Kelley, author Michael Connelly, Ross Fineman, Barry Jossen, and Tana Jamieson.
Season one premiered on May 13, 2022 and has racked up more than 260 hours of viewing. The first season was based on Connelly’s second The Lincoln Lawyer book, The Brass Verdict.
“In tough times, crime is one of the few things that still pays, but if defense attorney Mickey Haller was expecting an uptick in business during the economic downturn, the reality is a different story. Even people needing legal representation to keep them out of jail are having to make cutbacks, it seems. In fact, the most significant part of Mickey’s business right now is not about keeping clients out of jail but about keeping a roof over their heads, as the foreclosure boom hits thousands of people who were granted unrealistic mortgages in the good times and now face being kicked to the curb in the bad times.
Lisa Trammel has been a client of Mickey’s for eight months — his very first foreclosure case, in fact — and although so far he’s managed to stop the bank from taking her house, the strain and sense of injustice have taken a toll. The bank recently got a restraining order to prevent her from protesting against their practices. Now, a high level bank employee, Mitchell Bondurant, has been found dead in the bank’s parking lot and Lisa is about to be indicted for murder. For Mickey, it’s back to what he does best on the biggest stage of all, but if he thought defending Lisa Trammel was going to be a walk in the park, he’d be wrong. Not only is he about to learn some startling truths about his client, but also about himself, and by the time the verdict is in, Mickey’s whole world will have been turned upside down.”
456 contestants will be vying for the largest payout in reality competition series history with Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge. The just-announced competition series is, obviously, inspired by the critically acclaimed, award-winning series and will offer a game-changing $4.56 million grand prize to the last person standing.
Netflix is now actively searching for the 456 contestants worthy of taking on the challenge via SquidGameCasting.com. Per the official announcement: “For this round, the Front Man is in search of English-language speakers from any part of the world.”
“Squid Game took the world by storm with Director Hwang’s captivating story and iconic imagery. We’re grateful for his support as we turn the fictional world into reality in this massive competition and social experiment,” stated Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Unscripted and Documentary Series. “Fans of the drama series are in for a fascinating and unpredictable journey as our 456 real world contestants navigate the biggest competition series ever, full of tension and twists, with the biggest ever cash prize at the end.”
Filming of the 10-episode first season will take place in the UK. Studio Lambert’s Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt, and Toni Ireland will executive produce with The Garden’s John Hay, Nicola Hill, and Nicola Brown.
Netflix released the following description of the reality competition series:
“With both the largest cast and lump sum cash prize in reality TV history, 456 real players will enter the game in pursuit of a life-changing reward of $4.56 million. As they compete through a series of games inspired by the original show – plus surprising new additions – their strategies, alliances, and character will be put to the test while competitors are eliminated around them. The stakes are high, but in this game the worst fate is going home empty-handed.”
An old love returns to disrupt Anne Elliot’s life in the first trailer for Netflix’s Persuasion. Dakota Johnson stars as Anne with Cosmo Jarvis playing the jilted lover and Henry Golding as the third part of the love triangle.
The cast of the period romance also includes Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Ben Bailey-Smith, Yolanda Kettle, Nia Towle, and Izuka Hoyle. Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow adapted Jane Austen’s beloved novel and Carrie Cracknell (Julie) directs.
The trailer was accompanied by additional photos along with an official poster.
Andrew Lazar, Christina Weiss Lurie, and MRC Film produce, with Elizabeth Cantillon, Michael Constable, and David Fliegel executive producing.
Persuasion will premiere on July 15, 2022.
Netflix’s Persuasion synopsis:
“Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth — the dashing one she once sent away — crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.”
Netflix just released the first photos from the upcoming Stranger Things season four volume two. The new photos show Joyce and Murray have joined Hopper and Dmitri in the Russian prison, while Eleven deals with Dr. Brenner.
We’re also served up a shot from inside the pizza van and get a sneak peek at what’s going on in Hawkins.
Season four volume one’s seven episodes premiered on May 27, 2022. The season’s final two episodes will debut on July 1st. Netflix previously teased the final episodes will be super-sized, and it’s confirmed episode eight is one hour and 25 minutes while episode nine runs two hours and 20 minutes.
Stranger Things season four stars Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, and Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair. Noah Schnapp plays Will Byers, Sadie Sink is Max Mayfield, Natalia Dyer is Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton is Jonathan Byers, Joe Keery is Steve Harrington, and Maya Hawke is Robin Buckley. Priah Ferguson stars as Erica Sinclair, Brett Gelman plays Murray, Cara Buono is Karen Wheeler, and Matthew Modine is Dr. Brenner.
Additional cast members include Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard, Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson, Eduardo Franco as Argyle, Sherman Augustus as Lt. Colonel Sullivan, Mason Dye as Jason Carver, Nikola Djuricko as Yuri, and Tom Wlaschiha as Dmitri. Season four also features Myles Truitt as Patrick, Regina Ting Chen as Ms. Kelly, Grace Van Dien as Chrissy, Logan Riley Bruner as Fred Benson, Logan Allen as Jake, Elodie Grace Orkin as Angela, John Reynolds as Officer Callahan, Rob Morgan as Chief Powell, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, and Robert Englund as Victor Creel.
The official season four plot:
“It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.”
Season four episode one of The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico ended with a new alien triad giddy over starting the alighting. Episode two begins with a voiceover by Max (Nathan Dean) explaining that for decades claims of alien activity in Roswell weren’t taken seriously. They were considered urban legends or flights of fantasy rather than stories grounded in truth.
However, a bizarre storm that lit up the sky in pinks and purples, along with weather balloons crashing to earth, is sure to renew interest in the possibility of aliens in Roswell.
The morning after the weird light show Liz (Jeanine Mason) has determined it can all be attributed to St. Elmo’s Fire – meaning it’s earth science, not alien. Max takes in the science lesson as he and Liz prepare for work, with Liz thoughtfully writing down the explanation so Max can deliver the details during a press conference.
Blaming it on St. Elmo’s Fire will shift the public’s attention while the #PodSquad tries to figure out what’s going on with the new alien bank robbers and if they’re a threat.
Liz makes it in to work to help her dad who’s absolutely slammed with tourists. Isobel (Lily Cowles) and Anatsa (Sibongile Mlamboare) are among the customers, and Isobel makes herself at home behind the counter to whip up a Shatner Shake for her girlfriend. They discuss aliens and mind control, and Isobel’s obviously hoping to learn Anatsa doesn’t think aliens are evil. (Isobel hasn’t had the chance to fill Anatsa in her big secret due to the unexpected, attention-grabbing storm.)
Anatsa’s anxious to toss some bank robbery questions at Max during the press conference. Isobel warns her that, according to Max, the FBI is lead on that so he won’t have any info to share.
Isobel’s so helpful behind the counter that Arturo recruits her to work a shift!
Meanwhile, Max tells the assembled press and townsfolk not to believe their eyes. It was just a “harmless bit of physics” and any flying saucer sighting was simply a research firm’s weather tracking equipment.
Graham Green (Peter Diseth) interrupts the press conference and claims Max is just part of a cover-up. There are aliens involved and the slimy goo he’s holding is proof.
Max, Alex (Tyler Blackburn), and Dallas (Quentin Plair) meet after the press conference, and Max confirms Graham’s in possession of shimmering alien goo. Alex insists the weather balloons they’ve retrieved don’t show any alien involvement, but he’ll keep looking for more evidence.
Before heading off to meet up with Cam at the bank, Max tasks Dallas with keeping Michael from getting into trouble.
Liz is summoned to the roof of the café and shocked to meet the wife of her mentor Dr. Allie Meyers, a tech billionaire named Shivani (Rekha Sharma). She claims she’s interested in studying the secrets of the universe and that’s why she’s in Roswell. Shivani knows all about Liz’s research abilities and is interested in partnering up to get to the truth about the freak storm in particular and Roswell in general.
Although Liz claims to have stepped away from research, Shivani believes she can lure her in with a special gift. She hands Liz a box containing a glowing locust, hoping it will make Liz want to delve back into science. It doesn’t, but Shivani refuses to take it back and will keep the invitation open in case Liz changes her mind.
Two of the three new alien visitors are having car trouble outside of town. The male alien (Andrew Lees) attempts to fix the problem while the female alien (Zoe Cipres) sings, dances, and complains they haven’t gotten time off since emerging from their pods six months ago. She wants to learn about humans and try a patty melt but the guy isn’t interested in getting to know the lesser species.
Kyle (Michael Trevino) is called into the hospital to help treat injuries sustained during the previous evening’s storm. And for once he’s on the receiving end of some legitimate flirting. The good-looking woman even passes him her digits.
Anatsa also shows up at the hospital but not as a patient. She’s there to find out more about a bank teller who was injured. It turns out all of the tellers have memory loss except one who hid under a desk, and Anatsa thinks their minds have been wiped. Kyle refuses to discuss the matter, citing HIPAA (the health insurance portability and accountability act). He quickly texts Isobel warning her they have a problem.
Liz visits Michael (Michael Vlamis) in his secret lab and reveals the glowing locust’s DNA has in fact been altered. She wants to dissect the creature and Michael’s a willing assistant. Liz slices it open and they’re both shocked when its guts fly out and land on the console. Liz thinks maybe its swarm instinct’s been activated and Michael speaks for the audience when he asks her to explain. She thinks the bug’s a kind of beacon.
Liz has to hurry off to teach so Michael is now in charge of the locust and its guts.
Cam (Riley Voelkel) and Max meet in the bank vault, and Max learns that no DNA was left behind and the cameras weren’t working. Plus, the vault was unlocked from the inside. A lot of the safe-deposit boxes weren’t opened and the alien thieves weren’t interested in cash. They’re stumped as to what the robbers were after.
Cam reveals only one box was stolen in the other bank robbery. Dallas shows up just then and Max introduces him to Cam who warns him she’s an atheist who speaks her mind. Intros complete, Max suggests Dallas get to work putting back together a lamp that’s on the table in the middle of the vault. Dallas scores major points by confirming he could try, but the base is missing; neither Cam nor Max noticed that.
They have no idea why the base was special but realize the aliens were after it which means it’s important.
Elsewhere, the aliens chow down while arguing over the waste and gluttony of humans. The male believes Earth is due an awakening and humans are heading toward an apocalypse.
Unfortunately for an observant restaurant employee, these aliens have incredible hearing. The male alien (please give these characters a name soon!) catches the employee calling the cops and reporting the car used in the bank robbery.
A short while later, Cam and Max confront the employee but he doesn’t have a clue what they’re talking about. He claims they just opened and it’s obvious he has no idea his mind’s been wiped.
Fortunately, the aliens left behind a huge mess on the table. Cam and Max look through it as Dallas spots a man by the side of the building and heads off to question him.
And, finally, we can put names to these new aliens! They’ve left behind an order slip revealing they’re calling themselves Bonnie and Clyde. (These aliens apparently have a sense of humor.)
Back in Michael’s lab, he and Alex go over what they know about the locust’s gooey guts. Michael explains the guts were only attracted to the console – not any of the alien glass or other stuff. Alex suggests that maybe the console emits a unique frequency and asks to take it to Deep Sky to study. He explains that it will make the research go faster which means he’ll get more time at home with his favorite alien.
“I’m like a piece of alien tech. I don’t like being parted from my alien,” says Alex.
The mood gets a little tense when Michael explains he also wants more time with Alex but isn’t willing to give what he describes as his only family heirloom to him to take to Deep Sky. Any experiments on the console will have to be done in Michael’s lab.
Over at the fast-food restaurant, Dallas was able to piece together what happened by speaking to a witness. The man reported lights flickering when Bonnie and Clyde left. Plus, they cut out part of the front page of the newspaper. Max grabs his copy of the newspaper and confirms they cut out an ad about Graham’s museum. The ad features symbols that neither Max nor Dallas recognize.
Bonnie and Clyde drive out of town and pull over to assess what they know. They admit they had fun eating burgers but are aware they can’t keep erasing minds to cover their tracks. They need to get back to work which means hunting down a lost relic. Clyde believes it could be in Graham’s alien museum.
Isobel shows up at the hospital in response to Kyle’s text and learns her girlfriend’s been interviewing patients about the bank heist. Kyle doesn’t think Anatsa’s going to let this go and Isobel needs to figure out how to handle this. She doesn’t know what to do and Kyle says, “That’s for you to decide. But in a relationship, white lies are still lies.”
Michael receives some extremely helpful and much-needed advice from Sanders (Nicholas Ballas). Michael explains what he’s working on and that thus far he’s failing to learn much about the console, and Sanders suggests he let his pretty little fella help. Michael admits he doesn’t trust Deep Sky with his console and Sanders asks if he trusts Alex with it. He confesses he doesn’t because it’s not Alex’s dream.
“But it’s yours and he loves you,” says Sanders. “That’s what it means to walk through this crazy little thing called life with someone, kid. Venturing into uncomfortable territory.”
Dallas, Max, and Cam show up at Graham’s big alien event but Anatsa snags Max’s attention before he can look around. She wants answers about the bank robbery, the FBI’s involvement, and why Cam isn’t updating her superiors. Plus, the witnesses have amnesia.
Anatsa won’t let it go and Max finally loses his temper. “Stop talking to me like the brother of the woman you’re sleeping with. When I wear this uniform, I am Sheriff Evans,” says Max. He warns her to kill the story.
Cam and Dallas question Graham about the symbol but he refuses to provide any answers.
Anatsa notices Bonnie and Clyde walking through the crowd and that Bonnie is wearing a coat like the one the witness who hid under the table described. Minutes later Anatsa observes Bonnie speaking with Graham and then Graham writing something down. Isobel walks up and Anatsa misses the rest of the interaction.
Cam and Max are comparing notes when they spot Clyde staring at an exhibit. Clyde manages to briefly give them the slip but Max catches up with him in the parking lot. Max is shocked when Clyde addresses him as the savior and reveals they got his message.
Max didn’t send the message but plays along, claiming he’s been waiting for them and wondering what took six months. Clyde reveals they’ve been busy collecting what he requested and it hasn’t been easy. Max slips up and Clyde figures out he’s the clone – not the savior.
Clyde and Bonnie manage to escape and now they know who Max is!
Alex returns to Michael’s lab after receiving urgent messages and learns his lover’s had a change of heart. Michael wants Alex to take the console to Deep Sky. Michael confesses he thought the console was his way home but now he understands Alex is his home. “I trust you to take care of my dreams,” says Michael.
“Your dreams and your heart – always,” says Alex.
Alex no longer believes he needs to take the console to Deep Sky. He thought doing so would lessen the amount of time they’re apart, but now he understands their love can handle anything. Michael also trusts that no matter how far apart they are, they’ll always find their way back to each other.
Later that evening, Isobel’s forced to do something she promised herself she wouldn’t. Anatsa is committed to following the bank robbery story and won’t back off, and Isobel feels the only way to keep her safe is to use her powers to make Anatsa step away from the story.
Max arrives home to find Liz pouring their “special occasion” bottle. Liz had a talk with Shivani about the work/relationship balance and it’s truly opened her eyes. She believes Shivani is setting her on the path to becoming the woman she wants to be.
Max is exhausted from trying to be an exemplary sheriff, failing to find out anything useful from Graham, and from pretending to be Jones while confronting Jones’ contingency plan. He’s worried about having power along with the responsibility that comes with being sheriff. It might just be too much.
Alex heads out of town while over at the café Cam flirts with Dallas. He resists the temptation and Cam insists the pod squad’s lucky to have him.
Isobel smiles when she spots Kyle at the bar and is about to join him at a table when the girl from the hospital slips in beside him.
Alex pulls up at his first stop and locusts swarm as alien goo glows. He gets out and almost immediately falls partway into an opening. Bonnie arrives and Alex realizes she’s part of Jones’ backup plan. She refuses to help him and as he slides further underground she informs Alex that he’s also part of Jones’ contingency plan.
Simultaneously, the console in Michael’s lab shimmers and symbols appear.
Netflix’s The Future Of documentary series had me at the possibility of a dog internet. According to the official description, The Future Of season one will include an episode all about the possibility of developing technology that will allow us to better communicate with our furry family members.
The 12-episode season will also feature a look at the future of houseplants, dating apps, cheeseburgers, and fashion.
Jurnee Smollett narrates the half-hour episodes and Vox Media Studios’ Chad Mumm, Mark W. Olsen, Max Heckman, Michael John Warren, and Chris Grosso executive produce. The Verge’s Nilay Patel and Eleanor Donovan as well as 21 Laps Entertainment’s Shawn Levy and Josh Barry also executive produce.
The first six episodes will be released on June 21, 2022. The final six episodes debut on June 28th.
The Future Of Plot and Episode Descriptions, Courtesy of Netflix:
“What if we could look into the future to see how every aspect of our daily lives – from raising pets and house plants to what we eat and how we date – will be impacted by technology? We can, and should, expect more from the future than the dystopia promised in current science fiction. The Future Of will reveal surprising and personal predictions about the rest of our lives — and the lives of generations to come.”
Dogs
Driven by our obsession with pets, humans are developing better and better technologies to communicate with them. We explore a future where dogs and people can truly understand each other, and we may even develop virtual tools to enrich our furry friends. Did someone say ‘dog internet’?
Dating
Dating apps: they’re awkward, time consuming, and actually a pretty bad way to get to know someone. It’s easy to meet people, but hard to actually connect. In the future, brain science and artificial intelligence will help us connect, and we’ll find ourselves in a future where the classic meet-cute is completely reinvented.
Houseplants
Houseplants have been our domestic companions for as long as we can remember, but what if they did even more? In the future, plants will be used for everything from pollution monitoring to street lighting to data storage.
Gaming
Video games, once confined to our screens and digital devices are starting to bleed into the real world with augmented reality. But today’s AR is just a taste of what’s to come. In the future, this tech will become so advanced that it will touch everything from fashion to architecture to food. Thanks to games, we’ll see all of reality through a new lens.
Space Vacations
What was once only possible in the movies is becoming a reality: commercial space tourism is rapidly evolving! In the very far future, if we can tackle the technical and practical challenges of space travel, we’ll push the boundaries of where civilians can go – from hotels in orbit, to life-changing experiences on the moon.
Cheeseburgers
Would you pay $100 for a Big Mac? Cheeseburgers are becoming more and more expensive to produce, and they’re not great for the environment. But there might be a way to produce meat that saves money, livestock, and our planet: growing meat cheaply and sustainably in our homes.
Life After Death
When someone dies, we’re left to handle two distinct pieces of their legacy: physical remains, and digital remains. Today, both of those things are full of challenges, from environmental sustainability to digital privacy. In the future, we’ll solve both in one beautiful and touching experience: memorials that bring our loved ones back to life, in more ways than one.
Sports
Today, our favorite athletes push themselves to break records… and limbs. In the future, advancements in sports medicine will not only keep players out on the field– it will help them achieve remarkable feats of strength and speed that will redefine what it means to get in the game.
Fashion
What if your closet could print out an outfit at the click of a button? And what if those clothes were made from a new generation of green materials? In the future, your clothes might not only fit you perfectly– they’ll be better for the planet.
Skyscrapers
Skyscrapers are icons of their cities…but with the growth of urban populations, many have become unsustainable, unlivable and unwelcoming. We imagine a clean, high-tech, cutting-edge city of the future, where our buildings themselves are not only communities: they’re living, breathing organisms.
Health
We do a lot to keep ourselves healthy, but in the future, we may enter an age of designer organs. These brand-new body parts will revolutionize our healthcare and pharmaceutical needs. They’ll keep our “classic” organs humming along, produce customized vitamin and drug regimens, and even help us fight off new viruses.
Headphones
Music pushes technologies, industries, and cultures forward. And in the future, your headphones will be every bit as important as the music you listen to, because your headphones will listen to you. They’ll become the ultimate wearable, measuring your life and tailoring the sounds of your world to you and you alone.
BFFs plan to not leave high school without at least one good night of partying in the official trailer for Netflix’s Boo, Bitch. The two-minute trailer finds the girls’ plans thrown for a loop after one of them winds up dead, body trapped under a deceased cow.
Lana Condor (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before) stars as Erika, the newly created ghost. Zoe Colletti plays Gia, her friend and partner in figuring out the afterlife. The cast of the limited series also includes Mason Versaw as Jake C., Aparna Brielle as Riley, Tenzing Norgay Trainor as Gavin, and Jason Genao as Devon.
Tim Schauer, Kuba Soltysiak, Erin Ehrlich, and Lauren Iungerich co-created the series, with Ehrlich and Iungerich serving as showrunners. They also executive produce along with Lana Condor, Jamie Dooner, Jonathan Komack Martin, and Blake Goza. Schauer and Soltysiak are co-executive producers.
The eight episode series premieres on July 8, 2022.
“Over the course of one night, a high school senior, who’s lived her life safely under the radar, seizes the opportunity to change her narrative and start living an epic life, only to find out the next morning… she’s a motherf*%king ghost.”
Elisabeth Moss stars in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ season 5 (Photo Credit: Hulu)
Hulu’s just unveiled the first two photos from the upcoming fifth season of the award-winning dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale. The new photos feature Elisabeth Moss as June and Yvonne Strahovski as the newly widowed Serena.
The first-look photos were accompanied by news that season five will premiere on September 14, 2022. Hulu will release the first two episodes on that date, followed by additional new episodes on subsequent Wednesdays.
Moss and Strahovski return to lead the cast that includes Bradley Whitford, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenle, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, and Sam Jaeger. Alexis Bledel (“Emily/Ofglen”) announced in late May 2022 that she would not be returning for season five.
In a statement released to Variety, Bledel said, “After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid’s Tale at this time. I am forever grateful to Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support.”
Series star Elisabeth Moss, Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Daniel Wilson, and Fran Sears executive produce. Additional executive producers include Eric Tuchman, Yahlin Chang, Rachel Skukert, Sheila Hockin, John Weber, Frank Siracusa, Steve Stark, and Kim Todd.
Hulu issued the following synopsis of season five:
“June faces consequences for killing Commander Waterford while struggling to redefine her identity and purpose. The widowed Serena attempts to raise her profile in Toronto as Gilead’s influence creeps into Canada. Commander Lawrence works with Aunt Lydia as he tries to reform Gilead and rise in power. June, Luke and Moira fight Gilead from a distance as they continue their mission to save and reunite with Hannah.”
Yvonne Strahovski in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ season 5 (Photo Credit: Hulu)
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 cast (Photo Credit: VH1)
Top Chef and RuPaul’s Drag Race each picked up three awards at the 2022 Critics Choice Real TV Awards held on June 12th in Los Angeles. The two top vote-getters tied in the Best Competition Series category, with RuPaul’s Drag Race also scoring wins in Best Unstructured Series and Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series. Top Chef’s two additional wins came in the Best Culinary Show and Best Show Host (Padme Lakshmi) categories.
The annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards honor the best in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming. Actors/comedians Randy and Jason Sklar hosted this year’s event which, in addition to recognizing the best reality and unscripted shows, posthumously honored Bob Saget with the Critics Choice Real TV Impact Award. The Impact Award is given in recognition of “an outstanding individual for career excellence and the positive impact they have made on the world of nonfiction content.”
John Stamos had the honor of presenting the Impact Award to Bob Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo.
FOURTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE REAL TV AWARDS NOMINEES and WINNERS:
BEST COMPETITION SERIES
Chopped (Food Network)
Making It (NBC) WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
The Amazing Race (CBS) WINNER: Top Chef (Bravo)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
BEST COMPETITION SERIES: TALENT/VARIETY
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
Finding Magic Mike (HBO Max)
Legendary (HBO Max) WINNER: Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Prime Video)
Next Level Chef (Fox)
The Voice (NBC)
BEST UNSTRUCTURED SERIES
Couples Therapy (Showtime) WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)
The Kardashians (Hulu)
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
The Real World Homecoming: New Orleans (Paramount+)
We’re Here (HBO)
BEST STRUCTURED SERIES
Catfish: The TV Show (MTV)
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network)
Dr. Pimple Popper (TLC)
Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic) WINNER: How To with John Wilson (HBO)
Sketchbook (Disney+)
BEST CULINARY SHOW
Cooking with Paris (Netflix)
Crime Scene Kitchen (Fox)
Is It Cake? (Netflix)
Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines (Magnolia)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix) WINNER: Top Chef (Bravo)
BEST GAME SHOW
Family Game Fight! (NBC)
Holey Moley (ABC) WINNER: Jeopardy! (Syndicated)
Supermarket Sweep (ABC)
The Price Is Right (CBS)
Weakest Link (NBC)
BEST TRAVEL/ADVENTURE SHOW Alone (History)
Family Dinner (Magnolia) WINNER:Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix) The Amazing Race (CBS)
The World According to Jeff Goldblum (Disney+)
The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals (Netflix)
BEST BUSINESS SHOW
American Greed (CNBC)
Bar Rescue (Paramount+)
Million Dollar Wheels (Discovery+)
Restaurant: Impossible (Food Network) WINNER: Shark Tank (ABC)
Undercover Boss (CBS)
BEST ANIMAL/NATURE SHOW
Crikey! It’s the Irwins (Discovery) WINNER: Critter Fixers: Country Vets (National Geographic)
Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America)
Growing Up Animal (Disney+)
Penguin Town (Netflix)
The Wizard of Paws (BYUtv)
BEST CRIME/JUSTICE SHOW
911 Crisis Center (Oxygen)
Cold Justice (Oxygen)
Heist (Netflix)
Rich & Shameless (TNT) WINNER: Secrets of Playboy (A&E)
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic)
BEST SPORTS SHOW
30 for 30 (ESPN)
Bad Sport (Netflix) WINNER: Cheer (Netflix)
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (CMT)
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers (Prime Video)
BEST RELATIONSHIP SHOW
90 Day Fiancé (TLC)
La Máscara del Amor (Estrella TV) WINNER: Love Is Blind (Netflix)
Love on the Spectrum (Netflix)
My Mom, Your Dad (HBO Max)
The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On (Netflix)
BEST LIFESTYLE: HOME/GARDEN SHOW
Celebrity IOU (HGTV)
Fixer Upper: Welcome Home (Magnolia)
Houses with History (HGTV)
Married to Real Estate (HGTV) WINNER: Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles (Bravo)
Rock the Block (HGTV)
BEST LIFESTYLE: FASHION/BEAUTY SHOW
Glow Up (Netflix)
Love, Kam (SurvivorNetTV)
Making the Cut (Prime Video)
My Unorthodox Life (Netflix) WINNER: Project Runway (Bravo)
The Hype (HBO Max)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Abraham Lincoln (History)
Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (Netflix)
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer (Netflix)
Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo (Netflix)
Theodore Roosevelt (History) WINNER: We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)
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World of Wonder
We can stop calling the Knives Out sequel Knives Out 2. Netflix and writer/director Rian Johnson revealed the much-anticipated sequel is officially titled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Knives Out premiered on November 27, 2019 and starred Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, and Don Johnson. The cast also included Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Noah Segan, Edi Patterson, Riki Lindhome, and Christopher Plummer.
Glass Onion will star Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.
Writer/director Johnson is producing along with Ram Bergman. Netflix is targeting a holiday season release.
Netflix’s very basic synopsis reveals the sequel will find Detective Benoit Blanc traveling to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of colorful suspects.
Knives Out currently sits at 97% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Rian Johnson earned a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination, and the film picked up numerous nominations including Critics Choice, Producers Guild of America, and Writers Guild of America awards.
A look back at the original film’s plot:
“Acclaimed writer and director Rian Johnson pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in Knives Out, a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death. With an all-star ensemble cast, Knives Out is a witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.”
