Disney+ released a gorgeous trailer for the four-part documentary series, Secrets of the Whales. Narrated by three-time Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl, Aliens) and executive produced by three-time Oscar winner James Cameron (Titanic), Secrets of the Whales will premiere on Earth Day – April 22, 2021 – on Disney+.
Secrets of the Whales provides an in-depth look at the underwater world of orcas, humpbacks, belugas, narwhals, and sperm whales. The series was produced for National Geographic by Red Rock Films, with Red Rock’s Brian Armstrong and Shannon Malone-DeBenedictis executive producing. Earthship’s Maria Wilhelm and National Geographic’s Pamela Caragol also executive produce.
Disney+ released the following description of the four-part series:
“Featuring the expansive knowledge and skill of acclaimed National Geographic Explorer and Photographer Brian Skerry, the series ventures deep into the world of whales to witness the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures to reveal life and love from their perspective. Secrets of the Whales unveils new science and technology to spotlight whales as they make lifelong friendships, teach clan heritage and traditions to their young, and grieve deeply for the loss of loved ones.
Filmed over three years in 24 global locations, throughout this epic journey, we learn that whales are far more complex and more like us than ever imagined. This is a personal story that very few are lucky enough to witness … until now.”
CBS has made it official: The Equalizer will return for a second season. The renewal announcement comes just four episodes into the series’ first season.
“The Equalizer has proven more than equal to the task of engaging viewers and racking up wins on Sunday night,” stated Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. “We’re extremely proud to see this outstanding broadcast drama, led by Queen Latifah, punch through the competitive landscape and return for a second season.”
The drama ranks as the #1 scripted series among viewers 18-54, according to CBS. The first episodes have been averaging 14.6 million viewers, with the series premiere (which aired on Super Bowl Sunday) standing as the most-watched debut of the season. Episode one drew in 23.8 million viewers.
In addition to Queen Latifah, the season one cast includes Chris Noth as William Bishop, Lorraine Toussaint as Viola “Aunt Vi” Marsette, Tory Kittles as Det. Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian, Liza Lapira as Melody Bayani, and Laya DeLeon Hayes as Delilah. Queen Latifah serves as an executive producer along with Andrew Marlowe, Terri Miller, John Davis, John Fox, Debra Martin Chase, Richard Lindheim (co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series), and Shakim Compere.
The Plot, Courtesy of CBS:
The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award® nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah (Chicago, Bessie) as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
ABC’s The Good Doctor season four is taking a two-week break which is perfect since, judging by the teaser, fans are going to need a little extra time to emotionally prepare for episode 12. Directed by Rebecca Moline from a script by Peter Blake and Mark Rozeman, episode 12 will air on Monday, March 22, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT.
The cast of season four includes Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews, and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman. Christina Chang plays Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann is Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee is Dr. Alex Park, and Paige Spara stars as Lea Dilallo.
Brian Marc, Bria Samone Henderson, Noah Galvin, Christian Clemenson, John Hensley, and Onahoua Rodriguez guest star.
“Teeny Blue Eyes” Plot: When a renowned surgeon comes to St. Bonaventure for treatment, the team’s enthusiasm is quickly overshadowed by the doctor’s behavior. After studying his case, Dr. Shaun Murphy sees a pattern he recognizes.
Meanwhile, Shaun and Lea are forced to make a life-changing decision that will alter the course of their relationship.
Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, continues to use his extraordinary medical gifts at St. Bonaventure Hospital’s surgical unit. As his friendships deepen, Shaun tackles the world of dating for the first time and continues to work harder than he ever has before, navigating his environment to prove to his colleagues that his talents as a surgeon will save lives.
Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore in ‘The Good Doctor’ season 4 episode 12 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Richard Schiff and Freddie Highmore in the “Teeny blue Eyes” episode (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Freddie Highmore and Christian Clemenson in season 4 episode 12 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Hill Harper, Antonia Thomas and Freddie Highmore in season 4 episode 12 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Freddie Highmore and Paige Spara in season 4 episode 12 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Christian Clemenson, Antonia Thomas, Freddie Highmore, and Hill Harper in season 4 episode 12 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)
A dead body turns up in Baez’s front yard on CBS’s Blue Bloods season 11 episode nine, “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Episode nine, directed by Robert Harmon from a script by Brian Burns, will air on Friday, March 26, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT. (Previously scheduled for March 12th.)
Tom Selleck leads the cast as Frank Reagan, Donnie Wahlberg is Danny Reagan, and Bridget Moynahan plays Erin Reagan. The cast also includes Will Estes as Jamie Reagan, Len Cariou as Henry Reagan, Sami Gayle as Nicky Reagan-Boyle, Marisa Ramirez as Det. Maria Baez, and Vanessa Ray plays Officer Eddie Janko.
Episode nine guest stars include Jackie Reynolds as Regina, Luis Antonio Ramos as Captain Espinoza, Jacob Dickey as Officer Luis Diaz, and Constantin Tripes as Eamon.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” Plot: Baez confides in Danny and asks for his help in proving her innocence after she finds a corpse in her front yard. Also, Erin struggles to find a peaceful solution when she receives harsh case notes from her boss, Jamie and Eddie butt heads over the handling of a young cop’s punishment, and Frank makes his whole team attend therapy after Gormley exhibits troubling behavior.
Blue Bloods is a drama about a multi-generational family of cops dedicated to New York City law enforcement. Frank Reagan is the New York Police Commissioner, and heads both the police force and the Reagan brood. He runs his department as diplomatically as he runs his family, even when dealing with the politics that plagued his unapologetically bold father, Henry, during his stint as Chief.
A source of pride and concern for Frank is his eldest son, Danny, a seasoned detective, family man and Iraq War vet who on occasion uses dubious tactics to solve cases with his partner, Detective Maria Baez. The Reagan women in the family include middle daughter, Erin, a New York Assistant D.A. who serves as the legal compass for her siblings and father, and is a single parent to her daughter Nicky, who is pursuing a career in San Francisco. Jamie is the youngest Reagan, a Harvard Law graduate and the family’s “golden boy.”
Unable to deny the family tradition, Jamie decided to give up a lucrative future in law and follow in the family footsteps as a cop. He’s found a friend and ally in his wife, Eddie, who keeps him on his toes, and has very different reasons than the Reagans for joining the police force. The Reagans welcomed a new family addition after Frank learned his deceased son, officer Joe Reagan, has an adult child they never knew about, a young man who is a rising NYPD cop.
Yasuke series creator LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters) and Netflix VP of Japan & Anime John Derderian just announced the series’ premiere date and released the first three images from the much-anticipated anime series. The six-episode first season will be released globally on April 29, 2021.
The series combines the talents of Japanese animation studio MAPPA, character designer Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine), and composer, co-director and executive producer Flying Lotus. Series creator Thomas also writes, directs, and executive produces, and executive producer LaKeith Stanfield provides the voice of Yasuke.
The series is set in what’s described as an “alternate fantastical Japan during the feudal era.” In this alternate world, a samurai warrior of African descent is charged with protecting a girl from dark forces.
“The story, just like the passionate creative team, transcends borders, cultures, and languages and is one that we’re so proud to tell at Netflix and share with the world,” stated Derderian.
“There is a serendipitous nature about this project, how an African-American man goes to Japan to live and work amongst the very best in Japanese anime to create an anime about an African who goes to Japan to live amongst the Japanese elite and become a warrior,” explained LeSean Thomas. “Part of me deep down feels I was meant to create this adventure series with MAPPA, Flying Lotus, LaKeith & the rest of this talented team.
Yasuke is a fascinating, mysterious figure in Japanese history that’s drawn a growing interest in today’s media over the decades. I first learned of Yasuke’s role in Japanese history over a decade or so. The children’s book, Kuro-suke by Kurusu Yoshio, featured images that piqued my curiosity. To eventually learn that he wasn’t just a fictional character, but a real person, was exciting material for an adventure story.”
Thomas added, “I’m so excited for both longtime fans and newcomers to enjoy our reimagined take on this historical figure.”
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords.
An image from ‘Yasuke’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Corbin Bernsen returns as Icepick on CBS’s Magnum P.I. season three episode 11, “The Lies We Tell.” Directed by Rubba Nada from a script by Katie Varney, episode 11 will air on Friday, March 26, 2021 at 9pm ET/PT. (Previously scheduled for March 12th.)
Jay Hernandez leads the cast as Thomas Magnum. Perdita Weeks is Juliet Higgins, Zachary Knighton is Orville “Rick” Wright, Stephen Hill is Theodore “TC” Calvin, Tim Kang stars as Det. Gordon Katsumoto, and Amy Hill as Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta.
Guest stars include Christopher Thornton, Betsy Phillips, Elyse Levesque, and Nakoa Decoite. Jeff Wiesen, Hayley Malia Johnson, Mathieu Szymkowiak, Ativalu Scanlan, and Cassandra Relynn also guest star in episode 11.
“The Lies We Tell” Plot: When a married woman asks Magnum and Higgins to find her lover’s killer because she doesn’t want to expose the affair to the police, they find that the victim wasn’t who he claimed to be. Also, Rick visits Icepick (Corbin Bernsen), whose health has taken a turn for the worse.
Magnum P.I. is a modern take on the classic series centering on Thomas Magnum, a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. A charming rogue, an American hero and a die-hard Detroit Tigers fan, Magnum lives in a guest cottage on Robin’s Nest, the luxurious estate where he works as a security consultant to supplement his P.I. business. The “majordomo” of the property is Juliet Higgins, a beautiful and commanding disavowed MI:6 agent whose second job is to keep Magnum in line, with the help of her two Dobermans.
When Magnum needs back-up on a job, he turns to his trusted buddies and fellow POW survivors, Theodore “TC” Calvin, a former Marine chopper pilot who runs Island Hoppers, a helicopter tour business, and Orville “Rick” Wright, a former Marine door-gunner-turned-impresario of Oahu’s coolest nightclub and the most connected man on the island.
Suspicious of Magnum’s casual attitude and presence at his crime scenes, Detective Gordon Katsumoto finds that he and Magnum are more alike than either of them care to admit. One of Magnum’s biggest supporters is Teuila “Kumu” Tuileta, the unofficial “House Mom” and cultural curator of Robin’s Nest. With keys to a vintage Ferrari in one hand, aviator sunglasses in the other, and an Old Düsseldorf longneck chilling in the fridge, Thomas Magnum is back on the case!
Hot off the huge success of WandaVision, Disney+ is about to launch Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on March 19, 2021. With the premiere less than two weeks away, Disney+ debuted a new short trailer for the comic book-inspired series along with four character posters.
The six-episode series was directed by Kari Skogland. Malcolm Spellman served as the head writer.
The Plot, Courtesy of Disney+:
In Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities — and their patience.
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson aka The FalconSebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter SoldierEmily VanCamp as Sharon CarterDaniel Brühl as Zemo
Netflix has set an April 2, 2021 premiere date for the dramatic film Concrete Cowboy starring Idris Elba (Luther). The streaming service also dropped an official poster in support of the premiere date announcement.
The R-rated drama made its debut at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and currently sits at 77% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Idris Elba’s co-stars include Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things), Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us), Byron Bowers (The Chi), Lorraine Toussaint (The Equalizer), and Clifford “Method Man” Smith (Power Book II: Ghost). Members of the Fletcher Street Stables also appear in the film.
Concrete Cowboy‘s inspired by G. Neri’s novel, Ghetto Cowboy. Ricky Staub makes his feature film directorial debut with the inspirational tale. Staub also co-wrote the screenplay by Dan Walser.
Elba, Tucker Tooley, Lee Daniels, Dan Walser, Jeff Waxman, and Jennifer Madeloff produced.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
When fifteen year-old Cole (McLaughlin) is expelled from school in Detroit, he is sent to North Philadelphia to live with Harp (Elba), his estranged father. Harp finds solace in rehabilitating horses for inner-city cowboys at the Fletcher Street Stables, a real-life black urban horsemanship community that has provided a safe haven for the neighborhood residents for more than 100 years.
Torn between his growing respect for his father’s community and his reemerging friendship with troubled cousin Smush (Jerome), Cole begins to reprioritize his life as the stables themselves are threatened by encroaching gentrification.
Season five of CBS’s MacGyver continues with episode 11 that finds Mac and Riley tasked with heading overseas to pick up a package. Episode 11, “C8H7CIO + Nano-Trackers + Resistance + Maldives + Mind Games,” was directed by David Straiton from a script by Joshua Brown and Teresa Huang and will air on Friday, March 26, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT. (Previously scheduled for March 12th.)
Lucas Till stars as Angus “Mac” MacGyver, Tristin Mays plays Riley Davis, and Justin Hires is Wilt Bozer. Meredith Eaton is Matty Weber, Levy Tran is Desi Nguyen, and Henry Ian Cusick plays Russ Taylor.
Episode 11 guest stars include Deepti Gupta, Scott Holroyd, Alexandra Grey, Tina Ivlev, and Jeremy Crutchley.
“C8H7CIO + Nano-Trackers + Resistance + Maldives + Mind Games” Plot: Mac and Riley head overseas together to prevent a governmental collapse and inadvertently inhale new deadly microscopic technology.
MacGyver, a reimagining of the classic series, is an action-adventure drama about 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, who is part of a clandestine organization within the U.S. government, where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem-solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Joining his team on high-risk missions around the globe are Riley Davis, an unpredictable computer hacker with a chip on her shoulder; Wilt Bozer, Mac’s roommate and an agent on the team; Matty Weber, a legend in Covert Ops and the director of operations at the Phoenix Foundation; Desi Nguyen, whose job is to protect MacGyver and his team on their global missions; and Russ Taylor, quick-witted, Oxford-educated, ex-military skilled in propaganda and lie detection, who shakes things up by challenging the way MacGyver and the team are used to doing things.
Under the aegis of the Phoenix Foundation, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip.
When Superman & Lois showrunner/executive producer Todd Helbing pitched the show’s concept to Elizabeth Tulloch, he described it as “Friday Night Lights meets Superman.”
“I loved Friday Night Lights,” said Tulloch, who plays intrepid reporter Lois Lane, Superman’s better half, on The CW’s Superman & Lois. “To me, that is a show I want to watch.”
Born in San Diego, Tulloch grew up in Spain, Uruguay, and Argentina, moving a lot due to her father’s job. Upon returning to the United States, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a double major in English/American literature and visual and environmental studies. Her first acting credit is 2001’s R2-D2: Beneath the Dome, a mockumentary produced by Star Wars creator George Lucas. She’s appeared in the movies Concussion (starring Will Smith) and Lakeview Terrace (starring Samuel L. Jackson). She’s guest-starred on The West Wing, Cold Case, Moonlight, Outlaw, and House, M.D..
Tulloch is best known as Dr. Juliette Silverton (and later the enigmatic Eve) on the NBC fantasy drama Grimm from 2011-17, which starred David Giuntoli (who’s currently appearing on ABC’s A Million Little Things). She’s been married to Giuntoli, whom she met on Grimm, since 2017. Together, they live in Vancouver where their respective series are filmed, with their daughter Vivian, two.
“At this point, I’m married with a child – (choosing an acting role is) not a decision I get to make by myself anymore,” she said.
When asked what attracted her to this part, Tulloch countered with a question of her own, channeling her inner Lois Lane.
“What didn’t attract me to the part of Lois Lane?” said Tulloch. “As far as strong women go, it doesn’t get much more impressive or cool than Lois Lane. She was introduced in 1938 and from the time she’s been introduced, she’s remained incredibly appealing and popular and iconic for really understandable reasons: She is determined, she is unafraid, she is uncompromising, she is incredibly intelligent. All of those things are balanced out by a sort of lovable goofiness about her. To me, it’s a dream come true to play someone as wonderful as Lois Lane.”
Tulloch doesn’t feel a great deal of pressure taking on this role.
“I find it more humbling than daunting because I have so much respect for the character of Lois Lane myself,” said Tulloch. “And I like her so much. I feel giddy sometimes that I get to be Lois Lane; I think she’s wonderful.”
Tulloch is the latest in a long line of actresses who have played Lois Lane, whether on the big or small screen, in live action or animation, over the course of 80 years. This distinguished company includes Joan Alexander, Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Dana Delany, Erica Durance, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Amy Acker, Juliet Landau, Christina Hendricks, Rebecca Romijn, among others.
She admitted that she’s not familiar with the other actresses who’ve played the character with the exception of the late Kidder, who appeared as Lois Lane in 1978’s Superman, 1980’s Superman II, 1983’s Superman III, and 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, alongside the late Christopher Reeve, considered by many as the definitive Man of Steel. Richard Donner (the Lethal Weapon series) directed the first Superman.
“I love Margot Kidder,” said Tulloch. “This is a true story: I started acting in my mid-20s and I had an acting teacher tell me to watch the Lois Lane screen tests in the Donner film and tell her why Margot Kidder won the role. I said, ‘It’s so obvious – she’s having so much fun with it. It’s fun to watch her on-screen having so much fun with this character.’ There were some amazing actresses (Holly Palance, Debra Raffin, Susan Blakely, Stockard Channing, Anne Archer, Lesley Ann Warren) who screen-tested for this role, but to me, I enjoyed watching Margot Kidder the most… I hope she’s proud of me.”
Poster for season 1 of ‘Superman & Lois’ airing on The CW.
The seventh series in The CW’s “Arrowverse,” Superman & Lois recently debuted and has been already been renewed for a second season. Tyler Hoechlin (Road to Perdition, Teen Wolf) plays Superman and his alter ego, Clark Kent. Both Tulloch and Hoechlin first appeared as their respective characters on The Flash and Supergirl, respectively, before spinning off into Superman & Lois. Tulloch also appeared as Lois Lane on Arrow, Batwoman, and Legends of Tomorrow.
“Obviously it was very different when Tyler and I were doing the crossovers because there’s a lot going on and you’re in scenes with leads with several other shows. During crossovers, you have a whole line per scene. Now you have all this depth and complexity to play with,” she explained.
What makes Superman & Lois stand out from other Superman shows is there is no love triangle (with two people) between Superman, Clark Kent, and Lois Lane. On Superman & Lois, she knows Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same, and she’s married to him. The biggest difference is they are parents to twin teenage boys Jonathan (Jordan Elsass, Little Fires Everywhere) and Jordan (Alex Garfin, The Peanuts Movie).
“To me, teenagers are just so interesting, so it makes sense to me why writers would want to mine that,” said Tulloch.
Jonathan (named after Superman’s adoptive father, Jonathan Kent) is a star football player and outgoing person. Jordan (named after Superman’s biological father, Jor-El) has social anxiety and is an outcast. Of the two, Jordan inherits superpowers, which makes him feel more like an outcast than ever before. Once Jordan’s superpowers manifest themselves, Clark tells his sons that he’s Superman. The Kents move from Metropolis, NY to the old Kent farm in Smallville, KS where Clark trains Jordan how to use his newfound superpowers in seclusion.
“I do know this is the first time you’re seeing Lois and Clark as not only parents (on TV)… but being parents to two teenagers, which is why Tyler and I were really attracted to the idea of doing this show because teens are so complex, so interesting, so hormonal, so rebellious, and they’re trying to figure out who they are. It just felt like there’s so many places to go with that as parents and with them still having all their side-hustles, so to speak, as a superhero and as a world-famous journalist,” explained Tulloch.
She spoke very highly of Hoechlin.
“I absolutely adore him, and I love working with him,” said Tulloch.
“I feel really, really grateful that our relationship is so wonderful. We love working together. We both get bummed out when we look at the schedule and notice that we’re not shooting together all day just because we have so much fun together,” said Tulloch. “The chemistry is also apparent on-screen. Fans can read that Tyler and I adore each other and get along with each other. Tyler feels the same way. There’s not only respect for these characters, there’s a lot of love Tyler and I have for them.”
