Jared Padalecki’s not taking time off between 15 seasons of playing Sam Winchester in Supernatural and starring in a new The CW drama. Padalecki jumped on board and returns to primetime as the lead in Walker, a reimagining of Walker, Texas Ranger.
The original series ran for nine seasons from April 1993 through May 2001. Chuck Norris starred as the titular character for all nine seasons. Clarence Gilyard Jr. and Sheree J. Wilson co-starred. The new Walker is set to premiere on The CW on January 21, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.
Joining Jared Padalecki for season one are Kale Culley (Me, Myself and I), Violet Brinson (Sharp Objects), Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars), Molly Hagan (Herman’s Head), and Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files). Coby Bell (The Gifted), Lindsey Morgan (The 100), and Jeff Pierre (Once Upon a Time) also star in the first season.
Walker has Anna Fricke (Being Human) on board as writer and executive producer. Padalecki, Lindsay Liberatore, and Dan Lin also executive produce.
The Plot, Courtesy of The CW:
Walker stars Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two with his own moral code, who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home. He’ll attempt to reconnect with his creative and thoughtful son (Culley) and his headstrong, somewhat rebellious teenaged daughter (Brinson) and navigate clashes with his family – an ADA brother (Allen) who stepped in during Walker’s absence, his perceptive mother (Hagen) and his traditional rancher father (Pileggi).
Walker’s former colleague is now his Ranger Captain (Bell). Walker finds unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history) played by Lindsey Morgan, while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.
Ominous music plays as we catch our first glimpse of Shadow and Bone during the teaser video for Netflix’s upcoming series. The only words spoken during the 40-second video are “you and I are going to change the world” followed by the revelation the series will premiere in April 2021.
The series is based on Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse novels and stars Jessie Mei Li (Alina Starkov), Archie Renaux (Malyen Oretsev), Freddy Carter (Kaz Brekker), Amita Suman (Inej), Kit Young (Jesper Fahey), and Ben Barnes (General Kirigan). Sujaya Dasgupta (Zoya Nazyalensky), Danielle Galligan (Nina Zenik), Daisy Head (Genya Safin), Simon Sears (Ivan), Calahan Skogman (Matthias Helvar), Zoë Wanamaker (Baghra), Kevin Eldon (The Apparat), Julian Kostov (Fedyor), Luke Pasqualino (David), Jasmine Blackborow (Marie), and Gabrielle Brooks (Nadia) also star in the first season.
Season one’s eight one-hour episodes were shot in Budapest, Hungary, with writer and executive producer Eric Heisserer handling showrunner duties. Author Bardugo is involved as an executive producer along with Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen, and Josh Barry for 21 Laps Entertainment and Pouya Shahbazian (New Leaf Literary & Media). Lee Toland Krieger directs and also executive produces.
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha. But as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems.
There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive.
The just-released clip from Lionsgate’s Chaos Walking shows the first meeting between the characters played by Tom Holland (The Devil All the Time) and Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker). The sci-fi thriller’s based on Patrick Ness’ book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, and will be heading to theaters (if those still exist next year) and IMAX on March 5th.
Author Ness and Christopher Ford adapted the novel for the screen, with sci-fi veteran Doug Liman (Jumper, Edge of Tomorrow) directing. Doug Davison, Allison Shearmur, Erwin Stoff, and Alison Winter served as producers.
In addition to Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland, the cast includes Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal), Demián Bichir (The Midnight Sky), Cynthia Erivo (The Outsider), Nick Jonas (Jumanji: The Next Level), Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy), and David Oyelowo (The Midnight Sky).
Daisy Ridley as ‘Viola Eade,’ Manchee the dog, and Tom Holland as ‘Todd Hewitt’ in ‘Chaos Walking’ (Photo by Murray Close / Lionsgate)
The Plot:
In the not too distant future, Todd Hewitt (Holland) discovers Viola (Ridley), a mysterious girl who crash lands on his planet, where all the women have disappeared and the men are afflicted by “the Noise” – a force that puts all their thoughts on display. In this dangerous landscape, Viola’s life is threatened – and as Todd vows to protect her, he will have to discover his own inner power and unlock the planet’s dark secrets.
‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’ star Samantha Bee (Photo Credit: TBS)
TBS officially confirmed Full Frontal with Samantha Bee will be sticking around for a sixth season. The renewal order was announced today along with news Bee’s Swimsuit Competition production company’s deal has also been renewed.
“It’s a huge honor to get to keep doing this crazy smart and silly show for a sixth season,” stated Samantha Bee. “Is it official though? Are we still waiting for Pennsylvania to certify the sixth season?”
“I’m so proud to have Sam part of the TBS family. After creating award-winning episodes from the dire elements of her backyard, I can’t wait to see what she does with some electricity and a roof over her head,” said Brett Weitz, General Manager TNT TBS and truTV. “She is a champion for important causes and brings issues to light that inspire, entertain and educate.”
The series ranks as ad-supported cable’s top late-night show, according to TBS, with nearly 3.5 million viewers tuning in each episode. Season five airs on Wednesdays at 10:30pm ET/PT. Season six has a Wednesday, January 13, 2021 premiere date.
Full Frontal has earned 17 Emmy nominations as well as Television Critics Association, PGA, WGA, and DGA nominations.
Bee, Jason Jones, Tony Hernandez, Miles Kahn, Alison Camillo, and Pat King serve as executive producers. Bee’s husband Jones also had to pull double duty during season five, helping to shoot episodes during quarantine from their backyard.
Details on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Courtesy of TBS:
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee shines a spotlight on stories inside the Beltway and beyond, from sexual harassment in the media to the “boyfriend loophole,” and from global warming to child marriage in the United States. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee also travels the world to cover international stories, with segments from Jordan, Germany, Russia, Scotland, Mexico and Iraq.
A teenager obsessed with sounds (of all sorts, not just music) has his life thrown for a loop in the Hulu original film, The Ultimate Playlist of Noise. The trailer introduces us to Marcus as he learns his world’s about to completely change and contemplates his approach to adapting to his new circumstances.
Hulu’s set a January 15, 2021 streaming premiere date.
Keean Johnson stars as Marcus, and Madeline Brewer plays Wendy. Bennett Lasseter directed from a screenplay by Mitchelle Winkle, both making their feature debuts with the project. Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps, Ryan Bennett, Michael Schade, Mickey Liddell, and Pete Shilaimon served as producers.
The Plot, Courtesy of Hulu:
The film follows Marcus (Johnson), an audio-obsessed high school senior who learns he must undergo brain surgery that will render him deaf. He decides to seize control of his fate by recording the Ultimate Playlist of Noise – a bucket list of all his favorite sounds. Once he sets out, he meets Wendy (Brewer), a wildly charming, struggling musician who is trying to escape to New York for her chance at a life-changing opportunity.
Together they check off his list as they make their way across the country, until painful revelations force Marcus to face reality and his future without sound.
Poster for ‘The Ultimate Playlist of Noise’ (Photo Credit: Hulu)
Oscar winner Tom Hanks reunites with Oscar nominated writer/director Paul Greengrass for News of the World, a Western that’s sure to be in contention come Oscar time. 2020 can certainly use a dose of Tom Hanks playing a decent man channeling the best of humanity. And with Universal Pictures’ News of the World, Hanks delivers a painless shot in the arm we can all use right about now.
News of the World’s set five years after the end of the Civil War. Hanks plays Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a traveling salesman of sorts but not one who pedals any tangible wares. Instead, he earns money by reading news to townsfolk yearning for a temporary escape from their everyday lives. They listen to what’s happening beyond the limits of their small towns and momentarily feel connected to a larger community.
After delivering the news in Wichita Falls, North Texas, Captain Kidd’s traveling to the next town when he encounters the remains of a carriage. A Black man has been strung up nearby (this is Texas after the Confederates lost the Civil War), and a young girl (Helena Zengel) has been left behind. It turns out she’s a 10-year-old orphan who was on her way to distant relatives.
Six years prior, the Kiowa killed her parents and had been raising her as one of their own. Then just three weeks ago soldiers wiped out the Kiowa, thus making her an orphan twice over. Kidd learns all this from a journal left behind by the lynched man, and that her name is Johanna Leonberger.
Captain Kidd, being a morally upstanding individual, can’t just leave her out in the middle of nowhere. Although initially determined to turn her over to someone capable of delivering her to relatives, Kidd encounters multiple obstacles and eventually concludes her safe transportation to a new home rests squarely on his shoulders.
Their lengthy, treacherous journey to her aunt and uncle’s place in South Texas allows the two strangers the opportunity to bond. Johanna doesn’t speak English, and Kidd doesn’t know any Kiowa. His attempt to converse in German, following the realization it’s possible that’s what her murdered parents spoke, also elicits no response. But with hundreds of miles to go and little else to do, they slowly learn how to communicate.
Tom Hanks’ Captain Kidd isn’t the only hero of this story. Johanna proves to be a formidable force when her life—or Captain Kidd’s—is in danger.
Tom Hanks and young Helena Zengel are one of the best on-screen duos of the year. There’s not a false note played by either, and the bond they develop feels incredibly authentic. The transformation from complete strangers leery of their traveling companion to something akin to a father-daughter relationship is beautiful to watch unfold, and the chemistry between these two as lost souls searching for a place to feel at home is both heartwarming and uplifting.
Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies (Lion) adapted Paulette Jiles’ bestselling novel, and their script is sharp and concise. There’s not a moment of filler or an unnecessary exchange of dialogue to be found in this gorgeous period Western that feels surprisingly timely in its depiction of a divided America. (There’s even a mention of fake news.)
News of the World features stunning cinematography by Dariusz Wolski (The Martian), a perfect score by James Newton Howard, and outstanding performances by Hanks and Zengel. It’s the kind of film 2020 audiences deserve—an inspirational, absorbing drama that allows us to feel hopeful, even if for only a few hours.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material, some language, disturbing images, and violence
Kylie Bunbury in ‘Big Sky’ season 1 episode 5 (ABC/Darko Sikman)
I know I’m not alone in confessing I spent the last minute of ABC’s Big Sky episode five screaming at my TV. The season one winter finale, “A Good Day to Die,” ended with a bang – quite literally – and set events in motion that should lead to freedom for the kidnapped teens and Jerrie.
Episode five kicks off with State Trooper Rick Legarski (John Carroll Lynch) considering bashing his sleeping wife in the head with a hammer. He opts for a gentler approach, promising his now wide away wife he’ll be a better, more considerate husband moving forward. Merilee (Brooke Smith) looks unconvinced about his declaration he’ll change. She’s completely unaware of how close she came to being murdered in her sleep by her crazy hubby.
Grace (Jade Pettyjohn), Danielle (Natalie Alyn Lind), and Jerrie (Jesse James Keitel) are passing time in captivity by harmonizing. They actually sound pretty good together, but Danielle brings the mood down some when she admits she can’t stop thinking about her worried parents. Ronald (Brian Geraghty) arrives to check on them and blames Danielle for her predicament. If only she’d been kind to him things would have turned out differently. Danielle speaks her mind and goes heavy on insults about his pathetic life.
Danielle tries to push the right buttons and get him to beat her, suggesting he take off her chains and go at it. She taunts him but it doesn’t work. Ronald understands what she’s trying to do and doesn’t fall for it.
Before leaving he announces, “Today’s the first day of the rest of your life.”
Ronald’s walking out of the barn when he spots broken glass. He realizes someone’s been there and calls up Legarski who races over to check things out. Ronald points out a set of tire tracks and knows whoever was there looked around inside.
Ronald believes it’s possible Cassie and Jenny followed Rick there. Rick’s convinced that’s not possible. They argue about who’s fault all this is, blaming each other for the walls closing in.
Rick decides they need to get rid of the girls earlier than planned. He also wants to figure out how to get Cassie and Jenny off his back, calling them both relentless. He declares, “They need to be stopped.”
Cassie’s son triggers a memory that leads her to continue her investigation of the farm. Her dad’s friend was able to pull up an old blueprint and it reveals there’s a hidden basement in the barn. Cassie (Kylie Bunbury) shows it to Jenny (Katheryn Winnick) just as Denise (Dedee Pfeiffer) points out Legarski’s tracker is back at the barn again.
Cassie and Jenny head out but this time they call Sheriff Tubb (Patrick Gallagher) and fill him in on what’s going on. Jenny even admits they put a tracker on Legarski’s vehicle while explaining they know he’s been to this remote location three times in the last 24 hours.
Cassie and Jenny arrive at the barn at the same time Tubb and his men show up. Rick’s inside and nothing looks suspicious. Cassie and Jenny find the hidden basement, but it’s been scrubbed clean. The girls are gone.
Rick accuses Sheriff Tubb of falling for Cassie’s story implicating him in the kidnappings. Rick thinks she’d do anything to make the police look crooked, and he’s just her latest victim. Tubb’s forced to admit Cassie and Jenny put a tracker on Rick’s vehicle and that’s how they knew his location.
Rick claims he was out at the old isolated farmhouse eating his lunch. He plays indignant well, and reminds Tubb he’s a decorated, well-respected officer.
Cassie and Jenny promise each other that they won’t let up. They’ll stick together and keep hunting until they find Cody, Danielle, Grace, and Jerrie.
Meanwhile, Ronald’s moved the girls into a storage room at the All-In Bar, which is Rick’s favorite hangout and closed for the season.
John Carroll Lynch and Brian Geraghty in ‘Big Sky’ episode 5 (ABC/Darko Sikman)
Rick arrives after the girls have been deposited and seems pleased with himself for how he handled Sheriff Tubb. He thinks they’ve bought themselves a few hours at least and announces he’s done with the kidnapping business after this. He confesses his wife went dancing without him last night and he can’t have his side hustle impacting his marriage any longer.
Rick doesn’t want to lose Merilee so he’s going to change his ways and recommit to their relationship. (He has no idea Ronald was the man she was dancing with.)
Ronald apologizes for kidnapping the teens and Rick reminds him they’ll no longer be their problem in just two hours.
Rick’s boss shows up in Sheriff Tubb’s office as he’s reading Cassie and Jenny the riot act. She forces his hand and he has to put Jenny (who takes all the blame on herself) under arrest for criminal stalking.
Back at the bar, Ronald gets the girls cleaned up. He’s disturbingly gentle as he wipes their faces and brushes their hair. He pulls Jerrie aside to get her dressed and she attempts to convince him it’s not too late for him to make a different choice with his life. She asks him to let them go but Ronald, who seemed on the verge of doing the right thing for once, apologizes without changing his mind about their future.
Leaving the girls in storage, Ronald rejoins Rick for a discussion about the girls’ fate. Rick wants to keep Ronald in the dark about that but does alert him to the news Cassie and Jenny have made a connection between the disappearances and truckers. They looked at the footage from the truck stop and have pulled license plates. Rick thinks it’s only a matter of time before they discover he fits the profile.
Ronald is certain he’s been careful and won’t get caught.
Cassie makes it back to her office and learns from Denise that the missing fisherman’s truck has been found. It was less than two miles from the isolated farmhouse. Denise wonders what Cody would do next and Cassie figures out she needs to get in Rick’s head.
Ronald returns home and is immediately questioned by his mom. She confesses she now believes he has something to do with the missing girls. She even goes as far as to ask if he’s a sexual pervert. Ronald launches an attack in response, grabbing her by the neck and choking her. He lets go before she dies.
Back at the bar, Rick talks to the Canadian buyers and learns they’re only 20 minutes away. He joins the girls in the basement and Jerrie begs him to keep her and let the teens go. He’s unmoved by her plea and places duct tape over their mouths. Only Grace fights back. She struggles and warns she’ll bite his hand off, but she’s no match for Rick’s strength.
Cassie doesn’t realize it but she comes within inches of one of the kidnappers. Ronald’s just leaving Merilee’s store when Cassie arrives. He even holds the door open for her as he’s exiting. She doesn’t pay him any attention as she’s there to question Merilee about the missing girls. Cassie asks if she’s heard much about the case or if her husband’s mentioned her name. Merilee appears confused and Cassie reveals she thinks Rick has something to do with the teens and Cody’s disappearance.
Merilee assures Cassie she’s way off base and that her husband is an upstanding officer. He hasn’t seemed erratic lately and he’s remained a creature of habit. He always eats at the same time and place every single day, and there’s been nothing strange or different about him that she’s noticed.
Ronald admits to his mom that his “business associate” has the girls and might incriminate him. He can’t tell her who his associate is and can’t go to the police. He promises his mom he has a plan to take care of it.
Cassie speaks with Jenny by phone while on the way to the All-In Bar. She’s figured out that’s Rick’s go-to place and might be where he’s keeping the girls. It’s where Cody was last seen, where she had her first meeting with Rick, and where he apparently always goes for meals. Cassie’s certain he lied about eating at the isolated farmhouse.
Jenny gets moving and promises to meet Cassie there as soon as possible.
Rick’s back downstairs with the girls in the storage area when he hears a car outside. He mistakenly believes it’s the people who’ve come to fetch the girls.
Cassie enters and doesn’t spot anyone. Rick responds to the noise by calling out that he’s downstairs.
Rick’s obviously shocked to see Cassie pointing a gun at him from the top of the stairs. He stands at the bottom and tries to threaten her, reminding Cassie she’s pulled her weapon on a decorated state trooper.
Cassie doesn’t back down or lower her weapon. The girls can be heard in the background making muffled noises through their gags. Rick claims he’s only there to rescue the girls and that they’re his proof she’s threatened to shoot him. They toss insults at each other and neither obeys the other’s orders.
Rick warns Cassie he’s going to reach for his weapon and put her under arrest. She yells, “Freeze,” but that doesn’t stop him.
“You just allowed somebody you consider to be a suspect to draw their weapon. Very disappointing,” says Rick.
Cassie continues to tell him to put his weapon down. Rick advises her he’s going to count to five and when he’s done he’ll either have put his weapon down, raised it in the air like Alexander Hamilton, or he’ll have shot her.
He smiles and begins counting. He makes it to four and Cassie shoots him in the head.
Rupert Grint, Toby Kebbell, and Lauren Ambrose in ‘Servant’ season 2 (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed psychological thriller/horror series Servant has picked up a third season order a month out from its season two debut. The second season will consist of 10 episodes and will premiere on Friday, January 15, 2021.
The second season features Lauren Ambrose reprising her role as Dorothy Turner, Toby Kebbell back as Sean Turner, Nell Tiger Free returning as Leanne Grayson, and Rupert Grint playing Julian Pearce.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominated executive producer/writer Tony Basgallop created the series and executive produces with two-time Oscar nominee M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Ashwin Rajan, Jason Blumenthal, Todd Black, and Steve Tisch. Taylor Latham and Patrick Markey are co-executive producers.
All episodes of season one are currently streaming on Apple TV+.
The Plot, Courtesy of Apple TV+:
The half-hour psychological thriller follows a Philadelphia couple in mourning after an unspeakable tragedy creates a rift in their marriage and opens the door for a mysterious force to enter their home.
Following its suspenseful season one finale, the second season takes a supernatural turn with a darker future for all lying ahead as Leanne returns to the brownstone and her true nature is revealed.
Princess Bean’s back and she’s in a bit of a mood in the two-minute trailer for Netflix’s Disenchantment. The trailer arrives with the announcement season three of the critically acclaimed animated series will premiere on January 15, 2021.
Netflix also served up a teaser poster for the new season.
Season three features the voices of Abbi Jacobson as “Bean,” Eric Andre as “Luci,” and Nat Faxon as “Elfo.” John DiMaggio, Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille, David Herman, Matt Berry, Jeny Batten, Rich Fulcher, Noel Fielding, and Lucy Montgomery also lend their voices to the upcoming third season.
The Disenchantment Part 3 Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
From the mind of Matt Groening comes Disenchantment, the adult animated comedy fantasy series that follows the medieval misadventures of hard-drinking young Princess Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo and her personal demon Luci. Along the way, the oddball trio encounter ogres, mermaids, walruses, and lots of human fools all while uncovering the deeper mystery of Dreamland.
The excitement builds in Disenchantment Part 3 as Bean continues to grow into her power and own her destiny. As the fearless friends venture out to discover new worlds, they might just find there really is no place like home.
A Look Back at Season 2:
Disenchantment launched in 2018 and instantly whisked audiences away to the crumbling medieval kingdom of Dreamland. There, they followed the misadventures of hard-drinking young princess Bean, her feisty elf companion Elfo and her personal demon Luci. Along the way, the oddball trio encountered ogres, sprites, harpies, imps, trolls, walruses and lots of human fools.
Picking up where we left off, Disenchantment Part Two delves deeper into the un-fairytale’s mythology and explores faraway worlds well beyond Dreamland. But one question remains: Have we really seen the last of the beloved Elfo?
Teaser poster for ‘Disenchantment Part 3’ (Courtesy of Netflix)
Jim Carrey and Kelly Clarkson on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ (Photo by: Adam Christopher/NBCUniversal)
Emmy Award winner Kelly Clarkson’s days are going to remain busy as she’s just extended her talk show through 2023. NBCUniversal Syndication Studios announced the popular series has been renewed for two additional seasons.
The Kelly Clarkson Show received an early renewal for season two after debuting as one of the most-watched new talk shows in seven years. According to NBC, The Kelly Clarkson Show averages 1.6 million viewers and is attracting a younger audience than most daytime series.
“One ray of sunshine in this wildly unpredictable year is that we get to continue to deliver to stations and fans, a show that brings people together,” said Tracie Wilson, Executive Vice President, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios. “This wouldn’t be possible without the heart and humor of the talented and dedicated Kelly Clarkson and our production team, led by the incomparable Alex Duda, both of whom are masters of storytelling. It’s easy to see why Emmy voters, critics and viewers have become such loyal fans of the show.”
“The Kelly Clarkson Show is one of the most optimistic success stories in first-run syndication. Kelly is a beloved performer and host with deep roots at NBC and we are delighted to have her continue to be a very important and treasured part of our stations’ programming,” stated Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.
The hourlong talk show shot remotely from Montana and Clarkson’s LA home during the pandemic. Season two moved to the Universal Studios lot in September while following strict Covid-19 protocols.
Season one earned three Daytime Emmys as well as a Critics Choice Award nomination.
Season 2 Description, Courtesy of NBC:
In season 2 of her one-hour daytime talk show, multi-talented, Grammy Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson uses her gift of connection to bring viewers something new: a fun, energetic show that breaks with tradition. In each episode audiences will experience an hour full of remarkable stories, celebrity guests, spontaneous surprises, humor, heart and, of course, good music! It’s like a weekday brunch party with a fascinating guest list of people who would otherwise never meet.
