The Final Season of Teen Wolf

All good things must come to an end, and MTV's Teen Wolf is no exception.  The network recently announced that the upcoming sixth season of Teen Wolf will be its last (to premiere on November 15th).  That's the bad news.  The good news is that Dylan O'Brien will be part of this last season even though he is still recovering from earlier injuries on a movie set.

In this final season trailer you can watch the Scooby Doo crew come up against what at first seems like something out of Sleepy Hollow, yet it becomes more complex as you learn more.  The series has always liked to pack in a whole range of demonic obstacles, which can be too much at times.  However, the core friendship of Scott and Stiles seems to hold it all together.  Think of it as Buffy and Xander - two friends that needed each other even if they really bugged each other at times (and only one had the real power).   

Football on Netflix

Tonight on Netflix you can watch the premiere of Last Chance U, a docu-drama about an NCAA football training camp. If you are a fan of HBO's Ballers, it may be worth watching this to see where it all starts. 

A New York Daily News profile notes:

“Last Chance U” is not all hard and serious, though timely social and racial issues play a major role in the series. There is still plenty of room for football fun.

A real Friday Night Lights, or so it would seem. Sounds like a good way to spend a Friday night. 

Revolutionary TURN Ends After Four Seasons

History fans will be very happy to hear AMC's TURN: Washington's Spies will be returning for a fourth season.  However, it comes with a hitch - it will also be the last season. 

Nonetheless, we cannot grieve (nor should we start up a letter-writing campaign).  We have been very lucky to have a show of this quality on TV for three seasons already given all the competition.  This colonial story about the founding of our nation has clearly found an audience all these years, and for that we should be pleased.  And as one of the fans of the show, I am very pleased. 

AMC President of Original Programming Joe Stillerman noted:

TURN: Washington’s Spies has always had a lofty goal — to tell the real story of the American Revolution from the ground up. To capture the truth about the choice regular people had to make to support what has become the United States of America. It frequently involved turning against friends and family, and it always involved risking everything.

We need such reminders even more today as we contemplate some difficult choices and potential leaders.  The United States did not just magically appear, and it will take strong leaders as well as an educated populous to keep it on track and push it to even higher heights.  Let's hope we can continue to learn and draw inspiration from George Washington and other who came before us.

Star Trek Discovery Arrives in January

You will need to wait until next January to see the new Star Trek series Discovery, but here is a teaser trailer.  The 13-part series was promoted at Comic-Con this past weekend as another Star Trek movie was being rolled out.

And what do we know about this latest saga? Not much. In an interview with showrunner Bryan Fuller Moviephone we learn very little:

I mean, it's funny. I've read that we're [set] before "Next Generation," after ["Star Trek VI: The] Undiscovered Country," which is false. I've read that it's an anthology show, which is not accurate. So it's interesting to see those suggestions, and seeing the truth mixed in with them and going like, "Oh, they got that part right..." But it's sort of on the truth-o-meter on PolitiFacts. It's sort of like some truth, and a lot of like, "No -- pants on fire! That's not true."

Well, that was helpful. All I take away from the clip is that the Federation has a secret weapon called the USS Discovery ready to cause some pain  (hence the martial music). At least that's my guess. I'm sure CBS will leak more information shortly. 

MadTV Returns

Tonight on The CW you can catch the new and improved MadTV, or at least the renewal. I was a fan in the past and hope to be again. And better yet, Ike Barinholtz and Debra Wilson from the original series will guest star this season. 

After 14 seasons can the series say anything new? Well, given out political candidates, I would have to say yes. Then again, can anyone really be more ridiculous than the real Trump? I think it's unlikely. 

Update:  The first episode of the new show was perfect, and it was even better with veteran Madders Will Sasso and Nichole Sullivan starting it off.  Their roles as Hillary and Bill Clinton were also terrific.  And while many younger viewers may not get Sasso's Kenny Rogers, it was great to see that character return to spoof reality dating shows.  Keep it up, MadTV?

Looking: The Movie

Tomorrow night's movie Looking: The Movie brings an end to a two-season series that exposed the lives of three gay friends in California, warts and all. HBO should be commended for following through on a promise to bringing fans closure to this excellent yet short-lived series. Of course, I recommend you watch the series before the movie so you can get the full effect. 

Here is the synopsis of the movie from HBO:

Starring Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett, Looking: The Movie wraps up the story of three close friends living in San Francisco who explore the options available to a new generation of gay men seeking fulfillment in love and life. In the film, Patrick returns to the city for the first time in almost a year to celebrate a momentous event with his old friends. In the process, he must face the unresolved relationships he left behind and make difficult choices about what’s important to him.

As I said, "unresolved relationships" will not make much sense without the context of the earlier episodes. Also, I am not worried that this is a horrible follow-on movie of well-liked characters such as the Sex in the City film (I cannot remember the name and who cares anyway).  Nor could Girls do this since no one really cares if they fall off the edge of the world, though that would be a movie worth seeing.

No, instead I expect HBO to do as it promised and bring a satisfying end to a great show. That will be more than enough (that, and a third season, mind you).

Garry Marshall RIP

You may currently be a fan of The Simpsons and Modern Family, but years back you would have been eagerly watching The Odd Couple, Happy Days, and Laverne and Shirley. We can thank Garry Marshall for these earlier series and much more on television and at the theaters (Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries).  Snark was not all the rage and social commentary was not the main goal. 

Sadly, Mr. Marshall passed away yesterday at the age of 81.  Viewers will always remember his positive contributions to the airwaves and silver screens.  Some of it may have been family and friendship schmaltz, but it was what we needed at times and still need more of today. 

Shooter: No Longer Entertaining

Sometimes fiction gets a little too close to reality.  Here is the pitch for Shooter from the USA Network, originally set to premiere tonight:

Ryan Phillippe (“Secrets and Lies”) is a producer on the project and will star as Bob Lee Swagger, an expert marksman living in exile who is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president.  Omar Epps (“House”) plays Isaac Johnson, an ex-Marine and former commanding officer of Swagger.  Now a Secret Service Agent, he solicits Swagger’s expertise for a clandestine operation that has disastrous results. 

The USA Network has decided to pull back and let the news run out on actual shootings, including an ex-Marine who just killed three police officers in Baton Rouge. Of course, this follows the ex-Army soldier who killed five police officers in Dallas. Do you see a trend?

Shooter should return on the fall or later once civility returns to America. It may be a long wait.

High School Pranks on HBO

Walton Groggins was fantastic as the literate bad guy on Justified throughout multiple seasons, even though he was initially expected to be in the pilot only. So I am interested to see what he can do with tonight's HBO show Vice Principals

where he is the main character from the start. You can get an idea in this trailer. 

We have seen numerous school-based series in the last year, most of which failed, so this is a difficult terrain. Maybe two obnoxious vice principals will be the right mix this time.  Maybe not. 

USA Today cites the racist plot (pretty dumb anytime, and horrible now), noting:

Anything even marginally appealing about Vice Principals is overwhelmed by the witless ugliness, rampant stupidity and utter cluelessness about the times in which we live.

That is not to say rascism should be banned from TV. We need to know the good and the bad, and Goggins was an adamant nazi, community-bomber in Justified, yet he was clearly the demented bad guy. Maybe a comedy needs to be a little more careful these days in a time of Black-ish and other smart shows. 

Hence, HBO needs to tread carefully. It does make you wonder if All in the Family could air today. Then again, I wonder if we have the talent to write such a show today. 

The Jocks Return to HBO

Tonight's second season of Ballers is worthy watching to see how damaged Dwayne Johnson can keep his football friends on the straight and narrow.  It is not easy, and even the strongest alphas can fail.  In this case, he fails time and time again as his minions cannot stay out of trouble.  

With Rob Corddry as his sidekick, the drama is intense and often crazy, while you really wonder if so much wealth should be in the hands of all these knuckleheads.  And now Johnson has to battle the sharks to manage the finances of the players.  You can expect plenty of action, frustration, and partying to match the drama.  

HBO was smart to pick this series up for a second season to see how the characters develop. This is the adult version of Friday Night Lights where the sports bubble obscures real life until the cops show up.

Update: Only two episodes into season two HBO has renewed Ballers for a third season.  Another smart play.

Jerry Should Sue

Comedy can often sting, but this video is completely unnecessary.  As a fan of Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, I think it was in poor taste for National Abortion Rights Action League to produce Comedians in Cars Getting Abortions.  Whatever your opinion on the topic, this skit is crass for a national group representing a serious topic. Leave the comedy to SNL.

Strange Things on Netflix

Summertime should be a time of high impact thrillers and exciting films, yet the line up of films this summer has been disappointing so far. So where do we go for our next big film? How about Netflix and its new 8-part series Stranger Things? It premieres tonight, so you will not need to worry about weekend theater tickets to a nothing movie. 

It brings back the vibe of the Goonies and ET rolled into one. Okay, it also deals with a missing child like so many new shows, but stick with it.  And the mom is played by Winowa Ryder, who has been absent from the screen for far too long.  Take a look at this trailer and then think about it. 

In terms of nostalgia, The Hollywood Reporter notes:

Geeking out over shared pop culture experiences is part of why Stranger Things works, but it also weaves a good yarn that keeps you guessing on the nature of the unfolding phenomena, gives answers efficiently and if the answers don't always make sense or if they push the show off into a genre that you maybe didn't expect, it avoids becoming trapped or bogged down in mythology. 

I am ready for a summer blockbuster in any form, so I will be tuning in.

It's Emmy Nomination Time

The nominations are in and the three networks with the most nominations for the year are HBO with 94 (mostly Game of Thrones, Veep, and Silicon Valley), Fox with 53 (mostly The People Versus O.J.), and FX with 47 (mostly O.J. again but Fargo as well). 

I did not see many surprises, though I am happy to see Real Time with Bill Maher mentioned as well as Vikings, Outlander, and The Man in the High Castle. 

You can go though the full list here. 

Mr. Robot is Back for Another Round

Just in case you missed all the press, tonight on USA Network you can see the second season premiere of Mr. Robot. The show has generated a cult following that has made this the "must see" TV show of the summer.

In an age of vampires and dragons, it's nice to know that a guy with a laptop can generate such excitement. Maybe winter is not only coming, but it is here and we are suffering the consequences, be it unemployment due to robots, ID theft, and government spying. Edward Snowden is a professed fan of the show, so it must be onto something.

With all the zombie teenagers attached to their phones, the 1 percent dismissing the human race, and democracy on the ropes as only dopes seem to run for government posts, we are at the edge of something. 

Is it as dark as Elliott's world? Time will tell.

Marc Maron Hangs It Up

Only last month did I start to watch Marc Maron's semi-autobiographic series Maron, and now I learn he is ending his TV show after four seasons. But don't worry, he will still be doing his WTF podcast where he interviews comedians and other celebrities.  

Maron stated:

IFC gave us a lot of creative freedom, but I feel like it's done and I'm proud of it. And I don't see any reason to keep going.

I have been a longtime fan of Maron's podcast, so I finally decided to see what he had done with his series. I was surprised that I enjoyed it so much as it covers everything from divorce and dating to dads and drugs. 

Now I'm glad I have three more seasons to watch after this one. I expect I will be sad like others when I reach the end, but I am happy now.

And who knows? If Curb Your Enthusiasm can return after a five year hiatus, you never know what can happens 

HBO Tries Crime Again

Don't worry, True Detective is gone and HBO is coming back with a new and improved crime drama called The Night Of. This 8-part series, premiering tomorrow night, follows the fate of a young Pakistani man accused of murder as he moves his way through the so-called justice system. It sounds like this program will be bleak with no winners. 

James Gandolfini was originally scheduled to play the defense lawyer, but his death threw everything into the air before John Turturro was able to fill in the gap. I would have loved to see Gandolfini again in any role, but Turturro will also be great to watch.

In an interview, Turturro stated:

I liked that you dealt with not just the plot and the whodunit quality, but how the crime accusation affects everybody. The cost of it really ruins people...I don’t (normally) think people can change … but a terrible thing can really alter you. You don’t usually get to see that.

Prepare yourself for an evening of great drama that may transform you. 

Cleverman is an Odd Australian Import

Last month we saw the premiere of Sundance's Cleverman, a strange show from Australia that showed a society where aboriginals and "hairy" individuals lived life in a zone away from the rest of society monitored by drones - think Big Foot meets The Colony. 

I watched three episodes to give it a chance and yet it still seemed like the waste of a good evening, so I am dropping it from my schedule. Maybe it is loaded with "social commentary," as some suggest, but I also like subtlety.  At least the USA Network's The Colony understands such things. 

Oddly, it was already approved for a second season, so someone must like it. I will leave that up to you. 

By the way, The Colony was also renewed for a second season.

Poldark: A Third Season?

I am pleased that BBC's historical tale Poldark has been renewed for a third season. I'm just wondering when we all get to see the second season. 

Ross Poldark (played my Adian Turner who you may remember from the BBC's Being Human) is a British soldier returning from the American colonial wars  only to find his inheritance has been squandered. By the end of season one, he finds himself married below his station but nonetheless happy as he attempts to save his mine and workers from ruin.

Season two should appear on BBC and Masterpiece later this year. That gives everyone time to catch up on this superb series. 

Reviewing the Battle of The Bastards

As fantastic as the last episode in the Game of Thrones might have been, it was the ninth episode, "The Battle of the Bastards," that truly amazed the eyes. The broad, bloody battle involving men and horses was too much to take in as soldiers were trampled, war horses toppled, and lives quickly ended.

And this video from Iloura will show you how it was done, step by step. It is all the more amazing to think of all the pieces that needs to fit together to create the realistic and overpowering scenes. 

The Iloura press release notes:

The battle required many photorealistic horse and rider collisions, 3,000-strong armies, a mix of close-ups featuring live-action and CG humans and animals and massive crowd simulations, as well as hundreds of assets – CG armoury, weapons, flags, saddlery, body parts, and environmental assets such as blood, mud, smoke, fire and mist.

Congratulations, Iloura, on your superb production. 

Space Series Second Seasons on SyFy

Do not forget to watch tonight's second season premieres of Dark Matter and Killjoys on SyFy. While I favor the confused crew on Dark Matter, who are slowly learning about their hidden pasts, Killjoys offers a fun view of brotherly bounty hunters.

Anthony Lemke, who plays Three on Dark Matter, said he was just as clueless about his character's backstory as the viewers. In an interview, he stated:

Joe [Mallozzi,  show co-creator] is very good about parsing out knowledge. So much so that we didn’t know who the traitor was until we shot it at the end of the first season, literally the last episode...It’s on a need to know basis! You know, you go in and it’s famous. You ask him a question about, trying to mine where your character is going and he gets that wonderful twinkle in his eye and starts telling you, ‘well it could be…,’ you know, this kind of thing. All of us just sort of recognize that immediately, it’s very funny, very funny.

It is also a very good show. Start with Dark Matter if you only have time for one show.