Hello there. I see that you are in need of television news. Lucky, then, that “This Week in TV” is still bringing you the latest TV headlines completely free of charge. This week, we’re talking about the Bill Murray Christmas special, the revival of a classic British sitcom, and Doctor Who season 10, plus loads more.
First, though, Conan O’Brien took his talk show to Armenia this week, and inadvertently got a cameo role as a gangster in an Armenian soap opera.
TV News
Bill Murray
So, this is really happening. Bill Murray, American national treasure, is starring in his own Christmas special for Netflix. How does that make any sense? We don’t know, but we’re overwhelmed by an insatiable fascination to find out more. Maybe the new trailer will explain everything:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJP3db3R014
Okay, we’re absolutely on board. It’s a show about Bill Murray putting on a Christmas special in New York, with all the behind the scenes shenanigans you’d expect. To be fair the special is stacked with comedic talent: Amy Poehler, Michael Cera, Chris Rock, Miley Cyrus, and George Clooney will all be part of it.
Exactly who’s idea this all was is unclear, but they’re either a genius or an idiot. Since Sofia Coppola, director of Lost in Translation, is at the helm we’re going to say this just might work. Honestly, if it was just an hour of Murray reading the phone book we’d probably be tempted to watch.
Doctor Who
With the 9th season of the Doctor Who revival coming to a close in the next few weeks, details are starting to trickle out about its 10th season. In an interview with Digital Spy, current star Peter Capaldi and showrunner Stephen Moffat talked about early plans for a new “companion”. It was confirmed before the current run that Jenna Coleman would be leaving at the end of the year.
Moffat is eager to emphasise the importance of the Doctor’s companion, and says Coleman’s replacement will be a major influence on the tone of the show. As of now though, planning for the new companion is in the “quite early stages” according to the showrunner. Meetings are underway though, and we’re still likely to get a full season next year.
On how Coleman’s Clara Oswald leaving will impact the Doctor, Capaldi said: “It makes him have to think again about how he’s dealing with his life and his relationship with the cosmos.”
Porridge
In the UK Porridge is considered one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, even ranking in the top ten when the BBC conducted a mass poll in 2004. Now the brain trust at the BBC have decided the comedy needs a one off revival.
The series, which aired way back in the 70s, starred legendary British comedian Ronnie Barker as Norman Stanley Fletcher, a career criminal imprisoned at the fictional Slade Prison. Porridge dealt with themes of class, incarceration, generational difference, and more. The revival is said to be part of the BBC’s 50 year anniversary of Hancock’s Half Hour, which originally popularised the sitcom genre.
To air in 2016 the show will be written by veteran comedy writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenias, who worked on the original Porridge series as well as The Likely Lads, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, and Lovejoy. The one off revival will reportedly follow Norman Stanley Fletcher’s grandson, who will be incarcerated for computer hacking.
Agent Carter
Marvel and ABC have set January 2016 as the date for Agent Carter‘s return. The show’s second season also has a trailer, which sees Captain America veteran Peggy Carter head to Hollywood. Agent Carter‘s first season earlier this year was a modest success, and several key characters will return for the new adventure. Trailer time:
John Cena
John Cena is a wrestler man. He’s also now got his own extreme reality TV show, titled American Grit, to air on Fox. The show will follow 16 Americans through a series of “military-grade and survival themed challenges”. American Grit looks to be an elimination based show with contestants divided into four teams, each with a mentor from the armed forces. Oh, and did we mention the prize money is $1 million?
F is for Family
Netflix have released a trailer for their new animated comedy F is for Family, starring Bill Burr, Laura Dern and Justin Long. Set in the 70s, the show seems to mine its comedy from a “hilarious” politically incorrect dad. Netflix hasn’t had great success with grown up cartoons, so maybe temper your expectations. Here’s the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFzrvMS6P8g
The Soup
Long running entertainment clip show The Soup has been cancelled by E!. Hosted by actor Joel McHale, the series ran for 12 years and a staggering 22 seasons. McHale spent episodes lampooning reality TV stars and the shows they headlined. The host, who also starred in Community, has stated his intention to focus on his acting career in the immediate future.
Sky Q
Some industry news now: In the UK Sky has been the king of subscription based television for literally decades. Now though, with competition from the likes of Netflix, Amazon, BT, and Apple, Sky is launching a new “high-end” pay TV service. It sounds like Sky Q will be an extra package on top of the existing Sky+ HD service. It’s being ,marketed with a lot of new features, but its ability to record up to four shows at once might be its stand out selling point.
Arrow/The Flash
So Arrow and The Flash are doing one of those big crossovers again? When Arrow started back in 2012 it looked like it was aiming for the realistic grittiness of The Dark Knight. Now though, it’s full of superpowers, mysticism and time travel. Here’s the crossover trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d8FtLw4MGQ
Viral Videos
Jimmy Kimmel has all the insider details about the recently announced Fast & Furious spin-offs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWeZzMqGu5g
Jennifer Lawrence and Jimmy Fallon engage in one of the weirdest dance segments in late night history.
In light of the horrifying events in Paris last week, we thought we’d end this week with John Oliver, putting into words exactly what we’ve all been wanting to say:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRulzotv51I
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