Long-overdue Entertainment News

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With the holidays and other busy things going on in my life this entertainment news blog is coming a couple of weeks late. I was trying to get one out every week.

I miss IMAX!

I’ve managed to watch at home 2 big blockbuster movies that should’ve been seen not only on the big screen but on the biggest screen IMAX. I’m talking about “Wonder Woman 1984” and Christopher Nolan’s time twisting action flick “Tenet”. Watching them at home on a 50 inch TV with the surround sound cranked up was nice but nothing like actually going to IMAX and being immersed in these fantastic worlds.

Regarding WW1984, it was everything you would hope for from the franchise. Costar Kristin Wiig in some ways steals the show by re-creating one of her Saturday Night Live character’s timid personality. Then doing an admirable job of transforming into a villain and action star even though we have to presume most of the action sequences were either stunned doubles and or CGI. Pedro Pascal as the other main villain wasn’t quite as creepy as he could have been but he was far, far away from his more famous character the Mandalorian.

Tenet had such a confusing and twisted plot in which characters and plot lines move simultaneously forwards and backwards in time that most of the time I was just along for the ride and didn’t really follow what was going on. I consider myself reasonably adept at following complicated plots but this one really stumped me at times. I think by the end I figured most of it out. There’s an article at the bottom linked that attempts to give you a spoiler filled step-by-step explanation of the story. I’m not sure it helps. Despite this, it was still a very fun ride. The special effects and action sequences were stunning and I did actually follow some of the plot which was quite interesting. I might have to buy the Blu-ray just to watch the behind-the-scenes “making of” features. I heard they shut down a highway in Estonia where some of the film shot for three weeks in order to film the huge chase scene. It set box office records in Estonia so apparently they like it. Approach with caution.

I can also report that the new sitcom “Call Me Kat” starring Mayim Bialik is quite disappointing. She plays a single 39-year-old woman who decides to use the money her parents had been saving for her wedding to open a cat-themed café. The opening episode starts with her doing a spit take and then addressing the audience. She pauses to address the reviewers in the middle of the scene all throughout the show. It’s annoying and only mildly humorous. I might give it a second look just because I like but I don’t have high hopes that it’s going to get any better. Now onto our regular news categories.

Pandemic News

  • More than 30 TV shows are extending their holiday hiatus because of Covid shutdowns
  • S.W.A.T. star Shemar Moore has revealed he is positive with Covid. Says he will be okay.
  • Kaitlyn Bristowe recent “Dancing With The Stars” winner as Covid.
  • TV Dr. Drew Pinsky after downplaying coronavirus now has code 19.
  • James Corden and Jimmy Kimmel a both returning to remote broadcasting for their shows because Los Angeles County has such a big Covid surge.
  • The Grammy Awards in LA have been postponed from January 31 tentatively to March 14 which happens to be the same day as the SAG-AFTRA awards and they aren’t too happy about it. Tony nominated “Mean Girls” will not be returning to Broadway whenever it reopens.

Renewals, Coming Soon, and Casting News

  • Hulu has canceled Marvel series “Helstrom” after one season.
  • Fox has ordered a reboot of “Fantasy Island” for the summer of 2021.
  • “Servant” has been renewed for season 3 by Apple TV+
  • The plan reboot of “Lizzie McGuire” plan for Disney+ has been canceled.
  • HBO Max has renewed “Flight Attendant” for season 2.
  • Netflix has renewed “Locke & Key” for season 3.
  • Jim Carrey has announced he will not continue to play Joe Biden on SNL. Cast member Alex Moffet has taken over the role.
  • Disney+ has confirmed a Boba Fett spinoff series from “The Mandalorian” scheduled for December 2021
  • CBS’ new sitcom “B Positive” has been picked up for a full season order of 18 episodes.
  • HBO and BBC have renewed “His Dark Materials” for 1/3 file season.
  • Warner Bros. and HBO Max have already approved plans for a third Wonder Woman movie.
  • Candace Bergen will make a guest starring appearance on “The Conners”.
  • Actor comedian John Bishop will join the cast of “Doctor Who” in season 13. BBC will neither confirm nor deny rumors that the current Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker is leaving the show at the end of the season.
  • The revival of “Dexter” has cast Clancy Brown as the new villain. Should be great.
  • HBO Max reviving “Sex and the City” according to Sarah Jessica Parker. Cast will reunite without Kim Cattrall.

Politics and Showbiz

  • Several media companies and others are suspending all political contributions to lawmakers objected to certification of the election. Some are just suspending all political contributions entirely.
  • Richard and Mayuni Heene that claimed in 2009 that their six-year-old son was trapped in a mylar balloon floating across the Colorado landscape, has been pardoned by the Colorado Gov.

Miscellaneous News

  • HBO Max is now going to be available on Roku .
  • Eddie izzard standup comedian who has long been known as a cross-dresser is now using she/her pronouns to describe herself.
  • Roku has brought the program library failed streaming service Quibi including never released shows. Shows will stream for free.
  • Hulu is cutting the price for US college students to $2/month.

In Memoriam

  • See the link below for TV Line’s list of TV stars we lost in 2020
  • John le Carré author of “Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy” and other famous Cold War spy stories. Age 89.
  • Ann Reinking Broadway star of Chicago, Annie, and All That Jazz age 71.
  • Jeremy Bullock actor who played Boba Fett in original Star Wars trilogy. Age 75.
  • Doug Crane animator for Terrytoons, Hanna-Barbera, and MTV. Age 85
  • Roger Berlind 25 time Tony winning Broadway producer of “Amadeus”, “Book of Mormon” and others age 90.
  • Lin Qi chairman and CEO of Chinese game developer Yoozoo and executive producer of the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Chinese sci-fi saga “The Three Body Problem” has died at age 39 after allegedly being poisoned by a colleague.
  • Bluegrass musician Tony Rice age 69
  • Phil Neikro Hall of Fame baseball player. Age 81.
  • Tuck Tucker animator for “SpongeBob Square pants. Age 59
  • Nick McGlashan Fishman who appeared on “Deadliest Catch” 33. No cause released.
  • Legendary French fashion designer Pierre Cardin . Age 98.
  • William Link TV writer producer and cocreator of “Colombo” and “Murder She Wrote”. Age 87.
  • Joe Clark high school principal who inspired “Lean on Me” age 82.
  • Dawn Wells who played Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island. Age 82.
  • Alto Reed saxophone player for Bob Seeger’s Silver Bullet Band. Age 72.
  • Paul Heller from producer known for “My Left Foot” and other films. Age 93.
  • Phyllis McGuire lead singer of pop music trio The McGuire Sisters. Age 89
  • MF Doom influential rap star died in October age 49 it was just recently revealed.
  • Mike Fenton casting director on hundreds of famous movies including “ET”, “Godfather: Part 2” and countless others. Founding member of Casting Society of America. Age 85.
  • Paul Westphal basketball Hall of Famer. Age 70.
  • Gerry Marsden lead singer of Gery and the Pacemakers a British rock band from the 60s. Age 78
  • Kerry Vincent judge on the Food Network Challenge. Age 75.
  • Tonya Roberts Bond Girl and “That 70s Show” actress age 65. There were conflicting reports first she was dead. Then she wasn’t. Now she is dead real.
  • British actress Barbara Shelley will. Many horror films and “Doctor Who” age 88.
  • Marion Ramsey actors who appeared in “Police Academy” films and appeared on Broadway. Age 73.
  • Neil Sheehan Pulitzer Prize winner New York Times journalist who obtained the Pentagon Papers. Age 84
  • Dave Creek character designer for animated series “Bob’s Burgers” has died after a skydiving accident. Age 42
  • Country singer songwriter Ed Bruce who also appeared as an actor in James Garner’s “Bret Maverick”. He cowrote “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys” age 81
  • Michael Apted award-winning British filmmaker who directed “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and other major films. Age 79
  • Antonio Sabato,Sr. father of jr and actor who appeared in “Grand Prix” and “Escape from the Bronx” age 77 complications of Covid.
  • Veteran soap opera actor John Riley appeared in General Hospital and other soap operas. Age 86
  • Patricia Loud matriarch of the “Loud Family” a famous PBS documentary that was the precursor to just about every reality show around today. Age 94.

Links of Interest

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