Here's a look at this week's Top 5 TV news stories!
For the first time in Emmy history, a series swept every major award in drama or comedy series categories (series, all four acting awards, writing & directing) and that series was Schitt's Creek. The little show that could from Pop TV was a leading contender going into the Emmy Awards but no one expected an across the board sweep. After never being an Emmys player before this season, the show's popularity exploded after it arrived on Netflix last year. It won awards for legends Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy as well as three awards for co-creator and star Dan Levy and his on screen sister, Annie Murphy (who was probably the longest shot before the ceremony). The Emmys received low ratings as expected but largely pulled off the super weird, socially distanced version they had to present. The other big winners, to no surprise, were Succession and Watchmen while 24 year old Zendaya shocked many by winning the Lead Actress in a Drama Series. I didn't do as well as I hoped on my predictions so I will have to work on that for next year! As far as whether the winners were desergving, I'm happy for the Schitt's team but there were also other comedies, mainly some performances in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the writing for the series finale of The Good Place that were deserving. I'm also not sure Schitt's Creek should own the distinction of sweeping an entire Emmys when some better comedies in history could not. And while Zendaya easily elevated Euphoria to a level it could not have reached without her, I was still pulling for either Jennifer Aniston or Laura Linney.
This has been the summer of cast members departing shows surprisingly and there were two more this week, one related to the pandemic and one not. Liv Tyler will be departing 9-1-1: Lone Star after one season due to travel concerns and restrictions from London to Los Angeles. Although Tyler was the biggest name in the cast besides Rob Lowe, I don't think her presence will be missed that much. A much bigger surprise is the departure of Alan Arkin from The Kominsky Method ahead of its third and final season. Although Arkin would be high risk (he is 86), it is said that this did not have to do with the pandemic and was already in the works. I'm really surprised Netflix decided to renew the Emmy nominated show for a third season if they knew Arkin wasn't going to return. The show is primarily focused on the friendship between the characters played by Arkin and Michael Douglas. Why bother to do just one more season when the center of the show is gone?
The CW announced the upcoming season of Supergirl, its sixth overall and fifth on The CW, will be its last. Supergirl began on CBS where it was a very off-brand show for them when it launched in the Fall of 2015. It had a very big premiere and stayed at decent ratings but it always seemed like it belonged on The CW and that's where it ended up for Season 2. Initially it was a big hit for the CW and it was then used to re-launch Sunday nights for them. Like all CW shows (and broadcast shows), it has been losing its audience and star Melissa Benoist is also a new mom.
#4 - DC UNIVERSE ORIGINALS ARE NO MORE
In a move that surprised absolutely no one who has been paying attention to the streaming services, DC Universe will be rebranded and all remaining originals will move to HBO Max. Harley Quinn was renewed and the previously renewed Titans and Young Justice will join the other DC castoffs on the newer streaming service. Meanwhile, DC Universe will re-brand as DC Universe Infinite in January 2021 and will be focused primarily on comics instead of shows. With many recent DC Universe shows cancelled or going to HBO Max, this was only a matter of time.
#5 - "BOB'S BURGERS" AND "FAMILY GUY" GET TWO MORE SEASONS
Ahead of Sunday night's season premieres, FOX has renewed Bob's Burgers and Family Guy for two more seasons, taking them through the 2022-23 season. Animated shows always need a lot of lead time and they're the one genre that hasn't been impacted by the pandemic with episodes ready to go during the typical premiere week. It's not surprising with these two shows being cornerstones of FOX's Sunday lineup for over a decade. The other cornerstone, The Simpsons, has not gotten a renewal yet and there continue to be rumors that it will eventually leave FOX for one of Disney's companies like Hulu or Disney+ (where reruns are currently airing).
Check back on Monday for a new week of blog posts!
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