Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week! NBC is slated to announce their schedule today but after this post goes up so look for thoughts on the NBC schedule later!
This isn't really news from the week but my chance to say goodbye to a sitcom that I watched for all eight seasons and 170 episodes. Mom ended last night on CBS and it really had an impressive run that evolved so much over the course of the series. It morphed from a family comedy to a buddy comedy over the years but always had the addiction/recovery element especially as it added new characters all the way up to the finale. Two things really stood out to me about this show. First, it was never stuck in its ways. It allowed itself to evolve and never married itself to any one idea (*cough*How I Met Your Mother*cough*). It really let the characters lead it in a natural direction. It meant a lot more cast turnover than a typical eight year sitcom but it felt real. Second, it was never afraid to be bold. Most of Mom's finest moments were dark comedy or straight up drama. This was a show about addiction and there were some pretty rough and sad moments during its run. It never resorted to a "very special episode" approach. It never lost its sarcastic spirit, especially from star Allison Janney, but it didn't feel the need to sugarcoat any tough scene. If jokes weren't needed, they didn't put them in. It was at times a very gutsy show masquerading as a standard CBS sitcom. It's not an all-time favorite for me partly because it wasn't always consistent (hard to do with an ever evolving premise and cast of characters) but it should be lauded for really being spectacular in its best moments.
The Golden Globes continues to be struggling to stay afloat amidst its mounting controversies. After big time companies like Netflix, Amazon and Warner Bros. announced they would not engage with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (who puts on the Golden Globes), the big shoe dropped when NBC announced it would not air the Awards in 2022. Even with declining ratings, it is all about the TV presentation and without a major venue like that, they are going to be pretty irrelevant. This is all self-made. For years, it was well known that they were a pretty corrupt organization but now they also have race issues as it was revealed the HFPA had no black members. It's going to be hard for the Globes to get back to relevancy. I don't disagree with chickens coming home to roost for the HFPA but I do hope if they go kaput, the industry will coalesce around another ceremony as the "second most important" to the Oscars and Emmys. I like the kickoff to awards season and I hope something takes its place, it doesn't have to be the Globes.
Two final season announcements arrived this week and they are both a big deal but neither one is all that surprising. NBC will reportedly make it official on Friday that This is Us will end next season after six seasons, which was always the plan for Dan Fogelman. When I heard Fogelman on a podcast last fall, it seemed to me like he may be cooking up some sort of sequel series but the original series really can't go much further so I think this is coming at the right time. Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres announced her daytime talk show will end with its upcoming 19th season. DeGeneres has been under siege since lots of reports of a toxic work environment last summer. That may not be the direct reason as DeGeneres has reportedly been planning to leave for awhile but the events of last summer certainly didn't help matters.
#4 - RENEWALS, RENEWALS, RENEWALS
Ahead of schedule announcements next week, there were plenty of renewals this week with more to come over the weekend. ABC was making most of the moves with a slew of no brainers: Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, America's Funniest Home Videos, Shark Tank, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Supermarket Sweep and American Idol. They still have plenty of formalities to renew and several shows still on the bubble. Also renewed was Call Me Kat on FOX, which was a little surprising as it didn't seem to have a ton of buzz when its season ended in March. And NBC made the big announcement that daytime soap Days of Our Lives has been renewed for two more seasons, taking it through Season 58, as the daytime soaps continue to hang on.
#5 - "ANNIE LIVE!" IS NEXT TV MUSICAL
NBC is getting back in the live TV musical game with Annie Live! this December. The live musicals have always been a mixed bag of quality but as a musical fan I never cease to be excited about them. Of course this news was not as exciting as the return of actual live theater and the many Broadway re-openings that were announced this week!
Check back next week for a new week of blog posts!
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