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THE FRIDAY FIVE: Top 5 TV News Stories of the Week Ending 12/3/21

Here's a look at the Top 5 TV news stories of the week!

#1 - CHRIS CUOMO SUSPENDED AT CNN
It's a story that just won't die. CNN announced this week that it has suspended Chris Cuomo "indefinitely" for his role in helping his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, fight his cascading scandals that led to his resignation this past summer. Chris Cuomo had already come under fire and apologized for the same issue but documents released Monday showed that the younger brother had been more involved than CNN realized and may have used his position and connections to aid his brother's defense. This feels like a story that will end with Chris Cuomo leaving the network but it hasn't happened yet. While the anti-Cuomo crowd has been quick to attack Chris, he has also had most former supporters coming after him as well so it seems like he will follow his brother out of the public spotlight for now but time will tell.

#2 - "PEN15" AND "KEVIN CAN F**K HIMSELF" ENDING
Two shows announced they will be done after two seasons. PEN15's second half of Season 2 was released today and it was announced this week that it will be the final batch of episodes. The Emmy-nominated comedy's ending was a decision made by creators and stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle and not Hulu, which wanted additional seasons. They left the door open for a return at some point but it will be done for now. Meanwhile, AMC's Kevin Can F**k Himself will also end with its second season, to be released sometime in 2022. The series received mixed reviews and doesn't seem like a show that thematically can last for a long time so this is probably a good choice.

#3 - "LIVE IN FRONT OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE" CASTING
The next edition of Live in Front of a Studio Audience (and the first in two years) will air on December 7 and feature re-created episodes of Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life. A lot of big names were added to the roster this week. Playing the four main girls in The Facts of Life are Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hahn, Gabrielle Union and Allison Tolman while Ann Dowd will play Mrs. Garrett. Aside from being much older than the characters, this was quite the casting coup. It was also announced that Jon Stewart will appear in a "surprise role." The Diff'rent Strokes cast also has big names previously announced: John Lithgow, Kevin Hart and Damon Wayans. I haven't been a huge fan of these specials but I'll be tuning in out of sheer curiosity.

#4 - MILEY CYRUS & PETE DAVIDSON TO HOST NEW YEAR'S EVE FOR NBC
I guess this could qualify as #4? Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson will take over New Year's Eve duties and compete with Ryan Seacrest on ABC and Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on CNN. It's an oddball pairing but they each have a lot of fans so it should be more exciting than the snoozefests Carson Daly hosted for NBC for many years.

#5 - SCRIPTED PREMIERES THIS WEEK
Here's a look at this week's scripted premieres!

Today: Hulu drops the long-awaited second half of Season 2 (and now final batch of episodes) of PEN15. The Emmy-nominated comedy saw things delayed by the pandemic and pregnancies of the two stars while an animated special aired in the summer. Amazon releases comedy Harlem, a show about four female friends that seems to be in the same vein as recent releases The Sex Lives of College Girls and Run the World.

Monday: HBO premieres Landscapers, a four part limited series about a real-life murder. The dark comedy stars the acclaimed Olivia Colman and David Thewlis.

Tuesday: ABC has a sneak preview of Abbott Elementary before it airs weekly on Tuesdays starting in January. I'm skeptical of school-set sitcoms but this one has looked funny in the promos.

Thursday: HBO Max premieres the Sex and the City revival titled And Just Like That. The series, which does not have Kim Cattrall, does not seem to have the buzz that some recent revivals have but I'm sure some fans of the original will check it out.

My pick for the week: PEN15. It was nominated a seven time nominee for my Benjamonster Awards including Outstanding Comedy Series and a winner for Writing in a Comedy Series so I'm excited to see what the next (and sadly last) episodes will bring. I also am quite interested in Abbott Elementary and Landscapers.
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