Here's a look at the Top 5 TV News stories of the week!
FX announced this week that it will drop the phrase "FX on Hulu" and all programming will have the FX brand name. That includes shows on FX proper like American Crime Story and What We Do in the Shadows and shows exclusive to Hulu like Reservation Dogs as well as FXX shows. When the FX on Hulu brand launched with shows like Mrs. America, it was to differentiate FX titles that were original only on Hulu. But FX seems to have realized that the brand matters the most even if it's in a myriad of locations. This comes after a high profile show (Impeachment: American Crime Story) couldn't break through since it was only airing on FX proper and couldn't come to Hulu because of Ryan Murphy's Netflix deal (it will arrive on the latter streamer in 2022). I'm not sure this will be any less frustrating for people who try to find all FX things in one place but FX is a brand that's associated with quality programming so simplifying the branding makes a lot of sense.
Netflix dropped some surprise news on Thursday night with the cancellation of Cowboy Bebop after one season. The high profile series, based on an anime series, was trashed by critics but still highly anticipated ahead of its November 19 launch. Netflix has had high profile one and done shows before but what makes this surprising is it hadn't even been out three weeks by the time the cancellation came down. It must have really, really tanked with the Netflix audience or, like Y: The Last Man, contract considerations meant a decision needed to be made quickly. Either way, this went from being a really high profile title to an afterthought at rapid speed. Also cancelled this week was A.P. Bio after four seasons, two on NBC and two on Peacock.
With the Golden Globes in turmoil, the Critics Choice Awards are trying to make themselves more important as they have taken the TV day of the Golden Globes and will air on January 9 on TBS and the CW. The nominations came out this week and there were a lot of really solid choices. There were some snubs as with any awards show (The White Lotus was snubbed for limited series though it did get some acting nominations) but some shows that haven't broken through at the Emmys like For All Mankind, The Good Fight, The Other Two and Girls5Eva received nominations while there was also love for some new shows like Only Murders in the Building, Ghosts and The Chair. I'd love to see this awards show get more coverage with a stronger list of nominees.
#4 - MAYIM BIALIK & KEN JENNINGS TO CONTINUE TO SHARE "JEOPARDY" HOST DUTIES
Jeopardy will continue its host rotation through the end of the 2021-22 season as Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue to share the duties. The two have traded off hosting since Mike Richards' epic flameout one day into filming the new season. I've liked them both as host as Bialik is a more likable personality but Jennings clearly understands the gameplay and comments on it more in the moment the way Alex Trebek did. There's no guarantee either one will be the permanent host in Fall 2022 but it's looking that way, at least as of now.
#5 - SCRIPTED PREMIERES THIS WEEK
Here's a look at this week's scripted premieres!
Today: It's a pretty quiet Friday release day with only two offerings: Hulu's second season of the animated Crossing Swords and the sixth and final season of The Expanse premieres on Amazon. The series, which aired on Syfy for its first three seasons, will air in weekly installments before it comes to an end early in 2022.
Monday: NBC is giving a sneak preview of new comedy American Auto after The Voice. Two episodes will air before it settles into its regular slot on Tuesdays at 8pm in January. The series comes from Superstore's Justin Spitzer. Superstore also started its run with a post-Voice December preview back in 2015.
Tuesday: Another new NBC sitcom gets a one hour preview as Grand Crew will air from 8-9pm. It will air regularly after American Auto on Tuesdays at 8:30pm in January. The hangout sitcom has seemed like its gotten more promotion than Auto.
Wednesday: I'm not sure these really qualify as premieres but NBC will air new holiday episodes of Young Rock, Kenan and Mr. Mayor. The three sitcoms will return for their sophomore seasons in 2022 (Kenan double pumped on Mondays in January and Young Rock/Mr. Mayor on Tuesdays in March). This practice of airing holiday episodes outside the season is common practice in the UK but hasn't been done much here.
Thursday: Peacock has its next comedy swing with MacGruber. The one time SNL skit turned flop film is now getting a series treatment not that long after the end of the recent MacGyver reboot on CBS. Meanwhile, HBO Max premieres the Sci-Fi limited series Station Eleven, based on a 2014 novel and set twenty years after a flu pandemic, which I'm not sure is something anyone is that interested in seeing fictionalized.
My pick for the week: I'm interested in both new NBC sitcoms but I'm a little more interested in American Auto than Grand Crew based on the premise and the fact that it comes from the Superstore creator. I'll also be checking out the holiday episodes so it'll be a lot of NBC for me this week.
Check back next week for a new week of blog posts!
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