‘Toy Story’ special & new Netflix original ‘Marco Polo’ premiere this month [Update: ‘Black Mirror’ Christmas special]

Now here’s something to tide you over until Disney and Pixar unleash Toy Story 4: it’s another Toy Story TV special, a follow-up to 2013’s Toy Story of Terror! Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear (alongside other fan favorite characters) in a half-hour tale titled Toy Story That Time Forgot.

During a post-Christmas play date, the Toy Story gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It’s all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room in this Toy Story That Time Forgot.

Watch the trailer here. The special premieres Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 8pm on ABC.

Jump after the break to preview Netflix’s latest drama.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear “Marco Polo?” The game you fondly remember playing in the pool as a kid, am I right? “Marco!” screams your friend with his eyes closed; “Polo!” you roar back as you frantically frolic in the water as your friend attempts to blindly capture you. Well, fine readers, popular streaming service Netflix hopes to change all that with its latest original series. The drama introduces Italian actor Lorenzo Richelmy as the titular adventurer and explorer Marco Polo and follows his travels as he navigates the inner court of 13th century ruler, Kublai Khan.

“Marco Polo” is an epic adventure that follows the early years of the famous explorer as he travels the exotic Silk Road to the great Kublai Khan’s court. But Marco soon finds that navigating the Khan’s world of greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry will be his greatest challenge yet, even as he becomes a trusted companion to the Khan in his violent quest to become the Emperor of the World.

Check out the teaser and main trailers; in grand Netflix fashion, Marco Polo appears to be a captivating (dare I say epic) tale with solid production value and much promise. All 10 episodes–featuring scenes shot on-location in exotic locales like Italy, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia–premiere Friday, December 12.

Though it originally premiered December 2011, British sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror is quickly gaining steam here in the States now that the series’ first two seasons are streaming on Netflix. I recently binged the six episodes spanning the two seasons and I must say: it’s totally worth the trip. Black Mirror is The Twilight Zone for today’s tech-obsessed generation. Each installment, featuring a rotating cast and settings, spins a disturbing, twisted, satirical, compelling tale that paints a not-so-distant dystopian future we most definitely should fear. No, it’s not your typical horror fare; it’s a satirical drama that successfully sheds light on our modern tendency to rely on the computer, tablet, and phone screens–those “black mirrors”–that are all around us.

Creator Charlie Brooker describes his techno-paranoia series like this: “If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side-effects? This area – between delight and discomfort – is where Black Mirror, my new drama series, is set.”

After you complete the relatively quick binge, you can next look forward to a Christmas special debuting later this month. The latest installment dubbed “White Christmas” reads like this: “A chilling feature-length seasonal special of the critically-acclaimed drama series, starring Jon Hamm (!), Rafe Spall, and Oona Chaplin. Three interwoven stories brim with near-future madness.”

The 90-minute special airs first on Dec. 16 in the UK on Channel 4; it will then make its way to the States on Christmas Day on DirecTV. Of course, if you aren’t a DTV subscriber I’m sure the special will find its way out in the open, one way or another. Watch a teaser here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.