Category Archives: Entertainment

Dan Harmon says he’s returning to ‘Community’ [Update: it’s official]

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This came out of nowhere. Following the debacle from last year involving Community creator Dan Harmon and star Chevy Chase publicly exiting the show, it looks like Harmon is making a comeback for the NBC sitcom’s fourth season. “RT @dpeanutbutter: @danharmon GIVE US A STRAIGHT ANSWER! ~ Yes yes yes! I’m back I’m back I’m back. You can thank @joelmchale.” Harmon tweeted this out to his nearly 200,000 followers on June 1. Network NBC and producer Sony TV have not confirmed nor denied Harmon’s out-of-the-blue exclamation, but nevertheless fans of the quirky comedy should be shaking in their boots with excitement. The show’s third season never quite felt like Community fans had come to know, love, and cherish; a friend described it to me as ‘the shell of Community missing its soul.’ Harmon’s replacements David Guarascio and Moses Port are apparently not coming back next season, so the showrunner position is open for the taking. Even with Chase out of the picture, it only seems fitting that the show’s inventor take his rightful seat on the throne back, especially if ratings remain low and season four becomes the final run of 13 episodes for the series.

At a certain point the network and/or the studio will have to make some sort of announcement and when they do I’ll amend this post accordingly.

Update (6/10): Sony TV confirms Dan Harmon’s return to his old showrunning post at Community. Woohoo! Joining him is reinstated executive producer Chris McKenna. Fellow Human Beings, season four will feel familiar again.

[Via Deadline]

NBC renews ‘Hannibal’ for a second season

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Unexpected, joyous news: despite dangerously low ratings following a midseason berth, NBC has greenlit a second season of Bryan Fuller’s imaginative serial killer psychological thriller Hannibal. “We’re so proud of Bryan’s vision for a show that is richly textured, psychologically complex, and very compelling,” said NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke. “There are many great stories still to be told.” A 13-episode second season is expected to find a spot on the Peacock’s schedule during the latter half of the 2013-14 season. Hannibal, which stills airs new episodes Thursdays at 10, is currently averaging 4.7 million viewers and a 2.0/6 share in the adults 18-49 demo.

Though Mads Mikkelsen plays the title character in Dr. Hannibal Lecter (and with an incredibly delicate balance of madness and concern, I might add), it’s Hugh Dancy as expert criminal profiler Will Graham who steals the spotlight in Hannibal. Over the course of the season he’s been submitting himself to psychological torture by embracing pure empathy and stepping into the shoes of the most insane of killers. It’s Mikkelsen’s Hannibal who is attempting to mold him into a real killer, ever so meticulously. It’s this journey into darkness and the unknown, with its mythology-driven and not so usual procedural tendencies, that has been coming back every week for more. Hannibal, though on a much darker side of the spectrum to Fuller’s previous work Pushing Daisies, serves as a perfect sequel to that. Absolutely ecstatic more is on the way.

Neil Patrick Harris to host the 65th Emmy Awards

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Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Dr. Horrible) returns to host the Emmys for the second time when the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards airs Sunday, September 22 on CBS. The last time he hosted the awards show celebrating television was back in ’09. He’ll be hot off hosting this year’s 67th Tony Awards on June 9, his fourth turn at leading the awards show acknowledging the best on Broadway.

“I couldn’t be more honored and excited to be hosting this year’s Emmy Awards,” said NPH in a press release. “And what perfect timing – I’ll just do the exact same script I’m about to use for the Tonys. ‘And the Emmy for Best Revival of a Musical goes to Breaking Bad!’ See, told you it works.”

Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment, also released a statement. “Neil is the quintessential host – engaging, entertaining and a true showman – with a passion for celebrating the medium we all love. We’re thrilled for him to return for CBS’s broadcast of the Emmy Awards.”

In case you’re counting, NPH is a three-time Emmy winner; he previously took home the statue for guesting on Glee and for hosting the 2009  and 2011 Tonys. Here’s to hoping Dr. Horrible and Nathan Fillion’s Captain Hammer take over again!

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Man of Steel’ & ‘Pacific Rim’ behind-the-scenes featurettes, plus new looks at ‘Machete Kills’, ‘Monsters University’ & ‘Planes’

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Before you dive into the trailers, check out these two behind-the-scenes featurettes for Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot Man of Steel and Guillermo del Toro’s robots versus monsters action film Pacific Rim. “Our approach was not a comic book Superman; it was just to be a more realistic Superman, a Superman that exists in the real world,” says screenwriter David S. Goyer. The three-and-a-half minute Man of Steel clip includes some never before seen footage and you’ll hear from Goyer as well as Snyder, producer Deborah Snyder, production designer Alex McDowell, actress Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Kevin Costner (Jonathan Kent), Russell Crow (Jor-El), and star Henry Cavill (Clark Kent). Man of Steel opens June 14.

Jump after the break to view the Pacific Rim featurette and this week’s selection of trailers.

Update (5/3): A lengthier Man of Steel behind-the-scenes featurette was uploaded to the Internets today; watch all 13 minutes of it after the break. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Man of Steel’ & ‘Pacific Rim’ behind-the-scenes featurettes, plus new looks at ‘Machete Kills’, ‘Monsters University’ & ‘Planes’ →

TV reminder: ‘Arrested Development’ premieres this Sunday with 15 new episodes on Netflix

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We made it. Seven years after it was cancelled and banished from network TV, cult comedy Arrested Development is not making a huge mistake by coming back for another season consisting of 15 brand new episodes. All of them will be made available for streaming on Netflix at once when the clock strikes midnight (PT) / 3AM (ET) on Sunday, May 26. Creator Mitch Hurwitz recommends you watch the episodes in order, at least during your initial binge marathon. Each installment intentionally follows a single member of the Bluth clan but don’t fret–characters will weave in and out of other characters’ storylines and the entire bunch will congregate at least twice over the course of the season. Other things to look out for: you will witness the same scenes multiple times but they will play out differently and you will learn more context each time because they will be told from different character perspectives; also, these episodes serve as one giant setup for more AD in the future, whether it’s another season or the long dreamed about feature film.

Relive the journey of Arrested‘s anticipated comeback here. After the break, watch four teaser clips taken from the new batch; G.O.B., Lucille, Maeby, Lindsay, bees and an ostrich are all involved.

Ladies and gentleman, it’s the final countdown. Grab some bananas and blue paint and let’s (almost) break Netflix!

Update: AD creator Mitch Hurwitz (a man who obviously knows to always leave a note) posted to Facebook a picture of a handwritten letter made out to “friends, fans, supporters, detractors, haters, enemies, and arch enemies.” In it he acknowledges everyone who supports the show and he is thankful for the opportunity to bring these characters back to life. The note is posted in full after the break. Continue reading TV reminder: ‘Arrested Development’ premieres this Sunday with 15 new episodes on Netflix →

‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ parodies ‘Game of Thrones’

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Jimmy Fallon and his talented team at Late Night have a new digital series parodying HBO’s popular fantasy series Game of Thrones aptly titled Game of Desks. Fallon pulls double duty portraying skewed versions of Ned Stark and Daenerys Targaryen here, as does announcer Higgins who plays a convincing Lord Varys and Khal Drogo. From the impressive opening animation to the elaborate set pieces and wardrobe, Game of Desks makes an entertaining Thrones parody that every fan of the show will enjoy watching. Mash play and take it in! Catch some fantastic promotional posters in the gallery below.

[Images via @jimmyfallon]

J.J. Abrams presents ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ deleted scene featuring Benedict Cumberbatch

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Don’t worry, no spoilers here… This week director J.J. Abrams visited Conan and presented a short but definitely sweet deleted scene from his Star Trek sequel Into Darkness. If you’ve seen the movie, you know there’s a scene where a shirtless James T. Kirk is found in bed with two half-naked aliens. To balance it out, Abrams had envisioned a scene where moviegoers would also get to see the film’s antagonist played by Benedict Cumberbatch without his shirt on. In this case, it’s a fleeting moody shower sequence. Cumberbatch’s John Harrison stands in what Abrams calls “the shower of evil.” Ultimately it was decided that this would not make the final cut and you can hear why straight from the director’s mouth in the clip embedded above. Also discussed is the “revealing,” much talked about scene involving star Alice Eve stripping to her bra and underwear. Yum.

SpeakSonic album reviews: Justin Timberlake, Kid Cudi, will.i.am, Daft Punk, Mindless Behavior & Beth Hart

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Justin Timberlake made a splash selling over 70,000 copies of his recent release The 20/20 Experience. Kid Cudi finally released the follow-up to his 2010 record Man on the Moon II with Indicud, a collection of tracks with notable featured guests and production by Scott Mescudi himself. will.i.am continues to prove he can exist musically without his Black Eyed Peas group with #WILLPOWER. Daft Punk elicits nostalgia of the ’70s with their highly anticipated album Random Access Memories. Ever heard of pop artists Mindless Behavior and the bluesy Beth Hart? You might want to check out their respective releases All Around the World and Bang Bang Boom Boom.

SpeakSonic delivers with this week’s bite-sized album reviews.

Movie trailer round-up: ‘The World’s End’, ‘Anchorman 2’, ‘Riddick’, ‘Man of Steel’, ‘Pacific Rim’ & ‘The Wolverine’

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We start with a second trailer for Edgar Wright’s The World’s End, starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Martin Freeman. This international trailer is more encompassing than the previously released clip, outlining the overall plot without missing a step. Anticipation for this action buddy comedy just notched another peg higher. It hits theatres August 23.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘The World’s End’, ‘Anchorman 2’, ‘Riddick’, ‘Man of Steel’, ‘Pacific Rim’ & ‘The Wolverine’ →

Kanye West performs new material off upcoming album ‘Yeezus’ (video inside)

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Kanye West is about to explode onto the music scene once again, this time with his upcoming sixth studio album and the followup to his critically acclaimed 2011 release My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Over the past few months ‘Ye has been working hard on the album at an undisclosed recording studio in Paris, France. It was only until very recently that the rapper resurfaced with new material. His most public debut of two brand new tracks came last night when he performed “New Slaves” and “Black Skinhead” on Saturday Night Live. The album titled Yeezus has an overall dark tone according to those few who’ve heard samples from it already, and that description is immediately apparent upon hearing the new tracks. ‘Ye embodies a form of rage with distinct political flair here, a quality fans of the genre would typically attribute to Lupe Fiasco. See for yourself in the SNL performances embedded after the break.

A day before his visit to Studio 8H, Kanye tweeted a link to his website that provided fans with a map of highlighted cities around the world; 66 buildings located in cities like New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Berlin were specially marked for fans to flock to to get a first listen of ‘Ye’s new sound. A giant image of Kanye’s face was projected onto these buildings, looping the fresh track “New Slaves.” Though it hasn’t been confirmed, sources say Frank Ocean is featured singing towards the end of the track. See how the unique fan experience went down in a clip posted after the break.

Yeezus is expected to drop June 18. For a sneak peek at the “golden” album artwork, you know where to look. Continue reading Kanye West performs new material off upcoming album ‘Yeezus’ (video inside) →

Bill Hader to depart ‘SNL’ this week, Fred Armisen & Jason Sudeikis may follow

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A trio of SNL veterans may be departing Studio 8H this weekend when the late-night sketch comedy show closes its 38th season. One is definitely confirmed to make an exit and that’s Bill Hader. The talented comedian-actor joined the cast of SNL as a featured player in 2005 and a year later he became a main member of the cast. After eights years of so many laughs (his wildly outrageous Weekend Update character Stefon will forever remain in our hearts) Hader is ready to leave his game-show host personas and impressive impersonations (James Carville and Clint Eastwood come to mind) behind.

“It was a hard decision, but it has to happen at some point,” Hader told The New York Times. “It got to a point where I said, ‘Maybe it’s just time to go.’ ”

This Saturday’s episode will be Hader’s last. But what about Jason Sudeikis, who has been fiddling with the idea of leaving the show since last year, and Fred Armisen, a 10-year vet? A New York Post article claims they will be joining Hader on the outs, but the report has not been confirmed by the actors or SNL boss Lorne Michaels.

Michaels praised Hader’s tenure with the Times. “He was so completely committed to the art of it, and enough a student of it, that there’s something strikingly original. He didn’t explode onto the air, but gradually he found his voice, and that became a huge thing.” He also commented on the rumors involving Sudeikis and Armisen. “I think they’re making their decisions, and we’ll know soon enough. I’ve said what I wanted to say to both. You never keep anybody there who doesn’t want to be there, and there is a right time to leave, but it’s more about where they are in their lives.”

Bill is one of the best talents to grace 30 Rock’s Studio 8H and he will sorely be missed next season. And if Fred and Jason leave too, next year one will be one of transition for the long-running sketch show. Also departing in early 2014 is Seth Meyers who is leaving the Weekend Update desk to take over NBC’s Late Night when Jimmy Fallon moves to The Tonight Show.

Update: Armisen and Sudeikis are joining Hader in not returning to SNL next season.

2013 Upfronts: The CW orders 5 new series for next season

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The big four networks have revealed their new shows for the fall, but let’s not forget about CBS’ sister network The CW. Today at the Upfronts the young-skewing net showed off five new dramas including The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals and The Tomorrow People from TVD‘s Julie Plec and Arrow‘s Greg Berlanti. Learn all about The CW’s new fall lineup after the break. Continue reading 2013 Upfronts: The CW orders 5 new series for next season →