• 24: LEGACY Preview: Start the Clock
• Ratings Stunt: Megyn Kelly to Co-Host Live With Kelly
• Stephen Colbert’s Live Election Night Special: ‘Who’s Going To Clean Up This Sh*t?’ Trailer
• What About Bill Maher?! Samantha Bee Books President Obama For ‘Full Frontal’ On October 31
• Mark Your Calendars: ‘Sherlock’ Season 4 Sets Launch Date With ‘The Six Thatchers’
• Streaming Soon: ‘Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner Returning To TV With Amazon Series From Weinstein Company
• Welcome Back: Stana Katic Poised To Star In Thriller Drama Series ‘Absentia’ For Sony’s AXN
• Don’t Cry for Her, West Covina: Patti LuPone Is Coming to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
• Nostalgia Alert: Muppet Babies Are Coming Back to Ruin Your Childhood
• PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: Freeform to Air Tell-All Special After Series Finale
• Westworld: New photos, episode titles give clues
Archives for October 2016
On TV Tonight: Wednesday October 26, 2016
NET | 8PM | 8:30PM | 9PM | 9:30PM | 10PM | 10:30PM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABC | The Goldbergs | Speechless | Modern Family | Blackish | Designated Survivor | |
CBS | Survivor: Millenials vs Gen X | Criminal Minds | Code Black | |||
CW | Arrow | Frequency | ||||
FOX | World Series Game 2: Cubs at Indians | American Horror Story (FX) | ||||
NBC | Blindspot | Law & Order: SVU | Chicago PD | |||
MISC | Chance (Hulu) | Lip Sync Battle (Spike) | Younger/Impastor (TV Land) South Park (Comedy) Rectify (Sundance) Queen Sugar (OWN) You’re the Worst (FXX) |
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: Freeform to Air Tell-All Special After Series Finale
Immediately following the two-hour series finale, PRETTY LITTIE LIARS stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell and Sasha Pieterse, as well as executive producer I. Marlene King, will sit down for an hour long unbarred and uncensored tell-all after show to discuss all of the series’ tightly held secrets, behind-the-scenes insights, and top moments, Freeform announced today.
The tell-all, which will premiere immediately after the two-hour series finale, will allow viewers the
chance to digest all the drama that happened in the finale alongside the main cast and I. Marlene
King. Burning fan questions will be asked and answered, and the audience will get the all the scoop
on the ins and outs of A.D. and the #PLLEndGame. The after show will serve as a retrospective
celebration of the past seven seasons and as a way for the fans to say goodbye to the show.
The final 10 episodes of PRETTY LITTIE LIARS will air beginning in April 2017. Season seven will continue to be filled with homecomings and reunions, bringing back old characters as it has already done in the first half of the season, including Wren Kingston (Julian Morris), Pastor Ted Wilson (Edward Kerr), Jenna Marshall (Tammin Sursok), Paige McCullers (Lindsey Shaw) and Sydney
THE MICK to Premiere in January on Fox
The new Kaitlin Olson comedy THE MICK will premiere on Sunday, January 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT following the NFL doubleheader on FOX. The series will then make its time period premiere with an all-new episode Tuesday, January 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT
THE MICK follows Mackenzie (a.k.a. “Mickey”)a brash, two-bit hustler from Rhode Island who must assume guardianship of her sister’s three high-maintenance children. Mickety has spent her whole life being irresponsible, but not she may discover that responsibility isn’t the buzzkill she always thought it would be. The series also stars Sofia Black D’Elia (THE NIGHT OF), Thomas Barbusca (MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE), newcomer Jack Stanton, Carla Jimenez (LAST MAN STANDING) and newcomer Scott MacArthur.
In addition, Beginning January 3, NEW GIRL moves to its new Tuesday night time period at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. In addition, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE has its two-part winter finale on January 1, following THE MICK. The series returns in the spring.
ABC Thanksgiving and Christmas Teasers: MODERN FAMILY, THE GOLDBERGS, SPEECHLESS and More
With Halloween nearly come and gone, it’s time to turn our attentions to the holidays: specifically, Thanksgiving and the Christmas season.
ABC has a plethora of holiday related programming coming up in the months of November and December, from holiday-themed episodes of its scripted shows to Christmas specials. Read on for a full list of what’s coming to ABC this holiday season.
Tuesday, November 15
FRESH OFF THE BOAT – “No Thanks-giving” – Louis and Jessica decide to open Cattleman’s Ranch on Thanksgiving Day, inspiring Emery and Evan to take heed of the restaurant business and perhaps inherit the family legacy someday. Meanwhile, Eddie decides to blow off the rest of eighth grade, so Jessica finds a creative way to teach him the meaning of hard work. (9:00–9:30 p.m.)
THE REAL O’NEALS – “The Real Tradition” – The O’Neals deal with a change to their Thanksgiving tradition when Pat and Eileen invite Gloria and VP Murray to dinner as their dates. Meanwhile, things don’t go as smoothly as planned when Gloria offers to help Kenny cook and Eileen prepares to meet VP Murray’s mom for the first time. The Food Network’s Graham Elliot, Alex Guarnaschelli and Antonia Lofaso as themselves. (9:30–10:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, November 16
THE GOLDBERGS – “HO-LY K.I.T.T.” – Murray and Uncle Marvin bond over their love of “Knight Rider” and attend the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade to see K.I.T.T. in person. Upset at his father and uncle for going without him, Adam poisons their relationship but later regrets his actions. Meanwhile, when Barry declares he is splitting his time between the Goldberg and Lewis families for Thanksgiving, Beverly hatches a plan to invite Bill and Lainey over. But her plans go awry when Bill has his own idea how to celebrate the holiday. Dan Fogler returns as Marvin. (8:00–8:30 p.m.)
SPEECHLESS – “T-H-A-THANKSGIVING” – The DiMeo plan to avoid another horrible Thanksgiving with Jimmy’s brother (guest star Rob Corddry), and his family backfires when the older DiMeo clan invites themselves over to celebrate. While Kenneth and Ray destroy the turkey, the rest of the family create a game, checking off the various annoying things their relatives are known for. When Jimmy and his brother Billy decide to take their competition to the streets, the family discovers that Billy’s family is not as perfect as it seems. (8:30–9:00 p.m.)
MODERN FAMILY – “Thanksgiving Jamboree” – It’s going to be a Thanksgiving jamboree at the Pritchett-Tucker home this year, and Cameron has spared no expense. While Phil tries to get used to Rainer Shine (Nathan Fillion) dating his daughter, Hayley has to break it to her dad that she would rather spend the rest of her holiday with her new boyfriend than staying for the traditional family football game. Meanwhile, Jay has to figure out a way to keep his blood pressure down on one of the most stressful days of the year, as Gloria tries to show Joe that animals are our friends. Finally, Alex and Dwight get to know each other a little better than her Uncle Cam would like, while Mitchell has to stop clowning around and tell Cam the truth. (9:00–9:31 p.m.)
BLACK-ISH – “Auntsgiving” – Pops’ older sister, Almaviligerais (guest star Lorraine Toussaint), unexpectedly arrives for Thanksgiving, much to everyone’s delight except Ruby, who can’t stand her ex-sister-in-law. While Bow and Dre go on their last vacation before the baby arrives, the kids try to figure out why Ruby hates Almaviligerais so much. (9:31–10:00 p.m.)
Friday, November 18
LAST MAN STANDING – “My Father the Car” – Mike is determined to get Chuck to sell him a car recently left to him by his late father, but Joe (Jay Leno) might beat him to the punch. At the Baxter home, Kyle shows up with a family Thanksgiving heirloom and Vanessa doesn’t even try to hide her distaste for the hideous centerpiece. Meanwhile, Kristin and Ryan are forced to lay down some house rules after learning that Eve’s new boyfriend (Travis Tope) stayed over-night in their basement. (8:00–8:31 p.m.)
DR. KEN – “Allison’s Thanksgiving Meltdown” – Allison convinces a reluctant Ken that it would be a fun, family adventure to drive to her parents for Thanksgiving dinner. But along the way, a traffic jam combined with her husband and kids’ antics causes her to lose her usual cool. Meanwhile, Clark takes charge to serve Thanksgiving dinner at a shelter for the homeless, but his bossiness and unnecessary attention to details drives everyone a little crazy. (8:31–9:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, November 22
THE MIDDLE – “Thanksgiving VIII” – Frankie has come to the conclusion that April (guest star Greer Grammer) is not good enough for Axl and does everything in her power to keep her out of their annual Christmas family photo. But she finds herself vying for Axl’s attention by trying to rearrange timing for the family’s Thanksgiving dinner when she discovers that he plans to go to April’s multiple family get-togethers that day. Meanwhile, Sue goes ballistic when she discovers that Brick will now be her new co-worker at Spudsy’s. (8:00–8:30 p.m.)
AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE – “The Blow-Up” – It’s Thanksgiving, but Katie is less-than-thankful that the holiday features a visit from her least-favorite person, her mom Kathryn (guest star Wendie Malick, “Hot in Cleveland”), a self-centered former Pan Am stewardess. Surprisingly, it’s Katie’s nemesis, Viv (Leslie Bibb), who helps ease the tension when she invites herself to dinner. (8:30–9:00 p.m.)
Wedneday, November 23
A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING – ABC celebrates the start of the holiday season with the classic half-hour animated Thanksgiving-themed PEANUTS special, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. A special bonus cartoon from Charles M. Schulz, “This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers,” will air with the PEANUTS classic. The cast includes Todd Barbee as Charlie Brown, Robin Kohn as Lucy, Stephen Shea as Linus, Hilary Momberger as Sally, Kip DeFaria as Peppermint Patty, Jimmy Ahrens as Marcie and Robin Reed as Franklin. (Rebroadcast – ABC OAD: 11/16/01). (8:00–9:00 p.m.)
Friday, November 25
“Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” – In the perennial favorite created in 1970 by Rankin-Bass Productions (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman”), Fred Astaire narrates this timeless tale of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney), a young boy with an immense desire to do good things for others. The vocal cast features Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle, Keenan Wynn as Winter, Paul Frees as Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsby, the soldiers and the townsmen, Joan Gardner as Tanta Kringle, Robie Lester as Jessica and Andrea Sacino, Dina Lynn, Gary White and Greg Thomas as the children. (8:00–9:00 p.m.)
Monday, November 28
CMA COUNTRY CHRISTMAS – Some of the biggest stars in music have come together to celebrate the holidays on “CMA Country Christmas,” a two-hour special hosted for the seventh year by Jennifer Nettles. (8:00–10:01 p.m.)
Thursday, December 1
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS – Celebrate the joy of the holidays with the classic animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, created by the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. In the digitally re-mastered 1965 special, Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant, and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus’ help to learn the real meaning of Christmas. (Rebroadcast – ABC OAD: 12/20/91). (8:00–9:00 p.m.)
THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW – It’s going to be a Very Mary Berry Christmas when “The Great American Baking Show” returns with a two-hour season premiere. Hosts Nia Vardalos (“My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding”) and Ian Gomez (“Cougar Town”) return with Britain’s “Royal Queen of Baking,” Mary Berry, and James Beard Award-winning pastry chef and author, Johnny Iuzzini, as judges where bakers from around the country will compete for the title of “America’s Best Amateur Baker.” Each week these bakers will share their recipes for holiday-themed fare with everything from cakes, cookies and pies on the dessert menu. “The Great American Baking Show” is from Love Productions and is executive produced by Richard McKerrow and Joey Allen. (9:00–11:00 p.m.)
Mondays, December 5, 12, 19
THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with ABC’s hit holiday decorating competition series, “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” returning for its fourth season with returning celebrity judges Taniya Nayak and Carter Oosterhouse. ”The Great Christmas Light Fight” features families and neighborhoods from across America decorating their homes to the extreme for Christmas in hopes of winning a cash prize and the coveted Light Fight trophy. The series will air for three consecutive weeks with back-to-back episodes. In each of the six one-hour episodes, four families compete for the $50,000 prize, with a total of $300,000 given away for the season, as they transform their homes into a festive wonderland for the holidays. (8:00–10:00 p.m.)
Thursday, December 8
TOY STORY THAT TIME FORGOT – Pixar Animation Studios’ special for television “Toy Story That Time Forgot” features your favorite characters from the “Toy Story” films. 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.” The cast of “Toy Story That Time Forgot” includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Kevin McKidd (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Reptillus Maximus, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Joan Cusack as Jessie. (8:00–8:30 p.m.)
SHREK THE HALLS – DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek the Halls,”starring America’s favorite ogre and his friends and featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Just when Shrek thought he could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his happily ever after with his new family, the most joyous of all holidays arrives. It’s Christmas Eve, and everyone is filled with holiday cheer – except for Shrek. He isn’t exactly the picture of yuletide joy, but for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is all about, so when Donkey, Puss In Boots, Gingerbread Man and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek’s plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas. (8:30–9:00 p.m.)
Saturday, December 10
MARY POPPINS – Set in Edwardian London, the film features no-nonsense nanny Mary Poppins, who flies out of the windy London skies and into the home of two mischievous children of the wealthy and strict Banks family, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber). With the help of a carefree chimney sweep named Bert (Dick Van Dyke), the spirited nanny sets off on a series of fantastic adventures with Bert and the children, and teaches their parents some lessons about love along the way. Disney’s beloved classic received a total of 13 Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture, and won five, including Best Actress (Julie Andrews), Best Song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”), Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Music Score. The movie features many classic songs, including “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Jolly Holiday,” Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Feed the Birds,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” (8:00–11:00 p.m.)
Concluded on next page…
THE FLASH 3.04 Recap: Welcome Back, Killer Frost!
Last night’s THE FLASH started out as a pretty slow and filler episode for me. Even though I knew that the Mirror Master was a big name in the DC Comics canon, he was just alright on the show and didn’t really stand out like other metas have in the past. But the feeling that maybe this was just going to be a boring episode for me changed when Barry got stuck in the mirror. And not because he was stuck in the mirror, per se, but because it caused a whole lot of other situations that were pretty awesome.
The search for a new Harrison Wells. I’m going to be very honest here. As entertaining as that audition process was, I still like Harry so much better than all those other doppelgangers. Also, kudos to Tom Cavanagh – those other versions of Harry were hilarious and it’s amazing seamlessly he just goes from one character to another.
Now, I am pretty sure there’s a reason we’re getting a new Harrison Wells, but I don’t trust that dude. I also hope that doesn’t mean we have just said goodbye for good to Harry and Jesse.
Westallen and Joe. While I am not really a fan of those two together, I admit that seeing Barry and Joe feeling completely awkward was hilarious. And I totally get why they would feel that way. Joe is a father figure for both of them and, while they’re not biologically related, it’s still kind of weird. It seemed like both Barry and Joe were feeling like this is going to take some getting used to, but I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end. THE FLASH is that rare show where I really don’t ship anyone, so as long as they’re happy, then so am I.
That said, is Joe finally getting a love interest? Who is that woman and why the sudden interest in Joe? Is this a Flashpoint thing? Whatever it is, I am so happy for him. The guy deserves some loving and it’s about time he is getting it.
Jesse Quick and Wally. I love Jesse. I really do, and I hope that we will get to see more of her and soon. I was getting kick out of Barry teaching her and actually laughed out loud when he said, “Oh, my God. I’ve become Oliver!”. Grant Gustin’s delivery was spot on and I am absolutely sure the audience had come to that exact same conclusion before he said it.
That said, Jesse was like a breath of fresh air into this show. She is funny, sassy and she is basically Barry when he first started out. And her relationship with Wally is just so precious and sweet, that when they finally kissed, I sighed happily. They’re the two kids in a team of grown-ups and they have always been each other’s support buddy. I feel bad for Wally now, that he had her for such a short time and had to say goodbye again.
Maybe that is going to be enough reason to bring her back. And Harry. There’s no such thing as too much Harry in our lives.
Killer Frost. I know Caitlin is scared of her new powers, but why hasn’t she told anyone yet? The team could be helping her figure out what is happening to her and help her learn how to control it. However, I am so, so happy that they’re bringing Killer Frost back. Last season was not kind for Danielle Panabaker, but Killer Frost from Earth-2 was one of the highlights of the season for me. I wonder if they’re going to make her evil – which I seriously hope they don’t. That’s just not our sweet Caitlin – but what’s really cool about this whole thing is that the entire team is meta now. They are actual superheroes with super powers and this show is about to get so much more fun.
A new episode of THE FLASH wil air next Tuesday, November 1, at 8/7C on The CW.
THE FALL Roundtable: Three Thoughts Before Season 3 Comes to Netflix
THE FALL season 3 is set to premiere on Netflix on October 29. While viewers on the other side of the globe have watched the finale on BBC Two, quite a lot of us have been anxiously awaiting the latest run of episodes. Before the Netflix debut gives fans — whether of Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, or just the series in general — a chance to binge, I took some time out to chat about the series with some fellow writers. We touched on some of our favorite things about THE FALL, what we might like to see done differently, and (of course) where we’d like to see it all go. What better way to prepare for new episodes than to have a good conversation with friends, right? Check out our roundtable for THE FALL, and make sure to enjoy season 3 — unless, of course, you’ve already had the opportunity to watch on television.
What have been some of the strongest aspects of the series for you?
Shana Lieberman: I think, for me, the keyword that would best describe every single positive aspect of THE FALL is “unapologetic.” The series is unapologetically dark, opting to show serial killer Paul Spector’s heinous acts without any sort of warning before them or light “relief” to follow. There are also no excuses made on the villain’s behalf. No, he’s not just some disturbed loner, as many fictionalized accounts of monsters like Spector would paint him: He’s a seemingly normal family man, who’s adored by his children and would be absolutely forgettable…if only viewers weren’t aware of what he did in his spare time. THE FALL doesn’t shy away from the idea that even the most seemingly innocuous men among us can, and will, be the most dangerous people imaginable.
And then there’s the unapologetic feminist bent, for which THE FALL has received a lot of praise. Stella Gibson is a walking, talking lexicon of feminist rhetoric. Rather than painting this as something special or drawing a lot of excessive attention to it — either negative or positive — the characterization just is. Gibson defies any stereotypes associated with the well-known “strong female character” and is, quite frankly, above all of that. She is who she is, and if you don’t like it? Too bad. She is, to badly quote Christopher Nolan’s THE DARK KNIGHT, the hero we deserve. I could continue to write a love letter to this character, but I basically already did as a guest contributor on Just About Write’s “Strong Women Series.” So, moving on.
Last but never least, there’s Gillian Anderson’s performance. This, too, falls into my general theme of “unapologetic,” as she’s unapologetically talented. Given some of the interviews I’ve seen and heard, she’d probably disagree. But too bad. I’m unapologetically in awe of just how fully she’s slipped into pretty much every character she’s ever played; and her portrayal of Stella Gibson is, by far, one of her best turns. So there.
Amy Imhoff: Honestly, I think the creep and suspense factors are very strong and make for highly compelling television. Too often, I have a general idea of where things are going; but with this show, that is not the case. I love not knowing! Dornan’s serial killer vibe is understated, which makes him way more scary — because he’s smart and deliberate. I also find the way Stella handles the men she’s surrounded with at work to be inspiring because she is just not taking their shit. I do wish at times she had a bit more levity; but that is just not Stella’s vibe, which I can totally respect. I think Gillian often plays these uber-serious people who are wound pretty tightly because she herself does not seem like an overly serious person; rather, she has a sense of humor and mischief about her. Both Spector and Stella are deadly serious, and I think both need to be. I am also quite fond of Danielle Ferrington; I quite like the actress that plays her, Niamh McGrady. Supporting cast is A+ all around. Oh, and Stella’s little ways of enticing Spector to be in contact, like wearing the nail polish on camera – that was just cool.
Erin Allen: Obviously, Gillian Anderson is the draw, but there are a lot of strong aspects that make THE FALL a great show. Besides being aesthetically appealing, the show touches on important, topical issues like feminism and misogyny. The cat-and-mouse cop drama is given new life with these characters and the interesting sub-plots. In other words, you come for Gillian and you end up staying for, well, Gillian, but a whole slew of other reasons, too.
I love the commentary this show makes on rape culture and sexism. I’ve read criticism that it sensationalizes violence against women, but you can’t really address the subject without portraying it. It sheds light on the conversations we should be having, especially in these times of Brock Turners and Donald Trumps. Stella smartly and poetically shoots down sexism when it’s directed at her or when sexist thinking gets in the way of her investigation. She breaks down the conventional thinking of how a woman is supposed to behave. For example, when she ends up sleeping with a married man, it is suggested to her that she should’ve thought to ask if he was married even though he wasn’t wearing a ring. The way she answers when she’s being questioned points out the major double standard. She approaches a man to fulfill a sexual desire and gets judgement. She expertly shuts this down: “Man fucks woman. Subject man, verb fucks, object woman. That’s okay. Woman fucks man. Woman subject, man object. That’s not so comfortable for you, is it?” Anderson said she was surprised that the scene where she met James Olson was shocking to people. We need to move towards a reality where that behavior isn’t shocking. A woman going after what she wants and a woman wanting sex should not be surprising nor should it be condemned.
Stella is careful of how she presents information from the investigation to the public, being mindful of how the media skews things: “Let’s not refer to them as innocent. The media likes to divide women into virgins and vamps. Angels and whores. Let’s not encourage them.” We’ve seen recently that this trend still exists and, in fact, still runs rampant in our culture. We clearly see men controlling and manipulating women through Spector’s violence, but the show also portrays many of the different ways this happens. Jimmy physically and emotionally abuses his wife. Burns drunkenly forces himself on Stella. Eastwood pointedly questions her on some of her decisions. There are also subtler ways this manipulation occurs, too, and I appreciate that the series addresses them. It’s important to Burns that Stella feels guilt. He is offended when she makes a comparison between Spector’s depravity and his behavior towards her in her hotel room. “It’s not the same, but you crossed a line.” Just because it isn’t as atrocious as Spector’s crimes doesn’t excuse the act.
During my last rewatch of THE FALL, I had a dream where someone broke into my home and attacked me. I screamed and screamed as loud as I could and my husband sleeping next to me (in the dream) never woke up despite the noise I made. This is so indicative of how raging misogyny attempts to silence women. It wasn’t so much that I was getting attacked; it was that I was not being heard that scared me. In a scene in season one, Spector is watching Stella on the news. He mutes the TV, literally taking her voice away. Taking our voice away makes it easier for men to view us as objects. THE FALL brings the importance of women’s voices to the forefront and examines society’s way of trying to silence them.
Laura Mastantuono: I should quote Erin. Definitely, the draw was Gillian Anderson. I started watching this show last year after hearing lots of praise about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. Truth to be told, even if curiosity about Gillian playing this role and how great Stella Gibson was made me press play for the pilot, I was completely surprised and astounded by the cinematography and how unapologetic (as Shana said) the writers were in presenting the theme and plot. Usually in this kind of procedural, viewers get to see the behind the scenes about the detective’s or hero’s life, but this series showcases the double life of Spector and makes an almost perfect portrait of a sociopath (with him and young Katie).
The fact that the show ties the dark aspects of the scripts with its color palette, choice of camera angles, and movements and sound, it almost seems obvious to be pointing it out, but it’s a perfect example to study in film school. And not every show does it. There’s nothing lazy about how this show is constructed; and adding the more than stellar performances by the cast, it makes it addictive.
And then there’s the feminist aspects that Shana described so well. Stella Gibson is the kind of character we wanted but didn’t get. She just is this character; and even if you might speculate about what has happened to her, you don’t actually know. And it’s wonderful. Why? Because in life, when you’re drawn to a person or look up to someone, you don’t always get the backstory — it is the way it is. And Stella rules.
Lissete Lanuza: Obviously, the answer to this question is Gillian Anderson. I started watching for Gillian, without any idea what the show was about. It could have been about her staring at a wall for forty minutes every episode, and I still would have given it a shot. It’s Gillian. After I started watching, however, I fell in love with the show – and it wasn’t just because of Gillian. (Even if, to this day, she remains my favorite thing.)
First of all, the show is a treaty on feminism. There are few characters on TV who just exist in the way Stella Gibson does. Like Shana said, she is who she is, and THE FALL doesn’t treat the fact that she’s basically a role model like it’s a big thing. THE FALL just allows Gillian to be this woman, to inhabit her, and that sends an even bigger message than if they’d been trying to point out at every step how great and different she is.
But that’s the thing about this show – they present their story and let us draw our own conclusions, not just about Stella, but about Paul, and about almost every character and storyline. There’s no explanation, because the show treats us like adults who can reach our own conclusion, and that makes it both refreshing and addictive.
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24: LEGACY Preview: Start the Clock
Keifer Sutherland is busy being President over on ABC, so a new hero will have 24 hours to save the day when 24: LEGACY premieres on Fox at midseason.
Six months before the show begins, a squad of U.S. Army Rangers — led by Sergeant Eric Carter — killed terrorist leader Sheik Ibrahim Bin-Khalid in Yemen. After the death, Bin-Khalid’s followers declared a fatwah against Carter, his squad and their families, forcing them into federal witness protection. After a recent attempt on Carter’s life, he realizes that his team is now exposed.
In order to stop more attacks, Carter seeks out Rebecca Ingram, a brilliant intelligence officer who helped lead the raid. She’s since stepped down from her post as National Director of CTU in order to support her husband’s, Senator John Donovan, run for President. Carter and Ingram soon uncover a ”sophisticated terrorist network that will force them to ask: “Who can we trust?’”.
Watch a new preview for the series below. 24: LEGACY will premiere after the Super Bowl on Fox.
DESIGNATED SURVIVOR Sneak Peek: Time for Retribution
Things have been heating up for the DESIGNATED SURVIVOR, President Kirkman, in the weeks since the Capitol bombing. He has been exposed as having been fired just before the bombing, putting the legitimacy of his presidency in question. He has also been challenged by his chief military adviser and the governor of Michigan. And he finds a challenger for the presidency in one of the only two remaining members of Congress, Congresswoman Hookstraten.
In the last episode, the perpetrators of the bombing were identified as being from Algeria and the military demanded President Kirkman act immediately for retribution. When the President hesitated because a U.S. asset hadn’t reached safety first, the chief military adviser acted on his own, forcing the President to fire him. Meanwhile, the First Lady asked Congresswoman Hookstraten for help in a personal matter, and the Congresswoman was more than willing to help, but exacted a price to be repaid at a later time of her choosing — setting up a conflict for another time. The Congresswoman also approached the President’s Chief of Staff, implying he had a brighter future ahead, acknowledging him for leaking information that forced the President to take action he had been reluctant to take and that she thinks may set her up to challenge the President for office.
Tonight, it’s time to exact retribution for the bombing. Realizing attempts at diplomacy with Algeria have failed, President Kirkman must decide whether to send Navy SEALs on a mission that could define his presidency — but could also define the SEALs’ personal lives. The investigation into the Capitol bombing continues, but FBI Agent Wells is running into more secrets than answers.
See the preview video below and watch DESIGNATED SURVIVOR tonight (October 26) at 10:00 p.m. on ABC (U.S.) and CTV (Canada).
Afternoon Static: GILMORE GIRLS, SHAMELESS, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE & More!
• Live From New York: ‘Saturday Night Live’ Primetime Election Special Set For November 7
• WOW: ‘Walking Dead’ Ratings Near All-Time High With Season 7 Debut & Thrashes NFL
• New Trailer for GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE Released
• Ouch: Notorious’ Season 1 Order Cut at ABC
• Ratings: Walking Dead Premiere Draws 17 Million, Just Shy of Series Record
• Analysis: Why the Golden Age of TV Was Really Born in the 1980s
• Retro: How Nickelodeon Got America Hooked on Cable
• Obama Reads Mean Tweets, Slams Trump on Jimmy Kimmel Live
• Q&A: Emmy Rossum on Her Directorial Debut, Casting Shameless’ First Transgender Character, and What She Learned From Mr. Robot’s Sam Esmail