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Haven’t seen it yet, but it seemed like the kind of show that’d be fine as a one-off.

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Todd

Christian wrote:

Haven’t seen it yet, but it seemed like the kind of show that’d be fine as a one-off.

Unfortunately, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Indeed it does. Netflix are idiots.

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Todd

That’s pretty moch every netfilx show apart from Sandman that I watched on netfilx cancelled after one season.
And I’m not fussed about Sandman.
Time drop them.

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Ben, Todd

It’s just so dumb to cancel these shows so early, because it actively disincentives people from watching them and stops shows from gradually building an audience through word of mouth. I was still halfway through the first season of Kaos and enjoying it, but now likely won’t bother finishing it in light of this news.

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Martin Smith, lorcan_nagle, Todd, Ben

Todd wrote:

Unfortunately, it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Ah crap.

I’m still going to see it when I re-activate my Netflix account for a bit, but honestly at this point, it’s like Dave says – Netflix aren’t building any shows that I am particularly interested in anymore, so the time period when I do have a Netflix account grow shorter and shorter. I’ll have a month to watch Kaos and… well, right now I wouldn’t even know what else to watch there. Finish Baby Reindeer, I suppose.

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lorcan_nagle, Ben

The other aspect to this is Rings of Power. First series was OK, not great, but the second series was far stronger, in large part due to the pieces in place from the first series.

Kaos was heading in the same direction, but Netflix lost their nerve and hit the cancel button

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lorcan_nagle, Todd

Dave wrote:

It’s just so dumb to cancel these shows so early, because it actively disincentives people from watching them and stops shows from gradually building an audience through word of mouth. I was still halfway through the first season of Kaos and enjoying it, but now likely won’t bother finishing it in light of this news.

And the irony is that some of the biggest attractions on streaming services are old network series with 20+ episodes per season and ran for 5+ seasons. An old show may have had literally hundreds of episodes.

Typically, with streamers, their seasons are around 7-10 episodes and if they are fortunate, may last 3 seasons. Then you throw in the wait time between seasons. It may be two years or more between seasons, and some of those shows aren’t even FX heavy spectacles. But that all assumes the show goes past one season.

When you have issues like that, it can make it difficult to want to try any new series on a streamer.

Dave wrote:

It’s just so dumb to cancel these shows so early, because it actively disincentives people from watching them and stops shows from gradually building an audience through word of mouth. I was still halfway through the first season of Kaos and enjoying it, but now likely won’t bother finishing it in light of this news.

It’s incredible that they’ve gone from being the place that would recommission network shows to give them an ending to being a turbo-charged version of the US TV industry that instantly kills shows before most people have had chance to watch them.

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lorcan_nagle

[Sean Robinson]

Been seeing commercials for a TV show called Hysteria – Wiki and Bruce Campbell is in it (as Chief Dandridge) as well as Garret Dillahunt (as The Reverend), and Julie Bowen.

I’ll get it weekly starting next week, but all 8 episodes were released on Peacock in the U.S. on Oct. 18th.
Have no idea if it’s any good or not, but I’ll give it a try.

Hysteria! is an American horror-thriller[1] television series created by Matthew Scott Kane.

Set during the Satanic panic of the 1980s, a beloved varsity quarterback’s disappearance causes whispers of occult activity and Satanic influence throughout the town. Dylan Campbell, Jordy, and Spud, a trio of outcasts in a struggling heavy metal band called Dethkrunch, decide to capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by rebranding themselves as a Satanic metal band, which leads to them becoming the targets of the town’s witch hunt.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 3 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

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Uncle Retrospective, Martin Smith

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Uncle Retrospective

This really sucks. I hope the conclusion is satisfying.

‘Good Omens’ To End With One 90-Minute Episode As Neil Gaiman Exits Following Sexual Assault Allegations

Good Omens is getting a final send-off, albeit a truncated one.

The Amazon fantasy drama will end with one 90-minute episode in lieu of a full third season with creator Neil Gaiman exiting after allegations were made against him by a slew of women.

Michael Sheen and David Tennant, play the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley, respectively, will return for the one-off television movie, which will begin shooting in early 2025 in Scotland, after pre-production was paused due to the allegations.

Gaiman contributed to the writing of the series finale but will not be working on the production and his production company the Blank Corporation is no longer involved. A new writer is expected to finish up the work, although insiders said that deal has not been closed.

This comes after Tortoise Media released a podcast that chronicled accounts of two women, with whom he was in consensual relationships, who accused him of sexual assault. Another two have since come forward. Gaiman denies the allegation.

Deadline revealed last month that Gaiman offered to step back so that Good Omens would be able to finish its story.

Sheen plays Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare-book dealer, while Tennant plays the fast-living demon Crowley. Jon Hamm, Miranda Richardson and Frances McDormand also star. It is based on Terry Pratchett’s 1990 novel.

The series was renewed for its third and final season last year. Gaiman had served as writer, showrunner and exec producer. He is the latest high-profile member of the crew to leave the show after co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon, who also served as a director and exec producer left after the first two seasons.

In August, Sheen said that he was “excited” for what’s in store for the show and said that “season three will be a satisfying experience for everyone”.

Rob Wilkins of Narrativia, representing Terry Pratchett’s estate, as well as BBC Studios Productions’ head of comedy Josh Cole will executive produce. The new season is produced by Amazon MGM Studios, BBC Studios Productions and Narrativia.

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lorcan_nagle

At least there will be some kind of conclusion and they’re not pulling a Netflix.

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Todd, lorcan_nagle

Yeah, this is probably the best-case scenario. Hope they’ll make a good last episode, then.

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Todd

‘Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent’ Lands A (Rather Limited…) UK Release

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent‘, the Canadian spin-off to the L&O franchise has landed a UK home, albeit a somewhat limited release, as it’s airing on “LG Channels” which are only available on LG TVs.

The drama is a gripping psychological thriller woven into a complex criminal investigation, centring on a team of detectives from the Specialized Criminal Investigations Unit, an elite squad in the fictional Toronto Police Department. Tasked with uncovering high-profile homicides and exposing corruption, these detectives navigate the dark underbelly of metropolitan Toronto.

Based on the classic series created by Dick Wolf for Universal Television, ‘Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent’ showcases original Canadian stories written and produced by, and starring Canadians. The series stars Aden Young (Rectify) as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff, Kathleen Munroe (FBI) as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman, K. C. Collins (Lost Girl, Saving Hope) as Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester, and Karen Robinson (Schitt’s Creek, Star Trek: Discovery) as Inspector Vivienne Holness. The recurring cast includes Nicola Correia-Damude as Dr. Lucy Da Silva, Araya Mengesha as Mark Yohannes, and Tammy Isbell as Detective Alice Riley.

When the series premiered in its native Canada on Citytv earlier this year, it quickly became the number one prime-time drama of 2024, attracting 1.1 million views on the first episode. Citytv renewed the show for seasons two and three, both of which are set to air in Canada in 2025.

As I mentioned at the top of the article, the UK release is somewhat limited at the moment, as LG has brought the exclusive rights for its “LG Channels” which come bundled on all LG TVs running LG’s latest webOS software (that’s mainly 2019 LG Smart TV models onwards running webOS version 4.5 and up.) If you have a compatible TV, you can find this service by clicking HOME on the remote control, navigating to SETTINGS, and then selecting LG CHANNELS.

Weird.

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Sean Robinson, Todd

Now there’s a stupid precedent to set – TV brand exclusive channels.

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Sean Robinson

Ben wrote:

Now there’s a stupid precedent to set – TV brand exclusive channels.

Samsung has something similar:

Samsung TV Plus
Offers exclusive, owned and operated (O&O) channels, including:
Absolute Reality by WE tv: A channel featuring real moments, stories, and drama
Ride or Drive: An auto-focused channel
Samsung Showcase: A channel featuring concerts, events, and special programming

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Todd

‘Dune: Prophecy’ Review: HBO’s Somber ‘House of the Dragon’-Style Prequel Could Use a Bit More Spice – Hollywood Reporter

Emily Watson, Olivia Williams and Mark Strong lead the cast of a sci-fi drama set over 10,000 years before the events of the Denis Villeneuve-directed movies.

When it premieres on HBO Sunday, Nov. 17, Dune: Prophecy will take the place of The Penguin on the schedule. It’ll also continue the premium cable giant’s recent run of odd corporate integration, in which it takes blockbuster Warner Bros. film franchises and retrofits them as new television versions of popular HBO series.

Just as the creative team behind The Penguin looked at the opportunity to do a standalone show focused on Colin Farrell’s waddling crime lord and delivered The Sopranos with more latex, the developers of Dune: Prophecy apparently looked at the opportunity to do a prequel tied to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and delivered House of the Dragon with (a very few) sandworms in place of (an awful lot of) dragons.

I’m not saying that when HBO’s Harry Potter series finally emerges from its endless gestation, it will be a stealth reboot of Arli$$. But I’m not not saying that.

Excessive familiarity aside, The Penguin wasn’t bad, with Cristin Milioti’s performance serving as its primary draw. Nothing in Dune: Prophecy rises to a Miliotian (trademark pending) level of greatness, and the show fails to live up to most of what is so technically astonishing about the Villeneuve films. But as an overstuffed meditation on the struggles of female agency in a patriarchal society — one in which names like “Harkonnen” and “Atreides” are occasionally tossed around to pander to an imagined base — it offers moments of handsomely produced, morally murky scheming and backstabbing.

Adapted by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, Dune: Prophecy is ostensibly an elaborate origin story for the Bene Gesserit, the franchise’s influential sisterhood, though it’s only somewhat based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune. The general foundation is exhaustively set with roughly four minutes of voiceover from Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson, plus Jessica Barden in frequent flashbacks), whose goal is to use the power of the Sisterhood — and the powers of the Sisterhood, since you may remember that members of the Bene Gesserit are able to do lots of supernatural things — to achieve some level of galactic control and to help restore her family’s good name.

It’s established in those opening minutes that Valya did a very bad thing and, as she admits, “I knew then, the name Valya Harkonnen would forever be damned to the wrong side of history.” But was the bad thing done for good reasons? Or is there no such thing as a good reason to do ambitious things in the name of power? And is it perceived differently when women do those things instead of men? Good questions!

Valya most trusted sidekick is her sister Tula (Olivia Williams, plus Emma Canning as a younger woman). They’re overseeing an entire school of novices or acolytes or whatever, from whose ranks we meet a few, including martyrdom-obsessed Sister Emeline (Aoife Hinds), antiauthoritarian Sister Jen (Faoileann Cunningham), secretly gifted Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka) and youthful Sister Lila (Chloe Lea), who may be the most remarkable of all.

The Sisterhood is about to add some status in the form of Emperor Javicco Corrino’s (Mark Strong) daughter, Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), who hopes to dabble in Truthsaying — the Sisterhood’s initial primary ability is that they’re trained to be human lie detectors — while waiting for her arranged husband to come of age. But things are about to go topsy-turvy at the royal palace, with the arrival of soldier Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), the only survivor of a spice harvesting disaster down on Arrakis.

What ensues is something of a game of thrones, so to speak, as the emperor, the Sisterhood, several ancient families and the enigmatic Desmond all start to make moves in hopes of controlling the Imperium and the flow of spice. Because as Posh, Ginger, Sporty, Baby and Scary — the Bene Gesserit of ’90s pop music — once sang, “People of the world, spice up your life!”

There’s a very real sense that somebody cut and pasted lines of dialogue from a Game of Thrones template script and just added the word “spice” at random intervals like, “We are all just pieces on the board, to be played in the pursuit of power and spice” or “Ho-spice-dor.”

The story is set some 10,148 years before the birth of Paul Atreides — a far larger gulf than in similar current prequel series like House of the Dragon or Amazon’s Lord of the Rings thing — and it’s mostly set on planets that aren’t Arrakis, so don’t expect many direct connections to the Villeneuve films. Which factions will ascend to power many millennia later isn’t much relevant here, but the drama underlines the core characteristics of its famous families as they play games with each other’s lives, make tenuous alliances, execute heartbreaking betrayals and engage in schemes and counter-schemes, all infused with a moral ambiguity which, honestly, leaves the whole series a thematic mess.

I get “ambition is dangerous” and “absolute power corrupts absolutely” and “religious zealotry is scary.” But any takeaway that might make the narrative more timely, like about the threat of powerful women in a post-Kamala universe or the encroaching dangers of artificial intelligence, tends to be contradictory.

Still, this is clearly a chance for some world-building that, despite a combined running time of over five and a half hours, Villeneuve’s features could not approach. Dune: Prophecy is no slouch in the running time department, either. Each of the four episodes sent to critics exceeds an hour, which is too much, but is at least enough for a whole lot of context into the war with “thinking machines,” the political structure of the Imperium and the origins of elements from later in the plot, like the Voice.

The very real question of whether viewers actually want all of that context may be answered in the negative by those who enjoyed the movies for the epic visuals achieved by Villeneuve and cinematographer Greig Fraser. Though the first picture does not want for spectacle, the sequel in particular is as expansive and vast as any theatrical experience in decades.

Dune: Prophecy is not that. It is dark, gloomy and, despite the size of some of the palaces, citadels and whatnot, frequently claustrophobic. The endless horizons and undulating dunes of the films are replaced with twisty hallways, perplexing catacombs and smoky spice hookah parlors. This is fully intentional, offering both aesthetic contrast within the storytelling and, presumably, a more manageable budget. But however by-design it is, there’s a difference between “jaw-dropping” and “generally well-produced.”

And this isn’t just a movies versus TV thing. There’s a gap between Pierre Gill and company’s photography and the varied sets delivered by production designer Tom Meyer in Dune: Prophecy, and something like Foundation or Silo on Apple TV+, which represent the current peaks of the medium’s current cinematography, effects and set design. On a practical level, the Dune: Prophecy directors, starting with Anna Foerster, are more invested in the contours of the actors’ faces than in whatever was set up on a soundstage in Budapest.

The double-casting of Watson/Barden and Williams/Canning is the center of the show, and all four actresses are excellent and impeccably on the same page in their characterizations. My favorite of the early installments was the flashback-heavy, genuinely twisty third, with Barden and Canning in the spotlight. That was the only episode to include anything that made me genuinely surprised.

Among the familiar veteran actors, Strong is a savvy choice to play an emperor who conveys the appearance of domineering authority, but is being pushed around this chessboard by his wife Natalya (Jodhi May) and possibly by Desmond, a part that lets Fimmel supply his usual mixture of movie star charisma and character actor weirdness.

As long as the chapters are, so far there hasn’t been enough time for the younger actors to really stand out as individuals. Notwithstanding an helpful expositional sequence in which Valya and Tula look at pictures of each acolyte and debate their pros and cons, very few of their personalities are really distinctive or consistent.

I spent most of my time scratching my head about what the show wants to tell us about Princess Ynez and whether or not Boussnina, who seems far older than the character is supposed to be, was simply miscast. She’s stuck in the least interesting side of the story, with an extremely bland love interest, Keiran (Chris Mason), who would be completely forgettable if his last name weren’t “Atreides,” and a dreamy half-brother, Constantine (Josh Heuston), who contributes Game of Thrones-y discussion about legitimacy in royal bloodlines and gets to be part of the season’s one extremely gratuitous and extremely Game of Thrones-y sex scene so far.

Even though it’s part of a brand, Dune: Prophecy has lots of elements to introduce, and the series is already a slow, sometimes lugubrious build. But I found myself becoming increasingly invested as it went along. Maybe by the end of the first season, I’ll be hooked. As of now, though, everything could use just a bit more spice.

Well, that was a rambly review that frequently had more interested in being snarky than in the show it was reviewing.

Still, so there’s some good and some bad about the show. I’ll definitely watch some of it when it hits some streaming service over here (there’s still no HBO over here).

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Todd, Sean Robinson, Uncle Retrospective

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Todd

Javier Bardem to Star in ‘Cape Fear’ TV Series for Apple – Hollywood Reporter

Nick Antosca, who created the true crime dramas ‘A Friend of the Family’ and ‘The Act,’ is writing and will showrun the series that is based on the iconic 1962 and 1991 movies.
…
The 10-episode series is described as a tense, Hitchcockian thriller and an examination of America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century. The broad strokes of the story and the characters remain the same as the film versions as happily married attorneys Amanda and Steve Bowden face a growing storm when Max Cady (to be played by Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.
…
more in link

Sean Robinson wrote:

Amanda and Steve Bowden face a growing storm when Max Cady (to be played by Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.

It would be great he plays Max with an Anton Chigurh haircut.

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Todd, Sean Robinson

Yes!
Of course we just need to add the Love & Hate finger tattoos.

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Todd

The 32 greatest animated TV shows (that aren’t for kids) – GamesRadar/Newsarama

Had enough of sing-alongs? These shows will satisfy R-rated cravings

I haven’t seen half on the list. Maybe it’s about time I try Bojack Horseman.

But very nice to see Scavengers Reign high on the list. I loved it.
Sad that it’s doubtful to get a season 2 or even get a physical release of season 1.

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lorcan_nagle

Sean Robinson wrote:

Maybe it’s about time I try Bojack Horseman.

Bojack Horseman is fantastic. But keep this in mind: The first half of the first season is not it’s best. But after that, it finds its footing and just takes off. I highly recommend this series.

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Sean Robinson, lorcan_nagle

Malcolm In The Middle is getting a revival:

 

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/malcolm-in-the-middle-revival-disney-plus-frankie-muniz-bryan-cranston-1236185043/

 

I love the show but I’m not convinced this is a good idea. The scripts had better be fantastic.

Jesus. Yeah, this might also be weird in a not so great way. But who knows, these are all very talented people, of course.

The Last of Us – Season 2 – April 2025

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Dave

Amy Adams Boards ‘Cape Fear’ Series at Apple – Hollywood Reporter

Apple has lined up a second A-list name for its Cape Fear series.

Amy Adams will star opposite Javier Bardem in the thriller, which counts Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese — who teamed for a 1991 remake of the original 1962 film — among its executive producers. Adams will also be an EP.

As with the two films (and the John D. MacDonald novel The Executioners that served as their source material), the Cape Fear series will follow the events when a killer, Max Cady (Bardem), is released from prison and begins to harass the couple he deems responsible for his sentence, married attorneys Anna and Tom Bowden. Adams will play Anna.

The 10-episode series will also add a present-day element that examines America’s obsession with true crime.

… a little more in link…

[Sean Robinson]

Jeremy Strong To Star In Peter Morgan Series Revamp Of 1978 Nazi Conspiracy Thriller ‘The Boys From Brazil’

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has set Jeremy Strong to star in The Boys From Brazil, with the Ira Levin Nazi conspiracy novel being adapted as a TV series by Peter Morgan, who will be executive producer along with Suzanne Mackie of Orchid Pictures.

It will be the first series for Strong since Succession, and the first for Morgan since The Crown. It also comes as Strong is in the Best Supporting Actor Oscar race for his turn as Roy Cohn in The Apprentice. It will be run through Netflix and Netflix UK, I hear.

Netflix declined comment.

Levin’s novel was turned into the 1978 hit film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, and sources tell me Strong will play the role of Lieberman. That is the famous Nazi hunter — Laurence Olivier played the role in the film — who is drawn to investigate a conspiracy spun to him by a young Nazi hunter (played by Steve Guttenberg in the original). Lieberman is highly skeptical of the young man’s claims that notorious Dr. Josef Mengele is in Paraguay, starting on a diabolical plan to reestablish the Third Reich through a cloning plan put in place after Germany lost World War II. When the young Nazi hunter is killed, Lieberman heads to Paraguay to uncover a truth that turns out to be horrific. Gregory Peck played Mengele in the film, which was nominated for five Oscars.

Strong as Cohn and Sebastian Stan as young Donald Trump are both Oscar-nominated for The Apprentice, a drama about the formative years of the wannabe real estate titan who is taken under the wing of Cohn, the polarizing lawyer who was Sen. Joe McCarthy’s right-hand man in the Communist witch hunt that established the Hollywood Blacklist. Strong just wrapped Deliver Me From Nowhere, playing manager Jon Landau opposite Jeremy Allen White’s Bruce Springsteen in the Scott Cooper-directed film about the existential crisis that led Springsteen to write and record his seminal album Nebraska.

The action of The Boys from Brazil took place in the ’70s, but the specter of Hitler and antisemitism still looms large, even with Kanye West paying for a Super Bowl ad on Sunday that pointed viewers to a website selling swastika shirts.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by Sean Robinson.

Looks worth checking out.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHBL8ZhRIaK/?igsh=MWF2Nmp5cm9qZmttcA==

[Martin Smith]

This feels slightly weird. And surely it should be Claire Hooper’s Richard Osman’s House Of Games?

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by Martin Smith.

Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Trailer Teases Undercover Stabler, a Killer Rampage and a Worried Bernie — Get Peacock Release Date – TV Line

Now a Peacock exclusive, Organized Crime will be back for Season 5 on Thursday, April 17, with its first two episodes (of 10).

The long-awaited season opener will also air on NBC that night, at 10/9c. To watch all other episodes, however, go Peacock or go home.

 

I read one of the Murderbot novellas and thought it was pretty decent.  I’ll give this a shot.

(which reminds me, I still need to watch Silo)

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njerry

lorcan_nagle wrote:

(which reminds me, I still need to watch Silo)

Season 2 maintains the significant quality of the first season. Enjoy it!!

Sky in talks to bring hit US series ‘Saturday Night Live’ to the UK

A British version of US comedy show Saturday Night Live is set to be made in the UK for the first time under plans being worked on between broadcaster Sky and US media group NBC. Executives at Sky UK are hoping to bring in a British cast for the popular series, said several people close to the talks, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in the US. They added that talks to launch Saturday Night Live in the UK were at an advanced stage but a deal was not finalised. Sky declined to comment. Sky is looking for more in-house hits for the UK to help offset the impact from the end of its exclusive deal to show HBO programming, the Warner Bros Discovery-owned network, which finishes next year.

I think there is actually a gap in the market this could fill now. With so many panel shows having been binned off and the almost complete lack of sketch shows around (there’s Mitchell and Webb coming back at some point and… Horrible Histories?) there’s a real lack of opportunity for new comedy talent to get on TV now. I think there’s even a possibility Weekend Update could work, given the Mash Report is gone.

The trouble is, SNL is hugely expensive to make and I don’t think even Sky will have the money to throw at this to make it seem anything other than a cheap imitation of the original.

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Todd

Martin Smith wrote:

Sky in talks to bring hit US series ‘Saturday Night Live’ to the UK

A British version of US comedy show Saturday Night Live is set to be made in the UK for the first time under plans being worked on between broadcaster Sky and US media group NBC. Executives at Sky UK are hoping to bring in a British cast for the popular series, said several people close to the talks, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in the US. They added that talks to launch Saturday Night Live in the UK were at an advanced stage but a deal was not finalised. Sky declined to comment. Sky is looking for more in-house hits for the UK to help offset the impact from the end of its exclusive deal to show HBO programming, the Warner Bros Discovery-owned network, which finishes next year.

I think there is actually a gap in the market this could fill now. With so many panel shows having been binned off and the almost complete lack of sketch shows around (there’s Mitchell and Webb coming back at some point and… Horrible Histories?) there’s a real lack of opportunity for new comedy talent to get on TV now. I think there’s even a possibility Weekend Update could work, given the Mash Report is gone.

The trouble is, SNL is hugely expensive to make and I don’t think even Sky will have the money to throw at this to make it seem anything other than a cheap imitation of the original.

I couldn’t read your link as the article is behind a paywall. I linked Deadline’s article below.

I wonder if it will be 60 or 90 minutes, and how many cast members it will have. It has an opportunity to test some format concepts that could be applied to the US version.

‘SNL’ Officially Lands UK Remake With Sky

Live from London, it’s Saturday Night.

Three and a half years after Deadline revealed Sky was remaking Saturday Night Live in the UK, the Comcast-owned network officially handed the series a greenlight.

The remake, which will premiere in 2026, is the most high-profile international version of the venerable NBC late-night show after remakes in China, Germany, Italy and South Korea.

The pay-TV broadcaster has not revealed cast members for the show but it will certainly be a hot ticket for the UK’s comedy community.

SNL creator Lorne Michaels will exec produce the UK version and it will be produced by his Broadway Video and Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK production team.

The show will follow the same live format as the U.S. version, which just celebrated its 50th anniversary, with rotating hosts and musical performances.

It will be interesting to see what time the show launches in the UK; in the U.S. it airs at 11:30pm ET / 8:30pm PT, but British audiences tend not to watch television quite as late as American audiences so it may well air earlier in the evening.

SNL is well known to comedy fans in the UK but it doesn’t have a particularly high-profile in Britain as Sky only began airing full versions of NBC’s Saturday Night Live in 2020, having only really been available via clips on YouTube. The U.S. version did air briefly on ITV4 in the UK in 2006.

Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios and Chief Content Officer, Sky, said, “For over 50 years Saturday Night Live has held a unique position in TV and in our collective culture, reflecting and creating the global conversation all under the masterful comedic guidance of Lorne Michaels. The show has discovered and nurtured countless comedy and musical talents over the years and we are thrilled to be partnering with Lorne and the SNL team to bring an all-British version of the show to UK audiences next year – all live from London on Saturday night.”

Todd wrote:

I couldn’t read your link as the article is behind a paywall

Yeah, it won’t let me read now either. I think it had a gift thing attached, must have run out.

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Todd

Harry Potter casting news:

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/harry-potter-hbo-series-dumbledore-snape-mcgonagall-hagrid-1236368778/

Most of the big ones were known already, so this is just official confirmation.

Dave wrote:

Harry Potter casting news:

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/harry-potter-hbo-series-dumbledore-snape-mcgonagall-hagrid-1236368778/

Most of the big ones were known already, so this is just official confirmation.

I’m genuinely curious as to how this will do.

Who is this for anyway? The first book was released in 1997, and the series and movies were geared for kids. Granted, it did have its adult fans as well. The last HP movie was 2011. The kids who grew up on the books and movies are adults now. Additionally, Rowland is persona non grata with a lot of the franchise fans.

Is HBO going to keep this kid-friendly, or are they going to try to “adult” it up a bit?

I was never into HP, so I don’t feel I’m not the target for this series. It feels “too soon” to be relaunching the franchise.

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lorcan_nagle

Very much so, yeah.

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lorcan_nagle

I think there’s lots in the books that was lost from the movie adaptations, so in principle I don’t think it’s a bad idea to adapt them into a different format that can let some of that stuff breathe a bit more.

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Todd, lorcan_nagle

Todd wrote:

Who is this for anyway?

Anecdotally, from dating app profiles, Millennial women. There’s a significant percentage of them that are still mad for Harry Potter, regardless or in spite of Rowling being an ever growing PR nightmare.

Have to wonder if all the people being cast in this are also getting signed to agreements about what they can say publicly about trans rights etc in contradiction to Rowling or if they just don’t give a shit and are happy selling out to glorify the work of a bigot.

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Martin Smith wrote:

Have to wonder if all the people being cast in this are also getting signed to agreements about what they can say publicly about trans rights etc in contradiction to Rowling or if they just don’t give a shit and are happy selling out to glorify the work of a bigot.

Whatever their beliefs I imagine that they will be media-trained to the hilt to dodge that question as part of PR for the show (and you can guarantee it’ll be the first thing that every lazy journo asks).

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Dave wrote:

I think there’s lots in the books that was lost from the movie adaptations, so in principle I don’t think it’s a bad idea to adapt them into a different format that can let some of that stuff breathe a bit more.

Thing is, I liked most of the later movies better than the books they were based on precisely because they got rid of the fat. Dolores Umbridge was quite a slog to get through in the novel, for example, not to mention Harry and Ron and Hermione arguing for like months in the woods.

Some of that stuff is a slog, but some of it is good school-life texture (exams, lessons etc.) and some of it is complicated plot stuff which is quite important to the overall story (like a lot of the Snape backstory that was cut from Half-Blood Prince).

Definitely the books needed a tougher edit in places, but there is also more stuff there to mine that the movies ignored too.

(I say this despite not being a massive HP fan myself – my daughter is though.)

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Christian

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Todd

[Sean Robinson]

Just seeing if this bumps up.

My above post is there (at least I see it, the Alien:Earth teaser), it went up earlier today.
But in the forum it’s the 14 topic, and that it’s from “1 week, 4 days ago”

A little weird

Edit: bumped up normally,
seems okay now.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 2 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

Harry Potter has cast the new Harry, Ron and Hermione.

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/harry-potter-hbo-series-casts-harry-ron-hermione-1236410755/

Sandman Season 2

So, looks like the ep titles are out and, bonkers as it sounds, they are doing the rest of the story in 12 episodes, including Death: The High Cost of Living.

The Sandman Season 2 Episode Titles Revealed, Bonus Episode Announced

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Huh. I wonder if that’s really the “High Cost of Living” mini. That’d be a bit of a strange way to end it, instead of taking more time for The Wake or adding more stories from The World’s End in between.

Christian wrote:

Huh. I wonder if that’s really the “High Cost of Living” mini. That’d be a bit of a strange way to end it, instead of taking more time for The Wake or adding more stories from The World’s End in between.

I’m not sure how it did for Netflix in terms of views, but Gaiman’s ickiness was pretty much the kiss of death for the series. I think if things had not gone south with Gaiman, Season 2 and potential future seasons may have played out differently.

Christian wrote:

Huh. I wonder if that’s really the “High Cost of Living” mini. That’d be a bit of a strange way to end it, instead of taking more time for The Wake or adding more stories from The World’s End in between.

I think that one is intended as a bonus episode to be aired after the rest of the season, like they did with the extra episode in season 1.

Todd wrote:

I’m not sure how it did for Netflix in terms of views, but Gaiman’s ickiness was pretty much the kiss of death for the series. I think if things had not gone south with Gaiman, Season 2 and potential future seasons may have played out differently.

I am not sure about that. They could’ve taken their time building this and focused on A Game of You and Seasons of Mist and then wrapped it up with Brief Lives and The Kindly Ones. The whole Gaiman scandal thing hadn’t broken when they started doing season 2, I think, and it was pretty clear from the start they were going to skip Game of You and stick more closely to Dream’s story. Which is a bit of a shame, but also conventional wisdom, I suppose. But yeah, maybe they would’ve built a third season with some of the other stories, and I suppose they still could’ve done World’s End and A Game of You then (though that’d fuck with the whole Thessaly dynamic) as well as both of the Death minis and maybe a new Daniel story.

Dave wrote:

I think that one is intended as a bonus episode to be aired after the rest of the season, like they did with the extra episode in season 1.

Yeah, that’s not really the part that I find weird, I’m finding it weird that they’re doing it all in one episode.

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Uncle Retrospective, njerry, Todd, Sean Robinson

Wow! I’m in!!

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Dave, Todd

Yup.

I was always going to be in, of course, because, y’know, Noah Hawley. But this does look really good.

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Sean Robinson, Todd

HBO Family, ThrillerMax and Other Multiplex Channels to Be Shut Down by Warner Bros. Discovery

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Todd

Hm. Linear subscription TV is suffering because of streaming while streaming, on the other hand isn’t making money either…

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Todd

We cancelled our cable television service, replacing it exclusively with various streaming services supplemented by FUBO for local live television channels. Much cheaper, but I do miss channel-surfing through all the HBO, MAX, SHO, STARZ, etc just to see what’s on.

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Christian, Todd

 

don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up

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Christian, Uncle Retrospective, Todd, njerry

njerry wrote:

We cancelled our cable television service, replacing it exclusively with various streaming services supplemented by FUBO for local live television channels. Much cheaper, but I do miss channel-surfing through all the HBO, MAX, SHO, STARZ, etc just to see what’s on.

Pluto TV is pretty good for recreating that feeling.

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njerry

BBC to start charging US-based consumers for news and TV coverage

The BBC is to begin charging US-based users for unlimited access to its news content and rolling televised coverage, as it searches for new ways to ease the pressure on its finances.

In the first scheme asking users outside the UK to pay a direct subscription for its news content, US users will be offered the chance to pay for a “premium experience”, including unlimited news and feature articles and a livestream of the BBC News channel.
BBC Broadcasting House in London

Ad-free documentary series, films, early access to podcasts and exclusive newsletters will be tested as part of the deal, which launches on Thursday and will be targeted at those who are already heavy users of the BBC’s content.

I think this is a pretty idea, as long as they don’t start tailoring content to foreign audiences. I think they should go even further and sell foreign access to the iPlayer to be honest.

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Todd

Did you enjoy The Residence on Netflix?

You did?

Well, too bad, it’s been axed.

Ben wrote:

Did you enjoy The Residence on Netflix?

You did?

Well, too bad, it’s been axed.

To be fair, The Residence was basically a self-contained miniseries. I never thought it would come back for a second season.

Yeah, it was neatly self contained but if there was a new series, with a new case elsewhere, I think it would have worked.

I watched it and despite enjoying whodunits I didn’t think it was very good. Far too long and drawn-out, lots of timewasting, and not as clever or entertaining as it thought it was. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of viewers bailed out before the end.

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Todd, Sean Robinson

[Martin Smith]

paul f wrote:

Ben wrote:

Did you enjoy The Residence on Netflix?

You did?

Well, too bad, it’s been axed.

To be fair, The Residence was basically a self-contained miniseries. I never thought it would come back for a second season.

Conversely, I was surprised to learn that the Afterparty, which was also a self-contained mini-series about a single crime, has had a second series.

Apple should really consider advertising.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 1 week ago by Martin Smith.

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lorcan_nagle wrote:

don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up don’t fuck it up

please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good please be good

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ITV and Disney to share shows such as The Bear and Love Island in UK

ITV and Disney have struck a deal to show programmes such as The Bear and Love Island on each other’s video platforms, the first such deal in the UK and the latest sign of the changing content relationship developing between British broadcasters and US streamers.

Under the deal, ITV will begin showing the first seasons of some of Disney’s hit programmes – including the hit chef drama, the Star Wars spin-off Andor, Only Murders in the Building and reality shows such as The Kardashians – free of charge on its ITVX service from later this month.

In return, Disney will start offering ITV programming including all of Mr Bates vs The Post Office and the espionage thriller A Spy Among Friends at no extra cost to subscribers of Disney+. It will also offer Love Island: All Stars and a series each of Endeavour and Vera.

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Martin Smith

Is Disney showing the ITV stuff internationally or just in the UK. If the latter, I assume it’s just to meet the requirements of having a certain percentage of programming be British made, while ITVX have a few series acts as a shop window to tempt in subscribers. A real coup for ITV would have been TV broadcast of Andor and Only Murders. Would be interesting to see what kind of numbers they got on linear free to air TV.

Murderbot’s been renewed for a second series.

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Uncle Retrospective

‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Ending Next Year With CBS Retiring Late-Night Franchise

In a shocking move, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is ending in May 2026.

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert will end its historic run in May 2026 at the end of the broadcast season. We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire The Late Show franchise at that time. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO Paramount Global and President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS, Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios in a statement.

Colbert, who announced the news during tonight’s taping, said that he was grateful for giving him the chair. “I’m not being replaced, this is all just going away,” Colbert said.

CBS said this was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night”. “It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount,” it added.

The shock move coincides with Colbert’s contract coming up at the end of 2026. With Jon Stewart having signed another deal to remain as one of the hosts of The Daily Show, on Paramount-owned sister network Comedy Central, until the end of 2025, could Colbert take the reins of that other storied late-night franchise? Stranger things have happened.

The Late Show began in August 1993 with David Letterman as host, having moved over from NBC after he didn’t get The Tonight Show gig.

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Sean Robinson

Oh, from the way people are acting, I thought the show was older than that, like from the 50s. And I thought it was ending in a couple of months, not May next year.

I mean, it almost certainly is politically motivated, whatever they say. I loved Colbert back on the Report, but the format of the Late Show never worked for me, so I’ve only seen bits of it. It’s never felt like he’s held back particularly, but the next 10 months should hopefully be Colbert totally unleashed.

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Todd

Yeah, it’ll be interesting what he does with the remaining time. And also what he does after it’s ended.

I like his Late Show, but I still miss The Colbert Report (not that I’d expect him to do that kind of format again.)

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Martin Smith, Todd

Christian wrote:

I still miss The Colbert Report (not that I’d expect him to do that kind of format again.)

The Colbert Report was at the right place at the right time. It was apex-level satire the likes which I doubt we’ll ever see again. I really hope his next project isn’t a reboot of TCR, as I don’t think it will have the same magic the first one did.

It’s the way this stuff gets announced that irks:

“Stephen is irreplacable…so we’re axing his show.”

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I do wonder if this is Trump’s pressure on Paramount. There’s a lot of speculation regarding that, of course. And what that could potentially mean for The Daily Show.

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Todd

Todd wrote:

Christian wrote:

I still miss The Colbert Report (not that I’d expect him to do that kind of format again.)

The Colbert Report was at the right place at the right time. It was apex-level satire the likes which I doubt we’ll ever see again. I really hope his next project isn’t a reboot of TCR, as I don’t think it will have the same magic the first one did.

It’d just be too dangerous doing the Report format now. Enough people didn’t get it first time around, you don’t want that went actual fascism is happening.

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Todd

Peacock’s ‘Friday The 13th’ Prequel Series ‘Crystal Lake’ Casts Callum Vinson As Jason Voorhees – Deadline

A new Jason Voorhees has joined the Friday the 13th universe, as Callum Vinson (Chucky, Long Bright River) boards Peacock‘s prequel series Crystal Lake from A24. Brad Caleb Kane serves as creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer of the series.

The hockey mask-wearing serial killer from the big screen is the son of Pamela Voorhees, to be played by Linda Cardellini in the new show. Cardellini’s Pamela is believed to be a mother who gave up a singing career to raise a special needs child and takes a dark turn when she loses her son.

Crystal Lake is a town, a lake, and a summer camp in the franchise, the setting of the series. Voorhees drowned in the lake as a child, which led to his mother’s killing spree at the camp to avenge his “death.” Jason witnessed his mother’s decapitation by a camp counselor, which sets him off on a murder spree of his own that haunts the area across 12 films. Vinson is billed as a recurring guest star, as this new project focuses on Pamela.

Jason, created by Victor Miller, has been played by multiple actors, including Ari Lehman, who brought the character to life in the original film. Additional actors include Warrington Gillette, Steve Dash, Richard Brooker, Ted White, Tom Morga, C.J. Graham, Kane Hodder, Ken Kirzinger and Derek Mears.
addition to Vinson, Nick Cordileone (Warrior), Joy Suprano (Fleishman is in Trouble, Best Foot Forward), Danielle Kotch (Director’s Cut), and Phoenix Parnevik (Bel-Air, Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter Is Dead) have joined the cast.

Cordileone will play Ralph, Joy Suprano as Rita, Kotch as Claudette, and Parnevik as Barry.

The character Barry Jackson (Willie Adams) appeared in the original Friday the 13th film as a camp counselor and, famously, Pamela’s (played by Betsy Palmer in the OG film) first victim. His girlfriend, Claudette Hayes (Debra S. Hayes), also a camp counselor, was Pamela’s second victim.

Ralph, known as Crazy Ralph, appeared in the first two films. He is a longtime Crystal Lake resident who drunkenly rambles about the curse of Camp Crystal Lake. Potentially, if this is the same Ralph Cordileone plays, it could be revealed what he saw or knew that caused this lifelong trauma. It’s worth noting that the above characters could differ from those portrayed in the prequel, and even if they are the same, their stories could evolve into something different.

Crystal Lake also stars William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, and Gwendolyn Sundstrom.

The prequel is executive produced by A24, Kane, Marc Toberoff, Victor Miller, Robert M. Barsamian, Robert P. Barsamian and Stuart Manashil.

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njerry, Dave, Todd

I just found out that I accidentally helped design the new Red Dwarf Blu Ray cover.

A couple of weeks ago they shared a design for the new set (coming out later this year) with silhouettes of the crew on the cover…

I thought this looked a bit crap and on a RD fansite I suggested a few simple tweaks which made the characters look a lot more recognisable…

And the Amazon listing just updated yesterday with this new cover:

Too close for it to be a coincidence I reckon. In the comment thread I’d even said the heights were wrong and they’ve also corrected that.

I don’t mind if they did take my suggestions though as it’s a better cover at the end of the day.

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Todd, Uncle Retrospective, njerry, Martin Smith, lorcan_nagle

Much better after your suggestions. Yeah, Kryten was way too small on the original.

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Dave

Looks fun!

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Dave

Nicolas Cage in Talks to Star in HBO’s ‘True Detective’ Season 5 – Hollywood Reporter

Nicolas Cage is deep in talks to star in True Detective season 5 — the next iteration of the moody crime drama.

The Oscar winner is up for an as-yet-unknown role in the anthology drama, but will presumably play the law enforcement officer at the center of another mystery thriller.

The season will follow up on HBO tapping another Oscar winner, Jodie Foster, headlining the anthology drama’s fourth season, True Detective: Night Country, to considerable acclaim. Night Country also was considered to have revived the brand, after a less-than-stellar previous two seasons.

The fourth season’s showrunner, Issa López, is expected to return for the new season. Earlier this year, HBO announced that season five would be set in Jamaica Bay, New York. The show is expected to premiere in 2027.

Talks with Cage have been going on since at least the beginning of summer, which is when The Hollywood Reporter first reached out to HBO about the casting. Then the news was posted online Thursday by The Insneider Newsletter.

Cage has had a revival of his own as of late, appearing in several acclaimed films over the last fear years, such as Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Dream Scenario.

HBO had no comment.

Cage would be great, obviously, but I wish they had gone with a new showrunner – the last season was a mess story-wise (despite a good cast that did their best to salvage it).

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Todd

Dave wrote:

Cage would be great, obviously, but I wish they had gone with a new showrunner – the last season was a mess story-wise (despite a good cast that did their best to salvage it).

Yeah, the performances were great but the story itself was poorly written garbage.

If they do get Cage, they will need some strong talent otherwise he will mow them over in every scene he’s in with them.

Remember Bugs? It’s back, in p— what do you means you don’t remember Bugs?! It was a key part of the BBC’s 90s “we don’t need Dr Who, we can make plenty of good shows for the same audience” ethos! It had that guy from Neighbours!

Anyway, they’re crowdfunding a sequel special, which I don’t think is going to happen, but who knows. Would probably help if Bugs had been shown on TV at any point in the past 25+ years, I suspect.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/teamphoenix/phoenix-from-the-cast-of-bugs-a-new-beginning

Looks like SNL is clearing house before season 51. Released so far are

• Devon Walker (3 seasons) – which is fair enough because he’s always been terrible. Not only is he always visibly reading the cue cards, he always seems surprised by what’s on the cue cards. Amazed he got three seasons, frankly.
• Emil Wakim (1 season) – a shame because he was pretty good last season and brought something different to the cast. Plus, I feel like he’d have a pretty good Mamdani impression in him.
• Heidi Gardner (8 seasons) – my initial reaction was “oh no but she’s so good”. Then I saw how long she’s been on the show and, even allowing for the fact that it takes a few seasons to get much of foothold as a featured cast member now, that’s plenty really.
• Michael Longfellow (3 seasons) – this really sucks though. Longfellow is great and it really felt like he was hitting his stride last season. I really wanted him to take over Weekend Update, but I guess not.

I suspect there’ll be at least five more “releases” before the new season. It’s practically an open secret at this point that at least one of Colin Jost and Michael Che are leaving (they’ve been screen-testing new Weekend Update anchors, apparently). Seems foolish to think Kenan will ever leave, but he really should. I’d get rid of Jane Wickline in a heartbeat, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’ll survive. Ashley Padilla seems a lock to not only stay but get promoted to full cast member, but who knows? If Longfellow’s not safe, who is?

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Todd

Martin Smith wrote:

Looks like SNL is clearing house before season 51. Released so far are

• Devon Walker (3 seasons) – which is fair enough because he’s always been terrible. Not only is he always visibly reading the cue cards, he always seems surprised by what’s on the cue cards. Amazed he got three seasons, frankly.
• Emil Wakim (1 season) – a shame because he was pretty good last season and brought something different to the cast. Plus, I feel like he’d have a pretty good Mamdani impression in him.
• Heidi Gardner (8 seasons) – my initial reaction was “oh no but she’s so good”. Then I saw how long she’s been on the show and, even allowing for the fact that it takes a few seasons to get much of foothold as a featured cast member now, that’s plenty really.
• Michael Longfellow (3 seasons) – this really sucks though. Longfellow is great and it really felt like he was hitting his stride last season. I really wanted him to take over Weekend Update, but I guess not.

I suspect there’ll be at least five more “releases” before the new season. It’s practically an open secret at this point that at least one of Colin Jost and Michael Che are leaving (they’ve been screen-testing new Weekend Update anchors, apparently). Seems foolish to think Kenan will ever leave, but he really should. I’d get rid of Jane Wickline in a heartbeat, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’ll survive. Ashley Padilla seems a lock to not only stay but get promoted to full cast member, but who knows? If Longfellow’s not safe, who is?

I saw where it looks like James Austin Johnson will be returning. They need him to play Trump.

There is also a rumor that Please Don’t Destroy may be breaking up. One will be a featured player, another a writer, and the third leaving the show altogether.

There have been rumors that Bowen Yang is leaving. Two writers are leaving and I believe one worked very closely with Yang. His career has heating up, so I can see him going.

Really though, the cast has been too large for quite some time. Including PDD, it has been around 24 players. That is way too many, especially when you have to fight for decent airtime. So many are lucky to get featured in one sketch, otherwise they simply get stuck in the background. Drop the cast to 10 or less, so everyone gets their shot.

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Martin Smith

Only Murders in the Building is back 9 September with Christoph Waltz as a tech bro type with the name of Bash Steed.

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Martin Smith, Dave

Ben wrote:

Only Murders in the Building is back 9 September with Christoph Waltz as a tech bro type with the name of Bash Steed.

Fantastic. Can’t wait.

Martin Smith wrote:

Looks like SNL is clearing house before season 51. Released so far are

• Devon Walker (3 seasons) – which is fair enough because he’s always been terrible. Not only is he always visibly reading the cue cards, he always seems surprised by what’s on the cue cards. Amazed he got three seasons, frankly.
• Emil Wakim (1 season) – a shame because he was pretty good last season and brought something different to the cast. Plus, I feel like he’d have a pretty good Mamdani impression in him.
• Heidi Gardner (8 seasons) – my initial reaction was “oh no but she’s so good”. Then I saw how long she’s been on the show and, even allowing for the fact that it takes a few seasons to get much of foothold as a featured cast member now, that’s plenty really.
• Michael Longfellow (3 seasons) – this really sucks though. Longfellow is great and it really felt like he was hitting his stride last season. I really wanted him to take over Weekend Update, but I guess not.

I suspect there’ll be at least five more “releases” before the new season. It’s practically an open secret at this point that at least one of Colin Jost and Michael Che are leaving (they’ve been screen-testing new Weekend Update anchors, apparently). Seems foolish to think Kenan will ever leave, but he really should. I’d get rid of Jane Wickline in a heartbeat, but I have a sneaking suspicion she’ll survive. Ashley Padilla seems a lock to not only stay but get promoted to full cast member, but who knows? If Longfellow’s not safe, who is?

SNL Adds 5 New Featured Players — Including a Member of Please Don’t Destroy

Saturday Night Live has hired five new featured players — though only four of them are technically new.

While the fates of more than a dozen repertory players remain in limbo, NBC has announced that Please Don’t Destroy’s Ben Marshall has been added as a featured player, along with fellow comedians Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska.

Their hires follow recent news that Devon Walker, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Heidi Gardner will not return to SNL for Season 51, which premieres Oct. 4 on NBC.

Brennan, a Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy in 2023, has previously performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; Culhane, who performs with the Upright Citizens Brigade, is a regular on Dropout TV; Marshall, best known as one-third of Please Don’t Destroy, has written for SNL since 2021; Patterson, a stand-up comedian, is a regular on the Kill Tony podcast; and Slowikowska has appeared on Tires and What We Do in the Shadows.

As of press time, the late-night sketch series has not yet revealed the statuses of Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, Colin Jost, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, Ashley Padilla or Jane Wickline. TVLine will keep you posted as we learn more.

I’m a big fan of Culhane’s comedy on podcasts and Dropout shows, I hope they don’t waste him.

So weird that one of the PDD guys is now a featured player, given that’s kinda what they were as PDD anyway and they’ve already got films off the back of it.

Hiring five new cast members only makes sense if more people are being let go, imo.

Oh, Longfellow did stand-up over the weekend where he said he didn’t do a screen test for Weekend Update, which would suggest none of those rumours are true. So I guess Che and Jost are still staying?

Interesting choice. I would have never considered her for the role.

Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner Confirmed to Play Lara Croft in Amazon’s Tomb Raider Series

It’s official: Sophie Turner will be the next actress to don Lara Croft’s trademark braid. The Game of Thrones alum is set to play the protagonist in Prime Video‘s forthcoming Tomb Raider series, TVLine has learned, which will begin production Jan. 19, 2026.

“I’m so excited to announce the formidable Sophie Turner as our Lara alongside this phenomenal creative team,” creator, writer, executive producer and co-showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) said in a statement. “It’s not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving. Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave and hilarious as she is. Get your artifacts out… Croft is coming.”

Prime Video ordered Tomb Raider to series back in May 2024, but there was no word at the time on who might play Lara Croft. Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander previously played the iconic video game character on the big screen, and she was recently voiced by Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) in Netflix’s animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.

“I am thrilled beyond measure to be playing Lara Croft,” said Turner. “She’s such an iconic character, who means so much to so many, and I am giving everything I’ve got. They’re massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands. I can’t wait for you all to see what we have cooking.”

Since her eight-season run as Game of Thrones‘ Sansa Stark concluded in 2019, Turner’s TV credits have included Quibi’s Survive, Max’s The Staircase and, most recently, The CW’s limited series Joan.

Jonathan Van Tulleken is on board as director, with Chad Hodge joining as co-showrunner and executive producer.