Monday, March 29, 2021

Debris S01E05: Earthshine

© NBC

Finola isn't sure who she can trust anymore.

by Chuck Duncan

Guest Cast: Sebastian Roché

After several episodes of Bryan and Finola jetting across the country to investigate new debris phenomena, we finally get a story that's a bit more focused on those bad guys who have been dealing in pieces of debris, revealing just a bit of what they are doing with their acquired pieces.

The episode opened with a spectacular bus crash as a transit bus from New Jersey made an unexpected detour to Boston through a debris-made wormhole. Except there is no debris in the area where the bus vanished. The passengers of the bus experienced a sound vacuum right before they crash landed, and people outside the bus heard a high pitched sound of unknown origin. What Bryan and Finola do have is video of a man watching the event from the steps of a post office so he is the prime suspect, but the question still lingers as to how the wormhole was created.

While they try to figure all that out, Bryan is trying to figure out Finola's attitude. He can definitely sense that she's being a bit stand-offish with him, but he thinks it's just because they disagreed on how to handle things in Nebraska (see the previous episode). She tells him that she's fine and moving past that, but the truth of the matter is she has lost all trust in him after her boss revealed that he knows her father is still alive. How can you work with a partner you know is keeping secrets from you? To be fair, she's keeping secrets from him to, that's the nature of the game when you work for spy agencies. She had to realize that he's under orders not to give her any information about her father because it could jeopardize their mission. But seems to be one to not let go of a grudge easily.

Things also look more suspicious when a video from a similar wormhole incident in China goes missing from the server. Neither Bryan nor Finola know why it was removed but it may be important to the case they are currently working. Bryan contacts Maddox -- and I'm not sure where his personal home drama is going within the context of the story -- who denies knowledge of why the video was removed but he promises to look in to it. Finola's boss also has no access or knowledge why it's missing but she does retrieve a copy and has a courier deliver it personally as it's said to be too sensitive to deliver over a network.

Finola meets a mysterious man in a van (guest Sebastian Roché who must certainly play a larger part in things moving forward because you don't hire him to drive a van and deliver one pivotal piece of dialogue) who hands over a flash drive and tells her that her own boss knows more than she's telling Finola, and that her father is not a clone. Great, so she can't trust Bryan or the CIA, and now she can't trust MI6? But she still has her sister, who calls out of the blue asking for the name of some Spanish song they used to dance to as children. Finola doesn't have time for that right now, girl.

© NBC

What everyone does figure out is that to create a wormhole that a bus can fit through takes a lot of power, and the video from China doesn't seem to have any sensitive information but it does seem to confirm that to charge the debris it requires two large metallic objects of virtually identical mass. In the video it's two bulldozers. In New Jersey, the entry point of the wormhole was between two large metallic poles. Looking at the layout of New York City, finding the two points seems virtually impossible since it could be almost any two skyscrapers across the street from each other. But there is a specific structure built into some skyscrapers, a type of damper to allow the building to withstand high winds. And there just happens to be three buildings in just the right position, so they need to figure out which two buildings are being used with Finola, Bryan and Maddox taking a building.

Bryan finds nothing, but Finola does find the piece of debris so the other must be in Maddox's building. But it isn't, so Bryan goes back to check and finds what he's looking for. They also find the man from the video in New Jersey and chase him down, surrounding him but after warning them all that nothing will stop whatever is in motion, he blows his own brains out. Bryan then has to get a team to his building to deactivate the debris because a sudden high pitched sound has started squealing in the city, with no point of origin and stretching for at least six blocks. The area is massive and they are terrified that six blocks of Manhattan are about to vanish. But Bryan's team is fired upon by Anson Ash's team (he's the bearded guy we've seen buying and selling debris), but Bryan can't go after them as he is now the only person who can deactivate the debris before it opens the wormhole. Luckily the one scientist is alive and able to walk him through it.

Finola does follow Ash through the city for blocks and blocks. It's dark at this point and she's almost given up hope, but as she turns around he's right behind her. Trying to ask what happened to her father -- Ash says she has his eyes -- they experience the sound vacuum that the bus passengers experienced, as does Bryan who kind of needs to hear the frequencies of the devices he's using to turn off the debris. Ash is thrilled he is about to succeed, but Bryan manages to use the video scope to figure out the right moment to flip the switch and he succeeds, restoring the sounds of the city. Ash is stunned that he can hear Finola breathing and is even more stunned when he's tackled by one of her team members. Now he's in the custody of the CIA with Maddox promising Finola he'll give her more information as soon as he's able.

Not knowing where to turn at this point, Finola gets a message from her sister with a video of them as children, dancing to the song 'Porqué Te Vas?' (a real song by Jeanette from 1974). As she smiles at the memory, Ash is sitting in the transport van ... singing the same song.

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Trailer Roundup: The Suicide Squad, Supergirl, Made For Love, Them, The Nevers, Our Towns, Big Shot, Frank of Ireland, Stowaway, Fall River

March 26

 


In the Spanish adaptation of Justin Willman's beloved Magic For Humans, Mago Pop makes his way through the streets of Spain, thrilling locals with his tricks. All the episodes of Magic for Humans Spain will be available on March 26th.
 

March 30

 


Supergirl premieres Tuesday, March 30th. Stream next day free only on The CW!
 

March 31

 


What is K-Pop? How did it rise to worldwide prominence? This new 7-part series tells you everything you need to know – from its history to its hitmakers, its fandoms, and more – told from the perspective of those who were there. K-Pop Evolution is the definitive accounting of a global phenomenon. With appearances from SuperM, H.O.T., BoA, SUPER JUNIOR, KARA, Ha:tfelt (Wonder Girls), Kang Daniel, Sandara Park (2NE1), Red Velvet, EXO, NCT, (G)I-DLE, and PENTAGON. Watch free weekly with ads or watch all episodes uninterrupted with YouTube Premium.
 

April 1

 


Made for Love is an adaptation based on the tragicomic novel of the same name by Alissa Nutting. The series follows Hazel Green, a thirtysomething woman on the run after 10 years in a suffocating marriage to an unstable, needy, possibly sociopathic tech billionaire. Soon she discovers that her husband has already implanted a revolutionary monitoring device – the Made for Love– in her brain, allowing him to track her, watch her, and know her thoughts and feelings as she tries to stay alive. Streaming April 1 on HBO Max.
 

April 6

 


Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out is back with all new episodes on VH1. Upcoming guests include Lost Boyz, Fatboy SSE, Trinidad James, The cast of "Black Ink Crew: Compton," Cuban Doll, Juvenile, Headkrack, Da Brat, Ambjaay, MC Lyte, Rapsody, FABO, 24kGolden, Big Tigger, OMB Peezy, Tyla Yaweh, Young Joc, Peter & Corey Gunz, Queen Najia and Donnell Rawlings.
 

Help Jack and his monster-battling friends make choices to stay alive — and have some fun — in this interactive Last Kids on Earth adventure! The Last Kids on Earth: Happy Apocalypse to You is available on Netflix 4/6!
 

April 9

 


Phoebe Robinson and her amazing friends are going to be doing the most, starting April 9 on Comedy Central.
 

THEM is a limited anthology series that explores terror in America. The first season, 1950s-set 'COVENANT' centers around a Black family who move from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighborhood during the period known as The Great Migration. The family’s idyllic home becomes ground zero where malevolent forces, next door and otherworldly, threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them.
 

Rebellious, irreverent wunderkind Gülseren navigates loneliness, love and loss against the current of political turmoil and social change. Everybody will see the fireflies after April, 9th. Have you ever seen fireflies? Only on Netflix.
 

From Park Hoon-jung, the director of New World and The Witch: Part 1 A delicately twisted and elegant noir drama. Witness the other side of Paradise. Night in Paradise, April 9, only on Netflix.
 

April 11

 


Victorian London is rocked to its foundations by a supernatural event that gives certain people — mostly women — abnormal abilities, from the wondrous to the disturbing. But no matter their particular "turns," all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger. It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted "orphans." To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind. A touch of power can change the world. Experience the new HBO original series, The Nevers, streaming April 11 on HBO Max.
 

April 13

 


The strong and fast Mighty Express trains are always ready to save the day with more heroic rescues and thrilling stunts throughout Tracksville! Season 3 of Mighty Express is available on Netflix April 13!
 

From Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan, Our Towns is a documentary that paints a remarkable picture of America and how the rise of civic and economic reinvention is transforming small cities and towns across the country. Based on journalists James and Deborah Fallows' book Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, the film spotlights local initiatives and explores how a sense of community and common language of change can help people and towns find a different path to the future. Our Towns premieres April 13 on HBO
 

April 14

 


ALERT! The Circle and Too Hot To Handle are returning to Netflix in April and June with new seasons, new players, on an all new day -- Wednesdays! Starting April 14, The Circle returns, and June gets steamy with an all new season of Too Hot To Handle.
 

April 16

 


Together they’ll conquer the court. Big Shot​, an Original Series, is streaming April 16 on #DisneyPlus​.
 

Frank of Ireland is a physical and ridiculous brand of humor with an original twist. Brian Gleeson stars as Frank Marron, a 32-year-old catastrophe; a misanthropic fantasist in arrested development who’s convinced that the world owes him. He's also our hero. Frank is newly single and still lives at home with his mother, Mary (Pom Boyd). He’s a self-proclaimed musician with a tenuous hold on reality, and hasn’t written a song or played a gig in years. His ex-girlfriend Áine (Sarah Greene) has just found a new boyfriend, and Frank may be finding that a tad difficult. Luckily, Frank has a loyal best friend, Doofus, (Domhnall Gleeson) whose full-time job is clearing the debris left in Frank’s wake. Set in an idyllic suburb of Dublin, Frank of Ireland is the hilarious story of a man’s hapless search for respect, as he struggles to grow up and get his life together, and hopefully not burn everything to the ground in the process.
 

April 19

 


The new season will highlight the crew emerging from isolation and adapting to their new normal, as they work to elevate themselves, their community and strive to be better than ever before at their new flagship shop in Brooklyn. Black Ink Crew: New York returns Monday, April 19 8PM ET/PT.
 

April 20

 


America’s favorite treasure hunters continue the search for valuable repossessed storage lockers with an all new season of the hit-series Storage Wars premiering on Tuesday, April 20 at 9pm ET/PT.
 

April 22

 


Experience a world that has long been hidden from our eyes. Watch Life in Color with David Attenborough.
 

On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially fatal outcome, the crew is forced to make an impossible decision. Directed by Joe Penna and starring Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson and Toni Collette. Coming to Netflix April 22nd.
 

Giant Stars. Giant Undertaking. Giant Rescue. Smithsonian Channel and Paramount+ follow the one and only Cher as she races to Pakistan to help save the "world's loneliest elephant," Kaavan. Stream it early on Earth Day, April 22, only on Paramount+.
 

April 23

 


Oh, you thought a pandemic was gonna stop us? The Emmy-nominated sketch comedy series returns for its second season on Friday, April 23. The six-episode season will air on #HBO​ and be available to stream on HBO Max.
 

April 26

 


Evert Bäckström is a rock star among cops. Starring as a TV expert doesn't help his ego or reputation. He thinks he's a genius-and he is, at solving crimes. When a woman's skull is found, it seems she was murdered recently, but DNA points to her death in the 2004 tsunami. Prosecutor Hanna Hwass believes it's a mistake, but Bäckström sees a case only he can solve: a woman who has died twice.
 

Whoopi Goldberg announces ABC’s Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days — a two-hour documentary special highlighting the 50-year impact of this iconic show and the nonprofit behind it! Watch Monday, April 26 at 8/7C on ABC!
 

April 28

 


Budding software developer Natalia knows a lot about programming, and very little about sex. With her friends Monika and Paulina, she embarks on a quest to better understand the mysteries of the female orgasm, build an app that will win an inter-university competition and maybe, just maybe, serve the needs of her peers.
 

April 30

 


THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, a new animated family comedy from the humans who brought you Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse and The LEGO Movie, speeds onto Netflix on April 30 with Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric Andre, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi, Blake Griffin, Conan O'Brien, Doug the Pug, Sasheer Zamata, Elle Mills, Alex Hirsch, and Jay Pharoah.
 

May 1

 


In the future, Tenet is already streaming on HBO via HBO Max. For now, it’s streaming May 1 🤔⏳
 

May 16

 


In 1979 - almost 90 years after infamous, accused murderer Lizzie Borden's notorious acquittal - Fall River, Massachusetts would become home to another terrifying series of crimes. Series premieres May 16 at 10PM on EPIX
 

June 18

 


Official Trailer of Season 2 of La Leyendade De Sergio Ramos. The series returns Friday, June 18 on Amazon Prime Video.
 

August 6

 


From writer/director James Gunn comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure The Suicide Squad, featuring a collection of the most degenerate delinquents in the DC lineup. The Super-Villains have a chance to get out of jail but only by joining the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. With a team made up of Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn, how will this collection of cons work together? Available on HBO Max in the US only at no extra cost to subscribers, for 31 days from its theatrical release.
 

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Debris S01E04: In Universe

© NBC

Finola is shook, and new debris powers are revealed

by Chuck Duncan

Guest Cast: Alexander Soto, Humberly González

This week's episode of Debris really put the focus on Finola as she grapples with the side effects of a newly revealed debris power and even more shocking news that shakes her faith in Bryan.

The main story centered on a farming community in Nebraska where all was well until the rain started. Oddly, the rain was falling on just one small location but it was having a serious effect on the people inside the shower -- once they stepped outside of the rain's perimeter, they died. This weather anomaly drew the attention of Bryan and Finola, and upon arrival they made a gruesome discovery: the rain was transforming the area inside the event to a chlorine-based atmosphere, and it was transforming any human inside the perimeter into chlorine-breathing beings. The result being they suffocated once they stepped outside into the normal oxygen atmosphere.

So how do they get the family and farm workers inside the rainfall outside safely? Things are complicated when the brother of the one dead man they found outside the rain shows up and wants to be with his family, including his brother's wife and kids who he vowed to take care of. But these debris events are still highly classified, so no matter how badly Finola wants to tell him the truth, she knows her hands are tied and is forced to have the man restrained while they figure out what to do with the people inside the rain area.

Donning environment suits, Bryan and Finola are able to enter and make contact with them, and locate the debris that is causing the event. The news only gets worse as the rain perimeter begins to expand, revealing that the debris seems to be terraforming the area, changing it into the atmospheric conditions of the alien ship's home planet. It is also causing strange plant growth in the area. But with the rain area growing, Bryan has no choice but to order the debris shut down even if doing so means the people inside the rain area will die. Finola is not okay with this, and remembers that there is another piece of debris found by a different team (so now we know the existence of multiple debris seekers) that puts people into a kind of suspended animation. If they use that piece to save the people inside the rain, they can keep them in that state until a way is found to reverse the damage done to them. But that could take years.

Bryan reluctantly agrees, and Finola goes off book and tells Efraim the truth about what's going on and what they are about to do. She releases him from the cuffs and he runs into the rain to be with his family, his lungs instantly transformed the minute he crosses the perimeter. The debris is rolled in and everyone lines up, but it's not clear if any of them aside from Efraim is aware of what is about to happen to them. The debris is activated and they are all encased in a glowing membrane, immobile but still alive. The whole event, the moral decision that Bryan was about to make, sacrificing everyone inside to save everyone outside, put a wedge between his and Finola's relationship.

And to make matters worse, Finola received a call from her boss at MI6 revealing that her father is still alive. And if that wasn't shocking enough, she throws Bryan under the bus and tells Finola that he has known this for sometime. So we can expect more tension not only between the two agents, but the two government agencies as well.

And what is up with Director Maddox? This week we got a short scene with him at home doing some kind of exercises with his son, who is in a wheelchair and doesn't speak, his upper body motor skills being tested as Maddox tosses a ball to his son. When his wife's cell phone rings, he sees it's an unknown caller and answers but there is no response on the other end. His wife walks in and lashes out at him for daring to pick up and answer her phone. Her emotional outburst puzzles her husband, but it also seems to have an effect on her son who witnesses the angry exchange. Now we're left with the question of Dario Maddox's condition -- was it caused by the debris? We'll have to wait to see what happens next.

Monday, March 22, 2021

CBS Announces 2021 Finale Dates


CBS has announced season finale dates for its original primetime comedies, dramas and unscripted series for the 2020-2021 broadcast season, including the series finales of Mom, on Thursday, May 13 (9:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT), and NCIS: New Orleans on Sunday, May 23 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network.

Wednesday, April 14
  • 8:00 PM - Tough as Nails (Second Season Finale)

Friday, April 30
  • 8:00 PM - MacGyver (Fifth Season Finale)

Friday, May 7
  • 9:00 PM - Magnum P.I. (Third Season Finale)

Thursday, May 13
  • 8:00 PM - Young Sheldon (Fourth Season Finale)
  • 9:00 PM - Mom (Series Finale)
  • 9:30 PM - B Positive (First Season Finale)

Friday, May 14
  • 9:00 PM - Blue Bloods (Two-Hour 11th Season Finale)

Monday, May 17
  • 8:00 PM - The Neighborhood (Third Season Finale)
  • 8:30 PM - Bob ♥ Abishola (Second Season Finale)
  • 10:00 PM Bull (Fifth Season Finale)

Wednesday, May 19
  • 9:00 PM - SEAL Team (Fourth Season Finale)
  • 10:00 PM - S.W.A.T. (Fourth Season Finale)

Sunday, May 23
  • 8:00 PM - The Equalizer (First Season Finale)
  • 9:00 PM - NCIS: Los Angeles (12th Season Finale)
  • 10:00 PM - NCIS: New Orleans (Series Finale)

Monday, May 24
  • 9:00 PM - All Rise (Second Season Finale)

Tuesday, May 25
  • 8:00 PM - NCIS (18th Season Finale)
  • 9:00 PM - FBI (Third Season Finale)
  • 10:00 PM - FBI: Most Wanted (Second Season Finale)

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Trailer Roundup: The Irregulars, The Last Cruise, The Challenge: All-Stars, Concrete Cowboy, Dad Stop Embarrassing Me, Ride or Die, Sasquatch, Rutherford Falls

March 26

 


Meet The Irregulars: Bea, Jessie, Billy, Spike and Leo. Join this ragtag gang as they uncover the demonic and mysterious depths of Victorian London alongside the sinister Dr Watson and his enigmatic business partner, Sherlock Holmes. The Irregulars, only on Netflix March 26.
 

March 30

 


Using intimate footage recorded by passengers and crew, The Last Cruise is a first-person account of the nightmare that transpired aboard the ill-fated Diamond Princess cruise ship, which set sail from Japan on the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The HBO original documentary The Last Cruise premieres March 30 on HBOMax.
 

April 1

 


The brand new limited series features twenty-two of the most iconic, boldest, and fiercest Challenge All Stars from the original Real World and Road Rules, returning for a chance at the ultimate competition as they vie for their shot at the $500,000 grand prize.
 

Ten of United Kingdom's best ceramists compete for the title of Top Potter. Follow the trials and tribulations of an exceptionally creative group of contestants as they transform ordinary lumps of clay into pieces of glazed glory in this one-of-a-kind test of pottery prowess. The new season of The Great Pottery Throw Down is streaming April 1 on HBO Max.
 

April 2

 


While spending the summer in North Philadelphia, a troubled teen (Caleb McLaughlin) is caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s (Idris Elba) vibrant urban-cowboy subculture. On Netflix April 2.
 

How do you lose $47 billion in six weeks? Let us count the ways. See the #SXSW​ Official Selection, WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn, premiering April 2 on Hulu.
 

April 4

 


There's a new CEO of Sebben & Sebben. Birdgirl takes flight on Sunday, April 4 at midnight.
 

April 14

 


Family. Fatherhood. Facepalms. Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! starring Jamie Foxx premieres on April 14, only on Netflix.
 

April 15

 


Joseline Hernandez is at the top of her game, and now, she’s using her expertise to show some of Miami’s hottest dancers how to handle business. Joseline's Cabaret: Miami premieres Thursday, April 15th at 10/9c.
 

"The cast of Younger look back at the past seven years and six seasons of the beloved series ahead of the final season, premiering Thurs., April 15th. Stream it early on Paramount+.
 

If you love me, destroy everything. A road movie about two women on the run with nowhere to go, depicting what it means to love someone, and to protect the one you love. Streaming worldwide on 15 April, only on Netflix!
 

April 16

 


A wide-eyed boy, who is half human and half alligator, leaves his sheltered life in the swamp to search for his long lost father in New York City.
 

Ajeeb Daastaans is an anthology of four strangely contrasting stories which delve into fractured relationships and unexplored spaces. The stories set in varied milieus, explore jealousy, entitlement, prejudices and toxicity, which are often entangled within the heart of their relationships. Each story also takes you on a journey where one would struggle with the moral dilemma of what’s right and what’s wrong, as the lines between them get blurred.
 

April 18

 


Godfather of Harlem Season 2 finds Bumpy Johnson battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s message of black economic nationalism. His ambitious plan will face challenges from not only the Italians but his wife Mayme, daughter Elise, rival Adam Clayton Powell, prosecutor Robert Morgenthau, and even Malcolm himself. Once again, Godfather of Harlem explores the collision of the criminal underworld and civil rights in the colorful, tumultuous year of 1964.
 

April 20

 


While visiting a pot farm in Northern California in 1993, investigative journalist David Holthouse heard a story that still haunts him: On a nearby farm three men were torn limb from limb in a savage Bigfoot attack. Sasquatch follows David as he revisits the Redwoods 25 years later, in search of any evidence that might lead to the truth of what happened that night. As he pulls at the threads of this story, he'll be taken down a path that's far more terrifying than anyone would have imagined. The three-part Hulu Original documentary series premieres on Tuesday, April 20, only on Hulu.
 

April 22

 


A comedy about two lifelong best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads – quite literally – when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wakeup call. Rutherford Falls streaming on Peacock April 22.
 

Coming Soon

 


The largest xtc producer in the Netherlands and Belgium meets the love of his life in his early days. Frank Lammers and Elise Schaap shine in the teaser trailer for Ferry.
 

Behind the Music is back! The groundbreaking and prolific music documentary series returns with several new episodes and the best of the vault remastered and updated for today's audiences with artist interviews, a creative refresh and reimagined visual style.
 

Thursday, March 18, 2021

FOX Signs New 11 Year Deal with NFL


Fox Corporation today announced a new and expanded media rights agreement with the National Football League that runs through the 2033 season. The 11-year agreement extends FOX's coverage of premier National Football Conference (NFC) games, creates new and exclusive holiday games on FOX, and expands FOX's digital rights to enable future direct-to-consumer opportunities as well as NFL programming on FOX's AVOD streaming service Tubi. Additionally, FOX will not extend its Thursday Night Football contract beyond its current expiration after the 2022 NFL season. Amazon will become the home of Thursday Night Football beginning in 2023.

"Today we extend our 27-year partnership with the NFL and solidify the foundation of our marquee sports portfolio beyond the end of the decade. In addition to maintaining our leading Sunday afternoon NFC package, we are pleased to broaden our deal to include new digital rights that provide us with the flexibility to deliver NFL on FOX to customers in expanded and innovative ways," said Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lachlan Murdoch. "This long-term agreement ensures that we will continue to deliver the best in football coverage to our viewers while also strengthening and providing optionality to our business."

Among the highlights of the new agreement are:

  • FOX will create an NFL experience on Tubi consisting of premiere VOD as well as condensed games throughout the NFL season
  • FOX extended its rights to continue America's leading free-to-play wagering game, FOX Bet Super 6
  • FOX Bet will receive authorized sportsbook operator status if, and when, the NFL approves official sportsbook operators for its officially licensed intellectual property
  • FOX will broadcast four of the next 12 Super Bowls, including the games in 2023, 2025, 2029 and 2033
  • FOX will produce special Christmas Day games as the schedule allows
  • FOX will continue to be the exclusive home of the NFC Championship game
  • FOX increased its NFL footage rights to use across linear and digital programming
  • FOX broadened its presentation rights using interactivity and alternate feeds
  • FOX Deportes gained additional Spanish language rights

FOX is America's No. 1 network for the NFL; its flagship America's Game of the Week has been the most-watched show in all of television for the past 12 seasons and the most-watched NFL window for the past 20 seasons.

The NFC package that FOX will continue to broadcast is strategically aligned with the locations of FOX's owned and operated television stations. FOX Television Stations owns and operates the FOX affiliate in 14 of the 16 NFC markets.

Nickelodeon Announces Voice Cast for Rugrats reboot

© Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon has tapped an all-star roster of voice talent to round out the cast of its new upcoming Rugrats series, a reimagining of the classic '90s hit. Joining the original voice cast of the adventurous toddlers are: Ashley Rae Spillers (Vice Principals) and Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), as Tommy's parents; Tony Hale (Arrested Development), as Chuckie's father; Natalie Morales (Dead to Me), as Phil and Lil's mother; Anna Chlumsky (Veep) and Timothy Simons (Veep), as Angelica's parents; Nicole Byer (Nailed It!) and Omar Miller (Ballers), as Susie's parents; and Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), as Grandpa Lou Pickles. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, the all-new Rugrats, a Paramount+ Original Series, is set to debut on the streaming service this spring.

"This incredibly talented group of actors provides a fresh and very funny take on these iconic roles, combining humor with heart to bring the characters to life in a whole new way," said Liz Paulson, Senior Vice President, Talent and Casting, Nickelodeon.

"The all-new Rugrats is packed with comedy, music and adventures that only babies can embark upon, and the role of the grown-ups is an essential piece of the series," added Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation.

Rugrats features: Spillers and Dewey as Tommy's parents, Didi, a passionate artisan and blogger, and Stu, an optimistic inventor; Hale as Chuckie's father, Chas, a neurotic musician; Morales as Phil and Lil's mother, Betty, Didi's best friend and coffeehouse owner; Chlumsky and Simons as Angelica's parents, Charlotte, a busy city councilperson, and Drew, a successful pharmaceutical representative; Byer and Miller as Susie's parents, Lucy, a fun and generous physician, and Randy, an affable and good-natured science teacher; and McKean as Grandpa Lou Pickles, an active senior who enjoys yoga.

The new voice actors join previously announced cast members E.G. Daily (Tommy), Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie), Cheryl Chase (Angelica), Cree Summer (Susie) and Kath Soucie (Phil and Lil), who are all reprising their iconic roles.

The all-new Rugrats is based on the series created by Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain. Eryk Casemiro (Rugrats) and Kate Boutilier (Rugrats) are executive producers and Dave Pressler (Robot and Monster) and Casey Leonard (Breadwinners) serve as co-executive producers, with Rachel Lipman (Rugrats) as co-producer and Kellie Smith (The Fairly OddParents) as line producer. Production is overseen by Mollie Freilich, Senior Manager, Current Series Animation, Nickelodeon. Casting is overseen by Paulson.

The original Rugrats series launched in August of 1991 and instantly became a groundbreaking phenomenon, spawning consumer products and three hit theatrical releases, and cementing its place in pop culture history through its iconic characters, storytelling and unique visual style. Rugrats was in production for nine seasons over the course of 13 years. The series earned four Daytime Emmy Awards, six Kids' Choice Awards and its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Debris S01E03: Solar Winds

© NBC

The third episode of Debris adds another new twist

by Chuck Duncan

Guest Cast: Matthew MacCaull, Sarah Desjardins, Christopher Shyer

I have no idea why this week's episode of Debris is titled 'Solar Winds' because it doesn't have anything to do with the sun. A more apt title would have been 'The Phantom Zone' but I suppose the folks over at Warner Bros. would have taken issue with that.

But anyone who's seen anything related to Superman can't be blamed for thinking this week's debris-related anomaly isn't anything but the Phantom Zone when a mysterious two dimensional square pops up in the middle of a field ... and people appear to be inside trying to get out.

It's not long before Bryan and Finola are sidetracked to Ohio to investigate, and they soon find they are able to hear one of the people trapped inside, a young woman named Nicole Hegmann who vanished without a trace in 2018. And while they can hear Nicole and see other human shapes in the void with her, she can't hear them ... or see the others which puzzles the team.

Bryan eventually pulls apart a million dollar piece of equipment -- oops -- to help construct a transmitter so they can attempt to talk with Nicole. But the biggest mystery is the absence of any debris. They do manage to communicate a bit with Nicole but the square keeps disappearing, leading Finola to conclude that somehow when Nicole is more emotional, the square remains visible. And one way to perhaps keep her emotions heightened is to bring her father to the site.

He, of course, is reluctant to believe their fantastical story but when he witnesses the abnormality and hears his daughter's voice, he is on board. He related a story of how he's always felt connected to his daughter, always having a dream that he's in the parking lot where she disappeared (in a different state), and when she appears again they share a long hug. But no one knows how to get Nicole out of limbo without a piece of debris.

© NBC

Luckily there is some activity nearby and they find an abandoned pickup truck, right next to a large piece of debris. Apparently this object allowed the alien ship to travel through time and space and has somehow opened a portal in this field. Interestingly, Finola's father had a theory about portals dotting the Earth, and had mapped out several in the US ... including one where Nicole disappeared, and one where they are now. But the debris is low on power and lead scientists Muntz doesn't want to use up what power is left to save a few people. Bryan and Finola, however, insist.

Aiming the debris in the direction of the square, they find that moving it slightly is like changing channels on a TV, revealing each person who they could see in silhouette, apparently on a different plain. They finally are able to release Nicole, and when she breaches the barrier, it seems to destroy the entire thing, releasing everyone else as well ... and all of them had disappeared at different times, some as far back as the 1970s. Nicole tells her father that she always imagined being back in that parking lot waiting for him, and when he'd show up they had a nice long hug, so they truly were still connected psychically.

But now that they have the debris, they need to find out who owned the pickup that was sitting next to it. No surprise, but the truck was stolen. Security footage shows the bearded guy who's been dealing pieces of debris, but they still don't really know who he is. What no one else knows as well is that Maddox had a secret meeting with a Russian, Tarkolov, who wants a piece of the debris the CIA currently possesses. Maddox is ready to make a deal, but the heat is on him when his boss tells him that they have eyes on Tarkolov and wanted to give him a heads up. That sends Maddox into a bit of panic mode because he may now be compromised, but no one is letting on just yet.

And the question still lingers about Finola's dead father. The CIA has obtained security footage of her at the morgue just like she claimed. Before she left, she took his watch as a keepsake. But later footage shows the watch is still on his arm, so was Finola sitting with a clone? Was the other body a clone? Is the real George Jones still alive or is the man they've seen recently a clone? No one knows at this point.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Trailer Roundup: Cypher, Deliciousness, Baketopia, Glad You Asked, Madame Claude, Family Reunion, Kung Fu, Night in Paradise, Them, Top Gear, Oxygen

March 19

 


CYPHER puts you in the passenger seat alongside top FBI cryptanalyst, Will Scott, as he discovers a coded document. Will soon finds himself in the crosshairs of the bad guys who want their list back. Will must navigate the murky waters of loyalty and betrayal amongst an underground ring of hackers, hit men, and FBI agents - all as the clock ticks in pursuit of the latest targets.
 

March 22

 


Back for seconds! Deliciousness, the food themed Ridiculousness spin-off returns for season two. Hosted by Tiffani Thiessen, her and the dais of foodies including Angela Kinsey, Kel Mitchell and Tim Chantarangsu celebrate the things we love to indulge in - food and drink. Deliciousness returns for another one-week special event Monday, March 22 at 7pm ET/PT on MTV.
 

March 25

 


Bakers face-off in cooking challenges each week to win a cash prize. YouTuber Rosanna Pansino will be both hosting and judging. Streaming March 25, only on HBO Max.
 

March 30

 


When red-hot volcanoes start a chain reaction of disasters across the ocean, the Octonauts must work together to face their biggest challenge yet. Octonauts & the Ring of Fire is available on Netflix 3/30!
 

Are we automating racism? Does your neighborhood determine your future? Is meritocracy a myth? We’ll grapple with all of these questions and more on a new season of Glad You Asked. Throughout this five-part series, we’ll explore how racial injustice impacts our everyday lives— from how we code bias into our technology to how our public education system fails millions of students. Season 2 of Glad You Asked premieres March 30 on our YouTube channel.
 

April 2

 


In Just Say Yes Yolanthe Cabau plays the role of Lotte. Lotte has been planning her perfect wedding for years but sees her dream shatter in one million little pieces when the groom decides to cancel last minute. The film is coming to Netflix this spring and stars Jim Bakkum, Noortje Herlaar, Nienke Plas, Tino Martin, Kim-Lian van der Meij, Josylvio, Pip Pellens and many more.
 

In 1960s Paris, Madame Claude's influence extends beyond the world of sex work — until an affluent young woman threatens to change everything.
 

April 5

 


When the McKellan family moves from Seattle to small-town Georgia, life down South — and traditional grandparents — challenge their big-city ways.
 

April 7

 


Kung Fu premieres Wednesday, April 7. Stream next day free only on The CW!
 

Dreams come at a cost. When the entrepreneurial start up scene and the criminal worlds of Stockholm collide, loyalty, friendships and business partners will all be tested in the never-ending quest for easy money. Snabba Cash is only on Netflix, April 7.
 

500 million dollars worth of missing art. A 10 million dollar reward for whoever finds it. It's your turn to enter the mystery.
 

April 9

 


A man targeted by the mob meets a woman on the edge of life. This is their intense story. Director Park Hoon-jung's new noir film Night in Paradise premieres April 9, only on Netflix.
 

A new series coming to Prime Video on April 9. The Emorys move to Compton, but Palmer Drive isn’t what it seems. From Executive Producers Lena Waithe and Little Marvin – THEM.
 

April 11

 


Fear The Waling Dead returns Sunday, April 11 9/8c on AMC. Stream early on AMC+.
 

April 15

 


The music aspirations of Ryan and Min-Gi are put on hold as they board the train at the same time and receive the exact same number.... Can this friendship withstand the train? Stream Book 4 of Infinity Train April 15 on HBO Max.
 

April 25

 


In their fourth season at the wheel of Top Gear, hosts Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuinness hit the road again in a series of challenges designed to push them and their cars to the limit. This season sees the trio showing off the Best of Britain, tackling the thorny issue of ‘mid-life crisis’ cars, heading to the Scottish Highlands on a punishing off-road adventure, celebrating and driving some of the most iconic cars from the James Bond films, and a nostalgic trip down memory lane as they drive their dads old cars. Plus, reviews of the new Toyota Yaris GR, the Ferrari Roma and more.
 

May 12

 


A woman wakes up in a cryogenic unit with no memory. Quickly running out of oxygen, she must find a way to remember who she is in order to survive. Oxygen, an Alexandre Aja movie with Mélanie Laurent. May 12th on Netflix.
 

Coming Soon

 


The latest anime from the creator of Fairy Tail is finally here! It is the year X492, an age in which people freely travel through the universe. Rebecca, a video-creating B-Cuber, visits the robotic world of Granbell and meets a young man with special powers: Shiki, who’s lived his entire life among machines. Soon Shiki is exploring the cosmos with Rebecca, encountering new places, people and things, and making friends along the way. Join in the adventure starting in 2021 on Netflix.
 

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Debris S01E02: You Are Not Alone

© NBC

Episode 2 improves and becomes more Fringe-y, and that's a good thing

by Chuck Duncan

The first episode of NBC's new sci-fi procedural Debris did an adequate job of setting up the show's premise, but I feel that this week's second episode really moves the story forward now that we've gotten past the 'origin story' that is often slow going, whether it be a TV series or a movie. We know pretty much who Bryan Beneventi and Finola Jones are at this point, and this episode peels back another layer to their characters. In a word or two, it's working.

I'm also liking how the series is taking aspects of both The X-Files and Fringe without being a complete carbon copy. From what we've seen over two episodes now, there is an ongoing story arc -- the effects of the debris raining down on Earth after an alien ship exploded in space -- but the two episodes thus far have also had self-contained stories with the CIA and MI6 having to investigate the effects of the debris in various locations. There is also another intriguing plot point introduced this week that could also carry through the series (think along the lines of Fringe's alternate universes and multiple versions of the various characters).

This week Bryan and Finola are sent to a small town in Pennsylvania where another debris incident is taking place -- various metallic objects are moving through town of their own accord, or rather being dragged, and selectively. Not all metal objects are being moved. It seems so far that the citizens of Earth are being kept in the dark about this debris phenomenon with Bryan quipping that if anyone asks what's going on, they'll just blame it on the Russians. Was that just a joke, or could this have larger implications down the line? The problem with the items moving about is that they can't locate the debris to which everyone believes the objects are being drawn to. A satellite view shows that the objects aren't just being dragged to a single location, but they are actually building a barrier wall.

Bryan spies a man watching things happen in this apparently abandoned town, but the man can't really tell them anything. He barely knows his own name, Eric (David Alpay), and is so intently focused on finding something that he doesn't even notice the objects moving down the street past them. They have Eric taken to a secure location, but a short time later Bryan and Finola see him again, this time trying to break into a car, his shirt bloodied. Concerned that he injured some of their people, they try to take him in again but he runs to his house.

There they discover the debris in the basement. It is also found that the metallic items aren't simply creating a barrier, they are creating a mathematically correct circle around the area with the center point being Eric's house. While Bryan is in the basement, Finola is outside and she finds Eric again. Inside, Bryan hears a noise upstairs and discovers ... himself. Before his doppelganger can shoot, Bryan pulls the trigger and kills his double. Eric gets away and they engage in a foot chase, following him to a factory. Finola finds the frightened man inside while Bryan finds the panicked man outside, so now the debris seems to have the properties to create clones of whoever comes into close contact with it. If this has happened in Pennsylvania, has it happened elsewhere? There is a very real possibility, which we'll get to in a minute.

© NBC

None of the three Erics seem to be the original as each of them are very specifically focused on a single matter -- a lost love, a job -- and none are fully emotionally formed. Bryan deduces that the real Eric is still somewhere nearby but is dying so these manifestations of himself are the less important things his psyche is letting go of as he, and they, die. But the one that survives is the one intent on finding the woman he lost because of a new job on the other side of the country that he was going to take. Eric's car was obviously used at some point so it could have also been dragged to the barrier.

Bryan and Finola walk in a straight line to the barrier to locate the car while a team is back at the house trying to deactivate the debris (this is something new introduced into the mix, seeing that they can effectively 'turn off' the debris). Bryan finds the car and Eric is inside, unconscious, and Bryan climbs the pile to get Eric out. Suddenly a blast emanates from the debris and hits the barrier, slowly compressing it. The car is being compressed with Bryan fighting to get Eric out, but each blast makes that more difficult. In the house, the blast is also generating more copies of Eric ... and Bryan, grotesquely morphed together into two-headed monsters. The team finally manages to shut off the debris, and Bryan gets Eric out of the car safely, giving him the opportunity to call his love and ask her to stay.

While all this was happening, Finola was trying to get in touch with her sister back in London, who apparently has some substance abuse and abandonment issues. They finally do talk and it seems Finola has gotten through to her sister, who was about to indulge in another round of drugs but instead went home, promising Finola she'd answer the phone when she called later. What she wants is for Finola to come home but she obviously can't and she can't tell her sister what's going on. Finola tries to dig a little deeper into Bryan's background, but he is reluctant to share much. But there is a deep loss there that she can clearly see in his eyes.

Bryan, though, is also feeling bad because he has to lie to Finola about what he's learned from his boss, Maddox. MI6 shared some information with Maddox about a group called Influx, which seems to be dealing in the sale of debris, but there is still the question of Finola's father being spotted. Bryan casually asked Finola about the last time she saw her father, and she told him she stayed with his body at the morgue the night he committed suicide. Maddox noticed in the photo of George Jones that there was something wrong with one of his eyes. Are they dealing with a clone of Jones, or was Finola actually sitting with a dead clone and the real George is still out there? And what exactly is his connection to the debris? And are the more clones? And what about the Russians?

Overall, this was a pretty good episode that expanded the premise and gave us a little more information about the characters. Jonathan Tucker and Riann Steele have some good chemistry together, so hopefully their characters will become closer as the situation escalates (hopefully the writers won't fall into the trap of making them romantic partners). It's probably not out of the question that they will have to join forces against their own agencies as the conspiracies deepen.

Debris airs Mondays at 10:00 PM on NBC.

Monday, March 8, 2021

Peacock To Become New Home of WWE Network


Peacock Premium to Stream Fastlane on March 21 and WrestleMania on April 10-11

from Peacock press release

Starting March 18, Peacock will begin rolling out WWE Network content just before Fastlane, the first WWE pay-per-view (PPV) event on the service. The new WWE destination on Peacock will feature fan-favorite content at launch, including all past WrestleManias leading up to WrestleMania 37—streaming exclusively on Peacock.

WWE will have a dedicated page on Peacock where fans can browse and access every PPV event in the last calendar year; current or most recent season episodes of WWE original series Steve Austin’s The Broken Skull Sessions, WWE Chronicle, and WWE Icons; in-ring action with new weekly episodes of NXT the day after air, as well as the 2021 replays of RAW and SmackDown 30 days after air; groundbreaking documentaries, including Undertaker: The Last Ride, WWE 24, and WWE Untold; reality series, including Total Bellas; as well as collections of featured series, topical moments like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin Week, and playlists showcasing current Superstars.

Peacock will continually add WWE Network content to the library, making the entire WWE Network archive—including every WWE, WCW, and ECW PPV event in history—available to stream on demand before SummerSlam.

Peacock Premium will be home to all upcoming PPV events and the current seasons of WWE Original shows. In the free tier, Peacock will offer a new WWE channel; select WWE Original shows; reality shows like Miz and Mrs., Total Bellas, and Total Divas; recent in-ring content; and new weekly episodes of select live shows like RAW Talk and The Bump, both live and on demand.


When WWE sunsets the existing standalone WWE Network app on April 4, Peacock will be the exclusive streaming home to WWE Network in the U.S. To continue streaming WWE Network content, fans will need to sign up for Peacock. As previously announced, WWE Network, including all PPVs, will be available on Peacock Premium for $4.99—a $5.00/month savings. Starting today, Peacock is also offering the WWE Universe deeper savings for a limited time—details available at www.PeacockTV.com/WWE.

Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost for Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers and Cox Contour customers. Peacock is currently available on the Roku platform; Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices, including Android, Android TV devices, Chromecast, and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; Sony PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation 5; and VIZIO SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Hotchka Movie Review: Raya and the Last Dragon

© Walt Disney Animation Studios

Raya and the Last Dragon uneasily blends past and present

by Chuck Duncan
Rating: ★★

Voice Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, Izaac Wang, Thalia Tran, Alan Tudyk, Lucille Soong, Patti Harrison, Ross Butler

It's interesting that after the success (?) of Mulan on Disney+ with Premiere Access -- meaning subscribers had to pay an additional $30 to watch the movie three months before it became available to general subscribers -- that Disney has gone that route again with another Asian-influenced film, this time the animated Raya and the Last Dragon.

The story is set in the mythical realm of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together in harmony for centuries. The dragons sacrificed themselves to save the land from an evil force known as the Druun, a 'mindless plague' that turns people into terra-cotta statues. The plague divides the land, shaped like a dragon, into individual realms given the names of the body pieces the land resembles (for instance, Spine). But the dragons created a crystal comprised of their individual attributes that would protect the land and 500 years later, one family is still protecting the crystal from those who seek to possess it.

© Walt Disney Animation Studios

This is how we meet the child named Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), whose family has been protecting the crystal all these years. She is training with her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim) to be the crystal's next protector, but Benja is also an idealist who believes he can bring the scattered denizens of what was once Kumandra together again and make the land whole. Raya isn't so sure but at a gathering of invited guests she meets Namaari (Gemma Chan), a young girl similar in age who is also a self-professed 'dragon nerd'. The girls bond over their love of dragons and Raya trusts Namaari enough to show her the crystal. Turns out Raya was right to not trust the outsiders as Namaari was playing her all along to steal the crystal for her mother's kingdom. As the others get involved and Raya and Benja do their best to protect the crystal, it ends up shattered with each realm stealing a piece. Unfortunately, the destruction of the crystal unleashed the Druun into the world again, claiming many victims including Raya's father (who pushed her off a bridge just in time).

Six years later, Raya and her pet armadillo Tuk Tuk (Alan Tudyk), who has grown to an enormous size, are now traveling the land to find the mythical Last Dragon, which is said to reside at the end of a river. But there are hundred of rivers to search and Raya is not about to give up. Of course, it's the very last river where she finds Sisu (Awkwafina), a water dragon, who eagerly joins Raya and Tuk Tuk on their mission to retrieve the shards of the crystal and bring peace to the land once again. Of course she's also got to worry about Namaari, who is now on their trail to take the shards for her own realm, bringing them all the power Raya's realm once possessed.

© Walt Disney Animation Studios

Raya and the Last Dragon
is a beautifully animated film, for the most part. The scenery is gorgeous, the colors pop, and Sisu moves like water through the air in her dragon form (one of the crystal shards allows her to take on a human form). The only issue I have with the animation is the often emotionless, rubbery faces of the human characters, Benja being the most egregious (he looks like a man who had both a face lift and botox at the same time). The issue does become less noticeable as the film progresses, but that could be just because you finally get used to the look and focus more on the story.

The story itself is fine, but I think the problem is there are too many realms for Raya and company to visit in the film's one hour and fifty-four minute running time, making it much, much too easy for Raya to retrieve the shards. She basically walks in and they give it to her without much of a fight. That fight, of course, is saved for the final battle between and Raya and Namaari to determine who gets control of the Dragon Stone. The last act of the film, once it gets to that showdown, is actually quite exciting and moving as tragedy strikes and the Druun attack in full force, and the finale is very emotionally rewarding.

My biggest problem, and it's probably because I'm old and not the exact target audience for the film (and this is where films from Disney Animation differ from Pixar which makes films that appeal to all ages) is the anachronistic dialogue, especially from Sisu. There really was just too much modernism and euphemisms used today in the script, and it completely took me out of the film. Of course, younger children and teens watching the film will certainly appreciate the attempt to make the young characters relatable to them, but as an adult it just bugged me (as did the few too many fart jokes).

So Raya and the Last Dragon has its pros and cons. Kids will absolutely enjoy it, adults will tolerate it. It does have a decent story, lovely animation, and an emotional punch at the end that really does make the film worthwhile for all audiences. It's just the journey to get to that point that may test some viewers' patience.


Raya and the Last Dragon is in theaters and on Disney+ with Premium Access from March 5.