BoJack Horseman creator reteams with Netflix on Long Story Short / The Drew Barrymore Show renewed / Megan Thee Stallion to host the VMAs
BoJack Horseman creator reteams with Netflix on Long Story Short / The Drew Barrymore Show renewed / Megan Thee Stallion to host the VMAs
PLUS: 10 years after its premiere, we're living in BoJack Horseman's world.
BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg reunites with Netflix on the 10th anniversary for animated comedy Long Story Short
Today marks the 10th anniversary of BoJack Horseman's Aug. 22, 2014 debut. To celebrate, Netflix announced that it is reteaming with Bob-Waksberg on a new adult animated comedy about a family, over time. “It’s about the shared history, the inside jokes, the old wounds. If you’ve ever had a mother, father, sibling, partner, or child, this is the show for you and by the way would it kill you to call them?," reads the official logline. Bob-Waksberg will write and serve as showrunner on Long Story Short, which will debut in 2025. “It is legitimately a thrill and an honor to be back doing what I love most: drafting enthusiastic pull quotes for press releases to Hollywood trade publications. Who says you can’t go home again?!” joked Bob-Waksberg.
10 years after its premiere, we're living in BoJack Horseman's world
"Which TV show do you think we’re living in?" says Lana Schwartz in marking today's 10-year anniversary of BoJack's premiere. "For Succession fans, every time a media conglomerate buys a smaller, beloved company and lays off half the staff, it’s another day for a sh*tshow at the f*ck factory. Or maybe you see the mainstreaming of Christian evangelism and it’s The Righteous Gemstones that’s called to mind. I know every time a streaming service debuts a reality show with an absurd premise, my X (f.k.a. Twitter) timeline is dotted with references to 30 Rock. For my money, though, the world we live in today belongs to that of the half-man, half-horse hybrid, BoJack Horseman. When the show first premiered in August 2014, it was to much critical acclaim. In the first season alone, BoJack tackled depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, generational trauma, and the steep price of regret, as well as skewered fame and celebrity in a way that would become a cornerstone of the show. Although BoJack (the show, not the character) handled all of these issues with impressive sensitivity, I don’t think anyone was prepared for BoJack to cover increasingly dark ground over its six seasons, as BoJack (this time, the character) consistently took a one step forward and two steps back approach to his recovery, alienating those who love him, the creature of his celebrity wielding a long tail that enabled him to mess up again and again and again. When it comes to demonstrating the damage done by BoJack’s actions, the show doesn’t flinch; it’s a clear-eyed look at the way trauma stays with its victims, even if the perpetrators have long since moved on. The rest of the show’s main characters (Diane, Todd, Princess Carolyn, and Mr. Peanutbutter), too, must grapple with BoJack’s role in their lives and the way he’s affected them for the better and for the worse."
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BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg is thrilled that his show is still relevant after a decade: "I am surprised and grateful that people are continuing to discover the show," he says in an A.V. Club interview. "That’s something that I don’t think I quite anticipated, although I could feel even then that new people were still finding it because I remember being mystified why we got canceled. No, no, we still got a ways to go on this! But it is wild to me when I see stuff online from fans who weren’t old enough for the show when it first came out, or just discovering it now. I think I knew that the people who experienced this show while it was on will always have fond memories of it. I do feel like we were one of the good ones and we were definitely appreciated in our own time. It has been really surprising and rewarding for me to see people are still finding it and still falling in love with it in spite of some parts of it feeling a little dated or irrelevant. That, as a whole, it seems like it’s holding up, which is great. And not just as a nostalgic artifact, it holds up as a new thing if you start watching it now."
Kristen Schaal is thankful BoJack Horseman's Sarah Lynn wasn't reduced to a punchline: "She did start as a punchline and she ended as a punch in the gut, huh?" she says. "I’m so thrilled that I got to be Sarah Lynn and let her story evolve in such a beautiful, sad way. I don’t usually get to do that, so I continue to feel honored and happy that they trusted me with her."
Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Lisa Hanawalt and more reflect on BoJack Horseman's legacy
An appreciation of Hollyhock, BoJack Horseman's most valuable supporting player
BoJack Horseman's 2007 flashback was a first-of-its-kind millennial period piece
The Drew Barrymore Show gets an early Season 6 renewal
Drew Barrymore's syndicated daytime talk show, which returns for its fifth season on Sept. 9, has been greenlighted for Season 6. “Over the last few seasons, stations have realized that The Drew Barrymore Show is like no other series in daytime, bringing Drew’s brand of positivity and ad-friendly content to viewers on a consistent basis,” says Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures. “Many of these upgrades now pair Drew with a CBS Mornings lead-in, which has proven to be a powerful combination. This season, in markets where ‘Drew’ airs at 9 a.m., its ratings are 21% higher among total viewers when ‘CBS Mornings’ is the lead-in.”
Megan Thee Stallion to host the MTV VMAs
The rapper will host the Sept. 11 ceremony while being up for five awards this year.
Rick Steves announces prostate cancer diagnosis
The longtime PBS travel host announced his diagnosis in a lengthy social media post Wednesday night, saying he will film two new TV shows in France before returning home to Washington state for a procedure in September at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. "I’d like to take a moment to share some important news. I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer," he wrote. "My doctor assures me that, if you’re going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get, and careful scans show no sign of it having spread. There is a clear path forward to getting healthy, and this fall, I’ll be in the hospital for a few days having prostate surgery."
Jeff Probst on Tom Cruise's Paris-to-Los Angeles Olympics handover: "Did Tom Cruise steal from Survivor, or did Survivor steal from Mission: Impossible?”
Probst says Cruise’s Olympics handover last week reminded him of his dramatic vote-delivery segments for Survivor. “I think the question with the Tom Cruise ending ceremony bit is: Did Tom Cruise steal from Survivor, or did Survivor steal from Mission: Impossible?” Probst wondered to EW. “Because I really loved watching him do that. And it did make me realize: Man, I'm no Tom Cruise. That dude jumped on his motorcycle and rode through the streets, and then jumped out of a helicopter. I'm surprised he didn't catch a bad guy in the progress! That was super fun.” Olympics handoff executive producer Ben Winston has previously said he took inspiration from Conan O'Brien's cross-country 2009 Tonight Show cold open.
Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore to lead Amazon thriller The Assassin
Bodyguard's Hawes and The Good Doctor's Highmore are teaming for the Prime Video thriller from Harry and Jack Williams with the following description: "Secluded on a remote Greek island, retired assassin Julie (Hawes) has a somewhat thorny reunion with her estranged son, Edward (Highmore), visiting from England. Armed with questions around new information on his paternity, Edward battles to find the right time to speak to his frustratingly distant mother. But, when the moment finally presents itself, things take a deadly turn as Julie’s dangerous past catches up with her and they are forced to flee the island and go on the run together. Edward’s quest for truth clashes with Julie’s secrecy whilst they are forced to work together in a fight for survival, testing their dysfunctional relationship to its limits. Amid uncovering a dark conspiracy they believe to be their only threat, a greater danger emerges that will destroy their relationship entirely. In a race against time, Julie fights to save Edward and salvage their relationship as past and present collide in a showdown across the globe."
Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo's Criminal Record renewed for Season 2
“In Season 2, June Lenker is the senior officer on the scene when a political rally is attacked by far-right counter-protestors,” reads the synopsis for the Apple TV+ series. “The violent clash leaves a young man dead and June, consumed with guilt, is desperate to bring the unknown killer to justice. It seems as if her best hope is Daniel Hegarty, now a key figure in the shadowy world of police intelligence. He may have the answers she needs but to get his help she will have to accept a dangerous bargain.”
The Chicks will sing the National Anthem to close out the DNC
The country music group previously performed the National Anthem virtually for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Netflix‘s Olympics-themed docuseries Sprint gets a Season 2 premiere date
Season 2 will follow Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas and other elite athletes from the Olympic trials through the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Matt Bomer says "fantastic" White Collar reboot script picks up where they left off
“It's fantastic, and it's completely in line and in keeping with the show that we were able to do six seasons of,” Bomer tells People. “It really just feels like he was able to pick up the right where we left off.”
The Rainmaker adds P.J. Byrne
Byrne will play Deck Shifflet, who is described as “a no-filter, shoot-from-the-hip law school grad who failed the bar seven times, Deck now operates as an unsentimental ‘paralawyer’ at J. Lyman Stone.”
Dancing With the Stars adds Paris Olympics “the pommel horse guy" Stephen Nedoroscik
Nedoroscik, one of the Paris Olympics breakout stars who won a bronze medal, is the first member named for Dancing's Season 33.
Ricardo Chavira among four additions to Amazon's Renée Ballard series
The Desperate Housewives alum, Noah Bean, Alain Uy and Hector Hugo are joining the Maggie Q-led untitled Bosch spinoff in recurring roles.
Late Night with Seth Meyers says goodbye to The 8G Band tonight — and to one of its signature bits featuring bandleader Fred Armisen
Tonight's episode will feature Armisen as a guest and a farewell to The 8G Band, which is being axed due to budget cuts. "While Armisen, the 8G Band’s musical director, might still oversee the group’s pre-recorded musical contributions to the show, he presumably won’t be a consistent presence on set anymore. He’s been with the show since it debuted in 2014, at which time he was also a full-time performer in the band," says Nick Riccardo. "Since night one, Meyers often followed his monologue by posing a simple question to Armisen, prompting an answer that would inevitably put Fred’s impressive improvisational skills front and center—and crack up Meyers in the process."
Greg Berlanti to be honored with the 2024 Emmys Governors Award
The prolific creator, writer and/or executive producer of more than 45 television shows will receive his Emmy statuette during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 15.
Simone Biles posts a cheeky video spoofing Emily in Paris
The "Simone in Paris" video teases Part 2 of her Netflix docuseries Simone Biles Rising, coming in October.
FX‘s limited series Say Nothing sets Hulu premiere date
The decades-spanning gripping story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland during The Troubles will drop all nine episodes on Hulu on Nov. 14.
Showtime spy thriller The Agency adds five, including Harriet Sansom Harris
Alex Reznik, Andrew Brooke, India Fowler and Saura Lightfoot-Leon are also joining Michael Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith, Katherine Waterston, John Magaro and Richard Gere on the Showtime adaptation of the French series Le Bureau des Legendes.
Frasier Crane is back in the radio booth at Seattle's KACL in Frasier's Season 2 trailer
Season 2 of the revival series, premiering on Paramount+ on Sept. 19, will feature return of Harriet Sansom Harris and Peri Gilpin, plus Patricia Heaton joining the cast.
HBO releases the trailer for My Brilliant Friend's fourth and final season
The critically acclaimed Elena Ferrante adaptation returns Sept. 9.
Watch the trailer for Netflix's Penelope
Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn co-wrote the coming-of-age independently-financed series, starring Megan Stott as the 16-year-old title character. Penelope premieres Sept. 24.
Netflix unveils the trailer for Love is Blind: UK — The Reunion
Emma and Matt Willis will host Monday's reunion special.