This ‘Young Pope’ is Behaving Badly

Joey Moser looks jauntily at HBO’s The Young Pope. No Catholic guilt here!

Disclaimer: I’m not a Catholic. The closest I’ve come to studying any type of religion was when I performed in productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and several productions of Godspell. I bring up my own theatrical background because I’ve always thought that religion can be a very personal and emotional thing. Luckily for HBO’s new limited series, The Young Pope, I can appreciate the visual and technical achievements even though some of the Catholic mumbo jumbo goes a bit over my head.

There’s a fox in the hen house, or, in this case, Vatican City. Jude Law headlines the series as Pope Pius XIII, the first American Holy Father, and he looks like he’s having a great time. Through the pilot, he grimaces as if he’s tricked everyone, and, in the opening scenes, he seems to glide throughout the hallways as onlookers smile graciously at him.

There is a lot of talk about the image of the church, and Law’s Pope spends most of the pilot pronouncing power plays with some of the cardinals. “We have not only forgot to play but forgot to be happy,” he says all the while chain smoking and detailing how he only drinks a Cherry Coke Zero for breakfast. Product placement in the Vatican!

The most interesting relationship His Hottie Holiness shares is with Sister Mary, played by Diane Keaton. Sister Mary has been looking after him since he was seven years old and he was known as Lenny Belardo, but she might be the only person he would consider getting advice from. When they are alone, she quietly tells him that he needs to be a good leader—“You are the father and mother of the entire Catholic Church.”

The Young Pope was created by Academy Award-winning director Paolo Sorrentino, so we know one thing is for sure: the entire thing is going to be gorgeous. The one thing atheists and nonbelievers can get into is the pageantry and opulence of Vatican City, and the cinematography is designed to keep you hooked. The opening shot of the first episode is a newborn crawling over a bunch of other sleeping babies. It’s like an Anne Geddes photoshoot gone horribly wrong.

Will devout religious folks tune into this? I have such doubts! It feels like it’s trying a little too hard to be scandalous in some scenes. The Pope is smoking! The Pope said masturbate! I saw the Pope’s ass! Twice! Worshiping Law’s behind might be an easier sell. If you want stylish drama, this new show might draw you in, but you might be better off kneeling and praying for something less over-the-top.

HBO’s The Young Pope premieres Sunday night at 9pm ET.

‘Homeland’ Season 6 Consistent But Dull

Showtime’s Homeland Season 6 premieres with an American-set story and a female president

Last season, Homeland‘s fifth season dried up and fell off my must-watch list. I carried the season with me for nearly 8 months before finally deciding to completely abandon it. Solid buzz surrounded it, but none of its competent direction and solid performances really drove me to return. It’s not Homeland‘s fault. We just grew apart. So, Homeland Season 6 returns, offering the promise of the strong Elizabeth Marvel (House of Cards) as a recently elected female president. That immediately piqued my interest. Unfortunately, nothing else in the pilot did.

The pilot, “Fair Game,” divides its time as Carrie (Claire Danes) oversees the reluctant rehabilitation of Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend), damaged from the events of Season 5. Or so the previews to me. Quinn lives in a VA hospital but refuses physical therapy. Instead, his recreational habits include hanging out with prostitutes, smoking crack, and getting the shit beat out of him. Aside from that, Carrie, now working at a legal outreach organization for Muslims in New York, rebuffs Saul’s (Mandy Patinkin) frequent requests to return to her former life.

Homeland Season 6
(Photo: Showtime)

Another subplot introduces a Muslim-American man who runs a website documenting atrocities against Muslims in America. His eventual arrest brings Carrie to his defense. Undoubtedly, this will all intertwine with President-elect Elizabeth Keane (Marvel) who intends to hold an iron fist over Saul and Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham). Her son was killed in Afghanistan, and she apparently harbors resentment against the American military.

Final Verdict

Homeland Season 6 offers a lot of plot up front, which isn’t unusual for the series. The show exists as perhaps the most solidly written, exquisitely directed (particularly by the great Lesli Linka Glatter), and professionally acted television show on TV that almost bores me completely to tears. After the four seasons I’ve absorbed, I’ve lost all interest in Carrie Mathison and her persistent drama. Marvel’s addition should have brought some much-needed fire to the cast. The only problem is that she plays nearly the same character as Heather Dunbar from House of Cards. Homeland Season 6 will undoubtedly offer excitement and thrills for those still invested in the series. It has none of the hallmarks of a flagging season. Still, I just can’t drag myself to watch another minute. Let me know how it ends, OK?

Homeland Season 6 premieres Sunday at 10pm ET. It is also streaming on Showtime’s on demand outlets.

Want FX Release Dates? Here Ya Go!

FX is giving HBO a run for its money these last few seasons, so any announcement about the network is sure to gain attention. On Thursday afternoon, the network announced some key release dates for some Ryan Murphy properties as well as some new favorites at their Winter Television Critics Association (TCA) presentation. Will this crop of shows continue FX’s awards presence in the next year?

  • The Americans. now in its fifth season, will debut on March 7. The drama finally gained major awards contention this year at the Emmys and Golden Globes, but will all this scary political news turn people off? Surely, the rabid fans are dying for its return.
  • One of the networks’ most popular series, American Horror Story, has been renewed for 2 more years. Creator Ryan Murphy detailed that he wanted to do a crossover of seasons 1 and 3 (Murder House and Coven), but who knows how that will even work. Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are set to return, but there are no details yet–of course.
  • In other Ryan Murphy news, American Crime Story: Katrina will not premiere until 2018. That delay backs it into the third planned season dedicated to the death of Gianni Versace. In other news, Lady Gaga will definitely not be playing Donatella.
  • Archer, FX’s Emmy-winning animated series, is switching to FXX for the eighth season, and it will premiere on April 5. The show was renewed for 3 more seasons, so it’s not going anywhere.
  • Fans of Atlanta will be disappointed to learn that Donald Glover’s Atlanta will not be returning until 2018. Creator and star Donald Glover, who picked up a Golden Globe this past weekend, will be too busy filming a small independent Han Solo spin-off. Netflix’s Master of None won big at the Globes last year, and they took a year off after the first season. At least they are doing it right.
  • By far the most exciting news that came out was the release date for Murphy’s camp-tastic Hollywood limited series, Feud: Bette and Joan. The gaygasm will debut on March 5, and I’m pretty sure the world is dying for a trailer. The series stars Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Sarah Paulson (natch), Kathy Bates, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alfred Molina, and Jackie Hoffman.Your move HBO.

‘Schitt’s Creek’ Season 3 Amuses with Muted Start

Catherine O’Hara and Dan Levy remain the stand-outs of Schitt’s Creek Season 3

Canadian import Schitt’s Creek never reached the heights it fully deserved. After two years on the Pop network (I’ll wait right here while you figure out what that is), the show has achieved minor cult status, but it deserves so much more. It does feel, at this point, that awards attention is sadly outside of its grasp. You watch the show thinking, if it only had a sexier streaming platform behind it, stars Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, and Annie Murphy would all reap Emmy attention. And even though the Schitt’s Creek Season 3 season premiere doesn’t match the brilliance of the Season 2 birth, the half-hour feel like a welcome return to cable’s looniest small town.

Up the Creek with confidence

The half-hour flies by with the breezy confidence of a fine-tuned series. Season 2 gifted us with a family somewhat embracing and integrating into their fish-out-of-water surroundings. That shift felt like a refreshing turn. Season 3 runs with that theme as each Rose family member deepens their connections. It opens with an amusing sequence in which Dan Levy’s David becomes interrupted post-coitus by all family members. Giving David a local love interest (no matter how bisexual his lover is) is an important part of the series. He’s no longer just the comically effete son. He gets to play too.

The great Catherine O’Hara’s Moira launches into her career in local politics with all the theatricality we’d expect. Moira wears elaborate costumes. She launches into political monologues. She puts on a show for the yokels This subplot is something I desperately need them to continue, and Moira exploring the theatricality of politics feels like something we need right now. Eugene Levy’s Johnny and Annie Murphy’s Alexis remain consistently funny, even if their character growth feels slightly stunted. Still, this fantastic foursome’s interactions are the stuff of which dreams are made.

Final Verdict

Schitt’s Creek Season 3 does lack the inspired hilarity of the Season 2 opener. Nothing here matches the sight of Season 2’s David going full Cries and Whispers in a cornfield. But the cast sells the material with the panache of seasoned pros. Schitt’s Creek is one of my very favorite comedies on television, and, even if I’m not breathless with laughter, it’s still great to be back in the company of the Rose family. Just wish the Television Academy felt that way.

‘Unfortunate Events’ Netflix Series is Not So Unfortunate At All

Megan looks at the Unfortunate Events Netflix reboot starring Neil Patrick Harris

In 2004, Jim Carrey starred in the film A Series of Unfortunate Events, based on the children’s novel by the same name written by Daniel Handler (under the pen name Lemony Snicket, of course). Now, 12 years later, Netflix is rebooting the film as a television series, with all eight episodes dropping Friday, January 13.

This time around, Neil Patrick Harris is playing Count Olaf, a role originally made famous by Carrey. And while Carrey brought a bit of zaniness to the character, similar to the way he portrayed The Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge, Harris brings a bit more darkness to him. He’s intimidating and scary. But if you’re going to do a TV series based on Unfortunate Events, Harris is the perfect man for the job.

The title isn’t kidding. The unfortunate events that take place are pretty dire, opening with the three Baudelaire children learning from Arthur Poe (K. Todd Freeman) that their parents have died in a fire. The children’s next of kin and “closest” relative (literally within a three-mile radius) is Count Olaf, who soon becomes the children’s guardian, something the actor extraordinaire finagled on his own in order to secure money from the children’s wills.

Unfortunate Events Netflix
(Photo: Joe Lederer/Netflix)

There are some seriously dark jokes in this series, that almost make you wince. Like when Count Olaf says of the Baudelaire children’s mother: “Remarkable woman. Flammable.” But that’s what makes this kids show unique, that it’s addressing truly devastating issues with a macabre sense of humor. (After all, these future Tim Burton fans have to start somewhere, right?)

The way this series is filmed is more Pushing Daisies, less Edward Scissorhands, which makes sense considering that Barry Sonnenfield is the executive producer (and he also was E.P. of the ABC cult classic that aired form 2007 to 2009).

The cast includes Malina Weissman as Violet Baudelaire, Louis Hynes as Klaus Baudelaire, and Joan Cusack as Justice Strauss, plus some surprise appearances that shouldn’t be ruined (especially at the end of the first episode).

One casting mishap, though, is Patrick Warburton as narrator Lemony Snicket. In the film series, Jude Law embodied this role, with his British accent and flowery delivery. Warburton, who most television audiences may know as David Puddy from Seinfeld, feels out of place. While he does a fine job narrating, he almost seems like he’s in a Farmers Insurance commercial. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

2017 DGA TV Nominees Announced

DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2016

Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the DGA’s nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2016.

“There’s so much to celebrate in such an incredible year for television, commercials and documentaries as we announce the DGA nominees for directorial achievement,” said Barclay. “As content across these categories reaches record levels, the bar is set higher than ever for directors – with each genre requiring unique skillsets and talents. And our nominees this year have far surpassed the challenge with such creative and captivating projects. I congratulate all of them on their exceptional work.”

The winners will be announced at the 69th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 4, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

TELEVISION

Dramatic Series

THE DUFFER BROTHERS
Stranger Things, “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers” (Netflix)

RYAN MURPHY
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “From the Ashes of Tragedy” (FX)

JONATHAN NOLAN
Westworld, “The Original” (HBO)

MIGUEL SAPOCHNIK

Game of Thrones, “The Battle of the Bastards” (HBO)

JOHN SINGLETON
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, “The Race Card” (FX)

Comedy Series

ALEC BERG
Silicon Valley, “Daily Active Users” (HBO)

DONALD GLOVER
Atlanta, “B.A.N.” (FX)

MIKE JUDGE
Silicon Valley, “Founder Friendly” (HBO)

BECKY MARTIN
Veep, “Inauguration” (HBO)

DALE STERN
Veep, “Mother” (HBO)

Movies For TV And Miniseries

RAYMOND DE FELITTA
Madoff (ABC)

THOMAS KAIL (Directed By)
ALEX RUDZINSKI (Live Television Direction By)
Grease Live! (Fox)

KENNY LEON (Directed By)
ALEX RUDZINSKI (Live Television Direction By)
Hairspray Live! (NBC)

JAY ROACH
All the Way (HBO)

STEVEN ZAILLIAN
The Night Of, “The Beach” (HBO)

Variety/News/Talk/Sports – Regulary Scheduled Programming

PAUL G. CASEY
Real Time With Bill Maher, “Show #1437” (HBO)

NORA GERARD
CBS Sunday Morning, “Charles Osgood Farewell Broadcast” (CBS)

JIM HOSKINSON
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, “Episode #0179” (CBS)

DON ROY KING
Saturday Night Live, “Host: Dave Chappelle” (NBC)

PAUL PENNOLINO
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, “Episode #1030” (TBS)

Variety/News/Talk/Sports – Specials

JERRY FOLEY

Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 – The Best is Yet to Come (NBC)

TIM MANCINELLI
The Late Late Show with James Corden, “The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special” (CBS)

LINDA MENDOZA
Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: In Performance at the White House (PBS)

PAUL MYERS
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, “A Very Special Full Frontal Special” (TBS)

GLENN WEISS
The 70th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

Reality Programs

KEN FUCHS
Shark Tank, “801” (ABC)

JOHN GONZALEZ
Live PD, “Episode 5” (A&E)

BRIAN SMITH
STRONG, “Welcome to STRONG” (NBC)

J. RUPERT THOMPSON
American Grit, “The Finale Over the Falls” (Fox)

BERTRAM VAN MUNSTER
The Amazing Race, “We’re Only Doing Freaky Stuff Today” (CBS)

Children’s Programs

LIZ ALLEN
The Kicks, “Pilot” (Amazon)

ALETHEA JONES
Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, “Gortimer and the Jacks of All Trades” (Amazon)

MICHAEL LEMBECK
A Nutcracker Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

TINA MABRY
An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win (Amazon)

JOHN SCHULTZ
Adventures in Babysitting (Disney Channel)

Commercials

LANCE ACORD (Park Pictures)
Frankie’s Holiday, Apple – MAL
First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith

Movie Night, Kohl’s – Anomaly
First Assistant Director: Thomas Smith
Second Assistant Director: Rob Kay

DANTE ARIOLA (MJZ)
Hold Your Breath, SunTrust – Strawberry Frog
Unit Production Manager: Natalie Hill
First Assistant Director: George Nessis
Second Assistant Director: Isaac Mejia

Riding is the New Driving, Lyft – Made Movement
Unit Production Manager: Natalie Hill
First Assistant Director: John Lowe
Second Assistant Director: Julian Metter
Second Second Assistant Director: Dave Liehn

Tell Me When To Go, Beats
Unit Production Managers: Natalie Hill, Susan Levin
First Assistant Director: Chris Medak
Second Assistant Director: Adam Stern
Second Second Assistant Director: Jani Vournas

FREDRIK BOND (MJZ)
Dive, Apple – TBWA/Media Arts Lab
First Assistant Director: Howell Caldwell

Everyday Hero, Philips – Ogilvy & Mather

World of Play, LG – Energy BBDO
Unit Production Manager: Line Postmyr
First Assistant Director: Anthony Dimino
Second Assistant Director: Spencer Taylor
Second Second Assistant Director: R. Ben Parker
Additional First Assistant Director: Chris Blanch
Additional Second Assistant Director: Steve Bagnara

DEREK CIANFRANCE (RadicalMedia)

Chase, Nike Golf – Wieden + Kennedy Portland
First Assistant Director: Rick Lange
Second Assistant Director: Ethan Ross

Doubts, Powerade – Wieden + Kennedy Portland
First Assistant Director: Mariela Comitini
Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson

Expectations, Powerade – Wieden + Kennedy Portland
First Assistant Director: Mariela Comitini
Second Assistant Director: Brad Robinson

Manifesto, Squarespace – Anomaly
First Assistant Director: David Backus
Second Assistant Director: Josh Voegelin

AG ROJAS (Park Pictures)

The Best Planet, S7 Airlines – Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam

The Snail, Samsung – Leo Burnett USA
First Assistant Director: Robert Dean Phillips

FX’s ‘Taboo’ Teases Intriguing Possibilities

Tom Hardy stars in FX’s newest prestige supernatural drama Taboo

My fellow AwardsDaily TV critic Joey Moser took one look at FX’s new supernatural drama Taboo and said, “I feel like I’m not going to like Taboo because I’m going to want everyone to shave.” There’s certainly something to that. The pilot, directed by Kristoffer Nyholm (The Enfield Haunting) and written by Steven Knight (Eastern Promises), certainly wallows in period grime and decay. It’s the kind of series where unkempt men in dark cloaks and tall hats stomp about with threatening import. Star Tom Hardy seems to be working on his FitBit steps during the pilot. Violently stomping around appears all he intends to do.

But his James Delaney is a man on a mission. Once presumed dead, Delaney returns from Africa to attend the funeral and subsequent estate matters of his father. He inherits a plot of American land which is critical in the war between American and Great Britain. Sir Stuart Strange (Johnathan Pryce, Game of Thrones) represents the East India Company. He intends to purchase the land and perhaps had a hand in Delaney’s father’s death. On a side note, Delaney seems to have some supernatural dealings of his own and perhaps returned from or cheated death.

Taboo looks fantastic and expensive. It adopts the look and feel of all Very Important Series in the pervasive Golden Age of Television. Having only seen the pilot, however, I can’t swear to you that there’s anything of substance within the series. I do like the combination of historic drama with the threat of the supernatural, and I was also intrigued when Delaney professed love to his half-sister Zilpha (Oona Chaplin) while attending their father’s funeral. Color me corrupted by Game of Thrones I suppose. But Taboo feels like it could go either way based on just the pilot. The performances from the talented British cast deliver the material in an efficient and effective manner. The production values, as mentioned, all shine.

Final Verdict

This nagging voice in the back of my head tells me that, in about three episodes, this may drop to the bottom of my DVR list. For now, I like what it’s giving me, and I’ll come back for seconds. Don’t blame me, though, if Taboo becomes a supernatural bore in the end.

FX’s Taboo starts tonight at 10pm ET. 

Talking Golden Globes and the Fallacy of Jimmy Fallon

Episode 111: The Cooler Gang looks at last night’s Golden Globes ceremony, winners and losers.

This week at the Water Cooler, we close the door on last night’s Golden Globes ceremony by taking a look at the film and television winners (Tracee Ellis Ross!!!), losers (sad HBO), and the important speeches we’ll commit to history (Meryl.). We also take a look at what impact the awards have on the upcoming Oscar nominations and the 2017 Emmy season. Finally, we consider the Golden Globes hosting performance of Jimmy Fallon. Was he a breath of fresh air? Or were we longing for the glory days of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler or even Ricky Gervais? But before that, we talk about some of the Oscar-buzzy films we took in over the holiday season, including Passengers (admittedly not “Oscar-buzzy” but Joey and Megan love trash), Jackie, Fences, and a pervasive beating (but, really, we liked it!) of La La Land. Meaning, we literally could not stop talking about it. Or criticizing it.

Anyway, we close with the Flash Forward to the television we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for remembering to rate us on iTunes!

05:31 – Passengers
13:39 – Jackie
22:40 – La La Land
41:29 – Fences
52:06 – Golden Globes ceremony
01:51:54 – Flash Forward

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Trailers, Teasers and Spring TV Goodness

Here is the latest info in Spring TV teasers, trailers and general juicy buzz

The Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour is in full swing, and we’re getting a good look at some upcoming hot Spring TV properties. Showtime released the most earth-shattering news today. The cable programmer’s upcoming Twin Peaks revival will drop with a 2-hour premiere on Sunday, May 21, at 9pm ET. Immediately following, episodes three and four will debut online for subscribers. The entire season will consist of 18 hours. Directed by David Lynch and co-written by Lynch and Mark Frost, the series will continue 25 years after the end of the original second season run. Kyle MacLachlan returns as Agent Dale Cooper in a massive 217 actor-led cast.

 

 

Girls

HBO dropped the first full-length trailer for the sixth and final season of Girls. The final season begins Sunday, February 12, at 10pm ET.

 

Bates Motel

A&E also dropped a trailer for the final season of its critically acclaimed drama Bates Motel, and it’s a doozy – probably my most anticipated returning Spring TV show. It opens with a tracking shot through the infamous Bates home with flies buzzing around a decaying birthday cake for two. Della Reese sings “Come On-a My House” while we track down into the basement where Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) puts the finishing touches on a pair of stuffed birds. What comes next is incredibly disturbing and fantastically, ghoulishly wonderful. See for yourself. Bates Motel returns February 20 at 10pm on A&E.

 

The Handmaid’s Tale

Hulu enters the 2017 Emmy race in a major way with The Handmaid’s Tale, one of the most anticipated shows of Spring TV. Based on the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, the 10-episode series stars Elisabeth Moss. The action takes place in Gilead, a world where women’s reproductive rights are controlled by the government. The production team calls this a very timely and urgent story to tell. Decide for yourself when The Handmaid’s Tale debuts on April 26 on Hulu.

HBO’s ‘Bright Lights’ Helps Reynolds/Fisher Fans Grieve

Bright Lights is a stirring tribute to one of Hollywood’s great mother/daughter love affairs

The grieving process is different for everyone. That’s also true when it comes to mourning the death of a celebrity we’ve come to know and love. I admit that it took me a few days to get through HBO’s Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.  The unintentional delay materialized mainly because of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. HBO originally scheduled the documentary for early March, but the programmer clearly wanted to use this glimpse into their lives to help us achieve closure with the two icons.

The relationship between Fisher and Reynolds received heavy publicity for years. This familial saga featured hilariously in Fisher’s book (and eventual stage version), Wishful Drinking, but Bright Lights takes us into their homes as they prepare for several events. They talk to us about their legacy and how they got started in show business, and they constantly talk about each other. It’s sort of like a sanitized version of Grey Gardens with a respectable Hollywood gloss. The timeline bounces around as if we were looking at different photo albums on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Even though it mainly focuses on the relationship that Fisher and Reynolds shared in their final years, the doc doesn’t shy away from the events that got them there. Carrie (as always) is very open about her introduction to drugs. Brother Todd Fisher details that they started smoking pot together, but she moved on to harder stuff. “I went too fast. I was too much,” Fisher says as video of her younger self plays.

Bright Lights is, ultimately, a tough watch. Christmas trees loom in the background of certain moments, reminding us of the yuletide time of year when both women lost their lives. There are many mentions of death and letting go. Towards the end, the documentary features a shot of Reynolds blowing a kiss to the camera as the sound in the back fades to almost silence. It’s eerie and sad and heartbreaking. As a whole, Bright Lights manages to pay homage to both of its subjects. It doesn’t hide painful memories or complicated moments. It revels in these two women. They are two halves of each other that are now at peace.