Netflix released the full trailer for its upcoming royal drama The Crown. Written by Peter Morgan (The Queen), the series details the early reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy). Most importantly, it features a near-certain star turn by John Lithgow as Winston Churchill. The $130 million series will reportedly run six seasons as it chronicles Queen Elizabeth’s life as Queen of England through present day.
This series could provide Netflix that elusive Drama Series Emmy that House of Cards, Bloodline, and Orange Is the New Black have yet to provide. Or it could just be costume porn. We’re OK either way.
Luke Cage, Netflix’s latest Marvel adaptation, succeeds by rising above its comic book roots
Luke Cage, the latest Netflix/Marvel streaming series, wins on two fronts. First, it offers an engaging and realistic vision of what amounts to be a comic book superhero. Even in the origin episode, nothing feels overtly ridiculous or improbable… to an extent, of course. This is a super hero series after all. Above that, Luke Cage boasts a fascinating portrait of black culture consolidated within a compelling vision of Harlem. It’s a subtle, intriguing, and unexpected celebration of decades of black history. For that, Luke Cage feels deeper and richer than its Netflix/Marvel predecessors and, as a result, compellingly binge-worthy.
Developed by Cheo Hodari Coker (Southland), Luke Cage picks up sometime after the events of Jessica Jones and Daredevil Season 2. Cage (Mike Colter, all steely exterior with currents of gentleness running beneath) works two jobs and keeps a low profile. He sweeps up hair at Pops’s (Frankie Faison) local barbershop, the “Switzerland” of Harlem. He also washes dishes at Harlem’s Paradise nightclub, owned by Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali of House of Cards fame). The initial proceedings take on a leisurely pace as we acclimate into the world Coker and team carefully constructed. Things start moving into a higher gear once the underhanded political dealings of Stokes and cousin Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) cause conflict within this near-hermetically sealed Harlem world. That brings in detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick) to investigate some criminal activity and the mysterious Mr. Cage.
The series feels constructed to resemble less a standard Marvel property and more a Harlem-centric take on The Wire. You get equal amounts super hero head busting and complex political discourse, which makes the property sail for a viewer like me. I learned more about black culture from the casual name-dropping in this show than I ever did in formal education. And that’s a great thing. Luke Cage has a confident, easy-going feel about it, meaning that it always feels assured of where’s it taking the series in between the head-smacking.
(Photo: Myles Aronowitz/Netflix)
The acting is also strong across the board. Colter isn’t a “great actor” in the role, but he brings an intensity to the role that oscillates between scary and sweet with equal measure. My favorites are Ali and Woodard in the villainous roles. On House of Cards, Ali never received much opportunity to move beyond the cool and collected exterior of his character. Here, though, he erupts into volcanic furies that feel genuinely frightening. This role serves as something of a breakout role for Alfre Woodard, funny given her decades in the industry. She’s never been this bad, and I would argue that her initial shadings of guilt coupled with later plot twists make this one of her greatest performances to date. Emmy should pay close attention.
Luke Cage was a great surprise to me as I wasn’t completely sure I wanted 13 episodes of a Jessica Jones supporting character. The choice to push the material beyond its more straightforward superhero roots and embrace the original comic’s social commentary was a brilliant one. It may not be everyone’s favorite. For me, Luke Cage is more than a worthy addition to the Netflix/Marvel canon. It may prove to be the best one yet.
Luke Cage premieres Friday, September 30, on Netflix.
AwardsDaily TV takes a brief look at some high profile 2016 Fall TV shows
Now that Emmy season is over, it’s time to immediate dive into the 2016 Fall TV season. This year, it feels especially packed with new shows, so it’s hard to keep up with everything. Networks and streaming platforms are debuting their their new content in the next few weeks, so, believe me, there’s so much to check out.
What makes the grade so far this season? What will we quickly delete from our DVR? Here’s a list of shows we’ve checked out in the last few weeks.
Designated Survivor
(Photo: ABC)
Everything you need to know about Designated Survivor you already know. This project is the latest in a series of high-concept series that run the risk of burning too bright too fast after a literally explosive pilot episode. Like Quantico before it, Designated Survivor offers up an admittedly gripping central premise – the U.S. Capitol explodes during a State of the Union address. What, I suspect, will ultimately save this show from burn out is its accomplished central performance by Kiefer Sutherland. He plays the titular designated survivor, the one cabinet member held back in case of said catastrophic event, as a timid but well meaning politician. He’s the kind of guy whose Buddy Holly glasses may be geek chic but not “presidential.” The pilot works well enough, but I’m frankly a little dubious (aside from Sutherland’s performance) as to how long the series can sustain momentum beyond the central “whodunnit” plot. – Clarence Moye
Easy
(Photo: Netflix)
Every relationship is different and features different dynamics, so it’s fitting that Joe Swanberg’s new comedy, Easy, is a series of different stories. Featuring a large and famous cast, the show is accessible and very funny. It reminds us that a lot of romances go hand in hand with comedy. The first chapter stars Elizabeth Reaser and Michael Chernus as a married couple who’ve been with each other since college. They struggle to navigate their sex life while balancing family and work. In the second episode, a tryst between a lesbian couple leads to unexpected conversations about veganism. Other episodes include Malin Akerman, Orlando Bloom and Dave Franco. This isn’t unchartered territory, but both the writing and performances feel honest and genuine. – Joey Moser
The Good Place
(Photo: NBC)
Everything about The Good Place appealed to me. Kristen Bell? Check. A heavenly setting. Literally. Check. The promos reminded me of a pseudo-Pushing Daisies—a comedy set in a realm where a lot of fantastic stuff could happen with a lot of colorful characters. So why does The Good Place bore me so much? Is it because Bell can’t really shake her good girl image to play a bitch who was killed by an erectile dysfunction truck ad (one of the best jokes from the pilot)? As a woman who is re-routed to the wrong afterlife, Bell’s Eleanor tries to identify as a good person in order to avoid getting sent to hell (or the hell equivalent on network television). It has a lot of potential, so maybe the first episodes were just a misstep? – Megan McLachlan
Speechless
(Photo: ABC)
Speechless would be nothing without the comic timing of star Minnie Driver. She’s so great in her frank delivery of this insanely ADD mother that you literally can’t imagine the sitcom without her. Driver plays Maya DiMeo, the matriarch of a complex family unit who basically moves around a lot. What complicates matters is that DiMeo has a teenage son with cerebal palsy, so the pattern instability is perhaps not the best choice for the family unit. Driver sells the material completely, though, and pulls the audience along as hilarity ensues. The rest of the family unit hasn’t quite fallen into place yet, but that’s ok. Speechless fits in nicely with ABC’s current stable of family sitcoms that ask audiences to look at family units quite different from their own. It’s good enough for a few more looks. – Clarence Moye
This is Us
(Photo: NBC)
In the tradition of Parenthood, This is Us caters to the NBC audience that’s into “Cry Porn.” (Note: “Cry Porn” is a show that causes your Facebook feed to blow up with “I’m not crying—you’re crying” and “sobbing uncontrollably” every Tuesday night.) However, given the show’s big twist, This is Us might work better as a stand-alone short film than an episodic show, as the preview for the second episode looks more like a Victory Lap rather than taking us into any new territory from the first episode. It’s sappy, sweet, and doesn’t appear to be very plot driven, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then pass the tissues. – Megan McLachlan
Notorious
(Photo: ABC)
Remember the old saying “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?” I’m not sure that is the case with the ABC news drama Notorious since it can’t hold a candle to the Shondaland dramas that surround it. Sure the marriage between the law and the media is probably a complicated one, but the show proves that sometimes salacious material should be left to the professionals. If you are yearning to see hot people walk quickly down hallways, this is the show for you. If you are wanting to see Piper Perabo do her best The Catch-like smirking, tune into ABC on Thursdays. There are two deaths in the pilot and a small discovery about an escort agency. And that’s not even part of the central plot. Sure, Perabo and Daniel Sunjata have chemistry that could potentially go somewhere, but it’s the most manufactured and unbelievable “will they or won’t they” I’ve seen in a long time. Notorious fits the Shondaland landscape (hot bodies, sexual tension, twists aplenty, etc.), but it doesn’t earn its slot, because it’s just a knock off. If it decides it wants to have an identity of its own, it could succeed in earning the attention it so desperately wants. – Joey Moser
Episode 96: The Cooler Gang puts their early predictions for the 2017 Emmy race in the 2017 Emmy Time Capsule.
Fresh from last weekend’s Emmy awards, we take a look at what next year’s Emmy landscape may look like in the Comedy, Drama, and other categories in our 2017 Emmy Time Capsule. Based on the absence of two major 2016 contenders: Downton Abbey and Drama winner Game of Thrones, what drama series will compete for the prize? Who stands to gain the most? And in the Comedy race, since all major contenders are returning, will anything break in? Or is it Veep’s to lose?
Before that, we take a brief look at Rolling Stone’s recent “100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time” list. Is this a comprehensive list? Does it make sense to even try to build such lists? Also, Joey and Megan look at the recent JonBenet Ramsey true crime documentary.
Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening!
7:22 – JonBenet Ramsey special
16:45 – Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time
26:14 – 2017 Emmy Time Capsule
1:08:47 – Flash Forward
How does HTGAWM rebuild after a chaotic Season 2? Joey Moser has the answer.
It’s not unknown that I was a fan of the first season of ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder. It was the drama I most looked forward to every week, and every twist and turn led it to become a hot media sensation. The second season didn’t necessarily misstep as much as it fell down the stairs. There were so many plots going on at one time that it was hard for even the most murderous and attentive law student to keep up. So what does that mean for Season 3? The end of HTGAWM‘s second season delivered some shocks, so the majority of the newest hour lets the waters calm… You know, before pushing the audience over a cliff to see who dies at the end of the year.
Despite finding out that Frank is responsible for the death of Annalise’s baby and Wes seeing his biological father get shot right in front of him at the end of the sophomore season, the first episode of the third season is relatively calm…in the beginning.
The premiere should just be titled “How I Spend My Summer Vacation Away From All the Murder” because it shows the Keating 5 actually trying to enjoy their summer vacation. Annalise even gets to pop in and out of everyone’s flashbacks because they literally can’t escape her. I wonder if any of the other law professors feel slighted that no students hang out with them. Laurel is spending her time in Mexico with her mom to try and forget that Frank left without a trace. Wes has a new girlfriend, but he hasn’t introduced her to the group (who could blame that poor long-necked bastard). Annalise helps Michaela out of a drunk driving ticket and it’s not clear whether she was drunk because of all the bloody mayhem or because she feels icky for sleeping with Asher. Can we have a show of hands for officially calling them Masher, by the way?
(Photo: ABC)
Since everyone is too busy covering up murders and not studying, Annalise’s brood fell into the bottom 10th percentile leading the school to rearrange her teaching schedule. She won’t be purring the title of the show to a new group of fresh-faced students any time soon. Annalise has always been a very respected professor, and it doesn’t help that someone is hanging up fliers with her face on them emblazoned with the word KILLER (“At least they picked a good photo,” she tells everyone).
Is the start of the third season enough to bring stragglers back into the HTGAWM fray? While this episode focuses on the group putting the pieces back together, it does feature some Shondaland goodies. Frank shaves his beard and head off to prove that he is ridiculously good looking without a hair on his head, and Asher and Michaela continue their torrid trysts. It also doesn’t hurt that Billy Brown (who plays Viola Davis’ beau, Nate) does most of his scenes shirtless. There are, of course, the final few moments that make you go crazy. Spoilers abound.
HTGAWM is known for twisting the knife, and this was no exception. We flash forward to Annalise watching a body bag being rolled out of her house, and then she turns to see her house engulfed in flames as she screams into the night. The promos promise us that someone will die, and every episode will declare a different person safe each week. Perhaps this type of central mystery will calm the show’s ADD. Annalise’s reaction to whoever was in the body bag hints that it could be Nate or Wes, but my money is on Oliver. They spend a lot of time in this premiere talking about how he’s getting closer to the core of the group, and Annalise essentially doesn’t want to ruin him. Will getting closer lead to this good guy’s demise? You can never be too sure with HTGAWM.
Episode 95: The Cooler Gang Looks Back on last night’s 2016 Emmy Awards and at the American Horror Story premiere
Last night marked the end of the 2016 Emmy Awards season with the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. We asked Jalal Haddad to join us to review the ceremony, talk about the winners and losers, and take a look at what most surprised us within the 3-hour ceremony. Then, we took a quick look at the once top-secret premiere of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story Season 6 which may or may not be titled “My Roanoke Nightmare.” What does the new season offer and was it really worth all that secrecy?
Finally, we close with the Flash Forward of what television most excites us in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening!
5:21 – 2016 Emmy Awards recap
1:01:54 – American Horror Story
1:12:32 – Flash Forward
The 2016 Netflix Emmys After Party took place on Sunday at Hollywood NeueHouse. Attendees included Emmy-winners Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, who both won for Master of None, as well as Patton Oswalt. Oswalt won his Emmy for writing the variety special Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping.
Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey and Michael Kelly, all nominated from House of Cards, also attended the party.
The 2016 Emmy season is finally over. As to be expected, Television Academy voters threw curve ball after curve ball with their selections for the best TV of the year. After gratingly endless months of speculation, there was a bizarre mixture of first-time and repeat winners taking to the podium. Vote splitting occurred sometimes, but suddenly the Television Academy shocked everyone by proving they paid attention to the material. These are the biggest takeaways from the biggest night in television.
Vote Splitting Happened…
After all of the “What if?” buzz of whether or not a popular vote would enable vote splitting, it turns out that in the drama and comedy races vote splitting was a factor. No one was able to overcome their co-star nominee obstacle except for Game of Thrones in the directing race. Veep won the top prize for the second year in a row, but it lost both the directing and writing race where its episodes represented half of each category. The acting branch clearly loved Game of Thrones,but the entire cast went home empty handed. In the future, it will be interesting if this affects how shows and networks submit their work to be considered. Will we see fewer episodes submitted for writing and directing? Will certain cast members be left out when they don’t have the material to warrant a nomination?
…Except When It Didn’t
It seems that the Limited Series/TV Movie winners are able to overcome vote splitting in a lot of areas. From Courtney B. Vance to Sterling K. Brown to Sarah Paulson, the argument can be made that the best performances prevailed. The writers were able to overcome vote splitting by simply choosing the best episode of American Crime Story, “Marcia Marcia Marcia.” The main factor that led to this might be that most voters actually watched the limited series and TV movies since they don’t require that much of a commitment. Voters are able to make thoughtful decisions and determine Sterling K. Brown was the standout of his ensemble and that Bryan Cranston’s LBJ can’t hold a flame to Vance’s Johnnie Cochran. With the drama and comedy races voters simply don’t have the time to catch up on anything so they probably rely on outside factors to come to a decision.
How Did Tatiana Maslany Pull Off The Biggest Upset of The Night?
With the plurality vote replacing the ranked ballot, there might be a new form of “vote splitting” happening that has nothing to do with co-stars or shows. Tatiana Maslany was able to win her first Emmy because she gives one of the most unique and skilled performances on TV and because she is essentially the apple in a bag of oranges. In the old ranked ballot system, similar performances were able to battle it out and attract similar voters. Now that voters are simply marking off their favorite performances, actors like Maslany are on an even playing field because they can attract their passionate fans without fear of being ranked at the bottom of voters who might have biases against a show like Orphan Black. Actresses like Davis and Wright (both very respected actresses in their 50’s) probably attract similar voters. The same could be said for a newcomer like Rami Malek when he’s nominated against well-liked and well-known actors like Kevin Spacey and Kyle Chandler.
Fandoms Prevailed
Some of the biggest surprises of the year came from the popular vote allowing fresher, fandom-based winners. From RuPaul’s Drag Race to Tatiana Maslany to Sherlock and even Rami Malek, shows and performances that lean towards the genre-specific geek fandoms took home multiple awards. Performances like Rami Malek and Tatiana Maslany clearly appeal to actors on a craft level, but a couple of years ago the two drama winners would have never been from BBC America and USA.
Newcomers Finally Embraced
Eight of tonight’s acting winners were first time winners which made 2016 the most successful year for first-time winners since 2011. Kate McKinnon, Louie Anderson, Sarah Paulson, Sterling K. Brown, Courtney B. Vance, Tatiana Maslany, Rami Malek, and Ben Mendelsohn all won their first Emmys this year. For five of these winners, it was even their first time being nominated. The excitement behind the first-time winners was often the best part of the night, especially with the cast for Brown and Vance who have gone unrecognized for so long. The worry that new shows and performances couldn’t win under the new popular system proved to be wrong, at least once the Television Academy eliminated the ranked ballot.
The Biggest Surprises of the Night
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride – The PBS show proved in the past that it’s a force to be reckoned with at the Emmys, but after an underwhelming turnout in nominations no one took the newest installment seriously.
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline – Mendelsohn has an appeal that a lot of people (myself included) don’t understand. More voters than anyone was expecting clearly watched Bloodline, and, even though he didn’t have the material to warrant a win this year, we know that voters are always a year or two behind.
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black – Tatiana Maslany might be the biggest shock of the year as well as the single biggest triumph of the internet pushing a performance to awards triumph. It took a couple seasons, but voters got over their sci-fi bias and realized how legendary Maslany’s endless pool of characters is.
Louie Anderson, Baskets – All season long, I underestimated Anderson appeal on a low-rated show. Instead, there was a lot of passion behind his performance and him as a comedian.
The Night Manager, Directing – Foreign film Oscar-winner Susanne Bier beat out big names like Ryan Murphy, John Singleton, and Emmy-favorite Jay Roach to become the biggest shock of the behind-the-camera races of the night.
Key and Peele – Key & Peele finally earned the recognition it always deserved in its final season. In a habit of rewarding the same shows year after year, Inside Amy Schumer won the directing award last weekend. It was poised to win the top variety sketch award for the second year in a row, but voters instead rallied behind Key & Peele. We should have seen this coming after the attention they earned from their first summer blockbuster Keanu and that surprise SAG ensemble nomination earlier this year.
Readers, what were your takeaways from this year’s Emmy awards? Sound off in the comments below and check back in next week for our continued awards tracker as we begin to take a look at the end of year awards races including the Golden Globes, SAG awards, and the Critics’ Choice.
Well, it was a rough night for most who tried predicting the Emmys, but that makes a great night for viewers. The Television Academy threw some curveballs and spread the Emmy love in several strange ways. Sometimes, they went with the tried and true (ahem… Maggie Smith). Sometimes, they bucked that trend and went in completely different directions (Rami Malek, Tatiana Maslany). What made for exciting awards made for lower-than-average prediction scores.
With that, here are our top three winners in the AwardsDaily TV Predict the Emmys contest!
Jason Simpson – 15
Brian Bedard – 12
Shane Slater – 12
Prizes are on their way to our top three courtesy of HBO Home Entertainment. The Emmy-nominated All the Way and Confirmation are available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. Also, the critically acclaimed second season of The Leftoversis also available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
The time has come… AwardsDaily TV has the 2016 Emmy Winners and a Live Tweet!
Well, readers, this is it! The 2016 Emmy Winners will be announced tonight during the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. To get ready for the big evening, Team AwardsDaily TV worked hard to give you exactly what you need to win your Emmy pool as well as impress your friends with Emmy knowledge. First, you still have time to join in the competition and predict the 2016 Emmy Winners at our Emmy contest. Prizes are courtesy of HBO! If you need some help, the full AwardsDaily TV team made their predictions in the major categories announcing tonight.
So, feel free to drop your comments below, follow us on Twitter, or post on our Facebook page all the joys and sorrows of the night. Plus, we’re live tweeting with #EmmysADTV. Also, we’ll be recording a late podcast tomorrow night to review the ceremony and the winners. That will post later tomorrow night or early Tuesday morning, depending on where you are.
So, let’s do it! May the best show win… Or the most popular show… We all know it’s a popularity contest, right?
Comedy
COMEDY SERIES – Veep
DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “Man on the Land,” Jill Soloway, Transparent
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Louie Anderson, Baskets
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “Parents,” Aziz Ansari & Alan Yang, Master of None
Drama
DRAMA SERIES – Game of Thrones
DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES – “Battle of the Bastards,” Game of Thrones
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES – Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES – Dame Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES – “Battle of the Bastards,” Game of Thrones
Limited Series / TV Movie
LIMITED SERIES – The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
TELEVISION MOVIE – Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL – Susanne Bier, The Night Manager
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOVIE – Regina King, American Crime
WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL – D.V. DeVincentis, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
Variety / Reality
REALITY-COMPETITION – The Voice
VARIETY SKETCH SERIES – Key & Peele
VARIETY TALK SERIES – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL – Thomas Kail & Alex Rudzinski, Grease: Live!
WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL – Patton Oswald, Talking for Clapping
