Netflix: It’s Gonna Be May

As we say goodbye to April, this May Netflix has some new TV arrivals for you.

May Netflix

Here are five what you might call stand-outs for May Netflix offerings:

Bloodline, Season Two

After some hefty acclaim across the board, Netflix’s original family drama Bloodline returns for a second season of ten episodes. You will have to wait until May 27th for this, though. Zeroing in on the Rayburn family once more, centrally the brothers standing at opposite sides of the law in the Florida Keys – local detective John (Kyle Chandler) dealing with the fallout from black sheep Danny’s (Ben Mendelsohn) crushing season one betrayals. The full talented cast returns, including the likes of Linda Cardellini, Norbert Leo Butz, and Sissy Spacek.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down a Dream

Documentary from 2007 focusing on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (obviously), directed by none other than Peter Bogdanovich. As well as very recent concert footage, the account also features interviews with an array of familiar names including Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder, E.L.O. mastermind Jeff Lynne, as well as Stevie Nicks, George Harrison, Dave Grohl, Johnny Depp – to name just a few.

Grace and Frankie, Season Two

When the creators of Friends (Marta Kaufman) and Home Improvement (Howard J. Morris) collided with veteran / legendary actresses Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin there was zero chance of this failing. The second series arrives on Netflix following the brash, haphazard, and often funny, antics of the mature women as they are forced to cope with their husbands (Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen) declaring their love for each-other. Already talked up on a third season, this is worth it alone to just see these performers we have known for decades really go to town on the laughs.

Baby Daddy, Season Five

There are worse sit-coms on American TV than the ludicrous join-the-dots comedy make up of Baby Daddy, yet I still have to be a little bemused this on now on its fifth season. Brothers Ben and Danny, and friend Tucker live in the same apartment where Ben has to come to terms with the lifestyle change the arrival of his baby daughter Emma can afford. The mother Bonnie and “close” female friend Riley provide the feminine touch. This is by no means educational where raising a baby is concerned, but it is easy on the eye, with enough cheap gags to keep you occupied while you have your dinner.

Marseille

French political drama starring Gerard Depardieu (remember him?), who plays Robert Taro, mayor of a French city for 25 years, now embroiled in a story of corruption, greed, revenge, redemption – wow. The 8-episode series is created and written by Dan Franck (screenwriter of Carlos) and also features Benoit Magimel (The Pianist) and Géraldine Pailhas (Young and Beautiful) among its promising cast. This is also Netflix’s first French-language original series.

***

So, what else will May Netflix bring us?

LoliRock, Season One
American Dad!, Season Ten
A Study in Sherlock
Easy Living, Seasons 1-3
Gary Gulman: It’s About Time
Kevin Hart Presents Keith Robinson: Back of The Bus Funny
Kevin Hart Presents Lil Rel: RELevent
Kevin Hart Presents: Plastic Cup Boyz
Off the Map
Young & Hungry, Season Three
Eisenstein in Guanajuato
Goosebumps
Slasher, Season One
Benders, Season One
Lady Dynamite, Season One
Graceland, Season Three
Chef’s Table, Season Two, part 1
Mako Mermaids, Season Four
Hell on Wheels, Season Five

Emmy Tracker: The Americants

On this week’s Emmy Tracker update, we say goodbye to The Americans as a full-fledged 2016 Emmy contender

Maybe we were being kind, but our first cut from the Emmy Tracker has to be The Americans.

It’s not a judgement on the quality of the show. It’s still (from what little I’ve seen) a very fine show with a lot of very fine fans who passionately love it. That’s all good stuff, but it doesn’t win Emmy love. As often with the Oscars, sometimes great art just doesn’t click. It didn’t click with The Wire. It didn’t click with Sons of Anarchy. Neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor Sports Night nor Homicide: Life on the Streets. And it’s not going to click this year in The Americans‘s fourth season.

Honestly, only critics have ever really embraced the series. The Americans premiered in 2013 to universal critical huzzahs and strong viewership, posting just over 3 million live viewers. Subsequent seasons have seen critical adoration continue even if audiences have started to trail off. The fourth season has averaged just under 1 million live viewers, although it’s entirely possible delayed viewing benefits the series. Still, Emmy has never embraced the show aside from consistently recognizing Margo Martindale in the Guest Actress in a Drama Series category. She finally won the award last year in a season that was also recognized with a writing nomination, it’s most prominent Emmy recognition to date.

There’s no reason to think that it won’t repeat this year, but it’s time to accept that the Emmy boat has sailed for the series. Therefore, it becomes the first casualty from the Emmy Tracker even if we’re leaving Matthew Rhys in contention. For now…

So, what pops up in its place?

Well, for one thing, it hardly matters as the top seven slots for Drama Series are likely already locked, barring any shocking omission of USA’s red-hot Mr. Robot. Looking in on the outside are Showtime’s Billions, Netflix’s Narcos or Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, Starz’s Outlander, and maybe HBO’s Vinyl.

So what else are the big changes this week?

  • In Drama Actress, Keri Russell is out and Krysten Ritter is in for Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Honestly, it was an omission on my part for not including Ritter in the first place. She’s in nearly every scene of the show, and she balances the character’s self-loathing and contempt for humanity with a nice sense of vulnerability and fear. Sure, as written, the character is a little one note, but the series received a not-insignificant Peabody nomination recently. She’s yet to be recognized for the role, and that’s why she’s not higher in the list. But it doesn’t mean she’s not in the top ten.
  • In Drama Supporting Actor, we’re taking out Ben Mendelsohn for Netflix’s Bloodline mostly because season two is sight-unseen and his return will presumably be largely flashback or ghost/vision-driven. Until we know the size or impact of his role, he’s off the list. As a replacement, we’re tossing in Hugh Dancy for his showy role in The Path. Dancy has a lot of good will stockpiled thanks to committed work on NBC’s acclaimed Hannibal series. A plum spring placement can only increase the worth of his strong performance. Also, we’re bumping down Ray Romano’s placement because, frankly, no one likes Vinyl, and it’s not getting two acting nominations. Bobby Cannavale’s going to snort his way to a nomination for sure.
  • In Drama Supporting Actress, we blew it and omitted the powerful Maggie Smith from the final season of Downton Abbey. Going out, for now, is Billions‘ Maggie Siff. She made a strong impression in the freshman season, but I know Maggie Smith (in my dreams) and Maggie Siff is no Maggie Smith. In other repositioning, we’re bumping up Lena Headey over Uzo Aruba based on her short-but-fantastic Game of Thrones season six premiere performance. We’re also bumping up Emilia Clarke since Emmy voters clearly love her (as she was nominated last year). If someone new breaks it into this category, then it’s most likely Rhea Seehorn for Better Call Saul. Gotta go with the show that has Drama Series heat.
  • In Comedy Supporting Actress, we’re bumping Anna Chlumsky up to the leading slot (for now) thanks to the huge buzz around Veep‘s highly acclaimed season premiere. Tony Hale is the only other cast member to be recognized outside of Julia Louis-Dreyfus. If Veep maintains the pace from the season five premiere, then it may finally be Chlumsky’s turn.

That’s effectively this week’s changes to the Emmy Tracker, fair readers, aside from recognizing recent awards winners (SAG, GG, WGA, DGA, etc). Next week, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into the Comedy races. Until then, what else needs updating in the Drama categories? What are we missing from the Emmy Tracker? Sound off below!

‘Roots’ Returns with Stunning Visuals

History’s Roots limited series premieres Memorial Day

History has released a new teaser trailer for its Roots limited series, a remake of the seminal 1977 miniseries. The original series received an astounding 37 Emmy nominations for which it is the current record holder. It received nine awards, topped recently by HBO’s John Adams.

The 2016 variation on Roots stars Malachi Kirby as Kunta Kinte, an African man sold into slavery. The limited series also stars Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Anika Noni Rose, Anna Paquin, and Emayatzy Corinealdi among others. Airing in 2-hour sprints over four nights, Roots is directed by Bruce Beresford, Thomas Carter, Phillip Noyce, and Mario Van Peebles.

Given the pedigree of the cast and behind the scenes talent, it would be foolish to ignore such a massive and potentially powerful event. However, not only does History’s Roots remake have to be better than the original miniseries that for years dominated the genre, but it also has to be better than the similarly themed (and Oscar-winning) 12 Years a Slave. That doesn’t mean there isn’t enough room for multiple takes on the subject matter, clearly. But it does sort of demand that the remake produce a unique take on the limited series. Particularly when the competition includes The People v. O.J. Simpson, Fargo, and American Crime – all of which have played with the limited series genre in one way or another.

The 2016 Roots limited series will premiere Memorial Day, May 30.

Here is the new teaser trailer. The original trailer is included after.

Emmy Spotlight on ‘Black-ish’

ABC’s Black-ish takes a socially conscious turn in season two. Will Emmy voters take notice?

The most successful type of comedy at the Emmys is without a doubt the family sitcom. Starting with Make Room for Daddy to All in the Family to The Cosby Show and most recently with Modern Family, network television has always been able to rely on voters’ family comedy love for Emmy gold. Even their early love for Arrested Development could be argued as an extension of the love for the genre. So why did the first season of Black-ish get virtually shut out last year besides a best actor nomination for Anthony Anderson?

The second season of Black-ish is even stronger than the first. The writers gave the entire ensemble a chance to shine. Even the four kids are given great material that doesn’t make them come across as precocious. This is more than can be said about most kid sitcom storylines (looking at you Modern Family). The writers even tackle social issues in a style very similar to sitcoms of the past like Maude, The Golden Girls, and All in the Family. So far season two has covered Black Lives Matter, modern feminism, gay marriage, and the “N word.” Black-ish is able to cover all of these subjects while remaining a pure comedy, not a dramedy.  Now that the comedy series category is open to seven shows (and at least two open slots) and with no new comedies dominating the television conversation Black-ish can easily appeal to voters, especially if it is campaigned alongside Modern Family.

Black-ish

The safest bet for a nomination is the return of Anthony Anderson in the lead actor race. He was the show’s sole nomination last year and he even beat out former category favorites like Jim Parsons. Anderson has even less competition this year in the category with two of last year’s nominees not returning. The lead actress in a comedy category is in a similar situation with three of last year’s nominees not returning (Falco, Kudrow, and Poehler) making room for Tracee Ellis Ross to receive her first career nomination. Last year, several actresses received their first nominations after working for decades in the industry (Niecy Nash, Regina King, Taraji P Henson). This new trend of honoring a new crop of well-respected actors is sure to continue with Ross who has been working in television consistently for the past 16 years, most notably on the early 2000s hit Girlfriends.

Besides nominations in the two lead races as well as the best comedy race every other nomination seems to be more wishful thinking than a likely bet. The four child actors are some of the funniest on TV but no child actor has been nominated for an acting Emmy since the Cosby kids (Keshia Knight Pulliam, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Lisa Bonet) in 1986. Jenifer Lewis would have been the perfect contender in the guest category, but because of new Emmy episode rules she has to contend in the supporting race where she has virtually no chance against the eight returning nominees.

Black-ish

Black-ish hasn’t done well in any precursor awards besides the Critics Choice awards where it received four nominations. At the Golden Globes, SAG, and other guild awards the show has been ignored in favor of flashier new streaming shows. Many voters still have a soft spot for more old fashioned network comedies. With Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory fading in the eyes of voters, Black-ish is the most obvious next show to receive major attention.

Readers, do you think Black-ish will have a more successful run at the Emmys this year or do you think the second season will be completely shut out? Sound off in the comments below!

Guaranteed Nominations
Anthony Anderson, Lead Actor

Probable Nominations
Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross, Lead Actress

Possible Nominations
Casting
Directing
Writing
Jenifer Lewis, Supporting Actress

Want More ‘Wet Hot’ Action?

Netflix is prepping a Wet Hot American Summer sequel. Excited yet?

Everyone loves a reunion, right?

The cult classic Wet Hot American Summer came out in 2001, and it’s sort of becoming its own little franchise. Last summer, Netflix revived the movie with Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, a short series of episodes devoted to campers arriving at the bodacious camp in 1981. Well, pull up your tube socks or pull down your short shorts, because Wet Hot is coming back!

Creator David Wain and Michael Showalter are planning to make good on their promise of a reunion for Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later. Like First Day, Ten Years Later will be an 8 episode release on Netflix sometime in 2017 that shows us what happened to the counselors of our favorite camp. Will some of the campers be there as well?

The original cast came back for the television sequel, so hopefully this is enough notice to get everyone back for this sequel. May I make just one suggestion? Can we make sure there is more naked Bradley Cooper? And can we make sure his busy leading man schedule is clear to film a lot of stuff? If not…

Wet Hot American Summer

Emmy Spotlight on ‘Lemonade’

HBO and Beyoncé dropped Lemonade on Saturday night to deafening roar of approval and a potential Emmy win

Now that the dust has settled from Saturday’s unveiling of Lemonade, Beyoncé’s visual album premiering on HBO to much acclaim, it’s time to take a look at the Emmy possibilities for this pop culture milestone. When unveiled, the top-secret production, which many consider Beyoncé’s working through her heavily rumored past marital issues, had many viewers gasping for praise. Indeed, the hour-long special recalled the work of the great Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) with its intense, dreamlike visuals and spoken poetry that linked together her new songs.

So, what will Emmy make of all this? Beyoncé was Emmy nominated twice before, so she’s not a newbie although she has yet to win. Her previous nominations came in 2013 for the Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show and for last year’s Beyoncé and JAY Z On the Run.

With Lemonade, Beyoncé will compete in the variety special category, according to an article posted in Variety. Last year’s winner in the category, The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special, received a total of seven nominations, a feat Lemonade will be hard-pressed to match. That special hailed from the heavily revered house of SNL which has obviously proven exceedingly Emmy friendly over the years. The SNL 40th special received many technical nominations that Lemonade likely won’t receive.

Still, Lemonade should receive recognition for Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Special given the astounding, Malick-inspired imagery. Co-director Kahlil Joseph worked on Malick’s 2013 To the Wonder. A direction nomination wouldn’t be out of the cards either, although HBO has to decide which of the many directors involved in the project would receive attention.

Whatever the total haul, if the Emmys were held next week, then Lemonade would stand to further complete Beyoncé’s quest for the infamous EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards). As the album heads toward Grammy season, it will undoubtedly only continue to either maintain or build steam in the heat of Emmy voting season.

Who run the world? Beyoncé, and it’s time Emmy took notice.

Guaranteed Nominations

Variety Special

Probable Nominations

Lighting Design / Lighting Direction

Possible Nominations

Sound Mixing
Makeup
Direction

Emmy Spotlight on ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’

Will Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt equal or perhaps build upon last year’s Emmy nominations haul?

There are streaming comedies aplenty, but it’s safe to say that serious dramas are more consistent with Emmy contention. Orange is the New Black was nominated for its first season, but then it changed categories. Last year, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was up for a bunch of awards, but it failed to take anything home. Will Kimmy‘s fans be loud enough to keep her in the conversation?

Last year, Kimmy Schmidt was nominated for seven Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Supporting Actor for Tituss Burgess and Supporting Actress for still unrewarded Jane Krakowski. It also picked up nominations in both Guest Comedy slots and for casting. I can say with confidence that it can probably pick up the same amount of nominations this year—if not more.

One of the things the Netflix phenomenon has going for it is that it’s a real comedy. It’s bubbly, absurd, and moves at a pace that almost nothing else currently on television does. It’s saturated with wordplay, sight gags, and over-the-top silliness so well that I don’t think people can ignore it. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt makes you feel great.

The main difference between the first and second season is that the newer episodes allow each of the main characters to focus on personal issues. Instead of a publicized court case, Ellie Kemper’s Kimmy starts therapy and tracks down her mother by the end of the season. Titus starts a real relationship with a closeted construction worker and contemplates career choices. Mrs. Voorhees—now Ms. White—must figure out how to stay on top of the social class while struggling with her identity. Even Carol Kane’s Lillian is given more screen time this time around.

The show has a real chance for repeat nominations in Comedy Series, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress. Titus Andromedon is such a great creation that his character is funny enough to get nominated again, but Tituss Burgess infuses him with such a big heart that you can’t help but love him. Jane Krakowski is especially missed when she’s not on screen. Why hasn’t this woman been awarded all of the Emmys? If she manages another nomination, it will be her sixth.

Ellie Kemper was strangely left off the roster last year, and I think that’s because Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series was so stacked. Three of the women won’t be eligible this time around, so Kemper should easily land a slot. I mean, come on, she’s the real reason you watch the show. You can say you watch it for the other characters, but she’s the beating heart of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Ellie Kemper makes that difficult role look so easy. Do NOT let another year go by without her being nominated, Emmy voters.

In terms of Guest Actor, maybe David Cross? He doesn’t have as much screen time as Jon Hamm’s evil reverend, and his character is a tad pathetic. What about Mike Carlsen as Titus’ lovable beau, Mikey? He’s definitely blue-collar, but he could keep up with all of the Kimmy gang.

Kimmy Schmidt

What else could the show be nominated for? There are a few possibilities for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Creator Tina Fey could easily be up again for playing Kimmy’s Jekyll and Hyde alcoholic therapist, Andrea (one of Fey’s better roles, in my opinion). Voters will surely be tempted to write in Lisa Kudrow for her rollercoaster-loving Schmidt matriarch. They love her, but there is someone else that needs to be up there more than these two women.

One thing you will surely hear me going on about all awards season is Anna Camp. She needs to be nominated for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series because her brief stint as Jacqueline’s nemesis is easily my favorite thing about the second season. Camp is in complete control of what she’s doing, and we must thank our lucky stars that she’s part of this universe. Don’t mess it up, Emmy voters!

Guaranteed Nominations
Comedy Series
Ellie Kemper, Lead Actress
Tituss Burgess, Supporting Actor
Jane Krakowski, Supporting Actress
Tina Fey, Guest Actress

Probable Nominations
Casting

Possible Nominations
Writing
Carol Kane, Supporting Actress
Lisa Kudrow, Guest Actress
Anna Camp, Guest Actress
Mike Carlsen, Guest Actor
David Cross, Guest Actor

Hudson and Fierstein Join NBC’s ‘Hairspray’

Welcome to the 60’s, Harvey and Jennifer!

The first Hairspray cast notices for NBC’s live presentation of the Broadway musical have been announced. Harvey Fierstein will return to his Tony Award-winning role as the Turblad matriarch, Edna. Fierstein is a Broadway legend, and it’s fantastic that they didn’t cast a huge Hollywood name that doesn’t have much experience on the stage. I’m sure we all remember the mixed reception to John Travolta’s take on the role when the film adaptation arrived in 2007.

Speaking of veterans, Jennifer Hudson will follow up her Broadway debut (in the hugely acclaimed revival of The Color Purple) with a supporting turn as Motormouth Maybelle, the record store owner and television personality that befriends our hero Tracy Turnblad. Maybelle’s power ballad in the second act, “I Know Where I’ve Been,” will surely be a highlight. They had an open call in New York City to find the new Tracy Turnblad, so expect the newcomer to be surrounded by a slew of veterans.

Stay tuned for more Hairspray cast announcements as they come out!

Update: NBC announced additional cast members. Martin Short will play Wilbur, husband to Fierstein’s Edna Turnblad. Dancing with the Stars vet Derek Hough will play Corny Collins, host of Baltimore’s local TV program “The Corny Collins Show.”

Full ‘Twin Peaks’ Cast Revealed

Showtime’s Twin Peaks cast includes original members and newer famous faces

Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival has long been the subject of much Internet gossip, particularly around who would return from the series original incarnation. There was much hand-wringing over David Lynch’s return and the related budget issues, but, for my money, if you don’t have the original Twin Peaks cast members in tow, then you don’t have much of a reboot/revival.

Well, we can all rest assured now as Showtime has revealed the full Twin Peaks cast list, which numbers a massive 217 cast members. Most of the expected original cast members (Sherilyn Fenn, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, etc) are set to return including David Duchovny whose memorable season two turn as a cross-dressing FBI agent shot him to fame before The X-Files took hold.

What’s more interesting is the bevvy of famous, non-Twin Peaks faces that decorate the cast list, including Monica Bellucci, Jim Belushi, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain, Jeremy Davies, Laura Dern, Balthazar Getty, Ashley Judd, David Koechner, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Lillard, Trent Reznor, Tim Roth, Amanda Seyfried, Tom Sizemore, Eddie Vedder and Naomi Watts. There’s no word on how extensive these roles will be if anything beyond cameos. The full cast list is included below.

As per usual, the plot and additional specifics behind the reboot have been kept under wraps. David Lynch directs his own scripts which were co-written by Mark Frost. Filming is reportedly complete with the series still targeted to air on Showtime in 2017.

twin peaks cast

twin peaks cast

Podcast: Our 2016 Emmy Drama Preview

Episode 73: What series will dominate in the 2016 Emmy Drama race at this stage of the game?

After last night’s premiere of the 2015 Emmy Drama Series champ Game of Thrones, the Cooler gang starts digging into the 2016 Emmy race. Starting with the 2016 Emmy Drama categories, we survey the field of sure-fire nominees, fading contenders, and any spoilers that may be lurking in the wings. We also discuss the debut of the ADTV Emmy Tracker where readers can keep up to date with where we think the race stands each week.

We also take a look at this weekend’s major Beyonce event Lemonade and, as usual, take a look at what television we’re most looking forward to this week.

As always, thanks for listening and please consider leaving us a rating on iTunes. We’d love to hear your feedback. Enjoy!

4:02 – Lemonade
13:35 – 2016 Emmy Drama Preview
1:02:10 – Flash Forward

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