TV and Streaming News
Will Renewed ‘Night Court’ Break Reboot Curse?
Well, TV has done it again – bringing a dead TV show back to life with a reboot of NBC’s old sitcom Night Court. It’s just the latest in a large string of Hollywood reboots that might have looked better on paper than it does on the small screen. Unlike a remake or reimagining which attempts to retell a story with a whole new cast, characters or new plot direction, a reboot attempts to reignite the same “magic” that was created with some, or in some cases, most of the original cast members. Murphy Brown, Beverly Hills 90210 and Gilmore Girls all attempted revivals, but they didn’t really work. Read More >>>
Joel McHale Leads the ‘Animal Control’
Described as FOX Entertainment’s first wholly own live-action comedy, Animal Control follows a group of workers whose lives are complicated by the fact that animals are simple, but humans are not. Joel FOX describes his character as one who never went to college “but is still the most well-read person in the room.” He’s a former cop who tried to expose corruption in his department. Those efforts got him fired. However, he discovered new talents with his new role at Animal Control having an almost superhuman ability to understand animals. Humans…not so much. Read More >>>
NBC to Honor 90-Year-Old Carol Burnett with New Special Despite Her Years with CBS
In 2017, CBS aired The Carol Burnett Show: 50th Anniversary Special, but on April 26, 2023, NBC will air the two-hour special, Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love which will give a lot of time honoring her legacy on her sketch comedy/musical show. Although Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner and Tim Conway have all passed away, co-star Vicki Lawrence will be in attendance for the special along with costume designer Bob Mackie. This year’s special will also share some of the funniest and most memorable moments of Burnett’s legendary career outside of her former CBS show. Read More >>>
The Women Who Became Wednesday
Ironically, while Critics and fans alike are praising Jenna Ortega’s performance in Wednesday, the hit Netflix comedy/mystery show, the very first actress to play the goth girl has passed away. Lisa Loring died on January 28 in Burbank, California at the age of 64. Her first role as an actress was playing little Wednesday on the 1960’s The Addams Family. Since that time, the role has been portrayed by a variety of different actresses. Over the years, Wednesday Addams has appeared on screen as young as five and as old as one in her late 20’s, but her personality has changed little. Here is a brief history of the very different Wednesdays that have come about over the years. Read More >>>
Coming Soon
Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge
Debuts: May 30
NBC
Hosted by Rutledge Wood, Hot Wheel: Ultimate Challenge promises to rev up passionate car lovers and superfans of Mattel’s Hot Wheels® the opportunity of a lifetime – turning a nostalgic car from their past into the life-sized Hot Wheels of their dreams. Each episode will invite two fans into the “Chrome Zone” where they will face off in transforming an ordinary vehicle into something extraordinary.
American Ninja Warrior (Season 15)
Debuts: June 5
NBC
Season 15 of “American Ninja Warrior” returns with the most elite athletes in the country competing on the world’s most difficult obstacle courses. Hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, along with co-host Zuri Hall, are back to call the action as the ninjas make their way through the qualifying and semifinal rounds in Los Angeles before moving to the national finals in Las Vegas.
The Prank Panel
Debuts: May 24
ABC
Johnny Knoxville, Eric Andre and Gabourey Sidibe form the all-star panel of “pranxperts,” taking viewers behind the scenes as they help to plot and plan elaborate and diabolical schemes. The panelists serve as mentors and saboteurs, with celebrity guests sometimes joining the fun. The Prank Panel lets everyday people pitch pranks targeting family members, friends and co-workers to a panel of the world’s greatest pranksters.
TV and Pop Culture
A Goofy History of Stunt-Based Game Shows
ABC’s Holey Moley just started its fourth summer season of mini golf hijinks. The show which takes the simple game of miniature golf and makes it into something almost unrecognizable, is an utterly silly concept. For some, this is a dumb show not worth watching, for others, it’s comedy gold. But for all its weirdness, Holey Moley isn’t the first goofy game show to air on TV and it certainly won’t be the last. Here is a baker’s dozen of some of the weirdest game shows ever shown on a TV. Read More >>>
The Weird and Wonderful World Built by Sid and Marty Krofft
Long before H. R. Pufnstuf hit the small screen, Sid was a puppeteer who worked in vaudeville and the Ringling Bros. ad Barnum & Bailey Circus. In the 1940’s he created the one-man puppet show knowns as “The Unusual Artistry of Sid Krofft.” By the 1950’s, the brothers were working together and in 1957, they created the adult-themed Les Poupées de Paris puppet show. Although the show featured characters modeled after various celebrities from Judy Garland to Phil Silvers, it also featured a number of topless puppets too! The show was brought to the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 and later to New York’s World’s Fair in 1964. That same year, the Kroffts appeared with puppets on The Dean Martin Show Read More>>>
10 of the Best TV Theme Songs Ever
If you are of a certain age, you remember when TV theme songs actually meant something. In some ways, they could be considered a character on the show. Yes, there were many generic-sounding theme songs, but some still hold up many years later and are just as iconic as the shows themselves. Unlike many of today’s themes that air for ten seconds or less, these classics would play for about a minute before the show would begin and the song would stick in your head for days to come. Very few shows do that today and some have borrowed music from other sources instead of creating anything new. Ironically, many shows that air on premium cable channels or services like Hulu or Netflix still feature the longer theme songs. Then again, you can usually skip the show’s opening if you don’t care for it. Read More >>>
Writer of Pop Culture 