Streaming
7 CommentsTrump’s election will have an effect on future BoJack Horseman seasons, creator says
Since the election, showrunners have been announcing ways they’ll handle the changing political climate in America, and BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg has added his views.
In an interview with Indiewire, Bob-Waksberg said that he didn’t think he could continue making the same BoJack Horseman in light of recent events. Instead of harping on the “small hypocrisies of rich liberals,” he wanted to shed a serious light on how the country was coping with the election of Donald Trump. Although Bob-Waksberg said there wouldn’t be as much of this in season four, due to the show already being written, if they were granted a fifth season, he wouldn’t let that opportunity pass him by.
“I think BoJack is definitely very much about kind of the burdens of being comfortable,”...
TV
4 CommentsThere’s a new sneak peek for Rick and Morty’s third season and it’s pretty raunchy
Rick and Morty’s third season will finally air in 2017, and to tide fans over until it does, a new sneak peek video has been released.
In the three-minute clip, Morty is standing by his locker at school, eavesdropping on a conversation between his long-time crush Jessica and her friends. It doesn’t take very long for the girls’ discussion to take an appropriately not-safe-for-work (NSFW) turn, and when Morty approaches the group to join in, he gets pulled away by Rick.
On top of Morty’s cute, teenage attempt to get his crush to notice him, the clip also features the two main characters getting wrapped up in some pretty hefty intergalactic battles. Although the entire thing takes place using storyboard animations and voiceovers, considering how long we’ve been waiting for this season to...
Cover Story
Issue
24
November 4, 2016
Blizzard’s prodigal son returns
How one of Blizzard’s co-founders left the company, why he decided to come back and what it means for the future.
Read moreAnime
11 CommentsThe official trailer for Attack on Titan’s second season is here
Funimation has released the official trailer for Attack on Titan’s second season, bringing Christmas cheer a day early to anime fans.
The new trailer, which can be seen above, starts out with footage that will be familiar to most fans; an army of titans walking menacingly toward human civilization. As seen in the trailer, there’s been a breach in the Wall Rose, the second outermost wall protecting the citizens of the Chlorba District, the Karanese District and the Trost District.
Main characters Eren, Mikasa and Armin are all back in fighting form, taking out titan after titan with their various maneuvering techniques. One of the most important moments in the trailer, however, features a couple of new titans that fans should acquaint themselves with. In one of the better scenes, a...
TV
9 CommentsHannibal showrunner talks about bringing show back as mini-series
One of Bryan Fuller’s most beloved shows, Hannibal, was cancelled by NBC after just three seasons due to poor ratings, but the showrunner thinks he may have found a way to bring it back for a fourth season.
Fuller appeared on Blumhouse Pictures’ Shockwave Podcast to talk about his career and when the subject of Hannibal came up, the showrunner confirmed that he wasn’t giving up hope on the project just yet. According to Fuller, the rights to Silence of the Lambs revert back in August 2017, and he has been talking to producer Martha De Laurentiis about acquiring the rights for a mini-series continuation.
“Martha De Laurentiis and I have talked about how to bring it back,” Fuller said. “I think, ideally for the cast, it would be as a mini-series, here and there. Let’s do 6 to 8 episodes...
Streaming
4 CommentsAmazon is offering free first seasons for non-Prime members, $0.99 rentals
Amazon Prime Video is offering some of its original series, including Man in the High Castle and Mozart in the Jungle for free to non-Prime members throughout the Christmas season.
The company announced the sale, which is live as of today, as part of its festive seasonal promotion. Starting Dec. 23 through Dec. 31, the first seasons of Man in the High Castle, Mozart in the Jungle and Bosch for free to non-Prime users.
The deal comes at the same time that Amazon Video is offering a large selection of its movies, including new releases, to be rented for $0.99. The catch is only one movie can be rented per account, so you won’t be able to download multiple titles. The sale, which is also being offered on Google Play, will run until Jan. 23. In order to get the discount, use the code...
Opinion
65 CommentsWestworld was one of 2016’s biggest shows, but it was far from great
2016 was a strong year for good television. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver had one of its most vital and poignant seasons. Donald Glover made a timely, funny and honest sitcom about race in America with Atlanta. Netflix ushered in one of the most intriguing and, well, strangest new series with Stranger Things.
Despite the great successes these shows found, none were as big of a phenomenon as HBO’s Westworld. Westworld became an overnight sensation, with fans growing rapidly in size each week. In many ways, it stopped being a TV show and became a lifestyle.
It remains, without question, one of the most talked about series of 2016. From a ratings perspective, Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead remain at the top of the chart — based on numbers that we get from Nielsen. Game of...
Analysis
0 CommentsStreaming TV doubled its original shows in 2016, while cable TV’s roster declined
The trend in premium networks and cable television ordering more and more scripted TV series came to an end in 2016, while streaming services doubled their offerings.
FX’s research team released their annual numbers on the state of television, and one aspect of the report stands out above the rest: Netflix and other streaming services are prepared to spend to dominate. This year still saw a record number of original, scripted programming — 455 series in all — but streaming services provided most of the growth. New series declined on cable and premium channels.
The team released an informational chart (below), which clearly shows the huge increase streaming saw in just one year. In 2015, 46 new original series were ordered for a total of 421 scripted series on broadcast, cable, premium...
Streaming
10 CommentsKylo Ren and Loki become the worst roommates in new web series, Kyloki
Three months ago, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi released a short video explaining where Thor had been during the events of Captain America: Civil War and in it, introduced his “new roommate” Daryl. It was the type of mundane comedy that only worked because the idea of a god like Thor having to deal with run-of-the-mill roommate problems is in itself very funny.
That’s what a new fan series, Kyloki, does with the show’s three main characters: Loki, Kylo Ren and their third roommate, Matt. In the series, Loki and Kylo Ren retain their superhuman characteristics — Loki can disappear and reappear in a flash while Kylo Ren walks around with his lightsaber — but Matt is just a normal, human dude. Like Waititi’s short, the series finds its humor in Loki and Kylo Ren’s distrust and...
Opinion
27 CommentsThe OA’s finale is problematic, disrespectful and a perfect example of bad television
There are quite a few problems with The OA, but none are as noticeable or egregious as how the finale of the last episode plays out.
[Warning: The following contains major spoilers for The OA.]
After seven episodes of Prairie Johnson — otherwise known as The OA or The Original Angel — telling the story of her abduction and time spent in captivity, the final episode does little to wrap things up. Rather, it opens the series to even more questions about the veracity of The Original Angel’s story. Over seven episodes, we’re asked to question everything we’re seeing — how much of what The OA is saying is true, and how much is an effect of trauma?
In the finale, the group of teenage boys to whom The OA is telling her story find a collection of books and items belonging to the OA, which...
Streaming
15 CommentsNetflix is still the platform for misfits, and its new show The OA proves that
After a week of odd promotional tweets, videos and a puzzling Instagram account full of riddles, Netflix’s new show, The OA, debuted.
[Warning: The following contains spoilers for The OA.]
The show is about one woman, the “Original Angel,” who is recounting her time held in captivity by a crazed scientist to a group of local high school teenage boys and their teacher. She’s trying to remember her adoptive family while decoding the world around her. The series takes place in two different time periods: the current day, which features the 28-year-old angel — who also goes by Prairie Johnson — and the seven years she spent in captivity.
The main thesis of the show, however, is about the importance of questioning. In each episode, the boys question what the OA is saying, researching...
TV
5 CommentsWatch David Tennant, Danny Pudi and the DuckTales cast sing the theme song
Disney XD confirmed today that Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, Bobby Moynihan and David Tennant would be joining the DuckTales reboot.
Pudi (Community) will play Huey, Schwartz (House of Lies) will take on the role of Dewey, with Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) playing the third brother, Louie. Tennant (Doctor Who, Jessica Jones) will play the boys’ granduncle, Scrooge McDuck. To celebrate the casting, Disney has released a video of the four actors — along with the show’s supporting cast — singing the theme song. It can be seen above.
The studio also confirmed that Donald Duck, Flintheart Glomgold, Gyro Gearloose, Duckworth, Gizmoduck, Magica DeSpell, Gladstone Gander, and Ma Beagle and the Beagle Boys would all make an appearance in the new series. The show will be run by Matt Youngberg, who...
Streaming
13 CommentsNetflix's mysterious series The OA is about philosophy, feelings and time travel
After dropping a trailer earlier this week and announcing that its new show, The OA, would premiere on Dec. 16, we finally know what the Netflix series is about.
[Warning: Stop reading if you don't want to know anything before you start watching.]
The OA the story of Prairie Johnson, a woman who has returned home after vanishing for seven years. She’s gone through an incredible ordeal, but she’ll only talk to a group of teenagers and one high school teacher about what she went through. At the same time, her adoptive parents are trying to reconnect with her after spending the majority of the last decade desperately searching for her.
Prairie, however, doesn’t want to confide in them. Instead, she spends her time talking to these teenage boys about her time traveling experience, leading...
Streaming
8 CommentsNetflix in January 2017: Everything coming to and leaving
January will be a solid month for Netflix subscribers who are looking for new series and original films to binge during the cold days.
A Series of Unfortunate Events, the show based on Lemony Snicket’s best-selling children’s books, will finally premiere. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, the nefarious relative looking to get his hands on the Baudelaire children’s inheritance after their parents perish in a terrible and suspicious fire. Based on early trailers and promotional images released by Netflix, the show will appeal to those who are fans of director Tim Burton’s aesthetic. If you like Edward Scissorhands or Frankenweenie, A Series of Unfortunate Events may be what you need.
On the animated front, Voltron: Legendary Defender will return for its highly...
Streaming
20 CommentsStar Trek: Discovery finds its lead character in Walking Dead actress
Star Trek: Discovery has found its main character in The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Martin-Green, best known for her role as Sasha Williams in The Walking Dead, has signed on to play the lieutenant commander of the USS Discovery. Former showrunner Bryan Fuller previously confirmed that Discovery would focus on the lieutenant commander, making it a first for the franchise. Prior series have focused primarily on the captain, like Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation or James Kirk in the original series.
The publication is also reporting that Martin-Green will remain on The Walking Dead for the time being, but will film both series simultaneously. CBS declined to comment on the role to The Hollywood Reporter, but Polygon has reached out...
TV
8 CommentsNetflix’s mysterious new show, The OA, has a puzzle for theorists to dig into right now
Netflix’s new, mysterious series, The OA, will arrive on Friday, but,despite the immediacy of the premiere, there’s still quite a bit that we don’t know.
For example: what is the show even about?
According to Netflix’s brief description of the series on its YouTube page, The OA is “a powerful, mind-bending tale about identity, human connection and the borders between life and death.” The only other detail we know is the show is about believing in and trusting the unknown. The entire series is shrouded in mystery, and despite multiple requests from Polygon, Netflix isn’t about to release any information about the series ahead of its release.
There is a new interactive and intricate Instagram account that holds a few clues about the series. There are a couple of songs, quick voiceovers...
Streaming
23 CommentsNetflix drops trailer for new, surprise original series, The OA
Netflix has debuted the first trailer for its new — and surprising — original series The OA, following a series of eerie tweets.
The OA is a “powerful, mind-bending tale about identity, human connection and the borders between life and death,” according to Netflix. The show will explore the supernatural and, based on the short description listed on the series’ YouTube page, will ask its audience to trust the unknown.
Prior to dropping the trailer, Netflix tweeted out three questions: “Have you seen death?”, “Have you seen darkness?”, and “Have you seen the light?” Those tweets were followed by with a couple of short clips featuring a young, distressed woman running across a bridge.
The series comes from Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the creative team behind 2013’s The East. The OA...
TV
0 CommentsRick rallies the troops in first clip from The Walking Dead’s return
[Warning: The following contains spoilers from The Walking Dead’s season seven midseason finale.]
The Walking Dead’s midseason finale brought the team back together, and the first clip from the show’s upcoming return finds Rick rebuilding an army.
The trailer picks up where the midseason finale ends. The teams from Alexandria, the Hilltop and the Kingdom are back together under Rick’s guidance. The time has come for Rick to lead a war against Negan, and now that they’ve built up their supply of weapons and ammo, everything is in place.
The midseason finale ended with a couple of team members biting the bullet, but more importantly, helped remind audiences just how brutally violent Negan can be. When The Walking Dead returns in February, the show will focus even more on the intense...
Movies
10 CommentsDeadpool scores two major Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture
Deadpool picked up two major nominations for the 2017 Golden Globe awards on Monday, including one for its star, Ryan Reynolds.
Reynolds, who donned the suit for Fox’s superhero film back in February, has been nominated 37 times over the span of his career, but never for one of the big three: a Golden Globe, an Oscar or an Emmy. Deadpool, which also earned a nomination for Best Picture — Comedy or Musical, also cleaned up at the Critics Choice Awards on Dec. 11, with Reynolds taking home Best Entertainer of the Year.
Deadpool had been Reynolds’ a pet project for years. He spent a lot of time trying to get Fox to finance a film. When screen test footage shot Fox executives leaked out during San Diego Comic Con in 2014, Reynolds finally got a portion of the financing he asked for. To...
Recap
5 CommentsThe Walking Dead’s midseason finale ties all the storylines together
[Warning: The following contains spoilers for the midseason finale of The Walking Dead.]
We were given yet another 90-minute episode for The Walking Dead’s midseason finale. Half a dozen story threads were left dangling from last week, and they all came together just in time for Hurricane Negan to mess them up.
Negan finally flexed his brutality again and, unfortunately, more of the characters died. But instead of despairing, the group finally comes together, both emotionally and physically.
As per the end of last week's episode, the meat of the midseason finale lay with Negan showing up again in Alexandria. He, Carl and Olivia share an awkward meal together that's more boring than menacing, while most of the Alexandrians feel helpless as they wait for Rick and Aaron to return from...
TV
10 CommentsWatch Shigeru Miyamoto measure things for The Tonight Show
Video game developers on late-night network TV may be a shtick that is close to played out, but this green-room session with Shigeru Miyamoto (which didn't air on The Tonight Show) is rather appealing. Nintendo's creative genius has a compulsion to measure things in his head and then see if he is right.
Miyamoto explains that he developed this fixation when he was building a house several years ago. (He also has an interest in guessing how much something weighs, a staple of carnival midways going back more than a century.)
Fallon, a huge fanboy and Miyamoto trivia buff, doesn't appear in the video but it's a good bet he had something to do with the plan to give Miyamoto random objects and see if he could guess one on the nose.
Because Miyamoto uses metric, of course, there's a lot...
Culture
73 CommentsHas gaming become too much of a shtick for late night television?
When it comes to gaming, everything from console reveals to exclusive first looks at big titles have been showcased on late night television.
There are some shows that do more than just the occasional interview with a game designer. Conan O’Brien has his popular “Clueless Gamer” series, which has evolved from being a small web series that he put together with his web producer Aaron Bleyaert to a regular segment on his nightly show.
Jimmy Fallon, still the most watched late night host on television, has dedicated ample screen time to the medium, thanks to his genuine affection for games. He’s presented a couple of major gaming reveals over the years, most recently debuting the first live gameplay footage of the Nintendo Switch console.
There’s an appetite from fans for gaming-related...
Active Discussions
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