Month: April 2022

Why was Manifest cancelled when it’s got such an enthused (and sizable) audience?

That’s a question worth asking. Back in summer 2021, though, NBC decided not only to give the axe to the sci-fi/supernatural drama after three season, but the network did so while the show sat atop Netflix’s most popular list. Granted, the show’s not objectively good, but it’s still fairly addictive and highly bingeable. If you haven’t had the pleasure, just know that it’s a Lost knockoff, in which a flight disappears off the radar (and is presumed lost) for five years. The passengers touch down and don’t even realize that they were missing until they realize that life has moved on.

Relationships fracture everywhere, and people are hearing voices (callings) and spitting up water. In short, it’s wild, and people were absolutely furious when the show got cancelled before viewers received answers. What the hell happened to Flight 828?

Despite the show’s immense streaming popularity, NBC didn’t want the answer to that question, which is not too surprising in retrospect. The network tends to cancel sci-fi series before they have a chance to build up a slow burn (see Debris, and watch out, La Brea) even though it’s let Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler make googly eyes at each other for decades (and that’s not the complaint that it might sound like) without resolution. No one really knows why Manifest got the shaft (maybe contracts got complicated, or numbers weren’t up to snuff on the Law and Order network), other than NBC apparently not holding out for its full viewership potential.

However, the show was destined for a comeback. Creator Jeff Rake fueled a campaign and made it known that three more seasons remained in his head. Stephen King spoke up as part of the show’s legion of fans, and within a few months, some positive news arrived. Netflix decided to read the room (as with the Lucifer resurrection) and pick the show up for a fourth and final season. This will be a supersized season with twenty episodes, and TV Line recently reported that we’ll see at least a few batches of this season, which will begin to arrive “late this year.”

Rake has clarified that November 2022 is the target month for arrival, so prepare yourselves. Also, never take the flight voucher in exchange for accepting a later flight.

The NFL Draft is still a month away, and while there is often plenty of movement come draft night as teams target specific prospects, it’s not often we get major trades involving nothing but pick swaps this far out from draft night.

However, on Monday, the Eagles and Saints announced a blockbuster that will see Philadelphia send a pair of its mid-first round picks (Nos. 16 and 19) and a sixth to New Orleans for this year’s 18th pick, a seventh, the Saints first rounder next year, and a second in 2024.

Philadelphia still holds a pair of first round picks this year, as they also have the No. 15 overall selection, and with this move they gain some future draft capital, potentially improving their pick if the Saints have a down year. For New Orleans, it gives them three picks in the top 50 that they can now look to either package together to jump higher in the first round, or allowing them a chance at a few high level potential starters to add to the roster.

It’s an interesting move given no one knows who will be available at those picks at this moment, but allows both teams some added flexibility (the Saints this year and the Eagles next) and marks the beginning of what could be an active draft in terms of pick movement.

It’s the holidays. Your mom is already ten minutes into what will ultimately be a three-day rant about how the COVID vaccine is made from aborted fetuses and microchips. Meanwhile, off in the distance, your dad yells, “What about Hunter Biden‘s laptop?!” at the TV. As you attempt to numb your brain with pie and booze, a thought crosses your mind: How long would it take to wean them off Fox News?

Well, you’re in luck because science might be close to an answer. According to a new study titled “The manifold effects of partisan media on viewers,” Fox News viewers were paid $15 an hour to watch CNN for one hour a week for 30 days. The results were promising. Thanks to limiting their Fox News consumption, the viewers who stuck to the CNN diet showed a marked change in their political views, particularly in their thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic and Donald Trump.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the results. Via The Independent:

On Covid, viewers who switched were six percentage points more likely to believe other countries handled the virus better than the US, five points more likely to believe that people suffer from whats known as “long Covid”, and 11 points less likely to say a president should focus more on containing violent protests than the pandemic.

On Mr Trump, there was a nearly three point decrease in the “feeling thermometer rating” after switching from Fox to CNN.

On then-presidential candidate Mr Biden, switchers were 13 points less likely to agree that “we’ll see many more police get shot by Black Lives Matter activists” if he was elected and 10 points less likely to believe his supporters were happy when police officers get shot.

As of this writing, the survey team is not offering gift packages and/or door-to-door service. But if they do, we’ll be sure to let you know after we snag up several reservations for ourselves. (Sorry, not sorry.)

(Via The Independent)

Los Angeles basketball is seeing a sudden boom on the small screen, with a number of series on the Lakers in production or recently premiering, headlined by HBO’s controversial yet highly entertaining Winning Time.

On Monday, word broke that L.A.’s other team is getting a limited series of its own, although one that figures to be far more serious, as FX has greenlit The Sterling Affairs for a 6-episode series that will tell the story of Donald Sterling’s ouster from the league for racism and the efforts of the team and coach Doc Rivers to navigate that scandal during the playoffs — based on ESPN’s deeply reported podcast series of the same name from Ramona Shelburne.

So far, two names are attached to star in the series, with Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers, while Jacki Weaver playing Shelley Sterling, per Deadline.

The Sterling Affairs is written by Gina Welch (Feud: Bette and Joan) based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast of the same name reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. The series tells the behind the scenes story of Doc Rivers (Fishburne) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ quest to bring a championship to one of the historically worst franchises in all of sports during the impending downfall of the team’s owner, Donald Sterling, whose notoriously racist behavior is brought to light amid the power struggle between his wife of 60+ years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V. Stiviano.

How the rest of the cast is filled out will be interesting, particularly who plays Sterling and V. Stiviano, but Fishburne as Rivers brings some star power to the series.

The pandemic hasn’t ended, but a combo of a push toward “normalcy” and a window of low case counts has made it so that most of us are venturing out more. Some of us are finding that our social skills have gone a bit wonky. Throughout the pandemic, there have been articles telling us that this was happening, with headlines like “It’s not just you. We’re all socially awkward now” and “A crash course in polishing your pandemic-damaged social skills.” I had a friend the other day mention how he’d met someone new and felt like he’d forgotten how to have a conversation.

In addition to the pandemic, the social and political discourse of the past several years feels like it has become more and more contentious. It’s hard to have a discussion in which disagreements don’t devolve into ugliness, so we might avoid any conversation that goes beyond the weather altogether.

However, research also shows that people really want to have richer conversations with one another. So we’re in this weird spot of wanting to talk to people but feeling a bit lost as to how to do it.

Never fear. The 1950s film reel is here to help us out.

Those of us who grew up in the predigital era remember our teachers trotting out film projectors and showing us crackly films from the ’50s with the iconic announcer-y voices and “Aw, gee whiz” teens acting out cheesy scenes. (Some of us hear the clickety-clicking of the projector and immediately want to fall asleep, as our minds revert back to the unbearable boredom—and yet much-needed reprieve from normal class—that such films meant for us.) This film reel will send Gen-X-and-older folks straight back to our childhoods.

But there’s actually some good stuff in here. “Ways to Better Conversation” was part of a series of instructional educational videos put out by Coronet in the ’40s,’ 50s, ’60s and ’70s. It compares a good conversation to a volleyball game, and examines the roles of courtesy, contributing, following the subject and listening carefully in having a pleasant, productive conversation.

Oddly enough, it’s these basics that are often missing from modern conversation, which becomes fairly apparent when we witness the “bad conversation” example in the film. Despite its oh-so-very-1950 vibe, the fundamental lesson really does apply to today.

And if you don’t find the tips useful, it’s still a delight to see the ’50s equivalent of a YouTube how-to video. This is how we used to roll, kids. Watch and learn.

(And yes, the flub with the skipped words at the beginning is actually quite true to the reality of watching these films in class. Something was always breaking with those things. Good times.)

Hugh Jackman might be Broadway’s Music Man, but he’ll always be our Wolverine.

After playing the iconic role of Logan for more than two decades (and possibly reprising it one day, one can dream!), Jackman traded his claws for tapping shoes to perform as Harold Hill. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be a good sport for his “X-Men” fanbase.

During the curtain call of a recent show, one audience member waved a foam Wolverine claw near the front row. Jackman saw it and, as to be expected from such a nationwide treasure, had the best reaction.

Jackman posted the video to his Instagram, which you can watch below. Two million others already have:

See on Instagram

He’s still got it, baby! In the span of three seconds, Jackman happily took the claw and struck his famous pose. You know the one. Needless to say, the crowd went wild. And that marching band outfit he was sporting became about 1000x cooler.

Wolverine was a character Jackman embodied flawlessly, bringing both a primal, animalistic quality and deep internal conflict. Crazy to think that he was director Bryan Singer’s third choice for the role after Dougray Scott and Russell Crowe turned it down. Now he will be forever remembered as the quintessential Logan by loyal fans. And it’s sweet to see how Jackman still shows so much love for them.

We may never again get to hear him say “sorry bub,” but this is a nice consolation prize.

So, now the real question: When are we getting “X-Men: The Musical”?

I remember watching “Forrest Gump” as a kid and I still quote Lieutenant Dan to this day, but I had no idea that Gary Sinise, the actor who played Dan in the movie, went on to do really cool things for veterans. In the movie, Lt. Dan is a disabled veteran who was once Gump’s platoon leader in the Vietnam War and later becomes his best friend and business partner. In life outside of the movies, it was Sinise’s character in “Forrest Gump” that became the catalyst for his work with veterans.

Sinise said in a video, “Shortly after the movie opened, I was contacted by the Disabled American Veterans Organization inviting me to their national convention where they wanted to present me with an award. I met hundreds if not thousands of people who were not playing a part in a movie.” This event was the motivation behind the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that provides mortgage-free custom homes for veterans.

On March 24, the Gary Sinse Foundation was fulfilling its mission once again, this time for retired Army Sgt. Christopher Kurtz in Adams, Tennessee. Sgt. Kurtz is a 101st Airborne Division veteran who was injured in combat, requiring him to now need a wheelchair. The foundation presented him with the keys to his custom smart home after being approved two years ago. The CEO of the Gary Sinise Foundation, Mike Thirtle, explained to Clarksville Now that everything is intentional in the home. “We help veterans and first responders through their healing process,” Thirtle said. “When Gary wanted us to execute providing these homes to veterans, he wanted us to make them customizable and tailorable for them and their families.”

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at the 77th R.I.S.E home dedication for retired U.S. Army SGT Christopher Kurtz! This home represents the love of our donors and supporters, grateful Americans, like our very own @GarySinise, who do not forget the cost of freedom. Enjoy!pic.twitter.com/AB65B2X4H0

— GarySiniseFoundation (@GarySiniseFoundation)
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The Kurtzes’ home has wheelchair accessible countertops and drop-down shelving. The home also comes with a garage filled with machinery for welding and crafting, gifted to Kurtz from friends at his job, PTL Fabricators. Sgt. Kurtz wants to use his shop to help others that may find themselves in his situation. He told Clarksville Now, “I want to develop products and make already-made products possibly better so that I can help others that are in similar situations.” He added, “It’s a bit overwhelming sometimes when you think about how much went into (building the house), how many people put their hands on it, and it’s very humbling. Now, I owe the world.”

The Gary Sinise Foundation has been building mortgage-free homes for veterans for 10 years, giving veterans their independence back. The program is making a real difference in the quality of life for America’s veterans and it seems so fitting that it was started by the man who played Lt. Dan. Sinise makes it a point to appear via video when the veterans receive keys to their new homes.

The Kurtzes will surely remember this day for the rest of their lives, and hopefully their story will spur the creation of new programs to improve the lives of veterans.

At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, Arlo Parks garnered two nominations: One for Best New Artist and the other in the Best Alternative Music Album category for her stunning debut album, Collapsed In Sunbeams. Now, Parks will take her Mercury Music Prize-winning album on tour once again through North America, and this time, in much larger venues than her modestly-sized sold out tour from 2021.

Currently on tour with Clairo, Parks’ new dates will begin with two support slots for Florence + The Machine in Canada in September. The U.S. slate begins at Philadelphia’s Franklin Hall on September 6th and will see her hit rooms like New York City’s Webster Hall, Washington DC’s 9:30 Club, San Francisco’s The Warfield, and Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre.

The Arlo Parks Tour artist presale begins on Tuesday, 04/05 at 10am local venue time. Register to receive the password here. Check out the full tour dates below.

09/02 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell++
09/03 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage++
09/06 — Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
09/08 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
09/12 — Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
09/14 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
09/16 — Detroit, MI @ The Majestic
09/17 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
09/18 — Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theatre
09/20 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
09/21 — Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
09/23 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/24 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
09/26 — Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
09/27 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
09/29 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/02 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
10/04 — Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
10/10 — New Orleans, LA @ The Joy Theater
10/12 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern

++ = with Florence + The Machine

Last year’s Grammy Awards ceremony wasn’t a major TV draw, or at least not as big as it has been in the past: The 2021 telecast had the lowest ratings in Grammys history. It turns out things weren’t much better this year, as the numbers were only a hair above last year’s dismal ratings.

Deadline reports Sunday’s broadcast, taking into account viewers on both CBS and those streaming on Paramount+, drew 8.93 million viewers, which is close to last year’s count of 8.8 million. Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter notes these aren’t the final ratings, which will be out on Tuesday. CBS is expecting the final number to be at around 9.6 million viewers, just above last year’s 9.23 million.

For reference, all of these numbers are awful compared to just a few years ago: The 2020 show had 18.7 million viewers and the 2019 edition had 19.9 million. For further reference, Deadline notes that also last night, about 4.7 million people watched new episodes of both America’s Funniest Home Videos and American Idol.

Despite all this, last night’s broadcast had plenty of highlights and surprises, so check out our rundown of some of those most memorable moments here. Also find the full list of this year’s Grammy nominees and winners here.

After seeing Pete Davidson and Gunna team up for the “Short-Ass Movies” sketch on Saturday Night Live, which hilariously complained about movies having insanely long runtimes, Netflix decided the whole thing was a “good idea.” While quote-tweeting the now-viral sketch starring Davidson, Gunn, Chris Redd (and a solid cameo by Simon Rex), the streaming giant shared a link to its new “ShortAssMovies” category, which features 90-minute films like Zoolander and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

In the sketch, Davidson, Gunna, and Chris Redd rap about how they just want to sit down and watch “short-ass movies” as the sketch runs through a freaking cornucopia of 90-minute films, including the Ernest movies, which is where Rex comes in. (The guy is practically a dead-ringer for the late Jim Varney.) Naturally, the sketch also takes a shot at Davidson for starring in The King of Staten Island, a film that ran for two hours and 17 minutes. Whoops. There’s also plenty of digs at The Batman for its nearly three-hour runtime.

Of course, keeping movies under two hours long has been a cause that Uproxx’s own Brian Grubb has championed for years. In fact, Grubb is so hell-bent on keeping runtimes tight, that he extended his argument to sporting events, and well, pretty much everything.

“Something needs to change,” Grubb wrote in 2018. “Your time is too valuable for these goons to just be taking it all up like this. We need a rule. A hard limit.”

Netflix has heard your cry, Brian. Rest your head, wearied defender of precious time.

(Via Netflix Is A Joke on Twitter)