Month: January 2023

Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to people getting mad at him. Having said that, Smith learned this week that Dallas Cowboys fans tweeting their displeasure at him for saying the team will choke in the postseason has nothing on Rihanna fans getting mad at him for what he, assuredly, thought was a throwaway line on Sherri.

“I don’t wanna say I’m not excited,” Smith said. “She’s fantastic. That’s not where I’m going with this. Ladies and gentlemen, she’s a lot of things. She’s spectacular, actually. And congratulations on new-momma-hood. There’s one thing she’s not. She ain’t Beyoncé.”

Smith issued an apology over the whole thing, but it led to him getting repeatedly dragged, both on Twitter and, on Thursday night, by Leslie Jones as she guest hosted The Daily Show. Fast forward to Friday morning and Smith addressed the whole thing on First Take by having a bit of a meltdown.

“It’s ridiculous,” Smith said. “This is the controversy here. All the stuff going on in the world, I’m being accused of Black-on-Black crime, because I happen to like one artist more than another. I mean, you got to be kidding me! I mean, handcuff me now! Put it behind my damn back! Y’all gotta be kidding me … Leslie Jones, I love you! Damn, I couldn’t wait to watch you on Comedy Central and she calling me out! Why?”

Smith went on to say that “I apologize to Rihanna, because this nonsense was not my intent. It was not necessary, it was all done in fun, me debating with Sherri Shepherd for fun, just having laughs. That’s all. Rihanna’s phenomenal, she’s fantastic.”

Despite his supposed ‘Regina George’ complex, rapper Drake has no problem using his platform to showcase newer acts. In fact, by way of his label, OVO Sound, co-founded by his long-time collaborator producer Noah’ 40’ Shebib, the pair are looking to break yet another artist. With a roster consisting of PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn, Popcaan, Majid Jordan, Roy Woods, and Baka Not Nice, the label has finally found its leading lady.

With the release of her new single, “Another Life,” Dutch-Caribbean singer Naomi Sharon becomes the first lady of OVO Sound. Drake took to Instagram to welcome her to the label and share her new track with his following with the caption, “Naomi Sharon, I been waiting for this day for too long now where the world finally gets to digest the insane amount of work you have put in since we met. My dear friend just dropped her single Another Life on OVO Sound.”

To which Naomi commented, “I will be forever thankful for this insane opportunity you gave me. Finally, we can share this with the world. Big love.”

The warm welcome didn’t stop there as Shebib also took to his Instagram, writing, “Naomi Sharon, I’m honoured to be a part of this journey. I’m so proud of you and can’t wait for the world to hear the rest of what you’ve been working on.”

“Another Life” is a beautifully intrinsic blend of electronic dance music, and alt-R&B. Dance-influenced music dominated the 2022 charts as seen in the success of Beyoncé’s Renaissance, Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind, and Lizzo’s Special albums. Naomi is undoubtedly starting on the right track.

Listen to Naomi Sharon’s single, “Another Life,” above.

The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items could vary, as could the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday, and we are here to have some fun.

ITEM NUMBER ONE – Look at this freakin’ guy

The trailer for the third season of The Mandalorian dropped earlier this week, which was nice. It’s been a while since that show was on. It’s a good one, and a blast to watch, which I say even as someone who has not, in the past, been a huge Star Wars guy. I have always been, like, aware of Star Wars, and I watched most of the movies, but it was never my thing. Which is fine. Not everything is everyone’s thing. I like all sorts of dumb garbage so it’s not like I was out here judging anyone about. It’s fine. Star Wars is fine!

The smart thing The Mandalorian did, in addition to casting people like Pedro Pascal and Werner Herzog as space-types, was introduce the world to Baby Yoda. That adorable little guy. He has a real name (Grogu) and is not technically the child version of the Yoda from the originals, but who cares? Look at his little face in his little flying saucer.

This is a screencap from the new trailer. I have not been able to get over it. Look at this freakin’ guy.

COMPUTER

ENHANCE

I need one of these. I deserve one of these. I have been thinking about it almost non-stop since I saw it in the trailer. I know I could not, technically, make the saucer float like this because I do not have Powers, but on the other hand, and this next part is important… shut up. Let me have this one. Let me pretend I have a little floating saucer. I already have a list of things I would use it for. Examples include:

— I would fill it with snacks — chips, baby carrots and hummus, maybe a whole-ass pot of chili — and have it follow me around wherever I go in case I get hungry

— I would take it to Target and use it instead of a grocery cart, which would be great because a) I could just fling items over my shoulder and make my lil saucer catch them, and b) all the other people in the store would be so jealous and it would make me very happy

— I would ride around in it myself because I am disabled and use a wheelchair and sidewalks are often pretty bumpy and I like the idea of just gliding past people like p-p-p-vroooom on my way home from Wawa without dropping my smoothie

— I would invite people over for a party and fill it with ice and drinks and have it zip around the room so everyone can have a beer or diet soda without crowding around in the kitchen

— I would send it downstairs to pick up my packages with a little note inside it for the delivery man that says like “Put that box in me, thanks” like a huge weirdo

The main takeaway here is that I should not have one of these. I would waste it, at best, and probably end up ruining it because most of my uses for it involve food and/or drinks that could spill and gunk it all up. I don’t even know where to take this thing to get it fixed. Kind of a headache, now that I think about it.

ITEM NUMBER TWO — Look how happy Henry Winkler is

The thing about Henry Winkler is that I love him. He’s been famous for decades and he’s probably met every famous person you could imagine since like 1975 and he still gets so excited about it every time. He usually takes pictures of it all and posts them on his Twitter. Last week, in this very column, I plopped in one where he was with Brad Pitt at the Golden Globes. This week he went to the Critic’s Choice Awards. Look at him up there between Julia Roberts and Jennifer Coolidge. Have you ever seen anyone more thrilled to be anywhere? The best.

Here he is with Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Here he is with Jenny Slate.

Look at his face. In every one. God, he’s the best. I can’t wait until he goes on his fishing trip this summer and posts a dozen pictures of himself beaming with various trout in his hands. Until then, I suppose this will have to do.

Perfect. No notes. What a lovely man.

ITEM NUMBER THREE – Imagine getting injured playing dogfight football in a Top Gun movie

Top Gun: Maverick was a fun movie for a lot of reasons. Some had to do with nostalgia and some had to do with fast planes going WHOOSH and some had to do with a new crew of pilots played by actors like Miles Teller and Glen Powell. There was also the football scene. That was a lot of fun. It served as a kind of nod to the iconic volleyball scene from the original while also updating things for the 2020s a little bit. I mean, no disrespect to volleyball but… I mean, you do not see a lot of people playing beach volleyball these days. I don’t know. Maybe you do. I don’t. It’s not a fun sport to play if you’re not already kind of good at it. You just kind of slog around in the sand and bonk the ball and try to spike it once in a while, which a) requires almost impeccable timing and body control, and b) almost never works out the way it looks in your head. Have you ever seen someone go for a spike and miss it? Few things in all of sports are sadder.

Anyway, the football scene. That’s it up there in the video. Watch it again now, or for the first time if you haven’t seen it. Everyone is having a good time in sunglasses, which is cool. It almost didn’t work out too great, though, because Glen Powell almost took himself out before things really got started. As director Joseph Kosinski explained to IndieWire:

“One that I get asked about a lot, which was a very memorable day, was when we shot the beach football scene,” Kosinski said. “The actors were in a very kind of stressed out state, they’d all been working so hard to get ready for that scene. They were under the pressure, the weight of the original scene being so iconic. I remember Glen went out 110 percent on the first play and hurt himself, but he was able to recover quickly and we were able to get a great version of it.”

So, a few notes here:

• I imagine the temptation when you are filming an action-type scene with Tom Cruise is to push a little too hard and it would be really funny to have to explain that to the doctor at the ER when you’re getting treated for the injury you suffered doing trying to impress Tom Cruise
• It’s fun to picture Tom Cruise being annoyed on the set because someone got hurt trying to be as intense as him
• If I hurt myself playing dogfight football on the set of Top Gun: Maverick, I would milk it forever, all the time, like even 25 years later at a barbecue where other people are playing lawn darts and I say I can’t because my shoulder is acting up from the injury I suffered 25 years earlier playing dogfight football on the set of Top Gun: Maverick

Everyone would get so sick of my bullshit.

ITEM NUMBER FOUR – More food should be served on fire

I went out to dinner at a nice Greek restaurant this week. It was great. I love going out to dinner and I love Greek food. I was really pleased with my order, too, which is rare for me because I’m one of those weirdos who orders something and then wishes he had ordered something else the second the server walks away. This was good, though. I had some chicken and some feta mashed potatoes and some roasted carrots. I felt great about it.

For a while.

Because then the people at the table next to me got their food and the waiter pulled out a long lighter and lit one of the dishes on fire. I was immediately jealous. And furious. I looked at my plate of chicken and got mad at it. Stupid non-flaming food. Don’t just sit there. Do something.

Which brings me to my point: More food should be served on fire. It looks so cool. Everyone in the restaurant does little oooohs and ahhhhs. Light all the food on fire. Torch my lasagna a little bit. Blaze my french fries. Drizzle a little rum on my chowder and bring it out like a flaming witch’s cauldron. Make this the whole theme of your restaurant. Every dish comes out of the kitchen on fire and if the fire goes out before it gets to your table the meal is free. Call the restaurant The Inferno if you want. This is a free idea.

Yes, sure, the danger. I get it. But tell the fire marshal I said it’s okay. We can put little fire extinguishers at every table near the salt and pepper. It’ll be fine. Probably.

ITEM NUMBER FIVE – What is any of this?

You remember Tiger King, yes? The reality series everyone got way into a few years ago? The one about the weirdos who collect big jungle cats and run businesses around it all and kiss the big jungle cats on the mouth like they aren’t sticking their whole face right into the teeth of a predator? It was weird. I didn’t love it. All the people involved seemed very unwell.

One of those people was a woman named Carole Baskin. We don’t have to rehash her whole deal beyond saying that she was the business rival of the be-mulleted star of the show, Joe Exotic, and that her husband mysteriously disappeared at some point and Joe Exotic thinks she might have killed him and fed her to her tigers. Again, weird.

Anyway, she’s in the news again this week because an interview she did last year went viral again for some reason. And in the interview she says… well, this.

The “Tiger King” star declared that her missing ex-husband, Don Lewis, was found alive in Costa Rica, but the discovery is just now going viral — over a year later.

During a resurfaced November 2021 interview with ITV’s “This Morning” talk show, Baskin, 61, alleged that her ex, who was declared legally dead in 2002 after disappearing a few years before, was actually alive and well.

And she elaborated on that more — as one should probably do when one implies that the long-missing husband one is suspected of murdering and feeding to one’s pet tigers is actually alive and well in Costa Rica — by saying this.

“One of the really exciting things that came out of ‘Tiger King 2’ is that they produced a letter from Homeland Security and it says that a special agent in charge with the FBI at Homeland Security reached out to the sheriff’s detective George [Jorge] Fernandez, which means this had to have happened after 2002 because Homeland Security wasn’t even around until 2002,” Baskin told the outlet at the time.

“They said my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica,” she revealed. “And yet all of this drama has been made about me having something to do with his disappearance when Homeland Security has known where he is.”

Which would certainly be big and important news! If it weren’t for… well, this, as reported by TMZ shortly after this all went viral again.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office — which is in charge of Don’s missing person’s case — tells TMZ its had no communication with federal officials to suggest they’ve located Don Lewis. Obviously, the FBI would’ve shared that info, so as far as the Sheriff’s Office is concerned, nothing’s changed — Lewis is still a missing person, and the case remains a priority for HCSO.

Hmm. So, to recap…

…

…

I don’t actually want to recap this. I kind of regret bringing it up at all, now that I sit here and think about it. Let’s pretend it never happened.

READER MAIL

If you have questions about television, movies, food, local news, weather, or whatever you want, shoot them to me on Twitter or at [email protected] (put “RUNDOWN” in the subject line). I am the first writer to ever answer reader mail in a column. Do not look up this last part.

From Kevin:

I just wanted to thank you for your recommendation on The Afterparty. I was desperate for something to watch over the holidays and saw you tweet about it and decided to check it out. I finished the whole season in one Saturday and then watched Glass Onion that night. It was a lot of murder for one day but surprisingly fun.

I came away from it all with two questions m. First, why hasn’t Sam Richardson already been in a Knives Out movie? Second, what can we do to get him in the next one?

Kevin, this was a great email. It’s still a great email but it was also good when you sent it two weeks ago. I’m sorry I’m just getting to it now. I do have good news, though. Not about Sam Richardson starring in the next Knives Out movie, though. Not yet, at least. Although that is a legitimately good idea and if Rian Johnson reads this column — HI RIAN — I hope he takes it under consideration.

No, the good news is this: The Afterparty is coming back for a second season. Soon. In April. And it looks pretty great!

Starring Tiffany Haddish, Sam Richardson and Zoë Chao, season two will introduce new film genres and an expanded cast of characters played by Elizabeth Perkins, Zach Woods, Paul Walter Hauser, Poppy Liu, Anna Konkle, Jack Whitehall, Vivian Wu, John Cho and Ken Jeong.

In season two, a wedding is ruined when the groom is murdered and every guest is a suspect. Detective Danner (Haddish) returns to help Aniq (Richardson) and Zoë (Chao) solve whodunnit by questioning family members, star-crossed lovers, and business partners, and hearing each suspect’s retelling of the weekend, each with their own unique perspective and visual style.

Yes, please. The first season was fun and creative and silly and smart and pretty much everything you could ask for out of a little eight-episode murder mystery. Sam Richardson spent most of the season trying to clear his name while he had cat whiskers and the word “DIARRHEA” scribbled on his face. People sang sometimes. One of the episodes was mostly animated. Just a blast.

Listen to me and Kevin. Watch The Afterparty sometime between now and the season two premiere in April. Thank you.

AND NOW, THE NEWS

To Dallas!

The Dallas Zoo said on Friday afternoon that a clouded leopard that had been missing all day had been recovered after officials said they found a “suspicious” tear in the animal’s enclosure.

This is the only thing I care about now. I know I just said that about the Michael Bay Italian pigeon murder fiasco, but still. Tell me everything. I need to know it all at once.

Officials said they found a tear in the mesh in the zoo’s two-story clouded leopard enclosure. Investigating further, they found Luna, a 3- or 4-year-old clouded leopard, safely in her habitat. But Nova, her sister, was gone.

Sgt. Warren Mitchell of the Dallas police said at a news conference on Friday afternoon that crime scene investigators had determined that the tear in the mesh had been made intentionally.

SUBTERFUGE

SABOTAGE

SKULLDUGGERY

“It was clear that this opening wasn’t habitat failure, wasn’t exhibit failure and it wasn’t keeper error,” Mr. Hudson said.

The police arrived at the zoo on Friday morning with drones equipped with infrared capabilities, which they used to help zoo workers to scan the treetops.

Imagine how excited the cops were to break out their little infrared toys to find this leopard. I bet they’re telling everyone about it this week. I bet they’re telling someone about it right now. Reasonable arguments can be made that this was the best day of their entire lives. Good for them.

But wait. There’s more. Like this, from a few days later…

Police investigating after a clouded leopard escaped her enclosure at the Dallas Zoo say a cutting tool was used to intentionally make an opening in the fence of the small cat’s habitat, and a similar cut was found at a habitat for small monkeys.

Dallas police said Saturday evening that they did not know if the two incidents were related. None of the langur monkeys escaped and none appeared to be harmed.

As far as I can tell, one of three things is going on here:

• Someone is running around trying to free the animals at the zoo, for any number of reasons ranging from moral concerns to a deep love of chaos
• We have a copycat on our hands
• One of the monkeys stole a knife and cut itself out and then cut the leopard free and then tried to sneak back into its little enclosure and pretend nothing happened

All equally possible until we know more.

Netflix changed the game when they shifted from mailing something called “DVDs” to sending the shows straight to our TV back in 2007. They changed it again when they made it clear that they weren’t content to stream other production companies’ movies and TV series — aiming a moonshot at making their own original programming in the hopes that they’d become a dominant studio as well as the spot where you can binge old episodes of Frasier. Make their mark, they did. Within only a few years, they became a powerhouse of original programming, due to a massive budget and the ability to say yes to some unusual ideas.

Here are the 25 best Netflix original series you can watch right now.

25. You

Year: 2018-present
Cast: Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail, Zach Cherry, Shay Mitchell, Victoria Pedretti
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-3: 30 episodes
Created By: Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble
Trailer: Watch here

The hit show that dares to ask the question: “Is it okay for me to like this?” Based on Caroline Kepnes book series, the show stars Badgley as a handsome, charismatic stalker sometimes named Joe who…we’re supposed to root for? It’s gross and manipulative and so, so, so compelling. It’s Talented Mr. Ripley run through the romance ringer where the narrator’s voice in our heads is the man of many names who should really be in prison. The magic of the series is in watching this American psycho get away with following his worst impulses while surrounded by an enthusiastic cast of characters (some of whom are just as bad as he is). The fourth season lands February 9th, and it very well could run as long as “Joe” can. Even then, jail probably wouldn’t put an end to the show’s potential.

Watch it on Netflix

24. Santa Clarita Diet

Year: 2017-2019
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Liv Hewson, Skyler Gisondo
Genre: Horror, Comedy
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-3: 30 episodes
Created By: Victor Fresco
Trailer: Watch here

When Sheila Hammond turns into a zombie, she and her family have to figure out how to transition into a slightly more murdery lifestyle. A girl’s gotta eat, right? But beyond the inconvenience of regularly scheduled killings, the biggest change is that Sheila has almost zero impulse control. Great for parallel parking confidence, but bad for just, you know, general living in society type stuff. There’s probably a version of this show that’s gritty and surreal and dominating an alternate universe HBO, but Fresco and the team decided to go super goofy with it, establishing a hilarious series where Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant can smile their way through it all, no matter how much blood is on their business casualwear.

Watch it on Netflix

23. Unbelievable

Year: 2019
Cast: Toni Collette, Merritt Wever, Kaitlyn Dever
Genre: Drama, True Crime
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 8 episodes
Created By: Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman, Michael Chabon
Trailer: Watch here

A young girl reports her rape to the police, the cops handwave it, and then charge her with lying. Then the details start to line up with a series of other rapes spanning from Colorado to Washington state. Based on a true story and anchored by chilling performances, this knockout series is a chronicle of bad police work, insulting police work, and then heroic police work in service of solving heinous crimes. Dever is phenomenal here as the young woman publicly branded a liar while her rapist stays at large, and the tag team of Collete and Wever is a potent force that showcases how much the well-intentioned have to swim upstream against an uncaring system.

Watch it on Netflix

22. The Umbrella Academy

Year: 2019-present
Cast: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castañeda, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher
Genre: Action, Drama, Superhero, Sci-Fi
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-3: 30 episodes
Created By: Steve Blackman
Trailer: Watch here

The adaptation of the bombastic comic book from Gerard Way (yes, the dude from My Chemical Romance) and Gabriel Ba continues to unfold in bizarre and fantastical ways. It features a dysfunctional team of supers who were all born of a confounding event wherein 43 women all gave birth at the same time on the same day even though none of them were pregnant. What’s the right response? If you’re eccentric billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves, you adopt a bunch and see what weird powers emerge. It often follows traditional superhero storytelling with villains, fights, and the combination of cool powers, but it’s consistently transgressive in vibrant, colorful divergences from the tropes that have been burned into our brains by Marvel.

Watch it on Netflix

21. Lupin

Year: 2021-present
Cast: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme, Soufiane Guerrab
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 10 episodes
Created By: George Kay, Francois Uzan
Trailer: Watch here

Slick, smart, twisty. This French riff on the iconic thief did most of its heavy lifting by casting Sy, who has perhaps never been in the Bond conversation because he’s too cool. In Lupin, he plays a second-generation Senegalese immigrant named Assane Diop who is gifted an Arsene Lupin book by his father — a humble man who is wrongly arrested for stealing a valuable diamond necklace, leading to his committing suicide in prison. The show weaves heists into an ongoing tale about Assane trying to get revenge while balancing his complicated personal life. With directors like Louis Leterrier behind the camera, the series is a fun crime spree with a lead worth cheering on.

Watch it on Netflix

20. The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance (RIP)

Year: 2019
Cast: Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jason Isaacs, Simon Pegg, Benedict Wong, Mark Hamill
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: TV-PG
Runtime: Seasons 1: 10 episodes
Created By: Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews
Trailer: Watch here

Gone too soon, but nowhere near forgotten, the prequel to the Jim Henson movie that scarred every ’80s kid permanently was a triumph of puppetry and fantasy storytelling that was too excellent to survive the streaming jungles. The imagery of the planet Thra is astonishingly beautiful, and that world is filled with an imaginative journey offering us the origin of a conflict between the cruel and corrupt ruling Skesis and the other entities living under their thumb. Whereas the iconic first film was about fulfilling a prophecy, Age of Resistance is about a population waking up to the truth about the ruthlessness of those in power. Plus, that cast list is only about half of the notable names breathing life into these characters, and hearing Mark Hamill’s raspy take on skekTek is a true joy.

Watch it on Netflix

19. Godless

Year: 2017
Cast: Jack O’Connell, Michelle Dockery, Scoot McNairy, Merritt Wever, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Kim Coates, Sam Waterston, Jeff Daniels
Genre: Western, Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 7 episodes
Created By: Scott Frank
Trailer: Watch here

We’re in a bit of a Western resurgence, and Godless is a major part of dusting off the old tropes. Released the same year as Frank’s Logan (or Western Wolverine), it takes the genre seriously even as it slyly reinvents the wagon wheel. O’Connell plays an outlaw on the run from his crime lord after stealing his loot, taking refuge in a town populated almost entirely by women following the horrific collapse of a mine that killed all the men. Life is nasty, brutish, and short, and now they’ve got a fugitive from a revenge-hungry bastard heading right for them. Every character could be described as not taking no guff from no one, and everyone in this murderer’s row cast understood the assignment. A stellar series where the premise is simple so that everything else can be complicated.

Watch it on Netflix

18. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Year: 2015-2019
Cast: Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Carol Kane, Jane Krakowski, Daveed Diggs
Genre: Comedy
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-4: 52 episodes
Created By: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock
Trailer: Watch here

After 30 Rock, everyone wanted to know what Tina Fey and Robert Carlock would do next. Their follow-up concept couldn’t have been further from the sketch show writer’s room. It takes a world-class comedic brain trust to turn a childhood victim of kidnapping and sister wife brainwashing into belly laugh gold. Kimmy missed out on her youth, attacked by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm) and locked in a bomb shelter with several other women until they’re all rescued as adults. Now, she’s trying to adjust to the modern world with the curiosity and mind of a middle schooler. Fortunately, even though New York City is a hell of a town, she has human firework show Titus and cranky landlady Lillian to guide her toward independence.

Watch it on Netflix

17. Dark

Year: 2017-2020
Cast: Andreas Pietschmann, Maja Schone, Anne Ratte-Polle, Florian Panzer
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-3: 26 episodes
Created By: Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese
Trailer: Watch here

There’s no definitive evidence for it, but my theory is that the creators of Dark took the True Detective missive of time being a flat circle and just ran with it. The German series dares to set up a mystery where the main question is not whodunnit, launching a harrowing search for missing children without losing sight of the science fiction weirdness laced throughout its first-degree foundation. As it turns out, the missing kids are just the start, allowing the lives of the Kahnwald, Nielsen, Doppler, and Tiedemann families to unravel thanks to their own secrets. Jumping effortlessly between four separate time periods, Dark matches popcorn-munching intrigue with the chilling terror of a good mystery.

Watch it on Netflix

16. Bridgerton

Year: 2020-present
Cast: Adjoa Andoh, Julie Andrews, Nicola Coughlan, Rege-Jean Page, Jonathan Bailey, Phoebe Dynevor
Genre: Regency Romance, Historical Fiction
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-2: 16 episodes
Created By: Chris Van Dusen
Trailer: Watch here

Courtship. Is. War. Stamped with the Shondaland pedigree, Bridgerton has the plot of a ’90s teen rom-com in the bodice of a Regency era romance. Oh, and a little Gossip Girl thrown in for good measure in the form of Lady Whistledown’s hand-delivered rumor rag. Festooned with all the gorgeous costuming and set decoration befitting something of its high title, the show focuses on Daphne Bridgerton, a young woman newly presented to society but deemed unworthy of marriage. She strikes up a mutually beneficial deal with the highly sought-after Duke of Hastings, who both agree to pretend to be attached to each other to solve their problems. But will it develop into something real?

Watch it on Netflix

15. Midnight Mass

Year: 2021
Cast: Hamish Linklater, Zach Gilford, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, Annabeth Gish
Genre: Horror, Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 7 episodes
Created By: Mike Flanagan
Trailer: Watch here

Mike Flanagan had tried to get Midnight Mass made since the earliest part of his career, keeping the passion project alive first as a fictionalized novel in his movie Hush, and then using the fake book as an Easter egg in other projects like Gerald’s Game. When he finally got the chance to tell the tale, he nailed it right to the church door. Brimming with his continual obsession with “hauntings,” Flanagan’s series focuses on a declining island where a slew of strange things start happening when a cagey priest rides into town. Pro tip: if hundreds of dead cats show up on a beach after a weird priest shows up, get out of town. At least for a little while. Take everyone who will listen with you.

Watch it on Netflix

14. When They See Us

Year: 2019
Cast: Asante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Jharrel Jerome, Marquis Rodriguez, Michael K. Williams, Niecy Nash, Vera Farmiga
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 4 episodes
Created By: Ava DuVernay
Trailer: Watch here

On April 19, 1989, dozens of teenagers assaulted and robbed people in Central Park. Following the initial chaos, a woman was raped, resulting in the arrest and conviction of five Black and Latino youths who became known as the Central Park Five. But they weren’t guilty of the crime. Those convictions weren’t vacated until 2002, and a settlement for the wrongful imprisonment and discrimination wasn’t reached until 2014. It’s been a long road through injustice — a sensitive story surrounded by trauma and real-life stakes — and DuVernay’s series is worthy of telling their story. A stirring and powerful show that seeks the humans behind all the headlines, it’s a poetic and thought-provoking masterpiece of true crime.

Watch it on Netflix

13. Orange Is The New Black

Year: 2013-2019
Cast: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Uzo Aduba, Natasha Lyonne, Samira Wiley, Dascha Polanco, Laverne Cox, Diane Guerrero
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-7: 91 episodes
Created By: Jenji Kohan
Trailer: Watch here

The original hit is still one of the best Netflix has to offer. Kohan’s Weeds follow-up delved into deeper into the world of crime by jumping inside a woman’s prison. A bit of a Trojan Horse, the show initially focused largely on Schilling’s character — a middle class white woman who was in prison on a kind of fluke — but quickly morphed into an ensemble piece about women from all backgrounds and walks of life. Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, the series continually pushed boundaries, utilizing a format which gave us deeper and deeper backstories into dozens of prisoners that layered a tight, complex plot about these people who all had to live together against their own will. They found love, hate, violence, and grace while rattling their cages.

Watch it on Netflix

12. Russian Doll

Year: 2019-present
Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Greta Lee, Charlie Barnett, Elizabeth Ashley, Chloe Sevigny
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Urban Fantasy
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-2: 15 episodes
Created By: Natasha Lyonne, Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler
Trailer: Watch here

This show is an absolute delight. A harsh-lipped riff on Groundhog Day where a snarky software engineer keeps dying at her 36th birthday party. Honestly, the start of your late 30s can feel that way. She, appropriately, freaks out before using her seemingly infinite lives (all restarting in a bathroom to an infectious Harry Nilsson jam) to figure out what the hell is happening. Then she meets a man experiencing the same thing. The show’s unique blend of comedy, nihilism, and personal tragedy is a tightrope walk of perfection that the whole team manages episode after episode. Like other repeating day stories, it’s about righting wrongs, but Russian Doll does it with both a towering sense of glee and a big middle finger stuck high in the air.

Watch it on Netflix

11. Narcos/Narcos: Mexico

Year: 2015-2017/2018-2021
Cast: Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Pedro Pascal, Michael Pena, Diego Luna
Genre: Drama, Crime, Biographical
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-3: 30 episodes/Seasons 1-3: 30 episodes
Created By: Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro
Trailer: Watch here

There are few outlaw figures in the modern era we’re more obsessed with than Pablo Escobar. The drug lord with the biggest mug shot smile of all time has been the subject of tons of books, movies, and TV shows, but Narcos is at the top of the powdery heap. Escobar (played with fantastic intensity by Wagner Moura) faces off against rivals and the DEA while trying to expand his cocaine market dominance through brutal terrorist acts. The show, and its companion series Narcos: Mexico shifts smartly beyond Escobar to explore other drug reigns over a combined 6 seasons of pulse-pounding genius. It’s a good show to watch before you try your hand at the global illicit drug trade because it’ll convince you to take up kite flying or literally anything else.

Watch it on Netflix

10. GLOW

Year: 2017-2019
Cast: Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron, Chris Lowell, Sydelle Noel, Kate Nash
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-3: 30 episodes
Created By: Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch
Trailer: Watch here

Way, way back in the 1980s, Ruth Wilder was an inch away from giving up on her dream of becoming an actress. She was broke, cheating with her friend’s husband, and then she was drawn like a moth to the flame of a vague audition. A last chance. If she’d known what it was for, she probably wouldn’t have gone because it was for a rinky dink wrestling show angling for an F- grade from OSHA. Inspired by the real-world creation of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, this show gave a safe place to a dozen weirdos all looking for a tribe. And health work-life balance. Sometimes you only get to pick one. It’s hilarious and heartfelt, unleashing the intense pressure these women are under as kinetic energy in the ring. Plus, any show with a Rocky IV-esque robot with drugs inside it is an automatic winner.

Watch it on Netflix

9. Maid

Year: 2021
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Tracy Vilar, Billy Burke, Andie MacDowell
Genre: Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 10 episodes
Created By: Molly Smith Metzler
Trailer: Watch here

Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive opens with the line, “My daughter learned to walk in a homeless shelter.” It’s an unflinching look at the strain of poverty, the hatred baked into the red tape system of public assistance, and the struggle to bring up a child when you can’t afford to take care of yourself. The series based on the book carries that unflinching spirit, led by an outstanding performance from Margaret Qualley as a young woman fleeing with her toddler from an alcoholic, abusive husband with no money in her pocket and almost no options. She gets a job cleaning houses, and the daily struggle continues. And continues. And continues.

Watch it on Netflix

8. Wednesday

Year: 2022-present
Cast: Jenna Ortega, Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Christina Ricci
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Drama, Supernatural
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: Seasons 1: 8 episodes
Created By: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Trailer: Watch here

The Addams Family has existed for almost a century, and who could have guessed that the morbid family that first graced issues of The New Yorker would one day go viral for a limb-bending dance sequence on a Netflix show? This series is a huge hit because it focuses in on a single member of the family — offering the scene-stealing Wednesday a chance to lead her own YA horror show — and because Jenna Ortega is a blast in the role. She’s creepy. She’s kooky. She’s altogether ooky. Stuff all that into a winning YA formula of a private school for special/weird kiddos, mix in some nostalgia bombs, set it all to a Danny Elfman score, and you’ve got a show that’s more fun than burning down a summer camp.

Watch it on Netflix

7. Ozark

Year: 2017-2022
Cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skyler Gaertner, Julia Garner
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-4: 44 episodes
Created By: Bill Dubuque, Mark Williams
Trailer: Watch here

Here’s the deal: there are a lot of crime shows on this list. There are a lot of crime shows on television. We love watching people commit crimes — especially big ones that dominate their entire lives and continue on for years and years as they evade capture and death. What makes Ozark special is how the Byrde Family all pull their weight when they have to relocate from Chicago to Missouri to expand a money laundering scheme. It’s miraculous that they kept the plates spinning so fast for four full seasons, performing a circus act of deception and violence that made for hellaciously dramatic television. Bateman (him?) is fantastic in the against-type role, and Linney commands every scene, whether they’re butting heads with low level criminals or the, no kidding, Kansas City Mafia.

Watch it on Netflix

6. Squid Game

Year: 2021-present
Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Wi Ha-joon, Heo Sung-tae
Genre: Drama, Survival, Thriller, Horror
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 9 episodes
Created By: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Trailer: Watch here

It’s easy to see the young woman from Maid being targeted to play the Squid Game. Another series exploring the cruelty heaped upon impoverished people, the South Korean phenom features a group of people all trying to survive a sadistic game show for the pleasure of the wealthiest business people from around the globe. The smirking design of children’s games where you can get shot by a giant doll or tug-of-warred off a high ledge is deviously clever, but the appeal of the show goes far beyond the plot concept. Seong Gi-hun offers us a man to root for, cheering this broken divorcee with a gambling addiction who only wants to get enough money to buy his daughter a nice birthday present. That sweet instinct lures him into a horrorscape of late night fights, fallen friends, and an ever-growing piggy bank of cash.

Watch it on Netflix

5. American Vandal

Year: 2017-2018
Cast: Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck, Jimmy Tatro
Genre: Mockumentary
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-2: 16 episodes
Created By: Dan Perrault, Tony Yacenda
Trailer: Watch here

The most important question of the last ten years: who drew the dicks? Parodying Serial might have been simple in a sketch comedy kind of way, but the team behind American Vandal went all in to create a full series focused, first, on the drawing of 27 penises on cars in the faculty lot of a public high school and, then, on the truly corruptive act of putting laxative in a Catholic school’s cafeteria lemonade. The temptation to wink throughout both seasons must have been excruciating, but everyone involved never flinches as they treat these sophomoric pranks with the deadly seriousness of overturning a wrongful murder conviction.

Watch it on Netflix

4. The Queen’s Gambit

Year: 2020
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Harry Melling, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Bill Camp
Genre: Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1: 7 episodes
Created By: Scott Frank, Allan Scott
Trailer: Watch here

Elizabeth Harmon is so cool that I wish chess were a real game. All jokes aside, this show is whip smart and turned an ancient game into a global powerhouse of popularity. Starting in her troubled years as an orphan, the series follows Harmon as she discovers a natural gift for chess and develops it to international acclaim while her home life with adopted parents collapses. A colorful cast of characters flows in and out of her life as she finds a home and a giant mountain of sexism inside the professional chess world. It cruises through the cool styles of the 1950s and 1960s while making chess a sexy clash of big intellects. It’s addictively easy to binge and will have you hooked before you can even Google “En Passant.”

Watch it on Netflix

3. The Crown

Year: 2016-present
Cast: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith, Tobias Menzies, Jonathan Pryce, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, Lesley Manville, John Lithgow, Gillian Anderson
Genre: Historical Drama
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-5: 50 episodes
Created By: Peter Morgan
Trailer: Watch here

It’s hard to overstate the scale of ambition it takes to produce a show about 8 decades of Queen Elizabeth II‘s life. Somehow, through the clatter and acclaim and scandal, Morgan and a seasoned cast have made it happen. At least, they’re five seasons in, up through the 1990s, with still a little ways to go, but so far the results are impeccable. From the ashes of WWII through Thatcher and Princess Diana, the show has been a jaw-dropped that always edged slightly more toward soap opera salaciousness than historical truth. The results are magnificent, crafting a through line of history that offers fascinating context once it lines up with people and places we recognize from our own childhoods and beyond. A peerless life, drawn in lush costuming, high drama, and memorable performances.

Watch it on Netflix

2. Stranger Things

Year: 2016-present
Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Joe Keery, Sadie Sink
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: Seasons 1-4: 34 episodes
Created By: The Duffer Brothers
Trailer: Watch here

Somehow the Duffer Brothers found a Nostalgia Tree and tapped it, letting flow raw, pure nostalgia into a giant tin bucket before dumping it over all of our heads. Naturally, we couldn’t stop asking for more. The series where a group of Dungeons and Dragons-loving kids have their fantasy monster game spill out into real life has evolved since the early days of little science experiment/orphan Eleven telekinetically fighting back against bullies. They’ve grown up a bit, had hearts broken, and explored places as wild as Soviet gulags and the food court at the mall, all while staying true to a wicked 1980s aesthetic that clashes with the muddy hellscape of the Upside Down. It’s a fun ride unafraid to shred Metallica while the monsters close in, and still the best advertisement for frozen waffles.

Watch it on Netflix

1. BoJack Horseman

Year: 2014-2020
Cast: Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, Aaron Paul
Genre: Black Comedy, Drama, Satire, Surreal Animal Pun Delivery Service
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: Seasons 1-6: 77 episodes
Created By: Raphael Bob-Waksberg
Trailer: Watch here

One of the best (if not the best) television show of the 21st century, it’s impossible to describe the tonal balance of all human emotion to be found in a cartoon show about a talking horse who used to be the star of a wholesome ’90s sitcom who’s trying to claw his way back to relevance in Hollywoo. It is a show about fame, about addiction, about found families, about trust, about life, the universe, and everything. Couched in the colorful world of talking animals and world-class puns, it’s impossibly silly while presenting the depths of depravity of a broken man. No show is as funny or as sad, and beyond its sarcasm and sorrow, several episodes experimented with form in a way almost no other series would dare to even conceive. An absolute all-timer.

Watch it on Netflix

More than Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo is fueled by nostalgia. They regularly pump out new games, yes, but most of the major ones are based on IPs that have been around since as far back as the ’80s. (For example, there’s the upcoming The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom and Pikmin 4, both of which were noted in our recent Most Anticipated Games Of 2023 guide.)

That’s not a bad thing: Nintendo has been able to keep its beloved but aging franchises fresh by taking classic characters and stories in new directions, or just by honing in on what they’ve always done best.

When scanning the Switch’s roadmap as it appears here in early 2023, there’s a lot of nostalgia set for the new year, too. Let’s take a look at some of the key upcoming titles, starting with…

Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection

The Wonder Boy series was beloved in its day, as the arcade and Sega console games were among the most respected of their kind in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The series has gotten a ton of love decades later on the Nintendo Switch, too. Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap (a gorgeously executed remake of the third Wonder Boy game) released in 2017 and was followed by two more remakes: Wonder Boy Returns Remix in 2019 and Wonder Boy: Asha In Monster World in 2021.

Now, the story continues: Wonder Boy Anniversary Collection (which was previously released exclusively as a now-sold-out physical edition from Strictly Limited Games) is hitting the eShop on January 26. This is a real completionist’s compilation, featuring 21 total versions of six different Wonder Boy titles. Unlike the dressed-up remakes (which look and play fantastic, no slight here), these are the games’ original versions, making this collection the ultimate Wonder Boy time machine.

Tales Of Symphonia Remastered

The Tales series isn’t quite as old as Wonder Boy, but it too has a rich and admired history. The debut title, Tales Of Phantasia, was released on Japan’s Super Famicom (but never on the North American equivalent, the Super Nintendo) in 1995. The action RPG was eventually ported to Game Boy Advance and around that same time, Tales Of Symphonia hit the GameCube in 2003.

That was 20 years ago, so now, Bandai Namco and Nintendo are giving it a fresh remaster that’s set to drop on February 17. Based on a recently released trailer, the new version of the game is a major graphical improvement that maintains the original GameCube visual charm.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp

The Advance Wars games are among the best the GBA had to offer, which led to something unfortunate but understandable in early 2022. Nintendo had a reissue of the first two games set for a bundled remaster, dubbed Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, set for that April. In March, however, the game was delayed in light of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine (and that was after it was already delayed from an initially planned 2021 release).

Now, this hasn’t been officially announced yet, but evidence indicates it’s finally scheduled to release on February 24. As a reveal trailer from nearly a year ago shows, it’s a beautiful new look at the pixel art GBA originals, with a delightful blend of chibi-style 3D graphics and vibrant character illustrations.

Kirby’s Return To Dream Land Deluxe

Nintendo and HAL Laboratory have taken the Kirby franchise in a number of varying directions over the years, but 2011’s Wii title Kirby’s Return To Dream Land marked the end of a drought: It was the first traditional Kirby side-scrolling platformer for a home console since 2000’s Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards for the Nintendo 64.

Now it’s getting a remake on February 24 and this isn’t entirely a re-hash of the original game: Deluxe introduces the Mecha Ability, which lets Kirby shoot and punch baddies, depending on the range. With 4-player local co-op, it’s set to be a great couch game with friends, especially if you get into all the mini-games included here, too.

Nintendo Switch Online

The most immediately obvious way to go retro on the Switch is with Nintendo Switch Online, which offers a library of playable NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis games to subscribers. It’s about to be good times for N64 fans, too, as 1080 Snowboarding, Excitebike 64, GoldenEye 007, Mario Party 3, Pokémon Stadium, and Pokémon Stadium 2 are set to be added.

Of particular interest here, though, is GoldenEye, since Nintendo is expanding one of the all-time great local multiplayer experiences by bringing it online. The only bad thing about this is so far, all we have for a release window is “soon,” with no confirmed date having yet been announced.

Jennifer Coolidge is thriving.

The actress won an Emmy, Golden Globe (where she escorted to the stage by Colin Farrell), and Critics’ Choice Award for her performance in HBO’s The White Lotus; she’s also embraced her status as cinema’s most influential MILF since Mrs. Robinson.

Coolidge will next star in Shotgun Wedding alongside Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel (and not Armie Hammer). But who cares about J-Lo when you’ve got a bird’s-eye view of Lenny Kravitz’s dressing room?

“Lenny Kravitz had a room that [you could see] out my balcony,” Coolidge told Access Hollywood at the Shotgun Wedding premiere. “It, like, zeroed in it somehow. The point of view was just on Lenny’s balcony, so I saw everything.” Based on the rock star’s pants-splitting photos from a few years ago, that’s a lot of everything.

Coolidge continued, “He does have a guitar, but he also has a ghetto blaster [a boombox] with the best music because he has his compilation of music. I was hoping he would give me one of those tapes… He’s so sexy. I’m gonna ask him tonight [for a tape]. I’m so glad he’s here tonight. I’m gonna ask him for a lot of things.” Wink.

Shotgun Wedding comes to Amazon Prime Video on January 27.

2023 is here and that means a whole new year of shows, movies, and documentaries is beginning to roll out.

If you’re an ARMY, or a K-pop fan, then you might remember the Disney+ announcement from last year at the 2023 Disney Content Showcase in Singapore. The viewable streaming platform teased two BTS-related documentaries titled BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star and J-Hope’s J-Hope In The Box which both include never before seen footage of the artists exclusively for Disney+.

Announced today (January 20), out of the two projects, J-Hope’s documentary has a release date set for next month on February 17. The film will also be made available on HYBE’s social media mobile and web platform Weverse on the same day.

J-Hope In The Box will follow the BTS member’s journey to his first studio album and headlining performance at Lollapalooza last summer. According to a press release, the doc captures “every footstep he took during approximately 200 days of his journey.” In a report from Billboard, exclusive footage from J-Hope’s listening party and his set at Lollapalooza is expected to be shown.

J-Hope became the first member to release a solo project, within the last year, with his first studio album Jack In The Box. Solo projects followed his release from Jin, RM, and, soon, Jimin.

After 15 years since the band’s last time on stage together, RBD will be touring the US this summer. Last night (January 19), the Mexican pop group revealed the dates for its highly-anticipated reunion trek Soy Rebelde Tour 2023.

Anahí, Dulce María, Christian Chávez, Christopher von Uckermann, and Maite Perroni will reunite under the RBD name to tour the US, Mexico, and Brazil. Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera decided not to return for the reunion tour. The title of the Soy Rebelde Tour 2023 is a reference to the Mexican telenovela Rebelde where the band was formed in 2004. The red tie in the tour logo is an homage to RBD’s school uniforms on the show. In posts across social media, RBD celebrated the band’s return.

“It’s a reality!!!” RBD wrote in Spanish on Twitter. “We’ll see you all very soon!”

Soy Rebelde Tour 2023 will consist of 26 concert dates. RBD will visit arenas and stadiums across the US for 21 of those dates. The tour kicks off on August 25 at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso. The first concert of the tour will take place near the US and Mexico border as a sign of RBD’s international appeal. On December 1, RBD will close out the tour with a homecoming concert in Mexico City.

Tickets for the Soy Rebelde Tour 2023 will be available on January 27. Fans can check out RBD’s official website for more information on the tour.

Find RBD’s upcoming tour dates below.

08/25/2023 — Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso
08/27/2023 — Minute Maid Park in Houston
09/01/2023 — MSG in New York City
09/02/2023 — Eaglebank Arena in Fairfax
09/03/2023 — Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro
09/08/2023 — Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago
09/10/2023 — Ball Arena in Denver
09/13/2023 — Desert Diamond Arena in Phoenix
09/14/2023 — MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas
09/22/2023 — Miami-Dade Arena in Miami
09/23/2023 — Amway Center in Orlando
09/24/2023 — Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta
09/27/2023 — Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg
09/30/2023 — Globe Life Field in Arlington
10/01/2023 — Moody Center in Austin
10/06/2023 — Sap Center in San Jose
10/07/2023 — Golden 1 Center in Sacramento
10/08/2023 — Chase Center in San Fransisco
10/13/2023 — Viejas Arena in San Diego
10/15/2023 — Save Mart Center in Fresno
10/19/2023 — Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles
11/17/2023 — Allianz Parque in São Paulo
11/19/2023 — Est. Nilton Santos Engenhão in Rio de Janeiro
11/24/2023 — Estadio Mobil Super in Monterrey
11/26/2023 — Estadio 3 de Marzo in Guadalajara
12/01/2023 — Foro Sol in Cuidad de Mexico

This week, That ’90s Show, the long-awaited spinoff to That ’70s Show, dropped on Netflix (not to be confused with That ’80s Show, which nobody watched anyway) and fans got to see what the gang has been up to after all these years.

The series brings back some original stars for various guest spots, including Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher. Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith also returned as leading players this season, along with the new gaggle of teens. There’s Leia, Donna and Eric’s daughter, who spends her summer visiting her grandparents in Wisconsin and discovering the wonders of the Foreman’s basement. Jackie and Kelso’s son Jay is also a part of the clan, along with neighbor Gwen and her brother Nate and some more schoolmates. The season follows their various misadventures while on summer break.

At the end of the season, Leia has to go back to Chicago to spend the school year with Eric and Donna, but there is a bit of a cliffhanger regarding Leia’s love interest, which leaves the potential for another season. While Netflix has yet to announce a new season, the showrunners confirmed that the long-term plan would be to have each season take place over summer break, so that the gang can be reacquainted for another season.

“They physically change, they emotionally change, their lives have changed, their goals have changed,” Creator Bonnie Turner told Variety last year. “It just was great story fodder.”

While there is no confirmation of a second season, season one began production last spring for its January release, so any potential next season would likely air in early 2024. That is, of course, assuming that Netflix decides to renew the series.

(Via Variety and Screenrant)

Sam Smith had a big 2023 with their No. 1 hit “Unholy” with Kim Petras that made LGBTQ+ history. They’re preparing for the release of their new album Gloria, arriving later this month, so they went on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to catch fans up.

After talking about singing “Stay With Me” at the White House and changing the lyrics, Fallon asked the performer if they get starstruck. “I do, I do. With pop divas,” they dished. “If I see Rihanna or Madonna, I fall to the floor.” They then talked about how they once skipped school to see Lady Gaga, which ended with them in detention.

At the White House, Smith was alongside Cyndi Lauper to celebrate The Respect For Marriage Act. “For once our families — mine and a lot of my friends and people you know, sometimes your neighbors — we can rest easy tonight because our families are validated,” Lauper said. “And because now we’re allowed to love who we love, which sounds odd to say, but Americans can now love who we love. And bless Joe Biden and all the people that worked on this for allowing people not to worry and their children not to worry about their future. Thank you and thank you for being supportive. And hey, I will sing out to you. Thank you very much.”

Watch Smith on Fallon above.

Gloria is out 1/27 via Capitol and EMI. You can pre-save it here.