Category: News

A few episodes ago, I jokingly wondered about the discussions between the Disney Bobs, Iger and Chapek, and showrunner Jon Favreau over how long The Mandalorian is allowed to go without a Baby Yoda reaction shot. Give the people (and GIF-makers) what they want. I haven’t done the adorable research yet, but I can’t imagine any episode this season went more than five minutes without the camera cutting to Baby Yoda cooing, or eating an egg, or wrecking some dopey Stormtroopers using the Force.

Until “Chapter 15: The Believer.”

The show’s 15th episode, written and directed by Rick Famuyiwa, is the first to not feature a single appearance from Baby Yoda. Or Grogu, whatever. You see his finger in the pilot, and every installment between then and now. The lack of Baby Yoda is a good storytelling decision — he’s still all tuckered out from using the Force and looking like a handcuffed burrito aboard Moff Gideon’s ship — but his absence was noted.

“The Believer” didn’t have any Baby Yoda, but it did have the return of Migs Mayfeld, played by Bill Burr. He and Mando break into an Imperial base, with help from Cara Dune, Fennec Shand, and Boba Fett, where Migs runs into an old commanding officer of his. Valin Hess (played by that classic That Guy actor Richard Brake, who was also the Night King on Game of Thrones) has a drink with Migs and Mando, both in disguise as Imperial soldiers, and brings up Operation Cinder. This triggers something in Migs — in that, he pushes his blaster’s trigger and kills Valin — but what is Operation Cinder?

Basically, and as anyone who played Star Wars Battlefront II already knows, Emperor Palpatine didn’t want the Galactic Empire (his fellow bad guys) to outlive him. So he came up with a diabolical contingency plan: target planets with allegiance to the Empire, and blow them up. The Emperor ordered his loyalists to commit mass genocide if/when he died, which he did (sort of) after being thrown down a reactor shaft by Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi. It was a test, of sorts: “If you really love me, you will rebuild, minus the weak.” One of those planets, Burnin Konn, is where Migs was stationed, hence his violent — and understandable — reaction. If only he had a Baby Yoda to cuddle.

Just like everyone, as the year winds down, Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen are getting reflective. But rather than just creating another regular old list compiling the best of 2020, Hyden and Cohen are launching the official Indiecast awards show, The Indiecasties. Across two episodes, the duo will be awarding the highly sought-after Indiecasties to the best, worst, and downright strangest releases of the year.

This week brings the first of two installments of the award show, and Hyden and Cohen are waiting and ready to bestow some trophies. assigning the most “Indiecast-as-a-genre” album or artist of 2020, Hyden’s favorite “Ian Cohen-core” album and Cohen’s favorite “Steven Hyden-core” album, as well as the year’s most annoying album cycle, and most memory-holed album.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Hyden has been enjoying The Hold Steady catalogue, prompted by the announcement of their forthcoming new album Open Door Policy. Cohen has been listening to a lot of Ogbert The Nerd.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 19 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify below, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here. Stay up to date and follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

No one can argue about 2020 being a beast of a year, in which we truly have needed entertainment to distract us. Part of that desire also includes escaping into other people’s realities, so to speak. We still very much want to see bad guys with a long game get put away for their crimes. Wanderlust is still very much a thing, as is the desire to gather and enjoy amazing food and celebrate culture. Fortunately, we can still experiencing these things vicariously through docuseries, and if this year has done anything right, it’s given us a plentiful supply of TV series, including the below docuseries, to binge while waiting until it’s safe to enjoy humanity (in person) again.

While putting this list together, I expected the true crime genre to loom large, and that’s happened, but also! Zac Efron graced us with his presence in one of the most enjoyable entries of the year, and even a sports-dummy like myself can enjoy Michael Jordan throwing drama. In no particular order — because the subject matter is so wide-ranging, and they’re all worth your time — here are the best 10 TV docuseries of the year.

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark (HBO)

Director Liz Garbus did an incredible job with this portrait of true crime blogger Michelle McNamara’s obsession as an armchair sleuth who eventually aided law enforcement (and inspired them to push harder with new DNA innovations) to nab the Golden State Killer. This series isn’t really about Joseph James DeAngelo, though, in the sense that he’s not given the spotlight after he’s apprehended. Instead, the show strips away the final shreds of power held by a predator; and although this is not light viewing by any stretch, it is ultimately a tribute to and a celebration of McNamara’s prowess. Further, the series is dramatic and suspenseful, but in no way does it sensationalize the violent crimes that sparked McNamara’s search for justice. She deftly wrote about terrifying subject matter in an empathetic way, and never in her mind did she forget that the victims weren’t mere numbers. Instead, she was interested in people. Garbus pieces together excerpts of Michelle’s 2018 book — which was completed by investigative journalist Billy Jensen and crime writer Paul Haynes with a greenlight from her husband, Patton Oswalt, who penned the afterword — with interviews from survivors (who react to the arrest), investigators, and Oswalt. Ultimately, this is an expansive docuseries that more than adequately does service to the epic source material.

Down To Earth With Zac Efron (Netflix)

Now for something completely different. Oh, I loved this series. Zac Efron’s team-up with wellness guru Darin Olien is simply delightful. I can’t stress enough how life-affirming it is to watch this duo get so excited about witnessing how Paris provides an insanely clean water supply while Efron’s (half-jokingly) searching for a merman. When Efron’s not shirtless, he’s raving about “sick” and “rad” geothermal power and learning how to bake bread inside of volcano-heated soil. He and Olien shout at other from two different continents, and they tangle with urban beekeepers. It’s all very casually regarded, and yes, what they witness is often truly mind-blowing stuff. It’s a mostly relaxing voyage too, but the episode that solidified my fandom most was actually a serious one, in which Efron and Olien visit Puerto Rico over a year after Hurricane Maria. At first, Efron hesitates to sign a wall of heroes that have come to help provide relief for the still-devastated U.S. territory. He doesn’t feel that he’s done anything to deserve being recognized, but later in the episode, he does a seemingly small thing that changes a woman’s life. She’d been living in the ruins of her home, unable to remove all of the debris, and Efron just stands up and does it for her with a few hands from the crew. That’s the essence of this whole series: the smallest of gestures can make a world of difference in healing our world, and it’s very “whoa” when that happens.

Murder On Middle Beach (HBO)

Director Madison Hamburg (who, incidentally, happens to be sort of a Zac Efron lookalike) brings us the culmination of a decade-long project following the murder of his mother, Barbara, in 2010. It’s a crime that remains unsolved, due to something procedurally sketchy on the part of law enforcement, and Madison placed himself into startlingly risky situations during his quest for the truth. It’s mind-boggling to fathom how Madison kept it together for the entirety of this project, as he interviewed various family friends and members, some of whom he was able to exonerate. Did the crime have something to do with her estranged husband, whose financial dealings were highly suspect, or can the murder be tied to “Gifting Tables,” for which multiple fellow participants were convicted in a Ponzi scheme after Barbara’s death? This series goes places that even Madison did not expect, and it’s a heck of a mystery that will keep you guessing after the end.

Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)

Clearly, this series unfurls as a deeply personal journey for Padma Lakshmi in her latest show that presents her twist on the American dream. Lakshmi revels in shining a light on marginalized people’s experiences, and as a formerly poor immigrant kid-turned-household-name emcee of sorts, she comes by her host role honestly. And Lakshmi’s compassion for her subjects knows no bounds, for she shines a light on the pain that results from American appropriation of dishes crafted by immigrants. It’s a gutsy, confident, and airtight approach, and in the end, Lakshmi exposes how Americans have essentially colonized everything, even the culinary accomplishments of immigrants. Somehow, none of it feels like a lecture, and that’s down to Lakshmi’s charismatic ways. At times lighthearted and others dead serious, she takes viewers on a whirlwind tour that manages to enthrall while also leaving an indelibly educational mark. It feels like a substantive game-changer for food-obsessed travel shows to up the ante on what they (pun intended) bring to the table.

Love Fraud (Showtime)

Online dating has never been for the faint of heart. Sometimes, even, a sociopath is afoot, and that person is really good at mirroring what their date wants to find in a mate. In this series, the warning factor is cranked up to eleven while showcasing the wild feats of one man, who managed to swindle dozens of women and leave them in financial and emotional shambles. Richard Scott Smith grifted his way through dozens of relationships, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake. The level of deceit he pulls off — time and time again, the rushed sense of connection and commitment and the emptied bank accounts — are the work of a master con-man. In this series, Smith’s victims finally get to tell their stories, and their collective experiences are awe-inspiring, as is the baffling appearance of Smith himself from prison. He seems so utterly unremarkable, and part of the mystery here is how, exactly, he managed to so smoothly prey upon the affections of countless women who appear to have their heads on (mostly) straight. There are also strange things afoot at a seafood restaurant (yes, there are weird, Tiger King-esque vibes), but overall, it’s a compelling glimpse into a bizarre long game from a predator and a heroic swing from a lady bounty hunter.

The Last Dance (ESPN Films/Netflix)

Michael Jordan’s miniseries does not even come close to landing in my usual wheelhouse. Yet even I was aware of the overwhelming reception to this (controversial) project from the NBA superstar, who led the Chicago Bulls to six championships. Obviously, I was not part of the initial ESPN audience for this one, but knowing how greatly this project affected those who did tune in led me to realize that, yes, I needed to watch and see what the buzz was about in order to not ignore it while writing this list. After broaching the subject with my sports-literate best friend over Thanksgiving, the binging began. No doubt, Jordan is painting his own picture of events here, and since I’m not aware of what the truth is — and cannot accurately judge whether Jerry Krause deserved to be drawn as a villain — all I can really do is comment on the entertainment factor. And reader, I was highly entertained by all the saltiness (“Don’t ever talk trash to Black Jesus”) and this extraordinary cast of characters, including wild, wild Dennis Rodman and that Scottie Pippin fellow (who ended up not being happy about this). Oh my god, the level of high drama here could rival the entire Kardashian empire.

McMillion$ (HBO)

Back in the day whilst dipping McDonald’s french fries into milkshakes, I never imagined that so much intrigue would spawn from this fast-food restaurant’s Monopoly game. Nor did anyone really grasp that the game could be rigged to the point where the FBI was on the case (McDonald’s itself had nothing to do with the rigging) and figured out that big-scale winners were suspiciously connected, and so on. The complexity and twists of the whole story all feel surreal, and of course the mob is part of the story, which yeah, no wonder I didn’t win millions of dollars. Then there’s Agent Doug, who had more fun on the show (while talking about how he’s taking down the fraudulent ring) than everyone this year combined. I’m happy for Agent Doug, and I’m amazed to remember that this show aired in the early part of 2020. Really? Yes, and it feels like five years have passed since then, so it might already be time to revisit this limited series again.

Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)

This revival turned out to be as addictive as the original series even though some key changes — like declining to replace Robert Stack as host and face of the franchise, along with making each episode a deep dive of one case — updated the show for the streaming audience. Two batches of cases thus far prove that people’s appetites for crowdsourcing knowledge of cold cases won’t die anytime soon, and hopefully, the power of the Internet will lead to a lot more credible tips coming together to provide closure to families. Really though, Netflix has hit this project out of the ballparks so far. From stories about a dumbfounding rooftop disappearance and a French house of horrors to tsunami ghosts and a death row inmate allowed to go shopping for Christmas, some of these scenarios read like horror movies. The show’s still a bounty of compelling cases that supply no shortage of chills.

Deaf U (Netflix)

This reality series is more engaging than one could ever imagine. In short, Deaf U shines a groundbreaking spotlight upon the Deaf community at Washington, D.C.’s esteemed Gallaudet University. As the title indicates, the show follows deaf and hard of hearing college students, who are indulging in every type of antic that one comes to expect from, well, college students. Things get soap-opera-y on many occasions, but one never loses sight of the fact that these students are fiercely protective of themselves, and they’re very aware of how their conversations (in ASL and sometimes mouthed/verbalized as well) are presented to the camera. Dating and romantic rivalries and bar hopping and hookups and friendships and gym-going all go down, so it’s voyeuristic in that way, but the show also spreads an illuminating amount of insight about Deaf culture and identity, along with their experiences both as individuals and a full-on community.

Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (Netflix)

Those audience members who have already gobbled up all of the wide-ranging accusations surrounding the international sex-trafficking ring of Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, won’t find too many surprises in this docuseries, but it’s nonetheless worth watching to reinforce exactly how twisted of a trail the tycoon left behind following his August 2019 death in jail. Epstein (along with Ghislaine) was accused of abusing women and underage girls for decades, and their connections with Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz, and Britain’s Prince Andrew continue to spark questions of accountability. Over the course of four episodes, director Lisa Bryant doesn’t interview Ghislaine, but she does untangle Epstein’s complex web, which is aptly described as a “molestation pyramid scheme” that haunts dozens of survivors to this very day. That’s where this docuseries comes in and refuses to let Epstein’s death affect these women’s fight for justice. They all agreed to appear for reasons that define the very purpose of a true-crime docuseries: to shine a light on horrors that were committed with the hope that a scheme like this won’t ever be allowed to happen again.

In the midst of Disney+’s news dump of announcements during Disney Investor Day 2020, trailers for the new Marvel shows dropped in addition to a first tease of Loki in a prison jumpsuit. As charismatic as Tom Hiddleston’s jokester is, he does deserve punishment for all his Tesseract shenanigans and generally being a pain in the ass to Thor and the Marvel Cinematic Universe at large. What of the other shows, though, that will be arriving sooner? Well, the new The Falcon And The Winter Soldier trailer looks absolutely fantastic, which is great news for everyone who anticipated a Sam Wilson/Bucky Barnes buddy comedy after the two squabbled in a cramped car while also looking on approvingly at Captain America being semi-smooth with Sharon Carter.

The trailer previews high-flying action, literally on behalf of Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, with a straight-up adventure feel as the two continue to work out their dynamic’s rough spots and assemble together without really knowing what their plan is. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky undertakes some badass gunplay, we’ve got explosions, and yep, this should be a crowd-pleaser, even though we’re seeing Bucky with the Short Hair. Given that the show takes place following Avengers: Endgame, we know that Steve Rogers has already passed the shield onto Sam, and even though Bucky seemed pretty cool with this decision at the end of the Infinity Saga, comic-book fans know that he, too, has taken up the shield, so it’ll be interesting to see if this matter’s ever addressed as a source of conflict within the Disney+ series.

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (which is currently planned as a March 2021 release) will also include Emily Van Camp returning as Sharon Carter/Agent 14 and Georges St-Pierre as returning villain Batroc the Leaper. In addition, we’ll see the Bucky and Falcon team up against Daniel Brühl’s Zemo, who hails all the way back to 2016’s Captain America: Civil War.

While Disney+ was doing its Marvel thing at the event, they went ahead and dropped a final WandaVision trailer ahead of the show’s January 15th debut. This one plays up the sitcom feel even more with an appearance by Kathryn Hahn’s nosy neighbor character. Unfortunately, we did not see Vision’s unit, but it’s still very much looking like a not-at-all-subtle homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show and Bewitched with some The Outer Limits for good measure. Yes, the MCU is finally making things weirder.

The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball had to do things differently this year, obviously. What is normally a live concert event was forced to go virtual for 2020, but the performances didn’t suffer for it. Participating artists brought their all, which for a handful of them included some covers of holiday classics.

For example, Billie Eilish, backed by Finneas on piano, delivered a rendition of “Silver Bells,” and her hushed, breathy vocals work tremendously with the subdued Christmas favorite.

Doja Cat also popped up to sing “Santa Baby” in a red and perfectly Christmas-y set that featured a brightly lit tree, a spiral staircase, and a fluffy, comfortable-looking robe for Doja.

BTS made an appearance, although not as a featured performer. They spoke some between performances, but took the opportunity to offer an of-the-cuff a capella rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

Lewis Capaldi showed up to cover Wham’s “Last Christmas,” but he shined brightest during his brief interstitial segments. Dressed as Santa, Capaldi declared at one point, “Hello fans, Lewis Capaldi here. Hope you’re all well. It’s been a terrible year!” During another bit, he spoke about the hope this year has brought him before concluding, “Also, I think my hemorrhoids are gone, so that brings me great hope, too.”

Check out the highlights above.

It feels weird to be sad about losing some good television shows in a year when so much went wrong, but screw it, we’re going to do it anyway. The human mind is a powerful thing, capable of processing many different thoughts and feelings at one time. You can be worried about the state of the world and also very sad that, like, a show about lady wrestlers won’t be on anymore. It’s doable. You can do it. We’re doing it right now.

But not every ending is a sad one. Some shows came to more organic conclusions, wrapping things up on their own terms instead of getting yoinked away abruptly. This is a rarity in recent years. You should take note of it when it happens and be happy about it. So we’re doing that, too. Here is our little tribute to some of the very good television shows we said goodbye to this year, for whatever reason. It’s part funeral, part celebration… like all good goodbyes.

The Good Place

It’s going to take everything I have to not write “The Good Place was more like The Great Place” somewhere in this blurb. There are two primary reasons for this: One, my brain is a mangled collection of sticks and dirt; two, the show was incredible. Really, it was. Think about the ground it covered. It was a network sitcom that tackled the afterlife and ethics and went deep on philosophical principles that rarely get discussed outside a college classroom, and it was also legitimately funny, all the time. Find me another show that can name-check utilitarianism and also have a running gag about a restaurant called Stupid Nick’s Wing Dump. And when you can’t do that, think about this: In the middle of all this deep philosophy talk and stupid food puns, there was a show about friendship and found families and flawed people trying to make themselves a little better every day. There was heart in there, a lot of it, which should not be possible with everything else the show had going on. By the end of its run, I cared more about Jason Mendoza, doofus Florida breakdancer who loved video games and the Jacksonville Jaguars, than I did about some real people I know. That’s some kind of accomplishment. I guess when you think about it, The Good Place was… more like… (I’m sorry)… (I can’t help myself)… The Great Place. — Brian Grubb

GLOW

Through and through, the cancellation news on this one really hurt for a few reasons. First, it truly stung to see the very good, smart “lady wrestler” show (which I will add showcased wonderful, realistic emotional and professional dynamics) get canceled when fluff like Emily In Paris nabs a renewal like it ain’t no thing. Don’t tell me that, during our Covid-19 times, it will be super easy to shoot a touristy show in comparison to an ensemble show where a core cast can be sequestered for wrestling scenes, ya dig? Second, I was slightly surprised by the initial Season 4 announcement because it felt like last year’s run was designed as a last hurrah, but then we saw a renewal, only to have it snatched away because (by Netflix’s reasoning) it was deemed unsafe to film those wrestling scenes (with huffing and puffing) in close quarters. Yet Space Force is somehow markedly different, even though Steve Carell did plenty of huffing and puffing, too, all over a close-quarters ensemble cast. (I’m being silly about the huffing, but don’t yank my lady show away without expecting me to be ornery about it.)

What I’m saying is this: I expected a cancellation, got a renewal, and then a cancellation with a loosey-goosey explanation. Not cool! And yes, I would have liked to know whether Ruth and Sam would get it together, and whether Ruth and Debbie would get it together, and whether Ruth would get it together with herself. Call me, Ruth. We need to chat. — Kimberly Ricci

Schitt’s Creek

We have mixed feelings about the final season of Schitt’s Creek. On the one hand, the show’s creator Dan Levy was able to go out on his terms, giving us a handful of episodes that neatly wrapped up the storylines of characters we’ve grown to love for the past six seasons – and treated us to Moira Rose in full Pope-couture for that long-awaited wedding. On the other hand, it’s 2020, a year when we’re desperately clinging to the things that bring us joy. To lose a show as funny and heartfelt and inventive as this Canadian-comedy about a removed-from-reality family of elites forced to slum it with townies and earn their own way in life for once? Well, that just feels unnecessarily cruel. This year might’ve felt like a never-ending spin on Satan’s merry-go-round but we’ll remember Schitt’s Creek a much-needed beacon of what good comedy about good people looks like.– Jessica Toomer

Bojack Horseman

Where to even begin? BoJack Horseman was my favorite show of the 2010s, and although it only aired for a half-season in 2020, it will probably still rank among my favorite shows in the 2020s, too. It’s my second favorite show ever, after The Simpsons (I have a type), and I even transcribed the “it does get easier” line on a rubber bracelet that I would wear during important life events, like running marathons. The first time I had it on while wheezing my way through 26.2 miles of misery, I set a personal record and cried tears of happiness. The second time, I wasn’t able to finish the marathon and ripped it off in anger and sadness. “Happiness.” “Anger.” “Sadness.” These are all words I would use to describe BoJack Horseman (also: puns), and just like that rubber bracelet, I miss it all the time. But I miss you most of all, Todd. Life hasn’t been the same without your crazy shenanigans in it. — Josh Kurp

Supernatural

I didn’t watch much of Supernatural (missed it at the start, too many episodes to catch up on), mostly catching a half episode here and there as my wife watched religiously. But I’m so glad the show existed for all that it meant to its fans. Now, sure, people love the pop culture they consume. These things entertain, they captivate, and they are there as a distraction and a salve. But some shows just seem to create a community where that affection burns a little brighter and where it feels more symbiotic. Supernatural had that and so, especially this year, it deserves a little shout out and a nod of respect for carrying on for so long with charm, humor, brotherly bonding, and ridiculous demon and monster slaying. And the car. That was a cool f*cking car. — Jason Tabrys

Homeland

It’s weird that Homeland was still on in 2020. Doesn’t it seem like a show that should have ended in, like, 2015? Definitely before the Trump administration. Modern Family, too. They were once both Emmy titans, but unlike Modern Family, Homeland ended with a strong season. In other words, it did not — to coin a term inspired by another Showtime drama — pull a Dexter. It was oddly comforting to know that for 12 weekends a year, Claire Danes was still playing Carrie Mathison, and Mandy Patinkin was still playing Saul Berenson, and Timothée Chalamet was mercifully no longer still playing the worst character on the show (yes, Finn Walden was worse than Dana Brody). Homeland had a good run, but I’m glad it’s over. All that free time allows Patinkin to follow his true passion: making extremely delightful videos on Twitter with his wife. — Josh Kurp

Drunk History

Maybe we’re just suckers for original comedy sketch shows that combine worrisome amounts of alcohol with surprisingly insightful history lessons, but 2020 feels like the absolute wrong time to be doing away with a show that makes us laugh and teaches us something about our shared past. I don’t know what will be missed more: watching host Derek Waters play babysitter to famous comedians so sloshed, they throw-up off-camera and pass out on their living room floors, or delighting in guest stars like Laura Dern mouthing drunken dialogue that has her barking like a madwoman while telling the story of the first woman to infiltrate a mental asylum undercover. And don’t even get me started on that Lin-Manuel Miranda show-tunes singing Hamilton re-telling. This is truly a heavy loss for niche comedy on TV. — Jessica Toomer

High Fidelity

Good news and bad news. Good first: High Fidelity was a blast. The television reimagining of the 2000 John Cusack film was better than it had any conceivable right to be. A lot of the credit goes to Zoe Kravitz, who carried the show with charm and vulnerability, which is kind of a requirement when your main character spends a chunk of every episode talking straight into the camera. But the supporting cast was really good too, more than just branches off of the trunk of her tree. They were a whole little garden, friends who cared about each other while trying to navigate a tricky stage of life. That’s all the show was. It didn’t tackle huge issues, no one was trying to save the world. It was just a good show about people. You could do a lot worse.

This brings us to the bad news: Hulu canceled the show after one season. One season! I don’t usually get mad about cancellations anymore, but this one stung. I hate it. — Brian Grubb

Patriot Act

When former The Daily Show Hasan Minhaj first strode onstage and declared, “We did it, baby,” I was thrilled to see him begin to deliver stories that felt both urgent and timeless, but I also sensed that the show faced an uphill battle. A little under two years later, the cancellation news arrived when we need the show most, and I gotta imagine that has everything to do with streaming-only talk shows struggling to find their feet in a crowded late night-esque landscape. In particular, Netflix hasn’t hesitated to cancel Michelle Wolf and Joel McHale’s well-received shows when they couldn’t maintain eyeballs, but I sure did root for Patriot Act in a time when we’re already littered with The Daily Show imitators. Unquestionably, Minhaj felt passionate about his chosen subject matter, and he (not unlike John Oliver) infused his subjects with dark humor while maintaining an appropriate tone. It’s a tough tightrope along which to maneuver, but in the end, the show simply was too deep-divey to be bingeable, and it’s really, really hard to get people to tuck into streaming, politically-oriented talk without a built-in audience for the host. I imagine Jon Stewart will eventually have better luck at HBO Max (and one can only hope that’s the case). — Kimberly Ricci

Empire

I checked out on Empire around season 3. I don’t remember what happened. I think we just lost touch. It couldn’t have been a jump the shark moment because the show jumped sharks all the time. It was part of its charm. Like, acknowledge that Empire was Succession before Succession but every episode was Boar On The Floor. Do it. Acknowledge the electricity of Cookie and how Taraji P. Henson breathed life into one of those rare characters that you track whenever they’re on-screen even if they don’t have the ball. Because you know, at any point, fireworks. Or the petty and style and ferocity of Lucious Lyon and all Terrence Howard brought to the role. I don’t really have much more to say. This is one where larger than life characters linger in the memory more than specific plot points and stories. It just seemed like someone should mark the occasion of its exit since, for a bright shining moment, we were all about it in a way that feels near impossible with a broadcast show now. — Jason Tabrys

I’m Sorry

Historically, most sitcoms have flat out sucked at portraying marriage. The husband is a buffoon, the wife is a cold know it all. They never have sex, they stay together for the kids. Generations of TV writers have brought their shit to work with them, codifying into a genre that is as depressing as it is boring. Or lazy. That’s probably a better term. Like, marriage can be cool. Why writers run from and not towards that fact is a mystery to me. But I’m Sorry did the opposite. Andrea Savage (who created the show) and Tom Everett Scott’s pairing oozed chemistry and a kind of on-screen shorthand that made you feel like these characters genuinely liked each other. That they were excited to navigate the weirdness of parenthood and this world together. It’s something I honestly haven’t seen since Mad About You, which is the gold standard when it comes to sitcom marriage goals. TruTV clearly agreed even though the show didn’t have the following it deserved. Then COVID hit and, to my memory, I’m Sorry was the first of many (GLOW, Stumptown) to get whacked after securing a renewal, owing to a changing economic climate and complexities of filming in this era. And so here we are, eulogizing the show after two really strong, silly, and smart seasons. It’s not a lot of time to build a legacy, but one does exist, showing the way for others that try to portray the complexities and charms of marriage in a comedy. — Jason Tabrys

The Society

You either love or hate teen dramas but you can’t deny The Society gave us something different when it came to the genre. Sure, there were hormonal young adults running around, screwing anything that moved and stirring up a real sh*tshow with their childish drama, but there were also moments of real promise. The series’ plot for one, which imagined a community of kids left to fend for themselves after all of their parents mysteriously disappear. By the end of the season, we’re not sure if this is the result of some strange social experiment or an alien invasion or some kind of weird plague. But the why matters less than the consequences of this phenomenon because the show’s strongest moments focus on how these teens rebuild some semblance of society without adult oversight. There’s tension, betrayal, surprising choices in leadership, and of course, toxic romantic entanglements, but it was all watchable as hell and carried by a talented young cast. It’s a shame we’ll never know how this modernized “Lord of the Flies” saga really ends. — Jessica Toomer

Fox News spent much of the spring downplaying the world-altering impact that COVID-19 could have on America. The public health crisis that’s followed that denial of basic facts from our nation’s leadership has caused nearly 300,000 deaths, an untold number of which could have been prevented with a more thorough acceptance of the basic science behind the pandemic and safety measures to help control it.

And now, even people on Fox News have noticed the network’s impact on those who continue to deny the severity of the pandemic or even acknowledge the rising death toll that’s followed an explosion of cases in the United States in recent weeks. On Thursday, the result was one anchor attacking a guest for pointing out that spiral of silence in the first place.

As The Hill pointed out the incident happened between guest Marie Harf and Outnumbered host Harris Faulkner, who quickly defended the network in a tense segment, in which Harf broke the fourth wall, in a sense, and pointed out that people on the program were arguing about various safety restrictions in place in states without talking directly about the horrific number of people coronavirus is killing each day:

“We’re 43 minutes into this show and we haven’t mentioned that 3,000 Americans died yesterday. More than on 9/11,” said panelist Marie Harf, a former Democratic staffer who often serves as a liberal panelist on Fox News’s program “Outnumbered”…

Harf added that public health officials are “not perfect” but they are “trying” to slow the spread of the coronavirus and said Americans “cannot lose sight of the tragedy that is unfolding in the country, in large part because people want to go about life as normal, and a lot of people don’t want to wear masks even though the evidence is overwhelming that they save lives.”

Other mental gymnastics on COVID-19 has been going on lately with guests appearing on Fox News. That includes a Trump surrogate claiming Joe Biden was not fit for the presidency because he didn’t have “firsthand experience” with coronavirus. As in, he didn’t contract COVID-19 like Trump did. But the raw numbers (behind the sense that Fox is downplaying the soaring death toll fueled by a lack of cohesive masking and coronavirus safety measures nationwide) are clear. A day after the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the New York Times reported more people died of coronavirus than the total killed in the attack that brought the United States into World War II.

But rather than take the note, Faulkner defended Fox News and the size of their collective hearts, which apparently go out to the unmentioned people killed by COVID-19 each day while panelists argue about hair salons and governors who refuse to issue mask mandates amid skyrocketing case counts and deaths:

“I feel like Marie, you took a shot at us there,” Faulkner said. “But if you don’t think that our hearts are big enough to mourn for the people who we have lost during the pandemic, what exactly are you trying to say? That is offensive and is not true.”

Faulkner argued the best way to “protect those people we love so much is to make sure the decisions that we make give them longevity after the pandemic as well.”

Faulkner wanted Harf to “keep your judgment some place where you know you can fact check it because you can’t see my heart.” But others have actually fact-checked the number of times the daily death count — which is breaking new records daily and is likely to rise even further after a well-traveled Thanksgiving in America despite the pandemic — on Fox News, and it can’t even beat Hunter Biden these days.

It’s a horrible situation all around, and talking about death all day might not make for the best of television. Still, while Fox News may not like getting shots taken at it from its own guests, it’s hard not to wonder if maybe Harf hit a bit of a nerve here.

Jeopardy! is a game of structure and rules, so learning that one of them is entirely arbitrary may rattle some longtime fans of the most popular syndicated trivia show in America. And yet, here we are, slowly seeing many of the institutions we’ve come to rely upon erode before our very eyes.

The latest, perhaps less consequential example of this comes from journalist Clare McNear, who wrote a book about Jeopardy! called “Answers in the Form of Questions” this year. She also wrote a post for The Ringer about who the next permanent host of the show may be, as Ken Jennings has taken over the duties temporarily following the death of Alex Trebek.

The most fascinating part of that story, however, was pointed out by McNear herself on Twitter: the show’s host is actually in charge of determining when to ring the tone that signals when contestants ran out of time to answer a question. Yes, though you likely may have assumed there’s a set time players have, it’s really up to the host to physically press a button that plays the chime. This was revealed by other hosts of spinoff Jeopardy! shows, including Bob Bergen, the former host of Jep!

Both Bergen and Patrick remember the surreal experience of finding themselves suddenly in control of that iconic blue set. “I will tell you, it is one of most difficult jobs in the world to host a game show,” says Bergen. He still recalls his shock when he realized that the boop-boop-boop tone that sounds when contestants don’t ring in wasn’t automated—the host, be it him or Trebek, had a button in front of him to manually trigger it. “The very first day, Harry”—Harry Friedman also oversaw the trio of spinoffs—“is showing me the podium with the button. I said, ‘Wait a minute, there’s no set time? Do you edit it down so people don’t go, ‘How come he had ten seconds and he had four?’ He said, ‘Nope, and nobody in the history of the show has ever questioned it.’”

The tough-to-describe sound is impossible to not hear if you’re a fan of the show, which is why an audio example of time differences may help here. A handy video of four different clues all being read by Trebek surfaced online after the Ringer article was published. And what may have been dismissed as editing for time now seems to make a lot more sense: it was actually Trebek deciding when players didn’t have the answers and it was best to move on.

If anything, it’s a simple reminder of just how much of an impact Trebek had on Jeopardy! and how daunting the task of replacing him will be. Not only was Trebek the voice of the show, he quite literally controlled how the game flowed. Contestants have trained their answering skills on the signaling device on the cadence of his voice and the way he ended questions to get their timing down. But, as it turns out, it was also his own skills on a different button that was key to the show’s pace over the decades as well.

[via The Ringer]

Netflix is giving fans a good mix of genres to choose from with this week’s lineup. First is Ryan Murphy’s musical spectacular, The Prom. It’s got a who’s-who call sheet — everyone from Meryl Streep to Nicole Kidman and Keegan-Michael Key is in this thing — and a heartfelt story that survives the more outrageous Broadway bits. Then there’s Jessica Chastain’s under-the-radar spy thriller, Ava, which sees her kicking a** and taking names alongside Colin Farrell and John Malkovitch.

Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.

The Prom (Netflix film streaming 12/11)

Ryan Murphy’s bedazzled Broadway adaptation lands on Netflix this week to give us over-the-top musical numbers from the likes of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden. The story focuses on a teenage girl from a small town who’s barred from attending prom with his girlfriend — because, well, people are bigots. In swoops Streep’s aging starlet and Corden as her dandy sidekick. They intend to help the town see the light of inclusion and acceptance while rehabbing their own suffering image. It’s gaudy, full of glitter, but it’s got a good message, and really, what else are you watching right now?

Ava (film streaming 12/7)

Did you know Jessica Chastain put out a movie this year? Us neither. But her spy action-thriller just landed on Netflix — blame the pandemic we guess — and it looks like a good primer for her next espionage venture which should come early next year. In this globetrotting romp, Chastain plays an assassin who’s double-crossed by her handler (Colin Farrell) and goes on the run to clear her name and reunite with her estranged family. The plot gets a little too thick rather quickly but there are some good performances in there from the likes of the two leads and John Malkovich.

Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:

Avail. 12/5
Detention
Mighty Express: A Mighty Christmas

Avail. 12/7
Ava
Manhunt: Deadly Games

Avail. 12/8
Bobbleheads The Movie
Lovestruck in the City
Mr. Iglesias: Part 3
Spirit Riding Free: Ride Along Adventure
Triple 9

Avail. 12/9
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love: Christmas
The Big Show Show: Christmas
Rose Island (L’Incredibile storia dell’Isola Delle Rose)
The Surgeon’s Cut

Avail. 12/10
Alice in Borderland

Avail. 12/11
A Trash Truck Christmas
Canvas
Giving Voice
The Mess You Leave Behind (El desorden que dejas)
The Prom

And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:

Leaving 12/14
Hart of Dixie: Seasons 1-4

Leaving 12/17
Ip Man 3

Kid Cudi announced the tracklist for his now-released album Man On The Moon III: The Chosen earlier this week, and one of the standout guests featured on it is Phoebe Bridgers. Now that the album has dropped, their joint effort, “Lovin’ Me,” is out in the world.

While Bridgers’ collab with The 1975 saw the band take on her style, the opposite happens with her Cudi guest spot. “Lovin’ Me” isn’t a folk-leaning song, but instead a hip-hop-inspired ballad on which the two sing about self-love.

While this may not have been the most expected collaboration in the world, it’s not out of Cudi’s wheelhouse. He has worked with a number of indie artists on songs before, including Haim, St. Vincent, Father John Misty, and MGMT.

There was a hint this summer that the two artists had some mutual admiration. Cudi shared on Twitter that he was listening to Bridgers’ song “Scott Street,” to which she replied, “hum with me.” Cudi responded, “ur dope” before James Blake chimed in, “Can I hum too?” Cudi replied, “Phoebe and James [thinking emoji] sounds like something,” then Bridgers capped off the exchange, “oh f**ccckkkk.”

Listen to “Lovin’ Me” above.

Man On The Mon III: The Chosen is out now via Republic. Get it here.