Did the Emmys get it right?
And Netflix cancels new show
What to know
Here’s everything Emmys! (Full winners list) 🏆
Netflix was the big winner, not only getting its first top series wins (The Crown and Queen’s Gambit) but also becoming the most feted network for the first time. It’s Netflix’s world, we all just watch shows in it. All in all I’d give the broadcast a B-, not great but watchable. And the winners an A+ — there were plenty of cool surprises and wasn’t much to fuss about. 🍿
It’s also the Brits’ world as UK shows and talent won more than half of the night’s awards. Us Americans just love hearing those accents 🇬🇧
Meanwhile, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale broke the record for most Emmy LOSSES in one year. I checked out of Handmaid’s after season one (it was enough) — but from what I’ve heard this is about right. The Emmys have always nominated once-great shows long after they jumped the shark. 🦈
Paramount+ might have screwed up the stream with a secret premium requirement, but the show ended up rising in its total audience numbers for the first time in 7 years! Chalk it up to a bounce back to normalcy or the inclusion of blockbuster shows like WandaVision, that’s good news for award shows and TV in general. 📈
And yet, those genre shows that are so popular with viewers—Mando, Wanda—walked away with nothing 🙁
And here are some video highlights: Seth Rogen hilariously called out the Emmys at the Emmys, Bowen Yang got his steps in, and Hannah Waddingham delivered the first and best speech of the night. ⚽️
Angela Bassett’s wax figure looks exactly like her… will the really AB please stand up? 🤯
Russia beats Tom Cruise to film first movie in space… sorry Tom, you’ll have to stick to death-defying stunts on Earth 🛰
How to With John Wilson season 2 coming Nov 26… John Wilson just saved Thanksgiving 🦃
The Obi-Wan show has already wrapped production… our only hope, coming soon ✨
Netflix cancels Hit & Run after one season… you could say they hit it and ran 🚗
For more pop culture news, discussion, and what-to-watch recommendations subscribe to my pals over on the Kickball Friends podcast. 🎙
Dropping this week:
The Big Leap — Sept 20 Fox drama series | 🍅 100%
Ordinary Joe — Sept 20 NBC drama series | 🍅 63%
Star Wars: Visions — Sept 22 Disney+ animated series | 🍅
The Wonder Years — Sept 22 ABC drama series | 🍅 100%
Foundation — Sept 24 Apple sci-fi series | 🍅
Midnight Mass — Sept 23 Netflix horror series | 🍅 95%
What to watch
Trailer: Finch — Nov 5 on Apple TV+
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, written by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, starring Tom Hanks.
Maybe it’s the Tom Hanks-cute dog-charming robot of it all, but I am digging this trailer. Even though it’s a little hard to read, the elements are appealing. Hanks is no stranger to solo film adventures in which he talks to inanimate objects, nor is he stranger to film adventures alongside a canine. It’s fascinating that at a more advanced age, he chose this project. One that is clearly in conversation with his past work. It’s not exactly Castaway nor Turner and Hooch, but this trailer is evoking elements of both and riding the Hanks persona to get you to watch. The tone therefor is a bit beguiling. The music makes it feel light and family-friendly even, but the content itself certainly hints at something darker. Is this trailer showing the first act of the movie or the entire thing? If it’s the latter, that wouldn’t be great. At the end of the day, I could see this getting pretty bad reviews and floating into the ether, but for now I’m interested.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!