Remembering Bob Saget
And 'Encanto' goes boom
What to know:
Bob Saget has died at 65… The beloved Full House dad and stand-up comedian was found dead at an Orlando hotel on Sunday. There were no signs of drugs or foul play. Saget’s former cast members and comedy peers have all been leaving loving tributes for the comedian-actor-director, including a surprising story from Pete Davidson about how Saget helped him through a rough time. Saget’s hilarious directorial debut Dirty Work, starring Norm Macdonald, is now on HBO Max. Watch it!
Encanto tops the music charts… Thanks to a Disney+ rollout and some viral magic on TikTok, Encanto has reached the top of the Billboard charts (knocking off Adele) and Lin-Manuel Miranda just got his first-ever top-10 hit with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Pretty impressive! I personally didn’t love Encanto (very messy script) and thought Miranda’s songs weren’t anything to write home about (his Vivo songs were stronger) — but what do I know! Speaking of music charts, CD sales were up for the first time in 17 years last year thanks to Adele. 🎶
Disney is relegating Pixar’s Turning Red to streaming… OK now I’m just mad. Why won’t Disney release Pixar’s movies in theaters??? Maybe they saw Encanto's success on Disney+ and thusly pivoted Turning Red, but this trend is worrying and can’t feel good for the artists at Pixar. Hopefully future Pixar movies will get back in theaters. 🐼
Andrew Garfield loved lying about Spider-Man: No Way Home… He was pretty good at it too. Garfield called all the fibbing “very fun.” While I’d say his misdirection was worth it in the end, he might have been the only one so amused. 🕸
Aubrey Plaza joins White Lotus season 2… Everything about Aubrey Plaza’s vibe is perfect for this show. 𑁍
The word “TV” is dead in Hollywood… HBO was right! It’s not TV! 📺
Grey’s Anatomy renewed for 19th season, Ellen Pompeo returning… Grey’s will outlive us all 🩺
Emily in Paris returning for two more seasons on Netflix… Emily is still in Paris because her flight home was canceled. 🇫🇷
Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie join All the Light We Cannot See miniseries at Netflix… all the talent we can see 🍿
Morning Show renewed for season 3, gets new show runner… based on what I’ve heard, a new show runner is probably for the best 🍎
For more pop culture news, discussion, and what-to-watch recommendations subscribe to my pals over on the Kickball Friends podcast. 🎙
What’s new this week:
The Tragedy of Macbeth — Jan 14 Apple TV+ Shakespeare drama | 🍅 94%
Peacemaker — Jan 14 HBO Max DC comics series | 🍅 86%
Scream — Jan 14 horror film legacy sequel in theaters | 🍅
What to watch:
A reported 67 million households watched Maid on Netflix in October. That puts the limited series in upper echelon of Netflix debuts and past The Queen’s Gambit. So where was the buzz? Maybe it got swallowed up by Squid Game mania at the time or our streaming universe has become so fractured that a massive hit on Netflix can fall in the forest and not make a sound. Whatever the reason, Maid deserves a little bit more love in the TV conversation. With the stewardship of Molly Smith Metzler (Shameless, Orange Is the New Black) and John Wells (West Wing, ER, Shameless), this based-on-real-events drama tells the story of a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship and the immense hurdles she has to overcome to find happiness and self sufficiency for herself and her daughter. The series is eye-opening and frustrating, heartbreaking and heartrending, and at times wryly funny and creative. While not as laugh-out-loud as Shameless, Maid shares an indisputable DNA with the late Showtime series. At the top of the reasons to watch the show though is the real mother-daughter duo at its center: Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell. Qualley anchors the series with remarkable fortitude while MacDowell reminds the audience of her star power in a demanding supporting role. Special shoutout goes to Nick Robinson as well who is showing real range post Love, Simon. If you missed Maid in the fall, don’t question it, just fire it up and let the cathartic ride unfold.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!