'Ted Lasso' is doing 'Return of the Jedi'
'Ted Lasso' is doing 'Return of the Jedi'
What to know
Ted Lasso modeled Rupert’s office on Emperor Palpatine’s throne room… That’s where I know that window from! It seems Jason Sudeikis and company are mapping Star Wars onto Ted Lasso. You can think of the end of season two, with its cliff hangers and downer resolution, like the end of Empire Strikes Back. That means if Rupert is the Emperor, Nate is Darth Vader. Will he like Anakin get a redemption arc by the end of season three? Based on Wednesday’s premiere, I’d say yes, a return to the light is where Nate-dog is headed. ⚽️
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Frequent TV cancellations are altering viewer behavior, study says… This is fascinating. This new survey found that 46% of Americans sometimes or always wait for a TV show to reach its series finale before even starting it — and that 31% estimate that 1-3 shows they started watching in the last year had been canceled. I personally watch most shows after they wrap each season, while taking in the biggest water cooler series week-to-week (Mandalorian, Last of Us, Ted Lasso, etc). But this study tells us that people are worried about their shows getting canceled without story resolution and that they’ll wait to make sure there is some resolution, which might explain why library content is so important to these streamers and why miniseries are popping off like never before. I hope the TV industry is listening and considers things like this when greenlighting and cancelling. 😮
Ben Affleck is a hard no on directing a DC movie… Back in December, James Gunn revealed he was speaking to Affleck about directing something, but now the Argo maker seems to be closing that door completely, “I would not direct something for the [James] Gunn DC. Absolutely not. I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure he’s going to do a great job. I just wouldn’t want to go in and direct in the way they’re doing that. I’m not interested in that.” Oof. What does he mean by “the way they’re doing that?” Maybe Gunn is establishing a house style and Affleck would prefer more creative freedom? But it’s a bit ominous and certainly sounds like Affleck is passing judgment on the Gunn DCU. 🦇
YouTube TV is raising its price to $73 a month… YouTube TV started out at $35 a month in 2017, then went up to $50, and later $65 in 2020, and now this. These prices are just not sustainable or reasonable for consumers. Everyone wants a live-streaming cord cutting solution, but how is this more affordable than a cable TV package? I bet these digital TV subscriptions (this and Hulu Live) don’t last much longer. 📺
Taika Waititi’s Star Wars movie sure sounds tentative… When Deadline brought it up to him, he said the rumor is 3 years old and then went on to suggest something silly about what his Star Wars movie would be. Maybe he’s just trying to throw the journalist off the scent, but this doesn’t sound like something tangible at the moment. ✨
Gattaca TV series in the works at Showtime from Homeland creators… Gattaca is one of my favorite movies, so while I’m excited about this announcement, I’m also a bit skeptical. The good news is it seems the series won’t just retell the movie but instead be a sequel of sorts set in the same world 100 years later. 🧬
The Other Two is finally coming back with season 3 on HBO Max May 4… It’s been two years since season two, but there aren’t many other comedies out there funnier than this. Now is a great time to catch up. 👏
DreamWorks Animation releasing Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken this summer… With the voices of Lana Condor, Toni Collette, Jane Fonda, Colman Domingo, and Annie Murphy. Release the kraken, indeed. 🦑
Final Stephen Sondheim musical Here We Are to make Off Broadway debut this fall, Joe Mantello directing… Good luck getting a ticket. 🎼
A24 remastering Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense for theatrical re-release… Look for it to burn down the [movie] houses some time this year. 🎸
Broadway production of Room not moving forward at this time… “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!!” Wait, that’s The Room. Never mind. 🎭
Keri Russell’s new Netflix drama series The Diplomat dropping April 20… But will it feature any apex predators doing cocaine? 🌎
Super Mario eyeing $90M opening in early tracking… Wahoo! And that will likely grow too. 🍄
Theo Rossi joins The Penguin TV show… Nice! He was great in Emily the Criminal. 🐧
What’s new
Extrapolations — Mar 17 | Apple TV+ drama series | 🍅 56%
Agent Elvis — Mar 17 | Netflix animated series | 🍅
Boston Strangler — Mar 17 | Hulu drama film | 🍅
Swarm — Mar 17 | Amazon psychological thriller series | 🍅 81%
Shazam! Fury of the Gods — Mar 17 | Superhero movie in theaters | 🍅 61%
Lucky Hank — Mar 19 | AMC drama series | 🍅 93%
Returning: Ted Lasso s3, Shadow and Bone s2
What to watch
TV Trailer: BEEF — April 6 on Netflix
Created by Lee Sung Jin, starring Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H. Min, Mia Serafino, Remy Holt, Andrew Santino, and Rek Lee.
Netflix doesn’t take many risks these days, especially with shows that aren’t easily defined and marketed. So to see it partner with A24 on this new series that is eluding any attempt to define it with some kind of neat genre label is surprising — and thrilling. Can you call it a drama? Or a thriller? Or a comedy? I don’t think so, and still it looks absolutely captivating, but most importantly real. Lee Sung Jin has created what appears to be a human and grounded story with real stakes, that will likely serve as character exploration. The only thing my brain is comparing it to, based on this trailer, is The Bear — and if that’s the direction television is going in, well, that’s a wonderful thing. And then there’s the fact that this has a mostly Asian cast, but doesn’t seem to make a big deal of it or discussing it textually at all, which is refreshing.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!