We got another EGOT winner
We got another EGOT winner
And 'SNL' nails the problem with peak TV
What to know
Viola Davis locks in the EGOT… By winning a Grammy yesterday for the audiobook of her memoir Finding Me. Her Grammy joins her two Tonys (King Hedley II, Fences), Emmy for How to Get Away With Murder, and Oscar for Fences. The Grammy also makes her the 18th person ever to achieve the rare quadfecta (not counting honorary awards) and only the 7th actor to do it. Now if she really wants to go above and beyond, she could go for the Rita Morena PEGOT by adding a Peabody, or the Alan Menken REGOT by adding a Razzie. Davis is only 57, perhaps one day she’ll join Robert Lopez, who is the only double EGOT. She’s 5/8 of the way there. 🏆
SNL nails the problem with peak TV… There’s too much TV (plus, movies!) and nobody is able to keep track of it. That’s the central conceit of this brilliant sketch lampooning the hit shows and award movies “no one” has seen. Do you know the full title of the current no. 1 show on Netflix, Ginny &…? How about the name of the Sarah Polley film nominated for Best Picture? What movie was Andrea Riseborough nominated for? I was able to answer all of those questions — but when Pedro Pascal asked for the title of Nicole Kidman’s “darkly feminist drama” on Apple TV+, even I had no idea what the answer was. (It’s Roar, an anthology series from the creators of GLOW.) Whatever the opposite of a monoculture is, we’ve got it. 😆
Beyoncé breaks the record for most Grammys of all time… Call her the queen or the GOAT, she’s now got the hardware to back it up. Meanwhile, Harry Styles won Album of the Year, Lizzo’s “About Damn Time” (which is now stuck in your head) won Record of the Year, and Bonnie Raitt, yes Bonnie Raitt, surprisingly won Song of the Year with “Just Like That.” Which I’m told has nothing to do with the Sex and the City reboot. As for the show itself, people were really blown away by this icon-dense tribute to 50 years of hip hop. 🎵
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Olivia Colman, Chlöe Bailey, Woody Harrelson to star in film adaptation of Bob Dylan jukebox musical Girl From the North Country… Interesting! The show has good reviews and has played all over the world, but aside from a Tony win for Best Orchestrations, it hasn’t made much of a splash on Broadway during its two runs (split by the pandemic). Perhaps this cast and the Dylan of it all will give it wider appeal as a film. Of course whenever Bob Dylan and movies come up, I must recommend Todd Hayne’s unconventional biopic I’m Not There. 🪕
AMC Theaters to introduce variable pricing based on seat location… More for the middle, less for the front. I guess that’s nice for people who don’t plan ahead and end up having to pick a less-desirable seat, but this really screws us planners who buy tickets weeks in advance so the experience will be optimal. I guess movie theaters have to make money somehow, and this could help them sell more tickets — but I’d much rather prefer variable pricing based on the movie rather than the seat. 🤔
Knock at the Cabin knocks Avatar 2 out of the top spot, 80 for Brady scores… While these opening weekend numbers aren’t massive by any stretch ($14.2M for Knock, $12.5M for Brady), they are continued proof of a pulse at the box office. These films had mixed reviews, but audiences were in the mood for some horror and some laughs. It’s especially nice to see a comedy, featuring and aimed at older women, do well — perhaps the variable pricing helped? All in all, it’s been a great start to the year in theaters, and there’s a Marvel movie on the horizon (Quantumania next week) to really get things going. 🎟
New podcasts are on the decline with an 80% drop over two years… At the peak of the pandemic, it seemed everyone and their mother was launching a podcast — but we may have surpassed the saturation point. Unless you’re a celebrity or started between 2009 and 2014, podcast success is more elusive than ever. 🎙
George Clooney to direct Showtime series adaptation of French show Le Bureau; Billions spinoffs, new Dexter prequel also in the works… See, Showtime is still a thing. Also, the Billions spinoffs are reportedly called Millions and Trillions, which is just hilarious. 😆
Wizarding World game Hogwarts Legacy includes franchise’s first transgender character… Good! That’s one way to stick it to Ms. Rowling. 🎮
Matthew McConaughey to voice Elvis in new animated series on Netflix… Be careful Matthew, that accent tends to stick around. 🎶
The Last of Us episode 5 will drop on Friday… Thanks Super Bowl! 🍄
Woody Harrelson to host SNL for 5th time… Prepare the jacket. 5️⃣
What’s new
All That Breathes — Feb 7 | HBO Oscar-nominated documentary | 🍅 100%
Your Place or Mine — Feb 10 | Netflix romcom movie | 🍅
Magic Mike’s Last Dance — Feb 10 | Dance comedy-drama in theaters | 🍅
Super Bowl LVII — Feb 12 | Sports event on Fox
Returning: You s4, Harley Quinn Valentine’s Day special
What to watch
Few shows have made me laugh as hard recently as Netflix’s Cunk on Earth. This British mockumentary series on the history of humanity stars Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, a woefully unprepared, not-so-bright reporter, who travels the world and sits down with real experts to learn what our species is all about. But mostly, it’s a sandbox for Morgan and head writer Charlie Brooker (Black Mirror) to deliver as many hard-hitting jokes, bits, and gags as possible. Brooker, while maybe best known stateside for Black Mirror, was a dominant force in British TV comedy prior, and his well honed skills are sharp as ever here. (One could argue the comedy background allows him to pull off Black Mirror.) Morgan is wonderful as Cunk, having played the character for years now. She’s mastered the dry delivery of English news personalities, remaining stone-faced and bright eyed, even as she commits to the silliest of material. And she’s doing this in real time, conducting sit down interviews with actual academic experts (all of whom display a stunning level of patience for her shenanigans). In this way, the series is very reminiscent of Da Ali G Show’s Ali G interviews or those administered by The Daily Show’s more buffoonish characters. How far can they push serious people with silly questions? Morgan goes pretty far, and where Sacha Baron Cohen had a cartoonish character to hide behind (Ali G), Morgan is out here in a suit and button down, armed only with wit and unshakeable commitment. Morgan, Brooker, and the rest of the writers’ perspective and humor about the history of humanity is satirical, punchy, and perfectly British. I’m officially worried about Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part II, coming to Hulu next month, as the bar on this topic has just been set quite high.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!