What to know:
There were 559 original scripted TV series in 2021… Peak TV has found a new peak. As the streaming arms race amps up, expect this number to only grow in the coming years. So if you’re feeling bad about not being able to watch it all, take some of that pressure off yourself. It’s becoming more and more impossible to stay on top of everything. There’s simply too much TV! TV is becoming more like music, siloed by genres with vastly fractured audiences. 📺
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” surpasses “Let It Go” to become Disney’s biggest hit song in 25 years… That’s the power of TikTok in 2022. “Bruno” isn’t even Encanto's big ballad, it’s a story song smack dab in the middle of the movie. You simply cannot plan for runaway success like this for a song like that, but I’m sure many a movie studio is now going to try. Anyway, Lin-Manuel is a master — even with his less-efforted songs. 🎧
Daniel Radcliffe to play Weird Al in Roku biopic… Big yes to a Weird Al biopic, and while D-Rad is an unconventional choice, I think he’s got the range to pull it off believably. I hope the filmmakers (Al himself and Eric Appel) take a unique approach to the biopic form—maybe something a la A Futile and Stupid Gesture? 🪗
Greg Daniels and Mike Judge reunite for new animation studio, tease return of King of the Hill… The guy who did The Office and the guy who did Office Space (and Silicon Valley and Idiocracy and Beavis and Butthead) are getting back together to re-explore their roots: King of the Hill and more new animated offerings. First up an animated Netflix series starring Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus. Second up a kids’ show from Sacha Baron Cohen and Alison Bechdel. What a time to be alive! ✍️
Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley coming to HBO Max Feb. 1… You might be surprised to hear that yes, this movie starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett did come out in theaters already — and is now headed to the home box office. 🔥
The Grammys move to Vegas in April… sadly, none of the awards will count because of what happens in Vegas. 🃏
Arthur series finale to flash-forward to characters’ adult futures… Watch out, the Arthur finale might be darker than the Six Feet Under finale. 🪦
Will Forte, Willem Dafoe to host next SNL episodes… It’s going to be a weird and wild January on SNL. 🗽
The Fall of the Dinosaurs doc from David Attenborough coming to the BBC… dang, I was hoping this would be a behind-the-scenes of ABC’s Dinosaurs finale. 🦕
Speaking of dinosaurs, The Rock has a T-Rex skull in his house and it might have cost $32 million… I call that a t-flex. 🦖
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:
How I Met Your Father — Jan 18 | Hulu sitcom sequel | 🍅 32%
Ozark s4 part 1 — Jan 21 | Netflix drama series | 🍅 90%
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock — Jan 21 | Apple kids show reboot | 🍅
What to watch:
TV Trailer: Marvel’s Moon Knight — March 30 on Disney+
Showrun by Jeremy Slater, starring Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy.
Oscar Isaac is definitely doing that accent. But let’s try not to dwell on it. What I’m seeing here is Marvel continuing to expand its palette, using the lower stakes of Disney+ to explore a darker side of its universe. I have no awareness of the Moon Knight comic or its characters, but get the sense that both Isaac and Hawke are going to have a lot to chew on here. Thanks to the talent and the tone, I’m optimistic about this one. The darker, more mysterious mode has been working for the Disney+ series (WandaVision and Loki), where as the lighter, more “fun” shows (Falcon and Hawkeye) were less successful. At the moment it appears Moon Knight is in the former camp.
For all past ‘what to watch’ recommendations, see the full list here!