TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Apple renews 'For All Mankind' before it even debuts
Ahead of its debut next month, Apple has renewed the alternate history drama For All Mankind for a second season, according to Deadline and The Wrap. Deadline writes the early renewals are part of a strategy by Apple to ensure there's a steady supply of original content making its way to Apple TV+.
TiVo's 'free' streaming service starts rolling out
TiVo's leap into streaming services is underway. The DVR creator has started rolling out TiVo+ to users, who should see it pop up on their devices in the "next few weeks." The service is 'free' for TiVo customers and will deliver 26 channels of live and on-demand TV shows and movies, including dedicated channels for the likes of Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen/Kitchen Nightmares), TMZ and Unsolved Mysteries. They won't make you rethink your cable package -- these are classics and viral videos rather than the latest blockbusters.
Apple orders TV+ series based on a Jason Sudeikis commercial
Apple's latest TV+ show may be particularly appealing if you're a fan of British soccer (or rather, football). Variety reports that Apple has ordered Ted Lasso, a comedy series based on a popular NBC Sports promo for the network's Premier League coverage. Jason Sudeikis stars as the namesake American football coach who's thrust into coaching an English footie team (in the promo, Tottenham Hotspur) despite a woeful lack of experience with the sport. Suffice it to say that the rest of the team will have to patiently explain the game to Ted -- like the absence of playoffs.
Hulu brings 4K content to the Xbox One
Hulu is still in the midst of returning 4K content to its streaming service. As of today, owners of 4K-capable Xbox One models can play The Handmaid's Tale, Castle Rock and other shows (mostly Hulu originals) at full resolution. You can also expect 4K support on Amazon Fire TV devices and LG's webOS-based TVs sometime in the near future.
Fox Sports is creating exclusive, interactive shows for Facebook Watch
ESPN isn't the only big broadcaster committing to exclusive sports shows on Facebook Watch. Fox Sports is teaming up with Facebook to create unique interactive shows for Watch viewers, including a marquee Fox Football Sunday program. The Monday morning show covers the NFL games from the day before, all the while giving Facebook users a chance to ask questions from show hosts. If you can't wait that long, a Fox Football Update show on Sunday nights will recap match-ups in a more one-sided format.
Disney is tweeting everything that's coming to Disney+
The Disney+ launch is less than a month away, and the streaming service is busy drumming up nostalgia in an attempt to hook users. Today, it started a massive tweet thread sharing "basically everything" coming to Disney+ on November 12th.
The follow-up to 'Band of Brothers' is coming to Apple TV+
Just one day after signing Alfonso Cuarón to a multi-year deal, Apple has scored another coup for its upcoming Apple TV+ streaming service. Variety reports the company will produce Masters of the Air, the follow-up to 2001's Band of Brothers and 2010's The Pacific. Both Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who helped create the two World War II series, will serve as executive producers on the new show.
Amazon Fire TV Cube review (2019): Alexa's streaming box grows up
With so many streaming devices on the market, it can be difficult for new ones to stand out. Amazon, for its part, has differentiated its Fire TV products with one notable feature: They work with Alexa. If you have an Echo paired with a Fire TV device, you can launch TV shows, play tunes, check the weather or even turn the TV on and off, simply by using your voice. Last year, Amazon married an Echo and a Fire TV together in one product called the Fire TV Cube, so you could use one device instead of two. At the time, however, it couldn't handle some simple voice commands and it lacked core Echo functions like voice messaging.
Howard University and Amazon want to diversify the entertainment industry
Howard University and Amazon Studios are working together to diversify the entertainment industry. Today, they announced Howard Entertainment, a program that will give African American, Latinx and Native American students a chance to study and train alongside entertainment executives.
Ubisoft is planning animated shows based on ‘Watch Dogs’ and ‘Far Cry’
Ubisoft is no stranger to TV and movies. Its media division, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, has created four seasons of Rabbids Invasion thus far, and produced the mediocre adaptation of Assassin's Creed. That's not to mention films like Uwe Boll's Far Cry and the controversial Prince of Persia, which were licensed from the publisher. The company is focusing on the small screen for now though, and hopes to reach kids and young adults. The animated series will be comprised of adaptations from titles like Watch Dogs and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.
Alex Garland's 'Devs' explores free will in the age of predictive computing
Alex Garland deconstructed the Turing test with Ex Machina and tormented our psyches with a horrifying alien invasion in Annihilation. Now he's tackling free will vs. a deterministic universe in Devs. And instead of trying to cram all that philosophy into a two-hour film (that might not even see theatrical release), Devs was crafted specifically for TV as an eight-episode, big budget miniseries on FX, where every installment was written and directed by Garland. It's not strictly science fiction either: He calls it a "science-based thriller."
Apple's first TV+ holiday special will star Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds
If Apple TV+ is going to take Netflix and streaming rivals head-on, it's going to need a key weapon in its arsenal: star-laden holiday specials. And sure enough, its first special appears to be on the way. Hollywood Reporter sources say Apple is finalizing a deal to acquire a musical reinterpretation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. This might not be a cinematic masterpiece when it's directed by the team behind the Daddy's Home movies (also starring Will Ferrell). However, Apple was reportedly very interested -- tipsters said it "moved aggressively" on the production.
Sling adds a 'Micro Guide' and simpler search to Xbox and smart TVs
Sling is giving its living room interface some decidedly useful tune-ups, including one designed to stay out of your way. Its app for LG TVs, Samsung TVs and the Xbox One now includes a "Micro Guide" that won't obscure as much of what you're watching while you're trying to find out what's next. There are channel filters at the top to help you quickly pick a movie or otherwise shift categories.
TCL opens up pre-orders for its 8-series 4K QLED TVs
Less than a month after putting its 6-series 4K QLED TVs on sale, TCL is opening up pre-orders for its 8-series displays through Best Buy. The 8-series is a newcomer to the TCL Roku TV range. Like the 6-series, it boasts boast quantum dot LED technology for better color performance, along with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and Dolby Atmos. It works with Google Assistant, Alexa and Roku Voice and comes with a voice remote.
ESPN will create a daily sports show for Quibi's streaming service
Quibi's upcoming mobile video service is so far focused on short-form shows from celebrities like Chrissy Teigen, Idris Elba and Steven Spielberg, but sports are now set to be part of the package as well. ESPN has agreed to create a daily sports show for Quibi that will recap the "biggest moments" and deliver breaking news. While the finer points of the show haven't been mentioned, it will be the exclusive US multi-sport provider for Quibi's curated news programming and should be ready when Quibi itself debuts in April 2020.
'The End of the F***ing World' returns to Netflix November 5th
One of Netflix's finest original series is coming back in just a few weeks' time. Season two of The End of the F***ing World will start streaming November 5th.
Tap Strap 2 adds gesture control to any Bluetooth-enabled device
Tap made a name for itself with its futuristic wearable keyboards, now it's introduced a new Minority Report-style feature guaranteed to make you feel like you're in a sci-fi movie. The Tap Strap 2's new AirMouse feature lets you control any Bluetooth-connected device with a simple, untethered wave of the hand.
Watch the trailer for Apple's first TV+ documentary 'The Elephant Queen'
Apple has more than TV shows up its sleeve for the debut of TV+ next month. Among the day-one titles for the service is The Elephant Queen. A trailer for the feature-length documentary, which actor Chiwetel Ejiofor narrates, centers on a family of these astonishing creatures. The Elephant Queen follows the herd's search for a new home, led by matriarch Athena.
Second season of 'Lost in Space' premieres December 24th
Netflix is finally ready to continue Lost in Space. The streaming behemoth has revealed that the second season of its family sci-fi saga will arrive on December 24th -- conveniently, just in time for some fans' holiday viewing marathons. There's also a matching teaser trailer, and it's evident that the Robinsons have a lot to deal with beyond the series' namesake dilemma.
'Star Trek: Picard' debuts January 23rd, 2020
New York Comic Con has proven kind to Star Trek fans this year. To begin with, CBS has confirmed that its All Access series Star Trek: Picard will premiere on January 23rd, 2020. You won't have to wait too much longer to see what has happened with Starfleet's best-known captain since his last outing. CBS will dribble out one episode every Thursday until the 10-episode first season is complete. Thankfully, you'll have some fresh material to watch before then.

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