TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Apple adds 'Fast & Furious' director Justin Lin to its TV talent pool
Justin Lin is the latest to join Apple's ever-growing pool of TV talent as he and his Perfect Storm Entertainment production company have now signed an overall TV deal with Apple. It's a multi-year agreement, according to Deadline, and under it, Lin will develop, produce and direct TV series for Apple's upcoming service. Known for directing a number of Fast and the Furious installments -- including the franchise's upcoming ninth and tenth films -- as well as Star Trek: Beyond, Lin has also produced TV series such as Scorpion, S.W.A.T. and CBS' Magnum P.I. reboot.
Sling TV, ESPN and Fox Now arrive on Oculus Go
Back in June, Oculus launched Oculus TV, a way for you to watch shows and movies from a string of partners on a virtual 180-inch display. Now, Sling TV, ESPN and Fox Now are joining the fray, so you'll have more ways to watch live TV, sports and movies through the wireless headset.
Netflix’s ‘Dark Crystal’ prequel casts Mark Hamill, Natalie Dormer
Last year, Netflix and The Jim Henson Company announced that a series based on Jim Henson's 1982 film The Dark Crystal was in the works, and now Netflix has revealed the series' impressive voice cast. Called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the show takes place many years before the movie's events, and it centers on three Gelfling who discover a secret about the evil Skeksis' power. They then set out on a battle to save Thra.
CBS launches streaming-only news service for New York City
CBS is acting on its promise to add a local flavor to its streaming news service. The broadcaster has launched CBSN New York, its first major local streaming service. The internet-only channel promises around-the-clock coverage of NYC's goings on, with CBS 2 and WLNY 10/55 providing both their usual live news broadcasts as well as hour-long live shows just for CBSN. It'll also provide continuous coverage of any breaking events as well as on-demand streams.
Recommended Reading: How technology is changing entertainment
The future of entertainment Rolling Stone Whether it's music, movies or television, technology is rapidly changing the ways we experience entertainment. Rolling Stone offers a look at a number of ways things like AI, social media and more are altering the landscape, including how Taylor Swift concert organizers used facial recognition to track her stalkers.
Apple's streaming service will include new 'Peanuts' cartoons
Apple's plans for streaming animated shows won't be limited to completely new properties. The tech firm has struck a deal with DHX Media to produce original shows (including shorts and specials) based on Charles Schultz's classic Peanuts comics and cartoons. While it's not clear exactly what Apple will offer, the arrangement will include Apple-exclusive STEM shorts starring astronaut Snoopy. It's safe to say that you'll see plenty of Charlie Brown and other cast members, too.
Apple snags JJ Abrams-produced drama starring Jennifer Garner
Apple's slate of TV shows continues to grow and the company's latest acquisition is a JJ Abrams-produced limited series starring Jennifer Garner. My Glory Was I Had Such Friends is based on the Amy Silverstein memoir of the same name and it centers on the friends who supported Silverstein as she awaited a second heart transplant. Karen Croner (The Tribes of Palos Verdes, Admission) will write the series and executive produce, according to Variety.
'Star Trek: Discovery' season two trailer shows plenty of Spock
Now that Star Trek: Discovery's second season is almost here, CBS All Access has released a full trailer to drum up hype -- and to no one's surprise, the stakes are high this time around. The season will see the Discovery crew partnering with Captain Pike to investigate seven unusual signals and the arrival of the mysterious Red Angel, who apparently brought warnings that "someone or something" is going to wipe out sentient life in the galaxy. And naturally, Spock gets ample screen time. He's a vital ally to the crew, but clearly at odds with Commander Burnham's tendency to shoulder everything herself. We wouldn't be surprised if there's more friction to come.
Hiding in plain sight: The YouTubers' crowdfunding piracy
I never imagined I would be watching Kitchen Nightmares, starring the world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay, in my downtime on YouTube. I knew of Ramsay and his ruthlessness from shows like Hell's Kitchen, but I had never heard of Kitchen Nightmares until a few weeks ago, when an episode popped up on YouTube's Trending section. Next thing you know, I'm hooked and watching full episodes of it on my phone instead of the usual sneaker videos. But aside from Ramsay's rants at owners of filthy restaurants, something else caught my attention -- these uploads weren't from Fox, which owns the rights to the show in the US. Instead, they were from an unofficial channel called "Kitchen Nightmares Hotel Hell and Hell's Kitchen." And as if that wasn't brazen enough, the owner explicitly asked viewers for donations to fund the uploading of copyrighted content.
Netflix will stream Taylor Swift’s tour film on December 31st
Taylor Swift announced today that a film of her Reputation stadium tour is headed to Netflix and a new trailer is giving us a peek at what's in store. The trailer begins with Swift saying "When she fell, she fell apart. When she finally rose, she rose slowly," as clips of crowds and performances flash across the screen. "She heard echoes of new words. Without your past, you could never have arrived here," she adds, before the trailer launches into her performance of ...Ready for It?
The Game Awards more than doubled its viewership in 2018
Say what you will about the The Game Awards doubling as a marketing platform for developers -- it's pulling in an audience. The organizers have revealed that online viewership jumped 128 percent for the 2018 awards with 26.2 million total streams. They weren't all watching the entire thing (there were 4 million concurrent viewers at its peak), but there was also significant growth for individual services. The show nearly doubled its simultaneous Twitch streams to 1.13 million, while the YouTube crowd more than doubled to an unspecified amount.
Streaming shows dominate SAG Awards TV nominations
Streaming shows stand a much better chance of winning SAG Awards in 2019 than they did this year -- in fact, they're guaranteed at least one. The Screen Actors Guild has announced its nominees for the 25th annual awards, and streaming productions are thriving in every series-focused (that is, TV-focused) category. Most of those categories have two or more streaming shows in the running, and the "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series" category has nothing but online shows. Voters will have to choose between GLOW, Grace and Frankie and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, with Grace and Maisel receiving two nominations each for that award.
More people get their news from social media than newspapers
For the first time since the Pew Research Center began tracking how adults in the US get their news, social media has edged out print newspapers. In a survey conducted earlier this year, 20 percent of adults said they often get news via social media while just 16 percent said the same about print newspapers. However, neither are as popular as radio, news websites or television. Television topped the list, with 49 percent of respondents saying they get news from TV often while 33 percent and 26 percent of respondents said news websites and radio were significant news sources for them.
Netflix superhero show 'The Umbrella Academy' debuts February 15th
Netflix has finally taken the wraps off its adaptation of the Dark Horse comic The Umbrella Academy. The streaming service has posted a teaser trailer that both confirms the series' February 15th premiere date and offers a glimpse into its take on Gerard Way's (yes, from My Chemical Romance) and Gabriel Bá's oddball superhero show. As with the comic, the series is based on the strange premise of 43 children being born to women who hadn't been pregnant the day before, seven of which are adopted by a billionaire who trains them to save the world. When their adopted father dies, they set out to solve the mystery -- oh, and they have to prevent an apocalypse while they're at it.
YouTube and National Geographic team up for three VR series
National Geographic and YouTube are teaming up on three VR projects, the first of which is set to debut on December 11th. The virtual reality series will add to YouTube's already large collection of VR content. "National Geographic has always pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling," Jenna Pirog, National Geographic's senior director of video and immersive experiences, said in a statement. "We're looking forward to a long-term partnership with YouTube that will allow us to remain industry stewards for marrying immersive technology with impactful storytelling."
Netflix renews ‘Narcos: Mexico’ for a second season
Netflix's Narcos: Mexico will return for a second season. The show, a follow-up to the three-season series Narcos, debuted last month, featuring a new cartel, a new city and a new drug kingpin. While the original Narcos centered on Colombia, Pablo Escobar and, later, the Cali cartel, Narcos: Mexico takes its audience to Guadalajara in the 1980s, where Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) is focused on building an empire and DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña) is determined to take him down.
A film shot completely on an iPhone wins the Turner Prize
Contemporary artist Charlotte Prodger has won the the Turner Prize for her series of short clips shot entirely on an iPhone. The snippets, narrated by Prodger, feature such disparate visuals as views of the Scottish countryside from a train window, a T-shirt on a radiator and a cat pawing at a lamp, according to The Guardian. In a tweet, Apple CEO Tim Cook hailed Prodger's win as "a first for a film shot on iPhone, and another milestone in the democratization of photography and filmmaking."
Hulu and AT&T plan to run ads when you pause videos
Companies have previously dabbled in ads that appear when you pause videos, but they're about to come roaring back in the streaming era. Variety has learned that Hulu and AT&T both expect to introduce pause ads sometime in 2019. The companies suggest that they'll play short videos whenever you stop for a break, hopefully catching you in those fleeting moments before you head to the kitchen for a snack. AT&T's Matt Van Houten likened it to a screensaver that could run in the background in between viewings.
'Friends' will be there for you on Netflix 'through 2019' (update)
After a day of panic where it looked like beloved '90s sitcom Friends would leave Netflix next month, there's been a stay of execution. Following a report from Variety that said Netflix was negotiating to keep the show around after a quick backlash, the company confirmed that Friends will stay on the streaming service "throughout 2019." Earlier in the day, a visit to the show's page in the US indicated that the classic sitcom would only be available until January 1st, 2019, but that notice has since been removed.
Nexstar is set to acquire Tribune Media (update: official)
Like it or not, American media consolidation could still be on the way in the wake of Sinclair's failed bid for Tribune Media. Reuters sources claim broadcasting giant Nexstar Media Group has reached a deal to buy Tribune for about $4.1 billion. The deal could be announced by December 3rd, the insiders said. Tribune declined to comment, while Nexstar hasn't commented as of this writing.

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