The TV news engine is ramping back up. We know this because Deadline is starting to publish more than just daily Avatar box office takings ($1.5 billion today!).
What caught my interest today was some talk about the future of The Bear and of The Last of Us. I'm increasingly annoyed by shows that don't have the good sense to know that they are a one-season story and that there's no story value in going further. But it sounds like both of these shows are playing it right...
What to expect from The Bear season 2
There's a breezy Variety profile about The Bear, which is set to enter production for season 2 soon. This paragraph largely explains what we can expect from the second season as the show evolves past dealing with the trauma that propelled the first season. Speaking are co-showrunners Joanna Calo and Chris Storer:
While Season 1 was all about “finding a family and feeling anchored,” Calo says Season 2 will home in on hospitality, taking care of others and making the cast’s lives a bit bigger. At the center, Carmy will still be reeling from his brother’s death and his own demons in the sophomore season, too. “Nobody’s fixed and everyone’s a work in progress,” adds Storer. “Every second counts.”
Here's what to expect from The Last of Us season 2
Just what is in the games. In the lead-up to January's release of The Last of Us, the cast and showrunners have done a longform interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Don't expect the show to go beyond what the games have delivered, story-wise.
Here's game creator Neil Druckmann:
We have no plans to tell any stories beyond adapting the games,” he says. “We won’t run into the same issue as Game of Thrones since Part II doesn’t end on a cliffhanger.”
This is important to consider when you know what happens at the end of each of the games...


- Interested in photos from History of The World Part II, the Hulu series sequel to the Mel Brooks film? Check them out: TV Insider
- Stephen Amell will reprise his role as Oliver Queen from Arrow in the final season of The Flash. Read: Deadline
- Jillian Bell, Eddie Murphy, and Tracee Ellis Ross will star in Amazon Prime Video holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane. Read: Deadline
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will debut on Disney+ from Feb 1. The film is apparently the end of Marvel's Phase 4 of films, with Phase 5 kicking off with the new Ant-Man movie in mid Feb. Read: TV Line
- Reports yesterday about the Looney Tunes and Flintstones cartoons being pulled from HBO Max for digital retooling were charitable. No, HBO Max has pulled these iconic titles from its service. Read: Polygon
- But it isn't just HBO Max pulling titles from its streaming service - Starz has pulled a similar move with Becoming Elizabeth, Step Up, and the recent Dangerous Liaisons.
- Benedict Cumberbatch will star in Eric, a 6-part Netflix show about a former TV puppeteer who is now homeless and searching for his son. Read: Variety
- Roku has announced it is releasing its own line of televisions. Previously the company just offered software to third-party manufacturers. Read: Deadline

Crash Course in Romance debuts Jan 14 on Netflix.
Shanty Town debuts on Netflix Jan 20.
Trial By Fire debuts Jan 13 on Netflix.
Foundation returns to Apple TV+ mid-year.
That's it for today. More newsletter tomorrow. Probably. I just don't know.
