Could we finally get an answer to TV’s greatest question? A sequel series to Who’s The Boss? is currently being shopped around by Sony Pictures Television
Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano will reprise their roles with Milano’s character Sam now a single mother living in the same house the original was set in. Danza will reprise his role as Tony. Hopefully he won’t still be working in the house as a housekeeper because Sam still living there is sad enough - nobody wants an almost 70 year-old Tony Danza still mopping up.
Judith Light and Danny Pintauro will not be involved in the new version outside of a possible occasional appearance, but they’ve given their blessing to the new show. I guess Pintauro is just too busy.
The network who buys the new series will also have the option to licence the original 196 episodes of the show.
Source: Deadline
PSSSST: Look, I don’t recommend it, but you might be interested in checking out the Who’s The Boss? spin-off series Living Dolls. Made in 1989, it lasted just 12 episodes and starred Leah Remini and Halle Berry. Watch: YouTube.
E! News cancelled after three decades
NBC Universal may have a shiny new streaming service in the form of Peacock, but the company is hurting badly. Those Universal theme parks used to bring hugs value to the business…
Oh, and then there’s the contracting nature of linear TV too.
In addition to NBCU shedding a bunch of jobs this week, it is also cancelling three E! entertainment news shows. Gone are the Pop In The Morning breakfast TV chat show, the celeb home show In The Room, and the long-running entertainment news show E! News.
E! News debuted back on September 12, 1991. It has been through a large number of hosts (and name changes) since, but the current hosts are Lilliana Vazquez and Aussie Scott Tweedie.
Source: Variety
Quibi slashes prices in Australia
Interesting development for Quibi in Australia - they’ve drastically cut the price. At launch the monthly cost was $12.99 ad-free, but as of this month they’re charging $6.99 for the ad-free option.
BUT…
There’s now a second-plan available. Australia now has an ad-supported plan available. And what-more… it’s priced at $0.00.
This appears to be an Australia-only offer. Canada is CAN$6.99, for example. It makes me assume that this is Quibi testing a (relatively insignificant, isolated) market to see if a free product will have a substantial impact on the number of daily active users on platform.
Frankly, AUS$12.99 was outrageously over-priced for the content offer. That’s just a dollar shy of the mid-tier Netflix plan. Even $6.99 seems a little high for what has been a fairly disappointing lineup so far.
A free plan with two short ads is fairly compelling. It’s enough to get me re-opening the app. That said, two 15-second ads before a six-minute video seems like too much. Especially when one of them is a house ad.
Recent new shows worth checking out:
- The Fugitive is 5 chapters into its 14 chapter run today. Narcos star Boyd Holbrook stars as Mike Ferro, a man on the run trying to clear his name after a terrorist incident. Keifer Sutherland co-stars as Clay Bryce - the cop trying to track him down. Nick Santora (Quibi’s Most Dangerous Game, CBS hit Scorpion) is a co-writer on this with Aussie Stephen Hopkins directing. Hopkins, you may recall, was the lead director on Keifer Sutherland’s series 24.
- Die Hart had Kevin Hart playing a version of himself on a quest to become an action star. John Travolta and Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel co-star, but playing fictional characters. Josh Hartnett (Penny Dreadful, Pearl Harbor) is also in this playing a version of himself.
- Workaholics star Adam Devine hosts an adventure show with celebrity pals called Bad Ideas with Adam Devine. He goes Piranha wrangling with Anders Holm, does action stunts with Rebel Wilson, and eats hot peppers with Thomas Middleditch.
Harry Potter casts a spell elsewhere
The entire Harry Potter series debuted on HBO Max as a huge drawcard launch set of titles and has been featured prominently on the HBO Max front page ever since. But the films will be leaving the service on August 25 and will instead stream on Peacock which has the rights for six months. After that, who knows?
Streaming rights deals are wild.
Source: Indiewire
Ta Dum!
That distinctive Netflix sound that is now just as iconic as the HBO krshhhhhhhh… It was almost goats.
In the latest episode of the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast, Todd Yellin from Netflix explains that they originally liked goats.
Take a listen HERE. Or read the transcript that is further down on the same page.
And now… just because…
Instagram launches TikTok. Erm, I mean, Reels
In the spirit of innovation, Facebook company Instagram is rolling out an update that lets users edit videos and add music to Instagram Stoties. So now you never need to leave the Instagram app to share TikTok-like videos with your friends. How helpful…
Source: Vox
Trailer Park
David E. Kelley’s new show Big Sky debuts later this year on ABC. I believe it is only goes into production at the end of the month, so press play on this knowing you won’t see any footage from the show:
Ridley Scott directed the first two episodes of new HBO Max drama Raised By Wolves. It’s about two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet. As the burgeoning colony of humans threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, the androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is a treacherous and difficult task.
It debuts Sept 3.
The Sleepover is an action comedy family film about two kids who need to save their parents from thieves. Or something. It stars Ken Marino and Malin Ackerman - presumably as the parents. It debuts on Netflix Aug 21.
More family business with Phineas and Ferb: The Movie: Candace Against The Universe. It debuts on Disney+ August 28. I’m honestly not sure what a Phineas or Ferb is, but I’m sure they’re great.
Tee-Vee Snacks
- A TV series based on the 1997 Guillermo del Toro film Mimic is in the works. Source: Dark Horizons
- Mermaid drama Siren has been cancelled after three seasons. Source: Deadline
- Tacoma FD (best described as Super Troopers the TV show… but set in a fire house) has been renewed for a third season. Source: Deadline
