We begin today's Always Be Watching with news that can only be of interest to readers 35 and over, surely...

The Flintstones are coming back to TV in Bedrock

Fox has given the greenlight to a new animated sequel series to The Flintstones. New series Bedrock will focus on Pebbles Flintstone as she makes her way in the world as an early 20-something. Fred hasn't gone anywhere - he'll still be around. Curiously... no mention of Wilma in the announcement from Deadline.

Bedrock will follow the Flintstone family two decades after the original, with Fred on the brink of retirement and 20-something Pebbles embarking on her own career. As the Stone Age gives way to a shiny and enlightened new Bronze Age, the residents of Bedrock will find this evolution harder than a swing from Bamm-Bamm’s club.

Elizabeth Banks will voice Pebbles and produce the show via her Brownstone Productions.

Questions I have:

  • Do young kids still know The Flintstones? They haven't really been on TV for sometime.
  • With cavemen not really living past 30 and Pebbles in her early twenties, I really question the reality of Fred Flintstone still kicking in this new series.
  • Haven't we already seen a sequel to The Flintstones with an adult Pebbles? Does this mean that the new series is completely ignoring the continuity established by 1980's Flintstone Comedy Hour / Flintstone Frolics? Did Fred and Barney have a career as cops? Do they still have a history with The Great Gazoo? And what about The Shmoo?

Read:

‘The Flintstones’ Adult Animated Comedy Sequel Series ‘Bedrock’ From Elizabeth Banks In Works At Fox
Yabba-Dabbo-Doo! Elizabeth Banks’ Flintstones sequel series Bedrock has landed at Fox. The network is developing the primetime animated adult comedy series with the Charlie Angels and Hunger Games star set to voice Pebbles Flintstone in addition to producing. Banks has been developing a Flintstones …
DeadlinePeter White

Murdoch backs out of UK Fox News-style channel

Plans to launch a Fox News-style channel in the UK have been scuttled by Rupert Murdoch. News UK was mooted to launch later this year in competition with rival GB News (also due for a launch soon).

News UK isn't completely dead in the water. Instead of serving as a dedicated channel, News UK videos will populate existing channels:

[Rebekah] Brooks said News UK would still produce standalone shows, with the intention of making money via personalised adverts on smart televisions, adding: “We have already announced News To Me, an entertainment news show hosted by Gordon Smart, which will drop a new episode each weeknight, and will be viewable live or on-demand via streaming. Other shows are planned.”

Anyone seeing this as a win should consider Australia's Sky News which has very low viewership of its linear news channel, but is exceedingly powerful through its online reach with clips from its shows dominating Facebook both in Australia and internationally.

Read: The Guardian

The Handmaid's Tale aftershow

This season Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale will be accompanied by an aftershow One Burning Question. 'Aftershow' is maybe too grand a title for what this is - really it is a bonus short video conversation interview with the stars from the show.

Each seven to eight-minute installment, debuting immediately after that week’s episode in the Hulu “Extras” tab, will explore a central theme or burning question from the most recent hour. Stars Elisabeth Moss, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd and Max Minghella will appear on the aftershow, as will special guests like Rachel Lindsay (The Bachelor) and comedian Whitney Cummings.

Read:

TVLine Items: Handmaid’s Aftershow, Who Killed Sara? Trailer and More
The Handmaid’s Tale is tackling One Burning Question in its new aftershow, premiering Wednesday, April 28, alongside the fourth season on Hulu. Each seven to eight-minute installment, debuting immediately after that week’s episode in the Hulu “Extras” tab, will explore a central theme or burning que…
TVLineVlada Gelman

TeeVee Snacks

  • Jenna Coleman will star in The War Rooms, a UK series based on the real-life inspiration for Miss Moneypenny. Read: Deadline
  • Rotten Tomatoes has added a pan review of Citizen Kane, stripping it of it's 100% Fresh rating just days ahead of it's 80th anniversary. What a bunch of c*#ts. Read: Indiewire
  • Friend of ABW Evan (from the GC) has uncovered this YouTube channel filled with long-forgotten Aussie TV movies, pilots, and other interesting clips.
  • Singer Roselyn Sanchez will lead a new version of Fantasy Island, debuting on Fox August 10. The original series and the ill-fated 1998 remake will debut on streamer Tubi from May 1. Read: thefutoncritic
  • Glenn Close insists dancing Da Butt at the Oscars was not planned. Read: Deadline
  • Discovery has greenlit two new seasons of Aussie Gold Hunters. Read: iF
  • Disney has shut down 18 TV channels in Asia as it focuses instead on Disney+. Read: Deadline
  • These big Marvel & DC superhero shows are having little to no impact on sales of the comic books they're based on. But that's not true of other comic book adaptations. The Walking Dead saw a HUGE boost in sales. The same can be said now for Robert Kirkman's Invincible, adapted into an animated series currently on Amazon Prime Video. Read: Bleeding Cool

Trailer Park

Power Book 3: Raising Kanan debuts on Starz July 18.

Southside Jamaica, Queens, 1991. These streets don’t play.

Vivo debuts on Netflix soon (it was going to be released in cinemas this June)

An animated musical adventure that follows VIVO, a one-of-kind kinkajou (aka a rainforest “honey bear,” voiced by Miranda), who must find his way from Havana to Miami in order to deliver a song on behalf of his beloved owner and mentor Andres (Buena Vista Social Club’s Juan de Marcos Gonzáles).

Physical debuts June 18 on Apple TV+.

Sheila Rubin (Rose Byrne) is a quietly tormented housewife in ’80s San Diego, who behind closed door battles extreme personal demons and a vicious inner voice. But things change when she discovers aerobics, sparking a journey toward empowerment and success.

Who Killed Sara? season 2 debuts May 19 on Netflix.

A mysterious body found in his backyard threatens to send Alex back to jail. At the same time, he finds information that leads him to believe his sister wasn't who he really thought. Will he be able to exact his revenge?

Trollhunters: Rise of The Titans debuts on Netflix July 21.

The heroes from Trollhunters, 3 Below, and Wizards must team up to face a mysterious enemy who threatens to take over their worlds.[via press release from Netflix]

What's next? Tomorrow.