TV Talk

Alec Baldwin Tackles Trump for SNL, Stan Lee Day Dedicated, Adventure Time to Wrap, Hitchcock Series, and Other TV News

by | September 29, 2016 | Comments

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This week in TV news: the political role of a lifetime for Alec Baldwin, a comic con gets rebranded, sad news for Adventure Time fans, a Hitchcock series, Japanese teen metal, castings galore, and Making a Murderer‘s Steven Avery hits the talk-show scene.


SNL TAPS BALDWIN AS TRUMP

Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump for SNL (NBC)

Saturday Night Live’s latest casting guarantees the sketch comedy show will deliver the laughs this political season. Making his triumphant return to NBC, Alec Baldwin will appear as the new Donald Trump. Fans got the exciting news via a promo released on social media by the network on Wednesday. The 30 Rock star and frequent SNL host is known for his political reveling and appears quite at home in the role as the Republican presidential candidate opposite Kate Mckinnon‘s Hillary Clinton.


ADVENTURE TIME WILL WRAP IN 2018

Cartoon Network has announced that beloved animation series Adventure Time will come to an end, but not right away. The Emmy and Peabody Award–winning series will continue to air through 2018. Cartoon Network took to Twitter to reassure the series’ legions of loyal fans that, “CN is proud of the world created over 142 half-hours of Adventure Time, & we can’t wait to watch the journey continue over the next 2 years!” So we can look forward to watching Finn and Jake continue to fight evil in the Land of Ooo in specials, miniseries, as well as the ninth and final season.


STAN LEE DAY DEDICATED IN LOS ANGELES

Paul Koretz, Stan Lee, Curran D. Price at LA's City Hall on Sept. 27, 2016 (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic)

The city of Los Angeles has dedicated Oct. 28 to Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee. The day falls on the opening of his three-day comics, video games, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and pop culture convention formerly known as “Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo,” which has been rebranded as “Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con.” Featured guests at the con include: Candice Patton from The Flash, Ray Donovan’s Kate Moennig, Batman Adam West, Community creator Dan Harmon, boxer Mike Tyson, Supernatural’s Rob Benedict, and the Star Trek universe’s Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and Denise Crosby.


DEALMAKING: BABYMETAL AND HITCHCOCK LAND NEW DEVELOPMENT DEALS

Babymetal

Japanese sensation Babymetal, the quasi pop/heavy metal song-and-dance act made up of teenage girls, seems to be following in Kiss’ footsteps in more ways than just music as it progresses into the realms of hero-like animation. Warner Bros.’ digital studio Blue Ribbon Content, in collaboration with Amuse Group USA, have signed a deal to develop a limited, digital, hybrid live action–animated miniseries. The rockin’ teen trio plays a warrior band created by a lonely god, Kitsune, to save the world of heavy metal. In another deal, Universal Cable Productions and the Alfred Hitchcock estate announced Welcome to Hitchcock, an anthology series re-imagining classic Hitchcock stories.


CASTING NEWS: AMERICAN CRIME HIRES SANDRA OH, ALAN CUMMING TO STAR IN DR. DEATH PROJECT AND MORE

Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy, ep-416 (ABC)
Longtime Grey’s Anatomy star Sandra Oh is returning to ABC as social worker Abby Tanaka in John Ridley’s critically acclaimed anthology series American Crime. ABC also revealed this week that Modern Family will feature transgender child actor, Jackson Millarker, as Tom, Lily’s close friend in the upcoming episode, “A Stereotypical Day.” The Good Wife fan favorite Alan Cumming will star in and executive produce a new CBS project based on the upcoming book Dr. Death by James Patterson. Netflix’s highly anticipated reboot of Lost in Space (2018) announced its Mrs. Robinson in Deadwood‘s Molly Parker, playing opposite Toby Stephens (Black Sails) as patriarch John. Spike Lee has found one of the male leads for the Netflix update of his groundbreaking film She’s Gotta Have It: Anthony Ramos, of Broadway smash Hamilton fame, has been cast as Mars in the new 10-episode series. Jared Harris (Mad Men) will star in AMC’s anthology horror series The Terror, joining Ciaran Hinds (Game of Thrones), Paul Ready (Cuffs), and Adam Nagaitis (Houdini & Doyle). Sam Trammell (True Blood) will have a recurring role in NBC’s hit freshman series This Is Us, which has just gotten a full-season order.

MAKING A MURDERER‘S STEVEN AVERY TO APPEAR ON DR. PHIL

Making a Murderer, Steven Avery (Netflix)

Watch for convicted murderer Steven Avery making an “appearance” — via telephone, anyway — on a two-part Dr. Phil episode airing Monday, Oct. 3 and Tuesday, Oct. 4, while his fiancée, Lynn Hartman, attends in person. This will be the first time he’s been interviewed since the Netflix series Making a Murderer aired last December.