This week in TV news, we learn that Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul is breaking records. Plus, Eddie Murphy refuses to make fun of Bill Cosby, The Master returns to Doctor Who, DC’s Lucifer gets a pilot order, and Justin Bieber gets egged!
The Breaking Bad prequel that no one could wait for opened to record-smashing numbers. According to Nielsen live/same-day ratings, Better Call Saul has been confirmed as the number-one series premiere in cable history among adults ages 18 to 49 and adults 25 to 54 — TV’s most coveted demo. AMC’s two-night debut on Feb. 8 and 9 drew a combined total of 15.6 million viewers, but the first half of the premiere broke viewership records on its own with 9.8 million viewers. “There are many who are responsible for taking Better Call Saul from ‘Can we actually do this?’ to the biggest series premiere in the history of cable television,” said AMC president Charlie Collier. “We remain collectively focused on sharing, in style, Jimmy McGill’s long, strange trip from nail salon to Cinnabon.” Season one of Better Call Saul is currently Certified Fresh at 100 percent. Read reviews for the latest episode here.
According to a binge of tweets by comedian Norm Macdonald Wednesday night, he tried to convince Eddie Murphy to do a Bill Cosby joke during Saturday Night Live‘s 40th anniversary special. As part of the Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch, the Video Daily Double question in the “Potent Potables” category showed Cosby, (played by Kenan Thompson on Sunday night), mixing a cocktail — but the sketch writers wanted Murphy, whose Bill Cosby impression was famous in the ’80s — to do the bit. “Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it,” Macdonald tweeted. “He will not kick a man when he is down.” Since then, Cosby, accused by 20 women for drugging and/or sexually assaulting them, issued a statement of gratitude toward Murphy. Reported Thursday morning by NBC News, Cosby said, ‘I am very appreciative of Eddie and I applaud his actions.” See the full story on Deadline.
Now Justin Bieber knows how it feels to be on the receiving end of an egg assault. To promote The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber, the network released a video of The Biebs shirtless and being pelted by eggs in slow-motion to thunderous music — a call-back to Bieber’s vandalism charge in 2014 that cost him $89,000 in restitution. Kevin Hart, who will host the roast on March 30, told Ryan Seacrest that he has zero plans to go easy on his friend. “He’s 100 percent nervous,” Hart said. “It’s not even a half-question. He’s like, ‘Hey so Kev, you’re going to take it easy, right?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely not.'” See the egging here.
According to TheWrap, Lucifer landed a pilot pickup from Fox, adding Len Wiseman (Sleepy Hollow) to direct and Jerry Bruckheimer to executive produce. Lucifer is based on a character from the DC Comics Sandman series, who — bored with his position in hell — moves to Los Angeles where he entertains himself by helping the LAPD punish criminals. The premise has changed since the project was first reported back in September. Originally, Lucifer was going to work in an L.A. piano bar called Lux — not doing police work. The potential series is the second pilot pick-up for DC this season after CBS’s Supergirl, starring Glee alum Melissa Benoist.
BBC America announced Thursday that Michelle Gomez is back as Missy (also known as The Master) in the new season premiere of Doctor Who this fall. “Things have been a little beige since I left Missy behind, so I’m delighted to be putting my lippie back on,” Gomez said in a statement. “I’m positively dying to see The Doctor again!” Stephen Moffat, lead writer on the season opener, teased The Master’s return: “Everybody hide — Michelle Gomez as Missy was an instant hit last year, so she’s straight back to plague the Doctor and Clara in the series opener. But what brings her back into their lives is the last thing they’d expect.” No date yet for when the second season with Peter Capaldi as The Doctor will air, but it will be a two-parter called “The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar.”
