TAGGED AS: ABC, Amazon, CBS, Crackle, Emmys, NBC, Netflix
This week in TV news: series announcements, the presidential debate gets a prime-time snub, Emmys fallout, The Underground Railroad to be adapted, and puppies!
The producers of the film version of Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower have confirmed a companion series is in development based on the fourth book in the author’s fantasy saga, Wizard and Glass, which tells the tale of hero Roland Deschain as a teen gunslinger. The series will likely be distributed online, will premiere in 2018, and will star Idris Elba in the cast. CBS announced this week that the hit Tracy Letts play Superior Donuts has been been “re-piloted” since the original was picked up, and the network has ordered 13 episodes. The mid-season premiere stars Judd Hirsch, Jermaine Fowler, and Katey Sagal. In other news, ABC announced a Magnum P.I. sequel series about the detective’s daughter Lily “Tommy” Magnum; Netflix will get Naked with Regina Hall and Marlon Wayans — the sitcom is a remake of the Swedish film Naken; Amazon is developing Toy Wars, a drama by Josh Gad about the real-life battle between Hasbro and Mattel; and Charlie Sheen will star in a TV movie for the Crackle network called Mad Families.
The first presidential debate on NBC hasn’t managed to scare very many shows off the TV ticket for next Monday night. NBC’s own The Good Place is the only show taking the night off. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee will not air a new episode, but probably so that Bee can focus fully on the debate, considering all the ammo it will give her for future episodes. Those of you wanting a break from the bickering will find that Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, and even Kevin Can Wait (desperate TV times, desperate TV-watching measures) will air at their regular times. So rock the vote with your remote.
While some of us are still recovering from Sunday’s Emmy Awards, Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith came out of hiding and would very much like her Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award — thanks very much, Jimmy Kimmel! “I was very astonished and pleased to win the award. I feel the Emmys have been overly generous to me. If Mr. Kimmel could please direct me to the lost and found office, I will try and be on the next flight. Love, Old Maggie,” Smith said in a statement tweeted by @MasterpiecePBS. During the show, host Kimmel gave Dame Maggie a hard time about her nine absences in nine nominations. “What is wrong with us? Why do we keep nominating this woman?” Kimmel asked.
Dame #MaggieSmith graciously accepts her #Emmy award — @jimmykimmel, please advise on the location of the lost and found! #DowntonPBS pic.twitter.com/veQ6shRmxA
— Masterpiece PBS (@masterpiecepbs) September 19, 2016
In other Brits-at-the-Emmys news, Sherlock star Amanda Abbington revealed on Twitter that her purse was stolen when she went up on stage for the show’s Outstanding Television Movie win: “Whoever took my purse, I hope some terrible Karmic shit happens to you. How crappy is that.” Indeed!
Had my phone and driver's licence in it. So whoever took my purse, I hope some terrible Karmic shit happens to you. How crappy is that.
— amanda abbington (@CHIMPSINSOCKS) September 19, 2016
