TAGGED AS: ABC Family, Comedy Central, FX
This week in TV news, Kurt Sutter axes The Bastard Executioner, while ABC Family gets into the horror genre with Dead of Summer. Plus, Comedy Central announces dates for its winter series, and — speaking of winter — MAJOR Game of Thrones season six spoilers tip to “chilling” developments for one very popular character.
FX’s medieval epic The Bastard Executioner ended its series run this week, following Tuesday night’s season one finale. The news was spread by the show’s creator and showrunner, Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy, The Shield), who took out an ad in the Hollywood Reporter to explain why the series would not be continuing. “I would like to acknowledge The Bastard Executioner family for a once in a lifetime creative and personal experience,” Sutter’s statement said. “I have been awed by the talent and commitment of the TBX cast and crew. I thank my partners for their trust, support, and tireless effort as I slashed my way through 50 years of Catholic angst.” Sutter then thanked a slew of names and companies behind the project, including FX president John Landgraf for not firing him. “The audience has spoken, and unfortunately the word is ‘meh,'” Sutter concluded. “So with due respect, we bring our mythology to an epic and fiery close.” While the dark period drama about a morally conflicted executioner suffered sagging ratings throughout its run, Sutter is not discouraged and already has plans for his next FX series — a Sons of Anarchy spinoff about the Mayan biker club.
Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, co-creators of ABC’s dramatic fairy tale hit Once Upon a Time, have received an order from ABC Family (soon to be known as “Freeform”) to make Dead of Summer, a horror series set at a summer camp; OUAT writer Ian Goldberg is attached as the showrunner. According to EW, Dead of Summer was pitched as a “‘John Hughes meets John Carpenter’ anthology series, with the first season set in 1989,” and will be ABC Family’s first foray into horror. EW also published the series logline: “Set in the late 1980s, school is out for the summer, and a sun-drenched season of firsts beckons the counselors at Camp Clearwater, a seemingly idyllic Midwestern summer camp, including first loves, first kisses – and first kills. Clearwater’s dark, ancient mythology awakens, and what was supposed to be a summer of fun soon turns into one of unforgettable scares and evil at every turn. Part coming-of-age story, part supernatural horror story, Dead of Summer is a bold, new series that mixes genres as it examines the light and dark of a summer like no other.” This will be the first new series for Horowitz and Kitsis since launching OUAT in 2011.
Comedy Central unveiled its winter premiere schedule this week, announcing that season three of Broad City, starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson, returns on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 10 p.m. — and teasing their upcoming misadvertures, “including a trip to the DMV, a rat in the apartment, going clubbing, taking on new job responsibilities, visiting Abbi’s dad and new hook ups.” Also on the upcoming slate is season six of Workaholics (Thursday, Jan. 14 at 10 p.m.); season eight of Tosh.0 (Feb. 9 at 10 p.m.); season two of This Is Not Happening (Feb. 23 at 12:30 a.m.); season three of Adam Devine’s House Party (Mar. 3 at 12:30 a.m.); and the premieres of two new series. Idiotsitter, starring Charlotte Newhouse as an Ivy Leaguer hired to babysit an heiress under house arrest, premieres Jan. 14 at 10:30 p.m., and Not Safe w/ Nikki Glaser, hosted by the self-proclaimed “curious perv” who discusses sex and relationships with fellow comics, debuts Feb. 9 at 10:30 p.m.
[Super-spoilers for Game of Thrones season six ahead!] According to the Game of Thrones fan site Watchers on the Wall, it appears that the character of Sansa (Sophie Turner) will return to Winterfell in season six with… Jon Snow (Kit Harington)! The details of the spoiler come from the Northern Ireland set of GoT and are as follows: “According to WotW‘s sources, a scene was rehearsed and is being filmed this week involving Sansa, Jon Snow, Ramsay and Littlefinger. The characters are interacting in Winterfell’s courtyard, and there’s a great deal of tension… And then a giant turns up at the gates! The giant tries to force its way in and the people inside have to fight it off.” The sighting has spawned a number of fan theories and this article by Vanity Fair’s Joanna Robinson, in which she posits that more “chilling” developments are likely to be on the horizon for Sansa as she comes face to face with Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). Season six of Game of Thrones will premiere on HBO in spring 2016.
