This week in TV news, Netflix expands its streaming services, Ozzy and Jack Osbourne may return to TV, Tales from the Crypt has been resurrected, and more!
NETFLIX EXPANDS TO 190 COUNTRIES IN 2016
After announcing last month that it would be doubling its original content output in 2016, Netflix has reportedly expanded its streaming service to 130 more countries, making the video service available in a total of 190 countries. Among the shows premiering later this year, Certified Fresh favorites Marvel’s Daredevil and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will return for second seasons, with new shows including Marvel’s Luke Cage, Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down (watch the newly released trailer here), and an animated series from acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro, as part of an expanded partnership with DreamWorks Animation. On their original film side, the Idris Elba-starring Beasts of No Nation and the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? are both Certified Fresh and racking up awards season buzz, while the Adam Sandler vehicle The Ridiculous 6 (currently holding a strong 0%) has become the service’s most watched movie (including originals and licensed properties). Netflix currently boasts more than 70 million subscribers.
OZZY AND JACK OSBOURNE RETURN TO TV ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL
The Prince of Darkness and his son are returning to TV,
according to reports of a trip to Havana over the weekend, prior to the commencement of Black Sabbath’s final tour. The Sabbath vocalist and heavy metal godfather Ozzy Osbourne traveled with son, Jack, to Cuba for about a week as part of a TV film project for the History Channel. The project will see the duo visit historic landmarks around the world and present them to the world as “history with an Osbourne twang,” according to Ozzy. Osbourne has also said the film will help educate himself on current events post World War 2, of which he is a bit of an expert. While most of the info on the project is under wraps, Jack has been updating fans on
Instagram about the father/son travels. The Osbournes are two of a handful of celebrities traveling to Cuba since its recent relief of tensions with the US. A brief montage of Ozzy, 67, traveling in Cuba, can also be seen on
YouTube.
HBO PRESIDENT TAKES THE BLAME FOR SEASON TWO OF TRUE DETECTIVE
The second season of
True Detective was more than a let down for those eagerly awaiting an encore to its widely popular and prolific first season. Well, HBO President Michael Lombardo has stepped up to the plate to take the blame for
True Detective’s unsteady sophomore showing. Lombardo made it clear
in a recent interview with The Frame that “when we tell somebody to hit an air date as opposed to allowing the writing to find its own natural resting place, when it’s ready, when it’s baked—we’ve failed.” He went on to say “… the first season of
True Detective was something that Nic Pizzolatto had been thinking about, gestating, for a long period of time. He’s a soulful writer. I think what we did was go, ‘Great.’ And I take the blame. I became too much of a network executive at that point. We had huge success. ‘Gee, I’d love to repeat that next year.” There still may be a third season of
True Detective; and from where we stand now it looks like Lombardo and HBO have gleaned some important lessons from their successive season, third time may indeed be the charm.
HBO’S GIRLS AMONG FIRST CANCELLATION ANNOUNCEMENTS OF 2016
The first TV show cancellations for 2016 have been announced, and syndicated talk show The Meredith Vieira Show will not be returning after it finishes it’s second season in May. TNT’s police procedural Rizzoli and Isles will wrap up this summer after its seventh season. And HBO has announced that it will not renew its hit series Girls past the sixth season. There is still plenty of time before Lena Dunham and company say their goodbyes. Season five of Girls premieres on February 21st.
M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN TO REVITALIZE TALES FROM THE CRYPT
Hold the phone. M. Night Shyamalan is breathing new life into
Tales from the Crypt, which originally aired for seven seasons on late night HBO. The revered series will be championed by the Oscar-nominated writer-director and TNT, where
Tales will be part of a new two hour horror block of programming for the cable channel.
Shyamalan shared with Variety, “to be a part of such a beloved brand like ‘
Tales from the Crypt, something I grew up watching, and to also have the chance to push the boundaries of genre television as a whole, is an inspiring opportunity that I can’t wait to dive into.” Whether or not the creepy “Crypt Keeper” skeleton will return as host of the beloved show has yet to be revealed, but one thing seems evident – viewers are in store for a very twisted hair raising ride.
