Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Thanksgiving Eve Edition

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and once again, I am humbled by how much I have to be thankful for. You wouldn’t necessarily know it to listen to me- I’ve been complaining a lot lately at work – but underneath my grumbling I do realize that I am incredibly fortunate. Even if this pending snow storm derails my plans this evening, which at this point looks pretty likely, I have much to be appreciative of. That’s why Thanksgiving in one of my favorite holidays; it’s a chance for everyone, regardless of religion affiliation, to take a moment to reflect on the good things in their lives . We as a society don’t do that enough and I’m as guilty as anyone.

Thanksgiving is also a time to spend with family and friends; there will be plenty of small talk going on around dining room tables across the country. This can be treacherous. I’ve had a few unpleasant Thanksgivings where politics have been the focus of conversation and attacking me was the main course. Nobody wants that. But that’s where the pop culture roundup can come in handy; you can brush up on what’s going on in the world of pop and then use that to steer the conversation toward more pleasant topics. That’s definitely my game plan. So before you head over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house, take a quick tour through the pop culture developments of the last seven days.

• 10 things you may not know about the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.

• One of my favorite segments from The Tonight Show will be a show on Spike TV.

• It’s finally official – Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch for True Detective season 2. I have missed Tim Riggins as a part of my life. ❤

• Also officially official – Katy Perry will do the Super Bowl halftime show.

• Hugh Laurie is headed to Veep. This is very promising.

• Luther may be coming to the U.S., but he’ll return to BBC America in 2015.

• Netflix has officially saved Longmire. HOORAY!

• Netflix has also saved Tina Fey’s new comedy after NBC decided to pass.

• A mysterious new Game of Thrones website has popped up:

Follow the Three Eyed Raven. Gain the power of #TheSight: http://t.co/9fNrrJIGHGhttps://t.co/4RhAiTR9tw

— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) November 25, 2014

• NBC is developing a sitcom called #Winning. Don’t ever change, NBC.

• Unaired episodes of Selfie and Manhattan Love Story will appear on Hulu.

• AMC has announced the premiere date for Better Call Saul (a Monday timeslot???)

• Cecily Strong will host the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

• Stephen Colbert will host the Kennedy Center Honors.

• Penelope Cruz will be in Zoolander 2.

• Larry Wilmore’s Comedy Central show gets a new name and a debut date.

• R.I.P. Mike Nichols.

• It’s a Shawshank Redemption reunion:

 

• There’s a new Guardians of the Galaxy “Awesome Mix.”

• Are Seven Samurai and A Bug’s Life the same movie?

• I don’t even watch Dancing with the Stars, yet I correctly predicted this season’s winner.

• Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon attached to a limited series from David E. Kelly.

• A few select theaters will get the new Star Wars trailer this weekend.

• Rob Lowe and Rashida Jones will return to Parks and Recreation.

• The new X-Men movie has found its Apocalypse.

• Christian Bale was willing to don the Bat-suit again.

• Statler and Waldorf in LEGO form:

• Frances Bean Cobain is producing a documentary about her father for HBO.

• HBO also has a Scientology documentary in the works; they have wisely lawyered up.

• ABC has granted Cristela a full season order.

• The Denny’s that is prominently featured in Breaking Bad will close Thursday.

• Adam Pally will be leaving The Mindy Project during season 3.

• The Independent Spirit Award nominees were announced.

• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is on break, but he has some thought on turkey pardoning:

 

• LEGO Batman will acknowledge other incarnations of Batman.

• Marvel has allegedly narrowed down its search for Jessica Jones to four actresses.

• Thursday night Comedy Central debuts the All-Star Non-Denominational Christmas Special.

• Nick Offerman’s one-man show debuts on Netflix December 12^th.

• The new season of Last Comic Standing is on hold. Boo!

• All 17 videos from Beyoncé’s fifth album are now on YouTube.

• You can stream Beyoncé Platinum Edition on Spotify.

• I don’t have a yard and I’m an adult, but someone needs to get me this Groot Swing STAT:

• Melissa McCarthy will loan her voice to Tinker Bell.

• The full list of winners at the AMAs.

• Bones and The Following will return to Fox in March.

• Probably not a good sign – NBC has halted production on Constantine.

• ABC has dropped its John Stamos drama before it ever aired.

• A new AC/DC album is streaming on iTunes.

• Howard the Duck is staging a comeback.

• Sting will appear in the Broadway show he wrote to goose ticket sales.

• See how you do on this Community quiz.

• Troy and Abed reunited…..for a commercial:

 

• The big screen adaptation of The Stand will be four (!) movies. Matthew McConaughey is possibly attached.

• Uproxx looks at all the deaths caused by one of the characters on Sons of Anarchy.

• Despite some setbacks, the Aaron Sorkin Steve Jobs biopic is back on.

• There could be an All in the Family reboot.

• A flux capacitor watch would make a pretty sweet holiday gift.

• I wish I could have seen this – The cast of The League did a live-read of Barry Levinson’s Diner.

• Channing Tatum will try his hand at directing.

• I want some of these giant pop culture cookies.

• Anyone who is as into Serial as I am will get a kick out of these infographics:

• Djimon Hounsou may appear in Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur movie.

• Jason Reitman to direct a band heist movie written by Nick Hornsby.

• Steve McQueen is also making a heist movie.

• George Eads is leaving CSI.

• William Shatner is dropping by Syfy’s Haven.

• Idina Menzel is going out on tour.

• Doctor Who has hired its first female writer in six years.

• Stan Lee has a cameo in Big Hero 6.

Time for some trailers….

• Ryan Reynolds in The Captive:

 

• Disney’s live action Cinderella:

 

• American Heist:

 

• The Bellas are back for Pitch Perfect 2:

 

• Another trailer for Peter Pan Live!:

 

• Season five of Portlandia:

 

• Ryan Phillippe and Juliette Lewis in ABC’s Secrets and Lies:

 

• Hugh Jackman in Pan:

 

• The trailer for Jurassic World has arrived:

 

• A new trailer for The Interview:

 

• A new trailer for Justified:

 

• FX dropped some new promos for The Comedians:

 

• A new teaser for Agent Carter:

 

• Alec Baldwin has a new webseries.

• Tracy Morgan’s injuries may have been more serious than we thought.

• California State San Marcos has a Harry Potter-themed study abroad program.

• Ryan Reynolds is no longer in the Highlander reboot.

• TBS has cancelled Sullivan & Son.

• The Expendables 4 will be R-rated….assuming that there is an Expendables 4.

• A new film adaption of George Orwell’s 1984 is in development.

• Lifetime is a movie about the women held captive by Ariel Castro.

• Ariana Grande has a new Christmas song.

• Allison Tolman (Fargo) will guest star on season 2 of Review.

• Watch Rory McCann’s audition for the Hound on Game of Thrones:

 

• Zach Braff may direct a remake of Going in Style.

• Casey Affleck is no longer attached to Boston Strong.

• Taye Diggs and Topher Grace will appear in the musical comedy One Shot.

• Helen Gurley Brown is getting a biopic.

• Joni Mitchell vetoed Taylor Swift playing her in a biopic.

• Conan will get a primetime clip special.

• Justin Chatwin (Shameless) is heading to Orphan Black.

• Check out Paul Rudd’s college photo:

• A ranking of the Sideshow Bob episodes of The Simpsons.

• Forbes has released its list of the highest-earning celebrities under 30.

• The band Interpol got caught in that crazy Buffalo snowstorm; they were trapped in their tour bus for more than two days.

• Charlie Day has built a shrine for his neighbor Zac Efron.

• Joel McHale is developing a show about mean internet comments for E!

• There is a website devoted to streaming Mystery Science Theater 3000.

• Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow were in a curse-off:

 

• The 2014 National Book Award winners were announced.

• The Queen Latifah Show is no more.

• An Orange is the New Black actress has been arrested for criminal threats.

• This Waka Flocka Flame commercial for Pine Brothers cough drops is real….and hilarious:

 

• Contrary to earlier reports, Budweiser isn’t putting their Clydesdales out to pasture.

• Redbox is raising prices.

• Faith No More has released their first new single in 17 years.

• Someone dropped a cool $3 million for the original Cowardly Lion costume.

 

As always, we end with the mashups and supercuts…..

•  What if Martin Scorsese directed Wet Hot American Summer?

 

• Famous superheroes and villains in 17^th Century Flemish paintings:

 

• Homer Simpson made out of junk food:

 

• This meme mashes up Jurassic World and Arrested Development:

 

• The Super Mario World theme played on floppy drives:

 

• Stop what you’re doing – someone wrote a script that mashed up Downton Abbey and Marvel.

• A smooth jazz version of Van Halen’s “Running with the Devil”:

 

• A supercut of 90’s cinema hackers:

 

• A mashup of Jurassic Park and Ace Ventura:

 

• Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” together:

 

• And finally – Guardians of the Galaxy meets Friends: