Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Back to School Edition

It’s the first day of school today in my neck of the woods, which doesn’t mean much to me personally other than the fun game of avoiding school buses on my commute into work has once again commenced. I drive by two schools on my way to work and a few minute difference can be the difference between getting to work on time and being super late. But I do enjoy seeing my Facebook feed blow up with all the obligatory back to school photos; I don’t know how it’s possible that I’m staying the same age and all my friends’ kids keep getting older. It’s a modern miracle.

I do know that back to school usually means a chaotic week or so in most households, so I’m here to get you caught up on all the pop culture that you might have missed while you were buying school supplies and trying to get your kids to get out of bed before noon. As always, I’ve searched high and low to bring you the best that the world of pop has to offer.

Television

Netflix has released the titles of the episode for season 2 of Stranger Things. Overanalyze to your heart’s content.

Netflix has renewed Narcos for two more seasons.
Stranger Things has added three new characters to the cast.
Marc Maron will join Alison Brie in Netflix’s show about Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.
Adam Scott and Craig Robinson will star in the pilot Ghosted.
Jim Broadbent is headed to Game of Thrones. No word yet on his role, but he’ll probably die tragically.
Could Angela Landsbury also appear on Game of Thrones? That’s a hell of a lot of murder to investigate.

Bill Nye will host a science talk show on Netflix.
The new Bachelor has been announced.
Cinemax has ordered a pilot for Justin Lin’s Warrior.
Showtime is developing the comedy Fatwa, starring Aasif Mandvi.
Larry Wilmore briefly took over The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Syfy’s Krypton had cast its first lead.
The animated series Doctor Who: The Power of the Daleks is coming to BBC.
Two legal experts debate the accuracy of HBO’s The Night Of.
Mary J. Blige will appear on How To Get Away With Murder.
Parks and Recreation’s Jim O’Heir will guest star on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
This featurette explores the influence of hip-hop and Harlem on Luke Cage.
Sleepy Hollow has a new female lead.
Zayn Malik and Dick Wolf are teaming up to create a boy band drama.
I love when Conan hits the road – next up is Berlin.
A series based on the DC character Black Lightning is reportedly in the works
If NBC had their way, The Walking Dead would have been a zombie procedural.
Apparently that’s NBC’s thing, since they are turning Oliver Twist into a “sexy procedural.” Because nothing says “sexy procedural” like this:

Julianne Moore will appear on Hulu’s Difficult People.
A breakdown of the many Easter eggs in Mr. Robot.
The mystery theme of the new season of American Horror Story appears to have been solved.
You can now rent the silly SUV that Bachman drives on Silicon Valley.
AMC has cancelled Feed the Beast.
Netflix has ordered a reality series that will feature Kari Byron, Tory Belleci, and Grant Imahara (aka the MythBusters build team).
Fox is developing a modern procedural King Arthur TV series. A quest of the week?
TV Land has ordered a pilot based on the movie Heathers.

CBS is working on a drama based on the life of Judge Judy.
Lena Dunham reveals that Amy Schumer auditioned for role of one of the main characters in Girls.
Tom Brady and Michael Strahan are producing a sports docu-series.
Masters of Sex added Danny Jacobs, Stephen Root, and Romy Rosemont to the cast.
There is now a Doctor Who cookbook.
SyFy renewed Killjoys and Dark Matter.
Lifetime has canceled Devioys Maids
The Netflix series Dear White People has rounded out its cast.
Tyler, The Creator is getting his own Viceland TV show.
Gloria Estefan will appear on Jane the Virgin.
Bachelor in Paradise renewed for a 4^th season.

Movies

The Oscars will be on ABC through 2028.
Jackie Chan will receive an honorary Oscar this year.
Natalie Dormer will star along Sean Penn and Mel Gibson in The Professor and the Madman.
Mark Ruffalo has responded to criticism of Matt Bomer’s casting as a transgender woman.
Jim Gaffigan and Olivia Thirlby are the latest cast members to join the drama Chappaquiddick.
Sebastian Stan has joined the Steven Soderbergh film Logan Lucky.
When Ghostbusters is released on DVD, it will have a slightly different title.
Gabrielle Union has penned an Op-Ed addressing the rape allegations involving her Birth of a Nation co-star Nate Parker.
Rumor – Daniel Craig has been offered $150 million to do two more Bond films. The publicity stunt that was Hiddleswift (R.I.P.) may have been for naught.
Matthew McConaughey’s latest movie made less than $3,000 in its opening weekend.
Jon Favreau will reprise his Marvel character Happy Hogan in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Hannibal Buress reveals his character in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
UPROXX ranks the most legendary fight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Amazon has acquired the film Lost City of Z, starring Charlie Hunnam.
Pitch Perfect 3 has found a director to replace Elizabeth Banks.
Mel Gibson reveals new details about his sequel to The Passion of The Christ (Bible spoilers).
Bret Hart and Corey Feldman are making a horror movie together.

Shia LaBeouf was almost in Suicide Squad, which probably would have only made that movie worse.

Trailers

Shut In:

Certain Women:

The Young Pope:

Max Steel:

Mascots:

Cardboard Boxer:

Morgan:

ARQ:

Easy:

Chef’s Table: France:

Elle:

Music

Beyoncé has been put on vocal rest. The end is nigh.
Queen Bey had a very fun Soul Train-themed party for her 35^th birthday.

Eddie Vedder is doing a song for the Twin Peaks revival.
Look for Lady Gaga’s new single on Friday.
If you’ve got some cash to spare, Tupac’s handwritten song lyrics will be going up for auction.
An oral history of the Starship song “We Built This City.”
The White House is hosting a music festival, South By South Lawn.
Ryan Adams’ next album will be inspired by AC/DC.
The first single from the new Run The Jewels album will debut in a trailer for Gears of War 4.
A judge threw out the plagiarism lawsuit against Beyoncé over Lemonade.
The back catalogue of My Bloody Valentine will be remastered for vinyl.
Green Day announced tour dates.
Chris Brown dropped a new song a few hours after being released from jail on bail.
A timeline of the rumored relationship of Drake and Rihanna.

Theater

Moulin Rouge! is being adapted for the stage.
Jersey Boys will leave Broadway January 2017.
Judd Apatow will produce Chris Gethard’s Off-Broadway show. I’ve seen Gethard do standup a few times – he’s a funny dude.
For the final live #Ham4Ham, Renee Elise Goldsberry performed a song that was cut when Hamilton moved from Public Theater to Broadway:

Stand-up

Amy Schumer shuts down a heckler in Sweden.
Mitch Hedberg’s comedy will be released on vinyl.

Books

Take this with a grain of salt, but George R.R. Martin’s Winds of Winter had a rumored March 2017 release date.
A new Beatrix Potter story was released this week.
Ann M. Martin discusses the enduring appeal of The Baby-Sitters Club series.
Simone Biles is writing a memoir.

Odds and Ends

Beyoncé, Jay Z and Blue Ivy have added a puppy to their family.
Even The Rock is not immune to getting pooped on by his daughter.
In honor of what would have been his 70^th birthday, Freddie Mercury now has an Asteroid named after him.
Drake is opening up a nightclub in Houston.
R.I.P. Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure.
Lindsay Lohan’s lawsuit against Grand Theft Auto has been thrown out.
Gretchen Carlson has settled her sexual harassment lawsuit with Fox News.
Chloe Grace Moretz and Brooklyn Beckham have broken up.
Chevy Chase has checked into rehab as a “tune-up” for alcohol-related issues.
Selena Gomez is taking a career hiatus due to the severe side effects of lupus.
Hugh O’Brien, star of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, has died. He was 91.
Character actor Jon Polito, who was featured in many Coen brothers movies (and played Crosetti on Homicide), has passed away.
Former N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller (depicted by Paul Giamatti in Straight Outta Compton) has died.