Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Pumpkin Spice edition

Every August, while everyone else is trying to make the most of what’s left of the summer, I’m anxiously anticipating what I consider the herald of better days – the arrival of pumpkin spice season. This has been especially true this year, since my summer kind of stunk. I have no idea what this autumn will bring, but whatever it is will be vastly improved by sipping some pumpkin coffee and beer and discovering all the new ridiculous ways that companies are cashing in on the popularity of the pumpkin spice trend. I had my first pumpkin coffee on August 21st and I will rid this pony as long as I can. Then the dreaded peppermint season commences and I can go back to being miserable.

So while I settle in to being basic for the next few months, get yourself caught up on all the pop culture that you might have missed  in the last week.

Television

• Many winters may be coming before we see the final season of Game of Thrones.
• Among the zombies in the Game of Thrones season finale were members of the band Mastadon.
• Lots of people are naming their dogs after Game of Thrones characters.
• Bob Odenkirk hints that Better Call Saul will revisit the Breaking Bad years.
• HBO has renewed Room 104.
• NBC’s Xena reboot is DOA.
• Lorne Michael says Saturday Night Live will be live coast-to-coast this season.
• Ryan Gosling and JAY-Z will be the host and musical guest, respectively, in the SNL season premiere.
• Starz has picked up Black Samurai, a show from Common.
• Reese Witherspoon will drop by The Mindy Project.
• Katee Sackhoff is headed to The Flash. So is Michael Emerson.
• Marcia Clark is developing a crime series for ABC.
• You Can’t Do That On Television is getting a reboot.
• Orlando Bloom to star in a fantasy-noir series for Amazon. Bloom will also produce.
• Amazon has renewed Transparent for a fifth season.
• Matthew Weiner is bringing a lot of his former Mad Men crew to his new series.
• The producers of Justified are working on an adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Detroit novels.
• An eight-day South Park marathon is coming to Comedy Central next month.
• CBS has landed a single-camera comedy from Ben Schwartz, Laura Moses, and Gary Sanchez Productions.
• Shohreh Aghdashloo will appear in Netflix’s The Punisher.
• Thomas Kail, the director of Hamilton, is developing a comedy series with Fox.
• Hulu has ordered the ensemble comedy series All Night.
• If you don’t have Labor Day weekend plans, Comedy Central will air every episode of Broad City.
• People of Earth may transition to more of an anthology series.
• The 4^th season of Jane the Virgin will the series’ shortest yet.
• Fleabag will return with new episodes in 2019.
• Terry O’Quinn joins the cast of Castle Rock.
• Humans of New York is getting a Facebook TV series.
• UnREAL has its episode count cut for season 4.
• Richard Flood is coming to Shameless.
• The Walking Dead plans to “thin the herd” in season eight.
• Diane Guerrero will be a series regular on season two of Superior Donuts.
• Nick Kroll’s new animated series Big Mouth will feature Kroll, John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, Jason Mantzoukas, Jordan Peele, and Jenny Slate.
• Epix has renewed Get Shorty.
• There is another Jumper TV show in the works – this one with Jamie Bell.
• Here’s what’s coming and going from HBO Now in September. And Netflix.

Movies

• Alamo Drafthouse is doing an all-clown screening of It.
• David Hasselhoff wants a Knight Rider movie in the style of Logan and directed by Robert Rodriguez.
• If there is a Knight Rider movie, the studio is rumored to be eyeing John Cena to star.
• Bryan Singer’s biopic on Queen casts its band members. Rami Malek to star as Freddie Mercury.
• Maya Rudolph joins the cast of Melissa McCarthy’s The Happytime Murders.
• Ed Skrein backs out of a role in Hellboy after controversy over whitewashing.
• Margot Robbie and Jared Leto will reprise their roles in a Joker and Harley Quinn standalone movie.
• There is another Starsky and Hutch reboot in development with James Gunn attached.
• Liam Neeson will play Mark Felt (aka Deep Throat) in a new biopic.
• Will Ferrell will produce and star in an adaptation of The 100 Year-Old Man.
• You can tour Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, better known as the stand-in for Camp Crystal Lake in the first Friday the 13^th movie.
• Pedro Pascal is in talks to play a villain in The Equalizer 2.
• Another Fantastic Four reboot may be coming; this one would be based on an unpublished Mark Millar children’s book.
• Martin Lawrence doesn’t think that Bad Boys 3 is going to happen.

Trailers

• Super Troopers 2:

 

• Tulip Fever:

 

• Black Mirror, season 4:

 

• Heathers (TV series):

 

• Little Evil:

 

• The Cuckoo’s Calling:

 

• Last Flag Flying:

 

• One Mississippi, season 2:

 

• Gunpowder:

 

• Brawl In Cell Block 99:

 

• BoJack Horseman, season 4:

 

• Literally Right Before Adam:

 

• Killing Gunther:

 

• The Opposition with Jordan Klepper:

 

• Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories:

 

Music

• Rumor – Beyoncé in talks to record the theme for the new James Bond song.
• The Foo Fighters dropped a new music video.
• Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff have a new EDM song.
• Here are the 2017 MTV Video Music Award winners.
• Taylor Swift released a new song and music video.
• Frank Ocean dropped a new song on Blonded Radio.
• AC/DC’s Brian Johnson performed live for the first time in nearly 2 years.
• Lady Gaga has a new documentary coming out on Netflix.
• Game of Thrones’s The Mountain appears in Katy Perry’s music video for “Swish Swish.”
• Eddie Vedder turned up on Twin Peaks.
• Cara Delevingne appears on her ex St. Vincent’s new album under an assumed name.

Stand-up

• Netflix is hosting a 25^th Anniversary Def Comedy Jam special.
• Amy Schumer negotiated to get more money for her Netflix special.
• Demetri Martin is going out on tour.
• Patton Oswalt’s new standup special debuts in October.
• Here is the schedule for Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents.

Theater

• Noah Galvin and Taylor Trensch will replace Ben Platt in Dear Evean Hansen.
• Disney’s Newsies musical will come to Netflix in September.

Odds and Ends

• Depressing but not unexpected news – 14 of the highest-paid actors make more than the highest-paid actress.
• A new voice actor for Kermit the Frog has made his debut.
• Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio quote Titanic to each other.
• James Cromwell’s ringtone is kind of perfect.
• This week in pop culture real estate – Eleanor Rigby’s grave is on the market.
• A housing development in Australia had streets named after Game of Thrones characters, but people complained about Lannaster Road.
• Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan welcomed their second daughter.
• Bill Cosby’s retrial for sexual-assault won’t happen until 2018.
• The Bachelor’s Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi have called it quits.
• Director Tobe Hooper, best known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, has died. He was 74.
• Playwright Bernard Pomerance has died. He was 76.
• Actor Jay Thomas has passed away. He was 69.

Mashups and Supercuts

• A (fake) trailer for High School Musical 4:

 

• The trailer for the second season of Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party channels Ghost:

 

• Sesame Street parodies “Despacito”:

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Taking Off Early Edition

Today is a good day because I am leaving work a little early. It doesn’t matter that it’s only two hours early or that I generally work through lunch so it’s really only an hour early. I’ve taken a grand total of three vacation days this year and they were all in May, so one could say that I’m a little burned out. I celebrate the days that I actually get out of work on time, so being able to stroll out of here early is like a grand celebration.

So while I watch the clock today and pray to whatever deity that will make sure that I actually do get to leave on time, get yourself caught up on what you might have missed with this week’s pop culture roundup.

Television

• Stranger Things is getting a third – and possibly fourth – season.
• A Stranger Things pop-up bar opened in Chicago.
• Amy Poehler is developing an animated comedy at Fox.
• Reid Scott to appear on the second season of Great News.
• The live-action Jetsons remake heads to ABC.
• Alfred Hitchcok’s The Birds will be a BBC miniseries.
• Conan is headed to Israel.
• Paul Scheer will write the TV version of Galaxy Quest.
• Justin Theroux joins the cast of Cary Fukunaga’s Netflix series.
• Playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney is making a coming-of-age drama for OWN.
• Make what you will of AHS: Cult’s alleged opening credits.
• Charlie Cox says that the third season of Daredevil will adapt the “Born Again” story from the comics.
• Netflix renewed Friends From College.
• RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and Untucked renewed by VH1.
• MTV Unplugged returns this fall.
• MTV has also ordered more episodes of Fear Factor.
• Manning Marable’s biography of Malcom X is being developed as a TV series.
• Charlie Day isn’t as interested in doing It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia without Dennis.
• Francis O’Connor will be the female lead in the Locke & Key series.
• Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have two comedies in development at CBS.
• Jasmin Savoy Brown has joined ABC’s For the People.
• Fox will make a TV show about a TV revival.
• Normal Lear is developing a comedy at NBC.
• Julian McMahon will appear on Marvel’s Runaways.
• The Oh, Hello guys will drop by Portlandia.
• Tribeca will host a TV festival in September.
• TruTv renewed I’m Sorry for a second season.
• Amy Schumer was an audience member for Judge Judy.
• Matt LeBlanc could have played Phil Dunphy on Modern Family.
• The SyFy pilot for the Tremors reboot series has found its director.
• Here’s what’s coming and going from Hulu in September. And Amazon Prime. And HBO Now.

Movies

• Obi-Wan Kenobi will get a Star Wars spinoff.
• During reshoots, Michael K. Williams’ role was cut from the Han Solo movie.
• The Shazam director explains why The Rock’s Black Adam isn’t in the movie.
• Alan Arkin joins Tim Burton’s live-action Dumbo.
• The Joker (not played by Jared Leto) is getting a solo origin film from Martin Scorsese and Todd Phillips.
• Seth Rogen is working on an R-rated comedy for tweens.
• Patty Jenkins close to finalizing a deal to direct Wonder Woman 2.
• Super Troopers 2 will debut on an appropriate day in 2018.
• Samuel L. Jackson is in talks to star in a Shaft sequel.
• Glenn Close will star in the big screen adaptation of Sunset Boulevard.
• St. Vincent will direct a gender-swapped take on The Portrait of Dorian Gray.
• Vulture ranks every Steven Soderbergh movie.
• Sasha Lane joined the Hellboy reboot.

Trailers

• American Assassin:

 

• Thor: Ragnarok:

 

• Gemini:

 

• American Horror Story: Cult:

 

• The Killing of a Sacred Deer:

 

• Marvel’s The Punisher:

 

• Vice Principals, season two:

 

• Season 4 of You’re the Worst:

 

• Vengeance: A Love Story:

 

• Little Evil:

 

• Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 9:

 

• Blade Runner 2049:

 

• Beyond Skyline:

 

• How To Talk To Girls At Parties:

 

• Manhunt:

 

Music

• Weezer will drop a new album in October.
• The Muppets are doing a live show at the Hollywood Bowl.
• Dolly Parton will release an album of children’s songs.
• LCD Soundsystem released a video for a song from their new album.
• Brand New dropped a surprise album.
• Robert Plant is releasing a new album.
• Billy Corgan announced a new album.

Theater

• The cast has been set for the North American premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies.
• Ham4Ham returned in Los Angeles.
• Denzel Washington will return to Broadway in Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh.
• Indecent will air on PBS in November.
• John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons will head to Broadway.
• Julie Taymor will return to Broadway with an updated M. Butterfly.

Stand-up

• Marc Maron’s new standup special debuts on Netflix next month.
• Jerry Seinfeld’s first Netflix standup special will also drop in September.

Odds and Ends

• Beyoncé and Lavern Cox are working on a mystery project together.
• Drake is opening up a restaurant.
• Mike D will run a wine program at a new LA restaurant.
• Chuck E. Cheese is phasing out its animatronic band. Father John Misty penned a tribute.
• Emma Stone is now Hollywood’s highest-paid actress.
• Meek Mill arrested for reckless endangerment.
• Robin Thicke and girlfriend April Love are expecting a child.
• Broadway producer Stuart J. Thompson has died. He was 62.
• Tony-winning writer Thomas Meehan has died. He was 88
• Comic and civil rights activist Dick Gregory has passed away.

Mashups and Supercuts

• Slasher Things:

 

• Kesha covers “House of the Rising Sun”:

 

• Lin-Manuel Miranda and James Corden perform Hair in a crosswalk:

Pop Culture Odds and Ends – Momentary Distraction Edition

It seems kind of trivial to be writing about pop culture with all that has been going on in the United States in the last week. I know this. But as important as it is to be paying attention and to engage, people also need temporary refuge from the news and reality. So I offer up this week’s pop culture roundup as a momentary distraction, a break from the very ugly world in which we are living in.

Television

• In a move that proves they are not f*cking around, Netflix lures Shonda Rhimes away from ABC with a four-year deal.
• Ava DuVernay is reportedly developing a TV series adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Dawn.
• Netflix has renewed GLOW for a second season. Yay!
• Ikea has released instructions for how to turn their rugs into Game of Thrones capes.
• Production on the second season of Atlanta will reportedly start next month.
• The Cohen brothers are making a western miniseries for Netflix that will debut in 2018.
• If Louie CK ever brings Louie back to FX, it will be the same show.
• FX has renewed Snowfall.
• David Tennant and Michael Sheen set to star in an adaptation of Good Omens.
• CBS is developing a thriller aboard a nuclear submarine.
• Aaron Eckhart joins the cast of Matthew Weiner’s The Romanoffs.
• Connie Britton has been cast in Showtime’s SMILF.
• Netflix has renewed Ozark for a second season.
• Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin will star in Chuck Lorre’s Netflix comedy.
• American Horror Story: Cult may be coming to a city near you with a mysterious bus tour.
• NBC is developing a Munsters series where the family lives in Brooklyn.
• Josh Groban will guest star on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
• Talks for a Hannibal revival are apparently happening.
• This fan’s argument for why Rachel should have ended up with Joey on Friends is pretty damn convincing.
• American Crime Story: Katrina is getting a complete overhaul. Sarah Paulson will still star.
• They are returning to the drawing board for another try at a How I Met Your Mother spinoff.
• Not sure how, but David Tennant will return for the second of Jessica Jones.
• The cast for the second season of Westworld continues to expand.
• Zosia Mamet and Lou Diamond Phillips to guest star on You’re The Worst.
• Joel McHale is being considered for a lead role in the Quantum and Woody TV series.
• Barbara Hershey will appear in the second season of The X-Files.
• Nia Vardalos has a new series inspired by Chewbacca Mom.
• Lifetime orders a drama series from Jamie Denbo and Jenji Kohan.
• Hulu obtains the rights to a series based on RuPaul’s life.
• Comedy Central is developing a series starring Alex Karpovsky.
• Ben Platt will drop by the Will & Grace reboot.
• Feeling left out, CBS is now developing a singing competition show.
• John Carpenter is directing a TV pilot.
• Cast members of This Is Us earned $250,000 bonuses from NBC.
• NBC is working with the team behind The Maze Runner films for a futuristic drama series.
• NBC is officially shuttering Seeso. Some shows have already found a new home.
• Chris Elliott will guest star and Kristin Wiig will recur on Last Man on Earth, season 4.

Movies

• It’s finally official – Danial Craig will return as 007.
• Leonardo DiCaprio to play Leonardo da Vinci in a biopic based on Walter Isaacson’s upcoming book.
• Louis CK apparently made a film in secret which will debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.
• Casey Affleck says that Ben Affleck won’t be in The Batman, but then walks back his comments. Little brothers, am I right?
• Ali Wong and Randall Park will star in a rom-com for Netflix.
• Showtime has been making a documentary about The New York Times since Trump’s inauguration.
• Kate Holmes will star in the film adaptation of The Secret.
• Cate Blanchett is in talks to join Eli Roth’s The House With a Clock In Its Walls.
• Nick Jonas joins Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley in Chaos Walking.
• Jamie Kennedy joins the cast of Ad Astra.
• Anya Taylor-Joy will reunite with director Robert Eggers for his Nosferatu remake.
• There will be a female-led remake of License To Drive.
• Josh Brolin turned down the Avatar sequels and James Cameron wasn’t happy.

Trailers

• The Crown, season 2:

 

• Wonder:

 

• Our Souls at Night:

 

• Molly’s Game:

 

• The Meyerowitz Stories:

 

• The Defenders:

 

• The Florida Project:

 

• Batman vs. Two-Face:

 

• The Death of Stalin:

Music

• Pink is back with a new song and a new album forthcoming.
• Pink will receive the Video Vanguard Award at the 2017 MTV VMAs.
• Kendrick Lamar will perform a headlining set at the VMAs.
• Queens of the Stone Age released a new single.
• Beck has a new album coming in October.
• Bill Hader and Cecily Strong star in a music video for Steve Martin’s “Caroline.”
• Willie Nelson had to end a concert early in Salt Lake City due to breathing problems.
• Wilco has released a benefit song for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Theater

• Ben Platt is leaving Dear Evan Hansen in November.
• There will be no trolls in the Frozen Broadway musical.
• Bruce Springsteen will do an eight-week run on Broadway.
• There is an all-male, nude production of Hamlet being performed in NYC.
• Bandstand will close on Broadway September 17.
• Joshua Jackson will make his Broadway debut in Children of a Lesser God.
• Bill Murray saw Groundhog Day on Broadway two days in a row. The joke is too obvious to make.
• Good thing he saw it now – Groundhog Day will close September 17.
• There is now a Hamilton app that I have been driving my SIL crazy with.

Books

• Actor Bruce Campbell has written a memoir.
• A My Cousin Vinny book sequel is in the works.
• A Hamilton-inspired cookbook will hit shelves this November.

Podcasts

• A new podcast will dive into the origins of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
• 2 Dope Queens is getting a series of specials on HBO.

Odds and Ends

• Wonder Woman and Riverdale did well at the Teen Choice Awards.
• Broad City now has its own line of sex toys.
• A Hunger Games theme park is really happening.
• A UK zoo named their new baby male hippo Hodor.
• A jury has ruled in favor of Taylor Swift in her lawsuit against a DJ for groping her.
• Prince officially has his own shade of purple.
• This week in pop culture real estate: Eminem is selling his house.
• Chris Cornell’s family has commissioned a statue of him to be placed in Seattle.
• Mindy Kaling has confirmed her pregnancy.
• Ric Flair was hospitalized and has undergone surgery.
• Tom Cruise was reportedly injured during a stunt on Mission: Impossible 6.
• Stuntwoman Joi Harris died in a motorcycle accident during filming Deadpool 2.

Mashups and Supercuts

• Watch Leslie Jones and Set Meyers watch Game of Thrones:

 

• Jamie Lannister’s life as a Lifetime movie trailer:

 

• A Game of Thrones/Friends mashup that employs NSFW language:

 

• Even the Night King is a fan of Drake: