Yep, Lady Gaga has been confirmed to star in the fifth season of the freaky franchise, currently titled American Horror Story: Hotel. Taking to twitter, Gaga posted the following tweet..
Aside from the new title, theme, Gaga’s casting and the premiere month of October, no other news has been announced regarding the show. Sarah Paulson and Emma Roberts are currently working on other Ryan Murphy projects (American Crime Story and Scream Queens respectively) and series leader Jessica Lange’s possible involvement with season 5 is still unknown.
While noting Freak Show would be her last outing, Lange did reveal to E! back in November that she could be willing to return.
Well I don’t know about you, but by the time the final awards were announced, my Emmy’s 2014 score card was looking pretty dire. Of the main categories this year, Breaking Bad and Modern Family went home winners claiming 9 trophies between the two shows. Breaking Bad deservedly with it’s incredible final season while a few were surprised with Modern Family’s continued award show strength even after 5 seasons…
I don't care enough about #emmys2014 to watch, but felt this wave of angry disgust over the embarrassingly undeserved #modernfamily win.
While Breaking Bad, Modern Family, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jim Parsons have become expected winners, there were a few surprise names called out with BBC series Sherlock and it’s stars Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch taking out the top awards for mini-series and 5 time previous winner Alison Janney winning best supporting actress for the very horrible comedy Mom
Check out the list of winners below along with my disastrous score card!
Comedy | Supporting Actor | My Pick: Tony Hale (VEEP) / Winner: Ty Burrel (Modern Family)
Comedy | Supporting Actress | My Pick: Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black) / Winner: Alison Janney (Mom)
Comedy | Lead Actor | My Pick: Matt Le Blanc (Episodes) / Winner: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Comedy | Lead Actress | My Pick: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (VEEP) / Winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (VEEP)
Comedy Series | My Pick | Orange is the New Black / Winner: Modern Family
Drama | Supporting Actor | My Pick: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) / Winner: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Drama | Supporting Actress | My Pick: Lena Headley (Game of Thrones) / Winner: Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Drama | Lead Actor | My Pick: Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad) / Winner: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Drama | Lead Actress | My Pick: Claire Danes (Homeland) / Winner: Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
Drama Series | My Pick: Breaking Bad / Winner: Breaking Bad
As you can see, I hang my head low claiming only four correct picks! Will be interesting to see how the drama category stacks up with this being Breaking Bad’s final year.
To be honest, when the networks announced the long lists of new shows they picked up for the upcoming Fall season, ABC’s comedy titled ‘Selfie’ and staring Karen Gillan did not even ping on my radar. I knew of it, but the premise and the early release trailer did nothing for me. To me, it was being touted as a social media savvy and utterly vapid valley girl has humiliating moment and tries to go humble.
Well, that pretty much sums up what Selfie is all about, but after watching the pilot episode, I think i’m going to be a bit more nicer about the show than other reviews have been.
Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) is a pharmaceutical sales rep who relies more on what her online followers are doing, hash-tagging and liking via vine, instagram, twitter, Facebook etc etc etc than dealing with the actual real life people around her. Attached to her phone like a drunk to a bottle of whiskey, she’s what I imagine Clueless’s Cher Horowitz to be like had she been created in this technologically advanced era.
Sashaying down the isle of an airplane, we’re first introduced to Eliza where every meme, lol, yolo, hashtag and Valencia filter is thrown at us to ensure that we know Eliza is a ‘millennial’ and that we shouldn’t really like her, plus she’s snagged herself an upgrade and she’s messing around with her co-worker – whom she finds out is married. It’s then the plot is switched up and we’re manipulated to feel sorry for her when she ends up covered in her own vomit (it’s a slow motion liquid mess of a scene that almost had me dry retching) and it’s captured on multiple cameras and subsequently uploaded to every form of social media available – including Google +.
Searching for help from her online cheer-squad, Eliza quickly learns that she doesn’t actually have any real friends.
Thankfully, there’s the non-sexual and non-threatening co-worker and anti-any-form-of-technology Henry Higgings (John Cho) just around the corner willing to fix her and turn her into a respectable lady capable of migrating into society without the need to constantly take a selfie. If you hadn’t worked it out by now, Selfie is an attempt at taking the classic My Fair Lady and throwing a Mayfair filter over it to make it accessible to a younger audience – sort of what Clueless did with Jane Austen’s Emma – but no where near as effective.
Not that Selfie is really that bad. Sure, there were a mass of quotes spewed out of Eliza’s mouth (including and not restricted to “BF BS. Got played like Flappy Bird. Mortified.com.” and “make like Elsa and let it go”) that were enough to make me a) glad I’m in my mid 30’s and will never have to speak like that and b) wonder how someone who actually talks like that finds themselves employed, but there were a few moments I let out a very hearty laugh – Henry Higgins “What makes you confused?” Eliza Dooley “Plus sized skinny jeans, I mean what the?!”
Josh Thomas is back for a second round of Please Like Me. Source: PivotTV/ABCTV
I wonder how many reviews of Josh Thomas’ Please Like Me will use the phrase “yes Josh, we really do like you”? In fairness, after watching the first two episodes from season two that were available for preview, the saying is more than warranted.
Unlike Please Like Me‘s first outing, which saw too much crammed into the meager six episodes offered up, we’re brought back into Josh’s hectic and awkward world but this time, the feeling is much more paced and easy with familiar faces including Tom (Thomas Ward), Claire (Caitlin Stacey) Niamh (Nikita Leigh-Pritchard) and mum Rose (Debra Lawrence) already fleshed out enough for us to willingly allow new characters like new housemate Patrick (Charles Cottier) and potential love interest for Tom, Jenny (Charlotte Nicado) to enter this frenetic world we’ve been waiting to come back to.
This frenetic world that Josh has created is filled with house parties, unrequited love, adventures in baby sitting, self depreciation, mental illness, awkward conversations with parents, discussions of penis size, unexpected visitors and probably the most uncomfortable “saddest recount of losing your virginity” competition that has ever existed – and this is just in the first two episodes.
Thomas, just as he did in season one, manages to mix his quirky awkwardness with that of a young man we’ve come to root for with an effortless flair and is now taking the foot off the “i’m not good enough” pedal just enough that the feeling of self sorrow that surrounded Josh in season one is lessened in this second outing.
Josh isn’t the only character to have undergone some personal development between seasons. Best friend Tom has a new-found confidence with women, probably his way of dealing with the departure of girlfriend Claire to Germany, that see’s Tom more confident in his approach and confident of achieving his goal. Even Niamh has undergone a change – gone are her nagging and manipulating ways now replaced with a girl who’s less assured and assertive.
The standout so far, without a doubt, is Debra Lawrence as mum Rose. The erratic and unstable episodes caused by her bipolar disorder are spot-on and as Rose struggles to deal with doing what she’s told and doing what she wants is a battle that will affect those closest to her. The first time we see Rose this season is a scene that lets us all in on just how far downhill she has gone since the death of Aunt Peg.
In it’s first season, Please Like Me found itself being compared to Lena Dunham’s self penned series Girls – a comparison that was likely and to a point correct, but now, Please Like Me feels a bit more real and accessible than Girls ever was. A scene that see’s both of Josh’s housemates preoccupied with hookups while Josh is stuck babysitting in the lounge room is a scenario that many currently in or have lived in shared accommodation can identify with.
It’s been a long awaited and very much welcome return for Please Like Me and Josh Thomas to our screens, and yes Josh, we do like you! Anyone that can bring Denise Drysdale back to our screens and uttering obscenities is someone I will always like!
Please Like Me – Season Two begins Friday August 8th on Pivot and Tuesday August 12th on ABC2.
Josh Thomas on set of Please Like Me’s Second Season. Source: Facebook
With the August 12th Australian premiere date looming ever so close, a new sneak peek look at the second season of Josh Thomas’ comedy Please Like Me has been released (finally!)
With the slew of behind the scenes photos being published via the shows official Facebook page, it’s nice to actually see a look at what to expect when the show returns next month.
Check it out below:
Tom (Thomas Ward) and Claire (Caitlin Stasey) are back along with Josh’s ex boyfriend Geoffrey (Wade Briggs) and a new housemate-slash-possible love interest in the form of Patrick (Charles Cottier – ex Dexter from Home and Away) is along for the ride!
Josh also used the Facebook Page to announce that not only will Please Like Me be starting on August 12th but that the show has already received a green light for a third season! Not bad for a show that was delegated to ABC2’s digital channel and virtually left for dead after it’s first season.
The third season, consisting of a further ten episodes will begin production in 2015.
Please Like Me Season 2 begins August 8th on Pivot and August 12th on ABC2
Production on Please Like Me Season 2 . Source: Facebook
It’s been a long time coming, but, with the August 8th premiere date of Josh Thomas’s Please Like Me Season 2 looming ever so close, Pivot have finally released a very short season 2 sneak peek video!
So what can we expect from Josh in season two? Well the story-line has been pushed forward a few years (not known how many exactly) and see’s Josh (Josh Thomas) living with his best friend Tom (Thomas Ward) and new potential love interest Patrick (Charles Cottier – who Aussie fans will recognize as Dexter from Home and Away)
The time lapse will also see a new addition to Josh’s extended family with Josh’s dad and wife Mae having a baby while Josh’s mum (Deborah Lawrence) is now living in a psychiatric hospital and yes, Josh’s ex Geoffrey (Wade Briggs) even makes an appearance!
Caitlin Stacey (who is currently filming TV series Reign) is back as Josh’s ex girlfriend Claire who finds herself going through a rough patch with boyfriend Tom.
Please Like Me Season 2 has also been extended from 6 episodes to 10 episodes!
Season 2 is scheduled to begin on August 8th on ABC2 in Australia and on Pivot in America.
Laura Leighton stars as Ashley Marin in Pretty Little Liars
Just before season 5 begins (there’s now less than an hour to the premiere) ABC Family have given their crazily popular teen drama the networks first ever multi-season pick-up announcing that Pretty Little Liars will be back for a sixth and seventh season which will see the show on our screens in 2016.
The show, which stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Tyler Blackburn, Lucy Hale, Ian Harding, Laura Leighton, Shay Mitchell, Janel Parrish and Sasha Pieterse has been the networks number one series in total viewers and holds the record as the most-tweeted scripted series telecast of all time, it has generated the highest average number of tweets per episode (675,000) of any TV series during the 2013-2014 broadcast season.
Season 5 begins shortly (in the USA) and picks up right where season 4 left off with Ezra suffering a gun shot wound by A and Alison rejoining the girls while her mother was being buried alive.
Season 5 begins in Australia, Friday the 13th on FOX8.
Big things are in store for Alison when Pretty Little Liars returns next week
When Pretty Little Liars returns for season 5 on June 10th (June 13th in Australia on FOX8) there’s some big things in store for our liars, especially the once-thought-to-be-dead Alison (Sasha Pieterse).
When we last saw Aria, Spencer and the rest of the gang, Alison was revealed to actually be alive, Ezra (Ian Harding) was shot and left bleeding to death in Arias (Lucy Hale) arms and Jessica DiLaurentis (Andrea Parker) was being buried alive by an unknown assailant – talk about drama!
In the sneak peek below, Alison will come face to face with the person she has been hiding from all this time – A!
So what else can we expect from this all new season? Some answers that we’ve been begging to be answered will finally been revealed!
The identity of A: Executive Producer Oliver Goldstick revealed during PaleyFest that we would discover the identity of A very soon but didn’t set a time-frame for this reveal. One can only hope that season 5 brings us this big answer!
Caleb is Back!: With the cancellation of Tyler Blackburns supernatural themed Ravenswood, it left his character Caleb Rivers open to return to Rosewood and possibly his ex girlfriend Hanna (Ashley Benson) but will the two re-unite romantically? Ever since Caleb left, Hanna has been playing flirty-eyes with Travis (Luke Kleintank)
Melissa’s Secret Whispers to Mr.Hastings: Wasn’t that one of the big what-the’s?! of the season four finale? Melissa (Torrey DeVitto) tells her father Peter Hastings (Nolan North) that Spencer didn’t kill the girl in Ali’s grave and then proceeds to continue the sentence as a whisper into her fathers ear. According to writer Joseph Dougherty, we will learn what Melissa actually whispered!
Will Ezra Survive His Shooting?: It’s highly unlikely the show will kill off one of it’s loved characters. Even when we were all led to believe Ezra was working with A, we all still loved him, so the odd’s of surviving the gun shot wound look good for Ezra, plus he’s got a lot of unfinished business to deal with regarding his book and Aria!
While a lot of the focus for season five seems to stem off from Alison not being dead, there’s still some issues that I think need to be addressed…
Will Ashley Marin Learn the Truth About A?: Ashley Marin (Laura Leighton) seems to be the only parent in Rosewood who is switched on enough to know things are amiss, but seems to be missing out on that vital sign to clue her in to the existence of A. Plus where is her boyfriend Pastor Ted? It’s been a while since we saw him last.
Where the heck is Lucas?: Lucas (Brendan Robinson) played such an integral part in season 3 (it was revealed he was part of the A team and that he was the one that gave Emily the massage back in season 2) yet after choosing to be home schooled, we never saw him in season 4.
Mona! Mona! Mona!: So upon Ali’s not being dead reveal, Ali also let it be known that Mona (Janel Parrish) was the one to convince her to fake her own death and keep it hidden from her closest friends. One has to wonder if Mona will face some fallout from this revelation!
Pretty Little Liars Season 5 premieres Wednesday June 10th on ABCFamily and Friday June 13th on FOX8 in Australia.
Now that all of the main networks (CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC) and some cable networks (TBS) have given us their new pick-ups for the 2014 Fall season, I’ve trawled through all the trailers (that were available…come on CBS, pull your socks up!) and complied a list of what I think could be ratings hits (like last years The Blacklist) and what could be cult sleepers (Orphan Black anyone?)
Drama:
The Mysteries of Laura (NBC)
The question begs…is this a comedy or is it a drama? I don’t think NBC really know either hence the somewhat confusing trailer offered up but that said, this Debra Messing led dramedy could have something going for it if you look at it like it could be ‘had Miss Congeniality had a husband and children’ type of way.
Secrets and Lies (ABC)
If you recently watched an Aussie show with the same title, then you’ll have an idea of what to expect. This Secrets and Lies is based right off our very own production with Ryan Phillippe stepping into Martin Henderson’s shoes playing Ben, a man who finds the body of a little boy and suddenly becomes suspect number one. Added bonus – a very toned down Juliette Lewis playing cop.
How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)
This will be the fourth major program by Shonda Rhimes to make it’s way to ABC – Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and Private Practice plus How to get Away With Murder and the trailer already looks a whole lot more interesting than the 6 seasons of Private Practice that was given to us. There’s sex, blackmail, murder and Viola Davis..it’s an easy win.
CSI: Cyber (CBS)
There’s no trailer yet but for those who caught Patricia Arquette’s recent guest gig on CSI will have already gotten a taste of what to expect. Yes, it’s another CSI spin-off but this time, it’s all about cyber crime which is very current and ‘hip’ and we all like Patricia Arquette right?
Stalker (CBS)
Granted, I’ve never really been exposed to much of Maggie Q’s work and the premise of her character as being a sort of freelance anti-stalker specialist who knows some hand-to-hand combat skills is a little off but the trailer offered up by CBS actually adds suspense and intrigue of what’s to come. Ignore Dylan McDermott here, he’s always annoying to begin with and usually takes some warming up to.
Madam Secretary (CBS)
Why CBS chose to give us a trailer that looks like it gives us the entire first episode in the space of five minutes I’ll never understand. I was excited by this right from Tea’ Leoni’s addition to the cast and while it’s different to see her in such a serious light, the political theme is working well for shows like Scandal and The Good Wife.
State of Affairs (NBC)
I’m wondering if we’ve had enough time to actually like Katherine Heigl again? I’m still in that mid-swing where i’m starting to come around again and if there are others like me, then hopefully this show will bring us competently back. Apparently this will have a Blacklist-cum-Homeland-cum-Zero Dark Thirty feel to it (there’s the depiction of Middle Eastern descendants as terrorists – of course) and Alfre Woodward plays the President of the USA.
American Crime (ABC)
Desperate Housewives Alum Felicity Huffman makes her return to series television along with Timothy Hutton in this dark and racially charged legal drama that follows those involved and affected by a murder and ensuing murder trial.
Empire (FOX)
The last time FOX attempted a series based off a mogul and his ’empire’ they gave us SKIN (2003) which only lasted 3 episodes before being cancelled. Here, instead of porn, Empire gives us music and what i could only assume to be a nod to Lil’ Kim and starring Terrence Howard. Could Chris Lilley’s S’Mouse fit in here? Probably, but at least it looks better than Skin ever did.
Comedy:
Fresh off the Boat (ABC)
Yes, the title is a bit…..Cougar Town/Trophy Wife (and possibly racist though it depends who you ask) but Fresh Off the Boat looks like the funniest of the new stuff coming our way and while the show is a focus on a Taiwanese family making the adjustment to living the American Dream, clearly Constance Wu (as mum Jessica) is the one to watch for.
The Odd Couple (CBS)
It’s been a tough run for Matthew Perry the last few years. His last handful of projects (Studio 60, Mr. Sunshine and Go On) all tanked and the only thing people really watched him in recently was his guest gig on Courteney Cox’s Cougar Town but now, his fourth attempt at a show could be his lucky gig. It’s a TV remake of the classic movies (Jack Lemon and Walter Matthou or Tony Randall and Jack Klugman) and see’s Perry teaming up with Thomas Lennon who we last saw in the terribly horrible Sean Saves the World. I can only assume this will be better than Sean failing to save the world.
Mulaney (FOX)
It’s a little bit Seinfeld, it’s a little bit Friends, it’s a little bit of a 90’s comedy throwback. Mulaney is an ensemble comedy about a stand-up comedian and the “friends and mentors who lift him up, hold him back and push him around” including Martin Short. Here’s hoping Short contains his zany like Robin Williams did in The Crazy Ones – but then again, that didn’t turn out so good for him.
Paranormal/Supernatural/Superhero:
The Whispers (ABC)
I was so enamored by Lily Rabe as the Stevie Nicks loving swamp witch Misty Day in AHS Coven that seeing her all professional and business suits is a little shocking but here is in this creepy new paranormal-esque show with creepy kids that clearly see something the adults can’t.
Constantine
Based off the DC Comics Hellblazer series, Constantine follows a supernatural detective who finds himself defending the world from dark and eerie forces. It’s a little bit Supernatural meets True Blood meets Penny Dreadful.
The Flash (CW)
Spin-off from the cult-ish Arrow and another DC comics star, The Flash get’s his own show and judging by the trailer, die hard comic fans will be pleased with the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance of legendary bad guy ‘Reverse Flash’ plus there’s the addition of The Flash’s alter-ego Barry Allen’s love interest Iris West.
Extant (CBS)
I’ve already talked about Halle’s new sci-fi drama but now Extant has officially been picked up to series by CBS, they’ve given us an extended trailer which also fills us in more on her creepy prophetic child. A woman on a 13 month solo space mission returns to earth and finds she’s pregnant – impossible right? Not in space!
So what takes your fancy? Is there something you’ve seen which I’ve not added to the list – and if you mention the new shyte by TBS…I will shoot you.
It’s time of the year where I moan and groan about losing some of my ‘must watch’ shows while being thankful others on the list live to see another season.
Yes, the US Upfronts are here and already, I’ve suffered one serious tragedy. ABC held their Upfronts yesterday and one notable standout on the cancelled list was freshman comedy Trophy Wife starring Malin Ackerman and Bradley Whitford.
Trophy Wife, like Cougar Town, suffered from ‘bad title’ syndrome which is great show, very funny, bad title and just like Cougar Town, ABC swept the comedy into the trash (perhaps TBS should pick this one up too?)
While ABC won’t officially unveil their new fall season until the 13th, what can we expect from the network with their pick-ups, renewals and cancellations so far?
Cancelled – Trophy Wife (noooooo!), Mixology, Super Fun Night, Suburgatory and The Neighbors.
Renewed – Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Castle, Marvel Agents of SHIELD, Modern Family, The Goldbergs and Resurrection.
New Pick-Ups –
How to get away with murder – New drama by Shonda Rhimes
American Crime – Starring Penelope Ann Miller and Felicity Huffman
Agent Carter – Captain America TV spin-off starring Hayley Atwell
The Whispers – Paranormal thriller starring Lily Rabe
Secrets and Lies – US remake of the Aussie drama starring Ryan Phillippe.
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