It was seven years ago that we first revealed Agent Coulson Lives!here at borg, as fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe discovered there was more to Clark Gregg’s Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., among other things, the biggest fan of Captain America. In the marathon opening night for The Avengers, Agent Coulson served as our guide, speaking directly to viewers as he introduced Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Iron Man 2, and Captain America: The First Avenger. And in The Avengers, we saw one of the most emotional scenes of the franchise as Coulson was killed by Loki, although his biggest appearance wouldn’t arrive until last year, with his co-starring role in Captain Marvel (the MCU does like to bounce us around). When this coming season wraps this August, Gregg will have put in 136 hours of television with the character, even if in decoy form, and the first Phases of the MCU come full circle–with one more big element remaining this year–another character back from the dead–in Black Widow, coming to theaters in November.
Cobie Smulders has enough street cred playing badass leads, including co-starring opposite Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, serving as the most powerful non-superheroine of the Marvel movies as Maria Hill, and she’s the perfect Wonder Woman, although we only hear her voice as the character in The Lego Movie series. So why head back to television? Maybe after 200 episodes of being part of a hit ensemble cast on How I Met Your Mother, she wanted her own series? Whatever the reason, it’s a win for TV viewers. Her new project is Stumptown, and the first episode aired this week on ABC.
Smulders is promising as Dex Parios, an army vet with PTSD, who takes care of her brother and has a gambling problem. Happily for her, everyone, including the head of the gambling house, seems to be on her side. In her first case, she’s trying to locate the missing daughter of her deceased college boyfriend, in exchange for having a five-figure tab written off at the local Portland casino (yes, evidently Portland has had casinos since 1988). Initially she fails, but before she’s totally written off by everyone except her brother (played by the engaging Cole Sibus), the writers skillfully show viewers why she might be a character to return to each week. Dex is a fighter, while also a mess and a bit snarky, but hopefully that’s not all she is. Her old red Ford Mustang and its broken cassette tape deck that offers up the right song at the right time is a nice throwback to Philip Glenister and his red Audi Quattro on the classic detective series Ashes to Ashes.
Along with good writing in its opener, Stumptown boasts a supporting cast that brings plenty to the show. Jake Johnson(New Girl, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, Jurassic World) as bartender pal Grey demonstrates again why he’s the best at playing the best friend. If you missed Michael Ealy as a great cop on Almost Human (or as Slap Jack in 2 Fast 2 Furious) you’ll appreciate him back with a badge on this series. Even better, it looks like Donal Logue(Gotham, Vikings, Life, Zodiac, Sneakers) will join the cast in next week’s episode. The only thing the series could benefit from is tapping all those local Portland actors like NBC’s Grimm did so well. Unfortunately, other than some establishing shots, it doesn’t look like the series will be filmed there.
After the 2019 Academy Awards recognized genre films Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and gave top awards to Green Book and Roma,ABC aired the pilot for a new series. Whiskey Cavalier begins with a solid pilot episode, and you can find it in its weekly timeslot beginning Wednesday evening on ABC. It borrows from two familiar sources for network TV: the spy genre, like Mission: Impossible, iSpy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Avengers, and Chuck, and the “will they or won’t they” investigation shows like Moonlighting, The X-Files, Bones, Castle, and Private Eyes. Whiskey Cavalier–the military/NATO spy call sign for FBI agent Will Chase (yes, that’s his name), stars Scott Foley opposite CIA Agent Francesca “Frankie” Trowbridge, played by Lauren Cohan. It’s more action and fun than drama–a good thing that works for this offbeat new series.
The first episode finds Agent Chase as a sad sack agent, recently dumped by his French girlfriend, crying as he listens to songs from his break-up mix tape, assembled from recommendations from other FBI agents. Those familiar with Michael Dorman’s lead character in Amazon Studio’s series Patriot will see much in common between the leads. Chase doesn’t have his heart in his job until he’s in action, and then he becomes full-on Jack Ryan (actor Scott Foley has a vibe crossing Jack Ryan series star John Krasinski and White Collar co-star Tim DeKay, and the pilot includes a humorous reference to his Chris Evans’ Captain America appearance).
As Chase tries to intercept an alleged hacker/thief/traitor, CIA Agent Trowbridge steps in, and that’s when the chemistry begins. You can almost hear the 1970s movie trailer voice-over: “What can happen when we combine this sensitive FBI agent and this tough-as-nails CIA spy? Can they work together to save the world without killing each other?” And yet, the pilot was edited into a fast-paced drama, not at all bogged down in origin story, and it supplies a supporting cast of characters that seem to gel from the start, played by Ana Ortiz, Vir Das, and Tyler James Williams. In brief, it’s fun and it works.
It’s that time of year again–San Diego Comic-Con weekend, when the studios and publishers release teasers, trailers, and try-ons to generate buzz for the next big book, movie, or television show. One of the first releases today was this new trailer for ABC’s new series, Marvel’sInhumans.
We previewed Marvel’sInhumans earlier here at borg.com. This new trailer is better, leaving Anson Mount’s Black Bolt in the background this time and giving us a look at more characters, like Serinda Swan’s Medusa, Ken Leung’s Karnak, and Isabelle Cornish as Crystal.
And yes, we get another look at Lockjaw, the big bulldog Inhuman that has already proved to be a big reason for superhero fans to check out the new series.
If you thought audiences may be souring on the onslaught of television series based on superheroes and comic books, you’d be wrong. Hollywood is fully engaged in the realm of continuing to adapt comic books to the small screen. Along with all the current series moving into next seasons this year, like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Gotham, iZombie, Riverdale,Supergirl, and Wynonna Earp, you’ll have at least three more new series featuring superheroes to check out this Fall. Check out previews for all three below after the break.
Black Lightning is the latest character from DC Comics coming to the CW. Cress Williams plays the title character who is Jefferson Pierce by day. On paper Black Lightning sounds a bit like The Incredibles, with a retired hero returning to the superhero business. The superhero debuted in the comic book Black Lightning Issue #1 40 years ago. Tony Isabella and Dennis O’Neil wrote the original stories, with artwork by Trevor Von Eedon. Black Lightning also stars China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, and Christine Adams.
The Gifted hails from a pretty powerful TV combo: Bryan Singer, known for everything from House, M.D., to The X-Men movie series, is co-producing the show with series creator Matt Nix, showrunner on the successful series Burn Notice. The series stars Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker (Angel) as parents who take their family on the run after they discover their children’s mutant abilities. The series producers have said it will not intersect with the X-Men movies, but you’ll see familiar characters like Blink, Polaris, Thunderbird, and Eclipse. The show co-stars Burn Notice’s Coby Bell, Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Percy Hynes White. The show will air on Fox.
It’s Time After Time, the series, the mash-up of real life The Time Machine author H.G. Wells and the serial killer Jack the Ripper, adapted from the 1979 novel Time After Time by Karl Alexander and the 1979 modern classic film of the same name starring Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, and Mary Steenburgen. It’s a new TV series beginning tonight on ABC that looks similar to the short-lived ABC series Forever, which followed a 400 year-old-doctor as he searched for a reason for his longevity in 21st century New York City, and starred Ioan Gruffudd, Alana de la Garza, and Judd Hirsch.
The film Time After Time was as good as any 1970s detective movie. Steeped in classic science fiction storytelling, we met author H.G. Wells, played by McDowell, who invents the actual machine of his novel. His colleague, played by Warner, turns out to be the actual Jack the Ripper, and he takes the time machine into the future to continue his evil ways, and threatens a new love interest of Wells, played by Steenburgen.
The new series appears to follow the original story, with Freddie Stroma as Wells, Josh Bowman as The Ripper, and Génesis Rodríguez as Jane. Time After Time is helmed by director Kevin Williamson, known for his horror films and series including Scream, The Following, I know What You Did Last Summer, and The Vampire Diaries.
In the latest trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, released today during ABC’s Good Morning America, we have even more teased scenes that make it impossible not to get excited for this incredible looking film. Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones) is tapped to lead a dangerous mission, and Forest Whitaker never looked better as an old rogue. And check out the new movie poster. Count the good guys. Is this going to be another The Magnificent Seven/Seven Samurai inspired film? The original Star Wars was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress.
And Darth Vader, no longer hidden as another villain to the new story of Star Wars’ past. But something tells us that appearance is going to be similar to Mark Hamill’s brief return as Luke Skywalker in last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
But be warned: The newest Star Wars entry fills in the remaining plot points, gives a clear look at Mads Mikkelsen’s key role in the story, provides more looks at costumes and landscapes, and introduces a few new characters, including what appears to be Eunice Olumide as a Rebel leader, more AT-STs, Death Star shots, and more Vader.
Check out the latest trailer for the next big Star Wars flick:
The irreverent, brilliant, and funny medieval fantasy series Galavant returns to ABC tomorrow night with its second season opener “New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear.” If the preview for the season and its episode one title is any indication, we have more great fun, raunchy double entendres, and laugh out loud humor coming our way.
Look for Horatio Hornblower’s Robert Lindsay, Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, Amadeus’s Simon Callow, and singer and Doctor Who guest star Kylie Minogue as the Queen who will join show regulars Joshua Sasse (Galavant), Timothy Omundson (King Richard), Karen David (Isabella), Mallory Jansen (Madalena), Vinnie Jones (Gareth), and Luke Youngblood (Sid).
Catch up on last season’s episodes now at the show’s website here.
Here’s the preview for Season 2, including the new opening theme song:
Is it because the Muppets don’t age? Because the writers know their characters so well? You wouldn’t think the Muppets have been off the air for 17 years after watching last night’s premiere of their new sitcom, The Muppets, on ABC. Sure, the format is fresh and new, but the core of the show–the rich characterizations of not only the main cast of Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie, but subordinate cast members like Electric Mayhem band members, too–is every bit the same as it was when the acting troupe first appeared nearly 40 years ago in 1976 on The Muppet Show.
The Muppets are back, and as laugh-out-loud funny as ever.
Credit great, punchy dialogue and situational humor appropriate for kids of all ages to the writing staff, who don’t let down fans of the original show or any of its brilliant movie incarnations. The only travesty of The Muppets? That the show is in a 30-minute time slot and only airs once each week. Sigh.
This time the Muppets are seen as they are, behind the scenes in the “real world” of actors and production studio antics in Hollywood. Kermit is still in charge of the show, but this time the show-in-a-show is not a variety show but in the late night format, with Miss Piggy as host. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band sit in where you’d see The Roots on The Tonight Show, with Fozzy in Steve Higgins’ role. The first guest star is Elizabeth Banks, who gets taken for a ride by assistant showrunner Scooter, with a comical appearance by Dancing With the Stars’ host Tom Bergeron and musical guest Imagine Dragons (we featured their Muppet tie-in video years ago here at borg.com). The success of the humans in the show is judged as in the past–the ability to seamlessly interact with the Muppet cast, and both Banks and Bergeron have no problem blending right in.
The show is peppered with one-liners and innuendo, exactly in the style as the original 1970s series. But in truth, the laughs are probably funnier–the kind of humor you might find in a Tina Fey show or The Office. You know you have good comedy when guitarist Janice makes a comically timed Imagine Dragons joke and Zoot gets cut off in the middle of an A.A. meeting reference. As humor goes, The Muppets is the real deal.
It’s been 34 years since The Muppet Show wrapped its now classic five season run back in 1976-1981, with its last episode guest starring Singing in the Rain actor Gene Kelly. It seemed like everyone who was anyone was a guest on the show, from Vincent Price to Don Knotts, from George Burns, John Cleese and Steve Martin to Elton John, Julie Andrews, Debbie Harry, James Coburn, Roger Moore, Sylvester Stallone, Lynda Carter, Christopher Reeve, and even the cast of Star Wars. The show won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy.
ABC just announced the full Muppets ensemble will return to Primetime Tuesday nights this Fall. This time the show won’t be a variety show as the original with guest stars, but will follow a bit of the format from The Office TV series, a “contemporary, documentary style” and probably copy any other show they can spoof for a laugh. It will have humans interspersed with the cast, as seen in the first trailer released in the past few hours by ABC. The preview couldn’t be much better.
And the never aging Muppets look just like they did when we first met them: Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, The Electric Mayhem, Scooter, Sweetums, Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, Statler and Waldorf. Without the requirements of a two-hour movie as we saw with the recent fun movies The Muppets and The Muppets Most Wanted, the series is going to delve into the private, personal lives of the Muppets. We can’t wait!
