In a shocking announcement on Wednesday, Netflix announced that they have canceled the critically-acclaimed animated comedy, Tuca & Bertie, starring Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong. The streaming giant also canceled Designated Survivor.
Tuca & Bertie had a stunning, rare 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The series was an animated comedy series about the friendship between two 30-year-old bird women who live in the same apartment building: Tuca (Haddish), a cocky, care-free toucan, and Bertie (Wong), an anxious, daydreaming songbird. Guest stars for the first season included Nicole Byer, Richard E. Grant, John Early, Reggie Watts, Tig Notaro, Amber Ruffin, Jermaine Fowler and Tessa Thompson.
“Lisa Hanawalt created a relatable yet whimsical world in Tuca & Bertie. We’re grateful to Lisa, and her fellow executive producers Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steven A. Cohen, and EPs/stars Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong, along with all of the writers and animators for sharing the funny and dynamic female bird duo of Tuca and Bertie with the world. While Tuca & Bertie won’t have a second season, we’re proud to feature this story on Netflix for years to come,” said Netflix in a statement.
Designated Survivor, which Netflix picked up for a third season after it was canceled at ABC after two seasons, starred Kiefer Sutherland, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, LaMonica Garrett, Kal Penn, Maggie Q and more.
At the Television Critics Association press tour on Wednesday, Issa Rae gave a quick update on Insecure while on the panel for A Black Lady Sketch Show, the upcoming HBO comedy she produces.
She told critics and reporters that writers are currently scripting the season now, which will begin shooting in September. The fourth season will have ten episodes, which is the show’s largest episode number for a season yet and a tick up from the eight episodes of Seasons 1-3.
Last year, Rae was nominated for a Golden Globe in the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category for the show.
Created by Rae and Larry Wilmore, Insecure follows the friendship of two black women as they deal with their real-life flaws while attempting to navigate different worlds and cope with an endless series of uncomfortable everyday experiences.
Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, Lisa Joyce, Natasha Rothwell, Y’Lan Noel and Amanda Seales also star.
The Last O.G. is getting a new showrunner, and its none other than Keenen Ivory Wayans! He’ll also direct three episodes of the show’s upcoming third season.
“I’m thrilled and excited to be working with such a great cast, team of producers and reuniting with Tracy Morgan,” said Wayans. “Together we’re all going to take the show to the next level.”
The series stars Tracy Morgan, Tiffany Haddish, Ryan Gaul, Allen Maldonado, Taylor Mosby and Dante Hoagland. In season 2, after losing his job, Tray (Morgan) goes all in on his dreams of becoming a chef and Shay (Haddish) has an intriguing business venture of her own on the horizon.
Wayans is known for creating the cultural staple and groundbreaking sketch comedy series, In Living Color, which launched the careers of several comedian-actors like Jamie Fox, Jim Carrey and more. He’s also directed White Chicks, Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2 and co-wrote co-writing Hollywood Shuffle.
“We can’t wait to see where Keenen takes this series next,” said Brett Weitz , general manager of TBS, TNT and truTV. “It’s honestly a dream scenario to work with one of the true trailblazers of social humor; he’s the perfect fit for The Last O.G.”
The second season of the show was executive-produced by Tracy Morgan and Jordan Peele for Monkeypaw Productions, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum for The Tannenbaum Company, Saladin Patterson, and Joel Zadak of Artists First.
Source: Shadow & Act
Aside from New York City, Chicago is arguably one of the most recognizable backdrops in the realm of film and television.
The city was the playground for the idealism and angst of teenage adolescence given to us by John Hughes. Its frenetic pace bred the tense and taut sequences in the 1993 thriller The Fugitive; the sleek and sultry curvature of its freeways were tailor-made for Darius Lovehall to take Nina Mosley on a romantic joyride on his motorcycle in Love Jones; and the patchwork of city and suburb set to the tone for the chaos brought to you by the long-running Showtime drama, Shameless.
Known across the country as the “Windy City,” Chicago has become more associated with its alarmingly high rate of gun violence than its eclectic set of museums, Navy Pier and deep-dish pizza. However, in recent years we’ve witnessed filmmakers such as Lena Waithe lend humanity to the city with critically acclaimed dramas such as The Chi. The midwestern city also serves as the silent backdrop for Steve McQueen’s Widows. Hoping to offset the media portrayal of Chicago with something more nuanced is the upcoming comedy show South Side, which has its premiere on Wednesday on Comedy Central, from Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle. The end result is a serviceable comedy that humanizes a portion of Chicago that is often either missing, maligned or misrepresented in mainstream media.
South Side opens up with a scene of a news report announcing another senseless act of violence in Englewood, before cutting to a news reporter who is quickly interrupted by two graduates of Kennedy King Community College. These individuals are Simon and Kareem, our two protagonists. The spitting image of Black Boy Joy, the duo flaunt and flash their degrees, their lapels, and subsequently make our Caucasian female reporter uncomfortable. In some ways, the scene encapsulates the spirit of the Black community; it’s a lesson to never underestimate our capacity to keep the buoyant vibes alive and kicking in the face of violence. Joy is our default and humor has served as our antidote for survival.
The plot for South Side is deceptively simple. Simon (Sultan Salahuddin) and Kareem (Kareme Young) earn community college degrees while working at RTO, a rent-to-own shop that rents out couches and television sets to its south side denizens. South Side begins to pick up during the second half its first episode, where we see Simon take his kids to the Adler Planetarium after getting fired from his new job. It’s a simple reminder that residents of the south side are just working-class folks trying to make a living. This sentiment is further punctuated by a game of 2K between Simon and a fellow south side resident, in which the latter states he’s “just trying to get by.”
As Simon and Kareem, Salahuddin and Young showcase their comedic chops with ease and excellent timing. Kareem, an astrophile whose desire to work at the Adler Planetarium and love of astronomy holds potential for some excellent character development down the line.
South Side premieres on July 24 on Comedy Central. Chandra Russell, Zuri Salahuddin and Quincy Young also star. Guest stars for the first season include Lil Rel Howery, Nathaniel “Earthquake” Stroman, Jeff Tweedy, LisaRaye McCoy, Kel Mitchell and Ed Lover.
Source: Shadow & Act
We discovered the news that comedian Mark Viera, probably best known as one of the New York Kings of Comedy, has recently been tapped to host The Wendy Willams Experience Tour.
If you are not familiar, Wendy Williams, TV personality and now comedian, has been entertaining audiences around the country with her new comedy/talk show tour. With a wealth of experience including stand-up comedy, Broadway shows, live TV, and much more, Williams has a vibrant personality that shines with humor, wit, and honesty whenever she takes the stage.
Wendy’s show is live on the road and Viera has been tapped to host, and word is it should be an interesting expere=ience as Wendy will include her hot topics segment that is a staple of her hit show.
New York, NY – July 18, 2019 – IFC announced today that the network has partnered with Mad Decent to drop the official soundtrack for its upcoming variety sketch series Sherman’s Showcase, premiering Wednesday, July 31st at 10pm ET/PT. Sherman’s Showcase (Original Soundtrack), featuring full-length versions of the songs from the series, is set for digital release on August 9 via Mad Decent, the Los Angeles-based record label founded by Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo. The soundtrack will also be available on vinyl later this summer.
First song on the dock-et to be released is 1979 hit “Marina del Rey (Let’s Spend the Day),” a “big ass boat rock” song by band Skip & Bates, the kings of AM Gold and yacht rock, who are portrayed by comedians Kenny and Keith Lucas. Featured in the premiere episode ofSherman’s Showcase, “Marina del Rey” was written by the show’s creators, executive producers, writers and stars – Bashir Salahuddin(GLOW, Snatched, South Side) and Diallo Riddle (Marlon, Rise, South Side) – and produced by The Knocks’ James Patterson and Benjamin Ruttner. Listen here now: https://maddecent.fm/MarinadelRey
“‘Marina del Rey’ is an earworm,” says Riddle. “It captures the vibe of summer barbecues, boat parties, and lounging on the beach, but most importantly it gives one of Los Angeles’ most slept-on neighborhoods an anthem. A smooth anthem. Let’s spend the day there indeed.”
Each episode of Sherman’s Showcase is hosted by Sherman McDaniels (Salahuddin) as he takes viewers through time via music and comedy drawn from the 40-year library of a legendary (but fictional) musical variety show, drawing inspiration from Solid Gold, Soul Train and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Whether it’s a questionably-attired funk super group in the 1970s, an up-and-coming MC in the 1980s or an R&B diva from the 1990s, Sherman’s Showcase has it all: music, comedy, gameshow segments, political roundtables, commercial parodies, breakout hits destined to climb the charts, a dancing robot and a legendary host who’s been there from the beginning.
An incredible line-up of guest stars this season includes (alphabetically):
Riddle and Salahuddin serve as executive producers on Sherman’s Showcase along with John Legend, Mike Jackson and Ty Stikloriusthrough their Get Lifted Film Co. (Underground, Jesus Christ Superstar) and Frank Scherma and Jim Bouvet of RadicalMedia (Stan AgainstEvil, Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes).
Comedian Marina Franklin’s comedy special, ‘Single Black Female,’ is now available on the Comedy Dynamics Network via iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Charter, Spectrum, Dish and many more.
The New York Times says: “Ms. Franklin has been a staple of the New York comedy scene for nearly two decades, establishing herself as a dependably hilarious stand-up who seems to fit effortlessly into any performance. In her new show, “Single Black Female,” she explores life and dating in the city.”
You might be familiar with Marina because of her podcast, “Friends Like Us,” (conversations with herself and other comedians of color,), her popularity on the stand-up circuit (currently on tour with Sarah Silverman), her appearances in HBO’s Crashing, Trainwreck, on Colbert, Conan, Chapelle’s Show, and many more. She counts Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, Dave Chapelle, Conan, and more as close friends- super “comedy insider.”
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Lifetime is still invested in the R. Kelly case.
The network announced Tuesday that it has ordered “Surviving R. Kelly: The Aftermath,” a four-part series that includes interviews with new survivors and experts on the case.
″Surviving R. Kelly ” was a six-part series that premiered last January. An estimated 12.8 million people watched the series, nominated for an Emmy, that revisited old allegations and brought new ones into the spotlight.
Kelly has been in custody since being indicted this month on charges in Chicago and New York. He’s accused of having sex with minors and trying to cover up the crimes. He maintains his innocence.
Netflix has released the first images of Eddie Murphy in the upcoming biopic Dolemite Is My Name, directed by Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow). The film will have its World Premiere at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.
The film based on the life of Rudy Ray Moore, the comedian well-known for his raunchy, X-rated stand up that he also infused with rapping and rhythm, earning him the nickname Godfather of Rap. Moore also became popular for his creation of the character Dolemite in his stand-up routines that, after five years of performing as the urban hero, he decided to bring him to the big screen with the 1975 movie of the same name.
Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Goosebumps), Chris Rock, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, Mike Epps, Titus Burgess, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Aleksandar Filimonovic, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Ron Cephas Jones, and Luenell co-star in the film.
Dolemite was such a hit it spawned two official sequels, as well as one unofficial sequel and an appearance in short film Murder Was the Case starring Snoop Dogg, and is credited as one of the most influential characters in the blaxploitation genre.
