Randal B.’s Post

New Post: Here’s what we know about ‘Severance’ season two - https://lnkd.in/gqXiEvRN - Severance became the unlikely breakout hit of 2022. If you’ve ever questioned your work-life balance, this sci-fi series pushes those concerns to an ethically dubious extreme – where a medical procedure severs a person’s mind between your home and work life, with neither side having any recollection or memories of the other. READ MORE: Severance review: unmissable office satire with a surreal twist It’s a compelling dystopian premise on its own, but it’s coated with a layer of black comedy which plays to the strengths of its oddball cast – from Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott, Christopher Walken, John Turturro and Patricia Arquette as evil corporation Lumon’s unhinged Macrodata Refinement overseer, Harmony Cobel. With such excellent results in the first season, can a second season prove just as memorable? Is Severance season two officially happening? Praise Kier! A second season was confirmed by Apple TV+ back in April 2022, days before the finale of the first season. In a statement, director Ben Stiller said: “It’s really exciting to see the response from people who are loving the show – and the level of fan engagement. It has been a long road bringing Severance to television. I first read Dan’s pilot over five years ago. “It has always been a multi-season story, and I’m really happy we get to continue it. I’m grateful to our partners at Apple TV+ who have been behind it the whole way. Praise Kier!” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Apple TV (@appletv) Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+, said: “Thanks to creator Dan Erickson, the brilliant Ben Stiller, and an incomparable cast and crew, Severance has imagined an existence that’s equal parts riveting and enthralling as viewers around the globe can’t get enough of these rich characters. We’re excited to go deeper into this wholly unique world and unpack more layers of Lumon in season two.” Is there a release date for season two? New Year, new season Apple TV+ confirmed the second season of Severance would air in 2025. The first two episodes will premiere on January 17, with the remaining eight episodes released weekly up until the finale on March 21. The news came alongside a teaser trailer. Like you never left. Severance returns 1.17.25 pic.twitter.com/VfusmJ3k4s — Apple TV (@AppleTV) July 10, 2024 How many episodes will season two have? One more than the last Speaking to Variety, the show’s creator said he’s planned a 10-episode second season to follow the first, which had nine episodes. This was confirmed when the release schedule for season two was announced. It was reported that each episode has cost Apple $20million to make. Where will the story go in season two? We’ll be exploring beyond Lumon The f

New Post: Watch tensions rise in Carmy’s kitchen in the trailer for ‘The Bear’ season three - https://lnkd.in/gSRPFEQz - The trailer for the upcoming third season of The Bear is out, with Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri’s characters clashing in the heat of the kitchen – watch below. READ MORE: The Bear season two review: another perfectly cooked course  The show, which stars White as an award-winning chef who returns to manage his late brother’s chaotic sandwich shop in Chicago, has been a huge commercial and critical success in its first two seasons, winning 10 Emmys and four Golden Globes. All 10 of the new episodes are set to premiere on FX and Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK on June 27, after FX officially renewed the show for a third season in November last year, just months after the second season dropped. As the trailer shows, the season will pick up at a point where White’s Carmy has opened the reimagined restaurant, now named ‘The Bear’, with several questions about his love life and family problems remaining unanswered from the climax of season two. Edebiri’s Sidney has risen through the ranks in Carmy’s kitchen, and in the trailer, she exclaims, “This is a dysfunctional kitchen,” to which Carmy and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), the restaurant’s manager, reply in unison: “Show me a functional one!” Speaking about the new season, Nick Grad, president at FX Entertainment, has said: “The Bear, which wowed audiences in its first season only to achieve even greater heights in season two, has become a cultural phenomenon. We’re so proud to partner with Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Josh Senior, and the rest of the creative team, as well as the brilliant cast led by Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Who wants another round? FX’s The Bear is returning for a third season. Only on @Hulu. #TheBearFX pic.twitter.com/0CY2TxWtUs — The Bear (@TheBearFX) November 6, 2023 “What they have done is truly remarkable, and we and our partners at Hulu join fans in looking forward to the next chapter in the story of The Bear.” One of the new episodes will also be directed by Edebiri. As confirmed in an interview with Vogue, creator Christopher Storer encouraged Edebiri to visit the set daily during season two following her behind-the-scenes work on shows like Big Mouth and What We Do In The Shadows. “Last season, he said, ‘Come to set, just come to set, see what happens,’” Edebiri said. “And I was like, ‘Oh, ok. Yeah. I think I want to do this.’” Deadline have also reported that the fourth season has already been confirmed too, with some suggestion that the two new seasons were recorded together. In a four-star review of the second season of The Bear, NME wrote: “Rather than hone in on Carmy and his struggles, these new episodes develop the other

New Post: ‘Kaos’ creator Charlie Covell on season two plans and ‘The End Of The F***ing World’s future - https://lnkd.in/dhVH4Q4p - Writer Charlie Covell, who created new Netflix drama Kaos, has spoken to NME about the show’s retro soundtrack, plans for a second season and whether they’d return to the universe of hit teen series The End Of The F***ing World. Read more: The End of the F***ing World 2: “This isn’t a fan-service in any way” Kaos is set in a modern time where Greek gods such as Zeus \(Jeff Goldblum\) exist and are still worshipped as they were by ancient peoples. The plot centres around newly fictionalised characters from classic myths \(Eurydice, Dionysus etc.\) – and a prophecy which foretells a popular rebellion and the overthrowing of the gods. Released last week \(August 30\) to general critical acclaim, it debuted at number four in Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched shows with 22.8million hours watched across 3.4million households. Social media chatter about a possible continuation of the story has been growing ever since – and Covell already has plans for “two more” seasons. “That would be my dream,” they told NME. “I’ve got a pretty clear plan of what I what I do with it, so I just have to hope.” ‘Kaos’ creator Charlie Covell at a promotional event. CREDIT: Netflix Covell hasn’t got as far as writing their plan down in fine, episode-by-episode detail or drafting new scripts, but said they have “a structure idea for where the story would go”. “I’ve got a document that’s like, ‘This is what I think the plot would be’, and then I have another document of random ideas… Could we take this myth? Or could we do this? You know, almost like an ideas bucket… I keep updating when I have any ideas.” They added: “And that’s what I did to develop the first season. It was a bunch of random ideas, half of which did not go in. Maybe they’ll come in for another season. The process is quite chaotic.” Nabhaan Rizwan in ‘Kaos’ as Dionysus. CREDIT: Netflix One of the most distinctive parts of Kaos is its retro-flavoured soundtrack which includes a wide array of classic songs from the 2010s to the 1940s. ABBA, David Bowie, Elastica, Metronomy and even Judy Garland were just some of the artists Covell used to flesh out their “expansive” and “multifacted” creation. “The world needed to feel massive,” they said, “and needed to have a varied soundtrack.” One big influence on the music of Kaos, Covell revealed, was Baz Luhrmann’s much-loved soundtrack to his 1996 cult favourite Romeo + Juliet. “That album is how I discovered so many artists,” they said. “You’ve got Radiohead, you’ve got such a variety on there. And it just feels right as a piece.” However, Covell was keen that the song choices on Kaos didn’t come off as “kitsch” – and so played around with s

New Post: Post-‘Breaking Bad’ Bryan Cranston series beats ‘Bridgerton’ to most-streamed on Netflix - https://lnkd.in/g6J4BnJy - A TV series starring Bryan Cranston post-Breaking Bad has now beat Bridgerton as Netflix‘s most-streamed show. The actor, who is best known for playing Walter White in Breaking Bad, also appeared in crime drama Your Honor, which featured on Showtime. The thriller, which originally aired in 2021, has now surged in popularity after its two seasons were added to Netflix on May 31. According to Nielsen streaming numbers, Your Honor has been watched a total of 1.5billion minutes from June 3-9 on the platform, along with views from Paramount+. From May 31 – June 2, the series also racked up an impressive 544million minutes watched, nabbing a Top 10 spot in Nielsen’s list for streaming titles. The show has now beat series like Bridgerton, Bluey and Hit Man to become Netflix’s top-streamed series. Speaking about Your Honor‘s resurgence, Cranston himself said: “A first time experience gets a lot of attention, but there is a lot to be said for a second time. To have ‘Your Honor’ get new life at Netflix is the dream scenario. Millions more people now have the chance to catch up with this extraordinary show that I am so proud of.” Bryan Cranston in London, United Kingdom on January 24, 2024. CREDIT: Getty/Photo by Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu via Getty Images Cranston recently said that it is time to let Breaking Bad “go”, telling Entertainment Tonight: “Everything should come to an end.” “Everything’s cyclical,” he added. “Our lives are cyclical. The seasons, trees, everything. And, so, it’s okay to have a beginning, middle, and end, and then let it go. I’m proud of what we did.” In other news, Cranston revealed he was once a murder suspect in the 1970s. The post Post-‘Breaking Bad’ Bryan Cranston series beats ‘Bridgerton’ to most-streamed on Netflix appeared first on NME. - #news #business #world -------------------------------------------------- Download: #Google #Font #Tester - https://lnkd.in/gKAZYbVN

New Post: The ‘House Of The Dragon’ season 2 finale has leaked on social media - https://lnkd.in/gCmwYuNC - The season 2 finale for HBO‘s House Of The Dragon has leaked online – find out more below. NME will not be posting spoilers or sharing the leaks. READ MORE: ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season One review: ‘Game Of Thrones’ saga continues in style According to a report from Variety, numerous scenes from the House Of The Dragon season 2 finale have made their way online ahead of its official release next week (August 4). The clips first surfaced on TikTok, before being shared on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms. The original source of the leaks is currently unidentified, and most of the clips have been removed from social media but viewers and fans of the show are still encouraged to be wary of leaks popping up again. ‘House of the Dragon’. CREDIT: Ollie Upton/HBO According to Variety‘s report, around 30 minutes of footage have been circulated so far. it marks the second leak that House Of The Dragon has suffered so far. In October 2022, spoilers for the finale of the show’s first season similarly leaked online. HBO condemned the 2022 leaks, criticising the leakers for affecting the viewing experience of fans: “We’re disappointed that this unlawful action has disrupted the viewing experience for loyal fans of the show, who will get to see a pristine version of the episode when it premieres Sunday.” HBO has yet to comment on the latest round of leaks. Prior to the season two premiere, House Of The Dragon was renewed for a third season in June 2024. It was also announced last month that the next Game Of Thrones spin-off TV adaptation is set to hit screens in early 2025. Currently titled A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, it has begun filming in Belfast, although an exact release date has not been confirmed. ‘House Of The Dragon’ Season Two, Episode Four. CREDIT: HBO Recently, George R.R. Martin accused the show of “sloppiness” for, in his opinion, getting the House Targaryen sigil wrong. In a blog post, he stressed that the dragons in the Game Of Thrones universe were designed to be like real animals, possessing just two legs “not four, never four”. He added: “No animal that has ever lived on Earth has six limbs.” Despite those complaints, Martin also recently heaped praise on House Of The Dragon writers for the “brilliant” way in which they changed his story. He took the time in particular to comment on the opening two instalments of the latest run. “What a great way to start the season,” he wrote. “The directing was superb.” In a four-star review of the first season, NME wrote: “What is reassuring is that House Of The Dragon feels as though it is walking on solid ground: the bubbling rivalries, the jostling for power, the eruptions of violence; six episodes in, it

New Post: ‘The Boys’ season four ending explained: Could The Boys stop Homelander? - https://lnkd.in/gETR59tq - Warning: spoilers ahead With the fourth season of Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys now over, were the team able to stop Homelander? Read on for all the details. READ MORE: ‘The Boys’ season four review: sweary supes battle electoral dysfunction The eighth and final episode of the fourth run, which has been named by NME as one of the best TV shows of 2024 so far, aired on the streaming platform last night (July 18). The superhero series, adapted from the comic books written by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson and developed for the screen by Eric Kripke, follows the titular team of vigilantes as they combat superpowered enemies who abuse their powers. Fans of the show have been speaking out after each episode, with the twists and disturbingly graphic scenes in the sixth instalment being labelled “fucking diabolical”, and the seventh being described as “uncomfortable” and “gruesome”. In a four-star review of the new season, NME wrote: “With season five already confirmed, the return of a few familiar faces and a lot of characters confronting their pasts, this season sometimes feels like the set up for an eventual endgame scenario. Fans will note that spin-off show Gen V recently introduced a potentially supe-killing biological weapon. Luckily, all that plot never slows down the pace in what is another urgent edition of TV’s best superhero show.” One of the show’s stars, Chace Crawford, meanwhile, recently said that a scene in which he had to simulate sex with an octopus almost gave him a panic attack. Filming for season five of the show is expected to begin in November, with the episodes likely to premiere at some point in 2026. The Boys season four ending explained: Could The Boys stop Homelander? Going into the final episode, the question of whether Homelander (Antony Starr) could be stopped loomed large. The Boys, led by Butcher (Karl Urban) had found themselves in an increasingly desperate position, but the possible introduction of Temp V had offered a potential boost to their hopes. In the episode, while the election votes are being counted, Frenchie is working on the virus to bring down Homelander and the supes. Butcher, meanwhile, is wrestling with the manifestation of his dark side, Kessler. Homelander orders the killing of all who may have compromising information on him, and threatens Victoria. She in turn asks for help from The Boys, but Butcher arrives, kills Victoria and leaves with the virus. With Homelander now set to lose, Sage returns with the apparent support of Senator Calhoun, who soon becomes president and declares martial law. With Homelander assuming more power than ever, The Boys flee the country. The season ends on a moment of peril and uncertainty for The Boys, who far from being

New Post: ‘The Rings Of Power’s’ viewership has halved this season - https://lnkd.in/d-8xdgkN - Amazon’s Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’s second season has seen its viewership nearly halve in size. READ MORE: ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ season two review: satisfyingly epic fantasy According to data from Samba TV (via Deadline), 902,000 households in the US watched the first premiere episode of the new season within four dates of its debut. This is quite a dip compared to season one, where within three days of viewing, 1.8million households comparatively had seen the first episode. Samba TV doesn’t include those watching on mobile devices, however, but does include viewing statistics from over three million terrestrial televisions. As yet, Amazon hasn’t shared any of its own data about the viewing figures for the current season. Last year it reported that the show delivered Amazon’s biggest premiere viewership ever at the time.  Season one of the show also scored highly on Nielsen’s streaming charts – their figures for season two won’t be available just yet however, as they report figures a month after viewing. The most up to date figures from Nielsen are expected to arrive in late September. A synopsis of the new season, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, reads: “Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. “Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. “Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all…each other.” The show’s cast is led by Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, alongside Lenny Henry, Ciarán Hinds and Rory Kinnear, with Jack Lowden joining as a young Sauron. The show has proved divisive among critics so far, but in a four-star review of the new season, NME wrote: “The action comes to a head in an epic battle told across two episodes, balanced against some excellent character work (and surprising deaths). Those who complained that nothing happened in House Of The Dragon’s sophomore effort will thrill at how The Rings Of Power refuses to slump.” “Indeed, the second season improves on the first, sharpening its narrative and taking assured footsteps forward as the writers continues to tell this expansive tale. Let’s just hope the series doesn’t make like the hobbits and end up goi

New Post: Ryu Seung-ryong sets out to save his daughter in comedic teaser for ‘Chicken Nugget’ - https://lnkd.in/g4Kh43MM - Netflix has released a brand-new teaser for its upcoming Korean comedy series, Chicken Nugget, starring Ryu Seung-ryong. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series. READ MORE: ‘A Killer Paradox’ review: retribution rules in this anti-hero tale What is the plot of Chicken Nugget? Choi Min-ah is accidentally turned into a chicken nugget after an accident involving a storage machine invented by her father Choi Seon-man. Desperate to save her, Seon-man and his intern Go Baek-joong, who has a crush on Min-ah, go on a journey to turn her back into a human being. Who is in the cast of Chicken Nugget? Choi Seon-man will be played by Ryu Seung-ryong, who previously starred in the critically acclaimed Disney+ K-drama Moving. From 2019 to 2020, he also appeared in the Netflix K-drama Kingdom. Meanwhile, Go Baek-joong will be portrayed by Ahn Jae-hong. He’s best known for his roles in Netflix’s Mask Girl and season two of Kingdom. Joining them in supporting roles are My Demon star Kim Yoo-jung as Choi Min-ah, alongside Squid Game actress Jung Ho-yeon. Is there a trailer for Chicken Nugget? Netflix has yet to release a full trailer for Chicken Nugget, but the streamer did release a teaser for the series on February 15. The clip introduces the show’s two lead characters, as well as the inciting incident that sets in motion the absurdist plot. When will the original Netflix Korean series premiere? Chicken Nugget will premiere March 15 exclusively on Netflix. It is one of over 20 original Korean series and films the streaming service will release in 2024. Other titles include Sweet Home season 3, Gyeongseong Creature season two, Hellbound Season 2 and more. The post Ryu Seung-ryong sets out to save his daughter in comedic teaser for ‘Chicken Nugget’ appeared first on NME. - #news #business #world -------------------------------------------------- Download: Stupid Simple CMS - https://lnkd.in/g4y9XFgR -------------------------------------------------- or download at SourceForge - https://lnkd.in/gNqB7dnp

New Post: ‘The Simpsons’ showrunner explains why show is good at predicting future events - https://lnkd.in/gb4ze_qm - The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman has explained why the show is very good at predicting the future. READ MORE: Every time The Simpsons predicted the future – ranked in order of weirdness The animated series has famously foreseen several major events throughout its run, notably Donald Trump’s presidency, Disney’s takeover of Fox and iPhone autocorrect – to name a few. Asked by People why the series has been great at such predictions, Selman responded: “Well, the sourpuss answer I always give that no one likes is that if you study history and math, it would be literally impossible for us not to predict things. “If you say enough things, some of them are going to overlap with reality, and then that’s the math element. “And then, the history element is if you make a show that is based on studying the past foolishness of humanity, you are surely going to anticipate the future foolishness of humanity as it sinks further into foolishness fair. So we don’t really think about it.” However, he did stress that the list of things is “completely unregulated,” and that the writers “hate” when fans “put obviously fake images online and say, we predicted things that we didn’t”. “It was nicer when the predictions were just predicting real horrible events, not people pretending we predicted horrible events,” Selman added, admitting it’s “very depressing and dispiriting that people want the magic to be true so bad that they just start” making up predictions that they never aired. In other Simpsons news, the show recently included a parody of The White Lotus‘ opening credits in an episode, where the family travels to “The Yellow Lotus” and “encounter death on vacation at a high-end resort”. The show’s current 36th season recently kicked off with a fake “series finale”, which saw the return of Conan O’Brien – who wrote some of the show’s most iconic episodes in its earlier days. The series is yet to be renewed for a 37th season, which comes amid speculation about the animated show’s future. The post ‘The Simpsons’ showrunner explains why show is good at predicting future events appeared first on NME. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion

Last week, I published a critical review of a Q+A episode which I attended as part of the studio audience. The article is free to read on my Substack, which you can subscribe to via the link below: https://lnkd.in/eJ2n5y6E