ReBoot Returning to TV as Live-Action/CG Series
As 80s nostalgia gives way to '90s nostalgia, it's been a great time to be a 90s kid like myself. Shows from our childhood are getting big screen adaptations, Full House is coming back for a sequel for some reason, and now one of the more asked for shows on the Internet is coming back in a big way. The semi popular computer animated series ReBoot (which ran from 1994 to 2001 on ABC very early in the morning, and that's why few folks remember it), is now getting a reboot itself as a live-action/CG hybrid show according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While the original series was a fully computer animated series (notably the first of its kind) that followed its main character Bob as he fought a being known as "The User" in the Mainframe, the sequel/reboot series titled Reboot: The Guardian Code will focus on four teens (Austin, Grey, Parker, and Tamra) who find out that they're next generations Guardians and have to travel into cyberspace to fight an evil hacker's (named "The Sorcerer") viruses.
The new series, produced Corus Entertainment, Rainmaker Entertainment, and TWC/Dimension Television, will intially run for 26 episodes, and apparently won't even look like the show we remember because kids these days use new technology. As series creator Michael Hefferson puts it:
Technology is ever-changing and Reboot: The Guardian Code will utilize the very technology inherent in the concept of the show—and prevalent in kids’ everyday lives—to drive a new type of relationship across multiple platforms...[ReBoot] will deliver mass appeal with a technology focus, empowering kids with the tools and confidence to chart their own course in a world that is increasingly dependent on and powered by technological knowledge.
Well, here's hoping the actual show isn't as bad as this sounds.
[via THR]
Bart Simpson is Getting Killed Off This Season
After 25 years, Sideshow Bob is finally getting his revenge against Bart Simpson in the next season of The Simpsons. During a panel at this past weekend's ATX Festival in Austin, TX, The Simpsons producers revealed that Sideshow Bob will achieve his goal of killing Bart during this year's annual Treehouse of Horror episode. Of course, as is the nature of the Treehouse of Horror episodes, the death won't be permanent.
The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean explains why the team finally relented to Sideshow Bob's wishes by using classic Looney Tunes characters Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner as an analogy by stating, "I hated frustration comedy so we’ll scratch that itch." It appears that the true "horror" for the vignette will not stem from Bart's death, but from Bob's realization that he has nothing to live for following the accomplishment of his life's goal.
The producers were coy on the ongoing Harry Shearer situation, providing no update on whether Shearer would be replaced or brought back on board. For a show that's been running somewhat stagnant for several seasons now, an announcement such as Bart's death was meant to draw headlines, even if the move is only temporary. Still, what will it take to help elevate The Simpsons back to the top of primetime animated comedies? Only time can tell.
[via Entertainment Weekly]
Showtime's Streaming Service Sidesteps HBO Now's Subscription Prices
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In a move that will surprise no one, Showtime has just announced their plans to launch their own streaming service. The service, which will simply be referred to as Showtime, undercuts HBO Now's price of $14.99 by offering a monthly plan of $10.99. While Showtime does offer some amazing series like Shameless, Homeland, Dexter, the upcoming third season of Twin Peaks, and more, they don't carry the same gravitas as HBO's offerings like Game of Thrones, True Detective, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and much, much more. However, what Showtime is offering that HBO doesn't is live broadcast streams from both East and West Coasts.
Showtime will launch on Apple devices next month, with many other devices and platforms to be announced at a later date. You can read the full press release below.
For the first time ever, SHOWTIME will be offered over the internet as a stand-alone streaming service launching in early July, with Apple as its first partner. The stand-alone service will be called SHOWTIME, a brand already embraced by consumers as the home for cutting-edge original programming, sports and movies. The launch of SHOWTIME will coincide with the new seasons of the critically-acclaimed, hit series RAY DONOVAN and MASTERS OF SEX, premiering on Sunday, July 12th. iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch® and Apple TV® users will be able to subscribe to SHOWTIME as a stand-alone service on the SHOWTIME app anywhere in the U.S., for one monthly price ($10.99) to view on all Apple devices. Additional platforms and providers will be announced soon. To learn more about SHOWTIME, visit http://www.showtime.com.
Subscribers will have unlimited on demand access to every season of award-winning SHOWTIME original series, and hundreds of hours of movies, documentary and sports programming, as well as the live broadcast of the east and west coast feeds of SHOWTIME. Showtime will offer a 30-day free trial to new customers who sign up through Apple in July. Apple users simply need to go to the SHOWTIME app on their device to sign up and create a SHOWTIME account. Subscribers can use their SHOWTIME account to watch the service across all supported devices, as well as online at http://www.showtime.com.
Showtime and its acclaimed original programming continues to make its mark on the cultural landscape. The network is home to one of the most successful programming line-ups in all of television, with hits that include HOMELAND, RAY DONOVAN, THE AFFAIR, MASTERS OF SEX, PENNY DREADFUL, SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES, NURSE JACKIE, HAPPYish, EPISODES, and the anticipated new series BILLIONS and the limited series TWIN PEAKS. Original series play a key part in the network’s programming mix, along with box office hits, comedy and music specials, provocative documentaries, and hard-hitting sports programming, including the flagship franchise SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® and the news magazine programs 60 MINUTES SPORTS and JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME. The network’s diverse slate of films includes Boyhood, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Philomena, St. Vincent, The Imitation Game and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.
[Weekly Netflix Fix] Hot Girls Wanted, The Aviator
A plethora of new films and TV shows were added over the past week, coinciding with Netflix's penchant to bring a large in flux of additions at the beginning of the month. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio's The Aviator, Audrey Hepburn's Roman Candle, and Alfonso Cuaron's Y tu mama tambien are the biggest titles added in this initial June wave.
However, it's the Rashida Jones-produced documentary Hot Girls Wanted that has many talking. The doc, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, exposes the harsh reality that many amateur porn stars face. While it serves as a cautionary tale, it doesn't exactly share any new information to those that are already aware of the plight facing young women that turn to the industry. Nevertheless, it's a well-made documentary (albeit with an uneven tone) that should be seen.
You can find the full list of new Netflix Instant additions below.
Would You Rather
Bandslam
Between
Boy Meets Girl
Fishtronaut
Hot Girls Wanted
Kids from Shaolin
Middle of Nowhere
Once Upon a Time in Brooklyn
Fishtronaut: Season 1
Fishtronaut: Season 2
Mako Mermaids: An H2O Adventure: Season 3
Shaolin Temple
The Pope of Greenwich Village
Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie...
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Beginnings
Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Eternal
The Queens of Comedy
The Quiet American
R.L. Stine's Mostly Ghostly
R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour
Redemption: Kickboxer 5
Repo! The Genetic Opera
Revolución
Roman Holiday
The Rugrats Movie
Elias: Rescue Team Adventures: Season 1
La Suegra: Season 1
Los tiempos de Pablo Escobar: Season 1
Familia P. Luche: Season 1
SheZow: Season 1
Bleach: Season 2
TEDTalks: Life Lessons & Confessions: Season 2
Familia P. Luche: Season 2 2007
Bleach: Season 3
Familia P. Luche: Season 3
Chuggington: Season 4
Sex Ed
Shaq: All Star Comedy Jam: Atlanta
Shaq: All Star Comedy Jam: Orlando
Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All Star...
She Doesn't Want to Sleep Alone
SheZow
Something Wild
Stash House
Sucker Punch
Tear This Heart Out
Tetro
Transit
Troll
Troll 2
Una Familia de Diez
Used Parts
Virgingate
We Are the Giant
A Wonderful World
The Inbetweeners 2
Oh No! It's an Alien Invasion: Season 1
Oh No! It's an Alien Invasion: Season 2
Four Brothers
Further
Girl on a Bicycle
The Good Guy
Hammett
Heterosexual Jill
Hidden Kingdoms
The High and the Mighty
Higher
Hits
Iesodo: Believe
Innocent Voices
The Island of Dr. Moreau: Director's Cut
Kickboxer
Kickboxer 2
Kickboxer 3: The Art of War
Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor
Kidnapped
Kiss the Girls
La Suegra
La Vida Despues
Las magicas canciones de Plim Plim
Le voyage dans la lune
Le voyage dans la lune (Color)
Los tiempos de Pablo Escobar
México Pelágico
Maria de todos los Angeles
Metastasis
Mooz-Lum
Never on a Sunday
A Night at the Roxbury
Night Falls on Manhattan
Nine Months
On the Way to School
One from the Heart
The Others
Oveja Negra
Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal: Season 1
The Paper Chase
People Will Talk
The Perfect Dictatorship
Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary 2
Philly Kid
Plan B: True
Best of Me
Hector and the Search for Happiness
The City
El Chapulin Colorado
Elias: Rescue Team Adventures
The Great Escape
La Rosa de Guadalupe
LI’L QUINQUIN
Nature's Weirdest Events
Out of the Dark
Purgatorio
Pretty Little Liars: Season 5
Y Tu Mamá También
009-1: The End of the Beginning
18 cigarrillos y medio
All Over the Guy
Amar
Amor Xtremo
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now Redux
The Aviator
Bad Habits
Big Muddy
The Black Power Mixtape
Bleach
Brian's Song
The Burbs
Celia's Lives
Cephalopod
Cochochi
Dead Snow
Deeper
Delivery
Dragon Eyes
Edge of the Earth
El Gringo
El informe Toledo
Employee of the Month
The Escape Artist
Expelled from Paradise
Familia P. Luche
Far From Home: Adventures of Yellow Dog
A Feast at Midnight
Fishtail
Arrested Development Season 5 Coming to Netflix in 2016?
As a very dedicated Arrested Development fan, any news about the cult favorite TV series is going to be met with giddiness and delight. Even after the letdown that was Arrested Development's Netflix debut, fans understood the final product was a result of unfortunate schedule conflicts and not quite the level of quality everybody expected for the beloved series. While series creator Mitch Hurwitz and co. tried to make the best of everybody's schedules by shooting the season in a non-linear style that didn't rely on the entire cast being on set at the same time. However, this resulted in a diluted story that, while still having its moments, paled in comparison to the series' previous three seasons.
It's no secret that Netflix wants to develop more original programming and are major supporters of Arrested Development, so the only hurdle for more Bluth family antics involved finding the right time to get everybody together. Nevertheless, producer Brian Grazer confirmed plans to begin production in early 2016 during an appearance on Adam Corolla's podcast earlier this week:
Well, I had a conversation with Fox today, this morning. Netflix is determined to do more episodes, so we’re gonna do more episodes. We’re going to do it [at] the turn of the year. January, February we’re gonna start it. […] Mitch Hurwitz, who I just called while I was sitting out there in your beautiful waiting room. […] I made the call to Mitch to say everybody’s into it.
Netflix hasn't officially announced anything, and there's still the aforementioned hurdle of getting as much of the cast together for as long as possible, but the prospect of more Arrested Development is a lot better than no Arrested Development. We'll see how this one shakes out, but thing is clear - I'm more than ready to fall back in love with Tobias, GOB, George Michael, and the others once again.
[via /Film]
Mega Man Getting a New Animated TV Series
While Capcom has done their best to make sure we'll never play a Mega Man game again, the Blue Bomber still has a huge and devoted fan base. Making guest appearances in other videogame series like Nintendo's Super Smash Bros, continuing a successful run through Archie Comics (even leading to a crossover with Sonic the Hedgehog), and several toys still selling by the boatloads, Mega Man is a property that has surpassed its videogame heritage long ago. Meaning it's time to move on to the next big thing, a brand new cartoon adventure.
According to Deadline, Dentsu Entertainment USA have partnered with Man of Action Entertainment (the company responsible for Ben 10, Generator Rex, Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Avengers Assemble) to produce a 26 episode animated series for a 2017 release to coincide with the series' 30th Anniversary. '90s kids like myself will remember that Mega Man's gotten a cartoon series before and these rose colored glasses remember it being pretty neat. Mega Man has spawned several anime shows through the years too, with Battle Network being my favorite overall. If the new show can have the kind of quality that Man of Action put into Ben 10 and its numerous spin-offs, we're in for a good time.
Although, I'll hold out hope that it looks like that awesome "anime" style teaser for the Korean MMO from a few years back.
[via Deadline]
Netflix Testing Teasers Before and After TV Shows
Of all of the benefits Netflix offers over other services is their refusal to implement third-party ads. While the price of subscription has changed a bit over the years (and is perhaps facing another upcharge imminently), their dedication to bringing amazing content to their subscribers, both original programming and licensed shows/films, is well worth weathering an extra buck or two, especially when we can binge-watch Scrubs (like what my roommates and I currently do) or Orange is the New Black (like what my roommates and I will do soon) uninterrupted.
However, Netflix has recently begun testing pre-roll and post-roll teasers for their Netflix original shows for certain users/markets. While the next logical conclusion would be the introduction of third-party ads a la Hulu, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took a very clear stance yesterday following speculation that the aforementioned teasers were paving the way for ads in the future, sharing on Facebook: "No advertising coming onto Netflix. Period. Just adding relevant cool trailers for other Netflix content you are likely to love."
Indeed, the teasers have been for other Netflix original series, such as Marvel's Daredevil or the upcoming third season of Orange is the New Black. The teasers serve as the next wave of recommendations, and while they may be a bit intrusive, who isn't on the constant prowl for a new show to binge-watch once their current show's run comes to an end?
[via Tech Crunch]
Bruce Campbell is Groovy in Ash vs. Evil Dead TV Teaser
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What pairs better with nice weather than being reunited with everybody's favorite groovy evil vanquisher? It's been a few months since we found out Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, and Rob Tapert were continuing the adventures of Ash Williams in a Starz TV series. However, with the sun coming out to play, so too does Ash and the iconic chainsaw.
In case you weren't aware, Ash vs. Evil Dead will carry on where 1992's Army of Darkness left off. While the trio have publicly stated their approval and enjoyment of the 2013 Evil Dead reboot, they've decided to move forward with the original timeline, ending any potential future for Fede Alvarez's take on the Evil Dead universe. However, both Raimi and Tapert are co-producing Alvarez's next film, A Man in the Dark, so the business relationship is still in tact (and could possibly lead to more Evil Dead from the talented director).
It makes sense for Campbell, Raimi, and Tapert to focus on their specific Evil Dead franchise, given the somewhat tepid response the reboot received. As I've noted lately, nostalgia is in right now, and who really wouldn't scoff at watching Ash mow through evil some more?
Ash vs. Evil Dead will premiere on Starz this fall.