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DuckTales Season 2 Episode 17 Review: What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?!

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After this DuckTales episode we dig deep into Donald Duck's character and our newfound love for him.

This DuckTales review contains spoilers.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 17

Sometimes all it takes is one scene to make it all click into place. There were some great bits all throughout this episode but it wasn’t anything that stood out, at least for DuckTales. Dewey and Webby trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Donald was cute and Donald getting into zany situations was fun.  But then… the reveal of Donald’s anger management counselor.

First off, just knowing Donald went to a counselor is a great little bit of character building. It demonstrates that Donald’s anger isn’t just being used for laughs. It’s a serious flaw he realizes he has and is actively working on. That alone enriches Donald, plus it normalizes the idea of therapy. The kids don’t laugh about this and even Scrooge, always down for getting a good back handed comment in at Donald, treats it seriously.

I have no doubt DuckTales will continue to use Donald’s anger to great effect but now it has meaning. The question asked by the title of the episode, "What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?!” isn’t just about where he’s been. It’s also… what happened to him in the past? What made him like this?

The source of Donald’s anger is the fear the world is out to get him and that no one understands him. That’s… huge. Something big to deep into. Obviously it’s drawn from the characters long history in comics but it also works brilliantly with what we’ve seen in this new DuckTalesseries so far. Everything seems to go wrong for Donald. After getting into one zany (and deadly) situation after the other, you might get jaded to the world to. While some would internalize this, Donald lets it all out. He screams and swings furiously at anything and everything.

Yet no one can understand him. This could be taken literally; after all he is nearly impossible to understand at the best of times. On the other hand, maybe Donald feels like no one else understands his anger. No one else is unlucky like him, how could they possibly know? It’s no wonder Donald was living on a boat by himself, when the world is seemingly out to get you and no one understands you anger about it, of course you’d isolate yourself.

Then DuckTales takes it another step forward and dives deeper into Donald’s history (all while he’s fighting Lunaris, to keep it from feeling too exposition-y.) When Donald learned about the boys being born  he wanted to be the best family member he could… so he channeled all his anger somewhere new. It sounds silly when you write it out, but every outburst became about protecting his family. His anger became focused on anything that kept him from being a good uncle.

Donald realized his flaws and was able to channel them into something more positive. It isn’t a perfect solution by any means but he’s doing his best. Instead of being angry at the world he’s angry with anyone who might hurt his family.

I think I… love Donald Duck now??? Donald’s been great in this show up until now but this episode? Man, what a guy! Not only has he sacrificed everything to help the boys but he turned his whole life around because of them! He went to therapy for them!  This is a character that realized a serious flaw in his personality and is actively doing something about it. I have nothing but respect for you, sir.

A scene like this recontextualizes everything that’s come before with Donald. I have no doubt if I revisited past Donald scenes I could trace all of his anger to what we learned in this episode. DuckTales continues to play the long game! This is a solid reveal and demonstrates how much thought and care have been put into this cast since the beginning. I don’t just have respect for Donald now, I’ve got even more respect for the DuckTales crew.

Plus we’ve got more set up for the moon people getting ready to attack the Earth. The way Lunaris is stoking fear against the Earth with misinformation feels intentionally close to what’s going on in our own world and I can’t wait to see how DuckTales tackles this. The series has handled these kinds of topics with razor sharp commentary and I know this won’t disappoint.

DuckTales is back and we are all the better for it.

DuckTales Quotes To Make Your Life Better

- “Now that Della’s back we’re hungry for a new ethically complex multipart family mystery to solve!”

- “I’ll take that neck spasm as an Earth yes.”

Keep us with all our DuckTales season 2 news and reviews here!

Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!

3.5/5
ReviewShamus Kelley
Sep 3, 2019

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Trailer and Everything to Know

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Everything we know about Star Wars: The Mandalorian, including latest news, release date, cast, story details, and more!

A Star Wars live-action TV series is coming to Disney's upcoming streaming service and it's called The Mandalorian. The series will follow the adventures of a gunfighter from the former Imperial-controlled planet of jetpack-clad warriors. Not much is known about this mysterious anti-hero except that he goes simply by the name "The Mandalorian."

Jon Favreau (Iron Man) is writing, directing, and producing this new Star Wars adventure. He's also counting on the talents of Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels), who will both direct episodes of the series. Filoni is also executive producing alongside Favreau.

Here's everything else we know about the show so far:

Star Wars: The Mandalorian News

Trandoshans are coming to The Mandalorian, and you can catch a first glimpse at two of them battling Pedro Pascal's titular bounty hunter in a photo over at EW.

Who or what are Trandoshans, some might ask? They are the reptilian species of the Star Wars Universe, famously exemplified in The Empire Strikes Back (pictured immediately below,) by the bounty hunter, Bossk, who famously took offense to Admiral Piett's offhand insult referring to those in his trade as "scum." While he never saw any live-action battles, Bossk's other-media appearances are deep, and we got to see more of him, albeit in animated form, on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Trailer

The first trailer for The Mandalorian has arrived! Watch it below:

We also dissected the trailer for all of its Star Wars secrets here!

Want more? Here's a description of the trailer, sizzle reel, and all of the scenes shown at Star Wars Celebration Chicago.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Poster

Take a look at the great poster that arrived at D23 2019:

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Release Date

It's official: The Mandalorian will launch exactly when Disney+, itself, does. That means The Mandalorianwill be available to stream on Nov. 12, 2019. Disney made the announcement during their Investor's Day in April.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Cast

Star Wars The Mandalorian Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones) has been cast as the protagonist of The Mandalorian. Little is known about his rugged gunfighter except that he hails from Mandalore and wears armor similar to Boba Fett's. Favreau and Filoni call him "Mando" for short, but it seems that everyone on the show just calls him "The Mandalorian."

Star Wars The Mandalorian Greef

Carl Weathers (Predator) brings his '80s action hero and comedy chops to Star Wars as a character named Greef, the leader of a sort of bounty hunters guild.

Star Wars The Mandalorian Cara Dune

Former MMA fighter Gina Carano (Deadpool) has also been cast in an undisclosed role. It was revealed at Star Wars Celebration that Carano is playing ex-Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune.

Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), the famous actor, writer, and filmmaker, has been cast in the show as a crime lord with Imperial roots. The Mando will need to do business with Herzog's character to get the info he needs on a target.

Nick Nolte is also set to appear. While we don't know the exact nature of Nolte's role, we do know that his character hails from the planet Mandalore, the homeworld of the show's protagonist as well as the infamous bounty hunter Jango Fett. 

Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) plays IG-11, a droid assassin who fights alongside the Mando at some point in the series.

Rounding out the cast are Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) as an Imperial officer as well as Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), comedian Bill Burr, Ming-Na Wen (Agents of SHIELD), and Natalia Tena (Game of Thrones).

Listen to the latest Star Wars Blaster Canon podcast:

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Acast | RSS

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Story

The title and story details were revealed by Favreau (Iron Man) in 2018:



View this post on Instagram


#starwars #TheMandalorian

A post shared by Jon Favreau (@jonfavreau) on

“After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe," Favreau wrote on Instagram. "The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic."

Favreau previously revealed to Nerdist that the series will take place seven years after the events of Return of the Jedi, effectively setting up the series as a bridge between the Original and Sequel Trilogies. The series will feature all-new characters, as well. 

This is good news, as the post-RotJ timeline remains largely unexplored since the new canon was established. There's little reason to continue to mine the era between the Clone Wars and the Original Trilogy, which has now been covered so well by two animated series and a film, and the saga of the Skywalkers is no longer the center of the Star Wars universe. The blank slate quality of the era between RotJ and The Force Awakens will allow Favreau to really dig into something new and fresh.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Directors

The series will be written and executive produced by Emmy-nominated producer and actor Jon Favreau, as previously announced, with Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone WarsStar Wars Rebels) directing the first episode. Additional episodic directors include Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones), Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Bryce Dallas Howard (Solemates), and Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok). 

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Soundtrack

Ludwig Goransson has been tapped to compose the score for The Mandalorian. He has previously created scores for Black PantherCreedCreed IIVenom, and Fruitvale Station.

"Words fail to express how surreal and humbling it feels to be invited into the Star Wars universe," Göransson said in a press release. "I am deeply grateful to Jon Favreau and Disney for this opportunity and to John Williams for raising the bar so high with his iconic, intrepid scores -- they will never be matched. In these next months, I hope to honor the tradition of Star Wars’ musical landscape while propelling The Mandalorian into new and unchartered territory. And I will try to remember that there is no try."

Mike Cecchini is the Editor in Chief of Den of Geek. You can read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @wayoutstuff.

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Release Date, Cast, and News
NewsMike CecchiniJohn SaavedraKirsten Howard
Sep 3, 2019

DuckTales Season 2: Return Date, Episode Guide, and Reviews

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DuckTales Season 2 is here and we've got all the info you need! Woo-oo!

DuckTales Season 2 continues the incredible adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his family. We know when the show will return!

DuckTales Season 2 Return Date

DuckTales has returned from its hiatus and its newest episode will drop on September 4, 2019. We've got the title for the episode below.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 18: Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!

No description available at this time. (September 4, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Trailer

A new DuckTales trailer premiered at SDCC 2019 and it introduces Goofy, Daisy Duck, and the Rescue Rangers to the series. Watch it below:

DuckTales Season 2 Episodes

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 1: The Most Dangerous Game... Night!

Preoccupied with his lack of purpose during the family's adventures, Louie attempts to avoid another one by proposing a family game night at home. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 2: The Depths of Cousin Fethry!

Huey and Dewey trick Launchpad into taking off with a submarine to go visit Donald's oddball cousin, Fethry Duck, who resides at one of Scrooge's marine science stations.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 3: The Ballad of Duke Baloney!

Glomgold goes missing for four months after Magica De Spell's attack on Duckburg, and he's later found at sea by a couple of fishermen while also getting amnesia. He then adapts to being a fisherman named Duke Baloney.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 4: The Town Where Everyone Was Nice!

The family visits a Brazilian town to celebrate the mysterious festival, "The Feast of The Flower." While at the festival, Donald reunites with his old friends, José Carioca & Panchito Pistoles.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 5: Storkules in Duckburg!

Louie hires Storkules for his monster extermination business. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 6: Last Christmas!

In a nod to "Mickey’s Christmas Carol," Scrooge avoids the pressures of the holidays by traveling back in time with a trio of fun-loving ghosts to crash history’s greatest Christmas parties instead. Meanwhile, time-lost Dewey teams up with young Donald Duck to find his mom on Christmas.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 7: What Ever Happened To Della Duck?!

Della struggles to try to find a way to get back to her kids on Earth. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 8: Treasure of the Found Lamp!

As the boys track a missing artifact across Duckburg, Scrooge and Webby stall the warrior looking for it with a phony quest.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 9: The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck!

After Louie gives up a business venture because of an obstacle, Scrooge tells him a story of when he was a prospector in the Old West in the hopes of inspiring him to be just like him.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 10: The 87 Cent Solution!

The kids must stop Scrooge’s unhealthy obsession with a few missing coins to keep him from becoming the next Glomgold. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 11: The Golden Spear!

As Della rebuilds her ship, Penumbra becomes convinced Della’s planning an attack. Meanwhile, Donald’s nap keeps getting interrupted by adventure.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 12: Nothing Can Stop Della Duck!

Della Duck has faced every danger the moon has to offer to reunite with her family, but her greatest challenge is one she might not be able to fight her way out of

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 13: Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!

Dewey tries to prove himself by exploring a frozen fortress in search of a money tree seed, but Glomgold has kidnapped Scrooge in order to find it first. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 14: Friendship Hates Magic!

Stuck as a shadow, Lena tries to protect Webby from her suspicious new friend Violet during a supernatural sleepover. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 15: The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!

With Huey’s and Webby’s help, Fenton woos a punk-rock scientist, Gandra Dee, only to uncover her dangerous plans for Gizmoduck. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 16: The Duck Knight Returns!

Launchpad and Dewey meet Jim Starling – the former star of action series "Darkwing Duck"– at a sofa store opening, and find out that Scrooge is making a Darkwing Duck movie with Alister Boorswan directing it. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 17: What Ever Happened To Donald Duck?!

Donald and Penumbra must break out of a Moon Prison and send a warning to Earth about a looming invasion. Dewey and Webby uncover a sinister conspiracy targeting their family. 

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 18: Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!

No description available at this time. (September 4, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 19: A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!

No description available at this time. (September 5, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 20: The Golden Armory of Cornelius Coot!

No description available at this time. (September 6, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 21: Timephoon!

No description available at this time. (September 9, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 22: GlomTales!

No description available at this time. (September 10, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 23: The Richest Duck in the World!

No description available at this time. (September 11, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 24: Moonvasion!

No description available at this time. (September 12, 2019)

DuckTales Season 2 Cast and Characters

Season two guest stars include Julie Bowen ("Modern Family"), Edgar Wright ("Baby Driver" director), Jack McBrayer ("30 Rock"), John Hodgman ("Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches"), Jameela Jamil ("The Good Place"), Libe Barer ("Sneaky Pete") and Lance Reddick ("John Wick"). The previously announced recurring cast for season two include Paget Brewster ("Criminal Minds") as Della Duck, Donald Duck's twin sister and his nephews' long-lost mother; and Bernardo de Paula ("Rio") and Arturo del Puerto ("Fear the Walking Dead") as José de Carioca and Panchito Pistoles of The Three Caballeros. Tony Anselmo will continue to voice Donald Duck. 

That's all we know for now but keep checking back for more news on DuckTalesseason 2!

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!

DuckTales Season 2 News
NewsShamus Kelley
Sep 3, 2019

Every Stephen King Movie and TV Series in Development

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The age of Stephen King movies and TV series is here! Here are all the King projects, both for big and small screens, in the works!

It's no accident that Stephen King is one of the most heavily-adapted writers in horror movie history. From horror gross-outs and intense psychological thrillers to far-out sci-fi romps and ambitious horror epics like It Chapter One and Chapter Two, there's a King movie or TV show for everyone.

It certainly helps that King is also one of the most prolific and successful writers working today. Since 1974, with the publication of Carrie, his debut novel about a troubled girl with telekinetic powers, King has been raising the bar of weird fiction. He certainly has some of the best human villains and supernatural villains of all-time. 

Perhaps it's his B-movie sensitivity that really makes his ghoulies shine, but its really about how the prose flows in his novels and countless short stories -- they aren't your normal fast-paced reads for the most part. King takes his time building tension and suspense. Like a boy slowly turning the crank on a jack-on-the-box, King masterfully works his way to the final moment of horror. No one has painted a page with more terror than the master of pop horror himself. 

That's why he's so deeply rooted in our culture, infiltrating every genre of entertainment known to man. From e-books to comics to musicals, King has conquered them all. Besides books, King's work has seen MAJOR success in movies and TV. The Shawshank Redemption is an instant classic of mystery and drama, while Carrie continues to scare us all half to death. 

And he's not done yet.

Here's a list of all the upcoming movies and TV shows adapted from the work of Stephen King, starting with projects with official release dates: 

It Chapter Two - Sept. 6, 2019

The new film adaptation of Stephen King’s It, as you may already know, is being split into two films. The first arrived to rave reviews. Andy Muschietti has directed the first part, and he’s on board for the second film of the story too.

It Chapter Two will once again star the Losers' Club, this time as adults who are forced to return to Derry, Maine to stop Pennywise the Clown once and for all. The adult cast is all set with James McAvoy as Bill Denbrough, Jessica Chastain as Beverly Marsh, Bill Hader as Richie Tozier, Jay Ryan as Ben Hanscom, James Ransone as Eddie Kaspbrak, and Andy Bean will play Stan Uris. Pennywise will once again be played by Bill Skarsgard.

Related Article: It Ending Explained

Creepshow TV Series - Sept. 26, 2019

Creepshow is back in a big way and headed to the realm of peak television! Shudder, the premium streaming service owned by cabler AMC, is bringing back the Stephen King/George Romero-crafted Creepshow horror anthology film as a television series.

AMC tapped talent from its own tent, appointing The Walking Dead executive producer and legendary effects maestro Greg Nicotero to serve as director, executive producer, and overall supervisor for the small screen endeavor. The cast includes Tricia Helfer, David Arquette, Dana Gould Adrienne Barbeau, DJ Qualls, Jeffrey Combs and more. 

Best of all, both Stephen King and Joe Hill contributed stories to the anthology series. Joe R. Lansdale, who wrote Bubba Ho-Tep, is also involved, as is legendary Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini. 

Doctor Sleep - Nov. 8, 2019

An unlikely sequel is coming to the big screen. Doctor Sleep is set to arrive in 2020 from Warner Bros. Pictures. The film will be written and directed by Mike Flanagan (Gerald's Game).

Doctor Sleep is King’s sequel to The Shining, taking place many years after the original events at the Overlook Hotel and starring an adult Danny Torrance. Ewan McGregor has been cast as the adult Danny Torrance. Rebecca Ferguson, Zahn McClarnon, Kyliegh Curran, Bruce Greenwood, Emily Alyn Lind, Carl Lumbly, Alex Essoe, and Jocelin Donahue round out the cast. 

We will keep you posted as we learn more!

The Stand by Stephen King

The Stand - 2020

It's been a long gestation period for Josh Boone's (The New Mutants) adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand, but we finally have an update: it's now becoming a 10-hour limited series at CBS All Access, the network's subscription service. 

Boone, who is set to direct the series, will also executive produce and pen the script with Ben Cavell (Homeland). And they're both working with King's enthusiastic approval. 

A series is quite the change from what Boone originally intended for his King passion project (Boone is a big fan of the writer's work): an extremely faithful four-part movie franchise that would explore the 823-page tome in full. That idea seems to have been scrapped. 

James Marsden (Westworldwill play the lead role of Stu Redman

The Outsider by Stephen King

The Outsider - 2020

The Outsider is becoming a limited series at HBO, which has given the adaptation a 10-episode order. 

The story of The Outsider puts a mind-blowingly monstrous twist on traditional murder fiction. Here, police detective Ralph Anderson fields an investigation in the fictional Oklahoma town of Flint City that upends the local populace when a well-liked local man, Terry Maitland, is arrested for the shockingly malicious murder of an 11-year-old boy. While a mountain of evidence – including DNA and fingerprints – make the case seem open-and-shut, Maitland vehemently swears his innocence; an idea that gains momentum when his alibi – of being out of town at a conference – checks out, leading the investigation to a potentially supernatural turn.

Ben Mendelsohn is set to star. Joining him are Cynthia Erivo, Bill Camp, Mare Winningham, Paddy Considine, Julianne Nicholson, Yul Vazquez, Jeremy Bobb, Marc Menchaca, Hettienne Park, and Michael Esper. 

Onboard as executive producers are Richard Price (HBO’s The Night OfThe Deuce), Jack Bender (Mr. MercedesLost), and Jason Bateman via his Aggregate Films, also joined by Temple Hill Entertainment and MRC. Bateman will direct the first two episodes. 

Related Article: The Shining and the Immortality of Evil

Bazaar of Bad Dreams - Stephen King

The Bone Church - In Development

The Bone Church is set to be developed as a television series by Cedar Park Entertainment – the company of Chris Long and David Ayer – after having acquired the rights. The Stephen King-penned source material here is a narrative poem that was originally written back in the 1960s, which, decades later, would be published in the November, 2009 issue of Playboy magazine. King subsequently revised it and published it as part of his 2015 short fiction collection, The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

King’s The Bone Church is told from the point of view of a disheveled survivor of a harrowing ordeal who is demanding to be bought drinks for his tales. The story depicts – in a poetic manner – a terrifying jungle expedition to locate a forbidden mythical site, called the Bone Church. While 32 people set out on the trip, only three returned, with hints that madness made retroactive victims of the rest, save for the whiskey-demanding narrator. Consequently, just as the television medium managed to turn King’s thin 2005 mystery novel, The Colorado Kid, into the 5-season Syfy series, Haven, the bare-bones poem premise of The Bone Church will require some narrative meat from its creative forces.

While The Bone Church has yet to narrow down a showrunner, the rights-acquiring Chris Long and David Ayer are onboard as executive producers. The project won’t even be the only Stephen King project for Long, who also serves as EP for the (imminently-returning) Audience/DirecTV series, Mr. Mercedes. No premiere date or cast has been announced. 

The Dark Tower TV Series

The Dark Tower TV Series - In Development

The Dark Tower TV series is in development at Amazon. While the series was originally planned to tie into the 2017 film, that is no longer the plan. Instead, it will be a complete reboot set during Roland's early adventures as told in Wizard and Glass

Glen Mazzara, who previously helmed The Walking Dead season 3, has been brought on as showrunner. Akiva Goldsman, who produced and co-wrote the film adaptation, will executive produce, along with Jeff Pinkner, Ron Howard, and Brian Grazer. Nikolaj Arcel, who directed The Dark Tower movie, and screenwriter Anders Thomas Jensen wrote a script for the pilot and will also executive produce. 

Sam Strike (Nightflyers) has been cast as Roland the Gunslinger and Jasper Pääkkönen (Vikings) is believed to be playing the Man in Black. Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones) in an undisclosed role, although some fans have speculated that he's playing Eldred Jonas, leader of the Big Coffin Hunters! 

Related Article: A Reading Guide to Stephen King's Dark Tower Universe

James Franco

Drunken Fireworks - In Development

Stephen King and James Franco are going to start fireworks at the box office.

The Future World actor and director will be starring in (and possibly directing) King’s page-to-screen adaptation of his short story Drunken Fireworkswritten by Matt Rager (who also worked on Franco-directed films As I Lay DyingThe Sound and the Fury, and In Dubious Battle). Drunken Fireworks is produced by Franco alongside Vince Jolivette, Doug McKay, Robert Kaplan, Marc Senter, and Nathan Grubbs of Franco’s Rabbit Bandini Productions and Rubicon Entertainment.

Drunken Fireworks is the darkly comic story of “accident rich” mechanic Alden McCausland (Franco), whose windfall of lottery winnings along with a surprise life insurance policy payout makes him wealthy enough to take liquor-soaked lakeside vacations in the summer. There isn’t much scandal in the lazy town in Castle County, Maine—until Alden sets off a few sparklers on Fourth of July weekend. It ends up getting him entangled in a heated annual fireworks competition with retired “real rich” mob boss Nicky Serrano, kingpin of the notorious Massimo crime family, whose enormous white mansion across the lake is “paid for by ‘ill-gotten gains,’” in the words of Alden’s mother.

After Nicky literally outshines Alden with his fireworks display in what has come to be called “The Fourth of July Arms Race,” Alden swears he will beat him the following year. So begins a vicious cycle that illustrates to what lengths he and the Mafia-backed Nicky will go to illuminate Castle County—and the ultimate prize could be a prison cell.

No word on an official release date. 

Eyes of the Dragon - In Development

Stephen King's epic fantasy novel, The Eyes of the Dragon, is in development as a TV series at Hulu. A departure from King's usual horror fare, the novel tells the story of murder, dark magic, and a contested throne set in the kingdom of Delain and features the writer's most infamous recurring villain, Flagg. 

The pilot is being written by Seth Grahame-Smith (Dark Shadows), who is also in place as showrunner. It's being produced by Fox 21, along with Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, Bill Haber, Roy Lee, and Jon Berg.

No info on a production date or premiere date just yet, as the project is still in early days. 

From a Buick 8 by Stephen King

From a Buick 8 - In Development

Studio Hyde Park Entertainment has optioned King’s 2002 novel, From a Buick 8, setting William Brent Bell to write and direct the film adaptation. Bell comes into the project off the 2016 twist-brandishing horror film, The Boy, which starred The Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan. He’s previously written/directed horror films WerThe Devil InsideStay Alive and Sparkle and Charm.

From a Buick 8 – which derives its title from the 1965 Bob Dylan B-Side “From a Buick 6” – is thematically similar to King’s Christine, his 1983 novel that was adapted that same year with director John Carpenter’s movie about a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury.

By contrast, this supernatural tale is recalled in a ghost story-style flashback narrative. The story, set in Western Pennsylvania, centers on Ned Wilcox, whose state trooper father was killed years earlier while answering a call about an abandoned 1953 Buick Roadmaster. However, when the now-adult Ned discovers said Buick kept hidden in the barracks of his father’s Troop D, a mystery begins to unfold about the car’s connection to his death and, eventually, an intrusion into another dimension.

No release date has been set as of yet.

Firestarter, Art by Michael Whelan

Firestarter - In Development

Stephen King’s 1980 novel Firestarter is going to be adapted as a feature film for the second time. The news was revealed by producer Jason Blum (Get OutSplitThe Purge, just about every horror film out these last few years) and the man who will direct the picture, Akiva Goldsman.

King’s novel focused on a little girl named Charlie who develops the ability to start fires and control the flames with her mind. A secret government agency known as the Shop -- which injected Charlie’s parents with the drug that gave them moderate telekinetic abilities but passed along to Charlie her much more immense powers -- wants to use Charlie’s gift as a weapon.

No release date or casting has been announced for this one.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon - In Development

An adaptation of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is in the works, although the project is still in its early days, according to THR, and the search for a writer to pen the script is underway.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon tells the surprisingly uplifting story of a 9-year-old girl named Trisha who is lost in the woods after straying from her mother and brother during a hiking trip. Forced to survive on her own, Trisha is inspired by her favorite baseball player, former Red Sox pitcher Tom Gordon, to face off against the God of the Lost, an evil entity which she believes is hunting her. Needless to say, fans of the It movies' resourceful young heroes, the Losers' Club, should keep an eye out for this one. 

The adaptation is being produced by Chris Romero, the former wife of director George A. Romero, as well as It's Roy Lee, Jon Berg of Vertigo Films, and Ryan Silbert of Origin Story. Interestingly enough, the Romeros have long been involved with an adaptation of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. The legendary horror director, who'd previously collaborated with King on Creepshow and The Dark Half, tried to make the movie in the early 2000s before the project ended up in development hell. George Romero passed away in 2017.

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

Hearts in Atlantis - In Development

Director Johannes Roberts (The Other Side of the Door) will adapt Stephen King's novella, "Hearts in Atlantis," for the big screen. Roberts is adapting the story with frequent collaborator Ernest Riera, who co-wrote The Other Side of the Door and shark thriller 47 Meters Down

This new project is not to be confused with the 2001 film Hearts in Atlantis, which starred Anthony Hopkins in a retelling of two other novellas in Stephen King's collection of the same name. That movie adapted "Low Men in Yellow Coats" and "Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling." 

"Hearts in Atlantis" is a coming-of-age story that takes place at the University of Maine during the Vietnam War era. Main character Peter lives in an all-male dormitory where all of the students have become obsessed with playing Hearts. This obsession has serious implications for both their academic and personal lives. 

In the Tall Grass by Stephen King

In the Tall Grass - In Development

Stephen King and Joe Hill's "In the Tall Grass," a short story originally published in Esquire and then released as an ebook, is getting the movie treatment from Splice director Vincenzo Natali. 

The story begins with a brother and sister driving down the Kansas countryside when they suddenly hear a boy screaming for help in a field. Then, as you'd expect from this father-son duo, all hell breaks loose...

The cast includes Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), Laysla De Oliveira (iZombie), and Harrison Gilbertson (Picnic at Hanging Rock). The film will arrive sometime in 2019. 

The Jaunt by Stephen King

The Jaunt - In Development

In 2015, it was announced that Stephen King's sci-fi short story about teleportation gone wrong, "The Jaunt," was being optioned for film by Plan B, Brad Pitt's production company. 

Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti, the duo behind the It remake, were attached to the project, but that probably isn't the case anymore since the Muschiettis moved on to the uber-successful It franchise. No studio has been set for the film, but Plan B has a first-look deal with New Regency and RatPac Entertainment. 

"The Jaunt" takes place in the 24th century. Teleportation between worlds is now possible. The only catch is that travelers must be under anesthesia so that they're not conscious for the trip. Being awake is bad news. You can probably guess what happens. 

The story was first published in 1981 in Twilight Zone Magazine, and it was later collected in 1985's Skeleton Crew, his second short story collection. It's a short little sci-fi tale and definitely worth the read. Don't wait for the movie!

Joyland by Stephen King

Joyland - In Development

Freeform will continue to tout its evolution after its recent rebranding from ABC Family, now set to take the Stephen King plunge with a TV series adapting the author’s 2013 horror novel, Joyland. The novel is a hybrid of a whodunit murder mystery and a ghost story, following the exploits of a college student named Devin, whose summer job at a North Carolina amusement park leads him – and friends Tom and Erin – to investigate a legacy of murder in the tourist town connected to a dying child’s bond with the ghost of one of the victims.

While it doesn’t appear that King himself will be involved with Joyland, screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh (Hawaii Five-0The Young Messiah) will adapt the novel for television. The series will be executive-produced by Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions (The CW’s Valor), along with Chris Pena (Jane the Virgin) and Cyrus Nowrasteh (The Stoning of Soraya M).

Lisey's Story - In Development

J.J. Abrams' production company Bad Robot is filling out its growing list of TV projects for Apple's streaming service, including Lisey's Story, an adaptation of Stephen King's 2006 novel.

Apple has ordered eight episodes of the romantic horror series and, in a surprising move, King is planning to pen all the episodes himself. Joining King as executive producers on Lisey's Story will be Abrams himself and Julianne Moore, who has also now been confirmed to lead the cast.

The TV version of Lisey's Story is being described as "a deeply personal thriller that follows Lisey (Moore) two years following the death of her husband. The story explores a series of events that causes her to begin facing amazing realities about her husband that she had repressed and forgotten."

The Long Walk by Stephen King

The Long Walk - In Development

Suffer the teenage boys. That's pretty much what King (writing as Richard Bachman -- his infamous and much more vicious alter-ego) is all about in this novel. The Long Walk takes place in a dystopian future where the totalitarian government of the USA makes 100 teenage boys participate in a sick televised contest: a walking contest that only one kid will survive.

If you guessed that anyone who isn't the winner is shot dead by the army or dies of thirst/fatigue, then you guessed right. If you don't keep moving forward, you die.

King specialist Frank Darabont, who has adapted and directed three of King’s works (The Shawshank RedemptionThe Green Mile and The Mist), owned the rights to The Long Walk for years, although he never was able to get the novel out of development.

Now New Line has picked up the option and is hungry -- like a lot of studios these days -- to get more King material into the pipeline. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man), who has been on his own personal quest to get The Long Walk made for more than a decade, is penning the script, but it’s too early to talk about things like a director, cast or start of filming.

Mile 81 by Stephen King

Mile 81 - In Development

Mile 81 is getting the movie treatment, A simple plot description of Mile 81 might make one dismiss it as “the other Stephen King story about an evil car.” However, unlike Christine, the popular 1983 novel and same-year film about a malevolently possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury, this King car thriller presents itself more as a mysterious survival thriller centered on a 12-year-old protagonist named Pete, who, joined by his brother and a small group of survivors, is forced to hole-up in a remote Maine rest stop as they are attacked by a killer station wagon.

Spearheading this King big screen adaptation endeavor is Alistair Legrand, the writer/director of the 2017 horror-thriller, Clinical, and the 2015 sci-fi-horror effort, The Diabolical. Likewise, Legrand is set to assume the director’s chair for Mile 81, working off a script that he co-wrote with his repertory writing partner, Luke Harvis, adapting the King story. 

No info on when filming will begin on this project.

Tobin Bell in Saw

My Pretty Pony - In Development

Tobin Bell (Saw) and Noah Jupe (Suburbicon) will star in the film adaptation of the Stephen King story "My Pretty Pony." The film will be directed by Luke Jaden and produced by Josh Boone, who's working on his own set of King adaptations, including Revival and The Stand

"My Pretty Pony," which was first published in 1989 and later collected in Nightmares & Dreamscapes, tells the story of a dying old man who gives his young grandson his pocketwatch and instructs him on the nature of time. It's a fairly docile story when compared to some of King's more famous tales. 

The story was originally written for a novel under King's Richard Bachman pseudonym before the writer scrapped the book and decided to keep the story. "My Pretty Pony" was previously adapted into a Dollar Baby in 2009. The short film was directed by Mikhail Tank and starred Paul Marin. If you don't know what a Dollar Baby is, you can read way more about it here.

Shooting for "My Pretty Pony" will take place in Michigan this spring. No release date has been announced. 

N., Novella by Stephen King

N. - In Development

King's novella, "N.," is set to become a TV series from Gaumont TV. The show won't be called "N.," though. Instead, the project will be titled 8.

"N." is the story of a man who has been diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. But in true King fashion, something way more sinister might be behind the man's suffering, as he becomes increasingly obsessed with a Stonehendge-like formation of stones in Maine that may or may not be a secret portal to a dimension full of monsters. Soon, his "delusions" begin to affect those he tells of the portal, including his psychiatrist. 

The tale is truly Lovecraftian in nature, but King has said that his main influence was Arthur Machen's novella "The Great God Pan," which the author has called "one of the best horror stories ever written."

David F. Sandberg, who recently helmed Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation, will direct the pilot. Andrew Barrer and Gabe Ferrari, writers of Ant-Man and the Wasp, are penning the script. 

No release date has been set for 8.

Further Reading: The Best Modern Horror Movies

Rest Stop - In Development

Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) is writing and directing this short story adaptation for Legendary Pictures. "Rest Stop" is a tale about a chance meeting between a writer and a woman in need at a rest stop in Florida and the dark secret they have to keep after their encounter. Perry's movie is described as a "propulsive cat and mouse thriller, the plot follows the twisted journey of two women after a fateful encounter at a highway rest stop," which means that means that the director is probably changing a few things about the short story. 

Revival by Stephen King

Revival - In Development

Josh Boone, The Fault in Our Stars director who plans to helm a film adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand, will first adapt another King novel - the more recent Revival, the 2014 novel about a preacher turned faith healer who opens up a portal to a much darker place than he could possibly imagine. Mixing the work of horror writer and mystic Arthur Machen with Mary Shelley's FrankensteinRevival is a horrific treat among King's more contemporary offerings. 

Producer Michael De Luca and King himself are on board with Boone's latest project, and the director has already submitted the script to Universal, who has first-look rights for an adaptation of the novel. Boone plans to make this film before he sets out for The Stand, which will take much longer to make since it's a sprawling novel with a very high word count and multiple storylines. The director will need a lot of time to make this one right. 

No word on the rest of the cast or a release date just yet, but we'll keep you updated!

'Salem's Lot - In Development

Yet another Stephen King novel has been tapped for a modern adaptation as It screenwriter Gary Dauberman is set to pen an adaptation of Stephen King's classic vampire novel, Salem's Lot

What's really catching everyone's attention, though, is the fact that James Wan is producing the film alongside Roy Lee and Mark Wolper. As of this writing, none of the people officially involved with the project have been signed on to direct. However, there have been loose rumors for quite some time now that Wan is interested in directing a Salem's Lot movie. 

While it's a little strange that Wan wouldn't be named as the director at this time if that was the studio's plans, it's not impossible that he could agree to direct at a later date. The only upcoming film that he's set to direct is Aquaman 2, and that isn't expected to come out until at least 2022. As for Dauberman, he only has one directing credit to his name (the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home), so it's also possible that the studio is waiting to see how that film does before moving forward with their search for a director. 

As you've probably gathered, production on Salem's Lot has only recently begun. That means that you shouldn't expect to see it hit the big screen for quite some time. 

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King

Sleeping Beauties - In Development

Sleeping Beauties, the novel by King and his son Owen King, is being turned into a TV series by Anonymous Content.

The novel tells the story of a nightmare near future where women suffer from a horrific sleeping disease and how this affects the men of a small Appalachian town and a women who is mysteriously immune to the disease.

Here's the full synopsis:

In this spectacular father/son collaboration, Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: what might happen if women disappeared from the world of men?

In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place ... The men of our world are abandoned, left to their increasingly primal devices. One woman, however, the mysterious Evie, is immune to the blessing or curse of the sleeping disease. Is Evie a medical anomaly to be studied? Or is she a demon who must be slain?

Set in a small Appalachian town whose primary employer is a women's prison, Sleeping Beauties is a wildly provocative, gloriously absorbing father/son collaboration between Stephen King and Owen King.

Now, THIS is something we'd love to see on TV.

The series will be exec produced by Michael Sugar and Ashley Zalta, who also collaborated on The OA and Maniac. No premiere date has been set. 

Suffer the Little Children - In Development

The movie based on this short story from 1972 was announced back in 2017 after It Chapter One became the most successful horror movie of all time, but we've not heard much about it since. Sean Carter (Keep Watching) is writing and directing the film, with  Sean Carter is writing and directing, with Craig Flores, Nicolas Chartier, and Sriram Das producing. 

The Talisman by Stephen King

The Talisman - In Development

Stephen King and Peter Straub's fan-favorite fantasy novel, The Talisman, is being adapted for the big screen by Amblin Entertainment. The Handmaid's Tale veteran Mike Barker is set to direct from a script by Chris Sparling (Buried).

The Talisman tells the story of a 12-year-old boy named Jack Sawyer, who tries to save his mother from dying of cancer by finding a mysterious crystal known as "the Talisman." His quest leads him into The Territories, a sort of parallel universe of our own that's full of dangers. King co-wrote the novel with horror master Peter Straub (Ghost Story) as well as a sequel called Black House

Frank Marshall is producing and Michael Wright is exec producing. 

No release date has been set for The Talisman, but we'll update this piece as soon as we know more about the project!

The Tommyknockers by Stephen King

The Tommyknockers - In Development

Previously James Wan (Aquaman) and Roy Lee (It) have signed up to produce a film adaptation of King’s novel, The Tommyknockers, and Universal has won the rights for the project, beating out Sony and Netflix. Now we know who the screenwriter will be, as Wan has tapped Jeremy Slater to script it after Slater previously created and oversaw the writing of Fox's The Exorcist TV series. Slater also worked on the scripts for The Lazarus Project and 2015's Fantastic Four.

The Tommyknockers is about an alien spacecraft uncovered in the woods of Haven, Maine that begins to infect the residents' dreams and knock out their teeth. It also makes some dangerously, inhumanly smart. 

The movie will be executive produced by Larry Sanitsky, who made the 1993 television miniseries adaptation that starred Jimmy Smits and Marg Helgenberger.

NBC announced it would adapt The Tommyknockers into a series in 2013, but that would appear to be dead now. No release date has been set.

John Saavedra is an associate editor at Den of Geek. Read more of his work here. Follow him on Twitter @johnsjr9

Stephen King: It Chapter Two
FeatureJohn SaavedraDon KayeJoseph BaxterTony SokolKirsten HowardMatthew ByrdElizabeth Rayne
Sep 3, 2019

The Muppets on TV: A Brief History

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With Muppets Now headed to Disney+ next year, we celebrate Kermit and company’s small-screen history...

Between all the news about Ms. Marvel and Obi-Wan Kenobi, it feels like Muppets Now was one of the less-discussed Disney+ announcements from last month’s D23 convention. Described as an unscripted short-form series featuring Jim Henson’s loveable creations alongside celebrity guests, the new show is intended to premiere on the House of Mouse’s new streaming service in 2020.

The series will be the latest in a long line of small-screen reboots for the Kermit-led puppet troupe, who have bounced between TV, movies, and the web since they first enchanted viewers in the 1970s.

But it’s not easy being evergreen and there seems to be a persistent impulse to put the Muppets in modernised vehicles, which doesn’t always pay off. The 2011 big-screen reboot concluded that the Muppets don’t work on TV any more, except for a one-off telethon to save their theatre, and 2014’s criminally underappreciated sequel packs them off on a European tour instead.

Muppets Now represents yet another format change, and it’s unclear if this new series replaces the previously announced reboot, Muppets Live Another Day, a scripted series set directly after The Muppets Take Manhattan, which was being developed for Disney+ by Josh Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz.

While various Muppet movies are regular fixtures in broadcasting schedules (especially around December, when The Muppet Christmas Carol is essential viewing), their TV endeavours have been considerably more eclectic, ranging from variety shows to sitcoms, and even including the odd animated spin-off.

Focusing on Kermit and his chums specifically (rather than Sesame Street, the Netflix Dark Crystal series, or any of the other assorted Jim Henson Company shows), here’s a brief history of how the Muppets have fared on the small screen since their debut.

The Muppet Show (1976 – 81)

“It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…”

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Jim Henson was trying to get puppeteering out of its pre-school pigeonhole. Having found success with Sesame Street, Henson struggled to convince network heads that a show with puppets could be as entertaining for adults as it was for children. Matters weren’t helped by a briefly recurring puppet-centric segment on the first season of Saturday Night Live, which proved unpopular both with viewers and in the show’s writers’ room.

In a conscious effort to do more adult comedy, two pilots were produced with more mature themes – The Muppets Valentine Show and The Muppet Show: Sex And Violence– but the three American networks of the time all passed on the show. It was based on these specials that ATV proprietor Lew Grade showed an interest. Bringing Kermit across the pond, Grade agreed to finance the Elstree Studios-based production of The Muppet Show and ATV, as part of the ITV network, put the show on the air across the UK with a worldwide syndication deal to follow.

Kermit the Frog was created by Henson for Sesame Street but became the master of ceremonies for a chaotic theatre show featuring a host of new characters, including Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, and countless others. In the land where Punch and Judy shows still enjoyed widespread popularity, it’s no surprise that the show seemed more accessible to British audiences, but with a freer creative atmosphere than US networks were offering, the show’s trademark anarchy reigned.

The result is a primetime show that almost plays like a more condensed and family-friendly version of SNL, complete with surreal skits and celebrity guest hosts. The show drew huge guest stars, including Julie Andrews, Steve Martin, and John Cleese, to name but a few.

On the geekier front, Mark Hamill appeared both as Luke Skywalker and as himself after Star Wars became a smash hit and Roger Moore sent up his portrayal of James Bond with a musical number that swiftly devolves into karate-chopping and laser-gunning felt attackers.

While you would think that the celebrities might date the show, there’s a timelessness to The Muppet Show’s brand of gateway comedy. Successfully smashing The Jim Henson Company out of the pre-school television bracket, it still represents the pinnacle of family-friendly light entertainment.

By the end of the show’s first series, it was drawing up to 14 million viewers to ITV on Sunday evenings, prompting massive demand from international broadcasters throughout the following years. The show was eventually broadcast in more than 100 countries around the world.

For his part in getting the series made, Grade was immortalised in the form of Lew Lord, a theatre producer played by Orson Welles at the end of 1979’s The Muppet Movie, an adventure which serves as an in-universe origin story for Kermit and the gang.

Muppet Babies (1984 – 91, 2018 – present)

“Just close your eyes and make believe and you can be anywhere…”

After three big-screen outings, the Muppets’ mid-1980s return to the small screen was directly influenced by one of the movies. Based on a highly acclaimed fantasy sequence from 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan, this animated series was co-produced with Marvel Productions and focused on infant versions of the characters, who grow up playing together in the same nursery.

Pre-dating similarly infantilized cartoon spin-offs like Tiny Toon Adventures and Tom And Jerry Kids, Muppet Babies was positioned somewhere between the educational aspects of Sesame Street and the comic tone of The Muppet Show. First and foremost, the show specialized in flights of fancy.

Most episodes revolved around characters’ imaginary exploits in the gaps between Nanny (who is only ever seen from the shoulders down, in a visual homage to classic animations) visiting their playroom and bringing them back down to Earth. The show’s gentle brand of comedy usually relies on the infant-level misunderstanding of the world and how it works.

As part of these exploits, the series often incorporates the animated characters into live-action clips, ranging from stock footage to excerpts of TV shows and movies such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and the Indiana Jones movies. While Disney has bought the Muppets, LucasFilm, and Marvel in the years since the show was made, there are still too many clearance issues with these segments to allow an uncut home media release.

In addition to a core cast of baby Muppets, Scooter’s twin sister Skeeter was created for the show at the behest of CBS executives, who wanted another female character in the mix, but she’s never been seen in any live-action project since. Similarly, the currently running reboot series on Disney Junior adds a baby penguin called Summer to the more familiar ensemble.

Although both series mark a departure from puppetry, they’re true to the intended spirit of the characters. As the original series’ story editor Hank Saroyan put it in 1990: "[Henson] wanted children to believe that anything is possible. That's the only thing that's going to save this planet — the power of imagination.”

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)

“Jim died? But we were just starting to get to know him!”

Many Muppet TV specials were produced after the original run of The Muppet Show came to an end, but we have to pause to acknowledge The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, an extraordinary hour-long tribute to the creator, who tragically passed away in May 1990, at the age of 53.

The special starts with Fozzie having to assume Kermit’s duties and organize a production number paying tribute to his friend Jim. The Muppets are embarrassed to admit that they don’t know who that is and start learning about his life by watching archive footage and talking-head interviews with luminaries like Carol Burnett, Ray Charles, Frank Oz, and Steven Spielberg.

read more: Dave Goelz Talks Bringing Gonzo to Life

The framing device comes back around to the Muppets opening up a bag of fan mail and discovering the news that Henson has passed away. Initially doubtful that they can do justice to his memory, the entire cast, along with Muppets from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, come together to sing "Just One Person," before rounding off the show with the typically bonkers production number that Fozzie has prepared.

Funny and unbelievably moving in equal measure, it’s a special that grapples with the collective grief about Henson’s death as only the Muppets can, which is the most fitting tribute imaginable.

And of course, the special ends with Steve Whitmire’s debut as Kermit, thanking the viewers for watching and affirming that the Muppets will keep on performing, because “that’s the way the boss would want it.” Sob.

Muppets Tonight (1996 – 98)

“We got a show for you, guaranteed brand-new, here come the Muppets tonight…”

In the 1990s, Jim’s son Brian Henson continued to produce new material featuring the Muppets. The two movies he directed – 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol and 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island– were well-received by fans but not especially huge at the box office, which may be what prompted a return to primetime television.

In Muppets Tonight, the variety show format of the original series holds fast, but this time, the show within a show is made for local television station KMUP. Kermit and the old familiars are present and correct, but the show’s former MC now appears largely in a producing capacity, with Kevin Clash’s character Clifford promoted to the hosting role.

Henson intended for the show to work as a launchpad for new characters, and while Clifford wasn’t original to the show, Muppets like crooner-in-residence Johnny Fiama and his monkey bodyguard Sal Minella became more prominent in the weekly shenanigans. Most notably, Pepe the King Prawn made his debut on Muppets Tonight.

True to the original format, celebrity guests such as Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and the then-current 007 Pierce Brosnan joined in with the anarchy. More pop culture jokes entered the mix too, as Pigs In Space got a Deep Space Nine-era upgrade and further recurring segments parodied Baywatch, Tales from the Crypt, and E.R. Similarly, the Sandra Bullock episode hinges on a Speed-inspired plot to blow up the studio if the show’s ratings drop below 50 viewers.

While ratings for Muppets Tonight weren’t quite that low, ABC dropped the Friday-night show after 10 of the 13 produced episodes had been aired. The Disney Channel broadcast the three remaining unaired episodes when they picked the show up for a second season, comprising eight new episodes and a clip-show compilation, in late 1997.

In the UK, any slot where ITV might previously have put a Muppet show was already being dominated by Emmerdaleor Coronation Street by 1996. Instead, BBC One broadcast the first run of 13 episodes on Friday nights at 7pm, as a lead-in for Top of the Pops, giving some of us our first look at the Muppets on TV.

Unfortunately, the show has never been given a full home video release, but it’s the sort of curio that might yet pop up on Disney+ as part of the new streaming service’s commitment to hosting the studio’s entire content library. Either way, it carried the torch for the Muppets on TV after they had been away for a while.

The TV movies

“I wish I had never been born!”

The big-screen outings of the 1990s showed the Muppets’ flexibility in slotting into certain stories pretty seamlessly. While these were both outliers next to the earlier movies (whose style was mimicked, badly, in 1999’s Muppets From Space), these adaptations provided a template for further TV outings, in the shape of 2002’s It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and 2005’s The Muppets’ Wizard Of Oz.

Taking inspiration from another iconic revision of A Christmas Carol, It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie follows the beats of Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. In the film, Kermit stands in for George Bailey as the Muppets struggle to stage a Christmas show to save their theatre from foreclosure. After failing to win over Joan Cusack’s ruthless banker, Kermit is pulled back from the brink by David Arquette’s angel, who shows him what the world would be like if he’d never been born.

Meanwhile, The Muppets’ Wizard Of Oz does what it says on the tin and represents the first outing after Disney outright bought the characters from The Jim Henson Company in 2004. Leaning more on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book than the iconic 1939 film version, Oz stars Ashanti, Queen Latifah, and David Alan Grier as Dorothy, Auntie Em, and Uncle Henry respectively, with the Muppets rounding out the rest of the ensemble.

On the scale of Muppet adaptations, both TV movies fall closer to Treasure Island than to the timeless quality of Christmas Carol. The pop culture references become more intrusive, leading to both TV movies feeling quite dated.

The first, more festive film just about gets away with a funny skit where the cast of Scrubs contend with Miss Piggy being a diva of a guest star. However, the second film simply lacks common-sense cameo control, whether it’s having Quentin Tarantino (the actor, not the director) give Kermit notes on violently dispatching the Wicked Witch or magically making Ashanti’s Dorothy over to turn her into Kelly Osbourne.

These outings were largely panned by TV critics upon their original broadcast, leading the Muppets to go online for a while ahead of their big-screen comeback in 2011. James Bobin’s Muppets movies are more in the vein of the Henson and Oz movies, partly out of nostalgia but mostly because every subsequent adaptation shows why The Muppet Christmas Carol was the peak of this idea.

Again, the first is the better of the two, but there’s still nothing in it that precludes another run at It’s A Wonderful Life in a new movie. They could actually get it right this time, by casting Robert Downey Jr. as George Bailey, who begrudgingly safeguards the finances of a town full of Muppets against Mr. Potter and Mr. Potter (Statler and Waldorf) and encounters an angel (Gonzo) while at his lowest ebb. Call me, Disney.

The Muppets (2015-6)

“One-on-one interviews? What an over-used device.”

Following Muppets Most Wanted, former Fraggle Rock writer and The Big Bang Theoryco-creator Bill Prady lobbied to bring the Muppets back to primetime TV. Working with writer Bob Kushell, his approach was to give the characters a single-camera sitcom, with the trimmings that The Office popularised in the States.

Set in Los Angeles, the series is a mockumentary about the lives of the Muppets who work on the hit late-night talk show Up Late With Miss Piggy. Piggy is the star, Kermit is the executive producer, Fozzie is the warm-up act, and the writers’ room is populated by Gonzo and assorted other supporting players.

While The Muppets is by no means a bad show, it feels like a combo-breaker. Although it has other stylistic influences, its nearest neighbor on US TV is 30 Rock, another show about a mad bunch of characters making a TV show. Whatever 30 Rock owes to The Muppet Show (on top of Tina Fey’s experiences working on Saturday Night Live), it’s no expense to that show’s mad slapstick momentum, whereas The Muppets is like a low-energy version of 30 Rock’s homage to the original Muppet Show.

Although the show famously courted controversy from the American Family Association’s One Million Moms group for its depiction of adult themes, it’s the most anodyne version of its more mature sitcom stories too. It’s all borne out of formula from other sitcoms. If other shows have their characters go to a bar to unwind, then that’s what the Muppets have to do here. Frankly, the novelty of that approach for these characters wore off shortly after the series was first announced.

Even though some of it was quite fun (the finale of the karaoke night episode is a stunner), it was hard to muster much interest in some of the ongoing storylines, like Kermit dating network marketer Denise (another pig, because the frog has a type), Fozzie dating a human woman, and Sam the Eagle rather sweetly carrying a torch for Janice from the Electric Mayhem. The Muppets are ideally placed to reset at the end of each skit or episode, but the approach here feels like a misstep.

While it might have found its way back to basics given more time, the series had low ratings throughout and was further tangled by a late change of showrunner, as Kristen Newman replaced Kushell for a soft reboot of the show in its last 6 episodes. Given these creative difficulties, it hardly came as a surprise that the series wasn’t picked up for a second season.

It’s always nice to see the Muppets on TV, but ultimately, The Muppets often travelled too far from the variety show format that best suits the characters. You know something’s gone awry when you feel like you’d rather be watching Up Late With Miss Piggy, as a spoof of the talk-show format, than the show about making the show.

Check out everything coming to Disney+ here.

Kermit the Frog from The Muppets
FeatureMark Harrison
Sep 4, 2019

New Earthsea TV Series In The Works

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Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea fantasy book series may be heading back to the small screen.

Michael Clayton and Nightcrawler producer Jennifer Fox has made a deal with Euphoria's production company, A24, to develop a new adaptation of Ursula Le Guin’s best-selling Earthsea books for TV (via Deadline).

Fox was originally looking at turning the Earthsea series into a string of films, but has changed direction to target the small screen. Syfy, then known as the Sci Fi Channel, previously had a rather underwhelming go at making an Earthsea miniseries back in 2004. Studio Ghibli's 2006 film, Tales From Earthsea, was loosely based on the mythology of the book series.

The Earthsea fantasy series is made up of five novels and eight short stories, and covers themes of magic and nature at work across hundreds of islands.

read more: 5 Lesser-Known Series From Popular Authors

"Ursula Le Guin is a literary legend with a huge fan base and her work has been translated into practically every written language on the globe," said Fox in a statement. "She is second only to Tolkien in influence in this genre, and before she died last year, she agreed to put her most beloved work in my hands. This project is, therefore, a sacred trust and priority for me as well as an opportunity to create an iconic piece of American culture."

The author's son, Theo Downes-Le Guin, added "Ursula long hoped to see an adaptation of Earthsea that represented a collaboration between her ideas and words and the visual storytelling of others. I feel very fortunate that, with Jennifer Fox and A24, we have a bedrock of producing and development experience that can bring the sweeping narrative and moral truths of my mother’s work to screen."

More on this new Earthsea series as we get it. Check out more books coverage here!

earthseas tv series in development
NewsKirsten Howard
Sep 4, 2019

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 18 Review: Happy Birthday, Doofus Drake!

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A plot right out of a slasher movie highlights just how rock solid DuckTales' comedy is. Also, Glomgold is perfect as always.

This DuckTales review contains spoilers.

DuckTales Season 2 Episode 18

DuckTalesis the best comedy on TV. I don’t care what anyone says, I don’t care what all the “best of” lists have. DuckTales is the best. No other show on TV has me laughing this consistently at just how outlandish it is.

The A plot of this episode, on paper, is Goldie and Louie teaming up to con gift bags from Doofus Drake. Simple enough, but it just keeps escalating further and further. Fake kids, robot bird sons, and encasing Goldie in glass. It says something that the B plot of Huey and Della playing video games (which includes Huey flying into a flaming fury) is just the episodes way of ramping itself down for a moment before returning to the A story more bonkers than ever.

What makes this whole thing work so well? The jokes are well crafted to be sure but they’re all based in some level of character. It’s not just outlandish to be outlandish. Louie wanting to form some kind of a connection with Goldie to fulfill his dream is a solid motivation, which pushes him more and more to her level of conning. Of course Mark Beaks would create a robot son, IT’S FOR THE LIKES. And… Glomgold. Greatest character in any animated comedy ever? Probably! 

Making a stuffed son named Sharkbomb is exactly the kind of effort Glomgold would put into a scheme… but then to argue with it? That says a lot about him, mostly that Glomgold has some serious inner conflicts, although considering his backstory that isn’t surprising.

We also can’t forget about Doofus. In an 80’s slasher movie Doofus would make the perfect villain. The creepy son who’s gained total control over his parents through sheer terror. He invites guests over for his birthday only to punish them if they step out of line. He’s just looking for a new parental figure and he’ll seal them in glass to do it. All creepy, all horrifying… but in DuckTales? It’s all that PLUS being hilarious! 

The characters all ring true and the crew of DuckTales just put them in outlandish situations that play up their characteristics. Deep into the second season this series has locked into what plots will work best for each character and uses them to full advantage. Huey being afraid of stepping outside even his video game comfort zone is pitch perfect for that character and a great chance for Della to do some parenting. She’s not perfect at it of course and he goes a little too far the other way, but that’s fine. It lets us learn more about them (and see Della still has a far to go in being a mom) in a way that also makes us laugh our asses off. 

DuckTales’ comedy cannot be beat. Especially when Glomgold has a part to play. Those photos with his “son” were so good I had to make them the featured image here. Never forget that for as strong as the writing is? The art takes it to a whole other level.

Also this episode had another A Goofy Moviereference (watch Mark Beaks’ photos closely) so yeah, DuckTales is incredible. 

DuckTales Quotes To Make Your Life Better

- “How did this go so wrong so quickly?!”

- “I will have you know I’m the evil triplet!!!”

- “Your blank stare is soothing.”

- “Do you know how many evil robots I’ve faced? Too many.”

- “Do not peer behind the curtain of reality, bud!”

- “I’ve never hunted the most dangerous piñata. Man.”

-“Minions!”
“Parents.”
“ATTACK!”

Keep us with all our DuckTales season 2 news and reviews here!

Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!

4.5/5
ReviewShamus Kelley
Sep 4, 2019

12 Best Movie and TV Quarterbacks of All Time

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With a new NFL season starting up, we take a look at the best fictional quarterbacks in TV and film history.

It's become almost an annual rite of passage to root against Tom Brady. I mean, look at him, the handsome man who spent a pre-Super Bowl press conference a few years ago rambling on about ball preference. I don’t care how old you are, Brady talking about people preferring “old balls” is pretty hilarious. He won his sixth Super Bowl in 2019, the most ever by any NFL player, and continues to give us reason to root against him by being so damn good. 

Brady's career seems like it's taken right out of a film script, either a drama about a diabolical ego-maniac so possessed with winning that he’s been creatively cheating for years, or a feel-good-story about a diamond in the rough who caught all the breaks and rose to the pinnacle of his sport. Clearly, we're a little biased here.

Love or hate Brady, the guy has the leading man look. Brady is the real deal, but we would like to spend the NFL season fawning over more likeable QBs. So here's our list of the best fictional QBs of all-time.

Free Trial: Get Live Sports and Original Shows on ESPN+

Joe Pendleton

Joe Pendleton - Heaven Can Wait (1978) 

In the film adaptation of Harry Segall’s stage play, Pendleton goes from boxer to quarterback. Pendleton is leading his team to a Super Bowl before he has an accident that gets him sent to heaven and then brought back in the body of a rich, old man. Pendleton’s played by Warren Beatty, who would be just as good at endorsement ads as Brady is.

read more: The Best Comedy Movies on Netflix

Paul Blake

Paul Blake - Necessary Roughness (1991)

When a Texas university is forced to field a team using only players from the actual student body, the coach calls on Paul Blake, a 34-year old former high school stand out to lead his team. The movie is essentially the college version of The Replacements and Blake is a poor man’s Shane Flaco. But really, who could live up to Keanu Reeves? Anyway, Blake has to adjust to life as a college student and playing with boys who are trying to become young men.

read more: The Best Action Movies on Hulu

Matt Sarace

Matt Saracen - Friday Night Lights (TV Show)

Saracen is QB2 until an injury to starter Jason Street sends him out onto the field and into the spotlight. He’s a tough, dedicated kid who fights hard to retain his title as starter. He can air the ball out and manage a game well enough to lead the Panthers to a State Championship.

read more: The 10 Best Football Movies

Vince Howard

Vince Howard - Friday Night Lights (TV Show)

Vince Howard is one of those extremely versatile athletes who can kill you with not only the passing game, but also with his ability to scramble and run. Sometimes a bit cocky and hotheaded, Howard nevertheless leads his rag-tag East Dillon Lions to Coach Eric Taylor’s second Texas State Championship victory.

read more: The Best Hulu Shows You Haven't Streamed Yet

Jonathon Moxon

Jonathon Moxon - Varsity Blues (1999)

On Dawson’s Creek, James Van Der Beek played Dawson, an un-athletic sap and his father, Mitch, was a beefy football coach. When ‘Beek took a break from filming the teenage dramedy, he stepped into the polar opposite role in Varsity Blues as the clipboard QB shot into the starting job after his teammate goes down with an injury. His clashing with his head coach causes him to call a few Peyton Manning style audibles and he even has a football-obsessed daddy, too. So many similarities! Maybe the real ratings behemoth should have been “Peyton’s Creek.” 

read more: The Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix

Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon - Flash Gordon (1980)

We'd like to think the Jets will eventually find a QB that could step up and save the world like fictional New York Jets QB and fellow tow-head Flash Gordon (EDITOR'S NOTE: lot of Jets fan on staff...the miserable creatures). We don’t really get to see his football skill set, but surely Flash has the same cool demeanor that a Tom Brady shows in the pocket. 

read more: Remembering Flash Gordon's Football Career

Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass

Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass - Remember The Titans (2000)

It would be a travesty if Remember The Titans was left off any list that has to do with football movies. The real-life Ronnie Bass has come out and said many of the scenes in the movie were fictionalized. But even so, it’s one of those movies from any genre that you can’t help but click away from on a rainy afternoon. Though “Sunshine” wasn’t the stud, do-it-all quarterback that could lead the team by himself, he was a crafty, serviceable player that would even kiss one of his own players to build some unity in the locker room. That’s the sign of a true leader.

read more: The Best Comedy TV Shows on Netflix

Paul Crewe - The Longest Yard (1974, 2005) 

Crewe is definitely not as respectable as a Aaron Rodgers or legend like Johnny Unitas. Nor does he sport a mustache like Burt Reynolds (R.IP.). We know Aaron Rodgers would never be caught point shaving or driving drunk, but by the end of the film, Crewe becomes the type of leader that you want to play for. Crewe can also hatch-up some brilliant plays and is reliable for that late game winning touchdown drive. For the later incarnation, we also have the Adam Sandler/Peyton Manning SNLconnection. Too bad Sandler wasn’t around for Peyton’s memorable guest turn.

Willie Beamen

Willie Beamen - Any Given Sunday (1999)

Beamen is brash, cocky and confident. So much so that Beamen went off and shot a music video after only a handful of starts. Sure, star QBs like Brady and Rodgers became endorsement hounds during their careers, but that was well after they became an all-pros. Beamen, like Brady and Rodgers, enjoys an audible or several. But it’s his attitude and risky style of play that would make him an excellent on-field rival.  

Alex Moran - Blue Mountain State (TV Show) 

Moran has plenty in common with Willie Beamen. He rides the bench, amongst other things (wink, wink), at BMS well. When Moran isn't partaking in booze-filled Goat House parties or commanding the huddle with a few cheerleaders in the bedroom, he definitely isn't in the film room. He was probably off sleeping his hangover away somewhere. He’s the anti-Tim Tebow. Despite his willingness to stick to the bench, Moran actually turns out to be a pretty damn good quarterback when he gets the chance to start. 

Shane Falco - The Replacements (2000)

Outside Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, the filming location for The Replacements, there is a bronze statue of Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas. Someday, to complement Unitas, the city will erect a golden statue of Keanu Reeves as an ode to Shane Falco...and it shall be glorious. Falco, a washed up college quarterback turned marina dweller, is called up to the big leagues after a players lockout forced the owner of the Washington Sentinels to hire replacements. 

After an up and down strike-shortened season, Falco gets booted as the quarterback in favor of the returning star, then ultimately returns during the final game, kisses his babe cheerleader girlfriend on national television and leads his rag-tag group of nobodies to a memorable upset victory. Not bad for a replacement. As much as we hate to admit it, Falco’s role as the stand-in mimics Tom Brady’s struggles in college and his early pro career when he was given one shot to shine and never let it go. 

Reno Hightower - The Best of Times (1986)

While we’re on the subject of Tom Brady, a young Kurt Russell in The Best of Times bears a striking resemblance to the Patriots signal caller. Russell’s Reno Hightower has the flowing hair, boyish good looks and unwavering confidence of Tom Brady. Oh and he has a receiver drop a sure touchdown in the team’s biggest game. Sound familiar? 

Best Movie and TV Quarterbacks
FeatureChris LongoNick Harley
Sep 4, 2019

Nickelodeon's The Casagrandes Are Getting A Spinoff Series

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The Loud House characters are ready to star in their own series on Nickelodeon.

Nickelodeon’s The Loud House is getting a spinoff. 

Titled The Casagrandes, the animated series follows Ronnie Anne, an 11-year-old girl who moves to the city with her mom and older brother to live with their extended multigenerational Mexican-American family. 

The series will reintroduce characters first seen in the 2017 special, “The Loudest Mission: Relative Chaos.” The characters have since appeared in other episodes of The Loud House. Animated spinoffs are new territory for Nickelodeon. Earlier this year, the network announced that potential spinoffs of SpongeBob SquarePants are in development. The Loud House has been a hit for the network. In addition to the spinoff series, a movie version of The Loud Houseis in development and will stream on Netflix

Nickelodeon released the full logline and cast for The Casagrandes: 

Starring Izabella Alvarez (Westworld) as 11-year-old Ronnie Annie, Carlos PenaVega (Big Time Rush) as her brother Bobby and Sumalee Montano (Nashville) as her mom Maria, the series showcases the culture, humor, and love that’s part of growing up in a multigenerational Mexican-American family. After moving in with their grandparents in Great Lakes City, Ronnie Anne adjusts to her new life living under one roof and over the family-run mercado(local market), which is a gathering place for everyone in the neighborhood.

In the first episode, “Going Overboard,” Ronnie Anne finds out her Tio Carlos was a famous skateboarder and she begs him to teach her some new moves. Then, in “Walk Don’t Run,” Ronnie Anne and Sid start a dog-walking business to save up for a new skateboard in a plan that quickly gets out of hand. 

A few big names also lend their voices to the show; Ken Jeong and Melissa Joan Hart voice friends of the family. 

You can watch the first trailer for The Casagrandes below:

The Casagrandes premieres on Monday, Oct. 14th at 1:00 p.m. on Nickelodeon. The series will then move to its regular timeslot on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., beginning Oct. 19th. 

read more: Tom Kenny on SpongeBob's Enduring Popularity

NewsChris Longo
Sep 4, 2019

The Handmaid's Tale Sequel In the Works at Hulu

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MGM TV and Hulu are developing an adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale book sequel, The Testaments.

Margaret Atwood's classic dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale was released in 1985 and was adapted into a TV series for Hulu in 2017. Atwood's long-awaited Handmaid's Tale sequel, The Testaments, will be released on September 10, 2019. It definitely won't take 32 years for that to be adapted.

Deadline reports that MGM TV and Hulu are working on developing The Testaments for the streaming service. It is unknown exactly what relationship The Testaments will have with the Emmy-award winning Handmaid's Tale, which has been renewed for a fourth season, but Hulu and MGM TV are in talks with Handmaid's Taleshowrunner Bruce Miller about how the novel can be an extension of the series.

further reading: How Margaret Atwood's The Testaments Will Effect The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood is one of the visionary storytellers of her generation. From her award-winning poetry, short-stories and novels, Margaret has continually pushed boundaries and broken barriers to bring innovative stories to life,” Craig Erwich, Senior Vice President of Originals, Hulu, said in a statement.

The Testaments will pick up 15 years after the events of Atwood's original book. It features three "testaments" from female narrators within Gilead and expands the world of Gilead in greater detail. After the first season covered the entirety of its source material, The Handmaid's Tale TV series has already delved quite deep into Gilead's inner-workings and the geopolitical landscape of this new North America in its second and third seasons. The aspect of a time jump in The Testamentsshould give producers plenty to work with though.

The Handmaid's Tale season 3 wrapped up in August on a life-or-death cliffhanger for June a.k.a. Offred (Elisabeth Moss). There is no announced return date for season 4. The Testaments will be released in markets around the world on September 10.

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

The Handmaid's Tale Sequel The Testaments Hulu
NewsAlec Bojalad
Sep 4, 2019

The Toys That Made Us Season 3 Release Date and Everything We Know

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Netflix's The Toys That Made Us is returning for a third season, set to cover more toy heavies.

The Toys That Made Us Season 3 is coming soon, set to dispel the whole “8-part documentary series” mandate from its theme song. Indeed, the success of Netflix’s incisively entertaining toy industry series made it too good to keep in its proverbial packaging, leading the way for Season 3 to tackle more toy titans.

Seasons 1 of the series tackled Star Wars, Barbie, He-Man/Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe, and Season 2 showcased Star Trek, Transformers, LEGO and Hello Kitty. Soon, major gaps will be filled with Season 3.

In the latest news on the third season of The Toys That Made Us, the long-awaited reveal of its release date has arrived!

The Toys That Made Us Season 3 Release Date

The Toys That Made Us Season 3 is set to premiere on Netflix on Friday, November 15.

Series creator Brian Volk-Weiss made the announcement official in a video, joined by Walter Jones, who played Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; an especially apropos guest, since Season 3 will be covering the Power Rangers.

The Toys That Made Us Season 3 Episodes

At San Diego Comic-Con 2018, The Toys That Made Us Season 3 confirmed its quartet of episodes and we were lucky enough to hear this news firsthand.

The Season 3 lineup consists of:

Power Rangers

My Little Pony

Wrestling

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The show is already teasing some of the interviewees.

…Oh, and we weren’t kidding about dispelling the “8-part documentary series” line from the theme song. It was confirmed at the show’s Comic-Con panel that the line will, henceforth, be replaced with “ongoing documentary series.”

While there’s no release date to cite for The Toys That Made Us Season 3, it’s likely that the new season of the passion-fueled brainchild of creator/executive producer Brian Volk-Weiss should arrive before the year’s end.

Moreover, the show’s newly codified long-term design now gives hope for other major classic toy properties (Pokémon, Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, ThunderCats, Voltron, Gundam, Marvel, DC etc.,) to get their episodic moments in the spotlight.

The Toys That Made Us Season 3 Netflix
NewsJoseph Baxter
Sep 4, 2019

Lord of the Rings TV Series Casts Will Poulter for Lead Role

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Midsommar’s Will Poulter lands a lead role on Amazon’s grandiose Lord of the Rings TV adaptation.

While Amazon’s television prequel adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, set in the monumental-movie-inspiring mythology of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, is still lacking in specific details other than its time setting, the show has just named another headliner in Will Poulter.

Poulter, an English actor who’s seen his star steadily rise in the last few years, has been cast to co-star on the series, reports Variety. While details on Poulter’s character were not yet provided, he will join recently-cast Aussie actress Markella Kavenagh, who was revealed as the show’s co-star and first cast member back in July. Sources told the trade that Kavenagh’s character is named “Tyra,” though this has yet to be confirmed.

While Poulter has seen no shortage of high-profile film roles, this co-starring slot on The Lord of the Rings will likely stand as his biggest part yet. That’s saying something, since his big screen CV consists of films like director Ari Aster’s recent follow-up horror film, Midsommar, choice-providing Netflix film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, a role reprisal in Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Kathryn Bigelow-directed crime drama Detroit, director David Michod’s Brad Pitt-headlined Netflix film, War Machine and hit ensemble comedy We’re the Millers. He was also notably part of 2015’s The Revenant, which went on to reap Oscar glory for director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, star Leonardo DiCaprio and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Additionally, Poulter was initially cast as Stephen King’s sewer-dwelling kid-grabbing clown, Pennywise, in a previous iteration of the current It reboot films; a role that went to Bill Skarsgard.

Further Reading: Lord of the Rings TV Series Reveals First Cast Member Markella Kavenagh

The series, which, without a formal title to cite, is still best referred to as The Lord of the Rings, is confirmed to take place in the Second Age of Middle Earth, thousands of years before the events of Tolkien’s main novels, and, based on that fact, is expected to chronicle the first war over the One Ring, famously depicted onscreen in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring, in which Sauron – under the false pretense of beneficence – inveigled the kingdoms of Middle Earth across races to forge rings of power that endowed leaders with the strength and will to govern their respective peoples. However, to put things in modern tech terms, Sauron had secret admin access to the Rings OS, forging the Ring of Power, which hacked all of the Rings, designed to cause discord and devastation across Middle Earth.

Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay will be joined on The Lord of the Rings series by an array of behind-the-scenes talent, notably Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J.A. Bayona, and will enjoy the benefit of consultation from key Game of Thrones writer/producer Bryan Cogman.

There’s currently no release date to cite for Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings, but we will certainly keep on top of that and other major developments as the news arrives!

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

Will Poulter in The Revenant; 20th Century Fox
NewsJoseph Baxter
Sep 4, 2019

Lord of the Rings Amazon TV Series: Everything You Need to Know

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Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel TV series will be set during Middle Earth's Second Age.

Amazon’s mysterious – purportedly billion-dollar-budgetedLord of the Rings TV series will take place before the events of Peter Jackson’s movies. Setting the tone for the prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the first two episodes will be directed by J.A. Bayona, who helmed Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, as the latest news reveals.

The Lord of the Rings TV series will take place during Middle Earth’s Second Age – that’s thousands of years before Bilbo Baggins, Golem or Aragorn ever existed! Moreover, the end of said age was a full millennium before the Wizards (Gandalf, Saruman, et al.) even arrived in Middle Earth, which makes the series a prequel in an epochal sense.

Amazon hopes the new Lord of the Rings TV show will be the next Game of Thrones. While details about the series are still sparse, its context is overwhelming. We do know it will be shot in New Zealand and Scotland. Amazon set an estimated start date for next month. We are diving deep in this post with everything you need to know about the project!

Lord of the Rings Amazon Cast

Will Poulter in The Revenant; 20th Century Fox

Will Poulter (Midsommar, The Revenant) has joined the cast for an unspecified lead role. You can read more about his casting right here.

Markella Kavenagh on The Cry; BBC

Markella Kavenagh (The Cry, Picnic at Hanging Rock) is the first cast member revealed for the series. While details are still scarce, she is reportedly set to play a character named Tyra. You can read more about her casting right here.

Lord of the Rings Amazon Team

Juan Antonio (J.A.) Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Orphanage, The Impossible) will direct the first two episodes, according to Deadline. He will also serve as an executive producer, alongside his producing partner Belén Atienza. "J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team," Bayona said in a statement. "I can't wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never before seen story."

Game of Thrones is coming to Middle Earth! – Well, a winter-tested writer with Westeros work on his CV is coming, anyway, since the show's watch is ended.

Bryan Cogman recently joined the writing team as a consultant, reported Variety. After starting an assistant to showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Cogman has since worn many hats on HBO’s Game of Thrones going back to the show’s first season, having written 11 episodes total – the most recent of which was Season 8’s pre-battle character study, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” – and served as a producer on several episodes, ascending to co-executive producer for the last two seasons. He’s also attached to the screenplay for Disney’s live-action adaptation of its 1963 Arthurian animated classic, The Sword in the Stone.

The Lord of the Rings gig will see newcomers Bayona and Cogman join JD Payne and Patrick McKay, who were brought onboard the project back in July 2018, well before Amazon divulged any official details on the series.

Here's the officially released list of the show's creative team:

Executive producers Lindsey Weber (10 Cloverfield Lane), Bruce Richmond (Game of Thrones), Gene Kelly (Boardwalk Empire) and Sharon Tal Yguado; writer/executive producer Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad); writer/executive producer Jason Cahill (The Sopranos) writer/executive producer Justin Doble (Stranger Things); consulting producers Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) and Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4); producer Ron Ames (The Aviator); writer/co-producer Helen Shang (Hannibal), and writing consultant Glenise Mullins.

Lord of the Rings Amazon Story

Amazon's official series-era map not only confirmed the show’s time period, stating, “Welcome to the Second Age,” but bore another bountiful clue: the five-pointed-star-shaped southwest island kingdom of Númenor. An ancient kingdom of Men with long lifespans, Númenor flourished throughout much of the Second Age until the initial incursions of Sauron, which eventually led to the kingdom’s legendary fall and Elendil’s arrival on the mainland, where he eventually founded the kingdom of Gondor.

Given Amazon’s tweeted teases, which recalls tropes connected to the Ring of Power, one might further deduce that the Lord of the Rings series will specifically chronicle the epoch's mythology-setting events. Pertinently, the sporadically posted lines in the teasers recall the Second Age story in which Sauron deceived the kingdoms of Elves, Men and Dwarves with rings of power that he secretly controlled with the One Ring; a story famously told in The Fellowship of the Ring film prologue by Cate Blanchett's Galadriel. We could also take this to mean that the Lord of the Rings TV show might showcase the formation of Gondor and the era in which Sauron’s insidious plot first came to a head; events that were briefly chronicled in Tolkien's posthumously-published quasi-Biblical Middle Earth chronicle, The Silmarillion, specifically in the section titled "Akallabêth."

Amazon Prime Video recently started teasing its small screen return to the beauteous-but-brutal land of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth mythology with an official Twitter account, which provocatively started posting maps, including downloadable versions hosted on the main Amazon site. Having started by posting a label-less version of the Middle Earth map, Amazon would incrementally reveal things by updating the map with land labels, which provided valuable clues about the show’s time setting. The first major revelation came in February with the release of a map containing a name that’s archaic to the familiar era of the Third Age – in which The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels and Peter Jackson-directed films take place.

Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The name on the map in question was “Calenardhon,” which was the ancient original name of the pastoral plains of the region that we know as the kingdom of Rohan (founded in 2510 in the Third Age), which we saw on magnificent display in the Rings Trilogy’s 2002 middle act, The Two Towers. Additionally, the familiar sight to Rohan’s south, the great kingdom of Gondor, was nowhere to be seen on the map. This was a crucial clue, since Gondor (along with Northern Kingdom Arnor,) was founded by King Elendil and his sons during the Second Age of Middle Earth in 3320, setting up a climactic confrontation in 3441 between "The Last Alliance of Elves and Men" against Sauron and his evil army from Mordor – again, as depicted in the Fellowship prologue.

Consequently, with the Lord of the Rings series now confirmed to take place in the Second Age, speculation can begin on how it might fill in the gaps of the first war over the One Ring, potentially showcasing movie prologue characters like King Elendil, his son and eventual One Ring-owner, Isildur, as well as the powerful high-born Elven king, Gil-galad. Moreover, it appears that we might finally get to see Sauron himself as an actual character, rather than a giant irritated flaming eye!

We will keep you updated on the major developments of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series as the news arrives!

Joseph Baxter is a contributor for Den of Geek and Syfy Wire. You can find his work here. Follow him on Twitter @josbaxter.

Sauron in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
NewsJoseph Baxter
Sep 4, 2019

Batman: The Animated Series - 25 Essential Episodes

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Batman: The Animated Series remains the single greatest version of the Dark Knight to ever hit the screen.

On September 5, 1992, Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and a host of talented writers and animators delivered what many people still consider to be the definitive interpretation of a towering pop culture icon with Batman: The Animated Series. Its unforgettable animation style and character designs, distinctive music, and cinematic approach to storytelling that often made viewers feel as if they were watching 22-minute movies made the series an instant classic, and its unique noir-influenced art deco style means that it has retained a timeless appeal. The series finally has a Blu-ray release, loaded with special features. You can order it here.

You may notice that there's a disproportionate number of first season episodes on this list. Well, keep in mind that the show had a 65 episode first season, so that accounts for quite a bit. And while really, there are very few episodes of this show that we wouldn't recommend, there was just so much groundbreaking animated brilliance in its earliest episodes that we can't help but gravitate towards them. 

So here are our most essential episodes of Batman: The Animated Series. What are yours? Let us know!

Batman the Animated Series, "On Leather Wings"

"On Leather Wings" - Season 1 Episode 1

When you're not dealing with a heavily serialized drama, it's rare that a first episode is all that "essential." And even when you are, pilots are often not the best examples of what a show can and will grow into. And when you're talking about animation, well, there's rarely any reason to start at the beginning.

Ah, but "On Leather Wings" is different.

Kicking off an ambitious Batman cartoon at the height of the Dark Knight's popularity with one of his lesser-known villains, the horrific and tragic (but goofily named) Man-Bat was a sign that this show wasn't going to be quite what we expected. There's an uneasy tension between Batman and the police. The horror movie elements of Man-Bat and his origin allow the show to lean heavily into its noir/art deco design. It might not be the best episode of the series, but it doesn't get enough credit for shaking things up right out of the gate.

Batman the Animated Series, "Christmas With The Joker"

"Christmas With The Joker" - Season 1 Episode 2

This episode is outrageous, and an absolute holiday treat. It's everything you could possibly want from a Joker episode. The Clown Prince of Crime escapes Arkham Asylum on a Christmas tree (!) and decides to host his very own deadly Christmas special. He even creates a parody version of "Jingle Bells" that would make Weird Al jealous.

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The best thing about the episode though is the way it explores Batman's always present paranoia. Despite the fact that all seems to be quiet in Gotham on Christmas Eve, Bruce is unable to take a break and enjoy some holiday cheer. Batman seems almost pleased when his archnemesis shows up to terrorize the city. This episode proves that a fight with the Joker is Batman's ultimate holiday treat. 

Batman the Animated Series, "Two-Face"

"Two-Face" - Season 1 Episode 10-11

Heh-heh. It was a two-parter.

Two-Face’s origin is a collection of gut-punches, one after another. Part of it comes from Harvey Dent having enough of a presence in the previous nine episodes. Not only was he portrayed almost like a brother to Bruce, but we even got to see him casually, yet obsessively, flip his coin. This is a huge step up from some of his other appearances in films the movies, where – casting differences aside – Harvey Dent was a guy that existed in one movie (1989's Batman) and then was an established villain in another (Batman Forever) with no drama connecting the dots. Things were different with The Dark Knight, of course, but you could argue we didn't get enough time to really get to know Harvey before his misfortune.

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Nobody has more tragedy to his name than Two-Face in Batman’s world (even Clayface comes to show some acceptance of his condition in his later animated appearances) and seeing his initial fall hurts. With all the adult moments we laud the show for getting away with, the one that sticks out for me will always be how raw and uncomfortable Harvey’s behavior is when he’s defeated. His wife is capable of accepting Harvey's blue chemical scars, but even she has to turn away in horror when Two-Face has a mental breakdown like a junkie unable to get his fix.

Batman the Animated Series, "I've Got Batman in My Basement"

"I've Got Batman in My Basement" - Season 1 Episode 13

Some fans don't really love this episode, but there's a sort of childhood fanfic quality to "I've Got Batman in My Basement" that can't be ignored. This episode caters to its audience's biggest fantasy: being able to fight alongside Batman and stop the bad guys.

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When Batman is attacked by a giant vulture named Scrap, a group of kids decide to help the Caped Crusader hide out from the Penguin and his henchmen, who are searching for the very valuable Vonalster Fabergé Egg. It's up to these junior detectives to hold off the Penguin while Batman recovers in their basement. What follows is the closest BTAS ever got to a Home Alone spoof. It's pretty much everything we ever wanted as kids. 

Batman the Animated Series, "Heart of Ice"

"Heart of Ice" - Season 1 Episode 14

This isn't just an essential episode, it's arguably the essential episode. Batman: The Animated Series did a tremendous job of distilling everything great about Batman and his world down to the absolute essence, making everything both instantly recognizable and still fresh and new at the same time. But "Heart of Ice" which comes from the core BTAS creative team of Paul Dini (writer) and Bruce Timm (director) went the extra mile.

You see nobody gave a damn about Mr. Freeze before "Heart of Ice." The character had a mere handful of comic book appearances, and his biggest claim to fame was being played by three different actors on the 1966 Batman TV series. "Heart of Ice" gave him a tragic backstory, a terrific and creepy new design (from Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, no less!) and an unforgettably eerie vocal performance from Michael Ansara. All future Mr. Freeze stories, in comics or on the screen, now take their cues from this episode.

Other Batman: The Animated Series episodes create stories from an alchemy of established Batman mythology. "Heart of Ice"is the established mythology.

Batman the Animated Series, "Beware the Gray Ghost"

"Beware the Gray Ghost" - Season 1 Episode 18

The early '90s was a time when fandom was knee-deep in the (incorrect) belief that the 1966 live-action Batmanseries was a best forgotten relic and unlike what Batman should be and all that darkness worship. Yet it was the animated series, which itself enveloped Batman in darkness and seriousness that fully embraced and appreciated what Adam West did for the franchise in his three years of campy brilliance. West’s role of Simon Trent in this episode not only plays off of West’s obvious frustrations with only being known as the classic Caped Crusader, but celebrates him for being the champion who made Batman: The Animated Series even possible.

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The Batman corner of the DC Animated Universe is not a happy one. The hero is emotionally broken, his enemies are tragic, and the status quo won’t allow for anyone to be fixed. Yet Simon Trent is that glimmer of hope, not only as inspiration for Batman’s style as a heroic noir swashbuckler, but for the way his life shines on after realizing his own worth. Not only does the episode end on a high note for Trent, but the Gray Ghost is shown to be a staple in that world’s pop culture all the way into the Batman Beyond timeframe.

Simon Trent’s legacy lives on in more ways than one.

Batman the Animated Series, "Feat of Clay"

"Feat of Clay" - Season 1 Episode 20-21

"Feat of Clay" is actually the first time we see Lucius Fox and Roland Daggett in animated form, but that’s not what makes this an essential watch.

Batman: The Animated Series was built on quality and strong, visual storytelling and this two-parter does a great job showing that off. In fact, it’s a good double-feature with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode "Enter Mutagen Man," which came out a year earlier. Both episodes feature a sympathetic, hideous monster with similar origins and very similar abilities. The Turtlesepisode paints over the body horror with humor while Batman: The Animated Series lets its freak flag fly.

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Matt Hagen’s origin story as Clayface is just so damn horrific, from the character’s understandable desperation pre-and-post-transformation to the animation quality and direction. The way he moves and morphs made the episode something we were too afraid to watch, but too fascinated not to as a kid. There’s so much about it that remains utterly chilling, up to and including the Thrillerfinal shot.

Meanwhile, Mutagen Man permanently transformed himself into a male model and started dating April O’Neil, so yeah.

Batman the Animated Series, "Joker's Favor"

"Joker's Favor" - Season 1 Episode 22

"Joker’s Favor" is a super tightly written episode. It features an everyday schlub named Charlie Collins who has a moment of slight road rage that causes poor ol' Chuck to cuss out another driver. Sadly for the paunchy, balding Collins, that other driver just happens to be the Joker. What follows is a series of events that sees Charlie spiraling into the Joker’s world of twisted madness.

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Sounds like a fun little tale, and it is, but "Joker’s Favor" is even more legendary because it features the first appearance of Harley Quinn. The moment Harley sashays on screen, one can’t help but be captivated by the motley criminal. The instant one hears the voice of Arlene Sorkin bring Harley to life, one is smitten by her Brooklyn twang and her screen presence. With every subsequent appearance, the brain trust behind the show began to flesh out Harley as a character, but it all began here with one of the best written and intense Joker episodes of Batman: The Animates Series’ entire run.

Batman the Animated Series, "Fear of Victory"

"Fear of Victory" - Season 1 Episode 24

This show took a while to find its feet when it came to the Scarecrow. His second appearance on the show already featured a creepier redesign (but not as creepy as the one to come), for example. But while villains are often at the center of why we're still writing about this show, in this case, it's something else entirely.

This was the first episode broadcast featuring Robin. Yes, "Christmas With the Joker" is technically episode 2. But that didn't air until November (the show premiered in September). Keep in mind that in the early 1990s, Robin wasn't exactly all that cool. He was still absent from the movies, and pop culture's general impression of him was either Burt Ward's pun-slinging Boy Wonder or that the character was, in the comics, dead (the average viewer made no distinction between Dick Grayson and Jason Todd).

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So the fact that a third of the season focused on a solo Batman, with the understanding that we'd eventually meet a college aged Robin was a big deal. And when we finally did meet him, voiced with aplomb by Loren Lester and rocking the modern comic book redesign, the primary colors broke the visual tension. And like everything else this show did, it absolutely nailed why The Dynamic Duo are such pop culture icons.

Batman the Animated Series, "Perchance to Dream"

"Perchance to Dream" - Season 1 Episode 30

What if Bruce Wayne never became Batman and instead lived a separate life from the Caped Crusader? In "Perchance to Dream," Bruce gets everything he ever wanted. His parents are still alive, he's the billionaire head of Wayne Industries, and he's engaged to Selina Kyle, who isn't Catwoman in this reality.

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Except things are a little strange in this happy reality and Bruce remembers his real life as Batman. With an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, Bruce discovers the truth behind his new life away from Batman. This one has a great twist!

Batman the Animated Series, "Robin's Reckoning"

"Robin's Reckoning" - Season 1 Episode 32-33

We never had a comprehensive re-telling of Batman's origin on this show (thank heavens), but we did get the two-part "Robin's Reckoning." An absolutely flawless update of Dick Grayson's origin story from 1941's Detective Comics #38, "Robin's Reckoning" also incorporated elements from other, recent Robin origin re-tellings, using a modern frame to tell a classic story.

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Far from the boy scout Boy Wonder image that was the prevailing sense in pop culture at the time, "Robin's Reckoning" brought a little tension to Bruce and Dick's relationship, with Dick's understandable anger about the death of his parents even hinting at elements of the Jason Todd version of Robin. Whenever anyone tries to float the (wrong) idea that Batman stories are better without Robin, be sure to sit them down with this one.

Batman the Animated Series, "The Laughing Fish"

"The Laughing Fish" - Season 1 Episode 34

This episode is one of the earliest direct-ish transpositions of Batman comics to the screen, adapting “The Laughing Fish” by Steve Engleheart and Marshall Rogers, and the all time classic “The Joker’s Five Way Revenge” by Denny O’Neill and Neal Adams. It’s also a hoot.

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Any episode written by Paul Dini and directed by Bruce Timm is a good one, but what makes “The Laughing Fish” a classic and emblematic of something great about the series as a whole is how it goes long on the absurdity of the Joker. His plot here is to brand the hell out of a bunch of fish, trademark them, and then get rich because he also cornered the market. When he can't get the trademark, he starts trying to kill people at the...I suppose it’s the Gotham City Patent Office, I guess, who won't give him the trademark. Mark Hamill’s Joker is legendary, one of the greatest voice acting performances of all time, but what made the Joker of Batman: The Animated Series our favorite version of the character is how they threaded the needle on his persona. He’s equal parts dark, evil, chaotic, hilarious, absurd, ridiculous and brilliant.

Batman the Animated Series, "Cat Scratch Fever"

"Cat Scratch Fever" - Season 1 Episode 36

BTAS produced many great Catwoman stories throughout its run, but none of them can match "Cat Scratch Fever." After Catwoman's pet cat and accomplice, Isis, runs away from home, Selina desperately searches for her in the streets of Gotham.

When she finally finds her beloved cat, she discovers that Isis has become feral. Catwoman quickly unearths a plot by the dastardly businessman Roland Daggett to infect animals with a virus that makes them feral in order to sell the antidote for millions of dollars. While his scheme is pretty convoluted, Selina's love for her cat is not. This turns out to be a heartwarming episode in the end. 

Batman the Animated Series, "Heart of Steel"

"Heart of Steel" - Season 1 Episode 38-39

Two things about “Heart of Steel” stand out. The first is casting William Sanderson as the guy who built HARDAC, the AI that makes “duplicant” copies of Gotham residents. Sanderson was J.F. Sebastian in Blade Runner where he helped design replicants. That casting decision made it click that the team behind this show was excited about its place in the greater nerd ecosystem.

The second standout is the voice acting. Much has been written about how incredible Kevin Conroy is, but the way he goes between Bruce Wayne voice and Batman growl is fantastic here. At one point he jumps from dark detective to chipper playboy when Lucious calls, and later when he finds Alfred unconscious he goes the opposite way. It adds to the visuals in a way that can't really be described, but it’s wonderful.

Batman the Animated Series, "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?"

"If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?" - Season 1 Episode 40

It's hard to believe that a villain with as large a pop culture footprint as the Riddler could ever be neglected, but it's true. In 1992, the Riddler's stock wasn't terribly high with comic book readers, appearing infrequently in the comics, but regularly on TV reruns of Batman'66, with the legendary Frank Gorshin in the role. 

But few knew Riddler's origins, and they're told succinctly in this episode, years before they got the big screen treatment in the unforgivably irritating Batman Forever. "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich" nods to Riddler's first comic book appearance, adds some appropriately "modern" touches, and decks Ed Nygma out in a sharp, Gorshin-esque jacket, hat, and cane combo.

There are surprisingly few Riddler episodes of this show, so enjoy them where you can.

Batman the Animated Series, "Almost Got 'Im"

"Almost Got 'Im" - Season 1 Episode 46

Batman: The Animated Series perfected the short form animated superhero story. Many episodes did more in 22 minutes and change than some superhero movies do in two plus hours. That’s why "Almost Got ‘Im" stands out as extra special.

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In this unforgettable anthology episode, Poison Ivy, Penguin, Two-Face, Killer Croc, and Joker each tell an intense short tale of the time each came the closest to killing Batman. Each mini story is framed by a noir-soaked poker game as the episode combines powerful action, superheroics, classical crime fiction tropes, and humor to underscore the special bond between Batman and each of these villains. The episode is underscored by a last second reveal with Croc that is as hilarious as it is enduring. Plus, writer Paul Dini throws in a Catwoman denouement that makes this already perfect episode even more perfect.

Batman the Animated Series, "The Man Who Killed Batman"

"The Man Who Killed Batman" - Season 1 Episode 51

Another Dini/Timm episode, “The Man Who Killed Batman” is more about Gotham’s underworld than it is about Batman, one of a handful of episodes like it. They’re all really good.

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Sid “The Squid” Debris is a nebbish, low level hood in Rupert Thorne’s organization. During his first heist in the field, he stumbles his way through a confrontation with Batman, and it looks (to him, to his coworkers, and to the rest of Gotham’s underworld) like Sid manages to kill the Bat. So then a whole bunch of people try and kill Sid. He’s not really a revelatory character in any way but that he provides us with an everyman view of Batman’s world, but it’s so well fleshed out that it still ends up being an engrossing half hour.

Batman the Animated Series, "Harley and Ivy"

"Harley and Ivy" - Season 1 Episode 56

It’s like Thelma and Louise but with Bat villains. "Harley and Ivy" sees the first teaming of DCU BFFs Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. It’s a rollicking, hilarious episode that introduces one of the most enduring friendships in modern comics. Since this episode, Gotham’s most poisonous lady and the clown princess of crime have been inseparable in the hearts and minds of fans. It was also one of the first episodes where Harley gets to shine outside of the shadow of the Joker.

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Harley and Ivy team up to escape the pursuit of the GCPD, Batman, and the Joker. Each moment on the lam sees Harley and Ivy grow closer and now their bond is the stuff of legend. During the episode, Poison Ivy declares that, "No man can take us prisoner!" and this battle cry defined the unbreakable friendship between the pair. Those words proved prophetic, too, as its Renee Montoya who ends up bringing them in. Montoya doesn't get much face time in B:TAS, and "Harley and Ivy" serves as her finest hour as well.

Batman the Animated Series, "Shadow of the Bat"

"Shadow of the Bat" - Season 1 Episode 57-58

Animated Batgirl is a badass. Barbara Gordon was actually first introduced in “Heart of Steel,” where she was super clever and dressed in Yvonne Craig’s Batman ‘66 color scheme. “Shadow of the Bat” is her proper introduction as Batgirl, when after her father is framed for taking bribes by Two Face and Otter from Animal House, she decides to pose as Batman at a rally to try and score her dad bail. The rally goes wrong and Barbara is forced to fight, and through the rest of the episode, she just can’t stop kicking ass.

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It would be ridiculous but for another great feature of this series: the fights are decidedly low-fi, but well staged and meaningful. In the recent animated movies martial arts and speed and complicated fight choreography sometimes take precedence over using the fight to tell the story. In Batman: The Animated Series, everything happens at a pace your eyes can follow, rather than having Batman take out a room full of hoods with nothing but the power of his shaky-cam.

Batman the Animated Series, "His Silicon Soul"

"His Silicon Soul" - Season 1 Episode 62

This is a follow up to “Heart of Steel.” The last Duplicant made by HARDAC was actually a copy of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and when that copy comes to life, it struggles to reconcile its two prime commands: to rebuild HARDAC using the Bat-computer, and to be as realistic a replacement for Batman as possible. This, of course, eventually causes the robot to shut down, but not before there’s some good fighting between him and fleshy Batman, and a discussion of the existential core of Bruce Wayne’s mission as Batman. In a lesser show, this would be one of the standout episodes. It’s not one of the best of this series only because there are so many other amazing ones.

Batman the Animated Series, "Showdown"

"Showdown" - Season 2 Episode 13

First off, "Showdown" is written by master storyteller Joe R. Lansdale, the man who created Hap and Leonard, Bubba Ho-Tep, and authored award winning novels such as The Bottoms, Sunset and Sawdust, and The Drive-In. So go read yourself some Lansdale.

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In "Showdown" Lansdale has the brass balls to craft an episode of B:TAS almost without Batman, instead taking place in the Old West and featuring the animated debut of one Jonah Hex! In this flashback episode, Hex runs head first into the legacy of Ra’s Al Ghul as Lansdale explores the deep and always fascinating history of the DCU. "Showdown" explores the history of the Demon’s Head and gives depth and meaning to the master villain’s legacy. "Showdown" is visually stunning and just so darn different that it stands out as a must-see episode. While Batman does appear in a framing sequence, "Showdown" is a pure weird Western tale that is as intense as it is unlikely.

Batman the Animated Series, "Harley's Holiday"

"Harley's Holiday" - Season 2 Episode 16

We didn't even need to rewatch “Harley’s Holiday” to remember its best part, or what made it one of the most special episodes of the entire show. This episode was a testament to this team’s approach to Batman and his entire rogues gallery.

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In some form or another, there was Dini/Timm Batman on television through the entire ‘90s and early aughts. It’s worth remembering that at the same time in the comics, the dominant paradigm in Batman comics was still largely influenced by Frank Miller’s take, that Batman was a damaged boy trying to compensate for the death of his parents by overcompensating and controlling everything around him. That idea was definitely still there for Dini and Timm’s team - see what happens to Batman when the Black Mercy goes around his chest in JLU’s “For the Man Who Has Everything” a decade later - but the dominant conception of Batman and Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series was full of compassion. Animated Batman is the kind of person who will fight through hordes of people and wreck his own car to keep someone who has tried to kill him multiple times from losing control of herself. He’s the kind of guy who will shake his villain’s hand when they’ve shown improvement, and who will bring her the dress she bought but lost to reassure her and tell her that it will get better. 

Also, remember how we said the fights in this show were great because they weren’t always about ninja flipping around and kicking the hell out of each other? Well, in this episode, Robin uses fish as nunchaku. Sometimes they’re great for other reasons.

Batman the Animated Series, "Over the Edge"

"Over the Edge" - Season 3 Episode 12

You should know within the first couple moments that "Over the Edge" is going to be a “cheating” episode. Having Commissioner Gordon hunt down Batman, call him Bruce Wayne, and blame him for the death of Batgirl isn’t going to stick unless this is the final episode and the writers are in a real Mighty Max kind of mood. No, there’s obviously more to the story.

This episode is sometimes described as a “what if,” and that muddies up the point of what it’s really about. This tense and brutal story isn’t about what would happen, but the out-of-character actions of people imagined by an unreliable and pessimistic writer. The idea that Batman would fight Bane to the death in light of Batgirl’s death or even that Gordon would leave Barbara’s casket at the funeral because he’s that thirsty for revenge are a little too extreme. And that’s the whole point.

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Batman fighting Bane on a rooftop isn’t the big climax to the conflict. No, the actual climax is a post-dinner discussion between family members. Kind of a big contrast to such a crazy episode.

Batman the Animated Series, "Legends of the Dark Knight"

"Legends of the Dark Knight" - Season 3 Episode 19

Fitting that one of the final episodes of Batman: The Animated Series is a love letter to Batman comics history. This episode focuses on a group of kids - one of whom is clearly Carrie Kelly, the Robin from The Dark Knight Returns, and one of them is an uncomfortably sexually stereotyped Joel Shumacher - telling stories about what they know about Batman, before getting caught in the middle of a fight between Batman and Firefly. The stories they tell are homages to classic Batman eras: one, a tale of Batman and Robin taking on the Joker at a music museum in the style of Dick Sprang’s golden age art; and the other is pretty much The Dark Knight Returns up to the fight with the mutant leader in the mudpit.

The art is the real star in this episode. There’s a lot of care and love put into reproducing the rubberiness of Sprang’s golden age work (and Michael McKean’s Joker is great). Similarly, while they don’t get the scratchiness of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s art from DKR, they do get the hulking enormity of the characters, something reinforced by Michael Ironside using his best Darkseid voice to play Batman. If you’ve read any of these books, you will be hard pressed to find something not to like in this episode. Also, props to the cast and crew for crediting Bill Finger, Dick Sprang, and Frank Miller and making sure to leave Bob Kane offthe list.

Batman the Animated Series, "Mad Love"

"Mad Love" - Season 3 Episode 21

"Mad Love" is where the Harley-ssance truly began. Originally, "Mad Love" was a 64 page graphic novel published in 1994 written by Paul Dini with art by Bruce Timm and Glen Murakami. It won the Eisner award for Best Single Issue and became one of the most beloved Batman stories of all time. In 1999, Dini and Timm, adapted the "Mad Love" comic into an episode of B:TAS with the same title. The result was ian instant classic.

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Before "Mad Love," Harley Quinn was a fun and beloved part of the animated DCU and other than a few shining moments in "Harley and Ivy" and "Harlequinade" to name a few, she was mostly just background color. "Mad Love" changed all that. In the comic and the animated episode, Dini and Timm present the tragic origin of Harleen Quinzel, brilliant psychologist whose life was changed forever when she met and fell in love with the charismatic Joker. "Mad Love" broke traditional animated storytelling ground by focusing on Joker and Harley's abusive relationship and its sexual nature. "Mad Love" took Harley from a one note sidekick to one of the most tragic women in comics. 

Batman: The Animated Series Best Episodes
FeatureMarc BuxtonMike CecchiniJim DandyGavin JasperJohn Saavedra
Sep 5, 2019

Marvel Cinematic Universe: The New Characters of MCU Phase 4

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MCU Phase 4 will introduce many established characters in the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows. Here's who's coming.

Now that Thanos has been dusted and the Infinity Saga is over, things aren’t slowing down in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. MCU Phase 4 is going to not only have a bunch of movies, but a bunch of new TV shows on Disney+ and elsewhere that will feed into the overall narrative

With the recent acquisition of the Fox movie properties, Marvel is going to wait on bringing Fantastic Four and X-Men into the forefront. And while stalwarts like Iron Man and Captain America are getting phased out, the MCU has no shortage of new heroes and villains to spotlight in their upcoming projects.

BLACK WIDOW

First up, we have the characters coming to the Black Widow movie.

MCU New Characters - Yelena Belova

Yelena Belova

In the comics, Yelena was trained as an assassin by the same organization that turned Natasha Romanova into the Black Widow. Ambitious and overly confident, Yelena believed herself to be the true successor to the Black Widow name and intended to kill Natasha for it. The rivalry opened her eyes to the true workings of the whole espionage scene and she, for a time, retired to work out her own identity.

She’s returned now and then as a SHIELD agent, overpowered weapon of Hydra, and replacement for Natasha when she was believed to be dead. Considering this movie is a prequel and we know Natasha’s fate in Endgame, all signs point to this being a passing of the torch origin movie.

MCU New Characters - Red Guardian

Red Guardian

The Red Guardian is a pretty self-explanatory concept: Captain America...for the USSR! There have been many to wear the red, red, and red, but the most prominent – and the one most fitting for a Black Widow movie – is Alexei Shostakov.

Alexei was once the husband of Natasha Romanova, with his death faked in order to transform him into the Soviet Super Soldier. He met her again years later when he was an enemy of the Avengers and it was about as awkward as you’d expect. He was killed in his first appearance and after so many other versions of Red Guardian came and went with little fanfare, they just brought him back decades later with the claim that he survived after all. He also became one of several to wear the Ronin disguise, revealing that it’s existed longer than Marvel’s initially suggested.

MCU New Characters - Taskmaster

Taskmaster

Taskmaster is one of the highest-paid mercenaries in the Marvel universe. He’s a super soldier of sorts, granted the ability of encyclopedic muscle memory. If he sees a human gesture, especially if it's combat-based, he can automatically do the same thing. He spends his downtime watching whatever battle footage he can of his peers and superheroes, increasing his endless moveset. He can throw a shield like Captain America, swing a sword like Black Knight, backflip like Daredevil, brawl like the Punisher, and so on.

While he will take merc jobs if the price is right and he needs the money, Taskmaster mainly gets his income by training others. He has his own school where he teaches henchmen and assassins how to fight like the greats. He gets their money and they’re the ones who get beat up by the heroes.

Against someone with no major superpowers, much like the cast of Black Widow, Taskmaster is nigh-unbeatable.

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THE ETERNALS

Marvel's Eternals movie will flesh out the broader cosmic mythology of the MCU.

MCU New Characters - The Eternals

I'm not giving each member their own entry because seriously. But we do have a breakdown of all the major players in the Eternals movie right here.

When they announced that the Eternals would be getting a movie, even the hardcore Marvel fans were all, “Wait, really? Why?” As deified as Jack Kirby is, the Eternals rank extremely low on his list of creations. They’re like the most forgettable song on a great album.

Anyway, at the dawn of civilization, the Celestials (more on them in a second) showed up to mess around with early humans' biology. Some were left alone, some were turned into hideous monsters called Deviants, and some were turned into godlike immortals called Eternals. The Eternals are like the original superheroes of mankind, protecting humans from the Deviants and keeping an eye out for the return of the Celestials. They vary on whether they feel the need to hide among society or be seen like the gods that they are.

Thanos himself was a hybrid of Eternal/Deviant DNA, though he came from an offshoot society that lived on Titan.

Ikaris is the protagonist of the team, but Sersi got a bigger spotlight comparatively by joining the Avengers for a while in the 90s.

MCU New Characters - The Celestials

Celestials

Remember that scene in Guardians of the Galaxy when the Collector did a big exposition dump on the Infinity Stones and they showed footage of a giant wiping out an entire planet with the Power Stone? That big guy was a Celestial.

The Celestials are the most powerful beings in the universe. We are basically their sea monkeys. They poured us into the bowl and come back every now and then to check up on us, deciding whether or not to flush us down the toilet and call it a day. Basically, all the crazy evolution stuff in Marvel (mutants, Eternals, Deviants, and to a lesser extent Inhumans) traces back to their meddling.

If the Celestials judge a civilization unworthy, then that’s it for them. Just to give you an idea of how ridiculous they are, there was a What If story where Dr. Doom had the power of the Beyonder (who is effectively omnipotent) and the full Infinity Gauntlet. He won his battle against the Celestials, but it took him about one and a half centuries to complete at the cost of nearly all his power.

MCU New Characters - Black Knight

Black Knight

Dane Whitman is part of a warrior lineage that stretches back to the days of King Arthur. Whitman is the latest of many Black Knights and is trying to bring honor back to the name after his uncle used the moniker for evil. He wields a magic sword called the Ebony Blade and has been a member of both the Defenders and Avengers.

It was his time in the Avengers that makes him relevant to the Eternals, as he had a romantic relationship with Sersi. This was during the '90s when Black Knight was wearing a leather jacket over his armor and what woman could resist that?

Anyway, I'd expect him to be the audience POV character because, man, they're going to need one.

read more: Who is Marvel's Black Knight?

THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER

Marvel's The Falcon and The Winter Soldier TV series on Disney+ will pick up the threads of the Captain America movie franchise.

MCU New Characters - Baron Zemo

Baron Zemo

Not exactly a new character, as he was the main antagonist in Captain America: Civil War, but I’m going to include him anyway. Mainly because Daniel Bruhl’s initial role was one of those instances of a character sharing a name with someone from the source material, but little else. On the new show, he’ll be leaning more into the villain’s style...at least in the sense that he’ll be wearing the infamous purple ski mask.

In the comics, Helmut Zemo was the son of a Nazi supervillain. The same supervillain who got credit for Bucky’s supposed death in World War II. Heinrich Zemo died and Helmut attempted to follow in his footsteps. Megalomania is easy enough, but being a Nazi? Helmut wasn’t always all-in on that notion at first and wavered regularly.

Zemo was the leader of the Masters of Evil, a team of villains put together to counter the Avengers. Their most infamous plot was pretending to be superheroes during a time when the Avengers and Fantastic Four were considered dead. As the Thunderbolts (with Zemo portraying the star-spangled swordsman Citizen V), they hoped to gain the trust of the world’s governments and gain access to all sorts of secrets and technology. What Zemo didn’t gamble on was his underlings having a change of heart and deciding that they’d rather be superheroes instead of playing pretend.

Zemo himself had a change of heart, albeit in the sense that he wanted to rule the world for the betterment of mankind. For a time, he realized that his father’s ways were wrong, but went mad when Bucky Barnes was allowed to become Captain America despite his history of (brainwashed) terrorism. Zemo soon fell back into his evil ways and remains a full-on supervillain.

MCU New Characters - US Agent

John Walker, US Agent

Years ago, Steve Rogers decided to split from being a government pawn and they wouldn’t let him take the Captain America persona with him. While Rogers continued under names like Nomad and the Captain, the government chose a replacement in John Walker, formerly known as Super-Patriot. Walker, obedient to the flag to the end, took up the mantle with pride and gave us a right wing Captain America with a bit of '80s action movie bloodlust mixed in. As with most replacement characters, Walker’s run as Captain America came to an end and Steve Rogers took on the identity once more. Walker found a new identity as US Agent, and became a member of the West Coast Avengers. 

read more: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Who is John Walker, the US Agent?

HELSTROM

Along with a Ghost Rider TV series, Marvel is bringing Helstrom to the screen on Hulu. 

MCU New Characters - Son of Satan

Damian Helstrom

So nip the confusion in the bud, on the TV show his name is Helstrom, but in the comics he’s Hellstrom. He also used to be called Hellstorm but that was even more on the nose.

Hell is a bit complicated in Marvel. Rather than just have Satan be a thing, the company has always been a little meek about the potential religious ramifications of it. Instead, there are a handful of characters who are “basically Satan but not really.” The most popular version is Mephisto, who is in reality some kind of cosmic being and not, say, Lucifer fallen from Heaven. The identity of Son of Satan’s father has gone from being a Devil-type named Marduk to a Devil-type named Satannish.

Daimon Hellstrom was born the son of [Satan-type being] and a human woman, brought up to learn all sorts of magic. Hellstrom leaned towards his human side and chose to use his ability to fight the evil and demonic. He’s the ultimate “enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Helstrom’s adventures against the occult made him a regular member of the Defenders and an ally to Ghost Rider. For a time, he was married to Patsy Walker, but things went really wrong and he ended up having to drive her away, feeling that she’d be happier without having to deal with his demon bullshit.

MCU New Characters - Satana

Satana

While Daimon chose to embrace his humanity, his sister Satana embraced her demonic side. She learned dark magic in Hell under her father and ended up becoming a succubus. Since leaving her father, she’s bounced back and forth between being an antihero and a full-on villain. She and her brother are not exactly on the best terms most of the time.

She did marry Deadpool at one point. That’s pretty neat. It's not even the last time Deadpool married a succubus!

SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will introduce the famed martial artist and a classic Marvel villain to the big screen.

MCU New Characters - Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi

Back in the '70s, Marvel wanted to make a comic based on the show Kung Fu, but that didn’t work out, so they instead took the stereotypical yellow peril villain Fu Manchu and decided to give him a rebellious, heroic son, at times modeled after Bruce Lee (who had originally pitched the show that became Kung Fu to TV networks...but they weren't ready). Shang-Chi was raised and trained to be the ultimate martial artist and to be Fu Manchu’s greatest weapon. It didn’t take long for him to realize that, wait, dad was actually a monster! He then became dedicated to saving the world by kicking his dad's scheming ass.

Once his Fu Manchu adventures were over (and they eventually had to retcon that part of him because they lost the rights to using Fu Manchu in addition to his problematic stigma), Shang-Chi joined teams like Heroes for Hire and at least two iterations of the Avengers. One of the cooler parts of that was Iron Man realizing that if Shang-Chi is a living weapon, what happens when you give him weapons? Then he started wielding cyber nunchakus and stuff like that. It ruled.

Anyway, Shang-Chi is one of the top martial artists in the Marvel Universe and his movie has the potential to make up for Iron Fist.

read more: Who is Marvel's Shang-Chi?

MCU New Characters - The Mandarin

The Mandarin

So far the MCU has given us an actor pretending to be a terrorist named the Mandarin and his boss, an arms dealer who called himself the Mandarin. Then a short film revealed that, wait, there was a REAL Mandarin out there and he presumably wasn’t pleased with being impersonated by a drunk, disgraced actor. For a while, that seemed like a plot thread that would never be followed up on.

In the comics, the Mandarin was a Chinese villain who came across a crashed alien spaceship that contained ten rings, each granting the wearer a different ability. Useful stuff like various kinds of lasers to mind-taking to straight-up vaporizing. Though the more powerful ones, such as vaporizing, need a recharge after use to keep him from being too overpowered.

read more: Who is the Mandarin? Marvel History Explained

WHAT IF...?

Marvel's What If...? animated series will explore possible pasts in the MCU, and introduce at least one major character from the comics...

MCU New Characters - Uatu the Watcher

Uatu, the Watcher

The second Guardians of the Galaxy movie gave us our first look at the Watchers with the reveal that Stan Lee’s cameos are linked to their existence. Watchers are ancient, cosmic beings who merely exist to bear witness to civilizations and record them for posterity. Among their ranks is Uatu, the being who watches Earth.

Uatu took an oath to watch, but never interfere. From time to time, he bends the rules due to his love of mankind. Usually he’ll act by giving Earth’s heroes a heads up about something terrible coming down the pipeline. So he’ll warn them that Galactus is coming, but he won’t actually help because that would be going too far against his oath.

Uatu was the "host" of Marvel's What If comic books, and he'll serve in the same role on the Disney+ animated series. Not only does he watch the events of his own universe, but he’s able to see situations in alternate universes. He tends to relate the stories that mold these universes to show how important our decisions and actions are in the grand scheme of things.

read more: Marvel's What If: The Stories We'd Like to See

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

While other major Avengers characters have been shown the door, we haven't seen the last of our favorite Asgardians. But Thor: Love and Thunder puts a new twist on things...

MCU New Characters - Jane Foster Thor

Jane Foster Thor

Not exactly a new character, but a new enough form of a character that we might as well discuss it.

There was a comic book storyline called Original Sin that involved the heroes fighting Nick Fury on the moon for really bizarre reasons that involved alien invasions and giant eyeballs. It's a long story, but comics are weird. Part of the climax had Fury whisper something into Thor’s ear that shook him to such a degree that it made him believe he was "unworthy" to be the God of Thunder. This opened the door for Jane Foster to wield Mjolnir as the new Thor.

With lots of Asgardian drama going on, Jane-Thor continued to prove herself a worthy successor. One of the ways she proved herself was via personal sacrifice. Every time she transformed into Thor, she would undo all the chemotherapy treatments she was undergoing to treat her cancer.

read more: Thor: Love and Thunder - Jane Foster as Thor Explained

HAWKEYE

There's even a Hawkeye TV series coming to Disney+, one that will expand the archer's legacy...

MCU New Characters - Kate Bishop

Kate Bishop

Once upon a time, Clint Barton died in an explosion when fighting off a Kree invasion. In the aftermath of that event, a new team was created of teenagers with powers calling themselves the Young Avengers. One such member was Kate Bishop, who took up the name Hawkeye. Kate was assaulted during a jog one day through Central Park. The trauma of the incident drove her to better herself physically and in the process, she took to being an expert archer.

Eventually, Barton came back to life and became a mentor to Kate and they became partners, both keeping the Hawkeye name. When she isn’t doing the Avengers thing, Kate tends to run her own private investigation agency.

BLADE

Blade will finally make his return to the big screen in Marvel's Phase 5. He'll be played by none other than the brilliant Mahershala Ali.

MCU New Characters - Blade

Blade was introduced in the 70s as a vampire hunter aiming to take out Dracula. A freak vampire known as the Daywalker, Blade had all the positives of being a vampire without most of the negatives. It made him the perfect weapon to try and snuff them all out. He also looked completely ridiculous because it was the '70s.

Then the Wesley Snipes movies happened and Marvel decided, “No, wait, that’s what he looks like! That’s what he’s always looked like!” Since then, he’s been piggybacking on the movie depiction and rightfully so, because it’s fucking badass.

While Blade is usually fighting solo, he has been a member of MI: 13, the Midnight Sons, and even the Avengers. In the Avengers, he fought under the guise of both Ronin and the Splendiferous Spider Hero (a bootleg Spider-Man Halloween costume). And that's the #1 reason why I want Disney and Sony to hash things out.

MS. MARVEL

Without Spidey, we'll get a new teen hero in the MCU with the Ms. Marvel TV series!

MCU New Characters - Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan

As part of a strategy to protect the Inhuman race, Black Bolt unleashed a cloud of terrigen mist across the globe. Many people who were unknowingly descendants of Inhumans found themselves empowered by the traveling cloud. One such person was Kamala Khan, a fangirl of all things superhero, especially when it came to Carol Danvers. Discovering she can shapeshift and grow in size, Kamala started fighting crime as the new Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel juggles the difficulties of being a Muslim teen growing up in New Jersey with doing the superhero gig alongside the people she’s idolized for years. She’s made Wolverine groan during a team-up by bringing up that she’s written fanfiction about him. In actuality, he was more disgusted to find that a Cyclops fanfic got more love.

read more: Who is Ms. Marvel? Explaining the Next MCU Star

MOON KNIGHT

Something we once hoped would come to Netflix will instead come to Disney+. Get ready for the Moon KnightTV series!

MCU New Characters - Moon Knight

Marc Spector

Marc Spector was a mercenary on a mission in Egypt, working under a maniac named Bushman. Spector was betrayed and beaten within an inch of his life, only to be carried away by worshippers of an Egyptian moon god named Khonshu. Spector was laid before a statue of the god and received a vision offering him new life in return for being the god’s avatar of vengeance.

Spector was reborn and chooses to annihilate crime under various identities, such as a millionaire playboy, a cab driver, and the Fist of Khonshu himself, Moon Knight. Using weapons and martial arts skills, Spector appears to be more powerful and agile when in the presence of the moon. Whether that’s a legit power or just psychosomatic is up for debate, as are his conversations with Khonshu. Spector is a bit of a Beautiful Mind type of guy in terms of mental issues and sometimes is pestered by imaginary versions of superheroes or even a mutilated Bushman.

read more - Moon Knight: The History of Marvel's Next TV Star

SHE-HULK

The She-Hulk TV series has the potential to be the strangest project on the upcoming Marvel roster...

MCU New Characters - She-Hulk

Jennifer Walters

Eternally on the run, Bruce Banner decided to see his cousin Jen Walters for the sake of having someone to confide in about his Hulk problem. Their reunion was cut short, as a criminal shot Jen, requiring a gamma-irradiated blood transfusion from her cousin. While it did save Jen’s life, it also gave her the power to turn into a mighty, green-skinned behemoth known as She-Hulk.

Instead of a savage rage monster, She-Hulk is mostly depicted as a rational and confident persona and counters Jen’s innate shyness. She’s become a regular member of the Avengers while also having a couple runs as a member of the Fantastic Four. She’s a humorous hero and, for a time, was even aware of the fourth wall, making her a bit of a proto-Deadpool.

read more: Who is She-Hulk? A Guide to Marvel's Next TV Star

Gavin Jasper writes for Den of Geek and realizes that Marvel’s burning through so many non-Thunderbolts properties that Thunderbolts has to happen eventually. Right? ...Right? Read more of his articles here and follow him on Twitter @Gavin4L

Marvel Character Coming to the MCU
FeatureGavin Jasper
Sep 5, 2019

Steven Universe Season 6: Release Date, Cast, and Story Details

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We have some ideas whether Season 6 of Steven Universe is happening on Cartoon Network.

So… is Steven Universe Season 6 happening? Steven Universe: The Movieseemed like it could have easily been the wrap up to the entire series. Steven’s emotional arc seems to finally be concluded and we got to re-experience everyone’s emotional journey’s. So… is this the end?

Well Polygon got a response from Cartoon Network! They said, "the television movie is not the end of Steven Universe. There is more Steven to come!”

Adding to that, ComicBook.com interviewed Rebecca Sugar and while they didn't give anything away they did say, "I can't say much yet, but there will be more. There is one more big thing that I really want to say. That's coming up... The events of the show, the events of the movie, they all matter."

They furthur went on to address fans by saying, "...there are consequences. Always in Steven, always with the ways that the characters arc, things have an impact. So, please keep watching."

Steven Universe Season 6 Release Date

Right now all we know is Steven Universe: The Movie just aired. If Season 6 happens it all, we might have to wait until next year.

Steven Universe Season 6 Story

This wasn't the first we heard about the series possibly continuing. In an episode of the Steven Universepodcast discussing the "Change Your Mind" finale, show creator Rebecca Sugar and former executive producer Ian Jones-Quartey hinted at what could be coming next. In relation to the episode itself, Jones-Quartey commented, "'Change Your Mind; isn't the end of the Steven Universefranchise but, "'Change Your Mind' is the end to this particular story that we started writing back in 2011."

Sugar went on to describe how the Steven character has broken down all the "supposed to's" in his life and, "he doesn't have to be what other people want or expect him to be, that's what he needed to find." This lead to both Sugar and Jones-Quartey discussing what will be happening next for the series, albeit it in very vague terms.

Ian Jones-Quartey: I don't think it's a spoiler to say that this specific arc of Steven, 'Change Your Mind' definitively makes a definitive statement on Steven and who he is and what he thinks he is. And how he feels about it. And moving forward from now, it's going to be different.

Rebecca Sugar: Everything will be different.

Ian Jones-Quartey: Everything will be different. I really hope that if you're the kind of person who is waiting to watch like more stuff, is that you don't think of the break between "Change Your Mind" and what comes next, as like, you're waiting for more of THIS show, because this version of it is done, there's going to be more, but it's going to be different and it's going to be something new. There's a lot more to do. But, we're not coming back here, because Steven has really figured something out about himself. So this part of the story, you know, that's it.

There's a lot to unpack there, but suffice it to say it sounds like we're in for way more adventures than just Steven Universe: The Movie. Jones Quartey specifically there's "going to be more" to the show, although it'll be different from what we've seen before. He also mentioned it'll be "new." That could mean a lot of things but we suspect it's that the series may shift focus from this journey Steven has been on for the show and maybe explore different parts of himself or even the wider universe of the show.

It's really hard to say but with all this talk it sounds like Season 6 of Steven Universe is more likely than not.

read more: Steven Universe: The Essential Episodes

Steven Universe Season 6 Cast

Pearl actress Deedee Magno Hall also posted a photo from a recording session that seemed to include season 6 production numbers, which you can find below.

Unless something dramatic happens we should be seeing the full cast returning if season 6 happens. Keep checking back to Den of Geek for all things Steven Universe season 6. We'll update this article as we learn more! Don't forget to check out our list of the essential Steven Universe episodes!

Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!

Steven Universe Season 6
NewsShamus Kelley
Sep 5, 2019

Atlanta Season 3 Cast, Release Date, News, and More

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Atlanta Season 3 will be bringing more Southern Gothic goodness to FX but not for awhile.

FX officially confirmed we'll be getting an Atlanta Season 3. It's just going to take awhile.

Donald and Stephen Glover's brilliant, Faulkner-esque series Atlantahas been a big hit for FX in some untraditional ways. Anecdotally speaking, it feels like few shows on television drive online conversation or rile up the blogosphere like Atlanta.

read more: Best TV Comedies of 2018

FX, as run by CEO John Landgraf, is a network that thrives on non-traditional attention. It likes its shows to drive conversation, generate thinkpieces, and win awards. Atlanta has proven adept at all three of those things. So Atlanta only drew less than a million viewers on the night it airs, but FX is confident in its product. It likely helped that FX just inked Atlanta director and long-time Glover collaborator Hiro Murai to a big overall deal.

Atlanta is phenomenal, achieving and exceeding what few television series have done,” said president of original programming for FX Nick Grad in a statement. “With Atlanta Robbin’ Season, Donald and his collaborators elevated the series to even greater heights, building on the enormous success of their award-winning first season. We’re grateful to the producers and our extraordinary cast and crew for achieving this level of excellence, and we share the excitement with our audience about the third season knowing they will continue to take us to unexpected and thrilling places.”

read more: The Many Genres of Atlanta

At an FYC Emmy screening this summer, Glover said that Atlanta Season 3 will be the most "accessible" season yet.

“I align the seasons I think, to me, like Kanye records,” Glover said. “I feel like this is our ‘Graduation.’ This is probably our most accessible but also the realest — an honest version of it — and I feel like the most enjoyable, like the third album.

Atlanta Season 3 Cast

The main players are all sure to be back: Donald Glover, Zazie Beets, Brian Tyree Henry, and Lakeith Stanfield. Beetz confirmed as much to Digital Spy. There may, however, come a day when this cast is simply too famous and has too many other opportunities to stay locked down. Beetz and Stanfield had a busy schedule of late with the likes of Deadpool 2 and Sorry to Bother You. That day is not here yet though.

Atlanta Season 3 Release Date

Atlanta star Zazie Beetz told IndieWire that due to some delays, Atlanta won't begin production until the spring. Clear some space in your 2020 schedule. FX CEO John Landgraf confirmed as much during his appearance at the 2019 TCA winter press tour. Atlanta Season 3 likely won't arrive until late 2019 at the earliest.

Glover also likes to work at his own pace, telling Entertainment Tonight before the debut of Atlanta Season 2: “I don’t rush my work. I’d hate to be like, ‘It was worth the wait.’ You’ll decide that." Whenever Atlanta Season 3 arrives, it will likely be worth the wait. We can't wait to see where Paper Boi's career goes next or at least what haunted woods he gets lost in.

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

Atlanta Season 3 Release Date, Cast, News
NewsAlec Bojalad
Sep 5, 2019

The Good Place Season 4 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and More News

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Forkin' right. The Good Place Season 4 will be back on NBC later in 2019! Here's everything we know from cast news to release date.

All good things must come to an end. The Good Place creator Michael Shur confirmed that the NBC comedy will close shop with The Good Place Season 4. In a message to fans on Twitter, Shur explains the decision was a creative one. He felt that four seasons and over 50 episodes was the "right lifespan."   

You can read the full message below:

The news comes months after the network officially confirmed The Good Place season 4 for the 2019/2020 television season. The pickup came with just four episodes left in season three. No episode number for The Good Place season 4 is set, but the previous seasons all consisted of 13 episodes.

The early renewal will give creator Michael Schur plenty of time to chart a new direction for a series known for major plot-altering twists. The series has also delivered a ratings success for NBC as its highest-rated comedy. According to Deadline, the current season is averaging 4.6 million viewers in Live+7 ratings, and performs well in digital and time-adjusted viewership. 

"Congratulations to Mike Schur and an exceptional cast and crew, all of whom collaborate to create a thoughtful, mind-bending and hysterical series unlike anything else on television," said Tracey Pakosta and Lisa Katz, co-presidents, scripted programming at NBC Entertainment said in a statement. "We can't wait to see what unexpected stories the new season will bring."

The Good Place stars Kristen Bell, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, and Manny Jacinto. The show received two Emmy nominations in 2018: Danson for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Maya Rudolph for Outstanding Guest Role.

You can read all of our reviews for The Good Place season 3 here!

The Good Place Season 4 Release Date

We expect The Good Place Season 4 to arrive in September of 2019. We'll update this when we have official confirmation. However, this tease that it's coming in the fall is close enough, so we'll take it!

At NBC's upfronts, the network revealed that The Good Palce will premiere in the fall and maintain its Thursday at 9 p.m. ET timeslot. 

The Good Place Season 4 Cast

News from SDCC 2019 includes that The Good Place season 4 will feature the "ultimate mic drop" guest star. Chris Hemsworth anyone?

We can certainly expect our main members of Team Cockroach: Michael, Janet, Eleanor, Tahani, Chid, and Jason. It's reasonable to assume that Judge Gen and Shawn the demon will be increased presences. Given that The Good Place Season 4 will take place in a new experimental neighborhood, there's a possibility for more humans involvement.

Now we'll let you know the moment we hear about Derek's involvement.

The Good Place Season 4 Plot

With The Good Place Season 4 being the final season of The Good Place, expect some...well, finality. This will be the end of   Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, Jason, Janet, and Michael's stories. The premiere will presumably pick up with the gang testing out their new neighborhood to prove that human beings are truly capable of redemption. 

"They're going to repeat this grand experiment of Michael's neighborhood with new people and see what happens," Schur told the Hollywood Reporter. "Their wager is that any group of people, if given a certain amount of love, support, empathy, and help, can become better. That essentially no one is beyond rehabilitation. That's the first chunk of episodes: repeating this experiment with these new people and having our crew now shift from students to teachers a bit."

Can't wait to see how that plays out.

Chris Longo is the deputy editor and print editor of Den of Geek. You can tell him who you'd like to get stuck in The Good Place with on Twitter -> @east_coastbias

The Good Place Season 4 Release Date Cast News
NewsChris Longo
Sep 5, 2019

Stranger Things Season 4 Cast, Release Date, Story, News, and More

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Netflix knows a good thing when it's got it and likely wants a Stranger Things Season 4. Do the Duffers have more story in mind though?

The wait for Stranger Things Season 4 has begun!

Stranger Things season 4 has yet to be announced by Netflix but its renewal seems to be basically certain. Not only does Netflix obviously want to keep the Stranger Things franchise going, but so do The Duffer Brothers and all the other folks who actually make Stranger Things.

If a fourth season weren't in the cards, then why keep the hopes of Jim Hopper's survival alive and reintroduce the Demogorgon into the world? Also, the Duffers themselves have previously stated that they had a fourth season tentatively planned.

It's always difficult to predict the future of a show that relies so heavily on child actors...and child actors whose careers are so ascendant at that. But recent franchises like Game of Thrones have managed to keep its young actors around long term and there's no reason to believe that Netflix and its deep pocketbooks couldn't.

Here is everything we know about Stranger Things season 4.

Stranger Things Season 4 Cast

It's not secret that Stranger Things' most potent weapon is its cast. It's fair to assume that all surviving characters will be back in season 4, which means roles for: Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, Noah Schnapp, and Sadie Sink. Recurring actors and new additions like Brett Gelman, Priah Ferguson, Maya Hawke, and maybe even Cary Elwes could return as well.

Then there's the Hopper of it all. There's no way there will be a Stranger Things season without David Harbour, right....RIGHT??? Based on the Stranger Things season 3 post-credits scene, it's probably safe to assume that everyone's favorite taciturn chief will be back.

Stranger Things Season 4 Release Date

Expect Netflix to renew Stranger Things for a fourth season and expect them to do it relatively soon. Stranger Things Season 3 was confirmed a little over a month after season 2 premiered. Until then, stay strange.

Once announced there is no expectation on when the show could premiere. The first two seasons were October affairs with season 3 taking a bit more time and eventually premiering on July 4, 2019.

Listen to our analysis of Stranger Things on the Sci Fi Fidelity podcast: 

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Acast | RSS

Stranger Things Season 4 Story

Immediately following Stranger Things season 3, the Duffer Brothers spoke to EW about their plans for a potential season 4. Ross Duffer said:

"We don’t want to write ourselves in a corner so we try to have these early discussions with the writers just to make sure that we’re setting ourselves up to go in the right direction. We don’t know a lot, but we do know a lot of the big broad strokes. At the end of season two, we knew about Billy. We knew that the Russians were going to come in. We didn’t know the mall and stuff, but again, we know these big broad strokes. That’s sort of where we are in season four. We have the big broad strokes. It’s just now about filling in those lines in the details. We’re pretty excited about where it’s potentially going to go. Again, like we said, it’s going to feel very different than this season. But I think that’s the right thing to do and I think it’ll be exciting."

Matt added that season 4 would "open up a little bit" by "allowing portals into areas outside of Hawkins."

Sounds like Stranger Things season 4 could be a global affair. 

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

Stranger Things Season 4 Release Date, Story, Cast, News
NewsAlec Bojalad
Sep 5, 2019

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Most Doctor-ish Moments

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Andrew attempts to put his finger on those moments that make the Doctor incontrovertibly the Doctor...

This article contains spoilers for Doctor Who, including books and audioplays. It originally ran on Den of Geek UK.

You know the description "Doctor-ish," pertaining to the title character in the long-running BBC TV series Doctor Who? It feels slightly nebulous, defined circularly by virtue of literally anything they do potentially matching this description. Yet, I bet we all carry a vague notion of it, a gut feeling that certain acts and ways are Doctor-ish.

Rather than try to define this then find examples to support the definition, I’m going to list examples of behavior from each incarnation that I regard as Doctor-ish then leave everyone to come up with their own conclusions/reiterate their existing opinions. And so…

The First Doctor - The Aztecs - “Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged.”

The Doctor accidentally gets engaged to a woman called Cameca by sharing cocoa with her, and casually mentions his new fiancée to Ian. This is made funnier by the fact that at the time he nearly spluttered with indignation, but relates it to Ian - the nearest thing the show had to an absolute lad at the time - as if it’s not a big deal, one of the few moments where the First Doctor can be compared with Jay from The Inbetweeners.

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All at once we have hubris, ego, and that callous edge whereby the Doctor will still use this woman to get access to the trapped ship and escape. Because he’s not the man we first met though, we see some genuine affection as he tries to soften the blow.

Doctor Who - Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. - “Oh, don’t apologise. I expected it.”

Peter Cushing’s human scientist is betrayed to the Daleks by Brockley (a young Philip Madoc). Instead of being angry at this deeply untrustworthy man for delivering him into the claws of his deadliest (and only) enemy, Doctor Who is cheerily sanguine about the whole thing to Brockley while meaningfully putting on his gloves and glaring at the Daleks.

The Second Doctor - The Web Of Fear - “Now you’ve gone and ruined everything!”

Maybe it’s the silver hair that does it, but compared to the incarnations on either side of him the Second Doctor gets away with a ruthless, manipulative streak and a haughty sense of superiority. Seven is too broody, too melancholy, too obscure-Presbyterian-sect to be anything other than a sad clown, whereas Two absolutely hides his darkness behind a ramshackle demeanour and quotable speeches about fighting monsters in a polyhedron universe.

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Here, having secretly plotted to destroy the Great Intelligence, he vents his frustration at his plan going awry because his friends have rescued him and temporarily driven the entity away. A short-term victory only, it’s interesting that here we have the first meeting of the Doctor with Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, ending with the Doctor trying to trick him in order to murder an alien intelligence. Cut to:

The Third Doctor - Doctor Who And The Silurians - “Hello, are you a Silurian?”

Jon Pertwee’s Doctor is more famous for being a forthright man of action, generally yelling ‘HAAAII’ and getting involved in chase sequences that are somehow still happening. This scene, in his second story, is a great counterpoint.

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Upon establishing that Dr Quinn (Fulton Mackay) is dead and, knowing that it was probably this creature that killed him, the Doctor recovers from his shock and is simply kind. Then, in an equally telling moment, grows desperate when the Silurian is scared away by someone else arriving, shouting that the humans will destroy them.

The Fourth Doctor - The Well-Mannered War - “Goodbye universe, I’ll be back again one day!”

In the novelisation, originally published as part of Virgin Book’s Missing Adventures range, this story ends on a sombre note which ties in with the Fourth Doctor’s unexpected change in mood between Season 17 and 18. In the Big Finish adaptation by Jacqueline Rayner, the tone of this scene is different. Tom Baker performs it as a victory, a note of delight creeping into his voice when escaping an elaborate trap (by heading into a completely different sort of danger).

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In his recent Scratchman novel, Baker confirms that he regards the Fourth Doctor’s character as essentially static, so perhaps that informs his acting here. It brings to mind an alternate Season 18, one where the end of Logopolis is very different in its melancholy.

The Fifth Doctor - Black Orchid - “Oh, well bowled.”

If you’ve ever wondered what Doctor Who would look like if they just landed somewhere and had a nice time without much in the way of jeopardy, watch Black Orchid Part One (NB. At this point you may as well watch Black Orchid Part Two).

Here, with varying degrees of verisimilitude, the Fifth Doctor plays cricket incredibly well.

That’s it. That’s the clip.

He’s just trying to unwind.

The Sixth Doctor - The Trial Of A Time Lord - “There’s a mystery here.”

In this scene you get a microcosm of the Doctor across all their incarnations: it’s not that he doesn’t care about Peri here, it’s that he’s fundamentally incapable of really understanding how she’s feeling, tries anyway, but then his natural curiosity is a bigger motivating factor in his behaviour. His enthusiasm for the unknown is electrifying, his annoyance at being dragged back childish.

Worth noting also that Colin Baker absolutely nails this scene, there are elements of all the other Doctors in his performance here.

The Seventh Doctor - Remembrance Of The Daleks - “And didn’t we have trouble with the prototype?”

This scene is notable for a few reasons. The secrecy, the quiet aside, confiding in his friend ... it’s the Seventh Doctor entering his prime brooding phase as we realise that this scheme he’s got going is, in fact, severely epic. While the show was yet to enter the Series Finale register of drama, here the production is really going for it which lends it a sense of scale. This is a significant change from what’s gone before.

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The McCoy era is a useful testing ground for a lot of the ideas present in the post-2005 show, and while Russell T. Davies may well have had them anyway it’s interesting to note the variations on the themes. For those of you who prefer their Doctors on the less mythic side, this scene is where that version of the character really kicks into gear. While the ideas here were explored in books rather than telly, the idea of the Doctor as a legend rather than just some traveller persisted until the 2018 series.


The Eighth Doctor - The TV Movie - “Who. Am. I?”

You are just a teensy bit melodramatic, sir.

The War Doctor - The Name Of The Doctor - “What I did I did without choice in the name of peace and sanity.”

Besides being a great cliffhanger, this carries on a grand tradition of Doctor Who which is to introduce new and huge ideas that bludgeon the shape of the series into something else. Here we not only have a new, previously unheard-of incarnation (one who can represent the Wilderness Years off air yet also all the came before) but also the idea that "The Doctor" is an ideal rather than the individual.

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Sure, once the dust has settled this doesn’t quite align with the rest of Doctor Who but no attempt to rationalise Doctor Who is going to be 100% successful, and this is precisely what headcanons and fan fictions are there for.

The Ninth Doctor - The Trip Of A Lifetime - “Do you wanna come with me?”

There are only three TV series separating the Sixth Doctor and the Ninth, but such a contrast. The first appearance, as this was for Nine, is where gut reactions shape how we feel about a new Doctor for quite some time afterwards. What this advert does is confidently challenge preconceptions about "Doctor-ish" character traits and appearance, in that we aren’t confronted with eccentricities and a costume, but a bloke with some clothes. This was a huge change, and one that the show hasn’t made stick in every respect, but a lot of what this ad projects still shapes the character to this day.

The Tenth Doctor - Love & Monsters - “Don’t ever mistake that for nice.”

An intrinsic part of the Tenth Doctor’s characterization is that he’s an incredibly attractive but equally damaging person, and showrunner Russell T. Davies obviously knows this, hence there being numerous clips available to illustrate the point ("The Christmas Invasion," "Tooth And Claw," "Rise Of The Cybermen,""Doomsday"…).

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Here, Elton Pope has sought the Doctor for most of his life, after seeing him the night his mum died. Now he’s seemingly lost everything, and when the TARDIS lands he’s confronted with this hero: a messy, capricious and destructive force.

The Eleventh Doctor - The Pandorica Opens - “I. Am. Talking!”

Davies’ successor, Steven Moffat, has been described as putting the Doctor on a pedestal and supplying him with hero moments that jarred with the character’s anti-hero and non-mythic wanderer traits.

Here’s both an example and an inversion of that concept, Matt Smith’s Doctor gives off massive rock-star vibes while simultaneously answering the Eighth Doctor’s question from earlier. Murray Gold’s score is celebratory as the Doctor, with just his voice, challenges the combined space fleets of some of the universe’s most feared races (and some obscure continuity references) to protect the Pandorica and send his opponents packing.

He is righteous, he is heroic and he is wrong. In every important respect.

The Twelfth Doctor - Heaven Sent - “I’m nothing without an audience.”

In what is clearly the best scene of the episode, the Doctor breaks some windows and walls.

A problem with writing Doctor Who is that the Doctor is supposed to be an incredibly clever alien who has lived for centuries, but most people writing Doctor Whoare merely intelligent middle-aged men who are tired and have multiple deadlines. Steven Moffat is certainly some of those things, and his writing is ostentatiously clever.

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When it has enough verve - and the acting and production soar alongside - we get scenes like this, which are doing so much yet remain coherent and entertaining. So much information is conveyed here. We have a rapid explanation of the Doctor’s plan of escape with at least two major character beats and a fourth-wall break that could power a dissertation, and at least two of these are massive retcons.

He has nerve, does Steven Moffat.

The Thirteenth Doctor - The Tsuranga Conundrum - “I love it. Conceptually and actually.”

There’s a lot of peril going on but the Doctor can’t help but geek out over something that’s caught her eye. Sure, it doesn’t feel especially helpful but she just can’t help herself. Also, it turns out to be useful for the plot later on.

While name-dropping and rapid-fire enthusiasm are regular features of Thirteen, it’s this bout of uncynical geeking out that’s felt most intrinsically Doctor-ish for me, and I sincerely hope Jodie Whittaker gets more moments like this in Season 12.

What do you consider the most Doctor-ish moments of Doctor Who? Let us know in the comments below, and check out the latest information about Doctor Who Season 12 here.

FeatureAndrew Blair
Sep 5, 2019
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