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Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's final episode finally gave audiences new details about Jude Law's mysterious character, Jod Na Nawood. The mysterious pirate captain was also a Force user, making viewers question his history and if he had any Jedi or Sith connections. Was he one of the many survivors of Order 66, or was he a fraud like Haja Estree from Obi-Wan Kenobi? The season (hopefully not series) finale of Skeleton Crew finally revealed Jod's backstory. He was found by a Jedi when he was around 10 years old, and he says he was about the same age as the lead character, Wim. Jod identifies the Jedi using she/her pronouns and claims she taught him a few tricks before he watched her die. He describes her as "may have been desperate and ragged like me, but she told me I had potential.”

The series confirms that Jod has some connection to the Jedi.

Quick Links Han Solo's Cut Origin From 'Revenge of the Sith' Is Jod From Kashykkk...and Was His Jedi Teacher in 'Revenge of the Sith'?

After weeks of teasing the backstory about Jude Law's mysterious Jod Na Nawood in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the series finally provided a hint about his origins. The Disney+ series revealed that the pirate Captain, who went by many aliases, was trained in the ways of the Force by a mysterious female Jedi before she was killed in front of him. While Jod does not name the Jedi, the few details he offers about himself in the finale, plus throughout the series and his status as a space pirate, might tell us something about his backstory.

Ever since Disney acquired Star Wars, one favorite thing among creatives has been to reuse old scrapped concepts from the original six movies and reincorporate them into the franchise in new ways.

Skeleton Crew episode 8 solidifies the show as one of Star Wars' best, wrapping up the endearing story with ease. Since the show began, I have made it clear how easy the show is to enjoy. Not only is Skeleton Crew's cast of characters fleshed out, but the show understands that it does not need to be galaxy-altering to be a worthy addition to Star Wars canon. As of the Skeleton Crew episode 8's ending, this reality is more prevalent than ever thanks to the excellent conclusion of a mostly self-contained story.

Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.

Release Date December 2, 2024Rating TV-PGCast Cass Buggé, Esai Daniel Cross, Vivienne Sachs,...

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew star Jude Law recently confirmed he is set to play Vladimir Putin in an upcoming drama that features a star-studded cast.

Per Av Club, Law confirmed in an interview with Deadline that he will be portraying Putin in the upcoming drama, The Wizard of the Kremlin. From director Olivier Assayas, The Wizard of the Kremlin is a feature adaptation of the novel written by Giuliano da Empoli, which centers around a fictitious TV producer, Vadim Baranov, who recounts to the book's author how he helped Putin rise to power after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Batman star Paul Dano is set to play Baranov in the film, which also features the talents of Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), Tom Sturridge (The Sandman), and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover).

Related Matt Damon & Jude Law's Oscar-Nominated 25-Year-Old Thriller Is Coming to Paramount+

The Bourne Identity's Matt Damon...

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Skeleton Crew's episode 7

Skeleton Crew episode 7 barrels toward the ending with plenty of answers, the threat of lightsabers, and Jude Law having a blast. Skeleton Crew season 2 may be possible after the show's ending, but episode 7 furthered the feeling of finality as the last episode beckons. Overall, I've had a blast with this show. From Skeleton Crew's many Easter eggs to its compelling characters and fun, easygoing, but no less interesting story, the show has been a delight.

Skeleton Crew follows four ordinary children who become lost in the expansive Star Wars galaxy. As they navigate unfamiliar worlds and the challenges they present, the group endeavors to find their way back to their home planet, undertaking a journey across the iconic Star Wars universe.

Release Date  December 2, 2024Rating  TV-PGCast  Cass Buggé, Esai Daniel Cross, Vivienne Sachs, Robert Timothy Smith, Kyriana Kratter, Shane Almagor,...

Spoilers ahead for the finale of "What We Do In the Shadows."

"What We Do In the Shadows" is one of the best TV comedies of the past few years and an all-time great TV show based on a movie. For six seasons, it gave us delightful, weird, horny stories that looked at the dull immobility of immortality and mined comedy from the fact that the series' centuries-old vampires are so carefree due to their existence that they basically waste their lives away, oblivious of anything happening beyond their house and uninterested in anyone but themselves. In a sense, it's the anti-"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," because rather than look at the fleeting nature of time and find melancholy in it the way that anime does, "What We Do In the Shadows" simply has its cast of lovable buffoons ignore all that willingly.

This is not to say that the...

What We Do in the Shadows will feature the return of a fan-favorite vampire in its final season. The FX mockumentary comedy, which stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, and Mark Proksch as vampire roommates who live in Staten Island with human familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guilln), is based on the 2014 movie of the same name by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. The upcoming What We Do in the Shadows season 6, which spans 11 episodes, will conclude the show's run.

Screen Rant recently sat down for an interview with Doug Jones, who plays the recurring role of the power-hungry and decrepit vampire Baron Afanas in What We Do in the Shadows, while he was promoting his role as a completely different vampire in the upcoming David Lee Fisher horror movie Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. While listing various vampire characters he has played throughout his career, including on the Guillermo del Toro horror series The Strain,...

Exclusive: Popular comic and voice actor James Adomian announced on Wednesday that his debut stand-up special, Path of Most Resistance, will premiere on YouTube on Thursday, September 19.

Recorded at The Elysian Theater in Los Angeles, the hour-long special is described as a kinetic ride packed with absurd characters, razor-sharp impressions, boiling wit, and a few wild stories from his lively, queer life. Check out a first-look clip below.

In addition to writing and performing the special, produced by 800 Pound Gorilla, Adomian exec produced alongside Jennie Church-Cooper, Ian Adkins, Ryan Bitzer, Damion Greiman and Anthony Leo, with Matt Schuler producing.

While Path of Resistance marks Adomian’s first filmed hour of stand-up, he’s previously put out an improvised Trump vs. Bernie character debate special with Anthony Atamanuik, as well as the 2012 stand-up Low Hangin Fruit. Currently guest starring regularly on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, his many on-camera appearances include History of the World: Part II,...

Get ready to crank up the volume because Val Verde’s favorite (and now officially #1) classic rock station, 108.9 The Hawk, is back for Season 5! Join hosts Geoff “The Angry Man” Garlock (the seminal hardcore band Orchid) and Jason Gore as they navigate the turbulent waters of radio broadcasting with their signature blend of improvised comedy, classic rock, and absurd characters.

This season, 108.9 The Hawk is turning up the heat with a lineup of amazing special guests, starting off with a bang with guest Dave Holmes (Who Killed the Video Star?; Waiting For Impact; MTV). Tune in on Monday, August 19th as Dave takes on the role of Val Verde’s beloved weatherman Greg Fresca, as they celebrate Extreme Heat Days, Val Verde's favorite outdoor festival that takes place in a mall parking lot. The following week they will be joined by Will Hines (Comedy Bang Bang; The World’s Greatest...

Gold Derby can exclusively reveal that Matt Berry is entering the “What We Do in the Shadows” episode titled “Pride Parade” as his 2024 Emmy Award submission for Best Comedy Actor. “Pride Parade” aired on July 20, 2023 and is the third episode of the FX show’s fifth season.

In this installment, Berry’s character Leslie “Laszlo” Cravensworth agrees to help Sean (Anthony Atamanuik) in his comptroller election by planning a pride parade to boost his LGBT+ demo. Later on, Laszlo and Nandor (Kayvan Novak) give Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) several tests to see how much of a vampire he’s truly become.

See 2024 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations complete list: ‘The Bear’ and ‘Shogun’ lead

This year marks the first career Emmy nomination for Berry after earning a pair of Critics Choice Awards bids in 2021 and ’23. For this 2024 Emmys contest, he is competing against Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building...

We’re delighted to exclusively announce that Grasshopper Film has acquired the digital and non-theatrical North American distribution rights to I’m “George Lucas”: A Connor Ratliff Story, which World Premiered at Slamdance earlier this year and had a successful limited theatrical run nationwide with Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas this past spring. The documentary has its PVOD premiere starting today, available for rental or purchase, followed by a Tvod release on major platforms. The film tracks comedian Connor Ratliff while he performs as renowned filmmaker George Lucas in the New York cult comedy show “The George Lucas Talk Show,” and as he begins to question the need for its continuation and his own drive for success and fulfillment in show business.

The documentary is directed by first-time filmmaker Ryan Jacobi and stars Connor Ratliff, Griffin Newman, and Patrick Cotnoir (The Chris Gethard Show), and is produced by Annamaria Sofillas, Jacobi,...

FX's favorite undead housemates are taking a break from filming Season 6 of What We Do in the Shadows to celebrate the birthday of one of their own - Matt Berry. The man behind the dapper Renaissance vampire, Laszlo, turned 50 today and, as a gift, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a new photo from the set with the Staten Island gang, plus his good friend Sean (Anthony Atamanuik). Everyone's gathered in the Vampire Residence around a cart topped with adorable little dolls depicting the inhabitants, including Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Guillermo (Harvey Guilln), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and The Guide (Kristen Schaal), surrounding Laszlo as he prepares to dig into his cake and gifts.

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery season 4, episode 3, "Jinaal".

"Jinaal" has multiple DS9 references from the Trill zhian'tara ritual to a Ferengi bartender. A Ferengi officer in USS Discovery's bar references Quark from DS9. Discovery's USS Nog is a tribute to actor Aron Eisenberg. Alex Kurtzman hopes it will continue Nog's legacy.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal" returns to Trill, but that's not the episode's only big connection to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In "Jinaal", Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) participates in a Trill zhian'tara ritual, embodying Jinaal Bix to lead Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) to the next clue in their treasure hunt. This ritual first took place in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 25, "Facets", in which Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) conducts the ceremony, to meet the previous Dax hosts.

Interestingly, the subplot of "Facets" is...

Gen-z Media (www.GZMShows.com), the leading producer of audio programming for tweens, teens and families, announces its newest spooky comedy adventure, just in time for Halloween.

The 20-episode serialized podcast, Mina & Lucy’s Guide to Slaying Dracula launches on Thursday, September 21 across all podcast platforms, with additional episodes releasing in the lead up to Halloween.

Penned by Lauren Wells (FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows”) and based loosely on the classic novel by Bram Stoker, the comedy adventure stars Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”), pictured above, as the legendary vampire hunter, Professor Van Helsing.

The serialized story chronicles best friends and monster enthusiasts who discover something shocking about their new classmate, and when strange occurrences begin rattling their small town, the friends find themselves confronting the most powerful vampire of legend, Dracula himself.

Whitford voices Professor Van Helsing, Mina’s eccentric and protective grandfather, who guards his...

Exclusive: Three-time Emmy winner Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale) has lent his voice to Mina & Lucy’s Guide to Slaying Dracula, a 20-episode serialized podcast from Gen-Z Media, producer of audio programming for tweens, teens and families. Whitford stars as the legendary vampire hunter, Professor Van Helsing, in the series, which launches Sept. 21 across all podcast platforms, with additional episodes releasing in the lead-up to Halloween.

Penned by Lauren Wells (FX’s What We Do in the Shadows) and based loosely on the classic novel by Bram Stoker, the serialized spooky comedy adventure story follows best friends and monster enthusiasts who discover something shocking about their new classmate, and when strange occurrences begin rattling their small town, the friends find themselves confronting the most powerful vampire of legend, Dracula himself. You can listen to a trailer below.

Whitford’s Professor Van Helsing is Mina’s eccentric and protective grandfather,...

[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “What We Do in the Shadows” Season 5, including the finale.]

Initiations are a delicate dance. If the welcome party is too genial, too forthcoming, or too needy, they can come across desperate, phony, or otherwise off-putting. But if greeters go the other way, it can feel like draconian hazing (at best) or outright hostility (at worst). The Guide, Kristen Schaal’s part-time vampiric player promoted to series fang-ular in Season 5, faces the latter version when she moves into a dilapidated Staten Island mansion occupied by four long-term roommates. Excluded, forgotten, and derided, The Guide takes her licking week after week, until Episode 9, “A Weekend at Morrigan Manor,” when she tricks her housemates into an impromptu vacation, then locks Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) in silver-lined cages and forces them to answer for their abominable behavior.

“They use the documentary style in...

This article contains spoilers for What We Do In The Shadows season 5 episode 4.

Politics are a draining business, as local community jurisdictions are filled with meaningless edicts requiring endless paperwork. This is the clot to the workings of American society, but lifeblood to those who thrive on the mind-numbing boredom of legislative agendas, especially those filed in triplicate. What We Do in the Shadows season 5 episode 4 “The Campaign” takes on the establishment, speaking hard truths to power in order to drain it.

“The Campaign” is filled with surprises. One is there is a cap on how many DUIs can be on someone’s record before being given the okay to run for office on Staten Island. This is ultimately the reason Sean Rinaldi (Anthony Atamanuik) is dropping out of the race for Staten Island Comptroller, in spite of all the hard work he put in to make his platform inclusive in “Pride Parade.

[This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike authorization.] [Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 Episode 3, “Pride Parade.”] The vampires of FX‘s What We Do in the Shadows embraced the rainbow for Season 5’s hilarious installment, “Pride Parade,” helping their neighbor Sean (Anthony Atamanuik) in his attempt to win the borough’s LGBTQ+ vote for comptroller. What follows is a series of hijinks only achievable on a show as supremely zany as Shadows. While the installment culminates in the titular pride parade, the shenanigans leading up to it include a body swap for Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and a wild one-man trip to space for Nandor (Kayvan Novak). When it came to achieving these stunts onscreen, the processes were fairly practical, particularly for Nadja whose body was inhabited by the spirit normally animating her lookalike doll. Instead, Nadja moved into the doll and struggled to get back to her own body ...

With great power comes great responsibility — unless you’re a vampire on “What We Do in the Shadows.” There in the recesses of Staten Island, great power yields great irresponsibility, great hubris and a great amount of hair-brained schemes involving body swaps, space flights, and sunburn. “You only live once,” Lazslo (Matt Berry) says in Season 5, Episode 3 — and while he’s not wrong, he’s risking centuries of life.

In “Pride Parade,” written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn and directed by Yana Gorskaya, the vampires become local heroes in Sean’s (Anthony Atamanuik) campaign for comptroller and the centerpiece of his bid for the LGBTQ vote. In typical “Wwdits” fashion, everyone is thrilled with the attention, only to sideline the event with their own personal chaos until episode’s end.

Now in the know about Guillermo’s latent vampirism, Laszlo chooses not to kill Guillermo or out him to Nandor...

This article contains spoilers for What We Do in the Shadows season 5 episode 3.

Staten Island isn’t known as the most progressive of the five boroughs of New York City. Sean Rinaldi (Anthony Atamanuik) wants to change that in What We Do in the Shadows season 5 episode 3 “Pride Parade.” If elected as Staten Island Comptroller, he promises a platform which can support everyone, and the installment is titled for his most ambitious plank.

Sean is so inclusive, he is not content to draw the Lbgtq+ communities, he wants to appeal to the LMNOPs. To do that, he needs donors who bring A, B, and O, positive and negative, to the voting booths. It’s the kind of infusion only Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), can bring to heat the chill reception expected at a wintertime, after hours, pride parade on the streets of Staten Island.

This article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of What We Do in the Shadows season 5.

After the arsonist’s inferno, neglected fire insurance premiums, and financial ruin which befell Nadja’s (Natasia Demetriou) vampire club last season, and the final growth spurt which marked the return of the once and future energy sucker Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), What We Do in the Shadows season 5 returns to bloody basics. The opening double-header episodes, “The Mall” and “A Night Out with the Guys,” lean into Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s original 2014 comic creature feature film by putting the supernatural immortals in mundane modern settings, and newly adopted olde world recreations.

“We want to be seen interacting with something like trams, trains, and all sorts of different things,” Kayvan Novak, who plays the ancient vampire warlord Nandor the Relentless, tells Den of Geek. “For an audience, that’s always exciting to see.

Compared to past seasons, there’s nothing particularly special about Laszlo, Matt Berry’s 300-year-old pansexual vampire, in “What We Do in the Shadows” Season 5. Jackie Daytona isn’t resurrected to raise money for the Clairton, Pennsylvania volleyball team. There’s no episode dedicated to Laszlo’s hobbies, nor is there a sudden plot twist that shines a light on Nadja’s much younger hubby. During the first four episodes, Laszlo is still Laszlo, and he’s still very much one instrument in an exceptional sextet comprised of Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), and their newest member, The Guide (Kristen Schaal).

But Season 5 still belongs to Laszlo, and thus, Matt Berry. From the first pre-credits’ button (a quote sure to spread like wildfire) to his C-plot ascendance in Episode 4, “The Campaign,” Laszlo is the integral element to his team’s success. It...

It’s first blood for “What We Do in the Shadows” Season 5! The hit FX mockumentary series, starring Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasha Demetriou, Mark Proksch, and Harvey Gulllén, will return this Thursday, July 13 at 10 p.m. Et for 10 new episodes of Staten Island adventures, from shopping malls to Pride parades. “What We Do in the Shadows” is available to watch via Hulu. You can watch What We Do in the Shadows: Season 5 and FX with a subscription to Sling TV. You can also watch with Directv Stream, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, or YouTube TV.

How to Watch ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 5 Premiere When: Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 10:00 Pm Edt TV: FX Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV. First Month: Save $15$40+ / month sling.com About ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Season 5 Premiere

The hit FX series “What We Do In The Shadows,” based on...

Wondery is launching Don’t Panic, a weekly comedy podcast offering coping mechanisms and survival advice for life’s worst-case scenarios. Each episode will feature a vivid soundscape to make it sound scary, while comedian and host Anthony Atamanuik explains how to withstand each dilemma. Atamaniuk says that staying alive in the most ridiculous situations is what keeps him up at night.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Luke Kirby in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Weekly Commentary: Commentary to be added.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.

The rankings for the category are below.

The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug.

In the third episode of "What We Do in the Shadows" season 2, entitled "Brain Scramblies", the show's vampire characters Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Dimitriou), and Laszlo (Matt Berry) have been invited to what they assume is a Superb Owl party. Being ancient vampires with no knowledge of modern-day human foibles, they aren't savvy enough to understand that it will be a Super Bowl party. 

They arrive at the home of their neighbor, Sean (Anthony Atamanuik), and only then does Sean realize that he never sees Nandor, Nadja, and Laszlo during the daytime, so he jokingly says they must be vampires. Fearing that their (barely-disguised) vampirism has actually been discovered by their neighbor, Nandor and Laszlo decide to hypnotize him and erase his memories. When Sean is showing off his room of "Ocean's Twelve" memorabilia, they strike.

One of the central jokes of the episode is that the vampires accidentally go too far,...

“Better Call Saul” actor Bob Odenkirk, “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick and acclaimed comedians Chelsea Handler and Eric André are among the lineup South by Southwest (SXSW) announced for its upcoming comedy festival.

The comedy festival will include improv, stand-up showcases, live podcast recordings and conversations.

In addition to Odenkirk, Kenrick, André and Handler, the comedy lineup features Abbi Jacobson, Adrienne Iapalucci, Andre Hyland, Anthony Atamanuik, Anthony DeVito, Aristotle Athari, Beth Stelling, Brian Moses, Caitlin Peluffo, Caleb Hearon, Christina Catherine Martinez, Doug Benson, Eddie Pepitone, Emma Willmann, Felipe Esparza, Godfrey, Greg Proops, Ismael Loutfi, Jackie Fabulous, Jake Johnson, James Adomian, Jessica McKenna, Joe DeRosa, John Gemberling, Josh Johnson, Joyelle Johnson, Katherine Blanford, Leonard Maltin, Matt Besser, Mike Lawrence, Natalie Palamides, Nick Thune, Patton Oswalt, Pete Lee, Phoebe Robinson, Rachel Sennott, Reggie Watts, Sabrina Jalees, Sam Jay, Sam Tallent, Sandy Honig, Steve Agee, Steph Tolev, Stuart Goldsmith, Tim Robinson, Todd Barry,...

With four strong seasons under its belt and at least two more on the way, the beloved vampire comedy series "What We Do in the Shadows" proves that vampires in pop culture — especially those written and acted this superbly — never die out. Based on Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's stellar mockumentary film of the same name, the FX series follows a group of centuries-old vampires living in Staten Island amongst their ever-expanding creepy crew and enemies -- both human and supernatural.

While several impressive guest stars have appeared on the show -- like Tilda Swinton in "The Trial" and Mark Hamill in one of the series' standout episodes, "On the Run" -- the series' main characters more than hold their own against them. There are no "bad" characters in "What We Do in the Shadows." However, some are better than others, and this list will break down the best...

This What We Do in The Shadows review contains spoilers.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 7

What We Do in the Shadows’ season 4 episode 7 “Pine Barrens,” is the most regressive and progressive of the series. Stylistically, the episode benefits from dipping into the manic and impromptu energy of both its earlier seasons and the original film it was based on. The forward motion is propelled by Guillermo (Harvey Guillen), who comes out as gay to his family, something they never had a problem with in the first place. If only the same could be said about his vampire tendencies.

The de la Cruz family are a warm and loving unit, supportive of each other, and united in purpose. Yes, they still think Guillermo is working at Panera Bread and one of his uncles has an annoying habit of reminding him there is a menswear option to style choices,...

This What We Do in The Shadows review contains spoilers.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 4 Episode 5

The child which crawled its way out of the abdominal cavity of Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) has reached that wild age where sitcom parents have to learn to jump a shark or lean into it. What We Do in the Shadows season 4 episode 5 “Private School,” bashes it in the nose with a ball peen hammer. Let that be a lesson.

Laszlo (Matt Berry) is in denial. As the ad hoc self-proclaimed caretaker of baby Colin, he feels responsible for its cultured evolution. Laszlo is putting on the brave face of a proud father, in full belief that the energy draining antics of the ever-energized young lad is the spark of something, anything, interesting. Berry puts his full and rapt focus on this conviction. It is as strong as his dedication to sex,...

This What We Do in the Shadows review contains spoilers.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 3 Episode 4

A coastal resort destination like Atlantic City might not seem the wisest place for a vampire to vacation, but it pays off in “The Casino.” The Staten Island vampires may be shirking their duties on the Vampiric Council, but What We Do in the Shadows season 3 episode 4 benefits from the change in scenery. This is especially shattering for Nandor (Kayvan Novak), who learns during this episode that the world is not only round, but also not held up on the shoulders of four mighty elephants.

The fang gang, plus energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) and familiar-turned-bodyguard Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), are invited out by their favorite neighbor, and Laszlo’s (Matt Berry) best human friend, Shaun (Anthony Atamanuik). He and his, also human, wife Charmaine (Marissa Jaret Winokur) are celebrating their wedding...

Exclusive: What We Do In The Shadows star Harvey Guillén is set to host After The Shadows, a pre-taped, social media talk show kicking off at 11 p.m. Pt immediately after the season 3 premiere on Sept. 2. The episodes will be available via TheShadowsFX via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well on FX’s official YouTube channel.

Guillén, who portrays Guillermo De La Cruz in the FX series, will chat with cast, crew, and celebrity fans to discuss their love of the show and to share insight into the making of season 3.

The initial guest list includes Shadows stars Kayvan Novak and Kristen Schaal, as well as Anthony Atamanuik, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and set decorator Shayne Fox, with more to be announced.

New episodes of After the Shadows will be available immediately after subsequent episodes of the show throughout the season.

The two-episode season 3 premiere begins at 10 p.m. Et/Pt...

In today’s TV news roundup, NBC announced the date of the “Superstore” series finale, and National Geographic set the release date for “Genius: Aretha.”

Dates

NBC’s “Superstore” will end on March 25 with a one-hour series finale at 8 p.m. The workplace comedy, executive produced by Justin Spitzer, Gabe Miller and Jonathan Green, follows the employees of “Cloud 9,” a fictional big-box store in St. Louis, Mo. as they deal with topical issues like immigration, health care, unionization and the struggles of working in retail. The series stars Ben Feldman, Lauren Ash, Colton Dunn, Nico Santos, Nichole Bloom, Kaliko Kauahi and Mark McKinney.

“Genius: Aretha” will debut on National Geographic on March 21 at 9 p.m. The third installment of the “Genius” anthology, which centers on Aretha Franklin (Cynthia Erivo), will run across four consecutive nights. The only authorized scripted series about Franklin, “Genius” tracks the Queen of Soul’s musical brilliance,...

Alec Baldwin and 11 Other Actors Who’ve Played Donald Trump on Screen (Photos)

Phil Hartman, “Saturday Night Live” (1988-1990)

Long before Alec Baldwin donned a blond wig, the late Phil Hartman played Donald Trump in a series of sketches. The first mocked Donald and Ivana Trump (Jan Hooks) as out-of-touch rich people at Christmas-time, while later skits depicted the couple’s tabloid divorce.

Darrell Hammond, “Saturday Night Live” (1999-2011)

Before Baldwin, Hammond was the go-to impersonator of Trump, starting with two sketches in 1989 and then off and on in multiple sketches over the next decade. He even returned to don a too-long red tie when Trump was guest host in 2015.

Louis Ferreira, “Trump Unauthorized” (2005)

The Portugese-born actor — best known for his work on TV series like “Stargate Universe,” “Breaking Bad” and “S.W.A.T.” — starred as the real estate mogul-turned reality star in a 2005 ABC movie.

Jason Sudeikis, “Saturday Night Live” (2012)

In...

What We Do In The Shadows stars Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén and Mark Proksch were joined by executive producers and writers Paul Simms and Stefani Robinson (and a cameo from the Nadja Doll) reflected about their favorite moments in season 2 but the real meat of the conversation was Simms and Robinson dropping major teases on what to expect for season 3 of the Emmy-nominated vampire mockumentary series based on the 2015 movie from Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement.

Simms and Stefani started talking about how they pick the mythical creatures that will join Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, Colin Robinson and Guillermo this season. They said there’s no rhyme or reason in picking the characters just as long as it moves the story forward.

“It’s sort of exciting because we have the ability to pick and choose what we find exciting and fun about vampires in general,” Robinson said,...

This What We Do in the Shadows review contains spoilers.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 2 Episode 3

What We Do in the Shadows Season 2, Episode 3, “Brain Scramblies,” observes a sacred event. The vampires of Staten Island are invited to the venerable celebration of the Superb Owl. Conspiracy theorists might think they recognize this from reports of the billionaire parties at Bohemian Grove, where a statue of such a wondrous bird guards with the warning “Weaving Spiders come not here.” Spiders drink blood just like vampires, so you can imagine the honor of getting such a coveted invitation.

Bloodsucking vampires respect the owl’s predatory nocturnal existence, much more than energy vampires respect their sanguine counterparts. Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) lets his housemates – Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Colin Robinson – go an entire opening segment believing in this winged demigod in their self-indulgent delusional...

Last year, production designer Kate Bunch outfitted a Staten Island mansion for the Eastern European vampires who inhabit the TV mockumentary adaptation of 2014 comedy-horror film “What We Do in the Shadows.” For the FX on Hulu series’ second collection of shows, though, the job got a lot tougher.

The new season required 20 to 30 new sets and a crew of around 100 people — partly due to an unexpected twist. “We lost our exterior mansion location from Season 1,” Bunch explains, when the owners sold it for use as a women’s shelter.

After all the time spent finding the original mansion, discovering a match around Toronto, where the series shoots, proved virtually impossible. Instead, Bunch proposed a different solution. “We rebuilt the whole front of the house to match the house that we used,” she said. Her crew was allowed to go back and take measurements of the Season 1 mansion while renovations were underway.

As part of Podcast Week, IndieWire is taking a deeper look at some of the best podcasts of the year. For more of the top episodes of 2019, you can read our mid-year and year-end lists here and here.

Comedy podcasts tend to fall into one of two categories: ones with a living room couch vibe, featuring two or more people chatting, and those that find comedians transforming themselves into an entirely new reality. There’s definitely more of the first kind, but even rarer is the one that finds a meaningful way to combine the two.

As James Adomian, host of the Forever Dog show “The Underculture,” describes it, that’s part of how the whole idea for the show came about.

“It’s like a little director’s commentary at the end of the podcast,” Adomian told IndieWire. “Right before we started recording when I was at South by Southwest,...

The back half of Saturday Night Live‘s Season 44 saw a decrease in cold opens revolving around Alec Baldwin’s Donald Trump, and as the actor reveals in a new interview, he’s unlikely to reprise the role of the president when SNL returns for Season 45.

“I can’t imagine I would do it again. I just can’t,” Baldwin said of playing Trump in a USA Today interview that published Friday. “They should find somebody who wants to do it.”

When Baldwin first played Trump on SNL, in 2016 and 2017, “that was new,...

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Alec Baldwin says that he’s done portraying Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

“I can’t imagine I would do it again,” Baldwin told USA Today. “I’m so done with that.” Baldwin has played the 45th president on NBC’s late-night series since 2016 when Trump was running against Hillary Clinton. His initial run as Trump was well received, but over the past two “SNL” seasons, critics have argued his impression of Trump has gone stale (and Trump himself was not a huge fan).

Baldwin credits former “SNL” head writers, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, the two are now running Comedy Central’s “The Other Two,” who wrote the initial Trump sketches as the reason for his success in that role. “That was new, it was fresh and the ratings were good. But I feel like I’m done with that now.

Alec Baldwin says he likely won’t be playing Donald Trump on NBC’s Saturday Night Live anymore. “I’m so done with that,” the actor told USA Today yesterday.

In an interview to promote the hybrid feature-documentary Framing John DeLorean, in which he plays the notorious car designer (opening in New York and on-demand today), Baldwin was asked whether he’ll return to SNL when the late-night sketch comedy show returns in the fall.

“I can’t imagine I would do it again,” Baldwin said. “I just can’t. They should find somebody who wants to do it. They’re all my dear friends and I love going there, but the other thing is that I’m going to go to work this fall in a way I haven’t done in a while. My wife and I had a son a year ago, and since he was born,...

David Spade is returning to late-night TV, in a bid from Comedy Central that will shake up the way the network does business around midnight.

David Spade, the comedian once famous for delivering the “Hollywood Minute” during the “Weekend Update” segment on “Saturday Night Live,” will devote considerably more time going forward to the Viacom-owned network, where he will later this year launch a new late-night series that will follow the network’s flagship “Daily Show.” At 11:30, Spade will go head to head with opening monologues from NBC’s Jimmy Fallon, CBS’ Stephen Colbert and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.

The series marks the first time in years the network hasn’t sought to follow “The Daily Show” with talent that initially came to light in that landmark program. In recent years, Comedy Central has stocked 11:30 with Stephen Colbert, Larry Wilmore and Jordan Klepper, all of whom first...

[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” Season 4, including the series finale.]

One of the best compliments you can pay Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, it turns out, is telling them that describing the end of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” made you cry in front of your boss.

“Yay! That’s what we want,” Fey said.

Added Carlock, “I’m sorry to celebrate that, but yeah, that’s good.”

It honestly wasn’t the only time IndieWire got teary while discussing the end of the Netflix comedy, which came to an official end with the release of the second half of Season 4 on Friday. While there’s a possibility of revisiting this world down the line, the creators were clear about how the final episode represented the journey they wanted to take their titular heroine on.

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” started off as the story of how Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) was learning to cope with the modern world,...

Monday’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” kicked off with something especially fun for fans of television history: an appearance by the old “This is an ABC color presentation, in glorious red, white and blue” animated bumper.

The special episode, called “Intermission Accomplished: A Halftime Tribute to Trump,” is a star-studded celebration of the exact halfway point in Donald Trump’s presidency — a milestone reached on Sunday for those of you keeping track — in the style of variety show extravaganzas that used to be common. So to set the mood, it begins with a recreation of the iconic intro ABC used to deploy to let viewers know they were about to see something that wasn’t just another black and white production.

Brief history lesson: ABC didn’t start airing color programming until 1962, which at first was limited to just animated shows like “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons”. And the network’s...

The night after the NFL hosted its conference championships in New Orleans and Kansas City, Jimmy Kimmel hosted his own football-inspired event on his late-night ABC show.

"Intermission Accomplished: A Halftime Tribute to Trump," as the special episode was titled, took a look back at President Donald Trump's time in office near the midway point of his term. To help "celebrate" the milestone, Kimmel invited Will Arnett, Alyssa Milano, Josh Gad, Leon Bridges, Paul Scheer, Fred Willard, Jake Johnson, Fred Armisen, Comedy Central's President Show host Anthony Atamanuik (who impersonated Trump on Kimmel's program) and more.

“We ...

As Donald Trump hits the end of his second year in office, Jimmy Kimmel will mark the occasion with a new special this Monday. “Jimmy Kimmel Live Intermission Accomplished: A Halftime Tribute to Trump” will air in Kimmel’s normal time slot, 11:35 p.m. Et, on Jan. 21.

Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Kimmel plans to take stock of the mid-point of what his press release calls a “‘bigly’ successful first term.” The special will be produced as a throwback parody of the Bob Hope variety shows of the 1970s and 1980s.

Guests scheduled to appear include Will Arnett, Paul Scheer, Alyssa Milano, Fred Willard, Fred Armisen, Jake Johnson and Anthony Atamanuik. Of course, Atamanuik is known for his Trump impression (including on Comedy Central’s “The President Show”), so don’t be surprised if he shows up in character.

In a press release, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” promises that the...

We are only halfway through President Donald Trump’s first time as President of the United States. Jimmy Kimmel will pay tribute to this extraordinary milestone, this coming Monday night.

Making the announcement, Kimmel’s show noted how very much history has been made, in the two years since Trump was sworn in as 45th Potus.

In a throwback to the Bob Hope variety shows of the 70s and 80s, Kimmel intends to celebrate that accomplishment with celebrities, songs, “covfefe and hamberders,” Jkl said.

Jimmy Kimmel Live Intermission Accomplished: A Halftime Tribute to Trump will air on Monday in Jkl’s regular 11:35Pm Et|Pt/10:35 Pm Ct timeslot.

Stars helping Kimmel to celebrate will include:

Will Arnett

Paul Scheer

Alyssa Milano

Fred Willard

Fred Armisen

Jake Johnson

and

Anthony Atamanuik

Among the “historic” things accomplished during Trump’s first half-term in the White House is the longest government shutdown in U.

Comedy Central has set A President Show Documentary: The Fall Of Donald Trump mockumentary-style half-hour narrative special with The President Show creator Anthony Atamanuik back as Donald Trump. It’s set for premiere Monday, October 22 at 11 Pm.

According to Comedy Central, the special is set in the year 2030 and looks back at the last days of the Trump administration and the Commander in Chief’s mysterious disappearance. Along with Atamanuik, Peter Grosz reprises his role as Trump’s sidekick Vice President Mike Pence, Kathy Griffin as Kellyanne Conway, Mario Cantone as Anthony Scaramucci, Adam Pally as Donald Trump Jr. and John Gemberling as Steve Bannon. Stephanie March will make her debut as Trump daughter Ivanka Trump.

“If the studio show was a fever dream, this mockumentary is the thing you see right before the fever kills you. But in a silly, fun way!” says Atamanuik.

A President Show Documentary: The...

In these highly partisan times, politics can be a blessing and a curse for variety shows.

President Trump’s chaotic administration provides plenty of material for the comic-minded, but the news cycle is so frenetic that it can be a challenge for weekly offerings, let alone daily ones, to keep up with the political and cultural wars raging around the country. Get too topical and a show can quickly feel dated; one salty quip and the president might pounce, publically calling for your ouster. Interview a progressive senator one week, and he might be ensnared in #MeToo controversy a few weeks later.

Even “Portlandia” sketches, mapped well in advance, seemed politically fraught this year; co-creator Fred Armisen’s Spyke fled to Canada in the opening episode of the IFC show’s final season. And “Drunk History” segments about female heroines such as Clara Barton had extra resonance in the wake...

With more news to cover than ever, TV’s late-night talk and variety shows have had their work cut out for them. Luckily — if a bit overwhelming — for us, there are also more talk and variety shows on the air than ever to help us parse through it all. In fact, some of the year’s most poignant news coverage came from usually comedic shows, from Jimmy Kimmel’s earnest Obamacare monologues to John Oliver’s deep dives into decidedly unsexy topics including crisis pregnancy centers and Joe Arpaio’s horrific human-rights record.

Even when not making direct eye contact with the camera to plead some joke-free case, however, late-night hosts have found their own way of dealing with the onslaught of news. On CBS, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” runs on a steady diet of fuming incredulity, while “The Late Late Show With James Corden” opts for explosions of giddy pageantry.