After all the turnover season 39 of 'SNL' brought to the cast, between Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis and Seth Meyers departing, as well as controversial additions like that of Sasheer Zamata, the 40th anniversary season of the long-running NBC sketch comedy was expected to bring with it a few changes. Now, the first of the season 39 freshmen have been cut, as cast member Brooks Wheelan announces he won't return this fall.
Most of the major networks have already put forward their fall 2014 schedules, but fourth place is hardly bad press for FOX, given all their promising new series on deck. The full fall premiere list has arrived, plotting 'Gotham''s batty debut ahead of the much-hyped 'Family Guy'-'Simpsons' crossover, while 'Glee''s final farewell and more have been pushed to midseason.
Now that 'How I Met Your Mother' spinoff 'How I Met Your Dad' seems to have fallen through, the CBS lineup looks a little bereft of anything we might normally follow. And now with CBS' acquisition of Thursday Night Football, the full fall 2014 schedule looks a little jumbled with 'The Big Bang Theory' filling in for 'HIMYM' Mondays, while 'Elementary' and others move to October to accommodate football.
The late-night landscape seems to have largely settled since Stephen Colbert signed on to replace Dave Letterman as host of 'The Late Show,' but those wondering if CBS might recruit Chelsea Handler to follow Craig Ferguson on the 'Late Late Show' can give it a rest. Netflix officially scooped up Handler for its first entry into the late-night talk show arena, signing the comedienne for a multi-year deal that includes a new comedy special and several documentaries.
Charlize Theron's big return to the 'SNL' stage this past weekend mostly missed the mark, save for a few bizarre-enough-to-be-funny sketches, but this Saturday's season finale already has a few Golden Globes in its pocket. 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' star Andy Samberg will make a long-awaited return to his 'SNL' roots to close out the season, and the first promo already feels like home.
We've had plenty of upsets across the late-night landscape in recent weeks, now that Larry Wilmore has been announced to take over 'The Colbert Report' slot from Stephen Colbert, who himself will take over for David Letterman's 'Late Show,' going head to head with Jimmy Fallon's new 'Tonight Show.' At least one host is staying in his place, however, as TBS guaranteed Conan O'Brien's 'Conan' to run through 2018.
It's that time of year again, when the major networks begin picking up pilots and making final decisions on struggling series. FOX and NBC have already greenlit a number of new shows and taken others to the woodshed, but some of FOX's latest may surprise you: Seth MacFarlane's controversial 'Dads' is no more, along with the critically-adored 'Enlisted,' Rake,' and Christopher Meloni's 'Surviving Jack.'
Logical as it might seem for NBC to bite the bullet on one more shortened season of 'Community' to reach its "six seasons and a movie" mantra, fans of Dan Harmon's eternally-bubbling series may be in for a rude awakening. Writer-producer Chris McKenna has cryptically tweeted that 'Community' is "dead," preparing fans for the notion that NBC may not include the series among its ongoing renewals.
UPDATE: NBC has officially announced that 'Community' has indeed been canceled.
Just hours after being officially ordered to series, FOX's Batman prequel drama 'Gotham' has delivered its first official trailer, reintroducing Dark Knight fans to young incarnations of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne, along with such Bat-figures as Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman and even Poison Ivy. See how Batman begins anew with the first trailer for 'Gotham' right now!
The late-night landscape remains in upheaval, first by David Letterman's decision to retire from the 'Late Show,' followed by Stephen Colbert's ascension to the throne, and finally heir apparent Craig Ferguson's decision to leave the 'Late Late Show.' Controversy has proven to a minimum, but Letterman still stepped up to speak out on Ferguson's departure, while CBS may not yet court a replacement for some time.