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After the shock cancellation of 2 Broke Girls last night, an expected one today: struggling freshman CBS sitcom The Great Indoors will not be returning for a second season. There was no hope for the comedy staring Joel McHale, which didn’t pass the test of two trial airings on Monday. The series, from CBS TV Studios, landed CBS’ best comedy slot, behind The Big Bang Theory on Thursday, but it couldn’t hold onto its sizable lead-in. The Great Indoors was the only freshman…...

Caroline Preece Mar 12, 2017

BBC Three's new heightened psychological thriller is finding a nice rhythm by the end of episode 2...

This review contains spoilers.

See related The enduring appeal of Blizzard's Overwatch Overwatch: major changes are on the way

After the shock ending of the previous episode, Holly’s understandably a bit curious about what the interns and, by association Georgia, are really getting up to. Making tea and getting photocopies doesn’t usually end with you jumping off a hospital roof after slitting your wrists.

She does everything she can to track down a still-missing Georgia, and when she does - having sex in her dorm room - there’s barely a batted eyelid. Because we’re watching a television programme that promises to fit into the psychological thriller genre, we’re expecting things to unravel in a fairly sinister way, but to the characters this seems like a pretty standard suicide.

[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “The Americans” Season 5, Episode 1, “Amber Waves.”]

Immediate Reaction:

Hans will be missed, but what his fateful fall represents is far more harrowing for the future of “The Americans.” Not only was it a worrisome reminder that the Jennings’ secret life is unpredictably perilous, but Hans was a skilled trainee who never saw old age. Hell, he never really kicked the training wheels. Elizabeth and Philip had been doing their best to bring him along, and he’d proven helpful to their missions in the past. But now that Paige is in training, the Jennings have to imagine their daughter in his shoes: If she goes along with their plan, adopts a life of service, and someday finds herself looking up at her mother with a cut hand, would Elizabeth be so quick to pull the trigger?

I think not, and it seems like Elizabeth is starting to think similarly. Her comments in the episode don’t mesh with her actions,...

David’s Quick Take for the tl;dr Media Consumer:

Head is a 90 minute psychedelic film festival, an anthology of trippy surrealistic sketches featuring the Monkees in what was anticipated to be a career-ending blaze of whimsical, anarchic glory. Their TV show had just been canceled, the boys in the band were ready to move on to other things, and the programmers behind the group put all their chips on the table in pulling this movie together. Director Bob Rafelson wasn’t sure what, if anything, he would do again in showbiz, so he went for broke, concocting a frenetic, seemingly random romp through a half-century’s worth of Hollywood cliches, loaded up with wacky cameos, narrative non-sequiturs aimed at amusing an audience of culturally hip stoners and a generous sampling of catchy tunes that nicely cover the pop music spectrum of its time.

Some first-time viewers will instantly love it,...

The sun sets on Day Two since the world was changed by events in Paris. After the shock, the grief, the anger, the disbelief, France must act, and so must we. But the challenge for France will be the same as that faced by the United States after 9/11: how to face down an enemy that has no scruples — without losing our own. How to vanquish a foe that abides by no rules, who seeks to undermine our core values — without relinquishing those very values ourselves. Also Read: Paris Attacks: France Shuts Border, Declares State of Emergency After Terror Assault Leaves.

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A familiar face arrives in Heroes Reborn, but will it be enough to make up for inconsistent character development elsewhere?

This review contains spoilers.

1.6 Game Over

Game Over is not an easy episode to wrap your head around. It continues Heroes Reborn’s rapid pacing and an awful lot happens in each character’s story arc but worryingly, much of this week’s action comes out of leftfield, contradicting previous character and story development.

Luke’s suicide attempt, for example, wasn’t how most viewers would’ve expected the character to develop, yet it’s baffling how quickly his resolve to end his life disappears after being rescued at the hands of Malina and some shoddy special effects. Watching the farcical scene in which the ex-Evo hunter is looking rather sheepish after his attempted drowning and Malina passes him a hot drink, you’d think the guy...

Indie auteurs Josh and Benny Safdie have a new film about a homeless New York junkie called Heaven Knows What, and heaven knows what the unready viewer will make of its hellish discordances. Even the passionate make-out session between Harley (Arielle Holmes) and her beloved Ilya (Caleb Landry Jones) that opens the film is scored with harsh blips that fall like sandpaper on the ears. It turns out, though, that this is Harley’s memory and that Ilya has rejected her, and after about ten minutes of her threatening to commit suicide and buying razor blades, he roars, “You’re a fucking whore! If you loved me, you would have killed yourself by now ... Do it!” She cuts, it hurts, she wails, he screams for an ambulance. The mood doesn’t lift.There’s a funny thing about some discordant music: After the shock wears off, you begin to pick up previously imperceptible harmonies.

When the Nostromo landed on planet Lv-426 in Ridley Scott’s Alien, the only sign of life was one of the universe’s most dangerous creatures, and as fans of the films know, a failed colonization on the planet took place after Dallas and his crew paid it a visit. Christopher Golden explores how that society was overrun in Alien: River of Pain, and Titan Books has given us an excerpt to share with Daily Dead readers.

“Concluding the all-new, official trilogy set in the Alien Universe!

A new adventure featuring the Colonial Marines and leading directly into the second movie, Aliens.

The massively acclaimed Alien franchise is one of the most successful of all time, beginning with the first film in 1979. When Ellen Ripley finally returned to Earth, she learned that the planet Lv-426–the planet from Alien–has been colonized. This novel will reveal for the first...

Through his films such as The 'Burbs and Gremlins, director Joe Dante made mischief in American suburbia, Ryan writes...

Mayfield Place is the perfect 80s suburbia. There are painted houses fringed by lush green lawns cut to just the right length, separated by a wide grey road. There are white picket fences. The neighbours are out, tending to their gardens beneath a pristine blue sky.

Thirty-something resident Ray Peterson stands in his front yard, surveys the scene, and sees that it is good.

Except this is a Joe Dante film, and things are never good for long in a Joe Dante film.

Queenie, the little white dog belonging to the old guy across the road, has just left a spire of brown poop on Mark Rumsfield's lawn. Mark, a Vietnam vet and patriot, is running around in his camo shorts, threatening to eviscerate Walter's dog. Elsewhere, Ray's schlubby neighbour Art...

After the shock at the end of "The 100" series premiere, the new CW show didn't slow down one bit in episode 2, "Earth Skills." In fact, the drama became more intense, dark, mature and surprising.

First of all, who else was shocked to find out that Jasper actually survived having a spear thrown clean through his torso? It totally looked like he was a goner, but he managed to cling to life all night long. And not only that, but something someone carried him away from the river, healed his wounds and tied him up as bait to lure Clarke into a trap. 

As Clarke, Finn, Bellamy and Wells all worked together to save Jasper while avoiding falling onto sharpened spikes, a mysterious masked humanoid figure watched on while hiding. And this is our first glimpse at the Grounders, the people that somehow survived the nuclear apocalypse and have been living...

After the whole Clone Wars fiasco that darkened the 1990s and a lackluster return to status quo at the beginning of the new millennium, Spider-Man needed some fresh blood injected into his radioactive veins. Then along came artist/writer Joe Quesada, who was promoted to Editor-In-Chief at Marvel Comics in 2000 who decided to overhaul the creative teams on Marvel’s major titles, bringing in such diverse talents as Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly on New X-Men and noted Babylon-5 creator and San Diego native J. Michael Straczynski (Jms) on Amazing Spider-Man. With John Romita Jr, Mike Deodato Jr and Ron Garney providing the artwork, Jms would write a total of 74 issues, spanning six years and forever changing Peter Parker’s life.

At the start of the run, Peter is down on his luck yet again. His marriage to Mary Jane has crumbled to pieces and she has left him to...

After the shock wore off from last year’s news that Disney had acquired Lucasfilm and were committed to releasing new Star Wars movies every year, the conversation turned to the new creative forces driving the franchise. Despite a flurry of rumors, the facts remain: J.J. Abrams is directing Star Wars: Episode VII, targeted for a 2015 release (either in Spring/Summer or late 2015, depending on the rumor).

Much of the early talk focused on the story, which is to be a direct sequel to Return of the Jedi. Toy Story 3 scribe Michael Arndt was working on a script based on material developed by creator George ...

Click to continue reading J.J. Abrams Talks ‘Star Wars: Episode 7′ Tone; Has Chiwetel Ejiofor Been Cast?

The post J.J. Abrams Talks ‘Star Wars: Episode 7′ Tone; Has Chiwetel Ejiofor Been Cast? appeared first on Screen Rant.

Already boasting a rather impressive ensemble cast, the producers of Downton Abbey have added yet another esteemed thespian to their ranks with news today that Paul Giamatti is joining the cast of the hit show. After the shock and saddening exit of Dan Stevens at the end of last season, it seemed that the producers of the show really needed something to boost fans’ spirits and this announcement today should be just the thing.

Spoilers ahead for fans so look away now, but apparently it seems that Paul Giamatti’s role may be more of a cameo than a regular spot. The Playlist reports that Giamatti, who has an Emmy and a Golden Globe to his name, will be playing Harold Levinson, the brother of Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) and uncle to Edith (Laura Carmichael) and Mary (Michelle Dockery) and will only appear in the final episode of season four. Does...

Stars: Jason Trost, Lucas Till, James Remar, Sophie Merkley, Lee Valmassy, Sean Whalen, Nick Principe, Brian Taylor | Written and Directed by Jason Trost

It has been well establish that superhero films have basically become their own genre. Their popularity and sheer volume has placed them into their own unique category. We are also beginning to see subcategories emerge within superhero films that twist and turn the typical format we have come to expect. The film All Superheroes Must Die is one of the newest examples of this phenomenon. It takes the archetypal heroes we recognize and places them into dark and perverse world we would normally associate with a horror film. That juxtaposition of genre is clever premise which could provide a much needed boost to a genre that can easily become stale. Regrettably the final product does not live up to the promise of that potential. Being a small...

It's no secret that Lena Dunham isn't afraid to take off her clothes.

As writer, director and star of HBO's breakout series Girls, she appears topless – and sometimes bottomless – in quite a few episodes, including last Sunday's extended braless romp in a mesh top.

But Dunham, 26, whose series won two Golden Globes last month, says she has an important reason to go bare on her show.

"My point with getting naked is never proven," says the actress in the new Entertainment Weekly cover story, on newsstands Friday.

"It's not like, 'Oh, I did it first season and now you guys...

Last night’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was chock full of buxom beauties, bedazzled bras, and Beliebers. The sexiest night on television opened with a bang and kept its momentum alive throughout the show thanks to the musical stylings of Rihanna, Bruno Mars, and Justin Bieber.

Here are the top 10 moments of the night:

1. Circus Act

Ringmaster Adriana Lima opened the show in style. After the shock wore off that it was humanly possible to be that fit two months after giving birth, I became more aware of the show’s aesthetics. The circus motif, marked by the angels...

Some deranged individual walked into a Colorado movie theater showing The Dark Knight Rises and murdered and wounded innocent people. Press reports have the death toll at 13 and over 70 injured. The tragedy is unspeakable and all of us are grief stricken for the victims and their loved ones. We're also scratching our heads at another event that defies all that's right in the world. After the shock, what happens in these events is sadly inevitable. Leaders step up and politicize it. False reports of political associations. Discussions mount on whether Hollywood instigates this kind of violence. Who knew about this maniac and when? News reports that frighten us. Though I do hope that this brings up yet another conversation on assault weapons. Do you really need an assault rifle to hunt with? What happened to crazy? Hear me now. Sometimes crazy is just ...

Here I was, cruising around the internet, when I feel a burst of unexpected joy: it seems my favorite movie, The Bridges Of Madison County, starring the delightful pairing of Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, is finally getting a sequel. Fans like me have been waiting for what’s felt like centuries for this news. I eagerly clicked on the link, which claimed to have a poster and everything. Would it be Clint and Meryl, arm in arm, reunited for one final big screen adventure? My mind filled with possibilities, and as I scrolled down, I saw…

Oh my God what the heck is that? What is Clint doing to Meryl? Why is he wearing a pig mask? What happened to the bridges? What Happened To The Bridges?

After the shock wore off, I realized this was a poster for an upcoming horror movie called Madison County, written and directed by Eric England.

EastEnders' baby swap storyline has been cleared by TV watchdog Ofcom as "justified". After the shock plot - which saw disturbed Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) swap her dead son with the body of Kat Moon's (Jessie Wallace) baby - sparked more than 13,000 complained from distressed viewers, BBC One bosses decided to cut the controversial storyline short. With the climax brought to an end months earlier than planned, Ofcom ruled the scenes were "not unduly disturbing or graphic". The report states: "While the storyline was about a sensitive and emotive issue, it is Ofcom's view that the actual scenes broadcast were not unduly...

After the shock of Pia Toscano being eliminated from American Idol last week, record companies have been scrambling to make sure the young woman’s talent doesn’t go to waste. Interscope Records rushed in to make sure that no one got there before them, and within a couple of days they had a contract ready for her to sign. She’s expected to make it official this week.

Not everyone was surprised that things went this way, though – producer Nigel Lythgoe says that Pia was never even close to the top of the weekly results, and based on that he doesn’t think she would have had a chance at winning, anyway. And the scandal of being eliminated has brought her a lot of attention, so this will probably work out well for her career.

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As Simon Cowell looks set to leave our shores TV bosses are on the lookout for the next big thing and it seems that they might have found it.

A bidding war has reportedly broken out between rival television channels, desperate to secure the rights for a new TV talent show ‘Travellers Got Talent.’

After the shock success of Channel 4′s My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding earlier this year, executives are trying to get their hands on anything gypsy related and are said to be sure that the new show, based on the Britain’s Got Talent format will be a sure hit.

Organiser Jake Bowers, from the Gypsy Media Company, said: “It would be phenomenal. There are so many talented people within the traveller community. Last year’s contest didn’t get the coverage it should have done.

“What it needed was for a big company to take it onto a national stage.

When we saw pregnant Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kim Zolciak posing for the cover of In Touch Weekly wearing what looked to be a hand-me down bra and a weird pair of sheer panties last week, we immediate thought to ourselves, “That woman has no shame!” After the shock wore off, we began thinking: A) What other celebrities have flaunted their baby bumps on the cover of national magazines and B) Was their pursuit of fame more naked than their actual bodies?

Well, as we discovered during an intense round of research, there are two types of celebrities who use their unborn children to score themselves more publicity: the Prudes and the Shameless. Not every pregnant celebrity wants to pull a Demi Moore, you see. Some, like Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Celine Dion, don’t want to offend their base by showing too much skin. Others, like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera,...

I was having a conversation with one of my HeyUGuys colleagues on Twitter recently about how I haven’t yet seen The Shawshank Redemption. After the shock of my confession subsided, he had mentioned how great it was going to be for me to experience it for the first time. We then talked about a couple of films that we wished could be erased from our memory banks, just so we could watch them and feel the excitement of seeing them for the first time.

Obviously when you go to the theater to see a film, you’re going because it’s something you want to see. There are times where the film in question turns out to be worse than you expected, right on the mark or better than you expected. Then there are the rare occasions where the film transcends every expectation you could have had. Those are...

I recently had the pleasure of seeing a Polanski film in utter innocence. As the result of a rare set of circumstances, I found myself in the wrong cinema in front of a film which had a very restricted title sequence, so that I knew the title of the film from the beginning, but didn’t learn the director’s name until the end. I had of course heard that Polanski had a new film out, but not feeling particularly interested in the film’s political theme, I had forgotten about it. After the shock of realising that I was in the wrong cinema, I assumed that the film I was about to see was most likely a product of Hollywood: I was sitting in a multiplex with a relatively large audience, after all. The film’s European title, “The Ghost,” gives much less away than the American title, “The Ghost Writer,...

After the shock news that Robert Downey Jr. prefers Victorian London to the American Wild West (albeit one under attack from Aliens), Jon Favreau has begun looking for a star for his crazy 1800s comic caper and has landed on a rather unlikely candidate in the man we like to call Bond. James Bond.

Daniel Craig, perhaps the most serious of English actors, is apparently in talks to take the spur-wearing lead in the Roberto Orci-Alex Kurtzman-Damon Lindelof adaptation of the Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley graphic novel which sees the American Old West besieged by angry extra terrestrials - in much the same way as last year's Vikings Vs Aliens epic Outlander.

While Rdj was attached to the project, there was great hope that the Favreau favourite could pull another Iron Man out of the bag, mixing action, humour and comic-book geekery with a...

Can Martin Scorsese pull off a horror movie? Is Glasgow the new Venice? And what's Ricky Gervais up to in Reading? Our critics pick next year's hottest tickets

Film

Cemetery Junction

Having conquered Hollywood, Ricky Gervais is coming home. With his long-time collaborator Stephen Merchant, he has set out to create a British film in the tradition of Billy Liar and the Likely Lads – and of course his own masterpiece The Office – about three blokes working for the Prudential insurance company in Gervais's hometown of Reading. Released on 7 April.

A Single Man

The smart money says Colin Firth will be bringing home a certain gold, bald-headed statuette for his performance as a bereaved gay man in Los Angeles. Based on the 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood, the movie – fashion designer Tom Ford's directorial debut – follows one day in the life of Firth's literature academic as he confronts his own mortality. Released on 12 February.

After the shock of Tracy’s survival and Al’s suicide last episode, many of the characters are still in a state of shock. This week’s episode begins with Celia receiving the letter from Al about her future. Unsurprisingly, it makes headlines all around the country as people start to talk about changing the futures they saw in their flash forwards, the overall theme of this episode.

Janis comes back to work after recovering from her attack and gunshot wound and immediately asks Wedeck to let her resign. He refuses, however, because she is still a key player in the Mosaic investigation and her help is still sorely needed, especially after Al’s suicide.

At the hospital, Simon confronts Lloyd, who still wants to come clean and tell the world they are responsible for the blackouts. Simon doesn’t take kindly to the notion and offers Lloyd an alternative deal.