Television

Colin Farrell stole the spotlight with his twisted portrayal of the Penguin in The Batman in 2022. The villainous character now has his own spinoff series, The Penguin, that is launching on HBO. Also known as nightclub owner Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin is described as “a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions.”

The series sets place in the immediate period after the destruction of Gotham at the end of The Batman film, as Cobblepot struggles to keep his head above water in the flooded city. Once again, Farrell is almost unrecognizable in heavy prosthetics to create a scarred face and receding hairline.

​​”Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman, and having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on Max is an absolute thrill,” The Batman director Matt Reeves said in a March 2022 press release announcing the show. Reeves, who supervised the writing and was involved in hiring the creative team for the spin-off series, described it as Cobblepot’s “Scarface moment” as he grabbed violently for power in Gotham and attempted to become the city’s number one crime kingpin.

The Penguin premieres on HBO MAX on September 19, 2024 and will run for eight episodes. Robert Pattinson is set to return as Batman in a 2026 sequel.

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From the visionary mind of Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Stories, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans), comes a new medical drama to ABC! 

Doctor Odyssey dives into the high-stakes world of a luxury cruise ship where a dedicated medical team ‘works hard and plays harder. The intrepid team navigates critical emergencies (and each other) miles away from shore, promising an edge-of-your-seat viewing experience brimming with outrageous and over the top drama. 

The original straight-to-series stars Joshua Jackson (The Affair), along with a star-studded cast featuring Don Johnson (Miami Vice), Sean Teale (Mother of the Bride), and Phillipa Soo (Hamilton). Viewers will be delighted by Murphy’s signature surprise guest appearances, such as Shania Twain. Don’t miss out on the buzz and tune in to Doctor Odyssey on ABC starting September 26, 2024. For more, click here.

The evolution of female friendships is at the heart of My Brilliant Friend, which returns for its fourth and final season on September 9, 2024, on Max. This continuing saga of Lila and Elena and their separate, yet entwined lives from the noisy streets of Naples. Here the noise is more about the inner emotional traffic of the two women. This season, the series, adapted from Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novel series, dives deeper into often turbulent, emotional landscapes of female friendships, cementing its status as a must-watch for foreign film fans. A striking aspect of the series is the evolving cast, brilliantly emphasizing the growth and maturity of the characters. Watching the young girls of the earlier seasons transform into complex, multifaceted women adds layers of authenticity to the narrative.

A compelling element is the mystery behind the novels’ author, writing under the pseudonym Elena Ferrante, raising questions about authorship. Is Ferrante even female? This adds a meta-narrative that enriches the viewing experience, making you ponder the nature of storytelling and identity. 

The emotional evolution of Lila and Elena is palpable in season four. Their friendship is a delicate dance of love, competition, and mutual admiration. This serves as both a source of tension and a driving force in their lives, portraying their bond as a source of strength and vulnerability.

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This Emmy-winning comedy series spins stories amid the appealing and unlikely camaraderie of two old show biz men and one waifish young woman who share an interest in crime-solving and co-host a podcast. The storytelling strength of Only Murders in the Building is the bond and chemistry between these characters. Each season centers around the most compelling subjects of all – murder and love.

Season four sends the team from the Arconia Building on New York’s Upper West Side to the glitz and glam of Hollywood, where Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) our intrepid team, meet the actors that will portray them as their podcast goes to the big screen. Enter the first round of new guest stars – Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria.  And it goes just as you think it will. Except…

A feeling on Charles’ part sends the trio back to their beloved Arconia, which has its share of mysteries and enigmas.  Here our sleuths encounter a host of new, possibly (eyebrow-raised) suspicious tenants in the building’s West Tower, introducing yet another slew of quirky guest stars. This eclectic crew is played by Richard Kind, Kumail Nanjiani, and Daphne Rubin-Vega. Season four takes us on a whipsaw twists within the walls of the Arconia, and the love of murder storytelling keeps getting better.

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