On May 23, the final episode of the first season of Elsbeth, a spin-off of The Good Wife about a lawyer who leaves her native Chicago for a solo adventure, was released. Elsbeth has a mild form of autism spectrum disorder that does not interfere with solving complex professional problems. So she comes to New York at the invitation of the local mayor's office to help the police.
The main character is very similar to Peter Falk's character in the TV series Columbo: she can talk to suspects about abstract topics, quietly extract valuable information from them, and amaze them with non-trivial deductive powers that would make Sherlock Holmes jealous.
But if you've already seen such classics as Columbo, but still need a dose of a lighthearted, yet tense detective story, Peacock (and Prime Video) has the perfect replacement for Elsbeth while we wait for the second season, which...
The main character is very similar to Peter Falk's character in the TV series Columbo: she can talk to suspects about abstract topics, quietly extract valuable information from them, and amaze them with non-trivial deductive powers that would make Sherlock Holmes jealous.
But if you've already seen such classics as Columbo, but still need a dose of a lighthearted, yet tense detective story, Peacock (and Prime Video) has the perfect replacement for Elsbeth while we wait for the second season, which...
- 5/27/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
With the first season’s finale coming in already this week, Elsbeth has surely cemented its status as one of the CBS’ top shows in the upcoming years. Ever since it hit the network in February, the series has been a top-notch detective story that eventually received a pretty deserved renewal for yet another season.
Though the detective genre isn’t something uncommon on modern TV with all the diversity of versatile characters embarking on their proper investigations, there’s still something very unique that Elsbeth brings into the genre, and the series’ showrunner knows exactly what his brainchild’s zest is.
Initially introduced in a cameo role in the 2009 political drama show The Good Wife, Elsbeth’s eponymous character now comes up on the main stage proving that she’s far more than just an observer.
Portrayed by Carrie Preston, Elsbeth carries out her own investigations that are shown from quite a peculiar perspective,...
Though the detective genre isn’t something uncommon on modern TV with all the diversity of versatile characters embarking on their proper investigations, there’s still something very unique that Elsbeth brings into the genre, and the series’ showrunner knows exactly what his brainchild’s zest is.
Initially introduced in a cameo role in the 2009 political drama show The Good Wife, Elsbeth’s eponymous character now comes up on the main stage proving that she’s far more than just an observer.
Portrayed by Carrie Preston, Elsbeth carries out her own investigations that are shown from quite a peculiar perspective,...
- 5/20/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
Amateur sleuth shows used to be popular in the pre-csi era of television.
These series showcased detectives who were not police officers, were often quirky, and could best the cops at solving murders -- if they could get them to listen.
You're right if you think that sounds exactly like CBS' Elsbeth. Elsbeth has more in common with amateur sleuth series of the past than with the show it spun off from, The Good Wife.
Elsbeth is a modern take on classic shows like Columbo, Murder She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder. Most shows it owes a debt to are no longer on television, but streaming services have given them new life.
Elsbeth Heralds the Return of Amateur Sleuth Shows
Amateur sleuth shows are part of the cozy mystery genre.
Nowadays, they've fallen out of favor -- these mysteries mostly air as movies on the Hallmark channel.
There was a time...
These series showcased detectives who were not police officers, were often quirky, and could best the cops at solving murders -- if they could get them to listen.
You're right if you think that sounds exactly like CBS' Elsbeth. Elsbeth has more in common with amateur sleuth series of the past than with the show it spun off from, The Good Wife.
Elsbeth is a modern take on classic shows like Columbo, Murder She Wrote, and Diagnosis Murder. Most shows it owes a debt to are no longer on television, but streaming services have given them new life.
Elsbeth Heralds the Return of Amateur Sleuth Shows
Amateur sleuth shows are part of the cozy mystery genre.
Nowadays, they've fallen out of favor -- these mysteries mostly air as movies on the Hallmark channel.
There was a time...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jack Ori
- TVfanatic
While Deidre Hall is well know for her work on Days of Our Lives (Dool) playing the much-respected Dr. Marlena Evans for almost five decades now, she’s also done a ton of prime-time shows over the years, too, appearing on a number of series.
Now, Cozi-tv has plans to celebrate the actress with a “Day of Our Deidre”, coming this weekend. Details on this interesting tribute, down below.
Days Of Our Lives Spoilers – Cozi-tv Announced Plans On Social Media
Cozi-tv announced on their X social media handle that, “This Saturday starting at 8Am/7C Days of Our Lives Star Deidre Hall guest stars in Emergency!
“Show Biz” and “Saddled” followed by Columbo “Columbo Cries Wolf”. This Saturday it’s Day of Our Deidre on Cozi TV!”
The post tagged both Days of Our Lives’ X handle, and Diedre Hall’s.
Dool News – More About The Shows Airing
Over the years,...
Now, Cozi-tv has plans to celebrate the actress with a “Day of Our Deidre”, coming this weekend. Details on this interesting tribute, down below.
Days Of Our Lives Spoilers – Cozi-tv Announced Plans On Social Media
Cozi-tv announced on their X social media handle that, “This Saturday starting at 8Am/7C Days of Our Lives Star Deidre Hall guest stars in Emergency!
“Show Biz” and “Saddled” followed by Columbo “Columbo Cries Wolf”. This Saturday it’s Day of Our Deidre on Cozi TV!”
The post tagged both Days of Our Lives’ X handle, and Diedre Hall’s.
Dool News – More About The Shows Airing
Over the years,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Dorathy Gass
- Soap Opera Spy
While there are many fans of the procedural and mystery genre, not all of them were impressed when they first tuned in to Elsbeth. The show knows its niche and fits it perfectly: it has a quirky yet ingenious detective who struggles a bit with mundane tasks but solves the toughest cases brilliantly.
The show doesn't have to be realistic to be entertaining, that much is true. Viewers who have already fallen in love with the main character are willing to forgive some of the writing hiccups that the show undoubtedly has. However, in order to keep the audience intrigued and excited, Elsbeth will soon have to break the only formula she's been using.
Is Elsbeth Worth Watching?
The tricks taken straight into the 60s book don’t really seem to work when it comes to 2024 television. Though the viewers of Elsbeth are charmed by Carrie Preston’s magical portrayal of the titular character,...
The show doesn't have to be realistic to be entertaining, that much is true. Viewers who have already fallen in love with the main character are willing to forgive some of the writing hiccups that the show undoubtedly has. However, in order to keep the audience intrigued and excited, Elsbeth will soon have to break the only formula she's been using.
Is Elsbeth Worth Watching?
The tricks taken straight into the 60s book don’t really seem to work when it comes to 2024 television. Though the viewers of Elsbeth are charmed by Carrie Preston’s magical portrayal of the titular character,...
- 5/14/2024
- by virginia-singh@startefacts.com (Virginia Singh)
- STartefacts.com
Although she’s best known for her portrayal of Dr. Marlena Evans on “Days of our Lives,” actress Deidre Hall has also played memorable roles in numerous other television shows, most notably “Emergency!” and “Columbo.”
In celebration of Hall’s time on both shows, Cozi TV will air a four-hour mini-marathon of episodes featuring Hall in the aforementioned series on Saturday, May 18, starting at 8:00 a.m. Et/7:00 a.m. Ct.
The marathon, titled “Day of our Deidre,” begins with two episodes from the second season of “Emergency!” (“Show Biz” and “Saddled”), where Hall portrayed Nurse Sally Lewis. It will be followed by a two-hour episode from the ninth season of “Columbo” (“Columbo Cries Wolf”) at 10:00 a.m. Et. In that episode, Hall appears as Dian Hunter.
“Before becoming a daytime TV icon, Deidre Hall honed her craft on some of TV’s most beloved series. Now, join...
In celebration of Hall’s time on both shows, Cozi TV will air a four-hour mini-marathon of episodes featuring Hall in the aforementioned series on Saturday, May 18, starting at 8:00 a.m. Et/7:00 a.m. Ct.
The marathon, titled “Day of our Deidre,” begins with two episodes from the second season of “Emergency!” (“Show Biz” and “Saddled”), where Hall portrayed Nurse Sally Lewis. It will be followed by a two-hour episode from the ninth season of “Columbo” (“Columbo Cries Wolf”) at 10:00 a.m. Et. In that episode, Hall appears as Dian Hunter.
“Before becoming a daytime TV icon, Deidre Hall honed her craft on some of TV’s most beloved series. Now, join...
- 5/14/2024
- by Errol Lewis
- Soap Opera Network
If you're like us, the broadcast shows are not hitting their marks.
They're beyond formulaic (everyone's out to tear down Firehouse 51 on Chicago Fire? Give us a break already) and have lost their pizazz.
Watching TV barely cracks our faces with a smile.
But the streamer that is part of our return to classic TV (Dark Shadows? Check! Family? Check! Columbo? Check!), Tubi, has a new original series on the way starring Gilmore Girls and Parenthood star Lauren Graham.
Neither show is on Tubi, so why not create one to bring the talented actress into their world?
That's what Tubi is doing as the Fox Corporation's ad-supported VOD service announced today that it has greenlit the new original comedy series The Z Suite starring Graham.
Written by Katie O'Brien, who also serves as showrunner, the series is executive produced by Lance Samuels, Samantha Levine, and Daniel Iron of Blue Ice Pictures...
They're beyond formulaic (everyone's out to tear down Firehouse 51 on Chicago Fire? Give us a break already) and have lost their pizazz.
Watching TV barely cracks our faces with a smile.
But the streamer that is part of our return to classic TV (Dark Shadows? Check! Family? Check! Columbo? Check!), Tubi, has a new original series on the way starring Gilmore Girls and Parenthood star Lauren Graham.
Neither show is on Tubi, so why not create one to bring the talented actress into their world?
That's what Tubi is doing as the Fox Corporation's ad-supported VOD service announced today that it has greenlit the new original comedy series The Z Suite starring Graham.
Written by Katie O'Brien, who also serves as showrunner, the series is executive produced by Lance Samuels, Samantha Levine, and Daniel Iron of Blue Ice Pictures...
- 5/9/2024
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
This article contains major spoilers for Sugar episode 6.
Virtually every “spoiler-free” Sugar review that ran in advance of the Colin Farrell-starring detective series’ premiere on Apple TV+ mentioned that the project featured a big twist. While one might consider it poor taste to “spoil” that a story even contains an enormous twist, it’s hard to blame the reviewers on this one.
The twist at the center of Sugar is so wild, so out-of-left-field, and so paradigm-shifting, that it’s almost impossible not to acknowledge. It would be like trying to write about Clifford the Big Red Dog while avoiding the fact that it contains a big red dog. The problem with letting the audience know that a big twist was coming, however, is that it took forever for the show to reveal it. Four whole weeks after the two-part April 5 premiere, in fact!
Even without the benefit of the revealing reviews,...
Virtually every “spoiler-free” Sugar review that ran in advance of the Colin Farrell-starring detective series’ premiere on Apple TV+ mentioned that the project featured a big twist. While one might consider it poor taste to “spoil” that a story even contains an enormous twist, it’s hard to blame the reviewers on this one.
The twist at the center of Sugar is so wild, so out-of-left-field, and so paradigm-shifting, that it’s almost impossible not to acknowledge. It would be like trying to write about Clifford the Big Red Dog while avoiding the fact that it contains a big red dog. The problem with letting the audience know that a big twist was coming, however, is that it took forever for the show to reveal it. Four whole weeks after the two-part April 5 premiere, in fact!
Even without the benefit of the revealing reviews,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
One of the most popular genres on television is the crime drama. And there's no way you haven't seen one in your life.
They are catchy and exciting, but often end up being quite predictable. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy them: if you think about it, it's even cool to imagine being a detective and trying to figure out what's going to happen next.
However, there are many subgenres within procedurals. For example, there are shows where the audience and the characters don't know who committed the crime, and there are shows where it's only a mystery to the characters who did it. And the main thing is the process of the main character's dedication to finding the man responsible.
One of the greatest shows of that premise was the legendary series called Columbo. The pilot premiered in 1968 on ABC and next appeared on screen in 1971 and stayed...
They are catchy and exciting, but often end up being quite predictable. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy them: if you think about it, it's even cool to imagine being a detective and trying to figure out what's going to happen next.
However, there are many subgenres within procedurals. For example, there are shows where the audience and the characters don't know who committed the crime, and there are shows where it's only a mystery to the characters who did it. And the main thing is the process of the main character's dedication to finding the man responsible.
One of the greatest shows of that premise was the legendary series called Columbo. The pilot premiered in 1968 on ABC and next appeared on screen in 1971 and stayed...
- 4/23/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Rachel Bailey)
- STartefacts.com
As far as investigators go, Jim Rockford (James Garner) is a bit of a departure from the mostly-polished (Columbo excepted) detectives of television's first decade. A slouchily dressed detective who lived in a trailer and served time in San Quentin, Rockford was cool — if not always collected. "The Rockford Files" ran for six seasons on NBC beginning in 1974 and was later resurrected for a series of '90s TV movies. In that time, audiences were introduced not only to Rockford, but to a cast of supporting characters including his truck driver dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), LAPD pal Becker (Joe Santos), and the con artist Angel (Stuart Margolin).
Garner passed away in 2014, and only a few "Rockford Files" castmates are still with us today. Those who are still around include notable recurring guest stars like famously mustachioed "Blue Bloods" star Tom Selleck, Egot-winning multi-hyphenate Rita Moreno, and "Happy Gilmore" director...
Garner passed away in 2014, and only a few "Rockford Files" castmates are still with us today. Those who are still around include notable recurring guest stars like famously mustachioed "Blue Bloods" star Tom Selleck, Egot-winning multi-hyphenate Rita Moreno, and "Happy Gilmore" director...
- 4/20/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
CBS is adding to its already extensive list of series renewals for the 2024-25 season.
The latest pickup for the network is Elsbeth, the Columbo-esque Good Wife offshoot starring Carrie Preston as the title character, lawyer-turned-investigator Elsbeth Tascioni. The series has performed well over its first few episodes, ranking as the second most watched newcomer on the broadcast networks this season (behind fellow CBS show Tracker). It averages about 11 million viewers over five weeks of viewing on all platforms (CBS, Paramount+ and CBS TV apps).
“Elsbeth has charmed audiences with its singular blend of delightful humor, distinctive ‘how-done-it’ storytelling, and the inventive, brilliant quirkiness of Elsbeth Tascioni,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach in a statement. “Executive producers Robert and Michelle King have a stellar track record for creating critically acclaimed series full of unforgettable characters and, alongside showrunner Jonathan Tolins and his writing team, have developed an incredibly...
The latest pickup for the network is Elsbeth, the Columbo-esque Good Wife offshoot starring Carrie Preston as the title character, lawyer-turned-investigator Elsbeth Tascioni. The series has performed well over its first few episodes, ranking as the second most watched newcomer on the broadcast networks this season (behind fellow CBS show Tracker). It averages about 11 million viewers over five weeks of viewing on all platforms (CBS, Paramount+ and CBS TV apps).
“Elsbeth has charmed audiences with its singular blend of delightful humor, distinctive ‘how-done-it’ storytelling, and the inventive, brilliant quirkiness of Elsbeth Tascioni,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach in a statement. “Executive producers Robert and Michelle King have a stellar track record for creating critically acclaimed series full of unforgettable characters and, alongside showrunner Jonathan Tolins and his writing team, have developed an incredibly...
- 4/18/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CBS's Elsbeth made a splash with its debut, but afterward, audiences had to wait two months for more.
When it returned, it established itself as a quirky, lighthearted murder mystery series, though there is a darker overarching plot surrounding the lawyer's secret investigation into her new boss.
By now, it's clear this series is nothing like The Good Wife despite being a spinoff, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's lost its way.
Elsbeth is far more formulaic than The Good Wife, so it may appeal to a different audience. The Good Wife was a dark satire (not necessarily funny) about complex legal issues and the sacrifices people made to gain political points. Elsbeth is none of that.
The title character was a quirky attorney on The Good Wife, and as expected, she's the same on Elsbeth. She also is the lead in a cozy mystery show, which may not...
When it returned, it established itself as a quirky, lighthearted murder mystery series, though there is a darker overarching plot surrounding the lawyer's secret investigation into her new boss.
By now, it's clear this series is nothing like The Good Wife despite being a spinoff, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's lost its way.
Elsbeth is far more formulaic than The Good Wife, so it may appeal to a different audience. The Good Wife was a dark satire (not necessarily funny) about complex legal issues and the sacrifices people made to gain political points. Elsbeth is none of that.
The title character was a quirky attorney on The Good Wife, and as expected, she's the same on Elsbeth. She also is the lead in a cozy mystery show, which may not...
- 4/15/2024
- by Jack Ori
- TVfanatic
Pictured: Elsbeth star Carrie Prestonon the Elsbeth and Tea Around Town bus event in New York City. Photo: Michele Crowe/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fans of Elsbeth Tascioni, rejoice! The quirky and brilliant lawyer from The Good Wife and The Good Fight continues her adventures in her own detective series, Elsbeth. Creators Robert and Michelle King drew inspiration for the spin-off from an unlikely source: rewatching the classic detective show Columbo during the pandemic. Carrie Preston reprises her Emmy-winning role, infusing Elsbeth with the same lovable charm as she pivots from the courtroom to the crime scene. She assists the NYPD in murder investigations, bringing her unique skills and unconventional methods to the table. Preston was already on board with a potential Elsbeth-centric show even before the pitch, having noticed the Columbo comparisons herself. (click on the media bar below to hear Carrie Preston) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.
- 4/11/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Elsbeth: Pictured: Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni Photo: Michael Parmelee/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Good Wife continues to live on through a second spinoff series: Elsbeth, featuring the recurring character played by Carrie Preston on both The Good Wife and its first spinoff, The Good Fight. The new series is certainly more lighthearted than The Good Wife, playing heavily on the Elsbeth character’s quirky personality and unconventional ways of solving cases. Robert King, who — with his wife, Michelle — created both The Good Wife and Elsbeth, talked about how they were envisioning an Elsbeth series, they kept coming back to one classic character: Peter Falk’s legendary detective from Columbo. (Click on the media bar below to hear Robert King) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/RObert_King_Elisbeth_Columbo_.mp3 Elsbeth airs Thursday nights on CBS, and episodes start streaming the following day on Paramount+.
- 4/5/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Columbo wouldn’t know what to make of the technicolored outfits sported by amateur snoop Elsbeth Tascioni (played to quirky perfection by Emmy winner Carrie Preston). Yet the iconic TV detective, immortalized by the late Peter Falk and known for his shabby trench coat, would likely recognize a kindred spirit cut from the same metaphorical cloth. Elsbeth, a delightful spinoff built around a memorably offbeat character first introduced as a foil on Robert and Michelle King‘s The Good Wife and The Good Fight, is in good company. Peacock‘s terrific Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie, an irreverent drifter with a gift for spotting murderous liars, follows a similar Columbo-like “how-catch-’em” light mystery format. We see the crime and the criminal—typically a well-known actor—before our hero even shows their face. Elsbeth’s madcap wardrobe and sunny sensibility, much like Columbo’s shambling demeanor and Charlie’s scrappy underdog persona,...
- 4/3/2024
- TV Insider
Barbara Baldavin, who appeared on three episodes of the original Star Trek and recurred on Medical Center before working in the casting department on shows including Dynasty and Trapper John, M.D., has died. She was 85.
Baldavin died Sunday of congestive heart failure at her home in Manhattan Beach, her son Marc D’Agosta told The Hollywood Reporter.
Baldavin portrayed phaser control officer Angela Martine on two first-season episodes of NBC’s Star Trek in 1966. On the first one, her wedding to Starfleet officer Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) — with William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk presiding — was interrupted by a Romulan attack.
She then returned as Lt. Lisa, a communications officer and court reporter, on the series finale, “Turnabout Intruder,” which aired in June 1969.
Baldavin played Nurse Holmby on 51 episodes during the last six seasons (1970-76) of CBS’ Medical Center, starring Chad Everett and James Daly. She had appeared as another character on the first season.
Baldavin died Sunday of congestive heart failure at her home in Manhattan Beach, her son Marc D’Agosta told The Hollywood Reporter.
Baldavin portrayed phaser control officer Angela Martine on two first-season episodes of NBC’s Star Trek in 1966. On the first one, her wedding to Starfleet officer Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) — with William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk presiding — was interrupted by a Romulan attack.
She then returned as Lt. Lisa, a communications officer and court reporter, on the series finale, “Turnabout Intruder,” which aired in June 1969.
Baldavin played Nurse Holmby on 51 episodes during the last six seasons (1970-76) of CBS’ Medical Center, starring Chad Everett and James Daly. She had appeared as another character on the first season.
- 4/1/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Elsbeth has premiered on CBS, and we're all in.
The show garnered 4.5 million views and improved its CBS time slot by 45% over last year.
Already fielding favorable comparisons to the classic Columbo and the more modern success Poker Face, Elsbeth combines a winning story formula with good timing to set the show up as an instant hit.
This spin-off of The Good Wife and The Good Fight was an odd choice. The show hinges on Elsbeth's new job observing the NYPD for signs of corruption.
Why would a lawyer from Chicago be called in for this job? What are her credentials?
As she states in the pilot episode, Elsbeth has never actually been to a crime scene -- she's only seen crime scene photos in the courtroom.
So how can someone with no experience in crime scene investigation even spot corruption?
Dropping an unlikely character into a detective procedural was a bold move,...
The show garnered 4.5 million views and improved its CBS time slot by 45% over last year.
Already fielding favorable comparisons to the classic Columbo and the more modern success Poker Face, Elsbeth combines a winning story formula with good timing to set the show up as an instant hit.
This spin-off of The Good Wife and The Good Fight was an odd choice. The show hinges on Elsbeth's new job observing the NYPD for signs of corruption.
Why would a lawyer from Chicago be called in for this job? What are her credentials?
As she states in the pilot episode, Elsbeth has never actually been to a crime scene -- she's only seen crime scene photos in the courtroom.
So how can someone with no experience in crime scene investigation even spot corruption?
Dropping an unlikely character into a detective procedural was a bold move,...
- 3/4/2024
- by Shela Ward
- TVfanatic
Welcome to the 250th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, married showrunners Michelle and Robert King join us for their second visit to TV’s Top 5 as they open up about Elsbeth, the Carrie Preston vehicle in which the beloved actress reprises her role from both The Good Fight and The Good Wife. The Kings, however, don’t consider Elsbeth a spinoff but rather their attempt at making a modern-day Columbo.
During the wide-ranging interview, the Kings also discuss why The Good Fight was too niche for broadcast, if other characters from...
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
This week, married showrunners Michelle and Robert King join us for their second visit to TV’s Top 5 as they open up about Elsbeth, the Carrie Preston vehicle in which the beloved actress reprises her role from both The Good Fight and The Good Wife. The Kings, however, don’t consider Elsbeth a spinoff but rather their attempt at making a modern-day Columbo.
During the wide-ranging interview, the Kings also discuss why The Good Fight was too niche for broadcast, if other characters from...
- 3/1/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robert and Michelle King’s The Good Wife and The Good Fight spinoff Elsbeth is TV’s latest series about an eccentric non-police investigator using their eccentricities to solve murders, as well as the latest to use a throwback template — we tend to cite Columbo, though Columbo is hardly the only apt reference — to (slightly) freshen up the procedural format.
This is a dual trend I’ve written about and analyzed to death — so to speak — so let’s try something else.
Elsbeth, which transplants Carrie Preston’s delightfully odd and unfailingly effective Elsbeth Tascioni to the Big Apple, represents the Kings in comfort-food mode.
Coming after six seasons of Paramount+’s The Good Fight, one of the angriest and funniest shows of the Trump Era, and CBS and Paramount+’s Evil (currently wrapping its fourth season), in which humor and horror elements capture the perpetual discomfort of modern urban life,...
This is a dual trend I’ve written about and analyzed to death — so to speak — so let’s try something else.
Elsbeth, which transplants Carrie Preston’s delightfully odd and unfailingly effective Elsbeth Tascioni to the Big Apple, represents the Kings in comfort-food mode.
Coming after six seasons of Paramount+’s The Good Fight, one of the angriest and funniest shows of the Trump Era, and CBS and Paramount+’s Evil (currently wrapping its fourth season), in which humor and horror elements capture the perpetual discomfort of modern urban life,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s been 15 years since “The Good Wife” first premiered on CBS, seven years since its initial spinoff, “The Good Fight,” helped launch CBS All Access, and zero years since “Elsbeth” brings the “Good” universe full circle. On February 29, 2024, the franchise returns to CBS — albeit with every advertisement noting you can also watch episodes on CBS All Access Paramount+ — as the Carrie Preston-starring drama series extends Robert and Michelle King’s legal procedurals into new territory: Instead of outwitting her fellow attorneys, Elsbeth now polices the police.
Preston stars as Elsbeth Tascioni, a defense attorney first introduced in “The Good Wife” (and brought back for “The Good Fight”) whose ceaselessly chipper demeanor encourages friends and enemies alike to underestimate her at every turn. In the “Elsbeth” pilot, she enters a crime scene wearing a foam Statue of Liberty hat, shamelessly flaunting her image as the bright-eyed tourist in a city of hardened cynics.
Preston stars as Elsbeth Tascioni, a defense attorney first introduced in “The Good Wife” (and brought back for “The Good Fight”) whose ceaselessly chipper demeanor encourages friends and enemies alike to underestimate her at every turn. In the “Elsbeth” pilot, she enters a crime scene wearing a foam Statue of Liberty hat, shamelessly flaunting her image as the bright-eyed tourist in a city of hardened cynics.
- 2/29/2024
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
In 19 memorable episodes that aired over the course of a dozen years and across two different shows — CBS’ The Good Wife and its streaming spinoff The Good Fight — Carrie Preston played Elsbeth Tascioni, a brilliant lawyer whose eccentric behavior constantly threw off the heroes of those dramas. So naturally, when Preston gets her own series, simply titled Elsbeth, the character is now helping the NYPD solve murders. As one does, right?
This is not the strangest left turn a TV spinoff has taken, if only because Baywatch Nights — where David Hasselhoff...
This is not the strangest left turn a TV spinoff has taken, if only because Baywatch Nights — where David Hasselhoff...
- 2/28/2024
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Along with his remarkable work in movies like The Terminator and Predator, Arnold Schwarzenegger also boasts a legacy in bodybuilding. Winning three Mr. Universe titles and the professional Mr. Olympia title six years in a row from 1970 to 1975, along with a seventh win in 1980, the actor has become a legendary figure in the world of bodybuilding.
Arnold Schwarzenegger won 7 Mr. Olympia titles
However, Schwarzenegger’s seventh win along with the subsequent win of his close friend Franco Columbu in 1981 have sparked debates over fairness, prompting three legendary bodybuilding icons to boycott the competition.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Olympia Dominance Sparked Outcry in Bodybuilding Community
The 1980 and 1981 Mr. Olympia competition faced unprecedented disruption and scrutiny with the allegations of unfair judgment. Arnold Schwarzenegger, also known as the Austrian Oak in the bodybuilding world, won the title of Mr. Olympia for the seventh time following a five-year hiatus in 1980.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in...
Arnold Schwarzenegger won 7 Mr. Olympia titles
However, Schwarzenegger’s seventh win along with the subsequent win of his close friend Franco Columbu in 1981 have sparked debates over fairness, prompting three legendary bodybuilding icons to boycott the competition.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Olympia Dominance Sparked Outcry in Bodybuilding Community
The 1980 and 1981 Mr. Olympia competition faced unprecedented disruption and scrutiny with the allegations of unfair judgment. Arnold Schwarzenegger, also known as the Austrian Oak in the bodybuilding world, won the title of Mr. Olympia for the seventh time following a five-year hiatus in 1980.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in...
- 2/27/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
It's another jam-packed episode of the Empire Podcast this week, folks. Our guest cup certainly overfloweth, as Olly Richards sits down on Zoom with Memory stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard (21:17 - 37:40 approx.), Ian Freer talks Kurosawa, Columbo, German goalkeepers and Japanese toilets with the legendary director Wim Wenders (58:36 - 1:14:11 approx), and Dan Jolin gushes liberally all over City Of God in a 21st anniversary re-release chat with that film's director, Fernando Meirelles (1:30:51 - 1:48:04 approx).
Either side of those, Chris Hewitt hosts and is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss their best ever days as film fans, their favourite queer films, the week's movie news including the announcement of Sam Mendes' wildly ambitious Beatles biopics, and review Memory, Wim Wenders' Perfect Days, Wicked Little Letters, and American Star. Oh,...
Either side of those, Chris Hewitt hosts and is joined in the podbooth by Helen O'Hara and James Dyer for a fun episode in which they discuss their best ever days as film fans, their favourite queer films, the week's movie news including the announcement of Sam Mendes' wildly ambitious Beatles biopics, and review Memory, Wim Wenders' Perfect Days, Wicked Little Letters, and American Star. Oh,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
It is increasingly weird to recall that for a while, French director Bruno Dumont was the kind of filmmaker who reminded you, often forcibly and somewhat against your will, that the word “auteur” contains most of the letters of “austere.” “The Empire,” another of the director’s proudly off-kilter comedies that pitches the bumbling denizens of a small French village into a vast, sinister conspiracy extending far beyond their foreshortened horizons, hovers several light years — and two janky light sabers — away from austerity. Unfortunately, though, the air out there is also a little thin on hilarity, with the film’s one-gag setup becoming stretched to the point that it doesn’t even matter that it’s a pretty good gag.
The humor, as ever with the Dumont of “Li’l Quinquin” and “Slack Bay,” derives largely from the collision of the grandiose with the drolly mundane. This time out, harking back to,...
The humor, as ever with the Dumont of “Li’l Quinquin” and “Slack Bay,” derives largely from the collision of the grandiose with the drolly mundane. This time out, harking back to,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
This article contains massive Scream VI Spoilers.
It’s a funny thing when you stop to think about it. Despite nearly all the Scream movies featuring two killers, we never saw multiple Ghostfaces appear in costume at the same time during the last five movies. The idea was teased a bit in Scream 4, but by and large, every Scream film before 2023 wanted to keep the illusion that there might only be one Ghostface killer in the film… at least until it came time for third act monologues where everyone was in their civilian clothes.
In retrospect, it’s kind of a bizarre curiosity in this franchise. One which the filmmakers behind Scream VI intended to change while crafting a climax for the latest installment. Finally, we’d see our heroes chased by two Ghostfaces—Ghostfaces who in turn would serve a third mastermind and semi-cult leader. It’s that initiating idea,...
It’s a funny thing when you stop to think about it. Despite nearly all the Scream movies featuring two killers, we never saw multiple Ghostfaces appear in costume at the same time during the last five movies. The idea was teased a bit in Scream 4, but by and large, every Scream film before 2023 wanted to keep the illusion that there might only be one Ghostface killer in the film… at least until it came time for third act monologues where everyone was in their civilian clothes.
In retrospect, it’s kind of a bizarre curiosity in this franchise. One which the filmmakers behind Scream VI intended to change while crafting a climax for the latest installment. Finally, we’d see our heroes chased by two Ghostfaces—Ghostfaces who in turn would serve a third mastermind and semi-cult leader. It’s that initiating idea,...
- 5/1/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot points, including the ending for “The Pope’s Exorcist” currently playing in theaters.
Director Julius Avery has “only seen parts” of William Friedkin’s classic “The Exorcist.”
“I’m not a massive aficionado of exorcist movies,” he tells Variety.
Yet despite that, his latest release, “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which is based on Gabriele Amorth’s books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories,” follows the Vatican’s chief exorcist to Spain. Played by Russell Crowe, Father Amorth teams up with a priest, Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), to investigate a young mother, Julia (Alex Essoe), and her children, who have recently become possessed by a powerful demon.
Avery says of Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, “I found it interesting that this was a real job, that there is a chief exorcist at the Vatican.
Director Julius Avery has “only seen parts” of William Friedkin’s classic “The Exorcist.”
“I’m not a massive aficionado of exorcist movies,” he tells Variety.
Yet despite that, his latest release, “The Pope’s Exorcist,” which is based on Gabriele Amorth’s books “An Exorcist Tells His Story” and “An Exorcist: More Stories,” follows the Vatican’s chief exorcist to Spain. Played by Russell Crowe, Father Amorth teams up with a priest, Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto), to investigate a young mother, Julia (Alex Essoe), and her children, who have recently become possessed by a powerful demon.
Avery says of Amorth, the Catholic priest who served for 30 years as the head exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, “I found it interesting that this was a real job, that there is a chief exorcist at the Vatican.
- 4/17/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Back in the 1980s, John Larroquette dominated Best Comedy Supporting Actor at the Emmys. He won the category four times in a row (1985-88) for playing Dan Fielding on the NBC sitcom “Night Court.” Now, 35 years after his last win for the show and this time in Best Comedy Actor, he’s seeking to join an even more exclusive club of actors who have won five Emmys for playing the same character.
If Larroquette were to claim a fifth Emmy for playing Fielding, he would join three other performers who have also won that amount. Don Knotts won five times in Best Comedy Supporting Actor for his role as Deputy Sherrif Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967 and 1968. Ed Asner won three Emmys in Best Comedy Supporting Actor for playing Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and then two for Best Drama Actor for the same character on the spin-off show,...
If Larroquette were to claim a fifth Emmy for playing Fielding, he would join three other performers who have also won that amount. Don Knotts won five times in Best Comedy Supporting Actor for his role as Deputy Sherrif Barney Fife on “The Andy Griffith Show” in 1961, 1962, 1963, 1967 and 1968. Ed Asner won three Emmys in Best Comedy Supporting Actor for playing Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and then two for Best Drama Actor for the same character on the spin-off show,...
- 4/3/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Another Empire Podcast episode, another bumper selection of guests this week, as Chris Hewitt sits down (in person) with Ian McShane, star of John Wick: Chapter 4, and they chat about hotels, Lovejoy, McShane's start in acting, and (of course) Columbo. Chris also has a fantastic chat with John Boyega, star of Breaking, which is released on PVOD on Monday (March 27th), in which they talk about the film's social conscience, how Boyega navigated his career post-Attack The Block and Star Wars, and how he celebrates his birthdays. And then there's a clash of the Alexes, as our Mr Godfrey chats with Infinity Pool star Alexander Skarsgard about his crazy and intense new movie. Be warned: there's talk galore of dog collars and giant penises. The usual.
Then, in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara hosts and is joined by James Dyer and Sophie Butcher for a fun episode in which...
Then, in the podbooth, Helen O'Hara hosts and is joined by James Dyer and Sophie Butcher for a fun episode in which...
- 3/24/2023
- by Chris Hewitt
- Empire - Movies
Elsbeth, the Good Wife spinoff starring Carrie Preston, has added two more to its cast.
Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Suits) and Carra Patterson (The Arrangement) will star opposite Preston in the CBS pilot, our sister site Deadline reports.
More from TVLineNCIS: LA Boss Teases 'Fun and Hopeful' Series Finale, What's Ahead in Hetty Storyline -- Plus, Get the New End DateSo Help Me Todd Casts Briga Heelan, Staging Ground Floor Reunion With Skylar Astin -- First Look PhotosWill Young Sheldon Follow Big Bang's Lead With New Baby? Plus, EP Explains Georgie and Mandy's Daughter's Name
Pierce will take on the role of Captain Wagner,...
Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Suits) and Carra Patterson (The Arrangement) will star opposite Preston in the CBS pilot, our sister site Deadline reports.
More from TVLineNCIS: LA Boss Teases 'Fun and Hopeful' Series Finale, What's Ahead in Hetty Storyline -- Plus, Get the New End DateSo Help Me Todd Casts Briga Heelan, Staging Ground Floor Reunion With Skylar Astin -- First Look PhotosWill Young Sheldon Follow Big Bang's Lead With New Baby? Plus, EP Explains Georgie and Mandy's Daughter's Name
Pierce will take on the role of Captain Wagner,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
Peacock is aware it’s holding a Royal Flush with Rian Johnson’s mystery-of-the-week series Poker Face and wants to up the ante. The Columbo-style series is getting a second season, marking another win for Johnson after the chart-topping release of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix. Poker Face Season 2 will air on Peacock, and executives over at the streamer are thrilled with the show’s performance thus far.
“Poker Face is one of those rare, undeniable shows that we all fell in love with from the start, but the critical acclaim and viewer response has been beyond our wildest dreams,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Working alongside the creative genius of Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne and Ram Bergman, along with our partners at MRC and T-Street, has been a spectacular ride, and we can’t wait to hit the road for...
“Poker Face is one of those rare, undeniable shows that we all fell in love with from the start, but the critical acclaim and viewer response has been beyond our wildest dreams,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Working alongside the creative genius of Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne and Ram Bergman, along with our partners at MRC and T-Street, has been a spectacular ride, and we can’t wait to hit the road for...
- 2/15/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
No bullshit here: Poker Face is returning for a second season.
The Peacock series created by Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne has been renewed at the streamer. The renewal comes as the first season of the T-Street and MRC Television series is rolling out, heading toward its March 9 finale. A season two premiere date has yet to be announced.
The murder mystery drama follows Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a Columbo-inspired murder-solving fugitive who, thanks to her special ability of being able to identify when someone is lying, is consistently calling “bullshit” on the homicidal liars she encounters.
The series experimented with the release format by dropping four episodes at once, followed by a weekly Thursday release of its 10-episode first season. Each episode functions as a stand-alone murder mystery — complete with a new location and cast — with Charlie (Lyonne) anchoring the series as it follows her on the...
The Peacock series created by Rian Johnson and starring Natasha Lyonne has been renewed at the streamer. The renewal comes as the first season of the T-Street and MRC Television series is rolling out, heading toward its March 9 finale. A season two premiere date has yet to be announced.
The murder mystery drama follows Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a Columbo-inspired murder-solving fugitive who, thanks to her special ability of being able to identify when someone is lying, is consistently calling “bullshit” on the homicidal liars she encounters.
The series experimented with the release format by dropping four episodes at once, followed by a weekly Thursday release of its 10-episode first season. Each episode functions as a stand-alone murder mystery — complete with a new location and cast — with Charlie (Lyonne) anchoring the series as it follows her on the...
- 2/15/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains spoilers for "Poker Face" episode 5.
Rian Johnson's new Peacock series, "Poker Face," is a total blast with unique murder mysteries that wrap up before the end of each episode -- much like "Murder, She Wrote" or "Columbo," but with Natasha Lyonne working her own brand of mystery-solving magic. Each episode has a slightly different vibe to it, and while Johnson directed a couple of the episodes, he also brought in some talented folks to take on helming duties. Episode 5, "Time of the Monkey," finds our hero Charlie Cale (Lyonne) working at a nursing home while she's on the run from some seriously sinister criminals and the cops due to the events of the pilot, and it's a 1970s-flavored dark delight courtesy of horror director Lucky McKee.
The tone of "Poker Face" is pretty radically different from Johnson's other murder mystery fare; it's much funnier and lighter than "Brick,...
Rian Johnson's new Peacock series, "Poker Face," is a total blast with unique murder mysteries that wrap up before the end of each episode -- much like "Murder, She Wrote" or "Columbo," but with Natasha Lyonne working her own brand of mystery-solving magic. Each episode has a slightly different vibe to it, and while Johnson directed a couple of the episodes, he also brought in some talented folks to take on helming duties. Episode 5, "Time of the Monkey," finds our hero Charlie Cale (Lyonne) working at a nursing home while she's on the run from some seriously sinister criminals and the cops due to the events of the pilot, and it's a 1970s-flavored dark delight courtesy of horror director Lucky McKee.
The tone of "Poker Face" is pretty radically different from Johnson's other murder mystery fare; it's much funnier and lighter than "Brick,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
From 2010 to 2019, Idris Elba played the character of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther in five seasons of the TV series Luther, for a total of twenty episodes. Now Elba is reprising the role in the feature film Luther: The Fallen Sun, which will be getting a theatrical release on February 24th, before it reaches the Netflix streaming service on March 10th. In anticipation of those dates, a trailer for Luther: The Fallen Sun has arrived online, and you can check that out in the embed above.
Directed by Jamie Payne from a screenplay by Luther series creator / writer Neil Cross, Luther: The Fallen Sun has the following official synopsis: In Luther: The Fallen Sun — an epic continuation of the award-winning television saga reimagined for film — a gruesome serial killer is terrorizing London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture...
Directed by Jamie Payne from a screenplay by Luther series creator / writer Neil Cross, Luther: The Fallen Sun has the following official synopsis: In Luther: The Fallen Sun — an epic continuation of the award-winning television saga reimagined for film — a gruesome serial killer is terrorizing London while brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther (Idris Elba) sits behind bars. Haunted by his failure to capture...
- 2/9/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Few of us want to face up to the prospect of our actual deaths, which on balance are likely to be undramatic and involve dull phrases like ‘primary hypertension’, ‘ischemic heart disease’ and ‘she really did love Doritos’. Imagining our screen deaths though, is a different matter. On screen, we can expire glamorously. Mid-diamond heist, say, or thrown from the top of the Statue of Liberty, or popping up eviscerated between letters D and F in an alphabet-based serial killer’s magnum opus.
These glamorous and exciting screen deaths demand a similarly glamorous and lengthy investigation by a fictional cop of our choice. While you ponder who you’d want from the world of TV and film to gumshoe your case, here’s who we’ve gone for…
Sgt Catherine Cawood (Happy Valley)
At the time of writing Sgt Catherine Cawood is a hair’s breadth away from retirement, and...
These glamorous and exciting screen deaths demand a similarly glamorous and lengthy investigation by a fictional cop of our choice. While you ponder who you’d want from the world of TV and film to gumshoe your case, here’s who we’ve gone for…
Sgt Catherine Cawood (Happy Valley)
At the time of writing Sgt Catherine Cawood is a hair’s breadth away from retirement, and...
- 2/7/2023
- by Maznah Shehzad
- Den of Geek
Spoiler alert: The following article discusses the entirety of “Poker Face” Episode 5, “Time of the Monkey”
In “Poker Face,” Rian Johnson’s first-ever TV show following in the tradition of ‘70s detective stories like “Columbo,” Natasha Lyonne is a human lie detector-cum-begrudging murder solver. With each new episode and largely self-contained adventure, Charlie Cale (Lyonne) finds herself entangled in a new web of killings, piecing together how and why it all went wrong. The Peacock series’ latest episode, titled “Time of the Monkey,” features Judith Light as half a badass duo of retirees whose activism during the counterculture period is not as altruistic as it first may seem.
“They’re women that you don’t see all the time in our business,” the Tony and Daytime Emmy-winning actress told TheWrap about her and S. Epatha Merkerson’s characters, Irene Smothers and Joyce Harris. “You have female detectives, but you don...
In “Poker Face,” Rian Johnson’s first-ever TV show following in the tradition of ‘70s detective stories like “Columbo,” Natasha Lyonne is a human lie detector-cum-begrudging murder solver. With each new episode and largely self-contained adventure, Charlie Cale (Lyonne) finds herself entangled in a new web of killings, piecing together how and why it all went wrong. The Peacock series’ latest episode, titled “Time of the Monkey,” features Judith Light as half a badass duo of retirees whose activism during the counterculture period is not as altruistic as it first may seem.
“They’re women that you don’t see all the time in our business,” the Tony and Daytime Emmy-winning actress told TheWrap about her and S. Epatha Merkerson’s characters, Irene Smothers and Joyce Harris. “You have female detectives, but you don...
- 2/2/2023
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Natasha Lyonne’s savvy, road-weary Charlie Cale is a fond homage to classic TV detectives like Jim Rockford and Lt. Frank Columbo: Like Rockford, she lives in a battered mobile home when we first meet her and she’s as dogged in solving crimes as the cigar-smoking Columbo. She also drives a bitchin’ 70s car and rocks a sweater that might have belonged to Paul Michael Glaser’s Starsky.
Here are some of the shows that influenced Rian Johnson’s series and other classic mystery of the week series, and where to watch them.
The Fugitive (1964-1967)
The original series starred David Janssen as a doctor falsely accused of murdering his wife (just like in the 1993 movie starring Harrison Ford). Always on the run from the law and taking odd jobs to survive, each week found him in a new place with a new person needing his help. All while...
Here are some of the shows that influenced Rian Johnson’s series and other classic mystery of the week series, and where to watch them.
The Fugitive (1964-1967)
The original series starred David Janssen as a doctor falsely accused of murdering his wife (just like in the 1993 movie starring Harrison Ford). Always on the run from the law and taking odd jobs to survive, each week found him in a new place with a new person needing his help. All while...
- 2/1/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Don't let the cancellation of Hulu's "Reboot" fool you — resurrecting old TV series from the dead is still all the rage. "That '70s Show," "The Wonder Years," "Perry Mason," and "DuckTales," among others, have all found their way back to our screens. So I guess it was only a matter of time before someone had the grand idea to call upon everyone's small-town, folksy lawyer. CBS has ordered a return to the courtroom in the form of a "Matlock" robot. Variety reports that a pilot from writer and executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman ("Jane The Virgin" creator) is in the works.
The original "Matlock," created by Dean Hargrove, aired from 1986 to 1992 with Andy Griffith playing the titular lawyer for the show's nine-season run. The series follows Ben Matlock, a very expensive criminal defense attorney with a penchant for solving murders. But unlike the gruff, crime-solving individual who usually leads these weekly murder stories,...
The original "Matlock," created by Dean Hargrove, aired from 1986 to 1992 with Andy Griffith playing the titular lawyer for the show's nine-season run. The series follows Ben Matlock, a very expensive criminal defense attorney with a penchant for solving murders. But unlike the gruff, crime-solving individual who usually leads these weekly murder stories,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King’s affection for Carrie Preston — and her fan favorite character of Elsbeth Tascioni — laid the groundwork for the just-announced spinoff.
As we reported Tuesday, CBS has handed a pilot order to Elsbeth, a one-hour drama centered on the scatterbrained but brilliant lawyer that Preston played on both The Good Wife and its first offshoot The Good Fight.
More from TVLineNCIS: Los Angeles Final Season Casts Christopher Gorham as Kilbride's SonNCIS: Hawai'i Sneak Peek: #Kacy's Catch-Up Call Is Cut Short by [Spoiler]Sherlock-less Watson vs. Moriarty Series in the Works at CBS
“This should be fun,...
As we reported Tuesday, CBS has handed a pilot order to Elsbeth, a one-hour drama centered on the scatterbrained but brilliant lawyer that Preston played on both The Good Wife and its first offshoot The Good Fight.
More from TVLineNCIS: Los Angeles Final Season Casts Christopher Gorham as Kilbride's SonNCIS: Hawai'i Sneak Peek: #Kacy's Catch-Up Call Is Cut Short by [Spoiler]Sherlock-less Watson vs. Moriarty Series in the Works at CBS
“This should be fun,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Rian Johnson is on a murder mystery hot streak. After releasing "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" at the end of 2022, he's starting off 2023 on the right foot with a mystery-of-the-week original series on Peacock. Executive produced by himself and Natasha Lyonne (who also stars in the series), "Poker Face" is emblematic of the mystery shows of old, and harkens back to the 1970s when Universal and NBC ruled the mystery movie night spot with feature-length "Columbo" episodes that boasted impressive guests and even more remarkable murders.
The bygone era of those old detective shows has been revived with "Poker Face," as Johnson's primary goal is to take all the best parts of mystery television from years of yore and reintroduce them to a new audience. Given his love of all things mystery that he saw as a child, it's no surprise that a series like "Poker Face" came to fruition.
The bygone era of those old detective shows has been revived with "Poker Face," as Johnson's primary goal is to take all the best parts of mystery television from years of yore and reintroduce them to a new audience. Given his love of all things mystery that he saw as a child, it's no surprise that a series like "Poker Face" came to fruition.
- 1/27/2023
- by Ernesto Valenzuela
- Slash Film
Most filmmakers get bit by the movie bug early in life. They walk out of "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or "Jurassic Park," and, like getting off a great amusement park ride, are desperate to get back in line to relive the experience all over again. At some point, they have to go home. That's where the dreaming starts. They imagine the further adventures of their big screen heroes, and, eventually, craft whole universes of their own. Sure, they'd love to add their own chapter to the "Indiana Jones" films, but what they really want is to create their own Indiana Jones. As they get older and discover other genres like Westerns, musicals, and gangster flicks, they study their tropes and unavoidably put their own spin on them.
The best filmmakers are the ones who seek not to replicate their formative experiences, but to work within different genres on their own terms.
The best filmmakers are the ones who seek not to replicate their formative experiences, but to work within different genres on their own terms.
- 1/27/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
"Poker Face" has already drawn quite a few comparisons to the classic television series "Columbo." After all, it utilizes the "crime-of-the-week" structure it famously implemented, where the crime is introduced, evaluated, and solved in glorious fashion by the end of the episode. It's not fair to call "Poker Face" a direct riff or even a ripoff of "Columbo," as its central character Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) isn't exactly the willing and experienced detective that made Columbo (Peter Falk) so compelling to watch. That's not to say that our new friend Charlie and her exploits aren't just as interesting to follow — she just does things a bit differently than how we might expect.
However, while Charlie might not be a Columbo copycat, the guest stars she encounters throughout do take a page from the show's playbook. Creator Rian Johnson, far from a stranger to mysteries, told The Ringer that he wanted the...
However, while Charlie might not be a Columbo copycat, the guest stars she encounters throughout do take a page from the show's playbook. Creator Rian Johnson, far from a stranger to mysteries, told The Ringer that he wanted the...
- 1/27/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains mild spoilers for the first four episodes of Peacock’s “Poker Face.”
Rian Johnson’s new series “Poker Face” gives its audience a tutorial in protagonist Charlie Cale’s (“Russian Doll” star and creator Natasha Lyonne) remarkable lie-detecting ability — don’t call it a “super power” — over its first four episodes, which launched Thursday on Peacock.
But we can’t blame fans who still might need a little more clarification on exactly how Charlie’s gift works, given that Johnson, Lyonne and the “Poker Face” team spent quite a while setting the specific laws surrounding her talent.
“We had to define this really clearly for ourselves and the rules that we landed are, she can tell if someone says something out loud that they know is an intentional lie,” Johnson told Variety. “If someone says something that’s untrue, but they think that it’s the truth,...
Rian Johnson’s new series “Poker Face” gives its audience a tutorial in protagonist Charlie Cale’s (“Russian Doll” star and creator Natasha Lyonne) remarkable lie-detecting ability — don’t call it a “super power” — over its first four episodes, which launched Thursday on Peacock.
But we can’t blame fans who still might need a little more clarification on exactly how Charlie’s gift works, given that Johnson, Lyonne and the “Poker Face” team spent quite a while setting the specific laws surrounding her talent.
“We had to define this really clearly for ourselves and the rules that we landed are, she can tell if someone says something out loud that they know is an intentional lie,” Johnson told Variety. “If someone says something that’s untrue, but they think that it’s the truth,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Spoiler Alert: This post contains details from the first four episodes of Peacock’s Poker Face.
Natasha Lyonne is a casino waitress with an uncanny ability to tell when people are lying in her latest collaboration with Rian Johnson, Peacock’s Poker Face.
She’s not reading their faces or their body language. It’s “just a feeling,” her character Charlie explains in the first episode, which debuted Thursday along with three additional episodes.
Related Story ‘Poker Face’ Review: No Lie! Natasha Lyonne & Rian Johnson’s Peacock Road Trip Procedural Is All Green Lights & Parking Spaces Related Story NBCUniversal And Comcast Execs "More Confident" Than They Were A Year Ago In Peacock Profit Outlook, Jeff Shell Says Related Story Peacock Clears 20M Subscribers, Helping Comcast Nip Wall Street Q4 Estimates
As the premiere unfolds, Charlie agrees to help her boss take down a high-profile gambler, only to realize that he...
Natasha Lyonne is a casino waitress with an uncanny ability to tell when people are lying in her latest collaboration with Rian Johnson, Peacock’s Poker Face.
She’s not reading their faces or their body language. It’s “just a feeling,” her character Charlie explains in the first episode, which debuted Thursday along with three additional episodes.
Related Story ‘Poker Face’ Review: No Lie! Natasha Lyonne & Rian Johnson’s Peacock Road Trip Procedural Is All Green Lights & Parking Spaces Related Story NBCUniversal And Comcast Execs "More Confident" Than They Were A Year Ago In Peacock Profit Outlook, Jeff Shell Says Related Story Peacock Clears 20M Subscribers, Helping Comcast Nip Wall Street Q4 Estimates
As the premiere unfolds, Charlie agrees to help her boss take down a high-profile gambler, only to realize that he...
- 1/26/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Natasha Lyonne has reacted to her new show receiving a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes – so far.
Lyonne, 43, is both the executive producer and star of Rian Johnson’s mystery-comedy series Poker Face, which debuts on Peacock on Thursday (26 January).
Johnson is best known for his 2019 film Knives Out and its 2022 sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story, which featured a cameo from Lyonne. The film recently received one Oscar nod.
Ahead of its release, Poker Face has received stellar reviews from critics. Many compared the series to its inspiration Columbo, a popular crime drama, which starred Peter Falk and aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978.
Columbo was revived on ABC, where it was broadcast less frequently from 1989 to 2003.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has accumulated 30 reviews and achieved a 100 per cent rating.
On Wednesday (25 January), Lyonne shared the post from Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter.
The Orange is the New Black...
Lyonne, 43, is both the executive producer and star of Rian Johnson’s mystery-comedy series Poker Face, which debuts on Peacock on Thursday (26 January).
Johnson is best known for his 2019 film Knives Out and its 2022 sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story, which featured a cameo from Lyonne. The film recently received one Oscar nod.
Ahead of its release, Poker Face has received stellar reviews from critics. Many compared the series to its inspiration Columbo, a popular crime drama, which starred Peter Falk and aired on NBC from 1971 to 1978.
Columbo was revived on ABC, where it was broadcast less frequently from 1989 to 2003.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has accumulated 30 reviews and achieved a 100 per cent rating.
On Wednesday (25 January), Lyonne shared the post from Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter.
The Orange is the New Black...
- 1/26/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - TV
This article contains spoilers for Poker Face episode 1.
Technology, for as great as it can be, has also taken some much-needed mystery out of life. Gone are the days when a joyful barstool argument about the name of a certain actor would extend into the wee hours of the night as a quick trip to IMDb will always swiftly settle the matter.
Perhaps that’s why detective stories, once a mainstay on television, have largely fallen by the wayside in favor of big franchises, bingeable streaming dramas, and easy-going sitcoms. The humble cellphone, though a useful tool, is also a story-killer waiting to happen. That’s why when Poker Face, the Natasha Lyonne-starring series on Peacock about an investigator with a nose for the truth, wanted to bring back a sense of Columbo fun to television, it knew exactly what to do.
“We actually had a joke in the writers room.
Technology, for as great as it can be, has also taken some much-needed mystery out of life. Gone are the days when a joyful barstool argument about the name of a certain actor would extend into the wee hours of the night as a quick trip to IMDb will always swiftly settle the matter.
Perhaps that’s why detective stories, once a mainstay on television, have largely fallen by the wayside in favor of big franchises, bingeable streaming dramas, and easy-going sitcoms. The humble cellphone, though a useful tool, is also a story-killer waiting to happen. That’s why when Poker Face, the Natasha Lyonne-starring series on Peacock about an investigator with a nose for the truth, wanted to bring back a sense of Columbo fun to television, it knew exactly what to do.
“We actually had a joke in the writers room.
- 1/26/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Let’s put our cards on the table: Almost three years after Peacock launched, the Comcast-owned streamer finally has a legitimate potential breakout show in Natasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson’s Poker Face.
Debuting with four episodes Friday and then dropping the rest of its 10-episode first season weekly, the one-hour drama could prove the dramatic reset the sports-focused Peacock has needed since day one.
Part of that is clearly the combined star power and skills of the Russian Doll star and the Knives Out director, along with a wonderfully villainous Benjamin Bratt and an old-school awards-show phalanx of guest stars. True to the talent on both sides of the camera, Poker Face’s winning hand has a lot to do with how well-crafted and constructed it is.
However, besides a beat-up Plymouth Barracuda, Rockford Files trailer home homages and all, the wider appeal of Poker Face is that...
Debuting with four episodes Friday and then dropping the rest of its 10-episode first season weekly, the one-hour drama could prove the dramatic reset the sports-focused Peacock has needed since day one.
Part of that is clearly the combined star power and skills of the Russian Doll star and the Knives Out director, along with a wonderfully villainous Benjamin Bratt and an old-school awards-show phalanx of guest stars. True to the talent on both sides of the camera, Poker Face’s winning hand has a lot to do with how well-crafted and constructed it is.
However, besides a beat-up Plymouth Barracuda, Rockford Files trailer home homages and all, the wider appeal of Poker Face is that...
- 1/25/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Everybody lies. Few know that better than Charlie Cale (the delightful Natasha Lyonne), whose built-in Bs detector is second to none in Peacock‘s Poker Face. “It’s like birds chirping, people lying,” she explains in that raspy voice, like Marge Simpson on a whiskey bender. “The real trick of it is to figure out why. Why someone is lying.” Therein lies the considerable appeal of Poker Face, from Knives Out creator Rian Johnson. A clever homage to Columbo-style crime-solving, this irreverent murder-of-the-week caper isn’t so much a whodunit as a how’s-she-going-to-solve-it. An unlikely hero, Charlie is a scruffy beer-swilling drifter on the lam from criminals, a dilemma set up in the opener, when she tangles with a casino owner (Adrien Brody) and his muscle (Benjamin Bratt) who are covering up a grisly killing. From there, traveling in her beat-up 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, Charlie tries to keep a low profile,...
- 1/25/2023
- TV Insider
Plot: A 10-episode mystery-of-the-week series following Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.
Review: Rian Johnson has transformed his director career, starting with indie darlings like Brick and Looper before jumping to the biggest canvas out there with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Johnson’s favorite genre has consistently been Mystery, with his Benoit Blanc films Knives Out and Glass Onion becoming massive hits with fans and critics alike. His latest project, Poker Face, continues in the mystery genre with a distinct take on whodunit and crime stories which blends anthology storytelling with a cool wraparound tale led by Natasha Lyonne. Poker Face is a blast from start to finish, with some great direction from...
Review: Rian Johnson has transformed his director career, starting with indie darlings like Brick and Looper before jumping to the biggest canvas out there with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Johnson’s favorite genre has consistently been Mystery, with his Benoit Blanc films Knives Out and Glass Onion becoming massive hits with fans and critics alike. His latest project, Poker Face, continues in the mystery genre with a distinct take on whodunit and crime stories which blends anthology storytelling with a cool wraparound tale led by Natasha Lyonne. Poker Face is a blast from start to finish, with some great direction from...
- 1/25/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Midway through the “Poker Face” premiere, Adrien Brody’s smarmy casino boss recounts the legend behind Natasha Lyonne’s card-playing prowess. “She played straight,” Sterling Frost Jr. says. “And yet she played with an almost unnatural infallibility.” Soon, we find out why: Lyonne’s Charlie Cale always knows when someone’s lying. Whether it’s her best friend promising she’s fine after a fight with her husband or a stranger trying to bluff his way to the pot, Charlie sniffs out bullshit every time it drifts her way. “Just that something is off,” she says by way of explanation. “I can just tell.”
Charlie’s miraculous modus operandi — the ace up her sleeve, if you will — isn’t just a savvy twist for a TV detective; it also doubles as an explanation for how great storytellers should present a mystery. Even when watching a con, audiences don’t want...
Charlie’s miraculous modus operandi — the ace up her sleeve, if you will — isn’t just a savvy twist for a TV detective; it also doubles as an explanation for how great storytellers should present a mystery. Even when watching a con, audiences don’t want...
- 1/25/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
There's something cozy about "Columbo," which is an interesting angle since it's a show about murder. But watching Peter Falk's rumpled detective get the drop on smug killers who think they've gotten away with the perfect crime is both comforting and charming; it's hard not to have fun.
"Poker Face," the new Peacock series created by Rian Johnson, is gunning to be the "Columbo" heir-apparent, resulting in a warm, funny, and cozy series that, like "Columbo," is all about murder. Johnson has become renowned for his whodunits in the forms of "Knives Out" and the more recent "Glass Onion," but like "Columbo" before it, "Poker Face" is not a whodunit. Instead, it's what is traditionally known as a "howcatchem" — we already know who committed the crime. The mystery is in how the crime ends up solved.
Like "Columbo," "Poker Face" has a rumpled, laid-back, amusing protagonist — Charlie, played with...
"Poker Face," the new Peacock series created by Rian Johnson, is gunning to be the "Columbo" heir-apparent, resulting in a warm, funny, and cozy series that, like "Columbo," is all about murder. Johnson has become renowned for his whodunits in the forms of "Knives Out" and the more recent "Glass Onion," but like "Columbo" before it, "Poker Face" is not a whodunit. Instead, it's what is traditionally known as a "howcatchem" — we already know who committed the crime. The mystery is in how the crime ends up solved.
Like "Columbo," "Poker Face" has a rumpled, laid-back, amusing protagonist — Charlie, played with...
- 1/25/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
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