TV News Wrap Up: ‘Justified’, NPH Variety Show, ‘Richie Rich’ & More
This Week in TV:
Justified season 6 gets its first teaser trailer; NBC orders a variety show with Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as its host; Netflix announces a live-action Richie Rich series; and Hulu expands its children’s programming, adding several Nickelodeon shows.
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FX released the first teaser for the final season of Justified. Check it out below.
After seeing the events of season 5 (read our finale review) set up a dramatic showdown between Raylan (Timothy Olyphant) and Boyd (Walton Goggins), it’s no surprise that’s exactly what we are teased with here, as the sixth and final season of the FX crime drama promises to pit the two Harlan figureheads against one another one last time.
Many fans cite the complicated history and relationship between the two men as one of the highlights of the series, so they should be excited to see the outcome of the final face-off between the two characters before Raylan leaves Harlan for good (if he makes it out alive, that is).
Justified returns to FX for its final run in January 2015.
Source: FX Networks
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NBC ordered 10 episodes of a primetime variety show with Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as its host.
neil patrick harris variety TV News Wrap Up: Justified, NPH Variety Show, Richie Rich & More
Based on the format of the UK show Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, NBC’s series satisfies the desires of both the network and Harris to produce a classic variety show. Earlier this year, the network displayed its interest in the format by attempting a variety show with Saturday Night Live alum Maya Rudolph; and Harris – who is known for hosting major awards shows such as the Tonys and the Emmys – has been clear about his hosting goals since May, when he told Craig Ferguson on The Late Late Show that he wanted to do “an Ed Sullivan-y kind of show, with all the variety acts.”
According to Harris, his old bosses at CBS were interested in him hosting a late night show for the network, presumably The Late Show, but he turned it down in favor of pitching a variety show, telling The Howard Stern Show:
“I told him (CBS CEO Leslie Moonves) what concerned me about the longevity of that kind of gig. I think I would get bored of the repetition fast. The structure is so set — I don’t have any interest in doing monologue, commercial, sketch, guest, guest, musical act, goodnight”
Apparently, after CBS didn’t buy Harris’ pitch, he took his variety idea over to NBC, which jumped on the opportunity to work with the multi-talented star.
We’ll pass along more info on NBC’s variety show with NPH as we learn more.
Source: Deadline
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Netflix announced it is developing a half-hour Richie Rich comedy series for a 2015 release.
richie rich netflix TV News Wrap Up: Justified, NPH Variety Show, Richie Rich & More
Based on the 1980s cartoon and 1950s comic book character, the live-action series is a modern day version of the story about the richest kid in the world and his charmed, adventure-filled life. Here’s a more detailed synopsis for the show:
“After making a trillion dollars by inventing and selling a cool new green technology, Richie moves into a decked out mansion and instantly starts living the most awesome life ever. The 21-episode series follows his adventures, from exploring Antarctica, making a movie with his friends and meeting famous celebrities. There’’s never a dull moment in Richie’s new life.”
Along with Jake Brennan (Dark Skies) in the title role, the show will star Joshua Carlon, Jenna Ortega (Iron Man 3), Lauren Taylor, Kiff VandenHeuvel (Star Trek Into Darkness), and Brooke Wexler.
With several highly anticipated adult dramas headed to its streaming service in the coming year – including Marco Polo and Narcos – Netflix appears to also be making a conscious effort to target the pre-teen demographic with Richie Rich.
We’ll pass along the latest on Netflix’s Richie Rich as it comes in.
Source: Netflix
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After renewing its distribution deal with Viacom, Hulu expanded its content for kids by adding several Nickelodeon shows, including Spanish-language versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and SpongeBob Squarepants.
TMNT Nickelodeon TV News Wrap Up: Justified, NPH Variety Show, Richie Rich & More
Along with refreshing Hulu’s existing content library and adding TMNT and SpongeBob in Spanish, the streaming platform will also welcome older Nickelodeon titles such as Hey Arnold, Drake & Josh, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and Invader Zim.
While the new deal makes Hulu a bit more competitive in the subscription VOD landscape (Hulu Plus has 6 million subsribers), it is still struggling to catch up to Amazon Prime in terms of selection of kids shows. Currently, Amazon Prime Instant Video has a much wider collection of youth programming, which includes rights to past seasons of Blues Clues, Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi.
Head over to Hulu to watch TMNT, SpongeBob Squarepants, and more.
