Aloha, Do Come Again

Yup this one has been a while but you know the drill, folks.

911: Season 4 has flown by quickly and with the fifth season just starting on US television, it'll be a while before I catch up with it. The latter half of this season had Bobby and Athena's nearly in jeopardy, Eddie getting shot, Buck reconnecting with Taylor, Hen's mother arriving as well as Maddie and Howie becoming parents. Not to mention Josh getting his own flashback episode. Four seasons in and this show still has it.

911: Lone Star: I wasn't entirely blown away with the first season of this show but what a difference a second season has made. I felt a stronger connection with the characters and Gina Torres has been a revelation as Tommy. TK an Carlos relationship has developed nice, Owen got a great plot with the mystery arsonist, Mateo stepped up as a character and the flashback episode with Judd and Grace was a season highlight. I'll definitely be tuning in next season.

Pose: Relegated to double bills on a Sunday night, BBC2 finally got around to airing the last season of this groundbreaking series. There's a part of me that wishes this show had gotten another season but at the same time, this felt like a perfect closing chapter. We got to see Blanca, Elektra, Angel and Lulu live their best lives, even if Pray Tell himself did not make it in the end. I really hope it's not long before we see this talented cast in other things.

Supergirl: With a lengthy absence, the second half of the final season has aired and it's been a modest adventure so far. Kara's settled back into National City, her father left for Argo, the Superfriends are a strong unit and Nxyly has proven to be a strong foil while Lena, Kelly and Nia are all coming into their own power. William and Andrea remain the weak link of the show.

The White Lotus: Aside from a certain starring vehicle from Kate Winslet, this six part anthology series became the other big deal for HBO this year and suffice to say, I can see a lot of Emmy nods next year, especially for Murray Bartlett. The show might not have had the most sympathetic of characters (Shane and those two teenagers being particularly awful), but it definitely had some of the sharpest writing and acting this year. I'm wary about it coming back for seconds but will undoubtedly give it a go.

What If?:  So far in the MCU, courtesy of Disney+, we've had three excellent live action and while this animated series has prompted some interesting ideas (T'Challa being Star Lord, Doctor Strange really messing with fixed events, zombie apocalypse, etc), the whole thing has felt a bit like a distraction until the next live action event. It's a mildly diverting show but the weakest MCU streaming entry so far.

• The second half of Gossip Girl's first season will be released on HBO Max from November. The show was renewed for a second season.
• HBO Max however did cancel Generation after one season.
• Krysten Ritter has joined Elizabeth Olsen and Lily Rabe for HBO Max's upcoming limited series Love And Death.
• Virgin River has been renewed for a fourth and fifth season on Netflix.
• Disney+ has renewed Only Murders In The Building for a second season.
• The CW will end The Outpost after four seasons.
• Motherland: Fort Salem will end with its third season.
• Matthew Fox and Joanne Froggatt will start in upcoming series Last Light for peacock.
• The third season of Succession will premiere on HBO from October 17th.
• The third season of You will be released on Netflix from October 15th.

Top 10 Ryan Murphy Shows

I was going to do this a few weeks ago but now that we're heading into the final month of 2020 and no more Murphy productions in sight (aside from The Prom), I thought I would do a run down of the ten best/most interesting shows that Ryan Murphy has done over the last two decades.

Without further ado, here goes ....

1: American Horror Story (FX, 2011-present)

I know for some people this show might not be at it's best as it was in earlier seasons but for me, while it has gotten formulaic in it's approach, it hasn't quite lost the entertainment factor either and with it's tenth season in current production along with a spin-off and three further seasons planned, this is by far Murphy's most successful production to date. Not to mention, it's done wonders in revitalising the anthologies for television and streaming alone.

2: Glee (FOX, 2009-2015)

Six seasons and no movie and a lot of controversy and a lot of musical numbers. This series started some careers and stalled others but the Ohio setting surrounding a local Glee did manage to become a worldwide phenomenon. Again, the show might have faltered in later seasons but it's definitely responsible for making Murphy into quite the power player and certain had no problem pulling in impressive guests in it's six year run.

3: Nip/Tuck (FX, 2003-2010)

Tell me what you don't like about yourself? Before both Glee and American Horror Story, there was also Nip/Tuck - a crazy plastic surgeon drama based in Miami (Seasons 1-4) and LA (Season 5&6) with one hell of a talented cast and some of the most batshit crazy antics ever. The show had a lot to say on it's subject matter and definitely delivered it in the most OTT manner.

4: Pose (FX, 2018-present)

Now, this show is more the work of Steven Canals and Janet Mock, though it's under Murphy's production company and he was involved with casting. It's arguably the most important show from Murphy's body of work, especially with the majority of the cast being transwomen and it's definitely a beautiful capturing of both the 1980s and 1990s settings in it's first two seasons. With a third season currently in production, I can't wait to see what's next for Blanca, Elektra, Angel and the gang.

5: 911 (FOX, 2018-present)

On paper, this arguably had the potential to be the tamest of shows from Ryan Murphy but three seasons in, it's also got a lot of Murphy's trademark OTTness. It's also the most heart warming of the bunch and another megahit for FOX with a spin-off also helping to build a franchise for this particular series.  With a loveable cast, top quality writing and brilliant stunts, it's hard not to enjoy this series.

6: American Crime Story (FX, 2016-present)

Ryan Murphy's love for the anthology format has certainly helped him and going down the real life crime route for this show definitely helped to get him a lot of Emmy love. The first season focusing on OJ Simpson was easily the most adored on that front but the second season focusing on Andrew Cunannan and Gianni Versace was the one for me. The upcoming third season will tackle Monica Lewinsky and the Clintons and that's going to be interesting to see unfold. 

7: Feud: Bette And Joan (FX, 2017)

Alternatively, this could've been another ongoing anthology series but fate played a bit of a cruel trick here. This only series, focusing on the infamous feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford was sublime, with both Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange giving career high performances as well as some nice recreations on both actresses most infamous roles and turbulent lives. 

8: Hollywood (Netflix, 2020)

Murphy's shows on Netflix haven't been quite as smooth as his ones on network and cable television but in spite of his format becoming too recognisable, they're still worthy of discussion. Hollywood decided to play around with an alternative version of 1940's Tinseltown, including an interracial relationship between Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) and writer Archie (Jeremy Pope) while also bringing about diversity in an era that wasn't best for it at the time. Suspend disbelief and it really was an enjoyable seven part series.

9: Ratched (Netflix, 2020-present)

Ryan Murphy's relationship with Sarah Paulson continues with her not only appearing in the majority of his shows but now spearheading one, also by creator Evan Romanky. This prequel series for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest with Paulson tackling a younger version of Nurse Mildred Ratched might have felt American Horror Story lite and might not have been able to fully pull off it's themes at times, but it did make for an enjoyable romp but here's hoping the writing is sharper next season.

10: The Politician (Netflix, 2019-present)

Netflix's first foray into the world of Ryan Murphy saw them delving into one man's political aspirations and while Ben Platt's aspiring politician Payton Hobarth is a difficult main character to like, the show itself is often anchored by it's older cast. Specially when that cast includes the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Judith Light and Bette Midler. With the third season set to be it's last, at least the show will not be outstaying it's welcome.

So that's my rundown of shows concerning Ryan Murphy. I guess honourable mentions would go to the likes of 911: Lone Star, Scream Queens and Popular. I definitely couldn't get into the likes of The New Normal. 2021 will see the debut of American Horror Stories (FX on Hulu), Halston (Netflix), A Chorus Line (Netflix) and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix), so it looks like Murphy won't be going anywhere. 

A Trip To Purgatory Again

Yup, I'll be starting some new shows in the new year and there will be an end of year blog that will bring in some shows I haven't discussed as of yet but here's a final (for 2019) TV Jumble Blog.

Arrow: Prior to the events of Crisis On Infinite Earths, the preceding two episodes saw a nice return of Quentin Lance in a Groundhog Day inspired episode while the gang all found themselves in Lian Yu, reuniting with some old friends and enemies and Roy losing an arm. While the character still is my least favourite in this final season, I will admit grudgingly that Mia has been less annoying recently but I'm still not sure that is enough to make me want to watch that upcoming Canaries spin-off beyond the pilot episode.

Batwoman: This show is still largely in the meh category but at least they decided to kill off a main character to highlight that Alice actually poses a threat and that she's not all talk. The character being Catherine and I wish I cared but given how poorly developed she was, it's a bit eh really. I do feel bad for Mary, who continues to be a delight but between boring Sophie/Tyler melodrama, fun characters like Julia being one-offs and Luke still having little in the way of character development, this show has quite a way to go. It's almost too telling that it's best episode was the one that eschewed the majority of it's cast and had several other characters from other shows in it.

Pose: Oh, I really loved this show. No, really I did. The second half of this season had so many beautiful character moments - the girls trip, Angel and Papi getting engaged, everyone rallying around Blanca, Pray Tell and Ricky, some character growth from Damon as well as Elektra being on fine form and another Candy appearance, post death. I'm really glad this wonderful series has gotten a third season as I want to see more from each of these characters and what other bits of 90s nostalgia the show can come up with too.

Supergirl: Prior to the events of the big crossover, this show is still on the meh side of things. It's nice that the Leviathan has finally picked up, but so far, it's not usually compelling as we went from Rama Khan to Gamemnae a little too quickly while Kara's passiveness towards Lena's heel turn was somewhat frustrating. The redemption plot with J'onn's brother was also done a bit quickly as well but I'm hoping that we see him again later in the season. Other than that, I'm hoping post-crossover the show steps up a big gear.

The Flash: Let's be honest - Bloodwork without a doubt is the dullest villain this show has ever done and if he never returns to the series, it would be too soon but we're likely to see more of him later in the season. The Negative Flash stuff just looked Barry had been chewing liquorice but at least we got a good team up with Iris and Cisco and there was an entertaining James Bond spoof episode prior to the mid season finale two parter, but other than this season has been plodding along too much for it's own good.

- You has been renewed for a third season while it's second season will premiere on Netflix from December 26th.
- CW have commissioned Infamous, which will focus on true stories of real life actors, models and musicians who also happened to moonlight as spies for the Allied Forces in WWII, such as Greta Garbo, Hedy Lamarr and Josephine Baker just to name a few.
- Speaking of Lamarr, Gal Gadot will play the actor in a miniseries for Showtime. Gadot will also be producing an American version of Israeli drama, Queens as well for the station.
- Janelle Monae, Joan Cusack and Mary Holland will star in the upcoming second season of Homecoming for Amazon.
- SyFy have renewed Van Helsing for a fifth and final season.
- 50 Cent is making a superhero show described as a remix rendition of your favourite superheroes. The animated show will air on Quibi and will be called Trill League.
- Stargirl will air on the CW as well as DC Universe. The character is also appeared to appear in the current Crisis On Infinite Earths event when the final two parts air next month.
- Euphoria has been renewed for a second season. Special has also gotten a second season renewal. I haven't forgotten about that show, I will get round to it.
- Several cast members have been dropped from the upcoming third season of American Gods including Orlando Jones, Crispin Glover, Mousa Kraish to name a few.
- The creators of Once Upon A Time are doing another fairytale themed show, Epic, which will be an anthology series for ABC.

Vogue It Up Ladies

It's been a while but once again, a look at some of the recent programs that I have been watching.

Arrow: It's amazing that the absence of a certain ship this season has rapidly improved the quality in the show, even if there's a walking reminder who now thanks to the Monitor is in the present day. On one hand, that takes the flash forwards out of the equation for the time being but on the other hand - yeah, Mia is just awful but at least we get William and Connor in the present day, we've had reappearances from Thea, Talia and Curtis and Katie Cassidy-Rogers did a blinder with her directorial debut for the show.

Batwoman: This show still suffers from Ruby Rose being an incredibly wooden lead (any emotional scene and she struggles badly) but between Alice, the addition of Mouse and any scene that Mary has shared with Sophie and Luke has been rather fun. The show did a decent take on the Executioner but characters like Catherine and Jacob are pretty weak at times and even for a CW show, there can be some cringe worthy dialogue at times. Still, it's not as bad as I thought it would be but there's so much better out there.

His Dark Materials: Confession time: I've never read the source material and have no desire to. I've never watched the movie that came out a few years ago with Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman and after watching the first two episodes of BBC and HBO's adaptation, I don't think I'll be going much further with this show. Aside from a sublime performance from Ruth Wilson (someone get her for Doctor Who), this star studded fantasy epic has left me largely unengaged. It's gonna be a pass for me.

Pose: For a moment I was worried and feared that BBC2 would drop this show after the ratings for the first season being rather underwhelming to put it mildly. The good news is that they've been airing the second season on Saturdays in double bills and it's been fantastic. The first season was great but this season has been even better. We've seen Angel and Ricky move on with their careers, Blanca and Pray Tell confront their illnesses, Elektra slaying with the quips and a poignant episode focusing on Candy's life/death/funeral was a series highlight. I'm so glad this show has been renewed for a third season. Sublime television.

Supergirl: Of all the CW DC shows on the air at the moment, this one remains the weakest but the most recent episode was a surprising series highlight. I still don't great care for William and Andrea as characters but the latter has become slightly more interesting now they're delving into the Acrata storyline with Leviathian. On the other hand though, Jimmy got a rubbish exit, Lena has crossed too many lines and everything else feels like it's treading water until a certain event in December.

The Flash: Eh, this season has also lost a lot of momentum and it's been building ever so much to that certain event but unlike another show, not quite as well. It also doesn't help that Bloodwork is one of the dullest villains and that I still don't massively care for the new Wells either. Cisco got a decent standalone episode I suppose and Barry/Iris had some offscreen fun but so far this season has been pretty lacklustre.

- The CW have added two future DC pilots - Green Arrow And The Canaries (with Katie Cassidy, Juliana Harkavy and Katherine McNamara) and Superman And Lois (with Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch) for series orders.
- HBO Max will be doing shows for Green Lantern and Adam Strange within the next year.
- Ryan Murphy's Hollywood Netflix series will be released from May 1st 2020.
- Stranger Things has officially been renewed for a fourth season.
- Expect fan favourite actors for American Horror Story's tenth season, which might be it's final season.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been renewed for an eighth season by NBC.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar will also be starring in the FOX miniseries Sometimes I Lie along with the upcoming series, Other People's Houses.
- The Gossip Girl reboot will be going ahead on HBO Max and will be more diverse than the original series was on the CW.
- Titans has been renewed for a third season with Blackfire being posed as the main antagonist for the next season.
-  Gemma Whelan, Predrag Bjelac,Steve Pemberton, Raj Bajaj,Turlough Convery, Camille Cottin and Evgenia Dodina have joined the cast for the third season of Killing Eve.

Was the Throne Actually Worth It?

Basically, it's finale time for every single show that I'm discussing in this blog and for one show, it's a series finale that will leave a lasting impression.

911: The last five episodes have been mostly solid stories with more flashbacks for Bobby, an interesting take on Ocean's Eleven in one off-kilter episode and some tragedy for both Eddie and Buck in different ways. We did also see a brief separation between Maddie and Chimney before the finale brought them back together as well as a low key but sweet wedding for Bobby and Athena at the last minute. I'm not too sure what the third season will bring (aside from an upcoming spin-off with Rob Lowe) but I'll definitely be tuning in to find out.

Arrow: Season Seven has been as close to a return to the good old days as the show could do and while not everything worked (Emiko turned out to be a lacklustre baddie, got a rushed redemption and still died), this finale was still a strong note to end things on. We know that the Monitor has Oliver and soon Felicity in the not so distant future but next season will be building up towards Crisis On Infinite Earths and the CW's DC universe will come to the beginning of it's slow but sure ending of sorts. It's going to be one hell of a bumpy ride in the next few years.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: Whether these nine episodes that were just released Season 2 or the second half of the first season, I'm still confused but I'll admit, a few little bumps here and there aside, this was a solid enough return for the residents of Greendale nonetheless. The brief arrival of Lucifer in human form gave us more about Sabrina's origins in a manner that felt predictable but props to both Lilith and Zelda for getting their own way with ruling hell and the Church of Night. Getting Nick back next season should be interesting enough and it's nice that after several episodes of being at odds with them, Sabrina has her support system with Harvey, Roz and Theo.

Game Of Thrones: It's undeniable that the final season of this show has been controversial, has been rushed with only six episodes to tie up all the main threads and has made some questionable decisions with the actions of some of the main characters. Still though we've had some stunning battles with The Long Night and the polarising events of The Bells while The Last Of The Starks almost seemed like the calm between storms. The Iron Throne, while far from the worst series finale ever to befall a show is definitely a finale that should've been better and regardless of hints in prior seasons, I do think the show massively dropped the ball in it's depiction of Daenerys turning to the dark side and Jon being the one to stop. I won't go into the decision with Bran because it's still a terrible one but even though this season was a disappointment, it still pulled in record numbers, rating wise and I think we'll all be glued to the upcoming prequel series too.

Killing Eve: I hate to admit it but this show has suffered from difficult second album syndrome. The first season was consistently gripping from start to finish but this season despite some of it's best efforts has felt rather sluggish in parts. Having Villanelle and Eve working together in order to take down the tediously dull Aaron Peele wasn't quite as fun as it could've been, Carolyn and Konstantin's motives never seem to be clear, characters like Hugo and Niko add nothing to the show, Kenny was mopey and the last scene in the finale was a reverse of the previous finale but not quite as effective. Hopefully the third season due to film soon enough will get the show back on track.

Pose: Given how bad the ratings have been for BBC2, I'm slightly worried they won't air the second season or relegate it to a godawful timeslot and that's a shame. This show might be one of the most niche of television shows but it's still pretty great drama and the last two episodes of the first season were brilliant to watch. Predictable as it might have been, it was lovely to see Blanca win Mother Of The Year, to see Pray Tell get a new love interest and for Elektra to take a bit of a downfall before stylishly getting herself back up again. The Angel/Stan bits were less interesting but overall, I'll be back for seconds.

Supergirl: Without a doubt, the weakest season of the DC shows on the CW has ended and for the love of Zod, please let the writers be either a) fired or b) given a crash course in the nature of show, don't tell. The political backdrop was abysmally handled this season and with Agent Liberty being one of the dullest villains ever to grace any of these shows, I was disappointed that he wasn't killed off to be honest. On the other hand Brainy/Nia and Alex/Kelly are nice pairings, Lena FINALLY knows the truth about her best friend, Lex was a magnificent bastard in the finale, more Crisis stuff was hinted and we've got Leviathan to look forward to next season.

The Flash: Season Five has been pretty hit and miss in parts and the resolution to the arcs for Nora, Cicada (x2) and Eobard felt rather unsatisfying and the less said about Cisco's idiotic decision to remove his powers, the better tbh. Still though, at least we finally had Singh reveal that he knows about Barry being the Flash, more Crisis hints and a few cast departures as well. I am intrigued to see who will be the next main villain for the series and going by one scene, I think it's a safe bet that a significant person from Ralph's comic history will be appearing next season.

- Drew Van Acker will be guest appearing in the second season of Titans, playing Aqualad (Garth).
- Jessica Jones third and final season will stream on Netflix from June 14th while Orange Is The New Black's last one will be July 26th.
- The prequel series for Game Of Thrones has the title (for now) of Bloodmoon and has begun filming in Belfast.
- Empire's sixth season will be it's final season on with Jussie Smollett axed from the series.
- Amazon have the rights for Star Trek: Picard. A trailer for the series has been released.
- Sarah Michelle Gellar guest starred in the series finale of The Big Bang Theory.
- The Judoon will be returning for Series 12 of Doctor Who. There are also rumours of a musical episode for the series as well.
- Beverly Hills 90210 reboot is still on track to air in August on FOX despite losing showrunner and some writers.
- Criminal Minds fifteenth and final season will air on CBS in 2020 with only 10 episodes.
- Grey's Anatomy has been renewed for two more seasons while How To Get Away With Murder has been renewed for a sixth season.
- Humans has been cancelled by Channel 4 and AMC after three seasons.
- Gentlemen Jack has been renewed for a second season by BBC1 and HBO.

She's Back And Slightly Badder Than Ever - EDITED

Ah, it's been a few weeks of some interesting returns and picking up from where other shows have left off, so here's a roundup of some of the show I've been watching lately.

911: It's been several months since the first half of Season 2 but kicking things up a gear, I'm glad the latter half of the season will not overly hinge on the Doug storyline as it seems that after stabbing Chimney and terrorising Maddie, his story has been brought to a rather swift and deserved ending. Speaking of Chimney, I quite liked the flashback episode he got, even if elements of it felt a little similar to Hen's from earlier in the season. Still though, the second half of the season is looking good so far.

Arrow: This show can give and take in equal measures at times. Positives first - that Lost Canaries episode was freaking amazing and finally gave Laurel the justice she deserved, even if it came three seasons too late. Then there was meeting Diggle's stepfather, throwing in a sneaky Green Lantern reference and of course calming Mia down a little in the flashforwards. I still find her annoying but Emiko in the present is actually more annoying. As a big bad, she's kind of lacking and the show managed to waste a good actor like Adrian Paul like they did with Michael Emerson last season. Still though, it's on better form than two other CW DC shows at the moment.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: Confusion over whether these nine episodes are a second season or the second part of the first one aside, things are certainly getting more interesting here. I'm liking Sabrina's budding relationship with Nick and Adam's introduction is working as a way to slightly humanise Lilith a bit but at the same time, Blackwood is working my last nerve as an antagonist and while the show is giving us a more badass Hilda, both Zelda and Ambrose don't seem to be as well served so far. Other positive though have been the experimental episodes, the show's handling of Theo's transitioning, the Harvey/Roz romance and the use of Dorian Gray as well.

Game Of Thrones: The biggest show on television is back for it's final season of six episodes and the first two so far were surprisingly more quieter, slightly bloodless affairs. They were however not boring especially with the second episode having some truly beautiful character moments as our band of heroes and former villains are holed up in Winterfell awaiting a big battle with death itself. I have liked the questioning of Dany's leadership skills and now that a certain revelation is out of the bag, it's going to be interesting to see who ends up on that bloody throne in the next four weeks.

Killing Eve: It's back for a second season and while BBC1 are stupidly not airing it alongside BBCAmerica/AMC, RTE2 thankfully are. The first three episodes have shifted dynamics a little with Konstantin not actually being dead, Villanelle dealing with a new handler in Raymond, Eve getting more team members with Jess and Hugo, the arrival of a new assassin named the Ghost and Carolyn being as morally ambiguous as ever. The first episode felt a little sluggish but the second and third ones were made of stronger stuff. We do need to see Eve and Villanelle interact again and the sooner the show loses Niko the better.

Pose: I wish the ratings on BBC2 were better for the show than they actually are, but given it's unique premise and the fact that BBC2 waited too long to air it, I'm not surprised they're not so good. The show itself however is definitely going from strength to strength. I loved the confrontation scenes with Patty and Angel as the latter's involvement with Stan was exposed and the further backstories for Elektra and Blanca were handled perfectly. Then there was the death of Pray Tell's boyfriend in the last episode I watched, which was poignant. I can't wait to see how the last two episodes wraps up this first season.

Supergirl: I'm getting a sense of deja vu here. I mean, didn't we already have Supergirl framed for something someone else beforehand? It certainly feels like it and without Lex, who honestly gives a toss about Agent Liberty? He's just a lacklustre villain and with four episodes left, I really cannot wait to see the back of the guy. Next season really does need to reign some of the political slant and focus on some decent storytelling instead. On the other hand, I am loving Nia's journey into her heroic persona and the show is clearly setting up a pairing with Alex and Kelly which could be good to watch but right now, we need more of Lex and Russian Supergirl now.

The Flash: Okay, I'm getting bored of everything. I'm bored of the Eobard Thawne sitting in a cell and doing nothing. I'm bored of Nora as a character and I'm bored of Cicada. Right now, both Nora and Cicada need to leave the show and I really do mean that. On the other hand, we did get a little bit on Caitlin's family (including the rise of a new Icicle no doubt) and a quite glimpse of Godspeed, but even the latter could've been used better. Right now, I'm just bored but hopefully the next three episodes can finish up this whole arc on a decent note.

- Both Roswell: New Mexico and The 100 have been renewed for second and seventh seasons respectively by the CW.
- Santa Clarita Diet is the latest show to be dropped by Netflix after three seasons.
- Swamp Thing will be now 10 episodes instead of 13.
- Iain Glen has been cast as Bruce Wayne for the second season of Titans.
- Killing Eve's third season will be seen over by Suzanne Heathcote.
- Star Trek will be getting another animated spin-off to air on Nickelodeon.
- Shannen Doherty will reprise her role as Brenda Walsh in FOX's upcoming 90210 event series.
- In further shark jumping antics, Dynasty have replaced Nicollette Sheridan with Elizabeth Gillies as Alexis Carrington. Even by this show's standards, this is somewhat taking the piss.
- FOX have cancelled The Gifted after two seasons.
- Alex Landi has bagged a recurring role in the upcoming second season of Netflix's Insatiable.
- Emily Bett Rickards will be departing Arrow after it's seventh season.
- American Horror Story's ninth season has the subtitle of 1984 and will be influenced by the slasher genre.

World's End (But It Might Be Reversed)

Last blog for the month and with some of the shows I've been watching (and others I do need to catch up on), here's a rundown of them.

Arrow: Ah, a difference a showrunner can make to a series as Beth Schwartz has mostly proven since taking over the show this year. Yeah, we're still stuck with Olicity and Mia being their kid and massively annoying in the flashforwards might not be the greatest of all things but at least the stories have picked up dramatically this year. Going down the baddie route with Emiko oddly works for the character and it's nice to see the team actually banded together and finally ridding the show off Diaz has also helped matters. With five episodes left to go and a reduced eighth and final season of ten episodes, it'll be interesting to see how this show will end.

Pose: And the category is .... nine months later on BBC2. Seriously guys, you didn't take this long with either American Crime Story or Feud (oh wait, you did with the latter too). Oh well, better late than never and the first two episodes watched (you can watch the whole first season on iplayer), I really do like this show. The 80's nostalgia, bitchy one liners, great dynamics with the various characters (Blanca vs. Elektra, Angel's clandestine relationship with Stan, etc), this is yet another triumph of a series for Ryan Murphy and company.

Supergirl: To think, all it took was casting Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor and within two episodes, the writing for this show has significantly upped it's game. No more heavy handed politicking but actual intelligent storytelling and a reminder of how much of a magnificent bastard Lena's older brother can be when written correctly and cast with an appropriate actor in the role. Not to mention the wonderful heel turn from Eve, surprisingly welcomed return of Otis, good introduction of Jimmy's sister Kelly, some neat flashbacks even predating the show itself and the Kasnian Supergirl plot actually moving forward. Now this is what the fourth season should've been like to begin with.

The Flash: Okay, I'll say it - I am bored of the Cicada storyline and that's despite the fact that we've seen Orlin retire from the role and Grace assume the mantle and proven herself to be far nastier than her uncle as the metahuman serial killer. It started well but it's just petered out and it feels like a distraction now that Barry and company are aware of Nora working with Eobard, who I assume will be the main antagonist for the remaining five episodes of the season. Other than aside from giving Cisco a girlfriend and bringing Joe back, not really much else has happened that's been overly exciting this season.

The Umbrella Academy: This has been a great series from Netflix (and one that's gotten a second season too). Vanya's dark descent into tapping into her powers and the gang slowly coming together and failing to prevent the end of the world - well, it's a good job that we've got a second season to see how this all plays out. I do want to see the family get a little closer and trust each other more and I don't want Vanya to be the only antagonist for next season as well.

- Now Apocalypse (which I'll be covering in some capacity soon here) has been rumoured to be renewed for a second season.
- Supernatural will end after 15 seasons. Yup, I can't believe we're actually getting an ending to this show.
- Gotham's series finale will air on April 25th and FOX have released a poster showcasing what their Batman will look like in the last episode.
- Esai Morales, Chella Man and Chelsea Zhang have been cast as Deathstroke, Jericho and Ravager respectively for Titans second season, which will air on DC Universe in late 2019.
- Swamp Thing will premiere on DC Universe from May 31st while Stargirl will air in 2020.
- Miranda Richardson, John Simm, John Heffernan, Josh Whitehouse, Naomi Ackie, Denise Gough, Jamie Campbell Bower, Sheila Atim, Ivanno Jeremiah, Georgie Henley, Alex Sharp and Toby Regbo are among the cast for the untitled Game Of Thrones prequel series, due to begin filming this summer.
- Lucy Hale has been cast in the title role for Katy Keene, the upcoming Riverdale spin-off.
- Law & Order: SVU has been renewed for a record breaking 21st season on NBC.
- Sex And The City will be getting a sequel series on Paramount.
- Pose's second season has added Patti LuPone to it's cast.
- Ryan Murphy's The Politician will be released on Netflix from September 27th. The cast includes Ben Platt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Lange to name a few.
- Shadowhunters final episode will be an epic two and a half hours long.