Saturday 31 December 2016

Biggest Stories of the Year

2016 has mostly been a tame and boring year (lol), but here on my blog, things have been POPPING OFF!


Wednesday 21 December 2016

Star | Review (Fox)




It all looked so good, but only good from afar...


Monday 19 December 2016

Do Critics Still Matter?

Do Critics Still matter?



Friday 2 December 2016

Uchuu Sentai Kyuuranger: 2017 Sentai Revealed



Kyuuranger will be based on constellations

Stuck In The Middle - Review (Disney Channel)




Disney Channel's shows reach an audience of multiple ethnic backgrounds.  Current shows include KC Undercover which stars Zendaya as a teenage spy and also happens to be an Africa-American centred sitcom, much like That’s So Raven. For the first time since 2011, Disney Channel has introduced a Latino family into the DC family with Stuck in the Middle.

Thursday 1 December 2016

Masters of Sex Forever



Today, news broke of Showtime cancelling Masters of Sex after four seasons. 

Wednesday 23 November 2016

What Happened to Madison High?



We all remember High School Musical. Yes, even you reading this right now who is pretending not to remember the cultural phenomenon of all of our childhoods. For those of you who "can't remember" HSM, it was a Disney Channel Original Movie franchise, which eventually had a cinematic sequel, which followed the lives of Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) and their friends at East High School. Following the release of the third and final movie in 2008, Disney Channel began plotting a way to keep the franchise going. 

Thursday 27 October 2016

'Raven's Home' Premieres July 21 On Disney Channel



UPDATE: 19/05/2017

Raven's Home has officially begun production! 

Guess who's back!!!??? 1 Guess. Go!!! @_jonathanmcdaniel #RavensHome

A post shared by Anneliese van der Pol (@anneliesevanderpol) on

🐰@issacryanbrown (Got him) 😂 #RavensHome

A post shared by Anneliese van der Pol (@anneliesevanderpol) on





UPDATE 05/05/2017

Oh snap! Raven's Home will premiere on Friday July 21 following the world premiere of Descendants 2 on Disney Channel!  

UPDATE 04/04/2017

Disney has officially picked up Raven's Home to series. Navia Robinson and Issac Brown have been cast as Raven's 11 year old twins Nia and Booker. Jason Maybaum has been cast as Levi, Chelsea's 9 year old son. Sky Katz has been cast as Nia's best friend Tess. The series will premiere in 2017.


Thursday 15 September 2016

Let The Baking Commence... On Channel 4!



Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard the controversial news surrounding the nation’s favourite programme The Great British Bake Off.

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Musical Vampires are in Vogue on Disney Channel...


Disney Channel certainly knows their audience.

Wednesday 7 September 2016

What Happened to Fresh Off The Boat?



What has happened to Fresh Off The Boat? The first season, which aired only 13 episodes as a mid-season replacement, was close to flawless.

Wednesday 31 August 2016

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy | Review

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy – Magna Defender / Lights of Orion Arc


The hype surrounding Power Rangers Ninja Steel and the upcoming movie reignited my love for the long running series and I decided to re-watch a season at random. I decided to look back at some of my favourite season premieres and Quasar Quest, from Power Rangers Lost Galaxy has always been one of my favourites. Not only is it a fantastic episode of Power Rangers but it is also a great example of children’s television. It is ambitious, and well made.




Tuesday 16 August 2016

Power Rangers Dino Charge Features the First African-American Pink Ranger



Power Rangers is undoubtedly one of the biggest children's television and merchandise institutions of all time. The original series, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers debuted on Fox Kids in August 1993 and since the, has entertained millions of children around the world with a mixture of fun, martial-arts and science fiction. Similar to the first incarnation of the show, the current series Power Rangers Dino Charge is based on dinosaurs. Dino Charge is significant, not only to Power Rangers itself, but also the superhero institution, due to its casting an African-American actress in the seminal pink ranger role.

Wednesday 10 August 2016

Suicide Squad: The Critics Lied...


The critics lied. I do not know what version of Suicide Squad the critics were shown leading up to its release, but the version I saw was not the worst comic book film of all time, nor was it a bad film. Suicide Squad is not a flawless film. It has its fair share of plot holes, underdeveloped supporting characters and elements which could be improved. However, Suicide Squad is ambitious in its approach to the supersaturated comic book fare. 

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Happy 20th Birthday Matilda


The film adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic was released twenty years ago today! (August 2 1996)


Saturday 30 July 2016

NBC Pilot Previews

The Good Place 




Before the series was officially announced, details regarding The Good Place were kept under wraps. But we now know what The Good Place actually is! Think of the show as Mike Schur’s version of My Name Is Earl or maybe even Defending Your Life starring Meryl Streep.


Tuesday 26 July 2016

ABC Pilot Previews: American Housewife

Speechless



ABC’s new sitcom Speechless has all the features which have made the current crop of ABC comedies resonate with audiences and critics. It focuses on a family, it has a great supporting cast including the child actors, and of course it unveils a particular story which may not have been represented on primetime television before.

Thursday 14 July 2016

Fox Pilot Previews: The Exorcist

The Exorcist 


It is truly alarming when the majority of a network’s new series are based on old movies. 

Friday 8 July 2016

The CW Pilot Previews: Riverdale






Riverdale is the third and final (excluding Supergirl) new series The CW ordered for this season. Ironically, all of the new CW series are based on existing formats therefore, it would not feel right if one of the new series was not based on a comic book series. Now all bases are covered: television (No Tomorrow), film (Frequency) and of course the Archie Comics based series Riverdale. Like many Hollywood adaptations, Riverdale is set to be a “gritty” take on the popular comic book series. Hollywood is obsessed with many older properties “gritty”, the upcoming Power Rangers movie has been described as being “gritty” so go-figure.




The new “gritty” adaptation comes from Greg Berlanti, TV’s comic book super producer who has bought the likes of Arrow, The Flash,
and Supergirl to television. Riverdale reverts back to days (not to long ago, actually) in which The CW’s slate comprised of teen dramas rather than super heroes. However, Riverdale’s pilot certainly is grittier in comparison to 90210, Gossip Girl and The Carrie Diaries

The pilot episode is definitely ambitious in reaching the levels (or depths?) of darkness it wishes to achieve. Cast members have claimed the series to be inspired by Twin Peaks which, for those of you who haven’t seen this masterpiece of show, is gritty… very very gritty. 





The plot of the pilot goes like this: “As a new school year begins, the town of Riverdale is still reeling from the recent, tragic death of Jason Blossom. girl-next-door Betty Cooper is anxious to see her crush Archie after being away all summer, but she's not quite ready to reveal her true feelings to him. When a new student, Veronica Lodge, arrives in town from New York with her mother, there's an undeniable spark between her and Archie. Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale's Queen Bee, is happy to stir up trouble amongst Archie, Betty, and Veronica, but Cheryl is keeping secrets of her own. Specifically about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason. Riverdale may look like a small, quiet town, but there is darkness hidden underneath the shadows”. 




The pilot episode opens with the death of Jason Blossom to which we delve into the dark underbelly of the “real” Riverdale which consists of provocative parties, drunken escapades, strip clubs and possible incest (tribute to Cruel Intentions?)




The cast includes Disney Channel alum Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones and Lili Reinhart, who starred on the underrated Fox sitcom Surviving Jack, as Betty Cooper. Archie is played by K.J. Apa. The character is described as a "newly hunky teen" whose "new muscular appearance" is due to working on his father's construction site over the summer. Here are the receipts in GIF form:




He has also become a songwriter (if you couldn't tell from the GIF) which is yet another cool and hip way to convey teen angst, through music, As the plotline suggests, like Twin Peaks, a murder mystery will be the focus of Riverdale’s first season, and through the investigation into the untimely murder of Laura Palmer in the David Lynch series, we became familiar with the odd and peculiar characters in Twin Peaks and it seems as though Riverdale will attempt to follow suit. Some of the other gritty story lines set to be given the spotlight on the show include Betty’s addiction to the drug Adderall, Archie’s forbidden relationship with his music teacher Ms. Grundy. 




All of the major plot point previously mentioned seem to be crafted to keep viewers coming back for more mystery and drama each week, and judging by the relatively large fan base the show has acquired online, once the pilot officially premiers early next year, Riverdale is sure to become one of the most buzzed about shows of the season. Riverdale is definitely ambitious in its approach to teen drama and attempts to push the boundaries in relation to the steamy high school dramas we have seen The CW previously air. 




However, many of the plot points in Riverdale have been addressed in high school dramas before, such as sex and drug addiction. Therefore, Riverdale will have to find a unique approach to storytelling. It aims to reach the same critical and creative highs of , Twin Peaks and even though it ultimately fails to do so (I mean, no one other than David Lynch could), its fantastic cinematography thanks to the Vancouver setting, glorious cast of young newcomers and of course the unexpected twist at the end makes Riverdale one of the best drama pilots this season.





No Tomorrow


No Tomorrow is an upcoming romantic fantasy comedy drama series which will premiere on The CW in October. Ever since Jane The Virgin’s unexpected critical success in 2014, The CW has made it their mission to develop and add quirky comedy-dramas to their schedules since. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was The CW’s breakout comedy-drama (in terms of accolades and awards) last season and this season, No Tomorrow is surely expected to be the third CW comedy series to score big at the Golden Globes next year. 

Similarly to Jane The Virgin, No Tomorrow is based on a foreign format. The series is based on a Brazilian series called Como Aproveitar o Fim do Mundo (How To Enjoy The End Of The World). The premise of the series is fairly simple: A woman named Evie (played by Tori Anderson) becomes involved with a free-spirited guy called Xavier (played by Galavant’s Joshua Sasse) who inspired her to make an “apocolyst”, a list of activities to do before the world ends – which he claims will be in eight months and twelve days (approximately the length of an entire TV season). With the help of her friends, they try to find out if he can be taken seriously while completing the bucket list. 

I am always a fan of high-concept comedies, which have become a new trend this season, and No Tomorrow is no exception. On the other hand, the premise does sound like a fairly predictable romantic comedy in which the two leads fall in love and Xavier actually imagined the whole “end of the world” fiasco. What will set this show apart is if the apocalypse actually does happen in the season finale, leading to a Last Man on Earth/Lost type of show for the second season (otherwise, I fail to see how a second season will be possible). 

Judging by the pilot episode, the show will have an offbeat and quirky tone which will make it a perfect fit alongside Jane The Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. However, the critical success of the former shows have depended largely on the comedic and dramatic performances of their lead actresses (Gina Rodriguez and Rachel Bloom) and Tori Anderson’s portrayal of Evie does not have any noteworthy idiosyncrasies to help her stand out from all the other so-called “quirky” female leads coming to TV this season.





Frequency 



Frequency is only the second new drama The CW are adding to their new scheduling this year along with comedy No Tomorrow. The highly anticipated Archie Comics adaptation Rivrdale will premier in mid-season (early 2017). While No Tomorrow has a fighting chance of remaining on the schedule for the entire season and even scoring a renewal next year, the same cannot be said for Frequency. 

Luckily for No Tomorrow, it comes from the same team who adapted Jane The Virgin, furthermore, the comedy follows in the footsteps and uses the same formula as Jane The Virgin and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend while Frequency is just another adaptation of a film no one remembers or cares about. 

The main difference between the 2000 Gregory Hoblit film and the Brad Anderson TV show is one of the main characters changing from being a male to a female. Let me explain further, the plot of the series revolves around Detective Raimy Sullivan who discovers that she is able to speak to her deceased father Frank Sullivan by ham radio. They forge a new connection and work together on an unresolved murder case. 

Even though the pilot is not “bad”, it doesn’t make enough noise to stand out amongst a slate of quirky dramedies and superhero shows, which includes the newly transplanted series Supergirl. The CW are said to have been looking for a procedural however, I doubt Frequency will live long enough to reach any semblance of potential it may have.





Tuesday 21 June 2016

We Love The Goldbergs Yes We Do



I just binged watched the entire third season of The Goldbergs and I must admit, the show is very good.

Friday 20 May 2016

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air ended 20 Years Ago Today...




The immensely popular, generation defying and culturally significant sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air aired it’s series finale 20 years ago today!

Saturday 14 May 2016

Malcolm In The Middle Ended 10 Years Ago


Exactly 10 years ago, we said goodbye to Malcolm and his crazy family! Malcolm In The Middle is one of the most influential sitcoms of all time and helped to make single camera comedy series popular on network television. It is also one of the funniest shows ever! 

Friday 13 May 2016

RIP Agent Carter and Galavant


Thursday 12th May 2016 will be remembered as an ABC bloodbath.

Thursday 12 May 2016

The Real O'Neals - Review (ABC)

The Real O'Neals
By Gregory Robinson

Crazy! Within hours of watching The Real O'Neals for the very first time, ABC surprisingly renew the show for a second season! However, I must say I was a little disappointed with the show for several reasons, the main of which is the series' main character Kenny.

Monday 9 May 2016

The End of Pilot Season... PILOT BUZZ!



This week marks the end of Pilot Season 2016! However, this week is not all about celebrations. Television executives will be making important decisions regarding which pilots will be picked up to series for the 2016-17 season. Furthermore, many bubble shows will begin to receive news of their fate; whether they will continue into next season, or be cancelled. For all TV fans, the next two weeks will be a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs and possibly sadness.

Wednesday 4 May 2016

Hulu Renews The Mindy Project


Who would have thought The Mindy Project would make it to season 5!

Tuesday 3 May 2016

2016 ABC Program Development Guide - Comedy Series



What does ABC have in store for next season?

Wednesday 20 April 2016

Jane The Virgin - Season 2 Premiere "Chapter 23" Review (The CW)


What makes Jane The Virgin so great? There are so many integral aspects of this adorable dramedy which makes for such an enjoyable and refreshing hour its astounding how the cast and crew manage to pull everything together. The best thing about Jane The Virgin's new season is the fact that, judging from the first three episodes, nothing much has changed.

Mr. Robot Returns!


By Gregory Robinson

USA has announced the second season of Mr. Robot will premier on Wednesday 13 July!

Golan The Insatiable should be Haunting Fox's Schedules on a Regular Basis

By Gregory Robinson

Golan The Insatiable is, without a doubt, the most sadistic, shocking and irreverent animated show I have ever seen, which is why it is an outstanding addition to Fox's animated line up. Unfortunately, Fox does not seem to agree.

Tuesday 19 April 2016

Rush Hour - Review (CBS)



By Gregory Robinson

I have never been a fan of the ‘turn films into TV shows’ movement and once you watch the new Rush Hour series, you won’t be either. I don’t know how Bill Lawrence has managed to turn one of the best cop comedies into a tepid, banal and cheap hour long procedural. The show stinks of orthodoxy and conformity and fails to re-capture the tone and most importantly, the humour of the original.

Sunday 17 April 2016

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Review (Netflix)



Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is the newest project by comedy frontrunner Tina Fey (30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, Mean Girls) and Robert Carlock (Friends, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live) . Originally ordered straight-to-series by NBC in 2013, the series was sold to Netflix and picked up for an additional second season.

Saturday 16 April 2016

Cloud Nine News on Twitter: @CloudNine_News

https://twitter.com/CloudNine_News




Telenovela Is Cute But Not As Cute As Jane...



The critical acclaim Jane the Virgin received must have lit a lightbulb in the minds of a dozen NBC execs; "hey, maybe Latino actors can be funny and can carry a fantastic show at the same time". These mostly middle-aged, white male execs have recently turned up the volume of diverse shows on broadcast television and Telenovela is the latest addition. 

Superstore is Super Promising


Workplace comedies are NBC's forte. Dating all the way back to Cheers to The Office to Parks & Recreation, NBC was once the biggest and most critically acclaimed network for comedy. This has now all changed to the point where almost every new sitcom NBC premieres is somewhere between a complete flop to a moderate failure and none have garnered any noteworthy critical acclaim. Is NBC's woeful sitcom situation about to change with their new workplace comedy Superstore...?

Friday 15 April 2016

The Catch - Review (ABC)






Following the success of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder, it is no surprise ABC has decided to add yet another Shonda Rhimes produced soapy drama to their schedule. Who can blame them? All three Shonda shows currently on the schedule have proven to create insane levels of hype, intrigue and suspense among viewers largely due to the tried and tested formula of sex, drama and crime. While the Shonda recipe certainly works well, it also has the potential to make future shows produced by the mega-showrunner to become overly formulaic, predictable and stale. The main question is whether the newest addition to Shondaland, The Catch manages to set itself apart from the shows previously listed, or whether it is simply a repeat of what we have already seen.

Legends of Tomorrow - Review (The CW)




The CW is definitely carving out a niche for itself with its newest DC Comic’s adaptation Legends of Tomorrow. The series was created and developed by Greg Berlanti et al who are also behind the CW’s biggest hits Arrow and The Flash.

Sunday 10 April 2016

The Family - Review (ABC)



By Gregory Robinson
I have always believed that when a new television show has a bland title; one should expect a bland show and vice-versa. For example, ABC’s incredible drama series How To Get Away With Murder immediately gives prospective viewers a glance into the show and persuades them to watch. Who is getting away with murder? Why are they getting away with murder? And more importantly, how are they getting away with murder? ABC’s new mystery drama, titled The Family has a bland title and is on the threshold of being a bland show, despite its relatively intriguing plot.