The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
STARS ON SCREEN
really
USQUE AD FINEM»
It’s been a wild ride, but it’s not over yet. The fourth and final season of AMC’s “Preacher” gets underway this Sunday, Aug 4. And while fans of the source material — the ‘90s comics by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon — have an idea of what’s in store, TV viewers should know to expect a few extra twists in the road to the finale.
The last we saw him, Jesse (Dominic Cooper, “Mamma Mia!,” 2008) had finally put Angelville behind him, but not without condemning his soul. Meanwhile, God appeared to Tulip (Ruth Negga, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) and asked her to convince Jesse to call off his search, and Irish vampire Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun, “Misfits”) was kidnapped by Herr Starr (Pip Torrens, “Poldark”) and taken to the Grail headquarters.
The return of “Preacher” has been eagerly anticipated since it was renewed last November, but in April, the true endgame was revealed when executive producer Seth Rogen simultaneously announced the series’ return and its cancellation on Twitter and Instagram.
To industry insiders, the news wasn’t entirely unexpected. Rogen and producing partner Evan Goldberg left Sony Pictures Television, which co-produces the show with AMC Studio, after signing a big film and TV deal with Lionsgate. And keep in mind that unlike “The Walking Dead,” which is owned by AMC and produced in-house, the network has to pay a licensing fee for “Preacher.” Fans can at least take solace in the fact that there will be 10 new episodes of “Preacher” to watch over the next few months. That should (hopefully) be plenty of time to give the characters a proper send off. Just how are they going to do that? Tune in to AMC on Sunday, Aug. 4, to find out.
AMERICA’S GOT LENO»
Brad Paisley did it. So did Dwayne Wade. And Ellie Kemper too.
This week, it’s Jay Leno’s turn to weigh in on whether he thinks “America’s Got Talent” in an episode airing Tuesday, Aug. 6, on NBC.
Like the previous celeb judges, Leno has his own seat alongside full-time judges Simon Cowell, Gabrielle Union (who, incidentally, is married to Wade), Julianne Hough and Howie Mandel. And if Leno likes an act, he has his own Golden Buzzer to send them through to the live shows.
All the main judges have already used their Golden Buzzer this season, even host Terry Crews, who was visibly moved when he awarded it to the Detroit Youth Choir. Since Leno’s appearance comes at the end of the Judges’ Cuts portion of the competition, that potentially gives Leno the final word before the live rounds begin next week. The former “Tonight Show” host is the fourth guest judge to appear in this year’s edition of the competition show, which has proven to be a perennial summer hit for NBC. And given Leno’s extensive experience in comedy, it will probably be tough for any comic act to impress him — especially in the short time they’re given to perform their routine.
BUSY ‘AVENUE’»
HBO’s upcoming series “Avenue 5” has been in the news recently. Some of it is good news and some of it is, well, not-so-good news.
First, a little background info: Billed as a “space tourism” comedy, the series is set 40 years from now, when humans are traveling all over the solar system (why go to Europe when you can see Europa, right?). And all the action takes place onboard a space cruise ship, the Avenue 5, with Hugh Laurie at the helm as Capt. Ryan Clark. Laurie is better known in the U.S. for his dramatic roles, but he’s no stranger to comedy, or to HBO for that matter. The former “House” star had a recurring role in the very funny “Veep,” which was created by Armando Iannucci. Iannucci is the mastermind behind this series too, so it’s a reunion of sorts for the Scottish filmmaker and Laurie, who also teamed up for the upcoming film “The Personal History of David Copperfield.”
So here’s the good news: a few new names have been added to the cast of “Avenue 5.” Himesh Patel, star of the recently released film “Yesterday” (2019), has been tapped to play the role of a standup comedian who struggles to get laughs in space. Kyle Bornheimer (“Casual”) and Jessica St. Clair (“Playing House”) have also been cast as Doug and Mia, a husband and wife who are hoping a “spacecation” will save their marriage. That brings us to the not-sogood news. On July 10, a fire broke out on a set at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden (U.K.). It took firefighters 15 hours to put out the blaze, and while luckily, no one was hurt, it did leave the production without the use of a key set. And with the final two episodes left to shoot, producers and writers have had to find a workaround.
For his part, Iannucci appeared unfazed and tweeted: “Everyone is safe and well, and we’re all Keeping Calm and Carrying On.” And this turn of events probably won’t delay the series’ premiere, which, given HBO’s very full slate of programming, will likely be in 2020.