Stars on Screen
Magical mayhem: A magical academy hidden from non-magical folks, filled with students whose adventures could end up saving the world — or destroying it. It sounds like Harry Potter, but while Syfy’s “The Magicians” may have a lot of similarities with that cultural juggernaut, it’s definitely its own unique series.
The enchanting series returns for a third season on Wednesday, Jan.
10, with the world facing a magical crisis — namely, that it’s gone. The magic, that is, which was revoked from the world following Quentin’s (Jason Ralph, “Aquarius”) actions in last season’s finale.
“The Magicians” is based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name and its sequels by author Lev Grossman, which have been called “Harry Potter for adults.” In the first season, Quentin was accepted to the secretive Brakebills University in New York City, where he learns that his favorite childhood fantasy book series is based on reality — but also that the truth is far more dangerous than a piece of children’s literature had led him to believe.
Olivia Taylor Dudley (“Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension,”
2015), Rick Worthy (“The Man in the High Castle”), Jade Tailor (“Murder in the First”), Hale Appleman (“Teeth,” 2007), Stella Maeve (“Chicago P.D.”), Arjun Gupta (“Nurse Jackie”) and Summer Bishil (“The Last Airbender,” 2010) all star as various magical folks at and around Brakebills who are now suddenly facing a world without the magic on which they’ve come to rely.
Much like the novels, the onscreen adaptation of “The Magicians” has been met with critical acclaim, with its incredible special effects drawing praise, along with the creativity of its storylines. The quest to restore magic to the world won’t be an easy one, but luckily there’s a resourceful group of students on the job. “The Magicians” returns to Syfy Wednesday, Jan. 10.
We’re ‘Golden’: Awards season is well underway, and for the Golden Globe Awards, this year marks a major milestone. The glitz and the glamour may be most obvious in the annual celebration of the year’s best in film and television, but the
2018 Golden Globes also marks three-quarters of a century that the awards have been handed out.
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” front man Seth Meyers takes the stage Sunday, Jan. 7, as host of this year’s ceremony, taking over from last year’s emcee Jimmy Fallon (“The Tonight Show”). As always, the event broadcasts on NBC.
Unlike the Oscars or Emmys, the Golden Globe Awards recognize excellence in both movies and television. One of the defining events during each year’s ceremony is when the Cecil B. DeMille Award is bestowed upon a recipient for “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” First awarded in
1952 to its namesake, director Cecil B. DeMille (“The King of Kings,”
1927), in recent years the recognition has been given to George Clooney (“Ocean’s Eleven,” 2001), Denzel Washington (“American Gangster,” 2007), Jodie Foster (“The Silence of the Lambs,” 1991) and last year to Meryl Streep (“The Devil Wears Prada,” 2006), who made headlines when she gave a highly
political speech while accepting the award.
Awards season is always an eventful time in Hollywood, and the Golden Globe Awards is one of the highlights. Join Meyers as 2017’s best in film and television are recognized Sunday, Jan. 7, on NBC.
Back to the Shore: One of MTV’s biggest hits may have wrapped up five years ago, but clearly the appetite for “Jersey Shore” is still there. The one-time reality hit is staging a comeback, and many of its original personalities are returning along with it.
“Jersey Shore Family Vacation” has been announced by the channel, with no release date attached to it yet, but it’s big news for fans of the original “Shore,” which ran for six seasons. The new series will feature almost the entire gang that made the original one such a breakout hit: Mike (The Situation) Sorrentino, Deena Nicole Cortese, Paul (Pauly D) DelVecchio, Vinny Guadagnino, Jenni (JWoww) Farley, Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi are all confirmed to be returning for the revival.
In the current age of spinoffs and reboots, it’s not surprising that MTV would try to bring back the magic that made “Jersey Shore” such a success. The unscripted series followed a group of wild friends living out loud in the Garden State, and at the time, it was the channel’s most successful show ever.
Many of its personalities became household names, and the series inspired countless spinoffs (including the recent “MTV Floribama Shore”) and international adaptations, such as the United Kingdom’s “Geordie Shore,” which wrapped up its 15th season late last year.
It was the “Jersey Shore” crew that started it all, though, and they’re heading back to the spotlight with “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” in the not-so-distant future on MTV.