When the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” teaser trailer premiered it showed off a new three-pronged lightsaber, igniting a flurry of fans to equally defend and denounce the design.

Star Wars trailer was neato but that lightsaber looked dumb. Whats the point of those side ones other than to make it look different?

— Jesse (@cscomics) November 28, 2014

Star Wars the force awakens cross light saber is dumb, not realistic at all.. you would cut your hand off trying to use it lol

— Ty Queen (@DSportsFan4Life) November 28, 2014

The design is meant to protect a person's hand from opponent's lightsaber attacks. However, the argument from some fans is that those tiny blades aren’t going to do much protecting. They could easily be hacked off by other lightsabers.

The Verge wrote a lengthy geek-tastic interpretation of the flawed design while proposing a better one with mini side lightsabers at 45 degree angles. The design is similar to other lightsabers in the "Star Wars" cannon.

Here's how a fan envisions it:

Not so fast, haters.

Self-proclaimed “Star Wars” fanatic Stephen Colbert is upset by all the flack the new lightsaber is receiving. So he elaborately broke down why the new lightsaber is a "perfect" design on "The Colbert Report."

Colbert explains:

Sadly, there are some stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herders out there who aren’t thrilled with the new Jedi weapon. They say if these things are supposed to protect your hands like sword hilts, it wouldn’t work because the first time you cross lightsabers and it slid down to the bottom of the blade your opponent’s lightsaber would chop through the little side sabers and take off your hand.

"Well, I say it’s a perfect design," continued Colbert. "Here’s how it works. I’ve done my analysis."

"People think it’s actually three different plasma streams, but it’s all one," explains Colbert. "The long beam right here comes out and the two smaller beams at the bottom, they’re still attached to it. They don’t start where the little metal hilt ends, okay? They’re attached to the other beam inside. The metal hilts are just casings around the little beams to protect your hand. Even if someone slices through the metal, they’re going to hit the beam right there. Any padawan knows that."

Colbert also had a retort for fans who still refused to believe him.

"Now, I know what you're thinking," said Colbert. "You’re saying, 'But Stephen, in the trailer the first light beam comes out before the other two. How could it all be one beam?'”

“It's simple," he said. "You just need three focusing crystal activators to split the plasma into perpendicular blade energy channels.”

All the galactic credits to Colbert.

Watch the full clip below. It's a must watch.

More "Star Wars": An explanation for everything in the "Episode VII" trailer

AND: George Lucas told Mark Hamill about Episode VII in the '80s

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Last week, it was announced that new Tina Fey-produced comedy "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" would move from NBC to Netflix before it even aired — and now Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos is explaining why.

After NBC worried "about the time of the year" the show would be released (March) and not having "a complementary program to launch it with," Sarandos tells Vulture he got a call from Fey.

"We got a call from Tina Fey and from Dave Miner to come to New York. We came up literally on the last day of production, watched some of the shooting. Met with Tina and the team, heard what they were planning, and said, 'Look, if you can work it out with NBC, we’d love to do it.' And within 12 hours, we’d seen nine of the 13 episodes. And within four days, the deal was done."

The show, starring "The Office" actress Ellie Kemper as a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over again in New York City, is produced by "30 Rock" duo Fey and Robert Carlock, who have a longstanding relationship with NBC.

"This was a strange opportunity where, usually when shows don’t make it, sometimes it has very little to do with the quality and it has everything to do with the time slot, the lead-in show, the time of year it came out," Sarandos explained to Vulture at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, where he received a career tribute award. "It was probably one of the most remarkable developments of the last couple of years in television."

And NBC boss Robert Greenblatt was on board with the swap from network TV to the streaming site, saying in a statement: "While it was originally developed for NBC, we have a very drama-heavy mid-season schedule so we’re thrilled about this Netflix opportunity; it’s an instant win-win for everyone, including Tina, Robert, and Universal Television. We’re already talking to these extraordinary creators about new development for NBC, but meanwhile, everyone here from Universal Television will do everything possible to see that 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' becomes a long-running hit on Netflix."

Cindy Holland, VP of Original Content at Netflix, added to Deadline: "The very construct of 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' — its offbeat premise, hilarious and rich characters and serialized storytelling — make it a perfect Netflix comedy series."

SEE ALSO: Netflix Is Creating One Of The Most Expensive TV Shows In The World — Here's Why It's So Important

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Buzzfeed reports an unreleased pilot script for "Breaking Bad" is among the many documents that have been leaked online following a massive hack of Sony Pictures over the holidays. 

A group by the name of Guardians of Peace has taken responsibility for the cyberattack. 

Sony Pictures Television produced the hit AMC series starring Bryan Cranston. 

According to Buzzfeed, “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan wrote the unreleased pilot.  

Early versions of the script that have previously made their way online have included an altered name for Aaron Paul’s character Jesse Pinkman. An early draft of his character was named Marion Alan Dupree. 

A spin-off series, "Better Call Saul,” starring Bob Odenkirk will premiere on AMC in February.

SEE ALSO: All the Sony movies leaked online since massive hack

AND: The internal memo Sony execs sent to staff after the hack

Join the conversation about this story »

On Tuesday, the Sony hackers released emails of Sony Pictures Entertainment Co-Chairman Amy Pascal and Sony Pictures Television president Steve Mosko. 

The fourth round of leaks came as the hackers, known as the Guardians of Peace (GOP), demanded the studio pull upcoming movie "The Interview" starring James Franco and Seth Rogen.

Looking over Mosko's emails, we saw an interesting exchange related to Sony's "Community" series which aired on NBC.

The show was originally canceled May 9 after five seasons on air.

Three days later, the show's star, Joel McHale, sent an email to Mosko's assistant asking for a discount on an $8,000 Sony TV.

The email reads:

Hello Fayanne,

It's Joel McHale. You might remember me from such canceled Sony tv shows as—Community.

Sad.

Very sad. 

So when I was talking to Steve about the show ending last Friday, I asked about a discount on a Sony tv. He said of course. He's the greatest as you know. I didn't want to bother him with the specific details of the screen I want so I thought I would bother you. I hope that is it [sic] cool. 

It's below. You can check with Steve obviously if this all sounds strange. 

I'm not sure how this all works but I'm happy to send a credit card number wherever necessary. 

Thanks Fayanne. I'm very much going to miss working at Sony.

Cheers

Joel

The TV McHale asked for is a 65" X950B 4K Ultra HD which retails for $7999.99.

After receiving McHale's email, Mosko requested the television to be purchased for the actor:

"how much is it?    just get it...put it against community    deal w money later"

The television ended up being on sale at the time for $6,000.

You can read the full email exchange below starting at the bottom:

"Community" was revived in June by Yahoo. A final sixth season with McHale is scheduled to debut in January on Yahoo Screen. 

SEE ALSO: David Fincher had a hilarious response to an angry email from a Sony exec

AND: Disney spoke with Sony to get Spider-Man in "Captain America 3"

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When an alternate ending to Emmy-winning series "Breaking Bad"leaked online late last Nov., Sony Television executives were understandably upset.

The complete series Blu-Ray and DVD collector set was about two weeks from release. The alternate ending was among the special features on the discs.

In a series of emails from Sony TV president Steve Mosko that leaked online by hackers, Sony was especially upset with ABC's "Good Morning America." 

In the emails, Mosko was warned a day in advance that "GMA" was going to air a story on the leak of the content on Nov. 18, 2013. Sony assumed GMA wouldn't use any clips from the alternate ending since the illegal clips were supposedly removed from online.

Mosko explicitly says "GMA""will be on deep s— if they run an unauthorized clip."

The following day, 12 seconds of the unauthorized clip appeared on ABC's morning show and again subsequently on "LIVE with Kelly and Michael."

Mosko referred to the leak of the info on broadcast television as "a nightmare," especially since they knew in advance. In an email to a colleague, he asks why they didn't have the alternate ending on tighter lockdown like a "Breaking Bad" documentary feature on the disc set.

"Why didn't we fingerprint the alternative ending like the documentary?? This is a nightmare," wrote Mosko.

According to subsequent emails following the series release, the "Breaking Bad" barrel collector sets sold 27,000 in their first week on sale. 100,000 copies of the final season of the AMC series were sold on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Read the emails in full below.

SEE ALSO: David Fincher had a hilarious response to an angry email from a Sony exec

AND: Joel McHale asked Sony execs for a discount on a TV after "Community" was canceled

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Fargo is finally getting Season 2 off the ground.

We’ve known for a while that the new season of FX’s hit event drama would follow some strong female characters and this morning the network announced that one strong woman and one well-known TV actor will be joining the second season of Noah Hawley’s drama. Kirsten Dunst and Breaking Bad’s Jesse Plemons will be joining the second season of the dark drama. 

Today’s big announcement fleshes out a few more details related to the series. Kirsten Dunst is set to play Peggy Blomquist, a beautician with big city dreams whose shop actually happens to be in a small town. She’ll be married to a man named Ed, who will be played by Jesse Plemons. Plemons is a butcher’s assistant who spends a lot of time dealing with his troubled wife, who will be having trouble dealing with societal expectations. I’m not sure how either character will relate to overarching “true crime” premise of the show, but I can’t wait to find out. 

So far, we know a lot more about Fargo’s basic Season 2 outline than its cast. We know that the show is looking more at the Coen brothers’ other film Miller’s Crossing for inspiration, rather than Fargo, which informed the first season. The series will also be a blast to the past, following a set of events that occurred in 1979 in Sioux Falls, Minnesota—the same setting featured in Fargo’s first season, just in a different decade. The show will also follow some of the same characters from Season 1, including Lou Solverson, his daughter, Molly, and Duluth policeman Ben Schmidt. Remember these guys? 

Obviously, since the show is hopping back in time several decades, each of the actors are being recast, although there’s no word on who will play those characters, yet. We do know that Parks and Recreation actor Nick Offerman (aka Ron Swanson), Burn Notice actor Jeffrey Donovan and newcomer Rachel Keller are in negotiations to play other characters on the show. (Unfortunately, none of those characters happen to be any of the aforementioned ones.) 

We should be hearing plenty of other casting details, soon. While FX’s Fargo isn’t expected to hit the TV schedule until next fall, production is set to begin in January, so the show needs to have all of its ducks in a row sometime before then. Filming will occur in Calgary and 10 brand new episodes will be produced for Season 2. I’m not sure how FX could possibly top a season starring Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton and featuring the awesome talent of Colin Hanks, Key and Peele and newcomer Allison Tolman, but Fargo is definitely off to a good start with today's big casting news. 

SEE ALSO: After Sony's 'Community' Was Canceled, Star Joel McHale Asked For A Discount On A Sony TV

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The most recent leak from the Sony hacking unveiled the emails of Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairwoman Amy Pascal and Sony Pictures Television president Steve Mosko. 

Among the emails to and from Mosko, Business Insider viewed an exchange involving the Sony Pictures president, billionaire investor Mark Cuban, and Cuban Companies general counsel Robert Hart that reveals Cuban's contract negotiations for his appearances on the hit TV show "Shark Tank."

According to the September emails, Hart tells Cuban he would receive $30,000 per episode for season 5, $31,200 for season 6, and $32,488 for season 7.

The hit ABC series, distributed by Sony Pictures Television, began season 6 on Sept. 26.

In addition, Hart tells Cuban the terms of the "Shark Tank" deal would "further prevent" Cuban from "exploiting various aspects from the show."

The email suggests the series wanted rights to Cuban's "catchphrases ... nicknames, gestures, utterances, etc.," something Cuban is advised to "push back on."

Because "Shark Tank" is aired on other networks, the updated contract would also require Cuban to promote the series not only for ABC but on all the networks on which it airs. 

Cuban wasn't happy with the terms, responding to Hart, Mosko, and others with the following:

seriously? 

no chance... this is beyond an insult and it shows no one cares about the investments I have made or the entrepreneurs 

now it's really business..

I will negotiate like any other deal I would do

you may want to start cutting me out of the promos

m

Mosko asked Sony Pictures TV presidents of programming and production Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg whether he should worry about Cuban's response.

Season 5 of the hit ABC series, distributed by Sony Pictures Television, had 29 episodes, meaning Cuban would have received $904,800.

We reached out to Cuban for comment, and he responded with the following via email:

I look at it as a positive that I had direct access to Steve

Now we communicate via Cyber dust

Cyber Dust is Cuban's new free texting app. Described as "WhatsApp meets Snapchat," it allows users to send messages and photos that disappear after 30 seconds.

To put Cuban's "Shark Tank" salary into perspective, we took a look at a few other reality star paychecks.

According to 2014's TV Guide annual industry salary report, Cuban's "Shark Tank" co-star Kevin O'Leary makes a reported $30,000/episode.

"Dancing With the Stars" judge Bruno Tonioli makes $30,000 an hour, and "The Bachelor" host Chris Harrison makes $50,000 an hour. All three are ABC shows.

You can read the email exchange below. 

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos Explains Why Failure Is A Great Thing

More on the Sony hack: Joel McHale Asked For A Discount On A Sony TV After "Community" Was Originally Canceled

SEE ALSO: Sony Execs Freaked Out After "Breaking Bad" Alternate Ending Clip Leaked On TV

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The era of NBC’s Thursday night, laugh track-generated dominance is officially over. While NBC has had trouble competing with the other big networks on Thursday nights for a few years now, the channel stubbornly held on to the hopes that it could make a comedy lineup work. Now, however, NBC has officially yielded, signing on for a midseason lineup that only includes dramas. 

This spring, NBC will premiere the dramas Allegiance and The Slap on Thursday nights, with the popular drama The Blacklist headlining the evening. The Slap is a 10-episode limited series that will hit the schedule on Thursday, February 12 at 8 p.m. The Blacklist will follow at 9 p.m. ET, starting on February 5 and Allegiance will air at 10 p.m. ET, also beginning on February 5. 

It’s hard to underscore how huge the change will be to NBC’s Thursday night lineup. While drama Parenthood has landed that 10 p.m. ET slot recently on Thursday nights, it has always been preempted by comedies. In fact, to give you a more telling idea of how weird NBC’s Thursday night lineup is going to look come February, Deadline reports that the network has had comedies as part of Thursday’s lineup for the last 35 years. In fact, in order to find a NBC Thursday night without a comedy, you’d have to go all the way back to the 1979-1980 TV season when Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quincy M.E. and Kate Loves a Mystery airs. 

Back when NBC was still the primetime king, its Thursday night lineup was dominated by comedies as part of the network’s “must-see TV” branding. That included such iconic comedies as Seinfeld, Friends and Will and Grace. In more recent years, NBC tried to branch off with more unusual comedies, including the likes of 30 Rock, The Office and Parks and Recreation. While viewership was down on those shows when compared to NBC’s dominance in the nineties and early 2000s, it didn’t get truly bad until the last couple of years, when shows like The Michael J. Fox Show and Sean Saves the World, as well as this year’s already-canceled Bad Judge and A to Z were given timeslots on Thursday nights. 

While on the one hand it is sad that something that worked so well for so many years is officially over, on the other hand it is much better that NBC tries to move in a new direction than continues to dwindle as it attempts to hold on to the remnants of its past successes. I’m not sure that new shows The Slap and Allegiance will able to compete with the programs that CBS and ABC already offer on Thursday nights, but it’s nice to see that the network is finally turning a corner and giving something new a chance. And I can’t wait to see how NBC does when Red Reddington is pitted up against Olivia Pope on Thursday nights.

SEE ALSO: Bill Cosby Rape Sexual Assault NBC Former NBC Employee Corroborates Some Of The Cosby Allegations

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With so many new shows premiering in 2015, it's hard to remember when all of your favorites, like "House of Cards" and "The Walking Dead," are returning.

Below is a list of when the popular shows will be back from hiatus or will kick off their midseason premieres.  

Tues., Jan. 6
"Pretty Little Liars," season 6 premiere, 8 pm., ABC Family
"MasterChef Junior," season 3 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"Cougar Town," season 6 premiere, 10 p.m., TBS
"Switched at Birth," season 4 premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
"Chicago Fire," midseason return, 10 p.m., NBC

Wed., Jan. 7
"American Idol," season 15 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"American Horror Story," midseason return, 10 p.m., FX
"The Mysteries of Laura," midseason return, 8 pm.,  NBC
"Law & Order: SVU," midseason return, 9 p.m., NBC
"Chicago PD," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., NBC 

Thursday, Jan. 8
"Portlandia," season 5 premiere, 10 p.m., IFC
"Archer," season 6 premiere, 10 p.m., 
"Parenthood," midseason return, 10 p.m, NBC

Friday, Jan. 9
"Glee," midseason premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"Hart of Dixie," midseason return, 9 p.m., The CW
"Banshee," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., Cinemax
"Comedy Bang! Bang!" season 4 premiere, 11 p.m., IFC

SEE ALSO: Here's What's New On Netflix In January

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Mike Myers crashed SNL reprising his role as Dr. Evil from "Austin Powers" to address the Sony hack.

"I've preempted this program because I'm furious that North Korea and Sony Pictures have both given evil organizations a bad name," said Myers. "I mean, what the eff people? It's just so pathetic to see you two fight over a silly comedy ... Who cares?"

The comedian then took punches at North Korea, the hackers, and Sony.

"Let's start with you, North Korea. You're one of the most evil countries in the world and your act of war is to kill a movie? It's easy to kill a movie. Just move it to January."

January is notoriously known as a dump month for bad movies at the box office.

Myers also called out the hackers who go by the name of Guardians of Peace. He pointed out there already is a GOP and that "they're already an evil organization."

Sony didn't go untouched either.

"But why pick on Sony? They haven't had a hit since the Walkman," joked Myers. "Come on, Sony. You thought it was a joke to have James Franco assassinate Kim Jon-Un? The man single-handedly almost killed the Oscars."

You can watch the full sketch below.

SEE ALSO: Seth Rogen crashes James Franco's SNL monologue to address Sony hack

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With so many new shows premiering in 2015, it's hard to remember when all of your favorites, like "House of Cards" and "The Walking Dead," are returning.

Below is a list of when the popular shows will be back from hiatus or will kick off their midseason premieres.  

Tues., Jan. 6
"Pretty Little Liars," season 6 premiere, 8 pm., ABC Family
"MasterChef Junior," season 3 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"Cougar Town," season 6 premiere, 10 p.m., TBS
"Switched at Birth," season 4 premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
"Chicago Fire," midseason return, 10 p.m., NBC

Wed., Jan. 7
"American Idol," season 15 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"American Horror Story," midseason return, 10 p.m., FX
"The Mysteries of Laura," midseason return, 8 pm.,  NBC
"Law & Order: SVU," midseason return, 9 p.m., NBC
"Chicago PD," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., NBC 

Thursday, Jan. 8
"Portlandia," season 5 premiere, 10 p.m., IFC
"Archer," season 6 premiere, 10 p.m., 
"Parenthood," midseason return, 10 p.m, NBC

Friday, Jan. 9
"Glee," midseason premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"Hart of Dixie," midseason return, 9 p.m., The CW
"Banshee," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., Cinemax
"Comedy Bang! Bang!" season 4 premiere, 11 p.m., IFC

SEE ALSO: Here's What's New On Netflix In January

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It's winter, which means that it's time for midseason premieres.

Starting next year, we'll see the launch of a whole new crop of series, ranging from multiple crime shows to an experimental mini-series.

You'll see a bunch of familiar faces, including those of Felicity Huffman, Ryan Phillipe, Rainn Wilson, and Amanda Peet.

We'll even have the arrival of the heavily anticipated "Better Call Saul," a prequel to AMC's hit "Breaking Bad."

"Galavant" (ABC)

Stars: Joshua Sasse ("Frankenstein's Army"), Timothy Omundson ("Psych")

Premiere date: Sunday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. 

What it's about: ABC will test out a musical fairy-tale comedy following a knight's journey as he tries to rescue his true love from an evil king. The score is by "Beauty & The Beast" composer Alan Menken, and the lyrics are by Glenn Slater ("Tangled").

Watch the trailer here.

"Agent Carter" (ABC)

Stars: Hayley Atwell ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier") James D'Arcy ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), Chad Michael Murray ("One Tree Hill")

Premiere date: Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 9 p.m.

What it's about: Peggy Carter (Atwell) must lead a double life as an admin and as a secret agent. If the character sounds familiar, it's because Carter is from Marvel's "Captain America" series. The show is also connected to its lead-in, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Watch the trailer here.

"Empire" (FOX)

Stars: Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle and Flow"), Terrence Howard ("Hustle and Flow"), Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious: Based on The Novel Push by Sapphire")

Premiere date: Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 9 p.m.

What it's about: This musical family drama follows what happens when a hip-hop record company's charismatic CEO (Howard) learns he has ALS. It will also be set to a hip-hop soundtrack.

Watch the trailer here.

AMC just debuted a new teaser trailer for "Better Call Saul" which gives us our first real look at the "Breaking Bad" spin-off.

The prequel, which will premiere on AMC in February, will star Bob Odenkirk as he reprises his role of everyone's favorite sleazy criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. Jonathan Banks will also return to play his "Breaking Bad" character Mike Ehrmantraut.

AMC has been rolling out a few new teasers for the show's premiere in February.

One of the newest, featuring Saul's dry-cleaned shirt at a laundromat, gives fans a real-working phone number they can call which leads to Goodman's voicemail. 

It's a real treat for fans of the show and goes on for a little while.

Dial 505-503-4455 for the Easter Egg. Diehard fans will notice it's a New Mexico number, which is where "Better Call Saul" takes place.

"Better Call Saul" will have a two-part premiere. The first episode will premiere Feb. 8 at 10 p.m. following the return of "The Walking Dead." The show will then air the following night Monday at 10 p.m. which will become its regular night on the network.

Here are a few images of Goodman from the new teaser:

It doesn't look like things are going over so well for Goodman, here.

That looks like the confident lawyer we know.

There are a few images of Goodman in the courtroom showing off his charm.

Brownie points if you noticed Saul's real name taped to this door: Jimmy McGill.

SEE ALSO: All the new shows coming to TV next year

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Just one week after the new Netflix series Marvel's Daredevil wrapped production, star Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil), showrunner Steven S. DeKnight and executive producer Jeph Loeb revealed more new details about the series to Entertainment Weekly.

It remains to be seen when we'll see the first trailer, or learn when the show may premiere on Netflix, but it's clear that this adventure series will be much different from anything Marvel has produced for both the small and big screens before. Here are seven new details from the star and showrunner that reveal how this show stands out from the rest of the Marvel productions.

1. Daredevil Is Set Exclusively In Hell's Kitchen: While Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers are jet-setting around the globe to save the world from numerous enemies, Marvel's Daredevil will be exclusively set within Matt Murdock's hometown of Hell's Kitchen according to executive producer Jeph Loeb. "Within the Marvel universe there are thousands of heroes of all shapes and sizes, but The Avengers are here to save the universe and Daredevil is here to save the neighborhood. It's a very unique look at Hell's Kitchen in New York, where Matt Murdoch grew up and continues to defend it from people who would harm the people that live there."

2. Daredevil's Tone Is More Like The Wire: Executive producer and showrunner Steven S. DeKnight compared Marvel's Daredevil to the critically-acclaimed HBO series The Wire, as opposed to numerous superhero shows currently on the air. "We really wanted to take our cue from [films like] The French Connection, Dog Day Afternoon, Taxi Driver, and make it very, very grounded, very gritty, very real. We always say we would rather lean toward The Wire than what's considered a classic superhero television show." Jeph Loeb added there won't be any mystical elements present in most superhero shows. "There aren't going to be people flying through the sky. There are no magic hammers."

3. Daredevil Is Set In the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Although the show will have a much different tone, Marvel's Daredevil is still set in the same universe as Marvel's other movies and TV shows, according to Jeph Loeb. "It does take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's all connected. But that doesn't necessarily mean that we would look up in the sky and see [Iron Man]. It's just a different part of New York that we have not yet seen in the Marvel movies."

4. Daredevil Is Not "The Man Without Fear": Daredevil comic book fans know the beloved character as the, "man without fear," although that moniker doesn't exactly ring true for the series, according to the new Matt Murdock himself, Charlie Cox. "Someone who does not have fear - literally does not experience fear - is not that interesting. The way I like to think about it is that he is a man with fear, but he on a daily basis decides to confront that fear and to overcome it. So the title of 'the man without fear' is almost a title that the public in his world gives him just because of what he does. But inside himself, he's very afraid at times. And he finds a way to confront those fears and punch through it."

5. Daredevil will be graphic and family friendly at the same time: Steven S. DeKnight is best known for the Starz series Spartacus on Starz, which did not skimp on graphic violence and nudity. While Netflix's Daredevil won't be hindered by content restrictions that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has to deal with on ABC, and Netflix doesn't have the content restrictions faced by Marvel's Agents of SHIELD on ABC, DeKnight reveals that it will be both graphic and family friendly. "When I came onto this there was no way I wanted to make this hard-R or NC-17. I don't think the material warrants that. It is a little grittier and edgier than Marvel has gone before, but we're not looking to push it to extreme graphic violence, gratuitous nudity or anything like that. The story does not require that and I think would suffer if you pushed it that far."

6. Kingpin Is Just As Important As Daredevil: Jeph Loeb reveals that both the hero Daredevil and the villain Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) will have similar arcs in Season 1. "This season is about both the rise of the hero and the rise of the villain. Steven S. DeKnight added that fans will learn how Wilson Fisk meets his wife and falls in love. "Fisk has very many different aspects so it's not all, 'I want to conquer the city and make a lot of money.' In our story, we tell the story of how he met his wife Vanessa and how they fell in love - our antagonist actually has a love story. That's the love story you're following, the one you're invested in, and seeing how that affects him and changes him. I think Vincent just brings such depth to it, his performance is just astounding."

7. Bullseye May Be Featured In Daredevil After Season 1: Steven DeKnight confirms that there are no plans to bring the villainous Bullseye in for Season 1, but he's not ruling the villain out in the future. "I wouldn't say there's no plans to include the character in the series. It's not not to say he wouldn't be in the series at some point. But I think if you try to jam in too many characters, it just becomes a mess. And [Bullseye's] story was told in the last iteration of Daredevil that anybody saw. My feeling was, 'Why repeat it?' And honestly, if you're looking for a juicy, multi-faceted crime drama, Wilson Fisk was the obvious choice to play the antagonist. Bullseye is a little more cut and dry. Not to say you couldn't make him fantastic over 13 hours, but Fisk really felt like the right yin to the yang for Matt, and for what we wanted to do this season."

SEE ALSO: 'Daredevil' Actor Points Out The One Clear Advantage Netflix Has Over TV

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Last year had its fair share of television casualties. But despite cancellation, several shows are still worth a watch.

Crowdsourced rankings website Ranker named the best cancelled shows of 2014, and though these ones won't be coming back in the new year, they still had a good run.

Here are the top 11 shows that were canceled last year:

11. Enlisted

When Staff Sergeant Pete Hill (played by Geoff Stults) punches a superior officer while deployed in Afghanistan, he gets sent to back to Fort McGee in Florida, where his two younger brothers, Derrick and Randy, are stationed.

10. Longmire

Based off the bestselling novels by Craig Johnson, this series follows Walt Longmire, the dedicated sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, as he returns to work after his wife's death. Longmire throws himself into his work, investigating crimes and running for re-election, as he attempts to hide the pain he still feels over the loss of his wife.

9. Kitchen Nightmares

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay (of Hell's Kitchen notoriety) travels the country helping failing restaurants turn their business around. But despite the many changes he suggests — menu tweaks, updated furniture — it's up to each owner to heed his advice and make their restaurant profitable once again. 

8. Intelligence

As the first human to be directly connected to the Internet through a microchip in his brain, Gabriel Black is able to hack any data center worldwide, which proves a valuable security tool for the United States. However, Black finds himself vulnerable to both outside threats and his own destructive personality, so Secret Service agent Riley Neal is assigned to protect him.

7. The Crazy Ones

This show followed unpredictable and unorthodox advertising executive Simon Roberts (played by Robin Williams) as he runs a powerful ad agency in Chicago with his daughter Sydney (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar). However, Roberts sometimes lets his crazy ideas get the best of him,  forcing Sydney to spend more time putting out fires than developing her own career. 

6. Being Human

In the American version of a British sitcom by the same name, three roommates (a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost) help each other attempt to live normal lives as humans. However, they quickly discover that living double lives — and keeping their true identities secret — isn't as easy as it looks. 

5. Suburgatory

When single dad George Altman (played by Jeremy Sisto) finds condoms in his teenage daughter's room, he decides to move from their New York City apartment to a suburb in Connecticut. However, the transition comes as a culture shock to both father and daughter as their new neighborhood seems like something straight out of "The Stepford Wives."

4. Raising Hope

Nine months after 23-year-old Jimmy Chance has a one-night stand with a serial killer, he visits her in jail only to find that she's given birth to his daughter. Unprepared for parenthood, Jimmy relies on his dysfunctional family — including his mother (played by Martha Plimpton), father (played by Garret Dillahunt), and grandmother (played by Cloris Leachman) — to help raise the child.

3. Revolution

Over a decade after a permanent blackout devastates the world, humanity has adapted to life without electricity. That is, until the local militia kill a man involved in the power outage, setting his daughter on a journey to find out what really happened 15 years ago.

2. Almost Human

In 2048, police officer John Kennex wakes up in from a 17-month coma — missing his leg and his girlfriend — after surviving the raid of violent gang The Syndicate's hideout, an attack that took the life of his partner. But Kennex isn't keen on working with his new partner, a human-like android named Dorian who struggles to deal with human emotions.

1. Community 

This series chronicles the lives of a group of students at Greendale Community College in Greendale, Colorado who met in a fictitious study group put on by disbarred lawyer Jeff Winger (played by Joel McHale) in an attempt spend time with attractive classmate Britta Perry. Throughout its five seasons, the show gained critical acclaim and a cult following for its parody style and frequent pop culture references. Though it was cancelled by NBC, the show will air a new season on Yahoo later this year.

SEE ALSO: The 15 Best Movies You Probably Didn't See In 2014

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With so many new shows premiering in 2015, it's hard to remember when all of your favorites, like "House of Cards" and "The Walking Dead," are returning.

Below is a list of when the popular shows will be back from hiatus or will kick off their midseason premieres.  

Thurs., Jan. 1
"A to Z," first of remaining four episodes, 9:30 p.m., NBC
"Bad Judge," midseason return, 9 p.m., NBC
"Lucas Bros. Moving Co.," season 2 premiere, midnight, FXX

Fri., Jan. 2
"Blue Bloods," midseason return, 10 p.m., CBS
"Hawaii Five-0," midseason return, 9 p.m., CBS
"Say Yes To The Dress: Atlanta," season 8 premiere, 10 p.m, TLC
"Undercover Boss," season 6 premiere, 8 p.m., CBS

Sun., Jan. 4
"The Simpsons," midseason return, 8 p.m., Fox
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine," midseason return, 8:30 p.m., Fox
"Family Guy," midseason return, 9 p.m., Fox
"Bob's Burgers," midseason return, 9:30 p.m., Fox
"Celebrity Apprentice," season seven premiere, 9 p.m., NBC
"CSI," midseason return, 10 p.m., CBS
"Downton Abbey," season give premiere, 9 p.m, PBS
"The Good Wife," midseason return, 9 p.m., CBS
"Madam Secretary," midseason return, 8 p.m., CBS
"The Mentalist," midseason return, 9 p.m., CBS
"Resurrection," midseason return, 9 p.m., NBC
"Revenge," midseason return, 10 p.m., ABC
"Sister Wives," season six premiere, 9 p.m., TLC

Mon., Jan. 5
"2 Broke Girls," midseason return, 8 p.m., CBS
"Mike & Molly," midseason return, 8:30 p.m., CBS
"Scorpion," midseason return, 9 p.m., CBS
"NCIS: LA," midseason return, 10 p.m., CBS
"Gotham," midseason return, 8 p.m., Fox
"Sleepy Hollow," midseason return, 9 p.m., Fox
"The Bachelor," season 19 premiere, 8 p.m., ABC
"State of Affairs," midseason return, 10 p.m., NBC

Tues., Jan. 6
"Pretty Little Liars," season 6 premiere, 8 p.m., ABC Family
"Switched At Birth," season 4 premiere, 9 p.m., ABC Family
"MasterChef Junior," season 3 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"New Girl," midseason return, 9 p.m., Fox
"The Mindy Project," midseason return, 9:30 p.m., Fox
"Cougar Town," season 6 premiere, 10 p.m., TBS
"Marry Me," midseason return, 9 p.m., NBC
"About A Boy," midseason return, 9:30 p.m., NBC
"Switched at Birth," season 4 premiere, 10 p.m., NBC
"Chicago Fire," midseason return, 10 p.m., NBC
"Forever," midseason return, 10 p.m., ABC
"NCIS," midseason return, 8 p.m., CBS
"NCIS: New Orleans," midseason return, 9 p.m., CBS
"Person Of Interest," midseason return, 10 p.m., CBS

Wed., Jan. 7
"American Idol," season 14 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"American Horror Story," midseason return, 10 p.m., FX
"The Mysteries of Laura," midseason return, 8 pm.,  NBC
"Law & Order: SVU," midseason return, 9 p.m., NBC
"Chicago PD," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., NBC 
"The Middle," midseason return 8 p.m., CBS
"The Goldbergs," midseason return, 8:30 p.m., ABC
"Modern Family," midseason return, 9 p.m., ABC
"Black-ish," midseason return, 9:30 p.m., ABC
"Duck Dynasty," midseason return, 9:30 p.m., A&E
"Wahlburgers," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., A&E

Thursday, Jan. 8
"Big Bang Theory," midseason return, 8 p.m., CBS
"Mom," midseason return, 8:30 p.m., CBS
"Two And A Half Men," midseason return, 9 p.m., CBS
"The McCarthys," midseason return, 10 p.m., CBS
"Elementary," midseason return, 10 p.m., CBS
"Portlandia," season 5 premiere, 10 p.m., IFC
"Archer," season 6 premiere, 10 p.m., 
"Parenthood," midseason return, 10 p.m, NBC

Friday, Jan. 9
"Glee," season 6 premiere, 8 p.m., Fox
"Last Man Standing," midseason return, ABC
"Cristela," midseason return, 8:30 p.m., ABC
"Shark Tank," midseason return, 9 p.m., ABC
"Hart of Dixie," season 4 premiere, 9 p.m., The CW
"Banshee," season 3 premiere, 10 p.m., Cinemax
"Cold Justice," season 3 premiere, 8 p.m., TNT
"Real Time With Bill Maher," season 10 premiere, 10 p.m., HBO
"Comedy Bang! Bang!" season 4 premiere, 11 p.m., IFC

A version of this post originally ran Dec. 19, 2014. It has been updated with additional return dates.

SEE ALSO: Here's What's New On Netflix In January

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Television's most prodigious series is coming to the world's most immersive cinematic experience.

On January 23, 2015, HBO will become the first television network to feature its programming in IMAX® theaters, showing two episodes from season four of Game of Thrones followed by the eagerly anticipated worldwide debut of an exclusively created sneak-peek trailer for IMAX of season five.

The episodes will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and will be released for an exclusive one-week engagement in upwards of 150 IMAX theatres across the country's top markets through January 29. In coming days, fans can log onto www.imax.com for screening information and to purchase tickets.

Game of Thrones has been hailed as "a masterpiece in the making" (Washington Post) and "the most epic, ambitious show on television" (Chicago Sun-Times).

"The cinematic brilliance and grand scope of the series is perfect for the IMAX format," said Pamela Levine, chief marketing officer at HBO. "We are always looking to provide fans with new and exciting ways to experience the show and viewing two key episodes, along with the new trailer, on such an impressive platform makes for a great event."

"IMAX always seeks innovative ways to provide moviegoers a unique and differentiated experience and today's partnership with HBO and Game of Thrones achieves just that," said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. "This deal also furthers our efforts to offer exhibitors the opportunity to participate in alternative forms of content in a new and exciting way. As part of our broader strategy, we will continue to look for one-of-a-kind ways to provide consumers with special IMAX experiences."

The IMAX® release of Game of Thrones will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

"We couldn't think of a series more fitting than Game of Thrones to be the first presented in IMAX," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "The scope and production quality of the show is quite remarkable, which will be highlighted even further in select IMAX locations - allowing fans, as never before, to become a part of author George R. R. Martin's world that David Benioff and D. B. Weiss created for HBO. It has the action, storyline and epic nature that our fans seek in IMAX and we're thrilled to team with HBO and our longtime partners at Warner Brothers to offer audiences a chance to experience it in the ultimate theatre setting joined by other fans of the series."

Episode 9, "The Watchers on the Wall" takes place entirely at The Wall with the Night's Watch hopelessly outnumbered as they attempt to defend Castle Black from the Wildings and features one the fiercest and most intense battle scenes ever filmed for television. Episode 10, the season finale entitled "The Children", features Dany coming to grips with the realities of ruling a kingdom, Bran learning the startling reality of his destiny and Tyrion facing the truth of his unfortunate situation.Game of Thrones is an epic series whose storylines of treachery and nobility, family and honor, ambition and love, and death and survival, have captured the imagination of fans globally and made it one of the most popular shows on television.

SEE ALSO: 'Game Of Thrones' Creators: 'We Made A Bunch Of Mistakes' In The Premiere Episode

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If you’re a fan of “Breaking Bad” like us, you’re probably counting down the days until the series premiere of prequel “Better Call Saul!” on AMC.

The network has been sending out a press kit for the show, and it’s pretty clever.

Secured in a legal folder, we had no idea what we received until flipping it over to see a little “Better Call Saul!” logo. 

A coffee table book inside (more on this shortly) contains a series of images from the upcoming show and a note from showrunners Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”) and Peter Gould.

It felt weird to read the message and not share it with fans of the series, who the message was clearly intended for. 

Here's the letter in full: 

Welcome to the world of James M. McGill, Esq.

For viewers of Breaking Bad, there's much that will be familiar in this series: the bright Albuquerque skies, the dark humor, and -- most of all -- the passion and devotion to detail from cast and crew. 

Having said that, Better Call Saul is a brand new show. We're telling a different story here -- one with its own rhythm, its own look, its own tone. We're excited to share it with you.

This show has been a crazy ride for us. The character of Jimmy McGill has taken us places we never expected. Jimmy's not yet Saul Goodman: he's his own man, and he's messy and struggling and still finding himself. One day he'll transform into Albuquerque's favorite criminal lawyer, but right now he's a more or less law-abiding underdog on the bottom rung of the legal system.

We're loving every moment of Bob Odenkirk's deeply human performance as unstoppable, inventive Jimmy races through an ethical slalom course, trying to make a name for himself.

We hope you enjoy it.

Vince & Peter

Here are a few shots of the press kit we received.

The kit came inside a giant legal folder.

Let's empty it out.

Here's the extra wide "Better Call Saul" press book. 

Inside are images from the first few episodes of the show like this one with Jonathan Banks who reprises his role of Mike Ehrmantraut from "Breaking Bad."

The kit is extremely well thought out. See that card right there. It comes out.

Clever calling card.

We almost missed this postcard tucked in the legal file.

No message from Saul on the back, but we think this makes up for it.

Here's everything together.

We've checked out the premiere and really enjoyed it. 

I’m not allowed to tell you anything about it yet, but come back on Jan. 22 and we’ll have a spoiler-free review of the pilot.

AMC has already renewed the show for a second season.

"Better Call Saul" debuts Sunday Feb. 8 at 10 p.m. after the midseason return of "The Walking Dead" before moving into its regular Monday night schedule Feb. 9 at 10 p.m.

SEE ALSO: Check out a trailer for "Better Call Saul"

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The new TLC special "My Husband's Not Gay" doesn't even air until January 11th, but it's already causing controversy.

The show, based in Salt Lake City, UT, follows three Mormon men who say they are attracted to their wives, but they are also attracted to other men. They refer to it as "Same Sex Attraction"— not gay — but SSA, according to a show description on the TLC website.

"There's no marriage that is perfect. Ours isn't. But with our faith in god we believe we can overcome anything," says one of the men in the show's trailer.

Another male star of the show explains: "I'm attracted to my wife, for sure. But I'm also attracted to men, too."

But the premise of the show is not sitting well with many, especially GLAAD.

"This show is downright irresponsible," GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. "No one can change who they love, and, more importantly, no one should have to. By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting countless young LGBT people in harm's way."

A Change.org petition has been launched to get TLC to cancel the special. As of Tuesday night, the petition has nearly 85,000 signatures. Josh Sanders, who started the petition, explains:

I'm urging you to cancel your upcoming special, 'My Husband's Not Gay,' which promotes the false message that gay people can and should choose to be straight in order to be part of their faith communities. The men featured in this show deserve to be shown compassion and acceptance. Instead, TLC is presenting their lives as entertainment while sending the message that being gay is something that can and ought to be 'changed' or that you can fight your sexual orientation by marrying someone of the opposite sex. 

 Watch the trailer for the TLC special below:

TLC is the same network that brought viewers the Gosselin and Duggar phenomenons, as well as "90 Day Fiance,""Sex Sent Me to the ER,""I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant," and "My Strange Addiction."

SEE ALSO: Here Are The 25 New Shows Coming To TV In 2015

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It's winter, which means that it's time for midseason premieres.

Starting next year, we'll see the launch of a whole new crop of series, ranging from multiple crime shows to an experimental mini-series.

You'll see a bunch of familiar faces, including those of Felicity Huffman, Ryan Phillipe, Rainn Wilson, and Amanda Peet.

We'll even have the arrival of the heavily anticipated "Better Call Saul," a prequel to AMC's hit "Breaking Bad."

"Galavant" (ABC)

Stars: Joshua Sasse ("Frankenstein's Army"), Timothy Omundson ("Psych")

Premiere date: Sunday, Jan. 4, at 8 p.m. 

What it's about: ABC will test out a musical fairy-tale comedy following a knight's journey as he tries to rescue his true love from an evil king. The score is by "Beauty & The Beast" composer Alan Menken, and the lyrics are by Glenn Slater ("Tangled").

Watch the trailer here.

"Agent Carter" (ABC)

Stars: Hayley Atwell ("Captain America: The Winter Soldier") James D'Arcy ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"), Chad Michael Murray ("One Tree Hill")

Premiere date: Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 9 p.m.

What it's about: Peggy Carter (Atwell) must lead a double life as an admin and as a secret agent. If the character sounds familiar, it's because Carter is from Marvel's "Captain America" series. The show is also connected to its lead-in, "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Watch the trailer here.

"Empire" (FOX)

Stars: Taraji P. Henson ("Hustle and Flow"), Terrence Howard ("Hustle and Flow"), Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious: Based on The Novel Push by Sapphire")

Premiere date: Wednesday, Jan. 7, at 9 p.m.

What it's about: This musical family drama follows what happens when a hip-hop record company's charismatic CEO (Howard) learns he has ALS. It will also be set to a hip-hop soundtrack.

Watch the trailer here.