In fact, the series attracted its biggest total audience in two months with 4.9 million viewers tuning in, a 9% increase over last week's 4.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen's preliminary numbers. The episode also nabbed its biggest young adult audience since Dec. 7 of last year.
But the big ratings news is the show's 20% increase with adult viewers between the ages of 18-49 — the group advertisers really desire. "Revenge" earned a 1.2 rating/4 share versus last week's 1.0/3. It also beat CBS's "Battle Creek" (0.7/2) and NBC's "American Odyssey" (0.5/2) ratings, its broadcast network competition in the 10 p.m hour.
A number of things could've given "Revenge" the boost. First, curiosity. Lapsed and new viewers may have heard of the cancelation and decided to tune in to find out what's happening on the show and if they felt it deserved to be done-zo.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.(Warning: Spoiler alert ahead)
Second, the recent major character death. Fans may have been hooked by the demise of the show's Queen Bee Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) and the fallout for Emily (Emily VanCamp), who was framed by Victoria for her murder.
And third, a strong lead-in show. "Revenge" could've been helped by the finale of "Secrets & Lies," which aired at 9 p.m. and scored a series-high audience of 6.4 million viewers (a 10% increase over last week's episode) and a steady 1.7/5 rating in that advertiser-coveted Adults 18-49 demographic. Many of those people can stick around and help drive ratings for the next show up.
Regardless, these ratings could mean that "Revenge" may end its four season run next week with a pretty good ratings sendoff.
Last Wednesday, just hours after BI named "Revenge" on its list of 15 shows that will most likely be canceled, ABC announced that the drama would end after its current fourth season.
During its first season, “Revenge” helped to rejuvenate ABC after a string of failed dramas. But, its following three seasons have been plagued with declining ratings, creative problems, mini story reboots, and a drop in social buzz. Yet, it still holds a sweet space in ABC’s rebound in the drama category, which now includes solid shows like "Scandal,""How to Get Away With Murder" and "Once Upon a Time."
"Gotham" fans flocked to Fox on Monday and gave the Batman prequel series the title of the highest-rated scripted show of the night.
Fans were searching for answers to the season's biggest riddles, and in doing so helped the series to a 13% increase over last week in the demographic most desired by advertisers, adults between the ages of 18-49, according to Nielsen's preliminary numbers. "Gotham's" 1.7 rating/6 share beat out every other scripted series of the evening including ABC's "Castle" (1.4/4), CBS's "2 Broke Girls" (1.6/6) and NBC's "Night Shift" (1.3/4).
As for total viewers, "Gotham" bagged 4.9 million viewers — a 6% increase over last week's 4.6 million viewers.
(Warning: Spoiler alert ahead)
The finale included the expected goodbye to Jada Pinkett Smith's villain Fish Mooney and John Dorney's mafia don Carmine Falcone, though the door is open for them to return. But, it was a solid farewell to mob boss Salvatore Maroni (David Zayas).
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The episode also saw significant movement towards Ed Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) and Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova) toward their fates of being Riddler and Catwoman, respectively.
But, the biggest revelation of the finale arrived when young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) discovered the bat cave, the place where he would evolve into Batman. All signs point to a more kick-ass Bruce on Season 2.
If you're curious about which nonscripted show won the night for ratings, it was NBC's "The Voice." It scored a 2.3/7 rating in the advertiser-coveted Adults 18-49. But although it's younger-skewing audience beat ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" rating (1.9/6), the dancing competition topped "The Voice" in total viewers by 2.5 million viewers (12.2 million vs. 9.7 million) and was the most-watched show of the night.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.In an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, Jamie Foxx commented on the backlash following his rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Saturday night’s fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
“That night my inner ears pack falls off just before I’m supposed to sing,” Foxx told ET. “So I had to try to listen to the organ through the speakers of the stadium and try to catch what it is.”
Following Foxx’s performance, Twitter quickly blew up with criticism of the 47-year-old actor/singer.
What's Jamie Fox singing? It sounds familiar but I can't place it.
The use of drones for news gathering is one step closer to reality and could help bring the U.S. closer to commercial uses of the unmanned aircrafts.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has partnered with CNN to research the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones for covering news in populated areas.
"The FAA opened up a whole new pathway with a new destination that contemplates a world where CNN and other news organizations can operate much more freely. And CNN is the guinea pig," CNN's senior vice president of Legal and associate general counsel for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. told Business Insider.
According to the FAA announcement on Wednesday, CNN volunteered to research the use of drones in news situations when the drone is still within sight in urban/populated areas.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A spokeswoman for the cable news channel told BI that the organization's "hope for this research is that we and other media will ultimately be able to use drones in news gathering, any time of day and night, in rural and urban areas, broadcast high-definition quality, and to operate them safely."
The span of CNN's research is currently unknown and is partially dependent "on technology and its rapid development."
The use of drones in news could really give viewers a unique look at dangerous or difficult to access events such as natural disasters, protests, and wars.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Two other private companies, drone manufacturer PrecisionHawk and BNSF Railroad, are charged with researching the use of drones within sight in rural areas and beyond sight in rural/isolated areas, respectively.
The use of drones in other forms of TV and movie production on sets closed off to the public was approved by the FAA back in September of last year, though they've been legal in other countries and used on films such as James Bond movie "Skyfall" and "Transformers: Age of Extinction." Drones open up the possibility for shots that previously would've been impossible, dangerous for a manned craft or cost-prohibitive.
The results of CNN and the other private companies' research into drones hold great possibilities for not just industries like mining and agriculture, but could make life easier for consumers. Amazon, Google and Facebook are among the companies searching for permission from the FAA to use drones for commercial use.
Previously, the FAA had banned the use of drones for commercial use in 2007 citing safety and national security reasons.
As the late-night antics of Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel went viral, David Letterman identified one of many reasons it was time to retire from CBS' "Late Show."
The lack of ability to create viral videos is "a weakness of the show," Letterman told Rolling Stone as part of a wide-ranging interview set to hit newsstands on Friday.
"I hear about things going viral and I think, 'How do you do that?'" the 68-year-old told the magazine. "I think I'm the blockage in the plumbing."
Despite the tough competition in late night, Letterman has some glowing praise for his colleagues. He calls Fallon's style "bright and colorful" and says Kimmel is "friendly" and "very sweet."
The longtime late-night host has had his own success with innovative sketches. We've all probably clicked on a video of Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Top Ten Lists," among other great segments, but he's probably right about coming just shy of the variety-show-like format of late-night programs nowadays.
"If you look around at the other people doing it and look at me, it's almost like a pair of shoes you haven't worn in a hundred years," he said. "'Gee, I think we can probably get rid of these.' I still enjoy what I'm doing, but I think what I'm doing is not what you want at 11:30 anymore."
On May 20, Letterman will say farewell to his show after 22 years at CBS, with the help of a cadre of big stars, including Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, and one of the Obamas. Even former nemesis Jay Leno has been invited, according to the magazine, though he has yet to say whether he will make an appearance.
Comedy Central's former "Colbert Report" host Stephen Colbert will take over "Late Show" on September 8.
Starz's new fantasy series "Outlander" is pretty popular with a lot of moms. Not only have we heard that anecdotally from those around us, but Zap2it even referred to it in April as "'Game of Thrones' for the soccer moms."
So is it true? According to ratings statistics, there's some support for the theory.
"Outlander" is watched predominately by women. According to Nielsen numbers, 64% more women than men watch the epic period drama. Drilling down further, you'll find an average of 2.5 million women are watching each episode of the current season. One million of them belong to the older-skewing 25- to 54-year-old demographic — which can be viewed as one indicator for the mom demographic.
Why are women flocking to watch the romantic adventures of a woman sent back in time and forced to marry a man she barely knows?
1. Moms read the books and became hooked.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Many of the series' fans started with the book series written by Diana Gabaldon. Spanning eight novels released between 1991 and 2014, the "Outlander" world has expanded to include short stories, a graphic novel, and a musical album. And Gabaldon is writing a ninth book for the series.
"It's the history. It's the story itself and the romance at the heart of it and it's just these characters," mom and "Outlander" watcher Karen Mitchell, 60, told BI. "It's the whole package. I'm an avid reader and I've read so many bad books in my life. This is not it. This is a book series that can really engage readers on so many levels."
Mitchell, who lives near Portland, Oregon, said there was a fear for her and within the books' fandom that Starz would make "horrible" casting choices. "Right with the first episode, even before, everyone became very happy with the way things were going," she said.
Conversely, Mitchell's daughter is also a fan of the TV series, but that's where she discovered the story. She's now going back to read the books.
A grandmother now, Texas-native Connie Sandlin, 64, also read the books first and told BI she's very happy with what Starz did with the series. Sandlin is prone to say, "If it's OK with Diana, it's OK with me."
2. Moms like the characters' family values.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sandlin appreciates what the main characters Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jaime (Sam Heughan) stand for.
"They're good examples of the real values we should have: loyalty and being honest, standing up for your family, making sure your children are well cared for to the best of your ability. As a mother, that all appeals to me," she said.
3. Women find inspiration in Claire and Jaime's marriage.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."I like watching these two central characters," Mitchell said. "Jamie and Claire navigate the rocky shores of marriage at different places in their lives. All of us bring our own lives to the books and it's like watching, if you will, our lives in Jamie and Claire's. We learn something about marriage from them."
Sandlin found herself in a unique position in which she pulled inspiration from the couple.
"I started my life over again seven years ago with my husband when we moved to Costa Rica," she said. "I learned from Jamie and Claire about taking risks and that wherever we were, we were home with each other."
4. Moms appreciate the show's female point of view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Aside from rare exceptions in which another character narrates an episode, "Outlander" is told primarily from Claire's point of view.
"One of the reasons that female viewers are so drawn to the show is because you're getting to see things the way a woman would see them," Mitchell pointed out.
That's not only a gesture toward Gabaldon's books, but also a reflection of who's behind the camera on the Starz series.
"The presence of females in the writers room, female executive producers, and the fact that [executive producer] Ron D. Moore is so attentive to what women might be thinking, how women might be viewing it, what a strong woman looks like, how a strong woman sounds and that women at any age can have full lives," Mitchell said.
5. But, of course, Sam Heughan as Jamie doesn't hurt.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."I couldn't be happier," said Sandlin of the casting. "I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role of Jamie other than Sam Heughan. He has the right body type and a kind nature."
Mitchell agreed. "Obviously, Sam's looks have drawn a lot of people to the show. The fact that he's an honestly decent, nice man really makes it a much worthwhile pursuit to watch."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Mindy Kaling seems to be handling the news of the cancelation of "The Mindy Project" pretty well.
Late on Wednesday as reports swirled that the show had ended its run on Fox and may jump to Hulu for additional seasons, Kaling took to Instagram with a note to fans.
"Hey guys, I'm in Montana, is anything happening in LA? #themindyproject," Kaling wrote.
Alongside the cheeky caption, Kaling shot a picturesque video of her surroundings complete with what looks like the woods and a vast river. At the end, she gave the camera a big wink.
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Although Fox won't confirm the show's cancelation after three seasons to Business Insider, Kaling has reason to feel upbeat about "Mindy Project's" future.
An individual with knowledge of the show's negotiations told BI that is indeed in conversations with Hulu for an additional two seasons.
Hulu has been beefing up its original series slate since 2011. Those offerings include supernatural comedy "Deadbeat," teen drama "East Los High" and the upcoming James Franco-Stephen King JFK assassination drama "11/22/63."
Additionally, Hulu already carries "The Mindy Project" episodes currently.
"The show is creatively vibrant and has a passionate, upscale, loyal audience," said the insider. "And it is a top performer on Hulu. So, this makes a lot of sense."
It's no secret that "The Mindy Project" has never been a barn-burner in ratings. Its recently wrapped third season averaged a low 1.05 in the advertiser-coveted demographic of Adults aged 18-49 and only 2.31 million viewers, which is one of the reasons BI included it in its list of shows heading to cancelation. But, it has done pretty well in DVR viewing and online viewing — another reason a Hulu deal makes sense.
A Universal TV rep had no comment on the reports. And a rep for Hulu has yet to respond to BI's request for comment.
Dave Coulier won't be cut out of Netflix's planned "Full House" spinoff.
The Canadian actor and comedian announced his participation Thursday on Instagram along with some extra production news.
"Yes, I'll be on the Fuller House reunion. And this guy, Mark Cendrowski will be directing. #cutitout," Coulier wrote along with a photo of himself and Cendrowski.
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Coulier starred on the series for its entire eight-season run on ABC from 1987-1995 as Joey Gladstone aka Uncle Joey to the show's three kids. A childhood friend of Danny Turner (Bob Saget), Joey joined the household to help his buddy raise his three daughters after their mother died. As a stand up comedian, Joey was often the source of fun impersonations including cartoon characters Popeye, Bullwinkle and Pepe LePew. His popular catchphrase was "cut it out."
After "Full House" ended, Coulier put his impersonation skills to good use in voice roles on animated series such as Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken," Cartoon Network's "Teen Titans" and Canadian series "Bob & Doug,"among many others.
Cendrowski, who Coulier says will direct "Fuller House,"has directed many comedies, including CBS's "The Odd Couple" and "Big Bang Theory," and Disney Channel's "The Wizards of Waverly Place."
A Netflix representative had no comment on Coulier and Cendrowski joining the show.
Who else is returning for the spinoff and who isn't? Here's BI's account of the show's castings so far:
Bob Saget as Danny Tanner — IN NEGOTIATIONS
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The show's original single dad has stayed pretty quiet about the new show. But reports of some kind of reunion have been circling for years and Saget has had plenty of time to comment.
According to Lori Loughlin, who played Jesse's wife Rebecca, Saget is in talks for the show.
Last year, Saget told People that a reunion show was "the farthest thing from my mind that exists." At the same time, he has made appearances with the other cast members in recent years.
Candace Cameron Bure as D.J. Tanner — IN
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Twenty years later, D.J. is a veterinarian, has two boys, she's pregnant and, wait for it, recently widowed. Where have we heard this story before?
Jodie Sweetin as Stephanie Tanner — IN
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sweetin will reprise her role as middle sister, Stephanie, she of the "How Rude!" catchphrase. When we meet her again, she's an aspiring musician and will move in with D.J. to help her raise her kids.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as Michelle Tanner — MIA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The twin millionaire fashionistas, who as babies tag teamed the role of the youngest Tanner daughter, had no idea about the show, according to WWD.
“I ran into Bob [Saget] the other day and we didn’t even talk about it,” said Ashley.
“I’m shocked I haven’t heard from John [Stamos],” said Mary-Kate.
But they're going to get some sage advice from a trusted father figure. “I’m going to call [Saget] and get his perspective,” said Ashley.
Lori Loughlin as Rebecca Katsopolis — IN NEGOTIATIONS
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Could Uncle Jesse be a bachelor again? It's possible if Loughlin's talks don't end in her signing on to return for "Fuller House." The actress said on Thursday's "Today" that she's optimistic.
"I think it would be awesome to have all of us together, and I think that's what the fans would like to see," Loughlin said.
Andrea Barber as Kimmy Gibbler — IN
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Hello, what are best friends for? Barber will be back as chatty Kimmy Gibbler, who also moves in to help D.J. out. But she's a single mom with a teenage daughter herself.
Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit as Nicky and Alex Katsopolis — MIA
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.ABC Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit on ABC's "Full House."
After three seasons of playing Uncle Jess and Rebecca's sons, the twins seem to have moved on from acting. Blake is a firefighter in Atlanta, according to Bustle.
And Alex is still working in Hollywood as a sound editor. In fact, he and the "Game of Thrones" sound team were nominated for an Emmy in 2014.
Even more "Game of Thrones" material has leaked online.
Fans were both surprised and confused when clips from a video appearing to spoil scenes from the next episode of the hit HBO series began circulating on social media Wednesday.
A "Game of Thrones" fan Instagram account posted the following small snippet Wednesday morning with a caption reading "Sneak peek episode 5!!! 'kill the boy' Full video on OSN.com".
"Kill the boy" is the name of the next "Game of Thrones" episode, debuting Sunday on HBO.
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The full video appears to have originated on a website for Middle Eastern television network, OSN.
The video, which has since been pulled from OSN but still exists online through duplicate versions, was touted as a "first look" or sneak peek at the next episode. However, it's clear it was much more than that from anyone watching.
Here are two images from the video.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Any "Game of Thrones" fan will immediately notice the full video is one of the "Inside the Episode" segments HBO typically releases on its YouTube account within an hour after the episode premieres.
Here's how a scene from one of those looks:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
The leaked feature contains three clips outlining some important scenes from the episode, with commentary from "Game of Thrones" writers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. We won't spoil them here, but there are some crucial moments between Jon Snow and Maester Aemon, as well as a tense dinner scene with Sansa and the Boltons. Tyrion and Jorah get a small feature, as well.
On Wednesday, May 20, David Letterman will bring a 33 year career in late night to a close as his tenure on "The Late Show" comes to an end.
A lot has changed since Letterman first took the "Late Night" chair in 1982. Today, there is a lot more competition, both on television and on the web with viral videos. But Jimmy Kimmel, who competes directly with Letterman in the 11:35 pm spot, has decided to show a rerun instead of a new episode as Letterman's final episode airs.
“I have too much respect for Dave to do anything that would distract viewers from watching his final show,” Kimmel told The New York Times. “Plus, I’ll probably be crying all day, which makes it hard to work.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.When he was growing up, Kimmel's car had a license plate that said "L8 Nite" on it. When Kimmel turned 18, he was given a "Late Night"-themed birthday cake.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."His show was just so weird and different," Kimmel told Rolling Stone back in 2013. "I'd never seen anything like it. I didn't know anyone who had a sense of humor like that."
As a kid, Kimmel felt like Letterman was doing his show "specifically for [him]." And now, to return the favor, Kimmel won't do his show, specifically for Letterman.
Tina Fey made a memorable final appearance on the "Late Show With David Letterman" on Thursday night.
Ahead of the late-night-show host's final show on May 2o, Fey decided to literally give Letterman the clothes off her back.
"Because this is my last time wearing a fancy dress on a talk show, and conforming to gender norms out of respect for you, my gift to you is that I want to give you the dress."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."You can unzip it," she told Letterman.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Then this happened:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Fey explained that she only wears dresses "out of respect" for Letterman.
"I’m not gonna put on a dress for Jimmy [Fallon]. That’s creepy. He’s like my brother." She added: “special underwear for James Corden? Not gonna happen."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."Can I hug you in this?" Fey asked after she stripped down.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."Bye America!"
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."This is what we do for you," Fey concluded.
"God bless you, my dear," replied Letterman. "Thank you so much."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Letterman, 68, will host his final show on May 20.
He recently told Rolling Stone that it's been hard for him to keep up with the viral content produced by his competition, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel.
"If you look around at the other people doing it and look at me, it's almost like a pair of shoes you haven't worn in a hundred years," he said. "'Gee, I think we can probably get rid of these.' I still enjoy what I'm doing, but I think what I'm doing is not what you want at 11:30 anymore."
"I hear about things going viral and I think, 'How do you do that?'" Letterman continued. "I think I'm the blockage in the plumbing."
Letterman will say farewell to his show after 22 years at CBS with the help of a cadre of big stars, including Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, and one of the Obamas. Even former nemesis Jay Leno has been invited, according to the magazine, though he has yet to say whether he will make an appearance.
Comedy Central's former "Colbert Report" host, Stephen Colbert, will take over "Late Show" on September 8.
Summer used to be a barren landscape for TV. It was when most shows would take a break. Now, there is more on television than ever before, and a lot of popular shows will be coming back this summer.
With streaming, cable, and broadcast, it's hard to know when shows are coming back on the air — especially when you can binge watch many of them whenever you want. To help, here's a list of when your favorite shows will be returning, and new favorites will be airing, this summer:
Friday, May 8 "Gracie and Frankie," entire first season available, Netflix
Wednesday, May 13 "Moone Boy," all six episodes from the third and final season available, Hulu
Thursday, May 14 "Maron," season three premiere, IFC, 10:00 p.m. "Wayward Pines," series premiere, FOX, 9:00 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Monday, May 18 "The Bachelorette," season 11 premiere, ABC, 9:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 20 "MasterChef," season six premiere, Fox, 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 21 "Beauty and the Beast," season three premiere, CW, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 24 "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills," season three premiere, E!, 10:00 p.m.
Monday, May 25 "American Ninja Warrior," season seven premiere, NBC, 8:00 p.m. "The Island," series premiere of the Bear Grylls-hosted show, NBC, 10 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26 "America's Got Talent," season 10 premiere, NBC, 8:00 p.m. "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" returns for the first time since 2009, FOX, 8:00 p.m. "Knife Fight," season three premiere, Esquire, 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, May 27 "Bullseye," series premiere, FOX, 9:00 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Thursday, May 28 "Aquarius," series premiere, NBC, 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 31 "Halt and Catch Fire," season two premiere, AMC, 10:00 p.m.
Monday, June 1 "So You Think You Can Dance," season 12 premiere, FOX, 8:00 p.m. "The Whispers," series premiere, ABC, 10 p.m.
Tuesday, June 2 "Pretty Little Liars," season five premiere, ABC Family, 8:00 p.m. "Royal Pains," season seven premiere, USA, 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 4 "Hannibal," season three premiere, NBC, 10:00 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Friday, June 5 "Sense8," series premiere, Netflix, 12:01 a.m.
Saturday June 6 "Power," season two premiere, Starz, 9:00 p.m.
Monday, June 8 "The Fosters," season three premiere, ABC Family, 8:00 p.m.
Friday, June 12 "Defiance," season three premiere, SyFy, 8:00 p.m. "Dark Matter," series premiere, SyFy, 10:00 p.m. "Orange is the New Black," all of season three available, Netflix, 12:01 a.m. (PT)
Tuesday, June 16 "Rizzoli & Isles," season six premiere, TNT, 9:00 p.m. "Tyrant," season two premiere, FX, 10:00 p.m. "Proof," series premiere, TNT, 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 17 "Deutschland 83," series premiere of first German-language series ever broadcast on American television, Sundance, 11:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 18 "The Astronaut's Wives Club," series premiere, ABC, 8:00 p.m. "Mistresses," two hour season three premiere, ABC, 9 p.m.
Friday, June 19 "Killjoys," series premiere, SyFy, 9:00 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Sunday, June 21 "Celebrity Family Feud," returning after seven years off the air, ABC, 8 p.m. "BattleBots," cancelled by Comedy Central in 2002, ABC, 9 p.m. "True Detective," HBO, season two premiere, 9:00 p.m. "Poldark," series premiere, PBS, 9:00 p.m. "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," final season premiere, Adult Swim, 10:00 p.m. "The Brink," series premiere, HBO, 10:00 p.m. "Ballers," series premiere, HBO, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 23 "Another Period," series premiere, Comedy Central, Time TBD
Wednesday, June 24 "Big Brother," season 17 premiere, CBS, 8:00p.m. "Suits," season five premiere, USA, 9:00p.m. "Mr. Robot," series premiere, USA, 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 25 "Graceland," season three premiere, USA, 10:00p.m. "Under the Dome," season three premiere, CBS, 9:00p.m. "Rookie Blue," season six premiere, ABC, 10 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Monday, June 29 "Teen Wolf," season five premiere, MTV, 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30 "Scream," series premiere, MTV, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, July 1 "Extant," season two premiere, CBS, 10:00 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Tuesday, July 7 "Hollywood Game Night," season three premiere, NBC, 10 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8 "Key & Peele," season five premiere, Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 12 "Ray Donovan," season three premiere, Showtime, 9:00 p.m. "Masters of Sex," season three premiere, Showtime, 10:00 p.m. "The Strain," season two premiere, FX, 10:00 p.m.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Monday, July 13 "Running Wild," series premiere, NBC, 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 16 "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll," series premiere, FX, 10 p.m. "Married," season two premiere, FX, 10:30 p.m.
Friday, July 17 "Wet Hot American Summer," all of season one available, Netflix, 12:01 a.m.
Sunday, July 19 "Welcome to Sweden," season two premiere, NBC, 8:00p.m.
Wednesday, July 22 "Last Comic Standing," two-hour season premiere, NBC, 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 26 "Manhattan," season two premiere, WGN, 10:00 p.m.
Friday, July 31 "Strike Back," fourth and final season premiere, Cinemax, 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 2
"Bachelor In Paradise," two-hour season two premiere, ABC, 8 p.m.
Monday, August 3 "Penn & Teller: Fool Us," season two premiere after CW saved it from cancellation from ITV, CW, 8 p.m. "Significant Mother," series premiere, CW, 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 4 "Playing House," USA, season two premiere, 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5 "America's Next Top Model," cycle 22, CW, 8:00 p.m. "Mr. Robinson," series premiere, NBC, 9:00 p.m. "The Carmichael Show," series premiere, NBC, 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 25 "Public Morals," series premiere of new crime drama from Edward Burns, TNT, 10:00 p.m.
Monday, August 31 "Awkward," season five premiere, MTV, 9:00p.m. "Faking It," mid-season two premiere, MTV, 9:30 p.m.
TBD "Fear the Walking Dead," late summer, AMC "You're the Worst," expected to return this summer, FXX
It's that time of year when the broadcast networks are bringing down the ax on several of its series.
In order to make room for its new series and prepare for May's presentation to advertisers, executives have been crunching the ratings numbers, checking their pilot inventory and making both easy and difficult decisions on which shows have to go.
"Revenge" had the dubious honor of becoming the first casualty of the season when ABC officially announced its farewell after the current fourth season.
That would be followed by other tough (though expected) goodbyes to Fox's "The Mindy Project" and The CW's "Hart of Dixie."
*Updated as networks announce decisions
"Cristela" (ABC)
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In many ways, "Cristela" was never really given much of a chance.
ABC stuck it on Fridays between low-rated "Last Man Standing" and "Shark Tank" — neither of which made any sense with the comedy about a middle class Mexican family.
That aside, ABC has been a trailblazer in show diversity and has several pilots in the wings that would make up for the loss of "Cristela." So, it had to go.
"Forever" (ABC)
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This supernatural drama about a man who can't die struggled for an audience since its premiere episode. It was a surprise when ABC decided to order a full season of the series.
No doubt, it hoped it would find an audience. Plus, it hales from Warner Bros. Television, a partner on high-profile Marvel shows “Agents of SHIELD” and “Agent Carter.” It never did find its audience and WBTV should be happy that ABC gave it a fighting chance.
"Resurrection" (ABC)
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There is no more coming back for ABC's "Resurrection."
Last year, the series premiered with huge ratings for ABC but fell consistently after that. That should have been a sign for the network to bury the show.
But, it went on to a second season that just couldn't recapture its audience.
Starz's new fantasy series "Outlander" is pretty popular with a lot of moms. Not only have we heard that anecdotally from those around us, but Zap2it even referred to it in April as "'Game of Thrones' for the soccer moms."
So is it true? According to ratings statistics, there's some support for the theory.
"Outlander" is watched predominately by women. According to Nielsen numbers, 64% more women than men watch the epic period drama. Drilling down further, you'll find an average of 2.5 million women are watching each episode of the current season. One million of them belong to the older-skewing 25- to 54-year-old demographic — which can be viewed as one indicator for the mom demographic.
Why are women flocking to watch the romantic adventures of a woman sent back in time and forced to marry a man she barely knows?
1. Moms read the books and became hooked.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Many of the series' fans started with the book series written by Diana Gabaldon. Spanning eight novels released between 1991 and 2014, the "Outlander" world has expanded to include short stories, a graphic novel, and a musical album. And Gabaldon is writing a ninth book for the series.
"It's the history. It's the story itself and the romance at the heart of it and it's just these characters," mom and "Outlander" watcher Karen Mitchell, 60, told BI. "It's the whole package. I'm an avid reader and I've read so many bad books in my life. This is not it. This is a book series that can really engage readers on so many levels."
Mitchell, who lives near Portland, Oregon, said there was a fear for her and within the books' fandom that Starz would make "horrible" casting choices. "Right with the first episode, even before, everyone became very happy with the way things were going," she said.
Conversely, Mitchell's daughter is also a fan of the TV series, but that's where she discovered the story. She's now going back to read the books.
A grandmother now, Texas-native Connie Sandlin, 64, also read the books first and told BI she's very happy with what Starz did with the series. Sandlin is prone to say, "If it's OK with Diana, it's OK with me."
2. Moms like the characters' family values.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Sandlin appreciates what the main characters Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jaime (Sam Heughan) stand for.
"They're good examples of the real values we should have: loyalty and being honest, standing up for your family, making sure your children are well cared for to the best of your ability. As a mother, that all appeals to me," she said.
3. Women find inspiration in Claire and Jaime's marriage.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."I like watching these two central characters," Mitchell said. "Jamie and Claire navigate the rocky shores of marriage at different places in their lives. All of us bring our own lives to the books and it's like watching, if you will, our lives in Jamie and Claire's. We learn something about marriage from them."
Sandlin found herself in a unique position in which she pulled inspiration from the couple.
"I started my life over again seven years ago with my husband when we moved to Costa Rica," she said. "I learned from Jamie and Claire about taking risks and that wherever we were, we were home with each other."
4. Moms appreciate the show's female point of view.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Aside from rare exceptions in which another character narrates an episode, "Outlander" is told primarily from Claire's point of view.
"One of the reasons that female viewers are so drawn to the show is because you're getting to see things the way a woman would see them," Mitchell pointed out.
That's not only a gesture toward Gabaldon's books, but also a reflection of who's behind the camera on the Starz series.
"The presence of females in the writers room, female executive producers, and the fact that [executive producer] Ron D. Moore is so attentive to what women might be thinking, how women might be viewing it, what a strong woman looks like, how a strong woman sounds and that women at any age can have full lives," Mitchell said.
5. But, of course, Sam Heughan as Jamie doesn't hurt.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."I couldn't be happier," said Sandlin of the casting. "I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role of Jamie other than Sam Heughan. He has the right body type and a kind nature."
Mitchell agreed. "Obviously, Sam's looks have drawn a lot of people to the show. The fact that he's an honestly decent, nice man really makes it a much worthwhile pursuit to watch."
Netflix has rolled out its list of new releases to the streaming site.
"Inglorious Basterds,""Legally Blonde," and a group of shows from History, Lifetime, and A&E including "Duck Dynasty" and "Counting Cars" will all be available.
We'll continue to update this list throughout the month.
Here's what you should check out on Netflix in May:
TV
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."Longmire" (available 5/1)
The third season of A&E's crime drama.
"Royal Pains" (available 5/3)
The sixth season of the USA series will be available ahead of the seventh season premiere June 2, 2015.
"Grace & Frankie" (available 5/8)
The Netflix original stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as "two women forced to reinvent their lives" after their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) leave them for each other.
"Graceland" (available 5/26)
The first two seasons of USA's hit series about a group of FBI, DEA, and US customs officers who move into a beach house called Graceland.
Movies
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"Inglourious Basterds" (available 5/22)
Brad Pitt vs. Nazis.
"Legally Blonde" (2001)
Before she was an Oscar-winning actress, Reese Witherspoon played the ditzy, but smart Harvard law student Elle Woods who was obsessed with the color pink.
"The Boxtrolls" (available 5/23)
Here's one for the kids. In between "Big Hero 6" and "The LEGO Movie," you may have missed this stop-motion Oscar-nominated feature following a group of trolls that only comes out at nighttime.
Here's the full list of May releases:
Available 5/1
"Beyond Clueless" (2014) "Jimi: All is by My Side" (2013) "Legally Blonde" (2001) "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde" (2003) "Longmire" (Season 3) "No No: A Dockumentary" (2014) "Shameless" (series 10) "The Last Waltz" (1978) "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (2005) "Underclassman" (2015) "Witnesses" (Season 1)
Available 5/2
"Lalaoopsy: Festival of Sugary Sweets" (2015) "LeapFrog Letter Factory Adventures: Amazing Word Explorers" (2015)
"Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" (Season 4) "Cyber-Seniors" (2014) "Dawg Fight" (2015) "Give Me Shelter" (2014) "Granite Flats" (Seasons 1-3)
Available 5/16
"First Period" (2013)
Available 5/17
"Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast" (2015)
Available 5/19
"Before I Disappear" (2014) "Girlhood" (2014) "Zombeavers" (2014)
Available 5/21
"Between" (Season 1)
Available 5/22
"H20 Mermaid Adventures" (2015) "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) "Jen Kirkman: I'm Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine)" (2015) "Richie Rich" (season 2) "The Other One: the Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir" "Transporter: The Series" (Season 1)
Available 5/23
"Antarctica: A Year on Ice" (2013) "The Boxtrolls" (2014)
Available 5/24
"Love and Honor" (2013) "Welcome to the Punch" (2013)
As the late-night antics of Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel went viral, David Letterman identified one of many reasons it was time to retire from CBS's "Late Show."
The lack of ability to create viral videos is "a weakness of the show," Letterman told Rolling Stone as part of a wide-ranging interview set to hit newsstands on Friday.
"I hear about things going viral and I think, 'How do you do that?'" the 68-year-old told the magazine. "I think I'm the blockage in the plumbing."
Despite the tough competition in late night, Letterman has some glowing praise for his colleagues. He calls Fallon's style "bright and colorful" and says Kimmel is "friendly" and "very sweet."
The longtime late-night host has had his own success with innovative sketches. We've all probably clicked on a video of Letterman's "Stupid Pet Tricks" and "Top Ten Lists," among other great segments, but he's probably right about coming just shy of the variety-show-like format of late-night programs nowadays.
"If you look around at the other people doing it and look at me, it's almost like a pair of shoes you haven't worn in a hundred years," he said. "'Gee, I think we can probably get rid of these.' I still enjoy what I'm doing, but I think what I'm doing is not what you want at 11:30 anymore."
On May 20, Letterman will say farewell to his show after 22 years at CBS, with the help of a cadre of big stars, including Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey, and one of the Obamas. Even former nemesis Jay Leno has been invited, according to the magazine, though he has yet to say whether he will make an appearance.
Comedy Central's former "Colbert Report" host Stephen Colbert will take over "Late Show" on September 8.
If you aren't caught up on "Game of Thrones," there are some spoilers ahead.
Near the end of Sunday's "Game of Thrones" we finally met the long-hinted at stone men, men afflicted with greyscale. The highly contagious and deadly disease nearly claimed Stannis Baratheon's daughter Shireen as a newborn.
Anyone who comes down with greyscale is usually exiled to a faraway city in ruin as their skin slowly turns stone-like. That's not only because of the disease's ability to spread like wildfire, but also because it can affect the brain and turn the recipient mad.
In Sunday's episode, Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Jorah (Iain Glen) get ambushed by a flock of stone men while sailing through Valyria.
We don't get a really good look at the scaley, hardened creatures, but a feature released by HBO Sunday evening shows exactly how the stuntmen prepped to get into character.
We saw the stone men like this Sunday night:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here's how they look in the light.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.They blend in with the rocks in the background.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.It takes an enormous amount of work to get them to look that way.
Prosthtics supervisor Barry Gower says it was about a four-hour process to transform just the head and neck of various stuntmen into the stone men of Valyria.
Here, one of the stunt men sit down in the makeup chair. Take note of the changing clock in the background. It's about 3:45 (it looks like a.m. from the changing light in the video).
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.4:45: Hair is covered up and the chest and neck are painted.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.A little after 5:05: A prosthetic is being placed onto the face.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Around 6:36: Small details are being painted onto the face. Gower explains that different textures including elephant skin and cracked river beds served as inspiration for the stone people's look.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.It's nearly 8, just a little over four hours later, and the stunt man is finally looking like a stone man.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Here's how the transformation looks from beginning to end:
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Outside the trailer, even more details are put in place with the thinnest of brushes.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Stuntman Calvin Heasman compares the process to wearing a wetsuit, but on your face.
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"Quite uncomfortable, not gonna lie," Heasman explained.
You can watch the full feature showing the making of the stone men scene via HBO below:
Fox is canceling the long-running singing competition after its coming 15th season.
"It was not an easy decision," Fox's co-chairman and co-CEO, Gary Newman, said on a press call Monday morning. "'American Idol' has been such a vital part of Fox for its run. We spent a lot of time talking to producers about the future of 'American Idol,' and collectively we all arrived at the conclusion that it was time to bring the show to an end."
"Idol" will return in January for its 15th and final season. Host Ryan Seacrest and judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. will return for the final season, which the network promises will be a suitable send-off for the groundbreaking competition.
"We really wanted to do it in a way that felt special and celebratory and treated the show the way it deserved to be treated," Newman said. "Next year is going to be a true season-long celebration. We're already talking about surprises we can have for the fans to make it feel special and to send it off in a way that's significant as the run it's had on our network."
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.What kinds of surprises? Fox is still in discussions, but co-chairman and co-CEO Dana Walden said former show judges had already expressed interest in making appearances during the final season. Season-one cohost Brian Dunkleman was suggested by a reporter on the call, to which Walden responded, "Yes! Where's Brian nowadays?"
Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres, Mariah Carey, Kara Dioguardi, and Steven Tyler are among those who filled the judges' seats over the past 14 seasons.
The decision arrives after several years of dwindling ratings. The audience for the current season alone has shrunk from 11.2 million people for the premiere to just 6.9 for Wednesday's episode, according to Nielsen.
Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia Barrino, and Jennifer Hudson are among the show's most successful alums.
Though Fox is ending "Idol" and previously canceled Cowell's "The X Factor" after just three seasons, the network is developing its reality slate under new vice president of alternative entertainment, Corie Henson. Newman said he would never say the network is out of the singing-competition business.
Like most of the comedy featured on HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” actual technology was the inspiration for one hilarious moment on Sunday night's show.
It entailed an armless monkey, a bionic arm, and primal instincts.
But let’s back up.
In Sunday’s episode, “Big Head” (Josh Brener) is suddenly promoted to run Hooli’s new “moonshot” initiative, Hooli [XYZ]. He’s partnered with Davis Bannerchek (Patrick Fischler), a pioneer in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence.
For those who watch the show it will come to no surprise that Big Head does little to no work as head of [XYZ]. In fact, his contribution to [XYZ] is attempting to build a giant potato cannon, which doesn’t even work.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.But Bannerchek is making major strides.
He shows off to Hooli head Gavin Belson (Matt Ross) a usable, bionic-like prosthetic arm powered through the use of magnets that his team has provided to a small monkey named Kiko, whose arms were severed following a land mine explosion in Nicaragua.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.What follows after the arm is put on the monkey is the crude humor we've come to love from the show.
“Silicon Valley” co-creator, Mike Judge, and one of the show’s executive producer’s, Alec Berg, told Business Insider that the joke originated from a visit to the set from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
“The guy brought this giant, scary looking laptop that had a lot of different things to show us on what they were working on,” said Berg. “One of the things was this new kind of prosthetic where basically you put a magnet at the end of someone’s severed limb and magnetically attach [the prosthesis] and it connects electronically through the magnets.”
But Berg and Judge's heads really started spinning when they were shown a video of a prototype of the prosthesis used on a monkey.
It was instant comedy gold.
“You spend millions of dollars developing this incredibly complicated technology and you put it on a monkey and what is the monkey going to do with it expect masturbate and throw its own feces,” Berg thought after watching the monkey video. “That just seemed really funny.”
In the "Silicon Valley" scene, something similar occurs.
Bannerchek shows Belson the bionic arm his team has created for the adorable Kiko. After the monkey realizes it suddenly has an arm, it immediately begins to pleasure itself — and later throws its own feces — to the horror of Bannerchek and Belson.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Berg wants it to be clear that DARPA was not involved in this joke and had no knowledge what the show would do with the information it provided to the producers.
Judge, who directed Sunday’s episode, said that once they figured out the joke there were numerous intense production meetings that followed to plan how to shoot it.
“People were like, ‘It’s going to be a closed set and nobody talk to the monkey! Only three people allowed by it! Don't make any sudden moves!’ I thought, s--t, this monkey’s going to go crazy!” Judge recalled.
But after all the planning and concern over not making the monkey skittish, it turned out to be a very casual shoot.
“I think people got a little too over-prepared,” said Judge. “When we were done [shooting] people were like, ‘Hey, take your picture with the monkey!’ The monkey was on people’s heads, it was just holding court on set.”
Judge even had the monkey come back a few days later to shoot it in front of a green screen to get a few shots they missed.
“A lot of [the monkey's actions] were just accidental,” said Judge. “It would look down at its crotch once because it dropped something and we were like, okay, we’ll use that.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Judge said that the monkey used, a white-faced capuchin, did have arms. They were digitally painted out. The bionic arm attached to it in the scene was also done with computer graphics.
The trick to the joke working, Judge and Berg learned, was to not have the camera on the monkey.
“In the initial cut there was a lot more of the monkey doing its business,” said Berg. “What ended up being funnier was watching the character’s faces [watching the monkey]. Once you know what’s going on and how absurd it is, the less you see the monkey the funnier it becomes.”
Looking back on shooting the joke, Judge feels the monkey was more mature about it than the humans.
“To be fair to the monkey, it did everything on command,” he said. “It was very much a professional actor.”
How can Fox build on the momentum of TV's biggest hit in years? The network executives spoke for the first time on Monday about its plan for "Empire's" return and how it hopes to grow the show's already huge viewership.
Despite reports that "Empire" wouldn't return until the midseason, Fox isn't letting that much time pass before capitalizing on its success. The drama from creator Lee Daniels ("The Butler") and Danny Strong ("The Hunger Games") will return this fall. It will also air in the very same time slot it held during the spring.
"Fans made 'Empire' an appointment on Wednesday nights all season long. We'd be crazy to move it and we want to thank and reward our fans by keeping it in that time period," Fox's co-CEO and co-chairman Gary Newman said on a press call Monday.
It will also expand to 18 episodes, split into fall and spring seasons with no repeats. Season 1 had just 12 episodes.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view."The stories we've heard for Season 2 already is just going to blow away the audience," Newman promised.
Of course, many shows have breakout first seasons and then lost their audiences during the wait for their return. Fox knows this all too well with Kevin Bacon drama "The Following," which it just canceled.
That's one reason Fox executives admitted that they started working on "a bridge plan" while the first season was still airing and it saw the audience grow, but knew there could be a long gap between seasons.
"The requests for this cast are so numerous, we're trying to make it so that they can be out there and still get a little bit of rest prior to an enormous production season with all new music," co-CEO and co-chairman Dana Walden said.
So, how is Fox trying to keep "Empire" thriving during the wait for Season 2?
1. All 12 episodes available On-Demand, Hulu and other platforms, so that new audiences can "catch up." Fox chief operating office Joe Earley said they're already seeing record numbers for viewing on these platforms, but the network is not planning to air repeats.
2. The cast is making appearances. The show's young stars Jussie Smollett and Bryshere Y. Gray, who play Jamal and Hakeem respectively, have been touring and performing music from the show. Breakout star Taraji P. Henson, who plays mother Cookie, hosted "Saturday Night Live" in April and will appear with co-star Terrence Howard, who plays patriarch Lucious, on Spike TV hit "Lip Sync Battle."
3. Season 2 has "amazing guest stars" who Fox hopes will help to bring in new viewers. Fox has already booked comedian Chris Rock and singers Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz. Season 1 guest stars included Jennifer Hudson, Rita Ora, Patti LaBelle, Raven Symone, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Estelle.
4. Fox hopes Rapper Ne-Yo, who has joined the next season as a music producer on Timbaland's team, will bring in new viewers. Ne-Yo will write new original music for the series.
At the same time, Fox is not looking a gift horse in the mouth. "Empire" is the only show in TV's recent history to improve on its ratings each week. The first season averaged a 5.09 with Adults aged 18-49, the demographic advertisers most covet, and 13 million viewers.
"We don't want to be greedy," Walden added. "If we came back with the audience that we left off with, we would be thrilled. Based on the creative that we saw from producers the week before last, I don’t think that's going to be a problem."
(Warning: Spoiler alert ahead)
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