Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 408

THE MANDALORIAN’s Blu-ray Bonus Features Reveal the Creation of Grogu’s ‘Space Stroller’

At first, the rule about the original Star Wars and Marvel Studios Disney+ shows was that the platform would be the only place to view them. But thankfully, Disney softened up on that stance this year. It released WandaVision, Loki, and now seasons one and two of The Mandalorian in 4K Ultra HD disc steelbook and Blu-ray steelbook forms. The Mandalorian’s first two seasons arrive on December 12, just in time for the holidays. Both sets also include a ton of special features, and you can preview one of them right here. And yes, it

This Mandalorian 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray bonus feature is a nice reminder of how those responsible for creating The Mandalorian leaned so heavily into practical effects. At least they certainly did so when it came to all things concerning Baby Yoda (as we only knew him in season one) and his dad. That they took so much care in creating his pram, or as we once said, “his little floating space bassinet,” says a lot. We never grow tired of seeing that tiny puppet come to life, endearing audiences in a way CGI could have never done.

LucasfilmLucasfilm

So why should you buy physical media copies of shows like The Mandalorian? Especially when they are a click away on Disney+? Well, for starters, you just never know when shows or films will disappear from any streaming platform. We admit the idea of any Star Wars series ever vanishing from Disney+ is extremely slim, yet stranger things have happened. Second, and most importantly, the physical media versions just look and sound better. Streaming versions of everything are compressed, allowing for less visual and audio clarity. With visually stunning shows with lots of background details, you want the best video/audio presentation. And right now, that’s still on disc. We’re sure the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray versions of The Mandalorian seasons one and two are absolutely stunning. Their cover art certainly is.

Lucasfilm

The Mandalorian seasons one and two hit 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray in limited edition steelbooks on December 12. That means they are available for purchase now!

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The 10 Best STAR TREK Seasons, Ranked

For over 57 years, the Star Trek franchise has thrived, often against impossible odds and an ever-changing TV landscape. To date, there have been nine live-action series and three animated shows. That’s not even talking about the 13 feature films. But with 900 episodes of Star Trek, spread over 46 seasons of television, which are the best of the best? Here are our picks for the best seasons of Star Trek. They’ve earned the Starfleet Medal of Valor, and will be remembered into the 23rd century and beyond.

Paramount Television10. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 4 (1995-1996)Paramount Television

Much like The Next Generation before it, the first couple of seasons of Deep Space Nine were creatively all over the place. It wasn’t viewed by many as a worthy successor to The Next Generation. In season three, the increased threat of the Dominion, as well as the addition of Deep Space Nine’s own starship, the Defiant, immeasurably improved the series. But these improvements didn’t really move the needle ratings-wise. So in season four, producers pulled out their secret Next Generation weapon. They hired Michael Dorn to join the cast as the Klingon Lt. Commander Worf.

Of all the Enterprise-D crew members, no one fit on Deep Space Nine, home of so many outcasts, more than Worf. His presence added the extra sauce that elevated the show to the next level. Maybe his presence spurred the writers to bring their A-game. Whatever it was, season four of Deep Space Nine contained some of the best episodes of the series to date. Among them are the heartbreaking time travel story “The Visitor,” and the hilarious send-up of Roswell UFO mythology in “Little Green Men.” Also fantastic was the gripping two-part paranoid thriller homage “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost.” And “Rejoined” was decades ahead of its time display of LGBTQ representation on broadcast TV. A truly stellar year overall.

9. Star Trek: Enterprise, Season 4 (2004-2005)Paramount Television

Enterprise is often seen as the most unloved series of the entire Star Trek franchise. It came after 15 solid years of Star Trek, with 21 seasons and over 500 episodes spread between them. After Voyager ended in 2001, there was definitely franchise fatigue. Trek could have used some time off. Instead, Paramount went ahead with a prequel series called Enterprise. Not Star Trek: Enterprise, as they felt the brand name was “too nerdy,” and they really wanted casual viewers to watch. (in season three they added the Trek name). They also hoped Quantum Leap star Scott Bakula being a known face as Captain Archer would bring viewers in too.

At first, they did. But this series, which was set only 150 years into the future and therefore more contemporary, tried too hard to not be Star Trek—starting with the infamous theme song. For a prequel to the original Trek, it didn’t do much prequeling, and ratings dropped like a stone. So in the show’s fourth and final season, writers like the late Manny Coto decided to finally make Enterprise a true prequel, with extremely fun episodes that finally connected to Trek lore. We learned why the original Klingons looked human, why Vulcans went from mildly emotional to totally logical, and even how the Mirror Universe got its start. Yes, the series finale is famously dreadful, focusing more on The Next Generation crew. But overall? Enterprise’s last season was what we always wanted from a Star Trek prequel series. It just came too little too late.

8. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 6 (1992-1993)Paramount Television

By The Next Generation’s sixth season, the series was a cultural phenomenon, and was creatively firing on all thrusters. Season six episodes like “The Chase” were fun mysteries that finally explained why every species Starfleet encountered looked humanoid. “Second Chances” saw Jonathan Frakes portray a version of Riker who lived another life. “Face of the Enemy” pushed Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) into having to go undercover on a Romulan ship against her will, in one of the best episodes featuring her often-underserved character. “Rightful Heir” put Worf in a crisis of faith, while “Starship Mine” let Patrick Stewart play Picard like Die Hard’s John McClane, fighting bad guys on an empty Enterprise.

But the true reason for The Next Generation‘s sixth season ranking so highly has to do with three episodes that were acting showcases for Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard. The first was “Chain of Command, Parts I and II” which shows Captain Picard kidnapped by Cardassians and tortured for weeks. Studying the cases of real POWs, Stewart gave a performance that would have normally earned him an Emmy. Sadly, the Television Academy ignored sci-fi shows at the time. And then came “Tapestry,” where Picard, thanks to eternal frenemy Q, had to relive his life as a young man. It was a life he regretted, but he came to realize it was crucial in forming the adult he became. All of these great episodes helped make The Next Generation year six one of the record books.

7. Star Trek: Voyager, Season 4 (1997-1998)Paramount Television

Star Trek: Voyager had a lot riding on it from the start. Unlike The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, which were syndicated, Voyager had to carry a whole network, the fledgling UPN. During the first several seasons, much like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine before it, the show struggled. It was often too much like The Next Generation episodes we’d already seen, and the new aliens of the distant Delta Quadrant, where Voyager was voyaging home from, were forgettable. So, much as Deep Space Nine added Worf in their fourth season to spice things up, Voyager did something similar. They added a new cast member, Jeri Ryan, to play Seven of Nine, the first Borg ever in Starfleet. And the addition of Seven finally made the show click with fans.

With Voyager season four, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) now had a surrogate daughter, whom she had to teach the ways of humanity, much as Picard did with Data. This led to a lot of great stories, and the show’s core emotional character dynamic. To be fair, the show leaned too heavily on Seven of Nine stories, to the detriment of other cast members. But undeniably, it worked. Season four of Voyager had several of the series’ best episodes, including “Year of Hell,” a two-parter that showed Janeway leading her ship through its worst-case scenario, and “The Killing Game,” another great two-parter that showcased alien big game hunters forcing the crew to play prey in World War II holodeck recreation. Episodes like “Living Witness” were also just some great sci-fi TV. All of this elevated Voyager season four above the rest.

6. Star Trek, Season 2 (1967-1968)Paramount Television

After the excellent first season of Star Trek, the show was a bonafide cult hit. No, it couldn’t compete with the westerns and sitcoms of the day in terms of Nielsen ratings, but Star Trek‘s ratings were respectable, and the fanbase was vocal and loyal. Very loyal. In season two, Gene Roddenberry and producer Gene L. Coon stepped up their game, producing almost as many all-time classic episodes as the first season, building upon what worked so well. That it nearly matched the quality of the first season is a testament to everyone involved.

In season two, we journey to Spock’s homeworld during Vulcan mating season in the fan-favorite “Amok Time,” giving fans the iconic “Kirk vs. Spock” battle. We got the proto-Gremlins in “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and the Enterprise encountered an unstoppable planet killer in “The Doomsday Machine.” And we finally met Spock’s parents, the Vulcan Sarek and the human Amanda, in “Journey to Babel.” The “evil alt universe” story “Mirror, Mirror” taught us goatees on doppelgängers meant you were evil. However, season two has more stinkers than in season one, which is why it’s not as much of a home run. But it’s still great enough that fans literally wrote close to a million letters to NBC to ensure Star Trek was renewed for a third season. It worked, and the rest is history.

5. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 1 (2022)Paramount+

Modern streaming era Star Trek has had its ups and downs. From the start, Star Trek: Discovery has been trying to figure out what it is, and just how much classic Star Trek it does or does not want to emulate. Despite a great cast, it’s a show that seemed to try to pull a reboot each season, which worked to varying degrees. But one thing that did work was when the starship Enterprise appeared in Discovery season two. The modern versions of Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) instantly landed with Trek fans, who demanded they get a spinoff. In 2022, the characters finally did with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Far more like classic Trek than anything from either Star Trek: Picard or Star Trek: Discovery, this series was episodic and old-school, although with more serialized connective tissue with the character arcs. From the start, every member of the crew had a well-defined personality, from Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) to Chapel (Jess Bush) to Doctor M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun). They were all instantly realized in a way not seen since the original series. Strange New Worlds somehow juggled being both retro and super modern, better than Discovery and even JJ Abrams’ reboot movies. Sometimes the continuity with the original series is… wonky. But when a show is this good, who even cares? Here’s hoping that Strange New Worlds gets to have what the original series never did: a complete five-year mission.

4. Star Trek: Picard, Season 3 (2023)Paramount+

The first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard were wildly uneven. (As you can see, that’s a common modern Trek problem). From the start, Sir Patrick Stewart was always impressive as Jean-Luc Picard, a role he slipped back into with ease. That alone made it worth watching. But like the series Enterprise, the makers of Star Trek: Picard were often trying too hard to not be Star Trek. Too many things about it just reeked of attempting to replicate darker, modern sci-fi shows. Season one had its moments, but the end of that season faltered with a very dumb plot twist. The less said of season two’s cheap-looking time travel journey to 2023 Los Angeles, the better.

But then, showrunner Terry Matalas (12 Monkeys) took over for the show’s final year. And he pulled off a minor miracle. Not only did he reunite the entire main crew of The Next Generation, but he also gave them a fitting swan song their movies never did. Somehow, Picard’s third season managed to tell classic Trek stories, and pay off lingering plot threads from both Deep Space Nine and Voyager. It did so all while paying homage to the ‘80s Star Trek films. We dare anyone who ever loved The Next Generation to not cry when Picard and friends set foot on the old Enterprise-D bridge again. Almost everything about Picard’s final season is pitch-perfect. Now, if only Paramount+ could give fans the Star Trek: Legacy spinoff everyone is begging for.

3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Season 6 (1997-1998)Paramount Television

Seasons four and five of Deep Space Nine were uniformly excellent. However, the season five finale changed the status quo of the series drastically. Starfleet’s shapeshifting enemy from distant space, the Dominion, along with their Cardassian ally Gul Dukat, had taken over the titular space station. This forced Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his Starfleet crew to flee. Meanwhile, the non-Starfleet personnel like Major Kira (Nana Visitor) had to stay behind, forced to work for their dreaded enemies. The first six episodes of season six ran with this concept, in an extended storyline of our heroes fighting off Dominion from both sides. The serialized storyline was way ahead of its time for TV sci-fi.

Season six also saw the logical conclusion to the relationship of Worf and Dax (Terry Farrell), as the two were married on board the station in an elaborate Klingon ceremony. Season six saw a lot of fantastic standalone episodes as well. There was “Far Beyond the Stars,” which saw Captain Sisko living a life as a sci-fi writer in the racially segregated 1950s. Another all-timer was “In the Pale Moonlight,” which dealt with Sisko having to make extreme moral compromises in wartime—compromises that went against the lofty ideals of the Federation. The season ended with the death of a main crew member, showing how on this series, no on was safe. All of these episodes aren’t just among the best Deep Space Nine episodes, they are among the best Star Trek episodes, period.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 3 (1989-1990)Paramount Television

To say the first two seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation were riddled with problems is a bit of an understatement. Although a ratings hit right out of the gate, The Next Generation struggled creatively, with enormous cast and crew turnover in the first two years. Any other show without the brand name attached might have called it a day. But thank goodness The Next Generation didn’t. When Michael Piller came on board as showrunner in the show’s third season, he made drastic changes, both creatively and aesthetically. In addition to hiring future superstar creators like Ronald D. Moore, the show received new opening credits, and the crew got brand new uniforms. From the get-go, season three visually let us know things would be different.

Under Piller’s direction, the series became less about the “space anomaly of the week,” and focused on character first. This yielded some of the best episodes of the entire series run. Stories like “The Offspring,” dealt with Data (Brent Spiner) creating a child. Worf’s Klingon heritage was truly explored in “Sins of the Father,” leading to a multi-season arc. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” gave season one cast member Denise Crosby a proper send-off to her character Tasha Yar. Almost every episode was solid. But the pièce de résistance came at the end. In “The Best of Both Worlds,” the Borg collective captured Picard, turning him into Locutus. Was our Captain lost forever? Fans everywhere were on the edge of our seats. It was Trek’s first-ever season-ending cliffhanger. It cemented The Next Generation season three as one of the best seasons this franchise had ever seen.

Honorable MentionsParamount+

Before we hit the number one entry, here are some faves that almost made the cut. The Next Generation’s fourth season, which saw the Klingon Civil War and more, was almost as great as their third season. Discovery’s third season saw the show shift into the 32nd century, providing a fun look into Trek’s far future. Both Lower Decks and Prodigy’s first seasons showed different ways that you could tell Star Trek stories in animation. All of these seasons are worthy of a watch.

1. Star Trek, Season 1 (1966-1967)Paramount Television

Few shows have come roaring out of the gate as well-crafted and as sure of itself in their first season as Star Trek did in 1966. Creator Gene Roddenberry tapped into something really special that first year, which had 29 episodes. Roddenberry wisely hired actual sci-fi authors to write several episodes, names like Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch. Aside from one pretty terrible episode, “The Alternative Factor,” every episode was a gem. From the moment William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley stepped on screen, their characters were perfectly defined. Unlike most shows which can take years to find their sea legs, Star Trek’s space legs were there from day one.

How good was season one? In the 1966-67 season, we had classics like “Space Seed,” which introduced Ricardo Montalban’s Khan, “Balance of Terror,” a pitch-perfect homage to WWII submarine thrillers, and “The Devil in the Dark,” which explored human shortsightedness when confronted with aliens who don’t fit our ideas of what a lifeform is. And then there’s the original Trek’s only two-parter, “The Menagerie,” which used footage from the series’ unaired pilot, “The Cage,” and repurposed it into a story about loyalty and betrayal. Trek’s first season was so good that a single episode, “The Return of the Archons,” essentially inspired the entire The Purge movie franchise.

We can’t talk about Star Trek’s first season without mentioning the time travel tragedy that was “The City on the Edge of Forever.” This episode is often touted as the best episode of the entire Star Trek franchise. We’re not sure we’d say that ourselves. However, this episode, written by sci-fi legend Harlan Ellison, is certainly a true classic that never gets old. It exemplifies everything Star Trek is about. Without a doubt, the entire reason Star Trek is still beloved to this day is because of the uniform excellence of the show’s first season.

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DUNE: PART TWO’s Latest Trailer Showcases Romance, War, and Worms

We’re already looking ahead to the slate of movies in 2024. High on our list of excitement is Dune: Part Two. All of us can’t wait to see what Denis Villeneuve will do with the second half of Frank Herbert’s novel. We’ve already seen a few different looks at the movie, from new characters like Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha, to big action set pieces. The latest trailer focuses on the love story between Paul (Timothee Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya), which offers a welcome shift in the focus while still highlighting the endless war for the future of Arrakis.

The music in this trailer is much more sweeping and orchestral, which adds to the level of romance on display. But, for a romance, Dune: Part Two has more than its fair share of battle scenes and ominous portents. Paul discusses many of the dreams he’s been having. They seem to offer completely different outcomes to the war of the Freman and House Atreides against the Harkonnens. Paul’s relationship with Chani appears to be integral to his journey, which is great because she was little more than dream girl in the first movie.

Warner Bros/Legendary

Paul’s power also comes out in scary ways, as evidenced when he shouts “Silence!” at Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). Speaking of scary, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) looks as terrifying as a character can. Not only fighting other Harkonnens to the death for sport, but slicing the throat of a servant just because. What a jerk, ya know? We know Feyd and Paul will have it out at some point, and that’ll be cool as heck to watch.

Dune: Part Two hits theaters March 1, 2024.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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Marvel Studios Reveals New BLACK PANTHER Animated Series, Confirms 2024 Releases for SPIDER-MAN and X-MEN

We officially have some updates about a couple highly-anticipated animated series from Marvel Studios, as well as an exciting new announcement to enjoy. At a preview screening for What If…? season two, Marvel also shared news about its other upcoming animated properties. Firstly, two already-announced Disney+ series, X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, are now officially set to release in 2024. Additionally, Marvel revealed a new Black Panther animated series for its line-up titled Eyes of Wakanda.

Marvel Studios

X-Men ’97, of course, is a revival of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series. Although we don’t know too much about it yet, it looks to star Cyclops and Storm as its main characters. A reported synopsis shares, “Storm and Wolverine try to continue the X-Men. Magneto comes in and wants to step up for Charles Xavier. Sinister comes in to try to end the X-Men once and for all.” We’re happy to hear that X-Men ’97 will arrive in 2024 since it has seen some delays.

‘FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN’ will release in 2024 on Disney+

Previously titled ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’. pic.twitter.com/SETK8CKb9M

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) December 12, 2023

Meanwhile, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a show that was once known as Spider-Man: Freshman Year. Although Tom Holland won’t voice this Marvel Studios Spider-Man, Charlie Cox will return to give life to Matthew Murdock/Daredevil. This series will follow Peter Parker on his adventures before his time in the MCU and delve into his life as, well, a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. We look forward to seeing it sooner rather than later.

Marvel Studios

Finally, Marvel Studios revealed a brand new animated Black Panther series. According to IGN, Eyes of Wakanda will focus “on warriors from Wakanda’s past traveling the world to recover dangerous vibranium artifacts.” The publication notes that the official description shares, “Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts. This is their story.” Please note the above image is from season one of What If…? and not from the new Black Panther show. Marvel Studios has not yet shared any further cast, images, or plot details about Eyes of Wakanda. But we are super excited already. It sounds like it will be one epic adventure series.

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Weird Al Yankovic on the Making of WEIRD, All Those Celeb Cameos, and a Possible Sequel

No one who heard “My Bologna” the first time Dr. Demento played it on his syndicated radio show in 1979 could have imagined Weird Al Yankovic would still be going strong more than 40 years later. Few artists, in any medium, have careers that last half as long. And musicians who do song parodies are lucky to have even one small hit. But no one has ever spoofed pop stars better than pop culture’s most famous accordion player. Of course, long time fans know Weird Al is much more than a collection of musical spoofs. From TV to the big screen and his own original songs, his career is as impressive and varied as it is long. And last year he added to his impressive resume with the hilarious Weird: The Al Yankovic Story starring Daniel Radcliffe.

The absurd, fictionalized biopic started as a fake Funny or Die trailer from Eric Appel. He also directed the film, which he co-wrote with Yankovic. Now the Roku streaming hit movie is getting its very own Blu-ray with tons of extras. Ahead of its release Nerdist spoke to Weird Al himself about Weird, the film’s incredible celebrity cameos, how the reaction to UHF still affects him, and so much more.

Nerdist: I think we should probably start with the single most important question that’s still looming over Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: what did your dad actually do for work?

Al Yankovic: He was a blue collar worker. He had a number of various odd jobs. During my entire childhood, he kind of just picked up whatever work he felt like. He wasn’t a career guy. I think back in the day he worked at a sheet metal manufacturing plant, which was probably pretty similar to the factory in the movie, I’m guessing. And he was a security guard and a street crossing guard. Very, very blue collar.

Speaking of real life, what actual event from yours do you think would have fit in with the absurd fictional story of the movie?

Yankovic: Oh, boy. I don’t know. There’s a few things in the movie that feel like they’re fiction, but they’re real. The door-to-door salesman was based on the real fact I started taking accordion lessons because of a door-to-door salesman. Also, my first single was, in fact, recorded in a public restroom. Even though the movie is ridiculous, if you have no idea about my life story you might think the entire thing is made up, but a few things actually are true.

The Roku Channel

The pool party scene is so hilarious and it’s full of so many talented performers I don’t know how anyone managed to keep it together long enough to get a useful take. What was it like on set shooting that sequence with all of those incredibly funny people playing other famous people?

The Roku Channel

Yankovic: It was amazing. That was the one scene I was the most stressed about. I’m sure our director, Eric Appel, was stressed about it, because, logistically, it was nearly impossible to pull off. I’m still amazed we did it. We were working with a relatively small budget and an extremely tight shooting schedule.

I’m sure you’ve heard the entire movie was shot in 18 days. So not only not only did we have to shoot that entire pool scene on one day, but we also had to shoot an entirely different scene. The scene with Evan Rachel Wood, Dan Radcliffe, and Rainn Wilson doing the Dr. Demento office scene was the same day. On a normal movie budget that would’ve taken a week probably. So our feeling on the set was, “We’re all professionals. We have to get this, everything, in one or two takes. We have Conan O’Brien for one hour, a lot of moving pieces.” So we had to make sure we got all the shots we wanted.

And also, it is Los Angeles, but it was the coldest day of the year. We couldn’t really have anybody in the pool because, for whatever reason, it wasn’t heated and we didn’t want anybody freezing to death. There were just a lot of things to consider during that particular shoot. And again, I’m amazed we were able to pull it off.

The Roku Channel

All of those caricatures of iconic Hollywood celebrities felt very reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes cartoons. Was that intentional or did it just happen organically?

Yankovic: You can draw that correlation. I don’t think Eric or I were really thinking about Looney Tunes when we wrote the scene. That particular scene is a bit of an homage to Boogie Nights. There’s a scene in Boogie Nights it mirrors pretty directly. But I can see where you might feel that. It feels like the old school Looney Tunes were it’s a Harpo Marx-y show of all of a sudden. Or Edward G. Robinson and all those classic actors. We just wanted to have a little bit of fun with that. We wanted to have contemporary famous people playing weirdos from a few decades ago. One of our rules on the movie was we didn’t want anybody playing themselves. We don’t want to de-age anybody. Everybody had to be playing somebody else.

It’s not just the pool scene. The movie’s full of those parts. I know it’s always tough to pick, but do you have a personal favorite performance when it comes to all of the celebrity portrayals?

The Roku Channel

Yankovic: I don’t really, but I have to say I love Jack Black. He came in and he just knocked that out of the park. That was sort of a last minute casting because originally Wolfman Jack was not in the script. We went through several different iterations. We couldn’t use Freddie Mercury it turned out, because that was the Queen estate’s one stipulation. “No mentions of Freddie Mercury whatsoever.” That was our original script, and we changed it a few times. We wound up with Wolfman Jack, and Jack Black’s an old friend. We thought, “Well, he has to do this. There’s nobody that would be better for this role.” And he came in on very short notice and just absolutely killed it.

One of my favorite jokes in the movie is very subtle and it requires knowing your real actual history. It’s when Coolio was in the audience during “Amish Paradise.” Did he know anything about the scene? Do you know if he saw the movie before he passed away?

Yankovic: I don’t believe he knew about it or saw it.

He didn’t know about it and didn’t see it because we didn’t tell anybody we were lampooning in the movie about it. We wanted it to be a surprise. Also we didn’t want to raise any red flags. In fact, even Paul Reubens, who I was close friends with, didn’t know he was being featured in the movie just because that was sort of our policy. It was like, “Nobody. It’s all a secret until it comes out.”

The Roku Channel

Was anybody mad they weren’t parodied?

Yankovic: I don’t know. We had a lot more people in the original script, and we just had to edit it down to what was manageable. There were a lot of characters that we would’ve included if we had time and we did not. The original script we had Steve Martin, Cheech and Chong, Andy Kaufman, and a few others. We really loaded up the party and then at the end of the day, we had to figure out, “Okay, who do we really need?”

You talked about how the whole film was shot in just 18 days. I know the Blu-ray has some deleted and extended scenes, but were there any ideas or sequences you simply didn’t have time to film because of the compressed schedule?

Yankovic: We smartly did all of our editing in the script phase. As soon as we found out we had to shoot in 18 days there were certain things Eric and I looked at each other and said, “Okay, well, we can’t do this.” Or, “We have to cut out that,” or, “We have to do this in a more efficient way.”

Originally, the whole animated Amish sequence, we wrote as a live-action piece. But that would’ve taken a week at least to shoot all those Amish setups. So we thought, “We’ll just do all that in post. We’ll give that to Augenblick animation.” They’re old friends, and they were nice enough to agree to do our Amish segment in animation.

The Roku Channel

There originally was a whole getting-to-know you montage sequence between Weird Al and Madonna. It was a bunch of different setups and a bunch of different wardrobe changes on locations, which ostensibly happened over several weeks, but the joke was it happened in six hours. But again, that would’ve taken days to shoot, and we didn’t have days to shoot, so that got lost.

There weren’t a lot. We didn’t lose any entire scenes and we didn’t shoot any scenes that got taken out entirely. We did our editing before we got to the set for the most part.

Were there any positives to working with such an accelerated production timeline?

Yankovic: Probably more negatives than positives, frankly. But it kept everybody on their toes, for what it’s worth. We would’ve loved to have had a few more days, and it probably would’ve been even a better movie if we had a couple more days to get a few shots that I know Eric wanted to get. And we could have all relaxed a bit more. But, having said that, we were able to pull it off and please don’t ask us to do that again. It was very difficult. We had to get everything in one or two, or at the most three takes, so everybody knew they had to bring their A game right away. That kept everybody very, very sharp.

UHF is a beloved cult classic now, but it famously got lost amid a packed summer movie season. And it initially only garnered mixed reviews. How did that experience shape your expectations for Weird?

Yankovic: I’ll tell you the truth. When I first pitched the idea of doing a movie version of our Funny or Die trailer, I said, “Let’s pitch this to a streaming outlet because I’m still a little gun shy after UHF. I’d be nervous about putting a semi low-budget comedy in a movie theater because I got burned once.” And the thing with the streaming channels is, well, at least at that time, I said, “They don’t give you numbers. Nobody knows how well it does. So as long as people like it, it’s a hit. There’s no scale to be judged on when you’re on a streaming platform.”

So that’s who we went out to. And for what it’s worth, Roku says that it’s their biggest streaming movie in history, which I don’t think that really says a lot at this point.

Who knows what it says!

Yankovic: Who knows what it says! But all I knew is that if it was on a streaming platform, I wouldn’t be getting any bad news. The weekend after it comes out, I wouldn’t be in a fetal position going, “Why?”

Daniel Radcliffe was playing you, but not really. What was it like watching him sort of be Weird Al?

Yankovic: It was still a bit of an out-of-body experience. He obviously wasn’t trying to embody me, per se. We never asked him to sound like me. He certainly, as much as he’s wearing the wig and the Hawaiian shirt, he’s obviously not an exact doppelganger. We didn’t even bother changing his eye color. We thought, “Well, who cares?”

But at the same time, I would see him in the camera monitor on occasion, and it would be weird, like watching home movies live. “Oh, that looks so much like I did in college, or when I was first starting out.” From certain angles, it did look like me, so that was an odd thing to see on the set.

What was it like specifically watching Weird Al get brutally murdered on screen?

Yankovic: (laughs) I insisted on it. That was part of my day one pitch to Eric. I obviously have to be assassinated at the end, so I was very much looking forward to that.

The Roku Channel

Have you heard any feedback from Madonna and what she thinks of the movie? Has she seen it?

Yankovic: Zero. And I’m a little surprised. I guess either she doesn’t do many interviews. Or nobody’s bothered to ask her, but we’ve heard absolutely nothing from the Madonna camp. I don’t know if she’s seen it or if she’s aware of it. I hope, if and when she does see it, that she isn’t offended, that she understands it’s a joke. And I think she’s got a good sense of humor. So that’s what I’m hoping for.

Offended? She should feel complimented. Evan Rachel Wood is amazing in that role.

Yankovic: Oh, she is, absolutely. But we did make [Madonna] into kind of a Bond villain, so if she’s okay with that.

If you were going to pick any person from the ’80s to take on that role you picked the perfect person, and I mean that with respect for Madonna.

Yankovic: Thank you.

The Roku Channel

Speaking of murder, do you have any regrets about metaphorically killing Queen’s John Deacon in the movie?

Yankovic: In the commentary on the Blu-ray I say, “By the way, John Deacon’s a super sweet guy. In no way does he deserve any of this,” which I think that made the joke even a little better because the people that are Queen fans that know John Deacon know he’s a sweetheart. And the character David Dastmalchian is playing is very much against type. It makes it that much funnier when somebody that’s known for being a sweet person is just acting like a real jerk.

The Roku Channel

Did you hear from Queen or anybody associated with them about it?

Yankovic: No. I’ve been dealing through various people with their legal department trying to figure out what we could and couldn’t do. In fact, there was one other, I don’t understand the logic on this at all, but we were told that there’s a part in the movie where we show a Queen album cover, like Oprah Winfrey’s doing this piece on me, and they’re showing, “Here’s Joan Jett and here’s The Knack, and here’s Queen.” And we show actual covers from The Knack and Joan Jett. But for whatever reason, Queen wouldn’t let us show one of their album covers. So Eric Appel just did a child’s drawing of Queen album cover in MS Paint. It looks horrible, but that’s their album cover in the movie.

You’ve made two movies and people love them. Do you ever think to yourself, “Hey, maybe I should be doing this more often?”

Yankovic: I do one movie every 33 years. I’m on a schedule.

No, no, I would. I’ve never shied away from wanting to do movies. It’s not from lack of trying. Hopefully with the success of Weird, maybe more doors will be open to me, and I would love to be more involved in feature films and television projects and things like that. I don’t want to give up doing music. I still love touring. But I would very much like to go more in that direction as well.

I think this question might be just as important as the one about what your dad’s job. Did this movie make you miss your old mustache?

Yankovic: Well, I’ve got it back as you can see.

Yeah, but it’s different and you know it’s different. (Note: At the time of this interview he had a goatee, not his classic mustache like Radcliffe sports in the film.)

Yankovic: [Laughs] My facial hair comes and goes. I’m not that attached to facial hair. I’m okay with that. I have it now because my wife happens to like me with facial hair, and I’ll probably keep it until I need to shave it for whatever reason. But yeah, I’m okay with or without.

Did this weird alternate reality version biopic make you nostalgic for certain elements of your life from that time period?

Yankovic: Things were simpler back in the early days. Things were a bit more organic.

I just remember in the early eighties, I pressed a copy of one of my songs onto a record and I walked right into KROQ in Los Angeles. I walked up to the DJ and I said, “Hey, I’ve got a new record.” And he goes, “Oh, let’s put down the air right now.” Not running it by his boss, not having a focus group look at it. It is just like, “Okay, it’s on the air,” which would never happen now. Things have gotten so corporate. Everything was a bit more freeform and flying by the seat of your pants back then. I kind of miss that.

The Roku Channel

The movie was so well received and it obviously had the support of so many talented people who wanted to be a part of it, so any chance you’d do a sequel?

Yankovic: It’s not out of the question. I mean, we might be the first biopic ever with an actual sequel. So I’ll be honest, it’s something that’s being talked about. We’ll see.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is now available from Shout Studios on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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LEGO Roses Set Brings the Ultimate Bouquet to Its Botanical Collection

When asked to imagine a bouquet of flowers, most people will likely dream up a bunch of red roses. And that’s why LEGO’s newest addition to its Botanical Collection makes total sense. We’re only surprised that the LEGO Bouquet of Roses set took so long to manifest. But now you can officially show your affection for that special someone with a set of LEGO roses that will always remain perfect. While real red roses will wilt quite quickly, this version of a bouquet will remain red and lovely forever. Not to mention, it’s a gift and activity in one. What could be better than that? Let’s take a closer look at this bouquet of roses and see what LEGO’s newest Botanical Collection creation is all about.

LEGO

LEGO’s Botanical Collection has always been filled with absolutely exquisite sets, and its Bouquet of Roses is no exception. In true LEGO style, the set doesn’t want you to build the same rose over and over twelve times. Instead, it includes a dozen red LEGO roses in three different varieties. You’ll create “four [roses] in full bloom, four blooming, and four in bud.” And anyone who knows LEGO knows that even within each category there will likely be small nuances in the roses to keep you on your toes. In addition to the roses, you’ll get to build “a scattering of small white flowers.”

Click To View Gallery LEGO LEGO LEGO LEGO

In total, the LEGO Botanical Collection: LEGO Icons Bouquet of Roses contains 822 pieces. Additionally, it will cost you $59.99. The set will release on January 1, 2024—so you can make it the first purchase of the new year. Additionally, if the LEGO Botanical Collection is one of your favorites, you can look forward to an upcoming in-depth “field guide” to the floral builds. LEGO Botanical Almanac: A Field Guide to Brick-Built Blooms releases on March 19 and is available for pre-order now. It will give you a deeper look at LEGO’s collection of roses, flowers, succulents, and other plants.

All we need now is for these LEGO roses to gently waft the scent of fresh-cut blooms all around our house.

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Nicholas Hoult Will Officially Play Lex Luthor in SUPERMAN: LEGACY

Soon the world will meet a new Clark Kent in Superman: Legacy. DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are rebooting the most famous superhero in the world as they transition the franchise from the DCEU to the DCU. Who will play the Man of Steel on the big screen this time around? What kind of story will we see him in? And who will bring it to life? We’re keeping track of all these answers and more.

James Gunn

The latest update: Nicholas Hoult, who was a possibility to play Superman, will play Lex Luthor. This casting news recently circulated widely, but James Gunn has now confirmed it to be 100% true. Gunn revealed that although the casting was in discussion for quite a bit of time, it only finalized a couple of days ago. Additionally Gunn noted that he and Hoult will “create a Lex that will be different from anything you’ve seen before and will never forget.” Sounds exciting to us.

Given that Hoult almost became the Man of Steel himself, but instead was cast as Lex Luthor, the character already has already gotten off to a truly fitting start in Superman: Legacy.

DC Comics/Frank Quitely

Here’s everything we know about Superman: Legacy.

Title

The DCU’s first official movie (though not its first official release) is titled Superman: Legacy. That will kick off the film side of what James Gunn has called the franchise’s first chapter, “Gods and Monsters.” He has also called Superman: Legacy “the true beginning” of the DCU.

Superman: Legacy‘s Plot

While the film still has no official synopsis, Warner Bros. did provide a description of what we can expect from the story, which James Gunn says is not an origin tale.

Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman’s journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

Gunn announced the film with art from the cover of All-Star Superman by writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely. Whether or not that means the story is influenced, inspired by, or adapted from the 12-issue comic series in any way is unclear. What Gunn has said is the movie will focus on “an earlier part of Superman’s life,” where he is still old enough to already be working for the Daily Planet.

Superman: Legacy‘s Cast

Accurate! (They are not only both incredible actors, but also wonderful people). https://t.co/1FtwYIDeYj

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) June 27, 2023

David Corenswet will play Superman, while Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois Lane.

In addition, four more actors have joined the cast of Superman: Legacy. Isabela Merced will play Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi will play Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion will play Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Anthony Carrigan will play Metamorpho. María Gabriela de Faría will play the villain The Engineer in the movie. Also known as Angela Spica, the character has nanotechnology built into her body. Additionally, Sara Sampaio will play Eve Teschmacher. And Skyler Gisondo will play Jimmy Olsen.

James Gunn has also confirmed that Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor.

Behind the Scenes 

James Gunn wrote the (definitely completed) script and is directing.

Superman: Legacy‘s Release Date

Thanks to the efforts of our talented crew, who never lost faith during the longest strikes in Hollywood history, and who never let their foot off the pedal, continuing to barrel forward, creating the most amazing character and set designs I’ve seen in my entire career,… pic.twitter.com/ntnEbA2fC0

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) November 11, 2023

Superman: Legacy will soar into theaters faster than a speeding bullet on July 11, 2025.

Originally published on April 11, 2023.

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DOCTOR WHO Debuts the Fifteenth Doctor’s Stylish Sonic Screwdriver

A new Doctor always calls for some fun changes. There’s the obvious wardrobe upgrade, including whatever look will become that Doctor’s “signature” outfit. Sometimes, the TARDIS also redecorates its console room with some new flair. One thing many fans really love about a fresh Doctor is yet another sonic screwdriver to collect. Each one of them has unique details and features that reflect the time period and, in some cases, the Doctor’s persona. But the sonic screwdriver for the Fifteenth Doctor may be the most unique looking one yet. We cannot wait to see him use it in season one.

In the above video, Ncuti Gatwa talks about his Doctor’s flashy new sonic, which looks less like a tube and more like a cylinder-ish gadget. The series honors Gatwa’s Rwandan roots with a proverb written in Gallifreyan on the sonic screwdriver. It translates to “the sharpness of the tongue defeats the sharpness of the warrior.” That’s a very befitting phrase for a character like the Doctor and a lovely way to celebrate Ncuti Gatwa’s groundbreaking turn in this role.

BBC

Our beloved Fifteenth Doctor demonstrates how to hold his sonic screwdriver and reveals that a crystal powers it. It even lights up, which will be helpful when the Doctor inevitably finds himself in some dark space. There’s also a piece that flips out and can connect to other technology, whether that technology is made by humans or an alien race. Of course, it does all the usual things like unlocking things and fusing items.

When and Where Can I Buy the Fifteenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver?BBC

This sonic screwdriver isn’t on sale yet. But we can bet that you’ll be able to buy it soon via the BBC Doctor Who shop and other major retailers. Until then, we are waiting patiently to see Fifteen and Ruby Sunday in this year’s Christmas special.

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Showtime Cable Channel Will Officially Become Paramount+ With Showtime in January

It’s the age of change, and it’s enough to make your head spin. Streaming platforms and network television have been at odds since their inception. By and large, streaming is now a part of most people’s everyday lives, but despite rumors of its demise, network and cable TV continues to hang in there. But that doesn’t mean everything stays just the same, as we saw on Deadline. In a mind-bending move, the Paramount+ streaming channel and the Showtime network channel merged together to create two platforms named Paramount+ with Showtime. This merge officially happened on the streaming side of things as of June 27. And now, the Showtime cable channel will officially become the Paramount+ with Showtime channel beginning on January 8, 2024.

Paramount

Of course, this will impact the content available from both platforms as the trend of removing series and movies continues… And it will impact the subscription price consumers will have to pay. Confused yet? Let’s break it down.

Jump To: What Is Paramount+ with Showtime? // Subscription Costs for the Streamer // Content Removals and Changes Paramount+ with Showtime to Replace Separate Streamers and Showtime Channel

On the streaming side, there was once the Showtime streaming service and the Paramount+ streaming service. But now, these products have come together to create Paramount+ with Showtime (the streamer). The premium tiers of Paramount+ with Showtime have Showtime content available alongside Paramount+ content. And, officially, the standalone Showtime app will cease to exist by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, Showtime is also currently a cable network. However, Showtime as a channel will no longer exist on cable starting this January and it will instead rebrand to Paramount+ with Showtime (the TV channel). On that end, the TV network’s profile will receive a boost by also airing “Paramount+ originals in addition to the SHOWTIME originals, as well as Paramount Pictures movies that come to the services.”

Variety notes that those subscribed to the linear TV version of Paramount+ with Showtime will not have access to the streaming version of the product with the same name. While linear TV users “will be able to access programming online via the authenticated streaming apps of pay-TV partners” they will not have full access to the streaming version of Paramount+ with Showtime. We’re starting to feel like two different names could have been useful here.

Showtime will officially become Paramount+ with Showtime on January 8, 2024.

Subscription Price Increases for Paramount+ with Showtime

Paramount+ with Showtime (the streaming platform) will see a price increase from Paramount+’s current cost. The premium tier, which previously cost $9.99 on Paramount+ has risen to $11.99 for Paramount+ with Showtime’s ad-free offering. Of course, this will contain both Paramount+ and Showtime content. And, it is important to note, the price of Paramount+ with Showtime remains lower than the previous cost of purchasing both platforms.

Meanwhile, the essential Paramount+ plan, which contains ads and will not include Showtime content, will see its subscription cost increase from $4.99 a month to $5.99.

Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers should note that another price increase for the platform is on the horizon. Per Variety, Paramount CEO Bob Bakish recently shared, “Our plan is to raise price again, this isn’t our only price increase. Whether we do that in ’25, or we do that in ’24, we’ll see… Again, early days, as we evaluate the cost impact of the price increase, but we believe there’s a lot of room to run there.”

Bakish further noted of Paramount+ with Showtime’s initial increase. “We just effectuated our first price increase. It is very much performing according to plan… There was some question out there, if it would adversely affect churn in a significant way and if we’re bringing down subscriber acquisition. And the fact matter is, we’re not seeing that. So that proves that we have pricing power in the marketplace, given the content we’re bringing to bear on the platform.”

Just how far that pricing power will go remains to be seen.

Content Changes for Paramount+ with ShowtimePaul Sarkis/Showtime

Content-wise, cancellations at Showtime have begun to occur, according to Deadline. The shows Three Women, Let the Right One In, and American Gigolo are reportedly canceled or heading for cancellation. According to Deadline, Showtime has also officially scrapped the anticipated Gattaca series that was in the works. The series would have been based on the ’90s hit movie taking place a generation later. Showtime will also pass on the Mandy Patinkin comedy Seasoned and several other shows.

Additionally, it was reported that Dexter: New Blood received a cancellation at Showtime. However, this may no longer be the case. Regardless of the fate that awaits New Blood, it sounds like a Dexter prequel series is coming. This Dexter outing will focus on a younger version of the character. Executive Chris McCarthy notes, “The origin story will be set in Dexter’s hometown of Miami, and will touch on stories of real-life serial killers of the time period.” Additional Dexter spinoff series could also hit the new streamer. These could focus on “the back stories of compelling Dexter characters,” including one featuring the Trinity Killer.

Meanwhile, Paramount+ is also removing content from its platform. Per Deadline, among other things, Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone, which ran for two seasons, is no longer available on the platform. Also missing are The Real World: Homecoming, Coyote, No Activity, Guilty Party, and The Harper House. And the content purges are continuing. By far one of the most shocking decisions made by Paramount+ was to cancel and remove Star Trek: Prodigy from its platform. The series hopes to find life elsewhere, but the decision came with loud fan outcry. The Game, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and Queen of the Universe also met a similar fate.

For the moment, our personal favorite Showtime offering, Yellowjackets, seems thankfully safe. According to executive Chris McCarthy, it exemplifies one of Showtime’s strengths (complex characters) alongside shows like Billions.

Now that we’ve mostly wrapped our heads around this change, we’ll have to wait and see what these latest landscape shenanigans bring to all of us. We’ll cross our fingers for only good things.

Originally published on January 30, 2023.

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DOCTOR WHO Delivers Christmas Special Trailer

Sixty years after its TV debut, Doctor Who is still going strong and heading into yet another era. The show’s Christmas 2023 special will be the first adventure for Ncuti Gatwa, who will portray the Fifteenth Doctor. Then, he will take over the TARDIS with Russell T Davies leading the way once again as a showrunner in the near future.  This era doesn’t have an official name yet—we are calling it the Bad Wolf era for now—but Davies is setting it apart from the modern era’s 13 seasons by dubbing it season one. (It will not reboot nor ignore previous events.) What can we expect from this fresh slate of stories across time and space? Here’s what we know about Doctor Who season one, which is not season 14 after all.

Now that the anniversary specials are done, we finally have the teaser trailer for Doctor Who‘s Christmas special. Ncuti looks absolutely fab while twirling in the club and there are funny little goblins. What more could we possibly need?

Doctor Who Season One’s Plot 

Doctor Who always teeters between a season-long arc and weekly adventures. Who knows what will happen in Ncuti Gatwa’s first season as the Doctor?! We know there will be lots of villains, time-traveling, and tough decisions made by The Doctor. This season will have eight episodes and, for now, the titles are unknown. Right now, the main focus is on the 60th anniversary specials with Fourteen and Donna Noble. 

BBC

We do know that the Christmas special—which technically counts as a part of season one—is called “The Church on Ruby Road.” And we do have some new information about it! Here’s what Doctor Who‘s website had to say:

The episode sees the Doctor come face-to-face with the mythical and mysterious goblins as his life collides with Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.

Little is known about Ruby Sunday as she was abandoned on Christmas Eve as a baby. Now living with her mum, Carla and grandmother, Cherry her world is about to be turned upside when she encounters the Doctor and the two set off on their first adventure together…

Davies himself said in an SFX interview that this special will reset the series, which isn’t shocking. “It’s completely a reinvention. Reinvention of the show, brand new, but not a reboot, it’s the same old show, everything starts again, everything’s seen through the eyes of Ruby Sunday and it’s that lovely feeling of here we go, a new era beginning,” said Davies. We wonder what new territory the show will traverse.

It seems that the show is in its cute villain era. We just got Beep the (Homicidal) Meep and now we are getting a goblin creature. Check out his photo along with a few others from the episode.

Click To View Gallery BBC Studios/Bad Wolf BBC Studios/Bad Wolf BBC Studios/Bad Wolf BBC Studios/Bad Wolf BBC Studios/Bad Wolf

In addition to the trailer, we now have a clip of the villainous goblins’ song, aptly titled “The Goblin Song.” We don’t know that it will have the popularity of “I’m Just Ken,” but the lyrics are quite disturbing.

The Goblins are coming for Christmas! 🧌🎄

Listen to THE GOBLIN SONG from 'The Church on Ruby Road' – available to stream now! 🎶 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/NzCokrjL4R

— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) December 11, 2023

Behind the Scenes

As previously stated, Russell T Davies is back as the showrunner for Doctor Who. The list of directors include Dylan Holmes Williams, Mark Tonderai, Julie Anne Robinson, Ben Chessell, and Jamie Donoghue. Composer Murray Gold also returns to the show as a composer. Bad Wolf Studios (named after the Rose/Nine story arc) is now a co-producer of the series. Doctor Who season one wrapped filming in July 2023 and is already working on season two.

Doctor Who Season One’s Cast BBC Studios/Bad Wolf Studios

Millie Gibson will co-star alongside Gatwa’s Doctor as Ruby Sunday. It will be exciting to see their relationship unfold because they make quite the stylish pair. The Christmas special cast includes Davina McCall, a popular British TV personality who will be playing herself. Michelle Greenidge will play Ruby’s mother Carla, Angela Wynter is Ruby’s grandmother Cherry, and Anita Dobson portrays Mrs. Flood.

Now, for the remainder of the season. Bonnie Langford will reprise her role as Sixth/Seventh Doctor companion Mel Bush and Jemma Redgrave is coming back as UNIT boss Kate Stewart. There are quite a few new faces coming to Doctor Who, including Lenny Rush as Morris, Aneurin Barnard as Roger ap Gwilliam, and Indira Varma as the Duchess. Jonathan Groff and Jinx Monsoon are also joining the cast in roles that have yet to be fully defined. Monsoon will portray “the Doctor’s most powerful enemy yet,” while Groff will appear in a historical episode. 

Doctor Who Season One’s Release DateBBC Studios/Bad Wolf Studios

Doctor Who season one will hit BBC and Disney+ sometime in 2024. The Christmas special will air on Christmas Day 2023.

Originally published on November 28, 2023.

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