Georgia Condemned; TV Bloodbath; Wu Slams 'Boat' Pickup; Murdochs' Gambling Bet

The Weekender: The renewal of Fresh Off the Boat frustrated the show's breakout, Constance Wu. Plus: The Murdochs' big bet on gambling, J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele condemn Georgia's anti-abortion law and the end of Veep. — Will Robinson May 11, 2019 The Weekender: The renewal of Fresh Off the Boat frustrated the show's breakout, Constance Wu. Plus: The Murdochs' big bet on gambling, J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele condemn Georgia's anti-abortion law and the end of Veep. — Will Robinson ^What's the bar for ratings success?: Raw numbers have fallen off considerably in the past decade, but the relative strength of renewed vs. canceled shows has remained fairly constant, Rick Porter reports: + In 2009-10, when Netflix had about 15 million subscribers and there were, per FX research, 216 scripted series across all platforms, the average network entertainment show drew a 2.88 rating among adults 18-49 (including a week of delayed viewing). By 2014-15, that average series had dropped to a 2.33 in the key ad demographic, and there were more than 400 scripted shows available. This season, the average show draws just under a 1.5 — in a TV universe where upward of 500 scripted series are projected to debut by year's end. [Deep dive.]( Why every canceled broadcast show met its fate. The paradox of broadcast television in the Peak TV era is that while there are fewer breakout hits, networks are also more willing to let shows [run their course]( than in times past. Rick Porter breaks down why some series didn't make the cut or ended their runs. [Networks pick stability.]( Murdochs Bet on Gambling Untapped gold mine: The newly formed Fox Corp. makes a $236 million deal to become a first-mover in an area with a "very compelling" long-term opportunity that Disney won't touch, Georg Szalai reports: + Fox Bet will offer national free-to-play games with prizes for predicting match outcomes and live wagering in states that have legalized it. Fox also agreed to acquire a 5 percent stake in Stars Group — featuring brands like PokerStars and BetStars — for $236 million, with the right to convert the commercial partnership into a 50-50 U.S. joint venture at any point during the next 10 years. + New media "space race"?: "Gambling for these companies seems inevitable or unavoidable," says Hal Vogel, former analyst and CEO of Vogel Capital Management. "But it is fraught with problems that will also unavoidably emerge over the long term." He explains, "It takes only a few unethical players to create a scandal." [Full story.]( Elsewhere in TV... ► J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele condemn Georgia abortion law. The pair's HBO series Lovecraft County is [set to shoot]( in the state in the next few weeks. They will donate proceeds from the show to fight the law. So far, at least five productions companies have pledged to not shoot any projects in the state until the law is overturned. ► Constance Wu replies to Fresh Off the Boat renewal: "f***ing hell". The Crazy Rich Asians star isn't happy her television show is coming back. There are changes coming to FOTB after showrunner Nahnatchka Khan departed her longtime overall deal with 20th TV for a lucrative four-year, eight-figure pact with rival studio Universal Television. [Her tweets.]( * Silver screen ambition. Arguably the most currently in-demand Asian American actress of her generation, Wu has been eager to take advantage of the momentum in her movie career, and the demands of a broadcast series schedule could interfere with that, insiders tell Rebecca Sun. ► Kenya Barris, Rashida Jones to star in Netflix family comedy. The Black-ish creator [will have]( an onscreen role in Black Excellence, as both he and the Parks and Recreation alum will also exec produce the single-camera comedy. ► NBC sets final Blindspot season. The bubble drama was one of the [last remaining]( veteran series on the network to learn its fate. Its final season will be its fifth. ► CBS cancels Murphy Brown revival, three more comedies. Creator Diane English and star Candice Bergen [had been hoping]( to do another season of the comedy after it ended its initial 13-episode order. Meanwhile, veteran Life in Pieces and rookies Fam and Happy Together have also been axed. ► CBS sets Edie Falco drama from Amblin TV. The series order arrives a day after Steven Spielberg's company [exited]( the recently renewed Bull following star Michael Weatherly's harassment scandal. ► Kenan Thompson comedy ordered to series at NBC. The comedian is the longest-tenured castmember on the late-night sketch show and also will host the network's reality competition series Bring the Funny. Insiders say Thompson — who is [closing out]( his record 16th season on SNL — is expected to return to the sketch comedy next year, though it remains unclear in what capacity. -> Greg Berlanti's TV record grows to 18 series on six outlets. The Warner Bros. TV-based super-producer has shows on four of the five broadcast networks and two streaming platforms. [New orders.]( ABC's Shonda orders... ► Grey's Anatomy renewed through season 17; Murder also returning. The news comes a day after ABC canceled fellow Shondaland drama For the People after two seasons. ► Station 19 Renewed as Grey's showrunner Krista Vernoff to also oversee spinoff. Fresh off an overall deal with ABC Studios, she'll [oversee both]( of the Shondaland dramas. Other pre-upfronts moves... -> ABC [cancels]( Speechless, Splitting Up Together, The Fix, The Kids Are Alright; brings back four comedies, The Rookie... Fox [cans]( Lethal Weapon, The Passage, Cool Kids. Casting call... ► Will & Grace star Eric McCormack heads to Netflix's Atypical. McCormack [joins]( the third season of the critically acclaimed autism family dramedy in a new teaching role. ^Term limit: After seven seasons and 65 episodes, HBO's Emmys magnet Veep signs off: Jackie Strause emails: The time has come for Veep to say goodbye. After seven seasons, the Julia Louis-Dreyfus-led HBO political comedy will offer one last commentary on Washington, D.C. politics with Sunday night's supersized series finale. And the cast has promised that the final joke will be one that no one could have seen coming. THR sat down with the gang when Veep began its final run. The actors behind the horrible characters (who viewers love) revealed their thoughts about how it all ends, what they took from set, and why America shouldn't be surprised by the ultimate outcome: "I think it will always be pretty jaw-dropping — I hope, otherwise we’re in trouble." [Cast reflects.]( -> Showrunner previews "wild and woolly" finale: David Mandel talks to Strause how Louis-Dreyfus' Selina's "[monstrosity](" of a choice sets up the show's endgame with the election heating up. Legal briefs... ► Netflix wants out of cop's defamation suit over Making a Murderer. Movie theaters aren't sued for defamatory films. But newspapers may be held liable for carrying defamatory quotes. Where does a streaming service that distributes independent productions [fit in](? Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Big Little Lies leans into "damage" in season two from key death. "It's eroding every single one of us," says Reese Witherspoon's character of the Monterey Five. [Watch.]( All the video game adaptations currently in the works. From Sonic to Pikachu to Lara Croft, here's everything heading to the big (and small) screen from the world of gaming — including Netflix's fantastical Witcher adaptation. [All the projects.]( Enjoy reading this? Six days a week, look for Today in Entertainment in your inbox to stay up-to-date on the industry. Sign up for this newsletter (and others) at [THR.com/Newsletters](. MacFarlane Opens Up Comedy powerhouse: One of Hollywood’s funniest, smartest and most provocative figures, Seth MacFarlane reflects on the roots of his passion for animation, becoming TV’s youngest-ever EP 20 years ago with Family Guy and more, in a talk with Scott Feinberg: + Critical bounce back: The Orville pleased general audiences but also endured harsh critical knocks during its first season on Fox, which has made its second-season rebound — propelled by a sharper and more ambitious story, cinema-level visual effects and a greater willingness to play things straight (as opposed to shoehorning in humor) all the sweeter for its 45-year-old creator. + Developing Ted: MacFarlane began to step back from day-to-day involvement with Family Guy to pursue various other ideas, including one for another animated series, which morphed into a feature film released in 2012: Ted, on which MacFarlane made his feature directorial debut and also voiced the title character, and which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy that is not a sequel or remake ever. [Listen]( | [Subscribe]( Elsewhere in film... ► Detective Pikachu catches $5.7M in Thursday previews. Aside from the Ryan Reynolds-starrer, MGM comedy The Hustle picked up $774,000 and STX ensemble Poms earned $225,000. [Weekend box office.]( ► Beatles-inspired animated series to big screen via MGM. The Beat Bugs' Josh Wakely will [write and produce]( the feature version. Casting call... ► Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Morgan Freeman to hit George Gallo's Comeback Trail. The Bad Boys writer [will direct]( the action-comedy — based on Harry Hurwitz's 1982 film — which is heading to the market in Cannes. ► Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs join animated Scooby-Doo pic Scoob. The Warner Bros. pic will see Wahlberg [voice]( the role of superhero Blue Falcon, while Isaacs will play villain Dick Dastardly. ► Storm Reid joins Elisabeth Moss in Universal & Blumhouse's Invisible Man remake. The A Wrinkle in Time star [boards]( the reimagining of the classic monster tale. ► Michelle Yeoh joins Karen Gillan in assassin thriller Gunpowder Milkshake. Lena Headey is [also starring]( in Studiocanal and The Picture Company's action thriller. ► Kristin Scott Thomas joins Ben Wheatley's Rebecca adaptation for Netflix. Lily James and Armie Hammer were earlier cast in the film [based on]( Daphne du Maurier's gothic classic thriller. Book report... ► Marvel Comics 1000 to celebrate company's 80th anniversary. The 80-page one-shot issue will be released this August. [Details.]( Latest reviews... ► Summit's John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. "An epic of choreographed mayhem that expands the Wickiverse in mostly pleasing ways, it is destined to satisfy fans of this surprise-hit franchise," John DeFore applauds. [Full review]( * What critics are saying. Signs are great from the aggregators: 97 percent on [Rotten Tomatoes]( and 73 on [Metacritic](. On the festival circuit... ► Penelope Cruz to receive San Sebastian award. Spain’s most international actress [will pick up]( the honorary prize from her country’s top film event and grace its official poster. Legal briefs... ► Literary group defends First Amendment suit against Trump. The DOJ asked a New York federal judge [to dismiss]( PEN America's lawsuit, and the group is drawing upon this week's reported change in White House press pass standards in its reply. Coming attractions... ► Trailer: Cate Blanchett begins second act in Where'd You Go, Bernadette. Richard Linklater directed and co-wrote the comedy-drama, while Billy Crudup, Emma Nelson, Kristen Wiig, James Urbaniak, Judy Greer, Troian Bellisario, Zoe Chao, Claudia Doumit and Laurence Fishburne round out the cast. [Watch.]( In memoriam... ► RIP Alvin Sargent. The master of the adapted screenplay who won Oscars for Julia and Ordinary People in a fabled career that ran the gamut from Ben Casey and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour to The Amazing Spider-Man died Thursday at 92. [Obit.]( Biden, Buttigieg fundraising blitzes leave Hollywood pondering old vs. new. The two Democratic nominees' whirlwind fundraising tours may have [shared]( similar trajectories but they ultimately achieved different outcomes. "Biden is a bona fide celebrity. Mayor Pete doesn't have that sort of recognition," said one political consultant. Age of Background TV Just throw it on: As content floods the era of Peak TV, there's an alternate solution to keeping up with shows: Listening to some of the them in the background while you do other tasks, Robyn Bahr writes: + One of the essential lessons of grad school is learning what to close-read and what to skim. In a tech bubble brimming with endless content, this is also an essential skill for maintaining proximity to a mercurial zeitgeist. For many like myself, a staccato stream of storytelling fills our time from morning until bedtime, so high-stakes dialogue becomes the soundtrack to our everyday responsibilities. + The case: Even though television has become more cinematic and visually interesting in the last 20 years, plenty of shows retain enough of the vestigial conventions of radio to keep you occupied, including hard-landing punchlines and big emotional moments. If a show's sound design and dialogue is well-crafted enough, you can keep up with most episodes while only occasionally glancing at the TV screen. [Rules to follow.]( What to watch this weekend... THR critic Daniel Fienberg sends his recommendation: If you're a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan, you want to settle in and watch the entirety of Sacha Jenkins' four-part documentary Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, which is now available on Showtime OnDemand. The documentary is full of hilarious and sometimes poignant interviews with all of the surviving members of the Wu as well as a wealth of archival footage depicting one of the [best and most influential ensembles]( in the history of hip-hop. If, however, that's not your speed? This is probably a good weekend to watch the first season of Fleabag on Amazon ahead of next Friday's second season premiere, or to make sure that you're ready for this Sunday's Veep series finale. What else we're reading... — "The Man Who Spoke Game of Thrones Into Existence." Nikhita Venugopal profiles audiobook voice Roy Dotrice: "From 2003 to before his death in 2017, he recorded more than 200 hours of narration for the five published books in the series." [[The Ringer](] — "Howard Stern Says He Has Changed. How Much?" David Marchese interviews: "I am the poster boy for doing everything offensive. I’ve done insane things. But everything I did, I make no apologies for, because I was trying to entertain people." [[The New York Times Magazine](] — "Detective Pikachu Took 7 Years to Bring the Live-Action Movie to Theaters." Chris Lee details: "Legendary executives frequently traveled to Tokyo to get the company’s approval, while Pokémon executives flew to Hollywood to iron out production kinks. Translators worked overtime to bridge the English-Japanese divide." [[Vulture](] — "Law & Order’s New York Was Never Real." James Nevius examines: "It is a simulacrum of the real New York, a place where the lives of its heroes and villains are amplified and magnified like characters in a Shakespearean tragedy—a place where stories become more substantial than the real thing." [[Curbed](] — "An Oral History of the Greatest Survivor Moment Ever." Dalton Ross reports: "It’s a story of cunning, of deceit, of desperation, and of miracles. It’s also a story on the illusion of redemption, the danger of gullibility, and power of peer pressure." [[EW](] From the archives... + Today in 2001: Columbia Pictures unveiled the medieval actioner A Knight's Tale, starring Heath Ledger, in theaters nationwide. The pic earned $117 million worldwide against a $65 million budget: "A brief foray into a past designed like an American theme park to play out a forgettable, somewhat corny romantic adventure." [Flashback review.]( Today's birthdays: Sabrina Carpenter, 20, Lana Condor, 22, Jonathan Jackson, 37, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, 40, Jeffrey Donovan, 51, Tim Blake Nelson, 55, Frances Fisher, 67. Follow The News Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( ©2019 The Hollywood Reporter. 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 All rights reserved. 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