had a number of obstacles to clear before skeptics would deem it a success that is, beyond its cumbersome name. First, it had to find a fresh perspective on a wildly popular movie trilogy after a decade-long cooling period. Then, it had to convince old and new fans alike that there was an interesting story beyond the growing pains of Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez.
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To that end, the first season delivered. Show creator Tim Federle found a striking balance between grounded sentiment and buzzy musical theater that made this take a worthy and distinguishable adaptation. Also, the talent emanating from the young cast certainly didn’t hurt matters. In its second season,
Demi Lovato is going to investigate UFOs on Peacock, naturally
Photo: The A.V. Club
Here’s an unexpected benefit of the streaming revolution: Pop stars are finally getting the chance to indulge their hobbies with weird TV shows that nobody asked for. HBO Max already has Selena Gomez hosting a cooking show even though she doesn’t know how to cook, and now Peacock is getting into the fun with an unscripted show about UFOs hosted by Demi Lovato. It’s not totally clear
why, but Demi Lovato has tweeted about aliens afewtimes and “Lovato” kind of rhymes with “UFO,” which is fun though the show will be called
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It doesn’t help that “The Music And The Mirror” is one of those slightly scattered
This Is Us episodes that mostly stays in the present and checks in on a bunch of different storylines. The
Chorus Line-inspired title refers to Beth and her long deferred dream to make a career in dance. But almost all of the main cast get a spotlight this week in an episode about careers and the way they shape our identities. While Kate is wonderfully fulfilled by her new job as a music teacher, Beth, Toby, and even Kevin are all floundering in their professional lives. And that means it’s time for the Pearsons to do some major self-reflection about the paths they’ve taken since childhood.
Photo: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images (Getty Images)
Steve Urkel is something of the anti-Fonzi or a cool Screech, depending on your interpretation. The annoying next-door neighbor of the Winslow family for 215 episodes of
Family Matters, Jaleel White’s Urkel ruined parties, Christmases, family gatherings, an episode of
American Gladiators, a trip to outer space, and his school’s chemistry lab (allegedly). He was also the show’s breakout star, inspiring toys, lunchboxes, and catchphrases like “Did I do that? and “Got any cheese?” (That last one made him the bane of parents of six-year-olds everywhere). But apparently, the Winslows weren’t only sick of Steve on the show; they were tired of him in real life, too.