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The Variety Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors presented by the Coalition for Faith and Media will be celebrated Dec. 4. The honorees are individuals who are supporting the frequently underrepresented theme of faith in entertainment storytelling. This class of 2024 Visionary Awards presented by Cfam represents diverse portrayals of faith and spirituality that are broadly compelling and nuanced.

“Bob Marley: One Love”

Bob Marley’s fans have long been brought together by joyous songs, but his revolutionary ideas are sometimes overlooked because the music is so uplifting. His son Ziggy Marley says, “In order to better understand Bob’s message you have to look past the legend and see the human being, his struggles, emotionally, spiritually and physically.” The film “Bob Marley: One Love” does just that. It reminds us ofMarley’s courage in pursuit of his mission (dare we call it a vocation?), showing him performing days after an assassination attempt,...

AMC Networks is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with the launch of its Indigenous Stories collection and short films series.

The collection highlights television and film content created by and starring Indigenous creatives and talent from AMC Networks, such as the Zahn McClarnon-produced thriller series “Dark Winds” and the Emmy-winning documentary “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”

Other “Celebrating Indigenous Stories” titles include “Black Snow,” “Good Grief,” “Far North,” “Total Control,” “The Red Road,” and “Cleverman.”

AMC Networks has also released a library of short films titled “Indigenous Rising Stars” as part of the “Celebrating Indigenous Stories” archive. “Indigenous Rising Stars” is featured as part of AMC’s “Future of Film” initiative. These shorts come from The Santa Fe International Film Festival’s Indigenous Program. They are curated by Gary Farmer (“Reservation Dogs”) and available to stream Nov. 25 through Dec. 24.

Among the short films selected for “Indigenous Rising Stars” are “Lily Gladstone: Far Out There,...

To celebrate the release of Dark Winds Seasons 1 & 2 Boxset arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and digital 25 November, we are giving a away a Blu-ray boxset to 1 lucky winner!

Smash hit crime-thriller Dark Winds returns with its highly anticipated second series that’s set to blow you away, as Dark Winds Season 2 arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and digital courtesy of Acorn Media International, following its transmission on Alibi.

Exec-produced by Hollywood legend Robert Redford and Games of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin and based on Tony Hillerman’s best-selling mystery novels, the new series heralds the return of the Navajo crime-fighting duo, tenacious Lieutenant Joe Leaphron and slick and smart FBI agent turned Pi Jim Chee, who reunite to battle even darker forces than before.

Dark Winds Season 2 arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on 25 November 2024, courtesy of Acorn Media International. Dark Winds Season 1 & 2 Box set will also be available on...

Variety will host the inaugural Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honors, presented by the Coalition for Faith & Media on December 4 in Los Angeles. The evening ceremony will celebrate individuals who are supporting often underrepresented themes of faith in storytelling and entertainment. These awards will celebrate diverse portrayals of faith and spirituality that are broadly compelling and nuanced.

The class of 2024 Visionary Honorees include:

Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, founders, JuVee Productions “Bob Marley: One Love,” accepted by Ziggy Marley, humanitarian, producer and musician, with an introduction by the Coalition for Faith and Media Erica Lipez, executive producer, writer and showrunner, “We Were the Lucky Ones” Jessica Matten, actor producer and philanthropist Arian Moayed, actor,, EP of “Motherland” and co-founder, Waterwell Sheryl Lee Ralph, Emmy-Winning Actor, “Abbott Elementary” Jay Shetty, best-selling author, Podcast Host, “On Purpose”

“The Global Faith & Media Study identified an important data point — 82% of the world identifies as religious,...

Santa Fe has retained the traces of the people who lived there first. The New Mexico capital’s world-famous contemporary art galleries are housed within Pueblo-style buildings adorned with thick ristras of chiles (a plant indigenous to the Americas). Downtown alongside the Plaza, the block-long arcade at the Palace of the Governors is exclusively reserved for Native artisans and craftspeople to sell their wares. And over in the Railyard Arts District, the Hotel Santa Fe — majority-owned by the Picuris Pueblo tribe — plays host to the Sundance Institute’s Native Lab, the filmmaking program through which nearly every Indigenous creative of note working in Hollywood has passed since it was founded.

This year’s cohort of four fellows and two artists in residence convened with the Sundance Indigenous Program team and four industry advisors in the city in early May for a week of script readings, one-on-one sessions and more informal breaking of the bread.

A disappeared girl. A detective who seeks out the missing because of things she can’t place from her traumatic past. An awkward new partnership; stern and disapproving authority figures; a twist that proves that what had seemed like an isolated case is actually part of something larger.

HBO’s Get Millie Black is a vivid, pulsating reminder of how forcefully the cobwebs can be swept from even the stodgiest of plots if you find a location viewers haven’t tired of, introduce characters who rise organically from that environment and honor those elements as thoroughly as you do the inevitably rising body count and the unfolding conspiracy.

The five-part series marks a smooth transition to the small screen for Booker Prize-winning novelist Marlon James (A Brief History of Seven Killings) and a breakout starring vehicle for Tamara Lawrance. It quickly takes its place in that always-welcome category of off-the-beaten-path...

The 2024 LA Skins Fest has announced its 13-section program, which includes a lineup of narrative, documentary, and animated films.

Among the films screening are “Kenji,” a short film by Billy Luther. The film follows the life and work of Japanese photographer, Kenji Kawano, explored through his extraordinary five decade long journey documenting the WWII Navajo Code Talkers through his lens.

Wes Studi will star in “The Great Cherokee Grandmother.” Anthony Sneed’s film tells the story of a pleasant date between a man of Cherokee heritage and a Caucasian woman goes downhill when the woman flagrantly fixates on the very bane of Cherokee peoples’ existence: the Cherokee Grandmother syndrome.

“Mary Margaret Road-Grader” is produced by George R.R Martin and is based on Howard Waldrop’s 1976 sci-fi short story. The film is adapted by write rand director Steven Paul Judd.

The festival will include screenings, a night of showcasing traditional performances,...

When it comes to Game of Thrones, there’s a huge fanbase just waiting for more from that universe. With House of the Dragon, the story of Westeros is back in full swing, winning over not only the original audience from 2011 to 2019 but also bringing in a whole new generation of fans.

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark in Game of Thrones (Credits: HBO)

And while characters like Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen are some of the most memorable, there’s one who’s truly won over the hearts of fans. After a journey of growth and self-discovery, Arya Stark’s story wrapped up with an open ending, hinting that she’d keep exploring the unknown. With so many new projects in the Got universe, could she make a return? That just might be part of George R. R. Martin’s plan.

Maisie Williams Recently Met With George R. R. Martin George R.

AMC Plus offers hundreds of movies and TV series. The service is available through Philo’s core programming package, which costs $28 per month. (Graphic by The Desk)

AMC Networks is leaning into a strategy that gives its direct-to-consumer streaming service AMC Plus greater visibility by syndicating certain elements of its content library to other streaming services, executives confirmed on Friday.

The evolution of the plan follows what executives considered a successful test run between AMC Networks and Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) last year, during which content from AMC Plus was offered through Wbd-owned streaming service Max for a little over a month.

During the company’s third financial quarter (Q3) of the year, AMC Networks built on those partnerships, launching “The AMC Networks” on Netflix with past episodes of 13 AMC series. It also swapped content with Amazon, sending nine of it shows to MGM Plus while receiving nine MGM Plus...

AMC Networks — the company behind such cable channel brands as AMC, IFC and Sundance TV, as well as such streaming services as AMC+, Acorn TV and horror streamer Shudder — reported a 10 percent drop in third-quarter U.S. advertising revenue to $133 million on Friday. It cited “linear ratings declines and a challenging ad market, partly offset by digital and advanced advertising revenue growth.”

Quarterly affiliate revenue decreased 13 percent to $164 million, “primarily due to basic subscriber declines.”

After returning to streaming subscriber growth in the third quarter of last year after two quarters of declines, the company added around 200,000 users in the latest quarter to end September with a total of 11.8 million subs, compared with 11.6 million as of the end of June.

Original series on AMC in the third quarter included The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – the Book of Carol, starring Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride; season 4 of the dystopian Snowpiercer, starring...

After hitting it big in the late 90s, thanks to Dharma & Greg‘s unexpected success, which earned her a Golden Globe win, Jenna Elfman’s presence in showbiz dwindled out in the years that followed. While the actress has starred in several sitcoms since, those releases weren’t able to replicate the buzz of Dharma & Greg, which lasted for five seasons.

Dharma & Greg | Credit: ABC

Another major factor has been the actress’ devotion to Scientology and her personal life. Moreover, it seems Elfman is quite contained with her life outside of showbiz.

Jenna Elfman Spoke Highly of Her Affiliation With Scientology Jenna Elfman | Credit: Dharma & Greg/ABC

Since being introduced to Scientology in the mid-90s, courtesy of Bodhi Elfman, with whom she had been married for the past three decades at this point, Jenna Elfman has been quite vocal about her stance on Scientology.

Related Tom Cruise...

AMC Networks has revealed a teaser trailer and first-look images from the highly-anticipated upcoming season of its hit noir drama, Dark Winds, which will return with all new episodes exclusively on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, March 9 at 9pm Et/Pt. The first two seasons of the critically lauded series both have perfect 100-point scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Dark Winds stars Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten and Deanna Allison. Ahead of the Season 3 premiere, viewers can catch up on the captivating first two seasons of Dark Winds on AMC+ and via the AMC Collection on Netflix.

The expanded third season, featuring eight episodes, picks up six months after the events of Season 2 and follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Gordon) as they investigate the disappearance of two boys, with only an abandoned bicycle and blood-stained patch of ground left in their wake. Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito (Matten) attempts...

AMC’s Dark Winds is back, and it’s bringing reinforcements. Season 3, arriving March 9, 2025, isn’t just returning; it’s super-sizing itself with eight episodes, a bump up from the previous six. A teaser trailer gives a look at what’s in store, but let’s be real, cryptic is the name of the game here. Six months […]

Dark Winds Season 3 Gets Premiere Date, Longer Episodes, and a Whole Lotta New Faces...

AMC’s released an early teaser for season three of the critically acclaimed drama Dark Winds, along with the first three photos from the upcoming season. “We all have a line that runs down the middle of our heart,” says Leaphorn in the short promo video. “That line separates monsters from men, and I’m afraid I have crossed that line.”

The network’s first season three video confirms a Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 9pm Et/Pt premiere date.

Zahn McClarnon (The Son) and Kiowa Gordon return to lead the cast as Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Jessica Matten (Burden of Truth) reprises her role as Bernadette Manuelito and Deanna Allison (Accused) returns as Emma Leaphorn. A. Martinez (Longmire) is also back in the guest starring role of Scarborough Police Department Acting Chief Gordo Sena.

“The expanded third season, featuring eight episodes, picks up six months after the events of season two and follows Lt.

AMC’s Dark Winds might be the best show you’ve never heard of.

Thankfully, its status as a chronically underrated cult gem hasn’t prevented it from being renewed.

The third season of Dark Winds is set to hit AMC and AMC+ on March 9.

(Courtesy of AMC)

And the network is whetting our appetites with a trailer that fully embraces the noirish nightmare vibes that made the first two seasons so memorable.

Based on the beloved book series by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds has beefed up its cast for its third outing.

TV veterans Jenna Elfman and Bruce Greenwood have signed on as series regulars.

The show also boasts a star-studded roster of executive producers that includes Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin.

The first two seasons of Dark Winds consisted of six tightly plotted episodes.

The show’s episode order has now been expanded, which is perhaps a...

AMC and AMC+‘s acclaimed original series Dark Winds is gearing up for Season 3, and while fans await the show’s return, we’re taking a look at everything we know so far. With the show’s recent arrival on Netflix, Seasons 1 and 2 are more accessible than ever, and luckily even more action is on the way for Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and his deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), as their story continues in 1970s Navajo Nation. Below, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about the forthcoming chapter. When Is Dark Winds Season 3 Filming? Michael Moriatis/AMC Production for Season 3 of Dark Winds began in April 2024 and is still ongoing, according to the New Mexico Film Office, which lists the shoot as still active. AMC teased the show’s progress with a clapperboard photo back in April and has since shared a behind-the-scenes video with star...

It’s a very big day for Dark Winds fans.

We now have a premiere date — Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 9/8c — for the acclaimed AMC drama’s third season, which we now know will span eight episodes (as opposed to the usual six).

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What’s more, you can check out the first Season 3 photos (below), as well as...

Ah, the old Matlock who isn’t really Matlock trick. Who could have possibly seen that coming? After all, the series is called “Matlock.” There’s nothing like drawing in a crowd with a distinguished name only to reveal that no such name exists.

Fortunately, the new Matlock isn’t half bad if you can mentally finagle your way around and through a few plot twists here and there. Gone are the days of simplicity, with intriguing, week-by-week courtroom dramas.

But, despite the new look, vibe, and Kathy Bates, there are some legitimate questions worth asking. This is especially true of the entire premise of that show.

(Brooke Palmer/CBS)

Complexity for the sake of complexity isn’t always as complex as it seems. Does that make sense? Or, maybe it’s not such a big deal after all. For those not in the know (spoiler alert!), “Madeline Matlock” is not really Matlock,...

Was Emma more a victim or a perp?

FBI: Most Wanted’s latest crime gave us a college student who got sucked into violence that she hadn’t planned on or wanted, including her fear of the boyfriend who was responsible for most of it.

The point of the episode was for Nina to connect with Emma and be able to talk her down because of their shared experience of wanting to escape their family’s legacy, but it also was a perfect case study of how trauma can lead people to do horrible things.

(CBS/Mark Schafer) FBI: Most Wanted’s Latest Crime Included A Nuanced Portrait Of An Impressionable College Student

At the beginning of the episode, it was clear that Emma had planned an act of civil disobedience.

Like many real-life young adults protesting climate change, she threw paint on a piece of artwork in a museum...

A lot happened on Law & Order: Svu Season 26 Episode 5, but something was missing.

Benson and the rest of the Svu team took on the issue of sextortion when a reporter attempted to jump off a building after receiving a threat, leading to an investigation of a convoluted scheme to use sexual photos to extort people for money.

Benson worked with two victims and saved the day for one of them, yet the case was underwhelming.

(NBC/Screenshot) Sextortion Is A Serious Crime That Deserved A More Intense Storyline

The cold open on Law & Order: Svu Season 26 Episode 5 was intense, with a sextortion victim quickly going from having a great time on a date to considering jumping off the roof of a building because of a texted threat to send X-rated photos to everyone she knew.

However, Benson was able to talk Kelsey down quickly. This beat felt rushed,...

Netflix has released the trailer for its comedy series “A Man on the Inside.” The series stars “The Good Place” actor Ted Danson and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” alum Mary Elizabeth Ellis as a father- daughter duo. The series was created by Mike Schur and is based on the 2020 documentary feature “The Mole Agent,” which was nominated for an Oscar. The series premieres on Nov. 21.

The eight-episode series follows a retired professor (Danson) who decides to move into the Pacific View Retirement Home in San Francisco in order to help a private investigator, Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada), find a missing heirloom. He also reconnects with his estranged daughter, Emily (Ellis).

Watch the trailer below.

Trailers/ First Looks

HBO has unveiled a series of first look images for Warner Bros. Television’s drama series “It: Welcome to Derry.”

The show, based on the original novel “It” by Stephen King, is...

Fans have been practically Dying to know when they’ll finally see The Winds of Winter! George R.R. Martin has been working on this long-awaited addition to his A Song of Ice and Fire series since 2010. After years of anticipation and endless questions, he’s now decided to throw in the towel on making predictions.

George R. R. Martin | Credits: Gage Skidmore licensed by Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

So, until that fateful day, fans are left to remember the series and keep dreaming, because let’s face it, the only thing longer than the Wall right now might be the wait!

George R.R. Martin Resigns from Making Predictions on The Winds of Winter Release Date

Although George R.R. Martin has confidently stated that he has completed around three-quarters of The Winds of Winter, his writing journey has been anything but, well…smooth. He has a tendency to get sidetracked.

Lyn Lear has a favorite “Normanism” — the term coined to describe the late TV legend Norman Lear’s various adages, sayings and maxims about life. For Lyn, it was whenever Norman would offer his farewells by saying, “To be continued.”

“It’s when people would leave, because he always wanted to see them again,” she says. “I like that idea of things continuing and growing and getting better. That’s what I think he meant by that term.”

Lyn Lear is currently compiling all of Norman Lear’s most memorable quotes and philosophies about life for a book that she hopes to publish in the next year. “Norman had written his memoirs [2014’s ““Even This I Get to Experience”], but he always wanted to write a book on his philosophy of life,” she says. “He had these wonderful Nomanisms like ‘over, next.’ As in, ‘when it’s over, it’s over, you gotta move on to next.

Hollywood, Health & Society, a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, unveiled its winners for this year’s Sentinel Awards on Wednesday, ahead of its celebratory ceremony on Oct. 24.

Hh&s has presented the Sentinel Awards for nearly 25 years, recognizing some of the best TV storylines that responsibly inform audiences on critical topics, including climate change, racism, abortion and addiction.

The ceremony, held at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, will be hosted by comedian and Saturday Night Live veteran Laraine Newman, with presenters including Sarayu Blue from Expats, Matt Shively and Selenis Leyva of Lopez vs Lopez and Yeardley Smith from The Simpsons.

“Television has the power to affect audiences’ perceptions and influence how they view and engage with the world. While entertainment is vital, it should never compromise accuracy, especially when addressing important topics — a hallmark of Norman Lear’s legacy. Thoughtful and responsible storytelling can educate,...

The 2024 Sentinel Awards has unveiled its winners ahead of next week’s ceremony, when awards will be handed out at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills to honor TV series including Grey’s Anatomy, The Morning Show, Abbott Elementary and Hacks.

Presented by Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, the Sentinel Awards recognize writers for meaningful and accurate portrayals onscreen on such timely topics as abortion, systemic racism, climate change and mental health. Laraine Newman is set to host the upcoming October 24 ceremony.

Hh&s has presented the Sentinel Awards for nearly 25 years, aiming to recognize some of the past year’s best TV that “responsibly informs audiences on critical topics.”

“Television has the power to affect audiences’ perceptions and influence how they view and engage with the world. While entertainment is vital, it should never compromise accuracy, especially when addressing important topics — a hallmark of Norman Lear’s legacy,...

ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” is set to be honored next week with a Sentinel Award, which will recognize the series’ entire body of work over the past 20 seasons (and heading into Season 21) when it comes to promoting the culture of health. That’s one of eleven awards set to be given out on Thursday, October 24, as the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center’s Hollywood, Health & Society program recognizes series that make a difference in informing viewers about important issues.

Other shows set to be honored include Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” for its discussion on abortion, NBC’s “Lopez vs. Lopez” for tackling addiction, Fox’s “The Simpsons” for looking at wealth disparity, Max’s “Hacks” for touching on the climate crisis, AMC’s “Dark Winds” for its story focus on racism in healthcare, ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” on taking on the dangers of smoking and vaping, and more.

“Abbott Elementary,” “The Morning Show,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Hacks” are among the 11 television shows that will be honored at the Sentinel Awards, which are determined by USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center’s Hollywood, Health & Society program.

“The Simpsons,” “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans,” “Expats,” “Lopez vs Lopez,” “Gen V,” “The Big Cigar” and “Dark Winds” have also been tapped to receive awards at the ceremony, which is set to take place Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, California.

Programs are recognized for creating television storylines that responsibly informs audiences on various critical topics and have made an impact.

“Grey’s Anatomy” will be feted for its overall depiction of healthcare over the course of its two-decade run. “The Morning Show” is being lauded for its portrayal of abortion in the Season 3 episode, “The Kármán Line,” while “Abbott Elementary” is being honored for its depiction of smoking and vaping in the Season 3 episode,...

The winners of the 2024 Sentinel Awards, organized by Hollywood, Health & Society (Hh&s), a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, were just announced in advance of the ceremony that will take place on Thursday, October 24 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, CA.

Made in order to recognize some of the past year’s best TV entertainment that responsibly informs audiences on critical topics, this year’s list of Sentinel Award winners include “The Morning Show,” “Abbott Elementary,” and “Hacks,” for the shows’ approach toward tackling important subjects like the abortion, smoking, and climate consciousness, respectively. Last year, the ceremony took place the evening after Norman Lear’s passing, giving the industry their first chance to mourn the TV giant, and cementing the event as a celebration of his life and impact as well.

Comedian, writer, “SNL” alum, and The Groundlings founding member Laraine Newman will...

Exclusive: Rebecca De Mornay, Noah Emmerich, Kunal Nayyar and Sarah Bolger have joined the feature take of Howard Roughan legal thriller novel The Up and Comer.

The Up and Comer delves into the seemingly perfect life of Philip Randall (Nate Mann), a brilliant attorney poised to become the youngest partner at his prestigious firm. Philip’s idyllic world begins to unravel when a former prep-school classmate (Andrew Burnap) threatens to reveal a devastating secret involving another woman (Shay Mitchell). Suddenly caught in a high stakes game of blackmail, murder and revenge, Philip is forced to risk everything only to face the greatest danger of all – winning.

Chris Long is directing the movie in Chicago. Pic is produced by Jeremy Alter, Roughan, Gary B. Goldman, and Long. New York Times bestselling author Roughan adapted his his novel, with casting led by Sheila Jaffe and Bryan Riley.

Risky Business and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle...

Welcome to WiC Weekly, where we recap all the latest and greatest goings-on here on this website dedicated to all things sci-fi, fantasy, movies, books and TV. First up, we have an early review of the new season of Daryl Dixon, and it is going to blow your head clean off:

Early review: Daryl Dixon season 2 is an all-time high for The Walking Dead: https://t.co/9iwTSEeyOL https://t.co/9iwTSEeyOL

— Winter is Coming (@WiCnet) September 29, 2024

Next up, George R.R. Martin gets flack for working on projects other than The Winds of Winter, but when they're this good, it's hard to complaint:

How George R.R. Martin became involved in AMC's excellent Dark Winds series: https://t.co/ZDfpthmSYz https://t.co/ZDfpthmSYz

— Winter is Coming (@WiCnet) September 29, 2024

Back to The Walking Dead, we interviewed a writer on the Daryl Dixon show to get her perspective on...

Let's talk about TV ratings! What shows are doing well and which are tanking? The new hot show on the block this week is The Penguin, a spinoff of The Batman starring a heavily made-up Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobb, Batman's nemesis in the making. Critics, including us, love the gritty, Sopranos-esque crime drama, and it looks like viewers are right there with us. Per Variety, HBO says that The Penguin nabbed 5.3 million viewers for its premiere episode within four days of its release across both HBO and Max. That's better than the season 4 premiere of Succession and the season 2 premiere of The White Lotus, two other top-tier HBO dramas, although below the take for the season 4 premiere of True Detective: Night Country. And The Penguin got the best numbers for a new series on Max since 2022's The Last of Us.

Those are the numbers from HBO. Samba TV,...

If stories like Se7en and Dark Winds have taught us anything, it is that crime thrillers get real addictive when they are tinged with religious undertones—the question of faith and disbelief always strike up the best conversation when the worst of human follies are in discussion. Ryan Murphy, who at this point has become a legendary name on the small screen scene thanks to his prolonged successful career, which includes creating American Horror Stories, has decided to use the concoction of crime and faith to the best effect, as his latest series, Grotesquerie, premiering on FX, vividly showcases. With just enough psychological dread induced by physical violence and an eerie vibe pervading through most of the scenes, combined with a palpable sense of tension and hopelessness, the pilot episode hooks viewers in almost instantaneously and is able to justify the narrative choice of a team-up of a detective and...

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power opened to big viewing numbers in the United States — just not as big as its first season.

The Prime Video series amassed 1.02 billion minutes of viewing in the United States for the week of Aug. 26-Sept. 1, good for first place among original series and second among all titles in Nielsen’s streaming rankings. Season two premiered on Aug. 29 with three episodes, and Nielsen says about 70 percent of the show’s weekly total was for those three, with the remainder devoted to season one. (Viewing totals on the ratings service’s charts cover all episodes of a series.)

The 1.02 billion minutes is down about 19 percent from season one’s opening week (1.25 billion) in August 2022. The Rings of Power ranks third among Prime Video series U.S. opening weeks this year behind Fallout (2.9 billion minutes) and The Boys (1.19 billion...

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” took the second position of Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings for Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, during which the first three episodes of Season 2 were available for four days. The Amazon Prime Video series was watched for 1 billion minutes during that time.

This does, however, mark a drop in viewership from the opening of Season 1. In 2022, the series debuted with 1.3 billion minutes watched — and that was spread across only two episodes. If Season 1 had dropped with three episodes as Season 2 did, its total would have been even higher. Additionally, the new billion-minute total also accounts for all viewership of Season 1 during the week of Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, during which many viewers were likely rewatching earlier episodes or discovering them for the first time.

To the series’ credit, Nielsen only accounts for viewership in the U.S., and Amazon consistently touts that “The Rings...

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power returned to the Nielsen streaming charts in the last week of August following the debut of Season 2.

The series drew just over 1B minutes viewed from August 26 to September 1, with three new episodes launching on August 29, putting it at No. 2 on the overall list. Nielsen doesn’t separate titles by season, but the company did say that about 70% of the viewing for this interval came from the new episodes.

That’s a decline from Season 1’s debut week, when the series racked up more than 1.2B minutes viewed across just two episodes — as opposed to the 11 that became available during this interval. Those two episodes also premiered mid week, meaning that Season 1 had just four days to rack up that total across those two episodes.

While the new episodes of Season 2 also had four days of availability during this interval, the eight...

Dark Winds is a phycological crime thriller from AMC (the first two seasons are now available to watch on Netflix), based on novels written by the late Tony Hillerman. These novels take place on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, and the show features Indigenous crew members, writers, actors, and directors.

The two biggest names involved on the show, however, are a couple of well-known Hollywood icons: actor and director Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin, the author behind the Song of Ice and Fire series. While both have been around the entertainment industry for a very long time, they usually are associated with completely different types of projects.

How did George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford get involved in Dark Winds?

Martin moved to New Mexico in the late 1970s and eventually met Hillerman. According to James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter, the two authors became good friends.

AMC made a bet earlier this year that licensing a number of its shows to Netflix would help them find more viewers. That bet appears to have paid off.

Two AMC shows, Dark Winds and A Discovery of Witches, are among the top 10 streaming titles for the week of Aug. 19-25. They were added to Netflix at the beginning of that week as part of a deal struck in July to place about a dozen AMC shows on the service, complete with branding as the “AMC Collection.” (The shows will be available for 12 months.)

It’s not new territory for AMC, which partially credited Netflix for a huge spike in ratings for Breaking Bad’s final season and has also licensed The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul, among others, to the streamer in the past.

Dark Winds drew 929 million minutes of viewing for the week, good for fourth place overall.

AMC is the latest to benefit from the Netflix effect, with A Discovery of Witches and Dark Winds jumping onto the Nielsen charts in the week the series debuted on the streamer.

Dark Winds tallied 929M minutes viewed from August 19 to August 25 with a strong concentration among the 50+ audience, Nielsen reported Thursday. With only 12 episodes across two seasons, it’s an outsized success for the series, putting it at fourth place on the overall charts.

Meanwhile, A Discovery of Witches racked up 849M minutes viewed from August 19 to August 25, which put it at No. 7 on the overall list. Both Dark Winds and A Discovery of Witches landed on the streamer on August 19, making this quite an impressive first week for the series.

A Discovery of Witches drew 48% of its audience from the 18-49 demo, making its performance all the more impressive, as the younger, streaming-forward age group is generally the most coveted.

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Dark Winds is a crime thriller series created by Graham Roland. The AMC series is based on a Leaphorn & Chee novel series written by Tony Hillerman. Dark Winds is set in the 1970s Southwest and it follows the story of two Navajo police officers Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) as they go up against their dark past and evil forces to maintain peace in their community. So if you loved the dangerous crimes, thrilling mysteries, and compelling lead characters in Dark Winds here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Longmire Credit – A&e

Longmire is a neo-Western crime drama series developed by John Coveny and Hunt Baldwin. Based on the Walt Longmire Mysteries book series by author Craig Johnson, the Netflix series follows the story of the sheriff of Absaroka County in Wyoming,...

It seems like fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series will not be seeing The Winds of Winter anytime soon as the author revealed that he could only finish up a few new pages in the past year. The penultimate novel in the series has been in limbo for the past thirteen years with Martin giving updates every now and then.

Martin wrote in a new blog post that he has had a tough year and has not been able to work properly on the novels. He wrote that the death of a friend and multiple other factors have caused him to not be able to concentrate on his work. Fans, however, seem to be tired of the reasons and delays after thirteen years of waiting.

George R.R. Martin Reveals Why The Winds of Winter Is Not Done Yet George R.R. Martin...

Last week, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin openly criticized HBO's Game of Thrones prequel show House of the Dragon, calling it out for cutting an important character from his book Fire & Blood and teasing that there were "larger and more toxic" changes in the works. Considering how vastly different season 2 of House of the Dragon was from the book, that's not hard to believe. But Martin took down the caustic blog post soon after it went up. Did he think twice about criticizing the show so openly? Did HBO, which released a statement responding to the post, ask him to remove it? We don't know.

But whatever the reason he removed it, Martin is still willing to throw shade at House of the Dragon, even if by omission. In a new blog post, he writes about some of the stressors he's been under recently, talking...

Netflix has found the formula for audience attention amid the waning days of summer and back-to-school season, and it involves one part Halle Berry, one part Mark Wahlberg, and a lot of action.

The two Hollywood A-listers have given Netflix a major streaming hit, as their action comedy “The Union” is the most-watched program for the third consecutive week on the Samba TV Weekly Wrap Report.

“Industry” comes in behind “The Union” this week, as the buzzy HBO and Max series climbs the chart from No. 6 last week.

Netflix holds the next four spots on this week’s chart. “Worst Ex Ever,” the streamer’s latest true-crime docuseries, “dissects the dark side of love” and comes in third this week. No. 4 is “The Accident,” a Mexican drama series.

“The Deliverance,” at No. 5 , is a horror film with even more star power in it than “The Union.” Led by Oscar winner Mo’Nique,...

Streaming services continue to rule the world of entertainment – and we’re not complaining! The more the merrier, am I right? But shouldn’t we also prioritize quality over quantity? I think so! And that's why we're Show Snobs. That said, not every single show out right now is worth watching. So we're here to help! Which series have you not been able to get enough of these days? Is it one of the shows that made it to this week’s top 10? There’s only one way to find out!

It’s not surprising at all to find Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as the No. 1 most-watched series on streaming. Not only did it only recently premiere its second season, but it has had a massive following since it arrived. Mostly thanks to the movie franchise, sure, but it’s also a truly brilliant adventure.

AMC Networks and Spectrum parent Charter Communications have reached an early renewal for their multiyear carriage deal.

Top AMC series include “The Walking Dead” franchise, the Annie Rice adaptations “Interview with the Vampire” and “Mayfair Witches,” “Dark Winds,” “Gangs of London” and other shows across AMC-owned cable networks BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and We TV.

As part of the new pact, the ad-supported version of AMC Networks’ streaming service AMC+, which offers same-day access to all original AMC series and content from Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, will be included at no additional cost for Charter’s Spectrum TV Select customers. Charter will make AMC+ available for purchase to its internet-only customers.

Financial terms of the renewal agreement between Charter and AMC Networks were not disclosed.

“This agreement with AMC Networks supports our goal of enhancing the value and variety of premium entertainment content available to our customers,...

New episodes of Yellowstone are right around the corner! Yellowstone season 5 part 2 premieres on Nov. 10, 2024. In fact, the new trailer for the series just dropped, too!

It’s been so long since the first half of Yellowstone season 5 ended on Jan. 1, 2023. Almost two years will have passed by the time all six episodes in season 5 part 2 air. And, unfortunately, you do have a fair bit of time until the show returns.

Luckily, we picked out seven shows like Yellowstone to watch while you wait for Yellowstone season 5 part 2! We didn’t include 1923 or 1883 for obvious reasons, but we highly recommend watching those, as well!

Tulsa King

We know Yellowstone fans, more often than not, are fans of creator Taylor Sheridan. Well, good news! Sheridan has a bunch of TV shows that you need to watch. Up first on the list is Tulsa King starring Sylvester Stallone. Garrett Hedlund, Andrea Savage,...

It's another big week in the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, movies, TV and books. We're running through all of it in another installment of WiC Weekly, where we go over the biggest stories to hit the website in the past seven days.

We've got to start with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which returned for its second season this week. The first three episodes were dropped all at once on Thursday. Our impressions:

The Rings of Power returns with bold visuals, okay drama (Episodes 201-203 review): https://t.co/oSV8zT3Bta https://t.co/oSV8zT3Bta

— Winter is Coming (@WiCnet) September 1, 2024

A Song of Ice and Fire author George has been talking a lot about his opinions lately, and we're lapping it up. Obviously, we have to mention his latest update, such as it is, on The Winds of Winter:

George R.R. Martin...

The AMC show Dark Winds is being exposed to a larger audience thanks to it arriving on Netflix, where you can stream both seasons yet produced right now. The show has both George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford listed as the headlining executive producers, and it is based on books written by the late novelist Tony Hillerman.

The action takes place on the Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico in the 1970s. Dark Winds is told mainly from the point of view of a tribal police lieutenant named Joe Leaphorn.

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin was smart to attach his name to Dark Winds

Crime thrillers are a dime a dozen on television and streaming services, but Dark Winds is unique in many ways. Its locale is definitely not one we often see. It's shot on location in Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Utah. This adds...

Netflix continues to give new life to forgotten films, underseen series, and flat-out flops. This year we've observed the Netflix effect multiple times, with Mexican comedy thriller "Non Negotiable" shooting to the top of the streamer's charts worldwide back in August. The month prior saw Italian thriller "Vanished into the Night" dominate Netflix, and in April Netflix breathed new life into Renny Harlin's forgotten action movie "The Bricklayer."

Now, it's time for British series "A Discovery of Witches" to benefit from the streamer's remarkable powers of resuscitation. An adaptation of Deborah Harkness' "All Souls" book trilogy, the show stars Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop, a reluctant witch who is forced to embrace her magical abilities after discovering a highly sought-after manuscript which makes her a target for the various fantastical creatures secretly living among humankind. Matthew Goode co-stars as Matthew Clairmont, a vampire who aids Diana on her journey.

Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon are back to lead the cast of Dark Winds Season 2. 

Created by Graham Roland, Dark Winds is a crime thriller series from AMC+ that focuses on Joe Leaphorn as he takes on different cases while unpacking a journey anchored by his heart of darkness. 

The series is based on Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee novels. Dark Winds Season 2 premiered on AMC+ on July 30, 2023.

Read full article on The Direct.

It's the last full week of August, a month that has brought so many great new Netflix shows and movies. Throughout the past month, the streaming service has released the latest seasons of fan favorite shows like The Umbrella Academy, Unstable, and Emily in Paris, while also debuting hit movies and docuseries such as The Union and American Murder: Laci Peterson.

Even though this week's a bit on the lighter side when it comes to Netflix new releases (there are only 10 new titles hitting the streamer this week), there are still plenty of can't-miss movies and shows primed to fill up our watch lists. Following last week's explosion of AMC series, this week's the perfect week to catch up on what you've missed and/or try out some new Netflix originals.

Going into the last week of August, a number of carryover titles remain in the top 10, from a number...