2017
http://nerdist.com/love-judd-apatow-paul-rust-gillian-jacobs-netflix/
Few networks would dare take a chance on Love. Even with blockbuster comedy king Judd Apatow on board as one its co-creators–alongside Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin–the snarky series that centers on the gnarly romance of a pair of thirty-something losers is a bit too offbeat and sardonic for most studios to gamble on, much less give it a season two. But Netflix isn’t most studios.
Rust said as much during Netflix’s panel day in February, noting that Love’s first-ever episode would have been radically different had it gone through the pilot process of broadcast television. “We knew having the two characters meet at the end of the pilot, that was something that we wouldn’t be able to do on a network.” He explained during the Dare to be Different panel. “The first note would be, can’t they meet in the first scene? And can it be cute?”
Bucking romantic comedy conventions like the enviable meet-cute, Love centers on a pair of deeply flawed singles, who are definitely not made for each other. But try as they might, “fake-nice” Gus (Rust) and reckless Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) can’t seem to escape their compelling but potentially caustic chemistry. In season one, the pair has a not-so-cute meet over cigarettes, went on a disastrous date, ran into Andy Dick, and flung Blu-rays to the wind. But with season two coming in March, is it possible the pair might finally make their weird romance work?
In the panels, Rust revealed a major virtue of Netflix productions is that they shoot all at once, and not over the course of the show’s airing, which might make creators susceptible to fan response. “I want to be liked. Everybody wants to be liked,” Rust confessed of the urge to pander to a fandom. “I feel like knowing that we’re not going week to week and reading a recap and being like oh, ‘They like this. Let’s try to shape it into that.’ It keeps you honest which is good.”
When Nerdist sat down with Rust, Jacobs, and Apatow, we followed up to see how Love‘s media coverage impacted the creator/star’s approach to the second season. And amid much kidding and shenanigans, we learned some of what’s in store for season two, including the return of Andy Dick, and the addition of David Spade, Randall Park, and Paula Pell to the cast!
Love season two will hit Netflix on March 10, 2017.
With season three already announced, who would you like to see join Love next?
Few networks would dare take a chance on Love. Even with blockbuster comedy king Judd Apatow on board as one its co-creators–alongside Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin–the snarky series that centers on the gnarly romance of a pair of thirty-something losers is a bit too offbeat and sardonic for most studios to gamble on, much less give it a season two. But Netflix isn’t most studios.
Rust said as much during Netflix’s panel day in February, noting that Love’s first-ever episode would have been radically different had it gone through the pilot process of broadcast television. “We knew having the two characters meet at the end of the pilot, that was something that we wouldn’t be able to do on a network.” He explained during the Dare to be Different panel. “The first note would be, can’t they meet in the first scene? And can it be cute?”
Bucking romantic comedy conventions like the enviable meet-cute, Love centers on a pair of deeply flawed singles, who are definitely not made for each other. But try as they might, “fake-nice” Gus (Rust) and reckless Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) can’t seem to escape their compelling but potentially caustic chemistry. In season one, the pair has a not-so-cute meet over cigarettes, went on a disastrous date, ran into Andy Dick, and flung Blu-rays to the wind. But with season two coming in March, is it possible the pair might finally make their weird romance work?
In the panels, Rust revealed a major virtue of Netflix productions is that they shoot all at once, and not over the course of the show’s airing, which might make creators susceptible to fan response. “I want to be liked. Everybody wants to be liked,” Rust confessed of the urge to pander to a fandom. “I feel like knowing that we’re not going week to week and reading a recap and being like oh, ‘They like this. Let’s try to shape it into that.’ It keeps you honest which is good.”
When Nerdist sat down with Rust, Jacobs, and Apatow, we followed up to see how Love‘s media coverage impacted the creator/star’s approach to the second season. And amid much kidding and shenanigans, we learned some of what’s in store for season two, including the return of Andy Dick, and the addition of David Spade, Randall Park, and Paula Pell to the cast!
Love season two will hit Netflix on March 10, 2017.
With season three already announced, who would you like to see join Love next?
Oscar® time is upon us once again, meaning it’s time to make some predictions about who or what will take home the naked golden guy statuette at this year’s ceremony. I’m only giving commentary on the categories where I saw the most films (basically, the Big Six) or have other strong feelings (i.e., the other three categories I talk about). How do my picks compare to yours? Let’s get to it!
BEST PICTURE: Arrival, Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, Hidden Figures, La La Land, Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight
I’ve eliminated Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, and Fences from my equation because they don’t have a lot of “winner’s buzz” going into the ceremony. Sadly for Arrival and Hell or High Water, the buzz isn’t there, either; it’s a shame because both pack an emotional wallop and excellent performances from all involved. Hidden Figures was good as far as biopics go, but the story told is somewhat superficial; I never felt like I got to know the women behind the accomplishments, save for Katherine (Taraji P. Henson), which is a problem, and for such an important story, it was a little too by-the-book.
Of the remaining films, La La Land is the favorite to win, and it’s not hard to see why: the leads, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (both nominated for their performances), are likeable, the story is about Hollywood—something Hollywood likes to reward—and the film overall is well-directed and engagingly presented. It’s also already won a carload of awards. Manchester by the Sea is a powerful depiction of grief and depression, but it may be too much of a downer to get the big prize. Moonlight’s thoughtful and touching portrayal of a young black man coming to terms with his homosexuality has the potential to be a spoiler, though; it just took home six Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best Director, and there was a lot of love for it displayed under the tent. Considering there’s been something of a backlash against La La Land, another film coming in to snatch victory could happen.
MY PREDICTION: My personal pick for best picture of the year, Silence, wasn’t nominated, so I’ll go with my second favorite and predict La La Land wins. It’s a truly wonderful film and deserves the big prize.
BEST ACTOR: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea; Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge; Ryan Gosling, La La Land; Denzel Washington, Fences; Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Affleck has been the front-runner (in my mind, at least), pretty much since Manchester by the Sea came out. His is a nuanced, understated performance, pitch perfect to match the profound sadness of the film. He’s also been dogged by controversy this awards season (Affleck was sued for sexual harassment by two different women who worked on his picture, I’m Still Here; he denied the allegations and both cases were settled out of court). Of the rest, Garfield should have been nominated for deeper work in Silence; Gosling, though fantastic in La La Land, doesn’t seem to really be in the conversation; Washington already snagged a SAG award for his work in Fences, but the staginess of the entire film may work against him here; and Mortensen, like Bryan Cranston before him in Trumbo, gave a great performance in what was otherwise a mediocre, predictable film.
MY PREDICTION: Affleck wins. I would not be surprised in the least if the controversy means he gets upset by Washington or Mortensen, though.
BEST ACTRESS: Isabelle Huppert, Elle; Ruth Negga, Loving; Natalie Portman, Jackie; Emma Stone, La La Land; Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins
Streep is Streep, which is to say her acting is always worth watching. Portman and Negga also got good notices for their work. Bigger buzz, though, surrounds Stone, who is the living heart of La La Land; her character Mia’s journey from self-doubt to self-assured was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Huppert, however, took a very complex and at times frustrating character and made her compelling and watchable. Elle is a strange, fascinating work, and Huppert is never less than magnetic.
MY PREDICTION: The best performance by an actress was Amy Adams in Arrival, but she wasn’t nominated, to my great consternation. Although Stone is favored, I’m going out on a limb and predicting Huppert walks away with the win. I’m probably totally wrong. It will totally be Stone.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis, Fences; Naomie Harris, Moonlight; Nicole Kidman, Lion; Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures; Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea
Viola Davis has been winning award after award for her stunning work in Fences. There’s really nothing to discuss, except to say Harris, Spencer, and Williams were all great in their roles (I haven’t seen Lion yet). Well, I will add that if anyone from Hidden Figures should have been nominated in this category, it should have been Taraji P. Henson, whose character seemed to have the most screen time and the most fully realized arc. This is not a knock on Spencer at all; I feel simply that Henson gave a stronger performance.
MY PREDICTION: Davis is a lock. 
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight; Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water; Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea; Dev Patel, Lion; Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals
I saw all the films except Lion. I liked everyone nominated, but I feel like I’ve seen Bridges do similar acting in other roles (even though it works well in Hell or High Water); Shannon is good, but Nocturnal Animals is a divisive film; Hedges is also quite good, but he’s young and should have another shot. That leaves Ali, whose brief but important role in Moonlight has been justly awarded at other ceremonies. That I spent part of the time wishing his role was bigger shows the impact he made.
MY PREDICTION: Ali continues his winning streak and takes home the award.
BEST DIRECTOR: Arrival, Denis Villeneuve; Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson; La La Land, Damien Chazelle; Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan; Moonlight, Barry Jenkins
Chazelle, who directed the marvelous Whiplash, has already won the Director’s Guild Award for La La Land, a prime indicator that he will win Oscar® gold (the winner of the DGA usually goes on to win the Academy Award). La La Land is a triumph under his steady hand. I wouldn’t mind seeing Villeneuve, Lonergan, or Jenkins get the award, as I loved all their films and they all have distinct styles that served their films well.
MY PREDICTION: Chazelle wins.
BEST ANIMATED SHORT: Blind Vaysha, Borrowed Time, Pear Cider and Cigarettes, Pearl, Piper
MY PREDICTION: I already chose Piper to win in my article on the animated shorts and my mind has not changed.
Here’s what I think about three other potential winners on Sunday night:
Best Original Screenplay: If there’s a sweep, La La Land wins here. If the Academy is spreading the love around, though, Hell or High Water or Manchester by the Sea probably have better chances over The Lobster (a horror film, basically, and horror is rarely rewarded here) and 20th Century Women.
Best Adapted Screenplay: The nominees are Arrival (Eric Heisserer); Fences (August Wilson); Hidden Figures (Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder); Lion (Luke Davies); and Moonlight (Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney). Of these, Moonlight is probably going to win.
Best Animated Feature: I’ve seen Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana, and Zootopia, and of those three, I’d pick Zootopia; even though I enjoyed them all, Zootopia has the strongest script. I’ve heard good things about My Life as a Zucchini and The Red Turtle, but have no idea what their chances are.
WNBA All-star Skylar Diggins of The Dallas Wings is behind a three-part docuseries, Little Ballers Indiana, which premieres Friday, March 3, 2017, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT), on Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons cable TV network channel, during the NickSports primetime block. The program aims to prove that girls are among the best basketball players in the country.
What to Expect From Little Ballers Indiana
Little Ballers Indiana tells the story of a diverse group of six, young, female basketball players in Diggins’ hometown of South Bend, Indiana. The series also features interviews with current and former WNBA players, including Lisa Leslie, Tamika Catchings, Elena Delle Donne, Candice Wiggins, Niele Ivey, and Chamique Holdsclaw.
About WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins
According to the press release, “Diggins is a five-time USA Basketball gold medalist; two-time WNBA All-star starter; a 2015 ESPY winner; 2014’s WNBA Most Improved Player; and a four-time college All-American.” While playing for Notre Dame, Diggins was ranked first in points and steals and led her team to a record of 35-2. Now a point guard for the Dallas Wings, Diggins considers herself to be a fitness guru and growing fashion icon. She aspires to be a role model for young women and girls, proving that “it’s possible to be a strong woman in the spotlight.”
As executive producer of Little Ballers Indiana, an NAACP Image Award nominee, Diggins teamed up with Lupe Fiasco, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Crystal McCrary, the creator and director of the critically-acclaimed BET docuseries Leading Women and Leading Men, to bring the series to fruition.
Championing for Black Girls
“As a content creator, it is extremely challenging to get programming on television that shows young black girls and their positive relationships with their fathers—depictions that are not caricatures or rooted in comedy,” says Crystal McCrary, director of Little Ballers Indiana, in a released statement.
“One of my goals in making the Little Ballers series was to show the strength and complexity of black families. It was also important to be a champion for our girls, to celebrate their strength, their differences, their brilliance: Strong girls, unapologetic girls, conscientious girls, deaf girls, girls with vitiligo, mixed girls, girls who don’t back down, black young girls who love their hair, their skin, their bodies, their fathers, their mothers, their families, their communities,” she adds.
Catch the Little Ballers Indiana Premiere
According to a press release, Little Ballers Indiana joins the NickSports primetime TV block, which airs on Nickelodeon’s Nicktoons cable network channel every Friday night from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (ET/PT) and features a lineup of sports themed content, including series, specials, and documentaries from professional leagues and key athletes.
The Little Ballers Indiana premiere will kick-off the NickSports lineup on Friday, March 3, 2017, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT)—you won’t want to miss it!