TV truth: Summer goes faster now that there are so many different shows to watch and there's a whole summer season where once spread only a vast wasteland of re-runs and reality shows. Plus: Netflix binge-watching of all the shows you didn't have time for in the winter and spring. Plus: Netflix streaming originals. Plus: real life off the tube. Yet as lovely as the summer season has been, everyone knows The Big Season is fall. The major debuts with the biggest stars are all fall. The summer season has sometimes seemed a little like one big trailer for fall, with the nonstop promos for the hot new shows. Truth be told, they all (or mostly all) look great, and some we really can't wait to see.
Is there anyone who isn't waiting for Stephen Colbert to slip into David Letterman's old seat on CBS' top-rated The Late Show? The promos have been funny, Colbert was mostly funny (sometimes we wearied of the shtick), and we want to know what comes next. Usually comedians go from network to cable, like Conan O'Brien, not the other way round, and one of Colbert's promos plays on that fact. Colbert holds up a male puppy with a black box over its penis which he points to, incredulous. Yet the majority of TV watchers, cable and Netflix and the Web aside, are still watching, yes, network. Or network shows on cable or Netflix. The interesting news about network this season is the slow and steady takeover by some key gay showrunners and some big new series with gay and lesbian leads.
But first, Colbert. For those like us who were wearying of the shtick well before Colbert left Comedy Central, that Colbert is done, over, kaput. According to CBS News, Colbert's "test run" this summer with a public-access program in Monroe, Michigan, where he interviewed rapper and Detroit native Eminem, was a preview of the "new" Colbert. What we want to know, and won't until the show debuts on Sept. 8 on CBS, is how Colbert will handle politics. His first guests will be George Clooney and Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. Clooney leans decidedly left, and Jeb leans more right by the hour.
Last week Colbert told reporters at the Television Critics Association tour, "I got into comedy to do improvisation. When you're interviewing people, you don't know what's going to happen, and that's much closer to how I learned my craft." Colbert is the cover interview for September's GQ mag. One thing Colbert says that struck us is he wants to do something that "feels wrong."
Colbert says, "I just want to do things that scratch an itch for me. That itch is often something that feels wrong. It's wrong because it breaks convention or is unexpected or at times uncomfortable. I like that feeling." We like the sound of that, and hope it means Colbert will take Jeb on in the way his predecessor, David Letterman, always took on politicians. One of Colbert's promos for the show features Mitt Romney in a very funny bit that makes us think Romney would make a good sidekick for Colbert. But we shall see. One of the things we liked most that Colbert said in that GQ interview? He's grateful to be alive. We happen to think there's not nearly enough gratitude out there, so go Colbert. We will definitely be watching the roll-out.
We will also be watching the roll-out of Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, which debuts Sept. 15 on NBC. Harris was the first TV actor to come out as gay while still working in the medium and the first openly gay man to host every major awards show: the Tonys, Emmys and Oscars. In his recent book Choose Your Own Autobiography, NPH revealed how a kiss on the mouth from Burt Reynolds during filming on B.L. Stryker may have sealed the deal that he was gay.
One thing NPH says that we loved, we think should be embroidered on pillows. Coming to terms with his own gayness he says, "You are gay. You know that you are; you like that you are; you're proud that you are. You are totally gay, and it's wonderful." Tell the kids. Tell the married guys on the down-low. Tell yourselves on those bad days.
This summer NPH was a guest judge on NBC's America's Got Talent, which is our fave variety/contest show. Better than American Idol, better than So You Think You Can Dance?, better than The Voice. We think NPH's new show will be a lot like AGT, and that makes us interested in watching. We have been loving James Corden's revision of The Late Late Show on CBS, which is very variety-ish in a special kind of British way. If you aren't watching Corden, do check out his show. He's delightful and very pro-gay. Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris is hosted and co-produced by NPH and is an American adaptation of the British variety series Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. No, we never heard of it, either, but then we never heard of Pop Idol before American Idol. Best Time Ever will feature appearances by A-list stars, stunts, comedy skits, various performances, mini game shows, audience giveaways and hidden-camera pranks. Think The Carol Burnett Show or The Ed Sullivan Show .
It sounds like a packed hour, and with five Emmys of his own as well as a Tony for his role as a transwoman performer in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, NPH, who loves magic, song and dance, seems like a natural to host this one. We are ready to forgive him for his failed hosting of the Oscars and move on to something new.
Guardian angel
Jane Lynch is one of the few out lesbian actresses on the tube these days, and the only one about to step into a lead role. Since 2013, Lynch has been hosting the NBC game show Hollywood Game Night, for which she won an Emmy in 2014. For six years Lynch was one of the leads on Glee, playing the acerbic gym teacher and coach of the Cheerios, Sue Sylvester. She's also had major recurring roles on Criminal Minds and Two and a Half Men . Angel from Hell will mark Lynch's debut as the star of her own series. Lynch plays Amy, a homeless alcoholic who claims to be the guardian angel of Allison (Maggie Lawson), a neurotic doctor. It's unclear if Amy is indeed a guardian angel or just, you know, nuts. Amy makes predictions that come true, and it's implied that she has been watching over Allison since she was born.
At the Television Critics Association press tour, Lynch said of her role in the new sitcom, "I love what a mess she is, and that she has no shame around her alcoholism or the fact that she lives in her car." Lynch explained that because she is an angel in human form, Amy can have intimate relationships but she can't fall in love. "She loves being in human form. She loves food. She loves sex. She loves drinking." Also, that sex thing? "Not necessarily gender specific." Lynch said. "I could go through the whole family if I wanted to." Okay then.
Tad Quill is the showrunner for Angel from Hell. He was previously writer, executive producer, and co-executive producer for the cult fave Scrubs (2001-10). Angel from Hell also co-stars the hilarious Kyle Bornheimer and Kevin Pollak. Bornheimer plays Allison's younger brother Brad, who lives above her garage. We would probably watch this show for Bornheimer alone, but the fact that it stars Lynch? We will definitely be tuning in.
If you are in the mood for comedy/quirky, IFC's new show Documentary Now! is a must-see. The show stars SNL alums Bill Hader, Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers. Meyers was head writer on SNL for years and left to helm Late Night on NBC. Armisen is the co-creator and co-star of the IFC sketch comedy series Portlandia, for which he's been nominated for several Emmys. Hader, was on SNL (2005-13) and has been a cast member on both The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine .
We would watch anything with these three because they are so funny. Hader's Stefon was a flamboyantly gay New Yorker who would give tour advice on Weekend Update, talking about clubs and using faux pop-culture portmanteaux language while he smoothed his hair and flirted with Meyers. Hader channels Stefon for Documentary Now!, comprised of sketches satirizing actual documentaries. Armisen and Hader doing Grey Gardens might possibly be the funniest thing we have ever seen. IFC has already signed on for two more seasons of Documentary Now!, and the show just debuted this week. Its director is Rhys Thomas, a long-time unit director at SNL. Thomas is responsible for mimicking the documentaries the show is satirizing, and he is just genius at it. And Armisen and Hader in drag are just brilliant.
Ryan Murphy has long been the gay showrunner in the news, because his hits were so big and the trajectory of their popularity kept us watching. We may have faltered toward the end of Glee, but we came back with love for the final season. Even when American Horror Story has gone way off the rails, it's still been compelling. Popular and Nip/Tuck were terrific shows also, and the only failure seemed to be The New Normal, which felt like warmed-over Will & Grace. Murphy has two new series debuting in the 2015-16 season, but American Crime Story on FX is not due out till next year, so we won't talk about it till then, although it is definitely buzz-worthy with a stellar cast that will include Cuba Gooding Jr, Sarah Paulson, Nathan Lane and John Travolta, among others.
Murphy's other new series is on everyone's Top 10 to watch list, and why not? It looks fantastic. Scream Queens will air on Fox starting Sept. 22. Scream Queens is to college and sorority/fraternity culture as Glee was to high school. It's a horror-comedy anthology, which kind of makes it a mash-up of Glee and American Horror Story, but Murphy is playing on the best aspects of both shows in this new one, created with his usual team of Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. The first season will be centered on a series of murders involving the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority. The murders on the college campus may have some connection to something that happened 20 years earlier.
Scream Queens is high camp and has an amazing cast. The show stars Emma Roberts as Chanel Oberlin, the president of the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority who is intent on keeping things status quo, which means murders really are outside all the guidelines. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Cathy Munsch, dean of the university. This is tour de force casting, as Curtis is a veteran of big-box-office horror films of the 1970s like Halloween. Her comedic talents are renowned as well.
Glee star Lea Michele takes on a wholly different role in Scream Queens as Hester "Neckbrace," a girl with scoliosis who is a Kappa pledge. Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin plays Chanel #5, a member of Kappa and one of Chanel's henchwomen. There are a host of other names in the cast. from Oliver Hudson to Niecy Nash to Nick Jonas. There's a lot of bitchy girls in this show, plus laughs, plus blood. You will love it.
We've been watching Greg Berlanti shows for 17 years, which is a hella long time. We didn't know he was gay at first, we just fell in love with show after show he was creating. Now it seems that Berlanti kinda owns the CW and the whole comics-turned-TV-series genre. But that hasn't kept him from invading other networks. Berlanti is now the most prolific gay showrunner on the tube.
The new Berlanti creation we are most excited about is Blindspot, which premieres on NBC Sept. 21. This show has the aura of Christopher Nolan's indy thriller Memento about it, as well as a soupcon of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Blindspot stars Jamie Alexander as Jane Doe, a woman covered in tattoos who has no memory or clue to her own identity, and who turns up naked in a duffel bag on Times Square. Alexander was Sif on Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Jessi on Kyle XY, so she's perfect as the mystery woman. Jane Doe's strange appearance garners attention, and the FBI starts to investigate. Turns out those tattoos tell a story, clues to the criminal conspiracy that led Jane Doe to the present. As the FBI determines that each tattoo relates to a crime in real time, Jane Doe attempts to uncover her own identity. Blindspot also stars Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton, British actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Rob Brown.
Another highly anticipated new show is Supergirl. Berlanti developed this series with Ali Adler, Sarah Shechter, and Andrew Kreisberg. The series will air on CBS and is based on the DC Comics character Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, and stars Melissa Benoist as the title character. Supergirl is a costumed superhero who is the biological cousin to Superman and one of the last surviving Kryptonians. She must learn to embrace her powers after hiding them. This series airs in October and also stars Calista Flockhart and Chyler Leigh.
Berlanti already has The Flash and Arrow series on the CW, so expect crossover with Supergirl. The trailer has gotten a lot of buzz, and this is one of the most eagerly awaited shows of the new season.
Berlanti has yet another show premiering, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, which is a spin-off from Arrow and The Flash. This one will debut in January at the start of the mid-season, so we will tell you more about it then, but it stars out gay actor Victor Garber and British actor/musician Arthur Darvill (Broadchurch ). (Here's the official trailer: DC's Legends of Tomorrow: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MubNoWQiSc)
The promos for CBS' new sitcom Life in Pieces are soooo hilarious. This Modern Family -esque series has an incredible cast that includes Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Colin Hanks and Betsy Brandt. The series is the creation of Justin Adler. If that name rings a faint bell it's because Adler was behind the brilliant if short-lived Better Off Ted . He also did Samantha Who? and Less than Perfect. So yes, LIP will be edgy and hilarious. Debuts Sept. 21.
Another series we are looking forward to, ABC's Blood & Oil, debuts Sept. 27 and looks like it will be the new Revenge. B&O stars Don Johnson, Chace Crawford, Scott Michael Foster and Rebecca Rittenhouse, and looks thriller-y and soap-y. Think Dallas updated to now. This show has the big oil family headed by Hap Briggs (Johnson), who also has the problematic socialite wife, bad son, illegitimate biracial daughter and then some.
Finally, our fave new gay show from last season, Lee Daniels' fabulous Empire, returns to Fox on Sept. 23. There are a bazillion more new shows that will be premiering over the next two months, but we wanted to get the gayest ones in first. So be sure to stay tuned.