Navigating the multiverse

from The Brainerd Dispatch TV Week November 3rd 2019

by Brainerd Dispatch and Echo Journal

Countdown to Turkey: Second ‘Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge’ starts now

‘His Dark Materials’ follows a girl’s adventure through worlds

By Kyla Brewer TV Media

For eight seasons, HBO ruled the airwaves with fire-breathing dragons, wicked royals and rebellious wildlings in “Game of Thrones,” and now the cable giant is bringing viewers another epic tale inspired by a series of fantasy novels.

Dafne Keen (“Logan,” 2017) stars as Lyra Belacqua, an orphan from an alternate parallel universe who sets out to find her kidnapped friend in “His Dark Materials,” premiering Monday, Nov. 4, on HBO. Her adventure leads her to uncover a nefarious plot involving stolen children and a mysterious substance known as Dust.

Based on the book series of the same name by Philip Pullman, the HBO-BBC co-production was a long time in the making. The success of the first book in the series spawned the 2007 feature film “The Golden Compass,” but plans for big-screen sequels were scrapped due to the while fans of the books claimed the film actually omitted integral parts of the story that were critical of reli- gion. In 2015, BBC One announced a television adaptation of the series, but it wasn’t until 2018 that HBO signed on as co-producer and international distributor.

The first season hasn’t even premiered yet, but the cast and crew have already started filming Season 2, a necessary move considering the age of the show’s young star. Season 1 of “His Dark Materials” chronicles the events of the first book in the series “The Golden Compass” (known as “Northern Lights” in the U.K.), while Season 2 picks up with the events of the second book “The Subtle Knife,” which continues just hours after the final chapter of Book 1. In a September interview with EW.com, executive producer Jane Tranter (“Succession”) explained why working with young actors meant they couldn’t stop filming for long.

“Suddenly they’re six inches taller, and they’re a different shape and their voices are different,” Tranter said. “Our feeling was we really couldn’t leave more than a very small gap between the end of when Dafne Keen finished filming, which was December 2018, and when she started again, July 2019. That was basically the biggest gap that we could possibly do and still have her come back and convincingly look like it was moments, hours later.”

Given the challenge of keeping the series convincing, Tranter explained: “The BBC and HBO very kindly said, ‘Let’s make 16 episodes across the two books and go for it.’”

As the series opens, Lyra is living at Oxford’s Jordan College under the tutelage of her uncle, explorer Lord Asriel (James McAvoy, “Split,” 2016). When her friend Roger (Lewin Lloyd, “Judy,” 2019) goes missing, Lyra stumbles upon a kidnapping plot involving other missing children. The unruly young girl

Late Laughs

A Little Late With Lilly Singh

The day I moved into my own place, I turned my stairs into a slide — what better way to prove that you’re an adult who can live alone than turning your house into a literal playground?

cover the truth about the substance known as Dust, the subject of her Uncle Asriel’s research. They’re aided by powerful witch queen Serafina Pekkala (Ruta Gedmintas, “The Strain”). As she journeys through alternate worlds, Lyra also befriends a courageous boy named Will (Amir Wilson, “The Kid Who Would Be King,” 2019).

Other notable castings include James Cosmo (“Braveheart,” 1995) as gyptian Farder Coram, and AnneMarie Duff (“From Darkness”) as Ma Costa, the gyptian mother of a boy who was kidnapped by the dreaded “Gobblers.” Theater actor

I’ve heard that White Castle serves “impossible meat” now. I thought they already served impossible meat because there’s no possible way that was ever real meat.

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Vladmir Putin spent his birthday weekend hiking with a friend in the Siberian mountains. Putin called it relaxing, his friend called it the most terrifying 48 hours of his life. Going on a hike with Putin is basically the start of every episode of “Russian Dateline.”

According to the CDC, the number of STDs in the U.S. has reached an all-time high. At first I wasn’t sure why, then I remembered it’s been a month since college started up

The Late Late Show with James Corden

A family vacationing in South Carolina found an interesting package floating in the water just off the beach. They took it back to their rental home, they opened it up, and they found 44 pounds of cocaine. I mean, I’ve heard of seaweed, but ocean-coke is a new one!

The proven 96.4 HP† Kubota engine powers the beast with 7,961 pounds of breakout force. A wider cab entrance, optimized AC and full-suspension seat provide all-day comfort. And an integrated mainframe and undercarriage handles any terrain, making the Kubota SVL95-2s seem almost unstoppable.

By Jessica Gosse TV Media

WHAT’S NEW ON NETFLIX: “She-ra and the Princesses of Power” Season 4

If you grew up in the ‘80s, chances are you watched “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” or its spinoff series, “She-Ra: Princess of Power.” Well, prepare for a wave of nostalgia as Netflix heads back to the planet Etheria in the reboot of “SheRa and the Princesses of Power!”

The series actually premiered back in November 2018, and its fourth season is released on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The series follows Adora (Aimee Carrero, “Young & Hungry”), an orphan who was raised by an evil army called the Horde, led by Hordak, the ruler of Etheria. When Adora finds a magical sword that transforms her into the Princess of Power, she joins the Rebellion and works to rebuild the Princess Alliance, a group of magical women who fight against the oppression of Hordak. While Adora fights alongside the rebels, her best friend, Catra (A.J. Michalka, “Schooled”), rises within the Horde and quickly becomes Adora’s nemesis. Season 4 will see the Princess Alliance struggle to agree on how to defend Etheria as Catra advances on the rebels as co-leader of the Horde. Catch up on this nostalgic animated series in time for the Season 4 premiere.

“Tune In for Love”

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Korean romance film “Tune In for Love” premieres. The film follows Mi-su (Kim Go-eun, “Cheese in the Trap”) and Hyeon-u (Jung Hae, “Something in the Rain”), who cross paths while working at a bakery in 1994. The pair slowly develop feelings for each other, but fate pulls them apart. Over the next decade, Mi-su and Hyeon-u continue to be pulled together and pushed apart repeatedly by fate. Watch as Mi-su and Hyeon-u struggle to make their relationship work through the turmoil of the economic recession that hit Asia as a result of the financial crisis. The show features a nostalgia-inducing soundtrack and emotionally charged writing, and you don’t want to miss this premiere.

“The End of the F***ing World” Season 2

Despite this show’s title, the world isn’t over yet, as Season 2 premieres Tuesday, Nov. 5. The series is based on the graphic novel by Charles S. Forsman, and Season 1 followed the source material almost to the letter as it introduced James (Alex Lawther, “Black Mirror”), a 17-year-old selfproclaimed psychopath, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden, “Penny Dreadful”), a rebellious classmate who will do anything to escape her life. Their relationship is immediately complicated as James chooses Alyssa to be his first victim in a planned murder spree. Instead, she suggests they run away together. As the two embark on a weird journey, their odd relationship evolves, and they cross the line into a world of crime — including murder. The shocking cliffhanger of Season 1 raised many questions: Is James alive? Will they escape the police? Will Alyssa go back to her father? Find out the answers when Season 2 premieres.

WHAT’S NEW ON HULU:

“The

Good Doctor”

There are so many medical dramas on TV nowadays that it can be hard to find one that stands out. “The Good Doctor,” however, has figured out how to shine brighter than the rest, and is now in its third season, with series continues, we see him working in the hospital and developing relationships. The series is similar in concept to “House,” not only because of the atypical lead character but because each episode features only one case, making it easy to follow. The first two seasons of “The Good Doctor” are available on now on Hulu, with a new episode of Season 3 premiering every Tuesday.

WHAT’S NEW ON AMAZON PRIME:

“Mr. Robot” new episodes coming to Hulu every Tuesday. The series focuses on Dr. Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, “Bates Motel”), an autistic surgeon living with savant syndrome who moved to San Jose, California, to put his gifts to use at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital. He immediately causes a stir among the residents, especially Dr. Neil Melendez (Nicholas Gonzalez, “Pretty Little Liars”), the attending surgeon, who, despite witnessing Dr. Murphy save a man’s life, has doubts about his abilities because he’s autistic. While his autism makes it difficult to personally connect with people, it also allows him to see things in a way others can’t. Season 1 focuses on Dr. Murphy proving his worth to the other surgeons and hospital board after Dr. Aaron Glassman (Richard Schiff, “The West Wing”) fights for him to stay. As the

This intense global conspiracy tale is coming to a close with its fourth and final season. Academy Award winner Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” 2019) stars as young cybersecurity engineer Elliot Alderson, who works for the multinational financial corporation E-Corp by day and as a vigilante hacker by night. Despite suffering from a condition very similar to schizophrenia and an addiction to morphine, Elliot is recruited by the mysterious anarchist Mr. Robot (Christian Slater, “King Cobra,” 2016) into an activist organization that is trying to bring down E-Corp. The series is a Shyamalan-esque, high-tech thriller, with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The first three seasons of “Mr. Robot” are available in full on Prime, and a new episode of Season 4 airs every Monday. Start watching this incredible series and fall down the rabbit hole of global conspiracy.

Video

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

MI-6 field agent Hattie Shaw (Kirby) and her team of agents are tasked with securing a supervirus called the Snowflake and keeping it from a terrorist organization named Eteon. They’re thwarted by former MI-6 agent Brixton Lore (Elba) in London. Hattie injects herself with the Snowflake in an effort to contain the virus and protect it from falling into the wrong hands.

When Brixton frames Hattie for killing her team and stealing the Snowflake, she is forced to go on the run. Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and Hattie’s brother, Deckard Shaw (Statham), must work together to find Hattie.

Director:DavidLeitch.Stars: DwayneJohnson,JasonStatham, IdrisElba,VanessaKirby,HelenMirren,EizaGonzález,EddieMarsan. 2019.137mins.Action.