Here is a wrap-up of all the TV news you need to know from Thursday, June 26, 2023.
It’s game over for Reservation Dogs, which will wrap with its third season on Hulu.
Series creator Sterlin Harjo made the announcement on his Instagram.
“Aho young and old warriors!” he wrote.
“Here it is: the coming third season of ‘Reservation Dogs’ will be the final season.”
“That’s a difficult line to write and a more difficult decision to make,” he continued.
“However, it’s the correct decision creatively for the show. I always knew what the end of this story would be, I just didn’t know when it would arrive. As we continued to break stories and write scripts this season, it became clear to the producers, Taika and me that the season three finale is the perfect series finale.”
“When we came up with the idea for ‘Reservation Dogs,’ I didn’t think the show would ever get made, but thankfully it did.”
FX shared a statement confirming the show will indeed conclude.
Meanwhile, Paramount+ today announced that the new feature-length documentary Reinventing Elvis: The’68 Comeback will premiere exclusively on the service Tuesday, August 15, in the U.S.
Premiering days before the anniversary of Presley’s death, the project reveals what really happened behind the scenes of this mesmerizing hour of television.
When it aired on the night of Dec. 3, 1968, the special became the most-watched television event of the year, and nearly half of the entire TV-watching audience tuned in to see Elvis Presley, clad in an iconic black leather suit, deliver some of the greatest performances of his life, reinvigorating his career and changing the pop-culture landscape forever.
Told from the unique perspective of Emmy® Award-winning television director Steve Binder, the documentary features interviews with Elvis experts and recollections from those who attended the special in person.
It also features all-new versions of iconic Elvis hits interpreted by contemporary musicians, including superstar Darius Rucker, Latin GRAMMY® winner Maffio and America’s Got Talent finalist Drake Milligan, who previously starred in CMT’s hit series Sun Records, also streaming on Paramount+.
“The world is filled with stories about Elvis and his historic 1968 Comeback Special, but no one has ever told this story the way only I can tell it — because I was there for every moment of it,” said Binder.
“I’m so proud of this film, because it presents Elvis as he really was, and looks at a specific moment in time — when Elvis took control of his life, his career and his legacy. There’s never been a television moment quite like this one.”
“The 1960s was a decade marked by profound change,” said documentary director John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Who is Harry Nilsson …?, What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears).
“No one was immune, including the King of Rock’ n’ Roll, who had been driven from his throne by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and a host of younger, more vital artists.”
“Against this provocative backdrop, Elvis and Steve Binder came together to create something extraordinary. It’s an amazing story, one that I’m honored to have been chosen to tell.”
“Steve Binder is one of the most innovative creators in entertainment,” said film producer Spencer Proffer.
“To make electrifying paradigm shifts in television, Steve broke molds with his incredible vision.”
“I’m proud to continue my decades-long association with Steve by creating this cinematic documentary, which does more than illuminate an hour of television — it also reveals an incredible buddy story between a pop-culture icon at a pivotal moment and a director who took risks and made history in the process.”
Over in Hulu, the streaming service has acquired the rights to Jake Johnson’s comedy thriller Self Reliance.
The cast includes Johnson (New Girl, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Minx), Anna Kendrick, Natalie Morales, Andy Samberg, GaTa (Dave), Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek), Mary Holland, Boban Marjanović, Christopher Lloyd, and Wayne Brady.
“When a man is offered a million dollars to play a game in which hunters try to kill him, he thinks he has found the perfect loophole: they can only attack when he’s alone,” the logline teases.
“His only problem is that none of his friends or family believe the game is real.”
Over on Paramount Network, we’re being treated to a Yellowstone 4th of July weekend marathon.
Yellowstone chronicles the Dutton family, led by John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States.
Amid shifting alliances, unsolved murders, open wounds, and hard-earned respect – the ranch is in constant conflict with those it borders – an expanding town, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park.
The expansive cast includes Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Piper Perabo, Brecken Merrill, Forrie Smith, Denim Richards, and Ian Bohen.
Also starring is Finn Little, Ryan Bingham, Gil Birmingham, Mo Brings Plenty, Wendy Moniz, Jen Landon, and Kathryn Kelly.
Also celebrating the holiday is CNN with its Fourth in America telecast.
The special includes Alanis Morissette, The All-American Rejects, Darius Rucker, Demi Lovato, Duran Duran, Flo Rida, Leon Bridges, Post Malone, Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth, Zac Brown Band, The Plain White T’s, and newly announced performers Shania Twain, Brad Paisley, Ludacris, and Coi Leray.
Coast-to-coast firework shows will take place in cities across the country throughout the evening, including Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Jacksonville, Nashville, Niagara Falls, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Diego, Seward, Alaska, and Washington DC.
What are your thoughts on all this news?
Are you digging any of it?
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.