“Breaking Bad” ended on a high note (depending on who you talk to).
One of the most acclaimed dramas in the history of television ended last week, igniting ferocious Twitter buzz. Critichttp are still debating the finale and some viewers have expressed disappointment with the resolution. But AMC has no reason to be disappointed: the finale drew a massive 10.3 million viewers compared to the previous episode’s 6.6 million and 1.4 million for the series premiere in January 2008. AMC executives will be eagerly anticipating the premiere of the “Breaking Bad” spin off centered around Saul Goodman. Perhaps lightning will strike twice.
Another barrage of music is lighting up fall.
The music industry kicked into high gear with a slew of high-profile album releases this week. Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2,” the sequel to his March blockbuster features Jay-Z, Drake and several songs over eight minutes.
Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” arrived at the perfect time as breakout single “Royals” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
HAIM’s “Days Are Gone” cemented the female rock group’s position as one of the year’s most critically acclaimed artists. And the hits just keep on coming: Miley Cyrus’ hotly anticipated “Bangerz” dropped last week, but you can stream it for free on iTunes right now.
Rest in peace, Tom Clancy.
Renowned author Tom Clancy, famous for his oft-adapted Jack Ryan novels, passed away in Baltimore Oct 1. The 66-year-old Maryland author penned such classics as “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games,” popularizing a dense style of espionage thriller characterized by explorations of weaponry and advanced technology.
John Mulaney will step out from behind the pen with a new series.
Former “Saturday Night Live” writer John Mulaney’s self-titled sitcom was in development at NBC earlier this year, but the network decided to opt for broader family sitcoms instead. Mulaney gets the last laugh, though. Fox announced today that it has snatched up the series for a six-episode order. Avid “SNL” viewers know that Mulaney is a big part of the comedic value that Bill Hader’s beloved Stefon brought to the sketch series. The former “SNL” writer was famous for re-writing Stefon’s lines just before Hader delivered them on air, leading to giggle-fests that never failed to delight even as they shattered the fourth wall.
Uh-oh, there’s trouble with “Trouble with the Curve.”
Remember “Trouble with the Curve?” An alleged comedy starring Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake that flopped at the box office last fall? If Ryan Brooks and Gold Glove Productions are telling the truth, which they may very well not be, Randy Brown’s script for that movie was heavily plagiarized from a script for an entirely different movie called “Omaha.” The production company is demanding millions of dollars in compensation. The film was so poorly received that this lawsuit almost seems irrelevant, but it will be interesting to see if Brooks and Gold Glove strike out or hit a home run.
mlieberman@theeagleonline.com
