The third day of San Diego Comic 2025, which is typically the busiest day of the convention, there was a block party activation outside the Convention Center for the popular ABC comedy Abbott Elementary.
You can see a video about that activation below:
Next up was a panel for the long-running cop drama The Rookie with series star Nathan Fillion and executive producer Alexi Hawley on hand to talk about the show’s upcoming 8th season where they discussed filming the premiere of the ABC procedural in Prague.
Hawley shared that when he said, “Hey, I want to go to Prague for season 8, I got some looks, because that’s not a normal network television thing to do… it felt like we were making Casino Royale.”
The EP also shared that they, “have an undercover Lucy (series regular Melissa O’Neil) story that we’re working on in the writers’ room right now” while Fillion stated he would like to see Pete Davidson, who played Peter Nolan, return for another guest appearance.
You can see a great picture of Nathan Fillion below:
Nathan Fillion [Photo Credit: Jordan Strauss/January Images/Shutterstock]
The Star Trek franchise was celebrated at the convention with cast members Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Paul Wesley and Christina Chong along with executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Henry Alonso Myers and Akiva Goldsman from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on the stage at Hall H. It should be noted that Anson Mount wasn’t able to attend because his wife had just had a baby. During the panel, Goldsman shared that the show will be concluding with its 5th season, and the plan is to take the series up to the first day Capt. James Kirk (Wesley) takes command of the Enterprise.
You can see a special trailer for season four of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds below:
And, the first look teaser for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy was also shown:
Then there was a panel for season two of the Hulu series Paradise with series lead Sterling K. Brown and creator Dan Fogleman on stage to talk about the show. They screened an extended sneak peek of the new season that will introduce new cast member Shailene Woodley who was actually on hand, joining Fogleman and Brown for the remainder of the panel
You can see a picture of the three of them below:
Dan Fogelman, Sterling K. Brown and Shailene Woodley [Photo Credit: On the Red Carpet/Facebook//Disney/Frank Micelotta]
The upcoming box office movie Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, hit the stage in Hall H along with author Andy Weir and screenwriter Drew Goddard. In the movie, Gosling plays science teacher Ryland Grace, who wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction, but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone. Those in the audience had the chance to see four clips from the film, and you can see the trailer for Project Hail Mary is below:
The annual Entertainment Weekly Brave New Warriors panel hit up Ballroom 20 with the following taking the stage: Robbie Amell from Upload; Jamie Roy from Outlander: Blood of My Blood; David Zayas from Dexter: Resurrection; Babou Ceesay from Alien: Earth and Derek Luh from Gen V.
Ghosts stars Asher Grodman, Danielle Pinnock, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Devan Chandler Long [Photo Credit: TV Inside/ Maaren de Boer]
The reboot (of sorts) of the Starz series Spartacus: House of Ashur was on tap with Executive Producer Steven S. DeKnight there along with cast members Nick E. Tarabay, Graham McTavish, Tenika Davis, Jamaica Vaughan, Jordi Webber and Jaime Slater in attendance at the panel.
You can watch the panel for Spartacus: House of Ashur here.
Some of the cast members of the hit CBS comedy Ghosts were on hand at the convention on Saturday and you can see a great picture of them to the left.
Here is a sneak peek at season 2 of Peacemaker:
And, there were these sneak peeks at the Anne Rice Immortal Universe, including this backstage sneak peek at The Vampire Lestat for season three, coming in 2026, of Interview With the Vampire:
As well as the official teaser trailer for the new Anne Rice series Talamasca: The Secret Order, which is set to premiere on AMC+ on October 26:
Also, Entertainment Weekly paid homage to some of the women in the entertainment industry via the Bold School panel that featured Taylour Paige from The Toxic Avenger; Cote de Pablo from NCIS: Tony & Ziva; Violet McGraw from M3GAN 2.0, Madeleine McGraw from The Black Phone 2 and Harriet Slater from Outlander: Blood of My Blood.
The Hillywood Show was also at the convention and here is their panel coverage and a behind the scenes look at them:
Guillermo del Toro, George Lucas and Doug Chiang [Photo Credit: : Eric Charbonneau/Lucas Museum Of Narrative Art/Getty Images]
Then on the final day of the convention, George Lucas made his first appearance ever along with director Guillermo del Toro and Oscar winner Doug Chiang. Their panel was moderated by The Equalizer star Queen Latifah.
You can see pictures of all of them to the left and just below.
Please also check out the following links for highlights and photos of the big event from various outlets:
Resident Alien Cast: Corey Reynolds, Chris Sheridan (show creator), Alice Wetterlund, Sara Tomko and Alan Tudyk [Photo Credit: David Yeh/USA Network/SYFY]
On the second day of San Diego Comic Con 2025, the day started off with the main cast of the recently cancelled sci-fi series Resident Alien hitting up the convention stage with cast members Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund and Corey Reynolds on hand along with series creator Chris Sheridan.
You can see a picture of the cast of Resident Alien to the left.
At the same time, the long-running period piece drama Outlander took to the stage in Hall H with cast members Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin in attendance along with showrunner and executive producer Matthew B. Roberts and executive producer Maril Davis. The panel was moderated by franchise superfan Aisha Tyler.
There was a surprise video message from Caitriona Balfe as well as a sneak peek at what’s in store for the show’s final season, which is set to premiere early in 2026.
You can watch the entire Outlander panel below:
Before the panel for the new prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood took to the stage, original theme song vocalist Raya Yarbrough performed her iconic version of “The Skye Boat Song” live, which led to an audience sing-along. That was followed by a rousing bagpipe performance of “Scotland the Brave.”
The cast of the prequel, who took to the stage, included Jamie Roy, who plays Brian Fraser, Harriet Slater, who plays Ellen MacKenzie, Hermione Corfield, who plays Julia Moriston, Sam Retford, who plays Dougal MacKenzie, Séamus McLean Ross, who plays Colum MacKenzie and Rory Alexander, who plays Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser. Executive producers Matthew B. Roberts and Maril Davis were also there again.
During the panel the audience learned that the first two episodes will debut on August 8 and two exclusive clips were show: one showcasing Brian Fraser (Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Slater), the parents of Jamie Fraser; and another spotlighting Julia Moriston (Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Irvine), the parents of Claire Randall.
You can watch the entire Outlander: Blood of My Blood panel below:
Revival Cast David James Elliott, Aaron B. Koontz (show creator), Romy Weltman, Melanie Scrofano, Andy McQueen, and Luke Boyce (show creator) [Photo Credit: TV Insider/Maarten de Boer]
Upload Cast: Allegra Edwards, Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Greg Daniels (show creator) and Kevin Bigley [Photo Credit: TV Insider/Maarten de Boer]
The cast of the new Syfy thriller Revival were on hand with cast members Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott and Andy McQueen attending along with show creators Aaron B. Koontz and Luke Boyce.
You can see a picture of the cast of Revival to the left.
The cast of the comedy-mystery Amazon series Upload, including Robbie Amell, Andy Allo, Allegra Edwards and Kevin Bigley, were on hand along with the show’s creator Greg Daniels.
You can see a picture of the cast of Upload to the right:
And check out the following teaser for the upcoming fourth and final season of Upload, which will premiere on August 25 below:
The annual TV Guide Magazine’s Fan Favorites panel featured Alan Tudyk from Resident Alien; Katie Stevens from The Bold Type and the upcoming 3-part Hallmark movie franchise Providence Falls; Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo from NCIS: Tony & Ziva; Jennifer Holland from Peacemaker; Nicole Maines from Yellowjackets and Supergirl and Maisie Richardson-Sellers from Tamalasca: The Secret Order and Legends of Tomorrow.
The cast of the upcoming box office movie Primitive War, which is set to release in theatres on August 21, took to the stage at the convention, including stars Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Nick Wechsler and Jeremy Piven along with writer/director Luke Sparke.
You can see the trailer for Primitive War below:
Alien: Earth Cast: Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Noah Hawley (show creator), Babou Ceesay, Timothy Olyphant and Samuel Blenkin [Photo Credit: TV Insider/Maarten de Boer]
The cast of the upcoming small screen adaptation of the Alien box office franchise – Alien: Earth – which will debut on FX on Hulu on August 12 – took to the stage with cast members Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Babou Ceesay and Samuel Blenkin on hand along with series creator Noah Hawley.
You can see a photo of the cast of Alien: Earth to the left.
Cast members Jaz Sinclair, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh and Hamish Linklater, as well as showrunner Michele Fazekas, from the Amazon Prime series Gen V took to the stage of the convention to talk about the second season, which will debut on September 17.
During the panel it was revealed that Wicked cast member Ethan Slater will play Thomas Godolkin and that cast member Sean Patrick Thomas has been promoted to series regular. At the very end of their panel, a teaser for the mothership series The Boys was also shown. That teaser was jam-packed with tons of superhero violence and gore, but that video has not been made available to the public just yet.
You can see the Gen V season two trailer below:
Beloved director Kevin Smith moderated a panel for the latest movie in the Predator franchise – Predator: Badlands – that will star Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi along with the movie’s director Dan Trachtenberg.
The panel featured a first look at the movie while a 7-foot-tall Predator scoped out the room, zeroing in on Smith. The movie is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
You can see the poster for Predator: Badlands to the left.
Dexter Resurrection Cast: David Dastmalchian, David Zayas, Jack Alcott, Michael C. Hall, Krysten Ritter and James Remar [Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images]
Cast members Michael C. Hall, David Zayas, James Remar, Krysten Ritter, Jack Alcott and David Dastmalchian were on hand at the convention for the next show in the Dexter franchise – Dexter: Resurrection – and you can see a picture of them to the right.
Lastly, the upcoming box office movie Tron: Ares took to the stage in Hall H with cast members Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Arturo Castro, Gillian Anderson, Cameron Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith, Greta Lee and Jeff Bridges all on hand along with director Joachim Rønning complete with a movie logo in full neon red and two Tron-like warriors marching to the front of the stage.
In the third Tron movie, a highly sophisticated program, Ares (Leto) is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission.
You can see the poster for Tron: Ares above.
Day Three Overview of San Diego Comic Con 2025 coming this weekend.
On the first day of San Diego Comic Con 2025, one of the first panels to be held was for the upcoming second season of the Disney+ series Percy Jackson & the Olympians that featured cast members Walker Scobell, who plays the lead character, Leah Sava Jeffries, who plays Annabeth Chase, Aryan Simhardi, who plays Grover Underwood, Charlie Bushnell, who plays Luke Castellan, Dior Goodjohn, who plays Clarisse La Rue and Daniel Diemer, who will play Tyson in the new season. Executive producers Jonathan E. Steinberg, Dan Shotz and Craig Silverstein were also in attendance.
It was announced during this panel that season two will premiere on December 10 and a teaser trailer, offering a first look at the fan-favorite cyclops Tyson, was also shown.
Additionally, the show’s third season, which was ordered back in March, will feature demigods Nico di Angelo and his sister Bianca, children of Hades, who will be played by child actor Levi Chrisopulos and Olive Abercrombie (Outer Range and Mayfair Witches).
You can see the official trailer for Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 2 below:
Gabriel Fluffy Iglesias and Jo Koy [Photo Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP]
Paul Feig and Rob Reiner [Photo Credit: Shor Masori]
Comedians Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias and Jo Koy took to the stage in Hall H and you will find a great picture of the two to the left:
Also, legendary directors Rob Reiner and Paul Feig took to the stage and you will find a great picture of the two directly below:
Holland Roden, Erin Cahill, Heather Hemmens and Chyler Leigh attend the Fandom Party [Photo Credit: Getty Images]
Hallmark Stars [Photo Credit: TV Insider/Maarten de Boer]
For the first time, Hallmark hit up the convention stage, bringing the network’s stars B.J. Britt, Erin Cahill, Heather Hemmens, Holland Roden, Luke Macfarlane, Tyler Hynes and Will Kemp as well as fan-favorite Jonathan Bennett, via FaceTime, to the stage to talk about the projects they have starred in or will be part of soon.
They Hallmark Hallstars (as the panel was called) also talked about the Hallmark movies they would have loved to be a part.
It was also during this panel that the new, upcoming holiday movie Christmas in the Clouds – that will star Erin Krakow (star of the cable network’s long-running period piece series When Calls the Heart) and Tyler Hynes – was announced for the network’s upcoming Countdown to Christmas programming.
You can see two great pictures of the Hallmark Hallstars to the left and directly below:
The much-anticipated spin-off series NCIS: Tony & Ziva made its Comic Con debut with stars Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo taking the stage to share a new trailer and stories from the set of the new series, which will debut its first three episodes on Paramount+ on September 4.
The panel was moderated by NCIS alum Brian Dietzen (who plays Dr. Jimmy Palmer) and executive producer and showrunner John McNamara, who promised the show should appeal to both diehard fans and newbies.
According to de Pablo, the show is “an epic love story about two people going on a journey” while Weatherly shared, “it’s not a will they or won’t they, it’s a when will they.” [It should be noted that since the series will be airing on a streaming service instead of a major network, there will be more depicted than just a shared kiss between the two.]
Here is the new trailer for NCIS: Tony & Ziva:
Twisted Metal Cast [Photo Credit: Todd Williamson/Peacock]
The sci-fi thriller Twisted Metal from over on Peacock made an appearance at the convention with cast members Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa and Anthony Carrigan in attendance, and to the right you will find a great picture of them.
You can then watch the 11th anniversary of the Her Universe Fashion Show, which was heavily influenced by the box office movie Wicked, below:
Dafne Keen and Sophie Nelisse [Photo Credit: Jonny Marlow/Entertainment Weekly]
Then there was a special panel by Collider, the ultimate source for impactful entertainment news, that focused on the women of the Independent Film Company, which featured Dafne Keen from Logan, His Dark Materials, The Acolyte and Deadpool & Wolverine as well as Sophie Nelisse from The Book Thief and the TV series Yellowjackets, and to the right you will find a great picture of the two actresses, who have certainly grown up before our eyes.
Lastly, the classic 1985 movie Red Sonja is getting a remake, and the cast of the flick, including Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, Robert Sheehan (from The Umbrella Academy) and Martyn Ford, along with producers Mark Canton and Luke Lieberman, were on hand at the convention, sitting down with the folks from over at Screen Rant for an interview.
You can see that interview below:
Day Two Overview of San Diego Comic Con 2025 coming shortly…
The Starz prequel series Outlander: Blood of my Blood will debut on the cabler on August 8 and the main title sequence has been released along with new pictures of the four main cast members.
Check them out below.
First, here is the video of the main title sequence for the prequel series:
And, then here are the new pictures for each of the four main cast members:
The folks over at Starz have released the first teaser for the prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood that is expected to debut on the cable network this summer.
You can see that teaser below:
In the meantime, make sure to check out photos from the prequel series, which can be found here and here.
Much like the Faces of 2024, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year or those who made great waves throughout the current year who will, undoubtedly, be big stars in the new year.
The new faces of 2025 appear below in no particular order:
Elliott Heffernan – After a nationwide open casting call and dealing with the audition process, this 11-year-old British boy made his professional on screen debut in the box office World War II-themed movie Blitz from director Steve McQueen. He played the young son, George, of Rita who was portrayed by Saoirse Ronan.
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi – Phylicia is a Maryland-born actress, who turned heads as young Celie in last year’s new version of The Color Purple, a performance which earned her an Outstanding Breakthrough Performance nomination at the 24th Annual Black Reel Awards. Not bad for her first big role, huh? Previously she worked as a staff writer for the short-lived Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.
Nikki Rodriguez – The 20-something actress from Minneapolis moved to LA straight out of school, first playing the tough teen girlfriend of a South Central gang member in the Gen Z comedy On My Block and then landing the plum role of Jackie Howard, the smart New York teenager, who ends up living in Colorado with her late mother’s best friend and her large family in the Netflix young-adult drama My Life With the Walter Boys.
Matilda De Angelis – The Italian actress and singer recently starred in the box office movie Across the River and Into the Woods (yes, that’s the full title of the movie and the Ernest Hemingway book on which it is based) alongside Liev Schreiber and Josh Hutcherson before landing the lead role in the spin-off series Citadel: Diana where she played an undercover agent for the global spy agency Citadel.
Anna Sawai – The Best Actress Emmy winner for the revised version of Shogun, had one of her big breaks in the 2021 franchise film F9: The Fast Saga, but it’s been her work in the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Pachinko as well as Monarch: Legacy of Monsters that got her attention in addition to her award-winning performance in the aforementioned Shogun.
Mia McKenna-Bruce – She appeared in the young adult dramas Get Even and Vampire Academy as well as the Dakota Johnson-led movie Persuasion before winning the EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which is the British equivalent to the Oscars and Emmys and is the only award voted on by the British public, for her role in the acclaimed indie film How to Have Sex.
Kali Reis – The former world champion professional boxer of Native American descent co-starred alongside recent Emmy winner Jodie Foster in the fourth season of True Detective: Night Country where Kali was nominated herself as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Not too bad for her small screen acting debut, right?
Ambika Mod – Her first big break was in the AMC+ original series This Is Going to Hurt, playing Shruti Acharya, a young Labour Ward trainee alongside actor Ben Whishaw before appearing in the small screen adaptation of One Day based on the David Nicholls 2009 novel and its 2011 film adaptation, which starred Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. It was this lead role that really broke hearts.
Hoa Xuande – While this newcomer has actually been acting since 2010, it wasn’t until he appeared in the short-lived John Cho series Cowboy Bebop and then the HBO period piece espionage series The Sympathizer, where he starred opposite Robert Downey Jr., that caught viewers’ attention.
Drew Starkey – Drew has appeared in the TV shows Mercy Street, Shots Fired and Ozark as well as the box office movie Love, Simon and the streaming flick The Other Zoey, but it’s been his recurring role in the Netflix series Outer Banks and his starring role in this fall’s box office movie Queer, starring 007 actor Daniel Craig himself, that has been turning heads.
Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2025? Please share.
The following list highlights the actors and actresses on TV and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout this year.
They appear in no particular order:
Danielle Brooks – In the past couple of years, Danielle has portrayed Mahalia Jackson in a Lifetime made-for-TV movie, appeared alongside John Cena in the MAX original series Peacemaker and revisited her Tony-winning role of Sofia in the box office movie The Color Purple that came out at the very end of 2023, which garnered her countless nominations for awards in the earlier part of 2024. Next up she will be seen in action-comedy film A Minecraft Movie, starring alongside Jason Momoa, Jack Black and Wednesday’s Emma Myers.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Da’Vine received praise for her roles in the 2019 box office movie Dolemite Is My Name and the 2020 movie The United States vs. Billie Holiday. In the last year, she has appeared in the controversial TV series The Idol, the much buzzed about box office movie Rustin, appearing as Mahalia Jackson I might add, and reprised her role of Donna Williams in season four of Only Murders in the Building. But it was her performance as Mary Lamb in the independent film The Holdovers, which came out in October 2023, that garnered her critical acclaim and eventually an Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress.
Charles Melton – Charles is more than just a “pretty face,” and his role in the 2023 box office movie May December put him on the map. The movie was loosely reminiscent of the scandalous affair between schoolteacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her barely-a-teenager-lover Vili Fualaau with Julianne Moore playing the older woman in the movie and Melton as her much younger lover-nee-husband. Movie goers will recognize him from 2019’s The Sun Is Also a Star and Bad Boys for Life in 2020. He also appeared in the TV series Riverdale for nearly all of its seven-season run on The CW.
Cailee Spaeny – Cailee appeared in the box office movies Bad Times at the El Royale and On the Basis of Sex both in 2018 followed by the reboot of The Craft: Legacy in 2020. She then starred in the TV shows Mare of Easttown in 2021 and The First Lady in 2022; but it was her role of Priscilla Presley in the 2023 box office movie Priscilla that got her rave reviews. She has since appeared in this year’s movies Civil War and Alien: Romulus.
Camila Morrone – Camila started out in 2016 as a model for Victoria’s Secret, Sephora, Chanel and Calving Klein (among others). She later appeared in the 2020 box office movie Valley Girl, but it was her role as Camila Alvarez-Dunne in the Prime Video limited series Daisy Jones & the Six from 2023 that garnered her a lot of attention and even earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination. She also appeared in the indie film Marmalade alongside Cross and Leverage star Aldis Hodge and Stranger Things alum Joe Keery.
Glenn Powell – His first big TV appearance was in 2015 in Scream Queens on FOX and the 2016 box office movie Hidden Figures, but it was the 2022 box office sequel Top Gun: Maverick that put him on the map. He followed that up with an appearance in the box office movie Devotion and then the Netflix movie Hit Man. He then appeared in the highest-grossing R-rated rom com Anyone But You and then this past summer’s sequel film Twisters.
Lewis Pullman – He also appeared in Top Gun: Maverick two years ago and had a role in the Josh Brolin-led TV series Outer Range before starring alongside Captain Marvel star Brie Larson in the Apple TV+ period piece Lessons in Chemistry. This fall he appeared in the horror remake of Salem’s Lot that aired on Max and next year he will star in the ensemble anti-superhero movie Thunderbolts.
Ella Hunt – The singer and musician segwayed into acting with her big break coming through the comedy-drama Dickinson that starred Hailee Steinfeld and then she appeared in the box office movie Lady Chatterley’s Lover. This year was big for her as she appeared in Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 as well as playing legendary comedienne Gilda Radner in the box office movie Saturday Night.
Anthony Boyle – He appeared in two episodes of the Northern Ireland teen comedy Derry Girls as well as the Benedict Cumberbatch-led mini-series Patrick Melrose. He also had roles in the box office movies Tolkien and Tetris. But it’s been his roles in Masters of the Air and Manhunt, which aired nearly simultaneously earlier this year as well as the more recently aired Say Nothing that have put him on the map.
Aaron Pierre – This London-born actor appeared in roles in the TV shows The A Word, Britannia, Krypton and The Underground Railroad before landing a role in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller flick Old. He then landed the role of Malcolm X in the anthology series Genius and followed that up with the lead role in the Netflix movie Rebel Ridge, starring alongside Don Johnson. He will next be seen in the box office movie Lanterns with Kyle Chandler and he provides the voice of Mufasa in the soon to arrive Mufasa: The Lion King box office movie.
Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.
While we don’t have a debut date, YET, from the folks at Starz for the Outlander prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood – which will focus on the parents of Jamie Fraser and his wife Claire – the folks over at the cable network have released pictures of some of the other cast members who will be featured in the new period piece drama.
You can see those pictures below:
Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser and Mrs. Fitz, played by Rory Alexander and Sally Messham
Colum and Dougal MacKenzie (Jamie’s Uncles) played by Séamus McLean Ross and Sam Retford
Ned Gowan played by Conor MacNeill
Jocasta Cameron (Jamie’s Aunt) played by Sadhbh Malin
Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (Jamie’s Grandsire) played by the one and only Tony Curran
With the strikes out of the way and productions back in full swing, there were a LOT of programming options for TV viewers, covering all facets of stories and genres, whether it was on the major or cable networks as well as the ever-growing streaming services.
Throughout the year, TV fans have been able to enjoy their favorite shows, good, bad or otherwise along with new shows for which we became obsessed with; outstanding performances, lots of streaming shows to get hooked on, unexpected departures and much, much more.
Please join me as I focus on the top highlights for 2024 (listed in no particular order):
Top Actress – Juno Temple, Fargo (FX)
The FX series, now in its 5th season, found former child actress Juno Temple becoming the standout, delivering what has been described as “perfect comedic timing, charm and range, making a mostly engaging experience” as Dorothy “Dot” Lyon, a “wonderfully unhinged” character who brought “not only perfect…zingers but also the necessary charm to ground the chaos that began unfolding” around her. [Source: Collider]
Fresh New Face (Actress) – Anna Sawai, Shogun and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (FX and Apple TV)
Anna took the industry by storm this year, starring in the remake of Shogun, earning an Emmy as Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Lady Mariko, becoming the first Japanese actress to win the category. Her performance has been “thoroughly convincing and captivating [Source: The New York Times]; and she also starred as Cate Randa, a San Francisco school teacher dealing with PTSD whose search for her missing father led her to uncover his involvement with Monarch in the Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters at the end of 2023, leading into January of this year.
Standout Performance – Kenneth Choi, 9-1-1 (ABC)
Getting to the church on time took a whole new meaning for Howard “Chimney” Hahn in the May episode of 9-1-1 entitled “There Goes the Groom” for Kenneth Choi. Chimney had to overcome not only an undiagnosed case of viral encephalitis, which led to brain swelling and memory loss, causing him to completely forget about his bride-to-be (series regular Jennifer Love Hewitt). Acting out the hallucinations Chimney was experiencing could have taken a bad turn if not for the incredible talent of Choi.
Top Actor – Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (FX)
Hollander literally disappeared into his role of the one-and-only Truman Capote in the FX anthology series Feud that focused on the literary “genius” and The Swans, a socialite group of New York City high society, consisting of Babe Paley, the wife of William S. Paley, the man who founded CBS, Lady Nancy ‘Slim’ Keith, fashion icon C. Z. Guest, Lee Radziwill, the younger sister of Jackie O, former showgirl Ann Woodward and Joanne Carson, ex-wife of late night talk show host Johnny Carson.
Highest Rated Drama – Matlock (CBS)
This new series is only reminiscent of the popular 1980s to 1990s legal drama in name only. Kathy Bates plays Matty Matlock, nee wealthy retired attorney Madeline Kingston, in this revitalized and intriguing new CBS drama that includes a great ensemble cast. The series has been averaging well over 6 million viewers a week, ranking higher than any other new drama on any of the major networks.
Most Reviled New Drama – Doctor Odyssey (ABC)
Despite being a close second, nee third, in terms of viewership for a new drama this TV season, Doctor Odyssey seems to have far more haters out there than fans. There has also been this crazy theory that the Odyssey (the ship on which the show is based) is a dream of Dr. Max Bankman, played by Dawson’s Creek alum Joshua Jackson, as viewers, at least after a few episodes, came to believe he is still sick from COVID and everything that has happened on the Odyssey is nothing more than a dream of his coma-like state.
Most Disappointing Final Season – The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)
The Umbrella Academy came to an end in August after four seasons on Netflix, airing only six episodes, which for many of its devoted fans – who, for the most part, enjoyed the previous seasons – felt were six episodes too many. What should have been a great swan song for this irreverent and outlandishly enjoyable series turned into an excruciating trip down the strangest rabbit hole of warped storylines and a stuck in an alternate world love affair that tainted the viewers love for the series. The Umbrella Academy deserved more than the disturbing end that they received.
Best Couple – Joanne and Noah, Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Kristin Bell and Adam Brody each have their own devoted (so to speak) fanbase because of their previous TV roles in Veronica Mars and The O.C. (respectively) [don’t get me started, though, on the vitriol from fans because of what happened in season four of Veronica Mars, ok?!] In this “based on somewhat true events” in the life of series creator, actress Erin Foster, Bell and Brody play Joanne and Noah, an agnostic podcaster and rabbi (no this isn’t the start of some weird joke), an unlikely pair who quickly became a swoon-worthy couple [how about that first kiss, am I right?! They put the chemistry between Chenford, Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford from The Rookie, my choice for Best Couple last year, to shame.
Honorable Mention – Brian Dietzen, NCIS (CBS)
The episode entitled “The Stories We Leave Behind,” paying tribute to Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard (and in essence the actor who portrayed him, David McCallum) on the CBS drama NCIS, was written by long-time series star Brian Dietzen. And what a moving tribute to the man it was! Dietzen not only honored the man he had acted beside for over two decades with a touching episode but also found a way to tie the story back to the long-running show’s pilot episode. As the folks over at TV Line shared, “Dietzen skillfully communicat(ed) the incredibly deep loss felt by Dr. Jimmy Palmer.” If you weren’t at least a little bit moved by the flashbacks and tribute paid to McCallum/Ducky, then you aren’t really a fan of the show.
Best Line – Wild Cards (CW)
From the debut episode, entitled “The Infinity Thief,” of the Canadian transplant series Wild Cards on CW, which stars Riverdale alum Vanessa Morgan as con woman Max Mitchell and Grey’s Anatomy hunk Giacomo Gianniotti as demoted detective Cole Ellis, in their first “case” together:
Max to Cole: “Damn that was amazing. We’re like Bones and that dude from Buffy or Castle and that hot girl.”
Best Awards Show Performance – Ryan Gosling, The 2024 Oscars (ABC)
Ryan Gosling took center stage at this year’s Oscars, belting out the song “I’m Just Ken” from the award-winning box office movie Barbie to not only a packed audience at the Dolby Theatre in the heart of Hollywood but also to the countless viewers watching, nee salivating, at home. He proudly wore sunglasses and a bejeweled pink suit, and with the help of dozens of Kens (including Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Shang-Chi star Simu Liu, among others), Gosling delivered what TV Line called a “deliriously fun performance (which) captured what made Barbie so entertaining on the big screen.”
Bittersweet Endings (TIE): Series Finale of Superman & Lois (CW) and Season Finale of Will Trent (ABC)
Superman & Lois came to an end on December 2 with an emotional series finale especially for those who stuck with the show for its four seasons on CW. The final 10-minutes packed a wallop, including seeing the twins as grown men (including series lead Bitsie Tulloch’s real-life husband David Giuntoli from Grimm and A Million Little Things fame playing Jonathan), seeing Clark as an older man and even Krypto the dog not to mention Lois in that knock-out red dress. If you don’t cry over the video below, well, then you just don’t have heart:
Whereas, the season finale of season two of Will Trent aired on May 21 and the last, roughly 6 minutes of the episode was surprising, sweet, tender and then heartbreaking, as Will envisioned his future with his on-again off-again love Angie Polaski as they got married, had two daughters, a foster son and grew old together until he had to do his job and arrest Angie.
Here is the full season finale of Will Trent, but you can watch that specific scene starting at the 38:06 minute-mark and watch to the end, and judge for yourself.
Fun New Cast Addition – Edi Patterson, Resident Alien (Syfy)
Edi Patterson played Heather, the Blue Avian alien paramour (see the inset picture to the right), to Alan Tudyk’s literally out-of-this-world Harry Vanderspeigle. She was able to keep pace with Tudyk, who is known for his improv, managing to rival his outlandish performance in every scene until Heather broke Harry’s heart, and she left back to her own world.
Why Was This Show So Popular – Baby Reindeer, Netflix
This series became a surprise hit back in April at the streaming service (for some reason) despite its harrowing, or more to the point, excruciatingly disturbing subject matter. Scottish comedian Richard Gadd played a fictionalized version of himself, recounting the ordeal he dealt with after being stalked by a middle-aged woman who claimed to be a fan, which in turn made him face a buried trauma that he had been sexually assaulted by an older male TV industry mentor. Like I said, harrowing and disturbing and for some reason, it received 85 million views. ARGH!
Best Parodies – Scarlett Johansson and Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Both actresses were dead-on in their parodies of Alabama Senator Katie Britt and Vice President Kamala Harris (respectively). As TV Line stated, Johansson “perfectly channeled Britt’s frenzied delivery (of her State of the Union response), predicting doom and gloom with a smile from her family kitchen.” Britt herself was criticized for her “performance” in that response because it was so eerie and disturbing, but Johansson turned it into just a great performance.
Whereas, Rudolph got every head tilt, voice pattern and even the laugh of our should-have-been-voted to President of the United States Harris down pat even working alongside the actual Vice President in a close-to-election day appearance where they were mirror images of each other. It was something to behold.
Most Disappointing Cancellation – So Help Me Todd (CBS)
This legal dramedy, starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin, was pulled from the CBS line-up after only two seasons; and while many of the scenes between these two, who played mother and son, were outlandish and, quite frankly, a bit over-the-top at times, the series was actually performing fairly well ratings-wise and was leading up to quite an interesting third season.
Handsome Newcomer – Deniz Akdeniz, High Potential (ABC)
Akdeniz plays Lev “Oz” Osman on the wildly popular new ABC drama High Potential. He may be a little better know in his home country of Australia, but he has had guest appearances in quite a number of American dramas like Jane the Virgin, Once Upon a Time, S.W.A.T. and most recently The Flight Attendant and he even had a recurring role in the short-lived spin-off series The Rookie: Feds.
What have been the stand-out moments on the small screen (networks or streaming) for you? Who was your favorite actor for the year? What series, special or TV event disappointed you the most? Please share your thoughts on TV from this year below.
Rueben's Ramblings 