The daily gossip: November 12, 2019
1.
For months, Disney has been hyping the launch of Disney+, a new streaming service that includes Disney animated classics, Marvel superhero movies, Star Wars movies, and also something called Mr. Boogedy for some reason. And now that Disney+ is finally here, it… doesn't really work yet. So far, Disney+ subscribers have been bedeviled by long load times, error messages, and crashes. In response, Disney issued a terse state saying demand for Disney+ "exceeded [their] high expectations" and that they're working to resolve the problem. Have some sympathy. Who could have predicted that so many people would be interested in watching a new Star Wars TV show? [The Hollywood Reporter]
2.
Who's ready to have a laugh? British comedian Ricky Gervais will bring his signature brand of "zinging celebrities (but not nearly as witheringly as everyone pretends)" back to the Golden Globes, which he'll host on NBC on January 5, 2020. "It is sure to make for an unexpected evening," said NBC in a statement — which might sound a little more convincing if this wasn't literally the fifth time Gervais was doing this. [Entertainment Weekly]
3.
With a shelf full of Emmys and Golden Globes for shows like The Handmaid's Tale and Top of the Lake, Elisabeth Moss is one of TV's most sought-after actresses. But it sounds like the actress is ready to take a detour from her typically grim output to star in one of the 800 or so Christmas-themed movies that air on the Hallmark Channel every year. "I'm into it, I want to do it. People who write should definitely write one for me," says Moss. But where will we find a picturesque Christmas village populated by quirky-but-lovable neighbors and a handsome gingerbread baker with a heart of gold? [CNN]
4.
The democratizing power of the internet has made it much easier for fans to make their voices heard — but they've never been heard quite as loudly as when the trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie dropped last May, which was so universally hated that Paramount delayed the release of the movie just to address their complaints. At long last, the redesigned Sonic the Hedgehog has arrived, with bigger eyes, brighter blue fur, and fewer rows of terrifyingly human teeth. Great fix, everybody. (Now, as for the rest of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie…) [Entertainment Weekly]
5.
As Ben Franklin once said, three things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and The Days of Our Lives. The iconic soap opera has been on the air since 1965, but those days might finally be running out, because the show's entire cast has reportedly been released from their contracts. Though Day of Our Lives has already filmed enough unaired episodes to keep things rolling through the summer of 2020 — seriously, they shoot these things really fast — it's kind of hard to imagine how they'll continue without a single actor on the payroll, leaving the future of Days of Our Lives in question. Maybe their evil twins are available? [TV Line]
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