TV News Wrap-Up: ‘New Amsterdam’ Pulls Flu Pandemic Episode, ‘Killing Eve’ Gets Early Release Date, ‘Will & Grace’ Finale Set, and More

Is everyone hanging in there okay? The news isn’t exactly a great source of comfort right now, even where television and entertainment is concerned, but there are a few bright spots.

While we can expect schedule change chaos in the coming months as shows end early, there are a few shows coming back or debuting in the next few months that are actually very exciting. 

So while we’re in for some strange, and abrupt, endings to some TV shows, there are some more things to look forward to. 

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Fans of Doctor Who may have seen a message from the Doctor on social media. The Time Lord appeared on Doctor Who‘s social media channels with an “emergency transmission” after detecting “an upsurge in psychological signals from somewhere in space and time.” The Doctor then proceeded to offer some advice for any worrying situation while “…actually self-isolating, or as I like to call it: hiding. From an army of Sontarans, but keep that to yourself.” Watch the video right here: 

Incoming message… #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/lTXziuzWVQ

— Doctor Who on BBC America (@DoctorWho_BBCA) March 25, 2020

The Season 10 finale of The Walking Dead had been delayed. In a Deadline article, AMC said, “Current events have unfortunately made it impossible to complete post-production of The Walking Dead Season 10 finale, so the current season will end with its 15th episode on April 5.” The finale will air as a special episode later this year. Production shutdowns have also impacted spinoff series Fear the Walking Dead, and caused AMC to postpone the launch of The Walking Dead: Beyond World, which was slated to premiere on April 12th. The new drama will now launch “later this year.” 

Pose, Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and Chicago Med have joined previously reported medical shows in donating supplies to help fight the pandemic. Deadline reports that Pose showrunner Ryan Murphy posted on Instagram saying that they have donated all their medical supplies to Mt. Sinai hospital. The Chicago Tribune also reported on the Chicago series donations. Chris Shader, prop master for the Chicago Franchise coordinated a donation with Dr. Andrew Dennis, a Chicago trauma surgeon and the supplies went to an emergency room that producer Carla Corwin described as “without supplies.”

HBO has postponed the production of Barry and Succession amid coronavirus concerns. When WarnerMedia suspended production on March 13th, these two shows were in the pre-production phase. With no relief in sight for the escalating pandemic, the company has decided to suspend pre-production, but Deadline reports that the writing may continue. HBO said in a statement: “We are looking forward to resuming preproduction when it is safe and healthy for everyone working on our shows to do so. Where possible, our writers are continuing to write remotely.”

BBC America and AMC announced that Killing Eve Season 3 will premiere early! The third outing of the Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer helmed series will premiere on Sunday, April 12th as opposed to Sunday, April 26th. “We know how adored this series is and we know how keen people are for great content right now,” said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios in a Deadline article. “This season of Killing Eve digs deep psychologically, and with actors like Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, and Fiona Shaw the results are nothing short of astonishing. We literally couldn’t wait for fans to see it.”

HBO Now’s usage has jumped by 40% with pandemic-related titles appearing to be a big draw. Deadline reports that the cabler saw a rise in viewership of 40% up from its four-week average. The cabler is reporting, “The largest increases are coming from connected devices, according to researchers, and non-traditional consumption has accelerated among younger demos as streaming behavior increases.” Gains were expected with the premiere of Westworld earlier this month, but Euphoria, Big Little Lies, and His Dark Materials have all gained viewership while people self-isolate. There was also increased interest in the movie Contagion and a documentary entitled Ebola: The Doctor’s Story.

Netflix’s Messiah has been canceled after one season. Deadline reports that co-star Wil Traval revealed the news on Instagram saying, “It’s a very sad day today. I have just received news from Netflix that there will be no season 2 of Messiah I wanted to say to all the fans thank you for your support and love. I wish things were different.” Messiah proved to be a provocative crime drama about a CIA investigating a man, “…attracting international attention and followers through acts of public disruption, she embarks on a global, high-stakes mission to uncover whether he is a divine entity or a deceptive con artist.”

New Amsterdam has shelved a flu pandemic episode that was set to air on April 7th. The episode was set to follow a flu pandemic in New York City and was originally titled “Pandemic” and later renamed “Our Doors Are Always Open.” With the episode pulled, the last remaining new episode will now serve as the season finale on April 14th. According to Deadline, the episode will still air, just at a future date. Creator Dan Schulner penned an emotional essay to Deadline saying, “The world needs a lot less fiction right now, and a lot more facts.” He continued describing the episode’s content, where all the beds at New Amsterdam are full, and as a result, the hospital sets up tents in the parking lot. Schulner continued he comments with, “Sometimes, what the mirror reflects back is too horrifying to look at.”

Fans of How to Get Away with Murder can expect visits from Anne-Marie Johnson and Cicely Tyson on the final half of the show’s final season. According to Deadline, Johnson will play Kendra Strauss, Michaela Pratt’s defense attorney, and will mark her return to Shondaland after an appearance in Grey’s Anatomy and the short-lived For the People. Tyson will reprise her role as Ophelia Harkness, Annaliese Keating’s mother. The role has earned Tyson Emmy nominations. 

NBC has set the Will & Grace series finale date and announced a retrospective special. Deadline reports that the sitcom will come to an end (for real this time) on Thursday, April 23rd at 9/8c. The finale will be preceded by a retrospective special hosted by Eric McCormack. The special will chronicle the series history-making moments including the first male-to-male kiss on television. Elton John and Norman Lear are also going to appear. The series finale’s official logline is simply, “It’s time.” The episode will mark the end of the show’s 11-season run spanning 246 episodes. In that time its amassed 91 Emmy nominations and 18 wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series in 2000. 

Grey’s Anatomy to end Season 16 early after COVID-19 shutdown. The ABC medical drama had a 25-episode order for the 2019-2020 television season, and had completed through the 21st episode before ceasing production for two weeks. Now, as the pandemic escalates, the show will air its final episode, aptly titled “Put on a Happy Face,” on Thursday, April 9th. Deadline reports that there is no word   on the fate of those four episodes. They could be used to open the show’s seventeenth season, or Grey’s Anatomy could see extra episodes ordered. The final four episodes were supposed to Station 19 crossover, and since the fire-fighter drama has already completed its shorter series order, it looks like the episodes will air one-sided. 

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How do you feel about the TV news this week? How are you dealing with the pandemic? 

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