Released in 2020 on Netflix, The Queen’s Gambit is based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel of the same name and quickly became a huge cultural hit. While a show about chess tournaments might not seem like a guaranteed success, the series’ compelling story and beautiful visuals drew viewers in from around the world.
In season 8 of The Rookie, one of the show’s main characters is facing a tough situation with the Mid-Wilshire Division. The series has returned to ABC after a break, kicking off with a big international storyline. The second episode begins to establish the show’s new direction, but is complicated by a visit from the President to Los Angeles.
Damon and Affleck’s Oscar acceptance speech in 1997 is considered one of the best ever. The two young actors were genuinely surprised and overwhelmed, and admitted they didn’t know what to say. Affleck later joked on The Howard Stern Show (as reported by EW) that he might have gotten a little carried away at the ceremony, saying…
This week’s SNL host delivered a long sketch where they played Harry Potter in a surprising twist. Due to a last-minute script change, this Harry Potter is romantically interested in Ron (played by Ben Marshall), leading to a completely different storyline than the original TV show.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, like Brian Cox and Carl Sagan, has become a popular science communicator, earning the admiration of many. He enjoys breaking down the wonders of the universe for everyone, and often applies his knowledge of astrophysics to analyze science fiction films. From classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey to more recent hits like Gravity, he points out what these movies get right – and wrong. He particularly recommends a science fiction film from New Zealand that tackles the familiar idea of a lone survivor, and it’s definitely worth checking out.
As a huge Star Trek fan, I was so excited to see Captain Janeway’s legacy continuing in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy! It’s amazing to think her influence is still felt 800 years after the events of Voyager. The new series, brought to us by Alex Kurtzman and creator Gaia Violo, kicks off with an episode called “Kids These Days” and brings Starfleet Academy back to its original home in San Francisco. I can’t wait to see what adventures await the new cadets!
If you enjoyed 28 Days Later, you’ll want to watch it on Netflix soon! It’s leaving the streaming service on February 1st. This comes as its sequel, 28 Years Later: Bone Temple, is currently doing very well in theaters.
As a huge horror fan, I was really excited to hear that Mike Flanagan is tackling The Exorcist! Universal Pictures just announced it’s coming out on March 12, 2027, according to Variety. And the cast is fantastic – Scarlett Johansson and Noah Jupe, who I thought was brilliant in Hamnet, are both signed on. Flanagan’s not just directing, he’s writing and producing too, which is awesome. They’re keeping plot details pretty close to the vest, but it sounds like he’s doing a really interesting, dramatic take on the story.
At the time, many Netflix viewers didn’t realize that Dark was becoming a huge success – one of the most popular European shows on the platform. Unlike most Netflix series that quickly peak and then lose viewers, Dark actually grew in popularity over time. Parrot Analytics data showed it consistently gained new fans each week, proving that people were discovering it and recommending it to others.
Netflix will remove the movie Oblivion from its streaming service on February 1, 2026. Released in 2013, the film was directed by and produced by Joseph Kosinski, with a screenplay co-written by Karl Gajdusek (known for Stranger Things) and Michael Arndt. Tom Cruise plays Jack Harper, a security technician stationed on a devastated Earth after an alien war. Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, and Melissa Leo also appear in the film.