Too Much TV: Your TV Talking Points For Wednesday, April 18

Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Wednesday, April 18th, 2018. I'm writing this from the Twin Cities, where AllYourScreens HQ is running on McDonald's coffee and the smell of forbidden apple pies.



STEPHEN COLBERT ENCOURAGES JAMES COMEY TO DRINK MORE WINE
Fired FBI Director James Comey headed to "Late Night With Stephen Colbert" on Tuesday to talk about his book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership." And while he didn't make much news, it was a fun interview to watch.

As Colbert and Comey sipped wine from Styrofoam glasses, Colbert asked Comey if he was surprised when he was fired last year by President Trump. "If you felt you were working for a mob boss, were you surprised you got whacked? Cause that’s what they do.” Colbert asked.

"I actually was quite surprised," Comey admitted, "because I thought, I’m leading the Russia investigation. Even though our relationship was becoming strained, there’s no way I’m going to get fired or whacked."

"Why wouldn’t you get fired?" Colbert replied, but Comey gave a quick answer over the laughter of the studio audience. "Because that would be a crazy things to do. Why would you fire the FBI director who's leading the Russia investigation?"

"Because you are leading the Russia investigation!" Colbert mock shouted. "I don’t know if you’ve dealt with mob bosses before, but they don’t like to be investigated."

Despite Colbert's efforts to fill the former FBI director with enough wine to spill some more secrets, Comey told the audience that while he did know more details about the Russian investigation that he hadn't revealed, he couldn't discuss anything that wasn't in the book, since the FBI had vetted all of those details to make sure he didn't say anything that would impact the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.





A New Season Of 'Love It Or List It' Is Coming To HGTV In May
This is good news for all of you who love HGTV but are tired of shows that include the words "Flip," "House" or "Hunters." A new season of "Love It Or List It," starring designer Hilary Farr and real estate expert David Visentin returns on Monday, May 7, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The new eight episode season will feature the pair as they help homeowners make a difficult decision: love their existing home after Hilary remodels their space or purchase a new house that David finds to better fit the needs of the family.

"I always do my best to accommodate each owner’s list of ‘must haves,'" said Hilary. "I may need to get extra creative depending on my budget, but I know when I finish revamping their home, the owners will love it."

"I try to take homeowners outside their comfort zone to make the most of their budget and make them see what they could get for their money if they are brave enough to list it," contended David.

In the premiere episode, Hilary and David will meet a young couple living in an outdated 1970s ranch home previously owned by her late grandmother. Taking on a dramatic redesign, Hilary will create an open floor plan—featuring a cozy fireplace in the living room and a stunning kitchen with an over-sized island perfect for entertaining. She’ll also add a functional closet and a bright bathroom with a huge walk-in shower to transform the master bedroom. In the meantime, David will try to convince the couple to put the home on the market and buy a newer property that fulfills their lengthy wish list.





IF YOU WANT TO HEAR MORE OF THE MUSIC FROM NBC'S 'RISE'
Although NBC hasn't exactly promoted the fact, a dozen of the songs featured in its high school musical drama are available on Spotify. If you're already a subscriber, you can listen to the songs here.





MARK YOUR CALENDARS
"The Great British Baking Show" returns to PBS on Friday June 22! And to check out when your other TV favorites are returning, take a look at our painfully big list of TV premieres.

WHAT'S NEW ON TV TONIGHT:

1) 'The Wine Show' Series Premiere (Ovation)
Based in their hilltop villa in Italy, actors Matthew Goode ("The Crown," "Downton Abbey") and Matthew Rhys ("The Americans," "Brothers and Sisters") are joined by wine expert and global reporter Joe Fattorini in "The Wine Show," coming to Ovation TV this week. In each episode, Joe and occasional presenters Amelia Singer and Gizzi Erskine bring back wines from their travels all over the world. From the South African wine that Napoleon adored in exile to wines born out of an earthquake in Chile, every bottle uncorked on "The Wine Show" tells a really great story.


2) The Originals Season Premiere (The CW)
In the episode entitled "The Beginning Of The End," Desperate to see her father Klaus (Joseph Morgan) after seven years, Hope (Danielle Rose Russell) resorts to drastic measures to bring her father back to New Orleans. Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) attempts to minimize the fallout from Hope’s actions, but not before news of what she’s done ripples through the city. Meanwhile, Freya’s (Riley Voelkel) guilt over not being able to reunite her family gets in the way of her happiness with Keelin (guest star Christina Moses), while Rebekah (guest star Claire Holt) struggles with her inability to fully commit to Marcel (Charles Michael Davis). Finally, struggling without Elijah (Daniel Gillies) by his side, Klaus’ murderous rampage throughout Europe leads to an unexpected encounter with Caroline Forbes (guest star Candice King). Yusuf Gatewood and Steven Krueger also star.


3) Stone House Revival Season Premiere (DIY)
Popular licensed contractor and carpenter Jeff Devlin is back to refurbish more centuries-old homes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The new 14-episode season will showcase Jeff as he tackles dilapidated exteriors, dated interiors and adds modern amenities to transform some of the nation’s oldest houses one stone at a time. "These homes were built 200 years ago." said Jeff. "That’s what’s beautiful about these renovations. We can find inspiration from what’s already been done." 

In the premiere episode, Jeff and his team of restoration experts will reveal the historic charm of a home built in 1782. To address the property’s modern kitchen that doesn’t match the rest of the house, Jeff will add a custom-made reclaimed wood island to infuse a rustic feel to the space.


4) POV: Bill Nye-Science Guy (PBS)
Bill Nye is on a mission to stop the spread of anti-scientific thought and action. Once the host of a popular kids’ show and now the CEO of the Planetary Society, he’s leading a mission to launch LightSail, a satellite propelled by sunlight, while in turn fulfilling the legacy of his late professor and Planetary Society co-founder Carl Sagan. In addition to taking off his signature “Science Guy” lab coat, Bill Nye has started taking on those who deny the importance of science, from prominent creationist Ken Ham to climate change skeptic, meteorologist and occasional Fox News commentator Joe Bastardi. Nye goes head-to-head to advocate for the scientific community and its invaluable findings.


5) Ice Bridge: The Impossible Journey (Smithsonian)
An astonishing discovery found jutting from an eroding coastal cliff on an island in the Chesapeake Bay in 2012 is challenging scientists long-held theory about the first humans to inhabit North America. where they originated, and how and when they arrived. It points to an explosive theory: Ice Age people made an epic journey across a massive ice bridge spanning a frozen Atlantic about six thousand years before people trekked across what is now the Bering Strait. The extraordinary find could rewrite history and upend our understanding of early human migration. Using archaeology, geology and genetics, a new one-hour documentary follows the expedition and search to uncover new evidence that could unravel the 20,000-year-old mystery. The film uses re-creation and state-of-the-art CGI to bring to life the ancient frozen wilderness and the fearsome Ice Age beasts that once ruled our continent.


6) Nova: Decoding The Weather Machine (PBS)
This new special examines why this latest weather trend is different from other cycles in Earth's history and shows the evidence that we are the culprit. The film traces the pioneering explorations to understand our changing climate, which began more than 200 years ago, and reveals how scientists established carbon dioxide levels in the air as a major driver of climate and a key factor in regulating Earth's thermostat. By burning fossil fuels, we humans have changed the composition of the atmosphere, which is now trapping more heat. The documentary then analyzes how the other key parts of the climate system-the land, sea, ice will respond, which will determine how much our climate will change, and the impacts. NOVA takes viewers under the hood of Earth's climate machine, following geologists, ecologists, polar scientists, marine biologists, and other researchers around the globe who are delving deep into our natural world at a scale never before possible. Ultimately, the film explores what humanity can do to avoid the suffering that climate change might bring both by adapting to the changes already underway, and by using technology to mitigate the worst outcomes. 

 
For a rundown of all the new episodes of television premiering tonight, click here.





NEW ON WEDNESDAY:
A Review Of Netflix's 'Mercury 13'
Premiering on Friday, Mercury 13 is a remarkable story of the women who were tested for spaceflight in 1961 before their dreams were dashed in being the first to make the trip beyond Earth. NASA’s ‘man in space’ program, dubbed ‘Project Mercury’ began in 1958. The men chosen – all military test pilots – became known as The Mercury 7. But away from the glare of the media, behind firmly closed doors, female pilots were also screened. Thirteen of them passed and, in some cases, performed better than the men. They were called the Mercury 13 and had the ‘right stuff’ but were, unfortunately, the wrong gender. Underneath the obsession of the space race that gripped America, the women were aviation pioneers who emerged thirsty for a new frontier, but whose time would have to wait. The film tells the definitive story of thirteen truly remarkable women who reached for the stars but were ahead of their time. A Netflix original documentary directed by David Sington (The Fear of 13) and Heather Walsh.

YOUR LONG READ FOR TODAY:
The rise of Netflix has had a huge impact on consumers. But it's also changed the world for independent film makers, as this piece in the Guardian lays out in painful detail:

For fledgling film-makers, that support can often be the difference between making a film and not. For years, Adam Randall, a British director, struggled to find funding for iBoy, a sci-fi teen thriller adapted from a 2010 young adult novel. By 2015, he and his producer had raised just $600,000. Then Netflix got hold of the script. “We got on the phone in early 2016 and an hour later they were on board,” Randall says. “They raised the budget to roughly $1.5m.”

iBoy, released on Netflix in January last year, was the first British Netflix Original film. Had he made it without Netflix, with half the budget, Randall thinks the film, a London-set genre piece for teens, might have struggled to win the interest of distributors or festivals. “To get to a young audience with Netflix was perfect and it has been seen by a much wider international audience than I could ever have hoped for,” he says.


I'll be back with another one tomorrow. If you have any feedback, send it along to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and follow me on Twitter @aysrick.