Fanatic Feed: A Ted Lasso Reunion, S.W.A.T. Heads to WeTV, Lawmen: Bass Reeves Heads to CBS & More

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

There is a little something for everyone, whether you’re an Eddie Murphy fan or thrive on the work of Taylor Sheridan.

We’ll begin with a Christmas special featuring Ted Lasso’s award-winning actress Hannah Waddingham.

Hannah Waddingham will be getting an assist from her Ted Lasso costars during her upcoming holiday special.

Apple TV+ debuted the official trailer for Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas on Wednesday, and it’s poised to be one of the most heartwarming television events of the year.

Ted Lasso alums Phil Dunster (Jamie Tartt), Nick Mohammed (Nathan Shelley), Kola Bokinni (Isaac McAdoo), Billy Harris (Colin Hughes), James Lance (Trent Crimm), and June Temple (Keeley Jones) are all present in the clip.

The special drops on the streaming platform on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, and will also be accompanied by an album launching on that same date.

“Recorded live at The Coliseum in London, one of London’s oldest and most beautiful theaters, the one-hour special will feature Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham ringing in the season with musical performances of beloved Christmas classics,” Apple TV+ teases.

Also appearing are Sam Ryder, Luke Evans, Leslie Odom Jr., the English National Opera, the London Gay Men’s Chorus, The Fabulous Lounge Swingers, and an 18-piece band.

“Along the way, Hannah shares her personal journey to this magical moment with anecdotes and memories about her own holiday experiences,” the logline teases.

Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas is executive produced by Waddingham, Katy Mullan, Moira Ross, Raj Kapoor, and Nick Todisco.

The project is produced by Done + Dusted (Beauty & The Beast: A 30th Celebration, John Legend’s A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy, The Little Mermaid Live!, London Olympic opening and closing ceremonies), the same team behind Apple’s hit Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.

The holiday special is directed by BAFTA Award winner Hamish Hamilton (Oscars, Grammys, Super Bowl halftime show, London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies).

Check out the promo below.

Can Eddie Murphy bring a little holiday fun to the table? Of course, he can! He’s’ friggin’ Eddie Murphy!

The comedy icon stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest.

After Chris (Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life and wreaks havoc on the whole town.

At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.

Sounds like a jolly old time for everyone. Check out the trailer now:

Paramount Network’s Yellowstone has received incredible ratings on CBS, and Paramount+ is taking advantage of that incredible momentum to give its new series Lawmen: Bass Reeves a boost.

It’s not unheard of that Paramount+ gives traditional TV viewers a taste of their programming, airing episodes of both 1883 and Tulsa King out of Yellowstone episodes in the past.

If we know anything at all, it’s that Taylor Sheridan’s original hit Yellowstone is a kingmaker.

Now, Paramount is using CBS as a springboard for the two-episode Lawmen: Bass Reeves series premiere, which launched this past Sunday on Paramount+.

Will that help the series find an audience that it deserves? We hope so because charting the path of the man who inspired The Lone Ranger is well worth the investment.

David Oyelowo stars as the titular Bass Reeves, who is arguably the most successful US Marshal of all time, bringing over 3,000 outlaws to justice, killing just 14. He was a family man of high moral convictions who had no misconceptions about the weight his badge put on his shoulders.

Also starring in the series are Dennis Quaid, Lauren E. Banks, Donald Sutherland, Demi Singleton, Barry Pepper, and Shea Whigam.

CBS is also carrying on with Yellowstone Season 2, which premieres after the two-hour introduction to Lawmen: Bass Reeves.

Deadline reports that comedy fans can rejoice with the announcement of an upcoming December Max special featuring comedian Gary Gulman.

Gulman came into the public eye in 2004 as a contestant on Last Comic Standing, and he has been making us laugh ever since.

In his new special titled Born on Third Base, Gulman once again gets personal while using his signature style to chronicle the delights of growing up poor in an eccentric Jewish American family.

In his most recent special in 2019, titled The Great Depresh, Gulman chronicled his battle with mental health issues, spinning what should be a dire topic into imaginative and insightful entertainment.

Speaking of comedy, another comedy kingpin is coming to Max in a new series titled Bookie, and Max released the first trailer today.

From Emmy-nominated creator Chuck Lorre (The Big Bang Theory) and Nick Bakay, this darkly funny comedy follows veteran Los Angeles bookie Danny (Sebastian Maniscalco) as the potential legalization of sports gambling in California threatens to upend his business for good.

Alongside best friend and former NFL player Ray (Omar J. Dorsey), side-hustling sister Lorraine (Vanessa Ferlito), and reluctantly reformed drug dealer Hector (Jorge Garcia), Danny must contend with his increasingly unstable clients as he tries to settle their debts — all while making plenty of risky bets of his own.

Full of relatable mishaps, Bookie chronicles one man’s journey to adapt to an ever-changing world as he attempts to charm and con his way to the top.

We cannot wait!

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.

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