TV Bits: Down to Earth with Zac Efron, The Powerpuff Girls, Russian Doll, The Flight Attendant, and More

In this edition of TV Bits:

• Russian Doll finds a new cast member for season 2
• Down to Earth with Zac Efron begins shooting its second season
• Netflix’s Prank Encounters season 2 gets a trailer
• Watch the trailer for new docuseries Moment of Truth
• Kim’s Convenience has closed up shop
• And more!

If you’re into prank shows and Stranger Things, Netflix is hoping you’ll dig the combination it has put together for Prank Encounters, which is hosted by Dustin himself, Gaten Matarazzo. Here’s the trailer for the second season.

If that’s not quite your speed, IMDbTV’s Moment of Truth dives into the murder of Michael Jordan‘s father. The five-part series “tells the never-before-seen story behind the murder of beloved husband and father, James Jordan, and exposes the checked history in the small North Carolina town where the heinous crime and subsequent trial occurred. The docuseries newly examines the crime which took place not far from where Jordan lived with his wife and raised his five children, including NBA superstar Michael Jordan. Directed by Matthew Perniciaro and Clay Johnson, the story of the arrest and conviction of then-teenagers Larry Demery and Daniel Green continues today through the current appeals by Green, who maintains his innocence nearly three decades later.”

One of my favorite Netflix shows, the time-loop comedy Russian Doll, is finally coming back for a second season, and there will be a new face among the cast when it does. (No, a different new face.) Colony and House of Cards actress Carolyn Michelle Smith has joined the series in a recurring role, though we’re not sure who she’s playing or indeed even what (or who) the second season will primarily be about.

Down to Earth with Zac Efron did well for Netflix when it launched last year, so now season 2 is underway in Australia. This season, which is expected to arrive on the streamer sometime in 2022, follows the former High School Musical star as he “travels around Australia with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live. The hosts bring viewers to beautiful locales where they seek out sustainable practices in a way that is both educational and enlightening, embracing local food, culture and customs throughout their journey.”

Disappointing news today.

I’m heartbroken. I feel like my journey with Jung was cut short. I feel like you, the fans, deserved better. But I’m proud of all that we accomplished together in 5 seasons.

Thanks for all your love and support. This isn’t goodbye, only #OKSeeYou. pic.twitter.com/c1LAg0F58m

— Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) March 8, 2021

Simu Liu, who will soon star in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, has spent the past several years starring on a Canadian comedy series called Kim’s Convenience. But sadly, that show ran into an abrupt ending a few days ago. Read this brief explanation from the producers for more details.

Here’s the trailer for The CW’s gender-swapped retelling of the 1970s TV series Kung Fu, which I’m guessing won’t last longer than one season. Apologies to everyone involved, I just have my doubts that a younger audience will care about this story in 2021. But I’d love to be proven wrong and for this to become the new Supernatural and last for the next 15 years.

Speaking of The CW, the network has also hired three actresses to play the lead roles in its live-action sequel to the beloved animated series The Powerpuff Girls. Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Dove Cameron (Descendants), and Yana Perrault (Jagged Little Pill) will play Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, respectively, and this show (which is written by Diablo Cody and Heather Regnier) picks up years after the trio’s childhood adventures, finding them as “disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost their childhood to crimefighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever?”

The Flight Attendant season 2 is scheduled to come in for a landing on HBO Max in the spring of 2022. It will follow Kaley Cuoco‘s Cassie character on “a new adventure,” although we’re still not sure exactly what that will entail.

For a whole week starting on March 29, host Nikki Glaser (and guests) will count down the top 100 Roast moments in a new special called Hall of Flame for Comedy Central.

FX has officially given a pilot order to Kindred, based on Octavia E. Butler’s influential science fiction novel. Watchmen writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins wrote the pilot and will executive produce the show. Here’s the description of the series:

“FX’s adaptation is centered on Dana, a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But, before she can get settled into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time to a nineteenth-century plantation with which she and her family are most surprisingly and intimately linked. An interracial romance threads through her past and present, and the clock is ticking as she struggles to confront the secrets she never knew ran through her blood, in this genre-breaking exploration of the ties that bind.”

Queen Latifah has just secured another season of a high-paying broadcast drama: her CBS action/drama series The Equalizer has scored a second season. “The Equalizer has proven more than equal to the task of engaging viewers and racking up wins on Sunday night,” CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said in a statement. “We’re extremely proud to see this outstanding broadcast drama, led by Queen Latifah, punch through the competitive landscape and return for a second season.”

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