Insights Into Entertainment: Episode 50 “Jedi, Superheros and Ghosts…Oh My”

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Speaker 1: 00:02 Insightful, formative hopes, insights, a podcast network

Speaker 3: 00:28 Come to insights into entertainment, a podcast series, taking a deeper look into entertainment and media. Your hosts, Joseph and Michelle, Waylon, a husband and wife, team of pop culture, phonetics are exploring all things from music and movies to television and fandom.

Speaker 2: 00:51 Welcome

Speaker 4: 00:51 To insights into entertainment. This is episode 50, Jed, I’s superheroes and ghosts. Oh my. Oh and baby Yoda. I’m your host Joseph Whalen. And my question Mark. Question Mark and question Mark. Question Mark cohost Michelle. And obviously somebody didn’t read over some notes. I didn’t fill in the blanks. Fill in the blank. I didn’t realize you were playing mad libs. So adjective and adjective. So my, my beautiful and creative co-host Michelle Wayland. That’s better. Sure. So this is episode 50. We’ve made it. That’s incredible. We’re almost up to a full year now. Wow. Who would have thought it’s, I didn’t, I didn’t think this was going to last. One quick programming note. We changed how we stream. We’re live right now. We did change how we stream. I was multi streaming from my recording software. And now we are using a stream reflector called restream dot out.

Speaker 4: 02:04 So as a result, I send one stream out so our stream performance actually should be better. And now that’s sending out to Twitch to Facebook, but I can’t do it to the page right now is doing at the Mayan. But we’re streaming live on YouTube, our YouTube channel. Wow. That is so moving up in the world. God loved tickets. I see us live on Facebook. Look at that. So got a busy show this week we’re going to be talking about some comments that you and McGregor made about the new OB one TV show, mini series, whatever it’s supposed to be on Disney plus. Sure. We have some captain Marvel two news. We have of course, some BB Yoda news. Always have to talk about baby always cast. I can do what I want, whatever. Baby. Yoda, all the time. Happy wife, happy life entertainment news. We’re gonna be talking about some Ghostbusters news. Then we’ve got some more Picard news with a familiar face coming back for the show. We have some doctor who news and then some said news on the passing of one of the alumni of Monte Python. So then we’ll do our insightful picks of the week. Are we ready to get started? Let’s do it. All right.

Speaker 4: 03:40 Yo, for Disney detectors.

Speaker 5: 03:42 So this was something that kinda came out this week. They were actually a bunch of different stories about the OB one show on Disney plus being postpone being canceled. There were all these different articles that that came out. And the, the latest was that OB one star, you and McGregor actually had said that all of the, you know, the stuff going around was basically bullshit. He, I’m just quoting him he was speaking to the press at the premiere of Warner brothers birds of prey. He wanted to clarify that, you know, shooting was supposed to start in August and basically just got pushed until January. And that, you know, adding that the clashes over the creative differences weren’t true. That, you know, he basically said that it’s not nearly as dramatic as it all sound. You know, online that they basically pushed the shootout to the beginning of next year.

Speaker 5: 04:51 He said that the scripts are really good. He saw about 90% of it and he really liked it, you know, but all this bull about the creative differences, you know, none of it was true according to, you know, to what he said. You know, so basically they were supposed to start shooting this August and now it’s going to be January of 20, 21 that they’re going to start shooting. But it sounds like they were still gonna make whatever premiere date they were. Cause I guess it wasn’t supposed to premiere until sometime in 2021. So, you know, it’s, you know, basically a, a, some of it. So there were initial reports that, you know, it was indefinitely delayed. Then the Hollywood reporter on Thursday noted that it was on hold to kind of undergo a retooling because they were saying that a lot of the script kind of was very similar to the Mandalorian and that, you know, because of the, the time frame of, of the story and that, you know, it’s an exile. Jed, I, and he’s taking on, you know, this protective a role model thing. You know, they said that it was kind of mimicking a little bit of the Mandalorian. And maybe that was why though, because you like that story of LPWAN is already established and it’s, and it’s also, it’s supposed to be 15 years after.

Speaker 4: 06:17 Yeah.

Speaker 5: 06:19 Well what do you call it? The third one and revenge of the set. Thank you. So it’s supposed to be 15 years after and it’s before, you know, a new hope and everything. So you’re talking, you know, the Mandalorian happens at after return of the jet eye. So you’re talking, it’s not the same timeframe, but I guess, you know, people that were reading it over kind of were like, okay, well we kinda did this story already. Let’s go back in and do it. So, you know, he had actually said that he hadn’t heard anything like that. The other thing too was that originally they were supposed to be six episodes and then now it’s only supposed to be a four episode series. But originally it was supposed to be a movie basically kind of like how solo was and everything and that they kind of, you know, changed their mind and, and, and did, you know, decided to do it as a series instead. So now it’s going to be a, I guess a four-part mini series is what

Speaker 4: 07:22 I guess it depends on how long you’re going to make you, Gemma. So to kind of make sense, cause there’s not a lot of story in there, like to make it a multi season, you know, episodic series. I don’t think there’s enough in there for that. But there’s probably enough in there to have a movie and a half’s worth of.

Speaker 5: 07:41 Yeah. And so you figure if each episode is an hour ish long, then you know, two movies and, and you’re done. So, yeah.

Speaker 4: 07:49 So, I mean, yeah, they probably didn’t have enough to go six, especially if you’re going to start cutting out some of the material that you had in the script already. My concern is they, you know, they’ve got this in the works and they’ve got Mandalorian they’re working on, they’re revising the clone Wars series that they’ve got the Cassie and, and, or one that they’re going to have a lot of balls in the air at once. Trying to,

Speaker 5: 08:20 And maybe that’s the other thing too, is they, they need to kind of space it out. You don’t want to have so much all at once because then you’re flooding and you know, kind of what happened with the, you know, star Wars movie every year, you know, your, your content kind of, you know, one a little overboard, you know, and it was too much. I know it might

Speaker 4: 08:42 Be too much of a demand on your, on your development team and it all depends on who they’ve got involved. You know, it seems like they’re very happy with fab row and do Filoni right now. Yeah. So I could see those getting involved in this and trying to keep that same level of quality gun, but that might be clashing with other projects that they’re working on right now too. So I’m not concerned about them pushing this. Right. You know, do the best job you can. I can understand McGregor’s annoyance at this because this is his livelihood and you know, you don’t want rumors floating around about it and then it jeopardizes other projects that you’re working on. So anyway, tell us about captain Marvel.

Speaker 5: 09:25 So we kind of weren’t really surprised by this because they’ve been hinting at this, but it seems that the Wanda vision writer, Megan McDonald, is in talks to write the sequel to captain Marvel. According to an individual who is working on the project, a directors, Anna Boden and a Ryan Fleck who co-wrote and directed the first captain Marvel will not return to direct the sequel, but they’re in talks to still work with Marvel studios and to possibly direct a Disney, another Disney plus series a Marvel is actually hoping to land a female filmmaker for the sequel and is eyeing a potential release for 2022. Now, a different article that I had read said that Anne Boden was actually still on board to possibly direct. So, you know, not sure what the correct sources and you know, at this point, maybe it’s still, you know, maybe they’re trying to find somebody else to work with her or somebody come completely different.

Speaker 5: 10:27 So last year’s captain Marvel starring Brie Larson as the title character grossed 1.1 billion worldwide. Mcdonald got her first writing credit on one division and the series is just one of the multiple Marvel projects that is in development for Disney. Plus you have obviously Falcon and winter soldier that’s also going to be debuting this year along with Juan division, which is set to debut in 2021. So there’s very few details about what is going to be the storyline for captain Marvel. But you know, they had said at comic con that the show would kind of lead directly into the events of dr strange and the multiuniverse of madness. And it was also announced at the time that the show would feature a photon who’s the grownup version of captain Marvel’s character. Monica. So so again, not really a whole lot. You know, they basically teased at last year’s comic con that, you know, Oh yeah, black Panther too. And guardians of the galaxy three and captain Marvel too. And Oh yeah. Fantastic. Four. So we knew it was coming, we just didn’t know when, obviously in the line up. So it’s

Speaker 4: 11:48 Hard to get excited about sequels to the after end game and game. It’s like, okay, so they just defeated the largest villain in the universe who wiped out half the universe. Right. What are they going to do now? Go get kittens out of trees. Like we’re going to Disney world. Yeah. It’s hard to get excited about it at this point in time. Marvel’s really,

Speaker 5: 12:09 Right. And that’s the thing is do you up for challenges now? Right. Do you, you know, go back and now show what happened after the first movie. You know, like when she kind of, you know, disappeared, you know, or is this a post end game?

Speaker 4: 12:26 Cause you know, black widows coming out, that’s going to be a flashback flashback because she’s, she’s dead. No spoilers though. So I just hope that this doesn’t show signs of the ongoing problem Disney has keeping, you know, directors going on their projects. It seems like every project, every movie project that comes out now, there’s some level of controversy over directors anymore, whether it’s star Wars or Marvel. So hopefully, hopefully everything goes off without a hitch. Speaking of Disney, let’s talk about how their strong arm and a baby Yoda,

Speaker 5: 13:08 So say goodbye to your expendable income because baby star Wars mania shows no signs of slowing down. And of course everybody’s fallen over head over heel for baby Yoda, AK the child who was introduced obviously during the Mandalorian. Now there’s a three D artist who’s actually obsessed with baby job of the hut. And I hate to say it, he’s kind of ugly and I don’t feel for him the same way I do baby Yoda. Well, and he’s a slog, right? You know, it’s like, Oh look how cute the slug is. You know. So basically there are people that are like really excited about baby Java. You know, so everybody’s kind of going all crazy about it. But then obviously like we’ve talked many times the lack of official merchandise for baby Yoda being out there. You know, and, and for, you know, Lucas and Lucas arts, you know, they were always the forefront on making sure that there was so much merchandise and everything. And of course we’ve talked about this for months and months and months, you know, that the whole point, you know, John Fabro came out and, and you know, basically said time and time again, he really, you know, had to applaud Disney and Lucas films for not releasing toys, you know, a ahead of time so that it could be a surprise when the child was shown in the series and everything. And

Speaker 4: 14:46 Yeah, well, not releasing them ahead of time didn’t necessarily mean not releasing them at all. Right.

Speaker 5: 14:52 One that, you know, so obviously naturally you have all the, the artists and crafters who have now flooded sites like Etsy, with baby Yoda products, and Disney now is actually kind of trying to squash all the unauthorized toys, hats and, and whatnot. So far Disney has issued complaints with Etsy, which has been delisting various baby Yoda products. But unfortunately for consumers and sellers, this means delays in product shipping, you know, and, and sales issues. So while Etsy doesn’t force an intellectual properties policy, many creators are still kind of making their, their products and just renaming them without putting, you know, searchable words like star Wars or baby Yoda in it. In the meantime, obviously ABA, Yoda merchandise is coming out as fast as it can, which is obviously pretty slow for, you know, the .

Speaker 4: 15:48 So a hint for anyone looking for baby odors, you don’t want baby at a, you want an alien baby that will get you what you’re looking.

Speaker 5: 15:58 Just saying. You know, and as we had mentioned, you know, last week build a bears is going to be coming out and what we’re in that’s going to be licensed, right? That’s going to be, you know, all the license stuff is finally going to be coming out, you know, March, April, may, timeframe. But again, you know, we’ve talked about it too, you know, this article talked about it. You know, as well, the people that are on Etsy that are selling their wares, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to what Disney, you know, they’re not hurting Disney.

Speaker 4: 16:31 But you know, Disney doesn’t want other people getting money that they think is there,

Speaker 5: 16:36 But you know, poopoo on them for not having things ready

Speaker 4: 16:42 Uniquely. Disney Lucas did the same thing when he read his merchandising empire, just to speak briefly on the, on the baby Java XY, hard star Wars fans, you know, deep in the weeds, star Wars fans that when the clone Wars TV series premiere to premiered as a movie in theaters, an animated movie. And then eventually that became a two part television show when the series started. Well one of the plot twists there was they had a baby hut that a soca and a anagen had to deliver, you know, as part of the whole subplot there. So a baby hut is not a unique thing and it didn’t look nearly as ugly as that actually looked cuter. It did cause it was, it was just animated. But what was the outstanding hut contribution to the star Wars universe that came out of clone Wars was a hot, and I believe the Hudson name was hero, H I R. O the hut who didn’t sound like a hut. He sounded like he was doing an impersonation of Truman compony the entire time. So that was where we really got the learn to deep down roots of what huts were all about. So, so anyway, maybe you go to store or baby hut stories. And that is it for Disney detective this week. Right. All right, let’s come back with some entertainment news.

Speaker 4: 18:28 Go for entertainment news.

Speaker 5: 18:30 So it has been confirmed that bill Murray will be part of the new Ghostbusters afterlife movie. The Ghostbusters franchise is returning to the big screen this summer with Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters afterlife. The direct continuation of the story from the first two films. Nothing about that other movie that kinda came out a couple of years ago. I don’t know if that was,

Speaker 4: 18:56 That was kind of like, you know, when the Ghostbusters one and two came out and you had the two competing animated Ghostbusters TV series that won that last movie, they, it wasn’t the real Ghostbusters. This one’s the real,

Speaker 5: 19:11 This is the real one. So of course this means that the original team of Ghostbusters remain a core part of the story’s continuation. And fans had been wondering whether or not the original cast would return. A Dan Akroyd had already confirmed his role. But the rest had all still been rumors until the day the this article actually was released. The majority of the iconic Ghostbusters cast will be appearing in Ghostbusters afterlife. And obviously bill Murray being the last one to, to finally sign on board. Vanity fair actually had visited the set in Canada and spent some time with Marie while they were filming the scenes. Murray’s Peter Venkman is most definitely playing a part of the new film as everyone had been hoping he would. Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts are also going to be showing up in the movie though details around their roles are kind of, you know, under wraps of the original stars.

Speaker 5: 20:09 The only two, obviously that won’t be returning will be Rick Maraniss and Harold Ramis and Harold Ramis. He unfortunately passed away in 2014 but Maria explained that during the visit to the vanity Fair’s visit to the set that they’ll actually explain some of his loss in, in the movie that that’s part of some of the plot line as to, you know, why he’s not there. He said that, you know, saying Marie actually was talking about the script and he said, Hey, the script is good. It’s got a lot of emotions in it and it’s got a lot of family in it and it’s really interesting and it’s going to work. So maybe it’s not going to be as bad. Cause I know we’ve been talking about it pretty much since we started doing the podcast when news came out about it and, and there was the whole back and forth of do they really need to do this? What’s it going to be? You know,

Speaker 4: 21:06 Bill, Mary’s taken a lot of heat for not wanting to be a part of it cause she didn’t really want to be a part of the last one. That’s why he came in, in a different role. But he makes a valid point in, in why, like, he didn’t want to come back just for the sake of coming back. You know, he wanted to make sure that the plot itself had some meaning, that there was some purpose to it, and it wasn’t just a, you know, come back and make money type thing. Whether or not it’s going to turn out to be that or not remains to be seen, but hopefully with, with what he stated is fairly pure intentions. It should be a meaningful plot.

Speaker 5: 21:42 Yeah. It sounds like it’s kinda, you know, and, and from the trailer that they had for it already, it’s, you know, it’s a different take, but it’s, you know, some of the same elements of it, you know, so it, it might actually not be, not be so bad.

Speaker 4: 21:59 Yeah. Okay. I’ll buy that. So let’s talk about Whoopi.

Speaker 5: 22:06 So this was actually really cute. So I’m in, you know, star Trek news. Obviously Patrick Stewart has been making the rounds of, you know, various entertainment shows and weekly magazines and whatnot promoting his new show that’s on streaming on CBS. What’s what’s the CBS all access, all access? Yeah CBS all access, and obviously it’s a star Trek Picard, which we talked about last week when he was a mortalized at the Chinese theater with his hand prints and footprints. So it seems that on Wednesday he visited one of his old friends, a Whoopi Goldberg, he was a guest on the view and he had a lovely little announcement to make. And he basically asked if she he invited her to reprise her role of guidance for season two. And obviously she accepted and just, it was very sweet. You know, and, and you know, she kinda got a little, little teary eyed, you know, towards the end. And, and she, you know, said that, you know, she’s talked numerous times you know, on the show saying that her, her time on star Trek, you know, was one of her, you know, favorite times in her career, you know, so to be able to go back and play that again, you know, it was just very meaningful, you know, for her. So, so that was, that was kind of,

Speaker 4: 23:43 That’s nicer or prize or, and it’s, and you know, when I remember watching next generation women, her character premiered and there was kind of a lot of controversy as to what the purpose of this character was going to be and why they picked her, et cetera, et cetera. And she turned out to be a meaningful character. The whole thing to the point that she even wound up getting an appearance in star Trek generations, the first next generation movie. So yeah, I mean she’s turned out to be a great addition to the star Trek family. So nice to see it continue.

Speaker 5: 24:18 Yeah. It’ll be interesting to see, cause you know, we knew she was, you know, a time traveler, you know, of sorts because she, you know, was friends with Mark Twain and with Q and the Borg and everything. So it’ll kind of be interesting to see how they fit her in, you know, Oh, nobody’s really, their friends

Speaker 4: 24:37 Would characterize her as friends, let’s go get a drink. So, very cool. Speaking of time travel, that’s a good lead in.

Speaker 5: 24:48 That was a good lead in. So this, this was very sweet news. So doctor who will actually be paying tribute to a late fan by naming a new character after him. So it’s been revealed that the series has a new key character that is actually going to be named after a BBC online producer Paul cordon, who passed away in 2019 after a short illness and they’re going to be naming a key character after him. So in the upcoming episode, the fugitive of the is that, sure, sure. The leader is going to be named pole con Dawn. A low key reference DePaul’s name. The move has been praised by Paul’s friends on social media with run writing. Oh my goodness. I’m weeping. I’m a weeping puddle. Another friend angel. Right, exactly. Another friend said how utterly amazing. For those of you who don’t know, Paul was one of the most wonderful people ever. And for me personally, a without whom person died last year and now has a doctor who monster named after him, Justin. Wow.

Speaker 4: 26:02 I’m not sure that’s an honor to have a doctor monster named after you.

Speaker 5: 26:06 I have something. So they, you know, it was, it was very they basically had announced that back in may that these monsters were going to be returning in full force cause we actually haven’t seen them since season four with the 10th doctor actually. So they knew the monsters were coming back, but obviously it wasn’t until recently that they renamed one of the characters in, in honor of this, this fan. So that was pretty sweet. That isn’t something that doctor who does a lot now, I mean this is, this is pretty spectacular, right, to be doing something like this. Well, and I guess since he also worked for the BBC, you know, I guess maybe a little bit more of a, a tie in the nepotism, is that, yeah, no, no. Just saying. Okay, sure. I’ll go with that.

Speaker 5: 27:06 So the last one that we had today is unfortunately another sad one and that is the passing of of Terry Jones. Why don’t you tell us about, so Terry Jones was a founding member of Monty Python and a beloved comedian, screenwriter, film director, poet, historian and author. And he passed away earlier this week. He was 77 he had actually been suffering from dementia which was revealed publicly by his son in September of 2016 and it actually left him unable to speak. In a statement they said we are deeply sad into have to announce the passing of a loving husband and father Terry Jones. Terry passed away on the evening of the 21st of January, 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife by his side after a long extremely brave but always good humored battle with a rare form of dementia. FTD over the past few days, his wife, children, extended families and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in North London.

Speaker 5: 28:14 We have all con, we have all lost, a kind, funny, warm, creative, and truly loving man who uncompromisingly individually, relentlessly intellect with his relentless intellect and extraordinary humor has given pleasure to countless, millions across six decades. He, you know, it was interesting because, you know, he started out you know, in college, you know, with a, a comedy troupe with, you know, and, and met Michael Palin and that was kind of how the start of of things went. And then a few later, you know, years later, you know, they were working on a another group and that’s when they met Eric idle. And then John Cleese and Graham Chapman came along. And before you knew it, there were, you know, a group of them. And Monty Python was born. And Monty Python’s flying circus you know, ran on BBC for four seasons. And then obviously from there you ended up with Monty Python and the Holy grail.

Speaker 5: 29:23 Then the life of Bryan was in 1979, the meaning of life. 1983. and then he went on to do, you know, different television shows. And I remember him from mostly recently, right. His, his documentary work that he’s done, you know, and the other thing was he was a children’s author, you know, that I didn’t realize he had done, you know, a bunch of different things. W you know, children’s books you know, and, and just so well-rounded, you know, in, in so many different things. And, and just, you know, very, very sad, you know, that we lost him as we did

Speaker 4: 30:02 Founding member of what has often been described as the Beatles of comedy. They’ve had been that impactful.

Speaker 5: 30:09 And that’s the thing is when you look at comedy, you know, beforehand they really pushed the edge and went beyond, you know, and that, you know, now you have so many people that, you know, that look to them as I, you know, did what I do now because of, you know, what they did. So, yeah,

Speaker 4: 30:30 Started an inspirational trend that has, you know, had life for as long as it has. And it’s gonna continue, you know, after his passing too. So, but sad to see him go. And I think that was all we had for entertainment news this week. We’ll come back with our insightful picks of the week.

Speaker 4: 30:55 Go for your pick dear. So

Speaker 5: 30:58 This is not a new show. I’ve been watching this show since the beginning and for some reason when I was looking over notes, I realized I had never done it as an insightful pick, so I figured might as well get on it now before the show goes off the air. And that would be, this is us. And you always make fun of it. One, I say I have to go watch this as us, so yes, make fun of it now. Well, I thank you. I appreciate it. So this is us. So a little bit, you know, it’s every, everybody has a family and every family has a story. This is us Chronicles the Pearson family across the decades from Jack and Rebecca as young parents in the 1980s to their 38 year old kids, Kevin, Kate and Randall searching for love and fulfillment in the present day.

Speaker 5: 31:49 This grounded life affirming dromedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become and have the connections we share with each other, can transcend time, distance and even death from the writer and creators of crazy stupid loved comes a smart modern show that will welcome you into the family you feel like you’ve known for years. When this show first aired they’re currently on season four as of right now. And it was one of those things where when you watched the pilot you were just like, alright, this is kinda cool. It’s kinda cool. And then literally the last 10 minutes of the show, your mind just went, wow. And from then on you realize that was kinda gonna the formula of the show. There was always going to be in that last 15 minutes of the show, everything you thought you knew wasn’t going to be, wasn’t going to be right.

Speaker 5: 32:52 And the way that they do things is so well done because they’ll show you this person, you know, and they kind of start following this person and you’re like, okay, this person isn’t a main character. We don’t, you know. And then at some point you realize how that person intersected in one of the main characters lives. Be it in the current timeframe, sometimes from the past or now that you’ve even started to do future. So you know, like the beginning of this season you met this character and you’re like, who, who is he? You know, cause you think you’re in current time frame and you’re like, Oh okay, whatever. He’s going to run into, you know, one of the siblings or something. And then as it turns out, this is somebody from the future, you know, this is like 25 years from the future. It’s not a time travel show.

Speaker 5: 33:48 Right. It’s not a time travel, it’s just that they constantly jumped back and forth. Like, you know, once you start watching the show, you kind of know, okay, anything you see with Jack the dad is, is the past because unfortunately he passed away after a fire when his kids were 17 so you pretty much know anytime you see him, it’s from the 1980s, early 1990s. The show itself tells the whole story, right, of this family. But it constantly, right, it doesn’t go in a linear fashion. It kind of goes back and forth, back and forth. So like last season ended with the, the matriarch of the family basically on her death bed. But this season she’s, you know, a 30 something year old woman, she’s a 60 something year old woman, you know, it constantly go, goes back and forth. And what they’ve basically said is they knew when they started writing the show what the beginning of the show was going to be, what the middle of the show and how the show was going to end.

Speaker 5: 34:48 And they knew it was going to be told over six seasons and that was it. They didn’t need to tell the story. You know, any more than that. And at, you know, the end of every episode, you kind of get a little hint, a little more of who this person is and, and you know, what their persons, you know, backstory is and everything and it’s just so well done. And so very relatable. You know, it’s not, you know, that over the top, you know, you, you have, you know you know, somebody dealing with, you know, weight issues and weight loss issues and you have alcoholism and, and, you know, lost love and, you know you know, the, the loss of the parent or loss of, you know, a, a child and, and stuff and, and just, you know, you can almost find, you know, something about your own personal life that’s in it and how they deal with it.

Speaker 5: 35:43 And you’re like, okay, I can, you know, again, it’s nothing like over the top. It’s not, you know, don’t, don’t, don’t, you know, drama type thing. You know, cause when the show million little things came out, it was in some ways it was kind of similar but William, but million little things, which I think was one of my insight picks, you know, months ago is a little more over the top with the, the drama part of it where this has the comedy and the lightheartedness, but yet, you know, yeah, it’s more realistic, you know, in that. And it’s one that, you know, I definitely, you know, it’s Tuesday nights at nine o’clock and it’s, it’s one of the few shows that I will watch live. I try not to watch it the next day just because, you know, I want to be, you know, in that moment of it. And you know, like I said it, it’s one where I’ll be sad to see it go, but it’ll be nice because at least I know that’s the way that they want it to end and stuff. So cool.

Speaker 4: 36:45 Nice pic. I was wondering how long it was going to take you to get there. All right, moving on. So my pick this week is a little bit different. It’s not a it’s not, it’s not a TV show. It’s not a movie. It’s not even a book. It’s an audio book.

Speaker 4: 37:13 So ma, you know, in the wake of us going to Disney and going to Hollywood studios and visiting star Wars Galaxy’s edge, I learned we didn’t no anything about it cause we tried playing a trivia game.

Speaker 5: 37:27 We try playing the trivia and we failed.

Speaker 4: 37:31 We were clueless. So this book happens to be a Galaxy’s edge, black Spire by the Laila ass Dawson. It is an audio book from audible narrate it by January. Levoy it’s about 12 hours and 57 minutes and it sits pretty good. It’s very well done, very well published. Get your, your sound effects with it. You get your audio tracks with it. And you know, just a general overall, you know, decent field, good star Wars book. So the publisher’s summary says, walk the ancient streets, meet the colorful characters and uncover the secret history of star Wars galaxies. Age the upcoming but not upcoming anymore. Expansion to the Disney parks experience after devastating losses at the hands of the first order. General Leia or Ghana has dispatched her agents across the galaxy in search of sanctuary and fire power and her top spy vibe.

Speaker 4: 38:41 Morati may have just found all three on a secluded world at the Galaxy’s edge, a planet of lush FARs precarious mountains and towering petrified trees, but two is on the furthest possible frontier of the galactic map. The last settled world before the mysterious expanse of wild space. The rogues smugglers and adventurers are here to avoid prying eyes and unnecessary complications. VI a resistance spy on the run from the first order is hardly a welcome guest and I want to shuttle full of storage. Troopers lands in her week determined to route her out. She has no idea where to find help to survive. Vie will have to seek out the goodhearted heroes hiding in a world that redefined scum and villainy. With the help of a trader as trooper and a cervic droid, she begins to gather a colorful band of outcasts and misfits and embarked on a mission to spark the fire of resistance.

Speaker 4: 39:52 On bit to before the first order. Snuffs it out entirely. The neat thing about this is as you listen to or read through the book itself, it walks you through various places that actually appear at Galaxy’s edge at the, at the outpost, the, you know, Galaxy’s edge in, in Disneyworld and Disneyland represents one part of the planet. The dis story takes place on and it’s the outpost and a walk you through the various different things they described, stuff that you can literally go there and see a, which is probably one of the coolest effects I think I’ve ever had. I’ve, I’ve read and listened to a lot of star Wars books in the past. And at best you visualize these books through movies, you know, as they’re described to you. At no point in time are you able to actually walk through where this book takes place.

Speaker 4: 40:52 So it’s kinda neat to listen to the book after having walked the streets that they’re talking, listen to English. We were driving all the way down at would have been perfect. Oh, I remember this. So the book itself delves into all the details, all the character traits, the personalities, the relationships. You learn, like, you know, for instance, when we were down there, we went to Savvis workshop to build our lightsabers and you learn more about Sabi and you learn about the gatherers and it turns out that Savi has a, a junk yard outside the outpost that we didn’t see when we came in. So I guess we had to come in. The other entrance really isn’t actually at the park. It’s outside the outposts. So, but you can sort of think,

Speaker 5: 41:43 Oh, okay, right. Think of where you are. And Oh, okay. If we were able to go this area, we’d be able to see it

Speaker 4: 41:50 Talks about, you know, they go to docking Bay 17 or whatever it is to get food. They go to the Ogas cafe, which we never canteen, which we never got to. So it’s just, it’s neat, you know, the tie in itself, I’ve never had that kind of experience before. The book itself is, it’s, it’s great. I mean, it’s not the best, the best book ever written, but the purpose of the book itself was to introduce you to this new plan. And I think it, it knocks, knocks the ball out of the park for that. So Galaxy’s edge black Spire by Delilah Dawson available now on audible. And I think that was all we had. Did we, we had some upcoming events here. Let’s talk about our upcoming events.

Speaker 5: 42:39 Sure. So I added a couple to our, our upcoming list because they were ones that were going to be coming up a little sooner. So obviously Zowlow con Zowlow can’t, can’t talk enough about that one. That one’s actually going to be in two weeks now February 8th and ninth. And that’s the one that is held at the fugue.

Speaker 4: 43:02 And with any luck, I’ll be there in costume.

Speaker 5: 43:04 With any luck, you will be dressed up. Then another one that will actually be coming up. The middle of March is monster mania 40, and that’s held at the crown Plaza, Philadelphia, which is actually cherry Hill. I don’t know why they call it. Yeah. That, that’s, that’s kind of funny. That one is it can get a little crowded cause it is a very small venue,

Speaker 4: 43:33 Depends on what celebrities are or,

Speaker 5: 43:35 Right. Well, on Saturday, only David Harbor from stranger things will actually be there. Along with Danny Trey ho Chris Surandon from princess bride and the voice of Jack Skellington. You know, so they usually get a bunch of different horror people to, to show up. They usually do a couple of different panels. We’ve never actually gone to, to any of the panels. They actually do some of the movies. You know, they’ll play movies in one of the areas as well. It’s really kind of grown. We’ve been going, I don’t even know how many years. It’s one of those things like we go and then, you know, we don’t go for a couple of years and then it’s like, ah, maybe we’ll, maybe we won’t some, at least since we’ve been on the stroller when we’re going. Yeah.

Speaker 5: 44:37 And I think maybe she wasn’t even born the first couple of times. Cause remember the first time we went, you didn’t, we didn’t know what to expect. So only I went and then one of the vendors had a whole bunch of star Wars stuff. So we ended up going Prowse was there, right? Well that was the one year. Yeah, he was there the one year. Yeah, I know. I know he’s not going to shows anymore. Right. this was actually one of the shows where when the walking dead came out, I remember they had a whole bunch of members of the cast there and like nobody was going in to see them because nobody had really started watching walking dead yet. Norman Redis was there. Scott why can’t I think of his last name? The one that died, the could you narrow that down a little bit?

Speaker 5: 45:29 No, that died in real life. Oh Herschel. Herschel. Yeah, he actually was there and we actually like we’ve tied to him because we were in the restaurant there and he walked by and we were like, Hey, and you know, so that was kinda cool. So yeah, so they, they usually try and put together groups of people that were in the same, you know, movie to, to kind of do a whole little thing. So that, like I said, was going to be coming up in March March 13th 13th, 14th and 15th. Then of course we have the greater Philadelphia comic con like we had mentioned for April 3rd through the fifth, and that’s the one that’s in Oaks. Then another one that kind of caught my eye was the dark, some art and craft market out of the crypt.

Speaker 5: 46:24 And that’s in Philadelphia. That’s actually gonna be on Sunday, April 19th. That just kinda sounded like a interesting, you know, it’s more, it’s not a comic con, it’s more of like a not like a flea market, but basically an arts artist alley from comic con kind of, you know, but if you’re into like Gothic stuff, you know, this was kind of the, the other thing. And then to go along with monster mania, they’re actually doing something this year called pop mania. And it’s going to be June 5th through the seventh at the same location in cherry Hill. It’s the same company that does monster mania, but I guess monster mania is always horror themed. And this is supposed to be more pop culture. So, but they have a couple of people from walking dead that are going to be a guest starring there. So Shane from walking dead will be there. Gamma will be there. Yeah. And then they’re doing a couple of people from clerks will be there. And the one that I was thought was really funny was Jesse the body van Ciarra.

Speaker 7: 47:37 Oh, I thought that was .

Speaker 5: 47:42 It’s funny. And that one’s going to be a, the beginning of June, I’m the fifth through the seventh at the same location. So, you know, as time goes on, I’m sure there’ll be more. Yeah. Yeah. That’s why I said Shane was Shane and then gamma, you know. So yeah, kind of, kind of interesting group of people. So I wonder, you know, because that monster mania, a lot of the merchandise that they have is obviously more, you know, horror related that they sell. I’m guessing, you know, at pop mania it’s going to be more like, you know, a mini version of comic con. Right. You know, with a little bit of everything there. So you know, that that’s something new that they’ve that they’re doing cause they’ve never done just a pop. You know, it’s always just been monster mania. And then again, we have Keystone comic con, which is the end of August. And then retro con, which is another one that is held at the greater Philadelphia expo that is towards the end of September. So,

Speaker 7: 48:48 Yeah, who would have thought.

Speaker 5: 48:57 So, yeah. So, you know, it’s almost like every month or so there there’s something to to look forward to. So, you know, it’s funny, I look back for almost 15 years now when we started going to convention, wizard row was the only thing in the end. Yeah, yeah. And now, you know, they realize, you know, and obviously we knew San Diego, you know, was around in New York, had been around, you know, it was all the big ones and now it’s nice to see that it was, you know, almost like professional wrestling where everyone had their own regional circuit that you’d go. But now it’s nice that, you know, there are these smaller venues, you know, for people that aren’t into, you know, the big giant crowds, you know, and it’s like our experience at New York comic con, it was just right to pack for that venue, right?

Speaker 5: 49:45 Like, it would be nice to go back to New York comic con again, but we just, we just didn’t have a very good experience, but yet there are people that go, you know, every year to it and have a good experience. So yeah, the Uber that was, that was the best thing ever for that. So, all right. I think that was it. You didn’t tag our, I forgot my memory now. Oh goodness. I don’t know who I can do that. Right. So you can email us. We’d love to get your feedback@commentsatinsightsintothings.com. You can get us on facebook@facebook.com backslash insights into things podcast. You can get us on the web@wwwdotinsightsintothings.com

Speaker 7: 50:29 Twitter@Insights_Things.Com and on Twitch, we’re streaming live right now at twitch.tv/insights into things on, when did we say our website? Youtube, youtube.com backslash insights into things. I think that’s everything that is, cause I opened up a previous note. I think that’s it. That is it. We’re out of here. Have a good week everyone. Bye. Bye.

Show Notes

Introduction
Insights Into Entertainment: Episode 50 “Jedi, Superheros and Ghosts…oh my…(and Baby Yoda)”
My ?? and ?? co-host Michelle Whalen
Disney Detective
Star Wars: Ewan McGregor Says Obi-Wan Drama Is “Bullsh-t”
https://comicbook.com/starwars/2020/01/24/star-wars-ewan-mcgregor-obi-wan-delayed-drama-bullshit-pushed-back/
http://bit.ly/36ndVGJ
Refuting reports that Obi-Wan is indefinitely delayed, star Ewan McGregor says online drama surrounding the live-action Star Wars series is “bullsh-t.” Speaking to press at the premiere of Warner Bros.’ Birds of Prey, McGregor clarified the shooting start simply has been pushed from August to next January, adding reported clashes over creative differences are “not true.” Ensuing drama from confused reports are overblown: “It’s not as nearly as dramatic as it sounds online,” said McGregor, who added Disney-owned Lucasfilm “pushed the shoot to the beginning of next year.”
“The scripts are really good. I saw 90% of the writing and I really liked it,” McGregor said. “All this bulls— about creative differences and all that stuff, none of it is true. We just pushed the dates … last episode, [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker] came out, everyone had more time to read the stuff that had been written, and they felt that they wanted to do more work on it.”
McGregor continued, “So they slid the shoot. It’s not nearly as dramatic as it sounds online.” According to McGregor, the still-untitled Obi-Wan series is on track for its January 2021 shooting start.
“I think they want to keep the same release date so it’s not really gonna affect the viewer in any way,” he said. “It just simply gives them more time to write and make the scripts even better.”
Following an initial report from Collider, who claimed the series was “indefinitely” delayed, The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday noted Obi-Wan was on hold and undergoing a “retooling,” adding Lucasfilm was looking to replace original scribe Hossein Amini. According to that same report, a source close to the production claimed there were concerns the series was too similar to The Mandalorian: because McGregor’s exiled Jedi is tasked with serving as the faithful protector of a young Luke Skywalker, it mirrors Pedro Pascal’s armored bounty hunter acting as the self-appointed guardian of a Force-sensitive child, a.k.a. Baby Yoda.
Sources also told THR the series was being “reconfigured,” dropping from six episodes to four. In comparison, the Jon Favreau-created The Mandalorian ran for eight episodes.
“I haven’t heard that,” McGregor told ComicBook.com when asked about the cut episodes.
Originally developed as a theatrical spinoff movie like the young Han Solo prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story, the Deborah Chow-directed Obi-Wan marks the third live-action Star Wars series to debut on Disney’s streaming service following The Mandalorian and the Rogue One prequel series centered around Diego Luna’s Rebel spy Cassian Andor.
‘Captain Marvel 2′: ‘Wandavision’ Writer Megan McDonnell to Write Sequel Script
https://www.thewrap.com/wandavision-megan-mcdonnell-captain-marvel-2/
http://bit.ly/2RKc35u
“Wandavision” writer Megan McDonnell is in talks to write the sequel to “Captain Marvel,” according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who co-wrote and directed the first “Captain Marvel,” will not return to direct the sequel but are in talks to still work with Marvel Studios and direct a possible Disney+ series. Marvel is hoping to land a female filmmaker for the sequel and is eyeing a potential release in 2022.
Last year’s “Captain Marvel,” starring Brie Larson as the title character, grossed $1.1 billion worldwide.
McDonnell got her first writing credit on “WandaVision” and the series is just one of multiple Marvel Studios projects in development at Disney+. “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” — starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan — will also debut this year. Starring Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen reprising their roles as Vision and the Scarlet Witch from the Marvel film franchise, “WandaVision” is set to debut on Disney+ in 2021.
Few story details have been made public so far, but Marvel said at Comic-Con that the show would lead directly into the events of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” It was also announced at the time that the show would feature Photon, a grown-up version of the “Captain Marvel” character Monica Rambeau.
“Captain Marvel” starred Larson as Carol Danvers, an Air Force pilot who was recovered by the Kree after mysterious circumstances and was transformed into the titular superhero at the cost of her memories. After crash-landing back on Earth during the 1990s, Carol must recover her past self and save the planet from getting caught in an intergalactic conflict with the help of future SHIELD director Nick Fury.
Marvel studios head Kevin Feige teased the sequel at last year’s San Diego Comic Con, “We didn’t even mention that we’re making Black Panther 2 and we didn’t mention that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 is coming. We didn’t even have time to talk about Captain Marvel 2, by the way. I didn’t even have time to talk about the Fantastic Four. And there’s no time left to talk about mutants.”
Disney Cracks Down on Unauthorized Baby Yoda Merch While Baby Jabba Sweeps the Internet
https://www.themarysue.com/unauthorized-baby-yoda-merch-baby-jabba-sweeps-the-internet/?fbclid=IwAR0y7rmuEFYcATrB40alVBywmquctZBgv7RmoNJyjGfAtPNAV4j63Jvvpk0
http://bit.ly/36rCgLs
Say goodbye to your expendable income! Baby Star Wars mania shows no signs of slowing down. Of course, we’ve all fallen head over heels for Baby Yoda, a.k.a. “The Child,” who was introduced to the world via Disney+’s The Mandalorian. Now, 3D artist Leonardo Viti has delivered our next new obsession: Baby Jabba the Hutt.
Look at that chonky little slug bug! While the internet loses its collective mind over the cuteness, Disney is hard at work squashing all the unauthorized merch, toys, and trinkets that have cropped up to the fill the void of Disney-branded Baby Yoda merchandise.
The mega-studio has never been one to shy away from merchandising the hell out of its properties, and George Lucas famously made his billions by retaining the merch rights to his creations. But Disney’s reasoning in holding off on the Baby Yoda merch flood was in service of keeping the plot of The Mandalorian under wraps.
Jon Favreau said as much in an interview with Collider, where he was quoted saying,
“I have to thank Disney and Lucasfilm, because the way the cat usually gets out of the bag with that stuff is merchandising and toy catalogs and things like that. So they really back us up. We really wanted to have it be that you had to watch it yourself, so that every time you watch the show, there are new twists and secrets that come out. That requires a lot of restraint from the people who are footing the bill, saying they’re gonna hold back on certain things so that the public doesn’t know ahead of time. Part of that was holding back on some of the merchandise and holding back on some of the characters.”
Naturally, artisans and crafters have flooded sites like Etsy with their own Baby Yoda products, and Disney is working to squash all the unauthorized toys, hats, salt shakers
So far, Disney has issued complaints with Etsy, which has been delisting various Baby Yoda products. Unfortunately for consumers and sellers, this means delays in product shipping and sales issues. While Etsy does enforce an intellectual property policy, many creators are circumventing the process by simply renaming their merch and excluding highly searchable terms like “Star Wars” and “Baby Yoda.”
In the meantime, Disney is rolling out Baby Yoda merch as fast as they can, with a plush toy and a Build-a-Bear version in the works. So, if you want to enjoy something handmade, hop on over to Etsy and grab those “alien baby” toys before they’re gone for good.

Entertainment News
Bill Murray Confirmed to Be in Ghostbusters: Afterlife
https://comicbook.com/movies/2020/01/23/ghostbusters-afterlife-bill-murray-return-confirmed/?fbclid=IwAR1-x7jyzVckiEiiIEGeYjZvrkdxqT00Yw7FtSDio4D5yo-fTr4ALeiPWz8
http://bit.ly/2NV9jB6
The Ghostbusters franchise is returning to the big screen this summer with Jason Retiman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a direct continuation of the story from the first two films in the series. Of course, this means that the original team of Ghostbusters remain a core part of the story’s continuity and fans have been wondering whether or not the original stars would be returning. Dan Aykroyd has already confirmed his role, but the rest have all been rumors, that is until today. The majority of the iconic Ghostbusters cast will be appearing in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and that includes the one and only Bill Murray.
Vanity Fair visited the set of Afterlife in Canada back in September, and spent some time with Murray while he was there to shoot his scenes. Murray’s Peter Venkman is most definitely playing a part in the new film, as everyone had been hoping he would. Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts are also going to show up in Afterlife, though the details surrounding all of their roles are being kept under wraps.
Of the original Ghostbusters stars, there are only two who won’t be returning for Afterlife: Rick Moranis and Harold Ramis. The latter of the two, who co-wrote the first Ghostbusters with Aykroyd and starred as Egon Spengler, sadly passed away in 2014. Murray explained during Vanity Fair’s visit to the set that part of the story of Afterlife will deal with the loss of the character.
“Well, we are a man down. That’s the deal,” he explained. “And that’s the story we’re telling, that’s the story they’ve written.”
Murray went on to praise the script of the sequel/reboot, saying that it has a lot of emotion and interesting plot threads.
“The script is good,” the actor said. “It’s got lots of emotion in it. It’s got lots of family in it, with through lines that are really interesting. It’s gonna work.”
Guinan’s Coming Back! Patrick Stewart Goes On The View To Invite Whoopi Goldberg Into Picard Season 2
https://www.tor.com/2020/01/22/guinan-whoopi-goldberg-in-picard-season-2/?fbclid=IwAR0vB1aWG_CHOF2x-hQ661mdxgAw6L9d050RWWTkPoXnnWKAoBY19cmC85U
http://bit.ly/38IP5md
The answer was an immediate YES.
In the run-up to Jean-Luc Picard’s return to television, Patrick Stewart has been making the publicity rounds on entertainment shows, weekly magazines, and the like. Wednesday morning found him on long-running daytime talk show The View where, as it turned out, he had a VERY specific mission: Invite Whoopi Goldberg into Picard season 2 to reprise her role as Guinan.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Whoopi Goldberg played the enigmatic Guinan, the ship’s El-Aurian barkeep and the captain’s conscience (except in one chilling instance that may have big implications in Star Trek: Picard). As it would turn out, Guinan was a long-lived adventurer who had run-ins with Mark Twain, The Borg, and near-omnipotent beings like Q well before the crew of the Enterprise even knew they existed. (Well, they knew Mark Twain existed but, okay, it’s a long story.)
It’s fantastic to see that Goldberg will fill that role onscreen once more, especially as Jean-Luc faces galaxy-spanning issues without the Enterprise crew constantly at his side.
The first season of Star Trek: Picard debuts on January 23 on CBS All Access and Netflix (non-U.S.). The show was renewed in early January for a second season.
Doctor Who pay touching tribute to late fan by naming new character after him
https://metro.co.uk/2020/01/21/doctor-pay-touching-tribute-late-fan-naming-new-character-12097934/
http://bit.ly/2vhTfCY
It’s been revealed that the series has named a key character after BBC online producer Paul Condon, who passed away in 2019 after a short illness, by naming a key character after him. In the upcoming episode titled Fugitive of the Judoon, the Judoon leader is named as Pol-Kon-Don, a low-key reference to Paul’s name. The move has been praised by Paul’s friends on social media, with one writing: ‘Oh my goodness, Pol Con Don. I am a weeping puddle.
‘How utterly amazing. (For those who don’t know, Paul Condon, one of the most wonderful people ever, and for me personally a “without whom” person, died last year, and now has a Doctor Who monster named after him. Just wow.)’
Another added: ‘Ah, that’s a lovely touch in memory of Paul Condon.’ The synopsis for the episode teases: ‘Ko Sho Blo! Trigger-happy space police the Judoon are targeting 21st-century Gloucester. ‘The Doctor, Yaz, Ryan and Graham race back to Earth in order to prevent them doing too much damage to the cathedral city. But who are they looking for, and what did they do to incur the wrath of the Judoon?’ This week’s episode welcomes back the Judoon for the first time since series four. First appearing to terrorize David Tennant’s Ten and his companion Martha Jones, they’re now making their deadly return for Thirteen (Jodie Whittaker).
Showrunner Chris Chibnall confirmed the news back in May, and said: ‘The Judoon are storming back into Doctor Who in full force, and the streets of Gloucester aren’t safe. If anyone has anything to hide, confess now.’ Swearing the force would be ‘taking no prisoners’, he added: ‘The whole team on Doctor Who are delighted and scared in equal measure to welcome them back: one of many treats we’ve got in store for viewers next series.’
Terry Jones, ‘Monty Python’ Co-Founder and British Comedy Icon, Dies at 77
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/terry-jones-dead-monty-python-founder-british-comedy-icon-was-77-963478?fbclid=IwAR2V-EQTGkWERQ_1adnUD3vyrnQw_xcHxAcm7BbMXoEx-Mkhl3Xbll_DkcA
http://bit.ly/2RT0AAw
Terry Jones, a founding member of Monty Python and a beloved comedian, screenwriter, film director, poet, historian and author, has died. He was 77.
Jones had been suffering from dementia, which was revealed publicly by his son, Bill, in September 2016. It left him unable to speak.
“We are deeply saddened to have to announce the passing of beloved husband and father, Terry Jones,” his family said in a statement.
“Terry passed away on the evening of 21 January 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good humoured battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD.
“Over the past few days his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in North London. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humour has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades.”
Renowned for his depictions of middle-aged housewives, often with hysterically falsetto voices, it was Jones who would famously scream the iconic line, “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy,” while playing mother to the titular not-quite-son-of-god in the 1979 comedy Monty Python’s Life of Brian, which he also directed. The line twice was voted the funniest in film history in U.K. polls.
Although rarely receiving the same acclaim as Monty Python’s other members, Jones was widely regarded within the group as its underrated but passionate heart, known for his good-natured enthusiasm and a deep well of intelligence across a broad range of subjects.
A biographer once commented that should you speak to Jones “on subjects as diverse as fossil fuels, or Rupert Bear, or mercenaries in the Middle Ages or Modern China … in a moment you will find yourself hopelessly out of your depth, floored by his knowledge.”
Born in North Wales, Jones read English at Oxford University, where he met his long-term collaborator and friend, Michael Palin. The two would star together in the college’s comedy troupe The Oxford Revue, and after graduation, they appeared in the 1967 TV sketch comedy Twice a Fortnight.
Two years later, they created The Complete and Utter History of Britain, which featured comedy sketches from history as if TV had been around at the time. It was on the show Do Not Adjust Your Set where they would be introduced to fellow comic Eric Idle, who had starred alongside John Cleese and Graham Chapman in productions mounted by the Cambridge University theatrical club the Footlights.
The five — together with Terry Gilliam, whom Cleese had met in New York — would quickly pool their talents for a new show, which would become one of the most groundbreaking on television. Monty Python’s Flying Circus was born and ran on the BBC for four seasons between 1969 and 1974, with Jones driving much of the show’s early innovation.
Among his most famous performances in the series were Jones as an inept, bumbling cardinal in the Spanish Inquisition (seen wearing a leather WWI pilot’s hat and goggles); a member of the Hell’s Grannies, a marauding group of old women terrorizing the streets of London; an overly apologetic French waiter in a sketch involving a dirty fork; a Yorkshireman who had to “get up out of the shoebox in the middle of the night and lick the road clean with our tongues”; and a nude piano player with an erratic face in scenes often used to break up sketches.
After the TV show ended, Jones co-directed with Gilliam the troupe’s first big-screen outing, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), in which Jones also played, among other roles, Sir Bedevere the Wise, Prince Herbert (“Father, I just want to sing!”) and a member of the dreaded Knights who say “Ni.”
For Life of Brian (1979) and Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983), Jones took on sole directing duties, having amicably agreed with Gilliam that his approach was better suited to the group’s performing style.
Away from the Pythons, Jones would keep directing, helming the comedy Personal Services (1987), the all-star comedy-fantasy Erik the Viking (1989) and The Wind in the Willows (1996) while turning back to TV for episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles on ABC and the British comedy series Ripping Yarns, which he created with Palin.
Meanwhile, Jones was becoming a prolific children’s author. Between 1981 and 2002, he published 20 fiction novels, including Fairy Tales — selected by Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen as one of his five best children’s stories of all time — and The Saga of Erik the Viking, from which the film Erik the Viking was loosely based. Jones also wrote the first draft of the early script for Jim Henson’s David Bowie-starring cult adventure fantasy Labyrinth (1986), and despite the screenplay going through several rewrites, received the film’s sole screenwriting credit.
Adding to an already hugely impressive repertoire, Jones became known as a noted scholar of medieval and ancient history, writing several nonfiction books and presenting shows on British television that often offered an alternative view of historical periods. He was Emmy-nominated in 2004 for Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives, which argued that the Middle Age was a far more sophisticated period than commonly believed.
A vocal opponent of the 2003 Iraq War, Jones contributed editorials to British newspapers The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Observer condemning the conflict and the U.K.’s involvement in it. Many of his articles were published in the 2004 book Terry Jones’s War on the War on Terror.
Jones’ most recent work included the 2012 film A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, which was co-directed by his son Bill and in which he, naturally, played Chapman’s mother. He also returned to the director’s chair for the sci-fi comedy Absolutely Anything (2014), featuring the voices of Palin, Gilliam, Cleese, Idle and, in his final movie role, Robin Williams. (It was the first film to feature all living Python members since The Meaning of Life.)
Jones also reunited with his fellow comics one final time on stage in 2014 for Monty Python Live (Mostly), held in London’s O2 arena and intended as a one-off until popular demand saw nine extra dates added.
Jones is survived by Soderstrom and their daughter, Siri, who was born in 2009, alongside his two children from his first marriage.
Insightful Picks of the Week
Michelle
This is Us – Everyone has a family. And every family has a story. “This Is Us” chronicles the Pearson family across the decades: from Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as young parents in the 1980s to their 37-year-old kids, Kevin (Justin Hartley), Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Randall (Sterling K. Brown) searching for love and fulfillment in the present day. This grounded, life-affirming dramedy reveals how the tiniest events in our lives impact who we become, and how the connections we share with each other can transcend time, distance and even death. From the writer and directors of “Crazy, Stupid, Love” comes a smart, modern show that will welcome you into a family you feel you’ve known for years.
The series follows the lives of siblings Kevin, Kate, and Randall (known as the “Big Three”), and their parents Jack and Rebecca Pearson. It takes place mainly in the present and uses flashbacks to show the family’s past. Kevin and Kate are the two surviving members of a triplet pregnancy, born six weeks premature on Jack’s 36th birthday in 1980; their brother is stillborn. Believing they were meant to have three children, Jack and Rebecca, who are white, decide to adopt Randall, an African American child born the same day and brought to the same hospital after his biological father abandoned him at a fire station. Jack dies when his children are 17, and Rebecca remarries over a decade later to Jack’s best friend Miguel. Randall becomes a successful finance professional and marries college classmate Beth; they raise two daughters and adopt a third. Kevin becomes a successful actor while struggling to be taken seriously. After lacking direction much of her life, Kate meets and marries Toby, pursues a career in music, gets a degree, and becomes a mother.
Most episodes feature a storyline taking place in the present and a storyline taking place at a set time in the past; but some episodes are set in one time period or use multiple flashback time periods. Flashbacks often focus on Jack and Rebecca c.1980 both before and after their babies’ birth, or on the family when the Big Three are children or adolescents (and played by two sets of younger actors); these scenes usually take place in Pittsburgh, where the Big Three and their parents are born and raised. As adults, Kate lives in Los Angeles, Randall and his family are in New Jersey (and later Philadelphia), and Kevin relocates from Los Angeles to New York City and back again. Various other time periods and locations have also served as settings, and some episodes have focused on the earlier experiences of other characters, including Randall’s family members William, Deja, and Beth. Beginning in the second season, the show also uses flashforwards to show a later time period, when Randall’s daughter Tess is an adult and an elderly Rebecca is on her deathbed.
Currently we are in Season 4 but the plan is to complete the series in 6 seasons.
Joe
Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire
By Delilah S. Dawson
Narrated by January LaVoy
12 hours 57 Minutes
Publishers Summary:
Walk the ancient streets, meet the colorful characters, and uncover the secret history of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the upcoming expansion to the Disney Parks experience!
After devastating losses at the hands of the First Order, General Leia Organa has dispatched her agents across the galaxy in search of allies, sanctuary, and firepower – and her top spy, Vi Moradi, may have just found all three, on a secluded world at the galaxy’s edge.
A planet of lush forests, precarious mountains, and towering, petrified trees, Batuu is on the furthest possible frontier of the galactic map, the last settled world before the mysterious expanse of Wild Space. The rogues, smugglers, and adventurers who eke out a living on the largest settlement on the planet, Black Spire Outpost, are here to avoid prying eyes and unnecessary complications. Vi, a Resistance spy on the run from the First Order, is hardly a welcome guest. And when a shuttle full of stormtroopers lands in her wake, determined to root her out, she has no idea where to find help.
To survive, Vi will have to seek out the good-hearted heroes hiding in a world that redefines scum and villainy. With the help of a traitorous trooper and her acerbic droid, she begins to gather a colorful band of outcasts and misfits, and embarks on a mission to spark the fire of resistance on Batuu – before the First Order snuffs it out entirely.
Available now on Audible
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