End TV FOMO & Join The Online Conversations: American TV shows are slowly coming to Canada; starting with Teacup on December 30th.
SAMMY SUGGESTION: TEACUP: SEASON 1 (9:00 P.M. / SHOWCASE)
Follows a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive.
~~~
Series Premiere (for Canadians): Finally confirmed!! Showcase will broadcast Peacock’s Teacup starting with a 2-episode premiere on December 30 on Showcase. TV sucks in December with all the Christmas junk so this is a fantastic option.
Writer, producer, and showrunner Ian McCulloch has adapted Stinger. I think? First published as a paperback in 1988, Stinger is by Robert McCammon. (Only novel I’ve read by Robert is Boy’s Life. And it is breathtaking.) Anyways, Stinger is like The Stand only it unfolds over a twenty-four hour period in Inferno, Texas. How much of the novel survives in the TV show? “Of course, during production the series changed and evolved. Just as it should. Even the title’s different. Stinger is now Teacup.
The reasons for this are too spoilery to share but watch the first few episodes and all will be revealed,” says McCulloch. “Point being, the series is now very much its own thing: a puzzle-box mystery, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, a can’t-but-must look horror story, a family drama, a science fiction epic—of the keyhole variety, of course.”
Clearly things have changed…the novel is set in Texas, this show takes place in rural Georgia. And the reason two families are tapped on a farmhouse (yes trapped, beware those who attempt to the leave the property…the less said about that, the better.) is a puzzling reveal.
Well then; let’s discover just what kind of storm in this Teacup.
Teacup premiered on Peacock on October 10, 2024. It finished its season on Halloween. Now it’s here for Canadians to puzzle over. I’ve seen the first season…Teacup is strange with a smooth mix of horror and sci-fi. (I wonder if it’ll be renewed for a second season?) If you miss From, while not as good it’ll give you something to mentally chew on as we head into 2025.
Speaking of Canadians and TV and 2025…what else is coming to Canada, eh?
Lockerbie: A Search for Truth: Limited Series premieres Tuesday, January 7 at 9 p.m. on Showcase. (Originally broadcast on Peacock on January 2, 2025.)
Inspired by the true-life story, on December 21, 1988, 259 passengers and crew were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 exploded over Lockerbie 38 minutes after take-off, with a further 11 residents losing their lives as the plane came down over the quiet, Scottish town.
In the wake of the disaster and his daughter’s death, Dr Jim Swire (Colin Firth), is nominated spokesperson for the UK victims’ families, who have united to demand truth and justice. Traveling across continents and political divides for 5 episodes, Jim embarks on a relentless journey that not only jeopardizes his stability, family and life but completely overturns his trust in the justice system.
~~
The Darkness: Limited Series premieres Tuesday, January 7 at 10:15 p.m. on Showcase. (Originally streamed on SkyShowtime (Europe) on November 1, 2024.)
Lena Olin stars as Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir in the series, based on Ragnar Jónasson’s thriller book series.
The 6-part limited series follows Hermannsdóttir as she investigates a shocking murder case whilst coming to terms with her own personal traumas. Faced with an impending early retirement and forced to take on a new partner, Hulda is determined to find the killer, even if it means putting her own life in danger.
~~
Fallen: Season 1 premieres Wednesday, January 8 at 9 p.m. on Showcase. (Originally streamed on Globoplay (a Brazilian streamer!) on August 12, 2024.)
Luce, a young woman who is sent to a cult-like rehab facility called Sword & Cross to serve time for a crime she can’t remember committing.
Among the residents, she encounters over 8 episodes are the enigmatic Daniel and exasperating but irresistible Cam, all of whom are under the watchful eye of the sinister chief doctor Howson, and devout twin sisters Miriam and Sophia. Luce must untangle the mystery of who she is and why she has a connection to Daniel that goes far back beyond their time in the institution.
~~
Based on True Story: Season 2 premieres Monday, January 27 at 9 p.m. on the W Network. (Originally broadcast on Peacock on November 21, 2024.)
Season two finds new parents, Ava and Nathan Bartlett, three months into parenthood. Focused on taking care of her family, Ava is determined to resist her true crime obsession and return to work as a real estate agent while Nathan trains private tennis clients.
But a series of new murders pulls her back in – is Matt behind the slayings? Is Tory, now entangled in a relationship with Matt, in danger? There’s 8 episodes to find out the truth.
~~
Heh…you know when president-elect Donald Trump was making his silly jabs claiming Canada as the 51st State; I wasn’t offended. Rather the playful ball busting/trash talking made me think of TV shows.
It’d be nice to all be on the same TV page, you know? Like Amy Adams’ Nightbitch streams on Hulu on December 27th. Great. But it’s not on Disney+ Canada until January 24th. Umm, why?
All of this is strange…a mad mix of rights, money, platforms and more. For now, Canada is not the 51st State and Canadians have some excellent TV to enjoy in 2025.
Sammy Says: Watch More TV In 2025.
-28-
Sammy Younan is the affable host of My Summer Lair podcast: think NPR’s Fresh Air meets Kevin Smith: interviews & impressions on Pop Culture.
