Roundups #88: The Good Doctor Getting A Female Led Spinoff, Young Justice Reportedly Not Moving Forward At HBO Max And King Kong Series In Development For Disney+

The Good Doctor spinoff in development

ABC is developing “The Good Lawyer,” a legal spinoff of the medical drama “The Good Doctor” which stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Sean Murphy, a surgeon with autism.

“The Good Lawyer” will be introduced as a backdoor pilot during Season 6 of “The Good Doctor,” which is set to premiere in October. Sean finds himself in legal trouble and seeks the services of Joni, a twentysomething defense attorney who has OCD. Joni, relatively new to her law firm, is funny, eager, self-aware and anxious. She is a skilled lawyer and doesn’t want to be treated differently by others, though her OCD symptoms affect her personal and professional life. At one point, her firm tries to fire her, after which she is forced to threaten to sue for a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

One higher-up at the firm involved in the firing attempt is Janet, a highly-regarded attorney and partner at the firm who has represented Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) in several legal matters throughout the years. Glassman turns to her to represent his protégé Shaun, and when Shaun chooses Joni to represent him, the cynical Janet is forced to reconsider her assessment of Joni.

Young Justice cancelled on HBO Max

It appears that Young Justice has been canceled for the second time in its run as HBO Max is reportedly not bringing the beloved DC animated series back for season 5. August has been a turbulent month for Warner Bros. Discovery following their massive merger earlier this year. The studio made major headlines with the shocking decision to cancel HBO Max's Batgirl movie, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon. Despite principal photography having completed in late March, Warner Bros. Discovery shelved Batgirl while also revealing plans to have HBO Max and Discovery Plus become one streaming service next summer.

With the shake-up going on, it was also revealed during the Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call that animation would be part of a "restructuring" for the new version of the studio. This put the popular series Young Justice in question regarding if it will get a season 5. Despite having already finished airing season 4, subtitled Young Justice: Phantoms, HBO Max, or Warner Bros. TV have yet to announce a renewal for the series, which originally began on Cartoon Network. Concerns have been high ever since Young Justice showrunner Greg Weisman confirmed on social media that they have yet to learn about a potential season 5.

King Kong is coming to Disney+

An iconic monster is headed to Disney+. Disney Branded Television is in very early development on King Kong (working title), a series for Disney+ tracking the original story of the famous ape. Deals have just closed for the project, from James Wan’s Atomic Monster, which would mark the first live-action series set in the Kong universe.

Written by Paper Girls creator Stephany Folsom, King Kong is a serialized action-adventure drama that brings the classic monster story into the modern age, with a return to Skull Island and the dawn of a new Kong. The series will explore the mythology of King Kong’s origin story and the supernatural mysteries of his home based on IP from Merian C. Cooper’s original books and the new King Kong novelizations by Joe DeVito.

A live-action series, King Kong Skull Island, was in development at MarVista Entertainment and IM Global Television five years ago with a different creative team, also based on Cooper’s King Kong and DeVito ArtWorks’ Skull Island, with Festa executive producing. It did not come to fruition.

Redraw Your World: Why The Cartoonito Linear Channel Will Likely Have A Silent Rollout In EMEA?

Cartoonito is a brand name used by Warner Bros. Discovery for a collection of television networks and programming blocks that target preschool-age children. Since 2021, the brand comes with original content produced under Cartoon Network Studios.

Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled plans to boost the offering of Cartoonito within the next two years but those plans could be in jeopardy. As seen in the past weeks, the company behind Cartoonito had scrapped projects some even entered post production.

On top of that, they plan to cut more content as they save up on costs. Not that Cartoonito won't have 50 titles I honestly believe they could get there but under two years does seem a bit far fetched perhaps use what little is available and the rest will follow later.

As seen in most international markets particularly Europe, Cartoonito is airing on a lot of Boomerang channels which builds onto that speculation of the phasing out of the channel as Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't done much for the brand.

Boomerang positions itself as a family channel but certain shows like Grizzy And The Lemmings and Masha And The Bear just compliment the offering seen on Cartoonito. Even the recent launches of Akissi and Legend Of Spark make the channel seem age appropriate to Cartoonito.

As seen with Redraw Your World on Cartoon Network and the phasing out of TCM with TNT I'm starting to think that maybe if Cartoonito does wind up replacing Boomerang for viewers in these regions that Warner Bros. Discovery won't make much fuss about it.

Redraw Your World may be on Cartoon Network but you still see plenty of old graphics and even when TNT replaced TCM there wasn't much variation at the time and so the idea of Boomerang folding under Cartoonito for a similar stance doesn't seem far fetched.

At launch, I'm kind of expecting Cartoonito to keep most of the content with several other shows heading to Cartoon Network or for them to keep those shows and put it in much later timeslots while use the above-mentioned shows to fill up the airtime alongside other content.

 

Warner Bros. Discovery September 2022 Highlights (Final): Gotham's #1 Crime Fighter Makes A Dash Onto Cartoon Network And Boomerang Africa

Cartoon Network:

JELLYSTONE!
JOURNEY TO JELLYSTONE!, WHERE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!

Take a trip to the quaint little town of Jellystone!, chock-full of all your favourite Hanna-Barbera characters from Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound to Top Cat. It’s the perfect place to live, work and play. Join in on the silliness and misadventures as the colourful residents accidentally cause crazy trouble for each other! This month, Augie, Shag and Yakky accidentally turn everyone into babies in the hope of having other kids to play with. In another fun-filled episode, Yogi has a midlife crisis and starts a rock band. A mishap could even be in the making when we look to Mayor Huck to put together a team of astronauts to save the world from an impending cosmic disaster. Tune in for this brand-new season. You’ll love it…and laugh a lot.

PREMIERE: Monday, 05 September 2022
TUNE IN: Mondays to Fridays @ 18:10 CAT

NINJAGO
WHAT’S YOUR NEXT NINJA MOVE?

Get into stealth mode and tune in to the new season of Ninjago: Crystalized! The ninjas are back with some brand-new adventures, and this time, they have been locked up in the Kryptarium Prison, surrounded by some of their old enemies. Here they learn a mysterious Crystal King is recruiting a council of evil enemies. To find out the identity of this new enemy, they escape from prison and become fugitives. Who is the Crystal King? Why is he gathering a powerful counsel? Team up with Wu, Kai, Lloyd, Zane, Nya, Jay and Cole and get ready for some more action-packed missions!

PREMIERE: Saturday, 03 September 2022
TUNE IN: Weekends @ 09:15 CAT

CN MOVIES SPECIAL: BATMAN
LET’S CELEBRATE EVERYTHING BATMAN!

To ensure you don't miss any of the Batman Day festivities, Cartoon Network is handing you three back-to-back LEGO Batman movies to celebrate the day with the funniest Batman movies of them all. Starting with Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered Superman and other superheroes start disappearing mysteriously – will Batman save the day? Batman then teams up with the Justice League to face the Joker and Lex Luthor in Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite. And finally, in Lego DC Batman: Family Matters, Batman and his team encounter the villainous Red Hood, who’s obsessed with destroying the Bat-family and all of Gotham City. The super-villains are up to no good on Batman Day!

TUNE IN: Saturday, 17 September @ 09:35 CAT

Boomerang:

THOMAS AND FRIENDS
It’s all engines go!

All aboard for some brand-new episodes of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! With an adorably fearless “I think I can” attitude, Thomas and his friends are not afraid to take on any challenge, big or small. In the first of these brand-new episodes, a big storm approaches and Thomas and the tank engines must complete a week’s worth of deliveries by the end-of-the-workday whistle. But Sandy needs repairs … will they make it on time? Then, another big wind blows in, and Sir Topham Hatt’s Hat has swept away, and it’s up to Thomas and his friends to catch it. So, join Thomas and Friends for more episodes like this where they lift, load, pull and choo-choo through every new adventure.

PREMIERE: Monday, 29 August 2022
TUNE IN: Everyday @ 07:05 CAT

BATMAN DAY – MOVIE STARS SPECIAL
It’s a case for Batman!

Did you know that 17 September is Batman Day? And Boomerang is taking on the villains to celebrate everyone’s favourite superhero! On this day, Boomerang’s Movie Stars features Scooby-Doo and Batman in the movie Scooby-Doo & Batman: The Brave and The Bold. It's a thrill a second! After saving Scooby-Doo and the gang from some truly dangerous villains, Batman enlists the help of the Mystery Inc. gang to solve one of his few unexplained cases. Meanwhile, they must also deal with a new mysterious villain who calls himself the 'Crimson Cloak', who is planning to take over Gotham City! It's a big case – are you brave enough to be Batman's sidekick and help him save the day?

TUNE IN: Saturday, 17 September @ 09:40 CAT

AKISSI: A FUNNY LITTLE BROTHER
Fiercest adventures with our amazing adventurer of Africa

Tag along for a funny African adventure with Akissi: A Funny Little Brother. This heartfelt Boomerang half-hour special follows a fearless and feisty little girl, Akissi, and her monkey friend, Boubou, as they set out on hilarious adventures in their contemporary African city. But oh, she has some big hoops to jump through when the neighbourhood cats try to steal her fish, and Boubou almost ends up in a frying pan! How will that turn out? Join in on the adventure - and all the mischief - with the beloved Akissi, who seems like a pest to her brother when in fact, she is nothing but a true adventurer, always looking for the next thrill. Nothing scares her away from hilarious escapades in her modern African city, only on Boomerang!

TUNE IN: Saturday, 24 September @ 09:15 CAT

 

Mentalism Isn’t Magic But Its Mystery Is Just As Captivating - Larry Soffer

The leading mentalist in Africa Larry Soffer explains the five qualities that make a good mentalist (and we’re not talking of the TV show kind)

When Larry Soffer tells people he is a mentalist, they immediately think he spends his days unravelling crimes and putting offenders in prison, just like the lead character in the American drama television series 'The Mentalist'.

The truth is the only likeness Larry has to Patrick Jane’s character Simon Barker is their passion for entertainment. “Although I have been approached several times to help crack a crime, this is not something I feel comfortable doing. My aim has always been to entertain and inspire,” he says.

The misperception generally stems from the fact that people simply do not know what mentalism really is.

Mentalism explained 

We all know that magic encompasses a whole range of different things, from illusions on stage to close-up magic tricks amongst others. It is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by seemingly impossible feats using natural powers.

Mentalism comes under the ‘magic’ umbrella and could perhaps be best described as the magic of the mind. It is a sophisticated practice and an incredible skill that takes years to develop.

“A mentalist uses specialist techniques to demonstrate their art and skill of mind reading, metal bending, second sighting and predicting the thoughts of others. In truth, it involves anything that reveals the power of the mind and requires the ability to read body language and micro facial expressions. It basically utilises each of the five human senses to create the impression of a sixth sense,” explains Larry.

Done well, mentalism can positively impact the person watching the performance unfold. Not only does it allow the audience to step outside their mundane, everyday life, but it also transports them to a different reality, and inspires them to believe in the impossible to create a better future for themselves. 

After witnessing his fair share of mentalists and magicians perform all over the world, Larry believes these five qualities are what sets apart the good ones from the not so good:

Focus on the audience: Some mentalists perform so that they can feel great, validated, and admired but this makes their performance a one-sided affair. A great performer is able to focus on the audience’s experience and how it will connect with them emotionally. He always tries to give the audience the best experience THEY can have. The focus should always be on them and the feelings and emotions they will walk away with.

Have great intuition:  You can spend years studying mentalism, but nothing quite compares to being born with amazing intuition. Even as a child Larry perceived things that other people didn’t, which is probably what drew him to mentalism when he was studying magic.

Don’t be afraid to take risks: Pulling off scary stunts like putting a spike through your hand, making spoons and forks bend, lightbulbs burst, or broken watches come back to life can be tricky. Imagine having millions of listeners to a radio station for you to predict the incorrect newspaper headlines.

Luckily this has never happened to Larry, but he always pushes himself to do risky things as this has the biggest payoff.  He once performed for the First Lady of Kenya in Nairobi and popped a balloon with a large knife while blindfolded. To add some danger, he asked an audience member to stand somewhere in the crowd with the balloon and used what he calls ‘Second Sight’ to find them. It went down a treat with the crowd.

Eat, sleep and breath mentalism: Mentalism requires you to successfully blur the lines between reality and the supernatural. To do this well, you need to be more than just good at your craft. Only then will audiences believe that what you did was something impossible. You need to get even the biggest cynics to walk away in awe.

Create a memorable impression:  People must remember the experience they had with you for years and years. Only then will you have impacted them with your performance and skill. He once performed at the J&B Met a few years ago and ran into someone that saw him there a few years later. The gentleman came up to Larry to tell him that he kept a spoon that he bent for him for all these years because it reminded him that there was more to life, and this kept him rehabilitated from drugs.

You can never put a price on how this makes you feel!

Larry inspires his audiences to believe in the impossible so that they can achieve their dreams. Follow @LarrySoffer or visit his website for more information at www.larrysoffer.com.

PBS Kids Africa To Become A Pop-Up Channel For Arthur

PBS Kids, the #1 educational media brand for children aged 2 to 8 with community-based programs that reflect and celebrate lovable, diverse characters who serve as positive role models in life will soon be hosting likely a month worth of Arthur.

Based on the book of the same name by Marc Brown, Arthur set in the fictional U.S. city of Elwood City, and revolves around the lives of an anthropomorphic aardvark, his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.

The series often deals with important issues families face such as asthma, dyslexia, cancer, diabetes, and autism spectrum disorder. It also encourages reading and relationships with family and friends by explaining that people have different personalities and interests.

Earlier in the year, the series wrapped production in the U.S. after 25 seasons with a total of 253 half hour episodes with reruns still seem on the brand making it the longest running children's show in the U.S. and second longest running animation behind The Simpsons.

As seen this past week, PBS Kids seems to be maxing out their schedule for a months worth of Arthur which might include specials and movies as the channel has yet to air any of those for some reason but the question to Arthur's presence remains a mystery.

Could it have something to do with its 26th anniversary in October or is there something bigger happening especially now that the main feed got a makeover with ones in Africa and Australia expected to follow soon.

The Arthur Bonanza starts on Saturday 3 September exactly at 23:59 which does seem a bit odd of a timeslot but PBS Kids is known for such instances airing stuff when most viewers won't be present so they view repeats.