There aren’t many new series to look forward to this summer on the broadcast networks, but NBC’s “Destination X” (10 p.m. Tuesday, WPXI) has a decent hook, blending “The Amazing Race”-style travel with “Love Is Blind” blinders and the social game of “Survivor”/“Big Brother.”
A “Destination X” preview aired earlier this month after the Kentucky Derby, but next week marks the show’s true premiere. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“The Walking Dead: Dead City”) makes his first foray into reality TV hosting, guiding contestants who get transported via a blacked-out bus and sometimes wear vision-impairing goggles in various European locations where they compete in challenges to gain and use clues to figure out, “Where the X am I?”
The show’s biggest drawback is that it often seems kinda obvious where they are, thanks to the clues given, and I say that as someone who’s never been to Europe. “Destination X” may not showcase the brightest reality show cast ever assembled.
Morgan said he was initially hesitant to take the job but between his wife, Hilarie Burton, nudging him and watching his “Good Wife” co-star Alan Cumming host “The Traitors,” he decided to get on board.
“It did take me a minute to kind of figure out the rhythm of how it worked, and, by the way, being that it’s a new show, it also took NBC a while to figure out what the rhythm of it was going to be,” Morgan said. “There was a lot of experimentation as we went. That being said, I had an absolute blast. … I got to be me, which is a bit of a smart ass.”
Morgan said what stood out most to him with the job was the speed at which it moved.
“Sometimes you’re shooting an episode a day,” he said. “Other times, because of locations and where we were in the world, it would take a little longer to get there than other times, and you’d have a day or two off. The day or two off is always somewhere you didn’t want to be, and then you’d be at some spectacular location, and you’d only be there for half a day.”
In addition, the script for his hosting segments changed on the fly.
“I would get a rough idea of a script, but I’m getting script changes as we’re shooting,” Morgan said. “I’m getting notes from (executives in) Los Angeles and London at the same time, and sometimes different notes. So you try five different things.”
‘The Pitt’ Emmy hopes
Pittsburgh-set ER drama “The Pitt” will submit Noah Wyle for lead actor in a drama series, for writing one of the episodes and for executive producing, per Deadline.com.
All of Wyle’s series regular co-stars are up for supporting actor/actress in a drama series Emmy consideration.
Shawn Hatosy, who plays Dr. Jack Abbot, will compete in the guest actor category along with Mackenzie Astin and Rebecca Tilney, who played the adult siblings grappling with a do-not-resuscitate order from their elderly father, who once worked on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
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Ramsay seeks local restaurants
A casting company seeks restaurant owners within 45 miles of Pittsburgh, Detroit or Cleveland who are “interested in receiving professional guidance” (re: getting yelled at) courtesy of Chef Gordon Ramsay, presumably for Fox’s “Kitchen Nightmares” or perhaps the new Fox series “Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service.” To apply, visit jscasting.com/gordon.
Clooney’s ‘Good Night’ on CNN
CNN and CNN.com will air a live telecast from Broadway, showing the penultimate performance of actor George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” in its entirety at 7 p.m. June 7. The play, adapted from the 2005 film, follows Edward R. Murrow (Clooney) in his efforts to take down U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
Kept/canceled/picked up
Netflix renewed “Bridgerton” for a fifth and sixth season ahead of a season four debut in 2026.
Netflix renewed “The Four Seasons” and “Forever” for second seasons each; renewed “The Diplomat” for a fourth season ahead of its third season premiere this fall; renewed “My Life with the Walters Boys” for a third season following a second season that will debut later this year; and renewed “Survival of the Thickest” for a third and final season.
After HBO dropped “Sesame Street,” Netflix will produce new episodes that will debut on the same day on Netflix and PBS.
Paramount+ with Showtime renewed “Yellowjackets” for a fourth season.
Amazon’s Prime Video renewed competition series “Beast Games” for two more seasons. Prime renewed “Fallout” for a third season ahead of its season two debut in December.
Starz renewed “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” for a fifth and final season.
The CW renewed “Trivial Pursuit” and “Scrabble” for 30-episode second seasons.
Prime Video canceled Kevin Bacon’s “The Bondsman” after one season.
CBS canceled “S.W.A.T.” recently, but Sony Pictures Television will produce and shop a 10-episode spinoff, “S.W.A.T. Exiles,” starring Shemar Moore, to networks and streaming services.
The CW picked up two seasons of Canadian import “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent” to premiere this fall.
Netflix ordered a new version of “Star Search.”
Channel surfing
Krysten Ritter will reprise her role as Jessica Jones in the second season of Disney+’s “Daredevil: Born Again.” … File under You Can’t Make This Up: Max will revert to the name HBO Max this summer. … In 2026, HGTV will air a new makeover series, “Renovating ‘The Bachelor’ Mansion.” … Actress Kelli Giddish will return to her role as Amanda Rollins in a series regular capacity this fall on NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU.” … NBC will re-air “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” 7:30-11 p.m. June 8.
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