It really is quite surprising just how respected the art of television has become. There was once a time when those who plied their trade on the big screen – whether in front of or behind the camera – avoided working on the small screen like the plague. Going from film to TV was seen as a clear step down and a sign that one’s career was on the decline. That’s certainly not the case today, as critically acclaimed dramas like Breaking Bad, True Detective, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, and Hannibal have served to make the TV world as prestigious a place to work as any Hollywood film set.

With that said, it’s hardly a surprise that yet another powerhouse filmmaker is preparing to carve their niche into the TV drama landscape. David Fincher – director of films like Fight Club and The Social Network – has signed on to helm the entire first season of the upcoming HBO drama Utopia.

For those unaware, Utopia will be a remake of an action-thriller series of the same name that airs on the U.K.’s Channel 4. The plot of both shows concerns a group of people that come into possession of the unpublished sequel to an underground graphic novel called “The Utopia Experiments.” That book is said to have predicted countless disasters, and the sequel may very well do the same. Unfortunately, a shadowy collective known as The Network has reason to ensure that these catastrophes take place as scheduled and will stop at nothing to retrieve the sequel’s manuscript and silence its possessors.

The U.K. version of Utopia has aired two six-episode seasons so far, and has yet to be officially canceled or renewed for a third. HBO, on the other hand, hasn’t announced how many episodes Utopia’s first stateside season will consist of. Utopia marks Fincher’s second creative collaboration with author Gillian Flynn, who penned the novel that Fincher’s forthcoming film Gone Girl is based on.

While Fincher began his career by directing dozens of music videos, his only prior experience working in the TV drama realm is helming the first two episodes of Netflix’s aforementioned House of Cards. Directing the entirety of Utopia season 1 represents a kind of project that the iconoclastic auteur has never  before attempted. The production is expected to consume nearly all of Fincher’s time in 2015, and the director has yet to make up his mind as to what his next film will be afterward.

With Fincher serving as both an executive producer and personally directing every episode, Utopia may end up being audiences’ most direct peek into the man’s complex mind to date. Constructing and visually telling a story over the course of a few hours is one thing. Overseeing the development of a full TV season should present a maverick director like Fincher the chance to spread his creative wings and make sure every detail is exactly the way he envisions it.

That approach seems to be working out well for fellow auteur Steven Soderbergh, who is currently enjoying a successful run on Cinemax’s The Knick. If things go well for Fincher, we may truly have a trend on our hands.

Utopia is slated to begin shooting in 2015, but has no current premiere date.

SEE ALSO: 9 Movies We Can't Wait To See At The New York Film Festival

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One of this fall’s most-anticipated shows, 10-part miniseries “Gracepoint,” brings together two big television names — David Tennant, who has gained a big following for his time on BBC series “Doctor Who,” and Emmy-winning “Breaking Bad” actress Anna Gunn. 

The series is based off of UK hit “Broadchurch,” surrounding the mysterious death of a young boy and the subsequent police investigation that ensues in a small town. The series has received a lot of critical acclaim praising not only Tennant's dark performance as a detective inspector, but also stand out Olivia Colman who plays his colleague Ellie Miller.

Tennant will reprise his leading role in the American version of the show, so it appears Gunn has some big shoes to fill. 

However it was Tennant who said on a recent Fox conference call he was nervous to do the series all over again with another actress. 

“That relationship, as it was in Broadchurch, is very much one of the central structures to Gracepoint. A lot of that is defined by the relationship you can build up as actors,” explains Tennant. “I was very nervous, especially having done this show before, and that relationship worked very well with the wonderful Olivia Colman, who plays Miller in 'Broadchurch.' I was nervous, of course, turning up on day one to meet Anna, because we had so much to do together, that relationship was so important to get right.” 

The American adaptation is two episodes longer than the British version, but the "Broadchurch" veteran didn’t have anything to worry about with the "Breaking Bad" actress. 

“She just turned out to be a proper actress, someone who was committed to getting it right, who was open, who was easy to work with, who you could also have a laugh with, who you could throw anything at her and she would respond,” says Tennant. “That's just the kind of relationship, the kind of professional relationship that you always hope for.”   

“It was a huge relief and then a great joy to work with her throughout the ten episodes,” he added. “Everyone who knows her work knows how talented she is.  I was very chuffed to get to play alongside and also get to know her offset as well.”   

“Gracepoint” premieres on Fox October 2 at 9 p.m. Watch a preview below.

SEE ALSO: Fox's most-anticipated show "Gotham" is good, but a bit overrated

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You can never get too attached to any character on AMC’s zombie series “The Walking Dead.” You never know when one of your favorite actors may get killed off. 

Series creator Robert Kirkman has said no character, no matter how popular, is ever safe.

Warning: If you’re not caught up with season 4, there are spoilers ahead. 

Business Insider recently spoke with actress Emily Kinney, who plays character Beth Greene on the series, who lost her father Hershel (Scott Wilson) not to zombies in season 4, but brutally at the hands of a merciless, vengeful one-eyed Governor in a shocking season four moment.

Hershel acted not only as a mentor to the young survivors, but also as a doctor and farmer as the group helped rebuild their lives during the apocalypse.

That changed when Hershel was abruptly taken prisoner by the show's villainous Governor (David Morrissey) and killed in front of his on-screen family.

Kinney tells Business Insider it was a tough moment on set.  

“The hardest thing about season four was losing Scott Wilson because he became so much of you know a father figure to me and Lauren [Cohen] in real life and to not have his energy on set was really, really difficult. Luckily, he came to my birthday party like, ‘We’ll still see each other.’ 

As revealed on “The Talking Dead,” the companion talk show which airs after “The Walking Dead," the cast and crew will get together after any character’s passing on the series to hold what Kinney describes as “one last party” celebrating the actor’s time on the show. 

Appropriately, these events are called death dinners. 

“[It’s] one time where we can have dinner together and see each other outside the set.” Kinney says. “It’s something we definitely did for Scott. It was really nice.” 

Kinney says losing Scott on the series was a bittersweet moment.  

“It was so hard losing him, but you do realize when someone’s in your life in that way they hopefully … you can pick up any time and see them again.”  

SEE ALSO: How Emily Kinney got her big singing break while performing on "The Walking Dead"

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We've given you the best shows of the fall season, now let's take a look at the worst.

With 25% of new shows getting cancelled after one season, some of the 24 new TV shows hitting airwaves this fall were doomed from the very start.

We've previewed the shows and have read the reviews. Here are our predictions for the first shows to get cancelled this season.

5. "Manhattan Love Story" (ABC)

Premiered: Wed., Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m. 

What it's about: The rom-com follows two people set on a blind date with the added bonus of hearing every thought going on in each person's head.

Why you should skip it:

The male lead (Jake McDorman) comes across as so unlikeable it's a wonder why you would want him to connect with the sweet naive, young editor who just moved to New York City. Too much of the show takes place in its weird voice-over narration that as the USA Today put it by the end of the episode you'll want to scream "shut up" at your television.

Watch the trailer.

4. "Mulaney" (FOX)

Premieres: Sunday, Oct. 5 at 9:30 p.m.

What it's about: Young comic John Mulaney dreams of becoming a big stand-up comedian.

Why you should skip it:

With actual stand-up bits at the show's start and middle it feels like a "Seinfeld" ripoff. That's a shame because the young John Mulaney is a good standup, but on television Mulaney is downright awkward as he tries too hard to make audiences laugh while getting a prostate exam and receiving the run-around from his new legendary comedic boss played by Martin Short. 

His sidekicks don't help either. "Saturday Night Live" alumna Nasim Pedrad could be good if she wasn't acting as a crazy, vindictive ex (not Mulaney's) for the entire pilot episode. The want-to-be "Seinfeld" is just not funny. 

Watch the trailer.

3. "The Mysteries of Laura" (NBC) 

Premiered: Wed., Sept. 24 at 9 p.m.

What it's about: Debra Messing serves double duty as Laura Diamond, a soon-to-be-divorced mom and cop.

Why you should skip it: 

You really want to like the show for Debra Messing ("Will and Grace") alone, but the show has no idea whether it wants to be a family sitcom or a crime drama. Either way, it doesn't work as Messing comes across as a mediocre parent with some of the worst-behaved twins in the country who are caught urinating in public on each other. It's not funny. It's just gross.

The show was ripped apart by critics with The Hollywood Reporter's Tim Goodman asking whether anyone at NBC saw the show or read the script before it premiered.

Watch the trailer.

2. "Stalker" (CBS)

Premieres: Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 10 p.m.

What it's about: Two detectives investigate stalking incidents in New York City.

Why you should skip it: 

The premise sounds intriguing. The show's ad claims over 6 million people are stalked in the US each year, citing Facebook as a reason for a surge in stalking cases in the past decade. However, the series is currently one of the worst-reviewed new shows of the fall. Forbes' says the violence in the show feels "over the top and offensive for offensive sake." The Huffington Post's Maureen Ryan ripped "Stalker" apart calling it "exploitative, misogynist trash" that simply shows victims being stalked and slashed while their killer is hunted each episode. 

Watch the trailer.

1. "Bad Judge" (NBC)

Premieres: Thursday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m.

What it's about: Kate Walsh ("Private Practice") plays a criminal judge who is also a bit of a wild child.

Why you should skip it:

The show seems pretty toned down for a show called "Bad Judge." The pilot has undergone several transformations looking a lot less like previews and images that were previously released. Hitfix's Alan Sepinwall says the original version was "no good" while the final version puts together the new and old scenes "which results in Walsh's character seeming schizophrenic more than anything."

The show is also in a bit of trouble. It was the only series pulled from the lineup at New York's PaleyFest that Business Insider attended earlier this month. Two days later Deadline reported showrunner Liz Brixius ("Nurse Jackie") left the series due to "creative differences." Now, Walsh is involved in a legal dispute with her ex-managers over commission from the comedy.

Watch the trailer.

SEE ALSO: Which shows you should check out this fall

AND: The highest-paid actors of the season

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"Saturday Night Live" host Sarah Silverman impersonated her late, good friend Joan Rivers in a sketch about the comedian roasting other celebrities in heaven.

Steve Jobs, Richard Pryor, Lucille Ball, Freddy Mercury, and Benjamin Franklin were her main targets.

Eartha Kitt introduced Rivers: "We've just received word that one of the greats has joined us here on the celestial stage. Ladies and gentleman of heaven, please welcome Miss Joan Rivers!"

"Thank you, thank you! Me? In heaven? I can't believe it" Rivers began. "I guess I should be here I'm practically a virgin. The last time someone was inside me it was Melissa!"

"My old friend Richard Pryor is here," Joan continued. "Richard, you could never keep it in your pants. I don't want to say Richard fooled around, but the longest relationship he ever had was with multiple sclerosis."

"So many incredible people here tonight, even Steve Jobs!"

"Steve, I hope you're forced to buy a newer, better casket every six months so you can see how we feel! Am I right?"

"Oh please, look, so many beautiful people here tonight. Ava Gardner, you look so young! Who did you sleep with to get here? Oh right, everyone."

"I'm killing with Ben Franklin. Hey Ben, where did you get that outfit? Forever1721? Something tells me that those bifocals aren't the only things bi about you."

"Speaking of bi, I see you Freddy Mercury! When Freddy died, people were surprised he was gay. Are you kidding me?! You're so gay even your teeth aren't straight!" (Freddy Mercury was played by "SNL" musical guest, Maroon 5's Adam Levine.)

"Lucille Ball, you're a comedy legend. That scene in the candy factory, wasn't Lucy hilarious eating the chocolates? You stuck more chocolates down your throat than the Kardashians!"

"Listen people, comedy is to make people laugh and deal with things. So open the gates and let me in here and let's start this show!" Watch the full sketch below:

Comedy Central did a roast of Joan Rivers in 2009. Everyone from Don Rickles and Tom Arnold to Kathy Griffin and Gilbert Gottfried showed up to roast the comedy vet.

Rivers said after the show: “With the roast, what I was worried about is what I was gonna say back to them. So I worked very hard. And I won. For every comedian, if you’re not insecure you’re not funny. If you’re happy, you’re not funny."

SEE ALSO: SNL Mocks Marvel's Success With Ridiculous Movie Ideas

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Showtime's hit series "Homeland" returned to TV Sunday night with two back-to-back episodes for its season 4 premiere. 

If you don't have the cable channel and want to tune in, Showtime released the two episodes online free for anyone to watch. 

It's a smart move to gain viewer interest in the premium network and to prevent pirated episodes of the show from spreading online.

Check them out below.

SEE ALSO: 'Homeland' producers spent five days editing the most shocking part of season 4 premiere

AND: The only 10 new TV shows worth watching this fall

Join the conversation about this story »

Let's face it, after receiving well-deserved critical and viewer acclaim for its first stellar season, Showtime's “Homeland” proceeded to slowly go off the rails in its subsequent two years on the air. The problem could be summed up in two words: Damian Lewis.

Don't get me wrong, the Emmy-winning actor was brilliant as the tortured Nicholas Brody, and it wasn't even necessarily his fault he became the problem. Brody was supposed to die, and for Carrie Mathison's (Claire Danes) story, he needed to die. But he was an acclaimed award winner, so he didn't die.

And then he continued to not die and the show became borderline terrible until finally… mercifully… he died toward the close of the third season. After a breath to bid him and his outstayed-their-welcome family, the show has reset and is now prepared to move forward. And how refreshing it is.

Claire Danes is the heart and soul of this show, and she is as compelling an actress today as she was when she was breaking our hearts as Angela Chase on “My So-Called Life.” No female actress on the small screen plays flawed but strong better. It was so frustrating to see a woman I saw as strong and in command swooning like a ditzy schoolgirl over a boy to the point she lost all sense of herself and her values.

See photos: 45 Fall TV Actresses Ranked by Popularity

The shadow of Lewis still looms rather large in Carrie's life, but it's actually refreshing because it peeled back another layer into her unique mind. Carrie is a mother now, only she's not going to win any awards for a stellar performance in the role. The child she had with Brody is a haunting reminder of his impact on her life, so she must decide how to move forward and deal with this new burden of responsibility.

Carrie is someone who has always been driven by her work, to the point that it has impacted her health. But she's also extremely good at what she does — essentially she's the Jack Bauer of counter-intelligence, and like Kiefer Suthlerand on “24,” everything takes a back seat to saving the world.

See video: ‘Homeland’ Promises More Action in Post-Damian Lewis Era With Season 4 Trailer’

Only, “Homeland” is on Showtime, so everything can be taken to even more uncomfortable extremes, whether it's Carrie being bipolar and off her meds, struggling with motherhood, or trying to control the aftermath of the drone strike that sets in motion the overarching storyline of the upcoming season. In charge of the mission, Carrie finds herself in the heart of the firestorm when it goes terribly wrong.

A little digging reveals that there is something more lurking beneath the mess, and of course our hero is the only one capable of taking care of it. Whether this is true or not, Carrie needs it to be, because she is nothing without the work.

On the same page as Carrie, but representing what happens when the work isn't the biggest part of your life anymore, we have Mandy Patinkin's Saul Berenson. Now working in the private sector, and struggling to convince himself that he prefers it, it's inevitable that he's going to find himself back in the middle of the action, by Carrie's side and probably the one who's going to have to reign her in.

As for the show's new male lead, Rupert Friend as Peter Quinn, he and Carrie are refreshingly just colleagues. The two are tested in a major way early in the season's run, which looks like it will drive their emotional narrative through these 12 episodes. Quinn takes it particularly hard, and while his response is rather cliche, it is nevertheless well done and Friend captures it with authenticity. This is a tortured lead I can get behind, as he's interesting and he's not inherently making Carrie stupid.

Rounding out the main cast is Suraj Sharma, best known for “Life of Pie,” as a survivor of the drone strike. In a refreshing turn, he is not a two-dimensional stereotype of a Middle Eastern young man, but rather a nuanced and multi-layered character every bit as fascinating as the rest of the cast.

In fact, watching the story of his perspective humanizes the violence and destruction from the ground level of these missile strikes the U.S. carries out in the Middle East. These are people living their lives in the shadow of American might, and while it might be easy to paint them all the same way with a wide brush of anti-American sentiment, they are as varied in their thoughts and geopolitical stances as we are.

Also read: Inside Showtime's Emmy Eve Party: Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan, Matt LeBlanc, William H. Macy Light It Up

In other words, they're human beings just trying to get by day to day, which is easy to forget. Dramatizing the complexities of our ongoing wars in the Middle East is a big part of why “Homeland” was such a powerful show, which is why it was so disappointing when it became mired in “Romeo & Juliet,” star-crossed lovers nonsense. “Homeland” is about international intrigue and espionage. Thank you for getting back to that.

Season 4 is a hard reset for a show that desperately needed one. With Brody finally out of the way, and unable to distract Carrie, we finally get to see why she was so revered and respected by the C.I.A. despite her bipolor disorder and dangerously erratic behavior.

We're getting the character we knew she was capable of being, with the added layer of new motherhood. It's such a rich topic to explore with Carrie, so while I can't forgive that his story took the show so far off the rails on the past two seasons, I will say that I look forward to this added element.

See video: Mandy Patinkin Tells Stephen Colbert He'll Run For Prime Minister of Israel

For the most part, I'm going to think of this as a Season 2 redo. At the end of “my” Season 1, Brody died and Carrie was pregnant with his child. Most of the rest of that nonsense didn't happen. The first year was one of the most intense and exciting series on television, and Claire Danes brought to life one of the most exciting and refreshing characters seen in years.

Ignoring the past two seasons, we can pretend that we're coming off of those Emmy-winning first 12 episodes. “Homeland” is looking good again and I'm as optimistic as I can be. Admittedly, it's too early to declare definitively that “Homeland” is back, but I will say it's back to being a show I'm looking forward to watching, rather than one that made me angry as it lost its credibility mostly and lost its way completely.

“Homeland” premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.

SEE ALSO: 'Homeland' Producers Spent 5 Days Editing The Most Shocking Part Of Season 4 Premiere

MORE: Showtime Releases The First Two Episodes Of 'Homeland' Season 4 Free Online

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Warning: If you haven't watched the season 4 premiere of "Homeland" there are massive spoilers ahead.

The season 4 premiere of "Homeland" aired on Showtime Sunday night in back-to-back episodes. 

During the series' second hour, we're introduced to Carrie's baby, Frannie, and from their first time on screen together, it's clear Carrie is uncomfortable around the child and has little interest in being a mother.

She drives Frannie over to her father's house, the now deceased Brody, telling her how she met her dad and how much she loved him.

"He would have been a terrible father," she says.

"He was happy to hear that you were on the way though," she adds. "He was. It was the last thing he was happy about. And I, I tried ... to hold onto that and feel it too ... happy you're here. But, with his being gone, I can't remember why I had you. I loved him so much."

Soon after, Carrie decides to give her baby a bath and for a moment she considers drowning her child before picking her up out of the bathtub. It's a difficult moment to watch. 

As difficult as the scene is to watch, it wasn't an easy one to film either. 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Alex Gansa explains the bathtub scene took days in total to edit.

"This is not an exaggeration, we spent a full five days editing that little piece of film," said Gansa. "We wanted to leave it open. Did she put the baby under water or did she not? It's left in the mind of the audience to determine what exactly happened."

Gansa explained this season we'll see Carrie deal with Brody's unexpected death. But to come to terms with it, she'll need to accept the child she is so obviously withdrawn from.

"This season, in Homeland, the story is Carrie Mathison contemplating what happened last year. The hanging of Brody is something she hasn't squarely faced, and that child is a physical representation of that tragedy," Gansa told The Hollywood Reporter. "As a result, that kid is something Carrie doesn't want to deal with. It all came down to that scene in the bathtub, where, for a moment, she considered that her life would be easier if this little creature didn't exist anymore." 

"Homeland" airs on Showtime Sunday nights at 9 p.m. 

SEE ALSO: Showtime releases the first two episodes of "Homeland" season 4 free online

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Read nearly anyreview of Fox's new mystery thriller "Gracepoint"— an adaptation of BBC hit "Broadchurch"— and critics will say they're essentially the same show, suggesting the American version is an unnecessary remake.

The 10-episode miniseries pairs David Tennant ("Doctor Who"), who also starred in the UK series, with Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad") as detectives trying to solve the murder of a young boy in a small town.

On a recent conference call with Tennant, the actor described how Fox's version of "Broadchurch" is different than the BBC hit.

"There are bits of plot; there are some characters in 'Gracepoint' that no equivalent existed for in 'Broadchurch,'"explained Tennant. "It didn't really feel like a repetition, it just felt like you were telling a story that was familiar, but there were enough differences."

If you're familiar with the British version of the series, "Broadchurch," and tuned into the series premiere Thursday evening you noticed the two shows are nearly identical, not only in characters but also dialogue. 

Perhaps the biggest difference was the omission of a great line from the UK version where Tennant yells "Bloody Twitter" while expressing his frustration with the social media site in leaking news.

"I think at times there are some scenes that are very similar to 'Broadchurch,''"Tennant added. "There are others where even though the words can be very similar at times, they play very differently. That was continually surprising for me being part of it.  I don't suppose it would have ever been any other way really." 

An opening scene from "Broadchurch" shows a young mother running toward the beach as she hears a body has been found on the shoreline.

Here's how that scene looks on "Gracepoint." Notice that while Fox's version is darker that even the color of the cars in the background is the same.

Here's one more scene showing how both Olivia Colman ("Broadchurch") and Anna Gunn ("Gracepoint") react in a similar scene from episode one.

"Gracepoint" is supposed to deviate from the British series in episode 7. While "Broadchurch" has eight episodes "Gracepoint" will have 10 giving the show a chance to explore more character stories and to change the killer.

After recently binge-watching "Broadchurch," an excellent miniseries worth a watch, it's difficult to imagine seeing another ending that would really knock your socks off the way the BBC does in its final two episodes.

"Gracepoint" executive producer Carolyn Bernstein doesn't think the repetitiveness should be a problem for viewers. Bernstein told NPR BBC America's "Broadchurch" audience "represents really, truly less than 1 percent of the American television viewing population." 

Of course, that may mean nothing to a streaming culture that seems readily more interested in BBC shows. This year, British series "Doctor Who" saw an uptick in American viewers upon its season 8 premiere. Benedict Cumberbatch recently won an Emmy for his BBC series "Sherlock." Similar to those two shows, "Broadchurch" is available to stream on venues such as Amazon Prime.

Still Tennant says one reason to tune into "Gracepoint" is for the cast. Not only does two-time Emmy-winning actress Anna Gunn star, but the show also has a strong cast in Michael Peña, Jacki Weaver ("Silver Linings Playbook"), and even Nick Nolte.

Similarly, "Broadchurch" had a big cast with another "Doctor Who" actor Arthur Darvill, David Bradley ("Harry Potter" films), and Olivia Colman ("Hot Fuzz,""Iron Lady").

"Because it's such a well written piece, I think both times, in the UK and in America, we attracted Rolls-Royce of casts, and therefore whenever you go to play a scene with people that are that good, something exciting is going to happen," said Tennant. "That, I think, happened in every episode and every scene.  That's the sort of thing you dream of when you leave drama school.  These are the kind of jobs you fantasize about."

SEE ALSO: Why David Tennant was 'very nervous' to work with Anna Gunn on Fox's new mystery show

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The Internet exploded on Friday after "Twin Peaks" masterminds David Lynch and Mark Frost posted cryptic tweets that teased fans with a vague reference to the series.

Dear Twitter Friends: That gum you like is going to come back in style! #damngoodcoffee

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) October 3, 2014

Dear Twitter Friends: That gum you like is going to come back in style. #damngoodcoffee

— Mark Frost (@mfrost11) October 3, 2014

This afternoon, they took to Twitter again, this time linking to the video below which announces the series' return to television in 2016.

Dear Twitter Friends… it is happening again. http://t.co/r0l9rhK4eB#damngoodcoffee

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) October 6, 2014

Dear Twitter Friends… it is happening again. http://t.co/Eht08wKx1J#damngoodcoffee

— Mark Frost (@mfrost11) October 6, 2014

SEE ALSO: David Tennant Explains How Fox's New Mystery Show Isn't Just A Remake Of Similar BBC Hit

MORE: The Incredibly Strange Commercials Of David Lynch

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The Groundlings comedy troupe allege that "Saturday Night Live" stole one of their sketches.

In this weekend's SNL episode, host Sarah Silverman, along with cast members Cecily Strong and Sasheer Zamata, perform “Proud Mary” on a riverboat casino while telling the audience about their life up until this point.

The sketch has been removed from NBC and Hulu's websites, but you can watch it here. Here's a GIF to give you an idea:

After the sketch aired, people started to notice the similarities. Kimberly Condict, who originated the role in the Groundlings sketch, tweeted:

#snl just totally jacked our steez!! #flattered? pic.twitter.com/IKT9YOzNlI

— Kimberly Condict (@KimberlyCondict) October 5, 2014

Her friends and fans were quick to back her up:

I mean come on. @KimberlyCondict and @vanessaragland killin it original style. pic.twitter.com/ZpKdNZEujO

— Lee Newton (@leenewtonsays) October 5, 2014

Just watched an SNL sketch that was DIRECTLY ripped off from The Groundlings Sunday company stage... The good news, my friends were funnier.

— Lee Newton (@leenewtonsays) October 5, 2014

@vanessaragland@kimberlycondict I'm sorry SNL stole your sketch! That sucks!

— Wendi McLendon-Covey (@wendimclendonco) October 6, 2014

Ian Gary, a teacher at the Groundlings in Los Angeles, posted to his Facebook page:

 ...over the years I have seen MANY, MANY sketches flat out stolen from my friends by Saturday Night Live. Nearly verbatim. Word for word… And everyone in our community goes “Oh man. That sucks.” and nobody says anything because I guess SNL is still some dream for some people or they don't want to get involved, or a million other reasonable things that stop people from standing up for each other when things are blatantly wrong.

Well, enough of that. This is f----- up.

L.A.-based writer and director John Irwin posted to his Facebook page:

Ah! No way! For several weeks at the Groundlings, Vanessa Bruiser Ragland and Kimberly Condict performed the heck out of their brilliant and hillarious sketch featuring a Tina Turner tribute band singing "Rollin'" at a casino with their musings during the music pauses about the establishment's food, the bad hands life dealt them, and a past gig on a Nebraska river boat-- the sketch ends with the MC piping in.

Last night on SNL, a Tina Turner tribute band sang "Rollin'" with their musings in the music pauses about the establishment's food, the Nebraska river boat they're currently on and the bad hands life dealt them -- the sketch ends with the MC piping in. 

I'd say imitation is the best form of flattery but I mean, come on! If you're going to rip something off, at least do it right! The SNL version was WAYYYY less funny and the writing and performances were poor at best. Just sayin… nobody does it like my girl and kimbo. They killed it.

Watch the Groundlings version of the original sketch below:

"Saturday Night Live" has not officially responded to the controversy, but "an individual close to the show"told The Wrap any similarities were "mere coincidence" and claim SNL writers were unfamiliar with The Groundlings sketch in question.

“It's a common idea since Tina Turner is such an iconic figure,” the source said. “The similarities represent parallel thinking in the comedy world.”

But the Tina Turner sketch wasn't the only one in question on the most recent SNL episode.

As A.V. Club noticed: "The idea of Secret Service head Julia Pierson testifying while President Obama is being chased in the background would be a funnier 'Weekend Update' joke… if sister publication The Onion hadn’t made it on Wednesday!"

The joke below:

The Onion's previous article:

SEE ALSO: Sarah Silverman Roasts Steve Jobs And Other Dead Celebs While Playing Joan Rivers On SNL

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"Twin Peaks" has never left the public consciousness. TV has evolved, matured, and proliferated beyond belief, and in the midst of all of this innovation, there's still always a voice saying, "Oh, just like on 'Twin Peaks'..." or, "This has such a Lynch-y vibe," or, "It's like "Twin Peaks" meets such-and-such."

Television keeps moving along, but that quirky town full of secrets has continued to exist in the ether.

Now more than ever, with the announcement that the series will be continued with nine episodes on Showtime in 2016, it is clear that even though the show may have ended, it's never really been over.

This year marked the 25th anniversary of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s network-breaking television phenomena, "Twin Peaks." So it feels like now more than ever there have been discussions about the popular show that taught people that the owls are not what they seem.

Here we’ll take the time to look at three completely dissimilar contemporary TV shows that are examples of shows that managed to emulate "Twin Peaks" the most successfully, each one in an entirely different way, mastering another important fundamental aspect of the show.

As opposed to the wealth of sloppy one season-blunders that try to do everything and crumble under the pressure, these three choose one and excel at it.

1. "Veronica Mars"

While there may be a lot of "Twin Peaks" clones, there’s even more murder mystery shows in general that have graced our airwaves. The murder mystery aspect of Lynch’s show was a major component of it, and the one that most of the audience was interested in. This is why "Veronica Mars" is one of the best successors to "Twin Peaks." This was a show that chronicled a teenager and her private detective father trying to solve the mystery of who killed her best friend. Some may say that "The Killing" seems like a better example, but it’s the innocence mixed in with "Veronica Mars" that really pushes it ahead.

There’s this idea of taking the "Twin Peaks" model, transposing it onto a CW show, and making it hardboiled beyond its years. Both "Twin Peaks" and "Veronica Mars" took a high school setting, and cast it in dread while trying to connect these disparate worlds. It’s no coincidence that in spite of this safe setting, Veronica and Laura are both raped. Lilly Kane, the victim whose murder must be solved, is a Laura Palmer amalgam to the point where some of her behavior seems to be intentionally aping the character (“I loved Lilly, and Lilly loved boys”). "Veronica Mars" even used “Who killed Lilly Kane?” as an advertising slogan, much like Peaks’ “Who killed Laura Palmer?” mantra.

Both shows very expertly inched their mystery along slowly at their own pace, with each episode also offering a deep character study. A lot of the time you don’t even realize how many “clues” you’re getting through it all. "Veronica Mars" also adheres to the season-long mystery approach and sticking through it, much like its inspiration, while similarly using dreams and visions of Lilly as a clue device. You’re exposed to the towns of Neptune and Twin Peaks in similar fashions: you get to meet everyone and this continues to expand, and you get an ever growing litany of suspects that are simply shown being. There’s no mustache twirling or spoon-feeding going on. You're simply transported to the middle of their 'burgs, and you’re to navigate its population on your own, like a tourist.

It might just be a coincidence, but the fact that "Veronica Mars" also got a post-cancellation-movie much like "Twin Peaks" received with "Fire Walk With Me," brings further similarities to light too. This is also indicative of the obsessive fan support behind both shows, which in the case of "Veronica Mars" is what was responsible for the movie itself.

2. "Bates Motel"

Another crucial aspect of "Twin Peaks" DNA was the town itself, not just in terms of its characters, but everything about it. This is why the currently airing "Bates Motel" on A&E, a show acting as a prequel series to the film 'Psycho,' showing you the formative years of Norman Bates, is another perfect offspring of "Twin Peaks." More than anything, both shows subscribe to the idea of building a community and economy, and you get to know it through oddballism and sexiness. Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin, the creators of the show have even said that this more or less is the same town from the ‘90s series in so many words. “We pretty much ripped off 'Twin Peaks'… If you wanted to get that confession, the answer is yes. I loved that show. They only did 30 episodes. Kerry and I thought we’d do the 70 that are missing.”

You get a real sense of the town’s businesses and locales, the trade and industry is established, and while "Bates Motel" might not have a Log Lady, it does have the enigma, George, and Jiao, the Chinese sex slave. But through all of the mundane, a dark underbelly is still present and something "Twin Peaks" carried best. In "Bates Motel," we see opium dens, sex rings, and get a taste of a whole drug trade that is independent of anything related to Norman or Norma that’s going on.

It’s almost as if "Bates Motel" is a series based around the town monotony and intense mundaneness that people weren’t so fond of in "Twin Peaks," but was necessary all the same. Like if someone made a "James Hurley: The Series" spinoff chronicling his adulterous time out of the city limits in the show’s second season. In "Twin Peaks," the town helped lead to Laura’s downfall, but here it’s still the town, it’s just that Norman and Norma are new, already crazy, additions to it.

3. "Hannibal"

One of the most fundamental aspects of what made "Twin Peaks" different from everything else on at the time was the surreal, unconventional visual style that David Lynch was known for. It might seem surprising that NBC’s "Hannibal," a series looking at the famous villain Hannibal Lecter in his pre-"Red Dragon,""Silence of the Lambs" days, would be the show that most effectively captures this crucial aspect, but there are times where it might even out-Lynch Lynch.

"Hannibal" is one of the most unsettling, visually distinct shows to air on network television since "Twin Peaks." If this wasn’t enough, series creator Bryan Fuller has outright said that he’s doing Thomas Harris by way of David Lynch: "When I sat down to the script, I was very consciously saying, 'What would David Lynch do with a Hannibal Lecter character? What sort of strange, unexpected places would he take this world?' I'm a great admirer of his work and his aesthetic and his meticulous sound design. Those were all components that I felt very strongly needed to be part of our Hannibal Lecter story.”

"Hannibal" offers up messed up dreams that last longer (entire acts, even) than anything that ever plagued Special Agent Cooper. Will Graham’s mind palace feels like the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks more than it doesn’t, but in a more terrifying way; like it’s spilling out into the world around it, and the result is serial killers that operate in a hyper stylized Black Lodge logic where victims are turned into saber tooth tigers or totem poles. The nightmare stag visuals that constantly haunt Will are no different than the Killer Bob material of Peaks or diversions like following an owl or wormholing into something.

The opening of "Twin Peaks" that starts on the tiny holes of a ceiling panel is akin to "Hannibal" following a close up on a drip of wine and slowly pulling out. Or how the show’s haunted sound design is especially reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti's for Peaks, and built to pull out tension. "Hannibal" is more preoccupied with the tone and style of Lynch’s series than the content. Fuller specifically has visionary directors on his staff (and even hides countless cinematic references throughout his episodes) like David Slade and Vincenzo Natali that assure that this is the closest looking series to "Twin Peaks."

It will be interesting to see how future television shows will also heavily steep their programs in Twin Peaks’ ways, and how "Bates Motel" and "Hannibal" will continue to pay respect to their progenitor. And with the 25th anniversary here, and more episodes on the horizon, hopefully now the largest audience yet will understand what the humble, weird show that’s being referenced is.

The resurrection or continuation of TV shows is nothing new; "X-Files" and "Sex and the City" have spawned movies post cancellation. Classic shows like "Dallas,""Melrose Place," and "La Femme Nikita" have been rebooted for modern audiences. "Seinfeld" saw a reunion on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and  "Community" and "Arrested Development" have come back to life from beyond the grave to bear new episodic fruit, but this is different. This is the first time that a show has continued decades later, furthering the same story it was telling before. "Twin Peaks" influence is so great that we've seen countless imitations, even in some of the most popular series of recent years, and that's why we just can't say goodbye. Evidently, neither could the masterminds behind it.

SEE ALSO: Showtime Revives One Of The Biggest Cult Classics Of Our Time

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New details have emerged from “7th Heaven” star Stephen Collins and wife Faye Grant's divorce in wake of sexual molestation allegations which surfaced Tuesday in a shocking new report. The accusations lodged against the actor could affect his $14 million divorce.

In the divorce documents as well as response documents obtained by TheWrap, Grant claimed he had been carrying on a ”secret life”and had a long term pattern of “sexually molesting children.” The papers also detail the potential financial impact of the allegations in the divorce, and includes revelations about his recent earnings on “Revolution,” “Devious Maids,” “Scandal” and “The Fosters.”

Following the breakdown of their 27-year marriage, the couple's combined assets are $14 million, of which Grant was seeking half. However, according to a TMZ report published Wednesday Grant wants almost all of it, and sources claim the actor has accused her of using the child molestation allegations for monetary gain.

In the divorce documents, Grant claims Collins has “greater earning capacity than she does,” stating:

• He typically earned around $1 million to $3 million per year throughout their marriage.
• For his role on “Revolution,” his contract assured 10 episodes guaranteed pay or play at $40,000 per episode (i.e. $400,000 guaranteed with the potential to earn $880,000 for a full 22 episode season).
• For “Devious Maids,” he earned $64,939 for six episodes.
• For ”Scandal,” he earned $7,682 for one episode (from which Collins’ since have since been cut, as previously reported on TheWrap).
• For “The Fosters,” he earned $5,500 for one episode in 2013.

In the response, Collins listed his average monthly earnings after business expenses as $15,800.

Also read: Stephen Collins Resigns From SAG-AFTRA Board After Molestation Allegations

Here's a further breakdown from the aforementioned response documents filed in February and April with the Los Angeles Superior Court:

• Collins and Grant have $5 million in property, including two Brentwood Terrace houses in Los Angeles
• The couple had $3,858, 748 in retirement plans and accounts
• Total expenses per month Grant are $26,118 and $31,020 for Collins
• Groceries and household supplies expenses per month $3,697 for Grant, and $1,000 for Collins
• The couple own art worth $40,000
• Collins also owned a $16,000 Rolex watch and $100,000 in guitars

At the time of the filing, the actor who played the beloved preacher on “7th Heaven” has paid $454,000 in attorney fees.

“As a top family-friendly network, we are deeply concerned for the families that are potentially affected by these disturbing allegations surrounding actor Stephen Collins,” Charley Humbard, president & CEO of UP said.

On Wednesday, ABC's “Scandal” announced that it was cutting him from scenes in an upcoming episode. “We can confirm that we will not be airing any footage with Stephen Collins,” a show representative said in statement obtained by TheWrap.

SEE ALSO: Stephen Collins Fired From 'Ted 2' After Child Molestation Confession

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Warning: There are spoilers ahead!

Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" premieres Sunday, Oct. 12 on AMC at 9 p.m. 

The last time we saw Rick, Carl, and the rest of the gang, they were reunited at the mysterious Terminus before getting trapped in a boxcar. 

A record 15.7 million people tuned in for the season 4 finale earlier this year. Expect Season 5 to set another record this weekend.

Not caught up with the show? Here's what you should know about the new season before its return.

There will be 16 episodes.

Once again, the series will be split in two halves. 

The first eight episodes will premiere Sunday, Oct. 12 with the final episode airing Nov. 30. After that, fans will have to wait through the winter for the series to return in 2015.  

The first six minutes of the season premiere are supposed to be excellent.

Don't tune in late to season 5.

At San Diego Comic-Con, Cinemablend was told by multiple people on the cast and crew the first six minutes of the season premiere will be "seriously intense."

Lead actor Andrew Lincoln said he was shocked that some of the stuff they filmed even made it to screen.

"All of us were just dumbstruck and said, ‘We’re not going to be able to show this. We’re not going to be able to show this.’” said Lincoln.

The zombies will look even grislier.

Special effects makeup artist Greg Nicotero is going to make the walkers look even more decayed this season. 

"Greg is introducing a new state of decay to the walkers,"showrunner Scott Gimple told CinemaBlend. "He does walkers without noses and it doesn’t look fake."

Though this is not necessarily a surprise considering all of the critical acclaim it’s been receiving, this is still good to hear: According to Deadline, Amazon Prime’s new series Transparent has already been renewed for season 2, following strong ratings and reviews.

This is huge news for the series, which stars Jeffrey Tambor as a trans woman named Maura who has recently taken steps to transition after spending the majority of her life as a man named Mort, as well as Amy Landecker, Gaby Hoffmann, and Jay Duplass as her three children.

Along with Alpha House, which already received a renewal from Amazon Prime, Transparent is pretty much the video streaming platform’s breakout hit — like Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards did for Netflix, Transparent could make all the difference in convincing subscribers to head over to Amazon Prime, which up until this point had been struggling. It could also, as Deadline points out, help Amazon Prime find its real niche in indie comedy shows.

Transparent was created by Jill Soloway, who’s been best known for her work on Six Feet Under. No word yet on when to expect season 2, but it should be at some point next year.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Is Taking A Page From Netflix’s Book

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Amazon's new original dramedy series "Transparent" — starring actor Jeffrey Tambour as a man transitioning to become a woman — is now the most binge-watched series on Prime Instant Video, with nearly 80% of viewers watching two or more episodes in the same day, Amazon announced Thursday.

It's Amazon's first breakout hit, and only the second original series that has been greenlit for a second season. The first was “Alpha House,” starring John Goodman.

As Deadline points out, the success of "Transparent" could finally help Amazon Prime find its niche in indie comedy shows, allowing it to compete with Netflix, which has popular original series like "House of Cards" and "Orange Is The New Black."

And that's why Amazon is apparently so keen to find another comedy, no matter the budget.

Variety spoke to industry exec sources familiar with Amazon's plans, who revealed they are willing to pay up to $4 million for promising new projects:

"The studio has indicated pilot budgets for its next comedies will be between $2 million and $4 million, but that it would be willing to go higher for a larger action-adventure comedy, according to industry execs familiar with the plans. Rather than traditional sitcoms, Amazon Studios is looking for cinematic half-hour shows; a hypothetical example would be a series reboot of a blockbuster movie franchise, per sources."

To put the numbers into perspective, Variety says $2-$4 million "is what broadcasters pay for top-shelf comedies as opposed to the more modest budgets SVOD players have spent to date on half-hour originals." 

An Amazon Studios rep declined to comment on the prices, saying, “We don’t comment on rumors."

Over all, CFO Tom Szkutak told investors in July that Amazon expected to spend more than $100 million on original productions in the third quarter, according to Variety.

Each year, Amazon aims to fund and produce four to six pilot shows and three to four series orders.

This year, Amazon has also greenlit Steven Soderbergh’s comedy “Red Oaks,” as well as drama “Hand of God” to full series.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's New Show 'Transparent' Already Renewed For Season 2 After Crushing Records

MORE: The Only 10 New TV Shows Worth Watching This Fall

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In Fox's new miniseries "Gracepoint," Scottish actor David Tennant plays Emmett Carver, a detective on the hunt for the killer of an 11-year-old boy.

The casting of Tennant in the lead is a bit unusual since he plays the same lead role on the British version of the show, "Broadchurch," which inspired the American series. 

During a conference call with the actor, Tennant says it's a topic that comes up again and again but it wasn't weird at all to reprise his UK character in the US.

"I keep being asked, 'Was it odd to tell the same story again?' Of course, from a theater background it's not at all, it's what you do eight times a week," said Tennant. "In fact, I was doing it in a whole new set of circumstances, surrounded by completely different actors, at times telling completely different parts of the story." 

The biggest difference between Tennant's characters in the two versions — other than a name change from Alec Hardy to Emmett Carver — is the actor's foreign American accent. "Doctor Who" fans have become accustomed to a English-accented Tennant on the BBC series. He naturally speaks with a Scottish accent.

"I just tried to play each scene as it came," explained Tennant. " I didn't want to be self-consciously quirky about it.  I didn't want to re-create something for the sake of [it] or reinvent something for the sake of reinventing it.  I didn't think he's got to be different, I'll give him a limp or a funny hat or a lisp.  I just wanted to tell the story.  I just approached each scene as openly as I could, and tried to tell that story as honestly and as well as I could.  I think that's all you can ever really do."

"It would be sort of self-conscious, and just a bit odd for me to be setting out to do something that the script didn't support," he added. "Inevitably things then do become different, because you're playing even scenes that are very similar with very different actors, so you're reacting to what they are giving you, you’re responding to the different environment that you're in." 

"Gracepoint" airs Thursday evenings at 9 p.m. on Fox.

SEE ALSO: David Tennant was nervous to work with Anna Gunn in "Gracepoint"

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As if TV ratings weren't complicated enough.

Nielsen has admitted to recently discovering a “technical error” that has impacted national network television ratings over the past several months. It made the find after investigating “recent ratings irregularities,” the company said on Friday.

The error dates back to March 2, 2014, and was “generally imperceptible” before fall premiere week, the TV ratings giant wrote. In the “vast majority” of cases, the impact was minimal, in Nielsen's words. In some cases, however, it was “more significant.”

Also read: NBC's Research Prez Reveals New 52-Week Strategy: Original Fall Season Is a ‘Nielsen Artifact’

The mistake does not affect cable and local TV ratings. A Thursday software fix was put in place to correct the glitch going forward.

And fear not, advertisers: all commercial data — including C3 figures — will be correct when it begins coming out this weekend.

To remedy, all fall data — which dates back to Aug. 18 — will be reissued by the end of the month, the company promised. Nielsen is currently running analyses to check if additional weeks should be reprocessed.

Also read: Ratings: ABC's Shonda Rhimes Lineup Still Strong Against CBS's ‘Thursday Night Football’

The actual issue stems from “difficult-to-attribute content called ‘all other tuning with code” (AOT with code),'” Nielsen wrote in the mea culpa.

The data represents between 0.1 percent and 0.25 percent of all viewing minutes that it credits nationally.

Also read: Nielsen Touts Mobile Ratings Ready in the Fall, Implementation Ball Is in Clients’ Court

“We are working closely with our clients to manage this situation and will continue to be transparent with the industry and the media about our plans,” the company said. “In addition, we will undertake an exhaustive post-mortem–internally and with our clients–and we are asking Ernst & Young and the MRC to join us in these efforts.”

The release concluded: “Nielsen is committed to upholding the highest standards of television audience measurement and data processing, in order to provide the most effective audience measurement solutions to meet client needs.”

SEE ALSO: ComScore Says Nielsen's TV Ratings Must Die

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“The Walking Dead” returns to TV Sunday on AMC.

When the fifth season premieres, we'll see a few new faces including “The Wire” alum Seth Gilliam. He’s now the third actor from the hit HBO series to join “The Walking Dead” ensemble after Chad Coleman (Tyreese) and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. (Bob). 

We caught up with series creator Robert Kirkman at New York Comic Con to ask what the show’s obsession is with the popular HBO hit. 

It’s pretty simple. Kirkman is a big fan of the show. 

“I love ‘The Wire,’” Kirkman tells Business Insider. “I think that every actor that’s been on ‘The Wire’ is absolutely fantastic.’” 

There’s a bit more to it than that. Sometimes Kirkman has a particular actor in mind for a role. 

That was the case when “The Walking Dead” cast its first “Wire” alum, Chad Coleman as fan favorite Tyreese back in season three. 

“I was always a fan of him,” says Kirkman. “I always kind of saw him as Tyreese. We sought him out.“

Now that three “Wire” actors have been cast on the series, Kirkman says he and the crew of “The Walking Dead” are aware that the show is starting to feel like a reunion party for the HBO show.

“It was funny, when Seth [Gilliam] came up in the casting of Gabriel [showrunner] Scott Gimple and I were like ‘Do we really want to make this a thing? It’s kind of becoming a bit of a joke. Do we really want to do this?’”  

Kirkman says at the end of the day, they couldn’t see anyone else in the role of the priest this season.

“Seth was the absolute best guy for the role and so we weren’t going to hold back just because we didn’t want to get a label as hiring people from ‘The Wire’ so I think we’re going to lean in to that and hire even more people from ‘The Wire.’” But as long as they’re the best actors for the job that’s really all we’re looking for. 

We asked Kirkman whether that meant we could possibly see Idris Elba or Michael B. Jordan join the cast in the future. 

‘Definitely, definitely. Yes,” said Kirkman. “We’ll make that happen.”

SEE ALSO: What you need to know about "The Walking Dead" season 5

AND: "The Walking Dead" actress says the hardest part about "The Walking Dead" season 4 was a major character's death

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ABC put in a full season order for “Black-ish” on Thursday after airing only three episodes of the family-centered comedy, but that should come as much of a surprise.

The show has a talented cast of stars in Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis, Ross Yara Shahidi and Laurence Fishburne, and a favorable timeslot, but those aren't the only reasons why it has taken off.

Here's why TheWrap thinks “Black-ish” couldn't have missed:

1. Timing Is Everything

ABC's family comedy “Black-ish” couldn't ask for a better timeslot than 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Its lead-in is “Modern Family,” which happens to be the night's top primetime offering.

On Wednesday “Modern Family” scored a 3.4 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic. The show also earned 10.1 million viewers. And, oh, it wins the Emmy every single year.

Also read: Ratings: ‘Modern Family,’ ‘Black-ish’ Push ABC to Win Over CBS

Even with a slightly down (8 percent) “Modern Family” lead-in, “Black-ish” (2.8, 8 million viewers) had a slightly up (8 percent the other way) performance this Wednesday. What's that old cliche about pizza and sex: even when it's bad, it's good? The same can be said for “Modern Family” ratings.

2. This Is Larry Wilmore's Time

Executive producer Larry Wilmore was originally slated to be the showrunner on “Black-ish,” but he had to reduce his role because of another opportunity.

In May, Comedy Central announced the comedian would take the “Colbert Report” reins from Stephen Colbert, who's poised to take over “Late Night” from David Letterman soon. “The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore” is set to premiere Jan. 2015.

Also read: CW Diversity Scorecard: Better But Still Whiter, Less Gay Than Its Target Audience

3. Critical Darling

TheWrap's own Mekeisha Madden Toby says “Black-ish” is “extremely intelligent and funny”and many other critics agree. The show has generally favorable reviews on Metacritic, scoring a 77 out of 100.

4. Drama, Drama, Drama

None of the other broadcast networks are offering up Wednesday night comedies, so “Black-ish” essentially has the market cornered. Fox's “Red Band Society” or the NBC's “The Mysteries of Laura” are both comedy-dramas, but neither one of them do half as well in the demo numbers as “Black-ish.” (“Red Band” didn't even do a third of “Black-ish” numbers this week.)

5. Diversity Does It

This season is all about diversity. From ABC's “Cristela” to the CW's “Jane the Virgin,” this Fall's new offerings are as diverse as ever. And, as potential viewers can probably tell just by looking at it's title, “Black-ish” isn't afraid to put race and ethnicity front and center.

Also read: ‘Black-ish’ Series Premiere Draws Passionate Support and Derision

And here's a few bonus reasons:

Bonus: Anthony Anderson‘s Slim New Look

The actor is 47 pounds lighter and credits his weight loss to a vegan diet. Twitter fans think it's a good look:

Oh Anthony Anderson looks too dang on handsome on this show. #Blackish

— ↁаиэіка ЅЂэиаЎЎЎ❄️❄️ (@DaneikaShenay) October 9, 2014

Bonus: Trump Would Fire It

Donald Trump tweeted “Black-ish” is racist, which is reason enough for many of his haters to watch the show.

How is ABC Television allowed to have a show entitled "Blackish"? Can you imagine the furor of a show, "Whiteish"! Racism at highest level?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2014

Bonus: ABC Viewers Know the Difference Between Laurence Fishburne and Samuel L. Jackson

‘Nuff said.

“Black-ish” airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.

SEE ALSO: The Only 10 New TV Shows Worth Watching This Fall

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