NBC and Universal Television return to San Diego Comic-Con with all-star panels for its new and returning shows, including this fall’s new action-adventure series “Timeless” and freshman comedy “The Good Place,” starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, along with NBC’s take-over of Gaslamp Square featuring fan activities that includes an adventure ride, socially shareable activities and giveaways.
In addition to “Timeless” and “The Good Place,” panels and screenings will be held for “Blindspot,” “Grimm,” and new midseason comedy “Powerless,” along with exclusive first-looks of freshman mid-season dramas “Emerald City” and “Midnight, Texas,” as well as Universal Television produced drama series “Bates Motel.” Plus, NBC will also host its annual invite-only party at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 23 on the Andaz Hotel rooftop.
Comic-Con attendees will be treated to three exciting NBC activations, giveaways, photo opportunities, exclusive content and more at Gaslamp Square (between the Convention Center and Hard Rock Hotel) starting Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, July 24.
- Go on a time-bending adventure with NBC’s new fall series “Timeless,” as fans get to ride on a “Gravitron” and take a shareable motion graphic photo that captures their time-travel experience. Your mission: to protect the past and save the future.
- Discover the world of “Emerald City,” NBC’s midseason drama series, as it takes over Tin Fish restaurant. Fans can take an animated sharable photo as an “Emerald City” character.
- Get a taste of “The Good Place” when you need a break from the heat with free fro-yo at the pop-up frozen yogurt shop.
In partnership with Comic-Con, the official Comic-Con App, brought to fans by NBC, offers attendees and TV fanatics a comprehensive mobile companion to the conference, including a dynamic schedule with live updates, interactive exhibit hall map, panel details and popular events. Plus you can collect your favorite moments and share with friends and sync your personal schedule on Comic-Con.org with the app. The app update will be available for download starting July 14 on the App Store or Google Play.
THE GOOD PLACE — (Thursday, July 21, 3-4 p.m., Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom: Sponsored by Universal Television)
From executive producer Michael Schur (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Parks and Recreation”) and director Drew Goddard (“The Martian”) comes a smart, unique new comedy that follows Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell, “House of Lies,” “Veronica Mars”), an ordinary woman who, through an extraordinary string of events, enters the afterlife where she comes to realize that she hasn’t been a very good person. With the help of her wise newfound afterlife mentor (Ted Danson, “CSI,” “Cheers”), she’s determined to shed her old way of living and discover the awesome (or at least the pretty good) person within. “The Good Place” premieres at 10 p.m. ET/PT Monday, Sept. 19 before moving to its regular 8:30 p.m. Thursday timeslot Sept. 22. Become a fan of #GoodPlace on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NBCTheGoodPlace/ and follow the show on Twitter @nbcthegoodplace.
POWERLESS – (Friday, July 22, 2:30-3:00 p.m., Room 6BCF: Sponsored by Warner Bros. Television)
It’s a superhero’s world. We just live in it. Join cast members Vanessa Hudgens (“High School Musical”), Danny Pudi (“Community”) and Alan Tudyk (“Suburgatory”), along with executive producer Ben Queen (“A to Z”) and executive producer/director Michael Patrick Jann (“Reno 911”), for a screening of the pilot and Q&A covering the first comedy series set in the DC universe. “Powerless” is the story of Emily (Hudgens), a young insurance adjuster specializing in regular-people coverage against damage caused when Super Heroes and Super Villains treat the city like their own personal battleground. Taking care of insurance needs one by one, Emily and her team of co-workers might not have any superpowers but they are out to make a difference in people’s lives and prove that you don’t need to have powers to be powerful! From Warner Bros. Television and based on characters from DC, “Powerless” premieres midseason on NBC. Become a fan of #Powerless on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NBCPowerless, and follow the show on Twitter at @NBCPowerless.
BATES MOTEL – (Friday, July 22 from 3:30-4:30 p.m., Room 6A: A&E Drama Series Sponsored Universal Television)
A&E’s hit drama series “Bates Motel” returns to SDCC on the heels of the pivotal season 4 finale. Join the cast: Vera Farmiga (“Norma”), Freddie Highmore (“Norman”), Max Thieriot (“Dylan Massett”) and Nestor Carbonell (“Sheriff Alex Romero”) along with creators and executive producers Kerry Ehrin and Carlton Cuse as they reveal exclusive content from the new season. Come join us and find out what’s in store for Season 5!
BLINDSPOT- (Saturday, July 23, 12:00-12:45 p.m., Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom: Sponsored by Warner Bros. Television)
Following the shocking first-season finale, join “Blindspot” — last season’s # 1 new drama series on broadcast TV — as it returns to San Diego for its second appearance at Comic-Con! Sullivan Stapleton (“300: Rise of an Empire”) and Jaimie Alexander (“Thor: The Dark World”) star in this one-hour action thriller from Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television. Stapleton stars as hardened FBI agent Kurt Weller, who is drawn into a complex conspiracy when a mysterious woman, with no memories of her past, is found in Times Square, her body completely covered in intricate cryptic tattoos. As Weller and his teammates at the FBI — Edgar Reade (Rob Brown, “Treme”), Tasha Zapata (Audrey Esparza, “Blackbox”) and the tech-savvy Patterson (Ashley Johnson, “Much Ado About Nothing”) — begin to investigate the veritable roadmap of Jane Doe’s tattoos, they are drawn into a high-stakes underworld that twists and turns through a labyrinth of secrets and revelations — with the information exposing a larger conspiracy of crime, while bringing her closer to discovering the truth about her identity.
Join us for a special video presentation followed by a Q&A with series stars Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, Rob Brown, Audrey Esparza, Ashley Johnson and writer/executive producer Martin Gero. “Blindspot” returns to NBC for its second season on Sept. 14 at 10 p.m., before moving to its regular timeslot of Wednesdays at 8 p.m. the following week. “Blindspot: The Complete First Season” will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Aug. 2. Become a fan of #Blindspot on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NBCBlindspot and follow the show on Twitter @NBCBlindspot.
GRIMM – (Saturday, July 23, 2:30-3:15 p.m., Ballroom 20: Sponsored by Universal Television)
NBC’s hit Friday night series returns to Comic-Con! The rivalry that has been brewing between Nick Burkhardt and Capt. Sean Renard for five seasons will come to a fever pitch and change everything when “Grimm” returns for its sixth season. As if that weren’t enough, will the subtle glimpses of Juliette derail Nick’s budding romance with Adalind? How will Monroe and Rosalee handle their impending parenthood?
Join your fellow “Grimmsters” for a panel filled with Wesen, season six themes and, of course, a Q&A session with the cast and producers: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz, Bree Turner, Claire Coffee, and executive producers/writers Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt. Become a fan of #Grimm on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NBCGrimm/ and follow the show on Twitter @NBCGrimm.
In addition, Adria Arjona, who stars as Dorothy, will give fans an exclusive first look at NBC’s new Oz-reimagined series “Emerald City,” followed by an exclusive sneak peak at “Midnight, Texas,” based on the hit book series from author Charlaine Harris (“True Blood”).
TIMELESS – (Saturday, July 23, 4:15-5:15 p.m., Room 6A: Sponsored by Sony Pictures Television)
From the creative minds behind “Revolution,” “Supernatural” and “The Blacklist” comes “Timeless,” a thrilling new action-adventure series in which a mysterious criminal steals a secret state-of-the-art time machine, intent on destroying America as we know it by changing the past. Our only hope is an unexpected team — a scientist, soldier and history professor — who must use the machine’s prototype to travel back in time to critical events and uncover the mystery behind this dangerous fugitive’s actions.
Preview an exclusive premiere screening of “Timeless” and join Abigail Spencer (“Rectify,” “Oz the Great and Powerful”), Matt Lanter (“Ultimate Spider-Man,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Malcolm Barrett (“Key and Peele,” “The Hurt Locker”), Goran Visnjic (“ER,” “Extant”) and executive producers Eric Kripke (“Supernatural,” “Revolution”) and Shawn Ryan (“The Shield,” “Mad Dogs”) for a Q&A session. “Timeless” premieres Monday, Oct. 11 at 10 p.m. on NBC and is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Become a fan of #Timeless on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NBCTimeless/ and follow the show on Twitter @NBCTimeless.

Movie
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters

If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Events
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023


Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm