Netflix is launching its first-ever “Stranger Things” pop-up stores on Nov. 6.
The pop-up shops, located in New York City’s Times Square and The Americana at Brand in L.A., will immerse fans in the “Stranger Things” universe, offering exclusive merchandise for sale, as well as photo moments.
The merchandise includes an Elegorgon, which is a vinyl piece by Ecuadorian artist Chogrin that showcases what an Eggo waffle eating tween would look like if mashed up with a demogorgon; General Mills “Stranger Things” cereal that comes packed in original 1980s-style boxes but set in the world of the show; collectible Bandai action figures, including 16-inch demogorgons with interchangeable heads; customizable apparel stations and more.
Meanwhile, the photo moments include — for a limited time — getting up close to a hidden demogorgon in the Upside Down, popping into Hawkins Middle’s Snowball Dance, the Starcourt Mall, the Russian Lab and Joyce’s House. There are also games to play at a replica of the Palace Arcade.
The store is produced by Netflix with store operations managed by Three Ten Merchandise Services and store design by Black Sky Creative.
Also in today’s TV news roundup:
DATES
Court TV announced “Someone They Knew … With Tamron Hall” will premiere on Jan. 9. Each episode will tell stories of murder from the point of view of the people impacted by the case, from lawyers and judges to members of law enforcement and the victim’s family and friends. The show will combine new interviews with these individuals with archival footage and re-creations of the crime in order to hopefully present an unbiased, 360-degree balanced story.
The “National Dog Show Presented by Purina” will air on NBC on Nov. 25 at 12 p.m. in all time zones and simulcast on Peacock. This marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event, and both John O’Hurley and David Frei are set to return as hosts, with Mary Carillo reporting from backstage and inside the show ring. This year’s event will also bring he breed total in the competition to a record 209 as the new American Kennel Club-sanctioned breed, Biewer Terrier (in the toy group), will be introduced.
FIRST LOOKS
Peacock released a trailer for Season 2 of “Saved by the Bell,” which streams all 10 new episodes at once on Nov. 24. The new season centers around the Southern California School Spirit Competition, with Mac (Mitchell Hoog) determined to have Bayside High come out on top, while Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez) is determined not to get sidetracked by “Bayside nonsense.” There are new love connections among the teenage characters, while the old relationship of Slater (Mario Lopez) and Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) also grow closer. The show will also pay tribute to the late Dustin Diamond, who starred on the original NBC sitcom, with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen and Lark Voorhies reprising their roles. The show comes from creator and showrunner Tracey Wigfield, who executive produces alongside Franco Bario and Peter Engel. John Michael Higgins, Josie Totah, Alycia Pascual-Peña, Belmont Cameli and Dexter Darden also star. Watch the trailer below.
Amazon Prime Video released a trailer for “Harlem,” Tracy Oliver’s new comedy that premieres with all 10 episodes of its first season on Dec. 3. The show focuses on four female friends living in the titular part of New York City as they strive for excellence in the personal and professional lives. It stars Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson and Tyler Lepley, with Whoopi Goldberg, Jasmine Guy, Andrea Martin, Robert Ri’chard, Juani Feliz, Kate Rockwell and Sullivan Jones in recurring guest star roles. In addition to Oliver, Amy Poehler, Kim Lessing, Dave Becky, Pharrell Williams and Mimi Valdés executive produce. “Harlem” is produced by Amazon Studios and Universal Television, in association with Paper Kite Productions. Watch the trailer below.
HBO Max released a trailer for “South Side” Season 2 premiering on Nov. 11. The series follows two Chicagoan friends, Simon (Sultan Salahuddin) and Kareme (Kareme Odom), who just graduated from community college and are stuck working at Rent-To-Own. Season 2 reintroduces their exploits while highlighting the vibrant city life of the titular neighborhood. Bashir Salahuddin, Quincy Young, Chandra Russell, Zuri Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle also star. Guest star appearances include Lil Rey Howery, Chance the Rapper, Deon Cole, Dreezy and Rhymefest, among others. “South Side” is created and executive produced by Bashir Salahuddin, Sultan Salahuddin, Riddle, Michael Bliedan and Tony Hernandez. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios. Watch the trailer below.
Netflix released a trailer for “La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) Part 5, Volume 2” premiering on Dec. 3. In this final run, Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó) is dead and the gang’s enemy still lurks in the Bank of Spain. Facing their darkest times yet, the gang hatches a new plan to get the gold without anyone noticing — and The Professor (Álvaro Morte) has made a costly mistake. Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso, Miguel Herrán, Jaime Lorente, Esther Acebo, Enrique Arce, Darko Peric, Hovik Keuchkerian, Luka Peros, Belén Cuesta, Rodrigo de la Serna and Najwa Nimri also star. The series is created by Álex Pina. Watch the trailer below.
AWARDS
Corey Dashuan has been named the the winner of Seriesfest’s 7th annual “Storytellers Initiative” for his script “F*ck Summer’s Over,” Variety has learned exclusively. The script has been optioned by Propagate, which has a partnership with Seriesfest, and Dashuan also won a live read of his original screenplay with professional actors, directed by Chiké Okonkwo. The invite-only read occurred in L.A. on Oct. 21. The script follows two best friends determined to reinvent themselves before starting high school. Corey Dashaun is a recent MFA grad who just signed with literary representation at Echo Lake Entertainment. He is a writing fellow for Film Independent’s Project Involve 2021.
RENEWALS
HGTV has renewed “Brother vs. Brother” for a six-episode second season slated to premiere next summer. The competition series follows “Property Brothers” stars Drew and Jonathan Scott as they compete to renovate average homes into high properties for the most profit — scoring bragging rights. The series is produced by Scott Brothers Entertainment, with the Scotts serving as executive producers.
