WIRE Buzz: Watchmen leads TCA awards; Moonbase 8 trailer; Happy Death Day 3 update

A moving JFK speech. A mission to the Moon. A trio of ridiculous astronaut wannabes. Welcome to the first trailer for Moonbase 8.

The Showtime comedy starring Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, and John C. Reilly begins its first footage with some prestige-looking shots aimed to echo space dramas like For All Mankind and Away ... until things start going horribly, hilariously wrong.

Take a look:

Scissors in the mouth, a gun pointed from behind, and some spacesuit slapstick — this really has some "Armageddon meets Tim and Eric" energy. Especially that group photo pose of its stars.

Those stars are also the show’s co-creators along with series director Jonathan Krisel, who look to tell the story of these Moon hopefuls’ Arizonian Moon Base Simulator experience over six episodes.

Moonbase 8 seeks the stars later this fall.

Next, fans of the time-loop horror Happy Death Day franchise are getting some good news and some bad news in the latest update from the series’ writer/director.

Speaking to Empire, Christopher Landon (he of the recently trailerfied body-swap slasher Freaky) explained that the third film in the series would be put off for now — but that there is a title for the planned follow-up to Happy Death Day 2U.

“It's definitely off to the side at the moment,” Landon said of the third film. “I wish it wasn't, and I know that [Jason Blum, producer] is passionate about it, I know I'm very passionate about it, and I know that Jessica Rothe is really eager to do it as well. I wrote the idea for the third movie some time ago.”

While Blum definitely still wants Landon close (Freaky is a Blumhouse film, after all), the franchise’s third entry is dependent on the fanbase growing and proving that they’ll show up for another entry. “The idea for the third film is not set in the same day, if that's a big spoiler. So it can happen later,” Landon said. “We're not up against a really difficult clock right now. The other movies were hard, because they were set in the exact same day, so everybody had to look the same, be the same. The pressure is off there.”

To tantalize fans, Landon has dropped the working title for the movie: Happy Death Day to Us. The film doesn’t yet have a release planned.

Finally, the Television Critics Association revealed their 2020 TCA Award winners for excellence in television today, with HBO’s Watchmen limited series earning a major sweep in four major categories: Outstanding New Program; Outstanding Movie, Miniseries, or Special; Individual Achievement in Drama honor for series star Regina King (as Angela Abar/Sister Night), and Program of the Year.

Usually, the TCA Awards are presented in an annual summer ceremony for critics and winners in Los Angeles, but the in-person event was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, winners did record “thank you” messages for the membership, including King, who, fresh from the set of her latest project, thanked her fellow nominees.

Watchmen executive producer/showrunner Damon Lindelof said in his self-deprecating message, “… The true power of this medium lies not just in its intimacy but in its ownership. Once it airs, it is no longer mine, but ours. Watchmen was never mine. It was created over 30-years ago by the geniuses, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. It was recreated just over two years ago by an immensely talented group of artists who weren’t afraid to tell me when I was doing it wrong. And the only way to do it right was to move into the back seat and let someone else drive for a while."

"It’s not fair that I get to accept this distinction without them here because I wouldn’t be here without them," Lindelof said. "Thank you to HBO and Warner Bros. for getting behind this vision and for pushing it up the hill when it broke down. And thank you to the other incredible nominees. I watch your shows and seethe with jealousy; a jealousy that motivates me to do what you do, to find the edges, to break the rules, to make it better … On behalf of my fellow showrunners, Nicole Kassell, Tom Spezialy, Stephen Williams and Joe Iberti, we are truly grateful for this and you.”

The other genre series to get an honor was Star Trek, which was awarded the Heritage Award. Acknowledging the series for its groundbreaking and socially challenging storytelling, the award was accepted on behalf of series/franchise creator Gene Roddenberry’s son, Rod Roddenberry, who said, “My father started the franchise over 50 years ago. He did it with a vision of hope and optimistic view of what humanity could become told through the lesson of science fiction … I thank you and 'Live long and prosper.'"