Renewals and Cancellations: 'George and Mandy,' 'Outer Banks,' and Macaulay Culkin

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and I feel like they know listeners speed up playback. Occasionally, I’ll try to listen at regular speed, and it feels like talking to the sloth at the Zootopia DMV. That’s the same impression I get from the few episodes I’ve seen of an NCIS installment. Do they slow down the action because they know viewers are only half paying attention while eating their Jell-O?

The point is, CBS has given a full-season order to NCIS: Origins, a prequel series set in 1991 that follows a young Gibbs — the character played by Mark Harmon, who narrates the series. Did you know that Gibbs has a full name? It’s Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Mark Harmon’s character’s name is Leroy? LEROY? How do you give a super hot guy a name like that?

Also, CBS picked up Poppa’s House for a full season. That’s the comedy starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. I’ve mentioned before that I have a personal rule: if I decide to review a series, I’ll keep watching until I have time to write the review. Poppa’s House is spectacularly bad, and I’m embarrassed for Damon Wayans Jr. (especially after seeing him so funny and charming in a recent episode of Shrinking). Consider this my review. Don’t watch it. And now, I’m deleting it from my watch list.

Meanwhile, the Big Bang Theory prequel, George and Mandy, has also been given a full-season order. My twins keep asking if they can watch Big Bang Theory because some of their 12-year-old friends have seen it, but I’ve put my foot down! I’d rather they watch something horrifically inappropriate than allow a Chuck Lorre show in this house, goddamnit! (They’re currently binging Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I’m very proud.)

Elsewhere, there were several renewals this week for shows I don’t watch. For instance, Outer Banks, a popular Netflix series, has been renewed for a fifth and final season ahead of the second half of its fourth season. I think it’s a soap set on an island, and there might be some surfing involved.

Likewise, I’ve never seen Clarkson’s Farm, a series documenting Jeremy Clarkson’s attempt to run a farm. Prime Video has renewed it for a fourth season. He calls the farm “Diddly Squat,” which I appreciate.

Days of Our Lives has been renewed for a 61st season. Do sick kids still watch it when they’re home with the flu, only to catch up eight months later and find that nothing happened in between? Do people still refer to Days of Our Lives and other soap operas as “my stories”? How old do I sound right now?

In the world of animation, Netflix has picked up Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft for a second season, while Prime Video renewed The Legend of Vox Machina for a fourth.

Finally, while this isn’t a renewal or cancellation, Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin is joining the second season of Fallout as a recurring character, reuniting him with Walton Goggins, his Righteous Gemstones co-star.