You have questions. I have some answers.
Several years ago there was a show called “Emerald” or “Emerald City,” where Dorothy was in a police car picked up by a tornado and taken to Oz. Can you tell me any more about this show? Why was it canceled? Any DVDs?
“Emerald City” was a 10-episode series airing on NBC beginning in January 2017. It starred Adria Arjona as Dorothy and Vincent D’Onofrio as the Wizard and was generally described as a darker take on “The Wizard of Oz,” with at least one reviewer drawing comparisons to “Game of Thrones.” Reviews were not great, reaching a mere 38 percent positive on Rotten Tomatoes. Moreover, as Variety.com reported when “Emerald City” was canceled, the show “never found an audience,” starting with low ratings and declining as it went along. It has been released on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video, and is streaming on Peacock.
A few months ago, Chuck Todd closed “Meet the Press” by announcing he was leaving the show and would be replaced by Kristen Welker. Surprisingly, he was still there the following week and has remained there. I’ve never heard an explanation. Do you know?
When Todd announced in June that he was leaving the long-running news program, he said, “While today is not my final show, this will be my final summer here.” Some stories have said Welker will take over in September, but NBC’s own report was less specific, saying, “Welker will take over the show as the 2024 presidential campaign heats up and prepares to enter the primary season.” Todd, meanwhile, will remain with NBC as its chief political analyst after he leaves “Meet the Press.”