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    Emmy Success for ‘Squid Game’ Is Hailed in South Korea

    After the dystopian Netflix drama picked up multiple wins, Koreans celebrated the awards as the latest example of their country’s rise as a cultural powerhouse.SEOUL — First it was the movie “Parasite.” Then Yuh-Jung Youn, the star of “Minari.” Now, “Squid Game.”The dystopian Netflix drama’s success at the Emmys on Tuesday — including the top acting prize for its star, Lee Jung-jae, a first for a foreign-language show — was greeted with cheers in South Korea and hailed as the latest example of the country’s rise as a cultural powerhouse.Major Korean news outlets such as MBC and Yonhap made the news the lead story on their websites. Chosun Ilbo, one of the country’s largest newspapers, said “Squid Game” had written a “new history in K-drama.”“It seems like South Korean productions are getting more and more recognized internationally, which makes me excited,” said Lee Jae, a commercial producer in Seoul, who binge-watched the series as soon as it came out last year.In the show, which was produced by Netflix and became its most watched series ever, 456 desperate contestants are pitted against one another to the death for a cash prize of nearly $40 million. Players must survive through several rounds of children’s games in order to win.After its release last September, the show skyrocketed to popularity, becoming a sensation in not only South Korea but also on a global scale. At the time, the series outperformed other popular non-English shows like “Money Heist” and “Lupin,” according to Ted Sarandos, a co-chief executive officer and chief content officer for Netflix. At a business conference last year, he said that “Squid Game” was “blowing past all of them.”The show’s success is the latest in a string of international accolades for South Korean productions. In 2020, “Parasite,” the class satire directed by Bong Joon Ho, became the first foreign-language movie to win the Academy Award for Best Film. Last year, Youn, a veteran Korean star, the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in “Minari,” the film about a hard-luck family of Korean immigrants in the United States.Those earlier awards signaled a growing acceptance of foreign-language productions, said Daniel Martin, a film studies professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He said the success of “Squid Game” at the Emmys could be “a sign of hopefully a generational change.”While audiences might “go back to not caring about non-English content, ‘Squid Game’s’ win shows that viewers are receptive to Korean content, which is encouraging,” Martin said.South Korea has emerged as an entertainment juggernaut in recent years, captivating international audiences with K-pop bands such as BTS, as well as hit TV shows and critically acclaimed movies.Most recently, “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” a Korean feel-good show about a young autistic lawyer, has been the most watched non-English-language program on Netflix in the past several weeks.For “Squid Game,” the Emmys are only its latest achievement. In February, the drama scooped up multiple prizes at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, including lead performer honors for Lee and Jung Ho-yeon.Lee, who is considered one of the most successful actors in South Korea, began his career as a model before starring in a number of hit Korean films, playing characters including romantic leads and cutthroat gangsters. His directorial debut, “Hunt,” an espionage thriller, was released in South Korea last month.On social media and online forums, his fans poured on the praise.“To South Korea’s Lee Jung-jae! Congratulations on winning the best lead actor. You are an actor who gives his all into his work and to his fans. I applaud you, someone whose hard work deserves such accomplishments,” said one fan on Twitter.“Wow, Lee Jung-jae won the award for best actor. He really is amazing,” another fan tweeted.In his acceptance speech, Lee acknowledged the support of his fans at home and their love for the show. “I’d like to share this honor with my family, friends and our precious fans watching from South Korea. Thank you!” he said. More

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    The Best and Worst Moments of the 2022 Emmys

    The show returned to a pre-Covid format, with the usual array of leaden gags, shameless commercialism and genuinely poignant moments.After two consecutive ceremonies shaped by the pandemic, the Primetime Emmys returned to what felt more or less like a pre-Covid format on Monday night. The awards were handed out in the celebrity-stuffed Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and the corny bits were about TV clichés, not masks and social distancing.The show remained fixated on a milder existential threat, however: streaming services. The theme remained dominant even though the ceremony ran on Peacock as well as NBC, with the host, Kenan Thompson, working multiple Netflix digs into his monologue. “For one more year,” The Times’s Mike Hale wrote in his review of the telecast, “we got the weird spectacle of broadcast TV nervously proclaiming its relevance as if it wouldn’t have the chance to do so much longer.”Along the way, there was the usual array of leaden gags, shameless commercialism and genuinely poignant moments that transcended all the award-show contrivance. There was also, in the success of series like “Abbott Elementary,” evidence that the broadcasters still have some Emmy relevance left in them, even as prestige cable and streaming services claimed the biggest prizes. JEREMY EGNERGive Sheryl Lee Ralph another award.Sheryl Lee Ralph won her first Emmy on Monday, for her role in “Abbott Elementary.”Phil McCarten/Invision, via Associated PressA key to good comedy is having a distinctive voice. Sheryl Lee Ralph, the former “Dreamgirls” actress who won best supporting comedy actress for “Abbott Elementary,” has that in more ways than one.She took the stage and belted the opening lines of “Endangered Species” by Dianne Reeves before launching into a fervent acceptance that deserved a statuette of its own. JAMES PONIEWOZIK‘Abbott Elementary’ emerges.Quinta Brunson won the Emmy for best writing for a comedy series for her work on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” which she also created and stars in.Mark Terrill/Invision, via Associated Press“Abbott Elementary,” the breakout ABC sitcom set in a struggling Philadelphia public school, won two Primetime Emmys for its inaugural season, ahead of next week’s Season 2 debut.In addition to Ralph’s acting win, the show’s creator, Quinta Brunson, who also stars, picked up a prize for best comedic writing, and the series won a Creative Arts Emmy this month for best casting.Of its seven total nominations, one was for best comedy; had “Abbott” won, it would have been the first network comedy to do so since “Modern Family” in 2014. Based on its performance in its first time out, “Abbott” should be a top Emmy contender for years to come. KALIA RICHARDSONJennifer Coolidge wins and overshares.Accepting the supporting actress Emmy for her role in “The White Lotus,” Jennifer Coolidge made a disclaimer right up front. Mark Terrill/Invision, via Associated PressJennifer Coolidge won her first Emmy on Monday for her supporting role in the HBO anthology series “The White Lotus.” The show’s creator, Mike White, made the character specifically for Coolidge, who in her early 30s lost her own mother.True to the oversharing nature of the women she often plays, Coolidge was quick to offer a disclaimer up front: “I just want to say, you know, I took a lavender bath tonight right before the show, and it made me swell up inside my dress,” she said. “And I’m having a hard time speaking.” KALIA RICHARDSONHere comes the music …Cutting winners’ speeches short, the ceremony made time for tired bits, like this one, riffing on Mariska Hargitay’s and Christopher Meloni’s “Law & Order” characters.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe rhythm of the show was weirdly off. The intros, clips and bits often felt as if they were in the wrong order; the commentary from the announcer, Sam Jay, didn’t land, and the banter segments were too varied to hit a consistent pace. The ceremony just couldn’t find its stride.One conspicuous result was that while winners on award shows often note that the countdown clock for their speeches is intimidating, Monday’s Emmy winners seemed extra pressured and thus extra flustered. The show played off engaging winners like Quinta Brunson and Jennifer Coolidge while making plenty of time for inane “copaganda” segments and slow bits that went nowhere.The point of the show is the speeches! Let us have them! Budget the time better! MARGARET LYONSLizzo enlivens the show.Lizzo gave an elated acceptance speech after her reality show, “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” won the award for best competition program.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThat “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” took the award for outstanding competition program is a breath of fresh air for a stagnant category.“The Amazing Race” has won 10 times, “The Voice” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” each four times, and no show had won the category in its first season. There were so many as-predicted winners this year — not a vice per se; “Succession” is a great series — that this was especially refreshing, and Lizzo’s emotional acceptance speech helped energize a flagging show. MARGARET LYONSSnubbed but hilarious.Henry Winkler and the rest of the “Barry” creative team went home empty-handed on Monday.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated PressBoth “Barry” and “What We Do in the Shadows,” two of TV’s best comedies, got shut out. They lost out to worthy winners, but those shows are both extraordinary, and I hope “Shadows,” especially, gets its awards glory at some point. MARGARET LYONSWe played off Jennifer Coolidge for this?What’s the best way to celebrate what people love most about TV? Not with a surprise dose of what people hate most about TV.This year’s broadcast included a massive Kia ad, smuggled in under the guise of a sketch about TV dialogue. I know TV runs on car commercials, but this one drove me nuts. JAMES PONIEWOZIK‘Squid Game’ makes history.The “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae became the first person from a foreign-language series to win best actor in a drama.Mark Terrill/Invision, via Associated Press“Squid Game,” the dystopian Netflix drama that exploded into an international smash hit, made history on Monday, picking up multiple drama awards.Lee Jung-jae, the star of the series, took home the top acting prize and became the first person from a foreign-language show to win best actor in a drama. And Hwang Dong-hyuk won the drama directing Emmy. The series, Netflix’s most watched new series ever, according to the streamer, was also up for the Emmy for best drama, an award “Succession” ultimately won.Coming into Monday, the show had been nominated for 14 Emmys and won four, including awards for guest acting, stunts production design and visual effects, presented this month in the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.In his acceptance speech, Lee praised the show and those involved with it for making “a realistic problem we all face come to life so creatively.” MATT STEVENS‘Ted Lasso’ doubles up.“Ted Lasso” repeated as best comedy.Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesThe Apple TV+ comedy “Ted Lasso” enjoyed a strong Emmys night for the second consecutive year, taking home several top prizes, including its second win for best comedy.Jason Sudeikis likewise won best comedic actor for a second straight year, and Brett Goldstein once again broke his promise not to swear on TV (while picking up a repeat win for supporting actor). MATT STEVENS‘Succession’ reclaims the throne.The “Succession” creator, Jesse Armstrong, center, accepted the award for best drama, the second time the HBO series has won top honors at the Emmys.Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesThe Television Academy once again made “Succession” its favorite child, awarding that HBO dramedy about a Murdoch-like corporate clan the prize for best drama, solidifying its status as the most esteemed series on television right now. It previously was named best drama in 2020.Jesse Armstrong, the show’s creator, won for best writing for a drama series, but the show came up short in other areas — it won four of the 25 categories in which it was nominated, with Matthew Macfadyen taking the only acting prize, for his supporting role. (The fourth win was for casting.) — JULIA JACOBSMike White invokes ‘Survivor’ as ‘The White Lotus’ dominates.From left, the creator Mike White, the executive producer David Bernad and the actresses Alexandra Daddario and Sydney Sweeney of HBO’s “The White Lotus.”Kevin Winter/Getty Images“The White Lotus,” the hit HBO series that skewered the entitled behavior of wealthy vacationers, scooped up five Primetime Emmys, including the award for best limited series. The show’s creator, Mike White, who picked up back-to-back Emmys for writing and directing, compared his writing win to increasing his threat level on the reality competition show “Survivor,” on which he was once a contestant.“I just want to stay in the game,” he said, adding: “Don’t come for me. Don’t vote me off the island, please.” KALIA RICHARDSON More

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    ‘Succession’ Wins Best Drama at Emmys as HBO Triumphs Again

    “Succession,” HBO’s portrait of a dysfunctional media dynasty, won best drama at the 74th Emmy Awards on Monday night, the second time the series has taken the prize.Jesse Armstrong, the show’s creator, also took home the Emmy for best writing, the third time he’s won in that category. And Matthew Macfadyen won best supporting actor in a drama for the first time for his performance on the show.It was the sixth time in eight years that HBO has taken the television industry’s biggest prize for a recurring series, making it yet another triumphant night for the cable network. HBO, as well as its streaming service, HBO Max, won more Emmys (38) than any other outlet, besting its chief rival, Netflix (26).“The White Lotus,” the cable network’s beloved upstairs-downstairs dramedy that took place at a Hawaiian resort, won best limited series, and tore through several other categories. The show won 10 Emmys altogether, more than any other series. Mike White, the show’s creator and director, won a pair of Emmys for best directing and writing. And performers from the show, Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge, both received acting Emmys.“Mike White, my God, thank you for giving me one of the best experiences of my life,” Bartlett, who played an off-the-wagon hotel manager, said from the Emmys stage.But HBO’s chronicles of the rich were not the only winners on Monday night.“Ted Lasso,” the Apple TV+ sports series, won best comedy for a second consecutive year, as the tech giant continues on an awards show tear. Apple TV+, which had its debut in November 2019, won best picture at the Oscars (“CODA”) earlier this year. And Jason Sudeikis repeated as best actor in a comedy as the fish-out-of-water soccer coach in “Ted Lasso.”There were other big moments in the comedy awards. Quinta Brunson, the creator of the good-natured ABC workplace sitcom, “Abbott Elementary,” about a group of elementary schoolteachers at an underfunded Philadelphia public school, won for best writing in a comedy. It was only the second time a Black woman won the award (Lena Waithe was the first, in 2017, for “Master of None”).In one of the night’s most electric moments, Sheryl Lee Ralph won best supporting actress in a comedy for her role on “Abbott Elementary” as a veteran teacher at the school. Ralph began her Emmys speech by singing “Endangered Species” by Dianne Reeves, and received a standing ovation from the room full of nominees. Her victory was also historic: It was only the second time a Black woman won the award. The last time was in 1987, when Jackée Harry won for her role in the NBC sitcom “227.”This has been the most competitive Emmys season ever: Submissions for all the categories surged, and 2022 is very likely to set yet another record for the highest number of scripted television series.But there was also a sense of concern among the executives, producers and agents in attendance at Monday night’s Emmy Awards, that 2022 represents the pinnacle of the so-called Peak TV era, which has produced the highest number of scripted television series, nearly every year, for more than a decade.Netflix, which lost subscribers this year for the first time in a decade, has laid off hundreds of staffers and is reining in its spending. HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, has shelved projects and is about to lay off a significant number of employees. NBC executives are considering ending its prime-time lineup at 10 p.m., and handing the hour over to local stations.Business challenges aside, the night was mostly a feel-good celebration. Zendaya won her second Emmy by taking best actress in a drama for her role as a troubled teen in HBO’s “Euphoria.” Jean Smart repeated as the best actress in a comedy for her role as a Joan Rivers-like comedian in HBO Max’s “Hacks.”“Squid Game,” the blood-splattered, South Korean Netflix series, won a pair of awards: Lee Jung-jae for best actor in a drama, and Hwang Dong-hyuk for directing. Those wins represented a major breakthrough for a foreign language show as television becomes more global, and as American audiences are increasingly receptive to series with subtitles.Michael Keaton, who played a small town doctor in “Dopesick,” took the best actor award in a limited series. And Amanda Seyfried won best actress in a limited series for her well-received performance as Elizabeth Holmes in “The Dropout.”Emmy voters often have a habit of finding a winner, and sticking with it, and this year was no different. John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” won the best talk show category for a seventh consecutive year, and “Saturday Night Live” took the best variety sketch series for a sixth straight year.This year’s ceremony was the first return to the Microsoft Theater since the pandemic. Producers for the Emmys incorporated an element that it experimented with at last year’s ceremony, which took place inside a tent: Instead of theater-style seating, nominees were gathered around tables with bottles of champagne and wine around them.This year’s host, Kenan Thompson, the “Saturday Night Live” veteran, opened the ceremony in a top hat and led a group of dancers in a bizarre interpretive dance to theme songs of famous TV series like “Law & Order,” “The Brady Bunch” and “Game of Thrones.”During his monologue, Thompson took a dig at Netflix’s recent woes.“If you don’t know what ‘Squid Game’ is, it is the contest you enter when you’re in massive debt and desperate for money,” the host said. “Joining the cast next season? Netflix.” More

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    ‘Squid Game’ and Lee Jung-jae Make Emmys History

    “Squid Game,” the dystopian Netflix drama that exploded into an international smash hit, made history on Monday, picking up multiple drama awards.Lee Jung-jae, the star of the series, took home the top acting prize and became the first person from a foreign-language show to win best actor in a drama. And Hwang Dong-hyuk won the drama directing Emmy. The series, Netflix’s most watched new series ever, according to the streamer, was also up for the Emmy for best drama, an award “Succession” ultimately won. Coming into Monday, the show had been nominated for 14 Emmys and won four, including awards for guest acting, stunts production design and visual effects. (These awards were presented earlier this month in the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony.)Lee praised the show and those involved with it for making “a realistic problem we all face come to life so creatively.” “Squid Game” tracks contestants as they take part in a tournament of childhood games played to the death. The series, which tapped into real-world concerns about economic disparity and moral bankruptcy in South Korea and beyond, became a global phenomenon, inspiring many a Halloween costume — “Squid Game”-style tracksuits and black masks — and spiking interest in Dalgona candy.Park Hae-soo and Oh Young-soo were nominated in the best supporting actor category, and Jung Ho-yeon earned a nomination for best supporting actress. All three played contestants in the violent, high-stakes tournament. More

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    Sheryl Lee Ralph Sings Her Thanks for Her First Emmy Award

    Sheryl Lee Ralph won her first Emmy on Monday night, opening her acceptance speech by belting “Endangered Species,” a song by Dianne Reeves.“I am an endangered species,” sang Ralph, who is also a Broadway performer, “but I sing no victim’s song. I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs.”Ralph won an Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy for her role as Barbara Howard, a no-nonsense kindergarten teacher, in “Abbott Elementary.” Ralph, 65, who has been a screen actress since the 1970s and has performed on Broadway since the 1980s, was full of emotion as she accepted her award — which followed her first-ever nomination.“To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true,” Ralph said, “I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don’t you ever, ever give up on you.”Ralph is only the second Black woman to win the best supporting actress comedy award, according to Warner Bros., one of the studios behind the show. The first was Jackée Harry, who won in 1987 for her role in the NBC sitcom “227.”When Ralph was nominated in July, she discussed the fact that it was her first Emmy nod in a decades-long career, saying, “So many people can say, ‘Why hasn’t this happened before?’ You know what? Everything happens in divine timing. It was supposed to happen just this way, with this show. Every show that I’ve done has led me to this moment.” More

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    2022 Emmy Winners: Updating List

    The list of winners for the 74th annual Emmy Awards.[Follow live updates of the 2022 Emmy Awards here.]The 74th Emmy Awards are being broadcast live now from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles — and streaming live for the first time on Peacock.Similar to last year, the ceremony will be largely in-person and reminiscent of prepandemic award shows. Kenan Thompson, who won an Emmy in 2018 for his work on “Saturday Night Live,” is hosting.HBO’s satirical family drama “Succession” is up for the most awards, with 25 nominations including for best drama. At the Creative Arts Emmys, which was held over two ceremonies this month, it picked up its first award: outstanding casting for a drama series.The Apple TV+ sitcom “Ted Lasso” is up for 20 awards, including for best comedy and for best actor in a comedy for its lead, Jason Sudeikis. And “The White Lotus” is this year’s most nominated limited series, with 20 nods.The list below will be updated throughout Monday night’s ceremony.These are this year’s Emmy winners so far.Best Actor, Limited Series or TV MovieMichael Keaton, “Dopesick”Supporting Actress, DramaJulia Garner, “Ozark”Supporting Actor, DramaMatthew Macfadyen, “Succession”Supporting Actor, Limited Series or MovieMurray Bartlett, “The White Lotus”Documentary Or Nonfiction Series“The Beatles: Get Back” (Disney+)Documentary Or Nonfiction Special“George Carlin’s American Dream” (HBO)Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (HBO)Outstanding Variety Special, Pre-Recorded“Adele One Night Only” (CBS)Outstanding Variety Special (Live)“The Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show” (NBC) More

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    What’s on TV This Week: ‘Atlanta’ and Fall Previews

    FX airs the start of the fourth season of the Emmy- winning show. ABC shares its fall previews.Between network, cable and streaming, the modern television landscape is a vast one. Here are some of the shows, specials and movies coming to TV this week, Sept. 12-18. Details and times are subject to change.Monday74TH EMMY AWARDS 8 p.m. on NBC. Shifting from the usual Sunday night ceremony, the ceremony celebrating all things television is back on Monday, with Kenan Thompson as the host. The ceremony will be held in person at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. “Succession” leads the nominations with 25 potential awards — including in the categories of best actor and actress and best supporting actor and actress, for many of the main cast members. “Ted Lasso” follows closely behind with 20 nominations. Presenters will include Will Arnett, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler and others.TuesdayTHE COME UP 9 p.m. on Freeform. This new reality show focuses on six Gen Zers as they navigate New York City after the height of the pandemic. The stars of the show, Taofeek Abijako, Fernando Casablancas, Ben Hard, Claude Shwartz, Ebon Trower and Sophia Wilson, work on their careers and figure out where they belong within their friend groups and social circles. Four episodes will premiere back-to-back on Tuesday and then two episodes will air each week that follows.WednesdayABC FALL PREVIEW SPECIAL 8:30 p.m. on ABC. The cast of “Home Economics” will host an evening dedicated to sneak previews of what is to come on ABC this fall. One new show, “Alaska Daily,” stars Hilary Swank as a reporter who leaves New York behind to work at a local Alaska paper. Another new show, “The Rookie: Feds,” stars Nathan Fillion as an F.B.I. officer who brings in Simone Clark (played by Niecy Nash-Betts) to investigate a former student who is suspected of committing a terrorist attack. They will also show previews of the upcoming seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and “Abbott Elementary.”THE CHALLENGE USA 9 p.m. on CBS. The first season of this show is wrapping up, with one man and one woman to be crowned champions and a $500,000 cash prize. “The Challenge USA” differs from the original “The Challenge,” which has been airing on MTV for over 30 seasons, as it has contestants from U.S.-based reality shows, as opposed to contestants from all over the world. The participants come from shows like “The Amazing Race,” “Survivor,” “Big Brother” and “Love Island USA.”ThursdaySTRAIGHT NO CHASER: The 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 8:30 p.m. on PBS (check local listings). The a cappella group Straight No Chaser, which was formed at Indiana University, is celebrating its anniversary with a concert back where it all began — in Indiana. The group which is touring the United States this year, performs some classic covers including “Proud Mary” and “Lean on Me,” as well as newer pop songs like “I’m Yours” and “All About That Bass” in this recorded concert.From left: Olivia, Shelia, Paxton and Cindy with Kelly Ripa and Anderson Cooper on “Generation Gap.”ABC/Raymond LiuGENERATION GAP 9 p.m. on ABC. This quiz show pairs up family members to answer questions about each other’s generations. Hosted by Kelly Ripa, each episode has also featured a special guest, including the YouTuber Colleen Ballinger (in character as Miranda Sings), and the actor Judd Hirsch. For this week’s episode — the 10th and final one of the season — the guest is the journalist Anderson Cooper.ATLANTA 10 p.m. on FX. After a four-year hiatus between Season 2 and Season 3, fans of this show will be happy that Season 4 is arriving this week, less than four months since the Season 3 finale. After last season’s romp through Europe, the characters are back in Atlanta. “If ‘Atlanta’ has always been hard to pigeonhole — it’s comedy, except when it’s drama, except when it’s horror,” James Poniewozik wrote in his New York Times review of the Season 3 premiere earlier this year, “that may be because it is about complicated people whose circumstances are always just a nudge away from any of these.”FridayDYNASTY 9 p.m. on the CW. This show, staring Elizabeth Gillies, Grant Show and Adam Huber, is finishing up its fifth and final season this week. It is based on the 1980s soap opera of the same name and features a rivalry between the Carrington and Colby families, but the show has had its own plot lines instead of building on the original show’s stories.SaturdayMeryl Streep, left, and Amanda Seyfried in “Mamma Mia!”Peter Mountain/Universal PicturesMAMMA MIA! (2008) 6:20 p.m. Based around the songs of ABBA, this movie tells the story of mother and daughter duo, Donna and Sophie (Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried), as Sophie prepares for her wedding. Hoping to meet her father, Sophie invites to the wedding three men whom her mother wrote about in her diary the summer before she was born. Harry (Colin Firth), Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) and Sam (Pierce Brosnan) show up and chaos ensues. “Really, this movie is incapable of harming anyone,” A.O. Scott wrote in his review for The Times, “except moviegoers with the good taste and bad manners to resist its relentless, ridiculous charm.”STAND BY ME (1986) 10:15 p.m. on TCM. Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell and Corey Feldman star in this coming-of-age story based on Stephen King’s “The Body.” The story follows the four boys as they go on an overnight hike to try to find a body of a boy who was hit by a train. “Mostly, there is a lot of boys’ talk and good fellowship and an unstated and stated appreciation of this grand episode in their lives and how nothing will ever equal the comradeship of this summer,” Walter Goodman wrote in his New York Times review of the film.SundayJessie T. Usher in “Tales of the Walking Dead.”Curtis Bonds Baker/AMCTALES OF THE WALKING DEAD 9 p.m. on AMC. Each episode in this spinoff anthology series of “The Walking Dead” is a different story in the same post-apocalyptic world. The season’s sixth and final episode follows a couple traumatized by the state of the world, and who might be living in a haunted house. More