What to watch: The tastes of Kevin Bacon

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Viva Las Vegas!

I've been at CinemaCon all week, watching trailers and first footage, checking out studio presentations and interviewing folks for things that we'll be talking about in this here Watch Party later this year and into the future. (Yes, I saw the live-action redo of "How to Train Your Dragon" and, yes, it will make you cry.) But more on all that in a bit, because the newsletter stops for no one. More timely is the new Kevin Bacon-kills-demons show "The Bondsman," where the Baconator plays a Southern-fried antihero. While you're bingeing that, think about the fate of your favorite TV series because the official USA TODAY Save Our Shows campaign is back, baby!

Now on to the good stuff:

Stream 'The Bondsman' to see Kevin Bacon hunting demons

Imagine the procedural horror of "Supernatural" mixed with the country-twanged musical drama of "Nashville" and you're getting close to the genre-mashing vibes of "The Bondsman" (streaming now on Prime Video). Kevin Bacon plays a Georgia bail enforcer who's killed by some shady townsfolk, gets strangely resurrected and discovers that the devil has brought him back to do his dirty work: kill demons that have escaped from hell.

Bacon is no stranger to horror – he loves the stuff, even in real life – but he told me being Satan's newest bounty hunter wasn't the only appealing aspect of the show. He also gets to utilize his music skills, writing songs with and sharing scenes with Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles, who plays his ex-wife. “I feel lucky to get a chance to sing with her, basically,” Bacon says. “She's that good that she can make me sound good.”

Vote on what TV series to keep in USA TODAY's Save Our Shows poll

This week, my buddy (and our esteemed TV editor) Gary Levin launched this year's Save Our Shows poll – the 28th time, by the way, and back after a one-year hiatus because of the Hollywood strikes. The four major broadcast networks are currently weighing the fates of 17 comedies and dramas, just as a smaller crop of new shows are vying to replace them. This is your chance to have a voice in what should stay and what should go.

I'm not saying we're actual saviors or anything, but the time-travel show "Timeless" – which was awesome, by the way – got canceled after its first season in 2017, won the Save Our Shows poll and then was renewed for a second season. (It also won in 2018, got canceled again but did earn a movie-length final episode.)

So what's on the chopping block of stuff to save this year? My vote goes to ABC's bonkers boat soap "Doctor Odyssey," which in just a short time has featured sharks, many diseases and medical ailments, and a pregnancy spawned from a three-way. Others include NBC's "Brilliant Minds" and "Suits LA," CBS' "The Equalizer" and Fox's "The Cleaning Lady."

Get ready for all the spiffy coming attractions from CinemaCon

Know that 20 to 25 minutes' worth of trailers you get going to see a movie? CinemaCon is pretty much that but for four days and all while surrounded by slot machines and theater owners. The studios trotted out all their finest wares this year and into 2026 and beyond to get folks excited, and there's been some pretty good stuff.

Tom Holland's new Spidey flick got a nifty title: "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." I don't know if I'm ready for four Beatles biopics but those'll be a must-watch. A taste of "Superman" footage starring Krypto the dog was stellar, as was the first 10 speedy minutes of Brad Pitt's racing movie "F1." "Wicked" women Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo debuted their sequel's first trailer, and it turns out 30 dancing M3GANs is better than one. Oh, and yeah ... "John Wick 5"!

I also got to chat with some movie types as well. Ralph Macchio and the new "Karate Kid" kid Ben Wang discussed how their upcoming film "Legends" ties into the Miyagi-verse, while The Weeknd told me how he felt about acting vs. music a little while after playing a surprise mini-concert at CinemaCon. (Dude can put on a show, y'all.)

Even more goodness to check out!

• Let's pour one out for Val Kilmer, who we lost this week. I rounded up his 10 essential roles, from Iceman to Batman, while my bud Marco della Cava's story about visiting Kilmer in his treehouse nearly 20 years ago is a must-read.
• Art the Clown and Deadpool killed at the box office. It begs the question: Do movie ratings matter anymore?
• Not only is Finn Wolfhard finishing up his run on "Stranger Things," he also co-directed the horror flick "Hell of a Summer."
• Sorry, Arnold: Glen Powell is making the new "Running Man" his own.
• Pierce Brosnan as the head of a TV crime family? Yes, please.

Got thoughts, questions, ideas, concerns, compliments or maybe even some recs for me? Email btruitt@usatoday.com and follow me on the socials: I'm @briantruitt on Bluesky, Instagram and Threads.