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IATSE, WGAs Issue Statement |
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The following is a joint statement from the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) in support of the Hollywood Basic Crafts—which includes Teamsters Local 399, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 399 (IBT), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40 (IBEW), Laborers International Union of North America Local 724 (LiUNA!), Operating Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA) Local 755 and United Association Plumbers Local 78 (UA)—in their ongoing negotiations: The Guilds and Unions of Hollywood call on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to respect their workforce and make meaningful moves at the negotiating table with the Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts. As their contract deadline of July 31st quickly approaches, the clock is ticking on the AMPTP to address the unique needs of the various classifications within these unions. Our guilds and unions stand strongly united behind the Teamsters and Hollywood Basic Crafts until they gain the compensation and working conditions they deserve. |
posted 7/25/2024 |
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Summer Fun Time Paying Off for ABC |
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ABC's game shows have seen a rating boost this summer. "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "Celebrity Family Feud" and "Claim to Fame" ranked as the three most-watched game shows in the key broadcast demo among adults 18-49, with all three programs ranking in the top five game shows when it comes to total viewers, according to Nielsen live-plus-seven-day viewing figures. The season premiere of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" on July 10 scored a live-plus-seven-day rating of 0.48, making it the highest rated program of the night. The Jimmy Kimmel-hosted series ranked as the No. 4 most-watched series this summer, behind only WWE on Fox, "America's Got Talent" on NBC and ABC's "The Bachelorette," with its total viewers seeing a 14% uptick since last season. The night before, the July 9 season premiere of "Celebrity Family Feud" brought in a 0.39 rating at 8 p.m., knocking out "America's Got Talent" as the timeslot's top entertainment program in the demo (The show made its normal timeslot debut at 8 p.m. on July 16). "Celebrity Family Feud" is also seeing year-over-year growth, with a 0.06% uptick from last season's average. "Claim to Fame" also debuted on July 10, and became both the highest-rated program in the 9 p.m. timeslot with a 0.35 rating, as well as the hour's most-watched program with 2.64 million viewers. As the network launched its new competition show, "Lucky 13," which is cohosted by Shaquille O'Neal and Gina Rodriguez, on July 18, the show became the most-watched summer series premiere. Tallying up a live-plus-same-day rating of 0.27 and a viewership of 2.71 million, "Lucky 13" outpaced Fox's "Quiz with Balls," which scored a 0.25 rating and 1.51 million viewers, "The 1% Club," which scored a 0.23 rating and a viewership of 1.47 million, and CBS' "Real CSI: Miami," which tallied a 0.17 rating and 2.06 million viewers. "Lucky 13" stood as the second most-watched game show in the 9 p.m. hour — beating viewership for "Big Brother" by 18% — behind only NBC's coverage of the RNC. When looking at the top five game shows, ABC's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "Celebrity Family Feud," "Press Your Luck," "Lucky 13" and "Claim to Fame" rank within all five spots. |
posted 7/25/2024 |
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A first-day-of-issue ceremony for a stamp honoring the late "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was held in Culver City Monday on the 84th anniversary of his birth and in connection with the ongoing celebration of the game show's 60th anniversary. "My family and I were completely surprised about Alex being honored by the U.S. Postal Service. It is a such an extraordinary honor and a wonderful way to recognize what Alex meant to so many people," Trebek's widow Jean Trebek said at the ceremony at John Calley Park at Sony Pictures Studios. "Jeopardy!" is taped at what is now the Alex Trebek Stage at the studio. "Alex would be over the moon about this distinctive honor and, he'd feel very humbled. I think the stamp design is very creative because Alex Trebek is the answer to all the clues." The stamp pays homage to the show's answer-and-question format. On the stamp is written the prompt, "This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show `Jeopardy!' for 37 seasons" and underneath, upside down, is the correct response: "Who is Alex Trebek?" The stamp's 20-stamp sheet resembles the array of video monitors that form the "Jeopardy!" game board. Category headers appear at the top of each column of stamps, and to the left is a photograph of Trebek with a portion of the "Jeopardy!" set behind him. "It's so appropriate that the stamp illustration commemorates Alex with a `Jeopardy!' clue. He loved the game so much, and he always insisted the clues were the true star of the show," said Ken Jennings, "Jeopardy's!" greatest contestant and Trebek's successor as host. "Alex Trebek was an American institution and so it makes perfect sense to honor him on a postage stamp. And of course, I had to geek out when I saw that the full sheet of stamps looks like a `Jeopardy!' game board." Trebek began hosting "Jeopardy!" from the start of its syndicated revival in 1984 until his death at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer in 2020. |
posted 7/25/2024 |
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"Dating Naked" Returns... Sort of |
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Paramount+ U.K. and MTVE Studios have set an Aug. 23 premiere for "Dating Naked U.K.," hosted by Rylan Clark. The reality series, produced by Nest Productions, will release new episodes weekly on Fridays. The show follows 10 singles seeking romance while living au naturel in a tropical setting. Contestants face challenges as new arrivals join, potentially disrupting existing relationships. Each episode includes dates and an elimination round dubbed the "Dumping Ground." "This show contains full nudity without any blurring or pixelation," the platform said. The U.K. cast includes Billy Field, a 24-year-old builder from Essex; Chrislove Brandt, a Las Vegas hairdresser; Dan Ash, a 32-year-old personal trainer; and Dominik Herbert, a 27-year-old Canadian. Other participants are Emily Read, 26; Lauren Beschi, 26; Mike Durrant, 29; Rico Hammett, 30; Romeo, 32; and Tiegan Rudge, 26. A cash prize awaits those who make it to the end of the experience. "Dating Naked U.K." joins a growing roster of nude dating formats. VH1's "Dating Naked" ran for three seasons in the U.S. from 2014 to 2016. Channel 4 in the UK previously aired "Naked Attraction," a dating game show where contestants choose partners based on gradual reveals of naked bodies. The format has been adapted in several countries, including Germany's "Adam sucht Eva" (Adam Seeks Eve). |
posted 7/25/2024 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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A Golden Twist |
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America's Got Talent is taking a few weeks off as NBC and Peacock pivot to round-the-clock coverage of the Paris Olympics — and Tuesday's episode gave us plenty to think about during the hiatus. At the end of the two-hour broadcast, which also marked the end of Season 19 auditions, host Terry Crews made a dramatic announcement that will change the way this year's live shows pan out. "For the first time ever in America's Got Talent history, the Golden Buzzer is about to go live," Crews revealed. "One more from each judge will send acts straight to the finals. This summer, anything can happen." In other words, when AGT returns on Aug. 13, each of the four judges will have another Golden Buzzer at their disposal, giving them the power to send an act straight to the finals, regardless of how viewers vote. |
posted 7/24/2024 |
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"Love Is Blind"... in the UK |
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The pods are opening up on Love Is Blind UK starting on August 7 and Netflix has unveiled the 30 singles that will take on the challenge of looking for love. Real-life couple Matt and Emma Willis co-host the dating reality series, where the singles will choose someone to marry without ever physically seeing each other. U.S. audiences are familiar with the format that chronicles the couples over several weeks as they move in together, plan their wedding and find out if their physical connection matches their strong emotional bond developed in the Pods. The UK edition of the format joins localized editions from Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, and Japan. Netflix is set to drop the first four episodes of Love Is Blind UK Season 1 on August 7, with new episodes being dropped each Wednesday. On Week 2 (August 14), the next four episodes will be made available. The season finale of Love Is Blind will drop on Week 3, August 21, when Episodes 10 and 11 will be available on Netflix. |
posted 7/24/2024 |
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More on "Silence Is Golden" |
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Fronted by the ever-charming Dermot O'Leary, U&Dave has announced new show Silence is Golden. Each episode kicks off with the studio audience receiving £250,000 to share. The catch? They must remain silent to keep it. Silence is Golden, a six-part series, promises a unique twist on entertainment. Created by Richard Bacon and produced by Yes Yes Media, the show tasks the audience with staying quiet while comedians, led by team captains including Katherine, do everything they can to make them laugh, gasp, or even whisper. Every sound brings the prize money down. If the pot hits zero, the comedians donate the money to charity. It's entertainers versus the audience in a battle of wits and wills. Katherine Ryan (Canada's Got Talent), Seann Walsh (Flinch), and Fatiha El-Ghorri (Outsiders) have been confirmed as the three returning comedian captains who will feature in each episode. Dermot, thrilled about his new gig, said, "I'm so looking forward to Silence is Golden. When a show like this falls into your lap, you can't quite believe your luck. "Looking forward to having lots of fun with the audience, our comedians and assorted cast of regulars, all trying to make the audience laugh, gasp and giggle." Katherine Ryan said, "I wonder whether the studio audience will laugh so the cash goes to charity or do the right thing and keep the money for themselves." Seann Walsh said, "I've been chosen for a show where the audience isn't allowed to laugh, and apparently I should be flattered by that." Fatiha El-Ghorri said "I can't wait to see the money going down Mwahahahahahahaha!" Richard Bacon, founder of Yes Yes Media, likened the show to a funeral, saying "You know the feeling when you're not allowed to laugh at a funeral? Well, it's that: the Game Show. "And I commend U&Dave for boldly commissioning a show that will cost them a quarter million a week – if the audience is better at playing the game than we are." Silence is Golden will air on U&Dave and stream on U next year, marking an exciting addition to U&Dave's line-up, which includes Battle In The Box with Jimmy Carr and Follow The Leader with Jamali Maddix. |
posted 7/24/2024 |
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A first-day-of-issue ceremony for a stamp honoring the late "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was held in Culver City Monday on the 84th anniversary of his birth and in connection with the ongoing celebration of the game show's 60th anniversary. "My family and I were completely surprised about Alex being honored by the U.S. Postal Service. It is a such an extraordinary honor and a wonderful way to recognize what Alex meant to so many people," Trebek's widow Jean Trebek said at the ceremony at John Calley Park at Sony Pictures Studios. "Jeopardy!" is taped at what is now the Alex Trebek Stage at the studio. "Alex would be over the moon about this distinctive honor and, he'd feel very humbled. I think the stamp design is very creative because Alex Trebek is the answer to all the clues." The stamp pays homage to the show's answer-and-question format. On the stamp is written the prompt, "This naturalized U.S. citizen hosted the quiz show `Jeopardy!' for 37 seasons" and underneath, upside down, is the correct response: "Who is Alex Trebek?" The stamp's 20-stamp sheet resembles the array of video monitors that form the "Jeopardy!" game board. Category headers appear at the top of each column of stamps, and to the left is a photograph of Trebek with a portion of the "Jeopardy!" set behind him. "It's so appropriate that the stamp illustration commemorates Alex with a `Jeopardy!' clue. He loved the game so much, and he always insisted the clues were the true star of the show," said Ken Jennings, "Jeopardy's!" greatest contestant and Trebek's successor as host. "Alex Trebek was an American institution and so it makes perfect sense to honor him on a postage stamp. And of course, I had to geek out when I saw that the full sheet of stamps looks like a `Jeopardy!' game board." Trebek began hosting "Jeopardy!" from the start of its syndicated revival in 1984 until his death at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer in 2020. |
posted 7/24/2024 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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America has crowned fan favorites Serena Page and Kordell Beckham as the winners of Peacock's sixth season of LOVE ISLAND USA, splitting the coveted $100,000 cash prize. The two fan-favorite Islanders coupled up on the first day and despite setbacks and temptation, their bond grew stronger resulting in the ultimate love story. Peacock has announced it will add a special reunion episode streaming Monday, August 19 at 9pm ET. Hosted by Ariana Madix, the reunion special will feature this season's winners of LOVE ISLAND USA, fan favorite couples and this season's bombshells for an up close and personal look back at their experience in the villa. The sixth season of Peacock's LOVE ISLAND USA has been the #1 reality series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms since launch, according to preliminary data by Nielsen. The love and competition show has also ranked in the Top 10 SVOD Original Series for four consecutive weeks since the sixth season debuted on June 11. LOVE ISLAND USA Season 6 is Peacock's most-watched and most-talked about series by minutes watched and volume of social conversation. Streaming reach is up 2x from previous seasons. |
posted 7/22/2024 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Reservation Dogs, The Gilded Age and The Traitors finally made the cut for the top categories, while Shōgun, The Bear and Abbott Elementary lived up to expectations that they would earn nominations for the 76th annual Emmy Awards, which were unveiled Wednesday morning. Announced this morning from the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, the nominations also included shout-outs for Netflix's addictive but controversial limited series Baby Reindeer, along with well-deserved noms for the fourth season of True Detective featuring Jodie Foster. The limited series race, in fact, is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Netflix's Ripley competing against Reindeer along FX's Fargo, Apple's Lessons in Chemistry and HBO's True Detective: Night Country. If it seems like the 75th Emmys just happened, it's because they pretty much just did. The 2023 ceremony, after being delayed due to the impact of the Hollywood strikes, took place January 15 — right as the film awards season was ramping up. For this year, the Emmys return to their regular September slot: the 2024 Emmys ceremony is September 15 live on ABC. No host for that yet. Outstanding Reality Competition Program |
posted 7/17/2024 |
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Chloe Veitch Goes from Player to Host |
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Five years ago, Chloe Veitch was a model from Clacton-on-Sea in the UK with aspirations to make it on a reality show. After appearing on and winning spicy dating show Too Hot To Handle, she quickly became a major figure in the Netflix Reality Universe, becoming runner up on The Circle and a finalist on Perfect Match. Veitch, who recently moved to Los Angeles, is now hosting Netflix's next big dating social experiment– Sneaky Links: Dating After Dark "Honestly, if I spoke to a 13-year-old me back in the day and said that this is going to be my life, she would cry, she would not believe me. I literally came from nothing. The fluke, the luckiness of me modeling to being cast in Netflix reality shows back-to-back-to-back for five years and then to be the host of a dating show, I can't believe it, it's insane. It's what I'm meant to do," Veitch told Deadline. For those unaware of the phenomenon, a sneaky link is essentially a regular late-night casual hook up. The ten-part show will ask contestants 'Is your sneaky link 'the one' or are they getting in the way of you finding the one?' Spicy Mari, founder of the relationship consulting firm The Spicy Life, who has appeared on MTV's The Love Experiment and Paramount+'s Love Allways, also stars in the show as a dating and relationship expert. It comes from Love Island producer ITV America and Nobody's Hero, the company behind Netflix's Howie Mandel-fronted Bullsh*t: The Game Show and Snack vs. Chef. Founders Christopher Potts and Jonty Nash, who have a deal with ITV America, exec produce alongside ITV America's Bernie Schaeffer as well as Too Hot To Handle showrunner Viki Kolar and Fboy Island exec producer Audrey E. Smith. The show, which is set to premiere in summer 2025, joins Netflix's swathe of dating shows, which also include Love is Blind, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, The Ultimatum: Queer Love and Love on the Spectrum. Although the show was ordered before the arrival of new reality boss Jeff Gaspin, it is in line with his strategy of searching for broadcast-style shows that have a "fresh take on the familiar". |
posted 7/17/2024 |
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James Beard award-winning chef and cookbook author Naomi Pomeroy has died at age 49, according to multiple reports. Pomeroy's family confirmed the death to Portland Monthly, which reported that Pomeroy drowned after being involved in an inner tubing accident over the weekend. Her husband, Kyle Linden Webster, and an unnamed third person were also on the float, but both survived, according to The Oregonian. KEZI reports that the accident occurred after the inner tubes, which were tied together, snagged while floating down the Willamette River on the evening of July 13. Efforts by the Benton County Oregon Sheriff's Office to recover Pomeroy's body are ongoing. "Both yesterday and today, the Benton County Sheriff's Office had staff ... both Marine Patrol Deputies and Search and Rescue personnel, on the water, continuing the effort to recover the victim. Debris in river, currents, and ragged rocks, make it unsafe for divers to conduct any exploratory search under water. We will continue our efforts to recover the victim, to bring [closure] to the family and the community," sheriff Jef Van Arsdall told Eater over email. Pomeroy was beloved in the Portland area for her innovative cooking at restaurants like Beast, which later transformed into Ripe Cooperative. Recently, she opened a permanent location for her custard shop, Cornet Custard, and was at work on a restaurant in the former Woodsman Tavern space. She was also well-known for her run on Top Chef Masters, and, early in her career, widely recognized as a new chef to watch by publications like Food & Wine and Oprah. In 2014, she was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Pacific Northwest after being nominated three times before. This summer, Pomeroy was slated to host a dinner series called Garden Party with restaurateur Luke Dirks. Pomeroy also made appearances on culinary competitions "The Taste", "Knife Fight", and "Iron Chef America". |
posted 7/17/2024 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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The classic winning formula "Big Brother" has implemented for years is getting a facelift this season -- 'cause you won't be able to hit rewind anymore ... and fans are pissed. Paramount+ dropped the news on their streaming site -- noting archives and flashbacks won't be available for the live feed on Season 26 of their long-running CBS reality show -- but they've told fans they could still catch all the live feed action on four different cameras. 'BB' diehards who usually rewind to catch up on what they missed or what might've happened inside the house, are out of luck now -- 'cause they can't do that anymore, and they can't save clips either. The notice was buried in a bunch of other Q&As about the 'BB' show's live feeds ... so it seems like Paramount+ didn't want to make a big deal out of this -- but viewers are already sounding off on the new pivot online, fuming that they can't catch contestants in bad acts. BIG BROTHER announced today the 16 new Houseguests who will move into the BIG BROTHER house and, for the first time ever, have the power to vote in a 17th houseguest. The season 26 special two-night premiere event airs Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.* Following the two-night premiere, the series will air Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (9:00-10:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT), featuring the live eviction show hosted by Julie Chen Moonves. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers and Pluto TV viewers can catch all the action on the BIG BROTHER Live Feeds. "This season of Big Brother, it's all about what everyone is talking about, artificial intelligence," Chen Moonves tells Entertainment Weekly. "And we're going to show you it's more artificial than intelligent. We're calling it BB AI." This season's Houseguests include a celebrity chef, a former undercover cop, an event bartender, a former marine, a physical therapist and a crochet business owner, among others. This new group of Houseguests will experience an unforgettable summer with jaw-dropping surprises as "BB AI" takes over the BIG BROTHER house. The following are the 16 new Houseguests competing this summer (age; hometown, current town (where applicable), occupation)... BIG BROTHER is produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan for Fly on the Wall Entertainment in association with Endemol Shine North America. *Only Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream BIG BROTHER live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service, will also offer a dedicated category titled BIG BROTHER LIVE on July 18, hosting five distinct Pop-Up channels, each with dedicated live feeds. |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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More on "Lucky 13" |
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Do you love TV game shows and trivia questions? What about watching people from across the country putting their brains to the test to try winning a boatload of money? Well, if you do, it's time to add an incredible new game show to your watch list this summer! Lucky 13 is an upcoming game show that is ready to go above and beyond to shake up the traditional trivia formula, but how, you ask? The official description of the series reads as follows: "Co-hosted by Shaquille O'Neal and Gina Rodriguez , 'Lucky 13' is a high-stakes prime-time game show that'll have viewers on the edge of their seats while shouting answers at their screens. From the creative who introduced the world to 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,' 'Lucky 13' tests contestants' knowledge with 13 true-or-false trivia questions but with a cunning twist: Just how well do they know what they know ... and, just as importantly, how well do they know what they don't know? If they can accurately predict how successfully they've answered 13 questions, they could take home a $1 million cash jackpot." Lucky 13 will premiere on Thursday, July 18th, at 9/8c on ABC. Lucky 13 will join the channel's already impressive summertime roster of popular game shows, which includes returning series such as Celebrity Family Feud, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and Press Your Luck. Following its premiere, new episodes of Lucky 13 will air every Thursday on ABC in the same time slot. The number of episodes in the first season is currently unconfirmed, so keep an eye on this space for updates as they are announced. |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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FOX is set to deliver a 2024-2025 television season filled with all-new original entertainment, and today announces premiere dates for its fall 2024 schedule, including new and returning scripted, unscripted and animation series. Commenting on the fall season and beyond, FOX Television Network President Michael Thorn said: "This year, we created a terrific collection of originals that deepens our network's legacy of delivering unexpected, unforgettable characters and stories. We're bullish about the future and optimistic about the fun and engaging entertainment in store for our viewers everywhere." Returning FOX series include dramas 9-1-1: Lone Star (Season Five), Accused (Season Two), Alert: Missing Persons Unit (Season Three) and The Cleaning Lady (Season Four); comedy Animal Control (Season Three); animated series Bob's Burgers (Season 15), Family Guy (Season 23), The Great North (Season Five), Grimsburg (Season Two), Krapopolis (Season Two) and The Simpsons (Season 36); and unscripted series Crime Scene Kitchen (Season Three), The Floor (Season Two), Hell's Kitchen (Season 23), LEGO Masters (Season Five), The Masked Singer (Season 12), MasterChef (Season 15), Name That Tune (Season Five), Next Level Chef (Season Four) and Special Forces: World's Toughest Test (Season Three). Additional series renewals to be announced. All-new special event The Real Full Monty joins returning unscripted series Crime Scene Kitchen, The Floor, Hell's Kitchen, LEGO Masters, The Masked Singer, MasterChef, Name That Tune, Next Level Chef, and Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. Also, LEGO Masters will air its annual multiple-night holiday event LEGO Masters: Celebrity Holiday Bricktacular. |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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BBC Reforms "Strictly" Welfare Measures |
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The BBC has confirmed a chaperone will be present for every rehearsal of the U.K.'s beloved celebrity dance show, Strictly Come Dancing, following complaints about the behavior of two former professionals. Strictly fan-favorites Giovanni Pierce and Graziano Di Prima will not return for this year's series, as the channel pledges two new dedicated welfare producers as part of a string of extra measures on set. The new position follows an Instagram statement from ex-reality star Zara McDermott, who was assigned Di Prima as her dance partner in last year's series. She described watching videos back of her time on the show as "incredibly distressing." "I have wrestled with the fear of opening up. I was scared about public backlash. I was scared about my future. I was scared of victim shaming," McDermott said. "But after a lot of conversations with those I love, I've gained the strength to face these fears, and when I was asked to speak to the BBC, I spoke candidly about my time on the show." Di Prima has since left the show after claims of "gross misconduct" against one of his female partners, believed to be McDermott. Upon his exit, the 30-year-old Italian apologized and said he "deeply regrets" his actions. "My intense passion and determination to win might have affected my training regime," he added. The fallout also follows the departure of another professional dancer, Pernice, in June. He was axed after his partner, Sherlock's Amanda Abbington, left the series early and accused him of inappropriate, bullying behavior. At the time, she lodged a complaint about his misconduct to the BBC. The BBC said on Tuesday: "Concerns that have arisen in recent months have been fundamentally about training and rehearsals. The actions we announce today are designed to address that." Among a production team member being present during rehearsals, new measures include a celebrity welfare producer and a professional dancer welfare producer, as well as further training for the production team and crew. Kate Phillips, BBC's director of unscripted, said: "Whilst we know our shows have been positive experiences for the vast majority of those who have taken part, if issues are raised with us, or we're made aware of inappropriate behaviour, we will always take that seriously and act." Strictly Come Dancing is a staple of British television and has run every year on the BBC since 2004. Its 22nd season will commence this year. |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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And Now the Layoffs Begin... Again |
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The fragile state of the film and television business continues with another set of layoffs hitting the industry. Deadline reports that Warner Bros. Discovery is making more cuts this week as part of another round of cost-cutting measures. We hear that pink slips have started being distributed across the company including at Max and in some areas of production, business affairs and finance. It comes a year after a round of layoffs that led to the departure of a number of network executives in its cable business. Insiders say that this round is significantly smaller than previous cuts and it will impact small pockets of people in a variety of business areas. People are being informed today and through the week and we'll update you as we hear more. This comes a week after around 100 people were laid off at Warner Bros. Discovery-owned news network CNN last week. CNN Worldwide CEO Mark Thompson said that about 2.9% of its 3,500 employee workforce was impacted. However, Warner Bros. Discovery is very much not alone this time when it comes to layoffs. Paramount is expected to make more layoffs as part of its cost-cutting measures ahead of the close of its acquisition by David Ellison's Skydance, a move that comes after it already cut around 800 people earlier this year. Disney is also expected to make more cuts over the coming months. At the end of last year, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav addressed previous cuts. "I remember our first big layoff. It was brutal. But, Warner Bros. and Time Warner and even Discovery, these are companies that had never really been restructured for the future. And so, we decided that we have to have courage; we have to figure out how to restructure these businesses for the future. |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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No Love for Lifted |
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Love Island producer Lifted Entertainment is making layoffs. Deadline reports that between 15 and 20 roles at the ITV Studios-owned production outfit are at risk of redundancy and a consultation has started. The number represents around 10% of the circa-160-staff Lifted Entertainment operation. Run by Richard Cowles, Lifted also produces ITV juggernauts like Saturday Night Takeaway, I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, The Voice and My Mum, Your Dad, along with BBC quiz University Challenge. It makes Love Island out of the UK and Cowles is an exec producer with Mike Spencer on Peacock's U.S. version. An ITV Studios spokesman said: "We can confirm that we are in formal consultation with colleagues and are supporting them during this time. As you can imagine, it would be inappropriate to share any further details at this stage." The move comes as big UK production outfits and broadcasters futureproof in the face of the economic downturn. News of Lifted's consultation comes a few weeks after commercial network ITV was revealed to be laying off dozens of staff as it ramps up cost-cutting measures worth £50M ($63M) per year. Several months before that, another ITV Studios label, MultiStory Media, made a small number of redundancies. |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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The Challenge Celebrates 40 |
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MTV today announced that the longest-running reality competition series The Challenge will embark on its monumental 40th season beginning Wednesday, August 14 at 8PM ET/PT. The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras will feature 40 legendary competitors from the series' 26-year history representing their "Challenge Era" in an epic battle for the ages where legends will collide as they strive to immortalize their names as Challenge 40 Champions and earn their share of the one million dollar prize. This season's stacked roster features the most Challenge champions ever including 7x winner Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio, 5x winner CT Tamburello, 4x winners Darrell Taylor and Jordan Wiseley, 3x winner Derrick Kosinski, 2x winners Mark Long, Jonna Mannion, Rachel Robinson, Cara Maria Sorbello, Laurel Stucky, and Jodi Weatherton, and 1x winners Kaycee Clark, Nehemiah Clark, Katie Cooley, Tori Deal, Brad Fiorenza, Aviv Melmed, Emily Schromm, Devin Walker, and Jenny West alongside fan-favorite Challengers Tina Barta, Paulie Calafiore, Theo Campbell, Derek Chavez, Aneesa Ferreira, Michele Fitzgerald, Amanda Garcia, Leroy Garrett, Horacio Gutiérrez Jr., KellyAnne Judd, Olivia Kaiser, Ryan Kehoe, Josh Martinez, Nurys Mateo, Nia Moore, Brandon Nelson, Tony Raines, Averey Tressler, Cory Wharton, and Kyland Young. In the monumental 40th Season, The Challenge 40: Battle of the Eras, the path to glory is far from easy, as they must first compete at the Era Invitational and eliminate the weakest links from within their own Challenge Era for only the best will earn a coveted spot on their team. With relentless, new challenges and twists, these seasoned Veterans are perpetually kept on their toes in the game they thought they had mastered. Challenge Competitors representing Era 1 (Seasons 1-10): |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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Another Battle on the Beach... |
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HGTV's winningest duo Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt, who were champions of Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge and season two of Rock the Block, will now go head-to-head in the new beach renovation competition series 100 Day Hotel Challenge. Focused on transforming two dated hotels in the city of Salter Path on North Carolina's Crystal Coast in just 100 days, the series, premiering Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, will feature the married real estate developers, stars of the popular series 100 Day Dream Home, as they take on their biggest competitors yet - each other. During the six-episode showdown of the spouses, Brian and Mika will hold nothing back as they manage a tight three-month timeline, a budget of $225,000 each and their own team of HGTV all-stars to turn the tired 1950s family-owned properties, The Beacon Hotel (formerly known as The Salter Path Inn) and The William & Garland Motel, into charming waterside retreats just in time for the peak summer vacation season. At the end of every episode, HGTV stars and series' judges Drew and Jonathan Scott (Backed By The Bros, Celebrity IOU and Don't Hate Your House) will pick the victorious spaces, including various guest rooms, the lobbies and the outdoor lounge areas, based on the following criteria: amenities, overall guest experience, design, hotel owners' requests and room rate increases. While the weekly winning team will earn $5,000 for their chosen charity, the spouse who claims the top hotel at the end of the competition will walk away with bragging rights and $50,000 to the charity of their choice. "Ever since we renovated our first hotel last year, Mika and I have been looking for our next one to fix up," said Brian. "This time, we found two hotels right next to each other, and they need major updates. We decided instead of working together, let's turn this into a friendly husband-wife competition." "So we're each taking one hotel and bringing in our talented friends to help us renovate them inside and out," said Mika. "This will be fun, because the only person more competitive than me is Brian. May the best hotel win." |
posted 7/16/2024 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Queens Going Global |
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Category is: "Queen of the Mothertucking World." Start your engines and save the date. The first-ever "RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars" is coming to Paramount+ on Aug. 16, featuring 12 queens from around the world competing for a grand prize of $200,000 and a spot in the international pavilion at the Drag Race Hall of Fame. Host RuPaul Charles will lead the panel of judges, alongside resident judge Michelle Visage and choreographer Jamal Sims. Joining them will be a rotation of stars from across the show's international franchise. " The world is not ready for 'RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars'," Charles said in a statement. "Twelve queens representing their home countries raises the stakes to a whole new level. Plus, the international mix of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent will, pardon my French, blow your f***ing minds." MTV and the show's production company World of Wonder have partnered with All Out — an international organization that fights for LGBTQ+ rights around the world — making a $100,000 donation to start the new Drag Saves the World fund. "We are thrilled to collaborate with 'RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars' on the 'Drag Saves the World' fund," said Matt Beard, executive director of All Out. "This partnership is not only a celebration of drag culture; it's also a powerful statement of love, solidarity and support for LGBTQ+ people around the world who are facing violence and bigotry. The funds raised will directly transform and protect lives, supporting safe houses, evacuation, emergency support and more to those bravely defending human rights in the most challenging environments. Together, we can ensure that everyone, regardless of who they are or who they love, can live with dignity, safety and pride." The series will premiere with two brand new episodes on Aug. 16. It will be available on Paramount+ in Latin America, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria on Sept. 20 and in France the following day, with Japan to follow later this year. The Season 1 queens for "Global All Stars" are: |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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CBS on Saturday became the fourth broadcast network (after ABC, The CW and NBC) to lock down premiere dates for the Fall TV season. Survivor is first out the gate when it returns for Season 47 on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Meanwhile, two of the Eye network's high-profile launches will receive "sneak peeks" later that month, with Kathy Bates' Matlock reimagining premiering on a special night, Sunday, Sept. 22, followed by reality competition series The Summit, which will bow Sunday, Sept. 29. CBS Premiere Week then officially kicks off on Monday, Oct. 14, with Season 22 of NCIS and the two-hour series premiere of Gibbs prequel series NCIS: Origins (narrated by Mark Harmon). The following four nights will feature the returns of FBI, Ghosts, Elsbeth, S.W.A.T., Fire Country and Blue Bloods, plus the debut of Young Sheldon spinoff Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage. A week later, The Neighborhood resurfaces on Mondays, where it will lead into new Wayans family comedy Poppa's House. CBS' final two premieres — Tracker and The Equalizer — land on Sunday, Oct. 27. All told, CBS' primetime rollout for games looks like this |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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TCA Awards: And the Winners Were... |
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Shōgun and Hacks were among the big winners Friday at the 40th Annual The Television Critics Association Awards. The TCA Awards honor outstanding programming from the 2023-2024 television season. The winners were selected by the TCA's membership of more than 230 TV journalists from across the United States and Canada. Trophies went to FX's first-year period piece Shōgun for Program of the Year as well as in Outstanding Achievement in Drama, Outstanding New Program and Individual Achievement in Drama for star Anna Sawai. And Jean Smart took home her second Individual Achievement in Comedy Award for her portrayal as comedian Deborah Vance in Hacks. Peacock's "The Traitors" won for Outstanding Achievement in Reality, beating out former champs "The Amazing Race", as well as "Conan O'Brien Must Go", "Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show", "Top Chef", "We're Here", and "Welcome to Wrexham". |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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KCAs: And the Winners Were... |
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Barbie was named Favorite Movie and its star Margot Robbie Favorite Movie Actress at the 2024 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards tonight. Other big winners included Percy Jackson and the Olympians as Favorite Kids TV Show, along with the show's Walker Scobell as Favorite Male TV Star (Kids). Young Sheldon and star Iain Armitage also took top honors as Favorite Family TV Show and Favorite Male TV Star (Family), respectively. Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse landed Favorite Animated Movie, while the long-running SpongeBob SquarePants took the Favorite Cartoon trophy. Timothée Chalamet snagged the Favorite Movie Actor honor for his role as Willy Wonka in Wonka. Olivia Rodrigo took the Favorite Female TV Star (Kids) trophy for her role as Nini in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Taylor Swift snagged three awards including Favorite Female Artist and "Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?" host Travis Kelce was named Favorite Male Sports Star. Post Malone received the Favorite Male Artist award, which also saw a surprise sliming of presenter Henry Golding. Hosted by SpongeBob SquarePants (voiced by Tom Kenny) and Patrick Star (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke), Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2024 aired live from their undersea home of Bikini Bottom, and simulcast across Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nicktoons, the Nick Jr. channel, TVLand, CMT and MTV2. Highlights included Kelly Rowland presenting Serena Williams with the Legend Gold Blimp award for her career spanning sports, fashion, beauty and lifestyle. "America's Got Talent" took the Blimp for Favorite Reality Show. |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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James B. Sikking, the Steven Bochco favorite who portrayed the no-nonsense Lt. Howard Hunter on Hill Street Blues and the good-hearted doctor dad on Doogie Howser, M.D., has died. He was 90. Sikking died Saturday at his Los Angeles home of complications from dementia, publicist Cynthia Snyder announced. Although best known for his TV work, Sikking did have notable turns on the big screen as a mocking hitman in John Boorman's Point Blank (1967), as the stuffy Captain Styles in Leonard Nimoy's Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and as the director of the FBI in Alan J. Pakula's The Pelican Brief (1993). After spending the better part of two decades showing up on such shows as The Outer Limits, Honey West, The Fugitive, Hogan's Heroes and Mannix, Sikking was cast as the pipe-smoking Hunter, leader of the SWAT-like Emergency Action Team, on NBC's Hill Street Blues. Bochco, who created the series with Michael Kozoll, afforded Sikking the opportunity to shape his character, and the actor based Hunter on a drill instructor he had encountered during basic training at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. "The drill instructor looked like he had steel for hair and his uniform had so much starch in it, you knew it would [stand] in the corner when he took it off in the barracks," he said in a 2014 interview with The Fresno Bee. "So when I started to play Howard, I picked out the way he should be dressed. It had to be a very military look." Sikking appeared on 144 episodes across all seven seasons (1981-87) of the acclaimed drama and received an Emmy nomination in 1984. Bochco turned to Sikking again for Doogie Howser, and he played Vietnam veteran turned family practitioner David Howser, husband of Belinda Montgomery's Katherine and dad of Doogie (Neil Patrick Harris), on all four seasons (1989-93) of that ABC show. He then portrayed a cop again for Bochco on Brooklyn South, which lasted one season (1997-98) on CBS. In game shows, Sikking featured on episodes of "Password Plus" and "The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour". Sikking was devoted to raising funds for cystic fibrosis and the Susan G. Koman Foundation, and through the SAG Book Pals program, he read to public school third-grade classes for 19 years and was affectionately known as "Jim the Reader." Survivors include his second wife, Florine, an author whom he met at UCLA and married in September 1962; children Emily and Andrew; and grandchildren Lola, Gemma, Hugh and Madeline. |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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Super Bowl champion Jacoby Jones, a former wide receiver and kick return specialist for the Baltimore Ravens, has died, the National Football League (NFL) confirms. He was 40 years old. A cause of death has not been disclosed as of press time. "We are completely heartbroken to learn about the passing of Jacoby Jones," the Baltimore Ravens said in a statement. "Jacoby had the unique ability to connect with everyone he encountered. His charisma, joy and love created a one-of-a-kind presence that could light up any room or brighten any dark day. Jacoby will long be remembered not just for his success on the football field, but for the lasting personal connections he made with countless people in the Ravens organization, Baltimore community and every area he called home. We share our deepest condolences with Jacoby's family as we all begin to process this devastating loss." Added head coach John Harbaugh: "I loved Jacoby Jones. We all did. His spirit, enthusiasm and love for people were powerful. He was a light. He was the cherished son of his loving mom, Ms. Emily. They were so close. He was a man of faith. My favorite football play was when Jacoby was talking to his mom in the end zone, just before a late-game kickoff return against the Vikings in a snowstorm shootout. Jacoby then raced to catch the ball and run it back for a touchdown. My favorite Jacoby personal moment was every time I saw his smiling face full of Joy. Rest in peace, Jacoby, in the arms of Jesus." Jones' NFL career started in 2007, when he was drafted by the Houston Texans. He went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens from 2012 to 2014. (For his debut season with the Ravens, he was named a Pro Bowl and All-Pro returner.) During a memorable divisional-round playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Jones caught a 70-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco, with 31 seconds left to force overtime. The Ravens went on to defeat the Broncos in double overtime, 38-35, and the catch was dubbed the "Mile High Miracle." Then in Super Bowl XLVII against the San Francisco 49ers, he became the first player in Super Bowl history to score both a receiving touchdown and return touchdown in the same game. After being released by the Ravens in 2015, Jones played briefly for both the San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In September 2017, he retired with the Ravens after signing a one-day contract. His post-NFL career included a college coaching gig at Morgan State University, and an indoor football coaching stint in Houston, for the Beaumont Renegades. Jones also competed during Season 16 of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, where he came in third place with dance pro Karina Smirnoff. Cheryl Burke, despite not being partnered with Jones on DWTS, said she had special memories with him during his time on the show in 2013. She also joined Jones and his dance partner Karina Smirnoff to dance the paso doble. Sharing a clip of the trio's performance on Instagram on Sunday, Burke wrote, "Absolutely devastated by the loss of my dear friend and fellow #dwts co-star, Jacoby Jones, who passed away in his sleep early this morning." . |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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The season premiere of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" scored 3.71 million viewers on July 10, making it the most-watched telecast of the night among broadcasters. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, "Millionaire" is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The show, returning for the first time in several years (and marking the return of a studio audience after two seasons without one due to COVID-19) opened with John Mulaney and Nick Kroll paired for one segment, and Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell and paired for the other. The episode outperformed its most recent season finale in 2021 by 28% in total viewers, and stood as the night's top entertainment telecast in adults ages 18 to 49 (0.44 rating). |
posted 7/15/2024 |
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Richard Simmons, the energetic, frizzy-haired TV personality and fitness coach who made exercise accessible to millions and then became reclusive in recent years, has died. He was 76. Simmons died at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday, one day after his birthday. His rep Tom Estey confirmed the news to Variety. On Friday, Simmons posted a message on social media thanking his fans for the birthday wishes. "Thank you…I never got so many messages about my birthday in my life!" Simmons wrote. "I am sitting here writing emails. Have a most beautiful rest of your Friday." While other fitness stars like Jack Lalanne, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jane Fonda exhibited impressive physiques and movie-star good looks, Simmons appealed to the average viewer with plucky cheer rather than huge muscles. His neon-hued, sequined exercise wear made him a kitsch icon, although he avoided discussing his sexuality. "The Richard Simmons Show," which featured recipes, exercise routines and celebrity guests, ran from 1984 to 1989 and garnered Daytime Emmys for best direction and best talk show. A series of DVD workouts including "Sweatin' to the Oldies" sold well for years, bringing his upbeat motivation to viewers around the country. Born Milton Teagle Simmons on July 12, 1948, in New Orleans to a showbiz family, he suffered from asthma as an obese teenager. Simmons worked as a maître d' at Derek's restaurant and began developing an interest in fitness. He was able to lose 123 pounds and in 1974 opened a Beverly Hills fitness studio called The Anatomy Asylum. As the studio became more successful, he began making appearances on shows such as "Real People" and had a recurring role as himself on "General Hospital." After his "Richard Simmons Show" went off the air, he stayed in the public eye with guest appearances on numerous shows such as "Whose Line Is It Anyway?," "CHiPs" and "Arrested Development." Other game show appearances include "Sing Your Face Off", "Dancing with the Stars", "Hollywood Squares", "Wheel of Fortune", "Figure It Out", "Match Game", "Family Feud", "Super Password", "Wordplay", "Body Language", "Dance Fever", and "Battlestars". Simmons was active in charity events, particularly those promoting a healthful lifestyle, and taught classes at his exercise studio. He made himself available for frequent interactions with his many fans, whether they were on movie stars' homes bus tours, clients of his exercise studio, or passengers on his "Cruise to Lose" cruises. His exercise studio remained in business in Beverly Hills until 2016. Simmons is survived by a brother. |
posted 7/13/2024 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Shannen Doherty, who starred on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed before exiting both Aaron Spelling-produced shows amid conflicts with co-workers, has lost her long battle with cancer. She was 53. Doherty died Saturday. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015; after treatment and several surgeries, she announced in April 2017 that she was in remission. In February 2020, she tearfully revealed on Good Morning America, "I'm stage 4 — my cancer came back," then said in June 2023 that cancer had spread to her brain. "I definitely have days where I say, 'Why me?' And then I go, 'Well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?' None of us do," she said. "It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to People. "The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace." After holding down regular roles on the NBC shows Little House on the Prairie and Our House and starring in the critically acclaimed Heathers (1988), Doherty in 1990 was hired to play Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210, created by Darren Star. Her character and twin brother, Brandon (Jason Priestley), move with their dad from Minnesota to Southern California, and they try to fit in at West Beverly High. Doherty, however, was dismissed from the show after the fourth season concluded in May 1994 amid reported clashes with her co-stars and producers. She did not do herself any favors when, halfway through shooting the season finale, she cut her hair, which made continuity on the episode difficult. "There was definitely a time that I did not want to be there. I was unhappy," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2005. "It sounds odd to say that I was on a hit show making a lot of money and I was unhappy, because it makes me sound unappreciative — I wasn't. "It's just that the sacrifice at the time seemed too large to me. The sacrifice of a camera pointed in my face 24 hours a day while I was desperately trying to grow up, to figure out my spirituality, to figure out my boyfriends. I mean, I was a teenager." Doherty starred with Ben Affleck and Jason Lee in Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995), then returned to primetime when she was cast as Prue Halliwell, the oldest of three sister witches — Alyssa Milano as Phoebe and Holly Marie Combs as Piper were the others — on The WB series Charmed, created by Constance M. Burge. Doherty and Milano were said not to get along, and then Prue was killed by a demon assassin in the season-three finale in May 2001. Rose McGowan ostensibly replaced her in the cast. "Diplomacy wasn't my forte back then, and I was too vocal about things that really could have been left alone," Doherty wrote in her 2010 book, Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life With Style and (the Right) Attitude. "Who cared if I thought an episode was stupid? Who cared what I thought of the script? It was my job to do my best with what was in front of me." 90210 went six more seasons without her and Charmed lasted another five while Doherty found herself a focus of the tabloid media. On the cover of People in 1993, she was described as a "hard-partying, check-bouncing bad girl [who] may be going way too far." In game shows, Doherty competed on "Dancing with the Stars", "Celebrity Name Game", "Celebrity Blackjack", "Win Lose or Draw", and "I'm Telling!". |
posted 7/14/2024 |
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Ruth Westheimer, who brought frank talk about sex into America's living rooms for the first time as radio and television talk show host Dr. Ruth, has died. She was 96. Westheimer died on Friday at her home in New York City, a spokesperson told the New York Times. The diminutive educator with a thick German accent was known for dispensing explicit, down-to-earth advice on matters that weren't previously discussed on-air. Westheimer hosted at least five shows on Lifetime and other cable stations from 1984 to 1993, and wrote dozens of books on sex. The college professor was already in her 50s when she started her radio show on New York radio station WYNY in 1980. She later said that being middle-aged probably helped her be accepted as an expert rather than a sex object, as discussing erotic pleasure was largely taboo on radio and television before her show. Debuting as a 15-minute segment at midnight on Saturdays, the advice show quickly gained popularity and by 1984 it was syndicated nationwide as "The Dr. Ruth Show." That same year, she moved to television and began hosting Lifetime's "Good Sex! With Dr. Ruth Westheimer," which became "The Dr. Ruth Show" when it expanded the next year to a full hour. In 1987, she began another half hour syndicated series called "Ask Dr. Ruth." Westheimer went on to host "The All New Dr. Ruth Show" and teen advice shows "What's Up, Dr. Ruth" and "You're on the Air With Dr. Ruth." In game shows, Westheimer featured on episodes of "1 vs. 100", "Hollywood Squares", and "Win Lose or Draw". Westheimer was married three times; her last husband, Fred Westheimer, died in 1997. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren. |
posted 7/13/2024 |
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Fox's Summer Boom |
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As the European Championship and Copa America finals approach, Fox is touting its success across entertainment programming this summer, which has been led by its deluge of soccer coverage. Viewing across Fox entertainment and sports programming is up 57% from last year to 18.5B minutes across platforms. A majority of that viewing is coming from sports, which have seen 66% growth to put up a whopping 12.4B minutes. Meanwhile, entertainment content has generated 6.1B minutes, a 42% lift from last summer, according to the company. Fox has been setting records with its viewership for both the Euros and Copa America, as Deadline has been reporting throughout the tournaments. Recently, all four semifinal matches amassed stunning viewership for soccer on U.S. English-language television, especially with the USMNT out. Luckily for Fox, the interest generated by soccer has translated to more eyeballs on the network in general, with all its entertainment programming benefitting from a viewership boost as well. "With audiences expecting year-round originals and sports, there's no vacation in television," said Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade. "Getting Fox to the top spot are popular series like our new game shows The Quiz with Balls and The 1% Club, plus an outstanding lineup from our friends at Fox Sports. It's great to see audiences beating the heat and enjoying our refreshing summer schedule." In the first five weeks of summer, Fox is ranking as No. 1 in entertainment programming in adults 18-49 with a 0.38 rating and adults 25-54 with a 0.54 rating after seven days of viewing. In primetime, the network is up 43% in adults 18-49, which is a significant boost. Among total viewers, Fox is up 40% year-over-year. Particularly, Fox has been seeing success with its new game shows, The 1% Club and The Quiz with Balls. The shows are tied with a 0.3 rating in the 18-49 demo after seven days of viewing. Other unscripted programming that is helping support Fox's numbers this summer are WWE's Smackdown, Masterchef: Generations, and Beat Shazam. |
posted 7/12/2024 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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USA Network is making dishonesty the best policy this summer when its new social competition series, "The Anonymous," debuts on Monday, Aug. 19 with a three-episode premiere event starting at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes will also air simultaneously across Bravo and SYFY on premiere night and repeat in primetime daily on USA throughout the week. In the ultimate game of covert deception, 12 players will manipulate, mislead and do whatever it takes to secure up to $100,000. "The Anonymous" is a strategic competition played in two worlds, the real world and anonymous mode. The Digital Anonymous Networking Interface, or "DANI" for short, has invited 12 players to live in her domain and work side-by-side to raise a prize fund of up to $100,000. Despite their close quarters, all players will have their own private underground hideouts, where each is completely anonymous and can say anything and everything behind the mask of a unique handle. In their hideouts, players can provide raw, unfiltered takes on their fellow contestants. They will scheme, connive and deceive to build influence and advance their game. The question is: Can they stay anonymous while doing so, or will the other players guess their identity? Each week DANI conducts tests where all contestants must try and match players to their handles. The player who is best at staying anonymous becomes the one with the power to eliminate their competitors. In a game where every move is calculated and a single misstep can expose who you truly are, only one will take home the grand prize. Among those straddling two realities are TV veterans, Xavier E. Prather and Nina Twine as well as Fyre Festival event producer, Andy King. The full list of contestants are: - Marcel Cunningham, 33 | Seattle, WA "The Anonymous" is produced by Studio Lambert. Jack Burgess, Andy Cadman, Tim Harcourt, Toni Ireland, Stephen Lambert and Stephen Yemoh will executive produce. |
posted 7/11/2024 |
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Love Island Heating Up! |
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It appears Peacock has a bombshell on its hands with the new season of Love Island USA. Season 6 began attracting an unprecedented audience for the American version of the well-loved reality dating series after premiering on June 11. According to Nielsen, for the week of June 24 to 30, Love Island USA was the most-watched streaming reality series in the U.S. During that interval, the series amassed 434M minutes viewed, coming in seventh among streaming originals for the week. Nielsen streaming data is reported on a delay, which is why this data doesn't include streaming in July. However, Love Island USA is releasing new episodes every day but Wednesday until July 21, giving it plenty of opportunity to continue building on this audience. The show hosted by Ariana Madix is also preparing for a "blood bath" that will likely cause turmoil in the villa. "Well, the villa is very full right now, I'll just say that," Madix told Love Island USA Aftersun host Maura Higgins on Saturday's episode after she asked about the blood bath she had teased. Madix continued, "People gotta go. There's only so many beds." |
posted 7/11/2024 |
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Paramount has laid out some terms of its planned merger with David Ellison's Skydance, including what happens if another bidder appears. The deal includes a so-called "go shop" period during which other interest parties can submit offers. It runs for 45 days from the announcement of the deal, which was unveiled late Sunday night. The company said Thursday that the go-shop runs through 11:59 p.m. ET on August 21 and can be extended through September 5 if good-faith talks are underway for a better offer. In a landmark deal that will shake up the entertainment landscape, Shari Redstone has agreed to sell control of Paramount Global to a consortium led by Skydance, the production company helmed by David Ellison, and Gerry Cardinale's RedBird Capital. The sale, assuming it is approved by regulators and completed (and assuming a better bid does not emerge), would see Skydance acquire Redstone's majority stake in National Amusements, which in turn would secure control of Paramount, the owner of the Paramount film and TV studios, Paramount+, CBS, and cable channels like Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central. The consummation of the deal is the culmination of months of "will they or won't they" speculation, with the Skydance consortium beginning talks late last year, only to see multiple rounds of negotiations fall apart when Redstone rejected the deal in place at the eleventh hour last month. The two sides, however, continued talking, leading to a new agreement that secured Redstone's approval. Once the deal closes, the plan is for Paramount to acquire Skydance, which in turn will install its own leadership team at the storied entertainment company. Ellison will be CEO, with former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell (currently working at RedBird) set to run the company day-to-day as its president. Skydance had to sweeten its deal offer in hopes of ensuring more value for nonvoting Paramount shareholders, who had complained that initial deal offers had guaranteed Redstone a premium but would have diluted them, giving them the short end of the stick. According to the companies, the Skydance consortium will "invest $2.4 billion to acquire National Amusements for cash and $4.5 billion for the stock/cash merger consideration to be paid for publicly traded Class A shares and Class B shares, as well as $1.5 billion of primary capital to be added to Paramount's balance sheet." The deal not only buys out Redstone's stake, but also allows both Class A and Class B shareholders to cash out at $23 per share and $15 per share, respectively. Skydance says when it is all said and done, it expects to own 70 percent of shares outstanding. The all-stock deal to merge Skydance into Paramount will value Ellison's studio at $4.75 billion. National Amusements is a regional movie theater chain; however, Sumner Redstone turned it into a media behemoth by acquiring Viacom, Paramount and CBS. National Amusements owns only about 10 percent of Paramount's equity, but it controls about 80 percent of its voting stock, giving it control of the entertainment firm. Shari Redstone has run the company since her father's death in 2020. |
posted 7/9/2024 |
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Benji Gregory, who starred as young Brian Tanner in the 1980s sitcom ALF, has passed away. He was 46. The actor was found dead on June 13 in his car parked at a Chase Bank in Peoria, Ariz., according to TMZ. It is believed that he visited the bank the previous day and fell sleep, possibly dying from vehicular heatstroke caused by Arizona's blistering summer heat. Gregory's service dog Hans, who was with him, also perished. His sister says he dealt with depression, bipolar disorder and a sleep disorder that kept him awake for days. An official cause of death for the actor is pending. Gregory rose to fame as Brian Tanner on ALF, which aired for four seasons (from 1986-1990) on NBC and produced four hour-long specials: "Try to Remember," "ALF's Special Christmas," "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Tonight, Tonight." Benjamin Gregory Hertzberg was born May 26, 1978 in Encino. Per IMDB, his father, uncle and sister were all actors, and his grandmother was his agent. Alongside his child stardom on Alf, he also appeared in many commercials and in 1980s shows such as The Twilight Zone, The A-Team, Punky Brewster and Amazing Stories. In 1986, he appeared as Harry Carlson Jr. in Jumpin' Jack Flash, which also starred Whoopi Goldberg, and played Edgar the mole in the 1993 animated movie, Once Upon a Forest. Gregory left entertainment in 2003 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, later becoming an aerographer's mate. In 2005, he received an honorable medical discharge from the Navy. In game shows, Gregory featured on episodes of "I'm Telling!", "Fun House", and a young people's edition of "The Dating Game". |
posted 7/11/2024 |
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MORE NEWS GSNN 30-Day News Archive GSNN 3-Month News Archive |
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posted 7/25/2024
| Friday | |
Jeopardy! Love Island UK Love Island UK Aftersun RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars Untucked Too Hot to Handle |
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| 5p | Taskmaster NZ |
| 8p | Lingo TapTap Live |
| 9p | The Arcade Show |
| 10p | The Anonymous |
| Saturday | |
Love Island UK |
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| 8p | TapTap Live |
| 9p | The Arcade Show |
| mid | High Stakes Poker |
| 1a | High Stakes Poker |
| Sunday | |
Love Island UK |
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| 8p | The Great Food Truck Race: Games on the Gulf TapTap Live |
| 9p | Alex vs. America The Arcade Show Big Brother |
All times and editors eastern
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