Television

Forbes reports: For the first year ever, Judy Sheindlin—more commonly known as Judge Judy—reigns supreme not only in her own courtroom, but also across all of television. Pocketing $147 million pretax last year, Sheindlin is the world’s highest-paid television host, out-earning all others. The sharp-talking daytime judge takes the top spot thanks to her even sharper deal-making skills: Last year …

Variety reports: Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the megahit Nickelodeon cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants,” died on Monday. He was 57. The cause of death was ALS, which Hillenburg revealed he had been diagnosed with in March of last year. “We are incredibly saddened by the news that Steve Hillenburg has passed away following a battle with ALS,” Nickelodeon said in …

People Magazine reports: The cast of Broadway’s The Prom musical gave the LGBTQ community something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. Actors, including leads Caitlin Kinnunen and Isabelle McCalla, burst out of the theater and into the streets for Macy’s big holiday parade Thursday. Closing out their performance of the big number, Kinnunen and McCalla shared a kiss on …

Deadline Hollywood reports: ABC has put in development a single-camera comedy starring, created and executive produced by Trae Crowder, known for his stage persona the Liberal Redneck, and his writing and comedy touring partners Corey Forrester and Drew Morgan. The project hails from Ruben Fleischer’s The District and ABC Studios where Fleischer is under a deal. Written by Andrew Reich …

The Guardian reports: LGBT characters are at an all-time high on television, according to new findings. The annual Where We Are On TV report has found that 8.8% of regular characters expected to appear in the next year on US network television are LGBT, up from 6.4% the previous year, with 50% of them people of color. There was also …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Roseanne Barr isn’t happy with the way her character’s disappearance from the Conners’ household was explained on ABC’s Roseanne spinoff The Conners on Tuesday night. “I AIN’T DEAD, BITCHES!!!!” the comedian and actress tweeted just an hour after the episode finished airing. In a more measured joint statement with her friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach released late …

Vanity Fair reports: Mere hours after the story was published, Showtime revealed that a camera crew tracked the reporters throughout the investigation, which lasted over a year. And a documentary short chronicling the arduous process—called The Family Business: Trump and Taxes—will air this Sunday. The documentary short hails from the filmmaking team behind Showtime’s docuseries The Fourth Estate, which also …

Variety reports: Hillary Clinton was the first big name cameo of “Murphy Brown’s” revival season. Clinton appeared in the Sept. 27 premiere of the Candice Bergen-led sitcom — but not as herself. Instead, she was “Hilary,” a woman who said she is often mistaken for the former presidential candidate but actually spells her name with only one “L.” She arrived …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Bill Cosby has been sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his estate near Philadelphia in 2004. He has been sentenced to “total confinement,” a judge ruled on Tuesday. Ahead of the Tuesday sentencing, Judge Steven O’Neill ruled that Cosby is a “sexually violent predator.” The …

Forbes reports: People the nation over are waking up to a new Google Doodle that is sure to bring a smile to millions of faces. It’s an extended Doodle done in memory of the first day of filming of the iconic children’s television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The initial Doodle is a still of stop motion animation of children gathered …

Fortune reports: Ratings data released today by Nielsen show Maddow ended the week as the most-watched cable news show for the week, beating out competition from CNN and longtime top-rated cable news network Fox News Channel. Among viewers 25-54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers, Maddow remained on top, with an average audience of 667,000 viewers. The Wrap reports: On …

Entertainment Weekly reports: RuPaul’s Drag Race finally topped the competition, snatching the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Series — marking the fourth show ever to win the category since the prize was introduced in 2003. Previous winners include The Amazing Race (10), The Voice (4) and Top Chef (1). The VH1 series beat out The Amazing Race, American Ninja Warrior, Project …

Fortune Magazine reports: Six more women are accusing CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves of sexual assault and harassment, according to a New Yorker investigation published Sunday—a month after a previous report by the publication outlined accusations of harassment, intimidation, and abuse by another group of six women. Dozens of other complaints detailed widespread sexual misconduct at the company. According …

USA Today reports: The fate of Kevin Spacey’s character on Netflix’s “House of Cards” is sealed. During a new teaser released Wednesday, Robin Wright’s Claire Underwood stands over the grave of her husband, Frank Underwood, and she appears to be anything but grief-stricken. It’s not clear how Spacey’s character died. Underwood’s death should come as no shock to “House of …

Deadline Hollywood reports: As Law & Order: SVU is heading into its record-tying 20th season, NBC is expanding the Law & Order franchise with a 13-episode order to Law & Order: Hate Crimes, from Law & Order boss Dick Wolf. Co-created with one of Wolf’s top lieutenants, former Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight, the latest Law & Order …

Here is the official synopsis: “After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before. This iconic family — Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. — grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, aging and in-laws in working-class America. Through it all, …

Ad Week reports: Amazon.com has an ad-supported TV service in the works that would be free to those who use the company’s Fire TV streaming devices. The service is reportedly being developed by the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), which Amazon acquired in 1998. It will be called “Free Dive.” Sources told us that Amazon is talking with major TV studios …

The Las Vegas Journal-Review reports: Robin Leach, a celebrity columnist and television host who famously signed off each episode of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” with his signature catchphrase of “Champagne wishes and caviar dreams,” has died. “Despite the past 10 months, what a beautiful life he had. Our Dad, Grandpa, Brother, Uncle and friend Robin Leach passed away …

NBC News reports: Adult film star Stormy Daniels pulled out of the British edition of “Celebrity Big Brother” on Thursday night, but there were conflicting explanations for her last-minute withdrawal. The 39-year-old, who claims she had an affair with Trump more than a decade ago and is suing the president, did not appear as planned on the reality show’s season …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Twenty-five years after wrapping its seven-season run on CBS, Designing Women is plotting a return to the small screen. Series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason is behind the revival, which hails from producers Sony Pictures Television Studios. The project has been in the works for months as the indie studio searches for a home for its revival of …