Tag Archives: television

TechCrunch reports: The number of U.S. households without a traditional cable or satellite TV subscription that instead receive broadcast stations using a digital antenna has jumped by nearly 50 percent over the past 8 years to reach 16 million homes, according to a new report from Nielsen. Today, 14 percent of all U.S. TV households are watching television over the …

The Jerusalem Post reports: Roseanne Barr told The Jerusalem Post this week that she was fired by ABC from the reboot of her sitcom due in part to antisemitism. “I feel that what happened to me, a large part of it is antisemitism,” the Jewish actress told the Post in a phone interview on Thursday from her home in Hawaii. …

From the Hollywood Reporter: After retiring from the U.S. Senate last week, Jeff Flake is still looking for his “next thing.” It might just be at CBS News, which has engaged in talks with the Arizona Republican about a role at the network, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Flake, who emerged as one of President Trump’s biggest critics and might …

The Seattle Times reports: A staffer at local FOX affiliate Q13 has been fired after the station aired what appears to be a doctored video of President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night speech from the Oval Office. The video was changed to make it look as if Trump was sticking his tongue out languidly between sentences. In addition, the colors in …

Variety reports: Major broadcast and cable networks will carry President Donald Trump’s prime time speech on border security, as the White House tries to use the power of the bully pulpit to break an impasse with Democrats that has led to the partial government shutdown. The White House requested primetime at 9 p.m. ET for the speech, but the broadcast …

NBC News Boston reports: Kevin Spacey is heading to court on Monday after a former Boston news anchor accused the actor of sexually assaulting her then-18-year-old son in July of 2016. The 59-year-old actor will face a charge of indecent assault and battery at Nantucket District Court, more than a year after former WCVB-TV anchor, Heather Unruh, accused Spacey of …

NBC News reports: An awards show long known for its iconoclastic choices didn’t disappoint, not only choosing “Bohemian Rhaposody” over “A Star is Born” for best dramatic film, but picking several lower profile performances — like British actress Olivia Colman as best actress in a comedy/musical for her role as Queen Anne in “The Favourite,” over Emily Blunt in “Mary …

Lawyers for actor Kevin Spacey say the groping incident that has resulted in a felony sexual assault charge was actually a consensual encounter initiated by the young man. Law & Crime reports: They pointed to an investigators’ report where the alleged victim said the groping went on for approximately three minutes without the him moving away or telling Spacey to …

The BBC reports: TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. Emerging from her hermit-like existence in a caravan at a Carmelite convent in Norfolk, she hosted unscripted BBC shows from galleries across the world. Born in …

The New York Post reports: The streaming giant Netflix is notoriously tight-lipped about its audience numbers, but today it disclosed its top 10 most binged original shows of 2018. Among the leaders, which were presented in no particular order, is “Bodyguard,” the Golden Globe-nominated BBC co-production starring “Game of Thrones” breakout Richard Madden; and the Halloween spooktacular, “The Haunting of …

The Associated Press reports: The Golden Globe Awards will introduce a new TV special achievement trophy at next month’s telecast and name it after its first recipient — comedic icon Carol Burnett. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association said Tuesday the Carol Burnett Award — the small-screen version of the group’s film counterpart, the Cecil B. DeMille Award — will annually …

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 …

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: CAA is no longer working with Megyn Kelly, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. The move comes a day after the host of Today’s 9 o’clock hour defended blackface during a segment on Halloween costumes, claiming that the practice, which finds its roots in 19th century racist minstrel shows, was acceptable when she was a kid. …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Rosie O’Donnell is engaged. A representative for the 56-year-old star confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter the news of her engagement to police officer and girlfriend of a year, Elizabeth Rooney. The former View co-host revealed that a wedding date has not been set and may not be anytime in the near future, saying “this is a …

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 …

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 …