Tag Archives: television

The New York Times reports: Norman Lear, the television writer and producer who introduced political and social commentary into situation comedy with “All in the Family” and other shows, proving that it was possible to be topical as well as funny while attracting millions of viewers, died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 101. Mr. Lear …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Kelsey Grammer sounded curt this morning when he brusquely told a BBC Today program interviewer that he still supports Donald Trump but, according to his interviewer, this curtness doesn’t tell the full story. Justin Webb said the Frasier star was “perfectly happy” to go on talking about his support for the former POTUS, “the Paramount+ PR team, …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: After a grueling 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with studios, a move that is heralding the end of the 2023 actors strike. The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced. The strike will end at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. …

The New York Times reports: Matthew Perry, who portrayed Chandler Bing in the acclaimed sitcom “Friends,” has died. He was 54. The death was confirmed by Capt. Scot Williams of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide division. He said the cause of death was not likely to be determined for some time, but there was no indication of foul play. …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: Suzanne Somers, the Emmy nominee and star of hit shows like Three’s Company and She’s The Sheriff, has died. She was 76. Somers’ longtime publicist R. Couri Hay shared a statement on behalf of the actress’ family on Sunday with the news that she had passed away from breast cancer peacefully at her home in Palm …

The New York Times reports: Piper Laurie, who escaped the 1950s Hollywood starlet-making machinery to become a respected actress with three Oscar nominations and an Emmy Award, died on Saturday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 91. Ms. Laurie’s first Academy Award nomination was for best actress in “The Hustler” (1961), in which she played a lonely alcoholic …

Bloomberg News reports: Netflix Inc. plans to open new destinations where fans can immerse themselves in the worlds of their favorite TV shows, shop for clothing, eat themed food and maybe even try a Squid Game obstacle course. Dubbed Netflix House, the venues will feature a mix of retail, dining and live experiences, according to Josh Simon, the company’s vice …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: After several long consecutive days of negotiations, the Writers Guild of America and the labor group representing studios and streamers have reached a tentative deal on a new contract in a major development that could precipitate the end of a historic, 146-day writers strike. The Writers Guild of America emailed strike captains the news on Sunday …

Bloomberg News reports: Walt Disney Co. has held exploratory talks about selling its ABC network and TV stations to local broadcaster Nexstar Media Group Inc., according to people familiar with the discussions. The talks are preliminary and haven’t involved a specific valuation. Disney, in a statement, said that while it’s still considering a variety of strategic options for its traditional …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: Bob Barker, the former longtime host of the popular TV game show “The Price Is Right” and an animal-rights activist, died Saturday morning. He was 99. Details of his passing and the cause of death were not immediately available. Barker was a winner of 19 Daytime Emmy Awards. Also received an Emmy Award for Lifetime …

The Verge reports: Netflix is kicking off the first public tests of its cloud-streamed games. Beginning Monday, some Netflix subscribers in Canada and the UK will be able to check out Netflix games streamed to select TVs, connected TV devices, and on the web from Netflix.com. The company first launched its mobile gaming offerings as a free perk for subscribers …

Variety reports: Paul Reubens, the actor best known for portraying Pee-wee Herman, died Sunday night after a private bout of cancer. He was 70. “Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” wrote Reubens in a statement posted to Instagram after his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of …

TechCrunch reports: NASA is getting in on the “+” streaming action. The government agency announced that it’s going to launch a new streaming service later this year called NASA+. The ad-free, no-cost streaming service will include live coverage of future launches, documentaries and new original series that will be exclusively available on the platform. NASA+ will be available via the …

The Verge reports: The free TV company Telly has started shipping its ad-supported TVs to its first wave of customers. Telly first opened its waitlist in May and plans on shipping 500,000 free TVs to customers by the end of 2023 — and “millions more” in 2024. Unlike most TVs, beneath Telly’s 55-inch 4K display is a smaller screen separated …

Forbes reports: SAG-AFTRA, the union representing screen actors, will go on strike starting Thursday at midnight, union leaders announced, a seismic event for the entertainment industry that will shut down any remaining film and television production still going on amid the ongoing writers’ strike, marking Hollywood’s most widespread work stoppage in more than 60 years. The union’s national board voted …

CNBC reports: Disney CEO Bob Iger opened the door to selling the company’s linear TV assets as the business struggles during the media industry’s transition to streaming and digital offerings. Iger appeared on CNBC on Thursday, the morning after the company announced it would extend his contract by two years through 2026. Disney is going to be “expansive” in its …

Reuters reports: Negotiators for Hollywood’s actors union unanimously recommended a strike after talks with studios broke down, setting the stage for performers to join writers on picket lines as early as Thursday and disrupt scores of shows and movies. The SAG-AFTRA union said its national board would vote on a strike order on Thursday morning. If approved, Hollywood studios would …

The Desk reports: The news director of a Michigan NBC affiliate ordered her reporters to ease up on coverage of LGBT-focused stories during Pride Month, saying the news pieces were upsetting some of the station’s conservative viewers. The memo, penned by WOOD-TV (Channel 8) Assistant News Director Amy Fox, followed several reports that focused on a celebration hosted in the …

The Associated Press reports: Pat Sajak is taking one last spin on “Wheel of Fortune,” announcing Monday that its upcoming season will be his last as host. Sajak announced his retirement from the venerable game show in a tweet. Sajak, 76, has presided over the game show, which features contestants guessing letters to try to fill out words and phrases …

Variety reports: Jay Johnston, an actor on “Bob’s Burgers,” “Arrested Development” and more, was charged by the Department of Justice for participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents. Johnston was arrested Wednesday in California, according to NBC News, which broke the news. He faces charges for felony obstruction of officers during civil disorder, …