Before I knew her as Archie Bunker's little girl Gloria on "All in the Family," I knew Sally Struthers as Rebecca Cunningham on "TaleSpin." A loving single mom and ambitious businesswoman whose outspoken personality belied her petite build, Rebecca -- aka "Becky," "Beckers," and the many other nicknames her responsibility-skirting, party-loving employee Baloo would use to refer to her -- was but one of many reasons to love the "Jungle Book"-inspired animated pulp period adventure series and Disney Afternoon staple. After years of trying (and failing) to keep the peace between her stubbornly conservative dad and her liberal, holier-than-thou husband Michael as Gloria in "All in the Family," Struthers was an expert in the art of sounding flustered, a talent that served her well on "TalepSpin."
Struthers' distinct, gently raspy vocals would allow her to carve out a career for herself as a voice actor, resulting in roles on...
Struthers' distinct, gently raspy vocals would allow her to carve out a career for herself as a voice actor, resulting in roles on...
- 4/18/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
American TV bosses obviously didn’t learn many lessons from “Episodes,” the Showtime/BBC co-production which brilliantly skewered the habit of adapting British sitcoms, and removing all nuances, subtleties, and idiosyncrasies in the process. In the 13 years since its premiere, there’s been numerous failed pilots (“Spy”), ratings disasters (“Free Agents”), and entire series considered unfit for public consumption (“Us and Them”) which originated across the pond. Now the most singular UK comedy of the 2010s is going transatlantic.
The BAFTA-nominated “Friday Night Dinner” — which served up 37 episodes from 2011-2020 —stemmed from creator Robert Popper’s real-life secular Jewish family and their weekly Shabbat meals, explaining why everything from its suburban London home to its lovable oddballs feels so wonderfully specific. Disappointingly, Amazon Freevee’s “Dinner with the Parents” is as generic as its title.
The 10-part series on Freevee does attempt to retain some of the original’s quirks.
The BAFTA-nominated “Friday Night Dinner” — which served up 37 episodes from 2011-2020 —stemmed from creator Robert Popper’s real-life secular Jewish family and their weekly Shabbat meals, explaining why everything from its suburban London home to its lovable oddballs feels so wonderfully specific. Disappointingly, Amazon Freevee’s “Dinner with the Parents” is as generic as its title.
The 10-part series on Freevee does attempt to retain some of the original’s quirks.
- 4/18/2024
- by Jon O'Brien
- Indiewire
Getting ready to make your 2024 Emmy predictions for Best Comedy Series? Be sure to scroll through our photo gallery that catalogs the shows with the best shots at reaping bids for the 76th annual edition of TV’s highest honors.
The current category champ, “The Bear,” is looking to become the 10th series to win this award for both of its first two seasons. It would join “The Phil Silvers Show,” “All in the Family,” “Taxi,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls,” “Frasier,” “30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” and “Ted Lasso” on this honor roll.
Of the seven other 2023 Best Comedy Series nominees, only “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building” are eligible to contend again. “Barry” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” officially concluded in spring 2023, while the futures of both “Jury Duty” and “Ted Lasso” remain uncertain. That leaves “Wednesday,” the confirmed second season of which will not air in time to qualify for consideration.
The current category champ, “The Bear,” is looking to become the 10th series to win this award for both of its first two seasons. It would join “The Phil Silvers Show,” “All in the Family,” “Taxi,” “Cheers,” “The Golden Girls,” “Frasier,” “30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” and “Ted Lasso” on this honor roll.
Of the seven other 2023 Best Comedy Series nominees, only “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building” are eligible to contend again. “Barry” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” officially concluded in spring 2023, while the futures of both “Jury Duty” and “Ted Lasso” remain uncertain. That leaves “Wednesday,” the confirmed second season of which will not air in time to qualify for consideration.
- 4/17/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Clockwise left to right: Get Out (Universal Pictures), This Is Spinal Tap (MGM Home Entertainment), That Thing You Do! (20th Century Studios), Lady Bird (A24)Graphic: The A.V. Club
It’s always neat when someone you’ve admired shows off a hidden talent that makes you see them in a different light.
It’s always neat when someone you’ve admired shows off a hidden talent that makes you see them in a different light.
- 4/12/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr, Saloni Gajjar, Drew Gillis, William Hughes, Matthew Jackson, Jarrod Jones, Emma Keates, Jacob Oller, Matt Schimkowitz, and Cindy White
- avclub.com
The legacy of Good Times continues 50 years on, as Netflix rolls out an animated reboot of the series on April 12.
The original CBS sitcom, created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by Norman Lear, offered a heartfelt focus on a working-class Black family and starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans and John Amos as husband James, who were raising three kids in a Chicago public housing project. Rolle and Amos originated their characters on Maude, a spinoff of Lear’s seminal comedy All in the Family.
BernNadette Stanis, who was a teen when she landed her first-ever role as middle child Thelma, tells The Hollywood Reporter that Lear let her improvise audition lines with Jimmie Walker, who was already cast as older bro J.J. “I started in on Jimmie just like I would treat my real brothers,” says Stanis, who recalls stunning Walker when she playfully smacked his shoulder.
The original CBS sitcom, created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by Norman Lear, offered a heartfelt focus on a working-class Black family and starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans and John Amos as husband James, who were raising three kids in a Chicago public housing project. Rolle and Amos originated their characters on Maude, a spinoff of Lear’s seminal comedy All in the Family.
BernNadette Stanis, who was a teen when she landed her first-ever role as middle child Thelma, tells The Hollywood Reporter that Lear let her improvise audition lines with Jimmie Walker, who was already cast as older bro J.J. “I started in on Jimmie just like I would treat my real brothers,” says Stanis, who recalls stunning Walker when she playfully smacked his shoulder.
- 4/11/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the most famous moments in TV history came on September 26, 1962 with the airing of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" episode "Never Name a Duck," the first episode of the second season. During the opening credits of the show, Rob Petrie (Van Dyke) entered through his front door while the upbeat theme music (composed by Earle Hagan) played on the soundtrack. The announcer shouted out the names of the stars: Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Matthews, and Mary Tyler Moore. Rob stepped out of a foyer and immediately tripped over a large ottoman in his way. Van Dyke, a brilliant physical comedian, tumbled all the way over, rolling over his shoulder and landing on his back. It remains, to this day, one of the most celebrated pratfalls in the history of the medium.
For many years, certain audience members assumed the fall was accidental and that the show's creator,...
For many years, certain audience members assumed the fall was accidental and that the show's creator,...
- 4/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There's a fine art to ending a great TV series. Agonizing as it was when "The Good Place" and "Succession" recently packed it in after four seasons, it allowed them to go out with an emotional wallop rather than coasting on fumes past their expiration date. Admittedly, with less story-driven shows, it gets trickier. At what point should a comparatively episodic sitcom call it a day? It often comes down to the people involved in making it.
With "All in the Family," the writing was clearly on the wall at the end of season 8. With yet another impressive batch of episodes in the bag (including all-timers like the emotionally explosive "Edith's 50th Birthday"), creator Norman Lear and his team were ready to wind things down. The last two episodes of the season, "The Dinner Guest" and "The Stivics Go West," saw lifelong East Coasters Archie (Carroll O'Connor) and his wife...
With "All in the Family," the writing was clearly on the wall at the end of season 8. With yet another impressive batch of episodes in the bag (including all-timers like the emotionally explosive "Edith's 50th Birthday"), creator Norman Lear and his team were ready to wind things down. The last two episodes of the season, "The Dinner Guest" and "The Stivics Go West," saw lifelong East Coasters Archie (Carroll O'Connor) and his wife...
- 4/8/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Michael/Mike "Meathead" Stivic (Rob Reiner) called for a very particular type of performance. Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law on "All in the Family" was the progressive foil to the Bunkers' bigoted paterfamilias, a member of the Baby Boomer counterculture (back when that was a thing) who rallied against the conservative Greatest Generation beliefs championed by Archie. But at the same time, Mike was one of those well-educated liberal white guys who still struggled to recognize his own ingrained prejudices -- particularly when it came to the women in his life -- and was often guilty of being more concerned with feeling morally superior than figuring out how to actually bring about the social change he professed to want.
Reiner would eventually prove himself capable of handling this knot of contradictions, but it took him a couple of tries, much like "All in the Family" itself. As he once recalled...
Reiner would eventually prove himself capable of handling this knot of contradictions, but it took him a couple of tries, much like "All in the Family" itself. As he once recalled...
- 3/31/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Note: this article contains detailed discussions of sexual assault.
Norman Lear's seminal sitcom "All in the Family" was known for bringing laughs and thought-provoking discussions, but a 1977 episode entitled "Edith's 50th Birthday" was an outlier. Instead of a comedy, the two-parter felt like a horror show, one with a gravely serious topic: rape. In it, family matriarch Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) survives a harrowing, extended assault attempt by a stranger and is forced to muddle through the aftermath of intense trauma. It's a dark point for the series, but it's one that show creator Lear said elicited the strongest live-action response of any moment in the show's nine-season run.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Lear (who died at the age of 101 in 2023) was asked to recall the biggest audience uproar in the show's history. "I never heard a bigger sound on television than when Edith got...
Norman Lear's seminal sitcom "All in the Family" was known for bringing laughs and thought-provoking discussions, but a 1977 episode entitled "Edith's 50th Birthday" was an outlier. Instead of a comedy, the two-parter felt like a horror show, one with a gravely serious topic: rape. In it, family matriarch Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) survives a harrowing, extended assault attempt by a stranger and is forced to muddle through the aftermath of intense trauma. It's a dark point for the series, but it's one that show creator Lear said elicited the strongest live-action response of any moment in the show's nine-season run.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2017, Lear (who died at the age of 101 in 2023) was asked to recall the biggest audience uproar in the show's history. "I never heard a bigger sound on television than when Edith got...
- 3/31/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
When Ranada Shepard first got the call to serve as showrunner and executive producer of an animated reboot of Good Times, it didn’t take her long to decide she was interested. The original Good Times, created by Mike Evans and Eric Montes and executive-produced by the late television legend Norman Lear, made history in the ’70s as television’s first Black two-parent family sitcom.
Shepard told Netflix, “Once Sony said ‘Good Times,’ ‘Norman Lear,’ I said, ‘Say less. I’m there.’”
Good Times, coming to Netflix on April 12, is also executive-produced by Stephen Curry, Lear, and Seth MacFarlane. It’s a spiritual sequel of sorts to the live-action original, centering on the fourth generation of the Evans family living in apartment 17C of a Chicago housing project. Lear, who produced groundbreaking sitcoms The Jeffersons, Maude, Sanford and Son, and All in the Family, made pivotal...
Shepard told Netflix, “Once Sony said ‘Good Times,’ ‘Norman Lear,’ I said, ‘Say less. I’m there.’”
Good Times, coming to Netflix on April 12, is also executive-produced by Stephen Curry, Lear, and Seth MacFarlane. It’s a spiritual sequel of sorts to the live-action original, centering on the fourth generation of the Evans family living in apartment 17C of a Chicago housing project. Lear, who produced groundbreaking sitcoms The Jeffersons, Maude, Sanford and Son, and All in the Family, made pivotal...
- 3/27/2024
- by Stephan Lee
- Tudum - Netflix
In the "All in the Family" episode "Gloria Sings the Blues", Archie (Carroll O'Connor) wakes up Michael (Rob Reiner) so that they may leave for a fishing trip. In his usual cantankerous fashion, Archie berates Michael for sleeping in and begins to explain the importance of leaving on time. Michael idly puts on his shoes ... but something is awry. Archie stops Michael, noticing that he has put a sock and a shoe on his left foot before putting a sock on his right foot. Archie is perturbed. This faux pas will not stand. "Don't you know," he says, "the whole world puts on a sock and a sock and a shoe and a shoe?" Defensively, Michael says "I like to take care of one foot at a time!"
They then have a whole conversation as to whether or not "sock-sock-shoe-shoe" is "correct," or if "sock-shoe-sock-shoe" is correct. It's a nitpicking...
They then have a whole conversation as to whether or not "sock-sock-shoe-shoe" is "correct," or if "sock-shoe-sock-shoe" is correct. It's a nitpicking...
- 3/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Eight years before "Saturday Night Live" started stirring up trouble for NBC, "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" was the counterculture bane of CBS' programming existence. And unlike the surprisingly game gang at 30 Rockefeller Center, the suits at the Eye (that's the nickname for CBS' logo) could not be mollified by high ratings.
The enmity between CBS and Smothers was forged by a perfect confluence of time and content. When the variety show premiered on February 5, 1967, the United States was waging two very different wars on two geographically inconvenient fronts. The country had just entered its second year of full-on, boots-on-the-ground combat in Vietnam, and though a slim majority still supported the conflict, the nation's youth weren't keen on getting drafted to fight an enemy that didn't pose an immediate physical threat to America. This unease dovetailed with the unrest at home: anti-war protests, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, and a...
The enmity between CBS and Smothers was forged by a perfect confluence of time and content. When the variety show premiered on February 5, 1967, the United States was waging two very different wars on two geographically inconvenient fronts. The country had just entered its second year of full-on, boots-on-the-ground combat in Vietnam, and though a slim majority still supported the conflict, the nation's youth weren't keen on getting drafted to fight an enemy that didn't pose an immediate physical threat to America. This unease dovetailed with the unrest at home: anti-war protests, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement, and a...
- 3/22/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Very sad news today as it’s been reported that M. Emmet Walsh has died at the age of 88. No matter the size of the role, the prolific character actor always made a unique impression throughout his long career, which spanned six decades.
M. Emmet Walsh is best known for playing Bryant in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, the captain of the Los Angeles Police Department who tasks Deckard with tracking down the replicants at the beginning of the film. He told THR that the cast and crew weren’t quite sure what the make of the movie when they first saw it. “I don’t know if I really understood what in the hell it was all about,” Walsh said. “We all sat there and it ended. And nothing. We didn’t know what to say or to think or do! We didn’t know what in the hell we had done!
M. Emmet Walsh is best known for playing Bryant in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, the captain of the Los Angeles Police Department who tasks Deckard with tracking down the replicants at the beginning of the film. He told THR that the cast and crew weren’t quite sure what the make of the movie when they first saw it. “I don’t know if I really understood what in the hell it was all about,” Walsh said. “We all sat there and it ended. And nothing. We didn’t know what to say or to think or do! We didn’t know what in the hell we had done!
- 3/20/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Seven years ago, Donald Glover won his first two Emmys, Best Comedy Actor and Best Comedy Directing for “Atlanta.” While he missed out on nominations last year for the final season of his FX series — he did receive a writing bid for “Swarm” — Glover is back in the hunt this cycle with “Mr. & Mrs. Smith.” Inspired by the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie film of the same name, the spy series is competing in drama, which means Glover could become just the second man and third person to win lead Emmys in comedy and drama.
Carroll O’Connor is thus far the only male performer to have achieved this, having pocketed a record-setting four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for “All in the Family” in 1972 and three in a row from 1977-79 before adding a Best Drama Actor statuette for “In the Heat of the Night” in 1989. The only other member...
Carroll O’Connor is thus far the only male performer to have achieved this, having pocketed a record-setting four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for “All in the Family” in 1972 and three in a row from 1977-79 before adding a Best Drama Actor statuette for “In the Heat of the Night” in 1989. The only other member...
- 3/19/2024
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
"All in the Family" might've been Norman Lear's finest half-hour as a sitcom producer, but I'm not sure he ever put a funnier show on the airwaves than "The Jeffersons." For 11 seasons, Sherman Hemsley's dry-cleaning magnate George Jefferson and Isabel Sanford's good-hearted Louise "Weezy" Jefferson led a stellar cast that delivered edgy-for-network-television laughs revolving around race, class, gender, and whatever happened to be grinding the hot-headed George's gears that particular week. It was the African-American answer to "All in the Family" (on which the characters of George and Weezy originated), and might actually be more shocking today for its fearless deployment of the n-word (particularly early in the series' run).
And if you're making a list of the most memorable theme songs in television history, "The Jeffersons" better be in the top five. Anyone who grew up watching the show in prime time or via syndication should...
And if you're making a list of the most memorable theme songs in television history, "The Jeffersons" better be in the top five. Anyone who grew up watching the show in prime time or via syndication should...
- 3/18/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
As the social and political turmoil of 1960s America spilled into the 1970s, network television executives and producers knew they could no longer ignore the thorny issues being argued over kitchen tables and at work/school. The Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Equal Rights Amendment, etc. were driving a wedge between families and neighbors. So when Norman Lear trotted out the unrepentant bigot Archie Bunker on "All in the Family" in 1971, many people in the country felt seen. And while they might not agree on the hot-button topics explored on this show, they could at least laugh through their many disagreements.
There came a point, however (somewhere between President Richard M. Nixon's resignation and the end of the Vietnam War), where television viewers grew weary of all these socially conscious sitcoms. Yes, they were still watching them in huge numbers, but they needed a break from the nonstop tumult of their lives.
There came a point, however (somewhere between President Richard M. Nixon's resignation and the end of the Vietnam War), where television viewers grew weary of all these socially conscious sitcoms. Yes, they were still watching them in huge numbers, but they needed a break from the nonstop tumult of their lives.
- 3/17/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Before "All in the Family" became one of the most groundbreaking sitcoms of all time, it was a non-starter with two failed pilot episodes and counting. The first, titled "Justice For All," was taped 3 years before the original show's run and featured a cast including Carol O'Conner and Jean Stapleton, who would go on to play married couple Archie and Edith Bunker in the final version of the show. The actors playing the Bunker family's daughter Edith and son-in-law Michael were different, though, played by Kelly Jean Peters ("Cagney & Lacey") and Tim McIntire ("Soap"), whose character was initially named Richard.
O'Conner explained in his memoir "I Think I'm Outta Here" that he largely rewrote the original pilot script himself, and the pilot was recorded in New York in October 1968. According to a Time Magazine 50th anniversary retrospective by Daniel S. Levy, network execs weren't pleased with the casting choices for...
O'Conner explained in his memoir "I Think I'm Outta Here" that he largely rewrote the original pilot script himself, and the pilot was recorded in New York in October 1968. According to a Time Magazine 50th anniversary retrospective by Daniel S. Levy, network execs weren't pleased with the casting choices for...
- 3/17/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
In the "All in the Family" episode "Archie the Hero", the bigoted Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) saves the life of an unconscious woman in the back of his taxicab by giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Later, the woman, Beverly Lasalle (Lori Shannon) comes to Archie's place to thank him for his good deed, and Archie is surprised to learn that she was, in fact, a man in women's clothing. Archie -- as was the central shtick of "All in the Family" -- must struggle through his bigotry and come to terms with the fact that he, gasp, put his mouth on another man's mouth. Lori Shannon, incidentally, was the drag queen persona of standup comedian Don Seymour McLean, a celebrity in the comedy scene until his death in 1984.
In "Archie the Hero," Edith (Jean Stapleton) immediately loves Beverly, and the two become fast friends. Archie is still an a-hole about...
In "Archie the Hero," Edith (Jean Stapleton) immediately loves Beverly, and the two become fast friends. Archie is still an a-hole about...
- 3/16/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There wasn't a more popular or influential (or controversial) sitcom in the 1970s than "All in the Family." Created by Norman Lear, the series was a stingingly hilarious satire of American attitudes as the country adjusted to the post-Civil Rights Movement era and coped with the increasingly unpopular Vietnam War.
The genius of "All in the Family" was Lear's ability to make every single one of his main characters behave ridiculously without becoming full-on caricatures. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) was an unrepentant bigot, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was a well-meaning ditz, his daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) was a work-in-progress idealist who went from dopey to fairly sharp as the series progressed, and his son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic represented everything Archie hated about liberals in one preachy package. We all saw a bit of ourselves and the people we have no choice but to call family in the Bunkers, and...
The genius of "All in the Family" was Lear's ability to make every single one of his main characters behave ridiculously without becoming full-on caricatures. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) was an unrepentant bigot, his wife Edith (Jean Stapleton) was a well-meaning ditz, his daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) was a work-in-progress idealist who went from dopey to fairly sharp as the series progressed, and his son-in-law Michael "Meathead" Stivic represented everything Archie hated about liberals in one preachy package. We all saw a bit of ourselves and the people we have no choice but to call family in the Bunkers, and...
- 3/9/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Rob Reiner is the multi-hyphenate who has excelled both in front of and behind the camera for over 50 years, starting as an actor before moving into directing. Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films as a director, ranked worst to best.
Reiner was born into the business as the son of performer Estelle Reiner and comedian Carl Reiner, creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He shot to fame on television with his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to buffoonish bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) on “All in the Family.” The series brought him two Emmys as Best Comedy Supporting Actor (1974 and 1978). His victory, in fact, made the show the first to ever win acting prizes for all four of its leads, with O’Connor and Jean Stapleton prevailing in lead and Sally Struthers in supporting.
He transitioned into filmmaking with the rock...
Reiner was born into the business as the son of performer Estelle Reiner and comedian Carl Reiner, creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He shot to fame on television with his role as Mike “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to buffoonish bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor) on “All in the Family.” The series brought him two Emmys as Best Comedy Supporting Actor (1974 and 1978). His victory, in fact, made the show the first to ever win acting prizes for all four of its leads, with O’Connor and Jean Stapleton prevailing in lead and Sally Struthers in supporting.
He transitioned into filmmaking with the rock...
- 3/1/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Gail Berman’s four-decade-plus career has taken her from Broadway to the big screen and back again, with stints as a studio chief and a new media entrepreneur in between.
“I’m your pivot girl,” says Berman, who last year received nominations for both a best picture Oscar (“Elvis”) and a comedy series Emmy (Netflix’s “Wednesday”). “Every five years, I have to do something else. It’s just my nature.”
Berman scored her first producing credit at the age of 23 when she and her former U. of Maryland classmate Susan R. Rose brought to Broadway a production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” After a decade-long run in the theater biz, burned out on raising money, she took a job as an associate producer for HBO’s new sister outlet, the Comedy Channel.
“I’d never worked in television ever, not even really thought about it much,...
“I’m your pivot girl,” says Berman, who last year received nominations for both a best picture Oscar (“Elvis”) and a comedy series Emmy (Netflix’s “Wednesday”). “Every five years, I have to do something else. It’s just my nature.”
Berman scored her first producing credit at the age of 23 when she and her former U. of Maryland classmate Susan R. Rose brought to Broadway a production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” After a decade-long run in the theater biz, burned out on raising money, she took a job as an associate producer for HBO’s new sister outlet, the Comedy Channel.
“I’d never worked in television ever, not even really thought about it much,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Todd Longwell
- Variety Film + TV
In a way, Rob Reiner has come full circle.
Decades ago, before The Princess Bride, before A Few Good Men, Reiner first made his mark as Michael “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to the racist, conservative Archie Bunker on one of the biggest TV shows of the 1970s, All in the Family. Week after week, Stivic stood up for liberal values in the face of Bunker’s jingoistic, racist nationalism. While conservatives loathed him, for progressives, he was one of the only voices of conscience on national television.
And now,...
Decades ago, before The Princess Bride, before A Few Good Men, Reiner first made his mark as Michael “Meathead” Stivic, the liberal son-in-law to the racist, conservative Archie Bunker on one of the biggest TV shows of the 1970s, All in the Family. Week after week, Stivic stood up for liberal values in the face of Bunker’s jingoistic, racist nationalism. While conservatives loathed him, for progressives, he was one of the only voices of conscience on national television.
And now,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Jay Michaelson
- Rollingstone.com
It’s the month of love, and with Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, we’ve looked to some of our favorite TV shows to find happy couples who seem to always get love right, with happy and loving relationships that weather many a storm. In a medium known for changing things up and shocking finales, who are some of these couples who made it through intact? We’ve scoured through the decades to find those who were either married from the beginning to the end of a series, or those who found love early on and stayed together throughout the remainder of the series.
Many of the happiest TV couples are found on sitcoms, with programs like “Happy Days” and “That ’70s Show” focusing primarily on growing kids and their friends, but also portraying a loving mom and dad who still enjoy alone time. It’s funny now to realize...
Many of the happiest TV couples are found on sitcoms, with programs like “Happy Days” and “That ’70s Show” focusing primarily on growing kids and their friends, but also portraying a loving mom and dad who still enjoy alone time. It’s funny now to realize...
- 2/13/2024
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
“Good Times,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary on Feb. 8, suffered from an identity crisis during its six-season run on CBS. So much so, the lead actors — Esther Rolle and John Amos — would leave the popular second spinoff of ‘All in the Family”(Rolle would eventually return) because the sitcom changed focus.
Norman Lear ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. He blew up the conception of a family sitcom in 1971 with the CBS sitcom “All in the Family” which focused on a working class family from Queen lead by the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). During the first season, Bea Arthur guest starred as Maude, Edith Bunker’s (Jean Stapleton) favorite cousin who was the antithesis of Archie-outspoken, much married, ultra-liberal.
And after a second appearance on “All in the Family,” Arthur got her own series “Maude” in the fall of 1972. The breakout performer on that series was Esther...
Norman Lear ruled the airwaves in the 1970s. He blew up the conception of a family sitcom in 1971 with the CBS sitcom “All in the Family” which focused on a working class family from Queen lead by the bigoted patriarch Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor). During the first season, Bea Arthur guest starred as Maude, Edith Bunker’s (Jean Stapleton) favorite cousin who was the antithesis of Archie-outspoken, much married, ultra-liberal.
And after a second appearance on “All in the Family,” Arthur got her own series “Maude” in the fall of 1972. The breakout performer on that series was Esther...
- 2/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
With 22 seasons and more than 400 episodes, Family Guy is one of the longest-running animated series ever. It launched Seth MacFarlane into the stratosphere of American pop culture. After a cancellation, the show’s cult status only grew, forcing the show to return to Fox, where it continues. And as far as creator McFarlane is concerned, the show will keep going.
Speaking with The Wrap, McFarlane said that Family Guy hasn’t really been given a reason to go off the air. Even after its numerous controversies — mostly concerning critics targeting the show’s supposed transphobia and misogyny, not to mention its warped “hot takes” on pop culture, at different points of its run — the show continues to have a following. “It’s still surviving and thriving. It still has a sizable audience and is a perfect example of there being an appetite for something. So we continue to feed the beast…...
Speaking with The Wrap, McFarlane said that Family Guy hasn’t really been given a reason to go off the air. Even after its numerous controversies — mostly concerning critics targeting the show’s supposed transphobia and misogyny, not to mention its warped “hot takes” on pop culture, at different points of its run — the show continues to have a following. “It’s still surviving and thriving. It still has a sizable audience and is a perfect example of there being an appetite for something. So we continue to feed the beast…...
- 2/8/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Stephanie Beatriz, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and Lilah Richcreek Estrada join ‘A Classic Spy’
Netflix’s untitled Mike Schur/Ted Danson comedy series has an official title – A Classic Spy – and 13 new cast members. The comedy, based on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Mole Agent, follows Ted Danson as Charles, a retired man who fills his hours working for a private investigator as a mole inside a secret organization.
Mike Schur created the series and serves as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Morgan Sackett, David Miner, Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibañez, Julie Goldman, and Christopher Clements. The series is produced by Universal Television.
Netflix released the following A Classic Spy cast and character descriptions:
Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) plays Emily, a married mother of three boys who has to adjust when her father Charles (Danson) makes a surprising late-life career move and becomes an undercover detective. Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) plays Didi,...
Netflix’s untitled Mike Schur/Ted Danson comedy series has an official title – A Classic Spy – and 13 new cast members. The comedy, based on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Mole Agent, follows Ted Danson as Charles, a retired man who fills his hours working for a private investigator as a mole inside a secret organization.
Mike Schur created the series and serves as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Morgan Sackett, David Miner, Maite Alberdi, Marcela Santibañez, Julie Goldman, and Christopher Clements. The series is produced by Universal Television.
Netflix released the following A Classic Spy cast and character descriptions:
Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) plays Emily, a married mother of three boys who has to adjust when her father Charles (Danson) makes a surprising late-life career move and becomes an undercover detective. Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) plays Didi,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Which familiar faces will join Ted Danson in his Netflix detective comedy, created by Mike Schur? Consider that mystery solved.
A Classic Spy, which stars Danson as a retiree named Charles who becomes a mole in a secret investigation, just announced its ensemble cast, including several actors from previous Schur projects The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Brenda Song Joins Mindy Kaling Series, Priscilla on Max and MoreNetflix Cancels Cobra Kai Creators' Action-Comedy Obliterated After 1 SeasonMatthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon to Star in James Garfield Drama From Game of Thrones EPs
Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Rosa) will play Didi,...
A Classic Spy, which stars Danson as a retiree named Charles who becomes a mole in a secret investigation, just announced its ensemble cast, including several actors from previous Schur projects The Good Place and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
More from TVLineTVLine Items: Brenda Song Joins Mindy Kaling Series, Priscilla on Max and MoreNetflix Cancels Cobra Kai Creators' Action-Comedy Obliterated After 1 SeasonMatthew Macfadyen, Michael Shannon to Star in James Garfield Drama From Game of Thrones EPs
Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Rosa) will play Didi,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Andy Swift
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: Netflix has assembled the cast around Ted Danson in the upcoming Mike Schur/Ted Danson comedy series, which now has a name, A Classic Spy. Joining Danson in the project are Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Stephanie Beatriz, Lilah Richcreek Estrada (Chicago Med), two-time Tony nominee Stephen Mckinley Henderson (Dune), two-time Emmy Award winner Sally Struthers, Eugene Cordero (Loki), Academy Award nominee Margaret Avery (The Color Purple), John Getz (Grace and Frankie), four-time Emmy nominee Susan Ruttan, Lori Tan Chinn (Joy Ride), Clyde Kusatsu (Never Have I Ever), Marc Evan Jackson (Lessons In Chemistry) and Jama Williamson (Single Parents).
A Classic Spy reunites Cordero and Jackson with Danson and Schur. Cordero and Jackson both recurred on NBC’s The Good Place, which was created/executive produced by Schur and starred Danson. Jackson also...
A Classic Spy reunites Cordero and Jackson with Danson and Schur. Cordero and Jackson both recurred on NBC’s The Good Place, which was created/executive produced by Schur and starred Danson. Jackson also...
- 2/2/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Rob Mills touched on a variety of issues related to the unscripted world and late-night in a wide-ranging interview that went everywhere from Howard Stern to AI Bachelors.
Mills, EVP, Unscripted & Alternative Entertainment at Walt Disney Television, also talked about the future of the Live in Front of a Studio Audience franchise following the death of Norman Lear and whether he’s thinking about putting the ‘golden’ touch to other ABC shows such as American Idol or Shark Tank in light of the success of The Bachelor spinoff.
Lear died in December at the age of 101. He was working right up until his death and over the last few years one of his most high-profile series has been Live in Front of a Studio Audience, a series of live specials re-creating comedies such as All In The Family, Good Times, The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes with stars such as Woody Harrelson,...
Mills, EVP, Unscripted & Alternative Entertainment at Walt Disney Television, also talked about the future of the Live in Front of a Studio Audience franchise following the death of Norman Lear and whether he’s thinking about putting the ‘golden’ touch to other ABC shows such as American Idol or Shark Tank in light of the success of The Bachelor spinoff.
Lear died in December at the age of 101. He was working right up until his death and over the last few years one of his most high-profile series has been Live in Front of a Studio Audience, a series of live specials re-creating comedies such as All In The Family, Good Times, The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes with stars such as Woody Harrelson,...
- 1/29/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmys producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay had reason to be upbeat the morning after the kudocast: In what seems to be a rarity for awards shows these days, their production earned almost universally high marks from critics and viewers. For the 75th annual celebration, the Jesse Collins Entertainment trio leaned into nostalgia and the history of television to create a three-hour event that paid tribute to the small screen.
“It was ambitious, and we were like, ‘Is this actually going to work?’ But we felt good about it in the end,” Collins told Variety on Tuesday morning. Except for one thing: The 75th Emmys on Fox faced an NFL wild card game, as well as news coverage of the Iowa caucuses. Throw in awards show fatigue (coming right after the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards) and confusion over the delayed Emmys (pushed four months from...
“It was ambitious, and we were like, ‘Is this actually going to work?’ But we felt good about it in the end,” Collins told Variety on Tuesday morning. Except for one thing: The 75th Emmys on Fox faced an NFL wild card game, as well as news coverage of the Iowa caucuses. Throw in awards show fatigue (coming right after the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards) and confusion over the delayed Emmys (pushed four months from...
- 1/18/2024
- by Michael Schneider and Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
At the fourth Emmy Awards in 1952, the first trophy for Best Comedy Series was presented to “The Red Skelton Show.” Since then, almost 40 different laffers have been honored as television’s top comedy. Scroll through our photo gallery below of every winner for Best Comedy Series in Emmy history.
“Modern Family” and “Frasier” hold the record for most wins in this category, with both earning five consecutive wins. “All in the Family” and “Cheers” are next in line with four victories apiece. Amazon Prime Video became the first streaming service to take this title with back-to-back wins in 2018 for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and 2019 for “Fleabag.” Originally published August 2018.
“Modern Family” and “Frasier” hold the record for most wins in this category, with both earning five consecutive wins. “All in the Family” and “Cheers” are next in line with four victories apiece. Amazon Prime Video became the first streaming service to take this title with back-to-back wins in 2018 for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and 2019 for “Fleabag.” Originally published August 2018.
- 1/18/2024
- by Tony Ruiz and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Despite pulling out all of the stops, ratings for the Emmy Awards hit a record-low this year.
Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the 75th annual Emmy Awards delivered an audience of 4.3 million total viewers and a 0.85 rating among Adults 18-49 — a high for Fox as it became the network’s most-watched Monday unscripted telecast in over eight-and-a-half years, but a new low for the awards show according to Nielsen data. Straying from its typical fall schedule due to last year’s historic strikes, this was the first time ever the Emmy Awards aired against an NFL playoff game which likely also played a role. Fox will share final numbers once they become available tomorrow.
For comparison, the 2022 show hosted by Keenan Thompson on NBC drew 5.9 million total viewers — which was the most recent record for the awards show reflecting a 25% drop in viewership from the previous year. It also recorded a...
Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the 75th annual Emmy Awards delivered an audience of 4.3 million total viewers and a 0.85 rating among Adults 18-49 — a high for Fox as it became the network’s most-watched Monday unscripted telecast in over eight-and-a-half years, but a new low for the awards show according to Nielsen data. Straying from its typical fall schedule due to last year’s historic strikes, this was the first time ever the Emmy Awards aired against an NFL playoff game which likely also played a role. Fox will share final numbers once they become available tomorrow.
For comparison, the 2022 show hosted by Keenan Thompson on NBC drew 5.9 million total viewers — which was the most recent record for the awards show reflecting a 25% drop in viewership from the previous year. It also recorded a...
- 1/16/2024
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Mission accomplished: Not only did the Emmys end on time, but several times throughout the telecast, it was actually ahead of schedule. Variety caught up with Emmys telecast producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay on Tuesday morning — just hours after wrapping the event — and all three felt gratified and relieved to have pulled off an Emmys befitting the kudocast’s 75th anniversary.
“Our intention was to create a love letter to television and to sprinkle in the reunions and the nostalgia throughout,” said Harmon. “It was received the way that we hoped it would be, so we’re glad it made everybody happy.”
Added Collins: “There was a definitely a little anxiety going into it, because we took some swings. It was ambitious and we were like, ‘Is this actually going to work?’ But we felt good about it in the end.”
In a rarity for an awards...
“Our intention was to create a love letter to television and to sprinkle in the reunions and the nostalgia throughout,” said Harmon. “It was received the way that we hoped it would be, so we’re glad it made everybody happy.”
Added Collins: “There was a definitely a little anxiety going into it, because we took some swings. It was ambitious and we were like, ‘Is this actually going to work?’ But we felt good about it in the end.”
In a rarity for an awards...
- 1/16/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Two original cast members from CBS’ All in the Family reunited for an Emmy Awards tribute to Norman Lear. Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner spoke of Lear’s influence on television and how grateful they were to be part of the “unique family” of his original shows.
The ‘All in the Family’ cast is proud to be a part of Norman Lear’s ‘unique family’
Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner were part of the quartet of core actors that made up the All in the Family cast. They played Mike and Gloria Stivic, the daughter and son-in-law of Archie and Edith Bunker.
The co-stars appeared on a set decorated like the Bunker family home. Furthermore, the iconic living room is a part of television history.
“Sally and I were part of a unique television family. Not just the Bunkers, but Norman Lear’s extended family,” Reiner began. “Over the decades,...
The ‘All in the Family’ cast is proud to be a part of Norman Lear’s ‘unique family’
Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner were part of the quartet of core actors that made up the All in the Family cast. They played Mike and Gloria Stivic, the daughter and son-in-law of Archie and Edith Bunker.
The co-stars appeared on a set decorated like the Bunker family home. Furthermore, the iconic living room is a part of television history.
“Sally and I were part of a unique television family. Not just the Bunkers, but Norman Lear’s extended family,” Reiner began. “Over the decades,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Seth Macfarlane’s animated series Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and American Dad have become as culturally significant as The Simpsons. With edgy humor and non sequitur galore, MacFarlane segued to the big screen with the fantasy comedy Ted starring Mark Wahlberg about a man-child and his teddy bear who has come alive. Full of gross-out humor and equal amounts of heartfelt comedy, Ted was a smash hit and spawned a sequel. Since then, MacFarlane has made A Million Ways To Die In The West and the more serious science fiction series The Orville. Now, MacFarlane is returning to Ted with a Peacock prequel series that blends the sitcom format of his animated shows with that same blend of crass and feel-good comedy that has become his trademark.
Ted, the series, goes back to the high school years for John Bennett (Max Burkholder taking over for Mark Wahlberg) as he...
Ted, the series, goes back to the high school years for John Bennett (Max Burkholder taking over for Mark Wahlberg) as he...
- 1/16/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
There’s some obvious good news about this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards. The show, hosted by Anthony Anderson, and dedicated to celebrating 75 years of television for the 75th annual Emmy ceremony, was about as solid and entertaining as modern awards telecasts get: lots of nostalgia, lots of reminders of why we love the medium being honored, and a minimum of prolonged comedy bits that don’t work. It wasn’t perfect, but it had energy and strong feelings for nearly all of its three-hour running time.
More good news!
More good news!
- 1/16/2024
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
One week after Jo Koy received an “F” grade for hosting the Golden Globes, all eyes were on Anthony Anderson as he stepped foot on the Emmys stage for the first time as an emcee. The comedian and actor kept audiences entertained for three hours on Fox with his constant musical performances, including “The Facts of Life,” “Good Times” and “Miami Vice.” Meanwhile, his loving Mama, Doris Hancox, interrupted winners on the big stage if their speeches went on too long.
In all, the majority of Emmy viewers gave Anderson a passing grade for his inaugural hosting abilities, according to Gold Derby’s overnight poll. Here are the complete poll results:
B — I rather liked him — 37%
A — Brilliant from start to finish! — 28%
F — Awful, awful, awful — 19%
C — He was just okay — 9%
D — Somewhat forgettable — 7%
See 2023 Emmy Winners: Full List [Updating Live]
At one point, Anderson mentioned how he was an 11-time Emmy...
In all, the majority of Emmy viewers gave Anderson a passing grade for his inaugural hosting abilities, according to Gold Derby’s overnight poll. Here are the complete poll results:
B — I rather liked him — 37%
A — Brilliant from start to finish! — 28%
F — Awful, awful, awful — 19%
C — He was just okay — 9%
D — Somewhat forgettable — 7%
See 2023 Emmy Winners: Full List [Updating Live]
At one point, Anderson mentioned how he was an 11-time Emmy...
- 1/16/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Almost as soon as the 75th Primetime Emmys ceremony began, it became clear that the event’s organizers and the especially anxious nominees’ level of excitement for the return of TV’s highest honors matched that of the superfans watching at home. Although it was initially disappointing to learn that these award results would be delayed four whole months, it’s wonderful to now know that the creatives behind the programs we cherish have secured the rights and compensation they deserve and could celebrate tonight in true comfort. It’s also fitting that this long-awaited party marked 75 years of Emmys history, and host Anthony Anderson and his team couldn’t have done a better job of paying equal tribute to the television of yesterday and today.
This was Anderson’s first time emceeing the Emmys, but you’d never know it from the way he effortlessly charmed his way through the proceedings,...
This was Anderson’s first time emceeing the Emmys, but you’d never know it from the way he effortlessly charmed his way through the proceedings,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The 75th Primetime Emmys was a somewhat predictable affair, with "Succession," "The Bear" and "Beef" winning nearly everything, but there was one creative choice that made it stand clearly above the Emmys of the past few years. The theme this time around was honoring the most beloved shows in TV history, which made for a far more interesting transition between awards than the usual random comedy schticks.
This year included the reunion of Jon Cryer and Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men," a speech from Arsenio Hall of "The Arsenio Hall Show," and another speech by Carol Burnett from "The Carol Burnett Show." We got an extended homage to "The Twilight Zone," as well as references to "Taxi," "Dynasty," and "Mad Men." There were also cast reunions for ongoing shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Considering how long they've been going on and the impact...
This year included the reunion of Jon Cryer and Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men," a speech from Arsenio Hall of "The Arsenio Hall Show," and another speech by Carol Burnett from "The Carol Burnett Show." We got an extended homage to "The Twilight Zone," as well as references to "Taxi," "Dynasty," and "Mad Men." There were also cast reunions for ongoing shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Considering how long they've been going on and the impact...
- 1/16/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Ally McBeal, Grey’s Anatomy, Cheers, Martin and The Sopranos were among the beloved television shows celebrated with cast reunions at the 2023 Emmys ceremony.
In honor of the Primetime Emmy Awards marking its 75th anniversary, castmembers from a number of notable series reunited to present awards at the ceremony that was held Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This included re-created sets for many of the celebrated shows.
Among the moments gathering buzz was a reunion for Ally McBeal stars Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol, and Gil Bellows. The performers emerged from the show’s bathroom set to dance to “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” by Barry White.
Also notable was Grey’s Anatomy gathering current and former stars Ellen Pompeo, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson with Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers. “Yes, there have been some changes over the years, but the one...
In honor of the Primetime Emmy Awards marking its 75th anniversary, castmembers from a number of notable series reunited to present awards at the ceremony that was held Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This included re-created sets for many of the celebrated shows.
Among the moments gathering buzz was a reunion for Ally McBeal stars Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol, and Gil Bellows. The performers emerged from the show’s bathroom set to dance to “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” by Barry White.
Also notable was Grey’s Anatomy gathering current and former stars Ellen Pompeo, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson with Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers. “Yes, there have been some changes over the years, but the one...
- 1/16/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
No matter what they did on Monday night, the Emmys were bound to seem like old news. Bumped from the originally scheduled date of Sept. 18 and dropped into January because of the writers and actors strikes, the ceremony came at the end of a two-week stretch that had included the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Choice Awards, both of which had already given awards to a lot of the people and shows that won at the Emmys.
And yet it didn’t really matter. The show, which celebrated the Emmys’ 75th anniversary, was itself a well-done tribute to nostalgia fueled by reunions of casts from “All in the Family” to “Cheers” to “Grey’s Anatomy” to “The Sopranos.” So what’s wrong with a little more looking back when the envelopes were opened?
Fox’s Emmy broadcast brought us the third acceptance speeches in eight days for “The Bear” leads...
And yet it didn’t really matter. The show, which celebrated the Emmys’ 75th anniversary, was itself a well-done tribute to nostalgia fueled by reunions of casts from “All in the Family” to “Cheers” to “Grey’s Anatomy” to “The Sopranos.” So what’s wrong with a little more looking back when the envelopes were opened?
Fox’s Emmy broadcast brought us the third acceptance speeches in eight days for “The Bear” leads...
- 1/16/2024
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The long-delayed Emmy Awards for the 2022-2023 TV season had to overcome the challenge of seeming like a complete afterthought — and for the most part it succeeded.
The ceremony for the 75th Emmys was designed as a tribute to the medium, and featured reunions from shows such as “All in the Family,” “The Sopranos,” “Martin” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” the last of which featured the beloved, departed cast members Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers, alongside Og stars Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. Among the evening’s highlights were Jennifer Coolidge thanking “all the evil gays,” Niecy Nash-Betts thanking herself and “every Black and Brown woman who have gone unheard, yet overpoliced,” and a moving, hilarious appearance by nominee Christina Applegate as the show’s first presenter. And HBO’s “Succession” took its final victory lap after the Jesse Armstrong-created series ended in May of last year, including...
The ceremony for the 75th Emmys was designed as a tribute to the medium, and featured reunions from shows such as “All in the Family,” “The Sopranos,” “Martin” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” the last of which featured the beloved, departed cast members Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers, alongside Og stars Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. Among the evening’s highlights were Jennifer Coolidge thanking “all the evil gays,” Niecy Nash-Betts thanking herself and “every Black and Brown woman who have gone unheard, yet overpoliced,” and a moving, hilarious appearance by nominee Christina Applegate as the show’s first presenter. And HBO’s “Succession” took its final victory lap after the Jesse Armstrong-created series ended in May of last year, including...
- 1/16/2024
- by Kate Aurthur and Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Viewers were left baffled on Monday, January 15, when the 2023 Emmy Awards left several stars out of the show’s emotional In Memoriam tribute. The segment, which pays tribute to stars who passed away since the previous year’s (September 2022) ceremony, honored the likes of Norman Lear, Angela Lansbury, and Andre Braugher. As such, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers introduced the segment in light of the recent loss of Lear, the pioneering producer renowned for creating groundbreaking series like their All in the Family, as well as Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, and Good Times. As the presentation started, several stars appeared to the tune of Charlie Puth‘s “See You Again,” which shifted to a special tribute to Matthew Perry accompanied by the theme song of Friends. Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Richard Belzer, Treat Williams, and Angus Cloud were also honored alongside Lance Reddick. However, there were still some snubs,...
- 1/16/2024
- TV Insider
Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers took the stage at the 2023 Emmys to pay tribute to their former colleague Norman Lear, in addition to other notable television figures who passed away since the previous ceremony.
Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty — comprised of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — performed the former’s hit 2015 song “See You Again” for the In Memoriam segment. They finished the segment with a rendition of the Friends theme song that coincided with Matthew Perry being featured as the final name in the video tribute.
In keeping with the ceremony’s theme of celebrating television reunions, Reiner and Struthers reminisced about their time together as co-stars on All in the Family, the classic CBS sitcom that debuted in 1971 and ran for nine seasons.
“There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius — it’s ‘kochleffel,'” Reiner said. “For all you non-Jews out there,...
Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty — comprised of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter — performed the former’s hit 2015 song “See You Again” for the In Memoriam segment. They finished the segment with a rendition of the Friends theme song that coincided with Matthew Perry being featured as the final name in the video tribute.
In keeping with the ceremony’s theme of celebrating television reunions, Reiner and Struthers reminisced about their time together as co-stars on All in the Family, the classic CBS sitcom that debuted in 1971 and ran for nine seasons.
“There’s a Yiddish word that describes Norman’s genius — it’s ‘kochleffel,'” Reiner said. “For all you non-Jews out there,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You never go full blackface. That is, unless you understand the joke. But for some – chiefly those who couldn’t pick up on the satire – Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder was too easy of a target: here was a white actor (playing a white actor) playing a Black character. But Rdj, as he should but shouldn’t have to, continues to defend Tropic Thunder.
To make his latest point, Downey Jr. noted on Rob Lowe’s podcast (via Variety) how All in the Family, the Norman Lear show that exposed bigotry in American culture via comedy, actually ran with a disclaimer saying just that. Like Tropic Thunder nearly three decades after All in the Family went off the air, it put a light on a number of common portrayals.
Regarding the disclaimer, Downey Jr. said, “The language was saying, ‘Hey, this is the reason that we’re doing these things that,...
To make his latest point, Downey Jr. noted on Rob Lowe’s podcast (via Variety) how All in the Family, the Norman Lear show that exposed bigotry in American culture via comedy, actually ran with a disclaimer saying just that. Like Tropic Thunder nearly three decades after All in the Family went off the air, it put a light on a number of common portrayals.
Regarding the disclaimer, Downey Jr. said, “The language was saying, ‘Hey, this is the reason that we’re doing these things that,...
- 1/14/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
You may have heard that the 75th edition of the Emmy Awards is finally happening on Monday, capping a nearly four-month delay resulting from the twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. I think “Gunsmoke” and “The Andy Griffith Show” were still all the rage when this process began, JFK was President and a loaf of bread was a quarter. Alas, I exaggerate (though just a bit). But for this and no doubt other reasons, the TV Academy is clearly in a nostalgic mood, slating mini-reunions and tributes to and/or visual recreations of a dozen shows to mark the occasion.
The idea, according to the Emmy producers, is to honor television throughout the decades of its existence, from the 1950s (“I Love Lucy”), to the 1960s (“The Carol Burnett Show”), the 1970s (“All in the Family”), the 1980s (“Cheers”) and the 1990s (“Ally McBeal” and “Martin”) through the early 2000s.
SEE...
The idea, according to the Emmy producers, is to honor television throughout the decades of its existence, from the 1950s (“I Love Lucy”), to the 1960s (“The Carol Burnett Show”), the 1970s (“All in the Family”), the 1980s (“Cheers”) and the 1990s (“Ally McBeal” and “Martin”) through the early 2000s.
SEE...
- 1/13/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Robert Downey Jr. has long defended his role in “Tropic Thunder,” the 2008 comedy from director Ben Stiller that cast the “Iron Man” star as an egotistical Australian thespian who takes Method acting to an extreme by undergoing “pigmentation alteration” surgery to darken his skin in order to play a Black solider in a war movie. Some have come down on Downey Jr. in recent years for doing Blackface in the film, but the actor has never agreed with the backlash.
During an appearance on Rob Lowe’s “Literally!” podcast while on his “Oppenheimer” awards campaign trail, Downey Jr. drew a line between “Tropic Thunder” and Norman Lear’s iconic sitcom “All in the Family.” He said both works shine a light on “tropes that are not right and had been perpetuated for too long” and faced criticism from those who weren’t seeing the bigger picture.
“I was looking back at ‘All in the Family,...
During an appearance on Rob Lowe’s “Literally!” podcast while on his “Oppenheimer” awards campaign trail, Downey Jr. drew a line between “Tropic Thunder” and Norman Lear’s iconic sitcom “All in the Family.” He said both works shine a light on “tropes that are not right and had been perpetuated for too long” and faced criticism from those who weren’t seeing the bigger picture.
“I was looking back at ‘All in the Family,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner presented by A+E Studios on Thursday night gathered writers recognized on the publication’s annual TV Producers Impact List, as well as several of this year’s Emmy nominees. In addition, megaproducer Chuck Lorre was honored with Variety’s first Norman Lear Award.
Held at Merois, on the rooftop of the Pendry West Hollywood, the Variety Showrunners Dinner included a very funny acceptance speech by Lorre, who pointed out some of the similarities — but more humorously, the differences — between the two icons.
“I think everyone here understands the enormity and significance of Norman Lear’s body of work,” Lorre began. “So in accepting this award, I don’t think it’s false modesty to take a moment and focus on the very large differences between his career and my own. For starters, Norman Lear began his career writing for Hollywood legends like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Held at Merois, on the rooftop of the Pendry West Hollywood, the Variety Showrunners Dinner included a very funny acceptance speech by Lorre, who pointed out some of the similarities — but more humorously, the differences — between the two icons.
“I think everyone here understands the enormity and significance of Norman Lear’s body of work,” Lorre began. “So in accepting this award, I don’t think it’s false modesty to take a moment and focus on the very large differences between his career and my own. For starters, Norman Lear began his career writing for Hollywood legends like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
- 1/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Some of the original Grey’s Anatomy cast are getting the band back together at the 75th Emmy Awards.
Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson will present during the ceremony. And they’re not the only ones.
Some of the actors from Sopranos, Ally McBeal, Martin and more will take the stage on Monday night. Here are all the reunions set for the show:
Sopranos: Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli Martin: Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II and Tichina Arnold Ally McBeal: Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol and Gil Bellows SNL Weekend Update: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (also nominated for Outstanding Host, Reality or Competition Program) American Horror Story: Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott Grey’s Anatomy: Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson
The TV Academy also...
Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson will present during the ceremony. And they’re not the only ones.
Some of the actors from Sopranos, Ally McBeal, Martin and more will take the stage on Monday night. Here are all the reunions set for the show:
Sopranos: Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli Martin: Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II and Tichina Arnold Ally McBeal: Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol and Gil Bellows SNL Weekend Update: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (also nominated for Outstanding Host, Reality or Competition Program) American Horror Story: Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott Grey’s Anatomy: Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson
The TV Academy also...
- 1/12/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
David Soul, who starred alongside Paul Michael Glaser on the 1970s’ ABC buddy cop show Starsky and Hutch and had a No. 1 hit with the song “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died. He was 80.
Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.
On two...
Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.
On two...
- 1/5/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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