Humanitas has tapped actors/writers June Diane Raphael and Paul Scheer as host of this year’s Humanitas Prizes event, which will take place on Thursday, September 12 (three days before the Emmy Awards) at Avalon Hollywood.
“As writers, actors, and comedians June and Paul work tirelessly to champion stories and the people creating them,” said Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke in a statement. “Year after year, the Humanitas Prizes crowd is warm, engaged, and ready to laugh, and we know they’re going to have a blast with these two leading our show.”
The Humanitas Prizes nominees will be announced later this summer, the org said. The annual prize recognizes “writers exploring the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way” across nine TV and feature categories.
As part of the awards, Humanitas has also launched the Starz #TakeTheLead award, “which will recognize a New Voices Fellowship alum who has demonstrated...
“As writers, actors, and comedians June and Paul work tirelessly to champion stories and the people creating them,” said Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke in a statement. “Year after year, the Humanitas Prizes crowd is warm, engaged, and ready to laugh, and we know they’re going to have a blast with these two leading our show.”
The Humanitas Prizes nominees will be announced later this summer, the org said. The annual prize recognizes “writers exploring the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way” across nine TV and feature categories.
As part of the awards, Humanitas has also launched the Starz #TakeTheLead award, “which will recognize a New Voices Fellowship alum who has demonstrated...
- 5/22/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Third time may not always be the charm, but it was for "All in the Family." Following a pair of failed pilots, Norman Lear's pioneering sitcom hit the airwaves on January 12, 1971. Fittingly titled "Meet the Bunkers," the show's first episode is a pretty typical outing for Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) and his kin. It's basically plotless; Archie and his son-in-law Michael/Mike (Rob Reiner) squabble over religion and politics like it's their personal hobby; Archie's daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers) is equally irritated and on the verge of tears as she tries to keep the peace between the stubborn men in her life; Archie is deservedly (and hilariously) made to look like a clown for his bigotry; and the whole thing wraps up with some unguarded earnestness, illustrating why his loved ones even put up with Archie in the first place.
Like any TV pilot, the characters aren't done cooking yet.
Like any TV pilot, the characters aren't done cooking yet.
- 5/18/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Norman Lear not only knew about television, but the late TV icon was also an influential art collector along with his wife of 37 years, Lyn Davis Lear.
And now, several pieces from the Lears’ art collection will hit the Christie’s auction block, including David Hockney’s 1967 “A Lawn Being Sprinkled.” When the “All in the Family” creator bought the work in 1978 for $64,000, it marked the highest price paid for a piece by the British artist. Christie’s estimates it will bring in $25-$35 million after debuting during the 20th Century Evening Sale in New York City on May 16. “I remember when I first met Norman, he had a gallery,” Lyn Davis Lear told me. “He loved showing people art.”
David Hockney’s “A Lawn Being Sprinkled.”
Norman Lear was introduced to the local Los Angeles art scene in the 1970s by agent-turned-television-producer Richard “Dick” Dorso. “They were great friends...
And now, several pieces from the Lears’ art collection will hit the Christie’s auction block, including David Hockney’s 1967 “A Lawn Being Sprinkled.” When the “All in the Family” creator bought the work in 1978 for $64,000, it marked the highest price paid for a piece by the British artist. Christie’s estimates it will bring in $25-$35 million after debuting during the 20th Century Evening Sale in New York City on May 16. “I remember when I first met Norman, he had a gallery,” Lyn Davis Lear told me. “He loved showing people art.”
David Hockney’s “A Lawn Being Sprinkled.”
Norman Lear was introduced to the local Los Angeles art scene in the 1970s by agent-turned-television-producer Richard “Dick” Dorso. “They were great friends...
- 5/14/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
There would be no "All in the Family" without the late Carroll O'Connor. The actor spent nine seasons endearing audiences to his character Archie Bunker, a middle-aged, blue-collared, conservative working stiff who wouldn't think twice about referring to someone by a derogatory term. Year in and year out, viewers delighted in watching Archie make his liberal, self-righteous son-in-law Mike's (Rob Reiner), aka "The Meathead," blood boil. (Just listen to that live studio audience cackling at Archie's unbothered response here.) Even if you disagreed with just about every single thing that came out of Archie's mouth (which you absolutely should), O'Connor had a way of winning you over.
Perhaps that's why the actor was keen to keep the good times rollin' along, even when everyone else around him was ready to pack it in. While season 8 was clearly intended to serve as the show's swan song, O'Connor succeeded in keeping "All in the Family...
Perhaps that's why the actor was keen to keep the good times rollin' along, even when everyone else around him was ready to pack it in. While season 8 was clearly intended to serve as the show's swan song, O'Connor succeeded in keeping "All in the Family...
- 5/13/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
There’s been much hand-wringing about what comedians can and can’t say in the last few years, led by comedians who complain about the oppressiveness of so-called “cancel culture” even as they land specials on platforms as big as Netflix. Just last week, Jerry Seinfeld went one further, despairing to the New Yorker that there are virtually no shows like Cheers (that notoriously offensive series) or All in the Family anymore as “the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people.”...
- 5/9/2024
- by Danette Chavez
- Primetimer
Is Marvel combatting superhero fatigue by incorporating aspects of classic cinema? Not yet apparently, but Ryan Reynolds seemed very interested in doing so at one point. Speaking to Empire for a cover feature on “Deadpool & Wolverine” in next week’s issue, Reynolds told them his first pitch to Kevin Feige for the film was a “‘Rashomon’ story about Wolverine and Deadpool and something that they got into together, but told from three completely different perspectives.”
For context, “Rashomon” is a 1950 Jidaigeki drama from Akira Kurosawa that was the first Japanese film to receive international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, as well as an Honorary Oscar in 1952. The film tells the story of how a samurai was murdered, multiple times through multiple vantage points. Its plot has been repurposed in a number of films and television series over the decades including “The Outrage,” “Courage Under Fire,...
For context, “Rashomon” is a 1950 Jidaigeki drama from Akira Kurosawa that was the first Japanese film to receive international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, as well as an Honorary Oscar in 1952. The film tells the story of how a samurai was murdered, multiple times through multiple vantage points. Its plot has been repurposed in a number of films and television series over the decades including “The Outrage,” “Courage Under Fire,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
The line between reality and fiction in television hasn't always been obvious to people. Be it "Gilligan's Island" viewers badgering the Coast Guard to rescue the S.S. Minnow's poor shipwrecked crew or grown-up "Sesame Street" fans believing that Sonia Manzano and Emilio Delgado (who played married couple Maria and Luis for four decades) were actually hitched, history is littered with anecdotes of audiences assuming what they're seeing on their TV screen is actually happening. Despite the leaps and gains in the masses' media literacy over time, folks still need help understanding how even docuseries and so-called reality shows can easily manipulate the truth (as creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie satirized with "The Curse").
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in "All in the Family," she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. Save for her stint on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" the...
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in "All in the Family," she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. Save for her stint on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" the...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Norman Lear knew what he was getting into with "All in the Family." The late TV giant was warned from the outset that Americans would revolt against a sitcom that talked about the hot political topics of the day and didn't try to sugarcoat the country's history of racism and using religion to justify its bigotry and hatreds towards those deemed "the other." Nor, for that matter, did his doubters buy into the concept that audiences wanted to see an honest reflection of how families behave in the comfort of their homes.
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Jerry Seinfeld has been a recognized comedy star since the early ‘90s, but he has some concerns about modern audiences no longer being interested in watching comedies on their televisions just like what they used to do back in the day.
Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld
Not only did he blame the advancement of technologies, but he also pointed out how people often police comedy lines and jokes thrown on-air. This simply means that everything they say on screen can either make or break their career due to the rise of cancel culture.
Jerry Seinfeld Airs Frustration Over The Ever-Changing World Of Comedy Shows
In his interview with The New Yorker, actor-comedian Jerry Seinfeld lamented the fall of traditional comedy that viewers enjoy on their small screens. Back in the day, people would relax in the form of tuning into their favorite comedy show.
“You mean, like Friends?”: Jerry Seinfeld...
Jerry Seinfeld in Seinfeld
Not only did he blame the advancement of technologies, but he also pointed out how people often police comedy lines and jokes thrown on-air. This simply means that everything they say on screen can either make or break their career due to the rise of cancel culture.
Jerry Seinfeld Airs Frustration Over The Ever-Changing World Of Comedy Shows
In his interview with The New Yorker, actor-comedian Jerry Seinfeld lamented the fall of traditional comedy that viewers enjoy on their small screens. Back in the day, people would relax in the form of tuning into their favorite comedy show.
“You mean, like Friends?”: Jerry Seinfeld...
- 4/30/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
Jerry Seinfeld thinks that both film and TV are caput.
The “Seinfeld” co-creator, who also makes his directorial debut with Netflix’s “Unfrosted,” said during The New Yorker Radio Hour that the “extreme left” is to blame for the end of the golden era of comedy, particularly with sitcoms.
“People always need comedy,” Seinfeld said. “It used to be that you would go home at the end of the day…People would go, ‘Oh, ‘Cheers’ is on. ‘M*A*S*H’ is on. Oh, ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ is on. ‘All in the Family’ is on.’ Where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
Seinfeld pointed to the new process by “committee” to create comedy, particularly with writing jokes.
“When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands,...
The “Seinfeld” co-creator, who also makes his directorial debut with Netflix’s “Unfrosted,” said during The New Yorker Radio Hour that the “extreme left” is to blame for the end of the golden era of comedy, particularly with sitcoms.
“People always need comedy,” Seinfeld said. “It used to be that you would go home at the end of the day…People would go, ‘Oh, ‘Cheers’ is on. ‘M*A*S*H’ is on. Oh, ‘Mary Tyler Moore’ is on. ‘All in the Family’ is on.’ Where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
Seinfeld pointed to the new process by “committee” to create comedy, particularly with writing jokes.
“When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Just days after saying the movie business “is over” as a cultural force, Jerry Seinfeld is decrying the decline of comedy on television. He blames “the extreme left and P.C. crap.”
In a new interview with David Remnick for the New Yorker Radio Hour, the Seinfeld creator maintained that “people always need comedy” in their lives. He observed that “it used to be that you would go home at the end of the day…People would go, ‘Oh, Cheers is on. M*A*S*H is on. Oh, Mary Tyler Moore is on. All in the Family is on.” No more, says, Seinfeld.
“Where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap and people worrying so much about offending other people,” he said.
“When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups – ‘Here’s...
In a new interview with David Remnick for the New Yorker Radio Hour, the Seinfeld creator maintained that “people always need comedy” in their lives. He observed that “it used to be that you would go home at the end of the day…People would go, ‘Oh, Cheers is on. M*A*S*H is on. Oh, Mary Tyler Moore is on. All in the Family is on.” No more, says, Seinfeld.
“Where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap and people worrying so much about offending other people,” he said.
“When you write a script, and it goes into four or five different hands, committees, groups – ‘Here’s...
- 4/29/2024
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Jerry Seinfeld said in an interview with The New Yorker while touting his feature directorial effort “Unfrosted” that “P.C. crap” and the “extreme left” is making television comedy go extinct. Seinfeld is a sitcom icon thanks to his eponymous NBC sitcom that ran between 1989 and 1998, but he says viewers no longer flock to their television sets in order to get their comedy fix like they did for decades.
“Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don’t get it,” Seinfeld said. “It used to be, you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, ‘Oh, “Cheers” is on. Oh, “Mash” is on. Oh, “Mary Tyler Moore” is on. “All in the Family” is on.’ You just expected, ‘There’ll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight.’ Well, guess what—where is it? This...
“Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don’t get it,” Seinfeld said. “It used to be, you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, ‘Oh, “Cheers” is on. Oh, “Mash” is on. Oh, “Mary Tyler Moore” is on. “All in the Family” is on.’ You just expected, ‘There’ll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight.’ Well, guess what—where is it? This...
- 4/29/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Audiences loved "All in the Family," Norman Lear's hit sitcom about lovable bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor), his long-suffering wife Edith (Jean Stapleton), their daughter Gloria (Sally Struthers), and Gloria's husband, Michael "Meathead" Stivic (Rob Reiner), all living under the same roof in disharmonyy. I know that when I was a kid, I loved watching "All in the Family" re-runs on Nick at Nite, and the show has a large legacy that endures to this day, thanks to its lengthy run: it lasted for 9 seasons, and then continued on as the spin-off sitcom "Archie Bunker's Place."
But "Archie Bunker's Place" was a different beast altogether, and it happened as the result of one of the cast members deciding to leave the main series. While this could've spelled the end for Archie Bunker, that's not how things shook out. Instead, the story continued, albeit in a different incarnation. But that...
But "Archie Bunker's Place" was a different beast altogether, and it happened as the result of one of the cast members deciding to leave the main series. While this could've spelled the end for Archie Bunker, that's not how things shook out. Instead, the story continued, albeit in a different incarnation. But that...
- 4/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Very few directors have ever had the kind of run Rob Reiner did as a director between 1984 and 1992. Think about it. This is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men. Surely, that run alone would be enough to solidify him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors of all time? Those movies are so good it almost doesn’t matter how much money-losing crap he puts out now…and there is a lot of it… and North isn’t even the worst of it! So how did this man go from making a few great movies that defined and elevated our pop culture on so many different levels to suddenly pumping out nothing but heartless, soulless political flicks (did anyone see Lbj?) and rom-coms that are neither romantic nor comedic?
So, how did this jack of...
So, how did this jack of...
- 4/26/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Get ready for an evening of culinary competition on “Supermarket Stakeout,” airing Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, at 9:00 Pm on Food Network. In the latest episode, titled “All in the Family,” host Alex Guarnaschelli challenges four talented chefs to showcase their skills in creating protein-style plates.
As the stakes rise, the chefs face their next task: crafting family-style platters for judges Stephanie Boswell and Joe Sasto. With the pressure on, contestants must impress with their creativity, flavors, and presentation to avoid elimination.
In the final round, the two remaining chefs go head-to-head, tasked with creating tantalizing tiny bites that pack a punch in taste and ingenuity.
Join the culinary adventure on Food Network’s “Supermarket Stakeout” as chefs battle it out for supremacy in the kitchen. Tune in at 9:00 Pm on Wednesday, May 1st, for an exciting episode filled with delicious dishes and fierce competition.
Release Date & Time: 9:00 Pm...
As the stakes rise, the chefs face their next task: crafting family-style platters for judges Stephanie Boswell and Joe Sasto. With the pressure on, contestants must impress with their creativity, flavors, and presentation to avoid elimination.
In the final round, the two remaining chefs go head-to-head, tasked with creating tantalizing tiny bites that pack a punch in taste and ingenuity.
Join the culinary adventure on Food Network’s “Supermarket Stakeout” as chefs battle it out for supremacy in the kitchen. Tune in at 9:00 Pm on Wednesday, May 1st, for an exciting episode filled with delicious dishes and fierce competition.
Release Date & Time: 9:00 Pm...
- 4/24/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Ellen Travolta is making a return visit to General Hospital just in time for Brook Lynn and Chase’s upcoming wedding. The beloved actress will be reappearing on the soap as Gloria Cerullo who is back in Port Charles for the nuptials of her granddaughter Brook Lynn, played by Amanda Setton, and fiancé Chase, played Josh Swickard. Travolta debuted as the character in the mid-’90s and reprised the role for a number of episodes in 2023 around Thanksgiving, her first appearance on the show for 27 years. Now she is back again for what is likely to be only a brief stay. Travolta is known for her roles in sitcoms like Happy Days and All in the Family as well as being the older sister to Grease and Saturday Night Fever actor John Travolta. In a Michael Fairman TV article, Setton shared the special bond she shared with Travolta after filming...
- 4/23/2024
- TV Insider
Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr. had a career renaissance when he starred in 2008 as Tony Stark in Iron Man. The film laid the foundations of the MCU and is still considered to be one of the most important superhero films to be made, despite releasing in the same year as Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
However, Iron Man was not the only character Downey Jr. played in 2008. A few months after he appeared in the MCU film, he starred as Kirk Lazarus in Ben Stiller’s satire action film Tropic Thunder. He was even nominated for an Oscar for his role as a method actor who altered his skin color to play a Black man in a film. The role has attracted controversy since its release for its use of Blackface on the star.
Robert Downey Jr.’s ‘Blackface’ Role In Tropic Thunder Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in...
However, Iron Man was not the only character Downey Jr. played in 2008. A few months after he appeared in the MCU film, he starred as Kirk Lazarus in Ben Stiller’s satire action film Tropic Thunder. He was even nominated for an Oscar for his role as a method actor who altered his skin color to play a Black man in a film. The role has attracted controversy since its release for its use of Blackface on the star.
Robert Downey Jr.’s ‘Blackface’ Role In Tropic Thunder Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in...
- 4/21/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
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
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