"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
Dan Wilcox, an Emmy-winning writer, producer and longtime union man who penned dozens of M*A*S*H episodes including co-writing its record-setting series finale and had many other TV credits including Sesame Street and Fernwood/America 2-Nite, has died. He was 82.
His niece, Julie Merson Rothenberg, told the WGA that he died February 14 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. No cause was given.
A six-decade WGA member and longtime former board member who was active in the 2007-08 strike, Wilcox was a fierce champion of unions and equal rights. In 2017, he received the Morgan Cox Award in recognition of his exemplary service to the Guild. Wgaw President Howard A. Rodman said at the time: “Dan Wilcox has been, in a sustained and deeply moving way, a voice for the voiceless. His work, at once passionate and effective, has been on behalf of those who might otherwise lack the...
His niece, Julie Merson Rothenberg, told the WGA that he died February 14 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. No cause was given.
A six-decade WGA member and longtime former board member who was active in the 2007-08 strike, Wilcox was a fierce champion of unions and equal rights. In 2017, he received the Morgan Cox Award in recognition of his exemplary service to the Guild. Wgaw President Howard A. Rodman said at the time: “Dan Wilcox has been, in a sustained and deeply moving way, a voice for the voiceless. His work, at once passionate and effective, has been on behalf of those who might otherwise lack the...
- 2/26/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Dan Wilcox, the Emmy-winning TV writer and producer whose work on the last four seasons of M*A*S*H included the acclaimed 1983 series finale that attracted a record 106 million viewers, has died. He was 82.
Wilcox died Feb. 14 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his niece Julie Merson announced.
A WGA member for more than 60 years and a guild board member since 2005, Wilcox won his Emmy in 1970 for Sesame Street, where he met Thad Mumford, who became his longtime writing partner. They worked together on M*A*S*H and received the 1980 WGA award for best episodic comedy.
They also wrote for What’s Happening!!, Alice, The Duck Factory, Good Times and the 1979 ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.
Wilcox was a writer and/or executive story editor on 36 episodes of M*A*S*H from 1979-83 as well as a producer, starting in 1981, on the CBS show’s last two seasons.
The native New Yorker...
Wilcox died Feb. 14 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his niece Julie Merson announced.
A WGA member for more than 60 years and a guild board member since 2005, Wilcox won his Emmy in 1970 for Sesame Street, where he met Thad Mumford, who became his longtime writing partner. They worked together on M*A*S*H and received the 1980 WGA award for best episodic comedy.
They also wrote for What’s Happening!!, Alice, The Duck Factory, Good Times and the 1979 ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.
Wilcox was a writer and/or executive story editor on 36 episodes of M*A*S*H from 1979-83 as well as a producer, starting in 1981, on the CBS show’s last two seasons.
The native New Yorker...
- 2/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Primetime Emmys are not necessarily known for honoring projects featuring casts that are primarily minority/people of color. The TV academy has never, for instance, given the Best Drama Series trophy to such a show. The statuette for Best Comedy Series has been won by a series featuring a largely minority cast precisely once: “The Cosby Show” in 1985. But the category of top limited/anthology/miniseries has paid golden tribute to programs with mostly minority casts a handful of times before, helping give Netflix’s “Beef” with its predominantly Asian American lineup a genuine shot to take home the biggest prize.
“Beef” tied with “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” for the most nominations among all non-regular series programs with 13. It’s presently in the lead among Gold Derby voters in the limited series race with 16/5 combined odds. Its star Ali Wong is also in first place among limited lead actresses,...
“Beef” tied with “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” for the most nominations among all non-regular series programs with 13. It’s presently in the lead among Gold Derby voters in the limited series race with 16/5 combined odds. Its star Ali Wong is also in first place among limited lead actresses,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Composer Gerald Fried, who won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries “Roots” and whose 1960s scores, from “Star Trek” to “Gilligan’s Island,” left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers, died of pneumonia Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct. He was 95.
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Tommy Morgan, a harmonica soloist who contributed to hundreds of movie and TV shows including “Roots” and “Dances With Wolves,” died June 23. He was 89.
Morgan played on film soundtracks and record dates going back to the early 1950s. His estimated 7,000 recording sessions, according to statistics on his website, suggest that more people have heard his harmonica work than that of any other player of the instrument.
That’s Morgan’s harmonica on Quincy Jones’ “Sanford and Son” theme, Mike Post’s “Rockford Files” theme and the scores for numerous shows including “Maverick,” “The Waltons,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “China Beach,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Family Guy.”
He played on the Emmy-winning score for “Roots” and its sequel, “Roots: The Next Generations.” And his bass harmonica was the signature sound of Arnold Ziffel, the pig on “Green Acres.”
In addition, Morgan played on dozens of classic films including “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,...
Morgan played on film soundtracks and record dates going back to the early 1950s. His estimated 7,000 recording sessions, according to statistics on his website, suggest that more people have heard his harmonica work than that of any other player of the instrument.
That’s Morgan’s harmonica on Quincy Jones’ “Sanford and Son” theme, Mike Post’s “Rockford Files” theme and the scores for numerous shows including “Maverick,” “The Waltons,” “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “China Beach,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Family Guy.”
He played on the Emmy-winning score for “Roots” and its sequel, “Roots: The Next Generations.” And his bass harmonica was the signature sound of Arnold Ziffel, the pig on “Green Acres.”
In addition, Morgan played on dozens of classic films including “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,...
- 7/2/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Constantine, who played Gus, the father of Nia Vardalos’ Toula Portokalos in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” by far the highest-grossing romantic comedy of all time, died on Aug. 31. He was 94.
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
Constantine’s agent confirmed the news of his death to Variety. He died of natural causes.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” scored a domestic gross of $241 million in 2002; No. 2 on the list is “What Women Want” with $183 million. The film drew a SAG Awards nomination for outstanding performance by the cast of a theatrical motion picture.
As Roger Ebert recounted, Constantine’s Gus “specializes in finding the Greek root for any word (even ‘kimono’), and delivers a toast in which he explains that ‘Miller’ goes back to the Greek word for apple, and ‘Portokalos’ is based on the Greek word for oranges, and so, he concludes triumphantly, ‘In the end, we’re all fruits.’ ”
Variety said: “Constantine fares...
- 9/9/2021
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
John Erman, an Emmy-winning director-producer who helmed multiple episodes of such classic TV series as Star Trek, M*A*S*H and Peyton Place along with Part 2 of Roots and much of its sequel miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, has died. He was 85.
His friend, Charles Silver of SMS Talent, told Deadline that Erman died June 25 in New York City after a brief illness.
Born on August 3, 1935, in Chicago, Erman began his show business career as an actor, including an unbilled role in 1955’s Blackboard Jungle before working extensively as a casting director. His first job in that role was with Jim Lister at Republic Studios in New York, and Erman would go on to work with numerous Hollywood legends in this capacity, from Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland to Woody Allen, Angela Lansbury and Ann-Margret — with whom he’d have a long-running working relationship.
He got his first shot...
His friend, Charles Silver of SMS Talent, told Deadline that Erman died June 25 in New York City after a brief illness.
Born on August 3, 1935, in Chicago, Erman began his show business career as an actor, including an unbilled role in 1955’s Blackboard Jungle before working extensively as a casting director. His first job in that role was with Jim Lister at Republic Studios in New York, and Erman would go on to work with numerous Hollywood legends in this capacity, from Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda and Olivia de Havilland to Woody Allen, Angela Lansbury and Ann-Margret — with whom he’d have a long-running working relationship.
He got his first shot...
- 6/29/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
James Earl Jones, who turns 90 on Jan. 17, has one of the most famous voices of all time — not just as Darth Vader and Mufasa, but as the voice of CNN and hundreds of other programs. But the distinguished actor and narrator almost didn’t find his voice at all.
Born in Mississippi, Jones went to live with his grandparents in Michigan at the age of 5. The disorienting move left him nearly speechless for years, due to severe stuttering. Finally in high school, a teacher helped him discover his powerful bass through reading poetry — kicking off one of the great oratorical careers of all time.
After moving to New York to study at the American Theatre Wing, one of his first mentions in Variety came in the review of the 1957 play “The Congo” from New York’s Equity Library Theater company. “James Earl Jones plays the preacher. He has a good voice,...
Born in Mississippi, Jones went to live with his grandparents in Michigan at the age of 5. The disorienting move left him nearly speechless for years, due to severe stuttering. Finally in high school, a teacher helped him discover his powerful bass through reading poetry — kicking off one of the great oratorical careers of all time.
After moving to New York to study at the American Theatre Wing, one of his first mentions in Variety came in the review of the 1957 play “The Congo” from New York’s Equity Library Theater company. “James Earl Jones plays the preacher. He has a good voice,...
- 1/17/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, one of the last remaining stars from Hollywood’s golden age, died Sunday. She was 104.
The news came from the actress’ publicist, Lisa Goldberg, who announced her death of natural causes at her home in Paris, where she lived for more than 60 years.
More from TVLineFEUD: Olivia de Havilland's Lawsuit Against FX Drama Dismissed by CourtFEUD: Olivia de Havilland Sues FX Drama Over Unauthorized PortrayalA Million Little Things Season 3 Scoop: James Roday Rodriguez Teases That Art Could Imitate Life for Gary
de Havilland’s Oscar wins were for 1946’s To Each His Own, where...
The news came from the actress’ publicist, Lisa Goldberg, who announced her death of natural causes at her home in Paris, where she lived for more than 60 years.
More from TVLineFEUD: Olivia de Havilland's Lawsuit Against FX Drama Dismissed by CourtFEUD: Olivia de Havilland Sues FX Drama Over Unauthorized PortrayalA Million Little Things Season 3 Scoop: James Roday Rodriguez Teases That Art Could Imitate Life for Gary
de Havilland’s Oscar wins were for 1946’s To Each His Own, where...
- 7/26/2020
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Most Oscarologists are aware that half of the Best Picture winners so far this decade have been biopics or truth-based tales featuring real-life people. The titles? “The King’s Speech,” “Argo,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Spotlight” and “Green Book.”
But did you realize that Emmy’s limited series contest also has a long-held fondness for truth-based tales. Looking at the Gold Derby combined odds list, I realized that five out of the top six contenders are either biopics or accounts of an impactful real-life event. Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora,” the front-runner for now before the Emmy nominations are announced on Tuesday, is based on a 2015 prison escape in Upstate New York (see photo above). HBO’s historical drama “Chernobyl” zeroes in on the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union.
SEEWhat is the secret behind Patricia Arquette’s riveting ‘Escape at Dannemora’ performance
Netflix’s “When They See Us” is...
But did you realize that Emmy’s limited series contest also has a long-held fondness for truth-based tales. Looking at the Gold Derby combined odds list, I realized that five out of the top six contenders are either biopics or accounts of an impactful real-life event. Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora,” the front-runner for now before the Emmy nominations are announced on Tuesday, is based on a 2015 prison escape in Upstate New York (see photo above). HBO’s historical drama “Chernobyl” zeroes in on the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union.
SEEWhat is the secret behind Patricia Arquette’s riveting ‘Escape at Dannemora’ performance
Netflix’s “When They See Us” is...
- 7/15/2019
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Last Year’s Winner: “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: With its win in 2018, “American Crime Story” officially became the first series to win multiple awards in the Best Limited Series category. Now, that’s not to say franchises had yet to earn multiple wins before. “Roots” (1977) and “Roots: The Next Generations” (1979) both won the category, but the sequel season would’ve qualified as a drama series under modern Emmy rules. Meanwhile, Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology is also the only show to have the same title (“American Crime Story”) preceding its new, winning entries (“The People vs. O.J. Simpson” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”), but other sequel seasons had won as well as unofficial franchises like HBO and Dreamworks’ “Band of Brothers” (2002) and “The Pacific” (2010). Among active franchises, “Fargo” could become the second official anthology series to win multiple trophies...
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: With its win in 2018, “American Crime Story” officially became the first series to win multiple awards in the Best Limited Series category. Now, that’s not to say franchises had yet to earn multiple wins before. “Roots” (1977) and “Roots: The Next Generations” (1979) both won the category, but the sequel season would’ve qualified as a drama series under modern Emmy rules. Meanwhile, Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology is also the only show to have the same title (“American Crime Story”) preceding its new, winning entries (“The People vs. O.J. Simpson” and “The Assassination of Gianni Versace”), but other sequel seasons had won as well as unofficial franchises like HBO and Dreamworks’ “Band of Brothers” (2002) and “The Pacific” (2010). Among active franchises, “Fargo” could become the second official anthology series to win multiple trophies...
- 6/13/2019
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Former The Young and The Restless cast members Shemar Moore, Victoria Rowell, Eileen Davidson and Mishael Morgan will return to the show later this month for special tribute episodes in honor of the show’s late, longtime star Kristoff St. John, CBS said today.
A four-episode story arc will begin on Tuesday, April 23 and conclude Friday, April 26, with a special tribute episode on Monday, April 29, of former and current Y&R stars sharing memories of St. John.
In addition, CBS’ The Talk will remember St. John with a special segment
on Friday, April 26 featuring Moore, Rowell, Christel Khalil and Bryton James, as well as clips of St. John dating back to his early years on Y&R.
St. John originated the soap’s Neil Winters character more than 28 years ago and played the role until the actor’s death by suicide on Feb. 3.
In the special episodes, residents of the soap...
A four-episode story arc will begin on Tuesday, April 23 and conclude Friday, April 26, with a special tribute episode on Monday, April 29, of former and current Y&R stars sharing memories of St. John.
In addition, CBS’ The Talk will remember St. John with a special segment
on Friday, April 26 featuring Moore, Rowell, Christel Khalil and Bryton James, as well as clips of St. John dating back to his early years on Y&R.
St. John originated the soap’s Neil Winters character more than 28 years ago and played the role until the actor’s death by suicide on Feb. 3.
In the special episodes, residents of the soap...
- 4/15/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
It's time to wish well the character of Neil Winters in what is sure to be a moving storyline coming to The Young and the Restless.
The long-running soap opera will say a very emotional goodbye to Kristoff St. John in a four-episode arc beginning Tuesday, April 23.
The final episode of the arc will be on Friday, April 26, culminating with a tribute episode on Monday, April 29.
The tribute episode will feature former and current Y&R stars sharing memories of Kristoff and the iconic character of Neil Winters he helped create over 28 years ago.
In the special episodes, Genoa City gathers to remember one of their own when Neil Winters passes away unexpectedly.
Related: The Young and the Restless - Shemar Moore Among Actors Returning for Kristoff St. John Tribute
Neil’s family and friends come from near and far to pay their respects and remember their cherished father, colleague,...
The long-running soap opera will say a very emotional goodbye to Kristoff St. John in a four-episode arc beginning Tuesday, April 23.
The final episode of the arc will be on Friday, April 26, culminating with a tribute episode on Monday, April 29.
The tribute episode will feature former and current Y&R stars sharing memories of Kristoff and the iconic character of Neil Winters he helped create over 28 years ago.
In the special episodes, Genoa City gathers to remember one of their own when Neil Winters passes away unexpectedly.
Related: The Young and the Restless - Shemar Moore Among Actors Returning for Kristoff St. John Tribute
Neil’s family and friends come from near and far to pay their respects and remember their cherished father, colleague,...
- 4/15/2019
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
The Young and the Restless has announced new details regarding its sendoff to late cast member Kristoff St. John. The farewell arc will air Tuesday, April 23 through Friday, April 26, with a storyline in which his character Neil Winters “passes away unexpectedly,” per the network.
A tribute episode follows on Monday, April 29, with current and former Y&R stars sharing memories of St. John’s 28-year run on the soap.
In the special episodes, Genoa City gathers to remember one of their own when Neil Winters passes away unexpectedly. Neil’s family and friends come from near and far to pay their respects and remember their cherished father,...
A tribute episode follows on Monday, April 29, with current and former Y&R stars sharing memories of St. John’s 28-year run on the soap.
In the special episodes, Genoa City gathers to remember one of their own when Neil Winters passes away unexpectedly. Neil’s family and friends come from near and far to pay their respects and remember their cherished father,...
- 4/15/2019
- TVLine.com
Kristoff St. John, best known for his role as Neil Winters on CBS’ long-running soap The Young and the Restless, has died. He was 52. The cause of death is not immediately known.
The Daytime Emmy Awards shared news of his passing on its Twitter account.
“It is with unbelievable sadness that we say goodbye to our friend, #DaytimeEmmys winner @kristoffstjohn1. @YandR_CBS Rip.”
St. John won two Daytime Emmy awards out of nine nominations, along with ten NAACP Image Awards.
His attorney, Mark Geragos, paid tribute to St. John on Twitter. “Few men had the unique strength, courage & sensitivity that @kristoffstjohn1 lived every single minute of every day,” Geragos wrote. “He impacted everyone he met and millions who he inspired and in turn admired him. On behalf of @MiaStJohnBoxer & @TheStJohnFamily thank you for all of your love.”
St. John began his career as a child actor, portraying a young Alex Haley...
The Daytime Emmy Awards shared news of his passing on its Twitter account.
“It is with unbelievable sadness that we say goodbye to our friend, #DaytimeEmmys winner @kristoffstjohn1. @YandR_CBS Rip.”
St. John won two Daytime Emmy awards out of nine nominations, along with ten NAACP Image Awards.
His attorney, Mark Geragos, paid tribute to St. John on Twitter. “Few men had the unique strength, courage & sensitivity that @kristoffstjohn1 lived every single minute of every day,” Geragos wrote. “He impacted everyone he met and millions who he inspired and in turn admired him. On behalf of @MiaStJohnBoxer & @TheStJohnFamily thank you for all of your love.”
St. John began his career as a child actor, portraying a young Alex Haley...
- 2/4/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Kristoff St. John, the actor best-known for portraying Neil Winters on CBS’ long-running daytime soap “The Young and the Restless,” has died. He was 52.
His attorney Mark Geragos confirmed the news to Variety. Geragos also posted on Twitter, saying, “Few men had the unique strength, courage & sensitivity that @kristoffstjohn1 lived every single minute of every day. He impacted everyone he met and millions who he inspired and in turn admired him. On behalf of @MiaStJohnBoxer & @TheStJohnFamily thank you for all of your love.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards also noted St. John’s death via Twitter. “It is with unbelievable sadness that we say goodbye to our friend, #DaytimeEmmys winner @kristoffstjohn1. @YandR_CBS Rip.”
St. John received numerous awards, including nine Daytime Emmys, over the 25 years he worked on “The Young and the Restless.” His first major role on a soap opera was on NBC’s “Generations.” The show was canceled...
His attorney Mark Geragos confirmed the news to Variety. Geragos also posted on Twitter, saying, “Few men had the unique strength, courage & sensitivity that @kristoffstjohn1 lived every single minute of every day. He impacted everyone he met and millions who he inspired and in turn admired him. On behalf of @MiaStJohnBoxer & @TheStJohnFamily thank you for all of your love.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards also noted St. John’s death via Twitter. “It is with unbelievable sadness that we say goodbye to our friend, #DaytimeEmmys winner @kristoffstjohn1. @YandR_CBS Rip.”
St. John received numerous awards, including nine Daytime Emmys, over the 25 years he worked on “The Young and the Restless.” His first major role on a soap opera was on NBC’s “Generations.” The show was canceled...
- 2/4/2019
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
This spring FX’s “American Crime Story” returned for its second season, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” which explores the murder of the famous fashion designer (played by Edgar Ramirez) by serial killer Andrew Cunanan (played by Darren Criss). It’s the early front-runner to win Best Limited Series based on the combined predictions of hundreds of Gold Derby users who have entered their picks in our predictions center thus far. The first season of “Acs,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” also won top honors in 2016, so a victory for “Versace” would make this the first series since “Prime Suspect” to repeat as Best Limited Series.
Anthologies have had a TV revival in recent years. Ryan Murphy helped re-popularize the form with “American Horror Story,” which debuted in 2011. Since then we’ve seen other anthologies like “Fargo,” “American Crime” and “Black Mirror” earn acclaim and awards. But since that...
Anthologies have had a TV revival in recent years. Ryan Murphy helped re-popularize the form with “American Horror Story,” which debuted in 2011. Since then we’ve seen other anthologies like “Fargo,” “American Crime” and “Black Mirror” earn acclaim and awards. But since that...
- 3/19/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The remake of a quintessentially American miniseries which traced slavery through multiple generations including the Revolutionary and Civil Wars will have three Australians in key creative roles.
Phillip Noyce and Bruce Beresford will each direct an episode and DoP Peter Menzies Jr. will shoot all four episodes of Roots for A&E Networks. The original Roots based on the Alex Haley novel Roots: The Saga Of An American Family was the third most watched series in Us history when it screened on the ABC network in 1977.
Laurence Fishburne will play the narrator, Kunte Kinte, portrayed in the original by LeVar Burton, who is among the producers of the remake with Mark Wolper. Mark.s father David produced the first series and the 1979 sequel, Roots: The Next Generations.
Beresford tells If, .One of the things I like about working in the Us is that producers, studios and networks are perfectly...
Phillip Noyce and Bruce Beresford will each direct an episode and DoP Peter Menzies Jr. will shoot all four episodes of Roots for A&E Networks. The original Roots based on the Alex Haley novel Roots: The Saga Of An American Family was the third most watched series in Us history when it screened on the ABC network in 1977.
Laurence Fishburne will play the narrator, Kunte Kinte, portrayed in the original by LeVar Burton, who is among the producers of the remake with Mark Wolper. Mark.s father David produced the first series and the 1979 sequel, Roots: The Next Generations.
Beresford tells If, .One of the things I like about working in the Us is that producers, studios and networks are perfectly...
- 8/5/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
This year's Emmy nominations saw a historic first: Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox was nominated for the outstanding guest actress in a comedy series award, making her the first openly transgender person nominated in an acting category. (Conductor Angela Morley won several Emmys for music direction.)
The award ultimately went to Cox's Orange costar, Uzo "Crazy Eyes" Aduba – the win was announced during the Creative Arts portion of the awards, which took place on Aug. 16 – but Cox's nomination is a first nonetheless. Now in their 66th year, the Emmy Awards have seen many famous firsts. Have a...
The award ultimately went to Cox's Orange costar, Uzo "Crazy Eyes" Aduba – the win was announced during the Creative Arts portion of the awards, which took place on Aug. 16 – but Cox's nomination is a first nonetheless. Now in their 66th year, the Emmy Awards have seen many famous firsts. Have a...
- 8/20/2014
- by Drew Mackie
- People.com - TV Watch
Award-winning actress Ruby Dee, best known for her parts in A Raisin in the Sun, American Gangster, and Do the Right Thing, died on Wednesday at the age of 91.
Dee might not be immediately recognizable to many contemporary film-goers, but both her biography and her filmography are impressive ones. She’s acknowledged as a major force in the generation of African-American actors who aspired to greater dramatic roles than those allowed to their forebears. Alongside the likes of Sidney Poitier, Dee appeared in significant film, stage, and television roles across decades, carving a niche for herself and opening the pathway for other African-American stars . She appeared opposite Poitier in the film version of A Raisin in the Sun, where they both reprised the roles they originated on stage. She later appeared opposite Jackie Robinson as his wife in The Jackie Robinson Story. She received an Oscar nomination for American Gangster,...
Dee might not be immediately recognizable to many contemporary film-goers, but both her biography and her filmography are impressive ones. She’s acknowledged as a major force in the generation of African-American actors who aspired to greater dramatic roles than those allowed to their forebears. Alongside the likes of Sidney Poitier, Dee appeared in significant film, stage, and television roles across decades, carving a niche for herself and opening the pathway for other African-American stars . She appeared opposite Poitier in the film version of A Raisin in the Sun, where they both reprised the roles they originated on stage. She later appeared opposite Jackie Robinson as his wife in The Jackie Robinson Story. She received an Oscar nomination for American Gangster,...
- 6/12/2014
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
History is getting back to its roots. Or, rather, Alex Haley’s “Roots.” The cable network is developing a remake of the ground-breaking television miniseries which was based on Haley’s novel “Roots: The Saga of an American Family.” The original miniseries, which aired on ABC in 1977, won nine Emmy Awards and drew massive ratings, particularly with its eighth and final installment. The 1977 series starred LeVar Burton (pictured) as Kunta Kinte, a Mandinka warrior who’s kidnapped and sold into slavery. Also read: Miniseries About WWII Hero Felix Sparks in the Works at History “Roots” spawned two sequels, “Roots: The Next Generations...
- 11/6/2013
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Well, the bread has been broken, the wine has been spilled, and the gifts have been exchanged, so now what? It’s time for a full day of TV marathons! You still have the option of watching Christmas specials so we’ll tell you what’s available for your viewing pleasure, but for those of you interested in some non-festive programming, here are our top six picks.
Doctor Who — 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. tomorrow on BBC America
The British sci-fi hit is still timeless after 49 years on the air. So situate the kids behind the couch — where they’re...
Doctor Who — 8 a.m. to 6 a.m. tomorrow on BBC America
The British sci-fi hit is still timeless after 49 years on the air. So situate the kids behind the couch — where they’re...
- 12/25/2012
- by Maane Khatchatourian
- EW - Inside TV
I chuckled when I opened up this press release in my email inbox a little bit ago, because I've had a few conversations with several folks about whether Bet (or TV One, or Bounce TV) would broadcast Roots before Django Unchained is released; and sure enough, it looks like the folks at Bet were thinking the exact the same thing, because they will be doing just that, starting on December 21st. But not only will Bet screen the 1977 mini-series, the network will continue with broadcasts of Roots: The Next Generations (1979), Roots: The Gift (1988), and finally Queen (1993), closing out the series broadcast on December 26. Or maybe Django Unchained has nothing to do with...
- 12/18/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Albert Freeman Jr., the veteran actor who played Elijah Muhammad in Spike Lee’s epic film, Malcolm X, has died. He was 78. Howard University in Washington, D.C., confirmed his death Friday night but details weren’t immediately available. Freeman taught acting there for years and served as chairman and artistic director of its theater arts department. “He was a brilliant professor, a renowned actor and a master director who made his mark in the classroom as well as on stage, screen and television. … He has mentored and taught scores of outstanding actors. He was a resounding voice of Howard and will be missed,...
- 8/13/2012
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside Movies
David L. Wolper, the groundbreaking producer who made television history with the miniseries "Roots" as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, died at his home in Beverly Hills on Tuesday of congestive heart disease and complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was 82.
Wolper won two Emmy Awards for 1977’s "Roots" and its 1979 "Roots: The Next Generations," the two miniseries based on Alex Haley’s novel about his African-American ancestors pioneered the docudrama genre. Broadcast in one-and-two hour segments over an eight-day period in early 1977, the first series won huge ratings, despite initial reservations that its focus on the history of African-Americans would not have wide appeal. It won a 44.9 Nielsen rating and garnered a 66% share of the national audience, becoming one of the most-watched programs in TV history.
Although he primarily turned out documentaries for TV and films, Wolper also produced several theatrical movies, including 1971's...
Wolper won two Emmy Awards for 1977’s "Roots" and its 1979 "Roots: The Next Generations," the two miniseries based on Alex Haley’s novel about his African-American ancestors pioneered the docudrama genre. Broadcast in one-and-two hour segments over an eight-day period in early 1977, the first series won huge ratings, despite initial reservations that its focus on the history of African-Americans would not have wide appeal. It won a 44.9 Nielsen rating and garnered a 66% share of the national audience, becoming one of the most-watched programs in TV history.
Although he primarily turned out documentaries for TV and films, Wolper also produced several theatrical movies, including 1971's...
- 8/11/2010
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor Brock Peters, best known for his role as Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of rape in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird, died Tuesday in Los Angeles of pancreatic cancer; he was 78. According to reports, he had been diagnosed with the disease in January and had been receiving chemotherapy treatments, and the actor passed away at his home surrounded by family. An actor with a distinctive, authoritarian baritone who worked extensively in films, television and on the stage, Peters made his film debut in the lush melodrama Carmen Jones, an re-imagining of Bizet's Carmen starring Dorothy Dandridge, and appeared five years later in another musical adaptation, Porgy and Bess. In 1962, Peters took the role of Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird, and during filming was befriended by star Gregory Peck; in fact, Peters read the eulogy at Peck's funeral in 2003. His magnetic and heartbreaking performance in Mockingbird led to roles in The L-Shaped Room and The Pawnbroker, and though he rarely achieved leading man status, Peters worked steadily throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s in both movies and TV, and received a Tony nomination in 1973 for Lost in the Stars. He appeared in thrillers Soylent Green and Two-Minute Warning, miniseries Roots: The Next Generation, and innumerable guest spots on television series ranging from Gunsmoke to The Bionic Woman. To a later generation of fans, Peters was known for two different Star Trek roles, playing Admiral Cartwright in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as well as a recurring role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Joseph Sisko, the father of star Avery Brooks' character. In 1991, Peters received a lifetime achievement award from the Screen Actors Guild. Peters is survived by his longtime companion Marilyn Darby and a daughter from his first marriage. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 8/23/2005
- WENN
James Earl Jones is reteaming with his Roots: The Next Generations director Georg Stanford Brown for the Hallmark Channel original movie The Reading Room. The movie centers on a widower (Jones) who opens a reading room -- a library of sorts where he teaches people how to read -- in a lower-income neighborhood to honor his wife's dying request. But he encounters problems when the room becomes a target for street thugs, who later burn it down. Room co-stars Keith Robinson (Fat Albert, NBC's American Dreams), Joanna Cassidy (HBO's Six Feet Under), Lynne Moody (ABC's General Hospital), Douglas Spain (HBO's Band of Brothers) and Gabby Soleil (Johnson Family Vacation). Brown, who is set to direct Room, will take the role of a minister in the movie, which is targeted to premiere during Thanksgiving.
- 2/10/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul Winfield, the prolific African-American actor who received an Oscar nomination for Sounder and went on to play Martin Luther King Jr. in the highly acclaimed King miniseries, died on Sunday in Los Angeles of a heart attack; he was 62. Coming to prominence in the groundbreaking sitcom Julia, where he played the boyfriend of Diahann Carroll's titular character, Winfield made his feature film debut opposite Sidney Poitier in The Lost Man in 1969. Despite his Best Actor Oscar nomination a few years later for Sounder in 1972, Winfield struggled to find leading man roles, but racked up a huge number of supporting roles in both television and film. From his portrayal of Jim in 1974's Huckleberry Finn to his role as Thurgood Marshall in 1999's Strange Justice, Winfield was a fixture on both the big and small screens, instantly recognizable to audiences; his films included Conrack, Hustle, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator, Presumed Innocent and Mars Attacks, among a host of others. Winfield received Emmy nominations for roles in both King, where he portrayed the civil rights leader opposite his Sounder co-star Cicely Tyson, and Roots: The Next Generation, finally winning an Emmy for his guest role on Picket Fences in 1995. His most recent appearances were on Touched by an Angel, Crossing Jordan and a TV remake of Sounder. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 3/9/2004
- WENN
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