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The history of comedy on TV is littered with characters who have extraordinary gifts. There are the ones who can do literal magic, like Samantha on Bewitched, Jeannie on I Dream of Jeannie, or, well, all the witches of Agatha All Along. There are space aliens, like Uncle Martin in My Favorite Martian or The Great Gazoo on The Flintstones or Mork on Mork & Mindy. There are straight-up mutant superheroes, like in She-Hulk or Doom Patrol or The Boys. Poker Face’s Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) has the preternatural ability to tell, from merely hearing someone make a statement, if it’s a lie; thus, she is part of a long TV tradition, even if her power is a bit less dramatic than if she could change the nature of matter, stop time or fly around shooting lasers from her hands. And while watching her use this gift to solve mysteries is extremely satisfying,...

If you can’t believe the guy who played Jed Clampett and Barnaby Jones, who can you trust?

MeTV recently dug up an old episode of The Howard Stern Show in which Robin Quivers passed along some steaming hot Beverly Hillbillies tea. “Buddy Ebsen, he’s leaking information now,” Quivers reported in 2001. “Buddy Ebsen now says that the president, Dwight David Eisenhower, had a thing for (TV daughter) Elly Mae. When he met up with him, Ike kept asking him if he could get Elly Mae’s phone number. (Eisenhower asked Ebsen) what it was like to get to hug her all the time?”

Wasn’t Eisenhower a little old for Donna Douglas, the actress who played Elly Mae? Definitely, considering that The Beverly Hillbillies didn’t begin airing until he was out of office. Irene Ryan, who played Granny, would have been more age-appropriate. “They say he was in his 70s,...

Hollywood is popular for its red carpet award shows like the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Emmys, which come along with teary-eyed acceptance speeches celebrating cinematic masterpieces. Directors, actors, and everyone who works together to make a cinema great are acknowledged at these events.

However, to keep things in check and keep them humble, the Golden Raspberry Awards are given. This accolade celebrates cinematic missteps, films that missed the mark, and actors who delivered performances far from acting. The Raspberry Awards are the Thanos snap of Hollywood to keep things in balance.

Sandra Bullock accepts the Worst Actress Award | Credits: The Razzies!

The Razzie Awards are not just for the B-listers or the low-budget movies; lately, this award ceremony has also given its awards to top celebrities and legends, proving nobody is safe in Hollywood.

Let’s look into the list of A-listers that nobody thought would be dragged through the hall of infamy.

A part of numerous cultures, the use of folk stories involving returning curses and malevolent spirits for a multitude of purposes has existed as a means of unleashing a torrent of over-the-top or disturbing content at viewers. While mostly associated with Hong Kong and China due to efforts like “Black Magic” or “Bewitched,” other countries have delved into the subject matter as well, with Thailand contributing the “Art of the Devil” franchise and Malaysia contributing the stellar “Dukun” just a few such examples. Indonesia’s latest stab at the genre, Tommy Dewo‘s “Curse of the Seven Oceans,” might be a formulaic take on the style but is no less enjoyable as viewers can decide for themselves with it appearing on Netflix.

Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix

Since his father found a mysterious package and hears the voices of a group of creepy tribes,...

Gone, but not forgotten.

Linda Lavin died Dec. 29, 2024, due to complications from lung cancer. At the time of her death, the beloved 87-year-old actress had filmed seven of 10 episodes of Mid-Century Modern, Hulu's new comedy starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Nathan Lee Graham as gay best friends who decide to live together in Palm Springs.

Lavin's role of Sybil Schneiderman, the mother of Bunny (Lane), has been receiving Emmy buzz following the sitcom's premiere on March 28. She currently ranks among the top 10 for Best Comedy Supporting Actress, according to the Gold Derby odds. To date, only 11 actresses have received posthumous Emmy nominations, so Lavin would be in rare company, indeed.

Here's a clip of one of Lavin's final scenes from Mid-Century Modern. Sybil's spicy side is in full display as she yells at a stranger on the phone who's trying to con her, with Lavin delivering perfect comedic timing.

When you want your funny bone tickled, a few actors come to mind who have delivered brilliant comedies time and time again, but if you are talking about the big three of modern comedy, then Will Ferrell is definitely one of the guys up there. He is known for his ability to bring a bumbling, flamboyant, and unusual personality to the characters he plays; the Step Brothers star has made a career filled with laugh-out-loud moments that fans continue to cherish to date.

When you think about Will Ferrell’s movies, it is likely that his legendary comedies like Anchorman, Elf, and Step Brothers come to mind. While these movies establish his status as a comedic genius, his filmography is far more diverse than people realize.

A still from Anchorman with Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy | Credits: Dreamworks Pictures

Over the years, he has starred in several films that have flown under the radar,...

The WB series Gilmore Girls, created by Dan and Amy Sherman Palladino, continues to be one of those bingeable shows, in the ranks with Friends, The Office, and Parks & Rec. The series ran for seven seasons, starring Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore and Alexis Bledel as her daughter, Rory Gilmore. The ensemble included Kelly Bishop, Ed Herrmann, Sean Gunn, Keiko Agena, Liza Weil, Rose Abdoo, and more. Abdoo played Gypsy, the lovable and sarcastic local mechanic throughout seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, plus a revival on Netflix, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The show has continued to be loved by fans both old and new, with merchandise related to it still being released, as well as a mini-reunion in a holiday commercial just last winter for Walmart.

Talking with Collider's Taylor Gates at PaleyFest for Hacks, Abdoo reflected on the show and its enduring fanbase. "I...

Say what you will about the final Seinfeld episode — namely, that it sucks — but at least it had a proper finale. While TV networks can be cutthroat about axing new shows with low ratings, when they cancel a long-running show — say, five seasons or more — they usually give the creators a heads-up so they can plan accordingly.

And, typically, the creators use that final season to build up to a climax and resolution. Say, a big wedding, a surprise pregnancy or a character’s unexpected revelation that gives new meaning and depth to the series. Or they can just call all their old guest stars and parade them into a courtroom set for an unsatisfying glorified clip show offering no new laughs (that Seinfeld finale is truly terrible).

The point is, it’s good to know things are ending, and the long-running sitcoms below clearly never saw that axe falling.

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It's astonishing how many gorillas turned up on "Gilligan's Island." Gorillas are native to central, Western, and Eastern Africa, so it would be highly unlikely that one would organically find its way to the South Pacific, where Gilligan's Island is likely located. Gorillas, however, were common fodder for 1960s comedy writers, and they were employed frequently. Or rather, actors in gorilla costumes were employed frequently, and created an absurd subset of ape tropes that we, as a culture, still haven't fully and philosophically unpacked. 

Apes were featured heavily in the "Gilligan's Island" episodes "Diamonds Are an Ape's Best Friend", "Beauty Is as Beauty Does" (September 23), "The Chain of Command" (December 2), "Forward March", and "Our Vines Have Tender Apes". It was a profuse plethora of primate pransktership. 

In all of the above cases, the apes were played by prolific Hollywood stuntman Janos Prohaska,...

I’m something of a made-for-television movie connoisseur. That means, in operational terms, simply that I watch a lot (a frightening amount) of made-for-television movies. Principally, the scary ones. I’m discussing classics from the BBC and ABC Horror Movie of the Week programming list. Sweetly, I first got into them with my mom, who considered them a cornerstone of my horror education. I couldn’t understand the genre without first witnessing wall-crawling goblins in Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark or being Bewitched by Elizabeth Montgomery in The Victim.

I’ve seen the good, the bad, and even the ugly, and narrowing down my favorites isn’t straightforward. After all, my list looks considerably different than our own Tyler Doupé’s on the same topic. However, I am willing to concede that Richard Lang’s Don’t Go to Sleep ranks among the best. It’s haunted me since I...

Peter Dinklage is co-stars with the legendary, Shirley MacLaine in American Dreamer, a dark comedy from Plaion Pictures which will be available for digital download on March 17th. Will this St. Patrick’s Day be a lucky one for film lovers lovers worldwide? Let’s explore. I was first introduced to the on screen work of Peter Dinklage in 2003 when a friend in Los Angeles who was trying to break into the business, invited me to see what he called a groundbreaking feat of acting in the indie film, The Station Agent. I was deeply affected by this drama that found Dinklage playing a reclusive, antisocial man who ends up living in an abandoned train depot, who comes in and out of his shell thanks to unexpected relationships with his neighbors turned friends. Peter Dinklage’s Unmatched Screen Presence In the two decades since, I’ve seen Dinklage pop up...

Gene Winfield, a pioneering legend in the hot-rod world who created custom cars for numerous films and TV shows including Blade Runner, the original Star Trek series, RoboCop, Get Smart! and many others, has died. He was 97.

He died March 4, according to his obit on Legacy.com. His Winfield Custom Shop had posted on Instagram late last month that he had cancer.

Winfield’s Galileo shuttlecraft from the original 1960s ‘Star Trek’ series

Winfield was known as “The King of Kustoms,” and his most famous creations include the iconic Galileo shuttlecraft and the Jupiter 8 for Star Trek — the latter seen in the episode “Bread and Circuses” — and the “spinners” for Blade Runner, which was nominated for the Special Effects Oscar. He also built the Catmobile for TV’s Batman and gadget cars for Get Smart! and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. during the Bond-fueled spy craze of the 1960s.

Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth has signed with UTA for representation in all areas, the agency announced on Tuesday.

Chenoweth is a celebrated figure in the entertainment industry whose career has spanned across film, television, voice-over, music, and theatre. Widely known for her Tony-nominated performance as the original Glinda the Good Witch in “Wicked,” Chenoweth has earned numerous awards for her work in the theatre, including a Tony Award for her role in “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” and earning both an Outer Critics Choice Award and Drama Desk Award for her starring role in “On the Twentieth Century.”

Set to make its Broadway debut in the 2025-2026 season, “The Queen of Versailles” is the musical based on the award-winning 2012 documentary ”The Queen of Versailles” based on the life of beauty queen, socialite, and TV personality Jacqueline “Jackie” Siegel. Chenoweth is starring in and producing...

Serving the entertainment industry for decades, Nicole Kidman has not only earned the title of a talented actress and an elite member of Hollywood but has also managed to secure a place as a producer.

Now, obviously, with big titles and responsibilities, Kidman has been top-tier famous for decades, helping her command a ginormous salary for her role in the industry.

Nicole Kidman in Babygirl | image: A24

While her titular appearance in projects is expected to earn her an eye-watering sum, it’s Nicole Kidman’s minor roles in movies like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that sparked our curiosity. So, how much do you think she bagged from reprising her role in the DC sequel? Well, let’s check it out.

How much did Nicole Kidman earn from Aquaman 2?

With a career spanning multiple genres, blockbuster hits, and critically acclaimed performances, Nicole Kidman has been a Hollywood staple for decades.

On a recent ranking of the seven main characters on "Gilligan's Island," /Film ranked Mary Ann at only #5. This is not to say that she was an insignificant character, though. Indeed, all seven of the characters on "Gilligan's Island" were invaluable members of the ensemble, and removing any one of them would irreparably damage the established comedic dynamic. Mary Ann ranked low merely because she was given so few stories of her own. Her function, however, was key. Mary Ann was something of an innocent character, and her happiness was a sign that all was well on the island. You knew things were bad when Mary Ann became upset. 

Also, actress Dawn Wells embodied the character perfectly. Indeed, the characters on "Gilligan's Island" have become comedic archetypes for the ages, so deeply ingrained in the American subconscious that they are practically Jungian. It would be hard to imagine "Gilligan's Island...

Alice Hirson, who played a confidante of Barbara Bel Geddes’ Miss Ellie Ewing on Dallas and the mother of Ellen DeGeneres’ character on the comic’s groundbreaking ABC sitcom, has died. She was 95.

Hirson died Friday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, her son David Hirson told The Hollywood Reporter. She had been there for about a year.

From 1969-93, Hirson appeared on such daytime soap operas as CBS’ The Edge of Night as Stephanie Martin; on NBC’s Another World and its spinoff, Somerset, as Marsha Davis; on ABC’s One Life to Live as Eileen Siegel; on ABC’s General Hospital as Mrs. Van Gelder; and on ABC’s Loving as Dr. Lisa Helman.

On the big screen, she played the wife of Colonel Thornbush (Robert Webber), head of the paratrooper unit known as the Thornbirds, in Private Benjamin...

The Twilight Zone is an American sci-fi anthology series that debuted in 1959. The wildly popular show has been praised for its allegorical storytelling and exploration of issues like xenophobia, war, religion, and technology. Its stand-alone episodes vary greatly in subject but are united by an overwhelming feeling of strangeness. One week, the episode may deliver a tale about magic, and the next teleplay might center on aliens. The Twilight Zone is also known for keeping its viewers on their toes with its trademark twist endings, sometimes driving home a tone of dread and occasionally reveling in hopefulness.

Thanks to its nature as an anthology series, The Twilight Zone has no set cast, featuring a new crop of actors every week. In many ways, acting in the series became a rite of passage in Hollywood, which is why the show is littered with famous faces. On the way to sitcom stardom,...

The 1964 sitcom Bewitched has been referenced more times than anyone can count, with nods to the show as recently as the ending credits of the Disney+ series Agatha All Along starring Kathyn Hahn and the near complete spoof of it during WandaVision. In 2005, however, late legendary romantic-comedy writer Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle) directed and penned the script for Bewitched, which is now streaming on Tubi for free. The plot involves an actual witch being roped into a reboot, inside the movie, of the 1964 television series.

Stephen Colbert recalls when he and Will Ferrell knew Nicole Kidman was a movie star.

Ferrell stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Wednesday to promote his latest film, You’re Cordially Invited. But while he was on, the two reminisced about their experience shooting their beloved movie, Bewitched, which was released 20 years ago. Colbert was a writer on the project and also played the character Stu Robison. Colbert explains how he and the other people on set watched a “meet-cute” moment between Ferrell’s character, Darrin, and Kidman’s Samantha, which was the first time their characters acted together.

“When the scene’s over, do you remember what you came and said to us?” Colbert asked Ferrell, to which Ferrell replied: “No, I have no idea.”

“You came over to us because when the scene started and when Nora [Ephron] said, ‘Action,’ we saw why Nicole Kidman was a...

Sony Pictures Television is hiring a dedicated executive to guide its franchise strategy.

Jennifer Rogers Doyle, a long-time Disney executive, has joined Sony Pictures TV in the newly created post of executive vp franchise management. She’ll oversee the franchise strategy, with an eye toward maximizing revenue, on studio properties including The Boys, Outlander, Cobra Kai, For All Mankind, Bewitched and the upcoming kids’ animated series Messi and the Giants. Rogers Doyle will report to Sony Pictures TV Studio president Katherine Pope.

“With our ever-expanding series universes, we are focused on enhancing fan engagement, growing potential audiences and driving the long-term value of our IP,” Pope said in a statement. “Jennifer’s expertise in creating opportunities to build and extend franchises makes her a perfect fit for this new role. We are thrilled to have her join the team.”

Said Rogers Doyle, “Sony Pictures has an amazing portfolio of classic and new IP.

Sony Pictures Television has named former Disney executive Jennifer Rogers Doyle as its new executive vice president of franchise management.

Based in the studio’s Culver City lot, Rogers Doyle will be responsible for leading and overseeing the franchise strategy and maximizing revenue opportunities for IP such as “Cobra Kai,” “For All Mankind,” “The Boys,” “Outlander,” “Messi and the Giants” and “Bewitched” among others.

She will report to Sony Pictures Television Studios President Katherine Pope.

“With our ever-expanding series universes, we are focused on enhancing fan engagement, growing potential audiences, and driving the long-term value of our IP,” Pope added. “Jennifer’s expertise in creating opportunities to build and extend franchises makes her a perfect fit for this new role. We are thrilled to have her join the team.”

During her over 20-year tenure at the Walt Disney Company, Rogers Doyle was responsible for building and managing Disney Entertainment Television’s Franchise Management division,...

Sony Pictures Television has hired Disney TV exec Jennifer Rogers Doyle for the newly created position of executive vice president of franchise management.

In this role, which Rogers Doyle begins effectively immediately, the Disney vet will lead and oversee the franchise strategy of valuable intellectual properties (IP), collaborating closely with various teams to maximize revenue opportunities for IP, per the company’s TV division. These include Sony’s “Cobra Kai,” “For All Mankind,” “The Boys,” “Outlander,” “Messi and the Giants” and “Bewitched,” among others.

She will be based on the Culver City lot and report to Sony Pictures Television Studios President Katherine Pope.

Rogers Doyle comes over from Disney, where she most recently served as senior vice president of Disney Entertainment Networks franchise, licensing and integrated planning. This includes projects across Disney Branded Television, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, 20th Television & Animation, FX, and ABC for original content streaming across Hulu...

One of the most widely derided comedies of Will Ferrell's career is getting a new streaming home.

Per Tubi, 2005's Bewitched feature film starring Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman will be making its way onto the platform. This means that fans can catch one of the least-beloved remake movies of all time entirely for free on Valentine's Day.

Related 'Another Big Fun Mystery': It's Only Murders in the Building EP Teases Season 5 Plot, New Guest Stars

Only Murders in the Building fans can look forward to "another big fun mystery" as well as plenty of guest stars in the upcoming fifth season.

The original 1964 Bewitched television series was created by Sol Saks and starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a suburban housewife married to Dick York (later Dick Sargent) in the role of Darrin Stephens. While the two would like to simply enjoy their idyllic lifestyle together, Darrin's consistently...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of February titles. The Tubi February 2025 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi February 2025 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

The Twilight Zone is the 1959 visionary television show created by CBS. It is a science fiction anthology series, with each episode featuring a haunting theme that unlocks new fears in the audience. Some episodes present ironic twists, parallel universes, or societal reflections.

One effective aspect of The Twilight Zone was its ability to instill fear in its audience. With each one-hour episode, it created a new world while pulling from some heavy themes of nuclear war, McCarthyism, and mass hysteria. The Twilight Zone has many phenomenal episodes, some of which are also extremely scary.

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" Blurs the Line Between What’s Real and What’s in Robert’s Head Season 5, Episode 3, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" follows a man, Robert Wilson, traveling on a flight soon after recovering from a nervous breakdown. While his mind has finally settled from a traumatic experience, he soon...

Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett, who taught Kevin Bacon acrobatic dance moves for his starring turn in Footloose and received two Tony nominations for her efforts on Swing!, has died. She was 78.

Taylor-Corbett died Jan. 12 of breast cancer in Rockville Centre, New York, her son, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, told The New York Times.

A onetime dancer with Alvin Ailey’s dance company, Taylor-Corbett also served as a Broadway choreographer for 1981’s Shakespeare’s Cabaret, 1985’s The Boys of Winter, 1988’s Chess, 1994’s Sally Marr … and Her Escorts, 1997-99’s Titanic, 1997-98’s Jackie and 1999-2001’s Swing!, which she also wrote songs for and directed.

Swing!, a celebration of dance in the big band era, featured zero dialogue and was nominated for five Tonys, including best musical. Taylor-Corbett was up for best choreography and best direction of a musical.

In a 1984 interview, Bacon noted he was not a dancer when Taylor-Corbett worked with...

Lynne Taylor-Corbett, the Tony Award-nominated choreographer of Broadway’s Swing and Titanic who also left an indelible mark on Hollywood by guiding Kevin Bacon through his famed solo dance in the 1984 hit film Footloose, died of breast cancer January 12 at a hospital in Rockville Centre, N.Y., on Long Island. She was 78.

Her death was announced to The New York Times by her son Shaun Taylor-Corbett.

Accomplished in the worlds of ballet, theater and film, Lynne Aileen Taylor was born in Denver on December 2, 1946, moving to New York after high school to attend the School of American Ballet. Though her hopes for a career as a ballet dancer were short lived: She would later tell The New York Times, “I was never really suited to be a ballet dancer, but I had a gift for theatricality and movement.”

Her career as a choreographer, however, soon took off, and by the...

Christian Juttner, a child actor in the 1970s who appeared in the films Return From Witch Mountain, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and The Swarm and on several TV shows, has died. He was 60.

Juttner died Nov. 29 of natural causes at his home in Yucca Valley, California, his daughter Aidan Juttner told The Hollywood Reporter.

Return From Witch Mountain, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and The Swarm appeared in theaters within five months of one another in 1978.

He portrayed Dazzler, one of the truants known as the Earthquake Gang, in the sequel Return From Witch Mountain, and in I Wanna Hold Your Hand, the feature directorial debut of Robert Zemeckis, he was the boy with a Beatles-style haircut who is determined to see the Fab Four perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.

And in the Irwin Allen-directed disaster film The Swarm, Juttner portrayed a kid who suffers...

My last article about genre shows got me thinking: what were the best TV shows about witches? I’m not talking about shows containing witches but those where witches are the focus.

After all, witches have always cast a spell on TV fans, bringing magic, mystery, and mayhem to our screens.

Whether it’s the charming chaos of Bewitched, where Samantha Stephens tried to blend her magical powers with suburban life, or the dark, broody drama of Charmed, where the Halliwell sisters used their powers to fight evil and protect their family legacy, there’s something captivating about witches.

(The WB/Screenshot)

These shows invite us into worlds where anything feels possible, where spells can fix problems or create even bigger ones, and where characters grapple with the power and responsibility of their gifts.

From lighthearted humor to dark, atmospheric thrills, witches on TV show us a little bit of everything: the joy of magic,...

When Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith leaked online ahead of its cinema debut in 2005, the FBI rushed to find the culprits…

One day in the middle of May 2005, a ripple of excitement was felt at the offices of Champion Broadband, a tiny cable and internet company in Los Angeles. A worker there, 30 year-old Ramon Valdez, had somehow acquired a dodgy copy of Revenge Of The Sith – the much anticipated Star Wars prequel that, at the time, was still several days away from release. Within hours, a colleague of Valdez, Michael Fousse, had ripped the film from its DVD and uploaded it to the company’s servers.

A third Champion worker, 27 year-old Dwight Sityar, then purchased a stack of DVDs and began creating further copies of the purloined prequel, one of which landed in the hands of yet another employee, 25 year-old Stephani Reiko Gima. Had these illicit copies remained within this relatively small group,...

Nicole Kidman has never been a risk-averse actor. For every commercial notch in her body of work, be it Bewitched or Moulin Rouge!, there’s a Birth or Dogville: films that mine the darker depths of humanity, often to the extreme. Babygirl may not linger in those shadowy corners for quite as long, but is nonetheless a reminder of Kidman’s gutsy choices and no-holds-barred approach to performing.

In this film, directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Halina Reijn (who made 2022’s excellent Gen-z murder-mystery Bodies Bodies Bodies), Kidman plays high-powered tech- executive Romy, who we immediately meet in the final throes of leg-buckling sex with Jacob (Antonio Banderas), her husband of nearly 20 years. Moments later, she steals away to another part of their family home and secretly climaxes to the flickering glow of submissive porn on her laptop.

Dickinson is impeccable; as Samuel he brings an elusive yet calming presence with a slow half-smile.

Some characters have so much longevity that they keep being brought back to screens, growing even more memorable when a legendary actor plays them. Many of them have had adventures in literature, on TV shows, and in movie theaters. Then there are the reboots, remakes and reimaginings. When a great actor brings to life a character in a way that's quite simply perfect, it's a hard act to follow, yet time and time again, filmmakers try and recreate the magic of what once was.

Certain roles have been taken on by multiple actors, to varying levels of success. The beauty of cinema is that there's always something for somebody. So, while one person may prefer Anne Hathaway's version of Catwoman, or debate Winona Ryder vs Saoirse Ronan as Little Women's Jo March, there's not always a right or wrong answer. However, it's fair to say that some legendary actors...

Having grown up in the 1960s, The Far Side's Gary Larson is well-versed in the Golden Age of Television, with a young Larson watching a bevy of classics that ultimately endured for decades. It therefore makes sense that Far Side parodied a lot of legendary TV shows, but which of Larson's classic TV show jokes was the funniest? In February 2024, we asked you to settle that question.

Screen Rant's poll ran as part of our article '10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Reference Classic TV Shows,' with over 1900 readers choosing the best of the best from comics that parody shows including Lassie, Bewitched and The Brady Bunch. Enjoy the runners-up by opening the image gallery below:

Voting was relatively competitive, with even our last-place entry receiving the support of 65 people. Classic sitcoms Bewitched, The Love Boat and Mr. Ed were still fondly remembered, but the strongest performers were...

TV Legend: A high school class wrote a Bewitched script that was adapted into a classic Christmas episode of the famous TV series.

As you might imagine, in the world of network television, when you have to come up with material for over 20 episodes a season, there is a constant need for content. That's why there are so many famous clichés that pop up in most famous sitcoms. Cliches happen because they pretty much Work, so shows find themselves turning to them to fill out the episode order.

However, there are sometimes much stranger origins for certain episodes of notable TV shows, like "Sisters at Heart," the beloved 1970 Christmas episode of Bewitched.

Bewitched, of course, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, a witch who married a mortal named Darrin Stephens. The show was about Samantha trying to hide her magical powers, while also often Using those magical powers for misadventures...

Frigid take: Nicole Kidman is one of the most gifted and flat-out watchable movie stars working today. Now in the 41st year of her film acting career, she has been nominated for five Oscars (with a Best Actress win for "The Hours"), and a staggering 15 Screen Actors Awards (with one win in 2017 for "Big Little Lies"). She feels perfectly at home in any genre, and, at 57 years old, is more prolific than ever thanks to her gleeful embrace of television films and miniseries. Kidman loves to work as much as we love watching her work!

For evidence of her versatility, you can zoom in on pretty much any four-year chunk of her career and be wowed. Take 1995 - 1999 for instance: she went from Caped Crusader love interest in "Batman Forever" to Femme Fatale weather woman in "To Die For" to doomed seeker in the costume drama "The Portrait of a Lady...

In reviewing Laufey’s August concert with the LA Philharmonic, Variety wrote, “Laufey feels like she was born to play the Hollywood Bowl, with her rapturously received pop/jazz/classical set.” Something else she might have been born for: the big screen. She’s on Imax screens across America this weekend (and some slightly less massive-scale ones as well) with “Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl.” And director Sam Wrench’s extended use of closeups establishes that she’s as expressive an actress, in her fashion, as she is a singer, guitarist, pianist and cellist.

It’s a good weekend for Wrench, who also directed the Sabrina Carpenter holiday special that is premiering on Netflix the same day as the Laufey concert film is bowing in theaters… and a good past year for him, actually, since he also did Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” film. But Laufey herself is having quite the year,...

The late 1960s was a time of seismic cultural shifts.

The Civil Rights Movement was in full force, demanding change in institutions that had long upheld systemic racism, including the entertainment industry.

Television, often dubbed a mirror of society, lagged in this transformation.

(NBC/Screenshot)

Black characters were mostly absent or relegated to roles of subservience, reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Enter Julia.

Premiering in 1968, Julia broke the mold by centering on a Black woman who was educated, middle-class, and professional.

Played by Diahann Carroll, Julia Baker was a widowed nurse raising her young son Corey after her husband’s death in Vietnam.

She was neither a maid nor a comedic sidekick; she was the star of her own show.

(NBC/Screenshot)

While Julia’s impact might not be as widely recognized today as that of other groundbreaking series, it remains a vital part of TV history.

This editorial explores how Julia reshaped television,...

One of the many cherished traditions of the holidays is watching Christmas episodes from your favorite TV shows. But searching for them can be harder than finding that perfect tree. So Family Entertainment TV (Fetv) and Family Movie Classics (Fmc) want to gift you this handy calendar with holiday episodes from classic sitcoms like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Bewitched, dramas like Perry Mason, Dragnet 1967, and Adam-12, and movies like The Trouble With Angels and Holiday Affair (all times listed are Eastern). There are even more Yuletide viewing treats than those listed here on Fetv and Fmc. Wednesday, November 27 Hazel, “Everybody’s Thankful but Us Turkeys” Hazel, “A Lesson in Diplomacy” The Beverly Hillbillies, “Elly’s First Date” The Beverly Hillbillies, “Turkey Day” The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, “Day After Thanksgiving” Bewitched, “Samantha’s Thanksgiving to Remember” Daniel Boone, “The Thanksgiving Story” (1...

The best kind of Thanksgiving leftovers are the ones from the past five decades of television. Our favorite TV shows have provided the sort of memories that last long beyond the turkey and stuffing that will be gone by the weekend after. Take our photo gallery tour with the greatest Thanksgiving episodes in TV history. Click through and enjoy reliving the following special holiday programs.

Our gallery is ranked worst to best, but we’ll give you a heads-up on what is in the #1 position: the classic CBS comedy “The Bob Newhart Show” and the episode “Over the River and Through the Woods.” When his wife Emily decides to visit her family across country, Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) invites over his neighbor Howard (Bill Daily), co-worker Jerry (Peter Bonerz), and psychology patient Mr. Carlin (Jack Riley). The foursome watches football games and progressively gets drunker throughout the day.

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Quick Links 'Wkrp's Great Thanksgiving Episode The Thanksgiving Marketing Stunt for the Ages

Name any popular sitcom, and theres a high probability that that series features at least one episode dedicated to Turkey Day. In 2014, ABCs Modern Family had an episode during its sixth season titled Three Turkeys. A year previous, FXs It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia honored the TV tradition with an entry during its ninth season titled The Gang Squashes Their Beef (having Thanksgiving dinner with your foes never played out so funny). If we really wanted to, we could go all the way back to 1967. There lies a special episode of Bewitched titled Samantha's Thanksgiving To Remember, in which Samantha and her relatives are whisked away to 1620, where they spend the holiday with actual pilgrims from that time. These shows (and their small Thanksgiving counterparts) will be in some sort of syndication for years, so dont worry about missing out.

While St. Denis Medicals blend of workplace comedy and medical drama might be a fresh new concept, the sitcom is full of familiar faces. NBCs new sitcom St. Denis Medical follows the staff of the eponymous hospital as they attempt to keep the struggling institution running smoothly. St. Denis Medical is a workplace mockumentary sitcom that takes the premise of Scrubs and brings the style of The Office and Abbott Elementary to the project. This results in a sitcom that feels both original and familiar at the same time thanks to St. Denis Medicals added medical drama.

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NBC's new medical mockumentary sitcom St. Denis Medical, which features a Superstore actor, debuts with a strong Rotten Tomatoes score.

The heroine of St. Denis Medical is Allison Tolmans Alex, a controlling Registered Nurse who spends the pilot trying and...

Remember when television felt like a comforting escape?

Shows like The Love Boat, The A-Team, and Friends offered pure entertainment — a chance to relax, laugh, and forget about real-world problems.

Problems were solved in under an hour, laughs were abundant, and happy endings weren’t just expected — they were guaranteed.

The original Magnum P.I. (CBS/Screenshot)

These days, that carefree spirit seems harder to find, replaced by gritty dramas, morally ambiguous antiheroes, and narratives that demand heavy emotional investment.

While complex storytelling has its place, so does the simple joy of escapism.

So, how did we get here? And is it time for escapist TV to make a comeback?

Escapist TV: Fun, Fantasy, and Feel-Good Heroes I Dream of Jeannie (NBC/Screenshot)

There was a time when TV leaned unapologetically into escapism.

Shows like I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and Gilligan’s Island didn’t ask audiences to confront tough questions or analyze deep themes.

The classic 1960s sitcom Bewitched has remained a beloved staple of American television, with its memorable characters, whimsical plotlines, and groundbreaking portrayal of an independent female lead. The show’s unique twist—a suburban housewife who is secretly a witch—combined humor with fantasy, captivating audiences over eight seasons from 1964 to 1972.

Unfortunately, most of the original cast members have passed away, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates with fans today. Here’s a look at the lives of the Bewitched cast and where they are now.

Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha. | ABC

Elizabeth Montgomery starred as Samantha Stephens, a kind-hearted witch who tries to live a normal suburban life while balancing her magical heritage. Samantha’s character broke stereotypes, showcasing a strong and independent woman in a time when television often depicted women in domestic roles. Montgomery’s portrayal earned her five Primetime Emmy Award...

As the wife of hotel and real estate magnate Richard Hilton, Kathy Hilton is a very affluent woman, but what exactly is the American socialite's net worth? In addition to her wealth, Kathy is known for her very famous family, including daughters Paris and Nicky Hilton, and half-sisters Kim and Kyle Richards. Both the Richards sisters are original cast members of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, with Kyle being the only remaining Og housewife. Kathy herself has made sporadic appearances on the Bravo show, as both a guest and a "friend of the housewives."

Born in New York City, Kathleen Elizabeth Avanzino is the daughter of Kathleen Mary and Larry Avanzino. Her parents later divorced, with Kathy's mother marrying Kenneth E. Richards, and together they had Kim and Kyle. Kathy's father also remarried, and she has five paternal half-siblings. In her youth, Kathy was an actress, appearing in popular...

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for the October 23 episode of Jeopardy!] Jeopardy! viewers were buzzing about the appearance of Brett Kelly ahead of Wednesday, October 23’s episode. While Kelly didn’t disclose his acting credits on stage, eagle-eyed fans earlier recognized him on the Contestant Zone. That’s because he starred opposite Billy Bob Thorton as kid sidekick Thurston Merman in the very R-rated Christmas comedy Bad Santa (2003). Now all grown up, Kelly did not have a jolly outcome on the quiz show. Listed as an actor from Surrey, British Columbia, he faced Will Wallace, a game design director from Austin, Texas who became the new champ with the sole Final Jeopardy get last episode, and Sophia Maymudes, a software engineer from Seattle, Washington. Wallace entered with a one-day total of $18,799. But after the Jeopardy! round, it was crossword puzzle savant Maymudes who stole the show. She crossed out the entire “Be Witched” category and led with $6200 despite a ...

It was almost midnight on Emmy Awards Sunday. The crowd at the Netflix after-party in Hollywood was thinning fast. Those who were left on that September evening were called to action by the DJ with a “last dance” alert — a Netflix tradition that brought all of the streamers’ remaining staffers to the dance floor for a few final tunes.

As Salt-n-Pepa urged them to “push it,” Bela Bajaria, 53, cut quite a figure, moving around the space in a brightly colored flowing skirt and an off-the-shoulder sheer black blouse.

Bajaria, the chief content officer for the streaming platform that has set the standard for what TV has become in the 21st century, danced in a group that included Netflix programming executives Peter Friedlander and Jinny Howe and communications chief Emily Feingold. Most top executives steer clear of the dance floor at company parties, but Bajaria was the picture of happiness as she danced with easy fluidity.

Laufey enraptured nearly 18,000 people during a headlining performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in August. The musician took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl and delivered more than two dozen songs, 11 on her own and 15 with the Philharmonic. All the while, the cameras were rolling. On Dec. 6, the concert film Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl will be released in select theaters and IMAX.

In the first preview of the upcoming film, Laufey commands the crowd as she swirls through “From the Start,” the final song in...

Laufey will hit the big screen in December, as a concert movie of her recent performance with the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl is headed for a limited engagement in theaters.

“Laufey’s A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” will reach cinemas and Imax screens beginning on Dec. 6, it was announced Wednesday by Trafalgar Releasing. Advance tickets go on sale Oct. 30 here.

The film is directed by Sam Wrench, whose previous credit happens to be the most commercially successful concert film of all time: “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour.” That seems appropriate, as Laufey has named Swift as among her heroines, even though she sings a more traditional, deeply jazz- and standards-inflected style of music.

A teaser clip was released Wednesday that gives a 50-second taste of Laufey performing “From the Start,” complete with an overhead shot of the sold-out Hollywood Bowl chanting along with the “blah blah...

Sitcom kids aren’t supposed to play favorites, but with all of her TV dads now performing on that big Nick at Nite in the sky, the actress who played Tabitha on Bewitched is finally ready to get real about her comedy paternity.

Erin Murphy, now 60, played half-witch/half-mortal toddler Tabitha Stevens on the 1960s sitcom. Her first TV dad was played by Dick York, who wasn’t any happier with his daughter’s witchcraft than he was with his wife’s.

But York had a painful, degenerative spine condition that forced him to leave Bewitched after its fifth season. For Seasons Six through Eight, Tabitha had a new daddy in Dick Sargent, a man equally fixated on keeping his daughter’s powers at bay.

Who was the better Darrin Stevens — first daddy or second daddy? “My entire life I have been so diplomatic because I loved them both,” Murphy told People.

Smile 2 doubles down on the original's horror now that the demonic curse has found its next host. The sequel's doomed protagonist also shares a Scream actor's celebrity status.

Smile 2 director Parker Finn said they prioritized building a believable persona for the film's main protagonist. The sequel is bigger and bolder with a pop superstar as the demon curse's new focus. Smile 2 follows pop sensation Skye Riley's (played by Naomi Scott) rehabilitation and recovery after a life-changing event; the fictional character appears on The Drew Barrymore Show to reflect on her recovery and to announce her comeback concert. Finn told Entertainment Weekly that Barrymore's cameo validated Skye Riley's celebrity status.

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Well-written protagonists play important roles beyond the films they star in. Without them, many movies wouldn't be as memorable.

"Building credibility with this pop star was such a priority...