Following news of O.J. Simpson’s passing, many are learning about his career in football and entertainment.
He was a Heisman Trophy winner in college and an NFL star throughout the 1980s. Like other athletes, he ventured into roles in movies and television.
Some of Simpson’s television roles came the year of his Heisman Trophy win, including single-episode appearances in popular shows Dragnet, Ironside, and It Takes a Thief.
In the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, he was a recurring character in the popular Naked Gun series.
The detective spoof films starred the late Leslie Nielson as Detective Frank Drebin and Simpson as Detective Fred Nordberg.
Based on scarce details, Simpson’s last movie may have been from the Naked Gun series. However, others might see him listed for the upcoming film Mayday Z.
Eric Roberts and Tara Reid to star in Mayday Z
Based on the cast and synopsis,...
He was a Heisman Trophy winner in college and an NFL star throughout the 1980s. Like other athletes, he ventured into roles in movies and television.
Some of Simpson’s television roles came the year of his Heisman Trophy win, including single-episode appearances in popular shows Dragnet, Ironside, and It Takes a Thief.
In the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, he was a recurring character in the popular Naked Gun series.
The detective spoof films starred the late Leslie Nielson as Detective Frank Drebin and Simpson as Detective Fred Nordberg.
Based on scarce details, Simpson’s last movie may have been from the Naked Gun series. However, others might see him listed for the upcoming film Mayday Z.
Eric Roberts and Tara Reid to star in Mayday Z
Based on the cast and synopsis,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Matt Couden
- Monsters and Critics
As you've likely heard by now, O.J. Simpson has passed away at the age of 76.
One of the most famous -- and infamous -- Americans of the modern era, Simpson was known for many things:
He was, of course, a world-class athlete, a standout at running back for the NFL's Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
Later in life, he would become the center of the most high-profile murder trial of the 20th century,
And though he beat the charges under dubious circumstances, the lingering suspicion that Simpson murdered his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, would make him a pariah in the upper-crust social circles that had served as his comfortable domain for so many years.
But before O.J. ever earned a dime from professional football -- before he was arrested for murder and before he served nine years in prison on unrelated robbery and...
One of the most famous -- and infamous -- Americans of the modern era, Simpson was known for many things:
He was, of course, a world-class athlete, a standout at running back for the NFL's Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
Later in life, he would become the center of the most high-profile murder trial of the 20th century,
And though he beat the charges under dubious circumstances, the lingering suspicion that Simpson murdered his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, would make him a pariah in the upper-crust social circles that had served as his comfortable domain for so many years.
But before O.J. ever earned a dime from professional football -- before he was arrested for murder and before he served nine years in prison on unrelated robbery and...
- 4/11/2024
- by Tyler Johnson
- TVfanatic
It’s the end of a villainous era for soap star Kimberlin Brown.
Brown’s notorious character Sheila Carter was killed off in Monday’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful. She no doubt had it coming; Sheila’s been the epitome of evil since her character was first introduced on The Young and the Restless in 1990. She moved over to B&b in 1992 where she’s been wreaking havoc ever since.
The character’s death on Monday was at the hands of Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood).
“Well, you know, it’s a tough place for me to be in right now; I’m not going to lie about this,” Brown told TV Insider. “I guess if anyone were going to take Sheila down, I’m happy it’s Steffy. I just wish that no one was taking Sheila down. It’s my happy place where I have been...
Brown’s notorious character Sheila Carter was killed off in Monday’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful. She no doubt had it coming; Sheila’s been the epitome of evil since her character was first introduced on The Young and the Restless in 1990. She moved over to B&b in 1992 where she’s been wreaking havoc ever since.
The character’s death on Monday was at the hands of Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood).
“Well, you know, it’s a tough place for me to be in right now; I’m not going to lie about this,” Brown told TV Insider. “I guess if anyone were going to take Sheila down, I’m happy it’s Steffy. I just wish that no one was taking Sheila down. It’s my happy place where I have been...
- 2/28/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Jackie Loughery, who parlayed a victory in the first Miss USA pageant into an acting career that included a prominent role opposite future husband Jack Webb in the 1957 military drama The D.I., has died. She was 93.
Loughery died Friday in Los Angeles, Webb biographer Dan Moyer told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was like a mother to me and called me her kid,” he said.
The Brooklyn native also served as Johnny Carson’s assistant on a game show and appeared in the Western comedy Pardners (1956), starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; the melodrama Eighteen and Anxious (1957), starring William Campbell; and the political drama A Public Affair (1962), starring Edward Binns.
And for television, Loughery portrayed the niece of the title character (Edgar Buchanan) on the 1955-56 syndicated Western series Judge Roy Bean.
Loughery played a cautious shop owner named Annie who is romanced by a tough U.S. Marine drill sergeant...
Loughery died Friday in Los Angeles, Webb biographer Dan Moyer told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was like a mother to me and called me her kid,” he said.
The Brooklyn native also served as Johnny Carson’s assistant on a game show and appeared in the Western comedy Pardners (1956), starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; the melodrama Eighteen and Anxious (1957), starring William Campbell; and the political drama A Public Affair (1962), starring Edward Binns.
And for television, Loughery portrayed the niece of the title character (Edgar Buchanan) on the 1955-56 syndicated Western series Judge Roy Bean.
Loughery played a cautious shop owner named Annie who is romanced by a tough U.S. Marine drill sergeant...
- 2/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actors do not get to pick the roles that make them stars. They might have an inkling in certain cases that a part has the potential to catapult them off the B-list (look no further than Humphrey Bogart convincing George Raft to surrender the lead in Raoul Walsh's 1941 gangster classic "High Sierra"), but, ultimately, the public chooses. And this can be the source of lifelong agony for actors who envisioned entirely different careers for themselves.
Take Christopher Plummer. The great Canadian actor worked steadily in theater, film, and television for over seven decades. He was equally at home playing Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway or hamming it up as a paganistic reverend in Tom Mankiewicz's irredeemably silly "Dragnet." He won an Oscar, two Tonys, and two Primetime Emmys, and seemed to be having the time of his life even in the worst of movies (and they don't get...
Take Christopher Plummer. The great Canadian actor worked steadily in theater, film, and television for over seven decades. He was equally at home playing Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway or hamming it up as a paganistic reverend in Tom Mankiewicz's irredeemably silly "Dragnet." He won an Oscar, two Tonys, and two Primetime Emmys, and seemed to be having the time of his life even in the worst of movies (and they don't get...
- 2/24/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future in Star Trek became legendary for advancing diversity and representation on television. As the creator of the original series and its Next Generation sequel, Roddenberry pioneered casting Black and Asian actors in prominent roles. He imagined a utopian society built on peace, equality, and exploration.
Yet behind this progressive image, Roddenberry’s personal behavior betrayed a troubling contradiction. The man who symbolized an enlightened future has now been exposed for his past chauvinistic misconduct. Although married, Roddenberry carried on affairs with Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett, two female stars of the original Star Trek. An assistant producer on the show declared he intentionally exploited women on set.
Star Trek’s visionary Gene Roddenberry accused of sexist behavior behind the scenes
Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols had an affair with series creator Gene Roddenberry
According to Nicki Swift, actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt.
Yet behind this progressive image, Roddenberry’s personal behavior betrayed a troubling contradiction. The man who symbolized an enlightened future has now been exposed for his past chauvinistic misconduct. Although married, Roddenberry carried on affairs with Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett, two female stars of the original Star Trek. An assistant producer on the show declared he intentionally exploited women on set.
Star Trek’s visionary Gene Roddenberry accused of sexist behavior behind the scenes
Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols had an affair with series creator Gene Roddenberry
According to Nicki Swift, actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt.
- 2/15/2024
- by Nivedita Dubey
- FandomWire
Procedural drama series have been the backbone of television since the days of “Dragnet” and “Perry Mason.” Even as viewers are inundated with new, edgy and artsy programs, they’re embracing sturdy shows that blend potboiler tales and indelible characters like never before.
Whether on broadcast TV — where procedurals were the first wave of scripted series to return to the air following last year’s writers and actors strikes — or streaming platforms, audiences gravitate to close-ended storytelling about cops, doctors, lawyers, firefighters and other first responders.
Indeed, just four days after the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage ended on Nov. 9, Wolf Entertainment got back to work on the nine scripted procedurals on its slate: three “Law & Orders” and three “One Chicago” shows for NBC and three “FBI” dramas for CBS. The “Chicago” franchise was the first of the strike-delayed series to return with fresh episodes on Jan. 17.
“A good procedural is like comfort food: consistently satisfying,...
Whether on broadcast TV — where procedurals were the first wave of scripted series to return to the air following last year’s writers and actors strikes — or streaming platforms, audiences gravitate to close-ended storytelling about cops, doctors, lawyers, firefighters and other first responders.
Indeed, just four days after the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage ended on Nov. 9, Wolf Entertainment got back to work on the nine scripted procedurals on its slate: three “Law & Orders” and three “One Chicago” shows for NBC and three “FBI” dramas for CBS. The “Chicago” franchise was the first of the strike-delayed series to return with fresh episodes on Jan. 17.
“A good procedural is like comfort food: consistently satisfying,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
“Succession” went out on top for its fourth and final season, ending up with six Emmys Monday night including the top prize. The HBO series took home the prize for outstanding drama series for the second consecutive year and third consecutive season. It joins other three-peaters like “The Defenders,” “Dragnet,” “Playhouse 90” and “Upstairs, Downstairs.”
While accepting the prize, series creator Jesse Armstrong said, “We want to thank HBO. This wasn’t necessarily an easy show to commission right at the very beginning.”
He went on to say hello to “Jeremy Strong, who’s making a movie and Lucy, who’s made a baby. We send our love to both of them.”
Armstrong then grimly joked, “This is a show about family, but it’s also about when partisan politics and news coverage gets intertwined with divisive right-wing politics. After four seasons of satire, that’s a problem I understand we have now fixed.
While accepting the prize, series creator Jesse Armstrong said, “We want to thank HBO. This wasn’t necessarily an easy show to commission right at the very beginning.”
He went on to say hello to “Jeremy Strong, who’s making a movie and Lucy, who’s made a baby. We send our love to both of them.”
Armstrong then grimly joked, “This is a show about family, but it’s also about when partisan politics and news coverage gets intertwined with divisive right-wing politics. After four seasons of satire, that’s a problem I understand we have now fixed.
- 1/16/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Pictured: Hulk, The Mummy, The Karate Kid, Kung-Fu Panda
A New Year means lots of removals from Netflix and January 1st is looking busy, with over 100 movies set to leave the service already. Below, we’ll be keeping track of all the Netflix departures for the first month of 2024.
First, a few housekeeping notes as to how Netflix removals work before we dive in. Due to licensing agreements, shows and movies added to Netflix aren’t added forever. Instead, they’re essentially rented for a fixed period. All the shows below have their current window on Netflix ending and will likely be bound for a rival streaming service.
We list titles slightly differently from other outlets, with our listings being the actual day of removal. If you want to watch any titles scheduled to expire on January 1st, for example, you’ll need to watch by the end of December 31st.
A New Year means lots of removals from Netflix and January 1st is looking busy, with over 100 movies set to leave the service already. Below, we’ll be keeping track of all the Netflix departures for the first month of 2024.
First, a few housekeeping notes as to how Netflix removals work before we dive in. Due to licensing agreements, shows and movies added to Netflix aren’t added forever. Instead, they’re essentially rented for a fixed period. All the shows below have their current window on Netflix ending and will likely be bound for a rival streaming service.
We list titles slightly differently from other outlets, with our listings being the actual day of removal. If you want to watch any titles scheduled to expire on January 1st, for example, you’ll need to watch by the end of December 31st.
- 12/31/2023
- by Kasey Moore
- Whats-on-Netflix
There have been movies based on TV shows almost as long as there have been TV shows. Even in the 1950s, the first decades where large numbers of Americans owned a TV set, hit crime series like "Dragnet" and "The Lineup" made their way to theaters, alongside hit comedies like "Our Miss Brooks." Even TV movies got the fancy big-screen remake treatment, with the 1953 teleplay "Marty" not only getting a feature-length movie adaptation two years later, but also winning the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor, and the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
While some TV shows, even those popular enough to get their own movie, wind up forgotten, the big ones usually stick around in the public consciousness. Rod Serling's award-winning anthology series "The Twilight Zone" wasn't just a hit, it became something of an institution. It was an instantly recognizable brand, with...
While some TV shows, even those popular enough to get their own movie, wind up forgotten, the big ones usually stick around in the public consciousness. Rod Serling's award-winning anthology series "The Twilight Zone" wasn't just a hit, it became something of an institution. It was an instantly recognizable brand, with...
- 11/11/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
With “Star Trek,” he’s one of the most beloved science-fiction creators of all time. But Gene Roddenberry took his first stab at sci-fi almost a decade earlier, by pitching an episode titled “The Transporter” — a name that certainly resonates with “Star Trek” fans — to the anthology series “Science Fiction Theatre” in 1955.
IndieWire exclusively presents that original pitch document, with pencil corrections in Roddenberry’s own handwriting, that the TV writer, then just starting out, sent to series executives. The Roddenberry estate believes this document to be his first-ever attempt at writing science-fiction. It’s like seeing the first-ever attempt at dripping paint on canvas by Jackson Pollack.
This document will be discussed in detail on the October 26 episode of the “Gene-ology” podcast, which is devoted to the life and times of the man nicknamed “The Great Bird of the Galaxy” and is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment.
In 1955, Roddenberry had begun writing for Ziv TV,...
IndieWire exclusively presents that original pitch document, with pencil corrections in Roddenberry’s own handwriting, that the TV writer, then just starting out, sent to series executives. The Roddenberry estate believes this document to be his first-ever attempt at writing science-fiction. It’s like seeing the first-ever attempt at dripping paint on canvas by Jackson Pollack.
This document will be discussed in detail on the October 26 episode of the “Gene-ology” podcast, which is devoted to the life and times of the man nicknamed “The Great Bird of the Galaxy” and is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment.
In 1955, Roddenberry had begun writing for Ziv TV,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Fans of classic TV sitcoms, sci-fi, and dramas are about to have even friendlier live TV streaming options as the skinny-bundle streaming service Frndly TV announced on Tuesday that it had entered into an agreement that will bring the Weigel Broadcasting Co.’s MeTV+ network to all of the company’s subscribers next month.
7-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month frndlytv.com
Beginning in October, Frndly will become the first national TV provider to offer this channel, which is currently only available in select local markets. The live streamer already carries the channel’s sibling MeTV network. The spinoff channel will serve as a companion to MeTV, which is one of the country’s most popular networks focusing specifically on classic television from decades gone by. Both the original channel and the new MeTV+ serve as homes for beloved westerns, iconic sitcoms, groundbreaking sci-fi series, and timeless dramas. Every week, MeTV airs...
7-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month frndlytv.com
Beginning in October, Frndly will become the first national TV provider to offer this channel, which is currently only available in select local markets. The live streamer already carries the channel’s sibling MeTV network. The spinoff channel will serve as a companion to MeTV, which is one of the country’s most popular networks focusing specifically on classic television from decades gone by. Both the original channel and the new MeTV+ serve as homes for beloved westerns, iconic sitcoms, groundbreaking sci-fi series, and timeless dramas. Every week, MeTV airs...
- 9/5/2023
- by Matt Tamanini
- The Streamable
TV dramas have come a long way since the days of Playhouse 90, Hallmark Hall of Fame and Net Playhouse – all of which won Emmys for best drama in the 1960s. Even the category’s name has evolved since then, from Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama to Outstanding Dramatic Series or Outstanding Series-Drama and the current Outstanding Drama Series.
Click through a gallery of the shows that have taken home to marquee Emmy Award since 1960 – from the elegance of The Defenders and the period tech of Mission: Impossible through cop shows including Police Story, Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue; medical shows Marcus Welby, M.D. and ER, the legal offices of L.A. Law and The Practice; such quirky fare as Picket Fences, Northern Exposure and Ally McBeal; and into the antihero tales of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad – and many more.
Along the way you...
Click through a gallery of the shows that have taken home to marquee Emmy Award since 1960 – from the elegance of The Defenders and the period tech of Mission: Impossible through cop shows including Police Story, Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue; medical shows Marcus Welby, M.D. and ER, the legal offices of L.A. Law and The Practice; such quirky fare as Picket Fences, Northern Exposure and Ally McBeal; and into the antihero tales of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad – and many more.
Along the way you...
- 7/12/2023
- by Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
Jimmy Weldon, the cheery ventriloquist, kids TV host and actor who provided the voice for the endangered duck Yakky Doodle on Hanna-Barbera cartoons starting in the early 1960s, has died. He was 99.
Weldon’s death on Thursday in Paso Robles, California, was reported by American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood, where he was chaplain emeritus.
With the puppet Webster Webfoot, a duck he created in the 1940s, Weldon hosted TV shows for youngsters in New York, Los Angeles and cities in the San Joaquin Valley. The Texan also appeared on episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dragnet, The Waltons, S.W.A.T., B.J. and the Bear, Dallas, The Rockford Files, Diff’rent Strokes and It’s a Living.
Weldon voiced Yakky Doodle, a yellow duckling with green wings who is constantly being bailed out of trouble by his best friend, a protective bulldog named Chopper, on recurring segments of The Yogi Bear Show in 1961-62.
From left: Yogi Bear,...
Weldon’s death on Thursday in Paso Robles, California, was reported by American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood, where he was chaplain emeritus.
With the puppet Webster Webfoot, a duck he created in the 1940s, Weldon hosted TV shows for youngsters in New York, Los Angeles and cities in the San Joaquin Valley. The Texan also appeared on episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dragnet, The Waltons, S.W.A.T., B.J. and the Bear, Dallas, The Rockford Files, Diff’rent Strokes and It’s a Living.
Weldon voiced Yakky Doodle, a yellow duckling with green wings who is constantly being bailed out of trouble by his best friend, a protective bulldog named Chopper, on recurring segments of The Yogi Bear Show in 1961-62.
From left: Yogi Bear,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thirty years ago, Cyndi Lauper made her television acting debut in the hit comedy show Mad About You. Now, the pop queen behind hit tunes like “Time After Time” and “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is returning to acting in the new series The Horror of Dolores Roach, premiering July 7 on Prime Video.
Lauper plays Ruthie, a streetwise P.I. on the hunt for missing people — moonlighting as a Broadway usher — who crosses paths with Dolores Roach (Justina Machado), a Washington Heights woman so desperate, and so wronged by an unjust world,...
Lauper plays Ruthie, a streetwise P.I. on the hunt for missing people — moonlighting as a Broadway usher — who crosses paths with Dolores Roach (Justina Machado), a Washington Heights woman so desperate, and so wronged by an unjust world,...
- 7/7/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Yu-Gi-Oh!, the classic anime series, is headed to Web3 streaming service Rewarded.tv.
Five seasons of animated show will be made available for free on the platform, joining series such as Dragnet, Drink Champs and Luther. This follows a deal with Konami Cross Media, which produces the series and sells it in the U.S.
Viewers will be able to earn rewards, badges and digital collectibles by watching and sharing episodes. Rewarded.tv is available on smart TV devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku and on cell phones and the web.
“We are pleased to have Yu-Gi-Oh!, the king of games, available on the gamified Rewarded.tv experience,” added Mark Kirk, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Konami Cross Media NY, Inc.
“We could not be more excited to be bringing Yu-Gi-Oh! to the Rewarded.tv audience,” said Krish Arvapally, CEO of the platform’s owner Replay. “Replay...
Five seasons of animated show will be made available for free on the platform, joining series such as Dragnet, Drink Champs and Luther. This follows a deal with Konami Cross Media, which produces the series and sells it in the U.S.
Viewers will be able to earn rewards, badges and digital collectibles by watching and sharing episodes. Rewarded.tv is available on smart TV devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Roku and on cell phones and the web.
“We are pleased to have Yu-Gi-Oh!, the king of games, available on the gamified Rewarded.tv experience,” added Mark Kirk, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Konami Cross Media NY, Inc.
“We could not be more excited to be bringing Yu-Gi-Oh! to the Rewarded.tv audience,” said Krish Arvapally, CEO of the platform’s owner Replay. “Replay...
- 6/19/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Noreen Nash, an actress who starred in the films The Bix Fix and The Red Stallion and had a small role in James Dean’s classic Giant, has died. She was 99.
The Neptune Society confirmed her June 6 death in Sherman Oaks but gave no other details.
Nash received a screen test after being crowned Apple Blossom Queen in her hometown of Wenatchee, Washington while she was still in high school. She began acting in the mid-1940s in several small, uncredited roles.
Her big break came in 1947, when Nash starred in The Big Fix, a film about a gambling ring fixing college basketball games. That led to roles in such films as The Red Stallion, Assigned to Danger, The Checkered Coat, and Phantom From Space, among other movies of the 1940s and ‘50s.
Nash also appeared in such TV shows as “The Lone Ranger,” “The Abbott and Costello Show,” “My Little Margie,...
The Neptune Society confirmed her June 6 death in Sherman Oaks but gave no other details.
Nash received a screen test after being crowned Apple Blossom Queen in her hometown of Wenatchee, Washington while she was still in high school. She began acting in the mid-1940s in several small, uncredited roles.
Her big break came in 1947, when Nash starred in The Big Fix, a film about a gambling ring fixing college basketball games. That led to roles in such films as The Red Stallion, Assigned to Danger, The Checkered Coat, and Phantom From Space, among other movies of the 1940s and ‘50s.
Nash also appeared in such TV shows as “The Lone Ranger,” “The Abbott and Costello Show,” “My Little Margie,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Noreen Nash, a starlet of the 1940s and ’50s who appeared in such notable films as The Southerner, Giant and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold, has died. She was 99.
Nash died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Beverly Hills, her oldest son, Lee Siegel Jr., told The Hollywood Reporter.
Nash worked on about two dozen features during her two-decade career, including several “B” pictures like Phantom From Space (1953), where she portrayed an abducted scientist in a movie shot at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
The blue-eyed, dark-haired Nash also starred as the wife of an owner of a Palm Springs tennis club on the CBS summer replacement series The Charles Farrell Show — it stood in for I Love Lucy in 1956 — and appeared on episodes of Hopalong Cassidy, The Abbott and Costello Show, My Little Margie, Dragnet and 77 Sunset Strip.
Nash played the...
Nash died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in Beverly Hills, her oldest son, Lee Siegel Jr., told The Hollywood Reporter.
Nash worked on about two dozen features during her two-decade career, including several “B” pictures like Phantom From Space (1953), where she portrayed an abducted scientist in a movie shot at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
The blue-eyed, dark-haired Nash also starred as the wife of an owner of a Palm Springs tennis club on the CBS summer replacement series The Charles Farrell Show — it stood in for I Love Lucy in 1956 — and appeared on episodes of Hopalong Cassidy, The Abbott and Costello Show, My Little Margie, Dragnet and 77 Sunset Strip.
Nash played the...
- 6/8/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The real-world impact of firearm representation in police programming like Dragnet, children’s shows and in storylines that feature women and gun are among the trends explored in a new media guide released by the Hollywood, Health, & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center.
Published Tuesday, Trigger Warning: Gun Guidelines for the Media is a first-of-its-kind resource — a combination of research and suggested approaches to the representation of firearms in news and entertainment media. The 20-page report not only examines firearm trends in media over the last 20 years, but offers ways for storytellers to “change the narrative, reset the bar and provide representation of safe, acceptable behavior when it comes to firearms,” according to the Norman Lear Center.
The guide features a statistical overview of gun-related murders and deaths by suicide, firearms impacts on children and “officer-involved shootings,” or people killed specifically by police. It also explores myths around guns and gun violence,...
Published Tuesday, Trigger Warning: Gun Guidelines for the Media is a first-of-its-kind resource — a combination of research and suggested approaches to the representation of firearms in news and entertainment media. The 20-page report not only examines firearm trends in media over the last 20 years, but offers ways for storytellers to “change the narrative, reset the bar and provide representation of safe, acceptable behavior when it comes to firearms,” according to the Norman Lear Center.
The guide features a statistical overview of gun-related murders and deaths by suicide, firearms impacts on children and “officer-involved shootings,” or people killed specifically by police. It also explores myths around guns and gun violence,...
- 5/23/2023
- by Abbey White and Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For many decades, the “Big Three” networks dominated American television, bringing laughter, drama, breaking news and real-life events into our homes. NBC, CBS and ABC have broadcast thousands of fictional programs, sporting events, talk shows and news programs for nearly a century, with roots in radio. Television programming began in the 1940s, with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) leading the way, establishing several firsts for the medium, and becoming home to some of the longest-running programs in the history of the small screen.
But which 30 primetime and late night scripted series are the absolute best? We rank our favorites based on quality, quantity (number of seasons/episodes), impact on society and other shows, plus Emmy Awards nominations/wins. Each show on our list has some combo of at least a few of those traits (some have all four!).
In 1948, Milton Berle began hosting “Texaco Star Theatre,” and ruled Tuesday night television for several years,...
But which 30 primetime and late night scripted series are the absolute best? We rank our favorites based on quality, quantity (number of seasons/episodes), impact on society and other shows, plus Emmy Awards nominations/wins. Each show on our list has some combo of at least a few of those traits (some have all four!).
In 1948, Milton Berle began hosting “Texaco Star Theatre,” and ruled Tuesday night television for several years,...
- 4/20/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The Lone Ranger is one of the most iconic Western television shows ever to hit the air. However, it certainly didn’t receive the same amount of love when it came to certain audiences. The Lone Rangers only received three awards nominations over the course of its existence, starting in 1949 until its end after season 5 in 1957. The show never earned a single award, but it’ll always have the following nominations under its belt.
The plot follows a former Texas Ranger known as the Lone Ranger, played by Clayton Moore. After his brother and fellow lawmen die in an ambush, a Native American man he once saved named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) returns the favor. Wearing a piece of his brother’s clothing as a mask, the Lone Ranger fights outlaws along with Tonto across the Old West.
Primetime Emmy Awards – Best Film Made for and Viewed on Television in 1949 Clayton...
The plot follows a former Texas Ranger known as the Lone Ranger, played by Clayton Moore. After his brother and fellow lawmen die in an ambush, a Native American man he once saved named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) returns the favor. Wearing a piece of his brother’s clothing as a mask, the Lone Ranger fights outlaws along with Tonto across the Old West.
Primetime Emmy Awards – Best Film Made for and Viewed on Television in 1949 Clayton...
- 3/31/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
NBC’s landmark “Your Show of Shows” won its second consecutive best variety program statuette at the primetime Emmy Awards held Feb. 5, 1953 at the old Hotel Statler hosted by Art Linkletter. The 90-minute live program had strong competition- “Arthur Godfrey and His Friends” (CBS); “The Colgate Comedy Hour” (NBC); “The Jackie Gleason Show” (CBS) and “The Toast of the Town” (CBS).
Other winners that evening included another landmark series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy” which was named best situation comedy with NBC’s “Robert Montgomery Presents” receiving best dramatic program honors. CBS’ “What’s My Line? claimed the title of best audience participation, quiz or panel show. NBC’s “Dragnet” was the recipient of the best mystery, action or adventure program. Ktla’s “Time for Beany” won best children’s program, while Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” (CBS) received the Emmy for public affairs program.
On the acting front, Oscar-winners...
Other winners that evening included another landmark series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy” which was named best situation comedy with NBC’s “Robert Montgomery Presents” receiving best dramatic program honors. CBS’ “What’s My Line? claimed the title of best audience participation, quiz or panel show. NBC’s “Dragnet” was the recipient of the best mystery, action or adventure program. Ktla’s “Time for Beany” won best children’s program, while Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” (CBS) received the Emmy for public affairs program.
On the acting front, Oscar-winners...
- 3/21/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Somewhere in between his Oscar-winning portrayal of a gay lawyer dying of AIDS in "Philadelphia" and his performance as the mild-mannered captain of an Army detachment ordered to rescue the sole surviving son of a family that lost three of their children to the Normandy Invasion in "Saving Private Ryan," Tom Hanks was declared the James Stewart of his generation. The evidence was compelling. As Forrest Gump, astronaut Jim Lovell, and Sheriff Woody, Hanks had come to exemplify all that is right and decent about America. We saw the best of ourselves in his characters, while, off-screen, he exuded good, clean charm whenever he turned up on a talk show or a red carpet. He seemed affable, erudite, and kind. But to call him the Baby Boomer James Stewart was to ignore Stewart's willingness to play hard against type.
It is 2023, and Hanks has just delivered his first truly...
It is 2023, and Hanks has just delivered his first truly...
- 3/17/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
With the Community movie coming to Peacock it’s a good time to revisit the six seasons before the movie. When you graduate from the series like the study group graduated Greendale, you may want more. Here are some other shows that offer their own kind of surreal, self-referential live-action comedy if you liked Community.
L-r: Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Gillian Jacobs | Justin Lubin/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images If you liked ‘Community’ you may have ‘Scrubs’ to thank
The medical comedy Scrubs predates Community on NBC. Narrated by new resident J.D. (Zach Braff), Scrubs could break the fourth wall at any time within J.D.’s head. These included fantasy sequences, which isn’t how Community broke the fourth wall, but allowed Scrubs to get surreal.
Scrubs did have its own movie within Sacred Heart Hospital though. J.D. was writing a horror script called Dr.
L-r: Joel McHale, Alison Brie, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Gillian Jacobs | Justin Lubin/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images If you liked ‘Community’ you may have ‘Scrubs’ to thank
The medical comedy Scrubs predates Community on NBC. Narrated by new resident J.D. (Zach Braff), Scrubs could break the fourth wall at any time within J.D.’s head. These included fantasy sequences, which isn’t how Community broke the fourth wall, but allowed Scrubs to get surreal.
Scrubs did have its own movie within Sacred Heart Hospital though. J.D. was writing a horror script called Dr.
- 3/7/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
These days, you can’t turn around without finding a new medical drama on TV. Shows like New Amsterdam and 911 follow doctors, firefighters, and emergency service workers as they try to rescue patients and unsuspecting victims from tragedy. But before this overload of medical dramas, one show paved the way for firefighters and paramedics: Emergency! If you watched this show during its original run, you might wonder which Emergency! cast members are still alive.
What was ‘Emergency!’ about? ‘Emergency!’ Season 2: Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth | Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Set in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the 1970s action-adventure medical drama follows rescuers working as paramedics and firefighters. The show debuted as a midseason replacement in 1972, and IMDb lists the series run at 122 episodes in seven seasons and six two-hour TV movies until 1979.
Series creators previously worked on Dragnet and Adam-12, both about policing.
What was ‘Emergency!’ about? ‘Emergency!’ Season 2: Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth | Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Set in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the 1970s action-adventure medical drama follows rescuers working as paramedics and firefighters. The show debuted as a midseason replacement in 1972, and IMDb lists the series run at 122 episodes in seven seasons and six two-hour TV movies until 1979.
Series creators previously worked on Dragnet and Adam-12, both about policing.
- 2/28/2023
- by Julie Rhoads
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Scott Satin, veteran television producer who recently worked on the comedy game show “Funny You Should Ask,” died on Thursday after a long battle with the neurogenerative disorder Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, according to a statement from Allen Media Group. He was 64 years old.
Satin began his TV producing career in the late 1980s with the PBS children’s TV series “Square One Television” and “Mathnet,” the latter being an educational parody of the ’60s police procedural “Dragnet.”
In the ’90s, Satin expanded to daytime TV with the Tom Bergeron-hosted revival of “Hollywood Squares,” “The Byron Allen Show” and “The Keenan Wayans Show.”
Also Read:
Howard Bragman, Veteran Hollywood Publicist and LGBTQ Activist, Dies at 66
Satin then made another genre shift to reality TV in the 2000s, producing shows like “Who Wants to Marry My Dad” and “Meet My Folks” for NBC, along with the Stan Lee-hosted “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?...
Satin began his TV producing career in the late 1980s with the PBS children’s TV series “Square One Television” and “Mathnet,” the latter being an educational parody of the ’60s police procedural “Dragnet.”
In the ’90s, Satin expanded to daytime TV with the Tom Bergeron-hosted revival of “Hollywood Squares,” “The Byron Allen Show” and “The Keenan Wayans Show.”
Also Read:
Howard Bragman, Veteran Hollywood Publicist and LGBTQ Activist, Dies at 66
Satin then made another genre shift to reality TV in the 2000s, producing shows like “Who Wants to Marry My Dad” and “Meet My Folks” for NBC, along with the Stan Lee-hosted “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?...
- 2/12/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Since its premiere in 1990, "Law & Order" has become the gold standard of police procedurals. It was by no means the first police procedural, but it is perhaps the most recognizable. True to its genre, each episode of this series features a crime that must be solved by detectives and prosecuted by the District Attorney's office. Although some storylines are original ideas, many take inspiration from high-profile cases, larger-than-life criminals, and current events within the U.S. justice system.
After three decades and counting, fans can enjoy over 400 episodes and 22 seasons of their favorite procedural. It's a massive chunk of television to sift through, but some parts of the series are more worthwhile than others. From unbearable characters to stale plots, the worst seasons of "Law & Order" are full of frustrating departures from the series' tried-and-true formula. However, the best seasons offer viewers a glimpse at just how great procedural television can be,...
After three decades and counting, fans can enjoy over 400 episodes and 22 seasons of their favorite procedural. It's a massive chunk of television to sift through, but some parts of the series are more worthwhile than others. From unbearable characters to stale plots, the worst seasons of "Law & Order" are full of frustrating departures from the series' tried-and-true formula. However, the best seasons offer viewers a glimpse at just how great procedural television can be,...
- 2/11/2023
- by Samantha Jacobs
- Slash Film
With Tom Hanks’ recent film A Man Called Otto continuing to pull in solid numbers at the box office, we wanted to know what your favorite film by the legendary actor is. We have compiled a pretty comprehensive list, but if by chance you don’t see your favorite listed, please let us know in the comments.
Favorite Tom Hanks MovieA Man Called Otto (2022)Pinocchio (2022)Elvis (2022)Finch (2021)News of the World (2020)Greyhound (2020)A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)Toy Story 4 (2019)The Post (2017)The Circle (2017)Inferno (2016)Sully (2016)A Hologram for the King (2016)Bridge of Spies (2015)Saving Mr. Banks (2013)Captain Phillips (2013)Cloud Atlas (2012)Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)Larry Crowne (2011)Toy Story 3 (2010)Angels & Demons (2009)The Great Buck Howard (2009)The Simpsons Movie (2007)Charlie Wilson's War (2007)The Da Vinci Code (2006)The Polar Express (2004)The Terminal (2004)The Ladykillers (2004)Catch Me if You Can (2002)Road to Perdition (2002)Cast Away (2000)The Green Mile (1999)Toy Story 2...
Favorite Tom Hanks MovieA Man Called Otto (2022)Pinocchio (2022)Elvis (2022)Finch (2021)News of the World (2020)Greyhound (2020)A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)Toy Story 4 (2019)The Post (2017)The Circle (2017)Inferno (2016)Sully (2016)A Hologram for the King (2016)Bridge of Spies (2015)Saving Mr. Banks (2013)Captain Phillips (2013)Cloud Atlas (2012)Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)Larry Crowne (2011)Toy Story 3 (2010)Angels & Demons (2009)The Great Buck Howard (2009)The Simpsons Movie (2007)Charlie Wilson's War (2007)The Da Vinci Code (2006)The Polar Express (2004)The Terminal (2004)The Ladykillers (2004)Catch Me if You Can (2002)Road to Perdition (2002)Cast Away (2000)The Green Mile (1999)Toy Story 2...
- 1/29/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
When your students are tanking their classes (if they attend at all) and dumping Fizzies tablets onto the varsity swim meet, you can't be a soft school administrator. That said, Dean Wormer would run Faber College more like Rikers if he had the opportunity. The gruff villain (played by John Vernon) is just one of the highlights of "National Lampoon's Animal House," John Landis' 1978 frat comedy, as the biggest authority standing in the way of Delta House's good time. The movie was penned by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller, pulling from their respective experiences in higher education. It was "National Lampoon Magazine" editor-in-chief and writer Kenney who came up with the Dean years before the movie, as the satirical "National Lampoon's High School Yearbook" featured Wormer as a civics teacher and coach. On the big screen, Wormer doesn't suffer fools or twerps, and he's as rigid about...
- 1/25/2023
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Christmas is truly the gift that keeps on giving for the television business and for viewers.
Dating back to the 1940s, there have been nearly 2,500 TV episodes and specials with Christmas themes according to a list on Wikipedia. Sitcoms have provided the most content with 813 episodes dating back to 1952.
For the variety show treatment, Perry Como got things rolling with the first of his The Perry Como Chesterfield Supper Club — Christmas Special in 1948. Old Blue Eyes himself joined the party in 1950 with The Frank Sinatra Show: Christmas Show in 1950. The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show’s Gracie’s Christmas dropped that same year.
Sitcoms and dramas followed soon thereafter. CBS crime drama Suspense (“Dancing Dan’s Christmas”) aired in 1950. NBC’s Dragnet (“The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas”) and CBS’ Racket Squad (“The Christmas Caper”) followed in 1952. Amos ‘n Andy (“The Christmas Story”) and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet...
Dating back to the 1940s, there have been nearly 2,500 TV episodes and specials with Christmas themes according to a list on Wikipedia. Sitcoms have provided the most content with 813 episodes dating back to 1952.
For the variety show treatment, Perry Como got things rolling with the first of his The Perry Como Chesterfield Supper Club — Christmas Special in 1948. Old Blue Eyes himself joined the party in 1950 with The Frank Sinatra Show: Christmas Show in 1950. The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show’s Gracie’s Christmas dropped that same year.
Sitcoms and dramas followed soon thereafter. CBS crime drama Suspense (“Dancing Dan’s Christmas”) aired in 1950. NBC’s Dragnet (“The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas”) and CBS’ Racket Squad (“The Christmas Caper”) followed in 1952. Amos ‘n Andy (“The Christmas Story”) and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet...
- 10/31/2022
- by David Morgan
- Deadline Film + TV
John Oliver delivers his message on Law & Order.Pic credit: LastWeekTonight/YouTube
John Oliver had some very harsh words for Dick Wolf, NBC, and the Law & Order franchise.
In a lengthy piece on his HBO series Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the British comedian slammed Law & Order for what he claimed was an outdated and dangerous view of police work.
Oliver chastised the show for depicting police in the best light, brushing off how they would bend the rules to make a case and an unrealistic view of how successful police work is.
The host singled out Dick Wolf with claims of how Wolf deliberately ensures the police on Law & Order are always shown at their best and how the show is a “recruiting tool” for the NYPD.
So far, neither Wolf nor NBC have responded to Oliver’s video, which is already going viral on several blogs.
John Oliver had some very harsh words for Dick Wolf, NBC, and the Law & Order franchise.
In a lengthy piece on his HBO series Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the British comedian slammed Law & Order for what he claimed was an outdated and dangerous view of police work.
Oliver chastised the show for depicting police in the best light, brushing off how they would bend the rules to make a case and an unrealistic view of how successful police work is.
The host singled out Dick Wolf with claims of how Wolf deliberately ensures the police on Law & Order are always shown at their best and how the show is a “recruiting tool” for the NYPD.
So far, neither Wolf nor NBC have responded to Oliver’s video, which is already going viral on several blogs.
- 9/12/2022
- by Michael Weyer
- Monsters and Critics
The Law & Order television franchise is “commercial” for a “defective product,” said John Oliver on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, capping a lengthy rant about the Dick Wolf cop shows that Oliver argued present an unrealistic and misleading depiction of law enforcement.
“If a medical show was giving us inaccurate information, we would say it’s dangerous,” Oliver said at one point, suggesting that if Grey’s Anatomy espoused misleading information about vaccines, “We’d probably be having a conversation about, [and] that’s essentially what Law & Order is doing.”
The franchise, Oliver argues, regularly promotes a message that “cops can always figure out who did it,” defense attorneys are an annoyance and police brutality is acceptable for “a just outcome.”
Making extensive use of show clips – Oliver never denies how entertaining and compelling the shows can be – the HBO host outlined numerous ways in which the fictional cops diverge from reality: On L&o: Svu,...
“If a medical show was giving us inaccurate information, we would say it’s dangerous,” Oliver said at one point, suggesting that if Grey’s Anatomy espoused misleading information about vaccines, “We’d probably be having a conversation about, [and] that’s essentially what Law & Order is doing.”
The franchise, Oliver argues, regularly promotes a message that “cops can always figure out who did it,” defense attorneys are an annoyance and police brutality is acceptable for “a just outcome.”
Making extensive use of show clips – Oliver never denies how entertaining and compelling the shows can be – the HBO host outlined numerous ways in which the fictional cops diverge from reality: On L&o: Svu,...
- 9/12/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
John Oliver took aim at NBC‘s long-running procedural Law & Order on Sunday’s (September 11) episode of Last Week Tonight, highlighting its portrayal of the police. The comedian presented a segment about Law & Order and its many spin-offs and how they help sell a positive view of law enforcement. He focused on the show’s creator Dick Wolf and how he was influenced by Dragnet, a series that worked closely with the LAPD. As Oliver pointed out, Wolf similarly has a “close, behind-the-scenes relationship with the NYPD, employing officers as consultants and boasting about the access he had.” Oliver then cited an interview with a former Law & Order writer, who said that there was a feeling that they couldn’t paint the police in a bad light because then the NYPD would make it difficult for the show to shoot in New York. “Which does make sense, doesn’t it?...
- 9/12/2022
- TV Insider
Click here to read the full article.
John Oliver took a critical look at the Law & Order franchise on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight.
He started out by noting that creator Dick Wolf was a huge fan of Dragnet as a boy, which inspired him to create his long-running TV franchise as an adult (after he created a series of airline commercials now considered sexist).
After expressing alarm that several real-life officers of the law have said they have learned how to do their job by watching Law & Order and its spinoffs, Oliver turned his focus to Wolf. Oliver noted that Wolf has a “close, behind-the-scenes relationship with the NYPD, employing officers as consultants and boasting about the access he had.”
He cited an interview with an unnamed writer on the show noting that there was a feeling that if the police were portrayed in a negative light,...
John Oliver took a critical look at the Law & Order franchise on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight.
He started out by noting that creator Dick Wolf was a huge fan of Dragnet as a boy, which inspired him to create his long-running TV franchise as an adult (after he created a series of airline commercials now considered sexist).
After expressing alarm that several real-life officers of the law have said they have learned how to do their job by watching Law & Order and its spinoffs, Oliver turned his focus to Wolf. Oliver noted that Wolf has a “close, behind-the-scenes relationship with the NYPD, employing officers as consultants and boasting about the access he had.”
He cited an interview with an unnamed writer on the show noting that there was a feeling that if the police were portrayed in a negative light,...
- 9/12/2022
- by THR staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I’m just gonna say this and you may not like it but it doesn’t make it any less true: The nicest thing the Queen of England ever did for anyone was die the week that [Liz Truss] became Prime Minister.”
That pretty much summed up Last Week Tonight’s first segment, in which John Oliver lamented the sorry state of his home country—a dead queen, energy bills set to be 80 percent higher this winter than they were last, and the elevation to Pm of Truss, who Oliver...
That pretty much summed up Last Week Tonight’s first segment, in which John Oliver lamented the sorry state of his home country—a dead queen, energy bills set to be 80 percent higher this winter than they were last, and the elevation to Pm of Truss, who Oliver...
- 9/12/2022
- by Ky Henderson
- Rollingstone.com
So, what do the 4th Primetime Emmy Awards, which took place Feb. 18, 1952, have in common with the 2022 edition?
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
The stars of the No. 1 TV series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy,” were the hosts of the Emmy ceremony, which was telecast in Los Angeles on Kcea, now known as Kabc. And it was the first time that the Emmys embraced national television networks. Previously, nominations and awards were bestowed on projects that were produced or aired in Los Angeles.
This year, Amy Poehler’s valentine of a film, “Lucy and Desi,” not only received strong reviews but six Emmy nominations including Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special and directing for Poehler. The Amazon Prime doc won two: writer Mark Monroe and composer David Schwartz.
Traveling back to the 1952, the ceremony took places at venerable nightclub, the Cocoanut Grove. It must have been a short show because only seven awards were handed out.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
The stars of the No. 1 TV series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy,” were the hosts of the Emmy ceremony, which was telecast in Los Angeles on Kcea, now known as Kabc. And it was the first time that the Emmys embraced national television networks. Previously, nominations and awards were bestowed on projects that were produced or aired in Los Angeles.
This year, Amy Poehler’s valentine of a film, “Lucy and Desi,” not only received strong reviews but six Emmy nominations including Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special and directing for Poehler. The Amazon Prime doc won two: writer Mark Monroe and composer David Schwartz.
Traveling back to the 1952, the ceremony took places at venerable nightclub, the Cocoanut Grove. It must have been a short show because only seven awards were handed out.
- 9/7/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In 1982, Tom Hanks landed his first leading role in a film with "Mazes and Monsters." Hanks stars in the made-for-tv movie as a college student who suffers a psychotic break from playing the titular role-playing game, a thinly-veiled fictional stand-in for real-life fantasy roleplaying games like "Dungeons & Dragons." It's "Reefer Madness" for RPGs, a laughably terrible propaganda piece based on a 1981 book that itself was inspired by inaccurate media stories trying to establish a non-existent link between mental health and a love of rolling "Nat 20s."
Thankfully, things only went up for Hanks from there. He would spend the rest of the '80s making his primary living as a comedic actor, starring in now-classic titles like "Splash" and "Big" in-between less successful comedy movies and his early attempts at drama in films like "Every Time We Say Goodbye." In time, however, Hanks would hit another low-point with his...
Thankfully, things only went up for Hanks from there. He would spend the rest of the '80s making his primary living as a comedic actor, starring in now-classic titles like "Splash" and "Big" in-between less successful comedy movies and his early attempts at drama in films like "Every Time We Say Goodbye." In time, however, Hanks would hit another low-point with his...
- 9/6/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
William Reynolds, who portrayed crime-stopping Special Agent Tom Colby opposite Efrem Zimbalist Jr. on the final seven seasons of the ABC crime drama The F.B.I., has died. He was 90.
Reynolds died Wednesday in Wildomar, California, from non-covid 19 complicated pneumonia, a family spokesperson announced.
The Los Angeles native also starred in three other series, all short-lived: as the trumpet player on the 1959 NBC drama Pete Kelly’s Blues, created by Jack Webb; on ABC’s The Islanders, a 1960-61 adventure show set in the East Indies; and on the World War II-set The Gallant Men, which ran on ABC from 1962-63.
In 1960, Reynolds memorably played a WWII officer who can’t ignore an ominous light on the faces of his men destined to be killed in the acclaimed Twilight Zone season-one episode “The Purple Testament.”
On the big screen, he appeared in the...
William Reynolds, who portrayed crime-stopping Special Agent Tom Colby opposite Efrem Zimbalist Jr. on the final seven seasons of the ABC crime drama The F.B.I., has died. He was 90.
Reynolds died Wednesday in Wildomar, California, from non-covid 19 complicated pneumonia, a family spokesperson announced.
The Los Angeles native also starred in three other series, all short-lived: as the trumpet player on the 1959 NBC drama Pete Kelly’s Blues, created by Jack Webb; on ABC’s The Islanders, a 1960-61 adventure show set in the East Indies; and on the World War II-set The Gallant Men, which ran on ABC from 1962-63.
In 1960, Reynolds memorably played a WWII officer who can’t ignore an ominous light on the faces of his men destined to be killed in the acclaimed Twilight Zone season-one episode “The Purple Testament.”
On the big screen, he appeared in the...
- 8/31/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
William Reynolds, who portrayed Special Agent Tom Colby for six seasons on the television series The F.B.I., died August 24 from non-covid-19 complicated pneumonia, his son Eric Regnolds confirms. He was 90.
Born in Los Angeles, Reynolds was born William de Clercq Regnolds on December 9, 1931. He began his career under contract to Universal Pictures and had credits in Carrie (1952) as Laurence Olivier’s son and The Son of Ali Baba where he was Tony Curtis’ best friend. For 20th Century Fox, he portrayed Rommel’s son opposite James Mason in The Desert Fox.
Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
Following his military service in Japan during the Korean War, Reynolds co-starred in Cult of the Cobra (1955). In 1959, he starred as trumpeter Pete Kelly in the television series Pete Kelly’s Blues. In 1960-1961, he starred as air charter entrepreneur and adventurer Sandy Wade on the ABC Warner Bros. Television series, The Islanders,...
Born in Los Angeles, Reynolds was born William de Clercq Regnolds on December 9, 1931. He began his career under contract to Universal Pictures and had credits in Carrie (1952) as Laurence Olivier’s son and The Son of Ali Baba where he was Tony Curtis’ best friend. For 20th Century Fox, he portrayed Rommel’s son opposite James Mason in The Desert Fox.
Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
Following his military service in Japan during the Korean War, Reynolds co-starred in Cult of the Cobra (1955). In 1959, he starred as trumpeter Pete Kelly in the television series Pete Kelly’s Blues. In 1960-1961, he starred as air charter entrepreneur and adventurer Sandy Wade on the ABC Warner Bros. Television series, The Islanders,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
The television academy first formally acknowledged the art of small screen music composition by honoring the “Dragnet” score in 1955, and they have similarly awarded other series every year since 1968. Since 2019, only continuing scripted shows have been allowed to compete for the Best Music for Series Emmy, while others are now either relegated to the Best Music for Limited Series or Best Music for Documentary Series categories.
The 2022 slate of Best Music for Series nominees includes comedies “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max), “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) and “Schmigadoon!” (Apple TV+) and dramas “Loki” (Disney+), “Severance” (Apple TV+) and “Succession” (HBO). Each nominated composer, most of whom have been recognized before, currently has a shot at achieving their first victory in this category. The playing field sounds fairly level, but let’s look closer to see if any contenders have a leg up. Be sure to make your Emmy predictions...
The 2022 slate of Best Music for Series nominees includes comedies “The Flight Attendant” (HBO Max), “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) and “Schmigadoon!” (Apple TV+) and dramas “Loki” (Disney+), “Severance” (Apple TV+) and “Succession” (HBO). Each nominated composer, most of whom have been recognized before, currently has a shot at achieving their first victory in this category. The playing field sounds fairly level, but let’s look closer to see if any contenders have a leg up. Be sure to make your Emmy predictions...
- 8/30/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: North America is getting its latest free streaming service later this month. Mometu, which is marketing itself as a “hand curated” on-demand live streaming platform, will launch on August 19 and has secured free streaming rights to South Korean feature The Policeman’s Lineage.
The service will launch with a slate of legacy films and TV series as Dragnet, Bonanza, Batman, Jackie Chan-starrer The 36 Crazy Fists, Apache Ross, documentary Blues on Beale, Sandra Bullock’s Hangmen, Herman Yau action-thriller Shock Wave 2, Nollywood director Okey Ifeanyi’s Long Walk to Truth and The Gods, which Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Paper Tigers) directed, starred in and wrote.
In September, it will add the exclusive AVoD premiere of Kyu-maan Lee’s crime thriller feature The Policeman’s Lineage, starring Woo-sik Choi (Parasite), Jin-woong Cho (The Handmaiden), Myeong-hoon Park (Parasite) and Hee-soon Park (Apple TV+’s Dr. Brain). The film centers on Choi Min-Jae (Choi...
The service will launch with a slate of legacy films and TV series as Dragnet, Bonanza, Batman, Jackie Chan-starrer The 36 Crazy Fists, Apache Ross, documentary Blues on Beale, Sandra Bullock’s Hangmen, Herman Yau action-thriller Shock Wave 2, Nollywood director Okey Ifeanyi’s Long Walk to Truth and The Gods, which Mykel Shannon Jenkins (Paper Tigers) directed, starred in and wrote.
In September, it will add the exclusive AVoD premiere of Kyu-maan Lee’s crime thriller feature The Policeman’s Lineage, starring Woo-sik Choi (Parasite), Jin-woong Cho (The Handmaiden), Myeong-hoon Park (Parasite) and Hee-soon Park (Apple TV+’s Dr. Brain). The film centers on Choi Min-Jae (Choi...
- 8/3/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
ClassicFlix comes forward with an entire 26 original episodes of the comic duo’s 1952 TV show, all fully remastered by the 3-D Archive people. That’s 13 + hours of Abbott and Costello comedy, looking better than new — even the original opening logos have been restored. The repeating leads are fully attuned to A&c’s style of comedy — Sid Fields, Hillary Brooke, Gordon Jones, etc.. The full set comes with numerous audio commentaries and featurettes.
The Abbott and Costello Show Season 1
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1952-1953 / B&W / 1:33 flat / 676 min. / Street Date December 14, 2021 / Available from ClassicFLix / 49.99
Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Sid Fields, Hillary Brooke, Gordon Jones, Joe Besser, Joe Kirk, Bobby Barber, Joan Shawlee, Veda Ann Borg, Elvia Allman, Virginia Christine, Bingo the Chimp; Iris Adrian, Glenn Strange.
Cinematography: George Robinson
Art Director: Mac Capps
Film Editor: Gene Fowler Jr., Fred R. Feitshans Jr.
Original Music: Raoul Kraushaar
Written by Sid Fields,...
The Abbott and Costello Show Season 1
Blu-ray
ClassicFlix
1952-1953 / B&W / 1:33 flat / 676 min. / Street Date December 14, 2021 / Available from ClassicFLix / 49.99
Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Sid Fields, Hillary Brooke, Gordon Jones, Joe Besser, Joe Kirk, Bobby Barber, Joan Shawlee, Veda Ann Borg, Elvia Allman, Virginia Christine, Bingo the Chimp; Iris Adrian, Glenn Strange.
Cinematography: George Robinson
Art Director: Mac Capps
Film Editor: Gene Fowler Jr., Fred R. Feitshans Jr.
Original Music: Raoul Kraushaar
Written by Sid Fields,...
- 12/18/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Oscar winner Sissy Spacek and three-time Emmy-nominated Modern Family star Ed O’Neill are set as the leads in Amazon’s sci-fi drama Lightyears, from writer Holden Miller and producer Daniel C. Connolly. Argentinian director Juan José Campanella will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the series, a co-production of Amazon Studios and Legendary Television. It’s scheduled to begin filming later this year.
This marks O’Neill’s return to TV following the end of Modern Family’s 11-season run last spring.
Written by Miller, Lightyears follows Franklin and Irene York, played by O’Neill and Spacek, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended…and the mysterious chamber they thought they...
This marks O’Neill’s return to TV following the end of Modern Family’s 11-season run last spring.
Written by Miller, Lightyears follows Franklin and Irene York, played by O’Neill and Spacek, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended…and the mysterious chamber they thought they...
- 3/1/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran journalists know that the public mood is quirky, so it’s always risky to report “a consensus.” A few days ago, for example, there seemed a “consensus” that Americans had lost confidence in their neighborhood cops. Further, their expectations about cops had been distorted by movies and television.
But then things became even more complicated: Donald Trump decided to mobilize an entirely new police force of uncertain origin and training, dispatching it to Portland, Seattle and other major cities. This left the public to figure out a new way to respond to “authority” and, for the media, a new strategy for covering the incursions.
Yet another complication: Only a year ago, the data reflected a decade-long decline in violent crime. Now suddenly the crime rate was exploding. And the rising numbers don’t begin to include the clashes stemming from new protests prompted by the arrival of Trump’s Troopers.
But then things became even more complicated: Donald Trump decided to mobilize an entirely new police force of uncertain origin and training, dispatching it to Portland, Seattle and other major cities. This left the public to figure out a new way to respond to “authority” and, for the media, a new strategy for covering the incursions.
Yet another complication: Only a year ago, the data reflected a decade-long decline in violent crime. Now suddenly the crime rate was exploding. And the rising numbers don’t begin to include the clashes stemming from new protests prompted by the arrival of Trump’s Troopers.
- 7/30/2020
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Peacock, the NBCUniversal streaming service that launched in April in Comcast homes, started expanding nationally overnight as Tuesday turned to Wednesday on the East Coast.
Along with Comcast’s X1 and Flex, Peacock will be available on Apple and Google platforms, Microsoft’s Xbox, Vizio and LG smart TVs, Cox Contour and, starting next week, Sony PlayStation. Talks are ongoing with major distributors like Amazon Fire and Roku, but those two top platforms are still on the sidelines as of now.
Peacock will offer 13,000 hours on its free tier and 20,000 hours on its subscription level, sourced from a range of networks and studios both inside and outside of NBCU. Nine Peacock Original movies and shows are available at launch, with others following through the end of the year. (Deadline reported Tuesday on the latest release dates for several shows arriving after today’s expansion.)
There will be more than 30 curated channels,...
Along with Comcast’s X1 and Flex, Peacock will be available on Apple and Google platforms, Microsoft’s Xbox, Vizio and LG smart TVs, Cox Contour and, starting next week, Sony PlayStation. Talks are ongoing with major distributors like Amazon Fire and Roku, but those two top platforms are still on the sidelines as of now.
Peacock will offer 13,000 hours on its free tier and 20,000 hours on its subscription level, sourced from a range of networks and studios both inside and outside of NBCU. Nine Peacock Original movies and shows are available at launch, with others following through the end of the year. (Deadline reported Tuesday on the latest release dates for several shows arriving after today’s expansion.)
There will be more than 30 curated channels,...
- 7/15/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
NBCUniversal’s Peacock is set to go live on July 15 for a national audience, stuffed with more than 20,000 hours for Premium subscribers — and more than 13,000 hours entirely for free.
So what’s on the service? Here’s a breakdown of what to stream on Peacock Free and Peacock Premium, including original TV shows and movies. While Peacock will be available on platforms including those from Apple, Google, Xbox, LG, Vizio, Comcast and Cox, it will not be on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
Content on both tiers
Both Peacock’s free and premium tiers will feature current-season episodes and specials from NBC and Telemundo; news, sports and pop-culture programming; and more than 30 genre channels including live news from NBC News Now and Sky News, curated channels with clips from shows like “The Office” (which will roll off Netflix at the end of 2020 to come to Peacock in January 2021), “Saturday Night Live,...
So what’s on the service? Here’s a breakdown of what to stream on Peacock Free and Peacock Premium, including original TV shows and movies. While Peacock will be available on platforms including those from Apple, Google, Xbox, LG, Vizio, Comcast and Cox, it will not be on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.
Content on both tiers
Both Peacock’s free and premium tiers will feature current-season episodes and specials from NBC and Telemundo; news, sports and pop-culture programming; and more than 30 genre channels including live news from NBC News Now and Sky News, curated channels with clips from shows like “The Office” (which will roll off Netflix at the end of 2020 to come to Peacock in January 2021), “Saturday Night Live,...
- 7/14/2020
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Edd Byrnes, star of the 1950s and ’60s TV hit “77 Sunset Strip” who went on to co-star in the 1978 smash “Grease,” has died, the actor’s son, Logan Byrnes, confirmed Thursday via Facebook. He was 87.
Byrnes died at his home in Santa Monica, according to Logan Byrnes, who is a news anchor for Kusi-tv San Diego.
Byrnes became a comedic sensation as the co-star of the ABC detective drama “77 Sunset Strip,” starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as a hip L.A. private detective. Byrnes played Kookie, the parking lot attendant with a habit of running his comb through his slick hair. His character, Gerald Kookson III, introduced a host of early ’60s slang into mainstream primetime culture.
The series was among a slew of slick action-dramas that the fledgling Warner Bros. Television division produced for the Big Three networks in the late 1950s and early ’60s.
The Kookie character...
Byrnes died at his home in Santa Monica, according to Logan Byrnes, who is a news anchor for Kusi-tv San Diego.
Byrnes became a comedic sensation as the co-star of the ABC detective drama “77 Sunset Strip,” starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as a hip L.A. private detective. Byrnes played Kookie, the parking lot attendant with a habit of running his comb through his slick hair. His character, Gerald Kookson III, introduced a host of early ’60s slang into mainstream primetime culture.
The series was among a slew of slick action-dramas that the fledgling Warner Bros. Television division produced for the Big Three networks in the late 1950s and early ’60s.
The Kookie character...
- 1/9/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
With Downton Abbey (2019) in theaters today and already threatening a sequel let's talk movie spin-offs of TV shows. TV shows have been adapted into feature films for as long as we can recall, but up until the 21st century it was more common for feature films to be adapted into TV shows.
Examples of TV series getting their own theatrical film outing with the original cast intact dates back to, we think, Dragnet (1954) and Batman The Movie (1966), both of which had one theatrical release during their TV runs. But it was fairly rare until recently and it has usually only happened after a television series has wrapped. A large part of this becoming more common obviously has to do with the narrowing gap between how audiences experience TV and film. On a less obvious and more theoretical level we suspect its due to the even newer cultural trend of immediate / perpetual nostalgia.
Examples of TV series getting their own theatrical film outing with the original cast intact dates back to, we think, Dragnet (1954) and Batman The Movie (1966), both of which had one theatrical release during their TV runs. But it was fairly rare until recently and it has usually only happened after a television series has wrapped. A large part of this becoming more common obviously has to do with the narrowing gap between how audiences experience TV and film. On a less obvious and more theoretical level we suspect its due to the even newer cultural trend of immediate / perpetual nostalgia.
- 9/20/2019
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
[We're celebrating some of the most memorable horror and sci-fi movies of 1989 this month in Daily Dead's Class of 89 retrospective series! Check back on Daily Dead throughout the rest of August for more special features celebrating the 30th anniversaries of a wide range of horror and sci-fi films!]
In February of 1989, Joe Dante snuck a horror movie into a major studio family comedy like a family of murderers sneaking onto the quiet streets of suburban America. Audiences going to theaters for the new Tom Hanks movie—fresh off his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for Big—didn’t know what they were in for until it was too late. The movie was The ’Burbs, and though it was a box office success at the time, it has come to enjoy the kind of cult fandom typically reserved for movies misunderstood in their day. It’s the rare movie that has enjoyed the best of both worlds.
Living in two worlds is what The ’Burbs does best. It’s both a broad comedy and a sharp satire. It’s a family comedy and a horror movie. It’s Rear Window and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It’s a...
In February of 1989, Joe Dante snuck a horror movie into a major studio family comedy like a family of murderers sneaking onto the quiet streets of suburban America. Audiences going to theaters for the new Tom Hanks movie—fresh off his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for Big—didn’t know what they were in for until it was too late. The movie was The ’Burbs, and though it was a box office success at the time, it has come to enjoy the kind of cult fandom typically reserved for movies misunderstood in their day. It’s the rare movie that has enjoyed the best of both worlds.
Living in two worlds is what The ’Burbs does best. It’s both a broad comedy and a sharp satire. It’s a family comedy and a horror movie. It’s Rear Window and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It’s a...
- 8/30/2019
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Mitch Pileggi was only 42 years old when he gained fame for playing FBI's assistant director, Walter Skinner, in the '90s supernatural show "The X-Files" on Fox. Mitch Pileggi shared the science fiction show with stars like Gillian Anderson as the skeptical agent Dana Scully, David Duchovny as the credulous agent Fox Mulder and William B. Davis as the super secret, Smoking Man. Pileggi went on to roles on both of the break out...
- 6/18/2019
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
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