Television

Nexstar TV stations returned to Dish Network’s lineup on Christmas after a 23-day blackout. The sides struck a deal late on Christmas Eve to restore 164 Nexstar stations and WGN America to the satcaster’s lineup. WGN America, which has transformed its primetime lineup into a national newscast, will also launch on Dish’s virtual MVPD, Sling,

This tribute to director Bob Clark and the 1983 chestnut “A Christmas Story” was originally published Dec. 20, 2007 on the Variety blog “Littleton On the Air” It’s that wonderful time of year, time for repeated viewings of the holiday pic that never, ever gets old, 1983’s “A Christmas Story.” TBS is obliging with its

Kevin Spacey posted a Christmas-themed YouTube video, marking the third year in a row that he has shared clips to his channel. This year’s video, titled “1-800 XMAS,” was a more somber affair than past years, offering compassion to people struggling over the holiday season. “If you’re standing in a place that you can no

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the second episode of “The Stand,” streaming now on CBS All Access. Jovan Adepo has developed a niche portraying iconic characters on the small screen. He starred as the adult-age Antron McCray in Netflix’s fact-based “When They See Us” in 2019, and brought Lionel Jefferson

Get ready to go into a new year in fighting shape: Netflix is launching the third season of “Cobra Kai” a week earlier than originally planned, now set to drop all episodes on Jan. 1. The day after the season streams, the cast of “Cobra Kai” will appear on “The Netflix Afterparty” to talk about

The chairman of China’s Yoozoo Group Lin Qi, an executive producer on Netflix’s upcoming high-profile sci-fi adaption “The Three-Body Problem,” is currently hospitalized after what a police report indicated Wednesday may be a murderous poisoning carried out by a colleague involved in managing that IP. Netflix announced in September that it will adapt all three

As the industry shutters for the Christmas and New Year holidays, CBS Entertainment Group chief George Cheeks marked his nine-month anniversary at the company with a year-end note to staffers that points to “brighter days ahead” for the company and the Eye. “I joined you at CBS nine months ago today. In my message that

Jessica Lessin was ahead of the curve on the boom in subscription media. While working as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal nearly a decade ago, she saw an opening in the journalism market for more thoughtful longform reporting. The decision to follow her instincts meant that she has been in the business of

The zombie apocalypse that took hold of TV in 2010 was very, very good for Steven Yeun. To say that “The Walking Dead” was Yeun’s breakout role would be an understatement so powerful it could reanimate a corpse. Yeun had a handful of onscreen credits to his name before he was cast in the AMC

SAG-AFTRA leaders have been grappling for months with the outcry from members over big changes and cuts to the union’s health care plan starting next year. But as 2020 draws to a close, Michael Estrada, CEO of the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan, has a simple message for the union’s 160,000-plus members: Those who are eligible should

Understandably, nerves are rattled, tempers are flaring and emotions are running high as the number of COVID-19 cases erupting on the shoots of movie and TV productions continues to climb. Though production has been declared an “essential” job in California and strict safety protocols are being adopted on sets around the globe to help mitigate

In today’s Global Bulletin, Hugh Grant recalls doubt over Renee Zellweger’s casting in the now iconic role of Bridget Jones in a BBC2 documentary; RSVP and Guilty By Association team on a new Indian spy thriller; the Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival will honor Juliette Binoche and Hayao Miyazaki while Natpe recognizes Disney exec

Hans Rosenfeldt, the creator and lead writer of Nordic Noir milestone “Broen” (“The Bridge”) and ITV and Netflix’s International Emmy winner “Marcella,” is set to see his first solo novel, “When Crying Wolf,” developed for the small screen by TV4 and CMore Entertainment. Rosenfeldt’s first solo novel — after six crime novels penned with Michael

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the Dec. 22 finale of “The Bachelorette.” Eliminated contestant Ben Smith returned at the end of the first half of the two-part finale of “The Bachelorette” to ask Tayshia Adams for a second chance. But his surprise return didn’t end up stealing the spotlight from

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the Dec. 22 season finale of “The Bachelorette,” starring Tayshia Adams. After the most dramatic season in the history of “The Bachelor” franchise, “Bachelorette” Tayshia Adams got her happy ending in one of the most conventional finales in recent years. From Arie Luyendyk Jr.

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix unveiled a trailer for “History of Swear Words,” and Fox released a trailer for “Call Me Kat.” FIRST LOOKS Netflix unveiled a trailer for its upcoming series, “History of Swear Words,” set for release on Jan. 5. The six-episode series, hosted by Nicolas Cage, explores the origins, pop culture-usage

Discovery now has just under 95% ownership of OWN, the joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery. The company has increased its stake from its prior holding of 73%, a person familiar with the matter tells Variety, adding that the gradual increase has long been part of the plan. In return, Winfrey has received more

The entertainment industry had been under fire for irresponsible depictions of violence from the early days, including 1930s gangster movies and the glut of 1950s TV Westerns. Decision-makers in Hollywood always gave lip service to the idea of responsibility, but as long as violence earned a lot of money, nobody changed. After the Sandy Hook

Taika Waititi has set another series at FX. The prolific filmmaker, who already has “What We Do in the Shadows” heading into a third season at the network, is teaming with Native American writer and director Sterlin Harjo for half-hour comedy “Reservation Dogs.” “Reservation Dogs,” which has been handed a series order by FX, follows

Rick Squire, a director and former marketing executive for CBS, NBC and Fox Broadcasting Co., died Dec. 17 at his home in Long Beach, Calif. He was 68. Squire most recently had been working with former NBC marketing chief Vince Manze’s InVinceable Marketing on the promotional and marketing campaigns for the soon-to-launch Discovery Plus streaming

Lyra Belacqua’s story is getting a closing chapter. HBO and the BBC have renewed “His Dark Materials,” the series adaptation of Philip Pullman’s classic novels, for a third and final season. The first two seasons have mirrored the books relatively closely, so it’s no huge surprise the show is being given one last outing to

As the world stayed home and tuned in to their screens to escape the monotony of lockdown, international series made an unprecedented impact in 2020. In many ways, the COVID-19 crisis served as a catalyst for a global content boom that was already well underway, fueled by the continued growth of global platforms and increased

Turkish actor Can Yaman (“Daydream,” “Bitter Sweet”) is set to a play fictional late 19th-century pirate in a reboot of cult vintage Italian TV series “Sandokan.” The show is being produced by Lux Vide, the prominent Italian shingle behind “Medici,” “Devils” and the upcoming “Leonardo” skeins. Based on a series of popular adventure novels penned

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the Dec. 21 episode of “The Bachelorette.” Last week, Tayshia Adam’s goodbye with contestant Ben Smith was less than satisfying. Disappointed at his lack of emotion, the titular Bachelorette sent him packing, leaving Brendan Morais, Zac Clark and Ivan Hall as her final three. All

Typically, at this point in a season of “The Bachelorette,” viewers have a fairly strong idea of who the leading lady will pick as her future fiancé. But with Tayshia Adams’ two-part finale beginning tonight, a winner isn’t quite as obvious as it has been in past seasons. Adams stepped into “The Bachelorette” as a replacement

William Morris Endeavor is getting pummeled in its battle with the Writers Guild of America, and it does not appear that a federal judge is going to stop the bleeding. The uber agency asked Judge André Birotte Jr. last month to order an end to the 20-month writers’ boycott, which has caused agents and clients

Welcome back to Tune In: our weekly newsletter offering a guide to the best of the week’s TV. Each week, Variety’s TV team combs through the week’s schedule, selecting our picks of what to watch and when/how to watch them. As many across the country continue to practice self-isolation due to coronavirus, why not while away

Former Drug Enforcement Administration agent James Kuykendall is suing Amazon Studios, along with those associated with its docuseries “The Last Narc,” for defamation as a result of his characterization on the show. The four-part series, released in July, tells the true story of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a special agent with the DEA, who was kidnapped,

Founding member of the Smithsonian Channel and executive vice president of programming and production David Royle is departing the ViacomCBS-owned company in the new year. Royle, who led the network’s team for 14 years, is “leaving to pursue new ventures,” according to a source familiar with the matter. He created and commissioned franchises including “Aerial

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix unveiled the premiere date for “Death to 2020,” and HBO Max announced the Season 3 premiere date for “Gomorrah.” DATES HBO Max announced plans to drop the entirety of “Gomorrah” Season 3 on Jan. 21, foregoing the typical waterfall release schedule of the prior seasons. The Italian crime drama