Television

As theme parks remain closed in California due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disneyland has announced that it is furloughing more employees. The furloughs were announced in a letter to staff sent from Disneyland President Ken Potrock on Monday. Though the exact number of furloughs is unknown, the action will include executives, as well as salaried

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix shared a release date for “Kevin Hart: No F**ks Given,” and CBS announced the premiere date for new seasons of “MacGyver,” “Magnum P.I.” and “Blue Bloods.” DATES Netflix revealed that “Kevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given,” a comedy special by titular comedian Kevin Hart, will premiere on the streaming site

New Netflix head of global TV Bela Bajaria has made a key addition to her team. Nne Ebong has joined the streamer as vice president of overall deals and original series, working on Brian Wright’s newly-formed overall deals team. In her new role, Ebong will work with Wright on some of Netflix’s most high-profile overall deals,

Bert Belasco, actor in drama sports series “Pitch” and star of BET’s sitcom “Let’s Stay Together,” has died, Henrico County police confirmed on Monday. He was 38. Belasco, who lived in Woodland Hills, Calif., was in Virginia filming for a movie and quarantining in a hotel prior to going on set, his father told TMZ.

A few more familiar faces will be joining “The Masked Singer” panelists in the coming weeks as Season 4 heads to a finale. Guest panelists who will sit behind the “Masked” desk include Niecy Nash (Nov. 11), Cheryl Hines (Nov. 18), Jay Pharoah (Thursday, Nov. 26, on a special Thanksgiving night original episode) and Craig

When you’ve landed a gig in your dream field, nothing is more addictive than taking that first step on the proverbial corporate ladder. The combination of finally “making it” but also not knowing whether it will all go away with one unforeseen gaff can be anxiety-inducing and inebriating, but sometimes it also draws out bloodthirst.

TNT, TBS, and truTV are set to air blocks of HBO Max programming over the Thanksgiving holiday. The first episodes of the DC series “Titans” and the new Kaley Cuoco series “The Flight Attendant” will both air during the “Thanksgiving to the HBO Max” block, which will run from Nov. 26-29 on each network. The

Warner Bros. Television Group president and chief marketing officer Lisa Gregorian is leaving the studio at the end of the year, Variety has learned exclusively. “Lisa shared that she feels this is the right time for her to leave Warner Bros., her professional home for more than 30 years,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO

Kathryn Hahn has been cast in the upcoming Apple series “The Shrink Next Door,” Variety has learned. Inspired by true events documented in the Wondery and Bloomberg Media podcast of the same name, “The Shrink Next Door” is described as an eight-episode dark comedy following the bizarre relationship between psychiatrist to the stars Dr. Isaac

Longtime NBC exec Sahara Bushue has been tapped to head unscripted television at Westbrook Studios, the company founded by Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith, Miguel Melendez and Ko Yada. Bushue will be tasked with growing Westbrook Studio’s footprint in the unscripted arena by developing new series and expanding its slate of projects. She will report

CBS announced Monday that it aims to diversify its unscripted shows by setting a target to make the casts of all such shows at least 50% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The aim is to make the change beginning with the 2021-2022 broadcast season. Per CBS, the network will also allocate at least

“American Housewife” co-star Carly Hughes has left the ABC sitcom, claiming discrimination and a “toxic environment” on set. Hughes’ allegations triggered an investigation by producer ABC Signature, which resulted in series creator Sarah Dunn and line producer Mark J. Greenberg exiting their roles behind the scenes, Variety has confirmed. “American Housewife” showrunners Kenny Schwartz and Rick Wiener

“Wheel of Fortune” is the latest daytime game show to land a primetime spinoff. (Pun intended.) ABC has given a series order to “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” which will add a new version of the long-running series to the Alphabet net’s ever-growing gamer roster. Also making the move to primetime will be “Wheel of Fortune’s”

In today’s Global Bulletin, Telepool’s Global Screen consolidates sales and acquisitions and puts Julia Weber in charge, Izzy snags six series for streaming, ITV will adapt “Our House,” Abacus Media Rights will distribute Canadian Comedy “Sort Of,” and ZDFE and taglicht team on historical cold cases. APPOINTMENT Telepool’s international distribution division Global Screen is consolidating

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

Halfway through the first episode of “The Crown”’s fourth season, Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) goes to see his father, Prince Philip (Tobias Menzies). Both men, though generally incapable of expressing emotion in anything resembling a human way, are fiercely grieving the untimely death of Dickie Mountbatten (Charles Dance), a stable figure who meant a great deal to them both in the absence

ITV and Hulu drama “The Sister,” an adaptation of Neil Cross’ bestselling novel “Burial,” has sold around the world following a successful terrestrial run in the U.K. The series, led by captivating “Years and Years” star Russell Tovey, has sold into 75 global territories, including HBO for Spain and Portugal, Pickbox for Eastern Europe, RTE

Making it to an in-person audition for “Jeopardy!” isn’t so much a personal accomplishment, the result of some combination of luck and smarts to pass a seasonal online test, but an opportunity. When you sit in that Culver City, Calif. hotel meeting room near Sony Pictures Television studio with other jittery hopefuls and take the

ABC News has announced that they will celebrate the life of late “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, who died on Sunday at the age of 80, with an hour-long primetime special. Titled “Alex Trebek, Remembered: A 20/20 Special,” the show will air on ABC Sunday night at 10 p.m. ET. The special will profile Trebek’s life

Hollywood politicos are keeping a close watch on California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he assembles a short list for filling the Senate seat about to be vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Names mentioned as likely contenders for the appointment include California Secretary of State Alex Padilla as well as House members Katie Porter, Barbara

Alex Trebek, who died Nov. 8 at 80, was admired as the longtime host of “Jeopardy!,” having helmed more than 8,000 episodes. But during his long career, the Canadian-born host also appeared on TV shows including “The Golden Girls” and “The X-Files” and emceed numerous other gameshows, including “High Rollers,” “Battlestars” and “To Tell the

Connor Schell, the ESPN executive who oversees all of its content, ranging from “Monday Night Football” to “SportsCenter” to the documentary program “30 For 30,” will leave the sports-media giant by the end of the year, according to a person familiar with the matter. The split is said to be related to Schell’s desire to

After the news broke on Sunday morning that longtime “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek had died, Hollywood and former “Jeopardy!” contestants alike took to social media to honor him. According to Sony, Trebek died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer surrounded by family and friends. He taped “Jeopardy!” up until Oct. 29, meaning that episodes

Alex Trebek, the beloved host of gameshow “Jeopardy!” since its 1984 debut in syndication, has died of pancreatic cancer. He was 80. The official “Jeopardy!” Twitter account announced the news on Sunday morning. ” ‘Jeopardy!’ is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends.”

Returning to host “Saturday Night Live” for the second time, comedian Dave Chappelle couldn’t help but address the political news of the day — and how they related to politics of recent past — in his opening monologue. The Nov. 7 episode was the post-election episode, the second time he had that prime hosting spot.

Election Day turned into Election Week for the 2020 presidential election, but just a few hours before the show went live, President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris took the stage in Wilmington, Del. to deliver their first speeches since the 2020 presidential election was called in their favor. Naturally, the writers at “Saturday

Norm Crosby, the Borscht Belt comedian who was known for his frequent malapropisms, died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 93. His wife told the Hollywood Reporter he died of heart failure. Crosby was a frequent talkshow guest, first appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1964 and going on to guest more

Netflix has paused production on the second season of “The Witcher” following four cases of COVID-19, Variety has confirmed. Four crew members tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. In response, Netflix will execute an isolated round of testing for everyone involved in the show’s production. Those who tested positive are not among the lead cast members

The truest litmus test for how someone feels about the Christmas season is a simple question: is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” a sad song about holiday loneliness, or a sweet song about persevering to celebrate life’s everyday joys? The genius of the song is that it equally serves both the glass half full

Rachel Maddow, the most-watched anchor in the MSNBC lineup, will come off the air for a period of time after a close contact tested positive for coronavirus. “I’ve tested negative thus far, but will be at home quarantining ’til it’s safe for me to be back at work without putting anyone at risk,” Maddow said