They’re trying to laugh again at the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner. Long-running “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson will host the event, while comedian Hasan Minhaj will be the featured entertainer for the evening, which has often served as a spotlight on relations between the media and the White House. Last year,
Television
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the eighth episode of Season 24 of “The Bachelor.” For the first glimpse of the real world in weeks, titular bachelor Peter Weber took his women back home. With only four women remaining — Hannah Ann Sluss, Kelsey Weier, Madison Prewett and Victoria Fuller —
February 17, 2020 4:21PM PT “The Price Is Right” tapings have been postponed following news that host Drew Carey’s ex-fiance was killed last week. Family and sex therapist Amie Harwick, 38, was found Saturday morning at her home in Los Angeles with injuries consistent with a fall. She later died at the hospital. Her ex-boyfriend
“Love Island” has returned to U.K. TV screens after the death of former host Caroline Flack. Having witnessed her life splashed across headlines over the past few months, it’s hard for anyone not to be affected. For those who knew her, this is a horrific period playing out under a harsh media spotlight. Everyone has
‘Love Island’ was back on air Monday for the first time since the death of former host Caroline Flack on Feb. 15. Amid the reality series’ return, broadcaster ITV insists it supported the star after she was removed from the show. Monday night’s episode began somberly with narrator Iain Stirling providing voiceover over scenes of
Actor Tiffany Boone addressed her exit from “The Chi,” the Showtime series she departed in November 2018 after making harassment allegations against her former co-star Jason Mitchell. Mitchell was fired from the show last May as a result of intimidation and abuse accusations made by Boone and showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis. Mitchell was subsequently dismissed
Amazon Prime Video has acquired the first season of series “Russian Affairs” for distribution in Germany, France and the Netherlands, from Russia’s Start Studios. The eight-part drama that follows the lives of Russia’s elite and those who aspire to that position is set in contemporary Moscow. Under the title “Gold Diggers,” the series was broadcast
February 17, 2020 8:38AM PT U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios for a documentary series with the working title “Baby Surgeons.” The series will explore the journeys parents go through to save their babies during complex pregnancies and will feature cutting-edge baby surgeries, some performed inside the womb. It will also use CGI,
The CEO of German media giant Bertelsmann has said its RTL Group TV division should be allowed to merge with German rival ProSiebenSat.1 and called for a loosening of E.U. antitrust regulations in order to better stave off intensifying competition from U.S. streaming giants. In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung published on
A war of words around the future of the BBC continued on Monday amid reports of severe cutbacks to the U.K. public broadcaster. The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that Downing Street, the seat of the U.K. government, was planning to replace the annual BBC license fee with a subscription service; sell most of
February 17, 2020 4:29AM PT Actor and filmmaker Stanley Tucci will front series “The Californian Century,” set to air on BBC Radio 4. Tucci will play a cynical screenwriter who narrates the stories of ten people who helped build California over the last 100 years. They include Francis Boggs, the first person to direct a
Sky Italia has launched the first trailer for its highly anticipated thriller “Devils,” set to premiere in April on Sky. Produced by Lux Vide and Orange Studio with funding from Sky Studios, the series is distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Global Distribution. The trailer drops hot off the heels of news that Comcast-owned satellite TV operator
“Sharp Objects” and “Run” producer-distributor Entertainment One is reassuring partners of its commitment to drama following its acquisition by toy giant Hasbro. EOne has always cultivated a strong set of procedurals, such as ABC’s Nathan Fillion-starrer “The Rookie” and Fox’s Stephen Dorff-led “Deputy,” but has also gained traction with cable propositions such as HBO’s “Sharp
February 17, 2020 2:15AM PT ZDF Enterprises, a division of German broadcasting powerhouse ZDF, has partnered with independent production outfit Neue Deutsche Filmgesellschaft (“Mountain Medic”), to form FictionMagnet Producktions. The new entity will develop and produce fictional TV formats for ZDF. NDF will hold 51% of the joint venture and ZDF 49%. The company will
February 17, 2020 1:43AM PT Eli Horowitz, creator and showrunner of the Julia Roberts-led Amazon series “Homecoming,” will be the president of the UGC Writers Campus at annual series showcase Series Mania. The Campus is a week-long writing workshop for emerging TV drama writers from Europe. Twenty screenwriters were chosen from more than 100 applicants.
February 16, 2020 9:45PM PT Lovable dirtbag families have been the core of Fox’s Sunday “Animation Domination” lineup for years, a truth further underlined by the fact that its newest entry “Duncanville” comes from longtime “Simpsons” producers Mike and Julie Thacker Scully. Along with co-creator Amy Poehler, they’ve now made a show about a family
February 16, 2020 4:59PM PT Jason Davis, a voice actor on the Disney Channel show “Recess,” died in Los Angeles on Sunday. He was 35. “I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles. Jason had a true heart of
For a second consecutive night, ‘Love Island’ will not air on U.K. broadcaster ITV2 following the death of former host Caroline Flack, Variety has confirmed. An ITV spokesman said: “Many people at ITV knew Caroline well and held her in great affection. All of us are absolutely devastated at this tragic news.” “After careful consultation between
A petition calling on the U.K. government to launch an inquiry into British media coverage of public figures has garnered 60,000 signatures overnight. The death of former “Love Island” host Caroline Flack, one of the country’s most popular TV personalities, spurred the initiative, which asks government to investigate the press following “the maltreatment of those
The death of popular “Love Island” host Caroline Flack has sent shockwaves across the U.K. and again raised long-running concerns about broadcaster ITV’s support of cast members on the hit reality competition as well as the country’s intense media scrutiny of public figures. Flack, one of the U.K.’s most recognizable reality hosts, was found dead
Caroline Flack, the former host of the U.K. reality competition, “Love Island,” has died. She was 40. “Everybody at ‘Love Island’ and ITV is shocked and saddened by this desperately sad news. Caroline was a much loved member of the ‘Love Island’ team and our sincere thoughts and condolences are with her family and friends,”
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you haven’t yet watched the Season 5 premiere of “Outlander,” entitled “The Fiery Cross,” streaming now on the Starz app. In the Season 5 premiere of “Outlander,” Brianna (Sophie Skelton) gets confirmation of something viewers have suspected since the Season 4 finale — that her rapist, Stephen Bonnet (Ed
Apologies to “The Bachelor,” ‘Love Island” and “90 Day Fiance” — you’re all decomposing roses compared to the majesty of Netflix’s out-of-left-field SENSATION, “Love is Blind.” The premise of this “experiment,” a label this reality series delights in using, is simple. A handful of singles enter soundproofed “pods” where they then date other singles without
Harlan Coben has been a bestselling mystery author for decades, but until a few years ago the only adaptation of his books was the acclaimed 2006 French feature film “Tell No One.” Fast-forward 14 years, and the New Jersey-based author has a 14-book deal with Netflix that’s already resulted in British-set series “The Five,” “Safe”
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “The Fiery Cross,” the Season 5 premiere of “Outlander,” streaming now on the Starz app. In the Season 5 premiere, the “Outlander” writers had the monumental task of condensing the 200-page Scottish gathering from Diana Gabaldon’s novel “The Fiery Cross” into one episode of
Lewis Rothenberg has resigned as president of the Cinematographers Guild, IATSE Local 600, citing differences with the union’s senior staff and national officers. Rothenberg’s departure, announced Friday, stemmed partly from his refusal to change his legal residence from New Jersey to Los Angeles, as required by the local rules. He defeated incumbent Steven Poster last
In a blistering message, the president of the Writers Guild of America West has accused Hollywood talent agencies of engaging in misconduct by harassing guild members. David Goodman issued the accusation Friday in a message to members that comes during the 10th month of the standoff against agencies over WGA rules allowing them to represent
In today’s TV news roundup, BBC America and AMC announced “Killing Eve’s” Season 3 premiere date, and Netflix and Mattel Television announced the voice cast for its upcoming anime series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.” CASTING Netflix and Mattel Television have announced the cast for the upcoming anime series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.” A
With the second season of “The New Pope” about to premiere on HBO, Jude Law has zeroed in on his next TV project, teaming up with one of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors. Sources tell Variety that Law is in talks to star in Showtime’s limited series “The Auteur,” with “Jojo Rabbit” director Taika Waititi on
Judith Light has embodied a range of characters, from Shelly Pfefferman in “Transparent” to Marilyn Miglin in “American Crime Story” to Angela Bower in “Who’s the Boss?” Most recently, she played Bobi Jewell in “Manhunt: Deadly Games,” a 10-part series that focused on Richard Jewell’s story. Yes, last year’s “Richard Jewell,” directed by Clint Eastwood,