TV
The Song Exploder Podcast Is Becoming a Netflix Series
Hrishikesh Hirway’s popular podcast Song Exploder has been adapted into a new Netflix series by Hirway and documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville. The show will investigate the creative process one song at a time, and it’s available beginning October 2nd. Upon the launch of Song Exploder in 2014, Hirway carved out a niche by restricting his interviews to a single individual song. In the process, he’s unearthed stories of inspiration, frustration, and triumph which have now been downloaded over 60 million times. The Netflix adaptation adds a visual dimension to the same conceit while retaining Hirway as host. Season 1 features Alicia Keys talking about “3 Hour Drive”, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s perspective on the Hamilton tune “Wait for It”, R.E.M.‘s memories of the career-altering t...
Suburban Secrets Lurk in the First Trailer for WandaVision: Watch
WandaVision is set to become the first Marvel series to air on Disney+. Today, its first official trailer has arrived. Taking place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the new TV series stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlett Witch, and Paul Bettany as Vision in a sitcom-like manner à la I Love Lucy or The Brady Bunch. The program is said to be a “blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” and follows “the two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives” — that is, until they suspect that all is not what it seems (which makes sense since, ya know, Vision is dead). We see a bit of that mystery unravel in this first trailer. After a charming introduction to Wanda and Vision’s vanilla suburbia — filmed through a retro black-and-white ...
Zendaya Becomes Youngest Emmy Winner for Best Actress in Drama
Zendaya made history with her win for Best Actress in a Drama during the 2020 Emmy Awards. With her victory, the 24-year-old Euphoria actress became not only the youngest winner in the category’s history, but also the second-ever Black woman to win the award. (Viola Davis was the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama in 2015.) “I know this feels like a really weird time to be celebrating,” Zendaya said in her acceptance speech. “But I just want to say that there is hope in the young people out there. I know that our TV show doesn’t always feel like a great example of that, but there is hope in the young people. And I just want to say to all my peers out there doing the work in the streets, I see you, I admire you, I thank you.” Season 2 of Euphoria was expected...
Cheer Star Jerry Harris Charged with Producing Child Pornography
Cheer star Jerry Harris has been charged with producing child pornography. In a complaint filed by federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Illinois, Harris, 21, is accused of contacting two underage boys on social media and soliciting explicit photographs and videos. One of the boys allegedly responded to Harris’ request by sending several photos and videos. Harris is also accused of soliciting oral sex from one of the boys in a bathroom at a cheerleading event they both attended. Harris was arrested Thursday morning and is scheduled to make his first court appearance later today. Update: According to the complaint (via EW), Harris participated in a voluntary interview with investigators and admitted to asking between 10-15 underage boys — including the victim mentioned in the comp...
Chris Rock Blames Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats for Pandemic
Despite being a man-child prone to trivial temper tantrums, Donald Trump has remained mostly untouchable during his presidency, never once taking the fall for one of his many blunders. Late last year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats tried to hold him accountable in a grand impeachment process. However, for all its bells and whistles, their attempt ultimately went nowhere. Now, in a new interview, Chris Rock has criticized Pelosi for focusing too much attention on Trump’s impeachment hearings instead of on the deadly coronavirus, which began taking hold in late February/early March. Trump, a child-like mouthpiece for the GOP, was not worth the time and effort, contends Rock, who went on to directly blame Pelosi and her fellow Democratic politicians for letting the pandemic rava...
2020 Primetime Emmy Winners: Schitt’s Creek Sweeps Comedy Awards in Historic Run
The Emmy Awards are going virtual for 2020 in an unprecedented move. Now in its 72nd year, the ceremony honors the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1st, 2019 until May 31st, 2020. Jimmy Kimmel is the night’s canary in a coal mine host, proving three time’s the charm as he presides over the live ABC broadcast. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kimmel admitted he’s bracing for a “beautiful disaster,” and acknowledged some limitations. “Not being able to pre-tape limits you as well,” he shared. “But I think what we found from watching the late night shows during this time is that you do find things that are better when you’re handcuffed.” The night will see a number of presenters hopping online, including forthcoming She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany,...
Schitt’s Creek Makes History By Sweeping Comedy Category at the Emmys
Everything’s coming up roses for Schitt’s Creek, which have just made Emmys history. The beloved Canadian swept all of the comedy series categories at the 2020 Emmys Awards, marking the first time a comedy show has ever accomplished such a feat. In addition to taking home the win for Outstanding Comedy Series, each of the show’s four main cast members scored big in their respective comedy acting categories. Family patriarch David Rose (Eugene Levy) was crowned Outstanding Lead Actor, while wife Moira Rose (Catherine O’Hara) nabbed Outstanding Lead Actress. The Rose children followed suit. David (Dan Levy) and Alexis (Annie Murphy) earned Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress honors, respectively. Schitt’s Creek was also recognized for Outstanding Directi...
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Win Emmy for Watchmen, EGOT Within Reach
Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are closing in on EGOT status. During tonight’s Creative Emmy Awards, the duo took home the trophy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for their original score for HBO’s Watchmen. Reznor and Ross’ music from the first episode of Watchmen, “It’s Summer and We’re Running Out of Ice”, was up against the scores for Hollywood, Little Fires Everywhere, Mrs. America, and Unorthodox in that category. The duo’s soundtrack was released as a trilogy ripe with special cover songs and hidden Easter eggs. Needless to say, it’s definitely worthy of tonight’s win — and its additional nomination for Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics (which went to Euphoria composer Labrinth instead). And case you aren’t keeping count,...
Eddie Murphy Wins First-Ever Emmy Award for SNL Comeback
Eddie Murphy’s long-awaited return to Saturday Night Live late last year has earned the legendary comedian and actor his first-ever Emmy Award. During the fourth and final night of the Creative Emmy Awards, Murphy won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his turn hosting SNL. The December 2019 episode marked Murphy’s first time hosting the sketch comedy show in 30 years, and saw him reprise many beloved characters from his time as a cast member, including Mister Robinson, Gumby, Buckwheat, and Velvet Jones. Murphy had been nominated for Emmys twice before during his time on SNL in the early 1980s, but this marks his first-ever victory. Meanwhile, Maya Rudolph’s SNL portrayal of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris earned her Outstanding Guest Actor in a ...
That ’70s Show’s Danny Masterson Appears in Court, Denies Rape Charges
Danny Masterson, former star of That ’70s Show, appeared in court Friday on charges of raping three women. According to the BBC, while the actor did not enter a plea, his lawyer, Tom Mesereau, dismissed the charges against him as “politically motivated.” The alleged assaults took place between 2001 and 2003 and involved three women between the ages of 23 and 28. If convicted as charged, Masterson faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years to life in prison. All three accusers attended Friday’s hearing, as did about 20 of Masterson’s friends. These supporters were forced to wait outside the courtroom due to pandemic restrictions. Masterson has previously argued that he is an innocent victim being persecuted for his membership in the Church of Scientology. His la...
First Look: 16 And Pregnant Is Returning To MTV
A brand-new group of young women are about to show MTV viewers what it means to be pregnant at age 16. The re-imagined docu-series — which launched in 2009 and helped reduce teen pregnancy to record lows — will premiere on October 6. These clans are “growing up with every bump.” “I never thought that I’d be a mom,” one cast member declares. The new iteration will follow the unexpected pregnancy journey from multiple perspectives, not just from the young mother. Intimate video confessionals from members of each family will allow the series to more substantively explore the lives of those impacted by the experience, with honesty and empathy. Watch 16 and Pregnant, the series that spawned the Teen Mom franchise, when it debuts on Tuesday, October 6! J...
Bryan Cranston Is a Guilty Judge in Trailer for New Series Your Honor: Watch
Expect to see Bryan Cranston on your TV screen very soon. For the first time since Breaking Bad, the beloved actor will play the lead role in a brand new TV drama. He stars as the troubled judge at the heart of Showtime’s new legal thriller, Your Honor, which released its debut trailer today. Your Honor is a special 10-episode limited series that will air on Showtime starting in December. Considering how masterfully Cranston evolved Walter White into an antihero on Breaking Bad and scooped up six Emmy awards for the performance, chances are he will bring a similar A-game to Your Honor. He’s joined on screen by Hunter Doohan and Michael Stuhlbarg. The cast also includes Carmen Ejogo, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Sofia Black-D’Elia, Amy Landecker, Margo Martindale, Lorraine Toussaint, Chet Hanks, Lam...
