TV
John Cleese Calls Removal of Fawlty Towers Episode That Uses N-Word “Stupid”
As a wave of media companies are pulling content that could be deemed offensively racist, the BBC-owned UKTV has removed a classic episode of the sitcom Fawlty Towers for its use of racial slurs. The show’s star and writer John Cleese has spoken out against the removal, saying executives trying “to hang onto their jobs” are “too stupid to see that” the episode was mocking the derogatory language, not supporting it. In the episode, entitled “The Germans”, Cleese’s Basil Fawlty has a conversation with Ballard Berkeley’s Major Gowen. The Major recalls a time he took a woman to a cricket game played by an Indian team, during which he uses racial epithets when referring to Indians (“w*gs”) and West Indians (“n*ggers”). While the episode is remembered fondly for its repetition of the phrase “don...
Which Double Shot Pair Is More ‘Awkward’: DJ Pauly D And Nikki Or Vinny And Maria?
“This is going to be awkward-er!” During tonight’s Double Shot at Love Season 2 premiere, DJ Pauly D and Vinny welcomed their exes — and a few new cougines guys — to Las Vegas. But for two ladies — Nikki and Maria — the circumstances felt a bit different given their relationships with the Jersey Shore men the last DSAL go around. But which pair had more tension and awkwardness: Maria and Vinny or Nikki and Pauly? First, Maria and Vinny. The latter admitted there was “unfinished business” with the Are You the One? alum, while Maria confessed that it was a “sh*tty feeling” to get her heart broken the last time they were together. When Maria arrived with the rest of the ladies at her new home, Vinny didn’t acknowledge her...
Presenting The Jersey Shore Girls’ Already Infamous Wedding Speech For Angelina
The speech > the note. During tonight’s Jersey Shore: Family Vacation episode, Angelina became “officially officially off the market” when she married Chris. And, as most couples do, they had a party afterward with tons of food extended toasts. Make way for Ang’s bridesmaids Deena, JWOWW and Snooki. Before the trio began, Deena told the blushing bride, “It’s good but funny.” And Angelina couldn’t wait to see what her roomies whipped up. Words as memorable as those featured in Jenni and Nicole’s note to Sammi back on Season 2 in Miami. Then the girls started. “They say third times the charm — I mean, you got engaged three times, but then the third one stuck,” Deena remarked. “You tried living with us three time...
Sneak Peek: Vinny’s Mere Presence Is Unhinging Maria On Double Shot At Love
The Double Shot at Love crew is “ready to rock” Las Vegas — but Maria isn’t exactly comfortable during the crew’s first night out in Sin City. “It feels so weird to be around Vinny again,” the Are You the One? alum, who bonded with the keto guido on Season 1 before she was cut from the dating show, confesses in the sneak peek above as she watches Vin tell some girls at a club that they’re “really pretty.” She continues: “I thought I would be able to just come and have fun with the girls and not care about Vinny. But that’s just not the case at all.” What does DJ Pauly D say about Vinny and Maria — with his megaphone? And which “cougine” does Marissa have her eye on and feel an attraction toward?...
A&E Cancels Live PD, One of the Highest Rated Shows on Cable TV
Just one day after Paramount Network cancelled Cops, A&E has turned off the sirens of another hit police show: Live PD. As Deadline reports, the decision to cut the feed on Live PD was made jointly by A&E and MGM-owned production company Big Fish Entertainment. In a statement, the network said, “This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD. Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.” Live PD aired for three hours on Friday and Saturday nights, bringing live feeds from police pa...
Lynn Shelton Livestream Tribute to Feature Marc Maron, Reese Witherspoon, Ben Gibbard, and More
Acclaimed indie filmmaker Lynn Shelton suddenly passed away last month at the age of 54. Now, her friends and colleagues are coming together for a special tribute event in her honor. “Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music” will be livestreamed tonight, June 10th beginning at 9 p.m. ET at the YouTube link below. As its title suggests, folks from all over the entertainment world will take part in the virtual memorial. Appearing alongside Shelton’s partner, Marc Maron, will be Reese Witherspoon, Mark and Jay Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie DeWitt. Also scheduled are Kaitlyn Dever, Jeff Garlin, Joshua Leonard, Sean Nelson, and Michaela Watkins. Musical performances, meanwhile, are coming from Maron, Andrew Bird, Death Cab for Cutie frontm...
The State Cast to Reunite for Charity Livestream
This Wednesday, the cast of MTV’s cult-favorite show The State will reunite over Zoom to raise money for the NAACP and the California Immigrant Resilience Fund. It’s the second time the ‘90s sketch comedy crew will reunite virtually in recent months, as they recreated “Porcupine Racetrack” this April to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary. The event, aptly titled “Zoom with The State”, will see The State’s cast — Kevin Allison, Michael Ian Black, Ben Garant, Todd Holoubek, Michael Patrick Jann, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio, Ken Marino, Michael Showalter, and David Wain — reading beloved sketches as well as never-before-seen scripts. Additionally, they will auction off memorabilia and hold a special Q&A with fans. “Zoom with The State” will take place June 10th ...
Tiger King’s Joe Exotic Says “I’ll Be Dead In 2-3 Months”
Hard times for Tiger King’s Joe Exotic. In a letter obtained by TMZ, dated June 1st, and addressed to “supporters, fans, and loved ones,” the imprisoned Netflix celebrity paints a pretty bleak portrait for himself. In fact, he predicts, “I’ll be dead in two to three months.” Before that, though, Exotic thanks everyone for their support, erroneously claiming the pandemic is over, and pleading for that sweet presidential pardon, writing: “I ask President Trump to keep his word and look into making this wrong a right and grant me a miracle.” It’s perhaps at this point that Exotic realizes everyone’s moved on from Tiger King mania because things take a dark turn. “My soul is dead,” he writes, “I struggle every day to hold on to what little hope I can find.” Reason being, he has no outside...
Music, TV, and Film Production Can Resume in California on June 12th
After months of shutdowns crippled the entertainment industry, governor Gavin Newsom has announced guidelines to resume music, film, and television production in California. Via The Hollywood Reporter, work can begin again on June 12th, as the Golden State transitions into Stage 3 of its coronavirus recovery plan. Stage 3 allows for the re-opening of some “higher-risk workplaces.” Concerts won’t return until stage 4 (and even then, it might not be a typical concert experience) but most recording studios should be back after next Friday. Additionally, many of the film and television productions that paused during the pandemic seem likely to resume. However, the guidelines are purposefully vague, and several questions remain. In a statement, the California Department of Public Health sa...
Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam Will No Longer Use Guns in New Looney Tunes Episodes
With the launch of HBO Max comes the return of Bugs Bunny and his furry friends as the streaming service commissioned 1,000 minutes of new Looney Tunes cartoons. As the New York Times notes in a new profile on the project, producers sought to harken back to the early glory days of Looney Tunes by emphasizing art direction and music over formal plots, with each episode running between one to six minutes in length. “We don’t do scripts,” Peter Browngardt, the series executive producer and showrunner, told the Times. “I hired cartoonists. So we get them together in a room and we just draw pictures and gags.” However, there is one notable difference between the new Looney Tunes and the episodes of yesteryear: Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam will be without guns. Instead, the show’s animators ...
Cast of Schitt’s Creek Reunite Alongside Mariah Carey: Watch
The cast of Schitt’s Creek reunited alongside an unexpected surprise guests during the Obamas’ “Dear Class of 2020” virtual graduation ceremony on Sunday. Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, and several other Schitt’s Creek cast members reprised their characters for a virtual salute to teachers. “We gave been given the essential task of sending our preceptors… some panegyrical words,” said O’Hara’s Moria Rose. Following some more humorous banter between the Rose family, the rest of Schitt’s Creek joined the Zoom to sing Mariah Carey’s “Hero”. *Spoiler* Near the end of the performance, Carey herself crashed the Zoom to join the sing-along. After offering her own words of gratitude to teachers, Carey then ended her appearance by singing a b...
How The Wild ‘N Out Cast Is Denouncing Systemic Racism
Many people across America — and around the globe — are making their voices heard to fight racial inequality, stand up to police brutality and demand justice for the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless victims of racism. That includes cast members from VH1’s Wild ‘N Out, who are adding their perspectives and showing solidarity with the Black community. From attending gatherings in major metropolitan areas (Nick Cannon traveling to Minneapolis and RIP Michaels in New York) to speaking out and with each other (Justina Valentine and Chico Bean), the crew has found several ways to amplify their voices. They’ve also turned to social media to spread their message, and we’ve compiled a roundup of their posts, below. Check it ou...
