Federal judge rules Trump blocking funding from PBS and NPR "unconstitutional" / Netflix renews Age of Attraction / The Pitt Season 2 finale to screen in theaters early
PLUS: American Idol delays an elimination for the first time due to an influx of live social voting.
Federal judge rules President Trump’s order blocking funding from PBS and NPR is “unconstitutional”
Judge Randolph Moss today declared Trump’s May 1, 2025 executive order “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media” that cut off funding to PBS and NPR “unlawful and unenforceable” on First Amendment grounds. Moss wrote that Trump’s order “singles out two speakers and, on the basis of their speech, bars them from all federally funded programs,” adding: “The message is clear: NPR and PBS need not apply for any federal benefit because the President disapproves of their “left-wing” coverage of the news. Because the First Amendment does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type, the Court will issue judgment against the federal-agency defendants declaring Section 3(a) of the Executive Order is unconstitutional and will issue an injunction barring those defendants from implementing it.” But as CNN’s Brian Stelter points out, “the ruling will not reverse the Trump-led campaign to strip NPR and PBS stations of federal funding.” The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin adds that since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is now dead as a result of the budget cuts, “some parts of NPR’s argument are now moot.” In a statement, PBS said: “We’re thrilled with today’s decision declaring the executive order unconstitutional. As we argued, and Judge Moss ruled, the executive order is textbook unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and retaliation, in violation of longstanding First Amendment principles. At PBS, we will continue to do what we’ve always done: serve our mission to educate and inspire all Americans as the nation’s most trusted media institution.”
American Idol delays an elimination for the first time due to an influx of live social voting
Host Ryan Seacrest revealed in the closing moments on Monday’s show that no one would leave because the new live social voting system saw an unprecedented amount of voting. “We have had five ways to vote tonight. Tens of millions of votes coming in at a rate we have never seen before. Truly unprecedented,” Seacrest said on the live broadcast. “And to ensure complete accuracy with the numbers, I was literally just told we are not going to announce eliminations tonight.” Seacrest added: “This is the first time it’s ever happened. Believe me, I’ve been here every night. We want to make sure we get every vote counted, and every vote right. We’ll carry forward those votes, get everything verified. At the top of next week’s show, your results will be revealed live on this stage. There you have it, America, tens of millions of votes, your top 12 will sing for your votes live all over again.” According to Deadline, “the 12 contestants will now find out at the top of next week’s show who has been eliminated with the ten remaining going through to the 90s Judge’s Song contest.”
Netflix renews Age of Attraction for Season 2
The dating reality show, hosted by Nick Viall and Natalie Joy and featuring participants of different ages, has been a hit since premiering on March 11. “We love concepts that are impossible to look away from and Age of Attraction nailed that from day one. It’s messy, it’s real and that’s what makes it fun to watch. Huge thanks to Netflix for embracing this dating experiment with us. The response has been incredible, and we’re excited to push it even further in season two,” Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn, executive producers and co-founders of Velvet Hammer Media, said in a statement.
The Pitt’s Season 2 finale will be screened early at Alamo Drafthouse theaters
HBO Max and Warner Bros. Television have partnered with Alamo Drafthouse to set a series of advance screenings of the Season 2 finale on April 13 at 10 Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide. The Season 2 finale drops HBO Max on April 16. “The screenings are billed as healthcare appreciation events, with current and former healthcare workers encouraged to attend, though tickets are available to all,” according to Variety. “While admission itself is free, seats can be reserved on the Alamo Drafthouse website with the purchase of a $10 food and drink voucher.”
Summer House stars Amanda Batula and West Wilson shock Bravo fans by confirming their romance
“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” the couple wrote in a joint statement. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we needed a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.” As Decider’s Samantha Nungesser notes, “rumors about an alleged hookup between Wilson and Batula, who announced her separation from Kyle Cooke in February, initially started on the celebrity gossip Instagram page, Deux Moi. While most of us Bravo fans initially brushed off the rumors as false, some cryptic social media activity from the Summer House cast last weekend seemed to indicate that trouble was brewing, specifically between Batula and Ciara Miller, Wilson’s ex. Today, Batula and Wilson finally commented on the gossip in a joint statement confirming their budding romance.”
SNL UK sets Jack Whitehall as its fourth house before going on a one-week hiatus
The British comedian and star of Peacock’s The ‘Burbs will be joined on April 11 by musical guest Jorja Smith. After Whitehall’s episode, SNL UK will take Saturday, April 18 off and return April 25 for its final batch of four Season 1 episodes. That means SNL UK’s Season 1 finale is set to air on May 16, the same night as SNL’s Season 51 finale. ALSO: Riz Ahmed goes full method in his first SNL UK promo.
Eddie Murphy’s AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony to stream on Netflix
The 51st AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Eddie Murphy will premiere on May 31, more than a month after its April 18 taping at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. This is the first year the special will stream on Netflix after years of airing on TNT.
Classic Sesame Street episodes are joining Tubi
About 250 episodes from between 1969 and 2007 will be released on Tubi, starting on Wednesday. About 25 will be swapped in with new ones every quarter. “Few brands have shaped young minds and sparked imagination quite like Sesame Street,” Tubi’s chief content officer Adam Lewinson said in a statement. “By bringing hundreds of episodes to Tubi for free, we’re giving today’s kids access to joyful, foundational learning while inviting parents to share a piece of their own childhood with the next generation.”
“The Black Mirror Experience” is coming to Montreal
The 60-minute “immersive experience” based on Charlie Brooker’s hit Netflix drama series will unveiled soon, allowing up to six participants at a time. Future cities may be announced soon.
Ryan Seacrest clarifies he was joking when he said on Wheel of Fortune that he was using Tinder
“People keep asking if I’m on Tinder,” he said during his On Air With Ryan Seacrest radio show on Monday. “Well, I’m not. I think I made a joke about Tinder on Wheel of Fortune.”
Hulu shares the first look at Alice and Steve, starring Nicole Walker and Jemaine Clement
The six-part comedy series, created by Sophie Goodhart, is described as a “hilarious, messy, and complicated exploration of friendship, love, and revenge” and “an anti-romantic comedy that asks the question, how far would you go for love – or revenge? Will Alice forgive Steve? Will Steve and Izzy make a relationship work? Amongst all the questions hanging in the balance, one thing is certain; their lives will never be the same again.”
William Daniels: “I certainly don’t feel 99 years old, that’s for sure”
The Boy Meets World Mr. Feeny actor and voice of Knight Rider’s KITT is celebrating his 99th birthday today, joking to People: “Oh, I don’t want to be a hundred. Who wants to be a hundred?”
John Mulaney gives Stephen Colbert a $750 check as a goodbye gift
“I don’t want to make a big deal out of it,” Mulaney joked on The Late Show, “but you won’t have a job soon….”
Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody is getting a full Off Broadway run
“Starry-eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom,” reads the synopsis for the play written by Dylan MarcAurele. Performances begin on Tuesday, May 12, at the 6th Floor Theater. ALSO: Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie stars in a short film from Verizon that gives his butt a “prominent plot twist.”
Apple TV teases Javier Bardem, Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams in Cape Fear
Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, the respective director and producer of the 1991 Cape Fear remake, are executive producers on the 10-episode Apple TV limited series, premiering June 5. “A storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna (Adams) and Tom Bowden (Wilson) when Max Cady (Bardem), the notorious killer they are responsible for putting behind bars, is let out of prison — and he wants vengeance,” reads the official description.
Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 gets a summer premiere date and teaser trailer
The live-action adaptation of the classic animated Nickelodeon series premieres June 25.
Dr. Pimple Popper is in tears in Lifetime’s Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out Season 2 trailer
Dr. Sandra Lee returns for season 2 of her Lifetime reality show on April 20.
BritBox unveils the trailer for The Other Bennet Sister
Premiering May 15, the 10-episode series puts a spotlight on Mary Bennet, portrayed as awkward and humorless in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Watch the trailer for Netflix’s Noah Kahan: Out of Body
Premiering April 13, the documentary explores the self-doubts and rise to stadium act of one of the biggest breakout artists of the 2020s.