Jean Smart calls on TV networks to cancel awards shows over wildfires / CBS postpones Hollywood Squares premiere / Severance lands on Roku
PLUS: Amazon is exploring potential "news concepts" after the success of its Brian Williams-hosted Election Night special.
Jean Smart calls on TV networks to cancel awards shows and donate the money to Los Angeles wildfire victims
The Hacks star, who won a Golden Globes Sunday night, made her plea on Wednesday night. "ATTENTION! With ALL due respect, during Hollywood's season of celebration, I hope any of the networks television the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have garnered to the victims of the fires and the firefighters," Smart wrote in a statement posted to Instagram. The wildfires has upended the awards calendar, with The Critics' Choice Awards pushed back two weeks and the Academy Award nominations announcement moving from Jan. 17 to 19. Kate Tuckwood-Taylor, a freelance talent producer, pushed back on Smart's statement as "damaging" to the entertainment industry: "Productions shutting down will further contribute to the demise of LA. How will those of us rebuild if we can’t work?” Tuckwood-Taylor wrote under Smart’s post. “As you know - WE aren’t the network. We are your drivers, your stylists, caterers, pas, riggers…I’m sure producers will find a way to do the right thing creatively and also not put thousands of us out of work when we all need it the most. This is what creatives do - we evolve. I realize everyone is trying to help, but statements like this are damaging."
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Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Bozoma Saint John loses house in fire
S.W.A.T. and Spider-Noir are the latest Los Angeles-based TV series to temporarily halt production
Severance cancels its Jan. 13 red carpet premiere for Season 2
NBA postpones tonight’s Los Angeles Lakers-Charlotte Hornets game
Here's a list of all the cancelations and postponements due to the L.A. wildfire
CBS postpones tonight's Hollywood Squares premiere by one week due to the Los Angeles wildfires
According to Variety's Michael Schneider, "the decision was made because it didn’t feel appropriate to showcase a lighthearted show featuring celebrities joking with each other at this moment due to the severity of the fires and the number of celebrities who have lost homes in the disaster." Also, CBS' Los Angeles station KCBS has been showing non-stop coverage of the wildfires. Hollywood Squares is now scheduled to premiere one week from today, on Jan. 16.
Amazon is exploring potential "news concepts" after the success of its Brian Williams-hosted Election Night special
Amazon found encouragement from the 4 million viewers that watched Election Night Live with Brian Williams — more viewers than watched CBS News' coverage, according to Variety's Brian Steinberg. "Amazon’s plans — they are characterized as 'very early' by one of the people familiar with them — surface as some traditional news outlets are having new trouble attracting their usual crowds," reports Steinberg. "Both MSNBC and CNN have seen their viewership drop since the election. Meanwhile, about 20% of Americans — and 37% of those under 30 — say they regularly get news from influencers on social media, according to a November research report from Pew Research Center. People familiar with Amazon’s process say its interest lies in news specials tied to particular events, and not in bootstrapping its own news division."
Severance is now available for free on Roku Channel
Ahead of Severance's Season 2 premiere on Jan. 17 Apple TV+ has made the entire first season available for free streaming on Roku, which is calling the move an “exclusive fan experience.” Severance Season 1 will be available through Jan. 19.
Bad air quality due to wildfire could lead the NFL to move Monday’s Vikings-Rams playoff game out of Los Angeles
"Even setting aside all the other issues the fires present—diverting precious emergency resources, travel for fans and players, safety from the fires themselves—air quality is a major factor, whether the fires are burning by Monday," says Front Office Sports' Margaret Fleming of Monday night's game, set to be played at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium. An NFL spokesperson told Front Office Sports: “Relevant NFL policy states that ‘medical experts have generally agreed that an AQI (Air Quality Index) that consistently measures over 200 in the immediate vicinity of the stadium signifies very unhealthy conditions in which vigorous exercise is not recommended.’” The NFL said it has a contingency plan to move Monday's game to Glendale, Arizona, where the Cardinals play.
DirecTV and Dish file an antitrust complaint over Disney's settlement and merger with Fubo TV
Disney thought it was settling the lawsuit Fubo filed over Venu Sports by settling with Fubo and merging it with Hulu + Live TV. But DirecTV and Dish have written a letter to the judge expressing concern over the settlement. "These transactions do nothing to resolve the underlying antitrust violations the Court and DOJ have correctly identified. Rather, it is a form of evading judicial review of the anticompetitive actions of Venu and its shareholders at the collective expense of fans, public institutions, leagues, conferences, teams, and players," says DirecTV.
Sesame Street’s final HBO season books SZA, Michael B. Jordan, Reneé Rapp, Chris Stapleton, Billie Jean King and more
Season 55 will also feature visits from Noah Kahan, Samara Joy and Jonathan Van Ness.
Cher calls out Jimmy Kimmel for "dumb" and "stupid" questions
The iconic singer wasn't amused last night by Kimmel's interview bits.
Al Michaels says he's "leaning very heavily" to returning for a 39th season calling NFL games
“I am leaning very heavily in that direction, yes,” Michaels told The Athletic when asked about returning to Amazon's Thursday Night Football, given that his current contract expires at the end of the NFL season. “I want to make sure, No. 1, I’m healthy enough, which I am right now. I want to make sure I still have the passion for it, and I know I do. Those two factors are key." Michaels, who will call a Ravens-Steelers playoff game for Prime Video on Saturday night, adds: “I still get excited walking into a stadium. I still love to do what I do. So, why walk away?” ALSO: Al Michaels believes critics of Tom Brady are jealous.
Netflix orders Sanrio-based stop-motion animated series My Melody & Kuromi
The streamer's latest Japanese series will feature two fan-favorite Sanrio characters, My Melody and Kuromi. “I’m thrilled that this project is finally announced in this important year marking the 50th anniversary of My Melody and the 20th anniversary of Kuromi,” says director Tomoki Misato. “This momentous project motivated all of us to come together, take on various challenges, and push the envelope with stop-motion. I hope everyone will enjoy this exciting story set in our handcrafted Mariland, the thrilling action that pushes the limits of stop-motion, and, of course, the cute and dynamic characters.” Watch the first look at My Melody & Kuromi.
WWE's Monday Night Raw debut on Netflix attracts 4.9 million views
"That is according to Live+1 data provided by Netflix, with a view defined as total hours viewed for the program divided by its runtime," explains Variety's Joe Otterson. "The 4.9 million views came from countries like the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Latin America, but did not include 92 countries/territories where Netflix doesn’t yet distribute WWE, including France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Philippines and South Korea." Raw also was viewed by 2.6 million households in the U.S., according to VideoAmp.
Netflix orders BookTok author Ana Huang’s Twisted Love TV adaptation in a seven-figure deal
Huang‘s romance novel series, which has become a hit thanks to TikTok, is set to be adapted as a TV series in a seven-figure option deal that includes sequels. “A steamy new adult series that follows the lives of four best friends and their brooding love interests, riddled with dark secrets from their pasts, as they overcome the obstacles keeping them apart to fall in love," reads the official logline.
Investigation Discovery unveils its Fall of Diddy docuseries trailer
The four-part Fall of Diddy, airing Jan. 27 and 28, shouldn't be confused with Peacock's documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, premiering Jan. 14.