Jim Acosta signs off from CNN / MGM+ picks up Kevin Kline comedy American Classic / Jonas Brothers are reteaming with Disney
PLUS: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man lead Hudson Thames worried the show was going to be "annoying and woke."
Jim Acosta signs off from CNN as President Trump hails his exit as "good news"
The 18-year CNN veteran, who is best known for clashing with Trump during the president's first term, announced his exit from the cable news network this morning after reportedly rejecting a midnight ET timeslot following the loss of his morning timeslot. "I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account," he said. "I’ve always tried to do that at CNN and plan to go on doing it in the future.” According to Variety, Acosta is "expected to seek out new ventures that he might build himself." In a Truth Social post Tuesday, Trump called Acosta’s decision “good news,” referring to him as one of the “worst and most dishonest reporters in journalistic history.” In a statement, CNN said of Acosta: “Jim has had a long, distinguished nearly 20-year career at CNN, with a track record of standing up to authority, for the first amendment and for our journalistic freedoms. We want to thank him for the dedication and commitment he’s brought to his reporting and wish him the very best in the future.”
Kevin Kline MGM+ comedy American Classic, co-starring Jon Tenney, gets a series order
Oscar winner Kline will play notorious narcissist Richard Bean, "who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns to his hometown and the family-run theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance," per Deadline. "When he arrives, he is shocked to discover that his father, the former artistic director, has lost a step and that the once-respected theater, now run by his brother Jon (Tenney) and his wife (now the town’s mayor). has become, by necessity, a low-rent dinner theater serving roast beef and murder mysteries. He decides to save the town, the theater and the world by presenting a great American classic on the dinner theater stage, directed by and starring, of course, Richard Bean." American Classic was first announced with Kline attached in February 2022, when MGM+ was known as Epix.
Kate Mara to star opposite Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington in Apple TV+'s Imperfect Women
The former House of Cards star has boarded the psychological thriller based on the Araminta Hall novel of the same name that examines "a crime that shatters the lives of a decades-long friendship of three women. Imperfect Women is a mystery complicated by perspective that explores guilt and retribution, love and betrayal, and the compromises we make that alter our lives irrevocably. As the investigation unravels, so does the truth about how even the closest relationships can change over time.”
Jonas Brothers are reuniting with Disney for a Christmas movie
In the Disney+ movie tentatively titled Jonas Brothers Christmas Movie, Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas and Nick Jonas “face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families,” per the official logline. Oscar winner Jessica Yu will direct the movie.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man lead Hudson Thames worried the show was going to be "annoying and woke"
Thames, who is reprising is What If...? role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, praised Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in an interview with Collider. "I thought it was awesome," he said. "I mean, my biggest fear was that it was gonna be annoying and woke, and it wasn't, and I was like, 'Yes, this is great, it's so well written,' like it feels real. I'm the oldest of five boys, so I feel like I kind of know what's happening in their lives and in high school, and it felt like it was doing that justice." As Gizmodo's Cheryl Eddy points out, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has a diverse cast that includes Oscar nominee Colman Domingo. "The main takeaway from Thames’ response, then, doesn’t actually have to do much with Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man as a show—it’s more the fact he worried it would be 'annoying and woke' and felt the need to reassure fans it’s neither of those things. 'Woke' is one of those concepts that on paper seems rather positive; it can mean, for instance, more inclusive casting that changes characters’ gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. from the source material—with the end result being fans who hail from traditionally marginalized groups get to see themselves represented in the entertainment they enjoy. There have been recent strides in superhero projects that mean after decades of being dominated by straight white dudes, a much wider variety of characters has entered the mix. But in the era we’re currently stuck in, 'woke' and what it stands for have become increasingly sneered at—you need only look at the ongoing scrubbing of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion programs to see that. Pairing 'woke' and 'annoying' is unfortunate; feeling the need to jump out ahead of potential criticism by saying your show is neither of those is unfortunate, too. What’s even worse it that we’ll surely be seeing more of this kind of phrasing from Hollywood and beyond in the months and years ahead."
The Conners gets a premiere date for its shortened final season
ABC’s Roseanne spinoff will wrap its seven-season run with a six-episode season kicking off on March 26, bringing the show's total to 112 episodes.
On Patrol: Live renewed for 90 episodes
Reelz has ordered 90 new episodes of On Patrol: Live and 90 episodes of pre-show On Patrol: First Shift. On Patrol: Live has also added Las Vegas to the its list of police departments and sheriff’s offices.
Peacock's Long Bright River shows Amanda Seyfried "like you’ve never seen her before"
The Emmy winner plays a Philadelphia police officer who patrols an area hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis in the adaptation of Liz Moore’s bestselling thriller, premiering March 13. Showrunner and co-creator Nikki Toscano promises that viewers will experience Seyfried “like you’ve never seen her before — flawed and raw, tarred by guilt and shame and legacy, but never more compelling.”
AFC Championship game soars to its best viewership ever
About 57.4 million watched Sunday's Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills playoff game, topping the 55.5 million who watched last year's AFC Championship game between the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
Elliot Page to develop original series for Canada's Bell Media
"We’re excited to create captivating content that amplifies voices that deserve to be heard," Page said in a statement. "This collaboration will allow us to tell powerful, genuine stories that challenge perspectives, and inspire audiences both at home and internationally."
Timothée Chalamet's SNL episode tops Dave Chappelle's
About 4.96 million watched Chalamet's episode last weekend, the fourth highest-rated of the season and the biggest audience since the election. ALSO: Martha Stewart says a "bastard" parole officer wouldn't allow her to host SNL 20 years ago.
Yellowjackets books Ashley Sutton
The Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will guest on the Showtime series' third season.
ABC News agrees to AI protections with its writers
The news organization's unionized writers have reached a three-year deal that includes an agreement that the company will not lay off current staff employees due to the use of generative AI.
Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe reunite for Michelob Ultra's pickleball-themed Super Bowl ad
O'Hara says she took a cue from her Schitt's Creek character Moira Rose in her third Game Day commercial, in which she scams pickleballers with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-star Dafoe. "I did have to channel that kind of confidence that character had," O'Hara tells EW.
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The Bachelor Grant Ellis' paint by numbers debut may be a good thing
"As a rule, taking things for granted is a surefire way to grow stale or complacent," says Savannah Walsh. "But Monday’s Bachelor premiere wisely leans into the familiar beats of a generic Bachelor season, and the refreshing nature of Ellis, a 31-year-old day trader from Houston who became the franchise’s second-ever Black male lead after the 2020 selection of Matt James. (In an awkward bit of timing, James just recently split from his season’s winner, Rachael Kirkconnell, who elected to tell her side of the breakup on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast.) After his time as an affable but largely underexposed contestant on Jenn Tran’s Bachelorette season, Ellis enters his own love story as something of a blank slate. He’s a former professional basketball player whose career was cut short by injury. Ellis’s outlook on life and love has been informed by his parents’ divorce and father’s longtime recovery from addiction. In opening remarks to his 25 suitors, Ellis shares that he admires a woman’s strength and intuition because of his mother, who signed him up for the show." ALSO: Grant Ellis admits: "Honestly, I didn’t know a lot about the franchise."
Meet the contestants on Top Chef Season 22
Premiering March 13, the Canada-based 22nd season will highlight the cuisine of Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Prince Edward Island.
Bosch: Legacy sets its series finale premiere date with "The World of Bosch" trailer
The Bosch sequel series will wrap up three seasons on March 27, airing two episodes per week through April 17.
Amazon releases the first trailer for House of David
Newcomer Michael Iskander plays the title role in the Biblical epic series premiering Feb. 27.
Love Is Blind's Season 8 trailer features a runaway bride
"Ah! Get me out of here!" she wails in the trailer for Season 8, premiering on Valentine's Day.