John Mulaney to star in a live weekly variety show for Netflix / The Diplomat renewed for Season 3 / Heidi Fleiss getting docuseries treatment
PLUS: Nobody Wants This renewed for Season 2 with Girls vets as new showrunners.
John Mulaney to star in a live weekly variety show for Netflix
Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria announced today that following the success of John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA in May at the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, Mulaney will star in a weekly variety show launching in early 2025. Details of the show are being kept under wraps. Mulaney will host the show and serve as co-showrunner and executive producer. “We have a long relationship with John, and we have done the stand up specials, and during Netflix Is a Joke Festival this year, he did a live talk show called Everybody’s in L.A.,” Bejaria said at the Bloomberg Screentime conference. “I was there at a couple of the tapings, and it was so bold and original and fresh and unprecedented, unpredictable. And I think it’ll be really fun to get to do a live show with him.” Bajaria framed Everybody’s In LA as an experiment so that “if we built a weekly live talk show variety, what does that look like?”
Nobody Wants This renewed for Season 2 with Girls vets as new showrunners
Former Girls co-showrunner Jenni Konner and former Six Feet Under and Girls executive producer Bruce Eric Kaplan will lead Erin Foster's hit Netflix romcom for its second season. They'll oversee a writers' room that has already been working on Season 2 for several weeks. Their hiring was made before Nobody Wants This premiered on Sept. 26 and, thus, before the recent controversy over Jewish stereotypes.
The Diplomat earns an early Season 3 renewal with the action shifting to New York City
The Keri Russell-led political thriller series has been picked up for a third season ahead of Season 2's premiere on Oct. 31. Season 2 reportedly filmed back to back with Season 3.
Chloë Grace Moretz to star in the TV adaptation of the podcast My Mom’s Murder
The ten-part Audible podcast, which launched today hosted by Lauren Malloy, "tells the story of how she believed her mother died of a heart condition but it turned out she was murdered," according to Deadline, which adds: "When Malloy was just an infant, her mother passed away and had grown up believing her passing was natural. When she discovers that her mother’s death was actually an unsolved murder, she sets out on a journey to discover the truth. The podcast follows Malloy as she confronts family members, interviews old friends, and unearths hidden evidence about her mother’s life and death. Her investigation leads her to confront shady characters from her mother’s past and navigate conflicting stories and disturbing truths and culminates in potential breakthroughs in the decades long cold case."
Kamala Harris agrees to a CNN town hall
The Democratic presidential candidate will participate in a town hall with CNN on Oct. 23. CNN has made a similar town hall offer to Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Ethel Kennedy dies: The Kennedy family matriarch and widow of Robert F. Kennedy was 96
Kennedy, whom The New York Times called a "popular and vital force in the Kennedy political dynasty, died Thursday after suffering a stroke. Kennedy was the subject of her youngest daughter Rory Kennedy's 2012 HBO documentary Ethel. Following her husband's assassination in 1968, Kennedy made a guest appearance on Sesame Street in 1969. Kennedy also made a cameo on a 1992 episode of Cheers alongside her son Michael Kennedy, who died in a ski accident five years later.
Alicia Silverstone to star in Acorn TV's Irish Blood
Silverstone will star as Fiona Sharpe, a “hot-shot Los Angeles divorce lawyer who receives a letter from her estranged father and sets out to uncover the mystery of his disappearance.” She will be joined by Wendy Crewson, Jason O’Mara, Dearbhla Molloy, Simone Kirby, Ruth Codd, and Leonardo Taiwo in the six-episode series. “Irish Blood is the story of a woman discovering herself and confronting her past after traveling abroad unexpectedly,” says Silverstone. “I love how unpredictable the storytelling feels and the combination of drama, humor and suspense my character experiences.”
Critics Choice Awards moves from The CW to E! with Chelsea Handler returning as host
After seven years on The CW, the Critics Choice Awards will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Jan. 12 with the ceremony airing on E! The Critics Choice Awards will be available the next day on Peacock.
Whoopi Goldberg rips Donald Trump for calling The View hosts "dumb"
"So, we walked out to 'Dirrty' by Christina Aguilera, because it's one of the words that You-Know-Who used when he was talking about me, in particular, but he was talking about us at his rallies," Goldberg said at the top of Thursday's show, according to EW, before the show played a clip of Trump calling the panelists "really dumb people" before recalling hiring Goldberg for a comedy event at one of his casinos, before he said he called her act "filthy dirty" and "disgusting" before telling the crowd he'd "never hire her again."
Stephen Graham joins Netflix’s Peaky Blinders movie
In an interview with Deadline, the British actor wouldn't say what role he's playing. Graham played the role of Hayden Stagg in the sixth and final season.
Rob Lowe criticizes SNL for not letting James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump impression be funny
In a Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast interview with former SNL Obama impersonator Jay Pharoah, Lowe said he was a fan of Johnson's pre-SNL Trump impression on social media. "But then on SNL, I don't think he's quite as funny, because I don't think they're letting him do what is great, which is the non sequitur, insane (material)," Lowe said, according to Newsweek. "Trump talking crazy, crazy sh*t, to me, is funnier than him doing Trump talking about what you think Trump would be talking about."
Julia Rose joins Grey's Anatomy as one of Mike Yasuda’s sisters
The Baskets alum has been cast in the recurring role of Chloe Yasuda, making her first of four appearances in the fourth episode of Season 21.
Big Brother 16 winner Derrick Levasseur to return Friday for a special twist
“Derrick will deliver top secret messages to the final three houseguests, which will play a vital role in the conclusion of the BB AI Twist,” CBS announced Thursday. Host Julie Chen Moonves will also use the Friday timeslot to reveal who will be replacing fan-favorite winner Dr. Will Kirby as host of the jury roundtable.
Gil Ramirez eliminated from The Golden Bachelorette following restraining order controversy
Joan Vassos said goodbye to Ramirez on last night's episode. Ramirez was cast after he cleared a background check. But an ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him days before he entered the house, prompting producers to try to reduce his screentime in the editing.
George R.R. Martin shares the first look at HBO Game of Thrones prequel series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
In sharing photos on his "Not a Blog," Martin wrote: "Heading up to the shoot, I was as anxious as I was eager. KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS is a smaller show than either GAME OF THRONES or HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, with a much smaller budget, but I really want it to be great. Ninety per cent of the story is set in a field, surrounded by tents, we would not need the huge sets the other shows had featured, but it couldn’t look fake or cheap either, and the costumes and the heraldry and the fights all had to be splendid, and…I was so so happy when I got there, and saw what Ira and his team had built."
Kaos creator urges fans to "please keep talking" about his canceled Netflix show
"I reckon there are some potential fans out there who might need more time to find it, so please keep talking about Kaos if you enjoyed it,” wrote creator Charlie Covell in an Instagram post marking the end of his Greek mythology dramedy.
Love Is Blind sets Season 7 reunion
Nick and Vanessa Lachey will host the reunion premiering on Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. ET.
Jeopardy! alludes to former host Mayim Bialik in a clue
On last night's show, a contestant went for the $600 clue which asked: “Sheldon & Amy, pure genius.” The contestant correctly answered: "What is The Big Bang Theory?"
NBC News Now anchor Tom Llamas fled for his life live on the air while covering Hurricane Milton
"Welcome back to our live coverage of Hurricane Milton. The situation here in Sarasota is starting to turn dire. At first we had– Oh we’re going to go. We gotta go! We gotta go! We gotta go!" Llamas said during Thursday night's hurricane coverage.
"Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss will be the focus of an in-depth docuseries
Fleiss, the so-called Hollywood madam who was sent to federal prison in the 1990s for running an upscale prostitution ring catering to the rich and famous, "is the next sensational 1990s news phenomenon to get the in-depth doc treatment,” from former longtime HBO documentary head Sheila Nevins, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Fleiss — who is the cousin of The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss — promises to tell a compelling story. “I think people are sick of the docs that are infomercials — and I’m not an infomercial,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I don’t care if someone likes me or hates me. I’m not now trying to reinvent myself or be seen as someone I’m not. People will see and hear the truth. Some if it is humiliating.” Fleiss is a reality TV veteran, having participated in Britain's Celebrity Big Brother in 2010.
DirecTV is launching a FAST channel
MyFree DirecTV, launching Nov. 15, will offer a curated channel lineup and extensive on-demand library of titles that include The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol, Duck Dynasty, Power and Pawn Stars.
All American bringing back Samantha Logan
The original All American star, who exited The CW drama as a series regular with the Season 6 finale, will guest-star in Season 7's second episode, reprising her Olivia Baker role.
Deal or No Deal Island's Season 2 cast includes Big Brother's Dr. Will Kirby and Survivor's Parvati Shallow
Deal or No Deal Island marks the first reality competition Kirby has participated in in 20 years. “My kids are 11 and 14, and they've never seen me on a competition reality show,” Kirby tells People. “They've never seen me do any of that ever, it's just not something we watch. My daughter in particular, we watched Deal or No Deal Island season 1. I won't tell you what it was, but she said, ‘It would be really, really funny if you did this on that show.’ And I said, ‘You know what, sweetheart? I'm going to do that.’ And I did it. I think she's going to watch it and love it, and it's going to be hilarious.” Deal or No Deal Island returns tonight on NBC.
ESPN accuses ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins of running a predatory NIL company
ESPN has published an investigative article targeting one of its employees: Former NBA champion-turned-NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins. According to the report by ESPN staff writer Dan Murphy, Perkins co-founded a company called Nilly that offers upfront payments to athletes in exchange for a percentage of NIL earnings. Nilly is also given exclusive NIL rights so that only the company will be able to use or sell an athlete’s likeness for a period of time.
ESPN hires Cam Newton as a First Take regular
The Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL MVP will make his debut on the ESPN morning program on Friday.
Lionel Richie is releasing his memoir
The American Idol judge promises a no-holds-barred retrospective when his untitled memoir is released on Sept. 30, 2025.
Former Reba star Steve Howey to reunite with Reba McEntire on NBC's Happy's Place
Howey, who played Reba’s son-in-law Van Montgomery on The WB's Reba, will play a potential sperm donor on McEntire's new NBC sitcom.
The West Wing stars are reuniting once again to support the Democratic Party
Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney and Mary McCormack will appear virtually with Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator Bob Casey on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. “for a night of games, performances, and conversation about the stakes of this election.”
Vince Carter joins TNT's final season of NBA coverage
The retired NBA great will contribute to TNT's NBA coverage after previously appearing on ESPN, Yes Network and TNT last season.
Martha Stewart gets the documentary treatment in R.J. Cutler's Martha trailer
The Netflix documentary, premiering Oct. 30, marks the first time Stewart has fully revisited her past on-camera.
Star Trek: Lower Decks releases its final season trailer
The Paramount+ animated series returns Oct. 24.
Watch Blue Bloods' trailer for its final episodes
The Reagans are back for one last ride with the back half of Season 14 premiering Oct. 18.
Ali Wong stars in the teaser for Netflix's Jentry Chau vs the Underworld
Wong plays a Chinese-American girl must harness the supernatural powers she’s repressed her whole life in order to fight a bunch of demons from the underworld. Jentry Chau vs the Underworld premieres on Dec. 5.
Peacock unveils the trailer for A Great Day With J Balvin
The six-episode docuseries, premiering Oct. 17, will “take audiences on a personal journey” with the Colombian artist and “his captivating quest to uncover the secrets of a truly fulfilling life." He'll be joined by Anitta, Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, Demi Lovato, Jimmy Butler, Saweetie and Xolo Maridueña “as they embark on a series of unexpected and transformative adventures together.”
Love & Marriage: Huntsville shares the first look at Season 8's return
The OWN reality show's second half of Season 8 premieres Nov. 2.
Netflix releases the trailer for Bank Under Siege, a Spanish miniseries inspired by true events
The miniseries "inspired by the real heist that shook Spain in 1981" premieres Nov. 8.
Check out Amazon's trailer for Nautilus, based on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The long-gestating series, which has journeyed through Disney+ and AMC before landing at Prime Video, "tells the origin story of Captain Nemo: an Indian Prince robbed of his birthright and family, joining him as he steals a formidable prototype submarine and escapes into the Indian Ocean with a crew, determined to enact revenge against the ruthless East India Mercantile Company," per Deadline. Nautilus premieres Oct. 25.