Mentalist Oz Pearlman named WHCD headliner / Bill O’Reilly returns to cable news anchor chair / A Different World brings back Charnele Brown and Jenifer Lewis
PLUS: Heated Rivalry creator: We’re filming Season 2 this summer, with hopes for an April 2027 premiere.
White House Correspondents’ Dinner names mentalist Oz Pearlman this year’s headliner as it avoids politics
One year after the White House Correspondents’ Association canceled comedian Amber Ruffin over the Trump White House’s objection, the ubiquitous Oz the Mentalist has been tapped as this year’s entertainment for the April 25 annual dinner. “As the world’s most celebrated mentalist, Oz Pearlman will offer a fascinating glimpse into what’s truly on the minds of Washington’s newsmakers,” WHCA president Weijia Jiang said in a statement. “We look forward to an exciting, fresh, and interactive evening as we celebrate the First Amendment and Washington news coverage together.” Pearlman has appeared all over the media, from America’s Got Talent to 60 Minutes to The Howard Stern Show to The View and Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. He is a particular favorite of the NFL’s. “The annual dinner serves as a convivial fundraiser for the correspondents’ association and for its select journalism scholarships while journalists and government officials mingle in the crowd,” says The Wrap’s Corbin Bolies. “While a comedian traditionally serves as the dinner’s entertainer, the organization has strayed away from comedians during both Trump administrations amid the government’s animosity toward journalists assigned to cover the president. Donald Trump has never attended the dinner as president.”
Heated Rivalry creator: We’re filming Season 2 this summer, with hopes for an April 2027 premiere
“There will be more Heated Rivalry on your TVs, like, truly, as soon as humanly possible,” creator Jacob Tierney told Gayle King this morning on CBS Mornings, joined by executive producer Brendan Brady, who added that “like the best parts of this show” that fans should “enjoy the yearn” of waiting for the show’s next season. Tierney also discussed making Heated Rivalry for Canadian streamer Crave. “They trusted me, but they also trusted the material and the audience already loved this,” Tierney said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “What struck me was that there’s a lot of people who think that they’re smarter than the audience that loves the book, and I don’t think they are.”
Bill O’Reilly to fill in for Chris Cuomo on NewsNation in his first cable news anchor gig since his 2017 Fox News ouster
“I’m bringing back The O’Reilly Factor,” O’Reilly said on last night’s Cuomo, of his guest-hosting stint on March 4. “OK?” I’m bringing it back, a week from tonight. You can’t miss this. What until you see the cast that we’ve assembled.” O’Reilly was dropped from Fox News in 2017 after it emerged the cable network had paid millions in settlements to women bringing sexual harassment lawsuits against him. O’Reilly denied wrongdoing.
Netflix’s A Different World sequel series bringing back Charnele Brown and Jenifer Lewis
They’ll reprise their respective original series roles as Kimberly Reese and Dorothy Dandridge Davenport in the Netflix sequel series that has begun production in Atlanta.
For All Mankind spinoff Star City gets a premiere date and first-look photos
The spinoff telling the space race story from the Soviet Union’s perspective premieres May 29 with two episodes.
AMC acquires BBC crime drama This City Is Ours
The Liverpool-set series, from The Crown producers Left Bank Pictures, will launch next month on AMC+ after becoming the BBC’s most watched new drama launch of 2025. According to Sony TV, This City Is Ours “taps into the enduring strength of family-driven crime drama — a powerful saga set inside a criminal empire where power, loyalty, and betrayal collide. Following its breakout launch at last year’s London Screenings, we’re excited to build on that momentum as we head into this year’s event.” Watch the trailer.
The Traitors UK Season 4 drops on Peacock
All 12 episodes of The Traitors UK’s fourth season debuted on Peacock early this morning after ending on BBC last month with record ratings.
Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat’s trailer introduces viewers to this season’s unbeknownst star Anthony
Premiering March 27 with two episodes, the Amazon Prime Video series’ trailer features temp worker Anthony, who has no idea he is surrounded by actors as he attends an annual company retreat for hot sauce company Rockin’ Grandma’s.