Miley Cyrus set for Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special / CBS denies banning Stephen Colbert interview over FCC fears / Grey’s is expected to be hit with more budget cuts
PLUS: Will other correspondents exit 60 Minutes after Anderson Cooper’s departure?
Miley Cyrus to return to her Disney roots in Disney+’s Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special
The March 24, 2006 premiere of Hannah Montana will be celebrated on Disney+ on March 24, 2026, in a special filmed in front of a live studio audience featuring an interview with Cyrus hosted by Alex Cooper. Not only will they revisit key moments from her 2006-2011 Disney Channel hit, but Disney also promises “there will also be some familiar notes that find their way back into the spotlight.” “Hannah Montana opened the door for so many fans to dream big, sing loud, and embrace every side of themselves, which is why its legacy continues to shine across generations,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Partnering with Miley on this special is a dream, and we want it to be a love letter to the fans, who remain as passionate today as they were when the series debuted almost 20 years ago.” In a statement, Cyrus said: Hannah Montana “will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection. The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”
CBS denies Stephen Colbert’s claim he was banned from airing his Late Show interview with James Talarico
“The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico,” the network said in a statement Tuesday. “The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled. The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.” On Monday’s Late Show, Colbert said Talarico, a Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, “was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast.” Colbert added: “Then, I was told, in some uncertain terms, that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on. And because my network clearly does not want us to talk about this… Let’s talk about this.” Colbert opted to post the Talarico interview on YouTube.
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Stephen Colbert gets massive online viewership for James Talarico interview that he says CBS refused to air over FCC fears: Colbert’s Late Show screed against CBS and the FCC and the interview with Democratic Texas U.S. Senate candidate Talarico have each surpassed two million views on YouTube. It’s become essentially a “campaign ad” for Texas State Rep. Talarico, says Mediaite’s Colby Hall. “CBS kept a Democratic Senate candidate off of (The Late Show) and instead staged a breakout moment for him, and terrific promotional material for a show that will go off the air in May,” says Hall. “Something extraordinary happened on late night CBS when host Stephen Colbert candidly revealed to viewers that a planned interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico had been spiked, then went into great detail as to why, not at all hiding his abject disdain for the decision. The explanation was anxiety over the byzantine FCC equal-time rule, a 1934 statute governing broadcast license holders. Rather than quietly pivot to another guest, Colbert turned the kill into the show. The ban became the bit. Fueled by both genuine outrage and sharp showmanship, he understood the rules of modern attention: nothing travels faster than something framed as forbidden. Talarico is running in a crowded Texas Senate race where name recognition is oxygen. The anachronistic equal time rule exists to prevent broadcasters from tilting the scales by favoring one candidate over others. Yet by spiking the interview and publicly attributing the move to regulatory fear, CBS delivered him something far more valuable than a late night appearance. He received a national storyline about suppression.”
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CBS is expected to air Jon Osoff’s Late Show interview Wednesday: The Democratic U.S. senator from Georgia, who is running for re-election, is not yet a “legally qualified candidate”
Will other correspondents exit 60 Minutes after Anderson Cooper’s departure?
That’s the big question facing the Bari Weiss-run CBS News, says CNN’s Brian Stelter. “Which other correspondents are going to leave, and on what terms? Weiss wanted Cooper to stay, but she reportedly wants others to go,” says Stelter. “Sharyn Alfonsi’s contract expires in just a few months and Weiss allies have blamed Alfonsi for inflaming the infamous ‘Inside CECOT’ situation. At least one other correspondent is on the way out, I’m told. The risk is obvious: Loyal 60 Minutes viewers will leave along with the correspondents they like to watch...” As Status’ Oliver Darcy points out, without Anderson Cooper, “the show will be down to six correspondents, including Sharyn Alfonsi, Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, Bill Whitaker, Jon Wertheim, and Cecilia Vega. Given Weiss’ displeasure with Alfonsi, a fact she made known to reporters during secret background briefings, it is difficult to imagine she is long for the network. It’s also unclear whether Stahl and Pelley, both of whom have been outspoken over the last year about the alarming state of affairs at CBS News, will stick around much longer.”
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Anderson Cooper was reportedly related to Bari Weiss’ takeover: “Behind the scenes, Status has learned that Cooper had grown increasingly uneasy with the rightward direction the network has charted under Weiss’s leadership and David Ellison’s ownership of parent company Paramount,” reports Status’ Oliver Darcy. “As one insider put it to me, ‘He wasn’t comfortable with the direction the show was taking under Bari, and is in a position where he doesn’t have to put up with it.’ A second person familiar with the matter confirmed Cooper’s exit was related to discomfort with Weiss. A representative for Cooper, who signed a renewal deal with CNN late last year, declined to comment. A CBS News spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As Status first reported in January, a 60 Minutes piece Cooper had been working on since last year has been subjected to an intense level of editorial scrutiny, with Executive Producer Tanya Simon and Weiss both providing extensive feedback. The piece examines the Trump administration’s decision to accept refugees from South Africa, a move rooted in Donald Trump’s embrace of the debunked conspiracy theory that a “white genocide” is taking place in the country. The prolonged process left producer Michael Gavshon, a journalist who has worked at 60 Minutes for more than three decades, exasperated, Status previously reported. It is unclear when—or if—the piece will ultimately air.”
CBS News seemed surprised by Anderson Cooper departing 60 Minutes
Grey’s Anatomy is expected to be hit with more budget cuts — and a shorter season — in order to get a Season 23 renewal
“I hear Grey’s cast and crew were recently advised that another budget cut is coming during a call,” reports Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva, citing the long-running drama’s costly cast salaries. “That is good news and bad news. The good news is, the budget conversation clearly indicates that Grey’s will return for a 23rd season. The bad news is that, in a cost-saving move, it may be for significantly fewer episodes than the 18 the show has produced the last two seasons. While no longer a strong linear performer, Grey’s Anatomy remains a streaming juggernaut that brings a lot of value to Disney. What’s more, the introduction of a new crop of interns in Season 19 has reinvigorated the show while reducing its dependence on its veteran cast, helping it successfully navigate star Ellen Pompeo’s transition from a series regular to recurring.” ALSO: The Rookie and 9-1-1 are also expected to be hit with ABC budget cuts.
Mckenna Grace to play Daphne on Netflix’s live-action Scooby-Doo series
Grace is the first actor cast on the Greg Berlanti-produced eight-episode series written by Midnight Radio’s Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg.
Damon Wayans Jr. to star in NBC drama pilot Puzzled
Wayans will lead the Dick Wolf-produced drama series pilot based on the Puzzle Master books by Danielle Trussoni. “After barely escaping a tragic fire, once promising college athlete Mike Brink (Wayans) is transformed by a traumatic brain injury that gives him the unique ability to see the world in an unexpected way and helps him solve crimes with local police,” reads the logline.
NBC lands Taylor Swift for Winter Olympics figure skating promo
With her hit single “Opalite” playing, Swift narrates NBC’s figure skating “Blade Angels”: Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito.
Ghosts books Jeff Hiller and John Michael Higgins
While Emmy winner Hiller will guest as a “server extraordinaire,” Higgins will play “a high-status, well-mannered representative from a prestigious list of small luxury hotels.”
Warner Bros. Discovery restarts talks with Paramount for one week
With Netflix’s approval, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount will restart negotations. Paramount will have until Feb. 23 to negotiate its best and final offer, which Netflix will be able to match. “While we are confident that our transaction provides superior value and certainty, we recognize the ongoing distraction for WBD stockholders and the broader entertainment industry caused by PSKY’s antics,” Netflix said in a statement. “Accordingly, we granted WBD a narrow seven-day waiver of certain obligations under our merger agreement to allow them to engage with PSKY to fully and finally resolve this matter.” ALSO: John Oliver mocks Warner Bros Discovery uncertainty on Last Week Tonight season premiere.
Whoopi Goldberg explains on The View why her name appears in the Epstein Files: “I wasn’t his girlfriend. I wasn’t his friend”
On Tuesday’s show, Goldberg explained that her name is mentioned in email correspondence between Jeffrey Epstein and an individual whose name has been redacted about trying to find a private plane for her to get to Monaco to attend an event hosted by Julian Lennon’s charity, the White Feather Foundation, per EW. “So, in other words, anyone can be on this list?” Joy Behar asked. “This is my point because, when I tell you people are trying to turn me into,” Goldberg replied. “I wasn’t his girlfriend. I wasn’t his friend. I was not only too old, but it was at a time where this is just not…. You used to have to have facts before you said stuff.” ALSO: Many The View fans weren’t happy to see Savannah Chrisley as today’s guest-host.
Amazon orders The Assassin Season 2
The thriller series starring Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore will begin production on its second season later this year.
Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano to face off in Netflix’s first-ever mixed martial arts event
“Netflix has another dream fight 10 years too late: Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will go toe-to-toe in an MMA fight on Saturday, May 16. The match will stream live on Netflix from the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles — the rest of the card will be announced at a later date,” says The Hollywood Reporter’s Tony Maglio. “The Rousey-Carano fight will take place inside a hexagon (and not octagon like the UFC) cage. Rousey vs. Carano marks Netflix’s first-ever mixed martial arts event. It is also the first foray into the sport for Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), Jake Paul’s events company.”
President Trump threatens Nancy Guthrie kidnappers with death penalty
In a brief phone interview with the New York Post, Trump said he would want the Justice Department to seek the death penalty if the 84-year-old mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie is killed.
Sean Hannity is launching a “Hang Out” podcast for Fox News
The Fox News Media twice-weekly Hang Out With Sean Hannity, launching March 3, will feature “unfiltered conversations” with figures across culture, business, sports, politics and beyond. Hang Out will be filmed from Hannity’s “man cave” in Florida.
Stephen Colbert pays tribute to Robert Duvall — who once referred to him as “not funny”
Without naming Colbert, Duvall told David Letterman in an October 2014 Late Show interview: “That guy taking over is not funny.” When Letterman didn’t respond, Duvall added: “Sorry, maybe you’re friends.” On Monday’s Late Show, Colbert paid tribute to Duvall, who died Sunday at age 95, by re-airing his June 2021 visit to Duvall and his wife Luciana’s Virginia ranch for what would become the legendary actor’s final late-night interview. “He was one of Hollywood’s greats and, perhaps, the greatest,” Colbert said in his tribute to Duvall.
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai joins Netflix’s Breakers
The Reservation Dogs alum has signed on to the Netflix Australian series starring Antony Starr. He will play Elliott, described as a working-class, shy teen from Rhode Island to comes to an Australian commune for a surf trip before “adult life.”
Industry’s Ken Leung: HBO “spent so much money erasing” a Trump figurine I placed in Season 1
“I used to have the little Trump figurine on the top of my Bloomberg monitors during the first season,” Leung told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview with Myha’la, explaining that he considered his character a Trump supporter. But instead of asking him to remove the figurine, Leung says “what I was told is that they spent so much money erasing that from every frame.”
NFL is reportedly upset NBC is paying more money for NBA rights
Under its deal last year, NBC agreed to pay $2.5 billion a year for NBA rights, while the network currently pays around $2 billion to the NFL annually for Sunday Night Football rights. “Executives at the NFL are irritated. That deal irritated them,” Puck News’ Ourand told Andrew Marchand during an appearance on Marchand’s podcast, per Awful Announcing. “The idea that NBC is paying more for Sunday Night Basketball than for Sunday Night Football. These are people and personalities, and it makes the executives at the NFL crazy that that happens. So could they come in and just start to turn the screw because of that NBA deal?”
Tubi is essentially becoming the new Cartoon Network
As HBO Max has gradually removed several classic Cartoon Network series, Tubi announced a slew of cartoons arriving on March 1, dubbed its “cartoon era.”
The Simpsons boss: We jumped on The Pitt bandwagon early, with Episode 800
“Usually we’re like five years late or 13 years too late to something, but we’re actually not super late to The Pitt, since season 2 is just coming out right now,” showrunner Matt Selman tells EW of Sunday’s milestone episode. “Though I always think it’s funny when people ding the show for being late to make fun of something, because at the very best, it was only on time once. And then every time after that, it was late.” He adds: “Mike Price, the co-runner, co-producer of this episode, is a huge The Pitt fan, and we thought it’d be a fun way to spice up the veterinary scene by giving it the intensity and melodrama of this terrific show. And then we convinced Noah (Wyle) and some of the other actors (Katherine LaNasa and Taylor Dearden) to play intense vet cartoon versions of themself. But I think it came from Mike, because I know he was just the hugest fan of that show from the get-go and how crazy and intense it was.” ALSO: Bart Simpson voice Nancy Cartwright wants a human to replace her when she retires: “Because AI has no heart and I think that’s a missing ingredient.”
Ego Nwodim-hosted Independent Spirit Awards was more subdued with the move from a Santa Monica tent to the Hollywood Palladium
Preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics prompted the move from a tent next to the Santa Monica Pier to the concert venue in Hollywood. “The shift also represented a more subdued awards show,” says Marcus Jones. “A Saturday Night Live alumni hosted — as it did with Aidy Bryant — this year the event hired Ego Nwodim fresh off her NBC exit. She played off her standup persona, Miss Eggy. It garnered her a lot of laughs in her final season; here, the character did not play as well. Kudos to the ceremony for finishing exactly on time, but no-shows were one reason Film Independent pulled it off. Emmy winners Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper also won at the Spirits; they were absent, despite the Netflix limited series being the big winner among the TV categories. Also Best Supporting Performance winner Naomi Ackie (Sorry, Baby) had also missed out.” ALSO: Adolescence dominated the Spirit Awards’ few TV awards.
Martin Scorsese lends his voice to The Mandalorian and Grogu
In the newest trailer for the Star Wars spinoff movie, Scorsese can be heard as an Ardennian shopkeeper who Mando approaches to seek information.
CNN announces Standoff: The FBI, Power and Paranoia — former FBI director James Comey to recount his Trump firing
The two-part docuseries, airing March 22 and 29, will examine the often fraught relationship between FBI directors and the presidents they serve.
MS NOW officially inks deal with Crooked Media
Highlights from the former Obama stars’ media company’s Pod Save America and Lovett or Leave It will begin airing on MS NOW on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET. starting Feb. 28.
Bad Bunny tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time as a solo artist following Super Bowl halftime performance
“DtMF,” which peaked at No. 2 last month, is now No. 1 after being one of four songs featured in Bad Bunny’s halftime performance.
Spencer Pratt’s sister Stephanie Pratt slams his candidacy for Los Angeles mayor, alleging he “beat” her
Stephanie Pratt spoke out against her older brother’s mayoral bid in a series of posts on X, claiming the former The Hills star is only running in an attempt to “stay famous.” She also made allegations that he “beat” her, got her “hooked” on drugs during her teen years and was once in a cult.
Heartbreak High finally gets a Netflix final season premiere date and trailer
The Australian high school drama’s long-awaited third and final season premieres March 25.
Apple Podcasts is bringing upgraded video to its platform
Apple is enhancing the video offering on its Apple Podcasts app starting this spring amid the growing popularity of video podcasts.
Chicago Fire alum Brittany Curran charged with public intoxication
Curran, who recurred on Season 2 of the NBC drama, showed up at a Burbank police station showing “objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication,” reports TMZ.
Frederick Wiseman, titan of documentaries whose films aired on PBS, dies at 96
“Starting with his first film, 1967’s Titicut Follies, the director mastered a specific approach to nonfiction, eschewing talking-head interviews, explanatory title cards, and scores in favor of immersing viewers in unique worlds that played out in front of his camera,” says Tim Grierson in the Rolling Stone obituary for Wiseman, who died Monday. “Wiseman was fascinated with how systems work — whether they be mental institutions, city halls, museums, boxing gyms, ballet companies, high schools, slaughterhouses, cabarets, or Madison Square Garden. And by making himself invisible in these environments, he captured the everyday with a minimum of fuss, letting the minutiae of life unfold without artifice. The result were movies that felt all-encompassing while eluding easy categorization.” One of Wiseman’s final films was 2020’s City Hall for PBS, exploring the government of Boston, Massachusetts.
Deadloch Season 2 enters its “tropical gothic” era in Season 2 trailer
Australian detectives Collins and Eddie Redcliffe return March 20 with a six-episode second season.