Tim Robinson to star in HBO's The Chair Company / RIP Freaks and Geeks' Joe Flaherty / Suits getting a rewatch podcast
PLUS: Georgia's secretary of state sends tongue-in-cheek letter to Larry David in response to Curb Your Enthusiasm's voting law storyline.
Tim Robinson to star in HBO's The Chair Company, in latest collaboration with his I Think You Should Leave co-creator Zach Kanin
Adam McKay will executive produce The Chair Company, co-created by Robinson and Kanin, which has the following description: "After an embarrassing incident at work, a man (Robinson) finds himself investigating a far-reaching conspiracy." The Chair Company marks the latest collaboration for Robinson and Kanin, who met as writers on Saturday Night Live. They were among four co-creators of Comedy Central's Detroiters and co-created the hit Netflix sketch comedy series I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.
Georgia's secretary of state sends tongue-in-cheek letter to Larry David in response to Curb Your Enthusiasm's voting law storyline
Curb's final season has revolved around David's arrest for violating Georgia’s election integrity law after giving his friend Leon Black’s (J.B. Smoove) aunt (played by Ellia English) a bottle of water while she waited in line to vote during a hot day in Atlanta. Last month, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger sent a letter to David addressing the plotline about the 2021 voting law. “As the chief elections officer for the State of Georgia, we’d like to congratulate you on becoming the first and, to our knowledge, only person arrested for distributing water bottles to voters within 150 feet of a polling station,” Raffensperger wrote, before adding a not-so-subtle jab at Trump, whose mugshot in Atlanta inspired David’s. “We apologize if you didn’t receive celebrity treatment at the local jail. I’m afraid they’ve gotten used to bigger stars. It’s the TMZ of mugshots.” Raffensperger went on to jokingly defend his record and the law, writing that David would be “glad to hear that waiting times for all voters, including Leon’s aunt, in the last two major elections were under two minutes, even as we experienced record turnout.” Raffensperger added that he doesn't have the authority to give David a pardon.
ABC renews 9-1-1 for Season 8 ahead of its 100th episode
The news comes two weeks after the former Fox emergency responders' drama premiered on ABC to 11.8 million multiplatform viewers in its first seven days of availability.
Joe Flaherty dies: The Freaks and Geeks dad and SCTV star was 82
Flaherty is widely known for starring as Harold Weir, the no-nonsense father of two awkward teenagers, played by Linda Cardellini and John Francis Daley, in the cult NBC drama series Freaks and Geeks. On SCTV, set at a low-rent TV station in a fictional town, Flaherty co-starred with John Candy, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, playing characters such as Guy Caballero, the sleazy president of the station, and Sammy Maudlin, an unctuous late-night talk show host. His character Count Floyd wore a cheap vampire costume while hosting a horror movie show, “Monster Chiller Horror Theater.” "Joe Flaherty made me crack up so hard it ruined takes. My favorite days on set were the ones where we had scenes together," tweeted John Francis Daley. "What a lovely guy."
Suits alums Patrick J. Adams and Sarah Rafferty are launching a rewatch podcast with SiriusXM
They'll break down each of the 134 episodes of their 2011-2019 USA legal drama that became a surprise hit on Netflix last year with special guests, including cast and crew members, on their untitled podcast. SiriusXM is also behind rewatch podcasts including Office Ladies and Parks & Recollection.
Sherri renewed for Season 3
Sherri Shepherd's daytime talk show will stay put for a third season after succeeding The Wendy Williams Show.
Steven Van Zandt is developing The Jam, a music series inspired by American Bandstand and Soul Train
The Sopranos alum and guitarist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band is teaming with Don’t Forget The Lyrics producer Jeff Apploff on The Jam, a live-to-tape series that "will bring together global pop stars and new artists with performances, story packages and interviews," per Deadline. “It’s been too long since there’s been a dance party with live bands on," says Van Zandt. "We’ll be that plus a presentation of whatever is coolest in the news, products, and culture that week. The weekend starts here."
Kristen Wiig reprises her SNL "Target Lady" character in Target ads
Target has unveiled its "Target Lady" ad campaign as Wiig prepares to return to host Saturday Night Live this weekend.
CBS and Golden Globes set next year's 82nd ceremony for Jan. 5
The 82nd Globes will air live coast to coast from 8-11 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5 on CBS and on Paramount+.
Drake Bell: Josh Peck "knew what was going on" behind the scenes at Nickelodeon
“Josh worked on The Amanda Show, so he saw and knew what was going on,” Bell told the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast of Drake & Josh co-star reaching out privately, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I appreciate that he reached out to me privately and he didn’t go straight to the media, because he was there with me and saw what I was going through.” Bell then clarified that he doesn’t know if Peck knew specifics about the situation, but knew Bell had been abused by Brian and how “sensitive” it was for him at the time. “Of course, watching the documentary, he learned so much of what I’d gone through that I think he was just so sensitive and made sure to reach out to me privately,” said Bell.
As Lopez vs. Lopez returns for Season 2, George Lopez says he realizes how hard it is for Latino-led shows to succeed
"Look at how hard it is to have any show succeed; it’s hard for everybody," Lopez, who co-stars on his NBC sitcom with daughter Mayan Lopez, tells the Los Angeles Times. "But we (Latinos) get few opportunities. You see what (executives) prefer to use rather than looking like the world. You look at our show and it looks like what the world looks like. That’s because of us. But also I know, because I’ve been in those rooms, they’re not going to take a chance on a Latino lead. I remember Bob Iger said to me — he asked me to go to some meeting at ABC; this dog and pony show — and he says, 'George, how do we sell Hondas to Latinos?' I said, 'You sell Hondas to everybody.' What do you want me to tell you? Make it La Honda?" ALSO: Season 2's sobriety storyline comes from George Lopez's real life.
Game Show Network orders a Tic Tac Dough revival and British format Beat the Bridge
Brooke Burns will host the new version of the game show classic Tic Tac Dough, while Cameron Mathison will host the U.S. version of the British format Beat the Bridge.
Aimee Carrero joins Jon Hamm on Apple TV+'s Your Friends And Neighbors
Details of The Consultant alum's role are being kept under wraps.
Judy Sheindlin's Judy Justice cleared to compete against Judge Judy in syndication this fall
Sheindlin's Amazon Freevee court show will debut in syndication this fall after being cleared in 95% of the country, despite CBS “trying to keep Judy out of the marketplace,” an insider told Page Six, which adds: "CBS was banking on local markets buying up reruns of Scheindlin’s old show, and was left gobsmacked when she hit the market with a new product for stations to buy. Unfortunately for CBS, a source says, they’re now stuck selling repeats of Judge Judy, which has less value in the marketplace while other stations have the option to air original shows from Judy Justice."
Jared Leto subs for Pat Sajak on Wheel of Fortune for April Fool's Day
"All right everybody, grab those devices, it's time to give away some money," the Oscar winner said as he pretended to be host. "A $1000 in our first toss-up, the category is on the map." The show then switched back to Sajak.
Shannen Doherty says she's selling many of her possessions as she battles Stage 4 breast cancer
“The cancer, for me, has really made me take stock of my life and shift my priorities, and my priority at the moment is my mom,” Doherty said on her Let's Be Clear podcast, per the New York Post. “I don’t want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with. I don’t want her to have four storage units filled with furniture because I have a furniture obsession.” The Beverly Hills, 90210 alum added jokingly that it was thanks to her passion for home furnishings that she’s “accumulated so much crap” over the years. And, at the moment, most of the items are simply collecting dust in a storage unit.
Jeremy Strong on gifts he receives from Succession fans: "People give me all kinds of strange things"
"Some plushies, macrame...somebody gave me a ceramic piggy bank that was sort of bejewelled...a lot of bracelets that say 'I am the eldest boy'...a lot of stuff that says 'I am the eldest boy,'" Strong said on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Netflix unveils trailer for the Obama-produced Bodkin
The dark comedic thriller about a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quaint, coastal Irish town premieres May 9. Bodkin, from Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground production company, stars Will Forte, Siobhán Cullen and Robyn Cara.
Watch Apple TV+'s Jane Season 2 trailer
The educational children's series inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall returns April 19.