Movies/TV category, Page 128
Trafford’s Mark Milovats brings Christmas special to local TV audienceVideo
Trafford native and international recording artist Mark Milovats will be sharing his “Christmas Wonderland” stage production with digital viewers and television audiences. The special, comprising highlights from the live 2018 holiday production, will air on WTAE at 5 p.m. Sunday. “Christmas Wonderland” has been syndicated for broadcast throughout the holiday...
TV Q&A: Why so few episodes of ‘This is Us’ this season?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Why did NBC only broadcast two weeks of “This is Us” and “The Blacklist” and then they are not going to broadcast again until January?...
‘Wonder Woman 1984’ hopes to lasso a little holiday joyVideo
Patty Jenkins wasn’t even finished making ” Wonder Woman ” when she started dreaming up a sequel for her and star Gal Gadot. The first film had the weight of both female-fronted superhero films and female-directed blockbusters on its shoulders and had yet to prove the skeptics wrong. But Jenkins...
‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Grease’ among films inducted into National Film Registry
This year’s inductees into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, a collection of the most influential American movies, include a neo-noir superhero action spectacle, a ’50s-set ’70s musical and an animated send-up of a classic fairy tale trope. “The Dark Knight,” “Grease” and “Shrek” are just three of the...
TV Talk: Time to catch up on the best TV of 2020
It’s inaccurate to consider this a literal “best of” list for that implies a TV critic can watch every TV series released this year. It’s nearly impossible for any one person to make such a claim in the current 500-series-relased-annually era, so instead consider this my list of favorites from...
Disney unveils plans to stream a galaxy of new series, films
The Walt Disney Co.’s streaming plans shifted into hyper speed Thursday, as the studio unveiled a galaxy’s worth of new streaming offerings including plans for 10 “Star Wars” series spinoffs and 10 Marvel series that will debut on Disney+. In a virtual presentation for investors, Disney chief executive Bob Chapek...
TV Talk: IUP grad explores toxic masculinity in ‘Nate’ on NetflixVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. No one who watches the recently-released Netflix comedy special “Nate: A One Man Show” will confuse it with any other comedy special. The avant-garde, one-hour special is rated TV-MA for good reason and stars Natalie...
TV Talk: Holiday gift ideas for TV fans
Seeking a gift for the TV fan in your life? Here’s what to get if they’re always raving about: DVD box sets: Thousands of TV series are available on streaming services but DVD box sets give fans tangible evidence of their devotion to a program. New complete series sets include...
Ellen DeGeneres: Positive test for coronavirus but ‘feeling fine’
LOS ANGELES — Ellen DeGeneres says she has tested positive for covid-19 but is “feeling fine right now.” Production on her daytime talk show has been paused until January, producer Telepictures said in a statement that followed DeGeneres’ Thursday announcement. In an Instagram post, DeGeneres said anyone who was in...
TV Talk: Filmed-in-Pittsburgh ‘I’m Your Woman’ shows crime story from another angle; joyous ‘The Prom’ premieresVideo
Filmed-in-Pittsburgh movie “I’m Your Woman,” streaming Friday on Amazon’s Prime Video, tracks a seldom seen aspect of a cinematic crime story. Instead of focusing on the mobsters, the film follows the criminal’s wife, Jean (Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), and the impact of her husband’s criminal activity as she...
TV Q&A: Why isn’t ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ on TV this year?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Looking at the Trib’s holiday television schedule and noticed no listing of the 1947 Christmas classic “Miracle on 34th Street”!!! How come? — John, Leechburg...
Pittsburgh’s Billy Porter to join New Year’s Eve show from Times Square
Last New Year’s Eve, Billy Porter was working in New Orleans. This year he’ll still be working — but in New York City. The “Pose” star and Pittsburgh native will join Ryan Seacrest and Lucy Hale on ABC in Times Square on Dec. 31 for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’...
Christopher Nolan calls Warner’s streaming plan ‘a mess’Video
Christopher Nolan, one of Warner Bros.’ most important filmmakers, has come out strongly against the company’s decision to debut its films on HBO Max and in theaters in 2021. The “Tenet” filmmaker told The Associated Press Monday that it’s not a good business decision and criticized how the company handled...
David L. Lander, Squiggy of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ dies at 73
LOS ANGELES — Actor David L. Lander — the unforgettable Squiggy on ABC’s “Laverne & Shirley” — has died, his family confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. Lander passed away Friday evening at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after having battled multiple sclerosis for 37 years. His wife, Kathy Fields...
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ sparks chess boom in Pittsburgh
When “The Queen’s Gambit” became a smash hit on Netflix, a chess institute in Pittsburgh with a similar name got plenty of online attention — both good and bad. “We’ve been getting so many tags on social media, and specifically Twitter,” said Ashley Lynn Priore, president of The Queen’s Gambit...
Scene from ‘Elf’ comes to life as Buddy meets dad in Boston
BOSTON — Just like a real-life movie, the story of Buddy the Elf meeting his biological father has come to life, just in time for the holidays. Doug Henning wore a costume like the one actor Will Ferrell’s character wore in “Elf” while meeting his father face to face for...
Colorado student, scientist named Time’s ‘Kid of the Year’
LONE TREE, Colo. — A 15-year-old Colorado high school student and young scientist who has used artificial intelligence and created apps to tackle contaminated drinking water, cyberbullying, opioid addiction and other social problems has been named Time Magazine’s first-ever “Kid of the Year.” Gitanjali Rao, a sophomore at STEM School...
TV Talk: ‘Your Honor’ debuts with excruciating drama
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. There’s a reason Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” became a worldwide buzz magnet: Not only is “Gambit” well-made, well-acted and impeccably produced, it also tells a story that moves consistently in a positive direction. That trajectory...
In seismic shift, Warner Bros. to stream all 2021 filmsVideo
NEW YORK — In the most seismic shift by a Hollywood studio yet during the pandemic, Warner Bros. Pictures on Thursday announced that all of its 2021 film slate — including a new “Matrix” movie, “Godzilla vs. Kong” and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation “In the Heights” — will stream on...
Study: Which Disney princess has the most expensive jewelry?
When you wish upon a star, hopefully you’ll get jewels as lavish as these. In a new study called “Kingdom of Jewels,” U.K.-based financial advisory company Money.co.uk worked in collaboration with David Allen of Purely Diamonds to conclude how much the jewelry of each Disney princess would cost in real-life...
MTV Entertainment commits $250 million to diversify reality
MTV Entertainment Group says it’s making a $250 million commitment to spur reality production over the next three years by companies owned and operated by women and people of color. ViacomCBS’ MTV Entertainment, which includes MTV and VH1, will provide funding, staff and other support to foster new ideas that...
TV Talk: MeTV turns 10, adds original programs
Break out the birthday candles: Digital subchannel MeTV, the over-the-air equivalent of cable’s TV Land in its heyday, turns 10 on Dec. 15. Digital subchannels came online after the 2009 conversion from analog to digital TV signals, offering local stations the opportunity to broadcast not just one channel but multiple...
WWE’s Pat Patterson dies at 79
WWE legend and Hall of Famer Pat Patterson has died, according to the wrestling company. Patterson was 79. Born Pierre Clermont, he was the first WWE Intercontinental Champion and thought to be the first openly gay wrestling star, which he detailed in his 2016 book, “Accepted: How the First Gay...
All Mariah Carey wants is you to enjoy her Christmas special
Christmas is still a few weeks away, but Mariah Carey is already orchestrating her dinner menu. “I do my father’s linguini with white clam sauce every Christmas Eve,” says the legendary songstress. “Then we do that traditional, more of a Southern-style Christmas dinner.” But is the woman known for her...
TV Talk: Pittsburgh’s Nielsen market rank drops; local news ratings remain competitive
For the past 20 years, Pittsburgh’s Nielsen market rank has averaged around No. 22 or 23 (out of 210 TV markets nationally) even as growing cities surpassed Pittsburgh, including Portland, Ore., and Charlotte, N.C. In 2018 Pittsburgh fell to No. 24 and for 2021, Pittsburgh drops to No. 26 as...
