Movies/TV category, Page 47
Marsha Warfield, bailiff Roz Russell on ‘Night Court,’ returns to the show that has a ‘big heart’
NEW YORK — Fans of the rebooted hit NBC sitcom “Night Court” might have been forgiven for tuning in all season long and asking “Where’s Roz?” Roz Russell — played by comedian Marsha Warfield — was the salty, no-nonsense bailiff alongside Bull Shannon who had a world-weary view of the...
TV Talk: Morning local newscast launches on WPGH-TV next week; Fox readies ‘Grimsburg’Video
WPGH-TV, Channel 53, will launch a 7 to 8 a.m. weekday newscast on Jan. 8, per promos that are airing and TV listings. As reported last month, this 7 a.m. newscast, like the 10 p.m. news on WPGH, will be produced and staffed by personnel from WPXI-TV. Channel 11’s morning...
Paula Abdul accuses ‘American Idol’ producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault in lawsuitVideo
LOS ANGELES — Paula Abdul has accused former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the reality competition show, according to a new lawsuit. The lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles also accuses Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul...
Mickey Mouse will soon belong to you and me — with some caveats
LOS ANGELES — M-I-C-K-E-Y will soon belong to you and me. With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024. In a moment many...
British actor Tom Wilkinson, known for ‘The Full Monty,’ ‘Michael Clayton’, dies at 75
LONDON — Tom Wilkinson, the Oscar-nominated British actor known for his roles in “The Full Monty,” “Michael Clayton” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” has died, his family said. He was 75. A statement shared by his agent on behalf of the family said Wilkinson died suddenly at home on...
The Golden Globes: How to watch, who’s hosting and other key things to know
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Golden Globe Awards are back on the first Sunday in January with plenty of behind-the-scenes changes aimed at cementing a yearslong comeback effort. The show is known for its boozy celebration of film and television and as an early stop for awards season contenders. Scandals...
TV Talk: Western Pa. native Ed Lammi retires from Sony
Bloomfield native Ed Lammi, a 1966 Peabody High Scholl grad who studied English at Penn State, retires this month after 23 years as Sony Pictures Television’s head of production. During his tenure there, he managed to get several productions to film in his hometown, including the pilot for FX’s “Justified”...
Comedian Tom Smothers, one-half of the Smothers Brothers, dies at 86
Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86. The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday at...
Best movies of 2023: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Fallen Leaves,’ ‘May December’Video
The Associated Press’ Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle’s picks for the best movies of 2023: LINDSEY BAHR 1. ‘Oppenheimer’ Christopher Nolan has had so many major films in a relatively short time, that “Oppenheimer” might seem like a given, rather than the triumphant fusion of everything he’s passionate...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast finale: Myron Cope sings; ‘American Rust’ switches platforms, David ‘Mr. McFeely’ Newell honored
In this final episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast (alas, we’ve been canceled), host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment including WTAE-TV’s new local special, “Holiday Flashback” (7 p.m. Dec. 30, repeating at 5 p.m. Dec. 31), which will include...
56 French stars defend actor Gerard Depardieu despite sexual misconduct allegations
PARIS — More than 50 French performers, writers and producers published an essay Tuesday defending film star and national icon Gerard Depardieu amid growing scrutiny of his behavior toward women during his five-decade career. Advocates for sexual abuse victims expressed dismay at the outpouring of support. Depardieu was handed preliminary...
On the weekend before Christmas, ‘Aquaman’ sequel drifts to 1st
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ” led a crowd of new releases at the box office on the weekend before Christmas Monday. The DC and Warner Bros. superhero sequel starring Jason Momoa earned an estimated $28.1 million in its first three days of release in 3,706 locations in North America,...
TV Talk: Streaming/cable platforms deploy 2024 scripted shows
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers viewing tips for the coming quarter. Broadcast network scripted shows will start to return in earnest next month, and the hangover from the writers’ and actors’ strikes will grow more pronounced later in 2024 for cable and streaming series. Broadcast shows are...
TV Talk: Broadcast networks roll out new, returning seriesVideo
Anthony Anderson hosts the Emmy Awards next month (8 p.m. Jan. 15, Fox) and broadcast networks start to premiere new and returning scripted series, so just imagine January is the new September. This weekend, NBC gets into the holiday spirit, gifting viewers a new holiday-themed episode of “Night Court” (8:30...
Zac Efron and Lily James on the simple gesture that frames the tragedy of the Von Erich wrestlers in ‘The Iron Claw’Video
Zac Efron didn’t realize how much he needed a hug. He’d transformed himself into a mass of muscle and repressed emotion to play professional wrestler Kevin Von Erich in the new film “The Iron Claw.” It was a taxing role and unlike anything he’d done before, both physically and psychologically....
TV Q&A: Is Katelyn Sykes back on the news?
Q: Is Katelyn Sykes back reporting the news? I thought I just saw her reporting for WPXI, Channel 11. — PSU, via email Rob: Sykes, who left WTAE-TV in November 2021 and took a job working in communications for the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing, began working as a...
Jonathan Majors’ Marvel ouster after assault conviction throws years of Disney’s plans into disarray
NEW YORK — Marvel had more riding on Jonathan Majors than perhaps any other actor. Now it’s parting ways with him, and throwing years of plans for its cinematic universe in disarray. Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped Majors from all future projects following the actor’s conviction for...
I’ve watched dozens of cheesy holiday rom-coms this year. Here are 5 good ones
Since November, I’ve been watching the season’s new Christmas romantic comedies basically nonstop. There were many mediocre movies, but also a few that hit the right balance of cheesy, cringy and Christmas charm. ‘The Santa Summit’ It’s a Christmas hater’s absolute nightmare: the annual Santa Summit. What began as a...
That’s a wrap: Bryant Gumbel and HBO’s ‘Real Sports’ air their last episode after 29 years
NEW YORK — For the last few years of its life, HBO’s “Real Sports” taped its episodes on the same Manhattan block where CBS’ “60 Minutes” resides. They shared a sensibility along with a neighborhood. But while “60 Minutes” rolls along in its sixth decade, the monthly sports magazine helmed...
‘Wonka’ waltzes to $39 million opening, propelled by Timothée Chalamet’s starring role
NEW YORK — “Wonka” debuted with $39 million in box office sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. That made it a strong start for the Timothée Chalamet -starring Willy Wonka musical that underscored the young star’s draw. Musicals have been tough sells...
Mayim Bialik says she’s out as a host of TV quiz show ‘Jeopardy!’
LOS ANGELES — Mayim Bialik won’t be giving answers as a host of “Jeopardy!” anymore. “The Big Bang Theory” actor posted news of her departure on Instagram on Friday. “Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy!” Bialik wrote. “I am incredibly...
Matthew Perry died from effects of drug ketamine, coroner says
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Perry died from the acute effects of the anesthetic ketamine, according to the results of an autopsy on the 54-year-old “Friends” actor released Friday. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner said in the autopsy report that Perry also drowned in “the heated end of...
TV Talk: Disney+ successfully adapts Rick Riordan’s ‘Percy Jackson’Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. After the success of the Harry Potter movie franchise, there were high hopes for the 2010 film “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” adapted from author Rick Riordan’s 2006 novel that paired Greek...
TV Talk: Best scripted TV of 2023
With the hangover of the writers’ and actors’ strikes impacting broadcast networks through at least mid-January, it’s a good time to take stock of 2023 TV and an opportunity to catch up on some great series you might have missed. One caveat: These shows represent my favorites, the shows that...
Comedian Kate Micucci reveals ‘surprise’ lung cancer diagnosis: ‘Never smoked a cigarette’
Comedian, voice actor and musician Kate Micucci said she is on the road to recovery after undergoing lung cancer surgery earlier this month. Micucci, known for “The Big Bang Theory” and animated series “Ducktales” and “Steven Universe,” said in a “sick tok” video posted last week that her doctors caught...
