Edward L. Scanlon was the ultimate insider.
The long-serving NBC executive was a hugely influential player in the life of the network during the decades when it was owned by RCA and later General Electric. Scanlon was involved in everything from corporate recruiting and personnel vetting to labor negotiations to high-level M&a activity during his 44 years with RCA, Hertz and NBC. He was a close confidant of Ge chairman Jack Welch. But Scanlon never courted the spotlight, preferring to stay behind the scenes. In 2001, as Scanlon prepared to retire from NBC, the New York Times published a rare profile that described him as “NBC’s Negotiator and Fixer.”
Here, veteran media consultant and corporate recruiter Stuart Sucherman pays tribute to his longtime friend and colleague. Scanlon died March 17 in Naples, Florida, one day before his 90th birthday.
The role that Ed played at NBC for 30 years is hard to define.
The long-serving NBC executive was a hugely influential player in the life of the network during the decades when it was owned by RCA and later General Electric. Scanlon was involved in everything from corporate recruiting and personnel vetting to labor negotiations to high-level M&a activity during his 44 years with RCA, Hertz and NBC. He was a close confidant of Ge chairman Jack Welch. But Scanlon never courted the spotlight, preferring to stay behind the scenes. In 2001, as Scanlon prepared to retire from NBC, the New York Times published a rare profile that described him as “NBC’s Negotiator and Fixer.”
Here, veteran media consultant and corporate recruiter Stuart Sucherman pays tribute to his longtime friend and colleague. Scanlon died March 17 in Naples, Florida, one day before his 90th birthday.
The role that Ed played at NBC for 30 years is hard to define.
- 5/11/2024
- by Stuart Sucherman
- Variety Film + TV
Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial kicked off this week with witness testimony from media honcho David Pecker, who said that the former president was well aware of the catch-and-kill scheme and even thanked Pecker for his help in hiding two potentially “damaging” stories. The former American Media Inc. Chairman and CEO set the stage for the rest of the trial, giving a chronological overview of how he was brought into a meeting with Trump and his former fixer Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015, two months after...
- 4/27/2024
- by Catherina Gioino
- Rollingstone.com
Katie Couric said that her first maternity leave from NBC’s Today show in 1991 was met with an “incredibly sexist attitude” from co-anchor Bryant Gumbel.
“He got mad at me because I was doing something on maternity leave,” Couric recalled with some laughter on Sunday’s Club Random podcast with Bill Maher. “And he was giving me endless shit for taking like a month or two off. I was having my first baby.”
Couric recalled Gumbel telling her, “Why don’t you just drop it in the field and come back to work right away or something?” She acknowledged “he was goofing on me” but still said his comments were “emblematic of sort of an incredibly sexist attitude.”
Couric’s recollection of the incidents was prompted earlier in the episode when Maher brought up Gumbel, referring to him as a “guy’s guy” and saying the two are “friends.”
“He’s a guy’s guy,...
“He got mad at me because I was doing something on maternity leave,” Couric recalled with some laughter on Sunday’s Club Random podcast with Bill Maher. “And he was giving me endless shit for taking like a month or two off. I was having my first baby.”
Couric recalled Gumbel telling her, “Why don’t you just drop it in the field and come back to work right away or something?” She acknowledged “he was goofing on me” but still said his comments were “emblematic of sort of an incredibly sexist attitude.”
Couric’s recollection of the incidents was prompted earlier in the episode when Maher brought up Gumbel, referring to him as a “guy’s guy” and saying the two are “friends.”
“He’s a guy’s guy,...
- 4/16/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matt Lauer, the former morning show host who was fired from NBC after allegations of sexual assault, wants to stage a comeback in the media industry.
Lauer, 66, is still deeply upset about how he was portrayed in the incident and perceives himself as a victim. While he spent most of his time on Long Island, Lauer wants to regain relevance in the media landscape. Lauer reportedly believes sufficient time has passed and deserves the opportunity to return to the media space.
Lauer’s fall from grace occurred in November 2017, when a female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior amidst the larger #MeToo movement involving numerous high-profile men. Journalist Ronan Farrow further detailed the allegations in his book Catch and Kill, which Lauer vehemently denies.
Lauer’s public image has been severely tarnished, with headlines consistently labeling him “disgraced.” The situation has taken a toll on Lauer, making appearing publicly with his girlfriend difficult.
Lauer, 66, is still deeply upset about how he was portrayed in the incident and perceives himself as a victim. While he spent most of his time on Long Island, Lauer wants to regain relevance in the media landscape. Lauer reportedly believes sufficient time has passed and deserves the opportunity to return to the media space.
Lauer’s fall from grace occurred in November 2017, when a female colleague accused him of inappropriate behavior amidst the larger #MeToo movement involving numerous high-profile men. Journalist Ronan Farrow further detailed the allegations in his book Catch and Kill, which Lauer vehemently denies.
Lauer’s public image has been severely tarnished, with headlines consistently labeling him “disgraced.” The situation has taken a toll on Lauer, making appearing publicly with his girlfriend difficult.
- 4/10/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
It is not wedding season yet, but several of the ladies on The View went to a wedding over the weekend for a longtime friend.
Don Lemon married Tim Malone in a ceremony in New York City on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
According to People.com, television journalist Don Lemon made the news with Tim Malone and all the celebrities who came, including Alec Baldwin, Matt Lauer, and Luann de Lesseps.
Whoopi Goldberg commented on the wedding during the hot topic segment on The View and congratulated the couple.
Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, and Sunny Hostin attended the wedding, although Sunny had to leave before the end because she had a stomach bug.
Out of all the ladies on The View who attended the wedding, Sunny stood out and caused an internet controversy with her outfit.
Fan calls Sunny ‘tacky’ for wearing white to a wedding
A sharp-eyed fan noticed...
Don Lemon married Tim Malone in a ceremony in New York City on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
According to People.com, television journalist Don Lemon made the news with Tim Malone and all the celebrities who came, including Alec Baldwin, Matt Lauer, and Luann de Lesseps.
Whoopi Goldberg commented on the wedding during the hot topic segment on The View and congratulated the couple.
Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro, and Sunny Hostin attended the wedding, although Sunny had to leave before the end because she had a stomach bug.
Out of all the ladies on The View who attended the wedding, Sunny stood out and caused an internet controversy with her outfit.
Fan calls Sunny ‘tacky’ for wearing white to a wedding
A sharp-eyed fan noticed...
- 4/9/2024
- by Pamela Roy
- Monsters and Critics
Anne Hathaway and Sandra Bullock appeared together in 2018’s heist comedy movie Ocean’s 8 directed by Gary Ross. The movie was the fourth installment and a spin-off from Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s series. The ensemble cast also included Mindy Kaling, Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, and Awkwafina alongside Hathaway and Bullock.
The power-packed female-led movie received a positive response from the audience upon its release. It was however stated at the time that the movie wasn’t as smooth as its predecessors but the cast and their chemistry together blended well enough for the audience to enjoy. During the promotion of Ocean’8, the cast came across a host whose comments sickened the actresses.
Still from female-led Ocean’s 8
Mindy Kaling appreciates Anne Hathaway for handling the 2012 Matt Lauer Interview with grace
Mindy Kaling played Amita, the jewelry maker in Gary Ross’ Ocean’s 8, and had formed...
The power-packed female-led movie received a positive response from the audience upon its release. It was however stated at the time that the movie wasn’t as smooth as its predecessors but the cast and their chemistry together blended well enough for the audience to enjoy. During the promotion of Ocean’8, the cast came across a host whose comments sickened the actresses.
Still from female-led Ocean’s 8
Mindy Kaling appreciates Anne Hathaway for handling the 2012 Matt Lauer Interview with grace
Mindy Kaling played Amita, the jewelry maker in Gary Ross’ Ocean’s 8, and had formed...
- 3/18/2024
- by Avneet Ahluwalia
- FandomWire
Meghan Markle has been teasing a relaunched lifestyle brand since last fall, and fans can barely contain their excitement.
The royal operated another lifestyle blog, The Tig, but shuttered it once she married her prince, Prince Harry.
Harry and Meghan have been trying to rebrand themselves since their royal split from King Charles and Prince William in 2020.
In recent days, Harry and Meghan have combined their foundation and business websites under one aligned name, Sussex.com. Meghan has also retained a UK public relations expert to help with the rebrand.
According to the Daily Mail, the new brand is American Riviera Orchard, which could be a nod to the town Meghan and Harry moved to, Montecito, California.
Meghan also unveiled a new Instagram page with the same name and gained almost 400,000 followers in one day, which is a great sign of success.
Fans love Meghan’s new lifestyle launch, American...
The royal operated another lifestyle blog, The Tig, but shuttered it once she married her prince, Prince Harry.
Harry and Meghan have been trying to rebrand themselves since their royal split from King Charles and Prince William in 2020.
In recent days, Harry and Meghan have combined their foundation and business websites under one aligned name, Sussex.com. Meghan has also retained a UK public relations expert to help with the rebrand.
According to the Daily Mail, the new brand is American Riviera Orchard, which could be a nod to the town Meghan and Harry moved to, Montecito, California.
Meghan also unveiled a new Instagram page with the same name and gained almost 400,000 followers in one day, which is a great sign of success.
Fans love Meghan’s new lifestyle launch, American...
- 3/15/2024
- by Pamela Roy
- Monsters and Critics
After eight years of Democratic leadership, North Carolina’s next governor could be a guy with a long history of shitposting on Facebook.
Mark Robinson, the winner of the state’s Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, has served as North Carolina’s lieutenant governor since 2021. He shot into the national spotlight in part by devoting himself to Donald Trump and making a slew of incendiary, deeply bigoted comments. Trump has endorsed Robinson for the state’s top job, and even called him “Martin Luther King on steroids” at a recent campaign event.
Mark Robinson, the winner of the state’s Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, has served as North Carolina’s lieutenant governor since 2021. He shot into the national spotlight in part by devoting himself to Donald Trump and making a slew of incendiary, deeply bigoted comments. Trump has endorsed Robinson for the state’s top job, and even called him “Martin Luther King on steroids” at a recent campaign event.
- 3/6/2024
- by Jeremy Childs
- Rollingstone.com
It isn’t every day that you hear that an A-lister does not even know about the details of their popular on-screen character. However, that is exactly what happened with Dustin Hoffman in the Kung Fu Panda movies when he lent his voice to the character of Master Shifu.
Dustin Hoffman | Source: Little Big Man Dustin Hoffman thought that Master Shifu was a raccoon
Kung Fu Panda is one of the most popular animated franchises on the planet and it is so for excellent reasons. The series has incredible characters, amazing voice actors, and a completely non-ambiguous plot. In each movie, we saw the character development of Po, aka the Dragon Warrior, to a higher level than he was in the previous movie.
The first Kung Fu Panda movie came out in 2008. With its star-studded lineup of voice actors and light-hearted comedy, the movie became a massive critical and commercial...
Dustin Hoffman | Source: Little Big Man Dustin Hoffman thought that Master Shifu was a raccoon
Kung Fu Panda is one of the most popular animated franchises on the planet and it is so for excellent reasons. The series has incredible characters, amazing voice actors, and a completely non-ambiguous plot. In each movie, we saw the character development of Po, aka the Dragon Warrior, to a higher level than he was in the previous movie.
The first Kung Fu Panda movie came out in 2008. With its star-studded lineup of voice actors and light-hearted comedy, the movie became a massive critical and commercial...
- 3/4/2024
- by Shikhar Tiwari
- FandomWire
Brandi Glanville is asking for a personal apology from Andy Cohen after the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star alleged the executive producer sexually harassed her.
“I have not received a personal apology from anyone,” Glanville posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.”
Glanville was referring to a post Cohen made on the same platform after the reality TV personality accused the Watch What Happens Live host of inappropriate conduct.
I have not received a personal apology from anyone. I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.
— Brandi Glanville (@BrandiGlanville) February 26, 2024
“The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.
“I have not received a personal apology from anyone,” Glanville posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.”
Glanville was referring to a post Cohen made on the same platform after the reality TV personality accused the Watch What Happens Live host of inappropriate conduct.
I have not received a personal apology from anyone. I saw an apology that Andy posted To His Fans for his mistreatment of me and inappropriateness.
— Brandi Glanville (@BrandiGlanville) February 26, 2024
“The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.
- 2/26/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Update, 1:31 Pm: Comcast boss Brian Roberts needs to show Andy Cohen the door, lawyers for Brandi Glanville are demanding.
“NBC continues to protect those in power,” Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos declared Friday in a response to an apology of sorts from the Watch What Happens Live host to the Real Housewives vet after Glanville publicly accused Cohen of sexually harassing her.
“Brian Roberts, it’s time to step in like you did with Andy Lack and Jeff Shell, and stop the cover-up and do the right thing,” the lawyers said. “Your legacy and decency demands it.”
The call-out out to the Comcast CEO is clearly meant to generate a top-level reaction and media spotlight. Also, invoking the names of the former NBC News chairman Lack, who had a scandal-riddled tenure until he was bounced in 2020, the scandalized former NBCUniversal CEO Shell, who exited in 2023 after an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker,...
“NBC continues to protect those in power,” Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos declared Friday in a response to an apology of sorts from the Watch What Happens Live host to the Real Housewives vet after Glanville publicly accused Cohen of sexually harassing her.
“Brian Roberts, it’s time to step in like you did with Andy Lack and Jeff Shell, and stop the cover-up and do the right thing,” the lawyers said. “Your legacy and decency demands it.”
The call-out out to the Comcast CEO is clearly meant to generate a top-level reaction and media spotlight. Also, invoking the names of the former NBC News chairman Lack, who had a scandal-riddled tenure until he was bounced in 2020, the scandalized former NBCUniversal CEO Shell, who exited in 2023 after an inappropriate relationship with a co-worker,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Andy Cohen is wasting no time in responding after Brandi Glanville accused him of sexual harassment.
Glanville’s lawyers, Bryan J. Freedman and Mark Geragos sent a letter to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Shed Media on Thursday, which found The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star accusing Cohen of sending an inappropriate recording.
The letter claimed Glanville had been “a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen,” Page Six reports.
It went on to detail a video that was reportedly sent to Glanville in 2022, which featured an “obviously inebriated” Cohen telling her of “his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
Cohen shared his side of events on Thursday afternoon with a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The Watch What Happens Live host said the video included Below Deck and The Traitors alum Kate Chastain.
Glanville’s lawyers, Bryan J. Freedman and Mark Geragos sent a letter to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros, and Shed Media on Thursday, which found The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star accusing Cohen of sending an inappropriate recording.
The letter claimed Glanville had been “a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen,” Page Six reports.
It went on to detail a video that was reportedly sent to Glanville in 2022, which featured an “obviously inebriated” Cohen telling her of “his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
Cohen shared his side of events on Thursday afternoon with a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The Watch What Happens Live host said the video included Below Deck and The Traitors alum Kate Chastain.
- 2/23/2024
- by Paul Dailly
- Monsters and Critics
Andy Cohen is responding to a sexual harassment claim made by former Real Housewives star Brandi Glanville.
The 55-year-old Bravo executive producer took to social media to react to the 51-year-old Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip star’s claim laid out in a letter she sent to NBC Universal, Warner Bros and Shed Media, who produces Ultimate Girls Trip.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the letter obtained by The Blast, Brandi‘s lawyers write, “Ms. Glanville herself has been a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen. In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohen—appearing obviously inebriated—boasted of his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
“Mr. Cohen was Ms. Glanville’s boss at the time and exercised complete and total control over her career,...
The 55-year-old Bravo executive producer took to social media to react to the 51-year-old Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip star’s claim laid out in a letter she sent to NBC Universal, Warner Bros and Shed Media, who produces Ultimate Girls Trip.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the letter obtained by The Blast, Brandi‘s lawyers write, “Ms. Glanville herself has been a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen. In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohen—appearing obviously inebriated—boasted of his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
“Mr. Cohen was Ms. Glanville’s boss at the time and exercised complete and total control over her career,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Andy Cohen is responding to a sexual harassment claim made by former Real Housewives star Brandi Glanville.
The 55-year-old Bravo executive producer took to social media to react to the 51-year-old Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip star’s claim laid out in a letter she sent to NBC Universal, Warner Bros and Shed Media, who produces Ultimate Girls Trip.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the letter obtained by The Blast, Brandi‘s lawyers write, “Ms. Glanville herself has been a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen. In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohen—appearing obviously inebriated—boasted of his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
“Mr. Cohen was Ms. Glanville’s boss at the time and exercised complete and total control over her career,...
The 55-year-old Bravo executive producer took to social media to react to the 51-year-old Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip star’s claim laid out in a letter she sent to NBC Universal, Warner Bros and Shed Media, who produces Ultimate Girls Trip.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the letter obtained by The Blast, Brandi‘s lawyers write, “Ms. Glanville herself has been a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen. In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohen—appearing obviously inebriated—boasted of his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
“Mr. Cohen was Ms. Glanville’s boss at the time and exercised complete and total control over her career,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
CNN is turning some of the lights out on its efforts to produce morning news.
The network is revamping its entire A.M. schedule as the Warner Bros. Discovery-based cable news outlet continues to grapple with poor ratings.
Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly, who co-anchor “CNN This Morning,” will leave the line-up, while Kasie Hunt’s early-morning program will take on an extra hour. Her show, “Early Start,” will run from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., and will take on the “CNN This Morning” title. CNN will then move “CNN News Central,” anchored by John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner, to a 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. slot, with Jim Acosta and Pamela Brown taking over new hours at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The moves mean, as CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a note to staffers Monday, that “we will no longer produce morning programming in...
The network is revamping its entire A.M. schedule as the Warner Bros. Discovery-based cable news outlet continues to grapple with poor ratings.
Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly, who co-anchor “CNN This Morning,” will leave the line-up, while Kasie Hunt’s early-morning program will take on an extra hour. Her show, “Early Start,” will run from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., and will take on the “CNN This Morning” title. CNN will then move “CNN News Central,” anchored by John Berman, Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner, to a 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. slot, with Jim Acosta and Pamela Brown taking over new hours at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The moves mean, as CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a note to staffers Monday, that “we will no longer produce morning programming in...
- 2/5/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: The White House has declined CBS News’ request for a sit down interview with President Joe Biden tied to the Super Bowl, the network confirmed.
This will mark the second year in a row that the White House has bypassed an interview with the Super Bowl host network, which had become annual tradition for administrations given that the event reaches such a huge audience. CBS has the rights to the Feb. 11 event between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Last year, the White House declined a Fox News request for an interview when Fox had the rights to the big game. Variety first reported on the declined request.
A White House official confirmed that the request was turned down. But the administration has not given a reason as to why. Biden has been in the midst of the crisis in the Middle East, as the U.
This will mark the second year in a row that the White House has bypassed an interview with the Super Bowl host network, which had become annual tradition for administrations given that the event reaches such a huge audience. CBS has the rights to the Feb. 11 event between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
Last year, the White House declined a Fox News request for an interview when Fox had the rights to the big game. Variety first reported on the declined request.
A White House official confirmed that the request was turned down. But the administration has not given a reason as to why. Biden has been in the midst of the crisis in the Middle East, as the U.
- 2/3/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
An interview with the U.S. President in the hours before the Super Bowl has become a tradition in recent decades. Now that custom seems to be in danger of dying out.
President Joe Biden will not take part in an exchange during the pre-game festivities leading up to CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl Lviii on February 11, CBS News confirmed. The Paramount Global news operation had been in discussions with the White House in recent weeks. Details about which correspondent might have been eyed for the assignment could not be learned, but the CBS News offer was believed to have been for a 15-minute interview, three or four minutes of which would have aired during the network’s pre-game coverage.
This will mark the second year in a row that President Biden has turned down the opportunity, which typically draws an audience of tens of millions, even in the hours before kickoff.
President Joe Biden will not take part in an exchange during the pre-game festivities leading up to CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl Lviii on February 11, CBS News confirmed. The Paramount Global news operation had been in discussions with the White House in recent weeks. Details about which correspondent might have been eyed for the assignment could not be learned, but the CBS News offer was believed to have been for a 15-minute interview, three or four minutes of which would have aired during the network’s pre-game coverage.
This will mark the second year in a row that President Biden has turned down the opportunity, which typically draws an audience of tens of millions, even in the hours before kickoff.
- 2/3/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Lauer, who was fired from NBC’s Today show in 2017 after being accused of sexual misconduct, has “drastically changed his social circle” over the past six years. As reported by People, Lauer stepped out of the limelight after multiple accusations of sexual abuse and, according to a source, “iced out many old friends, even people who stuck by him after the Today show.” The insider said that Lauer is living “a fairly good life,” but much different from the one he enjoyed while anchoring the long-running NBC daytime show. “It’s a very quiet lifestyle, but he has nothing to complain about,” the source shared. “He is dating; he’s close with his kids. He still held on to the huge horse farm he shared with [ex-wife] Annette [Roque] on Long Island and they manage it together. They’ve navigated that fairly well.” A second source revealed that Lauer “sold his...
- 11/29/2023
- TV Insider
When Apple TV+ first launched, one of its marquee shows was undoubtedly "The Morning Show." Starring Steve Carell, Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon as the anchors of a popular morning talk show in trouble, it quickly gained notice for its star-studded cast as much as for its deliberate parallels to the upheavals in real-life broadcast journalism of the time.
Over the seasons, the series has become less directly based on real-life events, but echoes of familiar stories still remain.
Is "The Morning Show" Based on a True Story?
When the first season of "The Morning Show" debuted in 2019, it centered on a badly behaved, popular man anchor on a beloved morning show, which seemed almost ripped from the headlines. Mitch Kessler, the fictional anchor in hot water (played by Carell), is at the center of a sexual misconduct scandal, including the discovery of a remote "close door" button under his office desk.
Over the seasons, the series has become less directly based on real-life events, but echoes of familiar stories still remain.
Is "The Morning Show" Based on a True Story?
When the first season of "The Morning Show" debuted in 2019, it centered on a badly behaved, popular man anchor on a beloved morning show, which seemed almost ripped from the headlines. Mitch Kessler, the fictional anchor in hot water (played by Carell), is at the center of a sexual misconduct scandal, including the discovery of a remote "close door" button under his office desk.
- 9/15/2023
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
What should we do with people who have admitted to sexual misconduct? Especially if that person has legions of fans who can fill Madison Square Garden? Should we object? Or simply pretend it isn’t happening?
The comedian Louis C.K. became an outcast in 2017, the year of #MeToo, after the New York Times — led by three intrepid female reporters — revealed that he masturbated in front of at least five women. And probably a whole lot more.
C.K. quickly admitted it. Yes, he said that was me. And then he wrote a long mea culpa and essentially said he needed to go away for a while and listen.
But then what? “Sorry/Not Sorry,” a documentary by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, explores the difficult and nuanced question that has become an unspoken part of the #MeToo fallout. How should we treat someone like C.
The comedian Louis C.K. became an outcast in 2017, the year of #MeToo, after the New York Times — led by three intrepid female reporters — revealed that he masturbated in front of at least five women. And probably a whole lot more.
C.K. quickly admitted it. Yes, he said that was me. And then he wrote a long mea culpa and essentially said he needed to go away for a while and listen.
But then what? “Sorry/Not Sorry,” a documentary by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, explores the difficult and nuanced question that has become an unspoken part of the #MeToo fallout. How should we treat someone like C.
- 9/13/2023
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
There are movie stars and then there is Tom Cruise. Forty years a star, enough classics to make listing even a few here pointless, and, now, someone who can stake a legitimate claim to saving Hollywood (or at least jolting some life into that lazy, bloated monstrosity). Last year’s Top Gun: Maverick, with its millions at the box office, helped rescue the movies and movie theaters from the brink of Covid-19 and streaming. This year’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh and ostensibly penultimate installment of the secret agent series,...
- 7/15/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
In a lawsuit filed Friday in New York, former NBC and CNN executive Michael Bass was accused of sexually assaulting his former intern in an incident alleged to have happened in 1996 when Bass was at NBC.
The accuser, Aarthi Rajaraman, who filed the lawsuit, says the attack occurred when she was 20 years old and working as an intern for NBC Sports during the network’s coverage of the Atlanta Olympic games.
According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Daily Beast, during this time Rajaraman “observed a freewheeling, unchecked culture in which married, older and more senior NBC employees regularly targeted far younger women… for sexual harassment.”
The assault, the suit says, occurred when Bass was a coordinating producer for NBC, handling late-night coverage of the games. He was also a producer on NBC’s “Today Show.” Rajaraman worked for Bass and, along with other staff, accompanied him to Atlanta for the Olympics.
The accuser, Aarthi Rajaraman, who filed the lawsuit, says the attack occurred when she was 20 years old and working as an intern for NBC Sports during the network’s coverage of the Atlanta Olympic games.
According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by The Daily Beast, during this time Rajaraman “observed a freewheeling, unchecked culture in which married, older and more senior NBC employees regularly targeted far younger women… for sexual harassment.”
The assault, the suit says, occurred when Bass was a coordinating producer for NBC, handling late-night coverage of the games. He was also a producer on NBC’s “Today Show.” Rajaraman worked for Bass and, along with other staff, accompanied him to Atlanta for the Olympics.
- 6/24/2023
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
It’s hard to remember a time when fashion and beauty commentary were not ubiquitous. When red carpet pre-shows for the Oscars or the Met Gala were not the norm, or before anyone with a TikTok or Instagram account could be an obsessive pundit on celebrity style.
Steven Cojocaru was there, however, at the beginning of this sartorial saturation. The Canadian writer and TV host, now 50, hustled tirelessly in his early career to get legacy media to take style as seriously as he did. He became People magazine’s first West Coast fashion editor in 1997 and was the first out gay fashion correspondent for NBC’s “Today” during the highly watched Matt Lauer and Katie Couric era.
His persona was so vivid that Jimmy Fallon parodied him on “SNL” in 2001. His exacting analysis of winners and losers in the high-stakes game of celebrity dressing was equally loud and memorable. But decades ago,...
Steven Cojocaru was there, however, at the beginning of this sartorial saturation. The Canadian writer and TV host, now 50, hustled tirelessly in his early career to get legacy media to take style as seriously as he did. He became People magazine’s first West Coast fashion editor in 1997 and was the first out gay fashion correspondent for NBC’s “Today” during the highly watched Matt Lauer and Katie Couric era.
His persona was so vivid that Jimmy Fallon parodied him on “SNL” in 2001. His exacting analysis of winners and losers in the high-stakes game of celebrity dressing was equally loud and memorable. But decades ago,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
On the final night of Taylor Swift’s MetLife shows this weekend, 80,000 Swifties screamed in the swamps of New Jersey for over three hours. They wore outfits from every era — tinsel fringe dresses, serpent arm cuffs, and heart-shaped sunglasses. I saw countless faces in cowboy hats similar to the emoji — only these cowboys were sobbing uncontrollably while eating foot-long hotdogs. And the bracelets! They were all wearing beaded bracelets coded in Swiftian lyrics, trading them in the parking lot like Deadheads swapping grilled cheeses. (Take my advice: Do not try to pay for the bracelets.
- 5/30/2023
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Katie Couric is weighing in on former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell’s surprise firing last month over an accusation of workplace misconduct.
“It just amazes me that a powerful executive like that would be so dumb, just be so stupid and reckless,” Couric says on Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast.
“I think reckless is the word. You can see how it happens, but I think you have to be smart and disciplined and know that unless you tell your supervisor, and unless you’re not a direct report, that having a relationship with a colleague isn’t cool,” she adds.
Shell was fired for what the company described as “inappropriate conduct with a female employee, including allegations of sexual harassment.”
“I was so shocked that Jeff Shell would do this. What is it, the power dynamics, they’re so surrounded with yes people that the rules don’t apply to them?...
“It just amazes me that a powerful executive like that would be so dumb, just be so stupid and reckless,” Couric says on Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast.
“I think reckless is the word. You can see how it happens, but I think you have to be smart and disciplined and know that unless you tell your supervisor, and unless you’re not a direct report, that having a relationship with a colleague isn’t cool,” she adds.
Shell was fired for what the company described as “inappropriate conduct with a female employee, including allegations of sexual harassment.”
“I was so shocked that Jeff Shell would do this. What is it, the power dynamics, they’re so surrounded with yes people that the rules don’t apply to them?...
- 5/17/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After steering NBCUniversal through a global pandemic and a roiling stock market, Jeff Shell in January thought he had some good news for investors: Better times were just around the corner.
“I’m pretty confident that we have a lot of growth ahead in NBCUniversal,” he told Wall Street analysts during a recent conference call. He called for new activity at the company’s amusement parks after a long fallow period caused by the Covid pandemic, as well as a boost to paying subscribers at the company’s Peacock streaming hub.
Now a different executive will be charged with finding out whether Shell’s projections will come to pass.
Comcast, NBCU’s corporate parent, stunned Wall Street and the entertainment industry Sunday afternoon by announcing that Shell, a media-industry veteran who took NBCU’s reins from previous CEO Steve Burke in 2020, was leaving the company immediately after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with an employee.
“I’m pretty confident that we have a lot of growth ahead in NBCUniversal,” he told Wall Street analysts during a recent conference call. He called for new activity at the company’s amusement parks after a long fallow period caused by the Covid pandemic, as well as a boost to paying subscribers at the company’s Peacock streaming hub.
Now a different executive will be charged with finding out whether Shell’s projections will come to pass.
Comcast, NBCU’s corporate parent, stunned Wall Street and the entertainment industry Sunday afternoon by announcing that Shell, a media-industry veteran who took NBCU’s reins from previous CEO Steve Burke in 2020, was leaving the company immediately after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with an employee.
- 4/23/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Hoda Kotb shared a puzzling message with her Instagram followers during her mysterious absence from Today and Today with Hoda and Jenna.
The popular broadcaster, 58, was last seen on air on February 20 on Today with Hoda and Jenna, though the episode was shot on February 17.
She left no explanation for her ongoing absence, and many other broadcasters such as Craig Melvin, Tom Llamas and Savannah Guthrie have been filling in on her behalf.
She hasn’t been seen on air and also has not been heard from on her podcast, Making Space.
Her absence has not been addressed, though she has been posting a series of cryptic messages online.
She posted a photo of the words “Choose Hope” framed above clouds in a soft pink-colored sky.
She also posted a message wishing everyone a “Happy Sunday,” as a caption to a picture that read “Sometimes miracles are just people with kind hearts.
The popular broadcaster, 58, was last seen on air on February 20 on Today with Hoda and Jenna, though the episode was shot on February 17.
She left no explanation for her ongoing absence, and many other broadcasters such as Craig Melvin, Tom Llamas and Savannah Guthrie have been filling in on her behalf.
She hasn’t been seen on air and also has not been heard from on her podcast, Making Space.
Her absence has not been addressed, though she has been posting a series of cryptic messages online.
She posted a photo of the words “Choose Hope” framed above clouds in a soft pink-colored sky.
She also posted a message wishing everyone a “Happy Sunday,” as a caption to a picture that read “Sometimes miracles are just people with kind hearts.
- 3/2/2023
- by Isabeau Newman
- Uinterview
Matt Lauer is moving on after his sexual misconduct scandal at Today ended his marriage. Cameras recently caught the disgraced former news anchor out on a date night with his girlfriend of three years, Shamin Abas. Meanwhile, his ex-wife, Annette Roque, has labeled Lauer a “total jerk.”
Former ‘Today’ host Matt Lauer | Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Matt Lauer goes public with his new girlfriend in New York City
More than five years after getting fired from his gig at NBC, Lauer was spotted out and about in New York City with his girlfriend, Shamin Abas. Per E! News, the duo was seen holding hands and shopping on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side.
The 65-year-old Lauer was casually dressed in a gray hoodie, black jacket, and jeans, while the 53-year-old Shamin wore a patterned top and midi skirt with a jacket and heels.
Lauer...
Former ‘Today’ host Matt Lauer | Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Matt Lauer goes public with his new girlfriend in New York City
More than five years after getting fired from his gig at NBC, Lauer was spotted out and about in New York City with his girlfriend, Shamin Abas. Per E! News, the duo was seen holding hands and shopping on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side.
The 65-year-old Lauer was casually dressed in a gray hoodie, black jacket, and jeans, while the 53-year-old Shamin wore a patterned top and midi skirt with a jacket and heels.
Lauer...
- 2/11/2023
- by Perry Carpenter
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
What the Fox is happening with the annual Super Bowl interview with President Joe Biden?
The White House on Friday night appeared to squelch any hope of the pre-game ritual taking place, noting that it had not signed off on any exchange between the president and any representative of Fox Corp., the media company with the broadcast network showing the Big Game.
“As we said earlier, we had arranged an interview with Fox Sports Host Mike Hill & Vivica A. Fox with the President ahead of the Super Bowl and Fox Corp had the interview cancelled. Fox has since put out a statement indicating the interview was rescheduled, which is inaccurate,” a White House spokesperson said.
The new statement adds another level of back-and-forth brinkmanship between the Biden White House and the company that operates one of its biggest critics, Fox News Channel.
The two sides had appeared to find common ground earlier in the day,...
The White House on Friday night appeared to squelch any hope of the pre-game ritual taking place, noting that it had not signed off on any exchange between the president and any representative of Fox Corp., the media company with the broadcast network showing the Big Game.
“As we said earlier, we had arranged an interview with Fox Sports Host Mike Hill & Vivica A. Fox with the President ahead of the Super Bowl and Fox Corp had the interview cancelled. Fox has since put out a statement indicating the interview was rescheduled, which is inaccurate,” a White House spokesperson said.
The new statement adds another level of back-and-forth brinkmanship between the Biden White House and the company that operates one of its biggest critics, Fox News Channel.
The two sides had appeared to find common ground earlier in the day,...
- 2/11/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Third Update, with White House comment: The on-again, off-again Joe Biden Super Bowl interview is now in doubt again.
The White House has not yet given official word as to whether it will agree to a sit down interview with President Joe Biden and Fox Soul, tied to Fox’s Super Bowl coverage on Sunday.
After White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said that Fox Corp. had canceled a pre-scheduled interview with Fox Soul, one of its digital streaming channels, Fox Corp. put out a statement this afternoon indicating that it would be willing to do the interview after all. “Fox Soul looks forward to interviewing the President for Super Bowl Sunday,” Fox Corp. said in a statement.
But the White House has yet to say yes to the un-canceled interview — and now signs point to it not happening.
What is pretty clear from a new White House statement...
The White House has not yet given official word as to whether it will agree to a sit down interview with President Joe Biden and Fox Soul, tied to Fox’s Super Bowl coverage on Sunday.
After White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had said that Fox Corp. had canceled a pre-scheduled interview with Fox Soul, one of its digital streaming channels, Fox Corp. put out a statement this afternoon indicating that it would be willing to do the interview after all. “Fox Soul looks forward to interviewing the President for Super Bowl Sunday,” Fox Corp. said in a statement.
But the White House has yet to say yes to the un-canceled interview — and now signs point to it not happening.
What is pretty clear from a new White House statement...
- 2/10/2023
- by Ted Johnson and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
When Super Bowl Lvii arrives on Sunday, Fox is prepared to broadcast hours and hours of the event, with all of the usual trappings — except, perhaps, one.
With just three days to go before the Kansas City Chiefs square off against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the White House has yet to commit to the traditional interview between the President of the United States and the news division of the media company broadcasting the gridiron classic, potentially shunning a conversation that would be seen by one of TV’s biggest audiences. Fox News attached no conditions to the exchange according to a person familiar with the matter, which has been a staple of the event (more or less) since President Barack Obama started doing it in 2009.
A final decision has yet to be announced, and there is still a chance the conversation could take place.
With just three days to go before the Kansas City Chiefs square off against the Philadelphia Eagles at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the White House has yet to commit to the traditional interview between the President of the United States and the news division of the media company broadcasting the gridiron classic, potentially shunning a conversation that would be seen by one of TV’s biggest audiences. Fox News attached no conditions to the exchange according to a person familiar with the matter, which has been a staple of the event (more or less) since President Barack Obama started doing it in 2009.
A final decision has yet to be announced, and there is still a chance the conversation could take place.
- 2/9/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
In recent years, the documentary realm has been the place for cultural reappraisals of famous women torn asunder by the invisible hands of misogyny. A series of documentaries and investigative pieces surrounding Britney Spears, coupled with the fan-initiated #FreeBritney movement, led to the end of the pop superstar’s cruel conservatorship. A doc on Janet Jackson reassessed her unconscionable castigation in the wake of that Super Bowl wardrobe mishap, while a two-part docuseries at this year’s Sundance examined the nauseating child sexualization and commodification of Brooke Shields.
Netflix is...
Netflix is...
- 1/27/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Jeff Zucker is aiming to get back into the media business after his departure from CNN.
The veteran media executive, who has been CEO of NBCUniversal as well as president of the news outlet that is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery, will lead RedBird Imi, a joint-venture investment vehicle focused on acquiring and investing in large scale media, entertainment and sports content properties. RedBird Imi, which includes investments from RedBird Capital Partners and International Media Investments, launches with initial committed capital of 1 billion.
“I’ve spent 35 years running media businesses at the intersection of news, sports and entertainment, creating new brands and resurrecting old ones,” Zucker said in a prepared statement. “That experience has given me unparalleled perspective for this unique time in media, and the combination of the RedBird and Imi capital and strategic discipline, combined with my operational experience, will give this joint venture a unique advantage in the current media landscape.
The veteran media executive, who has been CEO of NBCUniversal as well as president of the news outlet that is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery, will lead RedBird Imi, a joint-venture investment vehicle focused on acquiring and investing in large scale media, entertainment and sports content properties. RedBird Imi, which includes investments from RedBird Capital Partners and International Media Investments, launches with initial committed capital of 1 billion.
“I’ve spent 35 years running media businesses at the intersection of news, sports and entertainment, creating new brands and resurrecting old ones,” Zucker said in a prepared statement. “That experience has given me unparalleled perspective for this unique time in media, and the combination of the RedBird and Imi capital and strategic discipline, combined with my operational experience, will give this joint venture a unique advantage in the current media landscape.
- 12/13/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
“The following is a true story. Except for cutting the boring shit and making up a bunch of stuff, this really happened.”
So opens Sex, Drugs and a Sitcom, a wild TV pilot script written by überproducer Chuck Lorre about the tumultuous time he spent steering the ship at Two and a Half Men. The series starred, of course, Charlie Sheen, then one of the highest-paid actors on TV, before he was fired in 2011 after publicly attacking Lorre, launching antisemitic insults and calling him a “turd” and a “clown.”
The script, obtained by THR, is dated June 15, 2022. According to a source, Lorre shopped it around town but didn’t set it up — though there’s little doubt it dropped a few jaws with its raucous, no-holds-barred account of what (possibly?) went on behind the scenes.
After opening with a fired-up Sheen being interviewed...
“The following is a true story. Except for cutting the boring shit and making up a bunch of stuff, this really happened.”
So opens Sex, Drugs and a Sitcom, a wild TV pilot script written by überproducer Chuck Lorre about the tumultuous time he spent steering the ship at Two and a Half Men. The series starred, of course, Charlie Sheen, then one of the highest-paid actors on TV, before he was fired in 2011 after publicly attacking Lorre, launching antisemitic insults and calling him a “turd” and a “clown.”
The script, obtained by THR, is dated June 15, 2022. According to a source, Lorre shopped it around town but didn’t set it up — though there’s little doubt it dropped a few jaws with its raucous, no-holds-barred account of what (possibly?) went on behind the scenes.
After opening with a fired-up Sheen being interviewed...
- 11/21/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Attorneys for Anthony Rapp portrayed Kevin Spacey as a voracious sexual predator in their closing statements in a 40 million civil lawsuit brought against the Oscar-winning actor.
“[Kevin Spacey] cannot control his sexual urges when they come up,” Richard Steigman, one of the lawyers on Rapp’s team, told the jury in a New York City courthouse on Thursday.
But Spacey’s legal team pushed back in their own closing remarks, painting Rapp as an attention-seeker who had provided wildly inconsistent accounts of his alleged assault and exaggerated the emotional impact of the incident in order to score a financial windfall. They pushed jurors not to give Rapp any financial restitution for the trauma he says he experienced after Spacey allegedly made unwanted sexual advances towards him when he was a teenager.
“Reject any compromised verdict,” said Jennifer Keller, an attorney for Spacey. “One penny is too much for something that didn’t happen.
“[Kevin Spacey] cannot control his sexual urges when they come up,” Richard Steigman, one of the lawyers on Rapp’s team, told the jury in a New York City courthouse on Thursday.
But Spacey’s legal team pushed back in their own closing remarks, painting Rapp as an attention-seeker who had provided wildly inconsistent accounts of his alleged assault and exaggerated the emotional impact of the incident in order to score a financial windfall. They pushed jurors not to give Rapp any financial restitution for the trauma he says he experienced after Spacey allegedly made unwanted sexual advances towards him when he was a teenager.
“Reject any compromised verdict,” said Jennifer Keller, an attorney for Spacey. “One penny is too much for something that didn’t happen.
- 10/20/2022
- by Brent Lang and Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Mindy Kaling introduced Anne Hathaway at Monday night’s Elle Women in Hollywood ceremony and pinpointed the precise moment when she “fell in love” with the Oscar-winning star.
After praising the versatility of an actress who played Andrea Sachs in “The Devil Wears Prada”, Mia Thermopolis in “The Princess Diaries” and Fantine in “Les Miserables”, Kaling recalled watching her infamous 2012 “Today” interview with then-host Matt Lauer.
“From the age of 18 years old [Hathaway] has been objectified regularly, and despite loving her as a performer I’ll tell you when I fell in love with her,” Kaling said of her “Ocean’s 8” co-star, as reported by People.
Read More: Anne Hathaway Says There Was No Catfighting Among ‘Ocean’s 8’ Cast
Kaling reminded attendees of the time a paparazzo “positioned his camera low so he could take a photo up [Hathaway’s] skirt” during the 2012 premiere of “Les Miserables” while she exited a vehicle, revealing she was going commando.
After praising the versatility of an actress who played Andrea Sachs in “The Devil Wears Prada”, Mia Thermopolis in “The Princess Diaries” and Fantine in “Les Miserables”, Kaling recalled watching her infamous 2012 “Today” interview with then-host Matt Lauer.
“From the age of 18 years old [Hathaway] has been objectified regularly, and despite loving her as a performer I’ll tell you when I fell in love with her,” Kaling said of her “Ocean’s 8” co-star, as reported by People.
Read More: Anne Hathaway Says There Was No Catfighting Among ‘Ocean’s 8’ Cast
Kaling reminded attendees of the time a paparazzo “positioned his camera low so he could take a photo up [Hathaway’s] skirt” during the 2012 premiere of “Les Miserables” while she exited a vehicle, revealing she was going commando.
- 10/19/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Kevin Spacey became visibly distraught in a New York City courtroom on Monday afternoon, breaking down as he blamed his publicist for convincing him to publicly apologize to Anthony Rapp in 2017 after the “Star Trek: Discovery” actor accused him of sexual misconduct.
“I was being encouraged to apologize and I’ve learned a lesson, which is never apologize for something that you didn’t do,” Spacey said. “I regret my entire statement.”
Spacey then choked up and began to cry, as he said, “It’s my responsibility. I put it out there. It was really wrong. It was really bad and I’m deeply sorry. I have to own that.”
Rapp made his allegations in a BuzzFeed article as Hollywood was engulfed in one sexual harassment or abuse scandal after another, with moguls, media players and stars like Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer and others accused of misdeeds.
“I was being encouraged to apologize and I’ve learned a lesson, which is never apologize for something that you didn’t do,” Spacey said. “I regret my entire statement.”
Spacey then choked up and began to cry, as he said, “It’s my responsibility. I put it out there. It was really wrong. It was really bad and I’m deeply sorry. I have to own that.”
Rapp made his allegations in a BuzzFeed article as Hollywood was engulfed in one sexual harassment or abuse scandal after another, with moguls, media players and stars like Harvey Weinstein, Charlie Rose, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer and others accused of misdeeds.
- 10/17/2022
- by Brent Lang and Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Five years ago, the story that had long been whispered in the halls of agencies and studios, as well as on film and television sets, finally became public. A series of bombshell articles revealed that Harvey Weinstein harassed and assaulted dozens of women for decades and used his power to bully them into silence.
Weinstein’s fall was the fuse that ignited a revolution. That upheaval turned things around for the better, and culture has been forever changed. And yet, the entertainment industry still has a long way to go to untangle a complex web of decades of bad behavior. In an interesting turn of events, the fight for change that began nearly five years ago with those initial stories will be litigated once again in courtrooms across America in the coming weeks.
Sexual violence cases demonstrate the slow arc of justice and the many delays and detours it can take to achieve meaningful progress.
Weinstein’s fall was the fuse that ignited a revolution. That upheaval turned things around for the better, and culture has been forever changed. And yet, the entertainment industry still has a long way to go to untangle a complex web of decades of bad behavior. In an interesting turn of events, the fight for change that began nearly five years ago with those initial stories will be litigated once again in courtrooms across America in the coming weeks.
Sexual violence cases demonstrate the slow arc of justice and the many delays and detours it can take to achieve meaningful progress.
- 10/5/2022
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Unless otherwise noted, the accused denied some or all of the allegations against them.
2006 Tarana Burke
Activist Tarana Burke coins “Me Too” on MySpace.
2014
Oct. 17: Comedian Hannibal Buress’ riff about Bill Cosby resurfaces long-ignored rape accusations. An investigation of Cosby follows.
2016
July 21: Fox News chairman Roger Ailes is forced out amid allegations that he sexually harassed several women at the company.
Oct. 7: “When you’re a star, they let you do it” — The Washington Post publishes leaked Access Hollywood footage in which then-presidential candidate Donald Trump boasts of committing sexual assault.
2017 The Woman’s March of Jan. 21, 2017, set the stage for takedowns of alleged abusers like Matt Lauer.
Jan. 21: Millions of Americans take part in the Women’s March a day after President Trump’s inauguration.
March 19: Fox News ousts Bill O’Reilly following multiple harassment claims.
Oct. 5:...
Unless otherwise noted, the accused denied some or all of the allegations against them.
2006 Tarana Burke
Activist Tarana Burke coins “Me Too” on MySpace.
2014
Oct. 17: Comedian Hannibal Buress’ riff about Bill Cosby resurfaces long-ignored rape accusations. An investigation of Cosby follows.
2016
July 21: Fox News chairman Roger Ailes is forced out amid allegations that he sexually harassed several women at the company.
Oct. 7: “When you’re a star, they let you do it” — The Washington Post publishes leaked Access Hollywood footage in which then-presidential candidate Donald Trump boasts of committing sexual assault.
2017 The Woman’s March of Jan. 21, 2017, set the stage for takedowns of alleged abusers like Matt Lauer.
Jan. 21: Millions of Americans take part in the Women’s March a day after President Trump’s inauguration.
March 19: Fox News ousts Bill O’Reilly following multiple harassment claims.
Oct. 5:...
- 9/29/2022
- by Julian Sancton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Don’t Worry Darling seems to be destined for infamy – and the film isn’t even out yet.
The psychological sci-fi thriller, starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, premiered this week at the Venice film festival, amid mounting reports of behind-the-scenes turmoil.
From a rumoured “falling out” between the film’s director and its star, to a dispute over a controversial cast departure, Don’t Worry Darling has truly endured the promotional campaign from hell.
Click here for a timeline of the behind-the-scenes controversies that have surrounded the film.
However, Don’t Worry Darling isn’t the only film to have its launch thrown into disarray by a wayward promotional campaign.
Whether we’re talking huge studio blockbusters or buzzy indie gems, sometimes all it takes is for one errant interview to spark a wave of bad – or merely strange – publicity.
Here are five of the most disastrous film campaigns in the history of cinema.
The psychological sci-fi thriller, starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, premiered this week at the Venice film festival, amid mounting reports of behind-the-scenes turmoil.
From a rumoured “falling out” between the film’s director and its star, to a dispute over a controversial cast departure, Don’t Worry Darling has truly endured the promotional campaign from hell.
Click here for a timeline of the behind-the-scenes controversies that have surrounded the film.
However, Don’t Worry Darling isn’t the only film to have its launch thrown into disarray by a wayward promotional campaign.
Whether we’re talking huge studio blockbusters or buzzy indie gems, sometimes all it takes is for one errant interview to spark a wave of bad – or merely strange – publicity.
Here are five of the most disastrous film campaigns in the history of cinema.
- 9/6/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
On the rainy morning of March 28, 2020, President Trump addressed a phalanx of journalists outside the White House following a call with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “There’s a possibility that sometime today, we’ll do a quarantine — short-term, two weeks — of New York, probably New Jersey, and certain parts of Connecticut,” he said while clutching his umbrella. “This would be an enforceable quarantine. You know, I’d rather not do it, but we may need it.”
Hours later, Cuomo was asked during his daily press conference about Trump’s comments.
Hours later, Cuomo was asked during his daily press conference about Trump’s comments.
- 3/11/2022
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Rollingstone.com
Joe Biden Tells Lester Holt He’s Done A “Deep Dive” On “About Four” Potential Supreme Court Nominees
NBC News released the first clip from Lester Holt’s Super Bowl sit-down with Joe Biden, in which the president said he’s done a “deep dive” on “about four” potential Supreme Court nominees to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer.
A longer version of the interview, taped earlier Thursday in Culpepper, Va, will air as part of NBC’s pre-game show Sunday, continuing a tradition where the host network lands an interview with the sitting president.
“I think whomever I pick will get a vote from the Republican side for the following reason: I’m not looking to make an ideological choice here,” Biden said. “I am looking for someone that can replace Judge Breyer with the same kind of capacity that Judge Breyer had, with an open mind, who understands the Constitution, interprets it in a way that is consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution.”
Biden has said...
A longer version of the interview, taped earlier Thursday in Culpepper, Va, will air as part of NBC’s pre-game show Sunday, continuing a tradition where the host network lands an interview with the sitting president.
“I think whomever I pick will get a vote from the Republican side for the following reason: I’m not looking to make an ideological choice here,” Biden said. “I am looking for someone that can replace Judge Breyer with the same kind of capacity that Judge Breyer had, with an open mind, who understands the Constitution, interprets it in a way that is consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution.”
Biden has said...
- 2/10/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
The tradition of a Super Bowl pre-game presidential interview will continue on Sunday, when NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt sits down with President Joe Biden.
The interview will take place in Virginia, where the president is scheduled to be on Thursday. Portions will air on NBC Nightly News on Thursday, with additional highlights the next day on Today, MSNBC, NBCNews.com and NBC News Now. NBC Nightly News also will have further excerpts.
Norah O’Donnell interviewed Biden last year when CBS had rights to the Super Bowl.
The tradition of a presidential pre-game interview started in 2004, when Jim Nantz interviewed President George W. Bush. Barack Obama was interviewed in 2009 by Matt Lauer. Obama continued the tradition throughout his presidency.
Donald Trump also did pre-game sitdowns, starting with a sitdown with Bill O’Reilly in 2017 when Fox had the rights that year. Trump skipped the following year, 2018, when NBC had the rights,...
The interview will take place in Virginia, where the president is scheduled to be on Thursday. Portions will air on NBC Nightly News on Thursday, with additional highlights the next day on Today, MSNBC, NBCNews.com and NBC News Now. NBC Nightly News also will have further excerpts.
Norah O’Donnell interviewed Biden last year when CBS had rights to the Super Bowl.
The tradition of a presidential pre-game interview started in 2004, when Jim Nantz interviewed President George W. Bush. Barack Obama was interviewed in 2009 by Matt Lauer. Obama continued the tradition throughout his presidency.
Donald Trump also did pre-game sitdowns, starting with a sitdown with Bill O’Reilly in 2017 when Fox had the rights that year. Trump skipped the following year, 2018, when NBC had the rights,...
- 2/8/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
NBC News will show an interview between Lester Holt and President Joseph Biden during NBC’s Super Bowl pre-game show on Sunday February 13.
NBC said the interview is slated to take place in Virginia, and will mark President Biden’s first sit-down interview with a news organization in 2022.
The sit-down appears to be taped, which the White House the networks showing the Big Game have started doing during the Trump administration. President Obama often agreed to talk to journalists live. That arrangement dials down some of the complexity of the event, which often forced TV journalists to keep questions and answers concise owing to both time parameters and the attention span of the audience.
Holt was up to interview President Trump for the Super Bowl in 2018, but the president opted not to take part in what has become a tradition in recent years. At the time, Trump was under scrutiny...
NBC said the interview is slated to take place in Virginia, and will mark President Biden’s first sit-down interview with a news organization in 2022.
The sit-down appears to be taped, which the White House the networks showing the Big Game have started doing during the Trump administration. President Obama often agreed to talk to journalists live. That arrangement dials down some of the complexity of the event, which often forced TV journalists to keep questions and answers concise owing to both time parameters and the attention span of the audience.
Holt was up to interview President Trump for the Super Bowl in 2018, but the president opted not to take part in what has become a tradition in recent years. At the time, Trump was under scrutiny...
- 2/8/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Spoiler alert: This article contains revelations about the plot of Season 2, Episode 8 of “The Morning Show.”
Mitch Kessler is gone. And so is whatever point “The Morning Show” had been working, slowly, toward making.
With the death by suicide of series-long quasi-antagonist Mitch (Steve Carell), “The Morning Show” has killed off the character whose misdeeds had kicked off its story, and the one whose punishment — or not — were its central concern. Like the actual disgraced news anchor Matt Lauer, Mitch lost his job at a morning news show after having been alleged to have committed sexual misconduct in the office; he’s floated around the story’s margins ever since, waiting for a shoe to drop. While the fate of Lauer and people like him remains a vexing question, “The Morning Show” never quite committed to taking that seriously. And, in excising the character from the story, it has shown...
Mitch Kessler is gone. And so is whatever point “The Morning Show” had been working, slowly, toward making.
With the death by suicide of series-long quasi-antagonist Mitch (Steve Carell), “The Morning Show” has killed off the character whose misdeeds had kicked off its story, and the one whose punishment — or not — were its central concern. Like the actual disgraced news anchor Matt Lauer, Mitch lost his job at a morning news show after having been alleged to have committed sexual misconduct in the office; he’s floated around the story’s margins ever since, waiting for a shoe to drop. While the fate of Lauer and people like him remains a vexing question, “The Morning Show” never quite committed to taking that seriously. And, in excising the character from the story, it has shown...
- 11/5/2021
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Katie Couric's memoir just came out Tuesday, but it's been causing raised eyebrows for a month. From her revelations about competition among her fellow female network stars during her time on Today to her thoughts on her disgraced former co-anchor Matt Lauer, from what she didn't reveal about Ruth Bader Ginsburg following a 2016 interview to what she was all too happy to share about Prince Harry, the tidbits that served as preview fodder didn't just drum up anticipation for her 500-page book, Going There. Rather, all that tea-spilling has had critics and fans alike wondering what sort of game the veteran journalist and TV personality has...
- 10/26/2021
- E! Online
Katie Couric appeared on Today on Tuesday to promote her new memoir Going There, which has generated pre-publication buzz for her frank comments and her own revelations.
Today co-host Savannah Guthrie asked Couric about Matt Lauer, who was abruptly fired in 2017 amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Couric said that “it took me a long time to process what was going on” because “the side of Matt I knew was the side of Matt you all knew. He was kind and considerate, a good colleague.”
She said that in the aftermath she “did some of my own reporting. I talked to people. I tried to excavate what was going on. It was devastating but also disgusting. What I realized was there was a side of Matt I never knew, and I tried to understand why he behaved the way he did, and why he was so reckless and callous, and honestly abusive to other women.
Today co-host Savannah Guthrie asked Couric about Matt Lauer, who was abruptly fired in 2017 amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Couric said that “it took me a long time to process what was going on” because “the side of Matt I knew was the side of Matt you all knew. He was kind and considerate, a good colleague.”
She said that in the aftermath she “did some of my own reporting. I talked to people. I tried to excavate what was going on. It was devastating but also disgusting. What I realized was there was a side of Matt I never knew, and I tried to understand why he behaved the way he did, and why he was so reckless and callous, and honestly abusive to other women.
- 10/19/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Katie Couric’s upcoming memoir has made waves for shocking excerpts that have ruffled feathers in TV news circles.
Now, in her first interview about the new book, Couric gives more detail on some of the headline-making pieces — most notably, her former “Today” show co-anchor, Matt Lauer — saying that her words have been “cherry-picked and twisted” by leaked excerpts.
Couric no longer speaks to Lauer, she reveals in a new cover story with People magazine, released on Wednesday. She says she was “shocked” by the allegations, calling Lauer’s behavior “callous” and “grossly inappropriate.”
That’s not the Matt I knew,” Couric tells the magazine. “There’s a duality in human beings, and sometimes they don’t let you see both sides.”
Couric’s book says that after learning about Lauer’s behavior, she came to realize that he was a professional partner and friend to her, but a predator to others.
Now, in her first interview about the new book, Couric gives more detail on some of the headline-making pieces — most notably, her former “Today” show co-anchor, Matt Lauer — saying that her words have been “cherry-picked and twisted” by leaked excerpts.
Couric no longer speaks to Lauer, she reveals in a new cover story with People magazine, released on Wednesday. She says she was “shocked” by the allegations, calling Lauer’s behavior “callous” and “grossly inappropriate.”
That’s not the Matt I knew,” Couric tells the magazine. “There’s a duality in human beings, and sometimes they don’t let you see both sides.”
Couric’s book says that after learning about Lauer’s behavior, she came to realize that he was a professional partner and friend to her, but a predator to others.
- 10/13/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
In 2006, Britney Spears appeared on Dateline with the now disgraced television anchor Matt Lauer. The emotional interview, which is eerie to watch 15 years later, was promoted to the public as an opportunity for Spears, who had suffered at the hands of a parasitic media, to, in Lauer’s words, “set the record straight.” Yet the wide-ranging conversation never veers far enough away from the headlines and the photographs, which she repeatedly refers to as trash, to give her a chance to do so.
At one point in the interview, Lauer asks Spears about the media frenzy surrounding the infamous photo ...
At one point in the interview, Lauer asks Spears about the media frenzy surrounding the infamous photo ...
- 9/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2006, Britney Spears appeared on Dateline with the now disgraced television anchor Matt Lauer. The emotional interview, which is eerie to watch 15 years later, was promoted to the public as an opportunity for Spears, who had suffered at the hands of a parasitic media, to, in Lauer’s words, “set the record straight.” Yet the wide-ranging conversation never veers far enough away from the headlines and the photographs, which she repeatedly refers to as trash, to give her a chance to do so.
At one point in the interview, Lauer asks Spears about the media frenzy surrounding the infamous photo ...
At one point in the interview, Lauer asks Spears about the media frenzy surrounding the infamous photo ...
- 9/30/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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