Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, is about to celebrate his 10th anniversary fronting a franchise that first began with Steve Allen behind the desk in 1954, followed by Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien (and Jay Leno again) — and he’s keen to keep it going.
Speaking about Carson’s record as the longest-running (and most-identifiable) host of this seminal late-night show, Fallon said during a panel at Deadline’s Contenders Television event, “I’m gonna go, you guys want me? Let’s break the record, let’s go, let’s do 30 years!”
Related: Contenders TV – Deadline’s Full Coverage
Fallon himself has already spent 25 years at NBC in different incarnations. He started on Saturday Night Live in 1998 (“thinking that’s the goal”) and has now “for more than half of my life been at the same building.”
Fallon’s Tonight Show...
Speaking about Carson’s record as the longest-running (and most-identifiable) host of this seminal late-night show, Fallon said during a panel at Deadline’s Contenders Television event, “I’m gonna go, you guys want me? Let’s break the record, let’s go, let’s do 30 years!”
Related: Contenders TV – Deadline’s Full Coverage
Fallon himself has already spent 25 years at NBC in different incarnations. He started on Saturday Night Live in 1998 (“thinking that’s the goal”) and has now “for more than half of my life been at the same building.”
Fallon’s Tonight Show...
- 4/14/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The SNL 1975 casting news continues to pour in. Willem Dafoe is the latest addition to the feature film that’s set behind the scenes of Saturday Night Live’s series premiere.
Deadline reports that Dafoe will play David Tebet, the network executive and press agent who served as NBC’s vp of talent relations from 1959-1979. Tebet was responsible for scouting potential talent and bringing them over to the network — including lobbying for Johnny Carson to take over The Tonight Show when Jack Paar announced his retirement.
Dafoe has a connection to the real-life SNL. Like fellow SNL 1975 cast member J.K. Simmons, Dafoe has hosted the program before. He led a Season 47 episode in January 2022, with musical guest Katy Perry.
SNL 1975 will take place in real-time during the 90 minutes leading up to the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live. The Sony Pictures film is directed by Jason Reitman,...
Deadline reports that Dafoe will play David Tebet, the network executive and press agent who served as NBC’s vp of talent relations from 1959-1979. Tebet was responsible for scouting potential talent and bringing them over to the network — including lobbying for Johnny Carson to take over The Tonight Show when Jack Paar announced his retirement.
Dafoe has a connection to the real-life SNL. Like fellow SNL 1975 cast member J.K. Simmons, Dafoe has hosted the program before. He led a Season 47 episode in January 2022, with musical guest Katy Perry.
SNL 1975 will take place in real-time during the 90 minutes leading up to the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live. The Sony Pictures film is directed by Jason Reitman,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Nick Riccardo
- LateNighter
Malachy McCourt, the Irish-American actor, raconteur and author best known to TV audiences for his long-running role as Kevin the bartender on ABC’s soap Ryan’s Hope, died today in Manhattan after battling a heart condition and cancer. He was 92.
His death was announced by his wife Diana McCourt to The New York Times.
The brother of Pulitzer Prize-winning Angela’s Ashes memoirist Frank McCourt, Malachy McCourt left an indelible mark on New York City’s Irish American community. As the owner of the quintessential 1950s Irish pub Malachy’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan – McCourt would often call it the city’s first singles bar, since he welcomed unaccompanied women to the establishment – the Brooklyn native became one of the city’s great story-tellers, regaling patrons from longshoremen to the actor Richard Harris with blarney, rugby talk and biographical anecdotes.
His way with words would hold him in good stead...
His death was announced by his wife Diana McCourt to The New York Times.
The brother of Pulitzer Prize-winning Angela’s Ashes memoirist Frank McCourt, Malachy McCourt left an indelible mark on New York City’s Irish American community. As the owner of the quintessential 1950s Irish pub Malachy’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan – McCourt would often call it the city’s first singles bar, since he welcomed unaccompanied women to the establishment – the Brooklyn native became one of the city’s great story-tellers, regaling patrons from longshoremen to the actor Richard Harris with blarney, rugby talk and biographical anecdotes.
His way with words would hold him in good stead...
- 3/11/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
NBC has set a two-hour primetime special to celebrate the 10th anniverary of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Fallon announced the special on his show Monday night, saying the past week was officially the show’s 10-year anniversary. The special will air May 14.
“We are so grateful that we get to do this job. I want to thank everyone on our staff and crew and of course all of you for tuning in every single night for the past 10 years to celebrate, really, thank you so much,” Fallon said in his opening. “To celebrate, NBC is going to air a two-hour primetime Best of Tonight Show special on May 14, the best moments of the Tonight Show from the past 10 years featuring some of our favorite sketches, guests and musical performances, from “Tight Pants” with Will Ferrell to me almost dating Nicole Kidman — I still can’t believe that happened...
“We are so grateful that we get to do this job. I want to thank everyone on our staff and crew and of course all of you for tuning in every single night for the past 10 years to celebrate, really, thank you so much,” Fallon said in his opening. “To celebrate, NBC is going to air a two-hour primetime Best of Tonight Show special on May 14, the best moments of the Tonight Show from the past 10 years featuring some of our favorite sketches, guests and musical performances, from “Tight Pants” with Will Ferrell to me almost dating Nicole Kidman — I still can’t believe that happened...
- 2/27/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Jimmy Fallon is coming to primetime, at least for one night.
NBC has set a two-hour primetime special commemorating 10 years of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. The special is slated to air on NBC on Tuesday May 14, and will stream on Peacock the following day.
Fallon announced the news on the Tonight Show Monday evening.
“We are so grateful that we get to do this job. I want to thank everyone on our staff and crew and of course all of you for tuning in every single night for the past 10 years to celebrate, really, thank you so much,” Fallon told the audience. “To celebrate, NBC is going to enter a two-hour primetime best of Tonight Show special on May 14, the best moments of the Tonight Show from the past 10 years featuring some of our favorite sketches, guests and musical performances, from tight pants with Will Ferrell to me...
NBC has set a two-hour primetime special commemorating 10 years of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. The special is slated to air on NBC on Tuesday May 14, and will stream on Peacock the following day.
Fallon announced the news on the Tonight Show Monday evening.
“We are so grateful that we get to do this job. I want to thank everyone on our staff and crew and of course all of you for tuning in every single night for the past 10 years to celebrate, really, thank you so much,” Fallon told the audience. “To celebrate, NBC is going to enter a two-hour primetime best of Tonight Show special on May 14, the best moments of the Tonight Show from the past 10 years featuring some of our favorite sketches, guests and musical performances, from tight pants with Will Ferrell to me...
- 2/27/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shecky Greene, the legendary standup comedian known for his long tenure as a Las Vegas headliner and for working with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, died Dec. 31 at his home in the city. He was 97.
Greene’s wife of 41 years, Marie Musso Greene, confirmed his death to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Greene was a regular on the TV talk show and guest star circuit in his 1960s and ’70s heyday, when he often sported a comb-over haircut and wide-lapel suits. Earlier in his career, he came to represent the epitome of the Rat Pack-adjacent comedian in a tux, delivering lightly risque or edgy anecdotal stories and zingers on stage.
Greene was known for his many appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and for working as the opening act for Sinatra in Miami and Presley in Las Vegas. During the 1962-63 season, he played a recurring character on the...
Greene’s wife of 41 years, Marie Musso Greene, confirmed his death to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Greene was a regular on the TV talk show and guest star circuit in his 1960s and ’70s heyday, when he often sported a comb-over haircut and wide-lapel suits. Earlier in his career, he came to represent the epitome of the Rat Pack-adjacent comedian in a tux, delivering lightly risque or edgy anecdotal stories and zingers on stage.
Greene was known for his many appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and for working as the opening act for Sinatra in Miami and Presley in Las Vegas. During the 1962-63 season, he played a recurring character on the...
- 12/31/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Tom Smothers, one half of the Smothers Brothers musical comedy duo, died on Dec. 26 in Santa Rosa, Calif. due to cancer. He was 86.
Smothers’ younger brother and co-star of “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” Dick Smothers announced that Tom died at home with his family.
Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
Tom and Dick Smothers were known for their musical comedy act in which they performed folk songs on acoustic guitar and double bass, respectively, and bantered together. Elder brother Tom was known for his signature line,...
Smothers’ younger brother and co-star of “Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” Dick Smothers announced that Tom died at home with his family.
Dick Smothers said in a statement, “Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner. I am forever grateful to have spent a lifetime together with him, on and off stage, for over 60 years. Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another. We were truly blessed.”
Tom and Dick Smothers were known for their musical comedy act in which they performed folk songs on acoustic guitar and double bass, respectively, and bantered together. Elder brother Tom was known for his signature line,...
- 12/27/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Reid Scott might be best known for playing an asshole, so it’s understandable if fans of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” are on high alert this season.
Scott joins the Prime Video comedy in its final season as Gordon Ford, a late-night talk show host and Midge Maisel’s (Rachel Brosnahan) new boss as she tackles the unruly territory of an all-male television writers room. In Episode 3, Gordon tries to kiss her, and in Episode 4 he boldly asks her out despite being married.
“I’m drawn to these characters that have these different sides to them, where you can see underneath the surface,” Scott told IndieWire via Zoom. “And that was the great thing; every script, episode-to-episode, we get to peel back another little layer and learn a little bit more about this guy and it just keeps you renewed and refreshed.”
Scott’s performance is an amalgam of late-night...
Scott joins the Prime Video comedy in its final season as Gordon Ford, a late-night talk show host and Midge Maisel’s (Rachel Brosnahan) new boss as she tackles the unruly territory of an all-male television writers room. In Episode 3, Gordon tries to kiss her, and in Episode 4 he boldly asks her out despite being married.
“I’m drawn to these characters that have these different sides to them, where you can see underneath the surface,” Scott told IndieWire via Zoom. “And that was the great thing; every script, episode-to-episode, we get to peel back another little layer and learn a little bit more about this guy and it just keeps you renewed and refreshed.”
Scott’s performance is an amalgam of late-night...
- 4/22/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Perry Cross, who served as Johnny Carson’s first producer on The Tonight Show before he exited to run an ABC program hosted by Jerry Lewis that came and went after 13 episodes, has died. He was 95.
Cross died March 9 of kidney cancer at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Larry Cross, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cross started out producing Ernie Kovacs’ CBS weekday morning show in 1952 and also worked on The Red Skelton Hour, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Soupy Sales Show, Life With Linkletter, The Garry Moore Show and several Jonathan Winters live specials during his career.
Cross had been producing The Tonight Show in the immediate aftermath of host Jack Paar’s departure on March 30, 1962, guiding the NBC program in Hollywood and New York that featured guest hosts for six months until Carson took over.
NBC wanted Cross to be Carson’s producer,...
Cross died March 9 of kidney cancer at a hospital in Los Angeles, his son, Larry Cross, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cross started out producing Ernie Kovacs’ CBS weekday morning show in 1952 and also worked on The Red Skelton Hour, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Soupy Sales Show, Life With Linkletter, The Garry Moore Show and several Jonathan Winters live specials during his career.
Cross had been producing The Tonight Show in the immediate aftermath of host Jack Paar’s departure on March 30, 1962, guiding the NBC program in Hollywood and New York that featured guest hosts for six months until Carson took over.
NBC wanted Cross to be Carson’s producer,...
- 4/4/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
She’s known as a Hollywood trailblazer, expanding what audiences and the women inspired by her legacy thought was possible from a successful female comic. And like most artistic innovators, the late Joan Rivers’ ascent was due to a combination of incredible talent and a touch of luck surrounding her big break.
She performed in comedy clubs across New York throughout the early ’60s. She appeared on the Jack Paar edition of The Tonight Show at the beginning of the decade. But her stand-up spots on The Ed Sullivan Show played a big role in her mainstream breakthrough. For all the work Rivers was doing as a comedian, she received her place on the platform because of an error by Sullivan.
Ed Sullivan’s slip of the tongue gave Joan Rivers her big break on his talk show Actress and Comedian Joan Rivers takes part in a photocall for her...
She performed in comedy clubs across New York throughout the early ’60s. She appeared on the Jack Paar edition of The Tonight Show at the beginning of the decade. But her stand-up spots on The Ed Sullivan Show played a big role in her mainstream breakthrough. For all the work Rivers was doing as a comedian, she received her place on the platform because of an error by Sullivan.
Ed Sullivan’s slip of the tongue gave Joan Rivers her big break on his talk show Actress and Comedian Joan Rivers takes part in a photocall for her...
- 3/23/2023
- by Sam Hines
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Everyone knows The Beatles’ debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 established the band in the United States. They matched their European fame in North America and became the most popular band on both sides of the Atlantic. But that groundbreaking show wasn’t The Beatles’ first time on American TV. Eagle-eyed fans saw John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr on TV long before George shared that the pleasure of touring wore off for the group.
(l-r) Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Ed Sullivan, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney on Feb. 9, 1964 | Express Newspapers/Getty Images The Beatles broke through in the United States because of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’
It was only a matter of time before The Beatles made it big in the U.S. Ed Sullivan just helped the process.
The band had three No. 1 singles, a No. 2 in “Please Please Me,” (per the Official...
(l-r) Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Ed Sullivan, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney on Feb. 9, 1964 | Express Newspapers/Getty Images The Beatles broke through in the United States because of ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’
It was only a matter of time before The Beatles made it big in the U.S. Ed Sullivan just helped the process.
The band had three No. 1 singles, a No. 2 in “Please Please Me,” (per the Official...
- 2/8/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
"The best time I ever had with Joan Crawford was when I pushed her down the stairs in 'What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'" Bette Davis said this about her co-star in the classic 1962 film, and it's hardly the worst words spoken by either of these women — who were rumored to be something of rivals. As detailed in Ryan Murphy's excellent "Feud: Bette and Joan," in which both Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon gave unforgettable turns as Crawford and Davis, respectively, the actresses were reportedly as antagonistic towards each other offscreen as their characters, sisters Blanche and Baby Jane Hudson, were in the movie.
Based on the 1960 Henry Farrell novel of the same name, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" centers on the twisted relationship between the siblings, and things only grow more fraught as the film progresses. Jane (Davis) was once a child star happily basking in the spotlight,...
Based on the 1960 Henry Farrell novel of the same name, "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" centers on the twisted relationship between the siblings, and things only grow more fraught as the film progresses. Jane (Davis) was once a child star happily basking in the spotlight,...
- 1/16/2023
- by Jamie Gerber
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Sean Hayes will return to Broadway in a new play about the life of actor and pianist Oscar Levant.
In Good Night, Oscar, written by Doug Wright, Hayes plays Levant, who is booked on Jack Paar’s The Tonight Show in a 90-minute session that delights audience members, but also comes at a cost for the star.
Directed by Lisa Peterson, Good Night, Oscar will play a 20-week engagement at the Belasco Theatre starting April 7, 2023. Opening night is set for April 24. The play comes to Broadway after a premiere at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
“Though he’s somewhat forgotten by today’s audiences, Oscar Levant was a startling phenomenon in his own time; following a stellar concert and movie career, he became a celebrated pundit, holding forth on the chat shows of the 1950’s. A brilliant, often searing raconteur, he was the first...
Sean Hayes will return to Broadway in a new play about the life of actor and pianist Oscar Levant.
In Good Night, Oscar, written by Doug Wright, Hayes plays Levant, who is booked on Jack Paar’s The Tonight Show in a 90-minute session that delights audience members, but also comes at a cost for the star.
Directed by Lisa Peterson, Good Night, Oscar will play a 20-week engagement at the Belasco Theatre starting April 7, 2023. Opening night is set for April 24. The play comes to Broadway after a premiere at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre.
“Though he’s somewhat forgotten by today’s audiences, Oscar Levant was a startling phenomenon in his own time; following a stellar concert and movie career, he became a celebrated pundit, holding forth on the chat shows of the 1950’s. A brilliant, often searing raconteur, he was the first...
- 9/19/2022
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Hayes will return to Broadway this spring starring in Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright’s new play Good Night, Oscar, in which Hayes will play Hollywood Golden Age actor, pianist and wit Oscar Levant.
Directed by Lisa Peterson, Good Night, Oscar will begin performances at the Belasco Theatre,on April 7, 2023, and an official opening set for April 24. The 20-week limited engagement will end on August 27, 2023.
The official synopsis: It’s 1958 and Jack Paar is hosting The Tonight Show. He’s booked his favorite guest, a pundit as hilarious as he is unpredictable: Oscar Levant, who once famously proclaimed, “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity, and I have erased that line.” In 90 short minutes, Oscar will have audiences howling, censors scrambling, and – when it’s all over – America will be just a little less innocent than she was before.
Hayes said, “I’m thrilled for Broadway audiences to experience Good Night,...
Directed by Lisa Peterson, Good Night, Oscar will begin performances at the Belasco Theatre,on April 7, 2023, and an official opening set for April 24. The 20-week limited engagement will end on August 27, 2023.
The official synopsis: It’s 1958 and Jack Paar is hosting The Tonight Show. He’s booked his favorite guest, a pundit as hilarious as he is unpredictable: Oscar Levant, who once famously proclaimed, “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity, and I have erased that line.” In 90 short minutes, Oscar will have audiences howling, censors scrambling, and – when it’s all over – America will be just a little less innocent than she was before.
Hayes said, “I’m thrilled for Broadway audiences to experience Good Night,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
You might feel like you’ve already seen Mr. Saturday Night the musical even if you’ve never seen Mr. Saturday Night the movie, and whether you find that comforting – Billy Crystal certainly is one of the most likable presences in all of show business – or disappointing might depend entirely on your taste for well-delivered Borsht Belt comedy.
That’s not damning with faint praise: Mr. Saturday Night, the Broadway musical opening tonight at the Nederlander Theatre based on the 1992 comedy, is, at its best, a charming showcase for the undeniable talents of both Crystal and the showbiz icons he adores. There are shout-outs galore here to the likes of Milton Berle, Harry Ritz, Jack Carter, Phil Silvers, Myron Cohen, Moms Mabley, Shecky Green and more, and a lovely visual tribute (Scott Pask designed the attractive sets) to comedy and TV pioneers from Betty White and Phyllis Diller to Richard Pryor and George Carlin.
That’s not damning with faint praise: Mr. Saturday Night, the Broadway musical opening tonight at the Nederlander Theatre based on the 1992 comedy, is, at its best, a charming showcase for the undeniable talents of both Crystal and the showbiz icons he adores. There are shout-outs galore here to the likes of Milton Berle, Harry Ritz, Jack Carter, Phil Silvers, Myron Cohen, Moms Mabley, Shecky Green and more, and a lovely visual tribute (Scott Pask designed the attractive sets) to comedy and TV pioneers from Betty White and Phyllis Diller to Richard Pryor and George Carlin.
- 4/28/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ben Rappaport (Younger) and Alexandra Chando (The Lying Game) have been cast as the leads of NBC’s untitled drama pilot based on the award-winning Dutch series Adam & Eva. The pilot is written by The Village creator Mike Daniels and will be directed by Stephanie Laing.
The project, described as a funny and heartfelt drama, chronicles the epic love and lives of two complete strangers, Adam (Rappaport) and Eva (Chando), whose multiple run-ins begin to defy coincidence, leading both to believe in fate. The show breaks the mold by pairing a serialized, stand-up-and-cheer romantic comedy with the wildly diverse and often unexpected human stories of anyone who finds themselves six degrees from Adam and Eva.
2022 NBC Pilots & Series Orders
Rappaport’s Adam is a former high school teacher and romantic trying to find his footing in Brooklyn after a devastating breakup. Chando’s Eva is an aspiring artist and...
The project, described as a funny and heartfelt drama, chronicles the epic love and lives of two complete strangers, Adam (Rappaport) and Eva (Chando), whose multiple run-ins begin to defy coincidence, leading both to believe in fate. The show breaks the mold by pairing a serialized, stand-up-and-cheer romantic comedy with the wildly diverse and often unexpected human stories of anyone who finds themselves six degrees from Adam and Eva.
2022 NBC Pilots & Series Orders
Rappaport’s Adam is a former high school teacher and romantic trying to find his footing in Brooklyn after a devastating breakup. Chando’s Eva is an aspiring artist and...
- 4/14/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Most of the drama concerning the history of late-night television has been largely relegated to Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Conan O’Brien all clawing behind the scenes to host the “Tonight Show.” But, there is plenty of interesting material to explore from its quintessential former host Johnny Carson, who took the reigns from Jack Paar in 1962. A new high-profile series is in the works aiming to tackle Carson’s life.
Continue reading ‘King Of Late Night’: Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Play Johnny Carson In Biopic Series From Jay Roach & David Milch at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘King Of Late Night’: Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Play Johnny Carson In Biopic Series From Jay Roach & David Milch at The Playlist.
- 3/22/2022
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
At Sunday’s WGA Awards, late-night host, comedian and writer Dick Cavett received the Evelyn F. Burkey Award, speaking in his acceptance speech about what writing means to him.
“Writing is one of the great bastions of civilizations. It’s a branch of the art that needs preserving,” he said in the pre-taped segment, “and I thought I’d try to get through this without using the word ‘honor,’ but this is an honor.”
The honoree, who hosted multiple iterations of The Dick Cavett Show over the course of almost two decades, also fondly recalled time spent with the innumerable literary icons that graced his show. “I have been lucky to spend time with some of the most colorful, wonderful people in this county and the world, and they were writers. Ms. Burkey, whose name is on this award, was a real character. She’s done millions of good things for writers,...
“Writing is one of the great bastions of civilizations. It’s a branch of the art that needs preserving,” he said in the pre-taped segment, “and I thought I’d try to get through this without using the word ‘honor,’ but this is an honor.”
The honoree, who hosted multiple iterations of The Dick Cavett Show over the course of almost two decades, also fondly recalled time spent with the innumerable literary icons that graced his show. “I have been lucky to spend time with some of the most colorful, wonderful people in this county and the world, and they were writers. Ms. Burkey, whose name is on this award, was a real character. She’s done millions of good things for writers,...
- 3/21/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Dick Cavett has been named as the recipient of Writers Guild of America, East’s Evelyn F. Burkey Award for 2022. Late Night’s Seth Meyers will present the late night host, comedian and writer with the honor at the virtual WGA Awards ceremony taking place on March 20.
The award, recognizing someone who has brought honor and dignity to writers, was established in 1978 to honor Burkey, who dedicated her professional life to supporting writers, helping to create the Writers Guild of America, East in 1954, and serving as its executive director until her retirement in 1972. Past recipients include James Schamus, Edward Albee, Walter Bernstein, Joan Didion, Claire Labine, Walter Cronkite, Arthur Miller, Sidney Lumet and Martin Scorsese.
“Thank you to the Writers Guild of America, East for honoring me with the Evelyn F. Burkey Award,” said Cavett. “I am very grateful to receive this distinguished award from my union and want to thank all the people,...
The award, recognizing someone who has brought honor and dignity to writers, was established in 1978 to honor Burkey, who dedicated her professional life to supporting writers, helping to create the Writers Guild of America, East in 1954, and serving as its executive director until her retirement in 1972. Past recipients include James Schamus, Edward Albee, Walter Bernstein, Joan Didion, Claire Labine, Walter Cronkite, Arthur Miller, Sidney Lumet and Martin Scorsese.
“Thank you to the Writers Guild of America, East for honoring me with the Evelyn F. Burkey Award,” said Cavett. “I am very grateful to receive this distinguished award from my union and want to thank all the people,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Video Version of this Article Photo: ‘The Tonight Show’ with Conan O’Brien If you know anything about television, you definitely know of, or have at least heard of, NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show’. It’s a staple of late-night TV that comes with a long, storied history of famous guests, performances, and hosts who have made the show as popular as it is today. Jack Paar and Johnny Carson brought the show to national stardom through the second half of the 20th century and Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon carried the show through the 2000s and 2010s. All of these hosts have made their mark and spent multiple years on ‘The Tonight Show’, except for one: Conan O’Brien. Conan O’Brien, one of television’s most famous late-night personalities, was once a host for ‘The Tonight Show’ for less than a year between 2009 and 2010. His 7-month stint behind the...
- 2/24/2022
- by Ben Ross
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
“When you leave here, Google ‘Bill Cosby, rape,'” the guy in the grainy video says. You know the clip we’re talking about. It’s Hannibal Buress, a stand-up working out material in the middle of a set in 2014. The bit starts with him talking about Cosby’s smugness, how he was telling Buress’ generation of Black men to pull up their pants. It ends with the young comic calling out the actor/comedian/educator/TV-sitcom king for being a rapist. “That shit is upsetting if you didn’t know about it,...
- 1/22/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
“You know, being together every week is getting to be a very, very nice habit. I hope you’ll keep it up, will ya?”
This was Betty White’s line at the end of each episode of her very first sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, in which she and Del Moore played a married couple who kept stumbling into various hijinks. White first played Elizabeth in a series of sketches in Hollywood on Television, a local Los Angeles talk show that debuted in 1949. (When the sketches spun off into their own show in the early Fifties,...
This was Betty White’s line at the end of each episode of her very first sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, in which she and Del Moore played a married couple who kept stumbling into various hijinks. White first played Elizabeth in a series of sketches in Hollywood on Television, a local Los Angeles talk show that debuted in 1949. (When the sketches spun off into their own show in the early Fifties,...
- 12/31/2021
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Johnny Carson made what late-night talk show is today. The host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which he helmed for three decades, the comedian paved the way for the success of future late-night hosts like David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert. Due to his lasting impact and legacy on pop culture, he is referred to as the “king of late-night TV.” A former member of the Navy, Carson made a move to radio hosting, effectively starting his career in entertainment. He would eventually find his way to TV, succeeding Jack Paar in the Tonight
Five Actors Who Should Play Johnny Carson In A Biopic...
Five Actors Who Should Play Johnny Carson In A Biopic...
- 12/16/2021
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
Longtime NBC press-publicity exec Gene Walsh died Sept. 1 at his home in Burbank. He was 87; publicist Charlie Barrett said Walsh died of natural causes.
Walsh was with NBC’s press and publicity departments for 30 years, from 1961 to 1991. He was the only executive to head that department for the broadcasting company at its two major production centers, New York City and Burbank.
He joined in New York in 1961 and worked in the magazine, trade and program publicity units. In 1973 he was promoted to head the 50-member department and was named an NBC VP in 1975. Two years later, he was transferred to Burbank and headed the 45-member department. He retired in 1991.
When in New York in 1975, Walsh was the architect of the publicity campaign for NBC’s then-new “Saturday Night Live.” In their 1986 book, “Saturday Night,” authors Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad credited Walsh for recognizing NBC’s weekly late-night comedy was...
Walsh was with NBC’s press and publicity departments for 30 years, from 1961 to 1991. He was the only executive to head that department for the broadcasting company at its two major production centers, New York City and Burbank.
He joined in New York in 1961 and worked in the magazine, trade and program publicity units. In 1973 he was promoted to head the 50-member department and was named an NBC VP in 1975. Two years later, he was transferred to Burbank and headed the 45-member department. He retired in 1991.
When in New York in 1975, Walsh was the architect of the publicity campaign for NBC’s then-new “Saturday Night Live.” In their 1986 book, “Saturday Night,” authors Doug Hill and Jeff Weingrad credited Walsh for recognizing NBC’s weekly late-night comedy was...
- 10/28/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Herbert Schlosser, the NBC executive who championed the groundbreaking sketch show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and oversaw the launch of “Saturday Night Live,” died Friday in Manhattan. He was 95.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Herb Schlosser,” NBC said in a statement. “His ingenuity, creativity and integrity as president and CEO of NBC during the ’70s made an indelible mark on the network and its legacy, including bringing Johnny Carson to ‘The Tonight Show’ and helping to shape what ultimately became ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
As president of NBC in 1974, Schlosser was looking for programming that could replace reruns of “The Tonight Show” on weekends. His concept became “Saturday Night Live” — a show that would tape the same day and have a different host each week while it would “seek to develop new television personalities” — a concept that has stayed remarkably similar 46 years after its launch.
“Saturday Night Live...
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Herb Schlosser,” NBC said in a statement. “His ingenuity, creativity and integrity as president and CEO of NBC during the ’70s made an indelible mark on the network and its legacy, including bringing Johnny Carson to ‘The Tonight Show’ and helping to shape what ultimately became ‘Saturday Night Live.’”
As president of NBC in 1974, Schlosser was looking for programming that could replace reruns of “The Tonight Show” on weekends. His concept became “Saturday Night Live” — a show that would tape the same day and have a different host each week while it would “seek to develop new television personalities” — a concept that has stayed remarkably similar 46 years after its launch.
“Saturday Night Live...
- 8/6/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
After 28 years as a late-night talk show fixture, Conan O’Brien signed off as host when his TBS talker “Conan” left the airwaves on June 24. O’Brien was a virtual unknown — he had been an Emmy Award-winning writer on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” — when he was chosen to take over NBC’s “Late Show” franchise from David Letterman in 1993. Though the lanky redhead, whose comedy was a deft mixture of silly and sophisticated, started off slowly as host, the “Late Show” gathered steam. So much so that he was given the Cadillac of late-night series, “The Tonight Show,” in June 2009.” And “Ts” host Jay Leno moved to a weeknight series for the network. But neither did well in their new gigs. Leno went back to “Tonight” in early 2010. And O’Brien moved to TBS.
Just a few weeks after the end of “Conan,” the series received its first nomination in...
Just a few weeks after the end of “Conan,” the series received its first nomination in...
- 8/6/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
It’s very early to be talking about documentary contenders for next year’s Emmys, but The One and Only Dick Gregory certainly should be part of the conversation.
The film written and directed by Andre Gaines at last gives the late Gregory his rightful due—as one of the most significant figures in the history of comedy, a hero in the Civil Rights Movement and a pioneer in nutrition, health and wellness. It’s hard to separate each of the areas where Gregory made an impact, because they all sprang from a common impulse, to redeem America from its savage racism and to help his fellow human beings.
“It was within the first five minutes of meeting him that I was confident and assured in my belief that I needed to tell his story myself,” Gaines tells Deadline. “And that belief and confidence and the enthusiasm for it just built continuously over time.
The film written and directed by Andre Gaines at last gives the late Gregory his rightful due—as one of the most significant figures in the history of comedy, a hero in the Civil Rights Movement and a pioneer in nutrition, health and wellness. It’s hard to separate each of the areas where Gregory made an impact, because they all sprang from a common impulse, to redeem America from its savage racism and to help his fellow human beings.
“It was within the first five minutes of meeting him that I was confident and assured in my belief that I needed to tell his story myself,” Gaines tells Deadline. “And that belief and confidence and the enthusiasm for it just built continuously over time.
- 7/29/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The producers behind CNN’s new eight-part docuseries “History of the Sitcom” knew that trying to tell the complete 70-year history of the TV genre would be an impossible task. So they divided some of the biggest comedies of all time into specific categories — and set out to illustrate how the evolution of the sitcom mirrored real-life advancements in society.
“It was pretty apparent that given the number of sitcoms that have been out there in history that you couldn’t do some sort of comprehensive, start-to-finish history, as though you were in a college course studying it from beginning to end,” says executive producer Bill Carter. “There had to be a way to categorize them and follow them according to some grouping. We have eight episodes; we could have done at least 80.”
“History of the Sitcom,” which premieres Sunday, July 11, with two back-to-back episodes, is the follow-up to CNN...
“It was pretty apparent that given the number of sitcoms that have been out there in history that you couldn’t do some sort of comprehensive, start-to-finish history, as though you were in a college course studying it from beginning to end,” says executive producer Bill Carter. “There had to be a way to categorize them and follow them according to some grouping. We have eight episodes; we could have done at least 80.”
“History of the Sitcom,” which premieres Sunday, July 11, with two back-to-back episodes, is the follow-up to CNN...
- 7/9/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
At the start of “The One and Only Dick Gregory,” Chris Rock hails the standup/activist as “one of the greatest political comedians who ever lived” and the following two hours prove the point. The first-rate doc, written and directed by Andre Gaines, is a reminder to anyone familiar with Gregory of the breadth and prescience of his work; to the uninitiated, it will be an eye-opener.
A title card identifies Gregory as “Public citizen #1, comedian, activist, health pioneer.” Aside from looking at his varied career, Gaines’ doc offers a time capsule of the tumultuous years in which he lived (1932-2017), offering a few shocks at how much of the national anguish has remained unchanged.
The film grabs the audience within the first two minutes and doesn’t let go. The opener mixes archival footage and audio clips of Gregory with testimonials from Rock and others, including Harry Belafonte and Wanda Sykes.
A title card identifies Gregory as “Public citizen #1, comedian, activist, health pioneer.” Aside from looking at his varied career, Gaines’ doc offers a time capsule of the tumultuous years in which he lived (1932-2017), offering a few shocks at how much of the national anguish has remained unchanged.
The film grabs the audience within the first two minutes and doesn’t let go. The opener mixes archival footage and audio clips of Gregory with testimonials from Rock and others, including Harry Belafonte and Wanda Sykes.
- 7/1/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has been officially renewed by NBC for five more years.
The move was announced by Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming at the company’s Upfronts presentation.
The renewal comes after it emerged that Jimmy Fallon extended his contract in November after his previous contract ran through the end of 2021.
Rovner highlighted the importance of Fallon to the company, pointing out he is involved in six projects including That’s My Jam, The Kids Tonight Show and Clash of the Cover Bands across the company this year.
Fallon began hosting the show in February 2014, taking over from Jay Leno. He followed in the footsteps of Conan O’Brien, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Steve Allen to front the show, which is produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video.
The Tonight Show has been rebounding in the late-night ratings since the arrival of Joe Biden as Presidency.
The move was announced by Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming at the company’s Upfronts presentation.
The renewal comes after it emerged that Jimmy Fallon extended his contract in November after his previous contract ran through the end of 2021.
Rovner highlighted the importance of Fallon to the company, pointing out he is involved in six projects including That’s My Jam, The Kids Tonight Show and Clash of the Cover Bands across the company this year.
Fallon began hosting the show in February 2014, taking over from Jay Leno. He followed in the footsteps of Conan O’Brien, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Steve Allen to front the show, which is produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video.
The Tonight Show has been rebounding in the late-night ratings since the arrival of Joe Biden as Presidency.
- 5/17/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve Allen, the co-creator and first host of The Tonight Show, largely was responsible for late-night television as we know it.
Remember Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent? Well, take a look at Allen’s The Question Man (below).
“Steve Allen was the generator of a lot of ideas that were ahead of its time,” says Billy Crystal in CNN’s documentary series The Story of Late Night.
The six-part series is a historical deep dive into the origins of the genre that still resonates today as well as a love letter to the medium. It has been overseen by Bill Carter, a man who knows a thing or two about late-night, as the former New York Times media correspondent and author of The War for Late Night and The Late Shift.
Carter is currently a CNN contributor and his involvement helped Cream Productions, the Toronto-based production company behind CNN...
Remember Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent? Well, take a look at Allen’s The Question Man (below).
“Steve Allen was the generator of a lot of ideas that were ahead of its time,” says Billy Crystal in CNN’s documentary series The Story of Late Night.
The six-part series is a historical deep dive into the origins of the genre that still resonates today as well as a love letter to the medium. It has been overseen by Bill Carter, a man who knows a thing or two about late-night, as the former New York Times media correspondent and author of The War for Late Night and The Late Shift.
Carter is currently a CNN contributor and his involvement helped Cream Productions, the Toronto-based production company behind CNN...
- 4/30/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
TV commercial casting director Merrill Jonas died Thursday at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, Calif. after a long illness. She was 96.
Starting out as an actress, Jonas rose to head of the casting department at Ogilvy and Mather in New York, where she led a six-person team that cast more than 100 commercials. The celebrity talent included Patricia Neal, Karl Malden, Anna-Maria Alberghetti, Arthur Ashe, Sonny & Cher and Ravi Shankar.
While working as director of the commercial department at talent agency CMA in New York, she cast talent including Jackie Gleason, Rod Serling, Florence Henderson and Mel Brooks.
Her agency Celebrity Casting Associates made deals for NBC’s Frank Blair, Phyllis Newman, Peter Duchin, Pete Rose and Dan Pastorini.
As an actress and on-camera spokeswoman, Jonas appeared in commercials during the 1950s and 1960s for products including Anacin, M&Ms, Tide, Lipton Tea and many others.
She also appeared...
Starting out as an actress, Jonas rose to head of the casting department at Ogilvy and Mather in New York, where she led a six-person team that cast more than 100 commercials. The celebrity talent included Patricia Neal, Karl Malden, Anna-Maria Alberghetti, Arthur Ashe, Sonny & Cher and Ravi Shankar.
While working as director of the commercial department at talent agency CMA in New York, she cast talent including Jackie Gleason, Rod Serling, Florence Henderson and Mel Brooks.
Her agency Celebrity Casting Associates made deals for NBC’s Frank Blair, Phyllis Newman, Peter Duchin, Pete Rose and Dan Pastorini.
As an actress and on-camera spokeswoman, Jonas appeared in commercials during the 1950s and 1960s for products including Anacin, M&Ms, Tide, Lipton Tea and many others.
She also appeared...
- 3/6/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Normal 0 false false false En-us Ja X-none
By Richard A. Lertzman
“The Rat Pack? Hasn’t that topic been done to death?”
That is the question I was asked by some skeptical fellow writers when I mentioned I was working with author Lon Davis on Deconstructing the Rat Pack, our new book, published by Prestige Cinema Press.
It’s true: there have been a stack of books on the myth that surrounds Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. But the fact is, myths are what have most often been printed. It reminds me of the line in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Lon and I subscribe to a different belief: print the facts. PR reports of the time will lead one to believe that the Rat Pack came about organically, that their...
By Richard A. Lertzman
“The Rat Pack? Hasn’t that topic been done to death?”
That is the question I was asked by some skeptical fellow writers when I mentioned I was working with author Lon Davis on Deconstructing the Rat Pack, our new book, published by Prestige Cinema Press.
It’s true: there have been a stack of books on the myth that surrounds Rat Pack members Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. But the fact is, myths are what have most often been printed. It reminds me of the line in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” Lon and I subscribe to a different belief: print the facts. PR reports of the time will lead one to believe that the Rat Pack came about organically, that their...
- 12/16/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Jimmy Fallon is sticking with The Tonight Show. The comedian has signed a contract extension with NBC to continue hosting the late-night show.
His current contract runs through to the end of 2021 after the network extended the deal in August 2015 for an additional three and a half years.
This comes after a showrunner change on The Tonight Show with Jamie Granet-Bederman taking charge of the show and Gavin Purcell stepping down to return to his development deal with Universal Television.
Fallon, who told staff today, according to a report in The New York Times, began hosting the show in February 2014, taking over from Jay Leno. He followed in the footsteps of Conan O’Brien, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Steve Allen to front the show, which is produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video.
However, The Tonight Show is no longer the ratings leader that it used to be. Recently, Fallon...
His current contract runs through to the end of 2021 after the network extended the deal in August 2015 for an additional three and a half years.
This comes after a showrunner change on The Tonight Show with Jamie Granet-Bederman taking charge of the show and Gavin Purcell stepping down to return to his development deal with Universal Television.
Fallon, who told staff today, according to a report in The New York Times, began hosting the show in February 2014, taking over from Jay Leno. He followed in the footsteps of Conan O’Brien, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar and Steve Allen to front the show, which is produced by Universal Television and Broadway Video.
However, The Tonight Show is no longer the ratings leader that it used to be. Recently, Fallon...
- 11/3/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Johnny Nash, the angel-voiced reggae-pop singer-songwriter who had U.S. hits with “I Can See Clearly Now,” “Stir It Up” and “Hold Me Tight,” died Tuesday at his home in Houston. He was 80. No cause of death was revealed.
Nash scored a pop smash in 1972 with his self-penned “I Can See Clearly Now,” which spent a month at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He followed up that success with a cover of reggae legend Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up” that just missed the top 10. Nash’s first big pop hit was “Hold Me Tight,” which reached No. 5 in 1968.
But he remains best known for “I Can See Clearly Now,” the islands-tinged soft-rock classic that has been featured in dozens of films anf TV shows and famously was covered by reggae icon Jimmy Cliff for the 1993 John Candy movie Cool Runnings (watch the video of Cliff’s cover below). That...
Nash scored a pop smash in 1972 with his self-penned “I Can See Clearly Now,” which spent a month at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. He followed up that success with a cover of reggae legend Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up” that just missed the top 10. Nash’s first big pop hit was “Hold Me Tight,” which reached No. 5 in 1968.
But he remains best known for “I Can See Clearly Now,” the islands-tinged soft-rock classic that has been featured in dozens of films anf TV shows and famously was covered by reggae icon Jimmy Cliff for the 1993 John Candy movie Cool Runnings (watch the video of Cliff’s cover below). That...
- 10/7/2020
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedian Jay Leno followed in the footsteps of Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, and Steve Allen as the host on The Tonight Show and now, he's following three more comedic legends. Leno is hosting a new revival of the You Bet Your Life TV series starting in Fall 2021.
A comedy quiz show that began on radio in 1947 with Groucho Marx as host, the program moved to television in 1950 and ran for 11 seasons. Short-lived syndicated revivals were hosted by Buddy Hackett (1980-81) and Bill Cosby (1992-93).
The newest incarnation of You Bet Your Life is expected to launch in syndication in Fall 2021 with 180 episodes. Here's the press release:
Fox Television Stations Reinventing Legendary Comedy Game "You Bet Your Life" Starring Jay LenoRead More…...
A comedy quiz show that began on radio in 1947 with Groucho Marx as host, the program moved to television in 1950 and ran for 11 seasons. Short-lived syndicated revivals were hosted by Buddy Hackett (1980-81) and Bill Cosby (1992-93).
The newest incarnation of You Bet Your Life is expected to launch in syndication in Fall 2021 with 180 episodes. Here's the press release:
Fox Television Stations Reinventing Legendary Comedy Game "You Bet Your Life" Starring Jay LenoRead More…...
- 9/10/2020
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The pullover hoodie has become Trevor Noah’s signature look. In the weeks, then months, that followed the March relaunch of “The Daily Show” from the host’s New York apartment after the coronavirus shut down studio shooting — making it the first late-night talker to switch to an at-home format — Noah settled on an on-camera setup that emphasizes comfort and intimacy: sitting on his couch, leaning toward the camera of an iPhone, wearing whatever hue of hooded sweatshirt catches his eye on a given morning.
But in the days after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, Noah’s choices became more deliberate.
“I wore a black hoodie for a while,” Noah says. “Not to build it up, but I just — I didn’t feel like color, you know? Every day, when I walked into the closet, it didn’t feel like a purple day; it didn’t...
But in the days after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, Noah’s choices became more deliberate.
“I wore a black hoodie for a while,” Noah says. “Not to build it up, but I just — I didn’t feel like color, you know? Every day, when I walked into the closet, it didn’t feel like a purple day; it didn’t...
- 8/25/2020
- by Daniel Holloway
- Variety Film + TV
We told you. Remember the rules. You didn’t listen. Now we’re Back with an all new batch of guest recommendations featuring Blake Masters, Julien Nitzberg, Floyd Norman, Tuppence Middleton and Blaire Bercy.
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wild Angels (1966)
Spirits of the Dead (1966)
The Trip (1967)
Mooch Goes To Hollywood (1971)
Stalker (1979)
The Candidate (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
Network (1976)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Ace In The Hole (1951)
Margin Call (2011)
Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish (2018)
Seconds (1966)
Soylent Green (1973)
Rage (1972)
Assault on Wall Street (2013)
Repo Man (1984)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
The Train (1965)
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
Strange Brew (1983)
To Have And Have Not (1944)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
Easter Parade (1948)
The Band Wagon (1953)
Guys And Dolls (1955)
On The Town (1949)
Casablanca (1942)
The Dirt Gang (1972)
Back To The Future (1985)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Bomba, the Jungle Boy (1949)
My Man Godfrey...
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wild Angels (1966)
Spirits of the Dead (1966)
The Trip (1967)
Mooch Goes To Hollywood (1971)
Stalker (1979)
The Candidate (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
Network (1976)
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Ace In The Hole (1951)
Margin Call (2011)
Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish (2018)
Seconds (1966)
Soylent Green (1973)
Rage (1972)
Assault on Wall Street (2013)
Repo Man (1984)
Elmer Gantry (1960)
The Train (1965)
Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
Strange Brew (1983)
To Have And Have Not (1944)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952)
Easter Parade (1948)
The Band Wagon (1953)
Guys And Dolls (1955)
On The Town (1949)
Casablanca (1942)
The Dirt Gang (1972)
Back To The Future (1985)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Bomba, the Jungle Boy (1949)
My Man Godfrey...
- 8/14/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Regis Philbin, the ubiquitous TV host best known for his long run on the syndicated morning talk show “Live” and ABC’s primetime hit game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” died of natural causes on Friday night. He was 88.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss,” the Philbin family said in a statement.
Philbin began his career when TV was barely in its teenage years. He wound up serving as a turn-of-the-century bridge for viewers to TV’s new world of enduring unscripted franchies on network primetime TV, as well as the trend of programs based on international formats.
“His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him — for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss,” the Philbin family said in a statement.
Philbin began his career when TV was barely in its teenage years. He wound up serving as a turn-of-the-century bridge for viewers to TV’s new world of enduring unscripted franchies on network primetime TV, as well as the trend of programs based on international formats.
- 7/25/2020
- by Laura Haefner
- Variety Film + TV
Hugh Downs, anchorman for the ABC news program “20/20” and, before that, NBC’s “The Today Show,” died Wednesday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 99.
Downs’ career in broadcasting spanned more than half a century. And despite his assertion “I am not a talent, I am a personality,” Downs proved a first-rate interviewer and journalist time and again. His personality was ingratiating and low-key; well into his 70s, his pleasant demeanor made him a welcome guest in the nation’s living rooms. With Barbara Walters, his co-host on both “Today” and “20/20,” he formed one of the most complementary partnerships in television news programming.
Prior to “Today,” Downs made a name for himself as emcee of the quizshow “Concentration” and as sage in residence on the Jack Paar “Tonight Show.”
After early work in radio and TV, Downs moved to New York in 1954 to join Arlene Francis on NBC’s “Home” show,...
Downs’ career in broadcasting spanned more than half a century. And despite his assertion “I am not a talent, I am a personality,” Downs proved a first-rate interviewer and journalist time and again. His personality was ingratiating and low-key; well into his 70s, his pleasant demeanor made him a welcome guest in the nation’s living rooms. With Barbara Walters, his co-host on both “Today” and “20/20,” he formed one of the most complementary partnerships in television news programming.
Prior to “Today,” Downs made a name for himself as emcee of the quizshow “Concentration” and as sage in residence on the Jack Paar “Tonight Show.”
After early work in radio and TV, Downs moved to New York in 1954 to join Arlene Francis on NBC’s “Home” show,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Hugh Downs, who began appearing on television at the dawn of the medium and gained fame as co-host of 20/20, host of Today and as Jack Paar’s sidekick on the Tonight Show, has died.
The Washington Post and New York Times cited a statement from Downs’ family in reporting his death on July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Az. The cause was reported to be a heart ailment, and not related to Covid-19.
Downs appeared on air for more than 10,000 hours, which was a record until Regis Philbin eclipsed it in the 2000s. He officially signed off in 1999 after more than a half-century on the air.
Viewers in the 1980s and 1990s got to know Downs during his long co-hosting stint with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20. In her 2008 memoir, Audition, the Post recalled, Walters noted their different approaches but also her fondness for Downs.
“Hugh and I had different personalities and different styles,...
The Washington Post and New York Times cited a statement from Downs’ family in reporting his death on July 1 at his home in Scottsdale, Az. The cause was reported to be a heart ailment, and not related to Covid-19.
Downs appeared on air for more than 10,000 hours, which was a record until Regis Philbin eclipsed it in the 2000s. He officially signed off in 1999 after more than a half-century on the air.
Viewers in the 1980s and 1990s got to know Downs during his long co-hosting stint with Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20. In her 2008 memoir, Audition, the Post recalled, Walters noted their different approaches but also her fondness for Downs.
“Hugh and I had different personalities and different styles,...
- 7/2/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Hugh Downs, the congenial broadcaster whose thousands of hours on network television included two decades on the ABC primetime newsmagazine 20/20 and nine years as the head man on NBC’s Today show, has died. He was 99.
Downs, who also served as Jack Paar’s announcer/sidekick for five years on The Tonight Show and hosted the game show Concentration for almost a decade, died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his family said in a statement.
After getting his start on radio stations in the Midwest, Downs was the announcer on the legendary children’s puppet series Kukla, Fran and Ollie and on ...
Downs, who also served as Jack Paar’s announcer/sidekick for five years on The Tonight Show and hosted the game show Concentration for almost a decade, died Wednesday at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, his family said in a statement.
After getting his start on radio stations in the Midwest, Downs was the announcer on the legendary children’s puppet series Kukla, Fran and Ollie and on ...
Joan Rivers was widely considered the first female late-night host when she began hosting Fox’s The Late Show in October 1986.
However, nearly forty years before Rivers took that job, there was another woman who had, in fact, pioneered the genre and become the first late-night host: Faye Emerson.
Emerson, who was born in Louisiana in 1917, came before Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Dick Cavett or Johnny Carson and was really the figure who created an entire genre of television that thrives today with the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
Deadline explores her story, how CBS’ Kelly Kahl was instrumental in preserving her legacy, how she paved the road for the likes of Chelsea Handler, Samantha Bee and Lilly Singh and how a scripted series about her life is now in development.
The Faye Emerson Show began airing on CBS on October 24 1949 in local East Coast markets...
However, nearly forty years before Rivers took that job, there was another woman who had, in fact, pioneered the genre and become the first late-night host: Faye Emerson.
Emerson, who was born in Louisiana in 1917, came before Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Dick Cavett or Johnny Carson and was really the figure who created an entire genre of television that thrives today with the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.
Deadline explores her story, how CBS’ Kelly Kahl was instrumental in preserving her legacy, how she paved the road for the likes of Chelsea Handler, Samantha Bee and Lilly Singh and how a scripted series about her life is now in development.
The Faye Emerson Show began airing on CBS on October 24 1949 in local East Coast markets...
- 7/1/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
David Letterman famously helped Americans rebound from the trauma of 9/11 with a stirring monologue delivered from the stage of his show’s home, New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater. Now his heirs are working to do the same – from a basement. A garage. A self-styled ‘bunker.’ A backyard. With their kids. In the woods.
The coronavirus pandemic has rendered late-night TV as we know it impossible to produce. Performing in front of a live audience is untenable in this moment, and what guests want to make the journey to stages in New York or Los Angeles at such a time? But the nation’s late-night hosts are betting on lo-fi workarounds that look nothing like the glitzy showcases to which viewers have been accustomed since the days of Jack Paar and Johnny Carson.
“Is this the new normal?” asks Jamie Granet-Bederman, a producer with NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,...
The coronavirus pandemic has rendered late-night TV as we know it impossible to produce. Performing in front of a live audience is untenable in this moment, and what guests want to make the journey to stages in New York or Los Angeles at such a time? But the nation’s late-night hosts are betting on lo-fi workarounds that look nothing like the glitzy showcases to which viewers have been accustomed since the days of Jack Paar and Johnny Carson.
“Is this the new normal?” asks Jamie Granet-Bederman, a producer with NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,...
- 3/30/2020
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Orson Bean, whose subtle wit made him a staple on television in the 1950s and 1960s, was killed in a pedestrian traffic accident Friday in Venice, Calif. He was 91 and his death was confirmed by the Los Angeles County coroner.
Bean was struck by a car and killed while crossing Venice Boulevard in Venice at 7:35 Pm. A “car coming westbound did not see him and clipped him,” Los Angeles Police Department Captain Brian Wendling told ABC7.
A second driver, who “was distracted by people trying to slow him down” then struck Bean, Wendling said.
Bean was crossing the busy street to get to the Venice Resident Theatre. His wife of 27 years, actress Alley Mills, was reportedly already at the location.
Both drivers remained at the scene and cooperated with police. Investigators have initially said they believe the crash was an accident.
Many remember Bean from his appearances on talk shows,...
Bean was struck by a car and killed while crossing Venice Boulevard in Venice at 7:35 Pm. A “car coming westbound did not see him and clipped him,” Los Angeles Police Department Captain Brian Wendling told ABC7.
A second driver, who “was distracted by people trying to slow him down” then struck Bean, Wendling said.
Bean was crossing the busy street to get to the Venice Resident Theatre. His wife of 27 years, actress Alley Mills, was reportedly already at the location.
Both drivers remained at the scene and cooperated with police. Investigators have initially said they believe the crash was an accident.
Many remember Bean from his appearances on talk shows,...
- 2/8/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran character actor Orson Bean, a regular on shows like “To Tell the Truth” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and star of “Being John Malkovich,” died Friday night at age 91 after he was struck and killed by a car in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles coroner’s office confirmed Bean’s death in a “traffic-related” accident to the Associated Press. L.A. Police Capt. Brian Wendling told ABC that a man had been walking in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles when he was clipped by a vehicle, causing him to fall. Then a second driver struck him again.
According to ABC, Bean’s wife of 27 years, actress Alley Mills, was at the scene at the time of the accident.
Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2020 (Photos)
Born in Vermont, Dallas Frederick Burrows (Orson Bean was a stage name) was the son of George Burrows, one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The Los Angeles coroner’s office confirmed Bean’s death in a “traffic-related” accident to the Associated Press. L.A. Police Capt. Brian Wendling told ABC that a man had been walking in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles when he was clipped by a vehicle, causing him to fall. Then a second driver struck him again.
According to ABC, Bean’s wife of 27 years, actress Alley Mills, was at the scene at the time of the accident.
Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2020 (Photos)
Born in Vermont, Dallas Frederick Burrows (Orson Bean was a stage name) was the son of George Burrows, one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union.
- 2/8/2020
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Rick Ludwin, the longtime NBC executive who championed “Seinfeld” and worked in late-night from the Johnny Carson era through Jimmy Fallon, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 71.
Ludwin was well-liked throughout the TV industry and was highly regarded as a student of the medium. He retired from NBC after 31 years in 2011. He was hired at NBC in 1980 by the legendary Brandon Tartikoff, who had worked with Ludwin at Wls-tv Chicago.
Ludwin died Sunday after a brief illness, NBC confirmed. In his retirement, Ludwin remained an active TV biz commentator on TV via his Twitter account, @riclud. His last tweet on Oct. 13 offered praise for a “Saturday Night Live” skit: “#SNL airing right now. Very funny movie trailer parody — From director Todd Phillips, “Grouch,” origin story of Oscar the Grouch. Great!!”
“Seinfeld” star Jerry Seinfeld said he felt it was a “privilege” to have known Ludwin. The...
Ludwin was well-liked throughout the TV industry and was highly regarded as a student of the medium. He retired from NBC after 31 years in 2011. He was hired at NBC in 1980 by the legendary Brandon Tartikoff, who had worked with Ludwin at Wls-tv Chicago.
Ludwin died Sunday after a brief illness, NBC confirmed. In his retirement, Ludwin remained an active TV biz commentator on TV via his Twitter account, @riclud. His last tweet on Oct. 13 offered praise for a “Saturday Night Live” skit: “#SNL airing right now. Very funny movie trailer parody — From director Todd Phillips, “Grouch,” origin story of Oscar the Grouch. Great!!”
“Seinfeld” star Jerry Seinfeld said he felt it was a “privilege” to have known Ludwin. The...
- 11/11/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Jim Bell, the veteran producer who has supervised NBC mainstays ranging from “Today” to its Olympics broadcasts, will leave the company, parting ways after spending a year as the executive in charge of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“The past year with Jimmy and the terrific team at the show has been a blast, and I will always be grateful for this opportunity,” Bell said in a prepared statement. “But after serious contemplation, I realized I did not want to extend my time at the show. Those thoughts are part of larger ones I have been having about my career, and what has emerged for me is a strong desire to delve into something new — to build on my experience in news, sports, and entertainment so I can broaden and deepen my leadership role in the content universe.”
He will be replaced on an interim basis by Gavin Purcell,...
“The past year with Jimmy and the terrific team at the show has been a blast, and I will always be grateful for this opportunity,” Bell said in a prepared statement. “But after serious contemplation, I realized I did not want to extend my time at the show. Those thoughts are part of larger ones I have been having about my career, and what has emerged for me is a strong desire to delve into something new — to build on my experience in news, sports, and entertainment so I can broaden and deepen my leadership role in the content universe.”
He will be replaced on an interim basis by Gavin Purcell,...
- 11/4/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Sokol Oct 4, 2019
Richard Rodgers wrote a musical for Diahann Carroll to star in after hearing her sing on The Tonight Show.
Pioneering TV, film and stage actor Diahann Carroll, who broke barriers as the star of the 60s series Julia, died of Friday in Los Angeles at 84 due to cancer, according to the Associated Press.
Carroll performed on stages in Las Vegas nightclubs, Broadway theaters, and feature film adaptations like Carmen Jones and Porgy & Bess before she was cast in the title role on the comedy Julia. Her character was the first time an African-American was cast as the star of a show in a non-servant role. Julia Baker was a nurse raising a young son as a single mother following the death of her husband in the Vietnam War. The series ran for 86 episodes on NBC between 1968 and 1971.
Carol Diahann Johnson was born in the Bronx, but grew up in Harlem,...
Richard Rodgers wrote a musical for Diahann Carroll to star in after hearing her sing on The Tonight Show.
Pioneering TV, film and stage actor Diahann Carroll, who broke barriers as the star of the 60s series Julia, died of Friday in Los Angeles at 84 due to cancer, according to the Associated Press.
Carroll performed on stages in Las Vegas nightclubs, Broadway theaters, and feature film adaptations like Carmen Jones and Porgy & Bess before she was cast in the title role on the comedy Julia. Her character was the first time an African-American was cast as the star of a show in a non-servant role. Julia Baker was a nurse raising a young son as a single mother following the death of her husband in the Vietnam War. The series ran for 86 episodes on NBC between 1968 and 1971.
Carol Diahann Johnson was born in the Bronx, but grew up in Harlem,...
- 10/4/2019
- Den of Geek
Singer and Tony-winning, Oscar-nominated actress Diahann Carroll, the first African American woman to star in her own TV series, has died at at her home in Los Angeles after a long bout with cancer. She was 84.
Her daughter, Suzanne Kay, confirmed the news.
Carroll is perhaps best remembered by younger audiences for her role as the conniving Dominique Deveraux on the nighttime soap “Dynasty” in the mid-’80s. But her first major television assignment was starring as the middle-class single mother Julia in a 1968 sitcom that was praised for featuring an African American in the title role — as much as it was criticized for ignoring the civil rights struggle. The series, which ran for three years, was a trailblazer in leading to greater visibility for African American characters on series television.
The actress characterized by svelte cosmopolitan sophistication had come to television via the musical theater. In the early 1960s...
Her daughter, Suzanne Kay, confirmed the news.
Carroll is perhaps best remembered by younger audiences for her role as the conniving Dominique Deveraux on the nighttime soap “Dynasty” in the mid-’80s. But her first major television assignment was starring as the middle-class single mother Julia in a 1968 sitcom that was praised for featuring an African American in the title role — as much as it was criticized for ignoring the civil rights struggle. The series, which ran for three years, was a trailblazer in leading to greater visibility for African American characters on series television.
The actress characterized by svelte cosmopolitan sophistication had come to television via the musical theater. In the early 1960s...
- 10/4/2019
- by Richard Natale
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.