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 90-Day Archives |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Dom Taylor, the chef who won Netflix‘s Five Star Chef, has died. He was 44. It was Taylor’s restaurant, The Good Front Room, that confirmed the “sudden passing” of the founder. “Dom was a visionary whose bold, joyful approach to celebrating the Caribbean cuisine of his childhood brought a fresh and exciting voice to London’s restaurant scene,” read the statement on the website. “His passion, talent and generosity touched so many people, and his legacy will continue to inspire those who had the privilege of knowing him and experiencing his food.” The statement continued, “He will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched during this incredibly difficult time. We kindly ask that everyone respects the privacy of Dom’s loved ones at this time.” The restaurant noted that they would remain open to “honor Dom’s legacy and continue the work he was so passionate about.” Chef Taylor won the sole season of Netflix’s 2023 culinary competition Five Star Chef with his family by his side, celebrating the moment. Ravneet Gill, who was a judge on the competition series, said of Chef Taylor’s death, “He was instantly captivating from the moment he stepped in front of us. He had a real sparkle in his eyes. He was warm, kind and incredibly talented. Dom cooked from the heart, and you could taste it. He was on the brink of so many exciting things.” Fellow judge Mike Reid also paid tribute to Chef Taylor after news of his death saying, “Dom Taylor was one of the good ones.” “What he built with The Good Front Room wasn’t just a restaurant. It was his heritage on a plate,” Reid added. “He took Caribbean cuisine somewhere it had never been in this country, and he did it his way. He was warm, funny and completely unpretentious about his talent.” |
posted 7/17/2026 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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Today, Netflix announced that it is bringing the world of MONOPOLY, based on Hasbro's iconic board game, to life in a brand-new competition series, where you'll need strategy, alliances, and dealmaking to pass Go! In partnership with Hasbro Entertainment and Produced by Studio Lambert (Squid Game: The Challenge, The Circle), the series will see contestants compete for a chance to win $2 million. · On a life-sized, fully realized Monopoly Town Square, 12 players will enter on equal footing. But equality won't last long. To survive, contestants must accumulate everything, or lose it all. Every negotiation, every decision, and every roll could mean the difference between building an empire and going directly to jail. One by one, bankrupt players are eliminated - until a single winner is left standing to take it all. Casting is now open for a 2027 release date. "Monopoly" is produced by Studio Lambert & Hasbro Entertainment for Netflix. Gabriel Marano & Zachary Edwin executive produce for Hasbro. Nia Yemoh, Tim HArcourt, Jack Burgess, Stephen Lambert, and Kim Murphy executive produce for Studio Lambert. |
posted 7/16/2026 |
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More on "Chase Around the World" |
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Bradley Walsh and the Chasers swap the studio for Europe in ITV's new gameshow The Chase Around The World, with six teams competing for £100,000. This brand-new six-part series sees six pairs of contestants attempt to track down the biggest brains in Britain - all six of The Chasers - in undisclosed locations around the globe. Unravelling puzzles along the way, the winning pair will pit their knowledge against The Chasers in order to win a life-changing prize pot. The Chase Around the World commission builds on the global phenomenon of the most successful and enduring quiz show format, The Chase. Commissioned in 22 territories worldwide, including the US, with spin-off Beat The Chasers in 11, the series recently celebrated an incredible 17 years on ITV and has been the recipient of numerous awards. MEET THE CAST The Chase Around The World begins Thursday 16th July on ITV1. |
posted 7/16/2026 |
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Fox will have a very traditional rollout of its fall schedule this year. The network has set its premiere dates for the start of the 2026-27 TV season, and aside from its two nights of live sports, all of them will come in the week of Sept. 21 — the first week of the Nielsen-measured season. As has been the case for the past few seasons, Fox’s fall slate is heavy on unscripted and sports programming. The exceptions are on Tuesday nights, where Best Medicine and Doc will premiere Sept. 22, and Sundays, where season 38(!) of The Simpsons leads off a comedy block beginning Sept. 27.. The unscripted slates for Fox on Monday (Celebrity Name That Tune and Celebrity Weakest Link), Wednesday (The Floor and 99 to Beat) and Thursday (Hell’s Kitchen and Special Forces) are unchanged from last fall. Fox will save its two new dramas, Baywatch and The Interrogator, and a new reality series called Marriage Market for later in the season. Returning shows American Dad!, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Krapopolis, Memory of a Killer and Murder in a Small Town, along with a host of unscripted series, are also on deck for 2027 premieres. FOX FALL 2026-27 SCHEDULE (All Times ET/PT) with premiere dates. New series in all caps, game shows are in bold. MONDAY FOX's midseason slate will include: Additional programming to be announced. |
posted 7/16/2026 |
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More on "Special Forces" Season 5 |
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A new celebrity cast of characters is up for the challenge of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test. The season 5 contestants of the competition show were revealed by FOX on Wednesday, and they include everyone from sitcom actors to reality TV stars and A-list athletes. The 15 trainees who’ve agreed to endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual special forces selection process include Candace Cameron Bure (Full House), David Charvet (Baywatch), Brandi Glanville (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Collin Gosselin (Jon & Kate Plus 8), and Oliver Hudson (Rules of Engagement). This season, the celebrity recruits will be deployed in Malaysia to take on intense challenges in “the most hostile environment a soldier could operate in... the jungle,” according to FOX’s press release. Recruits will “adapt to uncomfortable conditions, unpredictable terrain and harsh jungle warfare tasks” as they endure challenges such as a claustrophobic, high-pressure search of an underground bunker to find crucial military weapons, a supply load retrieval while suspended 300 feet above the jungle floor, and a chemical gassing while finding coordinates of an enemy vessel. In this experiment, the celebrities try to survive demanding training exercises led by the Directing Staff (DS) Rudy Reyes, Billy Billingham, Jason “Foxy” Fox, and Jovon “Q” Quarles, an elite team of ex-special forces operatives. They will guide the recruits while testing them to see who has the guts and glory to make it to the end. Season 5 premieres Thursday, Sept. 24 at 9 p.m. ET. The recruits... |
posted 7/16/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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"The Challenge" Is Moving |
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Get ready for the ultimate test of grit, strategy, and teamwork. Today, Paramount+ announced the premiere date for Season 42 of MTV's The Challenge: Cutthroat, unveiling the official trailer and first-look images for the highly anticipated new season beginning on August 5. This new chapter, taking place entirely in the vibrant, and lush landscape of Thailand, features a mix of legendary veterans and fearless newcomers for the franchise's most intense game yet. Each test will push the 24 fierce titans past their breaking points in a ruthless battle for a share of the $500,000 grand prize. In this bold new era, the Challengers will be divided into three teams and the only way to take home a share of the cash prize, is to cross the finish line together as a unit. To win, nominated captains must balance their hunger for dominance with the need for loyalty, or risk losing their power while solo players must prove they can be team players or lose their chance at the winnings. Meet the Challengers: MTV's The Challenge: Cutthroat was created for MTV by Bunim/Murray Productions, part of the media and entertainment group, Banijay Entertainment. Julie Pizzi, Justin Booth and Jacob Lane serve as Executive Producers for Bunim/Murray, with Diego Amson, Brad Tiemann and Joe Awgul serving as Co-Executive Producers, and Margaret Morales as Supervising Producer. Benjamin Hurvitz and Melissa Tallerine serve as Executive Producers with Angela Liao serving as Executive in Charge of Production for MTV. |
posted 7/15/2026 |
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More on "Big Break x Good Good" |
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Golf Channel today announced the cast for the upcoming season of Big Break x Good Good presented by Golf Galaxy, premiering Tuesday, August 25, at 9 p.m. ET on Golf Channel and streaming next day on GolfPass. The popular reality competition series features 12 highly skilled golfers competing in a series of unique golf challenges to claim the Big Break title and a spot in the PGA TOUR's Good Good Championship in November. The 11 confirmed competitors include an eclectic and entertaining mix of talented golfers from across the industry. Good Good Golf's Sean Walsh and Matt Meneghetti were the first two competitors chosen for the competition when the return of the series was announced last year, and they will be joined by characters such as Asaeli Marika "Bat" Batibasaga, a friend and former caddie for PGA TOUR golfer Jason Day, World Long Driver Josh Jackson, the son of former professional football player John Jackson, and World No. 1 disabled golfer Kipp Popert, a four-time U.S. Adaptive Open winner. The final spot in Big Break x Good Good will be determined by the first-ever "Big Break Qualifier" on August 7, which premieres exclusively on GolfPass that day before airing on Golf Channel Monday, August 24. New England golfer Fletcher Babcock, Californian Murphy Scott, and Nick Bienz, a Golf Galaxy associate in Indiana, will compete for the 12th spot. Beginning with the August 25th premiere, Golf Channel will air ten episodes of the Big Break x Good Good presented by Golf Galaxy every Tuesday night at 9 p.m. ET through October 27. New episodes will be available to stream next day on GolfPass, the always-on destination for Big Break fans, with past season and specials also available to stream. |
posted 7/15/2026 |
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Scott Bryce, As the World Turns’ original Craig Montgomery who played the cunning anti-hero across three decades, has died. He was 68. News of Bryce’s death was first announced on Sunday by his longtime friend Lucie Arnaz — the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz — who paid tribute to Bryce in a now-deleted Facebook post, per soap journalist Michael Fairman’s website. “A wonderful actor, a beautiful man and a terrific husband and father, Scott Bryce, passed tonight,” Arnaz began her post. “I am going to miss his eyes, his smile, his wit, his brain, his intelligence, his talent, his bravery, his laugh and his hugs. Dearest Jodi, dear Jackson, he’s watching over you now from a place of pure joy and will always be your guide. But I hate these goodbyes. Rest in peace you marvelous, magnificent man.” Bryce was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal and stomach cancer in 2025. The actor underwent treatment and later assured fans that he was “on the mend.” However, Arnaz stated that the cancer returned in her post. Bryce debuted on As the World Turns in 1982 as the charming but oft self-destructive Craig Montgomery, known for his manipulative schemes and unlucky romances. He was at one point paired with Meg Ryan’s Betsy, despite her love for Frank Runyeon’s Steve Andropoulos. The plot line marked one of the show’s most infamous love triangles. Craig and Betsy eventually going their separate ways, paving the way for her to reignite her romance with Steve. Bryce would remain with the show until 1991, but returned from 1993 to 1994 and again from 2007 to 2008. During his tenure, Bryce received Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1986 and 1987. Bryce additionally appeared on episodes of Blue Bloods, Homeland, 30 Rock, Sex and the City, The Golden Girls, and more. His most recent acting role was on an episode of The Blacklist in 2021. In game shows, Bryce appeared on episodes of Tattletales and The $100,000 Pyramid. Bryce is survived by wife Jodi Stevens, who he wed in 2003, and their son, Jackson.
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posted 7/14/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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“Dmrasbecl Pu” Nsasoe 2 si niogcm. “Scrambled Up” Season 2 is coming. The syndicated game show has been renewed for its second season starting Sept. 14. Shooting has started in Atlanta on 160 new episodes, doubling the show’s total episode count. Season 2 will premiere on stations in more than 20 new cities, including Orlando, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Honolulu. The show is also available on Samsung TV Plus, which recently launched a dedicated 24/7 “Scrambled Up” channel in the U.S. and Canada. “Scrambled Up” features four contestants who solve jumbled words and phrases as they unscramble. The player who buzzes in with the most correct answers earns a shot at the $10,000 grand prize. The show airs Monday-Friday, and its format is designed for viewers to play along at home. “’Scrambled Up’ is exactly the kind of smart, joyful, highly playable show that belongs in the daily game-show conversation,” says Michael Eisner, founder of The Tornante Company, one of the show’s producers. “The entire team has built a format that is instantly accessible and genuinely fun, and Michael Yo is an outstanding host whose warmth, timing and energy make viewers want to play along every day.” Emmy-nominated actor, comedian and television personality Michael Yo hosts the show, created by Cleve Keller and Dave Noll of Keller/Noll (“Chopped,” “America Says”) and distributed by Playing Field Entertainment. |
posted 7/14/2026 |
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More on "Cocktail Wars" |
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E!, the go-to destination for high-quality pop culture and entertainment news, today announced the premiere date for its new, original competition show Cocktail Wars. Hosted by Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, the ten-episode mixology series will premiere on Tuesday, August 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back episodes on E!. This season, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone are joined by expert mixologist Melissa Brooke and an all-star lineup of celebrity guest judges, including Emmy(R) winning anchor and author Rachel Maddow (MS NOW's The Rachel Maddow Show), Golden Globe(R) nominee Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls, Reminders of Him), Emmy(R) winner Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy), reality TV icons Ramona Singer and Sonja Morgan (E!'s The Golden Life), Melissa Gorga (The Real Housewives of New Jersey), Adam Scherr also known as WWE Icon Braun Strowman (USA Network's Everything on the Menu), actress and recording artist Peppermint (Survival of the Thickest, Head Over Heels), actor and singer Nathan Lee Graham (Theater Camp, Zoolander), comedian and actor Devon Walker (Saturday Night Live); and Live from E! Host Justin Sylvester. In a series of themed challenges, Cocktail Wars pits America's buzziest mixologists against each other in a lively, high-stakes competition with $10,000 on the line in every episode. Each installment showcases a fast, fiery battle of skill, creativity, humor, and flair. From playful flavor combinations to eye-catching technique, the focus is on having a good time, taking risks, and serving up drinks with personality. Each shake, stir, and splash could be the winning touch or the one that sends them home. It's a cocktail competition where the vibes are high, the drinks are strong, and the bragging rights are everything. Cocktail Wars is executive produced by Texas Crew Productions, Innovative Ideas Productions, and R&D Media. David Karabinas, Rick Cikowski, Chip Rives, James Macnab and Brad Bernstein are executive producers for Texas Crew; Jonathan Bonchick and David Silverman are executive producers for Innovative Idea; Russ McCarroll is showrunner and executive producer for R&D. |
posted 7/14/2026 |
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More Slamming |
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Alan Carr's "addictively play-along quiz show" will be returning to the BBC for its fourth season. Picture Slam sees The Celebrity Traitors winner put contestants' knowledge to the test with a series of images which they must correctly identify for the chance to win the £10,000 jackpot. This series promises something different, as Carr will be joined by a few celebrity guests across two specials, including Sue Cleaver, Charlie Brooks, Richie Anderson, Jason Mohammad, Lee Latchford-Evans, Kelle Bryan, Will Best, Fleur East, Gareth Malone, Steph McGovern, Ellie Taylor and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell. There's also a celebrity Christmas special scheduled for later on this year, with names to be revealed soon. |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Never mind Hatfields and the McCoys. Forget the Capulets and the Montagues. The biggest Family Feud, for our money, is the game show that’s been pitting house against house for 50 years now. Family Feud premiered on July 12, 1976, as the brainchild of Mark Goodson, a game show producer behind The Price Is Right, Match Game, and Password. “The greatest challenge in the world is to invent a new game,” Goodson once explained, per The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows. “A good game show must actively involve the viewer. A good game show seeks the simplest, sparest framework. A good game show will have the viewer talking out loud to the TV.” Goodson succeeded on all counts with Family Feud, which has run in some iteration almost continuously for half a century now. In the first-ever Family Feud episode, the Moseley family played the Abramowitzes, and the game show’s first-ever question challenged the dueling clans to name famous Georges. (In a sign of the times, the most popular survey answers to that question were inaugural U.S. President George Washington, yes, but also comedians George Burns and George Gobel, actor George Jessel, and wrestler Gorgeous George.) Family Feud debuted on ABC on July 12, 1976, and ranked as the #1 game show on daytime TV within a year. Richard Dawson, a Hogan’s Heroes actor and Match Game panelist, was the game show’s first host, though he revealed in a 2010 Television Academy interview that William Shatner was “on the leading edge” of getting the gig. Dawson went on to get a Daytime Emmy for his work. The first syndicated Family Feud premiered in primetime a little more than a year after the ABC version hit daytime TV. By September 1980, the former was running five shows a week, and it ranked as the top-rated syndicated game show from 1978 to 1984. Family Feud returned to the screen on CBS on July 4, 1988, with Ray Combs, a comedian who’d gotten a standing ovation on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1986, as host. In 1992, the show expanded to an hour-long format and got the moniker Family Feud Challenge, according to Game Show Confidential. Another syndicated Family Feud, later dubbed The New Family Feud, followed just weeks after the CBS edition. Combs hosted until 1994, when producers brought back Dawson, who’d by then married previous Family Feud contestant Gretchen Johnson, as the game show’s website reports. A third syndicated version debuted in 1999, with stand-up comic Louie Anderson emceeing. Home Improvement alum Richard Karn took over hosting duties from 2002, followed by Seinfeld actor John O’Hurley in 2006, and comedian Steve Harvey in 2010. |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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"Love Island: Beyond the Villa" Renewed for Season 3 |
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Love Island USA spinoff Love Island: Beyond the Villa has been renewed for a third season on Peacock. The lifestyle series follows the Islanders from the dating series after they leave the Love Island USA villa, as they adapt to their newfound fame. The cast for the series will be confirmed later this year, with Season 3 set to premiere in 2027. Season 2 cast of the series featured Love Island USA Season 7 winners Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales. Although the couple split after their exit, the series chronicled how they mended things as they moved up. Other cast members featured included Gracyn Blackmore, Jeremiah Brown, Clarke Carraway, José “Pepe” García-González, Andreina Santos, Chris Seeley, Coco Watson, Taylor Williams, and more. |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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Let's Run It Back |
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CBS today announced a special summer rewatch event honoring the landmark 50th season of the Emmy Award-nominated reality competition series SURVIVOR, with the Network re-airing the entire milestone season beginning Monday, July 20, 8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT (see schedule below for additional dates) on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.* Viewers can relive every blindside, breakthrough alliance and unforgettable Tribal Council from one of the most ambitious and talked-about seasons in the franchise's history. The special programming event gives fans the opportunity to experience the season again from the very beginning. Featuring fan-favorite returning players, epic strategic battles and unforgettable moments that had audiences talking all season long, SURVIVOR 50 showcased everything that has made the series a cultural phenomenon for 25 years. From the opening marooning to the crowning of the Sole Survivor, the season delivered the kind of gameplay worthy of the franchise's golden milestone. As fans prepare for the "open era" of SURVIVOR, the re-airing offers a chance to revisit the landmark season while counting down to SURVIVOR 51. |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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Feeling Lucky? |
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Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), the Japanese company behind the Ninja Warrior format, and A. Smith & Co. Productions, which produces the U.S. version for NBC, have teamed up again on another competition series. The two companies are developing Dumb Luck, a series based on Japanese format Kisuke, for the U.S. They have already produced a two-hour special that aired in Japan that won its time slot before shopping the project to U.S. buyers. The series is based entirely on chance. A group of lucky contestants, who require no smarts, zero skill and absolutely no strength or stamina, are pitted against each other in rounds of luck-based obstacles where they pick their poison and pray they avoid the predetermined punishment, which could include freezing water, electric shocks and explosive flour cannons. Dumb Luck was spearheaded by TBS International, the company’s U.S. arm, which has been ramping up its efforts in the States. It recently hired Elwin de Groot, who co-created Fox music competition series The Four, as Senior Non-Fiction Development Executive. Kisuke launched in Japan in 2024, initially as a segment on its daily morning variety program Love It! before it was expanded out. The special was produced by Yoshimi Ito and Takuma Inoue with Haruhiko Yasuoka as chief director. “As it happens, Kisuke’s evolution was far from luck,” said Goshu Segawa, VP, TBS International. “We saw its universality, comedy-based nature and ability to offer something quite different in today’s market. We quickly decided that A. Smith & Co. were the ideal partners for developing Dumb Luck and believe it will win over American audiences just as Ninja Warrior has.” “We’re always looking to push boundaries in unscripted formats, and Dumb Luck does that with its fresh and wildly fun take on competition television that’s driven by the one thing no one can predict: chance,” added Eli Baldrige, EVP of Development at A. Smith & Co. Productions. “TBS and A. Smith have a longstanding track record of creating shows that connect, entertain and sustain, and we’re excited to once again partner to bring this show and its bold, comedic energy to life for U.S. audiences.” |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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"The Wall" Heads to Italy |
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One of television’s most spectacular game shows, The Wall, returns to Italy from Monday July 13 in the prime access slot on Canale 5. Featuring its iconic 12-metre-high wall, which can change contestants’ lives in an instant, the new edition of the format will be hosted by Max Giusti, who will entertain viewers throughout the summer, seven days a week. Based on the original format The Wall, created by LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Andrew Glassman, which recently concluded its sixth season on NBC, a new Italian adaptation has been commissioned by Mediaset following the success of its first two seasons. Produced by RTI in association with Fremantle, and in collaboration with Glassman Media, The SpringHill Company and Universal Television Alternative Studio, the format is executive produced by Jessica Otazua. But there is still one final challenge: the brand-new Lucky Ball. One last decisive throw that can either wipe out everything won in front of the Wall or add up to €100,000 to the final prize! |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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Sam Neill, the legendary New Zealand actor who was best known for his role as Alan Grant in Jurassic Park, has died at 78. His family announced the “unexpected” news on Instagram early Monday morning. “It is with immense sadness that the whānau of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia,” the post began. “Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement continued. “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free. They would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care. More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.” In 2023, Neill revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, the year prior. “I can’t pretend that the last year hasn’t had its dark moments,” Neill said at the time in an interview with the Guardian. “But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just pleased to be alive.” In a 2023 interview with Australian Story, Neill called dying “very irritating.” “But I’m not afraid of it,” he said. In April, he announced that he was cancer-free after undergoing CAR T-cell therapy, a new treatment that genetically modifies patients’ blood cells and is in clinical trials in Australia. “I’ve had a scan just now, and there is no cancer in my body. This is an extraordinary thing,” Neill told the Australian program 7NEWS. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon remembered Neill as “one of the greats.” “He started out when there was barely a film industry in this country to speak of. For more than fifty years he took New Zealand stories to the world and his talents helped make our film industry into what it is today – one of our greatest cultural exports,” Luxon wrote on X. “His work will be watched and loved long after all of us. Our thoughts are with his family and friends tonight.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Neill “earned a special place in Australian hearts” after starring in “so many beloved Australian stories.” “Wry and dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humour and conviction that gave strength to his every performance,” he wrote on X. “He will be much mourned and long remembered.” In game shows, Neill was featured on episodes of "I Literally Just Told You" and "Dancing with the Stars". Neill is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
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posted 7/13/2026 |
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A former newsreader and Eggheads presenter has died aged 68, his family has revealed. Dermot Murnaghan was known as the host of BBC Breakfast and later Sky News Tonight, as well as presenting BBC quiz show, Eggheads, from 2003 until 2014. Murnaghan was born in Barnstaple, Devon, in December 1957, and died at his London home on Saturday morning, July 11. It comes just a year after he revealed a diagnosis of Stage 4 prostate cancer in June 2025. His family released a short statement saying: "It is with great sadness that the family of Dermot Murnaghan announces that he passed away at home in North London earlier this morning (11th July) at the age of 68 following a period of illness with prostate cancer. He died peacefully with his family at his side. "The family wish to thank the medical teams who cared for Dermot with such sensitivity and extraordinary compassion throughout his illness; also, for the many, many kind messages of goodwill that he received over the last year since his diagnosis of Stage IV prostate cancer and his subsequent campaigning to raise awareness for screening programmes for the disease. "In accordance with his wishes, the funeral will be a small family ceremony. A memorial service for friends and colleagues will follow at St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street (the Journalists’ Church) later this year. "The family request that anyone wishing to remember him considers supporting Prostate Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer Research and North London Hospice so that others may benefit from the research and care he received." |
posted 7/13/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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A 26-year-old white British man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering former MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe. The ex-Tory prisons minister was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries aged 78. Devon and Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said the 26-year-old suspect was arrested at an address in Newton Abbot on Friday. He said the case was “not being treated as terrorism” and there was “no information” at this time to suggest it was a “politically-motivated crime”. He said: “This is an extremely tragic incident. Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of Miss Widdecombe in this very difficult time.” Police are remaining “open-minded” about the motive for the attack and it was too early to comment on whether the suspect was known to Miss Widdecombe. The former MP and Strictly Come Dancing star's agents, Cloud 9 Management, have confirmed Ann's passing. They said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that today we announce the death of The Right Honourable Ann Widdecombe, DSG. "We send our deepest condolences to Ann's family and friends." Widdecombe, who was known for her honest opinions, was Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, from 1987 until 2010, and she had several ministerial positions, including Shadow Home Secretary and Minister of State for Prisons, under former Prime Minister John Major, in the 1990s. She later defected to Nigel Farage's then-Brexit Party in 2019. While she was best known as a politician, Ann became an even bigger household name in 2010 when she appeared on Strictly. She was paired with popular professional dancer Anton Du Beke, and despite regularly scoring low marks, the pair defied the odds and reached Week 10 of the program before they were eliminated. During her Strictly journey, she was infamously described as a "Dalek in drag" by then-show judge Bruno Tonioli. She even made a dancefloor comeback in 2018, for the Strictly Christmas special. As well as her Strictly stint, Ann also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, finishing runner-up to winner Courtney Act in series 21. During the series, she was criticised over her comments regarding the Harvey Weinstein controversy. Some of Ann's other TV credits included hosting quiz show Have I Got News For You twice, in 2006 and 2007, which resulted in comedian Paul Merton dubbing her as the "queen of comedy". What's more, Ann hosted quiz show Cleverdicks, guest hosted an episode of BBC's Songs of Praise, appeared in the BBC series Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, and she starred in the new celebrity version of The Crystal Maze. Tyler is survived by her husband of 53 years, Robert Sullivan, as well as her six siblings and numerous nieces, nephews, and godchildren. She had no children. |
posted 7/10/2026 |
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AI Enters the Hot Seat |
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Google India and Sony Pictures Networks India are teaming up to bring Google Gemini into the new season of “Kaun Banega Crorepati?” turning the AI chatbot into an interactive knowledge companion for the long-running quiz show. The collaboration integrates Gemini across Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV, weaving the AI tool into the “KBC” experience from contestant registration through general knowledge preparation. Google’s assistant will also be embedded directly within the show’s content. On the Gemini app, users can already access step-by-step guidance on “KBC” registration requirements and criteria. Interactive challenges designed to sharpen general knowledge across a range of subjects are set to roll out soon. Registrations for the new season are now open. Nachiket Pantvaidya, chief content officer at Sony Pictures Networks India, said: “Through our collaboration with Google Gemini, we are bringing together the legacy of ‘KBC’ with the power of Google Gemini’s Artificial Intelligence for households across India.” Kanika Kalra, director of marketing at Google India, added: “We hope to serve as an interactive knowledge companion for millions of households, giving viewers and aspirants an engaging, intuitive way to explore new topics, expand their preparation, and satisfy their quest for learning.” “KBC,” India’s adaptation of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” premiered in 2000 and has aired on Sony Entertainment Television since 2010. It is hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. Sony LIV, SPNI’s streaming platform, will carry the show alongside the television broadcast. |
posted 7/10/2026 |
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Randolph Mantooth, the actor best known for headlining NBC’s Emergency in the 1970s, has died. The actor behind John Roderick “Johnny” Gage on the medical drama died at age 80 in Ventura, Calif., on Thursday after battling several different cancers over the years, his brother Donald told TMZ. Mantooth played Johnny, a romantically challenged young paramedic, on every episode of Emergency across its six seasons between 1972 and 1977. He also starred in several subsequent Emergency TV movies that followed the show’s main run. Mantooth also voiced Johnny in the animated spinoff Emergency +4. Born Randy DeRoy Mantooth in Sacramento, Calif., in 1945, Mantooth studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. He lengthened his first name to Randolph as a stage name, and earned acclaim for his performance in a production of Philadelphia, Here I Come! That play opened the door for his screen debut in a 1970 episode of Matt Lincoln, followed by a pair of eps of The Bold Ones: The Senator that same year. After appearances on shows like Night Gallery, McCloud, and Alias Smith and Jones in the early 1970s, he boarded Emergency in 1972. The popularity of Emergency — a spinoff of Adam-12, which itself was a spinoff of Dragnet — coincided with the widespread adoption of emergency medical services across the United States. Mantooth remained an advocate for emergency personnel for the rest of his career, working alongside organizations like the International Association of Firefighters and the County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association. R Mantooth later appeared as Alex Masters on over 300 episodes of the ABC soap opera Loving between 1987 and 1995, and reprised the role in nearly 200 episodes of the spinoff The City in the 1990s. The actor had stints on several other prominent soaps, portraying Hal Munson in 35 eps of As the World Turns and playing Kirk Harmon in 11 episodes of One Life to Live in the 2000s. Mantooth also guested on shows like Charlie’s Angels, Fantasy Island, Dallas, MacGyver, Baywatch, General Hospital, ER, and Criminal Minds. His final screen performance came in the 2013 horror film Killer Holiday, and he appeared in the 2014 doc Actor? A Documentary. In game shows, Mantooth appeared on episodes of The Hollywood Squares and The Star Games. Mantooth had been married to Kristen Connors since 2002. He was previously married to Rose Parra from 1978 to 1991. Mantooth is also survived by his brother Donald, his sister Tonya.
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posted 7/10/2026 |
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More on "Holey Moley UK" |
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ITV has announced the commission of Holey Moley, bringing the global smash‑hit extreme mini‑golf show to the UK in a four‑part entertainment event hosted by the inimitable duo — and golf fanatics — Ant & Dec. The 4×60 series will air during the first quarter of 2027. Co‑produced by Talkback Thames (a Fremantle label) and Mitre Studios, Holey Moley turns mini‑golf into an adrenaline‑charged primetime event. This is mini‑golf — supersized. Contestants will take on an epic, off‑the‑wall, visually jaw‑dropping course filled with inventive obstacles, physical challenges, and laugh‑out‑loud jeopardy. The series brings together the UK’s most passionate mini‑golfers — from top‑tier professionals to enthusiastic amateurs — all fearless everyday thrill‑seekers. It delivers skill, spectacle, and Ant & Dec’s trademark comedic mischief in equal measure. Expect big swings, bigger laughs, and can’t‑miss family entertainment. Each episode features eight players going head‑to‑head for the coveted Holey Moley golden putter, green plaid jacket, and a fantastic prize. To get there, contestants must enter the Holey Moley alternate universe and combine precision putting with stamina and nerve as they take on ambitious, larger‑than‑life holes. F rom spinning windmills and exploding obstacles to slippery slopes and surprise hazards, competitors must rely on skill, agility, and determination to stay in the game. Ant & Dec will host, joined throughout the series by a lineup of famous faces who add to the fun. Ant said: "This show is absolutely perfect for us. It's all about pure fun and entertainment for the whole family from start to finish. Anyone who knows us knows we are adore golf, but you don’t need to be a golf fanatic to enjoy it, there's something for everyone!" Dec said: "Holey Moley blends the game with huge entertaining moments that the whole family can sit down together, watch and enjoy. It’s epic, bold and full of laughs. We're really excited to bring the show to the UK! " Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment, Reality & Daytime Commissioning ITV, adds: “We couldn’t be more excited to announce a brand-new entertainment format presented by Ant & Dec. Holey Moley is brilliantly competitive and enormous fun, making it a compelling watch for all.” Charlie Irwin, Managing Director of Talkback Thames, says: “Holey Moley is big, it’s funny and it’s unapologetically entertaining. It’s already demonstrated its strength as a global entertainment format, combining scale, humour and genuine competitive jeopardy so with Ant & Dec at the helm, it’s perfect for ITV and we’re delighted to be bringing it to UK audiences.” Gemma Nightingale, Head of Entertainment at Mitre Studios, said: “Holey Moley is a fantastically fun format that’s perfect for the whole family. It has a bit of everything; ambition, tension, laugh-out-loud moments and of course Ant & Dec, who’ll be teeing off all the action. We can’t wait to introduce ITV viewers to the crazy world of Holey Moley." Casting for Holey Moley is now open, with applications accepted through May 15. The public can apply by visiting talkbackthames.com/takepart. |
posted 7/10/2026 |
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"Winner Takes" France |
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rance Télévisions has commissioned the first international adaptation of Talpa Studios' entertainment format "The Winner Takes It All," marking a new milestone for the John de Mol-owned company as it continues to expand the global footprint of its original intellectual property. The French version will be produced by Satisfaction Group, following the show's successful debut on SBS6 in the Netherlands and its subsequent renewal for a second season. Alexandra Redde-Amiel, Head of Entertainment and Gameshows at France Télévisions, said: "The Floor has been a great success on our channels, and we're excited to introduce another proven Talpa Studios format to French audiences with The Winner Takes It All. The outstanding ratings in the Netherlands have already established the format as the country's leading talent show, and we are confident it will resonate just as strongly with our audiences." Arthur Essebag, Founder of Satisfaction Group, added: "Our collaboration with Talpa Studios continues to be a great success. We are delighted to be the first country to launch the very first international adaptation of this highly promising format." Sebastian van Barneveld, Director of Global Distribution at Talpa Studios, said: "We’re very proud to see The Winner Takes It All travel to France with such outstanding partners. The show's success in the Netherlands comes from a distinctive mix of talent, strategy and knockout suspense, with contestants constantly weighing their chances against the performer next to them. At the same time, it offers broadcasters and platforms a unique opportunity to reintroduce familiar and beloved former talent show winners, extending the value of existing talent brands while introducing a fresh, premium entertainment show." The commission follows a strong performance in its home market, where "The Winner Takes It All" became SBS6's biggest talent show launch in the past five years. The first season delivered an average 15.8% market share among viewers aged 25-59 (Live+0), significantly outperforming the broadcaster's average for the same timeslot. Five of the season's eight episodes attracted more than one million viewers, while the finale reached a peak market share of 20% (Live+0, 25-59), highlighting the format's audience appeal. "The Winner Takes It All" features 50 singers, each positioned on an individual square across a large LED floor, with every square linked to a different hit song. Contestants compete in head-to-head singing duels against neighboring rivals, with winners taking over their opponent's position while eliminated contestants leave the competition immediately. As the contest progresses, the strongest performers advance to the grand finale, where they compete for the €100,000 prize. By combining vocal performances with strategic gameplay and elimination mechanics, the format offers a new take on the traditional talent competition. |
posted 7/10/2026 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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Banijay, All3Media Complete Merger |
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Banijay Entertainment and All3Media have completed their merger, creating a new London-based production and distribution giant that makes and sells shows including The Traitors, Big Brother, MasterChef and Peaky Blinders. The combined $8BN entity is called Banijay Entertainment. Coming shortly after the Sky-ITV deal, which redraws the UK TV landscape, this merger reshapes the international TV market. It creates a new business with hundreds of thousands of hours of programming and almost 200 production companies and labels. The deal, now completed, was announced in March. Banijay Group and RedBird IMI, the joint venture between RedBird Capital Partners and Abu Dhabi-based IMI media group, inked a deal to merge the two companies. The partners said the combined entity would have generated pro forma revenues of €7.4BN ($8.5BN) based on 2024 numbers. They added that the merger will result in €50M ($57M) in cost savings. Marco Bassetti, who was CEO of Banijay Entertainment, becomes CEO of the newly formed group. Jane Turton, formerly CEO of All3Media, becomes Deputy CEO. Jeff Zucker, CEO of RedBird IMI, takes the role of Chairman of the Board of the new combined entity. Banijay has about 130 production companies across the world. All3Media, which is largely based in the UK, U.S. and Germany, has around 40. The newly combined business has a huge catalog exceeding 265,000 hours. Each previously had a dedicated distribution arm, under Cathy Payne for Banijay Rights and Louise Pedersen at All3Media International. “This is the world’s largest independent media content company by catalog, by hours, production, by any measure, with an enterprise value of $8 billion and equity value of $5 billion,” Zucker told Deadline when the deal was announced. Today, Zucker said: “The completion of this merger marks a new era in global entertainment and creates a new independent leader in that category. With Marco and Jane we have the finest leadership team anywhere and I am excited to watch the company grow. This also marks a milestone for RedBird IMI, in only its third year, to play such a leading role in the global entertainment stage.” |
posted 7/9/2026 |
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Alex Horne Is Bringing Tasking Home |
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Channel 4 has commissioned a pilot of a brand new game show from Taskmaster's Alex Horne. Currently titled Your Time Starts Now, the show will see UK households compete against one another in a number of tasks without ever leaving their homes. It's a similar premise to Horne's former BBC show The Button, while also building on the popular HomeTasking series that took place online during the COVID lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. Channel 4 has confirmed that Your Time Starts Now is "set in the Taskmaster universe" and has been developed by Horne and Taskmaster director/producer Andy Devonshire. Horne said of the pilot: "I've had the pleasure of being in the room while countless comedians have tried and usually failed on Taskmaster and I've learnt that for the most part, that lot are sneaky loveable idiots. "With Your Time Starts Now, I'm now excited and intrigued to see how the rest of the country can cope doing simple things under the pressure of time-constraints, dogged rivals and my own snarky gaze. "Good luck people of the UK. I shall be watching." |
posted 7/9/2026 |
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Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer behind bombastic 1980s hits including "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out For A Hero," has died. She was 75 years old. The news was shared on her website and official social media channels. "Bonnie's family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for," the statement reads. In May, Tyler was admitted to a hospital near her home in Faro, Portugal for emergency intestinal surgery. Following the procedure, her official website announced that she had been placed in an induced coma for recovery. In game shows, Tyler represented the UK in Eurovision 2013. She also appeared on episodes of The X Factor, Star Academy, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Celebrity Duets, BingoLotto, Die Pyramide, and Big Brother's Bit on the Side. Tyler is survived by her husband of 53 years, Robert Sullivan, as well as her six siblings and numerous nieces, nephews, and godchildren. She had no children. |
posted 7/9/2026 |
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Joanna Pettet, the retired actress known for starring in The Group and Casino Royale, died on Tuesday, July 7. The British and Canadian star was 83. A cause of death has yet to be announced. Pettet’s friend and former manager Pam DuBois told The Hollywood Reporter that she died at California’s Temecula Valley Hospital. In a Wednesday, July 8, Facebook post, DuBois noted that Pettet died 31 years to the day after the loss of her 26-year-old son Damien Cord, whom she shared with Airwolf star Alex Cord (her husband from 1968 to 1989). Damien died in 1995 of a heroin overdose. “We all loved Jo- But there was one person who loved her more. And yesterday on the 31st anniversary of his death. Damien Zach took his mother to heaven and there she will stay with him forever,” wrote DuBois. Born in London in 1942 and raised in Montreal after her father was killed in WWII, Pettet moved to New York City at age 16 and studied acting. After starring in three Broadway comedies in the early 1960s, she made the jump from theater to film in 1966’s Sidney Lumet-directed The Group, about eight Vassar graduates, costarring Candice Bergen, Joan Hackett and Jessica Walter. The following year she made a splash in three films: The Night of the Generals, Robbery and Casino Royale. In the latter, a spy parody James Bond film, Pettet played the scantily clad Mata Bond, daughter of Bond (David Niven) and Mata Hari. She also played Terence Stamp‘s love interest in the 1968 Western film Blue. Despite her early film entries, Pettet would find a more prolific schedule in TV. She appeared in such 1960s and ’70s series as Route 77, The Doctors, The Fugitive, Dr. Kildare, Mannix, Banacek, Medical Center, Police Story, Police Woman and four episodes of the Rod Serling thriller anthology Night Gallery from 1970-72. In the ’80s, she appeared in Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Knight Rider and, in a recurring role, Knots Landing. In game shows, Pettet appeared on episodes of The Hollywood Squares and It's Your Bet. Information on survivors was not immediately available. Her cousin, rock music author and Rolling Stone writer David Dalton, with whom she grew up in London surviving World War II air raids, died in 2022. |
posted 7/9/2026 |
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TV’s Big Morning is here. The Television Academy on Wednesday revealed nominations for its 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Overall, last year’s Drama Series champ The Pitt leads all nominees this morning with 25, followed by the final season of Hacks on the comedy side with 24 — a record for nominations in a single season for a comedy. Dancing with the Stars waltzed off with its first Emmy nomination in a decade. The ABC series landed a nomination in the Outstanding Reality Competition Program category and will take on CBS’ Survivor, Bravo’s Top Chef, Peacock’s The Traitors and MTV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race. Ariana Madix scored her first Emmy nomination for hosting Peacock‘s Love Island USA. It was revealed Wednesday morning that she was nominated for best host for a reality or reality competition program. Other nominees in the stacked reality host category included RuPaul Charles for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Alan Cumming for The Traitors, Kristen Kish for Top Chef and Jeff Probst for Survivor. Madix rose to fame with her role on Bravo‘s reality series Vanderpump Rules, where she starred for 11 seasons, and later reached the mainstream in 2023 due to the infamous “Scandoval” season that ultimately brought about the end of Madix’s era of Vanderpump Rules. The series rebooted with a new cast two seasons after the scandal broke. After years of growing popularity among audiences and critics alike, Dropout — the indie streamer formerly known as CollegeHumor — has still yet to earn its first Emmy nod. Despite its outsider status, Dropout has been here the whole time. The indie streamer submitted in 11 Emmy categories this year — its most concerted awards push yet — putting forward two flagship series: the comedy panel game show “Game Changer” and the improvisational interview series “Very Important People.” Winners of the 2026 Emmy Awards will be feted on Monday, September 14 — shifting from the usual Sunday slot because of an NFL game on NBC. The ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles will be hosted by network icon Mariska Hargitay, who begins her 28th season as star of Law & Order: SVU in the fall. AND THE NOMINEES ARE... OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A GAME SHOW Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or REality Program Outstanding Structured Reality Program Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series Nominations by program... |
posted 7/8/2026 |
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Will "Bake Off" Head Back to the BBC? |
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Could The Great British Bake Off once again rise at the BBC? That’s a possibility after BBC director general Matt Brittin revealed that the UK broadcaster is in talks with Channel 4 to host its content on iPlayer. Giving evidence to UK Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Wednesday, Brittin said that the BBC has had an approach from Channel 4 about a streaming partnership. The former Google executive said striking a deal would be in Channel 4’s interests because the commercial broadcaster “looks very subscale” in a world in which Sky and ITV are merging. “All of these mergers are driven by the need to have scale. Channel 4 looks very subscale. One opportunity for them would be, in partnership with the BBC, having content on iPlayer that continues to be ad-funded,” Brittin explained. “There are an array of commercial, audience, public service, and technical issues, but what we’ll do is explore that as quickly as we are able, because I think that’s something that’s going to be important for public service media.” |
posted 7/8/2026 |
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Optum Golf Channel Games to Return |
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Golf Channel has announced that the Optum Golf Channel Games - the innovative, rapid-fire golf competition featuring Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler that debuted in December 2025 - will return to Golf Channel and USA Network live in primetime Wednesday, December 16, and be staged under the lights in Jupiter, Fla. Scheffler and McIlroy - the No. 1 and No. 2 men's players in the world - will return as playing team captains at the 2026 Optum Golf Channel Games, following Team Scheffler's narrow victory over Team McIlroy last year. Optum will return as the title sponsor for the 2026 Golf Channel Games. "The maiden voyage of the Optum Golf Channel Games showed that the best players in the world love to compete - period," said Tom Knapp, Golf Channel EVP and GM. "Adding the stressful element of 'shot-making' under the pressure of a running clock produced an amazing amount of energy both on the golf course and within the telecast. That's what we were after. We're excited to be back in 2026 and we want to thank our friends at Optum for partnering with us once again." "We're thrilled to continue supporting the Optum Golf Channel Games alongside the PGA TOUR and Rory McIlroy, an Optum Health ambassador," said Optum CEO Dr. Patrick Conway. "At Optum, we're focused on building a health system that helps people live healthier lives by connecting care, experiences and well-being across physical, mental and social needs. Golf is a powerful example of that - bringing people together, supporting lifelong wellness and making health more accessible and engaging for everyone." The Optum Golf Channel Games debuted to critical acclaim in 2025 as McIlroy and Scheffler led two four-man teams in timed and strategy focused challenges under the pressure of the clock and the primetime lights, including events such as the 14-Club Challenge and the Team Relay. For the second consecutive year, the Optum Golf Channel Games will also be simulcast live in primetime on USA Network. More details regarding the 2026 Optum Golf Channel Games - including full list of team competitors and challenges - will be announced later this year. |
posted 7/8/2026 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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"Shark Tank" features the Sharks - tough, self-made, multimillionaire and billionaire tycoons - as they invest in America's best businesses and products. This season's all-star lineup of guest Sharks includes: Additionally, Kendra Scott and Rashaun Williams have been elevated to permanent Sharks, joining Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Daniel Lubetzky and Kevin O'Leary. · Season 18 of "Shark Tank" will air Wednesdays this fall on ABC and stream on Hulu. The premiere date will be announced at a later date.
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posted 7/7/2026 |
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This Is Not a Repeat from 2009 |
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The Great American Road Rally(TM), an all-new celebrity-driven television event hosted by Ian Ziering, will premiere this fall on The CW, airing Wednesdays at 9:00 PM ET/PT from September 2 through November 25, 2026. Premiering during the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Route 66 and the 250th Anniversary of the United States, the series takes audiences on a high-energy journey across America's most iconic highway, combining adventure, competition, entertainment, community celebration, and philanthropy. Produced by 7 Bridges Media Group (7BMG), The Great American Road Rally(TM) features celebrity participants from television, music, sports, comedy, and popular culture as they travel historic Route 66, visit legendary destinations, tackle unique challenges, share personal stories, and spotlight charitable organizations making a meaningful impact in communities across America. At its core, the series is built around a simple idea: transforming competition into contribution. Throughout the season, celebrity teams will represent and support ten charitable organizations serving families, children, veterans, first responders, community programs, and individuals in need. While the weekly road-trip adventures and celebrity challenges provide the entertainment, the larger mission is to elevate the organizations and people working every day to strengthen communities across the country. Hosted by Ian Ziering, the series brings together recognizable personalities from television, music, sports, comedy, and popular culture whose careers span generations of American entertainment. "The Great American Road Rally(TM) was created to celebrate the American spirit, the open road, the legacy of Route 66, and the power of entertainment to bring people together for something meaningful," says Ziering. "It's so much more than a road-trip series, it is a national celebration of community, generosity, American culture, and the charitable spirit that connects us all." Each week, audiences will meet new celebrity participants, discover remarkable charitable organizations, and experience fresh challenges, destinations, and unforgettable moments, giving viewers new reasons to tune in throughout the entire season. Unlike traditional competition programs, The Great American Road Rally(TM) is designed so that every cause benefits. Viewers will also be invited to participate through community events, charitable initiatives, social engagement, public appearances, audience participation opportunities, and special announcements tied to the journey. Fans can follow the Rally from the earliest stages of production through the season finale with celebrity reveals, charity spotlights, behind-the-scenes content, filming updates, and community engagement opportunities released before and throughout the broadcast season. Filming begins in August 2026, with production traveling from the Midwest to the Pacific Coast along historic Route 66 before culminating in a special season finale event during Thanksgiving week. As America prepares to celebrate two historic milestones, the Route 66 Centennial and the nation's 250th Anniversary - The Great American Road Rally(TM) aims to deliver a shared national television experience rooted in adventure, nostalgia, entertainment, generosity, and the enduring spirit of the open road. Additional celebrity participants, charitable partners, production updates, community events, sponsorship opportunities, and public engagement initiatives will be announced throughout the summer as the Rally begins its journey toward its September premiere. For production updates, filming locations, celebrity announcements, charitable initiatives, sponsorship opportunities, and public participation information, visit: www.americanroadrally.com |
posted 7/7/2026 |
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Louise Lasser, whose pig-tailed braids, bangs and baby-doll gingham dresses took the nation by storm when they became her trademark look on Norman Lear‘s Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman in the 1970s, died Monday at her home in Manhattan. She was 87. Her death was reported by her friend Susan Charlotte to The New York Times. Initially making her name in early Woody Allen films — the two married in 1966 and divorced four years later — Lasser employed a droll, deadpan comic delivery to great effect not only in Allen’s Take the Money and Run, Bananas and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) but in buzzy commercials for Comet, Excedrin and NyQuil (in the latter, she played a helpful wife to a sick and grateful husband: “I’m lucky to have you, Mildred,” the stuffed-up man says, to which Lasser’s benevolent and placid Mildred replies, “I know.”) Early in her career she even briefly appeared on Broadway in 1962 as Barbra Streisand’s replacement in the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale. But it wasn’t until January 1976 that Lasser shot to international stardom as the title character in Lear’s wildly offbeat soap opera parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. As envisioned by Lear, Hartman was not only a soap parody but an actual soap, televised in syndication five days a week in half-hour installments. It aired in some markets during traditional daytime soap time slots and in others at 11 p.m. Both time periods were telling: The deadpan comedy and satirical bent was fitting in the post-primetime slots, while the faux melodrama of a working-class family in small-town Ohio (the fictional Fernwood) made for a clever addition to the afternoon sturm und drang that filled network hours. While Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman lasted only until July 1977, the daily schedule meant that the cast churned out 325 episodes, a wearying tally especially for Lasser, who was the series’ constant throughout all the various storylines. In a season-ending episode that seemed all too real, her character suffered a nervous breakdown on national television, a heartbreaking scene that Lasser seemed to play all too well. In game shows, Lasser appeared on episodes of Talent Scouts and Showoffs. Following her breakout success on Hartman, Lasser continued working but never in anything nearly as high-profile as her signature role. In 1980 she made the first of three appearances in the hit comedy Taxi as Phyllis, the ex-wife of Judd Hirsch’s Alex Reiger, and that same year had an uncredited cameo in Allen’s Stardust Memories. Subsequent credits included Todd Solondz’s Happiness (1998) and Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream (2000) as well as TV shows including St. Elsewhere and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. A noted New York acting teacher, Lasser more recently was featured in three episodes of Lena Dunham’s HBO comedy Girls, playing, appropriately enough, a mostly forgotten artist who was newly revered by a younger generation. Lasser is survived by her longtime partner, Michael Citriniti. |
posted 7/7/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Sky has finally sealed a £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) deal to acquire ITV‘s television network operations. ITV confirmed to shareholders on Monday morning that it will sell to its pay-TV rival, meaning a crown jewel of British broadcasting becomes part of the NBCUniversal entertainment empire. As part of the deal, Reuters confirmed previous reporting that The Great British Bake Off producer Love Productions will be sold to ITV Studios. The deal is for ITV’s Media & Entertainment arm, not its Studios production and distribution division, and it first emerged late last year. In May, ITV followed up by saying it remained in “active discussions” with Sky. Reuters said it is now being finalized by lawyers and an announcement could be made in the next couple of weeks. ITV Studios, which makes the likes of Love Island and Squid Game: The Challenge, will remain separate and will add Love Productions to its stable, a huge boon given the Great British Bake Off IP. Sky, a division of Comcast, bought 70% of Love in 2014 and the remainder in 2020. Founder Richard McKerrow exited last year. ITV CEO Carolyn McCall was quick to speak up its indie production prospects and global scale on a call with analysts and journalists today amid persistent rumors over its future. With rivals such as Banijay and All3Media merging and the tech and streaming giants getting larger, market chatter has persisted that ITV Studios would need to merge with a rival such as Fremantle or could become another takeover target to gain scale. “We are confident that ITV Studios will continue to succeed,” McCall said. “It has been a real success story in the past eight years. It has grown about 45% and it has the best shows in every genre.” Chris Kennedy, ITV’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer, added: “ITV Studios already has the scale to compete in the global market. It is one of the largest independent producers in the world, and more than half the revenue comes from outside the UK.” He pointed to “a very successful strategy of bolt-on acquisitions” and claimed the company would have “sufficient cash to continue” in that vein. “We don’t see the need for a transformational acquisition of anything like this scale,” he added. |
posted 7/6/2026 |
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"Naked and Afraid" Gets Shipwrecked |
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In a high-stakes twist on the franchise, 12 Naked and Afraid all-stars are dropped into open water in the dark of night, finding themselves unexpectedly abandoned and fighting to survive in the all-new series NAKED AND AFRAID: SHIPWRECKED, premiering Sunday, August 2 at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel. Under the impression that they are entering a standard 35-day group challenge at dawn, the survivalists instead begin their insertion adrift at sea overnight. With emergency flares shooting overhead, the survivalists must grab whatever limited resources they can before making their way ashore. Divided into four groups of three, the survivalists are stranded on a mysterious and isolated island on the lost coast of the Philippines, often described as the "Bermuda Triangle of Southeast Asia," due to its history of past shipwrecks and unexplained disappearances. The terrain offers both opportunities and risk, with a dense, resource-rich jungle that contains the remnants of those who came before. Teams work together to build shelters and tools from the wreckage, including a 300-foot primitive water aqueduct. In the surrounding seas, survivalists must contend with tiger and hammerhead sharks, stingrays, sea snakes and box jellyfish whose venom contains one of the ocean's most lethal toxins. Far removed from civilization and with no food, no fresh water and no clothing, the survivalists must adapt quickly, relying not only on their individual skills but also on their ability to innovate and salvage whatever they can from the environment. With each team receiving only one piece of the challenge map, they must track down the others and combine pieces to rescue themselves from the island on Day 35. The battle-tested survivalists that will be lost at sea include: In addition to watching NAKED AND AFRAID: SHIPWRECKED on Discovery Channel, viewers can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #NakedAndAfraid and following Naked and Afraid on Facebook, X, and Instagram. NAKED AND AFRAID: SHIPWRECKED is produced for Discovery Channel by Lionsgate Alternative Television. |
posted 7/6/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Victor Willis, who co-founded the Village People, co-wrote the disco group’s classic hits “Y.M.C.A.,” ″Macho Man” and “In the Navy,” and delighted crowds while dressed as the band’s helmeted and mustachioed police officer, has died. He was 74. “We are profoundly sad to announce the death of Victor Willis, lead singer of Village People,” tand his wife Karen Huff-Willis he group posted on its official Facebook page. The cause was identified as “a short but aggressive illness.” Willis was a musician-actor who, among other things, had appeared on Broadway in “The Wiz” when he decided to cash in on the disco craze in 1977 by joining a group made up of beefy, macho-looking guys dressed as a biker, a construction worker, a cop, a cowboy and a Native American chief. With producer Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo, Morali’s business partner, Willis founded the six-member Village People. The idea came to them while partying at an after-hours gay nightclub in the West Village of Manhattan. The group’s self-titled debut album was released in 1977. In 1978, the group released two albums, “Macho Man” and “Cruisin’” — which featured the international hit “Y.M.C.A.,” a song that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard chart. A year later, Village People released the album “Go West,” which included “In the Navy,” a song that peaked at No. 3 on the chart. “Macho Man” peaked at No. 25 in 1978. In game shows, Willis featured on an episode of "To Tell the Truth" in 2016. An earlier marriage to actress Phylicia Rashad, who appeared with him in “The Wiz” and later starred as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” ended in divorce. Complete information on survivors was not immediately available. |
posted 7/2/2026 |
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Mondays Get Quizzy |
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QUIZZY MONDAYS ARE BACK! Monday nights are about to get a lot more competitive as one of the BBC's most popular traditions returns for another summer of brain-teasing television. Quizzy Mondays are back from 13 July, with brand-new series of Mastermind, Only Connect and University Challenge once again taking over BBC Two for an evening packed with questions, puzzles and plenty of tense moments. The night begins at 7.30pm with Mastermind, where a new group of contestants will put their specialist subjects and general knowledge to the test in the famous black chair. At 8pm, Only Connect returns with more fiendishly difficult connections and missing vowels before University Challenge rounds off the evening at 8.30pm as another set of universities battle it out for quiz supremacy. |
posted 7/2/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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In celebration of the 55th anniversary of the beloved 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Netflix today announced that Wonka's The Golden Ticket will premiere globally on September 23, inviting audiences into a thrilling new competition based on Roald Dahl's book Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and inspired by one of the most iconic worlds in cinematic history. Twelve lucky Golden Ticket winners, each with a partner of their choosing, will step through the gates of Wonka's Chocolate Factory and into a world of pure imagination, delicious mischief, and unexpected challenges. Once inside, contestants must navigate a series of Wonka's games, tests, and temptations designed to challenge them physically, mentally, and morally. In this high-stakes social experiment, players will journey through the factory's wondrous and unpredictable landscape, adapting, strategizing, and withstanding the unknown while proving they have the instincts, resilience, and character to thrive in chaos. In the end, only one contestant will have what it takes to earn Wonka's life-changing prize. Adding to the nostalgia, Wonka's The Golden Ticket will feature the recreated voice of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, honoring the legendary performance that has enchanted generations of audiences. The voice of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka has been recreated with the consent of Mr. Wilder's estate. The series will also welcome back Rusty Goffe, who appeared in the original 1971 film, reprising his role as an Oompa Loompa. "More than five decades after Gene brought Willy Wonka to life, people of all ages and backgrounds around the world continue to find joy, laughter and inspiration in his performance," said Karen B. Wilder, Gene Wilder's wife, on behalf of the Gene Wilder Estate. "Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people's lives, and that connection has endured for generations. We are delighted that Wonka's The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role, introducing that magic to a new generation while honoring the fans who have cherished it for decades." In collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company, which Netflix acquired in 2021, and the Gene Wilder Estate, Wonka's The Golden Ticket pays tribute to the enduring legacy of Dahl's beloved book and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory while reimagining its world for a new era of audiences. Wonka's The Golden Ticket will premiere on Netflix September 23, with a two-part finale on September 30. |
posted 7/1/2026 |
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Canada Heads to Eurovision |
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Canada will compete in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria, the CBC/Radio Canada and the European Broadcasting Union announced on Wednesday. The move follows the European Broadcasting Union, the Eurovision organizer, earlier announcing Canada’s full membership after a vote held at its 96th General Assembly in Prague. CBC/Radio-Canada, the country’s public broadcaster, had been an associate member of the EBU since 1950, and as a full member gains entry into the Eurovision competition and other EBU initiatives. Canadian artists have performed on the Eurovision stage for other member countries before, including superstar Celine Dion in 1988 winning the singing contest while competing for Switzerland in Dublin. |
posted 6/30/2026 |
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The brother of Love Island U.K. host Caroline Flack has died six years after her death by suicide. He was 55. Paul Flack was found unresponsive at his home in Norwich, England, on Sunday, June 21, and he later died in the hospital, outlets including the Daily Mail, The Independent and local newspaper the Eastern Daily Press reported. According to a provisional post-mortem, he is also believed to have died by suicide. A hearing into his death was opened on Monday, June 29, Norfolk Coroner's Court confirmed to PEOPLE, with another scheduled for October 23. Paul, who worked as a graphic designer, is survived by his partner and two children. Paul's last Instagram post was a tribute to his sister. Sharing a childhood photo of Caroline in August 2020, six months after her death, he wrote in the caption, "This will be my last post here. May those who know feel shame for eternity. Love you Caroline." Caroline took her own life at the age of 40 on February 15 2020. Picture date: Friday September 27, 2024. Caroline, who hosted Love Island U.K. from 2015 to 2019, died aged 40 on Feb. 15, 2020. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7, or visit SpeakingofSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. |
posted 7/1/2026 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) today announced its intention to separate into two independent publicly traded companies through a tax-free spin-off of NBCUniversal and Sky. Upon completion of the transaction, Comcast shareholders will own shares in both Comcast and NBCUniversal, creating two focused industry leaders, each with significant scale, strong financial profiles and distinct strategic opportunities. The proposed separation reflects Comcast's track record of positioning its businesses to compete and win in rapidly changing markets. As technological innovation, consumer behavior and competitive dynamics continue to reshape both media and communications, Comcast's Board and management team believe each company will be better positioned to pursue its own strategic priorities, invest for growth and create long-term shareholder value as independent entities. Brian L. Roberts will continue to be actively involved in the leadership of Comcast and NBCUniversal, working in partnership with the CEOs of both companies. Mike Cavanagh will be the Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal and Comcast's former Chief Financial Officer Michael Angelakis will become the Chief Executive Officer of Comcast, following completion of the separation and in the interim will join as a Strategic Advisor. Comcast is a leading technology company serving residential and business customers through its broadband, wireless and entertainment platforms. Comcast will focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences backed by the nation's largest converged network, reaching more than 65 million homes and businesses, its intelligent fiber network architecture and global technology platforms. With one of the nation's fastest-growing wireless businesses, the industry's leading business services platform and substantial free cash flow generation, Comcast is well-positioned for long-term growth. NBCUniversal is a premier global media and entertainment company, anchored by its growing theme parks division, Universal film and television studios, NBC and Telemundo networks, Peacock, and Bravo. In addition, NBCUniversal's global portfolio will include Sky, our European media business. Together, these businesses will be powered by a portfolio of world-class intellectual property, a deep content library, extraordinary content creation capabilities, and exceptional strength across sports, news and entertainment. With iconic brands, valuable intellectual property, global distribution and leading creative talent, NBCUniversal will be strongly positioned to compete and grow in an evolving media landscape. |
posted 6/30/2026 |
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Jeremy Clarkson is set to return for more episodes of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and spinoff “Millionaire Hot Seat” following news he is in remission from cancer. U.K. network ITV has ordered 15 episodes of the flagship quiz show as well as 20 episodes of the “Hot Seat” spin-off, which launched in January this year and is also hosted by Clarkson. The high-pressure game is given an added twist by requiring contestants to answer questions quickly in a fast-moving queue system or risk being replaced. Both “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and “Millionaire Hot Seat” are produced by Sony Pictures Television-backed Stellify Media for ITV and its streaming platform ITVX, commissioned by ITV’s Katie Rawcliffe, Kevin O’Brien and David Smyth. Kerri Reid exec produces for Stellify. “The ‘Millionaire’ brand continues to deliver for ITV audiences and ‘Millionaire Hot Seat’ has brought an exciting new energy to the format,” Rawcliffe said in a statement. “The combination of Jeremy Clarkson’s hosting and the high-pressure gameplay has proved a winning formula, so we’re delighted to be bringing both ‘Millionaire Hot Seat’ and ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ back for more episodes.” Clarkson will shoot both shows later this year. The journalist turned television personality recently revealed on the latest season of his Prime Video series “Clarkson’s Farm” that he had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer. In a Sunday Times interview last week following the revelation he updated fans that he was now in remission following surgery, calling himself “officially the world’s luckiest man.” |
posted 6/30/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Running Man (No, Not That One) Comes to the US |
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Running Man, a long-running Korean variety series, is eyeing a run in the U.S. The series, which is ostensibly a weekly game of tag, comes from Korean broadcaster SBS, which is working with Pippa Lambert’s Hellcat on a U.S. adaptation. The show launched in Korea in 2010 and with over 700 episodes, is a staple of SBS’ weekend schedule. It has been described as a mix between Traitors and Taskmaster. It is a “high-concept celebrity urban chase show that has evolved into a character-driven competition series blending celebrity guests, large-scale missions, strategic mind games, and serialized comedic rivalries”, per the logline. Hellcat, founded by former ICM and WME agent Lambert in 2020, has just started conversations with networks and streamers over the remake. It marks the latest international format for the company, which is adapting Australian canine reality series Muster Dogs, for Wonder Project. |
posted 6/29/2026 |
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M6 Drops More "Money" |
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The game show Money Drop is officially coming back to French television. The M6 network announced that it’s reviving the series, which was long associated with TF1 and host Laurence Boccolini. The reboot is set to premiere next season in M6’s early‑evening lineup, positioned as a lead‑in to primetime. M6 plans to air new episodes daily, alternating the show with The Best Bakery, another staple of its early‑evening schedule. For the relaunch, M6 has tapped Olivier Minne to host the new version. It’s a significant move for the network, which has been steadily positioning Minne as one of its marquee game‑show personalities. He recently fronted the revival of Weakest Link, a format also previously hosted in France by Laurence Boccolini. With Money Drop, Minne now inherits a second franchise closely tied to Boccolini. M6 is betting that a fresh face can reinvigorate a familiar brand while keeping the core gameplay that made the show a hit in the first place. |
posted 6/29/2026 |
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Former “Love Island USA” star Alannah Keyser issued an apology to TikTok on Saturday after being kicked off the Peacock reality show for using the n-word in a resurfaced video. The video shows Keyser rapping along to Roddy Ricch’s 2019 track “The Box” and singing the lyrics with the n-word. “I’m coming on here to address some things that have been circulating online,” Keyser said. “I do want to begin by addressing the video of me singing along to a Roddy Ricch song that contains a racial slur. I’m sorry to whoever has seen that video and has been offended by it, that was never my intention. The video is from six years ago, and that word is just not in my vocabulary anymore.” She added, “I do want to say directly that I do not support racism or discrimination of any kind, and I never have. When I first found out that these things were going around online, it really broke my heart, and I couldn’t do anything about it. But this has definitely been a learning lesson for me, and it sucks that I didn’t get a chance to really show my personality and who I am.” Keyser is the second “Love Island USA” Season 8 contestant to get the boot for saying the n-word. In late May, Vasana Montgomery was fired in the days leading up to the Season 8 premiere after two videos of her using the slur went viral. In last year’s Season 7, two contestants, Yulissa Escobar and Cierra Ortega, were also caught using racial slurs and had to exit the Villa. |
posted 6/29/2026 |
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Casa Amor UK |
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ITV2’s Love Island UK is heating up as the Casa Amor boys and girls enter the villa to shake things up. The dating series hosted by Maya Jama is introducing 12 new bombshells — 6 girls and 6 boys — to test the couples’ connections as they continue their love journey. Some relationships might end completely, and some Islanders might find a stronger connection with one of the new Islanders as they continue grafting. The 12 new Islanders entering Casa Amor are: Charleen (25, Dublin), Mara (25, Luton), Martha (25, London), Olivia (23, Doncaster), Nevaeh (22, Gloucester), Julia (26, London), Tommy (23, Essex), Gabriel (24, London), Jordon (28, Surrey), Will (23, Barnsley), Carlos (22, New Forest), and Aaron (26, East London). The Love Island UK Season 13 Casa Amor twist starts on Sunday, June 28 at 9 p.m. BST on ITV2 and stream on ITVX. For U.S. viewers, the episode will start streaming on Hulu on Tuesday, June 30. Love Island is produced by Lifted Entertainment, part of ITV Studios, and WPP Media Motion Entertainment. |
posted 6/29/2026 |
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Dame Penelope Keith, the BAFTA-winning British actress best known for the BBC comedy The Good Life, has died. She was 86. In a statement sent to British media, Keith’s family said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years. “The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.” Keith was born Penelope Anne Constance Hatfield on April 2, 1940. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 and secured her first major screen credit in The Army Game, the ITV comedy that aired between 1957 and 1961. Keith progressed to roles in Carry on Doctor, The Avengers, and Private Lives before she was cast in The Good Life in 1975. The Good Life is woven into the fabric of British comedy and featured Keith as Margo Leadbetter, a straight-laced neighbour to Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal’s Tom and Barbara Good, who escape the rat race to live a self-sufficient lifestyle in suburbia. Keith won her first BAFTA for The Good Life in 1977. A year later, she doubled her tally of bronze masks, winning for her work in The Norman Conquests: Living Together, a television play written by Alan Ayckbourn. She was also BAFTA-nominated for To the Manor Born, the BBC comedy. One of her final screen credits was Death Comes to Pemberley, the 2013 limited series based on PD James’s homage to Pride and Prejudice, co-starring Matthew Rhys. In game shows, Keith was featured on episodes of Call My Bluff, Going for a Song, and the British version of What's My Line?. Jon Petrie, director of BBC comedy, said: “All of us at BBC Comedy are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Penelope Keith. She was one of the defining figures of British television comedy. Her iconic performance as Margo in The Good Life remains one of the nation’s most beloved sitcom roles and continues to delight audiences today. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and all of those who had the privilege of working with her.” |
posted 6/29/2026 |
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"Drag Race" Heads to Mexico for Worldwide Competition |
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WOW Presents Plus has unveiled the cast for the inaugural season of Drag Race México: Latina Royale, which is set to premiere globally on July 30. The drag race competition, completely in Spanish, is set to be hosted by Lolita Banana and Taiga Brava and feature fan-favorite queens from Drag Race México and franchises around the world. Queens from the U.S., Brasil, Spain, Germany, and Holland will be featured in the competition celebrating Latin pride. The 11 queens competing in Drag Race México: Latina Royale are: The first two seasons of Drag Race México are available worldwide exclusively through World of Wonder’s WOW Presents Plus streaming platform. WOW Presents Plus is the exclusive and global home of the Drag Race franchise. Executive Producers of the show for World of Wonder are Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles. |
posted 6/26/2026 |
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Breaking Up the "Band" |
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Building the Band is hanging up its microphone. Netflix‘s music competition series, which was best known for filming with Liam Payne shortly before his untimely death, has been canceled after just one season. Netflix declined to comment, but a source confirmed the cancellation, which was first reported by The Sun newspaper in the UK. Produced by Remarkable Entertainment, Building the Band brought together 50 singers to compete for a chance to form their own band without seeing each other. Former One Direction singer Payne served as a mentor alongside Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland, who was part of Destiny’s Child. Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean was on hosting duties. The series culminated in three live shows that were filmed in late August 2024 in front of an audience in Manchester. Two months later, Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. The Netflix show was dedicated to his memory. After premiering last July, Building the Band‘s finalists, 3quency, SZN4, Soulidified, and Midnight Til Morning, have all released original music and toured. |
posted 6/26/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Amy Schneider has shared that her mother Betty Jo has sadly passed away. The Jeopardy! star took to Instagram to announce the news through a touching tribute post. Amy posted a single photo of her mother smiling widely at the camera while sitting at a table. In the post’s caption a heartbroken Amy penned: “It is with a heavy heart that I announce that my mother, Betty Jo Schneider, has passed away at the age of 83. “My mom was a smart, stubborn, compassionate woman, who loved to learn, and to teach. “I wouldn’t be who I am without her inspiration, encouragement, and support. “I’m not ready for her to be gone, but her last days were spent peacefully with her family, and she feels no more pain. I love you, Mom. RIP.” Amy appeared on Jeopardy! from November 2021 to January 2022. She became the show’s first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions. She was also the second-longest-running player in the history of the regular format of the show. |
posted 6/26/2026 |
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Harold Wheeler, the veteran orchestrator on Broadway and longtime musical director for ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, has died. He was 83. Wheeler died Wednesday from an unspecified cause of death at his home in Los Angeles, Tony Award-winning producer Lamar Richardson told The Hollywood Reporter. Wheeler began as a musical director on Broadway in 1968 when, at only 25, he was picked by Burt Bacharach to orchestrate Promises, Promises. His work as an orchestrator, music director, conductor and arranger spanned half a century on Broadway and included work on Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. Broadway musical premieres in which he was involved include Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Wiz, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, Dreamgirls, Little Me, The Tap Dance Kid, Carrie, The Life, Side Show, The Full Monty, Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway. In addition to his Broadway work, Wheeler has arranged and produced music for such artists as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Kathleen Battle, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Joe Cocker, Dizzy Gillespie and Gloria Gaynor. In 2019, Wheeler received a special Tony Award for lifetime achievement. “I was going to thank every castmember for every show I’ve every been in, until I realized I’ve done 30 Broadway shows,” he said onstage when accepting his trophy. In a 2010 interview by the New York Post, Wheeler recalled a quick cancellation in Boston for Lennon, a 2005 Broadway-bound musical he arranged, allowed him to say yes to joining Dancing With the Stars. “It was during that six-week cancellation that I got a call to work on [the] show. Had Boston not been cancelled, I would have said, ‘Sorry, not available’ and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. They shot the pilot for Dancing during the exact same six weeks we would have been in Boston. So it was meant to be,” Wheeler recalled. Wheeler and his live backing band and singers in 2014 were fired by ABC, to be replaced by recorded music and a smaller band. The Harold Wheeler Orchestra and Singers consisted of 28 members and had been with the show for 17 seasons. Wheeler also played piano for Bruce Springsteen on “Blinded by the Light” and “Spirit in the Night” on the 1973 album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. His other awards include the Drama Desk Award for outstanding orchestrations for Hairspray in 2003, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAACP Theatre Awards in 2008, seven Tony noms and six Drama Desk noms. William Harold Wheeler Jr. was born in St. Louis on July 14, 1943. Starting at age 5, he played piano at Antioch Baptist Church, where the members included Chuck Berry and Ike and Tina Turner. He attended Turner Branch Elementary School, Sumner High School and Howard University before earning his master’s degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music in 1968. From 1968-71, he worked as an assistant program director for CBS-FM in New York. It was at Howard that Wheeler met his wife, Hattie Winston, an original member of the groundbreaking Negro Ensemble Company also known for her work on Becker, The Electric Company and Rugrats. They met when Wheeler was her student substitute music teacher. They teamed up for the 1971-73 Broadway production of Two Gentlemen of Verona before agreeing to marry. In addition to his wife, Wheeler is survived by his daughters, Marian and Samantha, and his grandchildren. |
posted 6/25/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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ABC reportedly plans to air the latest season of The Bachelorette after the initial premiere was derailed due to the controversy around Taylor Frankie Paul. Paul, who rose to fame on the reality TV show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, was set to star on the new season of the long-running dating show. In March, TMZ released a video of a violent dispute involving Paul and her partner, Dakota Mortensen. In the video — which was recorded by Mortensen — Paul could be seen repeatedly hitting him and even throwing chairs at him. As this was going on, Paul’s daughter was in the room watching it all unfold. Hours after the video came to light, Disney announced it would not air the upcoming season. Three months later, however, the company seemed to have changed course. A Wednesday report from TMZ read: According to the report, the show’s editors “never stopped cutting episodes” even when it was announced the season wouldn’t run. Since that announcement in March, TMZ added, Paul has worked to repair her public image on social media. Those efforts have gotten the attention of the network executives. |
posted 6/24/2026 |
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Rolling Through the Smokies |
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The Great Food Truck Race kicks off a new season on Sunday, July 26th at 9pm (all times ET/PT) on Food Network and streaming the next day on HBO Max and this time around, it will be a battle of savory and sweet. With four trucks that specialize in savory dishes and four sweet-themed trucks, the eight competing teams each represent a dynamic mix of flavors, strategies and culinary creativity in their quest for the win. Host Tyler Florence will lead the route starting in Nashville and through the Great Smoky Mountains, stopping in cities with vibrant food scenes - all while adding unexpected twists and turns from the very first mile. Every week, the teams must prove their cooking expertise, marketing savvy and selling skills in themed challenges to beat their rivals - and for the first time, the bottom two teams each week will go head-to-head in a taste redemption battle to see who earns the right to stay and who heads home. The season will culminate in an action-packed finale on Sunday, September 6th at 9pm from the legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, where only one truck will be awarded a life-changing $50,000 grand prize. The teams competing are: Bug & Bear's Cannoli - Los Angeles, California (Joseph Serpico, Matthew Wilson, Dina Pecci); Cason Funnel Cakes - Richmond, Virginia (Terrance Cason, Andre Cason, Morris Green); Deadproof Pizza Co. - Derry, New Hampshire (Thomas Lomanno, Dante Marino, Lisa Bosteels); Grounds Donut House - Bronx, New York (Carmela Varotta, Gabriella Amoroso, Stephanie Hill); Hele Rolls - Kapolei, Hawaii (Brittany Lopez, Jasmine Milam, Mari Wills); Jollof Bowl - Baltimore, Maryland (Ethel Kamara, Andrea Kamara, Lekan Oketunji); Stuph'd Beignets & Burgers - New Orleans, Louisiana (Dionne Lewis, Duana Lawrence, Sherman Clarke) and Waffadilla - Hampshire, Illinois (Shawn Peterson, Madison Peterson, Gavin Mari). Fans can get to know the competing teams and relive the most dramatic moments of the season on social using #GreatFoodTruckRace. Viewers can also follow the adventure and meet the teams on FoodNetwork.com, plus get summer grilling inspiration from host Tyler Florence. The Great Food Truck Race is produced by Critical Content for Food Network. |
posted 6/24/2026 |
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Drag Race Down Under Takes on the World |
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Drag Race Down Under vs The World has unveiled the 11 queens battling in the drag race competition. The reality series is hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race legend Michelle Visage, who will sit alongside a judging panel that includes Rhys Nicholson and Drag Race Down Under Season 4 winner Lazy Susan. Five Drag Race Down Under queens will battle six formidable drag artists from around the world, each representing their own country and international series of Drag Race. Unlike Drag Race Down Under, this time, the top two queens of the week choose which of the bottom two queens they want to eliminate from the competition. After a final lip-sync battle, the winning performer reveals which of the bottom queens they have chosen to send home. Who will take home the crown? Down Under or The World. The eleven queens returning to compete are: Drag Race Down Under vs The World premieres in the U.S. on WOW Presents+ and in Australia on Stan starting July 24. Drag Race Down Under vs The World is a World of Wonder production in collaboration with Stan in Australia and WOW Presents Plus. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, and RuPaul Charles serve as Executive Producers for World of Wonder. Adrian Swift and Tina Diaz serve as Executive Producers for Stan. |
posted 6/24/2026 |
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Three days after airing the Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Sept. 14, NBC will begin its 2026-27 entertainment season with a stacked lineup of new and returning reality series, the highly popular OneChicago and "Law & Order" franchises and exciting freshman additions - the compelling drama "Line of Fire" and new comedy "Newlyweds." The season gets off to a supersized start at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept.17 with the two-hour launch of "The Traitors: New Blood," the innovative civilian-led incarnation of the Emmy Award-winning hit Peacock series hosted by Alan Cumming. Followed by another two-hour episode on Sept. 24, the series will move into its regular hourlong timeslot on Thursday, Oct. 8. Milestone season 30 of "The Voice" arrives the next week at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21 with new coaches Queen Latifah and Riley Green. They'll be joined by Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine, the latter who returned to "The Voice" last season in winning fashion as he took home the crown in the first ever "The Voice: Battle of Champions." Right after "The Voice" at 10 p.m. will mark the premiere of the new drama series "Line of Fire," starring Peter Krause and Hope Davis, about a family of law enforcement professionals entangled in a deadly conspiracy. Another thrilling season of summer's most-watched series will conclude Wednesday, Sept. 23 when a new champion is set to be crowned on "America's Got Talent." In what is certain to be one of the biggest television events of the year, NBC will celebrate its monumental 100th anniversary on Dec. 10 with a live three-hour variety special from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The network will commemorate its once-in-a-lifetime anniversary with a telecast that will honor a century of must-see television, groundbreaking moments and iconic stars. On the unscripted side, NBC has greenlit a new game show series based on "Wordle," the globally beloved word game from The New York Times Games. An avid "Wordle" player, "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie will serve as host of the primetime gameshow executive produced by Jimmy Fallon. The new format challenges players to solve five-letter word puzzles in a supersized battle of smarts, speed and fun. It builds on the way the puzzle community engages with Wordle every day - solving together, sharing wins, debating strategies and cheering one another on. Now, that style of play comes to life as the most-obsessed and competitive players will team up in squads and go head-to-head in the "Wordle" arena, playing for an incredible cash prize. Produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio (UTAS), in partnership with Jimmy Fallon's Electric Hot Dog and The New York Times, the series brings the global phenomenon to television with a fresh, fast-paced format. Originally launched in 2021 and acquired by The New York Times in 2022, Wordle has become a cultural phenomenon, engaging millions of daily players worldwide and inspiring conversation across generations. NBC's four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series "The Voice" returns this fall for season 30 with coaches Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and Riley Green, who confirmed his participation this past weekend at his concert in Alpharetta, Ga. A fourth coach joining the superstar panel will be announced shortly. "The Voice" is a presentation of MGM Television, Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, a Warner Bros. Television Group, and ITV Studios The Voice USA, Inc. The series was created by John de Mol, who serves as an executive producer along with Mark Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Amanda Zucker, Kyra Thompson, Adam H. Sher and Barry Poznick. "The Traitors" is coming to NBC with an all-new all-civilian version of Peacock's Emmy Award-winning competition reality series known for strategic gameplay and skillful saboteurs. In this brand-new iteration of "The Traitors" for NBC, Emmy-winning host Alan Cumming is opening the doors to his now infamous castle in the Scottish Highlands to everyday Americans. There he will ask them, "Are you a Faithful? Or are you a Traitor?" "The Traitors" is a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game. Set at an ancient castle set deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000. Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the prize for themselves. Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game. If the Faithful contestants banish all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund, but if a Traitor (or Traitors) makes it to the end, they will steal all the money. "The Traitors" is produced by Studio Lambert, part of All3 Media. Alan Cumming hosts as well as serves as an executive producer along with Mike Cotton, Sam Rees-Jones, Rosie Franks, Jack Burgess, Stephen Lambert and Tim Harcourt. Other unscripted series returning to NBC this summer are "America's Got Talent," "American Ninja Warrior" and "Password." As previously announced, "Destination X" will return in 2027. NBC FALL 2026-27 SCHEDULE (New programs in UPPER CASE; all times ET/PT). Game shows are in bold. MONDAY (September/October) MIDSEASON TBA |
posted 6/24/2026 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Michaelle Buteau hosted The Circle in the U.S. for seven seasons, and with Hulu rebooting the reality competition, many viewers wondered if she would return as the host. While appearing on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, the comedian revealed that she would not be hosting the new iteration of the series. “I’m glad that The Circle found a new home because it’s a great show,” Buteau said on the late-night talk show hosted by Andy Cohen. “I hosted the U.S. version, the longest-running version (seven seasons), and I put my foot in it, my back, my back fat, my right (breast), I put all the stuff in it.” “But they’re not going to go through with me being the host, so I say, good luck, bless up, I hope you have fun putting a square in a circle.” The Circle was one of Netflix’s first hits in the reality competition space and spawned versions in France and Brazil. The move comes after Rob Mills, who is EVP, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment at Walt Disney Television, told Deadline in April that it was making a ““concentrated” push into serialized competition with Parker Posey-fronted series The Mob. Unlike the Netflix version, which featured civilians, the Hulu version will also feature celebrity contestants. It will also introduce audience voting for the first time in the U.S. and is being “reimagined” as a “fast-turnaround” social experiment. It will bring everyday players and celebrities to compete side by side in a game of popularity where identity is ever-changing, and anyone can be anyone. Essentially, contestants move into separate apartments in the same building but are kept isolated from each other. They are only allowed to communicate via a specific app using text and photos but they can decide to play the game as themselves or anyone else they like. The original was described as Catfish-meets-Black Mirror. The Hulu version will be filmed in real time, giving viewers access as twists and player ratings unfold, with audience votes shaping the game. The format first launched on Channel 4 in the UK and ran for three seasons between 2018 and 2021. Netflix launched a U.S. version in 2020 with four versions through to 2022. The streamer then launched seasons six and seven in 2024. The Hulu series is produced by Studio Lambert and WPP’s Motion Entertainment, which produced the original, with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions also on board. Susan House, who exec produced the Netflix series and has also worked on ABC’s The Bachelor and The Hustler, will serve as showrunner. It will be exec produced by Studio Lambert’s Tim Harcourt, Jack Burgess, Niall O’Driscoll and Stephen Lambert, Motion Entertainment’s Martin Oxley and Chet Fenster and Omaha’s Peyton Manning, Jamie Horowitz and Colin Campbell. All3Media International handles format and tape sales. |
posted 6/23/2026 |
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I Am, And Always Have Been, on WhatsApp |
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All3Media International has launched several live entertainment ventures based on its television properties, expanding from immersive gameplay and city-wide adventures to theatre productions. Additional experiences are planned for 2026 and 2027. IDTV's "The Traitors" has been adapted in 40 territories worldwide, including BAFTA-winning and Emmy-winning versions in the U.K. and U.S. Announced today, All3Media International has partnered with the Race Across the World: The Experience team on The Traitors: Anywhere, a social deduction game launching in the U.K. and Ireland in 2026. The game operates entirely through WhatsApp, bringing the tension, strategy and psychological intrigue of "The Traitors" into players' everyday lives. The game transforms a private group chat into a world of suspicion, scheming and surprise. Designed for up to 30 players, with larger groups able to split into parallel games, each experience unfolds over approximately one week. Players navigate a cycle of missions, Round Table discussions, banishments and covert traitor activity as participants complete challenges, form alliances and attempt to uncover hidden traitors or successfully conceal their own identity. Private messages with the host add strategy elements, while the group chat becomes the central platform for accusations, persuasion and reveals. |
posted 6/23/2026 |
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Prime Video, Talpa Launch "Alliance" |
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Prime Video India’s upcoming reality series Alliance will launch worldwide on June 26. The Hindi-language show will debut as the Amazon streamer’s first-ever original global daily series and will also mark Kunal Kemmu’s debut as a reality show host. Alliance is the first international adaptation of Talpa Studios‘ Dutch format of the same name, created by John de Mol, and produced locally by Banijay Asia. The game format show follows 16 contestants who enter the game as duos, but quickly discover that no alliance is permanent. The final player standing at the end is the winner. “As a first-of-its-kind format for India, Alliance will combine strategy, shifting loyalties, and constantly evolving gameplay, creating a truly immersive experience that will keep our audiences engaged every single day from start to end,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and Head of Originals, Prime Video, India. "We are delighted to partner with Banijay Asia, yet again to bring this globally successful format to India. The success we have seen with our unscripted slate, including The Traitors India and Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle, reflects the growing appetite for distinctive and unconventional reality content. We are confident that Alliance will continue this momentum and emerge as a compelling addition to the genre.” Deepak Dhar, founder and Group CEO, Banijay Asia, said: “Given the name of the show, it feels appropriate to say we’re thrilled to be in Alliance with Prime Video on this one. What drew us to the format was its sheer scale. The games are ambitious, cinematic, and unlike anything we’ve attempted before, but spectacle alone doesn’t make a great format. “What makes Alliance stand out is the constant interplay between strategy and performance. Contestants are pushed physically, mentally, and emotionally, with every challenge creating new opportunities and new setbacks.” |
posted 6/23/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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A Gabby’s Dollhouse-inspired competition series is coming to Netflix. Hosted by Laila Lockhart Kraner, who voiced Gabby in the series and portrayed the character in the live-action movie, follows talented young baker-and-maker duos as they compete in whimsical baking and crafting challenges inspired by the magical world of Gabby. Four holiday-themed episodes will launch later this year, along with new episodes in 2027. “Since Gabby’s Dollhouse first premiered on Netflix in 2021, a world of creativity and imagination has exploded for our young audience and it only continues to grow” said co-creators Jennifer Twomey and Traci Paige Johnson.“We’ve been so lucky to continue playing and creating in the Dollhouse, with a fourteenth season coming to Netflix, and now a competition series that brings play to life in a new way.” |
posted 6/22/2026 |
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Dropout Revisits "Crowd Control" |
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Indie streamer Dropout has set 30 comedians to compete on the upcoming second season of its latest “Game Changer” spinoff, “Crowd Control.” Hosted by Jacquis Neal with announcer Chioke I’Anson, each episode of “Crowd Control” features a trio of comedians as they compete against one another in a battle of the best crowdwork with no prewritten material allowed. Instead, the comedians have to develop their impromptu sets based on prompts given to them and audience interactions. Then, that same “Crowd Control” audience gets to pick the winner. Comedians joining Dropout’s “Crowd Control” for its 10-episode Season 2 include Taylor Tomlinson, Tony Baker, Jeff Arcuri, Bob the Drag Queen, Drew Lynch, Gianmarco Soresi, Nicole Byer, Ron Funches, Aaron Branch, Sasheer Zamata, Amber Ruffin, Cameron Esposito, Emily Catalano, Reggie Watts, Kristin Key, Dulcé Sloan, Joel Kim Booster, Maria Bamford, Bobby Moynihan, Guy Branum, Roz Hernandez, Jordan Myrick, Demi Adejuyigbe, Dylan Adler, Grant O’Brien, Jackie Kashian, Debra DiGiovanni, Sabrina Jalees, Raphael Chestang and Joyelle Nicole Johnson. The premiere date for “Crowd Control” Season 2 has not yet been set, but Dropout confirmed to Variety it will debut “later this summer.” The second-season casting announcement for “Crowd Control” comes amid Dropout’s release of “Game Changer” Season 8, which began airing May 18. “Crowd Control” is Dropout’s fourth spinoff series based on a “Game Changer” episode, alongside “Make Some Noise,” “Dirty Laundry” and “Play It By Ear.” The six-episode first season of “Crowd Control” launched in September 2025. |
posted 6/22/2026 |
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Clive Davis, the legendary music producer of industry icons from Janis Joplin and Whitney Houston to Billy Joel and Santana, has died. Davis, famously dubbed “the man with the golden ears,” was 94. His family confirmed his death in a social media post. Davis’s family remembered him as both “a towering figure whose influence changed music forever” as well as “the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness.” The Brooklyn-born Davis never intended to lead a life in music, let alone shape pop culture’s musical tastes for decades. After his parents died in his late teens, he graduated from Harvard Law School and became a lawyer before going to work for Columbia Records in 1960. Five years later, Davis had ascended to be the record label’s top lawyer and was soon named Columbia’s president. Davis’ first major signing was Janis Joplin, whom he first saw perform at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. In his 2013 memoir “The Soundtrack of my Life,” Davis described Joplin’s stage presence as “not conventionally beautiful,” but “her body seemed to vibrate with the modulations of her voice, which struck with equal impact whether she was wailing at the top of her lungs or delivering an intimate whisper.” His instinct for talent led Davis to discover and sign eventual megastars like Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, Chicago, Earth, Wind and Fire, Aerosmith and Barry Manilow. In a tribute posted to social media on Monday, Springsteen honored his “close friend,” who he said changed his life when the producer signed him to Columbia in his early 20s. “He treated me with the same respect and kindness as a 22-year-old nobody as he did after all my success,” Springsteen wrote. “A great man.” Billy Joel was floundering as a recording artist when Davis signed him in 1973. “Piano Man” was Joel’s first album at Columbia and paved his way to superstardom. “When they all hit, one after another and I was there, making that judgment… it obviously gave me confidence to keep going,” Davis said. The 1980s brought perhaps Davis’ most storied discovery: 19-year-old pop sensation Whitney Houston. Their collaboration led to a record-setting seven consecutive No. 1 singles, including “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go.” If Davis didn’t discover a star, there was a good chance he nurtured them along the way. Simon and Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick, Miles Davis, Rod Stewart and Luther Vandross all crossed his path. When Aretha Franklin’s career stalled in later years, Davis contemporized her style. In 1987, Franklin went to number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with “I Knew You were Waiting (For Me),” a duet with George Michael that marked her first number one hit since 1967’s “Respect.” The accolades didn’t come without struggles. Davis was pushed out of Columbia Records in 1973 over accusations he used company funds for personal uses. He later said in his memoir that the expenses were always meant to be reimbursed. The scandal came at the same time as a federal investigation of alleged “payola” at Columbia, of which Davis was cleared, but he was still charged with tax evasion on unreimbursed expenses. Five of the six charges were later dropped. “This virtually complete exoneration received nothing like the coverage of all the baseless charges, rumors, and guilt-by-association whispers that I had lived with since leaving Columbia,” Davis wrote in 2013. He responded by starting Arista Records and continuing his unprecedented hot streak. Later, in 1989, Arista expanded into country music and struck big with Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn. “You’ve got to be a survivor,” Davis once said of show business. “You’ve got to rise above cold periods, you’ve got to come back.” Davis himself won four Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. That same year he formed J Records and launched the career of Alicia Keys, whose debut album “Songs In A Minor” sold more than 10 million copies and won her five Grammy Awards. Further growth Davis expanded into hip-hop in the ’90s, partially acquiring Sean Combs’ label Bad Boy Records, which spawned enormous hits from Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans and others. On television, it was Davis' company that would sign the winners of early seasons of "American Idol", where he recurrently sat on the panel. Davis also featured on episodes of "The X Factor", "Dancing with the Stars", and "The Voice". Davis married twice and had four children. |
posted 6/22/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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The first two episodes of NBC's new all-civilian version of The Traitors, deemed The Traitors: New Blood for the upcoming season, will debut Thursday, September 17 in a special two-hour extended premiere. New episodes of The Traitors: New Blood will continue to air Thursdays at 8:00 PM ET/PT on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock. In lieu of celebrities and socialites, Emmy-winning host Alan Cumming will open the doors to his now-infamous Scottish castle to 22 everyday Americans, hand selected from a nationwide search resulting in over 60,000 hopeful applicants. The Traitors is one of television's most honored reality competition series with The Traitors on Peacock earning five Primetime Emmy(R) Awards for Season 3, including Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for Alan Cumming (his second consecutive win), Outstanding Reality Competition Program, Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program, Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program. Season 4 of The Traitors on Peacock also recently led this year's Critics Choice Real TV Awards, earning five awards: Best Competition Series, Best Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series, Best Show Host for Alan Cumming, Female Star of the Year for Lisa Rinna and Male Star of the Year for Rob Rausch. |
posted 6/18/2026 |
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Following directions is only half the battle in Simon Says. A new reality competition series based on the OG playground game of the same name is premiering on Netflix in 2027. But this isn’t the Simon you remember from recess. In a mischievous and high-stakes twist, contestants will face a gauntlet of cunning challenges, strategic mind games, and unexpected pivots as they compete for a life-changing prize. One rule remains the same: if Simon says it, you’d better listen. To win over Simon and his prize money, players must decide when to follow orders or risk elimination. Obedience may buy another day, but every choice comes with consequences. Showrunner Emer Harkin (MTV’s The Challenge) and executive producers Julie Pizzi, Rupert Dobson, and Gayani Wanigaratne will bring Simon’s sinister sense of humor to life. Simon Says, which is produced by Bunim/Murray Productions, part of Banijay Americas, joins Netflix’s growing slate of must-watch competition series, including The Golden Ticket, Squid Game: The Challenge, Million Dollar Secret, Is It Cake?, Win the Mall and many more. |
posted 6/18/2026 |
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Hosted by Ken Jennings, the fourth annual "Jeopardy! Masters" tournament will return to ABC on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 8 p.m. EDT and stream next day on Hulu. "Jeopardy! Masters" is the highly competitive culmination of the "Jeopardy!" season, featuring the year's elite "Jeopardy!" champions as they face off for the grand prize of $500,000. The lineup of top players is as follows: reigning "Jeopardy! Masters" champion Yogesh Raut and returning finalists Juveria Zaheer and Victoria Groce, 2026 "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions winner Paolo Pasco, and 2026 "Jeopardy!" Invitational Tournament winner Andrew He and runner-up Long Nguyen. Andrew He will make his return to the "Jeopardy! Masters" stage after competing in the first edition of the tournament. The series is produced by Sony Pictures Television and executive-produced by Michael Davies. The 2026 "Jeopardy! Masters" tournament will air across the following nine episodes: |
posted 6/18/2026 |
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Hosted by Heidi Klum, "Project Runway" makes a fashionable return with its biggest season ever on July 9 at 9:30 p.m. EDT/PDT on Freeform and will stream shortly after on Hulu and Disney+, followed by weekly airings. For the first time, 22 designers from different backgrounds, the most in "Project Runway" history, will compete for a chance to take their careers to the next level. Heidi Klum, Law Roach and Nina Garcia return as judges, with Christian Siriano returning as mentor. This season, supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks joins as a recurring judge. Guest judges for season 22 include Ciara, Fausto Puglisi, Ice Spice, Iman, Kiernan Shipka, Niecy Nash, Nina Dobrev, Sergio Hudson, Willy Chavarria and Winnie Harlow. This season will feature cameos from Becca Bloom, Hannah Berner, Molly Rogers (costume designer, "The Devil Wears Prada 2"), Nara Smith, Nicky Campbell and Paige DeSorbo. As previously announced, worlds collide as the "Dancing with the Stars" cast hits the "Runway" catwalk, with appearances from Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Val Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Emma Slater, Ezra Sosa, Britt Stewart and Julianne Hough. And stars from Hulu's "Get Real" universe, Charity Lawson ("The Bachelorette"), Sarah Jane Nader ("Love Thy Nader"), Ekin-Su ("Vanderpump Villa") and "Project Runway" Season 21 winner Veejay Floresca will also appear as models in an episode this season. "Project Runway" is produced by Spyglass Media Group and Alfred Street Industries. Executive producers include Gary Barber and Sean Hoagland for Spyglass and Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Nan Strait and Dan Volpe for Alfred Street Industries. Michael Rucker serves as showrunner and executive producer, along with San Heng and Nicole Sorrenti, who executive-produce. Klum, Siriano and Garcia are executive producers, with Roach as co-executive producer. |
posted 6/18/2026 |
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Another Round of Bullseye |
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Bullseye has been recommissioned for another series on ITV, with Freddie Flintoff returning as host alongside scorer Richard Ashdown. The series successfully returned in 2024, with the modern revival reaching nearly 15 million viewers, with 7 million tuning in to watch last year's Christmas special alone. Flintoff said of the renewal: "It’s great that Bullseye still has a special place in the nation’s heart, as it does mine, and I loved bringing it back on TV screens. I can’t wait to see what a new season brings." The series sees three pairs of contestants, each containing an amateur dart player and their team partner, as they compete against each others. The teams then test their skills at throwing darts at different game boards while answering questions correctly for points and a fabulous range of prizes. As they progress throughout the show, three teams are then whittled down to one final pair who can go on to risk all their money and prizes for Bully's Mystery Star Prize. Katie Rawcliffe, director of entertainment, reality & daytime commissioning ITV commented: "Bullseye is a cherished format which has proved incredibly popular with viewers since its return, undoubtedly helped by Freddie. We’re thrilled to be bringing another series to screens later this year." While Lily Wilson, managing director, Bright Entertainment added: "We are thrilled to be bringing the iconic Bullseye back to British TV audiences later this year. With Freddie Flintoff equally as adored by the public, he is the perfect host for this modern take on a TV classic." |
posted 6/18/2026 |
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Dancing with the Stars has added another celebrity to its Season 35 roster. Jimmy Kimmel Live star Guillermo Rodriguez will be sashaying his way across the ballroom floor this fall, Disney revealed on Wednesday night. So far, he joins a cast that includes The Traitors and Love Island breakout Maura Higgins, Summer House favorite Ciara Miller and Savannah Bananas second baseman Jackson Olson. The full cast of celebrities and their pro dancing partners is expected to be unveiled on Good Morning America September 2. Season 35 will air on ABC and simulcast on Disney+ sometime in the fall, though Disney hasn’t given an exact premiere date yet. |
posted 6/18/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Tom Dreesen, the comedian and comic actor whose sharp delivery and amiability made him a favorite not only with audiences but of show biz kingpins like Johnny Carson and Frank Sinatra, died today. He was 86 His death was announced by a spokesperson for his family. A cause was not stated. “For more than five decades, Tom Dreesen brought laughter, heart, and humanity to audiences across America,” the statement said. “A proud native of Harvey, Illinois, Tom built a remarkable career through perseverance, talent.” Dreesen began his career in the late 1960s as half of the comedy team Tim and Tom with actor Tim Reid, a barrier-breaking interracial duo. Reid later went on to star as Venus Flytrap in the 1978-82 sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. (Dreesen would late make a guest appearance on his old friend’s show.) Dreesen continued as a stand-up comic, becoming a ubiquitous presence in the 1970s and ’80s (and thereafter), with more than 500 appearances on national television throughout his career. Perhaps most significantly, he made over 60 appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and was subsequently a frequent guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. He occasionally guest hosted The Late Show in Letterman’s absence. Dreesen’s final TV appearance was just last week when he was a guest June 9 on CBS’ Comics Unleashed With Byron Allen. Considered one of the great opening acts in the business, Dreesen set the stage for numerous headliners like Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Frankie Avalon, Smokey Robinson, Tony Orlando, Gladys Knight and, most notably and for 13 years, his good friend Frank Sinatra. As an actor, Dreesen had roles in Columbo, Touched By An Angel and Murder, She Wrote, and in such films as Spaceballs, Man on the Moon, The Rat Pack and Trouble with the Curve. In game shows, Dreesen was a guest on Match Game, Pyramid, Mindreaders, Beat the Clock, Hollywood Squares, Hot Potato, Family Feud, Wordplay, and Just Men!. Although complete information on survivors was not immediately available, the family statement said Dreesen “was a devoted father, brother, grandfather, friend, mentor, storyteller, and motivator. He gave generously of his time, supported countless charitable causes, and inspired others through his motivational speaking, his writing, and his personal example.” The family, the statement continued, “asks for privacy at this time and is thankful for all the heartfelt condolences.” |
posted 6/17/2026 |
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James Barker, a Love Island USA producer who had been working on the current season of the Peacock dating series, has died. He was 40. The executive producer died in Fiji last week after suffering an unexpected medical emergency, ITV America and Peacock confirmed. Barker started working on Love Island USA in 2020 as a story producer and worked his way up to EP, a role he had been preparing for over the past three seasons. His contributions to the show covered both production and post-production, and overseeing the show’s soundtrack. “James’ unimaginable loss has been deeply felt across not just the entire Love Island USA production, but throughout all of ITV and Peacock,” ITV America and Peacock said in a joint statement. “He was a beloved and greatly valued member of our collective family whose kindness, talent, and dedication left an indelible mark on all of us and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. We extend our heartfelt condolences to James’ partner, family, friends, and colleagues.” Love Island USA paid tribute to late executive producer James Barker at the end of the latest episode. As the June 16 episode concluded, the show honored the longtime employee, who lost his life during the filming of Season 8 in Fiji. Host Ariana Madix shared with the contestants, “None of us know how long we’ve got. For some, that time can be cut way too short. So please cherish every moment.” The episode then concluded with a photo montage simply titled, “For James.” The images included the 40-year-old smiling at concerts, poolside and with friends. It ended with his name, followed by one last photo. The final image was a card which read, “We love you.” Barker began his television career in 2011 at Leftfield Pictures, where he worked as a producer on shows like Counting Cars, Forged in Fire, and Pawn Stars. At ITV America, he produced Queer Eye and numerous seasons of Love Island USA and Love Island Games. Barker also worked on shows for Scout Productions, Sharp Entertainment, and Kinetic Content.
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posted 6/17/2026 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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The New York Knicks' NBA championship celebration continues tonight on a new episode of Password Season 3. The fan-favorite game show is just a few weeks into its third season, with Emmy-winning Host Keke Palmer and Jimmy Fallon returning as its resident player. And the June 16 episode will be one basketball fans won't want to miss when Knicks guard Josh Hart will see if he can bring his winning ways to Password! Fans can catch Hart's Password episode tonight, June 16, at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, with the episode streaming next day on Peacock. Watch a preview clip above — spoiler alert, Hart and his teammate absolutely nail the round. Hart and his teammates captured the Larry O'Brien championship trophy with a Game 5 NBA Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, ending a 53-year title drought for the storied New York Knicks franchise. |
posted 6/16/2026 |
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Netflix has announced that its comedy competition series Funny AF with Kevin Hart, culminating in the naming of Ron Taylor as its inaugural winner at Netflix Is a Joke Fest 2026, has been renewed for a second season amid Emmy campaigns for both the series and its host. The show is up for Outstanding Reality Competition Program, with Hart up for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program. Season 2 is expected to release in 2027 and will again include live episodes with real-time voting where members decide the winner. Premiering this past April, Funny AF is an uncensored competition bringing together rising comedians from across the country, each stepping into the spotlight with one goal: to make the same leap Kevin once did and become a household name. Throughout the series, Hart is joined by a circle of comedy heavyweights who help decide which comics advance, offering a behind-the-curtain look at the pressure, triumphs, and occasional bombs that define a stand-up career. The competition builds toward high-stakes live final rounds, where a global vote determines the ultimate winner. Roundly embraced by the comedy community as an opportunity to shine a light on fresh voices and mint some new comedy stars, at a time when talent incubation in stand-up is otherwise somewhat lacking, Funny AF‘s first season remained in the Netflix Top 10 for over three weeks, building on Hart’s history of success at the streamer, where in the last two years, his titles have generated more than 1 billion views. In addition to Detroit-born Taylor, finalists of Funny AF Season 1 included Usama Siddiquee, Caitlin Peluffo, and Reg Thomas. Special guests joining Hart included Keegan-Michael Key, Tom Segura, Kumail Nanjiani, Chelsea Handler, Nikki Glaser, Chris Rock, and the NFL’s Marshawn Lynch. |
posted 6/16/2026 |
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Drag Race France Ruveals Season 4 Queens |
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Drag Race France is back for Season 4, and WOW Presents Plus has unveiled the 10 queens competing in the new season, which is set to premiere on July 8 on the streamer. After three seasons and an All Stars version, the French adaptation of the drag race competition returns with new queens, new rules, and a dazzling new Werk Room. Nicky Doll is set to return as host and judge alongside Daphné Bürki and Loïc Prigent. The first celebrity guest judge is Isabelle Adjani. Brand-new twists, French and international guest stars, and a season more unpredictable than ever, Season 4 promises glam, drama, over-the-top performances, and plenty of surprises. New this year is the biggest twist yet – the Golden Baguette! Before leaving the Werk Room, each eliminated queen will have one final mission: awarding the Golden Baguette to the sister of her choice. The queen who receives this power will be able to save one of the bottom three queens the following week, or save herself if she’s in danger. It’s the ultimate get out of jail card! The ten new queens for Drag Race France Season 4 are Azemylia, Creatine Price, Daisy Superbitch, Fluffy Bidule, Holly White, La Harpie, Lana Cotta, Malawitte, Margarette, and Sublyme. The ten drag race queens are all competing for the title of France’s Next Drag Superstar and follow in the footsteps of previous queens like Paloma, Keiona, Le Filip, and All Stars winner Mami Watta. |
posted 6/16/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX) ("FOX" or the "Company") and Roku, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROKU) ("Roku") today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which FOX will acquire Roku for $160.00 per share in a combination of cash and FOX Class A common stock, valuing Roku at approximately $22 billion in enterprise value. The transaction combines FOX's leading sports, news and entertainment content and the Tubi service, with Roku's leading connected TV platform, The Roku Channel, first-party data and direct relationship with more than 100 million global streaming households. Together, FOX and Roku will create a scaled next-generation media and technology company positioned at the intersection of two of the most important forces reshaping video consumption: the enduring primacy of live sports and news, and the continued rise of streaming. FOX and Roku are committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform and to the continued ubiquitous distribution of FOX content. On a pro forma basis, the combined company will become the third-largest player in U.S. television by share of viewing, with an attractive mix of FOX's sports, news, and entertainment content, alongside streaming services Tubi and The Roku Channel. That distribution and engagement scale spans every major viewing environment - broadcast, cable, local and streaming - creating broad and diversified reach that benefits viewers, partners and advertisers. Lachlan K. Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corporation, said: "This is a defining moment for FOX, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade. In 2019, we reoriented the company around live news and sports. In 2020, we acquired Tubi and under our stewardship it has become one of the most successful businesses in streaming. Today, we take the next step: bringing together the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it. This combination will transform the scope of our company into high-growth verticals and yield a step change in our overall growth profile. And we are executing this acquisition from a position of financial strength - maintaining our investment grade balance sheet while providing our shareholders with an uninterrupted return of capital program in the form of share buybacks and dividends. Roku pioneered streaming TV and scaled it into a leading CTV platform. Together, we intend to lead its next chapter." Anthony Wood, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Roku, said: "Over the past two decades, we've built Roku into the leading TV streaming platform, reaching more than 100 million households globally and reshaping how people discover and enjoy entertainment. I'm incredibly proud of what our team has built, and the combination with FOX is an extraordinary opportunity to accelerate our vision, scale faster and innovate more aggressively for viewers, partners and advertisers. That's why our Board of Directors unanimously determined after concluding its strategic review process that this transaction offers a significant premium to Roku shareholders while also providing them with the opportunity to participate in the compelling future upside of the combined company. I couldn't be more excited about what we'll accomplish together." |
posted 6/15/2026 |
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Going Global |
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Buzzr, the Fremantle- & Fox-owned home of classic game shows, is adding a new block of global game shows. According to a reel on Facebook, the initial offering - to start July 6 - will include Small Talk & Going for Gold from the UK and Family Feud Canada. Small Talk, which originally aired on BBC1 from 1994 to 1996, features three players trying to predict the outcomes of questions posted by host Ronnie Corbett to a panel of 9 school-aged children. Produced by Grundy, it launched a short-lived American version starring Wil Shriner in 1996 on the Family Channel (now Freeform). Going for Gold, which aired for 11 seasons between 1987 and 2009 on BBC1 and Five, featured contestants from across Europe competing in a series of fast‑paced general‑knowledge rounds to advance through the week and ultimately reach the finals. Its signature format featured seven international players, a repechage system that let eliminated contestants return the next day, and a mix of buzzer rounds and head‑to‑head play. Family Feud Canada is, of course, the Canadian version of the long-running American format. Hosted by Gerry Dee, it will enter its seventh season on CBC this fall. |
posted 6/15/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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TCA Awards: And the Nominees Are.... |
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Gay ice hockey romance series Heated Rivalry, corporate drama Industry and horror comedy Widow’s Bay lead the 42nd Annual TCA Awards nominations with five each, the Television Critics Association announced Friday. They’re followed by Hacks, The Pitt and Pluribus with 4 each and The Comeback, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and Shrinking with 3 each. HBO Max leads the pack with 30 nominations, followed by Apple TV with 20 and Netflix with 14. Heated Rivalry, which recently received a record-breaking 16 Canadian Screen Awards, along with a Peabody, a GLAAD Award and TV Academy Honors Award in the U.S., the breakout series is not eligible to compete at the TV Academy-administered Emmy Awards. Heated Rivalry is produced by Toronto-based Accent Aigu Entertainment for Crave and distributed by Canadian conglom Bell Media’s Sphere Abacus with no U.S. ownership, so it did not meet the Emmys’ foreign production eligibility criteria. The 2026 TCA Awards honor standout series and stars from the 2025-2026 television season. Winners will be announced later this summer across TCA’s social media. TCA also announced it is expanding its categories to 14 with the additions of Outstanding Achievement in Animation—recognizing the best in new or returning animated series—and Outstanding Achievement in International Series, recognizing the best overall series produced by a country outside the United States where the predominant language spoken on screen is not English. The Simpsons, South Park, and Invincible are among the nominees for the Outstanding Achievement in Animation award, and Outstanding International Series nominees include Squid Game, The Boyfriend and The House of the Spirits. In late-night, John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Meyers will face off in the Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk, or Sketch category. Below is the list of 2026 Television Critics Association nominees (game show related entries are in italics)... Outstanding Achievement in News and Information Outstanding Achievement in Reality Outstanding International Series – New Category |
posted 6/12/2026 |
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Gene Shalit, the longtime film critic for Today, known for his quirky puns and signature walrus mustache, has died. He was 100. His family tells NBC News in a statement that Shalit passed away peacefully on Friday “after 100 years of an amazing life.” Shalit began his long career at The Today Show in 1970, where he began part-time and became a contributor three years later. Known for his frequent use of puns and his comical “absent-minded professor” appearance, which included a handlebar mustache, fuzzy hair, large glasses and colorful bow ties, Shalit became one of the most recognizable faces on television. During his four-decade tenure at Today as film and book critic, Shalit reviewed thousands of films, many of which were generally positive assessments, which frequently drew criticism from his peers for his lack of rigor, evidenced in parodies by rival film critics such as Siskel & Ebert. His review of the 1980 horror film The Shining is considered by many to be his most notable. Veering away from the consensus, he panned the film shortly after its release, criticizing it for lacking the depth and scariness expected from a major Stephen King adaptation and failing to live up to its hype. Shalit announced that he would leave The Today Show after 40 years, effective Nov. 11, 2010. He was quoted at the time as saying “it’s enough already” about his retirement. Born March 25, 1926 in New York City to parents of Jewish descent, Shalit and his mother briefly moved later that year to Newark, New Jersey, before the family permanently relocated to Morristown, New Jersey, in 1932. He discovered his passion for writing while attending Morristown High School, where he penned a humor column for the student newspaper, a style which eventually morphed into his pun-heavy, comedic styling that would define his career in later years. Prior to his long stint on Today, Shalit began writing for print publications in the 1960s, such as Look magazine, a 12-year stint at Ladies’ Home Journal, as well as Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Seventeen, Glamour, McCall’s and The New York Times. Over the years, Shalit became synonymous with pop culture. He guest-starred as the voice, and was portrayed in the form of a fish food critic named ‘Gene Scallop’ in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode ‘The Krusty Sponge’. He also was parodied in several episodes of Family Guy, including ‘Family Guy Viewer Mail #1’, ‘Brian Sings and Swings’, ‘The Book of Joe’ and ‘Big Man on Hippocampus’, although he was not a voice actor for the series. Shalit also voiced a character inspired by himself in three episodes of the animated series The Critic. Additionally, he was portrayed several times on Second City Television by cast member Eugene Levy. In game shows, Shalit featured on episodes of What's My Line?, Jeopardy!, To Tell the Truth, and Hollywood Squares. Shalit turned 100 on March 25, 2026, a milestone that was commemorated on Today in a special segment, in which Al Roker sent birthday wishes using a personalized Smucker’s jar, a reference to Shalit’s association with the brand through earlier promotions. Shalit was surrounded by his family for the occasion and said he looked forward to watching his favorite baseball team, the New York Mets. |
posted 6/5/2026 |
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Ronnie Schell, a prolific TV character actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of the amiable Pvt. Duke Slater, pal of Jim Nabors’ hayseed Gomer Pyle on the ’60s sitcom of that name, died of natural causes today at UCLA Hospital in Los Angeles. He was 94. His death was announced by family. Born Ronald Ralph Schell on December 23, 1931, in Richmond, California, Schell began his show business career while a senior at San Francisco State University when he auditioned at the city’s famed Purple Onion nightclub as a stand-up comedian. Signed for a five month stint, Schell, after graduation, began playing other clubs in the area, including North Beach’s Hungry I, Bimbo’s 365 Club and Fack’s 11 Jazz Club. He would later play some of the most prestigious hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, where he performed occasionally until his death. The first of nearly 150 TV credits was an appearance on the Groucho Marx game show You Bet Your Life, and while still playing supper clubs in New York City, Chicago and around the country, Schell found his signature role playing the friendly Duke from 1964-1969 on Gomer Pyle: USMC, the hit spinoff from The Andy Griffith Show starring Nabors as the former Mayberry resident who bumbles his way through a stint in the Marines. As Duke, Schell provided the small-town Gomer with a somewhat more worldly city boy pal. Other roles soon came, including a recurring character on Marlo Thomas’ That Girl as the title character’s always striving agent Harvey Peck. In 1967 he co-starred with Joby Baker on the one-season sitcom Good Morning World as a morning drive radio disc jockey duo. The series also featured a young Goldie Hawn. Other credits from the era include appearances on Love, American Style, The Patty Duke Show, Arnie, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Girl With Something Extra and many others. He worked steadily throughout the ’70s (Sanford & Son, The Dukes Of Hazzard, Charlie’s Angels, One Day At A Time, Mork & Mindy), the ’80s (The Love Boat, Too Close For Comfort, Sledge Hammer!, She’s The Sheriff) and beyond. His more recent appearances as a guest performer were on General Hospital, Yes, Dear and Disney’s Phil of the Future. Schell appeared on numerous game shows including Oh My Word, The Cross-Wits, Dance Fever, and Beat the Clock. Schell also appeared in more than 24 films including Disney’s Gus, The Shaggy D.A., and The Devil and Max Devlin, and Carl Reiner’s Fatal Instinct. He provided voices on such animated projects as Jetsons: The Movie and Rover Dangerfield as well as TV series including Battle of the Planets, Shirt Tales, Smurfs, Goober and the Ghost Chasers, and many more. He also appeared with Tim Conway in the video feature Dorf Goes Fishing. Schell acted in many TV and radio commercials, and was the spokesman for San Francisco’s BART. He landed his first national CLIO award for his Kemp’s Ice Cream commercial, and in 2002 received the first California Standup Comedy Legend Award. He was also inducted into San Francisco State’s Hall of Fame. Recently he starred in the 2019 Off Broadway musical comedy revue Don’t Leave it All to You Children! Schell is survived by wife Janet, sons Gregory and Christian, and granddaughter Chiara.
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posted 6/5/2026 |
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Matt Lucas and Richard Ayoade are the among latest comedians to compete on Taskmaster. The pair will be joined on the upcoming 22nd season by Chloe Petts, Isy Suttie and Nina Conti. Channel 4 teased that the comics have “willingly submitted themselves to the toughest physical and mental examination on television”. It added: “Like so many before them, they all believe they can impress the Taskmaster, but only one can take home the glory.” The group will be put through their paces by Greg Davies and his assistant Alex Horne who will “score and mark with the utmost scrutiny to determine who will emerge victorious” and eventually hold the trophy and be named a Taskmaster Champion. Lucas is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. He has also appeared in Doctor Who, Paddington, Wonka and Gladiator II. Ayoade played socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd from 2006 until 2013. Petts has supported Ed Gamble on tour and appeared on House Of Games, Have I Got News For You and Celebrity Mastermind. Suttie played Dobby in Peep Show while Conti was the director of comedy feature Sunlight. The most recent season of Taskmaster featured Amy Gledhill, Armando Iannucci, Joanna Page, Joel Dommett and Kumail Nanjiani. |
posted 6/12/2026 |
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ITV Tips Its Hand |
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Tipping Point is set to return to the studio later this year to record a new batch of episodes for broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX. Tipping Point, the quiz in which contestants answer questions to win turns on an arcade-style machine, is hosted by Ben Shephard has been a staple of ITV's afternoon schedule since it launched in 2012. Dropping tokens down a choice of four chutes, the contestants hope to knock piles of them off a moving shelf - and the more they collect, the greater the prize fund. The player who has won the least amount is then eliminated, and the last one standing competes for a £10,000 jackpot. Previous episodes of Tipping Point are available now on ITVX. |
posted 6/12/2026 |
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Anil Kapoor Joins "The 1% Club" |
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India Today has exclusively learnt that actor Anil Kapoor is all set to return to the small screen as the host of Star Plus' upcoming reality show. The game show is the Indian adaptation of the globally successful British format The 1% Club. Produced by Endemol Shine India, the show is expected to be one of the broadcaster's biggest reality launches in recent years. Sources close to the development reveal that Kapoor is currently shooting for the first promotional campaign, which is expected to be unveiled soon. "The team wanted a host who could bring both class and mass appeal to the format. Since The 1% Club is a quiz-based game show that also requires a fun and engaging personality, they explored multiple options before deciding on Anil Kapoor," a source shared. |
posted 6/12/2026 |
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Celebrity Wheel Of Fortune will be airing its seventh season on ABC’s linear schedule this fall. But fans of the game show will be pleased to hear that Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White will also be hosting more episodes exclusively on streaming. Deadline understands that ten new episodes of the show will drop on Disney’s two streaming platforms on Friday, June 12. These episodes, which will see a raft of celebrity guests spinning the wheel for a chance to win up to $1M for charity, will also get a second run on ABC at some stage. It’s not entirely clear why Disney made the decision to launch a number of streaming exclusive episodes of the long-running series, which was previously hosted by Pat Sajak. Disney previously moved Dancing with the Stars exclusively to Disney+ for Season 31, but this is the first time that one of its unscripted shows has had original episodes airing on linear and streaming. Hulu previously had a number of exclusive episodes of Family Guy that did not air on Fox but that show is also produced by Disney’s 20th Television Animation. Celebrity Wheel of Fortune is produced by Sony Pictures Television with Bellamie Blackstone as executive producer. Celebrity guests appearing on the exclusive streaming episodes include |
posted 6/11/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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More on "Destination X" Season 2 |
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NBC's travel competition series "Destination X" returns for a sophomore season with an all-new lineup of contestants boarding the bus. The roster is inclusive of fan-favorite Bravolebs, Bombshells and reality competition superstars. The contestants participating in Season 2 are: "Destination X" was the #1 new show of Summer 2025 and reached more than 20 million viewers across all platforms. It also stands as NBC's top alternative series launch on Peacock. Based on the award-winning Belgian format, the series was created by Geronimo and is distributed globally by Be-Entertainment. "Destination X" for NBC is produced by Twofour, part of ITV Studios, and Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group. Andy Cadman, Sophie Alcock, Darren Brown, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Emanuel Vanderjeudg executive produce alongside Twofour's Dan Adamson and Shireen Abbott. |
posted 6/10/2026 |
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Spicks & Specks & a Renewal |
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Spicks and Specks is coming back. The ABC has today (June 10th) confirmed a brand-new season of the beloved music quiz show will premiere on July 8th. Returning to its familiar Wednesday night slot, the latest run reunites longtime hosts Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst, and Alan Brough, who will once again put Australia’s music knowledge to the test while tackling a fresh round of absurd challenges and musical mysteries. Viewers can expect the trio to investigate questions ranging from whether music can be made using hospital equipment to imagining what the classic aria “Nessun Dorma” might sound like if it were inspired by a butt-scooting dog. The new season will also delve into the story behind what exactly happened when Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber spent time together in Japan. Helping navigate the chaos is a stacked lineup of Australian music talent, including Amy Shark, Ruel, Rhonda Burchmore, Casey Donovan, Dami Im, Chris Cheney, Kate Miller-Heidke, Katie Noonan, and Caleb Harper. The series will also welcome comedians and entertainers including Zoë Coombs Marr, Tommy Little, Denise Scott, Noah Szto, and Frank Woodley. |
posted 6/10/2026 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Survey says… this season of Celebrity Family Feud contestants is stacked! Season 12 will feature American Idol alums, Olympic athletes, and more stars. Contestants for the new season, with the tagline "Laugh your X off" in key art, include... The new season will premiere on July 9 at 8p.m. on ABC. It will then air on Thursdays through the rest of the season. Press Your Luck will air immediately after. |
posted 6/9/2026 |
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NBC Tuesday Is THE Night of the Summer |
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“America’s Got Talent” and “Password” kicked off to strong ratings starts on NBC and Peacock, with both unscripted shows seeing double-digit ratings gains. The “America’s Got Talent” Season 21 premiere, which saw Howie Mandel, Mel B, Sofía Vergara and Simon Cowell return as judges, scored 6.2 million total viewers across NBC and Peacock, according to live-plus-three-day Nielsen figures. Viewership in the 18-49 demo was up 20% as compared to the season premiere, with the episode ranking as No. 1 season premiere for the series in the 18-49 demo in 3 years. Likewise, the season premiere of “Password,” which returned for its third installment with host Keke Palmer and resident player Jimmy Fallon at the helm, scored 3.5 million total viewers across NBC and Peacock. The season premiere soared 15% in the 18-49 demo over the Season 2 summer premiere in 2024. On Peacock alone, the “America’s Got Talent” Season 21 premiere ranks as the show’s No. 1 episode to date, per live-plus-three-day numbers, as does the “Password” Season 3 premiere compared to the show’s past episodes. Additionally, as “America’s Got Talent” and “Password” debuted their new seasons on Tuesday, June 2, the series ranked as the No. 1 and No. 2 entertainment programs of the night on linear, respectively. |
posted 6/9/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! is thrilled to announce that Alzo Slade will be our next judge and scorekeeper. Listeners already know Alzo from his frequent appearances as a panelist and occasional guest judge and scorekeeper. On this weekend's show in Austin, Texas, he officially takes on the role full time, succeeding iconic broadcaster Bill Kurtis, who retired at the end of May. Says Slade: "Joining Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me! as co-host, judge and scorekeeper feels equal parts honor and elaborate hoax or clerical error. Every time I've been on the show I'm reminded it somehow makes the news feel intelligent, human and just unhinged enough to survive the week. And much love and respect to Bill Kurtis. This guy is amazing! Stepping into anything connected to that legendary voice is a bit like following a jazz legend at an open mic." Slade is only the third judge and scorekeeper in the 29-year history of the show. NPR legend Carl Kasell created the role in 1998 and was succeeded by Kurtis in 2015. Like his predecessors, Slade is an award-winning journalist (a Peabody and three Emmys) but unlike his predecessors, he's a stand up comic, worked as a concert photographer for Prince, won the Mr. Prairie View A&M pageant, and created Grits and Biscuits, a Southern hip-hop dance party that tours the country. Most importantly, Alzo has a deeply resonant voice that warms up your radio. Wait Wait host Peter Sagal says, "If Bill Kurtis has the voice of the Dad you always wished you had, Alzo's is the voice of the friend you always wanted. He's funny, he's kind, he's ridiculously smart, and knows just how to cut you down to size when you need it — or at least, when I need it." |
posted 6/8/2026 |
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Meet the UK Islanders |
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George Knight, a contestant on Love Island UK Season 13, is opening up about his abrupt exit from the dating series. The Islander came in as a bombshell on Day 1 but left the Mallorca-set villa after only a few days on the show. “Family comes first, always,” Knight wrote on Instagram. “Leaving the @loveisland Villa was a decision made in order to be with my family. Out of respect for them, I’d prefer not to go into any further detail.” He continued, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out with kind messages and support! It genuinely means a lot.” Knight came in as a bombshell alongside Yasmin. They were both greeted by host Maya Jama outside the villa, who explained that they would be part of a twist. Both bombshells would spend the day with the Islanders, and after 24 hours, would pick one of them to dump from the villa. The decision seemed to weigh heavily on both bombshells, but Knight seemed to take it even harder as he delivered the news to his fellow Islanders. ITV, which produces the series, has not commented on the reason Knight left the show, and the Islander preferred not to go into details about his exit. |
posted 6/1/2026 |
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"Mafia" Gets Gamified |
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Have you ever had the desire to see Sam Altman and Palmer Luckey square off over a moderately suspenseful card game? If so, you are in luck. Silicon Valley’s leaders are rushing to embrace the power of media for the purposes of marketing and political capital. Now, in a sign of the times, Founders Fund, the venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, has launched its own game show. “MAFIA the GAME,” will apparently be an ongoing thing, where prominent tech luminaries get together and face off over a game of cards (the show is named after the party-game favorite). The spectacle is moderated by Pirate Wires editor Mike Solana (who is also the chief marketing officer at Founders Fund). The debut episode includes a who’s who of players — Sam Altman; Palmer Luckey; Bryan Johnson, the famed biohacker who will (according to him) live forever; and Moxie Marlinspike, the founder of encrypted chat app Signal. |
posted 6/8/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Back to the Shops! |
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That Thrifting Show with Lara Spencer has been renewed for a second season on Hulu and Freeform. The unscripted competition series, from executive producer and host Spencer, will return in 2027. Season 1, which premiered in March, is currently streaming. In the competition series, vintage design expert Spencer presents two designer duos with identical rooms. With just 48 hours and a strict budget, generally totaling around $2,000, the teams must hunt through vintage and thrift stores to design their way to beautiful, layered, finished rooms. It’s a stylish and sustainable race against the clock. Design experts Robert Hartwell, Preston Konrad and Dani Klarić serve as judges. The series is produced for ABC News Studios by Butternut, a division of Wheelhouse Entertainment, and Envisionary Productions. Lara Spencer serves as executive producer, alongside Courtney White and Cheryl Wayne for Butternut, Jon Rosen for Envisionary Productions, and senior executive producer David Sloan and Melia Patria for ABC News Studios. |
posted 6/5/2026 |
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"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Ted Lasso" star Anthony Stewart Head has died at the age of 72, reports BBC. "He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family," his daughters Emily Head and Daisy Head told the publication. The women added: "It has been, and forever will be, an honor and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many." Emily and Daisy also said they knew "how dearly he will be missed by friends, colleagues and fans of the show he was in," adding that he "loved his job very much" and "always considered himself incredibly lucky." Head played Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers' Watcher and father figure for seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The actor reprised the role in Audible's 2023 audio series "Slayers: A Buffyverse Story" alongside his former co-stars James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson, Juliet Landau, Emma Caulfield Ford, and more. On Apple TV's "Ted Lasso," he played Rupert Mannion, the former owner of AFC Richmond and ex-husband to Rebecca Welton (played by Hannah Waddingham). He recurred and guest-starred for Seasons 1 and 2, and became a series regular by Season 3. From 2019-2022, he played Bill in four episodes of "Motherland" alongside Anna Maxwell Martin and Diane Morgan. His other TV credits include "Bridgerton," "Jack Ryan," "Doctor Who," "Drunk History," "Galavant," "Dominion," and "Warehouse 13." He also narrated Seasons 3 and 4 of the docuseries "Doctor Who Confidential." In game shows, Head appeared on episodes of "Hollywood Squares" and "All Star Mr & Mrs". On the film side of things, Head starred in "The Iron Lady," "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," and "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," among others. He also held a lengthy stage resume, including playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a 1990 West End production of "The Rocky Horror Show." Other stage credits include "Chess," "Rope," "Six Degrees of Separation," "Julius Caesar," "Henry V," and "The Heiress." |
posted 6/5/2026 |
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The Critics Choice Association got down to its real nitty gritty today, revealing the winners of its eighth annual Real TV Awards. Peacock’s adventures in treachery The Traitors was the top dog, scoring five prizes including Best Competition Series and Best Host for Alan Cumming. The Traitors winner Rob Rausch and contestant Lisa Rinna were named the respective Male and Female Star of the Year, and show’s five triumphs were enough to put Peacock atop the leader board among platforms. Netflix was second with four wins including two for Love on the Spectrum, which was the only other multiple champ, following up last year’s victories for Best Unstructured Series and Best Relationship Show. Other top winners included such stalwart unscripted fare as ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Shark Tank, MTV’s RuPaul’s Drag Race and the syndicated version of Jeopardy! The awards celebrate excellence in nonfiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Here are the winners of the 2026 Critics Choice Real TV Awards: |
posted 6/4/2026 |
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Talk About Expecting the Unexpected... |
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Bell Media announced today that, following a deal with Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, it will bring future seasons of BIG BROTHER USA to Canadian audiences beginning Summer 2027. With the acquisition of the US series, Bell Media also announced it has ordered a new season of BIG BROTHER CANADA for Crave and CTV. From Entourage, the team behind French-language Québécois series, BIG BROTHER CÉLÉBRITÉS, and produced in association with Crave and CTV, BIG BROTHER CANADA is set to begin production Spring 2027 in Montréal. Canadian TV personality Andrea Bain, co-host of CTV’s THE SOCIAL, is confirmed as the host for the new season, with casting details to be announced at a later date. “BIG BROTHER is one of the most iconic and beloved formats around the world and we are thrilled to have it take up residency at Bell Media,” said Justin Stockman, VP, Global Content, Bell Media. “Further strengthening our alliance with our production partners at Entourage and distribution partner at Banijay Rights, we look forward to delivering Canadian audiences more of the eventful and unforgettable competitive social gameplay they love with a new season of BIG BROTHER CANADA.” “BIG BROTHER is a global phenomenon that continues to embed deep roots with local audiences. Continuing our long-standing partnership with Bell Media, we’re thrilled to bring back this renowned superbrand to Canada which will be a brilliant way to showcase the country’s culture and personality,” added Jane Rimer, SVP Canada, Banijay Rights, who negotiated the agreement. With the order of BIG BROTHER CANADA, Bell Media also acquires the Canadian series’ back catalogue, with 12 seasons to be available to stream on Crave, joining the extensive collection of French-language series, BIG BROTHER CÉLÉBRITÉS. The French-language series has established itself as a fan-favourite since its debut in 2021, following a deal with Banijay Rights, spawning yearly specials and a successful spin-off. Season 6 of BIG BROTHER CÉLÉBRITÉS on Noovo was the #1 original reality series of Winter 2026 and was the most-streamed show in French on Crave in the same period, amassing nearly 4.7 million views on Crave and Noovo.ca combined. |
posted 6/4/2026 |
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Food Network's July |
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The BBQ charcoals will be glowing, engines will be revving, and the drama will be scorching this July on Food Network where new and returning series will combine for the network's hottest summer yet. Guy' Grocery Games features a new Global Games tournament while new series Kitchen Chaos will pull back the curtain on the unpredictable world of food to reveal some of the most outlandish happenings and viral moments that must be seen to be believed. Then, host and judge, Andrew Zimmern will helm an elite panel of judges in Pitmasters, a punishing new around-the-clock BBQ competition where teams will battle to earn up to $50,000 in prize money. Restaurant Impossible: Last Call will follow acclaimed chef Aarón Sánchez and dynamic Canadian restaurateur Jen Agg as they lead the way to help struggling restaurants across North America. Over the road competition, The Great Food Truck Race will return led by host Tyler Florence with a sweet and savory twist that will play out across the Great Smoky Mountains. Then, later in July, the high-stakes, sneak-attack restaurant rescue, Kitchen Undercover led by chef Antonia Lofaso and sous chef Nestor Milian will get to the root of a restaurant's problems and try to turn things around before it's too late. With even more fresh content coming later this summer on linear and YouTube, Food Network will keep its viewers fed all summer long. "Food Network is expanding its summer slate with bold new originals and content designed to drive audience engagement," said Betsy Ayala, President, Food Network. "Paired with fresh takes on proven favorites, the lineup offers something for every viewer." Athletes aren't the only ones competing in epic international games this year. On Wednesday, July 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT host Guy Fieri invites eight all-star masters of world cuisines to compete in the new five-part tournament, Guy's Grocery Games: Global Games, for a chance to win the trophy and a $50,000 grand prize. Fans can follow all the action and share which games are their favorite using #GroceryGames. Next, Pitmasters premiering Monday, July 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT is a raw, relentless, real-world BBQ competition unlike anything ever attempted on Food Network. A non-stop week-long battle set deep in the wilderness where teams of the most notable pitmasters will push the boundaries of what BBQ can be as they compete over live fire to prove they are the best of the best. They will be cooking from sunrise to sunset to sunrise again, fighting for survival and their share of up to $50,000 in prize money. Teams must manage fire, fatigue, and challenges within challenges to impress an elite panel of judges. Andrew Zimmern, Jess Pryles, Moe Cason, and Ernest Servantes use their vast BBQ knowledge to crown one team the Pitmasters Champion. Viewers can join the social conversation and share their takes on the hottest barbecue trends using #FNPitmasters. The Great Food Truck Race will kick off a new season premiering Sunday, July 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, and this time around, it will be a battle of savory and sweet. With four trucks that specialize in savory dishes and four sweet-themed trucks, the eight competing teams each represent a dynamic mix of flavors, strategies and culinary creativity in their quest for the win. Host Tyler Florence will lead the route starting in Nashville and through the Great Smoky Mountains, stopping in cities with vibrant food scenes - all while adding unexpected twists and turns from the very first mile. Every week, the teams must prove their cooking expertise, marketing savvy and selling skills in themed challenges to beat their rivals - and for the first time, the bottom two teams each week will go head to head in a taste redemption battle to see who earns the right to stay and who heads home. The season will culminate in an action-packed finale from the legendary Churchill Downs in Louisville, where only one truck will be awarded a life-changing $50,000 grand prize. Fans can get to know the competing teams and relive the most dramatic moments of the season using #GreatFoodTruckRace. |
posted 6/4/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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An ITV program lauded as the "greatest game show on TV" appears set to make a comeback for a fourth series. Wheel of Fortune, a massive hit throughout the 1980s and 1990s, was revived in 2024 with Graham Norton at the helm, and the reboot has now completed three series. TVZone has revealed that there is plenty more to come, with the show returning on ITV for a fourth series "with even more excitement, laughter, and big money prizes". While no broadcast date has been confirmed, the website states that applications are open for those who fancy their chances at competing for the jackpot on the beloved game show. Wheel of Fortune challenges contestants to solve word puzzles while spinning a giant wheel to determine their cash winnings and prizes, reports the Mirror. |
posted 6/3/2026 |
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FOX today announced additional Summer 2026 premiere dates, including the season premieres of Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay and Beat Shazam hosted by Jamie Foxx. The hit musical game show Beat Shazam returns Tuesday, July 28 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Hosted and executive-produced by award-winning actor, singer and comedian Jamie Foxx, who is joined by his daughter, producer and activist Corinne Foxx as co-host and deejay, Beat Shazam is an interactive game show that pits teams of two against the clock and each other, as they attempt to identify the biggest hit songs of all time. In the end, the team with the most money banked will outlast the competition and go against Shazam, the world's most popular song identification app, for the chance to win $1 million dollars. Over the course of its seven previous seasons, the show has given away more than $10 million dollars. In Season Eight, Beat Shazam will celebrate its 100th episode milestone and will feature special themed episodes throughout the season including ladies night, teams of NFL fans, heroes, college students, teachers, best friends and couples - all battling it out to win the prize of a lifetime. Beat Shazam was created by Jeff Apploff and Wes Kauble, and is produced by Apploff Entertainment, MGM Alternative Television and BiggerStage in association with Shazam. Apploff, Mark Burnett, Barry Poznick, Lauren Zalaznick, Pat Kiely, Seán O'Riordan and Jamie Foxx serve as executive producers. As previously announced, the series debut of Nation's Dumbest, a new celebrity competition series that flips the traditional format on its head - because this is the only show where winning is the last thing anyone wants, premieres Wednesday, July 15 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Taking attendance as host is acclaimed comedian Jack Whitehall, who presides over the chaos as contestants relive the highs and humiliations of school life - from pop quizzes and report cards to recess and parent teacher conferences - all while trying to stay out of last place. Nation's Dumbest channels celebrities' inner school spirit as they head back to summer school, facing a mix of brain-teasing tasks, fast-paced physical challenges, and long-buried classroom knowledge. Each week, the 'smartest' celebrity graduates, narrowing the field until a high-stakes final exam determines who will be left standing with the distinction no one wants - the title of The Nation's Dumbest. Enrolled in this season's all-star class are television personality Hilaria Baldwin, actress and model Carmen Electra, actor Anthony Michael Hall, actor Jon Heder, musician and actor Chase Hudson, rapper and actor Ice-T, singer-songwriter Elle King, former NFL quarterback Matt Leinart, television personality and physician Dr. Drew Pinsky, stunt performer and comedian Steve-O, singer and performer JoJo Siwa, and entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Based on a format from Montreaux Films, Nation's Dumbest is executive produced by Ryan O'Dowd, Krystal Whitney and Jenny Groom for BBC Studios. James Breen and Michael O'Sullivan also executive produce, with Breen serving as showrunner. Iconic culinary series MasterChef continues Season 16 with all-new episodes beginning Wednesday, July 15 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), celebrating international cuisine with award-winning chef and executive producer Gordon Ramsay as host and judge, alongside renowned restaurateur Joe Bastianich and acclaimed chef and entrepreneur Tiffany Derry. Additionally, all new episodes of fan favorite games shows The 1% Club (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), hosted by Joel McHale and The Quiz with Balls (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) hosted by Jay Pharoah resume beginning Monday, July 13. |
posted 6/3/2026 |
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Unboxed |
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While unscripted shows have historically performed well on Netflix, there are some that end up going under the radar. One of those is What’s in the Box?, a game show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Across six episodes, contestants had the chance to compete in trivia rounds to win prizes. They didn’t know what would be in each of the boxes they opened, with pairs having to face off in games of strategy and alliance-switching. All six episodes dropped on December 17, 2025, and if you feel like you missed it, you’re not alone. Like many Netflix shows, it flew under the radar, and so, it’s not surprising to hear that Netflix has opted to cancel the game show. Rather than make a big announcement about the cancellation, fans learned via Matt’s Inside Line. A reader asked Matt Webb Mitvoch about the chances of a second season, and he did some digging with his contacts. Netflix has confirmed that there are “no plans” to create any more episodes. In other words, it’s been unofficially canceled. |
posted 6/2/2026 |
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Ball Province |
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Banijay Rights has struck its first international deal for buzzy physical comedy gameshow Let’s Play Ball. Heated Rivalry streamer Crave has picked up the format for French Canada and will make a bumper 10 x 60-minute version of the show that sees celebrities push giant balls across various terrains. Produced by Sphere Media, the Canadian version will travel across Montreal, from narrow city streets and open countryside to flowing rivers. Let’s Play Ball, a former Deadline Global Breakout, started life on YouTube before being scaled up by EndemolShine Nederland and local broadcaster SBS6. ITV is developing a version in the UK with Last One Laughing UK producers Initial and Zeppotron, while in the U.S. Bunim/Murray Productions is taking the show to market. Banijay Rights Canada SVP Jane Rimer said: “Let’s Play Ball is a bold, highly visual. format with universal appeal, combining larger-than-life, laugh-out-loud comedy with a healthy dose of competition. Securing our first international deal for Let’s Play Ball with Bell Media here in Quebec is a fantastic milestone, and we cannot wait to partner with Bell Media again to bring this uniquely entertaining format to life for French-Canadian audiences.” |
posted 6/2/2026 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Jeopardy! Today Arrives on Peacock |
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NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and Lil Snack today announced the launch of Jeopardy! Today on the Peacock mobile app, a new daily interactive game exclusively on to Peacock subscribers. The game brings one of the most beloved and enduring franchises in television history into the daily gaming format — offering fans a fresh, bite-sized Jeopardy! experience every single day, right inside the Peacock app. Jeopardy! Today is the latest addition to Peacock’s growing suite of companion games and interactive experiences, which have become a meaningful driver of daily engagement for Peacock’s subscriber base – 10% of mobile users have played a game on Peacock. Jeopardy! Today gives players a fresh board of nine clues each day, with new content tied to pop culture and NBCUniversal programming on Peacock. Players can win by completing a tic-tac-toe — horizontally, vertically, or diagonally — or, for the die-hard fans, by completing the full board. The distinctly modern yet familiar format is designed to be accessible to casual players while giving superfans a worthy daily challenge that rewards deep knowledge of the Jeopardy! canon and introduces a layer of strategic choice that goes beyond simple trivia recall. All content for Jeopardy! Today is licensed material specifically for the game, ensuring that it carries the same intellectual rigor, wit and authenticity that has made the franchise a cultural institution for over four decades. Whether you’re a first-time player or a Jeopardy! devotee, every clue delivers the unmistakable feel of the show. “These companion games and interactive experiences on Peacock have proven to be a powerful way to give fans more of what they want – expanding the content they love into something they can engage with every day,” said John Jelley, Senior Vice President, Product and User Experience, Peacock. “Games like Jeopardy! Today extend the magic of these iconic franchises by inviting fans to actively participate and deepen their connection to their favorite shows. This also delivers on our broader vision to build Peacock into a destination where entertainment isn’t just watched, but experienced.” “Expanding a franchise as iconic as Jeopardy! into new formats requires thoughtful stewardship of the brand and a deep understanding of what the fans value,” said Sally Umsted, SVP, Brand Partnerships, Licensing, and Experiences, Sony Pictures Television, Game Shows division, in a statement. “With Jeopardy! Today, we saw an opportunity to extend the fandom into a new daily game that feels modern, interactive, and native to how audiences now engage with entertainment, while still preserving the unmistakable Jeopardy! experience. Peacock has an unwavering commitment to innovation and creates meaningful engagement outside of the series, making it the perfect platform for a daily interactive experience.” “At Lil Snack, our mission is to bring play to the world,” said Eric Berman, CEO of Lil Snack, in a statement. “By reimagining iconic franchises like Jeopardy! into something bite-sized, fresh, and worth coming back to every single day. We built Jeopardy! Today to surprise and delight audiences with a reason to come back to Peacock daily —to play the game in the same destination where they already watch the show.” |
posted 6/1/2026 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Project Runway unveils its lineup of 22 designers for its biggest season to date. Season 22 debuts in the evening on July 9 on Freeform and will stream shortly after on Hulu and Disney+, followed by weekly airings. For the first time, 22 designers from different backgrounds - the most in "Project Runway" history - will compete for a chance to take their careers to the next level. Heidi Klum, Law Roach and Nina Garcia return as judges, with Christian Siriano returning as mentor. Designers featured in this season include returning designer from Season 21 Joseph McRae, along with Aaron Potts, Andrea Moore, Andriy Volkov, Anna Molinari, Bao Tranchi, Bi Pham, Bryan Barrientos, Chloe Magleby, Dani Bennett, Elizabeth Shevelev, Jeffrey Kelly Abess, Jennifer Daniels, Jude Mikulencak, Omolara "LRÉ the Artist" Odupita, Naheim Muhammad, Octavius Terry, Plane Jane, R'bonney Nola Gabriel, Robert Crone, Varvara "Bobby" Diakonenkova and Yang Yang Xu. "Project Runway" is produced by Spyglass Media Group and Alfred Street Industries. Executive producers include Gary Barber and Sean Hoagland for Spyglass and Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Nan Strait and Dan Volpe for Alfred Street Industries. Michael Rucker serves as showrunner and executive producer, along with San Heng and Nicole Sorrenti, who executive-produce. Klum, Siriano and Garcia are executive producers, with Roach as co-executive producer. |
posted 5/28/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Bed Rot... the Game Show |
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You know how there are days when you just don’t want to get out of bed? Now imagine being paid $100,000 to stay in one. But there’s a catch. The Bed Rot Challenge is a new reality competition web series in which stars from Survivor, The Traitors, Love Island USA, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Bachelorette, and Beast Games will attempt to outwit and outlast each other… on a bed. Whoever can stay in bed the longest without coming into contact with the ground — while also surviving elimination challenges — will win $100,000. There will also be contests that enable contestants to win or lose comfort along the way. The Bed Rot Challenge cast includes a trio of former Survivor contestants: Carolyn Wiger (also of The Traitors), Natalie Anderson (also of The Traitors, The Amazing Race, and The Challenge), and Ben Katzman. They will be joined by Love Island star Vanna Einerson, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Chase McWhorter, Beast Games competitor Zadok Esters, and Aaron Kahng from Taylor Frankie Paul’s unaired season of The Bachelorette. Also competing is bodybuilding YouTuber Luke Yates, and two newcomers hoping to score a cool 100 grand. The series is hosted by London Lazerson and being produced by Cozy Earth. It will feature six episodes streaming on Cozy Earth’s YouTube channel, with the first installment dropping June 11. |
posted 5/27/2026 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Jeff Probst is slamming prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket for allowing users to make trades about who won “Survivor” Season 50, saying that the companies are “incentivizing people to lie, cheat and steal to get ahead.” “They have figured out a way to capitalize on [the show],” he tells Variety. “It doesn’t sit well with me as a human. I get it — they built a great business. They don’t care.” Aubry Bracco wasn’t officially crowned as the Sole Survivor of “Survivor 50” until the finale on Wednesday night, but many fans were spoiled on her win in advance due to widely circulated reports about her odds on Kalshi and Polymarket. On both platforms, she was forecast to have above an 80% chance of winning before the season even premiered. By the finale, Kalshi’s “Survivor” market had reached a volume of $32.7 million, with Bracco at 97% odds. Moments before the finale debuted on Wednesday night, Kalshi sent out a push notification that read, “Survivor S50 finale TONIGHT. Aubry’s at 97% — is the island already decided?” Probst learned how much money was in Kalshi’s “Survivor” market, and that they’d sent out the cheeky notification, for the first time while being interviewed by Variety. “I’m not happy about it,” he said. “I am learning this in real time — this is announced before our finale?” As reported by Variety, Hollywood executives are concerned that the growing popularity of prediction markets is leading to insider trading and that widespread spoilers will reduce suspense and hurt their shows’ ratings. But Kalshi is adamant that its ban on insider trading is being enforced effectively and that its “Survivor” market has been thoroughly investigated. Executives at the company believe traders are drawing from public rumors on Reddit and other online communities — and while the anonymous people starting those rumors might be insiders breaking their NDAs, the traders listening to them are still following the law. Therefore, it’s not up to Kalshi to crack down on them. “Survivor” cast and crew members all sign agreements that prohibit the use of insider knowledge for gambling or any monetary gain, and additional reminders — specifically mentioning Kalshi and Polymarket — were sent out during the release of Season 50. CBS is also incorporating language about prediction markets in “Survivor” contracts moving forward. But Probst maintains that it’s unfair to put the onus on networks and studios to manage the spread of these spoilers. “Clearly, if 90% of the people are voting for somebody, there’s a leak. But to look at us, the producers, as though we have a problem, is the mirror pointing in the wrong direction,” he says. “[Prediction market platforms] are the ones with the problem, not us. We went and made our show in a vacuum, and we keep it very tightly contained, but if you are foolish and naive enough to not think that somebody might leak it, that’s your problem.” He continues: “If the idea is that ‘Survivor’ needs to do a better job of managing our spoilers, you just don’t know anything about humans. That’s ridiculous. You’re telling me there’s a way I can make money by sharing information I have, and I might not ever get caught? Of course, people are going to do that. And if I found out somebody on our show bet on this, they’d be fired.” In a new statement, Kalshi spokesperson Elisabeth Diana emphasizes the company’s position that prediction markets can be additive to the reality TV experience, creating excitement rather than stifling viewership. But the company is now taking Probst’s concerns to heart. “If the market volume on ‘Survivor’ is any indication, this isn’t something that’s stopping people from caring about ‘Survivor,'” Diana says. “That being said, we’re looking at adding product features to prevent spoilers.” |
posted 5/23/2026 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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Meanwhile, in Greece... |
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"Survivor Greece" was forced to end early after a contestant sustained major injuries while spearfishing in the Dominican Republic earlier this month. Following the event, a statement put out by production company AcunMedya revealed that Stavros Floros lost part of his left leg and experienced trauma in his right foot after a boat hit him by accident. The incident took place near Saona Island while Floros was off duty from filming. "The competent port authorities are investigating the causes of the incident in order to fully determine the circumstances. The contestant remains hospitalized in serious but stable condition and is out of danger," read the AcunMedya statement. Meanwhile, SKAI Television, the network that airs "Survivor Greece," issued a statement pledging to "contribute in every possible way to [Floros'] treatment, as well as to any hospitalization and rehabilitation care that may be required." This year's "Survivor Greece" might have ended prematurely, but Stavros Floros has been crowned its undisputed champ. The last episode of the European reality series saw host Giorgos Lianos announce the decision to wrap up the festivities early before praising the injured contestant for his resilience. "Everyone has been amazed by the courage and strength of a true survivor," Lianos said (via tovima.com). "The winner of this year's 'Survivor' and the €250,000 prize is Stavros, because he is a real survivor, because he truly deserves it, and because it is one of the few things we can do for him." Lianos added that the health, safety, and well-being of the show's participants come first, hence the decision to conclude the 2026 installment of "Survivor Greece" early. The next season has yet to be formally announced. |
posted 5/21/2026 |
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Rhythm+Flow Heads to Italy |
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RHYTHM + FLOW ITALY, the rap show produced by Fremantle, is back only on Netflix with its third season, every Monday starting June 22. The new season includes nine episodes, one more than in the previous seasons, and brings an even stronger judging lineup. Joining the now-iconic judges Fabri Fibra, Geolier and Rose Villain is another legend of the scene: Guè officially becomes part of the team to raise the bar even higher and discover the next stars of Italian rap. The first four episodes - available from Monday, June 22 - introduce a completely new structure: the judges come together for the auditions, launching this year's search for the best emerging rappers through original tracks and freestyle battles. To complete the scouting process, Fabri Fibra, Geolier, Rose Villain and Guè will head to Lugano, Bologna and Milan to discover new talents, joined by some of the leading figures of the urban scene. Following the final auditions, selected contestants will compete in the next four episodes - available from Monday, June 29 - across a series of escalating challenges, including cypher, a sample-based format, a major new feature of this edition, music videos and featurings. Only the best will make it through to the final on Monday, July 6, where the artists will face off other one last time and just one will win the €100,000 prize. The third season of RHYTHM + FLOW ITALY, produced by Fremantle Italia, is written by Marco Curti, Matteo Lenardon, Paola Papa and Sonia Soldera, with Alessandra Colombo, Vincenzo Maiorana and Alessandra Tomaselli, and directed by Alessio Muzi. The first two seasons of RHYTHM + FLOW ITALY have truly made their mark: the original tracks by contestants who reached the final stages of the show (music videos and finale) have reached a total of almost one billion streams across all music and social platforms. These numbers confirm that the show has become one of the most popular showcases for Italian rap, capable of discovering new and promising talents. |
posted 5/21/2026 |
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Kyle Busch, a generational talent who rose to become a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and one of the sport’s greatest drivers, died Thursday. He was 41. Busch’s death, which was announced by the Busch family, NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing, marked a sudden, staggering blow to the motorsports community. His team had indicated earlier Thursday that Busch had been hospitalized with a severe illness. Busch was in his 22nd full-time season in NASCAR’s top division, where he won two Cup Series titles (2015, 2019) and 63 races — a figure that ranks ninth on the circuit’s all-time win list. His numbers across the other two national NASCAR series are record-setting, with 102 victories in what is now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 69 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series. The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR made the following joint statement: “On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch. “Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’ Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon. “During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Further updates will be shared as appropriate.” Busch drove for three Hall of Fame team owners in Cup, getting his start with Hendrick Motorsports as a heralded rookie in stock-car racing’s big leagues in 2005. He joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, establishing a long-running partnership that made him the face of Toyota’s NASCAR endeavors. He spent the final stages of his career with Childress, arriving in 2023 and taking the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet. In game shows, Busch was featured on episodes of Nashville Squares, The $100,000 Pyramid, Sports Jeopardy! & Jeopardy!. Most recently, he participated on NASCAR Week on Wheel of Fortune back in February. "Ryan, Vanna, and the entire Wheel family is saddened to hear of the passing of Kyle Busch," the show posted on its socials. "We were grateful for the chance to spend time with him during NASCAR Week this year and to witness the kindness and energy he brought to everyone around him. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and the entire racing community." |
posted 5/21/2026 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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posted 7/20/2023
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