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 90-Day Archives |
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Just over a week after Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home, the chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator has confirmed their causes of death. Hackman reportedly died of cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s as a factor, according to Heather Jarrell. She was unable to confirm if a heart attack was the official cause but noted that heart disease was the cause of death and that Alzheimer’s was a significant contributing factor. Meanwhile, Arakawa died from hantavirus. “Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms and progresses rapidly to more severe disease. It can lead to life-threatening lung and heart problems,” according to Mayo Clinic. Hantavirus spreads through the urine, saliva, and droppings of rodents. The medical examiner estimated that Arakawa died on February 11, about a week before her husband. Hackman’s pacemaker’s last registered activity was on February 17. Investigators believe that Hackman’s may not have known that his wife died due to his Alzheimer’s creating confusion. Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed that Arakawa was seen doing errands at a market and CVS pharmacy on February 11, while also corresponding with a massage therapist via email that same day. Foul play was not suspected in Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths, and they both tested negative for carbon monoxide. A search warrant revealed that Arakawa was found dead on the bathroom floor with pills scattered on the counter. Meanwhile, Hackman was found in a mudroom off the kitchen.. Hackman started his long and prestigious acting career on the stage and in television, appearing in series like The Defenders, The United States Steel Hour, Brenner, The Invaders and Iron Horse. Hackman appeared on one episode of The Hollywood Squares in 1971. He is best known, though, for his film work. Hackman’s role in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde earned him his first Oscar nomination (for Best Actor in a Supporting Role). He would go on to be nominated four more times, winning twice: Best Actor in a Leading Role for The French Connection and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Unforgiven. Hackman’s film career spawned many commercial and critical successes. He played Lex Luthor in Superman and its sequels Superman II and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. He was Coach Norman Dale in the sports drama Hoosiers and patriarch Royal Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums. His other big-screen work included Young Frankenstein, Reds, The Poseidon Adventure, Postcards From the Edge, The Firm, Crimson Tide, Get Shorty, The Birdcage, Behind Enemy Lines and Runaway Jury. His final film was 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport. Hackman is survived by his children Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie. |
posted 3/7/2025 |
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A Delaware judge has cracked open the door to a potential bidding war for Paramount Global, casting uncertainty over the media conglomerate’s $8 billion merger with Hollywood’s Skydance Media. On Monday, Delaware Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick requested additional information from New York City’s public pension funds, which filed a lawsuit last month to block the deal, signaling she may be considering a temporary halt to its closure—a move that could invite rival offers and upend the agreement according to a report from The New York Post. The pension funds, representing city firefighters, police officers, and teachers, allege that the Skydance merger unfairly prioritizes media heiress Shari Redstone’s controlling stake in Paramount, paying her a premium while sidelining common shareholders without a vote. They claim a rival bid from Project Rise Partners, an investment consortium led by Daphna Ziman, offers $8.8 billion—$800 million more than Skydance’s deal—but was ignored due to the merger’s exclusive terms. “Our original offer had a letter from Northern Trust verifying the financials,” Ziman told reporters, adding that Paramount’s Special Committee refused to meet with her group. Project Rise Partners has filed details of its financing under seal with the court, though Ziman has not publicly disclosed her backers. Chancellor McCormick’s request for more information has fueled speculation that she is open to pausing the Skydance deal, which Paramount hoped would proceed without delay. The judge, who last year famously struck down Elon Musk’s $56 billion Tesla pay package, did not set a date for a new hearing, leaving stakeholders in limbo. |
posted 3/7/2025 |
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Say What You See Again |
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ITV have confirmed that the broadcaster has recommissioned Celebrity Catchphrase for an eleventh series, with the tenth series coming soon. Each episode features three celebrities contestants all playing for charity. If the three celebrities can ‘say what they see’ they could get the chance to win £50,000 for their chosen charity. Transmission details for the new episodes, and celebrities taking part, will be announced in due course. ITV commissioner Gemma John-Lewis said: "We’re delighted to announce a further series of the much loved family favourite, Celebrity Catchphrase. The only show where you say what you see, the hugely popular series continues to win legions of fans and with Stephen’s infectious and playful humour it’s a firm favourite with our viewers." Gary Chippington, Executive Producer and Creative Director of STV Studios Entertainment, added: "It’s testament to Catchphrase’s fantastic format and universal appeal that it’s still one of the UK’s most-loved entertainment shows, four decades after ITV first commissioned it... "The incomparable Stephen Mulhern is a huge part of the show’s success, and we’re looking forward to getting back in the studio with him and a great line-up of stars later this year for what promises to be another brilliant series of Celebrity Catchphrase." |
posted 3/7/2025 |
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"Deal or No Deal" Returning to Sweden |
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Deal or No Deal returns to Sweden after a 11-year hiatus. Produced by Meter/Jarowskij, part of Banijay Nordic, the much-anticipated revival is set to air this spring on TV4, in partnership with the Postcode Lottery. Hosted by Rickard Sjöberg, the show will air primetime on Fridays and Saturdays. A global phenomenon, Deal or No Deal the game show sees contestants play for a top prize, making life-changing decisions using strategy and intuition. In Sweden, players face 20 sealed bags containing a different cash amount. Without knowing what’s inside, they must decide whether to accept an offer from the mysterious Banker or hold out for the chance to win up to 1 million kronor. As the game unfolds, the Banker’s offers fluctuate based on the remaining prizes, building suspense and creating an intense and thrilling viewing experience. Deal or Do Deal premieres on May 9 and will be broadcast on TV4 Play and TV4 every Friday and Saturday for five weeks in the spring, and five weeks in the fall. Madelene Hansson, CEO of Meter/Jarowskij says: “Deal or No Deal is a much-loved format, with iconic gameplay creating incredible drama and tension, both in the studio and for viewers at home. We’re confident its comeback in Sweden, after more than a decade, will draw audiences and become must-see television for TV4, and we’re looking forward to working with the Postcode Lottery on this exciting return.” Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay Entertainment says: “Classic formats are continuing to make a major comeback, with territories leaning into beloved shows to capture the engagement of long-time fans, while attracting new audiences. Deal or No Deal continues to be a ratings winner across multiple markets, and we expect this Swedish revival will once again tap into the cultural zeitgeist.” |
posted 3/7/2025 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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Japanese TV personality and Guinness World Records certificate holder for busiest live TV host Monta Mino died early Saturday, a company he headed as president said. He was 80. Mino, a Tokyo native whose real name was Norio Minorikawa, joined radio broadcaster Nippon Cultural Broadcasting Inc. in 1967 before moving to television, where he appeared in numerous programs, including as host of the Japanese version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" where, like Chris Tarrant and Regis Philbin before him, his "Final answer?" entered the cultural lexicon. He first received the Guinness certificate in 2006 for the most hours on live TV in a week for his regular appearances on two programs. He broke his own record in 2008 when one of the shows was reorganized and its running time expanded. Mino was also president of Nikkoku Corp., a family business that manufactures water meters. Monta Mino's funeral will be held by close relatives. |
posted 3/6/2025 |
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Pamela Bach, an actress and the ex-wife of David Hasselhoff, has died at the age of 62. Bach died by suicide on Wednesday at her home in Los Angeles, according to a record from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. She sustained a gunshot wound to the head. "Our family is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Pamela Hasselhoff," Hasselhoff said in a statement to PEOPLE. "We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time, but we kindly request privacy as we grieve and navigate through this challenging time." Bach, who also went by Pamela Hasselhoff, made her screen debut in 1973 in an episode of the soap The Young and the Restless and followed it with appearances on the shows Otherworld and T.J. Hooker. In 1985, she starred in an episode of Knight Rider, during which time she met her future husband, Hasselhoff. The couple wed in December 1989 and welcomed two daughters, Taylor and Hayley. Bach and Hasselhoff split in early 2006 after a contentious divorce. Bach accused Hasselhoff of domestic violence, allegations that Hasselhoff denied. In 2018, Hasselhoff married model Hayley Roberts, his third wife. Before Bach, he was married to actress Catherine Hickland. Bach appeared in several episodes of Baywatch alongside Hasselhoff, as well as on episodes of Cheers, The Fall Guy, Sonny Spoon, and Sirens. Her movie credits included Appointment With Fear, Nudity Required, Route 66, More Than Puppy Love, and, in her final onscreen appearance, 2015's Mansion of Blood. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), dial or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911. |
posted 3/6/2025 |
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ITV Passes on Pyramid |
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Jane McDonald has been dealt a blow just as she was announced as the host of The Soap Awards. The singer and TV presenter, 61, has been found cruising on Channel 5 in recent years. However, Jane secretly swapped her luxury boats for a shinny studio floor as she hosted an episode of iconic game show Pyramid. The format was given an hour-long episode by bosses in 2023 that was never planned for broadcast. It took place in MediaCity studios in Manchester in front of a studio audience with Jane at the helm. However, The Sun has learnt the show won't be commissioned for a full series by ITV. An insider said: "Jane is a brilliant broadcaster and worked really well on the pilot, and the contestants loved her. "It's not unusual for pilots not to be given a full series and it's certainly not a reflection on Jane. "She's well respected by ITV, who have signed her up to host the rebooted Soap Awards this year." The Chase star Jenny Ryan was also involved in the pilot, with Jane posting a behind-the-scenes snap with The Vixen star on social media. Pyramid aired in the UK on ITV for five series between 1981 and 1990 under the name The Pyramid Game with Steve Jones as host. It was rebooted by digital channel Challenge in 2007 for one series with Donny Osmond at the helm. Just like the US version - which is still on air today - it sees two teams composing of one celebrity and the other a civilian. Against the clock, they have to convey mystery words and phrases in a certain category to win money. |
posted 3/5/2025 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Jamie Foxx is formalizing his relationship with the almost-namesake broadcast network where he has two current series. Fox Entertainment Studios, Fox’s studio and production arm, has signed a first-look deal with the Oscar winner and his Foxxhole Productions. Under the multi-year deal, Foxx will develop and executive produce both scripted an unscripted series projects; Fox Entertainment Studios will get the first look at any scripted series and will have exclusive rights to Foxx’s projects and producing services on unscripted shows. Foxx and the network already have a relationship: He hosts (alongside is daughter Corinne) and executive produces Fox’s music game show Beat Shazam and is an executive producer of the drama Alert: Missing Persons Unit, which begins its third season on March 25. “We are ready and excited to kick-start this very promising new creative partnership with Jamie as we build on Fox’s longtime association with him — initiated by our CEO Rob Wade and network president Michael Thorn,” said Fernando Szew, president and head of Fox Entertainment Studios. “Jamie is a renowned multifaceted talent, so as a studio, we want to support his tremendous creativity with access to the full scope of our genres, formats and brands. ogether we will deliver unexpected, unforgettable content to audiences everywhere. At Fox Entertainment Studios we are expanding our reach and portfolio, and this is a keystone creative partnership as we build.” |
posted 3/5/2025 |
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From 2017 to 2019, New York comedian Scott "Quiz Daddy" Rogowsky hosted HQ Trivia, a popular app-based game show where participants answered increasingly difficult multiple-choice questions. Each day, hundreds of thousands of fans took part in hopes of splitting a jackpot of sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars—but soon after, the fad collapsed. Now, eight years since Rogowsky first auditioned for HQ Trivia, the brokerage Robinhood is bringing Rogowsky back to host its own game show. After markets close on Wednesday, users of Robinhood’s app will receive a notification inviting them to play a game called "Robinhood Trivia Live." Like HQ Trivia, players will answer increasingly difficult multiple-choice questions, and those who correctly answer all 12 will split a prize pool of $1 million in Bitcoin. The game show will repeat on Thursday for members of Robinhood Gold, the company’s paid subscription service. Winners will again split $1 million in Bitcoin, but all participants will receive an undisclosed gift of Dogecoin. "I've done a lot of different hosting gigs over the last six years," Rogowsky told Fortune in a video call from Toy Fair, a convention in New York where he was promoting his own party game. "But, in terms of recreating that HQ type of experience, this definitely hews closest." Rogowsky even plans to whip out his HQ Trivia–era catchphrase: "Let's get down to the nitty-gritty!" Robinhood’s launch of an HQ Trivia–like quiz show isn’t permanent. "Right now, we actually aren't committing to this being a recurring thing," Dheerja Kaur, Robinhood’s vice president of product, told Fortune. "We actually want to see how it does." |
posted 3/5/2025 |
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Just Play Goes Gaming |
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Just Play, known for its contributions to figures, playsets, dolls, plush, role-play, and dress-up on the toy shelves, will roll the dice and expand into the games category. The company’s initial product launch will feature new formats of classic game brands, board games, mat games, and travel games. The line will include collaborations with licenses from Hasbro, Sony Pictures Television, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. Just Play will bring back classics, such as a version of the outdoor toy Skip It, complete with lights, sounds, and a digital counter that tracks and records up to 1 million skips. The company will also turn the staple memory game Simon into an active play format with the Simon Jump Game Mat. Players can jump and dance on the interactive floor mat to match light and sound patterns. Both products are set to launch early this year. Just Play will also team up with Sony Pictures Television for board and card game versions of Wheel of Fortune and Pop Culture Jeopardy!, hitting shelves this fall. “From kitchen tables to road trips to parties with friends, games bring people together for shared connections and laughter,” says Jess Richardson, Just Play’s Senior Vice President of Global Licensing. “We look forward to combining fan-favorite properties with new twists and innovation to this category – and expanding our current licensing partnerships and onboarding new partners as we expand in this space.” |
posted 3/5/2025 |
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100 Celebs.... 1% Club |
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Since it first launched back in 2022, The 1% Club has quickly become one of the most popular gameshows on TV, with applications going through the roof for the first four series. As well as the show being renewed for a fifth instalment, with applications now open, bosses have now confirmed a very special edition of the show. Hosted by Lee Mack, a celebrity special will air later in 2025 in celebration of charity football match Soccer Aid. Over 100 stars from the world of sport and entertainment will battle it out to see if they can get in The 1% Club, whilst raising money for UNICEF. The annual Soccer Aid match between England and Rest of the World XI will follow. There's no word just yet when The 1% Club Soccer Aid special will air, but we imagine it will be around Summer time. ITV/STV bosses have so far released a small sample of famous names who are taking part in the special, including Hits Radio hosts Gemma Atkinson and Kimberley Wyatt. Sport stars Jill Scott, Max Whitlock, Tony Bellew and Neil Ruddock will put their brains to the test, as well as sport presenters Mark Chapman and Mark Pougatch, Reality stars Tommy Fury, Jake Quickenden and Amber Gill will also feature, as well as TV hosts Paddy McGuinness and Iain Stirling, and singers Aitch and Brian McFadden. Other names are set to be announced in due course.. |
posted 3/5/2025 |
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From 8 Bit to WiFi |
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WiFi Wars, a live comedy game show spin-off from telly programme Go 8 Bit, is soon coming to a venue that's probably quite near you. Hosted by Go 8 Bit's Steve McNeil, the interactive show uses clever tech to let the audience play along via mini-games, challenges and quizzes streamed to their smartphones. The format was previously part of the Royal Institution's Summer Programme and the BBC Christmas Lectures, and has also popped up at the equally-eclectic venues of the Edinburgh Fringe and EGX. |
posted 3/5/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Meet the 14 new teams that will embark on the journey of a lifetime when the 37th season of the CBS Original series THE AMAZING RACE, hosted by Phil Keoghan, kicks off Wednesday, March 5 (9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. The "season of surprises" features the largest cast ever in the history of the Race. The new teams will encounter game-changing twists in every episode, including the classic game pieces the Fast Forward and U-Turn - and the additions of new ones, such as a Fork in the Road, which Racers will confront on the first leg in Hong Kong. When teams arrive at the Fork in the Road, they will have to choose which direction and route they want to take to the Pit Stop, creating two parallel races where two teams will be eliminated. "This season 14 teams will embark on an unforgettable adventure," said Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, co-creators and executive producers of THE AMAZING RACE. "Traveling around the globe for a stop in Osaka, Japan, where they will experience a modern-day bullet train in a thriving city and then immerse themselves in a 12,000-year-old tradition, performing with a taiko drum group. They will feel the adrenaline rush of skydiving over Dubai's breathtaking cityscape contrasted with another stop, for the first time on THE AMAZING RACE, in the countryside of Bulgaria, where they will participate in a traditional folk dance. Adding a new city this season, teams will visit the medieval village of Strasbourg, France, which will feel like stepping into a fairytale. For our season of surprises, there is no end to the drama, twists and turns until we see who the winners are!" |
posted 3/4/2025 |
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Two of America's favorite game shows may soon find their way into your home a different way. Although Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have stuck it out among "the biggest holdouts of the streaming revolution," the programs' owner, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said on Thursday it was seeking bids from big tech and media companies for streaming rights, reports the New York Times. Whoever nabs those rights would be permitted to stream new episodes of the shows the day after they appear on syndicated TV, according to Sony officials. Starting in September 2028, when syndicated deals already in place will have expired, new episodes would be able to be aired on the same day they appear on traditional TV. Streaming rights are targeted to begin this September and could be valid for up to three years, per the Sony reps. "We want to make sure that these shows are as relevant as they are now—or more—40 years from now," says new SPE CEO Ravi Ahuja, who notes he's been mulling over how to bring those two shows into the streaming arena since he joined Sony four years ago. "When I got here it was clear that Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! were the proverbial assets hiding in plain sight." He cites "massive viewership" and "a passionate fan base" as signals that these shows could be "a big opportunity for more growth." Part of the reason for the shift to streaming is to attract a newer generation of viewers that's more apt to watch on their phones or laptops than on a standard boob tube. But Sony execs also don't want to push older, more traditional viewers away, or the local broadcast stations that currently air the game shows. Higher-ups at Sony say this streaming news is unrelated to a legal battle between Sony and CBS that's been dragging out for months over distribution rights for the syndicated programs. Sony sued CBS in October, alleging the network had failed to get the shows out to local TV stations in the US while entering into unauthorized syndication deals in other countries, per Collider and the Hollywood Reporter. Sony tried to take over the distribution itself, but CBS filed for a temporary restraining order on that move. |
posted 3/4/2025 |
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Fremantle is taking Scrabble around the world. The gameshow version of the world-famous board game recently launched on The CW. Fremantle has taken worldwide production and distribution rights on the Hasbro Entertainment, Mattel Television Studios and Lionsgate Alternative series, coming as TV versions of popular board games like Pictionary and Chess Masters are having a moment. Fremantle’s acquisition of the production rights will enable the company to create a new take on the classic game for international territories, as well as selling it globally. In the U.S., the Scrabble gameshow launched on The CW in October, hosted by Raven-Symoné. Scrabble continues to rank as one of the top series on The CW during the 2024/25 broadcast season, according to Fremantle. In each episode, wordsmiths battle it out by playing a series of Scrabble-inspired word games on a giant Scrabble board in the center of the set. Two pairs of players progress through three acts of unscrambling and creating words for the chance to win a cash prize. Vasha Wallace, EVP, Global Acquisitions and Development, Fremantle said: “The Scrabble television series is the winning formula of what we know broadcasters worldwide are looking for right now – proven IP and strong audience recognition with a very cost-effective production model. Scrabble has already been a huge ratings success on The CW Network in the U.S. and with word games super-hot in popularity around the world, there has never been a better time to bring this mega brand to new markets.” |
posted 3/4/2025 |
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Peter Engel, who executive produced Saved by the Bell, its spinoffs and 2020 reboot, Last Comic Standing and many other series, died Tuesday at his Santa Monica home. He was 88. Engel exec-produced more than 1,000 hours of TV during a 40-year career, mostly for NBC as part of a long-term partnership. His credits also include scores of episodes of City Guys and Malibu CA — both of which he also created — along with Hang Time, USA High, California Dreams, How to Survive a Marriage and others. He also wrote more than 100 episodes of City Guys, nearly as many of USA High and 50-plus for Malibu CA. Engel penned a dozen episodes of teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which NBC aired mostly on Saturday mornings from 1989-93. Engel also executive produced Last Comic Standing, the popular stand-up comedy competition series that would run for nine seasons on NBC from 2003-2015. Jay Mohr hosted the first few seasons, with later hosts including Bill Bellamy, Craig Robinson and JB Smoove. Wanda Sykes also was among the EPs on the show. Born on June 30, 1936, in Manhattan, Engel began his career as an NBC page at 30 Rock. His memoir, I Was Saved by the Bell: Stories of Life, Love, and Dreams that Do Come True was published in 2016 and details both his career and his personal life. He is survived by his children Lauren Engel, Joshua Engel and Stephen David Engel; and grandchild Ezra Alhadeff. |
posted 3/2/2025 |
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Sixth Street |
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Rock the Block, HGTV's highest-rated series that attracted more than 13.6 million viewers to its last run, will return for a new season on Monday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The fresh seven episodes will raise the stakes like never before when two seasoned veteran teams come back to the block to challenge two rookie teams hungry for a win. Popular carpenter, craftsman, design expert and series' host Ty Pennington (Battle on the Beach) will charge the HGTV powerhouse duos to face-off in an epic renovation battle just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Each team will have just six weeks and a budget of $250,000 to renovate identical modern properties that boast breathtaking mountain views, soaring interior spaces and the largest backyards in series' history, transforming them with their signature vision and personalized design style. The team who clinches the highest appraised value for their home will claim coveted Rock the Block bragging rights and a street named in their honor. Former competitors and judges returning to the block on the veteran teams will include star designer Alison Victoria (Sin City Rehab) with past Rock the Block champion and high-end designer Michel Smith Boyd (Luxe for Less) as well as home restoration dynamo Jonathan Knight (Farmhouse Fixer) and his New Kids on the Block bandmate and brother Jordan Knight (Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp). Competing on the series for the first time, the rookie teams will feature married home reno pros Chelsea and Cole DeBoer (Down Home Fab) and flipping, renovation and real estate experts Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama (Renovation Aloha). "I have the best seat in the house to the toughest home renovation competition on television," said Ty. "And for the first time on Rock the Block, returning veteran teams will clash with rookie teams who have something to prove. They'll test their skills and push their limits for not only bragging rights but, more importantly, to leave a legacy on the block." |
posted 3/4/2025 |
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I Is Dum. |
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BBC Studios Nordic Production announced the first format license agreements of Norwegian based Montreux Film and Fjernsyn’s gameshow format, Nation’s Dumbest and paranormal format, Uncanny to leading commercial broadcaster in Sweden, TV4. Both formats will be produced by the Nordic arm of the business in Spring and air later this year. BBC Studios has also signed a deal with Swedish national public broadcaster, Sveriges Television AB (SVT) for Curve Media’s ground-breaking format, Our Dementia Choir, which the team take into production in August 2025. Nation’s Dumbest is the first ever television show where the loser is the winner. 12 celebrities fight it out to be eliminated from the competition as quickly as possible to avoid being crowned the nation’s dumbest. The contestants are put to the test in a series of entertaining physical and mental rounds about all the things you really should know. The original comedy gameshow format, Norges Dummeste (Norway’s Dumbest) began airing on Norway’s public broadcaster TV2 in August 2024 quickly becoming the most watched show in Norway and following that success has been commissioned for a second season. |
posted 3/4/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Grab a Chair... They're Going Fast |
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Banijay Entertainment has announced new competition format, Game of Chairs. Created by Shine Iberia (part of Banijay Iberia), the series was part of Banijay Entertainment’s line-up at this year’s London TV Screenings. The traditional game of musical chairs “has been transformed into a vibrant competition, blending tactical and skill-based challenges.” As the music plays, ten contestants circle around nine chairs, but when the music stops, one will be left without a seat. They must battle it out with another contestant, in a challenge to determine who stays in the game. As the show progresses, the prize pot grows, and the number of chairs decreases. The victor will then face The Master Chair, where they will compete to win the grand final prize. If they fail to secure it, they will compete again the next day alongside the last four eliminated contestants. Macarena Rey, CEO, Shine Iberia says: “Fun for all the family, Game of Chairs is inspired by a classic childhood game played all around the world. Our dynamic blend of game show and nostalgia elevates the party favourite, resulting in a dynamic format with international appeal.” James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development at Banijay Entertainment adds: “Nostalgia, tension, strategy, and knowledge come together in this original concept, which appeals to a wide demographic. Reimagining childhood favourites is a firm favourite with our clients, and Game of Chairs is a fantastic addition to our slate, complementing our successful formats in the space with the likes of LEGO® Masters and Bear Hunt.” |
posted 3/3/2025 |
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Time Is Money for Sara Davies |
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ITV is launching new quiz show Time Is Money to be presented by Strictly Come Dancing star Sara Davies. Davies, who took part on Strictly season 19 in 2021, is also known for being on the panel of Dragons' Den, which she joined in 2019. Described as a "high-stakes" quiz show, Time Is Money comes with a unique twist. The contestants begin with their prize money on the line, rather than building it up during the episode, and have to race against the clock to keep as much of it as possible. "I'm absolutely delighted to be hosting Time Is Money. This show is unlike anything you've seen before – it's full-on, it's exhilarating, and the pressure is real," Davies said in a statement. "It's going to be a rollercoaster of excitement and tension, and I can't wait to see who'll keep their cool under pressure. Get ready for a make or break adventure, because time really is money!" ITV's Director of Entertainment & Daytime Katie Rawcliffe said Time Is Money will fit in with the network's other beloved quiz shows. "It's been fantastic to see our afternoon game shows continue to thrive this year with The Chase, Deal or No Deal, Lingo and Tipping Point all delivering strong ratings and growing audiences," Rawcliffe said. "These shows have become a staple for daytime TV and we're thrilled to add Time Is Money to the mix. With its unique blend of fast-paced quizaction and high-stakes drama, Time Is Money will perfectly complement our existing lineup, as will Sara Davies as host." Time Is Money is set to air on ITV1 and ITVX at a later date. |
posted 3/3/2025 |
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Jeopardy! Returns to ITV March 17 |
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Stephen Fry is ‘thrilled’ to be returning as host of ‘Jeopardy!’ The quiz show has unexpectedly been renewed for a second series, with the rebooted version set to return to ITV and ITVX from Monday 17 March, with 25 hour-long episodes – an increase from the previous series. Stephen, 67, was quoted by The Sun saying: “(I’m) thrilled to be back at the ‘Jeopardy!’ lectern for another series. “Aside from the sheer entertainment value of the format, it’s especially wonderful to see contestants from all over the country revealing such wonderful, varied knowledge and quick wits. “Thanks to ITV and to our audience. Here’s hoping the second series finds new devotees and unearths more astonishing contestants.” The first run of the game show, which aired in early 2024, launched with 2.5 million viewers, and the show sees contestants demonstrate their general knowledge by responding in the form of a question, with players competing to remain in the game and accumulate winnings. |
posted 3/3/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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The music world and saddened fans are mourning the sudden loss of Angie Stone. The Grammy-nominated R&B singer died Saturday morning in a car crash in Montgomery, Ala. She was 63. Stone's sultry voice resonated with multiple generations. She first entered the music scene professionally in the late 1970s as a member of the hip-hop trio The Sequence. The group was one of the first all-female groups to release a rap single, with "Funk You Up" in 1979. Stone is also remembered for her vocals as part of the R&B group Vertical Hold in the early 1990s. Stone earned the following of a new generation of fans during the emergence of the neo-soul era of the late 1990s and early 2000s with popular hits like "No More Rain" and "Wish I Didn't Miss You." Neo-soul combines contemporary R&B and soul with other genres, including hip-hop and jazz. Stone's popularity grew alongside other popular neo-soul artists such as Erykah Badu and Musiq Soulchild. Her two children expressed shock over her unexpected death in a joint statement Stone's publicist shared with NPR on Sunday. "Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news. Our mom is and will always be our everything," said her daughter, Diamond Stone, and her son, Michael Archer, who Stone shared with singer-songwriter D'Angelo. "We are still trying to process and are completely heartbroken." In game shows, Stone was featured on a season of "Celebrity Fit Club". |
posted 3/2/2025 |
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William Henry Bassett, age 89, of Los Angeles, California passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2025. A retired American actor of film & television, Bassett has appeared in more than 100 films and television programs since the 1960s. He has appeared in films such as Lucky Lady, Old Boyfriends, Return from Witch Mountain, The Karate Kid, Black Eagle, House of 1000 Corpses, Demon Hunter and Black Dynamite, as well as such television shows as Bewitched; I Dream of Jeannie; Bonanza; The Feather and Father Gang; The Love Boat; Days of Our Lives; Quincy, M.E.; Lou Grant; Dallas; The Young and the Restless; Newhart; General Hospital; Sabrina The Teenage Witch; 3rd Rock from the Sun; Scrubs; The Streets of San Francisco; and Arrested Development. Bassett's work as a voice actor includes the video games Metal Gear Solid, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, Fallout 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and World of Final Fantasy, along with being the narrator for the documentary Inside: Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Bassett's contribution to the game show zeitgeist would be as "The Inquizitor", the unseen-but-from-the-back host of the Sande Stewart-created Game Show Network original "Inquizition". Stewart himself revealed his identity in a 2024 interview. |
posted 2/28/2025 |
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"I Can See Your Voice" at 10 |
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Leading entertainment company CJ ENM marks another milestone with the 10th anniversary of its globally-beloved hit format I Can See Your Voice. Premiered in 2015 in Korea on the company’s music channel Mnet, the show has since become a global sensation with adaptations in 30 countries, captivating audiences with its unique format. This year, the flagship format celebrates a decade of success. On the back of its unique format, the show has been licensed to many countries, including the U.S., the UK, France, Hungary, Thailand, Malaysia, and more. The original Korean show is one of the longest-running shows in Korean entertainment, with its 10th season having aired in 2023. With numerous adaptations, the format has accumulated a total of 92 seasons and 1,423 episodes worldwide. In Can See Your Voice is a mysterious music game show in which celebrity panels have to guess whether the contestants are good or bad singers without ever hearing them sing. The primary goal is to weed out the poor singers and keep the one talented singer as the winner. |
posted 2/28/2025 |
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Quizzer Chris Hughes, star of the popular BBC and Channel 5 series Eggheads, has died aged 77, a statement on the program's social media accounts has said. Hughes was one of several general knowledge experts who regularly appeared on the show, which saw members of the public take on the five so-called "Eggheads". A statement posted on the show's Facebook and X accounts on Thursday, reported by the Press Association news agency, paid tribute to an "Eggheads great". "It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Eggheads great Chris Hughes," it read. "Chris joined the show in 2003 and over the next 20 years gave us not only brilliant answers but very many laughs and happy memories." It concluded: "He will be hugely missed by all his Eggheads family." Hughes was born in Middlesex and attended Enfield Grammar School. Before becoming known as one of the country's leading quizzers, he worked as a train driver and railway worker. He went on to become a regular contributor on Eggheads - which began on BBC Two in 2003 before moving to Channel 5 in 2020. The Eggheads panel was made up of general knowledge experts, including winners from others shows such as Mastermind, The Weakest Link and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?. In each episode, five Eggheads would compete with a team made up of five members of the public, who would play individually against a single Egghead in each round, before a final face-off between the remaining players of both sides. If the amateurs were successful, they would take home a cash prize. The jackpot would increase by £1,000 per episode, with each edition's prize money rolling into the next day if the Eggheads won. As a result of the Eggheads high level of expertise, many of the jackpots would reach a sizeable sum before finally being won. The highest ever jackpot reached £75,000, which was won by a team in 2007. The series was presented by news presenter Dermot Murnaghan, before Radio 2 DJ and Channel 5 talk show host Jeremy Vine took over the role. Hughes is one of only seven people to have won both Brain of Britain and Mastermind, and also scored a victory on International Mastermind. |
posted 2/27/2025 |
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The #1 series in daytime, THE PRICE IS RIGHT, will commemorate its 10,000th episode with a special episode airing Wednesday, Feb. 26 on CBS. The episode marks Drew Carey’s 3,269th as host, joined by announcer George Gray and models Rachel Reynolds, Amber Lancaster, Manuela Arbeláez, Alexis Gaube, James O’Halloran and Devin Goda in honoring this landmark milestone. The episode will also have an encore presentation in primetime on Tuesday, March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). Contestants will “Come on down!” to play fan-favorite games with a 10,000 theme, including the popular “Grand Game” with a chance to win a $100,000 cash prize; “Any Number” where the piggy bank will be worth 10,000 times the normal value; and “Lucky Seven” played as “Lucky Ten” with ten $1 bills instead of the usual seven, giving a contestant an even greater chance at winning a new car. In honor of the milestone, THE PRICE IS RIGHT is donating $10,000 to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness for all they do to educate, support and advocate to improve the lives of the millions of Americans who are affected by mental illness. Host Drew Carey advocates for making mental health a priority as part of his signature sign-off at the end of each show. Over the course of 10,000 episodes, Carey & Gray reveal that 75,000 people have been "called on down" to participate and the game show has given away "over $300 million in cash and prizes." Not only has The Price Is Right become an American institution, the game show has also come to mean different things for its entire cast and crew. Gray adds, "I remember watching Price Is Right as a kid, and part of the magic is that everybody cheers for everybody. "I grew up watching the show with my grandma, and I cried after just getting to audition," model Amber Lancaster says. "I'm gonna get emotional!" "It's been one of the best experiences in my professional life," Carey admits as he smiles sweetly to cameras. "No matter how my day is, as soon as I get to The Price Is Right and walk through the door, it all goes away. It's just vibing all day!" Fans who are interested in attending a taping of THE PRICE IS RIGHT this season can reserve tickets from On Camera Audiences with the final episodes taping on Feb. 28. |
posted 2/27/2025 |
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Fox is both extending and expanding its unscripted series Next Level Chef. The network has ordered two more cycles of the cooking competition, which will take Next Level Chef through its sixth season. Fox has also ordered a spinoff called Next Level Baker, a four-episode, holiday-themed competition that will follow a format similar to its parent show. Like Next Level Chef, Next Level Baker comes from Gordon Ramsay‘s production company, Studio Ramsay. “Next Level Chef consistently raises the bar of culinary excellence as a high stakes food competition fans love, an invaluable franchise for Fox and an increasingly popular global format,” Fox Television Network president Michael Thorn said in a statement. “Extending the reach of this series with the new holiday competition Next Level Baker once again exemplifies the strength of our incredible, long-standing collaborative partnership with Gordon, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.” Next Level Baker will feature home cooks, social media creators and professional pastry chefs competing alongside (and above or below) one another to create holiday-themed treats. It’s scheduled to air later this year. “My very first job was baking in Paris, and to me there is nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread. I’m hoping on these holiday specials we get to discover Incredible family recipes handed down through generations of bakers, inventive bakers cleverly working with dietary sensitivities and those with a talent for stunning creativity and elevated design work,” said Ramsay. “This holiday season I cannot wait to discover the baking heart of America.” |
posted 2/27/2025 |
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The Great British Laugh |
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The official trailer has been revealed for the UK version of Last One Laughing. Prime Video has also revealed that the first four episodes will launch exclusively on the Amazon-owned platform on March 20 and the final two a week later. Hosted by Jimmy Carr, the show assembles a team of comedian and challenges them to make each other laugh. Anyone who cracks is eliminated until only one remains. The comedians taking part are Bob Mortimer, Daisy May Cooper, Harriet Kemsley, Joe Lycett, Joe Wilkinson, Judi Love, Lou Sanders, Richard Ayoade, Rob Beckett, and Sara Pascoe – with Roisin Conaty joining Carr as a guest. Last One Laughing UK is the latest adaptation of the Japanese format Documental, created by comedian Yoshimoto Kogyo. More than 20 local versions have been made for countries including Ireland, hosted by Graham Norton; Australia, hosted by Rebel Wilson; and South Africa, hosted by Trevor Noah - and the versions in France, Germany and Italy topped the Prime Video viewing charts for those territories. |
posted 2/27/2025 |
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Michelle Trachtenberg, the former child star known for her roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl,” has died. She was 39. “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away,” her publicist told TheWrap on Wednesday. “The family requests privacy for their loss. There are no further details at this time.” The actress’ death is not being investigated as suspicious, according to police sources with the New York Post, who was first to report the news. Per ABC News, Trachtenberg’s mother found her unresponsive at her New York City apartment early Wednesday morning. Born Oct. 11, 1985, in NYC, the actress earned three Young Artist Awards early in her career and was even nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Her last major movie was “The Scribbler” in 2014 and she filmed two episodes of Max’s “Gossip Girl” reboot in 2022. Trachtenberg’s other notable works included “Ice Princess,” “EuroTrip,” “Harriet the Spy,” “The Adventures of Pete & Pete,” “17 Again,” “Mercy,” “Mysterious Skin,” “Black Christmas” and “Inspector Gadget,” just to name a few. Game shows which featured Trachtenberg include "Figure It Out", "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune", "Chopped Junior", and "Hollywood Game Night". Outside of fame, Trachtenberg’s social media posts concerned some fans prior to her death, though she assured followers she was safe and healthy as recently as January 2024. She is survived by her mother and her boyfriend Jay Cohen. |
posted 2/27/2025 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Journalist and TV presenter Henry Kelly has died aged 78, his family has announced. Kelly was a journalist who later pivoted to light entertainment, hosting TV gameshow Game For A Laugh and Going For Gold in the 1980s and 90s. He also presented programmes on BBC Radio 4, LBC and Classic FM. In a statement, Kelly's family said he "died peacefully" on Tuesday "after a period of ill health". "Henry will be sorely missed by his friends and family," it continued, "including his partner Karolyn Shindler, their son Alexander, Henry's daughter Siobhan and her mother Marjorie". Born in Dublin on 17 April 1946, Kelly started his journalistic career in newspapers. He worked for The Irish Times in the 1970s during civil unrest and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. He left the newspaper and moved to London to join the BBC in 1976, working as a reporter and presenter for Radio 4's The World Tonight. But in 1980, aged 34, he left journalism to become a light entertainment presenter. He went on to front ITV's Game For A Laugh, and the first iteration of Good Morning Britain on TV-am, alongside Toni Arthur. Game For A Laugh largely involved practical jokes and elaborate set-ups, often on members of the studio audience or filmed on location on unsuspecting members of the public. Kelly also fronted lunchtime quiz show Going For Gold for 10 seasons from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. The theme tune for Going For Gold was composed by Hans Zimmer, who went on to become a hugely successful film and TV composer. The show saw contestants from different European countries compete against each other to answer questions to win prizes. Speaking to Challenge TV about his memories of Going for Gold, Kelly – who almost missed the hosting audition as he was planning to play golf – noted how "the whole point" of the show "was that it was Pan-European". "We were the only people in this country at the time, and probably since, who were really European, and so we had contestants from all over Europe," he said. Recalling one example of comedic cross cultural confusion on episode one of the new show, he added: "The question for all the contestants was, what is the name of the piece of least value on a chessboard? "Bang, goes [Swedish contestant] Ida-Britt, and looked at me and said: 'the farmer'. "'Right, I think not' [he replied]. But we checked, only to discover that in Sweden, a pawn is in the shape of a little Swedish farmer. So she was right!" |
posted 2/26/2025 |
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Outlasting Outlast |
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Netflix is heading back to the wilderness. The streamer has renewed Outlast, which comes from executive producer Jason Bateman, for a third season. It comes after the second season, which consisted of eight episodes, premiered in September. Season 1 was shot near the Neka River on Chichagof Island, Alaska, while the second season was filmed at Little Duncan Bay, Alaska, south of Petersburg. The series features 16 lone-wolf experts who are dropped in the wilderness and must outlast one another in a battle for a million-dollar payout. There’s only one rule in this cutthroat game: They must be part of a team to win. |
posted 2/26/2025 |
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You STILL Can't Beat a Bit of Bully |
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Darts-themed game show Bullseye is to return with a full series. The show made a long-awaited return to TV screens over Christmas, becoming one of ITV's most popular programs, and producers are now planning a full series, with Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff close to agreeing to return as presenter. A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre TV column: "This was a no-brainer for ITV but they knew that a big part of the success of the Christmas special was down to its new host. So they've spent the past two months trying to convince him to take the plunge and it looks like Freddie is ready to make the commitment." The festive one-off aired the Sunday before Christmas, and it is hoped the show will return to a Sunday early evening slot, where it aired in the 1980s and 90s. It was revealed last month ITV were "under pressure" to make a full series following 'Bullseye's surprise ratings success. |
posted 2/26/2025 |
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Temptation Island on the Move |
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Netflix is expanding its dating show portfolio with “Temptation Island.” The reality series, which originally debuted in 2001, will be coming to the streaming platform with a new season on March 12. The series follows four unmarried couples who are at a crossroads and have decided to put their relationship to the ultimate test by living in separate villas; the men will live in one with a group of single women while the women will live in a house of single men. In past seasons, though they can’t communicate with their partners, they are shown select footage of what their significant other is doing while apart, causing quite a bit of drama. As Netflix’s official logline asks, “Will the choices they make push the couples closer together or farther apart into the arms of a new lover?” Mark L. Walberg has been the host of the series from its start. Produced by Banijay Studios North America, David Goldberg and David Friedman serve as executive producers. Walberg is represented by Gersh. “Temptation Island” originally debuted on Fox, where it aired for three seasons from 2001 to 2003; although the premise was controversial, seemingly convincing those in a relationship to cheat on their significant others, it received high ratings. In 2019, USA Network revived the series and it aired for five more seasons between 2019 and 2023. The new version — the first time the format will be streaming — will be the ninth season. |
posted 2/26/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Keith Urban Hits the Road |
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CBS announced today that four-time GRAMMY(R) Award winner Keith Urban will headline the CBS Original THE ROAD, a new music competition series from executive producers Blake Shelton, Taylor Sheridan, Lee Metzger and David Glasser. This series highlights Urban and Shelton's journey to discover the next big musician, with emerging talents (to be announced) opening for him at music venues across America. The special performances featured in the series will be filmed in Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, with the full schedule revealed today. THE ROAD is set to premiere in fall 2025. "I spent a lot of my underage life playing in some seedy pubs, sometimes just for the bartender. So I love the idea of throwing artists into a real-world environment to find out if they are artists," says Urban. "Paying your dues sucks, but there are things in this business that can't be taught, like how to put together a set list, whether to extend or cut a song during your performance or how to work the crowd. For me, touring has always been my first love. It's where the rubber meets the road. But it's the only road to take if you want to be a performer." Keith Urban will perform songs, including his current single, "Straight Line," from his recently released album HIGH, as well as some of his biggest hits, at special performances throughout America. At each location, emerging musicians will take the stage as Urban's opening acts before he performs. The audience will have the opportunity to influence which musicians will continue on the tour and move to the next city. Tickets to every special performance along the road are free and will be allotted on a first come, first serve basis. Click here for more details and to reserve your tickets. |
posted 2/159/2025 |
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The Philippines Saves Its Cash |
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“Save Your Cash,” a physical challenge game show created by ABS-CBN Studios in the Philippines, won the MipFormats Pitch 2025 at Mip London, held in partnership with Fox Entertainment Global. The competition showcased top format pitches from around the world, with MipFormats Pitch receiving 65 submissions from 23 countries. In the end, “Save Your Cash” triumphed over a field that included quiz show “Easy100” (Turkey), guessing game “The Getaway” (UK), factual entertainment “Minus Life” (South Korea) and singing competition “Musical Attraction” (Indonesia). Christian Gamboa, the creator of “Save Your Cash,” received a $5,000 prize. The winning format was selected by a jury consisting of Nathalie Wogue, Senior VP of Global Formats at Fox, and European commissioners Davy Parmentier of Belgium’s VTM and Burkhardt Weiss of Germany’s Seven.One Entertainment Group. Jury Chair Wogue praised “Save Your Cash” for its unexpected and visually stunning presentation that captivated both judges and the audience. |
posted 2/25/2025 |
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More on "Million Dollar Secret" |
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This is a game of wit, cunning and deception. Twelve strangers enter a sumptuous lakeside estate and in each of their rooms is a mysterious welcome gift - a box. Eleven of them are empty and one contains $1,000,000, and it's for that guest to keep - as long as they keep their identity hidden. Devilish games will reveal clues about the millionaire's identity, and they must do whatever it takes to keep their Million Dollar Secret. "The Tick's" Peter Serafinowicz hosts beginning March 26 on Netflix. |
posted 2/25/2025 |
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Checkmate |
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The BBC‘s upcoming Chess Masters: The Endgame competition format was inspired by so much more than The Queen’s Gambit, its producer has revealed. For Camilla Lewis, who runs Chess Masters producer Curve Media, this one is a personal tale. Chess Masters stems from the darkest days of the pandemic, when Lewis’ daughter was struggling with her mental health. “The thing which really helped her and gave her an avenue was chess.com,” Lewis told Deadline. “It was taken up by a whole new epoch and generation of people.” On the chess side, things developed quickly for Lewis’ daughter, who had a knack for the 1,500-year-old game. Swiftly, she was winning tournaments, tutoring chess and was in a relationship with a fellow fanatic. “She had such a passion for it and was telling me about the anthropology, all the different cultures,” Lewis explained. “I realized this wasn’t past tense, it was present tense. For me, this is a love letter to my daughter and has a deep personal connection that comes from somewhere very genuine.” Lewis said it took “some persuading” to get the BBC on board – coming nearly 50 years after BBC chess gameshow The Master Game – but she pitched Chess Masters to BBC content boss Charlotte Moore at the Edinburgh TV Festival and Moore said: “I think we should do it.” |
posted 2/25/2025 |
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0 ShaVi Lewis, who competed in season 18 of Project Runway, has died at the age of 38. Though a cause of death has not been disclosed, Lewis passed on Feb. 24, according to a statement from his family. “My fabulous, talented nephew, Sha’Vi Lewis, is gone from this place,” Lewis’ aunt Deidra DivaDoll Elkerson wrote in a Facebook post. “I won’t hear his greetings to me anymore, ‘Hey Auntie Diva’ (yes, I am shouting). Please keep his mother, Joyce Solomon-Frierson, his father, Franklin Frierson, his brother, Troy Solomon Frierson, and his sister, Akira Frierson Wood, in your prayers.” Lewis’ fellow Project Runway Season 18 contestant Brittany Allen also shared her feelings in an Instagram post. “I don’t have the words,” she wrote. “My heart aches. The world and this industry will be dim without your light in it. Your love, your laughter, and your continuous support no matter where we were in life was everything. Season 18 forever and ever. Rest in power. Love, your Brit Brat.” Hailing from New Jersey, Lewis found his style while attending Clark Atlanta University, which pushed him to start his own clothing brand. He worked as a creative director for Italian menswear company Stephen F. His designs have been seen on Emmy red carpets, on TV (Pose Season 2), and on celebrities like Leah Janae and Cynthia Bailey. |
posted 2/25/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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The FOX Television Network has renewed The Quiz with Balls, the network's hit game show that took last summer's top spot for new series among the coveted Adults 18-49 demographic, for a second season, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of FOX Television Network. Hosted by actor and comedian Jay Pharoah (SNL, The Blackening), the popular game show pits brains against balls, combining a high stakes quiz show and a large-scale physical competition with each episode featuring two families competing for $100,000 in an epic "battle of the balls." "During its first season, The Quiz with Balls really broke through, thanks to a mix of engaging playability, comedic physical stakes, and our terrific host Jay Pharoah, who artfully invites viewers into the fun," said Thorn. "Not to mention, our long-time production partners at Talpa and Eureka have a few new tricks up their sleeves for Season Two, which made renewing this popular game show a must." "We're incredibly proud that The Quiz with Balls is returning for a second season with FOX," said John de Mol, owner of Talpa Studios. "The show's success in the Netherlands has been tremendous, and we were excited to see how well it worked in the U.S. over the summer. This time around, we're picking up the pace and adding more play-along moments, giving viewers an even more engaging and exciting experience." Chris Culvenor, Executive Producer for Eureka added, "We are excited to re-team with FOX and Talpa for a new season of The Quiz with Balls. The show's large-scale, originality and high stakes have captivated the audience and with Jay Pharoah returning as our brilliant host, Season Two is set to make another big splash." Standing on a high platform over a glistening pool, teams must work together as they face a multiple-choice quiz where each answer is allocated to a spot with a giant ball positioned up behind it. If the correct answer is chosen, the ball rolls down and stops just before colliding with the player... if the answer is wrong, the massive ball rapidly descends and mercilessly whacks them into the pool below. The more players each team loses, the harder the questions get. The longer they last, the more money they bank, until one "dry" family member plays the final round for The Quiz with Balls' $100,000 Grand Prize. The Quiz with Balls, which made its FOX debut on May 28, 2024, is produced by Eureka Productions and Talpa Studios. John de Mol, Maarten Meijs, Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Wes Dening and Judy Smart serve as executive producers. Anthony Carbone serves as showrunner and executive producer. |
posted 2/24/2025 |
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Survivor 50 to Put the Power in the Fans' Hands |
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Last year, Survivor host Jeff Probst gave fans the ultimate tease by revealing that the reality series’ 50th season would be featuring all returning players. Now, approximately one year away from the anniversary season’s premiere (and just a few months ahead of its filming), our hostmaster general has revealed that you are going to have a huge say in how everything shakes out. Saturday, Probst announced the very-fan-centric theme for the big 5-0 celebration. Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans will allow viewers to impact the game like never before via a public vote that could change the way idols, twists and advantages are used in the season. Fans and fans alone will determine key elements through the online vote, and the players won’t know what fans voted for until they hit the sands of Fiji. Starting on Survivor 48‘s premiere day (Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8/7c on CBS), fans can begin voting on the first of multiple categories like “Idols or No Idols,” “Final Four Fire-making: Keep It or Lose It” and “Live Finale and Reunion Show in L.A. — or Keep the Winner Reveal and Aftershow in the Jungles of Fiji.” All voting will conclude prior to start of filming for the 50th edition. “From the very first season, Survivor has been evolving,” executive producer and host Probst said in a statement. “Now for our 50th season, it’s time for the next evolution. Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans is unlike anything we’ve done before. For the first time ever, our loyal fans will take control — deciding key elements of the game, from twists to idols to advantages. I can’t wait to see what the fans choose for our returning players!” And that’s not all that’s in store for the show’s diehard watchers. Thanks to a new partnership between CBS and Fiji Airways, your “tribe” can enter to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Fiji where you can watch Season 50 film, meet-and-greet with Probst and get a personal tour of the Fijian islands (Tribal Council set, included!) where the show takes place. And you’ll fly there in a Survivor 50-branded Fiji Airways jet. (Click here for full contest details and to find out how to enter.) |
posted 2/24/2025 |
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Time for the Halftime Report... |
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In the battle for game show supremacy one show has seen a surge in ratings while the other has cooled down. New figures show that Jeopardy! is back on top as Wheel of Fortune saw a drop in viewing figures. And it seems that some of that could be down to contestant Drew Goins, who appeared on Jeopardy!‘s Champions Wild Card Tournament during the week of January 20 to January 26, which saw the game show reclaim its top spot. Despite falling just short of victory against Mehal Shah for a spot in the Tournament of Champions, Goins was picked to be an alternate after Celebrity Jeopardy! winner Lisa Ann Walter wasn’t able to take her spot. Sadly, he lost in the semi-final on February 6. The U.S. Sun reports that 8,430,000 people tuned in to watch Jeopardy! that week, according to Nielsen. Wheel of Fortune wasn’t far behind with 8,111,000 viewers. These ratings come five months after Ryan Seacrest made his debut as host on WOF. He took over for Pat Sajak, who retired in 2024 after 41 seasons. In October, just weeks after Seacrest made his debut on Wheel of Fortune, the game show totaled 7.99 million total viewers, making its best premiere month audience (9/9/24-10/6/24) in three years. At the time, Wheel was TV’s number one most-watched entertainment program, surpassing Jeopardy!, which is hosted by Ken Jennings. Wheel has long trailed Jeopardy! in ratings, despite the game shows airing back-to-back in syndication. Even with the celebrity versions, Jeopardy! pulls ahead. |
posted 2/24/2025 |
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Alison Hammond's Hole Story |
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The BBC is reportedly rebooting the popular gameshow, Hole in the Wall, with Alison Hammond expected to present. The show had previously been hosted by the late Dale Winton and Strictly judge Anton Du Beke. The show originally ran for two series from 2008 to 2009. The BBC reportedly wanted to revive it because it received "great ratings" while it aired. Now, a source from The Sun has suggested that Hammond is jumping "at the chance" to host the reboot. Discussing the BBC show reboot, a source told The Sun: "Hole In The Wall got great ratings when it first came out so the Beeb have decided to bring it back. "They are currently filming the pilot to see how it shapes up. They wanted to sign Alison and she jumped at the chance to do it." Discussing Hammond, the source added: "She’s one of TV’s most in-demand stars right now and the Beeb is over the moon that they’ve signed her." |
posted 2/24/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Hollywood Squares will return for another go-round. Just ahead of its Season 1 finale, CBS announced Thursday it has renewed the popular revival series for a second season. The reboot has drawn solid ratings in its freshman season. It’s estimated to deliver 5.4 million viewers in live plus 35 days of multi-platform viewing, based on its season-to-date live plus 7 average. It was picked up today along with CBS dramas Tracker, Fire Country, Elsbeth, NCIS, NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney and comedies Ghosts, which received a two-season renewal, and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, renewed for Season 2. Hosted by NFL analyst (and CBS Mornings co-host) Nate Burleson, the game show features Drew Barrymore in the center square, joined by celebrity guests in every episode. The Season 1 lineup has included Jay Leno, Whitney Cummings, Pete Holmes, Chaka Khan, Thomas Lennon, Nelly, Patton Oswalt, Nicole Byer, Drew Carey, Jeff Dunham, Max Greenfield, Lil Rel Howery, Rita Moreno and JB Smoove. In addition to airing on CBS, Hollywood Squares streams on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Hollywood Squares is produced by Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins Entertainment and Drew Barrymore for Flower Films. |
posted 2/20/2025 |
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A large group of crew members have been let go from The Bachelor universe as a result of The Bachelorette’s recent postponement. It was reported earlier this month that The Bachelorette would not air in its traditional summer slot, essentially skipping a cycle. This inevitably has had a major impact on the production crew working across these shows. Deadline reports that the majority of the crew members were informed last week that they would no longer be employed on the franchise. It’s a move that has caused shockwaves among the hundreds of crew who work on the various shows. It’s not clear how many people were impacted. Staffers currently still working on The Bachelor, including on the specials that follow a season of the flagship show, will continue until their responsibilities end. Bachelor in Paradise, which will see Scott Teti serve as new showrunner, is next up for ABC in The Bachelor universe and will shoot in the summer. Paradise, which generally has filmed in Mexico, often has different crew members than the other shows, but there is some overlap. Some staff, of course, might return to the franchise once it gets back up and running on the next season of The Bachelor, which likely would start production later this year, or on new seasons of The Golden Bachelor or The Golden Bachelorette. The Bachelorette was set to start filming shortly for its 22nd season before it was paused. Bachelor in Paradise, which has premiered its last two seasons at the end of September, is next on the docket and will likely start production over the summer. All of this comes as Season 29 of The Bachelor, starring Grant Ellis, is currently airing on ABC. |
posted 2/20/2025 |
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Tom Crawford Steps In for Rachel Riley |
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A YouTube mathematician is set to become the first man to take on Rachel Riley’s Countdown role on Channel 4. Tom Crawford has been announced as the temporary presenter to stand in for Riley on the long-running game show while she works on a separate project. Crawford, a member of both Cambridge and Oxford universities, is known for his Tom Rocks Maths YouTube channel where he has more than 200,000 subscribers, with videos often amassing millions of views. He completed his undergraduate degree at Oxford in 2012 and his PhD in applied maths at Cambridge in 2016. He now holds the position of fellow by special election at St Edmund Hall and is the public engagement lead at Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education. He is also a lecturer in applied mathematics at Cambridge’s Robinson College and, according to his official website, has 15 maths-themed tattoos. His YouTube channel promises to make “elite mathematics teaching available to everyone” and includes an “Equations Stripped” series, where Crawford simplifies maths equations “layer by layer so that everyone can understand” while also removing most of his clothes. Crawford, who is a friend of Riley’s, began filming in December and is due to make his debut on screen alongside the show’s lexicographer, Susie Dent, and host, Colin Murray, for the next three weeks. |
posted 2/20/2025 |
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Fremantle Farms "Ants" |
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Fremantle has acquired the global distribution rights to high-energy Japanese competition format “Ants,” where teamwork is the way to win. The format is inspired by the high-level coordination of ant colonies. “Ants” was created and produced by Nippon TV and further developed by Fremantle North America for global expansion. The game show launched in Japan on Nippon TV, and created buzz for its playful yet physically demanding challenges, themed characters, larger-than-life set design, and engaging team-based gameplay. Fremantle has picked up the format for co-distribution, with Nippon TV distributing in Asia, excluding Indonesia, India and Singapore, and Fremantle distributing in the rest of the world. |
posted 2/19/2025 |
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David St. John, an executive producer on such reality TV programs as America’s Next Top Model, I Am Jazz and The Ts Madison Experience, has died. He was 56. St. John died Dec. 19 of pancreatic cancer at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, UTA announced. From 2015-20, St. John served as executive producer for four seasons of TLC’s I Am Jazz, which centered on Florida transgender teen Jazz Jennings and received a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding reality program in 2016. “David was more than just the executive producer of I Am Jazz — he was family, and we loved him deeply,” the Jennings family said in a statement. “In our most challenging moments, he lifted our spirits with his warmth, reassured us that everything would be OK and gave us the strength to share our family’s journey. “His kindness, infectious laughter and unwavering belief in our story will forever be woven into the heart and legacy of I Am Jazz and remain a cherished part of our lives.” In 2021, St. John exec produced We TV’s The Ts Madison Experience, revolving around the transgender TV personality, and his final project, the 2025 TLC series Jay & Pamela, follows an engaged couple born with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). St. John began his career at MTV, where he rose from assistant to story producer on the 2002-03 series Taildaters. After a stint as a creative consultant for America’s Next Top Model from 2005-06, he co-executive produced more than 100 episodes of Tyra Banks’ UPN-CW show from 2007-11.. |
posted 2/20/2025 |
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Do We Do a Quiz Show? Revive the App Show? Yes. |
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NBCUniversal Formats has taken on a new show in which audiences can win a cash prize by playing at home via an app. Ahead of the London TV Screenings and MIP London, the formats seller has secured global rights (bar UK) for Win Win!, which comes from British Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win producer Hello Dolly. In Win Win!, 40 contestants play live in a studio, with viewers at home able to play along live via an app. The format gives viewers the chance to win prizes from the comfort of their sofa. At the same time, contestants battle it out by answering questions based on a unique nationwide survey. The format builds to a final episode where one contestant is guaranteed to win a jackpot of at least £1M ($1.26M). Next week in London, NBCUniversal Formats is selling Win Win! along with the likes of The Real Housewives and Top Chef, while dramas including Suits LA and All Her Fault come via the NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution team. With Ant and Dec’s Mitre Television, Hello Dolly produces ITV’s Limitless Win, which has run for three seasons and is helmed by the entertainment stalwarts. Hello Dolly is selling Win Win! in the UK. Hannah Mabruk, VP Format Sales, NBCUniversal Formats, said: “Win Win! is the kind of game show that will keep you on the edge of your seat, shouting at the screen one moment and holding your breath the next. We look forward to partnering with the best broadcasters and producers around the world to bring this original primetime format to audiences.” Hello Dolly boss Victoria Ashbourne added: “We’re super excited and proud of this innovative new game show and thrilled to partner with the powerhouse that is NBCUniversal, to bring the format to audiences around the world.” |
posted 2/20/2025 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Pyramid Players: Season 8 |
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The $100,000 Pyramid is gearing up for its Season 8 return on March 9th, and we have a first look at the fun ahead with host Michael Strahan and various celebrity competitors. As mentioned above, the new sneak peek offers a closer look at which celebrities will be playing with the contestants, and the lineup is pretty stacked. Currently, the roster includes Ana Gasteyer, Atsuko Okatsuka, Bobby Moynihan, Brian Austin Green, Chandra Wilson, D.L. Hughley, Fortune Feimster, Jaleel White, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Joel McHale, June Diane Raphael, Kevin Nealon, Laverne Cox, Luenell, Malin Akerman, Mark Duplass, Meagan Good, Michael Urie, Paul Scheer, Pete Holmes, Rachel Dratch, Rob Riggle, Robert Iler, Rocsi Diaz, Scott Wolf, Tiffany Haddish, Thomas Lennon, Tom Papa, and Tori Spelling. Some of these stars, including Duplass, Cox, Sigler, and more appear in the promo you need to check out, above, where Strahan teases, “It’s an all-new season of The $100,000 Pyramid, so you know what that means. We got a brand new slate of stars, huge laughs, and the kind of wins that will have you jumping for joy.” |
posted 2/19/2025 |
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Endemol Shine Goes Inside with TBS Television |
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Endemol Shine Australia (ESA), part of French TV giant Banijay Entertainment, has formed a global partnership with Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), the Japanese broadcaster and producer behind international hit formats such as “Ninja Warrior” and “Takeshi’s Castle.” The co-development deal will give ESA access to TBS’s library of new and existing formats which it can look to innovate and adapt for both Australian and global audiences. As part of the agreement, Banijay Entertainment has a first-look arrangement to produce the co-developed titles locally across its label footprint. The first TBS format now in development with ESA is a take on the strategic gameshow “Actors Vs Reactors,” produced by Junya Ueda. Reinvented and scaled by ESA as “The Insider,” the format sees a group of celebrities in a strategic game where they will be continually and mercilessly pranked. But one celebrity sneakily knows the details of every prank and is faking their reactions. As the description goes, “Can the celebrities find The Insider before they win all the cash?” |
posted 2/19/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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WGA Awards: And the Winners Were... |
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Sean Baker’s Anora, written by Baker, and Nickel Boys, written by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, took the top film prizes at the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards tonight, for Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay, respectively. The awards were handed out in concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York. On the TV side, it was a big night for HBO/Max, which won the Comedy Series award (Hacks), Limited Series (The Penguin), Comedy/Variety Series and Specials and TV & Streaming Movie categories, as well as for Disney/FX’s Shōgun, which topped the Drama & New Series fields. |
posted 2/17/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Sunday night's post-Super Bowl LIX Season Three premiere of The Floor, delivered 14 million Total Viewers, and is the season's #1 entertainment series telecast in A18-49, which is the first time EVER a game show has ranked as the top telecast. TV's #1 Game Show, hosted by Rob Lowe, averaged a 3.7 Live + Same Day rating among Adults 18-49, marking a series high and the highest-rated and most-watched unscripted entertainment series telecast in two years. This also marks a series high for The Floor among Adults 18-49 and total viewers. Super Week continued with the debut of FOX's one-of-a-kind survivalist competition series, Extracted, which delivered FOX's highest-rated debut in one year (excluding post-NFL, since 1/3/24). But this is where the celebration ends and reality begins. While Fox may have secured the most-watched Super Bowl on record last weekend, its lead-out show set a record of the opposite kind. The Floor was the least-watched Super Bowl lead-out program since viewership for the time slot began being tracked following Super Bowl VIII in 1974. According to data from Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, The Floor averaged just 13.94 million viewers following the Philadelphia Eagles’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. That’s down substantially from the 18.44 million viewers CBS retained for last year’s episode of Tracker which aired following its Super Bowl broadcast. Last November, Fox opted to place Lowe’s show into the post-Super Bowl slot in favor of its original plan to air the scripted drama Rescue: Hi-Surf. Fox has now used its last three Super Bowl lead-outs on unscripted fare; the network debuted a new season of The Masked Singer after Super Bowl LIV in 2020, and a new season of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef after Super Bowl LVII in 2023.. |
posted 2/15/2025 |
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Paramount, YouTube TV Come to Terms |
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After several days of intensive negotiations, YouTube TV and Paramount Global renewed their carriage deal for CBS stations nationwide, MTV, Comedy Central and 20 other channels on the service. In addition, under the new agreement, YouTube TV has the right to bundle Paramount+ to “qualifying” customers. The companies announced the multiyear pact Saturday evening, after Paramount began warning YouTube TV customers of the standoff and a potential blackout of its channels earlier this week. Talks continued after the previous deal expired Thursday evening and the two sides inked a temporary extension. |
posted 2/15/2025 |
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More on "Love Hotel" |
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Bravo is checking in four stars of The Real Housewives franchise to the Love Hotel, a new reality dating series coming soon. Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby of The Real Housewives of Potomac, Shannon Beador of The Real Housewives of Orange County, and Luann de Lesseps of The Real Housewives of New York City jumped in for a chance at finding their happily ever after. Love Hotel brought the group of ladies together at the Grand Velas Boutique Hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico, for a luxurious getaway where they mixed and mingled with a group of eligible bachelors. Joel Kim Booster hosts the series produced by Shed Media with Lisa Shannon, Dan Peirson, Trifari Williams and Tom Ciaccio serving as executive producers. |
posted 2/14/2025 |
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Tim Gunn Not Asked to Return to the Runway |
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Tim Gunn is setting the record straight on whether or not he'll be appearing on the upcoming season of Project Runway. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Gunn revealed that several months ago, his longtime co-host, Heidi Klum, texted him about the possibility of returning for the reality TV show, which he hosted for 16 seasons before leaving in 2018 to create a new fashion competition show on Amazon Video called Making the Cut. "Heidi sent me a text saying, 'There's talk about bringing Project Runway back with us, with you and me, and would you do it?' And I said, 'Would I do it? Of course, there's not a moment of hesitation in me,'" Gunn, 71, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "So Heidi and I were texting and texting, and several months later, she sent me a text asking, 'Are you happy with your contract?' I'm a truth-teller. I don't even mince words. I said, 'Well, I haven't seen a contract,'" he adds. "And she said, 'You haven't?' No. So I called my agent and he knew things were going on, but he contacted the executive producers of this new show, and they said, 'We don't want him.' And [my agent] said, 'Well, he's done 19 seasons of Runway, 16 with Heidi. The two of them won an Emmy together as hosts, and now you're going to separate them?' And they said yes." Gunn continues, "So I wasn't asked back. However, several weeks after that conversation, they went back to [my agent] and said, 'Well, we've thought about it and we'd be willing to offer Tim a small cameo in one episode.' What do I do? Wave from a bus? As the designers are going into Mood [Fabrics]? Heidi comes to see me at the retirement home and we play croquet? So no thank you. And as Heidi would say, you're either in or you're out. And I'm out. So I wasn't asked to join." Upon hearing the news, Gunn says that he was "initially devastated, then kind of humiliated." But quickly, he changed his perspective on the situation. "I thought, how lucky am I to have had the experiences that I've had over the last 20 years?" he says. "This is phenomenal. I stopped the boo-hooing. I thought, it's really throwing hubris in the face of an angry God to mourn not being on this new show. So I've come to terms with it. Am I disappointed? Sure. And most of all, it's about not working with Heidi, but we move on and things happen for a reason. I don't know what the reason is yet, but it will be revealed." As for Klum, when Gunn shared the news with her he says she was also devastated. "She was really upset and she kept saying, 'I'm fighting for you, I'm fighting for you,'" he adds. "Which is lovely of her and nothing that I should expect. And I said, 'Heidi, just take good care of yourself. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.'" He adds that he plans to watch the show to cheer on his former cohost. "I have her back and I'm with her in spirit always," he says. |
posted 2/14/2025 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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Sony Offers 100 Choices |
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Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is set to showcase its newly-acquired family competition format, “100 Choices,” at the London Screenings. Acquired from Japan’s Fany Studio, this competition format brings a blend of physical challenges and brain-busting questions. In 100 Choices, contestants are presented with a nearly impossible question and 100 potential answers. To help narrow down the possibilities, they must tackle five physical challenges, with each success enabling them to eliminate incorrect options. The result is a dynamic format that combines brains, brawn and teamwork for maximum entertainment value. The show is designed for family-friendly programming and has the flexibility to be adapted for both prime-time studio shoots and location-based productions. Originally developed by Fany Studio in Tokyo and first aired in October 2023 on BS Yoshimoto, “100 Choices” was picked out by SPT for its international potential, which acquired global distribution rights following its successful showcase at the 2023 Asia TV Forum. To support its international rollout, SPT has partnered with local production companies, including Stellify (UK), B17 Entertainment (U.S.), Curio (Australia), Teleset (Mexico) and Floresta (Brazil) to represent the format in various territories. Laura St. Clair, SVP, International Formats at Sony Pictures Television, highlighted the format’s broad appeal, saying: “’100 Choices’ is a unique new take on family entertainment and comedy game show genres. We love the strength of the central format premise, which makes it suitable to adapt for both weekend studio prime time and location shoots. We’re excited to work with the team at FANY Studio to bring this fantastic format to our buyers around the world – and we can’t wait to unveil it at London Screenings later this month.” FANY Studio’s Mari Kawamura echoed the sentiment, saying: “The ‘100 Choices’ format idea was originally the first episode in the ‘World Homerun Factory’ series airing on BS Yoshimoto. The series put together the brains of comedians and producers to create global formats. I am deeply impressed by how this format embodies the very essence of the HomerunFactory mission through its adaptability and international relevance. ‘100 Choices’ strives to take flight in the global market now. With the support of SPT, I sincerely hope this format will become one that is loved around the world.” |
posted 2/12/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Fox is breaking into the mobile gaming business with a title based on its hit reality competition “The Masked Singer.” Launching Wednesday tied to “The Masked Singer” Season 13 premiere, “The Masked Singer: Mask Mania” mobile game app tasks the player with clearing levels by shooting digital bubbles, which include “Masked Singer” characters like Ice Cream, Monster, Pineapple, White Tiger, and”Masked Singer” show paraphernalia like magnifying glasses, question marks, logos and character masks. The goal is to complete all 50 levels, win the map and the Golden Mask Trophy. There will be five playable “The Masked Singer: Mask Mania” characters in the game at launch, each with unique environments inside levels. Fox will unveil a “very special” character in the game on Friday in honor of Valentine’s Day. Available to download on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, the free-to-play game developed by Revyrie includes in-game purchases (a.k.a. microtransactions) for unlockable characters, power-ups and limited time power-ups, clearing the current level, additional lives, new player skins, bundles and seasonal or holiday-themed items. “’The Masked Singer: Mask Mania; mobile game adds another level of creative family fun to ‘The Masked Singer’ franchise. We are all about added value and this game takes ‘The Masked Singer’ to the next level,” “The Masked Singer” executive producer Craig Plestis said. “We hope everyone young and old can enjoy this mobile game. I’ve been playing the game all during development, and I’m completely obsessed and hope our fans will be too!” |
posted 2/11/2025 |
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The Invites Have Been Sent... |
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Jeopardy! fans get ready for 27 familiar faces as the second annual Invitational Tournament takes place this month. The lineup was just announced, after fans speculated, and it includes favorites from past seasons and Tournament of Champions runner-ups. JIT will begin immediately after the Tournament of Champions ends, which will be no later than Monday, February 17, due to the “best of seven” finals series. The players will compete in nine quarterfinal games, three semifinals, and a multiple-game finals series. The first Jeopardy! alum to win two games wins JIT. The JIT winner takes home $150,000, which is $50,000 more than last year. They will also compete in the upcoming 2025 Jeopardy! Masters. The full list of this year’s JIT competitors can be seen below. |
posted 2/11/2025 |
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Five of New York City’s pension funds have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking to pause Paramount’s pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, alleging that controlling shareholder Shari Redstone and members of Paramount’s special committee that evaluated bids breached their fiduciary duty. The complaint, which was filed on Feb. 4 against board members Barbara Byrne, Linda Griego, Judith McHale and Susan Schuman and unsealed on Monday, alleges that the group failed to sufficiently consider an alternative $13.5 billion offer from Project Rise Partners, which the New York City Employees’ Retirement System says is superior to the Skydance deal. The funds, which include the NYCERS, the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund, the New York City Police Pension Fund, the New York City Board of Education Retirement System, and the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York, are seeking a court order to block the closing of the transaction until a final resolution of its claims are reached. |
posted 2/11/2025 |
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Go Fact Yourself Goes to NPR |
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WUWM is partnering with LAist to bring you a new radio program called Go Fact Yourself. It will air on Saturdays at 11 a.m. starting February 15 through June 28. WUWM was selected as the first station to pilot this program with LAist, as they consider it for national distribution. Go Fact Yourself is a pop culture trivia show hosted by J. Keith van Straaten (Ask Me Another, Senior Writer) and Helen Hong (Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, recurring panelist). Each week, van Straaten and Hong test celebrity guests on their self-proclaimed areas of pop culture expertise. Go Fact Yourself comes from LAist and the Maximum Fun Podcast Network and is recorded in front of a live audience at The Crawford, in Pasadena, CA. Go Fact Yourself also has an online quiz that you can play, every week, starting February 15th. |
posted 2/11/2025 |
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One Question for French Canada |
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ICI Radio-Canada Télé has commissioned a local version of UK quiz show format One Question for French-language audiences. The 12×60’ series, also to be streamed on ICI Tou.TV, will be co-produced by Sphère Média and Radio-Canada in association with NBCUniversal Formats, which licenses the format globally. To be titled La Question (One Question) locally, it will be hosted by French-Canadian presenter François Morency (Discussions avec mes Parents). The quiz show invites a pair of contestants to answer just a single question to win a cash prize. The duo will be faced with 16 possible answers, but only one answer is correct. Under mounting tension, the contestants must eliminate the 15 incorrect answers. La Question is based on the UK format created by Chalkboard for Channel 4 in 2022 and presented by Claudia Winkleman (The Traitors). Suzanne Kendrick, VP, format sales, NBCUniversal Formats, said: “One Question is a quizshow unlike any other and is perfectly primed for international adaptation. “We can’t wait to bring audiences a uniquely French-Canadian version with our partners at Sphère Média and Radio-Canada and the one and only François.” |
posted 2/11/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Chante'.... Law Stays |
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Shantay, Law Roach is here to stay (on a semi-regular basis) on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Following his debut as a guest judge on last year’s 16th season, the celebrity ‘image architect’ revealed his new gig as a “rotating” judge on the MTV reality competition series, alongside host RuPaul Charles. “I am not the special guest judge. I am sitting next to Ru, and Hunter Schafer is the special guest judge this episode,” he told Parade of Friday’s Season 17 episode ‘Let’s Get Sickening Ball’. Roach joins the likes of fellow rotating judges Ross Matthews, Carson Kressley and Ts Madison, alongside Ru, permanent fixture Michelle Visage and a celebrity guest judge each week. When asked how many more episodes he’ll appear in this season, Roach said, “I don’t know what I can say. But I mean, we all know what that third seat represents.” |
posted 2/10/2025 |
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“To turne thy whele and be my frende again, and sende me joy where I am nowe in pain,” says the famed 15th century Findern manuscript of Fortune’s whims. That verse may be hitting a little harder than usual at Sony on Thursday morning after the media giant saw the courts put the brakes put on its attempted full-scale takeover of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! from CBS. The companies have been in a breach of contract dispute since October 31 over CBS’ more than 40-year-old distribution contract, and claims by Sony Pictures TV of “self-dealing” by the soon-to-be David Ellison-owned conglomerate. In the midst of all that, SPT’s head of game shows Suzanne Prete on Monday sent CBS’ Wendy McMahon a letter informing her that Sony had taken back all control of Wheel and Jeopardy! including their global distribution. “To facilitate an orderly transition of the distribution functions for the Shows, on January 27, 2025, Sony Pictures delivered to CBS the episodes of the Shows to air the week of February 3 through February 9,” the correspondence asserted. “We expect CBS to take all necessary steps to ensure that the episodes are properly delivered to broadcasters. Sony Pictures will begin delivery of episodes of the Shows to broadcasters starting with the episodes scheduled to air the week of February 10.” Throwing down terms like “false, inappropriate, and ineffective,” CBS Media Ventures replied: “Any contention by Sony that it has reclaimed the distribution rights is subject to ongoing judicial proceedings, and CBS will be seeking immediate relief from the appropriate courts. All business should continue in the usual course.” At the time, the company said it would be seeking a temporary restraining order. Today it got it, with Los Angeles Superior Court judge Kevin C. Brazile issuing an order hitting the pause button on the move by the Tokyo-run Sony. Maintaining the contracts that has been in place since 1982 and under the respective umbrellas of CBS and Sony since the late 1990s, the TRO is in effect until at least February 18, when a further status conference hearing is scheduled. Among others agenda items, that February 18 hearing is intended to set dates for a session on a possible permanent restraining order. The judge is clearly hoping Sony and CBS can work something out in the next few weeks to settle this dust-up before a long court case. |
posted 2/10/2025 |
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Graham Norton Moves Into "The Neighbourhood" |
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BAFTA winner Graham Norton is fronting a “street-sized” 12-part reality gameshow for ITV in which families and households compete for a cash prize. The show will see real-life households move in side-by-side to compete in challenges. Living together 24/7, they will need to stay popular with their neighbors or risk being voted out. The series, from the development teams at ITV Studios (ITVS)’s indies Lifted Entertainment and The Garden, will run on ITV1 and streamer ITVX next year. Lifted and The Garden are co-producing, with ITVS on international distribution duties. “Like everyone, I’m always intrigued by what goes on behind closed doors,” said presenter Norton. “Add to that some dastardly challenges and a life changing prize and I’m hooked.” Katie Rawcliffe, Director of Entertainment & Daytime at ITV, and Louise Major, Entertainment Commissioning Editor, commissioned the show. “In a TV landscape full of successful formats set in jungles, islands and luxurious villas, The Neighbourhood offers a fresh and different flavour: it’s a show all about the drama on our doorsteps,” said Richard Cowles, Managing Director at Lifted Entertainment and John Hay, CEO of The Garden in a joint statement. Casting is currently open. |
posted 2/10/2025 |
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99 Beats Italy |
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On Monday, February 10, 2025, at 9:20pm on Rai 2 debuts 99 da Battere, the new game show hosted by Max Giusti. The format, produced with Endemol Shine Italy, is the Italian adaptation of the Belgian format 99 To Beat, created by VRT and De Chinezen and distributed by Primitives. The format has already been a hit internationally, with adaptations in ten countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. In 99 da Battere, one hundred contestants, aged between 18 and 98, will compete in a series of 99 fun and original challenges, with the sole goal of never finishing last. In each round, the last-placed contestant will be eliminated until only one winner remains, taking home the grand prize of €99,000. The challenges range from physical skill tests to games of wit and luck. Some of the tasks include whipping cream until it’s firm enough to hold upside down over one's head, finding the exit door while blindfolded, melting an ice cube to retrieve a whistle and blow it, or leaving one's phone on a table and hoping not to be the first to receive a call—which would mean elimination. Some challenges are individual, while others require teamwork. |
posted 2/10/2025 |
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Tony Roberts, a versatile, Tony Award-nominated theater performer at home in both plays and musicals and who appeared in several Woody Allen movies — often as Allen’s best friend — has died. He was 85. Roberts’ death was announced to The New York Times by his daughter, Nicole Burley. Roberts had a genial stage personality perfect for musical comedy and he originated roles in such diverse Broadway musicals as “How Now, Dow Jones” (1967); “Sugar” (1972), an adaptation of the movie “Some Like It Hot,” and “Victor/Victoria” (1995), in which he co-starred with Julie Andrews when she returned to Broadway in the stage version of her popular film. He also was in the campy, roller-disco “Xanadu” in 2007 and “The Royal Family” in 2009. “I’ve never been particularly lucky at card games. I’ve never hit a jackpot. But I have been extremely lucky in life,” he write in his memoir, “Do You Know Me?” “Unlike many of my pals, who didn’t know what they wanted to become when they grew up, I knew I wanted to be an actor before I got to high school.” Roberts also appeared on Broadway in the 1966 Woody Allen comedy “Don’t Drink the Water,” repeating his role in the film version, and in Allen’s “Play It Again, Sam” (1969), for which he also made the movie. Roberts’ television credits include the short-lived series “The Four Seasons” (1984) and “The Lucie Arnaz Show” (1985) as well as guest spots on such well-known shows as “Murder, She Wrote” and “Law & Order.” |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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Drag Race Scores Another High |
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RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17 is already taking a victory lap, after the premiere episode scored the series’ best ratings in years. According to live + three-day Nielsen data, the episode scored a 0.908 rating among adults 18-34, up 17% from the year prior and, actually, marking the competition’s highest-rated season premiere in seven years. Among adults 18-49, RuPaul’s Drag Race scored a 0.993 rating, which is the best season premiere performance in 12 years, up 9% from the year before. Nielsen says that the Season 17 premiere managed a 10.77 share among adults 18-34 and a 7.55 share among adults 18-49, up 38% and 27% respectively year-over-year. |
posted 2/7/2025 |
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Gino D'Acampo Accused of Being Inappropriate |
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Re-runs of old Gino D’Acampo shows have been pulled from the ITV schedule following allegations of inappropriate behavior made against the TV chef. The 48-year-old Italian presenter has been accused of “dozens” of allegations of misconduct over more than a decades, with his behaviour described as “unacceptable” and “distressing” by those making accusations, an ITV News investigation has claimed. D’Acampo has “firmly denied” the allegations in a statement to the broadcaster, saying they were “simply not in my nature” and describing them as “deeply upsetting”. Following the accusations, the PA news agency understands that repeats of game show Family Fortunes fronted by D’Acampo will not be re-broadcast – including an episode of the show at 7pm on ITV2 and another episode on Monday at the same time. An ITV news investigation, which broadcast earlier tonight, spoke with multiple people who have worked with him in the past and described D’Acampo making sexualized remarks that made them feel highly uncomfortable, as they detailed incidents that go back many years. Many more allegations of this ilk were made and aired on ITV News tonight. D’Acampo has done most of his work for ITV over the years. He cuts a jovial figure on screen and was a regular on ITV’s This Morning with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, the latter of whom left that show in 2023 following an inappropriate relationship with a much younger colleague. D’Acampo has appeared in multiple seasons and spin-off versions of the Gordon, Gino & Fred franchise with Ramsay and Sirieix, and recently hosted ITV gameshow Family Fortunes. He won I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2009. D’Acampo “firmly denied” the allegations to ITV News and said they were “deeply upsetting.” “I have been told by ITN news that allegations have been made about me acting inappropriately, some dating back over ten years ago,” he added. “I have never been made aware of these matters previously and the allegations are firmly denied. I do not recognise the version of events being put to me.” Deadline understands neither ITV nor Objective have plans to work with D’Acampo in future and ITV hasn’t commissioned a show featuring him since 2023. An ITV statement said it is “completely committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with respect and feels able to give of their best.” “Our promise to those we work with is that where a complaint is made, or serious concern raised, we will always investigate and if we find that something inappropriate has happened, we will take action. The same standards are expected of all production companies who make programmes on ITV’s behalf.” Objective said it “takes the welfare and wellbeing of all its production staff and teams incredibly seriously.” “We have robust protocols and procedures in place for all cast and crew, including on-screen talent, that we review regularly whilst also ensuring that we take into account developments regarding industry wide ‘Duty of Care’ guidelines,” it added. “We have robust protocols and procedures in place for all cast and crew, including on-screen talent, that we review regularly whilst also ensuring that we take into account developments regarding industry wide ‘Duty of Care’ guidelines.” |
posted 2/7/2025 |
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Happy Friday Lightning Round |
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Gaña a 2-a Aldea |
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Spanish free-to-air network Televisión de Galicia has renewed gameshow Gaña a túa aldea for a second season. The network ordered 40 new episodes of the series, which is based on a Romanian format that tests contestants’ knowledge of their own province, country or state by having them compete with representatives from other parts of their country. The name of the format roughly translates as Win Your Country. The original iteration of the format was created by Bucharest-based Zucchero Media and has aired on local broadcaster TVR2 for more than 200 episodes. The Spanish version, produced by A Coruña-based Miraveo, reached a key milestone at C21’s Content Americas in January 2024 as US format distributor Small World IFT inked a deal with Miraveo for the Spanish rights to the show. |
posted 2/6/2025 |
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Family Feud Comes to Botswana |
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Starting 9th February 2025 at 19:30, DStv viewers are in for a real treat when Steve Harvey and his popular game show franchise, Family Feud, grace screens in Botswana on Btv (DStv Channel 289)! The glitzy show which first launched in 1976, pits two families against each other in a guessing game of hilarious proportions in front of a live studio audience. For the first time in history, DStv Botswana viewers will be able to see local families, friends and a few celebrities as they partake in this international television sensation. “The launch of Family Feud Botswana on Btv is a huge milestone for local content and a welcome development for us as a platform that proudly carries Btv in Botswana,” says Stephanie Pillay, MultiChoice Botswana Managing Director. “Having Btv on DStv in Botswana enables us to bring Batswana local content that is relevant, informative and now even more entertaining. DStv Botswana subscribers will have access to this phenomenal game show for as low as P130 as Btv News and Btv 1 are both available on our DStv Access package.” |
posted 2/6/2025 |
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ABC Footing "Lucky 13" Bill |
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In a highly unusual situation, ABC is preparing to foot a bill worth more than $460,000 to ensure that contestants on game show Lucky 13 receive the winnings they are owed. Even though it is under no legal obligation to do so, the Disney-owned network is close to finalizing an agreement under which Lucky 13 winners will receive their prize pots after the messy demise of the series hosted by Shaquille O’Neal and Gina Rodriguez. Lucky 13 was lucky by name, but not lucky by nature for those involved in the making of the show, which aired on ABC last year under a novel greenlight model. UK producer Studio 1 pre-funded Lucky 13 in return for a share of ABC’s advertising and product placement sales, but revenue fell well short of projections and the show was not renewed for a second season. Lucky 13 Holdings and Studio 13 Entertainment, the special purpose companies Studio 1 set up to house Lucky 13, effectively declared bankruptcy, leaving contractors — including hosts O’Neal and Rodriguez — out of pocket by at least $500,000. Studio 1 was also responsible for paying winnings to contestants, but Deadline understands that participants have not received their cash prizes amid the financial strife. Thirteen people walked away from Lucky 13 with prizes totaling $461,500. The biggest prize won on the show was $125,000, while the smallest was $3,750. Sources said contestants should have been paid within 120 days of their appearance. The final episode of the series aired on September 19, which was 138 days ago. Disney is now stepping in to right this wrong, even though it was only the domestic licensee for the show. The company has been in talks over payment and is confident a deal will be agreed soon. |
posted 2/5/2025 |
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Meet the 14 new teams that will embark on the journey of a lifetime when the 37th season of the CBS Original series THE AMAZING RACE, hosted by Phil Keoghan, kicks off Wednesday, March 5 (9:30-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. The "season of surprises" features the largest cast ever in the history of the Race. The new teams will encounter game-changing twists in every episode, including the classic game pieces the Fast Forward and U-Turn - and the additions of new ones, such as a Fork in the Road, which Racers will confront on the first leg in Hong Kong. When teams arrive at the Fork in the Road, they will have to choose which direction and route they want to take to the Pit Stop, creating two parallel races where two teams will be eliminated. "This season 14 teams will embark on an unforgettable adventure," said Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri, co-creators and executive producers of THE AMAZING RACE. "Traveling around the globe for a stop in Osaka, Japan, where they will experience a modern-day bullet train in a thriving city and then immerse themselves in a 12,000-year-old tradition, performing with a taiko drum group. They will feel the adrenaline rush of skydiving over Dubai's breathtaking cityscape contrasted with another stop, for the first time on THE AMAZING RACE, in the countryside of Bulgaria, where they will participate in a traditional folk dance. Adding a new city this season, teams will visit the medieval village of Strasbourg, France, which will feel like stepping into a fairytale. For our season of surprises, there is no end to the drama, twists and turns until we see who the winners are!" |
posted 2/5/2025 |
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East Meets West in "KPOPPED" |
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Apple TV+ announces new K-pop song battle series "KPOPPED," starring PSY and Megan Thee Stallion East meets West as stars face off in collaborative song battles in this new series from legendary executive producer Lionel Richie and Miky Lee, produced by CJ ENM and Eureka Productions. Today, Apple TV+ announced "KPOPPED," an all-new eight-episode song battle series from executive producer Lionel Richie, starring PSY, the international chart-topper who helped bring K-pop to the world with his global sensation "Gangnam Style," and three-time Grammy award-winning superstar and executive producer Megan Thee Stallion, who also performs her hit song "Savage." In each episode, western icons reimagine one of their biggest hits, collaborating with top-tier K-pop idols to deliver spectacular battle performances, with a live Seoul-based audience picking the winner of the best new K-popped song. The series is executive produced by Moira Ross, Richie, Miky Lee, Megan Thee Stallion and Greg Foster, alongside Harry H.K. Shin and Jake Hong, with producer Ki-woong Kim for CJ ENM Co., Ltd., with its unparalleled expertise in music variety shows and content production. Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin, Wes Dening and David Tibballs executive produce for Eureka Productions (a Fremantle company), alongside Bruce Eskowitz. |
posted 2/5/2025 |
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No Actual Bears Were Harmed in the Making of This Show |
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Netflix UK has assembled twelve top-tier British celebrities, who have subjected themselves as prey for a Bear hunt. While it may not be a grizzly bear sniffing around for them, it may be worse. Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls, a British adventurer, TV personality and former British Special Forces soldier, will be on the hunt for the celebrity talent attached to the reality competition series. Holly Willoughby hosts the Netflix show set in the Costa Rican jungle, where 12 celebrities, including Spice Girls alum Mel B and tennis legend Boris Becker, become prey for the legendary survival expert. Each of the stars must prove how strong their sense of survival truly is as they navigate a brutal game of cat and mouse and are hunted down by Bear himself. |
posted 2/5/2025 |
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Coming Back Home to "Deb's House" |
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Today, We TV announced the renewal of the wildly popular competition series, Deb's House. Heading into its sophomore season, music industry icon Deb Antney shifts her focus from rap to R&B as she embarks upon a nationwide search for the next chart-topping, female R&B superstar. The eight episode, hour-long reality series, is currently filming in New York and New Jersey and slated to premiere this summer, airing exclusively on We TV and streaming exclusively on ALLBLK. In Deb's House Season 2, produced by TeamSheed Productions, Deb Antney continues her mission to shape the future of music, this time seeking soulful, powerful voices in the world of R&B. With the help a new arsenal of celebrity guests, judges and industry pros, Ms. Deb will identify ten up-and-coming female vocalists to move into Deb's House. The aspiring artists will compete to become Ms. Deb's next R&B protégé - and this will require hard work. Deb's House will not only test the vocal abilities of these up-and-coming stars, but challenge their resilience, work ethic and ability to navigate the pressures of the music industry. As Ms. Deb mentors and evaluates their growth, the artists will face intense eliminations and personal revelations, ultimately leading to the crowning of a new R&B sensation. "R&B has always held a special place in my heart," stated Deb Antney. "This season is all about capturing the nostalgia of the golden era of R&B, while forging a new path for future stars. The real competition Is You Vs. You, but those who stand out will have the chance to work with me and make their dreams come true." "We are delighted to welcome Deb Antney, a true music industry pioneer, back for another incredible season of Deb's House," said Brett Dismuke, Head of Content, ALLBLK & We TV. "R&B is a classic genre defining generations with its captivating and authentic sound. As Ms. Deb begins her journey to find the next R&B superstar, with the help of some of the most influential voices in the industry, we are confident this will be a must-see season." Deb's House is Executive Produced and Created by Deb Antney for Tag Multimedia and Rasheed J. Daniel for TeamSheed Productions, with Vanessa Phillips serving as Co-executive Producer. Angela Molloy, SVP, Development & Original Production, Unscripted, LeAnn Scrimmager, Manager Development & Original Production, Unscripted and Sean Charles, Manager Development & Original Production, Scripted & Unscripted Executive Produce for We TV and ALLBLK. |
posted 2/5/2025 |
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Way to Extend That Franchise, Bravo |
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Bravo is getting ready to have a group of The Real Housewives stars check in to the Love Hotel. The dating series will feature Real Housewives of New York City‘s Luann de Lesseps, The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Shannon Beador, and The Real Housewives of Potomac’s Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby. “The Housewives have checked in,” reads the teaser with music in the background that sounds similar to Darby’s single “Coffee & Love.” RHOP‘s Bryant teased Love Hotel last year, telling Deadline that co-star Beador was an “acquired taste.” “I love her. I’ve talked to Shannon a couple times since we left, and Shannon’s a lot of fun. Shannon was the one that was a bit more emotional than the rest of the ladies, and that was, uh… different for me,” Bryant added. “I’m not that emotional. Neither is Ashley. She was our emotional girl. We had to protect her to make sure she was okay.” Love Hotel finished filming and made headlines last year when host Joel Kim Booster called out Beador for allegedly mistreating production throughout the show’s filming. Booster would later apologized to Beador, saying, “I’ve had a lot of time to think and process about this, and I wish I could say that I was not the guy who posted those statements on Instagram, but the fact is that I am. I let an onset conflict cloud my judgment and accessed the darkest, ugliest part of myself and said things I don’t stand by or even believe, and I am deeply sorry that allowed my worst self to cloud my judgment.” |
posted 2/5/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Jelly Roll has joined “American Idol” Season 23 as the competition series’ first-ever Artist in Residence. The four-time Grammy nominee, who previously appeared as a guest mentor in Season 22, will provide contestants with first-hand advice during their journey on the “American Idol” stage. The rapper and singer-songwriter celebrated his new role in a video message. “I’m ‘American Idol’s’ Artist in Residence’!” Jelly Roll exclaimed. “I feel like I’m giving them the energy they need. I’m uplifting and trying to get ’em going!” This marks Jelly Roll’s official return to the singing competition series after he served as a guest mentor and performer during Season 22. He appeared on the show when it visited Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii. His debut as the first-ever Artist in Residence will kick off during “American Idol’s” Hollywood Week. “American Idol” Season 23 will start on Sunday, March 9 on ABC. A special preview of the season will air following “The Oscars” on Sunday, March 2 on ABC. The season will stream the next day on Hulu. |
posted 2/4/2025 |
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"Physical: 100" Evolves |
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The hit survival reality competition show Physical: 100, which dominated Netflix's Global Top 10 TV Series (Non-English) rankings for two years in a row, is back with a monumental twist. Now titled Physical: Asia and premiering in the fourth quarter of this year, the series scales up its quest for the ultimate physique beyond individual matchups - unleashing a full-blown national showdown where pride, survival, and teamwork collide. From "100" to "Asia" In previous seasons, 100 elite competitors fought to outlast each other in a grueling individual tournament. This time, Physical: Asia transforms the battleground into a high-stakes team competition featuring top-tier athletes representing their respective countries. If a single teammate falls, the entire squad is eliminated - raising the stakes and drama to unprecedented heights. A legendary contender enters the ring In a first for the franchise, living boxing legend Manny Pacquiao joins Physical: Asia as the Philippine representative. Pacquiao, revered worldwide as the only boxer in history to acquire titles in eight weight divisions, brings his formidable talent and indomitable spirit to this team-based clash of champions. His participation signals the show's expanded ambition: a fierce face-off among Asia's finest, with national pride on the line. Bigger stage, higher stakes Season after season, Physical: 100 has captivated viewers around the globe, blazing a trail as Netflix's first Korean unscripted series to clinch the top spot on the Global Top 10 (Non-English) list. With the newly minted Physical: Asia, the spectacle grows even bigger. Competitors - regardless of age, gender, or weight class - will unite under their national flags for the toughest, most pulse-pounding missions yet. Catch up on the first two seasons of Physical: 100, now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned for more updates on Physical: Asia - the ultimate test of teamwork, endurance, and raw physical power. |
posted 2/4/2025 |
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The Zenith of Talent? |
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Could ITV‘s next big gameshow be coming in from Canada? The UK commercial broadcaster is understood to be in early-stage development on a version of Zenith, an X Factor-style French-Canadian format in which singers from different generations perform songs to a live audience. Masked Singer UK producer Bandicoot is forging the ITV version. In Zenith, the audience in the arena-style building is made up of 100 judges all grouped by generation, split between Boomer, Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z. Over 13 weeks, 24 singers (six per generation) sing old and new hits via splashy performances and are judged by the audience. The end goal is “to crown a winner at the end of the season: an artist who has been able to captivate all generations, a singer whose timeless voice suits all styles, genres, and eras,” according to the show’s synopsis. |
posted 2/4/2025 |
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"Flip Off" Flips Records |
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HGTV's highly anticipated new competition series The Flip Off, starring former Flip or Flop stars and exes Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack, delivered HGTV's highest-rated freshman series premiere among Adults 25-54 since September 2022, attracting 4.0 million total viewers across linear and streaming when it premiered on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Garnering a .56 live plus three-day rating among Adults 25-54, the episode posted impressive triple-digit gains of 180 percent over the previous six weeks and 107 percent over year-ago levels for the demo in its Wednesday timeslot. HGTV's highly anticipated new competition series The Flip Off, starring former Flip or Flop stars and exes Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack, delivered HGTV's highest-rated freshman series premiere among Adults 25-54 since September 2022, attracting 4.0 million total viewers across linear and streaming when it premiered on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Garnering a .56 live plus three-day rating among Adults 25-54, the episode posted impressive triple-digit gains of 180 percent over the previous six weeks and 107 percent over year-ago levels for the demo in its Wednesday timeslot. The Flip Off also attracted a large upscale audience, delivering a .59 L3 rating among both Upscale Adults 25-54 and Upscale Women 25-54. The ratings garnered respective triple-digit increases of 122 percent and 102 percent over previous six-week levels in the key demos. In addition, The Flip Off helped HGTV rank as the #2 non-news/sports cable network among Women 25-54 for the night, and the episode ranked as the #2 non-news/sports cable program among Women 25-54 and as a top 5 non-news/sports cable program among Adults 25-54 and Men 25-54. Fans are highly engaged with The Flip Off content on HGTV's digital platforms, delivering 20 million impressions and 17 million video views on HGTV's Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Threads in January alone. |
posted 2/4/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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"Got Talent" Turns 20 |
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America’s Got Talent is about to celebrate a major milestone: The NBC competition series has been renewed for Season 20 and will premiere with a two-hour episode on Tuesday, May 27 at 8/7c. The upcoming season will also see singer/songwriter Mel B return to the judges table alongside Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and executive producer Simon Cowell. Terry Crews also returns as host. Heidi Klum will be sitting out Season 20. The supermodel judged alongside Mel B in Seasons 8-13 before both stepped away for Season 14. Klum made her comeback in Season 15 when she joined Vergara on the panel. “It is absolutely brilliant to be able to announce this year as our 20th season,” Cowell said in a statement. “Over the years, we have seen some amazing acts and met some truly incredible people. It’s true that two or three minutes can change your life. I want to thank every contestant, all the fans who have supported the show every year and to NBC for believing in this show. And of course, the amazing team, past and present, who make the show so special. Now as always, I am really excited to meet the contestants this year.” Auditions are currently underway for the new season. |
posted 2/3/2025 |
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"What's My Line?" at 75 |
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Seventy-five years ago, on February 2, 1950, the first mystery guest was revealed on the premiere episode of What’s My Line? Do you remember who it was? … Times up, it was New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto. Over the run of the series, mystery guests ran the gamut from Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper and Elizabeth Taylor, to music icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne, among many others. An early classic from prolific game show producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, this program featured celebrity panelists questioning contestants in order to determine their occupation. Most of these contestants were from the general public, but each week, there was a celebrity mystery guest for whom the panelists were blindfolded. Journalist John Charles Daly hosted the original version of the show, which ran for 17 years on CBS. Among the notable regular celebrity panelists who appeared quite a bit during this time were actress Arlene Francis, journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, and writers Bennett Cerf and Hal Block. Reboots were hosted by Wally Bruner & Larry Blyden. During the course of its run, "What's My Line?" won three Emmys for Best Quiz/Audience Participation Show in 1952, 1953, and 1958, and a Golden Globe for Best TV Show in 1962. Spinoffs include "I've Got a Secret", a non-occupational series played mostly for laughs, "That's My Line", a short-lived reality series, and "What's My Line? Live on Stage", a stage version based out of the ACME Comedy Theatre in Los Angeles. |
posted 2/3/2025 |
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"Wipeout" Wipes Out |
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The Wipeout revival has wiped out. And The Cube has melted. Those two cancellations were quietly revealed on Monday by Jason Sarlanis, President of TNT, TBS, TruTV, ID & HLN, Linear and Streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, during a keynote session at the Realscreen Summit in Miami. As reported by Deadline, Sarlanis indicated that the cost of the two series was not in keeping with the TNets’ new programming strategy, “Those are very much in the realm of what we do,” he acknowledged. “Wipeout is inherently comedic and a joy to watch. But I think what we’re what we’re looking at is being realistic in terms of the entire environment. We have to recalibrate.” Sarlanis also noted that the Sarah Silverman-hosted Stupid Pet Tricks, based on the infamous David Letterman talk show segment, “did very nicely for us” in Season 1, but has yet to be renewed. The Wipeout revival, which debuted in April 2021 and was hosted by John Cena and Nicole Byer, featured “updated courses that are bigger and wetter than ever,” with each episode sending contestants “racing their way through water, slime, mud, and the series’ iconic big red balls for the chance to win a grand prize of $25,000.” Camille Kostek provided interviews and commentary from the sidelines of the three main courses: The Qualifier, The Gauntlet, and The Wipeout Zone. Wipeout‘s second (and final) season kicked off in November 2023 and ran for five weeks… took a year-long hiatus… and most recently aired on Jan. 26 of this year; “a few more episodes” reportedly have yet to air. The Cube, hosted by three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade, followed contestant pairs who had to demonstrate skill, nerve and determination as they endured seemingly simple physical and mental tasks – all while confined in the titular glass box, which possessed its own mind and attitude. Season 2 premiered in May 2023. |
posted 2/3/2025 |
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Amanda Holden Heads to "The Inner Circle" |
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TV and radio presenter Amanda Holden is to host a new quiz show for BBC One called The Inner Circle. Production is under way in Glasgow for the game, which involves a series of rounds designed to test contestants’ general knowledge and strategic thinking. There will be 25 episodes across the series and a further six celebrity specials featuring famous faces who will join forces with a member of the public trying to win the cash prize. Episodes featuring members of the public will air during the week and celebrity specials will be shown on Saturday’s in the teatime slot. Britain’s Got Talent judge Holden, 53, said: “I’m so excited to be part of this thrilling new quiz that challenges contestants and entertains viewers in equal measure. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring something fresh and fabulous to weekday afternoons and Saturday night TV, and I can’t wait to see the audience reactions.” Rob Unsworth, head of BBC daytime and early peak, and Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said: “We’re delighted to be joining forces to bring viewers a gripping new quiz that, for the first time, they’ll be able to play along with not only during the week, but on a Saturday teatime too. “Getting the answers right on this show is only half the battle – contestants also need to decide who they trust enough to keep in the game, all under the watchful eye of the brilliantly mischievous Amanda Holden.” |
posted 2/3/2025 |
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Liam Payne, who died last year after falling off the balcony of a hotel, will still likely be seen as guest judge in upcoming Netflix talent contest Building the Band. Netflix unscripted chief Brandon Reigg said at the streamer’s Next on Netflix event that the company was in touch with Payne’s family as it pushes on with Building the Band, in what was the former One Direction star’s last major TV appearance. Payne was guest judge on Building the Band alongside Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Produced by Banijay-backed Remarkable Entertainment, the show is a Love is Blind-style talent contest in which singers form their own band without being able to see each other. The series culminated in three live shows that were filmed in late August in front of an audience at Aviva Studios in Manchester. Payne’s fans flocked to watch the recording, with some posting on social media about meeting the singer. Netflix greenlit and wrapped the show prior to Payne’s death and had faced a dilemma over whether to proceed when he died last October. However, Building the Band was confirmed on the streamer’s 2025 slate. In a few weeks’ time, the Brit Awards is understood to be planning a tribute to 31-year-old Payne, with reports speculating that the remaining members of One Direction could reunite on stage for the first time since their split a decade ago. Payne died after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires. Five people have been charged in connection with his death. |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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A judge has granted the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSI) request to obtain books and records from Paramount Global related to its pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. In May, the pension fund, which owns Paramount stock, asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to order the media giant to turn over documents and communications related to the two parties’ discussions, citing concerns that controlling shareholder Shari Redstone and her holding company National Amusements had “usurped Paramount’s corporate opportunities.” At the time, ERSI said the inspection would investigate for “potential wrongdoing, including whether to seek equitable relief to ensure Shari Redstone and NAI do not profit from their wrongdoing.” |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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Fawesome Gets Into the Game |
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Free streamer Fawesome has dropped a pair of original series, including its first competition show. Southern Food Truck Wars and Fawesome Family Game Show have been added to the ad-supported service, which offers family-friendly content. Southern Food Truck Wars is a six-episode series that takes place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where food trucks compete for the title of Southern Food Truck Champion. Celebrity chef Jay Ducote is host as chefs battle over their signature dishes to impress the judges on three key criteria: presentation, taste and execution. The panel of judges includes Ducote, along with Joshua K. Carpenter, Tameeka Stewart and Darrell Freeman. The overall winner takes home $1,000 and a $5,000 advertising package. Fawesome Family Game Show is billed as ‘a lively quiz show hosted by LaTangela Fay, where two teams compete in fast-paced, reimagined classic games.” These include games inspired by Pictionary, Scrabble and Boggle, word chains and Family Feud-style guessing. The winner takes home $1,000 each episode. Aaron L. Williams of Digital Media Studios and Joshua K. Carpenter of Global Content are the creators. The show is directed by Williams, who produces with Carpenter. Vikrant Mathur and Alok Ranjan are executive producers. The series comprises six episodes. “These shows represent a fresh take on beloved competition formats,” Williams said. “With Southern Food Truck Wars, we’re celebrating the rich culinary traditions of the South through the lens of modern food truck culture, while Fawesome Family Game Show brings a dynamic, new energy to classic games that families already love. Bringing these two shows to life has been a rewarding journey, and there is no better home for them than Fawesome.” “Our data shows that families are shifting dramatically to streaming, these original series create the perfect environment for advertisers to connect with engaged family audiences,” said Mathur, who is co-founder of Fawesome parent Future Today. “We’re offering advertisers a unique opportunity to reach the primary purchasing decision-makers in brand-safe and premium environments that prove to drive results.” Fawesome began making original shows last year through Greenwood Rising: The Rise of Black Wall Street and The Peanut Man, a pair of feature films that dropped late in 2024. The service offers a library of free movies such as The Reader, The Pianist and Midnight in Paris in English and Spanish. |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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Dick Button was more than the most accomplished men’s figure skater in history. He was one of his sport’s greatest innovators and promoters. Button, winner of two Olympic gold medals and five consecutive world championships, died Thursday, said his son, Edward, who did not provide a cause. He was 95. As an entrepreneur and broadcaster, Button promoted skating and its athletes, transforming a niche sport into the showpiece of every Winter Olympics. “Dick was one of the most important figures in our sport,” Scott Hamilton said. “There wasn’t a skater after Dick who wasn’t helped by him in some way.” Button’s impact began after World War II. He was the first U.S. men’s champion — and his country’s youngest at age 16 — when that competition returned in 1946. Two years later, he took the title at the St. Moritz Olympics, competing outdoors. He performed the first double axel in any competition and became the first American to win the men’s event. “By the way, that jump had a cheat on it,” Button told the U.S. Olympic Committee website. “But listen, I did it and that was what counted.” That began his dominance of international skating, and U.S. amateur sports. He was the first figure skater to win the prestigious Sullivan Award in 1949 — no other figure skater won it until Michelle Kwan in 2001. In 1952, while a Harvard student, he won a second gold at the Oslo Games, making more history with the first triple jump (a loop) in competition. Soon after, he won a fifth world title, then gave up his eligibility as an amateur. All Olympic sports were subject to an amateur/professional division at the time. “I had achieved everything I could have dreamed of doing as a skater,” said Button, who earned a law degree from Harvard in 1956. “I was able to enjoy the Ice Capades (show) and keep my hand in skating, and that was very important to me." Button also featured in the game show realm. Button’s Candid Productions, formed 1959, also produced such made-for-TV programs as “Battle of the Network Stars" and "The Superstars". He was also on an episode of "I've Got a Secret" and judged the short-lived "Skating with the Stars". He also dabbled in acting, but the rink was his realm. “Dick Button created an open and honest space in figure skating broadcasting where no topic or moment was off-limits,” said Johnny Weir, the three-time U.S. champion and current NBC Sports figure skating analyst. “He told it like it was, even when his opinion wasn’t a popular one. His zingers were always in my mind when I would perform for him, and I wanted to make him as happy and proud as I would my coaches. “I think that is something very special about commentating figure skating. As an athlete, we rarely have an opportunity to speak, and we rely on the TV voices to tell our story for us. Nobody could do it like Mr. Button.” |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied, has died. She was 78. Faithfull passed away Thursday in London, her music promotion company Republic Media said. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.” The blonde, voluptuous Faithfull was a celebrity before turning 17, homeless by her mid-20s and an inspiration to peers and younger artists by her early 30s, when her raw, explicit “Broken English” album brought her the kinds of reviews the Stones had received. Over the following decades, her admirers would include Beck, Billy Corgan, Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, although her history would always be closely tied to the Stones and to the years she dated Mick Jagger. “I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull,” Jagger wrote on Instagram. “She was so much a part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress.” One of the first songs written by Jagger and Keith Richards, the melancholy “As Tears Go By,” was her breakthrough hit when released in 1964 and the start of her close and tormented relationship with the band. She and Jagger began seeing each other in 1966 and became one of the most glamorous and notorious couples of “Swinging London,” with Faithfull once declaring that if LSD “wasn’t meant to happen, it wouldn’t have been invented.” Their rejection of conventional values was defined by a widely publicized 1967 drug bust that left Jagger and Richards briefly in jail and Faithfull identified in tabloids as “Naked Girl At Stones Party,” a label she would find humiliating and inescapable. Her interests extended to theater, film and television. Faithfull began acting in the 1960s, including an appearance in Jean-Luc Godard’s “Made In U.S.A.” and stage roles in “Hamlet” and Chekhov’s “Three Sisters.” She would later appear in such films as “The Girl on a Motorcycle,” “Marie Antoinette” and “The Girl from Nagasaki,” and the TV series “Absolutely Fabulous,” in which she was cast as — and did not flinch from playing — God. In game shows, Faithfull was featured on episodes of Juke Box Jury, British Song Contest, Call My Bluff, Thank Your Lucky STars, and Countdown. Faithful was married three times, and in recent years dated her manager, Francois Ravard. Jagger was her most famous lover, but other men in her life included Richards (“so great and memorable,” she would say of their one-night stand), David Bowie and the early rock star Gene Pitney. Among the rejected: Bob Dylan, who had been so taken that he was writing a song about her, until Faithfull, pregnant with her son at the time, turned him down.. |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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Second Run |
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BBC Daytime has commissioned season two of quiz show The Answer Run, for BBC One and iPlayer. Created and made by BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, comedian Jason Manford will return to host show. The program format sees three pairs of contestants battle it out in a “fast paced, quick-thinking” general knowledge quiz show. Filming for the new series (25×45’) will take place in Glasgow this March. In each round of the 50/50 quiz, contestants are given the choice of two possible answers. Questions fly down The Run and players must swipe towards the answer they think is correct. “Under time pressure will they make the right decision?” Jason Manford said, “I’m delighted to be back on BBC One with a second series of The Answer Run. As predicted, it’s become an addictive TV quiz show that the whole family can get involved in, shouting at the telly. I can’t wait for the new series to air later this year with you lot sat watching at home thinking you could do better. And if that is the case, why not apply to take part in this series – filming starts in March – the contestants really are the stars of the show!” Rob Unsworth, Head of Commissioning for BBC Daytime comments, “We’re delighted to welcome Jason back to The Answer Run after its debut series was such a hit with viewers. It’s a brilliantly play-along format – you can’t resist shouting your answers at the telly as it builds to a real edge-of-the-seat finish.” Creative Director and Executive Producer for BBC Studios Entertainment Productions, Pete Ogden said: “We’re incredibly proud of the first series so it’s great news that its returning to screens for a second time. Jason is the perfect host for The Answer Run and we can’t wait for audiences to watch and play along again when it airs this year.” Season 2 of The Answer Run will air later in the year. |
posted 1/30/2025 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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SURVIVOR announced today the 18 new castaways who will compete against each other when the Emmy(R) Award-winning series premieres its 48th edition with a two-hour episode, on Wednesday, Feb. 26 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. The trailblazing reality series, which shifts to 90-minute weekly episodes beginning Wednesday, March 5 at 8:00 PM, returns with a bold new group of competitors, inspired gameplay and momentous tribal councils. The show, which is also available to stream on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs), is hosted by Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst. Nearly 25 years since it first premiered, SURVIVOR continues to be the ultimate test of stamina and will as a fresh group of castaways begins the adventure of a lifetime when they're stranded on the picturesque islands of Fiji. This latest group of players must form a new society and nimbly adapt to their surroundings while contending with unforeseen obstacles and navigating an increasingly complex social game. The participants will be divided into three tribes of six and face a season to remember from the moment they step on the beach. Even the strongest competitors will be tested and forced to dig deep mentally and physically to ensure their torch stays lit. The players competing on the 48th season are diverse competitors armed with fresh perspectives and a fervent passion for the game, with the same ultimate goal: to claim the title of Sole Survivor and win the $1 million prize. The following are the 18 new castaways competing this fall: |
posted 1/29/2025 |
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Two Fox First Run Games Canceled |
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Fox First Run is not renewing three of its first-run shows — Dish Nation, Person, Place or Thing and Pictionary — after this season, a spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday. Fox First Run is the first-run development arm of Fox, working in conjunction with the Fox Television Stations. The decision comes in a year where daytime ratings have dipped below a sustainable financial level for many syndicated shows, forcing station groups to make some hard choices. Fox has many other first-run shows on its stations — including Warner Bros.’ Jennifer Hudson, Extra and True Crime News; Fox’s TMZ and TMZ Live; Debmar-Mercury’s Sherri and Trifecta’s Crime Expose with Nancy O’Dell. While Sherri, TMZ and TMZ Live look safe, everything else on that list is considered to be on the bubble. Fox’s decisions have ramifications for stations all across the nation because it is the group that clears shows through the country’s three largest markets: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Canceling those three shows — and potentially more — means there will definitely be shelf space available in daytime, and station groups and producers are looking at ways to creatively fill those holes. Going forward when programming daytime, stations are expected to move almost exclusively to shows that can generate revenue streams across multiple platforms and/or be run multiple times a day. Thus far, only two new first-run strips have been announced for next fall and both are games: CBS Media Ventures’ Perfect Line, hosted by Deborah Norville, and Scrambled Up!, which comes from Keller/Noll, Playing Field Entertainment and Crazy Legs Productions. |
posted 1/29/2025 |
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The Challenge All-Stars Heads to the Mothership |
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How do you follow up the epic 40th season of MTV’s “The Challenge“? Bring back one of the most popular themes for “The Challenge: All Stars.” That’s exactly what the series will do when Season 5 debuts on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Plus, it’s moving back to the original home of “The Challenge,” MTV. (It previously streamed on Paramount+.) “It was a long, long, long walk down memory lane and then talking to everybody to see what’s been happening since other seasons,” showrunner Emer Harkin tells Variety of Season 5, which features 13 teams of two. “It was really about authentic rivalries and a real and meaningful entry point. It’s such a fan favorite season so we just want to do it justice." The “Rivals” theme first debuted in 2011, with “Rivals II” airing in 2013, followed by the third in 2016. This time around, some players are teamed up with new rivals (full team list here!) — like Steve Meinke and Adam Larson, who had a falling out on “All Stars” Season 4 — while others are paired with decade-long opponents, like Veronica Portillo and Katie Doyle, who came to blows on 2004’s “The Inferno.” And then there’s exes Ashley Kelsey and Dario Medrano, who were once in love… and haven’t spoken in years. |
posted 1/29/2025 |
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One More Question... |
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Claudia Winkleman is set to front a new series of Channel 4's quiz show One Question after another successful stint as host of The Traitors for the BBC. The popular presenter, aged 53, will be back on our screens soon, offering contestants the chance to win a hefty cash prize in a game that hinges on one pivotal question. With a format that challenges players to choose the correct answer from 16 possibilities to bag £100,000, the show promises high stakes and intense gameplay. The upcoming series kicks off on Friday, February 14, with Leeds flatmates Yuz and Scott, as well as Grace and Darren, a married couple from London, trying their luck. One Question made its debut on Channel 4 in 2022 but has only seen one series so far. |
posted 1/29/2025 |
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The Voice alum Ryan Whyte Maloney has died. He was 44. The Clark County Coroner in Las Vegas confirmed the death to People on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Whyte Maloney died by suicide, with the cause of death listed by the coroner as a gunshot wound to the head. On Monday, Jan. 27, the musician had posted a video to his Instagram Stories while at what appeared to be a bar. "Nine fine Irishmen for a private party tonight, and we will be rocking," he said in the clip, flexing a rock hand gesture. Born in Traverse City, Mich in 1981, Whyte Maloney grew up playing the guitar, violin, cello, and drums. Eventually, he landed as the frontman of the prog-rock outfit Indulge and recorded the album Tomorrow's Another Day in 2005. After 10 years of touring with the band, he began working on solo material. Later, he recorded his debut solo album Where I've Been, which was produced by Sean O'Dwyer (The Black Crowes, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd). Throughout 2010 to 2013, he performed throughout the country as his original songs "Hillbilly", "Michigan Moonlight" and "Living with No Directions" were played on country radio in Michigan, Nevada, Colorado and California. In 2014, Whyte Maloney appeared on The Voice, where he performed "Lights" by Journey in a blind audition and received a four-chair turn. Whyte Maloney joined Blake Shelton's team where he endured two Battle rounds and became one of the country star's top 5 finalists. While on The Voice, he recorded four hit singles including "Lights" by Journey, Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It", "Easy" by Rascal Flatts and "Second Chance" by Shinedown. He eventually returned to perform during the season finale. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org. |
posted 1/29/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions has set an official date for its 2025 return! The most impressive Jeopardy! contestants of the past year will face-off in the prestigious event beginning on Monday, January 27. As previously announced, this year’s contestant field will include the players who won the most games since 2024’s Tournament of Champions, which concluded on March 19, 2024, along with the winner and runner-up from the Champions Wildcard tournament, which is currently airing. Lisa Ann Walter, the winner of Celebrity Jeopardy!, was also initially supposed to be part of the group, but had to drop out due to a scheduling conflict with Abbott Elementary. The competition will begin with the quarterfinal rounds, which conclude on Monday, February 3. The three winningest contestants from the year — Adriana Harmeyer, Isaac Hirsch, and Drew Basile — earned byes that allow them to bypass the quarterfinals and begin the competition in the semifinals. Once the quarterfinals conclude, the semifinals will air from Tuesday, February 4, to Thursday, February 6, with the finals kicking off on Friday, February 7. The first player to win three games in the finals will take home the $250,000 prize, making the last possible date of the tournament Monday, February 17 (although it could end by Tuesday, February 11, if someone wins three in a row). Full schedule: - Monday, January, 27:
Quarterfinal 1 Alison Betts, a five-game champion originally from San Jose, California; Will Wallace, a four-game champion from Austin, Texas; Rishabh Wuppalapati, a three-game champion from Vernon Hills, Illinois The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions Exhibition Game features this tournament's top champions, Adriana Harmeyer (15 wins), Isaac Hirsch (9 wins) and Drew Basile (7 wins), who will all be seeded directly into the semifinal round of the Tournament of Champions. The players will battle it out for bragging rights in the exhibition game before going up against the other players in the tournament. "The Tournament of Champions is always full of surprises, so this matchup gives this season's top-ranked champions a chance to face off and test their skills against each other ahead of the tournament,” said Sally Umsted, Vice President of Consumer Products and Licensing for Sony Pictures Television. "By teaming up with TuneIn, fans can experience even more of the excitement around the tournament and hear some of their favorite players compete for fun.” In addition to premiering the new exhibition game, Sony Pictures Television and TuneIn are extending their partnership to continue exclusive distribution of fan favorites, Jeopardy! Radio and Jeopardy! Radio Classic, through TuneIn. Jeopardy! Radio is a stream curated by the show's producers that features the greatest and most memorable episodes of Jeopardy! and a Jeopardy!-style quiz game that allows listeners to test their knowledge. Jeopardy! Radio Classics is another 24/7 stream that covers nearly 40 years of gameplay that lets listeners play at home and on the go to see how they stack up against contestants from decades past. Fans can enjoy commercial-free access to Jeopardy! Radio and Jeopardy! Radio Classics with TuneIn Premium. |
posted 1/28/2025 |
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Bravo's "Top Chef" makes Destination Canada the backdrop for Season 22 with host Kristen Kish, head judge Tom Colicchio, and perennial judge Gail Simmons who hails from Canada. The series premieres Thursday, March 13 on Bravo with an entire season of supersized episodes airing every Thursday night from 9 - 10:15 p.m. Episodes will be available next day on Peacock. The Emmy, James Beard, and Critics Choice Award-winning series produced by Magical Elves, brings a new crop of chefs together for the ultimate culinary showdown. This season, 15 rising star chefs will compete for the highly sought-after title, across the diverse and vibrant culinary scenes and ingredients of our neighbors to the north, highlighting Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Prince Edward Island for a chance to win the largest grand prize package in "Top Chef" history. The winner will take home the grand prize of $250,000 provided by Saratoga(R) Spring Water, the official water of "Top Chef"; Delta SkyMiles(R) Diamond Medallion(R) Status and a $125,000 flight credit to spend on travel with Delta Air Lines; a feature in Food & Wine magazine, and an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. And for the first time ever, the winner will headline their own exclusive dinner at the historic James Beard House in New York and have the opportunity to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago, IL. Throughout the season, the chefs will also have the opportunity to win a cash prize at every Quickfire Challenge and select Elimination Challenges with more than $150,000 in total up for grabs. The cheftestants must show off their creativity and skills as they battle it out in a range of challenges across our northern neighbor, showcasing Canada's tapestry of flavors and diverse landscapes from the nation's boreal forests, sun-drenched deserts and windswept prairies to the icy tundra, rugged coastlines and serene farmlands. From creating a dish best served cold in honor of the nation's favorite sport, hockey, to embracing Toronto's vibrant mosaic of cultures, the chefs are put to the test and must be at the top of their game to stay in the kitchen. The judges' expectations are at an all-time high when guest judges, including Canadians such as Michael Cera stop by the "Top Chef" kitchen for a fun trivia game where the chefs have to earn their ingredients and Sarah Levy lends her palate as they put their spin on poutine, the nation's beloved dish, and signature ingredient maple syrup. The cheftestants also are tasked with creating a dish featuring a stunt. Before they hit the kitchen, however, they will have to perform a stunt of their own as they climb to new heights and face their fears atop Canada's National Tower, the architectural icon also known as the CN Tower. The competition's signature challenge, Restaurant Wars, is back but with a twist, as Kristen and the judges set guardrails on overused concepts they don't want to see in hopes of sparking fresh and out-of-the-box ideas. Later in the season, the chefs head to Calgary, home of the Calgary Stampede, the world's largest outdoor rodeo, then travel to Canmore, at the foothills of Banff National Park. The chefs must lay it all out on their plates in order to win the honor of being named Top Chef. Throughout the season, "Top Chef" winners, finalists and favorites return to lend their guidance and expertise, including Richard Blais, Sara Bradley, Nina Compton, Danny Garcia, Ali Ghzawi, Gregory Gourdet, Nicole Gomes, Buddha Lo, Dale McKay and Spike Mendelsohn. The distinguished rotating team of judges include Andrea Aprea, Denia Baltzer, Daniel Boulud, Jeremy Charles, Ilona Daniel, Greg Tarzan Davis, Connie DeSousa, Wylie Dufresne, Sheila Flaherty, Eden Grinshpan, Brenda Holder, Punkie Johnson, Jet Lee, Susur Lee, Hunter Lewis, Tracy Little, Antonio Park, Clare Reichenbach, Amy Schnieder, Dwight Smith, Clare Smyth, Mattea Roach, Paul Rogalski, David Zilber and Janet Zuccarini. Directly after the premiere, the digital aftershow "The Dish with Kish," presented by Saratoga(R) Spring Water and hosted by Kristen Kish, returns. Kish will be joined each week by a "Top Chef" alum. The pair will break down all the culinary action from the latest episode while creating a new dish inspired by the biggest culinary questions from the episode, revealing new insights into the creativity and techniques behind challenge-winning dishes. Joining her in the kitchen to talk about the culinary action and give a look behind-the-scenes are "Top Chef" winners, finalists and fan favorites Sara Bradley, Joe Flamm, Gregory Gourdet, Mei Lin, Amar Santana, Michael Voltaggio and Brooke Williamson. |
posted 1/27/2025 |
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Netflix has officially renewed its unscripted dating series Love Is Blind through Season 10! This Valentine's Day marks the 5th anniversary of the beloved series, coinciding with the highly anticipated premiere of Season 8. Debuting on February 14, 2025, Season 8 introduces a new group of singles from Minneapolis, Minnesota, embarking on personal journeys of love and self-discovery. Look back at the unforgettable moments, viral memes, and heartwarming love stories that made you fall in love in the Official Teaser. Singles who want to be loved for who they are have signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating, and will choose someone to marry without ever meeting them. Over several weeks, the newly engaged couples will move in together, plan their wedding, and find out if their physical connection matches their strong emotional bond developed in the pods. When their wedding day arrives, will real-world realities and external factors push them apart, or will they marry the person they fell blindly in love with? Hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, this addictive series will uncover whether looks, race, or age do matter - or if love really is blind. The hit reality series is back for an eighth season, following a new set of singles from Minnesota - all ready to cut through the static of modern dating and forge authentic relationships, sight unseen. This season, the singles form deep and immediate connections, setting the stage for an unexpected journey full of twists, turns, and shocking revelations that will test each relationship well after the participants leave the pods for the real world. |
posted 1/28/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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A $10,000 Scramble |
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Move over Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Family Feud and 25 Words or Less. There is another new first-run syndicated game show, Scrambled Up!, vying for station clearances for fall 2025. From Keller/Noll (Flip Side, Chopped, and America Says), and Playing Field Entertainment and Crazy Legs Productions (who produce Cutlers Court), Scrambled Up! features four contestants who solve jumbled up words and phrases that unscramble right before their eyes in a competition to win the grand prize of $10,000. As the tiles unscramble, the clues get easier. Specifically, colorful tiles slowly rearrange themselves while players are given clues to the answer. A wrong answer means that player can no longer guess while the first player with the right answer wins the points. Scrambled Up! is the second new game show vying for station clearances for next season. The first, The Perfect Line, is from CBS Media Ventures and features Inside Edition’s Deborah Norville hosting this trivia game of questions about world events, pop culture, sports, science and other topics. Contestants are given a category and then arrange events, items or people to create “the perfect line.”. |
posted 1/27/2025 |
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More on "WWE LFG" |
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WWE‘s new competition series officially has a premiere date at A&E. “WWE LFG,” short for “Legends & Future Greats,” will launch on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET. on A&E. It will be followed by the debut of “WWE’s Greatest Moments” at 9:30 p.m. and the return of “WWE Rivals” at 10:30. Both “LFG” and “Greatest Moments” were announced in December as an expansion of WWE’s A&E content offerings. In “LFG” 16 contestants will compete for a spot in NXT, WWE’s developmental brand. They will be trained during the show by WWE legends like The Undertaker, Booker T, Mickie James, and Bubba Ray Dudley. In addition, WWE Hall of Famers Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, and Shawn Michaels, WWE’s Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, will help guide the competitors as they earn points for their performances. |
posted 1/27/2025 |
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Chris Culvenor, Paul Franklin Spin-Off Eureka Studios with Fremantle |
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Eureka Productions bosses Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin have created a new company that’s got a deal in place with Fremantle, the production giant that owns their previous biz, Eureka Productions. Fremantle, which has a majority stake in The Mole maker Eureka Productions, has struck a three-year deal with Culvenor and Franklin’s new creative venture, Eureka Studios. Though both companies will use the Eureka brand, only Eureka Productions sits inside the Fremantle fold as Eureka Studios is not owned by the RTL-backed producer and distributor. Rikkie Proost is being promoted from Chief Creative Officer to CEO of Eureka Productions following the move. However, Culvenor and Franklin will “remain actively involved in current productions and closely associated with the Eureka Productions slate”. Eureka Studios launches with a three-year deal with Fremantle. The company will devise and develop new content that Fremantle and its subsidiary producers, including Eureka Productions, will produce and sell. Focus will be on unscripted formats, developing original ideas in gaming, sports-adjacent content and scripted shows, all of which Fremantle will distribute internationally. |
posted 1/27/2025 |
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The Wheel Is Gonna Get France |
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La Roue de la Fortune, one of France's most beloved game shows, is set to make its triumphant return to the small screen on M6 starting Monday, January 27, 2025, at 17:30. Originally airing on TF1 between 1987 and 2012, this iconic show has been revitalized with fresh twists and features, promising to delight both old fans and new viewers. Hosted by the charismatic Éric Antoine, known for his role on another beloved show, Le Juste Prix (the French version of "The Price Is Right"), the new version of La Roue de la Fortune retains many elements of the beloved original. Each episode employs the classic format where three contestants face off over five rounds to solve word puzzles—participants spin the wheel, earning money for consonants and having to pay for vowels. And what’s new? The show introduces several exciting twists to keep things interesting. Contestants will have the chance to return as champions to the next episode, allowing them to accumulate winnings over multiple days, reminiscent of popular shows like N’oubliez pas les paroles. The famed wheel will now feature extra segments, including ‘L’échange’, where contestants can swap their current total with one of their opponents, and ‘Le diviseur’, which allows players to halve their rival’s earnings. Another fun addition is ‘La mini-roue’, which Éric Antoine himself spins, offering various surprises and magical moments to the game. The stakes remain high, with contestants vying for prizes including €20,000 or idyllic vacations. |
posted 1/27/2025 |
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Welcome to Paradise |
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There’s change happening in The Bachelor universe. Deadline reports that Bachelor in Paradise will have a new showrunner for Season 10. Scott Teti, who has exec produced series such as ABC’s Claim to Fame and Bravo’s Summer House in addition to various Married At First Sight spinoffs, is taking over showrunner duties for the upcoming season. This comes as the show is set to return this summer for its tenth season after having not been on the air last year. ABC, instead, focused on The Golden Bachelorette, which aired last fall, following the 2023 launch of The Golden Bachelor, as well as new seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The Bachelor returns for Season 29 on Monday. |
posted 1/27/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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The Traitors UK Crowns Third Winner |
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The BBC’s hit reality TV show The Traitors’ third season has gone out with a bang. The murder mystery game set in a Scottish castle won an audience of 7.4million viewers, according to BARB audience figures supplied by overnights.tv. This is well up on last year’s finale, which drew an audience of 6.9million. The show, made by production company Studio Lambert, debuted in 2022 and sees a group of participants (producers prefer the word “players” over “contestants”) holed up in a Scottish castle. A small number are selected by producers as Traitors who must try to bump off their housemates to secure a prize of up to £120,000. Meanwhile, the others, deemed Faithfuls, must use their time to try to identify the Traitors among them. The show is hosted by Claudia Winkleman, who also fronts the BBC’s biggest entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing. |
posted 1/24/2025 |
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Spring Baking Championship Returns March 10 |
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Food Network's seasonal baking competition, Spring Baking Championship, returns to make the springtime sweeter with a whimsical season full of magic and creativity. Premiering Monday, March 10th at 8pm ET/PT and streaming on Max, host Jesse Palmer transforms the baking studio into The Little Shop of Spring Magic, where anything is possible - from rainbow cheesecakes to dessert deceptions that look like dinner. For the first time ever, a baker's dozen of 13 contestants will embark on a wonderous journey to make the impossible possible and win over judges Duff Goldman, Nancy Fuller and Kardea Brown. At the end of the competition, only one baker will take the cake and earn $25,000, a feature in Food Network Magazine and the title of Spring Baking Champion. "Skilled bakers create magic in the kitchen with their incredible creations, so it was fitting to celebrate and highlight those skills with a new spring season with a magical theme," said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food. "The creativity of the bakers and their edible works of art will leave viewers astounded and wanting more as the competitors pull out all the stops in their journey to be Spring Baking Champion." |
posted 1/24/2025 |
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Following its successful primetime launch, CBS will present a special daytime run of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES with encore episodes of the reimagined classic game show featured Monday, Jan. 27-Friday. Jan. 31 (2:00-3:00 PM, ET; 1:00-2:00 PM, CT/PT). Starring award-winning actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore in the center square and hosted by Nate Burleson (co-host of CBS MORNINGS and NFL analyst), HOLLYWOOD SQUARES showcases a unique lineup of celebrity guests in every episode. Celebrity guests take turns answering questions while contestants determine the legitimacy of their responses to score points and win exciting prizes. In primetime, HOLLYWOOD SQUARES original episodes air Thursday, Jan. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT). As announced yesterday, beginning Wednesday, Jan. 29, CBS Wednesday game nights will kick off with original episodes of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), followed by THE PRICE IS RIGHT AT NIGHT (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) and then RAID THE CAGE (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). HOLLYWOOD SQUARES is available on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+*. On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Super Bowl Greatest Commercials will air a one-time-only special episode. The Wednesday game night schedule will resume the following week. |
posted 1/23/2025 |
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It's the S***r B**l of Baking! |
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Five sports stars step into the iconic Baking Show tent, ready to bake up a sweat for game day! Two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, actor Amy Smart, defensive end Arik Armstead, Emmy-winning sports commentator Katie Nolan, and NFL legend Tony Gonzalez tackle three game day baking challenges officiated by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith. Who will emerge victorious and claim the Star Baker trophy? "The Great American Baking SHow: Celebrity Big Game", will stream for free on the Roku Channel February 3, with hosts Casey Wilson & Zach Cherry and judges Prue Leith & Paul Hollywood on deck. |
posted 1/23/2025 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Speaking of Tournament of Champions |
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Guy Fieri's fiercest culinary event, Tournament of Champions, is back for a sixth season on Sunday, March 2 at 8pm ET/PT on Food Network and streams on Max. Pressure is amped up and emotions run high as chefs face wild challenges doled out by the Randomizer, face unknown opponents, and kitchen skills and abilities are pushed to the limit as successive rounds get more intense in the sudden-death culinary competition. For the first time ever, all four former champions of the series will hang up their knives for new, on set assignments. After eight weeks and 31 grueling head-to-head battles, one talented chef will win it all and be crowned champion, taking home the coveted Tournament of Champions belt and a $150,000 cash prize. Before the season begins, the cooking competition ups the stakes in Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers, on Sunday, February 16 at 8pm ET/PT, where 16 chefs go head-to-head competing for the newly upped eight open slots in the tournament bracket, allowing four additional new chefs to compete against a returning 24. Before they enter the arena and the culinary battles begin, Fieri, Justin Warner and season III winner Tiffani Faison will preview all the twists and spins of the Randomizer, and reveal the details of this year's bracket in Tournament of Champions VI: The Bracket Reveal on Sunday, February 23 at 10pm ET/PT. "One thing you can count on with TOC is that we're always upping the ante, making the competition even more intense and unpredictable," said Fieri. " With all four past champs putting down their knives for this round, it's anyone's game! So don't sleep on the qualifiers or anyone else as this year it's truly anyone's chance to grab that belt!" This season's competing chefs will include Karen Akunowicz, Kaleena Bliss, Sara Bradley, Chris Cosentino, Rocco DiSpirito, Tobias Dorzon, Amanda Freitag, Stephanie Izard, Kevin Lee, Antonia Lofaso, Tim Love, Shota Nakajima, Nini Nguyen, Michael Reed, Britt Rescigno, Joe Sasto, Chris Scott, Adam Sobel, Dale Talde, Casey Thompson, Jet Tila, Fabio Viviani, Lee Anne Wong and Claudette Zepeda plus eight additional winners from the qualifier tournament. "Tournament of Champions is consistently one of Food Network's highest-rated series, with over 16 million viewers tuning in last season and loving every minute of the action-packed competition," said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. "With the expanded number of slots up for grabs in Tournament of Champions: The Qualifiers, the stage is set for even more unexpected matchups and potential upsets. The bar has been raised, season six is sure to deliver for returning fans and newcomers alike." Tiffani Faison joins Justin Warner as TOC sideline reporter to deliver real-time play-by-play as the action unfolds in front of a live audience. Hunter Fieri follows the action backstage, interviewing the winning chefs for their reactions to the competition, while Simon Majumdar takes on a new role as the Judges' Correspondent, getting the judges' takes on why a dish won or lost. Double winner of Season II and V Maneet Chauhan, Season IV champion Mei Lin, and inaugural TOC champion Brooke Williamson will join legendary judges Scott Conant, Cat Cora, Susan Feniger, Alex Guarnaschelli, Mary Sue Milliken, Charlie Palmer, Wolfgang Puck, Marcus Samuelsson, Nancy Silverton, Martha Stewart, Michael Symon, Ming Tsai, Jonathan Waxman and Andrew Zimmern. The finale battle on Sunday, April 20 at 8pm ET/PT will determine the brand-new winner who will join the elite group of Tournament of Champions. |
posted 1/22/2025 |
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A Ghost, Three Podcasters, and An American Walk Into the Caravan... |
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The contestants for the 19th series of Taskmaster have been announced, with a new line-up of comedians and actors looking to fulfill host Greg Davies’ variety of obstacles. The new show coincides with the 10th anniversary of the first series, which debuted in July 2015. Since then, the show has gone on to air in 120 countries, and found success on YouTube with 1.6million subscribers and 895million views since their official channel launched. It also opened Taskmaster: The Live Experience in London. Hoping to win the Taskmaster trophy this year is... No official air date has been announced, although the statement said the series will be available on Channel 4 in the UK, as well as internationally via the Taskmaster YouTube Channel and Taskmaster SuperMax+, the show’s dedicated streaming service. |
posted 1/22/2025 |
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BetMGM Plays Feud, TPIR |
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BetMGM announced it procured intellectual property rights to use “Family Feud” and “The Price is Right” — two of the most legendary game shows — on its iGaming platform. The gaming company landed those rights through an agreement with Fremantle, which creates, distributes, and produces entertainment content. Financial terms of the accord were not disclosed. The game shows will serve as themes for slots, table games, and “non-traditional casino games” on BetMGM. "During select weeks throughout the upcoming seasons, BetMGM will be featured as a sponsor with exclusive, never-before-seen partnership integrations for ‘Family Feud’ and ‘The Price is Right,’” according to a statement. “Throughout 2025 BetMGM and Fremantle will reveal additional details on these planned partnership activations.” Today, just seven states — Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia — allow internet casinos. That number could increase this year as roughly 10 states, maybe more, could consider iGaming legislation. |
posted 1/22/2025 |
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"After Midnight" Returns |
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Taylor Tomlinson returned to CBS last night after a couple of weeks off as a result of the L.A. wildfires. After Midnight, which films in LA, had been on pause since January 7, as the fires ravaged the city. Tomlinson opened the show with a call-out to the producers of the show, which is produced by CBS Studios, Stephen Colbert’s Spartina Industries and Funny Or Die with J.D. Amato and Jack Martin as co-showrunners. “It is so good to be back on TV now that our city is just barely on fire,” she said. “I do want to say before we start, we were off all of last week, and the reason for that is the people who run our show are very great, great people who care about our staff and our crew, and I’m really grateful to them. It’s not something you always see in this business. So, I just wanted to say that to be like cheesy and personal. I really appreciate it. I also don’t know what games we would have played last week… ‘For our next game, we’re just gonna check Watch Duty again or our next game is called, How Many Fires Are There?’. I don’t know how we would have made that fun and cute, but the wildfire seemed to be finally under control.” |
posted 1/22/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Going Offline |
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Can love still blossom in today's world without relying on being online? Japanese reality series Offline Love sets out to find out, premiering February 18. Unveiled today, the main trailer offers a sneak peek at the enchanting city of Nice, France, with its beautiful beaches and atmospheric old town. Participants navigate the city, relying on letters and promises to connect with their companions, as they strive to find their soulmate in a limited timeframe. Following the success of popular reality romance series like The Boyfriend and Love Village, Offline Love offers a fresh take on dating reality shows. Ten men and women embark on a journey to find love in the picturesque city of Nice, without using digital devices. But there's a twist: they only have 10 days to meet and connect. Despite no guarantee of crossing paths, chance meetings and inevitable encounters suggest that they might be destined for love. Will the participants find their soulmates and experience true love? The series features studio commentary from Kyoko Koizumi and the comedy duo Reiwa Roman, both making their debut as emcees for a dating reality show. Koizumi, a former idol turned singer, actor, and producer, reflects on the show's premise: "I never really connected with romance reality shows, but this concept is fascinating: in a foreign country and without digital devices, participants rely on letters, promises, and coincidences to find love. I grew up without a smartphone, and every moment felt precious." She brings her perspective as a member of the "offline love" generation, watching over the contestants' romantic adventures. "Meeting the two members of Reiwa Roman was also a delight! I hope everyone enjoys watching how things will unfold." Reiwa Roman, composed of Kuruma Takahira and Kemuri Matsui, are known for their sharp wit, adding their unique humor to the show. Takahira shares, "It felt more like witnessing a grand social experiment rather than a dating show. In a foreign land, they experience the ultimate digital detox, with no complex rules - it's a series of surprises, realizing how such a lifestyle can transform someone's feelings. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and cuisine of Nice, Kyoko Koizumi's warm words, and Kemuri-sensei's beard." Matsui adds, "At 31 years old, I don't think I've ever experienced romance without social media, messaging apps, emails, or phone calls. It'll be interesting to watch the men and women lay their hearts bare as they cross paths. Koizumi's insightful commentary alongside our fun chatter is something you should also look out for. We hope you enjoy the show!" It must be fate! Don't miss out on the drama that unfolds in Offline Love, streaming all 10 episodes on February 18 to warm audiences' hearts. |
posted 1/21/2025 |
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Another Song And Dance... |
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TV Asahi, a leading commercial TV network in Japan, is partnering with Emmy-winning producers Craig Plestis and Clara Plestis and their production company, Smart Dog Media, to co-produce a new talent competition show, “Song vs. Dance.” The Smart Dog Media duo will serve as executive producers, with Takaaki Kitano overseeing production in Japan. Their new show will have performers compete in head-to-head battles in a video game-inspired format, leaving only one winner and answering the question: Which is better, song or dance? The producers hope the show will be the next international variety hit. Smart Dog Media and TV Asahi will be showcasing “Song vs. Dance” at the inaugural MIP London in February. The show marks TV Asahi’s first co-production with a U.S.-based partner, as they join forces with Smart Dog Media to introduce the new format to Japanese audiences. |
posted 1/21/2025 |
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Catchphrase Lines Up More Celebrity Eps |
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ITV Saturday night favorite Catchphrase is set for a new run of celebrity specials as part of an eleventh series. TV Zone reports there are still episodes as part of its tenth series set to air. Each episode features three celebrities contestants all playing for charity. If the three celebrities can ‘say what they see’ they could get the chance to win £50,000 for their chosen charity. Transmission details for the new episodes, and celebrities taking part, will be announced in due course. Meanwhile, Stephen Mulhern continues to present ITV's reboots of Deal Or No Deal, You Bet!, plus Dancing On Ice and new project The Accidental Tourist alongside Ant & Dec. However, one show which will not be returning is In For A Penny. |
posted 1/21/2025 |
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Alan Carr Slams Three |
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BBC One has renewed Saturday evening family entertainment show Alan Carr’s Picture Slam for a third 6×45′ season, produced by Objective Entertainment, part of All3Media’s Objective Media Group. The quizshow sees host Carr test contestants’ knowledge and speed in various fast-paced rounds as they try to identify as many pictures as they can to stand a chance of winning the £10,000 (US$12,200) jackpot. Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said: “This seemingly simple game turns up so many funny moments, and what’s great is that all the family can play along.” |
posted 1/21/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Three days after Hollywood Square reboot’s Jan. 16 premiere on CBS, the game show will get major exposure behind the network’s telecast of the AFC Divisional Playoff Game between Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills on Jan. 19. There will be a familiar face for football fans as Hollywood Squares is hosted by NFL analyst (and CBS Mornings co-host) Nate Burleson. The game show features Drew Barrymore in the center square, joined by celebrity guests in every episode. New names added to the guest lineup include Jay Leno, Whitney Cummings, Pete Holmes, Chaka Khan, Thomas Lennon, Nelly, Patton Oswalt, Nicole Byer, Drew Carey, Jeff Dunham, Max Greenfield, Lil Rel Howery, Rita Moreno and JB Smoove. Originally slated to premiere Jan. 9, Hollywood Squares‘ debut was pushed by a week due to the devastation from the L.A. wildfires. The show will air originals on Thursday Jan. 16 and Jan. 23 before moving to its regular Wednesday 10 PM time slot Jan. 29 as part of CBS Game Night. The special Jan. 19 airing also will be an original episode. Broadcast networks regularly use big NFL games to platform new and returning series. CBS will also debut new drama Walker and NBC will debut The Hunting Party behind high-profile football matchups this month, while Fox has slated The Floor after the Super Bowl. Thursday's premiere was the most watched TV show of the night in broadcast with 4.6m viewers total, with a 0.36/5 rating in the coveted adults 18-49 demo. |
posted 1/20/2025 |
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Noel Fielding Plans to Return to "Baking Show" |
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Noel Fielding will return to host this year’s Great British Bake Off, according to his spokeswoman. Questions had emerged over whether Fielding would present Channel 4‘s most popular show following the revelation last week that his Apple TV+ comedy The Completely Made-Up Adventures Of Dick Turpin was being scrapped after Fielding pulled out around three-quarters of the way through the shoot. That show will not be salvaged and reports stated that Fielding had “failed to come to work.” Fielding’s spokeswoman has since issued a statement saying: “There has been absolutely no discussion about Noel stepping down from Bake Off. We have been in contact with Channel 4 and Love Productions throughout all the speculation and his ‘stepping down’ has never been part of that dialogue. We can confirm he will be returning to co-host the next series of Bake Off.” |
posted 1/20/2025 |
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John Bishop Gets Crowded |
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Doctor Who star and stand-up comedian John Bishop is reportedly fronting a non-broadcast BBC pilot for a brand new quiz show titled Wisdom of the Crowd, which comes from the producers of The 1% Club. Chortle reports that the format involves answering questions with "educated guesses", with Magnum Media comparing it to "a 'guess how many sweets are in a jar' competition, but on a big Saturday night TV show scale". Further details, including rounds and prize money, are yet to be unveiled, but a not-for-TV pilot episode is expected to be filmed in Salford's MediaCity at the end of the month, with casting company SRO currently seeking contestants and audience members. |
posted 1/20/2025 |
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Argentina Gets Ballsy |
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Argentinian broadcaster Canal 13 has acquired the rights to adapt Netherlands-based Talpa Studios’ gameshow format The Quiz With Balls. The adaptation will be produced at a production hub in Argentina operated by Kuarzo Entertainment, repeating the formula used for Canal 13’s adaptation of fellow Talpa format The Floor. Like The Floor, the local version of The Quiz With Balls will be hosted by popular Argentinian actor and presenter Guido Kaczka. The Quiz With Balls first aired on Dutch channel SBS6 in 2023. In the show, contestants have to answer a series of questions correctly to avoid being catapulted into a pool by giant yellow balls. Teams must remain as complete as possible for as long as possible, as the 10th and final question is worth a tidy cash prize. The Argentinian version follows adaptations in countries including Spain (Antena 3), Germany (RTL) and the US (Fox). |
posted 1/20/2025 |
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Winner Winner |
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A new gameshow, titled The Winner Takes It All, is to record in Manchester early next month. The show, from the makers of Ant & Dec's Limitless Win, will see contestants battle it out for a pile of epic prizes and staggering amounts of money, by answering questions, all of which are based on our exclusive and unique UK-wide survey. A teaser states that the potentially life-changing show will be hosted by "two of Britain’s best-loved comedians and presenters", though their identities - as well as potential broadcaster - have not been revealed. |
posted 1/20/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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A gameshow from centimillionaire YouTube influencer MrBeast broke Amazon Prime Video's streaming record by racking up 50 million views in the 25 days after its Dec. 19 premiere, the streamer told multiple outlets, making it the platform’s most streamed unscripted show of all time and earning it several other accolades. “Beast Games,” which made headlines when it was first announced for boasting the largest single prize of any television show in history, is set up similarly to the mega-popular influencer's YouTube channel and puts 1,000 contestants through a series of challenges in which they can be eliminated. The show reached 50 million views when only five of its 10 episodes had been released, and hundreds of players are still in competition for the top prize. In addition to the nonscripted streaming record, "Beast Games" also holds the title of the second best Prime Video series debut of 2024 and was the show responsible for the second most subscriber growth for the year, Amazon said—falling to "Fallout" in both categories. Beast Games" airs in 240 countries and half of its audience is outside of the United States, according to Amazon, particularly in India, the U.K. and Mexico. |
posted 1/16/2025 |
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Food Network Conjures Up Second "Wizards of Baking" |
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Food Network's Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking will have a second season, it was announced today by Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. The series kicked off the network's holidays on Thursday, November 14 and concluded on December 19 ranked as the #1 non-news/sports cable program on Thursday nights for P25-54; averaging 0.50 P25-54 and 0.66 W25-54 L3 ratings (up +138% and +121% respectively vs. prior six-week metrics) and having reached more than 16.4 million total viewers across linear, Max and discovery+ "In collaboration with Warner Horizon and teams across all of WBD, Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking harnessed the fandom of Harry Potter and the power of Food Network as a holiday destination -- delivering visually breathtaking cakes set against the backdrop of the beloved Harry Potter film sets," said Ayala. "Viewers and Potter fans everywhere tuned in to see what these talented artists created each week, and we cannot wait to bring the audience an even more magical second season." Capitalizing on the enduring love for Harry Potter - a global phenomenon that continues to captivate people of all ages around the world - the ground-breaking series, which was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, amidst the backdrop of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, blends legendary storytelling and fantastical edible creations in a never-before-seen competition that had audiences at the edge of their seats. James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) brought their exceptional charm and behind-the-scenes anecdotes as hosts of this most magical series, joined by esteemed, culinary judges, Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef. Across the six-episode season they were joined by special guests Warwick Davis (Professor Flitwick), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley) who helped to evaluate the competitors' showpieces and also shared their own film stories. |
posted 1/16/2025 |
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More on "Farmer Wants a Wife" |
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Dating competition series Farmer Wants a Wife, hosted by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, is back with four new rural romantics looking to sow love on the farm when Season Three premieres Thursday, March 20 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Farmer Wants a Wife is the most successful dating show in the world, airing in 34 countries and resulting in 226 marriages and 565 children (with four on the way). Last season's farmers Mitchell Kolinsky and Nathan Smothers remain happily in love in their relationships with Sydney Errera and Taylor BeDell, respectively. This season, four new farmers - Matt Warren, Jay Woods, John Sansone and Colton Hendricks - bring the heat as all-new daters look to leave behind city life for the charm of the country as they embark on an adventure that could change the course of their lives forever. These farmers are the cream of the crop. Farmer Matt is the California heartthrob who uprooted his life in Austin to help save his brother and sister-in-law's avocado farm - he's our fairytale Prince Charming! Family, faith and football - that's Farmer Jay, the hometown hero who lost his football career to injury and put everything he had into rebuilding the legacy of his grandfather's farm in Alabama. Farmer John is an urban cowboy - a high-flying St. Louis law student who dreams of living in the tradition of his family's farm in rural Missouri with his sweetheart by his side, if he can find her of course! Our cheeky charmer with a witty sense of humor is Farmer Colton - a third generation Arkansas cattle rancher, recently divorced and a single dad to his 2-year-old son who is looking for a second chance at love. The third season will dive deeper into the beauty and trials of homegrown love, and new twists will put relationships to the ultimate test. Along the way, the farmers and their daters hit the road as they travel to Alabama for a speed dating event, Tennessee for a country ball and Texas for an overnight camping mixer. New this season, the final daters will bring their families back to the farms where their loved ones will experience first-hand what it is like living in the countryside. As the ladies immerse themselves in the realities of farm life, some will blossom while some will head out to pasture, and only time will tell if they have the patience, spirit and adaptability required to be a farmer's wife. |
posted 1/16/2025 |
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Beat the Chasers to Return for Season 7 |
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With the sixth series currently airing on ITV after two years on the shelf, Beat The Chasers is set to film a seventh series later this year, Chaser Anne Hegerty has revealed. Further details have not been announced by ITV. Now in its sixth season, Beat The Chasers sees individuals take on all six Chasers - The Governess, The Vixen, The Menace, The Dark Destroyer, The Beast and The Sinnerman - in the hope of winning a huge cash prize. To build a cash pot, the contestants have to answer multiple choice questions - get the first one wrong, and they are out, but answer one or more correctly and they get to face the Chasers, who offer time and money in order to take them on. If the contestants get all Cash Builder questions right, they are given a super offer to face all the Chasers for up to £600,000 - the endgame is a nail-biting head-to-head race against the clock. Run out of time before the Chasers and the contestants go home with nothing, but if the Chasers run out of time before them, they will win the money for their nominated charities. With Bradley Walsh as our presenter, is anyone good enough to take on the greatest quiz team that ever lived? |
posted 1/16/2025 |
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Bob Uecker, who parlayed six laughable seasons as a light-hitting catcher into a second career in comedy highlighted by hilarious turns in the Major League movies, on The Tonight Show and in beer commercials, died Thursday. He was 90. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Uecker was a popular play-by-play man for his hometown Milwaukee Brewers since 1971, and it was the team that announced his death. On the 1985-90 ABC sitcom Mr. Belvedere, Uecker starred as sportswriter/sportscaster George Owens, who contends with the antics of his three kids (Rob Stone, Tracy Wells, Brice Beckham) and the title character, a sophisticated English butler (Christopher Hewitt) hired to bring order to a suburban Pittsburgh household. As Harry Doyle, the eternally optimistic (and inebriated) play-by-play announcer for the beleaguered Cleveland Indians in Major League (1989), he tried to put an upbeat spin on the dismal play he was witnessing. When bespectacled rookie Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) threw a fastball several feet to the right of home plate, Doyle memorably described the pitch as “juuuuuuust a bit outside.” Uecker returned as Harry in Major League II (1994) and Major League: Back to the Minors (1998). Before all this, Uecker was a catcher (and a backup one at that) in the big leagues, playing with the Milwaukee Braves in 1962-63, the St. Louis Cardinals (1964-65), the Philadelphia Phillies (1966-67) and the Atlanta Braves (1967). His career batting average was .200, and he hit just 14 home runs in 731 at-bats. Uecker led the National League in passed balls in his last season — all the more notable considering he caught only 59 games that year. He often was on the receiving end of Phil Niekro’s unpredictable knuckleball and liked to joke that the best way to catch this type of pitch was to wait for the ball to stop rolling and then pick it up. “Anybody with ability can play in the big leagues,” he once said. “But to be able to trick people year in and year out the way I did, I think that was a much greater feat.” The knack for finding humor in his woebegone baseball career turned out to be Uecker’s strongest talent, and after he hung up his chest protector, he entertained audiences as a paid speaker, making fun of his days on the diamond. One night in 1969, jazz trumpeter Al Hirt, who had opened a nightclub in Atlanta, coaxed Uecker up onstage. His spirited nature and natural joke-telling ability made him a hit, and Hirt convinced Johnny Carson to give Uecker a shot. “So, I’m standing behind the curtain … my first time on The Tonight Show, and I had never been this nervous before,” Uecker recalled on David Feherty’s Golf Channel show in 2016. “Not that I wasn’t going to be funny. I knew I could be funny. “So I go out. I do my thing with Johnny and he laughs. We have a good time. Now after the show is over, we’re all saying goodnight. As I’m walking away, I hear Johnny say to Ed [McMahon], ‘Did that guy really play baseball?’ And Ed says, ‘I think so.’ Neither one of them believed I played baseball. But they called me back. I actually did three shows in about six weeks.” In fact, during Carson’s run on The Tonight Show, Uecker made about 100 appearances and was given the nickname “Mr. Baseball” by the host. With his gregarious personality, he delighted viewers with his self-effacing observances. His jokes included: “I knew my career was over in 1965. My baseball card came out with no picture.” “Sporting goods companies pay me not to endorse their products.” “When I came up to bat with three men on and two outs in the ninth, I’d look over at the other dugout and the players would already be in their street clothes.” When asked to cite a highlight of his career, he recounted the time he was intentionally walked by Dodgers great Sandy Koufax. (He actually homered off Koufax once.) In the 1980s, Uecker was a member of ABC’s Monday Night Baseball team; hosted a syndicated TV series that showed wacky highlights and evolved into The Lighter Side of Sports; presided over Saturday Night Live; appeared as himself on Who’s the Boss? and in Robert Altman’s O.C. and Stiggs (1985); and worked several World Wrestling Federation events, most notably a big showdown between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. He also made a splash with his clever 1982 book, Catcher in the Wry. In 2003, Uecker was honored with the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for contributions to baseball broadcasting. Among those was his signature home run call: “Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!” (For years before announcing Brewers games, he would pitch batting practice.) He also featured in episodes of "Hollywood Squares" From 1986. His last game as an announcer in his 54th season with the Brewers came on Oct. 4 when the New York Mets rallied to eliminate Milwaukee in the playoffs with a shocking ninth-inning home run by Pete Alonzo off ace reliever Devin Williams. “I’m tellin’ ya, that one … had some sting on it,” he said on the radio. Survivors include his wife, Judy, and his children, Bob Jr. and Sue Ann. Two other kids, Steven and Leeann, died in 2012 of lung disease and in 2022 of ALS, respectively. Miller Lite tapped into Uecker’s popularity by featuring the former catcher in a series of TV spots. The one most fondly remembered is from 1984 that found him exclaiming, “I must be in the front row!” after he is escorted from his box seat by an usher. In the closing shot, he’s seen in the near-empty upper deck, enthusiastically challenging an umpire’s call. The Brewers now have a statue of Uecker that sits in the last row at American Family Field in Milwaukee. “I can’t think of a better place to put it,” he said. “It’s great for the fans and even better for the pigeons.” |
posted 1/16/2025 |
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Thursday Lightning Round |
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Tony Slattery, the comedian and actor best known for his improvizations on hit comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, died today following a heart attack two days’ ago. He was 65. Slattery’s family confirmed his death to the BBC. A statement on behalf of his partner Mark Michael Hutchinson said: “It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening.” Slattery was perhaps best known as regular on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the Channel 4 improv show that he appeared on for its first seven seasons. Hosted by Clive Anderson, the show ran for well over 100 episodes and was remade in the U.S. on ABC then The CW. Slattery also appeared in movies like The Crying Game, Peter’s Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising. Born in 1959, he attended Cambridge University and joined the comedy Footlights group at the same time as contemporaries like Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson, eventually becoming president. He broke into TV as a regular on O.T.T., Saturday Stayback and went on to appear on a number of panel shows before landing the Whose Line Is It gig in the late 1980s. Among the shows he participated on were Ready Steady Cook, Stars in Their Eyes, The Weakest Link, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Have I Got News for You, and Cluedo. He was also host of a short-lived version of Trivial Pursuit based on the Family Channel's 1993 verison. As a dramatic actor he appeared in The Crying Game, To Die For, Peter’s Friends and The Wedding Tackle. He also earned an Olivier Award nomination for best comedy performance for his role as Gordon in Tim Firth’s Neville’s Island. He had recently been touring a comedy show and hosting a podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club. Slattery is survived by Hutchinson, his partner of more than three decades. |
posted 1/15/2025 |
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Anora, Challengers, A Complete Unknown, Nickel Boys and Wicked are among the feature film screenplay nominees for the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards, which revealed its nominees Wednesday to honor the year’s best in film, TV, new media, news, radio and promotional writing. Winners will be announced February 15 during concurrent ceremonies in New York at the Edison Ballroom and Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton. That date is staying put for now amid several shifts in the awards-season calendar due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. Today’s nomination comes after the WGA delayed its announcements from last week due to the impact of the devastating fires. Several groups also delayed their noms announcements in order to extend voting deadlines, including the Oscars, which is now planning to announce its noms January 23. Up for Quiz/Audience Participation... |
posted 1/15/2025 |
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"Double" AND Nothing |
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Sue Perkins' game show 'Double The Money' has reportedly been cancelled after one season. The show debuted on Channel 4 last spring with 13 pairs of contestants competing to show off their business acumen to try and double their cash, with finalists having four weeks to convert £10,000 (about US$12,000) to £20,000 (about US$24,000). However, a source told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "There are a number of big new and returning competition and reality shows on Channel 4 and E4 for 2025, so schedules are jam-packed. “It means for now, 'Double The Money' has been shelved. “But it may be revived down the line.” The 55-year-old former 'Great British Bake Off' host has stayed busy despite the setback, with her travel documentary 'Sue Perkins' Big Adventure: Paris to Istanbul' hitting Apple TV+ late last year. The previous year, she travelled to Alaska for a Channel 5 show, and at the time she pondered what made a great TV presenter. She told the i newspaper: "The role of the presenter is really just to be a sponge, not to know anything, but to go and talk to brilliant people who do know things, to have fun on viewers’ behalf, see things most never get to see, and be enthused and grateful about it." When 'Double Your Money' was first reported, insiders suggested it was a "big prospect" for C4. A TV source told The Sun newspaper’s TV Biz column at the time: “On the face of it, this might have a whiff of a daytime TV show where people try to make money from small ventures. But this show is a big prospect for Channel 4. “That’s reflected in the fact that they’ve signed up someone as well known as Sue as the presenter. "And bosses are raising viewers’ expectations too, describing it as ‘breaking the mould of traditional game shows’.” |
posted 1/15/2025 |
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Wednesday Lightning Round |
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Meet Season 2's Love Island All-STars |
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Maya Jama is back as host of Love Island: All Stars Season 2 and will bring past Islanders looking to find love again, this time in South Africa. The villa is set to open on January 13 on ITV2 and stream on ITVX in the UK. Peacock streamers in the US will have to wait until Wednesday to get their fix. Islanders from the past 10 years of the dating competition series will return to see if they can make sparks fly and find a match. New bombshells will unexpectedly enter the frame, unlucky singletons will be dramatically dumped and, ultimately, one loved-up couple will be voted by fans to win the £50,000 (US$61,000) prize. Comedian Iain Stirling is also returning as the narrator of the dating series. |
posted 1/13/2025 |
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A Bridge WAAAAAAAAY Too Far |
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The show has become a huge hit since launching on BBC One in 2022, with three regular series, two celebrity series, and two more set to air later this year, but British fans of quiz show, Bridge of Lies, haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy its shiny American counterpart – until now. From today, free streaming service STV Player will be the UK home of Beat the Bridge, the US version of the format which has gripped audiences across the pond since launching last summer. And while our local version features EastEnders ‘hardman’ Ross Kemp on hosting duties in typical no-nonsense form, Beat the Bridge is fronted by model-turned-actor Cameron Mathison, best known to UK audiences for starring in Netflix Christmas films such as A Merry Christmas Wish and A Kindhearted Christmas. The stateside version of the show features the same nail-biting gameplay that has made its UK cousin so popular. There’s an enormous interactive bridge that dares players to cross by stepping on the right answers to challenging trivia questions. Each step forward puts money in the team’s bank, with bonus money for each successful crossing. However, the team gets to keep the money only if it can “beat the bridge” by returning one of its players back across before time expires in an exciting end game. Fifty episodes of Beat the Bridge are available to stream on STV Player now. They first aired on American channel, Game Show Network, last year, with a further 50 episodes set to broadcast later in 2025. The series is co-produced by Game Show Enterprises Studios and STV Studios, based on an original format created by the latter. |
posted 1/14/2025 |
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Tuesday Lightning Round |
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Game Show Network will run the entire first season of THE WALL, hosted by Chris Hardwick, weeknights at 8pm ET starting Monday January 13. Executive produced by NBA star LeBron James, THE WALL is an unpredictable game show that gives two-person teams a chance to earn life-altering cash prizes by correctly answering a series of questions. With more than $12 million up for grabs each night, the contestants attempt to earn as much cash as they can from a four-story high wall that can dash hopes or make dreams come true. When contestants answer a question correctly, a green ball falls down the wall to add to their team's tally. Answer incorrectly, and a dreaded red ball drops to subtract from the total. Up to $3 million can be won or lost on a single nail-biting drop. |
posted 1/13/2025 |
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Leslie Charleson, who played cardiologist Monica Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital for nearly five decades, died on Sunday. ABC confirmed Charleson's death to NPR in a statement. "Her enduring legacy has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew," wrote General Hospital executive producer Frank Valentini. "I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set." While General Hospital is the longest-running scripted drama in the U.S., Charleson was one of its longest-tenured cast members. Born in Kansas City, Mo., in 1945, Charleson broke into show business at a young age. Her first gig? A car commercial alongside her mother, who dabbled in acting. "All I had to do was just pretend to be asleep in the backseat," Charleson remembered during an interview with the New York City talk show Something to Offer. "I just remember my mother turning around and saying with a big smile, 'If you don't close your eyes, Leslie, you're never going to see 8 years old. Do it right now.'" As she got older, Charleson's acting ambitions grew. In the 1960s and '70s, she appeared in dramas like A Flame in the Wind (later known as A Time for Us), As the World Turns and Love is a Many Splendored Thing before landing the role of Monica on General Hospital. During a 2022 appearance on fellow actor Maurice Benard's podcast, Charleson said that her first day on set coincided with the death of Elvis Presley. "I remember tears coming down my cheeks as I was driving for the first time to the studio," she said. Additionally, Charleson told Benard that she was originally disliked on-set because another actress playing Monica had been "rudely fired," and her hiring as the replacement did not go over well. However, Charleson thrived in her portrayal of Monica Quartermaine, a razor-sharp cardiologist with an embattled personal life full of marriages, divorces, heartbreak and affairs. In the '90s, her character underwent a breast cancer diagnosis. In a 1994 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Charleson said she pitched the cancer storyline because she felt the show had a responsibility to tackle serious topics. Throughout her time on General Hospital, Charleson received four daytime Emmy nominations as outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She also appeared on shows like Dharma & Greg and Friends. In game shows, Charleson appeared on episodes of "Family Feud". In a statement to NPR, close friend and entertainment journalist Rosemary Rossi described Charleson as warm and genuine. "Her arms and heart were always open. Everyone who was ever in her orbit felt that," she said. "Yes, she was a soap opera icon, and she leaves that legacy. But her real legacy is the people she touched along the way. And heaven now knows, there were a lot of them." |
posted 1/13/2025 |
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Monday Lightning Round |
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posted 3/7/2025
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