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Tag: Disney

  • Jimmy Kimmel and Disney Begin Talks to Revive His Show

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    A lot’s happened in the two days since Disney indefinitely paused Jimmy Kimmel Live, but the two parties may be on the path to reconciliation.

    According to a Friday report from Variety, Kimmel’s legal and business representatives are “deep in discussions” with ABC to bring the show back, or at the very least, find a compromise to allow the show’s return. Kimmel himself has been silent since his show was shelved after Nexstar, one of the biggest TV station owners in the U.S., vowed to pre-empt airings and Sinclair, another equally big station owner, threatened to take the late night series off its stations entirely.

    Both companies were spurred to halt Jimmy Kimmel Live after FCC chairman Brendan Carr threatened to take action against ABC for Kimmel’s comments on the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, where he said conservatives were using the death (and the subsequent capture of Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson) to gain political points. Nexstar’s currently in a bid to acquire fellow TV station owner Tegna, which requires FCC approval, something Nexstar insists had no bearing on its decision. Sinclair, meanwhile, had a list of demands before allowing Kimmel back on its stations, including a public apology and personal donation to both Kirk’s family and Turning Point USA, his organization now run by his widow, Erika.

    Variety’s report notes Kimmel is aware of the effect this shutdown has on his staff, some of which remain impacted by the 2023-2024 Hollywood strikes. Deadline separately reported the show’s crew will be paid next week, a potential sign of where things are headed. Nothing is set in stone yet, though Kimmel remains employed by Disney as the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and other projects, which will likely be impacted by the Live decision.

    Regardless of which way the wind blows, the pause of Kimmel’s show has spurred a wave of reactions. While conservatives have cheered the show’s currently indefinite hiatus, there’ve been protests in recent days in front of Disney’s New York and Burbank offices, and in front of the theater where the show is filmed. Several actors and creators who’ve previously worked with Disney have come out in support of Kimmel, and Andor writer Dan Gilroy penned a short Deadline column condemning Disney’s actions, while former CEO Michael Eisner called out current head Bob Iger for succumbing to the FCC’s “out of control intimidation.” There’s also been a wave of cancelled Disney+ subscriptions and those for other affiliated networks.

    io9 will continue covering the Jimmy Kimmel situation as it develops.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Justin Carter

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  • Je Suis Jimmy

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    Illustration: Brian Stauffer

    Like watching Rome burn,” one news anchor said as Donald Trump’s attack on the media industry entered a new phase. The president has never done well with criticism, constantly going after news organizations and private companies and individuals perceived to be insufficiently supportive or ingratiating. “This is the environment that we’re all operating in, and we’ve known this for a while, where, whether it’s legitimate or not, you have the government as an actor trying to control and shape coverage through a combination of means, one of which is threats,” the news anchor said. But lately those threats feel less empty: The assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has given the administration further opportunity to use its power to influence the media industry and its output — “consequence culture,” as they are calling it. So far, companies have largely shown an unwillingness to fight back. Coincidentally or not, this timidity comes at a moment of intense consolidation in the business, as David Ellison, right after taking over Paramount, sets his sights on Warner Bros. Discovery, with help from father Larry, a recent Trump ally who is expected to be a major investor in the American-owned version of TikTok.

    On Wednesday, September 17, FCC chairman Brendan Carr dangled the possibility of punishing ABC over remarks Jimmy Kimmel had made days before about Kirk’s assassination; the late-night host had suggested “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” It happened quickly from there: Nexstar, which owns numerous ABC affiliates throughout the country, said it would pull Kimmel’s show from the airwaves; within minutes, Sinclair, another owner of ABC affiliates, followed suit; then an ABC spokesperson told the press that new episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be “preempted indefinitely.” Trump and Carr took a victory lap, and the president seemed to suggest a similar fate for NBC late-night stars Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. On Thursday, Trump, who earlier in the week had sued the New York Times for $15 billion over articles questioning his success, issued another threat, musing that networks giving him negative coverage deserve to have their licenses revoked.

    Inside the media and entertainment companies, the mood among those creating the content under attack is somber. “I haven’t seen a lot of comedy writers or hosts choosing to censor themselves after watching our colleagues get literally canceled. It’s more that we’re horrified and embarrassed by the cowardice of the networks and the choices they’re making,” said a writer for a late-night show. “The people who have the most money and power are the first to give up, and frankly that should be mortifying for them.” Said another late-night writer: “The broadcast networks are beholden to Trump’s FCC in a way cable channels aren’t, but that’s hardly reassuring.” (Cable channels, unlike broadcast, do not use public airwaves and therefore don’t require FCC licenses.)

    The decision to pull Kimmel off the air came two months after CBS, following its settlement of a lawsuit with Trump, canceled Stephen Colbert’s show. The latter move at least appeared couched in financial reasons, some insiders I spoke to noted; The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was expensive to produce — more than $100 million a year — and reportedly ran tens of millions of dollars in the red. “We had no idea how much of it was business motivated,” a late-night staffer said of the Colbert decision. “But this is just cut and dry.” As one prominent talent executive put it: “The FCC commissioner threatened ABC and its station partners, and the station partners and ABC took an action based on that threat. It’s never been that clear before.”

    Pulling Kimmel was a decision that came from the very top of Disney with CEO Bob Iger and head of television Dana Walden reportedly fielding concerns from advertisers and affiliates. Kimmel had planned to address Carr’s comments on air Wednesday night, but Walden and other senior executives feared that would further inflame the situation, especially as staff on Kimmel’s show had been doxed and received threatening emails, according to The Wall Street Journal. Nexstar, for its part, denied that its decision was influenced by Carr’s remarks or FCC pressure, but, notably, the conglomerate is in the midst of trying to get a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna approved by the agency. “No one is confused — this is all about Tegna and Sinclair’s regulatory approval,” said another talent executive. “It’s super-specific. But it has real impact if it’s not limited in scope.” Multiple executives across television and print publishing said the focus is on ensuring their staffers can continue doing the work. “This is just the latest, right? We are just keeping our heads down and doing reporting,” said one.

    At all levels of the industry, the question hung in the air of whether this moment marks a turning point. On Thursday, Carr told CNBC, “We’re not done yet,” and suggested The View, another ABC program, could be subject to review. “Clients are scared for what it suggests is to come. If Kimmel can get fired for that, what might they get fired for?” said another prominent talent executive. Late-night writers are also in a precarious position. “Our show is not in a position to pretend nothing happened in the way that others might be able to,” said one. “If our format didn’t demand it, I think some people who work here would feel safer not putting a target on their backs by commenting on it — which is the point of political censorship.” This writer described feeling newly paranoid: “I haven’t liked or shared any political commentary on social media since Kirk’s killing last week. It all feels like evidence that could be used in bad faith for some future persecution.”

    Many feel something fundamental is changing in the industry. “The consolidation happening in the media world is incredibly unhelpful to this. Everyone feels like there’s no safe space, no corporate parent that’s going to stand up for you or protect you,” said the news anchor. “I don’t know that anybody knows how it’s going to end, but I think everybody recognizes the danger that we’re all in.” The Ellisons loom large with reported plans to acquire the Free Press and possibly put founder Bari Weiss in a leadership role atop CBS News. A Warner Bros. Discovery deal would give the family control over CNN too. Some see media companies’ capitulation as yet another indication of their waning power — that in an effort to slow down their decline, they’ve accelerated it. “They’re continuing to remind the audience and the population of their growing irrelevance,” said one network executive. “Personally, I would be a lot more concerned if Jimmy Kimmel got canceled from YouTube.”

    For now, there haven’t been explicit directives for journalists or late-night writers to pull punches. But the menacing environment is impossible to ignore. “It’s front of mind, and front of coverage, and you’re living it while also reporting on it,” said a veteran news editor at the New York Times. Still, the Times, in the face of Trump’s suit, finds itself in a better position than other organizations Trump has picked on. “We do not have millions of dollars of research grants from the federal government. We do not need to do business in front of the courts. We are one of the few institutions in America that he has no leverage over,” a Times reporter noted.

    Times executives have come out forcefully in response to the lawsuit. Publisher A. G. Sulzberger called it “frivolous,” and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien described it as an authoritarian-like attempt to intimidate independent journalists. (A federal judge essentially agreed, calling the suit “improper and impermissible” as filed.) “The New York Times will not be cowed by this,” she said. “A.G. is the person who I feel like was kind of made for this moment and is increasingly alone in this industry,” said the veteran news editor. “In the past, we could, you know, join with the Washington Post and the L.A. Times, put out a statement about this. It does feel increasingly singular and not in a good way.”


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    Charlotte Klein

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  • Disney Faces Protests in Burbank After Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

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    As the late-night TV host is indefinitely suspended, many are fighting back

    Jimmy Kimmel on August 7
    Credit: Los Angeles file photo

    After ABC indefinitely pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air, hundreds answered a last-minute call Thursday to gather outside of Disney’s office in Burbank to protest the decision. 

    Hours before filming the Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode for Wednesday night, Disney CEO Bob Iger and executive Dana Walden decided to “preempt” the show that night. In order to mitigate any damage thrown down on them, after facing threats from the FCC chairman, Brendan Carr. 

    On Monday night during Kimmel’s monologue, the host said, “We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it.” 

    Two days later, Carr would go on Benny Johnson’s podcast, a right-wing commentator, to criticize the host’s remarks and give a warning to ABC. The company has a “a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” Carr said. 

    “But frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he said. 

    In response to the threat, ABC indefinitely pulled the late-night talk show. Nexstar, one of the largest station owners in the United States, announced it would drop the show on its 32 affiliate channels shortly before ABC did. 

    Many of the protestors in Burbank are not just showing up for Kimmel, but also looking out for other broadcast and free speech-related issues.

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     Cheryl Eddy
    

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  • ABC yanks Jimmy Kimmel’s show ‘indefinitely’ after threat from Trump’s FCC chair

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    (CNN) — Disney’s ABC is taking Jimmy Kimmel’s late night talk show off the air indefinitely amid a controversy over his recent comments about Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer.

    “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be pre-empted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson said, declining to share any further details.

    A representative for Kimmel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    The stunning decision came just a few hours after the Trump administration official responsible for licensing ABC’s local stations publicly pressured the company to punish Kimmel.

    At least two major owners of ABC-affiliated stations subsequently said they would preempt Kimmel’s show, sparking speculation that the owners were trying to curry favor with the administration. The local media conglomerates are each seeking mergers that would require administration approval.

    As Kimmel prepared to tape Wednesday night’s episode in Hollywood, ABC decided to pull the plug, much to the astonishment of the entertainment industry.

    Free speech and free expression groups immediately condemned ABC, calling the suspension cowardly, while President Trump, who frequently sparred with Kimmel, celebrated all the way from the UK, where he is on a state visit.

    “Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. “That leaves Jimmy (Fallon) and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”

    The indefinite hiatus underscores how politicized opinions and comments around the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk have become, with high-profile campaigns urging employers to fire people who make comments perceived as unflattering about Kirk.

    And the president has also gone after media companies, specifically, when they displease him, as with a $15 billion defamation lawsuit he filed against the New York Times this week and lawsuits against other outlets.

    During his Monday evening monologue, Kimmel said the MAGA movement was trying to score political points by trying to prove that Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, was not one of its own.

    “The MAGA Gang (is) desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

    The ABC late-night host’s remarks constituted “the sickest conduct possible,” FCC chair Brendan Carr told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson on Wednesday. Carr suggested his FCC could move to revoke ABC affiliate licenses as a way to force Disney to punish Kimmel.

    “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take actions on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

    And speaking on Fox Wednesday night, Carr suggested broadcasters would see more of this kind of pressure in the future.

    “We at the FCC are going to force the public interest obligation. There are broadcasters out there that don’t like it, they can turn in their license in to the FCC,” Carr said. “But that’s our job. Again, we’re making some progress now.”

    But Anna Gomez, the lone Democratic commissioner at the FCC, wrote on X that while “an inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship and control,” the Trump administration “is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression.”

    Speaking with CNN’s Erin Burnett after Kimmel’s show was taken off the air, Gomez said “the First Amendment does not allow us, the FCC, to tell broadcasters what they can broadcast.”

    “I saw the clip. He did not make any unfounded claims, but he did make a joke, one that others may even find crude, but that is neither illegal nor grounds for companies to capitulate to this administration in ways that violate the First Amendment,” Gomez told CNN. “This sets a dangerous new precedent, and companies must stand firm against any efforts to trade away First Amendment freedom.”

    Pro-Trump websites and TV shows began to criticize Kimmel for his remarks on Tuesday, and as the story gained traction on Wednesday, some owners of ABC-affiliated stations felt compelled to speak out.

    Local broadcasters get involved

    Nexstar, which operates about two dozen ABC affiliates, issued a press release saying it “strongly objects” to Kimmel’s remarks and saying its stations would “replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”

    Notably, Nexstar is seeking Trump administration approval to acquire another big US station group, Tegna. The deal requires the FCC to loosen the government’s limits on broadcast station ownership.

    Minutes after Nexstar criticized Kimmel publicly, ABC said the show was being yanked nationwide.

    Later in the evening, another big station group, Sinclair, said it had also told ABC that it was preempting Kimmel’s show on its ABC-affiliated stations before the network announced its nationwide decision.

    Sinclair, too, has business pending before the Trump administration, and it made a bid for Tegna a day before Nexstar stepped in with its bid. The company announced Wednesday night that it will air a one-hour special tribute to Kirk on Friday night in Kimmel’s usual time slot.

    Following ABC’s action to indefinitely pull Kimmel’s show off the air, Sinclair issued a statement saying the late-night host’s suspension “is not enough” and called on the network, the FCC and Kimmel to go further.

    “Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability,” the company said in its statement. “Regardless of ABC’s plans for the future of the program, Sinclair intends not to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to our air until we are confident that appropriate steps have been taken to uphold the standards expected of a national broadcast platform.”

    Sinclair said it demanded Kimmel directly apologize to the Kirk family and make a “meaningful” donation to Kirk’s family and his organization, Turning Point USA.

    The FCC’s role

    The FCC regulates the public airwaves, including broadcast signals and content. Before Trump appointed Carr to lead the agency, the FCC, for the most part, had taken a hands-off approach to broadcasters’ political content in recent years.

    But Carr has taken a broader view of the FCC’s remit to serve the public interest, and has served as a political attack dog for Trump, threatening his perceived enemies in the broadcast media.

    “I can’t imagine another time when we’ve had local broadcasters tell a national programmer like Disney that your content no longer meets the needs and the values of our community,” Carr told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday. “So this is an important turning point.”

    The Center for American Rights, which has previously lodged bias complaints against NBC, ABC and CBS, on Wednesday filed a complaint with the FCC over Kimmel’s comments, writing that “it is no defense to say that Kimmel was engaging in satire or late-night comedy rather than traditional news.”

    “ABC’s affiliates need to step up and hold ABC accountable as a network for passing through material that fails to respect the public-interest standard to which they are held,” Daniel Suhr, president of the Center for American Rights, wrote in the complaint. “Disney as ABC’s corporate owner needs to act directly to correct this problem.”

    SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, said Wednesday night that it “condemns” the suspension of Kimmel’s show.

    “Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of public concern run counter to the fundamental rights we all rely on,” the union said in its statement.

    “The decision to suspend airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! is the type of suppression and retaliation that endangers everyone’s freedoms.”

    Kimmel has also been a frequent target of President Trump’s ire. Shortly after CBS announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s late-night talk show — a move Carr publicly celebrated — Trump suggested that “Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel.”

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    Elizabeth Wagmeister, Liam Reilly and CNN

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  • What Is Disney Thinking?

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    “If the goal was to simmer down the temperature, it didn’t. It became volcanic.”
    Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images

    Bob Iger and Disney are used to dealing with all manner of PR crises; it comes with the territory when you’re operating one of the best known and most beloved brands in the world. But what has happened with Jimmy Kimmel over the past 24 hours has been something far different (and scarier) than a mere public-relations kerfuffle: FCC chairman Brendan Carr, a MAGA loyalist, threatened to damage a key part of Disney’s broadcast-TV business if its ABC network didn’t “take action” against Kimmel to address his concerns over a few sentences from his September 15 episode that the right-wing outrage machine had deemed problematic. Within hours, ABC announced that Kimmel’s show was being pulled from its lineup “indefinitely,” his future at the network suddenly became unclear — and Iger’s legacy as CEO was very much at risk.

    Keep in mind the timeline of how this madness has played out: On Monday night, Kimmel delivered his monologue, which included a small, admittedly awkward sentence. On Tuesday, Fox News posted video from the monologue; by Wednesday morning, podcaster Benny Johnson, a key ally of the Trump White House, released a podcast with this YouTube subject line: “Jimmy Kimmel LIES About Charlie Kirk Killer, Blames Charlie For His Murder!? Disney Must Fire Kimmel.” The guest of honor on the pod: Carr, who said ABC could “do this the easy way or the hard way.” The rest played out in front of our eyes last night: Nexstar announced it was pulling Kimmel’s show, Sinclair quickly followed suit, and within 15 minutes, an ABC publicist was texting reporters its now-famous seven-word statement: “Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely.”

    This story is far from over, and it is too soon to render judgment about What It All Means. As of Thursday afternoon, Kimmel’s show had not been canceled and he is still an employee of the Walt Disney Company, despite Donald Trump celebrating the comedian’s demise Wednesday night. Indeed, according to a person familiar with the matter, the whole purpose of ABC’s vague statement was to give the network, Kimmel, and ABC’s major-affiliated-station groups time to react to Carr’s threats in a way that ensured the show remained on the air. “There is a desire to find, and folks are working toward, what a path forward looks like for the show,” one Disney insider says of the company’s thinking. Another person familiar with the matter says that Iger and Disney TV boss Dana Walden jointly made the decision to cancel the show’s Wednesday taping, with Walden personally calling Kimmel to deliver the news. Sources say the talks between Kimmel and Disney continued on Thursday with the goal of finding a way for the host to get back on TV “as soon as possible.”

    All this may sound like spin from Disney, and if this ends with Kimmel leaving the network, that is surely how it will be interpreted in many quarters. The courts of social media and punditocracy have already — and somewhat understandably — charged and convicted ABC with bending the knee to the Trump administration. Whatever happens next, there is no taking back the decision to pull Kimmel’s show, for any length of time, in response to a coordinated, deliberate attack on him and ABC by Carr and right-wing influencers and podcasters.

    But you don’t have to excuse what Disney did Wednesday to accept the possibility that the purpose of its actions were not to punish Kimmel but to get through this crisis with Jimmy Kimmel Live! standing. One veteran Hollywood insider not connected to Disney said the utter blandness of ABC’s Wednesday statement is evidence that the company was winging it and essentially stalling for time. “There was not an ounce of spin in what they said,” this person says. “That means they had nothing to say that could please the government, their employees, the affiliates, or talent. And I don’t blame them. I probably would have done the same.”

    While folks on the right celebrated what they deemed a victory, ABC’s move ended up turning a story mostly limited to the right-wing information bubble into international news. Countless Democratic officials, including former president Barack Obama, denounced what had happened; cable news offered nonstop coverage for hours; creators threatened to boycott Disney unless Kimmel returned to the air; Jon Stewart decided he would host a special edition of The Daily Show Thursday to respond. “Now what you have is a cascading effect,” the veteran Hollywood exec says. “If the goal was to simmer down the temperature, it didn’t. It became volcanic.”

    Nobody should be pulling out the violins for Iger or Disney, but U.S. corporations do not have a ton of experience dealing with a government as ruthless and shameless at going after its targets as this Trump White House has been. While Trump’s bluster was plenty loud during his first term, folks like Carr literally wrote a playbook —  Project 2025 — on how to learn from the mistakes of that administration and better execute their vision of America. With Carr, networks now have not an objective regulator, or even someone with a partisan agenda, but something unprecedented in recent history: a mercenary who seems intent on using the regulatory state to serve the personal whims of the president. Trump perceives late-night comedians and network newscasters as his enemies; Carr has gone after both within his first year on the job.

    Even people outside Disney are shocked at what he has done. “Brendan Carr is drunk with power and glee,” a longtime TV-industry executive says. “He’s like the nerd who was bullied in high school, gets power, and has gone crazy with it.” Furthermore, a person familiar with the matter says that as right-wing outrage over Kimmel’s comments grew, employees inside ABC began getting threats to their personal safety. That has factored into Disney’s handling of the situation, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

    Still, it’s not as if Iger & Co. have not had time now to prepare for these sorts of incidents and devise a clear strategy to fight back. Even if this ends with Kimmel back on the air, Iger’s silence has caused at least some short-term damage to Disney’s brand and his personal image. He has long been regarded as among the most talent-friendly of CEOs, and Kimmel has been among the most loyal of Disney soldiers. Would it have really hurt the cause for Iger (or Walden) to come out with a statement Thursday morning defending Kimmel while showing sensitivity to Charlie Kirk’s death?

    But Disney clearly decided to play things safe and not add any fuel to the fire by saying anything until it decides what comes next. While nobody from Disney or Kimmel’s team would comment on Thursday afternoon, it seems likely the two sides have been in discussions about what, if anything, Kimmel needs to say to make ABC comfortable with putting him back on the air. (The show will remain off the air Thursday night.) Just as important, the network is likely in discussions with Nexstar and other affiliate groups about what they will require in order for them to resume airing Kimmel’s show. ABC would want to get both of them back onboard, but Nexstar — which is trying to get a huge merger deal approved by the FCC — in particular has proved it’s in full suck-up mode to Carr and Trump. “Nexstar saw all this as an opportunity to score points with the FCC,” an industry insider says. And with fellow affiliate group Sinclair joining the Kimmel pile on, it has even more leverage with Disney.

    That said, if ABC can come to an agreement with Kimmel over an appropriate response, Disney could, in theory, decide to just live with Nexstar and Sinclair boycotting Kimmel’s show. While it would mean some loss of ad revenue, it’s not as if late night is a giant profit center for networks; just the opposite. This isn’t 1995, or even 2005, where a Kimmel blackout in, say, 20 percent of the country would be a financial disaster. Much of Kimmel’s viewership now takes place on YouTube and Hulu. Disney could even go with a nuclear option and just make Jimmy Kimmel Live! a Hulu exclusive and let affiliates fill the hour with local news. CBS’s decision to cancel The Late Show With Stephen Colbert at the end of this season makes such a move even less risky, since it’s not as if ABC would be the lone big-three network without a late-night show.

    Regardless of the outcome, what is becoming sadly clear is that this will not be the last time big media companies are forced to deal with the MAGA machine moving swiftly, and with full government support, to achieve its goals. And broadcasters like ABC will keep butting up against this dynamic again and again because they program not only prime-time entertainment shows but topical talk series and newscasts. “It’s the worst time ever to be at a broadcast network, especially if you work in PR. Literally every day now, someone is going to say something,” the Hollywood veteran says. And while such controversies happened long before Trump, the mood in Hollywood is different now. “Before, when you had a backlash, it felt like social justice. Now, it feels like the full power of the U.S. government coming for you.”

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    Josef Adalian

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  • Homecoming: Riona Harris looks to shine in Disney on Ice presents Jump In!

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    Harris has been skating since she was eight years old. Photo by Joren Romaniuk

    The first time professional skater and performer Riona Harris put on a pair of skates, she fell. She was eight years old, and even though the Duluth native had been training in dance since she was two years old, being coordinated on ice wasn’t easy for her.  

    “I wasn’t good at it, I was falling a lot, but I loved it,” Harris explained. “I was hanging and holding onto the boards because I kept falling.” 

    Harris said that despite the rough start, there was a certain feeling that she couldn’t shake. The feeling that only ice skating, and maybe surfing and roller skating can duplicate.

    “Once I got comfortable, the feeling of gliding felt so incredible,” Harris said.

    These days, Harris is very comfortable on ice as a member of the ensemble for Disney on Ice presents Jump In! The show’s East Coast tour is making a stop at Gas South Arena in Duluth. The show is running from September 25-28, and as soon as Harris learned the tour was going to make a stop in metro Atlanta, she knew she was going home. Asked if she could recall the other stops on the tour, Harris needed a moment to remember. She was so excited to return to her hometown that she couldn’t get past those dates.

    “I’m very excited to perform in front of my home audience,” she said.

    Riona Harris. Photo provided by Field Entertainment

    Harris took her first ballet lessons at the age of two and enjoys the art of dance. Disney on Ice always includes plenty of dancing, and Harris expects to do a lot of dancing during the show, which includes 50 Disney characters.

    “I was a huge Disney fan growing up,” said Harris, who revealed she would dress up like her favorite characters as a child. “I would play dress up all the time.” 

    Harris said she is expecting her family, friends, and former coaches to attend some of the shows. In the case of her parents, Yumiko and Lawrence Harris, she joked that they will most likely be at Gas South Arena for all four shows. Her younger brother Kai is in college in the Midwest and might not be able to make a show, but there will be plenty of videos and photos to go around.

    “I can’t wait to have my coaches, family, and friends see what I’ve been up to,” she said. “They are a big part of why I’m here, and I hope to make my coaches and teachers proud.” 

    Harris with Mickey Mouse during her childhood. Photo courtesy of the Harris family.

    Some of Harris’s favorite professional skaters have been on stages around the world, including the Winter Olympics. Two of her favorites, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, performed together at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. 

    “I loved it so much I got a skating dress made inspired by Meryl’s dress from that program that year,” she said.

    Asked what she believes Disney fans and skating fans will get when they see the show, Harris said she hopes they come away satisfied with the shows she and her fellow castmates put on.

    “You will be able to see your favorite Disney stories and Disney princesses during the show,” Harris said. “I think it’s definitely going to be different live.”

    Harris during her younger years at her first skating club. Photo provided by Harris family.

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    Donnell Suggs

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  • Here’s The Official Cast For Disney Channel’s Camp Rock 3

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    Disney Channel and Disney+ are back, once again, to pull on our nostalgic heartstrings. They’ve hit us with the biggest news of the year – Camp Rock 3 is officially greenlit. Disney announced the full cast today, featuring both new and familiar faces. Our favorite childhood stars are returning, and we could not be more excited. “It’s on, it’s on, it’s on!”

    “The story picks up when Connect 3 lose their opening act for a major reunion tour, returning to their beloved Camp Rock to discover the next big thing. As campers vie for the chance to open for their favorite band, tensions rise and friendships are tested, leading to unexpected alliances, revelations and romances.” 

     Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, said in a press release

    Image Source: Courtesy of Disney Entertainment Television

    The Returning Stars

    Demi Lovato

    Yes, it’s officially been announced that Demi Lovato will reprise their role of Mitchie Torres in Camp Rock 3! We’re so glad Demi is back for the third rendition of the iconic Disney Channel movie franchise. Right on the heels of their new album, It’s Not That Deep, Demi is destined for greatness the rest of the year and into 2026. We’ll always be here supporting Demi!

    Image Source: Jane Dylan Cody
    Maria Canals-Barrera

    Momma Connie Torres is back! The Camp Rock franchise certainly isn’t complete without Disney legend Maria Canals-Barrera. You know and love her as the Russo-family matriarch in Wizards of Waverly Place, but we have a special place for her character Connie in our hearts as well. Will she still be the camp chef? Or will she take on a new title in Camp Rock 3?

    Image Source: Marc Cartwright
    Kevin Jonas

    Any Camp Rocker knows that Kevin was the comedic relief and one of the best characters in the original Camp Rock movies. He’ll be reprising his role of Jason Gray, the junior Camp Rockers’ favorite camp counselor. Maybe we’ll finally get a solo Kevin Jonas moment?

    Image Source: Erica Hernandez
    Nick Jonas

    If you had a crush on Nate Gray in 2008, welcome to the club. We may have read one too many fan fictions about meeting our favorite singer, aka Nick Jonas, at a summer camp and falling deeply in love over playing guitar and “a homemade quesadilla.” All that to say, Nick Jonas is returning to Camp Rock 3!

    Image Source: Pamela Littky
    Joe Jonas

    Obviously, if his brothers Kevin and Nick are returning, Joe Jonas has to be back, too. We couldn’t leave mega superstar Shane Gray out of the picture….let’s just hope their tour bus doesn’t fall over a cliff and into a lake again. We wonder what type of classic Disney Channel shenanigans the Gray brothers will get up to in this new movie?

    Image Source: Anthony Mandler

    “‘Camp Rock’ is an important part of the Disney Channel Original Movie legacy, with unforgettable music, energetic storytelling, and characters that live in the hearts of fans to this day. Bringing it back with Kevin, Joe, Nick and Demi is such a full-circle moment, and we can’t wait to reintroduce this world to a new generation.”

    Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television, stated in a press release

    The New Faces

    Malachi Barton

    Enter camp bad boy Fletch. You may know the name Malachi Barton from Disney+’s Zombies 4: Dawn Of The Vampires and Stuck In The Middle. Barton is a Disney Channel vet and will be a new camper at Camp Rock this summer.

    Image Source: Felicia Barton
    Brooklynn Pitts

    You may know Brooklynn from the 2023 TV show Chicken Girls, but if not, you’ll fall right in love with her character in Camp Rock 3. Pitts’ character, Callie, is the choreography lead in this new movie. Every camper wants her moves, and honestly, so do we.

    Image Source: Courtesy of Disney Television Entertainment
    Casey Trotter

    Casey Trotter joins the cast of Camp Rock 3 as Cliff, the drummer with his own beat and style. You’ll know Casey from Disney Channel’s The Thundermans: Undercover, but now he’s taking over the Disney movie scene! We can’t wait to hear what kind of musical talent he brings to the big screen.

    Image Source: Shimon Photo
    Ava Jean

    It’s not summer camp in the year 2025 without an influencer or two. Actress Ava Jean is entering Camp Rock 3 as Madison, the intimidating and confident influencer who is always camera-ready. This is probably the new character that we’ll find ourselves relating to the most.

    Image Source: Dana Patrick
    Lumi Pollack

    You’ll know Lumi Pollack from the 2021 movie, The Fallout, starring Jenna Ortega. Now, she’s making her Disney Channel debut as Rosie, the cello prodigy, ready to take Camp Rock by storm. The other new faces better watch out, Pollack is clearly a force to be reckoned with. 

    Image Source: Matt Kallish
    Liamani Segura

    Emerging actress Liamani Segura has secured the role of Sage on Camp Rock 3. Sage’s character is described as “bold” and “determined,” but fans know little else about her. You may recognize Segura’s name from Disney Channel’s High School Musical: The Musical and Descendants: Wicked Wonderland.

    Image Source: Cindy Romero
    Hudson Stone

    Another new face to the Camp Rock franchise is 13-year-old Hudson Stone. His character, Desi, is Sage’s brother, so we’re expecting to see a lot of Hudson and Liamani on screen together. Desi is described as “easygoing,” and we know that Hudson is a musician himself. We can’t wait to see his talent shine on screen!

    Image Source: Brie Childers

    Whoa, what an amazing cast reveal! If you haven’t seen Camp Rock or Camp Rock 2 in a while, take this as your sign to head to Disney+ and get to streaming! Are you as excited about Camp Rock 3 as we are? Which new character are you looking forward to learning more about? Let us know down in the comments or on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! 

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DISNEY+:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

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  • Disney, ABC hit with boycott calls after Jimmy Kimmel Live! pulled from air

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    ABC News and Disney are facing boycott calls on the heels of Jimmy Kimmel Live! being pulled from the air indefinitely on Wednesday over remarks made by the host after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

    Newsweek reached out to Disney via email for comment.

    Why It Matters

    Broadcasters pulling a national late‑night show raises questions about free expression, the power of major station groups to shape local lineups and potential regulatory pressure on networks.

    Nexstar’s decision affects dozens of ABC affiliates and advertisers, and the FCC chair’s public comments have prompted concerns from civil‑liberties groups.

    Sinclair Inc. media company also pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show from its ABC affiliates and called on the late-night show host to apologize to the family of Kirk and donate to the family and Turning Point USA.

    What To Know

    ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be “pre‑empted indefinitely.”

    “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said in a statement.

    The controversy centers on remarks Kimmel made in a monologue after Kirk’s death in which he floated that the suspect in the killing, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, could be aligned with “the MAGA gang” or possibly “one of them.”

    Kimmel also took a swipe at President Donald Trump’s answer to a reporter asking him how he was holding up after Kirk’s fatal shooting.

    Social media erupted in backlash and praise to Kimmel’s show being pulled Wednesday night.

    Brian Krassenstein, political commentator who gained social media notoriety for blasting Trump, posted to X on Wednesday: “BOYCOTT ALERT! Disney/ABC just caved & pulled Jimmy Kimmel for political reasons. Nexstar — which owns The CW + 200+ local ABC, NBC, CBS & FOX stations — is part of the same machine.”

    “💥 Boycott Disney. Boycott Nexstar. Boycott their advertisers. Hit them where it hurts: the $$$. RESHARE,” his post concluded.

    Fred Guttenberg, father of slain Parkland shooting victim, also posted on X Wednesday: “The 2A killed the First Amendment. @jimmykimmel was right. If my memory is correct, these MAGAT’s ran against cancel culture. Shame on @ABCNetwork. My television will never be on ABC ever again.”

    Podcast host and YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen reacted on Bluesky Wednesday, saying, “See ya, Hulu.” The post included a picture of a canceled subscription.

    Trump praised the decision to pull Kimmel’s show indefinitely, saying on Truth Social, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.”

    The president added, “Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT”

    ABC News signage gets installed at the Pennsylvania Convention Center one day before the presidential debate on September 9, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    What People Are Saying

    Columnist and public speaker Wajahat Ali, on X Wednesday: “Every major talent that works for ABC and Disney should refuse to show up for work until Jimmy Kimmel is reinstated. Marvel movies need to shutdown. Ditto the sitcoms. Collective boycott. Corporations love money more than anything, & this will really harm them and force them to do the right thing.”

    Podcast host Joanne Carducci, known as JoJoFromJerz, on X Wednesday: “Boycott everything affiliated with ABC and Disney. Pass it on.”

    Democratic strategist Keith Edwards, on X Wednesday: “Boycott Disney. Cancel Hulu. Don’t let them get away with this.”

    Elizabeth Warren, Democratic senator from Massachusetts, on X Wednesday: “First Colbert, now Kimmel. Last-minute settlements, secret side deals, multi-billion dollar mergers pending Donald Trump’s approval. Trump silencing free speech stifles our democracy. It sure looks like giant media companies are enabling his authoritarianism.”

    FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, on X Wednesday: “I want to thank Nexstar for doing the right thing. Local broadcasters have an obligation to serve the public interest. While this may be an unprecedented decision, it is important for broadcasters to push back on Disney programming that they determine falls short of community values. I hope that other broadcasters follow Nexstar’s lead.”

    DNC Chair Ken Martin, in a statement sent to Newsweek Wednesday night via email: “The state under Donald Trump has amassed a chilling record of restricting speech, extorting private companies, and dropping the full weight of the government censorship hammer on First Amendment rights. This is no exaggeration. Trump’s attorney general has directly confirmed that they’ll come after you for your speech and now his FCC chair has doubled down. It’s not the bully pulpit anymore — it’s the thought police presidency.”

    What Happens Next

    ABC’s suspension is open-ended; the network and its affiliates may negotiate next steps internally, and Nexstar’s position could influence other station groups’ programming choices.

    Regulatory filings or formal complaints to the FCC could follow, as the agency has received public attention in the aftermath of Carr’s statements.

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  • Disney announces 2025 EPCOT Candlelight Processional narrators, details

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    LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Disney World announced new details on Thursday for this year’s Candlelight Processional as part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.

    What You Need To Know

    • Disney World’s Candlelight Processional is part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays that will take place Nov. 28-Dec. 30
    • There will be new and returning celebrity narrators this year


    The 2025 Candlelight Processional will take place Nov. 28-Dec. 30, according to a post on the official Disney Parks Blog.

    The story of Christmas will be told by a celebrity narrator each night, and there will be new and returning faces this year — from film and television stars to award-winning performers.

    Here is the 2025 Candlelight Processional lineup set to take the stage at America Gardens Theatre:

    (Showtimes: 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. ET nightly)

    • Nov. 28-29: Constance Wu (New)
    • Nov. 30-Dec. 2: Jordan Fisher
    • Dec. 3-4: Jennifer Garner (New)
    • Dec. 5-6: Ashley Eckstein
    • Dec. 7-8: Ralph Macchio
    • Dec. 9-10: Leslie Uggams (New)
    • Dec. 11-13: Marlee Matlin
    • Dec. 14-15: Henry Winkler (New)
    • Dec. 16-17: Lauren Daigle (New)
    • Dec. 18-19: Gary Sinise
    • Dec. 20-22: Brendan Fraser
    • Dec. 23-24: Luis Fonsi
    • Dec. 25-26: Joel Smallbone (New)
    • Dec. 27-28: Brie Larson (New)
    • Dec. 29-30: Sheryl Lee Ralph (New)

    Park guests also have the option to reserve a Candlelight Processional Dining Package, which includes a meal and guaranteed seating for one of the three nightly performances. Choose from breakfast, lunch or dinner (depending on the restaurant), an entree and dessert or buffet, and a nonalcoholic beverage or alcoholic beverage (for guests 21 and older). After the meal, guests will get a reserved seating badge for their reserved package showtime. Disney officials recommend arriving early for the best view within the reserved section. Dining package bookings open on Oct. 14.

    Disney said that additional details for the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will be announced soon.

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  • Jimmy Kimmel Taken Off Air as ABC Responds to Backlash

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    ABC announced Kimmel was off the air Wednesday after he accused Kirk’s assassin Tyler Robinson – whose own family said he was left leaning – of being ‘MAGA’

    Jimmy Kimmel accused the gunman who cut down Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, of being ‘MAGA’ despite evidence from his own family that he was embracing liberal and pro transgender politics during Monday’s broadcast. ABC pulled him from the air ‘indefinitely’ the network confirmed in a statement
    Credit: Los Angeles file photo

    ABC announced the network is pulling the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” late-night show off the air “indefinitely” after the talk show host said in a monologue the man who cut down Charlie Kirk was ‘MAGA’ despite court records that show his own family told investigators after the shooting that he had “started to lean more to the left.”

    The announcement was made on Wednesday, two days after Kimmel’s Monday night monologue, in which he called the gunman a Trump supporter. “The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on the air. “In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving.”

    His remarks stand in direct contrast with court records detailing the charges against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, whose parents told authorities that their son had “had become more political and had started to lean more to the left – becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” which took place, his mother told police, after her son “began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders.”

    Prosecutors say Robinson targeted Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, last week while the 31-year-old Republican activist, a married father of two young children, was hosting an event at Utah Valley University. Robinson allegedly shot Kirk with a rifle that had belonged to his grandfather, which had been gifted to him by his father.

    New details have emerged in the killing of Charlie Kirk
    Credit: Utah County Government

    ABC, which is owned by Disney, made the announcement that rocked the media world hours after the Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr told conservative podcaster Benny Johnson that Kimmel’s comments were “truly sick” and that there was a “strong case” for action against ABC and Disney.

    “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Carr said on the podcast that the network’s license is granted by the FCC, which means the company has “an obligation to operate in the public interest.”

    Scroll to continue reading

    In addition, Nexstar, an owner of many local stations throughout the United States, said shortly before ABC’s announcement that it was axing episodes of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for the “foreseeable future.”

    “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,” the company said.

    Kimmel had posted support for Kirk’s family and urged “love” for victims of gun violence in an Instagram post in the aftermath of last week’s execution.

    Still, ABC heeded the warning from the FCC and removed Kimmel – a move that mirrors the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. In July, after Stephen Colbert was told his show was canceled by NBC, Kimmel had a message for that network on behalf of his fellow late-night talk show host: “Fuck You.” NBC axed Colbert three days after he publicly riffed on his own network after its parent company settled a case filed by President Trump for $16 million, a move Kimmel and many others say was political.

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    Michele McPhee

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  • Watch Jimmy Kimmel’s Comments About Charlie Kirk That Got His ABC Show Yanked

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    After Jimmy Kimmel‘s monologue on Monday prompted remarks from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr today, Nexstar said that it will pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its ABC stations “for the foreseeable future” following his remarks about the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination. ABC quickly followed suit.

    “Jimmy Kimmel Live! will be preempted indefinitely,” an ABC spokesperson told Deadline today.

    The monologue in question mocked Donald Trump over POTUS’ take on the NFL and TikTok, before Kimmel offered his blunt assessment of the aftermath of Kirk’s death: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” the host said.

    Watch it here, with the Charlie Kirk section and Kimmel on “four year-old” Trump’s reaction starting at the 2:00 minute point:

    On Tuesday, authorities charged Tyler Robinson, 22, in Kirk’s killing, along with a series of other charges. Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray said that Robinson’s mother said her son “had become more political and had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans rights oriented.” Gray said that when Robinson’s father asked his son why he did it, Robinson “explained that there was too much evil, and the guy, referring to Charlie Kirk, spreads too much hate.”

    RELATED: Celebrities Who Support Donald Trump

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  • The Muppet Show is returning with Sabrina Carpenter in 2026 and somebody pinch me | The Mary Sue

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    By

    Sep 17th, 2025, 7:37 pm

    Sabrina Capenter and The Muppets

    Sabrina Carpenter is joining The Muppets in a new Disney+ special event. That’s right, this is a sentence that exists out in the universe. Disney+ and The Muppet Show announced a new special on social media. Unfortunately, you’re gonna have to wait till 2026 to see this musical special. But, the buzz is already there for people who love The Muppets and can’t get enough of one of our brightest young pop stars. Sometimes, these kinds of things just spontaneously generate out of the ether.

    The Muppet Show returning in this fashion makes all the sense in the world. After MuppetVision 3D closed up shop this year, there was an entire multiple-day discourse cycle on what the future looked like for Jim Henson’s delightful creations. It’s no secret that the offerings featuring the Muppets haven’t been as omnipresent as fans would have liked in the streaming era. 

    There have been a couple of movies on Disney+. But, you would expect so much more with Disney owning the entire library and the increasing popularity of these characters period now, all the Sabrina Carpenter fans can delight in new material from her and these favorites at the same time.

    The Muppet Show returns with Sabrina Carpenter

    Sabrina Carpenter on a carpet
    (TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic)

    It’s not an exaggeration to say that Disney is giving the fans the exact sort of content that they all ask for. One peek at the social media posts for The New Muppet Show has the account @muppetherstory echoing that exact sentiment. As online arguments bubble around the future for Henson’s Workshop and the characters, this is an easy way to introduce a brand new audience to this distinct kind of magic.

    Think about it, The Muppet Show is one of the easiest ways to bring in a ton of musically inclined celebrities to do fun bits with instantly recognizable characters in a variety show environment. It could run for literally 8 reasons if Disney+ really played their cards right. In true streaming era fashion, This feels like a test balloon for a larger move from Disney with The Muppets overall. 

    Strangely, it’s been a decent period to be a Muppets fan recently. There’s more merch out there than at any time ever. Also Aerosmith’s Rock and Roller Coaster down at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is getting a Muppet – theme makeover in the near future. (In reality that’s the least they could do for getting rid of Muppet Vision 3D. And don’t forget, we want that available on Disney+ as well. in a perfect world!)  There will be more news about The Muppet Show in coming weeks. But, our initial reaction is one of excitement to see Sabrina really get in there and put on an amazing performance that we literally couldn’t have dreamed of.

    Photo Credit: Disney+

    Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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    Aaron Perine

    Aaron Perine is a writer that covers Free Streaming TV, normal TV, small TV (the kind that plays on your phone mostly!), and even movies sometimes!

    Phase Hero co-host. Host of Free Space: The Free Streaming TV Podcast.

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  • ‘Muppet Show’ Revival Special Set at Disney+, Sabrina Carpenter to Guest Star

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    “The Muppet Show” is staging a comeback on Disney+.

    Variety has learned that the streamer has greenlit a one-off “Muppet Show” event special that will air in 2026 to coincide with the original show’s 50th anniversary. In the special, the Muppets will return to the Muppet Theatre to produce a variety show. Sabrina Carpenter will guest star.

    According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, the special could serve as a backdoor pilot that would help launch a new iteration of the iconic series.

    Veteran Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman and Matt Vogel will perform the majority of the Muppet characters in the special, supported by a team of additional performers. Goelz, who has performed with The Muppets for over 50 years, was one of the performers on the original “The Muppet Show” and originated the characters Gonzo and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, among others.

    Albertina Rizzo will serve as writer and executive producer. Alex Timbers will direct the episode and serve as an executive producer. Carpenter also serves as executive producer on this variety show installment. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver and Alex McAtee are executive producers via Point Grey Pictures along with David Lightbody, Leigh Slaughter and Michael Steinbach from the Muppets Studio. Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson are also executive producers. 20th Television, Disney Branded Television, The Muppets Studio, and Point Grey produce.

    “The Muppet Show” was created by Jim Henson and originally aired in the U.K. and in first run syndication in the U.S. The show attracted a wide range of A-list stars throughout its run, including Elton John, Johnny Cash, Diana Ross, Debbie Harry, Gladys Knight, Liza Minelli, and Paul Simon

    The original series “The Muppet Show,” created by Jim Henson, ran from 1976-81 and aired in over 100 countries and featured notable guest stars including Elton John, Johnny Cash, Diana Ross, Debbie Harry, Gladys Knight, Liza Minelli, Paul Simon and many others. It has remained incredibly popular ever since and helped bring the Muppets to mainstream prominence.

    Rogen is repped by Principal Entertainment LA, UTA, ID, and Felker Toczek. Carpenter is managed by Volara and Foundation Media Partners and repped by The LEDE Company and Paradigm for film and TV.

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  • Gino, Animal Kingdom’s 44-year-old gorilla, has died

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    ORLANDO, Fla. — Gino, a western lowland gorilla that could be found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the past 30 years, has died at 44 years old.

    Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science, and Environment, confirmed the death via an Instagram post on Wednesday.

    Dr. Penning said Gino left behind an “incredible legacy,” leaving behind 14 offspring, contributions to gorilla care and conservation, and memories between cast members and guests.

    “Gino touched countless lives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with his playful spirit, gentle humor, and steady presence as a devoted father and troop leader,” Dr. Penning said in his post. “Though he would have turned 45 this December, Gino’s story will live on in the future of his species and in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.”

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Scuba-Suit-Clad Thief Steals Thousands of Dollars From Floating Disney World Restaurant in Heist Ripped Right Out of the Movies

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    When we hear of criminal activity at Walt Disney World, it’s not usually pertaining to an action sequence that feels like it’s come right out of a Disney movie itself. But that was apparently the case this week in Orlando, when over $10,000 was stolen from a Disney World restaurant by a scuba-diving criminal mastermind.

    WFTV9 (via Cinemablend) reports that in the early hours of today, an unidentified man staged a robbery at the Paddlefish seafood restaurant in Disney Springs, a shopping and dining area that is part of the Walt Disney World resort. The restaurant is aboard a replica steamboat anchored on Lake Buena Vista, and current thinking, according to a report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, is that the thief used scuba gear to swim in the lake up to the restaurant and secured their equipment before making their way to the restaurant’s manager’s office.

    There, the perpetrator came across two staff members counting money from the restaurant’s earnings that night and depositing it into a safe. According to the report, the man forced the employees into a corner and told them to close their eyes (WFTV9, citing a source familiar with an unredacted version of the Sheriff Office’s report, alleges that the employees were tied up, although not threatened with a weapon). Somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 was then taken from the earnings before the thief left the office within two minutes. The employees managed to free themselves and call 911, but by that point, the mystery man had seemingly recovered his scuba gear and escaped via the lake.

    Thankfully, no one was harmed during the robbery, and Paddlefish opened to Disney World guests today with no signs of disruption or increased security beyond Disney’s usual security efforts, according to WFTV9. But given Walt Disney Studio’s penchant for turning the attractions at its various parks into theatrical adventures—from Pirates of the Caribbean to Haunted Mansion, or the likes of Scarlett Johansson’s upcoming Tower of Terror project—whether or not the thief is found, this has all the makings of a potential Disney movie in its own right, given the peculiar way the theft went down. Or at the very least a Disney+ special! It’d be one way to try and recoup the losses if they’re never found.

    For now, the perpetrator remains at large.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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  • Disney and Webtoon’s Partnership Is Leading to a Massive New Comics App

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    Last month, Webtoon announced a major new deal with Disney to bring a litany of original licensed stories and past comics from across Marvel’s library to the scrolling format that has made Webtoon a significant force in the comics space. Today, however, the two companies confirmed that those plans are actually much, much bigger.

    Today Webtoon Entertainment confirmed that Disney would be acquiring a 2% equity interest in the company as part of a non-binding term sheet that will also see the two companies develop a brand new digital comics platform that will be home to “current comic book runs and include decades of past comics from across Disney’s portfolio, including Marvel, Star Wars, 20th Century Studios, and more,” according to a press release.

    The new, currently unnamed platform will host over 35,000 comics and is framed in the announcement as “an expansion upon Marvel Unlimited.” It’s currently unclear whether or not the new platform, which will be operated by Webtoon, will be set up to replace Marvel Unlimited, the publisher’s digital comics platform and subscription service that first launched in 2007. That said, further information provided by the companies says that the new platform will “provide decades of iconic comics for current Marvel Unlimited subscribers and bring in even more fans to experience storytelling from across the Disney portfolio along with a selection of Webtoon Original stories,” suggesting that the Unlimited subscription will continue to exist in some capacity alongside the new platform.

    Subscribers to Disney+ will also be able to read a curated selection of comics in the new app as part of the streaming service’s perks program, and the new app is described as including “a mix of vertical and traditional formats” across its library of archived comics, current runs, and original content made by Disney and Webtoon, similar to how Marvel Unlimited currently includes scrolling-format exclusive series as part of its Infinity Comics line as well as standard digital comic formats. The new platform will also feature select translations of material for Korean and Japanese audiences.

    The news comes in the wake of last August’s announcement that Webtoon will bring a selection of recent Marvel Comics output to its own service in the next few years, including the latest volume of Amazing Spider-Man, the 2015 revival of Marvel’s Star Wars ongoing, Jonathan Hickman’s 2012 Avengers run, and the 2021 Alien series, alongside a new adaptation of the 2016 Liz Braswell novel, As Old As Time: A Twisted Tale.

    “With a new platform that will combine our product and technical expertise with Disney’s full comic catalog, we’re giving new and longtime fans all over the world a new way to discover these legendary characters and stories,” Junkoo Kim, Webtoon Entertainment’s CEO, said in a provided statement. “Disney’s extraordinary storytelling legacy is second to none, and we’re honored to work with them to build the future of digital comics. This is a powerful next step for our growing global business, and a strong foundation for even greater collaboration with Disney in the years ahead.”

    The news of Disney and Webtoon’s partnership comes at an interesting time for digital comics, as the industry has seen a collapse into siloed, publisher-specific services in the wake of Amazon’s disastrous handling of Comixology, leading to the marketplace’s shuttering and folding into the retailer’s Kindle service in 2023. The union between one of the biggest studios in the world and one of the biggest digital comics platforms around will certainly raise some eyebrows.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    James Whitbrook

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