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Tag: maya rudolph

  • ‘I wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes’: Kamala speaks to herself in this SNL sketch

    ‘I wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes’: Kamala speaks to herself in this SNL sketch

    Whatever the results of the upcoming 2024 presidential election may be, Kamala Harris has already lived up to her nickname as the “meme candidate.”

    At Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph said, “I wish I could talk to someone who’s been in my shoes” while impersonating Vice President Harris. Maya turned to the side, and the camera panned not to another mimic but to Kamala Harris herself. Initially, many reacted positively to Maya’s first copycat portrayal of Harris. After this little sketch, though, Maya deserves more praise—her mannerisms and expressions were identical to Harris’. Harris laughed and told Maya through a mirror, “It’s nice to see you, Kamala. I’m just here to remind you that you got this.”

    Essentially, Harris was giving a pep talk to herself—a much-needed one given this divisive presidential campaign period. Harris joked on SNL to Maya after seeing her laugh, “I don’t really laugh like that, do I?” Maya and Harris proceeded to joke about finishing each other’s sentences and being single-minded about each issue. One thing’s for sure: both of them “believe in the promise of America.”

    Voting for herself

    By the end, Rudolph endorsed Harris, saying that she’d “vote for us.” Harris jokingly asked Maya if she was a registered voter in Pennsylvania—a key battleground state. Unfortunately, Maya’s not voting in Pennsylvania, but she’s at least voting for “herself” in the coming election. Does it count as a felony if Harris votes for herself twice as different people? The state will just have to make exemptions for cases of clones.

    Maya Rudolph played Kamala Harris before in another SNL sketch earlier in October. While many praised her ability to capture Kamala Harris’ accent and mannerisms, seeing her side-by-side with the real Harris proves that she deserved much more applause for her performance. In addition to Kamala Harris’ appearance in SNL, Maya and Harris also filmed a TikTok video together that claims that they’re “not the same person.” It’s a difficult claim to believe when Maya has perfected her impersonation down to Harris’ viral laughter.

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    Vanessa Esguerra

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  • SNL’s Kamala Harris Cameo Might Have Violated FCC Rules

    SNL’s Kamala Harris Cameo Might Have Violated FCC Rules

    A surprise appearance by Kamala Harris might have galvanized this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live, but it might also have landed it in hot water. According to a commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission, the sketch—in which Maya Rudolph’s satirical portrayal of the Democratic candidate for president sat hand-in-hand with real-life vice-president Kamala Harris—was a violation of the agency’s long-established equal-time rules, which require licensed broadcasters to offer all major candidates a platform, not just the candidate of the broadcaster’s choice.

    The cry of foul came from the FCC’s former general counsel Brendan Carr, who was nominated by both President Joe Biden and then-President Donald Trump to the five-member commission. Posting to X (formerly Twitter), the self-described senior Republican on the commission wrote that the SNL cold open “is a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule.”

    “The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election,” Carr wrote of sketch, continuing, “Unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns.”

    This isn’t the first time Saturday Night Live has raised FCC-related eyebrows with an election-eve appearance. In on November 1, 2008, then-Republican candidate for president John McCain appeared on SNL in the show’s cold open and again during “Weekend Update.” That near-election timing was enough to spur musings that Democratic candidate Barack Obama should have demanded a comparable amount of screen time from NBC. (The then-senator didn’t, and—spoiler alert—he won that election anyway.)

    The show has a rich history of presidential candidates appearing as themselves, including Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and, of course, Donald Trump, whose 2015 turn as host reportedly involved consultations with his bodyguard about whether or not certain sketches were funny. That same year, former FCC chair Tom Wheeler, who had been appointed to his position by Obama, vowed to vigorously enforce equal time rules during the 2016 presidential election.

    The rules, which originated with the Radio Act of 1927 but were adapted and altered through the 1960s, require “any licensee of a broadcast station who permits any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station to afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station.”

    It’s a rule that’s attracted particular attention as influence over public opinion has shifted from radio and TV to social media. The FCC currently has no jurisdiction when it comes to powerful platforms such as Meta and X (formerly Twitter), the latter of which has—in the words of the New York Times—been turned into a reflection of owner Elon Musk’s personal views in the months leading up to the election. It’s worth noting that Carr has been a defender of Musk, announcing in April that he opposes efforts to “weaponize the government” against the far-right-leaning mogul.

    According to the New York Times, sentiments and misinformation spread on those FCC-unregulated platforms are responsible for a remarkable spike in xenophobia and hate speech. Meanwhile, the FCC is here to fight the real enemy: Comedic outlets like SNL and Jimmy Kimmel Live, which was fined $395,000 in 2019 after it used a simulated Emergency Alert System tone to punctuate a monologue joke, another shocking violation of clearly society-saving agency policies.

    Eve Batey

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  • Kamala Harris makes surprise ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance

    Kamala Harris makes surprise ‘Saturday Night Live’ appearance

    Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, playing herself as the mirror-image double of Maya Rudolph’s version of her.The first lines the candidate spoke as she sat across from Rudolph was drowned out by cheers from the audience.Video above: John Lithgow on ‘Harry and the Hendersons,’ SNL in 1987 “It is nice to see you, Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph, “and I’m just here to remind you you got this.”In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala,” declared that they share each other’s “belief in the promise of America,” and delivered the signature “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”Harris made the surprise trip to New York City with the election looming, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show, where she was hoping to generate buzz and appeal to a nationwide audience.Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop Saturday on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she’d be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show aired at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.The visit wasn’t previously announced and an official familiar with Harris’ planning only officially confirmed it for reporters traveling with the vice president moments before the live airing began. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss plans before they were made public.Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has reprised her role this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala” — a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President Joe Biden in his place.Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, was played again by former cast member Andy Samberg and Dana Carvey appeared as President Joe Biden.Rudolph’s performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.“Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC’s “The View.” “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms.”Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”Politicians nonetheless have a long history on SNL, including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”Harris repeated that line in response to Rudolph’s portrayal of her laugh in Saturday’s episode.Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 — a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election. Long, Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

    NEW YORK —

    Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in the final days before the election, playing herself as the mirror-image double of Maya Rudolph’s version of her.

    The first lines the candidate spoke as she sat across from Rudolph was drowned out by cheers from the audience.

    Video above: John Lithgow on ‘Harry and the Hendersons,’ SNL in 1987

    “It is nice to see you, Kamala,” Harris told Rudolph, “and I’m just here to remind you you got this.”

    In sync, the two said supporters need to “Keep Kamala and carry-on-ala,” declared that they share each other’s “belief in the promise of America,” and delivered the signature “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

    Harris made the surprise trip to New York City with the election looming, briefly stepping away from the battleground states where she’s been furiously campaigning in favor of the iconic sketch comedy show, where she was hoping to generate buzz and appeal to a nationwide audience.

    Harris arrived in New York on Air Force Two after an early evening campaign stop Saturday on in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was scheduled to head to Detroit, but once in the air, aides said she’d be making an unscheduled stop and the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.

    Harris arrived at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, where SNL tapes, shortly after 8 p.m., enough time for a quick rehearsal before the show aired at 11:30 p.m. It is the final SNL episode before Election Day on Tuesday.

    The visit wasn’t previously announced and an official familiar with Harris’ planning only officially confirmed it for reporters traveling with the vice president moments before the live airing began. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss plans before they were made public.

    Rudolph first played Harris on the show in 2019 and has reprised her role this season, doing a spot-on impression of the vice president, including calling herself “Momala” — a reference to the affectionate nickname her stepchildren gave her.

    Rudolph opened the show’s season premiere with the line: “Well, well, well. Look who fell out of that coconut tree.” And she’s joked about keeping President Joe Biden in his place.

    Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, was played again by former cast member Andy Samberg and Dana Carvey appeared as President Joe Biden.

    Rudolph’s performance has won critical and comedic acclaim — including from Harris herself.

    “Maya Rudolph — I mean, she’s so good,” Harris said last month on ABC’s “The View.” “She had the whole thing, the suit, the jewelry, everything!”

    Harris added that she was impressed with Rudolph’s “mannerisms.”

    Jason Miller, a senior adviser to former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump, expressed surprise that Harris would appear on SNL given what he characterized as her unflattering portrayal on the show. Asked if Trump had been invited to appear, he said: “I don’t know. Probably not.”

    Politicians nonetheless have a long history on SNL, including Trump, who hosted the show in 2015 — though appearing so close to Election Day is unusual.

    Hillary Clinton was running in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary when she appeared next to Amy Poehler, who played her on the show and was known for launching into a trademark, exaggerated cackle. The real Clinton wondered during her appearance, “Do I really laugh like that?”

    Harris repeated that line in response to Rudolph’s portrayal of her laugh in Saturday’s episode.

    Clinton returned in 2016, while running against Trump in a race she ultimately lost.

    The first sitting president to appear on SNL was Republican Gerald Ford, who did so less than a year after the show debuted. Ford appeared in April 1976 on an episode hosted by his press secretary, Ron Nessen, and declared the show’s famous opening rejoinder, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

    Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama appeared alongside Poehler impersonating Clinton in 2007, and Republican Bob Dole was on the show in November 1996 — a mere 11 days after losing that year’s election to Bill Clinton. Dole consoled Norm Macdonald, who played the Kansas senator.

    Then there was Tina Fey’s 2008 impression of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — and in particular her joke that “I can see Russia from my house.” It was so good that Fey eventually won an Emmy and Palin herself appeared on the show that October, in the weeks before the election.

    Long, Miller and Weissert reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.

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  • Emmy Awards: Full list of winners

    Emmy Awards: Full list of winners

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 76th annual Emmy Awards were handed out Sunday at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

    “Shogun” set a single season record for most wins with 18. “Shogun” won best drama series, and Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai won acting awards for their roles.

    “Hacks’’ won the award for best comedy series. ”Baby Reindeer” and “The Bear’’ won four awards apiece.

    Early winners included Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jeremy Allen White and Liza Colón-Zayas, who won awards for their work in the comedy series “The Bear.”

    Stars presenting Emmys to their peers included: Billy Crystal, Viola Davis, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, Maya Rudolph and Martin Sheen.

    Several actors and shows, including Rudolph, won last week. Rudolph won her sixth Emmy Award at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys for her voice work on “Big Mouth.” Jamie Lee Curtis also picked up a supporting actress Emmy last weekend for her appearance on “The Bear.”

    Here’s a list of winners at Sunday’s Emmys:

    Drama series

    “Shogun”

    Comedy series

    “Hacks”

    Limited, anthology series, movie

    “Baby Reindeer”

    Actor in a drama series

    Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shogun”

    Actress in a drama series

    Anna Sawai, “Shogun”

    Supporting actor in a drama series

    Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

    Supporting actress in a drama series

    Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”

    Actor in a comedy series

    Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

    Actress in a comedy series

    Jean Smart, “Hacks”

    Supporting actress in a comedy series

    Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”

    Supporting actor in a comedy series

    Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”

    Actor in a limited, anthology series or movie

    Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

    Actress in a limited, anthology series or movie

    Jodie Foster, “True Detective: Night Country”

    Supporting actress limited, anthology series or movie

    Jessica Gunning, “Baby Reindeer”

    Supporting actor in a limited, anthology series or movie

    Lamorne Morris, “Fargo”

    Reality competition program

    “The Traitors,” Peacock

    Scripted variety series

    “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

    Talk series

    “The Daily Show”

    Writing for a variety special

    Alex Edelman, “Just for Us”

    Writing for a comedy series

    Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, “Hacks”

    Writing for a drama series

    Will Smith, “Slow Horses”

    Writing for a limited series, anthology or movie

    Richard Gadd, “Baby Reindeer”

    Directing for a limited or anthology series

    Steven Zaillian, “Ripley”

    Directing for a comedy series

    Christopher Storer, “The Bear”

    Directing for a drama series

    Frederick E.O. Toye, “Shogun”

    Governors award

    Greg Berlanti

    ___

    For more on this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards

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  • Please Stop Asking Maya Rudolph About Her Mother in Interviews

    Please Stop Asking Maya Rudolph About Her Mother in Interviews

    Maya Rudolph is done rehashing the past. In an interview for her Variety cover story, the six-time Emmy winner and Saturday Night Live all-timer shared that she is no longer interested in discussing the death of her mother, singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton, during interviews: “Why the fuck are we still doing this?”

    Born in 1972, Rudolph is the daughter of composer Richard Rudolph and the iconic “Lovin’ You” singer. Riperton was just 31 years old when she died of breast cancer in 1979. During the interview, Rudolph revealed that she recently came to the realization that she no longer wants to unpack her mother’s death when talking about her career with the press.

    “My whole career, people have always brought up my mom, which is wonderful,” she told Variety. “But then they also bring up the tragedy of losing my mother when I was little. And they ask me how old I was when she died.”

    The Loot star pointed out that the details regarding her mother’s death are readily available to anyone familiar with her or her work. “First of all, if you know me and you know who I am, you already have that information,” she said. “And the second thing is, who wants to be asked about their childhood trauma every time they talk about their career? I’m 52 years old, and I have survived my childhood trauma.”

    Rudolph recently won her sixth Emmy for voicing hormone monstress Connie on the animated Netflix comedy Big Mouth. She’s also nominated for best actress in a comedy series for her performance as Molly Novak, the billionaire ex-wife of a tech mogul, on Apple TV+’s Loot. Production on the third season of Loot has been pushed back so that Rudolph can return to SNL in some capacity this fall to portray Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris during the election cycle. She’s also a mother to four children—Pearl, Lucille, Jack, and Minnie, named after her own mother—whom she shares with her longtime partner, director Paul Thomas Anderson.

    Clearly, Rudolph has plenty going on beyond her childhood trauma. Yet she still finds herself talking about the loss of her mother in interviews. “I answer the question and then afterwards, I’m like, Why the fuck did I do that again?” she said. “Maybe this is the day where we just go, like, ‘You can stop asking.’ It just makes a sad story. But we’re talking about great things, yeah, and humans are capable of so much more than one thing. But for whatever reason, people want to really focus on the sadness, and I’m like, I good.”

    Chris Murphy

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  • Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon Assist Ailing Dad in Netflix’s ‘His Three Daughters’ Trailer

    Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, Carrie Coon Assist Ailing Dad in Netflix’s ‘His Three Daughters’ Trailer

    Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne and Carrie Coon revisit frayed relationships in the trailer for the Netflix drama film His Three Daughters.

    Writer-director Azazel Jacobs’ feature is set to hit select theaters Sept. 6 and begin streaming Sept. 24 after premiering last year at the Toronto International Film Festival. Olsen, Lyonne and Coon co-star as the titular estranged sisters who reconnect in a Manhattan apartment to help their ailing father and aim to repair their tense connections with each other.

    “It’s nice that it’s us,” Olsen tells her sisters about the three of them spending time together. “This is the way that it should be — the way he would want it.”

    Later, when asked for help in writing their dad’s obituary, Lyonne quips, “Married a couple of crazy bitches, raised a few crazy bitches.”

    Rounding out the cast are Jovan Adepo, Jay O. Sanders, Rudy Galvan, Jose Febus and Jasmine Bracey. Serving as producers are Jacobs, Matt Aselton, Lia Buman, Tim Headington, Diaz Jacobs, Marc Marrie, Duncan Montgomery, Alex Orlovsky, Jack Selby and Mal Ward. Executive producers include Lyonne and Maya Rudolph.

    In his review for The Hollywood Reporter, senior reviews editor Jon Frosch wrote that “filmmaker Azazel Jacobs makes a satisfying New York homecoming with His Three Daughters, a sharp, tender tale of sisterhood under duress.”

    Frosch continued, “Blessed with a trio of superlative turns from Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne — all playing both to and against type in bracing ways — it’s the writer-director’s strongest effort since Momma’s Man put him on the indie map in 2008.”

    Ryan Gajewski

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  • What to Watch on Streaming This Week: February 23-29

    What to Watch on Streaming This Week: February 23-29

    Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal in All of Us Strangers. Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

    From a major Oscar winner to one of this year’s biggest awards snubs, this week is filled with some recent quality content. Plus, a fun new spin-off of The Good Wife, FX’s newest blockbuster series, and some animated fun are all premiering.

    What to watch on Netflix

    Everything Everywhere All at Once 

    With the Oscars now less than a month away, why not refresh your awards season memory by watching last year’s undeniable winner? Everything Everywhere All at Once all but swept the season, taking home seven Oscars (including Best Picture). In this genre-bending exercise in action and absurdism, Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn, a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who’s struggling to hold her life together: her business is getting audited by the IRS (represented by Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband (Ke Huy Quan) feels like their marriage is a mess, and her daughter (Stephanie Hsu) is tired of her mom not accepting her. Everything Everywhere All at Once streams Friday, February 23rd. Read Observer’s review.

    The Tourist

    A British export recently picked up by Netflix, The Tourist is a thrilling ride. Jamie Dornan stars as a man who, in Season 1, woke up alone and amnesiac in the Australian Outback. With a bevy of people out to get him, he had to act fast to try to piece together his true identity. Now, in Season 2, Dornan’s Elliot has an idea of who he is, and it’s not pretty. He ventures back to his native Ireland with Constable Helen Chambers (Danielle Macdonald), where plenty of surprises await. Season 2 of The Tourist premieres Thursday, February 29th.

    What to watch on Hulu

    All of Us Strangers 

    A moving, heartbreaking, devastatingly relatable drama, All of Us Strangers takes a fantastical conceit and makes it into one of last year’s most human films. Andrew Scott stars as a lonely writer, dealing with unresolved guilt from his parents’ sudden passing several decades ago. But after a chance encounter with one of his apartment block’s few other residents (Paul Mescal), he ventures to his childhood home and finds his parents, exactly as they were all those years earlier. It’s a difficult needle to thread, but writer-director Andrew Haigh does it with a deep sense of sympathy. All of Us Strangers premiered Thursday, February 22nd. Read Observer’s review.

    Shōgun 

    Based on the novel of the same name, Shōgun is a new historical epic on FX. The series take place in feudal Japan, where three people’s paths intertwine. First, there’s the shipwrecked English sailor, John Blackstone (Cosmo Jarvis); second, there’s Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), who’s contending with his keen political rivals; lastly, there’s the Lady Moriko (Anna Sawai), whose necessary skills belie her mysterious past. It’s a sprawling drama filled with political intrigue, richly realized medieval battles, and fascinating characters, all coming together to make a spectacle of a show. Shōgun will be available to stream Tuesday, February 27th.

    What to watch on Amazon Prime

    The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy 

    Following Hazbin Hotel, Amazon is looking to further bulk up its adult animated slate with The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy. The series follows Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer), a pair of brilliant besties with expertise in all sorts of intergalactic injuries and illnesses. But when a new patient presents a new possibility to cure a universal ill, they decide to take the opportunity—even if they may lose their lives (or their licenses) in the process. The rest of the talented voice cast includes Kieran Culkin, Maya Rudolph, Natasha Lyonne, and Sam Smith. The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premieres Friday, February 23rd.

    The Green Knight 

    An Arthurian legend stunningly brought to life by filmmaker David Lowery, A24’s The Green Knight stars Dev Patel as Gawain. Taking cues from the 14th century poem, the film follows Gawain as he strikes down the mystical Green Knight for glory—in exchange for an equal blow bestowed by the knight the following year. It’s a medieval fantasy movie that feels decidedly out of place in the ‘20s, but that’s a good thing. The supporting cast of Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Barry Keoghan, and Sarita Choudhury help instill things with dread and mystery in equal measure, and Patel makes for quite the convincing knight. The Green Knight streams until Thursday, February 29th. Read Observer’s review.

    What to watch on Paramount+

    Elsbeth 

    The Good Wife has already spawned a successful spin-off in The Good Fight, and now Elsbeth is ready to join the proceedings. Carrie Preston returns as fan-favorite Elsbeth Tascioni, the brilliant but unusual attorney. This new series sees her uprooting her successful Chicago career and bringing her unique talents to New York, where she works with NYPD Captain Wagner (Wendell Pierce) and Officer Blanke (Carra Patterson) to solve a litany of legal cases. For a character that’s existed in the background of shows for over a decade, it’s sure to be an interesting adventure for Elsbeth. Elsbeth will be available to stream starting Thursday, February 29th.

    What to Watch is a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.

    What to Watch on Streaming This Week: February 23-29

    Laura Babiak

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  • IF Conjures Up a New Teaser for Its Imaginary Friends

    IF Conjures Up a New Teaser for Its Imaginary Friends


    Image: Paramount

    John Krasinski and Paramount aren’t just bringing sound-seeking aliens to the theater this year. In May, the actor is directing (and writing) his first kiddie movie, the Ryan Reynolds-starring IF, which came to the Super Bowl with a new trailer on hand.

    What Inspired Bobby Moynihan to Write a Children’s Book

    The upcoming film, cheekily introduced here by “Krasinski” himself—definitely not Randall Park—stars Cailey Fleming as Bea, a kid who realizes that she can see imaginary friends, a trait she also shares with her neighbor (Reynolds). As he explains it, there’s a whole secret world of imaginary friends (or IFs), ranging from talking marshmallows on fire to more conventional ones, like a bear (voiced by Lou Gossett Jr.) or Steve Carrell’s big, fluffy purple guy Blue. It eventually falls to the two humans to find new children for IFs, since their original creators have all gotten older and forgotten or abandoned them.

    If you watched Cartoon Network in the 2000s, this is going to be very familiar and likely remind you of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. And like that show, this is probably going to hit hard with the younger crowd who probably haven’t seen much (or anything) focused on imaginary friends, and in quite this way. For the older crowd… who knows, movies like these live and die on the chemistry and humor. It’s got a sizable cast, which includes reliably funny people like Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Bobby Moynihan. It’s easy to imagine a movie with this premise and cast comes together fairly well, right?

    We’ll know for sure when IF comes to theaters May 17.

    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.



    Justin Carter

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  • ‘The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy’ Adds Bowen Yang, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Waters, & More; Watch The Trailer

    ‘The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy’ Adds Bowen Yang, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Waters, & More; Watch The Trailer


    Prime Video has set the guest cast and released the trailer for The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, its adult animated sci-fi comedy from Cirocco Dunlap and Maya Rudolph, Danielle Renfrew Behrens and Natasha Lyonne‘s Animal Pictures. Tracee Ellis Ross (American Fiction), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live), Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Jay Ellis (Top Gun: Maverick), Andrew Dismukes (Saturday Night Live), Lennon Parham (Minx), Gary Anthony Williams (Night Court), and John Waters (Hairspray) will appear in the first season, which premieres on February 23.

    They join previously announced series regulars Maya Rudolph, Natasha Lyonne, Keke Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Sam Smith and Kieran Culkin, who will be joined by his real-life brothers Macaulay, Rory, Christian and Shane Culkin.

    Created by Dunlap, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy follows Dr. Sleech (Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Palmer) —aliens, best friends, and intergalactically renowned surgeons—as they tackle anxiety-eating parasites, illegal time loops, and deep-space STIs. In Season 1, doctors Sleech and Klak take on a highly dangerous and potentially groundbreaking case and, in doing so, put existence itself in jeopardy. Although considering their dismal personal lives, oblivion might be an improvement.

    Dunlap also serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer, along with EPs Rudolph, Animal Pictures’ Behrens and Lyonne, Shauna McGarry, Shannon Prynoski, Chris Prynoski, Antonio Canobbio and Titmouse’s Ben Kalina. Artist and animator Robin Eisenberg will co-produce and serve as production designer.

    Watch the trailer above.



    Denise Petski

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  • M&M’s Spokescandies Catch a Literal Break

    M&M’s Spokescandies Catch a Literal Break

    M&M’s tried to update its anthropomorphized candy’s characters and caused a meltdown. It’s a problem that can only be solved by one thing: a Super Bowl commercial starring Maya Rudolph.

    Kenzie Bryant

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  • Maya Rudolph Named New Spokesperson For M&Ms Brand Following Backlash

    Maya Rudolph Named New Spokesperson For M&Ms Brand Following Backlash

    By Anita Tai.
    Published:

    Maya Rudolph’s next job is a sweet deal.

    The actress has been named as M&M’s newest spokesperson in placed of the iconic colourful candies.

    The company made the announcement today on Instagram with the caption, “A message from M&M’S.”


    READ MORE:
    Maya Rudolph Says She Was ‘So Sad’ Leaving ‘SNL’ But There’s ‘A Lot Of World Out There’

    “America, let’s talk. In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies. We weren’t sure if anyone would even notice. And we definitely didn’t think it would break the internet,” the statement began. “But now we get it — even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing. Which was the last thing M&M’s wanted since we’re all about bringing people together.”

    The company faced backlash last year after redesigning their iconic candies. The makeover included swapping out go-go boots for sneakers among other changes.

    “Therefore, we have decided to take an indefinite pause from the spokescandies,” it continued. “In their place, we are proud to introduce a spokesperson America can agree on: the beloved Maya Rudolph. We are confident Ms. Rudolph will champion the power of fun to create a world where everyone feels they belong.”


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    “I’m thrilled to be working with M&M’s,” Rudolph told TODAY.com. “I am a lifelong lover of the candy and I feel like it’s such an honor to be asked to be part of such a legendary brand’s campaign.”

    “It’s a very fun pairing, if I do say so myself,” she added. “I think little Maya would be thrilled to get to work with M&M’s.”

    The actress is set to appear in their Super Bowl ad which airs on Feb. 12.

    Anita Tai

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  • Maya Rudolph Says David Letterman ‘Embarrassed And Humiliated’ Her With Interview Blunder

    Maya Rudolph Says David Letterman ‘Embarrassed And Humiliated’ Her With Interview Blunder

    Before Maya Rudolph was a household name, David Letterman mispronounced hers, leaving the comedian feeling “embarrassed and humiliated” during an early career interview.

    Two years after exiting “Saturday Night Live,” Rudolph landed her first leading feature film role in the 2009 comedy “Away We Go,” which led to her first-ever guest appearance on “The Late Show With David Letterman.”

    “I did not have a good time,” she said in an interview with WSJ Magazine published on Friday. “He said my name wrong, and I just sat there, like, I grew up my whole life in love with you. And now my heart is broken. And I’m sitting here embarrassed and humiliated. I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t know how to come up with something funny to say. My public persona muscle wasn’t strong yet.”

    All these years later, Rudolph said she’s “gotten much better,” adding that, “when I’m uncomfortable, I try to be funny.”

    A representative for Letterman told NBC News, “We must respectfully decline comment” concerning Rudolph’s experience on the late-night talk show, which aired its final episode in 2015.

    At the start of the 2009 appearance, Letterman appears to fumble while introducing the comedian, seemingly adding an “a” to the beginning of her name. He subsequently apologized to Rudolph over the flub.

    “I’m sorry that I mispronounced your name,” he told the comedian. “I’m just a boob. There’s no excuse for it. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize.”

    While Rudolph has yet to expand on her experience, she’s likely not the only star to have a less than favorable sit-down with the talk show host.

    Last year, Letterman drew criticism on social media over a resurfaced clip from a 2013 interview with Lindsay Lohan.

    At the time, he appeared to mock her drug and alcohol recovery, prodding a visibly uncomfortable Lohan with a barrage of questions about the tumult in her personal life, including her shoplifting and seeking rehabilitation treatment.

    Amid the backlash, Letterman stayed silent. He currently hosts the Netflix interview series “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman,” which dropped its fourth season on the streaming service earlier this year.

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