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Tag: television

  • Who’s laughing? LateNighter, a digital news site about late-night TV, hopes to buck media trends

    Who’s laughing? LateNighter, a digital news site about late-night TV, hopes to buck media trends

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    NEW YORK — At first glance, Jed Rosenzweig’s new venture would seem like a fool’s errand: launching a digital news site during brutal economic times for the media to cover an industry that, by traditional measures, is waning in influence.

    That didn’t dissuade him. LateNighter, a website and newsletter that follows late-night television comedy, began operations in February.

    There’s been plenty to chew on since then, including Jon Stewart’s return to “The Daily Show,” John Mulaney’s new Netflix show, Jimmy Kimmel’s feud with Donald Trump,Conan O’Brien resurfacing online and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s emergence as a comic foil.

    “I haven’t come to this project from a business perspective, so much so much as a passion,” says Rosenzweig, a veteran entertainment journalist based in Portland, Oregon. “I certainly want it to succeed, and I think it will. … There’s an appetite and a void that we’re looking to fill.”

    He hasn’t released any metrics that would indicate how the site is catching on. LateNighter is a small operation, with only two full-time employees, and was essentially self-funded. Rosenzweig is also behind the sister website, Primetimer, and the TV Tattle subscription newsletter. His creation and subsequent sale, at an opportune time, of the home entertainment review site High Def Digest gave him some money to invest, although LateNighter will soon take paid ads.

    His 13-year-old son Lem’s obsession with “Saturday Night Live” inspired LateNighter, Rosenzweig says.

    A couple of influential contributors brought gravitas at the start. Bill Carter, author of “The Late Shift” and one of the industry’s most important chroniclers while at The New York Times, is a regular writer. Eric Deggans, TV critic at NPR, has also agreed to do occasional pieces, like an interview with Dulce Sloan of “The Daily Show” that discussed diversity in late-night.

    “I’m not sure how often I can do stories for them,” Deggans says, “but I’m excited by the opportunity to dig deeper into a genre that has helped build so much of the modern comedy world.”

    By television ratings alone, late-night isn’t the force it used to be. The quartet of NBC’s “Tonight Show,” CBS’ “Late Show,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Daily Show” collectively averaged 10.5 million viewers a night a decade ago. Now, together they pull in 4.8 million people a night, the Nielsen company said. Ad revenue for the shows dropped by 70% between 2015 and 2023.

    Asked for an evaluation of LateNighter, former Comedy Central chief executive Doug Herzog said it “seems cool.”

    “And maybe 10 years too late,” he added.

    Yet broadcast network entertainment in general has collapsed with cord-cutting and the rise of programming on streaming services. Mulaney’s new effort notwithstanding, streaming hasn’t been able to replicate the late-night comedy genre. The first “SNL” cast was dubbed the Not Ready for Prime Time Players in the 1970s; this season, the sketch comedy show NBC’s most-watched entertainment show among viewers under age 50 — better than anything in prime-time.

    Besides, television ratings don’t reflect the way many people follow late-night stars these days — through highlight clips posted online.

    “You can make the argument that it’s more influential today than it ever has been,” Rosenzweig says.

    In its short life, LateNighter has shown the potential to be a solid, creative news source. It wrote an oral history of a groundbreaking Madonna appearance on David Letterman’s show, for instance. After O.J. Simpson died, it wrote about his impact on late-night comedy.

    The website provides a morning-after recap of late-night monologues — suggested by Kimmel, Rosenzweig says — that has proven so popular that some readers asked for an email alert when it is posted.

    Carter writes a few times a week, contributing pieces about the history of “SNL” stars appearing at the White House correspondents’ dinner, then evaluating Colin Jost’s performance this year. Carter’s reputation enabled LateNighter to land an interview with Jimmy Fallon only weeks after the site’s start, a signal to the industry to take it seriously.

    Besides standard news and features, LateNighter crunches numbers looking for trends. Each week, it measures how many minutes “SNL” cast members get on the air and the length of each guest host’s monologue (Mikey Day had the most screen time last week, after host Maya Rudolph). It has calculated which weeknight show gets the most laughs per hour (Seth Meyers during the April week that was counted). Through a partnership with Nielsen, it regularly publishes late-night ratings.

    Ten minutes after each new “SNL” episode concludes, LateNighter hosts a livestream where panelists and readers weigh in on what went right and wrong. A separate Monday roundtable, whose host Jon Schneider boasts of seeing every episode since the show’s 1975 premiere, dissects things in minute detail — even wondering whether Dua Lipa’s show suffered because one particular writer missed a day of work. The roundtables can last longer than the “SNL” episode itself.

    Comedian Mark Malkoff will soon debut a regular podcast about the weeknight comedy shows.

    “The response from readers and the shows themselves has been really gratifying,” Rosenzweig says. “Insiders are sending us news tips, people tell us they check the site multiple times a day, and the number of subscribers to our free newsletter continues to grow.”

    Carter, who took a buyout from The Times in 2014, said that he’d missed writing regularly and LateNighter is a good outlet for him. He said he believes there is still interesting, important work being done in the late-night industry.

    “I know one guy who pays a lot of attention to it,” he says. “Donald Trump.”

    ___

    David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.

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  • Eurovision 2024 Concludes With Controversial Grand Finale

    Eurovision 2024 Concludes With Controversial Grand Finale

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    Just hours after Eurovision 2024 kicked out one of its most promising competitors, the song contest crowned a new winner: Swiss singer Nemo, with a narrative work on their embrace of their nonbinary identity entitled “The Code.”

    Even before Nemo and their competition from 24 other countries hit the stage, Eurovision 2024 was rocked by controversy. The contest, which was held this year in Malmö, Sweden, faced protests from its first day over the decision to include a participant from Israel, given increasing dismay over the toll its war against Hamas has taken on civilians in Gaza.

    Eden Golan, a 20-year-old who—per the Associated Press—practiced for her Eurovision slot by singing her song “Hurricane,” while being booed, took fifth place. Her song was originally entitled “October Rain” as a reference to the October 7 attack on Israel, until Eurovision organizers ordered a name change.

    As Golan and her fellow singers performed, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside to demonstrate against both the war and Golan’s Eurovision inclusion. Among them was climate activist Greta Thunberg, The Wrap reports. Thunberg had tweeted, “Malmö says NO to genocide! People from all over Sweden are gathering in Malmö this week, where Eurovision is taking place, to protest against Israel’s participation in the competition,” the day before the finale, and had been spotted at protests against the contest earlier in the week.

    Meanwhile, French contestant Slimane broke with Eurovision’s “no politics” rule from inside the competition, the BBC reports. During the final, audience-attended dress rehearsal on Saturday afternoon, he stopped mid-song to say, “Everybody, I just need to say something. Every artist here want[s] to sing about love and sing about peace. We need to be united by music, yes, but with love for peace.”

    “United by music, yes, but with love for peace. Thank you so much. Thank you, Europe.” The singer was awarded fourth place in the contest for his song “Mon Amour.”

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    Eve Batey

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  • The Hisense U8N TV Is Bright Enough for Any Room

    The Hisense U8N TV Is Bright Enough for Any Room

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    The U8N also lets you control the volume output of its optical port with the TV remote, making it much simpler to control older audio systems that don’t support HDMI ARC/eARC, like my original KEF LSX speakers. If you decide to settle for the onboard sound, the U8N’s 2.1.2 speaker system offers some decent detail, and a bit of extra bass punch for its woofers.

    The TV is well stocked on the gaming front, including VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and AMD FreeSync Premium Proto for fluid high frame-rate gaming, as well as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) for low input lag. Gaming feels realistic and responsive, with impressive HDR performance. I like the variety of available picture settings, including both Theater and Game modes, which provide rich contrast and vibrant colors for details like Kratos’ ruby red armor in God of War Ragnarok.

    Peaky Blinder

    The U8N provides an almost intimidating level of picture settings for deep-dive adjustments. The Peak Brightness setting is the most confusing. When applying my usual picture modes during setup, like Theater Night for standard dynamic range (SDR) and HDR Theater mode for HDR10, Peak Brightness was set on High by default, which really pumps up the overall picture. This can result in raised black levels and white-hot highlights in content and menu bars, especially with HDR video, leading my wife to call the U8N “the hurty TV” at first.

    There are a few things going on here. First, Peak Brightness is primed for daytime watching in bright rooms with sunlight pouring in, allowing even the darkest scenes to pop. Hisense also includes an adjustable Automatic Light Sensor under the General picture settings, something most reviewers tend to turn off for consistent performance but is all but necessary for Peak Brightness. It does a relatively good job taming the splashy brightness in low lighting, even if I don’t always love how it reacts to each environment.

    Still, Hisense’s decision to quietly set Peak Brightness on High (often without the light sensor engaged) in picture modes that are usually more restrained is confounding, even for someone used to digging through picture settings. A colleague suggested that the TV’s default Energy Saving mode—a dimmer setting that includes the light sensor on for Peak Brightness—is the one Hisense expects most viewers to experience since most folks apparently don’t change their picture settings. The light sensor is also helpfully engaged by default in some other modes, like Dolby Vision Dark.

    If you decide to use Peak Brightness, which is necessary to reach the TV’s highest brightness levels, I suggest starting on Low and turning the light sensor for night viewing. This worked well for illuminating challenging SDR content like Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows during daylight hours, where the darkest scenes seemed to have even less pop than the U8K without the peak brightness setting on.

    My brightest HDR testing content often looked overcooked and oversaturated in this mode. That’s not surprising, considering the TV can reach over 3,000 nits, or triple the brightness at which most videos are currently mastered (though this baseline will change with the latest mastering tools). I usually left the setting off for HDR, but it can be useful in brighter rooms, especially for the always murky Dolby Vision Dark mode. I couldn’t help but marvel at how vibrant and flashy some scenes looked with the setting on, such as the monster scene in Moana, where the giant crab Tamatoa’s golden shell burst to life in disco psychedelia.

    Slackjaw Spectacle

    However you utilize the U8N’s picture settings, it’s capable of the signature beautiful picture we’ve come to expect from the series, with deep black levels, fabulous backlight control, very little “haloing” around bright objects, and intense colors that sparkle like jewels in sunlight.

    This is showy performance, especially for high-quality 4K HDR productions like Netflix’s Our Planet. Episode 4’s coral scene looks incredible, with dashing neon yellows, sapphire blues, and lifelike sunlight sparkling across it all. Occasionally the TV tends to oversaturate reds, especially when using the Warm1 color temperature, but even so it’s stunningly beautiful. It’s the kind of picture that makes you just want to sit there, slackjawed and dumbfounded, as the pretty colors and bright sparklies dance before your eyes.

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    Ryan Waniata

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  • Eurovision 2024 Shocker as Dutch Competitor is Booted Hours Before Grand Finale

    Eurovision 2024 Shocker as Dutch Competitor is Booted Hours Before Grand Finale

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    The Eurovision Song Contest is no stranger to controversy and mid-competition surprises. The nearly 70-year annual singing event, which spawned a 2020 movie starring Will Farrell and Rachel McAdams, has been used to raise awareness of invaded nations, make the British royal family seem cool, and hosted a variety of wildly clad contestants. But allegations of misconduct are where the event’s organizers draw the line, which is why, they say, Dutch artist Joost Klein was kicked out of Eurovision 2024 just hours before he was slated to sing for the title.

    Klein, a 26-year-old singer and rapper from Leeuwarden, Netherlands, has thrilled audiences with his pro-Europe techno song, “Europapa,” which Klein has dedicated to his late father. He was expected to compete in Saturday’s finals, alongside representatives of the 25 other countries that persisted through the last four days of competition.

    But that plan was derailed Saturday morning, when event organizers announced that Klein had been removed from the Grand Finale lineup due to “an incident following his performance in Thursday night’s Semi Final.”

    Swedish police are investigating the incident, which “contrary to some media reports and social media speculation … did not involve any other performer or delegation member,” Eurovision said in a press release.

    Joost Klein poses during a press conference after the second semi-final of the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) at the Malmo Arena on May 9, 2024.

    JESSICA GOW/TT/Getty Images

    Image may contain Clothing Coat Crowd Person Adult Electrical Device Microphone Accessories Glasses Cup and People

    Joost Klein poses during a press conference after the second semi-final of the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) at the Malmo Arena on May 9, 2024.

    JESSICA GOW/Getty Images

    According to a statement from Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, which is behind its country’s Eurovision choices, “Against clearly made agreements, Joost was filmed when he had just gotten off stage and had to rush to the green room. At that moment, Joost repeatedly indicated that he did not want to be filmed. This wasn’t respected.”

    “This led to a threatening movement from Joost towards the camera. Joost did not touch the camerawoman,” the broadcaster said, characterizing his removal as “very heavy and disproportionate.”

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    Eve Batey

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  • Kim Godwin out as ABC News president after 3 years as first Black woman as network news chief

    Kim Godwin out as ABC News president after 3 years as first Black woman as network news chief

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    NEW YORK — Kim Godwin is out after three tumultuous years as ABC News president, a move presaged earlier this year when network parent Walt Disney Co. installed one of its executives, Debra O’Connell, to oversee the news division.

    Godwin, the first Black woman to lead a network news division, said Sunday she was retiring from the business. O’Connell said she will be in charge “for the time being” as it looks ahead.

    Godwin inherited a news division where its two most important programs, “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America,” led rivals at CBS and NBC in the ratings. They’re still ahead, although “Good Morning America” has seen some slippage amid the messy departures of anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, and Cecilia Vega’s jump to CBS News.

    Godwin was recruited as an outsider from CBS News and was beset by grumbling about her management style that made it into print.

    In a note to staff members, Godwin said she understood and appreciated the significance of being the first Black woman to hold such a prominent broadcast news role.

    “It’s both a privilege and a debt to those who chipped away at the ceiling before me to lead a team whose brand is synonymous with trust, integrity and a dogged determination to be the best in the business,” she wrote.

    After working at ABC, CBS, NBC and at 10 local news stations in nine cities, Godwin said she’s quitting the business.

    “I leave with my head held high and wish the entire team continued success,” she wrote.

    ___

    David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.

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  • The Jinx: The Shadowy Figures in Robert Durst’s Inner Orbit

    The Jinx: The Shadowy Figures in Robert Durst’s Inner Orbit

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    In the Jinx sequel, Galveston trial judge Susan Criss sounds off on the strangeness of the situation.

    “Chris Lovell was one of the jurors in the Galveston case who immediately befriended Bob as soon as the trial was over,” says Criss. “I think he was enamored with Bob because Bob is incredibly wealthy. He was hoping that would provide some financial rewards. I’ve never seen or heard of a juror forming a relationship with a defendant after trial. But then most defendants aren’t extremely wealthy with sort of a celebrity status.”

    Referring to the Houston apartment cleanup, she adds, “It is astounding that 12 years after a murder trial, one of the jurors is helping Bob make his getaway.”

    Lovell spoke to Jarecki for the first Jinx. “I didn’t set out to be Robert Durst’s friend,” he said. “I just set out to get some questions answered in my mind, but it has developed into a friendship, and I don’t have a problem with him at all.”

    Doug Oliver

    Lewin dubbed Doug Oliver “the rudest witness I’ve ever encountered in my career.” Vulture called him “a real estate developer who seems awful even by the low standards of real estate developers.” And Robert Durst referred to him as a loyal friend.

    According to Charles Bagli of The New York Times, Durst earned Oliver’s allegiance by being generous with him at the beginning of his real estate development career. As Bagli recounts in The Jinx, Durst, who was the scion of a prestigious Manhattan real estate family, fronted the money for a tenement building Oliver wanted to buy. When they sold the building, Durst evenly split the profits with Oliver, launching a lifelong friendship.

    “Doug Oliver was [Durst’s] bad-boy, knocking-around friend,” said Jarecki. “They went to St. Tropez and brought girls…. He was like the bad angel on Bob’s shoulder, or vice versa. They were off doing mischief. And he loved that about Bob.”

    Oliver was a person worth questioning, according to Lewin, because “he was extremely close to Bob. He was talking to Bob in 1982, the week Kathie disappeared.”

    But when Lewin initially connected with Oliver by phone, Oliver refused to cooperate with the deputy district attorney. That contentious phone call, which gets played in the series, ends with Oliver telling Lewin that he’d rather go to jail than get on a commercial flight to Los Angeles. Oliver also tells Lewin he’ll need a subpoena and a private-jet budget to get him to participate.

    In the end, Oliver did bend to the law and testify—though he was admittedly uncooperative, bristling at questions and alleging he could not recall much that prosecutors asked him about (until prosecutors referred him to his previous statements).

    After hearing Oliver’s nasty tone with the deputy district attorney, it’s eerie to hear him ooze sweetness in a call with Durst, featured in a new episode: “Whatever I can do for you, Bobby. It’d be my pleasure.”

    Nick Chavin

    Nick Chavin is another real estate friend whose loyalty Durst earned by leveraging his financial assets. After Chavin gave up his career fronting the X-rated country act Chinga Chavin—you read that correctly—he was introduced to Durst by their mutual friend Susan Berman.

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    Julie Miller

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  • Stars react to receiving Tony Award nominations

    Stars react to receiving Tony Award nominations

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    Singer Alicia Keys says she was unable to speak after her semi-autobiographical show “Hell’s Kitchen” earned 13 nods when the nominations for the 2024 Tony Awards were announced Tuesday.

    “These are very, very special moments,’’ said nominee and veteran star Brian d’Arcy James, who is nominated for actor in a leading role for “Days of Wine and Roses.”

    The Tony Awards ceremony will be June 16. Academy Award winner and Tony Award-nominee Ariana DeBose, who hosted both the 2023 and 2022 ceremonies, will be back this year and will produce and choreograph the opening number.

    These were some of the reactions Tuesday from nominees:

    “It is an exciting morning. I feel great. This is a very special thing. I’ve had the good fortune of being in this position before, but it does not get old, and I do not take this stuff for granted, especially the further I go down the road. These, are very, very special moments.” — “Days of Wine and Roses” star Brian d’Arcy James in an interview.

    “I am so grateful for this nomination and for the historic recognition of our entire show. As a kid from Long Island who took the train in to see Broadway shows from 7 years old this is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.” — “Stereophonic” star Tom Pecinka in a statement.

    “Ah, oh my god! I haven’t caught my breath. I was sitting on the couch watching the nominations live with my husband, Matt, and when they said our show, I knocked over my glass of water all over the couch and started crying. I grew up in Waitsfield, Vermont, watching the Tonys every year with my mom, so this has been a childhood dream of mine. — ”Suffs” book and music writer Shaina Taub in a statement.

    “I am absolutely stunned. This season is proof that Broadway is back and the renaissance is here. Thank you to the Tonys for listening to our stories and seeing our hearts. All my love to the other shows and nominees.” — ”The Outsiders” star Sky Lakota-Lynch in a statement.

    “I have always felt like doing stage and particularly doing it here has been such a huge part of my career and sort of like finding out who I was as an actor outside of Harry Potter.” — “Merrily We Roll Along” star Daniel Radcliffe in an interview.

    “This is unbelievable. This is so special. All of the collaborators that have been a part of this process, everybody being able to get recognized for their beautiful brilliance. I am totally at a loss for words. Don’t ask me to write a song.” — Alicia Keys in an interview.

    “I am completely overwhelmed and beyond proud of this show and of the work that all the humans who have touched it have done to bring this story to life.” — “Suffs” star Nikki M. James in a statement.

    “I am absolutely honored and thrilled to receive this nomination for my work on ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’ To celebrate being born and raised in NYC and create movement to Alicia Keys music was a dream and to be acknowledged is really special. Shoutout to my hometown, Queens, NY!” — “Hell’s Kitchen” choreographer Camille A Brown in a statement.

    “What a wonderful morning! ‘Stereophonic’ is a play about a tortuous creative process but the experience of making it has been one of the most joyful experiences imaginable. I’m proud of my colleagues and castmates whose work was recognized this morning and grateful to be nominated alongside them and many other brilliant performers.” — “Stereophonic” star Juliana Canfield in a statement.

    “I’m thrilled to be nominated for two plays I care so deeply about — ‘An Enemy of the People’ and ‘Mary Jane.’ I salute my extraordinary leading actors, Tony nominees Jeremy Strong and Rachel McAdams, for carrying the hell out of these plays eight times a week.” — Playwright Amy Herzog in a statement.

    “This production of ‘Cabaret’ has been the journey of a lifetime. It means a huge amount that the show has been recognized across so many aspects of the production, and personally, to be considered alongside the immense talent in this category is a wonder.” — star Eddie Redmayne in a statement.

    “I am deeply moved and extremely honored to be recognized alongside this incredible group of women. I had the time of my life in ‘Spamalot.’ I love to make people laugh. I have looked up to the great comedic actresses of our time, hoping I would get a moment like this. It’s a dream come true.” — “Spamalot” star Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer in a statement.

    Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    The Associated Press

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  • What to stream this week: Dua Lipa, Seinfeld’s ‘Unfrosted’ ‘Hacks’ and ‘Welcome to Wrexham’

    What to stream this week: Dua Lipa, Seinfeld’s ‘Unfrosted’ ‘Hacks’ and ‘Welcome to Wrexham’

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    The return of “Hacks” and a new Jerry Seinfeld movie are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

    Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: New episodes of “Behind the Music,” Selena Gomez taking her cooking skills to restaurants and a video game for political junkies.

    – Jerry Seinfeld has been very picky about his post-”Seinfeld” projects, but the comedian stars in, co-writes and directs the new Netflix comedy “Unfrosted” (streaming May 3). The film, an origin story for the Pop-Tart, is as stocked with comic talent as it is ridiculousness. Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant and many others co-star in Seinfeld’s satire of Kellogg’s and Post in a heated raced to create a new breakfast treat.

    – “Documenting Police Use of Force” is the result of a three-year investigation by PBS’ “Frontline,” The Associated Press and Howard Center for Investigative Journalism examining deaths that have followed police use of tactics known as “less-lethal force.” Though tactics like prone restraint are meant to be less deadly than firearms, the investigation found that their use, or misuse, led to more than 1,000 deaths over 10 years — often in encounters that began with a minor incident. The film begins streaming on APNews.com, PBS.org/frontline and in the PBS app Tuesday at 7 p.m. EDT. It also premieres on PBS stations (check local listings), on Frontline’s YouTube channel at 10 p.m. Tuesday and will be available on the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel.

    – If you missed “The Holdovers,” Alexander Payne’s Oscar-winning ’70s-set boarding school comic drama, the film arrives Monday on Prime Video. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including best actor for Paul Giamatti, and went home with one: best supporting actress for Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Giamatti stars as a curmudgeonly teacher tasked with watching a student (Dominic Sessa) over Christmas break.

    — AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

    — First came “Houdini,” a club-banger with new edge. Then the lively ambitiousness of “Training Season,” and the elastic bass of “Illusion.” The English-Albanian pop superstar Dua Lipa ’s third album, “Radical Optimism,” is built of her longstanding pop sensibilities. But she’s shifted slightly away from the disco-pop of 2020’s “Future Nostalgia” and instead, has embraced pop-psychedelia in influences like Primal Scream and Massive Attack, at least partially thanks to a new collaborator in Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. It’s a euphoric ride straight to the club, and a reminder of the necessity of danceable music in resilience.

    — In the late ’90s and carrying into the 2010s, VH1’s documentary series “Behind the Music” offered in-depth insight into the top performers of the past and present – highlighting their path of success and obstacles faced in the process. For music obsesses, it was an education. If you missed it, or if you’re missing it right now, long no more: Paramount+ will debut new episodes of “Behind the Music” on May 1, spotlighting Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van Halen. And while you wait: There are episodes from the original series available to stream on Paramount+ right now, featuring everyone from Boy George and Busta Rhymes to Jennifer Lopez and New Kids on the Block.

    — Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar – and his band, Nigerien guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane, drummer Souleymane Ibrahim, and American bassist Mikey Coltun — have been celebrated on the global stage for their ferocious psychedelic rock. On their forthcoming album, “Funeral for Justice,” those riffs have only gotten bigger, better, more explosive atop an anti-colonial message. “Oppressed in all three / In addition to lack of unity, ignorance is the third issue,” Moctar sings for Niger, Mali and Algeria on “Sousoume Tamacheq,” a rallying cry for the Tuareg people. And at the foundation is one of the most exciting rock bands in years.

    — Maybe the UK-pop firebrand Rachel Chinouriri first hit your timeline when the music video for her song “Never Need Me” featured an unlikely star, the actor Florence Pugh. Or maybe it is from one of her many viral moments on TiKTok (“So My Darling,” anyone?), or from her malleable EPs, 2019’s “Mama’s Boy,” 2021’s “Four In Winter,” and 2022’s “Better Off Without.” Whatever the case, it is time to prepare for her alternative pop in the form of a debut album, “What a Devastating Turns of Events,” out May 3. Begin with the whistled-hook and talk-sung lyrics of single “It Is What It Is.”

    — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

    — The long-awaited third season of “Hacks,” starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder returns May 2. The show picks up about a year after the finale of season two, with its two stars seemingly worlds apart. Smart’s Deborah Vance is at the top of her stand-up game in Las Vegas and Einbinder’s Ava is busy working as a writer in Los Angeles. The separation doesn’t last long as the two can’t seem to quit each other. Another reason to tune in? The comedic duo Paul W. Downs and Megan Stalter (playing agent Jimmy and his not at all trusty assistant, Kayla) have been bumped up to series regulars. “Hacks” returns for season 3 on May 2 on Max.

    — Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds continue their grand experiment of owning a football club on season three of FX’s “Welcome to Wrexham.” We begin with a rewind to last summer –- with the Red Dragons on a high, touring America and enjoying the perks of upgrades to their facility. “Welcome to Wrexham” season 3 debuts May 2 on FX. Streams next day on Hulu.

    — While fans wait for the sixth and final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a new Elisabeth Moss series called “The Veil” is coming to Hulu from FX. The series takes place in the high-stakes world of international espionage with Moss portraying a MI6 agent. “I can change into anything, become 100 strangers,” Moss says in the show’s trailer. “The Veil” streams on Hulu beginning April 30.

    — We watched Selena Gomez learn to cook over Zoom for four seasons of “Selena + Chef,” and now she’s ready to say “Yes, Chef!” in restaurant kitchens. In her new Food Network series “Selena + Restaurant,” Gomez and her bestie Raquelle Stevens visit popular LA-area restaurants to try to create a dish that would make the menu. The show premieres May 2 on Food Network and streams on Max.

    — The best-selling book “The Tatooist of Auschwitz” by Heather Morris has been adapted as a limited series for Peacock. It tells the true story of a Slovakian Jewish man named Lale Sokolov, sent to Auschwitz and given the job of tattooing fellow prisoners. He ends up falling in love with a girl named Gita. The story is told through flashbacks and Harvey Keitel plays an older Lale, recounting the experience to Morris — played by Melanie Lynskey. The series debuts May 2 on Peacock.

    — The comedy festival Netflix is a Joke is upping the ante by offering some events live on the streamer. Katt Williams, known for his no holds barred commentary is set to go live with a stand-up set called “Woke Folk” on May 4. And Kevin Hart will host “The Roast of Tom Brady” on May 5. “I played in the NFL, so I’m not worried about a bunch of comedians, trust me,” taunted the seven-time Super Bowl winner in a video shared with NBC’s “TODAY “show. Brady says he does not know who will appear to roast him.

    — Alicia Rancilio

    — Judging from the polls, a lot of Americans aren’t happy with their choices in this fall’s presidential election. Thank goodness for The Political Machine 2024, which lets you create your own White House candidate from scratch. Sure, you can play as Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or an also-ran like Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley, but why not try to get yourself or your grandma or your favorite teacher elected? Publisher Stardock, best known for intergalactic strategy epics like Sins of a Solar Empire, has cranked up The Political Machine every four years since 2004, and this season’s edition adds primaries, debates and action cards that “undermine your opponents and bolster your campaign.” Hit the stump Thursday, May 2, on PC.

    — Lou Kesten

    ___

    Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/entertainment.

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  • The Jinx: Meet Nick Chavin, Robert Durst’s Best Friend Turned Secret Witness

    The Jinx: Meet Nick Chavin, Robert Durst’s Best Friend Turned Secret Witness

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    How, in all of our collective years reading about Robert Durst, the late millionaire murderer and eccentric, did it not register that he had a best friend who was a former lewd country music rocker? Enter Nick “Chinga” Chavin, whose longtime relationship with and loyalty to the late Durst is the subject of Sunday’s Jinx Part Two episode, “Friendships Die Hard.”

    Chavin made news in 2017 when he was unveiled as “a secret witness” in the Susan Berman trial. His bombshell testimony had been pried out of him by his wife, Terry, and Los Angeles deputy district attorney John Lewin, The Jinx sequel reveals, and directly implicated Durst in the murders of his first wife, Kathleen McCormack, and his other best friend, Susan Berman. Chavin’s claim that Durst confessed to killing Berman in 2014 (“It was her or me, I had no choice,” Chavin recalled him saying in his testimony)—along with evidence uncovered during the making of The Jinx—was crucial to Durst being finally found guilty of Berman’s murder after decades spent in the shadow of suspicion.

    But there are so many rabbit holes in the Durst saga—three killings, the dismemberment of a neighbor, a national manhunt that ended because of a stolen chicken sandwich, a fugitive period where he dressed as a mute woman—that the story of Durst’s friend who fronted the music act Country Porn quickly faded. To filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, who tried unsuccessfully to get Chavin to participate in the original Jinx docuseries, Chavin was always a key piece to the Durst puzzle though.

    “The reason Nick was so important, and the reason all these people [in Bob’s inner circle] were so important, goes back to this thing we said when we started working on [Part Two],” Jarecki tells Vanity Fair. “How do you kill three people over 30 years and get away with it? It takes a village. That village became, to me, the centerpiece of Part Two—the idea that there’s this constellation of people who all see themselves as good, decent people…and yet here they are helping a murderer.”

    Like many, if not all, of the people loyal to Durst over the decades, Chavin was financially entangled with the real estate heir, as The Jinx details. Chavin met Durst (through Berman) in the early ’80s, shortly after the musician pivoted to a career in real estate advertising. Durst’s family owns one of Manhattan’s most prestigious real estate empires, and in the episode Chavin tells Jarecki that Durst “gave me my business career, the whole thing, on a platter” by getting his family’s business to sign with him.

    Chavin testified that his career took off between the lucrative account and the credibility it gave him.

    The two hung out in their personal time too. “We had what we called ‘boys night out,’ and we’d go out and go to nightclubs and bars,” Chavin testified. He further explained in the testimony that the two double dated and, even though Durst was married to McCormack at the beginning of their friendship, Durst would sometimes take his wife and other times bring a girlfriend. Chavin and Durst also visited the famous Manhattan sex club Plato’s Retreat, according to an interview Chavin gave Rolling Stone. “I was a lot more conservative than he was,” Chavin said, explaining to the outlet that Durst would often light up a joint wherever he happened to be. “When you’ve got the money to buy your way out of stuff you can do a lot of shit,” he said.

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    Julie Miller

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  • Nicole Kidman, who ‘makes movies better,’ gets AFI Life Achievement Award

    Nicole Kidman, who ‘makes movies better,’ gets AFI Life Achievement Award

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    LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Morgan Freeman spoke the words, but pretty much everyone who took the stage at the presentation of the AFI Life Achievement Award agreed: “ Nicole Kidman. She makes movies better.”

    The line came in a video parody of Kidman’s AMC Theatres “we make movies better” ad that opened the Saturday night ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. It got huge laughs from the crowd of multigenerational A-listers there to honor the 40-year career of the 56-year-old Australian that has included roles in “Moulin Rouge,” “Eyes Wide Shut” and an Oscar-winning turn in “The Hours.”

    Meryl Streep, Kidman’s “The Hours” co-star who presented to Streep the Life Achievement Award that she won herself in 2004, got laughs nearly as big when, in a mock-boastful voice, described the hardest part of being “incessantly called the greatest actress of my generation.”

    It’s when you come up against someone else who is “really, really, really, really, really, really great” and you realize they did things you couldn’t do, as happened with Kidman the first day they worked together on the HBO series “Big Little Lies,” Streep said.

    Streep and their “Big Little Lies” co-star Reese Witherspoon both did spot-on, Australian-accented impressions of Kidman that had the audience in stitches.

    Streep also drew tears from Kidman when describing what she believed motivated her.

    “People call it bravery when an actress bares all and leaps off into the unknown and she dives deep into the darker parts of what it is to be a human being,” Streep said. “But I don’t think it’s bravery. I think it’s love. I think she just loves it.”

    Kidman teared up for the first time in the evening when her husband and fellow Australian, singer Keith Urban, said she showed him “what love in action really looks like” when his substance abuse problems emerged almost immediately after they wed in 2006.

    “Four months into our marriage, I’m in rehab for three months,” Urban said, looking at Kidman where she sat on a dais with their two daughters and other family. “Nic pushed through every negative voice, I’m sure even some of her own, and she chose love. And here we are 18 years later.”

    Kidman said the night was the first time she allowed their teenage daughters to join her on a red carpet. She also has two children with her first husband, Tom Cruise.

    She accepted the AFI award in the same venue where she accepted her Oscar in 2003 for playing Virginia Woolf in “The Hours.”

    She thanked by name every director she has worked with, including Stanley Kubrick, Jane Campion, Baz Luhrmann, Sofia Coppola, Yorgos Lanthimos, Sydney Pollack and Lars von Trier.

    “It is a privilege to make films. And glorious to have made films and television with these storytellers who allowed me to run wild and be free and play all of these unconventional women,” Kidman said, wearing a floor-length, glittering-gold gown. “Thank you for making me better at my craft and giving me a place, however temporary, in this world.”

    It was announced back in November of 2022 that Kidman would receive the award, first handed out in 1973, whose previous winners include Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, Gene Kelly, Sidney Poitier, Barbara Streisand, Tom Hanks, Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington and Julie Andrews.

    The ceremony originally was scheduled for June of 2023, but delayed because of Hollywood’s strikes. It will air on TNT on June 17.

    Kidman also was nominated for Academy Awards for “Moulin Rouge,” “Rabbit Hole,” “Lion,” and “Being the Ricardos,” whose director, Aaron Sorkin, also sang her praises at the ceremony.

    Others honoring her included Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Zoe Saldana and Mike Myers, who came on stage in disguise in one of the eerie orgy masks from “Eyes Wide Shut.”

    Kidman began her career as a teen in Australia in films including “Bush Christmas” and “BMX Bandits.” Naomi Watts, a friend from those days, described meeting Kidman when both had to sit in a waiting room in bathing suits for two hours at an audition. Aussies Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Cate Blanchett all gave video tributes to the first from their country to win the award.

    Kidman said in a video played at the ceremony that her appearance in the 1989 thriller “Dead Calm” brought her to the attention of, among others, Cruise, the only time his name was spoken Saturday night.

    She had her breakthrough Hollywood role alongside him in 1990’s “Days of Thunder” — they would marry the same year — and also starred together in 1992’s “Far and Away” and in 1999 in Kubrick’s final film, “Eyes Wide Shut.”

    She divorced Cruise in 2001, but her stardom only grew in his wake. Some of her biggest roles, and her Oscar, were still to come.

    The role most often cited as a favorite during the awards show Saturday night was her musical turn in Luhrmann’s 2001 “Moulin Rouge.”

    Freeman, the 2011 AFI honoree, in his in-person presentation that followed the video spoof, serenaded Kidman with the modified Elton John lines she sings in the film: “How wonderful life is, now you’re in the world.”

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  • In ‘Unfrosted,’ Jerry Seinfeld gives the Pop-Tart an absurd origin story

    In ‘Unfrosted,’ Jerry Seinfeld gives the Pop-Tart an absurd origin story

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    Everyone knows about the Pop-Tart, but do they know the circumstances around its invention?

    It dates back to the early ’60s when Kellogg’s biggest competitor, Post, announced Country Squares — a toaster-prepared breakfast pastry.

    But Post made one big error, making this public announcement before the product was actually ready for the marketplace.

    Desperate to pip Post to the post, Kellogg’s hired Grand Rapids native Bill Post, plant manager for the Michigan-based Hekman Biscuit Company (later Keebler Co.) to create their own version of the breakfast pastry, which they did just four months later.

    The race to invent the sweet treat is the focus of Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix film Unfrosted — albeit a slightly fictitious version.

    Jim Gaffigan joins the film’s A-list cast starring as Edsel Kellogg III — who hires “Bob Cabana” (played by Seinfeld) to invent the Pop-Tart.

    Despite Unfrosted being Seinfeld’s directorial debut, the comedian has a wealth of experience in this field as showrunner of his iconic, eponymous sitcom from 1996 to 1998.

    Therefore, Gaffigan had a strong idea of what to expect from Seinfeld as a director before arriving on set.

    “This might have been Jerry’s first time directing but having done Seinfeld and the fact that it was such a writer’s medium, meaning the writer-slash-showrunner has this heavy hand over the direction,” the comedian tells Metro Times. “He is somebody that appreciates keeping it light and playful but with a purpose. With some comedies you’re not sure how they are going to keep it together because there’s so much messy back-and-forth or improv — but there was an efficiency with the time [in] Unfrosted.”

    Speaking with Netflix, Seinfeld remarked how he used the bare bones of the true story and then let his imagination run wild with milkmen cartels, an insurrection led by cereal mascots, and a living hybrid Pop-Tart creature.

    “This really did happen in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Kellogg’s and Post were located, and they did compete to come up with this product… But the rest of it is complete lunacy,” said Seinfeld. “We’re going to tell you a story, but if we want to do something funny that doesn’t make any sense, we’re going to do that too.”

    Seinfeld managed to assemble an incredible cast for the film with some staggering A-list cameo appearances, including the likes of Jon Hamm, Melissa McCarthy, Dan Levy, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, and Peter Dinklage.

    Gaffigan says this experience was unique and exciting, often wondering, “Who do we get to play with today?”

    Hugh Grant also stars in the movie as Thurl Ravenscroft — the real-life actor behind Tony the Tiger. The iconic British actor stars as the cereal mascot and for the first time in almost 30 years, he filmed an audition tape and sent it to Seinfeld before he was cast.

    The casting of Grant especially excited Gaffigan, who describes him as “perfect” for the role.

    click to enlarge

    Courtesy of Netflix

    Hugh Grant stars in Unfrosted as the actor behind Tony the Tiger.

    “He is such an entertaining and charming movie star,” Gaffigan says. “I had dinner with him and there is a surface version of what you think Hugh Grant is and then you are impressed by his ability that goes beyond the king of the romantic-comedy. He is a really funny character. I describe him as the ‘most un-British yet very British guy I’ve met.’ He has this strange neurosis that is more American than British.”

    One of Gaffigan’s most memorable scenes in the movie was when he attempts to seduce Amy Schumer’s Marjorie Post by dancing to Chubby Checker’s 1961 classic “Let’s Twist Again.”

    The comedian describes the dance scene as “out of his wheelhouse” and admitted he was nervous in the build-up to filming.

    “I’m not a big dancer so you won’t catch me doing any twists [in the future],” he says. “When it comes to dancing or in an episode of The Flight of the Conchords I had to sing, that is really foreign to me. I get nervous for stuff like that but usually any acting thing I’m usually so prepared that I feel fine about it.”

    Over recent years, despite his comedic background, Gaffigan has opted for more dramatic roles with his acting.

    “The serious roles often have a greater complexity or dimension to the character,” he says. “As opposed to a lighter comedy, there can be some layers but it’s not going to be as complex as someone processing grief or dealing with the complexity of a relationship that might be falling apart. Whereas, in comedy, the objective is usually to get to the next funny piece.”

    Unfrosted is set to be released via Netflix on May 3.

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    Adam Davidson

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  • Summer Movie Guide: Virtually all the movies coming to theaters and streaming from May to Labor Day

    Summer Movie Guide: Virtually all the movies coming to theaters and streaming from May to Labor Day

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    LOS ANGELES — Are you ready for some movies this summer? There’s action-adventure, romance, horror, franchises and anniversary re-releases of some of your favorites populating theaters and streaming services from May through Labor Day. You just have to know where to look.

    Things kick off in theaters in May with Universal’s Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action romantic comedy “The Fall Guy” (May 3), a new installment in the Apes series, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (May 10), followed by Jane Shoenbrun’s buzzy thriller “I Saw the TV Glow” (May 17) and closing out with the Mad Max prequel “Furiosa.” June brings “Hit Man” to Netflix and “Bad Boys 4” to theaters, as well as “Inside Out 2,” “The Bikeriders” and the first part of Kevin Costner’s Civil War-era Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga.”

    And while July might not have another “ Barbenheimer” showdown, but there’s plenty to be excited for including the space race rom-com “Fly Me To the Moon,” “Twisters” and, of course, “Deadpool & Wolverine.” August has some gems too, including chapter two of “Horizon,” a new Alien movie (“Alien: Romulus”) and some thrillers like “Cuckoo” and “Trap.”

    Here’s your guide to what’s coming to theaters and streaming services this summer.

    May 2

    “Turtles All the Way Down” (MAX, streaming): Based on John Green’s popular novel, Isabela Merced plays 17-year-old Aza in this coming-of-age story.

    May 3

    “The Fall Guy” (Universal, theaters): A love letter to stunt performers (and a funny, slick send-up of the movie industry), Ryan Gosling plays a veteran stunt guy who’s enlisted to find a missing movie star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) so that his crush (Emily Blunt) can finish her directorial debut.

    “The Idea of You” (Amazon, streaming): Anne Hathaway plays a single mother in Los Angeles who begins a relationship with a younger pop star, played by Nicholas Galitzine, in this smart and charming romantic comedy.

    “Unfrosted” (Netflix, streaming): Jerry Seinfeld makes his directorial debut with this film about the race between cereal rivals Kellogg’s and Post to create a new pastry. Seinfeld stars alongside Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, Max Greenfield and many more.

    “I Saw the TV Glow,” (A24, theaters, wide on May 17): In Jane Schoenbrun’s second feature, a Sundance breakout, realities blur for two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) watching a mysterious late-night television show.

    “Wildcat” (Oscilloscope, theaters): Ethan Hawke directs his daughter Maya Hawke in this unconventional, artful portrait of American author Flannery O’Connor.

    “Evil Does Not Exist” (Sideshow and Janus Films, theaters): Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s follow-up to “Drive My Car” is an unnerving slow burn about a father and daughter and their quiet town in the woods outside of Tokyo, whose tranquil way of life threatened when a company decides to build a glamping retreat nearby.

    “Jeanne du Barry” (Vertical, theaters on May 2): Maïwenn co-wrote, directs and stars in this period drama about a working class woman who wins over King Louis XV (Johnny Depp).

    “Tarot” (Sony, theaters): A horror about what happens when a group of friends use someone else’s deck (apparently a sacred rule of Tarot).

    “Mars Express” (GKIDS, theaters): A future-set animated noir about a private detective and her android partner on the hunt for a hacker, from filmmaker Jérémie Perin. It will be presented in both its original French and an English dub.

    “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg” (Magnolia, theaters and video on demand (VOD)): A documentary that goes beyond the headlines about the actress and muse forever associated with the Rolling Stones.

    “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” re-release (Disney, theaters).

    May 5

    “Steel Magnolias” 35th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    May 9

    “Mother of the Bride” (Netflix, streaming): Brooke Shields plays mother to Miranda Cosgrove in this romantic comedy about her daughter’s engagement to the son of the man who broke her heart.

    May 10

    “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (20th Century Studios, theaters): Generations after Caesar, apes have become the dominant species in this new installment directed by “Maze Runner” alum Wes Ball. Owen Teague stars as the young ape Noa whose world us upended when an intelligent human (“The Witcher’s Freya Allan) arrives.

    “Gasoline Rainbow” (MUBI, theaters): Filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross direct this largely improvised road trip film about teenagers in Oregon searching for The Party At The End Of The World.

    “Lazareth” (Vertical Entertainment, theaters and VOD): Ashley Judd stars in this thriller about a woman who adopts her nieces and raises them isolated in the woods.

    “Poolman” (Vertical Entertainment, VOD): Chris Pine’s directorial debut, in which he plays a normal Los Angeles guy who’s asked to do some sleuthing around a shady business deal, got some scathing reviews out of the Toronto International Film Festival but now’s your chance to judge for yourself. Annette Bening, Danny DeVito and Jennifer Jason Leigh also star.

    “Force of Nature: The Dry 2” (IFC Films, theaters and VOD): Eric Bana is a federal agent investigating a missing corporate whistleblower.

    “The Image of You” (Republic Pictures, theaters and VOD): Based on a bestselling thriller about identical twins pulled apart by a new love, with Sasha Pieterse and Mira Sorvino.

    May 17

    “ IF ” (Paramount, theaters): This family film about a girl (Cailey Fleming) and her upstairs neighbor (Ryan Reynolds) who can see all the imaginary friends (aka IFs) who have been left behind was written and directed by John Krasinski. IF voices include Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Matt Damon and the late Louis Gossett Jr.

    “ Thelma the Unicorn ” (Netflix, streaming): This animated film about a pony whose dreams of becoming a pop star come true was written by “Napoleon Dynamite” duo Jared and Jerusha Hess.

    “ The Blue Angels ” (Amazon/MGM, limited theatrical): If you’re looking for some “Top Gun” spectacle at the movies this summer, there’s a new documentary shot with IMAX cameras about the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron that was filmed over a year. It’s getting a week-long IMAX run before hitting Prime Video on May 23. It was directed by Paul Crowder and produced by J.J. Abrams and Glen Powell.

    “ Back to Black ” (Focus Features, theaters): Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse in this biographical drama about the “Rehab” singer who died at 27 in 2011. Sam Taylor-Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) directs.

    “ Babes ” (Neon, theaters): “Broad City’s” Ilana Glazer co-wrote and stars in this raucous comedy about an accidental pregnancy (and friendship and growing up and body stuff) that got rave reviews out of SXSW.

    “ The Strangers: Chapter 1 ” (Lionsgate, theaters): Masked strangers terrorize a young couple, Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez, who have to spend a night in a remote cabin after their car breaks down in this horror.

    May 19-22

    “North By Northwest” 65th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” 40th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    “Castle in the Sky” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    “Darkness of Man” (Saban Films, VOD): Jean Claude Van Damme plays a former Interpol operative.

    May 24

    “ Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga ” (Warner Bros., theaters): Buckle up, George Miller is back with another high-octane Mad Max tale focusing this time on a young Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and a warlord named Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).

    “ The Garfield Movie ” (Sony, theaters): Chris Pratt voices another classic character in this animated film about the feline lasagna enthusiast.

    “ Atlas ” (Netflix, streaming): Jennifer Lopez is a skeptical data analyst who must learn to trust artificial intelligence to save humanity in this Brad Peyton-directed flick.

    “ Sight ” (Angel Studios, theaters): From the studio behind “Sound of Freedom,” the inspirational drama “Sight” is about an eye surgeon who wants to restore a blind child’s vision. It stars Terry Chen and Greg Kinnear.

    “The Keeper” (Lama Entertainment, theaters): Based on the true story of Army vet George Eshleman, who endeavors to raise awareness about military suicides by hiking the Appalachian trail.

    May 31

    “ Robot Dreams ” (Neon, NY theaters; LA on June 7): This Oscar nominated animated charmer, about a dog who builds himself a robot companion, is finally getting a proper theatrical release in the U.S.

    “ Young Woman and the Sea ” (Disney, theaters): Daisy Ridley plays the first woman to swim across the English Channel, Trudy Ederle, who won gold at the Olympics in 1924 and who finished the 21-mile trek in 1926. The inspirational drama arrives just in time for the Summer Olympics.

    “Jim Henson: Idea Man” (Disney+, streaming): Ron Howard takes us inside the mind of the man behind “The Muppet Show,” and countless other entertainments, in a new documentary.

    “ Ezra ” (Bleecker Street, theaters): A story about a down on his luck father (Bobby Cannavale) fighting to protect his young autistic son (William A. Fitzgerald). Robert De Niro and Whoopi Goldberg co-star in this drama from Tony Goldwyn.

    “The Dead Don’t Hurt” (Shout! Studios, theaters): Vicky Krieps and Viggo Mortensen play star-crossed lovers in the 1860s American West, divided and fractured when he enlists to fight for the Union and she is left behind to defend herself in a corrupt frontier town.

    “Summer Camp” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard are childhood friends who meet again at a camp reunion.

    “HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle” (Sony Pictures/Crunchyroll, theaters): Already a hit in Japan, this installment in the anime volleyball series finds old nemesis teaming up to defeat a rival high school team.

    “Backspot” (XYZ Films, theaters): Devery Jacobs is an ambitious cheerleader and Evan Rachel Woods is her demanding head coach.

    “PROTOCOL 7” (Abramorama, theaters): A corporate thriller based on real events about a group who goes up against a pharmaceutical company.

    “In a Violent Nature” (IFC, theaters): An undead golem pursues teens on vacation in this horror.

    “Flipside” (Oscilliscope, theaters): A documentary about a filmmaker’s attempt to revive the New Jersey record store he worked in as a teen.

    “Invisible Nation” (Abramorama, theaters): A documentary about Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan.

    June 2

    “The Muppet Movie” 45th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters)

    June 7

    “ Hit Man ” (Netflix, streaming): Armed with glowing reviews from the fall festivals, Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” starring Glen Powell is finally coming to Netflix.

    “ Bad Boys: Ride or Die ” (Sony, theaters): Will Smith, in the first major movie he’s made since slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars (“Emancipation had already been filmed by then), reunites with Martin Lawrence for the fourth installment in the “Bad Boys” franchise, which started in 1995.

    “The Commandant’s Shadow” (Warner Bros., theaters): The son of Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss (also the subject of the Oscar-winning “The Zone of Interest”) reckons with his family’s past in this documentary.

    “I Used to be Funny” (Utopia, theaters and VOD): “Bottoms” star Rachel Sennott plays an aspiring stand-up comic in Ally Pankiw’s debut.

    June 9-12

    “The Secret World of Arrietty” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    “When Marnie Was There” 10th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    June 14

    “ Inside Out 2” (Disney, theaters): Riley is a teenager now and some new emotions are coming onto the scene to join Joy (Amy Poehler) and the gang, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).

    “ The Watchers ” (Warner Bros., theaters): Dakota Fanning plays an artist who gets stranded in a forest in western Ireland where mysterious creatures lurk in the night in this film from Ishana Night Shyamalan.

    “Treasure” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry play father and daughter in this 1990s road-trip movie about a Holocaust survivor on a journey back to his homeland, Poland.

    “Ultraman: Rising” (Netflix, streaming): Animator Shannon Tindle (“Kubo and the Two Strings”) directs this animated action film about a baseball star/superhero who has to raise the offspring of a foe.

    “Tuesday” (A24, theaters): Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a mother to a teenage daughter who meets death in the form of a talking bird in this fairy tale-esque debut from Daina O. Pusić.

    “The Grab” (Magnolia, theaters): A documentary investigation into the run on natural resources by governments, financial investors and private security forces.

    “Summer Solstice” (Cartilage Films, theaters): Friends go away for a weekend for the first time after one has transitioned.

    June 21

    “ The Bikeriders ” (Focus Features, theaters): Jeff Nichols captures the spirit of a Midwestern motorcycle club in the 1960s in this exciting drama starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Mike Faist. It’s inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1967 photo-book about the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

    “Thelma” (Magnolia, theaters): June Squibb goes on a “Mission: Impossible” style adventure across Los Angeles with Richard Roundtree to try to reclaim her money from a phone scammer in this delightful comedy.

    “Janet Planet” (A24, theaters, wide on June 28): Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker makes her film debut with this dreamy tale of an 11-year-old girl and her mother in western Massachusetts one summer.

    “Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures, theaters): Emma Stone’s “Poor Things” Oscar is barely in the rearview mirror and she’s already back with another Yorgos Lanthimos film, described as a triptych fable. Also starring Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer.

    “Fancy Dance” (Apple, theaters, streaming on June 28): Lily Gladstone produced and stars in this gem about a woman caring for her niece on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma, the search for her missing sister and the plight of Indigenous women.

    “What Remains” (VMI, theaters and VOD): Andrea Riseborough and Stellan Skarsgård star in this movie about an alleged serial killer, his therapist and a detective attempting to solve a cold case.

    “She Rises Up” (Abramorama, theaters): This documentary about economic opportunities for women follows subjects in Sri Lanka, Peru and Senegal.

    “Bread & Roses” (Apple TV+, streaming): This Jennifer Lawrence-produced documentary sheds light on Afghan women since Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021.

    June 23

    “South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut” 25th Anniversary sing-a-long (Fathom Events, theaters).

    June 25

    “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman In Charge” (Hulu, streaming): The story of the mogul behind the iconic wrap dress, including interviews with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Marc Jacobs and Hillary Clinton.

    “I Am: Celine Dion” (Amazon/MGM, streaming): A behind the scenes look at Celine Dion life now, living with the rare neurological disorder stiff person syndrome.

    June 28

    “A Quiet Place: Day One” (Paramount, theaters): “Pig” helmer Michael Sarnoski takes over directing duties for Krasinski in this prequel about the invasion, set in New York City. It stars Lupita Nyong’o and “Stranger Things’” Joseph Quinn.

    “Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter I” (Warner Bros., theaters): Kevin Costner’s two-part Western epic focuses on the westward expansion during the American Civil War. He co-wrote, directed and stars alongside the likes of Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Jena Malone.

    “A Family Affair” (Netflix, streaming): Nicole Kidman, Joey King and Zac Efron star in this film about a mother and daughter, a movie star boss and an unexpected romance with comic consequences.

    “Last Summer” (Sideshow and Janus Films, theaters): Anne and Pierre’s life is lovely in Paris with their daughters, 6 and 8, until her stepson Theo moves in and begins an affair with her in this Catherine Breillat film.

    “BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE-EPISIDE NAGI” (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures): Based on an anime that has sold more than 30 million copies, this feature is set around soccer.

    “Daddio” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn star in this two-hander about a woman and her taxi driver one night in New York.

    July 3-5

    “Despicable Me 4” (Universal, theaters): Gru and the minions are back, with a new baby in the mix.

    “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (Netflix, streaming): Forty years after Axel Foley crossed jurisdictions to investigate a crime, Eddie Murphy is back for a fourth film, alongside Judge Reinhold and Paul Reiser.

    “MaXXXine” (A24, theaters): After “X” and “Pearl,” Ti West concludes his unlikely trilogy by bringing Mia Goth’s aspiring star Maxine to Los Angeles in 1985 in this highly stylized slasher.

    “Touch” (Focus, theaters): Baltasar Kormákur directs a thrilling romance about a widower’s search for his first love 50 years after she disappeared.

    “ Kill ” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Set on the Rajdhani Express to New Delhi, this bloody action thriller stars Lakshya as an army commando who takes on a gang of violent thieves terrorizing passengers while on his way to derail his true love’s (Tanya Maniktala) arranged marriage.

    “Possum Trot” (Angel Studios, theaters): Based on a true story about 22 families in a small East Texas town who adopt 77 difficult to place children out of the foster system.

    “Space Cadet” (Prime Video, streaming): Emma Roberts plays a woman who embellishes an application and lands in NASA’s astronaut training program.

    July 11

    “Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black” (Prime Video, streaming): Meagan Good stars in this new Tyler Perry joint about a woman realizing the ugly truth about her husband.

    July 12

    “Fly Me to the Moon” (Sony/Apple TV+, theaters): Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum star in this romantic comedy from Greg Berlanti about a marketing executive hired by NASA to fake the moon landing…just in case.

    “Sing Sing” (A24, theaters): Colman Domingo stars in this movie about a few incarcerated men who begin acting in a theater group. This fall festival breakout is based on “The Sing Sing Follies” by John H. Richardson and “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code” by Brent Buell and co-stars Paul Raci as well as several former prisoners.

    “Longlegs” (Neon, theaters): Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe lead this thriller about an FBI agent assigned to an unsolved case involving a serial killer.

    “National Anthem” (Variance Films and LD Entertainment, theaters): Photographer Luke Gilford’s directorial debut, about queer rodeo subculture, starring Charlie Plummer.

    July 13

    “Princes Mononoke” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    July 19

    “Twisters” (Universal, theaters): Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos lead a new band of storm chasers in this standalone sequel to the 1996 blockbuster directed by Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari,” “The Mandalorian”) and produced by Steven Spielberg.

    “Skywalkers: A Love Story” (Netflix, streaming): An adventurous couple dream of climbing the world’s “last super skyscraper” and performing an acrobatic stunt on top.

    July 21

    “The NeverEnding Story” 40th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    July 26

    “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Disney, theaters): The Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) and the previously dead X-Man (Hugh Jackman) find their way to one another at last, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in this Shawn Levy-directed film. There are more rumors than confirmations about what it’s even about, and who will be making a cameo, but two things are certain: It’s rated R and it’s going to be one of the summer’s biggest hits.

    “Dìdi” (Focus, theaters): This coming-of-age pic from Sean Wang about a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American kid (Izaac Wang) in the Bay Area on his last summer before high school in 2008 won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.

    “The Fabulous Four” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Lifelong friends (Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph) go to Key West for a wedding (college pal, played by Bette Midler).

    August 2

    “The Instigators” (Apple TV+, theaters; Streaming on Aug. 9): Doug Liman directs this comedic heist movie starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck and Hong Chau.

    “Harold and the Purple Crayon” (Sony, theaters): Many years after Spike Jonze was supposed to adapt the classic 1955 children’s book, and several delays with this iteration, the family fantasy film is finally making it to theaters. Starring Zachary Levi as Harold and Lil Rel Howery, it blends animation and live action.

    “Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Naoise Ó Cairealláin aka “Móglaí Bap”, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh aka “Mo Chara”, JJ Ó Dochartaigh aka “DJ Provaí”, all playing themselves in this film about the titular rap trio from Belfast.

    “Cuckoo” (Neon, theaters): Hunter Schaefer stars in this unnerving, blood-soaked thriller set in the German Alps. Dan Stevens plays her father’s creepy boss.

    August 3

    “Ponyo” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    August 9

    “Trap” (Warner Bros., theaters): Josh Hartnett stars in an original thriller from M. Night Shyamalan about a murderer at large inside a massive arena concert.

    “It Ends With Us” (Sony, theaters): Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni star in this adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel about romantic love and childhood trauma.

    “The Fire Inside” (Amazon/MGM, theaters): Ryan Destiny plays professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in this biographical sports drama from Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison, in her feature debut.

    “Borderlands” (Lionsgate, theaters): After a few years of delays, Eli Roth’s colorful action-adventure “Borderlands,” based on the video game, is barreling to theaters starring Cate Blanchett, Ariana Greenblatt and Kevin Hart.

    “My Penguin Friend” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Based on a true story, a fisherman (Jean Reno) finds hope in a penguin rescued from an oil spill.

    “Good One” (Metrograph Pictures, theaters): A 17-year-old (Lily Collias) goes on a backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad (James Le Gros) and his oldest friend in this poignant coming-of-age drama. India Donaldson’s debut was a Sundance breakout.

    August 16

    “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2” (Warner Bros., theaters): Costner continues the story of the American West with this second chapter, exclusively in movie theaters.

    “ Alien: Romulus ” (20th Century Studios, theaters): The director of “Don’t Breathe” helms this terrifying new installment in the Alien series, starring Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced and David Jonsson.

    “The Union” (Netflix, streaming): Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg are former high school sweethearts turned spies in this action-comedy-romance.

    “Close to You” (Greenwich Entertainment, theaters): Elliot Page plays Sam, who goes to his hometown for the first time since his transition for his father’s birthday.

    August 23

    “ Blink Twice ” (Amazon/MGM, theaters): Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut, with Channing Tatum starring as a tech billionaire who invites a waitress (Naomi Ackie) to his private island where odd things start happening.

    “ The Crow ” (Lionsgate, theaters): Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs and Danny Huston star in director Rupert Sanders’ reboot of the comic-based series about a dead musician resurrected to avenge his and his fiance’s deaths.

    “ Between the Temples ” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane develop an unlikely friendship while she studies to get a late-in-life bat mitzvah.

    “Slingshot” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne star in this sci-fi thriller about an astronaut whose grasp on reality starts to dwindle on a dangerous mission.

    “Place of Bones” (The Avenue, theaters and VOD): Heather Graham plays a mother who gets an unexpected visitor at her isolated ranch in a bloodied bank robber.

    August 25-28

    “Rear Window” 70th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    “Whisper of the Heart” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    “The Cat Returns” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).

    August 30

    “Kraven the Hunter” (Sony, theaters): Deadpool isn’t the only R-rated comic book movie on the block this summer. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the titular Marvel villain in this film from J.C. Chandor, co-starring Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe.

    “Reagan” (ShowBiz Direct, theaters): Dennis Quaid plays Ronald Reagan in this childhood to White House biopic, the first full-length film about the 40th U.S. President.

    ___

    For interviews, reviews and more coverage of recent film releases, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

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  • ‘American Idol’ fans vote in their favorites for Top 10

    ‘American Idol’ fans vote in their favorites for Top 10

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    HOLLYWOOD — After thousands of hopefuls, and hundreds of young singers making their way to Hollywood… “American Idol” has named its Top 10.

    “It will be difficult from here on out,” said host Ryan Seacrest.

    “American Idol” had to say goodbye to Jayna Elise and Roman Collins to say hello to this season’s Top 10. And now that they’re here, the judges say they’ve got more work to do to stay here!

    “Now it has to be individuality. In other words, it has to be where you actually stand out as the artist,” said Lionel Richie.

    “It’s all about the strategy now and anyone that’s standing still, even if they’re playing an instrument, it’s not going to work anymore,” advised Katy Perry.

    Luke Bryan agrees. “They’ve got to re-invent themselves and just get creative on how they stand out and catch America’s eyeballs.”

    Those who made the top 10 reflected on their journey.

    “I don’t think I’m the best person in this competition at all. Definitely should not win but, like, if they want to put me in another round, like, that’d be cool,” said Kayko.

    “The sky is the limit, you know? Just standing here being surrounded by so many talented people is already reaching heights that I never imagined I could reach,” said Mia Matthews.

    15-year-old Triston Harper isn’t sure why fans have taken a shine to his talent. “I don’t know. I reckon it’s just because I’m just this little Oklahoma boy who’s got this cute little accent or that Alabama smile.”

    “American Idol” is back on Sunday, April 28, on ABC with Shania Twain as the guest mentor.

    Copyright © 2024 OnTheRedCarpet.com. All Rights Reserved.

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    George Pennacchio

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  • Robert Durst Gave a Fascinating Interview the Day The Jinx Ended

    Robert Durst Gave a Fascinating Interview the Day The Jinx Ended

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    “Right,” Durst agreed.

    By this point, Lewin had listened to Jarecki’s 20 hours’ worth of Jinx interviews. He reminded Durst that the millionaire had said in the past that something did bother him about All Good Things.

    “Oh, killing all the dogs,” Durst remembered. (Gosling’s character kills the family dog in the film.) Lewin theorized that Durst would never hurt a dog. Durst agreed, though he couldn’t answer as definitively on the subject of hurting women. (When Lewin suggested Durst dismembered the body of his first wife, Kathie, Durst replied, “I’m not gonna go there.”)

    Though Durst was worth an estimated $100 million, he admitted to applying for food stamps because he got a kick out of cheating the government. He said he had shoplifted “since I was a little kid” because he had no interest in waiting in line. “I’ve got other things I want to do,” he said. Other kids are taught to respect authority; as Durst told Lewin, “I didn’t have to follow the rules.” At another point, Durst said he declined a television network’s offer to make a special on him that would cast him as a good person. That would be going too far, in Durst’s book: “I never felt that I was really a good guy,” he said.

    He volunteered that a previous lawyer didn’t want him to tell the Galveston, Texas, jury about his daily routine: “I’m a millionaire. I don’t have to work. I get up most mornings and smoke pot.” (At another point, he told Lewin, “I’ve been smoking pot every day, all my life, for as long as I can remember.”)

    Durst spoke obliquely about his relationship with former inmates, presumably those he met while awaiting his 2003 Morris Black murder trial. After his arrest, Durst jumped bail and was caught in Pennsylvania trying to shoplift a chicken sandwich. The capture blew his inmates’ minds.

    “None of the inmates could understand that, at all: ‘You have lots of money. Why’d you get caught?’” Technically, he was caught because he was attempting to steal lunch, a newspaper, and a Band-Aid (with $500 cash in his pocket and $37,000 in the car). Again, why risk your freedom for something so relatively small?

    “I can’t explain it to you,” said Durst. “I couldn’t explain it to the inmates. I mean, it was just ridiculous…. I hated being a fugitive…. I was the worst fugitive the world has ever met…. Maybe I wanted to get caught. I certainly can’t explain it any other way.”

    Bizarrely, he told Lewin about learning how to more effectively dismember a human body after he chopped up Morris Black. “The way I was doing it was the hard way,” Durst said. “Subsequently, I’ve been told that a surgeon would cut up a body the same way you do a chicken. You go into the joint. And you cut around the joint. You get rid of all the ligaments. And then, the thing comes out. You’re not gonna go and try to cut through the God-damned bone, like I did.”

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    Julie Miller

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  • Live video of man who set himself on fire outside court proves challenging for news organizations

    Live video of man who set himself on fire outside court proves challenging for news organizations

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    NEW YORK — Video cameras stationed outside the Manhattan courthouse where former President Donald Trump is on trial caught the gruesome scene Friday of a man who lit himself on fire and the aftermath as authorities tried to rescue him.

    CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC were all on the air with reporters talking about the seating of a jury when the incident happened and other news agencies, including The Associated Press, were livestreaming from outside the courthouse. The man, who distributed pamphlets before dousing himself in an accelerant and setting himself on fire, was in critical condition.

    The incident tested how quickly the networks could react, and how they decided what would be too disturbing for their viewers to see.

    With narration from Laura Coates, CNN had the most extensive view of the scene. Coates, who at first incorrectly said it was a shooting situation, then narrated as the man was visible onscreen, enveloped in flames.

    “You can smell burning flesh,” Coates, an anchor and CNN’s chief legal analyst, said as she stood at the scene with reporter Evan Perez.

    The camera switched back and forth between Coates and what was happening in the park. Five minutes after the incident started, CNN posted the onscreen message “Warning: Graphic Content.”

    Coates later said she couldn’t “overstate the emotional response of watching a human being engulfed in flames and to watch his body be lifted into a gurney.” She described it as an “emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment here.”

    Fox’s cameras caught the scene briefly as reporter Eric Shawn talked, then the network switched to a courtroom sketch of Trump on trial.

    “We deeply apologize for what has happened,” Shawn said.

    On MSNBC, reporter Yasmin Vossoughian narrated the scene. The network showed smoke in the park, but no picture where the body was visible.

    “I could see the outline of his body inside the flames,” Vossoughian said, “which was so terrifying to see. As he went to the ground his knees hit the ground first.”

    The AP had a camera with an unnarrated live shot stationed outside the courthouse, shown on YouTube and APNews.com. The cameras caught an extensive view, with the man lighting himself afire and later writhing on the ground before a police officer tried to douse the flames with a jacket.

    The AP later removed its live feed from its YouTube channel and replaced it with a new one because of the graphic nature of the content.

    The news agency distributed carefully edited clips to its video clients — not showing the moment the man lit himself on fire, for example, said executive producer Tom Williams.

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  • The 47 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now

    The 47 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now

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    Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds. Our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix is updated weekly to help you know which series you need to move to the top of your queue. They aren’t all sure-fire winners—we love a good less-than-obvious gem—but they’re all worth your time, trust us.

    Feel like you’ve already watched everything on this list that you want to see? Try our guide to the best movies on Netflix for more options. And if you’ve already completed Netflix and are in need of a new challenge, check out our picks for the best shows on Hulu and the best shows on Disney+. Don’t like our picks, or want to offer suggestions of your own? Head to the comments below.

    If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

    3 Body Problem

    In 1960s China, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, gifted scholar Wenjie Ye witnesses her physicist father being beaten to death for his research, only for her to be recruited to a secret project relying on that same knowledge. Fast-forward to the present day, and physics is broken: Particle accelerators around the world are delivering impossible data, while scientists are being plagued by countdowns only they can see. Meanwhile, strange VR headsets appear to be transporting players to an entirely different world—and humanity’s continued existence may rely on there being no “game over.” Game of Thrones’ creators D. B. Weiss and David Benioff and True Blood executive producer Alexander Woo reimagine Chinese author Cixin Liu’s acclaimed hard sci-fi trilogy of first contact and looming interplanetary conflict as a more global affair. Wildly ambitious, and boasting an international cast featuring the likes of Benedict Wong, Rosalind Chao, Eiza González, and GOT alum John Bradley, Netflix’s 3 Body Problem serves up the opening salvo in a richly detailed and staggeringly complex saga.

    Parasyte: The Grey

    Alien spores rain down on Earth, releasing aggressive larvae driven to burrow into other creatures’ heads, devour the brain, and take control of the body. Once in possession, these parasites are indistinguishable from regular people—apart from the ability to warp the flesh and bone of their hosts’ head into terrible weapons, which they use to hunt and consume humans from the shadows. Su-in Jeong (So-nee Jeon) almost became one of them, but when the parasite trying to take control of her exhausts itself saving her from a violent attacker, she’s left sharing her body with an increasingly self-aware monster. Helmed by Train to Busan director Sang-ho Yeon, this Korean drama expands the world established in Hitoshi Iwaaki’s sci-horror manga Parasyte, building on its social and environmental themes even as it delivers a terrific, and often terrifying, slice of body horror.

    Ripley

    Perhaps best known nowadays from 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon, novelist Patricia Highsmith’s inveterate criminal Tom Ripley has a longer, darker legacy in print and on screen. For this limited series, creator Steven Zaillian goes back to Highsmith’s original text, presenting Ridley (a never-more-sinister Andrew Scott of All of Us Strangers) as a down-on-his-luck conman in 1950s New York, recruited by a wealthy shipbuilder to travel to Italy and persuade his spoiled son Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return home. But once in Italy, Ripley finds himself enamored with Dickie’s lavish lifestyle—and will do anything to take it for himself. Shot in black and white to really sell its noir credentials, this is an instant contender for the finest interpretation of Highsmith’s works to date.

    Baby Reindeer

    Stalking is no laughing matter, which might make for awkward subject matter in this dramatized retelling of Scottish comedian Richard Gadd’s own real-life experiences. Adapted from Gadd’s one-man stage show of the same name, Baby Reindeer follows Donny (Gadd, playing a slightly fictionalized version of himself) after he meets Martha (Jessica Gunning) at the pub he works at. Despite claiming to be a lawyer, Martha can’t afford a drink—and a sympathetic gesture on Donny’s part opens the door to increasingly obsessive and dangerous behavior as she proceeds to infiltrate his life. It’s shockingly honest and self-aware in places: Does Donny, and by extension Gadd, on some level relish the attention of his stalker? Are his occasional moments of kindness and warmth toward Martha inviting her further in? Is he using her, finding her a strange source of material for his stand-up career? A fiercely paced seven episodes shot more like a horror movie, this searing miniseries explores trauma and intimacy, shame and masculinity, and how society often silences the victims of abuse.

    Girls5eva

    Saved from Peacock after two seasons, Netflix has gotten the band back together for this sharp comedy from creator Meredith Scardino. Twenty years after they split up, girl group Girls5Eva—Dawn (Sara Bareilles), Gloria (Paula Pell), Summer (Busy Philipps), and Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry)—find themselves back in demand after their one big hit is sampled by popular rapper Li’l Stinker (Jeremiah Craft). Turning their renewed popularity into an opportunity to reunite, the women try to gain the stardom, respect, and musical integrity they never had in their youth, even as life has taken them in very different directions. Poking fun at the absurdity of the late ’90s/early ’00s pop scene—and how little has changed since—and heightened by an almost surrealist edge in places, Girls5eva is a comedy that deserves its time in the spotlight.

    Avatar: The Last Airbender

    A talented young cast bring to life the tale of Aang (Gordon Cormier), the latest in a long line of avatars who can control all four cardinal elements, but is frozen in time for a century when his world needed him most. Awakened by new friends Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), he sets about continuing his training as the Avatar in an attempt to restore balance, all the while pursued by the relentless Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu), heir to the imperialist Fire Nation that has conquered the word. Consider this a cautious recommendation—the original animated version, also on Netflix, remains superior—but Netflix’s live action Avatar remake serves up scale and spectacle, without betraying the heart of the classic show. It’s also already confirmed for two more seasons, so viewers can look forward to the complete saga without the now-familiar Netflix cancellation worries.

    The Legend of Korra

    If you’re still not sold on the live-action Avatar, this sequel to the original series is well worth your time. Set 70 years after the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra explores how Aang’s world has progressed after decades of relative peace. When Korra, the new Avatar, moves to Republic City to complete her training under the tutelage of Tenzin—Aang’s son, now with a family of his own—she finds herself and new friends Mako and Bolin caught in the growing tensions between element benders and the Equalist movement, who claim the unpowered are an oppressed class. As the series progresses over its four seasons, The Legend of Korra proves itself a very different beast than its predecessor, exploring political themes and social prejudices in deeper—and often darker—detail, while also expanding the more fantastic elements of the universe and revealing the origins of the first Avatar. Even more brilliantly animated, and with a unique 1920s inspired aesthetic, Korra is a show that grew up alongside its audience, and is all the stronger for it.

    The Gentlemen

    Created by Guy Ritchie, and loosely following his 2019 film of the same name, this darkly comedic series follows Eddie Horniman (Theo James), a former British Army officer, after he inherits the family estate and title of Duke following his father’s death. Oh, and the massive cannabis farm hidden beneath the grounds. Drawn into a literal criminal underground, Eddie finds himself having to deal with his family’s legacy, his only real support coming from Susie (Kaya Scodelario), who’s been running the drug empire. With a cast bolstered by Ray Winstone as Bobby Glass, Susie’s incarcerated father and criminal kingpin, and Giancarlo Esposito as Stanley Johnston, an American investor with his own designs on the Horniman estate, The Gentlemen is a violent and blood-splattered crime caper in the heart of the British aristocracy. Consider it the antithesis of The Crown—or not far removed from it, depending on your stance on the British Monarchy.

    Griselda

    Charting the life of infamous drug lord Griselda Blanco, who rose from a desperate life in Colombia to become a major player in the Miami drug wars, this dramatization shines largely thanks to a phenomenal performance from Sofía Vergara in the title role, channeling a chilling persona that makes her turn on Modern Family seem a lifetime away. While not entirely historically accurate, this limited series (co-created by Narcos’ Doug Miro) weaves a mesmerizing tale of Blanco’s efficiency in dominating the cocaine trade—and her brutality in enforcing that control. A tight six episodes makes for a compelling, if shockingly violent, binge watch.

    Star Trek: Prodigy

    Paramount+’s loss is Netflix’s gain with the license rescue of this great Star Trek spin-off. Kicking off on a distant prison planet, a group of young escapees are forced to become a crew when they commandeer a lost—and highly experimental—Starfleet vessel. Guided by a hologram version of Star Trek: Voyager’s iconic Captain Janeway (voiced by the venerable Kate Mulgrew), the untested cadets face a crash course in Federation ethics as they try to escape their former captor. While aimed at younger audiences and intended as an intro to the wider Trek universe, Prodigy packs in plenty for older Trekkies to appreciate—and with the complete first season available now and another 20-episode season expected later in 2024, there’s a lot to enjoy.

    Queer Eye

    The Fab Five are back for another round of life-changing makeovers in New Orleans. With heroes including a deaf football coach who needs to step up to support his students, a Kiss superfan committed to caring for his brother, and a former nun looking for love, there’s plenty to tug at the heart strings. With this season marking the last for design guru Bobby Berk, Queer Eye will doubtlessly be evolving when it returns for its already-confirmed ninth season, but for now, grab the tissues and prepare to ugly-happy-cry again.

    One Day

    Based on David Nicholls’ 2009 novel of the same name, this limited series charts the lives of Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall) over the course of 20 years. Starting with their graduation from Edinburgh University in 1988, each episode jumps forward one year at a time, revisiting them for a single day and exploring how their existences swirl around each other, even as fate seems to drag them apart. It’s all gorgeously shot and produced, each half-hour episode a time capsule of its period, while the sizzling chemistry between the leads keeps you rooting for them even when you begin to suspect they’re not meant for each other. An unexpectedly beautiful romcom.

    Beef

    Ever been cut off in traffic? Ever had it happen when you’re having a really bad day? Ever just wanted to take the low road, chase the person down and make them pay?! Then—after a few deep breaths—Beef is the show for you. It’s a pressure valve for every petty grievance you’ve ever suffered, following rich Amy (Ali Wong) and struggling Danny (Steven Yeun) as they escalate a road rage encounter into a vengeance-fueled quest to destroy the other. Yet Beef is more than a city-wide revenge thriller—it’s a biting look at how crushing modern life can be, particularly in its LA setting, where extravagant wealth brushes up against inescapable poverty and seemingly no one is truly happy. Part dramedy, part therapy, Beef is a bad example of conflict resolution but a cathartic binge watch that clearly resonates—as evidenced by its growing clutch of awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Limited Series.

    Pokémon Concierge

    No, wait, come back! We’re serious—Pokémon Concierge is one of the most delightful and inventive offerings to hit Netflix in ages. Unlike the decades-long anime series charting Ash Ketchum and Pikachu’s quest to be the very best like no one ever was, this delicate stop-motion series follows Haru (voiced by The Boys’ Karen Fukuhara), a new concierge at an island resort catering to Pokémon. Each of the four episodes offers whimsical encounters with the titular creatures, as Haru learns to take care of her guests, and herself, in the process. It’s effortlessly adorable and strangely relaxing to watch, but manages to avoid feeling gimmicky or twee. It even carries a warning for “emotionally intense scenes,” so prepare for your heart strings to be tugged at.

    Loudermilk

    Something of a sleeper hit for years—its first two seasons debuted on AT&T’s now-defunct pay TV channel Audience in 2017, before its third season appeared over on Amazon—all three seasons of this bleak comedy are now available on Netflix. Ron Livingston stars as Sam Loudermilk, a vitriolic former music critic and recovering alcoholic who proves almost pathologically incapable of holding his tongue when faced with life’s small frustrations—a personality type possibly ill-suited to leading others through addiction support groups. It’s dark in places, and its central character is deliberately unlikeable, but smart writing and smarter performances shape this into something of an acerbic anti-Frasier.

    Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

    Adapted from the beloved graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, animated by one of the most exciting and dynamic studios in Japan, and voiced by the entire returning cast of director Edgar Wright’s 2010 live-action adaption, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off would have been cult gold even if it was a straight retelling of its eponymous slacker’s battles against lover Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes. Yet somehow, in a world devoid of surprises, this packs in killer twists from the very first episode, making for a show that’s as fresh and exciting as ever. Saying anything else would ruin it—just watch.

    Yu Yu Hakusho

    Everyone thought Yusuke Urameshi was a trouble-making jerk—so when he died saving a child from being hit by a car, that last-minute act of heroism was so uncharacteristic that it even throws off his final judgement. Spared from hell but not quite earning a spot in heaven, Yusuke is instead revived on Earth as a “spirit detective.” charged with hunting down ghosts and demons that have escaped to the living plane. Based on the manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights scaled by One Piece, but it is definitely in the upper echelons of Netflix’s live-action adaptations of anime and manga—a fun supernatural action-thriller that offers a unique vision of the spirit world and packs in some fantastic action sequences as the reluctant hero comes to grips with his new responsibilities. At a tight five episodes, it’s an easily binged blast.

    Sweet Home

    Based on the Korean webcomic by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan, Sweet Home offers a very different vision of apocalyptic end times—rather than pandemics, disasters, or even zombies, this posits an end of the world brought about by people’s transformation into grotesque monsters, each unique and seemingly based on their deepest desires when they were human. The first season was a masterclass in claustrophobic horror, as the residents of an isolated, run-down apartment building—chiefly suicidal teen Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang), former firefighter Seo Yi-kyung (Lee Si-young), and Pyeon Sang-wook (Lee Jin-wook), who may be a brutal gangster—battled for survival, while the long-awaited second season explores what remains of the wider world, delving into the true nature of both monster and man. With phenomenal effects work blending prosthetics, CGI, and even stop-motion animation for some disturbingly juddering creatures, this stands apart from the horror crowd.

    Castlevania: Nocturne

    France, 1792: as the French Revolution rages, citizens rise up against a parasitic ruling class—but vampire hunter Richter Belmont and his magic-wielding ally Maria Renard are more concerned with what’s literally bleeding the people dry. Yet conventional bloodsuckers turn out to be the least of their worries when the pair meets Annette and Edouard, who have travelled halfway around the world to warn of a coming “Vampire Messiah” prophesized to devour the sun—let’s just say the stakes have never been higher (sorry). Set centuries after the previous Castlevania animated series, this proves a perfect jumping on point while maintaining the high quality animation, tight plotting, and brilliant action that made the original such a hit.

    Bodies

    Four detectives. Four time periods. Four murders? Maybe—but only one body. This time-twisting thriller—adapted from the comic of the same name by writer Si Spencer and artists Tula Lotay, Meghan Hetrick, Dean Ormston, and Phil Winslade—hops from Victorian London to a dystopian future and back again, as the same corpse is found in the same spot in each era. The only thing stranger than the impossible crime itself is the conspiracy behind it, one that spans decades, impacting and linking every figure investigating the body. A brilliantly high-concept sci-fi crime drama, Bodies is one of the best one-and-done limited series to hit Netflix in years.

    Pluto

    Think you know Astro Boy? Think again. In 2003, Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys) updated original creator Osamu Tezuka’s hugely influential “The Greatest Robot on Earth” story arc for his manga Pluto, opting for a more adult approach. The focus shifts from the heroic boy robot to grizzled cybernetic detective Gesicht as he investigates a series of murders of both humans and robots, each victim left with makeshift horns crammed into their heads. Meanwhile, Atom (Astro’s Japanese name) is recast as a former peace ambassador, effectively a propaganda tool rolled out at the end of the 39th Central Asian War, still dealing with trauma from the experience. This adaptation is not only a faithful recreation of Urasawa’s retelling, but is stunningly animated to a standard rarely seen in Netflix’s original anime productions. With eight episodes, each around an hour long, this is as prestigious as any live-action thriller the streamer has produced, and a testament to both Tezuka and Urasawa’s respective geniuses.

    Blue Eye Samurai

    In the 17th Century, Japan enforced its “sakoku” isolationist foreign policy, effectively closing itself off from the world. Foreigners were few and far between—so when Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine) is born with blue eyes, nine months after her mother was assaulted by one of the four white men in the country, it marks her as an outsider, regarded as less than human. Years later, after being trained by a blind sword master and now masquerading as a man, Mizu hunts down those four men, knowing that killing them all is the only way to guarantee her vengeance. Exquisitely animated—which makes its unabashed violence all the more graphic—and with a phenomenal voice cast bolstered by the likes of George Takei, Brenda Song, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Kenneth Branagh, Blue Eye Samurai is one of the best adults-only animated series on Netflix.

    Sex Education

    Talking about sex with your parents is always awkward, but for teenager Otis (Asa Butterfield) it’s even worse: His mother Jean (a captivating Gillian Anderson) is a renowned sex therapist who won’t stop talking about sex, leaving Otis himself ambivalent toward it. Still, something must have sunk in, and after helping a fellow student navigate a sexual conundrum, Otis finds himself almost accidentally running his own sex therapy clinic on campus. While the situations are often played for laughs, over its four seasons Sex Education thoughtfully explores intimacy, sexuality, and relationships in tender and even profound ways. With a fantastic ensemble cast including incoming Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa as Otis’ best friend Eric and Emma Mackey as love interest Maeve, this UK-set and Welsh-filmed coming-of-age dramedy has proven itself one of Netflix’s best series.

    La Révolution

    In a triumph of on-the-nose conceptualizing, La Révolution spins an alt-history romp in on-the-cusp-of-revolt France, where the cruel aristocracy become literal “blue-bloods,” thanks to a contagion that turns them into inky-veined, dandyish fiends ravenous for human flesh. A plucky reformist contessa who sympathizes with the commoners’ plight—first being exploited by the ruling class, and then being eaten by them—allies with forces both rebel and supernatural as she tries to prevent the undead disease spreading from the elite of Versaille to the whole of France’s upper crust. The melding of surprisingly great production values and a cast that’s clearly enjoying themselves elevates this above your standard zombie nonsense—and it’s subtitled, which definitely means it’s art house, right?

    Pending Train

    Netflix: License one of Japan’s best SF dramas in years. Also Netflix: Do nothing, literally nothing, to promote it, not even create an English subbed trailer. Which is where WIRED comes in—Pending Train is a show you (and Netflix) shouldn’t sleep on. When a train carriage is mysteriously transported into a post-apocalyptic future, the disparate passengers’ first concern is simply survival. Between exploring their new surroundings and clashing with people from another stranded train car over scarce resources, one group—including hairdresser Naoya, firefighter Yuto, and teacher Sae—begins to realize that there may be a reason they’ve been catapulted through time: a chance to go back and avert the disaster that ruined the world. A tense, 10-episode journey, Pending Train offers a Japanese twist on Lost, but one with tighter pacing and showrunners who actually have a clue where they want the story to go.

    One Piece

    Mark one up for persistence: After numerous anime adaptations ranging from “awful” to “not too bad,” Netflix finally strikes gold with its live-action take on the global phenomenon One Piece. Despite fans’ fears, this spectacularly captures the charm, optimism, and glorious weirdness of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga, manifesting a fantasy world where people brandish outlandish powers and hunt for a legendary treasure in an Age of Piracy almost verbatim from the page. The perfectly cast Iñaki Godoy stars as Monkey D. Luffy, would-be King of the Pirates, bringing an almost elastic innate physicality to the role that brilliantly matches the characters rubber-based stretching powers, while the crew Luffy gathers over this first season—including swordsmaster Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), navigator and skilled thief Nami (Emily Rudd), sharpshooter Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), and martial artist chef Sanji (Taz Skylar)—all brilliantly embody their characters. A lot could have gone wrong bringing One Piece to life, but this is a voyage well worth taking.

    Ragnarok

    If you’re a fan of Norse mythology but Marvel’s Thor got too goofy for you with Love and Thunder, this Norwegian fantasy drama may be more to your liking. Set in the present day, young Magne Seier (David Stakston) finds he is the reincarnation of the god of thunder just in time to take a stand against the sinister Jutul family, whose polluting factories blight his hometown of Edda. No, the show is not subtle with its references, nor its environmental message, but it’s a fun reimagining of myth, especially as more members of the Norse pantheon start cropping up. Best of all, with only three six-episode seasons and an actual ending—no surprise cancellations here!—it’s a nicely digestible binge-watch.

    The Chosen One

    Based on the comic American Jesus by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Kingsman) and artist Peter Gross (Lucifer), The Chosen One follows 12-year-old Jodie (Bobby Luhnow), raised in Mexico by his mother Sarah (Dianna Agron). While the young boy would rather hang out with his friends, his life—and potentially the world—changes forever when he starts exhibiting miraculous powers, attracting dangerous attention from sinister forces. While this could have been yet another formulaic entry in Netflix’s expansive library of supernatural teen dramas (the Stranger Things vibe is particularly strong), the decision to shoot on film and in a 4:3 aspect ratio make this a visual delight, unlike almost anything else on the streamer at present. There’s an English dub, but stick to the original Spanish with English subs for a better viewing experience. (Confusingly, there’s another show with the exact same title on Netflix, a 2019 Brazilian series following a trio of relief doctors in a village dominated by a cult leader—also worth a watch, but don’t get them confused!)

    Heartstopper

    Arguably the most joyful show on Netflix is back for another school year of teen drama and heartfelt romance. With Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) now officially dating, this long-awaited second season starts off with Nick struggling to come out as bisexual—but it’s openly-gay Charlie’s parents who seem to struggle the most with their relationship. Meanwhile, Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao’s (William Gao) will-they-won’t-they saga continues to sizzle, and a school trip to Paris turns into a crucible for everyone’s emotions. Although it steps into slightly darker terrain this season, the brilliant adaptation of Alice Oseman’s graphic novels continues to be an utter delight—the show younger LGBTQ+ viewers need now, older ones needed years ago, and that everyone needs to watch whatever your sexuality.

    Cobra Kai

    While this latter day sequel to The Karate Kid films of the 1980s started life on YouTube Red (remember that?), it’s really come into its own since moving to Netflix. Picking up decades after Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence’s iconic fight at the end of the first movie, the debut season of Cobra Kai finds the tables turned, with Daniel living the charmed life while Johnny is washed up. Yet after defending his young neighbor Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) in a fight, Johnny finds new meaning by re-opening the eponymous karate dojo and guiding a new generation of students. As the series progresses, the stakes get higher—and frankly, increasingly, gloriously, ludicrous—as rival martial arts schools start cropping up all over California and alliances are forged and broken with alarming regularity. It’s all presented a little bit tongue-in-cheek, and with Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their 1980s roles, the show is an unabashed love letter to the classic action flicks, but thanks to some seriously impressive fights and stunt work, and with a younger cast you can’t help but root for, it’s a retro-styled delight. With a sixth and final season in the works, now is the perfect time to binge the first five.

    Cunk on Earth

    British comedy alert: This might not be for you. If, however, you appreciate drier-than-a-desert humor and cringe-inducingly awkward interviews, this is a must-watch. A perfectly framed lampoon of globe-trotting documentaries, Cunk on Earth sees host Philomena Cunk (in reality, comedian Diane Morgan) exploring world history, from the development of agriculture through to the space race, offering deranged insights and skewering real-world experts with incredibly stupid questions along the way. Morgan’s relentlessly deadpan delivery alone makes this five-episode series worth a watch, but it’s those interviews that make this comedy gold.

    Glitch

    To those in the northern hemisphere, this Australian supernatural drama might be one of the best kept secrets of the last decade. Centred on a small town in Victoria, an entire community is shaken when seven people rise from their graves, seemingly in perfect health but with no memory of who they are or how they died. As police sergeant James Hayes (Patrick Brammall) and local doctor Elishia McKellar (Genevieve O’Reilly) try to contain and examine “The Risen,” Hayes’ world is rocked when he learns his own late wife Kate is among them. Over the course of three seasons and 18 episodes, the reasons for the dead’s return is teased out, starting with simply “how” and “why,” but building up to something that questions the rules of reality. A fantastic ensemble cast and brilliant pacing make this a must-see.

    Black Mirror

    As creator Charlie Brooker recently told WIRED, “Black Mirror wasn’t meant to be ‘this is what’s going on in technology this week.’ It was always designed to be a more paranoid and weird and hopefully unique show.” And that it is, but rather than displaying what’s going on in technology as it’s happening, the show has a way of beating its viewers to the paranoid punch, addressing dystopian anxieties before they even happen. (Black Mirror was talking about AI long before your mom ever heard of ChatGPT.) Netflix just released the sixth season of Brooker’s show, and if you haven’t watched, now may be the time. How else will you know what you’ll be worried about five years from now?

    She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

    On the planet Etheria, Adora loyally serves the Horde, rising through its ranks with her close friend Catra by her side, until the discovery of a strange sword transforms her into the legendary warrior She-Ra. Learning the truth about the oppressive forces she’s served her whole life, Adora joins the Rebellion against the Horde—but can she really turn her back on everything she’s ever known? And will Catra ever forgive the betrayal? Developed by ND Stevenson—whose own Nimona delighted viewers as an animated movie on Netflix—the modern She-Ra reimagines the 1980s classic, eschewing the original’s connection to He-Man and episodic structure in favor of its own unique mythology and long-form storytelling, packed with complex characters, high stakes, and some powerfully emotional moments. Perfect for fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra, this dazzlingly animated five-season action-fantasy is as compelling for older fans as it is younger viewers—and some of the best LGBTQ+ representation to be found in any medium doesn’t hurt either.

    Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

    A prequel spin-off to Bridgerton—the Shondaland-produced Regency era historical romance that continues to break Netflix viewership records—Queen Charlotte takes viewers back to 1761, exploring how a young Charlotte (India Amarteifio) meets and marries George III (Corey Mylchreest). In typical Bridgerton fashion though, there’s far more going on than a period love story, with the spirited Charlotte initially trying to escape the arranged marriage before learning to navigate the corridors of power—and manage George’s deteriorating mental health. Interspersed with scenes in Bridgerton’s “present day” 1817, where the now-formidable stateswoman Queen Charlotte (a returning Golda Rosheuvel) deals with a succession crisis to the throne, this limited series is compulsory viewing for fans of the series, and a great entry point for anyone yet to be wooed by its charms.

    Inside Man

    Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci) is a former criminology professor on death row for killing his wife, telling his story to a journalist named Beth (Lydia West). Harry Watling (David Tennant) is an unassuming English vicar, tending to his parishioners. The two men are a world apart—until a horrific misunderstanding leads to Watling trapping a friend of Beth’s in his basement. As Watling’s situation and mental state deteriorate, Beth turns to the killer for help finding her friend. Created and written by Stephen Moffat, this tense transatlantic thriller has just a dash of The Silence of the Lambs, and with a cast at the top of their game, it’s gripping viewing. Best of all, its tight four episodes mean you can binge it in one go.

    The Diplomat

    If there’s a West Wing-shaped hole in your life, look no further than The Diplomat—a tense geopolitical thriller elevated beyond the norms of the genre by a superb central performance by The Americans’ Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, newly appointed US ambassador to the UK. Far from being an easy assignment in a friendly country, Kate’s role coincides with an attack on a British aircraft carrier, leaving her to defuse an international crisis before it escalates into full-blown war. It’s a job that might go easier if her own special relationship with husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) weren’t fraying, as his resentment at being demoted leads him to interfere in her efforts. One of Netflix’s biggest hits of 2023, The Diplomat has already been renewed for season two.

    Sweet Tooth

    Based on the comic book by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is set 10 years after “The Sick,” a viral pandemic that killed most of the population and led—somehow—to babies being born with part-human, part-animal characteristics. The first season follows Gus, a half-deer hybrid boy who leaves the wilderness in search of his mother, and “Big Man” Tommy Jeppard, a grizzled traveler who becomes his reluctant guide, protecting him from surviving humans who hate and fear the hybrids. The newly dropped second season takes things into darker territory, merging Gus and Jeppard’s path with the once-disparate storyline of Aditya Singh (Adeel Akhtar), a scientist researching the origins of The Sick—and its connections to Gus. Part sci-fi, part fantasy, part mystery, Sweet Tooth offers viewers a postapocalyptic dystopia unlike any other.

    Lost in Space

    It’s a few years old at this point, but Netflix’s update of the classic 1960s sci-fi show is one of the rarest entries on the service now—a genre show that the streamer can’t cancel after one season, because it’s already completed its three-season run. That means you can settle in to this glossier take on the Robinson family and their desperate attempt to survive on an alien planet without fear of a permanent cliffhanger or a never-coming conclusion. The stakes are far higher in this reboot though, with the Robinsons trapped on a dangerous alien world after an attempt to evacuate a doomed Earth goes disastrously wrong. Stranded, with no way to reunite with the colony mission they were once part of, the family’s fate may rest with a strange robot befriended by youngest son Will—but unlike in the original show, this robot caused the disaster that stranded them. With less saccharine family dynamics than the original, less camp (with the arguable exception of Parker Posey, stealing scenes as the nefarious Dr. Smith), and a more ambitious long-form story stretching across its three seasons, Lost in Space is a strong update for modern viewers.

    Alice in Borderland

    When slacker Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) is mysteriously transported to a deserted Tokyo, his keen gaming skills give him an edge navigating a series of lethal games that test intellect as much as physical prowess. Yet after barely scraping through several rounds, Arisu is no closer to uncovering the secrets of this strange borderland, or to finding a way home—and the stakes are about to get even higher. Not only are Arisu and his allies Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), Kuina (Aya Asahina), and Chishiya (Nijiro Murakami) faced with another gauntlet of sadistic games, but they find themselves caught between rival card suit “courts” vying for power—and not everyone can be trusted.

    With its willingness to kill off main characters at a moment’s notice, the first season of this gripping adaptation of Haro Aso’s manga kept viewers on tenterhooks throughout. As the long-awaited second season leans further into its twisted Alice in Wonderland imagery, expect more shocking developments in this taut thriller.

    Wednesday

    After a minor indiscretion at her “normie” school—releasing flesh-eating piranhas into a pool of swim-team bullies—the dismal doyenne of the Addams Family is sent to the imposing monster boarding school of the Nevermore Academy. Initially desperate to escape the horror high school cliques—goths are vampires, jocks are werewolves, and stoners are gorgons—and her alarmingly peppy roommate, Wednesday is soon drawn into a prophecy dating back decades, and a murder mystery that incriminates her own family.

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    Matt Kamen, WIRED Staff

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  • ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ orchestral performance comes to Philly in October

    ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ orchestral performance comes to Philly in October

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    Yip yip! The world of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is coming to Philly through an immersive music experience.

    “Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert,” which has been touring around the world since September, will stop by the Met on Oct. 19, and tickets go on sale Friday, April 19, at 10 a.m.

    The more than two-hour-long show centers around a live orchestral performance from the musical score of the Nickelodeon animated series, which was composed by Jeremy Zuckerman. Co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, as well as the show’s original editor Jeff Adams, teamed up with Zuckerman to expand on the compositions for the concert series. The music will play as a full-size screen will show memorable scenes from the TV show.

    Along with violins, cellos and harps, the orchestra will feature the erhu, a two-stringed Chinese instrument, and the taiko, a Japanese drum.

    “It’s been incredibly satisfying and moving to see the audiences’ emotional response to these concerts, and to be a part of that atmosphere is a uniquely beautiful experience,” Zuckerman said in a statement. “I’m overjoyed that many more people — Avatar fans both new and old — will get to experience the show during this wider tour.”

    The celebrated show ran for three seasons from 2005 to 2008, winning Peabody, Emmy and Annie Awards. “The Last Airbender” also spawned a critically lambasted live-action film adaptation from Philly-area director M. Night Shyamalan in 2010 — many of the movie’s scenes were filmed in Reading and Philadelphia.

    A sequel animated show called “The Legend of Korra” aired from 2012 to 2014, and a production company called Avatar Studios formed in 2021 to create new shows and movies based in the universe. 

    A live-action adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” began streaming on Netflix in February without the involvement of Avatar Studios. Several actors from that show will appear at Fan Expo Philadelphia in May.

    For fans of the original animated series, the concert will be a treat — certainly better than the last time the world of “Avatar” came to Philly.

    Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert

    Saturday, Oct. 19

    The Met Philadelphia

    Tickets available starting April 19

    858 North Broad St., Philadelphia

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    Chris Compendio

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  • Trump trial: Why can’t Americans see or hear what is going on inside the courtroom?

    Trump trial: Why can’t Americans see or hear what is going on inside the courtroom?

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    NEW YORK — It’s a moment in history — the first U.S. president facing criminal charges in an American courtroom. Yet only a handful of observers are able to see or even hear what is going on.

    Instead, most of the nation is getting news of former President Donald Trump‘s hush money trial secondhand. Starting with preliminary motions and jury selection Monday, reporters in a Manhattan courtroom must convey what is being said to the outside world after the fact.

    That’s all because New York state law regarding media coverage of court proceedings is one of the most restrictive in the country. Last week’s death of O.J. Simpson, whose murder trial beamed live from a California courtroom captivated a nation three decades ago, was a telling reminder of how New York is behind the times — or, at least, a holdout.

    Regulations limiting media coverage in courtrooms date back nearly a century, when the spectacle of bright flashbulbs and camera operators standing on witness tables during the 1935 trial of the man accused of kidnapping and killing Charles Lindbergh’s baby son horrified the legal community, according to a 2022 report by the New York-based Fund for Modern Courts.

    Rules to enforce decorum spread nationally, amended to account for the invention of television, as defense lawyers worried that video coverage would harm their cases, the report said.

    Yet an interest in open government chipped away at these laws and — slowly, carefully — video cameras began to be permitted in courts across the country, often at the discretion of judges presiding in individual cases.

    New York allowed them, too, on an experimental basis between 1987 and 1997, but they were shut down. Lobbyists for defense lawyers remain strong in New York and hold particular sway among lawyers in the state Assembly, said Victor Kovner, a former New York City corporation counsel who advocates for open courtrooms.

    New York and Louisiana are the only states remaining that completely restrict video coverage, the Fund for Modern Courts said.

    To Kovner and others, that’s outrageous.

    “We’re the media capital of the world, we like to think, and the fact that cameras aren’t permitted in one of our three branches of government is unacceptable,” said New York State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who has sponsored a bill to try to change that.

    “It’s one of the most consequential trials of our modern age,” the senator said. “I think the public has a right to see exactly what happens in that courtroom.”

    On the trial’s first day, some reporters suggested that it appeared there were times that Trump drifted off to sleep while watching the proceedings. The former president’s campaign disputed that. With no video camera in place and trained on him, there’s no way of knowing for sure.

    That’s because the presiding judge, Juan M. Merchan, permitted a handful of still photographers to shoot photos of Trump before the day’s proceedings started. Once court was called into session, courtroom sketch artists — a dying communications form — hold sway.

    There is actually some video coverage of the trial, available on monitors in an overflow room adjacent to the main courtroom. It was packed Monday with reporters, court officers and a few members of the public, including Ron Sinibaldi, a former accountant from Long Island who lined up outside the courthouse before midnight for a seat.

    “I read presidential biographies,” Sinibaldi said. “I go to presidential libraries. I’m here for the history.”

    In a hallway outside of the courtroom, a limited number of cameras and a small pool of reporters are positioned to capture remarks of anyone involved in the trial who want to address the outside world. That included Trump, even before the proceedings started.

    Absent live coverage of the trial, how often the former president chooses to take advantage of those cameras and whether news organizations carry his remarks either live, taped or not at all will play a big role in how the case is perceived publicly.

    MSNBC carried his remarks live on Monday morning. “They’re trying to grab the narrative regardless of the outcome,” CNN reporter Phil Mattingly said of the Trump defense team.

    With some difficulty. CNN stationed a team on the streets of Manhattan outside the courtroom, where a truck festooned with pro-Trump flags frequently drove by, blaring horns and music from loudspeakers. Reporters sometimes struggled to be heard. “It is kind of a circus down here,” CNN’s Kaitlan Collins said.

    Commentators and experts, many of them with experience in jury selection, offered opinions from outside the courtroom or from studios. Fox News analyst Jonathan Turley said “most cities, at least those outside of New York,” will see the case as a weaponization of criminal justice.

    With estimates that jury selection could take two weeks, and no way of showing it, journalists will have a lot of time to fill unless they turn their attention elsewhere.

    Georgia, where Trump faces charges of election meddling, gives judges discretion over whether to allow television cameras. Superior Court of Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee has said he will make all hearings and trials in that case available for broadcast. That has already included hearings on whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis would be allowed to argue the case.

    Federal courts do not allow cameras in criminal cases. Trump is facing separate federal cases for election interference and mishandling classified documents, although it is not clear when, or if, trials will take place.

    The feds offer one glimmer of hope: The U.S. Supreme Court permits audio of oral arguments to be broadcast outside of the courtroom. But there’s no indication that this would apply to Trump’s case. New York’s law does not allow audio coverage of his hush money trial.

    Proponents of legislation to open up New York courts to electronic media coverage are hoping the attention paid to the Trump case may boost their proposals. The idea is being considered as part of current negotiations over the New York state budget so, theoretically, a new law could even affect the Trump trial if it is passed and goes into effect immediately.

    Given New York state’s history, it’s best not to count on it.

    ___

    Associated Press correspondent Jennifer Peltz and Jake Offenhartz in New York, and Anthony Izaguirre and Maysoon Khan in Albany, N.Y., contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.

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  • Here Comes the Sun: Marcia Gay Harden and more

    Here Comes the Sun: Marcia Gay Harden and more

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    Here Comes the Sun: Marcia Gay Harden and more – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    Actor Marcia Gay Harden sits down with Seth Doane to discuss her CBS series “So Help Me Todd,” her LGBTQ+ activism and her love of pottery. Then, Jonathan Vigliotti meets Julian Curi, the filmmaker behind the short film “Gruff.” “Here Comes the Sun” is a closer look at some of the people, places and things we bring you every week on “CBS Sunday Morning.”

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  • Robert MacNeil, creator and first anchor of PBS ‘NewsHour’ nightly newscast, dies at 93

    Robert MacNeil, creator and first anchor of PBS ‘NewsHour’ nightly newscast, dies at 93

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    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Robert MacNeil, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died on Friday. He was 93.

    MacNeil died of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to his daughter, Alison MacNeil.

    MacNeil first gained prominence for his coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings for the public broadcasting service and began his half-hour “Robert MacNeil Report” on PBS in 1975 with his friend Lehrer as Washington correspondent.

    The broadcast became the “MacNeil-Lehrer Report” and then, in 1983, was expanded to an hour and renamed the “MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour.” The nation’s first one-hour evening news broadcast, and recipient of several Emmy and Peabody awards, it remains on the air today with Geoff Bennett and Amna Nawaz as anchors.

    It was MacNeil’s and Lehrer’s disenchantment with the style and content of rival news programs on ABC, CBS and NBC that led to the program’s creation.

    “We don’t need to SELL the news,” MacNeil told the Chicago Tribune in 1983. “The networks hype the news to make it seem vital, important. What’s missing (in 22 minutes) is context, sometimes balance, and a consideration of questions that are raised by certain events.”

    MacNeil left anchoring duties at “NewsHour” after two decades in 1995 to write full time. Lehrer took over the newscast alone, and he remained there until 2009. Lehrer died in 2020.

    When MacNeil visited the show in October 2005 to commemorate its 30th anniversary, he reminisced about how their newscast started in the days before cable television.

    “It was a way to do something that seemed to be needed journalistically and yet was different from what the commercial network news (programs) were doing,” he said.

    MacNeil wrote several books, including two memoirs “The Right Place at the Right Time” and the best seller “Wordstruck,” and the novels “Burden of Desire” and “The Voyage.”

    “Writing is much more personal. It is not collaborative in the way that television must be,” MacNeil told The Associated Press in 1995. “But when you’re sitting down writing a novel, it’s just you: Here’s what I think, here’s what I want to do. And it’s me.”

    MacNeil also created the Emmy-winning 1986 series “The Story of English,” with the MacNeil-Lehrer production company, and was co-author of the companion book of the same name.

    Another book on language that he co-wrote, “Do You Speak American?,” was adapted into a PBS documentary in 2005.

    In 2007, he served as host of “America at a Crossroads,” a six-night PBS package exploring challenges confronting the United States in a post-9/11 world.

    Six years before the 9/11 attacks, discussing sensationalism and frivolity in the news business, he had said: “If something really serious did happen to the nation — a stock market crash like 1929, … the equivalent of a Pearl Harbor — wouldn’t the news get very serious again? Wouldn’t people run from `Hard Copy’ and titillation?”

    “Of course you would. You’d have to know what was going on.”

    That was the case — for a while.

    Born in Montreal in 1931, MacNeil was raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa in 1955 before moving to London where he began his journalism career with Reuters. He switched to TV news in 1960, taking a job with NBC in London as a foreign correspondent.

    In 1963, MacNeil was transferred to NBC’s Washington bureau, where he reported on Civil Rights and the White House. He covered the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas and spent most of 1964 following the presidential campaign between Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, and Republican Barry Goldwater.

    In 1965, MacNeil became the New York anchor of the first half-hour weekend network news broadcast, “The Scherer-MacNeil Report” on NBC. While in New York, he also anchored local newscasts and several NBC news documentaries, including “The Big Ear” and “The Right to Bear Arms.”

    MacNeil returned to London in 1967 as a reporter for the British Broadcasting Corp.’s “Panorama” series. While with the BBC, be covered such U.S. stories as the clash between anti-war demonstrators and the Chicago police at the 1968 Democratic Convention, and the funerals of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Sen. Robert Kennedy and President Dwight Eisenhower.

    In 1971, MacNeil left the BBC to become a senior correspondent for PBS, where he teamed up with Lehrer to co-anchor public television’s Emmy-winning coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings in 1973.

    ___

    Associated Press media writer David Bauder in New York contributed to this report.

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