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Exclusive: Production is underway on a documentary about entertainer Doris Day, one of the greatest stars in Hollywood history.

With Love, Doris!, from director-producer C.J. Wallis, producer Jim Dunlap and producer Mallory Kennedy, is built around never-before-heard audio tapes of Day responding to letters from fans. Day dictated her responses over the phone to her longtime assistant, Judy Ruby; Ruby then transcribed the tapes and sent them back to the star for revision and signature before the letters were mailed to fans. Ruby shared the recordings with Dunlap after Doris Day’s passing in 2019 at the age of 97.

“What an honor to be the keeper of this precious piece of Hollywood history,” said Dunlap. “I’m thrilled to finally get to share a side of Doris that few people knew,...

Remember the American Comedy Awards?

No problem if you don’t — the honors, intended to become the Oscars of funny business, launched in 1987 and were dead in the water by 2001. (NBC tried to revive them in 2014; that half-hearted effort lasted a single year.) But the initial broadcast was impressive, mainly because big comedy stars actually showed up for the event.

Check out this list of presenters from the first show: George Carlin, Roseanne Barr, Gilbert Gottfried, Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin, the cast of The Golden Girls, Shirley MacLaine and Pee-wee Herman, for starters. That wouldn’t have been a bad guest list for SNL50.

1987 was a mixed-bag year for comedy. There was Carlin calling out the nominees for the year’s Funniest Newcomer, a list that somehow included Alf. Another Woody — pre-pariah Woody Allen — took home Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture for Hannah and Her Sisters.

While several of...

Carolyn Raskin, the pioneering Emmy-winning producer who worked on four highly rated Frank Sinatra TV specials and the first four seasons of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, has died. She was 97.

She died Sept. 24 at her home in Sherman Oaks, her nephew Mark Raskin told The Hollywood Reporter. Her family chose not to announce her death until now.

Raskin also collaborated with Dinah Shore on NBC’s The Dinah Shore Chevy Show from 1959-63; on the singer’s 1969 NBC special, Like Hep; on her 1974-80 syndicated daytime talk show, Dinah!; and on her 1976 CBS summer replacement series, Dinah and Her New Best Friends.

In 1968, the Los Angeles Times named her a “Woman of the Year” for her accomplishments in television.

Raskin was born on Aug. 22, 1927, in Sioux City, Iowa. After attending the University of Iowa, she was a social worker but “found it terribly depressing to be exposed to such tremendous problems 10 hours a day,...

Ruth Buzzi, who was so hilarious as the lonely spinster Gladys Ormphby, the lady who swung her handbag as a lethal weapon, on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, has died. She was 88.

Buzzi died Thursday of complications from Alzheimer’s at her home near Fort Worth, Texas, her longtime rep, Mike Eisenstadt, told The Hollywood Reporter. In July 2022, her husband, actor Kent Perkins, revealed that she was “bedridden and incapacitated” after suffering a series of strokes.

Buzzi appeared in the original Broadway production of the musical comedy Sweet Charity, played Marlo Thomas’ pal Margie “Pete” Peterson on ABC’s That Girl, starred opposite Jim Nabors on a Saturday morning kids show, The Lost Saucer, and spent many years on Sesame Street.

Early on in her career, Buzzi had a comedy act with Dom DeLuise in which he played the incompetent magician Dominic the Great and she his assistant, Shakuntala.

Buzzi was...

Lenny Schultz, the frenetic stand-up comic who used food and other stuff as props in a madcap act that took him to The Tonight Show and the rebooted Laugh-In — all as he kept his job as a high school gym teacher — has died. He was 91.

Schultz died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Delray Beach, Florida, his son, Mark Schultz, told The Hollywood Reporter.

With a physical brand of humor later embraced by the likes of Robin Williams, Gallagher, Carrot Top and Sam Kinison, the curly haired Schultz would compile a list of admirers that included David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Brett Butler and Jon Stewart. Audiences at his shows would yell “Go crazy, Lenny!” and that’s what he — and his fans — would do.

“They would go nuts, the people,” Schultz said in a 2017 interview. “It was very hard to follow my act because I’m doing silly and crazy things,...

Dolly Parton is finally bringing her long-gestating autobiographical production Dolly: An Original Musical to the stage this summer. Parton announced the world premiere from the campus of Belmont University this week, sharing that the musical, which blends some of her most beloved tunes with newly penned material, will play a four-week limited engagement at the Nashville university’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

“I just want people to go away feeling like they’ve been entertained, of course. But I personally want them to see the person inside of me,...

Even the most original shows aren’t created from nothing. Saturday Night Live, like every comedy show before or since, can point to funny ancestors that helped draw up the blueprint for its success. Here are five comedy classics that formed the template for the show that became SNL…

[subtitle]1Your Show of Shows [/subtitle]

“Saturday Night Live always had its roots showing,” wrote Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller in their oral history Live From New York. Those roots began in the golden era of live TV in New York, especially Your Show of Shows featuring Sid Caesar and his troupe. The comedy was enhanced by the thrill of the live broadcast, a “this is happening now!” quality that had disappeared from television before SNL brought it back in 1975.

When Dick Ebersol made his initial Saturday Night pitch to NBC, Your Show of Shows was one of his examples of what SNL would try to emulate,...

Television loves to play it safe — or at least, that’s what the ratings suggest.

Audiences know what they like, and networks quickly replicate proven formulas.

But every so often, a show comes along that says, “Forget the rules.” These are the bold experiments, the oddball gems that refuse to color inside the lines.

Pushing Daisies (NBC/Screenshot)

From space trash collectors to singing cops, these shows dared to push boundaries, defy expectations, and embrace the absurd.

While most of them didn’t last long, their ambition helped shape the TV landscape, paving the way for today’s quirkiest hits.

Let’s celebrate the weird, the wild, and the downright baffling shows that were too ahead of their time to survive — but left a lasting mark on television history.

The Pioneers of Weird

TV in the 1960s and ‘70s wasn’t exactly known for taking risks, but there were glimmers of experimentation.

Comedy has had a substantial impact on this year’s presidential election discourse, as evidenced by Kamala Harris’ recent Saturday Night Live cameo, Tony Hinchcliffe’s racist Trump rally jokes and, most recently, an endorsement from one of the supporting cast members of Newsradio (Andy Dick’s silence is deafening).

But this isn’t the first time that the worlds of comedy and politics have overlapped during a presidential election. In fact, it’s been argued that a TV comedy was responsible for helping elect one of the shittiest presidents of all-time: Richard Milhous Nixon.

As any Boomer will tell you, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was a freewheeling sketch series that paired the absurdity of the vaudeville era with the contemporary politics of the late 1960s counterculture movement. It was very much the hippie aesthetic packaged and sold for mass consumption. It also helped launch the careers of Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn.

Event chair Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that Gladys Knight and Jason Derulo will perform at The 38th Carousel of Hope Ball.

The event will take place on October 5, 2024 at The Beverly Hilton, presented by Dexcom, the global leader in real-time continuous glucose monitoring (Cgm) for people with diabetes.

As previously announced, longtime supporter of the cause and renowned award-winning songwriter Diane Warren will be honored with the “Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award” and diabetes activist, songwriter and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Jam will be honored with the “Brass Ring Award” at this year’s event. David Foster will also replace Jay Leno as this year’s host, along with his role as Music Director, with Clive Davis and Quincy Jones reprising their roles as Music Chairmen and George Schlatter returning to produce the show.

“We are so excited to have the legendary Gladys Knight and...

Mitzi McCall, the delightful actress and sitcom writer who partnered with her husband, Charlie Brill, in a sketch comedy act that famously floundered between sets by The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, has died. She was 93.

McCall died Thursday at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, her family announced.

The pint-sized Pittsburgh native also played the dry cleaner’s wife who wears a fur coat owned by Jerry’s mom on the 1994 Seinfeld episode “The Secretary,” and she was the mother of Carol Leifer’s optometrist character on the 1997-98 WB sitcom Alright Already.

McCall had a thriving career as a voiceover artist; she played Mother Goose on Mother Goose and Grimm and worked on other animated projects including The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, Paw Paws, Darkwing Duck, Yo Yogi! and Ice Age (2002).

And she wrote for shows including 13 Queens Boulevard, Eight Is Enough, One Day at a Time,...

Refresh for updates: Comedy icon Bob Newhart, who died today at the age of 94, is being remembered by coworkers, peers and fans as one of television’s all-time greats, a genius of understatement with an unfailing warm-hearted spirit.

“I had the honor of doing a guest role on Newhart & got to spend the week listening to the great Bob Newhart making us all laugh,” recalls writer and director Paul Feig. “A brilliant standup & comedic actor, he was truly one of a kind. His legacy will live on.”

Related: Remembering Bob Newhart: A Career In Photos

I had the great pleasure of working with Bob and being his friend. He was as kind and nice as he was funny. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/xYYyZpN54m

— Carol Burnett (@imcarolburnett) July 18, 2024

George Schlatter, producer: “Bob Newhart was a good friend and he was an original. I did one of his...

Event chair Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that longtime supporter of the cause and renowned award-winning songwriter Diane Warren will be honored with the “Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award” at The 38th Carousel of Hope Ball on October 5, 2024 at The Beverly Hilton.

Diabetes activist, songwriter and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Jam will be honored with the “Brass Ring Award”. Presented by Dexcom, the global leader in real-time continuous glucose monitoring (Cgm) for people with diabetes, the biennial event will once again bring together the biggest names from the film, television, music, and business industries to support increasing awareness of type 1 diabetes, and raise funds for clinical care, prevention, and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.

“I have attended the Carousel of Hope Ball many times and am honored and flattered to have been selected to receive the ‘Inspirational Lifetime Achievement Award’ and to...

By the time the curtain rang down on CBS’ “The Judy Garland Show” on March 29, 1964, the musical variety show had, in just one season, three producers and three different formats. Despite good reviews from critics and Judy Garland’s devoted fan base, the series wasn’t felled by the mercurial Garland being difficult but by the Cartwrights — Ben, Little Joe, Adam, and Hoss — of NBC’s ratings powerhouse “Bonanza.”

Though “The Judy Garland Show” was cancelled after one season, it certainly has lived on over the past six decades. The show was included in TV Guide’s 2013 list of 60 series that were “Cancelled Too Soon.” It certainly was the series that got away. Not only was the mercurial Garland in top (and emotional) voice, but the show also featured a powerhouse of guest stars from her frequent leading man Mickey Rooney, Ray Bolger from “The Wizard of Oz” and newcomers such as Barbra Streisand.

George Schlatter's and Digby Wolfe's 1969 TV series "Turn-On" is one of the most notorious flops in TV history. On the night of its debut episode, an ABC affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio only allowed ten minutes of the 30-minute show to elapse before pulling it from the air, filling the remaining time with intermission-ready organ music. According to newspaper reports from the time, "Turn-On" received many, many angry phone calls. By the time "Turn-On" was to debut on the West Coast time zones, it had already been canceled. It's the only show in history to be canceled in the middle of its debut broadcast. 

"Turn-On" was lambasted for being ribald and controversial -- there were numerous gags about sex and sexuality -- but more than anything, it was just off-putting and strange. The premise was high-concept: in the show's very first scene, a pair of engineers sit down at...

With the recent death of Norman Lear, we were reminded this year that precious few comedy legends remain with us who were around in the 1960s and ’70s. One of those is George Schlatter, the legendary creator-producer of the iconic 1960s NBC comedy-variety series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.” Taking its title from the “love-in” and “sit-in” of the hippie counterculture of the time, “Laugh-In” ran from January 1968 to March 1973 and was a giant hit, introducing the world to regulars Lily Tomlin and Goldie Hawn (among many others).

Schlatter turns 94 today (New Year’s Eve), and he still goes into the office every day, looking to produce the next big thing in TV comedy. And this past week, with the death at 86 of Tom Smothers, Schlatter said, “I loved Tommy. Tommy and I were great friends. Tommy took the rap for a lot of what I did, y’know. See, we...

One of TV's most legendary disasters, unseen for decades, is coming to YouTube. Turn-On, the surreal sketch comedy show that aired one episode, is being released in full by its co-creator George Schlatter. The Hollywood Reporter has the news that veteran producer Schlatter is releasing Turn-On's pilot and its never-aired second episode to the Clown Jewels vintage comedy channel on YouTube on October 9. Schlatter has also filmed new intros for the episodes, giving context on the times when the show was created, and behind-the-scenes information from the show's production.

In late 1968, TV producer George Schlatter, riding high on his hit Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, pitched a new conceptual television show packed full of short clips, rapid movements, and controversial topics.

The show was picked up by ABC for a run of 13 episodes, with additional episodes purchased after advertisers saw the first episode, for a total of 17 shows. Three episodes were shot in their entirety before the initial airing.

The half-hour first episode premiered on February 5th, 1969 at 8:30 Pm on the east coast, where it took the place of the primetime soap opera Peyton Place. Tim Conway was recruited as the first celebrity guest and the writers included Albert Brooks.

The show seemed poised for success. But 10 minutes into the broadcast, between the first and second commercial breaks, a programmer at Wews in Cleveland stated that the remainder of the program would “not be seen this evening….or ever.

One of the most notorious TV shows of the medium’s first half-century is getting a second life — after its first one ended almost as soon as it began.

Producer George Schlatter is releasing the two completed episodes of Turn-On, a 1969 sketch comedy show that saw only one of those two air — and get pulled from one ABC affiliate within 10 minutes of its debut, something that hadn’t happened before and hasn’t since. The two episodes will be available Oct. 9 on YouTube via Clown Jewels, a channel dedicated to vintage comedy.

Laugh-In creator George Schlatter and Digby Wolfe, a writer on the show, created Turn-On, whose hook was that it was the first “computerized” TV show. Filmed rather than taped in front of an audience, the show featured a rapid-fire series of sketches on a blank white set, brief bits of animation and, for the time, a number of risqué subjects and lines.

At age 93, producer George Schlatter has a lifetime of memories to look back at. Producing the groundbreaking and iconic TV comedy show Laugh-in is just one facet. There’s also presidential inaugurations, countless TV specials with big-name talent, running the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethons, and hanging with Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra among them.

All of that and more is captured in a memoir just-released via Unnamed Press/Rare Bird Books, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy.

Already a well-regarded producer of television specials and variety shows by 1967, Schlatter pitched NBC on an idea that was a radical departure: a comedy special inspired by the hippie counter-culture, one which would take the idea of sit-ins, love-ins, and be-ins and manifest that politicized, sexualized, consciousness-raising energy into comedic sketches. The special that emerged, Laugh-in, was so successful it became a regular television series, running from January 1968 to March 1973 and eventually becoming the #1 show on TV.

Event chair Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis hosted the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball on Saturday, October 8 at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills benefiting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (Bdc).

John Legend performs onstage during the 2022 Carousel of Hope Ball

Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Children's Diabetes Foundation

The event, a Hollywood institution since 1978, honored Diane Keaton with the “Brass Ring Award,” while patrons of the evening were treated to show-stopping performances by music icons John Legend, Andy Grammer and Deborah Cox. The Ball raised an incredible over 1.7 million this year alone in addition to the more than 110 million that The Carousel Balls have raised to date.

This year’s Ball brought together leaders from the film, television, music and business industries to support increasing awareness for diabetes and raise funds for clinical care and diabetes research at...

Event chair and host Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that Egot-winning, critically acclaimed, and multi-platinum singer-songwriter John Legend will perform at the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball, presented by Dexcom on Saturday, October 8 at The Beverly Hilton hotel.

“I am thrilled John Legend will be joining our celebration on October 8,” said event chair and host Barbara Davis. “John Legend’s musical talent has gone around the world and has brought joy to so many people. This year that excitement and joy will come to us at the 36th annual Carousel of Hope Ball.”

In his career, John Legend has garnered 11 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award. He was the first African-American man to earn an Egot and is one of only fifteen people in the prestigious Egot club. Over almost two decades, Legend has released seven celebrated albums,...

Click here to read the full article.

Fresh from performing at the Emmys, John Legend is confirmed to perform at the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hilton on Oct. 8.

“I am thrilled John Legend will be joining our celebration,” said Barbara Davis, host and event chair alongside co-chair Dana Davis. “John Legend’s musical talent has gone around the world and has brought joy to so many people. This year that excitement and joy will come to us at the 36th annual Carousel of Hope Ball.”

The event typically hosts luminaries from film, TV, music and business to support the cause of increasing awareness for diabetes while raising funds for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Carousel Balls have raised more than 110 million to date. This year’s event is presented by Dexcom with additional support provided by American Airlines, the Beverly Hilton,...

Click here to read the full article.

The Carousel of Hope Ball will return to an in-person affair this fall and organizers have invited Diane Keaton to take the stage and receive the Brass Ring Award.

A longtime supporter of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, Keaton has been selected to receive the award for her philanthropic commitments to the community and continued support of the cause, per event organizers. She has supported the Carousel of Hope and the Children’s Diabetes Foundation by serving on the entertainment committee and attending events in years past. She also supports Stand Up To Cancer, Alliance For Children’s Rights, Helen Woodward Animal Center and Nccra, among other causes.

“We are so thrilled to honor the multi-talented Diane Keaton with the Brass Ring Award this year. Diane has been a dear friend for many years and her giving spirit radiates to everyone around her,...

Harriet Halpern Beck, an entertainment attorney who specialized in children’s programming during her long career, died Friday, Nov. 26 after a long ilnness.

As the VP of business affairs at Ruby Spears Productions in the 1980s, she played a pivotal role in shaping the Saturday morning children’s television universe, helping to build the company into one of the main suppliers of network animated content, including Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mr. T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube.

Beck began her career in show business in 1975 as a legal secretary for producer Dino DeLaurentis. She enrolled in law school at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, attending at night while working and raising her son as a single mother.

During her time as a legal secretary and student, she worked for various firms that specialized in the music business, handling clients that included Fleetwood Mac. She...

Harriet Halpern Beck, a veteran attorney and TV executive who represented Laugh-In producer George Schlatter and worked on deals for Saturday morning kids shows, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, a publicist announced. She was 80.

Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University law school in 1980, Beck landed a job as a business affairs attorney for Filmways, then moved into children’s television as vp business affairs for Ruby-Spears Productions.

There, she helped shape Saturday morning TV as the company supplied such shows as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mister T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube to networks.

She later worked ...

Harriet Halpern Beck, a veteran attorney and TV executive who represented Laugh-In producer George Schlatter and worked on deals for Saturday morning kids shows, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, a publicist announced. She was 80.

Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University law school in 1980, Beck landed a job as a business affairs attorney for Filmways, then moved into children’s television as vp business affairs for Ruby Spears Productions.

There, she helped shape Saturday morning TV as the company supplied such shows as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mister T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube to networks.

She later ...

Tiffany Haddish has joined the National Comedy Center’s advisory board of the directors. She fills the seat formerly held by the late Carl Reiner.

The announcement coincides with Lucille Ball’s 110th birthday. The center is located in Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York.

“Comedy is a true art form — its artists deserve to be celebrated and its creative work needs to be preserved,” Haddish said on Friday morning. “I’m truly honored to be part of the National Comedy Center. Lucille Ball was an extraordinary influence on my career and my work, so to help bring her vision for this cultural institution to life is a dream come true for me.”

Lewis Black, founding chair of the advisory board, said, “On behalf of the entire advisory board, it’s a thrill to have Tiffany Haddish join us. With Tiffany’s participation, we become a more vital resource...

A new documentary, Tiny Tim: King for a Day, will examine the life story of the eccentric falsetto-voiced ukulele strummer who had an unexpected novelty hit in 1968 with his rendition of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” The film will be released to theaters on April 23rd.

One of Tiny Tim’s biggest fans, “Weird Al” Yankovic, narrates the late Dr. Demento favorite’s diary entries and letters. Tim’s widow, Miss Sue, comedian and activist Wavy Gravy, TV producer George Schlatter, and others, also contributed interviews for the doc. The film...

On Saturday night, event chair and host Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis led a star-studded line-up of talent for the 2020 Carousel of Hope Ball, put on by the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, which raised over $1 Million for clinical care and diabetes research for the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.

Tony Bennett appears/performs during the 2020 Carousel of Hope Ball

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images/Getty Images for Children's Diabetes Foundation

In what was an extraordinary celebration of the illustrious history of this event, guests who tuned in were treated to once-in-a-lifetime performances by Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, Deborah Cox, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, David Foster, Kenny G, Josh Groban, Gladys Knight, Adam Lambert, Barry Manilow, Blake Shelton, Sam Smith, Gwen Stefani, Sir Rod Stewart, Pia Toscano, and Dionne Warwick, and special appearances from Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Sir Michael Caine, George Clooney, Dame Joan Collins, David Copperfield, Clive Davis,...

Event chair and host Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that Sir Michael Caine, David Copperfield, John Elway, Kenny G, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Hudson, Lionel Richie, Maria Shriver, Sam Smith, Sir Rod Stewart, Pia Toscano, and Usher join the incredible line-up of talent for the virtual 2020 Carousel of Hope Ball on Saturday, October 10 at 6pm Pt / 9pm Et.

In partnership with People, the legendary biennial event, which is dedicated to raising funds for clinical care and diabetes research for the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes and Children’s Diabetes Foundation, will stream exclusively on People.com/Carousel, PeopleTV, People social platforms (Facebook and Twitter) and People YouTube. This marks the first time in its illustrious history that the Carousel of Hope Ball will be available for public viewing. This year’s event will celebrate two very significant occasions – Davis’ 90th birthday, and the 40th Anniversary of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes.

Event chair and host Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that the 2020 Carousel of Hope Ball will go virtual on Saturday, October 10, 2020.

In partnership with People, the legendary biennial event, which is dedicated to raising funds for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, will stream exclusively on People.com, PeopleTV, People social platforms and People YouTube. This year’s event will celebrate two very significant occasions – Davis’ 90th birthday, and the 40th Anniversary of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. The evening will be filled with once-in-a-lifetime performances and special appearances from icons including Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, George Clooney, Dame Joan Collins, Clive Davis, Robert De Niro, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jane Fonda, David Foster, David Geffen, Josh Groban, Samuel L. Jackson, Quincy Jones, Gladys Knight, Adam Lambert, Jay Leno, Rob Lowe, Nigel Lythgoe, Barry Manilow,...

Fred Willard, who parlayed a knack for naive characters into costarring roles on the television series Fernwood 2 Night and Everybody Loves Raymond and in several memorable films, has died. He was 86 and his death was confirmed by his agent, Michael Eisenstadt.

“Fred was one of the busiest comedic actors in a career which lasted over 50 years,” Eisenstadt said in a note. “He had recently completed his Emmy nominated recurring role on Modern Family and can be seen later this month in his recurring role as Steve Carrell’s dad in the Netflix series Space Force. Jimmy Kimmel had Fred recur on his show on an average of every two weeks doing comedic sketches until the stay-at-home order began. Fred truly enjoyed every role and gave each performance his own special spin. He was truly a comedic genius.”

Emmy-nominated for three consecutive years for his role as father-in-law Hank MacDougall...

Event chair and host Barbara Davis and co-chair Dana Davis announced today that the 2020 Carousel of Hope Ball will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2020.

The biennial event is dedicated to increasing awareness for diabetes and raising funds for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. This year’s event will celebrate two very significant occasions – Davis’ 90th birthday, and the 40th Anniversary of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. Additional event participants, including honorees and performers, will be announced in the coming months.

The most recent Carousel of Hope Ball, hosted in 2018, honored Robert De Niro with the “Brass Ring Award” and featured show-stopping performances by legends Gladys Knight, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and David Foster. The gala alone raised over $1.9 Million.

Speaking on the event, Barbara Davis, said, “We are looking forward to hosting another sensational event, and bringing together our Carousel of Hope family...

On this special episode of The Hollywood Reporter's 'Awards Chatter' podcast, an all-star team of THR experts joins host Scott Feinberg to dissect the 71st Emmy nominations — THR's editorial director Matthew Belloni, chief television critic Daniel Fienberg, west coast television editor Lesley Goldberg and senior television writer Michael O'Connell — and then three-time Emmy winner George Schlatter, the legendary producer best known for creating and producing the classic NBC sketch comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In (1967-1973), joins Scott for a look back at his 60 years in the business.

* * *

Listen: You can hear the entire interview below.

* * *

Schlatter ...

Tony Sokol May 14, 2019

Tim Conway's approach to comedy was so off-kilter his Carol Burnett Show acting partners couldn't keep straight faces.

It always appeared there were two jokes going on when Tim Conway took a turn on stage on The Carol Burnett Show. He was acting for the audience, but he was also trying to break up his co-performers. This gave the audience a view into an inside joke being tossed around by the troupe, and sometimes it looked like he was pulling a gag on his fellow performers. Tim Conway had a genius for making almost every line appear to be off-script and improvised. The quintessential in-the-moment comic performer died at 8:45 a.m. on May 14, in the Los Angeles area, according to Variety.

Conway was first noticed as Ernest Borgnine's sidekick on the 1960s sitcom McHale's Navy, an honor he continued when the pair reunited for SpongeBob SquarePants,...

When “Laugh-In” debuted on NBC in 1967, creator George Schlatter could have very well gotten away with murder. The network didn’t often understand what the producer was trying to accomplish with his quick comedic snippets, his fresh-faced cast who often stumbled over their lines (which were sometimes purposely transposed on the teleprompter), or his ragtag group of oddball writers, which included a political science professor, a 16-year-old, and a young Lorne Michaels. But the Peacock was willing to experiment in order to sock it to CBS juggernaut “I Love Lucy” in the competing timeslot.

A year and a Richard Nixon appearance later, and “Laugh-In” became the place that every star and aspiring comedic yearned to be. From Orson Welles, Michael Cain and Kirk Douglas, to Cher and Flip Wilson, a wide-range of personalities popped up in various capacities, including in the famed Cocktail Parties or on the larger-than-life Joke Wall.

Netflix has announced a new special Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate, a 50th anniversary tribute to the sketch comedy program Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (1968-1973).

Hosted by original Laugh-In cast member Lily Tomlin and filmed at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theater, the special will feature appearances by Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Taye Diggs, Michael Douglas, Chelsea Handler, Jay Leno, Rita Moreno, Rita Wilson, Jo Anne Worley, Snoop Dogg, Maria Bamford, Margaret Cho, Jameela Jamil and more.

“The special, which was taped at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, is filled...

Lou Weiss, chairman emeritus of the William Morris Agency and one of the last vestiges of the old guard of a bygone era in the entertainment business, passed away at 9:30 Am on April 8, due to complications from an appendectomy. He was 101.

Weiss retired in 2007 after 70 years at Wma. During his tenure, which tracked the rise of the television medium, Weiss became one of the most powerful agents in the TV industry.

Born on March 22, 1918 in New York City’s lower east side, Weiss started in the mailroom at the New York William Morris agency in 1937, with the help of his comedian/actor uncle and Wma client, George Burns.

With the advent of World War II, Weiss was drafted into the Us Army and became a 2nd lieutenant with the 10th Mountain Division serving in Italy. Upon returning from the war to his job, Weiss reported to the legendary Abe Lastfogel (“Mr.

Cleopatra Jones

Blu ray

Warner Archive

1973 / 2:35:1 / 89 Min. / Street Date – March 19, 2019

Starring Tamara Dobson, Bernie Casey

Written by Max Julien, Sheldon Keller

Cinematography by David M. Walsh

Directed by Jack Starrett

A good-natured if rickety assemblage of action movie cliches, Cleopatra Jones is dominated by two bigger than life actresses, Tamara Dobson and Shelley Winters. The movie’s trailer promoted Dobson as the “soul sister’s answer” to James Bond but you can count Bruce Lee, Emma Peel, Shaft and The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. among Cleo’s many relevant role models.

Winters plays “Mommy”, a foulmouthed mob boss who depends on the thriving Poppy fields of Turkey for her cash flow and Dobson is Cleopatra, an Amazonian fashion plate whose special agent skills range from karate to high speed car chases – her plan to wipe out Mommy’s syndicate leads to a high octane race through ‘70’s era L.

Netflix is looking to sock it to ya later this spring, with a special commemorating the 50th(-ish) anniversary of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

Taping this Friday, March 8, at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater, Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate will pay tribute to the Emmy-winning comedy/variety series that ran from January 1968 to March 1973 (meaning, it’s technically been 51 years. #NetflixMath).

Laugh-In vet Lily Tomlin is among the comedians, actors and musicians who will pay homage to the iconic show with modern takes on quintessential sketches and acts from the original series. Tomlin specifically is set to reprise her seminal Edith Ann and Ernestine (right) characters.

Netflix has announced it will pay tribute to the iconic sketch comedy show “Laugh-In” with a special event at the Dolby Theater on March 8.

“Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate” will serve as a 50th anniversary celebration of the NBC show which aired from 1968 to 1973 and won two Emmy’s. Lily Tomlin will take center stage and revive two of the seminal characters she played on the show: Edith Ann and Ernestine.

The original show’s director and producer George Schlatter who will also be attendance, along with lineup of comedians, actors, and musicians paying homage to the iconic show with modern takes on timeless moments.

The Netflix special will take quintessential sketches and acts from the original hit series and add a contemporary flair that will prove even 50 years later, “Laugh-In” never gets old.

In Variety‘s review of the 25th anniversary special which aired in 1993, writer Todd Everett commented...

Sock it to me! Netflix will pay tribute to NBC’s seminal sketch comedy series Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In with Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate. The special celebration will be taped March 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with original cast member Lily Tomlin performing and the show’s legendary director-producer George Schlatter in attendance.

The evening will mark the iconic series’ 50th anniversary with homages and modern takes on quintessential sketches and acts from the original series. Tomlin will reprise her memorable characters Edith Ann — she of the oversized rocking chair — and snorting phone operator Ernestine. Joining Tomlin for the tribute will be star-studded lineup of comedians, actors and musicians including Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, Taye Diggs, Michael Douglas, Jay Leno, Rita Moreno, Rita Wilson, JoAnne Worley, Maria Bamford, Margaret Cho, Ron Funches, Brad Garrett, Nikki Glaser, Lisa Ann Walter, Bobby Moynihan, Cheri Oteri, Rob Riggle,...

To truly understand how Byron Allen, the guy from “Real People,” became Byron Allen the media mogul that owns the Weather Channel, you have to hear his story about the courtroom set that needed a home.

The CEO and president of Entertainment Studios, one of the largest distributors and independent producers of first-run syndicated programming in the world, was in the process creating his JusticeCentral.tv network on Verizon Fios when he called his set designer, who informed Allen a big studio had canceled a court show and was going to throw away the program’s $500,000 set.

“I said, ‘Please call them and tell them don’t touch it, and I will give them a $1 for that set,’” Allen recalls. “You laugh, and he laughed, but they were going to spend between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of manpower to strike that set and throw it in a Dumpster. All they had to...

On Saturday, October 6, event chair Barbara Davis hosted her iconic Carousel of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

Robert De Niro and Jay Leno at Carousel of Hope Gala

The gala, a Hollywood institution since 1978, honored longtime supporter Robert De Niro with the “Brass Ring Award” for his philanthropic efforts and continued dedication to the cause. Patrons of the evening were treated to show-stopping performances by legends Gladys Knight, Kenny Babyface Edmonds, and David Foster. The Carousel of Hope Ball has raised more than $100 million to date, with proceeds benefitting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes. This year’s gala alone raised over $1.9 Million.

Award-winning director David O. Russell took the stage to present his friend and frequent collaborator Robert De Niro with this year’s “Brass Ring Award.” De Niro delivered a heartfelt speech, recognizing the awe-inspiring work being...

Lily Tomlin received her fourth consecutive Emmy nomination this year for Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie,” which she generously calls “very much an ensemble” show. The half-hour has been renewed for a fifth season, which starts next year. The actress is also set to appear in the recently announced “9 to 5” movie sequel, with Dolly Parton and “Grace” co-star Jane Fonda.

Tomlin drew her first Variety mention on July 1, 1964, in a review of the New York stage show “World of Illusion.” Her stage success led to TV work, and her big breakthrough came when she joined NBC hit “Laugh-In” in 1969.

She has won a Grammy Award, two Tonys and five Emmys (out of 25 Emmy nominations), and she received an Oscar nom for her film debut in the 1975 movie “Nashville.” She still performs regularly onstage, and her work for Actors & Others for Animals is among her many charitable pursuits.

Do...

For George Schlatter, the creator of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, there was a key moment when the Classic TV comedy sketch series had gone from an oddity to cultural phenomenon: Sammy Davis, Jr., an old friend, was making a guest appearance on the show. They were joking around with comedy bits involving a judge, when, according to George, Sammy came up with the phrase, "Here come da judge!", which would lead into a sketch about the banter between a defendant and a judge dressed in black robe and oversized wig (becoming a national catchphrase in the process). "We taped 'Here Come Da Judge' at two in the morning," says George exclusively. "It was so funny that we put it on the next show. Suddenly people were walking down the hall saying, 'Here come da judge.' The show went on that Monday night, and Tuesday or Wedneday morning when the Supreme Court came into the courtroom,...

http://www.lajfilmfest.org

The 13th annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival will begin on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 and conclude on Wednesday, May 2nd with films from around the world celebrating the Jewish experience.

The opening night begins with a Bar Mitzvah or 13th year, style party and a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. with the premiere of a new documentary Sammy Davis Jr. — I Gotta Be Me, an amazing Documentary made for American Masters which I was elated to see when it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Sammy Davis Jr. was the ultimate performer. His worldview was unique and self made just as he was. It did not conform to the liberal “style” of the time, but it was not conservative either.

USA/2018/100 minutes

Directed by Sam Pollard).

Sammy Davis Jr. was recognized as a groundbreaking entertainer who frequently found himself bracketed by the bigotry of white America and...

The classic comedy duo is back on TV. Starting today, you can watch the iconic series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In on the Decades network.Created by Ed Friendly and George Schlatter, the sketch comedy show featured hosts Dick Martin and Dan Rowan in a series of skits, musical numbers, and scenes with celebrity guests like Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Bob Hope, and Sammy Davis Jr. The show ran from 1968 to 1973.Read More…...

When Neil Patrick Harris returns to TV next week, he won't be cracking jokes in another sitcom. Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (debuting on September 15th on NBC) marks the return — overdue or not — of the variety show, that long-dormant format in which kooky skits, musical guests, and frenzied production numbers are jammed into an hour of family-friendly entertainment. "When you think of the variety shows we all grew upon — Sonny and Cher and Donny and Marie — those [programs] all said, 'Sit on the couch, be entertained with a little song,...