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American Idol kicked off Sunday night with its annual promise: to serve as a launching pad for aspiring young musical talent. But some contestants already have a head start with a familiar advantage: the lineage of a famous family.

Season 23 rolled out its first “nepo baby” with Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell, who auditioned in front of judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

“There’s something about you that looks familiar,” Underwood said to the 22-year-old Georgia hopeful.

Idol didn’t hide Baylee’s background, it leaned into it: showing footage of dad Brian introducing him onstage and performing, and a photo of Underwood with Backstreet Boys posters on her wall.

Brian Littrell made the case for his son, saying that being the progeny of a famous singer isn’t exactly a perk. Still, it didn’t hurt his chances either, as he earned...

Exclusive: October is Jim “Kitty” Kaat’s time of year. Not only did the southpaw pitch in the World Series three times – winning a ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982 – but he became a great broadcaster, covering the MLB playoffs for ESPN, as well as serving as an announcer for the Yankees and later the Minnesota Twins.

This October, there’s more news about the 85-year-old Hall of Famer. A documentary about him, Kitty to Cooperstown, has been acquired by Gravitas Ventures, a deal covering U.S. and Canadian distribution rights.

Kitty to Cooperstown, directed by Nick Hagen, “delves deep into the career and personal journey of Jim Kaat, capturing his path to Cooperstown, the challenges he faced, and his enduring legacy in the sport of baseball,” according to a release. “Kaat, who has left an indelible mark on the game, is celebrated not only for his remarkable pitching...

“American Idol” may be a platform for aspiring unknown singers to showcase their talent outside of their bedrooms, but some contestants may have an advantage over others: being born into famous families.

Season 21 has already shown several so-called “Nepo Babies” — contestants with ties to the entertainment business — competing for the crown, including Kaya Stewart, daughter of Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics (pictured).

“With all your different opportunities and connections and stuff, how did you even land on ‘American Idol?’” Judge Katy Perry asked before her audition.

It’s a fair question, but “nepo babies” competing on “American Idol” is nothing new. In the past, the offspring of parents with varying backgrounds from music, acting, sports, and politics have all found their way in front of the judges.

Actor Jim Carrey’s daughter, Jane, earned a golden ticket in season 11; Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter, Grace, auditioned last season; and Lara Johnston,...

The popular baseball video game, MLB The Show 23 includes a large roster of baseball legends, including Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and more. Developed by San Diego Studios and published by Sony Interactive, this game takes the best of baseball and turns it into a video game for players everywhere to enjoy. For 2023 there were a fitting 23 Legends added to the game who can be played as or against, as well as collecting them to create the perfect team for Diamond Dynasty mode.

One of the exciting changes with each new yearly version of MLB The Show is the addition of new athletes for players to choose from in the game. The "Legends" Program within MLB The Show honors former Legends from the MLB teams and these Legends are all highly coveted within the game for their high stats. They are particularly useful for anyone wanting to play...

Exclusive: Winter State Entertainment has wrapped production on Kitty to Cooperstown—a new feature doc on MLB great Jim “Kitty” Kaat, who just this past Sunday was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame.

The film will explore the 83-year-old’s life via exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage, examining his legacy in light of his 25 years as a pro baseball player, as well as his 35 years as a seven-time Emmy-winning commentator.

Kaat’s story can be connected from the beginning of baseball to the present day, accompanied by baseball lore and legend at every turn. From his 1950s pitching with the Washington Senators against Yankee greats like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, to facing off with Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in the 1965 World Series as a Minnesota Twin, to winning the 1982 World Series Championship with the St. Louis Cardinals and teammates Ozzie Smith and Keith Hernandez.

In his...

Homer Simpson was "inducted" into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York Saturday during a ceremony that celebrated the 25th anniversary of the classic The Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat."

The episode, which aired in February 1992, featured guest appearances by Mlb all-stars like Ozzie Smith, Ken Griffey Jr., Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly and Jose Canseco; Now Hall of Famers in their own right, Boggs and Smith were on hand to welcome Simpson in the Hall.

Steve Sax, a five-time all-star who also appeared on "Homer at the Bat,...

Homer Simpson will be “inducted” into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday in Cooperstown, New York. This comes 25 years after the “Homer at the Bat” episode of The Simpsons aired on Fox. “Homer at the Bat” aired on Feb. 20, 1992, and featured the voices of baseball stars Ken Griffey Jr., Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Don Mattingly, Roger Clemens, […]...

[As you probably already know, starting on Thursday, August 21, Fxx is running the Every Simpsons Ever Marathon, running through all 552 episodes of "The Simpsons," plus "The Simpsons Movie." To aid in your viewing process, Team HitFix is selecting our favorite episodes from each day, plus an episode or two that you can skip and use as a bathroom or nap break.] Picking episodes for Day 1 of Fxx's Every Simpsons Ever Marathon was relatively easy. Yes, "The Simpsons" was quite fine right off the bat and it only improved as the show moved into its second season, but the fans here at HitFix were able to cobble together a clear list of favorites without any hugely disappointing exclusions. Day 2 was far more difficult. We have five participants picking episodes here and we each snagged two favorites for the day, which stretches from "Bart's Dog Gets an F" through to "Last Exit to Springfield," or from Episode 29 through Episode 76. I think we represented many of the best episodes from this fertile early period, but if I had been about to select four or five, I could have easily done it. My greatest regret is that we didn't have room for "Selma's Choice," which has possibly my favorite opening of the entire series --...

In celebration of The Simpsons’ 25th anniversary, castmember Hank Azaria will host a special live show at the Hollywood Bowl September 12, 13 and 14.

The Simpsons Take The Bowl

The Simpsons Take the Bowl will feature three special shows, each welcoming special guests and members of the cast, as well as guest-stars and more. Azaria has voiced countless characters on the animated comedy since it’s debut in 1989, but is perhaps most recognized for his roles Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and Moe Szyslak. Joining him will be Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, and Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa Simpson. Guest stars expected to appear include Jon Lovitz, Beverly D’Angelo and Weird Al Yankovic. Attendees will also get to hear from series creator Matt Groening as part of the behind-the-scenes portion of the show.

For the show, the Hollywood Bowl will reportedly be completely decorated to resemble Springfield, and live performances of...

Ozzie Smith, the Hall of Fame shortstop, spoke to Uinterview exclusively about teaming up with Budweiser to attempt to make Mlb’s opening day an official holiday.

Smith had a cameo playing himself in “Homer at the Bat,” one of the most famous episodes of The Simpsons. The episode first aired during the show’s third season in 1992.

Smith, nicknamed “The Wizard” for his defensive prowess, said that he’d be more than happy to do another episode of The Simpsons if asked.

Smith told Uinterview that it appears that the writers have “spoken very loudly and very clearly” concerning the candidacy of players who may have used performance-enhancing drugs.

In addition, he said of the Hall of Fame voting, “It’s sort of like a badge of courage to not let someone at this point be unanimous, but hopefully we will see that in the very near future.”

The legendary St.