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Jeff Goldblum, 25, has forgotten his mantra. At least, his nameless party guest character – dubbed “Man on the Phone” in the screenplay – has. And it’s the way he delivered that line in 1977’s Annie Hall that made him stand out despite only having a few seconds of screen time. Somehow – just by being himself – Jeff Goldblum turned a throwaway bit into one of the funniest lines in one of the funniest films.

As for Jeff Goldblum himself, he says his mantras are “I am grateful” and “Accept, enjoy, enthuse.” And that, across 50 years on the big screen, is as truthful as it gets when it comes to Jeff Goldblum.

Let’s find out: What Happened to…Jeff Goldblum?

Jeff Goldblum was born on October 22nd, 1952 just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of a doctor and a radio broadcaster, the sort of brains and art pairing that perfectly describes the...

Jimmy Kimmel is forging a new path with his production company.

Kimmel has divested his stake in Wheelhouse Entertainment, the production group founded by Pawn Stars producer Brent Montgomery, and Wheelhouse similarly no longer owns a stake in the late-night comedian’s production company Kimmelot.

The move comes after Alignment Growth, the investment vehicle run by Jeff Bewkes and Kevin Tsujihara, acquired a minority stake in Wheelhouse earlier this year, the first outside investment that Wheelhouse took since its launch.

Montgomery launched Wheelhouse Entertainment in January 2018 after he stepped down as CEO of ITV America, the U.S. arm of the company that acquired his group Leftfield Entertainment for $360M in 2014.

Kimmel came on board in November 2018 as a partner as he launched his own production company, Kimmelot, in partnership with Wheelhouse, taking an equity stake in the overall business at the time.

The two companies will continue to work...

Jimmy Kimmel spent much of 2022 vacillating as to whether he would continue hosting his eponymous late-night before striking a new, three-year deal.

The host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! revealed that one of the reasons he signed this deal was that he is “worried” about what he’ll do next.

But a bigger concern for the late-night world is that Kimmel doesn’t think there will necessarily be any late-night shows on network television in 2034.

“I don’t know if there will be any late-night television shows on network TV in ten years. Maybe there’ll be one but there won’t be a lot of them,” he said on the Politickin’ podcast. “There’s a lot to watch and now people can watch anything at anytime, they’ve got all these streaming services. It used to be Johnny Carson was the only thing on at 11:30pm and so everybody...

Exclusive: Apple Studios has announced the three participants selected for its inaugural Directors Program, described as an inclusive, new initiative focused on expanding opportunities for mid-career directors across the U.S.

Maureen Bharoocha, Yoko Okumura and Marshall Tyler were chosen to participate in the six-month program which offers masterclasses focused on building and sustaining a career as a working episodic director. The program also will feature discussions with seasoned industry professionals focusing on the craft and business of directing, opportunities to participate as shadowing directors on Apple Studios series, and a “one-of-a-kind experience” in Apple Park tailored to inspire innovation and creativity.

(L-r): Maureen Bharoocha, Yoko Okumura and Marshall Tyler; Courtesy of Apple

Successful participants will be positioned to direct content for Apple TV+.

Television projects hailing from Apple Studios include Masters of the Air from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone; Lessons in Chemistry,...

Hulu plans to celebrate April 20 with Jimmy Kimmel.

The Disney-backed streamer has handed out a six-episode series order for High Hopes, a docuseries following two brothers running a cannabis shop in Los Angeles with Kimmel on board to exec produce.

Hulu describes High Hopes as a “workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights. As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year — 4.20 — as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find what they’re looking for or will their hopes go up in smoke?”

The series will, fittingly,...

Hulu has greenlit an unscripted series set in a Los Angeles marijuana dispensary. So, emphasis on the “green.” And the “lit.” This is fun.

The TV-ma series, titled “High Hopes,” hails from executive producer Jimmy Kimmel as well ITV America. It will consist of six episodes and will debut on April 20, naturally.

The official description for the series states: “’High Hopes’ is a workplace reality series following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka, and their stoned crew through the trials and tribulations of taking their cannabis business to new heights. As one of the oldest cannabis dispensaries in Hollywood, Mmd attracts a wild mix of weed-loving customers and is a home away from home for their Og employees who work hard and smoke harder! This season builds to their biggest day of the year—4.20—as the gang attempts to expand nationwide and release their own top-shelf cannabis brand. Will they find...

“Hacks” has promoted both Megan Stalter and Paul W. Downs to series regular status for Season 3, Variety has learned exclusively.

Downs plays Deborah and Ava’s manager, Jimmy Lusaque Jr., while Stalter plays Jimmy’s assistant, Kayla Schaeffer. Both have appeared on the show since Season 1 of the Max comedy series.

The promotion expands Downs’ role in front of the camera on the show, while he is already a massive presence behind the camera. Downs serves as the co-creator and co-showrunner of “Hacks” in addition to being an executive producer, writer, and director. Aside from “Hacks,” he is also known for starring in the Comedy Central series “Broad City” while also working behind the scenes as a writer, director, and executive producer. His other credits include starring in and co-writing the film “Rough Night” and co-starring in the Netflix comedy “Like Father.”

He is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment,...

Jaicy Elliot stars as Lea in Hallmark Channel’s new movie Joyeux Noel and you might be curious to know more about her life, so we’ve got you covered.

The actress has starred in a few other Hallmark movies including Romance in Style and My Southern Family Christmas.

She is best known for playing Dr. Taryn Helm in Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19.

So is she single or married?

Keep reading to find out more…

Jaicy is dating utility sound technician Brandon Pert, and while it’s unclear how long they’ve been together, she first started sharing photos of him on Instagram in October 2022.

Brandon has worked in the sound department for several TV shows including Grey’s Anatomy, Crank Yankers, The Imagineering Story, and Loving Elvis.

Check out some of the couple’s cute Instagram posts below…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jaicy Elliot...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series Saturday Night Live — “Jenna Ortega, The 1975” Episode 1841 — Pictured: (l-r) Ego Nwodim as Ms. Shaw, Andrew Dismukes as , Chloe Fineman as , host Jenna Ortega as Claire, and James Austin Johnson as during the “Exorcism” sketch on Saturday, March 11, 2023 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)

Weekly...

Based on Gold Derby’s odds, one of the absolute tightest 2023 Creative Arts Emmy races involves Best Variety Special Writing contenders Chris Rock and John Mulaney, both of whom have previously conquered the category and are now facing off for the first time ever. Having both pushed their comedy to new levels of boldness in their respective Netflix specials “Selective Outrage” and “Baby J,” they provide voters with a truly tough choice when it comes to honoring the most impressive writing of the year.

This contest is made even more interesting by the fact that Rock and Wanda Sykes (“I’m an Entertainer”) are competing against each other after jointly earning four writing nominations and one win for “The Chris Rock Show” over two decades ago. Also included in this lineup are the sketch comedy special “Would It Kill You to Laugh?” and the career retrospective “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love....

Heading into this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards, the category previously known as Best Variety Sketch Series has been rebranded as Best Scripted Variety Series. The TV academy created this and the Best Talk Series categories in 2015 as replacements for their catch-all variety series one in order to better recognize achievement in both subgenres. This year, 12 scripted variety shows are on the first-round nominations ballot, which means three final contenders will be revealed on July 12. This entrant amount is up from eight in 2022 and nine in 2021.

All 20,000 plus voting members of the TV academy have until June 26 to cast their ballots for their favorite programs. Unlike at the Oscars, voters for the Emmys do not rank their choices and nominees are determined by a simple tally.

Whereas they could previously make as many selections as they wanted in each category, there are now limits based on the predetermined sizes of the eventual lineups.

The TV academy has honored voice-only performances since 1992, when six cast members from “The Simpsons” collectively became the first actors to receive Emmys for such work. The Best Voice-Over Performance category became an official non-juried one in 2009 and was then split into two categories in 2014: Best Character Voice-Over and Best Narrator. Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”) was the former category’s first champion, having been nominated once before for the same series.

The 2023 Best Character Voice-Over ballot consists of 148 performances, which is down by 74 from last year. Seeking her third victory is Maya Rudolph, who plays Connie the Hormone Monstress on “Big Mouth.” Also in the mix are former winners Shearer, Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”), Alex Borstein (“Family Guy”), and Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”).

Unlike the live action and fictional program nominees, which are chosen by all 20,000 plus academy members, the Best Character Voice-Over contenders are picked only by voters...

Fan of hunting for “Black Mirror” Easter Eggs? Well, the series has a treat for you — Season 6 debuts with the series’ most meta episode yet. The first episode of the long-awaited sixth season, “Joan Is Awful” follows Joan; a woman who finds that her life is being turned into a prestige streaming series starring Salma Hayek, a discovery that sends her jobs and relationships into freefall after all of her secrets suddenly become public knowledge.

Annie Murphy plays Joan. Salma Hayek also plays Joan… and Salma Hayek. Rob Delaney plays Mac. Ben Barnes also plays Mac. Which is to say, there’s a lot to unpack and a heck of a cast to keep track of while you’re at it. There’s even a fake streaming service full of “Black Mirror” references and callbacks.

We’ve got you covered with a handy guide to who plays whom.

Annie Murphy...

Black Mirror season 6 kicks off with “Joan is Awful,” featuring a cast of recognizable actors in an offbeat satire of the streaming landscape. Black Mirror season 6 releases June 15, 2023 on Netflix, and "Joan is Awful" revolves around an ordinary woman named Joan who, while exploring a popular streaming service, stumbles upon a new prestige TV drama series based on her own life. This premise gave the Black Mirror casting team plenty of opportunities to cast big stars because most of the characters are played by two actors.

Written by series creator Charlie Brooker and directed by Ally Pankiw, “Joan is Awful” is one Black Mirror's most star-studded episodes. The Black Mirror season 6 cast features such stars as Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul, House of Cards’ Kate Mara, and Joker’s Zazie Beetz, but “Joan is Awful” has more famous faces than any other installment in the season. Joan’s real...

The Pink Ladies of “Grease,” the most colorful Rydell High students, are back on April 6 on Paramount+. However, this won’t be the same collection of young women from the original film — or even its cult classic sequel. This round, we see how the popular clique got its start. The girls now have a show of their own: “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” a salute to 1950s teens who refuse to conform to conventional standards. The new musical series shows us Rydell High before Sandy and Danny start strutting down the halls. The show stars Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso, and Tricia Fukuhara.

Watch the “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” trailer:

Paramount+ is also producing an original series “Fatal Attraction,” based on the 1980s hit thriller. The TV version refocuses the lens, exploring a modern approach to women, infidelity, personality disorders, and coercive control. It’s...

The Oscars, airing March 12 on ABC, have the remainder of their key production team set. The group ranges from veteran lighting designer Robert Dickinson embarking on his 34th voyage on the show and co-executive producer Rob Paine on his 28th, to three new female producers getting their first shot with the venerable awards telecast.

Rickey Minor takes charge of the orchestra’s baton for the first time since 2020, while Dave Boone is coming back as a writer, his 13th Oscars in the last quarter century. Executive producers and showrunners Glenn Weiss (who is also directing the show for the 8th time) and Ricky Kirshner made the announcement.

Here are the players AMPAS announced today:

Rob Paine has worked on the Oscars telecast for over two decades and returns for his 28th year in a new role as co-executive producer. Paine has more than 200 credits to his name, spanning four decades.

As he prepares to celebrate two decades in late night, Jimmy Kimmel has agreed to stick around for at least three more years. Kimmel announced on Tuesday that he would continue his run as host of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” through the show’s 23rd season, extending his contract — which was set to expire in the next year.

Kimmel has fronted “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as host and executive producer since 2003. “After two decades at ABC, I am now looking forward to three years of what they call ‘quiet quitting,’” he quipped in a statement.

News comes as Kimmel prepares to return to Brooklyn next week for the show’s sixth visit to the borough. This marks the first time “Jimmy Kimmel Live” has been back in New York since 2019. The late night talk show will once again tape in front of a live studio audience at the Brooklyn Academy...

Since 1992, the TV academy has honored the work of voice actors almost annually, beginning with half a dozen cast members from “The Simpsons.” From 2014 onward, the Best Voice-Over Performance award has been bestowed separately from the Best Narrator one, with the inaugural recipient of the former prize having been Harry Shearer of “The Simpsons.” This year’s lineup features seven nominees, including one former winner and two posthumous contenders.

Maya Rudolph, who took this award in 2020 and 2021 for “Big Mouth,” is now seeking her third win for the same show. She is involved in her second consecutive rematches with Julie Andrews (“Bridgerton”), Stanley Tucci (“Central Park”) and Jessica Walter (“Archer”), the last of whom is on her second post-death bid in a row. The remaining three slots are filled by category newcomers F. Murray Abraham (“Moon Knight”) and “What If…?” duo Chadwick Boseman (who died in August 2020) and Jeffrey Wright.

Exclusive: Idw is teaming up with writing duo Matt Silverstein and Dave Jeser in a co-development deal. Under the pact, the team will develop and produce the sci-fi comedy, Family Time as a television series and original comic book property. The comic is scheduled for release next summer.

Writer James Asmus and artist Edison Neo are also attached to the project.

“At Idw, we are perfectly poised to develop properties that live in the same universe, across various platforms,” said Nachie Marsham, Publisher, Idw. “We’re thrilled that our first Entertainment and Publishing co-development project is with Matt and Dave; their comedic talent is off-the-charts. We know their vast background, combined with Idw’s robust expertise, will produce great content, both in print and on-screen.”

“Working in tandem with our colleagues at every level...

In 1954, Eve Arden made history as the first woman to win a lead acting Emmy for a specific comedy series. She achieved the honor for playing the titular character on “Our Miss Brooks,” who made her living as a high school teacher. While more than a quarter of all Best Comedy Actress-winning characters have been housewives, teaching has proven to be the category’s second most favorable occupation. After Arden, Bea Arthur (“The Golden Girls”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Mike & Molly”) took the 1988 and 2011 prizes, respectively, for portraying educators. Now, “Abbott Elementary” star and first-time Emmy nominee Quinta Brunson has a shot at becoming the fourth member of this group.

Brunson, who also created “Abbott Elementary,” entered the pilot, which aired on ABC in December, as her episode submission. The installment introduces her character, Philadelphia public school teacher Janine Teagues, an optimistic, conscientious molder of second grade minds. A scant budget...

“Crank Yankers” is a television show that features crank calls made by show regulars and celebrity guests. The calls are re-enacted using puppets representing various characters. The show premiered in 2002 on Comedy Central before airing on MTV2 between Feb. 9, 2007, and March 30, 2007. “Crank Yankers” developed a cult following over the years and has since been revived by Comedy Central.

In this article, we discuss some of the key characters of the TV show and provide updates regarding its current status.

Who Are the Main Characters of “Crank Yankers”?

The show features a wide range of characters voiced by comedians and actors. Here’s an overview of the main characters of “Crank Yankers.”

Karl Malone:

Voiced by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, the character is a caricature of NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone. Karl refers to himself in the third person and often makes prank calls that involve requesting odd items from the prank victim.

File this one under “you just can’t please everybody.” In our recent 2022 Oscars host poll results that asked viewers to name their favorite emcee of the controversial ceremony, comedy legend Wanda Sykes nabbed the most votes at 19%. It was actually a pretty close vote between the three co-hosts, as Amy Schumer scored 18% and Regina Hall earned 14%. However, almost a third of all poll respondents — 32% to be specific — claimed that “none of them” were their favorite. Ouch! The remaining 17% of voters were non-committal and called it a three-way tie.

Here are the complete poll results in list form:

32% — Ugh — none of them!

19% — Wanda Sykes

18% — Amy Schumer

17% — It’s a three-way tie!

14% — Regina Hall

SEEWatch Will Smith win Best Actor Oscar, apologize for altercation with Chris Rock

After going host-less for three broadcasts in a row, the 94th Academy Awards bucked that trend by letting three funny ladies grace the stage...

If you missed having an Oscars hosts for the past three years, you’ll just love the 94th Academy Awards. The 2022 edition of these kudos will have not one, not two, but three hosts emceeing the ABC broadcast on March 27. Comedy legend Wanda Sykes will be joined by Regina Hall and Amy Schumer for the proceedings, making it the first time in Oscars history that three funny ladies have graced the stage together. In this article, we’ll fill you in on everything to know about Oscars host Wanda Sykes before the ceremony begins at 8 p.m. Et/5 p.m. Pt on Sunday night.

Who is Wanda Sykes?

Born in Virginia on March 7, 1964, Sykes moved to Maryland when she was eight years old. After graduating college, she worked as a contracting specialist at the National Security Agency, which lasted about five years. In her early 20s, Sykes started a stand-up comedy career in Washington,...

After going without a host at the 93rd annual Academy Awards in 2021, as well as during the Oscars ceremonies in 2020 and 2019, this year’s big movie night is swinging things in the other direction. Three individuals are set to share hosting duties for the 94th Academy Awards on March 27: Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer have all been tapped to steward the event.

Perhaps in an effort to increase fledgling ratings, the three women will also have a prime platform to entertain audiences both inside of the Dolby Theatre and at home by showcasing their distinctive comedy chops. While the Oscars routinely go back to the well with multi-time hosts like Billy Crystal and Jimmy Kimmel, this will be the first opportunity for all three women, and it will be exciting to see how the multi-tiered, fresh approach works.

For anyone who may be unfamiliar with our masters of ceremonies,...

Exclusive: Chelsea Peretti, the comedian, actress and writer best known for her role as Gina Linetti on the hit comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has signed with CAA for representation.

Peretti is otherwise known for her acclaimed 2014 stand-up special Chelsea Peretti: One of the Greats, which currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

She’s appeared on the film side in Stella Meghie’s 2020 romantic drama The Photograph, Andrea Dorfman’s 2019 comedy Spinster, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s comedic thriller Game Night, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone’s comedy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and Garth Jennings’ animated sequel Sing 2 for Illumination and Universal Pictures, among other titles. She’s featured on the TV side in such series as Girls, New Girl, Kroll Show, Drunk History, Search Party, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Another Period, Parks and Recreation and The Sarah Silverman Program, lending her vocal talents to animated series including Big Mouth,...

Daniel Radcliffe has been tapped to play musician “Weird Al” Yankovic in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a Roku Original biopic from Funny or Die and Tango that will be available for streaming exclusively on The Roku Channel.

Yankovic and Eric Appel penned the feature, with the latter Funny or Die alum set to direct, after helming a short film of the same name for the production company back in 2010. Production will kick off in Los Angeles early next month.

Known for pastiching and parodying the works of his musical contemporaries, Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time. A five-time Grammy winner, his 2014 release Mandatory Fun was the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200. He is one of only three artists to land top 40 hits in each of the last four decades—the others being Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Jimmy Kimmel’s future in late-night at ABC is still in flux but ABC chief Craig Erwich reiterated his hopes to keep the comedian on the air for as long as possible.

Erwich, who is President, Hulu Originals & ABC Entertainment, said that Kimmel, who hosts Jimmy Kimmel Live! was the “king of late-night” as the longest running late-night show host on the air.

“We will have Jimmy for as many seasons as he wants to be on the air,” he said at his TCA executive session.

Erwich pointed to Kimmel’s on air tribute last night of his friend Bob Saget, calling it “heartwarming” and “funny”.

He added that the network loves to work with Kimmel as a producer – he runs his own production company Kimmelot – and is responsible for Live In Front of a Studio Audience.

This comes after Kimmel caused the late-night gossip mill to whirl after he...

Jimmy Kimmel caused the late-night gossip mill to whirl after revealing that he wasn’t sure whether he would continue hosting his nightly talk show after his current contract is up.

Kimmel told Howard Stern last week that he was “vacillating” over the decision.

ABC, however, is keen to keep the comedian in place, particularly as Jimmy Kimmel Live! had one of its best seasons, coming second to CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and beating NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the 18-49 demo for the first time.

Craig Erwich, President of ABC Entertainment and Hulu Originals, told Deadline: “First of all, we want to stay in business with Jimmy for many, many years to come. He’s the king of late-night, he’s the longest-serving host of any current late-night shows. He had a really great year last year, beating Fallon in adults 18-49 for the first time ever,...

Search Party continues to build its stacked Season 5 cast as Kathy Griffin joins the HBO Max dark comedy in a recurring role, Deadline has confirmed.

From creators Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers and Michael Showalter, Search Party stars Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early and Meredith Hagner. The first three seasons followed best friends Dory (Shawkat), Drew (Reynolds), Elliott (Early) and Portia (Hagner) through a messy private investigation, semi-accidental murder, absurd cover-up and sensational trial. In Season 4, Dory was held prisoner by her psychotic stalker (Cole Escola), forcing Drew, Elliott and Portia to again become a search party – but this time for Dory.

The Emmy-winning My Life on the D-List comedian will recur as Liquorice Montague, a conspiracy theorist who takes Clare McNulty’s Chantal under her wing as a codependent apprentice. Season 5 will see Dory enter a very public business partnership with charismatic tech billionaire Tunnel Quinn, played byJeff Goldblum.

Kathy Griffin has joined the cast of “Search Party” for its fifth season, Variety has learned exclusively.

Griffin will recur in the HBO Max comedy as Liquorice Montague, a conspiracy theorist who takes Chantal (Clare McNulty) under her wing as a “co-dependent apprentice.”

“Working with Kathy was a huge life moment for us. She brought so much warmth, humanity and professionalism to set, and delivered a performance that will delight the world,” showrunners Sarah-Violet Bliss and Charles Rogers said in a joint statement.

The fourth season of “Search Party” ended with Dory’s (Alia Shawkat) friends thinking she died in a house fire after she was held prisoner in that house’s basement. However, in the final moments of the episode, she awoke on a medical gurney, gasping for air and saying she “saw everything.”

It looks like it won’t take long for her to reunite with her friends,...

The passing of rap legend Biz Markie has spawned numerous tributes online, from both past collaborators and admiring fans alike. Now, fans are heading online to celebrate the entertainer’s film and TV legacy as well.

In addition to purchasing and downloading the late rapper’s music, which is expected to see a sizable rise in the charts next week, fans are sharing their favorite memories from his guest appearances on popular TV shows and movies.

3 Good Things About Biz Markie

1. We'll always have his music

2. He taught kids how...

Rapper and DJ Biz Markie, who is best known for his 1989 hit “Just a Friend” and who was the announcer on the raunchy puppet series Crank Yankers, has died. He was 57.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, Hip Hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” a statement from Markie’s rep to our sister site Variety reads. “We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time.

More from TVLineCharles Robinson, Actor Who Played Mac on Night Court, Dead at...

Biz Markie, the rapper, singer and actor behind the 1989 hit “Just a Friend,” died Friday in Baltimore. He was 57.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, hip hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” his rep Jenni Izumi said in a statement.

“We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time. Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years. He leaves behind a wife, many family members and close friends who will miss his vibrant personality, constant jokes and frequent banter. We respectfully request privacy for his family as they mourn their loved one.”

He had been suffering from complications due to diabetes, according to TMZ.

Markie...

Exclusive: Wanda Sykes has been tapped for a recurring role in the upcoming fifth season of Robert and Michelle King’s legal drama The Good Fight on Paramount+.

She will play Allegra Durado, a brilliant, strategic attorney who’s been away from the law for ten years while trying to finish her white whale of a book.

“Our holy grail of casting is always to find dramatic actors who can also deliver the comedy, and that pretty much defines Wanda,” Robert and Michelle King said. “We couldn’t feel more fortunate to be working with her.”

The Kings have successfully infused The Good Fight drama series (and predecessor The Good Wife) with comedy, helped by a cast of versatile actors, led by The Good Fight star Christine Baranski, an Emmy winner for comedy series Cybill who was also Emmy nominated for Frasier and The Big Bang Theory in addition to...

This weekly feature is in addition to TVLine’s daily What to Watch listings and monthly guide to What’s on Streaming.

With nearly 500 scripted shows now airing across broadcast, cable and streaming, it’s easy to forget that a favorite comedy is returning, or that the new “prestige drama” you anticipated is about to debut. So consider this our reminder to set your DVR, order a Season Pass, pop a fresh Memorex into the Vcr… however it is you roll.

More from TVLinePose Premiere Recap: Gin and the JuiceLegends of Tomorrow EP on 'Avalance' Surprise and Why Sara Was...

Comedy Central today announced that the Emmy-nominated series Crank Yankers will make its return on Wednesday, May 5 at 10:30Pm Et/Pt. Crank Yankers brings the classic art of the prank phone call to life. Yankerville’s puppet citizens (voiced by celebrities and comedians) crank call real people – whether they like it or not. Season 6 […]

The post ‘Crank Yankers’ Returns To Comedy Central May 5 appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Exclusive: Wanda Sykes has signed with ICM Partners in all areas except personal appearances and comedy touring . She joins after her production company Push It Productions signed with the agency in June 2020.

The Emmy-winning stand-up comic, writer, actress and producer can be seen beginning May 12 in the Netflix comedy The Upshaws, in which she serves as co-showrunner, executive producer and has a supporting role. The series centers on a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work without any blueprints.

Sykes has been entertaining audiences for over 20 years, exemplified by her extensive résumé that touches nearly every corner of the industry.

In 2020, she received Emmy nominations for both her role as real-life comic Moms Mabley in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as her voice work as in Crank Yankers. Her guest-starring role on ABC’s Black-ish also brought her back-to-back guest actress Emmy nominations in 2017 and 2018.

Sykes’ fifth and latest stand-up special,...

Exclusive: Rapper Snoop Dogg is to voice and exec produce an animated comedy for Amazon with Vince Vaughn also exec producing.

The streamer is developing Oaklandia, which is written by Daniel Dominguez (right), head writer and exec producer for season two of HBO Max’s Michael B. Jordan animated series Gen:Lock, and Chris “Comedian Cp” Powell (left), who starred in Comedy Central’s Detroiters and created Adult Swim special Ole Bud’s Anu Football Weekly.

The animated series is set in Oakland, California. Produced by Amazon Studios, Snoop Dogg and his manager and business partner Ted Chung exec produce alongside Vaughn, Victoria Vaughn and Peter Billingsley for Wild West Picture Show Productions and Dominguez and Powell.

It is the streamer’s latest move into adult animation. Earlier this year, it ordered Fairfax, a series based on the strange phenomenon of Los Angeles hypebeast culture, from Matt Hausfater, Aaron Buchsbaum, and...

This year’s Comedy Guest Actress field features past Emmy winners, a “bad bitch” looking for her first victory and a history making double nominee. We’ve put ourselves in the shoes of voters by sitting through all six of their episode submissions to analyze who might come out on top in this tight race. Who will win at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, September 19? Follow the links below for each episode analysis.

See 2020 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 72nd Emmy Awards

Angela Bassett, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”

Angela Bassett is a seven-time Emmy nominee. She was previously nominated for “The Rosa Parks Story,” “American Horror Story: Coven,” “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” “Master of None,” “The Flood,” and has an additional nomination this year for narrating “The Imagineering Story.” In order to prevail for this HBO comedy, she has submitted the episode “Angela...

As plans for the first-ever virtual Emmys continue to take shape, the Television Academy has announced Nicole Byer as the 2020 Creative Arts Emmy Awards host.

Byer, already a nominee for Outstanding Host of a Reality or Competition Program — and the first Black woman ever nominated in the category — will guide viewers through five nights of Creative Arts ceremonies. Byer’s Netflix series “Nailed It!” will be competing for two awards, including Outstanding Competition Program.

As was previously announced, the Creative Arts Emmys will be spread over a week and lead up to the Primetime Emmy Awards. Virtual ceremonies will be held each night from Monday, September 14 through Thursday, September 17, before breaking on Friday ahead of the final Creative Arts event on Saturday and the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast on Sunday, September 20.

Weekday ceremonies will stream via Emmys.com, and the Saturday Creative Arts ceremony will be a two-hour broadcast on Fxx.

Emmy-nominated Nailed It! host Nicole Byer will host the 2020 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which the Television Academy will present in virtual ceremonies over five nights from September 14-19, streaming on Emmys.com the first four nights and concluding with a two-hour ceremony that Saturday on Fxx.

Byer this year became the first Black woman to be nominated in the category of Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program for fronting the Netflix baking competition show. Her credits also include MTV’s Girl Code and recently released a book #Veryfat #Verybrave.

The TV Academy also revealed Thursday the presenters for the Creative Arts ceremonies, which usually span two nights but was forced to make changes this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The presenters list: Monica Aldama (Cheer), Jeff Bridges (The Old Man), Rose Byrne (Mrs. America), Bobby Cannavale (Homecoming), Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black; Disclosure), Desus Nice...

“Nailed It” host and Emmy nominee Nicole Byer has been tapped to host the five-night presentation of the 2020 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the Television Academy announced Thursday.

Additionally, the organization announced some presenters for the virtual event: Monica Aldama (“Cheer”), Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”), Rose Byrne (“Mrs. America”), Bobby Cannavale (“Homecoming”), guest drama actress nominee Laverne Cox (“Orange Is the New Black”; “Disclosure”), Desus Nice & The Kid Mero (“Desus & Mero”), guest and supporting drama actor nominee Giancarlo Esposito (“The Mandalorian”; “Better Call Saul”), Brandee Evans (“P-Valley”), Chris Hardwick (“The Wall”; “The Talking Dead”), Jerry Harris (“Cheer”), Thomas Lennon (“Reno 911”), Daryl Mitchell (“NCIS: New Orleans”), Hilarie Burton Morgan (“Friday Night In With The Morgans”), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Friday Night In With The Morgans”; “The Walking Dead”), Erin Moriarty (“The Boys”), Lamorne Morris (“Woke”), Leslie Odom Jr. (“Central Park”), lead limited series/TV movie actor nominee Jeremy Pope (“Hollywood”), lead...

Wanda Sykes returns to the Best Comedy Guest Actress Emmy race for her turn as famed real life comic Moms Mabley in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” This is actually one of three nominations this year for Sykes, who also competes in Best Character Voice-Over Performance for “Crank Yankers” and in Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) for producing “Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah.” Will playing a real-life figure finally land Sykes an Emmy for acting? For her Guest Actress bid, Sykes has submitted the episode “A Jewish Girl Walks into the Apollo.”

In this season three finale, Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) gets the chance to open for Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain) at the legendary Apollo theater in Harlem. Before taking the stage herself, Midge watches Moms Mabley kill a stand-up set which has the audience roaring. Backstage, Midge gets a chilly reception from Moms and her manager, who points out that Midge has stolen...

With over two decades of work under her belt, Wanda Sykes has found that being a multi-hyphenate artist certainly allows for a diverse and successful career. Starting off as an award-winning writer for The Chris Rock Show, she quickly found popularity with her stand-up specials, leading to roles in Monster-in-Law and The New Adventures of Old Christine. 2020 has given Sykes four Emmy nominations this year—two under her production company Push It, one for the role of Gladys in Crank Yankers, and one for her performance as legendary vaudeville entertainer Moms Mabley in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Sykes describes this surreal pandemic year thus: “2020, for me, the glass is half-full. But it’s a dirty glass. It’s like from a crime scene with lipstick and fingerprints and smudges all on it.”

My First Film Lesson

That whole ‘camera right, camera left’ thing. It was Nutty Professor II and Eddie [Murphy] plays all those different characters.

Leslie Odom Jr. picked up his first Emmy nomination this year: Best Character Voice-Over Performance for playing “Central Park” caretaker Owen Tillerman. If he wins he’ll be three-quarters of the way to Egot because “Hamilton” already got him halfway there. So he and his former “Hamilton” nemesis Lin-Manuel Miranda would both just need an Oscar to wrap it up.

Odom played Aaron Burr in “Hamilton” opposite Miranda as the title character, and they went head-to-head at the Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical in 2016. Odom won that prize while Miranda took home a pair of statues for his book and original score. Earlier that same year both men shared the show’s Grammy win for Best Musical Theater Album. So Odom was halfway to his Egot, while Miranda, already an Emmy winner for songwriting by then, just needed an Oscar.

SEEKate Anderson and Elyssa Samsel (‘Central Park...

“Tosh.0” will end its run on Comedy Central after its upcoming twelfth season.

The cancellations comes despite the fact that Comedy Central picked the show up for four mores seasons back in January. Series host Daniel Tosh signed an overall deal with the network at that time, but it is unclear if he will remain under that deal now that the show is ending.

Season 12 of “Tosh.0” is set to debut on Sept. 15 at 10 p.m. Et and will consist of 10 episodes. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, ViacomCBS is working with Tosh and his team to shop the series to other outlets.

“I look forward to doing an animated reboot of my show on MTV in 25 years,” Tosh said in a statement.

The series features Tosh commenting on social media and internet trends and features popular segments like “Web Redemption” and the “CeWEBrity Profile,” which gives...

You’re probably already aware that Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett (“Mrs. America”), Olivia Colman (“The Crown”), Regina King (“Watchmen”) and Octavia Spencer (“Self Made”), among others, landed Emmy nominations on Tuesday, but there are a handful of other familiar faces that joined the ranks in less-publicized categories. Most of these winners will be announced at the Creative Arts Emmys in two separate virtual ceremonies on Sept. 12 and 13, a week before the primetime telecast on Sept. 20. Check out the complete list of nominations here.

In the Best Narrator category, “12 Years a Slave” stars Chiwetel Ejiofor (“The Elephant Queen”) and Lupita Nyong’o (“Serengeti”) reunite as competitors, the former of whom is a previous Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor nominee for “Dancing on the Edge,” while the latter is enjoying her maiden Emmy nomination six years after winning her first Oscar. Joining her as a first-time nominee is former NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,...

The Television Academy’s decision to change the formula for the number of nominations in each category may have benefited the artisans and below-the-line talent on programs the most.

While the number of comedy and drama nominees expanded to eight, all other categories had to rely on a submission count to determine how many slots they got. For most of the supporting performer categories, that also meant an expansion to eight. Most categories that were already at six stayed there, however.

In a few cases, the new rule actually meant the loss of a nominee: In variety talk, because there were only 24 submissions, the race went from six to five slots — forcing the ouster of “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” In variety sketch and children’s program, the number of nominees was reduced to just three, due to a paltry number of entrants.

But many of the craft categories,...

The Television Academy set new records on Tuesday by recognizing nonwhite performers in greater numbers than it has in the past. Among all acting categories, including voice-over and short form series, the 2020 tally stands at 49 nominations for nonwhite performers out of 118 in total, or 41.5%.

In the major acting categories comedy, drama and limited series, 39 of the 102 nominations — or 38.2% — went to nonwhite performers. That’s an improvement from last year, when 24% of nominations in the top categories went to performers of color.

In terms of racial diversity, the comedy categories (42.5% nonwhite) fared slightly better than the drama categories (32.5% nonwhite), buoyed by a supporting actor category made up primarily of Black actors including Andre Braugher of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” William Jackson Harper of “The Good Place” and Mahershala Ali of “Ramy.” HBO’s “Insecure” also received several acting nods this year, including for supporting actress Yvonne Orji, the only nonwhite actress among eight nominees.

Jason Bateman, reigning Emmy winner for director in a drama series, is a double threat on the acting side this year. He landed his third consecutive nomination in the Lead Actor In a Drama series category for his starring role as Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde on Netflix’s Ozark. Additionally, he is nominated as a Guest Actor In a Drama Series for his recurring role as Terry Maitland on HBO’s The Outsider.

This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown, who is facing Bateman in the actor in a drama series field, also is a double acting nominee. In addition to his fourth consecutive Lead Actor in a Drama Series nom for playing Randall Pearce on NBC’s This Is Us (he won the trophy in 2017), Brown is nominated in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for his arc as Reggie on Season 3 of Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs.