News

Exclusive: Four-time Primetime Emmy winner Rob Corddry has inked with Buchwald and Artists First for representation.

The Weymouth, Massachusetts native and Upright Citizens Brigade alum was the co-creator EP, writer and star of Adult Swim’s long-running comedy series, Childrens Hospital on which he played Dr. Blake Downs, Flake the Clown and Rory Spindell. Corddry took home four Emmy wins on the show for Best Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series and Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series in 2016, and 2012 and 2013 wins for Outstanding Special Class – Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs. Childrens Hospital ran for 87 episodes.

Childrens Hospital spawned the spinoff series Medical Police which debuted on Netflix in 2020.

Corddry also starred alongside Dwayne Johnson in five seasons of the five-time Emmy nominated HBO series Ballers.

On the feature side, he is best known for starring in both installments of the cult classic franchise, Hot Tub Time Machine.

“Lopez vs Lopez” has added four new guest stars to its Season 3 roster.

Chris Estrada (Hulu’s “This Fool”), Brian Posehn (Disney+’s “The Mandalorian”), Alexandra Billings (ABC’s “The Conners”) and Terri Hoyos (ABC’s “Cristela”) will all guest star in the NBC sitcom’s third season, which debuts new episodes every Friday.

The guest stars will appear alongside series regulars George and Mayan Lopez, Matt Shively, Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez and Al Madrigal, as well as Season 3 guest stars Rita Moreno and Stephen Tobolowsky, who both return to the show, as well as comedian Jeff Ross, who makes his “Lopez vs Lopez” debut.

Estrada will appear as Roberto, Quinten’s boss who is convinced by Quinten (Matt Shively) and Mayan to spice up his nice-guy image when he starts dating Rosie (Leyva), who famously loves bad boys.

Posehn will play a mall Santa who reminds George of his...

Hulu announced on Wednesday that Frankie Quiñones’ first hour-long comedy special will debut on the streamer under its Hularious banner.

Directed and produced by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ali Wong (Beef), with Irwin Entertainment also on board to produce, the special will launch domestically on Hulu and Disney+ internationally. No other details, including a release date, have been disclosed. The special will be the last featured over the course of Hularious’ first year.

Quiñones commented, “To have my homegirl Ali Wong produce and direct my first one-hour special is a dream come true. Thanks to Hulu/Disney for making this possible. Be ready for some vulnerable ridiculousness. That’s what’s up.”

Stated Wong, “Frankie, on and offstage, was always one of the funniest coming up in the Bay Area comedy scene. I’m really honored to be directing and producing his first stand up special because his hour...

Ali Wong is directing and producing a new comedy special from Frankie Quiñones, which will premiere on Hulu as part of its upcoming Hularious program.

The stand-up hour is produced by Irwin Entertainment. A release date and title have yet to be announced.

“To have my homegirl Ali Wong produce and direct my first one-hour special is a dream come true. Thanks to Hulu/Disney for making this possible. Be ready for some vulnerable ridiculousness. That’s what’s up,” Quiñones said in a statement.

Added Wong: “Frankie, on and offstage, was always one of the funniest coming up in the Bay Area comedy scene. I’m really honored to be directing and producing his first stand up special because his hour is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. People mostly know him as Creeper from the viral Cholofit videos or from his hilarious performance in ‘This Fool,’ so...

From director Nicholas Gyeney, the supernatural thriller The Activated Man is headed our way this December, and the official trailer introduces us to the Fedora Man this week.

Watch the trailer below and read on for everything you need to know.

The Activated Man will have an exclusive premiere at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills on Thursday, December 12th, and will have a weeklong theatrical run in Los Angeles, as well as in Tempe, Az, Huntingdon, Pa, and other cities across the country beginning the following day: Friday the 13th. Two special opening-day screenings in Los Angeles on Friday the 13th will be fan events with Gyeney and star Kane Hodder in attendance to meet fans.

NY-based Stonecutter Media will distribute the film in North America on cable (Xfinity/Spectrum/Cox Cable/Dish Network/Sling TV/DirecTV/Uverse/Verizon Fios/Optimum) and digital (Amazon Prime/Vudu/iTunes/Google...

Exclusive: We have the finalists for the 2024 Latine List.

The partnership between the Latin Tracking Board, Nalip and The Black List have selected 10 projects that represent some of the best rising talents in Latin-e/a/o/@ storytelling in film, TV and theater.

Following the List’s core mandate, this year’s selected scripts probe the scope and depth of genres and voices — past and present.

“This collection shines a spotlight on Latine characters, settings and narratives that capture the intriguing complexities of our culture,” the Latin Tracking Board said today. “Each script offers a unique perspective, celebrating the originality and richness of Latine experiences.”

In fact, several writers on this year’s Latine List have received pervious industry praise and recognition for their work.

Rebecca Iliana Kahn was selected for the 2024 Sundance Screenwriters Intensive. Christian Moldes was in this year’s Sundance Screenwriters Lab, as well as awarded the Sundance Institute...

A Million Miles Away and The Long Game were the big film winners the 39th annual Imagen Awards, which were handed out Sunday night at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles.

Amazon MGM Studios’ A Million Miles Away took Best Director for Alejandra Márquez Abella and three other awards, including Best Actress-Film for Rosa Salazar. The Long Game from Mucho Mas Media was named Best Feature Film and also won two trophies for acting. See the full list below.

Winners on the TV side included ABC’s Will Trent for Best Drama Series, Hulu’s This Fool for Comedy Series, True Detective: Night Country director Issa López, Griselda‘s Sofia Vergara, Not Dead Yet‘s Gina Rodriguez, The Bear‘s Liza Colón-Zayas, Mayans M.C.‘s Edward James Olmos and HBO’s Sesame Street

Apple’s comedy Acapulco came into the ceremony with a leading nine Imagen...

Rob Corddry has been promoted to series regular status for Season 2 of the Max comedy series “Bookie.” Corddry appeared in Season 1 of the Chuck Lorre series in the guest role of Walt Dinty.

Season 2 of “Bookie” is set to debut on the streamer in December. Corddry joins fellow returning cast members Sebastian Maniscalco, Omar J. Dorsey, Jorge Garcia, Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito and Maxim Swinton.

Per the official description, “Bookie” follows “veteran Los Angeles bookie Danny (Maniscalco) as the potential legalization of sports gambling in California threatens to upend his business for good. Alongside best friend and former NFL player Ray (Dorsey), side-hustling sister Lorraine (Ferlito), and reluctantly reformed drug dealer Hector (Garcia), Danny must contend with his increasingly unstable clients as he tries to settle their debts – all while making plenty of risky bets of his own.”

Corddry’s recent credits include shows like “Hit-Monkey,” “The Unicorn,” “This Fool,...

Francisco Ramos, the Venezuelan American stand-up comic known for his unique perspective on the immigrant experience, took to YouTube on Tuesday to unveil his debut comedy special, Venezuela’Merican, via 800 Pound Gorilla.

No logline was provided for the special, filmed in Las Vegas at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club inside the MGM Grand. But you can check out a first-look clip, spotlighting a bit on pumpkin patches, below.

Produced by Garrett, Ed Conover and 800 Pound Gorilla Records, Ramos’ special was directed by Michael Malone.

“I’m beyond thrilled for everyone to finally see the special(ito) we’ve been cooking up!” said Ramos in a statement to Deadline. “Huge shoutout to Brad Garrett for producing it and to the fantastic team at 800 Pound Gorilla for their incredible support. Now, fingers crossed for 1 million views—because that’s the magic number that might finally make my mom stop asking, “When are you getting a real job?...

When TV academy voters sit down to fill out their 2024 Emmy nominations ballots, they have to consider 73 shows for Best Comedy Series; this is down by 22 contenders from last year. As was the case last year, each member’s selections may not exceed the number of eventual nominations in a given category, which will be eight in this case.

On its quest for a second consecutive victory here, “The Bear” will have to fend off just two of its seven 2023 rivals: “Abbott Elementary” and “Only Murders in the Building.” Last year’s remaining contenders that did not air episodes during the June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024 eligibility period are “Barry,” “Jury Duty,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Ted Lasso,” and “Wednesday,” the last of which is the only one known to have a new season in the works.

Remember, only eight of the shows listed below will earn bids for Best Comedy Series...

Here's a list of TV shows that aired (or were expected to air) during the 2022-23 season (roughly September 2022 through August 2023) but won't be back for the 2023-24 season. Not finding a show that you believe has been cancelled? Check our other season lists or our network, cable, and streaming show status pages.

Latest additions: High School (Amazon Freevee), Primo (Amazon Freevee) Raven’s Home (Disney Channel), Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge (NBC), Domina (MGM+), Erin & Aaron (Nickelodeon), LA Fire & Rescue (NBC)m This Fool (Hulu), Dave (Fxx), Secrets of Sulphur Springs (Disney Channel), Wolf Pack (Paramount+), Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+), American Born Chinese (Disney+), Warrior (Starz), Praise Petey (Freeform), Cruel Summer (Freeform), Lucky Hank (AMC), Central Park (Apple TV+), Riches (Prime Video), Swagger (Apple TV+), With Love (Prime Video), Harlan Coben's Shelter (Prime Video), The Horror of Dolores Roach (Prime Video), The Muppets...

The cult classic 1976 Universal Pictures film Car Wash is getting the small-screen treatment from producer Malcolm D. Lee (“The Best Man” franchise) and writer Opey Olagbaju. A comedy series of the same name is in development at NBC from Universal Television.

Set at a modern-day DC car wash, the TV series focuses on an immigrant family’s generational and cultural clashes between father and son and their eclectic group of employees.

The logline reveals many similarities to the original film while using the TV format to make the story much bigger. The Michael Schultz-directed film follows the lives of a group of friends from Los Angeles who work at the Dee-Luxe Car Wash and the interesting characters they interact with one Friday in July.

Many notable names were part of the large ensemble cast including Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Franklyn Ajaye, Bill Duke, Pepe Serna,...

Exclusive: Billy Rosenberg is exiting his post as Senior Vice President of Comedy, Hulu Originals.

Rosenberg joined Hulu in 2016. Throughout his time at the streamer, he helped to shape the comedy brand and oversaw the development and production of Hulu Originals series such as Pen15, Ramy, Only Murders In The Building, Pam & Tommy, This Fool and Solar Opposites.

Previously, Rosenberg ran The Lonely Island’s company Party Over Here. In his two years there, Rosenberg produced a number of pilot presentations under the company’s deal when it was with Fbc, including I’m Sorry that was ordered to series at TruTV, and the Freeform pilot Alone Together starring Esther Povitsky and Benji Aflalo.

Related: 2024 TV Series Cancellations & Renewals

Rosenberg also produced the feature Brigsby Bear and collaborated with writer-director Joe Swanberg and was a co-producer on the Netflix series Easy.

Prior to Lonely Island, Rosenberg was with...

Hulu comedy head Billy Rosenberg is exiting the streamer after more than seven years. Rosenberg, who most recently served as senior VP of comedy for Hulu Originals, has not yet been replaced.

Rosenberg’s tenure at Hulu came with the elevation of the streamer’s comedy brand, as he developed hits including “Pen15,” “Ramy,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “Pam & Tommy,” “This Fool” and “Solar Opposites.”

He initially joined as director of comedy at Hulu Originals. Prior to being tapped by Hulu, Rosenberg ran The Lonely Island’s comedy Party Over Here, as head of development and production. Working closely with Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone for two years, the television and film producer executive produced a number of pilot presentations under their Fox deal. He also produced the feature film “Brigsby Bear” with then-“Saturday Night Live” cast member Kyle Mooney, and collaborated with Joe Swanberg on his Netflix series “Easy.

The Other Black Girl will not return.

Hulu has canceled the comedy series based on the book of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris after a single season, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

First put in development in April 2020 before Tara Duncan signed on to serve as president of Disney’s Bipoc-focused studio Onyx Collective, the 10-episode satirical comedy about the publishing world dropped its full season in September to impressive reviews. The series currently has an 86 percent rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences seem to have rejected The Other Black Girl with that score sitting at a lackluster 50 percent among viewers.

Danielle Henderson (Sorry for Your Loss) originally was set to serve as showrunner but was ultimately replaced by Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey. Exec producers on the series included Onyx’s Duncan, Rashida Jones, Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, Adam Fishbach and author Harris.

Exclusive: Comedy troupe The Dress Up Gang are in production on their first feature film, The Dress Up Gang Movie with Tideline Entertainment and Mountain Top Pictures producing.

Cameras will roll in LA.

Founded in 2008, The Dress Up Gang is comprised of Robb Boardman, DeMorge Brown, Kevin Camia, Donny Divanian, Christian Duguay, Kirk Fox, Cory Loykasek, Frankie Quinones and Brent Weinbach.

The pic written by the group’s Loykasek, Boardman and Divanian is a comedy adventure about our connection to houseplants, nature, and each other. Blurb: Cory spends his days isolated and working from home until he becomes entangled with a mysterious figure known only as “the Plantman,” a vigilante who breaks into people’s homes to rescue plants that aren’t being watered. Cory is suddenly thrust outdoors, into an underground world of plant-lovers, secret greenhouses, and rogue hardware store employees who will stop at nothing to save the dying plants of the city.

“Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo,” a new comedy-documentary series hailing from PBS SoCal, is slated to start streaming for free on the PBS app and PBS.org on May 24.

The series follows Mexican American comedian and host Jesus Trejo as he embarks on a journey to tell the “stories behind the laughs,” revealing how comedy traces back to the roots of community.

Trejo visits six U.S. regions including Los Angeles, Denver and Portland, where he meets with six rising comedians. The series is co-produced for PBS by PBS SoCal, Calico and the National Multicultural Alliance. Trejo and Juan Devis executive produce along with Calico’s Danny Lee and Justin Yungfleisch as well as PBS SoCal chief content officer Tamara Gould. The series is directed by Donny Jackson. Wendy Llinás is the executive in charge for PBS.

“Our hope is that ‘Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo’ will spark conversation and inspire viewers,...

Exclusive: UTA has signed stand-up comedian, actor, and creator Frankie Quiñones (This Fool) for representation in all areas.

Quiñones is perhaps best known for starring as Luis, former gang member turned Hugs Not Thugs program participant, on Hulu’s critically acclaimed series This Fool, having been nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the Independent Spirit Awards last year.

He also has a recurring role on FX’s acclaimed vampire comedy series What We Do in the Shadows, as well as Fired on Mars and Victor & Valentino on Max. Additional acting credits include Mr. Mayor (NBC), Feliz Navidad (Lifetime), The Dress Up Gang (TBS), Papi Chulo (Blue Fox Entertainment), and AMC’s spin-off miniseries The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, to name a few.

Most recently, Quiñones wrapped a pilot for his own sketch show at Hulu titled Get Frankie, with more details forthcoming. Launched...

Diane Guerrero is set to lead horror movie “The Whistler” alongside Juan Pablo Raba.

The film, which has started shooting in Cali, Colombia, tells the story of grieving parents Nicole and Sebastian. Still reeling from losing their daughter, the couple unexpectedly inherit a remote farm in the Venezuelan plains where they are soon drawn into a nether world.

Diego Velasco (“This Fool”) is directing from a script by Carolina Paiz (“Orange Is The New Black”).

“Nicole and Sebastian arrive to find the farm overrun by mysterious squatters who claim they can conjure spirits,” reads the logline. “As Sebastian attempts to violently run them out, Nicole is lured into their world, desperate to contact her dead daughter…forcing the couple to deal not only with the spirit world, but their own inner demons.”

Hideout Pictures are producing the pic. Trevor O’Neil and Margaret Miller are producers with Shannon Houchins, Potsy Ponciroli...

This Fool will not be returning for a third season. Hulu has cancelled the comedy series created by Chris Estrada, Pat Bishop, Matt Ingebretson, and Jake Weisman. The 10-episode second season was released on the streaming service in July.

Estrada, Frankie Quiñones, Laura Patalano, Michelle Ortiz, Julia Vera, and Michael Imperioli star in the series, which follows the working class of South Central Los Angeles. The story focuses on Julio Lopez (Estrada), a thirty-year-old man living with his mother and grandmother in his childhood bedroom. He has been dating his girlfriend since high school and finds any excuse to avoid focusing on his problems. Julio works at Hugs Not Thugs, a gang rehabilitation non-profit, where he butts heads with his older cousin Luis (Quiñones), an ex-gang member who just got out of prison and moved in with Julio and...

Hulu has officially made their first renewal/cancellation decision of 2024…and their first show has been axed this year.

Hulu has unfortunately been canceling a lot of fan favorite content over the past few weeks, including The Great and How I Met Your Father, which were both canceled last year.

Now, another title has been added.

Keep reading to find out more…

And the first TV show canceled by Hulu this year is…

This Fool – Canceled After 2 Seasons

Chris Estrada‘s series is done after two seasons on the streaming service, THR reports. In addition THR adds that the show will still be available to stream despite the cancellation.

Here’s the synopsis: Inspired by the life and stand-up of star and co-creator Chris Estrada, “This Fool” is an irreverent, cinematic half-hour comedy set in working class South Central Los Angeles. The show centers around Julio Lopez, a 30-year-old who still lives at home,...

Hulu is bidding farewell to This Fool: The Chris Estrada-led comedy has been cancelled after two seasons at the streamer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Reviews for the series were strong, but sources tell THR that it “failed to find an audience large enough to justify a third season.”

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Estrada created the series and starred as Julio Lopez, a 30-year-old still living with...

Hulu has canceled This Fool, the half-hour comedy set in working-class South Central Los Angeles written and executive produced by Chris Estrada, Pat Bishop, Jake Weisman and Matt Ingebretson.

The show centers on Julio Lopez (Estrada), a 30-year-old who still lives at home, has been dating his girlfriend (Michelle Ortiz) on and off since high school, and finds any excuse to avoid dealing with his own problems. He works at Hugs Not Thugs, a gang rehabilitation nonprofit, where he butts heads with his older cousin Luis (Frankie Quiñones), an ex-gang member who just got out of prison and moved in with Julio and his family.

Executive producers also included Jonathan Groff and Fred Armisen.

The second season of the Hulu Original series from ABC Signature consisted of 10 episodes. Both seasons will continue streaming on the platform.

THR was first to announce the news today.

This Fool’s days at Hulu have come to an end.

The Disney-owned streamer has opted to cancel This Fool after a two-season run, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Chris Estrada created the series and starred as Julio Lopez, a 30-year-old who lives with his family and works at a gang rehab center.

Sources say This Fool will remain on Hulu’s platform after the streamer put a big marketing push behind both seasons of the series, which despite strong reviews, failed to find an audience large enough to justify a third season. Season two last aired in July 2023.

This Fool was produced in-house by Disney’s ABC Signature and was exec produced by Estrada, showrunner Jonathan Groff (Black-ish), Fred Armisen, Pat Bishop, Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman.

In an interview with TV’s Top 5, Estrada spoke of reuniting with the creators of Comedy Central’s Corporate for This Fool,...

Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive), Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus) and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead franchise) have signed on to star in The Housewife, a psychological drama from first-time feature filmmaker Ben Shirinian that is launching foreign sales at EFM via Neon International.

Based on a true story from 1964, the film follows a determined young New York Times journalist (Sheridan) as he tracks down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in Queens. When he befriends the suspect’s elegant and charming wife (Watts), the implications of his investigation become much more unsettling.

Robbie Brenner, Kevin McKeon (Call Jane), and Lee Broda (May December) are producing alongside EP Alyssa Hill, who also penned the script. CAA Media Finance is repping domestic rights. Production is set to commence in June.

Currently starring as socialite Babe Paley in Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,...

Exclusive: Veteran Gersh talent agent Danielle Schoenberg is transitioning to management, joining Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment as a Partner.

Schoenberg worked in the talent department at Gersh for nearly 15 years, starting on the desk of Bob Gersh before becoming a comedy crossover agent.

At Gersh, she developed a specialty in working with multi-hyphenates, something she plans to continue to do as a manager at Odenkirk Provissiero, where her writer and performer clients include Anna Konkle (Pen15), Frankie Quiñones (This Fool), Sasheer Zamata (SNL), Brooks Wheelan (SNL), Stephanie Allynne (The L Word), Saagar Shaikh (Ms. Marvel), Nichole Sakura (Superstore) and Jessy Hodges (Barry).

At Odenkirk Provissiero, founded in 2009 by Naomi Odenkirk and Marc Provissiero, Schoenberg joins fellow partners DC Wade, Tiffany Schloesser and Lucas Kosoglad.

“I started sharing clients with Naomi and Marc when I first became an agent and have admired their taste and care with which they manage their clients from that point on,...

Year 2023 will be remembered in Hollywood for various phenomena — the strikes, Barbenheimer — but for Latinos, 2023 was the year that saw a relatively significant number of movies and TV releases from and about their community, in a variety of genres. With actors and writers spending about half of last year unable to promote their projects, the atmosphere at Neuehouse in Hollywood was all the more electric last Friday evening as a who’s who of Latin entertainment, media, sports and politics came together to toast the excellence they saw on the big and small screens.

The event, La Cena Los Angeles, was an expansion of the intimate multi-city La Cena dinner series started last year by culture and impact consultant Ruben Garcia, formerly co-head of cultural business strategy at CAA, to cultivate community among impactful Latino figures across disciplines.

Sponsored by the Latino-focused organization Equis, La Cena LA saluted a range of work,...

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

In 2023, I wanted to laugh. Perhaps more than I realized, because when I finally calculated my top-rated films that came out this year, a great portion of my selections turned out to be either straight-up comedies or gripping comedy-dramas. 2023 was the year I embraced funny and moving movie coming-of-age stories probably more than any other, but to me, that genre isn’t only limited to what happens when 11-year-old girls experience their period for the first time or when Elvis Presley decides to take a child bride. For example, Paul Giamatti’s acidic classics teacher experiences something like a middle-aged puberty when he’s forced to care for an abandoned prep school kid during Christmas break in The Holdovers. In Beau is Afraid, we watch a stunted...

Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus) is confirmed for a role in Academy Award nominee Paul Schrader’s new film Oh, Canada, Deadline has learned.

The actor joins an ensemble that includes Richard Gere, Jacob Elordi and Kristine Froseth.

An adaptation of the late Russell Banks’ 2021 novel Foregone, the film will tell the story of Leonard Fife (Gere), a famed documentary filmmaker who takes stock of his life, with not long to go after being stricken with cancer at 80 years old. The most unreliable of narrators — and of men — Fife offers the viewer a look at his home life, as a draft-dodging artist who abandoned one family for another, consistently evading any sense of responsibility for actions as he starts a new life in Canada.

Elordi plays a young Fife, seen from his late teens through his mid-20s, and Froseth shares 1968-set scenes with the Saltburn star as the character’s second wife,...

The late Norman Lear’s life and legacy took center stage tonight at the 2023 Sentinel Awards at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills.

The awards, which celebrate the storytellers behind some of the year’s most impactful stories, heard a statement from Lyn Lear read at the start of the show by Marty Kaplan, founding director of the Norman Lear Center.

“I would have been there tonight if not for the passing of our beloved Norman. He was so proud of the work of The Lear Center and Hollywood Health and Society. And he would not have wanted all of us to mourn. He would want us to celebrate the important shows you are honoring tonight, and most of all… he would want us to laugh.”

The night celebrated Lear’s lasting impact on television and the world, underlining his strong advocacy that television and storytelling makes a difference.

In a sad bit of coincidence, the Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center honored its 2023 Sentinel Awards winners on Wednesday night, just hours after the passing of its namesake and inspiration, the legendary Norman Lear.

Emmy-winning comedian and writer Larry Wilmore hosted the event and introduced this year’s 11 winners, including writers behind the series “Mrs. Davis,” “Fleishman is in Trouble” and “Tiny Beautiful Things.” But before the awards were handed out, Wilmore took a moment to pay tribute to Lear. And remarks from Lear’s wife, Lyn, were shared with the audience.

“Well you got to say this about Norman – the man knew how to make an exit,” Wilmore joked. “He knew his audience. And wanted us to make sure we were all listening.

“A giant has left us and we’re going to do him proud,” he added. “This evening meant a lot...

The 2023 Sentinel Awards were handed out tonight Awards at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, and winners included writers for such TV series as Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, Superman & Lois, The Diplomat and Tiny Beautiful Things. See the full list below.

Presented by Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, the Sentinel Awards recognize writers for meaningful and accurate portrayals onscreen on such timely topics as abortion, systemic racism, climate change and mental health. Larry Wilmore hosted the ceremony, which came the night that Lear died at 101.

Attendees heard a statement from Lyn Lear read at the start of the show by Marty Kaplan, founding director of the Norman Lear Center.

“I would have been there tonight if not for the passing of our beloved Norman,” she wrote. “He was so proud of the work of The Lear Center and Hollywood Health and Society.

Hollywood, Health and Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center toasted its 2023 Sentinel Awards winners on Wednesday at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, where Lear’s life took center stage after his passing was announced earlier in the day at the age of 101.

Lear’s wife Lyn sent a statement to be read aloud to Sentinel attendees at the beginning of the show by founding director of the Norman Lear Center Marty Kaplan, as she wrote, “I would have been there tonight if not for the passing of our beloved Norman. He was so proud of the work of The Lear Center and Hollywood, Health and Society. And he would not have wanted all of us to mourn. He would want us to celebrate the important shows you are honoring tonight, and most of all, he would have want us to laugh.”

Larry Wilmore served as host of the evening,...

ABC Signature veteran Tracy Underwood has been elevated to President of the Disney Television Studios division. Underwood, most recently EVP of creative affairs for ABC Signature, is taking over the top post vacated by Jonnie Davis in July.

In her new position, Underwood will add oversight of current series to her current role overseeing development of drama, comedy and limited series, which will not be backfilled. Sydnee Rimes, SVP of Series and head of ABC Signature’s current series team, will now report into Underwood; Susan Lewis, SVP of Drama Development, and Danny Feldheim, SVP of Comedy Development, will continue to report into her.

Underwood’s promotion caps a lengthy search for Davis’ successor led by Eric Schrier, President of Disney Television Studios and Global Original TV Strategy for Disney Entertainment, to whom she will report. Outside candidates were considered, with Underwood emerging as the leading candidate by October.

While streamlining its content leadership,...

The 38th Annual Imagen Awards took place on Sunday, Dec. 3 to celebrate Latino excellence and contributions to Hollywood. Taking place at the Biltmore Hotel in L.A., the talent that showed up to the event included Gina Rodriguez, Edward James Olmos, Michael Cimino, Enrique Arrizon, Julieta Egurrola, and many more.

This year’s ceremony comprised 136 nominations across 27 categories highlighting storytelling and performances by Latino talent. Among the nominees were programs and films such as Flamin’ Hot, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Acapulco and This Fool.

Contending for Best Feature Film were A Man Called Otto, Flamin’ Hot, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Ruido. Nominees for Best Actor in a Feature Film included Daniel Giménez Cacho for Bardo, Andy García for Father of the Bride, Jesse García for Flamin’ Hot and Tenoch Huerta Mejía for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In the Best Actress in a Feature Film category, the...

The upcoming Broadway revival of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People starring Jeremy Strong has landed two more heavy hitters: Michael Imperioli will costar opposite Strong, and Plan B, the production company of Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner, has signed on as a producer.

The project marks the Broadway debuts for both Imperioli and Plan B. Complete casting will be announced at a later date.

As previously announced, the strictly limited 16-week engagement begins previews at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, and will open Monday, March 18.

The new adaptation by Amy Herzog (a Tony nominee for last season’s A Doll’s House starring Jessica Chastain) will be directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold (Fun Home).

Imperioli, currently starring in Hulu’s This Fool, was Emmy-nominated for his turn in Season 2 of Mike White’s acclaimed hit series The White Lotus, and is...

Hulu is dropping another one of its series, canceling How I Met Your Father after two seasons.

The news comes two days after the Disney-run streamer canceled The Great. How I Met Your Father, which stars Hilary Duff, ended its second season in July and did not answer the implied question in its title.

How I Met Your Father is a spinoff of How I Met Your Mother, which ran on CBS from 2005-14. Though not a direct sequel, it’s set in the same version of New York as the original series and has featured guest appearances from Himym stars Cobie Smulders and Neil Patrick Harris, among other alumni of that show. Characters played by Christopher Lowell and Suraj Sharma also live in the apartment occupied by Ted (Josh Radnor) and Marshall (Jason Segel) in the former series.

In addition to Duff, Lowell and Sharma, the How I Met Your Father...

When the Writers Guild of America went on strike May 2, the early days of the work stoppage saw scribes channel their creativity into picket signs that reflected their rage over such issues as AI and fair pay as their union went head to head with the studios and streamers that comprise the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

As the strike hits day 100 on Aug. 9, however, many writers have turned to new creative outlets that don’t violate the WGA’s rules of working on AMPTP-backed films and TV shows. While some struggle to write without external deadlines or after the picket line grind, others say they are content to remain busy making up for lost time with family.

The last strike, in 2007, lasted 99 days. This time, the studios and streamers were 90-odd days into the walkout before both sides agreed to even talk about talking again. So with no clear end in sight,...

Sophomore seasons are notoriously difficult to navigate.

And yet a Hulu comedy serving as dramedy with a stellar cast and strong writing continues to be a critically-acclaimed delight, certified fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, returned arguably better than ever.

It's a series with a healthy dose of family dysfunction, two cousins who are genuinely trying to manage things like their mental health in an authentic way that feels true to form for men, and a working-class element that feels authentic, as the characters grapple with the day to day and their respective life choices.

But no, this time, we're not talking about The Bear. And make no mistake The Bear Season 2 was certainly worth talking about, and we've still been discussing it.

We're actually talking about the critically-acclaimed, clever, and irreverent but criminally underpromoted and underrated This Fool.

Essentially, This Fool is one of the best comedic series not being discussed.

Hulu's streaming series, This Fool depicts working-class Latinos in South Los Angeles in hilarious fashion. In season 2, the old-school cholo Luis (Frankie Quinones) and his cousin Julio (Chris Estrada) switch roles with one enjoying life as a slacker and the other wanting more out of life in the hood. Costume designer Rocio Estrada says she brings authenticity through the wardrobe and shops locally from mom-and-pop stores in the Los Angeles area.

Those fools from the hood are back in season 2 of the extremely funny Hulu series,  This Fool.  The irreverent comedy starring Chris Estrada, Frankie Quinones, and Michael Imperioli, perfectly captures life in South Central. The quirky characters decide to open up a new coffee shop, "Mugs Not Thugs" and of course, there are shenanigans that will have you rolling on the floor although the laughs are not as consistent as last season.

If I have one complaint about the critically acclaimed first season of Hulu's "This Fool," it's how masculine it is. Yes, there are a handful of women characters, but we don't see much of their interiority or get their fully formed individual storylines. They are all constricted to relationship roles - the main character's mom and his girlfriend. My issue lies in the show's outlook as well - it's a decidedly male aesthetic. To be clear, "This Fool" isn't a misogynistic show by any means, just one focused on a guy and his cousin.

The problem, of course, is that male creators, directors, and actors over-index in movies and TV. They've long been able to share their perspectives with the world. This gets even more complicated when you layer in race and ethnicity. Latinas are among the least represented segments of the population when compared to our actual numbers in the US.

With his job and love life imploding and his recently released, ex-gang member older cousin tied to his hip, maybe Julio is, indeed, “this fool.” Consistently ranked one of 2022’s best comedies, the critically acclaimed character-driven comedy “This Fool” will return to Hulu for a second season on Friday, July 28 with 10 new episodes, exploring family, class, and community… and how annoying they all can be. You can watch This Fool: Season 2 with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu.

How to Watch ‘This Fool’ Season 2 Premiere When: Friday, July 28, 2023 Where: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu. 30-Day Free Trial$7.99+ / month hulu.com About ‘This Fool’ Season 2 Premiere

Led by Chris Estrada, “This Fool” is set in working-class South Central Los Angeles where Julio Lopez, 30 years old and still living at home will find any excuse to avoid dealing with his own problems while simultaneously taking care of everybody else’s.

Welcome to the 224th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

This week’s episode looks at the latest ripples to stem from Hollywood’s historic dual strike, pays tribute to the late Sinead O’Connor and much more.

Here’s how the episode plays out:

1. Mailbag

With a shortage of deals amid Hollywood’s hot labor summer, we’re answering listener questions each week. This week, we respond to queries about game shows, why actors aren’t promoting previously filmed work and if the Emmys should create an ensemble category. If you have a question...

For stand-up comics gathered at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal this week, booking club dates across North America and arena dates worldwide represents far more than a way to stay busy and pay the rent during the Hollywood writers and actors strikes.

It’s what live comedy artists do year-round, taking to the road or TikTok and YouTube to hone their craft and build fan followings with an eye to global stand-up touring as the pinnacle of their profession. The result is a strike-proof Just For Laughs festival barely impacted by the current Hollywood industry shutdown as SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America look to settle contract talks with the AMPTP, representing major studios and streamers.

“We know the heart of what we do is stand-up and comedy and that is not affected by the strikes,” Robyn Kaszor, vp of festivals at Just For Laughs, told The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday.

It’s Day 13 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 86 of the WGA strike.

Actor Adam Faison took a break from marching outside Disney in Burbank on Wednesday to speak with Deadline, calling artificial intelligence one of his primary concerns for the future of his profession and the industry at large.

His trepidation was informed by an unnerving encounter with the technology that he had within the past year, before the launch of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and perhaps before AI was even breaking so prevalently into the public discourse. The project on which he was forced to grapple with AI was out of the “gaming world,” he said, and called for body scanning.

“Without going into too much detail, there was a recent situation where I was in negotiations with a company and they were very, very ornery and very trepidatious about even talking about AI,” said Faison, whose...

Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here’s what to watch from Sunday, July 23 through Saturday, July 29.

This week, Twisted Metal becomes the latest video game to make the jump to TV with a Peacock adaptation starring Anthony Mackie. Meanwhile, Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman join the Taylor Sheridan-verse in Special Ops: Lioness, Futurama resurfaces on Hulu after a 10-year hiatus, and acclaimed comedy This Fool returns for Season 2.

Sunday, Paramount+...

Season Two of the comedy TV series "This Fool", starring Chris Estrada, Frankie Quinones, Laura Patalano, Julia Vera, Michael Imperioli, Michelle Ortiz  and Ivana Rojas, streams July 28, 2023 on Hulu:

"...set in working class South Central Los Angeles, after the job and love life of 'Julio' blew up at the end of last season...

"...this season, new roommates Julio and 'Luis' embark on finding new careers and romances with the help of 'Minister Payne', 'Chef Percy' and other former 'Huggers'..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Season Two of the comedy TV series "This Fool", starring Chris Estrada, Frankie Quinones, Laura Patalano, Julia Vera, Michael Imperioli, Michelle Ortiz  and Ivana Rojas, streams July 28, 2023 on Hulu:

"...set in working class South Central Los Angeles, after the job and love life of 'Julio' blew up at the end of last season...

"...this season, new roommates Julio and 'Luis' embark on finding new careers and romances with the help of 'Minister Payne', 'Chef Percy' and other former 'Huggers'..."

Click the images to enlarge...

The wait is finally over. Hulu has just dropped the official trailer for the second season of its hit comedy series This Fool, and it looks like the show is taking things to the next level. The trailer gives us just a glimpse of the hilarious upcoming season!

“This Fool” is an irreverent, cinematic half-hour comedy set in working-class South-Central Los Angeles. After Julio’s job and love life blew up at the end of last season, this season, new roommates Julio and Luis embark on finding new careers and romances with the help of Minister Payne, Chef Percy and other former Huggers.

Cast: Chris Estrada (“Julio”), Frankie Quinones (“Luis”), Laura Patalano (“Esperanza”), Julia Vera (“Maria”), Michael Imperioli (“Minister Payne”), Michelle Ortiz (“Maggie”), and Ivana Rojas (“Ruby“).

Credits: “This Fool” is written and executive produced by Chris Estrada, Pat Bishop, Jake Weisman and Matt Ingebretson. Jonathan Groff and Fred Armisen...