News

A column covering conversations and events on the awards circuit.

If it seems like we have been in an Emmy cycle with no end, you wouldn’t be far from wrong. But we are just about at the finish line as ballots are now in the hands (or laptops) of some 20,000, give or take, eligible Television Academy voting members and not due back until Monday, August 26 by 10 p.m Pt. With the 76th annual Primetime Emmys — our historic second ceremony in the same calendar year — set for Sunday, September 15 exactly a month from now (with Eugene and Dan Levy as hosts as just officially announced today after Deadline’s scoop last week), it will bring to an end a collision of seasons for the 75th Emmys which, due to the strikes, were delayed four months to January 15 of this year — even though that year’s eligible shows ended on May 31, 2023.

In other words folks,...

Like many film executives, Tamara Birkemoe spends much of the Cannes Film Festival sprinting from lunches to drinks to dinners, as she meets with potential distributors, financiers and filmmakers. Most nights, the Palisades Park CEO hosts a cocktail hour at the company’s temporary headquarters directly across from the Palais des Festivals, where Cannes’ biggest premieres are held.

“We are looking to dazzle people,” she says, noting that her office boasts a commanding view of the red carpet. “We want to entertain people in fancy places and impress them with our presentation. This is the entertainment business after all, so you might as well work hard, but have fun while you’re doing it.”

That glamour that Birkemoe and others seek in the south of France continues to be the defining feature of Cannes as it prepares to launch its 77th edition this month. But despite the parties on the sparkling Riviera,...

It’s Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary month, which calls for two things: celebration, and admin. Fittingly, here’s an administrative celebration of the BBC show, featuring every season/series that’s aired so far. After a six-tab Excel file and a lot of overthinking, it’s a big ol’ list arranging each of Doctor Who’s individual runs in reverse order of excellence.

(A note on methodology: this list does not include runs of Doctor Who specials or the TV movie, and Christmas specials are included under the entries for their relevant series.)

There’s good stuff everywhere in Doctor Who. Sometimes it can take a bit of digging to find it, but much of the time, you hardly even have to look – it’s just there, posing as the Commissioner from Sirius 4, or asking “Do I have the right?”. What follows is an attempt to arrange each season...

Academy Award-nominated director Philippe Falardeau will present his documentary series “Lac Mégantic: This Is Not an Accident” at Canneseries as its world premiere, followed by its North American premiere at Hot Docs as part of the Deep Dive category. Variety debuts its heart-breaking trailer here (see below).

In the four-part series, Falardeau investigates one of the worst oil train tragedies in history; a foreseeable catastrophe ignited by corporate and political negligence.

Almost 10 years ago, on July 6, 2013, a devastating tragedy occurred in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, when a runaway train derailed in the heart of this idyllic town. Within seconds, six million liters of Bakken oil explode, killing everyone in its vicinity, and incinerating downtown.

At the heart of this series are the survivors who share their most intimate stories of lost loved ones and the string of injustices they’ve faced since that summer night. Yet, the steps needed to prevent another...

Exclusive: Twilight, Nurse Jackie and Supergirl actor Peter Facinelli has been set to lead World War One movie drama Can You Hear Me?, which is due to shoot in the UK next month.

Downtown Abbey’s Matthew Barber and John Standing (V For Vendetta) have been cast in supporting roles.

In the mystery-romance Facinelli will play Samuel, an American officer who is shot while fighting on the front line in 1918 France. The soldier “makes a bargain with the ‘Almighty’ to return to his bride in England, until the last bell tolls”.

Simon Hunter directs from a script by Charlotte Radford who is producing and also starring. Executive producer is Roger King.

Director Simon Hunter commented: “It’s a unique and beautiful script. A sensual and romantic ghost story set in the dark days of World War One. The story deals with loss and how to let go of the ones you have loved.