Month: June 2023

Showtime has confirmed that the seventh season of their series Billions will be its last. Season 7, which will feature the return of Damian Lewis as Bobby Axelrod, will begin streaming Aug. 11, with an on-air premiere at 8 p.m. ET/PT Aug. 13. Lewis rejoins a cast that includes Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff, Corey Stoll, David Costabile, Asia Kate Dillon, Dola Rashad, Jeffrey DeMunn, Sakina Jaffrey, Daniel Breaker and Toney Goins.

Showtime’s description of the final 12-episode season reads of Billions reads: “Alliances are turned on their heads. Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends. And Bobby Axelrod returns, as the stakes grow from Wall Street to the world.”

Showtime is developing several spinoffs to Billions (two of which are tentatively titled Millions and Trillions) from co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien.  Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks, said in a statement: “’Billions’ has deftly explored power, money and greed in a way that not only made it a massive hit, but also defined its own genre thanks to the creative brain trust of Brian and David. This final season is packed full of the incredible, complex dialogue and character dynamics fans have come to love, and we are thrilled to partner with them on turning this hit series into a global franchise.”

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Alfonso Ribeiro will host the 43rd annual edition of PBS’ A Capitol Fourth concert in Washington. The program, which celebrates Independence Day, will be broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on July 4.

Performers included on A Capitol Fourth include Chicago, Boyz II Men, Belinda Carlisle, Babyface, Maddie and Tae, Charles Esten, opera star Renee Fleming, cast members from A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, the Northwell Nurse Choir and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Ribeiro said in a statement: “Hosting this year’s A Capitol Fourth is truly an honor. The 4th of July is America’s birthday and it means a lot to me to be able to celebrate along with my family at our nation’s Capitol! So many great performers have appeared over the show’s 43 years. I’m honored and excited that I get to carry on the tradition this year as your host.”

A Capitol Fourth will air on PBS, YouTube and can be viewed on PBS.org.

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Searchlight Pictures shared a trailer for the sci-fi romance film ‘Poor Things’, featuring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo.

Poor Things follows “the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Dafoe),” à la Frankenstein’s monster. In the trailer, Baxter explains how Bella is an experiment whose brain and body are ‘not quite synchronized.’ An official film description reads: “Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.”

Poor Things, also starring Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott, is written by Tony McNamara and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (who previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning film The Favourite.).

The film opens in theaters Sept. 8.  Take a look at the trailer – here.

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Linda Hamilton, perhaps best known for her role as Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise, is set to appear in Netflix’s Stranger Things for the sci-fi drama’s fifth and final season.

Hamilton’s Terminator co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger said at the ‘Tudum: A Global Fan Event’ in Brazil: “I’m excited that I can announce that my old friend, a fantastic actress, a badass, is joining the Netflix family in one of my favorite shows.” Hamilton then appeared via video, saying: “I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time. I’m going to work on that. Good to see you, Arnold, and everyone else, I’ll see you in Hawkins.”

Hamilton originated the role of Sarah Connor in the first Terminator film in 1984, reprising the role in the blockbuster sequel “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” in 1991. The actress had kept a relatively low profile until she again reprised the role of Connor in 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate. Hamilton’s other credits include films like “Children of the Corn” and the TV series “Beauty and the Beast,” the latter of which earned her an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations.

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The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced that Daytime Emmy winning actress Susan Lucci and talk show host Maury Povich will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 50th Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony. NATAS president and CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement: “We are thrilled to be recognizing two icons with lifetime achievement honors. Both of them have had astonishing success and deep impact in the world of daytime television, Susan in drama series and Maury in talk, and have left their indelible marks on the industry.”

NATAS also announced the 2023 inductees for its Gold and Silver Circle, which recognize admired individuals who have made enduring contributions to daytime television: Tanya Hart, Wendy Riche, Al Schwartz and Vernée Watson will be inducted into the Gold Circle, while Christina Knack and Patrick Weiland will join the Silver Circle.

Lucci received 19 Daytime Emmy nominations before winning the award for playing Erica Kane on ABC’s All My Children. Lucci reflected on the honor in a statement. “I am truly humbled to receive this esteemed award from the Academy. Throughout my career, I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside exceptional talents and embraced by my fans that have been with me every step of the way. This honor is not just a reflection of my journey, but a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the profound connection we are so lucky to forge with audiences all over the world through television.”

Povich hosted the The Maury Povich Show from 1991 to 1998, followed by the syndicated talk show Maury from 1998 to 2022. Povich said in a statement: “I’m just blown away by this honor from the Academy. I have always had great respect for its work as I served on the National Board and was President of the New York Chapter. I guess if you hang around long enough, some good things happen. It’s been a 60+ year ride for me in this business, so I feel extremely blessed with this acknowledgment.”

NATAS has postponed the 2023 Daytime Emmys ceremony originally set for June 16 due to the writers strike. The lifetime achievement and Gold and Silver Circle honorees will be celebrated when the ceremony is rescheduled.

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Whitney Cummings announced she is pregnant with her first child. The comedian, 40, wrote via Instagram alongside a series of photos of herself and her dog playing together in a pool, as well as a sonogram photo of her baby: “In these pix I am with child. And there’s a baby in me too. Human pup coming December. All your dates in 2023 still happening I just may fall over a couple times.”

Cummings had been candid previously about freezing her eggs, sharing during an appearance on Today With Hoda & Jenna in February that she wanted to have a baby within the year: “I did freeze my eggs. They have a beautiful beachfront in Redondo, California. They’re on better real estate than me. I do want to get them out before the sea level rises and they flood, but I was going to try this year to get pregnant.”

Cummings did not reveal the identity of her child’s father in her pregnancy announcement. Her last public relationship was with veterinarian Alex Barnes, 33, whom she began dating in July 2021.

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