‘Sesame Street’ headed to Netflix for reimagined season 56

‘Sesame Street’ headed to Netflix for reimagined season 56
‘Sesame Street’ headed to Netflix for reimagined season 56
HBO

Can you tell me how to get, how to get Sesame Street on Netflix?

The streaming platform is the new home for the beloved children’s TV show. Elmo, Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street gang are headed to Netflix for an all-new, reimagined 56th season of the show.

In addition to brand-new episodes coming to Netflix later in 2025, the platform will be home to 90 hours of previous episodes of the show.

Fans can expect updates to the format of the show with the new episodes. They will now all center on one 11-minute story, which Netflix says will allow for “even more character-driven humor and heart.”

Segments like Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck will also make their return in these new episodes. “Expect new ways to play along as Cookie Monster opens his very own Cookie Cart on Sesame Street, and explore Abby’s Fairy Garden, a home to surprising and delightful magical creatures,” Netflix said in a release.

The new batch of Sesame Street episodes will be available on the same day and date in the U.S. on Netflix, and on PBS stations and PBS KIDS digital platforms. This will make the show available to watch for free for children around the country.

Sal Perez and Kay Wilson Stallings are the executive producers behind the show, while Emmy and NAACP award nominee Halcyon Person joins this season as its head writer.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

In brief: ‘The Simpsons’ gets a new voice actor, ‘Fortnite’ uses AI for James Earl Jones voice and more

In brief: ‘The Simpsons’ gets a new voice actor, ‘Fortnite’ uses AI for James Earl Jones voice and more
In brief: ‘The Simpsons’ gets a new voice actor, ‘Fortnite’ uses AI for James Earl Jones voice and more

The Simpsons is getting a bit of refresh with the addition of a new actor. Entertainment Weekly reports singer Kelly Macleod will now voice Milhouse Van Houten, the blue-haired best friend of Bart Simpson. The update comes after Pamela Hayden, who voiced Milhouse for 35 years, announced her retirement from the show in November. Macleod will make her debut on Sunday’s season finale …

Warner Bros.’ Mickey 17 has found a streaming home at HBO Max. The sci-fi comedy film makes its debut on May 23, with a follow-up release the next day on HBO’s traditional channels. Mickey 17 is the brain child of Academy Award-winning writer/director Bong Joon Ho, widely known for the hit film Parasite. It stars Robert Pattinson as an “unlikely hero who has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job … to die, for a living.” Mickey 17 opened in theaters in March …   

Fortnite fans now have the opportunity to speak and interact with Stars Wars‘ Darth Vader when playing the popular video game. Epic Games announced Friday that the new feature not only summons Darth Vader, but also includes the character’s iconic voice — that of James Earl Jones. “We’re honored to feature the voice of the late Mr. Jones and we thank his estate for the opportunity to make this happen for players,” Epic said in a statement.

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‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ scares its way to $51 million debut

‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ scares its way to  million debut
‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ scares its way to $51 million debut
Warner Bros. Pictures

Final Destination: Bloodlines had a bloody good weekend at the box office, taking the number one spot with a $51 million haul.

It’s the sixth installment of the horror movie franchise, which sees a group of characters survive a near-death experience and then contend with Death itself, as it comes back to finish the job. According to Variety, it was the biggest opening weekend of the franchise, beating 2009’s The Final Destination, which debuted with $27 million. 

Final Destination: Bloodlines knocks previous box office champ Thunderbolts* down to the number two spot this week with $16.5 million, while Sinners comes in at number three with $15.4 million.

Hurry Up TomorrowAbel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s new film, debuted at number six on the tally, with $3.3 million.

Here are the top 10 films at the box office:

1. Final Destination: Bloodlines – $51 million
2. Thunderbolts* – $16.5 million
3. Sinners – 15.4 million
4. A Minecraft Movie – $5.9 million
5. The Accountant 2 – $5 million
6. Hurry Up Tomorrow – $3.3 million
7. Friendship – $1.4 million
8. Clown in a Cornfield – $1.3 million
9. Until Dawn – $800,000
10. The Amateur – $712,000

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hannaha Hall shares how she prepared for Tiff’s emotional scenes in season 7 of ‘The Chi’

Hannaha Hall shares how she prepared for Tiff’s emotional scenes in season 7 of ‘The Chi’
Hannaha Hall shares how she prepared for Tiff’s emotional scenes in season 7 of ‘The Chi’
Chrris Lowe/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Hannaha Hall is back for another season of The Chi. Season 7 premiered Friday, capturing her character, Tiffany, learning her boyfriend, Rob (Iman Shumpert), had been shot to death. Knowing the grief Tiff would go through in this new season, she tells ABC Audio she had to unplug from the rest of the cast while on set in order to prepare for her scenes.

“I know with Tiff and her emotional scenes this season, I had to kind of isolate myself. I’m always cracking jokes. I’m always talking stuff to my co-stars in a good way, but I had to kind of isolate just so I can make sure I’m grounded in this performance or in this feeling, this moment,” she says.

Having never experienced grief in that capacity, Hannaha says she tapped into multiple experiences as she prepared for the role.

“I was like, ‘You know what? Let think about this, let me think about this’ … and even in those moments, you don’t know how that feels unless you genuinely experienced it,” she says. Still, she tried “to understand and create that hypothetical of what it would look like, what it would feel like, also thinking about the words and the dialogue” to make sure she understood where they were in the story.

Hannaha said she also listened to music as she put herself in Tiff’s shoes and received some help from co-star Lynn Whitfield, who helped her tap into the character.

Jason Weaver, who plays Rashaad on the show, says the hard work paid off, as Hannaha “really did do some amazing work. He says, “Because she took that time as an actor to really prepare herself … the audience is gonna love her performance this season.”

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James Van Der Beek cast in ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel, ‘Elle’

James Van Der Beek cast in ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel, ‘Elle’
James Van Der Beek cast in ‘Legally Blonde’ prequel, ‘Elle’
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

James Van Der Beek is joining the cast of the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel, Elle.

The Dawson’s Creek actor’s new role in the highly anticipated series was announced Thursday. According to Amazon, he will be playing the city’s new mayoral candidate and current school district superintendent, Dean Wilson.

Van Der Beek, 48, took to Instagram to share his excitement over the news.

“So, this is exciting… I’m going back to work for a bit,” he captioned a post. “Super excited to join this awesome cast in such a fun project.”

He added, “Almost as excited as my wife and girls are that I’m doing this.”

The new role comes months after Van Der Beek announced he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

He first shared his diagnosis on Instagram in November. Van Der Beek said at the time that he’d received the diagnosis in August 2023, adding that he was getting treatment and focusing on his health.

Van Der Beek will star in Elle alongside Lexi MinetreeJune Diane RaphaelTom Everett ScottGabrielle PolicanoJacob MoskovitzChandler Kinney and Zac Looker.

The upcoming prequel will follow Elle Woods (Minetree) in high school as we learn about the life experiences that shaped her into the iconic young woman we came to know and love in the first Legally Blonde film, according to a logline.

Reese Witherspoon, who played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, is an executive producer.

Elle is slated to arrive on Prime Video next summer.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ taps Ralph Fiennes as President Snow

‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ taps Ralph Fiennes as President Snow
‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ taps Ralph Fiennes as President Snow
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

The Hunger Games has found its next Coriolanus Snow for its forthcoming prequel film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.

In a social media post Friday, the franchise revealed Harry Potter star Ralph Fiennes as next in line to take on the role of the hard-hearted autocrat president of Panem. 

Fiennes follows in the footsteps of the late Donald Sutherland, who played President Snow starting in 2012 with the first film and in the corresponding three films. Tom Blyth played the character in the 2023 prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

“We wanted to honor Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation’s greatest actors play President Snow 24 years before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena,” producer Nina Jacobson said in a statement. “Working with Ralph has been on my bucket list since he traumatized me for life in Schindler’s List. It’s genuinely a thrill to welcome him to the Hunger Games.”

The announcement of President Snow follows Thursday’s reveal of American Born Chinese star Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, a tribute from District 12, as well as a host of other surprise castings shared as Instagram Reels on Lionsgate and The Hunger Games’ pages.

Also joining the cast for the fifth movie are Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak, Mckenna Grace, Jesse PlemonsMaya Hawke and Lili Taylor

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping hits theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.

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Michael J. Fox to make acting return in Apple TV+’s ’Shrinking’

Michael J. Fox to make acting return in Apple TV+’s ’Shrinking’
Michael J. Fox to make acting return in Apple TV+’s ’Shrinking’
Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Michael J. Fox is making his return to TV. 

The beloved actor is joining the cast for the upcoming third season of Apple TV+’s Shrinking.

His guest-starring role on the show marks one of his first acting gigs since announcing his retirement back in 2020 due to health-related issues.  

The Family Ties actor was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 when he was 29; he’s often been open and transparent with the public about the journey navigating his life and health. 

“Everyone’s taking an abundance of caution with me and warned me to be careful,” Fox said in a 2020 Good Morning America interview about his memoir, No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality. “I have to think before I walk; I can’t just get up and go because I don’t have much control of my momentum and control of my direction.”

As for his return to the acting world: “Big feelings incoming” reads an Instagram post caption shared by Apple TV+ and Fox. Many fans in the comment section expressed excitement for the collaborations between Fox, co-stars Harrison Ford and Jason Segel, and show co-creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence, with whom Fox worked on Spin City in the late ’90s and early 2000s. 

The cast of Shrinking also includes Christa MillerJessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell and Ted McGinley. Jeff Daniels was previously announced as a guest star for season 3. 

The first two seasons of Shrinking are currently available to stream on Apple TV+.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

‘It’s gonna be a wild ride’: Shameik Moore joins cast of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’

‘It’s gonna be a wild ride’: Shameik Moore joins cast of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
‘It’s gonna be a wild ride’: Shameik Moore joins cast of ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’
Starz

Devout fans of the Power universe who have tuned into the long-running Starz series may have heard of the character name Breeze. But now, more than 10 years and a few spinoff shows later, Breeze is finally getting a face to match his infamous name.  

Spider-Verse star Shameik Moore will take on the role of Breeze, a drug kingpin from Jamaica, Queens, Starz announced Friday. He’s the newest addition to the season 5 cast of Power Book III: Raising Kanan, the third iteration in the Power series. The show chronicles the early years of Kanan Stark, a main character played by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in the original show.  

“The Power Universe fans have been patiently anticipating this moment and I’m honored to step into the iconic role of Breeze,” Moore said. “I jumped into a story that is already alive with such strong characters, but it was a fun challenge to find Breeze’s unique identity, and I can’t wait for fans to see how Breeze will shift dynamics in the story. It’s gonna be a wild ride.”

“It was always my intention that Raising Kanan would run for five seasons, and … I’ve been able to tell the entirety of the story I set out to tell way back in 2019,” Sascha Penn, executive producer, writer and showrunner, said. “Having said that, with the table we’ve set in this season finale and the inevitable introduction of Breeze, there is still an exceptionally intense and action-packed season left for the viewers to experience.”

Moore will make his debut as Breeze during Friday night’s season 4 finale on Starz. 

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gary Sinise says he’s unsure about returning to acting after son’s death

Gary Sinise says he’s unsure about returning to acting after son’s death
Gary Sinise says he’s unsure about returning to acting after son’s death
Michael Tullberg/Getty Images

Gary Sinise is prioritizing family following the heartbreaking loss of his son.

In an recent interview with People, the actor, known for his roles in Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Green Mile, and CSI: NY, opened up about life after the death of his son Mac Sinise, who died in January 2024 at age 33 from chordoma, a rare form of cancer.

“It looked like a monster grabbing my son’s spine,” Sinise raid, describing the MRI scan that revealed his son had chordoma. “It was a one-two punch.”

Chordoma is a slow-growing cancer of tissue found inside the spine, according to the National Cancer Institute, which states that 1 in 1 million people worldwide are diagnosed with the disease each year.

Sinise shared that he first stepped away from acting in 2020, when Mac spent six of the first eight months of the year in the hospital.

“I started putting everything I had into trying to find a miracle for Mac,” he said. “I didn’t want Mac to be thinking of the next treatment or to worry. So I thought about cancer all the time. You’re trying to take the pain away. A few times I felt like I couldn’t do enough, or I didn’t know what to do. Then you say a little prayer, get back up and go back into the fight.”

Now, in the aftermath of Mac’s death, Sinise said he finds comfort in being close to home and is unsure whether he’ll return to acting.

“Something may come along and it’ll be right, but it’s harder to leave home now,” he explained. “I just want to be around family. Since losing Mac, I hold my daughters a lot tighter. You think about the things that are really important.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Jason Weaver hopes to ‘keep the audience on the edge of their seats’ with season 7 of ‘The Chi’

Jason Weaver hopes to ‘keep the audience on the edge of their seats’ with season 7 of ‘The Chi’
Jason Weaver hopes to ‘keep the audience on the edge of their seats’ with season 7 of ‘The Chi’
Chrris Lowe/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

The Chi is back for season 7, and so is Jason Weaver. He joined the show as Rashaad, an ex-con looking to find his way after being released from prison. Now that he’s employed, his character is challenged to continue on the right path amid a budding relationship with matriarch/businesswoman Alicia, played by Lynn Whitfield.

“We’ve seen [Shaad] go through a number of different changes and chapters since being released from prison. He’s had his fair share of ups and downs. And for the first time, it seems like, Shaad is finally firmly planting his feet on some solid ground. But at the same time, Shaad also has the tendency to kind of like sabotage himself at times,” Jason tells ABC Audio.

“I think what’s going to be interesting for the audience to see is how he continues to stay on this straight and narrow path … staying employed and out of prison,” he continues, noting viewers will see his character “struggle with insecurities … past trauma and things that he is just dealing with internally that he hasn’t come to grips with.”

“You’ll see him have a moment where he has to really look in the mirror and begin to pinpoint what the actual issue is with him internally,” he adds.

Having joined the cast of The Chi in season 4, Jason says he feels a very deep sense of gratitude” that Shaad made it this far in the show. He describes it as “one of the more rewarding experiences” of his 40-year career.

Asked what he hopes fans will take away from the new season, he says, “I want the audience to always feel like they’re never going to know what’s coming around the corner.” (AUDIO IS ABC 1-ON-1)

The Chi will air Fridays on Showtime and stream for subscribers with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.