It’s estimated that more people watched Taylor Swift’s boyfriend win the Super Bowl than watched man land on the moon.
Super Bowl 58 is now the most-watched telecast in history, surpassing 123.4 million viewers across all platforms. Not only did it set the record for the most-watched Super Bowl of all time, but CBS also set the record for the largest audience ever for a single network with 120 million viewers.
Nielsen Fast National and Adobe Analytics delivered this data, confirming that the coverage of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 win in overtime against the San Francisco 49ers, as well as Usher’s halftime show, was the most watched in the history of television. The broadcast streamed across multiple platforms, including CBS Television Network, Paramount+, Nickelodeon, Univision, CBS Sports and NFL properties, such as NFL+.
Jon Stewart returned to his Daily Show desk after a nine-year break on Monday night.
The comedian will host the series on Mondays during the 2024 election cycle. He originally departed the series in 2015, with Trevor Noah taking over hosting duties. Noah left the show in 2022, and the series has continued with several rotating potential hosts since then.
“Welcome to The Daily Show, my name is Jon Stewart. Now, where was I?” Stewart said as the broadcast began, picking right up where he left off. He was welcomed with cheers and applause before he went on to address his grand return head-on.
“I have committed a lot of crimes, and from what I understand, talk show hosts are granted immunity,” Stewart said.
After joking about the Super Bowl and Taylor Swift conspiracy theories, Stewart focused on the 2024 presidential election, narrowing in on the expected race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Stewart then reached out to news team correspondent Dulcé Sloan, who gave her opinion on the options Americans have when it comes to voting this year.
“This is just the same s*** all over again, it’s just a reboot. We need more than just the same show with an older but familiar face,” Sloan said.
“You… you’re talking about the two candidates, right?” Stewart joked.
“Yeah! I mean, they already had this job,” Sloan replied. “Now these old white dudes gotta come and reclaim it? Like, come on, sir. Go do something new. It’s so desperate. Like, let someone else run the show.”
Again, Stewart asked: “You’re talking about the election, right?”
“I said what I said,” Sloan replied.
The Daily Show airs weeknights on Comedy Central, with new episodes available the next day on Paramount+.
Ben Wang, best known for his role in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, has been tapped to star as the new Karate Kid in the latest installment of the beloved franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He’ll join Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio reprising their characters from previous Karate Kid films. The new film will take place on the East Coast and follow “a teen from China who finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or maybe even two),” per the outlet. The original movie, starring Macchio and the late Pat Morita, spawned three sequels, as well as the Netflix series Cobra Kai. A 2010 revival starred Chan and Jaden Smith. The films have earned over $618 million globally, while the series has earned several Emmy nominations …
Adam Sandler is working on a new Netflix comedy special, directed by Josh Safdie, according to Variety. The yet-to-be-titled project is the latest in a long string of projects for the streaming service — including Leo, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and Hustle — and his second special, following 2018’s 100% Fresh. Safdie is also known for co-directing films with his brother Ben, including Daddy Longlegs and Good Time …
Netflix has dropped the first trailer for Scoop, a dramatization of Prince Andrew‘s infamous BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in which he was grilled about his relationship with disgraced millionaire Jeffrey Epstein and allegations he had sex with Virginia Roberts — now Virginia Giuffre — when she was 17. Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell play Maitlis and Prince Andrew, respectively. Scoop drops April 5 …
Kate McKinnon can now add published author to her list of accomplishments.
The actress’s debut novel, The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science, is set to arrive on October 1 from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
McKinnon started working on the upcoming release before she ever appeared on Saturday Night Live, incorporating story elements and characters inspired by her own childhood. The project is the first in her new series, which follows three sisters and a mad scientist.
“I wanted to write the kind of book that I would have loved reading when I was younger, when I was eating honeysuckle on the playground and collecting bugs and falling in love with the natural world—I hope young people read about the adventures of the Porch Sisters and are inspired to get out there and have their own adventures,” McKinnon said in a press release.
“I started playing with the idea of these characters and this world over a decade ago and am so thrilled to finally bring them to an audience, especially with a team as wonderful as the one at LBYR,” McKinnon continued.
LBYR President and publisher Megan Tingley said that McKinnon brought her signature comedic voice to her debut novel.
“Kate McKinnon has brought all the intelligence, energy, and go-for-broke comedic genius she has on stage to the pages of this book,” Tingley said. “Her essential message that being weird is exactly what makes you wonderful will inspire and empower young readers everywhere.”
Courteney Cox was there for Jennifer Aniston on her birthday.
The Monica to Aniston’s Rachel shared a celebratory tribute to Instagram on Sunday in honor of the actress’s 55th birthday. The carousel featured a photo of the two smiling on the red carpet, a couch-snuggle selfie with a cheek kiss and a clip from season 2 of Friends.
The short video features Aniston in character as Rachel Green, addressing the late Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing, from the episode “The One Where Heckles Dies.”
“Hey, Chandler. Monica just broke my seashell lamp,” Aniston says in the clip.
“Not sure why this is one of my favorite clips… I guess it’s because nobody else in the world could make this line sound so cute,” Cox wrote in her caption. “Happy Birthday my sweet Jenny Louise. Also don’t know why I call her that…but I sure do love you.”
Aniston made her own post celebrating her big day. She shared a video montage of moments from her life to Instagram, which included footage from the Friends episode “The One Where They All Turn Thirty,” as well as red carpet pics, recent videos with her pets and photos from her childhood.
“Grateful,” Aniston captioned her video, before inserting the poem The Layers by Stanley Kunitz.
“I have walked through many lives, some of them my own, and I am not who I was, though some principle of being abides, from which I struggle not to stray,” the beginning of the poem reads.
It was State Farm’s Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring Super Bowl ad that took the top spot on USA Today’s 36th Ad Meter contest.
Rankings for the contest were determined by a panel of judges who weighed in on all 59 commercials that aired during the breaks of Super Bowl 58.
The insurance advertisement features Schwarzenegger paired once again with his Twins co-star Danny DeVito. Throughout the 60-second spot, Schwarzenegger is starring in an action movie as Agent State Farm, who flies a helicopter, rescues puppies and carries a pregnant woman out of a burning home.
The only problem? He can’t pronounce the company’s tagline quite right. “Like a good neighbaaa, State Farm is there,” Schwarzenegger says in the ad.
The State Farm ad scored a 6.68, beating out the Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Jennifer Lopez-starring Dunkin’ ad, which got a 6.52.
The rest of the top five was rounded out by Kia, with an ad score of 6.36; Uber Eats, which got a 6.26; and then the NFL, which got a 6.23.
It seems Kate Winslet didn’t always enjoy her newfound fame after her star-making turn in Titanic.
In an interview with Porter Magazine, Winslet said it was frustrating to be suddenly thrust into the spotlight after the iconic film was released in 1997.
“I felt like I had to look a certain way, or be a certain thing, and because media intrusion was so significant at that time, my life was quite unpleasant,” Winslet said.
She went on to explain why she chose smaller projects after making the blockbuster disaster epic.
“Journalists would always say, ‘After Titanic, you could have done anything and yet you chose to do these small things’ … and I was like, ‘Yeah, you bet your f******’ life I did! Because, guess what, being famous was horrible.’ I was grateful, of course. I was in my early twenties, and I was able to get a flat. But I didn’t want to be followed literally feeding the ducks.”
Asked if her relationship to fame has changed now, Winslet said, “Oh, it’s such a ridiculous word!”
“I wear it really lightly,” Winslet continued. “It’s not a burden, any of it. [Titanic] continues to bring people huge amounts of joy. The only time I am like, ‘Oh god, hide,’ is if we are on a boat somewhere.”
Jon Stewart makes his grand return to The Daily Show on Monday night, and he’s revealed exactly why he decided to come back to his old desk on the Comedy Central series.
“Who better to comment on this election than someone who truly understands two aging men past their prime?” Stewart said on CBS Mornings.
While Stewart’s not setting out to have an influence on politics, he hopes his return to the show will bring about catharsis, a way to comment on things and a way to express them in a way that people enjoy.
“But as far as influence … just about everything that I had wanted to happen over the 16 years that I was at The Daily Show did not happen,” Stewart said. “I think I’ve learned that post-Daily Show.”
Stewart stepped away from The Daily Show anchor desk in 2015 after a hosting stint that began in 1999. In addition to hosting the series on Mondays through the 2024 election cycle, he’ll also serve as an executive producer.
The era of Ryan Seacrest hosting Wheel of Fortune is drawing closer by the day, which means he’s busy preparing to take the reins from iconic host Pat Sajak.
“I’m so excited,” Seacrest told Good Morning America on Monday about his new gig. “I’ve been watching it for so many years, like so many people here in this country.”
Of stepping into Sajak’s shoes at the end of the current 41st season of the beloved game show, Seacrest said he knows he’s got a lot to live up to.
“Pat Sajak is such a legend,” he said. “He makes it look so easy and smooth and seamless. He’s remarkable.”
Seacrest said he’s already been shooting promos with Vanna White, Sajak’s longtime cohost, whom he called “the most amazing person.”
The Atlanta native said he’s studied the rule book and been to watch Sajak and White do the show, and he “just can’t wait to start.”
“I talked to them both about, what’s the best part of Wheel of Fortune,” he said. “And [they say] it’s the contestants every night winning cash and prizes. I mean, that’s what it’s all about.”
While Seacrest gets ready to take over from Sajak later this year, he’s got another show to worry about: season 22 of American Idol, premiering February 18 on ABC.
This season’s auditions are taking place across the country, including the hometowns of American Idol judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
Just days after its season 3 premiere, ABC has given its Emmy-winning comedy Abbott Elementary a fourth season. Last season the series — starring Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph — delivered a 3.56 rating in Adults 18-49 after 35 days of viewing across platforms, marking the strongest season average for an ABC comedy since the 2019-2020 season while ranking as the network’s No. 1 multiplatform series. Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Hulu …
On Sunday, February 11, ABC announced the The Golden Bachelor will return for a second season this summer, along with the addition of The Golden Bachelorette to the network’s roster this fall. The Golden Bachelor‘s inaugural season reached 43.4 million total viewers after 35 days of viewing across broadcast and streaming platforms and ranks as the No. 1 new unscripted series this season among Adults 18-49. The show was also ABC’s No. 1 unscripted series premiere ever on Hulu …
A month after the delayed 2023 Emmy Awards telecast, ABC has announced that the 2024 Emmy Awards will return to the network Sunday, September 15, live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. A host has yet to be announced. Nominations for the 76th Emmy Awards will be announced Wednesday, July 17 …
