Entertainment

Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik are sticking around as Jeopardy! hosts.

The pair will continue to share hosting duties on the flagship version of the iconic quiz show “moving forward,” executive producer Michael Davies said in a note posted to the Jeopardy! website Wednesday afternoon.

“In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their Jeopardy! hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional ‘Jeopardy!‘ viewer,” he noted.

According to Davies, Jennings will kick off season 39 and will host the first “Second Chance” competition and the next “Tournament of Champions” — featuring Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach, Ryan Long and more — which takes the show through December.

In the meantime, Bialik will host Celebrity Jeopardy! on ABC and take over hosting duties for the flagship show in January. She will also host “a couple new tournaments,” as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship while fitting in filming for her show, Call Me Kat.

“Mayim and Ken are both extraordinarily talented and simply lovely humans,” Davies added. “They support the staff and each other. They love and respect this institution of a television program. In return, the staff and I are honored to work alongside them.”

He ended the note by congratulating the two, saying they “have both been a joy to work with” thus far.

Jennings, who holds the record for consecutive games won (74), as well as highest winnings in regular-season play ($2,520,700), and Bialik have been alternating behind the podium since August 2021.

That whirlwind month saw former executive producer Mike Richards named as the official replacement for Alex Trebek, following the longtime host’s tragic death, only for him to step down and exit the franchise entirely days later, following online controversy over his past behavior and disparaging comments he had made about women. Richards later apologized for the comments.

Trebek hosted Jeopardy! from 1984 until his death from pancreatic cancer in November 2020 at the age of 80.

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According to a statement on his Facebook page, his reps noted, “We have received confirmation from Christopher, Tony’s son, that Tony passed away earlier this morning, with his loving family at his side to see him through this journey.”

The statement continued, “We know that the world is collectively saddened by the loss of this incredible man. He gave so much to us all and was loved by so many. One fan said it best — ‘It is rare when there is a person who is so universally loved like Tony.'”

The statement continued, “Christopher has stated: ‘Although this is a very sad day, I have comfort and peace that he is in a better place. He was the best Dad anyone could ask for. He was my coach, my mentor, my voice of reason, my best friend, my best man in my wedding, and my hero.'”

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The reboot of iCarly is getting a third season.

Paramount+ announced the series will live on, and the cast’s junior year will get underway later this year, following season 2’s cliffhanger between Miranda Cosgrove‘s Carly and Nathan Kress‘ Freddie that fans dubbed #Creddie.

Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of streaming for Paramount+, noted in the announcement, “We’re thrilled to have Miranda, Jerry [Trainor], Nathan, Laci [Mosley] and Jaidyn [Triplett] return for a third season and we know Paramount+’s growing YA audience is as well. And I, for one, must find out what happens with #Creddie!”

The original series ran from 2007 to 2012 and starred Cosgrove, Kress and Jennette McCurdy, the latter playing Carly’s bestie Sam. The actress didn’t return for the reboot and recently said on her podcast that she’s stepping away from acting to focus on writing and directing.

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Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Sophie, a woman who wakes up after a terrible accident with memory loss in Apple TV+’s new thriller series Surface.

However, as the show progresses, Sophie learns she has a whole lot of secrets and the “perfect life” she thought she had was anything but.

“Well, for me, I mean, there’s nothing juicy about having a secret, you know, as in life,” the Loki veteran explained to ABC Audio.

“But also as an actor, you know, it gives you attention. It gives you something to hide and conceal and wrestle with. It gives every scene a charge!”

As the series progresses, however, Sophie learns she wasn’t who those closest to her are telling her she was, either.

“I think initially, Sophie doesn’t know … because she’s lost her memory because of this accident. She’s looking to James, her husband, to create her reality for her. And she initially, obviously, of course, trusts him because why wouldn’t you? You know, he’s her husband. He cares about her. But obviously, as we get into it, you know, we see that there’s so much more to it than that.”

Oliver Jackson-Cohen plays her husband, James, and to say he’s got his own secrets is an understatement.

“I think that that’s always, for me, the interesting stuff to play and the fascinating stuff to watch because it keeps you guessing,” Mbatha-Raw says.

Surface, which also stars Stephan James and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, debuts Friday on Apple TV+.

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Norman Lear, the legendary producer of TV classics like All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Good Times, turned 100 years old on Wednesday, and ABC is going to throw him a party.

The network has announced a one-night-only celebration called Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter, which will air on Thursday, September 22 at 9 p.m. ET and stream the next day on Hulu.

Special guests will be announced at a later date, but if recent Lear co-productions like live versions of Diff’rent Strokes and All in the Family are any indications, it will be a star-studded affair: Celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Hart and Oscar winners Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx all took part in the past.

“Norman’s illustrious career is revered by so many, and we are honored to be celebrating his legacy with this special night of entertainment,” said Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwich in a statement.

He continued, “We have been lucky to work with Norman on a number of projects over the years, and it’s only fitting that his centennial birthday be marked by the biggest names in Hollywood raising a glass to toast, and perhaps gently roast, the television icon.”

For his part, Lear said, “I’ve always believed music and laughter have added time to my life. I’ve seen a lot throughout my 100 years, but I would’ve never imagined America having a front-row seat to my birthday celebration.”

“Even, this, I get to experience,” he concluded.

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“WUBBA LUBBA DUB-DUB!” The absurdist, Emmy-winning animated series Rick and Morty will make its anticipated return for season six on Adult Swim on Sunday, September 4 at 11 p.m.

The show, co-created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, the latter of whom voices its titular leads, has snagged a pair of Emmys and was just nominated for a third. The series has become “more than a hit show” but “truly a global phenomenon,” according to Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network.

Adult Swim points out that the series, about the universe’s most brilliant scientist Rick Sanchez and his ever-awkward grandson Morty Smith, has been viewed over 10 billion times all over the world, across broadcast airings, digital and streaming.

Series writer Mike McCann recently explained what it takes to bring the show to life. “Rick and Morty is really hard to write! Like, I don’t know if you guys have noticed, but it takes a while to make because it’s just really complex. And like, when you’re sitting down to write that show, it takes a lot of work!”

To get fans ready for the big launch, Adidas has teamed up with Adult Swim for an R&M-themed sneaker called the X SPEEDPORTAL.

Colored in the same day-glo green as the fluid in Rick’s dimensional hopping portal gun, the kicks promise to “open the gateway to multidimensional speed,” and give wearers “light-speed sprints and physics-defying sidesteps.” They come in both sneaker form and in cleats — or as people who call soccer “football” refer to them, “boots.”

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Candace Cameron Bure has broken her silence on JoJo Siwa‘s claim on TikTok that the Full House alum was the “rudest” celebrity they’d ever met.

Bure, taking to Instagram on Tuesday, says she and Siwa had a “great conversation” that morning and was “shocked” after seeing the TikTok on Sunday.” Siwa “didn’t think the video would go viral” or that remark become such a “big deal,” according to Bure.

Bure goes on to claim Siwa didn’t want to tell her the story at first, but eventually ‘fessed up that she’d met Bure at the Fuller House premiere when she was 11 years old. Apparently, when she asked Candace for a picture, the actress told her, “Not right now.” Looking back, Siwa calls the whole thing “silly.”

Still, Bure felt bad and apologized to JoJo, insisting, “I broke your 11-year-old heart. I feel crummy.”

The takeaway, notes Bure: “No matter how many followers you have…even a 10-second trending TikTok video can do damage because our words matter and our actions matter.”

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Lea Michele kicked off her An Evening With Lea Michele: Life in Music tour with a tribute to her late boyfriend and Glee co-star, Cory Monteith.

During her first stop in Washington, D.C. last week, the actress performed the same song her Glee character, Rachel Berry, sang during the show’s tribute episode to Monteith and his character, Finn Hudson — Bob Dylan‘s “Make You Feel My Love.”

Recalling how Glee creator Ryan Murphy let her pick the tribute song, at the July 20 show, Michele said, “I’m grateful that [Murphy] asked me. Because it needed to be something that felt real for me,” according to E! News.

She also shared how the tune happened to be one that she and Monteith listened to together and how their real life together inspired moments from the touching episode, noting that, “A lot of what I say to [Matthew Morrison‘s] character in that classroom were exact words I said to Ryan after everything.”

The Funny Girl star also revealed that she’s never watched the tribute episode, which was titled “The Quarterback.”

“It’s the only one I’ve not seen,” Michele admitted. “Because I think if I don’t watch it, it just kind of feels like Finn is still there. So this [song] is very special.”

Monteith died in 2013. He was 31.

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Joshua Bassett knows why people adore High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and it has everything to do with the cast.

“It’s the people and the relationships and the characters,” Bassett, who plays Ricky, told ABC Audio. “You can have the craziest storylines. You can have the best writers on the planet. But if the chemistry isn’t right… Then it doesn’t work.”

“You can feel the love we have for each other that comes through the screen. You can feel the heart that this show has,” the 21-year-old actor continued. “And it’s doing a lot of brave things!  I think people are drawn to it because we’re pushing the envelope for Disney.”

Adds Matt Cornett, who plays E.J., “Everybody can relate to this show, no matter where you come from or how old you are… I think it’s awesome that kids get to see more of themselves on screen!”

Dara Reneé, who returns as Kourtney, agrees representation is a major bonus of the beloved series, but she says the driving force is how the cast gels together. She said she knew the show was going places when she sat down for the first table read.

“I just knew that I had something special when I got to meet everybody. People like Sophia [Wylie] and Olivia [Rodrigo] — everybody just opened my heart,” she raved. “I was so grateful.”

Wylie, who stars as Gina, says the cast’s strong bond does shine through the screen. “We all flowed with one another,” she explained. “It makes every day on set really fun.” 

“We’re, like, The Real Housewives of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series without the drama,” Reneé laughed. 

Season three is now streaming on Disney+.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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Variety reports The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal and Stranger Things‘ David Harbour are set to star together in the limited series My Dentist’s Murder Trial, currently in development at HBO. The series, inspired by James Lasdun‘s New Yorker article “My Dentist’s Murder Trial: Adultery, False Identities, and a Lethal Sedation,” tells the true story of how Dr. Gilberto Nunez was indicted for the death of his friend, Thomas Kolman. Pascal and Harbour will both executive-produce in addition to starring…

Peacock has given a straight-to-series order for Those About to Die, a gladiator drama with Independence Day director Roland Emmerich, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series based on author Daniel Mannix’s book of the same, is described as “a large-scale drama set within the spectacular, complex and corrupt world of gladiatorial sports in ancient Rome. The series introduces an ensemble of diverse characters across the many layers of Roman society where sports, politics and business intersect and collide”…

Martin Scorsese‘s highly anticipated Apple TV+ series, Killers of the Flower Moon, won’t be arriving until 2023, according to Variety. The Western drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jesse Plemons, will instead be released in the originally intended 2023 calendar year. The film is based on David Grann’s bestseller Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, about the serial murders of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma. John Lithgow and Lily Gladstone also star…

The Talk‘s Natalie Morales revealed on Tuesday that she has landed a recurring role on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. “I have some exciting news to share!” Morales told her co-hosts on the CBS talk show on Tuesday. “Starting next month, I have a little role — well, it’s a recurring role — on the CBS Daytime drama The Young and the Restless.” Morales added, “I am playing investigative reporter Talia Morgan, yes, and I’m investigating Diane Jenkins, played by Susan Walters. You know, she’s the one who faked her own death. She’s returned recently to Genoa City after just being gone for 10 years. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” Morales has appeared in a number of movies and TV series — all playing herself — including Graves, This Is Us, Nashville, Zoolander 2, Pitch Perfect 2, Rio 2 and the Sharknado TV movie series…

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