Entertainment

Rachel Maddow plans to step away from her nightly show for a few weeks to develop other projects for NBCUniversal, the MSNBC host announced on Monday’s show. One of them is a movie adaptation of her book Bag Man, which will be produced by Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels and directed by Ben Stiller. An MSNBC source said that that a rotating group of hosts are expected to fill in for her while she’s gone. However, she’s expected to continue appearing on special event coverage, such as the State of the Union address, set for March 1. Maddow’s hiatus begins on Friday…

Brett Goldstein, the Emmy-winning star and writer on Ted Lasso, has signed an exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros., the studio behind the Apple+ comedy series to develop, create and produce new TV projects for the  studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Goldstein started out as a writer on Ted Lasso before being tapped to portray the team’s gruff but lovable team captain Roy Kent. Goldstein is also reteaming with Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence to write and executive produce Shrinking, a comedy series for Warners starring Jason Segel that earned a straight-to-series order at Apple…

Jennifer Garner, Brockmire‘s Tyrel Jackson Williams, and The Afterparty‘s Zoë Chao have been tapped as series regulars, and Dead to Me‘s James Marsden has signed on for a key recurring role in Party Down, a revival of the cult comedy, according to Deadline. They join original stars Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen, and Megan Mullally, who are all returning for the six-episode new season. Lizzy Caplan was unable to reprise her roll due to a scheduling conflict. Once again, Party Down will follow Scott, Lynch, Marino, Starr, Hansen, Mullally as a Los Angeles catering team — a sextet of Hollywood wannabes — stuck working for tips while hoping for their “big break”…

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On February 1, 1982, Late Night with David Letterman premiered. The influential show brought the former stand-up comic and host of NBC’s Emmy-winning but little-seen The David Letterman Show to a new time slot, and late night TV was forever changed. 

Letterman’s sarcastic style and love for the absurd were evident from the first episode, which showed footage of “metal being joined,” in response to “man on the street”-style requests. Letterman also gave a tour of NBC, to reveal a jungle-like green room, and a control hub in which Oktoberfest was being celebrated.

However, what most comes to mind from the first episode is Bill Murray‘s rambling, extended appearance as the show’s first guest.

Murray padded the show with a marathon interview segment, during which the Saturday Night Live and Stripes vet alternatively picked fights with, and showered love on, Letterman. Murray also showed footage of what he insisted was his new baby panda, and later performed Olivia Newton John‘s “Physical” as only Bill Murray could.

The first episode also featured a science segment with Don “Mr. Wizard” Herbert.

The show, which many comics have since cited as a major influence — including Letterman’s Late Night successors Conan O’Brien, and Seth Meyers — featured segments like “Stupid Pet Tricks,” and “Monkey Cam,” and absurdist stunts, like Dave’s Velcro suit and trampoline gag.  

Late Night with David Letterman ran until June 25, 1993; Letterman left NBC to host the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS. 

In 2013, Late Night and The Late Show with David Letterman were jointly ranked No. 41 on TV Guide‘s “60 Best Series of All Time”.

Late Night with David Letterman won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, and one Emmy for Directing in the Variety Series category.

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Shrimp-gate boiled over into Monday’s episode of The Bachelor, which opened with Clayton pulling Shanae and Elizabeth aside in hopes of settling their dispute.

Unfortunately, the meeting ended in frustration when the dispute, which started over cooked shrimp, turned into a heated argument.

The other women were solidly in Elizabeth’s corner, but Clayton saw things differently and, at the rose ceremony, sent her packing, along with Kira and Melina.

Then, for the first time in two years, Clayton and the girls set off on an international journey to find love, starting in Houston, Texas.

However, any hope of leaving the drama behind quickly vanished when Shanae overheard the others plotting to get her sent home. A group date saw Shanae and the ladies playing a high stakes game of football, with the winners spending time with Clayton and the losers — which included Shanae — going home. Refusing to stand idly by and let the others carry out their plan, she crashed the party.

That led to an explosive confrontation between Shanae and the women, particularly Genevieve and Siera.

How will Clayton deal with this latest dispute? We’ll have to wait to find out, although a peak at next week’s show points to a two-on-one date with Shanae and Genevieve.

Elsewhere, Rachel joined Clayton for a drama-free one-on-one date that featured horseback riding and a down-home Texas-style family barbecue, followed by a surprise musical performance from country band Restless Road and Rachel picking up the date rose.

The Bachelor returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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For Sex and the City fans who can’t get enough of its follow-up …And Just Like That, help is here. HBO Max has revealed that there will be a behind-the-scenes documentary about the heavily hyped return of Sarah Jessica Parker‘s Carrie Bradshaw and her glamorous gal pals.

As a brand-new trailer for the doc shows, the streaming network will take fans into the writer’s room, on the set, and into the shoe-filled closets of the series. The preview also features interviews with its returning cast members, including Parker’s co-executive producers Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis, and series newcomers including Grey’s Anatomy‘s Sara Ramirez and Nicole Ari Parker, who Davis calls “a gift.”

The HBO Max Original will drop on February 3.

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Paramount+ has unveiled the cast of its upcoming series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, a prequel to the classic 1978 film musical Grease. The 10-episode series is set in 1954, four years before the events of the Grease movie, and centers on the titular young women who sparked “a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.”

Marisa Davila stars as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, and Madison Thompson as Susan. The cast also includes Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally. 

Production on the series is underway in Vancouver, Canada, the streaming platform also revealed. 

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Although Eddie Jackson‘s team of choice — the San Francisco 49ers — will not be playing in this year’s Super Bowl, that won’t stop the NFL player-turned-celebrity chef from cooking up a storm during the Big Game.

Speaking to ABC Audio, the BBQ Brawl star laid out what he plans to serve during his Big Game Party, saying finger foods are the way to go this year.  “I call them one-handers — things that are readily accessible with one hand,” Jackson explains, noting that they are mandatory for sports parties because they allow you to “have a cold beverage in the other [hand]…so you’re not missing a beat.”

Jackson says he’s whipping up dishes for his meat-eating and vegan friends alike on February 13, when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams. “We’re doing egg rolls, chicken egg rolls.  We’re doing sliders, pulled-chicken sliders…[and] poppers,” he listed off before teasing a “twist” on some jalapeño poppers by stuffing them with plant-based chicken.

Jackson also weighed in on the criticism that plant-based options can never truly replace or substitute for the way meat tastes.  He said as long as the flavor is there, it doesn’t matter — especially to him. “I know if something tastes good.  That’s literally how I make my living — out of deciding if something tastes good or not,” he declares, adding that his son “destroyed” all the vegan dishes he’s cooked.

Jackson, who recently teamed with plant-based food maker Sweet Earth, spoke of the rising popularity of vegan dishes.  “Times change.  You have to evolve with the changes,” he notes. “You look at the recipes and the recipes are constantly changing [and] constantly evolving.  The way we eat is constantly evolving…But I still love it much the same.” 

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Regina King stars in the western The Harder They Fall, and she expressed to Variety her pride in being a Black actress.

“I know that we call ourselves African American, but I’m a Black American, and I’m very, very clear about the history of being Black in the country that I live in,” the 51-year-old actress says. 

“We are so rich in culture. We have so much substance. And so often, we allow that little box in our house or that big screen to tell us who we are and what our experiences are, instead of actually feeling who we are,” King continues. “That’s what happens when you’ve been enslaved and told what your story is.”

In other news, Halle Berry says it was very special watching her boyfriend, Van Hunt, and H.E.R., create “Automatic Woman” for her directorial debut in Bruised. The track is on the short list for Oscar nominations for Best Original Song.

“All of a sudden I find myself in a relationship with someone who could deliver a song of this magnitude for me. It was serendipitous in some ways.” the 55-year-old actress tells Deadline.

“When I heard the beginning ideas of ‘Automatic Woman’, I was so moved,” adds H.E.R. “That idea of perseverance and pushing through and fighting through. You know, how do you really empower yourself? I’m an automatic woman. I can do this.”

“She’s a trailblazer for her generation, so I was just very impressed,” Berry says about the 24-year-old singer.

Finally, Variety also reports that grown-ish star Yara Shahidi has joined the cast of the Apple TV climate change anthology series Extrapolations. Forest Whitaker, Meryl Streep and Daveed Diggs are among the previously announced cast members.

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Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst died Sunday, her family confirmed. She was 30 years old.

In a statement, Kryst’s family wrote, “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength.”

“She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined,” Kryst’s family added. “Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on Extra. But most importantly, as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”

Kryst died after falling from a New York City high-rise, according to the New York Police Department. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a suicide.

Just hours before the incident, Kryst shared a photo of herself on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “May this day bring you rest and peace.”

Kryst was crowned Miss USA as Miss North Carolina in May 2019. She earned her law degree and an MBA at Wake Forest University. Following her graduation, Kryst became licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and South Carolina and worked as a civil litigation attorney. She also worked pro bono for clients who were low-level drug offenders.

In response to the news of her death, Extra paid tribute to the former Miss USA winner and said, “our hearts are broken.”

“Cheslie was not just a vital part of our show, she was a beloved part of our Extra family and touched the entire staff. Our deepest condolences to all her family and friends.”

Kryst spoke out about mental health during her reign as Miss USA, saying she spoke with a counselor and took steps to protect her mental health.

“I do a lot to maintain my mental health, and the most important thing that I did is talk to a counselor,” she wrote in a post on the Miss USA Facebook page in 2019.

“When I’m not talking to a counselor, I take time at the end of every single day to just decompress. I unplug. I shut my phone off. I don’t answer messages. I just sit and watch my favorite movies.”

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.

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Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man and its sequel, as well as The Lion King and Jungle Book, and the creator of The Mandalorian, is being honored by the people in Hollywood who make stars look their best. 

The Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild will virtually present the filmmaker with its Distinguished Artisan award on February 19, at a ceremony at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett co-star Ming-Na Wen will present the honor.

In a statement, guild president Julie Socash praised Favreau for being “highly respected by make-up artists and hair stylists worldwide,” and noted that the filmmaker’s “list of creative, exotic and memorable characters lives on in his plethora of films, television movies and series.”

Socash called Favreau “the ultimate collaborator,” who “has worked alongside many [guild members] to help create memorable characters of all kinds in a myriad of different roles.”

Favreau, an executive producer and co-star of many Marvel Cinematic Universe films, is in good company. Previous recipients include Eddie Murphy, Patrick Stewart, Melissa McCarthy, Academy Award winner Gary Oldman, Johnny Depp, and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro.

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Sean Penn made headlines last week for his comments about what he sees as feminization of American men, and now Westworld‘s Thandiwe Newton is flaming him for it. 

On Sunday, Newton tweeted Penn a link to a story about the comments he made to overseas news outlets, along with a message directed at him that begins, “Dude what are you SAY-ING??” and is accompanied by three “crying laughing” emoji.

As previously reported, 61-year-old Penn told the U.K.-based publication The i, “I am in the club that believes that men in American culture have become wildly feminized.”

To The Independent, Penn added, “There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.”

Newton post continues,”Like for REAL? You’re a jibbering FOOL. MF you used to be sexy but now you’re just tragic.”

In a separate tweet, the actress expressed outrage about how Penn made his comments alongside his 30-year-old daughter and Flag Day co-star Dylan Penn.

“In front of your DAUGHTER!?” Newton said. “That poor little mite. Thank God her Mum’s so dope,” meaning Penn’s ex-wife Robin Wright.

“Please stop ruining the brilliance of #LicoricePizza with this nonsense,” Thandiwe closed, referencing director Paul Thomas Anderson‘s recent critically lauded film in which Penn plays a supporting role.

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