Entertainment

The season two premiere of Mayim Bialik‘s Fox series Call Me Kat will reunite her with her co-stars from the beloved 1990s series Blossom.

Blossom stars Joey Lawrence, Jenna Von Oy, and Michael Stoyanov will appear as versions of themselves, making a stop at the Louisville cafe where Call Me Kat‘s titular character, played by Bialik, works.

A promo for the premiere shows Kat introducing delivery man Oscar — played by Christopher Rivas — to the stars of her “favorite show growing up.”

“This is Joey and Jenna and…,” says Bialik’s Kat, struggling to identify Stoyanov.

“Michael!” he says, to which Kat replies, “Right.”

Kat also grabs a photo with the trio, which Stoyanov quips he’ll be “cropped right out of.”

The Big Bang Theory alum and current Jeopardy! host also tweeted the news, captioning a picture of wearing one of Blossom’s trademark hats, “Whoa. This is some big fun news…. a Blossom cast reunion is coming! Are you as excited as I am?!” followed by the hashtags, #Blossom #Blossomcast #Blossomcastreunion.

Blossom ran on NBC for five seasons from 1991-1995 and starred Bialik as Blossom Russo, a teenager living with her dad and two older brothers, played by Lawrence and Stoyanov. Von Oy played Six Lemeure, Blossom’s best friend.

Call Me Kat season two premieres January 9 on Fox.

Whoa. This is some big fun news….a Blossom cast reunion is coming! Are you as excited as I am?! 🌸 🐈 #Blossom #Blossomcast #Blossomcastreunion pic.twitter.com/RSaXduOTjH

— Mayim Bialik (@missmayim) November 15, 2021

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Ryan Reynolds is already known for pulling off some viral promotional gags, and he’s done it again thanks to the folks at the PBS series Antiques Roadshow. 

In a segment he posted to his socials, Reynolds appears in character as his Red Notice alter-ego, art thief Nolan Booth, looking for an appraisal for the movie’s MacGuffin — an ancient golden statue of an egg.

Antiques Roadshow expert Lark E. Mason does the honors, asking Booth the usual questions of provenance. “Is it a family heirloom?” he asks of the item Booth steals in the film’s open.

“This is not a family heirloom,” Ryan-as-Booth tells him with a nervous laugh. “My family disowned me years ago. This is more of an heirloom that my friend at the museum lent me — he’s not aware that he lent it to me,” he corrects himself. 

“That sounds a little complicated,” Mason deadpans, “so that’s going to perhaps play into the value because of regulatory issues.”

“Yes, there will be a lot of issues,” Reynolds agrees.

Mason correctly assesses that the egg was one of three commissioned by Cleopatra in 30 B.C., but this one had gone missing in World War II.

“German soldiers had taken it to a secure hideaway,” Lark explains, “And there it remained up until recently.”

Lark even details the involvement of a “very muscular, talented FBI agent,” alluding to Dwayne Johnson‘s character in the movie, before Ryan cuts him off.

Lark then cuts to the chase, saying the egg’s worth over 100 million bucks, provided Booth can “clear up the complications” as to how he acquired it.

Red Notice, which also stars Gal Gadot, broke Netflix’s record for most single-day views on its debut this past Friday.

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It’s Rocky IV, reimagined. Sylvester Stallone has released a new director’s cut of the fourth Rocky film, now titled Rocky vs. Drago. It includes more than 40 new minutes, and Stallone tells ABC Audio that process gave him a “rude awakening.”

“As a young man, you’re more interested in, let’s get down there and rush and get it all done,” he explains. “And then as you get older, you get a little more pensive and you try to find the sensitive moments, pull back on the cheap shots and get the more profound moments.”

So how does this version differ from the original? Stallone says it has more heart and fewer laughs.

“I try to give even Drago some heart, give Adrienne a little bit more screen time, enhance the fight a little bit,” he offers. “But more than anything [I removed] what I would consider just the cheap laughs.” 

There’s also a new version of the fight between Rocky and Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren — the one Stallone tells ABC Audio almost killed him.

“I said to Dolph…just come and try to knock me out. Just go for it. You know, don’t crush my temple, but really dig the body. Well, he did, and he damaged my heart,” he reveals.

“I didn’t feel it until that night. And then I had to get a low altitude flight into an emergency room, and I stayed in intensive care for about five or six days,” adds Stallone, who had “nuns coming in every five minutes” asking if he was alright.

“And I as like Oh my God. This is it. I’m done,” he continues. “An hour ago, I was in the ring with a six foot five guy. Now I’m being given giving last rites? I’m a little confused.” 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Twenty years ago today, Harry Potter fans flocked to theaters to see their favorite boy wizard come to life for the first time on the big screen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

The movie, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and a host of the U.K. and Ireland’s finest actors, was the highest-grossing film of 2001 and has gone on to earn over $1 billion at the box office.

More importantly, it was the first installment of a franchise that would eventually grow to encompass eight films and two prequels, so far, not to mention several theme-park attractions.

Here are some things you may not know about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:

— Everywhere but in the U.S., the movie, like the book on which it’s based, was titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. That meant that every scene that mentioned the “stone” had to be shot twice: once with the actors saying “philosopher’s stone” and once with them saying “sorcerer’s stone.”

— Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling was asked to play Harry’s mother Lily Potter in the scene where Lily appears to Harry in the mirror of Erised. She turned down the role because she was convinced she’d “mess it up somehow.”

— Robin Williams and Rosie O’Donnell both wanted to be in the film, but they were rejected because J.K. Rowling only wanted actors from Britain and Ireland in the cast.  She hand-picked Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane and Dame Maggie Smith to play Snape, Hagrid and Prof. McGonagall, respectively.

— Richard Harris turned down the role of Dumbledore three times, until his granddaughter said she’d never speak to him again if he didn’t accept it.

— In the book, Harry had green eyes. But Daniel Radcliffe had a bad reaction to the green contacts he was supposed to wear, so in the film, he had blue eyes, but only after J.K. Rowling approved the change.  Similarly, in the book, Hermione had buck teeth, but since Emma Watson couldn’t speak clearly through the fake teeth she was given, they were abandoned too.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After a season full of self-discovery, growth and, for some, overcoming COVID-19 — the four couples who made it into next week’s Dancing with the Stars season finale are JoJo Siwa, Iman Shumpert, Cody Rigsby and Amanda Kloots.

Sadly, that meant Melora Hardin and Suni Lee‘s quest for the Mirrorball Trophy came to an end following another shocking double-elimination. 

While difficult to bid farewell to two talented dancers, judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, Len Goodman and Derek Hough commended the quality of this year’s competition, marveling over everyone’s improvement since day one and the individual talents they brought to the ballroom.

Despite towering over his pro dance partner Daniella Karagach, the judges praised Iman for learning how to use his height to his advantage. Hough raved following the athlete’s tango, “You debunked the myth that it’s impossible to have a beautiful frame with that height difference.” The judge also noted, “There’s a reason why you’ve come the furthest than any other NBA player, ever.”

Cody, whose DWTS journey was nearly derailed after he and pro dance partner Cheryl Burke tested positive for COVID-19 and had to perform virtually, was saluted for his improvement. Goodman remarked after Rigsby’s Argentine tango, “The first four weeks of the show, you got a 6 from me and, when I watched this, you have come so far.”  

Host Tyra Banks also revealed that Burke has not competed in the finals since DWTS’ 17th season, which aired in 2013.

Siwa and Kloots, who both entered the competition with prior dance experience, were applauded for their willingness to take constructive criticism and push themselves on the ballroom floor.  

For Siwa, who is the first DWTS contestant in history to compete with a same-sex partner — Jenna Johnson — the judges enjoyed how the two have learned to perform as if they “were an extension of one being.”  Following their second dance, Hough also announced the two performed “the best contemporary dance we’ve ever seen on the show, ever.”

Complimenting Kloots, the judges dubbed her “the most consistent dancer” of the season. Her standout moment finally came at the end of the night, when she performed a contemporary to her late husband Nick Cordero‘s song, “Live Your Life.”  Everyone was overcome with emotion and Carrie Ann marveled, “You transcended beauty and perfection. You just made something. There are no words.”

Dancing with the Stars returns next Monday for its season finale at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Here are the current standings:

JoJo Siwa, Nickelodeon star, with Jenna Johnson — 80/80
Amanda Kloots, The Talk co-host, with Alan Bersten — 79/80
Iman Shumpert, NBA player, with Daniella Karagach — 75/80
Cody Rigsby, Peloton instructor, with Cheryl Burke — 71/80

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A fundraiser for the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., featuring Dave Chappelle that was briefly canceled following the comedian’s controversial Netflix special The Closer, has been rescheduled for next year. The event, which was shelved after students protested Chapelle’s anti-transgender comments in the Netflix show, now will be held April 22, 2022, according to Politico.com.

“We recognize that not everyone will accept or welcome a particular artist’s point of view, product or craft, but reject the notion that a ‘cancel culture’ is a healthy or constructive means to teach our students how society should balance creative freedom with protecting the right and dignity of all of its members,” the Duke Ellington School of the Arts said in a statement. The fundraiser will raise money for a new theater to be named after Chappelle.

Halle Berry‘s new film, Bruised, which marks her directorial debut, premiered Saturday at Hollywood’s AFI Fest. She told The Hollywood Reporter that the film, about a disgraced MMA fighter’s return to the ring, was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” The Oscar winner is a longtime boxing fan, and trained for months for the starring role. “I was told a long time ago, if you’re going to be a filmmaker and tell a story, let it be something you love and something you know,” the Monster’s Ball star said. “And I feel like this is something I love and know.”

Finally, La La Anthony has revealed that she had emergency heart surgery in June. “Within a 24-hour period, they said, my heart was beating 30,000 extra beats more than the average person,” the Power star disclosed in the Self magazine November cover story. Fortunately, the procedure was a success, and Anthony’s heart rate is now normal.

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Sesame Street has a new friend, and it’s the long-running show’s first Asian Muppet. Sesame Workshop announced that Ji-Young is a seven-year-old Korean American character, performed by Sesame Workshop puppeteer Kathleen Kim.

The “spunky” character will make her first starring appearance opposite Shang-Chi star Simu Liu in See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special.

“See Us Coming Together continues Sesame Street‘s proud legacy of representation with an engaging story that encourages empathy and acceptance and uplifts Asian and Pacific Islander communities,” the show’s producers said.

“[Ji-Young] is extremely close with her family and is proud of her Korean heritage,” according to her official bio. “She loves playing music with her grandma and cooking her favorite food — tteokbokki. Her family eats dinner together at the kitchen table every night, chatting in both Korean and English.”

The new special also features celebrity guests including Anna Cathcart, comic-book artist legend Jim Lee, Padma Lakshmi and tennis star Naomi Osaka.

See Us Coming Together: A Sesame Street Special will debut on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25, on multiple platforms, including Cartoonito on HBO Max, PBS KIDS and Sesame Street‘s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

As part of Monday’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the XBox console, Paramount+ has dropped a teaser-trailer for its much-anticipated upcoming TV show based on the hit Halo game series. 

The new show, bound for the streaming service in 2022, was co-produced by Steven Spielberg and his Amblin Television company, and stars American Gods‘ Pablo Schreiber as the game series unstoppable super soldier designated Spartan-117, known as Master Chief. 

The clip shows Master Chief’s scarred back before he dons his characteristic green armor. When he puts on his helmet, we hear the voice of the game’s A.I. assistant, Cortana.

“Hello, Master Chief,” she greets him. 

Jen Taylor reprises her role as Cortana from the game, which first launched in 2001 and has sold some $6 billion worth of copies. 

Set in a 26th century that sees mankind entrenched in a life-or-death war against an alien threat known as the Covenant, the show “will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future,” according to a press release.

Halo will also star Designated Survivor‘s Natascha McElhone as super soldier program creator Dr. Halsey, as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s Bokeem Woodbine, The Witcher‘s Natasha Culzac, Reef Break‘s Yerin Ha, and Penny Dreadful‘s Danny Sapani, among others. 

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While series director Richard Donner died in July at 91 years old, his longtime friend and Lethal Weapon star, Mel Gibson, is reportedly looking to pick up the baton. 

The Oscar-winning filmmaker and star of Braveheart and Oscar-nominated director of Hacksaw Ridge is in talks to direct the in-development fifth film in the buddy cop series, Deadline reports.

As Gibson previously told ABC Audio, he, Danny Glover and Rene Russo were all excited about the idea of returning to the franchise with Donner at the helm; the filmmaker had been actively developing a fifth movie at the time of his passing. 

According to Deadline, Gibson “let it slip” that he wanted to stand in for Donner for the film, which is being developed for HBO Max. As Deadline reports, Gibson “saw it right to continue the development of the film as a proper tribute to his friend and the late director of the franchise.”

If he does direct, Gibson would be doing double duty as both director and reprising his role as loose cannon Det. Martin Riggs, opposite Glover’s Det. Roger Murtaugh.

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The History Channel recently unveiled its new documentary series The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek, which airs Friday nights and can also be streamed any time on demand.

Directed by Brian Volk-Weiss, the series takes a deep dive into the iconic universe of Star Trek, which, the documentary explains, began thanks to another icon, Lucille Ball. 

Ball’s Desilu Productions produced the sci-fi series, and she also created the concept of a network “put pilot,” which helped launch Star Trek.

Normally, there’s “like a one-in-20 chance the pilot gets shot,” explains Volk-Weiss. “So Lucy invented the put pilot, where they were guaranteed two pilots. Her two picks? Star Trek [and] Mission: Impossible. So two for two, she picked things that are still in production 50, 60 years later. It’s crazy.”

Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, narrates and also produces the series, which features interviews with Trek stars and behind-the-scenes talent.

“I already knew Gates because we produce her podcast,” Volk-Weiss explains. “So when I called her up, I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re doing this Ken Burns deep dive…’ She’s like, ‘I’m in, I love it!’ And then her agent calls me and her agent’s like, ‘Brian, how did you get Ken Burns to direct your Star Trek documentary?’

Brian laughs, “I was like, ‘Miscommunication!'”

Still, he allows, “That’s what we tried to do. Like what Ken Burns did for Gettysburg, that’s what we tried to do for Star Trek.”

For the record, the producer of Movies That Made Us and The Toys That Made Us has been a lifelong Star Trek fan. “[E]verything we’ve done was kind of training us for this,” Volk-Weiss says. “I wish there was…a word more powerful than surreal. I mean, beyond surreal.”

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