The Beach Boys are the latest artists whose career will be celebrated by the Recording Academy.
Billboardreports that A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys is set to happen February 8 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The event, which takes place three days after the Grammy Awards, will be recorded and air at a later date on CBS. So far, the lineup of artists paying tribute to The Beach Boys has not been announced.
Last year, Paul Simon was the subject of the annual Grammy Salute, with the special airing this past December. It featured performances by Dave Matthews, Sting, Bonnie Raitt, The Bangles, Garth Brooks and more.
While The Beach Boys have never won a Grammy, in 2001 they were honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Recording Academy, and five Beach Boys recordings have made it into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In addition, Brian Wilson was named MusicCares Person of the Year in 2005.
Sam Asghari, the husband of Britney Spears, hit back against claims the pop star had a supposed “meltdown” in public.
Claims surfaced on Friday that Britney and Sam made a scene when dining at the upscale restaurant Joey Woodland Hills in California. TMZ reportedly spoke with eyewitnesses who were at the venue, and they claimed Britney became irate when people took out their phones and began recording her.
The story went as follows: Britney began speaking gibberish and Sam stormed out of the restaurant without his wife. TMZ also shared a video reportedly showing Britney sitting alone and talking to herself.
Sam immediately hit back at the reports and warned on his Instagram Story, “Don’t believe what you read online people.”
Fans also nitpicked TMZ’s video, saying it appeared she was talking to a waiter before using a menu to shield her face because she realized someone was recording her.
Sam and Britney were further vindicated when a restaurant worker gave their side of the story to Page Six. “The disruptor wasn’t Britney — it was the diner who taunted her by taking a video without consent,” they said. The restaurant worker clarified Britney “was understandably upset” and Sam “only left briefly to get their car, but he did not storm out.”
Britney later referenced the incident on Instagram and said she’s unhappy people are watching her every move. “I’m so flattered they talk about me like a maniac THEN have the balls to talk about all the negative things that happened in my past,” she continued in reference to her 13-year conservatorship that was terminated in 2021.
(NEW YORK) — More than 10 months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, the two countries are engaged in a struggle for control of areas throughout eastern and southern Ukraine.
Putin’s forces in November pulled out of key positions, retreating from Kherson as Ukrainian troops led a counteroffensive targeting the city. Russian drones have continued bombarding civilian targets throughout Ukraine, knocking out critical power infrastructure as winter sets in.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jan 16, 10:24 AM EST
Three children among 40 killed in Dnipro missile strike
The death toll climbed to 40 on Monday from a weekend missile strike on a high-rise apartment complex in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, according to Ukrainian officials.
At least three children were among those killed, officials said. Another 70 people were injured.
The death toll is expected to rise as 30 people remain unaccounted for, officials said.
On Saturday, a missile slammed into a block of high-rise apartment buildings in the central Dnipro. While Ukrainian officials blamed Russia for the strike, one of the deadliest attacks since the war began, the Kremlin denied Russia was involved.
“The Russian armed forces do not strike residential buildings or social infrastructure, they strike military targets,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday.
Jan 15, 3:40 PM EST
Survivor pulled from rubble in Dnipro as death toll rises
The death toll from a Russian missile strike on a block of high-rise apartment buildings in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro rose to 29 on Sunday.
Amidst the devastation, rescuers pulled one woman alive from the rubble on Sunday and officials said she was saved by a cocoon of concrete that surrounded her.
The survivor was rescued from a block of apartment buildings hit by a Russian missile on Saturday in the city about 500 miles southeast of the capital of Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a child was among those killed in the Dnipro missile attack.
Despite Sunday’s rescue, emergency workers said the hope of finding more survivors is fading.
The rocket attack reduced part of a high-rise apartment building to a pile of rubble that was still smoldering on Sunday. Noxious fumes from burning couches, curtains and TVs emanated from the pile as firefighters sprayed water hoses on it and rescue workers dug through the debris with their bare hands, an ABC News crew in Dnipro reported.
In addition to the now 29 killed in the attack, more than 70 people were injured, Ukrainian officials said. The strike left hundreds of apartments uninhabitable, officials said.
Emergency crews brought in cranes Sunday to help move large pieces of debris.
As the rescue operation went on Sunday, periodic moments of silence were called for so rescuers could listen for cries for help from people feared missing in the rubble.
-ABC News’ Matt Gutman
Jan 14, 11:07 AM EST
5 killed, dozens hurt in attack in Dnipro
Five people were killed and at least 27 were wounded in a Russian attack in Dnipro in central Ukraine, according to the governor.
An apartment block was struck and at least two children are among the injured, according to the deputy head of the president’s office.
-ABC News’ Yulia Drozd
Jan 14, 9:27 AM EST
Kyiv under Russian missile attack Saturday morning
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said explosions occurred in different districts on both banks in the city on Saturday morning and, in one of the districts, fire broke out in a non-residential area.
There were no casualties as a result of the attack that happened at approximately 6 a.m. but 18 residential houses were damaged in the region, according to the governor Oleksiy Kuleba.
The spokesman for the Ukrainian Airborne Forces, Yuri Ignat, told ABC News that Ukrainian authorities think it could have possibly been a ballistic attack by Russia but could not confirm this.
“Most likely, these are missiles that flew along a ballistic trajectory from the north. Ballistics are not available for us to detect and shoot down,” Ignat said on Ukrainian television.
-ABC News’ Yulia Drozd
Jan 13, 4:02 PM EST
Russian forces claim to have taken Soledar
Russian military leaders claim their forces took over the salt-mining town of Soledar.
Video showed Russian soldiers evacuating civilians from Soledar and nearby villages to the city of Shakhtarsk as fighting took place on the outskirts on Friday.
Serhiy Cherevaty, the Ukrainian commander of the Eastern Group of Forces, however, confirmed that fighting was going on in the region but contested Russia’s claims about the status of the city in a statement to ABC News.
“We have a clear understanding of who controls which streets in the city, but I cannot reveal those details,” he told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Patrick Reevell
Jan 12, 1:51 PM EST
Pressure mounts on NATO countries to send tanks to Ukraine
Pressure is mounting for key NATO allies to send tanks to Ukraine.
After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country plans to supply Leopard tanks to Ukraine but only as part of an “international coalition.”
“They will be provided within the coalition, because you know that it is necessary to obtain certain official consents. But first we need to build an international coalition and we have decided to form this international coalition,” Duda said.
Duda “expressed hope” other NATO countries would provide Ukraine with tanks as well.
The United Kingdom has not made a final decision on whether to send tanks to Ukraine, according to the spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The United Kingdom is considering supplying Ukraine with the British Army’s Challenger 2 main battle tank, according to British media reports.
Germany is also facing pressure from Ukraine and other NATO allies to send tanks to Ukraine. So far, they have not committed to sending any tanks to the country and neither has the United States.
Germany and the United States have both agreed to supply Ukraine with armored carriers and the Patriot air defense system.
Jan 12, 12:52 PM EST
Russians, Ukrainians give conflicting views in the battle for Soledar
Russian and Ukrainian officials offered conflicting views Thursday on the battle being waged over the eastern Ukraine city of Soledar.
Both sides described their forces as making progress in the fight for the salt mining town in the Donbas region.
“Our defenders continue to hold their positions on the most difficult frontlines and in the battle for (the) Donbas,” said Hanna Maliar, the Ukrainian deputy of defense. “Today, fierce and heavy battles continue in the direction of Bakhmut, in the area of Soledar city.”
Despite the “difficult situation,” Ukrainian soldiers are desperately battling for control of Soledar, Maliar said.
“The enemy is suffering heavy losses, unsuccessfully trying to break through our defenses and capture Soledar,” Maliar said. “Today, the city’s approaches are literally littered with the bodies of Putin’s destroyed troops. Nevertheless, they move over the bodies of their fallen fighters. Our defenders show maximum resilience and heroism.”
But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Russian forces and mercenaries from the Wagner private military company are doing a “truly colossal job” in Soledar.
“These are absolutely selfless, heroic deeds,” Peskov told journalists on Thursday.
Peskov said the hostilities in the region will continue.
“There is still a lot of work to be done. No time to stop, no time to rub our hands and so on. The main work is yet to come,” Peskov said.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that Russia’s airborne units had blocked Soledar from the north and the south and assault teams were fighting within the town limits.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his daily address on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops are holding onto Soledar.
“The terrorist state and its propagandists are trying to pretend” to have achieved some successes in Soledar, Zelenskyy said. “But the fighting continues.”
Jan 11, 4:51 PM EST
Russian shake-up as military chief in Ukraine replaced
Russia has replaced the military chief in charge in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin.
Army Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, will replace Sergei Surovikin, who has been commander of Russia’s forces in Ukraine for the past three months. Surovikin will become one of Gerasimov’s deputies, according to Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s minister of defense, who made the new appointments.
The changes come as the progress of the Russian forces in Ukraine continues to stall.
“The increase in the level of leadership of the special operation is linked to the expansion of the scale of the tasks at hand and the need to organize closer interaction between troops,” Shoigu said.
Jan 11, 12:17 PM EST
Ukrainians deny reports the city of Soledar on verge of falling to Russia
Ukrainian officials on Wednesday denied reports that the eastern Ukrainian city of Soledar is on the verge of being captured by Russian forces and claimed the battle for the city is ongoing.
The report contradicts British intelligence officials who on Tuesday said it appeared that Russian troops were close to capturing a salt mining town in an apparent attempt to cut off the enemy’s supply routes. The British officials said Russian forces, along with mercenaries from the Wagner private military company, were likely in control of the city of Soledar, which is about six miles north of Bakhmut in the Donbas region, where heavy fighting has been reported in recent days.
The head of the Wagner group also released a statement on Telegram Tuesday, saying his mercenaries were in control of Soledar.
But Ukrainian officials said Wednesday the city has not fallen into the hands of Russian forces and the Russian mercenary group.
“Russians say that it is under their control; it is not true,” said Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian eastern military command.
The Russian attack on Soledar is an apparent attempt to bypass Bakhmut from the north and disrupt Ukrainian supply routes, the British intelligence officials said. Part of the fighting is being waged near the entrances to the 124 miles of abandoned salt mine tunnels that run under the area.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the fighting in Soledar as “very difficult.”
Jan 10, 4:09 PM EST
Russia not ready to launch new offensive from Belarus: Ukrainian officials
Senior Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that they believe any prospect of Russia launching a new offensive toward Kyiv from Belarus is “not likely at this moment.”
The latest statement from Ukrainian officials contrasted with a series of interviews they gave last month in which they suggested Russia could mount an offensive early this year and even try to take Kyiv.
“Our assessment is that the Russians aren’t in a position to make an advance on Kyiv from Belarus. And if that were their intention, it wouldn’t happen for some time,” a senior Ukrainian official said Tuesday.
The Ukrainian officials added that the mere threat of an assault from Belarus means that Ukrainian forces are “fixed” along the Ukraine-Belarus border.
-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge
Jan 10, 2:15 PM EST
Ukrainians set to begin Patriot air defense training in Oklahoma
As many as 100 Ukrainians troops will soon begin training on the Patriot air defense system at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, two U.S. officials told ABC News Tuesday.
Fort Sill is the main artillery school for the U.S. Army and where months-long training on Patriot systems already takes place.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said the Ukrainians could begin training on the Patriot system as soon as next week.
“The training will prepare approximately 90 to 100 Ukrainian soldiers to operate, maintain and sustain the defensive system over a training course expected to last several months,” Ryder said.
Once deployed, the Patriot batteries will fortify Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and provide an additional way for the “Ukrainian people to defend themselves against Russia’s ongoing aerial assaults,” Ryder said.
Ryder would not give a precise time frame, but said that once the training is completed, the system will be sent to Ukraine to be put to use.
President Joe Biden announced last month that the United States will provide Ukraine with a Patriot missile defense system. The German government also agreed this month to supply Ukraine with a second Patriot missile battery.
-ABC News’ Matt Seyler
Jan 10, 1:30 PM EST
Russians on verge of overtaking eastern Ukrainian city
Russian troops were on the verge Tuesday of capturing a salt mining town in eastern Ukraine in an apparent attempt to cut off the enemy’s supply routes, according to British intelligence officials.
The Russian forces, along with mercenaries from the Wagner private military company, were likely in control of the city of Soledar, which is about six miles north of Bakhmut in the Donbas region, where heavy fighting has been reported in recent days, the British officials said.
The attack on Soledar is an apparent attempt to bypass Bakhmut from the north and disrupt Ukrainian supply routes, the British intelligence officials said. Part of the fighting is being waged near the entrances to the 124 miles of abandoned salt mine tunnels that run under the area.
Despite the increased pressure on Bakhmut, Russia is unlikely to be able to encircle the city in the near future because Ukrainian forces have created a stable line of defense and control supply routes in the area, the British officials said.
The Ukrainian Army said Russian troops carried out 86 artillery strikes on Soledar in a 24-hour period, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described the fighting there as “very difficult.”
Billy Joel was back at New York’s Madison Square Garden Friday night andRolling Stonereports he took some time out of his residency to pay tribute to the late Jeff Beck, who died Tuesday at the age of 78.
“He was a musician that I always loved. He was the best. Jeff Beck just passed away…,” Joel told the audience at his 86th MSG show. “I couldn’t let the night go by without doing something by Jeff.”
Billy then performed the track “People Get Ready,” which Beck recorded with Rod Stewart for for Beck’s 1985 album, Flash.
He paid tribute to Beck again later in the evening after the night’s last song, “You May Be Right,” with the band playing a jam session that morphed into “Going Down,” a track that appeared on the Jeff Beck Group’s 1972 self-titled third album. Noted Billy, “we should have rehearsed this today.”
Following the news of Beck’s death, Billy posted a tribute to him on social media, calling him “one of my heroes,” and noting, “I was fortunate to meet him recently and I’m very grateful now that I was able to tell him how much I admired his musical skill. This is the end of an era.”
(NEW YORK) — One of the World’s strictest anti-tobacco laws has been imposed in Mexico, setting in force a total ban on smoking in public places, including hotels, beaches and parks.
The new law, which is part of the country’s General Law for Tobacco Control reform, came into force on Sunday. It will also see the total ban on the promotion, advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products. The sale and use of e-cigarettes and vapes are also due to face new restrictions.
The new blanket ban extends on an existing federal and state tobacco control law which came into place in 2008, banning smoking in indoor spaces such as bars, restaurants and workplaces.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the law on Twitter.
“Bravo Mexico!” he said. “WHO welcomes such a bold move on tobacco control. We can on all countries to strengthen No Tobacco policies and help us prevent 8 million deaths every year.”
Mexico — where the most sold cigarette brand is Marlboro — now joins nations such as Ireland, Greece, Hungary and Malta as those with the most stringent smoke-free environments.
Citizens have questioned enforcement of the new law, citing corruption and noting that many will continue smoking in their private residences. Others also expressed alarm on social media at the harsh nature of the new laws.
Speaking in December 2022 on Mexico’s road to tobacco control, Dr. Juan Arturo Sabines, Pan American Health Organization’s national consultant, said the landmark measures would entail going “up against one of the biggest, most powerful industries in the world.”
About 16% of adults in Mexico are tobacco smokers and smoking causes nearly a million deaths in the Americas each year. Bolivia and Chile hold the highest smoking rates in the region, at 40% and 38.7%, respectively.
Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico and Chile are among Latin American nations also considering implementing tobacco control policies to reduce tobacco use — which kills over eight million people a year — in their populations.
(NEW YORK) — Monday marks the last day of heavy rain for California in the wake of a series of relentless storms that have ravaged the state with flooding.
Parts of Southern California and the Bay Area were hit with more than 6 inches of rain this weekend.
Downtown Los Angeles has seen more rain so far in 2023 than in all of 2022.
About 175 residents were rescued from rising flood waters in San Joaquin County, near San Francisco, on Sunday, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
In Orange County in Southern California, a survivor clinging to a tree was rescued.
Flood watches remain in effect for more than eight million in California on Monday.
Heavy rain will continue for the Bay Area Monday morning and then a band of rain will push south toward Monterey in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, heavy snow is ongoing in the Sierra Nevada mountains. More than 3 feet of snow has been recorded so far and an additional 3 feet is expected over the next 24 hours.
On Monday night, the skies will dry out over much of California. Dry days, and potentially dry weeks, are ahead.
California has been walloped by a near-constant onslaught of rain and snow for weeks.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday urged residents to “be vigilant.”
“I know how fatigued you all are,” he said during a press briefing. “I hope you just maintain a little more vigilance over the course of the next weekend and we’ll get through this.”
(NEW YORK) — Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons’ story of faith, love and triumph has been one for the books and now the pair has put pen to paper to share it with others.
The WNBA star, who temporarily stepped away from the sport at the peak of her career, devoted herself to helping free an innocent man, Jonathan Irons, from prison. After 23 1/2 years behind bars, Irons was vindicated and freed with Moore waiting to greet him at the prison’s doors after their friendship blossomed into love.
The couple wed in 2020 shortly after Irons was freed. They joined Good Morning America Monday to discuss their new book, Love & Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two Different Courts.
“Because our story happened over so many years — reading it all together it was extremely overwhelming,” she said of how it felt reliving their history to write the book. “In the journey and the fight you’re trying to do it one day at a time. To read it all together it made me appreciate and be more inspired by Jonathan’s life and how God put this all together, how it wove together, it blows my mind.”
Her husband called the process “very traumatic” and said he talked with a counselor and found that “the more I read it the more it helped me to get through.”
“I was able to flip a switch and say, ‘I’m not there anymore, I’m past that. I’m free.’ I just had to continually remind myself,” Irons explained.
Despite his painful past, Irons realized, “I lost a lot. And that anger and the pain is there, but I choose every day to live being grateful for each day that I have because I’m not promised tomorrow. I could still be in prison but I’m free. I want to live in that and focus on what I do have, which is beautiful. I’m married, I have a son.”
The book chronicles Irons’ wrongful imprisonment and determination to learn the legal system to try to overturn his conviction. Moore writes about her rise in basketball and meeting Irons through a family connection who was working on his case. It also includes love letters sent prior to his release and looks at their life since prison, including marriage and parenthood.
“The great and mighty Maya Moore is a sweet, loving and nurturing person who’s my best friend,” Irons said of what he learned about his wife while creating this book. “[She’s] in the moment and shows up and is present.”
“I learned how talented he is. It’s one thing to talk on the phone, help him fight for justice, see how brilliant a legal mind he is, but he’s also a great gatherer of people, business starter, father, friend,” she said. “His shepherd’s heart for his people has been so beautiful to watch. I can rest because I have a partner.”
The basketball star, who won four WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx and an MVP in 2014, also announced first on GMA that she is officially retiring.
“I think it is time to put a close to the pro basketball life. I walked away four seasons ago, but I wanted to officially retire,” she said. “This is such a sweet time for us and our family and the work that we’ve done; I want to continue that in this next chapter. I want to continue to be present at home, for our community, and also doing work with our nonprofit — hangin’ it up.”
(NEW YORK) — Electricity bills are a fact of life for many Americans, but with energy prices expected to rise in many parts of the country, you may be looking for a way to keep those costs in check.
The average American household spent $121 per month, or $1,452 per year, on energy bills in 2021, according to the Energy Information Administration.
While some projections expect rising energy rates this winter, as prices for fuels like natural gas increase, there are ways to offset those increases by making your home more energy efficient.
So what can you do? Here are three tips to help keep your bills down:
Tip #1: Schedule a home energy audit
One of the best ways to start figuring out how to save on your energy bills is to bring in an expert to check out your home.
Local utility companies, private firms, and even some government agencies offer this service, called an energy audit or energy assessment. In the audit, an expert will look for opportunities to reduce energy use in your home, ranging from replacing old lightbulbs with more efficient LED options, testing for air leaks in your doors and windows that allow heat to escape or cold air in, or recommending which appliances to replace with newer, more efficient alternatives.
In some cases, the energy auditor could install some of those swaps with no additional cost at the time of the audit.
The Department of Energy has information on how to find a certified energy assessment in your area, or you can check with your local utility company.
Tip #2: Reduce your energy use
Reducing your home’s energy footprint may seem intimidating but there are simple steps that can help limit wasted energy in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program says homeowners could save up to $400 a year by taking steps to be more energy efficient, although the amount will vary depending on the size and energy use of the home.
Many of the options involve taking steps to ensure your household isn’t powering electronics when they aren’t needed or allowing cold air to leak into the home, making it harder to keep it warm.
Installing a smart or programmable thermostat is one way to help save 10% on your energy bills by allowing you to automatically turn down the temperature at night or when no one is home, according to the Energy Department.
Replacing traditional light bulbs with LED bulbs can also save the average homeowner $225 a year, the department says.
Other examples include sealing gaps around windows and doors and using smart power strips to prevent electronics like printers or video game systems from using electricity when they’re turned off.
If you’re in the market for appliances like a new dishwasher, refrigerator, or even a water heater or furnace, appliances with the Energy Star label are certified to use less energy and be more efficient in the long run.
If you’re looking to make bigger changes to your home like buying new appliances, replacing windows, or even installing solar panels, the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law last August, includes updated tax credits and rebates this year to help with some of those costs. In some cases, upgrading to newer, more efficient appliances or systems to keep your home warm can cut back on your energy use and ultimately, your bills.
A heat pump, for example, is an electric system that can replace both an air conditioner and heater and is considered three to five times more efficient than a traditional furnace fueled by natural gas, according to the nonprofit Rewiring America. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, consumers who install a heat pump will be eligible to claim a tax credit for up to 30% of the cost, up to $2,000.
In addition to the heat pump tax credit, the legislation also expanded tax credits that cover up to 30% of the cost of installing solar panels, and installing new energy efficient doors, windows, or insulation.
The Inflation Reduction Act’s programs will provide up-front rebates worth hundreds of dollars to help low- and middle-income Americans. The programs will be run by each state and are expected to launch later this year.
SZA‘s SOScontinues to rule the Billboard 200 album chart: It’s number one for a fifth week, hitting a few new benchmarks in the process.
SOS is the first album to spend its first five weeks at number one since Adele‘s 30 did it in 2021. It’s also the first R&B album by a solo female artist to spend its first five weeks at number one since 1993, when Janet Jackson did it with her now-iconic album, janet.
The last time an album by any solo R&B female artist spent at least five weeks at number one in general was 1995, when Mariah Carey‘s Daydream was on top for six non-consecutive weeks.
Since the start of 2022, SZA’s album is one of only four to have spent at least five weeks at number one. The others are Taylor Swift‘s Midnights, also with five; Bad Bunny‘s Un Verano Sin Ti, with 13; and the Encanto soundtrack, with nine.
Elsewhere in the top 10, YoungBoy Never Broke Again sees his new album, I Rest My Case, debut at number nine. It’s his 13th top-10 release. The rest of the top 10 is full of former number ones, including Midnights, Un Verano Sin Ti, and releases by Harry Styles, Metro Boomin, Morgan Wallen, and Drake and 21 Savage.
Saturday Night Live‘s Melissa Villaseñor and Crashing‘s Pete Holmes are among the many guests set to appear in the first season of NBC’s Night Court revival, according to Deadline. Melissa Rauch will portray judge Abby Stone, the unapologetic optimist daughter of the late Harry Stone — played in the original series by Harry Anderson, who died in 2018 at age 65 — as she follows in her father’s footsteps, presiding over a crew of oddballs and cynics. John Larroquette reprises his role as prosecuting attorney Dan Fielding for the sequel. Other season one guests include figure skaters Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski, A.P. Bio‘s Lyric Lewis, veteran actor Kurt Fuller and Mad TV vet Stephanie Weir, who join previously announced Faith Ford, as Rauch’s’s TV mom. Season one of Night Court launches with back-to-back episodes Tuesday, January 17 starting at 8 p.m…
Syfy has renewed Chucky and Reginald the Vampire for a third and second season, respectively. Chucky, which builds on the original Child’s Play movies and takes place as a vintage Chucky doll turns up at a suburban yard sale, ranked as a top 10 cable drama in the 18-49 demo, according to the media company. Reginald the Vampire — led by Jacob Batalon, star of the Spider-Man films — was the No. 2 cable drama on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. in the 18-49 demo, according to the studio… (Trailers contain uncensored profanity.)
Snowpiercer, TNT’s adaptation of the 2013 Bong Joon-ho sci-fi film, has been scrapped as part of the-cutting measures following Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show’s fourth and final season will not air on TNT despite production having been completed. The show joins a host of other titles Warner Bros. has pulled from various platforms, including the finished Batgirl movie, season two of TBS’ comedy Chad, which ended up at Roku, and HBO Max’s Minx, which landed at Starz…
The Kelly Clarkson Show is eying a move to the East Coast’s New York metro tri-state area, which encompasses New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, according to Variety. The daytime chat show, which has been renewed through 2025, has called Los Angeles’ Universal lot its home since launching in 2019. Host Kelly Clarkson asked NBCU to explore the move east, which would bring the American Idol alum closer to her family and provide “a new adventure for the show, which continues to elevate and evolve,” a source tells the outlet…
Netflix has pulled the plug on the Neil Patrick Harris comedy Uncoupled, according to Deadline. The series, in which Harris played a gay man in his mid-forties navigating the single life in New York City after being unceremoniously dumped by his partner of 17 years, barely managed to crack the streamer’s weekly top 10, though it should be noted that half-hour series are at a disadvantage due to Netflix’s ratings system, which measures hours viewed. Uncoupled also stared Tisha Campbell, Brooks Ashmanskas, Emerson Brooks and Marcia Gay Harden…
Legendary screen siren Gina Lollobrigida has died. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the actress once called “the world’s most beautiful woman” was 95, and passed away at a clinic in Rome. Her acting career began in 1953 and saw her share the screen with icons including Rock Hudson, Frank Sinatra and Sean Connery. Lollobrigida won a Golden Globe award for 1961’s Come September, and her 1968 hit film Buona Sera, Ms. Campbell, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, in part inspired the plot for the Broadway musical and hit film adaptation Mamma Mia!…
