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Jason Reitman’s recent Saturday Night movie told the story of how a young upstart producer named Lorne Michaels dared to revolutionize late-night television with his bold new vision for a sketch comedy series unlike any other, ultimately succeeding in his goal despite network meddling and Milton Berle’s attempts to to crush Chevy Chase’s soul with his giant hog.

The movie would have been a tad less triumphant had it included a post-credit scene in which Michaels bails on the show after just a few weeks for purely petty reasons. But reportedly, that’s what happened.

Bill Carter, author of the quintessential late-night comedy text The Late Shift, recently spoke with Susan Morrison, author of the upcoming biography Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, for LateNighter. According to Morrison, one notable story about Michaels is the time he quit his own show less than a month after it premiered.

Indie distributors are fretting about the current marketplace, specifically a glut of films vying for precious theater space and hard-to-snare audiences who, with exceptions of course, still seems mostly willing to come out for big ticket films.

While there are fewer wide studio releases than pre-Covid, theaters are giving them more space, up to 60%-70% of their real estate, a few indies execs said.

Meanwhile, it’s become cheaper to distribute films, which may be why new firms keep popping up to test the waters and in some cases open their movies on hundreds of screens, perhaps without a commensurate marketing effort.

“There is a lot of stuff being released, but nothing is performing,” says one indie distribution executive. Films like Deadpool or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice work, “but everything else is a crapshoot.

“Whether consumers are going to movies other than the big ones has been the question, and still is.

New York City can swallow you whole. It can be an uncaring place with busied people walking down frustrated avenues. It’s not that the city is mean or that the people in the city are mean––rather that life is hard and it’s made harder with less space and more bodies and smells and noises surrounding you. Andy (Michael Zegen), a fledgling real-estate broker who needs rent money today or he is evicted, has been swallowed by the city before Notice to Quit even starts. He’s showing slum-house listings to aggravated clients, stealing appliances from those listings to make ends meet.

Written and directed by Simon Hacker, the film takes place over the course of one hot, horrible day. The only bright spot is his daughter Anna (Kasey Bella Suarez), who has demanded she join him on his quest to make a sale and earn the commission that will save his apartment.

Lucky 13 fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 1 Episode 4 episode titled Six Degrees!

Find out everything you need to know about the Six Degrees episode of Lucky 13, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Lucky 13 Six Degrees Season 1 Episode 4 Preview

The upcoming episode of “Lucky 13,” titled “Six Degrees,” promises to bring an intriguing blend of humor and drama. Set to air on ABC at 9:00 Pm on August 15, 2024, this episode features a unique competition between a geriatric psychiatrist and a real estate agent, showcasing the clash of two very different worlds.

The cast for “Lucky 13” continues to impress, with veteran actor Robert Klein taking on the role of the geriatric psychiatrist. His character is known for his sharp wit and deep understanding of human behavior, making him a formidable opponent in any challenge.

A Family Affair is Netflix’s latest rom-com directed by Richard Lagravenese from a screenplay by Carrie Solomon. The Netflix film follows the story of Zara, a young woman with aspirations of becoming a film producer, but currently, she works as an assistant for a self-obsessed and childish movie star, Chris Cole. While Zara hates her job and boss, she still tolerates them, but things get worse when she finds out that her mother and boss are romantically involved. A Family Affair has an amazing cast, including Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, and Kathy Bates. So, if you loved the romance, banter, and hijinks of A Family Affair, here are some similar romcoms you could watch next.

The Idea of You (Prime Video) Credit – Prime Video

The Idea of You is a romantic comedy film directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay co-written by Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt. Based...

I wrote up an obituary for Richard Lewis, who succumbed to a heart attack Tuesday night at 76, and was left feeling surprisingly bereft. I wondered why his death was hitting me so hard. I was a longtime fan, but I’d never met the man. I respected his comedy, but I didn’t necessarily think of him as one of the all-time greats – just a solid, uniquely neurotic, funny man who seemed to have a brilliantly manic way about him. When I think of him now, he’s bent over, stalking the stage, right hand on forehead, gesturing like a crazy man, looking like someone whose brain is about to burst out of his head.

Yes, he was unfailingly hilarious every time he showed up on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” significantly mellower than in his younger years but still carrying plenty of sharp wit and irony whenever the camera was on him.

Richard Lewis, one of the most influential stand-up comedians of his era and Larry David's hilariously neurotic best friend on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," has died at the age of 76. The official cause of death was listed as a heart attack.

Lewis belonged to a class of comedians who turned joke-telling into a confessional art form. His contemporaries were Richard Belzer, Elayne Boosler, Robert Klein, and Jerry Seinfeld. Lewis got belly laughs out of failed relationships, depression, anxiety, and addiction. He was reliably, identifiably miserable, which was a balm for anyone in his audience who happened to be struggling because, no matter how awful his life seemed to be, he was always back on stage the next night or bantering with David Letterman a week month later after recounting his latest crisis.

He was a neurotic's neurotic, and, therefore, an essential part of our lives. If he could laugh off life's absurd tortures,...

As he spoke at a Bay Area fundraiser today, Joe Biden spotted Katie Couric among the attendees.

“Two of your former colleagues, not at the same network, personally told me if he wins, they will have to leave the country because he’s threatened to put them in jail,” Biden said, according to a pool report.

He did not say who he had spoken to, but the comment was among a series of remarks he made about Trump. “He embraces political violence. No president since the Civil War has done that. Embrace it. Encourage it,” Biden said, according to the pool report.

Biden was speaking at an event at the home of Robert Klein, a real estate developer who lives in the Los Altos Hills.

The president wrapped up a west coast fund-raising swing that also included an event on Tuesday at the Los Angeles home of Haim Saban. Biden...

It was Pride and Drag Queen picket day in Los Angeles, where around 300 people hit up Warner Bros. Discovery to highlight their issues as the strike marches into its second month.

The hundreds of writers attending the picket were provided glitter and stickers for their signs on the first day of Pride month. The event attracted the likes of Severance creator Dan Erickson to Yellowjackets star Liv Hewson.

“When queer writers are under attack,” chanted the crowd, “What do we do? Stand up, fight back.” Others added, “If we don’t get it, shut it down.”

Signs featured sayings such as “Protect All Queer Art” and “I’m Gay For Pay” as Whitney Houston’s I’m Every Woman blasted from a speaker system.

On the scene at the Pride Picket outside of Warner Bros. Studios in LA #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/tyDgjgdAJx

— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) June 1, 2023

John August, a...

Norman Steinberg, the Emmy-winning screenwriter who teamed with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles and My Favorite Year and wrote for the Michael Keaton-starring Mr. Mom and Johnny Dangerously, has died. He was 83.

Steinberg died March 15 at his Hudson Valley home in upstate New York, his family announced.

Steinberg also wrote Yes, Giorgio (1982), starring Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti in his feature acting debut, and co-wrote Funny About Love (1990), directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti.

The Brooklyn native and former lawyer won his Emmy very early in his career, for his work on a Flip Wilson variety show.

His TV résumé also included developing Marlo Thomas’ 1974 landmark kids special, Free to Be … You & Me (he brought Brooks in on that); serving as a writer and executive producer on the first two seasons of CBS’ Cosby; and creating the short-lived CBS sitcoms Doctor, Doctor and Teech.

Rick Newman, the founder of New York City’s hugely influential Catch a Rising Star comedy club that provided a training ground for the stand-up comics who would change the landscape of entertainment in the 1970s, died Feb. 20 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.

His wife Krysi Newman told The Washington Post that he died of pancreatic cancer.

Among the comics who began or developed their careers on the Rising Star’s Upper East Side stage are Jerry Seineld, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Richard Lewis, Andy Kaufman, Freddie Prinze, Robert Klein, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler. Larry David, Elayne Boosler, Rodney Dangerfield, Jay Leno, Joy Behar and Ray Romano.

One of the performers most associated with Catch a Rising Star was Richard Belzer, the longtime host of the club who died Feb. 19, just a day before Newman.

Newman, tweeted Billy Crystal, “gave me and so many our starts as stand ups.

Break out the love fern and put on Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” because How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is officially 20 years old. Starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, the 2003 romantic comedy is still a beloved comfort movie for many people. It’s recently had a resurgence with a younger audience, as Hudson’s rendition of “You’re So Vain” became a viral sound on TikTok. In light of the 20th anniversary, and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, there’s no better time to watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; here are all the streaming options.

Kate Hudson as Andie and Matthew McConaughey as Ben in ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ | Paramount Pictures What is the plot of ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’?

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days stars Hudson as Andie Anderson,...

"The Last Unicorn," which just turned 40, is a wild ride! It's a delightfully weird film, strange in a way that movies for children just aren't anymore. Perhaps that's because each generation seems more careful with their kids than the last. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I learned a lot from "The Last Unicorn." While some of its lessons may have been over my head at the time, I still think newer kids' films could stand to take a page or two from its book.

With a screenplay by Peter S. Beagle, based on his novel of the same name, "The Last Unicorn" hit theaters in 1982. The reason it makes such a strange children's movie is probably because it wasn't initially intended for children at all. However, that hasn't stopped a generation of kids from falling in love with the unicorn's story. Let's look at some of the weirder...

Budd Friedman, comedy club pioneer and founder of the original Improv comedy club, has died. He was 90. Friedman died Saturday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, Alix, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Friedman founded the original Improv in New York City in 1963, giving early career breaks to comedians and acting superstars like Jay Leno, Bette Midler, Richard Pryor and more.

He opened his second location in Hollywood in 1975, just three years after Johnny Carson moved “The Tonight Show” from New York to Los Angeles, marking the brand’s first expansion. Friedman and his partner, Mark Lonow, would go on to open 22 Improvs across 12 states before selling the company in February 2018 to Levity Entertainment Group.

His comedy clubs also helped provide a platform for superstars like Adam Sandler, Richard Lewis, Dick Cavett, David Steinberg, Steve Landesberg, David Brenner, Lily Tomlin, Freddie Prinze, Gabe Kaplan, Chris Rock,...

Budd Friedman, the Broadway producer who founded The Improv comedy club franchise and kickstarted the careers of some of Hollywood’s biggest comic voices, died of heart failure Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 90 years old.

“The comedy world lost a giant today,” the Hollywood Improv wrote in a statement Saturday evening. “In 1963 he changed the world of comedy by creating the first comedy club for the masses to come together in laughter. In 1963 he changed the world. He went global. He was a pioneer. He was a gentleman. He was a luminary.”

The comedy world lost a giant today.

In 1963 he changed the world of comedy by creating the first comedy club for the masses to come together in laughter.

In 1963 he changed the world.

He went global.

He was a pioneer.

He was a gentleman.

He was a luminary. pic.twitter.com/l1pA38AGww

— Hollywood Improv (@HollywoodImprov...

Budd Friedman, the comedy club pioneer who founded the original Improv in New York in 1963 and gave early career breaks to the likes of Jay Leno, Robert Klein, Bette Midler, Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman, has died. He was 90.

Friedman died Saturday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, Alix, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Three years after Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show departed Manhattan for Burbank, Friedman opened a Hollywood outpost of the Improv on Melrose Avenue in 1975 in his first expansion of the brand.

There were 22 Improvs across 12 states in February 2018 when Friedman and partner Mark Lonow sold the company to Levity Entertainment Group, whose investors included Irving Azoff.

At his flagship New York hotspot, located at West 44th Street and Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, Friedman also employed Rodney Dangerfield as an Mc, Elayne Boosler...

Jules Bass, the animator, producer, director and composer whose work included stop-motion holiday television specials like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” died at the age of 87 on Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rye, New York, publicist Jennifer Fisherman-Ruff confirmed.

The three prominent holiday specials, “Rudolph,” voiced by Burl Ives, “Frosty” starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante and “Santa Claus,” voiced by Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney, all debuted during the 1960s and 1970s. In the decades since, the specials have become staples of seasonal holiday programming on television.

Bass was known for his longstanding creative partnership with director Arthur Rankin Jr., who died in 2014 at 89. The two pushed many productions through their banner Rankin/Bass Productions, which was known for its laborious cel-animated, stop-motion films that took long periods of time to turn into full-length features.

Bass and Rankin...

Click here to read the full article.

Jules Bass, the animator, producer, director and composer who partnered with Arthur Rankin Jr. on the stop-motion holiday TV specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, has died. He was 87.

Bass died Tuesday at an assisted living facility in Rye, New York, publicist Jennifer Fisherman Ruff told The Hollywood Reporter.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, based on the song popularized by Gene Autry and featuring the voice of Burl Ives, debuted in 1964. Frosty the Snowman, starring Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante, bowed in 1969, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, starring Fred Astaire, premiered in 1970. All three have remained strong television draws through the decades.

Rankin/Bass Productions’ cel-animated, stop-motion features were farmed out to Japanese animators and were painstaking to make, with thousands of still photos of their characters’ incremental movements put together at 24 frames...

Click here to read the full article.

Multiple documentary Emmy contenders this season turn their focus on the people who have made us laugh — and the complicated legacies of their place in comedy history. Four doc titles examine the careers and controversies of stand-ups George Carlin and Bill Cosby, Canadian sketch troupe the Kids in the Hall and I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Here’s what The Hollywood Reporter’s critics had to say about each.

George Carlin’s American Dream (HBO)

George Carlin both transcended and changed the parameters of his chosen profession. It’s been nearly 14 years since Carlin died, but based on his continued social media ubiquity, his words have lived on and remained crazily specific, as if every unanticipatable catastrophe of human culture was somehow anticipated by only one man. On any given day, whether the trending topic relates to reproductive rights...

Exclusive: Mainstay Entertainment has promoted literary manager and producer Tim Honigman to partner. He joins the company’s founding partners Norman Aladjem, Ray Moheet, Derek Van Pelt and Rob Lee.

Honigman has been an executive at Mainstay since its formation in 2017 and has spearheaded the expansion of the company’s literary division. He is credited with broadening the company’s producing slate to encompass prestige series, creator-driven half hours, and studio features, as well as in setting up and selling numerous television shows for clients.

“Tim has been a superstar at our company from the very beginning,” said Mainstay CEO Norm Aladjem. “In addition to his strategic work with our clients, he has identified and is helping to architect the careers of the next generation of writer/creators whose unique and diverse voices are making a difference in our industry and in the world. We are honored to have Tim join our partnership ranks.

Exclusive: Michael Zegen (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and newcomer Kasey Bella Suarez will topline writer-director Simon Hacker’s debut feature Zoo, which recently wrapped production in New York City, starring alongside Robert Klein, Michael Covino, Isabel Arraiza, and Eric Berryman.

In the film, Zegen plays Andy Singer, a failing father and floundering realtor on the verge of eviction, who is drowning in the sweat of a New York City summer. When Andy’s daughter Anna (Suarez), a feisty 10-year-old already outfitted with a moral compass that far surpasses her dad’s, shows up unannounced on his doorstep and informs him of her imminent departure from the city, his get-rich-quick schemes and threadbare employment are thrown into a tenuous high gear, as he attempts to salvage some semblance of...

To mark the release of Joseph Losey’s Mr. Klein on 13th September and The Servant on 20th September, we’ve been given 2 bundles of each film to give away on Blu-ray.

Mr. Klein

This brand-new restoration of the César Award-winning political thriller directed by Joseph Losey is starring Alain Delon in a career defining role with a special appearance from Jeanne Moreau. Mr. Klein, with its Kafkaesque focus on the themes of identity and obsession, has become a classic of the doppelgänger paranoia genre and is one of Losey’s darkest films.

Paris, January 1942 – art dealer Robert Klein (Alain Delon) is making a killing. For this loyal Frenchman the Nazi occupation is a unique business opportunity. He stands to profit from the Jewish people’s misfortune, as they sell their possessions in a hurry to leave the country. But when a Jewish newspaper turns up on Klein’s doorstep,...

Exclusive: Senior UTA talent and packaging agent Rob Lee is segueing to the talent management side of the business. Lee is joining Mainstay Entertainment’s founding partners, Norman Aladjem, Ray Moheet, Derek Van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin, as a partner. Lee already shares several clients with Mainstay including creator Dan Patterson and eight-time Grammy winner Philip Lawrence (Come Dance With Me).

During his career Lee has represented many prominent names in the industry, most recently Tyra Banks, Eugenio Derbez, and Jon Taffer, among others. He also represents several U.S. and international production companies, documentary filmmakers and showrunners.

Lee recently initiated and packaged the HBO hit series House Of Ho, the new CBS primetime series House Calls with Dr. Phil, and the international hit series De Viaje Con Los Derbez among others. Lee, a seasoned television executive is also an award-winning producer whose credits include Enslaved with Sam Jackson, Americas Best Dance Crew, Millionaire Matchmaker, the feature film Crossroads starring Britney Spears and the miniseries Dean Koontz’s Mr. Murder.

Said Lee, “After many productive and wonderful years wearing various hats in this business, including my most recent and rewarding experience at UTA, I can honestly say that joining Mainstay feels like coming home. I can continue to represent great talent and also make a more significant creative contribution. I’m honored to be joining such an expert and dedicated group who are working with some of the industry’s most talented and respected artists”.

Mainstay CEO Norman Aladjem stated, “Rob and I have been good friends forever and I’ve always admired his passion, creative spirit, and expertise across the entire entertainment landscape. Not only will Rob help augment both our management business and our production arm, but as a human being he’s a perfect fit for our company culture.”

David Kirsch and Geoff Suddleson, UTA Partners and Co-Heads of Unscripted Television, said “Rob has played an integral role on our team at UTA, and we value everything he has contributed to help grow our department. We look forward to working with him in his new capacity.”

Mainstay Entertainment represents clients including Lupita Nyong’o, Trevor Noah, Katherine Heigl, Aaron McGruder, Jennette McCurdy, Maz Jobrani, Roy Wood, Jr., and Emmy nominated director David Paul Meyer.

On the feature film production side, Mainstay most recently produced the independent feature film Before I Go written and directed by Eric Schaeffer and starring Annabella Sciorra and Robert Klein, currently in release, as well as A Simple Wedding, starring Tara Grammy, Rita Wilson and Academy Award nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Among the Mainstay features in development are the film adaptation at Paramount of Trevor Noah’s bestselling memoir Born a Crime with Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o set to star in and produce and Liesl Tommy attached to direct, and the vampire Western Sun Always Sets in the West with Danny McBride and Rough House Pictures at Lionsgate.

On the television side, Mainstay most recently produced the Emmy nominated Kid of the Year for Nickelodeon and Time Studios, and a number of comedy specials for Trevor Noah, Roy Wood Jr., Maz Jobrani and Josh Johnson. Mainstay also produced Black Jesus from creator Aaron McGruder and is currently in production on the reboot of The Boondocks.

Tiffany Haddish has joined the National Comedy Center’s advisory board of the directors. She fills the seat formerly held by the late Carl Reiner.

The announcement coincides with Lucille Ball’s 110th birthday. The center is located in Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York.

“Comedy is a true art form — its artists deserve to be celebrated and its creative work needs to be preserved,” Haddish said on Friday morning. “I’m truly honored to be part of the National Comedy Center. Lucille Ball was an extraordinary influence on my career and my work, so to help bring her vision for this cultural institution to life is a dream come true for me.”

Lewis Black, founding chair of the advisory board, said, “On behalf of the entire advisory board, it’s a thrill to have Tiffany Haddish join us. With Tiffany’s participation, we become a more vital resource...

Exclusive: Five short comedic plays written by The View‘s Joy Behar will be streamed as a benefit for the East Hampton, New York, arts and community venue Guild Hall, with performances by Behar, Lorraine Bracco, Dylan McDermott, Bob Balaban, Susie Essman, Robert Klein, Brenda Vacarro, Chris Bauer, Danny Hoch and Rachel Dratch.

Guild Hall: A Totally Disrespectful Evening of Short Plays by Joy Behar, directed by John Gould Rubin, will stream on Oct. 25 as a virtual benefit for the 89-year-old Guild Hall as well as two other non-profit organizations, The Bridgehampton Childcare and Recreational Center, and The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a non-profit community restaurant. The price to view will be $75 per household.

The short plays are:

God & Bernadette featuring Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos), Chris Bauer (True Blood), Brenda Vaccaro (Midnight Cowboy) and Brynne Amelia Ballan. A pre-teenage girl ruffles the feathers of a nun; Get Me Teresa...

Fred Willard, best known for his roles in Best in Show, This Is Spinal Tap, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Modern Family, died of natural causes at the age of 86, according to Variety.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news my father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old,” his daughter Hope Willard tweeted on Saturday. “He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.”

Willard first came into national consciousness as the sidekick to Martin Mull’s host on the nightly Fernwood 2 Night. He is well known as part of the revolving troupe of actors – including Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy – assembled by director Christopher Guest.

“How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts,” Guest’s wife,...

News of the death of Danny Aiello rippled across social media on Friday morning as friends, co-stars, peers and admirers of the 86-year-old character actor shared their thoughts on a body of work that included Do the Right Thing, Moonstruck, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Jacob’s Ladder and Madonna’s music video for “Papa Don’t Preach.”

Aiello’s Oscar-nominated performance as Salvatore “Sal” Frangione in Spike Lee’s incendiary 1989 classic Do the Right Thing was mentioned most frequently, a testament to the film’s trenchant achievements and Aiello’s compelling portrait of a pizzeria owner vexed by the changing demographics of his Brooklyn neighborhood.

Aiello’s screen career was launched by the 1973 sports drama Bang the Drum Slowly, which also starred a newcomer named Robert De Niro. Aiello joined De Niro for a notable follow-up, when both appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Picture Oscar winner The Godfather Part II,...

Mr. Klein. Image courtesy of Rialto Pictures and Studio Canal.A clearly apathetic doctor, void of any discernable emotion or trace of compassion, recites what amounts to a clinical inventory of physical features, calling out the attributes of an embarrassed, frightened nude woman. She may be Jewish—that’s what his bodily enumeration looks to determine—but he notes that her attitude during the exam is, apparently, “not Jewish.” One particular image during this sequence, which opens Joseph Losey’s Mr. Klein, depicts the doctor probing his fingers into the woman’s strained mouth, examining her teeth, gums, and whatever else his rooting around may reveal. It’s a notable image because the next time something similar is seen in the film, it’s of an attractive younger woman applying lipstick, shown in a comparably framed close-up of her mouth with decidedly differing connotations. This is Jeanine, played by Juliet Berto,...

A new show that will honor some of stand-up comedy’s legendary performers will bow on Netflix next year and feature the first inductees into a new stand-up Hall of Fame.

The show will be titled The Hall: Honoring The Greats Of Stand-Up and will be available in 2020 on Netflix, executive produced by Marty Callner and Randall Gladstein, partners in Funny Business, Inc., and manager/producer David Steinberg. The induction ceremony for the new Stand-Up Hall will be held in Los Angeles.

The Hall of Fame itself will become a permanent part of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.

“Stand-up comedy is more than funny jokes — these artists shape our culture, teach us, and challenge us about the world and ourselves,” said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer, Netflix. “We’re honored to partner with Marty, Randall, David, and everyone at the National Comedy Center as we celebrate the greats in this field,...

In December, Debra Messing earned a Golden Globe nomination for “Will & Grace,” which came as a minor surprise since she was only in ninth place in our predictions. But anyone who saw last season — and one episode in particular — knows she deserved that nomination and would be incredibly worthy of an Emmy bid as well. That episode in question is “Grace’s Secret,” which aired in November and was written by Suzanne Martin. You may have heard by now that it was Grace’s #MeToo episode, but what makes it extraordinary is how ordinary everything is about it, anchored by Messing’s subtle, powerful performance.

It even starts off innocuously with Grace (Messing) dreading the hours-long car ride with her father Martin (Robert Klein) to Schenectady to visit her mother’s grave, while Will (Eric McCormack) and Karen (Megan Mullally) compete in a “Jack-off” to become Jack’s (Sean Hayes...

It’s the brightest debut feature of 1970, and perhaps the warmest movie ever about the American race divide. Hal Ashby and Bill Gunn’s work is inspired: rich boy Beau Bridges buys a slum tenement and launches a wonderful ensemble comedy-drama in confrontation with the fantastic quartet of actresses — Lee Grant, Diana Sands, Pearl Bailey and Marki Bey. The humanist picture doesn’t cheat on its subject matter. The cast list contains fresh debuts and and more best-of-career showings: Louis Gossett Jr., Melvin Stewart, Susan Anspach, Robert Klein.

The Landlord

Blu-ray

1970 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 110 min. / Street Date May 14, 2019 / 29.95

Starring: Beau Bridges, Lee Grant, Diana Sands, Pearl Bailey, Walter Brooke, Louis Gossett Jr., Marki Bey, Mel Stewart, Susan Anspach, Robert Klein, Will Mackenzie, Trish Van Devere, Hector Elizondo, Marlene Clark, Gloria Hendry, Bobby V. Garvin.

Cinematography: Gordon Willis

Film Editor: William A. Sawyer, Edward Warschilka

Original Music: Al Kooper

Written by...

Robert Klein (The Backup Plan), Andrea Navedo (Jane the Virgin), Willie Garson (Sex and the City), Craig Bierko (Unreal), Chris Perfetti (The Night Of), and Shaed lead singer Chelsea Lee have joined previously announced Annabella Sciorra in God The Worm from Mainstay Entertainment. Written and directed by Eric Schaeffer, the project began filming this week in New York City. The story centers on Samantha Miller (Sciorra), a talented singer-songwriter who, questioning life’s meaning, journeys through New York City’s colorful neighborhoods where chance encounters with a roster of eccentric and unforgettable characters who help illuminate her future path and restore her zeal for life and music. Klein plays Samantha’s hopeful and loving father, Jasper. Bierko (Walt), Garson (Francis), Navedo (Chloe) and Perfetti (Johnson) are among the dynamic New York City characters she meets along the way. Lee makes her acting debut here as a street artist. Mainstay’s...

Buddy Morra, the former talent manager who at one time handled comedians as Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Robert Klein, JoAnn Worley, David Letterman, Martin Mull, Jim Carrey, Marty Short, Dana Carvey, Paula Poundstone, Dick Cavett, Woody Allen, Tom Poston, John Pizzarelli, Michael Feinsten, Michael Richards, and Jake Johannsen (among others) has died. He passed on March 19 after a long illness. He was 88.

“Buddy was the most important person in my career. He believed in me even before I did,” Billy Crystal told Deadline. “In 1974, I was with a struggling three-man comedy group, and he took me aside and said if I wanted to be a stand up that, he’d be there for me along with the highly respected Jack Rollins, Charlie Joffe and Larry Brezner. He gave me the confidence to go it alone. A humble, gentle, humorous man, we had great highs together, and a few setbacks, but...

The 30th time was not the charm for “Will & Grace.” With Debra Messing‘s loss at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, the NBC sitcom has now extended its losing streak to an abysmal 0-30.

Messing lost Best TV Comedy/Musical Actress to Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), who became the first person to defend since Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) 10 years ago. Messing’s was the sole nomination for “Will & Grace” this year, the second year of its revival.

Though it’s one of three shows where the main stars have all won Emmys, “Will & Grace” is the biggest loser at the Globes. During its original run from 1998 to 2006, it accrued 27 nominations, but failed to convert any of them into wins. Last year, it added two nominations, for Best TV Comedy/Musical Series and Best TV Comedy/Musical Actor for Eric McCormack, to bring its losing record...

In one of the surprises of the morning, Debra Messing received a Golden Globe nomination in Best TV Comedy/Musical Actress for “Will & Grace” on Thursday. Great news for her, but if she doesn’t win next month, it would stretch the show’s dismal Globes record to 0-30.

Despite being one of three shows where the main stars have all won Emmy Awards, the NBC comedy is the biggest TV loser at the Globes. “Will & Grace” amassed 27 nominations and zero wins when it was first on the air from 1998 to 2006. Last year, it added two more nominations, for Best TV Comedy/Musical Series and Best TV Comedy/Musical Actor for Eric McCormack, to bring its record to 0-29. To their credit, the stars have had a good sense of humor about it, often toasting on the Globes when their names weren’t announced.

See Golden Globes 2019:...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Grace’s Secret,” the Nov. 1 episode of “Will & Grace.”

One year after the #MeToo hashtag went viral, television scribes are still scripting their characters to give voices to those who have previously been pushed into silence. “Will & Grace” is the latest show to join the movement with “Grace’s Secret,” an episode written by Suzanne Martin, in which Grace (Debra Messing) first confronts her father (guest star Robert Klein) for being too friendly with a waitress and then reveals how his best friend forced himself on her years ago, when she was 15 years old and under his employ.

“It was everything going on in the world. It was having a president that absolutely has no respect for women by and large — certainly women that have been assaulted and then watching the Bill Cosby story unfold,” explains “Will & Grace...

Spoiler Alert: This article contains details about tonight’s episode of Will & Grace.

Debra Messing reminded us tonight of just how strong a dramatic actress she can be, even in a Will & Grace episode that otherwise features Megan Mullally lip-syncing the Wicked Witch’s “I’ll get you, my pretty” speech and Eric McCormack doing his best “Leave Britney alone!”

Titled “Grace’s Secret,” tonight’s installment of the revived series is a lesson in craft, a guide really for what used to be called – and not always so generously – “very special episodes.”

Tonight, Grace had her #MeToo moment.

Not that we don’t see it coming. The sitcom has gone serious before, and not just the usual “awwww” moments when characters bond after some combative silliness (tonight’s episode has plenty of that too). Earlier this season the show...

Robert Klein will take over the role as Martin Adler, Grace’s father on Will & Grace. The role was previously played by Alan Arkin. Arkin played the role back in 2005 for a single episode called It’s a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World. Debra Messing announced the news on Instagram, revealing she was very excited about Klein coming on board to play her father on the show, as they had previously worked together on NBC’s short-lived series called The Mysteries of Laura. As Debra pointed out, he had previously played her father. But who is the man who is taking […]

The post Who plays Grace’s dad on Will & Grace? Actor Robert Klein has previous link to Debra Messing appeared first on Monsters and Critics.

Robert Klein ain't cracking jokes when it comes to Donald Trump -- he came unhinged, ranting about the President's numerous scandals ... then came face-to-face with some vocal Trump supporters. The scene was unreal Thursday night outside Craig's in WeHo -- the legendary comedian went Off when we asked about Trump's meeting with Kanye West. He quickly pivoted the convo away from Ye and launched into a tirade about Paul Manafort, Russia and Stormy Daniels ... the whole nine.

The Saint John’s Health Center Foundation and Irene Dunne Guild announced today that chart-topping recording artist and actress Katharine McPhee will perform at their annual gala celebration, which will take place on Saturday, October 20 at the Beverly Hilton.

The Gala, themed “The Power of Partnership” this year, honors the people of Saint John’s who make the difference – physicians, researchers, staff, trustees, volunteers and grateful patients – all working together to save lives. Net proceeds will benefit vital programs, services and greatest needs within distinguished areas of excellence at Saint John’s Health Center including cancer, cardiac care, maternal and child health, men’s health, neuroscience, nursing, orthopedics, thoracic surgery and urology.

“We are looking forward to another remarkable evening celebrating the work of our incredible physicians and nurses, the innovative research we continue to pursue on our campus and our devoted supporters who help make it all possible,” and...

Chicago – It was 50 years ago today – August 28th, 1968 – that Chicago Police and Viet Nam War protestors clashed in front of the Hilton Chicago Hotel on Michigan Avenue, while the Democratic National Convention was in town nominating Hubert Humphrey as their presidential candidate. As the police used excessive force on the protestors, the “whole world was watching.” This included witnesses actor/director Warren Beatty, comedian Robert Klein, and the production crew – including future director Andrew Davis – of the Haskell Wexler film “Medium Cool.”

Medium Coolers: Writer/Director/Cinematographer Haskell Wexler and Director Andrew Davis

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

The story of “Medium Cool” (released in 1969) is quite remarkable. Writer/Director Haskell Wexler had already won an Oscar as Director of Photography for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” and was one of the most sought after cinematographers during that era. Although “Medium Cool” was a narrative feature film,...

The revival season of NBC's Will & Grace ended with a new crisis: Grace’s (Debra Messing) dad and Will’s (Eric McCormack) mom (played by guest stars Robert Klein and Blythe Danner) find themselves enjoying each other’s company so much so that they announce a quickie engagement.

The idea of becoming “siblings,” however, is too much to bear for Will and Grace, who cap the season by suffering a mutual existential crisis. To top it off, Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes) has accepted a marriage proposal from a brand-new boyfriend and Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) has ...

“Will & Grace” submitted 13 people in Best Comedy Guest Actor at the Emmys, but most of them will be out of luck when it comes to making the cut. In a recent poll, 33 percent of our readers think “Will & Grace” will only snag two guest actor spots.

Which two of the 13 — Michael Angarano, Alec Baldwin, Barry Bostwick, Dan Bucatinsky, Bobby Cannavale, Harry Connick Jr., Max Greenfield, Cheyenne Jackson, Leslie Jordan, Robert Klein, Nick Offerman, Ben Plattand Andrew Rannells — will it be? Our odds currently have Jordan and Cannavale the highest, at seventh and eighth, respectively. Both won this category during the sitcom’s original run.

See Emmys exclusive: Universal TV’s categories for ‘SNL,’ ‘Kimmy Schmidt,’ ‘Will & Grace’ and more

Cannavale won in 2005, when “Will & Grace” took up four of the five guest actor slots. With so much TV now and “Saturday Night Live”’s eligibility in the category,...

During the 2000s, Blythe Danner was an Emmy Awards darling, earning six nominations, including two victories, over just four years. Now, after more than a decade-long Emmy absence, Danner is poised for a grand return, once again in Best Comedy Guest Actress for “Will & Grace.”

Danner’s portrayal of Will (Eric McCormack)’s mom Marilyn earned her nominations in both 2005 and 2006. The actress returned in the show’s recent season finale, “It’s a Family Affair.” Much to the chagrin of her son, she is invited by Grace (Debra Messing) to move into their apartment for an extended visit. Grace’s father Martin (Robert Klein) is also staying over and, as he and Marilyn invade their kids’ lives, Will and Grace strive to come up with a plan to respectfully kick them out.

Gwen Inhat of The A.V Club praised the performances of both Danner and Klein, writing “Martin and Marilyn,...

“Will & Grace” is leaving no guest actor behind when it come to the Emmys. As Gold Derby exclusively revealed, the show is submitting a whopping 13 people in Best Comedy Guest Actor, which is 1) ill-advised and 2) could backfire.

The 13 actors are Michael Angarano, Alec Baldwin, Barry Bostwick, Dan Bucatinsky, Bobby Cannavale, Harry Connick Jr., Max Greenfield, Cheyenne Jackson, Leslie Jordan, Robert Klein, Nick Offerman, Ben Platt and Andrew Rannells. Maybe the show didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by leaving someone out, but awards are all about strategy. There are only six slots and it’s entering more than double that. You don’t want to cancel yourself out.

See Emmys exclusive: Universal TV’s categories for ‘SNL,’ ‘Kimmy Schmidt,’ ‘Will & Grace’ and more

Maybe it also thinks it’s still the mid-2000s, when “Will & Grace” could fill up the Best Comedy Guest Actor category...

“Will & Grace” was well-known for its cavalcade of guest stars during its original run, gobbling up double-digit Emmy nominations, and even wins for Bobby Cannavale (2005) and Leslie Jordan (2006). The NBC sitcom hasn’t missed a step in this revival season, bringing back many old favorites while also introducing multiple memorable characters from new guest stars. But which guest stars should be singled out for Emmy nominations this year? Vote in our poll below.

Cannavale and Jordan, who play Will’s (Eric McCormack) ex-boyfriend Vince D’Angelo and Karen’s (Megan Mullally) nemesis Beverley Leslie, respectively, won Emmys for their roles in the original series and are now eligible again this year. Both have great showcase episodes in the revival, with Will reevaluating how things went wrong with Vince in “The Wedding” and Beverley revealing his very obvious truth to Karen in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying.

(Spoiler alert: Do not read ahead unless you have seen Thursday’s season finale of “Will & Grace.)

“Will & Grace” just aired its second Season 1 finale. Wait, it’s clear we’re referencing the final episode of the freshman installment of NBC’s revival, right? Ok, good.

Thursday’s season-closer ended with a real jaw-dropper: Will’s (Eric McCormack) mother and Grace’s (Debra Messing) father hooked up and announced they are getting married, all in one episode. Which means the two BFFs are about to become brother and sister. Yeah. Ew.

Oh, and Jack (Sean Hayes) got engaged to his new boyfriend he literally just met on a trip to Ibiza, Spain, while Karen (Megan Mullally) ended her long-running affair with her lover (Alec Baldwin) to put her marriage first.

Also Read: 'Will & Grace' Bosses on 'Roseanne' Revival Success: 'There's Not One Part of Us That's Jealous'

But TheWrap decided to focus on the Will and Grace ick factor here in particular when asking Max Mutchnick and David Kohan — the co-creators and showrunners of NBC’s old/new hit — about the cliffhanger for “It’s a Family Affair.” (Yes, that was the actual name of this episode.)

“The idea was that they had both sort of come to this point in their lives where they were very sanguine about where they were and what their life was,” Kohan said. “And Grace had made her peace about being single, being content with her lot. And Will recognized the folly of trying to really quickly rush into a relationship under the wire. And they had both gotten to the point where, ‘Hey things are good.’ And then suddenly circumstances conspire to show them maybe they shouldn’t be so sure of themselves.”

Those circumstances are Grace’s widower father Martin Adler (Robert Klein) and Will’s widow mother Marilyn Truman (Blythe Danner) making with a very fast engagement soon after sleeping together for the first time. And they actually say they are tying the knot because they don’t want to end up like their children, who are co-dependent and alone. Ouch.

Also Read: 'Will and Grace' Revival Renewed for Season 3, NBC Adds to Season 2 Episode Order

So Will and Grace are left with the awkward realization that, not only will they become siblings, but the choices they have made are what led their parents to this decision.

“They are accused of being too incestuous,” Kohan said. “And what happens now that they are literally incestuous? That’s the big question we land on.”

A question they have plenty of time to answer.

Also Read: 'Will & Grace': Alec Baldwin, Blythe Danner and Sara Rue to Reprise Roles

“Will & Grace” was picked up for Season 2 before the revival premiered at the start of the 2017-2018 TV season, and the Peacock recently granted it a third season and upped the episode count for the sophomore installment.

But just because Kohan and Mutchnick have been given a long timeline to work with, that doesn’t mean they are filling it out.

“Things happen during the course of a season that I mean, yeah we might have an idea or we might have in the back of our minds something that we want two years down the road,” Kohan said. “But we also know that things happen during the course of a season. Relationships are made or moments sort of coalesce around something that we didn’t foresee, that move the show in a different direction. So to be married to a certain way to go or a certain way to end it — it’s written in pencil.”

“One of the things that we’re so lucky to have on the show is a room full of very brilliant writers that we collaborate with every week,” Mutchnick added. “And so getting all of those opinions in when story camp starts is going to pave the way to the first episode of Season 2 — or 10, depending on what you want to call it.”

Kohan said they have a “few things” in the works now, but “everything is on the table.” “Because any place that you land is viable if you get it there authentically and if you get it there entertainingly,” he added. “So where we want to end up is up for debate.”

“If we get through it one year at a time, it’s better that way,” Mutchnick added. “And what Season 3 gives us is almost an emotional cushion.”

Read original story ‘Will and Grace’ Finale: Creators Talk Where They’re Going in Season 2 – and 3, for That Matter At TheWrap...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “It’s a Family Affair,” the season finale of “Will & Grace.”

The 2017 return of “Will & Grace” saw its titular characters still living together in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan after 11 years away from the audience. The original series’ run end, which saw Grace (Debra Messing) and Will (Eric McCormack) raising children with their respective partners but in a fight with each other, was proven to be just a daydream of sorts from a spaced out Karen (Megan Mullally).

The first new season back saw the NBC sitcom returning to its roots with classic friendship dynamics and pop-ins from audience favorite guest stars from years past. But it also set its characters up for modern day stories that ranged from topical to character defining. Jack (Sean Hayes) came to realize he might actually be ready for a long-term relationship after all,...

[This story contains spoilers from the first season of NBC's Will & Grace revival.]

Will & Grace capped off the first season of its NBC revival with happy news all around — except when it comes to Will and Grace.

Thursday's season-ender left best pals and roommates Will Truman (Eric McCormack) and Grace Adler (Debra Messing) potentially adding another descriptor to their relationship: siblings. After losing their respective spouses, Grace's dad (Robert Klein) and Will's mom (Blythe Danner) found themselves single and enjoying one another's company so much so that they decided to announce a quickie ...

Candis Cayne is set to appear in a multiple-episode arc on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cayne (The Magicians) will play a transgender patient that receives a vaginoplasty surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

“[The surgery] revolutionizes the making of a vagina, and we thought that was a really cool story,” Grey’s showrunner Krista Vernoff told the trade.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* The cast of ABC’s Roseanne revival will appear on a corporately synergistic special edition of 20/20 on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 10/11c. Roseanne Barr, John Goodman and others from the cast of the sitcom,...