Britain’s culture secretary Oliver Dowden has denied a report that the government has asked right-wing commentator Charles Moore and former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre to fill two powerful UK media jobs. The Sunday Times reported that Moore has been tapped to be the next chair of the BBC , while Dacre is set to be installed as the new chair of UK media regulator Ofcom . The government is responsible for recruiting for both roles and the Sunday Times said prime minister Boris Johnson wants the pair, both ferocious critics of the BBC, to usher in a “revolution” in UK broadcasting. Senior government insiders told the newspaper that hiring Moore as a replacement for outgoing BBC chair David Clementi is a “done deal,” while Johnson “wooed” Dacre for the Ofcom job over drinks at Downing Street in February. But speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Dowden denied that any decisions have been made prior to the government launching a formal recruitment … [Read more...] about UK Government Denies Offering Powerful Media Jobs To Ferocious BBC Critics Paul Dacre & Charles Moore
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‘The Young And The Restless’ at 50: Star Lauralee Bell Reflects On Her Dad’s Legacy, And The Future Of The CBS Soap
On Sunday, The Young and the Restless will officially celebrate 50 years on CBS. For star Lauralee Bell , it’s more than just a celebration; it’s a tribute to the work of her dad William J. Bell , who created the No. 1 daytime drama with his wife, Lee, in 1973. It’s also a heady reminder that Bell — along with her brother Bradley, who’s the head writer on The Bold and the Beautiful — is one of daytime’s most important stewards. “We’re representing dad in such big way,” said Bell of her father, who died in 2005. Her mom passed in 2020. “I was getting ready to do an interview the other day and out of nowhere this huge, overwhelming feeling came over me. I wondered, did dad ever consider that he wouldn’t be here at one point and did it make him feel a little bit better knowing that Brad and I were all in? Did he ever have a moment where he was like, ‘it’s gonna be okay because my kids got me?'” Here, Bell — who has played Christine “Cricket” Blair on the soap since … [Read more...] about ‘The Young And The Restless’ at 50: Star Lauralee Bell Reflects On Her Dad’s Legacy, And The Future Of The CBS Soap
BBC Complained To Government About Chairman Appointment Process Ahead Of Richard Sharp Hire
EXCLUSIVE : The BBC raised concerns about the way the government was going about appointing its new Chairman before the controversial hire of Richard Sharp . Sir David Clementi, the BBC’s former Chairman, wrote to the government in October 2020 to complain about the recruitment process for his successor. The UK government is responsible for appointing the BBC’s Chairman, while ministers also play a role in hiring four other board members. The procedure has become increasingly divisive, with concerns about ministers installing political candidates, leaving the BBC open to the accusation that its non-executive directors are too close to the government. Clementi’s letter to Oliver Dowden, the former Culture Secretary, could fuel suspicions that the government played politics with the BBC’s board amid a wider agenda against the broadcaster. In the letter, disclosed by the BBC under a Freedom of Information request, Clementi raised questions about the Chairman … [Read more...] about BBC Complained To Government About Chairman Appointment Process Ahead Of Richard Sharp Hire
Philippa Langley On Digging Up ‘The Lost King’ Richard III After 500 Years – Specialty Preview
The much-maligned Richard III finally gets the royal treatment in Stephen Frears’ The Lost King as amateur historian Philippa Langley unearths the monarch’s five-century-old remains in a parking lot in Leicester, England, in 2012. Two books and a documentary later, IFC Films presents the feature film version in 750+ theaters. “It took eight years from starting the search to cutting the tarmac. To see it telescoped into a hundred or so minutes made it really powerful for me,” Langley, who’s played in the film by Sally Hawkins, told Deadline. Richard III (1461-1483) is one of Shakespeare’s most malevolent villains, a deformed hunchback usurper and murderer. But historians have contested the portrayal of the last king of the House of York and Plantagenet dynasty, noting history is often (re)written by the victors, in this case the Tudors. A society of “Ricardians” at work for years to rehabilitate the monarch’s image, and other well-wishers, chipped in to fund a costly … [Read more...] about Philippa Langley On Digging Up ‘The Lost King’ Richard III After 500 Years – Specialty Preview
NBC Renewal Status Report: One Chicago, ‘Law & Order’ Franchise, ‘Lopez vs. Lopez’, ‘American Auto’ & More
Second in a series on broadcast network series renewals. Reboots have been hot on NBC this season, with the two freshman follow-ups to classic TV series, drama Quantum Leap and comedy Night Court , both already picked up for a second season. For the first time in years, NBC faces renewals of its four top-rated dramas: Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise and Law & Order: SVU , whose three-season pickups all are coming to an end. I hear negotiations already are underway, and the goal again is to secure multi-season renewals for all four shows. That is considered attainable as the biggest obstacle for long-running hit shows usually is cost, and Wolf is known for keeping his productions on tight budgets. That sometimes is reflected into how long actors stay on his procedurals, with cast turnovers used as both a way to keep shows fresh creatively and keep costs in check. RELATED: We’ll Be Back: Photo Gallery Of TV Series Renewed In 2023 Of course, … [Read more...] about NBC Renewal Status Report: One Chicago, ‘Law & Order’ Franchise, ‘Lopez vs. Lopez’, ‘American Auto’ & More
‘The Simpsons’ Credited For Predicting Fate Of Florida Principal Who Was Forced Out By Parents Angered By Michelangelo’s ‘David’
Once again, The Simpsons are being credited for predicting a future dumpster fire. Case in point: a 1990 episode of the animated Fox comedy depicted an angry mob of people protesting the planned exhibition of Michelangelo’s David in Springfield. “It’s fifth,” a woman tells Marge. “It graphically portrays parts of the human body, which practical as they may be, are evil.” Flash forward to this week, when a Florida charter school principal says she was forced to resign after some parents complained about their sixth grade students seeing a picture of David in class. It all unfolded at Tallahassee Classical, which bases its curriculum on the conservative and Christian Hillsdale College in Michigan. According to The Washington Post , the charter schools that rely on Hillsdale’s curriculum are supposed to teach Renaissance art to sixth graders, which includes the statue of David. But Barney Bishop III, the chair of the school board, told reporters that parents — two, to … [Read more...] about ‘The Simpsons’ Credited For Predicting Fate Of Florida Principal Who Was Forced Out By Parents Angered By Michelangelo’s ‘David’
‘Yellowjackets’: Simone Kessell Explains Why Adult Lottie Buries A Man Alive In The Premiere
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains plot points from the season premiere of Yellowjackets on Showtime. Fans of Yellowjackets finally got to meet the adult version of Lottie Matthews in the season 2 premiere: she’s now a woo-woo spiritual leader who enjoys expensive things while burying live people in the name of good health. Namaste, suckas! Here, Simone Kessell ( Obi-Wan Kenobi) talks about Lottie’s crazy trajectory, along with whether the girl who served as a leader to her Yellowjackets teammates while they were marooned in the mountains really believes all that new age-y stuff as an adult. DEADLINE What an incredible 24 hours for you. I just saw you kicking ass in the premiere episode of Netflix’s The Night Agent . I didn’t realize you were in that. SIMONE KESSELL I didn’t know that either. [Laughs]. I’ve been a little overwhelmed with Yellowjackets, then I remembered that I did do The Night Agent at the start of last year, which was fantastic. … [Read more...] about ‘Yellowjackets’: Simone Kessell Explains Why Adult Lottie Buries A Man Alive In The Premiere
Bill Maher Cuts Hollywood’s Nepo Babies Down To Size, Praises Meritocracy On ‘Real Time’
Never Give A Sucker An Even Break was a 1941 movie from W.C. Fields. But it could have been the theme to Bill Maher ’s Real Time on Friday night. From Donald Trump’s latest foibles, through TikTok ’s right to exist in the US, to the growing lost generation of young men, Maher and his guests tried to make sense of a world that seems to be flailing in its battle to find solutions. Ultimately, Maher turned his guns on nepo babies , the children of the famous who feel they’ve hit a triple when they’re born on third base. Maher’s New Rules editorial focused on the long string of Hollywood stars that got a leg up thanks to their connections, starting with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. “It doesn’t make them bad people or untalented,” Maher said. “But let’s also admit they weren’t the only ones who could have done it.” He added, “So enjoy the good life, nepos. Just don’t say you didn’t have a big advantage.” As Maher pointed out, “This is show business. Getting your foot in … [Read more...] about Bill Maher Cuts Hollywood’s Nepo Babies Down To Size, Praises Meritocracy On ‘Real Time’
‘Clone High’ Revival On HBO Max Sets Spring Debut, Reveals Cast & First-Look Images
Clone High , HBO Max ’s upcoming revival of the classic MTV series from Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Bill Lawrence, will premiere this spring, it was revealed during the show’s panel at WonderCon. Returning voice cast includes Will Forte reprising his role as Abe; Nicole Sullivan as Joan; Lord as Scudworth; Chris Miller as JFK and Mr. B; Christa Miller voicing a new character, Candide Sampson; Donald Faison back as George Washington Carver; and Judah Miller as Scangrade. Dubbed a “modern refresh” of the 2002 animated series, the followup is set at a high school for clones of historical figures. After a high school that was secretly being run as an elaborate military experiment to clone the greatest minds in history was put on ice, the clones have been thawed out 20 years later to resume the experiment with new clone classmates – all while navigating a new set of cultural norms and overly dramatic teen relationships. Of the core characters in the original series, Abe, … [Read more...] about ‘Clone High’ Revival On HBO Max Sets Spring Debut, Reveals Cast & First-Look Images