Tag Archives: television

1960s “Laugh-In” Star Ruth Buzzi Dies At Age 88

The Associated Press reports: Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88. Buzzi died Thursday at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with …

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Actor Richard Chamberlain Dies At Age 90 [VIDEO]

The New York Times reports: Richard Chamberlain, who rose to fame as the heartthrob star of the television series “Dr. Kildare” in the early 1960s, proved his mettle by becoming a serious stage actor and went on to a new wave of acclaim as the omnipresent leading man of 1980s mini-series, died on Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii, on the …

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“Racist” Halftime Show Was Most-Watched In History

The Daily Beast reports: Kendrick Lamar got more than a third of the country to watch him hate Drake. The rapper’s halftime show—which featured the likes of SZA, Serena Williams, and a victory-lap rendition of the Grammy-winning “Not Like Us”—saw 133.5 million viewers tune in, making it the most-watched halftime show in history. Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVI also …

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PBS Ends Diversity Efforts Amid Funding Threats

Deadline reports: PBS is closing an office dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, following Donald Trump‘s series of executive orders targeting such programs. The announcement comes amid the prospect that public television funding will be targeted by the current administration and Republicans in Congress. In his first term, Trump sought to zero out funding for the Corporation for Public …

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Paul Reubens Comes Out In Posthumous Documentary

People Magazine reports: Paul Reubens is sharing his truth from beyond the grave. In a posthumous documentary, Pee-wee as Himself, which premiered Thursday, Jan. 23 at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, the legendary comedian came out as gay after concealing his sexuality for the entirety of his career. Before he became known for playing Pee-wee Herman, Reubens revealed he was …

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Oscar-Nominated Director David Lynch Dies At 78

Deadline Hollywood reports: One of Hollywood’s worst weeks in just got worse. David Lynch, the four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, Wild at Heart, The Elephant Man and others who also created the Showtime drama Twin Peaks, has died. He was 78. Lynch had been diagnosed with emphysema. Sources told Deadline that he was forced to relocate …

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Tony-Winning Actress Linda Lavin Dies At Age 87

Deadline Hollywood reports: Linda Lavin, the beloved veteran stage and TV actress known for her Emmy-nominated role in the 1976 sitcom Alice and for her Tony-winning performance in the 1986 play Broadway Bound, died today, Dec. 29. She was 87. The news comes as a shock as Lavin has been working as recently as this month, promoting her new Netflix …

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STUDY: Average Person Spends 110 Hours Per Year Scrolling TV Apps Trying To Find Something To Watch

Study Finds reports: Commissioned by UserTesting and conducted by Talker Research, the survey exposes the growing frustration with the current streaming landscape. The research paints a vivid picture of entertainment exhaustion, revealing that the average person now spends a staggering 110 hours per year — nearly five full days — simply scrolling through streaming platforms in search of something to …

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TV’s Mentalist “The Amazing Kreskin” Dies At Age 89

NBC News reports: The Amazing Kreskin, the famous mentalist and frequent guest on “The Tonight Show,” died on Tuesday at age 89. Kreskin, whose real name was George Kresge, was born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1935. He rose to fame in the ’70s through numerous TV appearances on shows including “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Mervin Griffin Show” and …

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Anti-Gay Game Show Host Chuck Woolery Dies At 83

The Hollywood Reporter reports: Chuck Woolery, the charismatic game show host who kicked off the long run of Wheel of Fortune before spending 11 years playing matchmaker on Love Connection, has died. He was 83. For his Love Connection trademark, Woolery told viewers that the program would return after the commercials in “two and two” — two minutes and two …

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Amazon To Shutter Its Free Streaming Service Freevee

Ars Technica reports: Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service, as it heightens focus on selling ads on its Prime Video subscription service. Amazon, which has owned IMDb since 1998, launched Freevee as IMDb Freedive in 2019. The service let people watch movies and shows, including Freevee originals, on demand without a subscription fee. Amazon’s …

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“Bob’s Burgers” Actor Gets One Year On J6 Charges

ABC News reports: A former voice actor on the cartoon comedy “Bob’s Burgers” who was convicted of a felony for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was sentenced Monday to one year and one day in prison. Jay Johnston, 56, pleaded guilty in July to a felony count of interfering with law enforcement officers …

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“South Pacific” Star Mitzi Gaynor Dies At Age 93

The New York Times reports: Mitzi Gaynor, the bubbly red-haired actress, singer and dancer who landed one of the most coveted movie roles of the mid-20th century, the female lead in “South Pacific,” but who abandoned film as the era of movie musicals came to an end, died on Thursday in Los Angeles. She was 93. “South Pacific” was a …

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“Good Times” And “Roots” Star John Amos Dies At 84

Deadline Hollywood reports: John Amos, the actor whose characters in Good Times, Roots, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show lent the 1970s a solid share of its too-few portrayals of strong Black male role models, died August 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 84. His death, announced by son Kelly Christopher Amos, had not been disclosed until …

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CNN Launches $3.99/Month Paywall For US Readers

CNN reports: CNN, one of the most popular news websites in the world, is starting to ask some of its visitors to pay $3.99 a month for access. On Tuesday, the news organization is laying the first bricks in a so-called paywall that should, over time, help foot the bill for CNN’s journalism around the world. “Starting today, we are …

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DirecTV Agrees To Acquire Rivals Dish TV And Sling

Reuters reports: DirecTV on Monday agreed to buy EchoStar’s satellite television business that includes Dish TV, capping decades of on-and-off talks to create one of the nation’s largest pay TV distributors with a combined 20 million subscribers. The transaction comes at a time when satellite TV services DirecTV and Dish are hemorrhaging market share to competitors like Netflix and Amazon’s …

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Two-Time Oscar Winner Maggie Smith Dies At Age 89

The Guardian reports: Maggie Smith, the prolific, multi-award-winning actor whose work ranged from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie to Harry Potter to Downton Abbey, has died aged 89. The news was confirmed by her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens in a statement. They said: “She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. Smith’s gift …

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Early Ratings: 58 Million Watched Harris/Trump Debate

The Hollywood Reporter reports: The first (and possibly only) presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump drew a substantially larger audience than a June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden. Early Nielsen ratings figures for Tuesday’s telecast, produced by ABC News but simulcast on multiple broadcast and cable networks, show the debate drawing about …

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Tony Winning Actor James Earl Jones Dies At Age 93

CBS News reports: Stage and screen actor James Earl Jones, who won Tony Awards for “The Great White Hope” and “Fences,” and whose majestic basso profundo voice would become internationally recognized as the villainous Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” franchise, has died, his rep confirmed to CBS News. He was 93. An actor renowned for his theatrical presence in …

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Local Fox Reporter Arrested On Child Porn Charges

Columbia’s NBC affiliate reports: According to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Matt Vereen, 28, was arrested on Wednesday and taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Vereen was charged with three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor: two counts in the second degree and another count in the third degree. Arrest warrants state that child …

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