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The NCIS cast may soon see much more of Agent Jessica Knight’s sister.

A standing rumor is that she will play an important part during the second half of NCIS Season 22.

The show has been on hiatus for several weeks, with CBS taking a primetime break from new episodes of its hit dramas.

But the shows soon return, including a new season of NCIS: Sydney and new episodes of Fire Country.

All previous episodes from the NCIS season are streaming on Paramount+. And it might be a good time for fans to re-watch the NCIS fall finale.

The last tidbit we learned was that Agent Nick Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) has a secret girlfriend. And that girlfriend is going to cause some chaos.

Who plays Knight’s sister on the NCIS cast?

Actress Lilan Bowden plays Robin Knight and is set to appear again later in NCIS Season 22.

Robin is Jessica Knight’s sister.

Two hot topics among NCIS fans have been actresses Diane Delano and Lilan Bowden.

Each actress appeared on the NCIS cast, but the ladies were in the news this week for different reasons.

Diane Delano passed away due to cancer. Her friend Stepfanie Kramer confirmed the sad news to Deadline.

Diane was best known for her starring role on Nothern Exposure, where she played Alaska state trooper and former astronaut Barbara Semanski.

She also played Roberta “Bobbi” Glass for 36 episodes of Ryan Murphy’s WB Network series Popular.

The veteran actress appeared in an episode of 2 Broke Girls, Mom, Good Girls, Mike & Molly, and General Hospital.

Diane Delano on the NCIS cast

Diane Delano guest starred on NCIS Season 4, Episode 16. She played Dee Dee Chesney on the 2007 episode called Dead Man Walking.

Her episode of NCIS is streaming on Paramount+.

Lilan Bowden on the NCIS cast

Lilan Bowden guest-starred on...

The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos is such a nice woman - she's a truly classy human being who's been through a lot, and since she loves Chock Chapple madly, Joan may be destined for heartbreak down the line. It's not that her "final rose" recipient isn't a good guy, although Chock's been called controlling... it's more that the odds of a successful marriage are against them. People who marry for the second time have a higher likelihood of splitting up.

Mad about you (Mad about you)

Lost in your eyes (Reason aside)

Mad about love (Mad about you)

You and I - Mad About You (Belinda Carlisle)

For Joan, 61, believing so fully in the dream of true love may actually be perilous, as she's a woman who lost her beloved husband to pancreatic cancer. Joan has been through the wringer. She hasn't really healed, but accepted what is real.

Royal Knight made her debut on the 12th season of “The Masked Singer” on Nov. 13, 2024, as a member of Group C. The armored crooner’s first song on Fox’s reality TV show was “You and I” by Lady Gaga, and she had the four panelists guessing such famous names as Ashley Tisdale, Lily James, and Hayden Panettiere. The following week, she performed “When I Look at You” and the judges guessed Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Aubrey Plaza.

But who is Royal Knight? If you’re looking for “The Masked Singer” spoilers and clues, you’ve come to the right place! Read on for everything to know about Royal Knight, including which famous celebrity We think is hiding underneath this spectacu-steel costume.

Gold Derby’s official guess for Royal Knight is … Jessie James Decker! Don’t believe us? Let’s examine all of the clues, one by one:...

Casting Society (CSA) on Tuesday announced that the 40th Annual Artios Awards honoring casting professionals will be held on February 12, 2025 jointly at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills and the Edison Ballroom in New York City – with a London venue yet to be revealed. It also unveiled its newly-elected Board of Directors for 2024-25.

The current CSA president Destiny Lilly said, “I am privileged to continue my role as President of CSA, especially as we prepare to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Artios Awards, a wonderful milestone in our ongoing mission to support and spotlight the contributions of casting professionals globally. Our shift to the February ceremony date allows us to position the nominees and winners as influential precursors to the Academy Awards, where Casting will debut as an award in 2026.”

SEE2024 Artios Awards winners: Casting Society honors ‘Barbie,’ ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ ‘The Holdovers’…

The 2024-2025 CSA...

Groening opposed The Simpsons crossover with The Critic and tried to have the episode removed from the schedule. Groening received criticism for publicly attacking colleagues over the crossover, causing friction within the team. Some praised Groening for standing up for creative rights, but questioned his public approach to the situation.

Matt Groening is a name that will be familiar to most fans of The Simpsons as the show's creator has his name appear in the opening credits of each episode -- except for one special exception. Groening first began developing the idea in 1985, and The Simpsons would debut two years later before going on to become an iconic series which is one of the most beloved shows of all time. Groening continues to work on The Simpsons to this day and wrote both the 2007 movie and a select few classic episodes. However, there was one episode he wanted no part of.

Hey, "Bob's Burgers" fans. We're back on here to let you know that Fox will indeed serve up another new episode of Bob's Burgers tonight, November 19, 2023. That's right, guys. Fox is going to serve up the next, new episode 7 of Bob Burgers' current season 14 tonight, and we've got some new preview info for it. Fox put out an official press release for tonight's new, November 19, 2023 episode 7. So, we will certainly see what it has to say for this preview session. Let's get into it. First off, there is an official title for tonight's new, November 19, 2023 episode 7 of Bob's Burgers season 14. The writers decided to pick the name, "The (Raccoon) King and I."...

Bob’s Burgers fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 14 Episode 7 episode titled The (Raccoon) King and I!

Find out everything you need to know about the The (Raccoon) King and I episode of Bob’s Burgers, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Bob’s Burgers The (Raccoon) King and I Season 14 Episode 7 Preview

In the upcoming episode of the beloved animated series “Bob’s Burgers” titled “The (Raccoon) King and I,” slated to air on Fox at 9:00 Pm on November 19, 2023, viewers are in for a delightful mix of humor, mishaps, and the quirky charm that defines the Belcher family.

As the narrative unfolds, the ever-enthusiastic Linda, played by John Roberts, finds herself in a comical predicament during a neighborhood block party. A mistake on her part threatens the well-being of her favorite alley raccoon, setting the stage...

A major update in the Tupac Shakur murder case has an old friend of his speaking out.

Back in high school, Shakur happened to be friends with Jada Pinkett Smith, and the two future-celebrities would go on to respectively find fame as a rapper and actor. Their friendship had also been portrayed in the 2017 biopic All Eyez on Me, with Demetrius Shipp Jr. as Shakur and Kat Graham as Pinkett Smith. It all came to an end in 1996 when Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, the target of a drive-by shooting that had since been unsolved.

Related: Hulu's Futurama Features Final Rap and Special Tribute for Coolio

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This review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn't exist.When it comes to the rich versus the poor, we’ve seen plenty of films—especially recently with movies like The Menu or Triangle of Sadness, just to name a few—where despite the rallying cry to “eat the rich,” the wealthy always win, the little guy continues to stay small, and Robin Hood becomes little more than a sign of potential hope. Dumb Money, the latest film from Cruella and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie, shows the power of what can happen when the little guys team up and unite to fight the power.

Fashion pioneer Bethann Hardison is turning the camera on her own legacy. Documentary “Invisible Beauty,” co-directed by Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng (“Dior and I”), premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and later screened at Tribeca in the spring. The feature charts model and modeling agent Hardison’s impact on the fashion industry after having pushed the boundaries of what being a supermodel looks like.

Per the official synopsis: “In her lifetime, Bethann Hardison has seen the pendulum swing toward and away from the Black model. At every setback, she spoke up and rallied her colleagues and clients in the industry to advance change. Now in her 70s, the Brooklyn native is writing her memoir, taking stock of her own legacy at a moment when the fashion industry was shaken by discrimination. Directors Tcheng and Hardison trace her impact on fashion from runway shows in the 1970s to roundtables...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Doja Cat gets ruthless, Halle Bailey shines in her debut solo single, and Bebe Rexha and David Guetta bring us back to the 2010s with a dance-pop anthem. Plus, new music from Kali Uchis, Grupo Frontera, James Blunt and more.

Doja Cat, “Paint the Town Red” (YouTube)

Halle Bailey, “Angel” (YouTube)

Bebe Rexha and David Guetta, “One in a Million” (YouTube)

Kali Uchis feat. El Alfa and Jt,...

To mark the release of “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” which arrived for 4K Uhd, Blu-Ray and DVD from 5th June, we have 2 Blu-Rays to give away!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods arrives on 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD from 5th June

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” continues the story of teenage Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who, upon reciting the magic word “Shazam!,” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam. Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with having adult Super Hero alter-egos. But when the Daughters of Atlas, a vengeful trio of ancient gods, arrive on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Billy—aka Shazam (Zachary Levi)—and his family are thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of their world.

Experience an action-packed adventure when “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” arrives for Premium Digital Ownership at home on April 7. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg, written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, based on characters from DC; Shazam! created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, starring Zachary Levi (“American Underdog”) as Shazam and Asher Angel (TV’s “Andi Mack”) ... Read more...

Image Source: Getty / Adam Rose / Disney Channel

More than a decade after the "Wizards of Waverly Place" series finale aired in 2012, showrunner Peter Murrieta validated one of Disney Channel's biggest ships: Alex Russo and Stevie Nichols. Speaking with former "Wizards" stars Jennifer Stone and David DeLuise on the "Wizards of Waverly Pod" on March 27, Murrieta confirmed that Alex, played by Selena Gomez, was bisexual and had romantic feelings for Stevie, played by Hayley Kiyoko.

"It was pretty clear to all of us what that relationship was."

When asked if there was a storyline he would have liked to explore further in the series, Murrieta didn't hesitate to reference the obvious flirtations between the characters on screen. "I wish we could have played more with what was quite obvious to a lot of us: the relationship between Stevie and Alex," he said.

For anyone who needs a refresher on the pair's friendship,...

The cast of DC Studios’ superhero sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods features both familiar actors like Zachary Levi and franchise newcomers like Lucy Liu playing a colorful array of characters. Helmed by returning director David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden and Chris Morgan, Shazam 2 is one of the final installments in the original DC Extended Universe before its James Gunn-helmed reboot. Shazam! Fury of the Gods revolves around the theme of family as Billy Batson and his similarly superpowered foster siblings, dubbed the “Shazam Family,” take on the Daughters of Atlas to prevent the end of the world.

The first Shazam movie was warmly received by critics and managed to gross over $366 million (via Box Office Mojo) in the same release window as Avengers: Endgame in April 2019. Shazam’s self-aware humor and lighthearted comedic tone marked a refreshing change of pace for the usually dark and dreary Dceu,...

The adventures of Sisi and Franz will continue.

German period drama series Sisi — a reimagining of the historic love story between 19th century Austrian Empress Elisabeth, nicknamed “Sisi,” and her husband, Emperor Franz — has received a third-season order from German network Rtl.

Swiss American actress Dominique Devenport will return as Sisi and Jannik Schümann as Franz for season 3, which Story House Pictures will produce, in collaboration with Beta Film.

Sisi was an out-of-the-gate hit for Rtl, which has success both streaming the show on its Rtl+ platform and broadcasting it on its flagship linear channel in Germany. Beta has sold the series to more than 100 territories worldwide, including to Mediaset in Italy, TF1 in France and Globoplay in Brazil.

In the Rtl series, Empress Elisabeth is depicted as a tomboy who falls, as a princess in Bavaria, head-over-heels in love with the the handsome and powerful Franz, Emperor of Austria.

As a model, Bethann Hardison walked the runway alongside Iman. As an agent, she discovered Tyson Beckford and mentored supermodels like Naomi Campbell. As an activist, Hardison revolutionized the fashion industry. From runway shows in the 1970s to roundtables about the lack of racial diversity in the early 2000s, the former model has seen the pendulum swing toward and away from the Black model.

In “Invisible Beauty,” a documentary directed by Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng, Hardison reflects on her personal journey, her fight for representational shifts in the fashion industry and the cost of being a pioneer. In addition to Hardison’s voice, the doc features interviews with her mentees and collaborators including Campbell, Beckford, Iman, Tracee Ellis Ross, Fran Lebowitz, Pat Cleveland, Stephen Burrows, Whoopi Goldberg, Ralph Lauren and Bruce Weber. The film also gazes toward the future with insights from a new generation Hardison has inspired, including Zendaya,...

Benoit Blanc is the not-so-secret weapon of the "Knives Out" franchise. There's certainly no hiding him: Daniel Craig's performance is a highlight of both films and there are plenty of reasons why writer/director Rian Johnson would much prefer Blanc's name as the series subtitle. The Kentucky fried detective is a cigar-smoking, righteously angry, wealth-loathing star! But the very quiet truth of these movies is that, as much time as we spend with Blanc, how much do we really know about the man?

Blanc is introduced in "Knives Out" as though he's a caricature of the famed detective archetype we know so well: frequently called "the world's greatest detective," he's got a reputation that precedes him and plenty of famously solved cases under his belt. And what more do we learn from there? Well, the man obviously loves donuts, is filled with contempt for the wealthy elites he's so often surrounded by,...

Warning! Spoilers for Glass Onion: A Knives Out MysteryRian Johnson's latest movie, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, includes a scruffy character named Derol — but what's his deal? The second Knives Out film sees the famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) traveling to Greece to solve a murder mystery. Like its predecessor, Glass Onion is full of intriguing twists and turns, and as Blanc peels back the layers of this mystery, he comes to a conclusion hidden in plain sight. Each character is clearly indebted to their host, the tech-billionaire Miles Bron, and every person has the motive and means to commit the heinous crime of murder — and then there's Derol.

The cast of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery sees major names like Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Daniel Craig, and many more, but Noah Segan's character Derol seems like the odd man out. When Derol is first introduced,...

Photo: ‘Darby and the Dead’

‘Darby and the Dead’ breaks many Disney stars out of their clean family-friendly records into this edgy PG-13 film. Auli’i Cravalho, voice of the Polynesian Disney princess Moana, stars as the popular mean girl, Capri who suffered an untimely death just before she gets to experience her extravagant seventeenth birthday party. Meanwhile, her ex-bestfriend and social outcast, Darby Harper, played by Riele Downs, was gifted with the secret ability to see and speak to spirits that have yet to cross over from a lack of closure in the mortal world. Having started her own spirit counseling service , Darby Harper is tasked with her most difficult task and client of her life, becoming a popular cheerleader and throwing the school’s grandest birthday memorial party for the late and superficial head cheerleader Capri. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here.

Now available to stream on Hulu, Darby and the Dead takes a realistic approach to grief without overwhelming its younger audience. After losing her mom and suffering a near-death experience, Darby discovers that she has developed the ability to communicate with the dead. However, when the school's Queen Bee, Capri, dies in a hair-straightening-related incident, she refuses to accept her fate and pass on to the other side. It doesn't take long before Darby is roped into helping her former nemesis and finds herself gaining an unlikely perspective on those she's always written off.

Asher Angel plays Capri's boyfriend James, who ends up befriending Darby in the aftermath of his girlfriend's death. Meanwhile, Chosen Jacobs plays Alex, the school's new mascot and Darby's love interest. Angel is most notably known for his role as Jonah Beck in the Disney Channel series Andi Mack and has worked on films such as Shazam! and Driven to Dance.

The participants for Disney General Entertainment Content (Dge) have been selected for the 2022-2023 Dge Directing Program.

“We’re pleased to once again guarantee episodes to talented, first-time television directors via our Directing Program,” said Tim McNeal, senior vice president, Creative Talent Development & Inclusion. “We continue to be grateful for the ongoing support and partnership of our participating Disney productions, showrunners and producers, and our creative executives and senior leaders, who remain committed to fostering and championing diverse directing talent at our company.”

Launched in 2001 and run by Dge’s Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (Ctdi) department, the Dge Directing Program previously provided access, mentorship, shadowing assignments and advanced professional development to directors on the cusp of episodic television directing.

In partnership with participating Disney series, this year’s program will commit episodes to directors on the following shows: Bunk’D (Disney Branded Television), The Chi (20th Television), General Hospital (ABC), The Good Doctor...

Warning! This article may contain minor Spoilers for the movie!The School for Good and Evil opens its doors for session and introduces its cast and characters inhabiting a reimagined fairytale world. Based on the fantasy hexalogy book series by Soman Chainani, Netflix’s the School for Good and Evil follows best friends, Sophie and Agatha, who are abducted to attend a prestigious, magical boarding school where children are trained to become princes, princesses, and witches in their own storybooks. However, Sophie is sent to the School of Evil and Agatha to the School of Good, a mistake they believe should be the other way around.

Originally, Universal Pictures picked up the live-action rights for a book-to-screen adaptation of the School of Good and Evil in 2013. However, production of the project only made headway in 2020 when Netflix announced its takeover, immediately bringing on board A Simple Favor director Paul Feig.

The perils and plights of adolescence have long been a source of fascination for television audiences. That’s particularly apparent nowadays with Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, FX, and others vying for zeitgeist dominance with teen-focused dramas playing to a variety of creative strengths. As narratives have gotten more sophisticated overall across the TV landscape, it makes sense that the ways in which we look at stories about young people have also evolved. From “Never Have I Ever” and “Love, Victor” to “Yellowjackets” and “Stranger Things,” TV teens in 2022 are among some of the most rich ever written.

Because life as a teenager is equal parts happy and sad, hilarious and tragic, horny and horrifying, the following curation does not limit selections by genre, meaning: These picks range from animation to sitcoms to murder mysteries to science fiction. That said, there are also a fair number of picks that are entirely...

Stoney Westmoreland, the actor best known for playing the title character’s grandfather on the Disney Channel series “Andi Mack,” has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for trying to lure what he thought was a 13-year-old boy into having sex.

Westmoreland, who was facing a 10-year prison sentence, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

The actor, who was fired by Disney after his 2018 arrest, will also be under supervised probation for 10 years and have to register as a sex offender for 25 years. He is also banned from all contact with minors without adult supervision and his computer devices will be subject to random searches.

Also Read:

‘Andi Mack’ Actor Stoney Westmoreland Fired After Arrest on Suspicion of Soliciting a 13-Year-Old

Westmoreland was arrested in Salt Lake City in...

Update: Stoney Westmoreland, charged with attempting to lure a minor into sex, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison and ten years of supervised release. Westmoreland copped a plea deal with prosecutors after the actor originally faced a ten year sentence,. But he was allowed to plead down to a lesser charge of using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor.

Earlier: Stoney Westmoreland, who played the grandfather on Disney Channel sitcom Andi Mack until he was fired amid allegations of trying to arrange online to have sex with a 13-year-old, has been charged with six felony counts involving the case.

Today’s counts include attempted exploitation of a minor and enticing a minor.

Salt Lake City prosecutors said Westmoreland, 48, found a Grindr profile operated by a police detective near where the Disney Channel sitcom is filmed. According to court documents, on December 13 the actor took a...

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek issued a memo to staff members March 7 to state that the corporation “unequivocally” supports LGBTQ+ rights, despite donating to “Don’t Say Gay” bill backers for years. But Disney employees quickly took to Twitter to voice their disdain, calling the statement too, little too late.

“[Disney is] starting to include more LGBT characters that let kids know that being gay is all right. But when they have donated to the sponsors and co-sponsors of the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill and they have made no position against this bill, and they are going to continue donating to these politicians, they are essentially saying that this bill is Ok,” animation writer Benjamin Siemon said in a video posted on Twitter. “This bill is going to hurt kids, and that’s why I’m asking Disney to please take a position on the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill...

As the Walt Disney Co. takes heat for a report detailing how the company has financially backed all of the sponsors of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, employees and artists associated with Disney have taken to social media to criticize its response to the bill.

Particularly upsetting many staffers is CEO Bob Chapek’s memo expressing “unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community” despite the lack of a public statement opposing the bill, which would limit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

The email, which Chapek sent to Disney staffers on Monday, reads: “In terms of our communities, we are and will continue to be a leader in supporting organizations that champion diversity. In 2021, we provided nearly $3 million to support the work of LGBTQ+ organizations. And, we have a long history of supporting important events like Pride parades.” Directly addressing Disney’s silence on the bill,...

Exclusive: Disney Branded Television has assembled well known Disney talent for Prom Pact (working title), a teen rom-com movie for Disney+. Prom Pact, which I hear is among several original movies Dbt will be announcing during their TCA session tomorrow, is toplined by Disney Channel favorites, former Andi Mack star Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who is now the lead of Disney+’s Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., and Zombies‘ Milo Manheim, who also was a runner-up on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. The film comes from Julie Bowen, star of ABC’s signature comedy Modern Family, and Melvin Mar, producer behind such Disney series as ABC’s Fresh off the Boat and Disney+’s Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., headlined by Lee.

Written by Anthony Lombardo and to be directed by Anya Adams (Fresh off the Boat) , Prom Pact is set at the height of prom season. High school senior Mandy Coleman...

“Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.,” Disney Plus’ “Doogie Howser” reboot about the adventures of a 16-year-old mixed-race girl juggling adolescence and a prodigious medical career in Hawai’i, will return to Disney Plus for a second season. The half-hour, family-friendly medical dramedy starring Peyton Elizabeth Lee in the titular role of Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha, was originally released on the streamer on Nov. 10, 2021.

Lee is best known for starring in the hit Disney Channel series “Andi Mack,” also in the title role, and has also starred in the Disney Plus original movie “Secret Society of Second-Born Royals.” Her other credits include ABC’s “Stumptown” and “Scandal,” and Showtime’s “Shameless.” She was included in Variety‘s Young Hollywood Impact Report in 2019. Starring opposite Lee on “Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.,” are cast regulars Kathleen Rose Perkins, Matthew Sato, Wes Tian, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Jason Scott Lee and Emma Meisel.

The Disney Branded Television series,...

The only characters on Tyler Perry’s Sistas who know for sure if Hayden is dead or alive are Fatima’s goons and Hayden himself. The rest of us will have to find out when the soapy and addictive drama airs this Wednesday at 9/8c on BET.

Until then, a video of behind-the-scenes footage from Season 4 has been circulating all over the interwebs ever since the receptionist told Andi and Fatima that their coworker Hayden had been found dead in the garage in last week’s season opener.

More from TVLineTyler Perry's Sistas Season 4 Premiere Recap: Andi's Nightmare Ends,...

The romantic rifts between Calvin and Sabrina on Tyler Perry’s Sistas are less about the kinky things he wants to do in the bedroom and more about Sabrina oversharing with her friends.

Calvin’s frustration with her friend Danni knowing too much about him and talking trash comes to a head this Wednesday (9/8c) on BET, and the exchange gets pretty ugly pretty quickly, says actor Anthony Dalton.

More from TVLineTyler Perry's Sistas' Devale Ellis Breaks Down that Brief 'Zatima' Breakup, Previews a Sweet Make-Up and MoreSistas Recap: Fatima and Zac Say 'I Love You,' But What Is Andi Doing?...

Exclusive: Ashley Liao and Ross Butler (Netflix’s To All The Boys franchise, Shazam!) have signed on to star in Loveboat, Taipei, a romance film from Ace Entertainment and 1 Productions Film Co., which will enter production in Taipei later this month.

The film from director Arvin Chen (Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?) is based on Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name. It centers on Ever Wong (Liao), whose summer takes an unexpected turn when her parents surprise her with a trip to Taipei for a cultural immersion program. Ever is surprised to discover that she hasn’t signed up for homework and history lessons, but instead for a summer-long free-for-all the locals and other students call “Loveboat.” It quickly lives up to its name when Ever finds herself trying not to fall for two attractive, but wildly...

It’s the end of an era for Disney’s kids and family programming. Gary Marsh will be ending his 33-year executive tenure at the company when he steps down as President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Branded Television at the end of 2021. He won’t be leaving Disney though — Marsh will be launching his own production company backed by Disney General Entertainment. Under a rich multiyear production deal, Marsh will be developing content for Disney’s streaming and linear platforms including Disney+, Hulu, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, ABC, National Geographic, Freeform and FX.

Marsh is currently finalizing the first projects on the inaugural development slate of his company, including two new Descendants movies, extending the popular Disney Channel movie franchise; the Beauty and the Beast prequel series starring Josh Gad and Luke Evans, which was recently greenlighted by Disney+; as well as projects Tink, a take on Peter...

Super producer Tyler Perry was all smiles as he met with the leading ladies of his soapy hit BET drama Sistas for an aftershow following its Season 3 midseason finale on Wednesday. But those grins came to an end when Perry started reading mean tweets about the series’ perceived need for a writers’ room on the special, titled The Tyler Perry Show: Sistas After-Show Edition.

“Out of all the things happening in the world, you’re worried about a character on this show saying he liked getting his prostate tickled?” Perry asked incredulously. “Ok, listen. To all of you who think I need a writers’ room,...

Exclusive: Actress Millicent Simmonds has signed with WME for representation in all areas.

The 18-year old actress broke out in Todd Haynes’s feature Wonderstruck opposite Julianne Moore, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. She continued on to star in Paramount and John Krasinski’s genre blockbuster A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place II as Regan Abbott. Combined, both movies have grossed $479.3M to date worldwide. The sequel over Memorial Day weekend rallied moviegoing back after theaters were largely closed down during the year-plus pandemic, debuting to $57M over four days. Deadline was told that out of all the markets that overindexed for the film for the box office, it was Simmonds’ home state of Utah, where moviegoers flocked out to watch her.

As a deaf actress, Simmonds is a champion for those performers with disabilities. During the pandemic, Simmonds and a speech-language pathology...

Exclusive: Peggy Blow, who has recurred as Abuelita on Netflix’s On My Block since the series’ launch in 2018, has been promoted to series regular for the fourth and final season. A Season 4 premiere date has not yet been announced.

Blow’s Abuelita is an age-defying, pot smoking eccentric who says it like it is and is always on standby for a lift and unwelcome advice. She has appeared in 21 episodes.

Co-created by Lauren Iungerich (Awkward) and Eddie Gonzalez & Jeremy Haft (All Eyez On Me), On My Block is a coming of age comedy about four bright and street-savvy friends navigating their way through the triumph, pain and the newness of high-school set in the rough inner city.

On My Block stars Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Brett Gray, Diego Tinoco, Jessica Marie Garcia and Julio Macias.

Iungerich exec produces alongside Gonzalez, Haft and Jamie Dooner.

Veteran actress Blow began her...

Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington have joined the cast of Paul Feig’s upcoming Netflix movie, “The School for Good and Evil.”

Based on the young adult fantasy novel by Soman Chainani, the story follows best friends Sophie and Agatha as they are kidnapped to the School for Good and Evil. After their fortunes are reversed, their friendship is put to the test as the duo attempts to return home. Washington is playing Professor Dovey and Theron is portraying Lady Lesso — two looming figures at the mysterious house of education.

“I know what school I’m applying to,” Feig wrote Friday on Twitter to announce the casting news. “So thrilled to welcome Charlize Theron and Kerry Washington to the School for Good and Evil! Everyone, prepare to get schooled!”

Feig, whose vast credits include “Freaks and Geeks,” “Bridesmaids,” “A Simple Favor” and “The Heat,” is directing the film from a...

Exclusive: Asher Angel, who starred opposite Zachary Levi’s title superhero in Shazam!, has signed with Atlas Artists.

In the 2019 New Line/DC hit, Angel played Billy Baston, the foster teenager who can transform into superhero Shazam. He is set to return for the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which begins production in May. The original grossed $366 million worldwide two years ago.

His acting credits also include playing Jonah in the 2017-19 Disney Channel series Andi Mack, for which he won a Young Entertainer Award, along with the features Driven to Dance and Jolene. Angel also has guested in episodes of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn.

Angel, who also sings and plays guitar, continues to be repped by the Gersh Agency, Wright Entertainment Group and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.

Disney+ has found its new Doogie Howser… er, Doogie Kameāloha. Peyton Elizabeth Lee, who starred on Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack,” will take over the white lab coat on Disney’s upcoming reboot of the 1990s sitcom about a teenage physician.

The reimagining of the Neil Patrick Harris comedy will see Lee play the 16-year-old wunderkind who is working as a doctor while her peers are still in high school.

Set in modern-day Hawaii, the 10-episode comedy follows Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha, a mixed-race 16-year-old girl, juggling a budding medical career and life as a teenager. Guiding Lahela (and also complicating things) is her family, including her spitfire Irish mother who’s also her supervisor at the hospital, and her “Local Boy” father who struggles to accept that his daughter is no longer his little girl.

“Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.” is written and executive produced by Kourtney Kang and produced by 20th Television,...

Former Andi Mack star Peyton Elizabeth Lee has landed the title role in Doogie Kameāloha, M.D., a re-imagining of the popular ABC series Doogie Howser, M.D. The reboot of the Neil Patrick Harris-starring half-hour medical dramedy with a female lead comes from How I Met Your Mother and Fresh Off the Boat alumna Kourtney Kang and 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Peyton, in a reimagining of the title role which made a star of Harris three decades ago, will play a 16-year-old wunderkind who is working as a doctor while her peers are still in high school.

Written by Kang and set in present-day Hawaii, Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. follows Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha (Lee), a 16-year-old mixed-race girl who juggles a budding medical career and life as a teenager. Guiding Lahela — and also complicating things — is her family, including her spitfire Irish mother, who’s...

The “Doogie Howser” reboot at Disney Plus, “Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.,” has cast Peyton Elizabeth Lee in the title role, Variety has learned.

The rebooted series will focus on Lahela “Doogie” Kameāloha (Lee), a mixed race 16-year-old girl who works as a doctor in Hawaii. The 10-episode half-hour comedy follows Kameāloha as she juggles a budding medical career and life as a teenager. Guiding Lahela (and also complicating things) is her family, including her spit-fire Irish mother who’s also her supervisor at the hospital, and her Hawaiian “Local Boy” father struggling to accept that his daughter is no longer his little girl.

The role keeps Lee in the Disney fold. She is best known for starring in the hit Disney Channel series “Andi Mack,” also in the title role. That show wrapped up in 2019 after three seasons. She also recently starred in the Disney Plus original movie “Secret Society of Second-Born Royals.

It’s fitting that a song about doing it yourself is the only track in Rolling Stone‘s year-end Top 50 chart to be penned by a single writer. The song in question, Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey,” was inspired by busking, which is exactly what the Australian artist — born Toni Watson — quit her job to do for the sake of following her dream.

Watson writes all of her own music, which is a rarity these days, but especially in popular music. Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over” was...

For Lilan Bowden, portraying Bex in Disney Channel’s “Andi Mack” was the first time she played a culturally relevant role. The Taiwanese American actress quickly learned how much it meant for her community to see a multi-generational Asian American family on prime-time television, tackling everything from teenage pregnancy to feminism.

Since the show ended last year, the actor-turned-director has continued to push for opportunities to put Asian American families on the screen, most recently signing on to helm Korean American writer Ed Lee’s autobiographical film, “Becoming Eddie.” The film, which debuted at last week’s Bentonville Film Festival, is Bowden’s directorial debut, and the festival itself has become a mini-showcase of sorts for many Asian American filmmakers.

“Here was another chance for me to keep the conversation going, to keep telling stories that were really personal to me,” she told Variety. “I connected deeply to a little...

Out, a short film from Pixar Animation Studios streaming on Disney+, features Pixar’s first gay main character.

The 9-minute film debuted Friday as one of seven films in the studio’s SparkShorts program. SparkShorts aims to “discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques, and experiment with new production workflows,” in the words of Pixar president Jim Morris. “These films are unlike anything we’ve ever done at Pixar, providing an opportunity to unlock the potential of individual artists and their inventive filmmaking approaches on a smaller scale than our normal fare.”

In the film, main character Greg is preparing to move into the city with his boyfriend, Manuel. Greg is gripped by the difficulty of coming out as gay to his parents, who have paid a surprise visit to help him pack for his move. A dramatic series of events initiated by the couple’s dog ensues. As the official logline puts it,...

Nickelodeon, Disney and Sesame Workshop, three of the nation’s best known makers of kids’ entertainment, are going to start tackling more dramatic stuff.

The ViacomCBS kids’ network will tonight at 7 p.m. eastern present “#KidsTogether: The Nickelodeon Town Hall,” an hour-long special that aims to help kids gain more understanding about changes wrought in their lives by the spread of coronavirus. Disney Channel, meanwhile, on Friday unveiled a series of messages from many of the actors who populate its programs that show up in breaks between shows. And Sesame Workshop this week will distribute videos that talk about how to sneeze properly and providing comfort, among other topics. One highlight: a “Washy Wash” song from Elmo.

Getting the tone right is crucial. “We want to strike a balance between being informative and not frightening kids,” says Paula Kaplan, executive vice president of talent for Nickelodeon, in an interview.

All...

What defines a Disney Plus original? With the upcoming “Love, Victor” moving from the nascent streaming platform to its older sister service, Hulu, and “Lizzie McGuire” regressing to development mode, what constitutes “family friendly” — a key component of Disney Plus’ overall proposition — has become a recurring a question mark.

The head-scratching started two weeks ago, prompted by the news about “Love, Victor,” which centers on a gay teenager figuring out life at a new high school while dealing with challenges at home. It immediately provoked whispers about whether the streamer’s definition of “family friendly” excluded Lgbtq storylines.

“I think they have concerns about how to present Lgbtq stories and themes,” said a top agent who works frequently with the service. “Certainly, in the modern era, family friendly values have to include room for Lgbtq characters, and obviously sexuality is part of exploring that.”

Those familiar with the situation are...

Between the much-savaged final season of “Game of Thrones,” the decimation of Marvel’s TV universe and the dozens of other shows either concluded or canceled, 2019 saw more than its fair share of TV casualties. Here are 117 shows that won’t live to see 2020.

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” (Netflix) Final episode January 1

“Friends from College” (Netflix) Final episode January 11

“Rel” (Fox) Final episode January 13

“Happy Together” (CBS) Final episode January 14

“Wayne” (YouTube Premium) Final episode January 16

“The Punisher” (Netflix) Final episode January 18

“Steven Universe” (Cartoon Network) Final episode January 21

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix) Final episode January 25

“Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television” (YouTube Premium) Final episode January 30

“Counterpart” (Starz) Final episode February 17

“Berlin Station” (Epix) Final episode February 17

“Lethal Weapon” (Fox) Final episode February 26

“The Gifted” (Fox) Final episode February 26

“Crashing” (HBO) Final episode March 10

“The Passage” (Fox) Final episode March 11

“Teachers” (TV Land) Final episode March 19

“Deadly Class...

One of Disney Channel’s biggest hits, Lizzie McGuire, is coming back with a revival at the upcoming streaming platform Disney+. Hilary Duff is set to reprise her title role in the new series, which comes from the original series’ creator Terri Minsky. It is the first project under a new overall deal Minsky has signed with Disney Channel.

In the reimagined version of the sitcom, a sequel to the 2001 Disney Channel series, Lizzie McGuire (Duff) is a 30-year-old millennial navigating life in New York City. Like the original series, it will include the familiar animated version of a young Lizzie who offers up funny, revealing commentary on what 30-year-old Lizzie is really thinking.

Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer for Disney Channels Worldwide, is expected to talk about the series during the Disney+ presentation at the D23 Expo this afternoon.

Duff is in a series regular on Darren Star...