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The Mountain Goats have shared “Fresh Tattoo,” the latest single from Jenny from Thebes, their sequel album to 2002’s All Hail West Texas. Plus, they’ve announced new stretch of US tour dates for Winter 2023 (get tickets here).

“Fresh Tattoo” assembles an impressive group of collaborators including Bully’s Alicia Bognanno, horn players Matt Douglas and Evan Ringel, and singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson, whom frontman John Darnielle credited in a statement with helping the band get their start after hosting an open mic night in the ’90s.

“Listening to Matt put down the harmonies on [“Fresh Tattoo”] in Tulsa earlier this year was one of the best moments I’ve ever had in my musical life,” he shared. “It meant so much to make something new with him, I wouldn’t even be here without him. I’m very happy to share it with the world today.”

In regards to the continuing narrative...

Can you imagine a world without "The Dana Carvey Show?" To be fair, you probably can, as the ABC series only lasted for a meager eight episodes during the spring of 1996. While the show itself has gained a cult status over the decades, the real legacy of the series isn't about the show's impact on pop culture, but rather its bringing together of talent that would soon go on to impact pop culture.

Consider this staggering list of names involved: Robert Smigel, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Spike Feresten (writer for David Letterman and "Seinfeld"), Robert Carlock (future showrunner of "30 Rock"), Dino Stamatopoulos (future writer of "Community" and Starburns himself) and Charlie Kaufman were all among the people helping Carvey bring his surreal sketch comedy show to the small screen.

Yet the series may not have happened at all had Carvey not been smarting after a short-lived career as a...

Cindy Williams, who starred in the smash Happy Days spinoff Laverne & Shirley after appearing in two Best Picture Oscar nominees — George Lucas’ American Graffiti and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation — has died. She was 75. Her family told the Associated Press today that the actress died Wednesday after a brief illness.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” reads the statement from her children, Emily and Zak Hudson, relayed through a spokesperson. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Laverne Cox & George Wallace Comedy 'Clean Slate' Produced By Norman Lear Gets Amazon Freevee Series Order Related Story Laverne...

Albert Cheng has been promoted to vice president of Amazon Prime Video U.S. He most recently served as chief operating officer of Amazon Studios.

The news came Wednesday in a staff memo written by Mike Hopkins, senior vice president of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Cheng enters the newly created position effective immediately and will report to Hopkins.

2022 has been a banner year for Amazon’s studio and streaming service, especially with the launch of “The Rings of Power,” the latest entry into the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. According to Hopkins, responsibilities under Cheng’s purview will include revenue growth, brand strategy, marketing operations and customer acquisition.

Cheng joined Amazon in 2018. Previously, he has held positions at BMI, Disney, Lifetime and Fox.

See Hopkins’ full memo below.

Team,

2022 has been a very strong year marked by tremendous growth and success for Prime Video. From acquiring MGM to the...

Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”

Somewhere over the rainbow, indeed! Kenya Barris tells me that LGBTQ representation will be featured in his “Wizard of Oz” remake. “The original was an allegory and a reflection of the way the world was at the time with things like the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl,” says Barris, who will write and direct the reimagining for Warner Bros. “Now we’re going to turn a mirror on where we’re at right now and take disparate characters from the LGBTQ community, from different cultural communities and socioeconomic communities, and tell a story that reflects the world. I think this is the best time to do that.”

He understands a “Wizard of Oz” remake comes with tremendous pressure. “I’m nervous,” Barris tells me. “Hopefully, my movie can last as long as the original does.” He adds with a laugh: “Hopefully my movie comes out.

ABC is preparing to honor the life and legacy of storyteller, activist, and philanthropist Norman Lear with a star-studded lineup for the Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter special. ABC announced the stacked list of performers and guests on September 14, including George Clooney, Rita Moreno, Tom Hanks, and more. Airing Thursday, September 22 at 9/8c, Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter is a one-night-only celebration featuring intimate conversations, special performances, and surprise reunions paying homage to the man behind some of television’s greatest stories in celebration of his 100th birthday. Jennifer Aniston, Octavia Spencer, Amy Poehler, and Jimmy Kimmel were previously announced as guests. Joining them are Clooney, Moreno, Hanks, Asante Blackk (When They See Us), Clooney, Laverne Cox, Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time), Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek), comedian Ms. Pat (The Ms. Pat Show), Jay Pharoah (Saturday Night Live), Rob Reiner (All In...

Tom Hanks, Tracee Ellis Ross and Kristen Bell are among the additional celebrity attendees and performers who are joining Norman Lear’s 100th birthday special on ABC.

Asante Blackk, George Clooney, Laverne Cox, Isabella Gomez, Emily Hampshire, Rita Moreno, Ms. Pat, Jay Pharoah, Rob Reiner, Aida Rodriguez and George Wallace, along with Hanks, will provide speeches and comic acts during “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter.” Meanwhile, Bell, Ross, Anthony Anderson, Ledisi, Justina Machado, Kelly Rowland, Amber Stevens West and Michelle William will pay tribute to iconic sitcom theme songs with special musical performances.

The new roster of attendees join previously announced talent Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler and Octavia Spencer.

Also Read:

Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel and Octavia Spencer to Appear in Norman Lear’s 100th Birthday Special on ABC

Honoring the life and legacy of the pioneering storyteller, activist and philanthropist, the one-night-only celebration will feature intimate conversations,...

Amazon Freevee has given the green light to comedy series “Clean Slate,” written by George Wallace, and Laverne Cox.

Cox and Wallace also star in the series, which hails from Sony Pictures Television and Norman Lear’s Act III Productions. Dan Ewen also helped write the story of the show and wrote the script for its pilot.

Here’s a logline for the series:

Old school and outspoken car wash owner, Henry (Wallace), is thrilled his estranged child is finally returning home to Alabama after 17 years. However, Henry has a lot of soul searching to do when the child he thought was a son returns as the determined, proud, trans woman, Desiree (Cox).

“Clean Slate” has been in development at Amazon Freevee for over a year after moving from NBCUniversal’s development slate in early 2021. That’s after NBCU held onto the project for about a year, as well.

Cox...

He may have turned 100 in July, but Norman Lear isn’t about to disappear from our screens. There is an upcoming special this month about the legendary TV creator’s life. And now comes news of a brand new show. Amazon Freevee has ordered Clean Slate, from his Act III Productions and Sony Pictures Television and starring George Wallace and Laverne Cox, to series. Wallace plays old school and outspoken car wash owner, Henry, who is thrilled his estranged child is finally returning home to Alabama after 17 years. However, Henry has a lot of soul searching to do when the child he thought was a son returns as the determined, proud, trans woman, Desiree (Cox). Wallace, Cox, and Dan Ewan, who will serve as executive producer and writer, came up with the story. Cox will executive produce, while Wallace will produce, as will Paul Hilepo. Lear will executive produce with his producing partner Brent Miller.

Good news comes to those who wait, and it’s a sure thing that Laverne Cox and George Wallace are celebrating today after their comedy series, Clean Slate was finally granted a series order at Amazon Freevee. The project has been making the rounds between networks since January 2020 where it initially was set to be an NBCUniversal production. The team can finally get to work as Norman Lear’s Act III Productions and Sony Pictures Television will officially be standing behind it.

TV veteran Norman Lear will kick off his second century in showbiz with Clean Slate, a comedy starring Laverne Cox and George Wallace that has been ordered to series at Amazon Freevee (fka IMDb TV).

Originally in development at Peacock before it landed at Freevee in February 2021, Clean Slate stars Wallace as old-school car wash owner Henry, who must do some soul-searching when his estranged child returns home to Alabama after 17 years — not as the son he’s expecting, but as the determined, proud trans woman Desiree (Cox).

More from TVLineWho's the Boss? Sequel Series Lands at Freevee, With Stars...

Amazon Freevee has picked up to series the Laverne Cox-George Wallace comedy Clean Slate, from Norman Lear’s Act III Productions and Sony Pictures Television, where the company is based. This is a formal order for the half-hour project, starring Cox and Wallace, which I hear was unofficially made around Lear’s 100th birthday on July 27.

The green light brings to a successful conclusion Clean Slate’s journey’s to the screen. The comedy was initially announced as part of NBCUniversal’s development slate in January 2020, and moved to Amazon Freevee (then-IMDb TV) for development in early 2021.

2022 Amazon Freevee Pilots & Series Orders

Clean Slate follows Henry (Wallace), an old-school and outspoken car wash owner, who is thrilled his estranged child is finally returning home to Alabama after 17 years. However, Henry has a lot of soul searching to do when the child he thought was a son returns as the determined,...

Amazon Freevee has given the greenlight to “Clean Slate,” a new comedy from Norman Lear’s Act III Productions, starring Laverne Cox and comedian George Wallace. The original comedy has been in development at Freevee since February 2021, back when the ad-supported streamer was known as IMDb TV.

“Clean Slate,” which comes from Cox, Wallace and Dan Ewen, centers on car wash owner Henry (Wallace), whose estranged child comes home to Alabama after 17 years. But he must do some soul searching as he comes to terms with the fact that his adult child is a trans woman, Desiree (Cox). There’s no word yet on an episodic order, when the series might shoot or an estimated premiere date.

Ewen serves as executive producer and writer on “Clean Slate,” and he has story credit along with Cox and Wallace. Cox will also serve as an executive producer on the show, while Wallace is a producer.

Donovan Woods has announced plans for his new album, Without People. The Canadian singer-songwriter’s follow-up to 2018’s Both Ways, the full-length project will be released November 6th.

Recorded remotely by Woods and backing musicians during quarantine, Without People shows Woods exploring various aspects of human connection. The first release, “Grew Apart,” is a looser, funkier number that depicts someone struggling to hide his real feelings about a breakup, while the more recent “Clean Slate” describes the sensation of falling in love and wishing the past could be wiped away.

NBC's forthcoming streaming service, Peacock, is ramping up its development slate, despite the service not being fully revealed to the masses.

The network unveiled six additional series it has in the works, including a MacGruber TV series starring Will Forte, as well as a Laverne Cox-Norman Lear series titled Clean Slate.

They join the Queer as Folk reboot as programs under development. Neither of the shows has received series orders.

Here is the full list of new shows in the works.

The Adventure Zone

Based on the McElroy Family’s wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons podcast and No. 1 New York Times best-selling graphic novel series, The Adventure Zone is a side-splitting and heart-filled fantasy animated comedy series that follows an unlikely, poorly equipped trio and their beleaguered Dungeon Master as they reluctantly embark on a quest to save their world.

Writer/executive producer: Adam Higgs (Orphan Black)

Executive producers: Clint McElroy,...

Brace yourself for a whole lot more explosions: A MacGruber series starring Will Forte is in development at NBC’s upcoming Peacock streaming service, according to our sister site Variety.

Forte will write and executive-produce the series as well, with SNL boss Lorne Michaels also onboard as an Ep. The MacGruber character — a parody of the ’80s TV hero MacGyver — originated as a recurring sketch during Forte’s time on SNL, and continued in a 2010 film.

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Ahead of its formal debut Thursday, NBCUniversal has put six projects in development at Peacock, including a revival of Will Forte’s “MacGruber.”

Additional projects include a transgender themed drama executive produced by and starring Laverne Cox, a comedy based on the McElroy family’s “Dungeons & Dragons” podcast, and others from Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling.

“MacGruber” will see Forte return as his “SNL” character, a spoof of “MacGyver.” The character appeared in a number sketches and starred in a 2010 movie alongside Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Val Kilmer and Maya Rudolph. The character was created by Jorma Taccone, a member of The Lonely Island musical comedy group that also featured “SNL” alum Andy Samberg.

Also Read: 'Punky Brewster' Revival Ordered to Series at NBCU's Peacock Streaming Service

In the Peacock revival, MacGruber gets out of prison after more than a decade. Here is the rest of the...

Ahead of Comcast’s investor presentation today to officially unveil NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service Peacock, the platform has announced its inaugural development slate. It includes comedies MacGruber, starring and co-written by Will Forte; and Clean Slate, starring and co-written by Laverne Cox and George Wallace. Creative auspices on Peacock’s series in development also include Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Norman Lear and Lorne Michaels, among others. The projects come from within NBCUniversal Content Studios — from both Universal TV and Ucp — as well as from outside studios, Warner Bros. and Sony.

From the get-go, Peacock’s original series slate had a comedy bent, with sequels to sitcoms Saved By the Bell and Punky Brewster among the platform’ first orders, along with pickups for A.P. Bio and Ed Helms-Mike Schur comedy Rutherford Falls.

The streamer’s development slate continues that programming direction. Five of the six projects on it are comedies,...

“MacGruber” and Laverne Cox are officially in business with Peacock.

NBCUniversal’s nascent streaming service is developing two comedy series — one based on the character Will Forte originated on “Saturday Night Live” and another starring Cox with the legendary Norman Lear attached to executive produce.

In “MacGruber,” after rotting in prison for over a decade, America’s ultimate hero and uber patriot MacGruber (played by Forte) is finally released. His mission: to take down a mysterious villain from his past—Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth. With the entire world in the crosshairs, MacGruber, Vicki, and Piper must race against time to defeat the forces of evil, only to find that evil may be lurking within.

Forte is a writer and executive producer on the project in addition to starring. Jorma Taccone and John Solomon are also writing and executive producing. Lorne Michaels, John Goldwyn, Andrew Singer, Erin David of Broadway Video will executive produce.

Simon Brew Jan 27, 2017

Director Mick Jackson on Denial, Donald Trump, directing films, and how he followed The Bodyguard...

Mick Jackson has lived through several chapters of his directorial career. His background was television, in particular the stunning Threads, and his classy adaptation of Chris Mullins’ A Very British Coup. Then he went to Hollywood, directing the likes of L.A. Story, The Bodyguard and Volcano.

He’s been away from cinema for a while, courtesy of some intriguing television projects. But he returns to the big screen this weekend with Denial, a classy courtroom drama that brings the story of Holocaust denier David Irving’s infamous libel action to the cinema. We snagged a chat with him ahead of its release, with the promise of further conversation about his 90s output at a later date too.

Can you talk us through this particular film, and why you wanted to bring it to the big screen?...