Television

After weeks of criticism, the ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel addressed his past use of blackface in comedy sketches, saying on Tuesday that he apologized “to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke.”Kimmel, the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” had previously used blackface to play celebrities like Karl Malone and Oprah Winfrey on “The Man Show,” a Comedy Central series he starred in from 1999 to 2003.Kimmel said in a statement that his impersonation of Malone had started when he was a radio host for KROQ in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s. When he brought that impersonation to TV, Kimmel said, “We hired makeup artists to make me look as much like Karl Malone as possible. I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being, one that had no more to do with Karl’s skin color than it did his bulging muscles and bald head.”Kimmel, who did not use the word “blackface” in his statement, said that as he looked back on his previous comedy sketches, many of them had become “embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices.”He added in the statement, “I believe that I have evolved and matured over the last 20-plus years, and I hope that is evident to anyone who watches my show. I know that this will not be the last I hear of this and that it will be used again to try to quiet me.”Kimmel made his remarks following several weeks of sustained criticism on social media that he and other entertainers have faced for using blackface in their work.On June 1, Jimmy Fallon, the host of “The Tonight Show” on NBC, apologized on his program for a “Saturday Night Live” sketch from 2000 in which he had appeared in blackface to impersonate Chris Rock.Tina Fey, the creator of the NBC comedy “30 Rock,” said that she and her co-showrunner, Robert Carlock, had asked for several episodes of that show to be pulled from streaming services because they depict characters in blackface. Fey said in a statement, “As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation. I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images.”Episodes of other comedy shows like “Little Britain” and “The Mighty Boosh” have also been pulled from streaming services amid concerns about blackface.Kimmel, who is slated to host the Emmy Awards in September, announced last week that he would be taking a vacation from “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and would have guest hosts fill in for him throughout the summer. He said in his statement on Tuesday that this vacation had been planned “for more than a year and includes the next two summers off as well,” adding that he would return to the show in September. More

Pennsylvania’s highest court on Tuesday said it agreed to hear part of Bill Cosby’s appeal of his 2018 sexual assault conviction.In December, a panel of three appellate judges unanimously rejected his appeal to the lower Superior Court, upholding his 2018 conviction in the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand at his home outside Philadelphia in 2004.But in January, his lawyers petitioned the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court to review that decision, highlighting several issues where they said the panel had erred in supporting the trial judge’s decision.The state’s Supreme Court does not necessarily have to take up an appeal, and its justices typically grant few of them. It rejected some of the issues Mr. Cosby’s lawyer raised, but it said it would review the trial judge’s decision to allow testimony from five other accusers — women who, like Ms. Constand, said Mr. Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted them.The decision means Mr. Cosby’s lawyers will now have another opportunity to challenge a verdict that represented one of the most high-profile convictions of the #MeToo era.In particular, it gives them the chance to fight the decision to include the testimony from the so-called “prior bad acts” witnesses, which many experts considered to be one of the most significant moments of the criminal trial.In Pennsylvania and many other states, testimony concerning prior alleged crimes is allowed if, among other conditions, it demonstrates a signature pattern of abuse. Such testimony by other accusers played a role in the Harvey Weinstein case, where their testimony was sought to demonstrate a pattern of predatory behavior by Mr. Weinstein. Mr. Cosby’s lawyers, however, argue that he was denied a fair trial because the allegations by the other women were too remote in time and too dissimilar to the case for which he was being tried.The court will review whether the jury should have heard testimony about Mr. Cosby’s use of quaaludes as part of his efforts to have sex with other women, including his own testimony in a separate civil case. And it said it would also review the judge’s decision to allow the trial to go ahead even after a former district attorney had given what the district attorney said was a binding assurance that Mr. Cosby would not be charged in the case. The Superior Court panel said that a district attorney did not have the authority to make such a promise.Mr. Cosby, 82, is serving a three- to 10-year sentence at SCI Phoenix, a maximum-security facility outside Philadelphia.Ms. Constand reacted to the Supreme Court’s decision, saying it was right that the five other women were heard.“While everyone deserves for their cries and appeals to be heard, even convicted criminals, if anyone’s cries matter most right now, it’s the women who have lifted their voices and selflessly put themselves in harm’s way, such as the prior bad act witnesses in my case,” she said in an emailed statement.In a separate statement, Mr. Cosby’s spokesman said, “We’re extremely thankful to the State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania for agreeing to review Mr. Cosby’s appeal.”The Montgomery County District Attorney’s office said, “We look forward to briefing and arguing these issues and remain confident in the Trial Court and Superior Court’s previous decisions.” More

WENN

Addressing her shocking exit from the series, the actress playing Abbie Mills claims she was treated differently from former co-star Tom Mison when she fell ill and developed an autoimmune condition.
Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – “Shame” star Nicole Beharie has accused “Sleepy Hollow” producers of killing her character because she got sick on set.
Fans were stunned when series favourite Abbie Mills was killed off in 2016, and now the actress claims TV bosses started treating her differently when she fell ill and developed an autoimmune condition.
“My co-star (Tom Mison) and I were both sick at the same time but I don’t believe that we were treated equally,” Nicole told the San Diego Tribune. “He was allowed to go back to England for a month (to recover); I was given Episode 9 to shoot on my own. So I pushed through it and then by the end of that episode I was in urgent care. And all the doctors, including the doctors that the studio was sending, were all confirming, ‘Hey, she can’t work right now’.”
In an interview with the New York Times, Nicole added production was eventually shut down for two weeks but producers insisted she visit doctors regularly “to make sure I was actually sick”.
“Months ensued and I got a lawyer. I got my hours down and worked through it,” she shared. “But then I developed an autoimmune condition. I had C. difficile, which had me on eight different prescription medications. Sometimes I think that some people I was working with didn’t like that I was unwell but loved by the audience. Everyone of colour on that show was seen as expendable and eventually let go.”
Beharie claimed she held back on talking about the story because she was too bitter at the time.
“I tried to get work afterwards and people were like, ‘We heard you were difficult’… but no one can say I was late or unprofessional or negative… I lost out on a lot of jobs and opportunities because of how somebody labelled me,” she raged.
Nicole is now very much back on Hollywood’s radar thanks to her new role in acclaimed new movie release “Miss Juneteenth”.

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‘The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!’ host Chris Harrison also issues an apology to the season 20 alum who admitted to being ashamed of herself after being portrayed as a villain on the show.
Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – Ben Higgins is trying to make amend with one of the most memorable contestants on his season of “The Bachelor”. When Olivia Caridi made an appearance on the Monday, June 22, episode of “The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!”, the Bachelor Nation alum joined in to express his regret for not standing up for her.
Speaking to the former news anchor via video chat, the season 20 lead stated, “As I look back on that time, I think my lack of wisdom and maturity in standing up for you publicly while I knew this was hard for you.” He added, “I think the way I navigated the confrontations and the issues on the show could have been better to help you. But mostly I just wanted to speak to you and say ‘I’m sorry.’ ”
Higgins then sent a special message to viewers. “Come on. This girl is a rock star. She laid her heart on the line for love and she tried her best. And you know what? Yes, it didn’t come off perfectly all the time, but none of us did,” he pleaded. “And that’s the beauty of the show is we lay our hearts out there and we do things to make people laugh and to join in on this experience and that’s what Olivia did.”
“And so if we can’t wrap our arms around Olivia and say, ‘Well done, and we’ll lift you up, and we’re just happy you did this,’ then you’re crazy,” the 31-year-old went on to say, before once again claiming responsibility for the difficulties she faced post-the show. “So, Olivia, I’m sorry. I take responsibility for this, but I also just wanna tell everybody how awesome you are.”
Caridi joined the Monday episode to share what it was like for her after being branded the villain of Higgins’ season. “I watched the first episode, and then I tried to watch the second, and I just couldn’t do it,” she told host Chris Harrison. “I was just mortified and hurt, and all these girls are saying this and that about me, and I realized this is going to be a really hard couple of months, or however long it airs.”
“There was so much pain associated with it. I felt terrible that I had hurt people. I never wanted to, but obviously it was clear that I did, and so that hurt,” the 27-year-old went on. “And then seeing what people really thought of me and what people were saying, that was really hard. I’m sure a lot of it was deserved, but I did feel like some of it was a little ruthless. And it affected me.”
Caridi confessed that the “making fun of my physical attributes that I can’t change” took a toll on her self-esteem. She became “ashamed of myself and embarrassed” as the season progressed. “I didn’t want to be out in public,” she recounted. “Then when I was out in public, people were [whispering]. Nothing prepares you for that.”
While admitting that the experience was awful for her, Caridi insisted that she did not regret going through it. “The person that I am now is just so resilient and empathetic and compassionate towards all people. It’s been four years and I have struggled hard to become the person that I am today, but I am proud,” she said, “and I’m not ashamed anymore, because I know that I’m not that person.”
Caridi’s candid confession prompted Harrison to also issue an apology of his own. “I hate to hear this,” the 48-year-old TV host stated. “I truly am sorry that you had to go through this and that you did go through this.”

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WENN

After the episodes are pulled from streaming and syndication, the comedy series’ creator says, ‘I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images.’
Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – Tina Fey has applauded TV bosses for shelving episodes of her hit comedy “30 Rock”, which featured actors in “race-changing make-up”.
NBC chiefs have pulled four episodes of “30 Rock” from streaming and syndication following a request from Fey and her fellow creator Robert Carlock.
“As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing make-up are best taken out of circulation,” Tina says in a statement.
“I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images. I apologise for pain they have caused. Going forward, no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness. I thank NBCUniversal for honouring this request.”
One of the four episodes pulled features guest star Jon Hamm donning blackface for a spoof of the racist radio and TV program “Amos ‘n’ Andy”.

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HBO

When weighing in on the much-talked about conclusion to the hit series, the actress playing Adrianna La Cerva admits she thought there was an issue with her TV reception.
Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – Actress Drea de Matteo thought there was an issue with her TV reception while watching the final moments of her hit drama “The Sopranos”.
The much-talked about conclusion to the hit series aired in 2007 and featured James Gandolfini’s mob boss character Tony Soprano about to enjoy a meal in a diner with his family.
But as his daughter, portrayed by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, enters the restaurant and sits down the screen cut to black, leaving many fans to debate what happened next.
De Matteo, who played Adrianna La Cerva on the show from 1999 to 2006, admits she was so confused by creator and writer David Chase’s ending she thought she was having TV issues.
“I remember that night vividly,” the actress tells TV Insider. “I had a Sopranos party at the house… and we’re watching what happens in the end. And I was like, ‘Wait a second. What just f**king happened?’ I thought my TV glitched out because we were watching it on a big, giant, old television.”
She adds, “Then I called my girlfriend, who was still working on the show. She goes, ‘No, Drea. That’s the ending’. And I’m standing there and I look at everybody and they’re all cursing.”
De Matteo has since had time to reflect on what Chase was trying to say.
“I think the point is that you just fell for what happened,” she continued. “Or I don’t know, maybe everything the show has been saying for six seasons just goes to black and it’s all meaningless. The show was meaningless. Tony Soprano’s life was meaningless.”
Chase himself appeared to reveal that Tony actually dies at the end of the series in a recent discussion with Rolling Stone writer Alan Sepinwall.
“I think I had that death scene around two years before the end…,” he said, prompting the writer to note Chase had called it a “death scene”.
Fans of the series can revisits their favourite characters as young men the prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark”, debuts in 2021. Galdolfini’s son, Michael Gandolfini, plays the young Tony Soprano in the film.

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Netflix

The cast and crew members of the Netflix series are scheduled to resume filming the second season roughly five months after the production was shut down due to pandemic.
Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – Production on actor Henry Cavill’s TV hit “The Witcher” has been green-lighted to begin again on August 17, 2020.
Cast and crew will get back to the second season of the Netflix series after the coronavirus pandemic shut down all filming projects in the U.K. and U.S. in mid-March 2020.
“The Witcher” was one of the first major shows to shut down, on the same day star Kristofer Hivju tested positive for COVID-19.
Last week, Deadline sources revealed Universal’s “Jurassic World: Dominion” will be the first major studio movie to re-start filming in the U.K. on July 6, 2020 at Pinewood Studios near London.
Producers of “The Witcher”, which shoots at Arborfield Studios – just outside the capital, confirm the restart in a Twitter message that read, “I’m dusting off my lute and quill / I have some news, some mead to spill / After all the months we’ve been apart / It’s time for production to restart / The Witcher and his bard – who’s flawless / Will reunite on set 17 August.”

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Comedy Central

Amazon, Hulu, and Comedy Central have all removed ‘Workaholics’ episode titled ‘To Friend a Predator’ starring Chris D’Elia amid allegations suggesting he preyed on underage girls.
Jun 23, 2020
AceShowbiz – An episode of TV series “Workaholics”, featuring comedian Chris D’Elia as a sexual predator, has been removed from streaming sites following allegations he had inappropriate relationships with underage girls.
D’Elia hit headlines last week after a Twitter user, named Simone Rossi, shared screenshots of alleged email exchanges between herself and the 40 year old back in 2014, when she was just 16.
The correspondence suggests he was trying to solicit photographs of the teenager and arrange a meeting. The claims have prompted a number of anonymous women to come forward with their own allegations about D’Elia’s inappropriate conduct.
D’Elia has denied the allegations, telling TMZ he “never knowingly” pursued underage girls, adding, “All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me.”
But the scandal has prompted bosses at Amazon Prime, Hulu and Comedy Central to pull an episode of “Workaholics”, in which D’Elia played the role of a child molester. The episode, titled “To Friend a Predator”, originally aired in 2011.
A representative for Comedy Central has confirmed to Variety that the episode is no longer available.

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