Television

Ernest White II grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., dreaming of a job that would propel him around the world. He taught English in Colombia, Brazil and Miami, and worked as a freelance journalist in Berlin, South Africa and the Dominican Republic. Now he’s added “travel TV show host” to his résumé. “Fly Brother With Ernest White II,” which began airing last week on various PBS stations, is an entertaining and educational voyage around the globe, taking viewers to both familiar and less-trammeled places.In a recent interview, Mr. White, who is 42, reveals how his background and view of the world have informed his style and philosophy of travel. His responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.Your show begins during a pandemic. What’s it like to have a captive audience, yet one that can’t really travel?Humans need other humans. They, we, need to travel to each other. That is the mission behind “Fly Brother” — human connection — no matter when or how people connect with each other. People still need to know that connection is possible, is essential, and that’s why this is the right time for this travel series to debut.Many are critical of travel’s impact on destinations and the environment. Do you think we’ll learn any lessons on how to travel after the pandemic?We’re learning so much about ourselves, about the Earth right now. There was already a movement to make sustainable travel simply “travel,” but now that we’re seeing cleaner air and water and the indomitable spirit of the planet starting to bounce back, we definitely have to consider how we engage with our home going forward. I do believe in travel, but I believe more in deep connections and intimate experiences that require slower, more intentional movements. Now is the time for destinations, governments, businesses, societies to get ahead of the tidal wave of mass tourism and establish frameworks for sustainable travel, and it’s the duty of those of us in the media to raise awareness about traveling sustainably.Did you grow up watching travel TV shows? If so, what were your favorites?I didn’t necessarily grow up watching travel shows, but I did enjoy watching “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” and National Geographic specials and other shows about different places and cultures. I remember watching the Pedro Almodóvar film “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” as a kid and being swept up in a language and world that were so different from my own. I also loved going to Epcot as a kid because of the different “countries” you could visit. I was always a geography nerd.What makes “Fly Brother” different from other travel shows?The show’s main focus is on friendship, connection and global community. All travel shows incorporate that, but often through the lens of food or sightseeing or dancing. I think it’s a unique perspective and a great complement to those other shows.“Fly Brother” largely skips popular destinations for places like Addis Ababa and Tajikistan. Does this tell us something about your philosophy of travel?My philosophy absolutely includes a responsibility to give a platform for places and people who desire to be seen and heard. People want to share their culture, their landscapes, the things they love about the places they live, and often, many of these beautiful places are overlooked. I’m a native Floridian — I understand tourist fatigue and overdevelopment — but I also know that, again, humans thrive on connection and most people enjoy hosting guests. In Tajikistan and Central Asia, for example, hospitality is an ancient cultural trait, but they’ve been on the fringes of the Russian, then Soviet, empires for centuries. Why not engage with the people in those places, sustainably, of course? And we’ll be going to Paris and Tokyo, too.You have one eight-episode season in the can. Is there a place you’re still chomping at the bit to get to?I’d love for us to film episodes in Mongolia, in Ghana, in Dublin, in Shetland, in Mexico City, in Natchez, in Haiti, in Singapore, in Tasmania, in West Hollywood. I want us to film everyone, everywhere.Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. More

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‘The Hangover’ star Ed Helms, in the meantime, is on board as an executive producer for the planned project that will chronicle the rise and fall of the former Mayor of Toronto.
May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz – Comedian Jim Gaffigan is set to take on the role of controversial Canadian politician Rob Ford on a new TV series.
“The Hangover” star Ed Helms is on board as an executive producer for the planned project, which is in development for U.S. network AMC, and will chronicle the rise and fall of Ford, who served as the Mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014.
He hit headlines worldwide when he was caught on camera smoking crack cocaine during his reelection campaign in 2013, leading Ford to publicly confess and apologize for the drunken, drug-fueled rampage.
He was soon diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in 2014 and died two years later, aged 46.
“Stuber” filmmaker Michael Dowse will executive produce and direct the forthcoming series, reports Variety.
Gaffigan will follow in the footsteps of former “Homeland” star Damian Lewis, who was unrecognizable as Ford in director Ricky Tollman’s recent movie, “Run This Town”.

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FOX

In the new episode of the hit FOX singing competition, Jeff Dye is tapped to be the guest panelist, joining Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger.
May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz – “The Masked Singer” season 3 aired the quarterfinals on Wednesday, May 6. In the new episode, Jeff Dye was tapped to be the guest panelist, joining Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger.
The first performer that night was the Frog, who credited his kid as his “purpose.” He sang a sensational rendition of “Bust A Move” by Young MC, while bringing a model airplane as his clue. Jenny thought the Frog was Anthony Mackie, with Robin sticking with his previous guess, Bow Wow. Ken, meanwhile, believed he was Derek Hough and Jeff guessed Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Following it up was the Kitty. Dropping a “Wizard of Oz” hint, she hit the stage to sing Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black”. Her borrowed package included a bow and arrow, prompting Jenny to think that she might be Lea Michele. Jeff thought Kitty might be one of the Olsen twins. Meanwhile, Nicole named Vanessa Hudgens.
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The next contestant was the Rhino, who performed a sweet rendition of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”. He had a navy in his borrowed package, saying, “I have worn many different hats, but this one holds very special meaning.” Among the guesses made by the panelists were Jason Aldean, Trace Atkins and David James Elliott.
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As for the Night Angel, she belted out Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”. Her borrowed package included ski gear with a map of Colombia as her additional hint. Ken thought she might be T-Boz from TLC. Nicole guessed Xscape’s Tameka Cottle a.k.a. Tiny, while Jeff thought she was Alicia Keys.
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Concluding the episode was the Turtle. He took the stage to sing a rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You”, while his clue package also featured a wedding cake, poker chips and a wanted poster with a “1999” hint. His borrowed package included a zombie, prompting Jeff to name “The Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus. Ken went with Howie Dorough while Nicole guessed Jesse McCartney.
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Eventually, Kitty was eliminated. Among the final guesses were Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Olsen, Anna Kendrick and Lea Michele. However, the panelists didn’t succeed to guess correctly this time because the Kitty was actually fan-favorite “America’s Got Talent” alum Jackie Evancho. This marked a mini reunion with host T.I., who used to be hosting the NBC show.

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WENN

Reinhart is joined by ‘Riverdale’ castmates Camila Mendes and Madelaine Petsch to lend their voice to ‘snooty rich girls’ in an upcoming episode of the animated comedy series.
May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz – “Riverdale” stars Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, and Madelaine Petsch are set to voice characters on “The Simpsons”.
The three actresses will lend their voices to roles on the latest episode of the animated comedy, titled “The Hateful Eight-Year Olds”. The storyline follows The Simpsons’ character Lisa Simpson as she makes a new friend, named Abby – voiced by Joey King. The “Riverdale” stars play “snooty rich girls.”
Reinhart and Mendes shared the news with fans on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, taking to social media to post an image of their characters.
“It is truly an incredible, surreal blessing that I was able partake in one of the most iconic television shows ever made,” Reinhart wrote on Instagram. “If you’re interested in hearing me voice a bitchy eight year old, watch @thesimpsons May 10th at 8pm on FOX.”

“Never in my life did i think i’d get to voice a character on the simpsons but here we are!” Mendes added. “it’s me, @lilireinhart and @madelame playing mean and annoying 8 yr old girls.”

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‘Leaving Neverland’ and ‘Watchmen’ Among Nominees at 2020 Peabody Awards

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CBS

The comedy show ‘Man with a Plan’ gets the axe on CBS after four seasons while the drama series ‘Tommy’ is canceled by the TV network after airing the first season.
May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz – Matt LeBlanc’s U.S. TV comedy “Man with a Plan” has been cancelled just days before the “Friends” reunion is set to air on HBO Max.
The fourth season of the CBS family-man series, which also features Kevin Nealon, Liza Snyder, and Stacy Keach, is currently being aired, but there are no plans to move forward with a fifth season.
But LeBlanc will be back on TV for the much-anticipated “Friends” reunion, which will air later this month, May 2020.
Former “The Sopranos” star Edie Falco’s new drama, “Tommy”, has also been axed by CBS after just one season.

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NBC

The ‘Seinfeld’ actor reveals to his former co-star that he was offered a huge bribe to spill the beans ahead of the highly-anticipated finale of their TV show.
May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz – Jason Alexander was offered a big bribe to spill details of the “Seinfeld” finale.
The actor reunited with his “Seinfeld” co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus for a virtual chat on Tuesday, May 5, 2020, to raise funds for healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic, and both looked back on the beloved sitcom, which ran from 1989 to 1998.
At one point, Alexander revealed he was given the chance to bank a big payday if he was willing to leak news about the show’s ending.
“My own publicist… was asking me if I was willing to leak out some secrets for money,” he recalled, “and I went, ‘They’ll kill us!’ ”
Louis-Dreyfus asked if the publicist was fired, to which Alexander quipped, “No, I gave him a raise.”
The finale in 1998 shattered ratings records when 76 million viewers tuned in to watch the end of the show about nothing.
Proceeds from Jason and Julia’s catchup will benefit Direct Relief, an organisation aimed at helping medical professionals during the COVID-19 crisis.

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WENN

The two late-night show hosts respond to Donald Trump’s ridicule, saying the president should focus on the coronavirus pandemic instead of television ratings.
May 7, 2020
AceShowbiz – Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have slammed U.S. President Donald Trump for focusing on their show’s ratings when he should be helping Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
America’s Twitter-loving leader took to the social media platform on Tuesday, May 5, 2020 to praise Fox News host Greg Gutfeld for drawing in more viewers than late night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Kimmel, who he branded a “wacko.”
“Wow! Congratulations to Greg Gutfeld, a one time Trump Hater who has come all the way home,” he tweeted. “His Ratings easily beat no talent Stephen Colbert, nice guy Jimmy Fallon, and wacko ‘last placer’ Jimmy Kimmel. Greg built his show from scratch, and did a great job in doing so.”
Kimmel responded to the President’s tweet with a video slamming the billionaire politician for focusing on TV ratings at a time when tens of thousands of Americans have died of Covid-19
“This is what it feels like when the ‘President’ of the United States attacks you personally,” he captioned the clip, before denouncing America’s leader as failing to focus on helping citizens get through the crisis.
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“I hope he wasn’t talking about me,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host joked, before continuing, “I think this was another typo situation. I think what he meant to tweet was, ‘I am completely devastated by the loss of life caused by this insidious virus. My thoughts are with the families of those who have passed. I pledge to spend every waking moment working to make sure our medical workers have the support they need and every American has access to tests. PS – congrats to Greg Gutfeld.’ ”
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Colbert also shot back by referencing comments from Trump questioning how he got his job by mocking the President’s appointment of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a key adviser and saying in his own video, “It’s nice to know that Trump is staying laser-focused on the ball during a crisis.”

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Everything Michelle Obama does will always be of interest, even if it isn’t interesting. As the first black woman to be first lady of the United States, she knows this scrutiny comes with the territory.Early on in “Becoming,” a new Netflix documentary about her life, Obama encourages Melissa Winter, her chief of staff, to express her emotions. They are in Chicago, the first stop of a 34-city book tour for her 2018 memoir (also called “Becoming”), and Obama, wearing an all white ensemble, is about to speak in front of a packed arena. For her, and those who have been on the journey with her, it’s overwhelming. “You don’t have to keep it together, you don’t have to. You can go ahead and cry your eyes out,” Obama says to Winter. “I can’t do that right now.” But one wonders if she ever could, or even would.The film is being billed as a “rare and up-close look” at the former first lady’s life. But, whereas the memoir — through its deeply personal stories about Obama’s existential struggles in young adulthood and the pains of a miscarriage later on — offered a partial illumination of a woman who critics and admirers alike have tried to understand for years, the documentary feels more routine. It hits all the notes of a megastar choosing to share her life with the public: selective biographical moments and star-studded guest appearances, plus a healthy dose of motivational messaging about the virtues of education and the holistic ownership of personal narratives.[embedded content]Directed by Nadia Hallgren, the movie takes viewers on an even-keeled journey with Obama as she embarks on her book tour. She intends to use the time to reflect on her eight years in the White House and “to figure out what just happened to me,” she says. And while it’s hard to believe that someone who has been in the public eye for so long can actually be “unplugged,” Obama’s multicity conversations are invigorating, offering more personal insights and showing sharper versions of her signature charm and humor. She discusses overcoming impostor syndrome, that nagging feeling of not belonging, while studying at Princeton University. She also talks about her initial reluctance to date Barack Obama when they worked at the same Chicago law firm because, in part, everyone expected it. “That’s just what they are waiting for,” she recalls. “You two love each other don’t you? You’re black, he’s black. This will be great.”While many elements of the documentary feel stagy, Obama’s more interesting responses are instigated during community events, when she speaks to smaller groups of people, often young students. They ask her how she overcame the sense of isolation that haunts many black women as they move through the world. She attributes her confidence to her parents, who allowed her to ask questions and made her feel visible. “We can’t afford to wait for the world to be equal to start feeling seen,” she says.The students also express to Obama their fears and frustrations surrounding the results of the 2016 election. Here, she ventures into politics and offers her take on not just Trump’s election but the challenges her husband faced while in office. “It wasn’t just in this election, but every midterm. Every time Barack didn’t get the Congress he needed, that was because our folks didn’t show up,” she said. “After all that work, they just couldn’t be bothered to vote at all.” It’s a claim that the film doesn’t press Obama on, letting it go unexplored and unquestioned.“Becoming” is not the candid Michelle Obama film that people might have been waiting for. And truthfully, I doubt we will ever see such a film in her lifetime. Instead, we get a familiar, albeit more carefree, Obama who, in her own words, learned a long time ago “to be much more scripted.”BecomingRated PG. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Watch on Netflix. More