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    Seth Meyers Wishes Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz Could Both Lose

    The clash of conservative titans had Meyers feeling like a Roman emperor: “I just want someone to feed me grapes while I say, ‘Let them fight.’”Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.‘Rooting for a Sinkhole’In a heated exchange on Tucker Carlson’s show, the host grilled Ted Cruz about Iran’s population and ethnic makeup, suggesting that the Republican senator was ignorant about the country whose government he wanted the United States to help overthrow.Seth Meyers was amused by the standoff, saying he’d never “felt more like a Roman emperor.”“I just want someone to feed me grapes while I say, ‘Let them fight.’” — SETH MEYERS“It’s like watching a sequel to ‘Alien vs. Predator’ called ‘I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, but the Predator is Making Some Very Salient Points.’” — SETH MEYERS“Oh, damn, Ted Cruz. Are you a pair of $800 Ferragamo boat shoes? Because Tucker Carlson owned you, buddy.” — JORDAN KLEPPER“And Ted Cruz was like, ‘I know the population, just give me a second to count, OK? Let’s see, there’s the ayatollah, that’s one. Uh, the Iron Sheik, two. Is Aladdin one? No? No?” — JORDAN KLEPPER“It’s so wild to see these two fighting. But I gotta say, in an argument between Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz, I’m rooting for a sinkhole.” — STEPHEN COLBERTThe Punchiest Punchlines (Flagpole Edition)“Not now, dude! This is like your boyfriend getting down on one knee and saying, ‘Kelly, will you make me the happiest man in the world and look at these two beautiful flagpoles?’” — STEPHEN COLBERT, on Trump’s announcement that new flagpoles would be installed at the White House“What’s going on here? It feels like someone told him, ‘Sir, you’re not doing well in the polls.’ And he was like, ‘I hear you, I’m on it.’” — JORDAN KLEPPER“Now personally, I think it’s cool that Trump found a new use for the 50-foot pole that Melania refuses to touch him with.” — JORDAN KLEPPER“Wow, ‘tall, tapered, rustproof’ flagpoles. You know he must love them ’cause that’s the same way he describes his son Barron.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“What a president. He spent 48 minutes yammering about flagpoles. He spent more time raising these flags than he did raising Eric and Don Jr. combined today.” — JIMMY KIMMELThe Bits Worth Watching“Jimmy Kimmel Live” timed how long it took fans to start eating from a bowl of nachos left on top of a garbage can at the N.B.A. Finals.What We’re Excited About on Thursday NightPaul Simon will discuss coming out of retirement on “The Late Show.”Also, Check This OutSteven Spielberg, holding the camera, and his cinematographer Bill Butler during the filming of “Jaws.”Peacock/Universal Pictures, via Associated PressFifty years ago, “Jaws” established a template that blockbuster movies have been following ever since. More

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    Where to Go in Philadelphia, According to Brian Tyree Henry

    If your memories of summer camp don’t involve eight-course tasting menus and vintage fashion shopping sprees, well, perhaps you weren’t doing it right. Or you were never in a stalled Apple TV+ production with Brian Tyree Henry.Mr. Henry, 43, who recently received the Gotham Television Awards’ first Performer Tribute for his role in “Dope Thief,” is the star and an executive producer of this crime drama about two friends who try to earn a living as fake drug enforcement agents. The limited series was not quite halfway through filming in Philadelphia when Hollywood writers went on strike in 2023, soon followed by actors. He decided to make the best of a bad situation by staying put and diving as deeply as possible into his character’s hometown.Mr. Henry rose to prominence as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles in the FX show “Atlanta.” He currently stars in the limited Apple TV+ series “Dope Thief,” which is set in Philadelphia.Taylor Jewell/Invision, via Associated PressDuring the work stoppage, which lasted six months, “the Philly crew was still there, and they were my friends,” Mr. Henry said in a video interview. “So my time in Philly felt like sleep-away camp.” He learned a lot. For starters: “Philly natives love Philly,” he said. “If I walked out of my house in anything green and white, it had better have an eagle on it.”Mr. Henry and his co-star, Wagner Moura, play friends who try to earn a living as fake D.E.A. agents in “Dope Thief.”Jessica Kourkounis/Apple TV+, via Associated PressHe also discovered that he didn’t need to stray far from his Center City rental to find a happy place: the tiny 17th-century Rittenhouse Square. “You can sit in the park and read a book, and then go and chill out and have a good meal across the street,” he said, citing the steak, popovers and tater tots at Barclay Prime among his favorite examples. Another neighborhood staple was the Rittenhouse Spa & Club, where regular facials helped mitigate the “sweat, blood, smoke and gunpowder” he was covered in during filming. “They would be like, ‘What did you go through this week?’” he said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    ‘America’s Sweethearts’ Reveals 400 Percent Raise for Cowboys Cheerleaders

    The second season of the docuseries “America’s Sweethearts” reveals the squad’s successful effort to push for greater financial stability.In what amounts to the biggest reveal of the second season of the Netflix docuseries “America’s Sweethearts,” the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will receive a pay raise of roughly 400 percent for the 2025 season.It is a huge increase in a profession known for its low wages, and one that a former cheerleader for the team, Jada McLean, described in an interview with The New York Times as “a drastic change” that could give the cheerleaders more financial security.The pay bump is announced in Episode 7 of the show’s second season, which began streaming on Wednesday. It caps a yearslong effort for higher pay that drew a great deal of attention in 2018 when the former cheerleader Erica Wilkins sued the team for unfair pay. She claimed in her lawsuit that she received roughly $7 per hour with no overtime pay and a flat rate of $200 per game, which, in total, ended up being less than the annual pay for the team’s mascot, Rowdy. Her case was settled out of court in 2019 and, since then, hourly wages for the squad remained low.Missing from the announcement of the raise in the show were any specifics of what the cheerleaders were making previously, or how much they would be paid under their new deal.But in a rare instance of a Cowboys cheerleader, past or present, discussing her compensation, Ms. McLean told The Times that in 2024, her fifth year with the squad, she had made $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance, and that compensation varies based on experience. With the increased wages, she said veteran cheerleaders could now be making more than $75 an hour. The new contract also changes the structure around pay for game day and other appearances, though Ms. McLean said it still does not provide health insurance.In an emailed statement, the franchise would not confirm the new wages or if the new rates apply to rookies on the team as well.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Jordan Klepper Calls Trump Out for His ‘Irish Exit’ at G7

    The president left the Group of 7 summit in Canada a day ahead of schedule, and Tuesday’s “Daily Show” host thinks he knows why.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.‘Stay Tuned’President Trump left the G7 summit in Canada a day earlier than planned, flying back to Washington to deal with the Iran-Israel conflict, according to the White House.On Tuesday’s “Daily Show,” Jordan Klepper called Trump out for his “Irish exit.”“Now, this is an important G7 for Trump, because he had to prove that he had the discipline and wherewithal to fix the global economy after he [expletive] up the global economy.” — JORDAN KLEPPER“We all know what this is, right? You’re at an event, you have to rush home because ‘something came up’? Look, I get it — none of us like to poop in an unfamiliar place. Sometimes, when you have a big matchup coming up, you just need that home-field advantage.” — JORDAN KLEPPER“After a few days with Trump, the Canadian prime minister was like, ‘I hate to see you go, but I also hate to see you here.’” — JIMMY FALLON“When French president Emmanuel Macron told the press that Trump left the G7 to work on a cease-fire, Trump attacked Macron, posting, ‘He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a cease-fire. Much bigger than that. Stay tuned!’ Much bigger than that? Not a cease-fire? Maybe not the most subtle messaging from the commander in chief. It’s like when F.D.R. said, ‘Gotta get me some sleep. Tomorrow is Big D-Day. Can’t say much more, but it rhymes with Shmormandy.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“So either the United States is about to jump in or he just got bored during the G7 icebreakers.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“‘Stay tuned.’ Like it’s the season finale of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ or something.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Oh, great! Yeah, better than a cease-fire! Cease-fire plus! That’s great — I hate watching ads.” — JORDAN KLEPPERThe Punchiest Punchlines (Trade Deal Drop Edition)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    ‘Chaos’ Is a Morning Show Dramedy With Verve

    This Danish series, about a morning show in crisis, is light but not dumb, credible but still arch. It is also very different from “The Morning Show.”The Danish dramedy “Chaos” (in Danish, with subtitles), on Viaplay, centers on a morning show in crisis. “Denmark Awakes” is chugging along, not particularly vibrant or hugely popular but a fixture nonetheless. Then a new boss rolls in and announces that the show is about to be canceled, and suddenly the status quo is no longer an option.That is especially true for Lise (Katrine Greis-Rosenthal), who anchors the show with her husband, Martin (Hadi Ka-Koush). They smile through tepid human-interest stories about giant eggplants and unusually old dogs, but off camera, the cheery act is harder to maintain: He’s ready for kids, she definitely isn’t and thinks she may never be. So when she meets Johannes (Jacob Lohmann), a scruffy, emotionally wounded chef who is trying out van life for a while, she is drawn both to him and to the premise of a less conventional life.The staff at “Denmark Awakes” scrambles to grow its ratings, but attracting new, younger viewers is not easy. A brainstorming meeting concludes with three big ideas on the whiteboard: “MERMAN,” “DON’T SCARE MEN” and “DIRECTION.” Hmm. Maybe Johannes could do a segment, Lise suggests. And let’s have Lise and Martin take DNA tests onscreen! That is sure to be a trouble-free exercise with no unexpected results.Even though it is set at a morning show, this is — mercifully — not at all like “The Morning Show,” which is tediously trapped in its miasma of self-regard. “Chaos” is brisk and frisky, juiced by a rom-com engine and by the countdown toward the show-within-the-show’s cancellation. Is Lise’s life collapsing or beginning? Is everything falling apart, or was everything barely held together in the first place? Impending doom sucks, but would Lise be brave enough to make big changes without that pressure? Would anyone?“Chaos” is light but not dumb, credible but still arch. Its eight episodes are snappy and precise: no split timelines, no pointless subplots. More

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    The Best TV Shows of 2025, So Far

    Returning hits like “Severance” and “The White Lotus” inspired plenty of chatter, but did they make our top TV list?The first half of 2025 saw the return of strike-delayed hit shows, like “Severance,” “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us,” that took turns dominating the cultural conversation. But only one of them made our top TV list.Read on to find out which one and to see which other series, new and old, scripted and nonfiction, impressed our television critics the most (listed alphabetically).‘Andor’Diego Luna reprised his title role in the final season of “Andor.”Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney+A prequel series to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (2016) — and arguably the most acclaimed “Star Wars” story of any kind since that film — “Andor” offered one of TV’s deepest explorations of the political realities and human costs of rebellion. Its two-season run wrapped up in May.“Prequels are often where dramatic tension goes to die,” James Poniewozik writes. “How invested can you be in a story whose outcome you already know? The genius of ‘Andor,’ created by Tony Gilroy, is to make that knowledge an asset.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Late Night Thinks Trump’s Military Parade Was Kind of Dull

    It was “basically a $50 million version of when a 5-year-old shows you every car in his Hot Wheels collection,” Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday.Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Trump’s Sad BirthdayPresident Trump hosted a military parade in Washington on Saturday — either for the Army’s 250th anniversary or for his own birthday, depending on who you believed. The crowds seemed underwhelming.On Monday, Jimmy Kimmel called it Trump’s “much-anticipated Stupid Sweet 16 disguised as a tribute to the U.S. Army he bone-spurred his way out of.”“You know, after all his talk about how this wasn’t a birthday party for him, it kind of seemed like a birthday party for him.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“The White House is now claiming that over 250,000 people attended the parade. Yeah, it was an estimate, give or take 250,000.” — JIMMY FALLON“This was less a show of overwhelming force and more like a military museum getting in its steps.” — JON STEWART“It was boring. It was basically a $50 million version of when a 5-year-old shows you every car in his Hot Wheels collection.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“You can be the president of the United States, you can have an entire political party and a global media apparatus at your disposal. You can cow the media and the wealthy into obedience. You can command an army and deploy troops and have unlimited wealth and power, but you still can’t force people to come to your [expletive] birthday party. And what is more American than that?” — SETH MEYERSThe Punchiest Punchlines (Can You Hear Me Now Edition)“The Trump Organization today unveiled plans for a new Trump mobile phone service. Best of all, you won’t have any need for a friends and family plan.” — SETH MEYERS“That guy will do anything to try to get his father to answer his phone calls.” — JIMMY KIMMEL, on Donald Trump Jr.’s introduction of Trump Mobile“A lot of words come to mind when you think of Trump, but ‘mobile’ isn’t really one of them.” — JIMMY FALLON“Trump was like, [imitating Trump] ‘It’s called Trump Mobile. But for short, I’m calling it T-Mobile.” — JIMMY FALLONWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    HBO Brings Hot Fellas Bakery From ‘And Just Like That’ to Life

    “Who wants a hot croissant?” asked the actor Mario Cantone, reprising his character Anthony Marentino from the HBO show “Sex and the City.”Mr. Cantone, brandishing an apron and a cake server, added an emphasis on the word “hot” and wagged his eyebrows, turning the otherwise ordinary tray of freshly baked pastries into an innuendo.A group of fans in front of him — most of whom were women with their phones at the ready — giggled and took photos.When “Sex and the City” was brought back to life in 2021 as “And Just Like That …,” Mr. Cantone’s character pivoted from a career in wedding planning to starting up a bread delivery business, called Hot Fellas. As the name suggests, his business is staffed by sexy men in short denim rompers so tight that every arm flex or squat teases a wardrobe malfunction.The fictional business became “a fan favorite story line from the moment it first appeared,” Dana Flax, a marketing vice president at HBO Max said in an emailed statement, citing the engagement and enthusiasm for the Hot Fellas on social media.In the most recent episode of Season 3, which was released last week, Anthony opened a Hot Fellas brick-and-mortar cafe (using a pun for male genitalia to alter that phrase) and his current lover, Giuseppe, an aspiring poet played by Sebastiano Pigazzi, temporarily became a Hot Fella to help with its launch — thanks largely to his ability to fill out the skin-tight uniform.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More