Television

Subterms

    More stories

    • 138 Shares179 Views

      in Television

      The Amazing Kreskin, Mentalist and 1970s TV Star, Dies at 89

      by

      His display of mysterious mind-reading powers on TV made him a pop culture phenomenon in the 1970s.George J. Kresge, who as the entertainer the Amazing Kreskin used mentalist tricks to dazzle audiences as he rose to fame on late-night television in the 1970s, died on Tuesday in Wayne, N.J. He was 89. A close friend, Meir Yedid, said the death, at an assisted living facility, was from complications of dementia.Kreskin’s feats included divining details of strangers’ personal lives and guessing at playing cards chosen randomly from a deck. And he had a classic trick at live shows: entrusting audience members to hide his paycheck in the auditorium, and then relying on his instincts to find it — or else going without payment for a night.George Joseph Kresge Jr. was born in Montclair, N.J., on Jan. 12, 1935, and became known professionally as either the Amazing Kreskin or just Kreskin. As a child he was drawn to both magic and psychology, he said, and by the time he was a teenager he was performing mentalist tricks for audiences.His star rose in the 1970s and early 1980s when he was a regular guest on the talk show circuit. He made dozens of appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” — 88 according to some sources — and was also seen on “The Mike Douglas Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman,” among other shows. (In the 21st century, he appeared on “The Tonight Show” when Jimmy Fallon was the host.)With other famous guests, he played psychological tricks that looked like magic: asking people to put their fingers on objects that would seem to move, for example, or guessing what card had been pulled from a deck.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

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      in Television

      Jimmy Kimmel: America’s ‘Going Nuts’ Over a Murder Suspect’s Abs

      by

      Kimmel applauded people for “moving away from nonstop election coverage” to instead obsess over the looks of Luigi Mangione, who was charged with killing a C.E.O.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.‘Time’s sexiest’On Monday, Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare.Late night hosts commented Tuesday about the attention over Mangione’s looks, with Jimmy Kimmel calling him “Time’s sexiest alleged murderer of the year” and “the hottest coldblooded killer in America.”“I’m not sure what this says about us, but ever since these photos of him came out from his holding cell, from his mug shot — someone found his abs somewhere online.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Ryan Murphy right now is flying to Netflix headquarters in a jetpack.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“So many women and so many men are going nuts over how good-looking this killer is. And there’s a huge wave of horny washing over us right now.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“My question is, is he really even that hot? I mean, take away the hair, and the abs, the face, the arms, that easy smile, the way his eyes light up — wait, I’m sorry, what were we talking about? Syria? What are we talking about? Oh, yeah, we’re talking about the guy with the incredible abs.” — MICHAEL KOSTA“But I have to say, it does feel kind of good — we’re moving away from nonstop election coverage and back to drooling over a coldblooded murderer’s eyebrows and abs. I think that might be progress. Maybe not, I don’t know.” — JIMMY KIMMELThe Punchiest Punchlines (McFingered Edition)“For the last few days, there’s been a killer on the loose in America. Well, there’s actually tons of killers on the loose in America, but this one killed someone important, so they were really looking for him.” — MICHAEL KOSTA“The assassin’s name is Luigi Mangione? Did they find him hiding in a big pipe?” — MICHAEL KOSTA“Mangione has become something of an internet celebrity, and people are not thrilled with the Altoona McDonald’s employees who McFingered him. Several nasty Google reviews have been left of the Altoona location, including ‘They got rats behind the counter. Do not recommend,’ while many others simply left one-star reviews, citing bad service and so-called ‘snitches.’ You know what they say: Snitches get Filet-O-Fishes.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“It’s surprising that he comes from such a privileged background. He’s not really the kind of guy you expect to become a murderer. I mean, I expect him to crash the housing market, but not kill a guy.” — MICHAEL KOSTAWe 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

    • 100 Shares149 Views

      in Television

      Michael Cole, ‘Mod Squad’ Actor, Dies at 84

      by

      Mr. Cole, who played the wealthy Pete Cochran, had been the last of the show’s three stars still living.Michael Cole, the actor best known as Pete Cochran, the last of three actors who played hip, young undercover police officers on ABC’s hit show “The Mod Squad,” died on Tuesday. He was 84.A cause of death was not given. His death was confirmed by Christy Clark of the Stewart Talent Agency, which represented Mr. Cole.Mr. Cole was a young, struggling actor when he achieved overnight success on the police crime drama “The Mod Squad,” which ran on ABC from 1968 to 1973 and co-starred Peggy Lipton and Clarence Williams III.“The Mod Squad” was one of the first prime-time series to acknowledge the hippie counterculture and an early example of multiracial casting. It centered on three hippies in trouble with the law, who avoid jail time by joining the police department and working undercover. Mr. Cole was cast as Pete Cochran, a wealthy kid who was kicked out of his parents’ house for stealing a car. Mr. Williams played Linc Hayes, and Ms. Lipton played Julie Barnes.The trio gave the show one of its taglines: “One black, one white, one blonde.”The show became a runaway hit, tackling racism, abortion, the Vietnam War and drug abuse. It launched Mr. Cole, whose Hollywood résumé was thin, to fame.Clarence Williams III, Michael Cole and Peggy Lipton while shooting “Mod Squad” outside the Los Angeles County Museum.Bettmann — Getty ImagesWe 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

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Television

      Jamie Foxx’s ‘What Happened Was…’ and Other Comedy Specials to Watch

      by

      The show is both an act of gratitude and a stand-up special. It’s one of four new comedy hours worth checking out.The latest batch of comedy specials worth watching starts with a much anticipated one from Jamie Foxx and includes hours from Matthew Broussard, Anthony Jeselnik and Fortune Feimster.Jamie Foxx ‘What Had Happened Was …’(Stream it on Netflix)In April 2023, news broke that Jamie Foxx had been hospitalized in Atlanta with what his daughter described on Instagram as a “medical complication.” Not much else was revealed, and in the vacuum of information, rumors spread. When a photo of Foxx appeared online, some conspiracy-minded types called it a clone. Katt Williams even jokingly questioned and made fun of his “mysterious illness.”Now Foxx says he wants to set the record straight. Speaking in a theater a few hundred yards from the hospital where he says his life was saved, Foxx enters wearing sunglasses but takes them off quickly to wipe away tears. He says he experienced a brain bleed, suffered a stroke, temporarily lost the ability to walk and doesn’t remember 20 days of his life. It’s a moving performance that feels like part of a growing trend of how comics deal with medical catastrophe.Tig Notaro did a famous hour about flirting with death not long after she got a cancer diagnosis. Keith Robinson also turned his two strokes into irreverent comedy. Foxx’s special is a much more polished production and sentimental affair. He tells a few jokes, pays tribute to his family repeatedly (he brings two daughters onstage) and preaches the virtues of prayer and comedy (“If I could stay funny, I could stay alive”). His most amusing moments involve his gift for impressions, including a riotous imagining of Denzel Washington if he, like Foxx, needed help going to the bathroom in a hospital. Foxx also does an excellent Katt Williams. But this isn’t a stand-up special so much as a celebration, an act of gratitude and the kind of emotive video often posted on Instagram.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

    • 150 Shares159 Views

      in Television

      Best Comedy of 2024: Nikki Glaser, Ronny Chieng,’ ‘English Teacher’ and More

      by

      Jon Stewart made “The Daily Show” must-see TV again, Theo Von had a memorable moment with Donald Trump, and Nikki Glaser broke through.Joe Rogan jumped to the front of the conservative media establishment. Netflix went in deeper on live comedy, while Disney entered the stand-up market. Katt Williams beefed even more than Kendrick Lamar and Drake. John Mulaney and Taylor Tomlinson became talk show hosts. It was an eventful year in comedy. Here are some highlights.Comedian of the YearNikki GlaserIn 2024, the stalwart comic Nikki Glaser finally broke big. The flashiest examples were her scene-stealing Tom Brady roast set and getting tapped to host the Golden Globes. But her new HBO hour provided more substance. Wearing a glittering dress and a strategic smile, she performs showbiz cheer, but underneath that shimmering facade is not just an ace club comic, but a restless artist exploring darker terrain. Glaser gets underestimated because she’s filthy. But she can go high as well as low, cover universal subjects and meta comedy analysis, do hilarious character work (look out Instagram moms) and brainy jokes. This relentlessly funny hour is bleaker than it looks, digging into suicide, rape and the apocalypse, and in a year when it seemed like everyone had a comic take on why you shouldn’t have kids, hers was the funniest.BEST SPECIAL‘Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It’Ronny Chieng has always been an inspired hater. His intricately funny bits have long applied a spiky intelligence and distinctive jackhammer delivery to the zeitgeist. His very funny new hour represents a departure and a maturation. It has his characteristic social commentary, which feels timely even though it was shot before the election, but what makes this his best is that it also hits more personal notes, getting introspective without losing its fiery comic momentum.BEST STAND-UP ACTING‘English Teacher’Brian Jordan Alvarez in “English Teacher.”Steve Swisher/FXSo many shows are hurt by casting stiff stand-ups instead of funny actors, but not this one. Its comedians (Carmen Christopher, Langston Kerman) all shine, but the real standout is Sean Patton, a terminally underrated comic whose turn as a crude, if unexpectedly sensitive, gym teacher provides the beating heart of the show.BEST POLITICAL SPECIAL‘Ramy Youssef: More Feelings’The first time I thought the Democrats might lose the White House this year was after seeing Ramy Youssef talk about feeling abandoned by the party at a Brooklyn show early this year. His moody and thought-provoking hour arrived during the heat of the protests over the war in Gaza and engages with its raging politics without having his wry, minor-key sensibility pushed aside. It was a righteous and assured hour that expressed itself not through blunt polemic but elusiveness, metaphor and argument.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

    • 100 Shares129 Views

      in Movies

      Golden Globes Nominees 2025: See the Complete List

      by

      The movies and TV series competing for the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. The ceremony will air on Jan. 5.The nominations for the 82nd Golden Globes were announced Monday, and “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” are the top nominees.The musical “Emilia Pérez” received the most nominations at 10, followed by the epic period drama “The Brutalist” with seven. On the television side, “The Bear” led with five nominations, but was in good company with “Only Murders in the Building” and “Shogun” receiving four each.The ceremony, hosted by the comedian Nikki Glaser, will air on Jan. 5 on both CBS and Paramount+. See below for the full list.Best Motion Picture, Drama“The Brutalist”“A Complete Unknown”“Conclave”“Dune: Part 2”“Nickel Boys”“September 5”Timothée Chalamet in “A Complete Unknown.”Searchlight PicturesBest Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy“Anora”“Challengers”“Emilia Pérez”“A Real Pain”“The Substance”“Wicked”Best Motion Picture, Animated“Flow”“Inside Out 2”“Memoir of a Snail”“The Wild Robot”“Wallace and Gromit: Vengence Most Fowl”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

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      in Television

      ‘The Creep Tapes’ Finale, Plus 6 Things to Watch on TV This Week

      by

      Mark Duplass reprises his serial killer role in a new series. And reality TV royalty, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, reunite.Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that are broadcast live or available for streaming this week, Dec. 9 to Dec. 15. Details and times are subject to change.Christmas With the CreepsJust because Halloween has come and gone doesn’t mean you can’t keep enjoying some spooky content. (The holidays, after all, can be plenty scary.) Since I, a veritable horror nerd, am taking over the column this week, I am garnishing it with some ghouls.It may seem strange to call a serial killer character beloved, but Mark Duplass’s Josef is just that. Originally introduced in the found-footage horror movie “Creep,” from 2014, the eerie yet endearing villain returns in “The Creep Tapes,” which will air its season finale this week. “This is going to be a comfort show, weirdly, for people who love this character,” Duplass said in an interview with The New York Times. Consider me comforted. Streaming on Friday on Shudder and AMC+.In “The Creep Tapes,” Duplass reprises his role as Josef, a man who lures videographers to his home and kills them on camera.ShudderIf you’re tired of pleasant, family-friendly holiday specials, look no further: The comedian and critic Joe Bob Briggs is here to shake things up. The special “Joe Bob’s Christmas Carnage” will take his usual format of providing crude commentary alongside two gory B-movies (this time of the holiday variety). The films included will be kept secret until the show airs, but one thing’s for sure — there will be plenty of bloodshed. Friday at 9 p.m. on Shudder and AMC+.While I’m mentioning my favorite monsters, it’s worth noting that the latest season of “Dragula” (like the cooler, goth cousin of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) is now streaming in its entirety. The artists competing this season were truly formidable, and it’s thrilling to see the freaky and gorgeous looks they construct. Plus, the hosts, the Boulet Brothers, subject the talented performers to twisted, “Survivor”-esque feats of courage, like jumping out of planes and swimming with sharks. Now on Shudder and AMC+.Reality RoundupIt’s no secret that the early 2000s — its fashion, its stars and its music trends — are back in a big way. But perhaps the strongest signal of their return is the reunion of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, 20 years after their reality show “The Simple Life.” Time to don your Juicy Couture sweatsuits and warm up your vocal fry for three-part limited series “Paris and Nicole: The Encore,” in which the aughts royalty attempt to stage an opera inspired by their inside-joke phrase “sanasa.” Lifelong friendship? Now that’s hot. Streaming Thursday on Peacock.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

    • 150 Shares199 Views

      in Television

      ‘Dune: Prophecy’: Travis Fimmel on His Character’s Fiery Rise to the Top

      by

      Desmond Hart has been a wild card since he burned a young prince alive with his mind. The actor who plays him talked about what motivates Desmond’s drive for power.This interview contains mild spoilers for Season 1, Episode 4 of “Dune: Prophecy.”His character has used his supernatural powers to murder a child prince in the shadows and massacre an emperor’s enemies in public. But the “Dune: Prophecy” star Travis Fimmel doesn’t know if people hate him for it.“No idea,” said Fimmel, an Australian actor, whose friendly speech in an interview last week was sprinkled liberally with the word “mate.” “I’m on a little ranch, so I haven’t been anywhere, really. People could be hating on me. Wouldn’t be the first time, buddy.”Fimmel has portrayed men of great destiny and dubious morality before entering the Dune-iverse: a grasping young king in the historical epic “Vikings,” a mad messiah in the sci-fi mind-bender “Raised by Wolves.” Here, Fimmel stars as Desmond Hart, an ex-soldier returned from a near-fatal tour of duty on the resource-rich desert planet of Arrakis. Seemingly swallowed alive by one of the planet’s massive sandworms, he emerged supernaturally augmented — and wildly ambitious.Now an imperial adviser with deadly telepathic abilities, Desmond is a wild card in this highly structured fictional universe, which is set some 10,000 years before the events of the original “Dune” book by Frank Herbert and the two “Dune” films by Denis Villeneuve. As Fimmel put it, Desmond likes to mess with people’s heads.“Desmond acts like he knows what’s going on and what’s going to happen,” Fimmel said, “but he is unsure of himself, and he is unsure what the power he has can do to him.”Attila Szvacsek/HBO“I’m not in a position of power,” he said, speaking from Desmond’s point of view. “I’m not rich. I’ve got nothing. I’m from the other side of the tracks. Messing with people’s heads is the only power I can get.”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