News

When John Candy was a newcomer at Second City in Chicago in 1973, he was paired with another rookie comedian. “I started the same day as John Candy,” said Bill Murray on The Tonight Show last year. Candy and Murray on the same stage? Sounds terrific — but Murray says it was anything but.

“We were both terrible,” he confessed. “We were both lousy, and no one would work with us. So it was just Candy and I looking at each other like, ‘I guess it’s us again, you know?’”

That was the year when the Second City cast was known as the Seven Giant Goyim because every cast member was a Gentile more than six feet tall, according to The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray. The other five giants wanted nothing to do with Murray and Candy, at least according to Murray, leading to their frequent collabs.

When the two worked together,...

Amazon and MGM have revealed that a "Spaceballs" sequel is officially moving forward, with Mel Brooks -- on the cusp of his 99th birthday -- returning to reprise his role as Yogurt from his original 1987 spoof movie. This news fulfills a lot of eager anticipation, as "Spaceballs" fans (many of whom have sore backs) have been speculating as to whether or not it would happen for years. The film's teaser trailer hilariously points out that since 1987, there have been numerous "Star Wars" TV shows and movies, not to mention Disney animated films, remakes of those movies, and prequels to those remakes. There were also, as the teaser notes, many "Alien" and "Predator" films, several "Jurassic Park" movies, eight "Harry Potter" films, a developing TV show remake of those movies, and 36 films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, it adds, there was only one "Spaceballs."

That, however, isn't entirely accurate.

“Pepper Ann” is coming to Disney Plus on Sept. 8.

The first three seasons of the fan-favorite ’90s animated series will be available to stream next month, with the release of Seasons 4 and 5 still unclear.

Created by Sue Rose, “Pepper Ann” follows the adventures of its titular redhead character and her friends and family. Known for its witty parodies and infectious theme song, the series tackled topics including body issues, school work and being raised in a divorced, single-parent household.

Kathleen Wilhoite is the voice of Pepper Ann, starring alongside Clea Lewis, Danny Cooksey, Pamella Segall, April Winchell, Cree Summer, Candi Milo, Don Adams, Kath Soucie, Tino Insana, Jeff Bennett and Jim Cummings. Rose executive produced with Nahnatchka Khan for Walt Disney Television Animation and Sunwoo Animation Co., Inc.

Also in today’s TV news roundup:

Dates

Disney Channel will premiere “Under Wraps,” a contemporary comedic remake of the 1997 Halloween classic...

Tino Insana, the improv actor, writer and the voice of Uncle Ted in the Fox series Bobby’s World, died June 1 of cancer. He was 69. His role in Bobby’s World launched a 25-year career as voice actor, with Insana lending his pipes to such animated kids programs as Spaceballs, Darkwing Duck, Bubble Guppies, Pepper Ann, Teacher's Pet, Buzz Lightyear and Goof Troop. As an actor, he appeared on TV shows including Night Court, Mad About You and Curb Your Enthusiasm and wrote…...

Release Date: Sept. 6, 2011

Price: DVD $20.95

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

John Belushi kvetches to wife Kathryn Walker in Neighbors.

The dark comedy Neighbors starring John Belushi (National Lampoon’s Animal House) and Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters) is part of Sony’s “Columbia Classics” lineup of manufacture-on-demand DVDs.

The 1981 movie, a cult favorite, reteamed Aykroyd and Belushi following their triumphs on TV’s Saturday Night Live and in the hit film The Blues Brothers.

The two comic actors play against type in the story of a quiet suburban man’s (Belushi) peaceful lifestyle being uprooted by the new, obnoxious couple (Aykroyd and Raging Bull’s Cathy Moriarty) that moves in next door.

Directed by John Avildsen (The Karate Kid) and written by the legendary Larry Gelbart (Tootsie) based upon Thomas Berger’s novel, Neighbors also stars Kathryn Walker (D.A.R.Y.L.), Tino Insana (For Keeps?) and SNL’s Tim Kazurinsky.

Consumers can also purchase...

Congratulations, Eden Log. You’re no longer the least pleasant thing that I have reviewed for this site.

For those of you who were clamoring for an animated revamp (Sequel? Reimagining? I’m not really sure) of the 1987 cult hit Spaceballs, I can only say that you’ve gotten what you deserve. I doubt that I’m offending anybody by saying that, because I’ve never even heard anyone request so much as the promised Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. Don’t get me wrong; I love Spaceballs, but saying that what I just watched is Spaceballs is like saying that Batman and Robin is Batman.

Taking place some time after the events of the film, this show reunites most of the characters from the film, being Dark Helmet (Dee Bradley Baker), President Skroob (Mel Brooks), Lone Star (Rino Romano), Barf (Tino Insana), Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga), Dot...