News

A federal judge dismissed the ongoing lawsuit over Showtime’s “George & Tammy” limited series last week. The suit was originally filed by the estate of George Richey over misrepresentation and unjust enrichment.

Sheila Slaughter Richey, the executrix of the estate of the late George Richey, served as the plaintiff in this case. The lawsuit claimed that Steve Zahn’s portrayal of Richey led to “unjust enrichment and tortious interference.” Specifically, the suit revolved around the opening credits of the show, which stated the series was based on Georgette Jones’ book, “The Three of Us: Growing Up With Tammy and George.” Jones, the daughter of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, also served as a consulting producer on the six-episode series and previously faced legal action from Sheila Slaughter Richey over the contents of her book.

But in the ruling a Delaware judge noted that a plaintiff “who cries unjust enrichment must have actually enriched somebody.

A judge in Delaware has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Showtime over the limited series “George & Tammy” and its portrayal of the late George Richey, who was married to Tammy Wynette after her divorce from George Jones. In tossing the suit out, the judge ruled that, whatever merits there might be to the complaints of the plaintiff, Sheila Slaughter Richey, there was no basis for including Showtime Networks in the suit at all, let alone as the sole defendant.

The suit had claimed that George Richey was disparaged and made into the villain of “George & Richey.” Judge Stephanos Bibas did not take issue with that characterization made by Sheila Slaughter Richey’s lawyers, and he dismissed it without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled. But his ruling said essentially that the plaintiff’s beef was solely with Georgette Jones, the daughter of George Jones, who was not named as a defendant,...

The estate of Tammy Wynette’s fifth and final husband, George Richey, has sued Showtime and one of Wynette’s daughters over the “villainous” portrayal of Richey in the 2022 miniseries George and Tammy.

Richey died in 2010, 12 years after Wynette’s 1998 death. A year after Richey died, Georgette Jones — the daughter of Wynette and fellow country legend George Jones — published a book titled The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George that made significant accusations against Richey, including that he allegedly destroyed a Wynette will that would have left...

Showtime is being sued by the family of Tammy Wynette‘s fifth husband, George Richey, for what it claims is a negative portrayal of Richey in the network’s limited series George & Tammy. As reported by Variety, Richey’s wife, Sheila Slaughter Richey, and their daughter, Tatum Keys Richey, filed the suit against Showtime for depicting Richey “as a devious husband who abused Wynette and Richey’s prior wife, facilitated and encouraged Wynette’s addiction to prescription painkillers, and engaged in financial and managerial manipulation of Wynette.” The White Lotus actor Steve Zahn portrayed Richey in the series, which premiered on Showtime on December 4, 2022. The show also starred Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette and Michael Shannon as George Jones. A spokesperson for Showtime responded to the lawsuit, stating, “We see no plausible basis for any claim against Showtime,” as per Variety. Steve Zahn as George Richey in ‘George & Tammy...

The family of Tammy Wynette’s fifth husband George Richey has filed a lawsuit against Showtime, alleging that the network’s George & Tammy limited series disparaged Richey as a “villain.”

The suit was filed, our sister site Variety reports, on behalf of Richey’s wife Sheila Slaughter Richey and their daughter Tatum Keys Richey. (George Richey died in 2010.) The suit says that George & Tammy depicts Richey, played by Steve Zahn, “as a devious husband who abused Wynette and Richey’s prior wife, facilitated and encouraged Wynette’s addiction to prescription painkillers, and engaged in financial and managerial manipulation of Wynette.

Showtime has been hit with a lawsuit over “George & Tammy” by the estate of country star Tammy Wynette’s fifth and last husband, George Richey. His heirs contend that the critically acclaimed miniseries disparaged Richey as the “villain” of the tortured love story between Wynette and George Jones, in violation of a previous non-disparagement agreement with Georgette Jones, the daughter of the titular couple and a key participant in the series.

Georgette Jones is not named as a defendant; only Showtime is. But because she was a consulting producer on the miniseries, as well as being the writer of the memoir that was the basis for the script, the lawsuit claims that the 2022 release of “George & Tammy” represented the network’s “tortious interference” in a 2015 settlement agreement the estate had made with Jones not to defame or disparage Richey, played by Steve Zahn in the series

A Showtime...

(Updated with Showtime statement) Tammy Wynette had a huge hit in 1968 with “D-i-v-o-r-c-e,” but today the family of the legendary country singer’s fifth and final husband has taken Showtime to court to break up their relationship with George & Tammy.

Citing an alleged violation of a five-year old Non-Disclosure Agreement signed by Georgette Jones, the estate of songwriter George Richey want a wide variety of damages from the cabler. Richey’s fourth and final wife Sheila Slaughter and offspring Tatum Keys Richey also want the award winning 2022 miniseries pulled off streaming because “the Series conveys a negative and disparaging depiction of Richey.”

That’s the polite and legalese version of the way the suit says the self-described George & Tammy “villain” was presented.

“In summary, the Series depicts Richey as a devious husband who abused Wynette and Richey’s prior wife, facilitated and encouraged Wynette’s addiction to prescription painkillers, and...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for “Justified & Ancient,” the series finale of Showtime’s “George & Tammy.”

In the end, George Jones and Tammy Wynette rode off into the sunset — at least on television.

Showtime’s record-breaking limited series “George & Tammy” came to a close Sunday night with the country music legends singing along to Hank Williams’ classic “Lost Highway” during a quieter moment on one of their final tours together.

Those familiar with the duo’s histories, together and apart, know they were divorced by the time they embarked on their reunion tours of the 1980s and ‘90s. Some may have expected the series, fronted by Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon, to end with Tammy’s 1998 death, a tragic final note in a life defined by groundbreaking music and plagued by health issues and drug use.

Instead, it fades to black on one of their tour buses,...

Actress Jessica Chastain, star of the new Showtime miniseries "George and Tammy", poses for the December 2022 issue of "Marie Claire" magazine, wearing Gucci, Polo Ralph Lauren, Victoria Beckham and a whole lot more, photographed by Jessica Chou:

Cast of "George and Tammy" also includes Steve Zahn as 'George Richey', Tim Blake Nelson as 'Roy Acuff', Kelly McCormack as 'Sheila Richey', Katy Mixon as 'Jan Smith'...

... Hendrix Yancey as 'Gwen', Walton Goggins as 'Earl Peanutt Montgomery', David Wilson Barnes as 'Billy Sherrill...

...John Teer as 'Harold Bradley', Joshua C. Allen as 'Lou Bradley'. Kate Arrington as 'Charlene Montgomery,' Pat Healy as 'Don Chapel'...

...Bobbie Eakes as 'Nan Smith', Abby Glover as 'Georgette Jones', Ian Lyons as 'Paul Richey', GiGi Erneta as 'Nancy Sepulvado' and Vivie Myrick as 'Donna Chapel'.

Click the images to enlarge.

It would be easy to fill this column with worthwhile movies that recently played theaters or notable TV shows making their return, but there’s too much interesting stuff to waste space on the familiar. So let’s get that out of the way up top.

Netflix viewers will be able to catch up with Bardo, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, and White Noise, all of which arrive on the service after brief theatrical runs.

On the TV front, fans of South Side, Slow Horses,...

"George and Tammy" is a new dramatic TV miniseries created by Abe Sylvia and directed by John Hillcoat, starring Jessica Chastain as country singer 'Tammy Wynette' and Michael Shannon as 'George Jones', now streaming on Showtime:

Cast also includes Steve Zahn as 'George Richey', Tim Blake Nelson as 'Roy Acuff', Kelly McCormack as 'Sheila Richey', Katy Mixon as 'Jan Smith',  Hendrix Yancey as 'Gwen', Walton Goggins as 'Earl Peanutt Montgomery', David Wilson Barnes as 'Billy Sherrill...

...John Teer as 'Harold Bradley', Joshua C. Allen as 'Lou Bradley'. Kate Arrington as 'Charlene Montgomery,' Pat Healy as 'Don Chapel'. Bobbie Eakes as 'Nan Smith', Abby Glover as 'Georgette Jones', Ian Lyons as 'Paul Richey', GiGi Erneta as 'Nancy Sepulvado' and Vivie Myrick as 'Donna Chapel'.

Click the images to enlarge...

A pair of golden performances elevates the standard entertainment biopic in “George & Tammy,” a six-part limited series airing on Showtime.

The story behind George & Tammy plays out like a real-life “Star Is Born:” king of his respective entertainment genre takes a young upstart under his wing and falls in love with her – but his substance abuse issues only get worse when her star starts to eclipse his. Of course, the real-life romance of king of country music George Jones (played by Michael Shannon) and his queen Tammy Wynette (played by Jessica Chastain) takes some extensive detours. But at this point in the music biopic era, we’ve already seen a multitude of missed gigs, dressing room arguments, and bottles hurled against a wall, preferably smashing a mirror (although Jones driving drunk on a riding mower is the stuff of alcoholic legend).

Fortunately for “George & Tammy,” its two...

Plot: The six-part limited series George & Tammy chronicles the country music power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time.

Review: In the annals of country music, there are few names that are as iconic as George Jones and Tammy Wynette. While Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn get the big screen treatment in Oscar-worthy biopics, the surge in limited series programming across streaming platforms has provided a new medium to tell complex stories about artists whose lives cannot be condensed into a two-hour movie. George & Tammy benefits and is shackled to the mini-series format in a well-made series with top-notch leading performances from Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain as two of the most famous and tragic musicians in the history of country music. A series designed for aficionados and country novices alike, there is quite a bit...

Tammy Wynette and George Jones are easily two of the most influential artists in country music history. Their marriage started as a passionate meeting of two musical minds but descended into tragic toxicity before their divorce and the increasingly unfortunate circumstances that followed. "George & Tammy," Showtime's new entry in the thriving stream of music biopics, is a testament to that cavalcade of events leading up to Wynette's tragic fate.

The series, created by Abe Sylvia ("The Eyes of Tammy Faye") and directed and executive produced by John Hillcoat ("The Road"), is, of course, based on the real-life relationship and catastrophes of the country music legends. It nonetheless enters a crowded field of media highlighting a relationship between entertainers, one rising, the other struggling to cope (think every adaptation of "A Star Is Born" among others). The longer-form medium that is the limited series is a friend here, giving more time...

The tumultuous marriage of country stars George Jones and Tammy Wynette is coming to television in the upcoming Showtime series “George & Tammy”.

In the six-part limited series, Michael Shannon plays Jones while Jessica Chastain portrays Wynette, whose legendarily volatile relationship inspired some of their biggest respective Nashville hits.

Read More: Jessica Chastain Reveals Her ‘Best Prank’. Her Victim – ‘Dark Phoenix’ Co-Star James McAvoy

“‘George & Tammy’ chronicles the country music power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time,” notes Showtime’s synopsis.

Photo Credit: Dana Hawley/Courtesy of Showtime.

“Remembered as the ‘First Lady of Country Music,’ Wynette’s most successful song ‘Stand by Your Man’ remains one of the most iconic and best-selling country singles by a female artist,” the synopsis continues. “George Jones’ song ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ is still widely called the greatest country song of all time.

Showtime(R) has announced that it has picked up the six-part limited series George & Tammy, starring Oscar winner Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon. The series is created by Abe Sylvia, directed by John Hillcoat (The Road) and produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Freckle Films, Mad Chance, Brolin Productions, Aunt Sylvia’s Moving Picture Co. and Blank Films Inc. The premiere episode of George & Tammy will debut simultaneously on Showtime and on the Paramount Network behind Yellowstone commercial free on Sunday, December 4 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. The remainder of the season will be available exclusively on Showtime, with new episodes available on streaming and on demand for all Showtime as well as Paramount+ with Showtime bundle subscribers on Fridays, before making its on-air debut on Sundays at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. The series will also begin rolling out across...

We've got news about another limited series that will rock our worlds!

Showtime today announced that it has picked up the six-part limited series George & Tammy, starring Oscar winner Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon.

George & Tammy chronicles the country music power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time.

Remembered as the “First Lady of Country Music,” Wynette’s most successful song “Stand by Your Man” remains one of the most iconic and best-selling country singles by a female artist. George Jones’ song “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” is still widely called the greatest country song of all time.

With over 30 number-one country songs between them, including duets “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring” and “Near You,” George and Tammy’s legacy, both musically and romantically, remains one of...

Showtime announced today that it has picked up George and Tammy, a six-part limited series starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain as George Jones and Tammy Wynette, the King and Queen of country music. Showtime also dropped the first George and Tammy trailer, which you can check out above!

George and Tammy was created by Abe Sylvia (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) and directed by John Hillcoat (The Road). The series chronicles the country music power couple Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time, including Wynette’s Stand by Your Man and Jones’ He Stopped Loving Her Today. “Jessica and Michael are truly extraordinary as Tammy and George and their searing performances and undeniable chemistry bring to life the legendary relationship of the King and Queen of country music,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, Showtime and Paramount Media Networks.

After winning her first Oscar for playing controversial televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, Jessica Chastain is hoping for similar success — this time on the small screen — as she embodies another legendary Tammy.

Showtime on Thursday announced the official pick-up of George & Tammy, a six-part limited series chronicling the lives and careers of country music power couple George Jones and Tammy Wynette, played by Michael Shannon and Chastain respectively.

More from TVLineYour Honor Season 2 Delayed -- Get New Premiere Date, Plus First Photo of a Bearded, Grieving Bryan CranstonCity on a Hill Cancelled at ShowtimeUzo Aduba to Star in Showtime Thriller All...

Click here to read the full article.

Jessica Chastain’s turn as country music star Tammy Wynette in the forthcoming limited series George & Tammy is heading to Showtime.

The six-part series, which has her starring opposite Oscar nominee Michael Shannon as George Jones, will premiere Sunday, Dec. 4, simultaneously on Showtime and the Paramount Network behind a new episode of Yellowstone. The remainder of the series, which was created by Abe Sylvia, who collaborated with Chastain on The Eyes of Tammy Faye, will air on Showtime. (New episodes will be available for streaming and on-demand to Showtime and Paramount+ subscribers on Fridays, before making their linear debut on Sundays on Showtime.)

George & Tammy, which was once envisioned for Spectrum Originals and, later, Paramount Network, chronicles the country music power couple, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time. Its pickup marks the first major...

Exclusive: George & Tammy, the country music drama series centered around Tammy Wynette, is bulking up its cast.

The limited series, which is a co-production between Spectrum Originals and Paramount Network, has added Kelly McCormack and Katy Mixon as guest stars.

Jessica Chastain plays Wynette, the first lady of country music, while Michael Shannon is playing her husband George Jones. The pair’s complicated relationship inspired iconic songs such as Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Steve Zahn plays George Richey, a songwriter, producer and mainstay of the Nashville country music community who married Wynette after she and Jones split up in 1975. Richey managed Wynette until her death in 1998.

Ginny & Georgia star McCormack plays Sheila Richey, Richey’s former wife and one-time friend and confidante of Wynette, while American Housewife star Mixon plays Jan Smith, a makeup and hair artist who works with...

Annie Murphy is getting animated at Freeform: The Schitt’s Creek vet will headline the voice cast of Praise Petey (working title), an animated comedy which has received a series order at the cable network.

The show follows Petey, “a New York City ‘it’ girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her,” per the official synopsis. “As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: she’s going to ‘lean into’ modernizing his small-town cult.” The voice ensemble also includes John Cho (Cowboy Bebop), Christine Baranski...

Exclusive: As production gets underway today on the John Hillcoat-directed George & Tammy with Michael Shannon playing George Jones and Jessica Chastain Tammy Wynette in a drama about their tempestuous marriage, Steve Zahn has joined the six-episode limited series. He will play George Richey, a songwriter, producer and mainstay of the Nashville country music community who married Wynette after she and Jones split up in 1975. Richey managed Wynette until her death in 1998.

Production began today in North Carolina on a series that will premiere exclusively on Spectrum followed by a second window on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network.

Abe Sylvia (Dead to Me) is the show’s creator and EP along with Andrew Lazar (American Sniper), Josh Brolin and Chastain. David C. Glasser, David Hutkin, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari are executive producing through 101 Studios (Yellowstone) along with writer and executive producer Bryan Goluboff, and Chastain and Freckle Films partner Kelly Carmichael.

Country music legend Tammy Wynette's husband, George Richey, has been buried near his wife after urging friends and family to keep his death from the media. Richey, who managed Wynette throughout the 1980s and co-wrote her hits "Til I Can Make It on My Own" and "You & Me", died on July 31, according to reports. He was 74.

He had requested there be no public memorial service or an announcement of his death, but Nashville newspaper The Tennessean unearthed details of his burial on Monday, August 16. Richey also co-wrote songs for George Jones and worked as a producer.

One of his final achievements before he passed was helping to create the Tammy Wynette: First Lady of Country Music exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The tribute show opens on Friday, August 20.

Details of Richey's death remain a mystery, but Cmt.com reports he...