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What's the connection between Star Trek: The Original Series, Welcome Back, Kotter, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father? Aside from the fact that all three are classic and beloved television series, the answer is… James Komack.

Originally an actor, musician, and comedian, Komack made the leap to writing, producing, and directing in the early 1960s. He directed 11 episodes of Get Smart and, later, several episodes each of The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Chico and the Man, and Welcome Back, Kotter, shows for which he also wrote and produced. He was credited with helping discover John Travolta and Freddie Prinze. In between, Komack was tapped to direct one episode of Star Trek: The Original Series: “A Piece of the Action.” The well-regarded hour -- which aired on January 12, 1968, during the show’s second season -- ranks as one of Star Trek’s most entertaining and funniest installments.

Looking back...

Most people with a cursory knowledge of television history know that the expression “jump the shark” was born the moment Happy Days’ Fonzie literally jumped over a shark while on water skis. What many don’t know, however, is that even amongst Happy Days fans, there’s no consensus as to when the show figuratively (not literally) jumped the shark.

Back in the early days of the internet, jumptheshark.com allowed fans to vote on the exact moment they thought a show overstayed its welcome. In terms of Happy Days, many viewers blamed the show’s format switch in Season Three, when it went from a single-camera show to one with a live studio audience, while others blamed so-called sitcom curse Ted McGinley’s addition to the cast in Season Eight. I, however, subscribe to the idea that it tanked at the end of Season Seven, when its star, Ron Howard,...

Art Evans, the actor who appeared in Die Hard 2, A Soldier’s Story and so many more movies and TV shows beginning in the 1970s, has passed away at the age of 82. The cause of death was diabetes.

Art Evans had well over 100 credits to his name, normally playing smaller roles. One of these key ones was in Die Hard 2, in which he played an air traffic controller who aids in John McClane’s latest fight against terrorists. Another came in 1984 with A Soldier’s Story, co-starring alongside Howard E. Rollins Jr. and Adolph Caesar as an army private. While Caesar would end up receiving the bulk of the attention (receiving Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations), Evans was also making his own mark.

Art Evans got his career started the previous decade — after time studying theater and on the stage — earning his first credit on sitcom Chico and the Man.

At 82, Art Evans, a talented character actor known for his vast work in film and television, passed away. His diabetes, which he had been fighting for years, caused problems that led to his death on December 21. Babe Evans, his wife, confirmed the news and paid heartfelt tribute to his life and career.

“Art was not only an incredible actor but a devoted husband, friend, and source of light to everyone who knew him,” she said. “We will miss his laugh, passion, and love of life very much.” Even though our hearts are heavy, we are proud of the joy and influence he leaves behind.

Evans began his acting career at Frank Silvera’s Theater of Being. He was born in Los Angeles on March 27, 1942. He made it to Broadway and played the lead role in “The Amen Corner” in 1965. In the middle of the 1970s, he moved on to TV,...

Art Evans, the actor known for his roles in Die Hard 2 and A Soldier’s Story, has died. He was 82.

The actor’s rep tells Deadline he died on Saturday, Dec. 21 of diabetes, “a condition he courageously managed for many years.” No other details were immediately available.

“Art was not only an incredible actor but a devoted husband, friend, and source of light to everyone who knew him,” his wife Babe said in a statement. “His laughter, passion, and love of life will be deeply missed. While our hearts are heavy, we celebrate the legacy of joy and inspiration he leaves behind.”

His talent reps LyNea Bell and Charleen McGuire remembered him as “a remarkable talent who touched many lives with his work. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”

Born March 27, 1942 in Los Angeles, Evans came up at Frank Silvera’s Theater of Being before landing...

Larry Auerbach, a top agent at William Morris Agency for nearly 50 years who also served 25 years at USC School of Cinematic Arts, died Nov. 23 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 95.

Auerbach represented a wide range of talent during his 47 years with William Morris, including Alan Alda, Bea Arthur, Marlo Thomas, Robert Wagner, Aaron Spelling, Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Harry Belafonte and such prestige-movie directors as Norman Jewison and Bernardo Bertolucci. Auerbach worked his way up to a leadership role at the agency after starting there in New York at age 15, working part-time while in high school sweeping floors and doing other less-than-glamorous duties during World War II.

After ending his Wma career in 1992, Auerbach segued to USC film school, where he used his matchmaking skills to create the Office of Industry Relations. He retired from USC as associate dean and head of student-industry relations in...

Freddie Prinze Jr. is one of the most beloved stars who reigned in the ’90s, starring in a number of movies now considered a classic – remember Scooby Doo?

Wow that was comedy gold, even though Prinze Jr once revealed he didn’t have a particularly fun experience shooting the movie.

This time round, the star is opening up about the reason he hated acting in general during the beginning stages of his career.

Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Mom Didn’t Want Him To Have Anything To Do With Acting

Freddie Prinze Jr. has come a long way in Hollywood, not only due to the success of his movies, but the way his mindset has evolved since the days he was just coming out of his first big break.

“When I was a kid, my mom was like, ‘Absolutely not. It’s just not gonna be your life,’ ” Prinze Jr., now 48, told hosts Randy Spelling,...

Alan Sacks, a longtime television producer who co-created the popular 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back Kotter” and later had a long affiliation with The Disney Channel, died on Tuesday following a battle with lymphoma. He was 81.

In a statement provided to Deadline, Sacks’ talent agent Annette van Duren said his cancer “was treated for him to dance at our daughter’s June wedding and walk her down the aisle. After that, the chemotherapy stopped being effective. He started hospice last week. He died peacefully listening to Tibetan music for the final few days and nights at age 81.”

Born Dec. 9, 1942, Sacks was best known for helping to co-create “Welcome Back Kotter” with star Gabe Kaplan in 1975. The show ran from 1975 to 1979 and today is most remembered for launching John Travolta to stardom. During this period Sacks also worked on “Chico and the Man.”

Decades later he executive produced several Disney Channel projects,...

Alan Sacks, who teamed with stand-up comic and fellow Brooklynite Gabe Kaplan to create the popular 1970s ABC sitcom Welcome, Back, Kotter, has died. He was 81.

Sacks died Tuesday of complications from lymphoma in New York while on a visit there, his wife, talent agent Annette van Duren, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was first diagnosed 22 years ago but spent several years in remission before the cancer returned.

In the 1980s, after a project involving the iconic L.A. band The Runaways never got off the ground, Sacks took the footage and incorporated it into a plot about a director working on a tight deadline to finish a movie starring Runaways member Joan Jett.

The resulting film, Du-Beat-e-o (1984), which he also helmed, was set against the background of the hardcore L.A. punk scene and featured Ray Sharkey and Derf Scratch of the punk band Fear.

He also wrote and...

Film and TV writer-producer Alan Sacks, who had an eclectic career that included co-creating the popular 1970s series “Welcome Back, Kotter” and working on projects set in the 1980s L.A. punk scene, died of complications from lymphoma on Tuesday in New York. He was 81.

Sacks was born in Brooklyn and started his career in the research department of ABC Television. After moving to Los Angeles, he continued working at ABC as a program executive. Along with Gabe Kaplan and Peter Meyerson, he helped develop and co-create “Welcome Back, Kotter,” basing the sitcom on his high school friends in Brooklyn and on Kaplan’s stand-up routine.

He also worked on “Chico and the Man,” created by “Welcome Back, Kotter” executive producer James Komack.

In 1991, Sacks created and produced a Saturday morning children’s show, “Riders in the Sky,” for CBS, which replaced the “Pee-Wee Herman Show.”

During the 1970s and ’80s,...

Exclusive: The Wolper Organization, the company behind the iconic Roots miniseries, is staying in business with Warner Bros. Television Group.

The two companies have renewed their overall deal, meaning that the company will have been in business with the studio for more than 50 years. It marks one of the longest consecutive studio deals in entertainment history.

The multiyear pact will see The Wolper Organization continue to develop and produce television series exclusively for the TV group, alongside its first-look feature deal with the movie studio.

Warner Bros. started working with The Wolper Organization, then run by David L. Wolper, in 1976 after Warner Communications bought it for $1.5M. It is behind three of the most successful limited series of all time: Roots, The Thorn Birds and North and South, was first to bring DC’s Superman franchise to TV and introduced viewers to the likes of Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall.

A total of 36 individuals earned their first Primetime Emmy acting nominations in 2024, including “Feud” stars Naomi Watts and Tom Hollander and recent Oscar also-rans Lily Gladstone (“Under the Bridge”) and Ryan Gosling (“Saturday Night Live”). A standout among these newbies is Paul Rudd, who is the only one in the group with shots at two performance wins: Best Comedy Supporting Actor (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Best Narrator (“Secrets of the Octopus”).

Rudd could now make Emmys history as the eighth doubly-nominated first-timer to triumph on at least one of his bids. The first to do so was Robert Cummings, who simultaneously won for “12 Angry Men” and lost for “My Hero” in 1955. He was followed by Jack Albertson, Eileen Brennan, Jane Lynch, Riz Ahmed, Ann Dowd, and Ali Wong.

Twenty-six acting Emmy newcomers (13 male and 13 female) preceded Rudd in being concurrently nominated for more than one performance. Aside from Ahmed,...

When the 2023 Primetime Emmy nominations were revealed, Ali Wong and Pedro Pascal both had the honor of being included in multiple performance lineups. She made history as the first newcomer to the acting categories recognized for both live action (“Beef”) and voice (“Tuca & Bertie”) work, while he became the first actor nominated for three programs on his initial Emmy outing. These achievements made them the newest members of a group of 26 people who earned their first two (or three) acting Emmy nominations in a single year.

Wong’s eventual Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress win for “Beef” made her the seventh person in this bunch to succeed on one of her bids. The first was Robert Cummings, who received 1955’s Best Single Performance by an Actor prize for “Twelve Angry Men” and simultaneously lost for his regular lead turn on “My Hero.”

The first five champs who followed Cummings were Jack Albertson,...

Freddie Prinze Jr.'s career peaked in the late '90s and early 2000s with high-profile romantic comedies like "She's All That," but his subsequent films flopped at the box office. Prinze Jr. took a break from acting to prioritize his role as a father and has appeared on screen less since 2008. While only dabbling in a film career, Prinze Jr. has remained involved in the entertainment industry through voice acting, WWE, and creating content for his YouTube channel and podcasts.

Freddie Prinze Jr. was a teen heartthrob and winner of multiple Teen Choice Awards, but he has spent much less time in the limelight in recent years. Son of Freddie Prinze Sr., star of the '70s NBC sitcom Chico and the Man, it seemed that acting was in Prinze Jr.'s blood. His breakthrough in I Know What You Did Last Summer set him on a decade-long high in Hollywood.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, a cult classic, brought the story to life thanks to its talented cast and received critical acclaim. Gene Wilder's performance as Willy Wonka solidified him as a skilled actor and his song "Pure Imagination" is one of the most recognizable in movie history. Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie Bucket, pursued a career as a vet instead of acting but still has positive memories of the film.

The talented cast of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory embarked on different paths after the 1971 movie, enjoying varying levels of success. The first big-screen adaptation of the 1964 children's novel by Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory has since become a cult classic. The movie tells the story of a poor young boy named Charlie Bucket who experiences the adventure of a lifetime after winning the chance to visit Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory alongside four other children.

A quarter century after winning her third film acting Golden Globe, Ingrid Bergman was honored by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association one last time for her performance in the TV movie “A Woman Called Golda.” This victory was historic in that it occurred five months after her death, thus making her the only actress to ever win a Golden Globe posthumously. She also remains one of only two deceased female performers ever nominated by the HFPA, but the group could soon grow by one if the recently departed Charlbi Dean (“Triangle of Sadness”) lands in the 2023 Best Film Comedy/Musical Actress lineup.

Dean passed away at the age of 32 on August 29, 2022, which happened to be the 40th anniversary of Bergman’s death. Her performance as social media influencer Yaya in “Triangle of Sadness” has been heavily praised since the film premiered in Cannes this spring, and she now ranks eighth...

Johnny Brown, the actor, comedian and singer best known for his role as superintendent Nathan Bookman on the popular 70s sitcom “Good Times,” died Wednesday. He was 84 years old.

Brown’s death was confirmed by his daughter, Broadway actress Sharon Catherine Brown, through a post shared on her Instagram. No further details on Brown’s death are available at this time.

“He was literally snatched out of our lives. It’s not real for us yet,” Sharon Catherine Brown wrote. “So there will be more to say but not now. Dad was the absolute best. We love him so very much.”

Prior to his sitcom stardom, Brown was a seasoned entertainment veteran, regularly performing in nightclub acts with his future wife, June Russell. Early in his career he dabbled in recording music, releasing the single “Walkin’, Talkin’, Kissin’ Doll” for Columbia Records in 1961 and “You’re Too Much in Love...

Entertainment mogul Byron Allen’s résumé lists Fairfax High and USC as the Los Angeles educational institutions of his formative years. Not to diminish their importance, when you hear Allen describing his youthful days when his single mother “couldn’t afford daycare” and plopped young Byron down at NBC where she worked, it’s quickly obvious that Allen had the world’s greatest showbiz teachers in the halls of a network television production center. The list of mentors Allen encountered and learned from at an early age includes Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Freddie Prinze, Flip Wilson, Redd Foxx, George Burns and Dean Martin.

“As a kid,” recalls Allen, “I was able to watch how television was made and I thought, ‘What a wonderful way to go through life, making people laugh and making television for the world.’ I had that epiphany when I was a very, very young kid. ‘This...

Despite embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo receiving an 'Emmy' award for his 'Chico Marx' TV shtick during the height of the 'Covid 19' pandemic, Marvel Studios and Disney+ still believe in the credibility of television awards, releasing "For Your Consideration" posters supporting their new live-action series "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier", "WandaVision" and "The Mandalorian":

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier 

"...six months after being handed the mantle of Captain America at the end of 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019), 'Sam Wilson' teams up with 'Bucky Barnes' in a worldwide adventure that tests their abilities and their patience...."

Wandavision 

"...three weeks after the events of 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019), 'Wanda Maximoff' and 'Vision' are living an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey, trying to conceal their true natures. But as their surroundings begin to move through different decades and they encounter various television tropes,...

After a stellar October full of spooky flicks and other great releases, Netflix has already come out swinging in November, too. The initial few drops of the month have brought a solid collection of fresh content guaranteed to be filled with at least a few things that you’re going to be anxious to add to your list, such as the hilarious family comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, unnerving sci-fi flick Prospect, and the Keanu Reeves thriller Knock Knock.

But if you’re feeling a little impatient and want to begin planning out your December schedule, too, you’ll love this good news – Netflix has already announced a pretty nice selection of additions coming next month, including a handful of highly-anticipated originals.

Probably the most noteworthy thing arriving in December – at least, so far – is the fourth and final season of the hit show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, based on...

Please do not adjust the calendar settings on your Internet-connected device. No, you have not fallen into some kind of transcendental wormhole in which time is but a mere suggestion. That headline is correct. It is October 7 and Netflix has announced its 2020 Holiday season lineup.

For starters: shame on you, Netflix. Let the spooky season breathe. But given that this will be a most unusual holiday season due to the coronavirus pandemic, I suppose we can give the streaming giant a pass this time for wanting to get a head start on some Christmas cheer.

Just as Netflix’s Halloween offerings were dubbed “Netflix and Chills”, so too does the holiday season get its own Netflix-friendly branding. Get ready for “Netflix: Here for the Holidays.” And here is a helpful graphic with some of the major titles.

Netflix’s holiday season headliner is certainly The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two, premiering on Nov.

“Forgotten We’ll Be,” the latest film from director Fernando Trueba, an Academy Award winner (“Belle Epoque”) and nominee (“Chico and Rita”), has been sold to Italy, the film’s sales agent Film Factory Entertainment striking a deal for Italian distribution with Lucky Red, a classic arthouse and independent film distributor.

Details of the deal come just days after it was announced that the title will close on Sept. 26, playing out of competition, the Official Selection of the San Sebastian Film Festival, after having generated upbeat buzz among Spanish critics at a press screening earlier this week in Madrid.

The deal has been brokered by Vicente Canales, managing director of Film Factory Ent., and Stefano Massenzi, Lucky Red head of acquisitions. It marks the latest licensing coup for “Forgotten We’ll Be,” a title which hit the online Cannes Marché in June as one of the few titles from the Cannes Festival...

What titles are coming to Netflix in September 2020? I’m glad you asked. I mean, you personally may not have asked, but someone probably did. Somewhere. Moving on.

Earlier today, the streaming site announced the full list of new movies/TV shows headed to the platform next month and it’s a doozy, comprising over 100 titles. A good chunk of those are Netflix Originals, too, and overall, there’s a ton of exciting stuff on the way.

See for yourself below…

Released September 1

Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices *Netflix Family

The Boss Baby: Get That Baby! *Netflix Family

Felipe Esparza: Bad Decisions/Malas Decisiones (2020) *Netflix Comedy Special

La Partita/The Match *Netflix Film

True: Friendship Day *Netflix Family

Adrift

Anaconda

Back to the Future

Back to the Future Part II

Back to the Future Part III

Barbershop

Barbie Princess Adventure

Borgen: Season 1-3

Children of the Sea

Coneheads

Glory

Grease...

Every year, movies are being produced at faster rates and in greater quantity, and that’s thanks – in part – to streamers like Netflix. Because of their business strategy, customers can now watch thousands of films for the same price as a single cinema ticket. As such, the entertainment appetite of the American public has been growing stronger with each passing season. To that end, here’s an overview of the best new movies coming to Netflix next month.

First off, we got science fiction and fantasy. Fans of visiting other worlds will be in for a treat in July, as Netflix will be adding Cloud Atlas to its library. Directed by the Wachowski siblings – the same ones who created the now-infamous Matrix franchise – this time-traveling epic follows the stories of a handful of reincarnating souls who live their different yet similar lives across several centuries.

Up next we got acclaimed classics,...

How does Netflix determine which titles leave and which enter its dauntingly large library? Do they carefully analyze viewing statistics and find content that caters to our interests? Or do they simply throw an immense amount of content at the wall and watch what sticks?

The answer is probably a mix of both. Like most entertainment companies, Netflix knows full well the potential of mathematics, but it also respects the creative spirit. As such, some new additions may have been carefully chosen, and others not. In any case, here’s an overview of the 81 new movies and TV shows headed to the platform this coming week.

Let’s begin with the basics. One of the most inoffensive yet well-crafted Hollywood films arriving is Donnie Brasco. Produced in 1997, it stars now-legendary actor Johnny Depp in one of his first lead roles ever, and tells the story of an undercover cop who...

The summer movie season, as we usually know it, isn’t happening this year, with few big releases planning to drop over the next couple of months, even if cinemas are just starting to reopen. Instead, then, it’s falling on Netflix and the various other streaming services to pull their weight and give movie lovers a range of new content to feast on. Thankfully, July isn’t looking too shabby for original films and TV, not to mention lots of classics or underrated gems appearing on all the usual sites.

Of course, Netflix has the most original output coming across next month. TV fans, in particular, have got much to look forward to, including season 2 of The Umbrella Academy. In fact, it’s a good month for fantasy series based off comic books all-round, as we’ve also got Arthurian retelling Cursed and super-powered action show Warrior Nun coming as well.

Netflix is out with its list of everything coming and going in July, and it includes Netflix originals like “Warrior Nun,” season one of “The Baby-Sitters Club,” the final football season of “Last Chance U,” and “The Kissing Booth 2.”

Some classic movies and beloved romantic comedies coming to the streamer include the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” the Ryan Reynolds rom-com “Definitely Maybe,” the Mandy Moore-lead “A Walk to Remember,” and the Jim Carrey 2004 film “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

Leaving at the end of the month are favorites like the Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams heartbreaker “Blue Valentine,” the Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller love story “Spectacular Now,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” and all three “Back to the Future” movies.

Also Read: What's Next for Chris D'Elia's Films After Sexual Misconduct Accusations

Here is the full list of everything coming and going:

July 1

Anne Frank...

You know, plenty of streaming services would treat the dog days of summer as an excuse to slow down. At Netflix, however, the content buffet is still open, baby. Despite the coronavirus pandemic shutting down all of Hollywood for an extended period of time, Netflix’s new releases for July 2020 are still jam-packed with a host of familiar originals.

The blockbuster this month is probably The Umbrella Academy season 2. The next installment for the Hargreeves family arrives on July 31. And if that’s too long of a wait for you, Netflix gets the month off to a strong start with a string of originals as well. Unsolved Mysteries arrives on July 1, followed by Warrior Nun on July 2, and The Baby-Sitter’s Club on July 3. That’s not even to mentioned the feminist take on Arthurian legend, Cursed, which premiers on July 17.

There are a couple of intriguing original movies to consider this month as well.

Fernando Trueba’s Cannes Official Selection drama Forgotten We’ll Be has scored U.S. and UK deals via a joint acquisition from Cohen Media Group and Artificial Eye.

The acquisition is the first joint buy from the two firms after Ae was acquired by Cmg last year.

The film will be released theatrically in the U.S. and the UK in 2021. The distribution deal was negotiated by Robert Aaronson, Cmg’s Senior Vice President, and Vicente Canales, Managing Director of Spanish international sales agency Film Factory Entertainment

Belle Époque and Chico & Rita director Trueba’s latest is adapted from Héctor Abad Faciolince’s novel about his father, Colombian human rights activist Dr. Héctor Abad Gómez. Starring Javier Cámara (Talk To Her), the story follows a man torn between the love of his family and his political fight set in the violence-riddled Colombia of recent decades. The film also stars Juan Pablo Urrego...

Cohen Media Group and Curzon have acquired Fernando Trueba's Forgotten We'll Be for North America and the U.K., marking the first acquisition made jointly across both major English-speaking territories since the Cmg purchase of Curzon in December.

The deal, according to Cmg, is also the first deal to be announced for a film in the 2020 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection.

Forgotten We'll Be is the latest film from Oscar-winning director Trueba (Belle Epoque, Chico & Rita, Opera Prima) and is adapted from Héctor Abad Faciolince’s masterpiece with the same title, which is considered one of the ...

Cohen Media Group and Curzon have acquired Fernando Trueba's Forgotten We'll Be for North America and the U.K., marking the first acquisition made jointly across both major English-speaking territories since the Cmg purchase of Curzon in December.

The deal, according to Cmg, is also the first deal to be announced for a film in the 2020 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection.

Forgotten We'll Be is the latest film from Oscar-winning director Trueba (Belle Epoque, Chico & Rita, Opera Prima) and is adapted from Héctor Abad Faciolince’s masterpiece with the same title, which is considered one of the ...

We have lost a voice acting legend, as The Smurfs star Danny Goldman has reportedly passed away. Goldman is perhaps best known for his role on the classic animated series, which had him lending his voice to the memorable Brainy Smurf. According to TMZ, Goldman had previously suffered from two strokes around the first of the year. He then died at his home on Sunday while in hospice, surrounded by family and friends, at the age of 80 years old.

"Danny was truly one of a kind," says the late voice actor's longtime agent, Doug Ely. "He always had strong opinions and didn't mind telling you about them. He was incredibly funny. He loved to root for the little guy and help wherever he could. He had a huge heart. We lost a good one today. He will be missed."

Goldman was born in 1939, growing up in New York City and...

This year’s Berlin International Film Festival will host a tribute program to German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger. She will attend the festival to receive the prize on February 22, prior to the world premiere of her documentary Paris Calligrammes, which is playing in the Berlinale Special strand. One of Germany’s most important filmmakers since the 1970s, Ottinger’s work spans 25 features, docs and shorts. She has previously received honorary recognition at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In total, 12 of her films have screened at the Berlinale before. “With the Berlinale Camera, we celebrate artists whose work has always maintained a close relationship between the subjects which comprise cinema and the act of ‘filmmaking’ itself. In light of this, Ulrike Ottinger is the ideal recipient of an award that bears the word ‘camera’. As a painter, a photographer, an all-round artist, she...

John J. McMahon, the former president of Carson Productions Group and Wilshire Court Productions, died Monday at his Brentwood, Calif. home after a battle with advanced prostate cancer. He was 89.

A longtime network executive, McMahon served as senior V.P. of programming and talent for NBC where he’s credited for his involvement in shows including “The Rockford Files,” “CHiPs,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “Chico and the Man,” “Police Woman,” “Sanford and Son” and “Facts of Life.”

His friend Johnny Carson hired him as president of Carson Productions in 1980, where he oversaw “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes,” “John and Yoko: A Love Story” and the Academy Award nominated film “The Big Chill.”

Born in Chicago in 1930, McMahon attended the U. of Wisconsin for a year before being drafted into the Us Armed Services during the Korean War, for which he earned two Bronze Stars. After finishing his term of service,...

Louisa Moritz, an actress and one of the numerous women who accused scandal-plagued comedian Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, has died of natural causes, a representative said Wednesday. Moritz was 72.

Born in Havana, Cuba in 1946, Moritz made her film debut in 1970’s “The Man From O.R.G.Y.,” portraying prostitute Carmela. Moritz mined similar territory in 1975’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” as the hooker Rose.

Moritz’s other credits include “Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke,” “Death Race 2000” and “The Last American Virgin.”

Also Read: Bill Cosby Is to Blame for 'Baby It's Cold Outside' Ban, Says Songwriter's Daughter

On the small screen, Moritz appeared on programs including “Love, American Style,” “Ironside” and “Chico and the Man.”

At the time of her death, Moritz was working on two books, one about Cuban cooking and the other about how to get out of traffic tickets.

In...

Gina Rodriguez’s upcoming film “Miss Bala” is being hailed as a barrier-breaking action film. That’s the glass-half-full take on things. There’s another way of looking at the story of a beauty queen trying to escape a violent drug cartel, however. When it opens Feb. 1, “Miss Bala” will represent one of the starkest reminders of the dearth of big-studio films featuring Latinos in leading roles.

In 2017, just two of the year’s top 100-grossing films featured Latino actors in lead roles, according to USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s annual report on female and minority film representation. None of last year’s top 100 films featured a Latina actress in the lead role, and nearly 65 had speaking roles for Latinas. The release of “Miss Bala” comes at a time in Hollywood when other landmark films featuring African-American and Asian-American performers such as “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have dominated the box office.

The death of Jean Stapleton's Edith Bunker on All in the Family — or, more precisely, it's spin-off, Archie Bunker's Place — remains one of the most profound and moving events involving a television character ever aired (and our subject at hand). It was, of course, only one of numerous TV series to experience such a major cast shake-up, which, over the years, has taken place for a wide variety of reasons. And, naturally, the on-air effectiveness of those departures has varied from show to show, depending on the creativity of those involved and the circumstances surrounding their absence. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) From 1974 to 78, NBC aired the sitcom Chico and the Man, starring comedian Freddie Prinze as Chico Rodriguez and Jack Albertson (Willy Wonka's Grandpa Joe) as Ed Brown, who work together in a garage in East L.A. Toward the end of the third season, Freddie took his own...

Could Miguel Ferrer become a posthumous Emmy nominee for “Twin Peaks: The Return”? The veteran character actor died of throat cancer in January 2017 after he shot the Showtime revival, in which he reprised his role as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield. The TV academy often rewards stars who have died with nominations for their final performances, so could Ferrer compete for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor? Despite a long list of TV credits including “The Stand” (1994), “Crossing Jordan” (2001-2007), “NCIS: Los Angeles” (2012-2017) and many more, he never earned an Emmy nomination during his lifetime.

Ferrer first appeared in the original “Twin Peaks” in a recurring role as an abrasive and sarcastic FBI forensics specialist assisting Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in his murder investigation in the title town. And he also appeared in the 1992 prequel film “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.” The 18-episode limited run in 2017 found him...

In what could easily be billed as a priceless ticket, Netflix brought David Letterman and Jerry Seinfeld together in a rare live sit down last night in Hollywood for Emmy voters, where the two interviewed each other, canvassing a melange of topics from how they met, the wakes they left behind, the headaches of show businesses, the ‘My Pillow guy’, Flexseal and their weight. Letterman was at Netflix’s Fysee space at Raleigh Studios to spotlight his talk series on the streaming giant My Next Guest Needs No Introduction while Seinfeld was repping his stand-up Netflix special Jerry Before Seinfeld.

“Do you do Trump stuff when you go up?” Letterman asked Seinfeld about his act.

“No, it doesn’t interest me,” said Seinfeld, “I do a lot of raisins stuff,” and that was the extent to which Potus, the punching bag for most comedians and late-night talk show hosts, was...

Henry Winkler has lost all five of his Emmy bids to date but that losing streak could finally be over as he’s earning rave reviews for his scene-stealing role on the new comedy “Barry.” Bill Hader plays Barry Berkman, an ex-marine turned hitman who, desperate for a break following his most recent job, is sent off to Los Angeles. There he unexpectedly finds comfort and acceptance among the local theatre community. He takes an acting class taught by Gene Cousineau (Winkler), who initially thinks Barry is a dreadful actor but is later won over by his all-too-convincing declaration that he is a killer.

As Maureen Ryan of Variety observed, “Winkler, among others, is good at peeling back the pompous and self-absorbed layers of his character to find the truthful artist inside — and, whatever his flaws, he gets Barry and others to do the same.” Also singing the actor’s...

Della Reese, who played Touched By an Angel‘s Tess for the CBS drama’s entire run, died Sunday at home in California, our sister site Variety reports. She was 86.

Reese was a gospel and R&B singer who hosted an eponymous daytime talk show from 1969-1970. She later moved to television, with a long career that included roles on Chico and the Man, MacGyver, The Royal Family, Designing Women, Picket Fences, That’s So Raven and The Young and the Restless.

Her most notable small screen gig was likely Touched by an Angel, the family series starring Roma Downey as Monica,...

Everyone say it with us now: Cuchi-cuchi! Charo will compete on Dancing With the Stars, E! News has learned. The famous flamenco guitarist, 65, is no stranger to reality TV. She appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap, Hell's Kitchen and The Surreal Life. She's even been a guest on Dancing With the Stars before. Her other TV credits include Chico and the Man, RuPaul's Drag Race, Jane the Virgin and Fantasy Island. Additionally, E! News has learned that NFL player Rashad Jennings has joined the cast as well. Currently a free agent, Jennings spent the last two seasons as a running back for the New York Giants. The cast of Dancing With the Stars season 24 is also set to include Heather Morris from Glee,...

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher will be buried among many other famous stars at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

Reynolds’s son and Fisher’s younger brother Todd Fisher told ABC’s 20/20 that he is planning a joint service with Billie Lourd, 24, his niece and Fisher’s daughter. According to Todd, his mother and sister will be buried “among friends,” at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Fisher, 60, was aboard an 11-hour flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 23, when she went into cardiac arrest. She later died that following Tuesday in the hospital. Reynolds died a...

There are shows that have been justly lauded as the best the medium has to offer. And then there are those series that have been unjustly obscured by history ... for the moment. Some are cult faves that never crossed over; others were short-lived hits that didn’t get kissed by the rerun gods. And some were just plain trash. But as Oscar the Grouch used to sing, we love trash — anything dirty or dingy or dusty. Here are a dozen shows that didn't make our "100 Greatest TV Shows" list but damn,...

Seven episodes were provided prior to broadcast.

From Netflix and Marvel’s nocturnal vision of the sprawling New York City streets emerges Luke Cage, yet another tale of revenge and redemption, this time with the Wu-Tang Clan providing boom-bap beats for the bloody beatdowns. Viewers who push all of the adaptation anxiety and Defenders tie-in hype to the side for a moment will find a powerhouse of a show that mixes the provocative fantasy of blaxploitation with the pulpy intrigue of mob warfare to great success.

The fact that Luke Cage exists as a slice of a larger Netflix superhero pie alongside Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and the forthcoming Iron Fist will be the primary appeal to those obsessed with their eventual crossover team-up in The Defenders, but the show serves an arguably greater purpose in that it brings something to the fore that we’ve yet to see from Marvel.

1981 was an amazing year for horror. An American Werewolf in London. The Beyond. The Evil Dead. The Funhouse. The Howling. The list goes on and on. However, one that always seems to fall through the cracks of time and memory is Dead & Buried.

Released in May 1981, Dead & Buried did not set any box office records. This is due to the fact that it is very hard to categorize. Is it a slasher ala Friday the 13th Part 2? No, but there are some gruesome and realistic deaths courtesy of late effects whiz Stan Winston. Is it a monster movie like The Howling? Not exactly, but the movie involves transformations (of a sort). Is there a mystery to solve? Definitely, and this is what drives the story forward and through the disparate elements at play.

60’s and 70’s TV survivor James Farentino stars as Dan Gillis, Sheriff of the seaside town of Potter’s Bluff.

It is not too shabby in what the Northeast (New England) part of the United States has produced in terms of past and present actors/actresses making their show business dreams come true. Film careers can be a lot like ice cubes–they start out solid and cool but if you sit around in stagnation your efforts and hard work can melt away before one’s very eyes. Certainly no one can accuse this talented crop of thespians of being one-hit wonders on the big screen. After all, one does not become a recipient of an Academy Award by just sheer luck and charitable fortune.

As a native Bostonian and life long New Englander, I felt compelled to spotlight those Massachusetts-born and bred actors from the same region that had ultimate success on the big screen in winning the Oscar for their acting achievement and contribution to the motion picture industry.

A pop-culture touchstone, a nearly all-purpose metaphor and one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises of the Seventies and beyond, the Planet of the Apes films do what all good what-if fantasies should do: hold up a mirror to humanity and reflect our own conflicts, issues and failings back to us through a wildly outrageous premise. The original 1968 movie mixes satire, social commentary, action and suspense, capped by a first-rate twist at the end. ("Damn you, damn you all to hell!")

'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'...

Some may say that television hasn’t been too good to senior citizens in terms of their stereotypical depictions. Regardless of the unflattering portrayals there had been some memorable oldsters (in this case over 60) that have given us equal shares of both laughs and cries. In “For Mature Audiences Only”, let’s take a look at some of the more mature characterizations that had an impact on our daily doses of entertainment on the glorious boob tube.

Instead of doing a typical top ten or top twenty listing let’s go in between with a top fifteen selection, shall we? The “For Mature Audiences Only” choices are not necessarily a tasting that everyone will agree on. Perhaps you have your own preferences that were omitted or something that you feel should be added? Anyway, here are the candidates in alphabetical order…

Now for our pop cultural Pepto Bismol personalities:

1.) Doc Galen Adams,...

The sitcom and feature writer, who was married to Hal Kanter for 70 years, has died. Doris Kanter died last month in Encino after a brief illness, the WGA said today. She was 95. Her writing credits include Chico And The Man, Night Court and the 1980 Beau Bridges sitcom United States. She also designed the colorful opening title credits for her husband groundbreaking 1968-71 series Julia, starring Diahann Carroll. A native of NYC, Doris Kanter started out working at Parents magazine in the 1930s. She married Hal Kanter in 1941 after he had been drafted into the Army. She also helped her husband in writing and editing – mainly comedy– for television and film. He died in 2011. Doris Kanter is survived by her three daughters, Lisa Shafer, Donna Kanter — a writer-director-producer who owns the Kanter Company — and Abigail Jaye; her granddaughter Kaleigh Shafer; and sons–in-law Anthony Shafer and Michael Jaye.