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Canada’s CBC is the latest network to give a greenlight to unique interview format The Assembly, as the pubcaster rolled out its 2025/26 slate.

The Canadian version of the show, which began life on France 2 in 2022, will run to six parts and comes from Small Army Entertainment. In each episode, one of Canada’s most popular celebrities and public figures will face a group of 30 atypical interviewers, all on the autism spectrum.

Jann Arden, Allan Hawco, Howie Mandel, and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan will all face the music in the series, with more names to be announced.

This is the latest version of French series Les Rencontres du Papotin, which launched in 2022 on France 2 with guests including Killing Eve star Camille Cottin and President Emmanuel Macron. Further international versions have since featured the likes of Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen and Sam Neil.

Executive producers for CBC’s show are Sean De Vries and Stephen Sawchuk.

Just For Laughs has rounded out its 2025 Gala host lineup with the addition of Roy Wood Jr. and Mikey Day, who will join previously announced hosts Michelle Buteau and Fortune Feimster for the festival’s marquee events running July 25-26 in Montreal.

The festival, which runs July 16-27, will feature solo showcases from rising stars Ralph Barbosa, Joe Dombrowski, and Carlos Ballarta, whose show will be performed entirely in Spanish.

Wood Jr., who will host the July 25 Gala, brings significant television credentials to the role. The Emmy-nominated documentary producer and WGA-nominated writer spent eight years as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy-winning “The Daily Show” and made headlines in 2023 when he guest-hosted the program and headlined the White House Correspondents’ Dinner to its highest ratings since 2017. Currently, he hosts CNN’s “Have I Got News for You,” an American adaptation of the U.K.’s longest-running comedy series that...

Stand-up comedy superstar Russell Peters doesn’t fear deportation back to Canada from his home in Los Angeles under Donald Trump.

“In all fairness, the amount of taxes I pay in that country, they’d be damn foolish to get rid of me. Now that’s a bad business move, and since the country is being run like a business, that would be dumb,” the Canadian comedian, who is of Anglo-Indian descent, told The Hollywood Reporter during a global Relax tour stop in Amsterdam.

As a legal immigrant, Peters — whose earlier global tours like Outsourced; Red, White and Brown; The Green Card Tour; and The Deported have centered on the hot-button issue of immigration — isn’t worried about being removed from the U.S. under Trump’s second White House administration.

“Ok, what are they going to do? Send me back to Canada? Whoop-de-do! What a loss for them. Not me.

Max Goes Live In Turkey, Vows Originals Spend

Warner Bros Discovery has officially launched streamer Max in Turkey. The service replaces Wbd’s existing streamer, BluTV, and will debut with a trio of new local originals such as Anatomy of Chaos, Jasmin and Feride alongside premiering U.S. shows including The Last of Us Season 2 and the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale, and movies including Barbie, the Harry Potter franchise and the Dune films. At a press launch today in Turkey, Wbd unveiled the TV originals and gave first looks at the upcoming Turkish series First Göktürk, Prince Season 3 and Çekiç ve Gül: Bir Behzat Ç. Hikayesi Season 3. For a limited period, subscribers will also get access to Eurosport. “Bringing Max to Türkiye is a key milestone for Warner Bros. Discovery and marks the completion of the successful integration of BluTV into our portfolio,” said Jamie Cooke, General Manager Cee,...

Exclusive: Comedian Morgan Jay’s sophomore special, Morgan Jay: Live at The Village, is set to stream on Hulu this Friday, April 11, the same day that Jay has two sold-out headline performances at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The special comes to Hulu in a licensing deal, we’re told, following its original premiere on YouTube in 2023.

Filmed at L.A.’s Village Studios, Jay’s new hour sees him offer his perspective on love, sex, and relationships through crowd work and original music. It comes on the heels of I Hope My Ex Doesn’t See This, which the comic self-released on YouTube in 2020.

The special is directed by Jocelyn Cooper, who also produced alongside Lili Kaytmaz, Sara Mengesha, and Matt Sadeghian. Jay was its writer and executive producer, as well as its performer.

Boasting over 6 million followers on TikTok and 2.4 million on Instagram, Jay has had a meteoric...

Sian Barbara Allen, the actor known for numerous television roles and her lead role in “Scream, Pretty Peggy” alongside Bette Davis, died Monday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Allen’s death was confirmed to Variety with the cause of death being Alzheimer’s disease.

In the ’70s and ’80s, Allen had numerous roles in popular TV shows, including “The Waltons,” “Columbo,” “The Rockford Files,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Gunsmoke,” “Marcus Welby, M.D.” and “The Incredible Hulk.” Allen also wrote the “Just for Laughs” episode of “Baretta” in Season 4.

In her film work, she starred alongside numerous stars, including Patty Duke, Rosemary Murphy and Richard Thomas in “You’ll Like My Mother” (1972), Bette Davis in “Scream Pretty Peggy” (1973) and Gregory Peck and Jack Warden in the Western “Billy Two Hats” (1974). She also played Anne Morrow alongside Anthony Hopkins in “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case” (1976). Allen earned a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising New Actress...

Edward Lachman, Jomo Fray, and Sam McCurdy take home top honors at the 39th annual ASC Awards, while ‘Maria’ and ‘Nickel Boys’ stand out among the winners.

Edward Lachman won his first ASC Award for Maria, beating out Greg Frasier for Dune: Part Two and Lol Crawley for The Brutalist at the 39th annual ASC Awards, held on February 23 at The Beverly Hilton. Lachman’s surprise win comes after five previous nominations, marking a long-awaited achievement in his career.

Maria, Lachman’s collaboration with director Pablo Larraín, focuses on the final days of opera singer Maria Callas, reflecting on her life and the challenges of maintaining her voice. To capture this story, Lachman utilized Kodak film in 35mm, 16mm, and Super 8, shooting in both color and black-and-white stock. This film is part of Larraín’s Important Women Trilogy, alongside Jackie and Spencer.

Other notable winners included Robert Elswit for Ripley in the Limited Series category,...

“Maria” cinematographer Edward Lachman won the Feature Film prize at the 39th annual ASC Awards, February 23 at The Beverly Hilton. His surprise win beat out Academy Award favorites “Dune: Part Two” (Greig Fraser) and “The Brutalist” (Lol Crawley), as well as “Nosferatu” (Jarin Blaschke), “Conclave” (Stéphane Fontaine), “A Complete Unknown” (Phedon Papamichael), and “Wicked” (Alice Brooks). The expanded list was due to how close the percentage of voting was.

This marks Lachman’s first win after five nominations at the ASC Awards. He was previously nominated for his work with Todd Haynes on “Mildred Pierce,” “Far From Heaven,” and “Carol,” as well as his previous effort with Pablo Larraín, “El Conde.” His second project with the Chilean filmmaker, “Maria,” follows the last days of opera singer Maria Callas as she reflects on her life and the struggle of maintaining her own voice. It serves as a culmination of Larraín’s “Important Women” Trilogy,...

Edward Lachman has taken top honors at the 39th annual American Society of Cinematographers Awards for his work on “Maria.”

In a competitive year, the ASC nominated seven cinematographers in the feature film category. The last time the field expanded beyond five was in 2014. The other nominees are Lol Crawley for “The Brutalist,” Phedon Papamichael for “A Complete Unknown,” Stéphane Fontaine for “Conclave,” Greig Fraser for “Dune: Part 2,” Jarin Blaschke for “Nosferatu,” and Alice Brooks for “Wicked.”

In its 38-year history, only 18 have gone on to win the Oscar. Last year, Hoyte Van Hoytema won the ASC for “Oppenheimer” and went on to win the Oscar.

In TV, winners included Robert Elswit for “Ripley.” Elswit won the Creative Art Emmy last year. Speaking with Variety for Inside the Frame, Elswit spoke about shooting the black and white limited series. He said, “Lighting was important. It needed to reflect who...

The American Society of Cinematographers Awards were handed out Sunday night, with the film prize going to Edward Lachman for Maria.

This is Lachman’s first ASC win. He was previously nominated for Far From Heaven (2003), Mildred Pierce (2011), Carol (2016) and El Conde (2024). He received the ASC’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

On the TV side, Richard Rutkowski won for Sugar in the episode of a half-hour series category, and Sam Mccurdy won for Shogun in the one-hour regular series category, while the limited or anthology series of motion picture made for television award went to Robert Elswit for Ripley.

The Spotlight Award was awarded to Jomo Fray, cinematographer of Nickel Boys.

The 2025 ASC Career Achievement in Television Award was awarded to Michael Goi, whose credits have included Web Therapy, Glee, American Horror Story and Scream Queens. Pete Romano was honored with the 2025 Curtis Clark ASC Technical Achievement Award for revolutionizing underwater cinematography.

Wicked, Nosferatu, Conclave, Shogun, The Penguin, Fallout and Squid Game were among the winners at the Art Directors Guild Awards on Saturday night.

The 29th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards were handed out by the Art Director’s Guild (Adg, IATSE Local 800) at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown during an event hosted by comedian Rachael Harris.

The Adg wins will have the attention of those looking for signs of who will take the Academy Award for production design. The winner of the Adg’s fantasy film honor have taken home the production design Oscar three times in the past six years, with Poor Things, Dune and Black Panther all going on to win the Oscar. The period film winner also won the Oscar twice during this period, with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Mank taking home statues. But in 2023, Babylon took home the Adg period win, but...

Oscar frontrunners “Wicked” (Paul Tazewell), “Nosferatu” (Linda Muir), and “Conclave” (Lisy Christl) were all winners at the 27th Costume Designer Guild Awards (Cdga), held February 6 at The Ebell of Los Angeles. “Nobody Wants This” star Jackie Tohn served as host.

The film winners prevailed in the categories of sci-fi/fantasy, period, and contemporary, respectively. Costume designer Tazewell is currently the favorite to win the Oscar for “Wicked,” Jon M. Chu’s populist Oz musical. He created a connection to nature through mushroom motifs in the wardrobes for Elphaba (Oscar-nominated Cynthia Erivo), and a floating sensibility with effervescent pink bubble motifs in the wardrobes for Galinda (Oscar-nominated Ariana Grande).

In TV, the winners were “Dune: Prophecy” (Bojana Nikitovi) for sci-fi/fantasy, “Shōgun” (Carlos Rosario) for period, and “Hacks” (Kathleen Felix-Hager) for contemporary.

In addition, three-time Oscar winner Jenny Beavan won the Career Achievement Award, Oscar-nominated Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”) was given the Spotlight Award,...

Conclave, Nosferatu and Wicked won the awards for contemporary, period and sci-fi/fantasy film, respectively, at the 2025 Costume Designers Guild Awards.

All three films are nominated for the costume design Oscar, alongside A Complete Unknown and Gladiator II.

Other winners at the 27th annual ceremony, which took place Thursday night at The Ebell of Los Angeles, included Hacks, Shogun and Dune: Prophecy, which won the contemporary, period and sci-fi/fantasy awards, respectively, for TV. The Masked Singer won the award for excellence in variety, reality-competition and live television. And Shogun won a second award for excellence in costume illustration, one of two awards it was nominated for in that category.

The CDGAs, hosted by Nobody Wants This star Jackie Tohn, honored Emilia Pérez‘s Zoe Saldaña with this year’s spotlight award, Janelle Monáe with the vanguard spotlight award, Jenny Beavan with the career achievement award, Salvador Perez with the...

“Nosferatu,” “Wicked” and “Conclave” have won the feature film awards at the Costume Designers Guild Awards, which were handed out on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

“Conclave” won in the Excellence in Contemporary Film category, “Wicked” won in Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film and “Nosferatu” won in Excellence in Period Film, the CDG category that most closely corresponds to the Academy Award for Best Costume Design.

In the last 15 years, one of the winners at the CDG Awards has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design nine times, with the guild’s period film winner taking six of those awards and the sci-fi/fantasy winner taking three. Only once in that period, with “Little Women” in 2020, has the Oscar winner not been a CDG nominee.

All three CDG winners are nominated for the costume-design Oscar, along with “A Complete Unknown” and “Gladiator II.”

In television categories, “Shōgun...

Dressed to the nines and ready to shine, the 2025 Costume Designers Guild Awards (Cdga) rolled out their vibrant carpet on Thursday in Los Angeles. The ceremony celebrated outstanding achievements in costume design across film, television, short-form, and costume illustration. Among the glittering nominees were four of the five Oscar contenders for Best Costume Design: Conclave, Gladiator II, Nosferatu, and Wicked. Notably absent from the Cdga list was the Academy Award-nominated A Complete Unknown.

The four Oscar nominees were split between three categories, avoiding a direct clash prior to the 2025 Oscars on March 2. Conclave prevailed in Contemporary against co-nominees Challengers, Emilia Pérez, The Fall Guy, and The Substance. In Fantasy, winner Wicked was up against Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Borderlands, Dune: Part Two, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The only two Oscar nominees to face off were Gladiator II and Nosferatu in Period, the latter of which prevailed, with the other contenders being The Book of Clarence,...

Exclusive: Comedians Matt Rife and Paul Elia have announced a new LowKey Comedy special to premiere digitally on Moment by Patreon on February 16.

A long-running show conceived by Rife and Elia, LowKey sees the pair act as hosts of a night of comedy, performing both written and off-the-cuff material. In amongst their performances, they introduce a number of other stand-ups who do the same, creating a unique bond with the audience through improvised, interview-style riff sets.

This LowKey special, hosted by Rife and Elia, features comedians Ian Edwards, Whitney Cummings, Fahim Anwar, Luenell, Francisco Ramos, and T.J. Miller. Taped at the Troubadour during the 2024 Netflix Is a Joke Festival, the hour is directed by Rife’s longtime friend and collaborator, Erik Griffin. Rife, Elia, and their manager Christina Shams served as executive producers. Watch a trailer above.

Rife and Elia created LowKey in 2020 as a means of staying afloat and...

Exclusive: Authentic Talent & Literary Management, the management company founded by Jon Rubinstein, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, has upped Joshua Pasch and Philip Grenz to partner, also adding literary manager Raquelle David and manager and digital strategist Logan Potter to its growing team. With his promotion, Grenz also becomes Head of the Talent Department.

“By promoting Joshua and Philip and adding Raquelle and Logan to our team, we’re reinforcing what this company does best,” Rubinstein told Deadline, “empowering creative people to transform ideas into reality, which in turn makes a real impact that shapes culture.”

With Authentic since 2012, new partner Pasch began his career there as Rubinstein’s assistant and has since become an integral leader in the company’s growth. Over the past decade, he has cultivated a talent roster including Justin H. Min (Beef), Laz Alonso (The Boys), John Bradley (Game of Thrones), Liam Cunningham...

The photographic excellence of The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Maria, Dune: Part Two, Nosferatu, and Wicked were cited in the marquee Theatrical Feature Film category as the American Society of Cinematographers announced nominees Thursday morning for the 39th Annual ASC Awards. The ASC Awards span features, documentaries, television, and music videos among its seven categories, with these nominations delayed a week due to the Los Angeles wildfire crisis.

This feature lineup is packed with awards season favorites, including cinematographers Lol Crawley for The Brutalist, Greig Fraser for Dune: Part Two, and Jarin Blaschke for Nosferatu. Last year’s ASC feature winner, Hoyte van Hoytema for Oppenheimer, went on to win the Academy Award. The ASC winner has claimed that year’s Oscar 18 times in 38 years, or a smidgen less than half the time.

The number of nominees in the feature category — seven this time — can vary between five and...

The cinematographers of “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Maria,” “Nosferatu” and “Wicked” have been nominated for the top feature-film award by the American Society of Cinematographers, which announced its nominations on Thursday after a week-long delay because of the Los Angeles wildfires.

The nominated cinematographers were Jarin Blaschke for “Nosferatu,” Alice Brooks for “Wicked,” Lol Crawley for “The Brutalist,” Stéphane Fontaine for “Conclave,” Greig Fraser for “Dune: Part Two,” Edward Lachman for “Maria” and Phedon Papamichael for “A Complete Unknown.”

The nominations were the fourth for Fraser, Lachman and Papamichael. Brooks became only the fourth woman ever nominated in the feature-film category by the ASC, following Rachel Morrison for “Mudbound,” Ari Wegner for “The Power of the Dog” and Mandy Walker for “Elvis.” Walker is the only woman to win.

The category was expanded to seven nominees rather than the usual five, but it still did...

After a delay due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced the nominees for its 2025 Outstanding Achievement Awards, spanning feature films, documentaries, television, and music videos. “Dune: Part 2” continues to be a craft favorite with a nomination for Greig Fraser, but winter films made their mark, with nominations for “Nosferatu” and “A Complete Unknown,” among others. The ASC’s spotlight award, which highlights outstanding features with a more limited release or festival run, also nominated Jomo Fray’s work on “Nickel Boys,” keeping it in the conversation.

On the television side, both “House of the Dragon” and “Shōgun” earned multiple nominations for sweeping and sometimes fantastical work in the One-Hour Regular Series category; “Hacks” and “The Franchise” earned nominations for the sharp, funny backstage view of the entertainment industry that Adam Bricker’s and Carl Herse’s cameras each take. The ASC...

The Art Directors Guild (Adg, IATSE Local 800) has announced the nominees for its 29th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, set to be held Feb. 15 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

Feature nominees include the production designers on A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Gladiator II, Nosferatu and Saturday Night in the period film category; Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Wicked for fantasy film; and Civil War, Conclave, Emilia Pérez, The Substance and Twisters in the contemporary film category.

Over the past six years, the winner of the Adg’s fantasy film prize has gone on to win the Academy Award for production design three times: Poor Things in 2024, Dune in 2022 and Black Panther in 2019. During that time, the winner of the period film prize won the production design Oscar twice: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2020 and Mank in 2021. In 2023, the...

“Wicked,” “Dune: Part 2,” “Conclave,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Emilia Pérez,” “Nosferatu” and “The Brutalist” were among the film nominees for the 29th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, which the Art Directors Guild announced on Thursday. Notably, Steve McQueen’s WWII drama “Blitz” and Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas fantasia “Maria” were shut out.

On the TV side, “Shōgun,” naturally, scored yet another nomination to add to its Mt. Everest of accolades. “Pachinko,” “Bridgerton,” “Fallout” “Slow Horses,” “Squid Game,” “Hacks” and “Only Murders in the Building” were also nominated.

“This year’s nominees showcase the incredible artistry and vision that define our craft and our industry,” award show producers Michael Allen Glover, Adg, and Megan Elizabeth Bell, Adg, said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to bring the Guild together to celebrate the achievements of these incredible Production Designers and their Art Departments.”

The Adg Awards celebrate achievement in production design in movies,...

Awards-season regulars A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Conclave, Emilia Pérez and The Substance are among the nominees revealed Thursday for the Art Directors Guild’s 29th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards.

A Complete Unknown and The Brutalist, the latter coming off a Best Picture – Drama win at the Golden Globes on Sunday, are nominated in the Period Feature Film Category, joined by Gladiator II, Nosferatu and Saturday Night. In the Fantasy category, Dune 2 and Wicked are up against Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

This year’s Contemporary nominees are Conclave, Emilia Pérez, The Substance, Civil War and Twisters.

Last year, the Adg bestowed its top movie honors to Poor Things for Fantasy, Oppenheimer for Period and Saltburn for Contemporary, with Poor Things and designers James Price and Shona Heath going on to win the Oscar for Production Design.

In TV,...

The nominees for the 2025 Costume Designers Guild Awards have been revealed.

In the contemporary film category, the nominees are Challengers, Conclave, Emilia Pérez, The Fall Guy and The Substance.

In the period film category nominees are The Book of Clarence, Gladiator II, Maria, Nosferatu and Saturday Night.

And in the sci-fi/fantasy film categories, the nominees are Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Borderlands, Dune: Part Two, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Wicked.

In the TV categories — also divided among contemporary, period and sci-fi/fantasy — notable series nominated include Agatha All Along, Baby Reindeer, Emily in Paris, The Gentlemen, Hacks, Bridgerton, Feud, Palm Royale, Ripley, Shogun, Dune: Prophecy, Fallout, House of the Dragon, Lord of the Rings, The Masked Singer and Saturday Night Live.

Agatha All Along landed three nods, for excellence in contemporary television and sci-fi/fantasy television and costume illustration. The Masked Singer and Shogun received two nominations apiece, also getting...

Another day, another guild award nomination for “The Substance.”

On Friday, the Costume Designers Guild announced its 2025 CDG Awards nominees, and “The Substance” costume designer Emmanuelle Youchnovski was among the artisans highlighted for recognition.

Youchnovski is the latest department head from the Coralie Fargeat horror satire nominated for a guild award this week, following editors Fargeat, Jérôme Eltabet, and Valentin Féron at the Ace Eddie Awards, and hair and makeup team Frédérique Arguello and Stéphanie Guillon at the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards.

The film’s strong guild show corresponds to an outpouring of support from the journalists who make up the Golden Globes Foundation and Critics Choice Association. “The Substance” landed major nominations at both the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards this week, including best film nominations at each respective event and two Best Director bids for Fargeat.

“The Substance” wasn’t the only Best Picture...

The Costume Designers Guild unveiled the nominees for the 27th Cdga (Costume Designers Guild Awards) on December 13, showcasing a wide variety of work across film, TV, and short form.

Among the nominees for feature film are Oscar frontrunners “Nosferatu” (Linda Muir), “Wicked” (Paul Tazewell), “Conclave” (Lisy Christl), and “Emilia Pérez” (Virginie Montel). In TV, “Agatha All Along” (Daniel Selon), “Fallout” (Amy Westcott), and “Shōgun” (Carlos Rosario) scored noms.

“I am thrilled to congratulate all the nominees for this year’s Cdga. Your exceptional creativity and dedication continue to elevate the art of costume design. We look forward to celebrating your incredible achievements on this magical evening. Best wishes to each nominee,” Terry Gordon, President of the Costume Designers Guild, IATSE Local 892, said in a statement.

Winners in all nine categories will be announced at the Cdga ceremony Thursday, February 6, 2025, at The Ebell of Los Angeles. Western Costume returns as a...

The Costume Designers Guild on Friday unveiled nominations for the 27th CDGAs, with titles on the movie side ranging from blockbusters like Wicked, Gladiator II, Dune: Part Two and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to indie hits like Conclave, Emilia Pérez and The Substance.

The CDG Awards nominates films in three categories — Contemporary, Period and Sci-Fi/Fantasy — along with four TV categories and one category apiece in Short Form Design and Costume Illustration.

Among the TV nominees with multiple mentions this morning are Shōgun and Agatha All Along, with others with eye-popping looks in the mix including Bridgerton, Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer, and Emily In Paris.

Winners will be revealed at the 27th annual CDG Awards hosted by Jackie Tohn on February 6 at The Ebell of Los Angeles.

Last year, the film winners included Barbie, Saltburn and eventual Costume Design Oscar winner Holly Waddingham for Poor Things.

Here’s...

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Melissa Villaseñor is opening up Owen Wilson’s time as guest host on the NBC late-night sketch show.

The comedian has impersonated the Wedding Crashers actor on her YouTube channel and sketches for Más Mejor. Villaseñor recalled that when Wilson hosted SNL’s Season 47 premiere in 2021, she brought up the idea of impersonating him alongside him, but he denied the request.

“He hosted, and I asked him if we could do the Owen impression together,” Villaseñor said on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast. “He was like, ‘I feel like it’s done. I feel like people, it’s over.’ He didn’t want to do it.'”

The story prompted Carvey to remember a dinner with Wilson, Lorne Michaels, and Kevin Nealon, “And it came up in conversation and he didn’t like when people did him, and so I said,...

“Dune: Part Two,” “Inside Out 2” and “The Creator” lead the feature nominations for this year’s Hollywood Professional Association (Hpa) Awards with three apiece. The awards will be presented during a Nov. 7 gala at the Television Academy in North Hollywood.

“Dune: Part Two” was nominated in the categories for color grading, editing and sound; “The Creator,” for color grading, sound and visual effects; and “Inside Out 2” for color grading in an animation feature, sound, and VFX in an animated feature. The eligibility period runs from September to September.

As previously announced, during the ceremony FotoKem will receive the Charles S. Swartz Award for industry contributions. Adobe, Disguise, Cuebric and Evercast will be honored for engineering excellence.

The list of nominees follows:

Outstanding Color Grading – Live Action Theatrical Feature

“Blink Twice” — Damien Vandercruyssen // Harbor

“The Creator” — David Cole // FotoKem

“Dune: Part Two” — David Cole // FotoKem

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga...

Saturday Night Live is in celebration mode. The show has plenty to cover in terms of the upcoming election, but the 50th anniversary also means that there will plenty of references to the past. Lorne Michaels, the man who has led SNL for five decades, promised fans that "everyone" is coming back for cameos throughout the season.

This naturally set the bar high for the season 50 premiere, and it did not disappoint. The episode did a good job of juggling current events, and the comedic talents of host Jean Smart, with cameos from beloved SNL alum. There were only three cameos this week, but both of them proved to go over very well with the audience.

There were 3 SNL cameos in the cold open

The first was Maya Rudolph. It was already confirmed that the alum would be returning to play Kamala Harris throughout the presidential election, and she did not disappoint.

The 2024 Creative Arts Emmy Awards took place this weekend, with ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday evening. Scroll down for the results in all 99 categories.

On September 7, 50 awards were given out for the best achievements in nonfiction, reality, and variety fare. Another 49 awards were handed out on September 8 for comedy, drama, limited series and telefilms. The final Emmys will be doled out on September 15 during the primetime ceremony on ABC.

See Creative Arts Emmys 2024: Watch our Saturday live coverage revealing reality, variety, documentary, nonfiction winners as they happen

Sunday, September 8 Acting

Comedy Guest Actor

X – Jon Bernthal, “The Bear” (“Fishes”)

Matthew Broderick, “Only Murders in the Building” (“Co Bro”)

Ryan Gosling, “Saturday Night Live” (“Host: Ryan Gosling”)

Christoper Lloyd, “Hacks” (“The Deborah Vance Christmas Spectacular”)

Bob Odenkirk, “The Bear” (“Fishes”)

Will Poulter, “The Bear” (“Fishes”)

Comedy Guest Actress

Olivia Colman, “The Bear” (“Forks”)

X – Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Bear” (“Fishes”)

Kaitlin Olson,...

A near-1,000 title comedy library for the Just for Laughs comedy festival has been picked up by Amuz Distribution as part of a court-directed bankruptcy process.

Amuz Distribution, the parent of Quebec City-based ComediHa!, said it acquired the comedy programming catalog after the parent company of Montreal’s Just for Laughs festival, Groupe Juste Pour Rire Inc., agreed to sell select assets as part of bankruptcy protection proceedings.

Amuz has hired Carlos Pacheco as director of monetization and Ott to distribute the comedy programming branded as Juste pour rire and Just for Laughs, the Gags. Pacheco most recently worked as director of Ott/Fast channel strategy and operations for Just for Laughs.

Alex Avon, chief revenue officer of Amuz, touted Pacheco as the head of its distribution efforts for the Just for Laughs branded comedy. “His experience in the global marketplace and especially as a leader in the Ott space...

Warning! This article contains major spoilers for Hacks season 3, episode 9!

Season 3 of Hacks features a star-studded lineup of guest stars, including real-life comedians and A-list actors in fictional roles. Cameo appearances by famous personalities like George Wallace and Carrot Top add humor and authenticity to the showbiz setting of Hacks. Helen Hunt's hilarious role as Winnie Landell and Carrot Top's neighborly prank mishap bring big laughs to the new season of Hacks.

Hacks is back for season 3, and as usual, the hit Max comedy series has a great roster of guest stars including some of Deborah Vances comedian colleagues playing themselves. Like Extras and Curb Your Enthusiasm before it, Hacks uses its showbiz setting to allow cameoing celebrities to make fun of themselves. Previous seasons have featured self-parodying guest appearances by Margaret Cho and Wayne Newton. The series has also brought in A-listers to play fictional characters, like Laurie Metcalf...

Robbie Praw is exhausted but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The vice president of stand-up and comedy formats at Netflix is riding high after the Roast of Tom Brady, a live special that was two years in the making that he considers a huge success.

The three-hour live special, which landed right in the middle of the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival, notched more than 2 million viewers and generated heaps of press coverage (including many stories on this very website). Praw sees landing Brady for the roast as a great example that, in the wake of the special’s success, opens the door for pretty much anyone to take the hot seat going forward.

Despite the overwhelming success of the Brady roast, Praw — the former Just for Laughs programmer who has been with Netflix since 2016 — isn’t ready to talk about plans to run the same play again.

“Hacks” opened its first episode of its first season with a bravura tracking shot that followed its stand-up star Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) from door to casino floor to backstage to stage of the Palmetto Casino. The opening shot of Season 3 echoes that original — but with several twists.

The biggest one is the reveal that the figure we’ve been following from behind, wearing Deborah’s sequined jacket from the pilot episode, hair done up in the exact same way, is actually a lookalike. She’s one among many Deborah Vance-ettes, so to speak, at the launch of slot machines themed in the actual comedienne’s honor.

It’s a strong opening statement from the show’s co-creators Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs, one that tells us exactly the ride we’re going to be on in Season 3 of the Max series. “Hacks” isn’t just mining comedy bits.

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Hacks Season 3, Episodes 1 & 2, “Just for Laughs” & “Better Late.”] Hacks is back and more ambitious than ever as Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) turns her sights on Late Night! But as long as Deborah’s been longing after the coveted TV gig, showrunners Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky have been cooking up her Season 3 arc of chasing after it. But the first priority was getting Deborah and her writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) back together after Season 2’s professional breakup. While Ava’s done well by getting a writing job with a political comedy series, Deborah’s success following her streaming special continues to unfold, but she’s surrounded by those who live to praise her, leading to a much-needed heart-to-heart and wake-up call when she and Ava run into each other at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Canada. Upon reconnecting, Deborah finds herself in an interesting...

Deborah and Ava reunite at Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Hacks season 3, with a Tom Cruise coconut cake in the mix. Tom Cruise does indeed send out his famous coconut cake to a long list of celebrity friends every Christmas season. While a Tom Cruise cameo in Hacks season 3 is unlikely, the idea of his friendship with Deborah adds to the show's humor.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hacks season 3, episode 1.

Deborah has a coconut cake delivered by Tom Cruise in the Hacks season 3 premiere, but does the Top Gun star really send out cakes to all of his friends? Hacks season 3, episode 1, Just for Laughs, picks up a year after Deborah fired Ava in the season 2 finale. Deborah is more famous than ever after the release of her hit special and Ava is working on a Peabody Award-winning comedy series. The two are forced to reconnect when...

Deborah & Ava reunite at Just for Laughs festival, leading to a possible reconciliation in their troubled friendship. Ava mistakenly assumes Ruby is ready to propose, causing confusion and laughs in episode 2 of Hacks season 3. Ava decides to go back to work with Deborah in Vegas, potentially straining her relationship with Ruby.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Hacks season 3.

Hacks is back for season 3 with a two-episode premiere, and from Deborahs surprising new career move to Avas reconciled but troubled relationship, its full of huge story reveals. A year has passed since Deborah fired Ava in the shocking season 2 finale and the show catches up with them in very different places. Ava is back in Los Angeles, working on a Peabody Award-winning comedy series, and Deborah is bigger than ever after releasing her bestselling standup special.

The first episode of Hacks dual season 3 premiere, Just For Laughs written by series creators Lucia Aniello,...

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Quick Answer: Hacks Season 3 (and past seasons) is streaming on Max.

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Two years after its second season, Hacks is finally back for Season 3. This season of the Emmy-winning show will see a meta storyline following Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) as she works as a writer on an acclaimed, Peabody Award-winning TV series. Some new cast members will be joining the Emmy-nominated series, and some old faces...

Netflix has picked up an untitled documentary about the Montreal Expos and the events surrounding the Major League Baseball team’s departure in 2004. The doc, which the streamer has confirmed exclusively to Variety, reps Netflix’s next original project out of Canada.

The doc is the first greenlit under Netflix’s new creative partnership with Montreal-based Attraction. Netflix signed a first-look deal with Attraction last November, for French-language film projects to be developed and produced by the company.

Jean-François Poisson will direct the untitled baseball doc. Marie-Christine Pouliot, Attraction’s head producer, documentary, and Richard Speer, president of Attraction, will executive produce.

According to Netflix, the film explores the setbacks that led to the departure of the Expos from Montreal and how the loss of an MLB team in Montreal continues to spark debate 20 years later.

Some of those setbacks included fee disputes between the city and Expos owner Jeffrey Loria over a new stadium,...

Exclusive: Levity Talent has brought in J.P. Buck and Emily Noonan to serve as manager-producers, Deadline has learned.

In a statement on the hirings, Levity Founding Partner Judi Marmel said, “As Levity continues to grow year over year, our goal remains to bring the brightest comedy minds into one place to work with our talent and our brand. Having worked closely with both J.P. and Emily over the past decade, I’m beyond inspired to now work with them daily and help accelerate and grow our client’s careers.”

A veteran producer, Buck’s career has spanned comedy, unscripted, talk, and game formats and has been built on spotlighting the next generation of domestic and international talent for the comedy industry through festival showcases, late-night appearances, and debut stand-up specials. He joins from Team Coco, where he spent the past 15 years. During his time at Conan O’Brien’s company,...

The cast of Letterkenny expressed bittersweet emotions about the show ending, reflecting on the friendships they made and feeling proud of their work. The show became a cultural landmark, along with such other Canadian comedies as Kim's Convenience and Schitt's Creek, and has had a significant impact during its 12-season run. Although the show has ended, there are possibilities for spinoffs and future appearances by favorite characters, as the storylines were left open-ended in the final season.

With the long-running show now at a close, some of the Letterkenny cast are sharing their emotional reactions to its ending. The Canadian comedy revolving around the population of the eponymous small town came to an end with the recently released season 12, which saw lead characters Wayne, Daryl, Dan and Katy all pondering their futures, including potentially leaving the town. The final season also comes on the heels of creator/star Jared Keeso...

Letterkenny season 12 marks the end of the beloved Canadian comedy, leaving the characters reflecting on their futures and wanting something new. Stars Michelle Mylett and Dylan Playfair feel bittersweet about the show's ending, proud of their work, and grateful for the connection they made with each other. Fans will miss the catchphrases from the show, such as "to be fair" and "boys, boys, boys," and the storyline with Reilly, Jonesy, and Katy brings a sweet nod to the show's roots.

Everyone's favorite hicks, skids and hockey players are saying their goodbyes with Letterkenny season 12. The hit Canadian comedy centered on the residents of the titular town is coming to an end with its latest season, finding its wide cast of characters reflecting on their futures as some ponder feeling stuck in their lives and wanting something new.

Jared Keeso, who again co-wrote the entire season, leads the Letterkenny season 12 cast alongside Nathan Dayles,...

Exclusive: Immersive virtual reality stand-up series Surrounded is to return for a second season next month with Jack Whitehall, Marlon Wayans, Lil Rel Howery and Mae Martin among the comics lined up.

The six-part series will debut via the Meta Horizon Worlds VR online video game platform, with episodes starting from December 29, including a festival holiday special that drops at 10am Pt.

The comedians’ sets were filmed at the 2023 Just For Laughs Montréal Comedy Festival. The format sees the audience inspiring the jokes, with everyone fair game. It originated as a stand-up comedy show created by Mike Falzone before being adapted for the Metaverse.

Hosted by The Carmichael Show star Howery, the episodes will feature Whitehall, Wayans, Martin, Fortune Feimster, Mark Normand, Chris Redd, Dan Soder, Jay Pharaoh, Meg Statler, Felipe Esparza, Rosebud Baker, Sam Morril, Joel Kim Booster, Hannah Berner, Nate Jackson, Brad Williams, Preacher Lawson, Sasheer Zamata, Brian Simpson,...

November comes with many things; crisp days of dwindling daylight, falling leaves and dropping temperatures. It comes with bustling grocery stores, hours prepping Thanksgiving dinners, unbuttoned trousers and Black Friday sales. But November also comes with complicated feelings for many Indigenous artists.

Native American Heritage Month can oftentimes feel like the only time of year when people are interested in hearing Indigenous stories; the one moment where our voices are collectively uplifted, only to be cast aside again Dec. 1. But to limit the celebration and wealth of our languages, cultures, and history of our communities to a mere 30 days is a disservice to us all.

These ten projects from artists across Turtle Island, spanning multiple mediums, each invoke a sense of pride, resilience and love, and mark some of my favourite pieces of art — Native or not.

As November blows by, I encourage readers to spend the rest of it curling up with these 10 hilarious,...

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One night I took my shirt off to remind myself it should be fun,” recalls a shirtless Bert Kreischer about when he was a struggling stand-up comedian. For our recent webchat he continues, “You could feel the energy in the room loosen up and my energy loosen up. I started smiling. That set went beautifully. So I still have that. Not to sound too hippy dippy but it ties in with gratitude. Every time I walk on stage, especially now in arenas, there’s a moment where I walk up the stairs and they are playing ‘Fortunate Son’ and I believe I am the fortunate son. I want to have fun. I want to drink if I want to drink. I want to smoke weed if I want to smoke weed. But ultimately,...

Murray Hill, the queer icon and comedian also known for his roles in Somebody Somewhere and Drag Me to Dinner, is set to release a memoir.

Showbiz! My Unexpected Life as a Middle-Aged Man will be published in 2025 by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Hill’s memoir was acquired by Pamela Cannon, vp, executive editor at Gallery Books, in an exclusive submission by Robert Guinsler at Sterling Lord Literistic for its North American rights.

Showbiz! will offer Hill’s fans and memoir readers a vivid accounting of his personal and professional trajectory. That includes his emergence from New York’s underground nightlife scene, through Dita Von Teese’s international tour Strip Strip Hooray and the music videos of feminist queer artists like Peaches and Gossip into the Hollywood spotlight, where he inspired his critically beloved character on HBO’s hit Somebody, Somewhere.

The memoir will trace the iconic drag king’s origins,...

If you have a smart TV or streaming device powered by Google TV and you run out of things to watch, it won’t be for lack of trying on Google’s part. The company announced this week that it was adding 25 new free streaming channels to its lineup.

That brings the number of integrated channels on Google TV devices to over 100, meaning you can start streaming them as soon as you pull your device out of the box and plug it in; no extra downloads required. Google TV’s Live tab also features more than 800 free ad-supported TV (Fast) channels, which it added in late April.

Sign Up $349+ / month tv.youtube.com

Save $50 off any Sunday Ticket package if you sign up before Sept. 19.

In addition, Google TV is making moves to ensure its corporate sibling YouTube TV has all the success possible with its first season of NFL Sunday Ticket.

An animated comedy series about a community of bogong moths tempted away from their annual migrations by a suburb of low-income humans has impressed at the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, triumphing Stand Up and Pitch competition.

The post Tony Radevski and Pete Ireland’s ‘Bogan Moths’ claims Just for Laughs win in Montreal appeared first on If Magazine.

During a panel discussion on faith and comedy at the Just For Laughs festival on Saturday, Ramy Youssef talked about his father foretelling the Hollywood actors strike when offering early career advice.

Youssef, who portrays his Muslim faith with both devotion and defiance in his Hulu series Ramy, told the comedy festival audience about his Egyptian-born father discouraging him early on from becoming an artist and entertainer because he’d have to provide for his family one day. “He was always like, ‘This is a beautiful hobby for you to have. Grow the hobby.’ But I remember him clearly saying, ‘One day, real life is going to start,’” he recounted.

The current industry shutdown as Hollywood actors on picket lines seek fair pay, including residuals from streamers, has that warning from his traditional accountant father ringing in his head. “Now we’re in the strike, and, well, here it is!