News

Paul Attanasio is an accomplished film and TV writer-producer, nominated for two Oscars and four Emmy Awards, whose credits range from the movies Donnie Brasco, Quiz Show and The Sum of All Fears to the TV series Homicide: Life on the Street, which he created, House, which he executive produced, and Bull, which he co-created and executive produced.

And while Hollywood didn’t believe in him early on, one person always did — his longtime TV agent Tony Etz at CAA who died yesterday at the age of 64 after a long battle with Chordoma, a rare type of cancer.

“The world is very much diminished without Tony,” Attanasio said of the Illinois native. “He was really a beautiful soul.”

Here are the memories he shared of Etz:

A friend of ours talks about Tony’s essential Midwesternness: Midwestern decency and Midwestern grit. I don’t know if you have spent any time in the Midwest,...

Everyone has to start somewhere when they're breaking into Hollywood. These days, "starting somewhere" can mean making videos on YouTube, or serving as a production assistant on a reality TV show, or anything else. The divide between television and film is now so blurred that to work in one medium is not seen as a black mark on a person's career when they want to move to a different medium. But there was a time when those who wanted to make movies would be strongly encouraged to steer clear of TV, because those who worked primarily on the small screen would have an awfully hard time making the jump to the big screen. 

But there are always exceptions to these rules, even before the idea of new media came along to shake up the notion of transitioning from TV to film. The biggest possible exception to any such rule is Steven Spielberg.

Can Apple TV+'s Severance or HBO's The Last of Us win Best Drama Series? For most of Emmy history, the answer to that question would be no. That's because they're science-fiction shows, which have historically been under-appreciated by voters and thus underrepresented at the Emmys. Only one sci-fi show has ever won Best Drama Series: Lost in 2005. That was 20 years ago, but the TV Academy has changed drastically in the intervening years.

Some of the most beloved shows in TV history are sci-fi or fantasy, including Star Trek and Doctor Who that have been around for almost as long as TV has existed. But Emmy winners for drama series usually follow real-world professionals like doctors, lawyers, and police officers. Even as those procedural genres started falling out of fashion in the 21st century, the subjects that replaced them were still couched in reality: politics (The West Wing), organized crime,...

There was a time when television had the power to knock the wind out of its audience.

A beloved character could be there one moment and gone the next without leaks, speculation, or the safety net of viewer expectations.

Today, that gut-punch storytelling has all but disappeared, sacrificed on the altar of fan service and risk-averse storytelling.

(©2014 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved) When TV Deaths Mattered

Consider Henry Blake on M*A*S*H*. Up until his death, the show had balanced comedy and drama, but when Radar solemnly announced that Henry’s plane had been shot down, it was a seismic shift.

Viewers hadn’t been prepared for that kind of realism, and the weight of the moment lingered far beyond the episode. The secrecy allowed the shock to land exactly as intended — without time for pre-emptive outrage, spoilers, or network meddling.

(CBS/Screenshot)

A similar impact came...

Actor Tim Russ was an army brat who, at an early age, became interested in acting and theater. He attended St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, getting a degree in theater arts, and he continued his acting studies in grad school at Illinois State University. His first professional acting gig was a supporting role in an episode of the reboot of "The Twilight Zone" in 1985, and his first movie was a small part in the 1986 Ralph Macchio vehicle "Crossroads." Audiences of a certain age likely recall Russ' cameo in Mel Brooks' 1987 spoof "Spaceballs." He was the Spaceball officer who, while (literally) combing the desert with an outsize afro pick, announced that "We ain't found s***!" That same year, Russ appeared in the wonderfully absurd "Death Wish 4: The Crackdown," a film that boasts one of the best death-by-bazooka scenes in cinema history. 

Russ remained prolific, however, picking up dozens of...

Rip Bruce French

Soap opera veteran Bruce French has passed away at the age of 79. Best known for his Passions character, playing Father Lonigan on the daytime drama, The Hollywood Reporter has noted the actor died this past Friday, in L.A. due to Alzheimer’s complications. French was diagnosed with the condition four years ago.

Bruce French’s Legacy

French was married to Days of Our Lives alum Eileen Barnett (ex-Brooke Hamilton). The two were wed on January 20, 1991.

The actor was born in Reinbeck, Iowa on July 4, 1945, and earned a degree from the University of Iowa. French also served in the U.S. Army and fought in the Vietnam War. In addition, he studied acting at The University Tisch School of the Arts in New York.

French’s acting career began in 1972 when he performed in the off-Broadway play, The Shadow of a Gunman, and then had a role in the 1974 movie,...

Soap opera veteran Bruce French has died. The actor who portrayed Father Lonigan on Passions was 79 years old. French was the husband of Days of Our Lives alum Eileen Barnett.

Rest In Peace

The Hollywood Reporter reported that French passed away on Friday in Los Angeles due to complications from Alzheimer’s. He was diagnosed with the disease four years ago. French was born on July 4, 1945, in Reinbeck, Iowa. He earned a degree from the University of Iowa, and he served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Finally, French studied acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

On Passions, French portrayed the blind Father Lonigan for the show’s entire nine seasons from 1999 to 2008. On the soap, baddie Alistair Crane (David Bailey; John Reilly) caused the Father to lose his sight.

He began his acting career in 1972 in the off-Broadway play, The Shadow of a Gunman.

Bruce French, the dependable character actor who did lots of work for the theater and portrayed Father Lonigan, the blind priest on the soap opera Passions who somehow could sense that evil was imminent, has died. He was 79.

French died Friday in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer’s, his wife of 34 years, longtime Days of Our Lives actress Eileen Barnett, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The Iowa native, who has more than 150 acting credits on IMDb, guest-starred for David E. Kelley on such shows as L.A. Law, Picket Fences, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Boston Public and Boston Legal, and he appeared on three Star Trek series — The Next Generation, Voyager and Enterprise — and in the 1998 film Star Trek: Insurrection.

Plus, he played the wealthy neighbor of Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver’s shifty characters on both seasons of the 2007-08 FX drama The Riches.

French recurred as the kind-hearted...

Jennifer Tilly, like many professionals, began acting in high school, having been bitten by the theater bug as a teen. Her mother, a former stage actress herself, helped Jennifer (as well as her younger sister Meg) pursue walk-on roles and supporting parts in various Hollywood TV shows, and Tilly made her TV debut on an episode of the sitcom "Oh Madeline" in 1983. In 1984, she secured a regular role on the obscure comedy series "Shaping Up," which starred Leslie Nielsen as a grumpy health club owner. Tilly appeared in all five episodes. Her real big break came that same year, as she secured a recurring role on the hit cop show "Hill Street Blues," appearing in six episodes. 

Tilly would spend the next few years acting in guest spots on hit shows like "Moonlighting," "Cheers," and "Remington Steel." She would also make a move into cinemas, appearing in multiple studio comedies and thrillers.

The Peabody Awards are heading back to Los Angeles, following last year’s long-awaited move to the City of Angels. After several attempts — delayed by the Covid pandemic, and then by the Hollywood strikes — the Peabodys finally made their move to the west coast in 2024, and this year the event will celebrate its 85th anniversary at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on June 1.

“Our 2024 debut in L.A. was a major success, and we look forward to continuing to introduce the wider Hollywood creative community to what makes Peabody the premier award for media that matters,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “In such polarized times, the stories that Peabody honors are unifying in their clear call to address injustices and see humanity in all its beauty and messiness. Honoring such programs remains our goal.”

Peabody, which is based at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia,...

The upstart tech executive was confident people would keep clicking on their videos.

“This is really programmed to be addictive,” he said, noting how consuming content on his firm’s platform kept you “hooked.” While many companies were trying to master this new age of compulsive viewing, the executive believed no one else had found the secret sauce. “I don’t know that our specific competitor has really emerged yet at all,” he said.

That executive was Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, and he made the comments in 2013, talking to NPR Marketplace just as Orange Is the New Black dropped on the service. TikTok was three years away from launching.

You could be forgiven for thinking the remarks applied to the viral-video app, though. Over the past five years TikTok has become a kind of Pringles Potato Chip of digital watching: Once you pop, you can’t stop. What Netflix had...

On January 15, 1981, NBC premiered the police drama Hill Street Blues, which went on to air for seven seasons and collect 26 Emmy Awards wins during its run. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review of the show’s early episodes is below:

Wouldn’t it be ironic if Hill Street Blues lost the cutting edge that prompted the critics to rave and the Emmys to flow — and the ratings picked up? Now ensconced in a Thursday night position opposite 20/20 on ABC and movies on CBS, the second season debut of Hill Street, directed by supervising producer Greg Hoblit, still has the qualities and quality that made critics wax effusive, and which apparently turned a lot of viewers off.

For first-time viewers, the carnival of characters which gives the series its richness for addicts such as this viewer, may seem initially confusing. The structure is still the bits-and-pieces-flow-of-events unfolding over the course...

DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter, Fifth Season head Graham Taylor and producer Brad Fuller were among the many industry leaders who lost their homes in the catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires this past week.

They join a growing list of celebrities and Hollywood heavyweights who are picking up the pieces after the fires devastated swaths of the city — Billy Crystal, Anthony Hopkins and Miles Teller among them.

Below is a list of prominent producers, writers, music insiders and others who confirmed to TheWrap that they, too, experienced a total loss in the unfolding disaster:

Graham Taylor, co-President of Fifth Season, and British film producer Lynette Howell Taylor: Taylor and co-ceo Chris Rice helped lead the rebrand of Endeavor Content into Fifth Season in 2023 following its acquisition by South Korea’s Cj Enm. Lynette Howell Taylor was co-nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing 2018’s “A Star Is Born,...

Law enforcement shows have long been a staple of television, capturing our fascination with crime, justice, and the human stories behind the badge.

They’ve come a long way from the days when cops were always the good guys and the bad guys always paid the price.

Over the decades, these shows have reflected our own shifting views about justice, morality, and what it means to protect and serve — for better or worse.

(ABC (Hulu Screenshot))

So let’s take a walk down this gritty, sometimes glamorous memory lane together and see how these shows have evolved into the powerful stories we love (and love to argue about) today.

The Early Days of Idealism (NBC/Screenshot)

Back in the day, shows like Dragnet and Adam-12 gave us a world where everything was black and white — literally and figuratively.

With procedural storytelling and a laser focus on “just the facts,...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

On "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) served as the first officer on board the U.S.S. Enterprise-d. Unlike the taciturn and serious Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), Commander Riker was gregarious and approachable. He won over his crew's loyalty by being friendly, open and, in the words of a visiting tactician, jocular. He was also sold as the show's central heartthrob, as he was tall, trim, and handsome. 

When "Next Generation" began in 1987, Frakes was already a supporting TV staple, having appeared on shows like "The Doctors," "Charlie's Angels," "Fantasy Island," "Hill Street Blues," "Highway to Heaven," and a dozen others. His highest-profile TV gig was playing a character named Damon Ross in ten episodes of "Falcon Crest." He was never a leading man, but he knew the business well. 

The original casting sheet for Commander...

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 best known for his role as Leslie Barnes in Die Hard 2, has died. He was 82.

Evans died “peacefully in his sleep” surrounded by family on Dec. 21, a rep told The Hollywood Reporter.

“We are heartbroken to share that Art has passed away,” said his wife, Babe Evans. “Please respect our privacy at this time. A memorial will be held for friends and family to attend at a later date. Thank you.”

Evans’ Leslie Barnes is an air traffic control tower employee who helps Bruce Willis’ John McClane stop terrorists. In addition to the Die Hard installment, the actor also appeared alongside Denzel Washington and Adolph Ceasar in 1984’s A Soldier’s Story as Private James Wilkie.

During his career, Evans amassed more than 120 credits. On the big screen, Evans als appeared in films such as Christine, Big Time, Youngblood, National Lampoon’s Class Reunion, Fright Night, School Daze,...

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...

Art Evans, a film and television actor known for his roles in “Die Hard 2” and “Fright Night,” died Dec. 21. He was 82.

Evans’ death was confirmed to Variety by publicist Erica Huntzinger. The cause of death was not disclosed, although the obituary noted he “passed away peacefully” while “surrounded by family.”

In a statement, Evans’ wife Babe Evans said: “We are heartbroken to share that Art has passed away. Please respect our privacy at this time. A memorial will be held for friends and family to attend at a later date. Thank you.”

Evans amassed over 120 credits in film and television over the past 50 years. Starting at Frank Silvera’s Theater of Being in Los Angeles, he took a starring role in “The Amen Corner” which eventually transferred to Broadway in 1965. One of his early credited film roles was the first victim in the John Carpenter 1983 film “Christine.”

Evans went...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9, "Fissure Quest"

Academy Award-nominated actress Alfre Woodard portrayed Lily Sloane in Star Trek: First Contact. Following Star Trek Generations, First Contact was the first big screen adventure devoted completely to the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Director Jonathan Frakes' hit film follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-e as they travel back in time to prevent the Borg from rewriting history. Upon arriving in 2063, the Enterprise crew encounters Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), the creator of warp drive, on the eve of his historic flight that led to humanity's First Contact with the Vulcans.

While Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) work with Zefram Cochrane on Earth, Captain Picard and the rest of the crew fight off Borg drones aboard the Enterprise. The Borg manage to capture Lt.

Mark Withers, the actor known for roles in Dynasty, Stranger Things and more, has died. He was 77.

The actor’s daughter Jessie Withers announced on Friday that her father died on Nov. 22 after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“He confronted his illness with the same strength and dignity he brought to his craft, creating a legacy of warmth, humor, and dedication, along with his remarkable ability to make every role unforgettable,” said Jesse in a statement to Variety. “Mark’s enduring talent and commitment to the industry will be fondly remembered by colleagues, friends, and fans alike.”

In 1981, Mark had a six-episode arc on the first season of Dynasty as Steve Carrington’s (Al Corley) lover Ted Dinard, who meets an untimely demise that nearly breaks the Carrington family apart.

His other TV credits include episodes of Wonder Woman, Magnum P.I., The Dukes of Hazzard, Remington Steele, Hill Street Blues,...

Jennifer Tilly was no stranger to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before she joined the show in a friend of role for Season 14.

The talented actress is besties with Sutton Stracke and has popped up as a guest star more than once over the years.

However, throwing Jennifer into the mix regularly has only made Rhobh fans more curious about her.

One thing on fans’ minds is her net worth compared to the other ladies in Beverly Hills.

After all, Jennifer has spent decades in Hollywood making a name for herself and showing off her incredible acting talent.

So, just how rich is Jennifer Tilly? Let’s take a look at what we know.

What is Rhobh breakout star Jennifer Tilly’s net worth?

According to online sources, Jennifer has a net worth of $40 million, and she has put her all into earning every penny of it. Most of...

Remember the days when buddy cop shows were the bread and butter of American television?

From Starsky & Hutch to Miami Vice, the genre gave us mismatched partners who bickered, bantered, and ultimately brought down the bad guys.

It was escapism at its finest — a world of fast cars, sharp one-liners, and explosive finales.

Starsky & Hutch (ABC/Screenshot)

But over the years, the buddy cop genre has faded from the U.S. small screen.

Don’t worry, though; it’s alive and well — it just packed its bags and went global.

A Brief History of Buddy Cop Glory

The buddy cop formula hit its stride in the 1980s and 1990s, an era when the appeal of Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop carried over from the big screen to TV.

Shows like Starsky & Hutch and Cagney & Lacey offered variations on the theme, combining humor, action, and, occasionally, a dash of drama.

“Save the Children,” an early ’70s concert film featuring many of that era’s biggest names in Black music, was in need of some saving itself. Although the documentary featured iconic stars like the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Bill Withers, the movie disappeared completely off the radar after being briefly released to theaters in 1973 by Paramount Pictures, never getting an authorized home-video release, let alone revival screenings. But salvation has come, with Netflix having picked up the doc to make it available to be seen for the first time in a half-century.

The two-hour film documents a concert that was put on in Chicago in 1972 to support Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation Push, with an all-star cast of performers that also included the Staple Singers, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Gladys Knight, the Tempations, Ramsey Lewis, Wilson Pickett, Sammy Davis Jr., Cannonball Adderley and Jerry Butler. Those who...

Alan Rachins, an actor known for his work on the series “L.A. Law” and “Dharma & Greg,” died early Saturday morning. He was 82.

Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure, his manager Mark Teitelbaum confirmed to Variety.

Rachins played lawyer Douglas Brackman Jr. on NBC’s “L.A. Law” for its entire eight-season run from 1986 to 1984, as well as in the 2002 made-for-tv film, “L.A. Law: The Movie.” He received nominations for a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe in 1988 for his performance as Douglas.

“In the pilot episode, there was nothing of the more flamboyant or bizarre side of Douglas; he was going to be the hard-line office manager, the penny pincher,” Rachins said in a 1990 interview with The New York Times. “It was kind of limited, and I didn’t know where it was going. But quickly it developed a lot more color and flamboyance.”

After “L.A. Law,” Rachins portrayed Larry Finkelstein,...

Alan Rachins, the actor known for his roles on L.A. Law and Dharma & Greg, has died. He was 82.

The Golden Globe and Emmy nominee died early Saturday morning after experiencing heart failure in his sleep at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his wife Joanna Frank told The Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to his performance as Douglas Brackman on the NBC series L.A. Law, which ran from 1986 to 1994 and earned him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, Rachins was known for playing Dharma’s (Jenna Elfman) hippy father Larry on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, which ran for five seasons from 1997 to 2002.

Rachins also appeared in such films as Thunder Run (1986), North (1994) and Showgirls (1995), as well as shows like The Golden Girls, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Stargate Sg-1 and Rizzoli & Isles.

Born Oct. 3, 1942 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Rachins moved to New York to study acting, where he...

Alan Rachins, who spent 13 seasons on television portraying the boorish law partner Douglas Brackman Jr. on L.A. Law and the hippie father of Jenna Elfman’s character on Dharma & Greg, died Saturday. He was 82.

Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure in the early morning hours at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, actress Joanna Frank, told The Hollywood Reporter.

He and Frank married in 1978 after they met in an acting class. She recurred as Sheila Brackman, his feuding spouse, on L.A. Law, and they played a married couple in Always (1985), written and directed by indie auteur Henry Jaglom.

In what some might call a kinky coincidence, Rachins was one of the disrobing castmembers in the original stage production of Oh! Calcutta and appeared as Tony Moss, the cruel, toupeed director of the topless dance revue at the Stardust Casino, in Paul Verhoeven’s...

Actor David Harris, perhaps best known for his role in The Warriors, has passed away. He was 75 years old.

The New York Times has broken the news that Harris died on Friday at his home in New York City. His daughter, Davina Harris, confirmed the news, sharing that her father died due to cancer. No additional details were revealed related to the actor's passing.

Born on June 18, 1949, Harris made his professional acting debut in the 19776 TV movie Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys. After following this up with roles in the TV film Secret Service and an episode of Kojack, Harris took on his first major feature film role in 1979's The Warriors. In the Walter Hill-helmed film, which is based on Sol Yurick's book of the same name, a group called The Warriors becomes pursued by rival factions after they're framed for the killing of a respected gang leader.

Update, Oct. 28: Harris’ agency, Henderson Hogan, said in a statement to Deadline: “We are deeply saddened by the news of David’s passing. Henderson Hogan has had the privilege and honor to represent him for over 40 years. He has left an indelible mark on our lives. David will be cherished not only for his extraordinary talent on screen but also for his warmth and generosity of spirit. Our hearts are with his loved ones during this difficult time. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.”

David Harris, the actor known for playing Cochise in the Walter Hill-helmed 1979 cult classic The Warriors, has died. He was 75.

The actor died Friday at his New York City home after he was diagnosed with cancer, his daughter Davina Harris disclosed to The New York Times. David is also survived by his mother, three siblings and two grandchildren.

Having accumulated more than 50 onscreen...

David Harris, the actor who portrayed gang member Cochise in the cult classic film The Warriors, has died at the age of 75.

Harris’ daughter confirmed his death to The New York Times, adding that he died Friday at his New York City home following a battle with cancer.

In the Walter Hill-directed 1979 film, Harris played the headband-and-necklace-wearing Cochise, an integral member of the red-vested gang the Warriors, who endure a one-night odyssey from the Bronx to their native Coney Island while dodging increasingly colorful gangs hell-bent on violence after...

Before "Hill Street Blues" broke the network procedural mold in the early 1980s, the television landscape was bustling with hour-long series about cops and firemen and doctors and so on that plunged their characters into a crime or problem of the week (sometimes of the ripped-from-the-headlines variety). The narratives were strictly of the standalone variety (with the occasional two-part episode), so the major elements that kept viewers coming back for more were the formula and the stars. In terms of longevity, the formula could go stale for a bit as long as the stars were still appealing in whatever way drew audiences to the show in the first place. But when people tired of the cast –- or, worse, a major cast member departed the series –- the Nielsen ratings could go south in a hurry.

Is this what caused "CHiPs," the popular NBC series about photogenic Southern California highway...

Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy may use the head of a dead Celestial as a home-base, but Alan Moore and DC Comics actually beat them to the punch. The celebrated writers Top 10 series featured the head of a dead god being used as a location eight years before Star Lord and co. moved into the head of Knowhere.

Coming from the creative team of Alan Moore, Gene Ha and Zander Cannon, Top 10 was one of the launch titles of Americas Best Comics, Wildstorm/DC Comics boutique imprint created specifically for Moore. The series concerns the police operating out of a precinct in Neopolis, a city where everyone has superpowers, and therefore citizens must deal with all the complications that brings with it.

Top 10 #10 opens with a homicide at a famous nightclub in Neopolis, the building which just so happens to be the head of some dead god that looks an...

An aging Commander in Chief faces health struggles, and as a result, his younger, female vice-president ascends. That is, of course, the story of the 2024 presidential election in which Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee, replacing an ailing Joe Biden. But it also happens to be a TV show plot – nearly 20 years ago.

The series, Commander in Chief, which premiered in 2005, starred Geena Davis as the first female vice president in American history, selected to help an older, white male political candidate appeal to other constituencies. Sound familiar? There are notable differences between the political fiction of the show and the political realities of the 2024 race, however. For one, fictional President Teddy Bridges is a Republican, while Mackenzie, portrayed by Davis, is an Independent. Oh, and in the show (spoiler alert!) the president dies, leading to the first female Commander in Chief.

The show was initially a hit with audiences,...

It was the night before Valentine’s Day in 1995, and Jennifer Tilly was sitting in a hotel room, feeling a strange electrical charge in the air.

The Oscar nominations would be announced the following morning, and Tilly had no reason to be optimistic. The actress had earned glowing reviews from critics for her robust comedic performance in “Bullets Over Broadway,” which opened in theaters 30 years ago this week. But it was her co-star Dianne Wiest who had swept the critics awards and won the Golden Globe and was a lock to receive a nomination.

And though Tilly had eagerly promoted her own work in the film – read on to find all about the unique strategy of her campaign – she had not garnered a single precursor citation anywhere and was considered a long shot, generously speaking. According to the pundits, only one film would net two Best Supporting Actress nominations that year: “Forrest Gump,...

Entertainment journalist and longtime Variety contributor Scott Huver takes a racy look at celebrity vice in his first book, “Beverly Hills Noir: Crime, Sin and Scandal in 90210.” Published by Simon and Schuster on Oct. 1, the true crime exposé serves as both a deep dive into the fledgling years of the 90210 and a guide to Hollywood’s most extraordinary criminal cases.

Huver, who has worked in journalism for over three decades, inherited his love of procedural dramas from his mother and stepfather, who raised him on a diet of “Adam-12,” “Hill Street Blues” and “Dragnet.” His love of writing was intrinsic from a young age and led him from the newsroom at Central Michigan University to running a crime beat at a Beverly Hills newspaper.

Coincidentally, Huver’s first week in Los Angeles brought him face-to-face with one of the city’s most infamous crimes in recent memory.

“I literally witnessed...

After a few acclaimed TV shows have ended their run, their stories have continued in the form of a TV movie. Considering the popularity of some TV shows, a sequel series or film makes sense as audiences are eager for more content regarding their favorite characters. Most of the time, sequel films aren't entirely necessary and are put out with the simple purpose of fulfilling fans' needs. In the case of Mr. Monk's Last Case, the character returned to TV screens, streaming on Peacock, as current events inspired an exploration as to how the detective with multiple phobias would live during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, some sequel films were made to wrap up open-ended storylines. Films inspired by Breaking Bad and Alf answered some lingering questions regarding Jesse Pinkman and Alf's fate. Though they're not always needed, these TV films based on TV shows are still largely...

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is shining the spotlight on a completely separate murder – one that happened a decade before the brothers’ trial.

Episode 7 of the series – titled “Showtime” – features a long dinner party scene where Nathan Lane’s character Dominick Dunne breaks down the Menendez case as he sees it through the context of having sat through his own daughter’s murder trial. It’s also a trial that earned significant media attention a decade earlier.

Dunne’s daughter Dominique was a 22-year-old rising actor fresh off a lead role in 1982’s “Poltergeist.” She was strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend John Sweeney after their breakup on Oct. 30, 1982. Sweeney confessed to the murder – and an attempt to kill himself after – when the police arrived on the scene.

Here’s what we know about Dominique, the night she was killed, and where Sweeney and the rest of her family is today.

How many actors can say they have over 100 credits on their resume? Lynn Whitfield can. The Emmy winner has a lengthy resume filled with classics across genres. The latest addition to her decades-long career is The Chi, on which she’s been a recurring guest star but will now be a series regular in the upcoming season. Whitfield joined us for a trip down memory lane in the TV Insider studio for our Career Rewind video series. In the interview above, she shares anecdotes from some of her most memorable projects, starting with Hill Street Blues in 1981 and leading all the way up to The Chi in 2024. Whitfield’s Emmy-winning turn came in HBO’s The Josephine Baker Story in 1991. She reflects on that Emmys night with us. It would be a hard night to forget, as Whitfield reminds us that she had just given birth to her daughter just...

The very first Emmy Award for Best Drama Series was presented to ABC’s “Pulitzer Prize Playhouse” in 1951. It is one of 40-plus programs that have been honored as television’s top dramatic series. Scroll through our photo gallery below of every winner for Best Drama Series in Emmy history.

Five shows — “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law,” “The West Wing,” “Mad Men” and “Game of Thrones” — hold the record for most wins in this category with four each. “Hill Street Blues,” “The West Wing” and “Mad Men” all accomplished that feat in consecutive years. HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is also the most-winningest scripted primetime series in Emmy history at 59 trophies. Originally published August 2018.

TV dramas have come a long way since the days of Playhouse 90, Hallmark Hall of Fame and Net Playhouse – all of which won Emmys for best drama in the 1960s. Even the category’s name has evolved since then, from Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama to Outstanding Dramatic Series or Outstanding Series-Drama and the current Outstanding Drama Series.

Click through a gallery of the shows that have taken home to marquee Emmy Award since 1960 – from the elegance of The Defenders and the period tech of Mission: Impossible through cop shows including Police Story, Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue; medical shows Marcus Welby, M.D. and ER, the legal offices of L.A. Law and The Practice; such quirky fare as Picket Fences, Northern Exposure and Ally McBeal; and into the antihero tales of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad – and many more.

Along the way you’ll...

The West Wing’s President Bartlet and his staff reunited at the Emmys.

The not-so-secret reunion saw Martin Sheen, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney and Richard Schiff appear in a replica of the Oval Office before presenting best drama series.

Sheen opened by saying, “From 1999 to 2006 I had the honor of playing the President of the United States on an extraordinary series created by Aaron Sorkin and produced by John Wells.”

“The name of that series was The West Wing, and we all had the honor of serving your administration,” added Hill.

Janney said, “It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago, Aaron and the writers actually had to use their imaginations to create interesting plot lines for The West Wing.”

Schiff replied, “Unlike today, where story lines can be plucked right off the news, storylines that writers would have deemed a bit far-fetched, if not utterly ridiculous 25 years ago.

The late great Peter Falk was born on September 16, 1927, and his detective drama “Columbo” is as timeless as it is entertaining. In the whole of television history, few actors have been as identified with a single character than was Falk with Lieutenant Columbo, the eccentric, rumpled, cigar-chomping, trench coat-clad, implausibly wily Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who always got his man. In the process, Falk and the producers revolutionized what a cop show could be.

It’s been more than a half-century since Falk began portraying the world’s favorite lieutenant as part of the rotating “NBC Mystery Movie” franchise on September 15, 1971. It would grow to become a global phenomenon originally across eight seasons (1971-78), then again sporadically from 1989 to 2003. The series itself would win 13 Emmys..

SEE30 best TV detectives ranked

From the first official installment of “Columbo” – entitled “Murder by the Book” and featuring Jack Cassidy as the...

Betty A. Bridges, an actress and the mother of Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges who appeared on her son’s sitcom, Hill Street Blues, Ally McBeal and many other shows, has died. She was 83.

Bridges died Wednesday in hospice care at Todd’s home in Phoenix, publicist Elizabeth Much announced.

During her four-decade career, Betty Alice Bridges appeared on everything from Police Woman, Good Times, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman and Quincy, M.E. to Flamingo Road, Lou Grant, Dallas, NYPD Blue, ER and Scrubs.

The Dallas native also was seen in such films as A Night at the Roxbury (1998) and Building Bridges (2000), a 45-minute documentary about Todd, who as a child actor in Hollywood dealt with his share of trouble.

Bridges was a manager and acting coach, too; she co-founded Kane Bridge Academy, and among her students were Nia Long, sisters Reina and Regina King, Sanaa Lathan,...

Betty A. Bridges, who guested on dozen of popular TV series during a 40-year career ranging from Good Times and Charlie’s Angels to Lou Grant and Hill Street Blues to ER and 2 Broke Girls and later was a prominent acting coach, died August 27. She was 83.

She died at the Phoenix home of her son, Diff’rent Strokes and reality TV star Todd Bridges, where she had been in hospice care. Rep Elizabeth Much confirmed her death to Deadline, but no cause was given.

Born on August 1, 1941, Betty Bridges got her screen start guesting on such 1970s TV shows as Police Woman, Charlie’s Angels and Norman Lear’s Good Times and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She continued to work consistently for much of the next four decades, mostly in TV. She made guest appearances in popular series including Wonder Woman; What’s Happening!!; Quincy, M.E.; CHiPs; Lou Grant; Diff’rent Strokes...

Like stadiums full of sports fans carrying brooms to a game where their team has a chance to complete a sweep against an archrival, the Emmys have been home to a string of dominant showings in recent years. But while sweeps can be thrilling to fans of the shows that have run the table on Emmy night, can we just admit that they’re not much fun for most of us?

And with final voting now underway, can we remind voting members of the Television Academy that it might be a good thing to divvy up those golden statuettes?

First, a little background: In 2020, “Schitt’s Creek” became the first comedy series ever to go 7-for-7 at the Primetime Emmy Awards, winning all of the ceremony’s comedy categories: Outstanding Comedy Series, awards for directing and writing, plus the two for lead acting and two for supporting acting.

The next year,...

August 9

Q: On this day exactly 50 years ago, August 9 1974, Richard Nixon became the first and only President to resign his office. Nixon also significantly brought Best Actor nominations to two actors who played him on screen. Who are they?

A: Anthony Hopkins was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for 1995’s Nixon. Frank Langella was nominated in the same category for 2008’s Frost/Nixon. Langella had previously won a Tony Award for the play on which that movie was based. Only one actor has ever won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a real life U.S. President. Daniel Day Lewis took his third Lead Actor Academy Award in 2012’s Lincoln. Raymond Massey was also previously nominated as Lincoln for Best Actor in 1940’s Abe Lincoln In Illinois. Nixon and Lincoln are the only real life U.S. Presidents to be responsible for multiple Oscar nominations for those who played them.

Over the course of a screen acting career that stretched across fifty years, Charles Cyphers racked up 100 credits, but he’s best known for his collaborations with John Carpenter, having appeared in the director’s Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, Someone’s Watching Me!, Elvis, The Fog, and Escape from New York. His most popular character was Sheriff Leigh Brackett from the 1978 Halloween, a role he reprised in 1981’s Halloween II and, after a forty year absence from the Halloween franchise, 2021’s Halloween Kills. Sadly, we’ve lost this great character actor, as Variety reports that Cyphers has passed away “from a brief illness” at the age of 85.

Cyphers’ manager Chris Roe confirmed his passing to Variety and provided the following statement: “Charles was a lovable and sensitive man. He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and...

Charles Cyphers, known for his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in the “Halloween” franchise, died from a brief illness in Tucson, Ariz., on Sunday, his manager Chris Roe announced. He was 85.

“Charles was a lovable and sensitive man,” Roe said in a statement shared with Variety. “He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and client on many years who will be dearly missed.”

Cyphers first played Sheriff Brackett in John Carpenter’s 1978 horror film “Halloween,” starring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie in her film debut. He reprised his role in the 1981 sequel “Halloween II” and 2021’s “Halloween Kills.”

Cyphers initially worked with Carpenter on the 1976 action film “Assault on Precinct 13,” in which he played Starker, a police officer. After the original “Halloween,” he appeared in the filmmaker’s 1980 horror pic “The Fog” and 1981 film “Escape From New York.

Based on the merits of its first two seasons, Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” was nominated for three of the four regular drama series acting Emmys, with its lone elusive category having been the supporting female one. Now, following its submission of seven featured ladies on the initial 2024 Emmy ballot, it has simultaneously scored a whopping four Best Drama Supporting Actress mentions, joining only three other series that have done the same or better.

The supporting actresses representing “The Morning Show” on this year’s final Emmy ballot are Nicole Beharie, Greta Lee, Karen Pittman, and Holland Taylor. Only Pittman has been part of the cast since the show’s inception, as Lee and Taylor first appeared in season two and Beharie was just added ahead of season three. All are Emmy newcomers except Taylor, whose eight earlier nominations led to a single win in this category for “The Practice...

Mulholland Drive has surprising connections to Twin Peaks, as it was originally intended to be a spinoff. Mark Frost confirmed the connection in his book, revealing the initial plans for the movie. Stylistic and thematic connections between Mulholland Drive and Twin Peaks are apparent in various elements.

Knowing its origin story and surprising connection to Twin Peaks makes rewatching Mulholland Drive a movie I adore so much that, on a visit to Toronto, I went to TIFF specifically to see a 35mm screening even more satisfying. David Lynch, while not a fan service director, had Easter eggs in mind during the project, even writing a list of clues for the Mulholland Drive DVD leaflet. While typically Lynchian in their ambiguity, these details reveal a surprising amount about the 2001 thriller's origins.

The confirmation that there is a Twin Peaks link to the mind-bending masterpiece seems obvious in retrospect. I thought it was simply a stylistic thread,...