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Tag: Fox

  • FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones

    FCC May Fine Fox for Illegally Using Emergency Broadcast Tones

    In a “what were they thinking?” moment, Fox is facing fines for using Emergency Alert Tones (EAS) to promote NFL Sunday.

    The EAS is for federal, state, and local authorities to warn citizens of impending danger, as well as child abductions. As such, aside from specific Permitted Uses, the EAS Tones may not be used for any other purpose. The government’s goal is to ensure the public does not get “alert fatigue” and become desensitized to the EAS Tones.

    Despite the importance of protecting the use of EAS Tones, Fox Sports downloaded the tones from a YouTube video and proceeded to use a three-second segment to promote NFL Sunday, according to the FCC’s report.

    FOX describes the Promotional Segment as a short comedic advertisement for an upcoming game, aired as part of the FOX NFL SUNDAY pre-game show. FOX admits that the Promotional Segment used an approximately three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal commonly used to precede broadcast emergency alerts: two simultaneous tones of 853 Hz and 960 Hz. The three-second excerpt of the EAS Attention Signal was downloaded or recorded from a YouTube video. FOX further admits that its transmission of the Promotional Segment, and the EAS Tones, was not made in connection with any Permitted Use, i.e., an actual emergency, authorized test of the EAS, or qualified PSA.

    The clip was broadcast across 18 of Fox’s stations, as well as transmitted to 190 affiliated stations. The company also used the clip on Fox Sports Radio, reaching nearly 15 million listeners.

    As a result of the incident, the FCC has proposed fining Fox sports $504,000.

  • Court Ruling Spells the End of Locast

    Court Ruling Spells the End of Locast

    Lowcast has informed subscribers it will be ending its service following an unfavorable court ruling.

    Locast takes free, over-the-air local channel broadcasts and streams them over the internet. The solution was popular in many areas, with the company covering 55% of the US population, or more than 179 million people. Streaming service Sling even partnered with Locast to offer subscribers access to local channels, a traditionally weak point for Sling.

    While other companies have been shut down for charging a fee for similar services, Locast was free and operated as a non-profit. The company did solicit donations mid-stream, and that appears to be what caused the problem. ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC sued, alleging the donation solicitation still broke the law. Unfortunately, the court sided with the broadcasters.

    Although Locast originally planned on continuing to offer the service without the donation solicitations, it appears to have altered plans and has suspended service, effective immediately. The company notified customers in an email:

    As a non-profit, Locast was designed from the very beginning to operate in accordance with the strict letter of the law, but in response to the court’s recent rulings, with which we respectfully disagree, we are hereby suspending operations, effective immediately. 

    The court ruling and Locast’s decision is a major blow to cordcutters and is an unfortunate win for an industry that has a long reputation of ruthlessly squashing anything that challenges the status quo — including things that benefit its customers.

  • Disney CEO: What Netflix Has Done Has Actually Been Good For Us

    Disney CEO: What Netflix Has Done Has Actually Been Good For Us

    “We wouldn’t have been ready to launch it (Disney+) two or three years ago,” says Disney CEO Bob Iger. “We wouldn’t have even been ready to talk about it. It takes technology. It takes content. It takes the talent to make the content. It takes a marketplace. You could argue that what Netflix has done has actually been good for us because they’ve seeded the marketplace to robust over-the-top content distribution and presentation.”

    Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, discusses the launch of Disney+ and how Netflix may have actually paved the way for Disney in an interview on CNBC:

    What Netflix Has Done Has Actually Been Good For Us

    We did extremely well licensing our content and Netflix. We’re launching this product (Disney+) because we are ready to launch it. We wouldn’t have been ready to launch it two or three years ago. We wouldn’t have even been ready to talk about it. It takes technology. It takes content. It takes the talent to make the content. It takes a marketplace. You could argue that what Netflix has done has actually been good for us because they’ve seeded the marketplace to robust over-the-top content distribution and presentation. I like launching when we are launching and believe that it’s a great time for us and the Fox acquisition was had a lot to do with it.

    There is something interesting that I’ve observed and I don’t think I’ve said it publicly. We announced that we were doing (Disney+) in June 2017 and (when)  we decided to do it that led to the purchase of BamTech. Then the opportunity to buy Fox first came up later that year. In fact, just a few months after the Board approved us buying the majority share of BamTech, which was done for one reason to go into the direct-to-consumer business, Rupert and I sat down and talked about the transaction. We would not have done that transaction had we not decided to go in this direction.

    We Evaluated What We Were Buying Through This New Lens

    If we hadn’t we would have been looking at that business through a traditional lens. Oh we’re buying TV channels, were buying more movie making capability, etc. and so on. By the time the acquisition opportunity came up and we knew we were going in this space we evaluated what we were buying through this new lens. What could National Geographic mean to us? What could it mean to us being in the direct-to-consumer space in India? What could it mean having access to their library, not to monetize it through traditional means but to do it through this? Bam! I mean the light bulb went off.

    It maybe speaks to why people don’t acquire companies too, because you try to measure what you’re acquiring in a traditional sense. Our decision to buy Pixar, Marvel. and Lucasfilm was made because we believed that great storytelling would stand the test of time. No matter how much the marketplace was disrupted, whether it was cable and satellite, movie theaters, traditional television, you name it, a great story well told, was going to succeed as an investment or as a financial proposition no matter what.

    Related Articles:

    The Marketplace Has Never Been This Dynamic, Says Disney CEO

    Disney Can’t Begin to Catch Netflix, But They Don’t Need To, Says Media Innovator Tom Rogers

    John Malone says Disney Needs What Apple and Amazon Have… Massive Direct Consumer Relationships


  • Erin Andrews: Jury Selection Begins In Stalking Case

    Erin Andrews will have her day(s) in court and they are coming soon.

    On Monday, a jury was being selected in Erin Andrews’ trial against a Nashville hotel which she says is responsible for making her location known to 50-year-old Michael David Barrett and allowing him to book rooms next to her in 2008.

    He then recorded video of Erin Andrews undressing through various peepholes and posted them online.

    Erin Andrews was working for ESPN at the time and in Nashville for a Vanderbilt football game when the recordings took place.

    #tbt Love pregame chattzys

    A photo posted by Erin Andrews (@erinandrews) on

    Erin Andrews is suing for $75 million in damages.

    Michael David Barrett pleaded guilty to stalking Erin Andrews and shooting the videos in 2009. He served 30 months in prison and now lives in Oregon.

    While Erin Andrews’ looks have garnered her a lot of attention and unfortunately made her a target in the eyes of her stalker, she doesn’t like them being discussed.

    She said recently of the double standard she faces, “I think it’s hilarious when people have a problem with, ‘Oh she’s wearing this, she’s got hair extensions. It’s so funny to me that people are so worried about what I’m doing or care about how I look, and I’m working out.”

    @victoriassecret

    A photo posted by Erin Andrews (@erinandrews) on

    She added, “We have the best-looking guys at Fox. Michael Strahan, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Terry Bradshaw… They work out all the time. Beautiful men wearing beautiful clothes. And nobody says anything about that. That’s the only time I get salty.”

    What do you think will become of Erin Andrews’ lawsuit?

  • Stacey Dash Bashes Oscar Boycott, Wants To Get Rid Of Black History Month

    Fox commentator Stacey Dash is stirring the racial pot once again, and people are reacting aggressively from both sides.

    The actress-turned-news contributor, who is best known for her character Dionne in the 1995 film Clueless, is slowly establishing herself as an outspoken conservative pundit. After cursing on air while criticizing President Obama – for which she got suspended by Fox News – Stacey Dash has now weighed in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

    Stacey Dash gave her two cents following the recent call to boycott the Oscars this year by big Hollywood stars such as actress Jada Pinkett-Smith and director Spike Lee. They and many other celebrities complained about the lack of diversity among the nominees.

    During Wednesday’s episode of Fox & Friends, Stacey Dash addressed the boycott by calling it “ludicrous” and implied that black-dominated networks such as BET are just as discriminatory as the Academy Awards for mostly recognizing black artists.

    Watch Stacey Dash Comment on the Recent Oscar Boycott

    “If we don’t want segregation, then we have to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the [NAACP] Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black.”

    She also suggested the expulsion of Black History Month, echoing earlier sentiments that she previously expressed in a November 2015 blog post entitled “Why Black History Month is Ridiculous and Why BET Should Not Exist.”

    “There shouldn’t be a Black History Month. We’re Americans, period. That’s it,” she said on the Fox show.

    As expected, Dash’s brash comments drew the ire of her fellow African-Americans in the business. BET took to their official website and social media accounts to slam Stacey Dash’s claims, posting a series of images featuring her old character in Clueless as well as the network’s comedy series The Game, in which she starred.

    Stacey Dash Is Slammed on The View for Her Comments About Black History Month

    The hosts of The View also criticized Stacey Dash for committing “the height of hypocrisy” by suggesting the removal of BET and black organizations when she has benefitted numerous times from their various media outlets.

  • Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz Sue Fox over ‘Bones’ Money

    Emily Deschanel and Bones costar David Boreanaz have filed a lawsuit against Fox, claiming that the network owes them millions.

    Deschanel and Boreanaz are joined by forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs, whose novels serve as the basis for the popular show. According to Variety, they are accusing Fox of engaging “in a systematic and pervasive effort to cheat them out of profits.”

    From Variety:

    The most recent lawsuit claims that even as the series became more profitable for Fox, accounting statements issued by the studio “counter-intuitively shows plaintiffs falling farther and farther away from achieving profits.”

    According to the lawsuit, Reichs, a forensic anthropologist on whose novels the series was based, was promised a 5% share of the profits for her rights as well as producing services. Deschanel and Boreanaz were entitled to 3% of the profits.

    More on the lawsuit from The Hollywood Reporter:

    In the new complaint filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the trio claim Fox has underpaid them through accounting tricks and “vertical integration,” in which a company’s production division licenses a show at an artificially discounted rate to the company’s affiliated distribution channel. They also claim Fox fraudulently accounted for revenue, employed strong-arm tactics to lower license fees to the point that the series never showed a profit, and withheld key documents that would help them better ascertain the extent to which they are owed money.

    Fox hasn’t commented on the lawsuit.

    Bones is currently in its 11th season.

  • Jamie Lee Curtis Has Dark New Role In “Scream Queens”

    Jamie Lee Curtis has an exciting new gig as a stiff adversary in the new Fox show, Scream Queens.

    Jamie Lee Curtis stars alongside Emma Roberts, Abigail Breslin, Ariana Grande, Lea Michele, Nick Jonas, and a slew of other teen stars.

    On the show, Jamie Lee Curtis plays the role of Dean Munsch, a staunch opponent to sororities who orders that the one run by Emma Roberts’ character, Chanel Oberlin, must admit any pledges who are interested.

    Her order results in a battle between her, the various Chanels, and a demon-masked maniac who takes out someone in bloody fanfare during each episode.

    Here we go. Tuesday's at 9 on FOX! #screamqueens

    A photo posted by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie) on

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FtenR69qmk

    The Fox website describes the show in this way:

    “The girls of Kappa House are dying for new pledges. … Wallace University is rocked by a string of murders. Kappa House, the most sought-after sorority for pledges, is ruled with an iron fist (in a pink glove) by its Queen Bitch, Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts).”

    #canyouhearmenow? #tbt

    A photo posted by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie) on

    It adds, “But when anti-Kappa Dean Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) decrees that sorority pledging must be open to all students, and not just the school’s silver-spooned elite, all hell is about to break loose, as a devil-clad killer begins wreaking havoc, claiming one victim, one episode at a time. Part black comedy, part slasher flick, Scream Queens is a modern take on the classic whodunit, in which every character has a motive for murder…or could easily be the next blood-soaked casualty.”

    #bloodred in honor of #ScreamQueens

    A photo posted by Jamie Lee Curtis (@curtisleejamie) on

    Creepy! What did you think of the trailer and Jamie Lee Curtis’ role in the show?

    Will you be watching Scream Queens this fall?

  • Abigail Breslin Stars Alongside Emma Roberts And Nick Jonas In New Fox Show

    Abigail Breslin has apparently taken on quite the new project.

    In fact, it’s a big departure from the norm for Abigail Breslin.

    Abigail Breslin will be starring in Fox’s new thrill show, Scream Queens.

    Scream Queens features Emma Roberts as an undeniably evil sorority leader. Along with her underlings, Abigail Breslin and Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts (aka Chanel Oberlin) takes on the dean of the school, who is played by Jamie Lee Curtis and who ordered Oberlin to admit anyone who is interested in joining the sorority.

    The result is a hazing fiasco that ends in what looks like several murders in and around the sorority committed by a psychopath in a devil mask.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FtenR69qmk

    On the Fox website, the show is described in colorful detail. It says, “The girls of Kappa House are dying for new pledges. … Wallace University is rocked by a string of murders. Kappa House, the most sought-after sorority for pledges, is ruled with an iron fist (in a pink glove) by its Queen Bitch, Chanel Oberlin (Emma Roberts).”

    It continues, “But when anti-Kappa Dean Munsch (Jamie Lee Curtis) decrees that sorority pledging must be open to all students, and not just the school’s silver-spooned elite, all hell is about to break loose, as a devil-clad killer begins wreaking havoc, claiming one victim, one episode at a time. Part black comedy, part slasher flick, Scream Queens is a modern take on the classic whodunit, in which every character has a motive for murder…or could easily be the next blood-soaked casualty.”

    It looks really, really great.

    Queens who slay together, stay together. #FOXUpfronts #screamqueens @praisethelourd @screamqueensfox

    A photo posted by Abigail Breslin (@abbienormal9) on

    Abigail Breslin is all grown up and playing parts that are much darker than her norm!

    What do you think about seeing Abigail Breslin as an evil minion in Scream Queens?

  • Google’s Chromecast Gains Fox, CBS Support

    It’s a good day for Chromecast users hoping to get more streaming content options. Both CBS and Fox announced new support for Google’s $35 streaming device.

    CBS announced the ability to cast CBS content from CBS.com and the CBS App, including that from the CBS All Access subscription service, which costs $5.99 a month for over 7,000 on-demand episodes from the current season, previous seasons, and classic shows as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live in over 20 markets (with more added each month).

    Variety reports that Fox’s streaming service has added Chromecast support, providing access to full episodes of current and recent shows, including Empire, American Idol, Bones, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Family Guy, The Following, Glee, Gotham, Hell’s Kitchen, The Last Man On Earth, MasterChef, The Mindy Project, New girl, The Simpsons, Sleepy Hollow, and Wayward Pines.

    Users have to subscribe to participating cable, satellite or telco pay-TV providers in order to watch the content, it says. This is fairly standard for streaming services from TV channels. The same applies to offerings from HBO, Comedy Central, etc. Variety’s Todd Spangler writes:

    To date, Fox has cut “TV Everywhere” authentication deals for its Fox Now app and Fox.com covering most pay-TV providers in the U.S. Those include Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable, Cox, AT&T U-verse, Verizon FiOS, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Charter, Mediacom and Suddenlink.

    Google I/O, the company’s developer conference, is set to take place on May 28 and 29 in San Francisco. Some are speculating that the company will announce a new version of Chromecast. Michael Andronico at Tom’s Guide says:

    The Chromecast streaming stick turns two years old this summer, making it the perfect time for Google to unveil its successor. There’s an I/O session dedicated to building games for Google Cast devices, which will touch on “designing for the mobile and television experience on multiple screens.” Will the new Chromecast allow for multi-display gaming? We’ll have to wait and see. With Apple expected to revampits Apple TV later this year, Google could certainly benefit from having its miniature media player back in the spotlight.

    You can get a look at all the apps that currently support Chromecast here.

    Image via CBS

  • Mindy Kaling’s TV Show Gets Canceled By Fox But Hulu Might Pick It Up

    Mindy Kaling’s TV Show Gets Canceled By Fox But Hulu Might Pick It Up

    After months of speculation, Fox finally cancels the The Mindy Project.

    Reports say that Mindy Kaling’s comedy series won’t be picked up for a fourth season at Fox.

    The series, about a successful doctor who dreams of getting her personal and romantic life on track, was already facing an uncertain future.

    The network considers the show’s ratings not up to broadcast standards, despite a cult following and strong online viewing and social media presence.

    However, there’s still hope for loyal viewers who are dying to know what will happen next to the show’s protagonist and its cliffhanger ending.

    Sources report that Universal Television is currently in talks with Hulu, which is said to be keen on taking on the Mindy Project for “multiple additional seasons.”

    For a lot of people who believe the show might be better served if it’s in a digital platform, Hulu is the perfect choice for a new home.

    The online streaming service already carries past seasons of the Mindy Project and is also dead set on expanding its original lineup with series like J.J Abrams’ 11/22/63 and Jason Reitman’s Casual.

    However, Hulu and Fox have remained tight-lipped about the news, neither confirming any cancellations or renewals.

    But the Internet is not taking the news of the cancellation lightly.

    Eonline.com has asked fans to help save the Mindy Project with an article listing 11 reasons why another network (like Hulu) should save the show.

    The website also wrote:

    “Dear Fellow Fans: Let’s Tweet and Facebook and Snapchat and carrier pigeon this story to everyone you know, asking them to share it with the hashtag #HuluSaveMindy. Let’s get it trending so Hulu hears us loud and clear!”

    But even before this call to action appeared, fans have already started to vent their anger at Fox on Twitter, while imploring Hulu to pick up their favorite show.

  • Malik Yoba Explains Why He Got Fired From ‘Empire’

    The season finale of hit TV series Empire finds main character businessman Vernon Turner dead, taking actor Malik Yoba out for the second Season.

    In an interview with TMZ, Yoba says that he got the news of being let go from Empire co-creator Lee Daniels. The phone call reached Yoba while he was doing charity work and promoting the TV series in Ferguson, Missouri.

    “Lee told me that someone in Fox decided that ‘someone’ needed to die in the season finale,” said Yoba. “But it wasn’t about the work, it wasn’t about work ethics,” he added.

    The decision to eliminate the character Vernon Turner is apparently made to shake up plot lines for the next season.

    Recent reports say that the real reason Yoba was fired from the hit TV series is for outing gay actor and Empire co-star Jussie Smollet. Daniels, who has long been openly gay and an avid supporter of the LGBT cause might have been irked of Yoba’s statement.

    In an interview with Blackfilm.com, Yoba “accidentally” declared Smollet’s sexuality, saying, “So, obviously, Lee is gay. That was an important storyline for him. I think it’s important for people to see themselves. Even within the Black community. But if you aren’t really, really taking it off of screen and making it live in the community in a significant way … like I know Jussie, he is gay, and he’s very committed to issues around the LGBT community. He and I have a very close relationship.”

    Yoba tried to save his Empire career by saying he was “misquoted in the article. My reference to Jussie was only about his character and storyline on Empire,” but it was too late.

    When asked if it was Lee who pulled the trigger that took his role out, Yoba told The Combat Jack Show that, “There’s a woman named Ilene Chaiken that actually runs the show. Meaning, she runs the writer’s room, she’s in charge of hiring the directors and oversees the whole creative process of the show.

    Malik Yoba on The Combat Jack Show

  • Jamie Lee Curtis Cast in ‘Scream Queens’

    Jamie Lee Curtis Cast in ‘Scream Queens’

    Jamie Lee Curtis, the original “scream queen,” has been cast in a new FOX horror/comedy series called Scream Queens.

    The show, produced by Ryan Murphy, will also star Emma Roberts, who has already appeared in the Coven and Freak Show seasons of Murphy’s popular American Horror Story franchise.

    Murphy, known for creating or co-creating various successful television series including Popular, Nip/Tuck, Glee, American Horror Story and The New Normal, will commence production of 15 episodes ordered by FOX, and the series will debut next fall.

    Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan co-created the new show, and Murphy, Falchuk, Brennan, and Dante Di Loreto will serve as executive producers.

    Commenting on Scream Queens, Murphy said in a statement, “We hope to create a whole new genre – comedy-horror – and the idea is for every season to revolve around two female leads. We’ve already begun a nationwide search for those women, as well as 10 other supporting roles.”

    The first season of the new anthology is centered around a series of murders committed on a college campus.

    Curtis, 56, got her start in John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween. The Golden Globe-winning actress went on to appear in four Halloween sequels, and starred in The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train and Roadgames, solidifying her “scream queen” status.

    Curtis as Laurie Strode in Halloween:

    Curtis, a New York Times bestselling author, is married to director Christopher Guest, and occasionally blogs for The Huffington Post.

    In related news, Murphy has been reportedly developing a new anthology series called American Crime Story. The first season is said to be centered around the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

  • Adrienne Banfield: See The Pic You Won’t Believe

    How many people over the age of 60 would love to look like Jada Pinkett Smith’s mom Adrienne Banfield-Jones? The Gotham star took to Facebook on Friday and posted a picture of her 61-year-old mother walking out of the ocean wearing a bikini.

    We’ve probably all seen Pinkett Smith in her bikini. The 43-year-old actress is not shy about sharing pictures of her six pack abs and ripped body on social media. However, her mother is right there with her in terms of overall fitness and fine physique.

    Pinkett Smith wrote in the caption of the posted picture, “Willow took this shot of her grandmother, my mother, emerging from the ocean today. She is 61! I wanna be her when I grow up:) Happy Friday… J.”

    Here’s the pic that is putting many 20-year-olds to shame:

    Post by Jada Pinkett Smith.

    Banfield-Jones got pregnant with Pinkett Smith when she was just in high school. Pinkett Smith’s grandparents played a big part in helping to raise her. Banfield-Jones married Pinkett Smith’s father, however, the marriage ended in divorce.

    The Twitter world was also pretty impressed with Banfield-Jones’ amazing physique:

    You can currently catch Pinkett Smith as gangster Fish Mooney in Fox’s new hit drama Gotham. The origin story of Batman and Detective Gordon airs Monday 8/7C.

  • Elisabeth Hasselbeck Doing Just Fine After Surgery

    Elisabeth Hasselbeck will return to Fox & Friends in a few weeks.

    She underwent a surgery that, while apparently pretty minor, remains secret.

    A Fox News spokesperson told The Wrap of Hasselbeck’s surgery, “Elisabeth has asked for all to respect her wishes for privacy in regards to further details at this time.”

    Co-hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade appeared on Wednesday’s show without Elisabeth Hasselbeck to announce that she was undergoing surgery and that she would return soon, as good as new.

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    #instaDYNASTY @williebosshog @kilmeade @foxandfriends

    View on Instagram

    “In case you were wondering where Elisabeth is today and this week, well, she had some surgery yesterday and she’s going to be out for a couple of weeks,” Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s co-host Steve Doocy said on the show today.

    “But she’s doing just fine, she’s on the mend.”

    Brian Kilmeade added of Elisabeth Hasselbeck, “But as you know if you watch the show, she is strong, she is tough and a better athlete than me. We heard from her last night and she said she is feeling good. So, in a short time, she’ll be back on the set.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bArvHZxVkE

    There doesn’t seem to be any reason to worry or any trace of alarm on the part of Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s co-stars.

    It also seems to have given Kimberly Guilfoyle, normally of Fox’s The Five, a fun change of pace in standing in for the 37-year-old former pot-stirrer on The View.

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    This is what happens when we attempted to take a 4person #selfie with an iPad @foxandfriends #NeededLongerArms

    View on Instagram

    Most likely the details of her situation will be released after a little while, but as far as any hint at what ails her, Elisabeth Hasselbeck isn’t dishing them out.

    She has been silent on social media since October 10th, and even then didn’t lend the slightest notion that anything was wrong.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyoznklOEu4

    Hopefully Elisabeth Hasselbeck will make a swift and full recovery and be back on Fox & Friends soon!

  • Netflix Gains Exclusive SVOD Rights To ‘Gotham’

    Netflix Gains Exclusive SVOD Rights To ‘Gotham’

    Netflix and Warner Bros. announced an agreement that will make Netflix the exclusive subscription VOD home of the upcoming television series Gotham, which is set to debut on FOX on September 22nd.

    Netflix will get each season of the series following its linear broadcast, starting next year.

    If you’re unfamiliar with the show’s premise, here’s how it’s described in the announcement:

    The series draws on the origin story of Batman, taking place in Gotham City as young Detective (and future Commissioner) James Gordon and the recently orphaned Bruce Wayne meet in the troubled days before the arrival of the Dark Knight. With a stellar cast including Ben McKenzie (Southland, The O.C.), Donal Logue (Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, Terriers), Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix Reloaded, Ali, Collateral, HawthoRNe) and Sean Pertwee (The Musketeers, Elementary, Luther, The Tudors), the series follows Gordon’s rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner as he navigates the layers of corruption that secretly rule Gotham City.

    The action-packed series draws on the stories of the great DC Comics “Super-Villains and Vigilantes,” revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. The one-hour drama follows one cop’s rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil and chronicles the genesis of one of the most popular superheroes of our time.

    Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Netflix is likely paying a hefty sum. They’re reportedly paying $2 million per episode to get NBC drama The Blacklist, though that show has already established itself as a hit.

    Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos explains the company’s thought process: “Gotham is the most anticipated new series of the fall season and we are thrilled to offer it to our members around the world. The Batman origin story is sure to have massive global appeal so it is fitting that, along with Warner Television, we have created a new model for distributing a show that international and domestic audiences will love.”

    “In this era of new business models and expanding windows, this is an unprecedented deal for our company and our industry,” adds Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Television Distribution. “While we typically license our programming country by country, we have licensed this very special series to Netflix on a multi-territory basis. Netflix is a perfect home for Gotham following its initial broadcast in each respective country, giving Netflix subscribers the opportunity to catch-up prior to the new season, whether they’re already fans or discovering it for the first time.”

    On Tuesday, Netflix announced that it’s bringing back Hemlock Grove for one more season.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kyra Sedgwick’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine Promo Released

    We got our first look yesterday at former Closer Kyra Sedgwick playing Deputy Chief Madeline Wuntch in the sophomore police comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

    The 49-year-old actress makes her return to the small screen in a two-episode arc. Wuntch is a long-time arch-rival of Captain Holt (Andre Braugher.) And not only does she outrank him, but Wuntch also has plans to take down the Deputy and his entire squad.

    Executive Producer Dan Goor said, “Kyra brings so much presence and gravitas to the role — exactly the traits needed to stand off against Andre Braugher. And she pitched one of the funniest flashbacks that we’ve ever done!”

    The first look picture released by TV Guide on Thursday features Sedgwick staring down Braugher. She may be small, but she looks pretty tough.

    Sedgwick starred in The Closer as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson for seven seasons. The TNT cable show ended in 2012. Deputy Johnson was the head of the Priority Homicide Division of the LAPD. She had the incredible ability to read people in order to get confessions and solve cases. Sedgwick won a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010 for her role as Johnson.

    Brooklyn Nine-Nine will return for its second season on September 28. The premiere season of the Andy Samberg comedy was a success for Fox. The show won a Golden Globe in 2014 for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Also, Andy Samberg took home a Golden Globe for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy.

    Sedgwick’s two-episode arc on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is scheduled to air on October 5.

  • Eva Longoria to Appear on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

    Fox has officially announced that Eva Longoria will be joining the cast of Brooklyn Nine-Nine when the show returns next month. Longoria will be guest-starring in a three-episode story arc during the show’s second season. The appearance will put her on the show’s growing list of guest-stars which now includes Stacy Keach, Craig Robinson, Andy Richter, and Adam Sandler.

    Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a new detective/comedy series that debuted last fall on Fox. The series stars comedian Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta, an ace NYPD cop who gets the job done despite a wise-cracking persona that often upsets his superiors. Other characters include Peralta’s strait-laced partner Amy Santiago (played by Melissa Fumero), ditzy precinct administrator Gina Linetti (played by Chelsea Peretti), and Captain Ray Holt, the precinct’s gay commanding officer (played by Andre Braugher).

    Longoria has been cast as a character named Sophia, a defense attorney that “faces off” against Samberg’s Peralta in court.

    Longoria is an actress and model best-known for her roles as Isabella Brana on CBS’s The Young and the Restless and as Gabrielle Solis on ABC’s Desperate Housewives. She has also appeared in movies such as Harsh Times, The Sentinel, and Crazy Kind of Love.

    In addition to her acting, Longoria is known for her work with charities, including her own charity, Eva’s Heroes. Reflecting Longoria’s childhood with a special needs sister, the charity supports young people with intellectual disabilities. Longoria was named “Philanthropist of the Year” by The Hollywood Reporter in 2009 for her work with Eva’s Heroes and other organizations.

    Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s second season will begin on September 28. Other guest stars announced for the upcoming season include former Saturday Night Live cast member Jenny Slate, actress Kyra Sedgwick, and NFL star Terrell Owens. According to Fox, Sedgwick will be playing the part of Captain Holt’s “nemesis” in the NYPD.

  • Terrell Owens To Appear On “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

    Terrell Owens is set to make a guest appearance on Fox’s immensely popular show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He will be a centerpiece in the force’s next NYPD-FDNY football game.

    Terrell Owens will be joined in the appearance by former NFL linebacker Terry Crews, who plays Sgt. Terry Jeffords.

    If you’re a football fan, you’ll know Terrell Owens (T.O.) as a wide receiver who spent 15 seasons with the NFL, none of them without controversy or some crazy touchdown celebration dances.

    If you’re not a football fan, you might know Terrell Owens from VH1’s The T.O. Show. The show followed Terrell Owens’ life off the field and into his home as he wrestled with professional and personal life issues.

    Terrell Owens’ appearance ought to add a some fun to an already interesting premise for the show itself.

    Terrell Owens’ appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine won’t be the only great thing about the upcoming season of the show. Andre Braugher, who plays Captain Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, said this of the premise for the upcoming season,

    “Peralta (Andy Samberg) finishes his undercover investigation, so the squad is reunited. My arch rival appears, played by Kyra Sedgwick. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) and Jake Peralta continue their love affair, however stop and start it is.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sfyJTDNXnI

    He continued, “Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) and Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) continue their love affair–their secret, shameful love affair. We get a new commissioner, so there’s a lot of reorganization and rule-changing inside the NYPD. As far as I know, Peralta is resisting this change and Holt is embracing it.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZp4eluiUzg

    Add Terrell Owens to that, and there is really a lot to look forward to on Brooklyn Nine-Nine! The second season premieres September 28th on Fox.

    Image via Twitter

  • Keifer Sutherland Said To Be Hard To Work With

    Actor Freddie Prinze, Jr. told ABC News that working alongside 24 star Keifer Sutherland made him want to quit acting altogether.

    Prinze played a character named Cole Ortiz on the eighth season of the hit Fox drama, and commented, “it was terrible. I hated every moment of it.” The late-90’s teen idol Prinze went on to say, “Kiefer was the most unprofessional dude in the world. That’s not me talking trash, I’d say it to his face, I think everyone that’s worked with him has said that.”

    Prinze, who was at the San Diego Comic-Con earlier this month while promoting his new Disney XD series Star Wars Rebels, added, “I just wanted to quit the business after that. So, I just sort of stopped.” Aside from a couple of small parts on shows including Psych and Bones, Prinze has been working as a director and producer for the WWE professional wrestling network, and has been raising a son and a daughter with wife Sarah Michelle Gellar.

    Sutherland, on the other hand, had nice things to say about Prinze. Commenting on season eight of 24, Sutherland told Parade magazine, “We have some great actors joining us – Mykelti Williamson is the head of CTU, Freddie Prinze Jr. is playing my partner – So, it’s this great balance between something that’s new and what fans will find familiar.”

    Here Sutherland appears with Wil Wheaton in Stand By Me from 1986:

    Prinze goes on to attack Sutherland’s height – “I went and worked for Vince McMahon at the WWE for Christ’s sake and it was a crazier job than working with Kiefer. But, at least he was cool and tall. I didn’t have to take my shoes off to do scenes with him, which they made me do. Just put the guy on an apple box or don’t hire me next time. You know I’m 6 feet and he’s 5’4.”

    Sutherland, who ranked at number 68 on the 2006 Forbes “Celebrity 100” list of the world’s most powerful stars, made $23 million that year. Sutherland’s rep issued a statement on Prinze’s comments – “Kiefer worked with Freddie Prinze, Jr. more than 5 years ago, and this is the first he has heard of Freddie‘s grievances. Kiefer enjoyed working with Freddie and wishes him the best.”

    A FOX executive added, “Kiefer was nothing but professional during the run of the show and is beloved by cast and crew. It’s so out of left field, 5 years later. We wouldn’t have done another 24 if Kiefer were anything like Freddie described.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Brenda Song Goes Shopping with Mom and Younger Brother

    Brenda Song Goes Shopping with Mom and Younger Brother

    Brenda Song was recently spotted shopping in Los Angeles with her mom Mai and younger brother Nathan.

    The trio hit a mall in the trendy Woodland Hills neighborhood on Friday. Onlookers said Song and her mother bought beauty products at the MAC store.

    Song, 26, appears close to her family, with photos of them peppered throughout her Instagram feed.

    The actress was born in the Sacramento, CA suburb of Carmichael. Her parents met in Sacramento, but were both born in Asia.

    Her father is Hmong and was raised in a tribe that traveled the mountains of Thailand and Laos. Song’s mother was born Thai, but adopted into a Hmong family.

    Song has said that her father insisted that she and younger brothers Timmy and Nathan speak Hmong growing up so they could communicate with their grandparents and retain a piece of Hmong culture.

    Song’s favorite part of that culture is the food:

    “There’s a chicken drumstick dish where they stuff it with noodles … It’s my favorite dish.”

    Song’s father was in the military and at one point the family lived on an army base in Germany. They traveled extensively throughout Europe while he was stationed there. Song did professional theater on the American base.

    When the family returned stateside, she told her mother she wanted to become a full time actress.

    “My imagination, as a child, was huge,” she recalls. “It’s all I wanted to do.”

    Song landed her first big role in Disney’s The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. After appearing in every episode of the show’s three-season run, she moved on to the spin-off The Suite Life on Deck, which also ran three seasons, from 2008 to 2011.

    From there Song went on to appear in more grown up roles on series such as New Girl and Scandal. In 2013 and 2014 she starred in Fox’s sitcom Dads opposite Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi. In May the network announced it had canceled the show after just one season.


    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Aereo Shuts Down After Supreme Court Loss

    Aereo Shuts Down After Supreme Court Loss

    Consumers are going to have to continue to pay big bucks for their television via cable and satellite packages — at least for the time being.

    Aereo CEO Chet Kanojia announced Saturday his company would “pause our operations temporarily” after a Supreme Court 6-3 decision that said his broadcasting model infringed upon broadcasters’ copyrights.

    The 2-year-old startup was in the process of changing the way consumers received their favorite television shows. The company planned on setting up small antennas in about dozen U.S. cities to pick up broadcast TV channels and stream to computers, smartphones and other devices, at a cost of $8 per month for subscribers.

    “As a result of that decision, our case has been returned to the lower Court,” said Kanojia on the company’s website. “We have decided to pause our operations temporarily as we consult with the court and map out our next steps. You will be able to access your cloud-based antenna and DVR only until 11:30 a.m. ET today. All of our users will be refunded their last paid month. If you have questions about your account, please email support@aereo.com or tweet us @AereoSupport.”

    Consumers with an antenna can pick up signals from companies like ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox for free, but cable companies like Time-Warner Cable pay billions in fees for the right to include those channels in cable packages.

    Cable companies are breathing a sigh of relief following the decision. They worried that a decision for Aereo would open the floodgates for similar businesses, driving consumers away from high-cost TV packages.

    Proponents of Aereo contend the Supreme Court decision gives broadcasters more power to raise prices.

    Kanojia promises the fight may have been lost, but the war continues.

    “Keep your voices loud and sign up for updates at ProtectMyAntenna.org – our journey is far from done,” he wrote.

    Image via YouTube