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Sky Ditches ‘Urban Myths’ Episode With Joseph Fiennes Playing Michael Jackson
2 hours ago
European pay-tv company Sky has ditched plans to air the controversial footage from British comedy series “Urban Myths” in which Joseph Fiennes plays the singer Michael Jackson.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said: “We have taken the decision not to broadcast ‘Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon,’ a half-hour episode from the Sky Arts ‘Urban Myths’ series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family. We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offence. Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision.”
The singer’s daughter, Paris Jackson, has called the portrayal “shameful” after viewing a trailer for the series. She tweeted: “I’m so incredibly offended by it, as i’m sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.”
Michael Jackson’s nephew Taj Jackson joined the condemnation. “Unfortunately this is what my family has to deal with »
- Leo Barraclough
Tony Rosato, ‘Saturday Night Live’ Alum, Dies at 62
10 hours ago
Actor Tony Rosato, an alum of the sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live” and “Sctv,” died on Tuesday night at his home in Toronto. He was 62.
The comedian died of a suspected heart attack, though an autopsy has not been performed yet, his agent Ryan Goldhar told Variety.
Rosato was born in Naples, Italy, in 1954. He joined the Canadian sketch comedy show “Sctv” (“Second City Television”) in the late 1970s, playing, among other characters, drunk TV chef Marcello Sebastiani. The Toronto-based sketch show was created by Second City troupe members.
Rosato went on to join the cast of “SNL” in 1981, a year after producer Lorne Michaels took a break from the NBC show. Rosato was the first cast member born outside of the U.S. and one of only three “Sctv” alumni to appear on “SNL,” along with Robin Duke and Martin Short. His tenure on the show lasted only one year (Season 6).
In the 1990s, he »
- Dani Levy
TV News Roundup: Jennifer Beals Joins Amazon’s ‘The Last Tycoon’
10 hours ago
In today’s TV news roundup, Jennifer Beals has been cast in Amazon’s “The Last Tycoon,” plus much more…
Casting
Amazon‘s “The Last Tycoon” has added Jennifer Beals in a recurring role, Variety has learned.
The “Flashdance” alum will appear alongside stars Matt Bomer, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Collins, and Rosemarie DeWitt. Based on an unfinished F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, “The Last Tycoon” follows a Hollywood studio exec in the 1930s battling his father figure and boss for the soul of their studio.
Beals will play Margo Taft, a manipulative and poised star who’s willing to do anything to get her way and establish dominance in every one of her pictures.
Beals is repped by Apa and attorney Patti Felker.
Dates
Viceland‘s new six-part series “Hate Thy Neighbor,” starring British comedian Jamali Maddix as he takes on the issue of worldwide racism, will premiere at 10 p.m. on »
- Dani Levy
‘Fargo’: 7 Things We Learned About Season 3 From TCA Panel
11 hours ago
Minnesota accents are hard, if you’re from Scotland. 2010 feels like a long time ago. Zero degrees is shorts weather, if you’re from Calgary. And Noah Hawley has outdone himself with the character names for season three of “Fargo.”
These are among the insights shared by “Fargo” stars Ewan McGregor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Carrie Coon, David Thewlis, Michael Stuhlbarg and exec producer Warren Littlefield on Thursday during the Television Critics Association press tour panel on the series that began production in the Calgary area earlier this month. (Hawley was scheduled to participate but bowed out because he was under the weather.)
Among the highlights:
McGregor plays two primary characters, brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy, who are not twins and come from different backgrounds. And yes, he’s speaking like a Minnesotan, not his natural Scottish brogue. “I’m doing the ‘Fargo’-y accent,” he said, working hard with a dialect coach. “It »
- Cynthia Littleton
Tom Hardy’s ‘Taboo’ Character Is Inspired by ‘Oliver Twist,’ ‘Heart of Darkness,’ Jack the Ripper
11 hours ago
It started as a conversation between Tom Hardy and his father, Chips.
Nine years ago, Hardy was fresh off playing Sikes in a production of “Oliver Twist.” “I said I wanted to take Sikes and put him in a gentleman’s body,” Hardy told reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. But he didn’t want to stop there, adding: “‘And what if you put a bit of Marlow in “Heart of Darkness” in there? And maybe, ‘also he could have some Jack the Ripper.’ And my father said, ‘Tom, will you just close the door on your way out, I’m trying to finish my novel.'”
A year later, the elder Hardy presented his son with a basic treatment for the story of a character that fit that description.
Thus was born “Taboo,” FX’s new period drama that debuted Tuesday night. That period is the early 1800s, in »
- Oriana Schwindt
Telemundo Taps Monica Gil to Head Corporate Affairs
12 hours ago
Nielsen alum Monica Gil has joined Telemundo Enterprises as executive VP of corporate affairs.
Gil will oversee corporate communications, government relations and community affairs for NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language TV group. She will steer company-wide initiatives across Telemundo’s network, distribution and studio units. She’s based in Miami and report to Cesar Conde, Chairman, NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises.
Gil “brings a wealth of experience across community, public affairs and strategic insights in the media industry,” Conde said.
Gil spent the past 11 years as at Nielsen, most recently serving as senior VP of multicultural growth and strategy, focusing on helping blue-chip companies drive strategies for reaching Latino consumers.
Before Nielsen, Gil worked for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and she also worked in Sacramento for the California State Assembly. Earlier in her career, she was director of public affairs for Telemundo’s Los Angeles station Kvea-tv.
»
- Cynthia Littleton
‘Feud’ Season 2? Ryan Murphy Jokes About Taylor Swift vs. Katy Perry
13 hours ago
FX’s latest anthology series “Feud” has yet to premiere, but television reporters are already asking Ryan Murphy about the theme for Season 2.
The first installment of feud, starring Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange, will center around Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The eight-part seriespremieres on March 5.
Murphy says that he hasn’t put too much thought into brainstorming specific feuds for upcoming seasons, since the show hasn’t been picked up for a second season, let alone debuted. But, given that a renewal for “Feud” is very likely, Variety chatted with Murphy at Thursday’s Television Critics Association winter press tour.
“I will tell you I’ve called friends of mine that I’ve worked with. I called Mark Ruffalo, for example, and said, ‘Are there any famous feuds that you want to do? That you’re interested in?’ So I’ve just sort of reached out to some of my favorite people,” Murphy »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange on Difficulty of Aging in Hollywood: ‘I Don’t Think It’s Changed Very Much’
14 hours ago
On the surface, “Feud” is about a woman vs. woman rivalry, but creator Ryan Murphy says the idea for the show actually came to him because of his progressive conversations with women in Hollywood.
FX’s latest anthology series “Feud” centers on the legendary backstage battle between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, played by Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, respectively.
Murphy explained on Thursday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., that he had “lots of discussions with women in the entertainment business … and what came out of that for me was a lot of very moving sentiments from women.”
And after those conversations, Murphy jumped into “Feud.”
“I wasn’t necessarily interested in doing anything campy,” Murphy continued. “I was interested in something deeper and more emotional and painful.”
Murphy says that what he loves about his upcoming show is that “even though it’s set in 1962, the themes are so modern »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
‘Taking the Stage’ Producer Don Mischer on How the Special ‘Shines a Light on a 400-Year History’
14 hours ago
Usher, Stevie Wonder, and Will Smith are among the all-star cast that gathered to perform for, speak on, and celebrate the recent unveiling of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24.
The celebration was documented with a special, “Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America,” that will air on ABC on Thursday night, and will pay tribute to the ways in which African-American culture and entertainment has made an impact in American society.
Each act at the event either spoke on a particular aspect or artifact of African-American culture that is presented in the museum, or performed a piece of spoken word, song, or dance that is representative of an influential person, group of people, or moment in African-American history. Usher channeled icon James Brown in his performance, and Mary J. Blige performed a tribute to widely celebrated 20th century singer Marian »
- Sarah Ahern
‘The Americans’ Creator on U.S.-Russia Relations, Why We Won’t See Putin
15 hours ago
“The Americans” won’t come to a close until 2018. That ending is very much on the minds of showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, yet the specter of worsening U.S.-Russia relations looms large as well. “To see [relations] spiral so out of control doesn’t feel good,” series creator Weisberg told reporters at the show’s TCA press tour panel on Thursday morning.
Although events in years past have lent a certain sense of timeliness to the FX series about a pair of undercover Kgb spies, the show has taken on an unexpected topicality of late, with the U.S. intelligence community publishing reports that declared Russian agents attempted to influence the U.S. election and, most recently, salacious Russian-sourced intel on President-elect Donald Trump.
Weisberg, an ex-cia officer, said to reporters after the show’s TCA panel that he isn’t quite giving in to the current atmosphere of doom-and-gloom where Russia is concerned. “I »
- Oriana Schwindt
‘American Crime Story: Katrina’ to Air in 2018, Before ‘Versace’
15 hours ago
Fans of the Emmy-winning “American Crime Story” franchise, from executive producer Ryan Murphy, will have to wait until 2018 for the next installment.
FX Networks CEO John Landgraf announced Thursday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour that “Katrina,” the highly anticipated followup to “American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson,” won’t arrive until 2018. It will be quickly followed by “Versace,” which will explore the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
“They’re going to have a long hiatus, and then we’re going to get back on cycle,” said Landgraf. “They’re going to air within about six months of each other.” He also dismissed any speculation that the order would be swapped, saying “That’s not the plan.” Though “Versace” will shoot first, “Katrina” will air ahead of it.
Landgraf attributed to the delay to production issues. “When you’re shooting in New Orleans, you have to worry about hurricanes,” he »
- Debra Birnbaum
‘Legion’ Producer: FX Characters Won’t Cross Over With X-Men Franchise
15 hours ago
The producers of FX’s “Legion” are not looking at the new series as a building block in an X-Men television franchise.
Speaking at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour Thursday in Pasadena, the show’s producers and stars were asked whether the series would be part of a broader universe, like The CW’s “Arrow,” which ties in with “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” and “Legends of Tomorrow.”
“For my part, no,” executive producer Lauren Shuler Donner said. She went on to address whether the series could cross over with with Fox’s X-Men films. “Because I come from the X-Men franchise movies, it was a chance to bring the X-Men to television, to mine some of the characters we haven’t and won’t be using in the film franchise and to open up the universe to some other characters, as television does.”
Fellow executive producer Jeph Loeb, head »
- Daniel Holloway
Lady Gaga Won’t Play Donatella Versace in FX’s ‘American Crime Story’
16 hours ago
Despite reports, Lady Gaga will not be playing Donatella Versace in the upcoming third season of FX’s “American Crime Story,” which will explore the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
In fact, when asked by Variety on Thursday, show creator Ryan Murphy said that casting Gaga as Donatella was never even really a discussion.
Speaking to a small group of reporters at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., Murphy was asked if the superstar would be playing the fashion icon. He simply responded, “No.”
Asked if Gaga was ever in talks to play Donatella, Murphy told Variety, “Not really. She’s a friend. But she’s very busy this next year — she’s doing Super Bowl and then she’s doing ‘A Star Is Born’ and I believe that she’s going on tour. And when you’re going to do a show like Versace, it »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Former HBO Employee Receives 30-Month Prison Sentence for $1 Million Theft
16 hours ago
Jennifer Choi, the former HBO employee who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $1 million from the company, was sentenced Thursday to two and a half years in prison.
Choi, appearing in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, was given a 30-month sentence by U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt. Her prison time will be followed by three years of supervised release, including six months of home confinement with exceptions for work and some other activities. Choi will surrender to federal authorities on March 14.
The judge acknowledged Choi’s cooperation with the investigation and the fact that her incarceration will be difficult on her two young children. But he also emphasized that a prison sentence was necessary to be a deterrent to others.
“One million dollars is a lot of money to steal over the course of six years,” Kronstadt said.
Choi, 39, who worked as manager of talent relations at HBO, admitted to stealing $940,000 by submitted invoices for hair »
- Cynthia Littleton
FX Boss John Landgraf on Diversity, Apple Music, ‘American Crime Story’
17 hours ago
Fifteen years ago, FX showed up to its first Television Critics Association press tour to introduce “The Shield,” the network’s big bet on scripted TV. In the years since, the network has grown to tie HBO as a critical success. FX and HBO each accounted for 20% of critics’ end-of-year best lists (Netflix came in with 17%).
But though that’s a good benchmark, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf had another one on his mind Thursday morning at the TCA winter press tour in Pasadena: Diversity and inclusion.
“We had accepted the accurate critique that we were not doing what we could be doing and that we were embarrassed frankly that we were bringing up the rear,” Landgraf told reporters.
And so by the end of 2016, FX had managed to swing from a network whose shows were directed by white men 81% of the time to a network whose shows were directed by people of color or white women »
- Oriana Schwindt
Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters to Return for ‘American Horror Story’ Season 7
17 hours ago
Though the theme of “American Horror Story” Season 7 will be “shrouded in secrecy,” according to FX CEO John Landgraf, creator Ryan Murphy did dish some details about the upcoming installment of the horror anthology series.
Murphy revealed that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters will both be returning for Season 7 when speaking to a small group of reporters, including Variety, at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif.
Murphy did not reveal any character details for Paulson or Peters because the theme is being kept under wraps. In fact, only three people in the world know what the theme is: Paulson, Landgraf, and Dana Walden, Fox Television Group chairman and CEO.
However, Murphy did reveal one tidbit about “Ahs” Season 7: it will be a modern-day story.
More to come…
»
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Michelle Obama Appears on ‘The Tonight Show’ for the Last Time as First Lady
17 hours ago
“The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon honored the outgoing first lady with a farewell episode dedicated to her. Michelle Obama appeared and shared stories with her old pal and frequent collaborator on his show Wednesday night, closing a chapter in late-night talk show history.
“We’ve done some really crazy stuff,” Obama joked.
In the episode, the first lady was the main event. With good humor and witty comebacks, Obama wrote thank you notes on Fallon’s signature segment, played “Catchphrase” with Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Chappelle, and received a serenade from Stevie Wonder. She also surprised fans recording her goodbyes, bringing more than one of them to tears.
Obama is no stranger to the Fallon brand of comedy. In one thank you note, she wrote to her husband, “Thank you, Barack, for proving you’re not a lame duck but my very own silver fox.”
The two have competed in potato sack races in the White »
- Dani Levy
‘Mad Men’ Archives Donated to University of Texas
17 hours ago
Students at the University of Texas at Austin will have a new way to engage with the “Mad Men” series thanks to its creator, executive producer, writer and director Matthew Weiner and studio Lionsgate. The acclaimed show’s archive will be donated to the school’s Harry Ransom Center, a humanities research library.
Students, faculty and visitors will be able to interact with and study script drafts and notes, props, costumes, digital records, and video relating to the series.
“‘Mad Men’ is a groundbreaking program, noteworthy for the high quality of its writing, acting and design, as well as for the insightful depiction of American culture through the lens of the past,” said Steve Wilson, the Ransom Center’s curator of film. “Through the ‘Mad Men’ holdings, students and scholars will gain new insights into the creative decisions that shaped the series and a greater understanding of the evolution of motion pictures.”
The »
- Dani Levy
‘Incorporated,’ ’24’ Star Dennis Haysbert: ‘We Are Nosediving Into This Dystopian World’
18 hours ago
After key roles in “24” and “The Unit,” Dennis Haysbert returns to series television in Syfy’s new dystopian drama “Incorporated,” about a world altered by climate change. Haysbert spoke with Variety about the show, which was created by brothers David and Àlex Pastor and executive produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Also on tap for Haysbert are several films, including the Warner Bros. comedy “Fist Fight,” with Christina Hendricks and Ice Cube.
How did you get involved with “Incorporated”?
They offered it to me, and I enjoyed the script. I saw growth potential in it. And I liked the pedigree — I knew that it was going to be a quality project. I love sci-fi; I was excited about that. My character, Julian, is a detective, a grand inquisitor.
What kind of developments can we expect from Julian?
I think you can safely say that there’s an evolution of Julian through the rest of the season »
- Sarah Ahern
‘Sneaky Pete’: Bryan Cranston Tackles New Challenges With Amazon Drama Series
18 hours ago
Bryan Cranston was moving around the set like a lion on the prowl.
On a soundstage in Brooklyn on a late September morning, he was in his element, working on a tense, confrontational scene with actors he had handpicked for the drama series “Sneaky Pete,” which drops Jan. 13 on Amazon. With each take, Cranston changed his approach to the showdown among unsavory characters in the backroom of a seedy gambling joint in New York City. He added and subtracted menacing physical gestures, throaty snorts, and nervous laughter. He switched the path of his pacing around a large table. He massaged his monologue, adding pauses and changing the inflection of key words from a guttural whisper to an angry bark.
As he experimented through at least eight lengthy takes that morning, he held the rapt attention of everyone on the set. Actors who weren’t even in the scene gathered around the periphery to catch a master class »
- Cynthia Littleton
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