Miscellaneous Entertainment News Bits

• Kayla Compton who plays Allegra Garcia on “The Flash” has been promoted to series regular for season 7
• Disney+ is developing a prequel series to “Beauty and the Beast” featuring Josh Gad as LaFou and Luke Evans as Gaston.
• Televangelist Jim Baker was ordered by the Atty. Gen. of New York to stop something fake coronavirus cures. Why are we not surprised?
• Led Zeppelin won it’s copyright lawsuit over “Stairway to Heaven”.
• Disney will release a Peter Jackson documentary about the Beatles currently scheduled for September but who knows?
• Movie producer and sexual predator Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape. While in prison he contracted Corona Virus.
• Disney’s “Song of the South” will not be added to Disney+ even with a disclaimer about its outdated racial stereotypes. I understand why but there are still some really nice things about the film like the song “Zippy Due Da”.
• Amazon prime has ordered to series “Fernando” a biopic about Formula One champion Fernando Alonso
• Rosario Dawson has been cast as Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano in season 2 of “The Mandalorian”. The character has previously appeared in animated Star Wars: the Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels but never in a live-action production until now.
• Jasika Nicole who plays Dr. Carley on “The Good Doctor” will not be a series regular next season.
• Christopher Melonli will return as Ellie Stabler in a “Law & Order: SVU” spinoff series for NBC. Series ordered 13 episodes for now.
• In case you missed it, Disney+ has an eight part documentary about its hit series “The Mandalorian”. Search for “Disney Gallery: Star Wars The Mandalorian”.
• As expected there will be a film version of “The Hunger Games” prequel “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”. The book was released May 19, 2020. No word on when the movie will start production or potential release dates.
• Disney announced “Hercules” will be the next of its animated films be made in a live-action version. This will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo known for directing Avengers films.
• There will be a new “Transformers” movie in 2022
• There will be another Star Trek spinoff series on CBS All Access. Called “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” it will feature Spock, Capt. Pike and Rebecca Romin as “Number One”.
• FX sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has been renewed for a record-breaking 15th season. It is now officially the longest running live-action comedy in TV history surpassing “Ozzie and Harriet” at 14 seasons. Note this is live-action. “The Simpsons” will begin its 30th season in the fall.
• FX has ordered new series “American Horror Stories” (note its plural the original AHS is singular). This will be a similar anthology show but each story will only run one episode.
• “The Bachelor” casts its first African-American bachelor
• NBC’s provisional fall schedule has only one new show a Law & Order spinoff.
• After the controversy of Jimmy Fallon wearing black face in a 2000 SNL skit (see link below), Tina Fey has asked streaming platforms to pull several “30 Rock” episodes that had white characters in blackface.
• “The Simpsons” will no longer use white actors as voices of nonwhite characters. Kristin Bell is withdrawing her voice and animated show where she played a mixed race character.
• Disney+ version of “Hamilton” has 2 “f-bombs” edited out.
• Javicia Leslie will be the new “Batwoman” replacing Ruby Rose who left the series at the end of the first season. She will play completely different character takes up the identity of Batwoman.
• “The Masked Singer” will have a spinoff titled “The Masked Dancer”. No word on when it will begin.
• Ozzy Osbourne announced in January that he has Parkinson’s disease
• PS4 videogame “The Last of Us” will be made into a series for HBO
• Although Netflix previously announced “The Crown” would end in season 5 they have now confirmed it will be extended to season 6
• Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews will not return as hosts of “Dancing with the Stars”. No replacement yet named.

Obituaries

• Roscoe Born soap opera star from “The Young and the Restless” and “All My Children” age 69.
• Nicholas Tucci who started in Syfy Channel’s “Channel Zero” age 38 of cancer
• Danny Tidwell was a finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance” age 35 auto accident
• Mark Crowley playwright of “Boys in the Band” age 84
• Max Von Sydow known for “The Exorcist” and as Emperor Ming in “Flash Gordon” and as the original Three Eyed Raven in “Game of Thrones”. Age 90
• Comic book artist Allen Bellman who did early versions of Capt. America age 95
• Lorenzo Brino child star will who appeared in CW’s “7th Heaven” age 21 auto accident
• Country Music Icon Kenny Rogers age 81
• Terrence McNally Tony award-winning playwright. Age 81 Covid 19
• The pet dog from “Modern Family” and one of the Inuit Husky dogs that appeared as a Direwolf in “Game of Thrones”
• John Callahan soap opera star of “All My Children” and “Santa Barbara” age 66 of a stroke
• Krzystof Penderecki modernist composer whose work appeared in the soundtrack of “The Exorcist” and “The Shining” age 86
• Country music star Joe Diffie age 61 Covid 19
• David Schramm best known for playing Roy Biggins in the TV series “Wings” age 73 no cause listed
• Songwriter Alan Merrill who wrote “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” age 69 Covid 19
• Andrew Jack dialect coach and actor who appeared in 2 Star Wars films age 79 Covid 19
• Grammy-winning soul singer/songwriter Bill Withers age 81 heart disease
• 16-year-old actor Nolan Williams played the young version of “The Flash” in 8 episodes of the CW series. Fentanyl overdose.
• Rebecca Ramsey produced visual effects on Watchmen, Spider-Man 3 and others age 54 complications of a fall.
• Tom Dempsey NFL placekicker who held the field-goal record for 43 years age 73
• Actress Shirley Douglas mother of Kiefer Sutherland age 86 pneumonia
• Honor Blackman played “Pussy Galore” in the James Bond film “Goldfinger” age 94 natural causes
• James Drury of the NBC long-running question series “The Virginian” age 85
• John Prine country folk singer/songwriter age 73
• Hal Willner music producer for SNL age 64 Covid 19
• Danny Goldman the voice of Brainy Smurf and actor in “Young Frankenstein” age 80
• Brian Dennehy — Tony and Golden Globe winning Emmy nominated actor age 81 natural causes
• Allen Daviau cinematographer for “ET: The Extraterrestrial” age 77 Covid 19
• Matthew Seligman bass player for David Bowie and member of the group “Camera Club” age 64 Covid 19
• Jerry Stiller comedian, actor, Seinfeld star and father of Ben Stiller age 92.
• Frank Bielic Designer for TLC’s “Trading Spaces” age 77
• Fred Willard comedian and frequent costar on a variety of sitcoms as well as the comedy series “Fernwood 2 Night” age 86
• Phyllis George former Miss America, NFL sportscaster, TV host age 70
• Ken Osmond who played Eddie Haskell on “Leave It to Beaver” age 76
• Jimmy Cobb legendary jazz drummer age 91
• Character actor Richard Herd roles included Mr. Wilhelm on “Seinfeld” and a number of Star Trek characters in various series. Age 87.
• Larry Kramer playwright and AIDS activist age 84
• Dennis O’Neill comic book writer for both Marble and DC age 81
• Joel Schumacher director of “St. Elmo’s Fire” and 2 “Batman” movies age 80
• Charlie Webb author of the novel “The Graduate” age 81
• Nick Cordero a Tony nominated actor age 41 Covid 19
• Carol Lynley actors who played ship singer in “Poseidon Adventure” age 77
• Cokie Roberts journalist and political commentator age 75 breast cancer
• Robert Evans producer of “Chinatown” and “Godfather” age 89
• Brian Tarantina who played Jackie in The Marvelous Mrs. Maeisel age 60
• Ron Leibman who played Rachel’s father in “Friends” age 82
• Caroll Spinney “Big Bird” and “Oscar the Grouch” puppeteer age 85
• Danny Aiello character actor age 86
• Chuy Bravo sidekick to Chelsea Handler on her talkshow age 63
• Don Imus controversial talk radio host. Age 79
• Syd Mead futuristic artist that gave the “Blade Runner” movies their distinctive look. Age 86
• Jack Sheldon jazz singer famous for “Schoolhouse Rock”. Age 88
• Buck Henry comedian, cocreator of “Get Smart” and frequent SNL appearances. Age 89
• Neil Peart drummer and lyricist for the rock group “Rush”. Age 67
• Terry Jones of “Monty Python”. Age 77
• Jean Reynolds cocreated “MASH” and “Lou Grant”. Age 96
• Kirk Douglas legendary actor. Age 103
• Orson Bean actor, comedian, raconteur and frequent guest of Johnny Carson. Age 91
• Robert Conrad star of “The Wild Wild West” and “Black Sheep Squadron”. Age 84
• John Singleton director of “Boyz N The Hood”. Age 51. Stroke.
• Doris Day legendary actress. Age 97
• Tim Conway comedian and regular on Carol Burnett show. Age 85
• Max Wright who played Willie Tanner on “ALF”. Age 75
• Rip Torn Emmy-winning character actor. Age 88
• Lynn Cohen who played Magda on “Sex and the City”. Age 86
• Ja’net DuBois who played Willona Woods on “Good Times”. Age 74
• Lee Philip Bell cocreator of soap operas “Y&R” and “B&B”. Age 91
• James Lipton host of “Inside the Actors Studio”. Age 93
• Naya Rivera former star of “Glee”. Age 33. Drowning
• Ronald L. Schwar Oscar-winning producer of “Ordinary People”. Age 76
• Benjamin Kerough son of Lisa Marie Presley and grandson of Elvis. Age 27
• Kelly Preston actress and wife of John Travolta. Age 57. Cancer
• Grant Imahara for more MythBusters star. Age 41. Brain aneurysm
• Regis Philbin iconic TV host. Age 88
• Olivia de Havilland golden age actress appeared in “Gone with the Wind”. Age 104
• Malik B. Founding member of “The Roots”. Age 47
• Maurice “Reese” Schonfeld founder of CNN and “The Food Network”. Age 88.

Pandemic Delays and Cancellations

• Link to an article at TV Line listing TV shows that have been suspended or delayed because of the virus pandemic.
  https://tvline.com/feature/cancelled-tv-shows-list-coronavirus-production-delays-1171349/
  Also this article https://tvline.com/gallery/coronavirus-tv-delays-cancellations/coronavirus-effect-contests/
  Note that these may not have been updated with the most current information. We will mention other items as we discovered them.
• Survivor has indefinitely delayed production on season 41 and 42. Although survivor seasons premier six months apart, they are actually filmed with only about a month off in between.
• Various entertainment festivals such as SXSW and PaleyFest and CinemaCon and TCM Classic Film Festival
• “A Quiet Place II” release delayed
• Ridley Scott film “The Last Dual” production delayed before it started.
• Disney films “Little Mermaid”, “Home Alone”, “Nightmare Alley” and others as well as TV pilots production indefinitely postponed
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony for 2020. Rescheduled for November.
• Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune will resume filming with safety measures in place
• The 2020 Primetime Emmys will be a virtual event.

Links to Articles of Interest

• The Good Doctor Finale: EP Weighs In on Shaun and Lea, Claire and Melendez, and Park’s Potential Move in Season 4
• Peter M. Lenkov on Why Hawaii Five-0 Is Ending, Who Was/Wasn’t Leaving, and How Series Finale ‘Checks Every Box’
• Prodigal Son Bosses Break Down the Finale’s Killer Twist, Reveal Original Plan for Scrapped Season 1 Episodes
• TV Roles Recast: 25+ Times a Show Changed Actors Midstream (and Why)
• ‘Run’ Season Finale: Creator Vicky Jones On Season 2 & How Billy & Ruby’s Journey Could Have Ended Tonight
• Jimmy Fallon Apologizes For Resurfaced Blackface 2000 ‘SNL’ Skit