On this day in comedy on April 2, 1997, Smart Guy premiered on the WB
This spin-off of Sister, Sister, stars Tahj Mowry, real-life little brother to Sister, Sister stars, Tia and Tamera Mowry. On this show, Mowry plays a child genius (photographic memory, speaks multiple languages, etc.), who went from the 4th Grade to the 10th grade and all the adjustments he must make in his new life. He now attends the same high school as his older brother (Jason Weaver) and sister (Essence Atkins), which they’re not crazy about. For one – they’re not as smart as him (at least his older brother isn’t anyway – he’s the dumb one, sis is smart). After that, there’s no reason for a second reason they don’t like it.
Set in Washington, DC, the sitcom was created by Danny Kallis and produced by de Passe Entertainment. Omar Gooding plays Tahj’s older brother’s underachieving friend and John Marshall Jones has the role of the trio’s single-parent father. Kyla Pratt also has a recurring role.
Smart Guy aired its final episode on May 16, 1999. During its three-season run, Smart Guy was nominated for 7 major awards including American Cinema Foundation, Humanitas Prize, NAACP Image, Young Artist and Young Star Award. Four of those nominations were for Tahj Mowery’s acting.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on April 1, 1994, Sister, Sister premiered on ABC
Starring the Mowry Twins (Tia & Tamera), this sitcom also lived two lives. Starting out as a mid-season replacement on ABC it was cancelled by the network when the show didn’t perform up to its ratings standards in the second season. The fact the network changed its time slot might’ve had something to do with it, but it didn’t matter. The newly founded WB stepped in and slotted it on their schedule. There it caught its stride.
The show was about identical twins separated at birth and adopted into two very different situations. After 14 years they discover each other and reunite. They’re now one big happy family with one twin’s father (Tim Reid) and the other’s mother (Jackee Harry) under the same roof. Naturally, there’s an annoying neighbor who stops by unannounced; this time it’s in the form of Marques Houston. The boyfriends who come along later are played by RonReaco Lee and Deon Richmond. Other characters included Tahj Mowry as cousin, Tahj, Brittany Murphy as their best friend, Dorien Wilson as a boyfriend to Jackee Harry and Sherman Hemsley as Tim Reid’s daddy.
Sister, Sister was created by Kim Bass, Fred Shafferman and Gary Gilbert. A device used early on had the girls breaking the fourth wall often and talking to the audience. That was tapered down once the show moved to the WB and was eliminated altogether by the series final season. Sister, Sister won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series for George Spiro Dibie; four acting Image Awards for The Mowrys and Jackee Harry; three Kids’ Choice Awards for acting for the Mowrys and a Young Artist Award for Marques Houston. It aired its final episode May 23, 1999.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 31, 1938, Actor, Nathaniel Taylor was born in St. Louis, Missouri
Nathaniel Taylor gained popularity during the Blaxploitation Era. In 1972 he was featured in the Robert Hook’s hit movie, Trouble Man. Taylor played the most visible henchman; the one with speaking lines as opposed to one of the disposable, die quick henchman. However, Taylor is known chiefly for his role as Rollo Larson on NBC’s hit sitcom, Sanford and Son. Taylor was Lamont Sanford’s recurring running buddy; the embodiment of the cool, yet shifty brother in the hood. He played opposite Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson in the original and reprised the part in the 1980-1981 spin-off Sanford, also starring Foxx (Demond Wilson did not return).
Taylor was more than just a comedic actor. He displayed his range as a sax player looking for his roots with his father (Clarence Muse) in the 1977 film, Passing Through, written by Ted Lange and Lenny Clark. However, comedy was his thing. Taylor worked with Redd Foxx again on the short-lived ABC series The Redd Foxx Show in 1986. He also appeared on What’s Happening!! as Rerun’s brother-in-law, Ike.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 30, 2005, Beauty Shop was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2005
This spin-off of Ice Cube’s Barbershop franchise stars Queen Latifah as Gina, a character introduced in 2004’s Barbershop 2. The plot in this installment has Latifah moving from Chicago to Atlanta to give her daughter a better life and so she can attend a private music school. Latifah is a great hair stylist but driven away from her home salon by her jealous boss (Kevin Bacon), she opens her own shop. It’s a shop of misfits: old ornery customers, new dumb and lazy stylists and a rapper wannabe (Lil JJ) who’s always filming himself.
Eventually, things start to look up. Latifah’s old clients return to her, her old boss’ clients come her way and the new people start to trust her and give up some business. Then the jealous ex-boss sends in a guy to destroy Latifah’s business. It almost works at a crucial time, but thanks to Latifah’s loyal employees it all turns out right. That also means Kevin Bacon gets paid a visit by some folks from the shop who give him a proper shaving.
Beauty Shop was directed by Billie Woodruff and co-stars Alfred Woodard, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Mena Suvari, Della Reese, Paige Hurd, Octavia Spencer, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Golden Brooks and Djimon Hounsou. It also features the comedy talents of Adele Givens, Sherri Shepherd, Laura Hayes and Sheryl Underwood with cameos by LisaRaye McCoy, Birdman, Kimora Lee Simmons and Wilmer Valderrama.
The film received numerous award nominations for directing, acting (Latifah and Bacon) and writing (Kate Lanier, Audrey Wells and Norman Vance, Jr.). On a $25 million budget, Beauty Shop earned $37,245,453 at the box office.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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Production begins today in Philadelphia on Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Creed II, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, reprising their roles of Adonis Creed and Rocky Balboa respectively. Creed II is the continuation of the Rocky saga and sequel to the 2015 critically acclaimed and crowd-pleasing 2015 hit Creed, which took in more than $170 million at the worldwide box office. Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), who directed the first film, returns to the franchise as an executive producer on Creed II. The new film is being directed by Steven Caple Jr., who helmed the acclaimed 2016 drama The Land.
“When I wrote and directed Creed, I wanted to tell a human story about a family from a new perspective, while also paying homage to the Rocky characters we’ve all grown up knowing and loving. I’ve known Steven was an amazing filmmaker since our days at USC film school together, so I can’t wait to see what he, Sly, Mike and Tessa bring to this next chapter,” said Coogler.
Caple Jr. said, “It’s an honor to be a part of the franchise and work with such a thoughtful team. I got involved because I’ve always been a Rocky fan and I enjoy stories with heart and substance. But when Ryan put his touch on Creed I felt another level of connection to the franchise. It started to feel personal for many different reasons. This next Creed is a tale beyond the boxing ring and dives deeps into family, legacy, and fears. I’m excited to share my view and collaborate with the talented cast and crew.”
“Ryan and Steven are voices for their generation and their shared vision for Creed has brought the Rocky franchise to an entirely new audience. We know audiences will continue to embrace the legacy that Sly created so many years ago,” said producer Irwin Winkler.
Life has become a balancing act for Adonis Creed. Between personal obligations and training for his next big fight, he is up against the challenge of his life. Facing an opponent with ties to his family’s past only intensifies his impending battle in the ring. Rocky Balboa is there by his side through it all and, together, Rocky and Adonis will confront their shared legacy, question what’s worth fighting for, and discover that nothing’s more important than family. Creed II is about going back to basics to rediscover what made you a champion in the first place, and remembering that, no matter where you go, you can’t escape your history.
Also reprising their roles from the first film are Tessa Thompson as Bianca, Phylicia Rashad as Mary Anne, Wood Harris as Tony ‘Little Duke’ Burton, and Andre Ward as Danny ‘Stuntman’ Wheeler.The new cast is rounded out with Florian “The Big Nasty” Munteanu as Viktor Drago, Dolph Lundgren returning to the role of Ivan Drago, and Russell Hornsby as Buddy Marcelle. Creed II will be distributed theatrically in the U.S. by MGM on November 21, 2018, and Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute the film internationally.
Caple Jr. directs from an original screenplay written by Stallone based on characters from the Rocky franchise. The film is produced by Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin King-Templeton and Stallone. Coogler, Jordan and Guy Riedel will executive produce.
Collaborating with Caple Jr. is a creative team led by director of photography Kramer Morgenthau (Thor: The Dark World, Game of Thrones); production designer Franco Carbone (The Expendables, Billionaire Boys Club); costume designers Lizz Wolf (A Single Man, Dreamgirls); art director Jesse Rosenthal (Black Panther, Trumbo); fight coordinator Daniel Hernandez (Avengers: Infinity War, The Fate of the Furious); technical boxing advisor Robert Sale (Grudge Match, Ali); special effects coordinator Patrick White (Baby Driver, Deepwater Horizon) and VFX producer Crystal Dowd (Straight Outta Compton, Pitch Perfect 2). Filming will take place primarily in Philadelphia with additional locations in New Mexico.
Creed, directed by Coogler, was released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema in November 2015 and went on to garner many honors for Stallone, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
A new teaser premiered of Starz’ hit show Power by Entertainment Weekly seems to show that Ghost (Omari Hardwick), Kanan (50 Cent) and Tommy (Joseph Sikora) aren’t playing nice…but Angela (Lela Loren) isn’t into it.
We see the season is set in the immediate aftermath of Raina’s death,
Watch the teaser below:
Shameik Moore has been cast in a starring role opposite Emily Ratajkowski, Lilly Singh, Calum Worthy and Jimmy Tatro in the NBC comedy pilot, Bright Futures.
The single-camera comedy is from black-ish and grown-ish creator, Kenya Barris and grown-ish writers Hale Rothstein, Danny Segal and Isaac Schamis.
Lisa Kudrow would narrate the would-be series.
Written by the grown-ish writers, Bright Futures “centers on a group of friends all stumbling through the transition from the clueless, immature twentysomethings they are now to the successful professionals they’re destined to be. Moore plays Aaron, one of four friends living in an L.A. apartment. A drinking blowout on the night he passed the bar put a halt to any grandiose ideas and he now works as a lowly personal injury attorney.”
Moore, most known for his role in Netflix’s The Get Down and the coming-of-age film, Dope, lends his voice to Miles Morales in the upcoming Spider-Man animated film and can also be seen in the upcoming movie, Cut Throat City.
Deadline first reported the news.
Source: Deadline, Shadow & Act
The crux of the Bill Cosby sexual assault case is the same as it was during the original trial. His guilt or innocence depends on the jury’s opinion of what happened between him and accuser Andrea Constand on a winter night in 2004.
But as pretrial hearings concluded today and both sides prepare for jury selection Monday and the beginning of the trial April 9 at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, PA, they appear ready to take different strategies from last year.
The defense in particular has shown interest in portraying the Cosby-Constand relationship in a different light. Last year, Brian McMonagle, Cosby’s now-former lead attorney, opened the trial by calling the night in question “romantic” and trumpeting what Cosby said was a consensual, friendly affair.
The move illustrates the apparent shift in strategy: Rather than stick with the consensual-romance theme, Cosby’s lawyers appear primed toward portraying Constand as somebody who was out for money. In addition to introducing Jackson, who was not allowed to testify last year, the defense wants to bring up the payment details of a settlement made between Cosby and Constand in a 2006 civil suit. Page Six recently reported the amount was $3.5 million.
“It paid off, just as she said it would,” said Cosby attorney Kathleen Bliss. “And that’s our theory.”
Bliss said multiple times the release of the settlement would allow the defense to bring in former Cosby lawyers as witnesses and show “how the sausage is made.”
Judge Steven O’Neill has yet to rule whether Jackson can be called as a witness or the settlement details can be produced as evidence in the retrial. He’s expected to make the decision sometime before the April 9 start.
Both the prosecution and defense have parts to lose and gain from the release of the settlement. While the details about the payment could benefit Cosby, the prosecution actually petitioned for the settlement’s release. The Montgomery County attorneys intend to use as evidence stipulations Cosby proposed in the settlement negotiations that would have barred Constand from cooperating with any future investigation. Constand refused those terms.
A year ago, District Attorney Kevin Steele’s team of prosecutors started their case by calling to the stand Kelley Johnson, the lone other accuser allowed to testify. The number of accusers they’ll get to call this time is five (as the AP reported earlier this week, they are Janice Dickinson, Janice Baker-Kinney, Heidi Thomas, Chelan Lasha and Lise-Lotte Lublin, all of whom have shared their claims with the media). The prosecution spent part of Friday arguing why it should also be allowed to call supporters of those five women should the defense attempt to poke any holes in their credibility.
O’Neill said Friday that 187 Montgomery County residents had been summoned for jury selection Monday, and he anticipates at least 120 will appear. The attorneys and O’Neill spent the early part of Friday afternoon coming up with questions and other details for the voir dire in a private conference.
Cosby’s defense team routinely has brought up the fear of finding unbiased jurors. On Friday, attorney Becky James even brought a slip of paper up from the courthouse cafeteria she found during a coffee break. She said it included info about sexual abuse survivors.
James wasn’t the only one to worry about jurors: Not much earlier, O’Neill had warned the attorneys they could be diluting the jury pool with their relentless attacks against one another, hinting he wouldn’t tolerate any when the trial begins.
“I’ll start every day with imploring both sides just to stop with the judgemental, the accusatory language,” he said. “That has no place in the law.”
Source: Deadline
Anthony Anderson, Tiffany Haddish and LL COOL J photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty/SiriusXM
Tiffany Haddish and LL COOL J photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty/SiriusXM
Snoop Dogg and LL COOL J photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty/SiriusXM