Michael Colyar Brings New Drive To The Afternoon Rush Syndicated Radio Program!
Pittsburgh, PA — Comedian MichaelColyar is bringing his informative and highly entertaining brand of comedy to The Afternoon Rush. The Afternoon Rush airs3:00 to 7:00 p.m. ET and replaces the long running Doug Banks Show, hosted by the late Doug Banks. Originally from Chicago, Colyar is best known for his performances on Venice Beach in California. For nine years he entertained crowds on the beach with his thought provoking humor. The original host of “BET Live from LA” where he entertained more than 55 million viewers coast to coast,Colyar has starred in movies and also serves as a motivational speaker.
The Afternoon Rush is anchored by the talented Ebony Steele with sidekick Loni Swain, and is syndicated by American Urban Radio Networks. No stranger to radio, Steele is a stellar talent with more than 14 years of industry experience. She previously served as the cohost of the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley
Morning Show where she was also seen weekly on Dish TV. Mike Love, who oversees programming for the show, said “We’re delighted to add the comedic talents of Colyar. He’s funny, politically astute and his adult approach to the issues of our time make him the perfect fit.”
New Details On Wal-Mart Truck Accident Settlement With Tracy Morgan!
theJasmineBRAND.com exclusively reports, Tracy Morgan’s massive settlement check from Wal-Mart – over the tragic truck accident that lead to the comedian being severely injured along with the death of his friend – is the center of a legal battle between the company and their insurance company, who is refusing to pay up to cover the money paid to the ex-SNL star.
Wal-Mart and their insurance The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company are battling it out in Federal Court over who foots the bill on the comedian’s settlement along with other victims and families affected by the accident with a Wal-Mart truck driver, the amount paid out has not been revealed.
The retail story fired back this week to the insurance company’s suit saying they entered into these settlements in good faith and even paid Tracy and the other victims out of their own pockets.
Tracy Morgan
They explain they clearly had responsibility for the accident, which is why they did the right thing and settled the claims, rather than dragging them out or trying to invent reasons to dispute them — which they accuse their insurance company of doing to them in this case.
Wal-Mart explains four other insurers they have paid out on their policies with the only exception being Ohio Casualty. The insurance company is accusing the company of not getting their approval of the amount of settlement paid to Tracy and the others and therefore they don’t believe they are responsible for the settlement payments.
They state despite the company’s claim, over the course of several months and many emails, dozens of conference calls, and several in-person meetings with the insurers to provide them with all relevant information in their possession. Further, they wanted to explain why the settlement amounts were reasonable based on all the facts and circumstances known to them at the time.
The company explains following the accident, which involved nationally known comedian, actor and author Tracy Morgan, they were threatened with numerous legal actions including one by the Estate of James McNair, the fellow comedian who died in the crash. They say none of the claims against them went to trial, because they choose to settle all of them saying it was a “business decision”.
Wal-Mart accuses the insurance company of being “unnaturally obsessed” with Tracy Morgan’s activity post-settlement, such as the purchase of a new car and him resuming his entertainment career and are demanding the insurance company be ordered to pay the amount covered by the policies they had at the time of the accident.
Source: The Jasmine Brand
WATCH: Terrence Howard Teases Season 3 Of ‘Empire’!
With less than a month to go until “Empire” returns with its third season, the cast and crew behindFox’s hit drama are gearing up for another drama-packed year.
Season 2 left off with a major cast member falling to her death, leaving viewers wondering who was killed off. The season also introduced Lucious Lyon’s (Terrence Howard) mother and the Empire king’s surprising half-brother who happens to be with the feds.
“She’s very dangerous because she could ultimately be a threat to his life,” Howard says of his on-screen mother in a new video, exclusively released by Variety (above).
The season finale also saw Lucious shockingly marrying Anika (Grace Gealey), furthering the messy relationship between him and Cookie (Taraji P. Henson). “Lucious has always said Cookie is his one. It’s probably one of the few true things Lucious has ever said,” showrunner Ilene Chaiken says in the video.
“The season ends with Lucious a little bit on his heels,” Malcolm Spellman, co-executive producer and writer, says. “Season 3 picks up and Lucious has realized he needs control over his family always because his family is the business.”
Howard teases the new episodes, bluntly stating: “I’m episode by episode, but from what they’ve established thus far, there’s a lot of heartbreak to come.”
“Empire” Season 3 premieres Sept 21 at 9 p.m. on Fox.
Source: Variety
Anthony Anderson To Host The 48th Annual NAACP Image Awards On TV One!
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and TV One, a television network dedicated to the best of black culture and entertainment, today announced that the 48th NAACP Image Awards will be nationally telecast live on TV One on Saturday, February 11, 2017 as a two-hour special from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Image Awards winner, Emmy-award nominated actor and star of black-ish, Anthony Anderson, returns as host for the 48th NAACP Image Awards. The telecast on TV One will also include a live pre-show from the star-studded red carpet.
The NAACP Image Awards is the most respected event of its kind and is well attended by many of the top names in the entertainment industry. This past telecast, which also aired on TV One in February 2016, some of the biggest names in film, television and music appeared including Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Gina Rodriguez, Chrissy Teigen, Kerry Washington, Nate Parker, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tika Sumpter, Keegan-Michael Key, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laurence Fishburne, Spike Lee, Loretta Devine, Shonda Rhimes, Omari Hardwick, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Don Cheadle, Sanaa Lathan, Keke Palmer, Michael Ealy, Ken Jeong, Sylvester Stallone, and cast members from “Empire” – Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealy, Trai Byers, Serayah, Gabourey Sidibe, Ta’Rhonda Jones, Kaitlin Doubleday, Lee Daniels, Danny Strong and more.
In addition, John Legend was the recipient of the NAACP President’s Award and the NAACP Chairman’s Award was bestowed on Brittany “Bree” Newsome; Justice League NYC; Concerned Student 1950 Collective at the University of Missouri, Columbia; The University of Mississippi NAACP College Chapter; Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III; Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley; Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, and Jussie Smollett. Michael B. Jordan was named NAACP Entertainer of the Year.
The 48th NAACP Image Awards production team will be returning including Executive Producers Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin, Tony McCuin as Director, Kimmie H. Kim and Byron Phillips as Co-Producers, and Robin Reinhardt as Talent Producer.
The NAACP Image Awards is the premier multicultural awards show. It celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film, and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
For all information and latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at www.naacpimageawards.net.
‘I Spy’ 60’s Comedy Reboot That Starred Bill Cosby Moves Closer To Production!
A hot action drama from House creator David Shore, Charlie’s Angels director McG and John Davis’ Davis Entertainment (The Blacklist), has landed at Fox with a put pilot commitment, I have learned. The project, loosely based on the 1965 adventure series I Spy, hails from Sony Pictures TV, where Davis Entertainment and Shore are based. The studio is finalizing a co-production agreement with 20th Century Fox TV, where McG recently signed an overall deal.
Written by Shore and to be directed by McG, the untitled drama centers on aprofessional spy teamed with an enterprising civilian to solve high-stakes cases here and abroad.
Sony TV
The project originated at Sony TV as a reboot of I Spy, the comedy-drama which starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. McG, who recently helmed the pilot for the remake of another buddy action franchise for Fox,Lethal Weapon, secured the rights to the series, which was remade as a 2002 movie starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson by Columbia Pictures, and brought the idea to Sony TV-based Davis Entertainment. The I Spy project, with Shore on board as writer, was taken out, landing at Fox with a put pilot commitment.
However, I hear that during the discussions with the network, the idea evolved as Fox brass were not interested in a straight I Spy remake but instead a new take on the buddy spy genre from Shore and McG that differed significantly from the Sheldon Leonard-produced NBC series about twoU.S. spies traveling the world using the cover of a tennis player and his trainer. The result was an untitled spy drama that will be only loosely based on I Spy and — at least for now — will not carry the name of the 1960s series.
There may be some reboot fatigue at Fox, which has several new series for next season that are revivals of movie or TV brands including Lethal Weapon, The Exorcist, 24: Legacy and the Prison Break limited series. (All four are tracking well, and the three that went through the pilot process tested very high). Additionally, remaking a series that is closely identified with Bill Cosby could be tricky for a network given the public sentiment toward the disgraced comedian, accused of sexual assault by some 60 women.
Fox
In his return to Fox, Shore, whose House was one of the network’s biggest drama hits of the past decade, is executive producing the project through his Shore Z Prods., alongside McG through his Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox. Shore Z’s Erin Gunn and Wonderland’s Mary Viola also executive produce.
Under his overall deal at Sony TV, Shore executive produced the studio’s Battle Creek and Sneaky Pete — which he also co-created — as well as Houdini And Doyle. McG executive produces the Freeform drama series Shadowhunters and the CW’sSupernatural.
Davis Entertainment has four broadcast series on the air next season: Timeless,The Blacklist and spinoff The Blacklist: Redemption on NBC, and Dr. Ken on ABC.
Shore is repped by ICM Partners and the Shuman Co. McG is with WME and Management 360.
Source: Deadline
Kevin Hart And Bryan Cranston’s New Film ‘Intouchables’ Sets A New Director!
The Weinstein Company has set a January 15 start date for its remake of the French smash hit The Intouchables, after the movie came together quickly withNeil Burger to direct Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart in the lead roles. The script, a fresh take on the original concept, came in strong from Jon Hartmere, and the past week saw an array of meetings to lock it down between TWC’s Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser with Burger, and Cranston and Hart, the latter of whom did it by phone while on his honeymoon. The film will most likely shoot in New York. This has long seemed like an ideal picture to remake; it grossed huge internationally with $416 million, but it only did $10 million domestic for the French language film. TWC released the original domestically and got remake rights as part of the bargain and has gone back and forth with several thesps and directors to tell the story about an aristocrat (Francois Cluzet) who, after being paralyzed in a hang-gliding accident, hires a young man (Omar Sy) from the projects to be his caretaker. The original film was directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano.
REX/Shutterstock
Hart and Cranston are an intriguing pairing. Cranston, who won five acting Emmys for Breaking Bad in the Oustanding Lead Actor category, is up for another for playing LBJ in the Jay Roach directed All The Way, that after an Oscar-nominated turn as blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo inTrumbo. Hart just paired with Dwayne Johnson in Central Intelligence and followed with Illumination’s The Secret Life Of Pets, and is completing his feature-length stand-up picKevin Hart: What Now? Both actors are with UTA.
Burger, who made his directing breakthrough with TWC onThe Illusionist and followed with the hits Limitless andDivergent, flirted with Intouchables as long as six months ago while other directors were circling. Burger has separately been writing Bride of Frankenstein, the Universal classic monsters franchise which has had Angelina Jolie circling. CAA reps Burger.
Source: Deadline
Martin Lawrence Sets First Stand-Up Comedy Special At Showtime In 14 Years!
LOS ANGELES, CA – August 23, 2016 – On the heels of a sold-out national tour, comedy great Martin Lawrence hits the stage in this long-awaited stand-up special, MARTIN LAWRENCE DOIN’ TIME: UNCUT premiering Friday, September 9at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME on-air, on demand and over the internet. Filmed live at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, DOIN’ TIME: UNCUT showcases Lawrence’s impeccable comedic skills, physicality and engaging wit. Delivering an unforgettable night of impressions and insights, he touches on everything from sex and relationships to President Obama, Bill Cosby, Hollywood and more. Lawrence is back in a big way and will leave viewers in hysterics, from start to finish. “I look forward to having my third concert film premiere on SHOWTIME,” said Lawrence. “Fourteen years is a long time between concert specials and I am excited to know that my TV audience will be able to enjoy this show as if they came to see me live.”
Lawrence, a renowned stand-up comedian, actor, director, producer and writer, came to fame during the 1990s. He quickly established himself as a leading actor, most notably in the hit television series Martin, for which he created such beloved characters as “Sheneneh Jenkins,” “Edna (Mama) Payne,” “Otis,” and “Jerome.” For his dynamic performance, he earned two NAACP Image Awards® for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series two years in a row – 1995 and 1996. Lawrence’s box office-topping credits include Bad Boys andits sequel Bad Boys II opposite Will Smith, and the three-film Big Momma’s House franchise. Additional film credits include House Party, Boomerang, A Thin Line Between Love & Hate, Nothing to Lose, Blue Streak, Life, Wild Hogs, and Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.
Directed by David Raynr, MARTIN LAWRENCE DOIN’ TIME: UNCUT is executive produced by Lawrence and Studio71’s Gary Binkow and Michael Green. Producers include Barry Ehrmann, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor, Sean Lampkin and Michael Hubbard with production company You So Crazy and Studio71.
WATCH: Taraji P. Henson Stars As A Math Genius In ‘Hidden Figures’!
Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae break the glass ceiling — among other barriers — in the first trailer for the NASA drama “Hidden Figures,” which debuted Sunday night during the Rio Olympics.
The teaser opens with Henson’s Katherine Johnson character as a young girl, filling up a classroom blackboard with mathematical formulas, prompting her teacher to tell her parents, “I’ve never seen a mind like your daughter has.”
In addition to Henson, Spencer portrays Dorothy Vaughan and Monae plays Mary Jackson as a trio of brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind the 1962 launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit — a stunning achievement that turned around the Space Race.
The trailer also features Kevin Costner’s frustrated NASA exec lamenting, “I need a mathematician who can see beyond numbers.”
In addition to institutional obstacles, the women are also shown tackling troubles at home as they spend extended time away from their families. “Every time we have a chance to move ahead, they move the finish line,” Henson’s character declares.
Johnson, who worked at NASA from 1952 to 1979, was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom last year. The film is directed by Ted Melfi from a screenplay co-written with Allison Schroeder, based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s upcoming non-fiction book — “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.”
Chernin Entertainment is producing with Donna Gigliotti via Levantine Films, and Melfi. The film, which also stars Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons, opens on Jan. 13.
On This Day In Comedy… In 2012 Actor Sherman Hemsley Passes Away!
On this day in comedy on July 24, 2012, Actor, Sherman Alexander Hemsley died in El Paso, TX, 2012
Born on February 1, 1938, Hemsley left the Air Force after a four-year hitch and attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Philadelphia at night and worked for the Post Office during the day. He even kept his day job when he moved to New York and spent his evenings acting. One night on his thespian route (he was in Purlie), Hemsley was spotted by TV producer, Norman Lear. The hit maker wanted Hemsley for the role of George Jefferson, a neighbor of Archie Bunker’s on the CBS groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family. Hemsley was leery about leaving Broadway so Lear told him the part was his when his theater commitment was over. Two years later Hemsley took him up on his offer.
The Jeffersons became a spin-off of All in the Family and ran for 11 seasons and 253 episodes. The character of George Jefferson, an upwardly mobile black bigot who made his fortune in the dry cleaning business was a persona America had never seen before and they couldn’t get enough. Along with Isabel Sanford, Frank Cover, Marla Gibbs, Roxie Roker and Paul Benedict, the sitcom lived beyond its broadcast tenure. Cast members; especially Hemsley and Sanford, reprised their roles on many other sitcoms in guest starring capacities as well as personal appearances at conventions.
Once The Jeffersons officially shut down production Hemsley bounced to the next show. This one had him playing a church deacon and co-starred Clifton Davis. Amen ran on NBC for five seasons and after that Helmsley took on the voice of a dinosaur in ABCs live action puppet show, Dinosaurs. That series ran for four seasons and after his trifecta Sherman Hemsley retired from television. He’d released two albums during his run; one a jazz LP and the other a collection of R&B tunes. So with a career full of achievements, Sherman Hemsley spent the rest of his day’s guest starring, doing commercials and making cameos.
In 2012 Sherman Hemsley was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
On This Day In Comedy… In 1989 ‘Do The Right Thing’ Was Released By Universal Pictures!
On this day in comedy on July 21, 1989 Do the Right Thing was released by Universal Pictures.
This acclaimed film is one of director Spike Lee’s best. Besides being a mainstay on most critic’s top film list Do the Right Thing won 3 Best Film Awards, 3 Best Director Awards, 4 Best Supporting Actor Awards (3 for Danny Aiello, 1 for Ossie Davis) and awards for Best Screenplay (Lee), Best Musical Score (Bill Lee, Spike’s father), Best Actress (Ruby Dee), Best Cinematography (Ernest Dickerson), Best Editing (Barry Alexander Brown) and Best Song (“Fight the Power”). Lee wrote, produced, stars in and directed this motion picture that the U. S. Library of Congress designated as ‘culturally significant’ and that AFI ranked as the top film of 1989.
The story is about a day in the life of a Brooklyn neighborhood on one of the hottest days of the year. When it’s hot tensions flare and in this multi-racial area that’s a given. Mookie (Spike Lee) is a pizza delivery guy who’s 25 years old living with his sister and has a child by his girlfriend who he does not live with. He works for Italians who have varying relationships with him. The dad tolerates him, one of the sons hates him and the other thinks he’s cool. Mookie just wants to get out of the shop and be given the freedom to lollygag on his deliveries.
The tensions of this tale begin when one of the longtime residents (Giancarlo Esposito) finally notices there are no pictures of black people of the Wall of Fame at the pizzeria, only Italians in that Italian eatery. This is unacceptable and a protest is mounted with followers equally 2. No matter, the tension reaches climax when the protesters demand a change of the wall or they will shut the pizzeria down. The owner (Aiello) has had enough of black agitators and loud boom box music (which one of the protesters, Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) carries with him all the time and blasts) so Aiello curses them out with racial epithets and destroys the boom box. This act of defiance causes Radio Raheem to immediately wrap his fingers around Aiello’s neck and to choke him; that is until the police arrive and administer the chokehold on Radio Raheem, killing him in front of a slew of witnesses. Panicked, the cops load Raheem’s lifeless body into their squad car and speed off. This leaves Aiello and his two sons at the whim of the mob, but before any further violence can take place on humans, Mookie throws a trash can through the pizzeria window, starting a spontaneous riot and causing violence to be committed on a building. The next morning when the smoke clears the pizzeria has been demolished, but Aiello and his sons survived. Mookie and Aiello bury an uneasy hatchet for it’s time to rebuild, not only a restaurant, but racial relationships in the neighborhood. They both know that one will be easier to re-erect than the other.
Do The Right Thing was a resounding success. Besides, critical acclaim it scored big with the viewing public. On a budget of $6 million, it had a box office take of $37.3 million. The cast consists of Robin Harris, Steve White, Paul Benjamin, Frankie Faison, John Turturro, Richard Edson, Joie Lee, Bill Nunn, Roger Guenveur Smith, Steve Park, Frank Vincent, John Savage, Samuel L. Jackson and Martin Lawrence and Rosie Perez in their film debuts.
