Deon Cole To Return To ‘Black-ish’ Season Finale Which Pays Homage To ‘Good Times’!
Momentum for ABC’s “Black-ish” certainly isn’t slowing down, after a much-talked about recent episode that tackled police brutality, leading to a 3rd season renewal.
Now the show’s executive producer Jonathan Groff confirmed at Paley Fest 2016 over the weekend that Deon Cole, who left the series mid-season to star on TBS’ Angie Tribecca, will be returning to “Black-ish” reprising his role as Charlie Telphy in a special appearance before the end of the season. He also revealed that the show’s season finale will take another trip down memory lane, traveling back to the 1970s with an homage to a comedy hit that’s been in the news lately.
“The season finale is a homage to the great ’70s sitcom Good Times,” Groff teased. “We will actually see a fever dream of Dre’s [Anthony Anderson] and he visits that world.”
“Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris was previously hired to work on a script for a “Good Times” feature film, I should note.
And about Cole’s return, Groff added: “We said a very tearful goodbye to Charlie in episode 10… We’re going to see him again in a little bit. He’s going to come play for a little bit so we’re really excited about it.”
“Black-ish” airs Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30c on ABC.
‘The Carmichael Show’ Comes Correct Concerning Cosby On New Episode!
Once again tackling relevant topics, Carmichael did not disappoint last night on his episode entitled, Fallen Heroes. As relevant as ever, the Bill Cosby scandal was addressed with humor and insight on the various viewpoints that challenge you to consider, or perhaps reconsider, your stance on the matter.
The show begins with Carmichael attempting to surprise his girlfriend Maxine, played by Amber Stevens West. After she insists to know what the surprise is before even leaving the house, he reveals tickets to see Bill Cosby live in concert and she refuses to see the show because of the allegations against Cosby. Yet, when Carmichael reveals the tickets to his parents, Joe his father , played by David Allen Grier is ready for a great show, while Cynthia his mother played by Loretta Divine is conflicted by her desire to see the show in spite of the allegations.
As a Black male, Carmichael grew up respecting Cosby as somewhat of a hero, and this episode gives voice to the opinions of everyone else who did too. It is intriguing to watch a cast of 3 Black male comedians speaking about the scandal while showing dignity and expressing multiple views, coming to the conclusion that, “Once you know something – you can’t ‘unknow’ it. It is up to you to decide where you want to draw the line!”
Judi Dud
Idris Elba To Return As Luther For Sport Relief Comedy Skit To Hunt A CHICKEN Killer
Luther is on the hunt for a killer with help from his family
Idris Elba is returning for one more outing as the husky-voiced, sexy DCI John Luther.
The detective has another case to crack – finding the killer of a chicken.
Luther manages to ruffle a few feathers when trying to solve the case as he decides to bring the dead bird home back to his dysfunctional family.
His family – who all dress like the detective in his famous red tie and tweed coat – are played by comedian Lenny Henry, gymnast Louis Smith, former athlete Denise Lewis, ex-footballer Rio Ferdinand, pundit Ian Wright, boxer David Haye, actress Cecilia Noble and a special appearance from Ruth Wilson.BC
Luther is back to find a chicken killer
BBC
Idris will ruffle a few feathers
Fans of the show will know that Ruth’s character, the evil Alice Morgan, was killed off in the last series but the 43-year-old actor has promised her resurrection for the Sport Relief skit will be exciting.
Speaking about the hilarious sketch, Idris explained: “I don’t want to reveal too much about the sketch but viewers at home are in for a real treat as they’ll get to see a new side of Luther, which I’m really excited about.
“I’m proud to be supporting such an amazing cause and hope that everyone gets involved and does their bit for Sport Relief this year.”
The one off sketch will be shown as part of a star-studded night of Sport Relief TV on the BBC.
The evening’s proceedings will be hosted by comic John Bishop, retired footballer Gary Lineker, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge David Walliams and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ co-host Claudia Winkleman and will be broadcast on March 18 live from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Details for how to donate to Sport Relief can be found at www.sportrelief.com .
Tracy Morgan Will Host New York’s Hot 97 April Fools’ Day Comedy Show!
Tuesday, March 2016 (New York, NY) – WQHT HOT 97 FM, the #1 station for hip hop and R&B, is bringing the laughs back to the legendary Theatre at Madison Square Garden on Friday, April 1st with the April Fools’ Day Comedy Show! Hosted by the iconic Tracy Morgan, the April Fools’ Day Comedy Show promises laugh-out-loud performances by some of the funniest people in show business including Aries Spears, Ricky Smiley, Deray Davis, Dominique, Felipe Esparza and more. HOT 97 has your chance to win tickets each weekday with Ebro in the Morning, Megan Ryte, Nessa & Funk Flex. Tune in to win, and make sure you’re part of the comedic event of the year!
HOT 97’s April Fools’ Day Comedy Show is presented by Marquee Concerts. Tickets are on-sale now at Ticketmaster.com. Show begins at 8:00pm; head to HOT97.com for more details. Don’t miss out and be the butt of the joke; get your tickets today!
Jay Pharoah Talks Future Stardom And More With NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’!
Jay Pharoah is a rising star on Saturday Night Live primarily because of his impressive talents and impersonations.
The 28-year-old stand-up comedian was quickly able to turn heads as soon as he joined the Saturday Night Live cast with his uncanny ability to impersonate quite a few different people.
Just like a chameleon, Jay Pharoah (born Jared Antonio Farrow) is able to quickly adapt to his chosen target — extending far beyond the person’s voice into the realm of their mannerisms, body language, and overall persona.
For instance, if you pay close attention to his classic Denzel Washington impersonation, Jay went as far as mastering the Oscar-winning actor’s body language — including the odd thing that he does with his lip in most of his movies.
In addition to receiving praise for his impersonations, Jay Pharoah has also received quality feedback from some of the people that he is actually impersonating. During a discussion with Interview magazine in April 2011, Jay opened up about the criticism and comments that he has received.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that Will Smith loves the impression but that Jaden [Smith’s son] isn’t convinced. And Denzel Washington said that I’m very good at both his and Will Smith’s impression.”
Along with his classic impersonation of Denzel Washington, Jay Pharoah has also turned heads with his impersonations of other Hollywood stars — including Will Smith, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, and Eddie Murphy.
During an interview with SplitSider in July 2015, Jay opened up about the method behind his madness and the overall science of celebrity impressions.
“Basically when you’re dissecting somebody’s voice, you kind of wanna think about two people who they sound like and then find the middle. Usually the middle of those two people is the exact voice. If you take Jay Z’s voice, Jay Z sounds like Christopher Walken, but he sounds like a cool Christopher Walken. So if you take Christopher Walken and you take a real swaggered-out Brooklyn accent and you put those two together, in between that you will find Jay Z’s voice. It’s scientific — you really gotta do an equation in your head. It’s kind of mathematical, it’s like the Pythagorean theorem. And if you can envision the person’s face while you’re doing the voice, usually it helps bring the character out more.”
Jay Pharoah further explained exactly how he is able to bring so many celebrity impressions to life – making it hard to distinguish between the impression and the actual actor being impersonated.
“That’s how I bring them to life: I visualize the person’s face saying the same stuff I’m saying at the same time. So when I’m doing an impression, I don’t even see you; I’m not looking at you. When I’m doing an impression, I’m in my brain and I’m trying to channel that person. I’m trying to match that person to what I’m saying exactly at that point. It’s kind of weird, truly…I’m a weirdo, man.”
Most people will admit that Jay Pharoah is extremely talented on Saturday Night Live, and most fans agree that his impressions are unanimously great. Think about his recent stint on Weekend Update, when he seamlessly bounced from person to person – impersonating numerous celebrities within an ongoing conversation without cracking once.
However, why is it that Jay Pharoah is not one of the biggest stars on Saturday Night Live? Why is he only featured in a select number of sketches on each episode?
Perhaps it is due to the one aspect of Saturday Night Live stardom that Jay Pharoah has not quite mastered yet: originality. Even though he is known for impersonating other real-life celebrities, he has yet to bring any memorable original characters and concepts to the show.
When you think about the true stars of Saturday Night Live –– past and present — you will likely remember the various impersonations and impressions that they were known for during their respective tenures. Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton and Justin Bieber. Will Ferrell as Charlton Heston, Alex Trebek, or George W. Bush. Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Sean Connery. The list goes on and on.
In addition to those impressions, though, many of the most memorable SNL alums are also remembered for the original characters and concepts that they made famous on the show.
When you think of Jay Pharoah, which original character or sketch concept comes to mind?
Jay Pharoah made his Saturday Night Live debut as a featured player in September of 2010 during the show’s 36th season. He was listed as a featured player along with several other cast members that have made names for themselves since then — including Vanessa Bayer and Taran Killam, two cast members that are now known both for impressions and original characters.
If Jay Pharoah wants to be featured as a bigger part of Saturday Night Live –– the way that McKinnon, Bayer, and Killam are currently — he should focus on improving the quality of his original characters instead of just his popular impressions.
Source: The Inquisitr
Keanu Reeves Joins New Comedy Series Titled ‘Swedish Dicks’!
Keanu Reeves has joined the cast of comedy seriesSwedish Dicks, the first original production from Swedish online streaming service Viaplay.
Reeves will appear in a number of episodes in the anticipated English-language series, which stars Peter Stormare (Fargo) and Swedish comedian Johan Glans. The cast also features Vivian Bang, Felisha Cooper, Traci Lords and Eric Roberts.
Swedish Dicks is shooting now in Los Angeles and will launch exclusively on Viaplay this autumn. Screen can also reveal the first shot of the Reeves and Stormare on set.
Set in downtown LA, the 10-episode series stars Stormare as Ingmar, a former stunt man who is now working as a small-time private detective. A former DJ (Glans) partners with him in the PI firm.
During the series, one case will be solved per episode, while a longer mystery runs throughout the series.
For Reeves, who will star as Ingmar’s former stunt buddy Tex, the series marks a first foray into live action TV in a recurring role. The actor previously voiced animated seriesBill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures in 1990.
Reeves said: “I love how progressive the whole show is. The scripts are amazing and it was great to have the opportunity to work with Peter Stormare again.”
The pair previously worked together on 2005 action-thrillerConstantine and will appear together in John Wick: Chapter Two.
Swedish Dicks is produced in collaboration with Los Angeles-based Viking Brothers Entertainment and Peter Settman’s new production company Brain Academy, which is part of MTG’s nice entertainment group.
Viaplay, the leading Nordic streaming service, is part of the Modern Times Group.
“The fact that we have such a talented list of stars really reflects the potential of this series and the high quality of the production. The passion from Brain Academy and Viking Brothers making this fantastic story come to life will make this into a series you don’t want to miss. We are already seeing a lot of interest from other international broadcast and TV companies and look forward to the premiere on Viaplay later this year,” said Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, evp and group head of programming and content development at MTG.
“The show is a great mix of light and dark humor – both silly and smart comedy which makes it a blast to shoot,” added showrunner Peter Settman.
Among Viaplay’s co-productions are crime series Black Widows, made with MTG’s TV3 in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and Our Time Is Now, a multi-generation drama made with SVT, which is set at the end of the Second World War and follows a family that runs a successful restaurant.
Source: Screen Daily
Kenan Thompson Joins NBC’s Maya Rudolph-Martin Short Variety Series!
Another Saturday Night Live vet has signed on for Maya Rudolph and Martin Short’s NBC variety show.
Kenan Thompson has come onboard the series, now titled Maya and Marty in Manhattan, which is set to premiere in May, it was announced Friday.
The gig will not impact Thompson’s tenure on SNL, which stands at 13 seasons and counting. Like SNL, Maya and Marty in Manhattan hails from executive producer Lorne Michaels. Also like SNL, the new variety show will air live each week from NBC’s headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York.
“With their cumulative expertise and experience in live comedy, we couldn’t ask for a better trio to deliver what we know will be a fantastic show,” said NBC Entertainment alternative and late night programming president Paul Telegdy. “Their respective accomplishments on Saturday Night Live and beyond are extraordinary.”
The network picked up the project in February, a year and a half after Rudolph’s one-night-only variety show special aired. The series will center on sketches spoofing current events, celebrities and other hot trends, and also feature musical performances.
Rudolph, most recently seen on Fox’s The Grinder, was a castmember on SNL from 2000-2007, while Short was a cast member for one season in the 1980s following his work as a writer and performer on Canada’sSCTV.
Rudolph and Short will produce the series with Matt Roberts, Erin David, Dave Becky, Marc Gurvitz, Sandy Wernick and John Lieberman.
Maya and Marty in Manhattan premieres May 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Marlon Wayans Speaks On The Katt Williams Troubles And More!
While in Atlanta and while touring, comedian Marlon Wayans got a chance to speak on all of the troubles and more as he stopped by The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. The conversation was interesting to say the least;
Sony Shifts Release Date For ‘Bad Boys 3’ Again!
Sony Pictures has announced a slight shuffle in their 2017 release schedule, moving around the release dates for three of their upcoming features.
The Dark Tower, which it was recently revealed will begin production in seven weeks in South Africa, has moved from its original release date of January 13, 2017 to February 17, 2017. An adaptation of the Stephen King novel series, the film will open against Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ The Great Wall and 20th Century Fox’s Maze Runner: The Death Cure. Nikolaj Arcel will direct the film, which stars Idris Elba as Roland “The Gunslinger” Deschain and Matthew McConaughey as the evil man in black. Mad Max: Fury Road‘s Abbey Lee is in negotiations for the female lead.
Another shift in the schedule, since The Dark Tower now sits on its original release date, is the upcoming Bad Boys 3, which has been delayed to June 2, 2017. Bad Boys 3 will now open against Warner Bros.’ upcoming comedy film The House, starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler. The A-Team and The Grey director Joe Carnahan will direct the film, which is expected to feature the return of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.
Sony moves release dates for The Dark Tower, Bad Boys 3, and Barbie
Finally, with Bad Boys 3 blasting onto its original release, the Barbie movie has been moved up three weeks to a May 12, 2017 release. Currently it is the only film set to be released that weekend, though it is sandwiched between Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Paramount’s Baywatch movie. Currently without a director, the script for Barbie has been written by Jenny Bicks and Diablo Cody.
Source: ComingSoon.net
‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’ Entire Cast Star In New PSAs!
I assume blood pressure in the African American community is likely a subject that will be tackled in the upcoming film, hence today’s news.
In an effort to raise awareness and to motivate those with uncontrolled high blood pressure to take healthy steps, the American Heart Association and the Ad Council have teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) on new ads featuring some of the cast of the upcoming release “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” a presentation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM.
“Millions of at-risk Americans can learn about the serious and often fatal consequences of hypertension through education. We are proud to have support from Warner Bros. Entertainment Pictures and MGM to spread this message about the importance of identifying and managing high blood pressure,” said Dr. Mark A. Creager, president of the American Heart Association.
The new outdoor, digital, radio and TV PSAs feature cast members Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, and Anthony Anderson from the film “Barbershop: The Next Cut.” The ads reinforce the importance of taking time to have your blood pressure checked and taking steps to better lower high blood pressure to avoid serious consequences like a heart attack or a stroke. Audiences are directed to visit heart.org/bloodpressure or to join a new mobile-based blood pressure management program by texting “Barbershop” to 97779.
The new PSAs are an extension of the Ad Council and American Heart Association’s campaign encouraging individuals with high blood pressure to keep their condition under control.
Per the Ad Council’s model, the PSAs will be distributed to media outlets nationwide where they will run in space and time donated by the media.
“Barbershop: The Next Cut” stars Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Eve, JB Smoove, with Common and Nicki Minaj. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee from a screenplay by Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver, it is produced by Robert Teitel, George L. Tillman Jr., and Ice Cube. Malcolm D. Lee, Becki Cross Trujillo, Ronald G. Muhammad and Jeff Kwatinetz serve as executive producers.
Opening nationwide April 15, 2016, “Barbershop: The Next Cut,” is a presentation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Rated PG-13.
