Lavell Crawford returns for his fourth SHOWTIME comedy special LAVELL CRAWFORD: THEE LAVELL CRAWFORD, starting Friday, February 24 on streaming and on demand for SHOWTIME subscribers, before making its on-air debut on Sunday, February 26 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
LAVELL CRAWFORD: THEE LAVELL CRAWFORD is produced by Comedy Dynamics, and directed by Brian Volk-Weiss (Pete Davidson: Alive From New York, Ali Wong: Baby Cobra), who also executive produced with Cisco Henson and Justin Edbrooke.
Watch the trailer below;
Ken Marino, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, and D.C. Young Fly have boarded Prime Video’s holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane, joining previously announced cast members Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, and Danielle Pinnock.
Reginald Hudlin directs off a script by Kelly Younger, inspired by his own childhood holiday experiences.
Story details are being kept under wraps. The movie is shooting in Los Angeles and a part of the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program. The film will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide and marks the first film falling under Murphy’s three-picture and first-look film deal with Amazon Studios.
Eddie Murphy Productions’ Eddie Murphy and Charisse Hewitt-Webster; Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Karen Lunder are producing.
Marino most recently starred in the HBO Max series The Other Two. Other TV credits include recurring roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Fresh Off The Boat. He also wrote and appeared in Universal’s Wanderlust and Role Models, and made his directorial debut in 2017 with How To Be A Latin Lover. Next, he will star in the revival of Party Down which premieres on Feb. 24 on Starz. Marino is represented by UTA and Artists First.
Stand-up comedian Johnson-Reyes has six comedy specials streaming on various platforms. Additionally, she has guest starred on shows such as Life & Beth, Superstore, The Shield, Ugly Betty, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Film credits include Enough Said, Our Family Wedding, and Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. She is represented by UTA and Levity Talent.
D.C. Young Fly is most widely known as the fan favorite of Nick Cannon’s Wild’n Out and as a host of the popular podcast 85 South. Coming off the lead role on the film How High 2, he recently starred in the New Line reboot of House Party and as a returning character on 50 Cent’s hit show BMF. Fly is represented by Innovative Artists and Fox Rothschild.
Source: Deadline
In this episode of Box Seats Sports Comedy Talk Show, we discuss the upcoming Super Bowl game between the Chiefs and the Eagles, plus we discuss all of the moves that happened in the NBA at the end of the NBA Trade deadline. Plus we talk about the hottest topics in sports!
Watch the latest episode below:
CBS announced today that it has renewed the hit comedy THE NEIGHBORHOOD for the 2023-2024 broadcast season.
In its fifth season, THE NEIGHBORHOOD is averaging 6.13 million viewers in its Monday at 8:00 PM time period and grows to over 7.3 million viewers with live+35 day viewing across linear and streaming platforms. This season, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ranks as the #3 comedy series on Paramount+ based on total minutes viewed with full episode streaming up +60% year over year (Paramount+ and CBS TVE). Among African American viewers, it is TV’s #1 comedy.
“THE NEIGHBORHOOD has become a hit by not only delivering laughs but by telling stories of cultural impact,” said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “From gentrification to Black Lives Matter, to addiction and pregnancy loss, the incredible writers and this amazing cast push boundaries and endlessly entertain us. As they film their 100th episode this week, directed by Cedric the Entertainer, we are thrilled to announce that we are welcoming this outstanding series back for a sixth season.”
THE NEIGHBORHOOD stars Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs, Tichina Arnold, Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears, and Hank Greenspan. Executive producers are Bill Martin, Mike Schiff, Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, Cedric the Entertainer, and Eric Rhone. The series is produced by CBS Studios.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD airs Mondays (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*. A new episode is available this evening.
Pack your zip lines and grapefruits, the “Girls Trip” sequel is taking us to West Africa.
Writer-director-producer Tracy Oliver, who co-wrote the original 2017 romp, joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance and provided an update on the anticipated reunion of Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish.
Oliver, at the festival to promote the second season of her Amazon Prime Video series “Harlem,” said she had a “definitive ‘Girls Trip 2’ update. That it’s officially happening. I can say that.” She also provided a plot update, and while the film’s producer Will Packer “might kill me, we’re looking to set it in Ghana.”
One of Oliver’s “Harlem” stars, actor Shoniqua Shandai, screamed “Afrochella!” after Oliver dropped the news. She refers to the annual Afrochella festival, Ghana’s premiere cultural and music event whose name borrows from the American flower crown convention Coachella. Oliver confirmed that the ladies of “Girls Trip” will look to attend the festival, which has attracted prominent musical acts from the region, including Beyonce collaborate Shatte Wale. A production timeline is unknown as Oliver still needs to submit her script.
The first “Girls Trip” was a significant box office hit, grossing $140 million worldwide on a modest $16 million budget. Malcolm D. Lee directed the project, produced by Packer and co-written by Olvier and Kenya Barris from a story they conceived with Erica Rivinoja. It also launched the recently-embattled Haddish into superstardom.
Oliver has been on a festival tear the past year, premiering her acclaimed horror comedy “The Blackening” at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie, directed by Tim Story, was acquired by Lionsgate on the heels of TIFF and will release this coming Juneteenth.
“Harlem,” which stars Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, and Shandai, will debut its season two in a weekly rollout on Prime Video starting Feb. 3.
Source: Variety
After successfully launching The Amanda Seales Show in November on WRNB 100.3 FM Philadelphia, Urban One Inc’s Reach Media is announcing syndication to new markets. The show is a content-only radio program with an accompanying daily podcast available in multiple dayparts (AM Drive, Middays, and Afternoon Drive) and formats (Mainstream and Urban Adult Contemporary).
“Amanda has had an immediate positive ratings impact in Philadelphia, and we are excited to expand her show to Houston, Columbus, Richmond, and Charlotte,” said Colby Tyner, Senior VP Programming of Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media divisions.
As leaders in mainstream urban, urban AC, and inspirational music with the top talent in syndicated radio programming, Reach Media connects with ninety percent of Black America. The Amanda Seals Show will now be heard on the following stations effective Monday, January 23: KBXX-FM. 97.9 The Box, Houston, TX (10a-2p); WCKX-FM, Power 107.5/1063, Columbus, OH (6a-10a); WFNZ/WOSF-HD2, 102.5 The Block (10a-2p); and WXGI-AM, 950 and WXGI FM, 99.5 & 102.7 The Box, Richmond VA (3-7pm).
“We are honored to bring fresh content to the urban audiences so that they can listen, laugh, and learn daily with The Amanda Seales Show, packed with the latest pop culture, entertainment, relationship topics and political/social commentary. Each day listeners will hear Amanda’s opinions on everything happening in the world with significant audience interaction,” said Tyner.
Urban One Inc. has also hired Tony Richards as the new Executive Producer for the show. Richards formerly produced the Darlene McCoy Show, the Rick & Sasha Show and is a former morning show host in various US markets. Rodney “Supreme” Maybin has also come on board as the show’s new Technical Producer. He is the current production director for WRNB Philadelphia and former PD at WQBK-HD2 Albany and APD at WBLK in Buffalo.
The trailer for the new film titled A Snowy Day In Oakland debuted, and has a stellar cast!
The film is a magical urban tale about a beautiful psychologist from San Francisco who decides to end a stalled romance with her longtime, high-profile, psychiatrist, boyfriend/business partner. She moves on with her life by opening her own private practice in a vacant, street-front office space in the middle of a small, commercial block located across the bay in Oakland, turning the predominately African-American and psychologically ignored neighborhood on its emotional ear.
The film features a star-studded cast including Nicole Ari Parker, Deon Cole, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, Michael Jai White, Keith David, and Evan Ross, and explores meaningful themes such as the importance of mental health within the Black community, entrepreneurship, and navigating relationships and family.
Watch the new trailer below;
A new image for Kevin Hart’s heist film Lift has been released by Netflix. Hart was previously best known for his stand-up comedy, but now he’s fully made the transition from comedian to actor. He had a busy 2022 with acting projects such as The Man from Toronto, DC League of Super-Pets and Me Time. At the same time, Hart also served as executive producer on a slew of television series. In 2021, Hart signed a long-term deal with Netflix, planning to produce and star in four films for the streaming juggernaut. This deal included a first-look agreement for any film produced by his company HartBeat Productions.
On Twitter, Netflix has released the first image for Hart’s upcoming heist film, Lift, which not only showcases Hart, but also shows him alongside his co-stars.
The Lift image showcases the film’s ensemble cast, assembling the crew in a warehouse of sorts, where they seem to be planning their heist. At the center of it all is Hart himself. Check it out above.
First announced in 2021, Lift is the third film to emerge from Hart’s deal with Netflix. Its synopsis reads that Hart plays a master thief who is wooed by his ex-girlfriend and the FBI to pull off an impossible heist. He’ll do the heist with his international crew on a 777 flying from London to Zurich. Lift sports a star-studded cast that includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, Burn Gorman, and Sam Worthington.
Broadening his palette with a variety of distinguishable films, Lift sees American director F. Gary Gray returning to the heist genre. He previously directed the 2003 remake of the classic 1969 movie The Italian Job, which opened to generally positive reviews and made $176 million at the box office. Gray is also known for directing Men in Black: International, The Fate of the Furious, and the Academy Award-nominated Straight Outta Compton. The script is co-written by Daniel Kunka (12 Rounds), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), and X-Men: Days of Future Past scribe Simon Kinberg.
With its on and off-screen talent, Lift is shaping up to be a fun, enthralling heist film. Gray’s experience with the genre paired with the writing talent, on top of the ensemble cast led by Hart, promises that. It’ll also be refreshing to see Hart in another role that isn’t entirely comical, unless his character is solely tasked with the role of comical relief. Lift releases on Netflix on August 25, meaning more looks at the film should debut this summer.
Source: ScreenRant
Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from 1990 to 1996, has joined the cast of the Peacock reboot “Bel-Air.”
In the series’ upcoming second season, Ali will recur as Mrs. Hughes, the middle school English teacher who sees something special in Ashley (played by Akira Akbar in this version), often giving her books from her personal collection. See a first look at Ali as Mrs. Hughes in a new trailer for “Bel-Air” Season 2 below.
“Bel-Air” is a dramatic reimagining of the original comedy series that follows Will’s (Jabari Banks) complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.
Season 2 picks up with Will at a crossroads as a new figure comes into his life who challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air and competes for control of his influence. He juggles this while navigating his home life with the Banks family and trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of last season. Will and Carlton’s (Olly Sholotan) brotherhood starts to evolve as they grow closer, but still challenge each other about their differences. Hilary (Coco Jones) evolves as she rises in her influencer world, and that spills over into her relationship with Jazz (Jordan L. Jones). Viv (Cassandra Freeman) and Phil (Adrian Holmes) balance marriage and family while trying to forge their own career paths and reconnect to the things that are important to them.
Based on a viral trailer created by Morgan Cooper, “Bel-Air” is executive produced by Cooper, Anthony Sparks, Malcolm Spellman, Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, Andy & Susan Borowitz and Carla Banks Waddles, as well as TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson, who served as showrunners on Season 1. Waddles showruns Season 2. The series hails from Universal Television.
Source: Variety
They are taking big swings and, sometimes, missing even bigger… good thing they have each other, right? The Upshaws are finally back! Part 3 streaming February 16, only on Netflix.
Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), the head of a Black working-class family in Indianapolis, is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family – wife Regina (Kim Fields), their two young daughters (Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine) and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together. The Upshaws continue to ride life’s ups and downs, including new jobs, bigger dreams, health struggles, and some major life surprises but still hang on with the love that comes with family.
Release Date: February 16, 2023
Episodes: 8 episodes x 30 minutes
Created by: Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes
Executive Producers: Mike Epps, Wanda Sykes, Regina Y. Hicks, Page Hurwitz, Niles Kirchner
Starring: Mike Epps (Bennie Upshaw), Kim Fields (Regina Upshaw), Wanda Sykes (Lucretia Turner), Page Kennedy (Duck), Diamond Lyons (Kelvin Upshaw), Khali Daniya-Renee Spraggins (Aaliyah Upshaw), Jermelle Simon (Bernard Upshaw), Gabrielle Dennis (Tasha Lewis), Journey Christine (Maya Upshaw)
About THE UPSHAWS Part 3:
Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), the head of a Black working class family in Indianapolis, is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family – wife Regina (Kim Fields), their two young daughters (Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine) and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together. In this upcoming part, the Upshaws continue to ride life’s ups and downs, including new jobs, bigger dreams, health struggles and some major life surprises but still hanging on with the love that comes with family.