Celebrity
The Glorious Corner
G.H. Harding
DUTTON DOWN? — All the media could talk about Monday was the so-called death of John Dutton on the long-delayed premiere of Yellowstone – which had 16.4 million viewers. for its premiere. Ever since Kevin Costner and creator and Taylor Sheridan got into a tizzy-fit, everyone knew that Dutton -the lead in the show- was headed to a higher plane.
Literally in the first 5-minutes of the show, Dutton was shown killed … apparently by suicide. They just showed his body lying there, not the head. So, is it a head fake? Out of all the media on this, Roger Friedman had it best, implying that perhaps Costner and Sheridan had worked it out and John Dutton will again rise. Would ti be good for ratings? Definitely and since Costner’s Horizon sort of died on the vine, a welcomed return for Costner. Here’s Friedman’s column in his brilliant Showbiz 411: https://www.showbiz411.com/2024/11/11/kevin-costner-spins-yellowstone-suicide-what-happened-to-his-moral-death-clause-is-this-is-a-head-fake
In reality it might just be a business decision as the show and Sheridan signed away the streaming rights way before it became a massive hit and ending the show, may well be the only way to get out of a sticky situation.
Cole Hauser
As a fan of the show, I thought the first episode was well done, but that said, without Costner, there’s a tremendous hole in the show. I love Cole Hauser (as Rip), but doubt whether even he can carry the show alone.
One of the best reviews of the show (Desire Is All You Need) comes from Cowboys and Indians. Check it out:
https://www.cowboysindians.com/2024/11/yellowstone-season-5-episode-9/
Stay tuned … this is FAR from over! Me, I think Costner will return!
Ridley Scott
SHORT TAKES — Great interview with director Ridley Scott in the current Hollywood Reporter. His Gladiator 2 is supposed to be brilliant and there’s even Oscar talk. Me, I loved his American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington. Funnily enough, he says director James Cameron turned him onto Crowe, saying ‘watch this kid.” Here’s the interview: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/ridley-scott-interview-gladiator-2-alien-blade-runner-1236049190/ …
Great article on North Miami’s Criteria Studios. If you know the place, this is a great read. Check it out:
… Today’s Wicked Week almost hit a snag Tuesday when Carson Daly asked Savannah and Hoda what Wicked was about. Both had different answers, but both true. Crazy …
Watching Rivals on Hulu with David Tennant and Alex Hassell. About a British broadcasting company. Am loving it. More on this next time …
Via Deadline: Blade might be off the theatrical calendar, but Marvel Studios Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige has exclaimed that the studio is “committed” to the project. The reboot of the Wesley Snipes franchise was announced at Comic-Con 2019 with Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in the title role. However, there was a rotation of directors in Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange with a script that didn’t pass muster per Marvel. Mia Goth was also attached to play supervillian Lilith in the vampire slayer feature … For those following Superman & Lois. Last night was episode 7 of 10 and Superman aka Clark Kent revealed to world his true identity. What a great show. It deserved far better treatment from Nexstar … Kjersti Long to NYC December 3 … Chris Wallce exits CNN after 3 years; before that he was at Fox … Happy Bday to Eppy!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Coco Dolenz; Amanda Naylor; Jacqueline Boyd; Bob Small; Mark Bego; Steve Leeds; Judy Libow; Pat Cooper; Paul Cooper; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Jane Blunkell; Charley Crespo; Kjersti Long; Jeremy Long; Buddy Blanchard; Bruce Sparrow; Heather Moore; Mark Bego; Jim Kerr; Tony Seidel; Gary Trust; JW Church; Kimberly Cornell; and Chip!
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G.H. Harding
MEET ME AT REBOOT CITY — On Wednesday, re-boots of Coach; Glee and Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea were announced. I watched all of them and Voyage was a stone-cold classic. Actually to me, that’s the classiest re-boot of the bunch.
Daisy Ridley
Voyage will topline Star Wars-star Daisy Ridley … sort of doing away with the characters David Hedison and Richard Baseheart portrayed on the TV show. It seems they’ve tweaked it a bit too, but the story was of the Seaview, the world’s first nuclear submarine. The shoe ran for 4 seasons and introduced The Flying Sub in the last.
SLOW HORSES FINALE — Let’s face it, Slow Horses Season 6 was totally … slow.
Jack Lowden
Jack Lowden running around in a black suit could have been the highlight. Then, Wednesday night came the season finale (Judgement Day), which reminded this writer of their very first season. It was just sensational. Yes, there were severe losses and Gary Oldman was his usual terrific self, but the final 20-minutes had a heart-to-heart talk between Lowden and his father Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) which was grand and poignant and then a killer-ending which saw Lowden (aka River) possibly poisoned.
Rent’s 30th anniversary is next Monday and some of the name set to appear are: Original cast members set include Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Tony winner Idina Menzel, Tony nominee Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Tony nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega, Fredi Walker-Browne, Yassmon Alers, Giles Chiasson, and Rodney Hicks. Announced Rent alumni include Tony winner Natalie Venetia Belcon, Adam Chanler-Berat, Tony nominee Nicholas Christopher, Merle Dandridge, Trey Ellett, Jordan Fisher, Tony winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jose Llana, Jai Rodriguez, Antonique Smith,Tony nominee Epgraim Sykes and Tony winner Aaron Tveit.
G.H. Harding
AMANPOUR EXITS CNN AFTER 43 YEARS — 43 years is a good run anywhere these days … right? CNN’sexemplary Christiane Amanpour, one of the earliest voices to ever emanate from the channel, is leaving after 43 years. She’ll still have a podcast on CNN, so she won’t be totally disappearing.
FALL TV FORECAST — We’re well into the “new” TV season and I have to say, it’s been a bit lackluster. even my personal favorite Slow Horses (Apple) which suffered a showrunner change and turned the show into just another cops ‘n robber show. Gary Oldman is still phenomenal, but he’s in it far less now.
Believe it or not, but NCIS with the return of Michael Weatherly, has been the highlight with a terrifically well written first episode and the energy ramped up like never before.
Mark Harmon
Mark Harmon, who was the star for 18 seasons, has returned as well and his presence is terrific. Looking noticeably older, he’s a welcomed addition.
Version 1.0.0
New memoirs from Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Rick Wakeman … Rockers On Broadway, 11/2 at SONY Hall , honoring Corey Glover from Living Colour …
(ViaDeadline) Before social media even existed, Christie Brinkley was documenting her life through letters, journals and home movies. The star has opened up this trove for Uptown Girl: The Christie Brinkley Story, the upcoming doc series about her life. Brinkley has previously let some of the material be used in HBO doc Billy Joel: And So It Goes about her ex-husband Joel, but held plenty back for her own film. She asked the HBO filmmakers to send thumbnails of the footage they wanted and when she wanted to keep it back, the message to the producers was, ‘Nope, that’s for me.’ “These are films never before seen,” Brinkley told Deadline about the archive used in the new series, which is produced by Lionsgate Alternative Television. The doc was greenlit by streamer Fox Nation and will bow in 2027. Over three parts it will take in Brinkley’s early years as an artist before fame, life on the road with Billy Joel, and marriage, motherhood and private heartbreak, as well as the helicopter crash that nearly claimed her life … Christopher Nolan’s thriller The Prestige will to return theaters on January 29, 2027, in celebration of the film’s 20th anniversary. Walt Disney Studios will re-release the film that stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson, and features the late David Bowie as physicist Nikola Tesla. The re-release will give audiences the chance to see the film on 70mm and IMAX for the first time, and it will also be presented in 35mm and Digital 2D formats … Happy BDay Raspin Stuwart!
G.H. Harding
SODERBERGH’S TURN AT BAT — (Via Deadline) As director Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing personal matter, Steven Soderbergh is coming on to help finish principal photography for the final weeks of DC Studios’ The Batman Part II. The news comes after production was paused on the film so that Reeves could focus on the personal matter.
Steven Soderbergh
Soderbergh has been longtime admirer of Reeves work, and with Reeves unable to be on set, the Oscar-winning director offered to help with finishing principal photography. The two will work together and remain in communication until filming has ended, with Reeves taking over post-production duties when he is ready to return.
“As Matt Reeves continues to attend to an ongoing family matter, Steven Soderbergh, as an admirer of Matt’s work, approached Matt and will step in, with the full support of DC Studios, to help the writer-director complete the final weeks of principal photography on The Batman Part 2. Matt and Steven will work closely together with the actors and crew to fulfill Matt’s vision of the film.”
Soderbergh has long been a personal favorite (this year’s The Christophers is a stone-cold instant classic) of mine and his added tutelage here can only help. I loved what Reeves did on his first Bat-film and quite sure this second will be as good. No doubt at all.
5 EASY PIECES — We watched this 1970 classic over the weekend and aside from the fashion and hair-styles being somewhat dated, it held up miraculously well. Nicholson is just amazing once again as the disgruntled son Bobby Dupea and Karen Black and Susan Ansbach are just stellar, with Anspach just luminous.
The title Five Easy Pieces does not refer to five specific plot points or chapters, but rather alludes to beginner piano exercise pieces, reflecting main character Robert “Bobby” Dupea’s (Jack Nicholson) background as a former classical piano prodigy who abandoned his musical life. The title always confused me.
Bob Rafelson
Directed by Bob Rafelson (of Monkees-fame) his take is terrifically succinct and majestic. A classic for sure.
SHORT TAKES — Bob Lefsetz now has a podcast with Alissa Polack as one of his premiere guests. Bob’s great, but please don’t wear shorts. Does Felice let you wear them at home? …
Should Horse Carriage Drivers in NYC be banned? Hard call for sure, but if they’re eliminated, it’d be a huge blow to the NY-scenery. They’re talking about exploring automatic-carriage drivers, but what exactly does that mean? If you never been on one, it’s magical experience … (Via Deadline) The next season of True Detective is starting to take shape. Antonio Banderas has joined the cast of season five of the HBO anthology drama.
Nicolas Cage
This comes after Nicolas Cage confirmed that he was entering the universe at last week’s New York Comic-Con, more than a year after it was revealed that the Pig star was in talks. Production is set to start in 2027 for the show, which is being led by showrunner Issa López, who oversaw season four, Night Country … Musked? Interetsing and very disturbing artcile on the film Musk by Alex Gibney in The Washington Post. Check it out: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/movies/2026/10/16/this-filmmaker-spent-years-an-elon-musk-rabbit-hole-his-conclusion-sociopathic/ …Happy Bday Jeff Smith … RIP Bob Buziak
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Michael Domino; Carol Ruth Weber; Roger Clark; Roger Friedman; John Boulos; Angela Tarantino; Donnie Kehr; Cori Gardner; Tish DeVere; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Carol Ruth Weber; Robbie Woliver; Anthony Noto; Robert Funaro; Bill Murray; Amy Poehler; Abby Rose; Kevin Kane; David Ellison; Robert Evans; and BELLA!
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Broadway
Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg Bring Laughter, Love and a Lifetime of Memories to PaleyFest NY
Two entertainment legends, one sold-out theater, and an evening that proved the greatest comedians understand something profound about life: sometimes laughter is the only way through.
Billy Crystal- Courtesy of The Paley Museum
There are friendships in show business, and then there are friendships that have become part of entertainment history. When Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg share a stage, there is no need for manufactured chemistry, rehearsed spontaneity, or carefully orchestrated charm. Their affection is genuine, their timing impeccable, and their shared history provides enough material to keep an audience entertained for hours.
Billy Crystal- Courtesy of The Paley Museum
Such was the atmosphere at The Paley Center for Media’s annual fall festival, PaleyFest NY, where Crystal took center stage for an intimate, frequently hilarious, and unexpectedly moving conversation moderated by Goldberg. The sold-out evening at the Bennack Theater, presented with support from Citi, celebrated Crystal’s extraordinary career and his latest Broadway venture, 860.
Maureen J. Reidy and Frank A. Bennack, Jr. present the PaleyFest award to Billy Crystal at PaleyFest NY at The Paley Museum Courtesy of The Paley Museum
The evening also marked the inaugural year of the PaleyFest Award, a new honor recognizing excellence in media, television, and entertainment, presented to participating shows. It was an appropriate occasion to celebrate a performer whose career has effortlessly crossed the boundaries between stand-up comedy, television, film, Broadway, writing, producing, and directing.
Crystal has spent decades making audiences laugh, but what distinguishes him from so many comedians is his understanding that humor is not the opposite of heartbreak. Quite often, it is heartbreak’s most eloquent companion.
Goldberg, herself a formidable theatrical and cinematic presence, understood exactly where to take the conversation. Rather than simply retracing a succession of career highlights, she explored the personal experiences that have shaped Crystal’s work and his enduring love affair with live performance.
“I’m so enjoying your love of being on stage,” Goldberg told him, before offering an observation that every theater professional understands: “Live performance you get what you get. Not everybody can do it.”
Indeed, they cannot. There is an extraordinary difference between performing for a camera, where a moment can be captured again and again, and standing before a live audience, where everything happens in real time. The laughter, the silence, the unexpected emotional connection, and the occasional misstep are all part of the experience. Crystal has always understood how to make that immediacy work in his favor.
His latest Broadway project, 860, draws upon deeply personal experiences, and Crystal spoke candidly about the emotional demands of bringing such material to the stage. “Bringing that to the stage was really cathartic,” he admitted. Yet he was quick to emphasize that the work is not simply an examination of grief. “It’s not just about loss. It’s about a family coming together and it’s about renewal,” he explained, adding, “It’s not just starting over, it’s moving forward.”
That distinction is particularly revealing. Starting over suggests erasing what came before. Moving forward acknowledges that the past remains part of us, even as life insists upon continuing.
Crystal’s reflections became especially poignant when he discussed the experience of watching a community face devastation, recalling the terrifying responsibility of explaining an unfolding disaster to children.
“When you’re watching your town burn down and you know it’s coming and the kids are there and they’re young… the responsibility you feel is alright, I gotta be real with them. If I’m gonna cry, I’m gonna cry and if I’m gonna hold onto this, I’m gonna hold on to it.”
It was a moment of striking vulnerability from a man whose public identity has so often been associated with impeccable comic timing. There was no attempt to disguise fear behind a punchline or transform suffering into an easy inspirational message.
Instead, Crystal spoke about the necessity of honesty, particularly within a family confronting circumstances beyond its control.
“We were fortunate to still have each other,” he reflected. That simple acknowledgment carried considerable weight. For all the possessions, memories, and familiar surroundings that can disappear in an instant, the relationships that survive become the foundation upon which life is rebuilt. Family has always occupied a central place in Crystal’s work, and the conversation naturally turned to memories of his father, whose influence continues to resonate throughout his career.
“He had a great sense of humor. He was quiet but he loved us [the boys]… he worked so hard,” Crystal recalled.
It was a lovely glimpse into the origins of a comic sensibility that has never depended solely upon jokes. Crystal’s best work has always been rooted in observation, affection, nostalgia, and an acute understanding of the small human moments that become our most enduring memories.
Of course, no evening celebrating Billy Crystal would be complete without revisiting some of the wonderfully unpredictable turns of his career.
One of the most entertaining recollections concerned the inaugural episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. Crystal had been scheduled to appear, only to find himself cut from the broadcast. For a young performer attempting to establish himself, the experience was devastating.
“I blew it, my career is over, Lorne cut me from the show and this is over,” he remembered thinking as he returned home.
There is something delicious about hearing that story fifty-one years later, knowing what followed. The young comedian who believed one missed television appearance had destroyed his future would go on to become one of the most recognizable entertainers in America.
If ever there were an argument against allowing a single disappointment to define an entire career, Crystal’s journey provides it.
His eventual association with Saturday Night Live would become an important chapter in that career, but the larger lesson is one that extends far beyond entertainment: rejection and failure are rarely the final verdicts we imagine them to be.
Goldberg also steered the conversation toward Crystal’s working relationship with his wife, producer Janice Crystal. The couple’s longstanding partnership provided an irresistible opportunity for a little Hollywood mischief.
“You know I’m sleeping with the producer,” Crystal deadpanned. “An age-old Hollywood story.”
It was vintage Billy Crystal: affectionate, mischievous, and delivered with the effortless timing of a man who has spent a lifetime understanding exactly how long to let a joke breathe.
What made the evening particularly satisfying was the interplay between Crystal and Goldberg. These are two performers who have nothing left to prove, and that freedom creates a rare kind of conversation. They can tease one another, wander into memories, acknowledge disappointments, and speak openly about life’s more painful passages without sacrificing the humor that first brought them together.
Goldberg did not approach Crystal as a distant interviewer examining a celebrated subject. She approached him as a friend who knows the man behind the public persona, and that familiarity allowed the conversation to move naturally between comedy and confession.
It also revealed something essential about Crystal’s longevity.
His career has never been built exclusively upon the ability to make people laugh. It has been built upon his ability to make them recognize themselves. Whether recalling childhood, navigating marriage, confronting loss, or celebrating friendship, he understands that the most universal stories are often the most personal.
That understanding has carried him from television to film to Broadway and back again, without diminishing his enthusiasm for the next creative challenge.
At a time when entertainment is increasingly driven by spectacle, algorithms, and the relentless pursuit of attention, there was something wonderfully refreshing about watching two accomplished artists simply sit together and talk.
No elaborate production was necessary. No manufactured controversy. Just intelligence, affection, extraordinary comic instincts, and the accumulated wisdom of lives spent entertaining millions.
PaleyFest NY provided the setting, but Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg supplied the magic.
And if the evening offered one lasting reminder, it was that the best comedians do considerably more than make us laugh. They help us understand why, even in the most difficult moments, laughter remains worth finding.
G.H. Harding
MACCA SPEAKS, AGAIN — Paul McCartney’s promotional efforts for his latest album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, has been really remarkable. Between his efforts and the PR for the Michael Douglas and Sylvester Stallone memoirs, it’s been quite the fall so far. Even though Todd Rundgren in his now infamous interview in Vulture, claimed that “McCartney would go to a mall opening,” but I think what he’s done has been really good.
Credit manager Scott Rodger for the spirited jaunt.
Amy Poehler
But today I heard today what unquestionably must be one of the best interviews he’s ever done and that’s the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler.
I never been a huge fan of Poehler, but I must say, her efforts on this really knocked me out, as she covered everything from John, George and Ringo to Linda and got McCartney to talk a lot about his kids. Even 2009’s Nowhere Boy and the forthcoming Sam Mendes movies were referenced. It was McCartney, in a totally different light … a reflective and relaxed light for sure.
I know it seems like everyone and their mother has a podcast right now, but this one was extra-special.
I was knocked out. Take a listen
X FILES — (Via Deadline) Ryan Coogler’s long-gestating The X-Files reboot starring Emmy nominee Himesh Patel (The Odyssey, Station Eleven) and Danielle Deadwyler (The Bell Jar, The Chaperones), has been ordered to series at Hulu.
From Onyx Collective and 20th Television, the reimagining of Chris Carter’s classic series follows two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents, played by Deadwyler and Patel, who form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.
Sinners filmmaker Coogler wrote, directed and executive produced the pilot.
Like the Miami Vice reboot, currently in production, I don’t see it as a success. I mean, how can you do the X-Files with Mulder or scully? But we’ll see.
Crustacean
SHORT TAKES — One of my favorite restaurants in LA is closing, Crustacean on Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. Fish-centric, but just a great, great spot. Been going for a decade. Very sad … Whatever happened to a follow-up date for John Cafferty at NYC’s Cutting Room? We’d love to see him there again … SIGHTING: PR-pasha David Salidor at Din in Brooklyn Heights … Sad to read about Mike Love’s recent health struggles. Here’s hoping for all the best … Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will be back for another go-round. Apple TV announced Wednesday that it has renewed the dark comedy thriller for a second season. A writers room is underway, we hear, with Season 2 production slated for the first half of 2027. Starring Emmy winner Tatiana Maslany …There’s another trailer for the Blade Runner series on Prime. Take a peak:
Bruce Morrow
Happy 91 to radio’s Cousin Bruce Morrow. An icon for sure!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Daryl Hall; Raspin Stuwart; Roy Trakin; John Hughes; Lorne Michaels; Robert Funaro; Ken Sharp; John Sykes; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Sharon Bush; Anthony Pomes; Chris Carter; Max Sabrin; Michael Domino; Harrison Jordan; Steve Leeds; Steve Walter; Moe Kaplan; Dianna O’Neill; Jacqueline Boyd; Judy Kaufman; Chuck Pulin; Bob Gruen; Markos Papadatos; and CHIP!
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Nobody Does It Better: Steven Reineke, Lena Hall and The New York Pops Bring James Bond to Carnegie Hall
Events for November: Marathons, Movies, Music, Thanksgiving Magic and the Holidays Arrive
Cabaret and Talks For November
Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Why Manhattan In New York City Is The Epicenter Of The Guilded Age
Canada’s Maple Syrup Reserve Is Running Down. Businesses Should Understand Why.
Theatre News: Tom Hanks, Kellie O’Hara, Jonathan Groff, Miriam Silverman, Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Sarah Paulson, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Casey Likes
After 168 Years New York Says Goodbye to Its Horse-Drawn Carriages
Pumpkin Point Returns to Governors Island: 10,000 Pumpkins, Ghostly Adventures and a Little Autumn Magic
Nobody Does It Better: Steven Reineke, Lena Hall and The New York Pops Bring James Bond to Carnegie Hall
Events for November: Marathons, Movies, Music, Thanksgiving Magic and the Holidays Arrive
Cabaret and Talks For November
Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Why Manhattan In New York City Is The Epicenter Of The Guilded Age
Canada’s Maple Syrup Reserve Is Running Down. Businesses Should Understand Why.
Theatre News: Tom Hanks, Kellie O’Hara, Jonathan Groff, Miriam Silverman, Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Sarah Paulson, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Casey Likes
After 168 Years New York Says Goodbye to Its Horse-Drawn Carriages
Pumpkin Point Returns to Governors Island: 10,000 Pumpkins, Ghostly Adventures and a Little Autumn Magic
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