Noted comedian, actor and REACH Media Syndicated Radio host, DL Hughley is bringing his own brand of comedy and commentary to TV One with his new nighttime talk show THE DL HUGHLEY SHOW, premiering Monday, March 18 at 11/10C PM. The show will air four nights a week, Monday through Thursday.
Hughley is one of the most unapologetic voices of our time and does not shy away from controversy. THE DL HUGHLEY SHOW dives head first into hot topics of the day and dishes on the latest news, entertainment, pop culture and what's trending in social media.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to expand my radio show and bring it to a late night television audience,” said DL Hughley. “I want to talk about things that matter to our community and this show will mirror what everyone is talking about every day.”
Always insightful and informative, Hughley and his co-host Jasmine Sanders use humor to deliver everything from hard news to lighter fare. Featuring stories relevant to a rapidly evolving African American community, the one-hour show, which is a hybrid of Hughley's existing radio show and fresh content created specifically for a nighttime audience, will offer everything from covering the day’s major headlines and roundtable discussions to celebrity guest interviews and comedy bits.
“We are excited to grow our partnership with an amazing talent like DL Hughley, who’s already a part of our Urban One family,” said Michelle Rice, TV One General Manager. “DL will courageously shine a light on the issues facing black America with his unique brand of humor, intelligence and thought-provoking perspective.”
Shot in a stylized studio, the look and feel of THE DL HUGHLEY SHOW is patterned after a traditional radio show, adapted for television and will be taped in-studio four days a week from Burbank, CA.
THE DL HUGHLEY SHOW is produced for TV One by Pygmy Wolf Productions with DL Hughley and KP Anderson serving as Executive Producers. Sonya Vaughn and Charlie Gerencer serve as Co-Executive Producers and Jade Mills serves as Executive in Charge of Production. Melanie Massie serves as Talent Producer. For TV One, Susan Henry and Regina Thomas serve as Executive Producers in Charge of Production.
For more information about the DL HUGHLEY SHOW, visit TV One’s microsite at https://tvone.tv/show/the-d-l-hughley-show and check out exclusive, behind the scenes content.TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hash tags #THEDLHUGHLEYSHOW, #TVONE and #REPRESENT.
New Line's Misty Copeland biopic, Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, has found its director in Nzingha Stewart.
The feature project adapts Copeland's best-selling memoir of the same name from the star dancer who became the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre.
The movie will chronicle Copeland's rise from her poor and tumultuous beginnings — she only began ballet at the late age of 13 and found herself in the middle of a custodial struggle between her mother and the ballet teachers who were her legal guardians at the time — to becoming a crossover star that has written books, appeared in movies and commercials, and has become a speaker.
"As an African-American woman, I know firsthand that when Misty Copeland leaps, we all soar," said Stewart in a statement. "As a filmmaker, I am thrilled to bring this hopeful, triumphant and cinematic story to the big screen."
Stewart is a prolific television director and has worked on shows ranging from How to Get Away With Murder and Scandal to Grey's Anatomy and A Million Little Things. She was also an exec producer on Tyler Perry's drama For Colored Girls. She is currently filming her feature directorial debut with Tall Girl, a coming-of-age story for Netflix.
Barry Jenkins film adaption of James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk won the award for Best Feature at the 34th annual Spirit Awards. Watch Jenkins award speech below:
Barry Jenkins film also took home two more honors with Regina King winning the award for Best Supporting Female and Mr. Jenkins himself winning in the Best Director category.
The Spirit Awards were founded in 1994 to recognize the talent both in front of and behind the camera in independent films.
Hip-hop icon Queen Latifah (Dana Owens) is returning to her hometown of Newark to invest in a cluster of multi-family town homes along Springfield Avenue and South 17th Street.
The $14 million project is expected to break ground in the summer.
Latifah, a co-president of BlueSugar Corporation, is working with GonSosa Development on the project, which is anchored outside of the city’s downtown, spanning the West and South wards.
The project includes 20 three-family town homes and a three-story mixed-used building with an additional 16 units. Plans for the building include a fitness center and 1,900 square feet of commercial space that will be rented to nonprofits. The 60 units in the townhouses will be market rate; the 16 units in the building will be affordable.
Rents for the market rate units will start around $1,800 a month and are expected to open by December 2020. The affordable housing building is expected to be finished in December 2021; units there will be priced according to a person’s income.
The 23rd annual American Black Film Festival will be held in Miami Beach June 12–16, 2019. Learn more, get passes and tickets here: http://www.abff.com/
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to empowering black artists and showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Committed to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the black filmmaking community by encouraging resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration. He ultimately envisioned it as a cornerstone of diversity in Hollywood.
For more than two decades the festival has been a platform for emerging black artists — premiering the early work and showcasing the talent of many of today’s most successful actors, producers, writers, directors and stand-up comedians — including Halle Berry (Monsters Ball), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther), Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), Will Packer (Girls Trip), Issa Rae (Insecure), Kevin Hart (Night School), Kerry Washington (Scandal), Omari Hardwick (Power) and Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II). ABFF is the pre-eminent pipeline for black artists in front of and behind the camera, and has significantly expanded the range of talent working in entertainment.
As “the nation’s largest gathering of black film and television enthusiasts” the festival attracts a broad audience of A-list talent, emerging artists, upscale consumers and industry stakeholders. Approximately 7,000 to 10,000 people travel to Miami Beach each year for the event. The five-day festival opens with the premiere of an upcoming Hollywood release followed by independent film screenings, master classes, panels, celebrity talks, live entertainment, and a variety of networking and hospitality events.
The ABFF’s dynamic programming continues to evolve. In recent years, it has extended beyond the inclusion of television-related content to launch the Business of Entertainment seminar series co-programmed with leading media and technology companies.
In 2017, the ABFF launched its Greenlighters Academy, a pipeline program for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities with an interest in pursuing corporate careers in film, television and entertainment media. The 2019 festival will introduce About Women, a global initiative focused on empowering and inspiring women of color in the film and television industry. ABFF will also unveil a new section showcasing films based on cause-related topics impacting communities of color.
The American Black Film Festival is a property of ABFF Ventures LLC (ABFFV), a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, television and film focused on African American culture. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company is a joint venture of Film Life Inc. and Black Enterprise, two prominent media and event companies, each with legacies of showcasing the best of African American culture and achievement.
Jussie Smollet claims to have been beaten, doused with bleach, and having a noose placed around his neck by two individuals shouting, "This is MAGA Country!" because he was both black and gay.
Initially I believed him. As a black man who grew up in the United States, I know that black man have been and are physically assaulted because of racism. As one who has LBGT family members and friends, I know too that others can be beaten or even killed because of their sexual orientation.
In plain English, I had no reason to doubt Smollet's story.
As more and more details emerged about the attack including details that the attack may have been staged that belief changed to a want to believe Smollet.
You see, it would have been horrible if Smollet had indeed been beaten, but it would be far worse if he were lying about the entire incident. If he were lying, it would make it that much harder for the next black or gay person assaulted to be taken seriously. That would endanger just not one person but millions.
Those who are genuinely racist will use Smollet's lies as a smokescreen to cover their violent deeds knowing a seed of doubt has now been planted in America's collective mind. Law enforcement may become more hesitant in believing the victims and start investigations that look more at the victims hat the alleged accusers.
Some conservatives are already using Smollet's alleged lies to attack the left and those who believed him. They will once again claim that racist attacks in the United States are isolated incidents and make it okay to question the victim's validity.
I still want to believe Jussie but in light of everything that's coming out, I no longer can. His story doesn't add up.
I don't know what Jussie Smollet was thinking or what he set out to do by lying about being attacked, but I do know that whatever his intentions he has only made things worse.
Spike Lee the legendary director of films such as 'She's gotta Have It' and 'Do The Right Thing' has finally been nominated for a 'Best Director' nomination from the Academy Awards.
Lee's film BlackKklansman which is based on the true story of a Black man who led an investigation into the Ku Klux Klan is nominated for six Oscars, including Best Director for Lee and Best Picture.
In 2015 received Lee an honorary Oscar for his contributions to film making. It is his only Oscar.
List of the 6 Oscar nominations for Spike Lee's film BlackKklansman:
Best Director.
Best Picture.
Best Supporting Actor.
Best Adapted Screenplay.
Best Original Music Score.
Best Film Editing.
The Oscars air February 24, 2019, 8:00 PM EST on ABC.
Sony Music has decided to dissolve its working relationship with R. Kelly, Variety has learned.
No external announcement of the move is planned in the immediate future, says a source, who added that the company took its time to wade through the issues “responsibly” and avoid legal ramifications. R. Kelly was removed from the RCA Records website, which lists the label’s signed artists, shortly after 10 a.m. PT on Friday, Jan. 18.
Kelly’s back catalog will remain with RCA/Sony. Kelly’s last release with the label was a Christmas-themed album in 2016, although he has released several songs independently since that time, presumably with Sony’s consent, and Tweeted earlier this year that he has a new album on the way.
Contacted by Variety, reps for both RCA Records and its parent company, Sony Music, declined comment. His current adviser, Don Russell, told Rolling Stone that several record labels are “very interested” in working with Kelly. “We understand RCA’s position: they have to remain transparent for the sake of the other artists that they represent and generate wealth for,” he said. “They’re not in the position of dealing with the kind of stuff that has come about with R. Kelly. He has no issue with RCA. I think he’s outgrown RCA. He’s ready for the next level of life, anyway.” TV journalist Jawn Murray tells Variety that he learned from a Sony Music source that Kelly was informed of the label’s decision to part ways with him last Thursday.
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 7, 2019 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller, and the supernatural, today announced the upcoming premiere of its first original documentary feature, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. Based on the acclaimed book of the same name by Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman, Horror Noire takes a critical look at a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and embraced both black filmmakers and black audiences.
The film features in-depth interviews with noted directors, writers, and actors, including Ernest Dickerson (Bones), Rusty Cundieff (Tales from the Hood), Jordan Peele (Us), Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned), Tony Todd (Candyman), Paula Jai Parker (Tales from the Hood), Tananarive Due (My Soul to Keep), and Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman. Horror Noire will premiere exclusively on Shudder on Thursday, February 7, after special screening events in New York and Los Angeles earlier in the month.
“After I saw Oscar winner Jordan Peele’s Get Out, I created a UCLA class around Black Horror called The Sunken Place,” said executive producer Tananarive Due. “The text I recommended was Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman’s Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to the Present. So I was so thrilled to help bring this story to life on the screen. Horror Noire is about the history of black horror films, but it’s also a testament to the power of representation and how horror is such a visceral way to fight racial trauma: our real pain and fear, but from a safer distance – while we get stronger.”
“The horror genre is daring, unflinching pedagogy. It is like a syllabus of our social, political, and racial world,” said executive producer Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman. “The horror film is fascinating if for no other reason than that it prides itself on snuggling up next to the taboo, while confounding our sense of good and evil, the monstrous and divine, and the sacred and profane. It is one of the most intrepid of entertainment forms in its scrutiny of our humanity and our foibles. It is my sincere hope that Horror Noire will spark fierce debate and trigger even more exacting, nuanced explorations into the power of horror.”
Beginning with the silent film era, Horror Noire explores the often overlooked and downplayed history of Black Americans in Hollywood: the emergence of black leading men in genre cinema in the late ‘60s with Night of the Living Dead and into the ‘70s with Blacula and films of the blaxploitation era; Candyman and the growing popularity of urban horror in the 1990s; up to the genre’s recent resurgence with movies like the Oscar-winning, critical and commercial hit Get Out.
“There are messages of humanity and survival that Black storytellers and performers have been expressing in horror since the genre’s beginning,” said Ashlee Blackwell, a producer and co-writer of Horror Noire as well as the founder and managing editor of Graveyard Shift Sisters, a website dedicated to the topic of Black women in horror. “It’s been an exciting journey to work with a team to bring this once hidden history to life and out of the shadows.”
Horror Noire is adapted from Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman’s landmark influential 2011 book, Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present, a comprehensive chronological survey of the genre. Both book and film provide a unique social history of blacks in America as seen through their changing images in horror films.
Horror Noire features interviews with filmmakers and scholars, showcasing a who’s who of black horror cinema, from those who survived the genre’s past trends to those shaping its future.
Ernest Dickerson Director, Bones, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
Jordan Peele Writer/ Director, Get Out, Us
Keith David Actor, The Thing
Kelly Jo Minter Actor, The People Under the Stairs
Ken Foree Actor, Dawn of the Dead
Ken Sagoes Actor, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Loretta Devine Actor, Urban Legend
Mark H. Harris Creator, BlackHorrorMovies.com
Meosha Bean Filmmaker
Miguel A. Nuñez Actor, Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
Monica Suriyage Filmmaker
Paula Jai Parker Actor, Tales from the Hood
Rachel True Actor, The Craft
Richard Lawson Actor, Scream Blacula Scream
Robin R. Means Coleman, PhD Author/ Educator
Rusty Cundieff Co-Writer/ Director, Tales from the Hood
Tananarive Due Author/ Educator
Tina Mabry Writer/ Director, Mississippi Damned
Tony Todd Actor, Candyman
William Crain Director, Blacula
Horror Noire is directed by Xavier Burgin, executive produced by Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman, Tananarive Due, Fangoria Editor-in-Chief Phil Nobile Jr and Kelly Ryan of Stage 3 Productions, and is produced and co-written by Ashlee Blackwell and Danielle Burrows.
“Horror Noire is an important and timely documentary that explores an overlooked part of the horror genre that’s only just beginning to get the attention it deserves,” said Shudder’s general manager, Craig Engler. “We’re honored and thrilled to help bring this project to life and share it with the world.”
Ahead of its Shudder debut on February 7, Horror Noire will have its world premiere Friday, February 1, in collaboration with Beyond Fest and the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, CA, headlining two days of screenings with special guests in celebration of black horror. More information and tickets will be available soon at americancinemathequecalendar.com.
Then on Monday, February 4, Horror Noire will have its east coast premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, followed by a panel conversation featuring executive producer Tananarive Due, writer/producer Ashlee Blackwell, filmmaker R. Shanea Williams, and comics writer Greg Anderson Elysee. The film will screen on a double bill with Rusty Cundieff’s 1995 classic, Tales from the Hood. Tickets for this special event will be on sale Monday, January 7 at BAM.org.
WATCH THE TRAILER
ABOUT SHUDDER
AMC Networks’ SHUDDER is a premium streaming video service, super-serving fans of all degrees with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering thrillers, suspense, and horror. SHUDDER’s expanding library of film, TV series, and originals is available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, and Germany on most streaming devices for 4.99/month or 49.99/year. To experience SHUDDER commitment-free for 7 days, visit www.shudder.com.
LOS ANGELES, CA (January 3, 2019) – The 50th NAACP Image Awards will air LIVE on TV One, a division of Urban One, Inc., on March 30, 2019. For the first time ever, the telecast will take place from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. The announcement was made today by NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman Leon W. Russell, NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Urban One, Inc. & Chairman/CEO, TV One Alfred Liggins and TV One General Manager Michelle Rice.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishment 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. The upcoming telecast, the 50th Anniversary of the NAACP Image Awards, will also spotlight the significant contributions of the NAACP and the impact the organization has had on our community and country.
In addition to the live telecast, TV One will also air special programming honoring this year’s nominees and spotlighting significant moments. The network will provide promotional support for both programs on TV One, Radio One and Reach Media, Interactive One, and via a multi-platform marketing campaign.
“The 50th Anniversary of the Image Awards represents a major milestone in bringing visibility to the outstanding achievements of African Americans in entertainment, literature, and arts, as well as the NAACP’s ongoing advocacy for equality of opportunity in our society without regard for race,” said the NAACP’s Derrick Johnson. “We are sincerely grateful for our continued partnership with TV One and look forward to working with them on the 50th anniversary show, added Johnson.
“We are honored to continue our partnership with the NAACP to remain the television home for the Image Awards,” said Liggins of TV One. “The NAACP 50th Anniversary Image Awards is an important milestone for the African American community and we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer this special programming once again to our viewers. As we prepare to celebrate the network’s 15th anniversary next year, we look forward to this very special night.”
“African Americans have had a tremendous impact on society and culture, a fact that we’re excited to celebrate with the telecast of the 50th NAACP Image Awards on TV One,” said Michelle Rice, General Manager. “As we honor this year’s biggest achievements and the incredible 50 year legacy of the NAACP Image Awards, we’re proud to continue the network’s mission to represent the richness of the Black experience.”
The multi-cultural show is one of the most respected events of its kind and is well attended by many of the top names in the entertainment industry. Airing on MLK day last year, the 49th NAACP Image Awards posted strong year-over-year growth across most demos: Households (+15%), P25-54 (+21%), P18-49 (+44%), W18-49 (+20%), and Total Viewers 2+ (+10%). And, for the night, the special was a Top 5 Cable Telecast among African Americans (Households, AA W25-54, and AA P2+). Additionally, the show has reached 2.4 Million Total Unique Viewers 2+ since airing in January 2018.
TV One also delivered a strong performance on its social platforms during last year’s awards telecast, with #ImageAwards trending #2 nationally beginning at 9 p.m. ET and continuing in the Top 5 until 3 a.m. ET. The network generated more than 305 million impressions on Twitter using #ImageAwards and #RepresentTheDream, while traffic to the network’s website tvone.tv increased by +59% in page views. The site saw an increase of +25% for all NAACP Image Awards related content and delivered 183,000 page views (from 10/1/2017 – 1/17/2018 vs. 10/1/2016 – 2/14/2017) over 2017.
Previous telecasts included stellar talent such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Steve Harvey, Audra Day, John Legend, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Chadwick Boseman, Terry Crews, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Isaiah Washington, Jacob Latimore, Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Jurnee Smollett, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, and many more.
The production team will be returning including Executive Producers Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin, Tony McCuin as Director, Byron Phillips as Co-Executive Producer, and Robin Reinhardt as Talent Producer.
For all information and latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at www.naacpimageawards.net.
Nominations for the “50th NAACP Image Awards” will be announced February.
Renton, Washington is honoring one of its late legends with one of the least rock-n-roll buildings: a post office. The Seattle suburb is naming a post office after Jimi Hendrix.
The post office in Renton is down the street from where Hendrix was raised and only a few blocks from where he was buried. The decision to rename the Renton Highlands Post Office to the James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix Post Office came after a bill to change the name passed unanimously.
"I am honored to join in paying tribute to rock and roll icon and Seattle native Jimi Hendrix with the renaming of the Renton Highlands Post Office as the James Marshall ‘Jimi Hendrix Post Office Building,” U.S. House of Representatives member Adam Smith said in a statement. “This designation will further celebrate Hendrix’s deep connection to the Puget Sound region and help ensure that his creative legacy will be remembered by our community and inspire future generations.”
The Seattle Times notes that the move to change the name of the post office was supported by the Northwest African American Museum's director LaNesha DeBardelaben.
“His legendary artistic genius chartered new territory within world music,” DeBardelaben said in a statement supporting the name-changing bill. “While his reach was international in scope, his roots trace back to Seattle and we are proud to richly celebrate his legacy as part of his hometown community.”
The Five Heartbeats, Robert Townsend’s story about the trials and tribulations of a band of five talented guys in a musical group during the rise of Motown, is on its way to Broadway.
The story is loosely inspired by the behind-the-scenes rise of such groups as The Temptations and The Dells.
The Broadway play will “tell a similar story with music that people know from the movie, but there is a composer, Grammy-Award winner, a guy who has won some big awards who already said he will write an original song for us,” said Townsend. He told Deadline that he is in negotiations with a Broadway producer and is writing the Broadway play with Kennen Ivory Wayans,” his original partner on the The Five Heartbeats’ movie script.
Taking this story to Broadway will bring it full circle for Townsend, who started his acting career in theater — first in the Windy City as part of ExBag (which later become the Chicago Theater Company) and then in New York acting Off Broadway with Woodie King, Jr. and the New Federal Theater troupe.
Set in present day along the iconic Northern California coastline, Us, from Monkeypaw Productions, stars Oscar® winner Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide Wilson, a woman returning to her beachside childhood home with her husband, Gabe (Black Panther’s Winston Duke), and their two children (Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex) for an idyllic summer getaway.
Haunted by an unexplainable and unresolved trauma from her past and compounded by a string of eerie coincidences, Adelaide feels her paranoia elevate to high-alert as she grows increasingly certain that something bad is going to befall her family.
After spending a tense beach day with their friends, the Tylers (Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Cali Sheldon, Noelle Sheldon), Adelaide and her family return to their vacation home. When darkness falls, the Wilsons discover the silhouette of four figures holding hands as they stand in the driveway. Us pits an endearing American family against a terrifying and uncanny opponent: doppelgängers of themselves.
Nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on Thursday morning show live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Three films with black directors and predominantly black cast were nominated in the Golden Globes Best Picture-Drama category. Those three films are Black Panther (directed by Ryan Coogler) , Blackkklansman (directed by Spike Lee), and If Beale Street Could Talk (directed by Barry Jenkins).
Blackkklansman received three other nominations. The film was also nominated for best director (Spike Lee) best actor (John David Washington) and best-supporting actor (Adam Driver).
If Beale Street Could Talk also had Regina King nominated in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture and Barry Jenkins for Best Screenplay-Motion Picture (“If Beale Street Could Talk”)
Marvel's Black Panther was nominated in the Best Original Score category (Ludwig Goransson), Best Original Song-Motion Picture for the Kendrick Lamar and SZA song "All the Stars."
Although Green Book was not directed by a black director its worth noting that Mahershala Ali was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting in Any Movie.
ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey has stepped down.
Dungey’s departure — she will leave after a transition period — comes less than three years after she made history by becoming the first African American to lead a major TV network.
Her exit was not unexpected, given the wholesale changes to Disney’s television empire in Burbank. Disney is spending $71.3 billion to buy much of Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox media company, in large part, to turbocharge its TV operations because the company plans to roll out a Disney-branded streaming service in late 2019.
Dungey, 49, was promoted to the post in early 2016 at a time when a lack of diversity in Hollywood’s executive suites was drawing increased scrutiny. A veteran development executive, Disney leaders championed Dungey’s taste and collaborative approach.
She repaired relationships with high-profile producers and guided the launch of a few new hits, including “Speechless,” “The Good Doctor,” “The Rookie” and “Roseanne,” which exploded into one television’s biggest hits. But that sit-com fell apart last spring after its star, Roseanne Barr, made racist remarks on Twitter. Dungey pushed for Barr’s firing — a move that was supported by the Disney brass.
“I’m grateful to Channing for her significant contributions and unwavering dedication to the success of ABC over the past 14 years,” Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said in a statement. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to work with and mentor Channing; her curiosity, passion and creativity will ensure she is successful in whatever path she chooses going forward.”
Dungey, in a statement, said she was “incredibly proud of what the team and I have accomplished over the years, and all the meaningful and impactful programming we’ve developed. This job has been the highlight of my career.”
Pharrell Williams sent President Donald Trump a cease and desist letter against using the song “Happy” after the song was played at a rally in Indiana on Saturday, the same day Robert Bowers allegedly killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Trump is accused of violating federal law (copyright and trademark infringement) for using the song without Williams’s permission.
“On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist,’ you played his song ‘Happy’ to a crowd at a political event in Indiana,” read the letter. “There was nothing ‘Happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose.”
The White House and a Trump attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
News of the cancellation comes four months after the superhero action drama from Marvel Television debuted its second season on the streaming service — and just days after Netflix pulled the plug on another Marvel show, “Iron Fist.”
“Unfortunately, ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ will not return for a third season. Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem’s Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series,” Netflix and Marvel Television said in a joint statement.
A source tells Variety that talks for a third season had taken place, but that Netflix ultimately decided that one would not be feasible.
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today it has renewed for a fourth season its hit megachurch drama series “Greenleaf” from Lionsgate, award-winning writer/executive producer Craig Wright, and executive producers Clement Virgo, Kriss Turner Towner, and Oprah Winfrey. The series stars Merle Dandridge as Grace Greenleaf, Lynn Whitfield as Lady Mae Greenleaf, and Keith David as Bishop Greenleaf. Season three guest stars include the legendary Patti LaBelle as Maxine Patterson, Iyanla Vanzant appearing as herself, and Beau Bridges as Bob Whitmore.
The announcement comes as the acclaimed drama (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT) delivered a season high in its Wednesday time period (9/12) with more than 2.3 million viewers (up +8% vs. year ago L+3) and a 1.90 rating in the network’s key women 25-54 demo (+7% vs. year ago L+3). It was also the #1 telecast of the night for African American viewers across all of broadcast and cable. Year to date, OWN boasts five of the top 20 original scripted series on ad-supported cable among W25-54, more than any other network.
“‘Greenleaf’ is a cornerstone of our scripted programming slate and pulls in millions of viewers each week with its unique storylines and powerful characters,” said Erik Logan, president, OWN. “We are very proud of this show, the incredible cast, producers and crew, and can’t wait for more twists and turns from the Greenleaf family in season four.”
About “Greenleaf”
(Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT)
In tonight’s all-new episode, the Bishop (Keith David) and Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield) make alternate plans after Clara (Donna Biscoe) denies them the check for the IRS bill. Grace (Merle Dandridge) tends to Sophia (Desiree Ross) when a medical emergency sends her daughter to the hospital.
In season three of “Greenleaf,” all the turbulent forces that Grace’s (Merle Dandridge) return to Memphis unleashed threaten to destroy not just the church her family built, but the family itself. Fallout from last season's shocking revelation of Bishop’s (Keith David) infidelities with Lady Mae’s (Lynn Whitfield) sister, as well as reverberations from his current dalliance with that insidious Jezebel, Rochelle Cross (LeToya Luckett) lead to all-out war in the Greenleaf home, setting the Bishop and Lady Mae on a collision course that, unless God or Grace intervenes, can only end one way: divorce. In the wake of the marital mayhem, Lady Mae rushes to reconnect with Maxine Patterson (Patti LaBelle), an old friend and now a world-famous Christian motivational speaker, in an attempt to reclaim her forsaken call to preach and thus do what no First Lady has done before — survive as the sole head pastor of a megachurch after a major rift between its founding couple. Grace, meanwhile, works undercover in the company of Rochelle, hoping to discover Rochelle's motives and true identity before the Bishop is swept away on a raging river of vanity and desire. Across town at Triumph, Jacob (Lamman Rucker) and Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne) try not to make the same mistakes Bishop and Lady Mae made as they work to build their own evangelical empire and manage parenting their teenage daughter Zora (Lovie Simone), but the roots of sin delve deep and old habits die hard. Sophia’s (Desiree Ross) faith is tested when an unforeseen medical issue arises; Charity (Deborah Joy Winans) struggles to make peace with Kevin (Tye White) and find her place in the world; and Grace works to keep an abused woman from death row for the crime of defending her own life. Meanwhile, Darius (Rick Fox) finds himself in conflict due to being entangled in an increasingly strained relationship with Grace.
“Greenleaf” is produced for OWN by Lionsgate in association with Harpo Films and Pine City. Executive producers are Oprah Winfrey, Craig Wright (“Lost,” “Six Feet Under”), Clement Virgo (“The Book of Negroes”), and Kriss Turner Towner (“The Romanoffs,” “Black Monday”).
Viewers can catch up on the show’s complete first and second seasons on Netflix. For photography and additional show information please visit Greenleaf Press Web and http://www.greenleafown.tv/.
About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today's most innovative storytellers. OWN’s original scripted series include popular dramas “Queen Sugar,” “Greenleaf,” “Love Is__,” “The Have and Have Nots, “If Loving You is Wrong,” hit sitcom “The Paynes,” and upcoming drama series “David Makes Man” from Academy Award-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and “Ambitions” from box office hit-maker Will Packer. OWN’s Saturday night unscripted programming lineup includes “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” “Book of John Gray,” “Black Love,” “Mind Your Business with Mahisha” and the recently announced dating series “Ready to Love.” OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and https://press.discovery.com/us/own/.
About Lionsgate:
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content leader whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, video games, esports and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate’s content initiatives are backed by a nearly 17,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global sales and distribution infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the Company’s worldwide consumer base.
Blackish star Jenifer Lewis made a statement on the 2018 Emmys red carpet with a show of support for Colin Kaepernick.
Wearing a Nike sweatshirt with a bedazzled swoosh across the chest, black leggings and black and white shoes, the Black-ish star sported the athletic look ahead of the 70th primetime Emmy awards to stand in solidarity with Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, whose kneeling protests against racial injustice during the national anthem before football games sparked a social movement last year, became the face of Nike’s new “Just Do It” campaign in September.
“I am wearing Nike to applaud them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against racial injustice and police brutality,” Lewis told Variety on the Emmys red carpet.
Lewis said she had thought about what she could do that would be a meaningful contribution. “I’ll wear Nike,” she said. “I’ll wear Nike to say thank you. Thank you for leading the resistance. We need more corporate America to stand up also.”
