What's news: Brooklyn Nine-Nine ended its eight-season run. With the Emmys only days away, host Cedric the Entertainer talks about walking that "tightrope" in "hyper-sensitive" times. There's been a confirmed case of COVID-19 at TIFF. Plus: Stephen Soderbergh and Eddie Alcazar are reteaming for a new movie — Abid Rahman
Emmy Host Cedric the Entertainer on Crafting Jokes for Sensitive Audiences
►"You’ve got to be yourself." Veteran comedian Cedric the Entertainer is no stranger to blue comedy, but this year’s Emmys emcee — under the weight of cancel culture and declining awards show ratings — wants to do anything but offend: "You don’t know where that line is sometimes. It moves from day to day." The interview.
—Who should win and who will win. THR’s chief TV critic Daniel Fienberg and awards analyst Scott Feinberg, go through the Emmy nominees category by category, and realize they are aligned on Jean Smart ... and not much else. The predictions.
—Fingers crossed for Sunday. Michael K. Williams, the revered character actor who died Sept. 6, might well win an Emmy on Sunday night for his work on HBO’s Lovecraft Country. THR has learned that if Williams’ name is called, his award will be accepted by his nephew and mentee, Dominic Dupont. The story.
—Brutally honest Emmy ballot.THR's notorious pre-awards series returns and our incognito TV Academy voter, a big fan of Queen's Gambit and The Mandalorian ("an example of money well spent") but not of Ryan Murphy ("incredibly self-indulgent"), offers a candid and sometimes caustic take on the year’s key (and confusing) races. The tea.
—Where will Jimmy be? After hosting the 2020 telecast, the audience-free "Pandemmys", Jimmy Kimmel tells THR about his high hopes for Cedric the Entertainer's outing ("He's got a great plan") and why he's watching from home. The story.
Kareem: Shows That Heal (Literally)
►Shows to make you feel better physically and mentally. While recovering from a recent illness (no, not that one), THR columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar curated a mix of shows to help him get back on his feet. Who knew MTV’s The Challenge could nourish the soul? The column.
—Teaser. Guillermo del Toro is unveiling a new nightmare judging by the first teaser for Nightmare Alley, which stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman and David Strathairn. The trailer.
—Positive case. The Toronto Film Festival has confirmed one case of COVID-19 among attendees at a Sept. 11 press conference at Roy Thomson Hall. The story.
—Defamation claim. Nona Gaprindashvili, one of the top chess players in the world in the 1970s, has advanced her pieces against Netflix over The Queen’s Gambit. The Georgian grandmaster filed a defamation suit on Thursday against the streamer, claiming a comment about her in the series got the facts wrong. The story.
—Back together again.THR's Etan Vlessing has the scoop on Steven Soderbergh and director Eddie Alcazar reteaming for Divinity, a thriller set to star Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Jason Genao, Karrueche Tran and Mike O’Hearn. The story.
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Series Finale
►Fitting end. Brooklyn Nine-Nine ended its eight-season run on Fox and NBC with a fitting hour-long closer that paid tribute to one of its most-loved recurring stories. Warning spoilers!The story.
—Pivot to COVID-19. The pandemic played havoc with production on season 2 of Apple's The Morning Show but also provided unexpected inspiration. Just as showrunner Kerry Ehrin initiated a rewrite of the launch season so the media show could tackle the #MeToo movement, the creative team reframed the sophomore season to encompass the frenzied months leading up to the pandemic. The story.
—McDreamy's "HR issues." In her unauthorized Grey’s Anatomy book, Lynette Rice explores the stories behind some of the ABC drama's biggest moments, including — in this exclusive excerpt — the factors that led to Derek Shepherd's shocking death and Patrick Dempsey’s exit. The excerpt.
—"She set me on a path." Andrew Garfield revealed that his mother died of pancreatic cancer ahead of the pandemic and filming his role as Jonathan Larson in the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed cinematic adaptation of Tick, Tick… Boom! The story.
—First look. The Roaring Twenties are over and the Nazis are on the rise in the new season of the hit German-language drama Babylon Berlin. Season four is set in 1930s Berlin and THR has an exclusive first look. The story.
Thank Pod It's Friday
►All the latest content from THR's podcast studio.
—TV's Top 5. Lesley Goldberg and Dan Fienberg break down the latest TV news. This week the guys discuss the big raises for the stars, writes and producers of Ted Lasso. They preview the Emmys and speak to Lynette Rice about her forthcoming Grey’s Anatomy book. Saladin K. Patterson, the showrunner behind The Wonder Years, drops by for a chat. And Dan offers reviews of The Morning Show, The Lost Symbol, The Wonder Years and more. Listen here.
—Awards Chatter.Awards analyst Scott Feinberg talks to the great and the good of Hollywood.In the latest episode, Scott speaks to Hayley Mills. One of the all-time great child stars reflects on anchoring six films for Disney (including Pollyanna and The Parent Trap), breaking into grown-up roles and writing her new memoir Forever Memoir. Listen here.
—Behind the Screen. Tech editor Carolyn Giardina's podcast focuses on the filmmaking crafts. In this episode, Carolyn speaks to Jonas Poher Rasmussen, director of the the upcoming animated doc Flee. Listen here.
—Hollywood Remixed. Senior editor Rebecca Sun's podcast about inclusion and representation in the entertainment industry. In this "Documenting the Undocumented" episode Rebecca speaks to Pulitzer-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas and Blue Bayou director/star Justin Chon. Listen here.
In other news...
—TIFF film review: Keira Knightley and Lily-Rose Depp in Silent Night.
—"How Facebook Hobbled Mark Zuckerberg’s Bid to Get America Vaccinated" [Wall Street Journal]
—"How Epic Games Made a Dent in Apple’s App Store Domination" [New Yorker]
—"20 Times Norm Macdonald Was the Best TV Guest" [Vulture]
—"Andrew Garfield Can’t Remember Who He Was Before Tick, Tick … Boom!" [New York Times]
Today...
... in 1964, ABC debuted a new half-hour comedy Bewitched. The show, which starred Elizabeth Montgomery as witch Samantha and Dick York as her normie husband Darrin Stephens, with Agnes Moorehead as the mother-in-law, ran for eight seasons. The original review.
Today's birthdays: Kyle Chandler (56), Neill Blomkamp (42), Bobby Lee (50), Mena Massoud (30), Baz Luhrmann (59), Sam Esmail (44), Paul Feig (59), James Urbaniak (58), Ella Purnell (25), Matthew Settle (52), Bruce Spence (76), Sunrise Coigney (49)
Jane Powell, the radiant and refined singing star of such ebullient Hollywood musicals as A Date With Judy,Royal Wedding and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, died Thursday. She was 92. The obituary.
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