FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2020
FRIDAY NIGHT TV:
JUNETEENTH: A CELEBRATION OF OVERCOMING (8p ET, ABC) — This ABC News special will focus on the symbolism of the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in America. Appearing during the special will be ABC News Live’s Linsey Davis, Nightline co-anchor Byron Pitts, Whoopi Goldberg and correspondents Deborah Roberts, TJ Holmes, Steve Osunsami and Janai Norman.
WWE SMACKDOWN (8p ET, FOX) — New.
MASTERS OF ILLUSION (8p ET, CW) — New.
BULLY. COWARD. VICTIM. THE STORY OF ROY COHN (8p ET, HBO) — This 2019 documentary (made by director Ivy Meeropol, who is Julius and Ethel Rosenberg’s granddaughter) recalls the controversial attorney who aided Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist witch hunts in the 1950s and later became a mentor to an up-and-coming Manhattan real-estate developer named Donald Trump.
20/20 (9p ET, ABC) — A new, 2-hour edition.
GREAT PERFORMANCES: ANN (9p ET, PBS) — This theatrical biography features Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) as Ann Richards, who served as governor of Texas from 1990-1994.
JUST MERCY (9:45p ET, TNT, TBS, TruTV) — This 2019 film, based on the book of the same name, tells the true story of Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan), a black,Harvard-educated lawyer who bypasses a lucrative career to represent death row inmates in Alabama and the rest of the South starting in the 1980s. In 1989, he traveled to Monroeville, Alabama, in hopes of overturning the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx), an innocent black man who spent six years on death row for the murder of an 18-year-old white woman.
DATELINE (10p ET, NBC) — New.
FRIDAY NIGHT IN WITH THE MORGANS (10p ET, AMC) — New.
SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE (10p ET, AMC) — This retro-styled comedy/variety series marks Juneteenth with a belated Black History Month Spectacular featuring John Legend, Michael Ealy, Lil Rel Howery, and more.
WATCHMEN (HBO.com and on-demand platforms) — This acclaimed series, based on the iconic graphic novel, will stream for free this weekend. The nine episodes will be available from Friday to Sunday (June 21). HBO will also air a marathon of the series starting at 1:00p ET on Friday.
DADS (AppleTV+) — This star-studded documentary, from Bryce Dallas Howard, features Will Smith, Judd Apatow, Jimmy Fallon, Hasan Minaj, Kenan Thompson, Neil Patrick Harris, Ken Jeong, Conan O’Brien, Patton Oswalt, and Bryce’s own dad, Ron Howard, as they celebrate fathers around the world.
SEASON PREMIERE: THE POLITICIAN (Netflix) — Ryan Murphy’s show returns for season 2, which finds Payton Hobart (Ben Platt) fighting to unseat Dede Standish (Judith Light) in the New York State Senate race. Bette Midler, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoey Deutch and Lucy Boynton also return.
7500 (Amazon Prime) — This 2019 action tale stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
FEEL THE BEAT (Netflix) — Sofia Carson (The Descendants) stars in this family-friendly film as a dancer who bombs her big Broadway audition then gets a job coaching a gaggle of scrappy young misfits back in her hometown.
SERIES PREMIERE: THE FLOOR IS LAVA (Netflix) — A new obstacle-course competition show
WASP NETWORK (Netflix) — A Cuban pilot (Edgar Ramírez, Carlos) goes undercover to infiltrate an anti-Castro exile group in 1990s Florida in this fact-based 2019 thriller. Penélope Cruz, Gael García Bernal, Ana de Armas (Knives Out) and Wagner Moura (Narcos) also star.
SATURDAY TV:
152ND BELMONT STAKES (2:45p ET, NBC) — For the first time ever, the Belmont Stakes will be the first leg of the American Triple Crown of horse racing. Usually the last of the three races, the Belmont Stakes was postponed from Saturday, June 6 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Post time will be at approximately 5:42p ET. The Kentucky Derby was pushed back to September 5, with the Preakness on Oct. 3rd.
THE LAST DANCE (8p ET, ABC) — Episodes 9 and 10.
FORD V FERRARI (8p ET, HBO) — Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in this fact based 2019 drama as car designer Carroll Shelby and racer Ken Miles.
48 HOURS (10p ET, CBS) — New.
THE GREAT AMERICAN GROOM-A-LONG (10p ET, Animal Planet) — From his horse farm in Pennsylvania, Carson Kressley hosts this special that features professional groomers as they virtually instruct famous pet owners over Zoom. The special will feature Dennis Quaid and his miniature bulldog Peaches; singer Aubrey O’Day with dogs Mary Ann (Pomeranian) and Ginger (Maltese); eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno and his girlfriend, actress Bianca Stam, along with their dog Sesame (terrier mix); and Kym Herjavec (Dancing With the Stars) and Robert Herjavec (Shark Tank) with dog Lola (Bichon-frisé/Pomeranian mix).
SUNDAY TV:
HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT (7p ET, NBC) — New. Bill Nye, Bobby Moynihan, Amber Riley, Fortune Feimster, Miranda Cosgrove and Adam Pally compete.
UNITED WE SING: A GRAMMY TRIBUTE TO THE UNSUNG HEROES (8p ET, CBS) — Hosted by Harry Connick, Jr., this 2-hour special features Harry and his daughter, Georgia Connick, as they take an RV road trip to thank and celebrate essential workers. Sandra Bullock, Drew Brees, Queen Latifah, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey and Renée Zellweger will appear, with performances by Jon Batiste, Harry Connick, Jr., Andra Day, Jamie Foxx, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw and more.
JOHN LEGEND AND FAMILY: A BIGGER LOVE FATHER’S DAY (8p ET, ABC) — This special, hosted by John Legend features Chrissy Teigen, Stevie Wonder, Anthony Anderson, Shaquille O’Neal, Common, Scottie Pippen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Patton Oswalt, Marlon Wayans, Ne-Yo and more!
ABC NEWS INTERVIEW WITH JOHN BOLTON (8p ET, ABC) — Martha Raddatz speaks with John Bolton, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, about his new book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir.
THE 2020 ESPYS (9p ET, ESPN) — Celebrating inspiring humanitarian efforts and the year in sports. Virtually hosted by Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Russell Wilson.
SEASON PREMIERE: YELLOWSTONE (9p ET, Paramount) — The Dutton family saga continues in season 3, as Josh Holloway (Lost) and Jennifer Landon (daughter of the late legendary actor Michael Landon) join the cast. Kevin Costner stars.
SERIES PREMIERE: PERRY MASON (9p ET, HBO) — This new noir drama follows the origins of American fiction’s most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason (Matthew Rhys, The Americans). When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason’s relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and perhaps a pathway to redemption. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) and John Lithgow also star.
SEASON PREMIERE: THE CHI (9p ET, Showtime) — Before the season 3 premiere, there will be a virtual concert to raise money for the Equal Justice Initiative. The Chi With Love hour-long special will be at 7p ET on Showtime’s YouTube channel and will feature a performance by Common and remarks from the show’s creator Lena Waithe. Other performers include “The Chi” star Jacob Latimore and Chicago artists Twista, Ravyn Lenae, Jamila Woods, BJ The Chicago Kid and MFnMelo.
SERIES PREMIERE: TOURNAMENT OF LAUGHS (10p ET, TBS) — This seven episode virtual comedy competition series is hosted by Jason Sudeikis and will feature 32 comedians facing off in a single-elimination bracket-style tournament, with each episode featuring multiple match-ups. After the episode, the audience will decide who moves forward, via phone and online voting, with the winning comics returning for the next round. Featured comedians include Jeff Ross, Margaret Cho, Gilbert Gottfried, Michael Rapaport, Natasha Leggero, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and many more.
SEASON PREMIERE: NOS4A2 (10p ET, AMC) — The 10-episode second season picks up eight years after the events of season one, with Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings) more determined than ever to destroy Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto).
Showbiz News and Gossip…
SEASON 19 OF THE VOICE WILL INCLUDE BLAKE, GWEN, KELLY AND JOHN
_ Gwen Stefani is returning as a coach on Season 19 of The Voice. Gwen will join boyfriend Blake Shelton — who has served as a coach on every season — Kelly Clarkson and John Legend in the red chairs when the show returns this fall. Gwen served as a coach during Seasons 7, 9, 12 and 17. Kelly has been a coach on Seasons 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. John coached on Seasons 16, 17 and 18.
… The Voice will return to NBC this fall on Monday and Tuesday nights.
THE INVISIBLE MAN IS AT THE TOP OF THE BOX OFFICE AGAIN
_ The Invisible Man — a movie that opened in February, and is already on digital and Blu-ray — has ended up at the top of the box office once again. The Invisible Man box office numbers have put it at No. 1 for the second time in its sixteenth weekend. Of the top 105 grossing theaters in the country, 102 of them were drive-ins. So while traditional movie theaters are still shuttered, newish films are available to be seen on the big, big screen, and of those films The Invisible Man is at the top.
… Second at drive-ins is Trolls World Tour, followed by Back to the Future (correct).
JAMIE FOXX BULKS UP TO PLAY MIKE TYSON
_ Jamie Foxx is becoming Mike Tyson: he’s got the voice down, and now he’s showing off his pumped body. Foxx is starring in an upcoming biopic about the boxing legend — he’ll play both young Mike and older Mike. He’s been working on the project for years. Foxx says he has a daily workout regimen of 60 pull ups, 60 dips, and 100 push ups.
… As for lower body? There’s a different plan for that: “I ain’t got no legs, I ain’t got no calf muscles so we’re gonna have to get some prosthetics for that.”
NICKELODEON IS REBOOTING THE SMURFS
_ Nickelodeon will premiere in 2021 an all-new original CG-animated Smurfs series. The Smurfs, a Belgian comic franchise, has spawned three feature films and a 1981-89 NBC TV series.
THE TALK STARS TO HOST THE VIRTUAL DAYTIME EMMYS
_ The cast of The Talk will host a virtual Daytime Emmys. Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood, Eve, Carrie Ann Inaba and Marie Osmond will host the Daytime Emmys when the ceremony returns to CBS for the first time since 2011. The June 26 ceremony will be produced remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
CELEBRITY GAME FACE
_ Kevin Hart and his wife Eniko will host E!’s Celebrity Game Face, a game show special featuring celebrity couples. The July 6 special will feature celebrity couples Terry and Rebecca Crews, Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams, and Joel and Sarah McHale for a socially distant game night.
… An E! press release explains the show: “The pairs will show off their teenage dance moves in a tik ‘talk’ challenge, feed each other a messy meal with a twist, attempt to interpret what their partners are saying while their mouths are full, and race through their homes to find unexpected items to solve riddles. At the end of the night, the couples are awarded money for their charity of choice, but only one team will win the coveted ‘Hart of a Champion’ trophy, which is a gold statue of baby Kevin Hart.” • TRAILER
WHY LADY GAGA GAVE HER JACKET TO A FAN
_ Lady Gaga gave one fan the gift of a lifetime. Earlier this week, the singer was photographed handing fan Shannon McKee her leather jacket outside of a market in Malibu, California. McKee, who didn’t recognize Gaga at first, complimented the singer’s jacket. Once McKee realized who she had just complimented, she decided to seize the moment and praise Gaga for being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
… McKee then told Gaga: “My best friend back in high school was a huge fan of yours. And you’re the reason he actually came out to me. And his first five tattoos are all dedicated to you, and my brother just recently came out to me, too. So I just wanted to say thank you for being such an incredible ally.”
… McKee said that Gaga was touched by the story, took off her jacket and said, “You loved my jacket so much … it’s yours. Put it on right now. You be bad a– with it now.”
COMING TO DISNEY+ NEXT MONTH
_ Each month the streaming services announce what’s coming soon, and Disney+ is no different. A couple of notables for July:
• July 3: Hamilton. An unforgettable cinematic stage performance, the filmed version of the original Broadway production of Hamilton combines the best elements of live theater, film and streaming to bring the cultural phenomenon to homes around the world for a thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
• July 31: Muppets Now. This is The Muppets Studio’s first unscripted series and first original series for Disney+. In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppet gang throws at him.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE JOINED TWITTER
_ Jennifer Lawrence shared her first tweet the other day, which was a call to action for the Attorney General of Kentucky to take action to hold accountable those responsible for Breonna Taylor’s death. Lawrence wrote: “For three months since her murder Breonna Taylor’s family, the people of Louisville, Americans across the country, and many around the world have called out for justice. We must not allow the erasure of Black women to continue in America.”
“ALIEN” PRODUCER REVEALS IDEA FOR FIFTH MOVIE
_ Alien: Resurrection is widely considered a low point for the iconic sci-fi franchise and was hardly the sendoff Sigourney Weaver‘s Ellen Ripley deserved. Plans to set this right with a further sequel have been discussed on more than one occasion but have never happened, most likely because series mastermind Ridley Scott chose to pursue a raft of prequels to the 1979 original, rather than plot out further adventures for the heroine. Following Alien: Covenant‘s underwhelming box office performance and Disney’s acquisition of Fox, rumors of a fifth movie now seem more believable. In fact, long-time Aliens producer and writer Walter Hill has just revealed a screenplay outline for an all-new sequel featuring Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley.
… This doesn’t guarantee a fifth Alien film will happen, but it does mean Hollywood is thinking about it.
CORY BOOKER AND ROSARIO DAWSON ARE MOVING IN TOGETHER
_ Sen. Cory Booker and Rosario Dawson are taking the next step in their relationship. Although they’ve been quarantining separately, Dawson is moving in with Booker in Newark, New Jersey.
LORI LOUGHLIN IS ‘SCARED’ SHE’LL CATCH CORONAVIRUS IN PRISON
_ A source says Lori Loughlin fears she will contract coronavirus once she begins serving her prison sentence for her involvement in the nationwide college admissions scandal. While Loughlin, who’s 55, has expressed remorse for her actions, a judge will ultimately determine how much time she spends behind bars.
… The Full House alum and husband Mossimo Giannulli pleaded guilty to fraud charges in May. They were previously accused of paying $500,000 to gain their daughters entry into the University of Southern California. Loughlin agreed to two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service, though she is expected to be officially sentenced in August.
KELLY CLARKSON ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME
_ Kelly Clarkson has just been announced as the recipient of a huge honor: She’s one of 35 newly announced celebrities who’ll be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kelly will be inducted in the category of Recording, as part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2021. Other Recording inductees in the Class of 2021 include superstar country duo The Judds, country star Trisha Yearwood, singer Don McLean, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Jefferson Airplane, hitmaking R&B vocal group The Chi-Lites, groundbreaking female rappers Salt-N-Pepa and Missy Elliott, and the late jazz icon Charlie Parker.
… Others who’ve been announced as honorees include Courteney Cox, Laura Linney, Don Cheadle, Josh Brolin, Zac Efron, Shia LaBeouf, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, Christian Slater, Nick Cannon, and the late opera singer Luciano Pavarotti. There will also be a special double star for Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw, stars of the classic 1970 movie Love Story.
SCOOB! TO LAND ON HBO MAX NEXT WEEK
_ About a month and a half after it made its debut online for premium video on demand, the animated film Scoob! will launch on HBO Max on June 26. Providing voices in the film are Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, Ken Jeong, and Tracy Morgan.
HOW ABC WILL FILM THE BACHELORETTE AND DANCING WITH THE STARS
_ ABC says Clare Crawley’s Bachelorette season will be filmed under quarantine, with no cast or crew member allowed to leave the production during filming. ABC says Dancing with the Stars “will rely on lessons from other territories where the reality competition is produced.”
THAT ’70S SHOW’S DANNY MASTERSON FACING 45 YEARS IN PRISON _ Actor Danny Masterson, who was made famous for his role in That ’70s Show, has been charged with forcibly raping three women in separate incidents in his Hollywood Hills home and is facing 45 years in prison if convicted. He was arrested by the LAPD on Wednesday morning, and was released in the afternoon on $3.3 million bail.
… Masterson’s lawyer immediately released a statement and has denied all charges against his client. Masterson has been under investigation by the LAPD for nearly three years and was recently dropped by the Netflix series The Ranch in December 2017.
KEANU REEVES AUCTIONING OFF A 15-MINUTE ZOOM CHAT FOR CHARITY
_ Have you ever wanted to talk to Keanu Reeves? Well, you now have the opportunity to have a 15-minute Zoom chat with him. Reeves is auctioning off the online chat for an Idaho-based children’s cancer-fighting non-profit. The bidding began at $10,000 but has since risen to $16,500 (check)
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CINEMARK ADDS FRESH AIR, CASHLESS TICKETING
_ Cinemark, one of the nation’s largest cinema operators, will start reopening its doors Friday, adding new measures that it hopes will counter any risk of a COVID-19 outbreak and reassure customers.
The theater company said it will stagger the reopening of its theaters across the country in four phases, starting with three locations in Dallas, and the remaining phases to take place between July 3 and July 17.
… Cinemark employees will undergo training to deal with the new health risks and will wear masks and gloves while working, in addition to completing a wellness check before each shift. To ensure social distancing, theater capacity will be capped so the seats next to each booking group are kept free. Customers will have to wear masks where states or counties mandate it, otherwise where there are no such rules the chain said guests are “strongly encouraged to wear face masks.”
… Auditoriums will be disinfected daily and highly trafficked areas such as drink stands will be sanitized every 30 minutes, and there will be safety monitors to enforce the new rules. Other measures include increasing the fresh air intake to improve air quality, limiting the use of cash, and relying on digital ticketing.
QUIBI COULD BE COMING TO AMAZON AND ROKU DEVICES
_ Fresh on the heels of a report that they’re going to majorly miss subscriber goals, Quibi is making some big moves to boost viewership. After debuting as a “mobile-only” streaming service, Quibi quickly found that people wanted to watch content on their televisions. The only problem: Quibi hadn’t prepared for it, so they were stuck with their format. Some changes to allow “casting” to TVs have been rolled out, but there was no presence on the two biggest platforms — Amazon and Roku.
… Now though, according to a report from Variety, that could be changing. Quibi has been in talks with both Roku and Amazon to add their streaming app to those platforms.
CHRISTOPHER MELONI’S LAW & ORDER: ORGANIZED CRIME WILL DEBUT ON NBC THIS FALL
_ NBC said Tuesday its fall lineup will definitely include the Law & Order: SVU spinoff Law & Order: Organized Crime. Christopher Meloni will be back has his SVU character, Elliot Stabler, “who returns to the NYPD to battle organized crime after a devastating personal loss.” The show will air on Thursday nights after SVU, which stars Mariska Hargitay and is kicking off its 22nd season.
FIRST TRAILER FOR “THE BATMAN” REPORTEDLY COMING IN AUGUST
_ With only a few weeks of shooting completed before the pandemic escalated, the cast and crew of The Batman will be desperate to get back on set. While there’s no concrete date set for filming to resume, with restrictions being relaxed around the world, it’ll only be a matter of time before the Dark Knight’s latest reboot is back in front of cameras. The movie has seen a minor delay after being pushed back from a June 20201 to October 2021 release.
… According to sources, the studio behind The Batman want a teaser trailer for the film to be ready for August.
BILL MURRAY, DAN AYKROYD AND SIGOURNEY WEAVER JOIN VIRTUAL GHOSTBUSTERS REUNION
_ The cast of Ghostbusters reunited for a good cause on Josh Gad’s Reunited Apart YouTube show. To raise funds for the Equal Justice Initiative, Gad hosted the stars of the 1984 hit film, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts. Director Ivan Reitman also joined, along with his son Jason Reitman, who wrote and directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, scheduled for release next year. Gad revealed on Instagram that the reunion has raised $130,000 and counting for the Equal Justice Initiative.
WWE CANCELS TV TAPINGS AFTER WRESTLER TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS
_ A WWE developmental wrestler who was at the wrestling company’s training center in Orlando last week has tested positive for coronavirus. As a result, WWE canceled its Tuesday television tapings and will test all talent and on-site employees for COVID-19.
… WWE has been running weekly shows from its training center for roughly three months amid the pandemic. The company was running the shows without fans, but recently had some of its developmental wrestlers situated around the ring behind hockey-style glass.
AMBER HEARD’S LAWYERS QUIT THE JOHNNY DEPP DEFAMATION LAWSUIT
_ The current global pandemic managed to put Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s court feud on hiatus for a little while, but it seems that the ex-couple will be back at each other’s throats in no time. So far as the Aquaman star is concerned, though, things have been in favor of her former husband.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor not only has the goodwill of the press and media but also incriminating evidence that could prove that his then-wife was the one who emotionally and physically abused him during their marriage. This is especially interesting when you consider that the narrative up to this point was pretty much the other way around. Apparently, not only did Heard repeatedly harass Depp, but also cheated on him and faked evidence to ruin her husband’s life, the latter of which could actually mean prison time for the actress.
… Now it appears that due to “travel and logistics” becoming “more costly in light of the pandemic,” Heard’s legal team have all quit.
30 ROCK RETURNS TO NBC WITH NEW HOUR-LONG EPISODE
_ NBC is making it 2006 again, through science or magic: 30 Rock is returning to the Peacock next month for a new, original remotely-produced event that will also double as an upfront special for the NBCUniversal properties. The special, which will air Thursday, July 16, will feature the return of cast members Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer and others, revisiting their 30 Rock roles. The story will additionally serve as a promotional vehicle for NBC programming.
.. The hour-long, commercial-free event will first premiere on NBC and then will be rebroadcast across USA, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, and CNBC as well as available to stream on NBCU’s new service Peacock on Friday, July 17.
NETFLIX FOUNDER BUILDING LUXURY RETREAT FOR TEACHERS
_ Reed Hastings, the billionaire founder of Netflix, is quietly building a mysterious 2,100-acre luxury retreat ranch nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Hastings has been one of the country’s biggest donors to the education reform movement that’s trying to reshape America’s struggling school system. According to tech website Recode, Hastings is personally financing a new foundation that will operate this training ground for American public school teachers.
… The new training center, called Retreat Land at Lone Rock, “will be run as a nonprofit institute serving the public education community’s development of teachers and leadership.”