THURSDAY’S PRESS CLIPS – APRIL 30, 2020 CBS ENTERTAINMENT: - ‘All Rise’ virtual episode on social distancing – TV Line, Entertainment Tonight - Wayne Brady guest stars on “The Neighborhood” – TV Guide - ‘Game On!’ and ‘Tough As Nails’ get premiere dates – Portland Oregonian, Cynopsis - Tom Selleck/ “Blue Bloods” – TV Insider - “Blue Bloods” – Cheat Sheet - Donnie Wahlberg and “Blue Bloods” cast virtual birthday party for Bridget Moynahan – Country Living - ‘Graduate Together: American Honors the High School Class of 2020’ to air on all broadcast networks – Deadline, Hollywood Reporter, Broadcasting & Cable, Orange County Register, Associated Press, People, Washington Post, ESPN, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, NBC Sports - CBS Sunday Night at the Movies – Entertainment Tonight LATE NIGHT: - Stephen Colbert on Mike Pence not wearing a mask while visiting the Mayo Clinic – New York Times, ET Canada - Stephen Colbert rips into Jared Kushner regarding COVID-19 cases – Mashable - Pete Buttigieg on ‘The Late Show’ – Meaww - HAIM performs on ‘The Late Show’ – Spin, JamBase, Pitchfork CBS NEWS: - Television doctors on the COVID-19 pandemic/Jon LaPook – TIME - Gayle King – Daily Mail - Nick Codero’s wife Amanda Kloots on “CBS This Morning” – People, Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Tonight, Billboard, E! Online - Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Maren Morris on “CBS This Morning” – Rolling Stone CBS SPORTS: - Nick Faldo – Golfweek, Golf Digest - Jim Nantz – Golf Digest, GOLF - Bellator fights on CBS Sports Network – The Athletic CBS TELEVISION STATIONS: - The 100 most influential people in Boston/Liz Hughes (WBZ-TV) – Boston Magazine, CBS Local - Lonnie Quinn/WCBS-TV – Adweek VIACOMCBS GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION GROUP: - “The Good Fight” - Oneman - “Star Trek: Picard” – The Straits Times - “NCIS: New Orleans” - Serienjunkies

TV Line, April 29, 2020

All Rise Sneak Peek: Virtual Court Is in Session in Pandemic-Themed Episode

By Vlada Gelman

Courtesy of CBS

It’s strange times in Judge Lola Carmichael’s (home) court on All Rise.

A newly released promo offers a first look at the CBS legal drama’s upcoming pandemic-themed episode — airing this Monday, May 4 at 9/8c — which was filmed remotely from the cast’s homes using online technology such as Zoom, FaceTime and WebEx. In the installment, Los Angeles is under a mandatory shelter-in-place order, just as it is in real life, but the trials are still piling up. So Lola presides over a virtual bench trial, with Mark and Emily on opposing sides of the case (when they’re not working out and doing group yoga via video chat).

The idea for the unique hour came about when production on the final two episodes of the season was halted due to the global coronavirus outbreak. While editing the April 13 episode online, the creative team realized that “it didn’t quite feel like the exact way to end the season,” executive producer Len Goldstein said during a recent video conference with reporters. “Because our show deals with the justice system and all sorts of issues that our characters face with the justice system, this lent itself in a way to tell a story about a contemporary issue, and what was more contemporary than this? And because our characters are also a community of people that work together, in addition to just people who do their jobs, much like us and much like anybody, we were guessing that they would be curious what was happening, and they wanted to check in with each other.”

“So we all began to think, ‘Is there a technological way that we can tell this story and not use the technology just as a gimmick, but use it to really have a real season finale, bring our group together again, reach out and connect with one another in the same way, and hopefully deliver a satisfying episode in the process?'” Goldstein continued. “Fortunately, Greg Spottiswood, who created the show, and Greg Nelson, one of our senior writers, had a great idea for a story in which to do that. And fortunately, we have one of the most innovative directors in television, Michael Robin.”

Entertainment Tonight, April 30, 2020

'All Rise' Producer Reveals How the Coronavirus-Inspired Virtual Episode Came Together (Exclusive)

By Philiana Ng

CBS's All Rise was the first scripted TV show to go back to work -- virtually, of course -- amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has led to hundreds of Hollywood productions being shut down worldwide. In a matter of days, the work the All Rise cast and crew put in to make the special remote episode come to life will air for all to see.

In the episode, which was put together in accordance with social distancing guidelines, Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick) virtually oversees a bench trial that involves a dispute over two brothers and a stolen car. Characters are shown managing their “new normal” of everyday reality at home while trying to continue their professional and personal lives.

Executive producer Michael M. Robin, who directed the episode, revealed to ET's Nischelle Turner that the idea for Monday's episode came after he and the other producers began communicating over Zoom as they put the final touches on episodes 19 and 20, both filmed before the shutdown occurred.

"After a week of being frozen just on a human level, like, OK what can I do? Is there a little work that can go on?" Robin shared over a Zoom call on Wednesday. "I started to notice, 'I'm starting to have a human connection with my colleagues online here and we're checking in, making sure to see how they're all doing.'"

After discussions with Gil Garcetti, a consulting producer and former Los Angeles County district attorney for nearly two decades, about how the current era of social distancing has affected the legal justice system, it became clear there was a story to be told.

"Our actors were going through what the characters are going through -- literally. They're like, 'I don't quite know what to do. I'm not sure how I'm working again and what's that gonna be,' and our actors were able to portray what our characters were feeling in terms of the trepidation of our times," Robin explained. "How do you get the court system moving again? It's a check-in with all of our people in terms of how they are handling all of this. What's really strange is we're able to do it in almost real time with what's going on in the world."

One of the biggest challenges with pulling off the episode had to do with the execution of the virtual episode. With everyone, including cast, scattered about, how were they going to pull it off seamlessly? Robin acknowledged that that was the hurdle they had the most trepidation about.

"We had to go into the homes or wherever our actors happened to be, and this was going to be the way they were going to be photographed now. That provided a challenge, but it was also an interesting thing to try to beat," he recalled. "We created our own internet room where our actors would dial into it and we could capture and record their feed separately. What ended up happening is I could get a grid view and record that, but then I could also get each individual call-in or shot and I could give those to my editors and we could cut it together like we would a normal scene."

Robin credited the "human spirit" of the All Rise team for "innovating" at a time of uncertainty to make the piece come together. He credited Missick and her fellow cast members Marg Helgenberger, Wilson Bethel, Jessica Camacho, J. Alex Brinson, Ruthie Ann Miles and Lindsay Mendez for doing their own hair and makeup, taking care of their own wardrobe and doing their own set dressing. "Given the fact that our actors are going through what our characters are going through, they really wanted to be able to reach out and communicate and give a nice story to our audience that shows, 'Hey, here's how we're feeling too, even though we're doing it through the characters,'" he said, "and I think it worked pretty well."

The cast, Robin said, was "excited" by the prospect of revisiting their characters one last time before wrapping for the season, after Robin and the producers introduced the idea of the virtual episode during a check-in over Zoom. "To see the enthusiasm in these people, who were like, 'Oh my gosh, there's something that I can do!' and 'I'm going to be able to help create a story that is a fun way to maybe take people's mind off it for a little bit,'" he said. "Just to watch that enthusiasm, they blew up like balloons."

As for whether this remote production could be the new normal, Robin cautioned against it, expressing optimism that should All Rise get a second season, they'll be back on set.

"We will meet the situation wherever it is, and if it means that we need to continue to do some of [these virtual episodes] because that's what's going on in our world right now, then I think we'll find a way. And if it means that we can be back shooting together, which is our hope, maybe with some adjustments and what that process is? We'll figure that out. One of the big parts of what this is, it's a demonstration of the human spirit and trying to get up off the ground and figure out how to do something."

Watch the promo for Monday's episode below.

The All Rise virtual episode airs Monday, May 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

TV Guide.com, April 30, 2020

Wayne Brady Is Dave's Intimidating Political Opponent in The Neighborhood Sneak Peek

By Megan Vick

Dave (Max Greenfield) might have underestimated what he was getting himself into by running for City Council on The Neighborhood.

TV Guide has an exclusive clip from the CBS sitcom that shows Calvin (Cedric the Entertainer) and Dave hanging out at the local barber shop, where Dave meets incumbent councilman Isaiah Evans (guest star Wayne Brady). It's clear that Dave might be out of his league. First of all, it's obvious that Evans already knows his constituents and is comfortable talking to them in a way that Dave isn't. Second, the politician has no problem throwing some shade Dave's way, even though they just met. Third, Evans has a handshake like butter, and we're not sure there's enough moisturizer in the world to get Dave on that level.

In the episode — the second of two back-to-back new episodes airing Monday, May 4 starting at 8/7c — Dave will go above and beyond to gain Calvin's support for his campaign, but it looks like Evans is going to make that even more difficult than anticipated. Can Dave rise above this challenge and get his neighbor on his side, or is this campaign going to go down in flames?

The Neighborhood airs Monday at 8/7c on CBS.

Wayne Brady, Max Greenfield, Cedric the Entertainer, The Neighborhood

(Disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.)

April 29, 2020

Beaverton’s own Ian Karmel to costar in CBS primetime comedy game show, ‘Game On!’

The new CBS comedy game show, "Game On!" features, from left, Ian Karmel, Venus Williams, host Keegan Michael-Key, Rob Gronkowski, and Bobby Lee. (Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS) CBS

By Kristi Turnquist | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Since leaving the stand-up comedy stages of Portland and moving to Los Angeles, the Beaverton-raised Ian Karmel has been busy with stand-up touring, a Netflix special, hosting a podcast, oh, and being co-head writer for CBS’ “The Late Late Show With James Corden," a gig that helped win Karmel an Emmy.

In May, Karmel will be getting primetime exposure on CBS, with the new series, “Game On!” Keegan-Michael Key hosts the comedy game show, which is executive produced by Corden and Ben Winston.

“Game On!” is inspired by a British series called, “A League of Their Own.” Here’s the premise, according to the press release: “The show pits two teams of three, captained by tennis champion and entrepreneur Venus Williams and Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, alongside comedians Bobby Lee and Ian Karmel and rotating sports stars, comedians and celebrities, against each other in over-the-top physical challenges, absurd trivia and epic field competitions.”

According to CBS, challenges will include “seeing who can dunk the most basketballs over a tank of water while harnessed on a bungee cord, to taking on a sumo wrestler in the ring.” Trivia questions might include, “Which football player cried the longest after winning a championship?” and “Which of these athletes was the largest baby when they were born?”

The sports angle should be right up Karmel’s alley, since during his Portland years, Karmel was also a panelist on the Trail Blazers-themed show, “Talkin’ Ball.”

“Game On!” will premiere at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 20 on CBS, filling a time slot the network had previously announced would be held by Season 32 of “The Amazing Race." That long-running reality show’s season premiere has been pushed back.

With “Game On!” and the July 8 premiere of “Tough As Nails,” which spotlights ordinary working people as they compete in challenges hosted by Phil Keoghan (“The Amazing Race”), CBS is adding to the trend for lighthearted game shows that turn up in late spring and summer.

ABC, for example, has seen success with its “Fun and Games” lineup, including “Holey Moley,” “To Tell the Truth,” “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Press Your Luck,” and “Match Game,” which all return for new seasons, beginning in late May.

April 30, 2020 CBS reality series Game On!, hosted by Keegan-Michael Key, launches Wednesday, May 20 at 8p, a slot originally reserved for the start of the 32nd season of Amazing Race. Competition series Tough As Nails, celebrating everyday hard-working Americans, debuts Wednesday, July 8 at 9p. Amazing Race is being held until fall, where there will undoubtedly be openings due to production shut-downs.

TV Insider, April 29, 2020

Tom Selleck on the 'Blue Bloods' Finale: 'I Don't Expect a Dry Eye in the House'

Ileane Rudolph

Q&A John Paul Filo/CBS

Blue Bloods was lucky to finish shooting all but one episode before the New York set shut down due to the pandemic. Happily, the intended season finale, airing May 1 on CBS, was among them.

The hour gives all the adults at the Reagan Sunday dinner table their due. Among the storylines: Manhattan DA’s office Bureau Chief Erin (Bridget Moynahan) confronts her outspoken but lovable investigator Anthony (Steven Schirripa) about arresting someone who had dealings with his former wife Vivian (Kate Miller); detective Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) tries to find the killer of a key witness in one of his sister Erin’s cases; and married officers Jamie (Will Estes) and Eddie (Vanessa Ray) begin to talk about becoming parents after they discover a newborn left outside their precinct.

As for news about the family patriarch, NYC police commissioner Frank Reagan, we’ll let Tom Selleck offer some hints. We caught up with the star on the phone during his last day of “self-quarantining” after returning from New York to his California ranch.

Looks like there’s some interesting stories for Frank to close out the season, starting with a visit from a woman who claims to have known his late son Joe.

Tom Selleck: Yes, it’s about someone who knew his son trying to pull favors, but that’s not the central dilemma for Frank. First let me say, written by Siobhan O’Connor, along with [creator/showrunner] Kevin Wade, this is one of our strongest episodes in 10 years. It’s probably always going to be one of my favorites, because Frank has a dilemma which goes to the very heart of who he is. The episode is so much about Frank and his earned history.

It would be pretty surprising if it involved something shocking in his past, wouldn’t it?

You know me, I don’t like finales when they say someone’s going to die or that it will have a sensational event or bigger explosions. It isn’t any of that, but it is a quintessentially Reagan story; a deeply personal one for Frank, which turns into having an enormous impact on every single Reagan on the show.

How does it affect Frank?

It’s certainly massively emotional for Frank. That’s the germination of it, but by sharing it with the family, the impact is huge. If we have a Blue Bloods with genuine surprises that don’t make the audience feel ripped off, but that rewards emotionally, our audience will watch it of course. But in my opinion, it will create word of mouth and build our audience. I can’t imagine a better season finale.

Can you give us—and your fans—a hint about what to expect?

I don’t expect a dry eye in the house. I got emotional when I saw a cut of it; so did my wife, who’s seen a working copy of the episode. The impact on everybody is just hugely significant. I think it’s important. Frank’s arcs usually involve a dilemma, but in this case, it’s not just his job. It’s personal and goes to the heart of what Frank has always carried inside of him. The audience really knows our characters, and the story unfolds beautifully.

Will things be different in the Reagan family when you return?

Very much so. Nobody dies. I shouldn’t say that. We may lose four Reagans. [Chuckles]

That wouldn’t make your loyal viewers happy! Does Frank decide to sell the house?

It’s much more personal.

Does he decide to start dating?

That’s all I’ll say.

You just finished your 10th season and the numbers are still quite good. Are you looking forward perhaps to a milestone 15 years, which would indeed end the series on a high note?

Well, I’m negotiating with CBS about next season. I’d like them to order two seasons. We can do much betters shows if we know where we’re going. This show has lasted because the characters have been allowed to grow and change. The potential is limitless in my opinion. The cast seems to love each other; I sure love them. The actors are doing phenomenal work. Everybody’s very much aware that this is maybe a once in a lifetime opportunity—a show that’s found its way and is welcomed by an audience. I’m ready to go back when it’s okay to start again.

Blue Bloods, Season 10 Finale, Friday, May 1, 10/9c, CBS

April 27, 2020

The 'Blue Bloods' Cast Is Having a Virtual Reagan Family Dinner

Nicole Weaver

Sadly, the production of Blue Bloods is on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, there are still some new episodes that have yet to air. Fans can also check in with the cast because there will be a virtual Reagan family dinner. Find out about Donnie Wahlberg’s big announcement.

The Reagan family has dinner every week on ‘Blue Bloods’

Every episode of Blue Bloods shows the family getting together for dinner. There is a reason behind the tradition.

Jamie (Will Estes) told Eddie (Vanessa Ray) it’s “Because my grandmother grew up poor in a small town in Ireland. She was the oldest of 12 kids and there was never enough to eat. She moved to New York to make money. She met my grandpa and when they got married she promised herself that they would always have more than enough to eat. Family dinner was just her way of proudly proving that every week.”

The dinner isn’t just about eating together. It also gives the family members a chance to speak about what’s on their minds. Sometimes that involves their cases and other times it’s updating each other on their lives.

The cast said filming the scenes take a long time

Fans really love the dinner scenes, but the actors have made it known that filming them isn’t great. Tom Selleck told TV Insider what it’s really like to film them.

“Dinner scenes are long; they can be boring [to film] because you repeat the same dialogue and eat the same food—which gets pretty gamy—for eight hours,” Selleck revealed. “But not only are the characters catching up with each other, but I’m catching up with my friends. Sometimes the director can’t get our attention between takes because we’re screwing around. We can get pretty silly by the end.”

The cast is currently not able to physically film together. Production of the show has been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There will be a virtual Reagan family dinner

A video was released showing Wahlberg making a big announcement. There will be another family dinner during the break.

“Next Friday we’re having a virtual family dinner with the Reagan family and we want you to join us. It’s going to be on CBS’ socials so get on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and we will see you next Friday. And don’t forget a all-new episode of Blue Bloods on CBS,” said Wahlberg.

That means the dinner will take place on May 1. There are no more details about the event so it’s unclear if this will be a scripted or unscripted event. However, fans seem excited about the announcement.

“So very excited about this!!! #bluebloods family dinners are just like mine were growing up and it is something that my husband and instilled in our four children!” one fan replied to the tweet.

Another fan tweeted that this is finally a way for people to join the Reagan family at their table. “That’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to be apart of the Reagan family dinner. So excited!! #BlueBloods,” tweeted a fan.

April 29, 2020

Donnie Wahlberg and the 'Blue Bloods' Cast Hosted the Sweetest Virtual Birthday Party for Bridget Moynahan

These actors totally treat each other like family. ❤

By Rebecca Norris

As much as we love tuning into the latest episode of Blue Bloods, we love seeing how the cast acts as a family off-screen, too. While we’re all well-acquainted with Donnie Wahlberg’s TikTok shenanigans outside of the show, it’s less often that we get a peek into the lives of the other Reagans and cast as a whole. Until recently, that is.

On Tuesday, April 28, the Blue Bloods Instagram account shared a clip with the entire cast front and center. “Join our #BlueBloods family in wishing @bridgetmoynahan a happy birthday!,” CBS captioned the post.

Donnie (a.k.a. Danny Reagan) kicked off the video. “There’s a tradition on Blue Bloods that we’ve done over the years which probably nobody outside of Blue Bloods would know about, but we like to celebrate birthdays at the dinner table.” The video then panned to different cast members, including Tom Selleck (aka Frank Reagan), who was aptly using the Blue Bloods Zoom background in his video chat to set the mood.

“And today we actually have a birthday,” Donnie continued. He then called out Bridget Moynahan (aka Erin Reagan)—who he praised as wonderful, beautiful, and amazing—as she pumped her fists in the air with cheer.

Once the celebration kicked off, Donnie mentioned that typically someone’s supposed to carry in a cake, at which point Sami Gayle (aka Nicki Reagan) goes momentarily offscreen. “I just want to say, Bridget, happy birthday, I love you, I miss you, you are the epitome of elegance, and grace, and laughter, and love, and I attempted to make a cake that embodied all of those things, although I got ambitious and it was a 10-layer cake so it looks a little…” she says upon returning—at which point the entire cast ogles over the beautiful dessert.

The cake itself was narrow and tall, iced in white with what looks like real flowers pressed into the frosting. The inside (which is revealed later in the clip) features a layer for each Reagan, situated in a blue ombré design. “A special lady deserves a special cake, even if we’re social distancing,” Sami said.

The video then pans between each member of the cast singing happy birthday to Bridget and our hearts are swelling for the cast’s connection and love.

Even more so, we’re chuckling at Tom’s follow-up. “Hey, Donnie, did you see how I did kind of harmony there? Do you think there’s a future for me on stage?” he asked.

“There’s a lot of singers on the cast now that you mention it, so we could probably put a little band together,” Donnie retorts.

As for us, we have three words: We hope so!

April 29, 2020

LeBron James Leading Live All-Star ‘Graduate Together’ Tribute To Class Of 2020 Airing As Primetime TV Special

Tom Tapp

Los Angeles Laker’s superstar LeBron James has long supported scholastic achievement via his philanthropic efforts.

Now, James is leading an unprecedented effort to celebrate America’s high school seniors, many of whom, because of coronavirus, won’t enjoy a graduation ceremony.

The one-hour special, called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, will air simultaneously across ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC and on an array of digital platforms — including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, PeopleTV and Complex Networks.

Curated by high school students and educators throughout the country with the support of the American Federation of Teachers, this national commercial-free broadcast will include a collection of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes. Suggestions and stories are already being collected via GraduateTogether2020.com.

Celebrities such as Bad Bunny, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Chika, YBN Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., the Jonas Brothers, Brandan Bmike Odums, Ben Platt, Henry Platt, Jonah Platt, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai will make appearances and perform on Graduate Together.

XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation have partnered to create the event, the proceeds of which will support teachers and organizations addressing the needs of students and families in underserved communities that are impacted by school closures.

It’s familiar territory for James. Through its I PROMISE Program, James’ foundation serves at-risk students in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

“We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics. It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together — students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them,” James said Wednesday in a statement. “With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 will be broadcast commercial-free on Saturday, May 16, 2020, at 8:00 PM ET/PT, 7:00 PM CT. The event is being produced by Done + Dusted and James’ SpringHill Entertainment.

April 29, 2020

LeBron James to Host Star-Studded Virtual Graduation for Class of 2020

by Bryn Elise Sandberg

The one-hour special will air across broadcast networks and social media platforms, featuring Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt and Pharrell Williams, among others.

With the Class of 2020 unable to throw their caps in the air this year due to the coronavirus, LeBron James is putting on a special graduation celebration.

The NBA superstar is partnering with Laurene Powell Jobs' XQ Institute and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to host a virtual graduation ceremony for the more than 3 million high school seniors in the U.S. Together, they've enlisted a collection of actors, musicians, athletes and activists to participate in the festivities, including Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe, Megan Rapinoe, Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny, Malala Yousafzai, Chika, YBN Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., Brandan Bmike Odums and TikTok-ers Charli and Dixie D'Amelio.

In a rather unprecedented move, the one-hour special, which is called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, will air simultaneously across all broadcast platforms — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC — and on a host of leading entertainment, social media and streaming platforms — including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, PeopleTV and Complex Networks — on Saturday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET. The show is being produced by Done + Dusted and James' SpringHill Entertainment.

“We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics. It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together — students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them," James said Wednesday in a statement. "With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

The commercial-free broadcast will consist of a mix of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes. The idea is for Graduate Together to be curated by high school students and educators throughout the country, with the support of the American Federation of Teachers. Using the hashtag #GraduateTogether, students, educators and families are invited to submit their own videos and photos online for consideration to be included in the telecast.

The event is also intended to benefit kids, teens and their families in underserved communities throughout the country who have been most affected by the school closures due to the

pandemic. To that end, #GraduateTogether is partnering with DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund in an effort led by EIF, XQ Institute and The LeBron James Family Foundation and its I PROMISE School. DonorsChoose gives public school teachers working in high-need communities the opportunity to request the materials and resources their students need to keep learning. America’s Food Fund provides funding to hunger-relief organizations, ensuring students who rely on school lunch programs still have safe and consistent access to meals during the pandemic.

Among the other organizations helping to support the special event is CAA, which has been invested in education initiatives for more than 25 years and is working to rally the creative community around the effort.

James, Shahidi, Waithe and Jonas Brothers all teased the graduation special on their social media platforms Wednesday by posting their senior photos:

April 29, 2020 Class of 2020 Graduation Special to Air on All Broadcast Networks Jon Lafayette With the Class of 2020 unlikely to be able to celebrate their graduation, a huge television special is being planned that will air on the big broadcast networks--ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC--and digital platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 will be broadcast commercial free Saturday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Backed by Laurene Powell Jobs’ XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the broadcast will include a collection of commencement addresses, celebrity performances, and inspirational vignettes Among those scheduled to appear are James, Bad Bunny, Charli D'Amelio, Dixie D'Amelio, Chika, YBN Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., the Jonas Brothers, Brandan "B-mike" Odums, Ben Platt, Henry Platt, Jonah Platt, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai and others yet to be named. #GraduateTogether will also be supporting the charitable work of DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund. DonorsChoose gives public school teachers working in high-need communities the opportunity to request the materials and resources their students need to keep learning. America’s Food Fund provides funding to hunger-relief organizations, ensuring students who rely on school-lunch programs still have safe, consistent access to meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other organizations supporting this special event include CAA, which is helping rally the creative community around this effort; Complex Networks, which will create specialized programming for youth audiences leading up to the show; and People, which is leading a national search for exceptional high schoolers and teachers. Those inspirational stories will be told during the broadcast, in the magazine, and on People.com and PeopleTV. LeBron Logo The show is being produced by Done + Dusted and SpringHill Entertainment. The special will help an estimated 3 million high school seniors commemorate their achievement. “We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics. It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together—students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them. With that not being

possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time,” said LeBron James. “These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it,” James said. #GraduateTogether is inviting students, educators, and families to submit their own videos and photos online for consideration to be included in the telecast. In addition, renowned artist JR and his global participatory art project, Inside Out, will invite high school students everywhere to share their portraits in celebration of being part of the graduating Class of 2020. And because high school graduations are local, local television stations will also feature custom breakaways to celebrate the achievements of high school students in their own communities. “At XQ, we work to reimagine the American high school experience—but no one could have imagined the profound changes that have upended the Class of 2020's final days of the school year,” said Russlynn Ali, co-founder and CEO of XQ Institute. “It has been remarkable to watch these young people, in the face of an unprecedented challenge, demonstrate courage and resilience beyond their years. In doing so, they have given every American reason to feel hopeful about our future. #GraduateTogether is an opportunity for us all to pay tribute to what these incredible students have accomplished.”

Orange County Register, April 29, 2020 LeBron James announces nationwide special in May to honor graduating seniors "Graduate Together" will air commercial free across multiple networks and platforms, with celebrity guests and entertainers By Kyle Goon | kgoon@scng.com | For an estimated 3 million American high school seniors, there won’t be a walk across a stage this year. But a televised special across several major networks and backed by LeBron James could help add a sense of community next month in the midst of graduation season. The LeBron James Family Foundation announced a partnership Wednesday with XQ Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation to air an hourlong special on May 16 honoring high school graduates who have had to postpone celebrations for the COVID-19 crisis. The celebrity-fueled event will offer commencement speeches and vignettes and feature appearances by James, the Jonas Brothers, U.S. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai among others, will be broadcast on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX as well as multimedia platforms Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok among others. The commercial-free special, called “Graduate Together,” represents the Lakers star’s latest effort in education, which includes sponsored college tuition to students in his native Akron, Ohio, as well as a public school he opened in 2018. James said in a release that he was moved to create something that he hoped could help commemorate an annual rite of passage for the nation’s high school graduates. “It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together — students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them,” he said. “With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized.” The event will be helmed by James’ SpringHill Entertainment with input from students and teachers, backed by the American Federation of Teachers. Various celebrities involved with the event announced on social media by sharing high school photos of themselves. Students, teachers and families have been invited to share their own videos and photos on social media using the hashtag #GraduateTogether. Local television stations airing the broadcast will also be able to cut away and share stories in their own communities. The sweeping collaboration involving multiple networks, media platforms and performers offers perspective into the scale of the crisis — how the experience of social distancing has universally impacted students around the country who have largely been asked to continue school from home, often in challenging conditions. The partners on the special have also called for donations to support DonorsChoose and America’s Food Fund, nonprofits that support educational and food security goals for those struggling during the coronavirus crisis. The broadcast is scheduled to air 8 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 16. Other entertainment figures committed to the project include Bad Bunny, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Chika, YBN

Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., Brandan Bmike Odums, Ben Platt, Henry Platt, Jonah Platt, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe and Pharrell Williams.

Associated Press, April 29 2020 LeBron James to honor Class of 2020 with all-star event By MESFIN FEKADU NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James is putting together an all-star event to honor and celebrate the high school class of 2020, which has had its graduation season upended by the coronavirus pandemic. The LeBron James Family Foundation, XQ Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation on Wednesday announced that the one-hour special, “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020,” will air simultaneously on NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox on May 16 at 8 p.m. EDT. The event will pay tribute to high schoolers graduating this year and will include appearances by James, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe and H.E.R. “I wanted to help create a show that looked and felt very different from traditional specials. Something that spoke to kids in a different way. These kids worked so hard to graduate and what is happening to them is truly unfair,” James said in a statement to The Associated Press. “I hope we can give them and their families something cool that makes their accomplishment feel special.” “Graduate Together” was curated by high school students, educators and the American Federation of Teachers. It will feature commencement speeches, performances and more. It will also air on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Complex Networks, PeopleTV and other digital platforms. Other participants in the event include Megan Rapinoe, YBN Cordae, Chika, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Loren Gray, Brandan “Bmike” Odums, Henry Platt and Jonah Platt.

April 29, 2020 PEOPLE, LeBron James and More to Honor the Class of 2020 with Primetime Special Graduate Together High school seniors, teachers and parents can now submit their inspirational stories for a chance to be featured in PEOPLE and an upcoming television event By People Staff Commencement ceremonies across the country have been canceled due to COVID-19, but the commitment, determination and spirits of the Class of 2020 remain high. To recognize the more than 3 million graduating seniors nationwide — and to give them a first-of-its-kind celebration they’ll never forget — XQ Institute, The LeBron James Family Foundation and The Entertainment Industry Foundation have announced an upcoming special called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020. The one-hour primetime event will air simultaneously across ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC on May 16, and will also be available to stream on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Complex Networks, PEOPLE and other online platforms. “We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics,” LeBron James, who will address graduates during the broadcast, said in a statement. “It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together — students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them.” “With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time,” James, 35, added. “These students have worked incredibly hard for this, and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized.” Produced by Done + Dusted and SpringHill Entertainment, Graduate Together will be curated by high school students and educators across the country with the support of the American Federation of Teachers. In addition to the NBA star, the commercial-free broadcast will feature a collection of commencement addresses and celebrity performances by Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Yara Shahidi, H.E.R., Bad Bunny, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Megan Rapinoe, Ben Platt and others. “Our country’s teachers and support personnel have been on the front lines keeping students engaged, comforted, and supported during this time of incredible upheaval. Educators want their kids to be okay,” Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, said in a statement. “And even if we are physically apart, we are eager to celebrate our students’ accomplishments alongside parents, family members, and caregivers as we try to bring this school year to a meaningful close.”

“We are grateful to all our teachers and school staff and proud to join in this effort to bring together education professionals from across the country and honor graduates as they embark on their next journey,” Weingarten continued. The program is also planning to feature profiles of students and educators who have made a difference in their schools and communities. To help tell these inspirational stories, the show’s producers are inviting graduates, teachers, and parents to share their achievements, real-world advice, and heartfelt thanks for a chance to be featured on the broadcast and in an upcoming issue of PEOPLE. Those interested in nominating an outstanding senior or educator worthy of recognition — or yourself! — can visit GraduateTogether2020.com. Up to five featured graduates will be eligible to receive a $5,000 award. Entries must be received by Friday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT. “While this won’t be the graduation experience [these seniors] were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special,” James said. “Because they deserve it.” Graduate Together is set to air on Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. For more information on Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, visit graduatetogether2020.com, and check out the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands now.

April 30, 2020 LeBron James to pay tribute to high school seniors in television special Gene Wang LeBron James is parlaying his many resources to help recognize high school seniors impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic threatening graduations across the country. In conjunction with the XQ Institute and the Entertainment Institute Foundation, the LeBron James Foundation announced it would be producing a television special called, “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.” The program set to air May 16 across national networks and streaming platforms features appearances by the NBA superstar as well as Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, U.S. women’s soccer standout Megan Rapinoe and performances by, among others, the Jonas Brothers and Pharrell Williams. “It’s been a hard few months for all of us, but I especially feel for the senior class of 2020,” James said in statement to ESPN. “The end of high school and graduation was one of the best memories of my life. It’s not fair. “Every graduating senior needs to know how much we feel for them, and hopefully this can help, even a little.” Millions of high school seniors are facing the prospect not being able to walk the stage to receive diplomas in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, which has compelled school districts nationwide to cancel spring activities and turn to remote learning. Locally, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced several weeks ago that the academic year would conclude May 29, three weeks earlier than scheduled. The brick and mortar facilities at Virginia schools, meantime, are shuttered for the rest of the academic year while Maryland schools remain closed at least through May 15, with officials planning to reassess the situation next month. “This class is going to be special because they know in a real way how to persevere,” James said. The Los Angeles Lakers all-star’s SpringHill Entertainment is taking the lead in coordinating the commercial-free presentation that includes commencement addresses and videos aimed at showcasing a diverse representation of high school seniors. James posted a high school photograph of himself to his Twitter page Wednesday, indicating he was planning to honor high school classes of 2020 with a special tribute.

The four-time MVP and three-time NBA champion attended St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, before going directly to the NBA in 2003 at the No. 1 overall selection of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2018, James opened the I Promise School in Akron, with a focus on at-risk third- and fourth-graders. The school is slated to expand to first through eighth grade by 2022. “These students have worked incredibly hard for this, and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized,” James said in a statement. “While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

ESPN, April 29, 2020 LeBron James backs prime-time TV special for graduating high school seniors Dave McMenamin LeBron James is combining two of his off-court passions -- education and entertainment -- in a prime-time event to honor the high school class of 2020 next month. The LeBron James Family Foundation is partnering with the XQ Institute and the Entertainment Institute Foundation to present "Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020," airing across a slew of television and online platforms on May 16. The special, which will feature the Los Angeles Lakers' All-Star, Nobel prize winner Malala Yousafzai, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and musical acts Bad Bunny, the Jonas Brothers, Pharrell Williams and others will be simulcast across ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, as well as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and other streaming services. "It's been a hard few months for all of us, but I especially really feel for the senior class of 2020," James said Wednesday in a quote provided to ESPN. "The end of high school and graduation was one of the best memories of my life. It's not fair. Every graduating senior needs to know how much we feel for them, and hopefully this can help, even a little. This class is going to be special because they know in a real way how to persevere." The coronavirus pandemic has caused schools across the country to close and cancel graduation ceremonies in keeping with social distancing orders. James' SpringHill Entertainment will run the show, which will be filled with commencement addresses, celebrity cameos and video vignettes honoring the estimated three million high school seniors whose graduation experience is being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. James was approached in the middle of April by XQ, led by board chair Laurene Powell Jobs, and EIF, who were already partners on the project, to gauge his interest in getting involved. The project's mission to showcase education and diversity was a natural fit for James, and he committed to not just appearing on the broadcast but also taking on a significant role in the event, having SpringHill Entertainment team with Done+Dusted to put it on. On Wednesday, James posted a high school portrait of himself to his Twitter account to promote the event. James' I Promise School opened in 2018 in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, focusing on at-risk third- and fourth-graders, and the school will expand to teach first through eighth grades by 2022. "We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics," James said in a statement. "It's about shared experience, a journey we're all on together -- students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them. With that not being possible right now, we've been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time.

"These students have worked incredibly hard for this, and there's no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won't be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it." The commercial-free program has also received commitments from Yara Shahidi, H.E.R., Lena Waithe, Ben Platt, Henry Platt, Jonah Platt, Charli D'Amelio, Dixie D'Amelio, Chika, YBN Cordae and Loren Gray to appear on the presentation.

Bleacher Report, April 29, 2020 Lakers' LeBron James to Help Honor High School Class of 2020 with TV Special Paul Kasabian The COVID-19 pandemic has caused schools to move to remote learning and cancel graduations across the United States, which has seen over 983,400 confirmed positive cases and over 50,400 deaths due to the virus, per the World Health Organization on April 29. In response to COVID-19, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James will be honoring the high school class of 2020 as part of a one-hour special called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, which will air on NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox on Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET. Per Mesfin Fekadu of ABC News (h/t Associated Press), the LeBron James Family Foundation, XQ Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation made the joint announcement on Wednesday regarding the special. James also tweeted the following: According to Fekadu, "The event will pay tribute to high schoolers graduating this year and will include appearances by James, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe and H.E.R." It will also include United States women's soccer team captain Megan Rapinoe, who won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball during her side's 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup-winning campaign. ESPN's Dave McMenamin provided more information on the special: "James' SpringHill Productions will run the show, which will be filled with commencement addresses, celebrity cameos and video vignettes honoring the estimated 3 million high school seniors whose graduation experience is being impacted by the COVID-19 crisis." James is a 2003 graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School in Akron, Ohio. In 2018, the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools opened the I Promise School in Akron, designed to serve at-risk children in the local area from grades one through eight.

CBS Sports.com, April 29, 2020 LeBron James to host virtual graduation ceremony for high school class of 2020 The extravaganza will feature a number of big names by Sam Quinn The quarantine under which most of the United States is still being held has impacted just about every walk of life, but perhaps none more so than the world of academics. Schools around the world have been forced to shut down and teach classes virtually, a situation that is difficult enough for most students, but potentially disheartening to seniors missing out on what should have been their final days in high school. With extracurricular events and proms canceled, many high school seniors will be forced to graduate without the celebration most students get to enjoy. Fortunately, LeBron James is stepping in to at least give them a virtual version of it. The Lakers' star will throw a virtual graduation celebration, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "It's been a hard few months for all of us, but I especially really feel for the senior class of 2020," James said Wednesday in a quote provided to ESPN. "The end of high school and graduation was one of the best memories of my life. It's not fair. Every graduating senior needs to know how much we feel for them and hopefully this can help, even a little. This class is going to be special because they know in a real way how to persevere." The event will be simulcast across ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC as well as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and other streaming services, and will include James, Team USA star Megan Rapinoe, Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and musical performances from Bad Bunny, the Jonas Brothers and Pharrell Williams. It will be produced by James' SpringHill Entertainment in conjunction with the XQ Institute and the Entertainment Institute Foundation. Nothing can replace the feeling of graduating in person and walking across the stage to receive a diploma, but with tradition off of the table for the moment, James is providing the best possible alternative.

Yahoo Sports, April 29, 2020 LeBron James to host virtual graduation for high school seniors amid coronavirus pandemic Ryan Young Most graduation ceremonies across the country have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving an estimated 3 million high school seniors without a way to celebrate their newly-achieved diplomas. LeBron James, however, has found a solution. James will host a virtual graduation ceremony next month with the help of a star-studded cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. James teased the event on social media by sharing a photo of him from high school on Wednesday, too. “We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics. It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together — students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them," James said in a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter. "With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. “These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.” The ceremony, called “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” will be broadcast on the four major networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, and digitally on social media on Saturday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET, per the report. The hour-long, commercial-free event is being run by James’ production company, SpringHill Productions. James will have plenty of help, too. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe, Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, musicians Pharrell Williams, Bad Bunny and the Jonas Brothers are among those scheduled to participate in the event — which will include performances, commencement speeches and more. According to ESPN, Yara Shahidi, H.E.R., Lena Waithe, Ben, Henry and Jonah Platt, Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Chika, YBN Cordae and Loren Gray will have also committed to participate. There were more than 1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Wednesday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and more than 60,000 deaths attributed to the virus. The outbreak has forced nearly all schools in the country to cancel classes and shift to virtual learning options through the end of the school year. While it’s not a traditional graduation, James’ ceremony is the perfect substitute in the midst of a global pandemic. "It's been a hard few months for all of us, but I especially really feel for the senior class of 2020," James said, via ESPN. "The end of high school and graduation was one of the best memories of my life. It's not fair. Every graduating senior needs to know how much we feel for

them and hopefully this can help, even a little. This class is going to be special because they know in a real way how to persevere."

NBC Sports, April 29, 2020 LeBron James to honor high school class of 2020 with virtual special 'Graduate Together' By Raichele Privette LeBron James has done it again. The NBA superstar continues to use his platform to enhance the lives of individuals in his community. The LeBron James Foundation, XQ Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation announced on Wednesday that they will be airing a one-hour special, "Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020," on May 16 at 8 p.m. ET in efforts to recognize graduating seniors across the nation. James, who will be addressing the graduates during the broadcast, hopes to make the celebration a memorable one for more than 3 million high school students in the U.S. that will not get a chance to walk across the stage due to coronavirus. "I wanted to help create a show that looked and felt very different from traditional specials. Something that spoke to kids in a different way. These kids worked so hard to graduate and what is happening to them is truly unfair," James said in a statement to The Associated Press. "I hope we can give them and their families something cool that makes their accomplishment feel special." The idea was organized by high school students, educators and the American Federation of Teachers and will feature celebrity appearances and performances by Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzai, the Jonas Brothers, Bad Bunny, Yara Shahidi, Ben Platt, Lena Waithe and H.E.R. It will air on NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox in addition to TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Complex Networks, PeopleTV and other digital platforms. Graduates, teachers and parents are encouraged to share their achievements for a chance to be featured during the event. Individuals interested in nominating an outstanding senior, educator and/or self for recognition can visit GraduateTogether2020.com. While the event will be held virtually, this will definitely be something special that the Class of 2020 graduates will never forget.

Entertainment Tonight, April 29, 2020

'Sunday Night at the Movies' Sets Screenings of 'Indiana Jones,' 'Titanic' and More Classics

By ETonline Editors

We're long overdue for a night at the cinema together, even if it is from all of our individual homes. Look no further than Sunday Night at the Movies, with a new must-rewatch classic airing on CBS every Sunday of May.

It kicks off May 3 with the best Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and culminates on May 31 with the franchise's second-best installment, The Last Crusade. In between, there will be box-of-chocolate–like lives, missions, should you choose to accept them, and our hearts going on and on.

Here is the full slate for Sunday Night at the Movies:

May 3: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

The 1981 classic is the original Indy and our introduction to Harrison Ford as everyone's favorite Nazi-fighting archaeologist. Raiders won four Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg.

May 10: Forrest Gump

The Best Picture winner of '94 also earned Tom Hanks his first-ever Oscar for his performance as Forrest. Sally Field co-stars as Forrest's mom, with Robin Wright as his favorite girl, Jenny, and Mykelti Williamson as his best friend, Bubba.

May 17: Mission: Impossible

With a seventh and eighth installment in the M:I franchise forthcoming, there's no better time to go back to where it all began: 1996's Mission: Impossible, the Brian De Palma–directed espionage flick that introduced us to Tom Cruise's Agent Ethan Hunt.

May 24: Titanic

Leonardo DiCaprio. Kate Winslet. A record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron. And a theme song by Celine Dion that will be stuck in your head near, far, wherever you are.

May 31: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Ford's third outing as Indy -- following Raiders and The Temple of Doom -- also features River Phoenix as a young Indiana and Sean Connery playing the estranged Jones patriarch. Plus, of course, more Nazis to fight.

Tune into Sunday Night at the Movies starting Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

April 30, 2020

Late Night Isn’t Buying Pence’s Reason for Not Wearing a Mask

By Trish Bendix

Eye Contact

Vice President Mike Pence defended himself from criticism over his failure to wear a mask while touring the Mayo Clinic this week. Pence said that since he didn’t have the coronavirus, he wanted to take the opportunity to look health care workers “in the eye and say thank you.”

“But he might be OK,” Seth Meyers said Wednesday night, “because looking at him, he drinks plenty of bleach.”

“You can still look them in the eye with a mask! It’s not a blindfold.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“Finally, a medical explanation for why seeing Mike Pence’s face makes you feel ill.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

Video by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

“By the way, for Mike Pence, ‘looking you in the eye’ is second base.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

April 30, 2020 Stephen Colbert & Late-Night Hosts Slam Mike Pence For Visit To Clinic Without A Mask By Corey Atad. Mike Pence doesn’t seem to think wearing a mask is important. On Global’s “The Late Show”, host Stephen Colbert slammed the U.S. vice president for his recent visit to the Mayo Clinic while ignoring their COVID-19 face mask policy. “Hold on, I’ve got a mask for you right here,” Colbert said, holding up his middle finger. Colbert also pointed out that the Mayo Clinic tweeted out that Pence had been informed of the mask policy. “Wow, that must have been harsh for Mike Pence to get roasted by his idol, mayo,” the host joked. On “Late Night”, Seth Meyers also tore into Pence for his mask-less hospital visit. “Why couldn’t you just follow the rules, man?” Meyers asked. “Do you think if you purse your lips hard enough the virus can’t get in?” Responding to Pence’s comment that he didn’t wear a mask so he could look people in the eye, Meyers joked, “How do you think you’re supposed to wear a mask? It’s never supposed to cover your eyes, unless you’re thinking of ’50 Shades of Gray’ — which means you’ve seen ’50 Shades of Gray’! Mike Pence, you nasty!” Jimmy Kimmel pointed out Pence’s penchant for claiming that he was simply acting “at the president’s direction.” He then played an edited montage of footage making it sound like Pence was saying, “At the president’s erection.” Former “Late Show” host David Letterman also spoke out against Pence during an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM on Wednesday. “Now if you go to the Mayo Clinic because you have COVID-19, you really have it,” Letterman said. “He takes time off from his gig as a mannequin, and he’s walking around without a mask taunting these poor people who are bedridden and wearing a mask. To me, that is just taunting people who are ill, to see that guy walking around in his $40 suit walking around in the Mayo Clinic without a mask.”

Letterman also joked that he knows why Donald Trump is also refusing to wear a face mask in public. “I have a buddy of mine who works at the State Department who’s in charge of semi-secret information and he told me that his whole thing with Trump-y and the mask — he won’t wear a mask because they can’t figure out how to attach it to his hair,” he laughed. “The Late Show” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on Global.

Mashable, April 30, 2020 Stephen Colbert rips into Jared Kushner's attempt to spin 1 million coronavirus cases as 'a great story' By Caitlin Welsh

The U.S. recorded its millionth case of coronavirus on Tuesday, yet the Trump administration is trying to claim that as a victory. Speaking to Fox & Friends that same day, the president's son-in-law and waxen face of the White House's disastrous coronavirus response Jared Kushner claimed the current numbers are actually a "great story." Said numbers include 60,000 recorded deaths in the U.S. from the virus. "Yes, it's a great story," agreed Stephen Colbert in his monologue on Tuesday evening, mirroring Kushner's wooden-puppet-boy inflection. "More people dying under this administration in 100 days than died in 20 years of the Vietnam War — that's a story that needs to be told. Perhaps in the blockbuster movie Preventable Apocalypse Now."

April 30, 2020 Pete Buttigieg tells Stephen Colbert he has ‘enormous respect’ for Amy Klobuchar despite their tense debates Appearing on Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show', they both agreed that there's mutual respect among the two, who have often had heated debates in the past By Yasmin Tinwala Pete Buttigieg tells Stephen Colbert he has ‘enormous respect’ for Amy Klobuchar despite their tense debates (Getty Images) Minnesota Senator, Amy Klobuchar, and former mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg, joined Stephen Colbert on yesterday night's (April 29) at home episode of 'The Late Show.' Both of them confirmed that they were at home and while Senator Klobuchar agreed to be "viciously" competitive and winning every game of Scrabble against her family, the mayor revealed he's indulging in some epic battles of Monopoly and Risk. He also jokingly mentioned that he would like to challenge Klobuchar to a game of 'Words with Friends'. The Senator also took the time to thank healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 related duties and mentioned that she's really "devoted to testing" and doing everything she can to "get a vaccine." She had a close brush with the coronavirus and saw first-hand how "unpredictably scary" the disease could be when her husband tested positive after coughing blood and running a 100-degree body temperature for 10 straight days. She confirmed that he's recovering well after battling severe pneumonia and low oxygen levels while spending five-six days at the hospital. Later on, Colbert asked both the politicians to weigh in on President Donald Trump's decision to reopen the meatpacking industries since they are both Midwestern natives, a meat producing region. Senator Klobuchar stated: "A bunch of workers have gotten really sick and I think you have got to fix that first and you have to do everything you can to get the testing and the (contact) tracing. Of course, you have got to reopen the farms because that is how farmers make a living so have to get that done. But I keep going back to the fact that when you look at other nations that have gotten on this quicker, it's all due to testing." "The question is not whether we want to reopen, we all want to, the question is how to make sure we do it safely," added Buttigieg. He further mentioned that the plants should open because the agricultural sector needs to be up and running soon. However, he also had a burning question for Trump. While the President has been "quick to order" the meatpacking plants back in business, Buttigieg wanted to know why was he "so slow" to use these powers early on in the crisis. He mentioned this could have helped them generate more protective equipment and other things to manage the crisis better. Colbert also asked the Senator about the letter she sent to the US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin asking for better management of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and the

program itself. "We haven't gotten a written response. I have got 21 senators in with me on this and I will say that the next day they started an audit to look at some of the loans, especially the bigger loans of over $2M," said Klobuchar. "The problem here, of course, is that you have got be able to enforce these programs and one of the things we admired about [former] Vice President Biden is when that recovery money came out near the last downturn, he was in charge of making sure the money went to the people who were supposed to get it and there wasn't a bunch of fraud and corruption," she added. Klobuchar also expressed disappointment over Trump firing the intelligence community's inspector general Michael Atkinson and said, "My problem with this administration, right out of the shot, [is that] the President of the United States fired the very experienced inspector general who worked under Bush and Obama, and who could have overseen a lot of this." Meanwhile, Colbert noted that this was a "good program aimed towards employers keeping their employees working and keeping the business afloat." To this, Klobuchar added that this was a "moment of bipartisan agreement" where they came together with a goal to help people who've had their "dreams and hopes invested in their small businesses", all of which have "boarded windows" now and the senator mentioned that the goal is for them to open shop gradually but in the meantime, the priority remains for everyone to be safe. Colbert later pointed out to the now cordial relationship of the politicos as opposed to the tense moments they shared between them during the debates in Las Vegas earlier this year. Answering Colbert's question, "What gets debated in Vegas, stays in Vegas?", Buttigieg said that he has "enormous respect" for Senator Klobuchar. He went on to draw similarities between the two and said, "What we hold together is shared values, we are the ones who believe climate change is real, ones who care about making sure workers are empowered, we are the ones who are ferociously protective about the future of our democracy." He also commended the work that Klobuchar and the others in the Senate are doing and ensuring that everyone is able to vote. He mentioned that even though "there is tension on the trail", the differences between them during the course of the campaign are "vanishingly small" when compared to what they're up against — "the Trump administration." Klobuchar revealed that they knew each other since the beginning and have shared a "beer and burger" when she was in South Bend. She admitted that Buttigieg was "amazing then and amazing now" and that throughout the campaign they used to text each other, using bitmojis a couple of times as well. She admitted that their husbands get along pretty well with each other but these are the things that people don't see. "Debate brings out competitiveness and you are fighting for your cause and your supporters but right now is an election like no other. It is one of the reasons we always kept our communications open and he just sent me a video of his dog just yesterday" concluded Klobuchar.

Spin, April 30, 2020

HAIM Turn Homes Into Disco During ‘I Know Alone’ Performance on ‘The Late Show’

Watch their debut performance of the song below Emily Tan

Hours after announcing the June release date for their new album, Women In Music, Pt. III and the latest single, “I Know Alone,” HAIM performed the track on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night (April 29).

Each member had very distinct gear setups at their respective homes and did what seemingly every other group of musicians has done lately — somehow played cohesively together. While we’re used to seeing their onstage chemistry play out on stage (they are sisters after all), HAIM did the best they could, and it wasn’t a bad effort. They even included a sweet light show midway through, where there possibly could have been a dance break there if they were able to perform this in the same room.

Watch HAIM’s sorta live debut of “I Know Alone” on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert below:

Their upcoming album, Women In Music Pt. III comes out on June 26 via Columbia, and you can pre-order it here.

JamBase, April 30, 2020

HAIM Performs ‘I Know Alone’ On ‘Colbert’

Andy Kahn

HAIM appeared on Wednesday’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The band made up of sisters Este Haim, Alana Haim and Danielle Haim performed their single, “I Know Alone,” which was released yesterday.

HAIM’s appearance was recorded remotely due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The trio will release a new album, Women In Music Pt. III, on June 26. The record, which features “I Know Alone,” was originally scheduled for release earlier this month but was pushed back due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Pitchfork, April 30, 2020

Watch HAIM Play “I Know Alone” on Colbert

The three sisters come together (separately) for a remote performance of the Women in Music Pt. III single

By Evan Minsker

HAIM were the musical guests on last night’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The sisters performed their new single “I Know Alone” off their forthcoming new album Women in Music Pt. III. Each Haim was at her respective Los Angeles home. Watch the clip below.

After a delay, the band just announced that Women in Music Pt. III will arrive June 26. The follow-up to 2017’s Something to Tell You includes “The Steps,” plus the bonus tracks “Summer Girl,” “Now I’m in It,” and “Hallelujah.”

Read the interview “Danielle Haim on Collaborating on Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride” over on the Pitch.

Entertainment Tonight, April 29, 2020

'Sunday Night at the Movies' Sets Screenings of 'Indiana Jones,' 'Titanic' and More Classics

By ETonline Editors

We're long overdue for a night at the cinema together, even if it is from all of our individual homes. Look no further than Sunday Night at the Movies, with a new must-rewatch classic airing on CBS every Sunday of May.

It kicks off May 3 with the best Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and culminates on May 31 with the franchise's second-best installment, The Last Crusade. In between, there will be box-of-chocolate–like lives, missions, should you choose to accept them, and our hearts going on and on.

Here is the full slate for Sunday Night at the Movies:

May 3: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

The 1981 classic is the original Indy and our introduction to Harrison Ford as everyone's favorite Nazi-fighting archaeologist. Raiders won four Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg.

May 10: Forrest Gump

The Best Picture winner of '94 also earned Tom Hanks his first-ever Oscar for his performance as Forrest. Sally Field co-stars as Forrest's mom, with Robin Wright as his favorite girl, Jenny, and Mykelti Williamson as his best friend, Bubba.

May 17: Mission: Impossible

With a seventh and eighth installment in the M:I franchise forthcoming, there's no better time to go back to where it all began: 1996's Mission: Impossible, the Brian De Palma–directed espionage flick that introduced us to Tom Cruise's Agent Ethan Hunt.

May 24: Titanic

Leonardo DiCaprio. Kate Winslet. A record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for James Cameron. And a theme song by Celine Dion that will be stuck in your head near, far, wherever you are.

May 31: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Ford's third outing as Indy -- following Raiders and The Temple of Doom -- also features River Phoenix as a young Indiana and Sean Connery playing the estranged Jones patriarch. Plus, of course, more Nazis to fight.

Tune into Sunday Night at the Movies starting Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.

April 30, 2020

Late Night Isn’t Buying Pence’s Reason for Not Wearing a Mask

By Trish Bendix

Eye Contact

Vice President Mike Pence defended himself from criticism over his failure to wear a mask while touring the Mayo Clinic this week. Pence said that since he didn’t have the coronavirus, he wanted to take the opportunity to look health care workers “in the eye and say thank you.”

“But he might be OK,” Seth Meyers said Wednesday night, “because looking at him, he drinks plenty of bleach.”

“You can still look them in the eye with a mask! It’s not a blindfold.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

“Finally, a medical explanation for why seeing Mike Pence’s face makes you feel ill.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

Video by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

“By the way, for Mike Pence, ‘looking you in the eye’ is second base.” — STEPHEN COLBERT

April 30, 2020 Stephen Colbert & Late-Night Hosts Slam Mike Pence For Visit To Clinic Without A Mask By Corey Atad. Mike Pence doesn’t seem to think wearing a mask is important. On Global’s “The Late Show”, host Stephen Colbert slammed the U.S. vice president for his recent visit to the Mayo Clinic while ignoring their COVID-19 face mask policy. “Hold on, I’ve got a mask for you right here,” Colbert said, holding up his middle finger. Colbert also pointed out that the Mayo Clinic tweeted out that Pence had been informed of the mask policy. “Wow, that must have been harsh for Mike Pence to get roasted by his idol, mayo,” the host joked. On “Late Night”, Seth Meyers also tore into Pence for his mask-less hospital visit. “Why couldn’t you just follow the rules, man?” Meyers asked. “Do you think if you purse your lips hard enough the virus can’t get in?” Responding to Pence’s comment that he didn’t wear a mask so he could look people in the eye, Meyers joked, “How do you think you’re supposed to wear a mask? It’s never supposed to cover your eyes, unless you’re thinking of ’50 Shades of Gray’ — which means you’ve seen ’50 Shades of Gray’! Mike Pence, you nasty!” Jimmy Kimmel pointed out Pence’s penchant for claiming that he was simply acting “at the president’s direction.” He then played an edited montage of footage making it sound like Pence was saying, “At the president’s erection.” Former “Late Show” host David Letterman also spoke out against Pence during an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM on Wednesday. “Now if you go to the Mayo Clinic because you have COVID-19, you really have it,” Letterman said. “He takes time off from his gig as a mannequin, and he’s walking around without a mask taunting these poor people who are bedridden and wearing a mask. To me, that is just taunting people who are ill, to see that guy walking around in his $40 suit walking around in the Mayo Clinic without a mask.”

Letterman also joked that he knows why Donald Trump is also refusing to wear a face mask in public. “I have a buddy of mine who works at the State Department who’s in charge of semi-secret information and he told me that his whole thing with Trump-y and the mask — he won’t wear a mask because they can’t figure out how to attach it to his hair,” he laughed. “The Late Show” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET/PT on Global.

Mashable, April 30, 2020 Stephen Colbert rips into Jared Kushner's attempt to spin 1 million coronavirus cases as 'a great story' By Caitlin Welsh

The U.S. recorded its millionth case of coronavirus on Tuesday, yet the Trump administration is trying to claim that as a victory. Speaking to Fox & Friends that same day, the president's son-in-law and waxen face of the White House's disastrous coronavirus response Jared Kushner claimed the current numbers are actually a "great story." Said numbers include 60,000 recorded deaths in the U.S. from the virus. "Yes, it's a great story," agreed Stephen Colbert in his monologue on Tuesday evening, mirroring Kushner's wooden-puppet-boy inflection. "More people dying under this administration in 100 days than died in 20 years of the Vietnam War — that's a story that needs to be told. Perhaps in the blockbuster movie Preventable Apocalypse Now."

April 30, 2020 Pete Buttigieg tells Stephen Colbert he has ‘enormous respect’ for Amy Klobuchar despite their tense debates Appearing on Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show', they both agreed that there's mutual respect among the two, who have often had heated debates in the past By Yasmin Tinwala Pete Buttigieg tells Stephen Colbert he has ‘enormous respect’ for Amy Klobuchar despite their tense debates (Getty Images) Minnesota Senator, Amy Klobuchar, and former mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg, joined Stephen Colbert on yesterday night's (April 29) at home episode of 'The Late Show.' Both of them confirmed that they were at home and while Senator Klobuchar agreed to be "viciously" competitive and winning every game of Scrabble against her family, the mayor revealed he's indulging in some epic battles of Monopoly and Risk. He also jokingly mentioned that he would like to challenge Klobuchar to a game of 'Words with Friends'. The Senator also took the time to thank healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 related duties and mentioned that she's really "devoted to testing" and doing everything she can to "get a vaccine." She had a close brush with the coronavirus and saw first-hand how "unpredictably scary" the disease could be when her husband tested positive after coughing blood and running a 100-degree body temperature for 10 straight days. She confirmed that he's recovering well after battling severe pneumonia and low oxygen levels while spending five-six days at the hospital. Later on, Colbert asked both the politicians to weigh in on President Donald Trump's decision to reopen the meatpacking industries since they are both Midwestern natives, a meat producing region. Senator Klobuchar stated: "A bunch of workers have gotten really sick and I think you have got to fix that first and you have to do everything you can to get the testing and the (contact) tracing. Of course, you have got to reopen the farms because that is how farmers make a living so have to get that done. But I keep going back to the fact that when you look at other nations that have gotten on this quicker, it's all due to testing." "The question is not whether we want to reopen, we all want to, the question is how to make sure we do it safely," added Buttigieg. He further mentioned that the plants should open because the agricultural sector needs to be up and running soon. However, he also had a burning question for Trump. While the President has been "quick to order" the meatpacking plants back in business, Buttigieg wanted to know why was he "so slow" to use these powers early on in the crisis. He mentioned this could have helped them generate more protective equipment and other things to manage the crisis better. Colbert also asked the Senator about the letter she sent to the US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin asking for better management of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and the

program itself. "We haven't gotten a written response. I have got 21 senators in with me on this and I will say that the next day they started an audit to look at some of the loans, especially the bigger loans of over $2M," said Klobuchar. "The problem here, of course, is that you have got be able to enforce these programs and one of the things we admired about [former] Vice President Biden is when that recovery money came out near the last downturn, he was in charge of making sure the money went to the people who were supposed to get it and there wasn't a bunch of fraud and corruption," she added. Klobuchar also expressed disappointment over Trump firing the intelligence community's inspector general Michael Atkinson and said, "My problem with this administration, right out of the shot, [is that] the President of the United States fired the very experienced inspector general who worked under Bush and Obama, and who could have overseen a lot of this." Meanwhile, Colbert noted that this was a "good program aimed towards employers keeping their employees working and keeping the business afloat." To this, Klobuchar added that this was a "moment of bipartisan agreement" where they came together with a goal to help people who've had their "dreams and hopes invested in their small businesses", all of which have "boarded windows" now and the senator mentioned that the goal is for them to open shop gradually but in the meantime, the priority remains for everyone to be safe. Colbert later pointed out to the now cordial relationship of the politicos as opposed to the tense moments they shared between them during the debates in Las Vegas earlier this year. Answering Colbert's question, "What gets debated in Vegas, stays in Vegas?", Buttigieg said that he has "enormous respect" for Senator Klobuchar. He went on to draw similarities between the two and said, "What we hold together is shared values, we are the ones who believe climate change is real, ones who care about making sure workers are empowered, we are the ones who are ferociously protective about the future of our democracy." He also commended the work that Klobuchar and the others in the Senate are doing and ensuring that everyone is able to vote. He mentioned that even though "there is tension on the trail", the differences between them during the course of the campaign are "vanishingly small" when compared to what they're up against — "the Trump administration." Klobuchar revealed that they knew each other since the beginning and have shared a "beer and burger" when she was in South Bend. She admitted that Buttigieg was "amazing then and amazing now" and that throughout the campaign they used to text each other, using bitmojis a couple of times as well. She admitted that their husbands get along pretty well with each other but these are the things that people don't see. "Debate brings out competitiveness and you are fighting for your cause and your supporters but right now is an election like no other. It is one of the reasons we always kept our communications open and he just sent me a video of his dog just yesterday" concluded Klobuchar.

Spin, April 30, 2020

HAIM Turn Homes Into Disco During ‘I Know Alone’ Performance on ‘The Late Show’

Watch their debut performance of the song below

Emily Tan

Hours after announcing the June release date for their new album, Women In Music, Pt. III and the latest single, “I Know Alone,” HAIM performed the track on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night (April 29).

Each member had very distinct gear setups at their respective homes and did what seemingly every other group of musicians has done lately — somehow played cohesively together. While we’re used to seeing their onstage chemistry play out on stage (they are sisters after all), HAIM did the best they could, and it wasn’t a bad effort. They even included a sweet light show midway through, where there possibly could have been a dance break there if they were able to perform this in the same room.

Watch HAIM’s sorta live debut of “I Know Alone” on The Tonight Show with Stephen Colbert below:

Their upcoming album, Women In Music Pt. III comes out on June 26 via Columbia, and you can pre-order it here.

JamBase, April 30, 2020

HAIM Performs ‘I Know Alone’ On ‘Colbert’

Andy Kahn

HAIM appeared on Wednesday’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The band made up of sisters Este Haim, Alana Haim and Danielle Haim performed their single, “I Know Alone,” which was released yesterday.

HAIM’s appearance was recorded remotely due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The trio will release a new album, Women In Music Pt. III, on June 26. The record, which features “I Know Alone,” was originally scheduled for release earlier this month but was pushed back due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Pitchfork, April 30, 2020

Watch HAIM Play “I Know Alone” on Colbert

The three sisters come together (separately) for a remote performance of the Women in Music Pt. III single

By Evan Minsker

HAIM were the musical guests on last night’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The sisters performed their new single “I Know Alone” off their forthcoming new album Women in Music Pt. III. Each Haim was at her respective Los Angeles home. Watch the clip below.

After a delay, the band just announced that Women in Music Pt. III will arrive June 26. The follow-up to 2017’s Something to Tell You includes “The Steps,” plus the bonus tracks “Summer Girl,” “Now I’m in It,” and “Hallelujah.”

Read the interview “Danielle Haim on Collaborating on Vampire Weekend’s Father of the Bride” over on the Pitch.

TIME, April 30, 2020

In a Time of Pandemic, TV Doctors Wield Growing Influence. Is That A Good Thing?

Dr. John Torres; Dr. Sanjay Gupta; Dr. Oz Dr. John Torres; Dr. Sanjay Gupta; Dr. Oz

By Jeffrey Kluger

When the history of the coronavirus pandemic is written, people will remember the rubbish as much as the real. We’ll remember President Trump musing aloud about injecting Americans with disinfectant; psychologist Phil McGraw—TV’s Dr. Phil—arguing against the nationwide lockdown on the grounds that people die from cigarettes, automobile accidents and drownings and yet we don’t shut the country down for those; and Dr. Mehmet Oz seeming to advocate that a two or three percentage point increase in mortality rates (which would be the equivalent of some 8-9 million Americans lives lost) wouldn’t be such a bad trade off for reopening schools.

But we will remember too the people who have gotten it mostly right: the doctor-journalists who usually play a supporting role in network and cable newscasts and have now become the leading performers. For the better part of two months, both the evening news programs and round-the-clock cable fare have become all coronavirus all the time, and reporters with M.D.s have effectively become bedside physicians to a nation, ministering to 328 million Americans.

The phenomenon has been its own strange form of telemedicine—not the one-on-one Zoom sessions that homebound Americans are having with their GPs and specialists and psychologists, but national group therapy, live-streamed daily, from TV studios, from the field, from the rostrum of the White House press room. The doctors, like it or not, now have a waiting room that’s filled with the population of a nation—and their job is a commensurately complicated one.

“I understand that people are out there listening to me, and I’m the doctor,” says Dr. John Torres, emergency medicine specialist and NBC medical correspondent. “I very much try to understand that this is not just the physical manifestation of the coronavirus that I’m working with. There’s a mental manifestation too.”

“The truth is really important right now,” says Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and the chief medical correspondent for CNN. “I feel like as a doctor there are times you really have to give people bad news but you want to do it in a very empathetic way. I like borrowing from the old Maya Angelou idea: it’s not always what you say, it’s how you make people feel.”

But questions have been raised about the very different imperatives that drive the three different professions at play: physician, journalist, TV personality. About the power of a single comment gone sideways that can mislead audiences, sometimes into taking chances they oughtn’t take. Even about whether TV doctors should be in the business of bucking up the nation’s mood at all, or should instead just stick to serving the facts, without any additional morale-boosting or comforting.

“Walter Cronkite was considered the most trusted American when he was an anchor and he would always end with ‘And that’s the way it is,'” says Thomas Cooper, professor of Media Ethics

at Emerson College in Boston. “There’s that almost pontifical pronouncement that people want in an age of uncertainty. All of that is what audiences are looking for from TV doctors now.”

But can TV doctors do that—and should they even try?

Hippocratic hierarchy

The American Medical Association (AMA) does not fool around when it comes to doctors crossing the line from the examining room to the green room. While the organization tolerates TV moonlighting, its constitution and bylaws include an extensive section setting forth the ethical standards their members are supposed to meet when they go in front of a camera. Some of the guidance is anodyne stuff: strive for accuracy; include both benefits and risks in discussions of treatments; refrain from making clinical diagnoses of public figures; and always remember you are a doctor first and journalist second.

But the AMA gets more specific too, offering guidance tailored to the different ways different kinds of doctors interact with the media—the head of the federal agency who delivers occasional press conferences; the university researcher who is regularly approached by the media for comment and quotes; the doctor who is also a daytime talk show host.

In the current pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, are both firmly in the first of the AMA’s three categories. They have become among the most conspicuous faces of the pandemic response.

Fauci in particular, says Cooper, is “the household name type of personality who [Americans] would most want to spend an evening with over the dinner table.”

“I truly believe he is a hero,” says Dan Fagin, professor of science journalism at New York University and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Toms River.

But heroes have their kryptonite, and in the cases of Fauci and Birx, that comes in the form of serving at the pleasure of the president—a president who does not tolerate contradiction well. When Trump recommended disinfectant and ultraviolet light as treatments for COVID-19 at an April 23 press conference, the camera caught Birx on the side of the press room looking down, as if she hoped the floor would swallow her up. Fauci has not rejected Trump’s suggestions in any full-throated way, though he certainly has not endorsed them. But TV doctors, who serve at the pleasure of their networks and within the embrace of the First Amendment are freer to say what they choose about governmental policy.

That cuts both ways. TV networks have their ideological biases, and what counts as fact on one network is often seen as fiction by viewers of another—especially in the cable news wars. On the other hand, robust debate has always been a central pillar of American journalism. Either way, TV doctors benefit.

“I think sometimes the [doctors] who are in the public service part of this get a little stuck,” says Gupta. “They find themselves hedging on this and I feel for them. But I don’t have to hedge. So when something is wrong, when someone says we should study whether a disinfectant that works on a surface would work in the body, [I can] say it clearly, ‘No. We don’t need to study this. We know the answer to this.'”

Threading the needle

One of the trickiest parts of the television doctor’s job is managing not only the information that they have to deliver, but the impact it has on viewers. Early in the coronavirus epidemic, Jon LaPook, gastroenterologist and chief medical correspondent for CBS, conducted an interview with an infectious disease specialist from Johns Hopkins University. LaPook mentioned the need to offer the public some words of comfort or encouragement during a scary time. His guest responded that that was not his role, that he represented departments of public health, not departments of public reassurance.

Yet, LaPook and others maintain that it’s important to strike a balance between cold reality and cautious optimism, between making an audience feel better and scaring the daylights out of them. Journalists may not have to answer to a temperamental president, but they do have to answer to viewers who have plenty of other channels to choose if the TV doctor they’re watching leaves them depressed.

“You want to tell people, ‘Look, I know we’re all worried, but this will have a beginning, middle and end,'” says LaPook. The key in those cases is often giving people actionable information—ways they can seize back a bit of agency from the virus. “Nobody likes to feel out of control, so then you talk about things people can do—social distancing and sneezing into the crook of their arm, for example.”

For Torres, the sequence in which news and advice are offered makes the difference. “One of the things that we’re taught [in medical school] is that once [we] say that word ‘cancer,’ patients are not going to listen to a single thing we have to say. So you give all the information up front and then you tell them the reason you’re giving them that information,” he says. “To a certain extent it’s the same thing here. It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m going to give you some information and here’s how you can use it.’ Then you tell them the repercussions if they don’t.”

Fagin, a journalist first, last and always, doesn’t agree with such a blunt-the-edges approach to bad news. “Sometimes reality is really awful and our job is to depict its awfulness,” he says. “The best health journalists should be saying to themselves, ‘What is the closest depiction of reality I can get? And if it happens to be hopeful, great. If it happens to be horribly bleak, well, I’m sorry but that’s just the way it is.'”

That’s exactly the message that ought to be taught in journalism schools, but as with so many other things, what ought to be—and is—taught in schools often runs smack into a messier outside reality. A television doctor will never be precisely the same thing as a pure television journalist, and that’s not necessarily bad. In this pandemic, hard truths served up without a side dish of hope would be too much to ask most Americans to bear. There is a penalty to be paid for getting things wrong—as Drs. Oz and Phil learned. But there is a penalty too for not remembering that audiences are humans and humans need help to navigate bad times.

“I always try to mention that we are going to get through this,” Gupta says. “But for the next period of time that’s going to require a different way of life.” It’s also going to require a little national hand-holding from the doctors in a position to offer it.

April 29, 2020

Gayle King shares a throwback photo of herself shortly after giving birth to her son Will as she celebrates his 33rd birthday with sweet online tribute and a Red Lobster takeout party on Zoom

By Erica Tempesta For Dailymail.com

Gayle King wasn't able to celebrate her son Will Bumpus Jr.'s 33rd birthday in person, but that didn't stop her from paying tribute to her youngest child on his special day.

The CBS This Morning host took to Instagram on Tuesday to reminisce about the day she welcomed her 'favorite son' into the world over three decades ago, sharing a sweet throwback snapshot of herself in the hospital with her baby boy shortly after he was born.

'Do you know what you were doing 33 years ago today?? I do I do,' the 65-year-old mom wrote. 'Fav son @willgb3 was born & this is his first official pix ... swipe left he’s changed a bit ... Happy birthday Will!'

Paying tribute: Gayle King, 65, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a throwback photo of herself on the day she gave birth to her son William Bumpus Jr. in honor of his 33rd birthday

Taken in 1987, the first snapshot shows a 32-year-old Gayle sitting in her hospital bed, cradling her newborn son. The mom looks radiant in a white frock that matches the swaddle her baby boy is wrapped in.

There are flowers and balloons sitting on the radiator behind them as well as a number of takeout containers on the desk.

In the next photo, Will is a little boy smiling for the camera while posing for a picture outside. Gayle ended the tribute with a picture of herself posing with her son in Mexico in January.

Gayle's daughter Kirby Bumpus was in the original photo with her fiancé Virgil Miller, but she cropped them out when posting her son's birthday post.

Virtual party: Per family tradition, Will was treated to Red Lobster on his birthday, though his mom had to join in via a Zoom call while they were quarantined apart

Per family tradition, Will was treated to Red Lobster on his birthday, though his mom had to join in via a Zoom call while they were quarantined apart amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Gayle shared photos of the Zoom call, which included pictures of the birthday boy enjoying his lobster with his sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law while practicing social distancing.

The anchor had her own Red Lobster takeout, and she posted photos of the spread along with snapshots of her children on her computer screen.

The proud mom couldn't resist posting a video of everyone singing 'Happy Birthday' to Will before Kirby presented him with a cake.

'Our first Zoom birthday!' Gayle said in the clip.

In another video, Kirby ended the virtual party by thanking everyone for dialing in to celebrate Will on his birthday.

'Thank you all for joining. This concludes our ceremonies for this evening. We have gathered today in celebration of Will. Let's all give him a round of applause,' she said, prompting everyone to clap for her younger brother.

'Thanks for the Zoom party Kirby,' her mom told her. 'Good job!'

Gayle explained in her post that Will has been eating Red Lobster on his birthday for the past 25 years.

'Fav son @willgb3 continues his @redlobster birthday tradition!' she wrote. 'Altho this is a first ... a zoom bd party ny-la-San Fran & @redlobster delivers! Will’s been eating @redlobster on his bd since he was 8 ... he’s now 33! It’s the cheddar biscuits.'

April 30, 2020

Nick Cordero's Wife Amanda Kloots Thought She Would 'See Him in Two Hours' After Being Admitted

"I didn't even give him a kiss or a hug," Amanda Kloots said of first dropping Nick Cordero off at the hospital

By Georgia Slater

As Broadway star Nick Cordero continues to fight complications related to the novel coronavirus, his wife Amanda Kloots is revealing new details about their harrowing experience since she first dropped him off at the hospital.

On Thursday, Kloots opened up to Gayle King on CBS This Morning for her first in-depth interview about the actor, during which she shared that she was not expecting Cordero to be admitted to Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center when he first started to show symptoms.

"We drove to the emergency room and we dropped him off, and this is one of the saddest parts, we thought I would see him in two hours," Kloots said, trying to smile through her explanation.

Broadway star @iamNickCordero has been hospitalized since late March and on a ventilator because of complications from COVID-19.@GayleKing spoke with Cordero's wife @AmandaKloots for her first in-depth interview about her husband.

The fitness instructor recalled telling her husband, 41, that she was going to take their son, Elvis Eduardo, for a walk and instructed Cordero to give her a call when he was ready to be picked up.

"We just weren’t thinking," she continued. "I didn’t even give him a kiss or a hug because we were also kind of self-isolating from him because we have this 10-month-old baby and I couldn’t get sick, I’m still breastfeeding."

Kloots said that after an hour of waiting, Cordero called her and said, "'Amanda, they have admitted me, I'm now in a bed with oxygen."

The actor told Kloots that the hospital "'did a COVID test on me and they told me in a couple of hours they'll have some idea of what will be happening.'"

"I was getting a little worried at this point," Kloots admitted to King, adding, "Nick has never been hospitalized. He has no pre-existing conditions."

"The only time I have ever been in a hospital was to give birth to my son so we’re kind of new to the hospital," she explained. "So anytime I hear you’re admitted, I get a little nervous."

Cordero — who starred in Rock of Ages and Waitress and was nominated for a Tony for his role in Bullets Over Broadway — has been in the intensive care unit since late March.

He was first admitted to the hospital when he was “having a hard time breathing” after being diagnosed with pneumonia. At the time, Cordero had tested negative for COVID-19 twice before a third test came back positive.

Shortly after, Cordero became unconscious and was placed in a medically induced coma. He was then hooked up to a ventilator and an ECMO machine to “support his heart and his lungs,” according to Kloots.

Still sedated, Cordero was also put on dialysis to assist his kidneys, but doctors found an infection in his lung and he underwent emergency surgery.

While recovering, Cordero began having issues with blood clots in his right leg, which was preventing blood from circulating to his toes. After the blood thinners he was on to help with the clots started causing other problems, doctors made the difficult decision to amputate Cordero’s leg.

On Tuesday, Kloots shared in an update on her Instagram Story that the Broadway star "ended up getting an infection in his lungs" that spread to his blood, causing him to go into "a little bit of a septic shock" after developing a fever.

Kloots added that Cordero's condition has since stabilized and his "fever is under control."

The new development came almost a day after Kloots said that Cordero's doctors had to postpone plans to remove him off a ventilator and put in a breathing tube due to his fever.

In support of her husband, Kloots has been asking fans and loved ones to sing and dance on social media using the hashtag #WakeUpNick. A GoFundMe page was also recently created by their friends to raise funds for Cordero's medical bills as he continues to undergo treatment.

April 30, 2020

Nick Cordero's Wife Optimistic About His COVID-19 Recovery: "I Just Believe That He Will Wake Up"

by Evan Real

The Broadway actor, whose leg was amputated due to complications from the novel coronavirus, remains in a medically induced coma.

Nick Cordero's wife, Amanda Kloots, on Thursday made an appearance on CBS This Morning, during which she opened up to co-host Gayle King about her husband's experience with COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

"We didn't think it was COVID, yet it was weird that he was sick at the time when this was all happening. So, we took him to the urgent care and they said it's pneumonia," Kloots said of when the actor first started feeling sick. "In fact, we were saying in the car, this is the only time that you're kind of like, 'Woo! It's pneumonia!'"

Though they were relieved, Kloots said that Cordero "just kept getting worse." At the advice of a doctor friend, they sought a second opinion at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

"This is one of the saddest parts. We thought I would see him in two hours. I said, 'Call me when you want me to come and pick you up.' And, so, I didn't even give him a kiss or a hug because we were also kind of self-isolating from him because we have this 10-month-old baby," Kloots recounted. "And I got a call from Nick in about an hour and he said, 'Amanda, they have admitted me. I'm now in a bed with oxygen. They'll know some things in a couple hours. Go home and I'll call you in a couple hours.'"

That's when Kloots began to worry, she said. She didn't hear from Cordero until the next day, when he told her that doctors wanted to put him on a ventilator. "In the meantime, [doctors] said, 'We want to start some of the COVID medicines.' And they did the deep COVID chest scrape and it came back positive," said Kloots. "He started to get better and we had plans to take him off the ventilator."

Just as Cordero — a Broadway actor best known for his roles in such shows as Waitress and Rock of Ages — turned a corner, he experienced a serious setback. Cordero is currently in a medically induced coma following a leg amputation, which needed to be performed due to complications that resulted from his battle with COVID-19. Prior to the amputation, Cordero struggled with blood clots while on a ventilator and ECMO machine, which is used to help oxygenate the blood.

"He's a dancer, he's an actor, he's a performer. It was not an easy decision to make," Kloots said of the amputation.

According to Kloots, there were plans for medical staff to wake Cordero on Thursday. "Today was supposed to be putting in a trach and feeding tube," she said. "Unfortunately, this morning, his blood count was really, really low. Low blood count can mean that he's internally bleeding from somewhere. So now we have to wait."

Though Cordero's recovery has been difficult, Kloots told King that she remains optimistic. "I feel like there is an army of people behind him, behind us and I just believe — I get chills saying it — I just believe that he will wake up," she said.

Watch Kloots' interview on CBS This Morning below.

Entertainment Tonight, April 30, 2020

Nick Cordero's Wife Says He Could Be Bleeding Internally in New Coronavirus Setback

By Antoinette Bueno

Nick Cordero's wife, Amanda Kloots, is trying to stay positive as the Broadway star continues to struggle to recover from the coronavirus.

Kloots appeared on CBS This Morning on Thursday and gave the latest update on Cordero's health. She shared that 41-year-old Cordero -- who's currently in a medically induced coma -- was supposed to get a trach and a feeding tube but his blood count was too low.

"Unfortunately, this morning, his blood count was really, really low," she says. "Low blood can mean that he's internally bleeding from somewhere, so now we have to wait."

During the interview, Kloots talked about experiencing highs and lows when it comes to Cordero's coronavirus battle. She shared that at first he was diagnosed with pneumonia when he went to urgent care, and they were both celebrating that it wasn't COVID-19. But when his condition got worse even after taking medication, he went to the emergency room at the advice of a friend who's a doctor.

Kloots said the "saddest part" was that she thought she was going to see him in two hours and didn't even give him a kiss or a hug because at that point, she and their 10-month-old son, Elvis, were self-isolating from him. But an hour later, Cordero called her and said he was admitted to the hospital and was now in a bed receiving oxygen. The next morning, she said he was scared when telling her doctors wanted to now put him on a ventilator.

"Oh, it's terrifying," Kloots recalls. "And to be honest, I didn't even really understand what all of this meant."

Kloots said Cordero started to get better, but then he got a sudden infection and they had to restart his heart after he had no pulse for two minutes.

"The call that morning was supposed to be, 'We're taking him off the ventilator today 'cause he's doing so well,'" she says. "This was a new infection that came in. They said, 'Amanda we are trying to get him to an ECMO machine as soon as possible, this will save his life.'"

Kloots then had to make the difficult choice to agree to amputate Cordero's right leg due to more complications.

"He's a dancer, he's an actor, he's a performer," she notes. "It was not an easy decision to make."

Despite the harrowing time, Kloots said she is moved by all the support she and Cordero have received and fully believes he will wake up from his coma.

"I feel like there's an army of people behind him, behind us, and I just believe -- I get chills saying it -- I just believe that he will wake up."

Broadway's @iamNickCordero suffered a new setback in his battle against COVID-19. He's in a medically-induced coma & has been on a ventilator for a month. His right leg was amputated after suffering complications.@GayleKing spoke w/ his wife @AmandaKloots who remains optimistic pic.twitter.com/FawZrvm2Sw

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) April 30, 2020

Billboard, April 30, 2020 Nick Cordero's Wife Thought She'd 'See Him in Two Hours' After Initial Hospitalization by Gil Kaufman When Amanda Kloots dropped her husband Broadway star Nick Cordero off at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in March she thought she'd see him again in a few hours. She never imagined more than a month would go by and his situation would go from bad to life-threatening. Kloots, who has been posting regular updates on Cordero's condition, stopped by CBS This Morning on Thursday (April 30) to give Gayle King the full story of her 41-year-old husband's long struggle to recover from complications of the novel coronavirus. "We drove to the emergency room and we dropped him off, and this is one of the saddest parts, we thought I would see him in two hours," fitness instructor Kloots told King about what she thought would be a short time apart as she took their son Elvis Eduardo for a walk while she awaited the call from the Tony-nominated Waitress star to pick him up. "We just weren’t thinking. I didn’t even give him a kiss or a hug because we were also kind of self-isolating from him because we have this 10-month-old baby and I couldn’t get sick, I’m still breastfeeding." But within a hour, she said, Cordero was being admitted and place on oxygen as he awaited the results of a rapid COVID-19 test after going to the hospital with breathing issues related to a pneumonia diagnosis. Since then, he's been placed in a medically induced coma, hooked up to a ventilator and a ECMO machine to support his lungs and heart, placed on dialysis to support his kidneys and had his leg amputated due to blood clots. Cordero's Waitress and Rock of Ages castmates have gotten together virtually over the past week to show their support for him and on Wednesday Kloots posted a sweet photo of the couple with the caption "I miss him. #day29."

E! Online, April 30, 2020

Nick Cordero's Wife Reveals "One of the Saddest Parts" of His Coronavirus Battle

by Samantha Schnurr

For Nick Cordero and his wife Amanda Kloots, it's been one health battle after another.

The Tony-nominated performer has been in the hospital since the start of April battling coronavirus, a diagnosis he didn't get until after he went to the emergency room and doctors wanted to put him on a ventilator. Up until that point, the star had been diagnosed with solely pneumonia at an urgent care, but his condition continued to worsen at home.

As Kloots recalled their medical rollercoaster ride in an interview on CBS This Morning, she initially thought she would see her husband of nearly three years shortly after he went into the hospital.

"This is one of the saddest parts—we thought I would see him in two hours. I said you know, 'Call me when you want me to come pick you up,'" she recalled. "I didn't even give him a kiss or a hug because we were also kind of self-isolating from him because we have this 10-month-old baby." About an hour later, Nick called to tell her he had been admitted, that he was in a bed with oxygen and that she should go home and he would call later.

A month-long fight with a virus crippling the world has since unfolded for the couple. A life-changing situation arose when, after seeming to turn a corner, Cordero got an infection and needed resuscitation.

Then, according to Kloots, while he was on an ECMO machine, a tube was restricting blood flow to his right leg, which resulted in Nick's body both trying to save the leg, but fighting itself at the same time. With her husband facing major damage to his body, the decision was essentially to save his leg or save his life.

"He's a dancer, he's an actor, he's a performer—it was not an easy decision to make," she told King. His leg was ultimately amputated.

Cordero has since suffered a fever, lung infection and some septic shock and was being treated with antibiotics and blood pressure medication to bring his pressure up. According to Kloots, a plan to put a feeding tube in was halted after his blood count was low, which could indicate internal bleeding, so they are waiting on blood test results.

In the meantime, Cordero has the support of his wife and fans around the country, who play his song "Live Your Life" daily as part of an encouraging social media effort.

"Nick would love this," she told King. "When he hears that everyone is playing his song every day and praying for him and now it's on the radio…he won't believe it."

Meanwhile, Kloots, who stands outside the hospital every day to play his song and cheer him on, has not lost hope.

"I feel like there is an army of people behind him, behind us," she said. "I just believe—I get chills saying it—I just believe that he will wake up."

Rolling Stone, April 30, 2020

The Highwomen Take Fans Behind the Scenes in ‘Crowded Table’ Video

Country supergroup release new clip to provide comfort during isolating times

By Claire Shaffer

If you’re feeling a little lonely right now, the Highwomen have got your back. The country supergroup made up of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Amanda Shires, and Maren Morris released the video for their song “Crowded Table” on Thursday, pulling together footage from when they first recorded their self-titled debut album.

It’s a heart-warming clip, featuring appearances by the group’s backing band, their families, and the singer Yola, who sang guest vocals on The Highwomen‘s eponymous opening track.

To coincide with the release, Carlile, Morris and Hemby appeared on CBS This Morning, where they explained their decision to release the “Crowded Table” clip during quarantine.

“Isn’t that what we all wish we had now, a crowded table?” Carlile said.

“[Seeing the footage] made me tear up,” Hemby added. “I want to be around my buddies again…Making music is about being together.”

“I will never complain about playing a show, or an early flight to get to a show, after this,” Morris quipped. “I’m so ready to play music again.”

Before social distancing for the COVID-19 pandemic went into effect, Morris played her last gig at the Texas Rodeo in March, shortly before giving birth to her firstborn child.

“Having this baby has been the most beautiful distraction from the outside world — I feel very cocooned at home with my husband Ryan and our baby,” she said. “That’s been an amazing miracle to have.”

All four members of the group have put their tours on hold due to the pandemic.

April 29, 2020

Nick Faldo: 'I don't want to visualize' golf without fans

By Steve DiMeglio

A Ryder Cup without thunderous, nationalistic legions of fans?

A Masters without patrons and roars echoing through the Georgia pines?

A U.S. Open and PGA Championship played in silence?

“I don’t want to visualize that,” Sir Nick Faldo told Golfweek this week about the possible soundless scenarios due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. “I think matches or games or some tournaments are fine without fans, but finals? I would deem the Ryder Cup a final, just like the Super Bowl and the World Series. And the major championships fall in that line, too.

“You have to have fans for the atmosphere, I would think.”

The lead golf analyst for CBS Sports and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame knows of what he speaks. He won the Masters three times (Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Faldo are the only players to win back-to-back green jackets). Won the Open Championship three times. Lost in a playoff in the U.S. Open to Curtis Strange in 1988. Tied for second in the 1992 PGA Championship.

And Faldo played in the Ryder Cup 11 times and was the captain of Europe when the U.S. won in 2008. He’s been in the CBS tower analyzing the play before him at scores of majors.

“Fans are really more than the atmosphere. They are part of the event,” Faldo said. “I laugh thinking when Tommy Fleetwood does his famous celebration in the Ryder Cup when he holes his putt, he’s going to look around and see nobody and he’s screaming to birds at Whistling Straits? Or Tiger fist-pumps after a huge putt and hears crickets?

“I get when sports starts and finding a way to do it without fans for the safety until we get things organized and people can really be well tested safely. But I can’t see, what I call them, finals, when you really do need the atmosphere to make it something special, to be held without fans.”

But if the finals are conducted without fans?

“If they do go forward without fans, then everybody is going to have to be really adaptable to anything,” Faldo said. “If you’re going to go play tournament golf and you’re really inspired by the atmosphere of the fans, you better get used to ramping up your own adrenaline and your own intensity. And you better learn quick or don’t go and play.

“It will come easier for some guys and harder for others, who are trying to figure out when to fist-pump or how to get motivated in silence. It will be a weird feeling coming down to the last

holes and people are doing great things and your playing partners are going, ‘Yeah, nice putt, mate,’ and there’s no other noise.”

The current plan for the PGA Tour’s restart scheduled for June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is for the first four events to be played without fans. Faldo, 62, will have to get used to the silent ways as he’ll be in the CBS tower for a solid two months if the PGA Tour is able to restart in June. He’s confident he’ll adapt, just as he has for the past eight weeks since he’s been sheltered at home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

“This is probably the longest period in my golf career, probably since I was 18, where I’ve been in one place,” he said. “Starting on eight weeks now. The longest before that was five, which was 16 years ago.

“At times, I struggled to get two weeks in one place. And it looks like we’re definitely going to go at least another six weeks. But we’re very fortunate. Life in Ponte Vedra is very good. We’re really disciplined doing the shelter at home.”

Now he just has a different routine.

“I have a routine on the road. You get up, go to the gym, eat breakfast, then go to the golf course,” he said. “I see the course, see some players and get the story for the day. Then it’s off to the tower and you get yourself set up and the CBS crew in the tower is great and it’s good fun. And then the great Jim Nantz arrives and off we go. And there are no two rounds alike so that’s great. You don’t know what’s coming. So we rattle away for whatever time it may be.”

Now, he says, he’s really busy doing nothing.

“But I have been doing a lot of brainstorming, thinking about what shows I want to film, lots of business ideas as well,” he said. “So, it’s between chilling and educating ourselves. Watching a lot of smart TV shows. Doing new exercises trying to lose an inch or two on the waistline. And trying to look past the bar to have a quick drink on the hour.

“Interesting times, these are.”

April 29, 2020 Nick Faldo suggests "banning tees" as a way to reduce distance on tour By Stephen Hennessey Golf's distance debate continues to be one of the hottest topics in our game. The latest stoke in that fire may have come last week from Nick Faldo in comments he made on a podcast regarding the use of tees as a way to limit distance. Though he mentioned he has brought up this point "in jest at times," Faldo explained on Geoff Shackelford's podcast how "banning" the use of tees would bring more of an element of skill back to driving the ball. "If they banned tee pegs, if they went and played a tournament with no tee pegs, the guys would have to go out and alter their drivers. They'd say, 'Alright, you're allowed to place it on the grass.' You wouldn't be using [a driver that's] 6 degrees. You'd need to use one that can get airborne a bit. And that would seriously change it. "Sure, they could hit 3-wood. And that would be their optimum. They could hit 3-wood off the ground, Rory would still hit it 285 yards in the air. But it'd be a tough hit to hit a driver off the deck. "I think that's what we have to get out there. It's about the quality of the strike. And that would bring in a little more inconsistency." It is interesting to think about how reducing a tour player's ability to tee up their driver or 3-wood might put an emphasis back on the "quality of the strike," as Faldo put it, and the skill involved with compressing the ball. Golf's ruling bodies released its joint statement on distance in February, outlining the long-term effect that continued distance increases could negatively have on the game, with the USGA's Mike Davis saying "we want the cycle of distance increases to stop." It's not clear yet what measures will be put into place. The six-time major champion and current CBS and Golf Channel analyst in his comments on the Shack Show also suggested reducing the size of a driver face to put more of an emphasis on the skill of driving the ball. "If you brought back the size of the face down, so there would be some serious mis-hits . . . that way, the sweet spot for the pro would be a real sweet spot, not a sweet face. That's what it is now, it's the whole thing." He also pointed to last year's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne and how the firm and fast course emphasized strategy and "not just smashing it down there," as what the game should look like in the future. Faldo also made the point that in the 1970 and 1980s, you could point to about a dozen players who separated themselves as being great drivers of the ball, whereas today, there might be a

dozen players who would be considered bad drivers of the ball, and everyone else can hit it 300 yards on command. Though that's an overly simplified observation, it's tough to deny the new distance extremes on tour. As Mike Stachura pointed out in a February piece, the percentage of 320-yard-plus drives on the PGA Tour is a third higher in the last decade than it was from 2001-2010. In the past three full seasons, about 10 percent of all drives on the PGA Tour were 320 yards or longer, almost three times as high as it was in 2002. On the other hand, measuring driving distance from 2012, the average increase in driving distance on the PGA Tour is less than half a yard per year, or not all that dissimilar to the timeframe of the 1980s and early 1990s, as [Stachura pointed out](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/usga-randa-declares-golf-distance-increases-must-stop-in-findings-from-distance-insights-project. And that's part of the reason why golf's distance debate has become a hot button topic, to say nothing of the increases in athleticism among modern-day golfers and how increasing launch conditions on devices such as Trackman has helped golfers maximize the potential of the best new equipment.

April 30, 2020

Now's your chance to play Jim Nantz's back-yard par 3, one of the best items in Titleist's auctions for COVID-19

By E. Michael Johnson

Rebecca CorveseSUMMER WIND: Jim Nantz on the tee of his back-yard replica of Pebble Beach's storied seventh hole, with Ken Venturi's cart in the driveway.

A number of equipment manufacturers and other stakeholders in the game have stepped up with charitable efforts in the age of COVID-19. Among them is Titleist, which has one of the more impressive fundraising efforts with its auction that ends Thursday at 9 p.m.

The highlight of the auction is the Jim Nantz Pebble Beach Experience. The Experience starts with Nantz joining your foursome for breakfast at The Gallery, close by the first tee, before moving to a pre-round putting contest with Nantz. Once on the first tee at Pebble Beach, Nantz will announce (and record for posterity) your appearance. After the round at Pebble, your foursome will head to Nantz’s home for a cocktail hour that will include a special “Our Tribute” bottle of wine from Nantz’s wine cellar, as well as the ability to take a few swings on Nantz's back-yard par 3, which replicates Pebble’s seventh hole.

Ace the hole and get your name added to the “Rock of Fame” where the previous 16 acers are enshrined. No ace? The one hitting it closest to the pin receives a custom set of Titleist clubs. As of now the high bid is $42,000.

Though the Nantz Experience is perhaps the most notable, there are plenty of other enticing auctions (current bid in parens). Golf for three at Lake Nona with Ian Poulter ($20,000); Golf for two with Justin Thomas and his father, Mike at Medalist Golf Club with a pre-round lesson from Mike, who is a PGA professional ($35,000).

If you’re an equipment geek, perhaps the Scotty Cameron Experience ($19,250) or Bob Vokey Experience ($10,000) will appeal to you. There are instruction packages from Butch Harmon

and Michael Breed as well, among many other auctions. You can make a bid on any of these by clicking here.

If you don’t have that kind of scratch lying around, you’re not out of luck. There is also a sweepstakes component that gives you and two friends a chance to play with Webb Simpson at Pinehurst No. 2, along with a post-round lunch with Simpson; a one-night stay for each at the Carolina Hotel; a round at The Cradle, Pinehurst’s nine-hole short course designed by the Gil Hanse, and a gift certificate for dinner at the Pinehurst Brewing Company. Four other winners will receive gift packages. Ticket purchases start at $25 for 10 tickets up to 60 tickets for $100. You can enter the sweepstakes by clicking here.

Already, the auction and sweepstakes have raised more than $200,000. All of the proceeds will benefit three relief efforts: the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund; The United Way chapters of Greater New Bedford and San Diego County (to support the local communities where the majority of the Titleist and FootJoy U.S. employees work) and the Golf Emergency Relief Fund.

GOLF, April 29, 2020

Jim Nantz anticipating ‘most demanding stretch of my career’ with November Masters

By: Sean Zak

This time next year, we can all hope, life will be different. Perhaps we’ll see two Masters between now and then, and some other major championships, too. As for Jim Nantz, well, he’s bound to be one of the busiest men in sports.

As the lead broadcaster for CBS’ golf and football coverage, Nantz rarely gets a break anyway, but the spring often serves him a couple of weeks off. But when CBS is slated to host a Super Bowl, Nantz’ schedule gets intense. How about when CBS is slated to host a November Masters?

“With all the big events that are potentially scheduled, I could essentially have the most demanding stretch of my career,” Nantz told Sports Broadcast Journal.

“I love to work and frankly I’ve never been comfortable taking weeks off. If the world is centered again, I could go from the newly scheduled Masters date in November of this year to the PGA Championship in May 2021. That’s pretty much six consecutive months of on-air broadcasting week in and week out, with the NFL and NCAA tournaments in between.”

It doesn’t sound like Nantz is going to be getting a break once the sports world is able to return to normal. Below is an imagined schedule:

2020 Masters — Nov. 12-15 NFL football — every Sunday through Jan. 24 Farmers Insurance Open — Jan. 28-31 Super Bowl — Feb. 7 PGA Tour golf — Feb. 14-21 NCAA Tournament — March – Early April 2021 Masters — April 5-11 PGA Tour golf — April 18-May 16 PGA Championship — May 20-23

That would be one helluva stretch for Nantz, who has worked wild stretches before, but surely nothing quite like this. If he gets the opportunity, we can all agree we’ll be happy to tune in.

The Athletic, April 30, 2020 Bellator champ Douglas Lima picked an inopportune time to open a huge new gym By Josh Gross Gwinnett Training Academy was set to launch in mid-April. Like a multitude of other businesses in the U.S., though, the almost 8,000 square foot gym in Lawrenceville, Ga., currently sits quiet and essentially unused. Douglas Lima is at least a week overdue for the grand opening of his massive combat sports facility in Gwinnett County, which is located 30 minutes northeast of Atlanta, but there’s not much the two-time Bellator welterweight champion can do. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp paved the way for some businesses to operate again on Friday by lifting restrictions on gyms, bowling alleys, barbershops, hair and nail salons, tattoo parlors, estheticians and massage therapists, yet the push to promote business during a public health crisis has caused Lima to grapple with how and when the public should use his facility. “It’s safety first,” Lima (32-7), one of the world’s top 170-pound fighters, said on Tuesday. “The last thing we need right now is somebody to contaminate it. That’s going to kill the business from the start. I’d rather wait right now. I’ve already waited all this time. I’d rather wait and make sure there’s space for everybody. And then I’ll be able to open.” “Everything is ready. We’re waiting for this to be over.” A heavy rotation of MMA, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, fitness and kids classes, most of which won’t fly in a socially distant world, are listed on the gym’s schedule. Members may not be able to train inside Gwinnett Training Academy, but it remains an option for the owner and a handful of pro mixed martial artists, including talented UFC welterweight Anthony Rocco Martin. As the UFC seeks to ramp back up on May 9 in Jacksonville, Fla., Martin, whose bout on April 25 fell victim to force majeure, has been told to stay prepared. “The guy is a killer,” Lima said. “Good everywhere. We got a solid team over here. You think there’s not a lot. We got a solid team.” Lima has been happy to help while staying sharp on the pads and focusing on improving the details of his game. The current state of affairs represents a double whammy for the 32-year-old competitor, who was set to fight up a weight class for the vacant Bellator middleweight belt against Gegard Mousasi (46-7-2) on May 9 in San Jose, Calif. That card, of course, washed away alongside almost everything else as the pandemic rippled across the nation, prompting Bellator to cancel four events through early June. During a time of uncertainty, Lima has found peace of mind knowing he does not have to train all-out because a call to fight won’t come.

Once restrictions are lifted, he would need six weeks to prepare for a middleweight championship fight. “Whenever the organization tells me to fight, I’ll be ready,” he said. “I am staying safe and doing as much as I can with everything going on.” As of Wednesday evening, Georgia had more than 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1,100 deaths. Lima is choosing to move cautiously. “I don’t want anybody to knock on the door and shut us down,” Lima said. “We can’t break any rules. We have to respect the law and everything they’re doing. “The state said we could open with certain restrictions. I think some classes we can do. Some classes we can’t. “Maybe by next week we can do it. One month or two months later is not so bad.” Cardio kickboxing and fitness classes appear possible sooner than later because they allow for social distancing among the clientele. However, jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, wrestling and other aspects of MMA are close quarters and risky. “We can’t do that,” Lima said. “I’m not 100 percent sure when we’re going to open the gym here, but at least a place to train I do have.” For a top-shelf fighter who rarely holds any portion of his training camps outside Georgia — he immigrated there from Brazil 20 years ago — this one-stop shop was all he wanted. He was a partner in a nearby American Top Team affiliate, but this new facility is his baby, and he’s hired people he believes he can depend on. “Of course you’re worried about numbers and behind-the-scenes stuff,” Lima said. Up to six employees will staff the location when doors finally open to the public. Owning and running a gym, Lima acknowledged, presents challenges. “When something is yours and you love doing it, it’s not hard,” he said. “It’s like fighting. I love fighting so much I don’t consider it a job.” Lima began work on Gwinnett Training Academy before his stellar five-round win over Rory MacDonald in October. The biggest victory of Lima’s career made the Brazilian the Bellator welterweight world grand prix champion and reunited him with the promotion’s 170-pound belt. It also set up a move to challenge Mousasi for the Bellator middleweight title. When it’s time to return, he still wants Mousasi.

“That’s the goal,” Lima said. “I’m hoping that’s the one. I hope nothing changes. “I’m pretty much in camp. I’m not training as much as I usually do, but middleweight is definitely the next fight. I’m a little heavy right now, and I think it’s going to work out good for me.” Lima explained that going up in weight feels like the best decision for his career, and competing at 185 means fighting at an optimum weight rather than going through the torturous process of shedding water on the way down to 170. “I struggle to make that weight,” Lima admitted. “Usually, I walk around at 200 pounds. I lose 15 and try to get to fight week 15 or 16 pounds over. Then I do the water cut all the way down to 170. This time I won’t do the water cut, so I’m definitely going to seem a lot healthier. I think it’s going to be great for me. I’m ready to fight at middleweight. We’ll see after this fight.” Lima said there weren’t any lessons to take from MacDonald’s unsuccessful move up to fight Mousasi in 2018. “I felt bad for Rory when he fought Mousasi,” Lima said. “I don’t know if he was in his head. I don’t know if something was going on mentally with him. But he just wasn’t himself in that fight, and Mousasi took advantage of that. “I don’t even look at that fight to get ready for Mousasi.” For scouting and game planning, Lima relies on fellow Brazilian Roan Carneiro. “Carneiro is the best coach I ever head, not just as a coach but a training partner as well,” Lima said. “A great guy. He helps me a lot for 185.” Lacking a fight to focus on now, Lima’s attention remains on making sure Gwinnett Training Academy is a place his kids can run around for a couple of hours and burn off energy — a luxury quarantined parents everywhere would appreciate. Getting ready for the public during this downtime has presented enough of a distraction to keep “The Phenom” occupied, though he’s fine relaxing at home in front of the television for a whole day too. Starting last week, the chance to watch replays of his Bellator fights on TV increased when select contests began replaying on CBS Sports Network. This appears to be another sign that Bellator and its corporate owner, ViacomCBS, are seeking ways to expand the visibility of the promotion. When live events start up again, Lima feels well situated to be a featured fighter if rumors turn real and MMA returns to CBS or Showtime. “The more eyes that see us, the better,” Lima said. “I know Scott Coker and Bellator are trying to do the best for the company and the fighters. It’s a good move if they do it, back to national television. I am looking forward to more fights. I wanted to stay very busy this year. If I can make two fights still, it’ll be an amazing year despite all of this.”

Boston Magazine, April 30, 2020

93. Lisa Hughes

NEWS ANCHOR, WBZ-TV

You know you’re at a killer event when this award-winning broadcaster, who celebrates her 20th anniversary with WBZ-TV this year, takes the mike. As compelling off-camera as she is on, “She’s the master of being master of ceremonies,” quips her co-anchor, David Wade. “She helps so many local organizations spread their important messages.”

SIDE GIG: Putting the pedal to the medal as a 10-year Pan-Mass Challenge rider who also serves on the bike-a-thon’s advisory board.

CBS Local, April 29, 2020

WBZ’s Lisa Hughes, Liz Walker Named Among Boston’s 100 Most Influential People

BOSTON (CBS) – WBZ is celebrating an incredible honor for two of our own – anchor Lisa Hughes and former anchor Liz Walker. Both women were just named to Boston Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the city this year. They join a very distinguished list.

Who took the #1 spot? All of Us.

That’s right. The magazine highlighted all Bostonians because, in the editors’ words, “During these unprecedented days, we are all individually mighty.”

“We’re no longer measuring it [influence] in Boston merely by the number of elections won or dollars earned,” said Boston Magazine Editor in Chief Chris Vogel. “Today it’s really measured more in the number of lives saved by doctors and nurses, meals delivered by struggling restauranteurs, and hours spent at home with the doors closed, keeping yourself and everyone around you safe.”

Governor Charlie Baker graces the cover. He earned the number two spot.

Also on the list, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is number six, right behind Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, who editors credit with “an uncanny ability to play the inside game with elites, while maintaining an outside disruptor image with voters.”

The list is not simply filled with political names.

“We’re always looking for as much inclusion as possible,” Vogel said. “We tried to hit on that by hitting all of the areas of the city from fashion, as well as sports, and of course traditional development, politics, etc.”

Kraft Group President Jonathan Kraft sits at number nine. Julian Edelman is the highest ranked athlete at number 18, labelled a “classic take-the-hit, grind-it-out Boston sports hero.”

Tanisha Sullivan, the President of the Boston chapter of the NAACP is number 23; Herb Chambers is ranked 51 on the list; and the Teamsters’ Sean O’Brien sits at number 64.

Lisa Hughes, Liz Walker, Jack Williams, and Bob Lobel during a celebration for William’s retirement in 2015. (Photo credit: Mike Ruzicka-WBZ-TV)

At number 84 you will find former WBZ anchor Liz Walker. She delivered the news for decades and is now one of Boston’s most trusted spiritual leaders as pastor at Roxbury Presbyterian Church.

“I guess it means for me that I work in a field where you’re trying to touch people, encourage people, and give people hope,” Liz said. “So I guess this is kind of an affirmation that maybe I’m doing my job: power to lift up a community; power to inspire people; power to let my brokenness touch your brokenness.”

Current WBZ anchor Lisa Hughes is the only broadcaster on this year’s list of Boston’s most influential. At number 93, Lisa was singled out for her 20 years at WBZ, her work in the community, and her commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge.

“It was a great surprise, and an honor to be on the list, particularly with Liz,” Hughes said. “And I love their choice for number one. We live in a very, very special place.”

April 30, 2020

WCBS Chief Meteorologist Lonnie Quinn’s Girls Steal His Live Shot

By Stephanie Tsoflias Siegel

WCBS chief meteorologist Lonnie Quinn is just your average dad trying to work from home.

During Wedneday evening’s forecast, Quinn, who has a full at-home studio set up in his barn, told the viewers his wife had to be on a work Zoom call so he had his girls with him.

That’s when he called his daughters Sunny and Savy into the shot.

The girls said hi to the viewers but when Quinn asked them to step back out of the shot, it triggered some tears and suddenly he had his hands full trying to do the forecast and entertain his two girls.

(Greece) April 24, 2020

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

The creators of 'Good Fight' make the TV that 'Sopranos' taught them

We talked to the couple behind "Good Fight" and "Good Wife" about the hallucinogenic television of the Trump era and the continuing influence of "Sopranos".

THODORIS DIMITROPOULOS

Robert and Michelle King make a TV that looks traditional in everything but with a big asterisk: It will always be a little more unexpected, a little more tripartite than you expect at first glance.

The "Good Wife" that took them off is a classic legal procedural but played like an opera. The sequel series "The Good Fight" plays as an illusion. This year's other series, "Evil", is a techno-anxious variation on "The Exorcist". (And for those who remember the crazy "Braindead" , a political drama "Romeo and Juliet" with alien worms occupying the brains of politicians, I don't think further explanation is needed.)

The 4th season of "The Good Fight" is shown every Friday at 21.00 on COSMOTE SERIES HD. The first 3 seasons are available on demand.

"Good Fight" enters its 4th season this year and did so with a big bang: The series, which focuses on a Chicago law firm specializing in cases of police violence and social inequality through the eyes of an established, white lawyer, did impressive premiere a few days ago. (Broadcast in Greece every Friday on COSMOTE SERIES HD.) In this episode , Diane of the goddess Christine Baranski awakens to an alternative reality where Trump was never elected and what at first seems like a wet dream turns into a nightmare in finding out what he has. Lost.

The Kings series are never afraid of big, unexpected ideas, but at the same time they never act on the logic of constant shocks to keep the audience awake - they let the narrative and the characters do it. They write series like from another era, procedurals with independent episodes that methodically build an exciting universe full of surprises.

We spoke by phone with them about the origins of this year's much-discussed premiere, about Trump and the reality, about the television they want to write about and the TV they always admire, from "Sopranos" to "Russian Doll".

Let's start with the premiere, how did you come up with the idea for this episode? The series has always had a special relationship with this question of whether Hillary would come out after your pilot changed the script. Was it always in your head in one form or another?

Robert King: I think every year "Good Fight" becomes a little more absurd, and a little more willing to blow up the structure of what a TV drama should be. And we didn't want you to know what would happen next year. Last year we had, say, some one-minute cartoon tracks explaining some complicated legal terminology. This year we did a thought experiment: You're not sure if you're watching an episode of "Twilight Zone," even though you're watching an episode of "Good Fight." And that seemed like a fun way to start, where you just upset the audience. People pay to see the show and we have to give something extra. And that sounded like something extra.

The pattern of alternative reality has been familiar on television for decades, so you expect it to get to the point where everything goes wrong, but when it does, it's unexpected and brave. How did you get on this particular path?

Michelle King: We were very excited about the idea of what an alternative reality would look like where Hillary would have been elected President, but we also felt that if we were to be honest with ourselves we would have to explore not only the amazing positives, but to look at the negative effects. And there are a lot of smart screenwriters next to us in the series, and we all sat in the room together and discussed the different ways this world would look like.

Robert King: We were interested in the idea of unintended consequences. Our show is perceived by the world as something clearly opposed to the current administration, and Weinstein's terror was a way to look beyond the positive and the negative. And also what is comical! Diane is crazy about this world that we present as a liberal wet dream. And that's where we wanted to make a comeback, where Diane finds out that this world also hides terror. And that makes him funny!

Many films and series have been made as a reaction to the Trump era, but I think "Good Fight" is the most defining text of the period because it approaches it with a visual surrealist, hallucinogenic, reaching the absurd. How did you choose this approach? Did it happen as you progressed? It was exciting to see it in the series.

Michelle King: I feel like this plot just landed on us. We had a pilot ready when Trump was suddenly elected, no one expected it. So we suddenly realized that we had a very different show in our hands. So that's where we started thinking from scratch what the series would look like.

Robert King: And then, with each new news cycle…. And it's terrible that I continue to use the term "news cycle" because the situation has changed a lot, but the news coming out of

Washington was so weird and absurd and I felt it would be appropriate and funny for Diane to get substance abuse, and not being able to see the difference between the real news and the imaginary.

It was a feeling that seemed very symbolic of how we lived the experience of news circles. So that's what put us on a path of irrationality, because I think it's the best way to approach this current administration. In other words, not in a dry way, like Bob Woodward following a path of data. But with a strange feeling, that we have gone through a mirror, and how it would look like.

Diane, since you mentioned her, was in some ways the heart of the previous show. Was it always meant to be the main character of this sequel? I'm not saying exactly spin-off because there are so many people being transported.

Robert King: One of the saddest things about "Good Wife" was saying goodbye to all these characters, not only the 6 main members of the star cast, but also people like Michael Jr.'s character. Fox or Carrie Preston, who played Elsbeth Tassioni. So what we wanted is a focus on a world that is constantly moving, which is the character of Christine Baranski, and to create new characters like Delroy Lido, but then have access to all these judges and lawyers.

So that was the key, Christine Baranski who is a very solid straight man character, even though she is the funniest woman in the world, she is the solid rock of this world. And then what obviously happened with Trump's victory is that this anchor is rising from the sea. And that is, I think, a feeling of turmoil that many share. Our anchors have risen from reality.

Michelle King: Not only that, if you're lucky enough to have worked with someone like Christine Baranski, all you want to do is keep working with someone like Christine Baranski. Wonderful actress but also as an individual. So we wanted to keep working with her.

What is the biggest difficulty in working season by season this season? You mentioned that you react to things that happen at any time, but beyond that, how do you approach each season, what was the impetus behind the current one, for example?

Robert King: Michelle and I try to find the basic idea that covers everything. In season 2 it was "kill all the lawyers" and in this 4th it is "memo 618". And while we're trying to play the zeitgeist

and somehow try to get the most out of America, we don't want to feel like the series is getting old. We are now saying this in the midst of a pandemic. [laughs] It's important because locality is the oxygen of this show.

From there, you react to the news as it comes. We have an episode about the military hierarchy in a country where the # 1 person in the hierarchy chain, the President, often seems to operate on a whim, so we have an episode about that. You want the episodes to play with what you think is the news of the moment, but again to play based on the wider pattern.

Something I enjoy in the series is how they build on their mythology and rhythm. I recently saw "Hitting the Fan" again from "Good Wife", an episode that is great TV in a way that only TV can be great. So I wonder what's behind the fact that you serve so faithfully the most traditional form of TV episodes, even in the age of streaming.

Robert King: Always talking about me, I'm a fan of standalone episodes. Everyone thinks of "Sopranos" as a very serialized series, which it was, but each episode has its own fun moment, and it always had a beginning, a middle and an end. Tony may have been in a battle against his mother in Season 1, but each episode had him face a different crisis, and that made each episode autonomous.

It's also something you see now in "The Crown", which has a continuous story but consists of independent episodes. It's like old-fashioned TV and how we consumed it. Not as a novel but as an ongoing thread of short stories, playing on a common pattern.

And I have to tell you, I enjoy this way of watching and I think streaming is often based on some of the highlights it offers during a season with a lot of weak and slow episodes in between, real episodes of "stuffing". I'm not tempted by that. I want more action, short stories that keep them united in an ongoing thought.

Michelle King: Also our shows, "Good Fight" on streaming and "Good Wife" on TV, come out both weekly. We have never done a show that comes out at once, so the narration is not very different.

On this thought, do you have personal favorites? In other words, series that explain your approach to the medium, or great examples of this format?

Michelle King: Robert mentioned "Sopranos" that you can't find anything better than that. But "Breaking Bad" is also a big favorite, and then we go back to Steven Bosco's shows, like "Hill Street Blues," where you still find a perfect dramatic narrative.

Robert King: You also can't have better TV writing than West Wing. Recently I saw the 3rd cycle of "Ozark" which was excellent, and the "Russian Doll" fantastic. What I like is when a series plays a bit with the form. Half an hour can be a drama and not a comedy, and the hours can be a lot of different things.

Finally a more general question. Having recently seen your other series besides "Good Wife" / "Good Fight" I was thinking what is it that connects them. They are all traditional items presented in a tense way in a very modern context. Is this

something you are thinking about? Do you ever think about what connects your work? Because none is what you expect it to be.

Robert King: What always connects them is a tendency to want to see the good and the bad in every human being. And always a weird feeling. But something that is true of all the things we try to do is to find the good and the bad in everyone and not to close everything happily. Trying to understand how people can maintain something that works in our society.

Television is often based on blasting everything. And even if our main titles start with explosions, I think that in the end our shows have to do with how you find things that are worth preserving and saving, that are worth it, and not throwing everything into the ocean. And it's also about avoiding conspiracy theories and trying to live in the real world.

* The 4th season of "The Good Fight" is shown every Friday at 21.00 on COSMOTE SERIES HD. The first 3 seasons are available on demand.

(Singapore)

April 30, 2020

Patrick Stewart returns to Star Trek as a darker Picard

Available on Amazon Prime Video, Star Trek: Picard stars (from left) Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Patrick Stewart and Alison Pill.PHOTO: CBS INTERACTIVE

In Star Trek: Picard, he reprises his role as the starship captain who is now retired and a haunted man

Alison de Souza In Los Angeles

For years, a vocal contingent of Star Trek fans has clamoured for the franchise to bring back Jean-Luc Picard - the beloved spaceship captain from the series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 to 1994) and four feature films (1994 to 2002).

And they are finally getting their wish with Star Trek: Picard, an Amazon Prime Video series that is the eighth Star Trek show since 1966.

Set two decades after the character was last seen in the film Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), it presents a darker and more melancholic Picard than Trekkies have ever seen - the former Starfleet captain is now retired but full of regrets and self-doubt. It was this new take that convinced actor Patrick Stewart, 79, to set aside his misgivings about reprising therole. The British star tells The Straits Times and other press in Los Angeles earlier this year: "I was

strongly opposed to ever returning to Star Trek. There had been other invitations in the past which I had firmly turned down. "And when this one came up, the first thing I did was sigh deeply. Then I heard who was involved in the production and writing - a Pulitzer Prize winner and an Academy Award winner - and I was hooked." He is referring to Michael Chabon, who wrote the acclaimed novel The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay (2000), and Akiva Goldsman, who won a screenwriting Oscar for A Beautiful Mind (2001). Still, when Stewart initially agreed to meet the pair, who write and produce the show, he fully intended to turn them down. But their pitch intrigued him "because the world they were describing was not the world of Next Generation". "It excited me because the world we're living in is not the same world as in 2002, when I wrapped Star Trek: Nemesis," he adds. "And I saw in it the potential to make one tiny element in this world that might be positive, optimistic and beneficial because that's what Star Trek always attempted to do." Stewart believes the aspirational quality of the Star Trek franchise is even more important with the planet facing problems such as climate change and growing inequality. "This is going to sound utterly pompous, but I think the world needs Star Trek right now," he says. For some actors, an iconic role such as this can be both blessing and curse if no one can ever see them as anything else - and Stewart confirms this has been true of his career-making turn as Picard. "It can be an albatross. A couple of years after the final (Star Trek) film, I met a director for a role I wanted and he said, 'I love your work, but why would I want Jean-Luc Picard in my movie?' "That was shattering; it disturbed me deeply for a long time. I thought, 'Oh my god, I've erased my career by doing this.' But I worked with some good people and things changed," says the actor, who played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men superhero films (2000 to 2017). In Star Trek: Picard, he returns to a different iteration of the character that made him famous. Picard is now a haunted man. "He has profound feelings of guilt about the death of (his former second officer) Data and feels that he messed up a job he was given and got it wrong. And he's aware the world is changing and there's nothing he can do about it. Then someone walks into his life," he says, referring to a mysterious new character played by Isa Briones. Unlike Picard, Stewart himself has never retired. Nor has he let the dust collect on him.

When the septuagenarian posted an Instagram photo of himself shirtless on a beach a few years ago, fansmarvelled at how buff he was. This, he says, is "thanks to the trainer I have now". "And I've purchased what he said is the best exercise machine you could have - a rather elaborate rowing machine, which is apparently the ultimate full-body exercise. So watch out," he says,tongue in cheek. That toned physique, however, might be a little uncomfortable to look at for fans who see Picard as a father figure. But Stewart - who is married to 41-year-old American singer Sunny Ozell and has two children, aged 53 and 48, from a previous marriage - does not see it that way. "I thought he was looked on as a sex symbol," he deadpans. "Yes, father figure, okay," he adds, feigning reluctance. "No, I'm a father and a grandfather four times. So yes, I'm very proud of that description." • Star Trek: Picard is available on Amazon Prime Video.

Serienjunkies.de (Germany), April 30, 2020

NCIS - New Orleans: Start of season 6 in May at kabel eins

NCIS: New Orleans (c) CBS End of May for Pride and his team from NCIS: Los Angeles begins the sixth season on kabel eins. It starts with Hannah's decision, in which the agent deliberately does not follow the manual. Kabel Eins has announced the German free TV premiere of the sixth season of NCIS: New Orleans for Friday, May 22nd at 10:15 p.m. NCIS Special Agent Dwayne Cassius Pride (Scott Bakula) has to cancel his vacation in the first episode of the season (Hannah's decision) when NCIS Special Agent Hannah Khoury (Necar Zadegan) violates the protocol during a joint investigation with the FBI. Because of the rule break, he has to suspend her even though she tried to save lives. The start also promises to be explosive. In the second episode of the season, the NCIS is investigating the crash of a private plane after a Navy pilot claims to have seen an unknown flying object. Pride suffers from insomnia during the investigation, what are the late effects of his kidnapping. In the United States, this season became somewhat shorter than usual due to the coronavirus

The article NCIS - New Orleans: Start of the 6th season in May at kabel eins was first published by Mario Giglio on Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 1 p.m.