Manifest Season 1 Episode 16 Recap: Season Finale’s Full of Shocking Revelations

February 19, 2019

“How can I tell my dad we’re all going to die?” asks Cal (Jack Messina) to Zeke (Matt Long) after drawing a menacing picture of three tombstones with Ben, Michaela and Cal’s names on them in the season one finale of NBC’s mystery/thriller, Manifest.

Season one episode 16 begins with a flashback to the Stone family vacationing on a beach in Jamaica. Ben (Josh Dallas) and Grace (Athena Karkanis) lie on the beach talking about how wonderful the vacation is, while Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) walks along the shore. She’s chatting with her mom who reminds her that a person always needs their mother.

Cal and Olive (Luna Blaise) finish building a sandcastle and Cal asks Michaela if she wants to be the destroyer. She smiles and lets him know it’s too perfect to destroy. The entire Stone family pose for a photo standing behind it.

Flash-forward to present day and Ben’s looking at the vacation photo in the kitchen, fondly remembering the experience. Olive’s frustrated because she believes the answer is in the images they’ve seen and clues they have gathered, but she just can’t see it. Meanwhile, Cal’s busy in his room destroying the wooden dragon he made along with a few other things. Ben and Grace calm him down and ask what upset him. He confesses he can’t tell them and will only tell Zeke.

Over at the precinct, Jared (J.R. Ramirez) shows Michaela Zeke’s file. It turns out he does have a record for assault. Michaela asks how he got Zeke’s info and he admits to lifting Zeke’s fingerprints off his cup. Michaela gets upset with Jared for doing that after she told him to back off. Jared reiterates that he’s worried about her and asks if there’s something between her and Zeke. Michaela assures him it’s not like that; the calling brought them together.

James Griffin (Marc Menchaca) is released from his cell and on his way out of the station he taunts Michaela. She follows him outside and warns him the calling won’t let him get away with his behavior. Griffin doesn’t listen and tells her not to follow him because that’s police harassment. As he’s leaving, Michaela, Ben, Cal, Zeke, and Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) simultaneously receive a calling telling them to “stop him.”

Ben pays a visit to Saanvi at the hospital and asks how she’s doing. She lies and says she’s fine, asking him not to worry about her. (It’s also confirmed she’s not a fan of these callings.)

Michaela returns to the apartment to find Zeke pacing. She asks how it went seeing his mother, and he tells her some families are not meant to be together. Zeke then reveals details on the assault charge. He admits he was drunk but was trying to defend a girl from a creep of a boyfriend. Michaela reveals she knows because she saw his file. She believes that’s the person he was – not who he is now. Michaela gives him a hug (he looks like he needs one) and the look on her face indicates she feels something more than friendship. Michaela then tells Zeke that Cal needs to speak with him.

A doctor approaches Saanvi at the hospital with information that Griffin and Cal have the same blood marker. He thinks it might be worth a scientific paper. She cuts him off and asks him to send her the paperwork he’s referring to. As she walks away, she starts to have a panic attack. A fellow doctor notices and gives her the card to his therapist, recommending Saanvi make an appointment to see her.

Zeke visits Cal who wants to know how he can stop what he drew from coming true. Zeke’s not sure he can help but then sees the picture in question. Cal makes him promise not to tell Ben or Michaela that he’s drawn three tombstones with his own name along with Ben and Michaela’s names on the markers.

Ben, Michaela, Zeke, and Grace watch a television news report that announces Griffin’s going to be interviewed on a morning show and reveal all. Ben and Michaela realize they have to stop him because if he reveals the calling to the world, everyone will assume anyone who was on Flight 828 experiences it. “They’ll come for us,” says Zeke. Ben knows they can’t let this happen and decides they’ll go to the TV studio and try to talk him out of it. Zeke responds by saying he knows guys like Griffin and they only understand brute force. Ben doesn’t believe the calling would want them to use force. Michaela backs Ben and Zeke leaves, upset.

Meanwhile, Jared hires a cop associate to trail Zeke and take photos. While following him, the cop snaps a photo of Zeke buying something from a shady-looking guy in an alley.

Olive remains convinced the mystery of all the symbols lies in front of them. She tells her she can’t figure it out but knows the answer’s right there. She admits working with her dad on this has been the first time she feels really connected to him since he vanished. Grace says she knows and feels the same way.

In the morning Griffin arrives to do the interview. He exits a car to be greeted by a mixed reaction of boos and clapping from the gathered crowd. The interview will be conducted outside the studio, and Michaela uses her badge to get she and Ben through the crowd and onto the red carpet. Also in the crowd is Zeke with his newly-purchased gun.

Michaela and Ben try to talk Griffin out of revealing the callings, explaining it will cause the government to hound them all. Griffin shirks off their request, saying it’s not his problem. He thinks he’s going to be rich from revealing this information.

Ben, Michaela, and Zeke once again receive a calling to stop him. Michaela yells “Griffin!” and he stops just as water begins spewing from his mouth. It gushes out and when it finally stops, Griffin falls to the ground dead.

Michaela spots Zeke in the crowd and rushes over to him. She asks what he’s doing and he says he wasn’t sure, that he wanted to stop Griffin. She suggests he go back to the apartment and get some rest. Jared’s across the way and watching as Michaela and Zeke talk.

Later, Jared shows Michaela the photo the cop he hired snapped of Zeke in the alley. Michaela’s fed up with Jared’s jealous behavior, insisting once again she and Zeke are working together because of the callings. Jared won’t listen and tells her that she’s being blinded by the callings. He genuinely believes Zeke will hurt her.

Saanvi talks to a doctor friend of hers and tells him she needs a copy of the autopsy report on Griffin.

Michaela shows up at Zeke’s mom’s place to find out what happened when Zeke visited. The mother says she loves her son but can’t put up with his behavior anymore. He disappeared for a year and now comes knocking on her door expecting a fresh start after not contacting her once during that time. Michaela explains Zeke did actually disappear for a year, saying he went through something similar to what happened to her. The mother recognizes Michaela from the Flight 828 news coverage and is shocked and upset that she didn’t believe her son. She starts to cry, realizing he was telling the truth but she sent him away. Michaela assures her it will be okay. She also suggests that the next time Zeke comes knocking, she let him in.

Michaela lets Ben in on what happened when Zeke visited his mom, and Ben reminds her it’s not her job to fix Zeke’s life. Michaela isn’t so sure, telling Ben she thinks the calling wants her to do just that.

They visit Saanvi and she confirms Griffin died from drowning. They all agree it doesn’t make sense since he was on dry land. Michaela believes Griffin abused the calling and that’s what killed him. Saanvi informs Ben and Mic about the same blood marker in Griffin and Cal being discovered by a co-worker. Saanvi can’t stay to talk because she’s decided to visit the therapist. Ben and Michaela support her decision to get help for her PTSD.

Michaela hears the calling say “stop him” again, but this time Ben doesn’t hear it. She wonders if the calling’s talking about Zeke.

Speaking of Zeke, Jared barges into Michaela’s apartment and confronts Zeke. Jared starts tossing the place looking for drugs.

Ben has an epiphany. He returns home looking pale and shocked and performs some calculations. He realizes Griffin died 828 minutes after being fished out of the river. Ben now believes Griffin had an expiration date. Ben starts to do the math and Olive says, “June 2nd, 2024.” Olive explains the symbols all point to that date. The peacock Ben saw means June. The wooden dragon of Cal’s is also a sign of the year 2024. Grace becomes upset because she just got Ben and Cal back and can’t lose them. Olive starts to cry and says they shouldn’t tell Cal. Cal walks up and admits he knows. His picture of the three tombstones now has June 2, 2024 on it.

Saanvi arrives at the therapist’s office who, it turns out, is the Major.

Ben and Grace speak quietly and he suggests they just pack up and go back to Jamaica for a relaxing family vacation. Grace then reveals she’s pregnant but isn’t sure if it’s his or Danny’s.

Jared starts fighting with Zeke calling him a junkie and shouting that he and Michaela are meant to be together. Zeke replies, “Maybe, maybe not,” which infuriates Jared. They start going at it, throwing punches and breaking furniture. Michaela’s running up the stairs as the calling keeps telling her to stop him. Zeke hits Jared over the head with something breakable and pulls out the gun he bought. He tells Jared to back off, that he bought this gun to kill Griffin just to protect Michaela.

Jared demands Zeke put the gun down and then goes for the gun. The two men struggle for possession as Michaela continues up the stairs all while the calling’s telling her to stop him. She hits the door and bursts into the apartment just as the gun’s fired.

More on Manifest:

‘Green Eggs and Ham’ Animated Series Cast News and Super Short Teaser

Rebecca Murray

February 19, 2019

Netflix’s new animated series Green Eggs and Ham, based on the beloved Dr. Seuss tale, has set its voice cast. The series, which is executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres, will make its debut this fall on the streaming service. Jared Stern (series creator), Sam Register, Mike Karz, David Dobkin, and Jeff Kleeman also serve as executive producers.

Per Netflix’s official announcement, the cast and characters of season one include:

Adam Devine as Sam I Am – A wildlife rescuer who specializes in saving rare animals and savoring every bite of Green Eggs & Ham.
Michael Douglas as Guy Am I – An amateur inventor turned professional paint-watcher looking for a warm bowl of oat mush, peace and quiet.
Ilana Glazer as EB = A curious, fun seeking girl who just wants to keep a dangerous wild animal as a pet.
Diane Keaton as Michellee – EB’s overprotective mother who’d rather stay home and count beans than ever risk any fun.
Keegan-Michael Key as the Narrator – Our rhyming guide on the road to Meepville
Eddie Izzard as Snerz – The tiny, evil overlord of the biggest company in all of Seussdom with a passion for collecting rare, illegal animals.
Jeffrey Wright as McWinkle – A professional bad guy on one last job.
Jillian Bell as Gluntz – A professional bad guy on her very first job.
John Turturro as Goat – The biggest, baddest goat this side of Meepville.
Tracy Morgan as Fox – A fox torn by his love for a chicken and her tasty green eggs.
Daveed Diggs as Mouse – A revolutionary at heart, this vermin longs for freedom and cheese.

The Plot:

The story of Green Eggs and Ham is like a postmodern Plains, Trains and Automobiles through the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss. Sam rescues the rare Chickeraffe from the Glurfsburg Zoo, hides it in a briefcase, and attempts to make his way to Meepville where he can charter a cold air balloon to take the Chickeraffe to his island home.

Guy just flopped his last big chance at being a world famous inventor for the industrial Snerz Co. He packs up his invention in a briefcase and resigns to give up on his dreams and become a paint watcher.

A chance meeting at a diner with Sam, and a switch up with the briefcases results in these two unlikely souls getting mixed up on an adventure that takes them on a journey of self discovery.

Our two mismatched heroes cross paths with overprotective Michellee, whose daughter, EB, desperately wants a pet, and falls madly in love with the Chickeraffe… despite her mother’s fears that it will eat off her face (it won’t). Michellee’s walled up heart also connects with the heart-hardened Guy. And a laborious love story begins.

Our fakakta foursome are also unknowingly pursued by a bounty hunter goat, two bad guys, and a villain who’s out to get the Chickeraffee as his ultimate trophy.

‘Rocketman’ Releases a New Poster and Featurette with Taron Egerton as Elton John

Rebecca Murray

February 19, 2019

Paramount Pictures is showing off the first poster from the upcoming music-driven rock fantasy, Rocketman, along with a behind the scenes featurette. The minute and a half video features the film’s star, Taron Egerton, talking about the challenge of taking on the role of a younger Elton John.

“The thing about playing someone who is so beloved, all we can do is give our heartfelt interpretation of his life and his music,” explains Egerton in the just-released video. “Elton’s songs are the defining moments in people’s lives. The songs should all come from a place of character.”

Although challenging, Taron believes making Rocketman has been the greatest joy of his professional life.

Director Dexter Fletcher describes Egerton as an actor of incredible range while music producer Giles Martin reveals that Sir Elton John stated he’s never heard anyone sing his songs better than Taron. “The great thing about Elton is that he wants Taron‘s interpretation of his songs,” said Martin.

“Taron’s actually singing in the film, and he’s so convincing. His voice is incredible,” said director Fletcher.

In addition to Egerton, the cast of the 2019 release includes Jamie Bell as Elton’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin; Richard Madden as Elton’s first manager, John Reid; and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother, Sheila Farebrother. Matthew Vaughn, David Furnish, Adam Bohling, and David Reid served as producers, and Sir Elton John, Steve Hamilton Shaw, Michael Gracey, Claudia Schiffer, and Brian Oliver executive produced.

Rocketman is set to open in theaters on May 31, 2019.

The Plot:

“Rocketman is an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years. The film follows the fantastical journey of transformation from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. This inspirational story – set to Elton John’s most beloved songs and performed by star Taron Egerton – tells the universally relatable story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture.”

Rocketman Teaser Poster — Teaser poster for ‘Rocketman’ (Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures)

‘Fighting with My Family’ Final Trailer Starring Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey and Florence Pugh

Rebecca Murray

February 18, 2019

MGM has released the final trailer for the comedy film, Fighting with My Family. The film’s based on a true story and was written, directed, and produced by Stephen Merchant. Merchant also plays a supporting role in the 2019 release.

The cast includes Florence Pugh (The Little Drummer Girl), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), Nick Frost (Into the Badlands), Jack Lowden (Mary Queen of Scots), Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle). Johnson pulled double duty as a producer with Kevin Misher, Dany Garcia, and Michael J. Luisi. Andy Berman, Hiram Garcia, Daniel Battsek, Tracey Josephs, David Kosse, and Rhodri Thomas executive produced.

Discussing why she signed on to play WWE Superstar Paige in the film, Florence Pugh said, “I love her story of empowerment, as well as her feistiness and funkiness. I had to be a part of this film, which is about this young woman finding the strength to follow her dreams – and succeeding.”

Fighting with My Family opened in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York on February 14, 2019 and will expand into wide release on February 22nd. The MPAA’s rated the comedy PG-13 for crude and sexual material, language throughout, some violence and drug content.

The Plot:

“Fighting with My Family is a heartwarming comedy based on the incredible true story of WWE Superstar Paige™. Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her family and face this new, cut-throat world alone. Paige’s journey pushes her to dig deep, fight for her family, and ultimately prove to the world that what makes her different is the very thing that can make her a star.”

Writers Guild Awards 2019 Winners: ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ and ‘Eighth Grade’ Named Best Screenplays

Rebecca Murray

February 18, 2019

Chelsea Peretti hosted the Writers Guild of America, West, awards ceremony while on the East Coast Trevor Noah handled the Writers Guild of America, East ceremony, both of which were held on February 17, 2019. Members of the WGA recognize the best writing in film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories with their annual awards, with winners recognized during concurrent ceremonies on the East and West Coasts.

The winners in the film categories helped to further muddy the Oscar waters, with Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Eighth Grade emerging as the best of 2018 in the screenplay categories. Eighth Grade isn’t even nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category, but Can You Ever Forgive Me? did earn an Oscar nomination in the adapted category. It’s competing against A Star Is Born, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, BlacKkKlansman, and If Beale Street Could Talk.

The Golden Globes went with Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie for Green Book in their combined adapted/original screenplay category. Critics’ Choice voters chose Paul Schrader’s First Reformed in the original screenplay category and Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk in the adapted screenplay category.

On the television side, the WGA sent The Americans off with a big win in the Drama Series category. Meanwhile, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel continues to haul in awards, snagging the WGA’s Comedy Series trophy.

Writers Guild Awards Nominees and Winners

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Eighth Grade, Written by Bo Burnham; A24
Green Book, Written by Nick Vallelonga & Brian Currie & Peter Farrelly; Universal Pictures
A Quiet Place, Screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski, Story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck; Paramount Pictures
Roma, Written by Alfonso Cuarón; Netflix
Vice, Written by Adam McKay; Annapurna Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Blackkklansman, Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee, Based on the book by Ron Stallworth; Focus Features
Black Panther, Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole, Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
WINNER: Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, Based on the book by Lee Israel; Fox Searchlight
If Beale Street Could Talk, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins, Based on the novel by James Baldwin; Annapurna Pictures
A Star is Born, Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters, Based on the 1954 screenplay by Moss Hart and the 1976 screenplay by John Gregory Dunne & Joan Didion and Frank Pierson, Based on a story by William Wellman and Robert Carson; Warner Bros.

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Bathtubs Over Broadway, Written by Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant; Focus Features
Fahrenheit 11/9, Written by Michael Moore; Briarcliff Entertainment
Generation Wealth, Written by Lauren Greenfield; Amazon Studios
In Search of Greatness, Written by Gabe Polsky; Art of Sport

DRAMA SERIES

WINNER: The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX Networks
Better Call Saul, Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Heather Marion, Bob Odenkirk, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
The Crown, Written by Tom Edge, Amy Jenkins, Peter Morgan; Netflix
The Handmaid’s Tale, Written by Yahlin Chang, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, John Herrera, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman; Hulu
Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO

COMEDY SERIES

Atlanta, Written by Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Taofik Kolade, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX Networks
Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO
GLOW, Written by Liz Flahive, Tara Herrmann, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Carly Mensch, Marquita Robinson, Kim Rosenstock, Sascha Rothchild, Rachel Shukert; Netflix
The Good Place, Written by Megan Amram, Christopher Encell, Kate Gersten, Cord Jefferson, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Kassia Miller, Dylan Morgan, Matt Murray, Rae Sanni, Daniel Schofield, Michael Schur, Josh Siegal, Jen Statsky, Tyler Staessle; NBC
WINNER: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Written by Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman Palladino; Prime Video

NEW SERIES

WINNER: Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO
The Haunting of Hill House, Written by Meredith Averill, Charise Castro Smith, Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard, Rebecca Leigh Klingel, Scott Kosar, Liz Phang; Netflix
Homecoming, Written by Micah Bloomberg, Cami Delavigne, Eli Horowitz, Shannon Houston, Eric Simonson, David Wiener; Prime Video
Pose, Written by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, Todd Kubrak, Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, Our Lady J; FX Networks
Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO

LONG FORM ORIGINAL

WINNER: Castle Rock, Writers: Marc Bernardin, Scott Brown, Lila Byock, Mark Lafferty, Sam Shaw, Dustin Thomason, Gina Welch, Vinnie Wilhelm; Hulu
My Dinner with Hervé, Teleplay by Sacha Gervasi, Story by Sacha Gervasi & Sean Macaulay; HBO
Paterno, Written by Debora Cahn and John C. Richards; HBO

LONG FORM ADAPTED

WINNER: The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Writers: Maggie Cohn, Tom Rob Smith, Based on the book Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth; FX Networks
The Looming Tower, Writers: Bash Doran, Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney, Shannon Houston, Adam Rapp, Ali Selim, Lawrence Wright, Based on the book The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright; Hulu
Maniac, Writers: Nick Cuse, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Amelia Gray, Danielle Henderson, Mauricio Katz, Patrick Somerville, Caroline Williams, Based on the Norwegian television series Maniac by Espen PA Lervaag, Håakon Bast Mossige, Kjetil Indregard and Ole Marius Araldsen; Netflix
Sharp Objects, Writers: Ariella Blejer, Scott Brown, Vince Calandra, Gillian Flynn, Dawn Kamoche, Alex Metcalf, Marti Noxon, Based upon the book written by Gillian Flynn; HBO

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ORIGINAL

After Forever, Written by Michael Slade & Kevin Spirtas; Vimeo.com
WINNER: Class of Lies, Written by Tessa Leigh Williams; Snapchat
Love Daily, Written by: Lauren Ciaravalli, Andrew Eisen, Aaron Eisenberg, Will Eisenberg, Alexis Jacknow, Nathaniel Katzman, Yulin Kuang, Nathan Larkin-Connolly, Alexis Roblan, Bennet D. Silverman, Ryan Wood; Go90.com
West 40s, Written by Mark Sam Rosenthal & Brian Sloan; West40s.com

SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ADAPTED

WINNER: The Walking Dead: Red Machete, Written by Nick Bernardone; AMC.com

ANIMATION

WINNER: “Bart’s Not Dead” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox
“Boywatch” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Rich Rinaldi; Fox
“Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox
“Krusty the Clown” (The Simpsons), Written by Ryan Koh; Fox
“Mo Mommy Mo Problems” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Steven Davis; Fox
“Send in Stewie, Please” (Family Guy), Written by Gary Janetti; Fox

EPISODIC DRAMA

“Camelot” (Narcos: Mexico), Written by Eric Newman & Clayton Trussell; Netflix
“The Car” (This Is Us), Written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger; NBC
“Episode 407” (The Affair), Teleplay by Lydia Diamond and Sarah Sutherland, Story by Jaquen Tee Castellanos and Sarah Sutherland; Showtime
“First Blood” (The Handmaid’s Tale), Written by Eric Tuchman; Hulu
WINNER: “Paean To The People” (Homeland), Written by Alex Gansa; Showtime
“The Precious Blood of Jesus” (Ozark), Written by David Manson; Netflix

EPISODIC COMEDY

“Another Place” (Forever), Teleplay by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, Story by Aniz Adam Ansari; Prime Video
WINNER: “Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (Barry), Written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader; HBO
“Halibut!” (Santa Clarita Diet), Written by Victor Fresco; Netflix
“Kimmy and the Beest!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Written by Robert Carlock; Netflix
“Pilot” (The Kids Are Alright), Written by Tim Doyle; ABC
“Who Knows Better Than I” (Orange Is the New Black), Written by Jenji Kohan; Netflix

COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Writers: Kristen Bartlett, Samantha Bee, Ashley Nicole Black, Pat Cassels, Mike Drucker, Eric Drysdale, Mathan Erhardt, Joe Grossman, Miles Kahn, Nicole Silverberg, Melinda Taub; TBS
WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Writers: Tim Carvell, Raquel D’Apice, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Jeff Maurer, Daniel O’Brien, John Oliver, Brian Parise, Owen Parsons, Ben Silva, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Seena Vali, Juli Weiner; HBO
Late Night with Seth Meyers; Supervising Writers: Sal Gentile, Seth Reiss; Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker; NBC Universal
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers: Jay Katsir, Opus Moreschi; Writers: Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Django Gold, Gabe Gronli, Greg Iwinski, Barry Julien, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Michael Pielocik, Kate Sidley, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux; CBS

COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

At Home with Amy Sedaris, Writers: Cindy Caponera, Paul Dinello, Jodi Lennon, Meredith Scardino, Amy Sedaris; truTV
I Love You, America, Head Writer: Dave Ferguson; Writers: Glenn Boozan, Leann Bowen, Raj Desai, Kyle Dunnigan, John Haskell, Tim Kalpakis, Opeyemi Olagbaju, Gavin Purcell, Diona Reasonover, Jocelyn Richard, Christopher J. Romano, Sarah Silverman, Beth Stelling, Dan Sterling, Nick Wiger; Hulu
WINNER: Nathan For You, Writers: Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central
Portlandia, Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham Wagner; IFC
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker; Supervising Writers: Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Streeter Seidell; Writers: James Anderson, Kristen Bartlett, Megan Callahan, Steven Castillo, Andrew Dismukes, Anna Drezen, Claire Friedman, Alison Gates, Steve Higgins, Sam Jay, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Nick Kocher, Michael Koman, Alan Linic, Eli Coyote Mandel, Erik Marino, Dave McCary, Brian McElhaney, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Nimesh Patel, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Simon Rich, Gary Richardson, Marika Sawyer, Pete Schultz, Mitch Silpa, Will Stephen, Julio Torres, Bowen Yang; NBC Universal

COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS

2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish, Written by Will Ferrell, Jake Fogelnest, Andrew Steele; Prime Video
Drew Michael Stand-Up Special, Written by Drew Michael; HBO
WINNER: The Fake News with Ted Nelms, Written by John Aboud, Andrew Blitz, Michael Colton, Ed Helms, Elliott Kalan, Joseph Randazzo, Sara Schaefer; Comedy Central
The Oscars 2018, Written by Dave Boone, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks; Special Material Written by Megan Amram, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gonzalo Cordova, Adam Carolla, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Bess Kalb, Jimmy Kimmel, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo; ABC

QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

Hollywood Game Night, Head Writers: Ann Slichter, Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alexandra Kokesh, Dwight D. Smith; NBC
Jeopardy!, Written by Matthew Caruso, John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC
Paid Off with Michael Torpey, Head Writer: Ethan Berlin; Writers: John Chaneski, Rosemarie DiSalvo, Leigh Hampton, Katie Hartman, Amanda Melson, Larry Owens, Jennie Sutton, Michael Torpey, Jeremy Weiner; truTV
WINNER: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Head Writer: Stephen A. Melcher, Jr.; Writers: Kyle Beakley, Tom Cohen, Patricia A. Cotter, Ryan Hopak, Gary Lucy, James Rowley, Ann Slichter, Dylan Snowden; Disney/ABC Syndication

DAYTIME DRAMA

Days of Our Lives, Head Writer: Ron Carlivati; Writers: Sheri Anderson, Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Joanna Cohen, Lisa Connor, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Cydney Kelley, David Kreizman, David A. Levinson, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine Schock, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Topits; NBC
WINNER: General Hospital, Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Christopher Van Etten; Writers: Barbara Bloom, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Donny Sheldon, Scott Sickles; ABC

CHILDREN’S EPISODIC AND SPECIALS

“Carnivorous Carnival: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Joe Tracz; Netflix
WINNER: “The Ersatz Elevator: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Daniel Handler; Netflix
“For The Last Time” (Andi Mack), Written by Jonathan S. Hurwitz; Disney Channel
“Picture Day” (Alexa & Katie), Written by Ray Lancon; Netflix
“Warehouse Towel Fight” fka “Emil Strikes Back” (Prince of Peoria), Written by Marty Donovan; Netflix

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS

“Black Hole Apocalypse” (Nova), Written by Rushmore DeNooyer; PBS
“Blackout in Puerto Rico” (Frontline), Written by Rick Young; PBS
“The Gang Crackdown” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS
WINNER: “Trump’s Takeover” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS

DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS

“Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia – Part 1” (Frontline), Written by David Fanning & Linda Hirsch & Martin Smith; PBS
“The Circus, Part One” (American Experience), Written by Sharon Grimberg; PBS
WINNER: “The Eugenics Crusade” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS
“Into The Amazon” (American Experience), Written by John Maggio; PBS

NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

WINNER: “Catastrophe” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News
“Las Vegas Massacre” (CBS Evening News with Anthony Mason), Written by Jerry Cipriano and Joe Clines; CBS News
“The Spotted Pig” (60 Minutes), Written by Anderson Cooper and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News

NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

“100,000 Women” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
“On Broadway: Rodgers and Hammerstein” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Mo Rocca and Kay M. Lim; CBS News
“War Crime” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News
WINNER: “Wounds of War” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News

DIGITAL NEWS

“D.C.’s Biggest Homeless Shelter Is About to Close. Will Amazon Take Its Place?,” Written by Emma Roller; Splinter
“How To Not Die In America,” Written by Molly Osberg; Splinter
WINNER: “Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games,” Written by Cecilia D’Anastasio; Kotaku.com

RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY

“2017 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
WINNER: “RFK: 50 Years After Shots Rang Out at The Ambassador Hotel,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT—REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT

“5pm CBS News Radio Glor Newscast,” Written by James Hutton; CBS News Radio
“ABC News 6p Hourly 9-27-2018,” Written by Stephanie Pawlowski; ABC News Radio
WINNER: “Remembering The Good, The Bad and the Brilliant,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“World News This Week 9-21-2018,” Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio

RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY

WINNER: “John McCain: A Life of Service,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“A Tribute to Le Grand Orange,” Written by Thomas A. Sabella; CBS Radio News

ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)

“FBI 2018 Promo Reel,” Written by Ralph Buado; CBS
WINNER: “Tribute to Star Trek for the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys,” Written by Sean Brogan; CBS
“Westworld: Season 2 Promo (Super Bowl spot),” Written by Jonathan Nolan; HBO

VIDEOGAME WRITING

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Associate Narrative Directors Matthew Zagurak, Joel Janisse, James Richard Mittag; Narrative Director Melissa MacCoubrey; Story by Jonathan Dumont, Melissa MacCoubrey, Hugo Giard; Scriptwriters Madeleine Hart, Betty Robertson, Jesse Scoble, Diana Sherman, Kelly Bender, Jojo Chia, Ian Fun, Zachary M. Parris, Ken Williamson, Daniel Bingham, Jordan Lemos, Simon Mackenzie, Katelyn MacMullin, Susan Patrick, Alissa Ralph, Stephen Rhodes; Team Lead Writer Sam Gill; AI Writers Jonathan Flieger, Kimberly Ann Sparks; Ubisoft Quebec
Batman: The Enemy Within, Episode 5-Same Stitch, Lead Writer James Windeler; Written by Meghan Thornton, Ross Beeley, Lauren Mee; Story by Meghan Thornton, Michael Kirkbride; Telltale Games
WINNER: God of War, Written by Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert, Cory Barlog; Story and Narrative Design Lead Matt Sophos; Story and Narrative Design Richard Zangrande Gaubert; Narrative Design Orion Walker, Adam Dolin; Sony Interactive Entertainment
Marvel’s Spider-Man, Story Lead Jon Paquette; Writers Benjamin Arfmann, Kelsey Beachum; Co-Written by Christos Gage; Additional Story Contributions by Dan Slott; Insomniac Games & Sony Interactive Entertainment
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, Narrative Designers Alex Scokel, Eric Fenstermaker, Kate Dollarhyde, Megan Starks, Olivia Veras, Paul Kirsch; Additional Writing Tony Evans, John Schmautz, Casey Hollingshead, Nitai Poddar; Narrative Design Leads Carrie Patel, Josh Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment

Netflix Says Goodbye to ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘The Punisher’

Rebecca Murray

February 18, 2019

Jessica Jones Season 2 — Krysten Ritter in ‘Marvel’s Jessica Jones’ season 2. (Photo Credit: Netflix)

Netflix’s decision to cancel both The Punisher and Jessica Jones comes as no surprise to Marvel fans. A few months back the streaming service announced they would not be renewing either Luke Cage or Iron Fist, saying goodbye to both shows after two seasons a piece. Daredevil starring Charlie Cox also ended its run on Netflix after three seasons. Now, The Punisher and Jessica Jones have been given the axe, although the upcoming third season of Jessica Jones (which has already been shot) will air on a future still-to-be-determined date.

“Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix. Showrunner Steve Lightfoot, the terrific crew, and exceptional cast including star Jon Bernthal, delivered an acclaimed and compelling series for fans, and we are proud to showcase their work on Netflix for years to come. In addition, in reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvel’s Jessica Jones. We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others. We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning.” – per Netflix

There’s always the possibility all of the shows which were part of Netflix’s major deal with Marvel could resurface in some iteration on the new Disney+ streaming service. However, it will be a few years between the shows’ final seasons on Netflix and any form of the characters appearing on the new Disney service due to the restrictions in the Netflix/Marvel contract.

Jeph Loeb, Head of Television at Marvel Studios, acknowledged the cancellations in a letter to fans which read in part:

“Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.

We loved each and every minute of it.

And we did it all for you — the fans — who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.

So, Thank You!

On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn’t be more proud or more grateful to our audience.

Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters… but you know Marvel better than that.

As Matthew Murdock’s Dad once said, ‘The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it’s how he gets back up.'”

Robin Lord Taylor Interview on the End of ‘Gotham’ and Penguin’s Transformation

Fred Topel

February 18, 2019

Robin Lord Taylor Gotham The Penguin — Robin Lord Taylor as The Penguin in season 4 of ‘Gotham’ (Photo © 2018 Fox Broadcasting Co)

Fox’s Batman spinoff Gotham is coming to an end after five seasons. After introducing the origins of Batman’s most noteworthy villains, young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is finally wearing the batsuit. The finale promises to take us 10 years into Gotham’s future to see what has become of all these famous characters.

After the last Gotham panel for the Television Critics Association, we spoke with Robin Lord Taylor, who plays the show’s Oswald Cobblepot. Taylor had promised that the flash-forward sees him in a fat suit as The Penguin. Gotham airs Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT on Fox.

Is there any chance of redemption for Oswald?

Robin Lord Taylor: “Oswald is a story of ultimate corruption and what it does to a person. We see someone who, even though he had been through a traumatic childhood with intense bullying as he was growing up, he was able to still retain a piece of humanity, a piece of empathy inside there. As we go along, that slowly dies, and dies because that’s what Gotham does to him.

His redemption will be in small moments where he chooses to respect life and he chooses to have an alliance with someone, like Ed Nygma, to trust them. Those are redemptive moments for a person who is on the ultimate track towards complete corruption.”

You’ve done the Penguin walk. Does the fat suit change that even more?

Robin Lord Taylor: “It just emphasizes it. I didn’t mean to sound too flippant about it. I felt very lucky again to have, as we go into the future, to have a physicality that represented those 10 years leading up to that moment. I talk about corruption and being unhealthy and someone slowly dying and punishing themselves, that’s what we get to illustrate in the final episode. Just to be able to inhabit an altered body and let those 10 years manifest itself physically was a really amazing gift for an actor.”

What was it like having Paul Reubens as your dad?

Robin Lord Taylor: “Oh, just a dream come true. I’m exactly that generation who watched Pee-Wee’s Playhouse when it was on Saturday mornings. When I was a kid, it was Michael Jackson and it was Pee-Wee Herman. I had also, as I grew older, learned who Paul Reubens was and how he created that character and also this other stuff that he’s done over his career with the Groundlings and what not. And then he’s playing my dad and to have him be the only correlation between the film universe and what we were doing on our show, to have it be related to The Penguin was just such an honor. He also played The Penguin’s father in Batman Returns.”

Did you fanboy around him?

Robin Lord Taylor: “Absolutely and then we became such close friends. I actually met him before he was cast to play my father. I became friends with Carol Kane who played my mother. First of all, I have the best TV parents you could possibly imagine, Carol Kane and Paul Reubens, forget about it. Carol and I live in the same neighborhood in New York so she invited me to breakfast one morning. She was like, ‘Oh, my friend Paul will be there,’ whoever Paul is. I walk in, it’s Paul Reubens. She of course didn’t even think that that would be startling or a big deal to me and she’s amazing.

Anyway, we met and we connected and he told me, and I knew of course, he reminded me, ‘You know, I played Penguin’s father. Who knows, maybe this could be a spinoff.’ We took a picture of a family photo. I hadn’t even sent it to Danny and he texted me, ‘Paul Reubens is going to play your father.’ It was meant to be and somehow we all knew. We knew at that diner in New York City. Then he’s been nothing but a dear friend, just lovely in person.”

How have you changed over five seasons?

Robin Lord Taylor: “It’s funny. I think we are so intrinsically connected to these characters. In certain ways, my connection to Oswald, the thing that we do share is going from a place of he’s insane, a place of just such strong ambition but very little confidence to having those two kind of meet up. I feel more confident. I can say that I feel proud of what we’ve done and what I’ve done. Just to be able to own that and say this was my stamp on this iconic character and no one can ever take that away from me, I feel so excited for what’s next because I’ve never had that feeling before in my career.”

What do you want to do next?

Robin Lord Taylor: “I just want to be better. I want to do something different than Gotham. I feel like going forward, any other sci-fi, comic book thing could never hold a candle to this character so going forward, I’d like to find something that’s a little bit more rooted in reality, whatever that means, if that’s theater, if that’s TV.”

Do people look at you now for villains?

Robin Lord Taylor: “It’s all types. Yes, typecasting is a reality, but at the same time, I recognize if the character is directly too close to anything that happened on Gotham, then it’s a hard no for me.”

Gotham Cory Michael Smith and Robin Lord Taylor — ‘Gotham’ stars Cory Michael Smith and Robin Lord Taylor during the 2019 Fox Winter TCA panel (Photo by Frank Micelotta / FOX / PictureGroup)

Is your hair and look part of changing your appearance post-Gotham?

Robin Lord Taylor: “This is just me going back to myself. I complained about it over the years with the hair dying and wearing the fake nose and being in extra makeup, it wears on you especially when you’re not able to be yourself when you’re not shooting. I would have to keep dying the hair over the hiatus. It got frustrating, but then at the same time, when it’s over, I have a physical reset as well as emotional one.”

Do people recognize you?

Robin Lord Taylor: “Not nearly as much. It’s fantastic. Flight attendants and TSA people, people who have to look at your face and engage with you, that’s usually when it happens.”

Were you afraid starting out that this could be it for you?

Robin Lord Taylor: “Absolutely. I was terrified. At the same time, it’s all relative. I think about right now having been through the polar vortex in New York City a couple weeks ago, it was about six degrees. Then the next couple days, it warmed up to maybe 25 and you’d go outside and you’re like, ‘I could take my clothes off and walk around, it’s so warm out.’ At the time, I was terrified but I was also coming off of 14 years of, again, how am I going to make my rent? Am I going to have to go back to graduate school? How do I explain this to my parents that it didn’t work out? It’s all these terrifying questions that working actors face every single day. So even if I knew, even if this hadn’t worked out, at least I had a job.”

When you go back home, do they see you as a successful actor?

Robin Lord Taylor: “My mom and dad, my parents, it was very important to them to make sure that we didn’t live our lives with regret. So they always very much believed in us, but yeah, there’s a little bit of my mom is very smooth and she’s cool, but I can hear that little tinge of relief every time she talks about, ‘The show is wrapping up but he’s in a good place.’ I can just hear those years of all that fear. She’s relieved which is good. That’s the best gift I could give them.”

‘Station 19’ Season 2 Episode 8 Photos: “Crash and Burn” Preview and Plot

Rebecca Murray

February 18, 2019

Station 19 Season 2 Episode 8 — Jay Hayden, Grey Damon and Jason George in ‘Station 19’ season 2 episode 8 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)

ABC’s Station 19 has been on a four month break and is finally scheduled to return on March 7, 2019. Season two episode eight titled “Crash and Burn” was directed by Paris Barclay (his fifth time helming the drama) from a script by Tia Napolitano. The current season airs on Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.

Season two of Station 19 stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Ben Warren, Boris Kodjoe as Captain Sullivan, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes, Alberto Frezza as Ryan Tanner, Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery, Okieriete Onaodowan as Dean Miller, Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, and Miguel Sandoval as Captain Pruitt Herrera.

The “Crash and Burn” Plot – In the aftermath of the windstorm, Andy and Sullivan’s fates remain unknown while trapped in the overturned aid car. Meanwhile, back at the station, the team confronts Jack about his well-being; and when it’s safe enough to venture out, they search for their fellow firefighters in a race against time.

The Station 19 Plot:

“Station 19 follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. The latest series from the executive producers of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder takes us inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of the city’s bravest first responders.

Season two of Station 19 will return with answers to all of our burning questions. With a massive skyscraper fire raging, can Andy (Ortiz) lead her team to safety? Will her former flame Jack (Damon) and teammate Travis (Hayden) survive after an explosion sends them both into jeopardy? And when the dust finally settles, who will win the race for the captain position at Station 19?”

‘Descendants 3’ Shows Off a Teaser Trailer and a New Plot Description

Rebecca Murray

February 17, 2019

Disney Channel’s unveiled the first super short (40 seconds overall, but more like 29 seconds of actual content) teaser for the appropriately titled, Descendants 3. The teaser catches up with a few of the familiar players including, albeit very briefly, Beast. The third film of the popular Disney Channel Original Movie franchise also now has an official, updated synopsis.

Returning to the franchise for the third outing are Dove Cameron as Mal, Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Sofia Carson as Evie, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Mitchell Hope as King Ben, and China Anne McClain as Uma. The cast also includes Cheyenne Jackson as Hades, Anna Cathcart as Dizzy, Brenna D’Amico as Jane, Christian Convery as Squeaky, Dylan Playfair as Gil, and Jadah Marie as Celia.

Director Kenny Ortega (Descendants, Disney’s High School Musical films) returned as director, executive producer, and choreographer. The behind the scenes team for Descendants 3 includes writers Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon (The Starter Wife, Descendants, Descendants 2). Parriott and McGibbon also serve as executive producers. Kara Saun (Descendants, Descendants 2, Project Runway) returns as the costume designer, Mark Hofeling is back as production designer, and Descendants 2‘s Shawn Williamson is a producer.

The Plot:

This highly anticipated trequel continues the contemporary saga of good versus evil as the teenage daughters and sons of Disney’s most infamous villains (also known as the villain kids or VKs) — Mal (Cameron), Evie (Carson), Carlos (Boyce) and Jay (Stewart) — return to the Isle of the Lost to recruit a new batch of villainous offspring to join them at Auradon Prep. When a barrier breach jeopardizes the safety of Auradon during their departure off the Isle, Mal resolves to permanently close the barrier, fearing that nemeses Uma (McClain) and Hades (Jackson) will wreak vengeance on the kingdom. Despite her decision, an unfathomable dark force threatens the people of Auradon, and it’s up to Mal and the VKs to save everyone in their most epic battle yet.

A Look Back at Descendants 2: In Descendants 2, the story deepens as the Villain Kids (AKA “VKs”) – Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay – continue to try to find their place in idyllic Auradon. When the pressure to be royal becomes too much for Mal, she returns to her rotten roots on the Isle of the Lost where her archenemy Uma, the daughter of Ursula, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen of the run-down town. Uma, still resentful over not being selected by Ben to go to Auradon Prep with the other Villain Kids, stirs her pirate gang including Captain Hook’s son Harry and Gaston’s son Gil, to break the barrier between the Isle of the Lost and Auradon, and unleash all the villains imprisoned on the Isle, once and for all.

Delta Goodrem Exclusive Interview on Playing Olivia Newton-John in ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’

Fred Topel

February 15, 2019

Delta Goodrem in Olivia Newton John Hopelessly Devoted — Delta Goodrem stars in Lifetime’s ‘Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You’ (Photo by Kelly Gardner / Copyright 2019 Lifetime)

There is only one Olivia Newton-John, but she’s not going to play herself in the Lifetime biopic Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You. So Delta Goodrem did a great job capturing Newton-John’s essence and recreating famous scenes from her career.

The Lifetime film covers hits like “Grease” and “Let’s Get Physical,” and notables like “Xanadu.” Goodrem spoke to Showbiz Junkies in L.A. last month. Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You premieres on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT on Lifetime.

How long did you have to film You’re The One That I Want?

Delta Goodrem: “Actually, we had a whole day at a place called Luna Park in Melbourne. The gentleman who plays Lee Kramer, Todd Lascance, was wonderful. Then you had George who played John Travolta, Allan Carr being the director. It felt like we were transported in time and it felt like something very special to recreate. No matter what, just the fact that I got to go to work and do that, it felt like a full circle. It felt like the five-year-old within me was really, really happy.”

They did a good job making it look just like the carnival.

Delta Goodrem: “Yeah, they did. They really did. Actually, the costumes and wardrobe and hair and makeup and the way that they would set up every era, especially in Grease, we were like, ‘Wow.'”

How about doing the “Hopelessly Devoted To You” scene?

Delta Goodrem: “Oh, I actually asked them could we do another take just to keep singing. ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ and ‘I Honestly Love You’ is one of the first songs I ever sung in my life in front of people. So sitting on the stairs and giving it your absolute all and singing from a place of remembering what inspired you was great. Actually, the whole crew were really invested when we were doing it. Everybody was clapping after every take and we’d get involved and sing it. It was great fun.”

Did you get to do the best scenes from Xanadu?

Delta Goodrem: “Yes, I did. (Singing) ‘A place…’ when we’re walking through in that moment, that’s what I think of. I think of the roller skating, obviously. We start the episode too with roller skating. I wasn’t naturally a good roller skater, I can tell you that. So it took a lot of rehearsing.”

They’re good songs, whatever you think of the movie.

Delta Goodrem: “Yeah, the songs have defined many generations in a sense. The Grease soundtrack was 40 years last year. They have lived on timelessly and continue to spark so much joy and love when people get in a room and start singing all those songs or watching Grease. It leaves a timeless tale.”

Even the Xanadu music.

Delta Goodrem: “I mean, John Farrar doing those songs. The eccentric quirky nature of doing those chord changed, that was, to me, the story of John Farrar himself, like seeing him be a part of Olivia’s life as a friend and then collaborating, that’s magic. That’s real magic.”

What was it like to get in the “Physical” outfit and be on the set of that video?

Delta Goodrem: “That was the first day of filming was ‘Physical.’ When we got in our leotards and everyone was wearing the bands, so every single crew member, when we did Grease at the fair, they all wore the T-Birds jackets. They all wore the headbands so everybody was dressed up and we cranked the music loud. Because I got to sing the whole soundtrack, it did feel like then it got to go into my body even more and I could feel her spirit with me, which was fun.”

Delta Goodrem in Olivia Newton John — Delta Goodrem stars in ‘Olivia Newton-John: Hopelessly Devoted to You’ (Photo by Jackson Finter / Copyright 2019 Lifetime)

Have you gotten involved in Olivia’s cancer organizations too?

Delta Goodrem: “Before I did the film I was involved. Olivia and I did a beautiful song that we wrote together in Byron Bay. One of the ways Olivia and I connected was when I was diagnosed with cancer, she reached out and sent me a beautiful letter about being a survivor and being a thriver. So I think that that bonded us very early on. And then we wrote a song for her album which went to charity when she was doing the great walk. And then sang the song when they were doing the walk. It was, ‘Don’t give up, here I am.’ ‘I’ll Be Right Here With You’ is what it’s called. So we wrote that. Then we’ve been involved in lots of things together like that.”

How about the scenes where you had to explain cancer to a little girl. Were those tough?

Delta Goodrem: “Yeah, absolutely but what I learned was, I feel very thankful to continue to stand as a tower of strength hopefully to people who are in the fight. That’s what we have to remember is that people are going through this every single day. Everyone’s journey’s very different. I think opening that area within you was quite healing to put it to art and put it to another story that people can relate to and understand.”

Was it explained to the young actress what the scene was about?

Delta Goodrem: “I have to tell you, it was the cutest thing ever. She’s so beautiful and I worked with her on another TV show, actually. We had just done this TV show called Househusbands in Australia. She got the hiccups in that very serious scene. And the little munchkin was so cute and would just keep doing the scene. The beautiful director was like, ‘We can stop for the scene.’ She’s like, ‘No, no, no, it’s okay. I want to keep going.’ That’s all I remember when we were doing that scene. It was like she had such a good work ethic even at a young age. She was like, ‘No, keep going.’ She was, again, having that relationship where she’s a very professional young thing. We would talk about it and she was great.”

1...1,1821,1831,184...3,110 Page 1,183 of 3,110

ShowbizJunkies

Manifest Season 1 Episode 16 Recap: Season Finale’s Full of Shocking Revelations

‘Green Eggs and Ham’ Animated Series Cast News and Super Short Teaser

‘Rocketman’ Releases a New Poster and Featurette with Taron Egerton as Elton John

‘Fighting with My Family’ Final Trailer Starring Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey and Florence Pugh

Writers Guild Awards 2019 Winners: ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ and ‘Eighth Grade’ Named Best Screenplays

Writers Guild Awards Nominees and Winners

Netflix Says Goodbye to ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘The Punisher’

Robin Lord Taylor Interview on the End of ‘Gotham’ and Penguin’s Transformation

‘Station 19’ Season 2 Episode 8 Photos: “Crash and Burn” Preview and Plot

‘Descendants 3’ Shows Off a Teaser Trailer and a New Plot Description

Delta Goodrem Exclusive Interview on Playing Olivia Newton-John in ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’

Trending

MTV VMAs 2026: Taylor Swift to Receive First Artist Director Award

Clown Panic Trailer: Inside 2016’s Terrifying Nationwide Scare

The Beast in Me Renewed for Season 2 with Claire Danes Returning