McCall’s on the case of a former Chinese Ministry of State Security agent who needs help on CBS’s The Equalizer season four episode six. “DOA” airs on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT. Paul Holahan directs and Kim Rome wrote the script.
Queen Latifah leads the cast as Robyn McCall, Tory Kittles stars as Detective Marcus Dante, and Adam Goldberg is Harry Keshegian. Liza Lapira plays Melody “Mel” Bayani, Laya DeLeon Hayes is Delilah, and Lorraine Toussaint is Viola “Vi” Marsette.
“DOA” Plot: When a former Chinese MSS agent is poisoned and comes to McCall for help, McCall tracks down the perpetrators and the antidote. Meanwhile, Aunt Vi encourages Dee to protest against a well-known climate change denier.
The Equalizer Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
Robyn’s clandestine work and her personal life collide when her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother, discover her secret career as a vigilante. While Robyn contends with uncertainty at home, she is joined in her pursuit of justice by Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and sniper from Robyn’s past; and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white-hat hacker.
As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, she sometimes works with Marcus Dante, an NYPD detective who once sought to uncover her identity, but now respects the need for Robyn’s type of justice even as he often questions her methods.
It’s a mini This Is Us reunion on CBS’s Tracker season one episode nine. Jon Huertas, who starred as Miguel Rivas on the critically acclaimed drama, directs the Sunday, April 21, 2024 episode.
Justin Hartley stars as Colter Shaw, Fiona Rene plays Reenie Greene, and Robin Weigert is Teddi. Abby McEnany stars as Velma and Eric Graise is Bobby Exley.
“Aurora” Plot: When a widower offers a reward to find his only daughter who disappeared three years ago and is presumed dead, Colter agrees to help track her down. After the missing girl’s father shows Colter a newspaper photo from a recent county fair he’s convinced is her, Colter’s search leads him into the world of amateur ghost hunting and paranormal activity.
Tracker stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who roams the country as a reward seeker, using his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family. The series is based on the bestselling novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver.
Just try and get through the Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story trailer without saying, “Aw,” at least once. We double-dog dare you.
The official trailer release comes three weeks ahead of the documentary’s May 6, 2024 premiere on National Geographic. Disney+ and Hulu subscribers will have access beginning May 7th. The inspirational documentary currently sits at 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes following its premiere at SXSW.
“When a wild otter in desperate need of help washes up on his jetty in the remote Scottish islands of Shetland, Billy Mail, his wife Susan, and their devoted sheepdog Jade find themselves with a unique new member of their family,” reads National Geographic’s synopsis. “When Molly first arrives at the Mail residence, Billy and Susan take it upon themselves to care for the ill otter, providing Billy with a new sense of purpose.”
Photographer/filmmaker Charlie Hamilton James directed and served as cinematographer along with Johnny Rolt and Bertie Gregory. Emmy winner Jeff Wilson of Silverback Films produces, and Alastair Fothergill, Keith Scholey, and National Geographic’s Tom McDonald and Janet Vissering executive produce.
Molly lays in a rope coil, where she often sleeps in ‘Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story’ (National Geographic/Johnny Rolt)
“Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is an inspiring story that we hope will encourage viewers to pause and reconnect with the world around them,” said Tom McDonald, National Geographic’s executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content. “Charlie Hamilton James and Silverback Films are the perfect partners to bring this story to viewers around the world. This remarkable film truly captures the beauty of nature and humanity and how it impacts our lives in the most unexpected ways.”
“This film was the ultimate passion project for me, and simply a dream come true,” stated director Charlie Hamilton James. “At its core, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is about love between man and wife, and man and otter, and for the natural world. We hope viewers will feel this love radiate when they watch the film.”
Series creator and showrunner Jez Scharf says that with Netflix’s Bodkin, he wanted to “make a dark comedy about what the reality of making a true crime podcast might be like.” Will Forte stars as the true crime podcaster who travels to a small Irish town and stirs up a hornet’s nest with his investigation.
“It’s fascinating and set in these beautiful locations that only Ireland can provide,” says Forte in the three-minute behind-the-scenes featurette. The new video also features Siobhán Cullen (“Dove”), Robyn Cara (“Emmy”), Chris Walley (“Sean O’Shea”), and David Wilmot (“Seamus”) interview clips.
“Bodkin is a dark comedic thriller about a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quaint, coastal Irish town. But once they start pulling at threads, they discover a story much bigger and weirder than they could have ever imagined,” reads Netflix’s synopsis. “As our heroes try to discern fact from fiction — about the case, about their colleagues, and, most painfully, themselves — the series challenges our perception of truth and exposes the stories we tell ourselves to justify our beliefs or validate our fears.”
However, don’t dive into the seven-episode season believing you’re following a true murder mystery. “It’s a fake town, it’s a fake place. It’s all fake people. The mystery itself, we worked very hard to find something that is in no way adjacent to a real true crime story,” explains Scharf to Netflix’s Tudum. “The fictionality of it was very deliberate.”
Alex Metcalf joins Scharf as co-showrunner. Metcalf, Scharf, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Nne Ebong, Tonia Davis, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Tonia Davis executive produce. Nash Edgerton is the lead director in addition to executive producing. Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company produced the series.
Journalist Scott Johnson in a scene from ‘Hollywood Con Queen’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)
Journalist Scott Johnson and private investigator Nicole Kotsianas’ investigation into the scam artist known as the “Con Queen” unfolds in the documentary series Hollywood Con Queen. Apple TV+ set a May 8, 2024 premiere date for the three-part docuseries, based on Johnson’s Hollywood Con Queen: The Hunt for an Evil Genius.
“A mysterious figure dubbed the ‘Con Queen’ impersonates the industry’s most powerful women, luring unsuspecting victims to Indonesia with the promise of a life-changing career opportunity,” reads Apple TV+’s synopsis. “The ‘Con Queen’s marks exhaust their personal finances in pursuit of a big break while being exploited in a perverse psychological game spanning the globe. The scam eventually draws the attention of veteran investigative journalist Scott Johnson of The Hollywood Reporter, and dedicated private investigator Nicole Kotsianas, formerly of K2 Integrity, who set out to find the truth, only to discover a story more strange than they could have imagined.”
Johnson’s lengthy investigation involved interviews with the scam artist’s victims. The Con Queen, whom Apple TV+’s press release requested not to mention by name, impersonated a list of Hollywood power players including Amy Pascal (former chair of Sony) and Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy. Once ensnared, the scammer used various methods to drain his victims’ bank accounts.
Emmy winner Chris Smith (100 Foot Wave) directed the docuseries and executive produces. Ben Anderson also executive produces, with journalist Scott Johnson involved as a consulting producer.
CBS’s Elsbeth continues to bring in fun celebrity guest stars and episode five’s no exception. Blair Underwood (Three Women, Smothered) guest stars as a tennis coach and helicopter dad in “Ball Girl,” airing on Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT. Rob Hardy directs episode five from a script by Eric Randall.
Carrie Preston leads the season one cast in the title role. Wendell Pierce stars as Captain C.W. Wagner and Carra Patterson plays Officer Kaya Blanke. Jonathan Tolins guides the series as showrunner and also executive produces along with Liz Glotzer.
“Ball Girl” Plot: When the world’s top tennis champion drops dead on the court, Elsbeth and Kaya hone in on a rising tennis star and his competitive father and coach (Underwood). Meanwhile, Captain Wagner begins to suspect Elsbeth’s reason for being in New York goes beyond the consent decree.
Emmy Award winner Carrie Preston stars as Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. After leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York City, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with the toast of the NYPD, Captain C.W. Wagner (Pierce), a charismatic and revered leader. Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke (Patterson), a stoic and ethical officer who quickly develops an appreciation for Elsbeth’s insightful and offbeat ways.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) stretched out the awards season, handing out their annual awards during ceremonies held in Los Angeles and New York on April 14, 2024. Niecy Nash-Betts (Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story) had the honor of hosting the Writers Guild of America West’s ceremony while Josh Gondelman (Desus & Mero) handled hosting duties for the Writers Guild of America East.
The final season of Succession was recognized with Drama Series and Episodic Drama awards, and the first season of The Last of Us snagged the New Series trophy. The Bear and Beef continued their winning streaks, scoring Comedy Series and Limited Series wins.
David Hemingson’s The Holdovers and Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction were recognized as the best original and adapted screenplays of 2023. And Errol Morris’ The Pigeon Tunnel took top honors in the Documentary Screenplay category.
WGA Awards Nominees & Winners
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY WINNER: The Holdovers, Written by David Hemingson; Focus Features
– Air, Written by Alex Convery; Amazon MGM Studios
– Barbie, Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach; Warner Bros. Pictures
– May December, Screenplay by Samy Burch, Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik; Netflix
– Past Lives, Written by Celine Song; A24
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY WINNER: American Fiction, Screenplay by Cord Jefferson, Based Upon the Novel Erasure by Percival Everett; Amazon MGM Studios
– Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., Screenplay by Kelly Fremon Craig, Based on the Book by Judy Blume; Lionsgate
– Killers of the Flower Moon, Screenplay by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, Based on the Book by David Grann; Apple Original Films
– Nyad, Screenplay by Julia Cox, Based on the Book Find a Way by Diana Nyad; Netflix
– Oppenheimer, Screenplay by Christopher Nolan, Based on the Book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin; Universal Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY WINNER: The Pigeon Tunnel, Written by Errol Morris; Apple Original Films
– Bella!, Written by Jeff L. Lieberman; Re-Emerging Films
– It Ain’t Over, Written by Sean Mullin; Sony Pictures Classics
– Stamped from the Beginning, Written by David Teague, Based on the book Stamped From the Beginning by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi; Netflix
– What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?, Written by John Scheinfeld; Abramorama
Ted Cohen, Will Arbery, and Miriam Battye, winners of the “Outstanding Drama Series” award for ‘Succession’ pose at the 2024 Writers Guild Awards Los Angeles Ceremony (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Writers Guild of America West)
DRAMA SERIES WINNER: Succession, Written by Will Arbery, Jesse Armstrong, Miriam Battye, Jon Brown, Jamie Carragher, Ted Cohen, Nate Elston, Francesca Gardiner, Callie Hersheway, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Will Tracy; HBO | Max
– The Crown, Written by Daniel Marc Janes, Peter Morgan, Meriel Sheibani-Clare, Jonathan Wilson; Netflix
– The Curse, Written by Carmen Christopher, Nathan Fielder, Alex Huggins, Carrie Kemper, Benny Safdie; Showtime
– The Diplomat, Written by Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Mia Chung, Anna Hagen, Amanda Johnson-Zetterstrom, Peter Noah; Netflix
– The Last of Us, Written by Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin; HBO | Max
COMEDY SERIES WINNER: The Bear, Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Kelly Galuska, Rene Gube, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer; FX Networks
– Abbott Elementary, Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner; ABC
– Barry, Written by Mark Ashmore, Emma Barrie, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Nicky Hirsch, Taofik Kolade, Liz Sarnoff; HBO | Max
– Jury Duty, Written by Tanner Bean, Lee Eisenberg, Marcos Gonzalez, Cody Heller, Mekki Leeper, Katrina Mathewson, Kerry O’Neill, Ese Shaw, Gene Stupnitsky, Andrew Weinberg, Evan Williams; Amazon Freevee
– Only Murders in the Building, Written by Matteo Borghese, Madeleine George, Sas Goldberg, Joshua Allen Griffith, John Hoffman, Elaine Ko, Noah Levine, Tess Morris, J.J. Philbin, Ben Philippe, Jake Schnesel, Ben Smith, Siena Streiber, Pete Swanson, Rob Turbovsky; Hulu
NEW SERIES WINNER: The Last of Us, Written by Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin; HBO | Max
– The Diplomat, Written by Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Mia Chung, Anna Hagen, Amanda Johnson-Zetterstrom, Peter Noah; Netflix
– Jury Duty, Written by Tanner Bean, Lee Eisenberg, Marcos Gonzalez, Cody Heller, Mekki Leeper, Katrina Mathewson, Kerry O’Neill, Ese Shaw, Gene Stupnitsky, Andrew Weinberg, Evan Williams; Amazon Freevee
– Poker Face, Written by Christine Boylan, Wyatt Cain, Chris Downey, CS Fischer, Rian Johnson, Alice Ju, Joe Lawson, Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Peppers, Lilla Zuckerman, Nora Zuckerman; Peacock
– Shrinking, Written by Wally Baram, Rachna Fruchbom, Brian Gallivan, Neil Goldman, Brett Goldstein, Bill Lawrence, Annie Mebane, Bill Posley, Jason Segel, Sofia Selig; Apple TV+
LIMITED SERIES WINNER: Beef, Written by Joanna Calo, Bathsheba Doran, Jean Kyoung Frazier, Niko Gutierrez-Kovner, Lee Sung Jin, Alice Ju, Carrie Kemper, Mike Makowsky, Marie Hanhnhon Nguyen, Kevin Rosen, Alex Russell; Netflix
– A Murder at the End of the World, Written by Zal Batmanglij, Cherie Dimaline, Brit Marling, Melanie Marnich, Dominic Orlando, Nicki Paluga, Rebecca Roanhorse, Kai Yu Wu; FX Networks
– Daisy Jones & The Six, Written by Susan Coyne, Jihan Crowther, Harris Danow, Charmaine DeGraté, Will Graham, Nora Kirkpatrick, Jenny Klein, Liz Koe, Judalina Neira, Scott Neustadter, Stacy Traub, Michael H. Weber; Prime Video
– Fargo, Written by Thomas Bezucha, Bob DeLaurentis, Noah Hawley, April Shih; FX Networks
– Lessons in Chemistry, Written by Victoria Bata, Nicole Delaney, Lee Eisenberg, Hannah Fidell, Emily Jane Fox, Susannah Grant, Rosa Handelman, Elissa Karasik, Boo Killebrew, Mfoniso Udofia, Teagan Wall; Apple TV+
TV & NEW MEDIA MOTION PICTURES WINNER: Quiz Lady, Written by Jen D’Angelo; Hulu
– Finestkind, Written by Brian Helgeland; Paramount +
– Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, Written by Andy Breckman; Peacock
– No One Will Save You, Written by Brian Duffield; Hulu
– Totally Killer, Screenplay by David Matalon & Sasha Perl-Raver and Jen D’Angelo, Story by David Matalon & Sasha Perl-Raver; Prime Video
ANIMATION WINNER: “Carl Carlson Rides Again” (The Simpsons), Written by Loni Steele Sosthand; Fox
– “A Mid-Childhood Night’s Dream” (The Simpsons), Written by Carolyn Omine; Fox
– “Homer’s Adventure Through the Windshield Glass” (The Simpsons), Written by Tim Long; Fox
– “I Know What You Did Next Xmas” (Futurama), Written by Ariel Ladensohn; Hulu
– “Thirst Trap: A Corporate Love Story” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik; Fox
EPISODIC DRAMA WINNER: “Living+” (Succession), Written by Georgia Pritchett & Will Arbery; HBO | Max
– “Crown Jewels” (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story), Written by Shonda Rhimes; Netflix
– “Kill List” (Succession), Written by Jon Brown & Ted Cohen; HBO | Max
– “The Last Generation” (Star Trek: Picard), Written by Terry Matalas; Paramount +
– “Our Black Shining Prince” (Godfather of Harlem), Written by Chris Brancato & Michael Panes; MGM+
– “Sleep, Dearie Sleep” (The Crown), Written by Peter Morgan; Netflix
EPISODIC COMEDY WINNER: “Escape From Shit Mountain” (Poker Face), Written by Nora Zuckerman & Lilla Zuckerman; Peacock
– “Fishes” (The Bear), Written by Joanna Calo & Christopher Storer; FX Networks
– “Forks” (The Bear), Written by Alex Russell; FX Networks
– “House Made of Bongs” (Reservation Dogs), Written by Tommy Pico and Sterlin Harjo; FX Networks
– “Ice” (The Great), Written by Tony McNamara; Hulu
– “Pride Parade” (What We Do in the Shadows), Written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn; FX Networks
COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Senior Writers Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali Writers Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Mark Kramer, Sofia Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford; HBO | Max
– The Daily Show, Head Writer Dan Amira Senior Writers Daniel Radosh, Lauren Sarver Means Writers David Angelo, Nicole Conlan, Devin Delliquanti, Anthony DeVito, Zach DiLanzo, Jennifer Flanz, Jason Gilbert, Dina Hashem, Scott Hercman, Josh Johnson, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Lenny Marcus, Joseph Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker; Comedy Central
– Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Head Writers Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker Writers Jamie Abrahams, Rory Albanese, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Bryan Cook, Blaire Erskine, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Jimmy Kimmel, Greg Martin, Jesse McLaren, Keaton Patti, Louis Virtel, Troy Walker; ABC
– Late Night with Seth Meyers, Head Writer Alex Baze Writing Supervised By Seth Reiss, Mike Scollins Closer Look Writing Supervised By Sal Gentile Writers Jermaine Affonso, Karen Chee, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker, Ben Warheit, Jeff Wright; NBC Universal Television
– The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir Writers Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Asher Perlman, Michael Pielocik, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien; CBS Studios
– The Problem with Jon Stewart, Head Writer Kris Acimovic Writers Henrik Blix, Rob Christensen, Jay Jurden, Alexa Loftus, Tocarra Mallard, Maria Randazzo, Robby Slowik, Jon Stewart, Kasaun Wilson; Apple TV+
COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES WINNER: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Writers Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin, John Solomon, Gary Richardson, Reggie Henke, Brendan Jennings, Patti Harrison; Netflix
– History of the World, Part II, Writers Ike Barinholtz, Emmy Blotnick, Guy Branum, Mel Brooks, Owen Burke, Adam Countee, Lance Crouther, Ana Fabrega, Fran Gillespie, Janelle James, Jennifer Kim, Nick Kroll, Sergio Serna, David Stassen, Wanda Sykes; Hulu
– How To with John Wilson, Written by John Wilson, Michael Koman, Allie Viti; HBO | Max
– Saturday Night Live, Head Writers Kent Sublette, Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell Writers Rosebud Baker, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan-Shah, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Alex English, Jimmy Fowlie, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Vannessa Jackson, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Steve Koren, Ben Marshall, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Gary Richardson, Pete Schultz, KC Shornima, Ben Silva, Will Stephen, Bryan Tucker, Asha Ward, Auguste White, Celeste Yim; NBC
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS WINNER: Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love, Written by Sarah Silverman; HBO | Max
– Adam Sandler: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Written by Jon Macks, Rita Brent, Jeff Stilson, Meggie McFadden; CNN
– Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, Written by Jon Macks, Carol Leifer; NBC
– Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark, Written by Marc Maron; HBO | Max
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION WINNER: The Chase, Head Writer David Levinson Wilk Writers Erik Agard, Kyle Beakley, Micki Boden, Megan Broussard, Jonathan Daly, Brian Greene, Robert King, Jason Lundell, Sierra Mannie, Amy Ozols, Bobby Patton, Ellen Teitel, Ari Yolkut; ABC
– Baking It, Writers Chad Carter, Neil Casey, Jessica McKenna, Zach Reino, Nicolle Yaron; Peacock
– Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Billy Wisse; ABC
– Weakest Link, Head Writer Ann Slichter Writers Chip Dornell, Ryan Hopak, Walter Kelly, Stuart Krasnow, Jon Macks, Meggie McFadden, Rylee Newton, Ryan O’Dowd, Scott Saltzburg, Doug Shaffer, Aaron Solomon, Grant Taylor, Mia Taylor; NBC
DAYTIME DRAMA WINNER: Days of Our Lives, Head Writer Ron Carlivati Creative Consultant Ryan Quan Writers Sonja Alarr, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Joanna Cohen, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Cheryl Davis, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Henry Newman, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock; Peacock
– General Hospital, Head Writers Dan O’Connor, Chris Van Etten Writers Ashley Cook, Emily Culliton, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Shannon Peace, Stacey Pulwer, Dave Rupel, Lisa Seidman, Scott Sickles; ABC
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS WINNER: “Romance Dawn” (One Piece), Written by Matt Owens & Steven Maeda; Netflix- “The Ballad of the Last Men” (Sweet Tooth), Written by Jim Mickle & Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt; Netflix
– “I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Written by Rick Riordan & Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disney+
– “Say Cheese and Die!” (Goosebumps), Written by Rob Letterman & Nicholas Stoller; Disney+
– “What Guy Are You” (American Born Chinese), Written by Kelvin Yu & Charles Yu; Disney+
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA WINNER: Carpool Karaoke: The Series, Written by Casey Stewart, David Young; Apple TV+
– Command Z, Written by Kurt Andersen, Larry Doyle, Emily Flake, Akilah Hughes, Jiehae Park, Chloe Radcliffe, Nell Scovell, Roy Wood, Jr.; commandzseries.com
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT WINNER: “Episode One: Blood Memory” (The American Buffalo), Written by Dayton Duncan; PBS
– “The Busing Battleground” (American Experience), Written by Sharon Grimberg; PBS
– “Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT WINNER: “Surprise Attack!” (CBS Weekend News), Written by J. Craig Wilson, Ambrose Raferty; CBS News
– “Black History Month – Hall Of Fame Hero” (CBS News New York), Written by Joe McLaughlin; WCBS-TV
– “Deadly Tornadoes Unleash Terror Across the Central U.S.” (CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell), Written by James Hutton, Rob Rivielle; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY WINNER: “Healing and Hope” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News
– “Convoy of Life” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Kristin Steve, Nicole Young; CBS News
– “Hide and Seek” (60 Minutes), Written by Sharyn Alfonsi, Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
– “Put To The Test” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Richard Buddenhagen, Lesley Stahl; CBS News
– “Targeting Seniors” (60 Minutes), Written by Sharyn Alfonsi, Emily Gordon, Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
DIGITAL NEWS WINNER: “The Persuaders: A 5-Part Investigation into the Union-Busting Industry,” Written by Dave Jamieson; HuffPost
– “How Paris Kicked Out the Cars,” Written by Henry Grabar; Slate
– “The Rise of ‘Gas Station Heroin,’” Written by Manisha Krishnan; Vice News
– “Want to Stare Into the Republican Soul in 2023?,” Written by Alexander Sammon; Slate
– “The Woman on the Line,” Written by Aymann Ismail and Mary Harris; Slate
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY WINNER: “The Call” (This American Life), Written by Mary Harris; Slate
– “America’s Blackest Child” (Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas), Written by Joel Anderson; Slate
– “The Black Box: Even AI’s creators don’t understand it” (Unexplainable), Written by Noam Hassenfeld; Vox
– “Emmery” (Party Crews: The Untold Story), Written by Janice Llamoca; Vice
– “Expecting: Pregnancy Souvenirs” (Unexplainable), Written by Byrd Pinkerton; Vox
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT WINNER: “World News This Week – Week of March 17, 2023,” Written by Joy Piazza; ABC News Radio
– “The Ballad of Tucker Carlson” (What Next), Written by Paige Osburn and Mary Harris; Slate
– “World News Roundup Late Edition – October 9, 2023,” Written by Spencer Raine; CBS News
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE OR COMMENTARY WINNER: “The Diagnosis Was Fatal. She Couldn’t Get an Abortion” (What Next), Written by Madeline Ducharme and Mary Harris; Slate
– “Lacrosse – Spirit of the Land” (ABC News Radio), Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News
– “Stephen King Is Just as Confused About Blue Checks as You Are” (What Next: TBD), Written by Lizzie O’Leary and Evan Campbell; Slate
ON AIR PROMOTION WINNER: “WCBS AM Promos” Written by Bill Tynan; WCBS Newsradio 880
– “Cross Walk, Cyber Bullying, VR Meditation” (KCAL News), Written by Adam Thiele; CBS News
– “Strange New Promos” Written by Molly Neylan; CBS / Paramount+
CBS’s Tracker season one episode eight finds Colter (Justin Hartley) heading to Camden, Maine to take on the case of a missing dockworker named Ethan Sullivan. Sully’s fiancée, Daniella, is offering a $10,000 reward.
Sully’s been missing for two days, and the police haven’t come up with any clues to his disappearance. Colter wonders if Sully just got cold feet, and Velma (Abby McEnany) and Teddi (Robin Weigert) suggest he keep an open mind.
Colter speaks with Daniella and learns Sully’s smart and wants to get off the docks. Daniella’s parents stress the wedding is in two weeks, so they need answers now. They have already spent a lot of money, and now they need to come up with a $10,000 reward. The timing’s not great.
Daniella reveals Sully uses an old flip phone and its battery always dies. She assumed that’s what happened when he didn’t answer her calls. But it’s been two days, and he still hasn’t come home after working a night shift.
Sully was a troublemaker when he was younger, but he’s changed. However, there’s a guy named Ryan at his work who kept calling and they recently argued over the phone. Sully insisted it was purely work-related.
Daniella swears Sully was excited about the wedding. He even scheduled his tux fitting and cake tasting for this weekend. There’s no way he got cold feet.
Colter has a private chat with Daniella’s dad, Dwayne (Francisco Trujillo Avalos-Davidson), and he admits he’s not a fan of Sully. Sully has a lengthy criminal record and isn’t his first choice for a son-in-law. Colter believes people can change, but Dwayne doesn’t agree.
Daniella interrupts their conversation with the news that the sheriff located Sully’s car.
Colter, Daniella, and Dwayne meet Sheriff Miller (Darien Sills-Evans) at Sully’s car. After promising not to get in the way, Miller shows them the wreckage. It’s overturned and there’s blood inside. Miller thinks he was drunk and crashed, but Colter isn’t sure. He finds a necklace inside, and Daniella doesn’t recognize it. She refuses to believe he is cheating on her.
Colter deduces the blood in the car isn’t from the crash. The car was empty when it went over the embankment. The absence of footprints, depressions, or broken twigs/branches indicates that nobody walked away after the crash.
Colter locates a sandbag right outside the car. Sand inside the vehicle shows the bag was on the gas pedal when the car went off the road. The next step is to determine why Sully abandoned the car on purpose.
Miller and Colter speak privately, and Colter offers to share what he learns. Miller doesn’t reciprocate, believing Colter’s in it just for the money. Colter pleads his case, and they finally stop butting heads. Miller explains that COVID-19 devastated the town. Crime is up and people are getting desperate. Drugs have become a major issue, and Miller believes Sully screwed up again.
Colter suggests Sully’s disappearance might have something to do with Ryan Hopkins. He’s going to check him out while Miller runs the blood from the car.
Colter rings Bobby (Eric Graise) for info on Sully and learns Sully’s cellphone’s last ping was at the docks two days ago. It’s dead, and it doesn’t have GPS tracking turned on. Bobby hopes to uncover more information by checking out Sully’s lengthy call log from the last few weeks. Colter asks about Ryan Hopkins and Bobby says his phone’s pinging at the docks.
Before he hangs up, Colter says he needs info on any women Sully recently spoke with.
Ryan (Shayn Walker) acts surprised Sully is missing and claims he and Sully are friends. He’d been calling him to see if he could get him some extra shifts. Ryan also claims he was out drinking beers with friends on Friday night when Sully went missing.
Bobby discovers Sully’s been speaking with Simone Dawson, an ex-girlfriend he went to school with. Sully called her twice on Friday, and she lives near his wrecked car.
Colter arrives at Simone’s place and notices the door’s been kicked open. He enters, gun drawn, and it looks like there was a struggle inside. Simone’s lying dead on the kitchen floor.
Miller and the cops join Colter in examining Simone’s place. Miller assumes that’s Simone’s blood in Sully’s car, and none of this looks good. Colter finds a drawing of the necklace from the car and figures out she designed it. Plus, she and Sully were friends, so he wouldn’t have needed to kick in the front door.
Colter believes someone followed Sully to rob the place. Miller requests that Colter not tell the family what they’ve found just yet.
Bobby discovered that Simone and Sully met at a restaurant on Friday. Colter questions a server who knows Sully and confirms he was there on Friday night. Simone was with him. The server wonders why he’s asking, and Colter explains Sully’s missing and Simone is dead.
Colter notices a young man named Zach (River Codack) has been listening to the conversation and confronts him when he steps outside to take out the trash. Reluctantly, Zach reveals a couple of guys came in after Simone and Sully. One man was scary-looking, and Zach believes his name is Clem. Apparently, he just got out of prison.
Sully wasn’t happy to see the guys, and he and Simone left quickly. The two men watched them leave and then followed them. The server breaks up the conversation and calls someone after Colter leaves. She informs whoever she is talking to that they have found Simone and the cops are searching for Sully.
Colter fills Sheriff Miller in on what he just learned, and Miller recognizes the name Clem. Colter talks his way into going with Miller when he speaks with Dougie “Clem” Clemens. Clem’s a bad dude who grew up with Sully, but they’d drifted apart.
No one answers Clem’s door, so Colter climbs in an open window. Inside, they discover a chair with duct tape on its arms. It appears that a struggle occurred before someone cut the duct tape. Miller theorizes Clem killed Simone and then tied up Sully. But why?
A coffee cup is still warm, so Clem must have just left.
Teddi sends Colter a photo of Clem (Anthony DeMare) and a copy of his arrest record. It’s lengthy and after Colter scans it, he’s certain Clem was running a stick-up crew.
Colter spots a car driving away and gives chase. It’s the server from the restaurant and she parks at the docks. She’s carrying a plastic bag when she knocks on a building’s door and Clem answers. She enters just as Ryan is exiting the building. Colter takes cover and watches as Ryan meets with Sully and an unknown man by a van. Ryan hands Sully a gun and the threesome gets into the van as Colter snaps photos from his hiding place. Clem joins them and the van drives away.
Colter shows the photos to Daniella and she’s sure that Clem and Ryan must be forcing Sully to do something. Daniella confirms Simone is Sully’s ex and that they remained friends. Colter breaks the news that someone just murdered Simone and that her murder is connected to this crew.
Colter believes Sully got sucked back into illegal activities, but Daniella insists that cannot be true. Daniella thinks Ryan was trying to get Sully to get him a job as a security guard at King’s Warehouse. Colter confirms that’s the same warehouse Daniella told him was closed because of maintenance. The warehouse is normally full of lobster.
Colter and Bobby sort through the clues, and Colter becomes convinced that drugs and/or guns are also flowing through the warehouse. Bobby quickly checks Sully’s warehouse keycard and sees that someone used it just 29 minutes ago.
Colter heads to the warehouse and finds Ryan sitting in the van’s driver’s seat outside. He slashes a back tire and gets the jump on Ryan when he goes to check it out. Colter puts him in a sleeper hold and once Ryan’s unconscious, he ties him up.
Colter continues looking around and discovers the injured gas employee, who was supposed to be doing maintenance, outside the warehouse. He calls Miller and asks for backup, explaining there’s a robbery in progress.
Colter doesn’t wait and begins sneaking his way through the warehouse. He spots Clem looking through boxes on the main floor. He creeps upstairs and peers through an office window. Inside, a man is holding Sully at gunpoint while forcing him to turn off the building’s security cameras.
The door’s unlocked and Colter bursts in. The armed man’s taken by surprise and Colter knocks him out after a brief fight. Colter tells Sully that Daniella sent him, and Sully fills in the blanks. Clem killed Simone in front of him when she fought back. He also threatened to kill Daniella if Sully didn’t follow orders.
Clem even showed Sully photos of Daniella in her car and at work to prove he meant business.
Colter ties up the thug as Sully reveals Clem is there to steal Fentanyl. Ryan told Clem the lobster pots were being used to smuggle it into the warehouse. Sully refused to be involved in stealing the Fentanyl, but they wouldn’t back down.
Clem’s gang followed Sully to Simone’s and then killed her and grabbed him. They forced Sully to wreck his car and stage it to look like he was cheating on Daniella and ran away. He swears he was being set up this whole time, and Colter thinks they were planning on killing him when he was no longer needed.
The gun Ryan handed him was just a test. While attempting to escape, he realized that the gun Ryan handed him wasn’t loaded. Colter suggests Sully grab the loaded gun from the unconscious guy. Sully agrees but changes the plan. He will not wait for the police. Instead, he’s going to make Clem pay for killing Simone.
Colter follows him, but Sully locks the gate, trapping Colter upstairs. However, Colter’s got some Parkour skills Sully knew nothing about. He makes his way to the ground floor, as Sully is about to shoot Clem. Colter tries to calm Sully down by asking him to think of Daniella. It doesn’t work, and Sully slaps Clem across the face with the gun. He orders Clem to turn around and get on his knees.
Colter continues to attempt to persuade Sully to think rationally, insisting he can leave his criminal past behind. There’s still an option to continue on the straight and narrow and marry Daniella. Sully finally comes to his senses and Clem runs off when Sully lowers his weapon.
Law enforcement immediately takes Clem into custody as soon as he runs outside.
The cops check out the warehouse and Miller reports this is the biggest Fentanyl bust the town’s ever seen. The Coast Guard is on the case and this bust should deter drug smugglers from coming near Camden.
Miller confirms Clem is going down on multiple counts, including murder. He thanks Colter for everything he’s done and then apologizes for misjudging Sully. Sully finally smiles.
Daniella’s mom and dad host a party at the restaurant and toast to a bright future for their daughter and Sully. Colter’s hung around for the party, and Sully admits that he feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Sully invites him to the wedding and Colter surprises him by handing over the necklace. Simone made it for him to give to Daniella as a wedding present.
They shake, and then Daniella asks for a minute. She hands over the reward and thanks Colter for everything he did. Sully puts on their song and Colter leaves as Sully’s placing the gorgeous necklace around Daniella’s neck.
CBS’s CSI: Vegas finally returns after a month-long break with season three episode six, “Atomic City.” Kenneth Fink directs from a script by Ryan Lee. Episode six is set to air on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season three stars Paula Newsome as Maxine Roby, Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, Matt Lauria as Joshua Folsom, and Mandeep Dhillon as Allie Rajan. Ariana Guerra is Detective Serena Chavez, Lex Medlin plays Beau Finado, and Jay Lee is Chris Park.
“Atomic City” Plot: The CSI team investigates a radioactive crime scene that left a father and son dead.
CSI: Vegas returns for its third season and continues the legacy of the global hit franchise. Amidst the neon lights and long shadows, dark threats lurk in Sin City. Maxine Roby (Newsome) leads her brilliant team of crime scene investigators – Catherine Willows (Helgenberger), Allie Rajan (Dhillon), Detective Serena Chavez (Guerra), Chris Park (Lee) and Beau Finado (Medlin) – as they use science to solve baffling mysteries. Chief among them: who framed their colleague, Joshua Folsom (Lauria), for a gruesome murder?
The most daunting and dangerous cases in the history of this storied franchise are coming, and the team will have to deploy the latest forensic techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
In a fight between Ryan Gosling and the Avatar title fight, we stand firmly on Gosling’s side. Six years ago, Gosling hosted the SNL season premiere and starred in a skit that, to date, has been viewed 22 million times online. In the skit, Gosling played Steven, a man obsessed with the decision to use the Papyrus font on Avatar‘s title.
Now we finally know why Gosling’s character would care so much about something so insignificant.
Ryan Gosling absolutely killed it hosting the April 13, 2024 SNL episode – easily the best of the season – and brought back his Papyrus-hating character in an SNL online exclusive. “Papyrus 2” finds Steven in therapy and determined to avoid any triggers. Unfortunately, his dentist decided to use Avatar 2 as a way to distract his clients, leaving Steven no choice but to watch it during his appointment. He’s stoked to see that the title’s font has changed and his nightmare is finally over.
Or is it?
Steven just can’t let it go and types Avatar into a document, highlights it, and presses the B button. “He just put it in bold. All the money in the world, and he just put it in bold,” says an incredulous Steven. The “he” is Logo Title Design Specialist Jacob Crone and this time Steven will stop at nothing to confront his nemesis.
