Country Music Hall of Fame inductees John Anderson, James Burton and Toby Keith (Photo Credit: CMA)
James Burton, John Anderson, and Toby Keith have earned their way into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The three artists make up the 2024 class of inductees, voted on by members of the Country Music Association and announced during a press conference hosted by Brooks & Dunn.
“This year’s nominees exemplify the excellence of our genre,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “James, John, and Toby have each made an indelible impact and brought their distinctive contributions to Country Music, enriching our format. Their influence is evident throughout the longevity of their careers, ensuring each legacy will thrive indefinitely. It is with great pride that we welcome these three remarkable individuals into the esteemed ranks of the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
James Burton will join the Hall of Fame class of 2024 in the Recording and/or Touring Musician category. John Anderson is being recognized as an inductee in the Veterans Era Artist category, and Toby Keith was selected to be inducted in the Modern Era Artist category.
“How did I find out about this amazing award? Well, I was on the phone with Keith Urban, and I kind of felt that Keith was beating around the bush a bit and small-talking me,” said Burton. “He then stated that he was going to hand the phone to a young lady for a minute. I thought it was a friend of Keith’s that just wanted to say hi or talk guitars. Instead, she [Sarah Trahern] introduced herself and simply said ‘Mr. Burton, you’ve been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.’ I was completely shocked and couldn’t think of anything to say. All I remember was that my wife Louise started crying, I kept thinking that this couldn’t be real. In fact, when we hung up the call, I redialed the caller’s number just to make sure it wasn’t a prank phone call! I am so humbled and excited to be recognized in this way. So much of my career was spent playing for incredible Country artists and to now be going up on that wall with all those innovators and industry greats is just incredible.”
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place this October.
“After several days, I am still trying to grasp the reality of being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame,” stated John Anderson. “It is one of the greatest honors I could ever receive. My love and heartfelt gratitude goes out to the fans who have supported me through the years, everyone at the Country Music Hall of Fame and all of those who made this possible. I am proud and honored beyond words.”
“Each of the three new inductees has left a deep and distinctive stamp on our genre,” stated Kyle Young, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Chief Executive Officer. “Florida native John Anderson helped steer Country Music back to its traditions with his bold honky-tonk style. James Burton, who hails from Louisiana, blended Country and blues to create a fiery picking style that distinguished countless hits and has inspired guitarists the world over. Toby Keith from Oklahoma brought a sly swagger and a patriotic passion to songs that made him one of the best-selling Country artists of the past 30 years. They have all profoundly shaped our music, and we are honored and delighted that their achievements will now forever be enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame.”
Colter’s plans for a vacation break in South Dakota are put on hold when a job in St. Louis, Missouri pops up as CBS’s Tracker season one episode five begins. 16-year-old Stephanie Porter’s offering a $20,000 reward to anyone who can find a missing witness to a murder. Her father, Clay Porter, was convicted of murdering his business partner, and Stephanie’s doing everything in her power to prove he was wrongfully convicted.
Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma (Abby McEnany) fill Colter (Justin Hartley) in on the details, and Velma admits she’s moved by the teen’s commitment to uncovering the truth. Teddi suggests bringing Reenie on to the case since her legal expertise could be useful.
Colter meets with Stephanie and her mom, Debra, and while Stephanie insists her dad wouldn’t lie to her, her mom worries they won’t uncover new evidence. It’s been a year, and no one’s come forward, but Stephanie won’t give up hope. Stephanie received a message on her fundraising page from someone who claims they know her dad is innocent.
Colter speaks from personal experience and warns Stephanie she may not like what she learns about her dad. He agrees to take the job and will attempt to find out more about the witness.
Later, Reenie (Fiona Rene) and Colter discuss the case and Reenie believes Clay is guilty. Reenie runs down the facts that led to the guilty verdict. Clay and Avery ran an asbestos removal company and one night Clay found Avery running an illegal poker game inside a client’s house. Clay was enraged, hit Avery, and then threatened to kill him. Avery died of a blunt force trauma to the head one hour later.
Colter admits the odds are against Clay being innocent, but he promised to try and locate the missing witness. Reenie remains convinced Clay’s guilty but concedes she’d rather be working on this case with Colter than just filing briefs.
Next, Colter visits Clay in prison and Clay’s adamant he didn’t kill Avery. He admits he lost his temper when he discovered Avery was running a poker game, but he never meant it when he said he’d kill him. Clay was just upset that Avery put their business, which they had worked so hard to put together, in jeopardy.
Avery was always doing shady stuff, but normally that didn’t bother Clay. Clay believes Avery got mixed up with the wrong people on the night of his murder and they killed him. He has no clue who the missing witness is and didn’t see anyone hanging around after he and Avery talked it out.
Avery remained behind to clean up the poker game while Clay claims he went home. The next day, the cops pulled him in. End of story. Clay swears he wouldn’t do anything to break his daughter’s heart. Colton promises that if a witness exists, he’ll find him/her.
Unfortunately, Bobby’s off for the week so it’s up to Teddi and Velma to be Colter’s support team. They’ve discovered the message on Stephanie’s page was sent from a burner phone. The latest message to that phone is setting up a poker game for the following night. Colter asks them to make a call at 8pm tomorrow night.
The message mentions a gold coin, and Colter waits outside the location until he sees a man flipping a coin. He bumps into him and steals the coin, which he hands to the security guy at the door. Once inside, Colter takes a seat at the table and uses his powers of observation to assess the players. He glances at his watch, sees it’s 8:15pm, and goes all in. Minutes later, cops bust into the place and shut the game down. Everyone, including Colter, is placed under arrest.
Reenie bails him out and learns he set it up so that after the arrest, he could have a few hours with the players in jail. They didn’t have anything interesting to say, but then he spots a female player in the hallway who he hasn’t spoken to yet. Leila Kent (Bree Woodill) accuses him of being a cop and he denies it but does admit he believes she can help him.
She’s stunned that he figured out it was her who sent the message. She doesn’t want to get involved and is shocked he set this whole thing up just to find a witness. Apparently, she and a woman named Mallory were playing poker with Avery and left when Clay showed up. However, Mallory actually stuck around and was in a back room when a guy showed up and killed Avery. The killer spotted Mallory, but Mallory was able to escape.
Colter and Reenie question Clay about Mallory, and it turns out Mallory was Avery’s girlfriend. Colter explains Mallory witnessed the murder but didn’t come forward because the killer saw her face. Clay doesn’t really know Mallory and only met her once. He recalls she was driving a green Dodge Challenger.
Teddi finds a green Dodge Challenger registered to Mallory Banks. She and Velma also discovered Mallory went off the grid immediately after the murder. Mallory sold the car for cash at a place outside Kansas City, and Colter decides that’s his next stop.
While Colter’s tracking down leads, Clay is jumped and repeatedly stabbed by a fellow inmate. His condition’s grave when Colter visits the hospital, and he tells Clay’s wife what he’s uncovered so far. He also confirms he’s heading to Kansas City to track Mallory.
Reenie speaks with Clay’s attorney, Grant, about filing a protective order after the attack. Grant suggests that she do it since she seems to be Clay’s new attorney. He also reveals that Stephanie emails all the time with updates and told him about a witness in Kansas City. Grant’s also familiar with the fact that Colter was hired to find the witness, but he doesn’t believe there is a missing witness. Still, he asks to be kept in the loop if there are any developments.
Colter speaks with Rico McCabe, the owner of the auto shop where Mallory sold her Challenger. Rico refuses to provide any details on the person who sold the car, so Colter locks him in a trunk and goes through his files. He quickly finds what he needs and heads over to the address Mallory provided.
Before checking it out, he speaks with Reenie, and she seems uneasy about Grant. She doesn’t like that Grant knows Colter’s name or his location, especially while he’s searching for Mallory. Reenie warns him to be careful just as Mallory pulls up.
Colter approaches her on the porch and introduces himself. Suddenly, a man steps up behind Colter and knocks him out. He comes to a short while later, tied up. Mallory and her uncle Max demand to know how Colter found her and he explains Leila told him about her. She’s been sending messages to Clay’s daughter and can prove it if she’s willing to call Stephanie.
Mallory agrees to call Stephanie and Colter tells her that someone tried to kill Clay in prison. That means someone is also hunting for her too. Mallory finally believes Colter and gives him the name of the real killer. Caesar Ashford murdered Avery and Mallory saw it while in the back cleaning up after the game. Caesar accused Avery of stealing money and then killed her boyfriend by smashing his head into a desk.
Mallory is convinced Caesar will kill her if she testifies.
Uncle Max cuts Colter’s hands free, and Colter swears he won’t let anything happen to her. Max agrees this is probably Mallory’s best chance at staying safe and doing the right thing. Colter insists it will be her decision, and Mallory chooses to go with him to St. Louis.
He checks in with Velma and Teddi, and they remind him he was only supposed to find her. The job is done, but Colter refuses to wrap up the case until he delivers Mallory to St. Louis. Colter tells them about Caesar Ashford and Velma quickly looks him up. He has a long rap sheet and was accused of three murders. He got off because no one would testify against him.
Colter and Mallory hit the road and quickly pick up a tail. Colter suddenly breaks and jumps out of the car with a rifle. He fires a couple of shots, disabling his pursuer’s car. He calls Reenie and learns Clay’s lawyer tipped off Caesar. It turns out Grant was Caesar’s lawyer on a drug case and threw Clay’s case to keep Caesar from being investigated for murder.
Reenie was right about getting bad vibes from Grant. As she’s talking, Grant grabs her phone before she can say goodbye to Colter and before she can call to get protection for Mallory or Clay. Colton realizes something’s wrong when their call abruptly ends.
Grant forces Reenie to get into his car and then uses Reenie’s phone to call Colter. Grant wants to make an exchange at a warehouse and gives Colter the location. Colter realizes that Grant knows his location and that he’s using Reenie’s phone to track his movements. Colter also realizes he can use this to his advantage.
Colter promises he’ll keep Mallory safe, but she needs to trust him. Mallory reluctantly agrees.
Grant has brought Reenie to the warehouse and even with her wrists tied and a gun pointed her direction, she doesn’t back down. She insists he can still do the right thing. However, Grant doesn’t have a chance to change his mind as Caesar shows up and gags Reenie. He informs her she’s going to die, even if Colter shows up with Mallory for the exchange.
Grant sees that Colter and Mallory have arrived, and he and Caesar take Reenie to meet them. Before they come downstairs, Colter explains the plan to Mallory, and she agrees to merge Grant’s call with theirs once he phones them. Colter gives her a gun in case something goes wrong and then has her hide.
Grant calls and Colter demands they come to him and says he needs to see Reenie’s alive before turning over Mallory. Colter’s plan works and Caesar, Reenie, and Grant arrive at the spot where Mallory set down the phone.
Unfortunately, Mallory makes a noise and Caesar sees her. He takes a shot and misses, and then continues shooting as Mallory runs to escape the building. Colter circles behind, attacks Grant, and frees Reenie before chasing after Caesar.
Colter leaps at Caesar from behind and a brutal fight breaks out. Grant pulls a knife and Colter is forced to toss Caesar off the edge of the building. He lands with a splat below.
Colter, Stephanie, and Debra visit Clay in his hospital room. Clay’s doing much better and is happy to learn that Mallory will testify to what she witnessed. Grant’s been taken into custody, and it’s likely Clay’s conviction will be overturned soon.
Stephanie’s mom thanks Colter and hands over the $20,000. He suggests she thank Stephanie instead, and Clay shakes Colter’s hand for saving his life and giving him a second chance.
Later, Colter is getting ready to leave when Reenie shows up. They exchange awkward “glad he didn’t kill yous” followed by an even more awkward handshake.
The promo for ABC’s Station 19 season seven episode two has elicited strong reactions from fans who hate seeing Jack lose the career he’s so passionate about. Episode two, “Good Grief,” will air on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season seven stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes, Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery, and Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop. Boris Kodjoe plays Robert Sullivan, Stefania Spampinato is Dr. Carina DeLuca, Josh Randall is Sean Beckett, Merle Dandridge is Natasha Ross, and Carlos Miranda is Theo Ruiz.
“Good Grief” Plot: Ben and Theo respond to a challenging Crisis One call, and Jack struggles adjusting to his new reality. Maya and Carina treat a nanny with a surprising diagnosis. Travis finds a surprise at Dixon’s wake, and Vic joins Beckett at a family funeral.
Grey Damon, Merle Dandridge and Jaina Lee Ortiz in ‘Station 19’ season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)
Station 19 Description, Courtesy of ABC:
Station 19 follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. From the executive producers of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, the series takes us inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of the city’s bravest first responders.
Carlos Miranda, Jason George, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Danielle Savre, Kiele Sanchez, and Boris Kodjoe in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)Jaina Lee Ortiz and Danielle Savre in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)Spencer Garrett and Spencer Treat Clark in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)Carlos Miranda, Jason George and Jaina Lee Ortiz in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)Barrett Doss and Josh Randall in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)Stefania Spampinato in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/James Clark)
The action heats up with ABC’s 9-1-1 season seven episode two, the second part of the three-episode arc. Episode two, “Rock the Boat, ” will air on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT.
Season seven stars Angela Bassett as Athena Grant, Peter Krause as Bobby Nash, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie Buckley, and Oliver Stark as Evan “Buck” Buckley. Kenneth Choi plays Howie “Chimney” Han, Aisha Hinds is Henrietta “Hen” Wilson, Ryan Guzman is Eddie Diaz, and Gavin McHugh is Christopher Diaz.
“Rock the Boat” Plot: The disastrous cruise continues when Bobby and Athena respond to the ship’s explosion, racing to aid injured passengers. Meanwhile, Hen questions her instincts in a life-taking call and grows concerned about Athena and Bobby’s whereabouts.
Angela Bassett, Nikita Bogolyubov, and Peter Krause in ‘9-1-1’ season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)
9-1-1 Description, Courtesy of ABC:
The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives. The show draws from real-life, high-pressure experiences of first responders who regularly face heart-stopping situations that are often unpredictable, intense, and uplifting at the same time.
Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, and Chris Wu in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)Kenneth Choi and Aisha Hinds in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)Tracie Thomas and Aisha Hinds in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)Aisha Hinds, Kenneth Choi, Ricardo Carlos Martinez, Chris Wu, and Horace Knight in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)Kenneth Choi, Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)Eddie McGee and Peter Krause in season 7 episode 2 (Disney/Chris Willard)
Since Cillian Murphy just became the first Irish-born actor to win the Best Actor Oscar, I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a list of the most notable Irish actors who have been honored by the Academy with either Oscar gold or a nomination.
1. Cillian Murphy (Best Actor winner, Oppenheimer, 2024) Murphy has played non-Irish roles so often and so well (Oppenheimer, The Dark Knight films) that some people may not realize or remember that he is Irish. His best Irish films include Breakfast on Pluto and The Wind that Shakes the Barley. And as noted above, he is the first Irish-born actor to take home an Academy Award in the Best Actor category.
Vicky Krieps and Daniel Day-Lewis in writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Phantom Thread’ (Photo by Laurie Sparham / Focus Features)
2. Daniel Day-Lewis (Best Actor winner, My Left Foot, 1989; Best Actor nominee, In the Name of the Father, 1993; Best Actor winner, Gangs of New York, 2002; Best Actor winner, There Will Be Blood, 2007; Best Actor winner, Lincoln, 2012; Best Actor nominee, Phantom Thread, 2017)
Day-Lewis is English-born to an Irish father and maintains British-Irish citizenship. He has starred in such distinctly Irish films as My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father. He announced his retirement in 2017. To date, he is the most Oscar-honored Irish actor, and his record will be hard to beat.
Although he did not receive Oscar nominations for My Beautiful Laundrette or The Unbearable Lightness of Being, those films are also well worth checking out.
3. Barry Fitzgerald (Best Actor nominee and Best Supporting Actor winner, Going My Way, 1944)
Fitzgerald has the distinction of being the first Irish actor to receive Oscar attention but also the only actor ever nominated for the same role in the same film in the same year for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor (for which he won). He was an Irish stage actor who made his feature film debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s Juno and the Paycock (1930), and then in 1936, he came to Hollywood where he enjoyed four decades of stellar and endearing work as a character actor.
4. Richard Harris (Best Actor nominee, This Sporting Life, 1963; Best Actor nominee, The Field, 1990)
Harris was born in Limerick, Ireland, but studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He helped usher in the British New Wave of the 1960s with his role in This Sporting Life. He also enjoyed fame as a singer.
5. Stephen Rea (Best Actor nominee, The Crying Game, 1992)
Born in Belfast, Rea started as a stage actor whose film career took off when he began collaborating with Neil Jordan on the films Angel (1982), The Company of Wolves (1984), and The Crying Game (1992). He moves easily between Hollywood and Irish/British films, but his best work has been with Jordan.
6. Liam Neeson (Best Actor nominee, Schindler’s List, 1993)
Neeson was born in Northern Ireland where he started a stage career and then moved to film in the 1980s with supporting roles in The Bounty and The Mission. He tackled Irish roles with Michael Collins, joined the Star Wars franchise with The Phantom Menace, and launched an action career with Taken.
Michael Fassbender stars in Universal Pictures’ ‘Steve Jobs’
7. Michael Fassbender (Best Supporting Actor nominee, 12 Years A Slave, 2013; Best Actor nominee, Steve Jobs, 2015)
Fassbender was born in Germany to an Irish mother. He made his eye-catching film debut in 300. It is a shame that the Academy has so far only recognized his lead work in a mainstream Hollywood film. His performances were much more award-worthy and challenging in a pair of films from director Steve McQueen: Shame, in which he played a sex addict living in New York City, and Hunger, in which he played Bobby Sands, the Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoner who went on a hunger strike.
8. Saoirse Ronan (Best Actress nominee, Brooklyn, 2015; Best Actress nominee, Lady Bird, 2017; Best Actress nominee, Little Women, 2019)
Irish actresses are far less represented on the Oscar honor rolls than actors. In the supporting category, Geraldine Fitzgerald (1939) and Sara Allgood (1941) garnered early attention. Ronan was born in The Bronx to Irish parents and holds dual American and Irish citizenship. She received her first Oscar nomination at 21.
Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star in Focus Features’ ‘Loving.’
9. Ruth Negga (Best Actress nominee, Loving, 2016)
Negga was born in Ethiopia to an Irish mother and is the first Black Irish performer to receive an Oscar nomination. In the biopic Loving, she played Mildred Loving, whose marriage challenged Virginia laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
10. Colin Farrell (Best Actor nominee, The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022) The Banshees of Inisherin brought in a slew of Oscar nominations for Irish talent. Let’s start with Best Actor nominee Farrell. He was born in Dublin and made his feature film debut in Tim Roth’s The War Zone. He has moved easily between Hollywood and independent films. He previously collaborated with director Martin McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson on the critically acclaimed In Bruges.
11. Brendan Gleeson (Best Supporting Actor nominee, The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022)
Gleeson was born in Dublin and began his career in Irish Theater before starting a film career in 1990 with The Field. The fact that Gleeson got put in the supporting actor category for Banshees seems a studio strategy to prevent its two lead actors from competing, but his role was every bit as important as Farrell’s. Gleeson has also done stellar, lead, award-worthy work in films such as I Went Down, The General, and Calvary.
12. Barry Keoghan (Best Supporting Actor nominee, The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022)
Keoghan only began acting in 2011. Born in Dublin, he spent years in foster care after his mother died. He immediately received acclaim for his work in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Most recently, he moved to a leading role in Saltburn.
13. Kerry Condon (Best Supporting Actress nominee, The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022)
Irish-born Condon made her feature film debut in Angela’s Ashes in 1999. She began collaborating with Martin McDonagh on stage before working with him on the films Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin.
14. Paul Mescal (Best Actor nominee, Aftersun, 2022)
Irish-born Mescal started in theater, gained attention for the TV show Normal People, and made his feature film debut in The Lost Daughter. He received his first Oscar nod for only his second film, Aftersun, and probably should have received a second for All of Us Strangers last year. As with Keoghan, he is a young actor to watch.
Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe in director Kenneth Branagh’s ‘Belfast’ (Photo Credit : Rob Youngson / Focus Features)
And a quick nod to the Irish directors recognized by the Academy. No Irish director has yet won an Oscar.
1. Herbert Brenon (nominee, Sorrel and Son, 1928): Brenon was the first Irish-born director to be nominated by the Academy and he was part of the inaugural group of directors to be nominated at the very first Academy Awards.
2. Kenneth Branagh (nominee, Henry V, 1989; Belfast, 2021): Actor/filmmaker Branagh was born in Belfast but raised and trained in England. His film Belfast was a tribute to his memories of his birthplace. He was also nominated for Best Actor for Henry V.
4. Jim Sheridan (nominee, My Left Foot, 1989; In the Name of the Father, 1993): Sheridan was born in Dublin and began as a playwright and migrated to film. He eventually earned six Oscar nominations.
4. Neil Jordan (nominee, The Crying Game, 1992): Jordan is an Irish-born filmmaker who has tackled Irish history (Michael Collins), Irish literature (The Butcher Boy, Breakfast on Pluto), and contemporary takes on fairy tales (The Company of Wolves, Ondine).
5. Martin McDonagh (nominee, The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022): McDonagh was born in London to Irish parents and has not focused exclusively on Irish stories. The Banshees of Inisherin is the only film to date he has set in Ireland that he has directed.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Citadel) has signed on to narrate Disneynature’s Tiger. The film is set to premiere on Disney+ on Earth Day 2024 (April 22), 15 years after the first Disneynature release premiered.
“It’s just wonderful to be able to be a part of something so special and to tell the story of this magnificent animal that comes from my country — I was very honored,” said Priyanka Chopra Jonas. “I have always loved tigers and I feel a kinship with the female tiger — I feel very protective of my family. Ambar’s journey is something I think every mom would really relate to.”
Mark Linfield directed, with Vanessa Berlowitz and Rob Sullivan co-directing. Linfield, Berlowitz, and Roy Conli served as producers.
“Tiger is the groundbreaking culmination of 1,500 days of filming,” reads Disneynature’s synopsis. “Priyanka Chopra Jonas will narrate the compelling story, which lifts the veil on our planet’s most revered and charismatic animal, inviting viewers to journey alongside Ambar, a young tigress raising her cubs in the fabled forests of India. In the film, the cubs — curious, rambunctious and at times a bit clumsy — have a lot to learn from their savvy mother who will do all she can to keep them safe from pythons, bears, and marauding male tigers.”
Disney+ and BBC have set a May 10, 2024 premiere date for the new season of Doctor Who. The new season, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, will be the first to debut on Disney+ and worldwide simultaneously.
“At last, it’s my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby’s adventures together. Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that’s been spanning time and space for decades. Don’t miss a second!,” teased showrunner, executive producer, and writer Russell T Davies.
Guest stars include Aneurin Barnard, Anita Dobson, Yasmin Finney, Michelle Greenidge, and Jonathan Groff. Bonnie Langford, Genesis Lynea, Jemma Redgrave, Lenny Rush, Indira Varma, and Angela Wynter also guest star. Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter serve as executive producers, with Ben Chessell, Jamie Donoughue, Julie Anne Robinson, and Dylan Holmes Williams directing.
“This season of Doctor Who follows the Doctor and Ruby Sunday through infinite adventures across time and space in the TARDIS,” reads Disney+ and BBC’s synopsis. “From the Regency era in England to war-torn futures, the duo champion the forces of good while encountering incredible friends and dangerous foes.”
The season will kick off with “The Church on Ruby Road,” which premiered in December 2023, followed by the release of two new episodes.
* – The new season begins streaming on Friday, May 10 at 4pm PT/7PM on Disney+ in the US and internationally, with the exception of the UK. New episodes will be available to UK audiences on Saturday, May 11, at 12:00am GMT on BBC iPlayer, followed by BBC One later that day.
Mark Wahlberg as Michael in ‘Arthur the King’ (Photo Credit: Carlos Rodriguez / Lionsgate)
Mark Wahlberg and director Simon Cellan Jones (The Family Plan) join forces for Arthur the King, a film that tells the incredible true story of a dog who braved the jungle for over 400 miles to find a home. Wahlberg plays Michael Light, an adventure racer who is at the end of his career. In many ways, Michael is his own worst enemy, driven by his past failures and not really knowing the meaning of being part of a team.
Michael can’t work as a realtor for his father and is always preoccupied with thoughts of racing when he’s at home with his wife and daughter. Michael’s wife, Helen (Juliet Rylance), gives him the okay to do one final race – the Adventure Racing World Championship being held in the Dominican Republic – in hopes he’ll finally win and be able to move forward.
Michael secures sponsors and puts his four-member team back together, including Leo (Simu Liu), who has a large following on social media but usually butts heads with Michael; Chik (Ali Suliman), who’s suffering from a bum knee; and newcomer Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel), an ace mountain climber.
As Michael is putting together his team, the film cuts to the streets of the Dominican Republic and to a smart and scruffy street dog. The dog’s appearance suggests a hard life, but he’s sly enough to avoid larger, meaner dogs and find scraps of food to stay alive.
Michael meets the street dog at the team’s first rest stop during the 400-mile race that consists of running, climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking. Michael notices the hungry dog and is impressed with the fact that he won’t beg for food. He gives the dog a few meatballs before continuing on with the race. What Michael doesn’t realize is that he has just made a loyal friend and new teammate.
Three days and 200 miles later, Michael and his team are surprised to find their scruffy friend has joined them in the rain-soaked jungle. When Leo tries to continue on in the dark and yells at the others to forget the “dumb dog,” he’s stopped in his tracks by the dog cutting in front of him. The dog barks and refuses to move. Michael grabs his flashlight and the team discovers that their canine buddy stopped Leo from falling off a cliff.
“Extra meatballs for you, my friend,” says an impressed Michael.
The team continues on with the race, now with their new canine team member close at their sides and occasionally leading the way. Michael names him Arthur for his strength and determination to lead them, just like a king.
Based on a true story, Arthur the King is an inspiring and suspenseful adventure, as well as a story about a man and his new best friend. It’s an entertaining and heartwarming film with a solid ensemble cast who are all upstaged by Ukai as Arthur.
Mark Wahlberg gives another memorable performance as Michael, a determined professional athlete at the end of his career, who will do whatever it takes to win. Wahlberg does a good job of portraying the change Michael goes through after meeting Arthur and having him become his new teammate. In fact, it’s Arthur who helps make Michael a real team leader and helps him realize the importance of loyalty and friendship.
It’s Ukai, however, who is the true star of the film, and boy, does he deliver. With his adorable scruffy face and stunning eyes, Ukai delivers the most authentic and moving performance in the film.
Jacques Jouffret’s impressive cinematography elevates the film, as do the terrific action sequences. Especially thrilling is the zip-lining sequence, but that’s all this critic will say about it. I wouldn’t want to spoil the experience.
Charming and heartfelt, Arthur the King is a sweet and moving underdog film that will have dog-loving audiences cheering and applauding through teary eyes.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG-13 form some strong language
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Studio: Lionsgate
CBS’s Ghosts will be taking a three-week break and then returning with season three episode six, an episode that introduces Jon Glaser as pantless Trevor’s brother, Jeremy. Episode six, “Hello, Brother,” was directed by Trent O’Donnell and will air on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 8:30pm ET/PT.
Rose McIver stars as Sam, Utkarsh Ambudkar is Jay, Brandon Scott Jones is Isaac, and Richie Moriarty is Pete. Danielle Pinnock plays Alberta, Asher Grodman is Trevor, Román Zaragoza is Sasappis, Rebecca Wisocky plays Hetty, Devan Chandler Long stars as Thorfinn, and Sheila Carrasco is Flower.
“Hello, Brother” Plot: Trevor’s brother, Jeremy (Glaser), checks into Woodstone after discovering a loophole in the Woodstone Rewards Points program.
Ghosts is a single-camera comedy about Samantha (Sam) and Jay, a cheerful freelance journalist and up-and-coming chef from the city, respectively, who threw both caution and money to the wind when they decided to convert Woodstone Mansion, which Sam in inherited, into a bed & breakfast – only to find it was inhabited by the many spirits of deceased residents who now call it home.
The departed souls are a close-knit, eclectic group that includes a saucy Prohibition-era lounge singer (Danielle Pinnock); a pompous 18th-century militiaman (Brandon Scott Jones); an overly upbeat ‘80s scout troop leader (Richie Moriarty); a cod-obsessed Viking explorer from 1009 (Devon Chandler Long); a ‘60s hippie fond of hallucinogens (Sheila Carrasco); a slick ‘90s finance bro (Asher Grodman); a sarcastic and witty native from the 16th-century (Román Zaragoza); and a society woman and wife of a 19th-century robber baron who is Sam’s ancestor (Rebecca Wisocky), to name a few. The opening of the B&B has been a source of intrigue, anxiety and curiosity among the spirits, but they will gladly put up with the commotion as long as they can continue to interact with a living inhabitant.
Season seven of Netflix’s critically acclaimed anthology series Black Mirror will make a return trip to the world of the USS Callister. The popular Star Trek-inspired season four episode starred Jesse Plemons as Capt. Robert Daly, Cristin Milioti as Nanette Cole, Jimmi Simpson as Walton, Michaela Coel as Shania, and Billy Magnussen as Valdack.
“Robert Daly is dead, but for the crew of the USS Callister, their problems are just beginning,” teases Netflix.
Production is currently underway on the seventh season, with the streamer targeting a 2025 premiere. Series creator Charlie Brooker returns as writer and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Jessica Rhoades and Annabel Jones.
Season seven will consist of six new episodes, including the USS Callister sequel. Brooker’s keeping episode details – including casts and storylines – for the other five episodes under wraps for now.
Black Mirror premiered in December 2011 and has won six Primetime Emmy Awards over its six seasons. The “USS Callister” episode earned four Emmys in the Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special, Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Sound Editing, and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie categories. Season three episode four, “San Junipero,” won two Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or a Dramatic Special and Outstanding Television Movie.
