Jimmy Kimmel to Host the 2024 Oscars

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November 15, 2023

Jimmy Kimmel Oscar Host — Jimmy Kimmel to host the 2024 Oscars (Photo Credit: ABC/Jeff Lipsky)

Jimmy Kimmel‘s a glutton for punishment. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC confirmed the late-night talk-show host has committed to hosting the 96th Oscars set to air live on ABC on March 10, 2024.

The upcoming Oscars will mark Kimmel’s second consecutive appearance as host and fourth time handling the hosting gig overall. (Kimmel hosted the 2023, 2017, and 2018 shows.) Emmy nominee Molly McNearney, executive producer and co-head writer on Jimmy Kimmel Live, is also returning for the second year in a row as executive producer.

“I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times,” joked Kimmel.

“We are thrilled about Jimmy returning to host and Molly returning as executive producer for the Oscars. They share our love of movies and our commitment to producing a dynamic and entertaining show for our global audience,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang. “We are deeply grateful to Jimmy, Molly, and their teams for their incredible creativity and partnership and for going on this ride with us again.”

Nominees will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2024.

“After his triumphant return to the Oscars stage last year, we are honored to have Jimmy back to guide us through one of the most beloved celebrations in entertainment. He is such a valuable member of our Disney family, and we could not be more appreciative of him and his entire team,” said Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals. “We are also grateful to have the multi-talented Molly back on the producing team, and we have no doubt that this year will be a spectacular night celebrating the biggest films of the year.”

Jimmy Kimmel and the Barbie Cast Star in an Oscars Promo

‘Imaginary’ Drops a Bear-y Creepy Motion Poster

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 15, 2023

The official trailer for Blumhouse’s Imaginary will launch tomorrow, and as a teaser Lionsgate’s released a motion poster for the twisted horror film. The 20-second video introduces Chauncey, a stuffed teddy bear who’s neither imaginary nor your friend.

The cast of the 2024 release includes DeWanda Wise (Jurassic World Dominion), Tom Payne (Prodigal Son), Taegen Burns (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers), and Pyper Braun (Erin & Aaron). Veronica Falcon (A Million Miles Away) and Betty Buckley (Preacher) also star.

Jeff Wadlow (Fantasy Island) directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Greg Erb and Jason Oremland. Wadlow and Jason Blum serve as producers.

“From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind Five Nights at Freddy’s and M3GAN, comes an original horror film that taps into the innocence of imaginary friends – and begs the question: Are they really figments of childhood imagination or is something more terrifying lying just beneath?” reads Lionsgate’s synopsis. “When Jessica (Wise) moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice (Braun) develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister.

As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.”

Imaginary opens in theaters on March 8, 2024.

Amazon Names the Top 10 Books of 2023

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 15, 2023

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store cover — ‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’ (Publisher: Riverhead Books)

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride tops Amazon Book Editors’ list of the Best Books of 2023. Responding to the honor, McBride said, “Every moment in history is full of sadness and tests. But love is the killer of mankind’s worst diseases. It lives without boundaries. It goes everywhere. You can find it everywhere. Even in a grocery store. I’m so glad you found it in this one.”

Amazon’s book editors selected The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead as the top children’s book and Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals as the best young adult book of the year. For readers into romance, Amazon suggests Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score, and for those looking for help in the kitchen, the top cookbook, food, and wine pick is Erin French’s Big Heart Little Stove.

“Between dragon-filled romantasy (Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros), murderous senior citizens (Holly by Stephen King), and the definitive biography of a legend (King: A Life by Jonathan Eig), this year’s Best Books list truly has a great read for everyone,” said Sarah Gelman, editorial director for Amazon Books. “But it was James McBride’s The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store that our team unanimously fell in love with, wanting to spend time with the residents of Pottstown, Pennsylvania’s Chicken Hill neighborhood long after the last page was turned.

Centered on a mysterious murder, it is, at its heart, a story of how powerful communities can be and what it means to be American, and it’s also a hopeful (and sometimes hilarious) reminder of our own capacity for kindness and compassion.”

Amazon Books Editors’ Top 10 Books of 2023

1. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride: “Featuring a cacophonous cast of characters you will adore, and a story chock full of the social, racial, and ethnic politics of the small town in which they live, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is an irresistible novel—profound as it is ingeniously entertaining, making it one of the great American novels of our time, and why we named it the best book of 2023.” — Al Woodworth, Amazon senior editor
2. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters: “Debut novelist Amanda Peters explores the lengths we go to for love, the cancerous impact of lies, and the unbreakable bonds of family. For fans of Celeste Ng and Ann Patchett, this quietly beautiful book will break, then mend, your heart.” — Sarah Gelman, Amazon editorial director
3. The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel: “What a romp! You’ll fly through this true story of an idealistic maniac on a mission to filch priceless treasures — upping the ante with each outrageous crime. A blast to read — but also horrifying when you consider what happened to $2 billion worth of invaluable art.” — Lindsay Powers, Amazon senior editor
4. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: “An epic of world-building and story, this tale of a kingdom under duress, a deadly competition to become an elite dragon rider, and the young woman who bucks the odds to become powerful in her own right, is a thrilling, not-to-be-missed romantic fantasy.” — Seira Wilson, Amazon senior editor
5. King: A Life by Jonathan Eig: “Eig’s definitive and engrossing portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. is a remarkable feat of writing and research, revealing the gutting hardships and heroics of a man who changed the world. This is biography at its absolute finest.” — Al Woodworth, Amazon senior editor
6. Wellness by Nathan Hill: “With the vibes of Jonathan Franzen novels mixed with the panache of (500) Days of Summer, Wellness is a love story, a marriage story, and a contemporary critique of our world that’s captivated (and maybe even controlled) by social media and the pursuit of domestic bliss. Utterly absorbing, funny, and familiar, Hill captures how life can be hopeful and hurtful, idiosyncratic and robotic, fated and chaotic.” — Al Woodworth, Amazon senior editor
7. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese: “We didn’t want this book to end. Told over the course of three generations, Abraham Verghese weaves a magnetic story of how cultural, social, and racial politics play out in the lives of wives, doctors, and artists who strive to find a home and purpose in a world that is ever-shifting and ever-dangerous. Filled with characters who love deeply and dream big, this novel will sweep you off your feet.” — Al Woodworth, Amazon senior editor
8. Holly by Stephen King: “Holly is retro-King horror at its best in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse between an unassuming couple committing unspeakable crimes and P.I. Holly Gibney. With tension that coils tighter with every chapter, this unforgettable novel will thrill longtime King fans and newcomers alike.” — Seira Wilson, Amazon senior editor
9. Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson: “You probably have strong opinions about Elon Musk. Walter Isaacson’s page-turning biography perfectly captures the troubled, brilliant, pugnacious billionaire — and how his growing power circles the globe. Packed with ‘oh-my-God’ moments big and small, I couldn’t put this book down.” — Lindsay Powers, Amazon senior editor
10. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane: “Unflinching, unsparing, and unsentimental, Dennis Lehane’s incendiary story is a freeway pileup of racism, mob rule, and a desperate mother pushed beyond her last limit. This moving and darkly hilarious vengeance novel was the mystery we kept returning to this year.” — Vannessa Cronin, Amazon senior editor

‘NCIS: Sydney’ Episode 2 Photos, Cast, Plot and “Snakes in the Grass” Promo

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 15, 2023

Episode two of CBS’s latest addition to the popular NCIS franchise, NCIS: Sydney, finds the team attempting to track down a poisonous snake. Directed by Shawn Seet from a script by Michael Miller and Morgan O’Neill, season one episode two – “Snakes in the Grass” – will air on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 8pm ET/PT.

Season one stars Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey, Sean Sagar (The Covenant) as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, and Todd Lasance (Spartacus: War of the Damned) as her 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey. The cast also includes Tuuli Narkle (Mystery Road: Origin) as AFP liaison officer Constable Evie Cooper, Mavournee Hazel (Shantaram) as AFP forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson, and William McInnes (The Newsreader) as AFP forensic pathologist Dr Roy Penrose.

“Snakes in the Grass” Plot: When a Navy compliance officer is found dead in a waterhole from a snakebite, the team works to uncover the origin of the rare deadly taipan that is uncommon to the area where the officer was discovered.

NCIS Sydney Episode 2 — William McInnes as Doc Roy, Mavournee Hazel as Blue and Olivia Swann as Mackey in ‘NCIS: Sydney’ episode 2, season 1 (PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Asher Smith / Paramount+ © TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc.)

Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:

With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet.

Led by NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and her 2IC AFP counterpart, Sergeant Jim “JD” Dempsey, our team of Americans and Aussies must quickly learn to trust each other, overcoming and harnessing their differences to solve each case. Though jurisdictional tussles and culture clashes make for a rocky start, Mackey will eventually come to respect JD’s nose for the truth, as he does her maverick style.

Meanwhile, sassy AFP Constable Evie Cooper and endlessly curious Special Agent DeShawn Jackson form a fast friendship, while curmudgeonly forensic pathologist Doctor Roy Penrose meets his match in the brilliant young forensic scientist Bluebird “Blue” Gleeson. Together, our team becomes NCIS’ first-ever internationally blended family.

‘Found’ Episode 8 Preview: Cast, Photos, and “Missing While Homeless” Trailer

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 15, 2023

The promo for NBC’s Found season one episode eight teases that Sir is on the verge of being found – all he needs to do is call out for help. Episode eight, “Missing While Homeless,” will air on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 10pm ET/PT.

Found stars Shanola Hampton as Gabi, Kelli Williams as Margaret, Brett Dalton as Detective Mark Trent, Gabrielle Walsh as Lacey, Arlen Escarpeta as Zeke, Karan Oberoi as Dhan, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Sir.

“Missing While Homeless” Plot: Dhan spearheads the search for a missing homeless man who’s been an integral part of a tight-knit encampment. When Detective Trent shares troubling news about Sir, Gabi goes to great lengths to protect her secret.

Found Season 1 Episode 8 — Karan Oberoi as Dahn Rana and Shanola Hampton as Gabi Mosely in ‘Found’ episode 8 (Photo by: Matt Miller/NBC)

The Plot, Courtesy of NBC:

In any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about.

Public relations specialist Gabi Mosely (Hampton) — who was once herself one of those forgotten ones — and her crisis management team now make sure there is always someone looking out for the forgotten missing people. But unbeknownst to anyone, this everyday hero is hiding a chilling secret of her own.

‘Young Sheldon’ Will End with Season 7

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 14, 2023

Young Sheldon Season 6 — Lance Barber, Iain Armitage, and Zoe Perry in ‘Young Sheldon’ (Photo Credit: Robert Voets © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

CBS’s popular comedy Young Sheldon will come to an end with the upcoming seventh season. The network announced the new season will be the series’ final, with the show wrapping up on May 16, 2024 with a one-hour finale.

Season seven will premiere on February 15, 2024. New episodes airing on Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT.

Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro created the series and serve as writers and executive producers. Parsons, Steve Holland, Nick Bakay, and Todd Spiewak also executive produce.

“As a prequel to one of the biggest comedies, Young Sheldon proved lightning can strike twice,” stated Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment. “It set itself apart with a remarkable cast that felt like a family from the first moment we saw them on screen and brought characters to life with unique heartfelt stories that drew audiences in from the start. We extend a sincere thank you to executive producers Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, and Steve Holland and the entire writing and producing teams for six wonderful seasons. We look forward to seeing their final season unfold and giving it a proper send-off with the best episodes yet for their fans to enjoy.”

Iain Armitage leads the cast of The Big Bang Theory prequel as a young Sheldon Cooper. The series also stars Zoe Perry, Lance Barber, Annie Potts, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord, and Jim Parsons (as the voice of Sheldon).

“Being able to tell the origin of Sheldon Cooper and expanding the story to include the entire Cooper family has been a wonderful experience,” said executive producers Steve Holland, Steven Molaro, and Chuck Lorre. “We are grateful to our fans for embracing this chapter of the Coopers these past six seasons, and on behalf of the entire Young Sheldon family, we’re excited to share this final season with you.”

The Plot, Courtesy of CBS:

Young Sheldon centers on Sheldon Cooper, a once-in-a-generation mind capable of advanced mathematics and science, which isn’t always helpful in a land where church and football are king. And while the vulnerable, gifted and somewhat naïve Sheldon deals with the world, his very normal family must find a way to deal with him.

For 12 years on The Big Bang Theory, audiences came to know the iconic, eccentric, and extraordinary Sheldon Cooper. This single-camera, half-hour comedy takes viewers through his childhood as he embarks on his innocent, awkward, and hopeful journey toward the man he will become.

‘Migration’ Trailer: Ducks In a Rut Take Flight This Christmas

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 14, 2023

Elizabeth Banks and Kumail Nanjiani lend their voices to Illumination’s latest animated comedy Migration, the story of a duck family who break out of their everyday lives and take off to Jamaica. The new trailer shows the Mallard family setting out on an incredible adventure and encountering a steady stream of wacky problems.

The voice cast also includes Caspar Jennings, Tresi Gazal, Awkwafina, Keegan-Michael Key, David Mitchell, Carol Kane, and Danny DeVito. Emmy winner Mike White (The White Lotus) wrote the screenplay, with Oscar nominee Benjamin Renner (Ernest & Celestine) directing and Guylo Homsy (Head of Layout and Cinematography for Sing and Sing 2) co-directing.

Migration Animated Ducks — A scene from ‘Migration’ (Photo © 2023 Illumination Entertainment and Universal Studios)

Illumination offered this plot description:

“This holiday season, Illumination, creators of the blockbuster Minions, Despicable Me, Sing, and The Secret Life of Pets comedies, invites you to take flight into the thrill of the unknown with a funny, feathered family vacation like no other in the action-packed new original comedy, Migration.

The Mallard family is in a bit of rut. While dad Mack is content to keep his family safe paddling around their New England pond forever, mom Pam is eager to shake things up and show their kids — teen son Dax and duckling daughter Gwen — the whole wide world. After a migrating duck family alights on their pond with thrilling tales of far-flung places, Pam persuades Mack to embark on a family trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica.

As the Mallards make their way South for the winter, their well-laid plans quickly go awry. The experience will inspire them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends, and accomplish more than they ever thought possible while teaching them more about each other — and themselves — than they ever imagined.”

The Characters:

Oscar and Emmy nominee Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, Eternals) plays anxious Mallard dad Mack.
Elizabeth Banks (Cocaine Bear) is Pam, the Mallards’ daring, quick-witted matriarch.
Caspar Jennings plays Dax, the Mallards’ confident and restless son.
Tresi Gazal plays Gwen, the family’s innocent and lovable daughter.
Golden Globe winner Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) voices the scrappy leader of a New York City pigeon gang.
Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Carol Kane (The Princess Bride) plays Erin the heron, the first friend that the Mallards make on their journey.
Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) voices a homesick Jamaican parrot locked away in a Manhattan restaurant.
BAFTA winner David Mitchell (Peep Show) plays the yogic leader of a mysterious duck farm.
Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Danny DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) co-stars as Mack’s curmudgeonly, adventure-averse Uncle Dan.

Migration flies into theaters on December 23, 2023.

Migration Movie Review

Dan Aykroyd Hosts History’s ‘The Unbelievable’ Series

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 14, 2023

The History Channel’s set a December 1, 2023 premiere date for The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd, a one-hour nonfiction series that explores bizarre events in human history. As Aykroyd says in the trailer, “Just below the surface of the world you thought you knew, well that’s where all the good stuff is hiding.”

New episodes air on Fridays at 10pm ET/PT.

Dan Aykroyd hosts and serves as an executive producer on the 10-episode season. John Brimhall guides the series as showrunner. Additional executive producers include Steve Ascher, Matt Pearl, Kristy Sabat, and The History Channel’s Brooke Townsend and Mary E. Donahue.

“This wildly entertaining, smart series digs up a bizarro barrage of the weirdest people, places, objects, and events in human history and delivers stories in a way that only Aykroyd can. From Boston’s Great Molasses Flood of 1919, when a 25-foot tidal wave of syrup demolished an entire neighborhood and the killer dancing plague of 1518 to a surgery with a 300% mortality rate and a falling poodle that killed three people, these seemingly tall tales may seem unbelievable, but they are 100% true.

Across ten episodes, The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd will take viewers on a mind-blowing ride to reveal history’s strangest-but-true stories brought to life through dynamic recreation, compelling graphics, arresting archival, and fun, witty expert commentary,” reads The History Channel’s synopsis. “This series’ cast of experts that dive into the historical record to explain the ‘how’ and ‘why’ include food author and tv personality Adam Richman, Jeopardy! All-Star Austin Rogers, animal expert Jeff Musial, writer and historian Mitch Horowitz, TV host Don Wildman, sportswriter Karitha A. Davidson, Egyptologist and award-winning documentarian Ramy Romany and activist and Professor of History at the University of St. Thomas Dr. Yohuru Williams to name a few.”

Trisha Yearwood and Amy Grant to Host ‘CMA Country Christmas’ 2023

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 14, 2023

Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood will take on hosting duties during this year’s CMA Country Christmas holiday special. The one-hour Country music-driven special will air on ABC on December 14th at 8pm ET/PT.

This year marks the 14th edition of CMA Country Christmas, an annual celebration of the winter holidays that kicked off in 2010. Joining Grant and Yearwood to help put Country music fans in the holiday spirit are Jordan Davis, Lady A, Ashley McBryde, Jon Pardi, Lindsey Stirling, The War And Treaty, Zach Williams, and Lainey Wilson.

The special was shot in Nashville in front of a live audience and promises one-of-a-kind performances of classic holiday hits. Jon Macks wrote and Milton Sneed directed the special, with Robert Deaton serving as an executive producer.

Trisha Yearwood and Amy Smart Return to Host the 2024 Holiday Show

‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Snags a Season 3 Renewal Order

By

Rebecca Murray

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November 14, 2023

FX has officially announced they’ve renewed Welcome to Wrexham just hours prior to the sports docuseries’ season two finale. The six-time Emmy nomination series follows Wrexham AFC’s Red Dragons following the purchase of the team by Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).

“The wild global success of Welcome to Wrexham is a testament to the courage and vision of Rob and Ryan, the dogged spirit of the Red Dragons, and the hope and devotion of the people of Wrexham,” said Nick Grad, President, FX Entertainment. “It’s a story that has only begun to be told and one that everyone can continue to follow along with in the third season. Our thanks to the creative team who captured these thrilling moments and everyone who achieved what seemed impossible only a short time ago.”

Season one premiered in August 2022 followed by season two in September 2023. The just-announced third season is targeting a 2024 premiere.

Series stars and football club owners McElhenney and Reynolds executive produce. Additional executive producers include Josh Drisko, Bryan Rowland, Jeff Luini, Nick Frenkel, George Dewey, and Boardwalk Pictures’ Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, and Jordan Wynn. The series is More Better Productions, Maximum Effort Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Boardwalk Pictures production.

FX offers this description of the documentary series:

In 2020, Rob and Ryan teamed up to purchase the 5th tier Red Dragons in the hopes of turning the club into an underdog story the whole world could root for. The world took notice and change is afoot. After a painful elimination in the playoffs, season two continues to track the club as they fight for promotion out of the National League and return to the English Football League. Dedicated staff and supporters hold on to the dream of returning the team and town to glory while bracing for the new-found challenges that fame has brought to their small community.

From Hollywood to Wales, from the pitch to the locker room, the front office to the pub, Welcome to Wrexham follows Rob and Ryan’s stewardship and the inextricably connected fates of a team and a town in the midst of history in the making.

ShowbizJunkies

Jimmy Kimmel to Host the 2024 Oscars

‘Imaginary’ Drops a Bear-y Creepy Motion Poster

Amazon Names the Top 10 Books of 2023

Amazon Books Editors’ Top 10 Books of 2023

‘NCIS: Sydney’ Episode 2 Photos, Cast, Plot and “Snakes in the Grass” Promo

‘Found’ Episode 8 Preview: Cast, Photos, and “Missing While Homeless” Trailer

‘Young Sheldon’ Will End with Season 7

‘Migration’ Trailer: Ducks In a Rut Take Flight This Christmas

Dan Aykroyd Hosts History’s ‘The Unbelievable’ Series

Trisha Yearwood and Amy Grant to Host ‘CMA Country Christmas’ 2023

‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Snags a Season 3 Renewal Order

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