A wedding, relationship issues, and a life-threatening emergency are in store on ABC’s Station 19 season four episode 16. The season finale – “Forever and Ever, Amen” – will air on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 8pm ET/PT.
The season four cast includes Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Ben Warren, Boris Kodjoe as Captain Robert Sullivan, and Grey Damon as Jack Gibson. Barrett Doss plays Victoria Hughes, Jay Hayden is Travis Montgomery, Okieriete Onaodowan is Dean Miller, Danielle Savre is Maya Bishop, and Stefania Spampinato stars as Carina DeLuca.
Season finale guest stars include Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey, Rick Worthy as Anthony Hughes, and Svetlana Efremova as Lenya Hughes.
“Forever and Ever, Amen” Plot: Maya addresses some unresolved family issues, and the crew takes matters into their own hands when faced with a life-or-death moment on scene. Meanwhile, Andy and Sullivan’s marriage is put to the test.
A scene from the ‘Station 19’ season 4 finale (ABC/Ron Batzdorff)Season 4 of ‘Station 19’ concludes with episode 16 airing June 3, 2021 (ABC/Ron Batzdorff)Jason George and Barrett Doss in season 4 episode 16 (ABC/Ron Batzdorff)Carlos Miranda in season 4 episode 16, the season finale (ABC/Ron Batzdorff)
Amazon just released the official two minute trailer for the documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life which will premiere on June 25, 2021. The trailer reveals the Amazon Studios original documentary focusing on the life and career of Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige will delve into previously unexplored areas, along with featuring Blige’s music.
Oscar winner Vanessa Roth (Freeheld – Best Documentary, Short Subjects) directed and Ashaunna K. Ayars and Q. Nicole Jackson served as producers. Blige, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tara Long, Mark Ford, Kevin Lopez, Jeffrey Harleston, and Jody Gerson executive produced.
Mary J. Blige’s My Life Synopsis, Courtesy of Amazon:
Nine-time Grammy-winning recording artist and Academy Award-nominated singer and actress Mary J. Blige set the music world on fire with her trailblazing 1994 LP My Life, a collection of powerful confessionals about her battles with abuse, depression and addiction that forged a profound and enduring connection with millions of fans around the globe.
In Oscar-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth’s documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life, the singer, producer and actress reveals the demons and blessings that inspired the record and propelled her from the soul-crushing world of New York’s housing projects to international stardom. In the process, she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her most influential work by performing the album live for the first time.
Netflix has set a July 9, 2021 premiere date for the fourth and final season of the critically acclaimed series, Atypical. Season four will finish up Sam’s story over the course of 10 half-hour episodes.
The family comedy stars Keir Gilchrist as Sam Gardner. Jennifer Jason Leigh returns as Sam’s mom, Elsa, and Michael Rapaport reprises his role as Sam’s father, Doug. Brigette Lundy-Paine rounds out the family as Sam’s sister, Casey. The cast also includes Amy Okuda, Jenna Boyd, Graham Rogers, Fivel Stewart, Nik Dodani, Tal Anderson, Domonique Brown, Naomi Rubin, and Kimia Behpoornia. Sara Gilbert returns to guest star in the final season.
Atypical was created by showrunner Robia Rashid. Rashid also serves as an executive producer along with Mary Rohlich and Seth Gordon.
In support of the final season’s premiere date announcement, Netflix has released a batch of new photos from the upcoming fourth season.
The Season 4 Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Atypical tells the story of Sam Gardner (Gilchrist), a young man on the autism spectrum looking for love and independence. In the fourth and final season, each character faces a challenge they never anticipated and Sam sets his sights on a nearly impossible goal.
NBC’s The Good Doctor season four comes to a close with episode 20, an episode that finds the doctors still in Guatemala helping out a community in need. Directed by Mike Listo from a script by Peter Blake and David Shore, episode 20 – “Vamos” – will air on Monday, June 7, 2021 at 10pm ET/PT.
The cast of season four includes Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews, and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman. Christina Chang plays Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann is Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee is Dr. Alex Park, and Paige Spara stars as Lea Dilallo.
The season finale guest stars include Osvaldo Benavides as Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma, Allegra Fulton as Dr. Karla Saravia, and Esmeralda Pimentel as Nurse Ana Morales. Guest stars also include Andres Soto, Arlina Rodriguez, and Juana Lerma Juarez.
“Vamos” Plot: Dr. Shaun Murphy must perform a risky surgery on a patient without electricity when the power suddenly goes out at the hospital in Guatemala. Additionally, Dr. Lim and Dr. Mateo Rendón Osma’s relationship deepens as they overcome difficulties during their surgery.
Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, continues to use his extraordinary medical gifts at St. Bonaventure Hospital’s surgical unit. As his friendships deepen, Shaun tackles the world of dating for the first time and continues to work harder than he ever has before, navigating his environment to prove to his colleagues that his talents as a surgeon will save lives.
Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore in ‘The Good Doctor’ season 4 episode 20 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Freddie Highmore and Bianca Caroca in the season 4 finale (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Paige Spara and Freddie Highmore in season 4 episode 20 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Esmeralda Pimental and Hill Harper in season 4 episode 20 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Osvaldo Benavides and Christina Chang in season 4 episode 20 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Will Yun Lee in the season 4 finale (ABC/Jeff Weddell)
Red swears he’s ready to tell Liz the truth in the teaser trailer for NBC’s The Blacklist season eight episode 20. “Godwin Page” will air on Friday, June 4, 2021.
The cast of The Blacklist is led by James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington and Megan Boone as Elizabeth Keen. Diego Klattenhoff plays Donald Ressler, Amir Arison is Aram Mojtabai, Hisham Tawfiq is Dembe Zuma, and Harry Lennix stars as Harold Cooper.
“Godwin Page (#141) Plot: Liz, Red, and Dembe are forced to work together to survive an attack from Townsend. Cooper and the Task Force attempt to de-escalate the increasing danger to all.
Season 8 Description, Courtesy of NBC:
With his back against the wall, Raymond Reddington (Spader) faces his most formidable enemy yet: Elizabeth Keen (Boone). Aligned with her mother, infamous Russian spy Katarina Rostova, Liz must decide how far she is willing to go to find out why Reddington has entered her life and what his endgame really is. The fallout between Reddington and Keen will have devastating consequences for all that lie in their wake, including the Task Force they helped to create.
Megan Boone as Liz Keen and Harry Lennix as Harold Cooper in ‘The Blacklist’ season 8 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)James Spader as Raymond “Red” Reddington in season 8 episode 20 (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)Amir Arison as Aram Mojtabai in season 8 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)Megan Boone as Liz Keen in season 8 episode 20 (Photo by: Will Hart/NBC)Megan Boone as Liz Keen in season 8 episode 20 (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)Reg Rogers as Neville Townsend in season 8 episode 20 (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)
Doja Cat performs onstage at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards broadcast live on FOX on May 27, 2021 (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
The Weeknd was named Male Artist of the Year and “Blinding Lights” earned the Song of the Year award at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Roddy Ricch cleaned up in the hip-hop categories, with Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, and New Hip-Hop Artist wins. Dua Lipa scored a win in the Female Artist of the Year category and Dan + Shay took home the award for Duo/Group of the Year.
This year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards were held on May 27, 2021 and aired on Fox, with Usher guiding the show as host. Usher also performed during the packed broadcast which opened with The Weeknd and special guest Ariana Grande singing “Save Your Tears.” The performance marked the first time the artists have performed the song together for an audience.
Demi Lovato, Brandi Carlile and H.E.R. helped honor Sir Elton John with a medley of some of his top hits, and Lil Nas X joined Chris Martin to present the legendary singer/songwriter with the 2021 iHeartRadio Icon Award.
iHeartRadio Music Awards 2021 Winners:
Song of the Year:
• “Blinding Lights” – The Weeknd
In the Heights is the summer movie we all need, especially at this time when we’re coming off such a rotten year. The film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning 2008 Broadway musical is a joyous, life-affirming celebration. The uplifting musical’s a cinematic treat for the eyes, ears, and soul.
Hamilton’sAnthony Ramos leads the stellar cast playing Usnavi, the owner of a small corner store who loves his neighborhood but dreams of returning to the Dominican Republic. Usnavi’s our reliable narrator throughout the production, providing key details on the many extraordinary characters in his orbit. It’s through Usnavi’s narration that we learn small family businesses are losing their hold on Washington Heights as the neighborhood’s gentrified.
Usnavi’s got a huge crush on the fiery Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) who has her own dreams of leaving Washington Heights and becoming a fashion designer. His best friend, Benny (Corey Hawkins), has a head for business and a heart that belongs to the smartest girl in the neighborhood, Nina (Leslie Grace). Nina’s just returned from a semester at Stanford, uncertain as to what her future holds. She’s discovered college isn’t what she expected and doesn’t feel as though she fits in. Stanford isn’t home; she can’t relax and breathe there.
Nina’s dad (Jimmy Smits) runs the local taxi dispatch and struggles to pay her college tuition, yet he’s determined his straight-A daughter will have a better life than he’s had – no matter what it takes to make it so. Giving up on a college education would be a huge disappointment to her dad as well as her friends in the neighborhood who believe she’s meant for bigger things. She’s the girl who used her intelligence and perseverance to escape. Quitting college would be akin to admitting defeat.
Usnavi’s teenage cousin, Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV), is both his right-hand man and comic sidekick. Sonny works at Usnavi’s convenience store and fancies himself a ladies man. He’s got the moves but needs a few more years under his belt to really slide into a groove.
Watching over everyone is Abuela Claudia (Olga Merediz), Washington Heights’ beloved matriarch.
Everyone’s accepted and encouraged to dream big in the Heights. The neighborhood’s filled with passionate people determined to make their mark in the world, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rap and salsa soundtrack tells their unique stories via vibrant, energetic numbers.
Director Jon M. Chu (Step Up 2 and 3, Crazy Rich Asians) understands how to fill a frame during the larger dance numbers and is equally adept at allowing the quieter, intensely personal songs to flow without unnecessarily contrived setups. Each musical number feels organic and beautiful, with the more anthemic numbers delivered as show-stopping spectacles. “96,000” gets the Busby Berkeley treatment while the emotionally moving “When The Sun Goes Down” with Nina and Benny features stunning choreography and cinematography using a changing perspective on the side of a building.
The charismatic Ramos leads an incredible cast in this film adaptation of the critically acclaimed musical. Every role is perfectly cast and every number hits all the right emotional notes. Chu’s assembled a cornucopia of talented supporting players, including Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, and Daphne Rubin-Vega who shine as part of the amazing ensemble. Miranda puts in a couple of appearances as Piragua Guy, a shaved ice salesman who knows the ins and outs of the neighborhood. There’s even room for scene-stealing cameos by Marc Anthony and Hamilton’s Christopher Jackson in this jubilant musical that focuses on a tight-knit culturally diverse neighborhood.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ In the Heights is, thankfully, no Cats. Writer of the original musical’s book and the film’s screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes has created a Washington Heights that’s a beautiful microcosm of diversity filled with authentic characters living relatable lives. And director Chu and company have crafted a film that’s a pure joy to watch. In the Heights is a blast and, best of all, leaves you feeling optimistic.
GRADE: A
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for suggestive references and some language
Running Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
Release Date: June 10, 2021 (moved up from June 11th)
Kristen Bell’s back providing the narration as the voice of Gossip Girl in the just-released teaser trailer for HBO Max’s updated version of the popular series. HBO Max also nine character posters featuring the key players in the new series.
The posters reveal characters portrayed by Jordan Alexander, Eli Brown, Thomas Doherty, Tavi Gevinson, and Emily Alyn Lind. Evan Mock, Zion Moreno, Whitney Peak, and Savannah Lee Smith are also included on the character posters.
HBO Max has set a Thursday, July 8, 2021 premiere date.
Joshua Safran and Stephanie Savage developed the original series based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s bestselling novels. Safran also developed this new version and serves as showrunner. In addition, Safran executive produces along with Fake Empire’s Savage and Josh Schwartz. Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Gina Girolamo are on board as executive producers.
Karena Evans directed the pilot and episode two.
The original series starred Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick, Kelly Rutherford, and Matthew Settle.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO Max:
This extension of the pop culture classic takes us back to the Upper East Side finding a new generation of New York private school teens being introduced to social surveillance nine years after the original blogger’s website went dark.
Gossip Girl explores just how much social media — and the landscape of New York itself — has changed in the intervening years.
First time feature film director Jimmy Giannopoulos describes his crime drama, The Birthday Cake, as “the sequel to all your favorite mob movies.” The trailer, which has a real old-school vibe, introduces a colorful collection of dubious characters who are all somehow connected to a man who died a decade ago.
“As we were developing the story, we kept asking ourselves: What happened to all of those New York mob guys from the movies we loved as kids? Where are they now? The world has changed, but wherever there’s crime, vices, and sin… there’s always organized crime,” explains writer/director Giannopoulos.
The cast includes Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead), Ewan McGregor (Fargo), Val Kilmer (The Doors), Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos), Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars), and Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami). Penn Badgley (You), Emory Cohen (The Place Beyond the Pines), Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos), and Jeremy Allen White (Shameless) also star.
Shiloh Fernandez and Diomedes Raul Bermudez co-wrote the screenplay. Fernandez, Bermudez, Siena Oberman, Danny Sawaf, and Carlos Cusco served as producers.
Screen Media’s releasing The Birthday Cake in theaters and On Demand on June 18, 2021.
Ewan McGregor and Shiloh Fernandez in ‘The Birthday Cake’ (Photo Courtesy of Screen Media)
The Plot:
On the 10th anniversary of his father’s mysterious death, Gio (Fernandez) brings a birthday cake prepared by his mother (Bracco) to a memorial celebration hosted by his uncle Angelo (Kilmer), a Brooklyn mafia boss. Gio’s life begins to change as he pieces together what really happened to his father all those years ago, coming face to face with a kind of violence he has been trying to avoid his whole life.
Max continues to fight for his daughter on NBC’s New Amsterdam season three episode 13. “Fight Time” will air on Friday, June 1, 2021.
Ryan Eggold leads the cast as Dr. Max Goodwin. Janet Montgomery plays Dr. Lauren Bloom, Jocko Sims is Dr. Floyd Reynolds, Freema Agyeman is Dr. Helen Sharpe, Tyler Labine is Dr. Iggy Frome, Anupam Kher is Dr. Vijay Kapoor, and Daniel Dae Kim plays Dr. Cassian Shin.
“Fight Time” Plot: Sharpe offers help to a reluctant Mina. Max is faced with a tough decision about Luna. Bloom and Casey treat a patient who has been hiding a lifelong secret. Iggy finds himself in a very dangerous predicament. Reynolds treats a young heart transplant patient with astonishing symptoms.
When Dr. Max Goodwin took over New Amsterdam, he asked a simple, revolutionary question: “How can I help?” In season three, Max and his team face the daunting task of sustaining that optimism while dealing with a pandemic that exposed the gaping inequities in our health care. Max is no longer content to fix a broken system. He’s determined to tear it down and build something better.
Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in ‘New Amsterdam’ season 3 episode 13 (Photo by: Barbara Nitke/NBC)Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom in season 3 episode 13 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe in season 3 episode 13 (Photo by: Barbara Nitke/NBC)Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in season 3 episode 13 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin in the “Fight Time” episode (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)Eddie K. Robinson as Reed Lansby in season 3 episode 13 (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
