First of all, a shout out to Peanuts and Charles Schulz. Because of Schroeder, Beethoven’s birthday is set in stone, a national holiday.
In honor of the movie, “Maestro,” here is Leonard Bernstein conducting Beethoven’s 7th symphony:
“Saturday Night Live” Ratings Booming Under New Formula, Scored Big with Oscar Winner Emma Stone, Singer Noah Kahan
“SNL” is booming in the ratings under the show’s new formula.
Instead of giving the numbers from just NBC on Tuesday, “SNL” is waiting a week to include delayed viewing, Peacock, and videos on You Tube.
With that in mind, the December 2nd episode with Emma Stone and Noah Kahan was seen by 6.4 million viewers. The linear number is probably around 4.5 million, but that’s speculation.
Tonight “SNL” finishes the fall season with the mighty Kate McKinnon hosting and Billie Eilish as musical guest. The numbers for this one should be huge.
“SNL” is currently ranking as NBC’s top-rated entertainment series in the 18-49 demo and 6% above last season. That’s great news, but asterisk, that’s because the strikes kept “Chicago” PD Fire and whatever off the air.
Daytime Emmy Awards Wins: Kelly Clarkson, “General Hospital,” “Entertainment Tonight” (Full List)
The Daytime Emmy Awards were given out tonight on CBS. They were supposed to happen back in June, but strikes did them in.
“General Hospital” won best drama. Kelly Clarkson won Best Talk show and host. She didn’t make the trip to L.A. to pick up her statue.
Best Actor was Thorsten Kaye from “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and Jacqueline McInnes Wood won Best Actress from the same show. Best Supporting Actor is Robert Gossett (brother of Oscar winner Lou Gossett, Jr) for “General Hospital.” The same show got the nod for the late Sonya Eddy as Best Supporting Actress. “General Hospital” also took home Best Directing, but “The Young and the Restless” was the Best Writing for a Drama.
Susan Lucci received a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The real winner of the night was Jennifer Warnes, sang like a gangsta during the In Memoriam. Why isn’t she a bigger star? What a voice!
Here’s the full list:
Best Drama
General Hospital, ABC
Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress
Jacqueline MacInnes Wood as Steffy Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
Lead Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor
Thorsten Kaye as Ridge Forrester, The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)
Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress
Sonya Eddy as Epiphany Johnson, General Hospital (ABC)
Supporting Performance In a Daytime Drama Series: Actor
Robert Gossett as Marshall Ashford, General Hospital (ABC)
Daytime Talk Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated)
Entertainment News Series
Entertainment Tonight
Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
The Young and the Restless (CBS)
Younger Performer in a Daytime Drama Series
Eden McCoy as Josslyn Jacks, General Hospital (ABC)
Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
General Hospital (ABC)
Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Alley Mills as Heather Webber, General Hospital (ABC)
Daytime Talk Series Host
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show (Syndicated)
Sony Bounces Mayim Bialik from “Jeopardy,” Soap Actress Krista Allen from “Bold and the Beautiful”
Different parts of Sony TV are busy cleaning house before the new year.
Mayim Bialik says on social media that Sony has dumped her from syndicated “Jeopardy.”
The “Big Bang Theory” actress was very smart, really knew her stuff, and was very personable. But hardcore “Jeopardy” fans were never accepting of a female host. Ken Jennings now continues as lord of the board.
Also, Sony: actress Krista Allen was a fan favorite on CBS’s “The Bold and the Beautiful” in her two years there. (Sony distributes the show and is involved in the production.) She was even nominated for a Daytime Emmy, which she could get this very evening. She was that good. Now, after being off the show for some time, she says she’s been let go. I don’t know how these soap actors can take the tension of never knowing when you’ll be fired or re-hired. It’s a bizarre game that offers no consistency unless you’re a gold dipped star like Deidre Hall. Otherwise, when your character starts coughing, you get the want ads.
RIP Norby Walters, Hollywood Character Who Invented Night of 100 Stars, Ran Famous A List Poker Game
I am very sorry to report the death of Norby Walters, a youthful 91 years old.
Norby’s death was reported on Facebook by his son, movie producer Gary Michael Walters.
Norby was a real Hollywood guy. He invented the Night of 100 Stars, an annual charity fundraiser held on Oscar during the broadcast, at the Beverly Hills Hotel. It was basically a huge party for former stars, past favorites, lots of TV people. You would run into Bo Derek, Lassie, Flipper, the stars of “Dallas,” that sort of thing. They came in droves and had to be out when the Oscars ended so a studio — usually Miramax — would take over to celebrate their wins.
Norby also ran a famous poker game for gambling celebs at his apartment in the Empire West in West Hollywood. Lots of real A list stars went there, and it was serious money.
I really adored Norby and looked forward to seeing him on my trips west. He had a big heart and remained optimistic as Hollywood changed around him He deserves a star on the Walk of Fame more than most. I hope that poker game in the sky is going great. Peace, Norby. Condolences to Gary.
Here’s a link to more of his colorful career:
https://littlesis.org/person/222909-Norby_Walters/data
Comedian Jeffrey Ross just posted on Instagram: “Well my old poker pal Norby Walters finally folded. Me, @sarahkatesilverman and @jeffgarlin were the young comics who got invited to play poker with Norby’s pals like Harvey Corman, Jerry Vale, Charles Durning, Sid Caesar and so many other legends. Buddy Hackett took me over there for the first time. Lots of great stories and free Chinese food. Norby was in the music biz and is mentioned in a lot of early rap songs. His Oscar parties were epic. Norby kept all the stars humble by repeating his mantra, “Never too big”!”
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Number 1 With a Bullet: Nicki Minaj’s New Album Huge Debut, Taylor Swift Keeps 7 Titles in the Top 50
Nicki Minaj roars back onto the pop charts tonight. Her “Pink Friday 2” debuts at number 1– without Kanye West bothering her.
“Pink Friday 2” sold a very healthy 222,665 copies including 87,247 paid downloads, CDs, and vinyl. The bulk of the sales was from streaming equivalent.
Still, Taylor Swift has 7 titles in the top 50, three of which are in top 10. So Taylor sold the most albums altogether of any artist.
The rest of the album chart is largely Christmas albums with evergreens from Nat King Cole, Phil Spector’s Christmas album, Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Brenda Lee plus, of course, Cher, and Mariah Carey. Most of the Christmas album sales are from streaming, with very little physical product being taken home.
Noah Kahan, fresh off “SNL,” sold around 42K of his album, “Stick Season,” which isn’t bad, Typically, “SNL” does not sell records anymore. Olivia Rodrigo, who was on “SNL” just last week, lodged just 23,611 of her “Sour” album sold. She was not a hit from the TV show. Her material was very disappointing.
Nicki Minaj, meanwhile, gets points for turning down Kanye West’s claim to have a duet they made three years ago placed on his new album. She seems to be a lot brighter than the singers who did the album including Charlie Wilson (terrible decision) and, unsurprisingly, Chris Brown.
Matthew Perry Autopsy: M. E. Says “Acute Effects of Ketamine” Cause of Accidental Death, Along with Heart Disease, Drowning, and Other Drug
Here’s the medical examiner’s statement on Matthew Perry:
“The County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner (DME) determined the cause of death for 54-year-old actor Matthew Langford Perry as the acute effects of ketamine. Contributing factors in Mr. Perry’s death include drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine (used to treat opioid use disorder). The manner of death is accident.”
Perry, a star of “Friends,” died October 28th in Los Angeles. His assistant found him unresponsive in his hot tub.
Perry had suffered for years from substance abuse, alcoholism, and depression. He published a memoir detailing his issues, and was working hard to be sober and help others. It’s a tragic end for such a talented, smart guy.
The report says that Perry had been on Ketamine drip for depression, but that the amount they found suggested he might have been taking it on his own.
“At the high levels of ketamine found in his postmortem blood specimens, the main lethal effects would be from both cardiovascular overstimulation and respiratory depression,” the autopsy report said. The amount of Ketmaine in Perry’s system was a level of 3,271 nanograms per milliliter. During monitored general anesthesia, levels range between 1,000 and 6,000 nanograms per milliliter, officials said.
Cher Slams Rock Hall: “I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars — they can go do you know what to themselves”
“They can go you know what themselves,” Cher tells Kelly Clarkson today on her show.
That’s what Cher says about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “I wouldn’t be in it now if they gave me a million dollars.”
She’s right. She’s one of at least three dozen acts that should have been inducted years ago. Cher has been a star for almost 60 years, with dozens of hits, sold out tours, and a massive following.
Rock and roll? She sang on Phil Spector’s records before she and Sonny Bono had their own hits. I know John Sykes can fix this. Jann Wenner created this problem.
(Watch) Rolling Stones from NYC Club Date, Plus Listen to The Whole Show, Now Streaming, With Lady Gaga
The Rolling Stones performed a live show at NY venue Racket (formerly the Highline Ballroom) back in October. It was stunning.
Now you see a video from the “Hackney Diamonds” show on YouTube. Also, the Stones have dropped a download and stream of the show, which you can hear on Spotify. The show mixed old hits with the great cuts from the new album.
This song is “Whole Wide World,” my personal favorite from “Hackney Diamonds.”
Box Office: Warner’s Wonky “Wonka” Previews a Worrisome $3.5 Million on Thursday Night
The jury is out on “Wonka.”
Last night, the Timothee Chalamet starrer took in $3.5 million in previews. That’s a little wonky, but the holiday weeks may boost it up into something more than a cash grab remake.
What’s the story with “Wonka”? Chalamet is very charismatic in the Gene Wilder role, but why make this movie at all? We’ve already had Johnny Depp remake the original, and that wasn’t necessary either. For Chalamet, between “Dune” movies, at least he’s not eating people like he was last year in the dreadful “Bones and All.”
This prequel sags. I didn’t care much for the songs. The plot is similar to the other films. The outstanding part is the production. I also liked the first sequence, in which everyone flies around holding a chocolate egg. Call it Chocolate Quidditch.
“Wonka” opens the widest it can in over 4,000 theaters. It will play through New Year’s to decent crowds, I’m sure, mainly because it’s family friendly. “Wonka” and “The Boys in the Boat” are two of the films you can take your kids and your parents to without embarrassment.