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The Secret I Kept for Eight Months is Out: Karen Allen Is in the Final Indiana Jones Movie as Marion Ravenswood

Roger Friedman
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The Secret I Kept for Eight Months is Out: Karen Allen Is in the Final Indiana Jones Movie as Marion Ravenswood

Well, I tried to tell you: Karen Allen returns as Marion Ravenwood for one last time in “Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny.”

I ran into Allen last November at the New York premiere of “The Fabelmans.” She lives in Western Massachusetts and rarely comes into New York. But there she was, and we talked about it. She basically said, “If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you.” But that was enough. She indicated she was back, but couldn’t talk about it.

I wrote about it. Were you paying attention?

At the Oscars I told Harrison Ford about this and joked about the secret. “Is she in it? Of course, she’s in it!” he said. I kept the secret anyway.

In Cannes, Allen did not make an appearance on the big opening night or on the red carpet. So I figured, they’re still keeping this secret.

But now it seems she’s giving interviews, there are stories galore, and so on. So I can tell you, she’s back to wrap up the story.

Only it doesn’t quite make sense. After “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Indy got caught up with Kate Capshaw in the 2nd film. Then in the 1989 “Last Crusade,” he flirted with Elsa, played by Alison Doody, who we never saw again on any movie screen.

In 2008, Allen returned in “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” This time she might have been the mother of Mutt Williams, played by Shia LaBeouf. It’s now 1957, so he’s 19. She’s never told Indy they had a kid, Apparently, off screen, Indy and Marion got back together. But then in real life, La Beouf got into lots of trouble so he was written out. SPOILER: When “Dial of Destiny” kicks off, it’s revealed that Mutt has died in Vietnam (pre 1969), which has sent Marion into a tailspin and wrecked her relationship with Indy.

It’s all a stretch, but there’s a happy ending. And the best part is Karen Allen, who was needed to close this circle. Hopefully Marion and Indy go live in a commune, where nice young people take care of them and are regaled with stories of their adventures.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” starts tomorrow in previews, opens on Friday. I had mixed feelings about it in Cannes, but it’s total fun and ties a nice bow on the whole story. We will never able to recapture the excitement of the first three movies, but there’s nothing wrong with this one.

DC Studios Finds a New Superman in David Corenswet and Rachel “Mrs. Maisel” As a Perfect Lois Lane

Roger Friedman
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DC Studios Finds a New Superman in David Corenswet and Rachel “Mrs. Maisel” As a Perfect Lois Lane

James Gunn is kicking up a fuss at DC Comics.

He announced big three way race for a trio of couples who auditioned to be the new Superman and Lois Lane.

Now he’s chosen his couple, and he’s picked one from column A and another for column B. Even though Nicholas Hoult auditioned with Rachel Brosnahan, the former actor didn’t make the cut.

Instead, the Emmy winning Brosnahan has been selected as Lois Lane. And David Corenswet, and up and comer, will play Superman aka Clark Kent.

Gunn played mix and match, which is just fine. Corenswet (whose middle name is Packard, which he would have used in the 1950s) is less known but has worked a lot. Brosnahan, after her heralded run as Midge Maisel on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” is going to steal this movie. How can she not? If any actress is already gifted in fast talk and quipping, it’s Brosnahan.

Soon we’ll find out who will play Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Lex Luthor, and so on. Please God this movie isn’t the same origin story from Krypton cradle to Smallville farm field. At this point we all know the OG sagas of Superman, Batman, Spider Man, etc. How about one where the super hero has parents who weren’t killed and decided to make money off their kid? I’m up for Pa Kent taking bribes from Lex.

Ratings: “The Idol” Stalls at 133,000 Viewers in Surprise Penultimate Episode: The Weeknd Is Almost Over

Roger Friedman
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Ratings: “The Idol” Stalls at 133,000 Viewers in Surprise Penultimate Episode: The Weeknd Is Almost Over

Our long national suffering almost over.

This Sunday, The Weeknd will end as “The Idol” wraps its “season” with its fifth episode.

There were supposed to be six episodes all told but someone realized there’s no plot anyway, nothing has happened, and why continue?

Last Sunday’s episode was the third in a row with basically the same ratings. Just 133,000 people watched on the HBO linear channel. That was the same as last week and 2,000 fewer than the previous week.

“The Idol” will not be returning, and if HBO is smart they’ll wipe it from Max and streaming. Let it sink like the lost city of Atlantis and never be found again. All they need to do is study social media reactions, and the plug will be pulled forever.

TV Industry Shock: Main Publisher of Daily Ratings Shutting Down as Networks Refuse to Share Numbers or Give Transparency

Roger Friedman
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TV Industry Shock: Main Publisher of Daily Ratings Shutting Down as Networks Refuse to Share Numbers or Give Transparency

For the last few years, two guy snamed Mitch — Salem and Metcalfe — have been republishing the TV ratings for broadcast and cable on a daily basis. His work has been invaluable to journalists. His site is called Showbuzzdaily.com

But more and more the networks don’t want these numbers known. Ratings for regular TV and even cable have shrunk tremendously. The networks are depending on streaming, and give no numbers.

Two months ago, TV syndicators stopped publishing their numbers for shows like “Dr, Phil” and “Live with Kelly and whoever” as well as “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune.” With the writers strike, and shows in rerun, the syndicators didn’t want their numbers made public because they are terrible.

Now the Mitch’s have announced his site is closing. The networks won’t give him data. He had this problem a couple of years but negotiated a way out of it. This time, it’s over. Their statement is below.

I have to thank the Mitch’s, who I’ve never met, for the yeoman service. Their work gave a transparency to the business. Without it, journalism will be harder. But we will manage to go on.

Thanks, Mitch’s.

Statement:

Sadly, we have to announce that after this week, we will no longer be able to provide TV ratings to readers, and thus that ShowbuzzDaily will be effectively be ending its operations.  To be clear, unlike other interruptions that we’ve had, this isn’t due to a technical issue that can be fixed.  It’s also not related to revenue (or lack thereof).  Without going into details, we’re simply not going to be in a position to continue providing data.

Although we didn’t plan this, there’s a sense in which our departure coincides with an inflection point in the entire TV industry.  As everyone is aware, the bottom has dropped out of linear viewership, and the ratings have had increasingly less utility.  (Last Thursday’s cable ratings in the 18-49 demo included 25 shows clustered between 0.09-0.12, basically molecules of difference.)  The balance of home viewing, for better or worse, has swung toward streaming, and the proprietors of those companies have chosen to be opaque with their information, providing data that’s incomplete and unverified when it’s available at all.  That very lack of transparency is one of the key issues in the ongoing Writers Guild strike.  Meanwhile, scrutiny of linear numbers is becoming a preoccupation akin to documenting angels on the head of a pin.

Nevertheless, we’ll miss that analysis, and we’ll miss you.  (Well, maybe not the wrestling trolls, but everyone else.)  Your goodwill, enthusiasm and interest have kept this site going, and we hope you maintain your passion for television as an art and a business.

A few final housekeeping points.  The site may stay up for a bit following our official close (we might even post some box office pieces), but eventually it will vanish.  We know that some of you may want to inquire whether we can provide you with copies of data from the site in Excel or other formats, and we’re afraid that isn’t going to be possible.

We’ll still be around for the next few days, and we hope you’ll be too.  It’s been fun, but as all TV fans know, even the best series (with the possible exception of SNL, which appears to be immortal) must eventually come to an end.

Nicolas Coster, Soap Star for Decades and “Actor’s Actor,” Hollywood Mainstay, Dies at Age 89

Roger Friedman
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Nicolas Coster, Soap Star for Decades and “Actor’s Actor,” Hollywood Mainstay, Dies at Age 89

Nicolas Coster has died at age 89. His daughter called him “an actor’s actor” in her announcement, and she is right.

Coster came from a time when New York actors worked all the soap operas, went back and forth from them and made not only a good living, but a deep impression on the viewers. He was so popular that twice he played the same character on two different soaps. On “Another World” and its spin off “Somerset” he played Robert Delaney through most of the 70s. ON “As the World Turns” and its spin off he appeared as two different characters, one in the 1960s and one in the 1990s.

Coster was even better known for appearing on the LA based NBC soap, “Santa Barbara,” for a decade as Lionel Lockridge.

He had movie and TV credits as well. Those included “All the President’s Men” and “Slow Dancing in the Big City.”

A few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Coster at a Hollywood TV event. He was incredibly gracious, and talked about his incredible career, and his long run on soaps when I was in high school. He was an institution. More recently he won a Daytime Emmy in 2017 for a streaming soap.

Coster published a memoir in 2021 you can find here.

Condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

Roseanne Barr Antisemitic Rant: “Nobody died in the Holocaust, that’s the truth. Six million Jews should die right now ’cause they cause all the problems in the world…it never happened”

Roger Friedman
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Roseanne Barr Antisemitic Rant: “Nobody died in the Holocaust, that’s the truth. Six million Jews should die right now ’cause they cause all the problems in the world…it never happened”

Roseanne Barr is a sick woman, a known racist who lost her TV show for that reason.

Now in a podcast she goes on antisemitic rant: “Nobody died in the Holocaust, that’s the truth. Six million Jews should die right now ’cause they cause all the problems in the world.” She adds, twice, “It never happened.”

The entire interview is antisemitic. The interviewer points out that Barr is fully Jewish, but it doesn’t matter. She’s one of the sickest people out there.

So that’s it, she was already out of show business. But now she must be ostracized from civilization. There’s no apology, no excuse. She’s deeply demented and deserves to be a social leper.

These comments begin at 2:00 but the whole interview is grotesque. People will says “off her meds” or something, but there is no excuse for these statements.

PS In another video she called Donald Trump “the first woman president of the United States.”

The Amazing Legacy of Late Record Producer Phil Ramone (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart) Continues with Growing Orchestra for Children

Roger Friedman
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The Amazing Legacy of Late Record Producer Phil Ramone (Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart) Continues with Growing Orchestra for Children

Phil Ramone has been gone ten years, which is a shock to his friends and family. But he lives on with the Phil Ramone’s Orchestra for Children, a project he started in 2011.

Phil, who died in 2013 at age 79, already left an enormous legacy. Besides being of the great guys of the record biz, look at his stats: he won an impressive 14 Grammy Awards from 32 career nominations. He was the producer of three albums that won Album Of The Year: Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), Billy Joel’s 52nd Street (1978) and Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company (2004). Phil also won for Record Of The Year for Joel’s “Just The Way You Are” in 1978 and earned Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical) honors in 1980. He received a Recording Academy Trustees Award in 2001.

OK? His list of credits with superstars just goes on and on. I was lucky to be present when he recorded Aretha Franklin for Tony Bennett’s second Duets album.

On Sunday, a group of Phil’s friends gathered at the Norwalk, Connecticut waterside home of Allison Stockel (former longtime head of the famed Ridgefield, Connecticut Playhouse), who hosted some of the latest kids being trained in the orchestra. Ken Burton is running the group with help from Phil’s brother-in-law, Doug Ichiuji, and Gigi Kulick, who helped organize the afternoon get together.

We got to hear a couple of young people — a 10 year old boy and a 12 year old girl — play respectively the guitar and violin. They were just great.

We got to hear a couple of young people — a 10 year old boy and a 12 year old girl — play respectively the guitar and violin. (The young man pictured played a professional acoustic version of Metallica’s “Enter the Sandman.”) They were just great. The kids range in age from 2nd grade to 12th in high school. A lot of them come from a Harlem school that has helped saved the kids’ lives. We heard from one parent who sent her 10 year old son, who’s on the spectrum, (NOT the boy pictured above) into music lessons. He’s completely taken to the program.

Among the pals who turned up were record producer Rob Fraboni, former Columbia Records A&R guru Dick Wingate (he signed Elvis Costello), plus Kulick who was Phil’s assistant years ago. Also, Jill Brooke of flowerpowerdaily,com and her husband, Gary Goldstein, chairman and CEO of Whitney Partners, were on hand.

Burton is a charismatic leader for the Orchestra, and he spoke eloquently about the last decade of giving kids culture and opportunities. One graduate, an 18 year old young lady now in college, spoke tearfully about how much the orchestra meant to her.

Two more gatherings like this one will be held soon. One in New York, the other in Southampton. Burton and Ichiugi are hoping Phil’s artists will get involved now that they’ve achieved 501c3 status. That would include not Billy Joel and Paul Simon, but Rod Stewart, Julian Lennon, Kenny Loggins, Melissa Errico, Art Garfunkel, Rufus Wainwright, and so on.

You can check out the orchestra on the website. And by all means, donate, donate, donate. There is no better cause, and it’s great way to show our appreciation to Phil Ramone for all the music he gave us.

photos courtesy of Don Kaplan

Broadway: John Legend, Lynn Nottage Team Up for Musical Adaptation of Douglas Sirk 50s Movie with Racial Twist, “Imitation of Life”

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: John Legend, Lynn Nottage Team Up for Musical Adaptation of Douglas Sirk 50s Movie with Racial Twist, “Imitation of Life”

John Legend is coming to Broadway.

He’s written the songs for a musical adaptation of Douglas Sirk’s 50s soap opera, “Imitation of Life.”

The great Lynn Nottage is writing the script from the original book and movie. Liesl Tommy, who directed the not great Aretha Franklin movie, “Respect,” is directing it.

“Imitation of Life” starred Lana Turner, John Gavin, and Sandra Dee. It’s a melodrama about race, among other things. The imdb summary reads: “Aspiring actress Lora Meredith meets Annie Johnson, a homeless Black woman at Coney Island, and soon they share a tiny apartment. Each woman has an intolerable daughter. However, Annie’s little girl Sarah Jane is by far the worst. Neurotic and obnoxious, Sarah Jane doesn’t like being Black; since she’s light-skinned (her father was practically white), she spends the rest of the film trying to pass as white, much to her mother’s heartache and shame. Lora, meanwhile, virtually ignores her own daughter in a single-minded quest for stardom.”

This should be interesting. “Imitation of Life” is in development, so we won’t see it before 2026.

HBO Cutting Its Losses on The Idol? Series Ends This Sunday One Episode Short of Original Order

Roger Friedman
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HBO Cutting Its Losses on The Idol? Series Ends This Sunday One Episode Short of Original Order

UPDATE: HBO says when Levinson took over the show, they changed the order from six to five episodes. He was able to tell the story in a more economic way. It’s the first case I’ve ever heard of a showrunner asking for fewer episodes. They always want one more. Regardless, “The Idol” is so unwelcome, let’s hope this is it. Levinson has to get back to “Euphoria,” a great show.

Earlier: HBO is putting “The Idol” out of its misery a week early.

The Sam Levinson-The Weeknd series was announced as six episodes when the deal was signed. But viewers heard right last night when it was announced that this Sunday would be the end. That’s just five episodes.

Last week’s installment got only 133K viewers on the HBO main channel. We’ll know tomorrow what happened this past Sunday.

“The Idol” was the subject of a lot of infighting during production.  here was a major creative dispute when the show was being filmed. Director Amy Seimetz left after three episodes, probably because she saw the disgusting direction of this barely watchable porn fest. Also, she probably clashed with The Weeknd, who cannot act.

Last night’s episode was again one notch lower than the previous one as far as taste, focusing on sexual torture. Troy Sivan’s character, Xander, was placed in a remote control shock collar by The Weeknd’s maniacal Tedros. He was tied up, then treated to a lascivious sponge bath by Tedros’s assistant, then flipped over on his stomach.

Viewers expressed their dismay on Twitter.

So the end is near. And hopefully that’s it. No more “Idol.” Never to be discussed again.

Mel Brooks, Angela Bassett, “ET” Editor, Sundance Chief to Receive Lifetime Achievement Oscars from the Motion Picture Academy

Roger Friedman
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Mel Brooks, Angela Bassett, “ET” Editor, Sundance Chief to Receive Lifetime Achievement Oscars from the Motion Picture Academy

Mel Brooks and Angela Bassett will receive lifetime achievement Oscars– aka Governor’s Awards — from the Motion Picture Academy.

Film editor Carol Littleton will be honored as well. And Michelle Satter of the Sundance Film Institute, will get the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

These are all great choices. Brooks, who is 96, is a legend who deserves all the accolades in the world. From “The Producers” to “Blazing Saddles” and his dozens of other films, Mel has been a huge influence on everyone. Viva Mel!

Angela Bassett was nominated this year but didn’t win, unaccountably, for “Black Panther.” A star for 30 years, she is also beloved by the fans and industry, has a huge list of top credits, and also appears on TV’s “Rescue 911.”

Littleton’s amazing list of credits includes “ET,” “The Big Chill,” “Places in the Heart,” “Silverado,” “Grand Canyon,” and many more. She made those kids on their bikes fly!

Satter is the founding senior director of the Sundance Institute’s Artist Programs, focused on the cultural impact of supporting independent storytellers. In her more than 40 years in this role at the nonprofit, she has discovered and fostered the careers of hundreds of notable and award-winning filmmakers, many from underrepresented communities. She has also led the Sundance Institute’s international initiatives in Asia, Europe, India, Latin America and the Middle East. She founded and oversees the vision and content of Sundance Collab, a global digital storytelling community and learning platform.

“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to honor four trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans,” said Academy President Janet Yang. “Across her decades-long career, Angela Bassett has continued to deliver transcendent performances that set new standards in acting. Mel Brooks lights up our hearts with his humor, and his legacy has made a lasting impact on every facet of entertainment. Carol Littleton’s career in film editing serves as a model for those who come after her. A pillar of the independent film community, Michelle Satter has played a vital role in the careers of countless filmmakers around the world.”

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