October 26, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Genius Brands(LOS ANGELES) — Shaquille O’Neal is switching into cartoon mode. 

The famed basketball player has partnered with Genius Brands to co-create, co-produce and star in an upcoming animated children’s show called Shaq’s Garage.  It chronicles the adventures of a group of cartoon automobiles, all with their own unique capabilities. In addition to his sports career, O’Neal is also an avid collector of luxurious autos. 

Shaq will voice the show’s main character, Big Diesel, as the vehicles go on various adventures while communicating through a secret language known as “Shaqanese.”

Shaq’s Garage will also share messages of inclusivity, exemplified by one of the cars which is missing a wheel, yet is as fast and intelligent as its counterparts. 

“We plan to showcase the most amazing, tricked-out assortment of vehicles that can only be found in my garage,” O’Neal says in a statement. “They will all have larger-than-life personalities, larger-than-life missions and of course, larger-than-life sound systems! This will be a kid’s show which will highlight inclusivity for all.”

Shaq’s Garage is set to premiere early next year on Genius Brand’s free, positivity-focused Kartoon Channel. 

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 26, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Diyah Pera/Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — Netflix is ringing in the new year by marking the end of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The final season of the show hits the streaming platform on December 31.

Coinciding with the announcement of the series end, Netflix released a teaser of the final chapter that finds half-human, half-witch Sabrina Spellman and the town of Greendale up against the Eldritch Terrors — sinister beings that threaten humanity and which Sabrina and the town must work together to defeat. 

“My name is Sabrina Spellman and I will not sign it away,” she proclaims defiantly in the announcement clip that’s filled with supernatural happenings, killer cheerleaders and spooky rituals. 

The story unfolds over the course eight one-hour episodes.

The adaption of Sabrina the Teenage Witch premiered in 2018 and stars Kiernan Shipka in the title role. Netflix announced in July that it was cancelling the series after two seasons. 

The Netflix adaptation is actually the sixth Sabrina TV series, the first of which was a 1970s animated comedy, and best-known of which is the 1996 live-action version that starred Melissa Joan Hart and aired for seven seasons, through 2003.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 26, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Will Heath/NBC (NEW YORK) — John Mulaney is stepping back into hosting duties on Saturday Night Live. 

Entertainment Weekly reports that the former writer on the show will host the upcoming Halloween episode, with rock veterans The Strokes as the musical guest.

This is Mulaney’s fourth time hosting the show and his second time this year — he also hosted February 29, the second-to-last show filmed in-studio before production shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and SNL went remote for the reminder of its 45th season.  The iconic show returned to Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center with its season 46 premiere on October 3.

Mulaney was a writer on SNL from 2008-2012 and helped create Bill Hader’s fan-favorite Stefon character. He, Seth Meyers and Justin Timberlake won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics in 2011 for Timberlake’s monologue.

By Cillea Houghton 
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 26, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Monica Schipper/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — After the heartbreaking loss of their French bulldog Pepper, who lost her battle to cancer last Monday, Reese Witherspoon’s daughter delighted fans by showing off the family’s newest four-legged family member.

Ava Phillippe, who is 21, announced she recently rescued a mixed breed named Benji.  As it turns out, his “gotcha” day coincided with Pepper’s unexpected death.

“What a wild & bittersweet week. The day we lost Pepper just so happened to be the day I brought this sweet boy home with me,” Philippe shared on Sunday, alongside a series of photos of her adorable new fur baby. “This is Benji! He’s from the @bestfriendsanimalsociety sanctuary in Southern Utah and is a dream of a rescue dog.”

As it turns out, Benji has been crucial in helping the family heal from losing Pepper so suddenly.

“He loves to cuddle and meet new friends (human & canine) and has quickly adjusted to life in his new home environment,” detailed Philippe. “He is the happiest, smartest boy, and I’m so grateful to be his person.”

The 21-year-old also shouted out the shelter that connected her with Benji, endorsing, “I want to give many thanks to Best Friends Animal Society for all the work they do to save the lives of animals big and small and for helping me and Benji find each other.”  

“Even though we just entered each other’s lives, I feel like I’ve known Benji forever,” Philippe sweetly continued. “I’m super excited for many adventures with this guy by my side!”

Phillippe honored Pepper on Tuesday, telling fans she had been battling an “aggressive cancer” for months and was showing signs of improvement before her health took a turn for the worse.  

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 26, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Nic Antaya for The Boston Globe via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Felicity Huffman has cleared the last hurdle of her punishment stemming from being found guilty of cheating the college admissions process last year.

People reports that the Desperate Housewives alum wrapped up her supervised release on Sunday, fulfilling the last stipulation of her sentence after pleading guilty of arranging for her daughter’s SAT score to be manipulated.

Prior to entering the final phase of her punishment, which was a year of supervised release, Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison, was ordered to pay a a $30,000 fine and serve 250 hours of community service.

Huffman fulfilled her two week prison sentence in October 2019.

The Academy Award nominated actress is expected to have her passport returned to her in the coming days after relinquishing it to the probation department at the start of her sentence.

Huffman, 57, and more than 30 other wealthy parents were caught in the largest college cheating scam ever prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice, which was dubbed Operation Varsity Blues.

Huffman was accused of making payments to William “Rick” Singer, a college-entrance tutor guru whom prosecutors identified as the ringleader of the nationwide scam, to help her daughter Sophia cheat on the SAT.

The 57-year-old actress pleaded guilty and admitted that she paid Singer $15,000 to falsify her daughter’s score by arranging for a college entrance exam proctor to correct the answers.  The payment also arranged for Sophia to have more time to take the test.

With Huffman finishing her sentence, another high profile name involved in the scandal is due to report to prison on November 19 — Lori Loughlin.  The Full House alum has been sentenced to serve a two month jail sentence, pay a $150,000 fine and complete 150 hours of community service.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.