September 21, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Frank Ockenfels(LOS ANGELES) — In the ongoing tit-for-tat between late night host John Oliver and the city of Danbury, Connecticut — the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver star couldn’t help but shout out the city he loves to hate while celebrating his fifth Emmy win.

Oliver took home the Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series.

During his backstage interview, Oliver was asked about whether or not he’d dedicate his Emmy win to the city of Danbury and remarked, “As nice as [this Emmy] is, and it is very very nice, my dream this year is having a sewage plant named after me.”

The city threatened to name its sewage facility after the late night host following Oliver’s August 16 show when he suddenly went off the rails and began shouting obscenities at Danbury, CT when discussing potential rigging in the national jury system and how prejudice affects jury summoning.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton [BOW-ton] on August 22 unveiled plans on Facebook to rename the treatment facility the “John Oliver Memorial Sewage Plant” — because “it’s full of cr** just like you, John.”

Oliver remarked on Sunday that he’s glad to be “so close” to seeing his dream become a reality.

The 43-year-old was also pressed about whether or not he believes the Emmys will embrace the all-virtual platform going forward due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“If the pandemic continues, yes, this has to be the way ahead cause it’s not safe to do it any other way,” he answered before wondering aloud if people enjoy the socially distanced format. “It’s a little confusing why the Emmys are happening this year.”

Still, Oliver knows the Emmys were in the best possible hands, praising, “Jimmy Kimmel is the best — the best possible host” adding “he’s doing a fantastic job!”

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

September 21, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Doug Inglish/ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.(LOS ANGELES) — As she promised, Ellen DeGeneres took time during the season 18 premiere of her talk show Monday to address the allegations of toxic workplace culture and her own allegedly unkind behavior that have dogged her all summer.

“As you may have heard, this summer there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show, and then there was an investigation. I learned that things happened here that never should have happened,” she told the virtual audience.

“I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people who were affected. I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power, and I realize that with that comes responsibility and I take responsibility for what happens at my show. This is The Ellen DeGeneres Show: I am Ellen DeGeneres.”

She added that over the last few weeks, she’s had many conversations with staff to make the “necessary changes” to begin a “new chapter.”

DeGeneres also addressed claims that she is not the “kind” person she appears to be on TV.

“The truth is, I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things,” she explained. “Sometimes I get sad, I get mad, I get anxious, I get frustrated, I get impatient, and I am working on all of that. I am a work in progress.”

DeGeneres added that, with everything going on the world, her hope is that her show can still bring happiness and joy to people.

“I still want to be the one hour a day where people can go to escape and laugh,” she said, promising, “I’m committed to making this the best season that we have ever had.”

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 21, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Disney+(LOS ANGELES) — The first trailer for the Disney+ series WandaVision debuted during the Emmys broadcast Sunday night.

The show stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles as Wanda Maximoff and Vision from Marvel’s Avengers series.

The trailer begins with Wanda and Vision living in a black-and-white ‘50s sitcom-type world and subsequently follows them as they jump through different realities and time periods. The official description for the show describes Wanda and Vision as “two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives,” who “begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.”

WandaVision marks the first series from Marvel Studios streaming exclusively on Disney+. No word on a release date.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 21, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Kevin Winter/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — It was The Rock vs. The Gate, and The Rock won.

Dwayne Johnson ripped his front gate off with his bare hands on Friday after a power outage kept it from opening and almost made him late for work. He shared the feat of strength on his Instagram page, along with a photo of the dismantled gate.

“Not my finest hour, but a man’s gotta go to work,” the 48-year-old wrote. “We experienced a power outage due to severe storms, causing my front gate not to open. I tried to override the hydraulic system to open the gates, which usually works when power goes out – but this time it wouldn’t.”

When he realized technicians wouldn’t get there in time, he took matters into his own hands — literally.

“I pushed, pulled and ripped the gate completely off myself. Tore it out of the brick wall, severed the steel hydraulics and threw it on the grass,” he explained. “My security team was able to meet the gate technician and welders about an hour later — and they were apparently, ‘in disbelief and equally scared.’”

He thanked the technicians and welders for their help and joked, “maybe next time I’ll just hop the gates and call an Uber.” But then added, “Actually, no I won’t. There’s no fun in that.”

Ryan Reynolds took to the comments to tease him, writing, “The gate opened the OTHER way.”

Johnson is currently filming Netflix’s Red Notice. He returned to work last week after recovering from COVID-19.

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 21, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC(LOS ANGELES) — Schitt’s Creek started the Emmys off with a bang with an unprecedented and history-making sweep. The show, which ended its six-season run this year, became the first comedy series to sweep the entire comedy category. 

With the series nabbing the Emmys for outstanding comedy, best actor, best actress, outstanding writing for a comedy series, outstanding directing for a comedy series, best supporting actor and best supporting actress — it led to fans wondering, if not outright hoping, if the wins would inspire a Schitt’s Creek movie.

Speaking backstage to reporters, co-creator Dan Levy weighed in on whether or not he’d be up for it. 

“This was the best way we ever could have ended the show,” he said in regards to their Emmy wins.  “So, if there is an idea that pops into my head that’s worthy of these wonderful people it really has to be freaking good at this point.”

“This is a real nice way of saying goodbye,” Levy joked, promising fans that if an idea comes around that’s better than winning nine Emmys, only then will the cast reunite.

He understood why fans want to see their favorite characters again, adding that the show resonated with the audience because of how it approached and told authentic LGBTQ storylines.

“I don’t often get to see those kinds of relationships depicted on TV,” the Canadian actor noted. “I felt like it was an incredible responsibility to be given that opportunity and to try to tell it as authentically as I possibly could.”

Levy added that “by projecting a sweeter, gentler world” where homophobia wasn’t even mentioned, “I feel like that was in a way a political statement.”

Overall, by sweeping the Emmys with nine wins, Levy declared, “What an absolutely unbelievable way to end our series.”

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