September 16, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Comedy Central(LOS ANGELES) — South Park, Comedy Centrals raunchy cartoon show will tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in an upcoming hour-long special, the cable channel announced on Tuesday.

The episode, titled “The Pandemic Special,” finds Stan’s father Randy “coming to terms with his role in the COVID-19 outbreak,” as the citizens of the titular town deal with the continued challenges of the pandemic, according to Comedy Central.

Meanwhile, the kids return to school, only to find that nothing is the same — not their teachers, not their homeroom, not even Cartman.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, seems to mock their own concept in a teaser trailer for the special, in which Randy’s wife Sharon asks incredulously, “A pandemic special? Really?”

The upcoming special, the first new episode since South Park ended its last season back in December, also marks its first one-hour installment. The show typically runs a half-hour.

South Park “The Pandemic Special” airs September 30 at 8 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.

September 16, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Tyler Essary/NBC(NEW YORK) — Another celebrity has come forward with a COVID-19 horror story, only this time, their entire family suffered from the virus.  Neil Patrick Harris revealed on Tuesday that he, along with his husband David Burtka and their nine-year-old twins Gideon and Harper, contracted the novel coronavirus.

“It happened very early, like late March, early April,” the How I Met Your Mother star disclosed to TODAY. “We were doing our best before, and I thought I had the flu, and I didn’t want to be paranoid about it. And then I lost my sense of taste and smell, which was a big indicator, so we holed up.”

Harris spoke more on how his family weathered the virus, describing that “it was not pleasant.”

“We feel great [now,]” he added. “We got through it and have antibodies and are feeling good.”

The 47-year-old actor said his brush with the pandemic opened his eyes as to how real and serious the virus is.  “We want to make sure everyone’s doing their best to slow this down every way possible, for sure,” he attested.

The interview then pivoted to a much lighter topic, the revival of his old show Doogie Howser, M.D., of which he is incredibly jazzed about even though he won’t be involved in the reboot.

The series will instead focus on a female Howser named Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha, a multiracial teenager. 

“I was excited to hear about [the news,]” the Emmy nominee gushed. “It’s a great idea, so it has all the aspects of making it a success, and I wish them nothing but the best.”

“I don’t know other than what’s been reported, but I do know that it’s to be on Disney+, which is a super great channel,” plugged Harris. “I love that stuff.”

September 16, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Terence Patrick/CBS ©2020 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved(LOS ANGELES) — James Corden, host of CBS’ The Late Late Show, led the program remotely from his home on Monday after learning he’d “come into contact with someone who recently tested positive for COVID-19.”

Appearing via a TV set placed on top of his Late Late Show desk, Corden revealed that he had “taken the test,” and that it had “come back negative.”

“Out of abundance of caution for everyone who works on the show, I’m going to host the show over Zoom way more than six feet apart from anyone,” he continued, “but my face will still be here, in the studio.”

The rest of The Late Late Show crew was on set as usual.

Sources tell Deadline, that the contact to which Corden referred happened outside of work, and no one else from the show was involved. His decision to self-quarantine was part of the standard COVID contact-tracing procedure.

The Late Late Show returned to the studio August 11, and production has been running smoothly, despite a handful of COVID-19 positive cases being reported last month at the Television City complex where it films.

“It’s a shame because I thought like we were really getting into a rhythm in the studio,” Corden mused during his opening monologue.

The Late Late Show with James Corden airs weeknights at 12:37 a.m. ET on CBS.

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

September 16, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Amy Sussman/WireImage(NEW YORK) — Saturday Night Live will return for its 46th season in October with its entire cast intact, marking the first time since 2007 there has been no cast turnover between seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

There had been speculation that Kate McKinnon, who has two other series in the works, at Hulu and Peacock — the latter of which will also run on NBC and USA — would not be back this season.

Chris Redd, will also star in a primetime comedy set to air on NBC in the 2020-21 season, had been making his return questionable as well.

Also returning are regulars Kenan Thompson — the longest-running cast member in SNL history, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Heidi Gardner, Colin Jost, Alex Moffatt, Kyle Mooney, Cecily Strong and Melissa Villaseñor, along with featured players Chloe Fineman, Ego Nwodim and Bowen Yang.

NBC announced last Thursday that the long-running sketch comedy show would once again air live from its New York City studio for the October 3 premiere.

The final three episodes of the 45th season aired in the spring as Saturday Night Live at Home, featuring clips of the cast performing sketches from their homes.

A host and musical guest for the season premiere will be announced closer to its airdate.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the show walked off with three more Creative Emmy Awards, including Best Variety Sketch Show.

September 15, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Billboard Magazine(LOS ANGELES) — Who better to direct a Madonna biopic than Madonna herself? The Hollywood Reporter confirms the Queen of Pop is not only co-writing the screenplay for the movie with Diablo Cody, she’ll be directing as well.

“I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer – a human being, trying to make her way in this world,” Madonna tells THR.

“The focus of this film will always be music,” she adds. “Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive.  There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me.  It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”

The as-yet-untitled film will be produced by Amy Pascal at Universal. No word on who’ll star as Madonna, but there were rumors earlier this month that Madonna was eyeing Ozark actress Julia Garner for the role.

Madonna revealed in an Instagram Live last week that she and Cody have written more than 100 pages of the screenplay and expect the film to have a two-hour run time.

This film won’t be the first time Madonna has gotten behind the camera. Her last big screen directing effort was 2011’s period drama W.E.

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