BET+ Will Launch Lower-Cost Ad-Supported Tier Timed to Next Month’s BET Awards

Jen Shah's lawyer is speaking out about Elizabeth Holmes' prison sentence. On the same day that the disgraced Theranos founder reported to Bryan Federal Prison Camp to begin her 11-year sentence related to her fraud and conspiracy convictions, Justin Paperny told ET's Kevin Frazier that Holmes and Shah, who's his client, will likely cross paths at the facility.«There's a guarantee they're going to run into one another,» Paperny told ET of the Texas prison. «There's also going to be an understanding amongst them, so for that reason, I suspect they'll connect.

As the Writers Guild of America strike continues with no end in sight, rumours are swirling that the Directors Guild of America and SAG-ACTRA will be following suit when those unions’ contracts come up within the next few weeks.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large And of course, at the top of that list is star Bob Odenkirk, who turned what began as a guest spot on “Breaking Bad” into one of the most iconic characters in TV history. Last year we finally got an Emmy nomination for Rhea Seehorn, and the show overall has landed 46 noms over the years. But that’s not enough.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Television Academy has canceled plans to hold its 16th Television Academy Honors, which had been slated to take place next Wednesday, May 31. “After discussions with the WGA and out of deference to those impacted by the ongoing labor dispute, the Television Academy is cancelling the Television Academy Honors reception which was scheduled for the evening of May 31. We appreciate everyone’s understanding,” the org said on its website. “The Academy would like to congratulate this year’s Honors recipients and thank them on behalf of the entire industry for their groundbreaking and inspiring work,” the org added. HBO Max’s “We’re Here,” Netflix’s “Mo” and Amazon Prime Video’s recently canceled “As We See It” were among the programs set to be recognized at the event.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Plans have been scrapped to mark the Apple TV+ “Ted Lasso” Season 3 finale with a major Paley Center-sponsored celebration in Beverly Hills on May 30. “We are reaching out to share the news that due to unforeseen circumstances the ‘Ted Lasso’ season finale screening and event planned for Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills will not be taking place as scheduled,” the Paley Center said in a statement on Thursday. “All ticket buyers will automatically be issued a full refund. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] and a representative will get back to you as soon as possible.”

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Last year, Jesse Collins won an Emmy. This year, he’s producing the Emmys. Fox and the Television Academy are set to announce on Thursday that Jesse Collins Entertainment has been tapped to serve as producers of this year’s landmark 75th edition of the Primetime Emmy awards. No host has been named as of yet, and there are still a lot of questions to be answered as to how the writers strike may impact this year’s Emmy Awards, or if the calendar might shift. But for now, the main event is still scheduled to air on Monday, Sept 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Fox. Jesse Collins Entertainment takes over from Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment, which had jointly produced the Emmys in 2020, 2021 and 2022, the first two of which were COVID-impacted events. D+D had actually produced the Emmys for five consecutive years, having already been producing the Emmys telecast for two years when it was paired with Hudlin in 2020 to handle the unconventional, no-audience COVID-impacted Emmys. At the time, Hudlin made history as the first Black executive producer of the Primetime Emmys.

EastEnders star Debbie Arnold has claimed that Phillip Schofield should not host the British Soap Awards as it will ‘all be about him’. The 67 year old actress, who has also appeared in Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, claimed that Philip’s presence at the ceremony could take the spotlight away from actors nominated for gongs.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The MTV Video Music Awards return to New Jersey’s Prudential Center on Tuesday, September 12, the network announced Tuesday. The show will air live at 8 p.m. ET and PT. “Celebrating one of our biggest nights in music with the Garden State’s incredible fans has been our goal since last year’s highly successful event,” said Bruce Gillmer, President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, Paramount and Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+. Last year’s show was hosted by Nicki Minaj, who was honored during the show with the Video Vanguard Award, while the Global Icon Award was given to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

A pretty penny. The British government has revealed the total cost of executing Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.

funeral in September, the treasury revealed Thursday.“The government’s priorities were that these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public,” John Glen, chief secretary to the treasury, said in a statement.Prior reports estimated the security alone cost $7.5 million.Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving British monarch, died Sept. 8 at the age of 96.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that more than six million disabled people in the UK will receive their one-off £150 disability cost of living payment from next month. People in receipt of an eligible disability benefit will receive the payment automatically during a two-week window between Tuesday, June 20 and Tuesday, July 4.

Bruce Willis' wife, Emma Heming Willis, is finding purpose in her pain. On Thursday, the 44-year-old model announced that she has started a wellness brand, Make Time Wellness, focused on brain health.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Producers Guild of America will hold its next PGA Awards at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25, 2024, presidents Stephanie Allain and Donald DeLine announced on Wednesday. The 2024 installment will mark the 35th annual PGA Awards ceremony. Here is this year’s PGA Awards calendar: Eligibility Period for 2024 Producers Guild Awards Notice of Producing Credits Form Deadline

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Daytime Emmys are once again planning to pivot, as next month’s awards show to won’t go forward as previously planned. With the ongoing writers strike, the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences confirmed on Tuesday that this year’s 50th Daytime Emmys would move from its planned June 16 ceremony to an undetermined later date. “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards planned for Friday, June 16 on CBS is postponed due to the WGA strike,” NATAS president/CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement obtained by Variety. “In addition, the Creative Arts & Lifestyle ceremony, planned for Saturday, June 17, has been postponed pending a strike resolution. We look forward to our community gathering together as one to celebrate our Golden Anniversary and all of the talented nominees and honorees at a later date.”

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Screen Actors Guild Awards has announced a date for its first show on its new home, Netflix: Saturday, February 24, 2024. The 30th annual telecast will be streamed live on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, and will return to its longtime home at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall. Last year’s SAG Awards ran on Netflix’s YouTube page; Netflix struck an 11th hour deal with the kudocast to televise the show (after its deal with TBS/TNT had expired), but too late to put it on the actual streamer in time. Hence, the 2024 edition will mark its live debut on Netflix. Meanwhile, the SAG Awards returns to the Shrine after having been held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in 2023 and the Barker Hangar in 2022. Before that, it had been held at the Shrine every year from 1997 to 2021.

This Morning viewers have shared their thoughts on Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield's onscreen chemistry amid rampant feud rumours.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Peabody Awards won’t be throwing a return celebration this year after all. The org has scrapped this years event, which would have been the first in-person Peabody ceremony since 2019 (before the pandemic), in the wake of the writers strike. Originally set to be held on Sunday, June 11, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, this also would have been the first Peabody Awards to be held in Southern California. “As an organization dedicated to honoring the most compelling and empowering stories in broadcasting and streaming media, we recognize and respect the position that many of this year’s Peabody Award winners find themselves in,” the org said in a statement. “Due to the ongoing uncertainty and meaningful challenges that exist industrywide, we have decided to cancel the 83rd annual Peabody Awards ceremony that was set to take place on June 11 in Los Angeles. Canceling the ceremony is extremely disappointing as this year’s 39 winners are immensely talented and have brought forth powerful stories that deserve to be celebrated.”

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Justin Hartley is heading back to the Super Bowl. Hartley’s new CBS drama “Tracker” has landed the best lead-in imaginable for a series premiere: The show has landed the coveted post-Super Bowl slot next season, launching behind Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Hartley, of course, knows a thing or two about that slot. As one of the stars of NBC’s “This Is Us,” he watched a Crock Pot tear his TV family apart in that show’s very special “Super Bowl Sunday” episode, airing right after the big game in 2018. In premiering “Tracker” after the Super Bowl, CBS continues its return to the once-common practice of using the biggest night on TV to launch a new series. The last time CBS ran the game, in 2021, the network premiered “The Equalizer” behind Super Bowl LV. (It worked: “The Equalizer” is still on the air.) The time before that, in 2019, CBS used Super Bowl LIII to premiere “The World’s Best.” (It didn’t work: “The World’s Best” only lasted a season.)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Mrs. Davis” may be one of the most surprising and unconventional new series of the spring — and now it’s making a surprising and unconventional move in the Emmy race as well. As the Television Academy deadline for category submissions ends today, Peacock has decided to make a last-minute shift and move the series into the limited/anthology series categories. Betty Gilpin stars in “Mrs. Davis” as Simone, a sometimes nun who takes on her nemesis, the artificial intelligence being known only as “Mrs. Davis,” and strikes a deal with the algorithm — which promises to shut down if Simone finds and destroys the holy grail. This exploration of faith and technology comes from executive producers Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Damon Lindelof (“The Leftovers”).

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors has selected 35 winners to award at this year’s Peabody ceremony, including entertainment fare such as “Abbott Elementary,” “Atlanta,” “Better Call Saul,” “Severance” and “We’re Here.” Chosen by unanimous vote of 32 jurors from over 1,400 entries, the 83rd annual Peabody Awards landed on ten entertainment shows, eight documentaries, seven news programs, five from interactive and immersive content, three podcast/radio programs, and one each from arts and public service fare. PBS led the winners circle with six, followed by Apple TV+ and Disney+ with three each, and HBO Max with two. For “Atlanta” and “Better Call Saul,” both shows recieved Peabody honors in their first season — and will receive another for their final seasons. The winners, announced on Tuesday, came out of previously announced 69 nominees in all categories.