Fox Names John Hesling Head of Alternative Entertainment

It looked like a good week for Fox News on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver today as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and uncertainty in the financial world replaced the searing revelations resulting from Dominion Voting’s lawsuit against the Rupert Murdoch-owned cable newser on the HBO series.

The Prime Minister's family were spoken to by police in London's Hyde Park after letting his dog off its lead. Rishi Sunak had been walking his labrador Nova with his family in the Royal Park on Saturday (March 11).

headline-making moments both on and off-screen at the 2023 Oscars, the A-listers enjoyed even more fun after the 95th annual Academy Awards.Letting loose at several glamorous events, this year's Oscar winners, nominees and more swapped their champagne carpet looks for entirely new styles and enjoyed a bit more pomp and circumstance.From co-star reunions like the adorable dance between Noah Centineo and Lana Condor to Rihanna's bedazzled baby bump, here's what went down at this year's Oscars after-parties:Governors BallStraight off the Oscars stage, the stars visited the Governors Ball in the Dolby Theatre to celebrate, get their Oscars engraved, and unwind after the big night.James Hong, the star who was attending his first-ever Oscars at age 94, was spotted resting in a wheelchair while holding the Best Picture statuette and grinning.Best Actor and Actress winners Brendan Fraser and Michelle Yeoh watched proudly as their statuettes got engraved. The pair hugged one another closely, celebrating the historic moment.Angela Bassett appeared to be in good spirits while enjoying the event with her family.

Elton John hosts an annual Academy Awards viewing party and he was joined by his husband David Furnish at this year’s event!

John Oliver is having fun with Fox News and its lawsuit with Dominion Voting, again.

Versace really brought out all the stars.

A good day to be in L.A.! Versace closed out fashion month in the City of Angels, presenting its fall 2023 runway show in front of Hollywood’s biggest names on Thursday, March 9. 

Wherever you looked at the Versace fashion show in Los Angeles, there must have been another major celebrity!

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor Things are moving fast at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard. The bicoastal law firm has announced a new co-head of its entertainment practice, new co-heads in the Los Angeles office, a partner promotion, and further development of its art law group.   Caitlin S. DiMotta (above right) has joined Frederick P. Bimbler (above left) in heading up the firm’s entertainment practice. Based in Los Angeles, DiMotta joined the firm in 2021 and works with clients in all areas of development and publishing in the television, literary, comic book/graphic novel, and motion picture industries.   With almost 30 years’ experience in entertainment law, Bimbler has long advised clients in the areas of motion picture, television, theater, and performance art. His portfolio includes clients on both coasts, and he will co-head management of the firm’s Los Angeles office with partner Sarah Conley Odenkirk.  

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor Things are moving fast at Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard. The bicoastal law firm has announced a new co-head of its entertainment practice, new co-heads in the Los Angeles office, a partner promotion, and further development of its art law group.   Caitlin S. DiMotta (above right) has joined Frederick P. Bimbler (above left) in heading up the firm’s entertainment practice. Based in Los Angeles, DiMotta joined the firm in 2021 and works with clients in all areas of development and publishing in the television, literary, comic book/graphic novel, and motion picture industries.   With almost 30 years’ experience in entertainment law, Bimbler has long advised clients in the areas of motion picture, television, theater, and performance art. His portfolio includes clients on both coasts, and he will co-head management of the firm’s Los Angeles office with partner Sarah Conley Odenkirk.  

Independent TV and film studio MRC has named Jenna Santoianni its president of television.MRC CEO Scott Tenley made the announcement Tuesday morning. Santoianni will oversee MRC’s current programming, its development slate, joint ventures, production partnerships, operational unites, business, legal affairs and production finance.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer MRC has set Jenna Santoianni as the studio’s new president of television, following the exit of former president Elise Henderson. In her new role, Santoianni will oversee MRC’s current programming, its full slate of development, all joint ventures and production partnerships, as well as all of the television studio’s operational units, including production, business and legal affairs and production finance. Reporting to recently named MRC CEO Scott Tenley, Santoianni is expected to begin this week. She joins the studio amid a restructuring that saw Tenley elevated, while co-founders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu assumed the new roles of chairmen. Jonathan Golfman and Brye Adler remain co-presidents of film and Amit Dey as head of non-fiction.

Former Paramount Television Studios executive Jenna Santoianni has joined MRC as President of Television. She will replace Elise Henderson who is leaving the company after a four-year stint. The personnel change comes on the heels of Scott Tenley’s elevation to CEO as part of a new executive structure the studio announced last week, with co-founders Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu assuming the new roles of Chairmen. (Jonathan Golfman and Brye Adler continue as co-Presidents of Film and Amit Dey as Head of Non-Fiction.)

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 was named Favorite Movie at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards tonight. Other big winners include Wednesday as Favorite Family TV Show, and its star Jenna Ortega as Favorite Female TV Star (Family), along with kid-fave SpongeBob Squarepants as Favorite Animated Show and Stranger Things alum Millie Brown Brown, who scored the Favorite Movie Actress award for Enola Holmes, and Enola Holmes 2. The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder landed the top Favorite Kids TV Show honor. See the full list below.

EXCLUSIVE: Fox Entertainment has announced the names of the five Fellows for the 2023 Fox Writers Incubator (FWI), an initiative designed to nurture diverse and creative voices, as well as provide training to five writers of all genres, including comedy, drama and animation.

Michael P. O’Leary will be appointed the president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners beginning May 1.

The National Association of Theatre Owners has appointed Michael P. O’Leary as President and CEO of the Association beginning May 1, 2023. He takes over for outgoing NATO Boss John Fithian, who announced his retirement back in October after working with the exhibitor trade org for three decades.

Bilbao BBK has announced more acts for its 2023 line-up.The festival has confirmed Pavement will be headlining the Spanish festival’s second day, while Roisin Murphy, Arca, Ry X, Young Fathers and Perfume Genius and many more have also joined the line-up.They join previously announced acts Phoenix, IDLES, Jamie xx, Fever Ray, Röyksopp, Avalon Emerson, Anz, HAAi, SHERELLE, M83 and DUKI. Also set to play this year are Arctic Monkeys, Florence + the Machine, The Chemical Brothers, 070 Shake, Dry Cleaning and The Murder Capital.The 2023 edition of Bilbao BBK will take place from July 6-8 in the Basque region of Spain.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Nick Panella has been named the leader of a new podcast and audio group at Agency for the Performing Arts, Variety can report exclusively.  Panella joins the company from Workhouse Media, where he worked extensively with names like Shonda Rhimes, Ellen DeGeneres, “Modern Family” co-creator Chris Lloyd and Oprah Winfrey.  Announced by APA’s head of content development Kyle Loftus, the hire is yet another strategic move from the agency to pick up slack lost in CAA’s acquisition of ICM Partners, the hulking-up of Endeavor, and other dramatic shifts in the representation landscape. Panella has produced over 2,000 podcast episodes and led Workhouse clients to over 1 billion downloads, the agency said.

John Oliver started off Last Week Tonight roasting Fox News for the second week in a row. The HBO Max host showed started off by noting that Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg attended the train derailment in Ohio.