'My Brilliant Friend' Season 2: TV Review

Kelly Ripa is mourning the loss of her longtime friend and former co-star.

Kelly Ripa, 49, talked about how “funny” and “kind” the late John Callahan was during the Mar. 30 at-home episode of Live with Kelly and Ryan and it became quite emotional. The former All My Children star got teary-eyed when she mentioned her friend, who died unexpectedly of a massive stroke at the age of 66 on Mar. 28, to Ryan Seacrest, 45, and admitted that the news hit her hard.

After years of living in the posh central L.A. neighborhood of Hancock Park, YouTube superstar Lilly Singh has finally decided to join many of her fellow content creators in suburban bliss — way over yonder on the other side of ye olde hill, so to speak. The Canadian comedian has packed her things and hightailed it out to the San Fernando Valley, where she’s purchased a brand-new, $4.1 million residential retreat.

When he’s not busy playing for the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin-based NFL star David Bakhtiari and his partner Frankie Shebby usually spend offseasons in his native California. And now the offensive tackle — currently signed to a four-year, $48 million contract extension — has chosen to put down some real estate roots in balmy Los Angeles, where he’s selected a brand-new, $3.9 million estate.

By Dino-Ray Ramos

In the wake of dozens of film and television productions abruptly shutting down amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, several organizations and high-profile showrunners — Greg Berlanti, Shonda Rhimes, David Benioff, Julie Plec, Damon Lindelof, Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan — have come together to fund a relief effort for Hollywood’s support staffers, a low-paid group that often goes overlooked.

A new chapter. "90 Day Fiance" star Fernanda Flores is beaming after announcing her divorce from Jonathan Rivera has been finalized.

On to the next one. Fernanda Flores of 90 Day Fiancé revealed that she has officially finalized her divorce from Jonathan Rivera.

star Fernanda Flores couldn't be happier about finalizing her divorce from Jonathan Rivera.

Three episodes into “My Brilliant Friend: The Story of a New Name” comes a scene as lovely and understated as it is pointed and bruising, a combination in which the show specializes, especially in this second season. Elena (Margherita Mazzucco), nervous about going to a party at her intimidating professor’s house, rifles through the lavish closet of her best friend, Lila (Gaia Girace).

In venturing out of the Luzzatti quarter of Naples where most of the first season of “My Brilliant Friend” is set, the second season, subtitled “The Story of a New Name,” breaks new ground in several ways that are key to understanding the show’s overall vision and ambitious aesthetic scope.

In this week’s International TV Newswire, Variety looks at Netflix’s moves in Argentina and Turkey, a new Amazon Prime Video docuseries featuring Fernando Alonso, Brown Bob’s Atlantic crossing and the Nordisk Film & TV Fond’s new board of directors.

By Jake Kanter