‘Only Murders in the Building’ Gets Broadcast Run on ABC This January

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large And then there were four. Season 10 of Fox’s “The Masked Singer” airs this Wednesday with finalists Donut (Group C champion), Sea Queen (Group B winner), Cow (Group A victor) and Group A “Ding Dong Keep It On” recipient Gazelle.

Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor You wouldn’t expect an animated film about a talking iguana to draw equal inspiration from Andy Kaufman and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but that just might help explain the wide appeal of Netflix’s smash hit “Leo.” It also makes perfect sense when you consider the creative minds behind Adam Sandler-led project, which includes his longtime collaborator and comedy’s not-so-secret weapon, Robert Smigel. Though perhaps best known to audiences for his work as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the foul-mouthed canine puppet who began life on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” where Smigel was the first head writer.

Liz Cheney, in a sometimes contentious interview with Fox News‘ Bret Baier, at one point addressed the network’s viewers with a message: Don’t vote for Donald Trump.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director George Clooney turned up as Bruce Wayne in the final moments of “The Flash,” but in no way does that mean he’s interested in playing Batman again. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight while promoting his latest directorial effort “The Boys in the Boat,” Clooney said the chances of him playing Batman again are less than slim to none. “I do not think there’s enough drugs in the world for me to go back,” Clooney said bluntly.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Better late than never, the 50th Annual Daytime Emmys got underway on Friday night from downtown Los Angeles’ Westin Bonaventure Hotel, after six months of postponement due to the Hollywood strikes. Airing live on CBS, “Entertainment Tonight” hosts Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner were back to emcee this year’s event. “General Hospital” jumped out to a dominant early lead in the competition, winning six awards — including daytime drama, as well as both supporting actor and supporting actress, younger actor, guest actor and directing.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Veteran TV director David Nutter has been selected to receive the Directors Guild of America’s lifetime achievement award for distinguished achievement in directing. He will receive the honors at the 76th Annual DGA Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large And so goes the most unusual TV awards season ever, where a delayed Primetime Emmys — with its June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023, eligibility window — falls smack into a Globes, Critics’ Choice and guild awards season with a January to December, 2023 time frame. The Hollywood strikes also may have had an impact on the even more limited-than-usual showing for broadcast networks at the Globes.

Meryl Streep has broken a Golden Globes record. Her own. Streep came in to today’s Globes nominations with 32 noms and eight wins and she has now notched her 33rd nomination — for her supporting turn as aspiring actress Loretta Durkin in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Are you watching, Meghan Markle? Because Princess Catherine appears to have a message after being publicly called out as one of the alleged “royal racists”!

EXCLUSIVE: In the latest sign of the industry’s changing times, Disney last week announced that Hulu original Only Murders in the Building would air on ABC in January. New data provided to Deadline by Tubular Labs shows the logic behind the scheduling move.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large In a sad bit of coincidence, the Hollywood, Health & Society at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center honored its 2023 Sentinel Awards winners on Wednesday night, just hours after the passing of its namesake and inspiration, the legendary Norman Lear. Emmy-winning comedian and writer Larry Wilmore hosted the event and introduced this year’s 11 winners, including writers behind the series “Mrs. Davis,” “Fleishman is in Trouble” and “Tiny Beautiful Things.” But before the awards were handed out, Wilmore took a moment to pay tribute to Lear.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched Season 10, Episode 10 of “The Masked Singer,” “I Wanna Rock,” which aired Dec. 6 on Fox. Ginuwine wasn’t sure he wanted to be on “The Masked Singer” when it first came calling. But the “Pony” artist ultimately couldn’t resist.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Norman Lear changed television. That, we know, is an absolute fact, and I’ll get to it in a moment. But what really saddens me at the news of Norman Lear’s death, at 101, is he won’t be here anymore to serve as a voice of reason as the United States continues to lose its mind.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large HBO and Max’s “We’re Here” and ABC’s “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” are among the first winners to pick up trophies at this year’s Emmy Awards. The Television Academy has announced early winners to this year’s 75th annual Emmy Awards via juried categories in animation, costume, hairstyling, makeup and motion design. Juried awards will be presented at the 75th Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Jan.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Get ready to say yes to more “Dress.” And set aside plenty of time for at least four different versions of “90 Day Fiancé,” two different “My 600-lb Life” series, two shows in the “Little People” universe and another dive into the “Sister Wife” universe. TLC is unwrapping its winter and spring slate, and Variety can confirm the return and premiere date of ten series set to return. On tap, with what TLC has counted up to be “over 135 hours of entertainment,” are returning shows “90 Day: The Single Life,” “90 Day: The Single Life Pillow Talk,” “My 600-lb Life,” “90 Day Diaries,” “Say Yes To The Dress,” “Little People, Big World,” “7 Little Johnstons,” “My 600-lb Life: Where Are They Now?,” “90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?” and “Seeking Sister Wife.” Per TLC, the cabler is ending the fourth quarter of 2023 as the top-rated cable network in primetime (when sports is not included) among adults 18-49, adults 25-54, women 18-49 and women 25-54.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter There’s nothing heroic about the final box office performance of “The Marvels.” The superhero sequel is officially the lowest-grossing installment in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After four weeks on the big screen, the comic book tentpole is running out of steam with $80 million in North America and $197 million globally. There would typically be optimism that attendance could rebound over the busy holiday season, but Disney apparently doesn’t expect that to be the case.

Valerie Wu Intern What is a TV “comedy” in 2023? In an era of blurred genres, it’s not so cut and dry anymore. Opening Variety’s “A Night in the Writer’s Room,” Variety’s Michael Schneider asked the nine comedy writers on stage to raise their hand if their show features a death.

We're officially into December, the season of festive movies, hot chocolates and cosying up in front of the fireplace.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Who should be counted as country music’s currently most successful songwriter? You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who could come up with a metric where the end result is not clearly Ashley Gorley, who’s being honored as Songwriter of the Year at Variety‘s annual Hitmakers event. He has been a co-writer on five of the last six Morgan Wallen singles, all of which inevitably topped the country chart — with “Last Night” also going top 5 at pop radio, no small factor in the song spending a near-record 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Charlie Sheen isn’t the only “Two and a Half Men” star to reunite with exec producer Chuck Lorre on his new Max comedy “Bookie.” Also making a cameo in the “Bookie” series’ opener: Angus T. Jones, the “half man” from “Two and a Half Men,” now all grown up. Sheen’s appearance on “Bookie” (which premiered Nov.