Steve Harvey on How The Secret’s Out: Game Show Host is a Pretty Good Gig, Even For A-Listers

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The Morpho machine is shutting down. Apple TV+ has canceled “The Big Door Prize” after two seasons, Variety has confirmed. The series, from Skydance Television and CJ ENM/Studio Dragon, ended its Season 2 run on June 12.

Game show host and comedian Drew Carey has added some new context for the famous phrase “Come on down” used on his show, The Price Is Right. ”

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “ER” alum Gloria Reuben has joined the cast of Prime Video‘s upcoming series “The Better Sister,” which also stars Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Corey Stoll and Matthew Modine. Based on the novel by Alafair Burke, “The Better Sister” stars Biel as Chloe, a woman whose life is upended when her husband Adam (played by Stoll) is brutally murdered — and the prime suspect shocks the family and exposes secrets. Banks plays Chloe’s sister, Nicky, who “hustles to make ends meet while trying to stay clean.” Reuben will play Michelle Sanders, described as “a respected lawyer who has made a career of standing up when she’s told to sit down.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Jamie Kellner, who made his name as the only exec ever to create two broadcast networks — Fox and The WB (both of which also achieved profitability under his watch), died Friday at his home in Montecito, Calif. He was 77.

Jamie Kellner, an extremely well-respected TV executive who helped launch Fox and The WB broadcast networks, has died at the age of 77.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Todd Harthan has been tapped as the new showrunner and executive producer of ABC’s “High Potential,” starring Kaitlin Olson. Harthan was previously executive producer/showrunner of Fox’s “The Resident,” which ran for six seasons and recently was a hit off-net for Netflix. Harthan replaces previous showrunner Rob Thomas, who departed the project earlier this month.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large My colleague Emily Longeretta had a Variety scoop recently that was such a perfect sign of the times. As she reported, FX’s Emmy-winning series “The Bear” — about to premiere its third season at the end of June — finally had its premiere on FX at the start of the month, via a four-night marathon of Season 1 episodes. “Hit FX Series to Finally Premiere on FX,” we joked should be the headline.

Lori Harvey is shutting down the latest rumors about her love life.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large If you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a media apocalypse. Newspapers are dying, websites that filled that void with top-notch journalism have gone away and the outlets that are left still struggle to attract audiences and make a difference as social media and bad-faith cable networks pollute the public discourse. Thank goodness for the late-night talk shows, many of which are giving us some of the best news analysis and criticism out there — better than any of the hopelessly misguided news outlets that are still trying to report on politics like things are normal.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large I think I can say this on behalf of the entire collective of reporters who cover television: Nothing makes us groan more than when a series star or producer refers to the setting as another “character” in their show. (Actually, I take that back, something else causes even heavier eye rolls: When a performer says their co-stars are “like a family.”) And yet, I may have to temper my cynicism.

Selena Kuznikov “Palm Royale” showrunner Abe Sylvia relied on his “guru” Joni Mitchell (via her song “People’s Parties”) when figuring out the tone for his Apple TV+ comedy: “Laughing and crying are the same release.” “Our show took itself really seriously even as it went absurd,” Sylvia said. “It’s a gay ‘Fantasia,’ right? It’s tone is maximalist gay.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Perhaps the toughest takeaway from Ron Howard’s documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” is the fact that his sudden death in 1990, at just age 53, robbed us all that “The Muppets” creator might have created in the computer age. Henson was already experimenting with technology before he died — and we can only imagine what he might have done with the tools we now have. “It would have been fantastic,” Howard says.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Pat Sajak has officially passed his “Wheel of Fortune” hosting baton to Ryan Seacrest in a new promo for the long-running game show that touts Seacrest’s hosting debut this fall. Sajak signed off as “Wheel of Fortune” host after more than 40 years on June 7.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The fate of CBS owner Paramount Global remains way up in the air, and the future of broadcast TV in general remains a big question mark. But as CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach said on Tuesday at the Banff World Media Festival, that’s not stopping her from plotting her primetime development plans way into the future.

Jon Stewart was back on The Daily Show this week to kick off Pride Month.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large It’s been more than a year and a half since Rob Wade took over as CEO of Fox Entertainment. On Monday at the Banff World Media Festival, Wade made his first extensive public comments about how it’s been going so far — and elaborated on any new acquisition plans he might have for the company, the fate of some of the third party shows still on his air (including “9-1-1: Lone Star”) and the decision behind his recent corporate restructuring network, studio and distribution operations into their own divisions.

Steve Harvey is tired. The “Family Feud” host puts up with a lot of ridiculous answers from contestants — but he’s now officially labeled one the “stupidest.”On Sunday, the show shared a clip via TikTok of Harvey saying: “Women love a man in uniform.

Pat Sajak bid farewell to “Wheel of Fortune” Friday night after hosting the legendary game show for more than 8,000 episodes across 41 seasons. The episode featured footage from Sajak’s 1981 debut, and revealed “Chicago, Illinois” as the first puzzle answer — a possible nod to his hometown. A round was cut from the program to make room for Sajak’s goodbye message, but he gave each contestant $5,000 to make up for it.“Well, the time has come to say goodbye,” Sajak said on-air.

A Canada man set another milestone on The Price is Right Fridayby almost guessing the exact total of the day’s showcase.

Pat Sajak, 77, ends his legendary run – spanning over four decades – hosting “Wheel of Fortune” on June 7.Sajak makes history as the longest-running host of any game show (beating Bob Barker, who hosted “The Price Is Right” for a 35 year tenure, from 1972 to 2007). Sajak told USA today about “Wheel of Fortune,” that the show is “sort of a safe-haven half-hour where nobody gets hurt, and everybody has fun.