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HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Down Slightly from Last Week in Total Viewers, Demo

Roger Friedman
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HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Down Slightly from Last Week in Total Viewers, Demo

HBO’s “House of the Dragon” is heating up with lots of death and destruction.

But the ratings are not as incendiary as the show.

Sunday’s episode was slightly down from the previous week, with 1.2 million viewers. The key demo remained the same.

On linear HBO, “Dragon” has shed 100,000 viewers totally since its second season debut five weeks ago.

What else can they do? A dragon musical? For some reason, “Dragon” is not lighting any fires ratings wise, although it’s doing a lot better than most cable series. We’re still waiting for viewers to catch up on all the episodes.

Michael Jackson $600 Mil Deal Will Go Through as Judge Rejects Mother Katherine’s Claims

Roger Friedman
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Katherine Jackson’s case against the Michael Jackson estate has been dismissed.

Michael’s mother was trying to stop the estate from selling Michael’s MJJ Music Publishing company to Sony for $600 million. Why? She didn’t like it, she said. The real reason? Her miscellaneous children like Rebbe and Randy were manipulating her, thinking they could get their hands on some of the money.

But the judge in the case ruled for the Estate. Michael’s own children — Prince, Paris, and Bigi — will benefit from the sale, just as they have from all the other work the Estate has done since Michael died.

It’s now 20 years since Michael was hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. He leveraged the Beatles catalog, Neverland, and anything else he could find rather than take sound advice from real lawyers. He was fleeced by a number of con artists while he waited to stand trial for child molestation and kidnapping.

Even after he was found not guilty of all charges, Jackson refused to face any kind of reality. If he’d not died in June 2009 and kept going in that direction, he would have been completely bankrupt. The Estate — attorney John Branca and friend John McClain –turned lemons into lemonade once he died.

The MJJ music catalog contains Michael’s own hit songs that he wrote, plus hundreds more titles by popular groups and artists.

RIP Bob Newhart, 94, Comedy Genius, Famous for His Sharp Deadpan Humor, Hit TV Shows

Roger Friedman
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RIP Bob Newhart, 94, Comedy Genius, Famous for His Sharp Deadpan Humor, Hit TV Shows

Bob Newhart couldn’t wait anymore. When the Kennedy Center passed over him yet again, he decided to pack it in.

The beloved comic genius was 94 and leaves behind a huge legacy. Not only did he star in two hit TV comedies, he also had a big career as a stand up comic who made terrific comedy albums.

“The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart” remains a touchstone in comedy records. But so does the series finale of “Newhart,” his second hit series, in which he wakes up in bed in his first show saying he’s had a bad dream.

It’s the most perfect ending of all TV series.

Now Bob joins his pal Don Rickles in heaven. It’s going to be a wild party. Condolences to his family, friends, and fans.

Bette Midler Lives in NYC But Won’t Be at Her Movie Premiere Tonight Because Susan Sarandon Will

Roger Friedman
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Bette Midler Lives in NYC But Won’t Be at Her Movie Premiere Tonight Because Susan Sarandon Will

UPDATE A publicist for the movie writes: “Bette Midler couldn’t make tonight’s special screening due to previous commitments out of the country not for any other reason. We’d known about these committments since the beginning of our campaign, which is why we did full days of press with her before she left.”

Where is Bette? She couldn’t change her schedule to promote her film? She doesn’t make that many these days.

EARLIER

The invite for tonight’s screening of “The Fabulous Four” is very specific: Join Susan Sarandon and Sheryl Lee Ralph for the show and a reception.

Not on the invite: Bette Midler, who lives in New York and ordinarily wouldn’t miss the premiere of a film in which she’s the central character.

But as I told you one month ago, we will not be seeing Midler and Sarandon in the same room together.

Since they made the comedy, October 7th happened. Sarandon went full pro-Palestine, even insisting in public speeches that the violence against Jews that day at a music festival didn’t happen.

Midler is Jewish, and pro-Israel. Everything Sarandon has said is untrue and off base. I can’t imagine Midler has any desire to deal with her in any venue.

Sarandon, in fact, has lost her agent and manager over her ridiculous comments. She’s never once mentioned the Jews who were killed or the hostages taken.

Interesting fact: in the last two weeks Sarandon has cooled it on Instagram with the crazy rhetoric. I imagine she’s been asked to do that so that the audience is scared off the film.

Midler, meantime, already gave a big interview on The Today Show last week, by herself. That may be the last we see of her on the PR trail. The movie opens next Thursday night, July 25th.

Here’s my story from June 17th:

Fabulous Four or Fantastic Flop? Susan Sarandon’s Political Views Could Sink New Summer Comedy with Bette Midler

Tuesday Broadcast Ratings: MLB All Star Game Had More than Twice the Viewers as RNC

Roger Friedman
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Tuesday Broadcast Ratings: MLB All Star Game Had More than Twice the Viewers as RNC

Watching the Republican National Convention?

Nope. That’s the answer for everyone but Fox News viewers. The convention has been of little interest in TV land.

On Tuesday night, the three major networks averaged 2 million viewers apiece for the RNC at 10pm.

Ironically, the MLB All Star Game — shown on Fox TV stations — picked up 4.63 million viewers.

The only numbers for the RNC are on Fox News, and they’re sinking night by night. Between Monday and Tuesday, Fox News lost 1 million viewers. Only about 5.5 million tuned in Tuesday night to see the rogues gallery of anti-Americans give their spiels.

Last night’s numbers will be in soon.

Tonight is the big RNC finale. Trump will appear on stage with a white Kotex bandage on his ear, and talk about getting shot, and Biden being too old. He won’t mention his own 34 felony convictions, or how he killed 1 million Americans during COVID.

By the way, the American League beat the National League 5 to 3.

Trudie Styler’s Award Winning Naples Doc Draws A List Crowd at 1st American Screening Including Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker

Roger Friedman
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Trudie Styler’s Award Winning Naples Doc Draws A List Crowd at 1st American Screening Including Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker

The crowd that turned up at the Museum of Modern Art for the first screening of Trudie Styler’s film about Naples, Italy was star studded to say the least.

Among the guests were John Turturro, who conducted a post screening Q&A, as well as Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, actor-directors Fisher Stevens and Justin Theroux, Tony winner Adrienne Warren, “James Bond” director Cary Fukunaga, actress Amanda Quaid, plus Styler’s two successful actor children Mickey Sumner (“Snowpiercer” returns this weekend to AMC), and Elliot Sumner (stunning in “Ripley” as Freddie).

A light dinner followed around the corner at the delicious Fresco by Scotto, where we were greeted by Fox 5’s indefatigable newswoman, Rosanna Scotto.

The award winning “Posso Entrare? An Ode to Naples” has already been sold in 19 territories and was shown for the first time last night to American friends and distributors. It’s passionate love letter to Naples but by no means a travelogue. Styler, with a keen eye, throws us a curve ball when we start meeting a variety of Naples residents whose stories are riveting.

Styler could have made a movie about drinking, eating, and shopping. But after 30 or more years telling the stories of the indigenous tribes of the Rainforest, she can’t help but let the real people of Naples speak about their history, culture, poverty, and life under the threat of Mafia gangs and the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.

Styler was immediately introduced to Don Antonio Loffredo, Parish priest of the Rione Sanità, the unofficial mayor of Naples. He knows everything and everyone, and quickly introduces her to the heart of the region.

There are heartwarming stories, but there are also terrifying ones. Roberto Saviano is the journalist author of “Gomorrah,” which he made into a celebrated film. It’s about the crime gangs of Naples and the result is that he lives with four bodyguards at all times lest he be assassinated.

There is also Alessandra Clemente, the courageous 34 year old Naples City Councillor, who saw her mother murdered by the Mafia as a child. She has sworn to rid the city of the mob — a daunting and maybe fatal task.

Working with famed cinematographer Dante Spinotti, Styler’s film reminded me of Fernando Merielles’s “City of God” — about the slums of Brazil. That’s how deeply inside she burrows into Neapolitan life. She even convinced her husband, rock star Sting, to come play a guitar recovered from migrant boats and built by incarcerated individuals of Milano and Naples. The disarmingly emotional performance takes place in Naples’ Secondigliano prison and almost stops the show.

Kudos also to the archivists who unearthed rare footage of the destruction caused by past Vesuvius eruptions, also the history of the attempted Nazi occupation of the city — called The Four Days of Naples — in which brave locals rose up and stopped Hitler’s minions from destroying their lives. It’s an extraordinary story highlighted by an interview with Antonio Amoretti, a survivor who Styler was lucky to interview shortly before his death.

What a film! What a night! “Posso Entrare?” translates in English to “May I come in?” This is what Styler asked rhetorically of people she didn’t know, and the answer was a resounding “Yes.”

Trump, 78, Falls Asleep 2nd Time on Live TV During RNC: He Should Step Aside

Roger Friedman
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Trump, 78, Falls Asleep 2nd Time on Live TV During RNC: He Should Step Aside

For the second time this week, Donald Trump fell asleep on LIVE TV during the Republican Convention.

At his advanced age, he should step aside and let JD Vance be the presidential candidate.

Last night, Trump closed his eyes and napped while his son, Don Jr., droned on and on.

Trump was not praying. That was the excuse from Monday night, when he totally conked out. But Trump has never prayed, doesn’t go to church, is not religious in any way. He sold bibles this year at a profit.

He also incited a resurrection, was convicted of 34 felonies, and called a rapist by a judge after being found liable for sexual attack.

The napping was not Trump practicing meditation, either. Or suffering from his ear wound with the large Kotex pad covering it.

He fell asleep because he was bored, and he’s old. The GOP should replace him immediately!

Remember, this is a trend: Trump often dozed off in court this spring his criminal trial.

Kennedy Center: Coppola, Grateful Dead, Apollo Theater, Arturo Sandoval, Bonnie Raitt

Roger Friedman
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Kennedy Center: Coppola, Grateful Dead, Apollo Theater, Arturo Sandoval, Bonnie Raitt

The Kennedy Center has announced its inductees for 2024, and they are going very much in the direction of the Grammy Awards.

The only non musical honoree is “The Godfather” director Francis Ford Coppola, whose new movie, “Megalopolis” comes out this fall.

Otherwise, it’s all music, music, music: Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Arturo Sandoval, and a tribute to the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The Kennedy Center is snubbing Broadway yet again, and theater generally. Also, there are no actors from anywhere, not even Holllywood, when so many have been on the waiting list.

Do these musicians deserve the honor? Sure, but this isn’t the Grammy Awards.

Still, with the Dead they’ll get John Mayer and maybe Bob Dylan to perform. But Jerry Garcia has been dead for years, and the Kennedy Center Honors is not about posthumous nods. If it were, think of all the people who’d be eligible.

For The Apollo, this will guarantee Gladys Knight, a lot of classic R&B stars, and they’ll throw in a non sequitur current artist as well. The Apollo is getting ready for a major fundraising campaign to renovate the beloved building, so this will help. This will also bring diversity, so it checks off a KC box.

As for Raitt and Sandoval, they are each truly deserving, although you could see it in separate years.

Coppola is certainly deserving also, for “The Godfather” movies alone. Directors are rarely honored, but I’m sure there’s been a lot of politicking given that “Megalopolis” will be in some kind of Oscar race in December. But it may also have already been a box office flop given its reviews.

Still, the Coppola segment will drag out all the remaining “Godfather” cast, no doubt, and Adam Driver, who’s the star of “Megalopolis.” There will be some nod to Coppola’s winery, which he’s borrowed against heavily for the new film.

But these choices ace out Liza Minnelli, Denzel Washington, Broadway’s Tommy Tune, and dozens more from diverse genres including elder statesmen like Bob Newhart and Alan Alda

You’re really inducting the Grateful Dead over those people? Come on.

What horses were traded, promises made, donations offered? If only the Kennedy Center could speak. It would howl.

Armie Hammer Career Ending Interview: Frank Talk About BDSM, Cheating, Carving Initials into Women’s Bodies, Says He’s Broke

Roger Friedman
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Armie Hammer Career Ending Interview: Frank Talk About BDSM, Cheating, Carving Initials into Women’s Bodies, Says He’s Broke

Armie Hammer was expelled from Hollywood two years ago after claims of sexual abuse including cannibalism.

Hammer could have tried to come back after rehab and time off by lining up a serious interview somewhere in the media. He could have gone to Diane Sawyer, Oprah, 60 Minutes, etc.

Instead, Hammer went with Bill Maher on a podcast. Rather than have a classy conversation about contrition, Hammer chose a 90 minute talk about BDSM, his sex life, and cheating. It’s a frank talk, too frank, in fact, to secure him a return to his Hollywood career.

Hammer also says he’s broke, and has no family money to fall back on. But that seems unlikely since his father — heir to the Armand Hammer fortune — died last year. Armie would split that inheritance with his father.

This interview will unlikely get cut up into clips for social media. It will be around forever.

Around the 30 minute mark you get the whole discussion of carving letters into women’s bodies. Is this common dating practice now? What if you have a long name? Does he not think his kids will see this when they’re teenagers?

Hammer has blown what could have been a pretty long career as a leading man in movies and TV. He doesn’t seem to care, so why should we? He’ll likely end up going the Mel Gibson route, appearing in D movies for foreign territories.

2024 Emmy Awards Noms: Jimmy Fallon Snubbed in Talk, Kelsey Grammer’s “Frasier” 2.0 Ignored, HBO Lowest Number Ever

Roger Friedman
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2024 Emmy Awards Noms: Jimmy Fallon Snubbed in Talk, Kelsey Grammer’s “Frasier” 2.0 Ignored, HBO Lowest Number Ever

UPDATED The 2024 Emmy nominations are out, but there are some surprising omissions. Or snubs.

In talk, Jimmy Fallon was excluded from the best shows. All his colleagues made it in, as well as The Daily Show. There are only four nominations in this category. Why isn’t he the fifth? Ridiculous.

In comedy, Kelsey Grammer’s reboot of “Frasier” was ignored. The actor, the show, all of it. The old “Frasier” couldn’t stop winning Emmys. But the first season of the new series just didn’t work.

HBO has its fewest number of noms in years. There are 91 scattered among “True Detective,” “Hacks,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “The Gilded Age,” but the grand old days of 127 (last year) nominations is over for now. The latter show, “The Gilded Age,” only yielded Best Actress in a Drama for Carrie Coon. But no Best Drama or other acting prizes except for Christine Baranski as Supporting Actress.

(Next season HBO should bounce back with “House of the Dragon” season 2 leading the way.)

Also not nominated, and he should have been: Jerry Seinfeld, for “Curb Your Enthuasiasm.” No “Curb” actors were nomination except for Larry David.

The good news: Selena Gomez was finally nominated for “Only Murders in the Building.” Much deserved!

The odd news: a strange nomination buried in the whole pack. But that’s showbiz.

Armie Hammer Career Ending Interview: Frank Talk About BDSM, Cheating, Carving Initials into Women’s Bodies, Says He’s Broke

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