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The Super Bowl was so super that it killed off HBO’s Sunday night ratings.
Both “True Detective: North Country” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” were down by 60% from the previous week because everyone in the world was tuned to CBS.
HBO knew trouble was coming. They released “True Detective” on Friday, but it didn’thelp. The key demo was down by 63.6%, the total viewers — 371,000 — was off by 48%.
The cabler obviously expected the Chiefs-49ers to be over quickly. But it went into overtime and extended into the 10pm hour. This harmed “Curb” tremendously. The Larry David show was down 60% and 39% respectively, with total viewers at just 257,000.
Why HBO just didn’t rerun old shows and wait a week is a good question. But maybe fans of the shows will catch up before this Sunday’s run. “Curb” improved a little this past week (I watched it after the game), but let’s get the characters out of Atlanta. They’re trying to prove a point. “Curb” is not about that. As Larry used to say about “Seinfeld,” we learn nothing from each episode.
There are some people who want China’s social media company, TikTok, to be outlawed — at least for impressionable viewers.
Not Anna Wintour or the Metropolitan Museum. They announced today that TikTok would be sponsoring the next Met Ball in May. The meaning: What used to be a haute couture, high fashion money loser has devolved into a Halloween party available to the highest bidder.
And the celebrities involved this year guarantee a Halloween for the ages: Bad Bunny. Jennifer Lopez, Thor aka Chris Hemsworth, and “Dune” star Zendaya. (Anna Wintour must love “Dune.” Timothee Chalamet was her celeb guest from the first “Dune.”) TikTok CEO Shou Chew, often grilled by Congress over the social platform’s potential harm to children, and the creative director of excessively overpriced Loewe, will preside over the activities. Expect Kardashians, and maybe even Kanye West in a hooded jumper with his naked wife.
The theme is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”
Notably not mentioned as sponsor is Conde Nast, over which Wintour presides. They’ve laid off hundreds of staff in the last year, and changed course several times. If they donated money to this chicanery, there would be at least some outcry from the media.
Every year the Met Ball spends lavishly, loses lots of money, but gets massive attention for its lunacy.
What a Valentine’s night in New York for Oscar nominated Bradley Cooper and his spectacular “Maestro.”
Somehow all the talk about “Oppenheimer” and other nominated films has dominated the Oscar conversation this season, leaving this extraordinary work about Leonard and Felicia Bernstein off to the side.
But tonight a large portion of the NY Philharmonic played selections at David Geffen Hall in New York from the “Maestro” soundtrack, conducted by the Metropolitan Opera’s superstar Yannick Nezet-Seguin in a sublime presentation that mixed audio and video clips from the film. There were also top notch live performances from a 50 member chorus, top star soloists, and even Oscar nominated “Maestro” actress Carey Mulligan.
A dashing Cooper appeared in black tie and made some introductions explaining that the event was put together very quickly — by Netflix publicist Kelly Dalton— to promote “Maestro” but also as a salute to Bernstein’s three adult children, who were all in attendance. (The movie wouldn’t have happened without them turning over their father’s papers and files to Cooper.) So were noted bold faced names like Matthew Modine, Candice Bergen, Ellen Burstyn, Spike Lee, Victor Garber, Chris Meloni, Tovah Feldshuh, Hope Davis, Celia Weston, and more.
Geffen Hall, still shining a year after its opening, was the right place for this: Bernstein lived in his life in this building when it was Philharmonic Hall. The sound now is even richer and more alive, something Bernstein would have appreciated. He’d also have appreciated Cooper’s meticulous tribute to him. Nezet-Seguin sure does. He worked with Cooper for years on this project. At a conversation on stage after the 90 minute show, the conductor told Cooper: “You are a hero to all musicians.” Why? Because classical musicians are not treated like Beyonce or Taylor Swift. But Cooper made them feel that way.
This was not an easy program to put together overnight. The orchestra played pieces by Beethoven, Schumann, Mahler, and W.C. Handy, plus selections from “West Side Story,” “Candide,” “On the Town.” They also delivered Bernstein’s own classical compositions as heard in the film. Interspersed were the clips, which helped set up the orchestra. There is nothing like live symphonic music. You could feel the audience levitating.
And then there was the surprise of Mulligan and actor Zachary Booth recreating their comic patter of William Walton’s “Sir Beelzebub” from “Maestro” in character as Felicia Montealegre- Bernstein and Mendy Wager. They were sugary Floating Islands meeting Noel Coward, and the audience went wild. Booth is very talented. Mulligan is awe inspiring. What can’t she do?
Revealed in that three way conversation at the end, in fact, was that Mulligan didn’t know much about Bernstein or his world when she joined the project years ago. She’s a quick study. She just jumped in soaked it all up. As for Cooper, “Maestro” is a towering achievement. Nezet-Seguin wondered aloud how Cooper could have created, directed, and starred in this movie. (Isn’t this what happened to Orson Welles in his day?)
Kudos to all the vocal soloists involved tonight including Nick Blaemire, Mallory Portnoy, Kate Eastman, 14 year old show stealer Malaki Bayoh, Ann De Renais, Samuel Oladeinde, and Philip John Sheffield. Blair McMillan was featured keyboardist.
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A lot has been made of the cover of the March 2024 issue of British Vogue saluting “Legends” and representing the final issue created by editor in chief Edward Enninful.
The cover is full of stars — labeled “Legends — including Jane Fonda, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Cynthia Erivo and so on. Fonda’s gorgeous gray hair is the stand out.
But something is off.
Inside, Enninful has included an editor’s letter. But the letter is very curious. It omits any mention of Anna Wintour. who reportedly pushed Enninful out for being too good at his job.
Enninful writes: “Having the right team made it all possible. If you’re on a mission, nothing is more important than those around you and I truly rode a wave of the best. Genius Vogue writers and editors, phenomenal stylists, amazing photographers and directors, incredible hair, make-up, nail and set designers, charming talent bookers, indefatigable producers, video and social media teams, to say nothing of our thrilling list of contributors and art and photography departments who steered it all into life. They are the people who made it happen and I will miss them all.”
But no Anna.
Enninful has always been a thorn in Wintour’s side. His issues are often so much more interesting and creative than her American ones, much is written about him. You can be too good at your job, you know!
When Enninful announced he was leaving, I was a little surprised because he’d told me just a year ago that he had no thought of making an exit. Obviously, someone had other plans for him.
The best way to get someone back in public? Ignore them! Wintour’s absence from Enninful’s letter speaks volumes.
UPDATE
Stop the presses — the British presses. I’m told the UK papers like the Daily Mail are WRONG!!!!!
Is Downton Abbey returning? Maybe, as a movie, but not as a TV series.
No no no says my insiders. “A third movie is being developed.” No series. Go that?
That’s my EXCLUSIVE. A movie makes more sense anyway.
When the second movie ended, Branson got married to a Crawley cousin and is now in position to run the dynasty. Lady Mary was trying to find her wayward second husband (Matthew Goode), and Maggie Smith bowed out as the grouchy, fun Dowager Countess.
A few years have passed. When the movie ended it was 1925. “Downton” moves so slowly they could certainly plod on to 1929 when the stock market crashes and the Crawley’s fortunes will change. But four years in “Downton” time could be seven seasons!
Will all the actors return? Well, not Smith. But everyone else is available and no doubt ready. Only Imelda Staunton, who played Lady Bagshaw, might be tricky since she’s going to star in “Hello, Dolly!” in the West End. But considering that she’s married in real life to Carson (Jim Carter) she could be persuaded to succeed Smith as a nosy mother-in-law. Penelope Wilton’s Isobel needs someone to trade barbs with.
“Downton” is also full of second generation Crawleys just waiting to get in trouble. So Julian Fellowes has a lot to work with.
Her new singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages ” are number 1 and 2 across the globe. She’s got iTunes in the palm of her hand. The album, “Act II,” coming next month, will be a smash hit.
Beyonce’s turn to country music is not new for R&B stars. Ray Charles was HUGE in country. Charley Pride was a king of country music. The real selling point of ‘Act II” could be Beyonce applying her silky voice to solid songs sung well.
The Queen Bey is not the only artist to go country. Lana Del Rey — who looked like a kidnap victim in Taylor Swift’s posse this past weekend — has made the move, too. She’s got a new country album coming soon. Lana previewed it in December with a cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads.”
In the meantime, Lana just dropped a cover of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” from a new movie I know nothing about called “The New Look.” This girl can sainnng! But someone rescue her from Taylor land, please!
Marvel has just confirmed an open secret in comic book land. We now have the names of the latest group of actors to tackle this mighty assignment.
Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon-Moss Bacharach, and have agreed to to the assignment.
They will play Reed Richards, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman,Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/the Thing.
This quadrangle succeeds the casts of the four previous movies from 1994, 2005, 2007, and 2015.
Pascal, who’s blazing hot these days, actually takes the role from John Krasinski. The latter’s appearance as Reed Richards in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” was just a one off thing. Unless, of course, Krasinski turns up in a multiverse version of this new film.
And wow — Joseph Quinn’s run in “Stranger Things” has certainly ignited his career. He was just announced as part of the cast in a new thriller directed by novelist Bret Easton Ellis. And Ebon Moss Bacharach just won a Critics Choice Award and an Emmy Award for “The Bear.” Kirby went straight from “The Crown” to “Mission Impossible.” They’ll be an impressive group!
“Only Murders in the Building” co-creator John Hoffman told me that “everyone will be coming back” for season 4. I had already reported that Nathan Lane was returning after taking season 3 off. Hoffman confirmed that, plus the whole gang. Hoffman gestured to Meryl Streep at their table. “You’re coming back?” I asked La Streep. She nodded in assent.
I’m sorry, I thought I told you that news.
Now TVLine is reporting that the show will move to Los Angeles just to shake things up. Will Mabel, Charles, and Oliver solve a murder mystery in Tinseltown? Will they all live in the same building? (There are several stories choices to choose from, “haunted” and so on. Maybe they could move into Chateau Marmont!)
Since Hoffman said “everyone” very emphatically, that means Mabel’s (Selena Gomez) boyfriend, Tobert, will return, played by Jesse Wiliams, as well Meryl’s son, Dickie, played Jeremy Shamos. And maybe Andrea Martin as Charles’s girlfriend, Joy.
Celebrities always discover unknown relatives on PBS’s “Finding Your Roots.”
Tonight, Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks got a shock when she was told Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown is her cousin — 12th cousin, something like that. But the talent and kindness of these two people isn’t all that connects them.
Henry Louis Gates’s pieces on roots and ancestry are mostly comprehensive. But with Dionne Warwick, her piece was really weird. The show completely omitted Dionne’s relationship to Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston. I was a little shocked. Dionne’s mother and Cissy Houston were sisters. Also omitted was Dionne’s famous singing sister, Dee Dee Warwick. Was it intentional?
Dionne’s story was otherwise fascinating, and so was her reaction. The great singer, as she says, is a strong survivor. Her ancestors were slaves, but as Dionne says, they were afraid of nothing. It’s carried on into her own immediate family. Dionne is a remarkable lady. But leaving out Whitney, Cissy, and Dee Dee — bizarre.
So Danielle — nominated for “The Color Purple” — and Sterling — nominated for “American Fiction” — are cousins. She says on the show that they met once and what she liked about him was he reacted to a surprise by exclaiming “Jiminy Christmas!” and not by “cussing.” That registered with Danielle. Sterling has a lot of soul.
Katy Perry sort of said this is her last season on “American Idol.” She’s been there seven years.
Is this really the end? Or is Katy just negotiating in public? She says she’s performing at Rock in Rio in September, and maybe she has a new album.
But Katy’s recording career has been on the slide since she began her “Idol” stint. She hasn’t had a hit record in a long time, and a lot of her record buying audience has moved on. It’s not so easy to break a new album after a long time out. She can still do tours and sing her hits, but at 39 she’s got a good gig on “Idol.” I wouldn’t think she’d give it up so fast.
Again, Katy hasn’t had a release since 2020, and that was “Daisies.” Ironically. that song’s writer, Michael Pollack, wrote Miley Cyrus’s big hits “Flowers” and “Used to Be Young.” Maybe she can get him to write a new album now.
