Movies/TV category, Page 39
Pittsburgh’s JFilm Festival to kick off with documentary on pianist John BaylessVideo
A documentary opening this year’s Pittsburgh JFilm Festival chronicles a brilliant musician’s triumph over adversity. “Left Alone Rhapsody: The Musical Memoir of Pianist John Bayless” is a documentary about the world-renowned pianist and composer who suffered a stroke at 54 that caused the loss of the use of his dominant...
TV Q&A: Are local channels faking when they toss to a network anchor?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Why do local TV news affiliates make it seem as though when they are running news feeds from their respective networks they are live and...
After a strong 1st round, overall NFL draft ratings down 3% from last year
NEW YORK — After posting strong numbers for the first round, viewership for the NFL draft was down 3% from last year on TV and digital platforms. The draft averaged 5.74 million viewers for the three days this year across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network after averaging 5.93 million...
Jason Kelce will join ESPN and be part of ‘Monday Night Football’ pregame show
Jason Kelce will join ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” after retiring from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity on Monday because it was not expected to be announced...
TV Talk: SportsNet Pittsburgh available as subscription streaming app; WPXI back on DISHVideo
Pirates and Penguins fans frustrated with Comcast and Verizon moving the teams’ cable TV home, SportsNet Pittsburgh, to often more expensive tiers, take note: The cable channel is available as a direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service app similar to Netflix or Disney+. The SportsNet Pittsburgh app, called SNP 360, has a...
French media: Actor Gérard Depardieu is in custody for questioning on sexual assault allegations
PARIS — French media are reporting that actor Gérard Depardieu is in police custody for questioning about allegations made by two women that he sexually assaulted them on movie sets. Broadcaster BFMTV and the daily Le Parisien reported that the 75-year-old actor was summoned Monday morning by Paris police and...
TV Talk: ‘Dance Moms: The Reunion’ offers closure for stars who share ‘trauma bond’Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Forget the revelations in “Dance Moms: The Reunion” (8-10 p.m. Wednesday, Lifetime) — who shows up, who skips it, which dancer is dating a woman (and it’s not openly queer Jojo Siwa). The biggest shock...
Q&A: Jerry Seinfeld’s commitment to the bit, ‘Unfrosted’ movie and moreVideo
NEW YORK — Jerry Seinfeld has been responsible for more movies than you think. Yes, he co-wrote and lent his voice to 2007’s “Bee Movie.” But before that, “Seinfeld” — where going to the movies, with or without the aid of Moviefone, was nearly as regular a destination as the...
TV Talk: WTAE’s new news director looks ahead; Very Local’s Pittsburgh ‘Sports Town Stories’Video
It’s still late April, but the May sweeps ratings period began this week for local TV stations. While sweeps is not as significant as it once was, stations still aim to air some special reports during sweeps periods. May sweeps, which this year runs through May 22, marks the first...
New Kensington building appearing in Kevin Smith movie ‘Dogma’ turned into rental home
Yes, it has central air. And as many a demon might say, there is “No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater than central air.” Those who recognize that quote from Jason Lee’s character, Azrael, in the 1999 Kevin Smith movie “Dogma” might be among those most interested in knowing...
TV Q&A: Will ‘Yellowstone’ ever return with new episodes?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Any updates on “Yellowstone”? — Tom, North Versailles Rob: Paramount Network claimed the final season of the original series would air beginning in November 2024...
TV Talk: How past series inspired Quinta Brunson’s ‘Abbott Elementary’Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip. BURBANK, Calif. – There are many qualities to admire about “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson, but the one that jumps out for me most often is her genuine love of and appreciation for television. Viewers might think...
TV Talk: W.Pa.’s Sprankle family competes on ‘Family Feud’
Western Pennsylvania’s Sprankle family made the trip to Atlanta in May to tape an episode of “Family Feud” that’s expected to air at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, on WPKD-TV, Channel 19. They’re inviting the community to join the celebration under a tent at the Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company Carnival...
TV Talk: Emily Giangreco exits WTAE
Emily Giangreco, who joined WTAE as a sports reporter/anchor in the summer of 2022 from a station in Austin, Texas, left her job working for the station Wednesday in what she characterized as a mutual decision. “I’m not really at liberty to discuss leaving WTAE right now,” she said by...
Long-lost first USS Enterprise model returned to ‘Star Trek’ creator Gene Roddenberry’s son
DALLAS — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing. The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject...
TV Talk: Locally made thriller ‘Godless Children’ to stream; ‘The Jinx’ re-animates Durst’s trialVideo
For their first indie feature film, “Godless Children,” co-writers Kathleen Regan and Simon Barracchini opted for a story that starts like a Lifetime movie and ends, well, in a different genre altogether (no spoilers here). “We call it a dramatic thriller,” Regan said. “In Hollywood, you have to have two...
TV Q&A: Did SportsNet Pittsburgh move to a more expensive tier on Verizon’s FiOS TV?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Verizon’s FiOS TV has apparently removed SportsNet Pittsburgh, the MLB Network and perhaps a couple of other channels from its lower-priced packages. (Full disclosure: I...
Heinz launches new limited Barbiecue sauce
Heinz and Barbie lovers in Europe are in luck: a limited edition pink vegan mayo with BBQ sauce was launched to celebrate Barbie’s 65th anniversary. Mattel and Heinz have unveiled the new Heinz Classic Barbiecue Sauce. It will be available in the U.K. and Spain initially, and it may be...
TV Talk: CBS starts a fire of controversy cutting off Billy Joel, reschedules show
After promoting “Billy Joel: The 100th at Madison Square Garden – The Greatest Arena Run of All Time” for weeks, CBS blundered nationally by cutting off the program mid-“Piano Man” to go to late local newscasts. CBS released a statement saying, “A network programming timing error ended last night’s Billy...
Gun supervisor for ‘Rust’ movie gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on setVideo
SANTA FE, N.M. — A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” during a hearing Monday in which tearful family members and friends gave testimonials that included calls for...
Divisive? Not for moviegoers. ‘Civil War’ declares victory at box office.Video
Alex Garland’s provocative “ Civil War ” didn’t only ignite the discourse. The film also inspired audiences to go to the cinemas this weekend where it surpassed expectations and earned $25.7 million in ticket sales in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. It’s the biggest R-rated opening of the...
Robert MacNeil, creator and first anchor of PBS ‘NewsHour’ nightly newscast, dies at 93
NEW YORK — Robert MacNeil, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died on Friday. He was 93. MacNeil died of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to his daughter,...
Lifetime to air documentary on Nicole Brown Simpson following O.J.’s death
Lifetime is moving ahead with its previous plans to air a documentary on Nicole Brown Simpson, following the death of her ex-husband, O.J. Simpson. The cable network — which recently scored strong ratings with its “Where Is Wendy Williams?” documentary — will reportedly broadcast a two-night event titled “The Life...
TV Talk: Katherine Amenta out at WPXI-TV
After anchoring this morning’s newscasts, Katherine Amenta is no longer with WPXI-TV. Her contract is up in July and was not renewed, possibly due to budget cuts. Amenta could not be reached for comment; WPXI news director Scott Trabandt did not respond to queries but confirmed her departure in an...
TV Talk: Creator imagines ‘Dinner with the Parents’ set in Squirrel HillVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Although it’s never said exactly where the new Amazon Freevee streaming comedy series “Dinner With the Parents” takes place, feel free to assume it’s Squirrel Hill, where series creator Jon Beckerman grew up. While the...
