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TV & Streaming

2025 Changes Are Part of a Pattern

by jummy84 August 30, 2025

written by jummy84

As of the publish time of this story, four members of Saturday Night Live’s season 50 cast aren’t returning for season 51, which is set to begin Oct. 4. The departures of Heidi Gardner, Michael Longfellow, Emil Wakim and Devon Walker make for the largest cast turnover since 2022, when eight performers left.

It’s also far from unprecedented in SNL’s history — in fact, the show has rarely gone more than a few years without a significant overhaul of its cast. Over the half-century Saturday Night Live has been airing on NBC, cast shakeups have roiled the show numerous times, with some performers leaving of their own accord and others let go for a myriad of reasons ranging from budget cuts to a desire by SNL mastermind Lorne Michaels for fresh faces and perspectives.

“The cryptic hiring protocols extend to staying hired,” writes Susan Morrison in her biography of Michaels, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. “Cast and writers are supposed to be notified by July about whether they are being asked back. (Michaels has a rule about not making big decisions in June, when he is sick of everyone, and exhausted.) That date often slips by, with people not knowing their fates until Labor Day, a month before the season premiere.”

Those changes have often led to “Can SNL survive?” headlines, particularly when long-tenured or beloved castmembers left. The answer has been “yes” every time so far (see “on the air for half a century,” above). Here are some of the bigger changes in the show’s history, most of which happened during summer hiatuses.

1980

The first major change in SNL was arguably the most significant one: After the 1979-80 season, all of the remaining original Not Ready for Prime Time Players — Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner — left along with Bill Murray, who joined the show midway through the second season. Oh, and so did series creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels, who wanted to pursue other opportunities.

In the wake of Michaels’ and the former cast’s departure, the 1980-81 season was generally a mess, with the new ensemble unfavorably compared to the previous one and executive producer Jean Doumanian fired in March 1981. Dick Ebersol, then NBC’s vp late night programming, took over after that and would run SNL for four more seasons. While Joe Piscopo and a 19-year-old Eddie Murphy (who had his first lines three episodes into the season) broke out, Gilbert Gottfried, Ann Risley and Charles Rocket were let go along with Doumanian; Denny Dillon, Gail Matthius, Murphy and Piscopo were joined by Robin Duke, Tim Kazurinsky and Tony Rosato in the main cast for one episode before a writers strike prematurely (and maybe mercifully) ended the season in April 1981.

The ‘SNL’ season 10 cast. Top: Rich Hall, Mary Gross, Christopher Guest, Jim Belushi; middle: Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Gary Kroeger; bottom: Martin Short, Pamela Stephenson.

NBC/Everett Collection

1984 Through 1986

Ebersol’s final year running SNL and Michaels’ return drove three consecutive seasons of big cast overhauls. Murphy, Piscopo, Duke, Kazurinsky and Brad Hall left or were let go after the 1983-84 season. The show’s 10th anniversary season in 1984-85 was handed mostly to a group of comedy veterans: Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Rich Hall, Harry Shearer (who left midway through the season), Martin Short and Pamela Stephenson joined returning players Jim Belushi, Mary Gross, Gary Kroeger and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Michaels returned to the show for season 11 in 1985-86 with a completely new cast. Crystal, Guest et al were out, replaced by a mostly younger ensemble of Joan Cusack, Robert Downey Jr., Nora Dunn, Anthony Michael Hall, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Randy Quaid, Terry Sweeney and Danitra Vance. Damon Wayans was a featured player for most of the season.

Despite the presence of several future stars, the season was considered a disaster — so much so that after another big shakeup the following summer, Madonna (who hosted the ’85-’86 season premiere) returned for a cold open sketch that said the previous season was all “a horrible, horrible dream.” Dunn, Lovitz, Miller and featured player A. Whitney Brown returned for season 12, joined by Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Victoria Jackson and featured player Kevin Nealon, beginning a relatively stable era on SNL.

Will Ferrell, Cheri Oteri and Jim Breuer in ‘SNL’ season 21.
NBC/Everett Collection

1995

After a few years of incremental changes, as the Carvey-Hooks-Hartman-Mike Myers core gave way to the likes of Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade and Julia Sweeney, another wholesale change came with season 21 in 1995-96. Norm Macdonald, Mark McKinney, Tim Meadows, Molly Shannon and Spade were the only returnees from season 20, and nine actors — including Sandler, Farley and Nealon — left or were fired. Jim Breuer, Will Ferrell, Darrell Hammond, David Koechner, Cheri Oteri and Nancy Walls joined the main cast, while Chris Kattan and Colin Quinn were featured players. An influx of new writers (including Adam McKay, Paula Pell, Steve Higgins and Quinn) also came aboard. After a fitful start, this group — joined by Ana Gasteyer and Tracy Morgan the following season — would form the core of the cast for the next several years.

2006

Although most of the late ‘90s cast eventually moved on, the early 2000s were mostly a “Yes, and” time at SNL, to borrow the improv term. The departures of Ferrell, Shannon, Morgan and Jimmy Fallon were offset by additions like Tina Fey (who also was head writer for several seasons), Amy Poehler, Will Forte, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph.

In 2006, though, Fey and Rachel Dratch left to work on Fey’s NBC comedy 30 Rock (Dratch was initially cast as Jenna Maroney, a role that eventually went to Jane Krakowski), and budget cuts led to Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz and Finesse Mitchell being let go. The 11-person cast for season 32 in 2006-07 was the smallest in nine years.

Colin Jost and Michael Che on ‘SNL’s’ ‘Weekend Update’
Dana Edelson/NBC; Everett Collection

2013 and 2014

In contrast to 2006, the biggest changes in season 39 made the cast larger. SNL added eight performers over the course of the season, ballooning the ensemble to 17 people. Seth Meyers left midway through the season to take over Late Night; the season’s newcomers were Beck Bennett, Colin Jost (a writer for several years before going in front of the camera), John Milhiser, Kyle Mooney, Mike O’Brien, Nöel Wells, Brooks Wheelan and Sasheer Zamata.

Not all of the changes took: Milhiser, Wells and Wheelen left after one season, and O’Brien, who had previously been a writer on the show, returned to the writers room. Nasim Pedrad also departed after season 39, and Pete Davidson, Michael Che and Leslie Jones joined the cast for season 40.

2022

After several relatively stable years and working through the worst stages of the COVID-19 pandemic (including several “SNL at Home” episodes in the spring of 2020), the last big cast shakeup before this year happened with season 48 in 2022-23. Aidy Bryant, Davidson, Kate McKinnon and Mooney all left at the end of season 47 in May 2022, and over the summer Alex Moffat, Chris Redd, Melissa Villaseñor and featured player Aristotle Athari also departed. Cecily Strong also left partway through the season. (It’s worth noting that season 47 had the largest ensemble in the show’s history, with 21 people.)

Walker, Longfellow, Molly Kearny and Marcello Hernández joined the show as featured players for season 48. Hernandez is the only member of that cohort still with the show.

August 30, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

How to get cheap SEALIFE London Aquarium tickets in 2025

by jummy84 August 30, 2025

written by jummy84

The venue is home to over 500 species of aquatic life in 14 themes zones. You can take a look at the Polar Adventure, the Coral Kingdom and the interactive rockpool.

But, if you’re worried about spending too much on your visit, we’ve got some handy tips for you. Below you can find the best London Aquarium ticket deals and offers to help you save before you book.

You can also take a look at the best Warwick Castle deals and best London Eye offers.

Jump to:

How much are London Aquarium tickets?

Merlin

Best SEALIFE ticket deals at a glance

Best SEALIFE London Aquarium ticket discounts and offers in 2025

Save £11 when you book online

Booking online for SEALIFE London starts at £28, whereas turning up on the day costs £39. That means you’d be saving £11 or 28% by booking online and in advance.

Save £11 when you book online at SEALIFE

Get 25% off Anytime Entry tickets

You can also save 25% on Anytime Entry tickets when you book online and in advance. If you turn up on the day this will cost you at least £44, while booking online will cost £36.

Get 25% off Anytime Entry tickets at SEALIFE

kids looking at a tank in SEALIFE London — Merlin

Get VR experience and drinks packages

You can book SEALIFE tickets with extra experiences and drinks packages included in the price. For instance, from £32 you can book an entry ticket with the VR Experience, which takes you on a virtual adventure through an undersea world.

Book VR experience and drinks packages at SEALIFE

Save with London multi-attraction tickets

Merlin also offers multi-attraction tickets to a wide range of London tourist hotspots. For SEALIFE, this includes the London Dungeon, London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Shrek’s Adventure. Prices for these start at £49.

Buy student tickets from £14

If you have a valid student ID or a Student Beans account, you can get a student entry ticket for just £14. That’s a whopping 50% off the lowest price.

Buy student tickets from £14 at SEALIFE

Get family entry tickets with Virgin Experience Days

Virgin Experience Days is a great way to buy your SEALIFE tickets in a bundle. For instance, you can get a voucher for two adults and two children from £119, or two adults’ entry for £62.50. The advantage of this is you’re buying a voucher, not the tickets themselves, so you can use it as a great gift idea.

Shop SEALIFE experiences at Virgin Experience Days

family looking up at a sharktank in SEALIFE London — Merlin

Get 200 days of entry to UK attractions with the Merlin Pass

The Merlin Annual Pass gives you access to some of the UK’s biggest attractions, including London attractions like SEALIFE, plus theme parks like Alton Towers and Thorpe Park.

Prices normally start at £99, although the current sale starts prices at £79 for the Discovery Pass, which gives you over 200 days’ entry to any of the attractions available. Or, you can upgrade to the Silver, Gold or Platinum passes, which give you 300, 340 and 364 days respectively, as well as extra perks like free parking and a discount on fast track vouchers.

Buy the Discovery Pass from £79 per person at Merlin Annual Pass

Save 33% on entry when you travel by train

If you book aquarium tickets through Chiltern Railways or National Rail, you can save 33% on entry. All you have to do is enter where you’re coming from and how many you’re travelling with and you can claim a discount.

Save 33% on SEALIFE when you travel by train

Save on SEALIFE London Aquarium tickets with Tesco Clubcard

You can get discounted tickets to SEALIFE London with Tesco Clubcard. It works like this: scanning your Clubcard generates points, and you can convert these points into Tesco Reward Partners vouchers. In this particular offer, you get double the vouchers’ face value to use on tickets. For example, £5 in points is £10 worth of vouchers.

What are the other SEALIFE centres in the UK?

Make sure you also check out how to get cheap Madame Tussauds tickets London and London Dungeon cheap tickets.

August 30, 2025 0 comments

Madison Iseman and Milo Callaghan in The Rainmaker

TV & Streaming

Milo Callaghan and Madison Iseman on Episode 3 Betrayal

by jummy84 August 30, 2025

written by jummy84

[Warning: The following post contains MAJOR spoilers for The Rainmaker Episode 3.]

When Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan) and Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman) first found themselves on opposing sides of the central case of The Rainmaker, they agreed not to let their professional lives mix with the personal relationship they had. Best laid plans being what they tend to be, though, that quickly went to the wayside … with some devastating consequences in this week’s new episode.

The segment finds Sarah starting to reap some of the rewards of working for the high-profile Tinley Britt headed by Leo Drummond (John Slattery), including a swanky new apartment fully furnished by the firm. She efforts to share the spoils with Rudy by buying him an expensive power suit, but that goes over like a lead balloon.

For actor Milo Callaghan, the gesture hits Rudy hardest because it’s not something he could do for himself. “A lot of the things that he struggles to speak about are things like money, influence, wealth, and power by birth. And there’s a great commentary on class throughout the show, I think,” he told TV Insider. “So when she buys him the suit, it’s another blow. He has to say out loud that he can’t afford it, and that’s a terrible thing for a guy, I think, to be saying to his girlfriend.”

Madison Iseman added that she didn’t think Sarah meant to offend him with that purchase, explaining, “There’s a world where if they weren’t put in the position that they’re put into, things could look very different. And so I do think by her giving him this suit, that’s all she knows. All she knows is how to be at the top of her game, how to look a certain way, how to present herself, how to speak. And she loves him, and she cares about him, so her giving him this suit, it’s encouragement. It’s, ‘I know your potential.’ Just meet me there.’”

The new suit is just the start of their problems, of course. It’s the old one that really causes them anguish.

During a deposition of a doctor in the Donny Ray case, Rudy reveals that he knows of the doctor’s experience with alcoholism, and Leo comments that he wonders if the man in his suit would approve of his tactic. That signals to Rudy that Sarah has told her bosses about Rudy’s late brother, which is, according to Callaghan, “a big blow” like no other. “His brother is one of the biggest driving forces of all of his decision-making, and so for her to step on that and reveal it for personal gain is, I think, unimaginable for him. It’s crushing,” the actor said.

Christopher Barr / USA Network

From there, Sarah’s confronted by Rudy’s mother — who does not appreciate it when she lies to her about Rudy being fired — and her boss. The latter questions whether Sarah really sees herself having a successful future with Rudy.

Later, the two find themselves in the same company studying for the bar exam, and the tension is palpable. When Sarah decides to celebrate after the test is done, Rudy goes home early. Things are bleak between them, and with everything that’s happened now, is there any hope?

For now, Rudy has bigger things to worry about. He gives a ride home to his battered neighbor Kelly Riker (Robyn Cara) and then finds her husband waiting for him in his apartment. Plus, his negligence lawsuit might’ve just turned into a murder case thanks to one unhinged former nurse.

The Rainmaker, Fridays, 10/9c, USA Network

August 30, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

‘King Hamlet’ Review: Oscar Isaac Documentary Charms

by jummy84 August 30, 2025

written by jummy84

There are a lot of lessons that Elvira Lind’s “King Hamlet” seems to want viewers to learn: The timeless language of Shakespeare remains a source of wisdom for those going through hard times. Life is a cycle, and the sting of watching loved ones pass away can be soothed by the joy of welcoming new babies into the world. And the opinions of critics are far less valuable than the people who pour their own blood, sweat, and tears into making art together. But even if it sets its sights on loftier ideas, there’s one point that it drives home far more than any other: even when he’s Going Through It, Oscar Isaac is incredibly handsome and charming.

Join Judy Greer and IndieWire for 'The Long Walk' on September 4 in Los Angeles

All mortals have flaws, so I find it highly unlikely that Isaac is the first truly perfect human ever to walk the Earth. But after watching this breezy documentary directed by his wife, which documents the actor as he plays Hamlet in a New York production during a year when he lost his mother and became a father, I don’t think the possibility can be ruled out. That’s to be expected from a film whose production was such a family affair, and “King Hamlet” is better understood as a feel-good collection of memories that Lind and Isaac deemed worthy of preservation than a true behind-the-scenes look at the Broadway creative process. But what the documentary might lack in rigor, it makes up for with charm and a well-intentioned message about the healing power of art.

2017 was a big year for Oscar Isaac. The Juilliard graduate and lifelong Shakespeare geek was finally getting the chance to play his dream role in a Public Theater production directed by Tony winner Sam Gold, and he was relishing every step of the creative process. But in between debates about how changing the spelling of a single word can change the meaning of an entire line, he had a lot of personal problems to juggle. His mother was dying after a long hospital stretch, and Lind was pregnant with their first child. He had spent months at his mother’s side reading passages from “Hamlet,” as a means of both creative preparation and mutual grief processing, and was now returning to New York to dive head-first into rehearsals before a grueling summer of two-shows-a-day with a new baby at home. All while to managing his mother’s affairs, consoling his grieving extended family, and occasionally flying to London for “Star Wars” reshoots.

Even while overwhelmed with the burdens of life, Isaac’s enthusiasm for Shakespeare is infectious, and there’s joy to be found in watching him process his own pain through the act of creation. He has his share of painful moments when the pressure briefly becomes too much, but watching him bond with his newborn son while running lines and having creative discussions with Gold over speakerphone is a reminder of one of life’s most bittersweet lessons: it goes on. We never forget the people we love, but darkness is eventually supposed to fade enough for us to make new happy memories. Watching Isaac and Lind navigate it all leaves you with a cosmic sense of satisfaction that things are working the way they’re supposed to.

Lind is the only person who could have possibly directed “King Hamlet,” as the film’s greatest strength is its sense of intimacy. Nobody else’s camera would have ever been welcomed into their home so frequently during the first month’s of their son’s life, and Isaac’s genuine relaxation around her gives the film a fly-on-the-wall quality that feels more like home movies (with better cinematography!) than typical documentary footage. Her pacing is perfectly elegant, allowing Isaac’s grief and joy to unfold in equal measure from the beginning of the rehearsal process through the end of the production, allocating just enough time to the darker moments without dragging the mood down for too long.

If “King Hamlet” has any legacy as a film, it will likely be as a comfort watch for Isaac’s superfans and Shakespeare devotees. It won’t be joining the canon of great nonfiction cinema, but I have no doubt that many viewers will find that watching a shirtless Oscar Isaac play with an adorable baby while quoting Shakespeare is a great use of 89 minutes.

Grade: B

“King Hamlet” premiered at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival. It is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Will Ethan Hawke Win an Oscar for Playing Lorenz Hart in Blue Moon?

by jummy84 August 30, 2025

written by jummy84

Is it time for the “Hawke” to swoop in and nab his Oscar prey?

After four Academy Award nominations spanning both acting and writing, Ethan Hawke may have found the role that finally earns him an Oscar. In Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon,” the actor delivers a searing performance as lyricist Lorenz Hart, one half of the legendary Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart.

The film premiered in February at the Berlin International Film Festival, where Hawke’s co-star Andrew Scott won the Silver Bear for best supporting performance. “Blue Moon” has since screened at the Telluride Film Festival, where Hawke received one of the festival’s Silver Medallions — a distinction that has proven to be an Oscar bellwether.

Recent Silver Medallion recipients include eventual nominees Cate Blanchett for “Tár” (2022) and Adam Driver for “Marriage Story” (2019), along with eventual winners Anthony Hopkins for “The Father” (2020), Renée Zellweger for “Judy” (2019) and Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” (2016).

Set to be released by Sony Pictures Classics, the film takes place in early 1943 — the opening night of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” — and finds Hart in the depths of depression and alcoholism. Rather than celebrating his former partner’s new success, Hart retreats to Sardi’s restaurant in Manhattan, drowning his sorrows while reflecting on his tumultuous past.

sabrina lantos

Hawke embodies Hart’s wit and vulnerability with remarkable precision, channeling the man behind classics like “Blue Moon,” “The Lady Is a Tramp” and “My Funny Valentine.” The performance captures brilliance colliding with despair, rendered with both humor and heartbreaking authenticity.

Despite decades of critical acclaim, Hawke has never won Hollywood’s top acting prize. His previous nominations include supporting actor for “Training Day” (2001) and “Boyhood” (2014), plus shared screenplay nominations for “Before Sunset” (2004) and “Before Midnight” (2013) with Linklater and Julie Delpy. His enduring partnership with Linklater — “Blue Moon” marks their ninth collaboration — has consistently produced career-defining work.

The Academy has a proven track record of rewarding actors portraying real-life musicians and performers, from Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in “Ray” (2004) to Marion Cotillard as Édith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose” (2007). However, stories about lyricists and composers remain rare, potentially making Hawke’s portrayal stand out.

Hart represents a unique figure — someone indispensable to the American songbook yet deeply fragile in his private life. This duality offers the kind of complex, transformative role that Oscar voters traditionally embrace.

The best actor race looks to be exceptionally competitive this year. Venice Film Festival alone showcased several potential contenders: George Clooney in “Jay Kelly,” Oscar Isaac in “Frankenstein,” Dwayne Johnson in “The Smashing Machine” and Jesse Plemons in “Bugonia.” Other viable candidates include Michael B. Jordan in the box office smash “Sinners,” Wagner Moura in “The Secret Agent” who won best actor at Cannes and Leonardo DiCaprio in the yet-to-be-released “One Battle After Another.”

At Telluride, Hawke also presented his music documentary “Highway 99: A Double Album,” about country legend Merle Haggard. While still seeking U.S. distribution, the project demonstrates Hawke’s versatility as both actor and filmmaker — a quality that often resonates with Academy voters.

In “Blue Moon,” Hawke delivers a turn that is both theatrical and intimate, showcasing an actor at the height of his craft. He renders Hart as a man hanging by a thread while compelling audiences to absorb every moment. In addition, if the Academy embraces Hawke’s worthy efforts, it could help right the wrong of Andrew Scott’s Oscar snub for “All of Us Strangers” (2023), which also premiered in Telluride. There are many instances of where a well-regarded leading turn in a biopic can help pull through an equally compelling supporting player, even if the film as whole isn’t garnering much traction (i.e., Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong from “The Apprentice” or Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon from “Invictus”).

With no clear frontrunner emerging in this year’s awards race, the combination of a beloved actor, a humanistic portrayal and a celebrated filmmaker like Linklater could prove irresistible to voters.

For Hawke, after years of near-misses, the stars could finally be aligning for Oscar gold.

“Blue Moon” also stars Andrew Scott, Margaret Qualley and Bobby Cannavale and is scheduled to be released on Oct. 17.

See all Academy Award predictions

Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars

August 30, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Questlove’s ‘Aristocats’ Live-Action Adaptation Scrapped At Disney

by jummy84 August 30, 2025

written by jummy84

Ahmir Thompson, known as Questlove, has shared an update on the live-action hybrid adaptation of The Aristocats he was set to direct at Disney, and it’s not good news.

The musician recently revealed in a podcast that the remake of the Disney classic had been scrapped and it wasn’t happening anymore but hoped that it could in the future.

“Once Disney had their third president, usually when a new administration comes in, no matter what — they’re going to reshuffle,” he said on Score: The Podcast recently.

Questlove noted that it was “the third time in which a new administration came in” and explained his vision for The Aristocats adaptation. He said that he had presented “some of the music examples” and some of the teammates who would be working with him.

“Then they had another administration shuffle,” he added. “And then it was like, ‘OK, well, alright.”

Questlove said that “by the third time, I was just like, ‘Maybe this isn’t meant for me.’”

Since The Aristocats was not moving forward, Questlove opted to explore other options and steer clear of the Disney remake.

“I would have loved to have done that project, but there’s like 20 others that I can get to,” he said. “What I don’t do is I don’t make announcements until it’s ready but there’s literally four other films. I’ll be working til 2029-2030. So, just wasn’t meant to happen. Maybe it will happen in the future.”

Deadline reported in 2023 that Questlove would make his feature film directorial debut in a live-action/hybrid remake of The Aristocats, where he would also executive produce and oversee the music for the film. Attached to the script was Will Gluck and Keith Bunin. Tarik Trotter, Shawn Gee, and Zarah Zohlman would have exec produced on behalf of Two One Five Entertainment, and Gluck and his production company, Olive Bridge, were set to produce along with Thompson’s Two One Five.

The Aristocats is a 1970 animated film by Disney about a family of Parisian felines who learn they are set to inherit a fortune from their owner. When the owner’s jealous butler kidnaps them and leaves them in the country, they must team up with a smooth-talking tomcat to try to make it back home before it’s too late.

August 30, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Abbott Elementary Films Episode During Phillies Game

by jummy84 August 29, 2025

written by jummy84

Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson and her sitcom cast were on hand at a Philadelphia Phillies game on Thursday night to shoot a season five bottle episode during the live event.

Their presence at Citizens Bank Park was marked on the Instagram page for the Philadelphia Phillies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic. A bottle episode is usually done to save on production costs. But Brunson, who comes from west Philadelphia and plays Janine Teagues on the ABC workplace sitcom, first teased a live event filming for the series in July at San Diego Comic Con.

“You can expect us to be filming at a live event,” a coy Brunson hinted at the time, before adding, “but I do think that Philly sports fans will be very happy.” Then Thursday night, with the Phillies playing the Atlanta Braves, Brunson and her fellow West Philly Abbot Elementary teachers were on hand, in the stands and on the field for a group photo, to shoot the anticipated episode.

Brunson, a two-time Emmy winner, wore a Phillies jersey as the single-camera comedy about a small group of teachers at a chronically underfunded public school left a studio audience behind to film at the sporting event. The bottle episode shoot had the blessing of MLB Studios, Major League Baseball’s in-house studio.

“As big fans of the series, MLB Studios initiated outreach to Warner Bros. and subsequently the Phillies to get the shooting process started. Collaboration between MLB Studios, the Phillies and the show commenced to shoot a bottle episode on-location at a Phillies game, with a goal of ensuring authenticity and access to the field,” a statement from MLB Studios obtained by The Hollywood Reporter says.

Abbott Elementary, for which Brunson also serves as creator and executive producer, wrapped up its fourth season by nabbing six Emmy nominations, including best comedy and best writing for a comedy series, which Brunson won for the series’ pilot episode in 2022.

August 29, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

After the Hunt review: Julia Roberts academia drama doesn’t make the grade

by jummy84 August 29, 2025

written by jummy84

At the outset, she and her husband Fredrik (Michael Stuhlbarg) are hosting drinks. Maggie, who is gay and in a relationship, is escorted home by Hank. But before long, she is back on Alma’s doorstep, sobbing. She explains: Hank came up for a drink, while Maggie’s partner was absent. They kissed, but it went further than she wanted. “He assaulted me,” she says. But did he?

When Alma confronts Hank, he claims it all stems from a discovery he made about Maggie, that she plagiarised her dissertation. With her parents billionaire donors to the university, Maggie comes from a background of wealth and entitlement. That she is also Black adds to the complex dynamic, with Maggie operating in a world largely dominated by straight white cis men.

As tempers flare, Maggie decides to press charges against Hank, while Alma tries to steer clear, fearful of her own position. Scripted by actress Nora Garrett, making her debut as a screenwriter here, what follows is a battle of wills. Suffering from an illness that’s causing her to vomit, Alma starts to unravel as relations between her and Maggie morphs into something more pernicious.

Directing this is Luca Guadagnino, the Italian filmmaker behind the more plainly enjoyable Call Me by Your Name (which featured Stuhlbarg) and Challengers. But After the Hunt feels like a muddled film that gets away from him, too often filled with characters mired in academic debates about morals and ethics that will likely go over most viewers’ heads, unless you happen to be a philosophy graduate.

Bizarrely, the film also starts exactly like a Woody Allen film: the jazzy score, over black-and-white titles, with the cast listed in alphabetical order, a tradition that Allen employed for years across his canon. Is it an homage to Allen? Or a subtle nod to the personal issues that have blighted his life in later years? According to Guadagnino, it could be a bit of both.

It’s not the only time the director borrows from other, better works. Todd Field’s cancel culture tale Tár, set in the similarly cloistered world of classical music, tackled the subject with much greater complexity. And then, Justine Triet’s Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall, with its prickly use of loud music interrupting a conversation, gets a nod, in a grating dinner scene involving Maggie, Fredrik and Alma.

With a whiny score by the usually on-point Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, at least it has Julia Roberts in full swing. The actress relishes shouldering such a wannabe watercooler film, and there’s something pleasurable in watching her character gradually lose it (including her shocking abuse of Maggie’s non-binary partner). But this isn’t an easy film to digest, perhaps because it’s filled with “privileged, coddled hypocrites”, as one person says. Still, as a portrait set on the frontlines of ‘woke-dom’, it gives a hornets’ nest a real kicking.

After the Hunt arrives in UK cinemas on 20th October 2025.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

August 29, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Katie Lee Biegel Dishes on New Hallmark Movie

by jummy84 August 29, 2025

written by jummy84

Is there anything Katie Lee Biegel can’t do? The Kitchen cohost is a chef, author, TV personality, and now screenwriter. Biegel makes her screenwriting debut with Hallmark’s new romance Catch of the Day.

The film follows Sophie (Emilie Ullerup), who is on the cusp of becoming an executive chef in New York, as she returns home to help her family’s restaurant. What she doesn’t expect is her old crush, Cam (Michael Rady), to come back into her life and make her question everything.

August 29, 2025 0 comments

TV & Streaming

Sales So Far Out of Venice, TIFF, and Telluride

by jummy84 August 29, 2025

written by jummy84

While Venice and TIFF (at least this year) don’t have dedicated film markets for packages, there are still plenty of indies debuting at the festival that will have theatrical prowess or awards potential for the right buyer.

At the start of the fall film festival season, we identified 15 films that we believe could sell and tried to match them to their perfect distributors. See what else sells and how many we got right below, and on the next page, check out a full scorecard of every film acquired so far and those that came into the fests with distributors already in place.

Both the below and the final scorecard on the next page will be updated as sales come in.

AFTER THE HUNT, Julia Roberts, 2025. ph: Yannis Drakoulidis /© Amazon MGM Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

“Ghost Elephants”
Distributor: Nat Geo
Director: Werner Herzog
Festival: Venice Out of Competition
The latest introspective doc from the German master Werner Herzog is about elephants in the “mist-covered highlands of Angola.” Specifically Herzog is fascinated with the elusive “ghost elephants of Lisima,” potential living descendants of the largest land mammal ever recorded, whom Nat Geo’s own Steve Boyes is determined to prove actually exist.

The film netted Herzog a lifetime achievement award from Venice this year for the film that he directed, wrote, and narrated, and Nat Geo is planning a theatrical release for “Ghost Elephants” prior to it launching on Disney+ and Hulu in 2026.

“Man on the Run”
Distributor: Amazon MGM
Director: Morgan Neville
Festival: Telluride
Though there’s no shortage of Beatles documentaries, this one about Paul McCartney follows Macca after he broke up from The Beatles and how he reinvented himself into the world’s biggest pop star yet again. Any Beatles-head like yours truly will tell you that it didn’t always go well early on and McCartney was arguably in third place behind John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” triple album full of under-appreciated bangers.

The film will be released theatrically before landing on Prime Video on February 25, and the documentary’s release will coincide with a new book by McCartney, “Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run,” releasing November 4, as well as with McCartney’s Got Back tour dates across North America.

“Palestine 36”
Distributor: Watermelon Pictures
Director: Annemarie Jacir
Festival: TIFF Gala Presentations
Director Annemarie Jacir’s period historical drama about the occupation of Mandatory Palestine by the British is the filmmaker’s fourth film that will be submitted to the Best International Feature race at the Oscars by Palestine, and it’s also the first Arab film to land in the Gala section at TIFF.

“Scarlet”
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Festival: Venice Out of Competition
The anime feature from the director of “Mirai” is described as a time-bending adventure about a medieval warrior princess fighting to avenge the death of her father. SPC is releasing it for an awards-qualifying run at the end of 2025 followed by a wider release in early 2026.

Continue Reading: Sales So Far Out of Venice, TIFF, and Telluride: Amazon MGM Lands Paul McCartney Doc ‘Man on the Run,’ Nat Geo Buys Werner Herzog’s ‘Ghost Elephants’
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August 29, 2025 0 comments

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