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The Peabody Awards, aka the Pulitzers of broadcasting, now accept submissions from direct-to-consumer platforms. That’s a welcome addition to the brave new world.
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Nancylee Myatt, a television writer and producer who created NBC’s teen sitcom”Social Studies” and won a Daytime Emmy Award for her writing on the animated series “Teacher’s Pet,” died on Sept. 23 in Basel, Switzerland. She was 68. Her death was confirmed by her wife, Paige Williams Bernhardt.
Myatt was diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in 2021, a condition that ran in her family. The disease progressed to Alzheimer’s dementia in 2023. Myatt elected to “end her life peacefully and with dignity,” per a statement from Bernhardt.
Myatt was born in 1957 and was a card-carrying member of the Cherokee tribe in Oklahoma. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine and acted on stage and in commercials as she began her career as a playwright. She penned the Los Angeles-produced plays “Two on the Aisle for Murder,” “Slumber Party,” “Afterlife,” “Nothing So Simple as Love” and “Wet Paint” before graduating from the Warner Bros.’ writers workshop in 1990 and turning to television.
As a mentee of Norman Lear, Myatt was the only female staff writer on the early-’90s sitcom “The Powers That Be.” She later wrote on the last two seasons of “Night Court,” including the show’s finale. She was a writer and producer on CBS’s “The Five Mrs. Buchanans” and Fox’s “Living Single.”
Myatt created and produced the short-lived sitcom “Social Studies,” which premiered in 1997 and hailed from Dolly Parton’s Sandollar Productions. Her other TV writing credits include episodes of “Recess,” “Lloyd in Space” and “Teacher’s Pet” for Disney TV Animation and ABC, “Trackers” for Sony TV and the pilot for “Nikki & Nora,” which went unaired but later leaked and inspired the webseries “The N&N Files.”
She also wrote TV adaptations of the teen novels “Annie on My Mind” and “A Time for Dancing” and served as the showrunner, co-executive producer, writer and director on “South of Nowhere.” Her other TV producing credits include “Life with Roger,” “Cleghorne!,” “Muddling Through” and “South of Nowhere.” Later in life, she was co-writing a teen pilot called “Cupidity” with Ralph Maccio.
Myatt is survived by her wife and writing partner, Paige Williams Bernhardt, and friends and family. Donations can be made in Myatt’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association Louisiana Chapter or the National Spay Alliance Foundation(NSAF Savannah).
After last week’s rather awkward tribute to TikTok, Dancing with the Stars returned to familiar ground Tuesday with its popular Disney Night. After a Mandy Moore-choreographed opener to “Be My Guest,” the duos opened their rehearsal packages with corny stand-ups from Disneyland to help celebrate the park’s 70th year in Anaheim.
But if you really want to talk about the Happiest Place on Earth right now, it’s gotta be the DWTS ballroom. The ABC show once again shattered voting records last week, much to the despair of poor Lauren Jauregui who unexpectedly got the boot. Most viewers thought it was Andy Richter’s time to go, but the Fifth Harmony crooner went home, instead.
Is it Richter’s turn tonight?
Comedian Andy Richter with partner Emma Slater. Richter was the cook to Slater’s rat for their unremarkable Viennese waltz to a tune from Ratatouille. It was far from a chef’s kiss but Richter is downright adorable when owning his mediocrity. “Andy, you produce such memorable moments,” said Carrie Ann Inaba. “We are, though, at week 4 … we’re gonna be looking for more content. I want you to challenge yourself more.” SCORE: 18 out of 30
Danielle Fishel (Boy Meets World) with Pasha Pashkov. Fishel vowed to go all out this week with her Jungle Book themed-quickstep to “I Wanna Be Like You,” but she still got dinged by Bruno Tonioli for failing to keep the beat. “Once you went into the quickstep was very very good but you were off timing, my darling,” he said. SCORE: 21 out of 30
Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying with Rylee Arnold. Hoying feels like he has finally “broken out of his shell” but his slightly-better-than-average salsa didn’t quite have the same wow factor as last week’s jazz performance. Making matters worse, he had to do it to “Bop to the Top” from High School Musical, which is about as Cuban as the white-bread characters who performed it in the 2006 TV movie. The judges cut him a break, though. “That’s what happens with the confidence kicks in,” said Inaba. “You razzle-dazzled with that salsa.” SCORE: 21 out of 30
ANDY RICHTER, EMMA SLATER (Disneyland Resort, Sean Teegarden)
Wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin with Witney Carson. Irwin has a funny habit of either mouthing words or chewing on air when dancing, but that’s small note for his otherwise splendid cha cha to the way-too-slow “Try Everything” from Zootopia. “You just have that Irwin aura,” said Derek Hough. “You can’t help but smile when watching you perform. Your upper half is so strong.” SCORE: 22 out of 30
Author and influencer Hilaria Baldwin and Gleb Savchenko. Baldwin’s quickstep to the cantina song from Star Wars was out of this world! Hough argued that her “quickstep” needed more quickstep but his fellow judges disagreed. So did I. “Princess Leia, the force is still with you,” said Tonioli, in reference to her Carrie Fisher-inspired costume. “Whatever you did, worked. I actually watched very, very closely what you did tonight, really analyzing. I was looking for something wrong. I didn’t see it.” SCORE: 23 out of 30
Jen Affleck (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) with Jan Ravnik. The Mormon mama closed the show with an acrobat-filled jazz routine to a song from Aladdin that truly embodied the Disney theme. And Ravnik makes a terrific genie! Oddly, Inaba wasn’t blown away. “You are living the Disney dream right now. Great performance,” she said. “But something about it didn’t set me over the top. Boo me! I think you need to make it a little more challenging as we move forward.” SCORE: 23 out 30
Reality TV star Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach. Efron’s perky quickstep to the Cars song “Life is a Highway” kept him in the judges’ good graces, who clearly appreciate his good looks and week-to-week growth. “Dylan McQueen, the quickstep king!” said Hough. “So impressed with that left arm, you were keeping that strong all the way through.” SCORE: 23 out of 30
Social media personality Alix Earle with Val Chmerkovskiy. Bravo to Chmerkovskiy, who offered a fresh take on the Cinderella classic “One Upon a Dream” by having Earle dress as Maleficent for their dark and evocative Viennese waltz. “Alix, that was mesmerizing,” said Hough. “It was magical, it was spellbinding … I disagree with Carrie Ann last week. This was your best dance.” SCORE: 24 out of 30
Actor Elaine Hendrix with Alan Bersten. Poor Bersten had his work cut out for him this week, having to choreograph a killer quickstep to the theme song from …. Space Mountain?! But Bersten and the stage managers (who trotted out some bitchen lasers) gave Hendrix the ride of her life. “That was a complicated routine,” said Hough. “You didn’t miss a beat.” SCORE: 24 out of 30
Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles with Ezra Sosa. The gymnast’s quickstep to a spirited tune from The Princess and the Frog had the judges raving about her natural ballroom ability. “This kind of dance is why people love Disney night. You brought it to life. When you dance it’s fun, it’s animated but it’s also authentic.” SCORE: 24 out of 30
MARK BALLAS, WHITNEY LEAVITT (Disney/Christopher Willard)
Whitney Leavitt (The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives) with Mark Ballas. Look who just became the frontrunner! The duo’s foxtrot to “Room Where it Happens” From Hamilton was an absolute stunner and deserved to close the show (sorry, Affleck). “There is traditional foxtrot and then there is Mark’s foxtrot,” said Inaba. “While I was watching, my lip was quivering. It was so good. The precision, the technicality, the painting of that picture was incredible. Insane.” SCORE: 25 out of 30
Host Alfonso Ribeiro began the eliminations by announcing how the show just exceeded 40 million votes. Yowza!
Bottom three were Richter, Baldwin and Fishel. In another shocker elimination, Baldwin was sent home. The influencer was gracious about her departure, though. No words about feeling pissed from this one!
“This has been an incredible experience,” she said. “I’m so grateful to all of you. And I’m grateful to my children and my family! Thank you guys for this. I’m cheering on everybody in the cast because this has been an amazing time.”
In case Netflix’s Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer, Peacock’s The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets, Hulu’s Truth and Lies: The Hunted, Liz Garbus’s Lost Girls (2020), multiple A&E shows, random Nightline and 20/20 episodes, and countless podcasts and YouTube were not enough Gilgo Beach serial killer content for you, Prime Video has you covered.
On Tuesday, Amazon’s Prime Video ordered its own docuseries about the Gilgo Beach serial killer, Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders. Emma Cooper (Depp v Heard) will direct the series, produced by Nacelle Company and Empress Films.
If you haven’t caught onto this true-crime story yet, here’s the backstory, in Prime Video’s own words: “From 1996 to 2011, Gilgo Beach, New York, became the haunting site where 11 bodies were discovered, their deaths shrouded in mystery with no suspects identified. This chilling series unravels one of the most notorious unsolved crimes of our era, now taking a turn as a major suspect heads to trial. With unprecedented access, the inside story delves into the depths of this horrific case, exploring the mind of an individual capable of the unthinkable, while unveiling the systemic failures that allowed him to slip through the cracks. With new exclusive insights and compelling questions, this series ultimately serves as a testament to give voice to the voiceless in a case that has confounded investigators and finally aims to provide long-awaited answers to a true mystery of our time.”
“Working on this story has been a profound privilege,” Cooper said in a statement. “To sit with the families, to hear their voices, and to witness the tireless commitment of law enforcement has offered an insight that is as heartbreaking as it is vital. Ultimately this is their story, and I am deeply grateful to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust and support in allowing me to tell it with honesty and care.
“Sharing the powerful stories of the victims’ families has been both humbling and profoundly moving for everyone involved,” added Lauren Anderson, head of brand and content innovation at Amazon MGM Studios. “We feel incredibly fortunate to partner with our talented director, Emma Cooper, and her outstanding team at Empress Films for helping us bring this exceptional docuseries to Prime Video audiences around the world. We’re also deeply grateful to our colleagues at The Nacelle Company for their collaboration.”
Brian Volk-Weiss, Cisco Henson, Matt Ochacher and Phil Donlon will executive produce for Nacelle Company. The series is executive produced by Cooper under her Empress Films banner. Eben Davidson will also executive produce.
It stars Matthew McConaughey as a bus driver who emerged as a true hero in the midst of the disaster, after he drove 22 children and their teachers to safety during the catastrophic fire, with the film depicting some incredibly dramatic scenes as he took charge of the situation.
Read on for everything you need to know about the true story behind the film.
Is The Lost Bus based on a true story?
The simple answer is yes – the film is based on true events that occurred during the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California’s Butte County, which became one of the most destructive wildfires in the state’s history.
Specifically, it adapts a section of Lizzie Johnson’s non-fiction book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, focusing on the heroic exploits of bus driver Kevin McKay, who was responsible for navigating 22 children and their teachers to safety in the midst of the carnage.
How accurate does The Lost Bus portray the real events?
In the loosest sense, The Lost Bus appears to be a broadly accurate retelling of events as they happened – but there are certainly areas in which dramatic liberties have been taken to exaggerate certain elements and even add some fictional beats.
For example, the storyline about McKay’s teenage son Shaun is amended for the film. In reality, he had evacuated hours before his father began his perilous journey and so McKay did not need to worry about his son’s safety while he was driving.
Meanwhile, most of the more dramatic action sequences are also an exaggeration, added to transform the film into a cinematic affair: in real life, most of the journey involved them being stuck in traffic rather than driving at high speeds and dodging fires.
Many of the other extra dramatic aspects – including the scene where armed looters banged on the door and the part in which McKay stopped the bus in the middle of an empty park are also inventions, while the loss of connection the bus experienced also appears to have been exaggerated.
So while the heroics of McKay were undoubtedly very real, it’s best to take the events seen in the film with a pinch of salt.
What real events are left out in The Lost Bus?
The most obvious omission in the film is that one of the two teachers who was present in the bus – the then-29-year-old Abbie Davis – is left out of the narrative, with the only named teacher being America Ferrera’s Mary Ludwig. This was actually at the request of the real Davis, who told the filmmakers that she wished not to be included.
Meanwhile, the film also doesn’t deal with the aftermath of the fire, which saw Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) accepting responsibility due to faulty equipment it operated, pleading guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and an additional felony count of unlawfully starting a fire.
Explaining why there wasn’t more focus on PG&E, Greengrass told Time that the film was “not really a film about PG&E” and that while “their failure to maintain the infrastructure was the prime course of the fire”, the “thing that movies do best is [portray] the resilience of human beings in the face of adversity and peril”.
The Lost Bus is available to watch on Apple TV+ – sign up to Apple TV+ now.
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.
Freida Estelle Parton is asking fans of her sister, Dolly Parton, to pray for the country music legend’s recovery after the “Jolene” singer was forced to postpone a series of Las Vegas shows due to health issues.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” wrote Freida in a Facebook post. “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.”
“She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine,” continued Freida. “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
On Sunday, September 28, Dolly revealed in an Instagram post that she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency dates by nearly a year to focus on her health.
In the post, Parton wrote: “I want the fans to hear it directly from me, that unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts. As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures.”
She concluded the message with, “He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures will all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.”
Dolly Parton’s recent health concerns and the cancellation of several appearances come after weeks of ongoing struggles. In September, the country legend had to cancel an in-person event at Dollywood during the grand opening of its newest attraction, the Night Flight Expedition ride. She later sent fans a video message explaining her health issues at the time.
“I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it’d given me an infection,” said Parton in the pre-recorded message. “The doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.’”
As the “9 to 5” singer recovers, fans and friends swarmed to her social media pages to wish her well and offer their support.
“Currently googling ‘how to donate my organs to Dolly Parton,’” wrote one fan on her Instagram page.
“We love you Dolly! You’re an inspiration to humanity 💞,” wrote country singer Margo Price.
9-1-1: Nashville star Jessica Capshaw wrote: “Love you, Dolly!! Rest up. ♥️”
Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile posted: “Beyond reproach ❤️🙌”
“I can’t even imagine what this world would be like without her in it. She is the last shining hope for humanity,” wrote a fan on Facebook.
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“Please, just stop sending me AI videos of Dad,” Williams wrote on Instagram.
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“Ozzy: No Escape From Now,” the new documentary chronicling the final four years of rock-n-roll legend Ozzy Osbourne‘s life, releases on Tues. Oct. 7. Fans of the rocker and those interested in his life’s story can stream it on Paramount+.
Directed by Tania Alexander and produced by Sharon Osbourne, “No Escape From Now” was never meant to be a posthumous tribute to Ozzy. The project was documenting the singer-songwriter’s late life as he struggled with Parkinson’s disease, pneumonia, sepsis, a broken neck and more, when he passed away on July 22.
The two-hour long documentary shares an intimate glimpse into Ozzy’s tumultuous final years, as he strived to continue with his passions despite physical setbacks. The film shows how to rocker’s tenacious spirit motivated him to create the 2020 album “Ordinary Man” and the 2022 album “Patient Number 9,” to perform at the Commonwelath Games’ closing ceremony in 2022 and his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2024, and to deliver his emphatic “Back To The Beginning” final performance with Black Sabbath in his hometown of Birmingham just seventeen days before his death.
Alongside exclusive footage of Ozzy and his family, “No Escape From Now” features interviews with fellow rockers Zakk Wylde, Andrew Watt, Billy Morrison, Billy Idol, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan and Slash, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo and James Hetfield, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Alice In Chains’ Mike Inez and Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, all reflecting on Ozzy’s incomparable musical impact.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place has spent the better part of its first two seasons mounting some very big questions, particularly about its main character Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) and her involvement in the Wizard World.
Well, viewers will finally be getting some answers when Season 2 debuts on Disney+ tomorrow.
“I can’t wait to see people’s reaction to that ending. We really went for it,” star and executive producer David Henrie teases to Deadline.
The season, which has been rolling out weekly on Disney Channel since September 12, picks up with Roman (Alkaio Thiele), Milo (Max Matenko) and Billie (Janice LeAnn Brown) officially competing to retain their wizard powers into adulthood, after the Season 1 finale revealed the boys’ magical abilities. But, the Family Wizard Competition has been far from the only obstacle in their way this season as a mysterious new threat has begun to emerge over the course of the first six episodes.
While episodes have been airing on cable, Wednesday will mark their streaming premiere — and all 10 episodes will come available, meaning that fans won’t have to wait much longer to see how the rest of the season pans out.
But, make no mistake. The series is just getting started. So, while the Season 2 finale might answer one of the biggest questions Wizards Beyond has posed so far, it will also leave viewers with a ton more, according to Henrie.
“For me, the second season is really where the show begins,” he said.
In the interview below, Henrie discusses what to expect from the remaining episodes of Season 2 and where it’ll lead the story next.
DEADLINE: How is Season 2 expanding on the story you started telling last season and what can we expect, especially in those final episodes that no one has seen yet?
DAVID HENRIE: For me, the second season is really where the show begins, because the first season we really looked at like the prequel. The family didn’t know about magic. They didn’t know the kids had powers. There was no Wizard Competition. This season, the competition begins in our own way. We’re really excited about it because we answer a lot of questions unique to our series that were lingering from last season, like, is Alex Billy’s mom? So we answer that question this season, and we also bring in some big easter eggs that I think will leave a lot of lingering questions as to Alex’s character, her backstory in the lore.
DEADLINE: We found out that Milo and Roman have powers at the end of last season, so similarly to Wizards of Waverly Place, these kids are now competing to see who will get to retain their powers as an adult. How have you tried to keep things fresh while also incorporating these familiar elements from the original series?
HENRIE: What I love about this show is it takes the feeling and the heart and the themes of the old show and it represents them in a fresh way. I like that word, fresh, because the driving engine of this show is different than the other show. In the other show, we had a family who were all blood and always had each other’s backs. In this show, we have a found family. So we bring in this new girl who doesn’t understand what family is like the Russos do and also doesn’t trust family like the Russos do. So it’s a wonderfully fresh engine and a fresh way to tell family stories for 2025.
DEADLINE: How have you continued to reflect on the experience you want to create for these kids on set in Season 2?
HENRIE: I think a lot about my own experience as a kid on set, which is why I try to create the culture that I always wanted when I was a kid actor on various sets. Growing up, I always studied different sets and different cultures and learned. So now that I’m in a position of power here, I try to create the most fertile environment for mental health and for the kids to thrive. We’re all imperfect people. So everyone has their moments. But in general, I’m incredibly proud of the culture on our set. It is a professional, loving atmosphere that recognizes the reality that we have children on set, and they need to be treated like children. They’re not adults, and we need to respect that. It really is meaningful to me.
DEADLINE: You directed this season. Was that something you’d been thinking about since boarding the project?
HENRIE: I’ve directed films before. I’ve never directed TV. This is my first time directing TV. I was really excited to do it, because I’ve done hundreds of episodes of sitcoms from the original show, and others, and know the format so well. It really just works with my psychology or cognitive style, whatever you want to call it, it just is how I think. I loved every second of it. I got to do things that I haven’t gotten to do in single cam that I’ve always wanted to do, like I’ve always wanted to do the Spielberg push-pull shot, where you compress the background image. We got to do that here, because there’s a big comedic moment with Janice where she screams, ‘What?’ And I got to do this big Spielberg zoom in push-pull, which was such a fun shot and heightened the moment in a really great way. I got to have some heartfelt moments as well. The Christmas episode that I directed is the first time we’re introducing Christmas to the Wizards world, and it speaks to the kids that maybe feel lonely on Christmas. So we got to put a really nice message into this Christmas episode. I think the fans are gonna love it. I really do. I’m excited for them to see it.
DEADLINE: When you think beyond Season 2, how energized are you about the longevity of the story you’re telling here?
HENRIE: We end this season on the biggest cliffhanger the wizards universe has ever known. So what energizes me is to explore the questions that we provoke at the end of the season — very big ones, some questions that really speak to the overarching lore of the show, especially Selena’s character. So I’m really excited to explore those thoughts and ideas into this next season, because [in] Season 3, [we] are really going to lean into the questions of identity, belonging, legacy, universal questions that will really come to the forefront at the end of the season, which I can’t wait for people to see.
DEADLINE: The kids really come into their own this season. How has it been for you to watch them grow on this set and settle into their characters?
HENRIE: Selena said the same thing. She’s like, ‘Man, the kids are soaring.’ When we did the original show, the first season, you’re figuring out who you are and what your character is, and you’re finding yourself. Everyone’s finding themselves. The writers are finding their voice with each character, and it’s an exploratory process in any first season of any show. The second season, you start to find your thing. You start to really know what works for you and what doesn’t work for you, and you start to add in nuance that you didn’t have before. All the kids did that. They doubled down on their strengths. They did such a great job growing from one season to the next, and they’re soaring. They really are soaring. I’m so proud of them for growing and trusting their instincts.
DEADLINE: What are you most looking forward to about the release of those final episodes tomorrow?
HENRIE: I can’t wait to see people’s reaction to that ending. We really went for it. We really pushed the envelope. We swung for the fences. I mean, it turns into a drama and a heartfelt one, and Janice and Selena both give career-best performances. So I can’t wait for people to see all that they put into it, and I’m just so excited to see their reactions.
A game show based on the popular New York Times puzzle Wordle is in development at NBC, with Today anchor Savannah Guthrie set to host.
The project comes from Universal Television Alternative Studio and Jimmy Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog company. The Times is also a production partner. Fallon, who has talked about his love of Wordle a number of times on The Tonight Show, will be an executive producer. (Guthrie has also talked about her obsessive love for the game.)
Wordle, which the Times acquired in 2022 and logs billions of plays from the paper’s games site annually, gives players six tries to guess a five-letter word, revealing only if letters are in the right place (via a green background) or part of the word but in the wrong place (with a gold background).
Should it go forward, the Wordle show would join another Fallon-produced game show, Password, on NBC’s unscripted roster. The Tonight Show emcee also executive produces and hosts the network’s On Brand, a competition series that revolves around advertising and marketing.
Guthrie has a bit of game show experience herself, having served as a guest host on Jeopardy! in 2021 following the death of Alex Trebek. In addition to Today, Guthrie also co-hosts NBC’s annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade coverage.