These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday. Unilever has sold Kate Somerville to Rare Beauty Brands, the conglomerate announced on Tuesday. The Kate Somerville brand includes skin care, body care and a clinic on Melrose Place, Los Angeles. Unilever first acquired Kate Somerville …
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Apple TV+
No spy drama better blends suspense with wry and even slapstick humor than this adaptation of Mick Herron’s terrific novels about the disgraced spies who occupy Slough House. As Season 5 passes the midway point, the “slow horses” are in full gallop as they pair off to try to avert what they will believe will be an assassination attempt at one or both competing rallies for London’s mayoral race. Elsewhere, their decrepit yet cunning boss Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) continues to stay one step ahead of the MI5 officers seeking the femme fatale who snared Slough House techie Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) in her web.
For centuries, people have called out to the universe looking for answers. In this fun-filled, action-packed feature film from Disney and Pixar, the universe calls back! The cosmic misadventure introduces Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession. So, when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide, Elio’s all in for the epic undertaking. Mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien life-forms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be.
George Burns Jr / NBC
Seems like old times when original cast member Torrey DeVitto returns to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, though not under the best of circumstances — because Dr. Natalie Manning is rushing to be with her son Owen (Frankie DeMaio), who was shot while visiting Chicago from Seattle with his stepdad Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss). Which means there’s little time for “Manstead” shippers to rejoice over news that she’s carrying their child when her firstborn’s life is in jeopardy. In other cases, Ripley (Luke Mitchell) teams with Charles (Oliver Platt) to treat a patient who can’t remember who he is.
Hulu
The stuff of many a Dateline and true-crime podcast, the tragic saga of the scandalous Murdaugh family of South Carolina now gets the deluxe docudrama treatment, with the very busy Jason Clarke (currently rounding up bad guys on Apple TV’s The Last Frontier) starring as wealthy but embattled lawyer Alex Murdaugh, with Oscar and Emmy winner Patricia Arquette as his unlucky wife, Maggie. The sordid eight-part story, previously depicted in a 2023 Lifetime drama, begins with the double murder of Maggie and son Paul (Johnny Berchtold) in 2021, then reaches back three years to an earlier scandal when Paul was implicated in a fatal boat crash. Brittany Snow costars as reporter Mandy Matney (who’s also an executive producer), whose work on the case is the basis for this eight-part treatment. Launches with three episodes.
Netflix
Six of the world’s most prominent men’s tennis stars gather at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the second annual exhibition match, which could result in a rematch of last year’s contest that pitted the two top-ranked players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, in a thrilling final. Sinner won that contest, while Alcaraz is hoping for a repeat of his recent U.S. Open victory against Sinner. In the first round, No. 3-ranked Alexander Zverev plays No. 4 Taylor Fritz, then Sinner takes on No. 24-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas (a late substitution for an injured Jack Draper). The winners will play against Alcaraz and No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic on Thursday, with a grand final scheduled for Saturday.
Apple TV+
In a powerful episode for the luminous Nicole Beharie, her character of decorated Olympic track star-turned-morning show host Chris Turner is dragged into a painful media spotlight when online rumors challenge her sports legacy. Her greatest ally appears to be Mia (Karen Pittman), the disgruntled TMS producer who returns to UBN on a confrontational mission. Also heading for a reckoning: Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) and former network CEO Cory (Billy Crudup), whose budding romance cloaks her investigation into a dark chapter of the network’s past.
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Whitney Cummings is speaking out on the criticism of those who performed at Saudi Arabia’s debut Riyadh Comedy Festival.
Cummings defended her performance at the festival and those of others on her “Good for You” podcast Monday.
“It’s just racism,” she said of the criticism. “I think it took me a second, because when people are going like, ‘You’re doing something unethical,’ I’m like, ‘Oh, these must be ethical people, let me listen.’ And then you’re like, ‘Oh no, you’re just racist.’”
She continued, “I guess I’m this weirdo,” she said. “I don’t operate under, you know, the idea that every government and their people are the same… You think that the people of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi government all [share the same values]? So you also believe that the Chinese government and the Chinese people are exactly the same? It’s just racism. I think it took me a second, because when people are going like, ‘You’re doing something unethical,’ I’m like, ‘Oh, these must be ethical people, let me listen.’ And then you’re like, ‘Oh no, you’re just racist.’ These are also the same people who would go, ‘Trump is not my president! I am nothing like our president.’ But other countries are?”
She also pointed out the hypocrisy of comedians who opposed the festival and of those who performed.
“When you get a sec, google ‘Saudi Arabia Live Nation’ so you can be informed on the fact that anyone who has worked with Live Nation, every stand-up comic, has taken Saudi money,” she said. “Or bought a ticket through Live Nation, went to a Live Nation event, all the actors who are represented by William Morris Agency, which is all of them. If you want to send them notes too.”
Aziz Ansari was among the A-list comedians who defended the controversial decision to perform at the fest and said he planned to donate a portion of his fee to organizations like Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.
Other comedians who performed at the fest, which ran from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, include Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson and Andrew Schulz, among others.
Louis C.K. has defended playing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, while fellow comedian Jessica Kirson has apologised for her appearance.
The controversial event is being held in the Saudi Arabian capital and also included on the line-up are Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Jimmy Carr, Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Jim Jefferies and Chris Tucker.
The festival has been criticised by groups such as Human Rights Watch as being an example of the Saudi government attempting to whitewash its human rights abuses and position itself as a venue for major international cultural events.
Other comedians such as Marc Maron, Shane Gillis and Zach Woods have also hit out at their peers for playing at the festival, with Maron quipping, “You know, ‘from the folks that brought you 9/11, two weeks of laughter in the desert. Don’t miss it!’”
“I mean, the same guy that’s going to pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bonesaw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a fucking suitcase,” he said, referring to the dissident Saudi journalist that was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. “But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time,” he added.
Now, Louis C.K. has spoken about playing the festival on Real Time With Bill Maher. “When I’m talking to the other comedians who have been there, they’ve been really surprised by what’s going on,” C.K. said “There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation. So, there’s stuff going on that’s unexpected in this thing. People have been playing Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been going and playing Arab countries. There was a film festival there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries.”
He continued: “And when this came up, they said there’s only two restrictions – their religion and their government, I don’t have jokes about those two things. It used to be when I got offers from places like that, there would be a long list, and I’d just say, ‘No, I don’t need that.’ But when I heard it’s opening, I thought, that’s awfully interesting. That just feels like a good opportunity. And I just feel like comedy is a great way to get in and start talking.”
Kirson, on the other hand, has offered an apology for playing the event. The stand-up, who is openly lesbian, told The Hollywood Reporter: “I hoped that this could help LGBTQ+ people in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued. I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that – to my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to talk about it on stage in Saudi Arabia. I received messages from attendees sharing how much it meant to them to participate in a gay-affirming event. At the same time, I deeply regret participating under the auspices of the Saudi government.”
She added: “Most importantly, I am deeply sorry to all the fans and followers I have hurt or disappointed.”
Bill Burr recently defended playing at the event, telling the Monday Morning Podcast: ““The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people that were doing the festival were thrilled. The comedians that I’ve been talking to are saying, ‘Dude, you can feel [the audience] wanted it. They want to see real stand-up comedy.’ It was a mind-blowing experience. Definitely top three experiences I’ve had. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of positive things.”
Louis C.K. is the latest comedian to address his decision to perform at Saudi Arabia‘s inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival.
As the comedian appeared Friday on Real Time, he explained he had “mixed feelings” about participating in the controversial festival, but has come to see it as “a positive thing,” despite backlash from many of his comedy peers.
“I’ve been talking to them, the comedians who’ve been there, and they’ve been really surprised by what’s going on,” he told host Bill Maher. “There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation. So, there’s stuff going on that’s unexpected in this thing.”
C.K. continued, “People have been playing Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been going and playing Arab countries, there was a film festival there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries. I do shows everywhere … and when this came up, they said there’s only two restrictions; their religion and their government, and I don’t have jokes about those two things. It used to be when I got offers from places like that, there would be a long list, and I’d just say, ‘No, I don’t need that.’ But when I heard it’s opening, I thought, that’s awfully interesting. That just feels like a good opportunity. And I just feel like comedy is a great way to get in and start talking.”
Noting he plans to go to a comedy club his first night in Saudi Arabia and meet local comedians, C.K. said, “I love stand-up comedy, and I love comedians. So, the fact that that’s starting to open up and starting to bud, I wanna see it, I wanna be part of it. I think that’s a positive thing.”
Later in the interview, C.K. added, “I think the whole discussion is worthy. I’m glad these guys brought this stuff up, I’m glad that people are challenging this thing, because you shouldn’t just pretend it’s something it’s not.”
“I had mixed feelings about it too. I struggled about going once I heard what everybody was saying,” he confessed. “There’s some good in it, maybe some bad in it. But for me, I think it cuts toward going. That’s my decision, and I know where it’s coming from, because I can see right inside myself.”
Other comedians have recently called out their peers who have agreed to perform, noting Saudi officials’ roles in 9/11 and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as the human rights abuses committed by Saudi minister of entertainment, Turki Al-Sheikh, who is behind the festival.
Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea explained to CBS News, “The Saudi government has invested billions into high profile entertainment events like these in a deliberate effort to whitewash the country’s human rights record and deflect from the egregious abuses that continue to happen inside of the country.
“These investments are a part of the broader strategy to… have people thinking about a comedy event, for example, rather than the soaring number of executions that are happening inside of the country,” added Shea.
Since Deadline exclusively announced the initial lineup in July, the Riyadh Comedy Festival has grown to include Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Jack Whitehall, Zarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura, Chris Tucker and more.
Louis C.K. is explaining why he decided to take part in Saudi Arabia‘s Riyadh Comedy Festival.
During his Friday appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher, he defended his choice to perform at the comedy festival that has stirred up controversy since it kicked off last Friday. The topic of comics being prohibited to not make jokes about certain themes came up in his conversation with Bill Maher, to which C.K. said the fellow comedians he know who have been at the fest have “been really surprised by what’s going on.”
“When I’m talking to the other comedians who have been there, they’ve been really surprised by what’s going on. There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show there, and she got a standing ovation. So, there’s stuff going on that’s unexpected in this thing,” he said. “People have been playing Saudi Arabia for years. Comedians have been going and playing Arab countries. There was a film festival there recently, it’s kind of opened up. But I’ve always said no to Arab countries.”
C.K. continued, “And when this came up, they said there’s only two restrictions — their religion and their government, I don’t have jokes about those two things. It used to be when I got offers from places like that, there would be a long list, and I’d just say, ‘No, I don’t need that.’ But when I heard it’s opening, I thought, that’s awfully interesting. That just feels like a good opportunity. And I just feel like comedy is a great way to get in and start talking.”
Riyadh Fest began Sept. 26 and will end Oct. 9. Alongside C.K., Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Carr, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Whitney Cummings, Russell Peters, Gabriel Iglesias and Andrew Schulz, among others, are featured on the lineup.
Last week, Atsuko Okatsuka shared details from her offer to appear at Riyadh, which outlined “censorship rules” against performing jokes on outlined topics. David Cross, too, slammed those who chose to perform, writing on his website, “I am disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing. That people I admire, with unarguable talent, would condone this totalitarian fiefdom for…what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?”
Before that, Marc Maron spoke out against those participating in the comedy festival.
“I mean, how do you even promote that? You know, like, ‘From the folks that brought you 9/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don’t miss it!’” Maron said. “I mean, the same guy that’s gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone saw [journalist] Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a fucking suitcase. But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s gonna be a good time!”
The Emmy winner acknowledged the wider conversation about the festival. “I had mixed feelings about it too. I struggled about going once I heard what everybody was saying,” C.K. said. “There’s some good in it, maybe some bad in it. But for me, I think it cuts toward going. That’s my decision, and I know where it’s coming from, because I can see right inside myself.”
C.K. added, “I love stand-up comedy, and I love comedians. So, the fact that that’s opening up and starting to bud, I wanna see it, I wanna be part of it. I think that’s a positive thing.”
The six-time Emmy winner is slated to perform at Riyadh Fest on Monday alongside Carr.