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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Teaser Trailer | Paramount+

Paramount Plus currently has a special for new customers: 80% off the normal monthly rates for three months. The normal rates are $4.99 for the Essential plan and $9.99 for the Premium plan. The main reason I'm a regular subscriber is for their women's soccer offerings: Namely the NWSL (American women's pro soccer league). The service also has regional Women's World Cup qualifying matches for Europe (UEFA) and North America (CONCACAF).

Via Deadline: Nielsen ratings details for Reacher's debut weekend The data is for the week of January 31st to February 6th (Monday to Sunday). Reacher had "just three days of eligibility and only eight episodes" (TVLine write-up) during that period.

Ugh. From the University's press release: Stanford's student newspaper, the Daily has the most in-depth coverage so far: Undergraduate student dies in Stanford residence (March 1st) and Stanford student and soccer goalkeeper Katie Meyer ’22 dies at 22 (March 2nd). In December 2019, Meyer went viral for her celebration and gestures to the camera during the penalty kick shoot-out of the NCAA championship match against UNC.

Small update on Hutton's case: After my post above, Variety posted the filed version of the complaint (direct link to the PDF). (hat tip to @Ailianna) This version has selectable text and no watermarks behind the text, so it should be more accessible. The case number is 22SMCV00260. The status of the case can be tracked using the Los Angeles Superior Court website (https://www.lacourt.org/casesummary/ui/index.aspx). There should be a response from the production company by early April.

The Portland Mercury (alternative bi-weekly newspaper in Portland, Oregon) published a long article today (March 1st) about sexual harassment incidents involving the Portland-based productions of Leverage and The Librarians. Both shows were produced by Electric Entertainment (website), of which Dean Devlin is the CEO (bio page, IMDb page). Silence on the Set: Claims of Harassment and Assault Within Portland’s Film Community The article describes allegations against four men. Three are named: Actors Christian Kane and Timothy Hutton, as well as a camera operator, Gary Camp. The allegations include unwanted touching and kissing as well as inappropriate speech (comments, questions, jokes). Pseudonyms are used for the article's sources. It's a long read (5000 to 6000 words) and not as organized as it could be, so here's a summary of the main allegations: The bulk of the allegations involve Christian Kane, who was a series regular on both Leverage and The Librarians. He is currently a series regular on Leverage: Redemption, which is a continuation of the original Leverage. (Redemption's production is based in New Orleans.) One woman, "Heather", "alleges that Kane forcibly kissed her several times in front of her coworkers on set", apparently when they worked together on The Librarians. (The article does not directly specify which show the kissing happened on, or whether it occurred during both shows.) "Heather" also worked on Leverage, where she allegedly witnessed an incident where "Kane had intentionally pulled a worker’s head toward Kane’s crotch while she was tying his shoe". Additionally, "Heather" alleges that Kane made numerous comments about how she "looked in [her] pants" and made an inappropriate comment about her "being at blowjob level". Another woman, "Diane", who was a set medic for Leverage, alleges that Kane made "inappropriate comments" "about her physical appearance" and tried to invite her to his local residence multiple times using a pretext. A third woman "Rose", who worked in the costume department for The Librarians alleges that Kane made an inappropriate comment in the form of a joking request for a blowjob during a costume quick change. A fourth woman, "Lily", alleges that Timothy Hutton assaulted her while they were working on an "indie production" in Portland. The allegation is that "he touched her inappropriately by putting his hand down her shirt without her consent" when they were riding together in the backseat of a car. A fifth woman, "Olivia", alleges that a camera operator, Gary Camp (IMDb page), inappropriately touched her multiple times. Camp is also a camera operator for Leverage: Redemption. One of the women above, "Rose", also alleges that an unnamed higher-up's "way of greeting [her] was kissing [her] on the mouth and putting his hand around [her] waist". This person is only described as "a man who worked on all of Devlin’s Portland-area productions who was in a position above her". The work environment on Leverage and The Librarians were described as a "boy's club" and a "summer camp atmosphere" where inappropriate touching and kissing "was happening in front of everyone’s eyes and no one was doing anything" (direct quote from "Rose"). Also mentioned was Timothy Hutton's on-set temperament and behavior, including throwing tantrums and that he would sometimes "unexpectedly leave" when "working with set workers". There's also discussion about fear of retaliation and not trusting the shows' internal reporting procedures. Here's a Twitter thread by the writer about the article. Linked tweet embedded below: In related news, yesterday (February 28th), Timothy Hutton apparently sued Electric Entertainment for not hiring him for Leverage: Redemption after a rape allegation surfaced, even though they allegedly had an enforceable oral contract. See the Leverage: Redemption media thread for article links and discussion. (I used "apparently" as I haven't found any confirmation that the lawsuit was officially filed.)

From a production point of view, it was a flat-out mistake. It would have made more sense if Baccarin's character had a backstory where, after her father's death, she attended boarding school somewhere outside of Russia (e.g. England or Switzerland) and picked up the local "educated" accent. This would have opened up the pool of lead actresses significantly, perhaps even leading to the hiring of a bigger "name" actress. Based on the flashbacks, the character's father likely had the resources to pay for boarding school. And, given that someone apparently wanted both of them dead, hiding her outside of Russia under a false identity would have been a prudent move. Even after signing Baccarin, they could have just given her a backstory where she attended school in the U.S.A. and/or Canada as the reason for not having a Russian accent.

The Deadline write-up on Hutton's lawsuit includes a link to the complaint (in PDF format*). The suit is to be filed in California state court, specifically the Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit claims damages of at least $3.1 million Regarding the series itself, there's a section that discusses Hutton's expected compensation package in detail (paragraph 26) and the salaries of the returning regulars (paragraph 21), both quoted below. Also noteworthy are IMDb's original demands for Hutton. According to the complaint, IMDb originally wanted Hutton for a minimum of five seasons (first plus four additional seasons), before they would commit to the series. In the end, they compromised at three additional seasons. I'm quoting the below compensation terms because it's not often that this level of detail is made public. Based on the "Guarantee" bullet point, it sounds as if we should expect a minimum of ten episodes for the second and any later seasons, absent any significant developments. ("Perq Fund" should probably be spelled "Perk Fund".) *The quoted paragraphs may have some typos, as I had to use OCR on the PDF file, as the document's pages had been converted to images, most likely when Deadline added their watermark.

Ryan-James Hatanaka (Detective Tamura) plays one of the parents in the upcoming Paramount+ hybrid (live-action and animated) series "The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder". Trailer below: The series will premiere on March 31st.

Radar Online (tabloid/gossip website) published a detailed article on the Zucker-Gollust relationship in early January (link same as in below tweet). Speculation is that Gollust's connection to Andrew Cuomo (she was his former comms director) influenced CNN not cutting Chris Cuomo sooner. The big question is how Zucker's exit speeds up whatever plans there are for revamping CNN after the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger.

There's a new Christmas-themed DCOM this year, Christmas ...Again?!, that is really good. It stars the outstanding Scarlett Estevez (Lucifer, Bunk'd, Daddy's Home) who, after having her worst Christmas ever, makes a wish to a black Santa Claus (Gary Anthony Williams, in a memorable performance), and gets stuck in a Groundhog Day time loop. While there are fun sequences, the movie also has an Andi Mack level of maturity, as the Latina main character has divorced parents, including a father who has a serious girlfriend with an (obligatory) annoying younger son, and a significant portion of the plot concerns the main character dealing with the reality of her parent's divorce. Additionally, the main character has a gay uncle with an African-American husband. The movie has strong production values, including an imaginative opening title and credits animated sequence, and was filmed in Chicago, including some on-location scenes at Chicago landmarks. All of which gives the movie a feature film feel, as opposed to being a dime-a-dozen Hallmark Channel holiday movie. Anchoring the supporting cast as the main character's grandparents are Broadway veteran Priscilla Lopez (A Chorus Line) and veteran character actor Tony Amendola (Stargate: SG1, Once Upon a Time). Trailer: First Five Minutes Preview:

IMDb TV press release: The Leverage Crew Steals a Second Season on IMDb TV That's all the news from the press release. No details about the number of episodes or the status of specific actors.

(Season 3, Episode 2) Spy daddy issues! And, using the classic "Mon amie la rose", especially Françoise Hardy's version, over that gun fight sequence just did not work at all.

Apparently, Diallo is no longer a suspect, but the wife of a former Barca player, Eric Abidal, and/or persons close to her are now persons of interests in the attack, as the speculation is that Hamraoui and Eric Abidal, who was Barca's Director of Football from June 2018 to August 2020, had an affair. This speculation is based on the fact that Hamraoui's phone had a sim card which had been registered in Abidal's name. From a November 16th Marca.com article summarizing developments from Le Monde and L'Equipe articles:

Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" | Sneak Peek It's just under a minute long. The first half is a series of quick behind-the-scenes shots with Spielberg voice-over.

^The Ed Sullivan Show channel on YouTube has three of Mort Sahl's appearances on that show. There's also a YouTube "topic" channel for Sahl with official uploads of his comedy albums.

(For those who, like me, need a "cheat sheet" with the character's photos and names, see this Media thread post, which has a screenshot of the show's Bios page from the CW's PR website.) I thought that this was a solid pilot and I loved the spectacle of the Returnees dropping into the park and getting their bearings. Even though Shanice, the attorney, got the primary focus of the episode, I thought that Claudette, the one with rapid healing, was actually presented as having the most character depth. True, but we don't know the circumstances of her marriage. Perhaps, she was more of a wild child, but forced to settle down due to family pressure, financial concerns, et cetera. I also thought her line about being a preacher's wife implied some unhappiness regarding her marriage. The funny part is that the Returnees were dropped onto an actual island, Belle Isle (Google Maps), so setting up a physical quarantine would have been relatively simple. Then FEMA and/or the military could have been deployed with tents, trailers, et cetera.

For those (like me) who need a "cheat sheet" of the main characters, here's a screenshot of the show's PR bios page (https://cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/4400/bios): The DHS Agent (Keisha's significant other) has a last name of "Tanner" and is portrayed by Wilder Yari. The character's first name is apparently "Jessica" (per the Deadline.com article linked above). The following descriptions are direct quotes from the actor bio pages (linked from the above website link). Most of these details were already included in the official description of the show (quoted earlier in this thread).

Alex Rider Season 2 | US Trailer (40 seconds longer than the above "teaser")

The Hollywood Reporter has an article with additional details from the same search warrant. Explanation of cross drawing from a 2017 Idaho State Journal column:

The ghost plot in this episode seems to be loosely based on the classic folk/country song, "Long Black Veil" (lyrics via Google), which was originated by Lefty Frizzell in 1959 and has been covered by many artists, including Johnny Cash (YouTube). Though, in the song's version, the relationship was extramarital ("For I had been in the arms of my best friend's wife") and the murder occurred in a public place ("someone killed 'neath the town hall light"). For more background on the writing of the song, see this American Songwriter article: Looks like notes of some sorts. There wasn't a proper close-up, so the writing is hard to read. Here's a screenshot with enhanced colors and an adjusted perspective. (The original cropped screenshot is on the right.) Hope to see "Fan Fans" visiting Horseshoe Bay and Ted's "Fan"-fiction business in future episodes. The latter could be a fun meta plot vehicle, like "Wormhole X-Treme!" in Stargate: SG-1.

@Vermicious Knid, That's based on witness statements summarized in an affidavit that was made in support of a search warrant. The affidavit was made public earlier today and has been reported on by multiple news outlets, including in an AP wire article (the THR link in @Zella's post). The affidavit provides some details on the circumstances of the incident. Most notably it confirms that this happened during a rehearsal. Whether any production cameras were recording has not yet been confirmed (at least publicly). The Santa Fe New Mexican article and the AP write-up (via THR) both mention Baldwin's "blood-stained" costume, but don't confirm how the blood got on the costume (could be from splatter, could be from rendering first aid). In these articles, there's no indication that Baldwin was doing anything other than what he was suppose to be doing, so it seems highly unlikely that he could face charges involving his handling of the prop firearm. From the Santa Fe Reporter write-up:

Director/writer Joel Souza has been released from a hospital. (Also confirmed by Deadline.com.) Statement from Alec Baldwin: Quote from the District Attorney: The below NY Times tweet just goes to a "Live Updates" page on the incident and not a fully composed news article.

I don't want to go too far down the legal what-if rabbit hole, but since manslaughter was specifically mentioned above... For reference, here are the most relevant homicide statutes in New Mexico, straight from an official state website, NMOneSource.com, which has the official annotated version of the state's code. That website also has texts of official jury instructions (with annotations), which lay out the offenses in somewhat simplified terms. Once more facts come out in the next few days from reliable sources (such as official statements by law enforcement and/or prosecutors, media interviews of witnesses, et cetera) that should clarify greatly whether Baldwin has any criminal liability. NM Stat § 30-2-5. Excusable homicide. If Baldwin was just doing his job and behaving properly on set, then, for him, it should be an "excusable homicide", thus his actions were not a crime. Now, whether other persons have criminal liability, such as those responsible for the preparing the prop firearm, that is a much more involved question. NM Stat § 30-2-3. Manslaughter. If Baldwin was (1) using the prop firearm improperly when he knew and/or should have known better, and/or (2) in a manner outside the scope of his job, manslaughter charges could very well be a possibility. NM Stat § 30-2-1. Murder. Unless the facts are particularly egregious, which seems highly improbable, any murder charge for any possible defendant should be highly unlikely. Someone actually knowledgeable in New Mexico's law and procedure could give a more detailed analysis of the criminal and civil liabilities that Baldwin and others who may be involved could face. I'll be on the lookout for news articles and blog posts with useful analysis, especially from New Mexican attorneys.

Yes, if Baldwin was operating the firearm for a legitimate acting or production purpose, as in the Brandon Lee case, then I don't see any charges against Baldwin. However, Alec Baldwin has a history of being hot-tempered. In 2019, he plead guilty to a harassment charge involving a parking dispute during a November 2018 incident where he allegedly punched the other person (New York Times). And, here's a USA Today article from 2018 summarizing earlier incidents. So, without more confirmed details, I could easily see a scenario where Baldwin threatened one of the victims with the firearm or otherwise was handling it improperly.