What to stream this weekend: 'Young Sheldon,' Amy Schumer, 'Oppenheimer' and lots and lots of JLo
This weekโs new streaming entertainment releases include โYoung Sheldonโ returning for its seventh and final season, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. exploring the power of gospel in a two-part PBS documentary and two projects from Jennifer Lopez, a movie about her love life and a 13-track album.
What to stream this week: Jamie Foxx, Offset, Musk, โFrasierโ returns and Nicholas Cage as a vampire
This weekโs new entertainment releases include Offsetโs sophomore solo album, the return of โFrasierโ starring Kelsey Grammer, and Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones leading the crowd-pleasing courtroom drama โThe Burial."
PBS chief defends filmmaker Ken Burns, touts diversity
FILE - Ken Burns, director of the PBS documentary series "Country Music," takes part in a panel discussion during the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on July 29, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Speaking Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, to the Television Critics Association in a virtual Q&A, PBS chief executive Paula Kerger rejected a filmmakers claim that public TVs long relationship with Burns has come at the expense of diversity. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES โ The chief executive of PBS rejected a filmmakerโs argument that public TV's 40-year relationship with documentarian Ken Burns has come at the expense of diversity. โWe create lots of opportunities for many filmmakers,โ Kerger said. "The stuff thatโs coming up is incredibly diverse in every sense of the meaning of that word,โ Burns said.
Bob Woodward to take on final days of Trump's presidency
Woodward is teaming with Costa on a book about the waning days of Donald Trumps administration and on the initial phase of Joe Bidens presidency. The book does not yet have a title or release date. (AP Photo)NEW YORK โ Bob Woodward's next book finds him in the familiar world of documenting a presidency's ending. Woodward is teaming with Washington Post colleague Robert Costa on a book about the waning days of Donald Trump's administration and on the initial phase of Joe Biden's presidency. Woodward already has written two best-sellers on Trump, โFearโ and โRage.โFor the new book, Woodward and Costa will have competition, from other Post reporters.
Peanuts, Charlie Brown will return to TV for Thanksgiving, Christmas specials after all
Following backlash sparked by the decision not to air the โGreat Pumpkinโ on TV for Halloween, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts will return with Thanksgiving and Christmas specials over the next month. Apply TV+ took over the rights to the Peanuts holiday specials in October and announced the โGreat Pumpkinโ episode would not air on television. On Wednesday, PBS announced it reached a deal with Apple for an ad-free broadcast of both the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials in the coming weeks. โA Charlie Brown Thanksgivingโ will air on PBS and PBS Kids at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22. โA Charlie Brown Christmasโ will air on PBS and PBS Kids at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13.
Charlie Brown specials to air on TV, after all, in PBS deal
This image released by Apple shows key art for the animated classic "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" holiday special. Apple and PBS have teamed up for ad free broadcasts of the special and A Charlie Brown Christmas. (Apple via AP)NEW YORK โ The โGreat Pumpkinโ never showed on broadcast television this year, but after a deal with PBS, the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Christmas specials will return to the air. Last month, Apple TV+ became the new home to the beloved Peanuts holiday specials. On Wednesday, Apple bowed to the backlash, announcing it had teamed up with PBS for ad-free broadcasts of โA Charlie Brown Thanksgivingโ (on Nov. 22) and โA Charlie Brown Christmasโ (on Dec. 13).
New this week: 'Enola Holmes,' Public Enemy and Bonnaroo
Hereโs a collection curated by The Associated Pressโ entertainment journalists of whatโs arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIESโ โEnola Holmesโ: Itโs somewhat fitting that โStranger Thingsโ breakout Millie Bobby Brown gets her first starring role in a Netflix film, โEnola Holmes,โ coming to the streamer Wednesday. โ The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was supposed to take place in June in Tennessee but was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. This week, though, the festival is launching Virtual ROO-ALITY, a three-night live broadcast featuring new performances as well as content from the Bonnaroo archive. The two-hour film will be available at 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday at pbs.org/frontline and on YouTube at 9 p.m. EDT.
New PBS film probes construction boom on Latino workers
This undated photo provided by Panda Bear Films/Latino Public Broadcasting shows Latino construction worker stands outside a Dallas construction site. (Moyo Oyelola/Panda Bear Films/Latino Public Broadcasting via AP)RIO RANCHO, N.M. โ Since the Great Recession, cities like Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Hobbs, New Mexico, have seen construction booms. โBuilding the American Dream,โ a new VOCES/PBS documentary, examines the effects of this construction boom in the American Southwest on Latino workers by telling the stories of those erecting buildings in Texas. The film dives into the lives of one Mexican immigrant family in Texas after their construction worker son dies while on the job. The film, though a partnership with Latino Public Broadcasting, is scheduled to begin airing on most PBS stations on Tuesday to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.
Longtime PBS NewsHour anchor Jim Lehrer dies at 85
DETROIT โ Jim Lehrer, the longtime anchor of PBS NewsHour, has passed away at the age of 85. PBS NewsHour reported the sad news on Thursday afternoon, with a press release written by PBS NewsHouse anchor and managing editor. PBS President Paula Kerger also added, โOn behalf of all of us at PBS, we are deeply saddened to learn of Jim Lehrerโs passing. From co-creating the groundbreaking MacNeil/Lehrer Report to skillfully moderating many presidential debates, Jim exemplified excellence in journalism throughout his extraordinary career. Lehrer moderated a total of 12 president debates, more than any other person in U.S. history, including all of the presidential debates in 1996 and 2000.
'Downton Abbey' takes box office crown over 'Ad Astra' and 'Rambo'
Nick Briggs/Carnival Film and TV/Masterpiece/PBSA group of British aristocrats beat out Brad Pitt as an astronaut and John Rambo at the box office this weekend. "Downton Abbey," the film adaptation of the popular British period TV drama, won the weekend with an estimated $31 million opening in North America. 20th Century Fox's "Ad Astra" took second place at the box office this weekend. The domestic box office is still down roughly 5% from last year, but could gain some ground in the coming weeks. Warner Bros.' "Joker," a gritty take on the Batman villain starring Joaquin Phoenix, could break box office records when it opens in two weeks.
'Downton Abbey' reopens its doors in royal fashion
Nick Briggs/Carnival Film and TV/Masterpiece/PBS(CNN) - "Downton Abbey" reopens its grand doors, in a movie where half the battle -- and much of the thrill -- hinges on merely reassembling the enormous cast. After six seasons that yielded the kind of ratings PBS seldom sees, "Downton" closed its run in 2016, with happy endings all around. It's easy to argue that this trip back was unnecessary, a description that applies to many a revival and reboot. Ultimately, though, it's another satisfying chapter, demonstrating that enough still glitters around "Downton Abbey" to make it worth seeing for anyone who loved the show, eventually, if not sooner. "Downton Abbey" premieres Sept. 20 in the US.