Here are the entertainment news items for this past week:
RENEWALS/CANCELLATION
Netflix has renewed My Life With the Walter Boys for a second season. (Variety)
The Buccaneers has been renewed for Season 2 at Apple TV+. (TV Line)
HBO has renewed The Gilded Age for a third season. (TV Line)
MGM+ (formerly EPIX) has renewed Beacon 23 for a second season. (The Hollywood Reporter)
The martial arts/crime drama Warrior has been cancelled and will not return for a fourth season on Max. (Deadline and TV Line)
NEW TO THE LINE-UP
The now defunct Hallmark Channel drama Ride will get a second lease of life over on The CW, which will air the 10-episode first season of the series starting on January 22. There will not be a second season, though. (Deadline)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Pride & Prejudice star Jennifer Ehle will appear in the queer indie film In Transit that tells the story of a small town bartender called Lucy who agrees to model for painter Ilse (Ehle), who is existentially floundering as she seeks solitude away from her career and complicated personal life while on an artists retreat. “Through their relationship, both women must confront their preconceptions of what makes a good life,” reads the logline. Alex Sarrigeorgiou (who also wrote the film) will play Lucy while Francois Arnaud will play Lucy’s boyfriend Tom, a local chef. (Variety)
After being convicted last week of two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault, Jonathan Majors has not been booted out of Marvel Studios and fired as Kang, the central antagonist in the Multiverse Saga of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Variety)
TV CASTING NEWS
Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer will star in the untitled action-adventure series for Amazon Prime. Waddingham will play Judith, who has secretly been working as a highly trained assassin. That’s a double life that Judith’s best friend Debbie (Spencer) knows nothing about — until a hit goes wrong. Now Judith and Debbie are on the run, aiming to stay one step ahead of a mysterious enemy. And while they try to figure out what’s going on, they also have to fix their now-ruptured friendship. (Variety)
An untitled HBO project will star Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Thuso Mbedu [among others] as well as Fabien Frankel and Alison Oliver. The series will be set in the working-class suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where an FBI agent named Tom (Ruffalo) heads a task force to put an end to a string of drug-house robberies led by an unsuspecting family man. Frankel will play Anthony, an integral member of Tom’s task force, while Oliver will play Lizzie, an underperforming state police officer who is added to Tom’s team. (Variety)
Molly Parker will star in the upcoming FOX medical drama Doc, based on the hit Italian series Doc – Nelle tue mani. Parker will play Dr. Amy Elias, the chief of internal and family medicine at Westside Hospital in Minneapolis, who must pick up her professional and personal pieces after she loses the memory of the last eight years. (Variety)
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:
5 PM: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie on USA Network
6 PM: The Christmas Detective movie on OWN (Encore) A Veteran’s Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) A Glenbrooke Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) A Date By Christmas Eve movie on Lifetime (Reair) London Has Fallen movie on A&E Love Actually movie on BBC America The Pelican Brief movie on POP
7 PM: The Gilded Age on HBO (Encore) Avengers: Endgame movie on FX Raiders of the Lost Ark movie on Paramount Network Downton Abbey: A New Era movie on Starz Draft Day movie on VICE
8 PM: The Gilded Age on HBO 2 (Encore) All Creatures Great and Small on PBS (Encore) My Christmas Guide movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Mayor of Kingstown on Showtime (Reair) The Perfect Christmas Present movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) Baby in a Manger movie on UPtv (Reair) The Holiday movie on Lifetime Olympus Has Fallen movie on A&E Fast & Furious movie on Bravo
8:30 PM: Top Gun movie on CMT Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 movie on USA Network
9 PM: All Creatures Great and Small on PBS (Encore) Christmas of Yes movie on OWN (Encore) Love Actually movie on BBC America The Client movie on POP
9:30 PM: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade movie on Paramount Network Draft Day movie on VICE
10 PM: All Creatures Great and Small on PBS (Encore) A Merry Scottish Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Small Town Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) Christmas Angel movie on UPtv (Reair) Fast Five movie on Bravo Edge of Tomorrow movie on HBO Everything Everywhere All at Once movie on TMC
As I’ve shared for many years now, music has always been an important part of my life. It all started when I was a little girl, listening to music while sitting in the middle of my big brothers’ shared bedroom on the their old 1970’s turntable then listening to my big boom box and later the Walkman I had in the 1980’s all the way through to my iPod in the 2000’s to now my Pandora and Spotify accounts.
I wake up to music every morning rather than a buzzing alarm; and then I go to bed with music. Music may not mean to everyone what it means to me, but it does play a crucial part in television, Broadway, theatre and the box office.
The following are just some of the top performers for 2023:
Top Single of the Year and Most Moving Song of the Year: “What Was I Made For?” – by Billie Eilish from Barbie movie
Say what you will about both Billie Eilish and the mega hit movie Barbie (not everybody likes the singer and not everybody liked the movie), but both were a hit this summer and the single continues to receive heavy airplay on the radio.
Here is the official lyric video for “What Was I Made For?”:
Duet of the Year and Top New Country Artist: “Save Me” by Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll
Jelly Roll (aka Jason Bradley DeFord) is a singer, songwriter and rapper who transitioned to country music a few years ago, taking that genre by storm, winning New Artist of the Year this year at the Country Music Association Awards. His single “Save Me” with hit country artist Lainey Wilson was a chart topper.
Here is the duo performing the song live at the 58th ACM Awards:
Most Soulful Artist: “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims
Teddy Swims (aka Jaten Colin Dimsdale) got his start on his YouTube channel and then his debut album came out in January 2020. This soulful single hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June and quickly rose up the charts. Listen for yourself and tell me that this isn’t a soulful tune.
Here is the official video for “Lose Control”:
She Made History Again: Tracy Chapman
The blues rocker saw her 1988 folk hit single “Fast Car” become a hit once again after country singer Luke Combs released his version of the single, which hit number one on country airplay charts and won Song of the Year at the Country Music Awards, making Chapman the first BLack songwriter to ever win that award.
Here is Luke Combs performing the song live in concert:
And, you can watch the original music video to the single by Tracy Chapman here:
Making History, Part Two: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
This festive song was recorded back in 1958 when Brenda Lee was all of 14 years old. The now 79 year old has become the oldest artist ever to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart with this single this year, breaking several other chart records, including out-performing chart-topper “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey.
Get your holiday cheer on with Brenda Lee in this new music video of that hit single here:
Having a Big Year, Yet Again: Taylor Swift
I included Swift in my music list last year, and she is right back on the list again this year because this time around she has sold nearly one out of every 15 vinyl albums in the United States this year. Her catalog of albums have sold 2.484 million copies in 2023. She is setting some other high benchmarks with the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” not only debuted at No. 1 with the biggest numbers of the year, it’s one of four albums she now has in the top 10 album charts. This is the first time a woman has done that in the entire 6-decade history of there being an album chart at Billboard. And let’s not forget about her Eras Tour that had packed audiences every night and culminated in a live concert movie that hit records in and of its own.
Stealing A Little of Taylor Swift’s Thunder: Beyoncé
The pop hip-hop artist not only accepted her record-shattering 32nd Grammy trophy this year, but this win made her the most awarded musician in Grammy’s 64-year history. Then there was her Renaissance World Tour that became a cultural movement with people all over the globe not only attending the concerts and dressed en masse in silver and rhinestones. In fact, she will have generated an estimated 4.5 billion for the American economy – about as much as what the 2008 Olympis did for Beijing.
She’s Finally Grown Up and I Can Tolerate Her Music Now: Miley Cyrus
Miley has had quite the career starting out as a Disney teen idol through the TV series Hannah Montana before moving into more “mature” territory via suggestive lyrics and dance moves that rattled a lot of cages and upset the adults in her sphere. This year, though, she released the album entitled Endless Summer Vacation, which includes the hit singles “Flowers” and “Used To Be Young” that finally – in my opinion, of course – make her someone I can now tolerate to listen to on the radio.
Here is the official video for “Flowers”:
Here is the official video for “Used To Be Young”:
Top Reality Artist [TIE]: Putri Ariani and Gabriel Henrique both on America’s Got Talent
These two talented singers both earned a golden buzzer on the long-running reality series and wowed not only the judges and the in-theatre audience but the countless TV viewers with their incredible voices. Judge for yourself in the videos below:
Putri, the blind 17-year-old piano player and singer from Indonesia sang an original song that she wrote as well as Sorry Is the Hardest Word:
Gabriel is a 27-year-old Brazilian who speaks very little English but can sing like the love child of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Check out his incredible vocal range below:
Oh, No You Didn’t: “Try That In a Small Town” by Jason Aldean
The country artist caused a major controversy this year with this single, getting vilified by liberals and Dems alike, and of course, getting a lot of support from Southern Republicians. The single also suffered a significant drop from the charts, in fact it was one of the steepest drops from the top spot in the history of the charts. Watch the video below and judge for yourself.
Here is the official video for “Try That In a Small Town”:
Group of the Year: Boygenius
This indie group includes singer-songwriters Julie Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, who debuted their first EP in 2018 and then returned this year with their debut studio album that has become a critical and commercial success, and their six Grammy nominations prove they deserve this accolade.
Check out the video to their single “True Blue”:
Top Female Artist of the Year: SZA
While her self-released debut EP came out back in 2012, SZA (born Solána Imani Rowe) has been working hard within the music industry, and made it to the number 2 spot on the Hitmakers chart just eking past Taylor Swift for the title. I’d say that’s quite the feat, wouldn’t you.
Here is the video for her hit single “Kill Bill”:
Top Male Artist of the Year: Morgan Wallen
The former disgraced country singer, who was caught on camera using a racial slur just two and half years ago, then his supporters sent sales of his music skyrocketing so much so that he had six singles on the Hitmakers Chart.
Here is the video for his single “Last Night,” which topped the charts:
What singer or band has been your “go-to” music during the past year? Which singles were the stand-outs for you this year? What song did you get sick of hearing on the radio? What was the top album in your opinion? Please share your thoughts on the music of 2023 below.
Our TV viewing was greatly hampered by the writers and actors strikes which curtailed everything for half of this year. The fall TV season will start in earnest starting in January, by the way.
But despite that TV fans have been able to enjoy their favorite shows, good, bad or otherwise. There were new shows for which we became obsessed with; outstanding performances, lots of streaming shows to get hooked on, unexpected departures and much, much more.
Please join me as I focus on the top highlights for 2023 (listed in no particular order):
Top Actress (TIE): Devery Jacobs in Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu) and Laura Birn in Foundation (Apple TV+)
Devery has earned rave reviews for playing Elora Danan Postoak, one of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma in a small town in the Muscogee Nation dealing with the death of a friend and dreaming of moving to California.
Laura Birn plays the enigmatic robot Demerzel, a loyal aide to the Emperor of the Galaxy, who seems almost human, but clearly isn’t. She has had an intricate, and sometimes sordid, relationship with the multiple centuries-long versions of the Emperor.
Fresh New Face – Sadie Laflamme-Snow in The Way Home (Hallmark Channel)
This relative newcomer plays Alice Dhawan, the third generation of the Landry women, who discovers time travel thanks to a small pond on the vast property owned by her grandmother Del.
Impressive Cast of a Cancelled Show – Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+)
The four lead girls in this short-lived musical rom-com drama – Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso and Tricia Fukuhara – were really quite impressive not only with the moving musical numbers but also the complicated, yet timely, relationships with their families, lovers, and classmates.
Best Performances [TIE] – Arsema Thomas in Queen Charlotte (Netflix) and Freya Allan in The Witcher (Netflix)
Taking on the younger version of Lady Danbury was no easy feat, but Arsema played the role effortlessly, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what the fair Lady had to endure in her marriage to a much older man, and the path that she took to get where she was in Bridgerton.
Playing Princess Cintra, aka Ciri, opposite Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra cannot be an easy thing, but Freya really excelled in the episode that found Ciri transported into unfamiliar territory where she was threatened in tangible and hallucinatory ways until she stepped into her power. It was a tour de force performance by the young actress.
Best Young Actress – Jordyn McIntosh in Unprisoned (Hulu)
Jordyn plays the imaginary, younger version of Paige Alexander (portrayed by Kerry Washington) in this almost odd-couple-like streaming series. This youngster is a perfect “mini Paige” not only mirroring her attire but also her mannerism. Well done!
Honorable Mention (Young Actress) – Skywalker Hughes played Sheridan, the eldest daughter in the recently cancelled Spectrum-turned-Paramount+ drama Joe Pickett; and while the show’s first season aired in 2021, I didn’t see that season until this fall, and I have to say I was blown away by this young girl’s performance throughout the show’s debut season especially the nail biting season finale.
Surprise TV Performance in the Streaming Ratings – Suits (Netflix)
This former USA Network series debuted back in the summer of 2011, running for 8 seasons as part of the “Blue Sky” programming for which that cabler became synonymous, and also brought Meghan Markle to the attention of avid TV viewers well before she ever met (and later married) a certain royal. This year Suits crossed 3 billion minutes watched for seven weeks in a row on Netflix, the first title to ever do so on the Nielsen Streaming Top 10. But I have to ask, where were all those viewers when the show was actually airing from 2011 to 2019?
Stand Out Performance – Betty Gilpin in Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
While this series may have been heavy on the absurdity, Betty’s performance of Sister Simone was glorious as each twist and turn of the, at times, hard to follow story was nothing short of divine. Despite the far-fetched storyline – a nun battling against an unseen AI, which sent her on a quest to destroy the Holy Grail – the viewer couldn’t help but root for Simone’s journey to be fruitful.
Best Companion – Betty the dog in Will Trent (ABC)
This adorable little Chihuahua is unlike other puppy companions in police dramas, flipping the typical trope over. Betty is not a trained K-9 but rather a loyal companion, who was found by Will Trent tied up alone in his neighborhood. He was reluctant, at first, to take her in, but she has proven to not be a mighty little soul but also a wonderful little partner to the detective.
Emotional End to a Series – A Million Little Things (ABC)
After five seasons on the air and culminating in 87 episodes, this series came to an end in May with a moving, albeit heartbreaking, video being watched by a now 16-year-old Javier Mendez, interspersed with scenes of Maggie visiting Gary’s gravesite and the whole family gathered together to celebrate the young man’s birthday, finishing with the next generation of the four families together for a hockey game.
Here is the video of the final scene of A Million Little Things:
Handsome Newcomer – Brendan Sklenar in 1923 (Paramount+)
Brendan has been acting for a decade, but it was his role of Spencer Dutton, the nephew of Jacob Dutton and ancestor to modern-day John Dutton in Yellowstone that had heads turning from the pilot episode where he faced down not only a giant lion and a massive leopard to his love affair with Alexandra, a well-to-do British woman and that oh so sexy beachside honeymoon with her that had viewers swooning.
Most Talked About TV Death – Logan Roy in Succession (HBO)
While I personally never watched the critically acclaimed and highly awarded drama starring Brian Cox, the death of the character he portrayed for four seasons seemed to truly reverberate with viewers; and how he died (SPOILER ALERT!) – dropping dead on his private plane – seemed almost an unjust, yet fitting, end to a complex and cold-hearted man.
Best TV Season Yet – Season 3 of Sweet Magnolias (Netflix)
For viewers who have been watching the series since its beginning near the onset of the COVID pandemic (May of 2020 to be exact), this series about 3 best friends in the heart of the South has touched their hearts. The show’s third season may have been lauded by some as its best season yet (I am in that corner) while others have not been as colorful in their prose about the show, I think if you love stories about flawed yet strong women who support, cajole and even criticize each other but are always there for one another, then you’ll want to watch this show.
Best Performance in a Critically Panned Series – Kingsley Ben-Adir in Secret Invasion (Disney+)
This series within the Marvel Cinematic Universe received very mixed reviews, especially the final battle scene between G’iah (Emilia Clarke) and Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), which left a pretty bad taste in the mouths of fans of the long-running franchise. That being said, though, Ben-Adir was the epitome of a bad guy with his vehement hatred of not only the human race but also specifically Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). He ruled every scene he was in and really stole the show.
Moving Moments [Three Way TIE] – Alexandra Breckenridge in Virgin River (Netflix) and Allison Miller in A Million Little Things (ABC) and Elizabeth Tulloch in Superman & Lois (The CW)
Alexandra Breckenridge was fantastic in season 5 of the popular Netflix series Virgin River, especially giving the nearly breaking point she reached when her character Mel Monrole suffered a miscarriage halfway through the season. Watching the devastation – once again – that Mel had to deal with all while the town of Virgin River was in danger was palpable. It was three episodes of heartbreaking scenes: Mel performing the ultrasound on herself, collapsing into Jack’s arms as she broke the news to him and then coming face to face with the reality of what happened. It was a bravura performance, to say the least.
The final season of A Million Little Things was a tearjerker to say the least, but one of the breakout moments was watching Allison Miller as Maggie Bloom Mendez deal with the impending death of her husband Gary, whose battle with cancer was coming to an end. Her pain and grief was clear as her whole body showed how raw she was. It was devastating to watch, but an amazing piece of work by a talented actress.
For a superhero series to focus on a real-life issue is quite something different, but Superman & Lois focused on a cancer diagnosis for Lois Lane deftly. Elizabeth Tulloch gave a haunting performance with vacant stares, nailing her struggle of trying to act as if nothing had changed in her life despite her world being shattered.
Top Actor – Zahn McClarnon in Dark Winds (AMC)
Zahn has been acting for over 35 years, playing quite a number of “heavys” in his time, but it has been his turn as Sheriff Joe Leaphorn in the acclaimed AMC drama that has finally garnered him some much needed, albeit long-overdue, attention. In the second season of the series, he was given the opportunity to cover so many emotions in gut-wrenching fashion that according to critics it was “a sight to behold.”
Best Guest Actor – Mark Lewis Jones in Outlander (Starz)
As much as fans of the long-running series reviled Tom Christie for his unpleasantness, his religious rigidity and his, at times, barely contained resentment of Jamie Fraser, Mark Lewis Jones portrayed Tom in refreshingly honest way when the man revealed his love for Claire, Jamie’s wife, and admitted (albeit falsely) that he was the person who killed Malva, his daughter, not Claire, who was being blamed for the wayward girl’s death. It was quite a sight to be seen.
Best New Character – Ramon Rodriguez in Will Trent (ABC)
Being the lead in a brand new TV drama can be hard work, but Ramon Rodriguez in the title role of Will Trent made it look easy. His character has a lot of quirks combined with a very heartbreaking backstory, but those quirks actually help in his work with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He was especially impressive when he learned out the truth about his birth mother and how his boss Amanda Wagner became a surrogate mom to him.
Best Speech – Tommy Vega on 9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX)
Gina Torres has played Tommy Vega in the spin-off series since its second season, and this season Tommy dipped her toe into the dating scene for the first time after losing her beloved husband. She ended up dating the new minister (who she helped save from a torrent of falling frogs in the season opener), but when the church gossips got to be a bit too much, Tommy gave her own, powerful sermon, striking those women quite a deserved blow.
Honorable Mentions – Whitney Cummings and Stephanie Nogueras in Accused (FOX)
Whitney and Stephanie appeared in separate installments of this new anthology series and both received kudos for their performances.
Whitney played Brenda, a stand-up comedian until she was raped by a successful peer (and former “hook-up”), who took advantage of that “connection” to brutalize her. Her portrayal of Brenda was nothing short of heartbreaking, as she was let down by her pseudo boss at the comedy club, a reluctant DA and, especially, a new acquaintance.
Stephanie played Ava, a Deaf surrogate who decided to kidnap the baby she gave birth to for another couple because she suspected the couple would not let their Deaf child grow up in a signing environment. It was an ill-advised move, but one that brought to the forefront the Deaf community, and showcased her talent as she showed such passion in her signing when on the witness stand.
Worst Show – The Idol (HBO)
The creator of this show has been created with saying that this new series “would be the biggest show of the summer,” but sadly it was easily not that at all; in fact, according to some critics the show was torturous, nasty, brutish and much longer than it needed to be, making it “worthy” of the worst show of the year.
Best Couple – Chenford, Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford in The Rookie (ABC)
It took quite a while for Chenford (actors Melissa O’Neil and Eric Winter) to go on their first date – season 5, episode 10 to be exact – but it was worth the wait even though the sit-down dinner was awkwardly interrupted by their work, their do-over date was so much better, and just reconfirmed they are so right for each other.
Best Musical Performance – Sam Claflin and Riley Keough in Daisy Jones & the Six (Prime Video)
Watching Daisy Jones (Keough) and Billy Dunne (Claflin) perform as the lead singers of the fictionalized title band in this limited series was quite captivating because they made it look so effortless, but the devastating behind the scenes interactions of these two were just as thrilling to watch.
What have been the stand-out moments on the small screen (networks or streaming) for you? Who was your favorite actor for the year? What series, special or TV event disappointed you the most? Please share your thoughts on TV from this year below.
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions
6 PM: Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) A Godwink Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) A Christmas Dance Reunion movie on Lifetime (Reair) A Fairytale Christmas movie on UPtv (Reair) Tomorrow Never Dies movie on MGM+ (formerly EPIX) Back to the Future movie on Syfy
6:30 PM: Everything Everywhere All at Once movie on Showtime 2 Die Hard with a Vengeance movie on Sundance TV
6:50 PM: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie on USA Network
7 PM: George & Tammy on Showtime (Encore) John Wick: Chapter 2 movie on E! Cover Girl (classic) movie on MOVIES!
7:30 PM: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King movie on Paramount Network
8 PM: A Royal Christmas Holiday movie on Great American Family (DEBUT) Mom’s Christmas Boyfriend movie on Lifetime (DEBUT) George & Tammy on Showtime (Encore) When Christmas Was Young movie on CBS (Encore) Mystery on Mistletoe Lane movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Karen’s Kingsbury’s Maggie’s Christmas Miracle movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) Love’s Christmas Journey movie on UPtv (Reair) The Fast and the Furious movie on Bravo Casino Royale movie on MGM+ (formerly EPIX)
8:30 PM: Back to the Future Part II movie on Syfy
9 PM: Christmas Revisited movie on OWN (DEBUT) Mamma Mafia movie on Showtime 2
9:15 PM: Pennies From Heaven (classic) movie on MOVIES!
9:30 PM: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum movie on E! Die Hard with a Vengeance movie on Sundance TV
10 PM: The Gilded Age on HBO (Encore) Christmas on Cherry Lane movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Miracle in Bethlehem, PA on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore) A New Orleans Noel movie on Lifetime (Reair) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie on USA Network
10:30 PM: Quantum of Solace movie on MGM+ (formerly EPIX)
While the global crisis of the pandemic has lessened, and good deeds have been done throughout the year, bad and shocking events seemed to be overwhelming over the last 12 months whether it was school shootings, racial tensions, horrific weather or one indictment after the other against a certain former “politician,” 2023 has been one hell of a year. But with the bad comes the good, and I know many of us try, as best we can, to focus on the good.
The following are just some of the top stories for this year, broken down by month:
January
Kevin McCarthy voted as Speaker of the House after several failed attempts
A 6-year-old shot his elementary school teacher in Virginia
Prince Harry’s expose book “Spare” came out
Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes are fired from Good Morning America 3 after illicit romantic affair is revealed
Jeremy Renner severely injured in snowplow accident
Deadly Walmart shooting in Indiana
East Jerusalem synagogue hit by gunman
Gunman attacks Lunar New Year’s Eve Celebration in Monterey Park, California
14 citizens hurt or threatened during January 6 insurrection were honored by President Biden with high public honor
February
7.8 earthquake in Turkey and Syria killed more than 41,000 people
Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in prison after rape conviction
R. Kelly sentenced to 20 years in federal prison related to child pornography charges
Rupert Murdoch acknowledged Fox News hosts endorsed election fraud falsehoods
The Chinese balloon incident took place
Buffalo grocery store shooting
Black Hawk plane crash in Alabama with no survivors
March
South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty of murdering his wife and son
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump
School shooting in Nashville
Nationwide protests in France due to retirement age being raised from 62 to 64
April
Donald Trump arrested on 34 felony counts
Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard was arrested because of classified documents being leaked on the internet
The Phantom of the Opera comes to an end on Broadway after 35 years and 13,981 performances
An 85-year-old Missouri man charged in shooting a blak teenager who went to the wrong house
Fox Corporation and Donimion Voting Systems agreed to settle a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit
Don Lemon determined by CNN after 17 years
Tucker Carlson and Fox News parted ways
President Joe Biden announced his re-election bid
The Walt Disney Co. filed a First Amendment lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
May
Aerosmith announces 40-date arean farewell tour
The Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 2
Four Proud Boys convicted of sedition in January 6 case
A jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of E. Jean Carroll
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle involved in near catastrophic 2-hour car chase with paparazzi
Montana became the first state in the US to ban TikTok
Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy from January 6 case
Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of the blood testing start-up Theranos, reports to prison for 11-year sentence
Actor Danny Masterson convicted on two criminal counts in his sexual assault retrial
June
Two passenger trains crashed in Odisha, India
Canadian wildfires caused bad air quality throughout much of the East Coast
Donald Trump is charged in classified documents inquiry
Pat Sajak is leaving the game show Wheel of Fortune after 41 seasons
Donald Trump surrendered himself to the U.S. marshals in Miamia
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, was charged with two tax misdemeanors and illegally possessing a handgun
Titan submarine suffered catastrophic implosion, all 5 passengers lost
July
The Screen Actors Guild went on strike; first time in 63 years that both the writers and actors were on strike at the same time
Suspect arrested in serial killings of women near Gilgo Beach near Long Island
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared unable to speak halfway through a press conference
Actor Kevin Spacey found not guilty of sexual assault charges in UK trial
July was on track to be the hottest month globally since 1850
August
Donald Trump indicted for a third time by a Washington grand jury for his involvement with the January 6 riots
Massive wildfire in Maui County, Hawaii
Texas governor Greg Abbott was considered to have blood on his hands because of chained buoys placed in the Rio Grande that caused the death of several asylum seekers
Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin confirmed killed in plane crash
Donald Trump surrendered to authorities in Atlanta where he was required to pose for a mugshot after being indicted for a fourth time in five months
8 tornados hit the Midwest and triple digit temperatures in much of that same area
A white gunman who “hated Black people” killed several people, and then himself, in a Dollar General in Jacksonville, Florida
3 US Marines killed in an Osprey crash in Australia
A category 4 Hurricane hit the Gulf Coast
The blue supermoon was seen all around the world
Spain’s top soccer official resigned over unwanted World Cup kiss
The Nebraska women’s volleyball team played in front of 92,003 fans, making a world record in women’s sports
Fire ripped through a building in Johannesburg, causing countless deaths
September
Two more members of the Proud Boys get sentenced in the January 6 sedition case
Thousands of people stranded at the Burning Man festival due to mud from a torrential rain that closed roads
Enrique Tarrio, the ex-leader of the Proud Boys sentenced to 22 years in January 6 sedition case
Two people plowed through the Great Wall of China, leaving a gaping hole
A powerful earthquake struck Morocco, killing more than 600 people
The convicted killer, Danelo Cavalcante, was captured after he escaped prison, which prompted a 500-officer manhunt
The United Auto Workers went on strike
The Writers Guild of America finally reached an agreement with the studios after 148 days on strike
Donald Trump was found to have inflated property values on his holdings by as much as $2.2 billion
Record-breaking astronaut Frank Rubio finally returned to Earth after spending 371 days in space
New Jersey Democratic Senator Robert Menendez was indicted
October
Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House after a Republican rebellion
Gaza and Israel war breaks out with the Hamas launching a surprise assaults on civilians
Sidney Powell, a lawyer for Donald Trump, pleaded guilty in the Georgia Trump election case; also Jenna Ellis, another former Trump lawyer, also pleaded guilty; Ken Chesbro and Mark Meadows also pleaded guilty
A Lewiston, Maine man – Robert Card – killed 22 people in several locations, causing New Hampshire to close state lines in order to catch him
Mike Johnson was voted to Speaker of the House
The United Auto Workers union won their strike against Detroit Big Three automakers
November
New song by The Beatles “Now and Then” was released after an eventful journey that spanned five decades to be created
Lisa Franchetti is the first woman ever to be confirmed by the Senate to lead the United States Navy
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried convicted by a federal jury of fraud and conspiracy
Ohio voted to establish right to abortion
Democrats take control of Virginia Legislature
David DePape, the man who attacked Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was convicted of his crimes
A brief pause in the war between Israel and Hamas allowed for many hostages to be freed and returned home on both sides
December
U.S. Representative George Santos was expelled from congress
Kevin McCarthy will leave Congress at the end of the year
Three Hamas hostages were shot by accident by the Israel military
Jury orders Rudy Giuliani to pay $148 million to the election workers he defamed in 2020 and then a short time later he declares bankruptcy
Prince Harry’s phone was hacked by U.K. tabloid as rules by judge in a landmark case
COVID-19, Flue and RSV Cases were on the rise
Cardinal Becciu found guilty of embezzlement in Vatican
Volcano erupts in Iceland near a power plant
The Colorado Supreme Court deems Donald Trump ineligible for 2024 ballot (first court to find that the disqualification clause of the 14th amendment applies and affirms that he engaged in insurrection)
Horrific university shooting in Prague
That is quite the list of just some of the top news items throughout the year!
I hope that you will join me through the end of this year, as I focus on the best and the worst of 2023 in the worlds of TV and movies, TV ratings and so much more.
NOTE: I apologize in advance for any omissions, spelling errors or oversights I might have made, but I definitely don’t apologize for any choices I made.
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:
NOTE: The new movie Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire will debut online on Netflix today while the second season of What If…? will premiere on Disney+, airing over the next 9 consecutive days.
5:30 PM: Deadpool movie on FX The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie on Paramount Network
6 PM: Miracle in Bethlehem, PA movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore) A Fabled Holiday movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) My Sweet Holiday movie on Lifetime (Reair) Santa’s Got Style movie on UPtv (Reair)
6:45 PM: Galaxy Quest movie on BBC America
7 PM: The Polar Express (animated) movie on AMC The Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie on Encore An Affair to Remember (classic) movie on TCM Aquaman movie on TNT Burlesque movie on VH1
8 PM: A Royal Christmas Crush movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Yes, Chef! Christmas movie on Lifetime (Encore) Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love movie on NBC (Reair) Northern Lights of Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) Santa Switch movie on UPtv (Reair) Deadpool 2 movie on FX Man on Fire movie on HBO
9 PM: Fit for Christmas movie on CBS (Reair)
9:20 PM: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 movie on Encore
9:30 PM: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie on Paramount Network The Whale (2022) movie on Showtime 2
10 PM: Friends & Family Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) A Cowboy Christmas Romance movie on Lifetime (Encore) A Godwink Christmas: Miracle of Love movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) Spider-Man: Far From Home movie on FX
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions.
NOTE: The second season of Dr. Death will premiere online on Peacock today while the BET+ movie Whatever It Takes will debut online today.
5:30 PM: The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies movie on HBO Justice League movie on TNT
6 PM: Sealed With a List movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore) Christmas of Yes movie on OWN (Encore) A Ring for Christmas movie on UPtv (Reair)
7 PM: Spider-Man: Far From Home movie on FX The Day After Tomorrow movie on FXM
8 PM: iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2023 on ABC (Special) Miracle in Bethlehem, PA movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (DEBUT) The Gilded Age on HBO (Encore) A Biltmore Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) The Christmas Detective movie on OWN (Encore) Mistletoe Magic movie on UPtv (Reair) Snowpiercer movie on ThisTV Aquaman movie on TNT
8:30 PM: Pitch Black movie on Syfy
9 PM: All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece on PBS (Encore)
9:30 PM: Fellow Travelers on Showtime (Encore) I, Robot movie on FXM
10 PM: All Creatures Great and Small on Masterpiece on PBS (Encore) Haul Out the Holly movie on Hallmark Channel (Reair) A Homecoming for the Holidays movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) A Christmas Stray movie on OWN (Reair) The Christmas Chalet movie on UPtv (Reair) Spider-Man: Far From Home movie on FX
On December 24, the UPtv holiday movie A Christmas Letter will debut at 7 PM.
This movie is a modern love story mixed with an epic adventure that ultimately brings a family together, with an uplifting, feel-good look at how the spirit of the holidays – and help from some pro hockey players – can unite a community and new-found friendships. This is a tale of how love, compassion and a little Christmas sparkle can bring us together when we need it the most.
The film stars Colin Mochrie, David Lipper, Enrico Colantoni and Glenda Bragzana.
Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:
NOTE: The first two episodes of the new small screen adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will debut online on Disney+
5 PM: It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on E! Black Widow movie on FX
6 PM: Flipping for Christmas movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) Yuletide the Knot movie on UPtv (Encore) Long Lost Christmas on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair)
6:40 PM: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 movie on Encore
7 PM: Beacon 23 on MGM+ (formerly EPIX) (Encore) Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit movie on HBO
8 PM: Fellow Travelers on Showtimes 2 (Encore) Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) To All a Good Night movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Encore) A Royal Christmas Engagement movie on UPtv (Reair) It’s a Wonderful Life (classic) movie on E! Captain America: The First Avenger movie on FX How Stella Got Her Groove Back movie on Showtime
9 PM: Speed movie on Starz
10 PM: Magic in Mistletoe movie on Hallmark Channel (Encore) The Christmas Note movie on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (Reair) A Wedding for Christmas movie on UPtv (Reair) The Polar Express (animated) movie on AMC
Rueben's Ramblings 