Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Year End Round Up’ Category

2025 Year-End Round Up: Closing Out the Year

Posted in Messages, Year End Round Up on December 31, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Needless to say, 2025 has been an extremely tumultuous year – mostly from the aspect of our government, or what passes as our government right now – ranging from one horrible decision after another by our so-called “President” and every single member of his “Administration” to horrible weather systems hitting all over the world, more school shootings, countless protests all over the country to let a certain person in the White House understand just how pissed off the American people are with him and so much more.

But there have been good things to happen too like all of the fantastic signs, costumes and collaborative moments from all of the peaceful protests that have taken place throughout the year, the countless leaders of foreign countries standing up to our so-called “President” when the Republicans just could care less while judges all over the country stood against that same “man” to uphold our laws and the Constitution; those stranded astronauts finally making it home and the few, remaining Palestinian prisoners FINALLY being released.

It should be the wish of every American – young and old – that 2026 can only improve on what was unleashed upon all of us this year by a ruthless government that only seemed, and still seems, content on turning our country into a dictatorship. The mid-term elections in November 2026 will truly be the turning tide for our country, and let’s hope that the results are far more positive than the election result in November 2024.

As for the TV world, let’s hope that we – the viewers – can continue to be distracted by TV movies, specials and all of our favorite shows. At the very least, we need the distraction!

Most of all, I hope that everyone who has visited my little entertainment news site and enjoyed what I’ve shared over the last 12 months (despite our political views) will continue to come back here for your entertainment news.

Happy New Year!

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: New Faces of 2026

Posted in Familiar Faces, Movies, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Much like the Faces of 2025, there are always entertainers of note to be on the look-out for in the new year or those who made great waves throughout the current year who will, undoubtedly, be big stars in the new year.

The new faces of 2026 appear below in no particular order:

Ryan Kiera Armstrong – This talented 15-year-old has appeared in vastly different roles during her young life. She made her debut in the Netflix series Anne With an E starting at the tender age of 7 and then had a role in the horror flick IT: Chapter Two and followed that up with roles in The Tomorrow War, Black Widow and Firestarter as well as on TV in American Horror Story. More recently she appeared in the Star Wars related series Skeleton Crew with Jude Law and alongside Ethan Hawke in The Lowdown. But her next upcoming role will easily put her on the map: she will play Nova in the reboot series Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale – which is the working title – playing Nova alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar

Corey Fogelmanis – This California native is very familiar to the younger generations from his years in the Disney series Girl Meets World but he became a teenage heartthrob playing Nathan Walter in the Netflix teenage drama My Life With the Walter Boys. More recently he has appeared in several music videos with American singer-songwriter Conan Gray and starred in the independent flick I Wish You All the Best, starring alongside Alexandra Daddario, Cole Sprouse and Lena Dunham.

Tonatiuh – This LA native has been acting for the past 11 years, appearing in episodes of Jane the Virgin, Famous in Love and Chicago Med before he had a recurring role in the Starz series Vida and a role in the short-lived series Promised Land. But it’s been his recent roles in the Netflix action flick Carry-On and the box office movie The Kiss of the Spider Woman alongside Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna that has set him on the map.

Siena Agudong – The Hawaii native has been acting for the past 13 years, appearing in various children’s programs on Disney, Nickelodeon and even Netflix, but then “graduated” to more adult projects like F9: The Fast Saga and the Resident Evil series on Netflix. More recently, she has appeared in the Tubi young-adult movies Sidelined and Sidelined 2 as well as the horror flick What She Doesn’t Know. Next up she will appear in the small screen adaptation of the Stephen King horror classic Carrie that is expected to debut sometime in 2026 on Amazon Prime.

Ella Anderson – She may be best known to the younger generations as Piper Hart in the long-running superhero series Henry Danger on Nickelodeon, but she earned critical praise for her role in the Brie Larson-led box office movie The Glass Castle back in 2017. Since then, she has appeared in the Hulu movie Suncoast, that also starred Woody Harrelson and Laura Linney and the aforementioned horror flick What She Doesn’t Know (alongside Faces of 2026 Siena Agudong). On Christmas Day, she will be seen alongside Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman in the much buzzed about film Song Sung Blue.

Jay Lycurgo – This British actor has been working professionally for the past six years, appearing in episodes of I May Destroy You, War of the Worlds and Cheaters before landing the role of Tim Blake (a wanna-be Robin) in the buzzed-about HBO Max teen fantasy Titans before landing a small role in the 2022 box office movie The Batman. This year he appeared in the Netflix movie Steve with Cillian Murphy, and they will reteam in next year’s Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man film that will debut in March.

Erin Kellyman – For the past 10 years, this British actress has been building up a resume appearing in both film and TV, including the box office movies Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Green Knight and Blitz as well as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the short-lived small screen adaptation of Willow and the BBC mini-series adaptation of Les Misérables. This year she appeared in the horror flick 28 Years Later and the critically acclaimed box office movie Eleanor the Great, which stars June Squibb and Chiwetel Ejiofor and was directed by Scarlett Johanson.

Chase Infiniti – This Indiana-born newcomer made her TV debut last year in the Jake Gyllenhaal-led Apple TV series Presumed Innocent and then appeared in this year’s much-buzzed-about box office movie One Battle After Another, working alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro. She will next be seen in the new, upcoming series The Testaments, the sequel series to Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which will be set five years after the series finale of the ‘mothership’ series.

Are there any actors or actresses who you think are the faces to watch in 2026? Please share.

TOMORROW: Closing Out 2025

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: The Faces of 2025

Posted in Familiar Faces, Movies, Music, New Faces, Television, Year End Round Up on December 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The following list highlights the actors and actresses on TV and on the big screen who really caught viewers’ attention throughout this year.

They appear in no particular order:

Milo Callaghan – He got his start in the Starz period piece The Spanish Princess and appeared in episodes of shows like FBI: International, Doctor Who, Rivals and Dune: Prophecy as well as appeared in both horror flicks The Strangers Part 1 and The Strangers Part 2, but it was his turn in the lead rule of Rudy Baylor in the USA Network small screen adaptation of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker, holding his own alongside John Slattery and Lana Parrilla, that got him attention.

Mason Thames – This 18-year-old Texan has achieved a box office record last held by Jim Carrey back in 1994. He has appeared in three number 1 box office hits within a single year, including the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, the horror flick sequel Black Phone 2 and the rom-com Regretting You based on the novel by Colleen Hoover. His credits also included several episodes of Walker and For All Mankind.

Sofia Carson – Just a decade ago, this talented singer-actress had never stepped onto a feature film set, but then she landed at Disney starring in several TV shows but primarily appearing in The Descendants movie franchise. She also provided the voice in the animated film Elena of Avalor, but it’s been in roles in the Netflix movies Purple Hearts, Carry On, The Life List and most recently My Oxford Year that has made her Netflix’s first bona fide movie star.

Owen Cooper – The talented British newcomer full-on turned heads with his performance in the four-part Netflix mini-series Adolescence, garnering himself a Best Supporting Actor Emmy Award, making him the youngest male ever to win a Primetime Emmy Award at the ole ripe age of 15, and that with no acting experience. He will next be seen in the next year’s Emerald Fennell-director and written Wuthering Heights where he will play Young Heathcliff.

Anna Lambe – This Canadian beauty has appeared in TV shows like Diggstown, the short-lived Three Pines and the Hilary Swank short-lived series Alaska Daily before she landed a recurring role on True Detective: Night Country. This year, she appeared in the comedy film Dusk & Dawn and had the lead role of Siaja in the adorable Netflix comedy North of North, which will be back for a second season, hopefully, sometime next year.

Milly Alcock – This Australian actress caught viewers’ attention back in 2022 with her role in the spin-off series House of the Dragon, playing the young Rhaenyra Targaryen, the distant ancestor of Daenerys Targaryen aka Khaleesi (Game of Thrones lead actress Emilia Clarke), but it was her turn as Simone DeWitt in the Netflix mini-series Sirens, where she starred opposite Julianne Moore and Meghann Fahy, that turned heads. Then this summer she appeared in the final moments of the hit film Superman, playing Kara Zor-El. She will play that character in next summer’s much anticipated follow-up flick Supergirl.

Jack Schumacher – The Illinois native was one of the hotshots in the Tom Cruise-led film Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, but it was his role in the Netflix contemporary western (think Yellowstone without as many guns and death) Ransom Canyon, playing bad boy-turned good ole boy Yancy Grey that caught viewers eyes.

Tom Blyth – Back in 2022 this British actor starred as the famous gunfighter William H. Bonney in the drama series Billy the Kid on MGM+ (formerly EPIX). That series came to a close on that cable network in November. Then in 2023 he played Coriolanus Snow in the prequel film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. He appeared in four other flicks over the next two years and will next be seen in the upcoming Netflix movie People We Meet on Vacation that will debut on the streaming service in January.

Who are some of the faces from this year who caught your attention either on television, in music or in film? Please share.

TOMORROW: New Faces of 2026

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: TV Ratings

Posted in Ratings, Television, Year End Round Up on December 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »

As I have mentioned for many years now, the TV landscape has changed quite a bit in the past 20 years since streaming started taking the attention away from linear TV, you know those channels that you watch on cable TV for those who still pay for and receive cable TV, of course.

And while linear TV isn’t watched as much as streaming, the major and cable networks still rely on the ratings system to determine how shows are performing. For over15 years, here at Rueben’s Ramblings, I have been providing a yearly ratings report on how TV dramas, limited series, mini-series, anthology series and the like as well as made-for-TV movies have performed for each TV season.t

I will continue to do that for as long as linear TV continues to exist, although I continue to hold to the belief that the major and cable networks really need to start changing their format in order to keep pace with all the streaming services that are available.

So let’s take a look at how the major and cable networks fared throughout 2025.

The first list is the major network dramas that aired from January through approximately June, covering the last half of the 2024-2025 TV season:

Tracker (CBS) – 7.9 million viewers
FBI (CBS) – 6.1 million viewers
Chicago Med (NBC) – 5.9 million viewers
Chicago Fire (NBC) – 5.7 million viewers
Matlock (CBS) – 5.4 million viewers
NCIS (CBS) – 5.4 million viewers
High Potential (ABC) – 5.3 million viewers
Watson (CBS) – 5.1 million viewers
Chicago P.D. (NBC) – 4.7 million viewers
Elsbeth (CBS) – 4.7 million viewers
FBI: International (CBS) – 4.6 million viewers *
Will Trent (ABC) – 4.6 million viewers
9-1-1 (ABC) – 4.4 million viewers
FBI: Most Wanted (CBS) – 4.2 million viewers *
NCIS: Sydney (CBS) – 4.1 million viewers
Law & Order (NBC) – 3.9 million viewers
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) – 3.9 million viewers
The Equalizer (CBS) – 3.9 million viewers *
Fire Country (CBS) – 3.8 million viewers
S.W.A.T. (CBS) – 3.3 million viewers *
The Rookie (ABC) – 3.1 million viewers
9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX) – 2.9 million viewers *
Dr. Odyssey (ABC) – 2.9 million viewers *
Brilliant Minds (NBC) – 2.7 million viewers
The Hunting Party (NBC) – 2.7 million viewers
Doc (FOX) – 2.3 million viewers
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 2.3 million viewers
Found (NBC) – 2.2 million viewers *
The Irrational (NBC) – 1.9 million viewers *
Only Murders in the Building (ABC) -1.6 million viewers (linear viewing from Hulu)
Rescue: Hi-Surf (FOX) – 1.6 million viewers *
Paradise (ABC) – 1.4 million viewers (linear viewing from Hulu)
Suits LA (NBC) – 1.4 million viewers *
Grosse Pointe Garden Society (NBC) – 1.2 million viewers *
Alert: Missing Persons Unit (FOX) – 1.1 million viewers *
The Cleaning Lady (FOX) – 1.1 million viewers *
Sherlock & Daughter (CW) – 488,000 viewers ^
Wild Cards (CW) – 467,000 viewers
Good Cop/Bad Cop (CW) – 352,000 viewers ^
All American (CW) – 327,000 viewers

* denotes all those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes all those shows that have yet to be renewed for another season

NOTE: Law & Order: Organized Crime only aired one episode on linear TV on NBC before the rest of the season aired online on Peacock, the streaming service for NBC.

The second list covers all of the cable network dramas from that same approximate time period: January through June 2025:

When Calls the Heart (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
1923 (Paramount Network) – 1.4 million viewers *
The White Lotus (HBO) – 777,000 viewers
The Last of Us (HBO) – 737,000 viewers
Dark Winds (AMC) – 722,000 viewers
The Chicken Sisters (Hallmark Channel) – 547,000 viewers
The Way Home (Hallmark Channel) – 687,000 viewers
The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) – 333,000 viewers
Mayfair Witches (AMC) – 249,000 viewers
SurrealEstate (Syfy) – 146,000 viewers (approximately) ^
Power Book III: Raising Kanan (Starz) – 137,000 viewers (approximately)
Dexter: Original Sin (Showtime) – 99,000 viewers (approximately) *
The Agency (Showtime) – 95,000 viewers (approximately)
The Couple Next Door (Starz) – 90,000 viewers
Yellowjackets (Showtime) – 82,000 viewers
Mystic (UPtv) – 56,000 viewers (approximately) ^

* denotes all those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes those shows that have yet to be renewed for a new season

No ratings for the following cable dramas that aired from January through approximately June 2025 could be tracked down:

C.B. Strike (HBO) ^
9 Bodies in a Mexican Morgue *, Godfather of Harlem ^ and Rogue Heroes (all on MGM+)
All Creatures Great and Small, Call the Midwife, Funny Woman ^, Marie Antoinette ^, Miss Austen ^, Miss Scarlet, Vienna Blood ^ and Wolf Hall: The Mirror & the Light * (all on PBS)
Mobland (Showtime)
Outlander (Starz)

* denotes all those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes those shows that have yet to be renewed for a new season

The third list covers the dramas that aired on the major networks over the summer from May through approximately September 2025:

Transplant (NBC) – 2 million viewers *
Sullivan’s Crossing (CW) – 462,000 viewers
Family Law (CW) – 370,000 viewers ^

* denotes those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes those shows that have yet to be renewed for a new season

The fourth list covers the cable dramas, which aired from May through approximately September 2025, where the ratings could be tracked down. Those dramas are:

Holidazed (Hallmark Channel) – 672,000 viewers *
The Gilded Age (HBO) – 594,000 viewers
The Rainmaker (USA Network) – 569,000 viewers
The Chicken Sisters (Hallmark Channel) – 528,000 viewers
Alien: Earth (FX) – 437,000 viewers
The Librarians: The Next Chapter (TNT) – 381,000 viewers (approximately)
Nautilus (AMC) – 304,000 viewers (approximately) ^
Resident Alien (Syfy/USA Network) – 264,000 viewers (approximately) *
Dexter: Resurrection (Showtime) – 163,000 viewers (approximately)
The Chi (Showtime) – 123,000 viewers (approximately)
Revival (Syfy) – 107,000 viewers (approximately) ^

* denotes those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes those shows that have yet to be renewed for a new season

The following cable network dramas that aired from May through approximately September 2025, where ratings could NOT be tracked down include the following:

Daredevil: Born Again (FX) [linear viewing from Disney+]
The Institute (MGM+)
Grantchester, Patience ^, Professor T, The Marlow Murder Club and Unforgotten ^ (all on PBS)
Outlander: Blood of My Blood (Starz)
Hudson & Rex (UPtv)

^ denotes those shows that have yet to be renewed for a new season

The fifth list covers all of the major network dramas that aired during the first half of the 2025-2026 TV season, covering September/October to approximately mid-December:

Tracker (CBS) – 8.1 million viewers
NCIS (CBS) – 5.6 million viewers
Chicago Med (NBC) – 5.3 million viewers
Chicago Fire (NBC) – 5.2 million viewers
Matlock (CBS) – 4.9 million viewers
Sheriff Country (CBS) – 4.8 million viewers
Chicago P.D. (NBC) – 4.2 million viewers
NCIS: Origins (CBS) – 4.2 million viewers
High Potential (ABC) – 4.2 million viewers
Boston Blue (CBS) – 4 million viewers
9-1-1 (ABC) – 3.9 million viewers
Elsbeth (CBS) – 3.8 million viewers
FBI (CBS) – 3.8 million viewers
Fire Country (CBS) – 3.8 million viewers
Law & Order (NBC) – 3.5 million viewers
9-1-1: Nashville (ABC) – 3.2 million viewers
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) – 3.2 million viewers
NCIS: Sydney (CBS) – 2.9 million viewers
Law & Order: Organized Crime (NBC) – 2.7 million viewers
Watson (CBS) – 2.6 million viewers
Doc (FOX) – 2.4 million viewers
Murder in a Small Town (FOX) – 2.2 million viewers
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – 2.1 million viewers
Brilliant Minds (NBC) – 2 million viewers
Law & Order: Toronto: Criminal Intent (CW) – 502,000 viewers

The sixth and final list covers the cable network dramas that aired from September through mid-December 2025 where the ratings could be tracked down:

Mistletoe Murders (Hallmark Channel) [Season 2] – 883,000 viewers ^
Mistletoe Murders (Hallmark Channel) [Season 1] – 645,000 viewers
Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas (Hallmark Channel) – 643,000 viewers (approximately) *
Task (HBO) – 300,000 viewers
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (AMC) – 241,000 viewers
The Lowdown (FX) – 219,000 viewers ^
Talamasca: The Secret Order (AMC) – 192,000 viewers (approximately) ^

* denotes all those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes all those shows that have not been renewed yet

And the following cable network dramas that aired from September through mid-December 2025 where the ratings could NOT be tracked down include the following:

Billy the Kid * and Robin Hood ^ (MGM+)
Maigret ^, The Gold and The Great Escaper * (all on PBS)
Mayor of Kingstown (Showtime)
The Pitt (TNT)
Power Book IV: Force and Spartacus: House of Ashur (Starz)
The Christmas Checklist (UPtv) ^

* denotes all those shows that have since been cancelled or came to a planned ending
^ denotes those shows that have not been renewed yet

The final analyses of all these ratings for both the major and cable networks for the entire year are as follows:

1. Tracker has once again held onto the reins as the number one drama on CBS, holding that title for the entire year while the former long-running number one drama, NCIS, has effectively moved to second place with the Kathy Bates-led reboot of Matlock holding a very tight third place. Meanwhile, the now defunct S.W.A.T. was the lowest rated drama on CBS for the first part of the year and the new medical drama Watson ranking as the lowest rated drama for the latter part of the year.

2. The new highest rated drama on ABC is High Potential with Will Trent in second place and the long-running drama 9-1-1 dropping to third place. Believe it or not despite being on the air for 22 seasons – or because of being that long in the tooth – Grey’s Anatomy is the lowest rated drama on ABC for the entire year.

3. Over on FOX, the final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star was the highest rated drama for the first part of the year on that network while the new medical drama Doc narrowly beat Murder in a Small Town for first place in the latter part of the year. The three now cancelled dramas Rescue Hi-Surf, Alert: Missing Persons Unit and The Cleaning Lady were the lowest rated for the year.

4. The Chicago One franchise is still at the top of the charts for NBC with Chicago Med narrowly beating out Chicago Fire for first place for the entire year while the now-defunct Suits LA and Grosse Pointe Garden Society were the lowest rated dramas for the first part of the year and, sadly, Brilliant Minds being the lowest rated drama for the network for the latter part of this year.

5. The CW is massively struggling after the acquisition by Nexstar and the fact it no longer has a staple of reliable programming to offer its viewers. The highest rated drama for the year is Sherlock & Daughter with the Canadian transplant series Wild Cards in second place. The lowest rated dramas for the network are All American and the other Canadian transplant series (and also much-maligned series) Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.

6. As for cable TV, without the powerhouse that was Yellowstone, the long-running Hallmark Channel period piece drama When Calls the Heart claimed first place for the first part of the year with The White Lotus on HBO coming in second place. It should be noted that the Yellowstone prequel series 1923 on Paramount+ earned second place in the early part of the year, but it only aired two episodes before airing out the rest of its episodes on streaming. The lowest rated cable dramas for the year include Mystic on UPtv, Yellowjackets on Showtime and Talamasca: The Secret Order on AMC.

My final list typically covers all of the made-for-TV movies, mini-series, event series and/or specials that aired during the year on both the major and cable networks, but since ratings have been exceedingly hard to track down this year, I only have the results for some of the made-for-TV movies for first half of the year. If a movie title isn’t listed below, it’s either because the ratings were not available or, in most cases, could not be tracked down.

Those made-for-TV movies where ratings could be tracked down are as follows:

An Unexpected Valentine (Hallmark Channel) – 1.8 million viewers
The Reluctant Royal (Hallmark Channel) – 1.8 million viewers
The More the Merrier (Hallmark Channel) – 1.8 million viewers
A Grand Ole Opry Christmas (Hallmark Channel) – 1.7 million viewers
Royal-ish (Hallmark Channel) – 1.6 million viewers
She’s Making a List (Hallmark Channel) – 1.6 million viewers
The Royal We (Hallmark Channel) – 1.6 million viewers
Christmas Above the Clouds (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
Love of the Irish (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
Polar Opposites (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
The Perfect Setting (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
Three Wisest Men (Hallmark Channel) – 1.5 million viewers
Christmas at the Catnip Cafe (Hallmark Channel) – 1.4 million viewers
Hearts Around the Table: Jeann’s First Love (Hallmark Channel) – 1.4 million viewers
Return to Office (Hallmark Channel) – 1.4 million viewers
A Suite Holiday Romance (Hallmark Channel) – 1.3 million viewers
Christmas on Duty (Hallmark Channel) – 1.3 million viewers
Love on the Danube: Kissing Stars (Hallmark Channel) – 1.3 million viewers
Single on the 25th (Hallmark Channel) – 1.3 million viewers
The Wish Swap (Hallmark Channel) – 1.3 million viewers
We Met in December (Hallmark Channel) – 1.3 million viewers
A Royal Montana Christmas (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Hearts Around the Table: Josh’s Third Serving (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Hearts Around the Table: Kiki’s Fourth Ingredient (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Hearts Around the Table: Shari’s Second Act (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Melt My Heart This Christmas (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Merry Christmas, Ted Cooper! (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Sisterhood, Inc. (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
To Barcelona, With Love (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
To Barcelona Forever (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
Unwrapping Christmas: Olivia’s Reunion (Hallmark Channel) – 1.2 million viewers
A Newport Christmas (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Adventures in Love and Birding (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Catch of the Day (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Double Scoop (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Hats Off to Love (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Haul Out the Halloween (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Home Turf (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Love on the Danube: Love Song (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
My Argentine Heart (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: To the Moon and Back (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
The Groomsmen: Last Dance (Hallmark Channel) – 1.1 million viewers
Journey to You (Hallmark Channel) – 1 million viewers
The Groomsmen: First Look (Hallmark Channel) – 1 million viewers
Villa Amore (Hallmark Channel) – 1 million viewers
The Christmas Cup (Hallmark Channel) – 984,000 viewers
A Machu Picchu Proposal (Hallmark Channel) – 964,000 viewers
Unwrapping Christmas: Lily’s Destiny (Hallmark Channel) – 910,000 viewers
Love in the Clouds (Hallmark Channel) – 907,000 viewers
Unwrapping Christmas: Tina’s Miracle (Hallmark Channel) – 902,000 viewers
A Christmas Angel Match (Hallmark Channel) – 896,000 viewers
A Keller Christmas Vacation (Hallmark Channel) – 880,000 viewers
Unwrapping Christmas: Mia’s Prince (Hallmark Channel) – 827,000 viewers
Tidings For the Season (Hallmark Channel) – 804,000 viewers
The Groomsmen: Second Chance (Hallmark Channel) – 732,000 viewers
Providence Falls: Chance of a Lifetime (Hallmark Channel) – 695,000 viewers
Jane Mysteries: Too Much to Lose (Hallmark Mystery) – 655,000 viewers
Reality Bites: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (Hallmark Mystery) – 620,000 viewers
Providence Falls: An Impossible Promise (Hallmark Channel) – 592,000 viewers
Providence Falls: Thief of Fate (Hallmark Channel) – 592,000 viewers
Family Affair (Lifetime) – 524,000 viewers
Haunted Harmony Mystries: Buried at C (Hallmark Mystery) – 483,000 viewers
Thank God: Christmas at the Keller Ranch (Lifetime) – 481,000 viewers
Christmas Everyday (Lifetime) – 450,000 viewers
Finding Faith (Lifetime) – 420,000 viewers
I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story (Lifetime) – 413,000 viewers
Can You Feel the Beat: The Lisa Lisa Story (Lifetime) – 410,000 viewers
Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story (Lifetime) – 404,000 viewers
I’ll Never Let You Go (Lifetime) – 386,000 viewers
Terri Blackstock’s If I Run (Lifetime) – 359,000 viewers
Terri McMillan Presents: His, Her & Ours (Lifetime) – 358,000 viewers
Terri McMillan Present: Preach, Pray, Love (Lifetime) – 347,000 viewers
Before Your Father Finds Us (Lifetime) – 328,000 viewers
Friends & Lovers, Part 1 (Lifetime) – 322,000 viewers
Deck the Hallways (Lifetime) – 312,000 viewers
Mystery Island: House Rules (Hallmark Mystery) – 312,000 viewers
Paws in the City (CW) – 250,000 viewers
Montana Mavericks (CW) – 210,000 viewers
Second Guessing Fate (CW) – 162,000 viewers
Ordinary Girl in a Tiara (CW) – 160,000 viewers
Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell (CW) – 141,000
The Christmas Showdown (OWN) – 94,000 viewers

The ratings for the following made-for-TV movies either could not be tracked down, or were not available in time for this posting:

A Christmas Cookbook (Lifetime)
A Christmas Murder Mystery (UPtv)
A Country Encore (UPtv)
A Make or Break Holiday (Hallmark Channel)
A Pickleball Christmas (Lifetime)
A Royal Christmas Hope (UPtv)
A Royal Christmas Manor (UPtv)
A Runaway Bride for Christmas (Lifetime)
An Alpine Holiday (Hallmark Channel)
Call the Midwife Holiday Special (PBS)
Christmas in Alaska (Lifetime)
Christmas in Big Sky Country (UPtv)
Christmas with the Knightlys (UPtv)
Fake Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (OWN)
Five Date Rule (UPtv)
Friends & Lovers, Part 2 (Lifetime)
Heartstrings Attached (UPtv)
Jingle All the Way to Love (Lifetime)
Merry Missed Connection (Lifetime)
Mystery Island: Winner Takes All (Hallmark Mystery)
Oy to the World (Hallmark Channel)
Rodeo Christmas Romance (Lifetime)
See You Again (UPtv)
The Best Thing About Christmas (UPtv)
The Christmas Baby (Hallmark Channel)
The Christmas Campaign (Lifetime)
The Great Christmas Snow-In (UPtv)
The Snow Must Go On (Hallmark Channel)
Very Merry Mystery (UPtv)

What TV dramas or made-for-TV movies have you enjoyed the most (and the least) throughout the year? Please share.

TOMORROW: The Faces of 2025

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round Up: In Memorium

Posted in Condolences, Movies, Music, Sports, Television, Writers, Year End Round Up on December 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The following industry personalities from theatre, TV, music, the big screen and so much more as well as athletes, authors, politicians and many other walks of life passed away in 2025, and heartfelt condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

The celebrities we have lost this year are (in alphabetical order):

Alon Aboutboul (Character Actor, The Dark Knight Rises) [He was only 60]
Jerry Adler (Actor, The Sopranos and Behind-the-Scenes Broadway Vet) [He was 96]
Denise Alexander (Actress, General Hospital) [She was 85]
Dave Allen (Founding Bassist, British Post-Punk Band Gang of Four) [He was only 69]
Sian Barbara Allen (TV Actress, The Waltons and L.A. Law) [She was 78]
Wenne Alton Davis (Character Actress, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Blindspot, New Amsterdam and Rescue Me) [She was only 60]
Lourdes Ambriz (Mexican Soprano and Voice of Belle in 1991 Spanish Version of Beauty and the Beast) [She was only 64]
Loni Anderson (Actress, WKRP Cincinnati) [She was 79]
Wallis Annenberg (Arts and Wildlife Philanthropist) [She was 86]
Betsy Arakawa (Classical Pianist and Wife of Gene Hackman) [She was only 65]
Kevin Arkadie (Co-Creator, New York Undercover) [He was only 68]
Giorgio Armani (Italy’s Undisputed Fashion King) [He was 91]
Denis Arndt (Actor, LA Law and Picket Fences and Tony-winner, Heisenberg) [He was 86]
Peter Arnett (CNN Gulf War Correspondent and Pulitzer Prize Winning Vietnam Reporter) [He was 91]
Jim Avila (ABC News Correspondent) [He was 69]
Roy Ayers (Musician and Composer) [He was 84]

Jeff Baena (Film Director and Husband of Actress Aubrey Plaza) [He was only 47]
Joe Don Baker (Actor, Walking Tall and GoldenEye) [He was 89]
Ray Thomas Baker (Music Producer with Queen, The Cars and Foreigner) [He was 78]
Mohammad Bakri (Palestinian Actor and Director, Homeland and Beyond the Walls) [He was 72]
Dave Ball (Instrumentalist for Pop Due Soft Cell, “Tainted Love”) [He was only 66]
Perry Bamonte (Guitarist And Keyboardist for The Cure) [He was only 65]
Lynn Ban (Reality Star, Bling Empire and Jewelry Designer) [She was 51]
Brigitte Bardot (1950’s Sex Symbol and Actress) [She was 91]
Jiri Bartoska (Czech Actor and President of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival) [He was 78]
Felix Baumgartner (Austrian Extreme Skydiver) [He was only 56]
John Beam (Football Coach) [He was only 66]
David Hekili Kenui Bell (Actor, Lilo & Stitch) [He was only 46]
Robert Benton (Oscar-winning Director and Screenwriter, Kramer vs. Kramer) [He was 92]
Alan Bergman (Oscar-Winning Composer, “The Way We Were”) [He was 99]
Greg Biffle (NASCAR Driver) [his wife Cristina and their two children, Emma and Ryder, were also in the same plane crash that took his life) [He was only 55]
Brandon Blackstock (Former Stepson Reba McEntire, Ex-Husband of Kelly Clarkson and Talent Manager) [He was only 48]
Joan Branson (Wife of Richard Branson) [She was 80]
May Britt (Swedish Actress, The Blue Angel and Murder, Inc and second wife of legend Sammy Davis Jr.) [She was 91]
Skip Brittenham (Powerhouse Lawyer, Representative to Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy and many others) [He was 83]
Bob Broder (Senior Member of TV Literary Agency and Worked with Chuck Lorre) [He was 85]
Amanda Brotchie (Australian Director, Riot Women, Doctor Who, Renegade Nell and Gentleman Jack) [She was 57]
Terry “Sabu” Brunk (WWE and ECW Professional Wrestling Legend and Nephew of Former Wrestling Star The Sheik) [He was 60]
Anita Bryant (Former Beauty Queen and Singer) [She was 84] (Her views on homosexuality virtually destroyed her career)
Jackie Burch (Emmy-nominated Casting Director, Die Hard and The Breakfast Club) [He was 74]
Clem Burke (Drummer, Blondie) [He was 70]
Anne Burrell (Chef and Food Network Star) [She was only 55]
Jerry Butler (Impressions Singer and Chicago Politician) [He was 85]
Dick Button (Olympic Figure Skating Champion and Emmy-winning TV Sports Analyst and Commentator) [He was 95]
Ruth Buzzi (Legendary Comedian and Actress) [She was 88]

Jiggly Caliente (RuPaul’s Drag Race Star) [She was only 44]
John Capodice (Actor, General Hospital and Ace Ventura) [He was 83]
Frank Capril (Rhode Island TV Judge) [He was 88]
Claudia Cardinale (Italian Actress, 8½, Rocco and His Brothers, The Pink Panther and Once Upon a Time in the West) [She was 87]
Carl Carlton (Singer, “Everlasting Love” and “Bad Mama Jama”) [He was 72]
Joe Caroff (James Bond 007 Logo Designer and Designer of Iconic Film Posters) [He was 103]
Rachael Carpani (Australian Actress, Home and Away and McLeod’s Daughters) [She was only 45]
Budd Carr (Music Supervisor for Oliver Stone Movies) [He was 79]
Richard Chamberlain (Veteran Actor, Shogun and The Thorn Birds) [He was 90]
Leslie Charleson (Actress, General Hospital) [She was 79]
Dick Cheney (Vice President to George W. Bush) [He was 84]
Sharon Chuter (Found of Uoma Beauty and Philanthropist) [She was only 38]
Presley Chweneyagae (South African Actor, Tsotsi) [He was only 40]
Alf Clausen (Composer, The Simpsons) [He was 84]
Barbara Clegg (Actress and Scriptwriter, Doctor Who) [She was 98]
Jimmy Cliff (Reggae Legend and Jamaican Icon) [He was 81]
D.L. Coburn (Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright, “The Gin Game”) [He was 87]
Arthur Cohn (Swiss producer of six Oscar-winning films including The Garden of the Finzi-Continis) [He was 98]
Mike Collier (Former Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back) [He was 71]
Pauline Collins (British Actress, Shirley Valentine) [She was 85]
Gerry Connolly (Democrat, Virginia Representative) [He was 75]
Jason Constantine (Co-President of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group) [He was only 55]
Jilly Cooper (Prolific British Author, “Rivals”) [She was 88]
Ted Cordes (Longtime Head of NBC’s Broadcast Standards) [He was 87]
Steve Cropper (Legendary Guitarist for Booker T. & the MG’s, Otis Redding and the Blue Brothers) [He was 84]
Patricia Crowley (Actress, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies) [She was 91]
Martin Cruz Smith (Best-Selling Author, Gorky Park) [He was 82]
Iris Cummings Critchell (1936 Summer Olympics Swimmer and Influential WWII Aviator) [She was 104] (She flew bombers with the Women’s Air Force)
Dalyce Curry (Actress, Blues Brothers) [She was 95] (She lost her life in the LA Wildfires)
Sonny Curtis (Singer-Songwriter, “I Fought the Law,” “Walk Right Back” and the theme for the Mary Tyler Moore Show and Performed with his band The Crickets and the late Buddy Holly) [He was 88]
Mary Cybulski (Script Supervisor and Set Photographer, Life Of Pi) [She was 70]

D’Angelo (Legendary R&B Singer) [He was only 51]
Rick Davies (One of the Two Co-Founders, Frontmen and Chief Songwriters of British band Supertramp) [He was 81]
Belva Davis (Pioneering Broadcaster and Civil Right Champion) [She was 92]
Carl Dean (Husband of Country Legend Dolly Parton) [He was 82]
Rebekah Del Rio (Singer, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive) [She was only 57]
Michael DeLano (Actor, Rhoda and Ocean’s Eleven) [He was 84]
Rick Derringer (Singer, “Hang on Sloopy”) [He was 77]
Dickson Despommier (Microbiologist and Visionary Behind Vertical Farming) [He was 84]
Lincoln Diaz-Balart (Former Congressman) [He was 70]
Les Dilley (Art Director, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars) [He was 84]
Millicent Dillion (Novelist and Prizewinning Short Story Writer) [She was 99]
Rev. James Dobson (Evangelical Christian whose toxic teachings left generations scarred) [He was 89]
Carol Downer (Leader in Feminist Women’s Health Movement) [She was 91]
Chris Doyle (Artist) [He was only 66]
Chris Dreja (Musician, Co-Founder of British rock band Yardbirds and Photographer) [He was 79]
Patti Drew-Reed (R&B Legend, “Tell Him” and “Workin’ on a Groovy Thing”) [She was 80]
Ken Dryden (Hall of Fame Canadiens Hockey Goaltender) [He was 78]
Kitty Dukakis (Wife of Former Massachusetts Governor and Presidential Hopeful Michael Dukakis) [She was 88]

Veronica Echegui (Netflix Actress, Book of Love movie with Sam Claflin) [She was only 42]
Samantha Eggar (English Actress, Doctor Dolittle and The Collector) [She was 86]
Gary England (Long-Time TV Meteorologist in Oklahoma) [He was 85]
John Erwin (Voice Actor, He-Man and Archie Cartoons) [He was 88]
Cleto Escobedo III (Bandleader for Jimmy Kimmel) [He was only 59]

Marianne Faithfull (Legendary Singer, “As Tears Go By”) [She was 78]
Fatma Hassona (Palestinian Photojournalist) [She was only 25]
Jules Feiffer (Pulitzer Prize-winning Cartoonist, Stage and Screen Writer, Carnal Knowledge and Popeye) [He was 95]
Amanda Feilding (Visionary Researcher) [She was 82]
James E. Ferguson II (North Carolina Civil Rights Attorney) [He was 82]
Renee Ferguson (First Black woman to work as investigation reporter for WMAQ-Channel 5 in Chicago) [She was 75]
Conchata Ferrell (Veteran Actress, Two and a Half Men, Edward Scissorhands and Mystic Pizza) [She was 77]
Susie Figgis (Casting Director, Gandhi, The Full Monty, Harry Potter, Bohemian Rhapsody and More) [She was 77]
Pat Finn (Prolific TV Character Actor and Comedian, The Middle) [He was only 60]
Simon Fisher-Becker (Actor, Harry Potter) [He was only 63]
Roberta Flack (Legendary Singer-Pianist, “Killing Me Softly” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”) [She was 88]
Dave Flebotte (Emmy-Nominated Writer, Tusla King and Desperate Housewives [He was in his 60’s]
Viola Ford Fletcher (Oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre) [She was 111]
James Foley (Director, Glengarry Glen Ross, At Close Range and Fear) [He was 71]
George Foreman (Boxing Champion and Grilling Magnate) [He was 76]
Connie Francis (Singer, “Who’s Sorry Now?” and “Don’t Break the Heart that Loves You”) [She was 87]
Elizabeth Franz (Tony-winning Actress, appeared in Gilmore Girls) [She was 84]
Ian Freebairn-Smith (Grammy-winning Composer, Arranger and Vocalist, arranged “Evergreen” from A Star Is Born) [He was 93]
Ace Frehley (Founding Member and Guitarist, KISS) [He was 74]
Jill Freud (Actress, Love Actually and Inspiration for Lucy in the Narnia Books) [She was 98]
Athol Fugard (Playwright) [He was 92]
Eileen Fulton (Actress, As the World Turns) [She was 91]

Ed Gale (Actor, Chucky and Howard the Duck) [He was 61]
Jeffrey Garcia (Beloved voice actor and Comedian, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) [He was only 48]
Marc Garneau (Former Federal Cabinet Minister and Astronaut) [He was 76]
Betsy Gay (Actress, Little Rascals) [She was 96]
McGavock “Mac” Gayden (Slide Guitarist and Songwriter) [He was 83]
Anthony Geary (Actor, General Hospital) [He was 78]
Frank Gehry (Titan of Architecture) [He was 96]
Gil Gerard (Actor, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century) [He was 82]
Gai Gherardi (Los Angeles Optician) [She was 78] (She pioneered eyeglass frames as fashion statements)
Oliver Gibson (Former Pittsburgh Steeler) [He was only 53]
Barbara Gips (Creator of Memorable Movie Catchphrases [such as] “In space no one can hear you scream” from Alien) [She was 89]
Virginia Roberts Giuffre (Posthumous Author and Brave Survivor of Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse) [She was only 41]
Bruce Glover (Character Actor, Diamond Are Forever and Father of Actor Crispin Glover) [He was 92]
Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay (Vocalist, The Grateful Dead) [He was 78]
Jane Goodall (Eminent Primatologist) [She was 91]
Irv Gotti (Co-Founder of Murder, Inc. and Music Executive behind Ja Rule and Ashanti) [He was only 54]
Meyer Gottlieb (Samuel Goldwyn Films Chief, Producer & Holocaust Survivor) [He was 86]
Jed “The Fish” Gould (Pioneering LA Disc Jockey on KROQ-FM) [He was only 69]
Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Actress, Vice Principals and Private Practice) [She was only 52]
Adam Greenberg (Oscar-nominated Cinematographer, Terminator) [He was 88]
Herb Greene (1960’s Rock Scene Portraitist) [He was 82]
Peter Greene (Character Actor, Pulp Fiction and The Mask) [He was only 60]
Bobby Grier (Longtime NFL Executive) [He was 82]
Raul M. Grijalva (Arizona Representative) [He was 77]
Joan Dye Gussow (Nutritionist and Educator) [She was 96] (She was the Matriarch of the “Eat Locally, Think Globally” food movement)

Gene Hackman (Veteran Actor, The French Connection, Superman and Unforgiven) [He was 95]
Lynn Hamilton (Actress, Sanford and Son and The Waltons) [She was 95]
George Hardy (Tuskegee Airman who fought in three wars) [He was 100]
Devin Harjes (Actor, Boardwalk Empire) [He was only 41]
Bobby Hart (Singer-Songwriter, Part of Writing Team Boyce & Hart; they wrote The Monkees Theme Song, “I Wanna Be Free” and “Last Train to Clarksville”) [He was 86]
Betty Hartford (Actress, Dynasty) [She was 98]
Pamela Bach Hasselhoff (Actress, Baywatch and Former Wife of Actor David Hasselhoff) [She was only 62]
Wings Hauser (Veteran Actor, Vice Squad and The Young and the Restless and Father of Yellowstone Actor Cole Hauser) [He was 78]
Richard Hays (Methodist Minister and New Testament Theologian) [He was 76] (He asserted that a deeper reading of the Bible revealed that same-sex relationships are not sinful)
Terry Martin Hekker (Author and First Female Mayor of Nyak, New York) [She was 92]
Muhsin Hendricks (First Openly Gay Imam in Cape Town, South Africa) [He was only 57]
Patrick Hemingway (Second Son of Novelist Ernest Hemingway, Safari Guide and Big-Game Hunter) [He was 97]
Alexis Herman (Trailblazing U.S. Secretary of Labor) [She was 77]
Brent Hinds (Former Lead Guitarist, Mastodon) [He was only 51]
Alice Hirson (Actress, Dallas and Ellen) [She was 95]
Anne Marie Hochhalter (Survivor of 1999 Columbine High School Shooting) [She was only 43]
Hulk Hogan, aka Terry Bollea (Wrestling Legend and Reality TV Star) [He was 71]
Polly Holliday (Veteran Actress, Alice) [She made “Kiss My Grits” into National Catchphrase] [She was 88]
Melissa and Mark Hortman (Minnesota State Representative and Her Husband) [They were only 55 and 58 respectively] (They were murdered, along with the family dog, at their front door)
Kevyn Major Howard (Actor, Full Metal Jacket and Sudden Impact) [He was 69]
Garth Hudson (Multi-Instrumentalist, Canadian American Rock Band, the Ban) [He was 87]
Robert Charles Hunter (Husband of Diane Ladd) [He was 77] (Robert and Diane passed away within three months of each other)
Andrew Huse (Historian and Foodie) [He was only 52]
Rick Hurst (Actor, The Dukes of Hazzard) [He was 79]
Mike Hynson (Surf God in hit 1966 documentary, The Endless Summer) [He was 82]

Ken Jacobs (Pioneering Experimental Filmmaker) [He was 92]
Stanley R. Jaffe (Producer, Kramer vs. Kramer) [He was 84]
Henry Jaglom (Independent Filmmaker) [He was 87]
Brett James (Grammy-Award Winning Songwriter and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”) [He was only 57]
Flaco Jimenez (Tejano and Conjunto Music Legend and Accordionist) [He was 86]
Jose Jimenez (Activist and Former Gang Member) [He was 76] (He transformed a Chicago gang into a militant voice for Social Services, Fair Housing and Education)
David Johansen (Frontman for New York Dolls) [He was 75]
Robert John (Singer and Songwriter, “Sad Eyes”) [He was 79]
Stephanie “Tanqueray” Johnson (Burlesque Dancer in the 1960s and 1970s) [She was 81]
Jonathan Joss (Voice Actor, King of the Hill) [He was only 59]
Diogo Jota (Liverpool Soccer Player) [He had only been married to his childhood sweetheart for two weeks] [He was only 28]

Richard Kahn (Former AMPAS President and Studio Marketing Executive) [He was 95]
Jonathan Kaplan (Director for TV and Films, The Accused and ER) (He was 77]
Andrew Karpen (Film Executive and Founder of Bleecker Street Media) [He was only 59]
Tcheky Karyo (Turkish French Actor, Bad Boys, La Femme Nikita and The Patriot) [He was 72]
Nicky Katt (Actor, Boston Public, Dazed and Confused and Boiler Room) [He was only 54]
Diane Keaton (Veteran Actress, Annie Hall and First Wives Club) [She was 79]
David Keighley (Imax’s First Chief Quality Officer) [He was 77]
Susan Kendall (Actress, Producer and Daughter of Paul Newman) [She was 72]
Joan Kennedy (Wife of Senator Ted Kennedy) [She was 89]
David Ketchum (Actor, Get Smart and Camp Runamuck) [He was 97]
Udo Kier (German Actor, My Own Private Idaho and Cult Icon) [He was 81]
Val Kilmer (Actor, Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone and Batman Forever) [He was only 65]
Sophie Kinsella (Author, “Confessions of a Shopaholic”) [She was only 55]
Charlie Kirk (Radical and Controversial Co-Founder of Turning Point USA, Influential Activist of the Conservative Political Right) [He was only 31]
Sally Kirkland (Oscar-Nominated Actress, Anna, JFK and Bruce Almighty) [She was 84]
Fumi Kitahara (Respected Publicity Executive) [She was only 56]
Kelley Klebeow (aka Kelley Mack) (Actress, The Walking Dead and Chicago Med) [She was only 33]
Howie Klein (Top Executive at Sire and Reprise Records, DJ and Political Activist) [He was 77]
Michael Klick (Emmy-winning Producer, Homeland and 24) [He was 77]
Ivan Klima (Acclaimed Writer who took on Totalitarianism) [He was 94]
Marshawn Kneeland (Dallas Cowboys Defensive End) [He was only 24]
Ted Kotcheff (Canadian Filmmaker, First Blood, Weekend at Bernie’s and Fun with Dick and Jane) [He was 94]
Max Kozloff (Art Critic in the 1960s and 1970s) [He was 91]

Diane Ladd (Oscar-nominated Actress, Chesapeake Shores, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Wild at Heart) [She was 89]
Robin Lakoff (Expert on Language and Gender) [She was 82]
Bob Laemmle (President, Laemmle Theatres) [He was 89]
Cleo Laine (Jazz Singer and Actress) [She was 97]
Henry Langrehr (Decorated World War II Veteran and Author) [He was 100]
John Lawlor (Actor, The Facts of Life and Phyllis) [He was 83]
Mickey Lee (Reality “Star,” Big Brother Contestant) [She was only 35]
Tom Lehrer (Sardonic Singer-Songwriter-Pianist, “That Was the Week That Was”) [He was 97]
James Leprino (The Willy Wonka of Cheese, Primary Supplier to Domino’s and Pizza Hut) [He was 87]
Martin Levy (Longtime Advisor and Publicist to Steven Spielberg) [He was 96]
Ananda Lewis (MTV Video Jockey and TV Personality) [She was only 52]
Paul Libin (Major Broadway Producer and Long-Time Circle in the Square President) [He was 94]
Jack Lilley (Actor, Little House on the Prairie) [He was 91]
Lar Park Lincoln (Actress, Knots Landing, Beverly Hills 90210, Murder She Wrote and Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood) [She was only 61]
Dawn Little Sky (Actress, Gypsy, The Apple Dumpling Gang and Rawhide/Artist, Walt Disney Studios) [She was 95]
June Lockhart (Veteran Actress, Lassie, Lost in Space and Meet Me in St. Louis) [She was 100]
John Lodge (Singer, Songwriter and Bass Player for British Rock Band The Moody Blues) [He was 82]
Jim Lovell (Apollo 13 Astronaut) [He was 97]
Joseph Lovett (Openly Gay Producer who aimed to Destigmatize Gay Life and Bring Attention to the AIDS Crisis) [He was 80]
Philip Lowrie (Actor, Coronation Street) [He was 88]
Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas (Soccer-Loving Nun in Brazil and Oldest Person in the World) [She was 116]
Brad Luff (Former Executive at Original Film, Morgan Creek, Sony, Warner Bros. and more) [He was only 60]
David Lynch (Acclaimed Film Director and TV Series Creator, Twin Peaks) [He was 78]

Michael Madsen (Actor, Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill and Brother to Actress Virginia Madsen) [He was only 67]
Camryn Magness (Singer-Songwriter who performed with One Direction and Fifth Harmony) [She was only 26]
Valerie Mahaffey (Emmy Winning Actress, Northern Exposure, Young Sheldon and Desperate Housewives) [She was 72]
Raul Malo (the Frontman for the Mavericks) [He was only 60]
Patty Maloney (Actress, Far Out Space Nuts and Chewbacca’s son Lumpy in Star Wars Holiday Special) [She was 89]
Ryan Whyte Maloney (Singer and Musician, Top 5 Finalist on The Voice in 2014) [He was only 44]
Chuck Mangione (Jazz Musician, “Feels So Good”) [He was 84]
Ted Mann (Emmy-winning Writer and Producer, NYPD Blue, Homeland and Deadwood) [He was 72]
Eduardo Manzano (Mexican Actor and Comedian) [He was 87]
Jeff Margolis (TV Producer and Director) [He was 78]
Lucy Markovic (Model, appeared in Australia’s Next Top Model) [He was only 27]
Diane Martel (Acclaimed Video Director, Worked with Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, John Legend and more) [She was only 63]
Mary Martin (Country, Folk and Rock Music Manager, Grammy winning Producer and Executive) [She was 85]
Wink Martindale (TV Game Show Host, Tic-Tac-Dough) [He was 91]
Dada Masilo (South African Dancer and Choreographer) [She was only 39]
John Masius (TV Show Creator, Touched By An Angel, Providence and Hawthorne and Writer, St. Elsewhere) [He was 75]
Tommy McLain (King of Swap Pop) [He was 85]
Julian McMahon (Actor, Charmed, Nip/Tuck, FBI: Most Wanted) [He was only 56]
Steve McMichael (Pro Football Hall of Fame Member and Chicago Bears Legend) [He was only 67]
Hayley McNeff (Fitness Influencer and Champion Bodybuilder) [She was only 37]
Ariela Mejia-Polanco (Social Media Influencer) [She was only 33]
Jeffrey Meldrum (Leading Academic Authority on Sasquatch) [He was 67]
Fern Michaels (Prolific Author of Romance Novels) [She was 92]
Penelope Milford (Broadway and Film Actress, Coming Home, Heathers and Endless Love) [He was 77]
Don Mischer (Prolific Live Event Director and 15-time Emmy winner) [He was 85]
Jon Miyahara (Actor and Silent Scene-Stealer, Superstore) [He was 83]
Sam Moore (Member of Sam & Dave Duo, “Soul Man” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’”) [He was 89]
Gary “Mani” Mounfield (Bassist, The Stone Roses and Primal Scream) [He was only 63]
Bill Moyers (Acclaimed TV Journalist and one-time White House Press Secretary) [He was 91]
Nancylee Myatt (Writer, Night Court and Living Single) [She was only 68]

Tatsuya Nakadai (Japanese Film Legend) [He was 92]
Daniel Naroditsky (Chess Grandmaster) [He was only 29]
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins (Documentary Filmmaker) [She was only 63]
Anh-Thu Nguyen (Renowned Miami Pilot, 10th Women to Fly Solo Around the World) [She was only 44, and died in a small plane crash]
Elizabeth Nissen (Veteran ABC News Correspondent and Nightline Reporter) [She was 71]
John Noble Wilford (Times Reporter who covered the Moon Landing) [He was 92]
Linda Nolan (Member of Irish Pop Group The Nolans, TV Personality, Bestselling Author and Daily Mirror Columnist) [She was 65]
Jay North (Former Child Actor, Dennis the Meance) [He was 73]
Rosanna Norton (Oscar-Nominated Costume Designer, Tron and Carrie) [She was 80]
Sam Nujoma (Founding President of Namibia, South Africa) [He was 95]
Sophie Nyweide (Child Actor, Mammoth and Noah) [She was only 24]

Uche Ojeh (Husband of Today Co-Host Sheinelle Jones) [He was only 45]
Roberto Orci (Screenwriter and TV Series Creator, Fringe, Sleepy Hollow and Hawaii Five-0) [He was only 51]
Ozzy Osbourne (Legendary Singer and Reality TV Star, Frontman of Black Sabbath) [He was 76]
Wayne Osmond (Part of Famous Osmond Family) [He was 73]
Allyce Ozarski (TV Producer, The L Word: Generation Q and I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman) [She was only 41]

Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi (Designers who made Barbies into Art) [The married couple were only 52 and 54 respectively)
Eddie Palmieri (Latin Music Innovator, Pianist, Composer and Bandleader) [He was 88]
Dave Parker (Baseball Legend of Hall of Fame Electee) [He was 74]
Jim Parkinson (Lettering Artist Whose Hand-Drawn Logos Branded Covers of Rolling Stone, Esquire, Newsweek and More During Heyday of Print Journalism) [He was 83]
John Peck aka Mad Peck (Underground Cartoonist, Artist, Critic and Disc Jockey) [He was 82]
Charles Person (Youngest of the Freedom Riders in 1961) [He was 82]
Thomas Perry (Prizewinning Writer, The Butcher’s Boy and the Jane Whitefield Series) [He was 78]
Mike Peters (Frontman of Welsh Rock Band The Alarm) [He was only 66]
Robert Pietranton (SVP Publicity and Communications, Warner Bros. TV Group) [He was only 56]
Jane Etta Pitt (Brad Pitt’s Mom) [She was 84]
Joan Plowright (Legendary Stage and Box Office Actress and Widow of Laurence Olivier) [She was 95]
Priscilla Pointer (Actress, Carrie and Dallas and Mother of Actress Amy Irving) [She was 100]
Pope Francis (the First Latin American Pope) [He was 88]
Frank Price (Former Universal and Columbia Studio Head) [He was 95]
Thommy Price (Drummer, Worked with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Billy Idol and Scandal) [He was only 68]

Abraham Quintanilla Jr. (Father of Tejano Icon/Singer Selena) [He was 84]

Mick Ralphs (Guitarist and Co-Founder of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople) [He was 81]
Charles Rangel (Former New York Congressman) [He was 94]
James Ransone (Actor, IT Chapter Two, The Wire and The Black Phone) [He was only 46]
Lorna Raver (Actress, Drag Me to Hell) [She was 81]
Chris Rea (Rock and Blues Singer-Songwriter, “Fool If You Think Its Over”) [He was 74]
Robert Redford (Veteran Screen Idol, Director and Activist) [He was 89]
Terry “Superlungs” Reid (Iconic Rocker who famously rejected the chance to be in both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple) [He was 75]
Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner (Legendary Actor, All in the Family and Director, The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally) [He was 78 while she was 68] (They were murdered in their own home)
Clive Revill (Voice Actor of Emperor Palpatine in Empire Strikes Back) [He was 94]
Cecile Richards (Former Planned Parenthood President and Daughter of Politician Ann Richards) [She was 67]
Alice Tan Ridley (Gospel and R&B Singer, Semi-Finalist on America’s Got Talent and Mother to Actress Gabourey Sidibe) [She was 72]
Sam Rivers (Bassist and Co-Founder, Limp Bizkit) [He was only 48]
Tony Roberts (Actor, Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters and Stardust Memories) [He was 85]
Phil Robertson (Patriarch of reality TV series Duck Dynasty) [He was 79]
Chris Robinson (Veteran Actor, General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful) [He was 86]
Johnny Rodriguez (Country Music Star) [He was 73]
Tristan Rogers (Actor, General Hospital) [He was 79]
Alison Rose (Writer for The New Yorker, Idiosyncratic Essays and Profiles) [She was 81]
Tammie Rosen (Communications at Tribeca Enterprises and the Sundance Institute) [She was only 49]
Patricia Routledge (Tony Award Winning Actress, Keeping Up Appearances) [She was 96]
Camilla Row (Wife of Hallmark Actor Brennan Elliott) [She was only 46]
William Rush (British Actor, Waterloo Road) [He was only 31]

Francisco San Martin (Actor, Days of Our Lives) [He was only 39]
Gailard Sartain (Character Actor and Comedian, Hee Haw and The Buddy Holly Story) [He was 78]
Salli Sasche (Former Model, Miss American Contestant, 1960’s beach party movies like Beach Blanket Bingo and Bikini Beach) [She was 82]
Prunella Scales (British Actress, Fawlty Towers) [She was 93]
Charley Scalies (Character Actor, The Wire and The Sopranos) [He was 84]
Otto Schenk (Opera Director) [He was 94]
Lalo Schifrin (Six-Time Oscar Nominated Composer, Pianist and Conductor, Mannix, Starsky & Hutch and Mission: Impossible) [He was 93]
Tatiana Schlossberg (Environmental Journalist and Granddauther of John F. Kennedy) [She was only 35]
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt (Loyola University Chaplain) [She was 106]
Michael Peter Schmidt (Sipur President and Red Arrow Studios Co-Founder) [He was only 52]
Peter-Henry Schroeder (Character Actor, Argo and Star Trek) [He was 90]
Pippa Scott (Producer and Actress, The Searchers, Petula and Auntie Mame) [She was 90]
Troy Seals (Legendary Songwriter, “Seven Spanish Angels” and “If You Ever Have Forever in Mind”) [He was 86]
Jeannie Seely (Legendary Country Music Icon) [She was 85]
David Sellers (Architect who became the Father of the Design-Build Movement) [He was 86]
Ralph Senensky (TV Director, The Waltons, Dynasty, Star Trek) [He was 102]
Eduardo Serra (Cinematographer, Harry Potter film franchise and Girl with a Pearl Earring) [He was 81]
Dave Shapiro (Pilot and Owner, Sound Talent Group) [He was only 42]
Paula Shaw (Veteran Actress, Freddy vs. Jason, Cedar Cove and countless Hallmark Channel movies) [She was 84]
Bobby Sherman (Legendary Singer, Actor and 1960’s and 1970’s Teen Idol) [He was 81]
Jim Shooter (Iconic Comic Book Writer and Former Marvel Editor-in-Chief) [He was 73]
Peter Sichel (Refugee, Prisoner, Spy and Wine Merchant) [He was 102) [He made Blue Nun, one of the most popular wines in the world]
Helen Siff (Character Actress, Married With Children and Will & Grace) [She was 88]
Joel Sill (Veteran Music Supervisor, Easy Rider, Flashdance and Forrest Gump) [He was 78]
Jubilant Skyes (Celebrated Opera Singer) [He was 71]
Gary Smith (8-Time Emmy-Winning Producer, TV Specials and Awards Shows) [He was 90]
Imani Smith (Broadway’s Young Nala in The Lion King) [She was only 26]
L.J. Smith (Author, The Vampire Diaries book franchise) [She was only 66]
Todd Snider (Singer-Songwriter, “Alright Guy”) [He was only 59]
Mark Snow (Composer, Ghost Whisperer, Blue Bloods and The X-Files) [He was 78]
David Souter (Republican Justice, Supreme Court) [He was 85]
Dr. Danielle Spencer (Former Child Actress, What’s Happening) [She was only 60]
Friedrich St. Florian (Designer, World War II Memorial) [He was 91]
Terence Stamp (Veteran Actor, 1970’s Superman franchise and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) [He was 87]
David Steinberg (Longtime Manager to Billy Crystal and Robin Williams) [He was 81]
Harry Stewart, Jr. (Retired Lt. Col. and Decorated WWII Pilot, One of Last Surviving Tuskeegee Airmen) [He was 100]
Robert Stirm (Vietnam War POW seen in iconic “Burst of Joy” Photo with family) [He was 92]
Angie Stone (Grammy-Nominated Soul Singer, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You) [She was only 63]
Sly Stone (Multi-Talented Musician and Legendary Singer) [He was 82]
Tom Stoppard (Playwright, Screenwriter and 4-time Tony Winner, Shakespeare in Love and Rosencrantz and Guildentern Are Dead) [He was 88]
Charles Strouse (Tony Award-winning Composer and Lyricist, “Annie” and “Bye Bye Birdie”) [He was 96]
Drew Struzan (Artist and Illustrator, Created Movie Posters for Back to the Future, The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) [He was 78]
Olive Sturgess (Actress, TV westerns and the 1963 cult horror spoof The Raven) [She was 91]
Jimmy Swaggart (Scandal-Riddled Televangelist) [He was 90]
Loretta Swit (Emmy-Winning and Legendary Actress, M*A*S*H) [She was 87]
John Sykes (Legendary Guitarist, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tan) [He was 65]

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Veteran Actor, Mortal Kombat and The Man in the High Castle) [He was 75]
Lee Tamahori (Director, Once Were Warriors and Die Another Day) [He was 75]
Dan Tana (Opened Iconic West Hollywood Celebrity Hangout) [He was 90]
Jim Tauber (Former Sidney Kimmel Entertainment President) [He was 74]
Malik Taylor (TikTok Star) [He was only 28]
Lynne Taylor-Corbett (Tony Award-nominated Choreographer and Director) [She was 78]
David Thomas (Fronted Rock Band Pere Ubu) [He was 71]
Danny Thompson (Founding Member, British Folk Rock Band Pentangle, Worked with Kate Bush and Roy Orbison) [He was 86]
Oliviero Toscani (Photographer, Art Director and Creative Mastermind of Benetton’s Advertising Campaign) [He was 82]
Michelle Trachtenberg (Actress, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Harriet the Spy and Gossip Girl) [She was only 39]
Sylvester Turner (Texas Representative) [He was 70]
Marian Turski (Auschwitz Survivor) (He wrote and spoke about dangers of indifference to racial and ethnic injustice) [He was 98]

Bob Uecker (Sports Announcer, The Milwaukee Brewers and TV Star, Mr. Belvedere) [He was 90]

Ben Vaughn (President and CEO, Warner Chappell Nashville Publishing) [He was only 49]
Renee Victor (Actress, Weeds and Voice Actor, Coco) [He was 86]
Joseph Vieira (Former Child Actor, Lassie) [He was 81]
Danny Virtue (Producer, Stunt Coordinator and Horse Whisperer on over 1,000 films and TV shows, The Last of Us, the Twilight film franchise and multiple Hallmark movies) [He was 76]
Mark Volman (Founding Member of 60’s Band The Turtles Known for “Happy Together”) [He was 78]

Lesley Walker (Film Editor, Mona Lisa and Mamma Mia!) [She was 80]
Joseph Wambaugh (Former LAPD Officer and Novelist) [He was 88]
Derrick Ward (Longtime NBC Washington Journalist) [He was 62]
Jim Ward (Prolific Voice Actor, The Fairly OddParents) [He was 66]
Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Actor, The Cosby Show and The Resident) [He was only 54]
Kenneth Washington (Actor, Hogan’s Heroes) [He was 88]
Melanie Watson (Former Diff’rent Strokes Child Star) [She was only 57]
Slick Watts (Point Guard for Seattle SuperSonics) [He was 73]
Lee Weaver (Veteran Actor, Donnie Darko, O Brother, Where Art Thou and The Cosby Show) [He was 95]
Jane Morgan Weintraub (Singer, Nightclub Entertainer, Broadway Performer and Wife of the late show business mogul Jerry Weintraub) [She was 101]
David Weitzner (Hollywood Marketing Executive, Steered Campaigns for Star Wars and E.T.) [He was 86]
Josh Welsh (Film Independent President and Champion of Filmmakers) [He was 62]
George Wendt (Veteran Actor, Cheers) [He was 76]
Timothy West (Actor, EastEnders and Coronation Street) [He was 60]
Lally Weymouth (Journalist and Socialite from family that once owned The Washington Post) [She was 82]
Edmund White (Novelist and Pioneer of Gay Literature) [He was 85]
Randy White (Husband of Country Music Star Lorrie Morgan) [He was 72]
Bobby Whitlock (Keyboardist, Derek and the Dominos, Songwriter “Bell Bottom Blues”) [He was 77]
Isiah Whitlock Jr. (Actor, The Wire and Frequent Spike Lee Collaborator) [He was 71]
D’Wayne Wiggins (Founding Member of Tony! Toni! Tone!) [He was only 64]
Carole Wilbourn (Self-Described Cat Therapist) [She was 84]
Daniel Williams (Former Drummer, Metal Band The Devil Wears Prada) [He was only 39]
Brian Wilson (Legendary Leader of The Beach Boys and Pop Auteur) [He was 82]
Celeste Wilson (Jackson, Mississippi WAPT Weekend New Anchor) [She was only 42]
Robert Wilson (Visionary Theater Creator/1970’s Avant-Garde Artist) [He was 83]
Daniel Woodrell (Country Noir Novelist, “Winter’s Bone) [He was 72]

Peter Yarrow (Legendary Folk Singer from Peter, Paul & Mary and Co-Writer of “Puff the Magic Dragon”) [He was 86]
Brad Everett Young (Actor, Grey’s Anatomy and Celebrity Photographer) [He was only 46]
Harris Yulin (Actor, Clear and Present Danger, Scarface and Ozark) [He was 87]

Vince Zampella (Call of Duty Video Game Creator) [He was only 55]
Shelly Zegart (Queen of Quilts, Elevating the Craft into the Canon of Art and Material Culture) [She was 84]
Don Zimmerman (Oscar Nominated Editor, Being There and Rock7 [He was 81]

NOTE: This list, in no way, covers all the industry talent who passed away this year. Again, condolences are extended to one and all.

Out of respect, please take at least a few moments of silence for those we have lost this year.

TOMORROW: 2025 TV Ratings

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: And the Award Goes To…

Posted in Awards, Movies, Music, Television, Year End Round Up on December 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Every year there are lots of awards shows, some important, some just fun and numerous just plain silly or nonsensical, but the following list – despite the pandemic – is just some of the top winners over the course of this year:

GOLDEN GLOBES (January)

Best Motion Picture Drama – The Brutalist
Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy – Emilia Perez
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement – Wicked
Best Actress Motion Picture Drama – Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Best Actor Motion Picture Drama – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy – Demi Moore, The Substance
Best Actor Motion Picture Musical or Comedy – Sebastian Stan, A Different Man
Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture – Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture – Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Director – Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Best Original Score – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Challengers
Best TV Drama Series – Shogun (FX/Hulu)
Best TV Comedy Series – Hacks (HBO/MAX)
Best TV Limited Series – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Best Actress TV Drama Series – Anna Sawai, Shogun
Best Actor TV Drama Series – Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun
Best Actress TV Comedy Series – Jean Smart, Hacks
Best Actor TV Comedy Series – Jeremy Allen White, The Bear (FX)
Best Actress Limited Series – Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country (HBO)
Best Actor Limited Series – Colin Farrell, The Penguin (HBO)
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer
Best Supporting Actor – Tadanobu Asano, Shogun

LONDON CRITICS’ CIRCLE FILM AWARDS (February)

Film of the Year – The Brutalist
Animated Film of the Year – Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Director of the Year – RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Actress of the Year – Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
Actor of the Year – Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Supporting Actress of the Year – Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Supporting Actor of the Year – Kiernan Culkin, A Real Pain
Breakthrough Performer – Mikey Madison, Anora

GRAMMY AWARDS (February)

Record of the Year – Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
Album of the Year – Beyonce, “Cowboy Carter”
Best New Artist – Chappell Roan
Best Pop Solo Performance – Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso”
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile”
Best Pop Vocal Album – Sabrina Carpenter, “Short n’ Sweet”
Best Rock Performance – The Beatles, “Now and Then”
Best Country Solo Performance – Chris Stapleton, “It Takes A Woman”
Best Country Song – Kacey Musgraves, “The Architect”
Best Country Album – Beyonce, “Cowboy Carter”

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS (February)

Best TV Drama – Shogun
Best Actor TV Drama – Hiroyuki Sanada, Shogun
Best Actress TV Drama – Kathy Bates, Matlock
Best Supporting Actor TV Drama – Tadanobu Asano, Shogun
Best Supporting Actress TV Drama – Moeka Hoshi, Shogun
Best TV Comedy – Hacks
Best Actor TV Comedy – Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Best Actress TV Comedy – Jean Smart, Hacks
Best Supporting Actor TV Comedy – Michael Urie, Shrinking
Best Supporting Actress TV Comedy – Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Best Made-for-TV Movie – Rebel Ridge
Best Actor Limited Series – Colin Farrell, The Penguin
Best Actress Limited Series – Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Best Motion Picture – Anora
Best Actor Motion Picture – Adrian Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress Motion Picture – Demi Moore, The Substance
Best Young Actress Motion Picture – Maisy Stella, My Old Ass
Best Acting Ensemble Motion Picture – Conclave
Best Director Motion Picture – Jon M. Chu, Wicked
Best Costume Design Motion Picture – Wicked
Best Visual Effects Motion Picture – Dune: Part Two
Best Animated Motion Picture – The Wild Robot
Best Comedy Motion Picture – Deadpool & Wolverine and A Real Pain [TIE]

PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA (February)

Outstanding Producer of Motion Picture – Anora
Outstanding Producer of Animated Motion Picture – The Wild Robot
Outstanding Producer of Episodic TV Drama – Shogun
Outstanding Producer of Episodic TV Comedy – Hacks
Outstanding Producer of Limited TV Series – Baby Reindeer
Outstanding Producer Documentary Motion Picture – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Outstanding Children’s TV Program – Sesame Street
Outstanding Sports Program – Simone Biles Rising

DGA AWARDS (February)

First Time Directorial Feature – RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Drama Series – Frederick E.O. Toye, Shogun
Comedy Series – Lucia Aniello, Hacks
Children’s Program – Amber Sealey, Out of My Mind

AARP MOVIES FOR GROWNUP AWARDS (February)

Best Picture – A Complete Unknown
Best Actress – Demi Moore, The Substance
Best Actor – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Supporting Actress – Joan Chen, Didi
Best Supporting Actor – Peter Sarsgaard, September 5
Best Director – Jacques Audiard, Emilia Perez
Best Screenwriter – Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, Wicked
Best Ensemble – Sing Sing
Best TV Actress – Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country
Best TV Actor – Jon Hamm, Fargo
Best TV Series – Shogun

SAG AWARDS (February)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast, Motion Picture – Conclave
Outstanding Actress in Leading Role – Demi Moore, The Substance
Outstanding Actor in Leading Role – Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Outstanding TV Ensemble, Comedy TV Series – Only Murders in the Building
Outstanding Actress in Limited TV Series – Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer
Outstanding Actor in Comedy TV Series – Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Outstanding Action by Stunt Ensemble, Motion Picture – The Fall Guy

NAACP IMAGE AWARDS (February)

Entertainer of the Year – Keke Palmer
Outstanding Motion Picture – The Six Triple Eight
Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture – Kerry Washington, The Six Triple Eight
Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture – Martin Lawrence, Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Outstanding Actress, TV Drama – Queen Latifah, The Equalizer
Outstanding Actor, TV Drama – Michael Rainey Jr., Power Book II: Ghost
Outstanding Actress, TV Comedy – Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Actor, TV Comedy – Damon Wayans, Poppa’s House
Outstanding Soundtrack Album – Wicked: The Soundtrack
Outstanding Talk Show – The Jennifer Hudson Show
Outstanding Actor Made-for-TV Movie – Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge
Outstanding TV Comedy – Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Comedy – Danielle Pinnock, Ghosts
Outstanding TV Drama Series – Cross
Outstanding TV Documentary – Black Barbie: A Documentary
Outstanding Independent Film – Sing Sing
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture – Denzel Washington, Gladiator II
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture – Ebony Obsidian, The Six Triple Eight
Outstanding Writing, Motion Picture – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, Nickel Boys
Outstanding Animated Movie – Inside Out 2
Outstanding Original Score for TV – Star Wars: The Acolyte
Outstanding Costume Design – Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative, Motion Picture – Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Performance by a Youth on TV – Leah Sava Jeffries, Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Outstanding Directing in TV Movie – Tina Mabry, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Outstanding News Series – The Reidout

SPIRIT AWARDS (February)

Best Feature – Anora
Best First Feature – Didi
Best Director – Sean Baker, Anora
Best Screenplay – Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain
Best Cinematography – Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys
Best Documentary – No Other Land
Best New Scripted TV Series – Shogun

BAFTA AWARDS (February)

Best Film – Conclave
Leading Actress – Mikey Madison, Anora
Leading Actor – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Costume Design – Paul Tazewell, Wicked

WRITERS GUILD AWARDS (February)

TV Drama Series – Shogun
TV Comedy Series – Hacks
TV Limited Series – The Penguin
TV and Streaming Movie – The Great Lillian Hall
Quiz and Audience Participation – Pop Culture Jeopardy

OSCARS (March)

Best Picture – Anora
Best Actor – Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress – Mikey Madison, Anora
Best Supporting Actor – Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Best Supporting Actress – Zoe Saldana, Emilia Perez
Best Director – Sean Baker, Anora
Best Adaped Screenplay – Conclave
Best Costume Design – Paul Tazewell, Wicked
Best Original Song – El Mal, Emilia Perez
Best Sound – Dune: Part Two

GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS (March)

Outstanding TV Comedy Series – Hacks
Outstanding TV Drama Series – 9-1-1: Lone Star
Outstanding New TV Series – Agatha All Along
Outstanding TV or Streaming Film – The Groomsmen: Second Chance
Outstanding Kids and Family Program or Film, Live Action – Heartstopper

PEABODY AWARDS (May)

Children’s/Youth – Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Entertainment – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Entertainment – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Entertainment – Ripley (Netflix)
Entertainment – Shogun (FX/Hulu)

ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS (May)

Entertainer of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Female Artist of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Male Artist of the Year – Chris Stapleton
Duo of the Year – Brooks & Dunn
Group of the Year – Old Dominion
New Female Artist of the Year – Ella Langley
New Male Artist of the Year – Zach Top
New Duo or Group of the Year – The Red Clay Strays
Album of the Year – “Whirlwind” Lainey Wilson
Songwriter of the Year – Jessie Jo Dillon

BAFTA TV AWARDS (May)

Leading Actress – Marisa Abela, Industry
Limited Drama – Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office
Sound: Fiction – Slow Horses
Special, Visual and Graphic Effects – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS (May)

Artist of the Year – Billie Eilish
New Artist of the Year – Gracie Abrams
Collaboration of the Year – Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, Die With A Smile
Favorite Male Pop Artist – Bruno Mars
Favorite Female Country Artist – Beyonce
Favorite Country Duo or Group – Dah + Shay
Favorite Rock Artist – Twenty One Pilots
Favorite Rock Song – Linkin Park, The Emptiness Machine

GOTHAM TV AWARDS (June)

Breakthrough Comedy Series – The Studio
Breakthrough Drama Series – The Pitt
Breakthrough Limited Series – Adolescence
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series – Kathy Bates, Matlock
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series – Poorna Jagannathan, Deli Boys
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama Series – Ben Whishaw, Black Doves
Outstanding Performance in an Original Film – Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge (Netflix)

TONY AWARDS (June)

Best Musical – Maybe Happy Ending
Best Play – Purpose
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical – Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical – Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play – Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play – Cole Escola, Oh, Mary!
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play – Kara Young, Purpose
Best Costume Design of a Musical – Paul Tazewell, Death Becomes Her

GOLD LIST TV (June)

Outstanding Series – Squid Game
Outstanding Writing – Deli Boys
Outstanding Lead Performance – Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Outstanding Supporting Performance – Dichen Lachman, Severance

TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION (August)

Program of the Year – The Pitt
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials – Adolescence
Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming – Doctor Who
Heritage Award – Sesame Street

EMMY AWARDS (September)

Outstanding Drama – The Pitt
Lead Actress Drama – Britt Lower, Severance
Lead Actor Drama – Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Supporting Actress Drama – Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Supporting Actor Drama – Tramell Tillman, Severance
Guest Actor Drama – Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Lead Actress Comedy – Jean Smart, Hacks
Supporting Actress Comedy – Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Outstanding Reality Host – Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Lead Actress Limited Series – Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNER (September)

Drama Teleplay – The Pitt, 2:00 P.M
Limited Series Teleplay – Dying for Sex
Drama Feature Film – Sing Sing
Children’s Teleplay – Heartstopper

MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS (September)

Video of the Year – Ariana Grande – “Brighter Days Ahead”
Best Pop Artist – Sabrina Carpenter
Best Rock – Coldplay – “All My Love”
Best Direction – Lady Gaga – “Abracadabra”
Best Group – Blackpink
Best Album – Sabrina Carpenter – “Short n’ Sweet”
Artist of the Year – Lady Gaga
Best Alternative – Sombr – “Back to Friends”
Best New Artist – Alex Warren
Latin Icon Award – Ricky Martin

HONORARY OSCARS AT THE GOVERNORS AWARDS (November)

Tom Cruise (Acting)
Debbie Allen (Choreographer and Acting)
Dolly Parton (Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award)
Wynn Thomas (Production Design)

COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA) AWARDS (November)

Entertainer of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Single of the Year – ‘you look like you love me’ – Ella Langley & Riley Green
Album of the Year – Whirlwind by Lainey Wilson
Song of the Year – ‘you look like you love me’ by Riley Green, Ella Langley and Aaron Raitiere
Female Vocalist of the Year – Lainey Wilson
Male Vocalist of the Year – Cody Johnson
Vocal Group of the Year – The Red Clay Strays
Musician of the Year – Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
New Artist of the Year – Zach Top
Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award – Vince Gill

GOTHAM (FILM) AWARDS (December)

Best Feature – One Battle After Another
Outstanding Lead Performance – Sope Dirisu, My Father’s Shadow
Outstanding Supporting Performance – Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS AWARDS (December)

Actor – Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent
Actress – Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Supporting Actor – Benicio del Toro, One Battle After Another
Supporting Actress – Amy Madifan, Weapons
Animated Film – KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

Congratulations to all of the above winners (and the countless others who won awards) this year. Are any of the above your favorites? Do you think there was an actor or actress who was overlooked this year? Please share your thoughts.

TOMORROW: Condolences

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: What Reigned at the Cineplex

Posted in Movies, Year End Round Up on December 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

This year not only saw superhero movies begin to fizzle, despite the success of the new iteration of Superman and the first GOOD movie based on The Fantastic Four, at your local cineplex but also the resurgence of more family-friendly movies such as A Minecraft Movie and the live-action versions of Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon.

The long-in-the-tooth Mission Impossible franchise, which has starred Tom Cruise in the lead role of Ethan Hunt since 1996 – yep, 29 years ago, finally (seemingly) tapped out with $576 million globally, but given that the movie cost $300 million to make, well, not such a great return, right?

Then you have the R-rated Southern Gothic, Ryan Coogler-directed Sinners that starred Michael B. Jordan as identical twins in this horror flick set in 1932 Mississippi that was filled with vampires and the remnants of the Klu Klux Klan. The budget for the movie was $90 million, but its global box office earned 363.8 million; in fact, the flick earned nearly as much in its second weekend as it did in this first weekend at the box office, an unprecedented result for a film that did not open over the holiday season.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for the much-maligned, revival treatment of Snow White that starred West Side Story star Rachel Zegler in the title role and Wonder Woman herself Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. The film was subjected to too many controversies, creative struggles and what is being called a “dated premise,” making for a disappointing outcome for the popular Disney character.

Then there was the extremely poor performance by The Alto Knights from Warner Bros. that not even two Robert De Niros in the film could help. This gangster flick just couldn’t catch a break, earning only 9.5 million in its global box office but costing the studio $45 million to make. The movie received scathing reviews and was one of this year’s biggest flops.

My favorite movies this year have been Wicked: For Good and Superman, but I also didn’t have the opportunity (or the money) to see very many movies this year.

Now let’s take a look at the top 30 box office winners from this year (up through Saturday, December 13 that is):

  1. A Minecraft Movie – 423.9 million
  2. Lilo & Stitch – 423.8 million
  3. Superman – 354 million
  4. Jurassic World: Rebirth – 339 million
  5. Wicked: For Good – 314 million
  6. Sinners – 279 million
  7. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – 274 million
  8. Zootopia 2 – 263 million
  9. How to Train Your Dragon – 262 million
  10. Captain America: Brave New World – 200 million
  11. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – 197 million
  12. Thunderbolts* – 190 million
  13. F1: The Movie – 189 million
  14. The Conjuring: Last Rites – 177 million
  15. Weapons – 151 million
  16. Final Destination: Bloodlines – 138 million
  17. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle – 134 million
  18. Mufasa: The Lion King – 126 million
  19. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 – 98 million
  20. Dog Man – 97 million
  21. Freakier Friday – 94 million
  22. Predator: Badlands – 90 million
  23. Snow White – 87 million
  24. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – 84 million
  25. The Bad Guys 2 – 82 million
  26. Black Phone 2 – 77 million
  27. Tron: Ares – 73 million
  28. Elio – 72 million
  29. One Battle After Another – 71 million
  30. 28 Years Later – 70 million

On the other spectrum are the movies that were either a disappointment in the box office due to poor ticket sales or, more importantly, had a horrible trailer that made me completely uninterested in seeing them. While several of the below were in the top 30 for ticket sales, they still weren’t very good (at least to me).

They appear in alphabetical order below:

28 Years Later
Alma & the Wolf
Alto Knights
Americana
Anaconda (which will come out in theatres today)
Black Phone 2
Bride Hard
Bring Her Back
Bugonia
Clown in a Cornfield
Die My Love
Drop
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
Heart Eyes
Hell Motel
Him
Hurry Up Tomorrow
I Know What You Did Last Summer (reboot)
Ick
Keeper
M3GAN 2.0
Mickey 17
One Battle After Another
Opus
Presence
Rabbit Trap
Shell
Sinners
The Conjuring: Last Rites
The Monkey
The Parenting
The Woman in the Yard
Together
Until Dawn
Weapons
Wolf Man

What movies did you enjoy seeing at the movie theatre this year?

TOMORROW: Awards of 2025

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You

Posted in Music, Video, Year End Round Up on December 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I’ve shared for many years now how much music has played a key part in my life. As far back as I can remember, music was always playing in my childhood home. It all started when I was a little girl, listening to music while sitting in the middle of my big brothers’ shared bedroom on 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 with my Pandora account.

In fact, 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 2025:

Collaborations of the Year – Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile

Both Sara and Brandi are talented singer-songwriters who have, in the past, performed together either in impromptu or concert settings, but until now they had not done an official recording with each other. They were brought together for “Come See Me in the Good Light,” the documentary about Andrea Gibson, the spoken word poet, Poet Laureate of Colorado in 2023 and activist who passed away this July from ovarian cancer. Not only did they both serve as executive producers on the documentary, but their song “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet,” based on Gibson’s poetry, was used as the theme of the documentary.

Here is the video for “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet”:

Young Songwriter of the Year – Gracie Abrams

This young singer, who is the daughter of Alias and Felicity series creator J. J. Abrams has been in love with music for most of her life and has been working professionally since 2019. This year she was the recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an acknowledgement given to gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs. Besides being a talented songwriter, Gracie has performed as an opening act to Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. Her current single “That’s So True” became a fan favorite and a career peak for her.

Here is the video for “That’s So True” by Gracie Abrams:

The Trouble With AI – “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust

There has been a lot of talk this year about AI from how it has already affected our day-to-day lives and as it takes over more and more aspects of it to Tilly Norwood, the AI-generated actress created by Eline Van der Velden that caused an uproar within the entertainment industry. What’s more: there is Breaking Rust, the country music artist project created by Aubierre Rivaldo Taylor that is presented with a cowboy persona, “who” had a single – “Walk My Walk” – that topped the Billboard charts and has amassed over 35,000 followers on Instagram. The main problem is this project was developed using generative AI tools to produce vocals, instrumentation and lyrics with NO human performers involved. It’s like welcoming Skynet into the music world, groan!

Here is the video for “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust:

Hit of the Summer – “Golden” by Huntr/x

This single comes from the fictional K-pop girl group Huntrix from the Netflix animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters. The song is performed by Kim Eun-jae, known professionally as Ejae, as well as Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami. “Golden” quickly became the hit single of the summer, being released on the Fourth of July and making its way up the charts after being played literally everywhere. It should be noted that at least three other songs from this animated film’s soundtrack made its way onto the charts and the movie featured voices provided by the aforementioned Ejae, Teen Wolf alum Arden Cho, Lost alums Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim, Community alum Ken Jeong and Lee Byung-hun from the G.I. Joe movie franchise and Red 2.

Here is a live performance of the single by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami:

Hitmaker of the Year – Sabrina Carpenter

Every year there is usually one artist who just seems to be, well, everywhere. In years past, artists like Lorde, Olivia Rodrigo, Lainey Wilson and Taylor Swift have been that hitmaker (and some would say that Taylor Swift seems to hold that title every year); but this year the hitmaker is Sabrina Carpenter, who was honored with the Hitmaker of the Year award by Variety. Her 6th studio album “Short N Sweet” hit number 1 on the Billboard charts, she earned her first Grammy nominations and headlined her first arena shows. And, on top of all that, she had three top 10 hit singles from that album, including “Manchild,” “Please Please Please” and “Espresso.”

Here is the lyric video for her current hit single Lyric video for “Manchild”:

Best New Female Artist [TIE] – Gigi Perez and Lola Young

First, let’s talk about Gigi Perez, the 25-year-old singer who was born in New Jersey but raised in Florida. She had a unique way of making it in the music industry. She began by uploading “do it yourself” tracks on TikTok in 2021, which spawned viral hits. That led to a deal with Interscope and gigs playing before Coldplay and Noah Cyrus. But then that major label dropped her in 2023, but that didn’t deter her. She self-released her current hit “Sailor Song,” which highlights her androgynous voice, and the rest is – as they say – history. That queer love song went from being a hit online to hitting the Billboard Hot 100, amassing – get this – 1.3 billion streams, and spawned her debut album “At the Beach, in Every Life.”

Here is the video for “Sailor Song” by Gigi Perez:

Then there is Lola Young, the 24-year old singer-songwriter from the U.K. whose hit single “Messy” actually came out in May 2024, but has become a massive hit over the course of this year. You can’t really turn on the radio without hearing it in heavy rotation. This single wasn’t just an international smash – she got her first Hot 100 hit here in the States and topped the Pop Airplay chart – it has become an anthem for Gen Z, especially those with ADHD. To cap off her year, she was the recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Ivor Novello Awards (now in its 70th year); these awards are given out annually in London by the Ivor Academy for songwriting and composing.

Here is the lyric video for “Messy” by Lola Young:

Best New Male Artist – SOMBR

SOMBR, the 20-year-old New Yorker born Shane Boose, stands at an impressive height of 6-foot-7 and just might be the youngest Grammy nominee. His hit single “Back to Friends” showcases what is being called his smoldering vulnerability when he performs onstage. His album “I Barely Know Her” just came out in August, but it contains – in addition to “Back to Friends” – several Hot 100 singles like “Undressed” and “12 to 12”.

You can watch the lyric video for “Back to Friends” by SOMBR below:

Breakthrough Artist of the Year  – Alex Warren

Alex Warren is another self-starter who has been on a four-year journey in the music industry starting out on TikTok and YouTube where he independently released his first singles in 2021, to being signed to Atlantic in 2022, working on collaborations with Jelly Roll and Blackpink breakout star Rose to winning the MTV VMA for Best New Artist. The 25-year-old California native saw his hit single “Ordinary” stay in the Hot 100 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks this year.

You can watch the video for “Ordinary” by Alex Warren below:

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 2025 below.

TOMORROW: Top of the Box Office

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: Hits and Misses on TV

Posted in Television, Year End Round Up on December 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

While this year has been quite tumultuous within the political spectrum as well as natural disasters and unbelievable worldwide events, television (both linear and streaming) has not failed to provide viewers with lots of programming options: good, bad or otherwise.

The following list is just some of the highlights from 2025 (listed in no particular order):

Top Actress – Gina Torres, 9-1-1: Lone Star (FOX)

While there is little chance that the folks over at the Emmy’s will even consider nominating the performance of Gina Torres in the final season of 9-1-1: Lone Star, I think she had a stellar year playing Tommy Vega, especially that unexpected cancer storyline twist as well as what is being called the “otherworldly” reunion with her late character’s husband Charles that had all fans of the show wondering whether Tommy would survive or not [SPOILER ALERT] she did survive and was seen on the mend in the show’s series finale.

Fresh New Face (Actress) – Anna Lambe, North of North (Netflix)

The Netflix comedy North of North, based in Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, stars Inuk actress Anna Lambe, who ironically hails from Iqaluit herself. She plays the lead role of Siaja, a young wife and mother, who is struggling to build a future after a very public exit from her marriage and learning some unexpected truths about her origin. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognize Anna from her supporting role in last season’s True Detective: Night Country.

Top Actor – Noah Wyle, The Pitt (HBO Max)

Despite starring in the long-running medical drama ER for 12 seasons, Noah Wyle never won an Emmy for his role in that show (even though he was nominated five times); instead he finally won an Emmy for his role in the streaming hit medical drama The Pitt where he was exceptional as Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinovich, the chief attendant in the emergency room at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Between his PTSD over the loss of his beloved mentor during the pandemic, the loss of a young drowning victim or the failed resuscitation of his character’s “stepson’s” girlfriend, was just incredible and moving to watch.

Most Buzzed About Drama – Outlander: Blood of My Blood (Starz)

Each TV season there is typically one stand-out new drama that performs better in the ratings than any other drama; but this year, the overall ratings for new (or even returning) dramas have been rather lacking for the most part. But there was one new drama that, much like its predecessor, caught viewers attention and held on: Outlander: Blood of My Blood.

While there was no actual source material, based on the popular book franchise by author Diana Gabaldon other than a few lines of dialogue in Outlander, this prequel series turned out to be just as vibrant, action-packed and filled with sultry chemistry. The casting of leads Jamie Roy and Harriet Slater as Jamie’s parents and Hermione Corfield and Jeremy Irvine as Claire’s parents was nearly heaven-sent as they bear uncanny resemblances to the lead stars of the mothership.

Best Couple – Karl and Cassandra, Murder in a Small Town (FOX)

This FOX drama, based on the crime novels by L.R. Wright, may be set in the sleepy village of Gibsons in British Columbia but the murders that are investigated there by former Minneapolis detective, now Chief of Police, Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) and his deputies are anything but sleepy or simple. Karl is a different kind of cop, but he sure has a unique way of solving the crimes that plague his new home. But, it’s his relationship with local librarian Cassandra Lee (Kristin Kreuk) that really makes the show zing. Their relationship isn’t easy, and it has hit quite a number of bumps in the short time the show has been on the air; but they have great chemistry and are my top pick for Best Couple this year.

Worst Show – Zero Day (Netflix)

You would think that with a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Matthew Modine, Dan Stevens, Jesse Plemons and Lizzy Caplan as well as Clark Gregg, Gaby Hoffmann and Colin Donnell that the 6-episode Netflix mini-series Zero Day would be a hit, right? Well, sadly, it didn’t. Viewers and critics alike seemed to really dislike this mini-series that was supposed to be a timely conspiracy thriller – think House of Cards and Homeland – but it got “bogged down in endless exposition and bonkers plot twists.” What’s more the show had “too many characters and storylines” for viewers to try and comprehend. In the end, a luminous cast does not equate to good TV.

Handsome Newcomer – Milo Callaghan, The Rainmaker (USA Network)

This British actor landed the prime role of hotshot young lawyer Rudy Baylor in the TV adaptation of the John Grisham novel once made famous by Matt Damon in the box office flick. Filled with youthful optimism and a nose for the law, Rudy ended up working for a small-time ambulance chaser and her less-than-honest paralegal, but made quite an impression on them and the prestigious white-collar firm from which he was fired on his first day. Viewers might remember Milo from his small roles in The Spanish Princess and Rivals.

Unbelievable Storyline – Paradise (Hulu)

As viewers watched the debut episode of this Sterling K. Brown-led political thriller, it appeared to be about the much-unexpected death of the President of the United States, played by James Marsden. But in actuality, the big reveals [SPOILER ALERT] were the fact that what seemed like Washington, D.C. was a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event.

Most Disappointing Cancellations [TIE] -The Residence (Netflix) and Poker Face (Peacock)

Unfortunately, despite a fairly sizable cliffhanger for season two and the popularity of this Peacock drama, the plug was pulled on the Natasha Lyonne-led Poker Face with the unusual potential caveat that the show MIGHT come back with Peter Dinklage taking over as Charlie Cale, a character with the uncanny ability to know when someone is lying merely by talking to them.

Also, the Netflix mystery comedy drama The Residence, which starred Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Ken Marino, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jason Lee and Bronson Pinchot (among countless others), came to a close after only one season. The best part of the show was the whodunnit search by Detective Cordelia Cupp (Aduba) – all while on her mission as an avid birder. This screwball comedy could have been yet another hit for the streaming service, but…

Best Dance Number – Will Trent (ABC)

The 13th episode of season 3 of Will Trent, entitled “One of Us Now,” was both lucky and unlucky for the lead character, played by Ramon Rodriguez, because he was still reeling from the accidental shooting of a child during the pursuit of a criminal, and his using that tragedy as a way to get closer to a suspected cult leader. When he was found out to be a cop, that cult leader drugged him, and out of that drug-fused state came one of the best sequences in the show’s run so far. He had a fever dream where he hallucinated dancing to Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” with all of the main cast members – as well as his beloved dog Betty and recurring guest star Gina Rodriguez – and even confessed his love for Angie (series lead Erika Christensen).

You can watch that dance sequence below:

NOTE: What’s even more interesting is the fact that the powers that be on the show had four days prep time on the dance sequence and less than a full day of shooting. Pretty impressive!

Best Villain – Julianne Nicholson, Paradise (Hulu)

The new TV series Paradise is part of this year’s Hits and Misses once again because of the performance by Julianne Nicholson, who plays Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond, the tech billionaire who created that underground bunker mentioned above. Her character is multi-layered, and far more powerful within that world than expected, and far more evil than anticipated. Her grief caused her to create that bunker, but then her need for control caused everything else to go to hell…fast.

Ubiquitous Star of the Year – Helen Mirren in 1923 (Paramount+), MobLand (Paramount+) and The Tuesday Murder Club (Netflix)

Dame Helen Mirren has played an expert in wet work in RED, Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, the mother of Jason Statham in the Fast movie franchise and a detective in Prime Suspect along with countless other memorable roles, but this year she was the ubiquitous star of the year appearing as Cara Dutton, the matriarch of the Dutton family in the Taylor Sheridan series 1923, the precursor to Yellowstone; Maeve Harrigan, yet another matriarch – but of the Harrigan family – the crime family in MobLand and Elizabeth Best, a retired MI6 officer, investigating a cold case murder in the Netflix flick The Thursday Murder Club.

The Saddest Deaths of the TV Year – Nikki Batista, Alert: Missing Persons Unit (FOX); Bobby Nash, 9-1-1 (ABC) and Joel Miller, The Last of Us (HBO)

TV deaths are just par for the course on the small (and big) screen, but there are some TV deaths that are just either extremely unexpected, very hard to watch or just unnecessary – even if the powers that be behind the show “claim” that it helps the story move along.

This TV season, viewers watched as Nikki Batista (series lead Dania Ramirez) on the now defunct FOX drama Alert: Missing Persons Unit was kidnapped by the Irish mob and then found in a shallow grave out in the woods. While her demise was not shown on screen, it was still hard for fans to wrap their heads around her death because it was extremely unexpected.

Then there was the brutal death of Joel Miller (series lead Pedro Pascal) in The Last of Us on HBO, who was killed in the second episode of season two. While his death was a testament to the show’s commitment to its source material, it was still very hard for the show’s fans to watch.

Lastly, the hardest TV death to deal with was Bobby Nash (series lead Peter Krause) in 9-1-1 on ABC. While dealing with a fire at a bio-lab, the 118 firefighters ended up trapped inside that lab with a deadly new virus. Howard “Chimney” Han (series regular Kenneth Choi) was the first to be infected, but not the last. As the episode came to an end, the firefighters and the viewers learned that Bobby Nash was also infected, but there was only one antidote so he self-sacrificed in order to save Chimney’s life. His loss was tragic, to say the least, and completely unexpected. In fact, showrunner Tim Minear confirmed the loss of Bobby was entirely a creative decision on his part, which really upset the show’s base.

Coolest TV Episode – Wheezervision, SkyMed (Paramount+)

This Canadian medical drama delivered an extremely interesting storyline in episode 6 of season 3 when Pilot William “Wheezer” Heaseman (series regular Aaron Ashmore) was dealing with blindness from a green laser flashing in his eyes when he was flying on a medical mission. While recovering in his hospital room, he played out stories of his friends as if they were movies – one was a B&W film noir story, one was a horror story, one was a western, one was a soap opera and then an ongoing issue with a patient in room 3B, which was the hospital room that he was actually in.

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.

TOMORROW: The Rhythm is Gonna Get You

Read Full Post »

2025 Year-End Round-Up: Observations of the Year

Posted in News, Year End Round Up on December 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

To say that 2025 has been a tumultuous year is a clear understatement of the facts. Our country has been turned upside down by an unhinged dictator-wanna-be and all of his cronies who are taking his policies far too much to heart, unleashing cruelty on our streets, causing absolute mayhem in every corner of the government, upsetting our health and school systems and so much.

The effect he and his “administration” has wrought on the world as a whole isn’t any better especially where Venezuela is concerned, his inability to get the Ukraine-Russia war ended despite his claim that it would be done “on day one” and the fact he decimated the East Wing of the White House for a ridiculously opulent, and extremely unneeded, ballroom.

Even the entertainment world has been turned on its head in more ways than one because of this madman and his “people” especially where Jimmy Kimmel and the purchase of Warner Brothers Discovery are concerned, but it is still the hope of many in this country that aspects of our daily lives will take an important turn as 2026 gets underway, especially in regards to the mid-term elections.

Until that time comes, let’s take a look at some of the bigger headlines – good, bad or otherwise – for this past year, broken down by month:

January

Careless driver in New Orleans killed 10 people and injured 30 on Bourbon Street
A cybertruck exploded outside Trump Hotel in Las Vegas
President Biden awarded second highest civilian award to leaders of the January 6 committee and 18 other people
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down as party leader
Major winter storm hit over half the country
First person died from bird flu in Louisiana
7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Tibet’s holiest city, 93 perished
Meta (the umbrella company to Facebook) ended fact-checking program
Massive firestorm throughout Los Angeles that hit Pacific Palisades, part of Malibu, some of the Hollywood Hills and Altadena
Israel and Hamas agree to Gaza cease fire deal
President Biden gave final address, warning of big tech and social media manipulation
Historic winter storm hits Southeast, breaking records set in 1895; Louisiana under 10 inches of snow
Ski resort hotel in Turkey went up in flames with 76 people losing their lives
Another deadly high school shooting in Nashville
Israeli troops prevented Palestinians from returning to their homes in Northern Gaza
South Korea indicted President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection
Jim Acosta left CNN after turning down 12 Midnight TV slot
Plane collided with Army helicopter near Washington airport
Small medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia with a fiery explosion; no one on board survived
Chuck Todd, the former Meet the Press moderator, left NBC after 18 years

February

Several people injured after car plows into crowd in Munich, Germany
Delta airplane overturns while landing at Toronto airport
Joy Reid and Alex Wagner lost their jobs at MSNBC because of programming changes
Washington Post opinion editor, David Shipley, left the paper due to new direction taken by newspaper owner Jeff Bezos

March

American Airlines plane suddenly and mysteriously erupted into flames at Denver International Airport
Severe storm threat shifted to the East Coast
The stranded astronauts finally made it home safe
Massive 7.7 earthquake in Southeast Asia, centered in Myanmar
Massive wildfires in the South of US, specifically in the Carolinas and flooding in Texas
Far-Right EU leader Marine Le Pen found guilty of embezzlement and banned from 2027 election (she was barred for 5 years)

April

Heavy rain and tornadoes sweep Central United States
A tourist helicopter from Spain plunged into the Hudson River in New York City
Aircraft crashed in Boca Raton, Florida
5.2-magnitude earthquake hit San Diego, California
Murder suspect Luigi Mangione was indicted on federal charges in the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare
20-year-old son of local sheriff’s deputy allegedly opened fire new Student Union at Florida State University
Private, single-engine plane crashed in rural Illinois, four people lost their lives
Lori Daybell, the mother convicted of murdering two of her children in a so-called doomsday plot, was found guilty of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband
Massive wildfire erupted in Ocean County, New Jersey
Car plowed through Vancouver Filipino festival, 11 people lost their lives
Russian Dictator Putin declared a temporary truce during Victory Day celebrations
United States fighter jet fell overboard while avoiding Houthi attack

May

The first American is elected Pope, Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo, was born in Chicago
Lester Holt left the anchor desk at NBC Nightly News
St. Louis-area hit with tornadoes, taking the lives of at least 5 people, injuring 35 others and affecting more than 5,000 homes
Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer
Mexican Navy sailboat crashes into Brooklyn Bridge with nearly 300 aboard; it caused two deaths and 19 people injured
More deaths due to tornadoes in Kentucky and Missouri
Small plane crashed in San Diego, setting home ablaze
Two Israeli embassy staffers – Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim – were shot dead outside DC’s Capital Jewish Museum
Supreme court rejected bid for religious charter school in Oklahoma
Billy Joel announced brain disorder with all concerts cancelled

June

At least six people injured in Boulder Colorado after “act of terror” with a makeshift flamethrower
Two people found dead at a remote campground in Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park
Israel attached Iran nuclear program
ABC News let correspondent Terry Moran go after he criticized a member of the current “Administration”
Over 200 people perished in Air India Crash
Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were killed by a Trump supporter and Trump voter and this same killer attacked Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette
Tyler Perry was hit with a lawsuit accusing him of sexually harassing and assaulting an actor
Karen Read, from Massachusetts, who was accused of killing her police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe in 2022, was found not guilty of murder in a retrial
A mega-yacht with 400 passengers crashed into a New York City dock
A madman opened fire at a Michigan church
Iran targeted a U.S. military base in Qatar
Legendary Anna Wintour announced she would leave her post as Head of Editorial Content at American Vogue after 37 years
A house in Philadelphia exploded
Two firefighters were killed in an Idaho ambush

July

Sean “Diddy” Combs convicted on 4 out of the 5 charges lodged against him
Mall shooting in Savannah, Georgia
Mass shooting in River North (in Chicago, Illinois) outside Artis Nightclub
Catastrophic flooding in Texas
Massive fire in San Luis Obispo County in California
Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit reportedly died by suicide just hours after Russian Dictator Putin fired him
New Mexico flash flooding
A plane crashed and exploded on a runway outside London
A fire at an assisted living home in Fall River, Massachusetts took the lives of at least nine people
Three deputies were killed in an explosion at a sheriff’s department training facility in Los Angeles
Bryan Kohlberger, the man accused of the killings of four University of Idaho students, was given four life sentences
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s coast led to warnings and Tsunami advisories for parts of Japan and Alaska
Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced she would not run for California Governor

August

Four people lost their lives due to a shooting in Montana
A U.S. Army Sergeant allegedly shot and wounded five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia
Two people lost their lives when a helicopter crashed into a Mississippi River barge north of St. Louis
Three people lost their lives in a shooting at a Target store in Austin, Texas
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has been cancelled after the Skydance/Paramount merger
A Pennsylvania steel factory explosion trapped people in the rubble
Hurricane Erin reached a catastrophic category 5 level, hitting the Caribbean Islands
Two cruise passengers drowned within hours of each other on Carnival’s new private island in the Bahamas
Jasveen Sangha, known as the Ketamine Queen, plead guilty to her involvement in the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry
Two Utah police officers lost their lives while responding to a domestic disturbance
MSNBC announced a name change to MS NOW as the cable news network split from NBC News
Sadly Nazi flags were spotted hanging from a Texas High School roof
New York City was rocked with a Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak
Haboob, a towering wall of dust, slammed Phoenix, Arizona with a towering wall of dust, causing damage, airport delays and power outages
A shooter fired in church pews at a Minnesota Catholic school, killing two children and injuring at 17 others
Mass exodus of cast from Saturday Night Live

September

Former Real World “star” Kelley Wolf was arrested on suspicion of electronic harassment in the midst of her bitter divorce from Party of Five actor Scott Wolf
East Coast beaches were hit with fecal contamination warnings ahead of Labor Day weekend
Three people were hospitalized after a minivan drove through a Pennsylvania festival
Hawaii was under a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Kiko
Australia mushroom murderer Erin Patterson was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 33 years
Russia hit Kyiv’s heavily protected government district
A Utah trucker was arrested after teens were found in a 29-degree refrigerated trailer
Four soldiers were believed to have perished in a military helicopter crash
Starbucks announced it would reduce its total number of coffeehouse across North America
A 27-year-old gunman attacked a midtown Manhattan office building because he was anger at the NFL due to his chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain condition
A destructive flood in Arizona took the lives of four people and swept away 1,000 propane tanks
A wildfire burned more than a third of one of Africa’s biggest national parks.
Hollywood was in an uproar over AI creation Tilly Norwood

October

The killing of 2 people on Yom Kippur in Manchester, England outside a synagogue
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs being sentenced to more than four years in prison over prostitution conviction
Hundreds of trekkers were stranded by a blizzard near the eastern face of Mount Everest due to unusually heavy snow and rainfall in the Himalayas
Young environmentalist Greta Thunberg alleged torture in Israeli detention after her Gaza flotilla arrest
A 29-year-old Uber driver, Jonathan Rinderknecht, was arrested for starting the inferno in the Pacific Palisades, California that took the lives of over a dozen people and decimated over 5,4000 homes
For while it lasted Israel and Hamas reached a deal on the release of the remaining hostages and pulling back troops
Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela”
A Tennessee explosives manufacturing plant suffered a devastating blast, taking the lives of at least 16 people
A bar shooting in St. Helena Island in South Carolina caused the deaths of at least 4 people and injuring 16
737 days later, the last 20 living Israeli hostages were set free
The Supreme Court declined to hear Alex Jones’ effort to appeal a $1.4 billion judgment against the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre
Prince Andrew was stripped of his Royal title amid the unrelenting allegations of his link to disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein
The Louvre in France suffered a brazen daylight robbery where they fled with priceless jewelry
A pardoned Capitol rioter was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries
The deadliest police operation against drug gangs in Brazil’s history killed at least 121 people
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Cuba after hitting Jamaica
Mass shooting at huge North Carolina house party that left two dead and 11 other wounded

November and December

At least three people were killed and 11 were injured after a UPS plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky
The US Mint produced the final penny, ending the coin’s 232-year-old life
An ammonia leak in Oklahoma left dozens hospitalized
Major Democratic win in New Jersey, Virginia and New York as well as Prop 50 passing with a massive win in California as well as 3 Supreme Court judges in Pennsylvania
Shareholders granted Elon Musk a $1 Trillion Tesla payday [as if he deserves any of that?!]
Indiana homeowner Curt Anderson shot and killed a house cleaner on his front porch after she and her husband mistakenly showed up on his property, thinking it was a different address
A massive fire engulfed a residential apartment complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district
Two National Guard members shot near White House with Sarah Beckstrom losing her life because of 29-year-old, extremely troubled Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal
A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Anchorage, Alaska
Children killed in a mass shooting at a California birthday party
Huge 45 vehicle pile-up in Indiana after cars slid on ice in the largest wreck firefighters have ever seen
A suspect in the January 6, 2021 pipe bomb investigation was finally identified and arrested
Netflix and Paramount are in a battle royale over acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery
Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke turns 100-years-old
Brown University shooting in Providence, Rhode Island
Australia shooting on first day of Chanukkah on Bondi Beach

As for the multitude of war crimes, insults to female reporters, the inability to understand that tariffs are a tax on the American people, every department within the government being wrecked by the now-defunct DOGE (an idiotic, made-up department, I might add), the inhumane mass deportation efforts, the decimation of the Oval Office with his whorehouse “decorations” and countless other crimes against the American people, the list of offenses caused by the orange-faced bastard in the White House and all those “working on his behalf” easily spans pages and pages of information that I will refrain from providing here because we’ve seen all of them on the nightly news all year long. Needless to say, once the roles have been changed in Washington, D.C., I cannot wait for all of these people to be held accountable for what they’ve done to everyone across the globe.

I hope that you will join me through the end of this year, as I focus on the best and the worst of 2025 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.

TOMORROW: Hit and Misses on TV

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »