Shonda Rhimes will host President Obama for a fundraiser at her home
President Obama will be part of a $32,400-per-person reception and dinner at the “Scandal” creator”s house next month. The president had previously appointed Rimes to the Kennedy Center's board of trustees.
O.J. Simpson murder case turns 20: How it influenced TV
Besides the reality TV aspect, the O.J. Simpson arrest and trial inspired “Seinfeld”s” Jackie Chiles and Jay Leno”s “Dancing Itos.”
“SNL”s” Lorne Michaels: “It was a hard season,” and there definitely will be changes
“We”re still in the middle of rebuilding,” Michaels says, also pointing out that his work load was rough this year in having to launch Jimmy Fallon”s “Tonight Show,” Seth Meyer”s “Late Night” while adding eight new cast members. On “SNL,” he says, “we put a lot of pressure, a lot of new people.”
Ben & Jerry”s to create 2 more “SNL” flavors, possibly more
To celebrate “Saturday Night Live”s” 40th anniversary, Ben & Jerry”s will announce two new flavors based on iconic sketches – but they won”t have anything to do with “Coneheads,” “More Cowbell” or “Chippendales.” Ben & Jerry”s already created a Schweddy Balls flavor.
Mike Judge: “Silicon Valley” will deal with Peter Gregory”s fate in a comedic way
“We're trying to figure out season two,” he says, adding that he”s consulted Christopher Evan Welch”s family with several suggestions, and they laughed at each one. “I think we have to deal with it in a comedic way, there's no way around it,” he says.
A female ex-con finds everything wrong with “Orange is the New Black”
“This kitchen is f*cking Fantasy Island!” she says of watching the Netflix series “There are a lot of things that drive me crazy about the show, but the kitchen is killing me.” PLUS: The many books on “OITNB,” see the “Crazy Pies” food truck, and see Norma as a ’70s rocker and ’80s pop star.
“The Walking Dead” already has Season 12 planned out
“We know where season 11 and 12… we have benchmarks and milestones for those seasons if we”re lucky enough to get there,” says producer David Alpert.
Paul Reiser lands an Amazon role
He”ll be part of the pilot for the 1985-set “Red Oaks” Jewish country club comedy from Steven Soderbergh.
Tim Gunn: I”d like “Project Runway” to have a season of all plus-sized models
“I would like to do a season of Project Runway where every model is larger than a size 12,” he says in a Hollywood Reporter roundtable.
Facebook combed through 6 years of posts about “True Blood”
And the data it collected will be used as part of HBO”s “True Blood” full season marathon, which will feature a marathon a night starting June 16.
Meet the guy who”s never watched “Game of Thrones”
College Humor sends up somebody we all know. PLUS: NBA gets “GoT” treatment, 7 amazing facts about “GoT,” 10 shows that paved the way for “GoT” and George R.R. Martin has been sneaking in famous names in his books for years.
Dan Harmon is “pessimistic” the entire “Community” gang could be brought back together
First off, Harmon says he won”t do the show without writing partner Chris McKenna.
Letterman scolds Regis Philbin for hitchhiking in NYC
Reege could”ve been killed!
It”s true: Viewers are fleeing broadcast TV
Here”s how much network TV was hurt by fleeing viewers, as shown in a chart. PLUS: “Glee” lost 45% of its viewership this season.
Will Dave Chappelle ever return to TV?
Chappelle is making the media rounds this week (Letterman on Tuesday, Fallon on Friday), which begs the question: Could he return to Comedy Central?
“Fargo” composer uses the Prague Philharmonic: I was told to write something that sounded “cold and lonesome and stark”
“Eastern European orchestras have a very distinctive sound,” explains composer Jeff Russo, who also co-founded the rock band Tonic. “I listened to a lot of different orchestras before choosing Prague. And I really felt like the emotional feeling I got from listening to the orchestra was what I wanted to convey in the score.”
Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman discuss each other”s “Fargo” roles
“I didn't notice until I started watching the show that Lester and Malvo share many of the same qualities,” says Thornton. Freeman adds: “It”d be boring just to play evil. There's something very likable about Malvo, which makes him 10 times more dangerous.”
Chris Pratt”s evolution: From troubled “Everwood” teen to “The O.C.” to “Parks and Rec”
Let”s not forget what Pratt, in his mid-20s, looked like as a teenager on “Everwood.”
Fox developing “Answer Me 1999,” a musical time-jump series based on a Korean drama
The “Step Up 3D” writers are behind the project that follows a group of friends as high school students in 1999 and in their present day working life.
“The View” responds to Jimmy Kimmel”s diss
Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy had requested that Kimmel send them something in response to a gift from Jimmy Fallon.
Seth Rogen recalls going to high school with “Nathan For You's” Nathan Fielder
They were part of the same student improv-comedy troupe. “He had this deadpan, dry delivery; he was very precise,” Rogen says of the Comedy Central star. “He wouldn”t say anything, then he”d come in at the end with a line that killed – a joke that changed the whole scene or escalated it.”
“The Cosby Show”s” The Huxtables are America”s favorite TV family
How do they compare to the average U.S. family?
“The Americans”” Noah Emmerich compares TV vs. movie acting
“In television, you have no idea where you are really going,” he explains.
“Faking It” creator: “I am telling the story that I”ve been wanting to tell, which is a girl discovery of her own sexual identity”
“And,” says Carter Covington, “I feel like that”s not a one season story.”
“Halt and Catch Fire” characters each have their own Spotify playlist
Each list is representative of character studies done by a writers” assistant on the AMC series.
Watch TV”s comedy actors and actresses each talk shop for an hour
Here are the actors and the actresses from The Hollywood Reporter”s Emmy roundtable.
“Hannibal” vs. “Fargo”
Which drama”s greatness is more improbable?
Ben McKenzie got “Gotham” thanks to CBS rejecting his lawyer pilot last year
McKenzie made “The Advocates” pilot last year with Mandy Moore and creator Bruno Heller, and Heller had McKenzie in mind when he wrote the “Gotham” script.
Dennis Miller looks back at his Weekend Update-hosting past
Among his fave moments was the time Tom Hanks and Dana Carvey joined him in forming the three Dennis Millers.
Here are 18 TV roles the cast of “Friends” had before they were friends
From “Misfits of Science” to “Ferris Bueller” to “Red Shoe Diaries.”
Check out El Rey Network”s extended “Matador” trailer
Tony Bravo plays a DEA agent who investigates a soccer team on the series, premiering July 15.