by tyler | May 4, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Give Pete Davidson a bit of credit for making himself the least interesting part of a series about being Pete Davidson. Much of that has to do with the all-star cast with which the former “SNL” star has swaddled himself in “Bupkis,” a frequently funny and later somewhat tiresome Peacock comedy, which only serves to reinforce the sense the comic’s tabloid-friendly offscreen life generally remains more interesting than any of his onscreen exploits.
Having already played a version of himself in the Peacock movie “The King of Staten Island,” Davidson certainly doesn’t seem overly concerned about stretching his acting chops. The main appeal here, given the unabashed self-absorption of the exercise, hinges on the casting, with Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”) and Joe Pesci as his mom and grandpa, plus an assortment of high-profile cameos, from Ray Romano to Jon Stewart to John Mulaney, which conjure the lion’s share of the laughs.
Davidson is introduced Google-ing himself, chafing at living in the public eye while residing (uncomfortably at times, as an early sequence demonstrates) with his mom. The idea of Davidson existing in an extended state of adolescence runs throughout the show, prompting his grandpa to gently chide him by saying, “You run around like a kid and you’re not a kid anymore. You’re a man.”
The title “Bupkis” is intended to indicate that viewers aren’t necessarily supposed to take the series at face value, but the sporadic use of biographical photos underscores that the show (produced and written by Davidson, Judah Miller and Dave Sirus under the stewardship of “SNL” patriarch Lorne Michaels) offers snapshots of Davidson’s life, including the loss of his father on September 11 and a wedding the young Pete had to attend in its aftermath.
The series proves considerably stronger when it leans toward the inconsequential and gleefully crude, relying on the heavy hitters in the cast, or those who just drop by (among them Bobby Cannavale and Steve Buscemi), to carry the load. There’s also some good stuff spoofing Hollywood, as one episode hinges on Davidson getting cast in a J.J. Abrams movie, before the role turns out to be considerably less than he envisioned.
Laughing at himself is great to a point, which includes addressing the fact that people seem more interested in who he dates than what he does. By contrast, “Bupkis” sags when it zeroes in on Davidson and his substance-abuse issues toward the end, which can’t help but feel as if the show is drifting, perhaps unavoidably, into the almost cliched “A Star is Born” quadrant of celebrity biography.
For Davidson, lampooning his image has practically become a full-time job, to the exclusion of demonstrating what else he can do, and Peacock appears quite content to cash in on that. “Bupkis” is at times very funny, but when it comes to getting to know more about Pete Davidson, the show’s admirable qualities are more in spite of that than because of it.
“Bupkis” premieres May 4 on Peacock.
by tyler | May 4, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
May the 4th be with you.
Today is officially known as “Star Wars Day,” when the famous movie franchise and its many TV spinoffs are celebrated.
Here’s are a few ways to lean into the saying “May the 4th be with you,” for those who aren’t already way into it.
This is where to find all things “Star Wars” related, from news to celebrations.
The film franchise has a dozen movies to choose from (if you include the animated 2008 offering “The Clone Wars”), which will keep you plenty busy should you so choose to celebrate this day.
Not to mention all the TV and streaming content options including Disney’s very popular series “The Mandalorian.”
Grab some popcorn and get to watching.
The memorable film scores from John Williams are streaming on Spotify and Apple Music, so get your light sabers.
The “Star Wars” actress died on December 27, 2016, as a result of “sleep apnea and other undetermined factors,” the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office determined.
She was 60 years old.
Her role as Princess Leia is iconic and it feels right that she will posthumously be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 4 this year.
So today you can toast Fisher and enjoy the memories of her over the years “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.”
by tyler | May 4, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
Several familiar faces are walking the walk in support of TV and movie writers who are on strike.
Members of the Writers Guild of America earlier this week after failing to reach a new contract agreement with studios and streamers.
Some stars have been showing up at the picket lines to offer their support.
Jay Leno brought doughnuts to a picket line in video shared on social media.
“Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson shared a photo on her Instastories holding a sign which read, “AI can’t write Tariq’s raps,” referring to the guild’s concern over artificial intelligence use in story creation and a nod to a recurring character on her hit show.
Photos of other stars picketing, including Rob Lowe, Billy Nye, Justine Bateman, Natasha Lyonne and “SNL” cast member Bowen Yang, also made the rounds on social media.
Deadline shared a video of “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon at a picket line in New York City.
“I feel like it’s important to be out here because writers are some of my best friends and some of my heroes,” Nixon said.
“Nobody wants to strike, least of all creative people,” she continued. “I think it’s incumbent upon all of us who care about writers, who care about creative television and movies, to come out here and show support.”
by tyler | May 3, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their 2023 class of inductees.
In the performer category the group includes Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners.
DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray will be the recipients of the Musical Influence Award, while Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin have been selected to receive the Musical Excellence Award.
This year’s Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient is Don Cornelius.
The inductes into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are selected because the have “created music whose originality, impact, and influence has changed the course of rock & roll,” according to the organization.
The Musical Influence Award goes to “artists whose music and performance style have directly influenced, inspired, and evolved rock & roll and music impacting youth culture” while the Musical Excellence Award is “given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.”
The Ahmet Ertegun Award goes to “non-performing industry professionals who have had a major influence on the creative development and growth of rock & roll and music that has impacted youth culture.”
The 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, November 3, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Ticket sale information will be announced at a later date.
by tyler | May 2, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
The Met Gala figures prominently in the past love story of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, so it felt right that they would meet up again at the annual event.
The pair, who split in August 2022 after less than a year of dating, were photographed Monday during the festivities along with singer Usher.
Kardashian recently attended Usher’s Vegas residency, where she helped facilitate a reunion between the singer and fashion designer Kimora Lee Simmons.
During an appearance last year on the podcast “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” Kardashian said she and Davidson talked at the Met Gala in 2021, just prior to her hosting “Saturday Night Live” on which Davidson was a cast member at the time.
“I saw him at the Met and he knew I was hosting ‘SNL,’ but it wasn’t announced yet,” she said. “He came up to me and we were talking about ‘SNL,’ and I was like, ‘They better hurry up and announce it, because I will not back out as soon as they announce it, but I’m so nervous.’”
Davidson even offered her some tips to help with her nervousness, as well as his phone number should she need it.
But because of her head to toe black outfit with long gloves (her face was also covered by the ensemble), Kardashian said she wasn’t able to access her phone to take down his number.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I have gloves,’ and he was like ‘alright, cool’ and walked away,” Kardashian said during the podcast. “But I was gonna be like, ‘Oh, take mine!’ But it was like, no. So we never connected or anything.”
They connected big time during an “SNL” skit, sharing a kiss. The rest is celebrity relationship history.
by tyler | May 2, 2023 | CNN, entertainment
“Saturday Night Live,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will begin airing repeat episodes on Tuesday due to the film and TV writers’ strike, sources close to the programs told CNN.
The late night shows will air repeat episodes “until further notice,” according to the sources.
Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, who host NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Tonight Show,” respectively, previously said they would honor the strike and not air new episodes. CNN has reached out to NBC for comment.
Sources close to production also tell CNN that “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central will begin airing repeat episodes on Tuesday due to the strike as well.
NBC’s weekly sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” will also air repeat episodes due to the writers’ strike, the network announced Tuesday. A previously announced “SNL” episode to be hosted by alum Pete Davidson and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert that was scheduled for Saturday, May 6, has been canceled, according to a spokesperson for the show.
On Monday night, the Writers’ Guild of America officially called for a strike after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers when the WGA’s current contract expired just before midnight.
As thousands of members of the WGA prepare to begin picketing on Tuesday afternoon, the late night shows across network television will present the first visible manifestation that the strike has begun as the previously planned new shows are scrapped for reruns.
A writers’ strike could shut down production on most television shows and cause a domino effect in the wider realm of the entertainment industry, pushing back the return of many programs set for the fall.
The late night shows depend on their writers for bits, monologues and celebrity interview questions.
Stephen Colbert addressed the strike on his “Late Show” Monday night, which was taped before the negotiations halted, by featuring a picture of all of his writers, saying the show wouldn’t happen without them.
The host expressed his support for unions, and said while he hoped that a strike could be averted, “I also think that the writers’ demands are not unreasonable.”
Jimmy Kimmel, who also taped his show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Monday before a strike was called, only referenced the strike tangentially when he listed the guests lined up to appear on his show for the week ahead “unless something terrible happens.”
