Tag Archives: ABC

Cardi B to Perform from Miami During “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” Program

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Cardi B is preparing for a rockin’ New Year’s Eve.

Only five days before it airs, has added the 31-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-winning rap superstar and hip-hop legend LL Cool J to its lineup.

Cardi BThe “Up” singer will appear poolside from Fontainebleau Miami Beach, while her “WAP” collaborator Megan Thee Stallion was previously on the bill.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn-raised rap icon LL Cool J will perform in Times Square just before midnight.

New Year’s Rockin’ Eve is also introducing a new vertical of comedic show segments with Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, Matt Friend, Ms. Pat and Sebastian Maniscalco adding commentary on the past year.

Ryan Seacrest returns as host of the ABC and Dick Clark Productions live show with co-host Rita Ora leading the festivities from New York’s Times Square with artists Megan Thee Stallion, Jelly Roll, Sabrina Carpenter and Tyla.

Jeannie Mai will lead the Hollywood festivities, with Aqua, Doechii, Ellie Goulding, Green Day, Janelle Monáe, Loud Luxury x Two Friends with Bebe Rexha, Ludacris, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Paul Russell, Reneé Rapp with Coco Jones and Thirty Seconds to Mars to perform in California.

New Year’s Rockin’ Eve will once again feature a Spanish language countdown with Dayanara Torres returning as co-host from Puerto Rico’s Convention Center.

Lisseth Chavez Promoted to Series Regular on ABC’s “The Rookie”

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There’s more patrol time in Lisseth Chavez’s future…

The 34-year-old Salvadoran actress, who heavily recurred on Season 5 of The Rookie, has been promoted to series regular on the upcoming sixth season.

Lisseth Chavez Chavez plays Officer Celina Juarez, the newest rookie at the station. She appeared in 19 episodes in Season 5.

The Rookie, which recently celebrated its 100th episode, stars Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, Mekia Cox as Nyla Harper, Alyssa Diaz as Angela Lopez, Richard T. Jones as Sergeant Wade Grey, Melissa O’Neil as Lucy Chen, Eric Winter as Tim Bradford, Jenna Dewan as Bailey Nune, Shawn Ashmore as Wesley Evers and Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen.

The ABC series is created and executive produced by Alexi Hawley, along with executive producers Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Bill Norcross and Terence Paul Winter.

Entertainment One is the lead studio and international distributor of The Rookie, a co-production with ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.

The Rookie Season 6 premieres on Tuesday, February 20 at 9/8c on ABC.

Chavez was a series regular on The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow and NBC’s Chicago P.D. 

Xochitl Gomez Named Winner of Season 32 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

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Xochitl Gomez is dancing on the ceiling…

The 17-year-old Mexican American actress and Marvel star and her professional dancing partner Val Chmerkovskiy have become the first pair to win Dancing With the Stars’ Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.

Xochitl Gomez, Dancing with the StarsThe DWTS grand prize was renamed to honor Goodman in September. Goodman, who died at age 78 in April, served as a judge on the reality competition series from 2005 to 2022. 

Gomez and Chmerkovsky claimed the trophy during the Tuesday, December 5, season 32 finale of the long-running ABC celebrity ballroom dancing competition, making her the fourth Hispanic celebrity to win Dancing with the Stars and the first celebrity of Mexican descent to claim the trophy.

“I don’t want this show to end, and I think it’s gonna be really good for me to keep coming back,” she joked after her big win during the finale.

After redeeming their foxtrot and bringing it home with a fiery freestyle, Gomez and Chmerkovskiy received two back-to-back perfect scores from the judges. With their scores from the semifinals also included in their judges’ totals Tuesday night, they were the only couple to earn a perfect score of 120 across all four dances.

“Gosh, I didn’t think that [we did that]. I forgot until there had been like a little thing that said, this is your score something out of something, and it was the score. I was like, ‘What? We did that?’ Yeah, we did that. I’m proud of that,” Gomez said.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s performances, judge Bruno Tonioli visited Gomez and Chmerkovskiy in the studio to reassign them the foxtrot and give Gomez some pointers on how to improve in the dance style. Tonioli said during rehearsals that he was hoping to see more “refined sophistication” than the couple’s first attempt at the foxtrot in week three.

Gomez was the last to grace the stage for the redemption round, but certainly not the least. She made her latest foxtrot look effortless, earning praise from all three judges, including Tonioli, who told her she is a “delight” to watch.

Gomez told Deadline the judge’s advice in rehearsals was invaluable to be able to perfect her foxtrot, especially when it came to lengthening her arms.

“That was one of the things that I tried to do, but I was never that successful. And I tried a lot, but it was hard. So for someone else to have a different voice and tell me, ‘This is something that is one of your weakest points. So fix it.’ And also for him to show me how to do it. I thought that was really nice and definitely helped me out for the foxtrot,” she said.

Chmerkovskiy expressed pride for his partner, beaming as he explained he was most impressed with “how much dance she’s learned.”

“I mean, we put in the work at the studio. But usually we like do a lot more warming up and practicing during the show leading up to the performance. Today, we just trusted ourselves and came out and just danced,” he said.

In the final moments of the Season 32 finale, Gomez and Chmerkovskiy stood on stage next to Jason Mraz and his partner Daniella Karagach, anxiously awaiting the news on who’d eked out the victory. Just as host Alfonso Ribeiro was about to announce the victors, he instead cut to a final commercial — prompting a loud groan from the audience.

“The whole night was special. I keep saying it feels bittersweet because, for us, every week that we had a great performance felt like exactly like this feeling. Truly, every time we got called safe, we felt like we were winning. So tonight, it felt like that times 100.”

Here’s the list of the DWTS winners of Hispanic descent:

Season 5: Hélio Castroneves (Brazilian) and Julianne Hough
Season 13: J.R. Martinez (Salvadoran American) and Karina Smirnoff
Season 23: Laurie Hernandez (Puerto Rican) and Val Chmerkovskiy
Season 32: Xochitl Gomez (Mexican American) and Val Chmerkovskiy

ABC to Air Season 1 of Selena Gomez’s Hulu Original Comedy Series “Only Murders in the Building” in January

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Selena Gomez is bringing a little murder to ABC…

The network will air season 1 of the Hulu Original comedy series Only Murders in the Building, starring the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, beginning in January.

Hulu Renews Selena Gomez's "Only Murders in the Building" for Second SeasonGomez’s acclaimed series will follow Celebrity Jeopardy, which is moving to Tuesday nights from its original Wednesday slot.

The first three episodes of Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Gomez, will start at 9:00 pm on Tuesday, January 2, following a new semifinal episode of Celebrity Jeopardy! at 8:00.

ABC had been eyeing a primetime run for Only Murders in the Building this season while the network’s original scripted series have been delayed by Hollywood’s dual strikes.

The hit comedy, which is nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at next year’s Emmy Awards, is produced by ABC sibling 20th Television for Hulu, which ABC and 20th Television parent Disney is becoming a full owner of after recently announcing that it was acquiring Comcast’s stake.

From co-creators and writers Martin and John Hoffman (Grace & Frankie, Looking), the first season of Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Martin, Short and Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building, which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

Recently renewed for a fourth season, Only Murders in the Building is the most-viewed Hulu Original comedy series ever, according to the streamer.

Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Short, Gomez, Jamie Babbit, This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal. The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Here’s the schedule for the 10-episode Season 1 of Only Murders in the Building (all times Eastern/Pacific):

9-11 p.m. Tuesday, January 2: Episodes 1-3
9-11 p.m. Tuesday, January 9: Episodes 4-6
9-11 p.m. Tuesday, January 16: Episodes 7-9
9-11 p.m. Tuesday, January 23: Episode 10

Nestor Carbonell Starring in the Indie Drama “Motherland”

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Nestor Carbonell is heading to the motherland…

The 55-year-old Cuban American actor will star in Motherland, an indie drama from MPI Original Films that entered production in New York under an interim agreement.

Nestor CarbonellCarbonell, who currently stars on The Morning Show, is starring opposite Miriam Silverman, newcomer Emily Arancio and Holland Taylor.

Silverman leads the cast as Cora, who forms a protective bond with her estranged daughter Zinnia (Arancio) in an alternate present society where parents are forbidden from knowing or raising their children.

Evan Matthews is directing from a script by Nicole Swinford.

Currently starring opposite Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, which is approaching the end of its third season, Carbonell is otherwise best known for prominent roles on the popular A&E series Bates Motel and ABC’s Lost.

Also coming up for Carbonell is the FX/Hulu series Shōgun, based on the James Clavell bestseller, which premieres in February 2024.

Arancio makes her feature debut in Motherland after earning an MFA in acting from the University of Southern California.

Miguel to Perform at 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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Miguel is ready to rock (& roll)…

The 38-year-old half-Mexican American Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, whose full name is Miguel Jontel Pimentel, will appear during the 38th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

MiguelMiguel joins a roster of presenters and performers that includes Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine, Carrie Underwood, Common, Ice-, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and Sia.

Miguel will serve as a performer.

The induction ceremony is set for November 3 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

This year’s inductees are Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine and The Spinners, along with DJ Kool Herc and Link Wray for musical influence; Chaka Khan, Al Kooper and Bernie Taupin for musical excellence; and Don Cornelius for the Ahmet Ertegun Award (formerly known as the non-performers award).

The induction ceremony will be broadcast live coast-to-coast via Disney+ on Friday, November 3 (8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT) and will be available to stream following the ceremony. ABC will air a three-hour prime-time special, 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights and standout moments on Monday, January 1 (8-11 p.m. ET), available the next day on Hulu and Disney+.

This year’s show will be produced and directed by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions.

Apple Music will livestream audio from the ceremony on Apple Music 1 on Friday, November 3. A four-part audio series, Class of ‘23: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will also be available on Apple Music and Apple Podcasts leading up to the ceremony.

Here’s the full list of presenters and performers for the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony:

Adam Levine
Brandi Carlile
Carrie Underwood
Chris Stapleton
Common
Dave Matthews
Elton John
H.E.R.
Ice-T
LL COOL J
Miguel
New Edition
Olivia Rodrigo
Queen Latifah
Sia
Stevie Nicks
St. Vincent

Melissa Navia Signs with Innovative Artists 

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Melissa Navia has new representation…

The 39-year-old Latinx actor and writer has signed with Innovative Artists .

Melissa NaviaNavia can currently be seen starring in the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The series, a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery and a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, follows Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the crew of the USS Enterprise as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. Navia stars as ‘Lieutenant Erica Ortegas,’ the charismatic helmsman of the USS Enterprise. Season 2 premiered on June 15 and has already been renewed for a third season.

Additionally, Navia previously recurred on the CBS series Bull and AMC’s Dietland. She also guest starred on NBC’s New Amsterdam and Billions and Homeland for Showtime.

On the big screen, she has appeared in a variety of indie films and shorts.

In 2013, she won the award for Best Actress at the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival for her leading role as ‘Dawn’ in The Paragon Cortex.

Her additional film credits include Sleeping with the Fishes, Bel Canto, The Chosen, Hymns and What It Was.

In March 2020, she made her Off Broadway debut in the world premiere of Bundle of Sticks from J. Julian Christopher.

Eva Longoria Teams Up with Cris Abrego to Launch Hyphenate Media Group

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Eva Longoria is proving to be a real (multi)hyphenate…

The 48-year-old Mexican American actress, director and producer and Cris Abrego, two of the most high-profile Latinos in Hollywood, have joined forces.

Eva Longoria & Cris Abrego Longoria and Abrego have launched Hyphenate Media Group, a new Banijay-backed venture that will develop and produce its own slate as well as invest in creator-led companies.

The company, which has been in the works for months, was announced during a keynote with the duo, who have been friends for years, at Mipcom.

Abrego will serve as the CEO of the company, and Longoria will serve as its Chief Creative Officer.

As part of its launch, Hyphenate has acquired the full slate of Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, which has been behind series such as NBC’s Telenovela, ABC’s Grand Hotel and CNN’s Searching for Mexico.

As such, Hyphenate will take on Apple TV+’s Land of Women, a six-part series starring and exec produced by the Desperate Housewives star that will launch in 2024.

The company will develop and produce both scripted and unscripted series and both of them will produce for the business with all television projects directed by Longoria also coming under the new banner, which is set to firm up its leadership team later this year.

Abrego, who founded Below Deck producer 51 Minds Entertainment in 2003, will remain Chairman of Americas for Banijay and he also serves as Chair of the Television Academy Foundation and a member of the Executive Committee for the Television Academy.

The move marks Banijay’s first investment into the scripted space in the U.S.

Speaking at Mipcom, Abrego spotlighted the decision-making behind launching a diverse content company, as he quoted research that found 50% of American under-18s are not white.

“Supporting creatives in their vision is what we will do,” he added. “The train has left the station and the content has to reflect that.”

He cited influential and talented diverse creatives such as Jordan Peele and Ali Wong, whose work “used to be niche but is now the center.”

Reflecting on the company’s name and MO, Longoria said people had always mistaken her for an actor-turned-producer but she is in fact a “producer-director that fell into acting.”

“That multi-hyphenate is not surviving in Hollywood because the industry wants you to stay in your lane, particularly women,” she explained. “So it was my frustration and Cris’s ambition a couple of years ago after I realized it’s not just me who feels this way. I know creators who are being suffocated by the system so Hyphenate will create the ultimate model.”

Longoria added that the current U.S. labor action is “a direct result of creators taking control back.”

Carlos PenaVega & Big Time Rush to Perform at 10 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Stops

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Carlos PenaVega is bracing for a busy holiday season…

The 34-year-old Dominican, Spanish and Venezuelan American actor/singer and his Big Time Rush group mates will be taking part in this year’s iHeartMedia Jingle Ball, with an appearance on the iHeartMedia Jingle Ball television, which is moving from the CW to ABC with a multi-year deal.

Carlos PenaVegaThis year’s iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will feature performances by Big Time Rush, Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, OneRepublic, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Jelly Roll, NCT DREAM, Flo Rida and more.

(The lineup for the TV special, which will include selected performances, is TBA.) The 2023 tour will stop in Tampa, Florida; Dallas/Fort Worth; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Atlanta; and Miami/Fort Lauderdale.

PenaVega and his Big Time Rush mates will perform in Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

But PenaVega isn’t the only Latinx act scheduled to participate in this year’s Jingle Ball Tour.

Miguel will perform in Los Angeles; Ice Spice will perform in Atlanta; Melanie Martinez will perform in Washington, D.C., Boston and New York City; and Kirstin Maldonado and her Pentatonix group mates are set for New York City.

The stops will be part of the exclusive two-hour network special, which will air Dec. 21 at 8:00-10:00 pm on ABC. It will be available on demand and on Hulu the following day.

ABC, along with Disney+, earlier this week were announced as the new home of another long-running music special, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which will be broadcast live.

Under its new ownership, the CW has changed its makeup and demo target, pulling away from its longtime focus on young audiences.

The 2023 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour stops:

Tampa, Florida – Sunday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. EST at Amalie Arena
Lineup features Niall Horan, Teddy Swims, Zara Larsson, Doechii, Paul Russell, Kaliii and Lawrence

Dallas/Fort Worth – Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. CST at Dickies Arena
Lineup features Jelly Roll, Doechii, Big Time Rush, Flo Rida, LANY, Paul Russell, Kaliii and P1Harmony

Los Angeles – Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. PST at the Kia Forum
Lineup features Olivia Rodrigo, Niall Horan, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Doechii, Flo Rida, (G)I-DLE and P1Harmony

Chicago – Monday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. CST at Allstate Arena
Lineup features Nicki Minaj, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, (G)I-DLE and Kaliii

Detroit – Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. EST at Little Caesars Arena
Lineup features Usher, Jelly Roll, Lil Durk, Big Time Rush, Flo Rida, Doechii, Kaliii and (G)I-DLE

New York – Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. EST at Madison Square Garden

Lineup features Olivia Rodrigo, SZA, OneRepublic, Sabrina Carpenter, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Pentatonix, David Kushner and Melanie Martinez

Boston – Sunday, Dec. 10, at 6 p.m. EST at TD Garden
Lineup features SZA, Sabrina Carpenter, OneRepublic, Flo Rida, David Kushner, Melanie Martinez, NCT DREAM and (G)I-DLE

Washington, D.C. – Monday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. EST at Capital One Arena
Lineup features OneRepublic, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, Flo Rida, Melanie Martinez, David Kushner, NCT DREAM and (G)I-DLE

Philadelphia – Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. EST at Wells Fargo Center
Lineup features Usher, OneRepublic, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, Doechii, David Kushner and (G)I-DLE

Atlanta – Thursday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. EST at State Farm Arena
The star-studded lineup features Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Sabrina Carpenter, Flo Rida, David Kushner, Kaliii and NCT DREAM

Fort Lauderdale/Miami – Saturday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. EST – “iHeartRadio Y100’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One” at Amerant Bank Arena, Ft. Lauderdale
The star-studded lineup features Marshmello, AJR, Flo Rida, Ludacris, LANY, David Kushner, Kaliii and Paul Russell

Dany Garcia’s XFL to Merge with USFL

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Dany Garcia is preparing for a merger…

The XFL, whose latest revival as a springtime alternative to the NFL has been steered by the 54-year-old Cuban American film producer and businesswoman and her ex-husband Dwayne Johnson , is merging with the USFL.

Dany GarciaA brief announcement on Thursday indicated the plan, but offered no details, saying more would be announced “at a later date.”

Both leagues have been operating under the shadow of not only the NFL, which occupies vast real estate in terms of player talent and the public’s attention, but also their own back stories.

Prior to being acquired in 2020 by Johnson, Garcia and RedBird Capital for $15 million, the XFL had been the passion project of Vince McMahon, the longtime head of the WWE. Reprising a previous venture with NBC, which sought to draft off the WWE’s edgy showmanship but wound up one of primetime television’s most notorious turkeys, the XFL 2.0 was a more buttoned-down affair. Even so, the upstart league was aiming to stir things up with an array of newer rules and a looser approach than the NFL.

The USFL, meanwhile, had similarly looked to challenge the NFL but a bit more head-on. In its first incarnation in the 1980s, the league self-destructed when it attempted to move into the fall and go head-to-head with the NFL. That first iteration ended in a legal mess. Decades later, it was revived with an unusual joint broadcast deal with both NBC and Fox, with Fox also taking a minority stake in the league.

“Subject to customary regulatory approvals and if the transaction is consummated, the new league will establish best-in-class operations based on the most recent seasons of both leagues,” today’s announcement said. “This historic combination will anchor professional spring football with substantial capabilities and resources to ensure future growth and continue to enhance the development of the collective players, coaches, and staff that are coming together.”

Hope springs eternal for a challenger to come along and gain enough momentum to survive as a legitimate “other” pro football league, but history is littered with failed attempts like the WFL and the AAF. As gargantuan as the TV audience for the NFL remains, it is far from clear whether viewers will turn out in anywhere near the same numbers for players and teams populated by far lower-profile names. The USFL Championship last July drew about 1.16 million viewers on NBC, about double the regular-season average. The XFL title game a few weeks later pulled in 1.43 million viewers on ABC.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day. This league isn’t going to be built in a day,” Johnson told USA Today last summer. “It’s day-by-day, year over year.”