Biggest TV news for July 2019

2019 Emmy nominations announced

"Game of Thrones" is the top contender at the 2019 Emmy Awards. The HBO series racked up 32 nominations, breaking the record for the most nominations earned by a single series in a single year, according to the TV Academy's announcement on July 16. "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Chernobyl," "Barry," "Fosse/Verdon," "When They See Us" and "Saturday Night Live" were some the other major nominees, while "The Big Bang Theory" failed to earn a single nomination for its final season. The Emmys air on Sept. 22.

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Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce dead at 20

Cameron Boyce, a star on the Disney Channel's "The Descendants" franchise and the sitcom "Jessie," died on July 6 after suffering a seizure in his sleep. The 20-year-old actor suffered from epilepsy, according to a statement released by his heartbroken family.

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"The Bachelorette" creator's wife makes domestic violence allegation

Hawaii's Kauai Police Department is investigating Mike Fleiss after his wife filed for an emergency domestic violence restraining order against him. Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler filed documents on July 16 accusing the creator of ABC's "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" franchises of assaulting her at their home on July 6 and submitted security camera footage of the alleged incident. She claims Mike, who filed for divorce in July, hit her in the head and had demanded she get an abortion after she told him she was pregnant with their second child. Mike, who's fighting Laura for custody of the 4-year-old son Ben, has said his estranged wife was the aggressor.

Valerie Harper's family creates GoFundMe amid cancer battle, husband refuses hospice care

Tony Cacciotti — the husband of famed "Mary Tyler Moore Show" actress Valerie Harper, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2013 — launched a GoFundMe campaign on July 8 to raise money for her treatment and care. "Valerie is currently taking a multitude of medications and chemotherapy drugs as well as going through extreme physical and painful challenges now with around the clock, 24/7 care immediately needed, which is not covered by insurance," reads the GoFundMe page. "This is just part of the daily cost that is without a doubt a financial burden that could never be met alone." Later, in a July 23 Facebook post, Tony explained why he won't have Valerie enter hospice care. "I have been told by doctors to put Val in Hospice care and I can't (because of our 40 years of shared commitment to each other) and I won't because of the amazing good deeds she has graced us with while she's been here on earth," he wrote. "We will continue going forward as long as the powers above allow us, I will do my very best in making Val as comfortable as possible."

First kids series to feature Native American leads premieres on PBS

PBS Kids has taken a big step for diversity. The network began airing "Molly of Denali" — the first national children's series to feature Native American leads — on July 15. The series was created by Indigenous writers and producers, and stars Sovereign Bill, a 14-year-old Alaska native. "Native Americans have long been misrepresented in Western media through film and cartoons like 'Peter Pan' and 'Pocahontas' that are shown to kids at a young age. These shows can leave doubts about cultural identity for Native kids and, for every other kid, provide wrong information on the legacy of Native Americans," Sovereign told People. "That's why it's so important that 'Molly of Denali' is giving a good representation on Native Peoples. … It's breaking the stereotypes and sharing important Indigenous knowledge. That has been absent from the media long enough."

Katherine Heigl talks possible return to "Grey's Anatomy"

Katherine Heigl isn't too concerned about "Grey's Anatomy." The actress opened up about a possible return to the hit ABC series during an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" on July 8, sharing that she hasn't thought about her "Grey's" character, Izzie Stevens, "in years." "That's a tough one," she said when asked if she would ever reprise her role. "I don't know if I would or if I wouldn't. … I almost feel like that would be distracting to what they've done with that show in the seven years since I left and what that's become and what it is to the fans now. It would just be kind of like, 'Yeah, we already let that go. Why are you here?'"

Lifetime to release 28 Christmas movies during 2019 holiday season

We hope you're ready for some holiday spirit! Lifetime is releasing a record 28 original Christmas movies this year, according reports published on July 15. The network has ordered 10 more films than last year with stars like Melissa Joan Hart and Tia Mowry Hardrict slated to star. The former "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" actress has reportedly signed on to play an event coordinator who falls for a widower in "Christmas Reservations," while the "Family Reunion" actress is set to star in "A Very Vintage Christmas."

Whoopi Goldberg opens up about her 10-year stint on "The View": "It's not [enough]"

During an interview with The New York Times on July 3, Whoopi Goldberg revealed that she's not creatively fulfilled by her position on "The View." "It's my job," she said about the show, sharing that the series had limited her opportunities to act. "It's not [enough]." She added that "10 years is a long time" to work on just one project, but that, "in a way," she's "playing a role" on "The View." "These are not conversations that I'm having with my friends. If they were, we'd be doing it differently," the EGOT winner explained. "My friends and I can talk about things in depth in a different way than you can on television."

Three new leads cast in "Walking Dead" spin-off

"The Walking Dead" franchise is expanding with three new cast members! "Unfriended: Dark Web" star Alexa Mansour, 23, "Sofia the First" voice actor Nicolas Cantu, 15, and Australian newcomer Hal Cumpston, 19, have all been cast in lead roles on the upcoming "Walking Dead" spin-off, according to reports published on July 10. The untitled series, which is the second spin-off for the franchise, will reportedly follow two young women and focuses on "the first generation to come of age in the apocalypse as we know it."

Dog The Bounty Hunter's son injured during manhunt following death of Beth Chapman

Dog The Bounty Hunter's son, Leland Chapman, is recovering from knee surgery after tearing his ACL while attempting to capture a man charged with domestic violence on July 9. Edward Morales, who skipped bail after being pleading guilty to harassment in June, reportedly "fought like hell" when Dog and Leland tried to take him in — leading to Leland's injury — but eventually the father-son duo won out. The manhunt was the first since Dog's wife, Beth Chapman, died on June 26. In other Dog news, WGN America announced in July that his new series that Beth filmed before her death, "Dog's Most Wanted," will debut on Sept. 4.

John Krasinski inks first-look TV deal with Amazon

"The Office" alum John Krasinski and Amazon Studios are in it for the long haul. The "A Quiet Place" filmmaker and star signed a three-year first-look TV deal with the tech giant's Prime Video streaming platform, it was announced on July 24. His production company, Sunday Night, will work with Amazon to develop new projects for the platform. "With his incredible authenticity and versatility, John Krasinski has brought to life some of entertainment's most recognizable roles, including our own hero [on] 'Jack Ryan,'" said Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke. "John's talents extend behind the screen as a prolific writer, director and producer with a keen eye for creating original characters and stories with global appeal."

Janelle Monae to replace Julia Roberts on "Homecoming" Season 2

Janelle Monae is headed to the small screen. The singer-actress is set to star on the upcoming second season of "Homecoming" on Amazon Prime, according to reports published on July 23. She will play a determined woman who finds herself floating in a canoe, with no memory of how she got there. Janelle will be taking over for Oscar winner Julia Roberts, who signed on for just the first season.

Jeffrey Epstein documentary headed to Lifetime

A documentary exploring the sexual misconduct charges against accused predator Jeffrey Epstein is headed to Lifetime. The network announced on July 23 that it plans to air "Surviving Jeffrey Epstein," a documentary about the disgraced financier who was arrested on July 6 and charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex. Lifetime is also developing a follow-up R. Kelly documentary, "R. Kelly: The Aftermath," with the "Surviving R. Kelly" production team that explored sexual assault allegations against the Grammy winner earlier this year.

Disney settles "Home Improvement" profits lawsuit

Disney will not be going to trial after all. The media conglomerate settled a six-year lawsuit on July 24 with the creators of "Home Improvement" that resulted in a consequential appellate ruling. Wind Dancer Production Group and writer-producers Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra, Tam O'Shanter and David McFadzean sued Disney back in 2013, claiming that they'd been cheated out of some of the $1.5 billion earnings from the show. They were seeking $40 million in damages and settled for an undisclosed amount in July shortly before the case's Sept. 9 trial date.

Stephanie Pratt will not be returning for "The Hills" Season 2

Stephanie Pratt is done with "The Hills." Just a few days after slamming her co-star brother and sister-in-law, the reality TV star said she will not be coming back for the rebooted MTV show's second season. Stephanie shared the news on Instagram after a fan asked her if she would be returning, simply writing "no." On July 23, she wrote a lengthy Instagram post, revealed her unhappiness with sibling Spencer Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag. "Spencer often screamed that everyone hates me, is fake nice to me and to go back to London because no one wants me here," she wrote. "Omg and Heidi- I have no words for how evil you truly are- you had no choice to admit all of the lies you've been spewing about me was for a magazine cover 🙈 and for real WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU DID 10 years ago. You awful human being- and to your BEST FRIEND? You are truly a hideous person. No wonder you don't have 1 friend (your nanny doesn't count- you pay her)."