ICYMI: The month in TV for June 2019

Jennifer Aniston open to possible "Friends" reunion after years of turning it down

"Friends" fans, get excited! Jennifer Aniston has finally green-lighted her participation in a possible "Friends" reunion after years of avoiding the question. While appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," the A-list actress said the "Friends" cast was open to doing a reunion then explained her change of heart while speaking with "Entertainment Tonight" at the premiere of her newest film, "Murder Mystery," on June 10. "Well, 'no' was getting me nowhere, and 'maybe' was getting me nowhere. So I thought I'd try 'yes.' Sorry," she said. She followed up, adding, "Anything could happen… I have no idea though. There's no plans in the immediate future."

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Anderson Cooper gives emotional on-air tribute to mom Gloria Vanderbilt

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper paid tribute to his mother, famed heiress, author and fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt, on-air following her June 17 death from stomach cancer. "The last few weeks, every time I kissed her goodbye, I would say, 'I love you, Mom,'" Anderson said of Gloria, who was 95. "She would look at me and say, 'I love you too. You know that.' And she was right. I did know that. I knew it from the moment I was born, and I'll know it for the rest of my life. And in the end, what greater gift can a mother give to her son?"

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"Game of Thrones" prequel series begins filming

The "Game of Thrones" universe is one step closer to being back on our TV screens. A "GoT" prequel currently titled "Bloodmoon" has begun filming in Northern Ireland, Entertainment Weekly reported on June 18. The HBO series, which stars Naomi Watts in the lead role, will take place thousands of years before the events of "Game of Thrones" and explore the "horrifying" truth behind Westeros and the true origin of the White Walkers, according to an official synopsis.

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"The Good Place" coming to an end after Season 4

That's all, folks! "The Good Place," the acclaimed NBC series starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, will end after its upcoming fourth season, according to a June 7 announcement. "Obviously because of that DNA, where status quos get blown up so frequently, this is not a show that is destined to be on for nine years," the comedy's showrunner-producer, Mike Schur, explained in December, hinting that the end was near. "It's not a 200-episode, 'Friends' kind of a deal. It's not a hangout show. So, yeah, we've given it a lot of thought, and we have a certain plan, which I think you'll get the sense of in the fairly near future." The final season will air in the fall.

"Jeopardy!" star James Holzhauer donates to cancer charity after record-breaking wins

"Jeopardy!" sensation James Holzhauer is giving back after winning more than $2 million in prize money. The professional gambler donated $1,109.14 to a Naperville, Illinois, charity walk that's raising funds for pancreatic cancer research ("Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was diagnosed with the disease earlier this year). James's donation comes just a few weeks after he lost to University of Chicago librarian Emma Boettcher after a 33-game winning streak.

"Riverdale" to pay tribute to Luke Perry during Season 4 premiere

The late Luke Perry will be honored during the Season 4 premiere of "Riverdale" and his character's fate will be addressed, according to showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. "[It will] probably [be] the most important episode of #Riverdale we'll do this year, if not ever," Roberto wrote on Twitter on June 19. "A tribute to our fallen friend. Thankful for this opportunity to honor Luke & Fred." He also shared a photo of the title page of the script, revealing that the episode will be called "In Memoriam."

"Game of Thrones" star Lena Headey wanted a "better death" for Cersei

"Game of Thrones" fans aren't the only people who envisioned a different death for Cersei Lannister… so did the actress who played her! Lena Headey, the Emmy-nominated actress who starred as the villainous Cersei for eight seasons, revealed that she wanted a "better" ending for her character while speaking with The Guardian in June. "Obviously you dream of your death. You could go in any way on that show. So I was kind of gutted. But I just think they couldn't have pleased everyone. No matter what they did." Eventually, Lena did come to terms with Cersei's passing (she and twin brother Jaime died together as the Red Keep crumbled around them). "The more we talked about it the more it seemed like the perfect end for her," she explained. "They came into the world together and now they leave together."

Ellen Pompeo reveals "really toxic environment" on "Grey's Anatomy," says she almost quit

During an interview for Variety's Actors on Actors series released June 5, Ellen Pompeo opened up about the turmoil she experienced during her first decade on the set of "Grey's Anatomy." Explained the actress, "The first 10 years we had serious culture issues, very bad behavior, really toxic work environment. … But after Season 10, we had some big shifts in front of the camera, behind the camera. It became my goal to have an experience there that I could be happy and proud about, because we had so much turmoil for 10 years. My mission became, this can't be fantastic to the public and a disaster behind the scenes. [Creator] Shonda Rhimes and I decided to rewrite the ending of this story. That's what's kept me. Patrick Dempsey left the show in Season 11, and the studio and network believed the show could not go on without the male lead. So I had a mission to prove that it could. I was on a double mission."

Lee Daniels says Jussie Smollett will not return to "Empire"

Jussie Smollett will not be returning for the last season of "Empire," according to Lee Daniels. The series creator took to Twitter on June 4 to speak out against a Variety report that claimed Jussie would be back for the show's sixth and final run. "This is not factual. Jussie will NOT be returning to 'Empire,'" he wrote. Variety previously reported that, according to "multiple production sources," the "Empire" writing staff was "breaking ideas" for the scandalized star's onscreen alter ego, Jamal, "with the expectation" that he would be back. Jussie's role on the fifth season of the musical drama was downgraded after he allegedly filed a false police report claiming that he was the victim of a hate crime, which he continues to dispute.

Lindsay Lohan's MTV show ends as Mykonos beach club closes

Lindsay Lohan's reality TV and beach club business dreams are coming to an end. The former child star's MTV reality show and the Mykonos nightclub the series centered on both appear to be over, Page Six reported this month. "There was a renewal idea that producers hoped would perk it up for a second season. It would be turned into a show about Lindsay and [her mother] Dina and [sister] Ali, [but] that wasn't going to happen," a source told the New York Post's gossip column. "They wanted 'breakdowns.' [But] that's not where [Lindsay] is at with her life anymore. Their personal business doesn't need to be aired on television; it's already in the papers anyway." A rep for Lindsay confirmed that the star would not be back for more "Lindsay Lohan's Beach Club" but the actress denied the closing of her Greek club in a since-deleted Instagram post.

Jon Stewart rips Mitch McConnell during "Late Show" appearance

Jon Stewart has had enough of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The former "Daily Show" host made a surprise appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to slam Mitch and Congress on their lack of action regarding the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund extension. "These are the first heroes and veterans and victims of the great trillions-of-dollars War on Terror," Jon explained. "And they are currently dying, suffering and in terrible need. You know, you would think that would be enough for Congress to pay attention, but apparently, it's not… Basically, we're saying you love the 9/11 community when they serve your political purposes. But when they're in urgent need, you slow walk. You use it as a political pawn to get other things you want." Mitch previously said that Jon was overreacting and the Senate would get to the bill when they got to it.

Jennifer Morrison to join "This Is Us" in major Season 4 role

Jennifer Morrison will soon be hanging with the Pearson family. The "Once Upon a Time" and "House" alum has been cast on Season 4 of "This Is Us" in a recurring role, according to TVLine. Details about her character have not yet been released but she will reportedly have a major role in the how the story plays out on the upcoming season.

"Counting On" grandmother Mary Duggar dies in accidental drowning

The matriarch of the Duggar family, Mary Duggar, accidentally drowned on June 9 after slipping and falling into a pool. The "Counting On" family had just attended church together before the accident occurred. Her son, Jim Bob Duggar, confirmed the news on the family's Facebook page.

Tiffani Thiessen won't join the "Beverly Hills, 90210" reunion due to scheduling conflicts

Tiffani Thiessen is excited for the new "Beverly Hills, 90210" reunion series but sadly won't be able to join her former castmates. She explained that she will not be returning to the franchise because of her contractual obligations to her Netflix series, "Alexa & Katie." "I'm actually shooting Season 3 of 'Alexa & Katie' right now. So I am working at the moment and busy… I'm literally in the middle of my season, and I go till September," she told "Entertainment Tonight" on June 2. "I don't know too much about it but I know people are going to be excited… My shoot schedule sadly won't allow [me to participate], but I wish them well… I'm sure it's going to be great."

Details about harassment allegations against "Fuller House" creator Jeff Franklin released by Warner Bros.

"Fuller House" creator Jeff Franklin was accused by several women of making disparaging comments about pregnant employees, talking about weekend orgies and being combative about hiring female directors and directors of color. Seven women were interviewed for an internal Warner Bros. probe and many claimed that Jeff, who was removed from the production in 2018, created a toxic work environment. The detailed report of the accusations against Jeff were released in June after Jeff sued his replacement, Bryan Behar, for allegedly spearheading a campaign against him. Bryan has denied the claim, saying he only reluctantly worked with Warner Bros. on the probe.

Adrian "Lionheart" McCallum dies at 36

British pro wrestler Adrian "Lionheart" McCallum, who won the ICW World Heavyweight Championship title in December 2018, died on June 18. The 36-year-old athlete and entertainer was found unresponsive in his home. Police are not treating his death as suspicious.

"Blake's 7" and "Doctor Who" actor Paul Darrow dies at 78

"Blake's 7" actor Paul Darrow, who starred on "Doctor Who and the Silurians" in 1970, died on June 3 following a short illness, according to the BBC. He was 78. The English actor had both legs amputated — one above the knee and one below it — after suffering an aortic aneurysm in 2014.