By Jessica Wedemeyer
8:05am PST, Feb 1, 2019
"The Big Bang Theory" cast gets emotional as series nears end: "I just start crying"
On the Jan. 30 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," the stars of "The Big Bang Theory" dished on nearing the end of the sitcom's 12-season run. (The hit CBS comedy will conclude in May.) "We've been getting super-emotional," said Kaley Cuoco after admitting that she was "100 percent" going to cry during their cast talk-show appearance. "[Johnny Galecki and I] were doing a scene before the holiday. We were just blocking, and we're the only two in it, just kind of rehearsing the scene, and out of nowhere, I just started bawling. And the crew, all the camera guys and everyone come out and they're like, 'We're so glad you cried because we've been waiting to cry,' and they all gave us this huge group hug, and we just all cried for like 10 minutes." Said Jim Parsons, who hasn't cried yet, "I have a very deep fear — seriously — that the most unexpected thing is going to happen and I'm going to absolutely lose my s— … because it really is profound, the amount of time of your life. It's like more than, I think, any of us can get a grip on, and I'm worried something's going to trigger me deep down inside like, 'Oh, I didn't know that was there! Oh, that hurts!' You know?" Chimed in Kaley, "Anyone hugs me about it, I start crying. It just starts happening." Added Johnny, "It still feels very hypothetical. I think come the end of this coming summer, when we would generally be meant to come back is when it will really [hit]." Quipped Kunal Nayyar, "When we'll be unemployed!"
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"The Masked Singer" renewed for Season 2 by FOX
FOX announced on Jan. 30 that its hit competition series "The Masked Singer" will be back for a second season. More than 17 million multi-platform viewers tuned in for the singing show's debut in early January. According to Deadline, "The Masked Singer" is the No. 1 new series and top unscripted series of the season.
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Eagle-eyed "Friends" fans spot the creepy moment a mask's eyes glow bright red in the background
"Friends" fans re-watching the classic sitcom on Netflix recently caught a creepy goof in the background of the Season 4 episode "The One with Rachel's New Dress" — in which Jennifer Aniston's Rachel Green gets caught wearing lingerie by her boyfriend's parents during a date night at their home. As Rachel makes an excuse for her revealing getup while chatting with her love interest, Tate Donovan's Joshua, the eyes of a prop mask behind them glow bright red for a few seconds before going dark. The episode first aired in 1998.
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Cybill Shepherd doubles down on Les Moonves criticism
During a December appearance on Michelle Collins' SiriusXM radio show, Cybill Shepherd detailed a late-'90s business dinner with Les Moonves during which he propositioned her. The actress alleged that not long after she turned down the CBS exec, the network cancelled her eponymous sitcom. During an interview for the Jan. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, the "Cybill" star said that after she opened up about Les, a law firm representing other women who've accused him of sexual harassment reached out to her. "I don't want to be a part of the law firm thing," she said. "There are enough people involved in that. I hope and pray that that era — somebody having that much power, a man or a woman; seems like it's mostly men but I'm sure there are some women mixed in there somewhere, sometime — is, hopefully, over. That we now have a fresh place to start to do the work we want to do and keep it simple. Less can be more. Les was not more for me. My show could've lasted another five years. He didn't make it easier. I made the right decision."
Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw meets Jeff Bridges' The Dude in Super Bowl ad
Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Carrie Bradshaw in Stella Artois' new Super Bowl ad. In the spot — which highlights the beer brand's partnership with Water.org's "Pour It Forward" campaign to provide clean water to developing communities across the globe — the iconic "Sex and the City" star shocks the wait staff by ordering a Stella instead of her signature Cosmopolitan during a night out at a fancy restaurant. Jeff Bridges' "The Big Lebowski" alter ego then sits at a table beside her, further disrupting the restaurant by ordering a Stella instead of The Dude's signature drink: a White Russian. The commercial, which will make its television debut during the Big Game, hit the Internet on Jan. 28.
Anthony Scaramucci says he "absolutely did not quit" "Celebrity Big Brother"
On the Jan. 25 episode of "Celebrity Big Brother," former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci revealed that — after nearly a week of participating in the competition — he was actually a "fake houseguest." (The episode aired two days after he appeared at a business conference in Switzerland, indicating to fans that his time on the show had been short-lived.) The strange and confusing twist prompted rumors that the Mooch simply wanted off the show, leaving producers scrambling to come up with a half-baked plot to let him go. "Listen, I absolutely did not quit the game," Scaramucci told Entertainment Weekly during an interview that hit the Internet on Jan. 28. "The producers from day 1 pitched me the idea of becoming a twist in the show. … So it was planned from day 1. I know there are people that think we didn't land on the moon and there are people that think there is a conspiracy here or a conspiracy there but there's no conspiracy here. It was a straight-up, well-planned twist for the show." He went on to say that the show's producers "recognized that someone like me, there is no way I could take 25, 30 days off" to shoot the series because of his commitments to his kids and his company. He also said that the twist didn't stop him from actively participating in the competition. "My plan was to play the game as hard as possible until the last minute," he said. He did, however, "[hold back] a little bit on cutting a super-strong hard deal with somebody" because he "didn't want to hurt anybody that was in the show," he said.
"Rent: Live" aired mostly pre-taped footage while studio audience watched scaled-down live performances
FOX's "Rent: Live" was comprised of mostly pre-recorded footage after actor Brennin Hunt broke his foot during dress rehearsal on Jan. 26, the night before the big production, for which there were no understudies. On Jan. 27, while viewers at home got the pre-recorded version of the show, members of the "live" studio audience were treated to extremely scaled-down performances from the cast. Social media videos depict a wheelchair-bound Brennin singing opposite Tinashe as video monitors in the theater show the broadcast version of the number. At one point, Tinashe even breaks character to say she can't hear the music, eliciting laughter from the studio audience, who began singing along to help her out.
"GMA Day" gets a new title at ABC
On Jan. 28, the afternoon iteration of "Good Morning America" officially rebranded from "GMA Day" to "Strahan and Sara." The new name pays homages to hosts Michael Strahan and Sara Haines while distancing the program from the flagship ABC morning show, though it's still considered part of the "GMA" brand. "GMA Day" has attracted fewer viewers than "The Chew," the show it replaced on the network's daytime lineup in September, though ratings have been steady — a good sign for a new show.
