Ex-'idol' Says Show Is Rigged

The Joe Schmo Show is nothing new. The version set to premiere Jan. 21 on TBS is, in fact, the second revival of a series that aired two seasons on Spike TV (now Paramount Network) beginning in 2003, before returning for a third in 2013. The apparently evergreen premise: In this fake reality competition, everyone is an actor and every outcome is preordained—with the exception of one poor civilian for whom the charade becomes his own personal Truman Show. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] To anyone unfamiliar with the original Joe Schmo, the TBS reboot might sound like a ripoff of Jury Duty, the reality comedy that became a surprise sensation on Amazon’s now-defunct FAST platform Freevee in 2023.

The Mediapro Studio’s North American division has tapped former Apple TV+ creative exec Francesca Ricagni for its newly created position of Head of U. S. Hispanic Content as it ramps up its operations in the region. Founded last year, the studio’s new Los Angeles-based operation, led by J. C. Acosta, has been bolstering its English-language content.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, MusiCares — the Recording Academy’s charitable wing — distributed more than $25 million in relief funds for people in the music community. And less than two weeks after wildfires began ravaging Los Angeles, it already has raised $3.2 million in wildfire relief, and has distributed some $2.2 million of […]

Colin Jost joined Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” and was asked about whether or not he got in trouble with his wife, Scarlett Johansson, after that shocking “Weekend Update” on the “Saturday Night Live” Christmas episode (which aired Dec. 21). Jost and Michael Che always mark the holiday by swapping non-PC jokes that neither […]

Gov. Kathy Hochul offered an array of sweeteners on Tuesday to the New York film and TV tax incentive, as the state looks to combat a sharp decline in production. Hochul proposed a new $100 million pool for independent films, as well as a 10% bonus on top of the 30% base credit for companies […]

An average of 24.6 million viewers watched Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Monday per Nielsen. That’s a lower total than what was achieved by both of the two most recent inauguration broadcasts: 27% below the 33.8 million viewers who tuned into Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, and […]