Did You Hear ...? Melissa McCarthy gets spicy, ‘Idol’ is coming back and more from the week in entertainment
A “Saturday Night Live” host got things rolling a day early, a pink slip got a lot of attention, a classic show found a new home, a celebrity email went viral and a red carpet got called on account of weather. Here’s all that news and more from this week in entertainment.
Roll camera? As Sean Spicer, Melissa McCarthy rolls lectern
Ahead of hosting “Saturday Night Live” this week, oh-so-pretty Melissa McCarthy brought her impression of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer to the streets of Manhattan, tooling around Friday in character on a custom-converted lectern. You know, the lectern her Spicey thrust into the spotlight, as well as into a lot of faces, as a surprise guest back in February? Of course there was video. Expect the bit — parts of which were shot outdoors on a mobile set — tonight on “SNL.”
The FBI hasn’t been this hot since ‘Silence of the Lambs’
With politics and entertainment now inseparable (see item above, and links below), the firing Tuesday of FBI Director James Comey did not go unnoticed by late-night hosts and outspoken celebrities. Heck, a handful of news anchors wound up expressing exasperation, dismay and confusion, with Anderson Cooper getting in an eye roll while sparring with back-in-the-game presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway. Rosie O’Donnell and President Trump even delivered a special James Comey installment in their long-running feud.
Looks like it was a break, not a breakup, with ‘Idol’
“American Idol” was resurrected this week, to be broadcast by ABC instead of Fox, which retired the singing competition last year. Big question: Would Ryan Seacrest, who recently starting cohosting ABC’s “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” come back as host? Some sources called it a done deal, or a nearly done deal, even as Seacrest played coy. Alas, despite rumors that first-season champ Kelly Clarkson would be coming back to the show as a judge, that ain’t happening — turns out she has another gig.
Hail yes! The MTV Movie & TV Awards did its thing
With small-screen efforts now included in the mix along with ye olde moving pictures, the MTV Movie & TV Awards debuted Sunday at the Shrine Auditiorium. Who cared if inclement weather (in Los Angeles, no less!) shut down the red carpet? The stars got dressed up. They got political (again, see above and below). They even got some awards. Missed it this year, Angelenos? No worries. MTV will be back.
Steve Harvey learns the hard way that email is forever
Months ago, the host of “The Steve Harvey Show,” which on Thursday wrapped production on its fifth and final season in Chicago, sent his staff an email demanding that people stop “ambushing” him at work. This week, perhaps due to its abundance of ALL-CAPS directives plus a threat that security might escort offenders off the premises, the memo was leaked. It was almost as much fun as the Miss Universe thing! Really, a guy can’t get a little privacy?
Domestic Goods — and Bads: Country singer Jason Aldean and wife Brittany Kerr are expecting a bun, err, baby. … Olympic diver Tom Daley and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black tied the knot in an English castle. … “New Girl” star Zooey Deschanel welcomed a new baby boy with husband Jacob Pechenik.
Trumped: At the 28th GLAAD Awards, Debra Messing called on Ivanka Trump to tell her dad “real stories of people who are suffering.” … Stephen Colbert celebrated after POTUS called him a “no-talent guy” who says “filthy” things. … Samantha Bee’s “Full Frontal” had to cancel a planned segment after James Comey was fired. … Merriam-Webster pulled attitude over who coined the phrase “prime the pump.”
RIP: Actor Michael Parks, known for “Twin Peaks” and his work with Quentin Tarantino, died at 77.
New Trailers:
- “Orange Is the New Black” Season 5
- “Wonder Woman,” “All Eyez on Me,” “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “It”
Bonus Links: What’s the message being sent by no-frills preliminary plans for the Obama Presidential Library in Chicago? Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers an interpretation. … As “A Streetcar Named Desire” turns 70, we break down seven decades’ worth of productions and homages. Hey, Stella!
Did You Hear …? runs Saturday in Entertainment at latimes.com.
Twitter: @TheCDZ
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