Today in Entertainment: Beyoncé as Nala in ‘The Lion King’?; ‘All or Nothing’ Season 2 will focus on L.A. Rams

(Mike Coppola / Getty Images; Jordan Strauss / Associated Press)

Alex Rodriguez didn’t come out and say Jennifer Lopez’s name Friday on “The View,” but he didn’t really have to.

“It’s obvious,” he told the panel after they began quizzing him about his love life. “We’ve been having a great time.”

The retired Major League Baseball great, who played for the New York Yankees from 2004 to 2016, rattled off some things he likes about Lopez, whom he’s reportedly been dating for a month or so: She’s a New Yorker. From the Bronx. A great athlete. An incredible mother, sister and daughter. And -- this never hurts -- a big Yankees fan.

“She’s an amazing, amazing girl,” Rodriguez told the panelists. “One of the smartest human beings I’ve ever met.”

J. Lo also likes chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, he said. Now we’re falling in love with her, too.

Beyoncé voicing Nala in “The Lion King”? It could happen.

(Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

Beyoncé may say yes to voicing the role of Nala in John Favreau’s remake of “The Lion King,” according to a report Friday.

The “Crazy in Love” singer is the director’s top choice to voice Nala, Simba’s lifelong companion/love interest, in the live-action reboot of the 1994 animated Disney classic, sources told Variety.

Donald Glover is already on board to voice Simba and James Earl Jones will reprise his turn as Mufasa.

Beyoncé and Jay Z announced in February that she’s pregnant with twins. The production would be willing to accommodate any scheduling needs she might have, Variety said, but its insiders emphasized that Blue Ivy’s mom hadn’t made a decision yet.

The pregnancy changed Beyoncé’s mind about headlining the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this year, as was planned. Lady Gaga will take the reins, with Queen Bey back on top at the festival in 2018.

Amazon announced Friday the return of “All or Nothing.” Season 2 will focus on the return of the Rams to Los Angeles.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

It’s the Rams’ time to shine, as Amazon announced Friday the renewal of the serialized sports documentary series “All or Nothing.”

After the first season of the Emmy-nominated program followed the 2015 season of the Arizona Cardinals, Season 2 will focus on the Rams’ 2016 season and their move back to Los Angeles from St. Louis.

The Rams went 4-12 in their first season back on the West Coast and have now scored nearly as many reality television seasons as they have wins. In 2016, both E!’s “Hollywood & Football” and HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Los Angeles Rams” detailed the team’s struggle to acclimate to its new old home.

“‘All or Nothing’ brings Amazon Prime members a deep dive into the lives of professional athletes,” Conrad Riggs, Amazon’s head of unscripted original programming, said in a statement released Friday. “We are excited to highlight the L.A. Rams in Season 2, a team with a compelling story of relocation, rebuilding and reuniting with the city they once again call home.”

Ross Ketover (“Hard Knocks,” “Inside the NFL”) and Pat Kelleher (“Hard Knocks,” “30 for 30 -- Four Falls of Buffalo”) are executive producers of the project with Keith Cossrow (“A Football Life”) serving as show runner.

“Since bringing pro football back to the Los Angeles region last year after a 21-year absence, we have been committed to giving NFL fans an up-close view of our journey,” Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ executive vice president of football operations and chief operating officer, said in Friday’s statement. “We are pleased that NFL Films captured this important chapter in the NFL’s history and are looking forward to working with Amazon to bring this behind-the-scenes look at our team to their customers.”

No release date for the second season of “All or Nothing” has been announced. The 2017 NFL season kicks off on Sept. 7.

The Long Winter is over, but in Westeros, it’s just getting started.

Thursday morning HBO released the first official teaser trailer for the seventh season of “Game of Thrones,” which is scheduled to air on July 17.

The clip, titled “The Long Walk,” shows Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Cersei Lannister (Lena Headley) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) descending a long hallway toward their respective thrones.

For Cersei, who was crowned Queen of Westeros in the Season 6 finale, it’s the Iron Throne. For Jon, a.k.a. the King in the North, it’s Ned’s banquet table at Winterfell. And for Daenerys, it’s an unidentified throne somewhere in Westeros based on her cold weather garb, a first for the Queen of Dragons.

The walk is emphasized dramatically by James’ “Sit Down” before cutting to a shot of the Night King’s piercingly blue eye.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs speaks after receiving the 2017 Will Rogers Pioneer of the Year award.

(Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images for CinemaCon)

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was honored with the Pioneer of the Year award Wednesday night at CinemaCon’s Will Rogers Motion Picture Foundation Dinner.

After Steven Spielberg’s pre-taped message touting Boone Isaacs’ accomplishments, and an onstage tribute from “Selma” actor David Oyelowo, Boone Isaacs accepted her award by stressing the importance of ongoing diversity and inclusion within Hollywood.

“We’re all stronger, our art is more alive, our industry more innovative when we are awakened to fresh perspective,” Boone Isaacs said. “I believe we all have a responsibility to open our industry to reflect the complete mosaic and diversity of our country and the world.”

That mission of diversity has been a calling card for the head of the Academy, particularly after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.

In response to the second consecutive year where only white actors and actresses were nominated in the Oscars’ acting categories, Boone Isaacs spearheaded a movement committed to doubling the number of women and minorities in the academy by 2020.

Though Boone Isaacs did not address the most recent Oscars kerfuffle in her remarks -- the PwC accounting mix-up that initially announced the wrong winner for best picture (it went to “Moonlight,” not “La La Land”) -- she did send a letter to Academy members on Wednesday announcing revised protocols to the backstage process.

Boone Isaacs is serving her fourth and final term, which concludes this summer.

Ken Burns announced Tuesday that he has a new documentary underway on late sports legend Muhammad Ali.

The creator of landmark documentaries including “Baseball” and “The Civil War,” Burns will serve as director and producer on the project, along with daughter Sarah Burns and her husband, David McMahon.

Production on the project began in early 2016, months before Ali’s death in June.

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Paula Patton and Robin Thicke are seen in early 2013.

(Jordan Strauss / Associated Press)

Robin Thicke and Paula Patton might finally be close to a custody settlement, according to a report Thursday.

Patton has agreed to give Thicke significant time with their 6-year-old son, Julian, TMZ said, citing sources “familiar with the situation.” The deal is expected to be inked in about a week, the website said.

The family’s post-split relationships blew up in January, weeks after the death of Alan Thicke, Robin’s father. It was reported that Julian accused his dad of spanking him excessively, and the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services opened an investigation.

Near the end of that month, Patton was granted a restraining order, keeping the “Blurred Lines” singer away from her and granting him only supervised visits with Julian. Thicke ultimately was cleared of “wrongdoing” by DCFS, “Entertainment Tonight” reported, but according to TMZ the investigation remains active.

TMZ said that Julian is now “comfortable” with his dad after spending more time with him while Patton has been out of town working on a movie.

“The Perfect Match” actress filed for divorce in October 2014.

Reps for Patton and Thicke did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Vin Diesel discusses “The Fate of the Furious” during the Universal Pictures presentation at CinemaCon 2017 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)

Two years ago, Vin Diesel took to the stage in front of thousands of movie theater owners and made a vow: “‘The Fate of the Furious’ will be the best movie you have ever seen.”

The actor set out to make good on that promise Wednesday at CinemaCon, surprising the crowd by debuting the eighth installment in the Universal Pictures franchise.

We’re not sure you’ll agree with Diesel’s assessment about the film’s place in cinematic history, but the movie does deliver on what you’d expect from a “Fast” movie: Fast cars, globetrotting and plenty of “family” mentions.

The movie -- which brings the crew to Havana, Berlin, New York City and the icy tundra in Russia -- will have fans questioning where the loyalty of Diesel’s Dominic Toretto truly lies. While on his honeymoon in Cuba with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Dom is confronted by the franchise’s new villain: Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, who is sporting some, uh, interesting blond dreadlocks.

Director F. Gary Gray, actors Charlize Theron, Kurt Russell, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson and Vin Diesel at Universal Pictures’ presentation for “The Fate of the Furious” at CinemaCon 2017 on Wednesday.

(Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)

Diesel was particularly amped on Theron’s performance, telling the audience before the screening that his “whole career was leading up to working with this incredibly brilliant talent.” Their scenes together in Cuba were so electric, he said, that “it changed weather,” apparently causing storms, lightning and thunder.

Theron’s character is out to steal some Russian nukes, but she needs Dom’s help to get them. In order to persuade him to turn on his old crew -- and his new wife -- Theron tells Dom that she’s got something on him. We won’t reveal what -- or who -- forces Dom to turn to the dark side, but let’s just say family has something to do with it.

Theron isn’t the only newcomer to the franchise. There’s Helen Mirren, playing the British mum of Jason Statham’s baddie; she’s enlisted by Dom to help with his mission. There’s also Scott Eastwood, who serves as a government agent but ends up as the “Fast” gang’s punching bag as he tries to keep them on-task.

As for Dwayne Johnson, who over the summer had a beef with Diesel in the last days of filming “Fate of the Furious,” he has a hilarious scene in the beginning of the movie coaching his daughter’s soccer team. A shadow operative turns up at the game to try to pull Johnson back into the‎ fray, but he’s more focused on coaching the team. If they lose, he says, he’s going to have to take the team to a “TayTay concert” -- a.k.a Taylor Swift. It got the biggest laugh of the film.

But Johnson didn’t hear the reaction; after being at CinemaCon Monday and Tuesday for the Sony and Paramount presentations, he was conspicuously absent from the “Furious” panel; Rodriguez wasn’t onstage either.

Most significant, this is the first “Fast” film without Paul Walker, who died in a car accident shortly before production on the seventh movie was complete. As you might expect, though, Walker’s legacy lives on within the franchise -- and there’s a nice reference to his character, Brian O’Conner, at the end of the movie.

Diesel got emotional when talking about his late friend’s influence on the film, saying he was constantly “reminded of this angel that was so integral to this concept of brotherhood” while filming.

“The irony is when I thought about going into this eighth chapter, it was Paul Walker who promised eight,” said the actor. “I just play it over and over in my brain, him saying, ‘Eight is guaranteed.’ I always feel like he’s looking down on us, so never want to let him down.”

The first image from The CW’s new superhero pilot “Black Lightning” has been released, and it shows a super slick version of the updated ‘70s vigilante.

Played by “Hart of Dixie” actor Cress Williams, Jefferson Pierce or Black Lightning was the first African American DC superhero to have his own stand-alone comic title. The character was created by Tony Isabella with Trevor Von Eeden in 1977.

But here’s the update: Jefferson Pierce stopped being that hero years ago. Now two daughters in danger have pulled him back into the crime-fighting life, and into an new suit harnessing his electrical powers.

The updated costume was designed by Laura Jean Shannon, who is no stranger to comic book looks with credits on “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Blade: Trinity” and “Iron Man.”

The show is being shot in Atlanta, and is being directed by executive producer/writer Salim Akil.

“Comics were a great way for me to escape. I was about 13 when ‘Black Lightning’ was created, and finally there was a black superhero that gave a damn about our neighborhood and our lives,” Akil said in a statement.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially spoken.

In a letter sent to members on Wednesday, President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced that the organization will continue to work with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm responsible for the now-infamous envelope mishap at this year’s Oscars, which resulted in “La La Land” being incorrectly named as best picture, an honor that went to “Moonlight.”

“After a thorough review, including an extensive presentation of revised protocols and ambitious controls, the Board has decided to continue working with PwC,” the letter reads.

The Board of Governors, the body that oversees the academy, met Tuesday night for the first time since the Feb. 26 ceremony. In addition to discussing the debacle for which PwC has already accepted full responsibility, the letter outlined a number of protocols being established to ensure that the mix-up doesn’t happen again.

Also mentioned in Boone Isaacs’ letter was the status of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, set to open in 2019.

Read the full letter below:

Dear Members,

Last night the Board of Governors met for the first time following what was, in so many ways, the most extraordinary and memorable Oscars ceremony in decades. As you may know, the Board meets approximately six times a year to discuss the business of the Academy.

One of the items on our agenda was to discuss PwC’s Oscar night mistake and review options moving forward that are in the best interest of our organization.

Heading into our 84th year working with PwC, a partnership that is important to the Academy, we’ve been unsparing in our assessment that the mistake made by representatives of the firm was unacceptable.

Throughout the last month, the Academy team has worked hand-in-hand with PwC to review our wide-ranging relationship – everything from Oscars voting, auditing, and taxes – during which we asked them to lay out for us a path and a process towards ensuring that everything will continue to the high standards the Academy expects and you deserve. From the night of the ceremony through today, PwC has taken full responsibility for the mistake. After a thorough review, including an extensive presentation of revised protocols and ambitious controls, the Board has decided to continue working with PwC.

New protocols include:

• A greater oversight role for PwC US Chairman and Senior Partner, Tim Ryan.
• PwC partner Rick Rosas will return to the Academy account as co-balloting leader, a function Rick performed flawlessly for more than 12 years. We will add additional key balloting partners in the coming months.
• The PwC on-site team at the Oscars will now include a third balloting leader with knowledge of award winners who will sit in the control room with the show’s director throughout the ceremony.
• We’ve developed Oscar night protocols including implementation of partner rehearsals for possible onstage issues, removal of electronic devices from backstage and improvements to onstage envelope category verification.
• Ongoing evaluation of backstage protocols and procedures.

On another note, I also have terrific news to report about progress on a project that excites all of us: the development of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, which will open its doors in 2019. The first phase of construction is now complete, which included renovating the historic Wilshire May Company building, and excavating and creating new underground spaces that will house exhibits that will bring our industry to life. During this next and final phase of the project, we will continue the work on the May Company building, and begin building the breathtaking Renzo Piano-designed sphere that will include our 1000-seat David Geffen Theater and the Dolby Terrace. Stay tuned for updates and thank you for your support of this endeavor.

Last night Tom Hanks, who co-chairs the museum’s capital campaign, brought the future Academy Museum to life by presenting a spoken tour of the space. We look forward to sharing these plans as they continue to evolve.

Last of all, just a reminder about one of the very best ways you can keep contributing to the Academy each day of the year: in April, you’ll receive information about running for a seat on the Academy’s Board of Governors and your Branch Executive Committee. Please think about seizing this opportunity to write the Academy’s next great chapter. The more you get involved, the stronger we can be together. Membership has its privileges, but it also has its responsibilities. We need you.

Lamar Odom wishes he had kept it in his pants.

With a new docuseries reportedly on the horizon and rehab recently in his rear-view, the former Mr. Khloé Kardashian is getting honest about what happened when “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and “Khloe & Lamar” put him on the radar with women who didn’t follow basketball.

“When I became Khloé Kardashian’s man and on TV, it made me look more enticing,” the 37-year-old told Us Weekly. The ladies (or something like that) came out of the woodwork in droves, and he didn’t say no.

“If there is one thing I regret when I was married, it was having multiple affairs with different women,” Odom said. “That wasn’t the stand-up thing to do. I wish I could have kept [it] in my pants.”

Huh, ya think?

The cocaine use wasn’t a winning choice either.

“I was hiding it [from Kardashian] for a while, but then I got frustrated ... ,” the former Los Angeles Laker and Clipper said. Then in 2011, about two years before they split, he said, “I was in the man cave she had made for me and she caught me. She was disappointed. So was I.”

READ MORE: Lamar Odom: A Shakespearean tale for the TMZ era

“The sad thing about it is, I don’t know if I was disappointed because I was actually doing the drug or because she caught me.”

After that, Kardashian “tolerated” his use of what he called his drug of choice.

Odom said that after she filed for divorce in 2013 and he got his own place, his life “was all about drugs.” He wasn’t trying to fix his marriage and was in a dark place.

Drug abuse “probably helped the end of my career come along a little faster,” he said, “because drugs killed my drive to want to train and be in shape. It killed that and my sex drive.”

By the time Kardashian was staying by his side as he recovered after nearly dying in 2015, Odom said, the couple hadn’t “been intimate in years.”

The couple’s divorce became final in December 2016. He went to rehab at the same time.

READ MORE: Lamar Odom, post-rehab: ‘I committed suicide enough already’

Every love story has its ending: “The Mindy Project” has been renewed for a sixth and final season on Hulu.

The last season of the Mindy Kaling-created comedy, which centered on a rom-com-loving, pop-culture-obsessed OB-GYN, will premiere in September. But that’ll be the end of the road.

The announcement comes on the heels of this week’s Season 5 finale, which saw Kaling’s character, Dr. Mindy Lahiri, marrying boyfriend Ben (Bryan Greenberg).

“It has been an honor and a joy to work with Mindy and the entire creative team behind ‘The Mindy Project,’” Craig Erwich, Hulu’s head of content, said in a statement. “This series has been part of Hulu since we launched the service and, thanks to Mindy’s incredibly unique voice and vision, has remained one of our most popular and beloved series over the past five years.

“While we can’t wait to see what Mindy has in store for what will undoubtedly be a fantastic sixth and final season, we know ‘The Mindy Project’ will live on as fans will continue to watch, discover and relive all of the best moments from the complete series,” he added.

The series launched in 2013, with its first three seasons airing on Fox. When the network canceled the comedy in 2015, “The Mindy Project” quickly found a home at Hulu, securing a robust 26-episode order for Season 4.

“I feel the glow,” Kaling told The Times in 2015 about the move to Hulu. “You know, like that glow when you’re in this great new relationship? That’s the only way I can describe it ... to use the analogy of being in a healthy relationship.”

With its recently wrapped fifth season, the comedy hit the 100-episode milestone. Viewers can also catch reruns of the comedy on Freeform and VH1.

Perhaps the end was inevitable. Kaling’s load has certainly ramped up. She recently finished production on Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle in Time” and is also part of the female-fronted “Ocean’s 8.”

The “The Office” alum is executive producer of a comedy pilot for NBC that she will appear in if it’s picked up. And she sold a film script about a late-night talk show host that she would also appear in.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) has no time for Bill O’Reilly’s foolishness.

Waters appeared on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes” Tuesday night, and Hayes asked the California congresswoman if she had a response to O’Reilly’s remarks that morning about her hair (or, as O’Reilly put it, her “James Brown wig.”)

While Waters didn’t have a direct response to O’Reilly, per se, she definitely had a message to convey.

“No, I’m not responding to him,” Waters began, before thanking Hillary Clinton for always standing up for women in general and black women in particular.

Then Waters neatly pivoted to what was really on her mind.

“Let me just say this: I’m a strong black woman and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O’Reilly or anybody,” Waters said.

Then she dug in deeper.

“And I’d like to say to women out there everywhere: Don’t allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people, to intimidate you or scare you. Be who you are, do what you do, and let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country,” she said.

And in case she wasn’t already clear:

“I am not going anywhere. I am going to stay on message. I am going to fight for the people of this country. I’m going to fight for comprehensive healthcare, and I don’t care about Bill O’Reilly or [Roger] Ailes or Trump or any of them,” Waters emphasized. “We have a responsibility as elected officials to do good public policy in the best interests of all the people. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to stop.”

Despite releasing a public statement Tuesday apologizing for his jokes about Waters’ hair, O’Reilly doubled-down on his criticisms of the congresswoman in a segment on “The O’Reilly Factor.”

After acknowledging the inappropriateness of his comments, O’Reilly went on to state that Waters would never appear on his show because he would challenge her and she doesn’t want to be challenged.

O’Reilly then dismissed Waters as just “spouting the left-wing company line” and bemoaned her idea of patriotism as ideological nonsense.

“But in order to succeed in this country, you must be self-reliant, not dependent on the entitlement system that Maxine Waters loves so much,” O’Reilly said.

ALSO

The Internet to Bill O’Reilly: Leave Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ hair out of this

‘Daily Show’ at work on the Trump Presidential Twitter Library: ‘It will be so tremendous’

Round 2 of Sean Hannity versus Ted Koppel, with a cameo by Bill O’Reilly

As a Trump protest, theaters worldwide will screen the film version of Orwell’s ‘1984’

“Daily Show” host Trevor Noah.

(Paul Zimmerman / Getty Images)

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” has so much material on President Trump, it apparently can’t be contained to late-night TV alone.

“The Daily Show Presents: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library” will open in June in New York City, the show and Comedy Central announced Tuesday. Unlike other presidential libraries, this one will highlight “our commander in chief’s preferred vessel for communicating with the public, his Twitter feed.”

Naturally, the library itself has a Twitter account, written in the style of the 45th president of the United States.

“[I]t will be tremendous. It will be so tremendous that you’ll get tired of the tremendousness, so it will then close only a few days later. Sad!,” the release (and the Twitter feed) said.

The “library” exhibit, which will be free to the public, will feature “a fully interactive and hands-on experience for hands of all sizes” and will offer people an opportunity to “celebrate the many ‘unpresidented’ moments of President Trump’s Twitter history.”

And no, it’s not an early April Fool’s prank. A Comedy Central rep told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that it’s “a real event,” with more details forthcoming at a later date.

The Japanese American National Museum has a new president and chief executive -- officially.

Ann Burroughs, who has served as interim president and CEO since June 2016 and also chairs the board of Amnesty International USA, has stepped into the role of museum chief permanently, the board of trustees announced.

Board chairman Norman Y. Mineta said Burroughs had earned the “respect and admiration” of the staff and supporters of the museum, located in Little Tokyo. “She has helped articulate a vision for the museum that has resonated deeply with me, my fellow trustees and our governors,” he said.

Burroughs, who has more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, said she was “committed to reinvigorating and finding new ways to advance the museum’s key values, emphasizing the importance of being vigilant about democracy and stressing the value of diversity in our world today.”

Center Theatre Group just got a little more Hollywood sparkle. The company announced Tuesday that NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt has joined its board of directors.

Greenblatt is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer (“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”) and has been a big advocate of theater-related projects at NBC, including “The Sound of Music Live!” and “Hairspray Live!”

The addition of Greenblatt (also a Golden Globe-winning producer on “Six Feet Under”) to the board made sense as Center Theatre Group tries to highlight connections between the film and TV industries and live theater, artistic director Michael Ritchie said.

“I’ve worked with Bob on and off for more than a decade, and he is one of theater’s great advocates,” Ritchie said. “As we continue to strengthen our already wonderful board, there is no question that we want the guy who used his role as a top TV executive to broadcast musical theater into the homes of millions of Americans.”

Center Theatre Group stages plays and musicals at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum in downtown L.A. and at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. The company, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, already has a Hollywood presence on its board, including “Everybody Loves Raymond” actress Monica Horan Rosenthal, producer Gail Berman-Masters, YouTube global content head Susanne Daniels, producer Vin Di Bona and Chernin Entertainment executive Dante Di Loreto.

“I’ve always been a theater lover – from ‘Guys and Dolls’ back in high school to ‘Hairspray Live!’ on NBC, and I’m so pleased to be part of a world-class organization like Center Theatre Group,” Greenblatt said in the announcement. “I had great experiences working with Michael Ritchie and Center Theatre Group on the world premiere of ‘9 to 5: The Musical’ as well as ‘Drowsy Chaperone,’ and I look forward to doing everything I can to bring great theater to more and more people in Los Angeles.”

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

Discovery Communications announced that the classic home-improvement series “Trading Spaces” will be returning to TLC.

(David Friedman / Getty Images)

Discovery Communications held its annual advertising upfront in New York on Tuesday and announced the return of several beloved series.

“Trading Spaces,” the TLC home-improvement reality series that ran from 2000 to 2008, is scheduled to return, as is Discovery’s “Cash Cab,” which aired from 2005 to 2012.

”TLC is back into home and property with ‘Nate & Jeremiah by Design,’ our new show helping distressed homeowners turn disasters into dream homes,” Nancy Daniels, TLC president and general manager, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to expand in this space, and what better way to do that than to bring back ‘Trading Spaces,’ the series that put property on the map.”

Though predated by “This Old House,” “Trading Spaces” was on the forefront of the home-improvement reality-show boom, finding entertainment in other people’s housing situations long before modern counterparts such as “Love It or List It” and “Flip or Flop.”

As for whether mainstay host Paige Davis will be returning with the series, Davis was evasive when asked for comment by E! News.

“All I know is fans are constantly bringing up to me how much they miss the show...so with TLC bringing it back, there will for sure be a lot of happy viewers out there,” Davis said.

Discovery Communications announced a host of new programming, too, including Animal Planet’s “My Fat Pet” and Science Channel’s prank show “Scijinks” hosted by “The Big Bang Theory” star Johnny Galecki.

Maks Chmerkovskiy’s calf muscle injury is serious enough that it will sideline the “Dancing With the Stars” pro for weeks, his fiancée, Peta Murgatroyd, confirmed Monday night.

Chmerkovskiy, who is partnered this season with “Glee” alum Heather Morris, felt something go pop during a rehearsal last week, and it turned out to be serious. Pro Alan Bersten had to take over for him on Monday night’s show and apparently will stay with Morris until Maks is back.

“It’s going to take weeks to get better,” Murgatroyd told “Access Hollywood” after the show. “He’s having a surgery done ... then rehab starts after that.”

It’s not just “an ice bag type of situation,” said the new mom, whose child with Chmerkovskiy, Shai Aleksander, was born in early January.

Morris said the injury, which was shown on the show, didn’t seem like a big deal at first.

“My reaction obviously wasn’t huge because it was like, ‘Oh, you know, what happened? It just felt like something popped?’ ” she told E! News after the show. But then her partner couldn’t even walk.

That said, Murgatroyd was upbeat about her man’s future. “He’s a quick healer,” the dancer said. “It’s going to be fine.”

Looks like Maks is going to get a little of the paternity leave he said he wanted.

Rep. Maxine Waters.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Bill O’Reilly found a new enemy Tuesday morning in the form of California Rep. Maxine Waters’ hair.

After spending extended time on Monday’s episode of “The O’Reilly Factor” defending colleague Sean Hannity from Ted Koppel, O’Reilly stopped by “Fox & Friends,” where he was asked about Waters’ recent criticisms about President Trump.

O’Reilly was then shown a clip from Waters’ speech on the House floor and responded, saying, “I didn’t hear a word [Waters] said. I was looking at the James Brown wig. If we have a picture of James, it’s the same wig.”

Beyond the inappropriateness of insulting people on their appearance, O’Reilly also overstepped right into a minefield when he targeted the hair of a black woman.

The 2009 documentary “Good Hair” delved into the history and evolution of matters of hair among African American women. It’s an issue that continues to be so culturally relevant that comedian Phoebe Robinson titled her 2016 memoir “You Can’t Touch My Hair,” and Solange Knowles included a track on her 2016 album, “A Seat at the Table,” called “Don’t Touch My Hair.”

Beyond the cultural issues, O’Reilly is dismissing the statements of the most senior black woman in the United States Congress — there are 12 total — because of what her hair looks like.

Since O’Reilly was so distracted, here’s the message that Waters was delivering:

African Americans “fight against this president, and we point out how dangerous he is for this society and for this country. We’re fighting for the democracy.

“We’re saying to those who say they’re patriotic but they’ve turned a blind eye to the destruction that he’s about to cause this country, ‘You’re not nearly as patriotic as we are.’”

Waters has served in the House of Representatives for more than 25 years, originally elected to represent California’s 29th Congressional District in 1991.

That same year, O’Reilly was hosting “Inside Edition.”

Things devolved on “Fox & Friends” after O’Reilly’s statement, with co-host Brian Kilmeade quickly agreeing with O’Reilly, saying, “It’s the same one” and referencing the fact that Brown is dead.

Co-host Ainsley Earhardt tried to improve the situation with (arguably a misguided) understanding of feminism, stating, “You can’t go after a woman’s looks. I think she’s very attractive.”

When the men agreed on Waters’ looks, O’Reilly stands by the hair comparison, which leads Earhardt to state that Brown “had girl hair.”

No surprise, the Internet was incensed over the exchange.

O’Reilly released a statement several hours after the segment aired and apologized for his comments.

“As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs. I said that again today on ‘Fox & Friends,’ calling her old school. Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair, which was dumb. I apologize,” O’Reilly said.

Shortly thereafter, O’Reilly tweeted about tonight’s episode of “The O’Reilly Factor” tackling political correctness.

Timing is everything.

Laura Skandera Trombley

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

The president of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino has stepped down after a tenure of less than two years, the museum’s board of trustees announced Tuesday.

Laura Skandera Trombley became the eighth president of the Huntington and the first woman to hold that position on July 1, 2015, following the retirement of Steven S. Koblik, who served as president since 2001.

The Huntington announcement said Trombley is leaving to work on a book-length study of Mark Twain. She is the most recent recipient of the Louis J. Budd Award for Twain scholarship, the Huntington said.

During the search for a new president, the Huntington’s director of research, Steve Hindle, will serve as acting president. Trombley will be an advisor to the board of trustees.

Sean Hannity provided a chaser to his Twitter rant against Ted Koppel on Monday night with a seven-minute segment on his Fox News show “Hannity,” raging against what he deems “edited fake news.”

The war of the words began after a “CBS News Sunday Morning” piece where Koppel hypothesized that the political divide in America is rooted in the extreme punditry now prevalent in the 24-hour news cycle.

Koppel interviewed Hannity for the segment, and when Hannity asked if he was bad for America, Koppel said, “Yeah.”

Hannity took to Twitter on Sunday to decry CBS for using only a portion of his interview and came out guns blazing on his Monday episode over the perceived injustice.

“I guess people like Ted Koppel feel that you, the American people, can’t distinguish between opinion and news,” Hannity stated before running through a five-minute laundry list of accusations against former President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Dan Rather and CBS News.

Hannity argued that he provides a valuable service to viewers by telling them things they won’t hear on mainstream news sites.

He then implored CBS to release the full 45-minute interview so people could judge for themselves.

Bill O’Reilly also weighed in on Koppel versus Hannity, bringing in fellow Fox News analyst and former ABC journalist Brit Hume to discuss the matter in detail.

By the end of their five-minute conversation, O’Reilly had come to the conclusion that what was really bothering Koppel -- who appeared on O’Reilly’s show just last year -- was that the old guard of broadcast television journalists are jealous of how successful Fox News is.

Hume then added that he assumed that Koppel and his ilk were also similarly disheartened by partisan displays by MSNBC and the like, an observation supported by anyone viewing the original “CBS News Sunday Morning” clip.

The second “Spider-Man: Homecoming” trailer is out, and Peter Parker’s saga has evolved a bit from the first one -- but only a little bit.

It’s less about high school and more about Spider-Man (Tom Holland) aspiring to move past his friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man roots and toward Avengers status.

Michael Keaton’s “Birdman,” err, Vulture character spreads his wings, sharing his animosity toward Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and his ilk and showing off his aptitude for menacing in general.

“Forget the flying monster guy, Peter. There are people who handle this sort of thing,” says mentor-bro Tony Stark, who winds up doing the disappointed-dad thing after Peter has an oops with a very large ferry.

Surprise, “flying monster guy” appears likely to stay on Spidey’s agenda. Loved ones have been threatened, you see.

“Spider-Man: Homecoming” premieres July 7.

READ MORE: First ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ trailer reunites Iron Man and Peter Parker

ALSO

New ‘Justice League’ trailer brings Batman a bit of self-awareness

What to expect from Disney’s new ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ ride

Dan Stevens channels his beastly side in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ prologue dance

Carrie Fisher’s ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ scenes will not be changed, plus new details about the Han Solo film

Thanks, United Airlines. You just made us look at William Shatner in leggings.

Some folks on social media were up in arms over leggings on Sunday and Monday after activist and airline traveler Shannon Watts live-tweeted early Sunday morning that a United Airlines gate attendant wasn’t allowing some tween-age girls to board a flight out of Denver because of their form-fitting attire.

After Patricia Arquette piped up against the decision, saying that it was discriminatory because not a lot of men wear leggings, Shatner offered himself up as a bright red exception to that rule.

It seems the girls were traveling on employee-perk companion or “buddy” passes, and the gate attendant was enforcing a dress code that comes with that privilege. Even though she retweeted United’s explanation, Arquette called the dress code outdated.

Sarah Silverman threatened to take her travel business elsewhere, while Chrissy Teigen threatened to keep her business with United, but to keep her clothing to a minimum when she did.

Then there was Jim Norton, cracking wise about the situation. Always a comedian, that guy. (You know, literally.)

Students from the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio perform during the memorial for Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In the weeks following the death of “his girls” — his mother, Debbie Reynolds, 84, died just a day after her 60-year-old daughter, Carrie Fisher, passed away in December — Todd Fisher devoted most of his time to organizing a public memorial for the Hollywood icons.

A private ceremony, held in January, was attended by dozens of celebrities, including Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, George Lucas and Jamie Lee Curtis.

The public memorial on Saturday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills was decidedly less star-studded, and those celebrities who did attend largely bypassed camera crews.

Emotion flowed openly once the memorial got underway, particularly when the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles rose from seats in the audience and began singing Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.”

Troupes of dancers from the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in North Hollywood, which she founded in 1979, performed with umbrellas and yellow raincoats to honor the “Singin’ in the Rain” star.

And a new song from James Blunt, who composed his hit “You’re Beautiful” in Fisher’s bathroom, was played for the crowd.

Fisher told the crowd of roughly 1,200 he was hopeful the event would have an intimate feel, as if the audience were sitting in the family’s living room, leafing through old photos and watching home videos.

Read More

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles sings during the memorial for Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher near their grave at Forest Lawn Memorial Park -- Hollywood Hills.

(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Full Coverage: Debbie Reynolds: Actress had a remarkable life on screen and off

Full Coverage: Carrie Fisher: Author, actress and ‘Star Wars’ heroine

In a decidedly unsurprising turn of events, veteran newsman Ted Koppel and Fox News personality Sean Hannity have polarizing reactions to Koppel’s “CBS News Sunday Morning” segment on the political polarization of America.

The 10-minute analysis attributed the growing rise in political discord to the Federal Communications Commission’s 1987 revocation of the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to present contrasting views for matters of public interest.

In the wake of the revocation, highly politicized personalities and networks were given room to thrive, leading to an environment where individuals on either side of the aisle are unable to agree on what are the facts.

Enter Sean Hannity. During an interview with Koppel, Hannity said: “We have to give some credit to the American people that they’re somewhat intelligent and they know the difference between an opinion show and a news show.”

“You think we’re bad for America?” Hannity asked, to which Koppel immediately responded, “Yeah.”

“You think I’m bad for America?” Hannity clarified. Again, Koppel answered in the affirmative.

It wasn’t the only notable exchange between the two in the segment, which featured Hannity calling for the defeat of liberalism and asserting that the press is out to destroy the president.

Hannity went on a Twitter tear after the telecast Sunday morning. He questioned why CBS only aired two minutes of his 45-minute interview in the 10-minute segment before demanding the network release the full interview so people could see the truth.

This is not the first time that Koppel has found himself at odds with outspoken political pundits.

In 2010, Koppel wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post bemoaning the rise of Fox News and MSNBC and their politically partisan personalities, including Keith Olbermann and Bill O’Reilly. (Appearing on O’Reilly’s show last year, Koppel told the host: “You have changed the television landscape over the past 20 years. You took it from being objective and dull to subjective and entertaining.”)

Koppel was the host of ABC’s “Nightline” for 25 years and now serves as a special contributor for “CBS News Sunday Morning.”

Kim Kardashian West, whose two pregnancies have been far less than comfortable for the reality star, says she’s going to try to have another baby.

“I want my kids to have siblings, but the doctors don’t think it’s safe for me,” she says in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it promo for the next episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

If the editing of the reactions from Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian is to be believed, the family was shocked by Kim’s smiling announcement. Simply shocked. And concerned.

Some background for those not keeping up with the next generation of Kardashian Wests: Daughter North arrived a month ahead of time after mom dealt with early-onset preeclampsia and then, post-delivery, the placenta did not detach from Kim’s uterine wall; son Saint West was breech, and the placenta issue recurred.

Adele told Auckland concertgoers that she might not tour again.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Adele has been quite chatty as she closes out the third leg of her world tour in Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier in the month, the superstar singer and songwriter confirmed to a Brisbane, Australia, audience that she had tied the knot with longtime partner Simon Konecki, and at a Sunday concert in Auckland, New Zealand, Adele may have dropped the biggest bomb of all.

The New Zealand Herald reported Monday that Adele remarked at the close of her concert her doubts about continuing to tour.

“Touring isn’t something I’m good at,” the 28-year-old from London remarked. “Applause makes me feel a bit vulnerable.”

Adele continued, saying: “I don’t know if I will ever tour again. The only reason I’ve toured is you. I’m not sure if touring is my bag.”

Her latest tour began in February 2016, and when it concludes in July, it will have encompassed more than 120 shows on three continents.

The artist’s skittishness regarding live performances could well be attributed to several high-profile flubs at consecutive Grammy Awards ceremonies.

At the 2016 Grammys, Adele struggled with audio issues during a performance of “All I Ask.” And when she stopped her George Michael memorial performance of “Fastlove” at the 2017 ceremony and asked to start again, she explained, “I can’t do it again like last year.”

Her current tour concludes with four concerts at Wembley Stadium in London in late June and early July, dramatically dubbed “The Finale.”

Is this really the end of Adele’s touring career?

Representatives for the singer did not immediately respond request for comment.

Samira Wiley of “Orange Is the New Black” and Lauren Morelli, a writer for that show, are married.

Wiley -- who’s now appearing in Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” -- and Morelli exchanged vows Saturday in a ceremony in Palm Springs, according to Martha Stewart Weddings. The women had gotten engaged at the same location in October. Wiley’s parents officiated at the ceremony, where the brides both wore white designed by Christian Siriano.

The ceremony wrapped up with Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It,” while the colorful, confetti-themed reception kicked off with Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” MSW said.

The couple started dating in early 2014 and walked the Emmy Awards red carpet together that August.

Morelli filed for divorce from her TV-writer husband Steve Basilone the next month. They had gotten married just months before Morelli joined the “OINTB” writing staff in 2012; the split was reportedly amicable.

While writing for the show, her first professional writing gig, Morelli “found a mouthpiece for my own desires and a glimmer of what my future could look like,” she said in a May 2014 essay for Identities.mic. The essay was written about six months after she and Basilone, who’d dated for six years before tying the knot, decided to split.

“I went through it all on set,” Morelli wrote. “I fell in love with a woman, and I watched my life play out on screen.”

And now it’s playing out on Instagram -- and in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings, which will have a full spread of wedding photos in its summer issue.

Kendrick Lamar

(Jack Plunkett / Invision/AP Photo)

Kendrick Lamar’s warning is clear on the new single “The Heart Part 4.”

“Y’all got till April 7 to get y’all [stuff] together,” he raps.

What happens then? A new record? An anti-Trumpist insurrection? Whatever it is, after Lamar released the scalding single on Thursday night, the big takeaway is this: More fire is coming, and just in time for his Coachella headlining sets.

Read More

Men. They never pick up the phone when you want them to.

Jake Gyllenhaal bravely -- foolishly? -- attempted to prove that he and Ryan Reynolds are friends in real life by connecting with his “Life” co-star via FaceTime during the taping of “Late Night With Seth Meyers” on Thursday. By the time the bit was over, the score was Calls, 2, Gyllenhaal, zero.

“C’mon, man, you’re eating up precious TV time!,” Gyllenhaal pleaded with the ringing, ringing, ringing phone.

“You don’t know Ryan Reynolds,” Meyers teased him.

But wait! During the commercial break, a magical thing happened: Reynolds called back.

With Meyers offstage to get his microphone adjusted, Gyllenhaal commandeered the host’s desk for a chat with Reynolds.

“Here’s what I’m doing,” Reynolds said, redirecting the phone’s camera to show the action. “Pushing baby strollers.”

Gyllenhaal’s giddy peek into their friendship was a far cry from the oh-so-private version of the actor who went into a repeat cycle of replying, simply and coolly, “I would love to not talk about my personal life” and “I would love to talk about the movie” after an interviewer for the Guardian made the mistake of asking him about dating Taylor Swift.

(In his defense, that did happen way back in 2010. Can we all move on now?)

The bromance between the two actors might have been at its best, or at least its most amusing, in the “autocomplete interview” the two did recently for Wired magazine. First, guess which one of them said which of the following things:

• “Canada had sex with America.”
• “It’s mostly done exclusively with politicians’ spit.”
• “You know how scary that would be if you just woke up and someone was taking your hair? That’d be terrible. Terrifying!”
• “There are, like, 400 more cards. Let’s waste more life.”
• “I didn’t even know I was kissing him until I found out when I got home that night. There should be a map just to get out of his eyes.”
• “Twigs, rocks, sticks and a tiny bit of green tea.”
• “Fake ones.”

Now click play, and enjoy.

(Rommel Demano / Getty Images, left; Chris Delma / AFP/Getty Images)

Forget the olive branch — William Shatner extended a rose on Thursday to Nick Viall as a sign of peace after an intense campaign earlier in the week to get “The Bachelor” transported off “Dancing With the Stars” as early as possible.

“My goal for #DWTS is to knock Bachelor Nick out ASAP. Who is with me?” Shatner tweeted Monday right before the show aired on the East Coast. “He lives up to the homonym of his last name,” he said later.

After some tweeps tried to convince him that Nick wasn’t such a bad guy, or at least he wasn’t on “Bachelor in Paradise” last summer, Shatner stood firm, tweeting: “Leopards don’t change their spots. Don’t be surprised if he shows up again on paradise. I won’t be.”

Nick, of course, is engaged to Vanessa Grimaldi, and theoretically should not be available for another season on a “Bachelor” franchise show. Then again, he has shown up four times already.

Shatner pushed for Charo that night. He pushed for Mr. T. He pushed for everyone but Nick. Seems Bill doesn’t like the way Nick treats the ladies.

And Nick? Well, Nick was just sad about the whole thing.

However, on Thursday, the “Star Trek” legend changed some spots of his own, tweeting a peace symbol and rose emoji to the “Bachelor” veteran with a vague explanation for the “Anyone But Nick” campaign. “As a Dad w/ daughters I’m not happy w/ what you’ve done in the past,” Shatner said. “Maybe you’ve matured now?”

The peace offering was accepted, with Nick wishing Shatner a belated happy 86th birthday.

Once a charmer, always a charmer.

“Saw Nick Viall dance,” Shatner said 45 minutes after extending his peace offering as he retweeted word from “DWTS” host Tom Bergeron predicting the end of the kerfuffle was near. “He can really dance. I hope he’s as good a lover.”

Director Zack Snyder has unveiled the latest sneak peeks at the upcoming Warner Bros. superhero smorgasbord “Justice League.”

The first, a simple poster bearing the group’s logo and the one-word call to arms, “Unite,” was followed by two character posters.

Ben Affleck (Batman) and Jason Momoa (Aquaman) both star in their own posters, seen below.

The film’s other stars, namely Ezra Miller (The Flash), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Henry Cavill (Superman) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg), will no doubt appear on their own forthcoming posters.

Fans will have even more to see when the exclusive new trailer drops Saturday. Watch a teaser for the trailer, featuring Batman, below:

“Justice League” will be in theaters Nov. 17.

MORE: Superhero movies news

Tonya Harding, left, Kristi Yamaguchi and Nancy Kerrigan after the finals of the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships.

(Diether Endlicher / Associated Press)

Word choice is important, particularly online where one slip-up can banish you to Internet infamy over a matter of keystrokes.

That’s the lesson gold-medal Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi learned Monday night when she sent a well-meaning tweet wishing former competitor Nancy Kerrigan luck on her “Dancing With the Stars” debut.

“So excited for you,” Yamaguchi wrote. “Can’t wait to see you grace that ballroom floor, break a leg!”

Never has the theater idiom “break a leg” been more inappropriately applied, given that Kerrigan’s skating career was nearly sabotaged when rival skater Tonya Harding’s then-husband hired someone to club her in the knee with a baton.

A representative for Yamaguchi dispelled any notion that there’s bad blood between the skaters, telling E! News, “Kristi loves Nancy and has nothing but respect for her. No ill will was intended with the tweet, and Nancy herself has received and commented on the well wishes that were sent.

“Kristi is finding the reactions on social media humorous, but unfortunately for those who want it to have been shady, that’s not the case,” Yamaguchi’s representative concluded.

Or maybe that’s just what they want you to think.

Kerrigan, for her part, danced well on Monday’s episode, earning high marks for her Viennese waltz.

CBS put its ratings prowess on display Thursday, renewing 18 series for the 2017-18 television season.

The shows include five first-year shows, including “Bull,” “Kevin Can Wait,” “MacGyver,” “Man With a Plan” and “Superior Donuts.”

Though renewals for “The Big Bang Theory” and “NCIS,” the top-rated comedy and drama on television, were announced earlier, they join “NCIS: Los Angeles” and “Survivor” among long-running pick-ups for the network.

Missing among the early renewals are several stalwarts on the CBS schedule, including “Two Broke Girls,” “The Amazing Race,” “Elementary” and “Criminal Minds.”

That doesn’t mean that they’ll be canceled, but it does suggest the series won’t know their fate until the announcement of the full schedule at the CBS upfront on May 17.

Here’s the full list of 2017-18 CBS renewals:

• “The Big Bang Theory”
• “Blue Bloods”
• “Bull”
• “Hawaii Five-0”
• “Kevin Can Wait”
• “Life in Pieces”
• “MacGyver”
• “Madam Secretary”
• “Man With a Plan”
• “Mom”
• “NCIS”
• “NCIS: Los Angeles”
• “NCIS: New Orleans”
• “Scorpion”
• “Superior Donuts”
• “Survivor”
• “48 Hours”
• “60 Minutes”

The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios just got a little more immersive.

The ride, located within Hogwarts castle, combines a robotics ride system with filmed action sequences and visceral effects to create a full-sensory experience for guests.

Originally using 3-D film with the ride, Universal Studios has upgraded Forbidden Journey to 4K-HD, allowing fans to experience J.K. Rowling’s imagined world at a hyper-realistic 120 frames per second.

Forbidden Journey opened at Universal Studios Hollywood with the debut of Wizarding World in April 2016 and lets fans experience some of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley’s greatest film adventures alongside them, including playing Quidditch, escaping the Whomping Willow and a run-in with Dementors.

The updated ride is the latest upgrade at Universal Studios and the adjacent Universal CityWalk, which recently introduced a multimillion dollar remodel of its AMC theater.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Steven Yeun, known to “The Walking Dead” fans as Glenn Rhee, has reportedly welcomed a baby boy with wife Joana Pak.

The couple’s first child arrived on St. Patrick’s Day, E! News said Tuesday. The actor, 33, married Pak, a photographer, in early December.

On the AMC show’s seventh season, which has two episodes left, Glenn’s baby with Maggie Greene has yet to be born. On Instagram in February, Yeun teased to his real-world son’s impending arrival with photo-booth snapshots of himself and a very pregnant Pak.

Todd Fisher, son of Debbie Reynolds and brother of Carrie Fisher, had some intense conversations with his mother in late December immediately following the “Star Wars” actress’ death.

“My mother said to me, the night that Carrie died -- I didn’t know what was happening but she was setting me up for her leaving the planet,” Fisher told “Entertainment Tonight” on Wednesday, just a few days before a memorial service for both women. “She literally looked at me and said, ‘I want to be with Carrie,’ and closed her eyes and went to sleep.”

Reynolds discussed with her son her own end-of-life plans, he said, which shifted at the last minute from a low-key cremation for herself to the purchase of a tomb where she and her daughter could be buried together.

“She changed her mind that night,” he said. They talked about how hard it was dealing with Carrie’s death and Reynolds warned him it might get harder, because she didn’t know when she was going to die too. Fisher told her that they didn’t have to worry about that right away, but said he realized, “she was, like, asking my permission” to go.

FULL COVERAGE: The death of Carrie Fisher

Reynolds wasn’t overly dramatic after her daughter’s death, Fisher said. While he was the one crying after they left the hospital on Dec. 26, his mother “truly understood” what had happened, he said.

“[T]he next morning, we had a little further dialogue and she chose to leave the planet in front of my face two feet away. If you had told me this story and I wasn’t there, I would have a very hard time believing what I saw.” Reynolds died Dec. 28.

Added Fisher, “I’m really OK with Debbie’s exit, not so OK with Carrie’s exit, ‘cause Carrie was in the middle of what was, I thought, her finest hours. Her creativity was peaking, the ‘Star Wars’ thing was obviously back in spades. Everything that she was doing was turning to gold.”

A joint memorial for mother and daughter will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles and livestreamed worldwide on DebbieReynolds.com. Spots in the 1,200-seat theater will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.

READ MORE: Carrie Fisher’s ‘Wishful Drinking,’ created at the Geffen, was a feat of ‘incredible strength’ >>

(Richard Shotwell / Associated Press)

With the “Missing Richard Simmons” podcast coming to an end, his brother and longtime manager have stepped up to join the chorus of those saying the fitness guru, who hasn’t been seen in public for three years, is fine, fine, fine.

Meanwhile, podcaster Dan Taberski wound up with a conclusion he hadn’t anticipated when he wrapped up his six-part series Monday, a couple of days earlier than scheduled.

“After 40-some-odd years, he just decided he wanted to rest,” older bro Lenny Simmons told People. “He’s 68 years old now and he’s in good health, but he just wants time for himself.”

Lenny was repeating something he had shared with Taberski in the fifth episode of “Missing Richard Simmons”: Lenny and his wife had visited Richard for five days around Christmas, and his brother was fine except for suffering from a cold. He didn’t understand what his brother was doing, Lenny told Taberski, but he had to respect it.

“These things about him transitioning to a woman are ridiculous,” the elder Simmons told People — as he had previously told Taberski — alluding to one of the big where-is-Richard rumors that has circulated in the past three years.

READ MORE: Richard Simmons ‘just fine’ according to LAPD wellness check >>

As for whether Simmons was being held hostage by longtime housekeeper Teresa Reveles, which was explored in the podcast? Taberski had a few things to say about that in his final episode, in a portion tinged with a just a splash of legalese.

(Spoiler alert: If you haven’t listened to the full six-part series and want to experience all of its twists and turns, you should stop reading this article now.)

People in a position to know came forward after the podcast went viral earlier this month, Taberski told his listeners. They included the LAPD detective who had done a wellness check at Simmons’ Hollywood Hills home March 10, he said.

“Based on all this information, I believe Teresa Reveles is just doing her job,” Taberski said after an I-want-to-make-this-very-clear setup. “Moreover, from what I hear now, she seems to be doing it well.”

Taberski — who explained in the podcast that he and others had been very concerned since Simmons didn’t show up at the Slimmons studio that day in February 2014 — has his own theory about what’s up with someone he considers a friend: Basically, it has to do with how much of himself Simmons, whom Taberski had labeled an “empathist,” had given to others over the years. Like, way too much.

Also, longtime manager Michael Catalano told the podcaster, it turns out that many people who came into contact with Simmons — the one Taberski called that “short-shorts character” — may have overestimated the depth and significance of their relationships with him.

Ouch. That would mean that some or all of the people interviewed for the podcast, who were so worried about their “friend” because he left without saying goodbye, didn’t know he just wasn’t that into them in the first place.

“I think you’ve really created more worry and speculation,” Catalano said, implying that the podcast, which Taberski said was intended as a “grand gesture” to Simmons, had made the fitness icon’s life more difficult.

“Where is he?” the podcaster reflected as he wrapped up his final episode. “He’s home. Why has he done this? Because he just doesn’t want to be that guy anymore.

“And who was that guy?” Taberski asked. “He was Richard Simmons. And he was amazing.”

Fans counting down to the April 14 premiere of the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” revival are in luck. Netflix has released the first trailer for the upcoming series.

Full of the camp that charmed viewers of the original series, the new trailer for “MST3K” introduces fans to Kinga Forrester, played by Felicia Day, daughter of mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester. Kinga has decided to revive her family’s “most legendary experiment”: Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The original “MST3K” experiments, of course, were designed to see how much bad movie-watching it takes to drive a person crazy.

Working alongside the new Mads is next-generation henchman TV’s Son of TV’s Frank (yes, that’s the character’s name), played by Patton Oswalt.

The human subject of these new “MST3K” experiments is Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray), who along with his robot pals Tom Servo (Baron Vaughn) and Crow T. Robot (Hampton Yount), is forced to watch B-movies.

The trailer gives fans a glimpse into what movies Jonah will be forced to endure during the new show’s 14-episode run, including the 1961 Danish American monster film “Reptilicus.”

Created and co-directed by Joel Hodgson, “MST3K” is back thanks to one of the most-funded Kickstarter campaigns of all time, which raised $5.7 million in 2015.

Whether you saw “The Gong Show” when it was on the air, through reruns, or simply remember it as a cultural artifact of the 1970s, it was clear that what made the show special was the ringleader of the circus, Chuck Barris.

Barris died Monday at his home in Palisades, N.Y., at the age of 87.

“The Gong Show” was a product of its time, the late ‘70s, and featured contestants showcasing their talent (or, in some cases, lack of). In front of a panel of judges, they competed to win the grand prize of $516.32 (rumored to be the Screen Actors Guild’s minimum daily wage for the time) and to avoid being gonged off the stage.

Steering the ship was Barris, who understood the show’s gonzo, kinetic aesthetic enough to know whether it was better to nudge a contestant into deeper waters or let them run themselves aground.

×

It was in 1965 that Barris launched “The Dating Game”

Here are five moments that perfectly exemplify the wacky weirdness of “The Gong Show” and its maestro.

1. Gene Gene the Dancing Machine

Gene Gene the Dancing Machine was a “Gong Show” staple. An NBC stagehand whose backstage dancing caught Barris’ eye, Gene Patton was a recurring sensation, whose dancing to an arrangement of Count Basie’s “Jumpin’ at the Woodside” never failed to bring the audience, judges and Barris joy.

2. The Unknown Comic

Like Gene, the Unknown Comic (Murray Langston) made several appearances on “The Gong Show,” telling crummy jokes while wearing a paper bag over his head. The man under the mask (or bag) would find his set inevitably brought to an end by Barris throwing him off the stage.

3. The Worms

Perhaps the most absurdist of all the “talent” that found a home on “The Gong Show” was a group called the Worms. The three men performed before throwing themselves on the floor to wriggle like their namesake. Barris always seemed tickled by the bit, coming out for each performance to yell, “One more time!”

4. Oingo Boingo

In 1976, the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, the band that would eventually become Oingo Boingo and which featured future Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman, won its episode of “The Gong Show.” It proved that while most of the show was ridiculous, true talent did lurk in the hearts of some contestants. That said, their performance also included a dragon costume.

5. Hillary Carlip

But the best moments on the show always came when true talent met off-the-wall personalities, as it did with Hillary Carlip’s juggling and singing. Carlip, like “The Gong Show” and like Barris himself, showcased the wonderful weirdness of America.

Wyclef Jean appeared Wednesday on “Good Morning America” to relay his account of being mistakenly detained by law enforcement officers in West Hollywood.

The Grammy-winning musician and former Fugees frontman elaborated on the incident, describing his brief detention as a case of racial profiling.

“I feel like I was targeted as a black man,” he said during a sit-down with Robin Roberts.

The 47-year-old posted a video of himself being handcuffed next to a patrol car on Twitter shortly after Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies pulled him over while they were investigating a nearby robbery. The suspect’s car, dark hoodie and bandanna were similar to that of Jean’s, officials later said.

“Another case of mistaken identity. Black man with red bandana robbed a gas station as I was in the studio working but im in handcuffs?” Jean wrote on Twitter. (He initially accused the Los Angeles Police Department, rather than the sheriff’s department, in a series of tweets, but the LAPD set the record straight with its own tweet.)

He also issued a statement calling on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to conduct “a formal investigation into racial profiling.”

While Jean believed he was being subjected to police brutality, racial profiling and police bias, he explained that he saw the incident from both perspectives because he also has family in law enforcement. He said he remained civil so that he could set an example for his own children.

“I have family on both sides of the lens, but I got a chance to see what happens with a citizen versus a police first-hand. And I have to tell you, I was scared for my life to the point where I could have acted different. And if I acted different, something else would have happened to me,” he said in the “GMA” interview.

“Basically, I’m alive to tell my story and my story is not a citizen versus police or police versus a citizen. It’s the idea of how can citizens trust the police.”

During his “GMA” interview, the Haitian artist said he was coming from the recording studio when authorities pulled him over without communicating with him.

“I feel that I was targeted as a black man. It’s clear and it was obvious because when I was getting out of the car and the way that the cops rushed me, the conversation that I was having with them, it was a silent and a deaf conversation,” he said.

“For me, this is bigger than a black-and-white issue,” he continued. “The part of the issue and the long conversation that we have to have is how do we establish real relationships with the police and the citizen.”

Sheriff’s officials said that Jean was handcuffed “due to the violent nature of the call,” because of the similarity of their cars, the time of day the incident was unfolding and “Mr. Jean’s furtive movements and demeanor.” The suspects, who were later apprehended four blocks away, were driving an Acura while Jean was in a Toyota, officials said.

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Jean was detained for six minutes during this investigation, as he had no involvement whatsoever in this violent crime,” the department said in a statement. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is apologetic for any inconvenience this process caused Mr. Jean. We are grateful we were able to apprehend the robbery suspects and that no one was seriously injured.”

Fans got their first glimpse of the upcoming “Love Actually” reunion Wednesday morning when NBC released a trailer for “Red Nose Day Actually,” which features much of the film’s original cast.

Originating in the United Kingdom in 1988, Red Nose Day was created by comedian Lenny Henry and “Love Actually” writer and director Richard Curtis to raise money for children in need and address worldwide poverty.

The celebration migrated to U.S. shores in 2014, and “Red Nose Day Actually” is scheduled to air as part of NBC’s “Red Nose Day Special” on May 25.

“Red Nose Day Actually” is based on an original script from Curtis and will check in with “Love Actually” characters -- played by Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Colin Firth and Liam Neeson -- and see where they are in 2017.

Check out the cast of “Love Actually” above and judge for yourself who has aged best. (It’s Keira Knightley.)

Angelina Jolie Pitt with sons Pax, left, and Maddox; Brad Pitt, right.

(Tang Chhin Sothy/ AFP / Getty Images, left; Abraham Caro Marin / Associated Press, right)

Angelina Jolie Pitt and Brad Pitt have reportedly spoken to each other directly. Finally.

“He’s very relieved that things are not playing out in public anymore,” a source told People in an article out Wednesday, calling the estranged couple’s detente “a work in progress.”

The two are still negotiating their split, the source said, but Pitt is “much happier.”

The source would seem to be someone working on image rehab (no, not that kind of rehab) for Pitt, as the magazine also has a feature about how the “Moonlight” executive producer is totally into making sculpture these days. And who doesn’t like sculpture?

“People close to him are happy that he has found something new to be passionate about,” a source told People for the story about the new hobby.

The “Allied” actor, 53, had been taking it on the chin for a while in the wake of his September split from Jolie, his partner for more than a decade and wife since August 2014.

The two parted ways abruptly when Jolie, 41, filed for divorce — a Pitt source said at the time that it was a “complete shock” — after a family dust-up on a private plane. She accused Pitt of getting physical with their eldest son, Maddox, and involved the authorities. The “World War Z” star was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, but a temporary custody agreement struck by the couple limited his visitation and involved a therapist.

Pitt showed his face in a surprise appearance during the 2017 Golden Globes broadcast in January. A day later, after aggressively going back and forth for weeks in public court filings about custody, the estranged couple struck a deal to resolve their split in private, enlisting the assistance of a private judge.

Jolie made it clear late in February that family came first in their divorce drama.

“We are a family, and we will always be a family,” she told the BBC. “And we will get through this time and hopefully be a stronger family for it.”

As Netflix prepared to roll out the first of a series of specials from comedian Dave Chappelle early Tuesday, he was in front of an intimate crowd toasting his return with a mostly private gig at the recently opened Peppermint Club in West Hollywood late Monday.

“It’s like a show, but it’s a celebration — it’s a celebration,” the 43-year-old said at the top of the performance.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t have any new jokes,” he admitted to the packed crowd. “All my new jokes will be streaming on Netflix at midnight.”

Dressed in a long black tank and ripped jeans, and taking puffs from a cigarette between sips of beer (or tequila, as requested mid-set), Chappelle moved through an extremely loose one-hour set.

Presented by Live Nation and Netflix, the concert was largely private — 85 tickets were sold to the public, and they went in approximately two seconds, according to venue owners — and heavily star-studded (Tobey Maguire, Don Cheadle, Aloe Blacc and Wiz Khalifa were among the guests). Hannibal Buress and Donnell Rawlings were surprise openers.

Monday’s show marked the arrival of his dual specials, “The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live At the Hollywood Palladium” and “Deep In The Heart Of Texas: Live At Austin City Limits.”

Backed by a small band, Chappelle riffed on his return to the spotlight following his “Saturday Night Live” debut late last year and a deal with Netflix that is reportedly worth $60 million. It will include a third special produced specifically for the streaming service (the other two were shot in 2015 and last year).

He’s admittedly nervous about how the specials will be received -- even if his teenage son told him not to care (albeit a bit more profanely).

“Much like American currency, I’m back by false confidence,” he revealed to the crowd. “I’m scared, they beat poor Amy Schumer up.” (Schumer’s recent Netflix special was inundated with hundreds of one-star reviews, with the comedian thanking trolls for the low rating.)

Chappelle spent the bulk of his set tackling the election and President Trump (“I believe [he] is here save America — by accident”).

He chided Kanye West, who was in attendance with sister-in-law Kendall Jenner, about meeting with Trump. Then he warned Kendall that he discussed her parent, Caitlyn Jenner, in the Netflix special, and that his comments on the transgender community, while “not malicious,” might upset viewers — none of that exchange is printable here, and yes, it was quite brazen in its lack of political correctness.

At one point he put an audience member on the spot to see if she was upset that Trump claimed the White House — with the aide of soft jazz music — and whether she identified as a feminist. He playfully had the music cut when she said she didn’t identify as such.

There were searing musings on the women’s march, “Get Out,” Bill Cosby, race and the travel ban before he got serious by ruminating on the lie that led to the gruesome murder of Emmett Till and connecting it with recent comments from Trump.

Before Chappelle ditched the stage for an after-party, he had his band move through an impromptu jam session of one of his favorite songs, the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There” -- and surprised the crowd by having Stevie Wonder emerge to play the harmonica.

FYF fest will be a full day longer and significantly more diverse in 2017 than last year.

The Goldenvoice-produced summertime staple, which has grown from a tiny punk gig into an international destination festival, will host Bjork, Frank Ocean and Nine Inch Nails atop the bill this year.

Missy Elliott, Solange and a Tribe Called Quest will also perform, giving FYF its most genre-, gender- and racially diverse slate of headliners.

Read More

Arnold Schwarzenegger, right, has fired back at President Trump over his approval ratings.

(Richard Shiro / Associated Press; Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)

Like many great celebrity feuds, the ongoing spat between former host of “The Apprentice” Donald Trump and former host of “The New Celebrity Apprentice” Arnold Schwarzenegger has persisted long after its prescribed expiration date (much like the TV series each man hosted).

The latest wrinkle has Schwarzenegger needling Trump over his lackluster approval ratings after the president lambasted Schwarzenegger for shoddy “Apprentice” ratings.

In a video tweet posted early Tuesday morning, Schwarzenegger mocked Trump’s low numbers while taking a shot at his budget blueprint.

“What do you expect when you take away after-school programs for children and Meals on Wheels for the poor people?” Schwarzenegger said. “That’s not what you call ‘making America great again.’ ”

Schwarzenegger went on to ask Trump, “Who’s advising you?” and suggested he visit a local D.C. middle school. He even offered to accompany the president.

The war of words between Trump and Schwarzenegger has been waging for months, sparked in October when the former governor of California announced he would not be voting for Trump for president.

In January, two weeks before he took office, Trump took aim at the reduced ratings for Schwarzenegger’s “Apprentice,” following up on his criticisms in February at the National Prayer Breakfast where he stated, “I want to just pray for Arnold, if we can, for those ratings, OK?”

Schwarzenegger often made time to respond to the president’s criticisms and blamed Trump’s baggage for his decision to leave “The Apprentice” earlier this month.

Trump has yet to respond to Schwarzenegger’s tweet.

After initial controversy, Disney fans in Malaysia will soon be able to experience the magic of the box office behemoth “Beauty and the Beast.” Several major Malaysian movie chains announced Tuesday a new March 30 release date for the film.

Most notably, the announcements from Golden Screen Cinemas and TGV Cinemas acknowledge that the film will not feature the cuts originally made by the Malaysian censor board.

The film was scheduled to be released in the country on March 16, the global premiere date, before being indefinitely postponed when the Film Censorship Board cut “a gay moment” due to Malaysian laws condemning homosexuality.

Disney responded by stating that “the film has not been and will not be cut for Malaysia.”

According to the Associated Press, an anonymous government official attributed the reversal to an appeal committee viewing the film and determining the scene in question was inoffensive.

Malaysia is not the only country where “Beauty and the Beast” is facing resistance. The film was pulled from theaters in Kuwait on Monday by censors concerned by some of the film’s content.

Duaij al Khalifa al Sabah, a board member for the National Cinema Company in Kuwait, which operates 11 of the country’s 13 theaters, told AP that a newly edited version of the film may be available later in the week.

Despite the censorship disputes, “Beauty and the Beast” is a monster at the box office, bringing in $350 million over the weekend, domestically and abroad.

Representatives for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

READ MORE:

Why I waited two hours for an elusive ‘Beauty and the Beast’ cup

‘Beauty and the Beast’ roars to historic $170-million debut

Woody Harrelson says he has quit smoking marijuana.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Woody Harrelson is done with weed.

Wait, what? Isn’t this the guy who was trying to get a medical marijuana dispensary license less than a year ago in Hawaii, the state he calls home?

“I am a party animal,” the 55-year-old actor, who’s currently promoting his upcoming film “Wilson,” told Vulture in an interview published Monday. “But on the other hand, I haven’t … I’m now extremely moderate and … I actually stopped smoking pot almost a year ago.”

Dannnnnnng, son.

The cool teacher from “The Edge of Seventeen” blamed 30 years of partying too hard.

“I feel like it was keeping me from being emotionally available,” Harrelson said, adding, “I really don’t want this interview to turn into a whole thing about that.”

Woops, too late. But the party’s not completely over.

“I still drink,” he said. “But I try to be moderate with the drinking, too.”

READ MORE: Pete Davidson of ‘SNL,’ medical marijuana fan, has quit drugs >>

(Chris Pizzello / Invision)

Gal Gadot has welcomed her second child, a baby girl named Maya.

The “Wonder Woman” star announced Maya’s arrival via Twitter and Instagram on Monday, sharing a photo of her family as they appear to be leaving the hospital.

“And then we were four,” Gadot, 31, wrote. “She is here, Maya. I feel so complete blessed and thankful for all the Wonders in my life #family#newborn #grateful”

In a black-and-white photo, Gadot holds hands with her husband, Yaron Versano, as their firstborn, Alma, whom they welcomed in 2011, pushes Maya’s stroller.

Gadot announced her second pregnancy in November. Last week, the former Miss Israel shared a snapshot of her growing belly as she was lounging in a black Wonder Woman tee.

“Looking at the beautiful clear blue sky & I realize I’m 9 months (!!) pregnant. SO grateful to the universe. Sending u guys positive energy,” she wrote.

The breakout star of last spring’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is headlining her own DC film about Amazonian warrior Diana Prince’s origin story. The film also stars “Star Trek” alum Chris Pine and “House of Cards” star Robin Wright and hits theaters on June 2.

The message behind the 40-foot-wide billboard in downtown Phoenix’s arts district is clear.

On one side, President Trump sits, a Russian flag pinned to his lapel, flanked by mushroom clouds and dollar signs drawn in the style of swastikas.

On the opposite side, the word “Unity” rests above the sign language spelling.

It’s the latest piece of resistance art against Trump’s administration. And Karen Fiorito, the Santa Monica-based artist behind it, said there aren’t plans to take it down anytime soon. Even amid death threats.

“There have been a couple of people who have said they will come and get me, or that I should be sleeping with a gun underneath my pillow,” she told CBS Los Angeles.

Artist and historic preservationist Beatrice Moore owns the billboard and the property below it, which houses a clothing design store called 11th Monkey. Moore commissioned Fiorito to design the controversial work after Trump’s election. Up for less than five days, it has, unsurprisingly, already stirred debate.

According to Phoenix New Times, two protesters “with visible guns in tow” held pro-Trump signs outside the store on Sunday. Others have flocked to the area after hearing about the billboard.

In an email to The Times, Fiorito said that “due to security concerns,” she’s not discussing the matter further at the moment.

This isn’t the first protest piece Fiorito has created. In 2004, she was responsible for another billboard that criticized the Bush administration for invading Iraq.

×

Katy Perry, who received the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 National Equality Award, speaks at the LGBTQ group’s gala dinner in Los Angeles on March 18.

Katy Perry shared the journey from her evangelical Christian upbringing to her LGBTQ-activist present, explaining Saturday night that she used to “pray the gay away” at Christian camps when she was a child.

“My first words were mama and dada, God and Satan ...,” the “Roar” singer said while accepting the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 National Equality Award at its gala dinner in Los Angeles over the weekend.

“When I was growing up, homosexuality was synonymous with the word abomination, and Hell,” she said. Right and wrong were taught to her courtesy of felt boards and the Trinity Broadcast Network. She wanted to wind up at the pearly gates, she said, so she did as she was taught.

“Most of my unconscious adolescence, I prayed the gay away at my Jesus camps,” Perry explained. Then, she said, she found her calling: singing.

“My gift introduced me to people outside my bubble. And my bubble started to burst,” she added. “These people were nothing like I had been taught to fear. They were the most free, strong, kind and inclusive people I have ever met. They stimulated my mind and they filled my heart with joy and they freaking danced all the while doing it.”

Perry, who said it would have been easier for her to stay that girl who just thought more hugs would save the world, hoped her stance on equality was proof that people can change.

“Thank you for roaring on behalf of the LGBTQ community,” George Takei tweeted at the “Chained to the Rhythm” singer on Monday.

MORE: America Ferrera and Katy Perry’s passionate HRC speeches reveal their journey toward activism

President Trump will soon be able to field a baseball team’s worth of grandchildren: son Eric Trump is expecting a baby boy with his wife, Lara.

“@LaraLeaTrump & I are excited to announce that we are adding a boy to #TeamTrump in September,” the father-to-be said Monday on Instagram. “It’s been an amazing year. We are blessed!”

Lara Trump told People she was exhausted in her first trimester.

“It surprised me, because I’m a very active person, and until the fatigue hit, I didn’t believe it would actually happen to me,” said the former “Inside Edition” producer who’s now involved with animal charities.

The president retweeted the good news on Twitter, adding, “Congratulations Eric & Lara. Very proud and happy for the two of you!”

The parents-to-be got married in October 2014. They dated for five years before getting engaged on the 4th of July in 2013.

The new baby will join eight other Trump grandchildren. Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Vanessa, have five kids: Kai, 9; Donald III, 8; Tristan, 5; Spencer, 4; and Chloe, 2. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have three children: Arabella, 5; Joseph, 3; and Theodore, who turns 1 in a week.

The president’s other two children, Tiffany and Barron, are 23 and 10, respectively. First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron, are finally moving to the White House in June, according to TMZ.

Sunday’s episode of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” gave Oliver a chance to tee off on President Trump’s budget blueprint. And while his deconstruction was as pithy and pointed as ever, Oliver had something even better in store for America.

But first, the budget.

Oliver screened a brief CNN clip with Wolf Blitzer outlining the boosts and cuts in Trump’s budget, featuring a scrolling list of scads of departments having their funding slashed, to which the host quipped, “It is sort of fitting that the list of budget cuts scroll by like the end credits for America.”

“The Daily Show” alum went on to expound on how many of those who will suffer the most from the president’s idealized budget are those who voted to elect him, as well as examining how many of the departments targeted make up a truly infinitesimal portion of federal spending.

Sadly, no video of Oliver’s arguments can be embedded thanks to premium cable’s free and furious use of explicit language.

Eventually Oliver moved on to more pressing matters, by which we mean dancing zebras.

The host shared with the audience his recent discovery that the country of Bolivia uses people dressed as zebras to encourage pedestrian and traffic safety on dangerous roadways, a delightful tidbit that was about to get even more useful.

In the greatest (and most humane) equid use in HBO history (sorry, “Luck”), Oliver created a 23-minute video in which one of his staffers, dressed in a zebra costume, posed in front of a green screen for enterprising video editors to bring a little joy into the daily news slog.

To give some idea of how effective green-screen zebras are, “Last Week Tonight” provided several examples, including the inclusion of a zebra at the inauguration of Trump.

The show also inserted a striped bystander into the background of a particularly gripping moment in Oscar best-picture nominee “Manchester by the Sea.”

Do you need a Monday pick-me-up? Do you need a spring pick-me-up? Do you need a 2017 pick-me-up?

Great. Here’s 23 minutes of dancing zebra.

Kim Kardashian.

(Andy Kropa / Associated Press)

Kim Kardashian West has finally shared her version of the robbery that altered her life last October — as well as a photo that a group of paparazzi in Paris sent her privately after the crime.

“I have always shared so much & I’m not going to hold back when this was probably one of the most life changing experiences for me,” Kardashian said Sunday on Twitter.

“I would never wish this experience upon anyone, but have learned some valuable lessons & feel so blessed to be safe home w my babies & husband,” she continued. “To my friends, family, and loved ones I can’t thank you enough for being there when I needed you the most.”

Kardashian suspects that a group was watching the family during their entire Paris Fashion Week trip, she said on Sunday’s episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

“I was Snapchatting that I was home and that everyone was going out, so I think they knew that [bodyguard] Pascal was out with Kourtney [Kardashian] and that I was by myself,” she said. “They had to have known that we were leaving that day. They had this window of opportunity and just went for it.”

Her description of the robbery mostly echoed what has been reported previously. One new aspect, however, was what Kim was thinking after they duct-taped her mouth to keep her from screaming.

“He grabs my legs, and ... I have no clothes on under, so, he pulled me towards him at the front of the bed and I thought OK, this is the moment, they’re going to rape me,” she said. “And I fully, like, mentally prepped myself and then he didn’t.

“And he, like, duct-taped my legs together, then he had the gun up to me and I knew that was the moment, they’re going to totally, like, shoot me in the head, and I’m just praying that Kourtney is going to have a normal life after she finds my dead body there on the bed.”

The episode concludes with a tear-jerking montage of scenes from Kim’s home life with husband Kanye West and their two young kids, North and Saint.

And yes, even the paparazzi got a little mushy about the whole thing, sending a photo with the message, “We don’t love you because we need you. We need you because we love you.”

“We thought we should do something collectively to let her know we support her. It was just something we felt we wanted to do — something that we had to do,” the photographer whose idea it was for Kim’s “favorite French paps” to send her their wishes told People. Even a few shooters who prefer to stay anonymous posed for this one, he said.

“We did it to tell Kim how sorry we were,” he said. “She didn’t deserve this incredibly sad event in her life.”

Zayn Malik talked about anxiety and eating disorders in a new interview with British newspaper the Sunday Times.

(Rich Fury / Invision/Associated Press)

For Zayn Malik, formerly of the British boy band One Direction, anxiety was less a state of mind and more a state of being controlled.

“I now have no problem with anxiety. It was something I was dealing with in the band,” Malik told British newspaper the Sunday Times in an interview published Sunday.

That statement contradicts how Malik described his struggle with the disorder in his 2016 memoir, “Zayn”: “The only way I can explain the anxiety I experience is that there’s a certain level of expectation I put on myself, and a certain level of expectation I feel from the fan base and the public.

“When I don’t do what I’m supposed to, it’s not because I’m disrespecting [people’s] investment in me. It’s because I respect what they’ve invested in me so highly I don’t want to let them down by giving them something that’s second rate ... ,” Malik wrote, not of his performances with 1D, but of his solo gigs since departing the band in March 2015.

Malik’s new interview also addressed his struggle with disordered eating that cropped up near the end of his stint with the boy band, another issue revealed to fans in his autobiography.

“It wasn’t specifically an eating disorder,” he told the Sunday Times. “It was a control thing. Every area of my life was so regimented and controlled, it was the one area where I could say, ‘No, I’m not eating that.’ Once I got over the control, the eating just came back into place.”

Fans of the singer will have to wait for new music. Malik continues work on his highly anticipated follow-up to “Mind of Mine,” his first solo album, released nearly one year ago.

Malik is at work in the studio, however, and may have dropped a snippet of an upcoming song on Twitter several weeks ago.

Judge for yourself with the tweets below.

Chuck Berry died on Saturday at age 90.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Former president Barack Obama made a rare appearance on Twitter on Sunday morning, tweeting about the passing of rock ‘n’ roll forefather Chuck Berry.

“Chuck Berry rolled over everyone who came before him,” Obama said, “and turned up everyone who came after. We’ll miss you, Chuck. Be good.”

Berry died Saturday at his home near St. Louis. He was 90.

Obama was not the only former president struck by the loss of of the music pioneer.

President Bill Clinton released a statement Saturday on behalf of himself and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“Hillary and I loved Chuck Berry for as long as we can remember. The man was inseparable from his music – both were utterly original and distinctly American,” Clinton’s statement read. “He made our feet move and our hearts more joyful. And along the way he changed our country and the history of popular music.

“Chuck played at both my inaugurations and at the White House for my 25th Georgetown reunion, and he never slowed down, which is why his legend grew every time he stepped on stage. His life was a treasure and a triumph, and he’ll never be forgotten. Our hearts go out to his family and his countless friends and fans,” the 42nd president concluded.

READ MORE:

Chuck Berry dies at 90, a founding father of rock ‘n’ roll

Chuck Berry was a master of detail whose music defined a genre

Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski got married Sunday, he revealed Thursday on James Corden’s late-night show.

“We eloped,” the “Life in Pieces” actor explained after Corden was taken aback by the sight of a wedding band on Sadoski’s left hand. “We just took off into the country with an officiant, just the two of us, and we did our thing.”

The couple, who got engaged in September, confirmed in late November that they’re expecting a child together.

The low-key ceremony was “everything it should be,” the 40-year-old newlywed said. “It’s great! It’s sort of perfect ... then you take the dog and you walk through the country and you go home. And you, like, have your life.”

They also had dinner and a really great day in general, he joked.

“I know you guys are close friends and she would want you to know, so just, like, you know, keep it quiet,” said Sadoski, who was sitting next to “Powerless” actress Vanessa Hudgens in front of a studio audience. “Don’t tell anybody.”

Just before the show aired on the East Coast, Seyfried, 31, had promoted Sadoski’s appearance, saying on Instagram, “This nice man is going to be on @latelateshow tonight to talk about nice things.”

She wasn’t kidding.

Jimmy Kimmel cut to the heart of Donald Trump’s budget blueprint Thursday night with an “Apprentice” mock-up that featured the president firing beloved “Sesame Street” personality Big Bird.

“I say you’re fired,” said Trump in the spoof of his former reality show, whose footage was repurposed for the occasion.

“I guess we’ll have to find a new place to live,” Big Bird says sadly to his teddy bear, Radar.

Trump’s budget, announced Thursday morning, revealed plans to eliminated funding for 19 agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corp. for Public Broadcasting.

“Sesame Street,” a mainstay of public broadcasting since its debut in 1969, is an example of the type of beneficial educational programming supported by the CPB over the years.

Kimmel went on to suggest that maybe Trump should be forced to watch a few episodes of the beloved children’s show so he can learn some things.

“That show teaches so many things he needs to know: which thing is bigger than the other, how to spell, the importance of telling the truth and sharing, listening to others. Maybe throw in some ‘Schoolhouse Rock!’ He could find out how government works,” Kimmel quipped.

Sean Hannity and Juan Williams are rejecting the context of a CNN report saying the Fox News host “once pulled a gun” on his colleague and pointed it at him while the two were off-camera.

“While discussing the issue of firearms, I showed my good friend Juan Williams my unloaded firearm in a professional and safe manner for educational purposes only,” Hannity said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

“Every precautionary procedure that I have been trained in since the age of 11 was followed. I’ve had a conceal carry permit in five states for all of my adult life. Any other interpretation of this is outright false reporting.”

Meanwhile, CNN said Friday that it was standing by its story and its reporter Dylan Byers. “Fake news and inconvenient facts are two very different things,” a network spokesman told The Times.

The gun anecdote was touted Thursday in the headline on a CNN article that characterized the President Trump-supporting host as “spoiling for a fight” in the name of entertainment.

Attributed to three sources familiar with the situation, the incident was cast by CNN as flowing out of a regular on-camera argument between the men, and stated that Hannity had “pointed” the gun at his colleague. (A prime tenet in gun safety is always keeping the weapon pointed in a safe direction.)

“The situation was thoroughly investigated and it was found that no one was put in any danger,” Fox News said in a statement.

From CNN Money:

“Hannity’s version of entertainment can go too far. Last year, after ending one of his many spirited on-air arguments with liberal contributor Juan Williams, Hannity pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at Williams, according to three sources with knowledge of the incident. He even turned on the laser sight, causing a red dot to bob around on Williams’ body. (Hannity was just showing off, the sources said, but the unforeseen off-camera antic clearly disturbed Williams and others on set.)”

Williams also disagreed with the story’s take.

“This incident is being sensationalized – everything was under total control throughout and I never felt like I was put in harm’s way,” Williams said in a statement via Fox News and on Twitter. “It was clear that Sean put my safety and security above all else and we continue to be great friends.”

CNN defended reporter Byers’ story Friday.

“Our reporter contacted Fox News and Juan Williams before publishing and he included their statements in his piece,” the spokesman said. “He also reported that Fox News deemed the incident worthy of a thorough investigation by its HR and Legal departments. A network spokesperson confirmed these facts.”

Updated, 9:55 a.m.: This article was updated to include comments from CNN.

The proposed Trump administration budget announced Wednesday would eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 as part of his Great Society agenda. But it had its roots in the attention given to the arts by John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy. In this essay from Nov. 21, 2013, Times music critic Mark Swed writes about the Kennedy legacy in which one of the roles he saw as a duty of his presidency was to be the arts patron in chief.

THREE DAYS AFTER Lee Harvey Oswald’s bullet inconsolably blackened the mood of America, Leonard Bernstein tried to lift the nation’s spirits by focusing on a special legacy — one that is getting too little attention in the commentary around Friday’s 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Instead of performing a requiem Mass for a slain Roman Catholic president, Bernstein led the New York Philharmonic in Mahler’s Second Symphony, known as the “Resurrection.” JFK had, like no president before him, empowered artists, and that was expected to last

“American artists have for three years looked to the White House with unaccustomed confidence and warmth,” Bernstein said that day. “We loved him for the honor in which he held art, in which he held every creative impulse of the human mind, whether it was expressed in words, or notes, or paints, or mathematical symbols.”

Taking advantage of artists to inspire national optimism, the Kennedy White House made art glamorous. In return, art became a crucial factor in the new Camelot.

But it is hardly surprising that this aspect of the Kennedy administration is being overlooked.

Despite an unprecedented explosion of the arts in America over the last half-century, artists have never again been afforded such national prominence.

Washington has become so nervous about and impervious toward art that it seems like fantasy to recall a moment in this country when artists powerfully influenced how Americans felt about America, its identity and future.

That, in turn, fueled the support for great deeds. It wasn’t merely the advances in cold science that convinced the public we could go to the moon. This was also a poetic project, and that is how it was persuasively presented, as part of the pulse of America then. A desire to recapture something of the lost optimism after JFK’s assassination even helped allow Lyndon Johnson to put forward his proposal for a Great Society.

Art was there from the beginning for the Kennedy administration. The great, barrier-breaking, African American contralto Marian Anderson sang at the inauguration. My favorite photo of the Kennedy era is a picture of Bernstein and Frank Sinatra backstage at an inaugural ball as they waited to go on, each trying to appear cooler than the other and each looking like he had just been given the keys to the country.

John Steinbeck, W.H. Auden and Robert Lowell were on hand. In all, the president — no doubt at the urging of the first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy — invited 50 writers and artists and musicians to the inauguration.

I happen to have been among the millions of impressionable American teenagers the Kennedys helped turn on to the arts.

A few months before the assassination, I remember seeing JFK on the evening news at the opening of a National Gallery Leonardo da Vinci show. He attended with the French minister for cultural affairs, who was a novelist and art theorist. That got me, and many other students at my high school in Pasadena, not only fascinated with Da Vinci but also reading André Malraux. When since has a president dared pose with a leading public intellectual?

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President Trump’s first federal budget proposal is targeting the National Endowment for the Arts, threatening to cease funding to the agency and similar organizations, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

It’s not the first time the NEA has been at the center of our culture wars.

Here’s a timeline of the agency’s accomplishments and controversies and previous attempts to shut it down:

1965: Congress creates the NEA as an independent federal agency “that funds, promotes, and strengthens the creative capacity of our communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation.” The American Ballet Theatre was the recipient of the very first NEA Grant.

1967: The NEA helps create the American Film Institute to promote and preserve cinema history.

Alice Walker

(John Amis / Associated Press)

1970: Alice Walker, who would later pen the seminal “The Color Purple,” receives the NEA Discovery award.

Garrison Keillor’s final ‘Prairie Home Companion’

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

1976: Garrison Keillor’s long-running radio program, “A Prairie Home Companion,” is funded by the NEA.

1979: The Louisiana State University Press is given a small grant to help publish John Kennedy Toole’s acclaimed posthumous novel, “A Confederacy of Dunces,” which earned a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

1981: President Reagan’s Cabinet flirts with idea of abolishing the agency in a money-saving effort, but instead its budget is temporarily decreased.

1987: The Joffrey Ballet is awarded a grant to reconstruct the original staging of Vaslav Nijinsky’s “The Rites of Spring.”

1989: Photographer Andres Serrano’s work titled “Piss Christ” draws the ire of Republican Sens. Jesse Helms and Al D’Amato and prominent conservative figures Pat Robertson and Pat Buchanan.

1990: Performance artists Karen Finley, Tim Miller, John Fleck and Holly Hughes, later dubbed the “NEA Four,” had their grants vetoed by NEA Chairman John Frohnmayer. The four teamed to sue the agency and the case, National Endowment for the Arts vs. Finley, was eventually settled by the Supreme Court. The NEA eventually financially compensated the performers.

1991: Blues legend B.B. King receives an NEA National Heritage Fellowship.

1995: House Speaker Newt Gingrich resurrects the idea of dismantling the NEA, the National Endowment of the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Instead, the budgets are cut and certain grants are denied.

1997: The NEA supports the traveling exhibition “To Conserve a Legacy: American Art From Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” which unearthed and restored more than 1,400 artworks held by six schools.

2003: Working in tandem with six acclaimed theater companies, the NEA launches a nationwide tour of Shakespeare plays, in addition to workshops, symposia and “teacher toolkits” for use in schools.

2017: President Trump unveils his first federal budget proposal, which looks to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.

Stephen Colbert gave the Weather Channel the business recently, joshing it about naming a winter storm Stella despite having no authority to name anything.

Apparently the folks at TWC are fans, or at least set their DVRs to catch “The Late Show”: The cable channel just declared its intention to dub 2017-18’s third major winter storm “Colbert.” For real.

“It’s impossible to say exactly how this storm is going to perform, but ... very early forecasts are indicating that the storm starts small, really small, but after a few false starts in Chicago area, the system will eventually move on toward to New York, where it looks like Colbert will build momentum on the back of a much bigger and better lead-in storm,” meteorologist Tom Niziol said Wednesday on air.

After unexpectedly becoming a major storm, Niziol explained, Colbert is “going to blow hard but it’s going to have little or no impact. All signs are going to point to just a nuisance storm. Nothing to take too seriously.”

No worries -- Colbert’s feelings weren’t hurt.

Today’s forecast across the country? Shade, shade, shade.

BAM! RuPaul and his longtime boyfriend, Georges LeBar, are married.

The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” host broke the news Thursday in an interview with Hollywood Today Live.

They exchanged vows this past January on LeBar’s birthday, which was also the 23rd anniversary of the night they met in New York City, the Emmy winner said.

LeBar runs a 60,000-acre ranch in Wyoming — actually, it slops over into South Dakota too — but RuPaul said that when they’re together, they try to go somewhere “fabulous,” like Maui or New York. In Wyoming, the TV diva said, he dons great Western wear, but “nobody cares.”

“Wyoming — God bless you in Wyoming — it’s very boring, and it’s the most isolated place on Earth,” he said. (Wyoming, consider yourself clocked.)

Though the wedding date was rather romantic, the reason for matrimony was practical.

“We never wanted to do it,” RuPaul explained. “We were looking into it for tax breaks and financial things.”

Hollywood’s big acting, directing and writing guilds are calling for the preservation of federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corp. for Public Broadcasting.

“As a source of inspiration, action and economic growth our country’s creative arts are integral to our culture, our American identity and our democracy,” the Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America West and East and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said in a joint statement Thursday.

“Access to the arts has fueled generations of great Americans, uplifted communities and helped heal our nation’s greatest divides. Cutting federal support of these programs will not only hurt artists and those who benefit from their work, it will also send a damaging message to future generations about the power of art and its place in our culture.”

The unions represent creators, performers, technicians and artists working in TV, radio, sound recordings and digital media. The elimination of the NEA, NEH and CPB, in addition to 16 other independent government agencies, has been proposed by the Trump administration in its newly released “America First” budget blueprint.

John McLaughlin retrospective at LACMA in November 2016.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The Assn. of Art Museum Directors spoke out Thursday against the proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services, as outlined in the Trump administration’s newly released budget blueprint.

“The arts are a shared expression of the human spirit and a hallmark of our humanity. Art touches people throughout their lives — from toddlers first learning about the world, to those with Alzheimer’s disease reconnecting with someone they love,” the museum directors group said in a statement.

“Museums offer art programs to help teachers and homeschoolers prepare lessons, to train medical students to be better doctors, to ease the suffering of veterans with PTSD, and to share with people across the country the best of creative achievement.”

Though association members receive only a small fraction of their funding from the federal government, the national organization called the NEA, NEH and IMLS “essential partners” in art museums’ work.

“These organizations, like all arts institutions, are catalysts for employment and increase the quality of life in their communities. AAMD urges the Congress, where there has been strong bipartisan support for the NEA, NEH, and IMLS, to continue funding these agencies, which play such an important role in our vibrant democracy,” the statement read.

In Southern California, museums affiliated with the AAMD include:

• Hammer Museum in Los Angeles
• Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, in Santa Monica
• J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles
• Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles
• Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara
• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla
• Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach
• Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs
• San Diego Museum of Art in San Diego
• Santa Barbara Museum of Art in Santa Barbara
• The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino
• The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles

NEA Chairwoman Jane Chu at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary in Compton in 2015.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities are among the independent agencies earmarked for zero funding in the 2018 budget blueprint released Thursday by the Trump administration.

The NEA and NEH are among 19 agencies the proposal targets for elimination of funding, along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Institute for Museum and Library Services, to name a couple.

Both endowments were created in 1965. The NEA has seen annual budgets ranging from just under $3 million in 1966 to $176 million in 1992. Currently, the annual appropriation amount is just under $148 million. The NEH requested just under $150 million for fiscal 2017.

“While recognizing this Blueprint is not the full Federal budget, it does provide lawmakers and the public with a view of the priorities of the President and his Administration,” said Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, in a preface to the proposal.

As a federal agency, the NEA cannot advocate for its own survival. However, it did issue a statement Thursday addressing the budget proposal.

“Today we learned that the President’s FY 2018 budget blueprint proposes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts,” NEA Chair Jane Chu said. “We are disappointed because we see our funding actively making a difference with individuals of all ages in thousands of communities, large, small, urban and rural, and in every Congressional District in the nation.”

Calling the budget request “a first step in a very long budget process,” the NEA said it is working with the OMB to provide documents and will continue to operate “as usual” until Congress enacts a new budget and would continue talking about the NEA’s role in national culture.

“We are greatly saddened to learn of this proposal for elimination, as NEH has made significant contributions to the public good over its 50-year history,” NEH Chairman William D. Adams said Thursday, echoing the NEA in explaining that as an agency of the executive branch of government, it had to answer to the president and the Office of Management and Budget as part of the budgeting process and would continue to operate normally.

The new fiscal year stars Oct. 1.

“We expect this news to be an active topic of discussion among individuals and organizations that advocate for the arts,” Chu said.

DOCUMENT: Read Trump’s budget blueprint

For the Record, 9:08 a.m.: An earlier version of this post said 20 agencies are targeted for funding elimination. Nineteen agencies have been targeted.

Two weeks before “Legion” wraps its first season, FX has picked it up for a second.

The “X-Men”-themed series, which stars Dan Stevens (in his non-”Beast”-like form) as a mutant troubled by his superpowers, will return in 2018.

Hailing from “Fargo” mastermind Noah Hawley, the Marvel Comics-inspired drama opened to strong reviews from critics.

“More than a new series, ‘Legion’ is a wholly original take on the super hero genre,” FX original programming co-president Eric Schrier said in a statement. “Our thanks to Noah Hawley for taking the creative risks and shattering expectations.”

The Sason 1 finale is set to air March 29.

CBS All Access has reached a verdict on “The Good Fight”--in favor of a second season renewal.

The pickup comes halfway through the drama’s 10-episode first season. The new season will premiere in 2018.

The legal drama, a spin-off of “The Good Wife,” is the first original drama series for the subscription streaming service.

The series is led by Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart and picks up one year after the events of the flagship series, with Diane forced to rebuild her life after losing her savings in a Ponzi scheme.

It’s unclear how the show has been performing on the digital platform, but its premiere aired on CBS’ linear channel on Feb. 19 to 7.2 million viewers. The network seems at least pleased with how it’s transitioning on its digital home.

“We’re only a few episodes into the first season and the reaction from CBS All Access subscribers and critics alike has been phenomenal,” said Marc DeBevoise, president and chief operating officer of CBS Interactive, in a statement. “This series and its characters are just beginning and we can’t wait to see where Robert and Michelle King, their creative team and the amazing cast take ‘The Good Fight’ next.”

CBS All Access, whose other original series will include ‘Star Trek: Discovery,” costs $5.99 a month ($.9.99 for the commercial-free plan).

Mischa Barton.

(Lionel Cironneau / Associated Press)

Mischa Barton has obtained a restraining order and has gone to the police about a “revenge porn” sex tape that’s reportedly being shopped around to the highest bidder.

The images and videos were taken in the last year without Barton’s consent by someone she had a brief relationship with, attorney Lisa Bloom said at a press conference Wednesday morning. With Barton at her side, Bloom labeled the materials as “revenge porn,” which is covered under domestic-violence laws.

The police report and court filing both occurred Tuesday.

“The court has blocked the selling, distribution, giving away or showing of any of these photos or videos of Ms. Barton,” Bloom said. “The orders are clear about what happens to violators. They state, ‘If you do not obey this order, you can go to jail or prison.’”

On Wednesday, cease-and-desist letters were sent to those who’ve been reported as participants in attempts to buy or sell the images, Bloom said.

Because of the police investigation, the attorney was not naming the man believed to have shot the video. She and “The O.C.” actress hadn’t seen any of the images, Bloom said, and didn’t know how they’d been recorded.

“I came forward to fight them not only for myself, but for all the women out there,” Barton said in a brief statement at the start of the press conference. “I want to protect them from the pain and humiliation I have gone through.”

“I know that at least three large online porn sites ... have reviewed it and they’re all seriously considering the offer,” celebrity sex-tape broker Kevin Blatt told the Daily Mail on Monday. Blatt told the outlet that he’d been shown stills.

The opening bid, he said, was a half-million bucks.

(The press conference can be viewed in the video that follows. Barton and Bloom enter the room slightly before the five-minute mark.)

Bette Midler stars in the new Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!”

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Well, hello, Bette!

Bette Midler is starring in the Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly!” and shared a sneak peek of herself in full costume — feathers and all — as iconic matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi on the eve of its first preview.

The show debuts at New York’s Shubert Theatre on Wednesday and will open officially on April 20. The production already has sold more than $40 million in advance ticket sales, which broke the record for highest pre-show advance sales of any Broadway production, according to Playbill.

The “Hello, Dolly!” revival also stars David Hyde Pierce as Horace Vandergelder and is produced by Scott Rudin.

Tony Award winner Carol Channing originated the Dolly role when the show first opened in 1964, and she also starred in two revivals.

Barbra Streisand famously played Dolly in the 1969 film opposite Walter Matthau; the film won three technical Oscars but lost in the best picture category. Ethel Merman, Mary Martin and Ginger Rogers also have played the famous meddler.

The Divine Miss M, 71, made her Broadway debut in 1964’s “Fiddler on the Roof,” returned to the stage over the years for one-woman shows and most recently starred in the acclaimed “I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers.” She won a special Tony Award in 1974 for “adding lustre to the Broadway season.”

The veteran entertainer said in a New York Times profile last year that playing Dolly was “a big challenge.” It’s been some time since she appeared with a cast of actors.

“It’s a lot — I’m no spring chicken — but I’m curious, and I love to do all the things this character is required to do,” she said. “It keeps me thin, which I like, and it keeps me engaged.”

A&E announced Wednesday the renewal of “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” for a second season.

The renewal includes 10 new hourlong installments of the series, which features Remini, a former Scientologist, meeting with individuals who have left the Church of Scientology to hear their stories.

“It became clear to us that although we were telling painful stories of former members of the Church of Scientology, this show was resonating strongly with people everywhere,” Remini said in a statement Wednesday.

“The show is really about standing up for what is right and not letting bullies have their way. I feel it is important for people to know that you can take action to bring about change, both for yourself and for others,” she said.

In her Times review of the premiere episode, Meredith Blake wrote that the series “takes a human-interest approach to its subject, barely delving into the origins of the religion or its more bizarre teachings.”

The first season concluded in January, and no release date for the follow-up installment has been announced.

President Trump fired off five tweets early Wednesday morning: one about his tax return, one about tax cuts, two about rallies and one about, well, Snoop Dogg.

“Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama?” Trump wrote. “Jail time!”

The president was referring to the rapper’s new “Lavender” video, in which he draws a gun, takes aim at the head of “President Ronald Klump” -- comedian Michael Rapaport dressed up as a clown -- and fires. Though the effect is a cartoon “Bang!” unfurling from the barrel of the gag weapon, the implication is clear.

“Shame on you, Snoop,” Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said Tuesday on TMZ Live. The rapper owes the president an apology, he said. He wouldn’t have accepted the video if it were directed toward President Obama either, Cohen said.

“If you have a protest, that’s fine,” the attorney said. “Make a point. But he has to learn that they have to respect the office of the presidency ... Just because you want to hide behind the guise of artistic capabilities or artistic freedom of speech doesn’t make it right, and Snoop knows that, and he played very close to the line here.”

In the wake of Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s comments to TMZ criticizing the rapper, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told the website that he hadn’t seen the video yet but considered it to be “in poor taste,” especially given the nation’s history of presidential assassinations and attempted assassinations.

“I think it’s unfortunate. I wish he hadn’t done that,” Cruz said, noting that people “should not be advocating the murder of the president of the United States, and it’s sad that that is somehow deemed a controversial statement.”

It’s time to go back to detention.

Film Independent at LACMA will announce Wednesday morning that Jack Antonoff (of the pop band Bleachers) and “The Breakfast Club” are the next pairing for “Bring the Noise.”

The series enlists modern musicians to select a classic film and replace the original score with their own live accompaniment.

The first installation of “Bring the Noise” featured Seth Bogart (Hunx and His Punx) replacing the score for “Welcome to the Dollhouse” in January, and dance-pop band Yacht took on the score for “Alien” last week.

Antonoff’s musical interpretation of 1985’s “The Breakfast Club” is slated for April 1.

“I chose ‘The Breakfast Club’ because I think about that film often when I write,” Antonoff told The Times. “There are certain films and feelings that remind me of where I’m from.

“I grew up in suburban New Jersey in a similar state of strange boredom as ‘The Breakfast Club.’ I constantly thought about getting out, and that feeling is so present in this film,” he added. “A lot of my world now is looking back at that time period from different vantage points.”

“Bring the Noise” is sponsored by Audi, KCRW and the Hollywood Foreign Press.

Tickets will first be made available to Film Independent members, with general public tickets sales beginning March 23.

Ben Affleck revealed on Tuesday that he had undergone rehab for alcohol abuse.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Ben Affleck has completed rehab for alcohol addiction, he announced Tuesday on Facebook, calling it something he has “dealt with in the past and will continue to confront.”

Affleck, whose split from Jennifer Garner was making headlines again regarding whether they were giving their relationship another go or maintaining the status quo -- it looks like it was the latter -- said he has his eyes on being a good father.

“I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step,” the 44-year-old Oscar winner wrote.

The actor-director previously went through rehab in 2001.

Affleck thanked family and friends for their love, calling out Garner in particular for her support and for taking care of their three kids while he was in rehab.

“This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery,” he wrote.

At the end of January, Affleck stepped away from directing a planned solo Batman movie while remaining committed to playing the character in the film.

What has been missing from ads for Heinz Ketchup? A dollop of “Mad Men.”

Five decades after Don Draper and company pitched a “bold” ketchup campaign -- “I think I still want to see our bottle,” a reluctant Heinz exec said in Season 6 of the show -- the 2017 version of the company has signed off on the ads.

The ads are running on three billboards in New York City, in the New York Post and in Variety, according to Adweek. They’re credited to David Miami, which is Heinz’s current ad firm, and Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, the fictional 1960s firm from AMC’s “Mad Men.”

Emblazoned with the simple line “Pass the Heinz,” the three ads feature ketchup-free shots of French fries, a bite of steak and a hamburger.

Unfortunately, the shots are also free of the dapper Draper. Pass the hottie, someone?