show biz

One chimpanzee with a typewriter could pound out the script for “Primate” in an hour. Some pretty young things throw a pool party at an Oahu home and — yikes! — the family’s rabid pet chimp bashes in their skulls. That’s it, that’s the plot. Any tease that the movie could possibly be about anything more — a love triangle, a recently deceased mother, a vet’s puzzlement that Hawaii doesn’t even have rabies — is nothing but a banana peel tripping the audience into expecting a narrative.

I’m not foaming at the mouth over the death of cinema or what have you. Honestly, “Primate’s” kills are great. The problem is the dead space between them when we realize we’re bored sick.

The set-up is thus: Our heroine, Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), who goes to school somewhere to study something, has flown home for an indefinite amount of time with her best friend, Kate (Victoria Wyant), and a classmate she loathes, vivacious sexpot Hannah (Jess Alexander), who doesn’t inform her host that she’s tagging along until they’re on the plane. Already, you’re wondering if this is a monkey’s take on mammalian behavior, but it’s just the actual screenwriters, Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera (the former of whom also directs), clueing us in that bringing a brain to this humid adventure is as futile as packing a snowsuit. (They previously teamed up for the 2017 Mandy Moore shark movie “47 Meters Down.”)

Lucy’s father, Adam (Troy Kotsur of “CODA”), and her younger sister, Erin (Gia Hunter), have been rattling around their cliffside estate grieving for her mother, a primatologist who passed away from cancer the year before. They’re both lonely, but at least mom left behind her research chimpanzee, Ben (performed by Miguel Torres Umba), who uses a talking touch pad to communicate.

“Lucy back, Ben miss,” the chimp says, pressing a few keys. This is more or less how all the dialogue goes even when the humans are speaking — which, when it comes to a pair of frat guys that the girls picked up on the plane, is part of the joke. Brad and Drew (Charlie Mann and Tienne Simon) enter the house like two gorillas, belching and high-fiving, expecting to seduce the girls with verbal skills that stopped around preschool. “Me no hurt, OK?” Mann’s hilarious Brad says to Ben, grinning nervously and clapping his hands in an attempt to make friends. For a tender moment, you think these apes might be soulmates.

“Primate” is gleefully unevolved. The fatalities are gruesomely entertaining, the opening murder splattering the audience with such brutality that my theater howled in delight. In just two minutes, the movie had delivered everything it promised: a snorting monkey, a sucker in a flowered shirt, a shot of an ominous tire swing and a closeup of a peeled cheekbone.

If the pace had stayed that breakneck, my fellow schlock-lovers and I would have merrily pounded our chests. But at a hair’s breadth under an hour and a half, “Primate” is mostly draggy scenes of victims hiding in closets and trying not to scream as Ben roams the property acting like a hungover, steroidal toddler. Anything screechy sends him into a violent fit.

Umba, the movement specialist underneath the simian special effects, is convincing. But the movie treats his character like a generic slasher baddie checking off the standard tropes: the jump-scare surprise, the out-of-focus loom, the beat when the villain appears bested yet somehow staggers to his prehensile feet. Roberts doesn’t offer much empathy for the poor, diseased critter other than a pause when Ben momentarily ponders his reflection in a pool as Adrian Johnston’s eerie synth-piano score tinkles.

Let me give the film some credit: the performances are pretty good. Recent Oscar winner Kotsur has a casual nonchalance that makes you buy into his character right up until the moment he starts punching a monkey in the face. While Mann’s doomed meathead is only in the movie to raise the body count, the young actor brings a goofy, kinetic charisma to his too-few scenes — and, as a reward, Roberts grants him the longest and best death. Set in a romantic bedroom, it plays like a morbid joke about consent. (We’re meant to assume that at some time in this horny jock’s past, he’s done something to deserve it.)

Likewise, Alexander’s Hannah is the naughty girl who deserves to be punished for rudely moving in on Lucy’s crush, Nick (Benjamin Cheng). But she’s so magnetic that we root for her survival anyway. Just as Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey somehow managed to have careers after starring in the fourth “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” Alexander is a performer with promise: a screen presence with that extra twinkle.

The script has an anthropologist’s curiosity about the mating habits of Homo sapiens collegiate. Alas, humanity appears to be a species in decline. Faced with an angry monkey, these kids can’t think of much else to do other than run around hunting for their smartphones. An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills). When Ben smashes a television set, perhaps Roberts is even making some sort of societal point.

Chimpanzees and humans share 98.4% of the same DNA and if you want to double-check that stat, so much blood gets smeared around this house that you can easily test a sample. Presumably, the character of Lucy was given her name as a nod to our earliest known ancestor, a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis who stood about the same height as Ben. Our closest relative, the bonobo, shares 98.7% of our genes and has been known to dispatch each other by bursting a male’s testicles, a nature fact that Roberts must be saving for the sequel.

Mystifyingly, “Primate” blames Ben’s terrible temper on rabies, not the more interesting causes of chimpanzee aggression like depression, psychological confusion and over-medication. Neither does it dig deep into the emotional horror of an owner realizing their best buddy is capable of ripping off a human face — let alone the guilt and agony of failing to stop an attack. When a Connecticut woman was forced to stab her beloved pet after he maimed a female friend, she lamented that sticking the blade in him “was like putting one in myself.” (She later adopted a replacement chimp.)

But it’s silly to expect actual social science from a movie that expands rabies’ ancient name — hydrophobia, or a fear of water — into the nonsensical idea that the only safe hideout from Ben is the swimming pool. That said, in case anyone from the Department of Health and Human Services watches “Primate” on an airplane, I feel compelled to mention that the rabies vaccine is 100% effective. The last thing we need is a government decree that every American should surround their house with a moat.

CBS News named veteran anchor and correspondent Adriana Diaz and business journalist Kelly O’Grady as the new co-hosts for “CBS Saturday Morning.”

The duo will officially start this week, the division announced Friday. The previous long-time co-hosts, Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, were let go in a wave of company-wide staff reductions in October.

The cuts and changes at the weekend program were in the works before Bari Weiss arrived to begin her role as editor-in-chief of CBS News earlier that month.

Weiss has generated controversy and bad publicity for the network with her last-minute decision to pull a “60 Minutes” story on the Trump administration’s treatment of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants who were deported to El Salvador. Critics have also been less than impressed with the revamp of “CBS Evening News” which began this week with new anchor Tony Dokoupil.

Diaz and O’Grady will also alternate as co-hosts of “CBS Mornings 24/7,” the daily program on the CBS News streaming platform, working alongside featured host Vladimir Duthiers.

Diaz has been with CBS News since 2012. She has served as a China-based correspondent covering Asia, and later reported from Chicago. Her last anchor role was on “CBS Mornings Plus,” a short-lived one-hour program that followed “CBS Mornings” in several markets, including Los Angeles.

Diaz, 42, also had a stint as anchor of “CBS Weekend News.” She is a frequent fill-in for “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. Internally, Diaz is considered a possible successor to King who is in the final year of her contract with CBS News.

O’Grady, 34, is a recent addition to CBS joined the network in 2024 as a correspondent for its MoneyWatch unit where she reported on the economy. She had been a correspondent and fill-in anchor at Fox Business.

In addition to her co-host role, O’Grady will continue to cover business, technology and the economy for the network.

Hugh Laurie left quite the impression when he starred as villainous Richard Roper in The Night Manager 10 years ago.

Hugh Laurie, the legendary star of The Night Manager, is set to appear alongside a Westworld icon in a forthcoming crime thriller.

After initially rising to prominence in the Blackadder franchise with Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Fry, Laurie has since featured in numerous major dramas including Veep, House, and naturally, The Night Manager.

While his previous co-stars Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman return to the BBC thriller, Laurie has been busy filming his latest project, The Wanted Man, for Apple TV+, which is presently in post-production.

The 66 year old will portray crime boss Felix Carmichael, who lands behind bars after running the infamous criminal organisation The Capital for two decades.

The official synopsis reveals: “Upon discovering internal betrayal while locked up, he plots his breakout to seek vengeance and restore his criminal empire.”

The eight-episode series has been created by Hijack’s George Kay and also features Mission Impossible and Westworld star Thandiwe Newton.

However, they won’t be the only recognisable names, as Laurie and Newton will be accompanied by Game of Thrones actor Stephen Dillane, Say Nothing’s Hazel Doupe, and Dunkirk star Fionn Whitehead.

No official release date has been confirmed yet, though reports suggest The Wanted Man could launch around May 2026.

Meanwhile, fans’ focus has returned to Laurie following his memorable role in The Night Manager, which has made its comeback to British television screens. In the 2016 BBC thriller, he played the villainous Richard Roper, starring alongside leading man Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine and Colman as Angela Burr.

After a decade-long hiatus, The Night Manager has made a comeback for its second season, but with an unexpected twist – Roper was killed off-screen.

Laurie does make an appearance in the first episode through a dream sequence, but he hasn’t been seen in The Night Manager since and isn’t expected to return.

However, Laurie remains involved with The Night Manager behind the scenes, serving as an executive producer alongside Hiddleston.

The Wanted Man is slated to premiere on Apple TV+ in spring 2026.

EAGLE-EYED Kylie Jenner fans have noted a huge new diamond on her finger – and are certain it’s an engagement ring.

According to fans, beauty mogul Kylie is engaged to her actor boyfriend Timothee Chalamet after spotting the dazzling sparkler in a new video.

She captioned it: “Got a fresh haircut don’t talk to meeeee.”

Fans took to TikTok to comment on the sassy video in which she’s swishing her long dark wavy hair.

Wearing a figure-hugging white vest top with a plunging neckline, the billionaire can be seen flicking her voluminous locks and giggling into the camera.

Applying lip gloss to her perfectly-preened face, the TV star rocked the ill-fitting giant diamond on her little finger.

MOVE OVER!

Timothee moves stuff into storage to make room for Kylie’s clothes in NYC home

One user wrote: “It HAS to be an engagement ring because it’s too big to be fitted for her pinky.”

“Mrs. Chalamet has never looked this beautiful. A touch of happiness made her glow,” noted a second.

“Mrsssss Chalamet looking soooo good!!!!” agreed a third.

A fourth fan simply wrote: “Kylie Chalamet.”

“Anyone else notice that ring turns to the side?” noted another viewer.

“I see that diamond on the pinky,” observer a different user.

“Let me see the ring, Kylieeeee,” begged another.

Super-Influencer Kylie, 28, and Hollywood actor Timothee, 30, finally made their official red carpet debut as a couple in May last year.

The smitten pair, who have been dating since 2023, attended the 70th David di Donatello Awards in Rome, Italy together.

The U.S. Sun previously revealed that Timothee and Kylie have yet to commit to living under the same roof, preferring instead to split their time between NYC and Los Angeles. 

The Oscar-nominated star has a place in his native NYC as well as a $11 million house in Beverly Hills, while his billionaire Kardashian girlfriend has a $48 million mansion in nearby Holmby Hills. 

But things are stepping up a gear and he has made room for his long-term girlfriend at his NY pad.

Kylie, who has two children with rapper Travis Scott, has the keys to his place in New York, and her man has full access to her home.

An insider says she has ‘so many clothes and shoes’ there that Timothee has had to move some of his own stuff into storage to make some ‘extra room’.

According to the source, Kylie has been buying furniture, art and vases to make his city apartment feel more like a ‘love nest’ in her style.

The screen star has just scooped the Best Actor gong for his role as Marty Mauser in the recent Marty Supreme flick, beating the likes of Leonardo Di Caprio and Ethan Hawke to the accolade.

He directly addressed the Hulu star in his acceptance speech and said: “Thank you to my partner for three years.

“I love you. I couldn’t do this without you.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

You’re HBO, and your newest release is an explosive documentary about one of the most controversial sectors of the United States government: the Border Patrol. What do you do to get it as much attention as possible?

We’re seeing their strategy play out right now.

“Critical Incident: Death at the Border” recounts the death of Anastasio Hernández Rojas, a 42-year-old undocumented immigrant who died in 2010 days after immigration agents handcuffed, beat and Tasered him near the San Ysidro Port of Entry after trying to deport him to Mexico. Border Patrol at the time said they used force after Hernández Rojas, who had lived in this country since he was 15, resisted them.

The case drew international attention and Hernández Rojas’ family received a $1-million settlement from the federal government, which declined to file criminal charges against those involved in his death even though the San Diego County coroner’s office ruled it a homicide. Enter John Carlos Frey, a reporter who has pursued the story for nearly 15 years and who is one of the protagonists in “Critical Incident.”

He knocks on the doors of agents who were there when Hernández Rojas died, discovers footage that contradicts the Border Patrol’s official account and uncovers a secretive Border Patrol unit tasked with the “mitigation” of use-of-force incidents that was disbanded in 2022. The documentary includes an interview with a whistleblower who claimed bosses told him to doctor evidence to exculpate the agency in the death of Hernández Rojas. It also alleges the cover-up went all the way up to Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott, who was Border Patrol deputy chief for the San Diego region when Hernández Rojas died.

Scott appears near the end of “Critical Incident” to dismiss those “allegations” and declines to comment about any culpability those involved may have had, citing ongoing litigation. “This case from over a decade ago was thoroughly investigated and resolved by the Department of Justice and local law enforcement,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the Times in a statement when I asked for comment about the documentary’s findings. “Efforts to malign CBP and ICE officers as lawbreakers are slanderous, irresponsible, and only reveal the media’s eagerness to mislead the American people.”

“Critical Incident” is taut, disturbing, timely and a brisk hour and a half. It deserves as many viewers as possible and a publicity campaign as ubiquitous as what HBO is currently pushing for its hit hockey romance, “Heated Rivalry.”

Instead, the network released “Critical Incident” on Dec. 29, when most Americans were lost in a haze of Christmas leftovers, “Avengers: Endgame” reruns and college football bowl games. It’s not listed alongside other recently released documentaries on HBO’s website, and I wasn’t able to find it on the network’s streaming app’s “Just Added” tab.

Director Rick Rowley was diplomatic about his documentary’s “difficult” release date, saying he has “limited insight” into HBO’s decision. He’s nevertheless confident “this film is going to have a long life because these [Border Patrol] issues are only more pressing as the days pass.”

Frey wasn’t as polite: “If I was an executive and released it on that date, I would be fired.”

Rodney Scott, then-nominee for commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, arrives for a Senate confirmation hearing in April 2025.

(Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

An HBO spokesperson pushed back on Frey’s criticism, stating, “The documentary was actually released during one of the highest usage times on the platform and we are proud to say the film is doing very well, even showing up in the top 10 rail.”

In development for four years, Frey said “Critical Incident” was supposed to air just before the 2024 election. He showed me a text message from a senior producer attesting to that. But HBO held on to it even as a Senate committee grilled Scott about Hernández Rojas’ death during his confirmation hearing last April, which isn’t included in the documentary. The documentary didn’t air even as the Border Patrol’s invasion of cities far from the U.S.-Mexico border throughout last year made the story “Critical Incident” told more relevant than ever.

HBO “buried it on purpose,” Frey, 56, told me over breakfast in Boyle Heights. He blames the current political environment — specifically, Netflix’s proposed $82.7-billion bid to acquire HBO’s parent company, Warner Bros., which federal regulators would have to approve. The last thing executives wants to do right now, Frey argued, is anger President Trump by promoting a documentary that attacks his deportation deluge.

“They buried it on the worst day of the year when no one is watching, and of course, they’re going to deny it,” Frey said.

“That is, of course, not true,” the HBO spokesperson said .

Covering la migra is personal for Frey, who grew up in Tijuana and Imperial Beach with views of the U.S.-Mexico border fence. When he was 12, a Border Patrol agent approached his mother — then a green card holder — while her son was playing outside.

“He wouldn’t believe anything she would say and wouldn’t let her go to our house to get her documents,” Frey said. He’s of average height, deep-voiced and barrel-chested and tends to respond to questions with questions. “Why would he? The agent deported her.”

As an adult, Frey began to cover the Border Patrol in a post-9/11 era. Much like today, it was rapidly expanding, and aggressive tactics like breaking car windows when the occupants weren’t resisting and agent-involved shootings were endemic. The Hernández Rojas case entered his scope after someone reached out claiming they had footage of his death.

“The original narrative was Anastasio became belligerent, they subdued him and he died,” Frey said. “The case was closed, the Border Patrol had written it off.”

The source was initially too scared to share their recording, but Frey eventually convinced them after forwarding his stories about repeated Border Patrol abuses of power. What he saw — about a dozen Border Patrol agents circling a prone, moaning Hernández Rojas, Tasering and punching him while onlookers scream at them to stop — left the reporter “disgusted.”

The footage eventually aired on a 2012 PBS program, which made the story go national. Frey’s continued work on the case eventually caught the attention of Rowley, whose documentaries on neo-Nazi groups, the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the War on Terror have earned him Emmy wins and an Oscar nomination.

The documentarian wanted to examine the Border Patrol’s impunity, and, he said, “Anastasio’s story is one of the only stories that takes you all the way to the top. And you have to work with John if you’re going to do the Anastasio case. He’s fearless.”

Rowley is proud of his final product but admitted that he’s “used to having more press around a film release, especially about a film about … the most important domestic issue in the country, especially in the last year.”

That’s what angers Frey the most about the release of “Critical Incident.”

“The stories I used to hear — ‘Border Patrol broke my windows, left me bloodied, grabbed me without asking any questions’ — it’s now in neighborhoods,” he said. He twisted a napkin, tossed it into the pile of twisted napkins next to his coffee cup.

“It’s a deliberate choice when you’re going to release a documentary and how. If I were HBO and I had evidence of a murder by the feds, I would’ve led with that inmy promotion. I would think that’s a selling point, especially with the [immigration] raids. Instead, they have me hugging someone in the trailer.”

Frey shook his head. “We made a good film, but half the battle is getting people to see it.”

Strictly Come Dancing star Dianne Buswell and YouTuber Joe Sugg have shared an emotional farewell with fans before welcoming their first child together

Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell and YouTube star Joe Sugg have shared an emotional update with fans as they prepare to welcome their first child together.

Posting on YouTube, the pair revealed that their latest Vlogmas series will be their last as a duo, with Joe telling viewers that next Christmas will look very different for them as a family of three.

Closing the final instalment of the vlog, Joe became reflective as he thanked fans for their continued support. “That, is it. The end of the vlog and the end of Vlogmas,” he said. “This is two or three years in a row now, I can’t remember, but I just want to say thank you very much to everybody that has watched these vlogs, followed them along, followed the build-up to Christmas Day.”

He went on to describe how meaningful the tradition has been for him, adding: “Thank you very much, it’s been fun. It’s always an absolute joy to do. I love it. Being able to watch back on memories, especially around such a lovely time of year. So, thank you for having interest in it and being a part of your day.”

Joe then hinted at the major life change ahead, telling viewers he expected the year to come to bring something new. “I will see you all in the new year in 2026, which I am predicting is going to be quite a different year to our normal years,” he said, before delivering the heartfelt update. “This is the end of the last Vlogmas that we’ll ever do as a two. This time next year there will be three of us.”

The couple announced their pregnancy in September, sharing a video on Instagram that showed them painting together on a canvas. After several brushstrokes, they revealed a simple illustration of two stick figures holding hands with a smaller figure between them, alongside the date “2026”.

Soundtracked by Sir Elton John’s Tiny Dancer , the post was captioned: “Our little baby boy. We cannot wait to meet you.”

The announcement prompted an outpouring of congratulations from across the Strictly Come Dancing family. Judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse, as well as professional dancer Johannes Radebe, were among those sending their well wishes. Fellow dancer Amy Dowden wrote: “Still screaming, dancing and celebrating! So so happy for you both! Magical. Auntie Ames can’t wait.”

Documentary-maker Stacey Dooley, who found love on the show with Kevin Clifton and now shares a daughter called Minnie with him, responded enthusiastically, writing: “YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES.”

Buswell and Sugg first met when they were paired on the 16th series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, later confirming their relationship off the dancefloor. Buswell recently competed in the latest series of the show, having won the glitterball trophy last year alongside comedian Chris McCausland, the programme’s first blind winner.

Fans were quick to share support for the couple on YouTube. One user wrote: “Congratulations Joe on completing Vlogmas. I have really enjoyed watching you and Dianne preparing your little boy’s room and sharing your own memories of childhood.”

Another wrote: “Thank you Joe, I really enjoyed all of Vlogmas with you, Dianne, baby bump and your families. Best wishes for Christmas and the new year. I’ll be looking forward to watching more in 2026.”

KATIE Price fans have been left in stitches after they spotted a hilarious detail in her latest sexy snaps.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed an unusual item on her bedside table – but did you spot it?

Katie, 47, is well known for her sexy snaps, and her latest ones were full of her usual glam.

The former pin-up shared racy pics of herself in a plunging white body suit, and other sexy outfits, that showed off her famously huge boobs.

The racy photos also showed off her slim legs, with the sexy outfit riding right up to the top of her thigh.

However, despite Katie’s photos having the wow factor, eagle-eyed fans were distracted by an unusual object in the background.

Read More about Katie Price

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As the former glamour girl posed up a storm, on her bedside cabinet was none other than a jacket potato.

The cooked spud was on a plate and sitting in the shelf of the table.

Fans were left in stitches after spotting the potato, and immediately started to comment, with one saying: “Why is there a jacket potato on the side table?” (followed by a laughing emoji).

Another added: “I’m loving the potato randomly in the background!”

This one said: “I think the potatoes jacket is good!”

Along with the cheeky comments, many fans also rushed to compliment her on her outfit, with one saying: “You look amazing.”

Another added: “Absolutely stunning Katie!”

KATIE OPENS UP

This light relief from fans comes after Katie made several candid confessions yesterday.

In a sad confession on the latest edition of her podcast, The Katie Price Show, she said: “I absolutely love myself but I don’t love myself when I look in the mirror, that’s the difference.”

In the same podcast, Katie revealed she was getting yet another cosmetic procedure done.

She explained how she was getting her lips done again and said how she gets them done every two months.

“I’m getting my lips done on Monday. They are shocking,” she said to her sister.

Her sister Sophie Price then asked: “Why? Why?”

Katie responded: “Why? Look at them.”

Sophie then said: “Can I just ask how many times in a month do yo get your lips done?”

“Once every two months,” Katie revealed.

She added: “Because they dissolve so quick because I’ve got a high metabolism.

HEALTH SCARE

On the same podcast, Katie also revealed her latest health scare after having her blood pressure done three times by doctors.

She claimed the test was done three times as doctors quipped: “It can’t be that low”.

Katie previously consulted doctors over her terrifyingly frail frame in October last year when she uploaded a selfie with a concerning caption.

She said: “First day off and straight to the doctors to find out what’s happened to my weight.”

Katie told fans she was forced to book in another appointment after they could only fill up two tubes at her blood test.

The podcaster shares Junior Andre, 20 and Princess Andre, 18, with her ex-husband Peter Andre.

She also has son Harvey Price, 23, who she had with Dwight Yorke after a brief fling.

The problem with musicals spun from popular books and movies is that too often all they’re trying to do is re-create the experience of fans in a new medium. The result is an inferior copy of the original. But what can anyone expect when the ultimate goal is to cash in on a valuable IP?

The artistic challenge, of course, is transformation, not cloning. A musical operates in a different mode from a literary or cinematic work and therefore can’t help but tell a unique version of the story.

I didn’t see “The Notebook” when it premiered on Broadway in 2024 to mixed reviews. I also confess to never having read Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, on which the musical is based. And only recently did I catch up with Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 film starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and then I must admit only to prepare for the musical’s Los Angeles premiere at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

With Gosling and McAdams in captivating flight on screen, it’s easy to buy into the mythic love of Noah and Allie, the couple at the center of the shameless and (yes, I’ll admit it) shamelessly enjoyable romantic fantasy. Gosling has a way of retreating into a silence more emotionally eloquent than the film’s occasionally clunky dialogue. McAdams, by contrast, makes a giddy racket that betrays feelings her characters can neither fully understand nor contain.

Beau Gravitte (Older Noah) and Sharon Catherine Brown (Older Allie).

(Roger Mastroianni)

I wasn’t expecting the actors cast in these roles at the Pantages, where the musical opened Wednesday, to compare in magnetism or intensity to their movie star predecessors. Fortunately, the way the musical is written by Ingrid Michaelson (music and lyrics) and Bekah Brunstetter (book), they don’t really have to.

Three actors play Noah and three play Allie at different times in the couple’s lives. Younger Noah (Kyle Mangold) and younger Allie (Chloë Cheers) are the teenagers who fall heedlessly in love despite the differences in their background. Allie’s wealthy parents (played by a piquant Anne Tolpegin and Jerome Harmann-Hardeman) don’t want their college-bound daughter to throw her life away on a lumberyard Romeo with no educational or financial prospects.

Middle Noah (the role was played by Jesse Corbin at the reviewed performance) and middle Allie (Alysha Deslorieux) reunite after years of separation to see if their adolescent passion still burns. Allie is on the brink of marrying another man, but she returns to find Noah living in the historic house that he promised one day would be their home. He’s restored the place in the hope that she would come back to him, doubling the stakes with a gorgeous piece of real estate that she can no more resist than his dreamy devotion.

The exact relationship between Older Noah (Beau Gravitte) and Older Allie (Sharon Catherine Brown) is withheld for a bit. Allie, suffering from dementia, is in a care center. Noah, who has his own health issues, visits her to read from a notebook the story that she set down on paper to prevent her from forgetting the love that illuminated her life. He believes that what’s recorded in the notebook will bring her back to him, if only flickeringly, before time runs out for both of them.

As Noah reads to Allie, their younger selves emerge on stage to enact the depicted scenes. The musical’s handling of the romance is condensed in the early going. The younger versions of Noah and Allie, callow and skittish, are laid out in broad strokes. Mangold has a showy falsetto that heightens Noah’s vulnerable longing, but the duets with Cheers’ Allie aren’t lyrically sophisticated enough to provide the relationship with much depth.

There’s a generic quality both to singer-songwriter Michaelson’s score (a combination of folk and Broadway pop) and to a romance that seems almost mystically predestined.

Corbin’s Noah is the strong, silent, sexy type; Deslorieux’s Allie is as delicate as she is willful. One hopes that they will make the right choice and choose each other, but lyrics such as “Sometimes I feel like I lost my only voice./But then I realized, only I can choose my choice” don’t give Deslorieux all that much to work with in the big second act number “My Days.”

Sharon Catherine Brown (Older Allie) and “The Notebook” North American tour company.

(Roger Mastroianni)

The connection between Middle Noah and Middle Allie is steamy, sometimes comically so, as when Allie caresses the table that Noah admits he made by hand. Their love scene in the rain, while obviously less visually spectacular than in the film, plunges headlong into romantic cliches that manage to get the job done despite their obviousness.

The direction of Michael Greif and Schele Williams valiantly tries to contain the material’s hokiness without undercutting the wishfulness that lies at the heart of the story’s broad emotional appeal. They succeed in limiting the amount of audience eye-rolling, but they can’t supply the texture and novelty that are absent from the musical.

The one notable area of improvement on the movie is in the handling of the older Noah and Allie storyline. Brunstetter (a successful TV writer whose hot-topic play “The Cake” made the rounds a few years ago) mitigates some of the sentimental excesses that fly in the face of medical reality.

Not all the changes are to the musical’s advantage. The setting is now a coastal town in the Mid-Atlantic where the film has a more explicit Southern charm. The period, too, has been revised. Noah now serves in the Vietnam War instead of World War II. These historical alterations may have been to allow for cross-racial casting. But the characters don’t really seem rooted to any particular time and place. They’ve just been re-slotted into a Broadway limbo.

But the musical does manage to pull off one genuine transformation. The authors have structured the work as a triple helix, and some of the most powerful moments occur when all three incarnations of the characters are on stage at the same time.

“The Notebook” on screen injected new life into a formulaic love story. Brunstetter and Michaelson refocus the work to be more about time. The bond between Noah and Allie is a prism through which to experience both the transience and the permanence of what matters most to us in life. In the face of disappearance, something mysterious endures.

Good Morning Britain hosts Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh were left stunned on Friday

A Good Morning Britain guest has revealed the “horrific” ordeal that left her “fighting for her life”. Friday’s (January 9) edition of the hit ITV breakfast show saw Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh bring viewers the latest developments from Britain and beyond.

Weather presenter Laura Tobin was also on hand in the studio to provide crucial updates on Storm Goretti, following the Met Office’s stark “danger to life” alert.

During the programme, Kate and Ranvir interviewed Sara Platt, whose botched cosmetic procedure in Turkey left her facing serious health complications.

“The government has issued a fresh warning on botched cosmetic surgery, saying it’s going to take decisive action to crack down on rogue operators and treatments that offer, when you look at them, do seem too good to be true,” Kate explained, reports Wales Online.

Ranvir continued: “It’s the subject ITV News has been investigating for two years, and as part of that, we met Sara Platt. She travelled to Turkey for surgery, and she says it left her life at risk.”

Before the interview progressed, Ranvir cautioned viewers: “[The surgery] went horribly, horribly wrong. We’re going to show some pictures which might be distressing.”

As photographs of Sara’s injuries appeared on screen, she explained: “I lost 12 stone [during] Covid. I had severe excess skin, so I went and had an uplift implant and a tummy tuck, because I had constant skin infections.”

She continued, “[The surgery] just made it tenfold worse. What I’m left with now, not just body but my mental health, is really bad.”

As Sara delved into the difficulties she encountered, including multiple infections, Kate and Ranvir were visibly taken aback. “You thought you might die,” Ranvir said.

Sara responded: “It was extremely bad. I lost my right breast. I had gaping holes in my stomach. I was only supposed to have a tummy tuck and impact, but they cut from my arms, sides, and my back because, obviously, there was not enough skin to close me.

“On day nine, I was operated on awake and part of my body was placed by the side of my head.”

A shocked Kate replied: “Oh, Sara. We’re hearing this [and] it’s obviously horrific.”

The guest concluded: “We do get bad comments and this is why I’m trying to get change made, so people coming back from Turkey don’t use the NHS. It was life-saving surgeries for me. This is why we need regulations. The government need to take a stand.”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am

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KATHERINE Ryan has made a candid confession about motherhood, just three months after welcoming baby daughter Holland.

The comedian, 42, is a mum-of-four and also shares kids Fred, four, and Fenna, three, with her husband Bobby Koostra, while her 16-year-old daughter Violet is from a previous relationship.

And now, Katherine has hinted that there will be no more children to come – something which wasn’t an easy decision.

Sharing a snap of baby Holland in her arms to Instagram, Katherine wrote: “Meanwhile, I gave away a bunch of newborn clothes today and it was heartbreaking.

“I’ve been addicted to pregnancy for give years and giving it up is tough.”

Back in October last year, Bobby described his partner Katherine as the “MVP ” and “Patrick Mahomes of child birth” – referencing the American football player’s famously strong performance on the field.

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In the post, which announced the birth of their daughter Holland, he shared a picture of Katherine sipping on a glass of champagne and revealed she had given birth in just 45 minutes.

Previously, Katherine admitted to The Sun that she “loved” having children and wanted to keep going for as long as possible.

She said in February last year: “I love having children. You can make people – it’s magic.”

“So I’d like as many as we can until it becomes an issue where I can’t spend time with the ones I already have. I think that’s the balance.”

Talking before she had Holland, Katherine continued: “One more, at least, and then if I felt like I had enough attention or life left in me – because I’m also getting old and tired – then I think I’d like five or six children.

“And I do have a Kardashian mindset, in that when I’m gone, or I’m no longer of interest and I’ve got my little pied-à-terre in Marylebone and I’m alone – an eccentric elderly woman watching musical theatre by myself while Bobby’s inside – it’d be so nice for the siblings to get together and have this life beyond me.”

However, parenthood hasn’t been smooth sailing for Katherine either.

Last year, she admitted how “sleep deprived, tired and hungry” both she and Bobby were while juggling their brood.

Appearing on Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo’s podcast, Newlyweds, she said: “It really tests your relationship. 

“You used to be the most important person in each other’s lives, you cease to be the most important person in each other’s lives. There’s a shift in, you know, roles and responsibilities and focus. 

“You’re both tired and you’re hungry and you’re sleep deprived – that’s how they torture prisoners. I haven’t slept in four years, but I’m kind of fine with it.”

With three kids under five, the sleep is unlikely to come back just yet!

Elle Simone Scott, a chef and cookbook author best known for her work on “America’s Test Kitchen,” has died. She was 49.

Describing her as “one of [the organization’s] brightest stars,” “America’s Test Kitchen” Chief Content Officer Dan Souza confirmed in a statement Thursday that Scott died Monday after a long battle with ovarian cancer. The news was first announced Wednesday on “ATK’s” Instagram.

“Scott brought warmth and a vibrant spirit to everything she did,” Souza said. “Friends and colleagues will remember [her] for her ability to create community and provide opportunities for others, both inside and outside of work … Her legacy will live on at America’s Test Kitchen and in the homes and hearts of the millions of home cooks whose lives she touched.”

A Detroit native, Scott joined “America’s Test Kitchen” in 2016 and became the first Black woman cast member on the popular PBS cooking show. In addition to authoring cookbooks “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings” and “Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents,” she hosted “The Walk-In” podcast and worked as a food stylist.

In a tribute on Instagram, friend and fellow TV chef Carla Hall praised Scott for being “a force” and “a trailblazer.”

“At America’s Test Kitchen, Elle helped open doors that had long been closed — becoming one of the first Black women audiences saw in the test kitchen, and doing so with grace, authority, and joy,” wrote Hall. “Her voice mattered. Her work mattered. She mattered.”

According to WBUR, Scott, who lived in Boston, pivoted to a career in food in 2008 after she lost her home, car and job as a social worker during the recession.

“The thought occurred to me, ‘if I have to do something for the next 25 years of my life, it better be something I love,’ ” Scott said during a 2019 radio segment. “The only thing I could think of was cooking. It was the one thing that brought me peace and joy.”

She became an advocate for representation in food media and the culinary world, co-founding SheChef Inc., an organization for women chefs of color that provides mentorship to young women pursuing a career in the field, in 2013.

“I thought it would be a great way to create a network to bring those underrepresented people together to see how we could support each other, create a network where we can help each other grow professionally — also to just deal with the angst of being women in kitchens where we are the only women in the kitchen,” Scott told WTOP News in 2019.

Scott was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2016, according to the Detroit News, but told the outlet she was cancer-free in 2020.

“Elle faced ovarian cancer with courage and honesty, using her platform to educate, advocate, and uplift even while fighting for her life,” Hall said in her tribute. “We honor you, Elle. Your legacy lives on in every kitchen you inspired and every cook who finally saw themselves reflected back.”

Coronation Street boss Kate Brooks revealed the soap would revisit a bizarre scene where Maggie Driscoll seemed shocked about something in Ken Barlow’s home months ago

Fans will finally learn the truth about why Coronation Street newcomer Maggie Driscoll was acting strangely at Ken Barlow’s home a few months ago.

On Halloween, Maggie was invited into the house by Amy Barlow, as she was looking for a punch bowl for the party at The Rovers. While looking in a cupboard, she appeared to stare at something not shown onscreen.

She looked startled if not anxious about whatever it was, and quickly shut the cupboard door. It was not referenced again, and has yet to be explained.

Amid fans speculating it could confirm a link to the Barlow family, possibly Ken, Corrie boss Kate Brooks has revealed the scene will be revisited. Speaking to The Mirror, Kate said it’s linked to a secret that will soon be exposed.

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Kate spilled: “There are other secrets as well that Maggie’s been hiding. Some eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted Maggie at number 1.

“She looks into the cabinet, and her reaction kind of suggested that she saw something that made her feel slightly on edge or uncomfortable. We will reveal what that secret is in the upcoming months.”

So that scene hasn’t been completely forgotten about, and we were right to find it weird. It seems Maggie’s hiding more than one secret, with more about her and the Driscoll family still to be uncovered.

Kate also revealed the grooming storyline featuring Maggie’s teenaged grandson Will is set to explode at some point this year. She told us: “The Driscolls really have got their feet under the table. There is loads to come for this family. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. The ongoing story of Will and Megan is huge for them. We also know what Maggie’s capable of now.

“When, eventually this awful secret is exposed, it’s not gonna go down well with Maggie. [As we follow on with] the Will and Megan element, Sam [Blakeman] will end up getting embroiled in it all. We will see the lengths that Megan will go to to manipulate Sam into keeping quiet, and it will be massively detrimental to Sam’s well-being.

“We have Eva in the mix, who will be naturally furious when this comes to light. We’ve got Leanne and Toyah, and you’ve got these three very strong, very fiery women, sisters, whose boys have been manipulated by this woman, who they considered their friend.

“So, needless to say, it’ll be quite explosive when this all comes to light. Ben adores his family, he adores Will, he adores Ollie. It’s a real kind of journey for us to take Ben on as well, as they all struggle to navigate this.

“It’s a situation none of them thought they’d ever be in, and the fact that they are really tests them as a family unit. Maggie’s a fiery one, so I’d keep an eye on Maggie.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

From Game of Thrones to Killing Eve, the Prince and Princess of Wales are big fans of TV – but one 92% rated espionage thriller has captured Princess Catherine’s attention

As the winter chill sets in, many of us are opting for cosy nights in front of the telly rather than braving the cold outdoors, and seems likely that Prince William and Kate Middleton are dooing something similar.

While Royal enthusiasts eagerly anticipate more appearances from the Prince and Princess of Wales, particularly as she marks a year of cancer remission this month, it’s likely that Catherine will be looking forward to some downtime at home.

However, as the Princess of Wales rings in her 44th birthday, there’s a bit of a dampener – no confirmed release date for the second series of one of her favourite TV shows, a spy thriller boasting an impressive 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Black Doves, a gripping espionage series masterminded by Joe Barton for Netflix, was one of December 2024’s standout hits and was greenlit for a second series before its inaugural season had even concluded.

The series, starring big names like Keira Knightley, Ben Wishaw, and Sarah Lancashire, revolves around a group of freelance spies whose cover is threatened. Black Doves zeroes in on undercover agent Helen Webb, portrayed by Oscar nominee Kiera Knightley, who finds her covert identity at risk after her lover is killed by figures within London’s criminal underworld.

The programme captivated audiences, with one typical response online stating: “I thought Black Doves on Netflix was pretty good and entertaining. Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw are great as a team of clandestine spies and assassins. Absolutely deserves the second season. Can’t wait.”

Another viewer gushed: “Black Doves was fantastic television. So damn good! !” A third added: “If you love a British political/espionage thriller, Black Doves is a masterpiece. Slick script, superb characters, smashing storyline. Heavy on irony and good old fashioned violence.”

This marks another occasion where William and Kate have revealed their television tastes. During a trip to the BAFTA offices in central London, where he discovered details about a bursary granted in his honour, William admitted his passion for the Jason Bourne series.

When encountering Paul Greengrass, who helmed three of the six films, William enthusiastically enquired “another Bourne, another Bourne”. The filmmaker allegedly replied with chuckling and a head shake.

Swiss filmmaker Edward Berger was linked to the project for several months but subsequently declared “It’s really not clear whether… I’m doing that film or not”. Currently, the prospects for William’s cherished Bourne franchise appear uncertain.

Another William and Catherine favourite facing an unclear future is the BBC’s hit series Killing Eve, starring Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh. During a 2019 visit to a BAFTA exhibition, William reportedly confessed his fondness for the series.

Show producer Sally Woodward Gentle and costume designer Phoebe de Gaye revealed that the prince “apparently… has watched it all”.

“He [Prince William] said he loved it. He talked about the dark humour of it, and Jodie [Comer] and Sandra [Oh], how amazing they both are. And he talked about the humour you get through the costumes, which is what Phoebe is so clever at,” Gentle disclosed.

Whilst the programme concluded with its fourth series in 2022, persistent speculation continues about a potential spin-off, possibly centred on the early years of Fiona Shaw’s character, Carolyn Martens.

Prince William has revealed that he and Kate, 42, were equally keen on watching episodes of Game of Thrones. The Royal pair even told actor Tom Wlaschiha, famous for playing Jaquan H’ghar in the drama, that they have “watched every series”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 1 in 2017, William declared their passion for the programme, describing them as “big fans” and advising: “You should definitely watch Game of Thrones, that’s worth watching.”

Beyond television, Prince William is recognised for his love of music, an interest he shares with his children, George and Charlotte. He disclosed on Apple’s Time To Walk podcast in December 2023 that the youngsters frequently bicker over song choices during their morning routines.

The musical inclinations of the Wales family were put in the spotlight when William, accompanied by Charlotte and George, made international headlines after snapping a selfie with pop superstar Taylor Swift. Marking his 42nd birthday, the future monarch was spotted having a grand time at Swift’s concert at Wembley Stadium with his children.

The period drama first aired back in 2021 and features the likes of James Norton, Eleanor Tomlinson and Tom Riley.

Next month, ITV viewers are in for a treat as a popular supernatural period drama is set to land on the streaming platform.

The Nevers, which is originally a Sky Atlantic and HBO series, was first released five years ago in 2021 and consists of 12 episodes, which were split into two instalments.

Set in 1896 Victorian London, it follows a community that is rocked to its core after a supernatural event.

As a result, the event gives people, mostly women, abnormal abilities from the wondrous to the disturbing. This group are then given the name the ‘Touched’.

A synopsis for the show reads: “But no matter their particular ‘”turns,'” all who belong to this new underclass are in grave danger.

“It falls to mysterious, quick-fisted widow Amalia True (Laura Donnelly) and brilliant young inventor Penance Adair (Ann Skelly) to protect and shelter these gifted “orphans.” To do so, they will have to face the brutal forces determined to annihilate their kind.”

The cast features the likes of James Norton, who takes on the role of Hugo Swan, a morally ambiguous aristocrat who runs a secret club. Although he’s fascinated by the touched, he exploits the supernatural group for entertainment.

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Also in the supernatural drama in Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson, who plays the gentle but resilient singer Mary Brighton in the series.

ITV viewers will also see the likes of Olivia Williams, Tom Riley, Rochelle Neil and Amy Manson in The Nevers.

Pip Torrens, Denis O’Hare, Zackary Momoh, Elizabeth Berrington, Kiran Sawar, Anna Devlin, Viola Prettejohn, Ella Smith, Nick Frost and Ben Chaplin are also featured in the show.

Speaking to Radio Times in the past about the show, James said: “It’s so unpredictable and as a result it’s just so brave.”

“That’s what makes the series unique, I think. When you watch episode six, your mind will be blown. Ours was blown when we read it, so watching it is going to be an absolutely crazy experience!”

The series has received high praise in the past from fans as one person said: “This is a superb supernatural drama. Well acted, great characters and superbly produced. Well worth a watch, so you can make up your own minds.”

Another shared: “So far, I think this show is a cinematic masterpiece. Slow and deep storytelling, beautiful world-building and intriguing character-building. It sweeps you in. I definitely recommend.”

While someone else shared: “Have just binge watched the first six parts, I am totally hooked. This is a very original series that is really refreshing. It has great characters who you become really attached to. Some of the best television I’ve seen for a long time.”

ITV will launch The Nevers to stream for free on ITVX from February 1

Award-winning BBC comedy thriller Black Ops returns to BBC One tonight with Gbemisola Ikumelo and Hammed Animashaun reprising their roles alongside Tom Stourton and Nigel Havers

The critically acclaimed BBC comedy thriller, Black Ops, is set to return for a second series on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The first season of the show drew an impressive audience of 2.3 million viewers for its premiere episode, averaging 1.6 million across the entire series.

Gbemisola Ikumelo will be back in her role as Dom, with Hammed Animashaun reprising his character Kay, and Akemnji Ndifornyen returning as gang boss Tevin. This season also boasts a star-studded guest cast including Tom Stourton (Barbie, Poor Things), Nigel Havers (Chariots of Fire, Coronation Street), Annette Badland (Heartstopper, Ted Lasso), Ed Speleers (Star Trek: Picard, You), and Cathy Tyson (Help, Death in Paradise).

When asked about her decision to return for the second series, Gbemisola said: “Honestly, I think the love from the audience. Series one felt really, really special, and got a lot of love and recognition. How could you not want to do it again?”.

In response to whether she anticipated such an overwhelming response from viewers, Gbemisola, who also co-created and wrote the series, admitted: “Absolutely not. You always want to be able to put something out there, and if you’re proud of it, then great, and move on. But it was really lovely to hear how much love people had for this show.”

The upcoming season will see Dom and Kay working for MI5, but their roles are far from glamorous. As the synopsis teases: “They may be in the world of espionage, but their jobs are decidedly unglamorous – not everyone can be James Bond, someone has to do the admin.”

“All that changes when Dom meets a charismatic spy called Steve, offering the promise of more exciting, classified work. Dom and Kay soon find themselves embroiled in an escapade that tests their wits, their friendship, and their love of carnival to the limits.”

Speaking about what’s in store for series two, Gbemisola hinted: “It’s going to be a bigger, louder, crazier show. I’m actually quite shocked about the things we’ve been able to achieve in this series, so I’m looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to the things that I’m excited about.”

The second series launches on Thursday, January 8, available on BBC One or via BBC iPlayer from 9:30pm, reports the Express.

The opening episode’s synopsis reveals: “Dom and Kay are back and working at MI5, but they’re struggling to find their feet in the world of intelligence. Dom, ambitious and eager to prove herself, is frustrated to be stuck carrying out menial work in the archives, while Kay misses his former role as a PCSO, and the direct impact he had on the community. Dom takes a big gamble to impress a senior agent, with dangerous consequences for her and Kay.”

The series consists of eight half-hour episodes, airing weekly on Thursday evenings in the same time slot.

R. Scott Gemmill, the creator and showrunner of “The Pitt,” has always felt comfortable in a hospital.

He initially had ambitions of going into medicine — he studied gerontology, which explores the processes and problems of aging, and did some volunteer work at hospitals. He also took a nurse assistant course.

“I really thought I was going to try and get into a med school,” he said recently while seated in the recognizable lobby of the show’s fictional hospital set on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank. “I just wanted to have a job and medicine seemed like there was always going to be a need. I’m comfortable in a hospital. I wish I followed through on a certain level because I loved that ability to go in and solve problems. But my writing kicked in and that’s it — I never went back.”

But in TV land’s school of medicine, Gemmill has gone far. He did a rotation at Chicago’s County General Hospital, joining the writing staff of NBC’s popular medical drama “ER” in its sixth season. And now his turn at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, through HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” has been a breakout success, revitalizing the medical drama genre with a fresh spin on the format — each episode tracks one hour in a shift — and energizing its audience with a traditional weekly rollout. The Emmy-winning series returned Thursday for its second season that revolves around a shift on the Fourth of July. But the fireworks arrived well before that, with HBO Max announcing on the eve of the show’s premiere that the drama has been renewed for a third season.

In the hiatus before shooting began on this season’s finale, Gemmill, whose other TV credits include “Jag” and “NCIS: Los Angeles,” talked about the show’s momentum heading into the new season, navigating how personal to get with characters, and introducing a new doctor to the mix.

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1. Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby in Season 2 of “The Pitt.” (Warrick Page / HBO Max) 2. From left: Sepideh Moafi as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, Taylor Dearden as Dr. Melissa King, Katherine LaNasa as charge nurse Dana Evans, Gerran Howell as Dr. Dennis Whitaker and Supriya Ganesh as Dr. Samira Mohan in “The Pitt.” (Warrick Page / HBO Max)

You started breaking Season 2 last January, as people were discovering the show week to week. People love to be critical of sophomore seasons of a breakout hit. How did that shape the second season for you and the writers?

It was weird because we wrote [Season 1] without any feedback. Not just wrote it — we shot it and produced it. We had started thinking about Season 2 before people had responded. It was a slow build. I felt like the healthcare professionals found us first, then spread through word of mouth. We were just moving forward with what we thought were the next stages of these characters’ lives. It wasn’t until later on that the accolades came and there was more pressure then. When we first started, we didn’t know if anybody was going to watch or not. We had finished it without any pressure whatsoever because nobody had weighed in on it. It was a very rarefied situation, which was nice. We hope for the best. And it seemed to work out OK. There’s a little bit of concern going into the second season because we were successful, you wonder, can you maintain that? But we try not to focus on that, and just really focus on the characters and the stories and do what we did the first season — tell really authentic, strong stories.

The season picks up 10 months after that initial shift where we met everyone. How did you decide on the time jump, landing on July 4?

It really came from wanting to have Langdon [Patrick Ball] back, so I knew he had to do about 10 months of rehab. Then we were looking at what time of year would that be. We’re also somewhat limited by when we shoot in Pittsburgh. We decided to do the Fourth of July because it comes with a bunch of shenanigans.

Season 2 opens with a helmet-less Robby riding in on a motorcycle.

The motorcycle goes back to some part of Robby’s past. We don’t really talk about it, but it has a link to his father, and his father being a tinkerer of old cars and Robby needing a vacation, a hiatus of sorts. Pennsylvania is a no-helmet law [state]. And some of us who have motorcycles sometimes enjoy riding them without a motor helmet. It’s not a smart thing to do, and it speaks to Robby’s current attitude of a certain amount of carelessness on his part.

Yes, we learn that he’s going to be taking a three-month sabbatical. How soon will we discover what led to that? Is it an amalgamation of different things?

Yeah, he’s long overdue for a vacation. He knows that something’s not working in his life and this is one way he thinks that he can fix things.

How did you land on Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in Canada as his choice for a getaway?

It was a place I knew about and it just sounded like an interesting place for him to go that has some foreboding associations with it.

A new doctor, Baran Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), center, is brought in to oversee the ER unit on the eve of Dr. Robby’s (Noah Wyle) three-month sabbatical.

(Warrick Page / HBO Max)

The season introduces a new character, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, played by Sepideh Moafi, who’s going to be taking over when Robby is out. She’s an advocate of generative AI and trying to get everyone on board with this idea of saving time with charting. What were your conversations with doctors in the field about that topic and what intrigued you about how healthcare professionals are thinking about this technology?

She’s someone who’s a little different with her approach, a little more contemporary and forward, as opposed to Robby; he bridges contemporary medicine and old-school medicine with his relationship that he had with Dr. Adamson, who showed him a lot of the old-school techniques that he still has in his wheelhouse if he needs them. AI is pretty much here to stay and it’s infiltrating every aspect of our lives — medicine is no exception. I would say it’s still in its infancy in the ER, but there are ways that it’s trying to be implemented. Like any other tool, it has potential to be used wisely and potential for disaster. We’re not really exploring the disastrous side of it yet but just what the realities are. The fear is that it will make the doctors more efficient, especially with things like charting, but then will that time go back to the patients or will they just have to see more patients? And so they’ll have even less time. That’s the challenge at this point.

How do you feel about it in your own industry?

I try not to think about it. I guess I’m probably in denial more than anything. I don’t have any place for it and I don’t really want to really know too much about it at this point.

We see a lightness to Robby this season. He’s involved in a situationship at work. This is a workplace drama. It hasn’t shown us the interior lives of its staff beyond the nuggets they share during their shift. How much do you want the viewers to know about them versus how much do you want your actors to just understand their characters?

It comes with the job. He’s not a monk. He’s in a relationship of convenience more than anything. I don’t think he’s a long-term planner. The fact that he hasn’t had a vacation in forever is proof of that. Robby is very good at putting on a good face until he’s not. I think what we’ll see over the course of the season is that facade start to slide.

It’s a process. The 15-hour nature of the show limits how much of that information you can dole out organically, but it also allows you to be authentic in terms of how much you actually learn about someone in a day. Most of us not just spilling our guts and saying our life story to the people we work with. As we start the season, we’ll think about: What is the journey we’re going to take this character on, and what information needs to be learned in order to achieve that? And then what medical stories will help maybe bring that out. You do it in little layers.

Is there something coming up that you think will be particularly illuminating?

There’s some stuff about Robby. We pulled back a lot on it, but we’ll learn a little bit about him. We’ll learn some things about Whitaker [Gerran Howell]. We know what Langdon is going through, his marriage.

After taking leave to seek treatment for prescription drug addiction, Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) returns to work in “The Pitt.”

(Warrick Page / HBO Max)

To stay on Langdon — physicians and people in the healthcare profession are vulnerable to addiction for a variety of reasons. What was important for you in that storyline and what did you want to explore through him?

To show somebody who’s made a mistake and was doing their best to hide it as is sometimes the pattern of behavior. I don’t think most people enjoy their addiction. So, seeing someone who’s doing their best to try and heal themselves. Just because you’re going through the program and doing the steps, it doesn’t mean everyone’s going to welcome you back with open arms. There are still some bad feelings and you have to mend some bridges and fences along the way.

It’s not just Robby and Langdon. Langdon feels he owes a sort of mea culpa to almost everyone he works with, especially Santos [Isa Briones]. And whether or not she’s willing to accept that is debatable. Robby, obviously, has some really strong feelings about it because Langdon was his student, and he made Robby look kind of stupid. Robby is angry at himself for not seeing it.

How are you figuring out who’s going to shuffle in and out?

Some of it’s based on the reality; for instance — I was thinking of this today — next season would be Whitaker’s third year, so he has one more year to stay here, and then he would have to go. It’s really about where they are in their careers and what makes the most sense story-wise.

I want to talk about some of the procedures and cases that we’ll see this season because they’re pretty gnarly. Do you keep a log of cases and try to figure out how they can fit into the story as you go?

We never really start with the medicine. Sometimes we say the medicine is the wallpaper that reflects everything in the room, but what’s going on between the characters is really what’s at stake, and it’s either something going on between them and the patient, between the doctors and nurses, or internally. Ideally, it touches on a little bit of everything.

When we came back, I probably had 150 ideas of just cases. I don’t know how many of them we actually did. We had never done a hot toddler story, [where a child was overheated] but that is something that’s a real problem. That was one where we knew we were going to try and do that story, but whose is it going to be? Who does it reflect most? Then we work backwards into it. We pull from everywhere — things we think of, things we’ve heard, things we imagine. We don’t really do ripped-from-the-headlines, but we do things that seem like that because a lot of times we’re talking to professionals, asking them what was concerning them. What do they worry about? We’re extrapolating their concerns. That’s what happened with [Season 1’s] measles story. There was no measles outbreak when we wrote that story, but we knew, based on what was going on, that there would be eventually, and we just happened that the timing was in our favor.

Is there like a line you won’t cross in terms of squirm factor? Have you had to pull back?

I don’t think so, because we’ve never done anything for the sake of that. We’ve never done anything that’s not done in the ER. As long as it serves a story and a character, then I think it’s fair. We do something big for the finale that Abbot [Shawn Hatosy] and Robby are doing with a bunch of others — it takes all hands on deck. I’m interested to see how that comes out, and I’ve seen elements of it now that are terrific.

Can you share more of what kinds of topics or cases we’ll be seeing this season?

We did a sexual assault, [and] we’re looking at how budget cuts are affecting healthcare. There’s a story about someone who’s been rationing their insulin and the downsides of that.

When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law by the president, did you have a lot of calls with professionals?

Oh, yeah, because it’s a huge issue. You figure out with the changes in the Affordable Care Act, if you suddenly have 8 to 10 million people that don’t have insurance, what’s going to happen is they’re going to stop going to their doctors. Anything that was an issue is going to get exacerbated by not being treated. So, where do they end up? Well, they’re going to end up in the ER, but they’re going to be even sicker than they would have been. We’re going to get more people, and their conditions are going to be worse. It only makes what’s already a strained system even more likely to break. Because we were just starting to shoot in the summertime, we could make some adjustments, but I don’t remember going back and changing things. We saw it coming.

I know there had been some discussion about an ICE story? Will we see that this season?

Yes, we have some ICE agents show up, and how that affects people in the hospital. That’s been a tricky one to try and get right without being heavy-handed and being fair to everyone on both sides of that conversation. What else do we do this year? Some fun stuff. The kind of things you would expect over the Fourth of July weekend.

How do you feel about the shipping that’s taking shape with “The Pitt” fan base?

I’m not on social media, I’m not really a part of that. My writers would tell me about things like that. The Langdon-Mel of it — I’m like, he’s married. That’s more of a big brother relationship. And Abbot and Robby — I just sort of shake my head. Our show’s not really like that. It’s not a show where people are sneaking off to have sex in a closet or anything. Those things are very subtle. And we do see a little bit this season between a couple of people, but it’s very much secondary because it’s not something we actually see, per se.

Just as he did last season, Noah Wyle is writing again this season. He’s also directing. Tell me what it’s like when you have the lead of your show involved in different aspects of the show’s creative elements?

It’s really great because he’s up to speed on everything. And because he is the centerpiece of the show, I rely on Noah a lot for guidance and help figuring out how to steer through all the icebergs. He’s a good writer and he’s a good director, and it just adds a whole other level to the writers room, in terms of the connection between us and the set. He’s there right up until, basically, we start shooting. Even when we are shooting, if he has a day off, he’s in the room or we’ll do meetings at lunchtime so he can join in and weigh in. It was Noah’s idea to do the Shema prayer for his breakdown. That was a very coordinated effort because I knew I was asking a lot of him. That’s what’s really nice about having Noah be a writer and a director. He has the vernacular to have these conversations about what he needs from me to get him to where he needs to be. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.

R. Scott Gemmill on the pressure that comes with having a breakout hit: “There’s a little bit of concern going into the second season because we were successful, you wonder, can you maintain that? But we try not to focus on that, and just really focus on the characters and the stories and do what we did the first season — tell really authentic, strong stories.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Do you ever worry about him being overextended?

Yes. That’s why I don’t mind when he has a day off. But he’s just gonna fill it with work.

In Hollywood, when something’s a success, there’s an immediate impulse to figure out a way to broaden that success. Has there been talks of spinoffs, ways to build out the universe?

No, not really. We’ve talked about doing a night shift. In time, maybe that’s something we’ll explore. The show still has lots of life in it, so I wouldn’t want to distract from what we’re doing now. But I think there’s a potential to do all the craziness that comes out at night.

Like Dr. Al-Hashimi, you’ve had experience being the newcomer joining a well-oiled machine. Tell me about becoming a writer on “ER” in Season 6.

I hated it when I first went on. They had done so many stories already, and there were multiple stories told per episode, so they had gone through so many stories that it seemed like anything I suggested was already done. They all felt like Ivy League professors and I was a college dropout; I felt like I so didn’t belong there. I remember calling my wife and saying, “I hate this. This is horrible. I should never have left ‘Jag.’” But over time, I found my way and found my voice on the show.

That was the season with one of the episodes I revisit often — when Dr. Carter (Wyle) gets stabbed.

I remember having a big debate over whether Kellie Martin’s eyes should be open or closed. I was adamant that she had to have her eyes open. I’m glad I won, but that was intense. The whole show was very intense.

George Clooney has teased that he would be open to the idea of appearing on “The Pitt.” Could you see a world where that happens?

I take that with a grain of salt but, hey, I’m up for anything. I’ll try anything once.

What I appreciated about the season finale last year, especially in this world of TV where you feel like you need to have this epic cliffhanger, was how true to life it felt. Since you’ll be shooting the finale in January, what can you share about how you’re thinking about it?

There’s something really fun at the end of this season. I hope that we do it as a little Easter egg for the fans in the finale, so I’m looking forward to doing that.

The emotional one-off special last year saw Stephen Mulhern break down in tears.

ITV has commissioned three more Accidental Tourist specials which will see Stephen Mulhern joined by Ant and Dec in a bid to face more of his fears and phobias.

During an episode which aired late last year, the presenter travelled to South Korea and filmed emotional scenes as he reflected on the death of his dad.

Speaking about his late dad, Christopher, Stephen broke down in tears, saying: “As a family, we know what we like and that’s what we do, and we always have. I am scared, I find my phobias so frustrating, but it’s time to make change, and the change is now.”

The episode saw Stephen attempt to overcome his food phobias and fear of the sea, and continued after mentioning his late father: “If I was to tell my dad this, my dad passed away at the start of the year…sorry.” Struggling to get his words out, he whispered: “He wouldn’t believe it. I hope… he’d be proud.”

ITV has now confirmed Stephen will embark on an unknown journey and leave behind his creature comforts.

The broadcaster teased: “Travelling to South Korea opened Stephen’s eyes to a brand new culture, but there is still a long way to go.

“The trip proved such a success that Stephen made some much needed changes to his life back in the UK, but he’s slipping back into his old ways.

“Not wanting to undo the impressive progress he’d already made during his trip to South Korea, Stephen has decided he needs to spread his wings further and who better to help once again than his close pals Ant and Dec.

“With their support, further encouragement from his family and a little help from social media, Stephen will again find himself thrust into the unknown as he attempts to navigate unfamiliar territories in the hope to quell some of his life limiting phobias.”

Stephen shared: “The response to my trip to South Korea has been so overwhelming and the amount of people that related to the worries and fears I have has blown me away.

“I was so proud of what I achieved that I planned to book a trip to Japan on my return, but what did I do instead? I booked an all inclusive trip to the Algarve!

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new ** Everything Gossip ** website

“I don’t want to undo the good work I achieved so I’ve asked Ant and Dec to help me again. I need that little loving shove in the right direction, otherwise I fear I’ll slip back into my old ways.

“I’m still scared but this time I’m a little excited too, I know I can do this…. Or at least give it a good go!”

Ant said: “We are so proud of Stephen, we never thought he would accomplish what he did in South Korea – if we’re honest, we weren’t even sure he’d get on the plane! We loved seeing how much of a positive impact the trip had on his life, but we’ve noticed his old ways creeping back in… so when he said he was up for another trip, we were only too happy to oblige.

Dec added: “Unbeknown to Stephen, we have a long list of places we’d love him to experience that will hopefully help him get over more of his fears and phobias, which we know he’s keen to try and conquer. We can’t wait to see what he will accomplish during his next adventures!”

Sue Murphy, Director of Factual Entertainment and Kate Teckman, Head of Development and Commissioning Editor also said, “We are delighted to be building on the success of the Accidental Tourist with Ant and Dec and Stephen with this exciting new series. The audience has clearly enjoyed seeing them together in a new light in such a personal project, as have we.”

Accidental Tourist is available to watch on ITVX

A fan-favourite star from Stranger Things took on a minor Game of Thrones role before becoming a household name

Joseph Quinn, known for his role in Stranger Things, had a minor part in HBO’s smash-hit fantasy series Game of Thrones, and fans are just now discovering this unexpected link.

The British actor is most recognised for his portrayal of the standout character Eddie Munson in the fourth series of Netflix’s popular supernatural horror drama.

He has since secured the iconic role of Johnny Storm, also known as the Human Torch, in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and will be playing George Harrison in the eagerly awaited four-part Beatles cinematic event.

However, before he became a familiar face, he played a small role in the seventh and penultimate season of Game of Thrones as Koner, a soldier loyal to House Stark.

In the episode titled The Spoils of War, Koner is seen guarding Winterfell’s gate alongside fellow soldier Henk (played by Danny Kirrane) when Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) arrives and insists on being let in, reports the Express.

The soldiers mock her and dismiss her, believing Arya to be dead, and instruct her to leave when she requests to see Jon Snow (Kit Harington), who they inform her is thousands of miles away.

Eventually, Arya manages to bypass the soldiers by warning them of severe repercussions if her sister and the castle’s head, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner), learns of their refusal to let her in.

Koner and Henk argue over who will accompany her to Sansa, while Arya seizes the opportunity to sneak through the gates.

Viewers who haven’t watched the episode since its original broadcast in 2017 were left gobsmacked after a recent Reddit discussion jogged their memories about the Stranger Things actor’s early television role.

“I was today years old when I realized that Joseph Quinn (who plays Eddie in Stranger Things) was also in GoT!” one fan wrote.

Another viewer on X recently made the connection as well, writing: “Love when you go back to an older show and notice a now established actor in the start of their career.

“Joseph Quinn in Game of Thrones. Never realised he was in it.”

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Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.

This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things.

Interestingly, Quinn’s episode was helmed by Matt Shakman, who would later go on to direct him in The Fantastic Four.

The actor has also featured in films including Gladiator II and Warfare, as well as BBC dramas Strike and Small Axe.

He’s set to return as the Human Torch in Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives in cinemas towards the end of 2026.

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix. Game of Thrones is available on Sky and NOW.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

A fundraiser aimed at keeping Mickey Rourke housed has hit the brakes temporarily after the Oscar-nominated actor rejected more than $100,000 from fans and supporters earlier this week.

On Thursday, the GoFundMe page had a “donations paused” tag on it while Kimberly Hines, Rourke’s manager of nine years, addressed the situation in an update.

“Thank you so much for your generosity and for standing with Mickey during this time,” she wrote. “Your support truly means a great deal to us, and we are grateful for every donation. We remain committed to finding a resolution and are working with Mickey to determine the next steps.”

Rourke, 73, said in a video posted Monday that he didn’t know who set up the campaign. The effort, ostensibly aimed at keeping Rourke in his home when he faced eviction because of nearly $60,000 in unpaid rent, was set up Sunday by members of his management team and raised more than its $100,000 goal by Tuesday morning. Dozens of the more than 2,700 people who donated also posted messages about how much the actor’s films had meant to them over the years.

“I wouldn’t know what a GoFund foundation is in a million years,” said Rourke, who was a leading man in the 1980s with movies including “Barfly” and “Angel Heart” and was Oscar-nominated for his work in 2008’s “The Wrestler.” “My life is very simple and I don’t go to outside sources like that.”

He said later in the video that he “would never ask strangers or fans for a nickel. That’s not my style. You ask anyone who knows me. It’s humiliating and it’s really f— embarrassing.”

Rourke said that he wound up in “a really bad situation” with the house he had been renting for years in Beverly Grove. New owners bought the place, wouldn’t fix anything, he said, and raised the rent to $7,000 a month from $5,200. He alleged that the floors were rotted, there was no running water in a couple of places there should have been and the place was infested with rodents.

Rourke was served with notice of eviction in December, with the landlords also looking to recapture $59,100 in unpaid rent for 2025. Ricardo Villalobos, the attorney representing owner Eric Goldie in the eviction case, did not reply to The Times’ request for comment about Rourke’s allegations. The eviction paperwork, reviewed by The Times, was filed Dec. 29.

Hines did not respond to The Times’ request for comment but spoke with the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday, telling the trade that it wasn’t true that Rourke didn’t know the origins of the fundraiser. She validated some of the things he said about the condition of the property and added a few details of her own. In her GoFundMe update Thursday, she included a link where donors who wanted a refund could submit a claim. The fundraiser lists Hines as the beneficiary.

She told the trade outlet that she and her assistant ran the fundraiser idea past Rourke’s assistant and everyone thought it might be helpful. Hines and her assistant arranged for movers and a U-Haul to help Rourke, got the “Iron Man 2” villain and his three dogs out and into a nearby hotel and secured an apartment for him to move into soon in Koreatown, she said, before his landlords were to change the locks that day on what she called an “uninhabitable” house.

“Nobody’s trying to grift Mickey. I want him working. I don’t want him doing a GoFundMe,” said Hines, who fronted the money Rourke needed in an “emergency” situation. “The good thing about this is that he got four movie offers since yesterday. People are emailing him movie offers now, which is great because nobody’s been calling him for a long time.”

The actor “doesn’t know the word moderation,” she told THR. “So he either has a lot or has nothing. He lives check to check.” Hines said it was time for a reality check with her client about living within his means off Social Security and income from any work that might come his way.

In his video, Rourke took some responsibility for his situation.

“Listen, I’ve done a really terrible job in managing my career. I wasn’t very diplomatic. I had to go to over 20 years of therapy to get over the damage that was done to me years ago, and I worked very hard to get through that,” the “9½ Weeks” star said. “I’m not that person anymore.”

After telling supporters they should get their money back, he added, “Like all storms, this’ll pass, and I’ll go to work and things will get back to whatever normal is.” Until then, don’t worry about him, he said, because he’s grateful for what he has.

“I’ve got a roof over my head, I’ve got food to eat. … I don’t need anybody’s money, and I wouldn’t do it this way. I’ve got too much pride. This ain’t my style.”

The total amount pledged to the fundraiser had dropped from more than $100,000 earlier this week to a little less than $97,000 Thursday after it was paused. Late Wednesday, Rourke’s Instagram page reposted a World Boxing News story summing up the reason for the pause.

A snapshot of fire-ravaged Altadena is laid out before me, hovering like a diorama. My eyes zero in on a red door, its frame one of the few surviving remnants of a home. I pull it closer to me, and in moments I see a fraction of the house as it once was — now I’m in a cozy kitchen with blurred but welcoming pictures in the background and a grandfather celebrating a birthday. A voice-over tells me that it was Alexander, a grandfather, who painted the door red.

It’s as if a memory has sprung to life and exists solely in the ether in front of me. But in seconds it’s gone, and I see only rubble — scattered bricks and tiles, tree branches and wooden boards.

I shed a tear, but it’s obscured by the virtual reality headset I’m wearing. I am experiencing a work-in-progress segment of the multimedia documentary “Out of the Ashes,” which will be previewed Friday evening at a Music Center event demonstrating how emerging technologies can help people process collective experiences such as the L.A. fires.

Musician David Low and his family in virtual reality film “Out of the Ashes,” which shows the destruction — and reconstruction — of the Palisades and Eaton fires.

(The Mercantile Agency)

Filming is continuing on the project, which began just days after the flames ignited. Filmmaker, academic and virtual reality pioneer Nonny de la Peña secured media access to the burn zones for her and a small team via her role as the program director of narrative and emerging media at Arizona State University, which she operates out of offices in downtown Los Angeles. “I knew that this was going to be transitory type of situation, that it was going to change quickly,” says De la Peña, co-director on the film with Rory Mitchell. “I’ve covered enough disaster stories to know how huge this was.”

De la Peña has long been at the forefront of merging immersive technologies and journalism. Her 2012 project “Hunger in Los Angeles,” for instance, was the first VR documentary to screen at Sundance. “I think this technology is unique,” De la Peña says. “I’ve seen a lot of helicopter footage, but when you’re right there in it, it’s a different perspective as to what happened.” For this documentary, she partnered with Mitchell, an independent filmmaker, whose augmented-reality tabletop experience “The Tent” premiered at SXSW last year.

In my preview of “Out of the Ashes,” one segment whisks me to the coastline. If I angle my head down, I see the glistening lights of the Santa Monica Pier. Look up ever so slightly, however, and the sky is charred red and black. I hear a cello, and soon musician David Low stands before me, recounting the day the flames began and the rush to remove his young son from school to help rescue a smattering of heirlooms.

The family saved a few plushies and a couple prized musical instruments, but in the urgency to leave, not much else. He sits at a kitchen table, reconstructed in VR from family photos, but the rest of the home has vanished. As I see glimpses of Low’s home before and after the fires, I again feel as if I’m standing in a liminal space, a remembrance but also a reminder. Low exists only as a 3D figure before me, but I wish I could reach out my hand.

The instinct to extend a hand feels natural in virtual reality, as it’s visceral and creates a sense of presence. And it also seems a part of the mission for “Out of the Ashes,” a work as much about the effects of the fires as it is a vessel for collective grief and empathy. “Sometimes, you just need someone to say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry that happened to you.’ Sometimes you just need someone to hug you,” says De la Peña. “When you lose that much, it’s sometimes hard to fathom.”

Landscape architect Esther Margulies discusses which trees did and didn’t burn in the Palisades and Eaton fires in the virtual reality film “Out of the Ashes.”

(The Mercantile Agency)

Adds Mitchell, “We understand the numbers and acreage,” he says before rattling off a host of fire statistics. “But it’s only through story that we can begin to wrap our hearts and brains the scale of the emotional devastation, and the psychic pain that the city has gone through. Maybe this can provide a way into this collective pain and a way to talk about it.”

Another aspect of “Out of the Ashes” is augmented reality, which will also be shown at the Music Center event. The tech is used to capture short snapshots of scenes from Altadena and the Palisades.

Retired professor Ted Porter, for instance, recalls buying a loaf of his late wife’s favorite bread when the winds first started, thinking he may need something to nibble on if the power went out. Melissa Rivers talks of grabbing photos of her late father, and running for her mother’s Emmy, recalling how meaningful the award was to Joan. “I don’t know why I grabbed what I grabbed,” Rivers says. “It’s just what I did.” They’re short scenes in which a small item floats before us, and they’re reflective of life’s unpredictability, but also how, in times of stress, our minds race to the symbols that truly matter to us.

“Part of what this process is, is trying to provide a space for the folks directly affected by it, who are trying to rebuild their lives and explain to their children what happened,” Mitchell says. “Everyone is going to process at difference speeds and in different ways, but to do that collectively and communally is the hope with this.”

The Friday event, officially dubbed the Music Center’s Innovation Social: Reflections on Loss, Hope and Renewal, will also include a live musical performance by survivors of the Eaton fire. Guests will additionally have the ability to learn how to use 3D scanning tools via their smartphones to begin to create their own short, memory-filled clips. Acorns will also be given away as representations of resilience, and audio interviews of those who experienced the fires will be collected into a sound collage.

De la Peña and Mitchell say they have more work to do on the film, which, when completed, can be brought to festivals or become its own touring exhibition. “We want people to know what we’ve gone through,” Mitchell says.

And what we continue to experience. One virtual reality segment centers on landscape architect Esther Margulies discussing the effects of climate change and the importance of planting California live oaks — “ember catchers,” says Mitchell — rather than palm trees. In the headset, we see Mitchell standing amid fire-burned trees, a stark, dreadful landscape. This contrasts soon, however, with the surviving oaks, shown standing grandly among empty, otherwise deserted streets. Amid much despair, they’re framed as one small symbol of hope.

When Liz Wilson saw the Eaton fire advancing, from her home in Pasadena last year, she knew that life would never be the same in her corner of Southern California. On Wednesday, the one-year anniversary of the disaster, A Concert for Altadena felt like the most optimistic place to be.

“People didn’t just lose their homes, they lost their community,” Wilson said, in the lobby of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium where scores of local acts had gathered for the benefit show. Organizers booked it to raise funds for the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, and to give locals something hopeful to attend on the painful day of Jan. 7.

“This is not just a fundraiser, but a way to reconnect and show support for community that’s surviving,” she said. “Altadena was and is an arts community, that’s a big part of it. We have so many friends and neighbors continuing to figure out if they’re coming back, if they’re able to rebuild. The more distant you get from it, you may forget. But we haven’t.”

The anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires, beginning one of the city’s most difficult years in recent history, was largely marked by quieter reflections on the loss and how much work still laid ahead. But Altadena in particular was a historic community for musicians and artists. For them, getting together for a show felt like a natural way to honor the occasion and look ahead.

Kevin Lyman, the Vans Warped Tour founder and USC music industry professor, is a two-decade Altadena resident who was displaced from his home for four months after the Eaton fire. He organized the concert for the community to use the day to reconnect, and keep focus on the work left to do.

“In this business, I’ve got to be an optimist, and every day I see more trucks coming into Altadena with lumber and workers. You go away for a few days and see a frame of a new home. But then you go to the next block, and there are five empty lots,” he said.

“One of the hardest parts is that if you’re living up there, you can go two miles away and life just goes on,” he added. “You’ve got to remind people that we’re still here, people still can still use help. Artists that survived and reestablished themselves are here supporting artists that haven’t been.”

Altadena resident and actor John C. Reilly hosted the night, noting the resilience of rebuilding efforts and tossing barbs at the utility company Southern California Edison, whose equipment ignited the fire: “A company that prioritized profits for shareholders over improving infrastructure,” as he put it. He pilloried President Trump’s reactions to the blaze: “He told us to go rake leaves? Go f— yourself, dude.”

The night highlighted ground-level activism from organizers like Heavenly Hughes of My Tribe Rise, who led the crowd in a raucous chant of “Altadena’s not for sale.” But the live performances found poignancy in the city’s spirit as a music town. L.A. Latin rock group Ozomatli started the night with a jubilant jam down the aisles, while Everclear’s Art Alexakis noted between riffs that after the Eaton fire displaced him, “I had to live in a hotel for five months, but I’m lucky.”

Travis Cooper drove down from Northern California for the show, moved by the ways Altadena held to its cultural identity after the Eaton fire. His parents lost a home in a fire in Redding a few years back, so “I can relate to how devastating that feels,” he said. “Even the threat of it growing up was horrific, so to have that actually happen was another level. But my parents had people donate clothes, places to stay, and that meant a lot to them, so we wanted to come support this community too.”

The headline act of the night was the Altadena folk-rock group Dawes, whose founders lost homes and gear in the Eaton fire. They’ve become emissaries for the neighborhood within the music industry, performing at last year’s Grammys just weeks after the fire.

At the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, they led a round robin of acts including Brad Paisley, the Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Aloe Blacc, Jenny Lewis and Rufus Wainwright. They were accompanied by vocal virtuosos Lucius and blues-rock rippers Judith Hill and Eric Krasno, each fixtures in the local music community trying to rebuild itself in the wake of the Eaton fire.

Altadena is a deeply intergenerational community, and the crowd felt the decades of L.A. music history in Stephen Stills coming out for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” next to a younger act like Lord Huron covering the Kinks’ “Strangers.”

Dawes is a veteran L.A. act, and songs like “All Your Favorite Bands” had new texture in the light of how the fire upended the lives of so many artists. “I hope the world sees the same person that you always were to me,” Taylor Goldsmith sang. “May all your favorite bands stay together.”

For those bands still trying to stay together, the night was redemptive. Jeffrey Paradise, the Poolside frontman who lost his home in the Palisades fire, DJed the concert’s official after-party. He’s since relocated to Glassell Park, and acknowledged that the fires are still a challenging topic, for him and for friends trying to support those displaced.

“It’s hard to talk about because so many things are mixed up in it,” he said. “It was the worst year of my life, but also great and heartwarming to see support from people. It’s so hard to answer how you’re doing because I don’t have an easy answer,” he said.

A concert like this was one way to acknowledge the gravity of last year’s loss, but also to raise money to help everyone get back to the land, people and music they love.

“It’s a disaster, and we’re getting through a disaster. I want to be resilient and help others, and do what I can to move forward,” he said. “It forces you to reinvent who you are and redefine what matters. I don’t have an option not to.”

Jim McBride, the Grammy-nominated country songwriter who partnered with singer Alan Jackson on songs including “Chattahoochee” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” died Tuesday. He was 78.

“Jim was a good man and a great and genuine songwriter,” Jackson wrote on Thursday in an Instagram story. “He understood country music and touched many with his songs. Jim and I wrote some of my favorite songs together and I don’t know if my career would have ended up quite the same without his help, inspiration, and encouragement in my early years. Thank you Jim, rest in peace.”

Jackson’s photo showed him and McBride as younger men, smiling and holding ASCAP certificates. In 1994, “Chattahoochee” won the Country Music Assn.’s award for song of the year and they were nominated for the Grammy for country song of the year as well.

“I am in shock. I am devastatingly sad. My phone has been ringing and dinging all day, so I hope my friends will understand I’m just not able to talk right now,” songwriter and close friend Jerry Salley wrote Wednesday on Facebook, noting that McBride died after a fall on Monday. McBride had texted Salley just hours before falling, the latter said.

“I’ll never know why he took a chance to write with me” when they met in Nashville in the early 1980s, Salley wrote, “but man, we hit it off, became instant friends, and loved being in the writing room together. He always brought out the very best in me.”

Though best remembered for his Jackson collaborations, McBride’s songs were also recorded by artists including Conway Twitty, Johnny Lee, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Reba McEntire, Alabama, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Kris Kristofferson, Randy Travis, Toby Keith and Dwight Yoakam.

“We will greatly miss Mr. McBride — may his legacy live on forever,” the Alabama Music Hall of Fame said Wednesday on Instagram. The hall remembered the songwriter as a “beloved Alabamian, songwriter, friend, mentor, and so much more.”

Born Jimmy Ray McBride in Huntsville, Ala., on April 28, 1947, he began writing songs a child, but didn’t get one recorded until much later.

“The songs just started coming in my head and after a while I decided to try it,” he said in an interview published by American Songwriter at the end of 1997. “I just thought I’d write some songs and bring them to Nashville and see what happened.”

He said he was always drawn to anything about music and learned early on that “that little bitty name beneath the song was the person who wrote the song.”

McBride’s first bid sending songs to Nashville didn’t result in instant success. He knew only one guy in town, songwriter Curly Putman, who served as a mentor.

“Curly gave me good advice and he was always very honest. He told me, ‘Unless I’m honest I can’t help you,’” McBride told American Songwriter. “I’d play him a song and he’d tell me what was wrong with it and he was always right. But if there was something there, he would be sure and let me know that I had done something right. And he always encouraged me to get another opinion, but I never did; his opinion was always good enough for me.”

He saw several of his songs performed in the early 1970s on the show “Hee Haw,” but in the mid-’70s he wound up tucking his dreams away and staying at his job with the U.S. Postal Service. Even then, he kept writing songs with Roger Murrah, who would be a Grammy nominee in the early 1990s for “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” recorded by Jackson.

He promised Murrah and others that he would return to Nashville if he got “that big lick.” Then came Conway Twitty, who wanted the song “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn.”

“Roger called me one night and said, ‘I guess you need to pack your bags, we’ve got Conway’s next single,’” McBride told American Songwriter. “I quit the post office the day after Christmas, 1980, and then started work the first of January with Bill Rice and Jerry Foster. The only other writer they had was Roger Murrah.”

Events at that time were bittersweet for McBride, whose mother — his biggest musical influence growing up — died of cancer in 1981. She was buried the same day he was supposed to get his first music award, for “A Bridge That Just Won’t Burn.”

That September he had his first No. 1 hit, “Bet Your Heart On Me,” with singer Johnny Lee. And he fine-tuned his songwriting.

“I don’t think I’d ever had a bridge in a song until I moved here,” he told American Songwriter. “Another thing I had to unlearn was that I wasn’t Kristofferson. I cut back on the poetic stuff. I was writing a lot of stuff where every line had to be brilliant. Through the years, I learned to write conversational lines.”

McBride didn’t have a hit single again for six years, until Waylon Jennings recorded “Rose in Paradise,” his last No. 1 track, in 1987.

“I had songs on 14 albums and couldn’t get a single,” McBride told Huntsville’s News19 in 2023. “Randy Travis kinda kicked the door open and Waylon.” After that, McBride said, “Things started picking up.”

That’s when he met Alan Jackson, with whom he would have four No. 1 hits, “Chattahoochee” being the biggest of them.

“He said, ‘Will you write with me?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, let’s get together,’” McBride told News19. “So, we got together and hit it off just like that. It was like writing with myself, really.”

McBride was inducted into both the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2017 and was a past president of the Nashville Songwriters Assn. International.

But for more than 30 years, that hit song “Chattahoochee” was a part of his life — especially the one line at the beginning where it talks about it getting “hotter than a hoochie coochie” down on the Chattahoochee River, which borders Alabama and Georgia. Everyone wanted to know what that meant, apparently.

“Alan got tired of everyone asking him,” McBride told News19. “He told everybody to call me, and they did. When the county fair would come to town, there was always a side show with the hoochie coochie girls. So that’s what I was thinking. And the deal was if you were a young man, you’d try to get in there before you were 18.”

And why, pray tell?

“They’ll show you a little bit,” he said, “but you’re going to have to pay if you see any more.”

McBride is survived by his second wife, Jeanne Ivey, and sons Brent and Wes from a previous marriage.