A late-night comedy show on CNN? Yes, and it's a game show, too. Have I Got News for You, hosted by Roy Wood Jr. with Michael Ian Black and Amber Ruffin serving as team captains, tests players' knowledge of the news. "On regular late-night shows, you have to teach the audience what the news story is and then you can talk about it," Ruffin says. "Bu…

For Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, “it’s all about the work.” lately, she’s been working a lot. In the reimagining of CBS’ Matlock, Bates plays Madeline Matlock, a woman rejoining the workforce at a prestigious law firm in her senior years. The first season of the show, which “has caught fire with 10 million people,” says Bates, is such a success that C…

In the span of a week, former President Donald Trump went from working the drive through at McDonald’s to allegedly praising Adolf Hitler’s generals while president. Can you tell we’re just mere weeks away from election day? And in some ways, it feels like everybody is looking for an October surprise, yet it feels like with every new shocking piece…

Bridget Everett never thought she’d be the lead of a TV show. “I come from the downtown world in New York, a cabaret singer, and these things just don’t happen, you don’t find yourself with three seasons of HBO. It just doesn’t happen.” But it happened. On Somebody Somewhere (October 27), Everett plays Sam, a woman struggling through a midlife cris…

George Lopez has done a lot in his long career. But now, with NBC’s Lopez vs Lopez, George knows what’s most important “is the people you get to be around and get to talk to.” One of those people includes his daughter, Mayan Lopez, who he created the show with. The two play fictionalized versions of themselves as they rekindle their estranged relat…

This week saw Kamala Harris entering enemy territory with her Fox News interview. Will it help or hurt her? As that was going on, everyone was still reacting to former President Donald Trump jamming out to a playlist that seemingly hasn’t been updated since 1993. Oh, and are we close to Erik and Lyle Menendez being released from prison? H. Alan Sco…

Asher Grodman is perfectly fine playing a ghost on CBS’ Ghosts who walks through the afterlife without any pants. “I don’t really want to die in the state that Trevor died. It would be nice to have pants on.” But for now, Grodman is OK with it if it means he gets to continue to play Trevor, a former stockbroker who died of a drug-induced heart atta…

Jenny Slate is ready to be herself. “I think what is [evident] in my work is that through my own journey, not just through motherhood, but my own connection with myself as a developing artist, is that I just don’t feel myself flailing anymore.” She’s writing about this confidence in her new book of essays Lifeform (Little, Brown and Company, Octobe…

Mikey Madison has been dreaming of a film like Anora since she started acting as a teenager on Better Things. “It’s been a dream of mine to have that kind of collaboration with a filmmaker like Sean [Baker].” That dream has come true in a big way, with the film and her performance picking up a lot of awards buzz. “I’m so happy that people are excit…

Is Donald Trump weaponizing tragedy by stirring up anger with his response to the various hurricane this week? And will Kamala Harris’ media blitz on shows like the podcast Call Her Daddy, The View and Howard Stern help or hurt her? And finally, is Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump ethical? Newsweek’s Alex Backus joins H. Alan Scott to break down th…

There’s already a lot of pressure playing one character based on a real person, but two? And in the same movie? That’s exactly what Nicholas Braun does in Saturday Night (October 11), playing both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman as they, and the rest of the cast, prepare for the first live taping of Saturday Night Live. But Braun wasn’t really intimida…

Jack Smith’s federal case against former President Donald Trump revs up yet again, but what impact will it have on the election? (Do we still care about January 6th? And why can’t Smith quit Trump?) Also, could a small yet significant change to Apple’s iOS 18 mean the end of social media? (We could only be so lucky, right?) And finally, Ryan Murphy…

We just experienced something we haven’t seen in years in this country, a civil debate between two politicians. Senator J.D. Vance and Govenor Tim Walz faced off in what is likely to be the last debate of this presidential election year. How did Walz respond to those fabrication allegations? And why doesn’t Vance want to be fact checked? (OK, I gue…

We’ve reached the end of September and it’s officially Fall. While the rest of us settle in for those cozy autumn vibes, the two campaigns are making it a fight to the finish heading into October. Will there be an October surprise and what can we expect from the Vice-Presidential debate between Governor Tim Walz and Senator JD Vance next week? Also…

Netflix knows exactly what millennials want, and it's to see Adam Brody and Kristen Bell fall in love. "We're a generationally approved couple. There is something nice to the familiarity there," Brody says. In Nobody Wants This (September 26), Brody plays Noah, a "modern" rabbi who falls for Joanne (Bell), an irreverent, non-Jewish woman who is hop…

"Can you imagine if the air was just filled with dust particles and you literally could not breathe?" That's what Sarah Paulson is tackling in her new film Hold Your Breath (October 3). Paulson plays Margaret, a Dust Bowl-era mother who's slowly descending into madness after being plagued by a perceived spirit. "The moment you're confronted with a …

Leslie Grossman thought she knew everything about Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers convicted of the 1989 murder of their parents, because she grew up in the same community. “I came to learn that the reality is so much more insane than you could ever imagine.” In Ryan Murphy’s latest season of Monster (Netflix, September 19), Grossman plays Judalon …

Zachary Quinto has played doctors before, but he’s “never played a doctor like” the one he plays on NBC’s Brilliant Minds (September 23). Quinto plays Dr. Oliver Wolf, “based on a real-life person called Oliver Sacks, who was a world renowned, iconic neurologist and prolific author, complex, interesting, dynamic, beautiful person.” One of the thing…

After another Trump assassination attempt is thwarted, the two campaigns point blame at each other for the heightened rhetoric... using heightened rhetoric. Speaking of unnecessary rhetoric, the Where’s Waldo of former White House press secretaries, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the current governor of Arkansas, took a jab at Vice President Kamala Harris…

It’s never fun to be the first one voted off a reality show, but that’s exactly what just happened to Pod Save America’s Jon Lovett on ‘Survivor.’ Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott recaps this wild week in reality TV (Anna Delvey on Dancing with the Stars was interesting) and chats with Jon about being the first one voted off. See Privacy Policy at https://…

Bestselling author Rumaan Alam is happy to come out of hiding to promote his new novel Entitlement (September 17). “I spend all of my time here in this room hunched over this very computer, it's nice to have an opportunity to exist outside of that.” After the massive success of his last book, Leave the World Behind, Alam is once again focusing on c…

Fresh off his Tony nomination for Mother Play, Jim Parsons is back on Broadway in Our Town. So, does he not like taking a break? "Until [Big Bang Theory] wrapped in 2019, I did not really know what it was to take a break that was not only extended, but also uncertain." The reason for back-to-back shows—besides theater being "more alive for me now a…

Taylor Swift has officially declared herself THE childless cat lady after endorsing Kamala Harris. What impact will it have on the election? Also, we now have a trailer and release date for the Donald Trump biopic ‘The Apprentice,’ and we also know why he doesn’t want you to see it. Finally, who will win at the Emmys this year? To help make sense o…

When you think of Mormons, you don’t usually think of soft-swinging. But for a group of social media influencers, it was not only a fact, but also the perfect opportunity for a reality show. (Because it’s 2024 and that’s what we do now.) Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows Taylor Frankie Paul, the leader of a group of women known as Mom…

For Terry Crews, there are no rules. “There used to be so many rules. They used to say, ‘you can’t do TV, you must only do movies, you can’t do commercials.’” But Crews has proven you can do all of those things and more. He just joined pal Dave Bautista in The Killer’s Game (September 13). Crews loves that it’s funny, saying “to make people laugh i…

We just experienced what is likely to be the only debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and it was raining cats and dogs. (More on that in a bit.) The big question is, who won? Did Kamala Harris define herself? And was Donald Trump able to stay on message? H. Alan Scott was joined by Newsweek’s Jesse Edwards…

Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney is just as much of a ‘Sopranos’ fan as you and I are. That’s why he’s turning his attention to ‘Sopranos’ creator David Chase in his new two-part HBO documentary ‘Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos.’ The doc looks at the origins of what inspired the Emmy-winning series and how it pulls from Chase’s own li…

As Kamala Harris bunkers down in debate prep, Donald Trump is preparing by doing a lot of nothing. “Not a lot to do,” he told a New Hampshire radio station. Meanwhile, Republicans like John McCain’s son Jimmy and former Rep. Liz Cheney have said they’re voting for Harris. As all this is going on, RNC co-chair, Lara Trump, has decided to dabble in m…

Carrie Coon is having such a moment right now, even though you may not recognize her. (And she’s fine with that.) “I rarely am recognized. It may be the age I am, partly, but it's also I don't present in the world like any kind of film star.” The Emmy-nominated star of The Gilded Age will next be seen in Netflix’s His Three Daughters (September 20)…

In just one week former President Donald Trump got indicted (again), allegedly got into some kind of altercation at Arlington National Cemetery (how?), agreed to and then casted doubt on debating Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke to Dr. Phil and sold some trading cards. Comedian, actor and writer Jenny Yang joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to break…

Sometimes the scariest thing can be the things we take for granted: our personal devices. Cell phones, smart TVs, Siri, Alexa. That's exactly what John Cho must battle in Chris Weitz's new film AfrAId (August 30). "Siri and I have a bumpy relationship. I've been looking at her askance for years." Cho plays Curtis, a dad tasked with protecting his f…

When you've reached the level of stardom Nick Jonas has, you can pretty much do anything. But his fame isn't a factor for him when picking projects, the story is. "It's definitely helpful to work with brilliant people. And this one [The Good Half] is insane." In the film, Jonas plays Renn, who returns home for his mom's funeral. He says the movie "…

Ever since Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in King Richard, she's kept busy with three major upcoming projects. In Lee Daniel's The Deliverance (in theaters now; on Netflix August 30), she co-stars alongside Glenn Close and Mo'Nique. "I just hope they didn't catch me staring." She's following that up with Hulu's…

Kamala Harris is officially the Democratic nominee for president. As she wowed the crowd on the final night of the Democratic National Convention—who all were lowkey hoping Beyonce would make an appearance—Donald Trump was spiraling on Truth social, reacting in real time to her speech. Newsweek’s Jenni Fink and Jason Lemon join H. Alan Scott to bre…

Oprah Winfrey just picked Kamala Harris as her new favorite thing, will America do the same? If the impact of the Oprah Effect is real, then it’s a real possibility. Day three of the Democratic National Convention was filled with speeches from former President Bill Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttig…

Day two of the Democratic National Convention was filled with hope, change, and just a little bit of animosity. Can the fiery speeches from former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama inspire voters longing for more hope and change? Kamala Harris certainly hopes so. Newsweek’s Jenni Fink and Jason Lemon join H. Alan Scott to break down night t…

We’re reacting to day one of the Democratic National Convention. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden pass the torch to Kamala Harris in a night seemingly targeted at exciting the Democratic base while also courting those suburban women. Throughout the very long night, Democrats attempted to make the case for why Harris is the leader for this moment. Did …

The Democrats flood Chicago for the Democratic National Convention this week, and it’s sure to be a wild one. Will Kamala Harris lean in to the historic nature of her candidacy? How will Donald Trump respond? And will Beyonce make an appearance? All week long H. Alan Scott will be reacting to the DNC with Newsweek’s Jenni Fink and Jason Lemon. See …

Just like Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, Donald Trump should hire his own PR crisis manger after that chat he did with X’s Elon Musk. The big question after their conversation is are we seeing the downfall of Trump? (Probably not, let’s be real.) But is he, dare we say, becoming boring? Comedian and writer Eliot Glazer joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Sc…

The ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars certainly delivered. From the cast to the antics, it had it all. Today H. Alan Scott chats with the season’s winner, Angeria Paris VanMicheals, about what it was like to play for charity (the National Black Justice Collective), compete against the likes of Roxxxy Andrews and Plastique Tiara, and what…

We got off the couch to do this episode. (You hear that JD Vance?) From Vice President Kamala Harris picking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her VP pick to Robert Kennedy Jr. being into bears—it’s not what you think, or maybe it is?—we’ve got a lot to go over this week. Comedian and writer Brent Sullivan joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to react to al…

There was a time when it felt like everyone in America was watching American Idol. It made superstars out of contestants like Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood. But was there also something else going on? Did we ever question how many of the more marginalized contestants were treated? That’s something journalist Nico Lang explored in th…

The parting shot for this week was going to be about Vice President Kamala Harris’ nearly perfect week, but then former President Donald Trump went and said Harris isn’t really Black (which just defies logic) and well, that statement fully torpedoed all the news for the week. SiriusXM’s John Arthur Hill joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to react to al…

M. Night Shyamalan is probably the only person who looked at Josh Hartnett and thought he’d make a great serial killer, but Hartnett is glad he did. “This is going to surprise people. It’s a little bit different than other films that he’s made.” In Trap, Hartnett plays Cooper, a killer inadvertently lured to a concert with his teenage daughter as a…

It’s Sheryl Lee Ralph’s world, and we’re all just living in it. First, there’s her Emmy-winning turn as Barbara Howard on ABC’s Abbott Elementary, where she just picked up her third nomination in a category that includes icons like Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett. “Carol, Meryl and Sheryl! The company I keep. I was so thrilled.” But she’s also aware…

If you ask Bette Midler how she got her part in the new film ‘The Fabulous Four,’ it wouldn’t have anything to do with her legendary status as an Oscar-nominated actor. “I think they needed a ham, a big ole ham.” Midler plays Marilyn, a widow getting remarried who rekindles a friendship with three college girlfriends (Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ral…

The last day of the Republican National Convention proved to be memorable (and very, very weird). It involved Kid Rock (I know), Hulk Hogan (I KNOW) and a lot of awkward dancing to music you know those people at the convention center have never heard before. But it all culminated in Donald Trump’s highly anticipated speech as he accepted his party’…

When Lisa Kudrow was approached to star in a serialized adaptation of the 1981 film ‘Time Bandits’ for TV (July 24th on Apple TV+), she jumped at the chance to work with creators Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris. “I love the way they tell stories and their sense of humor.” In this version, Kudrow plays Penelope, the leader of a group …

Day three of the Republican National Convention featured the crowning of JD Vance as Trump’s VP pick, the return of Donald Trump Jr., and somehow Matt Gaetz’s face went viral. Listen as Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott recaps the third night of the convention with Newsweek’s Jenni Fink. All week H. Alan Scott will be reacting to the GOP Convention. Visit n…

Day two of the Republican National Convention played out like a reality show, with just as any reality TV show stars in attendance. It was a night of unity, a lot of kissing the ring of Donald Trump, and a lot of humanizing Trump. Listen as Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott recaps the second night of the convention with Newsweek’s Jenni Fink. (The two also …