She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has another plot-less episode that at least offers some character movement. by Jeremy Fogelman
The latest episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is called “The Retreat” and has only one fourth wall break, which I have to say I appreciated. That one moment is when Jen triggers a “Previously On this guy” which was honestly helpful because I was pretty sure I recognized the dude, but I wasn’t sure about it.
The episode was mainly about Jen dealing with more of her issues with reconciling her “Just Jen'' and She-Hulk personas and how they are differently seen by people. After she hooks up with the heavily foreshadowed as sinister Josh, in what’s shown as such an obviously cliched cutesy rom-com montage that you know it couldn’t end well, he completely ghosts her. I suspected it was more than just a classic ghosting, but the episode only strongly hints at it until the final moments.
My favorite moment of the whole episode (which wasn’t particularly effective) was when Jen watches the classic Great Muppet Caper scene where Miss Piggy breaks out of jail in a kind of Hulk moment of her own. But that thematic connection isn’t really thought out past the little reference.
Jen ends up going to check on Emil Blonsky due to a request of his parole officer, but then due to plot contrivances, has to stick around longer and see some of his vaguely cultish self-help retreat. We get a bunch of new low-rate enhanced types, including Man-Bull, El Águila, “Saracen”, and Porcupine, all super deep cut references. There were a lot of jokey asides here, but the only thing I felt was close to a decent joke was El Águila admitting he’d done some “light matadoring” in college. It’s a pretty cliched template for that punchline, but it was cute.
Her reconciliation with an apologetic Wrecking Crew dude that previously had attacked her to get her blood was a bit odd, because he seemed to be legitimately helpful. Has she forgotten that they were using Asgardian items? It seems a weird oversight to just ignore that the dude must be connected to whoever is targeting her.
The actual revelations about Jen realizing her issues with wanting validation for her non-Hulk self were nice, if not really new exactly -- she’s wrestled with it for multiple episodes. I suppose it was a nice moment to get validation from the group of oddballs, even if they are mostly broadly drawn nonsense characters. It’s even odder that the show doesn’t seem to have a handle on the more serious moments balancing the absolutely absurd ones -- in fairness that is a tough line to tread, even if this show is certainly attempting to pull that balance off.
At this point in the season there’s a lot of teasing of things like that Daredevil reference and him showing up in the midseason trailer, which now is beginning to feel like a trolling maneuver. The way they used Blonsky here was interesting, I suppose, but him playing a new age guru feels a waste for the potential of his character, which seemed like going at an interestingly weird angle earlier this season.
For me Jen’s lack of interesting fourth wall breaks makes my interest lessen, and the fact that the Wong moments stood up more than the ones without him didn’t doesn’t really bode that well for the show as a whole. At this point I don’t really know how serious I’m even supposed to take anything on this show, and it’s only a sort of light confection, sometimes a bit sour -- not the worst Disney+ show (which is still Falcon and the Winter Soldier) but it’s easily the second from the bottom because I just don’t know what it’s about. I suppose we’ll see if that improves in the final episodes.
Survivor gives us a brand new twist with mostly fun results and a mostly predictable ending. by Jeremy Fogelman
The latest episode of Survivor is called “Lovable Curmudgeon” after Owen’s self-description, which follows up the last episode using the tattoo of Cody. So two descriptive titles so far, but whether or not it means anything is hard to say. Owen’s curmudgeonly ways did become apparent to Ellie at least, who mentions that he’s like a son she has to manage closely and actually literally pats him on the head while condescendingly talking to him.
But our troubled losing team of the first episode does much better here, with a lot of screen time as we look into Gabler and his struggle for a while to recover. There are also a few amusing moments there, like Jeanine asking what game the boys are playing then there’s a cut to the three of the dudes messing around. But then they talk about a potential dude’s alliance if necessary, so maybe there’s game after all. The only backstory flashback comes from Ellie, who suffered from ADHD and dyslexia growing up and struggled to compete.
Despite all of this, and a missed idol moment of amusement, the team does really well in the immunity challenge and comes in first. The second place goes to the Blue Coco tribe, where we really only get two things of note -- Karla discussing potential alliances in her tribe, and Geo giving his own backstory flashback about being kicked out of his home after coming out to his parents. The end tag of that story was the main point though, as he discusses how living his life that way, to survive and thrive, will be how he plays this game too.
Sadly for our Red Vesi tribe, it’s not so great. After a bit of a tease in the challenge where Noelle shouts out that Nneka needs to work harder, it’s ultimately Justine who goes home. She is aware enough to realize that she’s a target too, picking up on some sort of vibes with Jesse, but not enough to truly risk her Do or Die option. Her power duo with Noelle is a threat, but the real threat is to Jesse, who orchestrates the vote out -- and it aligns perfectly with the team Nneka and her ally Cody.
Although I have to say that it actually might really have been that Justine was simply annoying Jesse too much and that made it an easier vote. Voting for “challenge strength” isn’t always a good thing, and there are many ways to do well in challenges besides pure stamina and strength, although those always help.
All that was fun enough, but the real fun was when Cody nearly torpedoes the plan when he uncovers a “Beware” advantage that requires him to gather specific beads from each of his teammates. Jesse smartly mentions that his hat could easily be used as a decoy, and with the combo of Jesse and Nneka peer pressuring the rest of the tribe into giving up their beads, it’s a fait accompli, despite the cute little flashback at tribal.
So why did Justine get voted out? A combination of things, but a big one is that she simply wasn’t in the majority alliance of Jesse/Nneka/Cody, which was able to sway Dwight to their side despite his lack of interest. But the note that Jesse told us early on, that he was in the “driver’s seat”? So far it’s true, despite the foreshadowing alarm.
It was a pretty fun episode, even if it was a shame to see Justine get voted out -- although I wouldn’t have been happy to see Nneka out either. That’s the curse of a well cast season, which thankfully, this season completely manages.
‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ sneaks in a plotline while jettisoning another one. by Jeremy Fogelman
The latest episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is called “Just Jen” and splits its storylines into one that’s indeed about Jen’s identity issues and one that only eventually connects to her. She (in the sadly one fourth wall break this episode) tells us it’s a “wedding episode” and that it’s intentionally inconvenient (debatable).
She’s brought in as a bridesmaid to someone she barely knows in a way that’s loosely explained even in the episode to Lulu (Patti Harrison). Jen keeps getting the worst of things, being first unable to look cool as She-Hulk because it draws attention away from the bride, getting annoying menial tasks while the other bridesmaids do nothing, and be assigned to walk down the aisle with a dog.
I was wondering if this would actually go anywhere, but it doesn’t really -- Jen gets drunk, flirts with seemingly decent dude Josh, and ends up in a stupid fight with Titania. At the start of their interaction, I was more intrigued when Titania gives Jen a fun hateful look, but the whole “I’m going to destroy you in public” by just fighting her... It makes no real sense for someone who seems like a plotter.
So Titania as a villain is thrown aside, crying over her veneers to hide her British teeth (even though she’s never used her real accent) and I have to say: What a waste of a character and an actor! I mean perhaps we’ll get more from her later in the season, but I have been very displeased with the arc of the Titania/She-Hulk rivalry -- really ended with a whimper, and not a very funny one, that little fight between them was meh and it was very slapstick (she trips on ice to break her teeth!).
In the other more interesting storyline, we get Nikki and Mallory working together in a pairing that really works well. Their legal case, the multiple divorces of Craig Hollis (or “Mr. Immortal”, a bit of a Marvel comics deep cut) where there actually are some interesting ideas about what could go wrong with someone who can’t die but uses “legal death” for legal loopholes.
That’s not really investigated much as the real point is to have a bunch of broad jokes about the couples and how “nice guy” Hollis isn’t so great after all, which isn’t such an interesting subject to focus on. More interesting is how Nikki is able to resolve the multiple divorcees and their various issues with Hollis, leading Mallory to compliment her on how she managed it.
It’s one of the only times Nikki has gotten more to do other than the “sidekick” so I was glad to see that part at least. Then the two go into a sketchy alt-right anti-woman sort of site where they uncover a lot of what appears to be legitimate death threats against She-Hulk (or as Nikki says, Shulky which I found amusing).
It definitely serves as a pretty good prediction of many of the overreactions from that crowd that ended up complaining about before the season came out, but of course, my complaints about this show aren’t that it stars women or anything so crude, but that it feels like the show is way too light and inconsistent.
The episode was entertaining enough, I suppose, but I really disliked how they ended up utilizing Titania and the underlying theme about Jen’s identity crisis disappeared like they forgot about it. Disappointing from that perspective. I wanted more fourth wall breaking and more from the Mallory/Nikki pair -- that’s a show I’m suddenly interested in (just like the Wong/Madisynn spinoff).
The preview for next week presents things a bit more weird and interesting than this week, so I’m hoping things improve -- I know this show has the potential, even if I haven't seen it meeting that potential so far.
‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’ goes light in an episode that teases more interesting episodes to follow. by Jeremy Fogelman
The fifth episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is called ‘Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans’ and really only has two specific slightly connected storylines. In the main storyline, we follow directly from the last episode where Jen is being sued by Titania who has trademarked the name “She-Hulk” and everything gets easily wrapped up with a little bit of a callback to the dating scenes from last episode.
It’s still weird to hear Jameela Jamil use an American accent instead of her real one, but it’s also just mainly annoying that she’s essentially barely utilized here except for a couple of great little lines and well-considered physical actions. Of course, although there is continuity in this show, the legal stuff is highly suspect -- which I suppose isn’t necessarily a problem given the comedic bent of this show, but a lot of times the timeline feels weirdly rushed. I mean how long has it been since the last episode? Since the first episode? It’s all intentionally vague.
There are some funny moments from Jen’s boss and her interactions with the clearly more capable lawyer Mallory Book (Renée Elise Goldsberry) who was shown briefly in episode two and obviously had to come back for a more substantial role. She’s doing another sort of “highly competent intimidating lady” figure similar to her character in Girls5Eva which is an interesting sort of type casting to be found in.
The ultimate little trick of Jen bringing back the few dates she had as She-Hulk to verify she’s used the name was a nice little idea, if again legally suspect. I did laugh at Nikki saying, “Jen, that’ll be embarrassing” -- the cliched ways the men spoke on the stand less so, despite them completely lying of course. The ultimate point seems to be from Mallory, that Jen shouldn’t have to settle for these four specific men and deserves better (hint hint).
This rapidfire legal battle leads into the other plotline, which is Nikki and Pug trying to track down a superhero clothier. They have a fun rapport, enough so that my complaints about Ginger Gonzaga being underused except for the “quirky POC best friend” role feels even more true now. One of the little standout moments was the set of the Avengers bootleg stuff, with cute knockoff designs in “Avongers” or “Avingers” designs (the details on the fake Avengers was fun).
They come across another sort of cliched character, the flamboyant and mean clothing designer Luke (Griffin Matthews), but the actor gives the material more depth than the writing really does. Ultimately this ends with a complete tease, where not only don’t we see her outfits, but then we see the newly designed helmet of Daredevil, who I guess is also using this exclusive costume designer.
It’s one of those “running in place” sorts of episodes, which only barely moves anything forward in terms of character or plot, but at least does spend time with some interesting side characters that have been given short shrift until now. I wouldn’t say that the episode is bad, per se, just not really as fun as the last one or really what I was hoping for this show. Hopefully the addition of Daredevil into the show will give it a new burst of energy -- and maybe more interesting fourth wall stuff, which really wasn’t there much this time around.
Survivor starts a new season by showcasing a new cast of interesting players. by Jeremy Fogelman
The 43rd season of Survivor starts off with the episode “LIVIN” which is a reference to bro salesperson Cody’s butt tattoo -- honestly that’s a pretty funny choice. We get three tribes to start with as per usual, Vesi (red), Baka (yellow), and Coco (blue). At the end of things, poor Morriah gets voted out and we must quickly ask: Why?
The actual immunity challenge was fairly close when it came down to it, with it all about that last puzzle, so any pointing out little minor issues along the way isn’t really fair, but that first vote out, people are searching for anything to make someone else a target. Sami has made a bunch of showy moves, solving the brainteaser and making fire, but he’s also a physical competitor -- that’s more of a threat for the midgame.
Gabler throws himself on the mercy of his tribe because he’s so paranoid about being the oldest member on his tribe, but one of our primary narrators in this episode, Elie, tells us that he’s too useful around the camp. Elie makes an interesting play here, talking about her sad tragedy of her sister overdosing and getting hugs from Jeanine and Morriah -- and instantly connecting the three of them.
But Elie also does the classic early game Survivor consideration of strength trumping over other bonds, which puts poor Morriah in the crosshairs. We don’t get too much from Jeanine so far, other than she’s thinking later game issues about men vs women if they vote out Morriah, but she’s clearly a strategic thinker. We definitely hear from Owen about his own strategic perspective, and Sami notices it out loud to us -- could set up a conflict between the two later on.
In the end everyone votes for Morriah, but we don’t quite see how the alliances are connected just yet. I’m sure there will be people who comment on the optics of the first person voted out, but you can’t argue that Survivor is as diverse as it’s ever been. On Coco, for example, Geo and Karla vibe about not being gay and married, but Latinx as well, she from Mexico and he from Peru -- that’s quite an interesting matchup.
On Vesi, the big personality is bro salesperson Cody, who lies about his sales job so he can target fellow salesperson Justine -- the one who finally manages to make fire. She is allied so far with Noelle, and we see that former gang member and current PhD holder Jesse feels in the middle of potential alliances. There’s not much else from the rest of the tribe we get so far, other than Dwight is a younger superfan and loses his vote after the slightly modified Risk/No Risk challenge.
We get even less from Coco, with a bit of a focus on Ryan who learned to walk after having mild cerebral palsy as a child, and seemingly an alliance between the women and James, the former chess champion. On the other hand, they won the immunity challenge first so the winners often get shown less early on.
It was a pretty fun episode overall, with a visually interesting immunity challenge where the contestants get messy with mud, wood chips, and sand (and I think Jeanine might have hurt her jaw). Just like the last two seasons, we have a pretty fun cast of characters for our tribes, and a lot of potential intrigue and contrasting personalities. They’ve said that the annoying hourglass twist is not on this season, which is great -- but I’m looking forward to the potential twists and turns our contestants create along the way.
Next time on Survivor, things are shaking up further and Cody is a madman.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law combines fun and frustrating storylines in a still mostly entertaining episode. by Jeremy Fogelman
The latest episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is called “Is This Not Real Magic?” and it marks when we must officially realize that logic is no longer relevant for this show. In the end of the last episode, Wong is informed he’s broken US law and immediately runs away, in what was admittedly a funny beat. Here though he tries to sue someone entirely in a civil court, but there’s no real continuity other than the fact that Wong is simply aware that Jen is a lawyer.
We start here with a seemingly “normal” stage magician named Donny Blaze (Rhys Coiro) who has a classic low effort magic act, even referencing “the great Billy Shakes” which I thought was a funny line to make him look worse. But then in the twist, Donny actually does know how to use magic and creates a portal that sends drunken party girl Madisynn (a pitch perfect Patty Guggenheim) into a demonic hellscape.
Madisynn’s lubricated matter-of-fact slurring is one of the main consistent sorts of comedy this episode, like asking what happened to the goblins or referencing a demon named Jake. I can imagine that her shouting out “Wongers” in glee or spoiling The Sopranos (are we past the point of no spoilers now 15 years after it ended?) will rub some people the wrong way (or the Wong way if I’m getting into the spirit of the humor of this show) but I thought she was the first broadly written character so far on the show that didn’t annoy me.
The idea of Wong suing to prevent unlicensed people from using magic is an interesting idea, certainly, although this show is so ridiculously light that it doesn’t really think about it past the just minimal surface level. Jen is correct with her fourth wall break that I do look more fondly on the show when Wong is in it.
I also enjoyed Donny’s hype man friend, who didn’t really have much else to do but be funny in that way. The action scene later with She-Hulk and Wong fighting off demons is fun enough for what it was, but nothing particularly amazing.
However what really frustrated me was the entire dating subplot -- it starts with Jen somehow getting no matches on her dating app which really strains credulity. Then we only see a cliched bad date that I’m sure has happened to many people before, but it’s nothing new in pop culture so it mainly feels like hammering the point home.
The idea of Jen trying dating as She-Hulk feels like something that should’ve had a little more thought, like maybe if she had had a lot of bad dates or bad matches, or maybe if the dudes kept referencing her superhero form. Instead we get a few additionally cliched bad dates, which again, I’m sure have happened to many women, but then we get the even more cliched “good guy” date.
This pediatric oncologist (helping kid cancer patients, of course) drops the “I don’t want to talk about myself, let’s talk about you” line. It really did feel like a line and a manipulation that Jen (or the show) should be able to understand. Instead it lightly again touches on the idea that the dude is playing a game when he immediately leaves in the morning upon seeing the regular Jen (which should imply that it was all an act, but the show doesn’t bother to think about it that deeply).
It’s overall a mixed episode to me because of these different storylines, with both pretty silly, but one that I at least found sometimes funny and mostly entertaining. The dating stuff was more broad than I’d prefer to see or at least less nuanced than I think the show should be capable of -- in fact I’d prefer more fourth wall breaks, because that at least keeps shaking things up. A real mixed bag of a season so far.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law brings us all back to the Wong Cinematic Universe. by Jeremy Fogelman
The latest episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law essentially continues from where the last one left off, with Blonsky telling Jen that he only ended up in that Shang-Chi fighting arena because Wong forced him to. This is one of the parts of the episode that absolutely made no sense given Wong’s characterization thus far.
During the later trial, Wong says he let Blonsky out because as the Sorcerer Supreme he needs to practice against challenging opponents and even offered the dude asylum. None of this fits with his no-nonsense, pragmatic and competent persona we’ve seen thus far, and why would he offer the Abomination asylum anyway? It really makes no sense. The only part I was even a little okay with is him immediately portaling away after the parole board tells him he just admitted to a bunch of criminal activities. I was wondering if that meant he’d be let off the hook, and he so far completely has been.
In the realm of “oh you’re doing this now?” we get a tiny look at a colleague played by Renée Elise Goldsberry, who I sure hope they got for more than the three seconds they used her for in this episode. There’s also a subplot of Cliché Sexist Dude getting catfished by an Asgardian shapeshifter pretending to be Megan Thee Stallion, who appears as herself and then “twerks” with Jen at the end of the episode in a moment of extreme cringe.
The actual trial is a bit silly, with the elf Runa actually pretending to be the judge, which easily could put her in prison but they brush it aside, and then getting someone on the stand to say that Dennis truly is deluded enough to think Megan Thee Stallion would be dating him. All that stuff and especially the “Hollywood Hookups” moment is a little broad, honestly, a kind of comedy that didn’t really work for me even if the idea of prosecuting a shapeshifter is kind of an intriguing idea for a legal show.
The parole board hearing is fun enough, with Tim Roth really putting some relish into his absurd role and his love of his seven soulmates. The fourth wall breaks continue here to a lesser extent, with Jen calling out the “cameo every week” nature of it by saying it actually isn’t that at all. The only “action” part here is the mysterious strangers trying to steal Jen’s blood, a classic overarching mystery that I think could be interesting.
I am a neverending fan of Wong played by the “real Benedict” Benedict Wong, and his performance is always a lot of fun, I just felt like they gave him really illogical motivations here. But I know there’s still more to be done with his character and I don’t mind him getting more a center stage here even if that also serves to minimize the rest of the characters.
I was hoping that the parole hearing would be a little bit more complex than mostly “Wong will be here soon, I hope” because this is theoretically a lawyer show. I guess I’m just still kinda disappointed by how this show has gone so far, which hasn’t really gone past “okay” for me yet.
I’m entertained by it just fine, I just know that the Marvel folks are capable of more than that.
Disney+ announced the Dancing with the Stars Season 31 celebrity cast and their professional dancing partners, while live in studio on ABC's Good Morning America (video below). The series, hosted by supermodel and businesswoman Tyra Banks and new co-host, actor and television personality Alfonso Ribeiro, returns to the ballroom with a lineup of celebrities including a platinum recording artist, a Real Housewife, a Bachelorette and a drag queen superstar, to name a few. The cast joins Charli and Heidi D'Amelio for Season 31, both of whom were previously announced live on Good Morning America. The new celebrity cast will learn some new twists, tricks and kicks as the live show begins Monday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. EDT / 5 p.m. PDT, only on Disney+.
Fan-favorite pro dancing partners Mark Ballas and Louis van Amstel make a long-awaited return to the ballroom.
The celebrities and professional dancers heading to the ballroom this season (in alphabetical order) are as follows:
Fitness model and actor Joseph Baena with partner Daniella Karagach
Movie star Selma Blair with partner Sasha Farber
Comedian, actor and singer Wayne Brady with partner Witney Carson
Good Morning America contributor and WABC-TV New York's weather anchor Sam Champion, with partner Cheryl Burke
TikTok star Charli D'Amelio with partner Mark Ballas
Heidi D'Amelio with partner Artem Chigvintsev
Country star Jessie James Decker with partner Alan Bersten
TV star Trevor Donovan with partner Emma Slater
Daniel Durant (CODA) with partner Britt Stewart
Teresa Giudice (The Real Housewives of New Jersey) with partner Pasha Pashkov
Vinny Guadagnino (Jersey Shore) with partner Koko Iwasaki
Charlie's Angels star Cheryl Ladd with partner Louis Van Amstel
Jason Lewis (Sex and the City) with partner Peta Murgatroyd
Drag queen superstar Shangela with partner Gleb Savchenko
Platinum recording artist Jordin Sparks with partner Brandon Armstrong
Gabby Windey (The Bachelorette) with partner Val Chmerkovskiy
The pairs will be judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, including Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.
After an impressive 30 seasons on ABC, Dancing with the Stars moves to its new home on Disney+, premiering exclusively in the U.S. and Canada this fall, and making Dancing with the Stars the first live series to debut on the streaming service.
JOSEPH BAENA - A native of Los Angeles, California, Joseph Baena is a fitness model and actor. He is known for his film work in "Called To Duty: The Last Airshow," "Terminator 2 remake with Joseph Baena: Bad to the Bone," "Encounters" and "Bully High."
SELMA BLAIR - Throughout her diverse career, Selma Blair has been one of the most versatile and exciting actresses on screen. Blair's film career began with her comedic roles in pop-culture classics "Cruel Intentions" and "Legally Blonde" and has since worked with an array of esteemed directors, including Guillermo del Toro and Todd Solodnz. In 2017, she was named one of Time Magazine's People of The Year as one of their Silence Breakers. Recently, Blair released her first memoir to critical acclaim, The New York Times Bestseller, "Mean Baby." Over the course of the beautiful and, at times, devastating memoir, she lays bare her addiction to alcohol, her devotion to her brilliant and complicated mother, and the moments she flirted with death. There is brutal violence, passionate love, true friendship, the gift of motherhood, and, finally, the surprising salvation of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Blair was most recently seen on screen as the subject of the documentary, " Introducing, Selma Blair," which premiered to rave reviews at the 2021 SXSW Festival, where the feature won the Special Jury Recognition for Exceptional Intimacy in Storytelling. The film also won the New York Women in Film & Television Documentary Award at the Hamptons Film Festival and received three Critics Choice Documentary Award nominations, including Best Documentary Feature and Blair won for Most Compelling Subject of a Documentary. The Hollywood Reporter "Raising Our Voices" awarded the film with the Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking. The film, which chronicles Blair's intimate and raw journey with multiple sclerosis and her stem cell transplant is currently streaming on the Discovery+ after its initial theatrical run. In 1999, Blair played the role of Cecile Caldwell, opposite Reese Witherspoon and Sarah Michelle Gellar, in "Cruel Intentions" for director Roger Kumble. She then reunited with the director for " The Sweetest Thing," opposite Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate. On television, Blair was recently seen co-starring as Kris Jenner in FX's "The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story" for Ryan Murphy. Blair recently entered the beauty space as chief creative officer of Guide Beauty, a multi-award-winning cosmetics company that is expanding the culture of inclusion in the beauty industry by using Universal Design to create tools and products that make the application of makeup easier and more accessible to all. For her advocacy, Blair was honored with the Equity in Entertainment award by The Hollywood Reporter.
WAYNE BRADY - Multiple Emmy Award-winning and Grammy Award- nominated Wayne Brady has made his mark on stage and screen as an actor, producer, singer, dancer, songwriter, and television personality. A true multi-hyphenate, Brady's career path and personal life journey, has helped him see the world in a unique way. His aspirations have always gone beyond solely starring in various entertainment projects, and under his Makin' It Up Productions banner, he's set out to create new content across different platforms that showcase innovation and inclusivity in fun and powerful ways. A five-time Emmy winner (the first to win Daytime and Primetime awards in two consecutive years), Brady has an impressive TV resume including Whose Line Is It Anyway? The Masked Singer, Black Lighting, The Good Fight and the upcoming American Gigolo- each spotlighting different aspects of his immense talent. In addition to being a force in front of the camera, Brady is heavily active behind the scenes wearing the hats of host & executive producer for Let's Make A Deal, Game of Talents and Comedy IQ, which he also co-created. All of this following on the heels of the success of his award-winning daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show. Long an accomplished singer and performer, Brady's musical acumen has always been a personal passion and he used that as fuel to help win the second season of The Masked Singer. Off his victory, Brady dropped a brand-new original single, entitled "Flirtin' w/ Forever," which quickly climbed the streaming charts, as well as an accompanying music video. Brady has also triumphed on-stage started with his Broadway debut starring as legal showman 'Billy Flynn' in the long-running hit musical, "Chicago." Soon after Brady starred as the ground-breaking character 'Lola' in "Kinky Boots," Broadway's Tony Award- winning Best Musical, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. Brady would later assume his biggest theatrical role to date headlining as 'Aaron Burr' in the Chicago production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award- winning juggernaut "Hamilton." Recently Brady returned to Broadway as part of Freestyle Love Supreme working with the production team of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, and Anthony Veneziale. The unique show combines the fusion of hip hop, improv, and comedy which won it a special Tony Award for its innovation and contributions to the world of theater. Earlier this year he announced he will again partner with the Freestyle Love Supreme team as well as Speechless to create "FLS+," a new company committed to making improv globally accessible.
SAM CHAMPION - Sam Champion started at Eyewitness News in 1988 as the weekend and 5 p.m. weather anchor, eventually becoming the main weather anchor for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. In 2006, he became the weather anchor for "Good Morning America." In his capacity as weather editor, he also built ABC News' Weather, Climate and Environment Unit, and oversaw all weather, climate and environmental coverage and content on all ABC platforms. In 2012, Champion became the managing editor of the Weather Channel, where he created and hosted AMHQ, a four-hour morning show, and 23.5, a climate and science interview program in primetime. He received a Peabody Award for his "Sandy Coverage" and has won four Emmys. Champion returned home to WABC in 2019, when he became the weather anchor for Eyewitness News "This Morning."
CHARLI D'AMELIO - Charli D'Amelio is a digital superstar, crowned "the reigning queen of TikTok," by The New York Times. She was the first on the platform to hit 100 million followers and is the current leading female TikTok creator. Charli was named one of YouTube's Top 10 Breakout Creators of 2020. Her influence on social media has earned her coveted spots on lists such as Forbes 30 Under 30, Fortune's 40 under 40, AdWeek's 2020 Young Influentials and Variety's Power of Young Hollywood Impact List in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Charli and her bubbly personality, combined with her impeccable dance skills and social media sensibility, have catapulted her to stardom by captivating the screens of teens and adults worldwide. Now, she is one of the most recognizable faces online, in print and on screen with her family's new Hulu docuseries, "The D'Amelio Show." A proud voice of her generation, who continues to use her platforms to create positive change, Charli is an advocate against cyberbullying and has partnered with organizations such as UNICEF to raise awareness on the negative effects cyberbullying can have on young adults. She added author to her resume when she released her first book, "Essentially Charli," her official guide to staying positive and navigating social media. In May 2021, Charli and Dixie launched their own clothing brand, Social Tourist. She also has partnered with luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Prada. Charli can also be found on her new snapchat series, "Charli vs. Dixie," where they go head-to-head in different competitions. Most recently, Charli launched her first-ever fragrance venture, Born Dreamer, available in ULTA.
HEIDI D'AMELIO - Heidi D'Amelio, maybe best known as mom to Dixie and Charli - two of the most popular names in social media today, but there is a lot more to juggling being a wife and mom than meets the eye. Heidi started her professional career as a model and fitness trainer, but when she met her husband, Marc, in NYC, she knew her dream of always wanting to be a mom was the path she wanted to take. The couple married, moved to Connecticut, and started their family where teaching her children about values, reputation and giving back to others became a central conversation for all four members even before the family skyrocketed to fame. Utilizing her love for dance and a decade of practice, Heidi's youngest daughter, Charli, started posting dances on the popular app TikTok and literally overnight became the most followed name on the platform. The family soon joined in and currently have a combined following of over 200 million. Heidi's dedication to being a present but not overbearing mom has launched her own following of over 10 million and growing. On top of being a full-time mom and overseeing her family's demanding schedules, Heidi continues to pursue her passions which include health and wellness, fitness and philanthropy. Balancing personal and work life, and ensuring the internet is a safe place not only for her daughters but for other teens, is always her main priority. Heidi stars in the family's docuseries, "The D'Amelio Show" (on which she serves as an executive producer), available on Hulu. Heidi has also made it a point to use her and her family's platforms for good, raising awareness and donations for COVID-19, childhood cancer causes and natural disasters such as the hurricanes in her hometown of Louisiana.
JESSIE JAMES DECKER - Singer, songwriter, TV personality, fashion designer, beauty and lifestyle influencer/entrepreneur and two-time New York Times bestselling author, Jessie James Decker has emerged as a multiplatform juggernaut juggling fashion brands like her personally designed Kittenish line with three retail stores and growing, along with her television hosting duties. Signed to Warner Music Nashville, Decker's passion for music has made the multitalented artist one of music's true breakout firebrands. The singer's authentic style immediately captivated listeners everywhere on her 2009 self-titled debut. She continued to keep it real with her second studio album, 2017's "Southern Girl City Lights," which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Now it's onto a new musical chapter of growth and empowerment with "The Woman I've Become" EP, out now. Decker lives with her husband, retired NFL player Eric Decker, and their three children in Nashville, Tennessee.
TREVOR DONOVAN - Born in Mammoth Lakes, California, Trevor Donovan grew up skiing and snowboarding, and was on the U.S. teen ski team as a teenager. He is most known for his work as, fan-favorite Teddy Montgomery on the global pop-culture phenom "90210," the show's first and only LGBTQ+ character that was a series regular. Donovan also starred in History Channel's epic miniseries "Texas Rising," opposite Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Donovan's upcoming projects include the movie "Reagan," as well as "Wolfhound," "Aloha with Love," "The Engagement Plot'' and "Hot Water." His TV credits include recurring roles on "Sun Records," "The Client List," "Melissa & Joey," "Awkward," "NCIS" and "Lucifer." As a leading man in romantic comedies, Donovan has starred in the following titles: "Strawberry Summer," "Love on a Limb," "Marry Me at Christmas," "Snowcoming," "Nostalgic Christmas," "Love, Fall & Order," "USS Christmas," "Two For The Win," "Nantucket Noel," "Jingle Bell Princess," "Aloha with Love," "The Engagement Plot," "Love Finds You in Charm," "Runaway Romance," "Prescription for Love" and "Love, Lost & Found." Donovan is also an author and has written three children's books: "Love Always, Dogbert & Tito" and "Love Always, Dogbert's Journey." The third book is called "Love Always, Chance the Courageous." Donovan's "Love Always" series is inspired by real-life everyday experiences that have been shared with millions of devoted fans around the world via his social media channels. Donovan is a true renaissance man, aside from being proficient at most sports; he can play guitar, sing, earned a bachelor's degree in graphic design, is an active ambassador for Habitat for Humanity and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, a canine advocate, and started a nationwide anti-bullying program called Team Upstanders. Donovan resides in both Mammoth and Los Angeles, California.
DANIEL DURANT - Daniel Durant is best known for his starring role as Leo Rossi in "CODA," a film that garnered three Oscars, including the top prize of Best Picture. Durant received numerous accolades for his role, including a Screen Actor's Guild Award (Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture), Sundance Award (Best Ensemble), HCA Spotlight Award and the AFI Award for Best Ensemble. "CODA" was purchased by Apple TV for a record sum and showed both in theaters and on Apple TV+. Durant has received numerous awards and recognition, including the 2016 Theatre Award (Outstanding 2016 Broadway Debut Performance), Broadway.com's Top 10 Show-Stopping Performances of the 2015-2016 Broadway Season, Huffington Post's Top 10 Best Theatrical Performances of 2015, Theatremania.com's 12 Best Broadway Debuts of 2015 and a 2014 Robby Award nomination for Excellence in Theatre. He was also the 2014 Deaf Awareness Month Honoree for the City of Los Angeles, honoring his outstanding contributions to the arts and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities of Los Angeles.
TERESA GIUDICE - A graduate of Berkeley College with a degree in fashion marketing and management, Teresa Giudice is an inspirational working mom. In addition to being on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," she is a self-made entrepreneur who has launched her own line of bottled bellinis, Fabellini, and is a four-time New York Times bestselling author. "Standing Strong," her second memoir, Guidice chronicles her life since her release from prison and what it's been like to weather difficult times as a single mother. With unparalleled honesty and courage, she opens up in "Standing Strong" in ways she never has before, showing her fans what it truly means to be a survivor. In her explosive and ultimately uplifting first-ever memoir, "Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again," she offers a behind-the-scenes look at her marriage, rise to fame, the importance of her family, and the reality TV franchise that made her a household name. She is a dynamic business woman who has showcased her business savvy by starring on NBC's hit show "Celebrity Apprentice," where she raised $70,000 for the charity NephCure. Most recently, Guidice has met and married her soulmate Luis "Louie" Ruelas. The two have bought a beautiful new home together,
VINNY GUADAGNINO - Vinny Guadagnino is one of the most recognized lifestyle personalities and digital influencers. He first rose to fame in 2009 on the MTV series "Jersey Shore," which over its six-season run became the highest-rated series in the history of the network and a cultural phenomenon. During his time away from the shore, Guadagnino starred in series including "Guadagnino & Ma Eat America" on Food Network and "Joking Off" on MTV2. In 2018, the franchise returned as "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" and immediately recaptured the zeitgeist, breaking viewership records along the way. The reboot has become a huge hit and is currently airing its fifth season. In addition, Guadagnino has starred in MTV's "Double Shot at Love" and "Revenge Prank," with Pauly D. Guadagnino has a residency at the world-famous Chippendales Las Vegas, where he serves as the celebrity guest host throughout the year. Off-screen, Guadagnino is a two-time bestselling author. His most recent book, "The Keto Guido Cookbook: Delicious Recipes to Get Healthy and Look Great," led to Guadagnino becoming one of the most known personalities in the Keto/Health and Wellness and fitness communities.
CHERYL LADD - Since her big break as one of the beloved "Charlie's Angels," Cheryl Ladd has enjoyed a career that has traversed television, film, Broadway and beyond. Cheryl currently stars in "A Cowgirl's Song," a new movie from Samuel Goldwyn Films. Cheryl was seen in the Lifetime Christmas movie "Christmas Unwrapped" as part of their It's A Wonderful Lifetime event. She also guest starred on HBO's "Ballers" and Showtime's "Ray Donovan," where she played a fouled mouth version of Vanna White. Next, she starred in FX's "American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson" playing Linell Shapiro, the wife of Simpson's defense attorney Robert Shapiro portrayed by John Travolta. Ladd has also starred in the Hallmark Channel movie "Garage Sale Mysteries: The Wedding Dress" and the faith-based film "The Perfect Wave," opposite Scott Eastwood. Her other credits include Ladd singing and dancing as 'Mrs. Claus' in the Disney musical "The Search For Santa Paws: Santa Pups 2," as well as starring as an unhinged love interest to medical examiner 'Ducky' (David McCallum) on television's #1 rated drama, "NCIS." Ladd starred in the Warner Bros. feature film "Unforgettable" opposite Katherine Heigl, and in the indie feature "Camera Store" opposite John Larroquette and John Rhys-Davies. Moving effortlessly between mediums has always been second nature for Ladd, and the seasoned performer demonstrated such versatility when she starred as 'Annie Oakley' in "Annie Get Your Gun!" on Broadway, realizing a lifelong dream.
JASON LEWIS - Jason Lewis has been entertaining audiences on stage and screen for over 20 years. He is recognized globally for his iconic role as Smith Jerrod, Samantha's (Kim Cattrall) lovable, kind boyfriend on HBO's groundbreaking comedy series "Sex and the City." He reprised his role in both feature films, "Sex and the City" and "Sex and the City 2," directed by Michael Patrick King. Since his breakout role, Lewis has successfully parlayed his stardom into a series of quality film and television roles. Most recently, he starred for two seasons on NBC's supernatural drama series "Midnight, Texas." Some of his television work includes recurring and guest star roles on ABC's family drama series "Brothers & Sisters," "House M.D.," "Animal Kingdom," "The Evidence," "Six Degrees," "CSI," "CSI: Miami," "How I Met Your Mother" and "Charmed." In 2018, Lewis starred in the independent features "Half Magic" with Heather Graham and Angela Kinsey, and the western "Running Wild with Sharon Stone." Other feature work includes psychological thriller "Mr. Brooks," "The Jacket," "The Death and Life of Bobby Z," ''The Attic" and "The Pardon." He also starred as the lead in Kenneth Lonergan's world-renowned stage play "This Is Our Youth" for director Woody Harrelson. Lewis was born and raised in Southern California, and his first major break in entertainment was in fashion as a model. He quickly became one of the top male models and modeled in campaigns and on runways worldwide for some of the most luxurious houses, including Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors and GUESS. In addition to acting, he is a passionate philanthropist and has supported many charities over the years. Currently, he is very active with nonprofit organization Best Buddies and has also previously worked with Habitat for Humanity.
SHANGELA - Currently the star of "We're Here" on HBO (which just got picked up for a third season), Shangela is perhaps best known as one of the All Stars from "RuPaul's Drag Race." She was the first person to walk the carpet in drag at the Oscars for her supporting role in "A Star Is Born" and was recently ranked second on Vulture's list of "America's Most Powerful Drag Queens." Other recent acting credits include shows such as "Lovecraft Country," "Station 19," "Katy Keene," "2 Broke Girls," etc.
JORDIN SPARKS - Jordin Sparks is a GRAMMY-nominated, multiplatinum singer/songwriter and actress who won season six of "American Idol" during one of the show's highest-rated seasons. She garnered worldwide attention as the youngest winner, just 17 years old. Her self-titled debut went platinum, selling over 2 million copies worldwide. The first three singles of "Jordin Sparks" went top five, and the album's second single, "No Air," sold four million digital downloads. "No Air" has the distinction of being the third highest-selling single by any "American Idol" contestant and is listed No. 27 in Billboard's Top 40 Biggest Duets of All Time. Sparks' second release, "Battlefield," debuted on the Billboard Album chart at No. 7. Cumulatively, Sparks' popular singles have sold over 10 million digital tracks in the U.S. Today, when she is not hard at work on her next album (slated for release this year), she enjoys spending time with her family, husband Dana Isaiah and their son, DJ.
GABBY WINDEY - Gabby Windey is an American television personality who most recently appeared on ABC's "The Bachelorette" alongside Rachel Recchia as one-half of the series' first-ever co-lead season! Prior to that, she appeared on season 26 of ABC's "The Bachelor." Windey is much more than meets the eye. Not only is she beautiful, but she also has a quick wit, substance, emotional depth and a wealth of lived experiences. Windey worked throughout the pandemic as an ICU nurse at the University of Colorado Hospital, and before that she was a cheerleader for the Denver Broncos. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with her beloved goldendoodle, Leonardo.
