It’s been a busy few days in Hollyweird. Here are the top news hits as you head out on the weekend.
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1) ‘90210’ TURNS 27: Hard to believe, but the hit drama that defined my pre-teen years, ‘Beverly Hills, 90210,’ turned 27 this week. That’s right: it’s been nearly three decades since our obsession with the West Bev High crew began. I would cry at how well I remember this being an indicator of how old I’m getting, if I wasn’t still LOL’ing at memories of seeing the hysterical stage spoof of the show, 90210! The Musical.
2) HARVEY GETS HIT HARD BY NYT: In a story that seems to just be getting started, the New York Times turned its investigative powers on Hollywood heavyweight, Harvey Weinstein, in a devastatingly scathing exposé released Thursday night detailing his decades of alleged sexual harassment against both emerging starlets and underlings as The Weinstein Company alike. Harvey, who’s well versed in the ways of PR, responded to the piece in short order with a page-long mea culpa that was published by the NYT.
But his man-on-a-mission-toward-remission act quickly became murky, as reports that he’s suing the publication and was involved in a heated discussion about his future at his own company after a self-imposed leave of absence during an emergency board meeting in NYC this morning swirled in the press. For more on this guy’s gut-churning track record in Hollywood, I highly recommend Peter Biskind’s dishy book, “Down and Dirty Pictures,” as your weekend read.
3) RIP, TOM PETTY: It seems like there’s another death of a true icon to report every week lately, and this time, it’s sadly hit-maker Tom Petty. The front man who was backed by his band, The Heartbreakers, passed away from massive cardiac arrest on Monday in LA. Covers of his classics abounded throughout the week from the likes of Coldplay to Miley Cyrus, as sales of his music surged more than 6,000%. I hope Tom is free fallin’ through the stars in the sky, matching the bright light of the talent he shared with all of us through his music.
4) ‘SNL’ MAKES A STRONG RETURN IN THE RATINGS: Last weekend’s return of ‘Saturday Night Live’ was watched by over 7 million folks. The number was slightly behind the 2016 premiere—when Alec Baldwin first appeared as Trump—making it the show’s second most-watched opener since 2010.
5) ‘BLADE RUNNER’ IS BACK IN ACTION: A sequel to the original 1984 film, ‘Blade Runner 2049’—starring last week’s ratings-grabbing SNL host, Ryan Gosling—had preview showings last night that added up to the tune of a cool $4 million. The potent combo of strong reviews and fan boy buzz has the movie on-track to take the #1 spot for the weekend, with an expected gross of at least $45 million in the US alone.
6) KIM TWEETS THE FINAL(?) WORD: After a week’s worth of drama surrounding the DOA ‘Sex and the City 3’ film—with public commentary spanning the likes of SJP to Stanford, and everyone in between—Kim Cattrall is having the last word (for now). The actress, whose lack of participation was the final nail in the movie’s proverbial Manolo heel, took to Twitter to state the following in response to a fan inquiring about why she bailed: “Josh, I’ve played ‘SAM’ for 20 years. Am moving on & so should you. Try #SensitiveSkin my show on @Netflix.” Only Sammy Jo could pull the plug while getting in a plug about her new show. I bow down.
7) ‘ODD MOM OUT’ IS, WELL, OUT: After three at times hilarious seasons, Bravo announced it has officially pulled the plug on ‘Odd Mom Out’ from creator/star/sister of Drew Barrymore, Jill Kargman. The show, which was the network’s second-ever original scripted series, concluded with its September 13th season finale, which now serves as the series ender.
8) ‘BIG LITTLE LIES’ EMMY WINNER PUTS AMAZON ON BLAST: In a story released today by the Wall Street Journal that explores Amazon Studios struggle to match the success of fellow streaming giants—and competitors du jour—Netflix and Hulu, prolific TV writer David E. Kelley (‘Big Little Lies,’ ‘Ally McBeal,’ ‘The Practice’) spoke about his experience producing drama series ‘Goliath’ with the content provider, saying, “I’m a huge fan of the company overall, but their entertainment division is a bit of a gong show. … They are in way over their heads.” *Gulp* Savage, ya’ll.
9) LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA HELPS WITH HURRICANE RELIEF: After taking to Twitter with a few choice, rap-and-rhyme words for the president on his response to Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact on Puerto Rico, Lin-Manuel Miranda released a new original song today, ‘Almost Like Praying,’ to raise awareness and relief funding for the territory. Borrowing from the classic West Side Story tune, ‘Maria,’ the piece also features fellow Latino powerhouses Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Camila Cabello, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, John Leguizamo and Rita Moreno.
10) COUNTRY’S CUTEST COUPLE COZY UP ON FIRST DUETS ALBUM: After leaving fans wanting more with one-off duets throughout the years, the First Couple of Country, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, have finally unveiled their long-awaited first joint album, The Rest of Our Life. In addition to releasing the artwork and 11-track list for the new venture, the duo dropped the video for the title song—a collaboration with Ed Sheeran, among others—today on Amazon Music, which will only be available to stream for 48 hours. The full album officially drops on November 17th.