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Jon Stewart highlighted Donald Trump’s second term so far with a special episode dubbed “President Trump’s Second First 100 Days: An Incredible 100 Days With Zero Disturbance.”

In the episode, Stewart reflected on Trump’s first 100 days in office. The late-night host emerged from under his desk in a long white beard, intoning, “I’m so tired. It’s aging this nation in Tom Hanks’ Castaway years.”

Stewart eventually re-emerged without the beard before playing a clip of Trump proclaiming that he had “the most successful 100 days in the history of our country.

With the The Daily Show Presents: President Trump’s Second First 100 Days: An Incredible 100 Days With Zero Disturbance, Jon Stewart began his segment this week by crawling out from behind his desk with an unkempt, Gandalf-length beard.

“It’s officially been 100 days of Donald Trump,” he said, wearily and laconically. “I’m so tired. It’s aging this nation in Tom Hanks’ Castaway years.”

After playing a highlight reel of the late-night show’s special edition coverage, he emerged sans beard: “I was kidding! Energy! Imagine me with a white beard,” he quipped, immediately grimacing upon realization.

Beginning with President Donald Trump’s abysmal approval rating, Stewart joked, “He doesn’t care. He’s not afraid of being underwater because he’s equipped with a flotation unit protective accessory, or a Fupa. Look it up.”

The political comic then tackled Trump’s effect on the economy, playing a clip from the campaign trail in which the GOP leader promised a “brand-new Trump economic boom” upon his second term.

“Unfortunately, I do think it’s pretty clear that on the economy, Donald Trump did make a boom-boom,” Stewart said in his best newscaster voice, before transitioning to a mocking baby-talk tone, “He made a little boom-boom, a little pain. Aw, did Trump go boom-boom?”

Speaking to how Potus has profited since the assumption of Trump 2.0, Stewart went in on Amazon’s reported $40 million acquisition of a new Melania Trump documentary.

“Ah! The free market,” he began. “But seriously, $40 million for a documentary about Melania Trump? No offense, I’m sure she’s an interesting person, but PBS made the entirety of the Ken Burns Civil War series for $3.5 million. Shoah was $3 million; obviously they wanted 4, but they still got a good price. The entirety of the Planet Earth series, 11 episodes, was less than that: $25 million. And I know Melania is a mysterious and private woman, but I guarantee you don’t have to wait outside her house for weeks at a time hoping to catch a rare nocturnal feeding on a striped South American toad.”

Naturally, Stewart also addressed Pope Francis’ death, which came shortly after he met with Vice President Jd Vance.

“Jessica Diane Vance, what did you do to this man? This pope has literally touched lepers. He drank sewage water in slums and survived all of it. 10 minutes! 10 minutes talking with Jd Vance and the pope is like, ‘God, check please,'” Stewart said. “‘I’ve been celibate 88 years, this is the longest 10 minutes of my life.'”

Stewart concluded his segment by ridiculing Trump’s comments of having “leverage” in the trade war and his overly capitalist approach to running the country, arguing that the upper hand actually belongs to “we the people.”

“It took the people 250 years of striving to live up to a constitutional republic and rule of law, painstaking equity that you are squandering. That is the crux of American exceptionalism. You just want to make us great. That’s a downgrade. Our brand is not ‘strategic uncertainty‘ and you are not the keeper of our ‘pot of gold.’ You are a temporary leprechaun,” he said, to audience cheers.

He added, “So if I could just put this in negotiating terms you can understand: all caps, ‘Donald, Stop!‘”...

Here’s Where You Can Stream IMDb-Ranked Shows: The Pitt & When Life Gives You Tangerines (Photo Credit – Netflix/Hotstar)

Many diehard entertainment enthusiasts might already know that the globally popular movies and TV shows database portal IMDb houses a list that mentions the top 250 TV shows from across the world of all time, according to their IMDb user ratings. So, it’s a pretty big deal if a show can crack the list. But, surprisingly, only two TV shows from the year 2025, When Life Gives You Tangerines and The Pitt, have been able to find a place in the coveted list. Read on to learn the names of these shows and their streaming platforms.

Only Two TV Shows From 2025 Make It To IMDb Top 250 List

The Pitt Streaming Platform – Jio Hotstar IMDb Rank – 51

The first show to crack the IMDb top 250 list is the medical drama series The Pitt.

Gene Roddenberry was working as a Los Angeles cop in the mid-1950s when he began his writing career. He flew planes in the army during WWII, and famously survived three plane crashes. He was a commercial airline pilot for a spell before joining the LAPD. This is a wild backstory for a TV writer who would become best known for utopian science fiction. By the time he was a cop, "Star Trek" was still about a decade away.

Roddenberry's first writing gigs were, perhaps predictably, for crime shows like "Highway Patrol" and "Mr. District Attorney." For the bulk of the '50s and '60s, he contributed to the hit Westerns of the day, writing 24 episodes of "Have Gun -- Will Travel," and one-offs of "Wrangler," "Whiplash," and "Boots and Saddles." He was a Tinseltown journeyman.

Along the way, Roddenberry wrote several pilots for TV shows that were never picked up.

Back in the early days of the broadcast networks, natural history shows were a part of the programming diet: NBC ran “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” for much of the 1960s, and around that time ABC brought “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” to U.S. audiences. Over the past several decades, however, those kinds of programs mostly became the domain of PBS (“Nature”) and cablers like Discovery (“Planet Earth”). More recently, streamers like Netflix (“Our Planet”) entered the space.

With a few exceptions (Fox’s “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”), the broadcast nets have shied away from documentary-style nature events — which makes NBC’s current stab at one, “The Americas,” all the more notable. “It is an experiment,” says Toby Gorman, the president of Universal Television Alternative Studio. “We will learn a lot. But when I think about the hits of broadcast, it’s got to be four quadrant,” he adds,...

At the UK-China Screen Forum held with Hong Kong’s Filmart, BBC Studios unveiled that Walking with Dinosaurs will premiere exclusively on iQiyi for mainland China audiences in 2025, and a Chinese-dubbed version of nature series Asia will also launch on Phoenix Chinese Channel.

The forum, now in its fourth edition, featured a delegation from the UK’s Department of Business and Trade (Dbt), British Film Institute (BFI), BBC Studios, Film Export UK as well as from China’s Pheonix TV and Bilibili. Organizers said that another UK-China Screen Forum will run during the BFI London Film Festival in October.

Delegates from UK and China emphasized the need to increase co-production and co-development opportunities between both territories, as well as sharpen distribution opportunities, which will also provide clearer data on what kinds of films and shows work in each market.

Singapore-based Phil Hardman, executive VP and general manager of Asia at BBC Studios,...

discovery+ is a great way to save a little money and watch top shows, but how many ads are shown on the service?

With the introduction of Max in 2023, many streaming customers may no longer think of discovery+ as a top service anymore. But that’s a mistake; discovery+ still offers a huge range of popular shows from Warner Bros. Discovery cable networks like Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, Magnolia Network, and others.

The streamer offers thousands of hours of programming, and allows customers to choose between ad-supported and ad-free plans. But what is the ad experience on discovery+ really like when you choose the ad plan? I tested it out for myself to give you the answer!

Everything you should know about the ad experience on discovery+

What’s the ad experience like on licensed shows from discovery+?

What’s the ad experience like on original discovery+ shows?

What’s...

As allegations of NBC's The Americas using AI swirl, one of the executive producers of the docuseries is out breaking down the show's "challenging" filming process. 

The new documentary from the creators of BBC's Planet Earth and Blue Planet explores the wildlife and ecosystems of both North and South America in a ten-episode epic narrated by Tom Hanks. 

The series, which started streaming on Peacock as well as airing on NBC, features the sort of stunning, epic cinematography typical of executive producer Mike Gunton's other work, getting up close with some of Earth's smallest and biggest creatures and witnessing their every day existing in their natural environment.

Read full article on The Direct.

From the Amazon to the Arctic, ‘The Americas’ captures never-before-seen animal behavior in breathtaking detail.

I feel like “Planet Earth” was a foundational cinematic experience for me. It came out in the middle of high school, and all of us were obsessed with it. So the fact that NBC is giving North and South America their own spotlight in “The Americas” is really cool. This isn’t just another nature doc - it’s a full-scale deep dive into the wildlife, landscapes, and untold stories of the most diverse continent on Earth. Narrated by Tom Hanks, the series was five years in the making and filmed across 180 expeditions, so you know the visuals are going to be stunning. And with music by Hans Zimmer? Yes please. The first two episodes drop on NBC this Sunday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. Et, and you can stream them live with a subscription to Sling TV.

If Charles Darwin had written On the Origin of Species after a long weekend spent watching epic nature series in pristine HD from the comfort of his sofa, he likely would have based his evolutionary theories on “survival of the cutest.”

Boosted by constant improvements in filming technology and boasting borderline interchangeable names like Planet Earth, Our Planet, Blue Planet and Man vs. Beast, nature documentaries are one of our planet’s great renewable resources — and to my mind, there are two easily definable subsets.

In the majority of the biggest and most visible nature docs, our planet is a vast and previously unknowable expanse and what we’re beginning to learn is scary and unsettling. But for all of the dangers presented by the depths of the ocean and the peaks of mountains, cuteness or wildly exaggerated ugliness generally prevail. Not all the time, but at least 80 percent of the time.

Bigger than Planet Earth? The Americas just might be.

That is the verdict from the creative team behind NBC’s Tom Hanks-narrated landmark, which comes from the storied BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Nhu). NBCUniversal has already called The Americas – which counts Hans Zimmer as composer – the most expensive unscripted project in its history.

These natural history epics were once the preserve of the BBC, which commissioned the likes of Blue Planet and Planet Earth, but the streamers and American nets have gotten into the game in a big way. Rather than greenlighting The Americas, the BBC has instead acquired the show, demonstrating how the landscape has changed. When BBC Studios Creative Director Mike Gunton first met with NBC to pitch the show years back, he says the American net wanted to “get into the big unscripted space… they were saying, ‘Let’s do a statement’.”

“We wanted to...

ITV Exploring ‘Extreme Planet Earth’ In Series From Plimsoll

Tiny World producer Plimsoll is making an extreme natural history series for ITV. Extreme Planet Earth will see “underscore the high-stakes battle for wildlife survival in an era of extreme weather, wildfires and environmental upheaval,” according to the commercial net. The series will travel to see elephants in Borneo navigating treacherous floodwaters, wombats in Australia with fires raging around them, a leopard in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi struggling with a brutal drought and Caribbean flamingos in Mexico facing up to the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record. Plimsoll already made A Year on Planet Earth for ITV and is owned by ITV Studios. ITV doesn’t dabble often in natural history but often opts for landmarks when it does. Factual Controller Jo Clinton-Davis said: “This series is unique in charting the impact of wild weather on wildlife – and Plimsoll deploying a combination of outstanding visuals,...

Pack your bags, we’re going to Asia.

The BBC Studios Natural History Unit has produced some of the best and most breathtaking nature documentary series of the last 25 years, including the Emmy Award-winning Planet Earth franchise. Now it’s turning its focus to Earth’s largest continent, exploring everything from the bitter tundra of Siberia to the murky depths of the numerous oceans and seas that surround the landmass. The rich ecosystems of the latter are featured in the series premiere, “Beneath the Waves” (airing Saturday at 8/7c on BBC America and streaming on AMC+), which takes viewers on a marine adventure as it highlights unique wildlife like the firefly squid, which glows in the dark and lives for just 12 months, and the once vulnerable northern fur seal, which is now thriving on an old hunting settlement.

Filmed over four years in 21 countries and narrated by renowned naturalist and three-time Emmy winner David Attenborough,...

Matt Reeves hopes cinemagoers will be "surprised" by 'The Batman Part II'.The 58-year-old director is returning to the iconic film franchise to helm the much-anticipated follow-up to 2022's 'The Batman', and although Matt is reluctant to share too many details about the movie, the filmmaker has revealed his overarching ambition for the project.Matt - who is set to reunite with Robert Pattinson for the upcoming movie - told Deadline: "We’re doing something where the story continues from, but I hope that people will be surprised by."'The Batman Part II' has recently had its release date moved, from October 2, 2026, to October 1, 2027. Despite this, Matt has confirmed that the new 'Batman' will begin shooting later this year.The director - who previously helmed 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' and 'War for the Planet of the Apes' - shared: "I can...

NBC is setting out on a journey across two continents, guided by one of Hollywood’s most recognizable voices. The network is set to unveil “The Americas,” a ten-part nature docuseries narrated by Tom Hanks, with music from none other than Hans Zimmer. This collaboration between BBC Studios Natural History Unit (the creators of “Planet Earth”) […]

Tom Hanks Lends His Voice to NBC’s Sweeping Nature Series, “The Americas”...

NBC has shared the first trailer for The Americas, which is a special event nature documentary narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring music by Oscar and Grammy Award winner Hans Zimmer.

The series will debut with two back-to-back episodes on Sunday, February 23, at 7 p.m. Et/Pt.

Photo courtesy of NBC and BBC Studios

From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the creators of the critically acclaimed and multi-Emmy Award-winning Planet Earth and Blue Planet, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, comes the epic 10-part tentpole event series The Americas.

The Americas showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the world’s greatest supercontinent. For the first time, the Americas stars in its own incomparable series, using cutting-edge technology to uncover never-before-seen behavior, and highlight the extraordinary, untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world.

Photo courtesy of NBC and BBC Studios

Five years in the making and filmed over 180 expeditions,...

Composing legend Hans Zimmer was the top individual winner at the 15th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards ceremony held Wednesday night, with three wins. The film “Emilia Pérez” also picked up three wins, followed by “The Wild Robot” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” with two apiece.

The HMMAs gave out honors for songs and scores in 39 categories at the event, held at Hollywood’s Avalon. The list of winners for 2024 was an eclectic one that included such well-known names as Elton John, A.R. Rahman, Kris Bowers, Miley Cyrus, Diane Warren, Alberto Iglesias, Maren Morris, Zoe Saldana, Clément Ducol, Robin Carolan, Pinar Toprak, Lainey Wilson, Brandi Carlile, Ilan Eshkeri, Olivia Rodrigo, Camille and dozens more. (Scroll down for the complete list of winners.)

Bernie Taupin was the most celebrated honoree of the night, being presented the Outstanding Career Achievement Award for a lifetime of work, on top of sharing in the...

Exclusive: Apple TV+ is doubling down on nature programming.

The tech giant has ordered The Secret Lives of Animals, a ten-part docuseries narrated by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.

It is the latest wildlife project for the streamer, which has previously aired series including The Year Earth Changed, Tiny World, Earth at Night in Color, Prehistoric Planet, Big Beasts and Earthsounds.

The Secret Lives of Animals will launch on December 18 and feature never-before-seen footage of rare animal behaviors, highlighting the intelligence of the natural world.

It is Bonneville’s latest nature docuseries; he previously narrated Netflix’s The Hidden Lives of Pets.

It also marks the third collaboration between the BBC Studios Natural History Unit and Apple TV+, following Prehistoric Planet and The Year Earth Changed.

The series will highlight 77 unique species in 24 countries over three years, many captured on film for the first time.

Each episode delves into pivotal...

BBC America now fully and officially belongs to AMC Networks. The company revealed that it acquired the remaining 50.1% of the channel from BBC Studios in a deal that took place last Friday.

The remaining half of the company was paid for in $42 million cash, which was distributed from the savings balance sheet. “We now own 100% of the iconic channel with full operational control, and look forward to what the future holds,” Patrick O’Connell, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer of AMC Networks, said during the company’s third quarter earnings call for 2024.

O’Connell assured analysts that moving forward AMC will continue to have a “close commercial relationship with BBC Studios” when it comes to the channel, ensuring that the brand and its programming remain at the same caliber. The company will continue to fully consolidate BBC America, as it did prior to this transaction.

The company also noted that,...

The big-budget drama series often get the most attention at MIPCOM Cannes, the world’s largest television market. But this year is time for unscripted to shine.

Hit by a sluggish advertising market and a reality check on overblown predictions of global streaming growth, broadcaster have shrunk their acquisition budgets. Cost-cutting and profitability are the new buzzwords. And nothing says low-cost/high-return than non-fiction formats.

Here’s The Hollywood Reporter‘s MIPCOM Hot List of non-scripted titles — from high-concept game shows to celebrity-driven reality shows and investigative documentaries — that promise to grab buyers’ attention at this year’s market.

The Americas

Format Natural History

Pitch From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, producers of multi-Emmy Award-winning Planet Earth and Blue Planet, and Universal Television Alternative Studio, comes this 11-part nature documentary series on the natural wonders of the American continent. Narrated by Tom Hanks and scored by two-time Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

Some of the most breathtaking moments of the “Planet Earth” series take place in Hang son Doong Cave in Vietnam. But capturing and showcasing the natural beauty of the largest cave in the world provided some challenges on how the crew were going to light it.

The Emmy-nominated “Extremes” episode of “Planet Earth III” trekked to Vietnam and into a world of darkness, going approximately 700 feet underground for 17 days. Cinematographer Luke Nelson and his team required special cameras, lenses and a unique lighting set-up to highlight the beauty of this underground world which otherwise was a world of complete darkness.

Getting there was the first challenge. “It takes two days of walking,” said Nelson in Variety’s Artisans, presented by HBO. “We had to hire 10-15 porters to help us carry everything from batteries, generators, drones and lenses.”

Once the crew arrived, Nelson used an array of cameras, from different...

Ren Redzepi's culinary philosophy of foraging, fermentation, and experimentation influences chefs like Carmy in The Bear's Season 3. Omnivore deep dives into the history and impact of essential ingredients like chili, tuna, salt, banana, and more with stunning cinematography. Real-world issues faced by fine dining restaurants like The Bear are explored in Omnivore, shedding light on the challenges of quality ingredients.

Ren Redzepi has long been known in the fine dining world as one whose obsession with food and ingredients has dominated his successes, and now the chef is sharing that obsession in Omnivore. Much of Redzepi's reputation is built on Danish three Michelin-starred restaurant, Noma, which popularized the New Nordic Cuisine culinary movement. His culinary philosophy primarily focuses on foraging, fermentation, and a lot of experimentation.

Redzepi's approach to cooking is more than just an influence on The Bear season 3 the chef's restaurant was used as an important part...

Sky Content MD Zai Bennett is heading to BBC Studios.

The UK programs chief of the Comcast-owned pay-tv giant will run BBC Studios Productions, a job that has been vacant for several months and one of the most talked about in the British industry. He replaces Ralph Lee.

Bennett will oversee a production arm that spans all genres, making the likes of Planet Earth, Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who. BBC Studios Productions also owns a wealth of indies including Clerkenwell Films, Lookout Point and Voltage TV. He will join BBC Studios in November, while he will also be on the exec committee.

At Sky, Bennett has overseen the likes of Chernobyl, Gangs of London and Patrick Melrose across a 10-year career. Past employers include Channel 5, ITV and BBC Three. Deadline is told that he will not be replaced at Sky. His exit follows that of UK and...

Alien: Romulus doesn't open in theaters until August 16, but we know from the trailer that the film will feature a hallmark of the horror/sci-fi film series: a gruesome chestburster scene. Ever since 1979's Alien traumatized a generation of filmgoers by gruesomely killing off John Hurt, the chestburster has been featured in various, terrifying ways in every subsequent film. In an interview with Total Film, Alien: Romulus director Fede Alvarez reveals that he approached his chestburster scene like it was something from a nature documentary. With hilarious results.

Alvarez admits the film is a blend of the terror of Alien and the action in Aliens, but said filming the scene was hardly a somber or terrifying experience. In fact, cast and crew were joking, and began narrating the actions as if it were a scene from David Attenborough's Planet Earth. He said:

"It is done almost like a nature documentary.

Tony Bourdain died six years ago, ending the near-decade I spent as his assistant. I have yet to disable my “Anthony Bourdain” Google Alert, which is how I became aware of Omnivore, the Apple TV+ deep-dive food series executive produced by René Redzepi, chef of the world-renowned Noma restaurant in Copenhagen, and writer Matt Goulding, who published three books under Bourdain’s imprint. Tony was also an investor-partner in Roads & Kingdoms, the travel website Goulding started with journalist Nathan Thornburgh.

Being associated with an icon like Bourdain opens lots of doors.

Jim Carter, who famously played Carson the master butler on Downton Abbey, clearly was taken by the leading artist giving a terrifically moving performance as Dolly Gallagher Levi upon the London Palladium stage. “That’s my wife,” he declared during the interval.

Indeed it was. Imelda Staunton was creating a gold-standard portrait of the meddlesome fixer at the heart of the landmark musical Hello, Dolly! created by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker.

“It’s a brilliant production,” Carter told me.

A tearful Jim Carter at the Palladium. Photo by Baz Bamigboye/Deadline.

“The problem is,” he continued, ”I can’t see anyone else on stage. I can only look at her. I’m sitting there going, ‘Wow!’”

Totally understandable, because the other 2,200 members of the audience were falling in love with her as well.

Imelda Staunton (center) and the ‘Hello, Dolly!’ company at the...

Reservation Dogs, The Gilded Age and The Traitors finally made the cut for the top categories, while Shōgun, The Bear and Abbott Elementary lived up to expectations that they would earn nominations for the 76th annual Emmy Awards, which were unveiled Wednesday morning.

Check out the full nominees list below.

Announced this morning from the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, the nominations also included shout-outs for Netflix’s addictive but controversial limited series Baby Reindeer, along with well-deserved noms for the fourth season of True Detective featuring Jodie Foster. The limited series race, in fact, is shaping up to be an exciting one, with Netflix’s Ripley competing against Reindeer along FX’s Fargo, Apple’s Lessons in Chemistry and HBO’s True Detective: Night Country.

Related: Here Are The Actors Who Have Won The Most Emmys: Photo Gallery

Late Night with Seth Meyers also earned a what-took-you-so-long nomination in Talk Series,...

In the much-anticipated premiere of “Planet Earth: Mammals,” viewers are in for a thrilling ride as they delve into the mysterious world of nocturnal creatures in Season 1 Episode 1 titled “Dark.” The episode, airing at 8:00 Pm on Saturday, July 13, 2024, on BBC America, promises to captivate audiences with a fascinating look at mammals that thrive under the cover of darkness.

The description for the episode sets the stage for an exploration of how over two-thirds of mammal species have evolved to navigate the night with heightened senses that almost seem like superpowers. As the daytime world becomes increasingly crowded, these creatures are forced to retreat to the dark side, where they reign supreme with their extraordinary adaptations and behaviors.

“Dark” promises to showcase the incredible diversity of nocturnal mammals, from elusive predators stalking their prey under the cloak of night to tiny creatures with remarkable survival strategies. Viewers can expect to...

“You’ve gone too far this time / But I’m dancing on the Valentine / I tell you somebody’s fooling around / With my chances on the danger line.” Those were the opening lyrics to “The Reflex” by the English new wave band Duran Duran. And 40 years ago this summer they helped the group score their first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. “The Reflex” may have been a “lonely child,” but the song propelled the group to unparalleled popularity at the time.

Originally formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978, Duran Duran actually had a bit of a rough start in their quest for mainstream success in the United States. None of the songs from their 1981 self-titled debut album made the Billboard chart, though “Planet Earth” and “Girls on Film” reached number-12 and number-five in the United Kingdom, respectively.

It wasn’t until the release of their 1982 sophomore album, “Rio,” that Duran Duran...

Get ready to explore the wonders of Earth’s coldest regions in “Frozen Planet II” with the episode titled “A First Look at Planet Earth: Mammals,” airing on BBC America this Thursday, July 4, 2024, at 9:00 Am. This captivating docuseries takes viewers on a breathtaking journey through the Arctic and Antarctic, high mountains, frozen deserts, snowbound forests, and icy oceans, showcasing the resilience and diversity of mammalian wildlife.

In this episode, viewers will witness how various mammal species adapt and thrive in extreme environments. From polar bears navigating icy waters to penguins enduring harsh Antarctic winters, each species faces unique challenges to survive. The documentary offers intimate insights into their behaviors, survival strategies, and interactions within their ecosystems.

Narrated with engaging storytelling and stunning cinematography, “Frozen Planet II” continues to mesmerize audiences with its exploration of Earth’s most remote and unforgiving landscapes. This episode promises to be an educational and visually stunning experience,...

René Redzepi has built Copenhagen restaurant Noma — ranked five times as the No. 1 restaurant in the world by the World’s 50 Best list — into a culinary institution, and now he has his sights set on changing how the world thinks about food.

The famed chef has co-created the new Apple TV+ docuseries Omnivore, which follows individual ingredients that have shaped the world; salt, rice, banana, pig, chili, coffee, tuna and corn are each explored in the show’s eight episodes. Redzepi narrates but makes only brief onscreen appearances as the series dives into the history of these ingredients, as well as how they are currently being affected by climate change and how conservation can save the food supply.

Redzepi has had the idea for the series for more than a decade, and finally had time during the pandemic to put it into motion. He teamed with Matt Goulding, who executive...

Kicking off on May 15-17 with the LA Independents, with a heavyweight Spanish-language presence, the LA Screenings then host Hollywood studio presentations. To help cut through the slates, – especially at the LA Independents but including some big studio plays – here’s Variety’s pick of 20 top titles:

“The Americas,” (NBCU, BBC Studios)

Narrated by Tom Hanks, his first unscripted narrator gig, and billed as an epic natural history series from “Planet Earth” producer BBC Studios Natural History Unit in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio. Scored by two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and using groundbreaking technology to reveal the continent’s natural wonders. Previewed at MipTV, in a presentation which was one of the biggest events of the whole market.

“Amia,” (Dori Media Group)

Unfolding against the background of the terror attacks of 1992 on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and in 1994 against Amia, the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association, the...

Note: This post contains spoilers for "The Wire."

Is "The Wire" still one of the greatest TV shows of all time? David Simon's sprawling, complex portrait of Baltimore has appeared on multiple "best of" lists over the years, popping up near the top of masterpiece-filled rankings from outlets like Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Empire, and more. The HBO series, which really couldn't have worked before that channel's dominance in early 2000s, currently ranks sixth-highest of all time on IMDb, and despite never winning an Emmy, it's earned a Peabody, DGA and WGA awards, and a spot on the American Film Institute's Television Programs of The Year list three different times.

"The Wire" is no doubt a work of storytelling genius, and much of its tremendous effect is cumulative. The series starts at the street level of Maryland's biggest city, examining the effects of drugs and gang life before refocusing...

One day, while watching the BBC documentary Planet Earth, director David Gelb had an idea for what he wanted to be his first feature film: a documentary featuring several sushi chefs, showcasing the artistic aspects of the sushi-making process. In 2010, while researching several restaurants for the project, then nicknamed Planet Sushi, he came across a small, 10-seat restaurant that didn't have any entrées or dishes other than sushi located inside a train station. What he found inside completely changed the film he had planned, and instead became Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a heartfelt documentary on the life of then 85-year-old Jiro Ono, a Japanese chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, the first sushi restaurant in the world to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide.

Earth Day 2024 is fast approaching, and that means the entertainment industry has some big environmental-themed releases. Last year, Netflix debuted Life on Our Planet, and the platform's nature-docuseries fun doesn't stop there. Our Living World, narrated by the always superb Cate Blanchett, drops on Netflix today, April 17th, and explores the hidden interconnections on planet Earth, and how the actions of people and animals create astonishing effects that can ultimately be felt on a global scale.

The Academy Award-winning Blanchett once played a magical character in the renowned Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Now, she's telling a magical sort of real-life tale about the way our peculiar planet operates. And her soothing but firm voice is certainly aided by incredible wildlife photography in the new Netflix series, both above ground and underwater. The series producer behind it all is Ben Roy, who knows his way around the block when it comes to nature shows,...

Cannes TV trade fair MipTV may be its most boutique in recent years, but shows are coming onto the market – or screened at the parallel Canneseries TV festival which begins Friday – that will whet buyers’ appetites. Some roll of buzz from the London TV Screenings or Series Mania. Others are completely fresh, or pretty much off the radar.

To help you cut through the slates, here’s Variety’s picks of 20-plus shows:

“The Americas,” (NBCU, BBC Studios)

Narrated by Tom Hanks, his first unscripted narrator gig, and billed as an epic natural history series from “Planet Earth” producer BBC Studios Natural History Unit in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio. Scored by two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and using groundbreaking technology to reveal the continent’s natural wonders. Previewed at MipTV, just how that worked will be unveiled at a fireside chat with NBCU’s Toby Gorman, president of...

In making Fly, their feature documentary about Base jumping, directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau spent seven years trying to capture the feeling of whole-heartedly wanting to throw yourself off a cliff.

The doc, which premiered this week at the SXSW Film and TV Festival, takes a look at the sport, which has been maligned for the obvious dangers it imposes on its participants, through the lens of three romantic couples, whose love of Base jumping butts up against the realities of being in love with a partner.

The Base jumping, as seen in Fly, is either jumpers deploying parachutes after leaping from high surfaces (bridges, buildings and cliffs) or using wingsuits (web-sleeved jumpsuits also called squirrel suits), that allow the user to glide down a mountain, sometimes reaching speeds of 200 mph. “Sometimes we would hike hours just to have what’s called the “fly by shot.” You’re spending...

Let’s start at the end. We’re at the base of the Ngorongoro Crater, a two-million-year-old collapsed volcano in Tanzania. A heavy downpour is thumping the roof of our safari vehicle. Yes, it’s raining in Africa. Before we begin the steep ascent up the walls of the crater along muddy brick roads, our tour guide breaks and turns off the ignition. He gestures toward an unseasonably lush clearing where a committee of elephants is assembled to wish us adieu.

For the last week, we’ve been on a press trip in the Serengeti with one unique wrinkle: National Geographic embedded our excursions with the creative talent behind their new natural world series, Queens. In addition to local guides, we were accompanied by National Geographic’s filmmakers, who are brave enough to tackle assignments like night shoots in open-sided vehicles amongst lions and hyenas. We were in safe hands.

Narrated by David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet follows in the footsteps of other BBC Planet series, in using groundbreaking cinematic technologies to capture the images of the Earth’s most magnificent creatures. Each episode of Prehistoric Planet explores various dinosaur species scattered across a variety of landscapes. Now, this series offers an especially unique foray into nature documentaries because, spoiler alert, dinosaurs are extinct. Prehistoric Planet renders its primeval creatures using the latest advancements in photorealist technology (like those used in The Lion King remake), creating the closest version of prehistoric “reality” ever put to screen. Though the visual effects are cutting edge, the series invokes the enduring nature documentary trope of personifying its animal subjects. And yet, even though the show uses one of the oldest rhetorical strategies for the genre, its personified animals feel vividly novel.

February is considered the month of love for movie lovers and hopeless romantics everywhere.

For this reason, the Hallmark Channel has given February a special name – Loveuary.

One of their new movies this month is called A Taste of Love.

The romantic comedy tells the story of a culinary chef named Taylor with big dreams and aspirations.

She’s determined to make a name for herself in the restaurant industry because she wants to be respected in her field.

While visiting her hometown, she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart and receives an offer that’s tough to refuse. Here are some details about the main cast members.

Jesse Kove and Erin Kahill are the leading stars

Jesse Kove is the actor who plays Jacob in A Taste of Love. You might also recognize him from movies and TV shows like The Holiday Proposal Plan, Bring Me a Dream, On Eings of Ragles,...

‘Searching for Sugarman’ Producer Passion Signs ‘Planet Earth II’ Showrunner

Searching for Sugarman producer Passion Pictures has snapped up the showrunner of Planet Earth II from Plimsoll. Tom Hugh-Jones will boost Passion’s natural history offering and be based in Bristol, taking on the new title of MD Passion Planet (Bristol). He has a wealth of major natural history credits including Planet Earth, Human Planet and Life Story across a 30-year career, while he most recently helmed A Real Bug’s Life for Disney+, which launches today. “Planet Earth II and Tiny World are two of my favourite natural history series of all time,” said Passion CEO Nick Southgate. “The chance to work with the showrunner of these extraordinary pieces of TV was a no-brainer. I can’t wait to dig in with Tom and Dave and create a new era of intelligent, big wildlife shows.”

Netflix Explores UFO-Inspired Religion

Netflix...

Not many directors would choose an apocalyptic sci-fi romance spanning several filmmaking disciplines for their feature debut, but Sam and Andy Zuchero wouldn’t have it any other way when it comes to “Love Me.” The film, which will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this week, stars Oscar-nominated duo Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun as a buoy and a satellite falling in love a billion years after humans have gone extinct.

Speaking exclusively to Variety, the married filmmaking team say they first thought of the idea for “Love Me” back in 2019, and shortly after the global pandemic had them ruminating on themes of isolation and human connection.

“We thought that the idea of a buoy and a satellite, the two furthest things from each other, having a conversation was really funny,” Sam says when asked about the seeds of the project. “Then we read Ray Kurzweil...

Apple’s new mixed reality headsets will include thousands of Disney+ TV shows and movies along with four “iconic environments” where users can watch them as the tech giant unveiled more details of its upcoming Apple Vision Pro.

Immersive viewing options include The Disney+ Theater, inspired by Hollywood’s historic El Capitan Theatre; the Scare Floor from Pixar’s Monsters Inc.; Marvel’s Avengers Tower overlooking downtown Manhattan; and the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder, facing a binary sunset on the planet Tatooine from the Star Wars galaxy.

“At Disney, we’re constantly searching for new ways to entertain, inform, and inspire by combining exceptional creativity with groundbreaking technology to create truly remarkable experiences,” said Disney CEO Bob Iger in Apple’s announcement. “Apple Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that will bring our fans closer to the characters and stories they love while immersing them more deeply in...

The best home-theater experience coming to the market? According to Apple, it’s one you’ll be able to strap onto your head.

Apple unveiled several new entertainment experiences that will be available on Apple Vision Pro — its expensive new mixed-reality headset — when it begins shipping on Feb. 2. The tech giant touts visionOS, a platform that lets developers tap into the Vision Pro to make the viewing experiences within their apps “even more immersive.” The Vision Pro, which Apple has been developing for more than seven years, will be priced starting at $3,499.

At launch, Apple Vision Pro users can watch more than 150 3D movies, including “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Dune,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Elemental” and “Encanto.” Users can access 3D versions of eligible movies when they become available to rent or purchase from the Apple TV app,...

"Planet Earth is a masterpiece. But it's also incredibly fragile. We have ignored it, neglected, and abused it for centuries. It's on the verge of collapse. How much longer can we last...?" Sadly an important question. Sony Cine has revealed a new 3-minute short film called The Knowing, filmed by the legendary Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (aka "Chivo" Lubezki). It's a promo for the latest Sony pro digital cinema camera called the Burano, as well as a conservationist short film, following two photographers to the deep South-Western region of Australia. There they encounter the endangered Southern Right Whale in its natural habitat. It's a gorgeous short that looks great but is also meant to remind us we still need to do more to save this planet and take care of it and let it heal properly. To help tell this story, the filmmakers used the Sony Burano, a digital cinema...

Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Gen Z Thursday night after a new UCLA study revealed today’s teenagers want to see less sex on screen.

The study, which was released Wednesday, found that more than half of the 1,500 adolescents and young adults surveyed want to see more platonic relationships or friendships on TV rather than romantic relationships or sex scenes. The ages of participants ranged from 10 to 24 years old.

“I’ve never felt more out of touch with a generation,” Kimmel said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” “I try not to be the old guy complaining about these kids today, but sometimes I feel like I have to. Isn’t this supposed to be the live and let live generation?”

The ABC host then asked his audience to remember a time when nudity was less accessible and the only way to see steamy scenes was by stealing “Playboys from our uncles...

Day two of the MIPCOM international television market brought a slew of new deals and a major corporate acquisition.

French group Newen Studios, owned by commercial channel TF1, announced it had secured a majority stake in Marie Guillaumond’s French production company Felicita Films. The boutique group has some 10 projects in development for local French channels and streaming platforms, and is currently in postproduction on A la Hauteur, a feature film directed by Delphine and Muriel Coulin starring Vincent Lindon.

On the sales side, the BBC pre-bought season two of period drama Marie Antoinette from Banijay Rights. The Canal+ drama, created by Deborah Davis, stars Emilia Schüle (Ku’damm 56/ 63) as the avant-garde French queen and Louis Cunningham (Bridgerton) as the King Louis XVI. The first season of Marie Antoinette sold to more than 147 territories, including to PBS Distribution in the U.S.

“Following the great success of series one, we...

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Gather round children and listen to my lecture about the importance of physical media. Sometimes, when a person loves a show or movie so much the only way to show that love is by owning a physical copy of its contents. Plus, what if there’s an apocalypse? Sure, sure we will all need clean water, shelter electricity and food but after all that’s sorted out… what are you gonna watch?

And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’ll get these Blu-ray disc quickly with free two-day shipping. Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, a year of free Grubhub+ for meal deliveries, discounts at Whole Foods Market,...

It is time to stop labeling moths as villains. Moths received an unfortunate, terrible rep due to the common phobia of insects when reporters hyperbolically covered moth plagues over towns and moth inspections at apartments. However, in his documentary The Night Visitors, video artist Michael Gitlin discerns them as benefactors for Earth: he encompasses a personal and societal lens on how the moths’ pollination of flowers leads to good harvest and the planet’s biodiversity.

The Night Visitors is an extension of Gitlin’s fervid ecological output after observing caves in Nine Guided Tours (2000), birds in The Birdpeople (2004), and fossils in The Earth is Young (2009). Gitlin applies animation, observation footage of moth enthusiasts across the U.S. (particularly of the annual Ohio event Mothapalooza), text, and voiceovers from himself and others. Those techniques accentuate the moths’ caregiving responsibilities and growth from caterpillar to butterfly-esque, adult-like human beings. This configuration establishes...

Get ready to take another stunning look at the planet and nature. Season three of the Planet Earth series is coming soon to BBC America and AMC+ and the outlets have released a trailer of new footage.

Sir David Attenborough has returned to narrate the eight-episode season, which will launch at some point this year. The second season, Planet Earth II, was released seven years ago.

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