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Linda Lavin has sadly left behind an unfinished project.

The iconic actress, who died Sunday (December 29) at age 87, passed away with just three episodes left to shoot for her new Hulu comedy TV series, Mid-Century Modern.

Linda was set to star in the upcoming sitcom from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan alongside stars Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane and Nathan Lee Graham, via The Wrap.

Keep reading to find out more…

The show, executive produced by Ryan Murphy, already had seven episodes film, with just three more planned, with remaining production scheduled for mid-January, a source told the outlet.

Here’s the synopsis of the series, which was compared to Golden Girls: “The series follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age — who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother.

Celebrities, producers and just plain old fans are remembering actress Linda Lavin, who died December 29 at 87.

Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane reacted Monday to the loss of their co-star Lavin in the upcoming Hulu comedy series Mid-Century Modern. The multi-camera comedy from Max Mutchnick and David Kohan filmed seven episodes of its 10-episode order before the holiday break. It is unclear how the show will proceed without one of its leads.

“I am heartbroken at the loss of the great Linda Lavin, a brilliant, one-of-a-kind actress who could do comedy and drama with equal aplomb and who made each day a joy to go to work,” Lane said. “I feel so very lucky and grateful I finally got to act with her and that she went out doing what she loved and still at the top of her game. I called her Mom on camera and off and will treasure...

Linda Lavin, a versatile actress on stage and screen known for her powerhouse voice, sharp comedic timing, and warm presence, died December 29, 2024. The cause was complications from lung cancer; she was 87.

Born on October 15, 1938, in Portland, Maine, Lavin’s interest in performing began at a young age. Her Broadway debut came in 1966, introducing the song “You’ve Got Possibilities” in the short-lived musical “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman.” But her early career is defined by her starring turn on the TV sitcom “Alice,” which ran from 1976 to 1985 and earned her an Emmy nomination.

Based on the Martin Scorsese film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” the show starred Lavin as Alice, a widowed mother who moves to Phoenix to start a new life and work as a waitress. Lavin brought warmth, resilience, and humor to the character, earning critical praise and two Golden Globe awards.

Linda Lavin, who died Sunday at age 87, passed away with just three episodes left to shoot for her new Hulu comedy series, “Mid-Century Modern.”

Lavin, whose death resulted from complications of recently discovered lung cancer, was set to star in the upcoming sitcom from “Will & Grace” creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan alongside stars Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane and Nathan Lee Graham.

“Mid-Century Modern,” which is also executive produced by Ryan Murphy, had shot seven of its 10 episodes, and had planned on resuming production for its remaining three episodes in mid-January, according to an individual with knowledge of the series’ plans. It’s unknown how Lavin’s passing might impact the show, which was ordered to series in August.

“Working with Linda was one of the highlights of our careers,” Kohan, Mutchnick and Jimmy Burrows wrote in a joint statement of Lavin’s passing. “She was a magnificent actress,...

Linda Lavin, the longtime TV and Tony-winning stage actress best known for her Emmy-nominated role as the title character on the sitcom “Alice,” has died, according to her publicist. She was 87.

Lavin died Sunday from complications of a recently discovered lung cancer, according to the rep. She had been promoting her new Netflix series “No Good Deed,” and was shooting an upcoming Hulu comedy series “Mid-Century Modern” when she got the diagnosis.

Lavin’s career began on Broadway as a child actor in the 1960s, and was nominated for her first Tony in 1970. She would go on to six nominations, winning in 1986 for “Broadway Bound.”

Always with a foot in both TV and on stage, Lavin took a recurring role on the ABC cop-shop sitcom “Barney Miller” in 1975, which landed her the role of the titular truck-stop waitress in the 1976 sitcom “Alice.” The series ran for nine seasons on CBS.

Linda Lavin, who made herself a household name as the title character in the long-running sitcom Alice, has passed away from complications from lung cancer. She was 87.

Alice would be one of the most popular sitcoms of its time, running for nine seasons and just over 200 episodes. At the forefront was Linda Lavin, who would end up winning two Golden Globes, both for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical. She, too, would nab one Emmy nomination for playing the waitress, taking over the role from Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

Prior to and even after her successes with Alice, Linda Lavin had a remarkable career on stage, winning one Tony (with another five nominations) and three Drama Desk Awards.

Incredibly, Linda Lavin found a true balance between her work on the stage and screen. Lavin began her career on Broadway, earning...

Actress Linda Lavin, best known to TV fans for starring in the CBS sitcom Alice, has died, TVLine has confirmed. She was 87.

According to a representative for Lavin, she died unexpectedly on Sunday due to complications from recently discovered lung cancer.

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Lavin got her start on the small screen with episodes of shows like Rhoda, Phyllis and Barney Miller. Her most memorable TV role, though, was that of widowed diner waitress Alice Hyatt in the CBS sitcom Alice,...

TV and film actress and Broadway performer Linda Lavin died unexpectedly in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 29, at the age of 87. The star of CBS sitcom Alice, she had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, Deadline reported. Lavin was working as recently as December 4, when she attended an event in Hollywood to promote her new Netflix series No Good Deed. She had also been filming her upcoming Hulu sitcom Mid-Century Modern alongside Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and Nathan Lee Graham. The comedy had reportedly shot seven of its 10 episodes before the holidays and was due to start filming again early in the New Year. The show’s creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, along with director James Burrows paid tribute to Lavin: “Working with Linda was one of the highlights of our careers,” they said, per Deadline. “She was a magnificent actress, singer, musician, and a heat seeking missile with a joke.

The talented actress Linda Lavin passed away on Sunday in Los Angeles. She was best known for her role as a single mother in the hit sitcom “Alice.” She was 87 years old. A representative for Lavin said that she died from problems related to her lung cancer, which had just been diagnosed.

The entertainment business was shocked by her death because she was still working up to the end. She went to the opening of her new Netflix series “No Good Deed” in Hollywood on December 4, just a few weeks before she passed away.

Lavin’s career spanned seven decades and showed how well she could switch between theater, film, and television. She became a well-known supporter of women’s rights, especially at work. In 1976, she played Alice Hyatt on CBS’s “Alice,” her most famous role. The person in the story was a single mother working as a waitress...

Linda Lavin, a revered Broadway and TV actress and singer best known for hit CBS series Alice, has died at 87. Lavin died unexpectedly in Los Angeles due to complications from lung cancer, according to her PR representative.

Lavin was best known for playing a waitress named Alice Hyatt on Alice, which ran for nine seasons from 1976. During her tenure on the series, Lavin won two Golden Globes and earned an Emmy nomination. She also won a Tony Award in 1987 for her work in Broadway Bound. The actress had a prolific...

Linda Lavin, star of CBS’ long-running sitcom “Alice” and a Tony winner for Neil Simon’s play “Broadway Bound” who remained active in TV and on stage, died Sunday. She was 87.

A representative for Lavin confirmed the actress died unexpectedly Sunday due to complications from lung cancer that had been recently discovered. As recently as Dec. 4, Lavin attended the premiere of Netflix’s dark comedy series “No Good Deed” at the streamer’s Tudum Theater in Hollywood.

Lavin was also ready to co-star with Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane in the upcoming Hulu comedy “Mid-Century Modern,” which is in the midst of filming its first season. The show hails from “Will & Grace” creators/executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick and director-producer James Burrows for 20th Television.

“Working with Linda was one of the highlights of our careers. She was a magnificent actress, singer, musician and a heat seeking missile with a joke.

With a new sitcom about a group of four friends in their golden years, Nathan Lee Graham understands if fans might be experiencing a little déjà vu.

Although the Mid-Century Modern star recently explained that his upcoming Hulu multi-camera series is “not Golden Girls,” he’s certainly not bothered by comparisons to the beloved 1985-’92 NBC sitcom that starred Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty.

“It’s not Golden Girls, but the similarities are inevitable, right?” Graham told Queerty‘s Michael Musto. “You have three single guys coming together that happen to be homosexual, moving to one person’s place, so the similarities are going to be drawn. And it’s not a bad thing to be compared to. The show is it’s own thing, but it’s nice to be compared to something you truly love.”

Hulu quickly gave Mid-Century Modern a series order in...

On September 25, Bisan Owda won the 2024 News and Documentary Emmy for Best Hard News Feature Story: Short Form for “It’s Bisan from Gaza and I’m Still Alive,” from Al Jazeera despite earlier calls to rescind her nomination. Check out the list of Emmy winners here.

Since the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel, the nation has embarked on a military campaign in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 40,000 people according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. Owda, a Palestinian filmmaker, has covered the campaign on social media since it began.

But upon her nomination for the News and Documentary Emmy, there were calls to take away her recognition by more than 150 members of the entertainment industry. Speaking as the Creative Community for Peace, they said, “NATAS must decide — they can either condone the murder of innocent civilians or they can listen to the entertainment community, and stand in opposition to hatred and violence.

The latest White Collar revival update: The series has officially been named!

“Can report the studio is very happy with the new White Collar script,” creator, writer and executive producer Jeff Eastin wrote on X early Wednesday morning. He then posted a screenshot of the script with the title White Collar Renaissance emblazoned at the top.

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Frasier is one of the best classic multi-cam sitcoms with one of the best cast of characters. Based on the character from the hit series Cheers, Frasier follows Dr. Frasier Crane as he moves to Seattle to reset his life after finalizing his divorce. Dr. Crane thinks that he is getting a new life but his plans are interrupted when his father moves in with him. The comedy of the series came from the highly dysfunctional relationship between Frasier and his father Niles Crane. Frasier provided laughter to its audience for 11 eleven brilliant seasons and ended its run in 2004. Eighteen years later we go a great revival and new life for Frasier Crane on Paramount+ with him living with his son. So, if you loved the cringe comedy and compelling characters in the original and the new revival...

Alexi Hawley’s new hostage recovery series “The Envoy” has landed at Hulu, TheWrap has learned.

Hailing from Lionsgate Television, where Hawley has an overall deal, “The Envoy” is now in development at the Disney-owned streamer. As part of the deal, ABC Signature, a part of Disney TV Studios, will also produce the series, though Lionsgate Television will serve as the lead producer.

The news comes over two months after the project was announced to be in development at Lionsgate Television, with Hawley onboard to to develop and produce the series.

“The Envoy” is inspired by Adam Ciralsky’s Vanity Fair article “Take No Prisoners,” which was published in May and was subsequently optioned by Lionsgate. The piece centers on U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs Roger D. Carstens and his team, who have worked to release 70 American hostages over the last four years, whom Ciralsky spent a year observing.

Are you searching for a new comedy to enjoy? Hulu may have the perfect one for you! Here are five things to know about Hulu’s upcoming Mid-Century Modern.

It wasn’t long ago that we learned David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin. Directing the series we have James Burrows. The story, which is set to be told in a multi-cam format, follows a small group of best friends who decide to live their “golden years” together in Palm Springs. The pals, described by Deadline as “gay gentlemen of a certain age” are portrayed by Lane, Bomer, and Graham. As for Linda Lavin, she will take on the role of Lane character’s mother, who will also be living with them. The synopsis finishes off with:

It sounds like a light-hearted comedy, but I’m sure it will feature a few hard-hitting, and emotional moments.

Mid-Century Modern is coming to Hulu. The streaming service has greenlighted a new multi-camera comedy series starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin. The series has been ordered just four weeks after the pilot was filmed, directed by James Burrows.

The Golden Girls-esque series comes from Will & Grace creators David Kohan & Max Mutchnick, with Ryan Murphy. The pilot was written by Kohan and Mutchnick

Read More…...

On Tuesday, Hulu announced they greenlit the new Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Linda Lavin, and Nathan Lee Graham comedy Mid-Century Modern. It is from the creators of Will And Grace, David Kohan and Max Miutchnick, as well as Ryan Murphy. This is directed by the prestigious director James Burrows.

This series is about three best pals portrayed by Lane, Bomer, and Graham. After an unexpected death, the three gay gentlemen want to spend their golden years in Palm Springs. This is where Lane’s character Bunny Schneiderman lives with his mom, Sybil, and they have some bucks. This is a chosen family who will have quirks and plenty of opportunities for fun.

To many, this is vaguely familiar to The Golden Girls. Matt Bomer says this new comedy is a “spiritual cousin” to the classic series. What else did he have to share?

Instagram Matt Bomer Matt Bomer Calls New...

Matt Bomer‘s new show is heading to Hulu!

The streaming service officially picked up the new multi-cam comedy series Mid-Century Modern, executive produced by Ryan Murphy and created by Will & Grace’s Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.

Matt, 46, will be starring as Jerry Frank, who left the Mormon Church and his marriage in his early 20s after his wife informed him — and the rest of the congregation — that he was gay.

“The series follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age — who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother,” according to the synopsis. “As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.”

The series also stars Nathan Lane, Nathan Lee Graham,...

Hulu has given a series order to the comedy “Mid-Century Modern,” Variety has learned.

The multi-cam was first reported to be in the works at the streamer in June. Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin star.

The official logline states that the show follows “three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.”

Full character descriptions can be found below.

The series was created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, with both also executive producing. Lane and Bomer are also executive producers, along with Ryan Murphy and James Burrows, with Burrows having directed the pilot.

In a very quick turnaround, Hulu has given a series order to Mid-Century Modern, its multi-camera comedy pilot from Will & Grace creators David Kohan & Max Mutchnick and Ryan Murphy that stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin.

The pickup comes less than two months after the pilot, written by Kohan and Mutchnick, was officially greenlighted and just four weeks after it was taped in front of a live audience with multi-cam icon James Burrows directing.

The very quick decision-making — especially by Disney standards — is not that surprising. In addition to an A-list creative team in front and behind the camera, the pilot has been enjoying a very strong word- of-mouth internally that kicked into high gear after the table read.

The series follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden...

Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan are officially back in the sitcom business.

Hulu has ordered to series Mid-Century Modern from the duo, who will executive produce alongside Ryan Murphy. The multicamera project stars Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer, who will also executive produce. Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin also star.

The series order for Mid-Century Modern, produced by 20th Television, comes less than two months after Hulu ordered a pilot for the show — an unusually quick turnaround for a streaming service.

Here is the logline, followed by character descriptions: “The series follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age — who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you...

“Mid-Century Modern,” the new sitcom starring Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer from “Will & Grace” creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, is ordered to series at Hulu, the streamer announced Tuesday.

The multi-cam comedy, which is also executive produced by Ryan Murphy, stars Lane and Bomer, who are both set to executive produce the series, as well as Nathan Lee Graham and Linda Lavin.

“Mid-Century Modern” centers on “three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother,” per the official logline. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better if you got your neck done.

Lane stars as Bunny Schneiderman, a successful businessman with one foot in retirement who...

Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane have been tapped to star in a new roommate sitcom ‘Mid-Century Modern,’ which is being described as like the classic comedy series ‘The Golden Girls.’

The multi-cam series for Hulu will be executive produced by Ryan Murphy and created by ‘Will & Grace’s’ Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.

Bomer is said to be playing the role similar to the ditzy Rose-like character, played by Betty White in the original ‘Golden Girls,’ with Lane taking on the Dorothy (Bea Arthur) of the bunch. Linda Lavin will play Lane’s mother, a la the original Sophia.

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Nathan Lane as Bunny Schneiderman, Matt Bomer as Jerry Frank, and Linda Lavin as Sybil Schneiderman, Bunny’s mother. A successful businessman with one foot in retirement, Bunny is forever in search of love, but he first has to be convinced he’s worthy of it.

A gay Golden Girls-style sitcom is in the works starring Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane. This will be coming from the brilliant mind of Ryan Murphy and the creators of Will & Grace, Max Mutchnik and David Kohan. So, what else is there to know about the upcoming comedy? Keep reading for more details.

Gay Golden Girls-Style Sitcom In Works Starring Matt Bomer

Over thirty years after it went off the air, The Golden Girls remains one of the most popular sitcoms to date. Set in Miami, it starred Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McLanahan, and Estelle Getty. They were four divorced or widowed women living together, experiencing life as fifty-somethings, with the exception of Getty. Her character, Sophia Petrillo was wise and in her eighties but still liked a good time. They went on dates, lost jobs, lost children, faced money problems, had AIDS tests, and so much more.

The sitcom landscape has been unusually barren in recent years, as networks and streamers alike have demonstrated a strong preference for dramas, especially those involving first responders.

Leave it to always-adventurous Ryan Murphy and the innovative minds at Hulu to head an entirely different, yet refreshingly familiar direction.

The streamer has ordered a pilot for Mid-Century Modern, a sitcom centering around three best friends -- described by Deadline as "gay gentlemen of a certain age" -- who decide to share a home in retirement, a la The Golden Girls.

Lane will play Bunny Schneiderman, and Linda Lavin -- star of the beloved '70s sitcom Alice -- will play his mother, Sybil, with whom he shares a home in Palm Springs.

The already complex relationship between mother and son will be further complicated when two of Bunny's friends move in.

And wackiness is almost certain to ensue.

Related: The Age...

Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane will play a pal and a confidant in Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern.

The streamer has ordered a pilot for the potential multi-camera comedy, which hails from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, and executive producer Ryan Murphy. Linda Lavin (Alice) also stars.

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The series, which is loosely inspired by The Golden Girls,...

Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane will play a pal and a confidant in Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern.

The streamer has ordered a pilot for the potential multi-camera comedy, which hails from Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, and executive producer Ryan Murphy. Linda Lavin (Alice) also stars.

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The series, which is loosely inspired by The Golden Girls,...

The creators of Will & Grace and Ryan Murphy are teaming for a Hulu project — which is already attracting a top-flight cast.

The Disney-owned streamer has ordered a pilot for a multi-camera comedy titled Mid-Century Modern, written by Will & Grace’s David Kohan and Max Mutchnick. Matt Bomer, Nathan Lane and Linda Lavin are set to star in the show, which reads as something of a gender-swapped take on The Golden Girls. Murphy is an executive producer, and James Burrows is set to direct.

The logline: “The series follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age — who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother and a naked Gen Z housekeeper. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it...

In one of the more promising pieces of development to come along in a while, Hulu has ordered Mid-Century Modern, a comedy pilot from Will & Grace duo Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and uber-producer Ryan Murphy.

Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer are set to star and executive produce the series that will also star Linda Lavin. Mutchnick and Kohan will write the pilot while James Burrows will direct. Executive producers include Mutchnick, Kohan, Burrows, Lane, Bomer and Murphy. 20th Television is the studio.

The series follows three best friends — gay gentlemen of a certain age – who, after an unexpected death, decide to spend their golden years living together in Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother and a naked Gen Z housekeeper. As a chosen family, they prove that no matter how hard things get, there’s always someone around to remind you it would be better...

It’s not “The Golden Girls,” but get ready for a new, even gayer roommate sitcom.

I can exclusively report that Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane are set to star in “Mid-Century Modern,” a multi-cam series for Hulu executive produced by Ryan Murphy and created by “Will & Grace’s” Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.

Sources reveal that Bomer will take on the ditzy Rose-like character, played by Betty White in the original “Golden Girls,” with Lane taking on the Dorothy (Bea Arthur) of the bunch. Linda Lavin will play Lane’s mother, a la the original Sophia.

The new series will be set in gay mecca of Palm Springs. James Burrows is directing the pilot.

Bomer’s recent credits include “Fellow Travelers” and “Maestro.” He frequently works with Murphy, who directed him to a Golden Globe win for his work in the AIDS drama “The Normal Heart.” Lane, a veteran of television,...

It’s official: Resident Alien has been renewed for a fourth season at a new NBCUniversal home, USA Network, moving from cable sibling Syfy.

As Deadline reported exclusively last month, the quirky sci-fi comedy-drama was not likely to continue on Syfy, with a move to USA as its most viable option to get a fourth season with a significant budget reduction. The transfer gives USA a second new scripted series, joining the recently picked up legal drama The Rainmaker as the once-thriving original scripted brand is returning to the arena with a slate influenced by the network’s glorious “Blue Sky” era that spanned most of the 2000s and early 2010s.

With the relocation to USA, NBCU is looking to expose Resident Alien to a broader audience, a crossover potential the series’ successful run on Netflix hinted at. Season 1 made it to the global streamer’s Top 10 of English-language series...

Eric McCormack doesn’t believe an actor’s sexuality should get in the way of the characters they play onscreen. The Will & Grace star said this week he feels “the best person for the role” should be cast in all projects, regardless of the actor’s personal identity.

McCormack, who is straight, played protagonist Will, who is gay, on NBC’s beloved Will & Grace. The actor said during a Monday appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain reported by Out magazine that “I didn’t become an actor so that I could play an actor.”

“There’s no part I’ve ever played where I wasn’t playing something I’m not,” McCormack continued. “It’s part of the gig. And I’ve always said, if gay actors weren’t allowed to play straight actors, Broadway would be over.”

He added, “So this is what we do. I...

Amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas, Jewish entertainment figures have come together to issue an open letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences criticizing their exclusion from being specified as an underrepresented group.

“An inclusion effort that excludes Jews is both steeped in and misunderstands antisemitism,” reads the letter, organized by the group Jew in the City’s Hollywood Bureau for Jewish Representation. “Jewish people being excluded from the Motion Picture Academy’s Representation and Inclusion Standards is discriminating against a protected class by invalidating their historic and genetic identity.”

The Academy’s standards, unveiled in 2020 as part of its Aperture 2025 diversity initiative, describes a number of identities that it considers “underrepresented groups”: women, LGBTQ+, having cognitive or physical difficulties or being deaf or hard of hearing, as well as underrepresented racial or ethnic groups. The standards, which ask productions to submit self-identifying demographic information...

On Oct. 5, 2023, Variety announced its inaugural Antisemitism & Hollywood Summit. Little did the organizers know that two days later, Israel would face its worst terrorist attack in the history of the nation, with Hamas’ attack becoming the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. When the summit was held nearly two weeks later, its participants could not ignore the trauma of the moment, coupled with the simultaneous anger and fragility that they each felt.

To amplify the critically important message of the event — that Hollywood plays a vital role as storytellers that can fight antisemitism — Variety and Jewish Life Television have partnered to bring the summit to a wider audience. Jltv will broadcast a one-hour panel discussion with some of Hollywood’s great storytellers, titled “The State of Antisemitism.”

Matti Leshem, producer and founder of New Mandate Films, heads the panel with Greg Berlanti, executive producer of hit series...

No hostage left behind.

So many of your favorite stars have come together to thank President Biden for his efforts in working to peace amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Amid the news that two American hostages and two Israeli hostages have been released from captivity, Hollywood heavyweights are hoping for the safe return of the 220 innocent people who are still being held hostage by Hamas.

“We are heartened by Friday’s release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan and by today’s release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity,” the letter read.

The letter continued, “But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death. They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,400 Israelis were slaughtered – women raped, families burned alive,...

“It’s great to see everyone here. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances is the truth,” Matti Leshem began, introducing a panel on the state of Antisemitism during Variety’s Hollywood & Antisemitism Summit, presented by The Margaret & Daniel Loeb Foundation and Shine A Light.

Leshem, a producer and founder of New Mandate Films, began the conversation by checking in with each panel member and their emotional states following the attack by Hamas on Israel that has killed more than 1,400 civilians.

“I’m enraged. I’m furious. I’m furious at so many things. I’m furious about the loss of life,” Alana Newhouse, founder and editor-in-chief of Tablet, began. “I’m also furious at how surprised people seemed. If you were surprised at what happened, you are not following the right people. There have been people who have been talking about this slow-and-then-fast-moving train for the last 10 years.

One small step for NBC made one giant leap for gay representation 25 years ago, when Will & Grace debuted on September 21, 1998. Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the sitcom starred Eric McCormack as gay lawyer Will Truman and Debra Messing as straight interior designer Grace Adler, Will’s longtime best friend and roommate. But the scene-stealers of the show, arguably, were Sean Hayes as Will’s high-spirited friend Jack McFarland and Megan Mullally as Grace’s very rich, very boozy assistant, Karen Walker. Will & Grace aired eight seasons in its original run — and returned for three more at the end of the 2010s — and “did more to educate the American public” on gay rights “than almost anything anybody has ever done,” as Joe Biden once said on CNN. But the show was also fantastically funny, as the following clips show. A quarter-century after Will & Grace’s debut, these...

“Will & Grace” broke new ground on television for its depiction of LGBTQ+ characters, and involved the exploits of a group of four friends: Eric McCormack’s Will, Debra Messing’s Grace, Sean Hayes’ Jack and Megan Mullally’s Karen.

However, fans of the show might be surprised to learn that when the pilot was shot, there was a fifth pal thrown in the mix.

McCormack made that revelation during the inaugural episode of “Just Jack & Will”, the new podcast he co-hosts with Hayes (as reported by Deadline).

Read More: Madonna Wore Her Own Wardrobe On ‘Will & Grace’ After Refusing To Wear The Pre-Selected Outfit For Her Cameo

That character, McCormack recalled, was played by actor Cress Williams, who would later go on to star in The CW’s superhero series “Black Lightning”.

Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved — Bob Mahoney/The CW © 2017 The CW Network,...

Will & Grace almost had a fifth wheel.

The first episode of the new podcast Just Jack & Will saw the show’s Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes reveal that the pilot featured them, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and – wait for it — Cress Williams.

“There were five characters as regulars,” McCormack recalled. “And the fifth was my partner at my small law firm.” Describing the character as a “straight guy” who was “probably written as Jewish” initially, McCormack claimed that Will’s friendship with Williams’s character was meant to be “just as important” as Messing’s Grace and Hayes’s Jack.

That lasted a beat.

Director James Burrows told Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick that five people was too many. “I felt so terrible,” McCormack said. “It was nothing he did or didn’t do… It just didn’t fit what the show is supposed to be.

When Max Mutchnick and David Kohan pitched “Will & Grace” to NBC, the pair were tasked with creating a replacement for “Mad About You.”

“We went and wrote a basic heterosexual love story and their neighbors were these two,” Mutchnick said, referring to stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing. “And [former NBC entertainment president] Warren Littlefield, to his credit, said, ‘You two seem to really have a vibe on [those friends] next door.’ That’s how the show came to be. They were part of a different ensemble.”

“Our objective was to write an entertaining show about these people that we knew. That was really it,” Kohan added. “We also weren’t trying to be bold. We were actually trying to just say on the air.”

Initially, McCormack was paired with Marin Hinkle.

“I was given the impression by everybody that they like the two of you together or they don’t and that’s it,...

The “Will & Grace” reboot’s political focus almost cost the hit NBC sitcom its syndication rights, co-creator Max Mutchnick revealed during a 25th anniversary panel discussion at the Paley Center for Media on Monday night.

“What was built into the architecture of the show was that we had Karen who was obviously going to be a Trump supporter. And it’s like, ‘Oh, this will be such a good, fertile place to write.’ And we shot this thing and I sent it to our lawyer and he said, ‘Just get ready to lose all of your syndication,'” Mutchnick said. “There’s a thing that if you change the essence of the show, that it no longer stands for what it originally stood for, then you tamper with the possibility of its earning potential.”

He came up with the idea for the revival while on a trip to London with his husband.

Will & Grace’s 25th anniversary is getting the Paley Museum treatment.

The groundbreaking NBC sitcom will be celebrated with an exhibit at the center’s New York location that will feature costumes, original props and social-media-friendly interactive installations (like Café Jacques). Programming will also include trivia challenges, screenings of classic episodes and arts and crafts activations. The exhibit, which runs June 2-July 9, is timed to serve as the centerpiece of Paley Museum’s Pride Month programming.

It will kick off on June 5 with a special conversation about the show, its impact and legacy that will feature the talent responsible for making it such a beloved piece of television history. The event, The Impact of Will & Grace: 25 Years Later, is set for June 5 and will feature stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing alongside co-creators and executive producers Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is on board to moderate.

Exclusive: The Jewish non-profit Reboot has launched its own production company Reboot Studios, which will provide seed funding for and develop Jewish content across theater, television, film, podcasts, music and publishing.

The new banner stems from Reboot’s past successes funding projects across all media, including Saturday Night Seder, with Jason Alexander, Billy Porter, Henry Winkler, Pamela Adlon, Cynthia Erivo and more. That virtual Passover production was put on as a means of bolstering the CDC Foundation’s Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund in the early days of the pandemic, and would ultimately raise more than 2.9M.

Reboot Studios’ advisory board, comprised of distinguished industry leaders and creators who will be actively shepherding and guiding projects, includes Showtime’s EVP of Scripted Programming, Amy Israel; Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriter Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen); Searchlight Pictures President David Greenbaum; Amblin Partners’ President of Production Jeb Brody; Tony...

The Brady organization against gun violence is calling on Hollywood writers, directors and producers to examine onscreen gun violence and depictions of gun safety, asking the creative community to sign a pledge that’s already garnered more than 200 signatures of such names as Judd Apatow, Shonda Rhimes, Damon Lindelof and Jimmy Kimmel and the writers of Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The pledge, while noting that the “responsibility lies with lax gun laws supported by those politicians more afraid of losing power than saving lives,” acknowledges that “America’s storytellers” have the power to “effect change.”

“Cultural attitudes toward smoking, drunk driving, seatbelts and marriage equality have all evolved due in large part to movies’ and TV’s influence. It’s time to take on gun safety,” the Brady pledge states, and goes on to ask writers, directors and producers to, whenever possible, to:

Use creativity “to model responsible gun ownership and...

"Will & Grace" premiered on September 21, 1998. Its depiction of gay characters was revolutionary for the time, allowing a wider audience to see the LGBTQ+ community as people with real dreams and desires. Created by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, the comedy followed interior designer Grace Adler (Debra Messing), Manhattan lawyer Will Truman (Eric McCormack), actor-singer-dancer Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes), and drunken socialite Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) through various shenanigans. Love, life, and friendship are common themes in the show.

As with many of our favorite series, the hilarious saga was rebooted in 2017 with a new storyline largely ignoring the Season 8 finale. That was certainly a brave choice,...

The post The 20 Best Will & Grace Episodes, Ranked appeared first on /Film.

Let’s Make a Deal host Wayne Brady is set to topline an autobiographical hybrid comedy, which is in development at CBS.

Brady is collaborating on the project with his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, as well as veteran Will & Grace writer-producers Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally.

I hear the untitled comedy written and executive produced by the quartet is about a divorced couple who successfully co-parent in a blended multiracial family. CBS Studios is the studio.

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Brady spoke how his personal experience being part of a blended family during the pandemic helped shape the idea for the series.

He said that he has been spending a lot of time with his ex-wife, her boyfriend and their daughter while in quarantine. “It’s been natural for us. We didn’t need a quarantine to do this, we’ve been doing it for Maile’s whole life,...

Over 100 actors, directors, writers, and more have signed an open letter protesting tonight’s NBC town hall with Donald Trump. The event is scheduled to begin at 8pm Et and air in direct conflict with ABC’s town hall with Joe Biden. The Trump town hall is set to run for 60 minutes and will cut into the first hour of Biden’s 90 minute town hall. The petition letter is signed by the likes of Seth Rogen, J.J. Abrams, Ava DuVernay, Sarah Silverman, Adam McKay, Kumail Nanjiani, Aaron Sorkin, and more.

“We have been devastated to learn that [NBCUniversal] has chosen to air President Trump’s town hall this Thursday night at 8 p.m., directly opposite Vice President Biden’s town hall,” the petition states. “This is not a partisan issue. This is about the political health of our democracy.

Trump and Biden were originally scheduled to take part in an in-person debate tonight,...

Sandy’s ex-wife will be making her presence known on The Kominsky Method: The Netflix comedy has added Kathleen Turner as a series regular for the third and final season, our sister site Deadline reports.

Turner previously guest-starred in a Season 2 episode as Roz Volander, a doctor who has a very volatile relationship with her former husband Sandy (Michael Douglas). The gig extends Turner and Douglas’ on-screen history: The pair starred together in the films Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile and War of the Roses.

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