New five-part series examines case that riveted nation The biggest scandal in Chicago on a national scale since Leopold and Loeb is getting the Fox Nation treatment. Fox Nation released on Monday a new five-part docuseries centered on the Jussie Smollett saga that griped the city throughout 2019. Titled Jussie Smollett: Anatomy Of A Hoax, the docuseries takes a look […]
Hee Haw Empire launched with high expectations but fell flat A day after its season finale aired, Fox announced it was cancelling Monarch after eleven episodes. Set in the world of country music, the drama featured Trace Adkins and Susan Sarandon and instantly drew comparisons to former Fox drama Empire, which ran from 2015 to 2020 and had a similar […]
Pritzker, Bailey showdown tops time slot in viewers, demos Chicago viewers obviously love their politics: according to Nielsen in a press release from Nexstar’s WGN-TV, the first of two Illinois gubernatorial debates between incumbent Democrat J.B. Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey was a big local ratings hit on October 6, winning the 7-8 p.m. time period with an exact total […]
Also: NewsNation makes more changes with the departure of Jon Donlon; Jussie Smollett saga ends with a jail sentence…or does it? One thing is guaranteed next NFL season: The Bears won’t be good. Outside of that however, is the mystery of who’s going to be calling games when The NFL Lakefront Team (for now) gets blown out by […]
Also: Paramount Plus adds new streaming channels; Pictionary gets green light for full-time series; Jussie Smollett found guilty Newsflash: There is a new hit on linear TV not named Ghosts or Law & Order: Organized Crime. In fact, it’s not even in primetime – and it’s local. It’s WGN-TV’s new morning show Daytime Chicago, and it pulled out a ratings […]
Disney Plus made the biggest splash of the year 2019 saw the end of several institutions, big media battles, and disappointing sports teams. Let’s start with the huge changes in big media, as Disney closed on its purchase of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Viacom reuniting with CBS again with a new name (ViacomCBS) as the race […]
No Jussie Smollett either Perhaps the biggest takeaway of Fox’s 2019-20 fall lineup – the first full season under the new Fox Entertainment banner after being separated from its longtime studio – is the departure of Empire after next season. The drama had drama of its own – courtesy of cast member Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a […]
Even though Disney picked up an option on Smollett’s contract, his exit from Chicago likely means he’s done with the show Even though its renewal was really never in doubt, the future of Empire is secured – but is down one cast member – and probably for good. Fox announced Tuesday the sixth-season renewal of Empire, likely for a full […]
(Editor’s Note: Updated to add ratings information from last night’s episode.) While Jussie Smollett’s tenure on Empire this season wound down Wednesday night, the battle on whether or not he returns to the show is just beginning. Earlier in the day Wednesday, the cast of the Fox show sent a letter to numerous executives at Disney and Fox as reported by […]
The fallout from the closure of the Smollett case is posing a problem for Empire and Fox If the fallout from the Jussie Smollett case is any indication, he might not want to celebrate just yet. In fact, his case may have far-reaching implications than anyone thinks. Smollett’s charges stemming from an alleged hoax of his hate crime were dropped […]
Prosecutors abandon case, many questions remain In a strange twist of fate, charges against Empire cast member Jussie Smollett were dropped Tuesday morning in a move stunning everybody. Smollett claimed he was attacked by two people wearing “Make America Great Again” hats on the morning of January 29, and said the men put a noose around his neck. Many felt […]
Show now on fence for renewal; Smollett pleads not guilty in alleged staged attack As predicted on this site recently, the tabloid saga involving Empire’s Jussie Smollett did not provide a significant boost for the show. In fact, it may have hurt it. According to Nielsen overnight ratings in the adult 18-49 demo, Empire started the second half of its […]
Election, R. Kelly, Jussie Smollett stories drive viewers to local stations in February; Super Bowl and Oscars also do their part After Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced he was not running for another term, a huge political shift was in progress with a record fourteen candidates running to replace him (and no, Man Of The People’s Pat Tomasulo wasn’t one […]
After a surprising twist, Smollett’s case blends the issue of race, homophobia, politics, and media all into one – and we’re just getting started There’s a lot at stake after Jussie Smollett’s arrest on Thursday. As you know by now, the 36-year old Empire actor who is African-American and gay, surrendered to Chicago Police after he allegedly staged an attack […]
Also: WKQX hires new morning personality, Carol Fowler out at the Sun-Times; Tamron Hall adds Hearst stations Can anyone in Chicago management keep a job these days? Weeks after the Blackhawks fired Joel Quennville, their United Center co-tenants did the same to Fred Hoiberg earlier this week after three and-a-half-seasons. The Bulls did make the playoffs the first two years […]
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