Actress Hayden Panettiere, best known for roles in &#8220;Nashville&#8221; and the NBC drama &#8220;Heroes,&#8221; has died at the age of 36.
A representative for the actress <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/16/us-news/actress-hayden-panettiere-dead-at-36-report/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">confirmed the news</a> on Sunday in a statement delivered first to ABC News: &#8220;It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.&#8221;
Panettiere had been very open in recent years about her history of substance abuse and her battle with postpartum depression — and had just published her memoir, &#8220;This Is Me: A Reckoning,&#8221; in May.
The actress was raised in New York by her parents, actress and producer Lesley Vogel and Alan Lee “Skip” Panettiere, a retired New York City Fire Department captain — and she landed her first acting gig at just 11-months old.
&#8220;My introduction to acting was actually at 11 months old,&#8221; Panettiere said during a 2023 interview with <a href="https://www.etonline.com/hayden-panettiere-dishes-on-her-biggest-roles-from-a-wendys-commercial-to-remember-the-titans">Entertainment Tonight</a>, referencing a Playskool Toy Train commercial. &#8220;I don’t know if that would really be an introduction to acting, because I don’t think acting was involved at that point. I didn’t have lines, I was just playing.&#8221;
Panettiere went on to land guest roles on several soap operas and other shows like &#8220;Law &amp; Order: SVU,&#8221; but it was not until she landed the role of Claire Bennet — the indestructible cheerleader on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Heroes&#8221; — that her career really got off the ground.
When &#8220;Heroes&#8221; ended in 2010, Panettiere landed another series — &#8220;Nashville&#8221; — that ran from 2012 to 2018.
Her on-again, off-again relationship with heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko lasted from 2009-2011 and 2013-2018. They had one daughter together, Kaya, who was born in 2014.
Panettiere had a younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, who passed away in 2023 due to cardiomegaly — an enlarged heart — and aortic valve complications. He was 28 years old.
No cause of death has yet been reported for the actress.

Hayden Panettiere

Actress Hayden Panettiere Dead At 36

Celebrities

Television

Matthew McConaughey recently discussed a potential “Yellowstone” spinoff series that’s been rumored to be in development for years.
The hit Paramount country Western series about the Dutton family has already resulted in multiple spinoffs, but so far, none of them include McConaughey in a starring role. The 56-year-old star dished on the rumors during an appearance on the “Discourse” podcast.
&#8220;No, I mean, it’s not any more of a thing than it was or probably any less of a thing than it was that did hit the headlines there for a while,&#8221; McConaughey said. &#8220;[Series creator] Taylor [Sheridan] and I have spoken and have continued to have conversations about what [it could be] and if that would be whatever. But nothing’s real yet.&#8221;
The rumors kicked off in 2023 when Sheridan was planning the end of the original “Yellowstone” and figuring out if series star Kevin Costner would be coming back. That’s when McConaughey was linked to Sheridan, and rumors of the project were swirling. In the end, Costner didn’t come back for the season 5 finale, and his character was killed off. 
Sheridan called McConaughey &#8220;a natural fit” for a role on the show while speaking with <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/taylor-sheridan-yellowstone-interview-1235519261/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> in 2023.
&#8220;We had a few conversations over the years and spitballed a few ideas,&#8221; Sheridan said. &#8220;Then he started watching &#8216;Yellowstone&#8217; and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’&#8221;
McConaughey is known for his laid-back charisma, which he brings both to movie roles and real-life situations. On another recent podcast interview, the actor recalled an anecdote about using that charm to cross the U.S.-Mexico border back into the United States.
“I pull in one late night crossing the border going way down south,” McConaughey said during a conversation on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. 
“I get pulled over. &#8230; They noticed me and I’m the gringo in the truck. I’m like, ‘Oh jeez. Get the wallet out. Here we go.’ It was going down and then I brought up, ‘Do you guys know Jennifer Lopez? Ever see ‘The Wedding Planner’? Yeah, that was me.’ They all went off … we ended up taking pictures together and they let me go.”
During that same conversation, the actor revealed that the movie that makes him the most money in residuals is “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” a rom-com he starred in alongside Kate Hudson in 2003.
“I think it’s, probably, my favorite rom-com I’ve done and a lot of people love that rom-com,” the Oscar winner said. “And it still pays the best mailbox money of any film I’ve ever done. By far. By lengths.”
“When it used to be just DVDs or cable, every March I’d get a big check because Valentine’s Day,” McConaughey added. “But, I mean, look &#8230; let me just own that genre. ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ is a real anchor in the rom-com genre through time.”

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey Leaves Door Open For ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Role

Entertainment

Taylor Sheridan

Yellowstone

Actress Zoe Saldaña revealed what it’s like working with one of the most successful television creators in Hollywood, saying that Taylor Sheridan is firm but practical.
The “Lioness” star said she’s forced to bring her A game to every project. &#8220;So working with him is a challenge in the sense that he does raise the bar,&#8221; Saldaña <a href="https://people.com/zoe-saldana-nicole-kidman-taylor-sheridan-scenes-exclusive-12032072">told</a> People magazine in a recent interview . &#8220;And you have one of two choices. You either accept the challenge and make sure that you don&#8217;t f*** up &#8230; or you quit.&#8221;
&#8220;And I like being challenged,&#8221; she continued, &#8220;I really do.&#8221;
Sheridan is one of the most sought-after creators in the industry, with hits including &#8220;Yellowstone,&#8221; &#8220;Lioness,&#8221; &#8220;Landman,&#8221; &#8220;Tulsa King,&#8221; &#8220;Mayor of Kingstown,&#8221; and several popular &#8220;Yellowstone&#8221; spinoff projects.
“Lioness,” also known as “Special Ops: Lioness,” is a spy thriller series on Paramount+ inspired by a real-life U.S. military engagement program. It follows a secretive CIA operations team that recruits female operatives to infiltrate terrorist organizations by getting close to the targets&#8217; wives, daughters, or girlfriends.
“It’s actually great,” Saldaña told People about working with Sheridan. “When you work with him is when you realize how passionate he is about actors and about acting. I think it is his first love when it comes to the arts.”
“He’s an incredibly smart person. He’s very curious about government affairs, and he seeks out information and education based on that curiosity,” she went on. “And then he writes these incredibly elaborate shows that end up really educating us as well.”
The hit-making creator is known for his unusual approach to TV making, which he says includes “rage-bait[ing]” critics. Sheridan said he doesn’t really care about winning awards.
“I knew when I started writing [I wanted] to simply not do what everyone else was doing,” Sheridan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taylor-sheridan-on-his-critics-i-do-rage-bait-them-fck-em-honestly">said</a> during a podcast interview earlier this year.
“What everyone else was doing was taking shortcuts, essentially breaking all the very basic fundamental rules of storytelling, because they couldn’t figure out their story. With a movie, you’re supposed to show me what’s happening. The camera is supposed to move the story. The dialogue is supposed to tell me how the people in this world feel about what’s happening or what they hope to do or what they wish they hadn’t done or had done.”
He added, “The critics and me … I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the sh*t out of them that I don’t care. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are things that I do that rage-bait them a bit &#8230; F*ck ’em, honestly.”

Zoe Saldana

Actress Says Taylor Sheridan Offers Stars Two Choices

Over two decades ago, Republicans were divided over a proposed change to a federal rule that governed television networks&#8217; market reach. It was a revolutionary time for the industry, with cable channels like Fox News and MSNBC forcing the Big Three networks to rethink their business models.
Today, as the media landscape undergoes another shift, that rule is once again in the spotlight. On August 6th, the Federal Communications Commission will vote to lift an affiliate ownership cap that has been in place since 2004. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was instrumental in imposing that cap. Today, he brings us inside story of how he ended the intra-party skirmish over the FCC cap, and reflects on how the stakes have changed over the past 20 years. We hope you enjoy. — Tim Rice
***
In the fall of 2003, Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and the White House. But Congress was at an impasse over an appropriations bill. We couldn’t fund the federal government until House and Senate leadership came to an agreement over a certain provision.
At issue was a Senate proposal to codify in law the Federal Communications Commission’s rule that no broadcast group could reach more than 35% of American households.
The summer before, the FCC, under Chairman Michael Powell, voted to raise the cap to 45%. Networks supported the move. The trend at the time was for networks to acquire local affiliates, so-called owned-and-operated stations. Fox and CBS were nearing the 35% cap, but didn’t want to slow their growth. But affiliate groups opposed the change, fearing that, without the cap, networks would consistently outbid them as station groups came up for sale.
The late Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee that summer. He was an ally of the broadcast affiliates and included in a Senate Appropriations bill a provision that would have statutorily set the cap at 35%.
Ted was a friend, and he and I were often allies. But on this issue we were opposed. House Republicans opposed the FCC’s move. As House Majority Leader, it was my responsibility to carry those objections, which I also shared. I supported the Bush administration’s deregulatory efforts at the FCC, and refused to bring up any appropriations bill that included a provision like Stevens’s.
In the time between the FCC action and the legislative standoff, both CBS and Fox had acquired stations that had them reaching nearly 39% of the nation’s households. As it became clear that both Sen. Stevens and I needed an off-ramp, I wanted to make sure that any compromise did not require those networks to divest stations they had lawfully acquired.
In the end, Stevens and I agreed to legislation that set the cap at 39% and prohibited the FCC from changing the cap in its biennial review of media ownership rules. The FCC was not allowed to waive the requirement, except to help companies come into compliance.
The agreement was included in the Fiscal Year 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act and was signed into law by President George W. Bush.
As is often the case on Capitol Hill, history is repeating itself. Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has sought to waive the cap with respect to one merger and now plans to use regulatory means to abolish the cap altogether.
My policy principles today are no different than they were in 2004, and I have some sympathy for Carr’s objectives. In fact, I would have happily given the FCC authority to review the cap in 2004, but Stevens would never have gone along with that. It was his intention to rein in the FCC. My end of the deal was that the cap would be raised to 39%, and in return, Stevens received certainty that the FCC wouldn’t and couldn’t raise it higher.
If you had told me in 2004 that I would one day find myself defending Stevens’s side of the argument, I would have found it ironic. But I was in the room when the deal was struck, and today, I feel compelled to uphold my end of the bargain after Ted’s passing.
I am a Republican. I support deregulation and the Trump administration. But my ultimate loyalty rests with the Constitution, which gives certain prerogatives to Congress. Regulatory agencies cannot defy or modify laws enacted by Congress. If Chairman Carr wants to raise the statutory cap, he should ask Congress to pass a law giving him authority to do that.
As former Republican FCC Chairman Mike O’Rielly put it, the 39% cap is “a statute, not a suggestion.” As someone who helped create that statute, I agree.
Tom DeLay represented Texas&#8217;s 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006 and served as House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005.

White House Hosts Congressional Picnic

Tom DeLay: I Helped Create The FCC’s Ownership Cap. Here’s How We Did It.

Brendan Carr

Congress

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

House of Representatives

Vincent Pastore, the veteran character actor best known for portraying Salvatore &#8220;Big Pussy&#8221; Bonpensiero on HBO&#8217;s acclaimed crime drama “The Sopranos,” has died at the age of 80.
Pastore was found dead Saturday at his home in the Bronx after friends became concerned when they had not heard from him for several days, according to multiple reports. His longtime manager, Robert Attermann, confirmed his death in a statement, remembering the actor as both a devoted performer and a loyal friend.
&#8220;I had the privilege of representing Vinny for more than 30 years, long before ‘The Sopranos’ made him a household name,&#8221; Attermann said in a statement to <a href="https://ew.com/vincent-pastore-dead-the-sopranos-star-was-80-12032321">Entertainment Weekly</a>. &#8220;To the world, he will always be remembered as the unforgettable &#8216;Big Pussy,&#8217; but to those of us who knew him, he was so much more.&#8221;
Authorities have said there were no signs of criminal activity in the death.
Although Pastore built a lengthy career playing gangsters, police officers and other tough-guy characters, he became a television icon through his role as Bonpensiero, one of Tony Soprano&#8217;s closest friends whose secret cooperation with the FBI became one of the defining storylines of the series&#8217; early seasons. His character&#8217;s death at the end of Season 2 remains one of the show&#8217;s most memorable moments, though Pastore later returned in flashbacks and dream sequences throughout the series.
Before landing the role that made him famous, Pastore appeared in a number of crime films, including “Goodfellas,” “Carlito&#8217;s Way,” “Gotti,” “The Jerky Boys: The Movie,” and “Men of Respect.” He also made appearances in television series including “Law &amp; Order,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Practice,” “General Hospital,” “One Life to Live,” “Hawaii Five-0,” and later competed on reality programs such as “Celebrity Apprentice” and “Dancing With the Stars.”
Born in the Bronx on July 14, 1946, Pastore served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before studying drama at Pace University. He came to acting later in life after working as a nightclub owner, bouncer and chauffeur, eventually building a steady career in film and television.
In recent years, Pastore continued acting, appearing in the crime drama “Gravesend” and making a guest appearance on “Yellowjackets.”
Pastore and his fellow Sopranos cast members received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2000, with another nomination the following year.
Tributes from former co-stars quickly followed news of his death. Actor Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, remembered Pastore as &#8220;a kind hearted brother who cared deeply about his family and friends.&#8221;
&#8220;This is a hard one for us,&#8221; Imperioli wrote on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbg1eWLhaMv/">Instagram</a>. &#8220;We did lots of work together and traveled all over the USA as well as Italy and Australia. Lots of good times. Lots of laughs. I will miss him always.&#8221;
Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee Pastore.

HBO’s “The Sopranos” 25th Anniversary Celebration

‘Sopranos’ Star Vincent Pastore Dies At 80

actor

actors

Death

Film

Hollywood

Mafia

Obituary

Despite all the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ed-harris-said-he-almost-quit-dutton-ranch-get-me-the-f-out-of-here">complaining</a> he did about the significance of his role on “Dutton Ranch,” actor Ed Harris will reportedly be returning for season two.
Per sources who spoke with <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/07/ed-harris-returning-dutton-ranch-season-2-showrunner-change-1236999568/">Deadline</a>, the second season of the popular “Yellowstone” spinoff has already been picked up by the network, and Harris’s character will be part of the story to some degree.
Harris, 75, made headlines earlier this week after going on a rant about how small his role was in the show. He did eventually admit that he thought the series was “pretty good” overall.
“Midway through the first season, I was ready to say, ‘get me the f*ck out of here,’ to tell you the truth,” Harris said on the red carpet for Apple TV’s “The Dink.” “I didn’t feel I was being used. I felt very misled. Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do, and that I was one of the four main characters. And that wasn’t really the case.”
He brought up how one scene of him singing in a bar got cut from the finished product. “They said it was too ‘up’ for the dark ending of the episode … I’m like, ‘F*ck you people!’ That, to me, is reason enough to say, ‘I’m voiding my contract,’” Harris said.
“Dutton Ranch” showrunner Chad Feehan left the series ahead of the premiere due to behind-the-scenes friction. The Deadline sources claimed that this was potentially due to how Harris’s character arc was handled, and said the actor was involved in choosing Feehan’s replacement. Paramount+ has not issued any public statements on these claims.
“Yellowstone” creator and “Dutton Ranch” executive producer Taylor Sheridan has made it a habit to underutilize big stars. He’s addressed this in the past, saying he’s well aware it can cause controversy. He did the same with Demi Moore on “Landman.”
“The critics are going to come after me. I’m underutilizing [Moore], can’t write for women, all this nonsense. Then I’m going to kill your husband and you’re going to have to run the oil company. The critics and me … I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the sh*t out of them that I don’t care. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are things that I do that rage-bait them a bit, and this is one of them. F*ck ’em, honestly,” Sheridan said last month, as The Daily Wire previously reported.

Ed Harris

Ed Harris’ Future On ‘Dutton Ranch’ Revealed After He Complained About Role In First Season

Paramount

Actor Ed Harris said he hasn’t been happy with his role on the Taylor Sheridan drama “Dutton Ranch” and even considered breaking his contract to get out of it.
The 75-year-old star plays Everett McKinney, an ally to Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, on the popular “Yellowstone” spinoff show. But he <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/ed-harris-misled-dutton-ranch-paramount-taylor-sheridan-1236816999/">told</a> Variety he believed the role was going to be more significant, which led to negative feelings.
“Midway through the first season, I was ready to say, ‘get me the f*ck out of here,’ to tell you the truth,” Harris said on the red carpet for Apple TV’s &#8220;The Dink.&#8221; &#8220;I didn’t feel I was being used. I felt very misled. Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do, and that I was one of the four main characters. And that wasn’t really the case.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ed Harris says he felt “misled” about his “inconsequential” role on “Dutton Ranch,” and that halfway through filming Season 1, he was telling his team to “get me the f&#8212; out of here.”
“Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what… <a href="https://t.co/StmmazVogC">pic.twitter.com/StmmazVogC</a>
— Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://x.com/Variety/status/2079417877577544079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential,’ and they kind of went, ‘Oh,&#8217;” Harris said. “I’m being told my character will have a little bit more to do [in Season 2]. I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth,” he added, saying his commitment was for two seasons.
“When I watched the season, it’s fine, it’s pretty good. It seemed like I was relatively important to the story, but the doing of it didn’t feel that way,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;What really pissed me off, to tell you the truth, is the first episode, or the second, they told me before I got to sign on that you get to sing in the bar … and they cut it! They said it was too ‘up’ for the dark ending of the episode … I’m like, ‘F*ck you people!’ That, to me, is reason enough to say, ‘I’m voiding my contract.&#8217;”
Sheridan has been criticized for underutilizing big stars in the past and later expanding their roles, which is what he did with Demi Moore on “Landman.”
“The critics are going to come after me. I’m underutilizing [Moore], can’t write for women, all this nonsense. Then I’m going to kill your husband and you’re going to have to run the oil company. The critics and me … I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the sh*t out of them that I don’t care. I’ll be the first to tell you that there are things that I do that rage-bait them a bit, and this is one of them. F*ck ’em, honestly,” he said last month, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taylor-sheridan-on-his-critics-i-do-rage-bait-them-fck-em-honestly">reported</a>.
“Dutton Ranch” debuted on Paramount+ in May.

Ed Harris Said He Almost Quit ‘Dutton Ranch’: ‘Get Me The F*** Out Of Here’

Do not pass go, but maybe collect $2 million? 
Netflix just announced a new game show idea based on one of the most iconic board games of all time. The streaming giant said it will begin casting for a reality competition show inspired by the Hasbro sensation Monopoly.
Per <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/netflix-monopoly-competition-series-casting-1236809961/">Variety</a>, contestants will use strategy and build alliances as they navigate a life-sized Monopoly Town Square, all in pursuit of the $2 million grand prize. That means buying up properties and collecting cash to avoid going bankrupt. The players who lose all their money will get sent home.
Monopoly is scheduled to air on Netflix beginning in fall 2027 and is being made in partnership with Hasbro Entertainment and Studio Lambert, which is also responsible for popular game shows including “Squid Game: The Challenge” and “The Circle.”
It’s not Netflix&#8217;s only big adaptation in the works. &#8220;Wonka’s The Golden Ticket,&#8221; which will be based on the Roald Dahl novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” will premiere this September.
Casting is currently open as Netflix searches for 12 players who think they have what it takes, or at least who have the stamina to actually finish the game without getting in a massive brawl and flipping the board before storming off. 
The news was met with mixed reactions online and comes on the heels of rumors that Netflix has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netfilx-lost-the-plot">lost the plot</a>, with the majority of its new shows <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-viewers-abandon-shows-in-droves-after-one-season-and-the-audience-has-feedback?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Netflix+Viewers+Abandon+Shows+In+Droves+After+One+Season%2C+And+The+Audience+Has+Feedback">never being renewed</a> for a second season. Subscribers have complained about the long wait between seasons, plus the temptation to binge watch a single series and forget about it shortly after. 
The streamer also turned its big hit “Squid Game” with its 265 million views into a game show. The game show based on “Squid Game,” however, failed to put up such impressive numbers as the original show.

Monopoly

Netflix Is Turning America’s Favorite Board Game Into A Reality Show

Netflix

Reality TV

Netflix has had some hits. The series finale of “Stranger Things,” for example, pulled in 31.3 million views worldwide, and it wasn’t even the streamer’s biggest show. That would be “Squid Game,” season one of which achieved 265.2 million views. Season one of the second-biggest series, “Wednesday,” released in 2022, drew 252.1 million views. Season two of “Wednesday,” released in 2025, dropped to 119.3 million views. Season three is slated for release in 2027 – that’s three seasons in five years.
Since Netflix began offering original programming, though, it’s canceled <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls562757142/">85 series</a>, at least at the time of writing. The problem is that those cancellations are basically Netflix’s specialty. While easy to attribute the gaps between seasons to the dropoff in numbers, and thus the need to cancel, it’s not just that, though the gaps are ridiculous. It’s the business model. It lives to cancel series. And while the service is profitable, it also sucks. Killing programming shouldn’t be the goal of production studios.
Substacker Aakash Gupta has a theory about why Netflix suffers in a way that, say, HBO Max does not. On X, he <a href="https://x.com/aakashgupta/status/2074032098219061359">posited</a> that the gaps punish Netflix twice. That is, since it releases series all at once, it encourages bingeing, but then when people have to wait years for another season, they’ve lost interest. HBO Max, which also has ridiculous gaps between seasons, at least draws them out, forcing people to wait between episodes. That creates a stickier product because viewers invest months in each season rather than a weekend.
This could be accurate – or not. Streaming services don’t like sharing their data because it could be used by competitors. Perhaps it is that Netflix’s internal metrics reveal a <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/netflix-keeps-canceling-shows-prematurely-why-1971080">much less popular</a> show than it would seem to viewers. On the other hand, it could be that the company is simply quick to cancel rather than putting in the effort to develop a show, such as network favorite “The Office,” with <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/netflix-keeps-canceling-shows-prematurely-why-1971080">massive potential</a>.
This happens, or at least used to happen, more than people realized. “Seinfeld” had a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098904/ratings/?newac=true">weak start</a>, something even we fans have to admit. “Cheers,” which ended up wildly successful, was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheers#:~:text=After%2520premiering%2520in,of%2520117%2520nominations.">almost canceled</a> in its first season. “Futurama” has been canceled twice, with its final season streaming this year.
This isn’t a phenomenon that’s unique to television, either. Many bands and artists that ended up with long, successful careers started off with <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/snlqsg/successful_artists_whose_first_albums_were_flops/">a flop or two</a>. Bruce Springsteen, Hall and Oates, Genesis, Pantera, Tori Amos, David Bowie, Shakira, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, and Bon Jovi all would’ve been axed had they been streaming shows. Musicians and bands, though, can bypass the studio gatekeepers much more easily now. For starters, the barriers to entry are much lower than they once were. They don’t need recording studios, just some equipment, an interface, and a laptop. Second, once they have a product, they can simply upload it to Spotify, SoundCloud, Beatport, and YouTube.
Unless, God forbid, AI becomes a popular way to produce video content, it still costs money to make a show. And unlike music, a field which also became more ruthless when sabermetrics came to dominate all, it’s not as easy for those who want to make it to bypass those gatekeepers. Gone are the days of deciders with good instincts willing to take a chance on a product. Now, it’s all analytics. (Unrelated, but please comment and share this article, and subscribe if you don’t already do so.)
And there is nothing inherently wrong with an analytical approach to business. The problem is when the business of art, which is what streaming platforms sell, becomes purely analytically driven. No, something like “Eastbound and Down” isn’t what people would traditionally consider art, but when you really dig into just how <a href="https://medium.com/@joeimbruglia/shakespeares-filthy-sense-of-humor-4ec53a62bed8">juvenile and vulgar Shakespeare was</a>, you gain an appreciation for how sometimes being really old can change people’s perceptions.
Incidentally, “Eastbound and Down,” an HBO show, is a more modern example of beating the system, even though it aired on cable. Part of its brilliance was Danny McBride’s. The show was filmed in North Carolina. Although there were family concerns, a major reason was the lack of direct flights from <a href="https://www.aol.com/articles/danny-mcbride-says-ditching-la-153512621.html">L.A. to Wilmington</a>, which allowed them to create season one without interference from the executives. Season one was successful, and the studio trusted them moving forward.
Now, though, the execs are always watching, keeping up with the numbers, canceling without compunction. And while it makes money, the modern system, particularly as Netflix employs it, doesn’t tend to create the lasting sort of programming that the old ways did. For even though “Stranger Things” closed out with strong numbers, it also closed out with a very anticlimactic ending, after only five seasons over nine and a half years.
As things currently stand, the Netflix formula is unlikely to change unless its profits turn south. Which is a shame, because the future would be better with a return to executives looking to make not just money, but also great programming, even if the numbers don’t initially justify keeping a show on for another season. Step one is to get rid of the ridiculous gaps and the focus on bingeing. Both are overrated, and as the push notification from the Wall Street Journal I received while writing this suggests, they actually aren’t working out so well for <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/netflix-is-exploring-live-tv-and-bundles-as-it-struggles-to-keep-viewers-hooked-e1eb28f6?st=x5ms9P&amp;reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink">maintaining overall engagement</a>.
The proposed solution? Adding live television, which is a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-streaming-trap-we-all-fell-for">revolutionary idea</a>. In any case, maybe it’s not that analytics are bad after all, but how the executives <a href="https://youtu.be/kEwFYPQtswo?si=HNJY_f1P4rGhRTbN&amp;t=100">respond to them</a>.
***
Rich Cromwell is a writer living in Northwest Arkansas. He produces the Cookin&#8217; Up a Story podcast, which you can listen to <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cookin-up-a-story/id1624969096">here</a>. You can also follow him on X: @rcromwell4

Netflix Lost The Plot

DW Opinion

streaming

TV writer Rebecca Sonnenshine recently defended making her latest project, a reboot of the beloved series “Little House on the Prairie,” a lot more woke.
At this point, it would be more surprising if she had left politics out of it. And to hear her tell it, the word “woke” has lost its meaning anyway. But Sonnenshine did go on record defending the aspect of the new storyline which conservatives are most likely to take issue with, namely, making a local Native American family a key feature of the show despite them not being featured prominently in the best-selling books.
While Laura Ingalls and her family are still main characters, much attention is paid to the mixed-race Osage family, the Mitchells, as Variety noted in an <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/netflix-little-house-on-the-prairie-woke-comments-tradwife-1236804646/">interview</a> with the showrunner.
“As an adult, everything is different. Especially ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ it’s all about the Osage,” Sonnenshine says. “The Osage are all over that book, but we don’t know them at all. And I thought, well, we have to know them. I have to figure out a way that we can know them, and how do you do that? Trying to create a family that parallels the Ingalls. I had to do a lot of research to figure out how to do that, and I did and we worked with a story consultant named Robert Warrior,” Sonnenshine told the outlet. 
“I’m not even sure what ‘woke’ means to people anymore, to be honest,” she went on. “I know what I think it means, which is the definition of it being aware and alert to social injustice and prejudice, in particular racial prejudice. So, when people say, ‘I hope it’s not woke,’ I think, ‘Really? Oh, that’s interesting.’ But I don’t think people are using it in that manner; I think it’s just become a catch-all word for things that I don’t quite understand. If I had to sum it up, what people are afraid of is that something from their childhood will be portrayed in a way that scares them.”
Sonnenshine reiterated what she’s “been saying from the beginning,” which is, “I feel like people are worried for no reason.”
A Slate reviewer <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2026/07/little-house-on-the-prairie-netflix-series-2026-reboot-laura-ingalls-wilder.html">agreed</a> that the “Little House” reboot has indeed been altered to suit progressive sensibilities. 
“There’s no other way for me to put this: Netflix did indeed woke-ify Little House on the Prairie,” wrote Rebecca Onion. “This new version makes a deep bow to contemporary concerns about the politics of the source material. Some of the Ingalls family’s closest new friends on the show are an Osage couple, a black doctor and black storekeeper, and a French Canadian woman who wears trousers and practices free love.”
She also notes a new antagonist in the form of a stodgy, traditionalist family. 
“Netflix’s Ingalls family are good people, even by 2026 standards, and you can see it in contrast with the Jameses,” she writes. “The Jameses are town-dwelling rich folk who don’t appear in the Little House books but seem to be an adaptation of the Oleson family … The Jameses’ vision for Independence — hierarchy,  respectability, a church, a school — first seduces, then repels, the more gentle-minded Ingallses, Ma and Mary. The James matriarch, Jemma, played by Mary Holland, brings a welcome comedic hateability to this sunny show.” 
Prominent conservatives predicted this long before it happened. Podcast host Megyn Kelly <a href="https://x.com/megynkelly/status/1884765394914681141">posted</a> on X in January, “Netflix, if you woke-ify ‘Little House on the Prairie’ I will make it my singular mission to absolutely ruin your project.” 
This prompted actress Melissa Gilbert, who starred on the original “Little House” series for nine seasons between 1974 and 1982, to reply, “Ummm…watch the original again. TV doesn’t get too much more ‘woke’ than we did. We tackled: racism, addiction, nativism, antisemitism, misogyny, rape, spousal abuse, and every other ‘woke ‘ topic you can think of. Thank you very much.”
Gilbert has been making headlines lately as she defends her husband, Timothy Busfield, amid allegations of child sexual abuse.
The new Little House on the Prairie adaptation debuted all 8 episodes of its first season on Netflix on July 9. The show has been officially renewed for a second season.

Little House on the Prairie

Yes, The ‘Little House On The Prairie’ Reboot Went Woke

Wokeness

The 2026 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/08/entertainment/emmy-award-nominations-2026">Emmy nominations</a> were released on Wednesday, delivering several surprise nominees alongside a handful of notable snubs. 
“The Pitt” led all series with 25 nominations. The comedy-drama “Hacks” followed with 24 total noms in its final season, while HBO Max dominated all other outlets with 122 nominations overall, including three shows up for both Best Overall Drama and Best Overall Comedy.
One of the surprise hits was “Widow’s Bay,” a buzzy, unique horror-comedy on Apple TV starring Matthew Rhys, which earned 19 nominations. It gained traction several weeks after its debut thanks to word of mouth and rave reviews from critics.
The New York Times reviewer said of the Apple TV offering, “A laugh and a scare are different outcomes of the same achievement, a good surprise, and ‘Widow’s Bay’ has more of those than there are fish in the sea.”
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro called the series “one of the most mesmerizing acts of narrative prestidigitation in horror” and even, “the best streaming series in a long time.”
“Pluribus,” a hit from famed creator Vince Gilligan, got 18 total nominations, including a Best Actress in a Drama nomination for “Better Call Saul” alum Rhea Seahorn. 
Apple TV also landed Best Comedy Series nominations for “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” and “Shrinking.”
Stephen Colbert has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/america-waves-goodbye-to-stephen-colbert-as-trump-lands-a-final-parting-shot">made a lot of noise</a> after his “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” got canceled, but the show ended up with the most nominations ever in its 11-year run, scoring 9 total. 
Notable snubs this year include “The Bear,” which earned a few nominations but fewer than in prior years, and no Best Actor recognition for Jeremy Allen White.
Here is a list of the major nominations:
Outstanding Drama Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Diplomat”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Gilded Age”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Paradise”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Slow Horses”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Your Friends &amp; Neighbors”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Comedy Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Abbott Elementary”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Bear”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Nobody Wants This”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Only Murders in the Building”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Shrinking”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Widow’s Bay”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Hacks”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Limited Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“All Her Fault”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Beast In Me”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Beef”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“DTF St. Louis”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. &amp; Carolyn Bessette”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sterling K. Brown – “Paradise”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gary Oldman – “Slow Horses”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Mark Ruffalo – “Task”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Rufus Sewell – “The Diplomat”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Noah Wyle – “The Pitt”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Carrie Coon – “The Gilded Age”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Chase Infiniti – “The Testaments”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Keri Russell – “The Diplomat”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Rhea Seehorn – “Pluribus”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Zendaya – “Euphoria”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Patrick Ball – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Billy Crudup – “The Morning Show”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Shawn Hatosy – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Gerran Howell – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Jack Lowden – “Slow Horses”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Tom Pelphrey – “Task”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Carlos-Manuel Vesga – “Pluribus”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Taylor Dearden – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Fiona Dourif – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Allison Janney – “The Diplomat”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Katherine LaNasa – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sepideh Moafi – “The Pitt”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Julianne Nicholson – “Paradise”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Karolina Wydra – “Pluribus”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Quinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Elle Fanning – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Lisa Kudrow – “The Comeback”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Jean Smart – “Hacks”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – “Wonder Man”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Steve Carell – “Rooster”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Rhys – “Widow’s Bay”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Jason Segel – “Shrinking”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Martin Short – “Only Murders in the Building”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dale Dickey – “Widow’s Bay”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Hannah Einbinder – “Hacks”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Janelle James – “Abbott Elementary”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Kate O’Flynn – “Widow’s Bay”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Michelle Pfeiffer – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Megan Stalter – “Hacks”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Jessica Williams – “Shrinking”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Colman Domingo – “The Four Seasons”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Paul W. Downs – “Hacks”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison Ford – “Shrinking”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Nick Offerman – “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Stephen Root – “Widow’s Bay”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Urie – “Shrinking”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Tyler James Williams – “Abbott Elementary”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Riz Ahmed – “Fate”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Jason Bateman – “Black Rabbit”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Charlie Hunnam – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Oscar Isaac – “Beef”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Rhys – “The Beast In Me”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Claire Danes – “The Beast In Me”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sally Field – “Remarkably Bright Creatures”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Carey Mulligan – “Beef”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sarah Pidgeon – “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Sarah Snook – “All Her Fault”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Jason Bateman – “DTF St. Louis”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Richard Gadd – “Half Man”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">David Harbour – “DTF St. Louis”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Richard Jenkins – “DTF St. Louis”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Charles Melton – “Beef”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Nick Offerman – “Death By Lightning”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Linda Cardellini – “DTF St. Louis”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dakota Fanning – “All Her Fault”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Laurie Metcalf – “Monster: The Ed Gein Story”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Joy Sunday – “DTF St. Louis”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Youn Yuh-jung – “Beef”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Constance Zimmer – “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. &amp; Carolyn Bessette”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Reality/Competition Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Dancing with the Stars”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“RuPaul’s Drag Race”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Survivor”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Top Chef”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Traitors”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Variety Series
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Daily Show”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">“Saturday Night Live”</li>
</ul>
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The Super Bowl LX Halftime Show starring Bad Bunny</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The Golden Globes</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The Grammys</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The Oscars</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">The Tonys</li>
</ul>

Emmy Awards

Emmy Nominations 2026: Biggest Surprises And Snubs

Emmys

Primetime Emmys

According to a recent Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-07-05/netflix-viewers-are-abandoning-shows-after-one-season">report</a>, Netflix audiences have been abandoning shows after one season and not coming back for more.
The report said that “One Piece,” which was one of Netflix’s most-watched shows in 2023, lost more than 30% of its audience for the second season, which debuted in 2026. “Beef” was another popular show for the streaming giant when it launched in 2023. But Bloomberg reported that season two had a massive reduction in audience — more than 70% — in 2026 as well. 
“The Night Agent” lost half of its audience in season two and saw another 35% decline in season three, the outlet noted.
This report has inspired a lot of feedback on social media from TV viewers who mostly say the biggest issue is the long wait between seasons, which didn’t exist before streaming services took over the entertainment industry.
“A television show has 1) approximately 22 episodes, 2) that are 43 minutes in length, 3) that air weekly, 4) every year … Netflix is confused by all four of these criteria,” one commenter <a href="https://x.com/MadcapMcQ/status/2074608223999377907">wrote</a>.
Another person <a href="https://x.com/RaithwallRover/status/2073907596537299359">added</a>, “1. The gap between seasons is too long. 2. The binge model is bad for building long-term emotional investment. You watch all of a season in a week and then forget about it. This is obvious. It’s amazing that after all these years and all their data, they still don’t [realize] it.”
A third commenter said the same, writing, “Too few episodes and seasons too far apart. A series should come out annually. Especially when it’s as short as 6-8 episodes. Taking 2-4 years between seasons. People stop caring. This isn’t a complicated problem.”
Many also called out television&#8217;s shift toward woke messaging and the way leftist elements are often introduced in follow-up seasons. 
“Because: Season 2 (any show) kick off meeting — ‘Ok, good 1st season! In Season 2 we&#8217;re going to bring the special sauce!  Thomas is going to come out as a trans, and his wife will have a lesbian affair with a trans black woman who is [in] a relationship with an underage trans man. &#8230;  This sh*t is gold!!’ And that&#8217;s why Netflix viewers go elsewhere,” one person observed.

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