April 13, 2020

Here's the Scoop...

The stars of the Netflix docu-series Tiger King said fans are still approaching them in public, despite warnings to social-distance amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Comedian and television personality Joel McHale interviewed cast members Erik Cowie, Joshua Dial, John Finlay, Rick Kirkham, Jeff and Lauren Lowe, John Reinke and Kelci Saffery via video chat for an after-show called The Tiger King and I, which debuted on Sunday.

The original program has captivated the attention of many viewers during this time of isolation. It follows Joe Exotic, a private zoo owner who kept hundreds of tigers before he was convicted in a thwarted murder-for-hire plot against animal activist Carole Baskin. He is serving a 22-year prison sentence for that offense and various wildlife crimes.

The popularity of the show also has led to a Florida sheriff re-opening a cold case surrounding the disappearance of Jack "Don" Lewis, Baskin's former husband, who vanished in 1997.

"I was walking through Walmart on a late-night run, should've only taken me 10 minutes. I was stopped three times during a pandemic in Walmart," Tiger King co-star Saffery said about his new-found fame because of the show.

"They care about the COVID-19, they want to shake your hand, get a picture with you. It's pretty crazy," Reinke said.

"I can't even take a walk down at the fjord without somebody walking their dog, pointing, going: 'That's him! That's him!' in Norse. You hear Tiger King if I walk through the mall," said Kirkham, who now lives in Norway.

Kirkham also spilled some tea about Exotic, saying he isn't as brave as he wants viewers to think he is, offering as an example a staged scene in the original show in which Exotic wrestles two tigers in a cage.

"The white one was blind, and the other one is on tranquilizers," Kirkham said. "It's idiotic to think how he's become 'The Tiger King' when he's so terrified of big cats."

Other zoo staffers were highly critical of Exotic, too.

"You couldn't talk to him without getting yelled at," Cowie said. "He'd run people off in 20 minutes, just by the absurdly crass things that would come out of his mouth."

Cowie also said Exotic should remain in jail, predicting he is "gonna die in there, so ... good riddance."

Saffery said he doesn't trust Exotic, but thinks there is some good in him.

"I've seen him give the jacket off his back for people," Saffery said. "And I think that wasn't highlighted enough [in the show.]"

Baskin, who did not participate in the after-show, told The Tampa Bay Times she feels the Tiger King filmmakers misrepresented their intentions to her and focused more on the colorful personalities in the captive tiger trade than on animal abuse, which is what she wanted to spotlight.

"I just feel so angry that people have totally missed the point," she said. "And the point is these cubs are being abused and exploited and the public is enabling that."

Be Well,
Steve

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'Friends' reunion special won't be ready for HBO Max debut

HBO Max assured its eagerly awaited Friends reunion special is still in the works even though production has been postponed until the coronavirus pandemic is over.

"The special will not be available on the streamer on Day 1 of launch. But it is coming!" the streaming service said in a statement Friday.

"The cast and producers are all very excited to go into production, as this will be the first time since the show ended that the whole cast will be together, and on the original sets to reminisce. There are loads of great surprises in store and lots of rare behind-the-scenes footage they are eager to share. We will keep you informed as plans solidify and once we have a firm premiere date."

HBO Max also emphasized the special is not a new episode of the beloved sitcom, but a panel discussion featuring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer as their real selves talking about their time on Friends.

The program, which was to be filmed on the show's former sound-stage in California, was initially scheduled to premiere when HBO Max goes live next month.

All 236 episodes of the show -- which originally aired from 1994 to 2004 -- will be available on HBO Max when the service launches.

Tom Hanks hosts remote episode of 'SNL'

Tom Hanks hosted this weekend's edition of Saturday Night Live from his kitchen.

"It is a strange time to be funny," Hanks said, referring to the social-distancing practices currently employed to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have been the celebrity canary in the coal mine for the coronavirus, and ever since being diagnosed I have been more like America's dad than ever before since no one wants to be around me very long and I make people uncomfortable."

Cast members of the sketch comedy series -- which has been on hiatus since last month -- also made comic contributions from remote locations.

Michael Che and Colin Jost hosted the "Weekend Update" segment, complete with Alec Baldwin calling in, pretending to be President Donald Trump and giving an update on the global health crisis.

Pete Davidson performed a new rap song and Larry David revived his Bernie Sanders impression to address the senator's recent decision to suspend his presidential campaign.

Kate McKinnon imagined what Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg might look like working out at home, and several cast members participated in a disastrous office video-chat parody.

The episode also included poignant nods to Che's grandmother Martha and SNL music producer Hal Willner, who died this week of the coronavirus, and Coldplay front-man Chris Martin sang Bob Dylan's "Shelter from the Storm."

Most live performances, cultural institutions, schools and non-essential businesses have been shut down since March because of the pandemic, which has killed more than 100,000 people worldwide.

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Rupert Grint, Georgia Groome expecting their first child

Rupert Grint's publicist has confirmed the Harry Potter actor and his actress girlfriend Georgia Groome are expecting their first child.

"Rupert Grint and Georgia Groome are excited to announce they are expecting a baby and would please ask for privacy at this time," a representative for the couple said in a statement Friday.

The child's sex and anticipated birth date have not been disclosed.

Grint, 31, recently starred in the Apple TV+ series Servant and Groome, 28, is known for her roles in London to Brighton and A Fish Out of Water.

They have been dating since 2011.

Disney+ remaking animated 'Robin Hood'

Disney is working on a remake of its 1973 cartoon classic Robin Hood.

The film is to debut on the Disney+ streaming service, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Variety said the photo-realistic update will be penned by Lady and the Tramp scribe Kari Granlund and directed by Blindspotting filmmaker Carlos Lopez Estrada.

No voice cast has been announced.

The original animated movie featured the literary characters Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian and the Sheriff of Nottingham as talking -- and singing -- woodland creatures in medieval England.

Disney also has recently remade its cartoons Lady and the Tramp, Dumbo, The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast into live-action and CGI hybrids.

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Which comedian will star in a Food Network series with husband Chris Fischer?

Comedian Amy Schumer and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, are headed to cable TV with a new self-filmed cooking show, the Food Network announced.

The network said the show, tentatively titled Amy Schumer Learns to Cook, will feature the couple preparing dishes in their own kitchen at home. Schumer and Fischer, who married in 2018, will film the show themselves during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"Chris and I are excited to make this project with Food Network combining our two passions -- for Chris it's cooking and for me, eating," Schumer said in a statement.

The show's first season will consist of eight 30-minute episodes, the Food Network said.