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Jimmy Kimmel’s Disney Upfront Jokes Touch On Trump, BS & More

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Even by Jimmy Kimmel’s standards, it’s been quite the crazy ride for ABC’s late-night host since he was last on stage in New York for a Disney upfront presentation.

“Have to admit, I’ve been through so much bullsh*t this year, it actually made me appreciate this bullsh*t,” the upfronts veteran told Disney brass, stars and assembled ad buyers Tuesday at this year’s gathering at the Javitz Center.

Which is why the self-described “bad boy of data and measurement solutions” added today, “I cost our company a lot of money this year, billions.”

Introduced by Ryan Seacrest, Kimmel hit the stage today to big applause and unsheathed his satire swords fast, furious and funny. “It is very possible that no employee in the history of any company has cost their employer more,” he said right at the drop. “Hiring me 24 years ago, just from a purely mathematical standpoint, was the worst personnel decision that Disney Corporation has ever made. Not even the captain of the Exxon Valdez did more damage.”

Pummeling and being pummeled by Donald Trump and the MAGAheads, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! frontman was yanked off the air last fall for remarks he made about the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Constantly called out as low-rated and no-talent by the former Apprentice host, more recently Kimmel found himself at the receiving end of a rare rebuke by Melania Trump over an “expectant widow” remark he made days before the shocking shootings that closed down the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Amplified by POTUS, the First Lady’s distracting take on Kimmel now finds ABC in a sped-up licensing renewal review of its stations by the FCC, a move agency head Brendan Carr and others insist has nothing to do with displeasing their Oval Office master.

Speaking of Trump, there was no direct mention of the historically low polling POTUS at the Disney upfront before Kimmel arrived for his traditional roasting of the political, the corporate, the media and everything else — including his bosses. But, spoken or unspoken, Trump was top of mind.

“Yes, the President has tried to get me twice over the last six months,” Kimmel noted. “That’s one way to look at it. Another way. You could also say, I’ve generated unparalleled engagement across a variety of platforms this year, largely thanks to our partners in Washington, we are up 25% among viewers.”

“You know, usually in order for ABC to pull you off the air, you have to throw a chair at your Mormon boyfriend,” Kimmel added. (If you missed it, the Mormon reference was to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and The Bachelorette Season 22 star Taylor Frankie Paul and the domestic disputes in her life that put both reality series on pause.)

Oddly, with a bit of a wink and a nod and some 2027, the performance was billed by Disney as “a GRAMMYs® Moment Courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel.” It was, except for a surprise performance of “Drop Dead” by Olivia Rodrigo (with some dance moves by Kimmel’s daughter), very not the Grammys.

Here’s some of Kimmel’s best zingers today:

  • “Since I started ABC, I’ve had three CEOs: Bob, Bob, Bob and Josh. Josh’s last name is pronounced ‘D’Amaro,’ as in, ‘All the shows you saw earlier will be canceled tomorrow.’”
  • “I was on The Late Show last night with Stephen Colbert. As you know, CBS is turning 11:35 into a leased time slot, least as in, least likely to offend the President with a rerun of Comics Unleashed from 2007 featuring Paula Poundstone and Andy Dick. Poor Steven. It’s bad enough to lose your job. Imagine getting replaced by the owner of the Weather Channel.”
  • “You know, in the past, I’ve come here to mock the other network shows. It was all very competitive, but now we’re like a bunch of dirty, starving little chihuahuas under the table waiting for a chicken leg to drop. For the first time, I think ever, I am rooting for CBS. They’ve got a lot of great returning shows, and they’ve got some great new shows. NCIS: New York answers the question: What if LL Cool J partnered up with another white guy in a different city? They have an Einstein show about Albert Einstein’s grandson who solves crimes. You know, they were supposed to release that one last year, but they pushed it back because they needed time to figure out who the Einstein was that decided to make a show about Einstein’s grandson solving crimes.”
  • This will be the first Super Bowl on ABC in 20 years, and we are going to milk the bejesus out of it. We are going to spend the whole year promoting what’s already the most popular thing on Earth. And as if the country isn’t already divided enough, we put the game on Valentine’s Day just to be dicks. And let me tell you what the halftime show this year is going to be – the whitest sh*t you’ve ever seen. Goodbye, Bad Bunny. Welcome back, O-Town.”
  • “As for us at ABC, except for all the domestic violence we’re doing really great. Dancing With the Stars is hotter than your grandma’s underpants at a Michael Bublé show. The Rookie was the most streamed show among viewers under 18. Young people love The Rookie. And do you know why? I’m actually asking why does anyone know why this is happening? This is like finding out tweens love Triscuits.”

‘The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert and guests Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers this week

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Kicking off about an hour earlier with a Madonna-soundtracked video of Disney’s biggest stars, an awkward elevator scene and a “how you all doing tonight?” from literal Disney princess and Devil Wears Prada franchise’s Anne Hathaway, the 2026 upfront saw newish CEO Josh D’Amaro take the stage to assert both change and continuity. Of course, the die-hard sports fan and former Parks boss’ pokes at the NBA’s New York Knicks just blocks from Madison Square Garden threw down another type of marker, especially when Medfield, MA-born D’Amaro admitted he’s a Celtics fan.

After that, with a glitchy mic, an Avenger or two and some Gordon Lightfoot, it was one loving testimony on video and onstage after another from Disney stars or creators. Plus there was a whole lot of “superpower” Super Bowl LXI, and more sports,The Simpsons and some Bluey, pitching the company in the brave new digital world that isn’t that new and is about to become much more digital with AI.

Poking another bear with a “not that we’re competitive” quip, GMA’s Robin Roberts used part of her stint onstage for the shindig to mock the new viewership declines of ABC’s network rivals and perceived lack of editorial independence. In a breaking news moment of sorts, Roberts also officially revealed the non-secret that Conan O’Brien would be back to host ABC’s second-to-last airing of the Oscars before it moves to YouTube in 2029.

In that sense, the sharp-tongued Roberts was simply setting the stage for a nothing-left-to-lose Kimmel to give one of his most piercing upfronts performances ever — and that’s saying something.

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‘Icebreaker’ TV Show Adaptation News & Updates: Everything We Know

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Another hockey book adaptation has entered the chat.

Netflix is currently building out its cast for the series adaptation of Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker book that kicks off the Maple Hill series. This in addition to their show The Sticks that is also currently in the works.

For everything we know about Netflix’s Icebreaker book adaptation so far, read on.

When will Netflix’s Icebreaker series adaptation come out?

A release date has not yet been set. The show has begun to assemble its cast.

Who will lead the Icebreaker show at Netflix?

Daisy Jelley (Poser, How To Have Sex) will portray Anastasia “Stassie” Allen, and Connor Simos (Subversion) will portray Nate Hawkins in the college hockey drama series.

Who else is in the cast of Netflix’s Icebreaker adaptation?

Gabriel Tierney (Rivals, Enola Holmes 2), Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana), newcomer and professional athlete Peter Berry, Chaneil Kular (Best of the Best, Sex Education), Devin Craig (Sex Lives of College Girls, Maize) and Aidan Shaw (We Were Liars, Heated Rivalry, Finding Her Edge) have joined the ensemble cast.

Tierney will play Aaron; Cravalho will portray Lola; Berry is Robbie; Kular will play JJ; Craig will portray Henry and Shaw is Russ.

What is Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker book about?

Stassie is a transfer athlete gunning for Olympic gold. Nate is the campus star chasing the NHL. When an accident forces their teams to share one rink, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins collide—and discipline gives way to obsession, because the only thing more dangerous than wanting to win is wanting each other.

Who else is behind Netflix’s Icebreaker series?

Jade Halley Bartlett (Road House, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Miller’s Girl) created and executive produced the series. Amanda Lasher (Gossip Girl, The Bold Type, Togetherness) serves as showrunner, writer and excutive producer. Grace also executive produces along with Alex Cooper, Matt Kaplan and Mina Lefevre for Cooper’s Unwell Productions.

RELATED: ‘The Sticks’: Scott Bakula, Logan Marshall-Green & More Cast Confirmed; First Look At Netflix YA Hockey Drama Starring Michelle Monaghan

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Cindy Holland Leaving Paramount Ahead Of WBD Merger

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One of the biggest executive questions about Paramount following its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery — who will lead streaming — may have been answered.

Cindy Holland is leaving Paramount where she was Chairman of Direct-To-Consumer since the Skydance-Paramount merger having served as an advisor to Skydance CEO David Ellison prior to that. She announced her departure in a company memo, which you can read below.

The move leaves HBO’s Casey Bloys as the likely streaming head of the combined Paramount-WBD.

“Cindy is one of the most exceptional executives in our industry — a force of nature whose impact on Paramount over the past year has been significant,” Paramount CEO David Ellison said. “Under her leadership, P+ reached new heights, Pluto TV underwent its most significant transformation in a decade, and we strengthened our content and sports portfolio – all while the business exceeded the ambitious goals we set. Just as importantly, she built an exceptional team and a strong foundation for the future. Cindy has been a trusted partner to me and so many others, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her leadership, her relentless drive and everything she’s done for our company.”

Here is Holland’s memo:

When I joined David’s team in January 2025, we proceeded to set three goals: i) advise on the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, ii) integrate and transform Paramount+ & revive Pluto TV, and iii) build an unparalleled team in this industry. In just over 12 months, I’m proud to say we accomplished all three and it’s been a joy to work closely with all of you.
Together with the Product team, we drove significant strategic and organizational change across DTC — building a new foundation for growth on both services, while investing in greater depth and breadth of programming and delivering strong revenue, profit, and subscriber growth for the division.
As David readies for the next phase of his vision, we’ve discussed my role and the future of the combined businesses. David is optimizing for HBO stability as we move into this next chapter, and I fully support that. I know this team has the leadership and expertise to manage through the transition and the next phase of the company, and to this end today will mark my last day here.
As I reflect on my time here and all that we’ve built together in this short time, what stands out most to me is this team. I have never been more proud of a group of people. What we’ve accomplished together is remarkable — landing quarter after quarter while navigating extraordinary uncertainty and change with resilience, focus and ambition. We grew Paramount+ to an all-time subscriber high, delivered the best retention in the service’s history, and drove double-digit growth in both engagement and revenue. We built an extraordinary content pipeline, greenlighting more than 40 new and returning series and setting all-time records with Landman, the most-watched series in Paramount+ history, and Dutton Ranch, the service’s biggest original series debut ever. We transformed live sports into a powerful streaming growth engine, securing landmark agreements with UFC and Zuffa Boxing and expanding our WNBA and UEFA Champions League rights – with UFC Freedom 250 becoming the largest-ever audience for an exclusive live event on Paramount+ and UFC 329 setting a new platform record for peak concurrent streams for an exclusive live event. And we undertook Pluto TV’s biggest product transformation in a decade, dramatically increasing registered viewing and VOD consumption while delivering strong financial performance across the business. These are extraordinary accomplishments – but what makes me proudest is how we achieved them: together, with an unwavering commitment to our audiences, our creative partners and one another.
I joined Paramount because I believe in these businesses, and because I believe wholeheartedly that the combination of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery serves the best interests of artists and audiences worldwide. I’m looking forward to seeing what you all accomplish together in this next, momentous chapter.
Cindy

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New ‘South Park’ Takes On Data Centers And The Billionaires Who Build Them

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While President Trump was holding a press conference at the White House this morning and extolling the AI-related work of Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, a promo for tomorrow night’s South Park episode dropped. It was less salutary.

Here’s the logline for Episode 6 of Season 29: “Butters is unhappy with the data centers that the billionaires are building in our backyards.”

The clip opens with an X-Pest exterminator guy ringing the doorbell at Butters’ home.

“I understand you’ve got some billionaires in your back yard,” he says.

“Yeah, there’s more of these stupid billionaires every day!” replies Butters.

The first image from the episode (see it above) shows Butters in what appears to be his back yard with the X-Pest exterminator guy, who has strapped on his tank of poison and has his sprayer wand at the ready.

The topic of data centers is a hot one across the country and especially in Hollywood, where unions and workers worry about job displacement and writers and directors express concern over what it might do to their art.

Among the biggest players in the data center land rush is, of course, Oracle CEO and Paramount-WBD deal financier Larry Ellison. South Park airs on Comedy Central, which is owned by Paramount. As in the past, the show’s creators are seemingly not afraid to bite the hand that feeds them.

Mark Ruffalo and others have decried the introduction of “really profoundly scary technology” into Hollywood and how AI might impact media outlets soon to be owned by Ellison and his son David.

“Larry is a classic Oligarch,” wrote Ruffalo. “They are crushing workers and consolidating the wealth of the world for their own power and concentrated dominance.”

Paramount, for its part, responded by accusing Ruffalo of using “antisemitic tropes” in his argument, especially when linking the Ellisons’ studio acquisition to Oracle’s work with the Israeli military.

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