
movies
Keith Cox Leaving Paramount After 20 Years, Poised To Join NBCUniversal
Another legacy Paramount TV executive is leaving in the wake of the Skydance merger. Company veteran Keith Cox, who has served as top programming executive for multiple brands, including TV Land, Paramount Network and Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, is departing after two decades. His last day is Friday.
Cox’s future plans have not been revealed but I hear he is negotiations to join his former boss, Chris McCarthy, at NBCUniversal where the former Former Paramount co-CEO has set up a deal. It is part of McCarthy reassembling a team of key auspices, which includes David Glasser and his 101 Studios, who moved to NBCU at the start of the year, MobLand EP Jez Butterworth, who recently signed a five-tear pact with Universal Entertainment, and Taylor Sheridan who is making the transition at the start of 2029.
At Paramount, Cox most recently was at the newly relaunched Paramount Television Studios whose President Matt Thunell announced his departure in an internal memo. In the company email, which you can read below, and in Cox’s own farewell message to staff, the two recount some of Cox’s biggest accomplishments during his 20-year tenure.
Originally hired in 2006 as EVP Development and Original Programming for TV Land, Cox turned the cable network from a graveyard for old sitcoms to a legitimate original comedy player with the hit multi-cam sitcom Hot In Cleveland, which ran for 128 episodes. He then changed things up, bringing Darren Star into the fold for TV Land’s first single-camera series, romcom Younger, which ran for seven seasons, helped reinvigorate Star’s career and, years after its finale found new audiences on Netflix. The duo’s shorthand led to Star making his followup series with Cox at MTV Entertainment Studios, first for Paramount Network before it moved to Netflix where it became one of the streamer’s signature comedies.
In his next gig as head of programing for then newly-rebranded Paramount Network, Cox greenlighted Yellowstone from Sheridan and Glasser’s 101 after numerous other networks had passed on the neo-Western. That started a relationship that has yielded a slew of big hits, from Yellowstone and prequels 1883 and 1923 to Tulsa King, Landman, Marshals and the upcoming Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch.
Cox also was instrumental in getting Butterworth into the fold, resulting in series MobLand and The Agency, both with 101 Studios.
After Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, where Cox was President, was folded into the new Paramount TV Studios following the August 2025 Skydance merger, he stayed on and continued to oversee the series under his purview, including the Taylor Sheridan slate and Emily In Paris.
Following Cox’s departure, his direct reports, VP, Paramount Television Studios, Antonia Covault, and VP, Paramount Television Studios, Todd Baynes, will transition to the studio’s current team, reporting into EVP, Head of Current, Carolyn Harris.
Here are the internal notes.
From Matt Thunell:
Team,
I’m reaching out to share some news with you regarding our wonderful colleague Keith Cox. Keith has made the decision to move on from his role with the studio after 20 years of invaluable contributions.
Over his long tenure, Keith helped oversee countless successful and culturally impactful series across the Paramount portfolio. He was an early champion of Taylor Sheridan and helped bring Yellowstone to Paramount Network, where it went on to become the top scripted show on cable and launched a franchise. He played an important role in the expansion of the Taylorverse, including Landman, 1883, 1923, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness, as well as more recent hits like The Madison and Marshals; and the soon-to-debut Dutton Ranch. He also helped launch Jez Butterworth’s successful slate of series with Paramount+, including MobLand and The Agency. Keith has played a foundational role in MTV Entertainment Studios’ scripted success.Additionally, Keith has been instrumental in the development and launch of a wide range of standout series across Paramount Network and TV Land. These include TV Land’s signature originals Hot in Cleveland and Younger, which helped redefine the network’s scripted identity, and on Netflix, Emily in Paris, which went on to become a global hit.
Keith has worked closely alongside some of the industry’s biggest showrunners, including Darren Star, Terry Winter, and Jez Butterworth, while also collaborating with longtime partner David Glasser and 101 Studios.
Most importantly, Keith is a respected leader and has been an incredible partner to both Dana and me from our first days at Paramount. We are grateful for his leadership, collaboration, and the impact he has had on our teams, creative partners, and franchises.
Over the next few weeks, Keith will work on a transition with his talented senior creative team, Todd Baynes and Antonia Covault, who have been shepherding these successes alongside Keith and our partners at 101 Studios. Both Antonia and Todd will continue to work closely with me, and will now report to Carolyn Harris, Head of Current Series.
Please join me in thanking Keith for his many contributions. We wish you the best and will miss you deeply!
Matt
From Keith Cox:
As I mark my two decades at this amazing company, I wanted to send a note of thanks as I embark on my next chapter.
Twenty years ago this month, I packed my bags and moved to New York City to join Viacom and work at the TV Land network. Back then, all the Viacom channels were ramping up their original programming, and since TV Land was home to some of the most celebrated comedies of all time, the company decided to try its hand at original comedies of its own.
We broke out of the gate with the incredibly successful HOT IN CLEVELAND. The night we shot the pilot, when Betty White walked onto the stage, the audience gave her a standing ovation that seemed to last 10 minutes. We knew that night we had something special. HOT IN CLEVELAND went on for six seasons, won multiple awards, and helped establish TV Land as a legitimate original programming destination, paving the way for our first single-camera comedy, YOUNGER.
YOUNGER, created by the iconic Darren Star, ran for seven seasons and became one of the defining shows of the studio. Darren had already created multiple global television hits, and it was incredibly rewarding to partner with him in building another. That creative relationship eventually led us to EMILY IN PARIS, which we sold to Netflix, where it became one of their most successful comedy series worldwide. I remain incredibly proud of the teams, both creatively and behind the scenes, who helped make these series so special.
Then came 2018. The company decided to rebrand Spike as Paramount Network, and Bob Bakish asked me to head up development under Kevin Kay. It was quite an honor, but we knew we had to make an impact quickly and build a slate that could redefine the network.
In a breakfast meeting with David Glasser, Kevin and I heard a pitch described as “The Godfather in Montana.” We immediately saw the potential. A month later, we met with Taylor Sheridan and bought YELLOWSTONE in the room.
What followed exceeded anything we could have imagined. YELLOWSTONE became the #1 scripted show on television and launched what Chris McCarthy would later call the Taylorverse. With Taylor at the center of it all, we built one of the most compelling lineups in television: MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, LIONESS, TULSA KING, LANDMAN, THE MADISON, 1883, 1923, CBS’s mega hit MARSHALS, and the upcoming DUTTON RANCH.
One of the things I’m proudest of is how aggressively and passionately this company supported these shows from the very beginning. With talented teams across every department rowing in the same direction, we were able to launch an unprecedented number of successful series in a remarkably short amount of time.
Most recently, our expansion into London led us to another exceptional creator, Jez Butterworth. Through my partnership with David Glasser, we brought Jez into the fold with an overall deal that led to the critically acclaimed THE AGENCY and MOBLAND.
Getting the opportunity to identify, develop, and produce these shows with creators like Darren, Taylor, and Jez is what has made this chapter of my career so fulfilling. But equally fulfilling has been working closely with my creative partners Antonia Covault and Todd Baynes, who have been on this journey with me since the beginning, and who I know will continue to shepherd these shows moving forward.
I’m incredibly confident that with Dana and Matt at the studio and Cindy, Jane, and Chris at Paramount+, these shows and franchises will continue to thrive. They care deeply about the work, the creators, and the audiences.I apologize if this farewell reads a little like an IMDb page, but these shows were never just titles on a slate. They were years of collaboration, creative risk-taking, belief, hard work, and friendship. Our shows define our company, and our company is defined by its people.
What I will miss most are the people who made these 20 years so memorable.
And with that, I say thank you for 20 amazing years.Keith
>
movies
Tim Daly & Téa Leoni Take A Quick Trip To The Altar In ‘Newlyweds’ Trailer
NBC has dropped the first trailer for Newlyweds, starring real-life married couple Tim Daly and Téa Leoni.
The trailer opens with Jeanie (Leoni) and James’ (Daly) first meeting at a valet stand.
“Dan didn’t tell me you were stunning,” a clearly already-smitten James tells Jeanie. “He didn’t tell me you have great taste in women,” replies Jeanie as the two rush off on what appears to be their first date.
Per the logline, Newlyweds is a later-in-life love story about a free-spirited woman, Jeanie (Leoni), and a buttoned-up professor, James (Daly), who marry impetuously after a whirlwind courtship. Recently divorced, James accidentally runs into Jeanie at a valet stand and is so taken with her beauty and spirit that they wind up having dinner together anyway. Tony soon realizes that his life with Jeanie is not going to be the quiet, stay-at-home lifestyle he enjoys, but he also knows he’d rather change his ways than live without her.
Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Meisel, Ignacio Diaz-Silverio, Bill O’Neill and Al Madrigal co-star.
Curtis plays James’ ex-wife Claudia, Meisel and Diaz-Silverio play Jeanie’s children, Poppy and Lolo, respectively, O’Neill plays Arvid, James’ assistant in the philosophy department at the University of Oslo, and Madrigal plays Dan, James’ divorced best friend whose plans for single life are derailed by James and Jeanie’s impulsive wedding. As the matchmaker behind the couple, he also earns the ire of James’ ex, Claudia (Curtis).
Newlyweds is co-created by Gail Lerner and Curtis, both of whom also executive produce. Additionally, Lerner will serve as showrunner. Pam Fryman directed and executive produced the pilot episode. Executive producers also include Eric and Kim Tannenbaum and Jason Wang for The Tannenbaum Company, Scott Schwartz and Lionsgate Television. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.
Newlyweds premieres Friday, October 23 on NBC.
Check out the trailer above.
>
movies
Kevin Feige Accepts Pioneer Of The Year Award At Will Rogers Foundation
It seems appropriate that Kevin Feige was the honoree at a dinner that would became the most successful for the philanthropic Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation Assistance Fund in 22 years.
It appears everything the producer and Marvel Studios president touches turns to gold. The annual Pioneer of the Year dinner raised $1.9 million, the biggest haul since 2004 for the group that helps those in the motion picture distribution and exhibition industry in dire need.
And yes, there was lots of talk about money when extolling the virtues of this year’s Pioneer of the Year, with Focus Features distribution head Lisa Bunnell and Disney chairman Alan Bergman both among those on stage noting the record-breaking box office success of Feige — particularly just after a weekend where a reissue of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame managed to top the charts against all new movies and earn another $80 million globally.
Bunnell also mentioned the most recent achievement of Spider-Man: Brand New Day becoming the biggest movie of all time at the domestic box office, among other records set. Feige’s 38 films as a producer for Marvel have all opened to No. 1 earning a collective $35 billion. It is nice he could extend that streak for this worthy cause.
“The Will Rogers Motion Pictures Pioneers Foundation makes an extraordinary difference for the people in this industry, and it’s a mission I’m very, very honored to stand behind. And of course, to be mentioned in same breath as Will Rogers is incredibly humbling,” Feige said as he accepted the award.
A tradition for more than 75 years, the Pioneer of the Year Award is bestowed upon esteemed and respected members in the motion picture industry whose leadership, service to the community, and commitment to philanthropy are exceptional. It is one of the most distinguished honors in the entertainment industry and within the philanthropic community. All proceeds raised at the event benefit WRMPPF’s Pioneers Assistance Fund, the only charity of its kind in the nation which provides financial assistance and social services to individuals in the motion picture distribution and exhibition community in times of need.

From left, Asad Ayaz, Alan Bergman, Kevin Feige, Josh DAmaro, Louis DEsposito and Andrew Cripps attend the 2026 Will Rogers Pioneer of the Year Dinner honoring Kevin Feige on Sept. 30, 2026 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging)
The Beverly Hilton ballroom was packed Wednesday night to celebrate Feige, and before the man called “the most successful producer in the history of motion pictures” hit the stage, his Guardians Of The Galaxy star Chris Pratt appeared to sing his praises. “Kevin and I, we go way back. I auditioned for this man honestly, probably seven or eight thousand times before he said, ‘You know what? This guy just might be able to act’, either that or he just really needed a third Chris to complete the set,” he laughed. “And to be fair, when I was finally cast in Guardians Of The Galaxy, it took someone with real vision to look at me and say, ‘Yeah, that’s a guy that can guard the galaxy, since at that point, all anyone knew me as was Andy Blair from Parks and Recreation. Yeah, nobody was thinking that there’s an action star who carry a big sci-fi film franchise.”

Before he presented the award to Feige, Iron Man director Jon Favreau shared his stories about the man of the hour, especially during the making of that very first Marvel giant hit which actually was a negative pickup, essentially an independent movie at the time. He said they didn’t always see eye to eye in the editing room, even as Favreau fought to save scenes. “They were very nice scenes, and Kevin would just be like, ‘cut this, cut this, get out there. I think you don’t even need that scene’. And I would just turn to him and I would say to him, ‘why do you hate movies?’ And he would laugh. Eventually, of course everything that he suggested (worked), but not because he forced me to, but because he was right. And I learned like later that you know you got to keep things moving. You can’t be too indulgent when you’re making movies,” he said. “If there’s one individual who has been quality control central in this kind of thing Kevin was a personification of what pioneers are because he had this vision of putting together films that were going to be part of a total universe. Not only do the films have to stand on their own, but they had to connect, not by plot but by character. He loves films and always wants it to be the best it could be. His love of storytelling and storytellers is who the guy is.”
Feige thanked everyone for making the evening possible, but said his initial thought was to turn it down. “This cause, of course, is important. But the truth is, when the team first called and told me about it, my instinct was absolutely to be flattered and to be honored and to say I’m too busy. And then they sent me a picture of that statue. And my wife knows that I have a mildly concerning habit of collecting a lot of things, and collecting toys and action figures because I want to find a way to bring movies home with me, and I think that’s one of the coolest action figures I’ve seen in a while. It’s real bronze,” the Marvel President marveled while assuring the crowd he is just getting started. “I love movies. It’s the greatest privilege of my life that I get to make movies. The motion picture industry has given me my career, my closest friends, and my sense of purpose. So this award means something to me-not just a recognition for the work, but a reminder of the responsibility that comes with it.”
>
movies
Ed Helms Stars In ‘The Streak’ For Lion Forge Entertainment
EXCLUSIVE: Ed Helms has wrapped a lead role in The Streak, a sports comedy marking Academy Award-winning outfit Lion Forge Entertainment‘s entrée into the live-action space.
Following Coach Oliver Eslinger and the 2011 Caltech men’s basketball team as they seek to break the longest losing streak in NCAA history, the film hails from writer-director Steve Byrne (The Opening Act).
Helms plays Enslinger, a first-time head coach who takes over the Caltech men’s basketball program after the team has gone more than three decades without winning a conference game. Armed with relentless optimism and an unconventional coaching philosophy, he attempts to convince a group of brilliant but athletically challenged students that an impossible turnaround can begin with winning just one game.
Nina Dobrev (The Get Out), Natasha Rothwell (White Lotus), Tone Bell (The Flash), Peter Billingsley (A Christmas Story) and comedian Joe DeRosa also star.
Prior to The Streak, which shot in St. Louis and the surrounding areas, many production companies had chased the rights to Coach Eslinger’s story over the last decade. But it was only after a long meeting with Byrne that he finally felt comfortable moving forward. Mike Falbo, Helms’ partner in production company Pacific Electric, slipped the script to longtime friend and collaborator Jon Kanak, who brought the project to Lion Forge.
Helms and Mike Falbo are producing through their Pacific Electric (Rutherford Falls, The Clapper) banner alongside Tim Zajaros and Chris Lemole of Armory Films (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Mudbound), plus Lion Forge Entertainment founder & CEO Dave Steward II and President & Chief Creative Officer Stephanie Sperber. Lion Forge also financed the film alongside Same Page Entertainment, with co-founder & CEO Jalen Rose exec producing.
Other exec producers include Enslinger, Kanak, Steven Fisher, Matt Heath, Bud Hawk, Greg Suess, Trevor Engelson, Matt Brodlie and Jonathan Kier.
UTA is repping domestic sales alongside Brodlie and Kier’s Upgrade, which will also handle international.
In a statement on the project, Byrne told us, “Sports stories have always been about much more than sports. At its core, The Streak is about hope, leadership, and finding greatness in people everyone else has overlooked. Ed was always my dream for Oliver because he brings an authenticity, warmth and humor that perfectly embodies the spirit of this story. We’re excited to bring this incredible true story to audiences.”
Added Lionsgate’s Steward II, “As we scale our live-action business, The Streak is exactly the type of commercial, four-quadrant film we’re focused on producing. With a proven cast, a true story foundation, and global appeal, it reflects how we’re expanding our slate with projects designed to perform in today’s marketplace.”
Currently, Helms can be seen starring alongside Jay Baruchel in The Stunt Driver, a Michael Dowse film telling the true story of daredevil Canadian stuntman Ken Carter, which premiered to critical acclaim at TIFF and released in September. Next up, he’ll be seen in another pair of films coming off TIFF premieres: Cody Lightning’s hockey dramedy Smudge the Blades, which he also exec produced, and Babies opposite Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick. He is repped by UTA and Schreck Rose Dapello.
Byrne is a comedian and filmmaker who made his feature directorial debut with The Opening Act, a 2020 stand-up world comedy starring Jimmy O. Yang. Previously, he also co-created and starred in the TBS sitcom Sullivan & Son. He’s repped by IAG, Underground, and Cohen & Gardner.
Founded in 2019 — after spinning out from Lion Forge Comics — Lion Forge Entertainment is best known for its work in animation, having won an Oscar for its animated short Hair Love in 2020. One of the few Black-owned entertainment studios of scale in North America, they more recently took to HBO Max and Cartoon Network with Iyanu, an animated fantasy series that aired its second season earlier this year. Kicking off a strategic expansion into commercial, all-audience live-action storytelling following a recent capital raise, their pipeline has surged in the last year as the company joined forces with Game of Thrones‘ George R.R. Martin to adapt the novella A Dozen Tough Jobs into an adult animated feature; set a partnership with TalesVision to expand their short-form YouTube series Lostlings into a long-form series debuting later this year; executive produced two movies, the comedy Jacob Beats Up Nate and A Dog’s Perfect Christmas for Netflix; set a strategic partnership with Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts); and partnered with Rebel Girls to develop content around Rebel Girls Sports in the unscripted space. Additional strategic partnerships include an alliance with Penguin Young Readers to develop films & TV series based on select children’s books. LFE is part of the media and sports-focused firm Polarity.
Dobrev is repped by CAA, Noble Caplan Abrams, Lighthouse Management + Media, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Rothwell by CAA, Untitled, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Bell by CAA, Mosaic and Hansen, Jacobson; Billingsley by UTA and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; DeRosa by Range Media Partners and Schreck Rose Dapello; Lion Forge Entertainment by UTA, Activist Artists Management and Jon Kanak’s Lumify Entertainment; and Same Page Entertainment by Paradigm.
>
-
movies4 months agoSearch For Canadian TV Actor Stewart McLean Now Homicide Investigation
-
Fashion9 years agoThese ’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2017
-
Fashion9 years agoAccording to Dior Couture, this taboo fashion accessory is back
-
Fashion9 years agoModel Jocelyn Chew’s Instagram is the best vacation you’ve ever had
-
Fashion9 years agoEmily Ratajkowski channels back-to-school style
-
Fashion9 years ago9 Celebrities who have spoken out about being photoshopped
-
Anime4 months agoRurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Takes 1-Issue Break – News
-
Anime3 months agoHIDIVE to Stream English Dubs for The World Is Dancing, The Forsaken Saintess and Her Foodie Roadtrip in Another World, The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie Anime – News
