Entertainment

Big Brother: Behind the Scenes of a Live Eviction

Published

11 hours ago

August 26, 2026

If “Big Brother” is a game of chess for the participating houseguests, then putting on the show is a game of Mouse Trap for the people behind the scenes.

Each week every summer, executive producers Allison Grodner, Rich Meehan, host Julie Chen Moonves and the rest of the 24/7 Banijay crew set the Radford Studios stage with every possible piece in play — but it’s up to the mice (or hamsters, in this case) to put their respective plans in motion, even if that means accidentally sacrificing their own games in the process.

This Thursday, CBS celebrates the series’ 1,000th primetime episode with a 90-minute special live eviction installment and a game-changing twist. “BB” will become the first series to ever achieve this milestone, 26 years after it first premiered on July 5, 2000.

In preparation for the big event, TheWrap was invited to the July 13 live eviction taping for Season 28. That Thursday saw a brewing blindside be undercut by a Block Buster win as Haley Thogmartin saved herself from elimination with Barrett Pfeiffer then surviving a 9-1 house vote against Chuk Anyanwu.

Plus, two of our editors were given the chance to test out the night’s challenge ahead of time, with Julie ultimately winning the round of the game, titled Newton’s Apples, on her home court. The game involved rolling “apples” up a ramp and getting them to stop up top, before then knocking them down with smaller balls — what goes up, must come down.

The live taping later that day hosted 32 audience members as they watched the episode play out on large screens from right outside the “Big Brother” house, with Julie expertly rehearsing her blocking between commercial breaks, before Chuk eventually joined her onstage for his brief exit interview.

Audience members were asked to not interact with him too much, but one person in the crowd still managed to impact the game as the contestants were able to hear his overt cheering through the next-door set, potentially swaying what they think America thinks of them.

TheWrap will be back on the set Thursday for the 1,000th episode special, hitting the red carpet to interview as many alumni as the “BB” Gods provide.

“Big Brother” airs Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on CBS before streaming on Paramount+.

movies

Tara Reid & Johnny Pemberton To Star In Horror ‘Scissor Mouth’

Published

45 seconds ago

August 27, 2026

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EXCLUSIVE: Tara Reid (American Pie) and Johnny Pemberton (Fallout) are attached to star in the independent horror feature Scissor Mouth.

Produced by 1905 Films and written and directed by Deborah Richards, Scissor Mouth is described as “a contemporary Southern Gothic horror inspired by an ancient Japanese folktale, using horror to explore society’s obsession with beauty”.

Set in the early 1980s, Scissor Mouth follows a teenage girl who escapes years of captivity at the hands of her beauty-obsessed mother, leaving a bloody trail of delay “makeovers’ across rural West Texas. The project is slated to shoot in New Mexico in 2027 with Patrick Wirtz producing.

The screenplay placed second in the horror category at the 2025 Slamdance Screenplay Competition, winning Filmmatic’s Horror/Thriller Screenplay Awards, and selected for the 2026 Grey List.

“Scissor Mouth is my response to the impossible standards of beauty and the scars they leave behind,” Richards explained. “I wrote Johnny Pemberton’s role with him in mind from the very beginning because I knew his unique blend of humor and heart was exactly what the character needed, while Tara Reid embodies the perfect mix of charm, unpredictability, and humanity for this world. I can’t wait to watch them make these characters their own.”

Producer Patrick Wirtz added: “We have a provocative, fearless script that speaks directly to the world we’re living in today. It’s the kind of horror that gets under your skin and stays with you. I believe it has all the ingredients to become a cult classic that audiences will want to watch, and rewatch, again and again.”

Reid is represented by Maverick Artists Agency and Wonder Street. Pemberton is represented by Independent Artist Group and Artists First. Richards is represented by Tammy Hunt at Sandstone Artists.

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YouTube Makes Case Against Prominence For Broadcasters

Published

7 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

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YouTube‘s Pedro Pina has doubled down on the case against giving prominence to British broadcasters on digital services.

The Google platform’s Vice President in EMEA yesterday argued during his MacTaggart lecture that “forced prominence” would damage the content ecosystem on YouTube, and he echoed that sentiment today in a follow-up talk, saying it would threaten the “meritocracy” that has grown on the service.

“YouTube exists so you can find the content that you love and everyone has a level-playing field ability to be successful,” he said. “Everyone has access to the same tools and the ability to meet their audience.

“We’ve seen success from YouTubers to all the way up to linear broadcasters, which is exciting to see. The moment you have forced prominence the first thing that will happen is you are going to select a few of those content creators who will be on top of your feed. Everyone in this room will have to see the same thing, so the foundational principle is gone. You won’t have the option, regardless of who you are and what your preference is.”

He said that “more importantly,” ensuring content from the likes of the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 were presented prominently on the YouTube homepage would hit other creators hard.

“A lot of independent creators, producers and publishers, who have spent a lot making sure their content is discoverable and make a living from it, will be pushed down,” said Pina. “We are endangering a creator economy that has been burgeoning in this country.”

He referenced companies such as Goalhanger, which has built a huge following through YouTube distribution of video podcasts such as The Rest is History and The Rest is Football, and the Guardian newspaper among those who would be de-ranked by a prominence rule. “That is why we are uncomfortable with this forced prominence issue,” he said.

His comments come as the UK’s government prepares a Green Paper that will seek to dictate how the country’s media systems operate in the future, with prominence among the options on the table.

Yesterday in Pina’s MacTaggart talk, he warned enshrining “forced prominence” in law would be damaging to the sector.

“If this becomes law, many UK-based creators and production companies will see their livelihoods threatened,” he said. “UK viewers will have to wade through content they may not want, which in itself could undermine the trust that UK public service broadcasters have built up.”

YouTube has been keen to talk up its partnership with the BBC and other British networks during its time in Edinburgh this week, and positioned itself as friend, not foe to the traditional sector.

“We really want public sector broadcasters to do well and we are committed,” said Alison Lomax, Managing Director of YouTube UK & Ireland in a separate Edinburgh session this morning.

movies

‘Ann Droid’ Renewed For Season 2 After Breakout BBC Success

Published

20 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

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The bots are back. The BBC has renewed comedy hit Ann Droid for a second season.

Starring creator Diane Morgan (Motherland), the Boffola Pictures series about self-help robots launched with 7.6 million viewers for the BBC, making it one of the broadcaster’s biggest hits of the year.

Co-written by Morgan and Sarah Kendall, the comedy spotlights Sue (Sue Johnston), who is bought a second-hand droid (Diane Morgan) by her son Michael (Paul Ready) to help her live independently, so he could focus on repairing his marriage.

Morgan said: “The response to Ann Droid has been so incredible. We’re all totally blown away. I’m really looking forward to not blinking, needing physio and hearing Cotton Eyed Joe on repeat.”

Sue Johnston added: “The reaction from the public has been wonderful. Even my doctor called me Sue, Sue, Sue this morning! Everyone has been asking if there will be more and now we can tell them.”

Shane Allen, executive producer for Boffola Pictures, continued: “We marvel at our BBC robot overlords and their impeccable decision-making. Diane and Sue are comedy dynamite, fronting a superb cast.

“We’re all overwhelmed by how much the audience has taken the show to their hearts. As a warning to critics and begrudgers, any backlash against series 2 will be met by Linda’s inbuilt tasers.”

Ann Droid is a Boffola Pictures and Witchcraft Industries production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The show was commissioned by Emma Lawson, interim director of BBC comedy. Executive producers are Allen, Morgan and Pippa Brown, who is also series producing. The commissioning editors for the BBC are Seb Barwell and Navi Lamba.

BBC Studios, which has a minority investment stake in Boffola Pictures, will handle global sales.