‘The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert and guests Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers this week
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Jimmy Kimmel’s Disney Upfront Jokes Touch On Trump, BS & More
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.”
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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Chinese director Niu Niu’s Final Payment scooped the Best Film Award in the Fei Mu Awards of this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (PYIFF), while Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy won Best Film in the festival’s Roberto Rossellini Awards.
Final Payment, which also won Best Actor for Niu Jianrong’s performance, revolves around a homeowner clashing with a contractor over the final payment following a set of renovations on his home. PYIFF’s competition jury stated: “Tearing through a very small rip, the film leads us into a reality and emotional landscape so expansive, where we sigh, lament, and reflect. The director’s approach is concise, unpretentious, and masterful, earning the wholehearted recognition of the entire jury.”
The Best Film award came with a cash prize of $150,000 (RMB1m) with half given to the director for the development of their next film, and half given to the distributor in China. Niu Niu previously directed Mr Junjun, which was awarded with the Jury Award and Youth Jury Award at PYIFF in 2023.
Also in the Fei Mu Awards, Xu Zao won Best Director for Light Pillar, while Best Actress went to Sun Yi for Wang Xiaozhen’s A Joke. The Jury Award was presented to Dong Jie’s Zoom In, Zoom Out, which had its world premiere in Venice Critics Week, while a special mention went to Cai Chengjie’s Suzhou Quartet.
The Fei Mu awards are focused on the festival’s Hidden Dragons section, which selects first, second and third films from emerging directors making Chinese-language films, while the Roberto Rossellini Awards focus on the Crouching Tigers section for emerging international directors.
Congo Boy, which took Best Film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards, also won Best Actor when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes film festival. The PYIFF award came with a cash prize of $20,000, with half given to the director for the development of their next film, and half given to the distributor in China.
The PYIFF jury stated: “The Jury unanimously has been moved by this autobiographical story, told in a simple style that echoes the great tradition of neorealism. For a film focusing on a character that confronts his world with optimism despite dark times and takes on his shoulders the destiny of his entire family.”
Also in this section, the Philippines’ Rafael Manuel won Best Director for Filipiñana, while the Jury Award went to Ben’imana, directed by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, which won the Camera d’Or at this year’s Cannes. The jury also awarded Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep a Special Mention.
Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui received the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award, shortly before she receives the Camellia Award at Busan International Film Festival next week.
Pingyao’s International Contribution To Chinese Cinema Award went to Marco Müller, who founded the festival with Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke and currently serves as Artistic Director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University, and veteran producer, director and former chairman of China Film Group Han Sanping. Hello Group chairman Tang Yan was presented with a 10th Anniversary Award.
This year’s PYIFF opened on September 24 with a screening of the 4K restoration of Fei Mu’s Spring In A Small Town; closed with Good Trip, co-directed by Hong Kong filmmakers Norris Wong and Hoi Wong, and also screened Jia’s short film Torino Shadow, which premiered at this year’s Cannes.
PINGYAO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2026 AWARDS:
FEI MU AWARDS:
Best Film: Final Payment, dir: Niu Niu
Best Director: Xu Zao, Light Pillar
Best Actress: Sun Yi, A Joke, dir: Wang Xiaozhen
Best Actor: Niu Jianrong, Final Payment, dir: Niu Niu
Jury Award: Zoom In, Zoom Out, dir: Dong Jie
Special Mention: Suzhou Quartet, dir: Cai Chengjie
ROBERTO ROSSELLINI AWARDS:
Best Film: Congo Boy, dir: Rafiki Fariala
Best Director: Filipiñana, dir: Rafael Manuel
Jury Award: Ben’imana, dir: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Special Mention: Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep, dir: Rakan Mayasi
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SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars.
It’s another exciting night in the ballroom as 13 contestants are still eyeing the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy during Week 3 of Dancing with the Stars.
Last week, the judges reinforced just how tough they are going to be this season, once again declining to score anyone above a 7. Still, three couples — Jenna and Val, Ezra and Daniella, and Amber and Pasha — walked away tied for the top of the leaderboard with 21 points. We also said goodbye to Alan Bersten and chef Giada De Laurentiis.
Week 3 is Yacht Rock night, so the remaining couples are performing to hits from artists including Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, and Luther Vandross.
Here is how the night went.
Olympian Amber Glenn with Pasha Pashkov danced a Foxtrot to “Hold the Line” by Toto. SCORE: 24
Actress Julia Stiles with Ezra Sosa danced a salsa to “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 19
Late-night sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez with Whitney Carson danced a Foxtrot to “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes. SCORE: 15
Actress Tatyana Ali with Jan Ravnik performed a Quickstep to “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 21
Actor Harry Shum Jr. with Jenna Johnson performed a jive to “You Make My Dreams Come True” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. SCORE: 24
Musician Taylor Hanson with Britt Stewart danced a Foxtrot to “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers. SCORE: 18
Reality star Maura Higgins with Mark Ballas danced a Quickstep to “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson. SCORE: 22
Reality star Ciara Miller with Brandon Armstrong performed a Cha Cha to “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross. SCORE: 18
Savannah Bananas midfielder Jackson Olson with Emma Slater performed a paso doble to “Easy Lover” by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins. SCORE: 18
Comedian and podcaster Connor Wood with Rylee Arnold danced a Foxtrot to “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac. SCORE: 20
Actress Jenna Dewan with Val Chmerkovskiy danced a samba to “Africa” by Toto. SCORE: 21
Reality star Tyler Cameron with Sharna Burgess danced a jive to “Still the One” by Orleans. SCORE: 17
Paralympian Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach danced a Foxtrot to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. featuring Bill Withers. SCORE: 21
Who goes home?
The competition is now down to 12 as Taylor Hanson and Britt Stewart were sent home. Next week is all about Mariah Carey, so the couples will perform a variety of the pop superstar’s biggest hits.
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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.
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