Keely's Korner

CELEBRITY NEWS: JUNE 25, 2026
http://www.imdb.com/news/celebrity

McKenna Grace (Designated Survivor/ “I,Tonya”) – 20 years old
Benson Boone (Pop Singer) – 24 years old
Lala Vazquez (Power/ “Think Like A Man” movies) – 46 years old
Busy Philipps (Cougar Town/ Dawson’s Creek) – 47 years old
Linda Cardellini (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”/ ER) – 51 years old
Jason Lewis (Sex And The City) – 55 years old
Angela Kinsey (Fresh Off The Boat/ The Office) – 55 years old
Dell Curry (former NBA Player/ Stephen Curry’s Father) – 62 years old
Ricky Gervais (The Office) – 65 years old
Sonia Sotomayor (Supreme Court Justice) – 72 years old
Jimmie Walker (Good Times) – 79 years old
Carly Simon (Singer) – 83 years old

FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news

ON TELEVISION (THURSDAY 6/25/26)
NETFLIX: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Premiere)
SUNDANCE: NOW: The A-Z Killer (Premiere)
TUBI: Substitute Teacher (Premiere)
YOU TUBE: BattleBots Pro League (Premiere)

Relationships between local network affiliates and the major broadcast networks are showing serious strain. In FCC filings submitted June 22, the approximately 700 stations in question argued that ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox have effectively become their competitors — both through the networks’ own digital properties and through the streaming platforms operated by their parent companies.
· The stations described a financial squeeze driven by escalating affiliation fees, eroding exclusivity protections, and contract terms they characterized as heavily skewed against local operators, all of which they said drains money away from local broadcasting while enriching national streaming operations.
· The affiliates further charged that the networks have negotiated virtual pay-TV arrangements — covering services such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV — that disproportionately benefit the networks themselves at the local stations’ expense.
· The Takeaway: The affiliate revolt signals a structural reckoning for the broadcast model. As streaming continues to absorb the audience and revenue that once flowed through local stations, the century-old network-affiliate relationship is buckling under economics it was never designed to handle. 
(Source: Cynopsis)

The European Commission is poised to approve Paramount’s $111 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a report in the Financial Times, clearing one of the final major regulatory hurdles for the transaction. The U.S. Justice Department approved the deal last week.
· To address antitrust concerns in Europe, Paramount has offered to divest its film distribution joint venture with Universal Pictures, a move aimed in part at easing concerns from European theater operators, according to Reuters.
· The transaction remains under review by regulators in the U.K.
· The merger still faces opposition in the U.S., with California, New York and several other states reportedly preparing a lawsuit to block the deal, reports Reuters.
· Takeaway: While Paramount appears close to securing approval from major international regulators, the biggest threat to the merger may now come from state-level legal challenges in the U.S.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Bravo says it has hit pause on “Ladies of London: The New Reign” after just one season. The show originally ran from 2014–17 before being revived this past March — but that comeback didn’t stick. Don’t count it out entirely, though. While “pause” is usually code for “cancellation,” Bravo typically doesn’t kill its shows for good, and “Ladies” itself is proof: it already came back once.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“Dutton Ranch” is coming back for a second season. No surprise there: the Taylor Sheridan drama debuted May 15 as the biggest original series launch in Paramount+history.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Prime Video has renewed “Invincible” for a sixth season, announced at the Annecy animation festival. Season five — which adds Jack Quaid of “The Boys” to the voice cast — is set to launch next year.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Netflix also made noise at Annecy, announcing its animated “Ghostbusters: Night Shift” — produced with Sony Pictures Animation — will debut in 2027. It’s not the first time the franchise has gone animated: “The Real Ghostbusters” ran on ABC from 1986–91, followed by the syndicated “Extreme Ghostbusters” in 1997.
(Source: Cynopsis)

NBC shared its Fall 2026 premieres schedule, starting Thursday, September 17 at 8 p.m. with the series debut of “The Traitors: New Blood.” Additional series premieres include “Line of Fire” on Monday, September 21 at 10 p.m., and “Newlyweds” on Friday, October 22 at 8:30 p.m. The “Chicago” franchise takes over Wednesdays starting October 7, with “Law & Order: SVU” and “Law & Order” kicking off the next night at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
(Source: Cynopsis)

FX spinoff “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga,” a drama from Malcolm Spellman and producers of FX’s “Snowfall,” premieres Tuesday, September 8 at 9 p.m. on FX and Hulu. One new episode of the eight-episode series will be available weekly following the premiere.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“President Curtis” drops Sunday, July 26 at 11:30 p.m. on Adult Swim, riding the coattails of the “Rick and Morty” season finale. The new series is set in the “Rick and Morty” universe.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“Average Joe” is back for Season 2 on Wednesday, August 19 on Paramount+. The dark comedy drama originally aired on BET+, but is relocating following that streamer’s shutdown.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Also returning for a second run is TNT fantasy-adventure series “The Librarians: The Next Chapter,” on Sunday, August 2 at 9 p.m. 
(Source: Cynopsis)

“My Life With the Walter Boys” hits Netflix for Season 3 on Thursday, August 6. The run will consist of ten episodes.
(Source: Cynopsis)

ID’s “People Magazine Investigates: The University of Cosmic Intelligence Cult” premieres Tuesday, July 14 at 9 p.m. The show examines the still-active University of Cosmic Intelligence cult that was started by an aspiring rapper during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage community and empowerment.
(Source: Cynopsis)

FOX Nation has enlisted former Navy SEAL sniper Jack Carr to host “Jack Carr Investigates: Carlos the Jackal,” examining the life of the terrorist who evaded capture for decades while carrying out attacks. The three-parter kicks off Monday, June 29. 
(Source: Cynopsis)

“The Great Food Truck Race” returns to Food Network on Sunday, July 26 at 9 p.m. This season, four savory trucks face off against four sweet-focused teams as host Tyler Florence leads the competition from Nashville to the Great Smoky Mountains. New this season: weekly taste redemption battles between the bottom two teams.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Teen variety show “Rabbit Hole” debuts Monday, July 13 on Disney+ and Hulu.
(Source: Cynopsis)

HBO Max gave a straight-to-series order for ten episodes of “Adventure Time: Bubble Gum and Marceline.” The animated spinoff, drawn from the “Adventure Time” franchise, will be led by returning showrunner and executive producer Adam Muto.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“Ray Gunn” premieres Friday, December 18 on Netflix. The animated movie set in an alternate future focuses on a private eye drawn into a murder case involving aliens.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The audience for the FIFA Men’s World Cup is averaging 5.7 million average minute viewers on FOX, FS1 and Tubi, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel and Adobe Analytics, up 116% from the 2022 event in Qatar. The most-viewed match so far was the U.S./Australia, which attracted 20.7 million viewers.
(Source: Cynopsis)

On the Spanish-language front, that June 18 World Cup match brought a record-setting 14 million viewers to Telemundo, making it the most watched soccer match ever in Spanish-language history. 
(Source: Cynopsis)

During Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh’s first press conference last week, CNBC had a 50% spike in viewership and ranked #4 in all of cable among P25-54. The business news net averaged 334,000 P2+ viewers and 81,000 among P25-54, up 50% and 21% versus the prior-4-Wednesday average.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Last weekend’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race on The CW delivered 1,161,000 Total Viewers, up 4% compared to last year’s same weekend race.
(Source: Cynopsis)

CELEBRITY NEWS: JUNE 24, 2026
http://www.imdb.com/news/celebrity

Mo’ne Davis (former Little League World Series Pitcher) – 25 years old
Solange Knowles (Singer, Beyonce’s Sister) – 40 years old
Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) – 46 years old
Petra Nemcova (Model) – 47 years old
Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project/ The Office) – 47 years old
Sherry Stringfield (NBC’s ER) – 59 years old
Siedah Garrett (Singer/Songwriter – “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” with Michael Jackson) – 66 years old
Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) – 79 years old
Peter Weller (Robocop) – 79 years old
Georg Stanford Brown (The Rookies) – 83 years old
Michele Lee (Knots Landing) – 84 years old

FIRST LOOK
http://www.eonline.com/news

ON TELEVISION (WEDNESDAY 6/24/26)
BRAVO: Next Gen NYC (Premiere) at 9pm
BRITBOX: A Woman of Substance (Premiere)
DISCOVERY: Expedition Unknown (Premiere) at 9pm
DISNEY+: Behind the Attraction (Premiere)
NETFLIX: The American Experiment (Premiere)
NETFLIX: Another Self (Premiere)
PARAMOUNT+: Wild Cherry (Premiere)

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution and David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants have partnered with digital monetization firm Merzigo to expand “The Late Show with David Letterman” across global digital platforms.
· The multi-year deal gives Merzigo access to more than 6,000 episodes from the run of the show (1982–2015).
· Merzigo will remaster archival interviews with celebrities, musicians, and world leaders into HD content for distribution on YouTube and Facebook.
· The rollout launches first in the U.S. before expanding internationally, with the company deploying its own tech infrastructure and localized audience-growth strategies.
· TheTakeaway: Legacy TV libraries are increasingly becoming digital revenue plays, and the Letterman archive — one of late night’s most storied — represents a significant catalog asset. The deal signals growing appetite from rights holders to activate dormant IP through platform-native distribution rather than traditional syndication.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Walmart struck a deal to acquire Vibe.co, a self-serve connected TV advertising platform built for small and mid-sized businesses and mid-market brands. 
· The acquisition is intended to strengthen Walmart Connect, the company’s commerce media business, by pairing Vibe.co’s accessible CTV buying tools with Walmart’s first-party shopper data, closed-loop measurement, and growing media portfolio, including VIZIO.
· Vibe.co’s platform offers self-serve campaign activation, direct supply partner integrations, proprietary advertising technology and performance-driven optimization that helps advertisers access premium connected TV inventory more efficiently. 
· The goal: make it easier for a broader range of advertisers to launch CTV campaigns and tie spend directly to business outcomes.
· The Takeaway: Walmart is pushing Walmart Connect further up the competitive ladder by bringing self-serve CTV capabilities in-house — a clear signal that it wants a bigger slice of ad dollars flowing from SMBs and mid-market brands, not just enterprise clients. With VIZIO already in the fold, Vibe.co adds the demand-side infrastructure to match.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The pageants will be televised. After a turbulent time marked by executive chaos and abuse allegations — which prompted both 2023 titleholders to give back their crowns — the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants are returning to The CW. Under new owner BDE Miss USA, the network will air Miss Teen USA live from Miami on August 26 and the Miss USA 75th Diamond Celebration the following night, both at 8 p.m. The CW had inked a three-year deal in 2024 to air the pageants but bowed out amid the chaos. The shows ran on the Queen Beauty Network instead, the first time since 1965 that Miss USA wasn’t broadcast on a major network.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Brooke Shields is stepping into the hosting chair for Season 8 of first responder series “Hearts of Heroes,” premiering Saturday, July 11 on ABC stations. Shields takes over from Ginger Zee (“Good Morning America”) on the weekend morning educational block, joining the series’ disaster recovery expert Sheldon Yellen. Shields has a packed slate — she’s also starring in and exec producing Acorn TV’s “You’re Killing Me” and appearing on Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

“The Man Will Burn,” an HBO docuseries offering a behind-the-scenes look at the Burning Man spectacle, premieres Thursday, July 9 at 9 p.m.
(Source: Cynopsis) 

Digital entertainment studio Wall of Entertainment has two new series premiering on Tubi this summer. Character-driven comedy game show “Substitute Teacher” kicks off tomorrow, June 25, while “House Rules,” a game show pitting two couples against each other, arrives Thursday, July 16.
(Source: Cynopsis)

NASCAR docuseries “Rising” is back for Season 2 — and it’s heading to Xumo Play. New episodes drop monthly starting in August, with each one hitting NASCAR’s YouTube channel two weeks after its Xumo debut.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“DIY House Call With Kylie Katich” premieres Friday, June 26 at 8.p. on The Design Network. The show follows DIY personality Katich as she helps her influencer friends with their design dilemmas. 
(Source: Cynopsis)

The July slate for Viaplay, streaming home of Nordic and European fare, includes the U.S. debuts of the period assassination drama “The Activists” on Thursday, July 16 and contemporary immigrant family drama “Home in You” on Thursday, July 30.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Peacock has canceled “Ponies” after one season. While well received — with a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — the Cold War thriller never cracked Nielsen’s list of Top 10 streaming shows.
(Source: Cynopsis)

TeamTO and The Tetris Company are teaming up for “Tetris™: World Builders,” a new CG-animated adventure series for children ages 6+ that blends storytelling with STEAM-inspired problem-solving.
(Source: Cynopsis)

The American Association of Professional Baseball’s (AAPB) 2026 All-Star Game will be carried live on MLB Network for the first time on Wednesday, July 15. The game will be held at Haymarket Park, the home of the Lincoln Saltdogs in Lincoln, Nebraska, at 8:30 p.m. It’s the first time MLB Network has aired an All-Star Game of a Major League Baseball Partner League.
(Source: Cynopsis)

ESPN and Disney Jr. are joining forces again to get the tiniest sports fans off the couch and onto the field. For the second year running, the “Take Back Sports” and “Disney Jr. Let’s Play!” teams are combining their powers to make youth sports accessible for preschoolers everywhere. Partnering once more with national nonprofit Every Kid Sports, the initiative will dish out grants to help families who need it most cover the cost of signing their little all-stars up for sports. 
(Source: Cynopsis)

Linda Cohn is retiring from ESPN after a landmark career — including anchoring more episodes of “SportsCenter” than anyone else. But her greatest source of pride is watching young girls grow up with the show, go on to enter sports media themselves, and find success there. “If my journey helped make that path a little easier for them, then that’s the achievement I’ll cherish most,” she said. Said Burke Magnus, ESPN president, content, “Linda Cohn is a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN. She has brought enthusiasm, personality and her love of sports to our audience for more than 30 years and her contributions to ESPN both in front of and behind the camera would make a very long list.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

FOX One and the USO are making FOX One available at USO Centers around the world to give U.S. service members and their families access to the FIFA World Cup 2026™. FOX One is the official English-language streaming platform for the event.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Amazon chose the first day of Prime Week to introduce Alexa+ Agentic Ads, a new format that lets customers browse, ask questions, and buy products entirely within the ad itself, without navigating away. The experience is conversational: shoppers interact with Alexa to explore options and complete a transaction in one place. Initial launch partners include Papa John’s for food ordering, and musicians Beck, Jill Scott, and Omar Courtz, whose upcoming concert tickets are available through the format.
(Source: Cynopsis)

Disney+ and Hulu will drop “The Devil Wears Prada 2” on Wednesday, July 29. The hit sequel has crushed over $675 million at the box office since its May 1 release. That’s all.
(Source: Cynopsis)

“The Drama” makes its streaming debut on HBO Max on Friday, July 31, followed by its linear premiere the following evening on HBO. The film, starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, was released in theaters on April 3.
(Source: Cynopsis)

BET has appointed Keke Palmer to its newly formed Board of Advisors. Established earlier this month as a strategic and cultural sounding board, the Board will provide insight, perspective, and accountability. Palmer, an actor, host, and producer, also helmed BET’s “Just Keke.”
(Source: Cynopsis)

Tuesday’s episode of ABC’s “The View” — with guest Vice President JD Vance — saw its most-watched telecast (3.331 million viewers) since November 2024. Week over week, the show was up 22%.
(Source: Cynopsis)

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