It seems that Hollywood decided to celebrate a show about Hollywood. Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series The Studio nabbed the Emmy Sunday night for outstanding comedy series.
The show, which was nominated for its debut season, beat out Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, NobodyWants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking and What We Do In The Shadows.
“I’ll do my best attempt at sincerity. If you watched our show, if you appreciated our show, if you voted for our show especially, thank you very much,” Rogen said in his acceptance speech. “I’m legitimately embarrassed by how happy this makes me.”
Looking to his cast and crew, he noted, “These are the best people I know and to have them spend their days with me, working with me, is truly one of the great honors of my life.” He added, “Thank you so much. We couldn’t appreciate this more.”
The Studio had 23 nominations going into the night and picked up 13 awards. According to Variety, that is a record for the most wins for a comedy series, surpassing The Bear’s 10 wins in 2023. The show also broke the record for the most wins by a freshman comedy series.
The streamer made the announcement about the series’ renewal on Tuesday. Eric Bana stars as Kyle Turner, an Investigative Services Brach agent for the National Parks Service, in the first season of the show. He is set to return for season 2, and Netflix says this time he’ll be investigating a completely new mystery.
“I am absolutely thrilled that we get the chance to bring another season of Untamed to life,” Bana said in a statement. “The response to season 1 has been a testament to the incredible effort by our crew to deliver something truly unique. I can’t wait to take Kyle on his next journey.”
Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith co-created the series. Mark told Netflix he and Elle originally “envisioned it as a stand-alone, six episodes,” but that’s no longer the case.
“But then the more that we got into it, it was just such a great cast … it was just like, ‘Oh yeah, how do we keep this going?’” Mark said.
At the end of Untamed season 1, Kyle leaves Yosemite National Park and takes to the road for his next journey. Mark says Kyle will explore many different places before he gets to the location where season 2 will take place.
“This won’t be the first park he’s been in since Yosemite,” Mark said. “He’s been to a lot of parks. He’s been busy, taking on a lot of cases. This will be the latest and it’ll be more impactful for him.”
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer and former world champion Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, died Thursday at the age of 71, according to Clearwater, Florida, police and World Wrestling Entertainment.
“WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away,” the company said. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans.”
Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977 and featured prominently in World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE), World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling, but it his was run with the WWE in the 1980s that propelled him and the company to the cultural zeitgeist.
Hogan is widely credited for helping to turn professional wrestling from a regional attraction to a mainstream phenomenon in the 1980s. In the squared circle, he was the larger-than-life Hulk Hogan, the classic good guy, known as a face in wrestling terminology, who encouraged children to eat their vegetables and say their prayers as he grappled the villains known as heels. He became champion on six different occasions with the WWE.
“Whatcha Gonna Do When Hulkamania Runs Wild On You!” was one of his more popular catchphrases and he, as “The Hulkster,” would put a hand behind his ear to hear the roar of the crowds.
Hogan, including his signature leg drop and 24-inch pythons, was synonymous with WrestleMania, the annual extravaganza put on by WWE. “The Immortal One,” as the character of Hogan was known as, headlined the first one on March 31, 1985, alongside his tag team partner Mr. T, and defeated “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
The first WrestleMania led to an infamous confrontation in March 1985 between Bollea and actor Richard Belzer, who was hosting Hot Properties. Bollea and Mr. T were promoting their upcoming bout and Bollea placed Belzer in a headlock to prove that wrestling wasn’t fake. Belzer momentarily passed out and was injured.
Belzer sued Hogan for injuries over the incident. The suit was settled in 1990.
Hogan would appear in 10 WrestleMania matches and featured in the main event eight times.
Hogan parlayed his wrestling appeal by becoming a cultural icon himself, appearing on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and the short-lived series Thunder In Paradise, which co-starred his longtime friend and manager “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart. He also starred in movies like Rocky III and Mr. Nanny.
Hogan left the WWE in the mid-’90s and joined rival promotion WCW. However, the once adoring fans dubbed Hulkamaniacs began to boo his heroic persona.
Hogan changed the industry once again with his transformation to the evil “Hollywood Hogan” character. In 1996, for the first time in his illustrious career, the character of Hogan was now a villain, the leader of the faction New World Order in WCW.
Hogan returned to WWE in 2002 and faced off against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania X8, with the fans cheering him on once again.
Hogan’s dip in popularity was not just limited to the arenas. His image took a battering in 1994 when the federal government accused WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon of illegally giving performers anabolic steroids. Hogan testified that he took steroids but denied doing so at McMahon’s direction. McMahon was ultimately acquitted.
Hogan was once again in the news in 2012 when Gawker published a sex tape involving Hogan and a friend’s then-wife. Hogan sued for invasion of privacy and won a $140 million judgment by a jury in June 2016. He settled with the company for $31 million.
Hogan was previously embroiled in another scandal when a 2007 recording of him making racist remarks and saying the N-word were made public in 2015. Bollea was fired from the WWE and temporarily removed from the WWE Hall of Fame.
Hogan apologized for his use of the slur, telling Good Morning America in 2015 that he wanted his fans’ forgiveness.
“I’m not a racist but I never should have said what I said. It was wrong. I’m embarrassed by it,” he said, but added: “People need to realize that you inherit things from your environment. And where I grew up was south Tampa, Port Tampa, and it was a really rough neighborhood, very low income. And all my friends, we greeted each other saying that word.”
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 for the first time as an individual performer and again in 2020 as a member of the NWO.
Despite his retirement, he continued his connection to the sport that made him famous. He was reinstated by the WWE in 2018 and hosted WrestleMania 37 alongside WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil in 2021.
Hogan announced his engagement to yoga instructor Sky Daily in July 2023 and the two married in September 2023.
He took the stage at the Republican National Convention in July 2024 to endorse President Donald Trump, a longtime friend. He ripped his shirt off in famous fashion and revealed a Trump-Vance 2024 T-shirt below.
“I’ve known that man for over 35 years, and he’s always been the biggest patriot, and he still is,” Hogan said. “He’s always told you exactly what he thought, and he still does, brother. No matter the odds, he always finds a way to win.”
Hogan was married three times, first to Linda Bollea from 1993 to 2009. The former couple had two children, Brooke Hogan and Nick Hogan.
Hogan married Jennifer McDaniel in 2010 but they filed for divorce in October 2021 after 11 years of marriage.
Hogan is survived by his two children and wife Sky Daily.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for H&M & Buy From a Black Woman
Mommy see, mommy do. Brandy‘s daughter not only sings, it appears she acts, too.
Deadline reportsSy’Rai Smith will be making her acting debut in Lifetime’s Christmas Everyday, starring opposite her mother. The film will follow fashion designer Francine “Fancy” Ballantine (Brandy) as she works through obstacles and multiple projects. Fancy is determined to keep her family’s Christmas traditions alive in the wake of her father’s death and as her mother is losing her sight.
“The holidays are always about family as part of the festivities, so I’m beyond thrilled to be partnering with Lifetime on this magical holiday project and having my own daughter star with me – even though we are playing sisters!” Brandy said in a statement. “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime has become such a beloved tradition, and I’m honored to star and executive produce.”
Sy’Rai will portray Fancy’s younger sister Belle, a bridezilla who needs help planning her wedding. Debbi Morgan, Robert Christopher Riley and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman also star in the film.
