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The comedy and music special will feature apperances from Jean Smart, Tiffany Haddish, and many others.

Joan Rivers has been dead since 2014, but that doesn’t mean those who loved her most and best won’t dig her up for a night of digs. This Monday night, NBC will premiere the special “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute,” a comedy and musical send-up of one of the industry’s late greats, the acerbic, brassy, often controversial Rivers. You can watch the special with a subscription to Sling TV on Tuesday, May 13 at 10 p.m. Et on NBC, or watch the extended, uncensored version the next day via Peacock.

How to watch ‘Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute’ When: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt TV: NBC Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV or the next day with a 30-day free trial to Peacock From anywhere:...

Acclaimed actor Ben Stiller fondly remembers his late, great father, Jerry Stiller, on social media.

Ben Still shared a classic image of his father from all the way back in the elder Stiller's first heyday in 1974. The image, shared in a May 11 X post, was accompanied by the caption, "5 years today. Will always miss this man who was so incredibly generous, loving and funny. And the best dad."

5 years today. Will always miss this man who was so incredibly generous, loving and funny. And the best dad.â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/DJFTkINMGt— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) May 11, 2025

Jerry Stiller's career in entertainment began in the early 1950s, during which time he appeared in numerous productions of Shakespearian classics. It was also around this time when Jerry met his future wife and fellow comedian, Anne Meara. Together, Stiller and Meara found success as a comedy duo, making...

Before the premieres of The Muppet Show in 1976 and Sesame Street in 1969 — and even before he was a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show in the late 1960s — Jim Henson created a puppet show called Sam and Friends, which debuted 70 years ago today, on May 9, 1955. While the show’s episodes were just five minutes long, over the course of an 1,000-episode run, Sam and Friends became where Henson first figured out key parts of the Muppets’ now-familiar style and where at least one very familiar face would make his debut.

When he was still in high school, Henson got a job at the local Maryland television station Wtop on a new children’s show called The Junior Morning Show, where kids read the news alongside some puppets. Henson wanted to work in television, but he had no interest in reading the news, so he opted to build puppets for the show.

This spring, the art gallery Gagosian LA will exhibit 36 of Paul McCartney’s recently rediscovered photos, including some that featured in the former Beatle’s Eyes of the Storm book and many that have never been shown before.

The photos were taken between December 1963 and February 1964. And the exhibition, titled “Rearview Mirror: Photographs, December 1963–February 1964,” opens April 25 and runs through June 21.

One never-before-circulated shot (above) is an artistic view of Ringo Starr in a loose-fitting white shirt, drumming at Miami Beach’s Hotel Deauville ahead of the the Beatles’ second Ed Sullivan Show appearance.

Jay North, the former child star who became a household name in the 1950s, has died at age 73. North is best known for portraying Dennis Mitchell in the 1959 sitcom Dennis the Menace. His co-star, Jeannie Russell, who played Margaret Wade, confirmed the news of his passing to The Hollywood Reporter. The former actor died in Lake Butler, Florida, on April 6, 2025, following a battle with colon cancer. According to TV Line, North's character, Dennis, might've had heart eyes for Russell's character, Margaret, but off-screen, to Russell, he was her "otherwordly brother." His last on-screen appearance came in a 2003 production called Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, as himself.

North got the role of Dennis Mitchell after auditioning during CBS's nationwide search for the perfect boy to play the part. He was only six years old and initially didn't impress the studio. His agent pressed for a second audition, and North...

Nearly 11 years after the comedy legend’s death, NBC will celebrate Joan Rivers with a star-studded one-hour comedy special, “Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute.”

The special will feature some of the top comedians of today celebrating Rivers’ quippy style of comedy and commending her trailblazing efforts for women in entertainment.

“Joan Rivers: A Dead Funny All-Star Tribute” will include musical bits and standup performances from artists personally touched, and maybe even roasted, by the late comedian.

Roast comedian of the day Nikki Glaser will honor the comedian as well as notable female stand-ups Chelsea Handler and Tiffany Haddish. Two famous fictional stand-ups Rachel Brosnahan and Jean Smart will also honor the trailblazer, in addition to Margaret Cho, Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, Tracy Morgan, Patton Oswalt, Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Silverman, Melissa Rivers and Rita Wilson.

It will air on NBC Tuesday, May 13, with an extended,...

Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons. The series is widely known for its boundary-pushing storytelling with several aspects considered ahead of its time, including a diverse main cast, led by William Shatner.

For most fans, it is also considered one of the earliest instances of an on-screen kiss between two actors from different ethnic backgrounds, with William Shatner’s Captain Kirk sharing a kiss with Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura.

William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek (Credit: NBC).

Despite the common belief, Star Trek wasn’t the first TV series to showcase a kissing scene between actors from different races, especially during the 1960s when kissing on TV itself was considered taboo. Here is everything you need to know about the actual first interracial kiss on TV.

Star Trek most likely did not have the first interracial kiss on American TV

The Star Trek episode,...

Get ready to meet The Beatles. The four stars of Sam Mendes' ambitious The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event were unveiled at CinemaCon tonight, and they are Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. Not only do we now have the cast for the four interlinked movies, but we now know they'll have a uniquely audacious release strategy. You might have to hit the theater eight days a week because Sony Pictures will release all four movies in April 2028.

The cast were all on hand for the crowd of theatrical exhibitors and journalists, including Collider's Britta DeVore, in Las Vegas, making their first public appearance to a crowd only slightly less enthusiastic than the throngs of Beatlemaniacs who greeted the real deal on The Ed Sullivan Show. Mendes was on hand as well and declared the...

Lenny Schultz, the high-energy comedian known for his wild stage antics, unconventional props, and physical humor, has died at the age of 91. His son, Mark Schultz, confirmed that he passed away on Sunday of natural causes at his home in Delray Beach, Florida.

Schultz made a name for himself with an unpredictable performance style that involved food, props, and absurdist routines, often leaving audiences in hysterics. His influence could be seen in later comedians such as Robin Williams, Gallagher, Carrot Top, and Sam Kinison. Fans would regularly chant “Go crazy, Lenny!” during his shows, a phrase that encapsulated his comedic philosophy.

“They would go nuts, the people,” Schultz recalled in a 2017 interview. “It was very hard to follow my act because I’m doing silly and crazy things.”

Born in the Bronx on December 13, 1933, Schultz originally pursued a career in baseball and was offered a minor-league contract with the New York Yankees.

Lenny Schultz, the frenetic stand-up comic who used food and other stuff as props in a madcap act that took him to The Tonight Show and the rebooted Laugh-In — all as he kept his job as a high school gym teacher — has died. He was 91.

Schultz died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Delray Beach, Florida, his son, Mark Schultz, told The Hollywood Reporter.

With a physical brand of humor later embraced by the likes of Robin Williams, Gallagher, Carrot Top and Sam Kinison, the curly haired Schultz would compile a list of admirers that included David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Brett Butler and Jon Stewart. Audiences at his shows would yell “Go crazy, Lenny!” and that’s what he — and his fans — would do.

“They would go nuts, the people,” Schultz said in a 2017 interview. “It was very hard to follow my act because I’m doing silly and crazy things,...

Felicia Minei Behr, a multiple Daytime Emmy-winning producer of ABC’s All My Children and Ryan’s Hope and a major force in that network’s powerhouse position in the soap opera universe of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, died Sunday, March 2, following a five-year battle with brain cancer. She was 82.

Her death was announced by daughters Kristina Behr Miller and Francesca Behr, who wrote on Facebook that their mother was surrounded by loved ones at the time of her death.

Born on September 21, 1942, on Long Island, NY, Behr began her TV career in 1960 as a secretary at CBS. In the following years she would move up the industry ladder with positions on The Jackie Gleason Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Garry Moore Show and ABC’s One Life to Live.

Eventually she would rise to SVP of ABC Daytime Programming from 2000-04.

When Agnes Nixon created ABC’s groundbreaking...

Felicia Minei Behr, a producer on All My Children, Ryan’s Hope and As the World Turns who also served as a top executive at ABC Daytime, died Sunday after a five-year battle with brain cancer, her family announced. She was 82.

As an associate producer, Behr helped launch All My Children, created by Agnes Nixon, in 1970. She stayed until 1975, then produced and exec produced another ABC daytime drama, Ryan’s Hope, from 1981 until its conclusion in 1989.

She made it back to Pine Valley in 1989 and guided the Susan Lucci-starring All My Children to stellar ratings before exiting in 1996 to become executive producer of the CBS soap As the World Turns through 1999.

Recruited to halt eroding daytime ratings, she returned to ABC in 2000 as senior vp programming of ABC Daytime. Through 2004, she oversaw the network’s slate of soaps, which also included General Hospital, One Life to Live and Port Charles, as...

The Wayans Family were inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame at the 56th Image Awards on Saturday night.

The Wayanses — siblings Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and the second generation of talent, Damon Wayans Jr., Damien Dante Wayans, Craig Wayans and Chaunté Wayans — joined previous inductees including New Edition, Eddie Murphy, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Spike Lee and Earth Wind and Fire.

The NAACP Hall of Fame Award is presented to “individuals or groups who have been pioneers in their respective fields and whose influence continues to shape their industry for generations.” And as one of the most influential families in comedy and entertainment — collectively behind such culture-defining hits as “In Living Color” (which also launched the careers of Jennifer Lopez and Rosie Perez), “My Wife and Kids,” “Hollywood Shuffle,” the “Scary Movie” franchise, “White Chicks” and the hit CBS...

When Ben Stiller was 8, he visited his father, Jerry, on the set of the movie The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and experienced a kind of epiphany. In the 1974 thriller set in the New York City subway, Jerry, who would enjoy a late-career resurgence 20 years later as Seinfeld‘s Frank Costanza, was playing a transit cop alongside Walter Matthau, and Ben was visiting during a night shoot, as lights on giant cranes shone down on the slick city streets around the Triborough Bridge.

“It was so cool, so cool,” says Stiller, now 59, recalling the scene as he looks out from the offices of his Red Hour Productions in the West Village in mid-January, over a sweeping view of the Hudson River. It’s the same view he had as a child at his family’s apartment on Riverside Drive some 70 blocks north. Jerry and actress Anne Meara, Ben’s mother,...

There’s a riot going on in Questlove’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning concert doc Summer of Soul, not least in the wardrobe department. Blazing a trail for the funkadelic/glam rock ’70s with metallic, tasseled jumpsuits that often literally tied themselves up with a bow in the middle, Sly Stone is long overdue for a film about his part in reconfiguring the face of popular music.

Everyone remembers — or, more importantly, is routinely obliged to remember — Elvis Presley and The Doors showing their faces on The Ed Sullivan Show. But less often highlighted is the 1968 appearance by Sly and the Family Stone, which saw its charismatic singer jump into the largely white, middle-aged male audience during a rousing medley of hits that included snippets of a song that would soon become “I Want to Take You Higher”.

Sly Lives!

“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” is a dazzling and definitive funk-pop documentary. It’s the second “jawn” directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, and he has leveled up from his first, “Summer of Soul” — though that lyrical-flashback-to-1969-in-Harlem concert film, in its way, was beautiful. In “Sly Lives!,” Questlove confronts the life and legacy of Sly Stone, investigates it, holds it up to the light, tears it apart, and puts it back together like the bravura mixmaster he is. Sly’s first hit was “Dance to the Music,” and Questlove wants you to dance to the music, to feel it and think it, know how it was made, and hear how its vibrations went out into the world. This is a movie made by a maestro musician and D.J.-turned-master director.

Jammed with penetrating interviews and extraordinary archival footage, “Sly Lives!” is a movie that knows how to...

About an hour into Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s debut feature “Summer of Soul,” Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone) and his interracial, mixed-gender band takes the stage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and proceed to blow the crowd away. Questlove’s Oscar-winning documentary about the festival illustrated how the sonic diversity of the lineup was partly a microcosm for the big-tent nature of late-1960s Black consciousness. Gospel, blues, pop, R&b, and rock ‘n’ roll were all represented at the festival because Black culture was not, and never will be, a monolith. It’s a testament to Sly and the Family Stone’s musical power that they managed to stand out as a highlight from a foster filled with heavy hitters like Nina Simone and a young Stevie Wonder. There’s a reason that the film ends with their stirring performance of “I Want to Take You Higher.”

With his new film “Sly Lives!

Almost anyone who grew up with the Beatles knows a few key things about their manager, Brian Epstein, the subject of the new biopic “Midas Man.” You might know that he ran a popular record store in Liverpool when he first saw the Beatles perform at the Cavern Club and realized that it was his destiny to manage them. You almost surely know that it was Epstein who made over the Beatles’ image, taking four scruffy working-class rockers in black leather jackets, dressing them in collarless gray suits and giving them those fabled moptop haircuts — the look that launched a thousand screams. Or the visionary way he spearheaded the Beatles’ international career, cutting the deal for them to appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Or the fact that Epstein was gay, something he kept well-hidden.

If you’ve ever seen footage of Brian Epstein, you also know the most resonant and,...

While it’s not uncommon for rock stars to attract massive hordes of adoring fans, that’s usually not the case for middle-aged British comedians. But back in the ‘90s, a certain mostly-mute, possibly extraterrestrial character received Beatles-like attention from the Great White North.

I am, of course, talking about Mr. Bean.

On March 1, 1996, Rowan Atkinson was scheduled to make a public appearance at the Eaton Centre shopping mall in downtown Toronto — not as himself, but in character as Mr. Bean. The fictional simpleton would autograph copies of his newly-released VHS tape at a desk set up in the middle of the mall. Simple, right? Well, not so much…

The world was in the midst of a full-blown Bean-mania. According to BlogTO, fans started lining up for the 12:30 p.m. event at 8 in the morning. By 10 a.m. so many people had arrived that security tried to turn away newcomers,...

Christian Juttner, a child actor in the 1970s who appeared in the films Return From Witch Mountain, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and The Swarm and on several TV shows, has died. He was 60.

Juttner died Nov. 29 of natural causes at his home in Yucca Valley, California, his daughter Aidan Juttner told The Hollywood Reporter.

Return From Witch Mountain, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and The Swarm appeared in theaters within five months of one another in 1978.

He portrayed Dazzler, one of the truants known as the Earthquake Gang, in the sequel Return From Witch Mountain, and in I Wanna Hold Your Hand, the feature directorial debut of Robert Zemeckis, he was the boy with a Beatles-style haircut who is determined to see the Fab Four perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.

And in the Irwin Allen-directed disaster film The Swarm, Juttner portrayed a kid who suffers...

Despite having famous comedians as parents — Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller were regulars on The Ed Sullivan Show — Ben Stiller didn’t want to follow in their footsteps. “I wanted to be a serious director,” he told The New York Times. “It was more just wanting to individuate from my father, wanting to be my own person, not being into their comedy.”

Young Stiller wasn’t into that Ed Sullivan stuff — he favored Saturday Night Live. But when Stiller found himself an actual cast member on SNL, he discovered he wasn’t cut out for live sketch comedy after all. In fact, he lasted only four episodes before he called it quits. “I knew that I couldn’t do well there because I wasn’t great at live performing,” Stiller said. “My mom would have been better on that show. I got too nervous, I didn’t enjoy it, and...

One of the leading figures of the anti-gay movement in the United States back in the day, Anita Bryant has passed away. A singer and a devout Christian, Bryant was known for being outspoken against gay rights in the county and even ran and supported several campaigns that favored her views.

Anita Bryant | Credit: The Ed Sullivan Show / YouTube

However, in a surprising twist of life, the singer’s granddaughter’s one move seems to have made her life work look utterly ironical as well as comical. While Bryant is remembered today for her career and controversial opinions, her granddaughter’s actions today speak volumes about her work.

Anita Bryant’s granddaughter turned her work into an ironic twist of fate Anti-gay rights activist Anita Bryant’s granddaughter is a lesbian | Credit: The Ed Sullivan Show / YouTube

Anita Bryant recently passed away at the age of 84 and throughout her life,...

On August 16, 1977, the world lost iconic performer Elvis Presley, who died at the young age of 42. Presley excelled in many media, from music to television to films and the concert stage, and he became a beloved cultural king worldwide. In music, he was nicknamed the “King of Rock and Roll,” but that genre was not his sole claim to musical significance. Presley performed and was influenced by a number of genres, including country, rockabilly, pop, blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues. In his career, Presley won three Grammy Awards (all for gospel music and none for rock) plus received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1971.

Although he got his start performing rockabilly, the Tupelo-born, Memphis-raised Presley gradually expanded his sphere of influence to include film, television and the concert stage. His appearances on television in the 1950s, in particular on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” caused a storm of controversy about...

Dick Capri, the comedian and actor, has died. He was 93.

After spending his final Christmas with his family, Capri succumbed to a bleeding enlarged aorta, dying in his sleep in the early hours of Thursday, Dec. 26 in Florida.

“The world is not as funny today as it was yesterday,” the comedian’s son Jeff told TMZ, explaining that his father knew his time was limited as the aorta was deemed inoperable due to his age.

Spending the holiday with his son, daughter-in-law and life partner, Dick FaceTimed with loved ones out of town and enjoyed a meal from his favorite restaurant before his death.

Born Richard Crupi in Reading, Pennsylvania, Dick began performing stand-up comedy in the ’60s, with appearances on The Merv Griffin Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, before embarking on tour with Englebert Humperdinck in 1973, which took him to Radio City Music Hall and venues across the world.

Robert Zemeckis released an R-rated comedy starring Kurt Russell called Used Cars which is surprisingly very dark. Zemeckis is best known for his incredibly popular and classic films such as Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, and Cast Away. Zemeckis made his feature film debut with 1978's historical comedy I Wanna Hold Your Hand, which follows two fans who try to sneak into the Beatles' hotel in New York City before their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.

While Zemeckis is known for his collabs with Tom Hanks, he has also worked with several other stars such as Kurt Russell in Used Cars, which was just his second directorial effort. Used Cars is one of Russell's career-best comedic performances, even though the actor is best known for his dramatic roles in classic movies such as Tombstone, Escape From New York, and Miracle. While Zemeckis has made plenty of comedy movies,...

The teaser trailer for director James Gunn’s newest movie version of Superman was recently released online. And, unlike previous films, this one has a cute dog that everyone seems to already love.

Play

Of course, Superman has proven to be one of the most enduring heroes in the history of pop culture, even surviving John Cleese’s awkward take on the character. But this multibillion dollar franchise began as a simple idea from two guys who were eventually screwed out of those billions of dollars: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Also, it could be argued that the character of Superman wouldn’t be quite the same if not for the influence of one of Canada’s most famous comedians: Joe’s cousin Frank Shuster.

Frank, along with Johnny Wayne, performed as the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster for decades. They had their own shows on radio and television in Canada,...

(L-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lenon, and Paul Mccartney arriving at JFK airport in Beatles 64′. Photo Courtesy of Apple Corps, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The Beatles left an indelible mark on both music and television, shaping culture in ways that still resonate today. Their arrival in the United States in February 1964 sparked what became known as “Beatlemania,” a movement that not only redefined the music world but also influenced the broader cultural landscape. The documentary Beatles ’64 offers a fascinating glimpse into this groundbreaking era. Featuring rarely-seen archival footage and heartfelt interviews, the film dives deep into the band’s ascent to superstardom. It covers their electrifying first visit to America, the hysteria they inspired, and the unique bond shared by the four young men who captivated millions. Paul McCartney recalled this incredible time with vivid detail, reflecting on the band’s unforgettable appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In a charming new Coldplay video for the band’s song “All My Love,” comedy legend Dick Van Dyke takes center stage – on his Malibu patio – and shares his thoughts on his long life (he turns 99 on December 13) and mortality.

“I’m acutely aware that I, you know, could go any day now,” Van Dyke says in the video directed by Spike Jonze & Mary Wigmore, “but I don’t know why it doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it. I have that feeling, totally against anything intellectual that I’m gonna be alright.”

Watch the music video above.

In addition to recent footage of Van Dyke chatting with the piano-playing Coldplay singer Chris Martin – it was shot in October – the “All My Love” video makes copious use of brief clips from throughout the comic’s career, with quick glimpses of his classic ’60s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show,...

In February 1964, as America was still reeling from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, The Beatles arrived in the U.S. for the first time and took the country by storm. Their debut appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” drew more than 73 million viewers, and they created a media frenzy everywhere they went, a situation playfully recreated in Richard Lester‘s classic musical comedy “A Hard Day’s Night,” which went into production right after The Beatles returned to England after their two week trip.

Before Lester’s film, however, legendary documentarians Albert and David Maysles — then at the beginning of their careers — documented the Beatles’ U.S. sojourn in footage that has barely been seen since it was shot due to a variety of clearance issues (not to mention the fact that United Artists didn’t really want the material in general release where it could dilute the appeal...

Mentions of murder.

The documentary Beatles ‘64 takes a look at the band’s arrival in the United States in 1964, and among the songs and nostalgia, there’s a pretty dark and sad part in which John Lennon foresaw his own death. Directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese, Beatles ‘64 was released on Disney+ in November 2024. The film features footage shot by Albert and David Maysles during the Beatles' visit to the United States, which was originally for the 1964 documentary What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A., along with interviews with fans, producers, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr.

Beatles ‘64 is a look into the band’s feelings and reactions to arriving in the United States, their historic performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the fans’ intense welcome and reactions to the band’s arrival and presence, and the overall atmosphere as the country...

Beatles ‘64 is a great new Beatles documentary on Disney+, but Peter Jackson made an even better Beatles doc for the platform, The Beatles: Get Back, three years ago. Produced by Martin Scorsese, Beatles ‘64 examines the impact that the Fab Four had on American pop culture when they first arrived in the United States in the titular year. It uses newly restored footage of landmark moments from the band’s history, like their historic performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, to capture what it felt like when the Beatlemania craze went global.

While Beatles ‘64 is the newest Beatles doc to hit the streaming library of Disney+, it’s far from the first. Earlier this year, Disney dropped a new 4K restoration of Let It Be, the 1970 doc that had struggled to secure a DVD and Blu-ray release for decades. Disney released a doc about the Abbey Road studio,...

Disney’s new documentary, Beatles ‘64, reveals that American barbers protested the Fab Four in the 1960s, and they had a very specific beef with the band. Produced by Martin Scorsese, Beatles ‘64 examines the Beatles’ impact on American pop culture when they made their first trip to the United States in February 1964. It was during this stint that they made their historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which introduced the band to U.S. audiences and took the Beatlemania craze worldwide.

Not only does Beatles ‘64 have a great soundtrack; it’s full of fascinating insights into this crucial period in the history of the iconic band. The documentary, directed by David Tedeschi, contrasts footage of contemporary Beatles fans gushing over their new favorite band with footage of the band members themselves, highlighting their interpersonal conflicts. One of the key revelations from the doc is that the Beatles were protested and...

Goodfellas director Martin Scorsese appears pretty prominently in the new Beatles documentary on Disney+, Beatles ‘64, and it’s not immediately obvious what he has to do with the Beatles. While it hasn’t been quite as widely acclaimed as Disney’s other Beatles docs, Get Back and Let It Be, Beatles ‘64 has a great soundtrack, and it’s been well-received by fans. It offers an intriguing insight into one of the most crucial periods in the history of the band, with newly restored footage of some of their most significant performances.

Beatles ‘64 explores the cultural impact that the Beatles had on the United States after their first visit to America in February 1964. It features gorgeously restored footage of the Beatles’ turning-point performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The documentary contrasts footage of the Beatlemania fad with the interpersonal conflicts between the band members. It has a lot of...

Beatles '64 repeats the bold declaration that when the Beatles first appeared on American TV, crime across the US stopped for an hour, but the truth is not quite as magical. The Beatles undoubtedly sparked a new wave in music when they began to climb in popularity during the 1960s. The band may have been four young boys from Liverpool, but their lyrics, bold style, and witty interactions earned them a spot in the hearts of millions of fans all around the globe.

Initially, the boys became a music sensation around the UK, and shortly thereafter their music began picking up speed across Europe. However, it wasn't until 1964, two years after the band began to make a name for themselves, that they visited America for the first time. Their reputation preceded them, and they were met with thousands of adoring fans upon their arrival, but that was nothing compared to...

Do you feel a song coming on? If you do, it's probably because it's Strictly Come Dancing's annual Musicals Week special. That's right; get in front of a microphone and warm up those vocal chords because it's time to spread the music everywhere for what is sure to be another memorable week of the best musical theater-inspired routines you can imagine.

One other important thing to remember is that this is also the Quarter Final, so the six remaining couples will be competing for a place in next week's coveted Semi-Final, which will bring them within touching distance of the beloved Glitterball Trophy. And after last week's episode saw the premature exit of favorites Jamie and Michelle, it's clear that anything can happen in the business end of the competition. But before the Semi-Final arrives, it's all singing and dancing from them as Strictly brings back its most beloved theme week of all.

Beatlemania is once again sweeping the country. Well, sweeping Disney+ anyway, thanks to an intimate new documentary, “Beatles ’64.” Directed by Emmy nominee David Tedeschi and produced by Oscar winner Martin Scorsese, the film features footage from the 1964 TV documentary “What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA,” new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and archival contributions of John Lennon and George Harrison. It chronicles the days before and after the Fab Four’s first trip to America, including their appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” It’s a defining moment in popular culture, one that changed not just the Beatles’ trajectory, but the course of music history forever.

Now, you might be thinking to yourself: How many Beatles films and documentaries can one culture produce? How many is too many? At this juncture, it appears to be impossible to say. We don’t seem to have reached the saturation point yet,...

This documentary takes you behind-the-scenes on the Fab Four’s first trip to America.

It is one of the fundamental moments in pop culture history and one of the defining events of an era. In February 1964, the British band known as The Beatles made its way to the United States for the first time jump starting a phenomenon that continues to this day. In the new documentary “Beatles '64” from Disney+ you get to witness never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage of the Fab Four on their first-ever visit to the States. You can stream the documentary beginning on Friday, Nov. 29 only with a subscription to Disney+.

How to watch ‘Beatles ‘64’ When: Friday, Nov. 29, 2024 TV: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now $9.99+ / month disneyplus.com

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Everything you need to know about ‘Beatles ‘64:

How to watch ‘Beatles...

Produced by Martin Scorsese, the new documentary Beatles '64 has debuted on Disney+ with an impressive critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by David Tedeschi, Beatles '64 traces the cultural impact of The Beatles on the United States in the aftermath of their inagural three-week visit to the country in February 1964, following their historic first performances on The Ed Sullivan Show. The film is the latest in a long line of musical documentaries for Scorsese, who directed Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, as well as another doc about a Beatle – George Harrison: Living in the Material World.

Beatles '64 debuted on Rotten Tomatoes with a near-perfect score of 97% based on 30 reviews. The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw rated it 5/5 and called it "An amazing split-second of cultural history." The Wrap's Matt Goldberg said, "Perhaps 'Beatles ’64' will only appeal to Beatlemaniacs like me, but...

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Six decades ago, America got introduced to a new band known as The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. “It was like being in the eye of a hurricane,” John Lennon says of Beatlemania in the new music documentary Beatles ’64. “It was happening to us, but it was hard to see.”

Now streaming on Disney+, Beatles ’64 is produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by David Tedeschi,...

(L-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, John Lenon, and Paul Mccartney arriving at JFK airport in Beatles 64′. Photo Courtesy of Apple Corps, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2024 Apple Corps, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. The new Beatles documentary, Beatles ’64, transports viewers back to the band’s electrifying arrival in America in 1964. Produced by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, the film captures not only their historic performances on The Ed Sullivan Show but also the profound cultural impact of Beatlemania on a nation eager for change. Beatles ’64 reveals the innocence and boundless creativity that fueled the band’s early success, offering a poignant reflection on the enduring power of youth and artistic passion. Scorsese himself emphasizes the documentary’s deeper exploration. (Click on the media bar below to hear Martin Scorsese.) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Marin_Scorcese_Beatles_64_.mp3

Beatles ’64 is now streaming on Disney+.

The post Martin Scorsese Takes...

“Beatles ‘64” wants to hold your hand.

The latest Beatles documentary specifically focuses on the 1964 arrival of the lovely lads from Liverpool in America. This includes their zeitgeist-capturing performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and their first live concert in the United States, held at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.

But how can you watch the latest documentary on the Fab Four? Read on to find out.

When does “Beatles ‘64” come out?

“Beatles ‘64” premieres exclusively on Disney+ on Nov. 29.

Is “Beatles ‘64” streaming or in theaters?

The new documentary is only available on Disney+. Sure, it would be pretty fun to watch “Beatles ‘64” in a crowded movie theater, with people reacting to the band today like they had back then. But alas, it is impossible.

Who is in “Beatles ’64?”

There are new interviews with surviving Beatles members Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney; there are...

Oscar-winning writer/director Adam Mckay has called out movies like Beatles '64. Known for his collaborations with Will Ferrell in comedies like Anchorman, McKay has transitioned his career into films that tackle major societal issues, like The Big Short, Vice, and Don't Look Up. He has also been involved with recent NBA projects, including being an executive producer on Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and hosting the limited series podcast Death at the Wing.

Now, McKay has taken to social media to question if a documentary like Beatles '64 is necessary. Releasing on Disney+, the documentary is directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese. It follows The Beatles' first three weeks in America, including their legendary performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. McKay says "nothing is lamer/funnier than white liberals' never ending fascination for the Beatles." He believes that people should move on from...

Ryan’s Hope alum, Helen Gallagher, died on November 24. The award-winning actress was 98 years old.

A Storied Soap Opera Career

Playbill reported that Gallagher, who portrayed Maeve Ryan on the now-defunct ABC soap opera from July 1975 to January 1989 when it ended. You may remember her rendition of “Danny Boy” in the series finale. She also sang the song several times throughout the soap’s run.

For her work as Maeve, Gallagher won three Daytime Emmy Awards. A five time nominee, the actress took home the statues in 1976, 1977, and 1988. Gallagher’s other soap credits include Another World, All My Children, and One Life To Live.

Broadway Star

Throughout her career, Gallagher also appeared on Broadway’s stages 21 times. She started on Broadway as a ballerina in Seven Lively Arts and Mr. Strauss Goes to Boston. She also danced in Billion Dollar Baby and Brigadoon.

In 1947, Gallagher won the role of Nancy in High Button Shoes,...

Helen Gallagher, who won Tony Awards for Pal Joey and No, No, Nanette before starring as Maeve Ryan in all 13 seasons of daytime soap Ryan’s Hope, died November 24. She was 98.

Playbill confirmed the news on social media.

Born on July 19, 1926, in New York City, Gallagher already was a singing, dancing and acting veteran of numerous Broadway shows when she was cast as Gladys Bumps in the Chicago-set 1952 musical Pal Joey. Starring opposite Harold Lang and Vivienne Segal, she won the Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

She went on to appear in such Golden Age Broadway musicals as The Pajama Game, Mame, Finian’s Rainbow and Sweet Charity, earning a second Featured Actress Tony nom for playing Mickie alongside Gwen Verdon and Ruth Buzzi. She also performed in revivals of such classics as Guys and Dolls and Brigadoon.

In 1970 she was cast as the original Lucille Early in Broadway’s No,...

The world needs another Beatles documentary like it needs a live-action remake of “Moana,” but Disney has never met a well it didn’t want to suck dry.

And so, not long after Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” became the must-stream event of Thanksgiving 2021 — a second hyper-restored look back at the band will hit Disney+. This one is called “Beatles ’64,” it’s directed by frequent Martin Scorsese collaborator and “George Harrison: Living in the Material World” editor David Tedeschi (with a technological assist from Jackson’s WingNut Films), and though it’s much shorter than the three-episode miniseries everyone gorged on three years ago, Tedeschi’s 106-minute film operates on much the same principle: It never feels the least bit new or necessary, and yet almost every second of it sparks the joy of a genuine revelation.

Similar to “Get Back,” “Beatles ’64” puts a formative moment from...

The Beatles landed in New York City in February 1964 — their first time setting foot on the American soil that they’d spent their lives dreaming about in Liverpool. Even as the plane was landing, they were wondering out loud why the U.S. would care about an English rock & roll band. But when they played The Ed Sullivan Show, for a TV audience of 73 million viewers, they did more than just invade America. They founded a new kind of daydream nation: the United States of Beatlemania.

The excellent new doc...

The Beatles: Get Back premiered on Disney+ in 2023, offering a new look at the band’s emergence in the 1960s. Martin Scorsese produced, and David Tedeschi directed the documentary, which includes a rare, uncovered video filmed by the Maysles brothers during the Beatles’ U.S. tour. This film captures personal moments with the band as they negotiated their cultural boom in America, highlighting their impact on music, fashion, and societal transformation.

The documentary examines the Beatles’ tremendous influence on American culture through a mix of frank interviews and behind-the-scenes videos, documenting their creative process and the excitement they sparked. It’s a reminder of how their presence altered the musical environment and, in many ways, defined a generation.

The film’s most striking aspect is the Maysles brothers’ raw, unpolished video, which provides an up-close glimpse at the Beatles on tour. Tedeschi’s direction highlights the band’s side, presenting...

If there’s any chapter of the Beatles’ saga that Beatles fans the world over feel they know in their bones, it’s the early months of 1964, when the Beatles first came to America — a happening that shook the world, and that changed it profoundly. “Beatles ’64” is a documentary that chronicles the three weeks the Beatles spent in the U.S. starting in February of that year. They came to New York to perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show” (their first appearance on the show was Feb. 9). They then took a train to Washington, D.C., to give a concert at the Washington Coliseum, then flew to Miami Beach, where they did their second “Ed Sullivan” appearance.

“Beatles ’64” opens with an extended sequence devoted to the early-’60s reign of John F. Kennedy — because, as has been noted so often, JFK was assassinated just a little over two months before their arrival,...

A clip in Beatles ’64 features Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan making a salient observation: “The chances of your understanding anything going on in your own time are very small, except through the means provided by artists. Artists are people who enjoy living in the present.” That perspective is both supported and disproven by the film’s candid access to John, Paul, George and Ringo — surnames not required — on the cusp of global superstardom during their first visit to America in 1964.

The band members are by no means oblivious to the seismic momentum of Beatlemania, becoming virtual prisoners at New York’s Plaza Hotel as it’s surrounded by a mob of screaming fans. And yet they remain at that time disarmingly innocent, almost incredulous — fundamentally still four goofy working-class lads from Liverpool with mop-top haircuts who appear to view the hysteria mostly as a lark. Only in interviews years...

Contemporary interviews and amazing archive footage combine in a sublime snapshot of the band’s whirlwind first US visit

The Beatles’ breaking of America – that mythic, ecstatic moment which restored Britain’s postwar pride and became an enduring cornerstone of our soft power self-respect – is the subject of this absorbing documentary from director David Tedeschi; Martin Scorsese is a producer and interviews Ringo himself in the present day, with Paul speaking to camera separately. It also uses the intimate hotel-room and backstage footage shot at the time by the Maysles brothers, Albert and David.

The film is a record of the band’s arrival in New York in 1964, and their legendary live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the host resembling a wary, jowly Richard Nixon. Craig Brown’s book One Two Three Four points out that the Beatles’ appearance on the show followed an interminable succession of forgotten support acts who,...