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Think you've got what it takes to solve medical mysteries like Maomao? Universal Studios Japan will be giving park-goers the opportunity to test their smarts in a new interactive event! The Apothecary Diaries Mystery Walk ~Investigate the Mystery Drug~ kicks off starting in July at Usj. Park attendees can participate by picking up a free investigation booklet, taking on the role of fellow pharmacists as they look for clues and hidden messages around the park. If you succeed at unraveling the mystery, you'll get to see a scene play out between Maomao and Jinshi. Related: The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Anime Casts Toshiyuki Toyonaga as Lahan The Apothecary Diaries Mystery Walk ~Investigate the Mystery Drug~ will run from July 1 to January 4, 2026 as park of Usj's "Cool Japan 2025." The original The Apothecary Diaries light novels are written by Natsu Hyuuga, illustrated by Touko Shino and published in Japan by Shufunotomo under their Hero Bunko imprint.

It's that time of year again that we celebrate the ladies who brought us into this world, raised us and inspired us to be the people we have become. It seems all the more significant during this time in which moms have been spending a lot more time with their kiddos.

It would be interesting to see how some of our favorite tv moms would have handled quarantine, or if some kids would actually be "safer at home" with some of these moms. It's quite likely that if Malcolm and his brothers didn't blow the house up out of sheer boredom, Lois's screaming would have brought the place down. It's doubtful that Marie Barone could have maintained social distancing, and not popped over to criticize Debra's latest meal or endeavor while continuing to spoil Raymond. But then, the June Cleavers, Harriet Nelsons and Margaret Andersons would likely put us...

Thom Yorke has quietly been on a bit of a tear the past year or so. In 2024, his side project the Smile — with Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and jazz drummer Tom Skinner — put out two dazzling albums of crinkly art-rock, Wall of Eyes and Cutouts. He also recently wrapped up a short solo tour doing expansive, gripping renditions of songs from throughout his career. Now, he’s back with this engrossing little side-project detour, a collaboration with producer Mark Pritchard, whose roots in the U.K.’s experimental electronic music scene go back decades.

Calum Hood is still in the chaos realm of his forthcoming debut solo studio album Order Chaos Order, out June 13. The musician’s latest single, “Call Me When You Know Better,” digs deeper into the themes of critical self-reflection that surfaced on his previous release, “Don’t Forget You Love Me.”

“‘Call Me When You Know Better’ is a love letter in the form of an apology,” Hood shared in a statement. “For maybe not being the best lover or friend to the people who mean the most to me.

When Garry Marshall's "Happy Days" premiered on ABC in 1974, the sitcom caught a ride on a wave of Baby Boomer nostalgia generated by George Lucas' "American Graffiti" the previous year. That film was like a time machine for this generation, and they wanted to keep going back over and over again. Alas, this being the pre-vcr and pre-cable age, if they were looking to take that nostalgia trip at home, they were going to be waiting a couple of years for its network television premiere. So Marshall's series, which looked and sounded a good deal like "American Graffiti," was a more than suitable substitute.

Aside from sharing its theme song (Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock") with Lucas' film, "Happy Days" also cast one of the stars of "American Graffiti," Ron Howard, as its protagonist. Unlike most of the show's young cast, Howard wasn't some...

Charlene made waves as Lucy Ewing on Dallas. It’s hard to believe she was only 17 years old. The actress looked back at her time on the primetime soap that changed the way we watched television.

Big Break

Tilton joined a legendary cast that included Barbara Bel Geddes, Jim Davis, and Larry Hagman. However, she was just getting her start in acting. In an interview with Woman’s World, she commended the cast for their “stellar work ethic.” Tilton took everything in as she “watched them” on set. She also shared the advice she received from her costars.

“I learned things such as you always arrive 15 minutes early,” Tilton explained. “You come to work prepared. You know your lines, it’s an all-for-one environment, no one is a diva, no one is demanding, and you always be professional. That’s how I got educated. I had no idea what I was...

"Heeh! Heeh! Heeh!" With a wheezy laugh and goofy grins, "Revenge of the Nerds" took 1984 by storm. In a theatrical year dominated by Axel Foley, Indiana Jones, Gizmo, the Ghostbusters, and Mr. Miyagi, it was a raunchy college comedy for the older kids, promoting the triumph of the intelligent and the uncool over the strong and the sexy. 

Beloved at the time, it has aged poorly in some respects, as it treats sorority girls as prizes to be won, and depicts some decidedly non-consensual intimate moments exploited and played for pranks. For the sequel, which helped launch Bradley Whitford's career, the nerds' hijinks were toned down to a PG-13, and two subsequent films, made for TV, had to deal with even stricter network censorship. There's still occasional talk of a reboot at some point though.

Most of the main cast returned for every installment, while others went on to bigger things,...

Irrespective of the medium, Batman’s rogues gallery has always been an integral part of his mythos, and has heavily contributed to his status as one of the most iconic fictional heroes in media. And among all the iterations, barring comics, Batman: The Animated Series is highly considered the blueprint for Gotham’s underbelly, including Ra’s al Ghul.

Although it’s hard to imagine anyone other than David Warner in the shoes of Ra’s in the revered series, prior to incorporating Warner in the role, legendary actor Sir Christopher Lee was initially in line to helm Ra’s voice.

Sir Christopher Lee missed out on voicing Ra’s al Ghul due to scheduling conflicts Ra’s al Ghul | Credit: Fox Kids

While David Warner’s iteration of Ra’s in Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, and Batman: Beyond is nothing less than perfection, it’s...

Newly announced programming for the 2025 Atx TV Festival, being held Thursday, May 29 through Sunday, June 1, in Austin, Texas, includes:

▶ A screening of Max’s Duster (premiering May 15), followed by a Q&a with co-creator/EP Latoya Morgan and cast members Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson, Keith David and Asivak Koostachin

More from TVLineElsbeth EP Promises 'We'll Still Honor Female Friendship as Major Part of This Show' Following Kaya's DepartureElsbeth Co-Star Not Returning as Series Regular for Season 3Andor Creator Tony Gilroy Shrugs Off That Star Wars 'First' in Episode 6, Stands by 'Tough' Cinta Decision

▶ A conversation with The Gilded Age cast members Carrie Coon,...

It's not uncommon for recurring characters on a popular sitcom to receive successful spin-off shows. For example, "Happy Days" spawned "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy," the latter of which originated from what was first thought of as a "horrible" episode script.  On the other end of the spectrum, you've got shows like "Seinfeld," which drew impressive audiences back in the day but didn't give birth to any sort of spin-off series.

However, it wasn't for a lack of trying that the "show about nothing" has nothing by way of spin-offs. George Costanza actor Jason Alexander pitched a couple of spin-off ideas, one of which would have centered on Cosmo Kramer's (Michael Richards) lawyer, Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris), who was a parody of O.J. Simpson's defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. And as it turns out, Morris made a similar pitch, as he stated at a 1999 press event (via the...

When you speak with Ted McGinley, it quickly becomes clear why he’s still thriving in Hollywood after more than four decades.

Behind his easy smile and self-deprecating humor is a scrappy survivor, a man who credits his longevity to resilience, humility, and an unwavering belief in karma.

Throughout a career spanning dozens of beloved television shows, McGinley has become a familiar face to generations of viewers. But beneath the effortless charm is a story of hard-earned success, shaped by perseverance, humility, and an unshakable work ethic.

(Courtesy of Apple TV+)

“I’m a guy who gets up off the floor,” McGinley says. “I never showed up to anything and was the best at anything. But I got most improved at everything I ever did.”

Whether it was on the water polo field or sound stages across Hollywood, McGinley built his career by working hard and never giving up.

Law & Order: Organized Crime...

Ted McGinley has been a television star for decades, dating back to his debut performance on Happy Days and series regular work in '80s stalwarts like The Love Boat, Dynasty, and Married… With Children. However, for years, McGinley was dogged by an unfounded reputation as a show killer, to the extent that McGinley has said in past interviews that his moniker as the “patron saint of jumping the shark” cost him acting jobs.

So, McGinley is understandably emotional about the universal acclaim he’s received for his performance on the Apple TV+ comedy series Shrinking.

“I’m telling you, I’ve been brought to tears,” McGinley tells Gold Derby. “I’m so used to being the worst, or being told that I’m such a bad guy to add to a show. This has been an amazing journey and experience, and I honestly feel blessed. I’m working in scenes with Harrison Ford.

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Garry Marshall's sitcom "Happy Days" provided ABC with a welcome ratings boost when it premiered as a mid-season replacement on January 15, 1974. To say its success was surprising would be to ignore the blockbuster elephant in the room that was "American Graffiti," George Lucas' coming-of-age comedy that tore up the box office the year prior by exploiting Baby Boomer nostalgia for growing up amid the rise of rock-and-roll and cruising culture in the 1950s and '60s. Many members of this generation had reached parenting age and, as such, welcomed any opportunity to escape from their day jobs and child-rearing and remember their carefree days of sucking down milkshakes at their local diner and slamming coins into the jukebox.

While "Happy Days" was a ratings hit at first, ranking number 16 in the Nielsen ratings after its first season, the show...

Howard and Marion Cunningham, the mainstay parents on the 1970s hit comedy Happy Days, were a throwback to the moms and dads of the early days of sitcoms — well-adjusted, wise in the ways of the world and a stable force in a chaotic comedy world. Howard, owner of a hardware store, was the breadwinner; Marion kept the house and a hot meal on the dinner table. The only thing that set the Cunninghams apart from the 1950s parents on Leave It to Beaver or Father Knows Best? They occasionally got “frisky,” sprinting up the stairs for a randy roll in the hay when the kids were out of the house.

But reality doesn’t always mirror art. While Howard and Marion were hopelessly in love in their Milwaukee home, things weren’t as rosy between Tom Bosley and Marion Ross, the actors who played the Cunningham parents. In fact, Ross...

The following contains spoilers from… the 15th season of NCIS: Los Angeles that we never got?

Sam Hanna came bearing gifts — and not just malasadas — when NCIS‘ latest Case of the Week demanded the former agent’s presence.

More from TVLineChristopher Gorham Joins Fire Country Spinoff as Sheriff Mickey Fox's Ex-HusbandThe Equalizer Spinoff Not Moving Forward at CBSThe Neighborhood Spinoff Not Moving Forward at CBS

Oh, did we say “former” NCIS agent? That’s because that was the first bombshell that got dropped on us before Sam (played by NCIS: LA vet LL Cool J) arrived in the big orange room.

When Garry Marshall's 1950s nostalgia trip sitcom "Happy Days" premiered on ABC in 1974, no one involved could've predicted that the series would run for 11 seasons and spawn an alien sitcom that launched the acting career of Robin Williams. But the show, which had the very good fortune of premiering a year after "American Graffiti" tapped into Baby Boomers' wistfulness for their carefree childhoods, hooked television viewers of all ages thanks in large part to the preternatural cool of Henry Winkler's Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli.

After "Happy Days" took a ratings nosedive in its second season, ABC actually tried to retool the series as "Fonzie's Happy Days," which would've disrupted the cozy ensemble vibe of the show (and cost the network star Ron Howard). Fortunately, the ratings improved dramatically to the point where "Happy Days" became the top rated series on TV in its fourth season. And this was...

What's the connection between Star Trek and Happy Days? There are several: Anson Williams, who played Potsie on Happy Days, later directed two episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and four episodes of Voyager. Don Most, who played Ralph Malph on Happy Days, guest-starred in a Voyager two-parter.

Also, though it cannot be 10,000% proven, it's thought that Robin Williams' Mork costume, which he first wore during a guest appearance on Happy Days, and then later on Mork & Mindy, was created using the costume that Phillip Pine wore during his guest spot as Col. Green in Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Savage Curtain." And, as many Star Trek: The Next Generation fans know, Robin Williams -- a major Trek fan -- almost guest-starred on The Next Generation.

Delving into more detail, Anson Williams directed more than 150 episodes of nearly 40 different shows, as well as several made-for-television movies.

The remarkable thing about Varnell Hill, the just-announced sitcom starring Tommy Davidson, isn’t that it’s a spin-off of Martin Lawrence’s hit comedy Martin. The crazy part is that it took nearly 30 years to bring Davidson’s character back, almost assuredly setting a record for the most time passed between an original sitcom and its spin-off. That’s not how it usually works — networks strike while the iron is hot, using the popularity of Happy Days to launch Laverne & Shirley, for example. That makes Varnell Hill a rare phenomenon, although a few other comedy spin-offs come close…

1 The Conners

Okay, this one shouldn’t really count. The Conners is actually a rebranding of a Roseanne-free Roseanne, which was a reboot, not a spin-off, of the original. It’s like saying Fuller House is a spin-off because it focuses on the Tanner kids, even though any reasonable viewer would call it a continuation.

What’s that I hear? Why, it’s the sound of Gavin DeGraw crooning the opening theme of One Tree Hill. Take me back to the days of flip phones, Sketchers, and AOL Instant Messenger.

Those were the days when teen drama ruled as the last remnants of the late ’90s and early 2000s.

One Tree Hill was a defining show for an entire generation of teenagers. Now, the series acts as a time capsule, freezing a moment in time that many people in their thirties now look back on with nostalgia.

(Warner Bros. Television/Screenshot)

Believe it or not, the show is still popular among the crowd that originally enjoyed it, as well as a new group of kids who are discovering it for the first time.

That’s why Netflix saw an opportunity to cash in on all those memories of Coach bags and Hollister tees. However, can...

"Mork & Mindy" makes sense in a vacuum as a network sitcom. In a broadcast world where "My Favorite Martian," "Mr. Ed," and "My Mother the Car" once existed, building a series around a scatterbrained alien who's sent to Boulder, Colorado to study human beings, which leads to him falling in love with one of his subjects, was hardly beyond the pale. But if you weren't around at the time, it'll probably throw you when you learn that the series was actually a spinoff from "Happy Days."

Yes, the nostalgia-infused Gerry Marshall sitcom about high school kids coming of age in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, spawned the show that made Robin Williams a stream-of-consciousness-spouting star. I'll concede that "Happy Days" did have slightly fantastical elements (namely Fonzie's ability to start and stop Al's jukebox with a whap of his hand), but the appearance of an extraterrestrial on the otherwise grounded series should've been jarring.

In 1973, when Henry Winkler auditioned for the role of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on "Happy Days," he was three years removed from having graduated from the prestigious Yale School of Drama, and making a living as an actor by appearing in commercials. This allowed him the freedom to take less lucrative theater and movie gigs, which is often the only way to get anywhere as an actor and the reason why the washout rate is so high.

Just prior to reading for the role that would completely change his life (and make television history in the process), Winkler landed a part in the coming-of-age comedy "The Lords of Flatbush." Set in Brooklyn, the film depicts the antics of four young Brooklyn greasers who cause mostly innocuous trouble around the borough. The movie was modestly successful, giving a small boost to its cast -- which, along with Winkler, included such up-and-comers as Perry King,...

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When Henry Winkler sauntered into television viewers' living rooms as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli in 1974, he was a complete unknown (unless you were really taken with his portrayal of Steve Waldman in the 1973 "The Dinner Party" episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"). By the end of the series' 16-episode first season, he would be one of the most popular television stars on the planet, en route to turning Fonzie into a pop cultural icon.

Being closely identified with a character as indelible and, given the year-round cycle of new episodes and reruns, ubiquitous as Fonzie came with obvious drawbacks -- and Winkler did indeed find himself typecast for a long period of time. But while this was personally frustrating for the actor, he was at least swimming in residual checks from the long-running show that made him a household name.

5 Seconds of Summer bassist Calum Hood steps into the spotlight alone on his solo debut “Don’t Forget You Love Me,” an enthralling introduction that finds him walking a tightrope between self-reflective (and at times self-destructive) despair and relieving reconciliation. The record will appear on his debut album Order Chaos Order, out June 13, which emerged from a kindred dichotomy.

“This album was made in a tumble dryer of knowing and not knowing. I started out with a vision — order — but quickly became overwhelmed by the process — chaos. Eventually, I learned to embrace both,...

Actors from the classic series Happy Days assembled over the weekend for an emotional reunion.

On Saturday, stars Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Anson Williams and Don Most gathered at Steel City Con in Pittsburgh.

His co-stars beside him, Winkler told the crowd, “I’m just emotional here…This is the first time that we have appeared this way in 50 years.”

The sitcom Happy Days followed teenager Richie Cunningham (Howard) along with his friends, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli (Winkler), Ralph Ralph (Most) and Potsie Weber (Williams). The show ran from 1974 to 1984 and inspired several spin-offs such as Mork & Mindy and Laverne & Shirley.

The crowd applauded Winkler’s sentimentality, and Howard joked, “But it feels like 50 minutes because we’re having so much fun hanging, and this was sort of our great excuse to come together, so thank you.”

Winkler went on to praise the show’s creator Garry Marshall, along with the...

Michael Clifford stopped by the SiriusXM studios in New York City to speak with SiriusXM Hits 1 host Mikey Piff about his debut solo single, “Cool,” which officially dropped last week.

Michael CliffordFull “Hits 1 on 1” interviewListen on the App

Listen on the App

During his “Hits 1 on 1” conversation, Michael discussed the different solo music journeys of his 5 Seconds of Summer bandmates, finding the right time to release “Cool,” and how fatherhood inspired the sound of his forthcoming album, “Sidequest.”

“[Becoming a dad] was the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me in my whole life, and I sort of just wanted to really hone in on exactly the way that I saw myself now,” he said. “It took a long time … but I’m a chronic overthinker, and I sort of push everything as far as I can to the end … I wanted it to just feel like a fun celebration of...

Some of the most successful shows in television history forged their own legacy as spin-offs from preexisting series. In many cases, these spin-offs are more popular and enduring than the shows they originated from in the first place. Spin-offs can be continuations, side stories, or revivals of an original property, completely reinvigorating a franchise as it expands it. And virtually every genre and format has seen its fair share of thriving spin-offs, from crime procedurals and sitcoms to animated series and talk shows.

In some instances, a spin-off builds directly off its originating show while in other instances, some successful spin-offs require no prior knowledge of the previous series. No matter what form they come in or how connected they are to other shows, audiences love spin-offs, making them a staple in the industry for decades. With all that in mind, here are the 12 best television spin-offs of all time.

Ron Howard has been behind the camera longer than most people have been legally allowed to rent a car. He’s the guy you call when you need an Oscar-caliber drama, a historical epic, or a Tom Hanks-led quest for ancient secrets. Directing? He’s mastered it. Producing? He’s conquered it. Acting? That’s a chapter he seemingly closed decades ago… until now.

In a surprise twist that absolutely no one had on their 2025 bingo card, Howard recently appeared as himself in an episode of Seth Rogen’s new Hollywood send-up, The Studio. And, apparently, he had the time of his life. This raises the question: could Ron Howard be ready to make a full-on return to acting?

Ron Howard | Credits: Georges Biard, licensed under Cc By-sa 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Well, hold your applause. He’s not strapping on superhero tights just yet. But he did admit there...

If there are a select number of pillars upholding the Hollywood complex as we know it, Ron Howard is no doubt one of them. He's been an prominent actor, director and producer for over the past six decades and clearly shows no signs of stopping, with his latest film "Eden" set for release next month. Howard's presence as an industry fixture is so prolific each stage of his career is a story unto itself. Long before he became an Academy Award-winning filmmaker ("A Beautiful Mind") or one of the co-founders of Image Entertainment, Howard made a considerable name for himself in the world of television.

In the same vein as Jodie Foster, Howard was thrust into the industry at such a young age and built his legacy on its foundation. Although "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Happy Days" are considered the two landmarks of his television career, you would likely...

If you grew up during the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s, it's likely that "Happy Days" was broadcasting on your television set. Created by the late Garry Marshall, the sitcom initially centered on Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) and his family. However, Richie's friend Fonzie (Henry Winkler) rose to further prominence despite initially being a secondary character. With "The Fonz" becoming the series' breakout character, the show started to emphasize him above everyone else, which led to some discontent behind the scenes -- star Ron Howard even threatened to quit "Happy Days" altogether.

Viewers who watched "Happy Days" while it was in its original run on television were also likely to have The Beatles' albums spinning on their record players. Although the band broke up in 1970, the Fab Four's initial discography and their output as solo acts dominated popular culture throughout the decade. And in a serendipitous twist of fate,...

Back in 2015, 5 Seconds of Summer inadvertently immortalized one of the most unnerving events in their lore-packed history when they titled a deep cut on their sophomore album “Catch Fire.” Months before the record arrived on the pop rock-infused Sounds Good, Feels Good, their guitarist Michael Clifford was burned by pyrotechnics onstage during a concert in London. He physically recovered, but after nearly a decade, the incident and the whirlwind experience of enduring the early years of 5Sos are still stirring up new contemplations. Only this time, Clifford is dissecting them...

Hollywood is often portrayed as a hedonistic playground for libertines and opportunists, and, well, it is. But you don't have to be a lousy human being to succeed in the entertainment business. Some people actually become rich and famous because they're talented, diligent, and kind to their collaborators. Though the long, sometimes grueling hours that go into shooting a movie or television show can make it hard to be a present partner and parent, plenty of people manage to strike a work-life balance that doesn't end in divorce and kids in rehab by the age of 13.

The problem with achieving fame in entertainment is that you become grist for the gossip industry, which means people can make money off your every slip-up. Divorces turn into headline-generating scandals even when they're amicable. An innocuous traffic stop gets examined under a microscope for evidence of substance abuse or mental health issues. Get...

It's not uncommon for aspiring actors to start young, but there wasn't any time wasted when it came to queer icon Jodie Foster. She started in commercials as young as three and made her television debut as early as six in an episode of "Mayberry R.F.D." Long before she played the vulnerable defendant in "The Accused" or faced off against Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs," the child prodigy slowly made her way into film with roles in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" and "Freaky Friday." By the time she was 12, Foster was not only working on her second Martin Scorsese picture with "Taxi Driver," but it was also the role that led her first of five Oscar nominations — and two wins.

In the interim before her big breaks, however, Foster was kept super busy when it came to guest appearances on a plethora of television shows. She...

Ron Howard revealed to People who could lure him back to acting. After decades behind the camera, the prolific child-actor-turned-director said he'd act again, but only for his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard.

"I think that if my daughter Bryce cast me in something, that would compel me to put down the directing obligation, put [my projects] on hold for a minute and show up," Howard told the magazine, referring to his 44-year-old actor/director daughter.

Ron Howard Would "Love To Do Some Acting" But Only His Daughter, Bryce Dallas Howard, Could Get Him To

Since his 1984 Happy Days departure, Howard has largely neglected performance. All that might be in the rearview after a brief cameo in new Apple TV+ series, The Studio. After the appearance, it seems he's flirting with a return to his old profession, admitting to People he would "love to do some acting."

"I happen to play myself in...

While Ron Howard has focused on directing for most of his Hollywood career, there’s one person who could get him to return to acting.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker recently told People magazine that he would “love to do some acting” again but that “it’s hard to make time for.”

“I happen to play myself in an upcoming episode of The Studio, and I had a lot of fun doing that,” he noted.

However, Howard shared that his daughter, actress and director Bryce Dallas Howard, could likely get him to step back in front of the screen. “I think that if my daughter Bryce cast me in something, that would compel me to put down the directing obligation, put them on hold for a minute and show up,” he said.

He continued, “But otherwise, between what’s going on at my company Imagine Entertainment with Brian Grazer and our team,...

Between movies, novels, animations, video games, comic books and streaming TV shows, the Star Wars universe has been expanding ever since the original George Lucas film hit theaters in 1977. But Tony Gilroy, the showrunner for the Disney+ series Andor, thinks there’s room in the galaxy for even more.

“I always fantasized that the show would break new ground, that someone would be able to make a three-camera sitcom in Star Wars or a horror movie,” Gilroy said in an interview with SFX Magazine, via Movieweb. And why stop there? “I think the first thing I said to Kathy when she said they wanted to open a line, was, ‘Could you do a courtroom drama?’ And why not? We’ve worked really hard on Andor to make our lane, and it’s up to other people now to find another way to do it.”

If Andor could pave the way for more realistic,...

Most people with a cursory knowledge of television history know that the expression “jump the shark” was born the moment Happy Days’ Fonzie literally jumped over a shark while on water skis. What many don’t know, however, is that even amongst Happy Days fans, there’s no consensus as to when the show figuratively (not literally) jumped the shark.

Back in the early days of the internet, jumptheshark.com allowed fans to vote on the exact moment they thought a show overstayed its welcome. In terms of Happy Days, many viewers blamed the show’s format switch in Season Three, when it went from a single-camera show to one with a live studio audience, while others blamed so-called sitcom curse Ted McGinley’s addition to the cast in Season Eight. I, however, subscribe to the idea that it tanked at the end of Season Seven, when its star, Ron Howard,...

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but in Talia Balsam’s case, it might be more accurate to say the ‘Oscar-winning apple’ rolled a little further than expected.

Born into the Hollywood elite, the daughter of Martin Balsam, Talia Balsam could have easily followed the well-trodden path of fading into the backdrop of A-list spouses. Instead, she has strutted her stuff, leaving a lasting mark on Hollywood, one meticulously chosen role at a time.

George Clooney’s ex-wife Talia Balsam in a Sill from Mad Men | Credit: AMC

Before George Clooney was gallivanting around with Amal (and becoming the global heartthrob we all know and love), he was once a starry-eyed bachelor trying on the role of husband to Talia Balsam.

Yes, Clooney had a brief marriage to Balsam back in 1989. It wasn’t a fairy tale with a happy ending, but as the former confessed,...

In the new showbiz comedy The Studio, Bryan Cranston has a recurring role as Griffin Mill, the craven movie executive played by Tim Robbins in the 1992 film The Player. It’s not the only homage that The Studio, co-created by and starring Seth Rogen, pays to Robert Altman’s classic movie satire. Every episode features at least one extended shot presented as a Player-esque single shot, a.k.a. a “oner” — the second episode, called “The Oner,” is just that. But the oners are usually presented in self-aware fashion, with...

It is not every day that a new actor can impress the character’s original performer, but Aaron Stanford’s performance as Sneed in Star Trek: Picard reportedly made actor Armin Shimerman look at him in awe. Shimerman technically did not play Sneed but played a different Ferengi named Quark in Tng and most importantly, in Deep Space Nine.

Shimerman did not return with the rest of the Tng cast in Picard but expressed his admiration (and envy) for Stanford’s performance as the Ferengi Sneed. The performance reportedly impressed the legendary actor so much that he reevaluated his own performance in Deep Space Nine.

Armin Shimerman was extremely impressed with Aaron Stanford’s performance in Star Trek: Picard Armin Shimerman in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Credits: Paramount

The Ferengis were a creation from Gene Roddenberry, initially intended to be a joke on capital-obsessed businessmen. The species were the...

Lionsgate is planning to give the horror comedy creature feature Big Freaking Rat a VOD release on April 25th – and with just one month to go until that date arrives, a trailer for the film has dropped online. You can watch it in the embed above.

This film comes our way from writer/director Thomas J. Churchill, whose previous credits include A System Devoured, Emerging Past, The Day of the Living Dead, Check Point, The Rack Pack, Nation’s Fire, The Step Daddy, The Amityville Harvest, The Business of Christmas, The Amityville Moon, Amityville Uprising, The Godfather Buck, and Devilreaux. We recently heard that he’s teaming with Anson Williams of Happy Days and Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills, 90210 on a horror thriller called The Three Killer Pigs.

The story Churchill crafted for Big Freaking Rat has the following synopsis: Ranger Brody, along with his niece and nephew, works...

One time, on "Happy Days," Henry Winkler's Arthur Fonzarelli jumped over a shark while waterskiing. During one episode of "How I Met Your Mother," Josh Radnor and Cobie Smulders' characters Ted Mosby and Robin Scherbatsky start flying at the end of an episode. In "The Big Bang Theory," Howard Wolowitz, Simon Helberg's character (that he almost didn't audition for), goes to space at the end of the show's fifth season and spends a handful of episodes up there in season 6.

I should say that the situation on "The Big Bang Theory" isn't quite as ridiculous as either of those first examples, even though it sounds just as far-fetched as leaping over a shark's fin in midair. Also, to be absolutely fair here, the production staff of "The Big Bang Theory" went to extreme lengths to make Howard's journey to the International Space Station look legitimate. In a 2022 article on Space.com,...

Garry Marshall's "Happy Days" was one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1970s. The series premiered on ABC at the outset of 1974, arriving on the heels of George Lucas' "American Graffiti," which also exploited Baby Boomer nostalgia for hanging out with friends at the local malt shop and cruising the boulevard. Indeed, "Happy Days" and "American Graffiti" were tightly intertwined; Lucas cast Ron Howard on the strength of his performance in the pilot, while the success of the film convinced ABC to give Marshall's series a 16-episode order as a midseason replacement.

Howard's connection to "American Graffiti" made him the biggest name on the show, but he was soon overshadowed by his co-star Henry Winkler, who skyrocketed to television fame as good-hearted greaser Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli. Viewers loved Fonzie's catchphrases, and the fact that he was so cool he could inexplicably fire up the jukebox just by giving it a sharp whap.

When sitcoms keep bringing in consistent ratings, especially an era-defining example like "Happy Days," it's almost impossible for a network executive to fully give it up. The comedy series ran from 1974 to 1984 over 11 seasons, culminating in an impressive 255 episode run. One of the issues that comes with a show that stays on the air for that long, however, is its inevitable fatigue. After Henry Winkler's big water stunt in the show's fifth season, the phrase "jumping the shark" became an integral part of the cultural lexicon to describe a show that's approached the ceiling on its creative output. But it's not always the audience that loses interest in a show's viability.

A central cast member leaving a beloved long-running sitcom before it finishes is basically a television tradition. Topher Grace left "That '70s Show" before its final season, Steve Carell exited "The Office" at the end of its seventh season,...

Henry Winkler has enjoyed an awesome career, especially for his work on the small screen. From "Arrested Development" to "Parks and Recreation" and "Barry," he's shown that he's a natural when it comes to comedy, with his role in the latter having even won him an Emmy Award. However, for many fans, he'll always be known as the lovable greaser Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli from the hit ABC sitcom "Happy Days" -- a role Winkler has admittedly worked hard to move past since the show ended in 1984.

While the role of The Fonz turned the actor into a household name, "Happy Days" was arguably a curse for Winkler. The "Happy Days" star struggled to find work after the show ended because he was typecast. Nevertheless, he remained adamant about escaping the sitcom's shadow. In fact, as he once explained during an interview with The Albuquerque Tribune, he rejected a Fonzie-centered spin-off...

Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke are teaming up for a new collaborative album. Tall Tales is the name of their first record as a duo, and it will be released on May 9th via Warp Records. In the meantime, the two Englishmen have dropped a new song titled “This Conversation is Missing Your Voice,” which you can listen to below.

The chameleonic electronic producer and Radiohead frontman previously collaborated on a track from Pritchard’s 2016 album Under the Sun titled “Beautiful People.” Last month marked their second official collaboration “Back in the Game,” which Yorke had been performing during concerts throughout 2024.

Along with the album, visual artist Jonathan Zawada (considered an honorary member of the project) has created an accompanying short film to Tall Tales, which has been in development alongside the record for many years, according to a press statement. Both videos for “Back in the Game” and “This...

Radiohead haven’t released an album since 2016, but the band’s frontman, Thom Yorke, has been on an extraordinary run of studio creativity lately, laying down three great albums with the Smile, his band with Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and jazz drummer Tom Skinner. And it turns out that since 2020, Yorke has been quietly enmeshed in another collaboration, piecing together a sublime new album with veteran electronic producer Mark Pritchard: Tall Tales, due May 9 on Warp Records. It’s accompanied by an intensely trippy animated film by artist Jonathan Zawada,...

Fans say a TV show has “jumped the shark” when it has become irredeemably outlandish. The term, after all, comes from the 1977 episode of Happy Days in which Henry Winkler’s Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis. But can jumping the shark ever be a net positive for a TV show? Reddit users think so. In a recent conversation on the r/television subreddit, TV buffs are naming the shows that improved after letting their freak flag fly. Community “Most of the first two seasons are pretty rooted in day-to-day comedy of going to a community college,” Reddit user prthug996 wrote. “But after the paintball episode [Season 1’s “Modern Warfare”], the universe really expands to include the possibility of extreme ridiculousness in this reality. Which makes the show a masterpiece.” DC’s Legends of Tomorrow “Legends of Tomorrow. All Hail, Beebo!” wrote Reddit user beemojee, citing the Furby-like toy that created a...

For cinephiles who have followed the evolution of Telugu cinema, Sekhar Kammula is a name that resonates with meaningful storytelling, rich character arcs, and socially relevant themes. His upcoming venture, The World of #NC19, has already created a buzz, and expectations are soaring high. But what makes this project intriguing? To answer that, we must step into Kammula’s world—his directorial vision, signature narrative style, and the depth he brings to his characters.

Sekhar Kammula: The master of realism and emotion

Sekhar Kammula has consistently defied conventional storytelling by weaving heartwarming tales that feel intimate yet universally relevant. Films like Anand, Happy Days, and Fidaa stand as testaments to his ability to craft authentic characters with relatable struggles. His storytelling isn’t just about love and relationships; it delves deeper into identity, class divides, women’s empowerment, and societal norms. His brand of filmmaking is not about commercial spectacle—it’s about human emotions,...

Baywatch is remembered as one of the most iconic and widely watched television series of all time. During its 11-season run from 1989 to 2001, the show became a global sensation, drawing billions of viewers each season. The show not only made waves with its stunning California’s lifeguards running in slow-motion but it also gifted us many celebrities who became a household name.

Baywatch cast | Credit: NBC

However, as time passed, several beloved stars of Baywatch have sadly passed away. Pamela Bach, who was a prominent figure in the series, passed away on Wednesday. Here’s a look back at 10 Baywatch stars who are no longer with us, including Bach.

1. Pamela Bach

Pamela Bach, known for her various roles on Baywatch, and her marriage to the show’s lead, David Hasselhoff, passed away on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. TMZ reported that the star died by suicide at her residence in Los Angeles, California.

The History Channel is doubling down on stars in its docuseries.

The A+E Global Media-owned cable network has ordered a slew of series featuring the likes of David Duchovny, Henry Winkler and Ving Rhames. This is on top of a new show with American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe and a new documentary from LeBron James’ Uninterrupted.

Secrets Declassified with David Duchovny is hosted by The X-Files star and will reveal the latest evidence behind some of the government’s most secretive activities that have been declassified throughout history. Produced by Jane Root’s Nutopia in association with GroupM Entertainment, the ten-part series will premiere on April 4. Duchovny, Peter Lovering, Jane Root, Simon Willgoss, Richard Foster, Chet Fenster, Eli Lehrer, Mary E. Donahue and Max Micallef exec produce.

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler is hosted by the Happy Days star covers the reckless and dangerous pastimes, practices and products you would...