'Songs from the Hole' leads arts and culture documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

I promised the next installment of my series on the News & Doc Emmy Awards as today's Sunday entertainment feature, so I'm resuming with the nominees for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.

Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Amblin Documentaries [Nedland Films | National Geographic]
The Merchants of Joy
Dial Tone Films [Amazon MGM Studios | Dial Tone Films | Artists Equity | Boat Rocker Studios | Matador Content | Epic Magazine]
The New Yorker at 100
Netflix [Netflix | Marshall Curry | Apatow]
Songs From the Hole
Netflix [Cocomotion Pictures | Question Culture | Impact Partners | Artemis Rising Foundation | Netflix]
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
Delirio Films [MPS LEGACY PRODUCTIONS | SOFA Entertainment | Mass Appeal | Diamond Docs | MRC]
Tiler Peck: Suspending Time
Great Performances
Late Autumn Productions, LLC. [THIRTEEN Productions LLC]
WE WANT THE FUNK!
Independent Lens
Firelight Films [ITVS]

Songs From the Hole leads with four nominations, WE WANT THE FUNK! sits in second with two nominations, and the rest have this one nomination. On that basis, I consider Songs From the Hole to be the favorite. I'm also embedding Songs From The Hole | Official Trailer | Netflix first to reflect its number of nominations.

Songs from the Hole is an innovative documentary/visual album composed by JJ’88, a musician incarcerated at 15 and serving a life sentence. Told through first-person narration and lyrical journal entries, the film explores his identity and untangles the complex emotions stemming from his crime and the loss of his brother.

In addition to Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary, Songs from the Hole earned nominations for Outstanding Writing: Documentary, Outstanding Art Direction: Documentary, and Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary. This moving trailer shows why it is competing in all these categories.

On another note, Songs from the Hole reminds me of Art & Krimes by Krimes, which also straddled the line between Arts and Culture and Crime and Justice. It won, so that's another good sign for Songs from the Hole.

Next, the trailer for WE WANT THE FUNK! with two nominations, Soul, Afrofuturism, & Black Empowerment in FUNK Music ?? | Independent Lens | PBS.

“WE WANT THE FUNK!,” a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spans from gospel, soul, highlife, and early jazz roots, to its rise and impact on new wave and hip-hop, as funk music has been transcendent for creators and listeners alike. Revolutionary moments in the movement are captured in James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, and other influential musicians of the genre.

"Gotta have that funk!" This probably won't win either of its nominated categories, the other being Outstanding Sound: Documentary, but it sure looks like fun.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story | Official Trailer | National Geographic is the first of the nominees with one nomination in alphabetical order.

JAWS @ 50: THE DEFINITIVE INSIDE STORY is the authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Alongside Steven Spielberg, JAWS @ 50 charts the extraordinary journey from Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel to one of the most iconic films ever made. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the documentary uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.

This also looks like lots of fun. I also think it's nominated at the wrong Emmy Awards. I think it would have done better at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards; Hollywood loves a good show about itself!

Of all the trailers for the next film, "The Merchants of Joy" Trailer by majorfilmevents had the best description, which was enough to overcome its less flashy preview image.

In the city that never sleeps, five families hustle each winter to turn sidewalks into holiday outposts. The Merchants of Joy follows these Christmas die-hards as they source, sell, and safeguard a family tradition at risk. It's a warm, grounded portrait of pride, grit, and the joy they bring—one tree, one customer, one season at a time.

This also looks like lots of fun and leans into culture more than art, which is probably why it wasn't nominated for Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary. Those can be fun, too, but they're more about the money. This is more about the joy of the season. Ho! Ho! Ho!

The next trailer stays in the Big Apple, The New Yorker at 100 | Official Trailer | Netflix.

For the first time, The New Yorker opens up its offices to Academy Award-winning director Marshall Curry, allowing unprecedented access to its newsroom at a pivotal moment for all media, offering a rare look at what it took to publish a century of intrepid journalism, generation-defining fiction, and unforgettable cartoons.

In contrast to Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, this documentary is nominated at the right Emmy Awards. The voters here are mostly journalists and this is a story about journalism. A lot of them are also based in New York. As I'm fond of writing about awards shows, electorates matter. Also, this trailer has the most views of any nominee in this category, 652,263 to 267,831 for Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story and 119,879 for Songs from the Hole. People are watching, which is a good sign and makes me think that this is the most likely to win in an upset.

I couldn't find a trailer for Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan, so I'm sharing Inside Edition's segment, New Documentary Examines the Legacy of Talk Show Host Ed Sullivan.

A new Netflix documentary, "Sunday Best," looks back at how Ed Sullivan fought to showcase Black performers at a time when discrimination was rampant on TV. Sullivan featured stars like James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. On December 14, 1969, the Jackson 5 made their network television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Andrew Salt and his son Josh are the executive producers of the documentary. They spoke with Inside Edition.

This does show why this is an important documentary, but Inside Edition's reporting replaces the voice of the documentary that would be expressed in the trailer. That written, I can see why Inside Edition is interested; Ed Sullivan was on CBS, which is owned by the same parent company as Inside Edition. It's not just news and entertainment value that's driving this.

The final trailer I'm embedding today is Tiler Peck: Suspending Time | Official Trailer | SFDFF.

A world premiere documentary, Tiler Peck: Suspending Time offers a raw and deeply personal look at one of ballet’s most celebrated artists as she faces a career crossroads.

Following a series of life-altering events — a major injury, a pandemic, a personal loss — New York City Ballet prima ballerina Tiler Peck is forced to reckon with the unknown and reimagine her relationship to dance, to her body, and to herself.

Directed by Alex Ramsey, the film follows Tiler over the course of six years of her life, through rehearsal studios, stages, and quiet moments of reflection, as she fights to return stronger, not just as a prima ballerina, but also as a choreographer and creative force. Featuring original work by Peck alongside choreography from Alonzo King, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, and Christopher Wheeldon, the film blends vulnerability and resilience with artistic brilliance.

This documentary pushes a boundary one might not expect, between arts and culture on one side and science and technology, which covers health, on the other. STEAM in action! Also, I used to live in Bakersfield, so I feel a connection to Tiler Peck, enough of one that I can understand why she'd leave.

Follow over the jump for the other categories in which Songs from the Hole and WE WANT THE FUNK! earned their other nominations plus a retrospective continuing my examination of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards during the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

'Secrets of the Penguins' leads Outstanding Nature Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day! As I promised thrice, I'm celebrating today by examining the nominees for Outstanding Nature Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Nature Documentary
Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise
Nature
PBS [THE WNET GROUP | TERRA MATER STUDIOS | SHIBUMI FILMS | ARTE | WDR]
The Last Rhinos: A New Hope
Sixty-Six Media Inc. [ABC News Studios | Lincoln Square Productions | National Geographic]
Secrets of the Penguins
Talesmith [National Geographic]
Shark Whisperer
Netflix [Netflix | Boardwalk Pictures | Underdog Films]
Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion
Nature
PBS [RHYTHM PRODUCTIONS, LLC | THE WNET GROUP

Secrets of the Penguins leads with three nominations for Outstanding Sound: Documentary and Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary in addition to Best Nature Documentary, followed by The Last Rhinos: A New Hope with two nominations, the other for Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary, then the Nature episodes "Katavi: Africa's Fallen Paradise" and "Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion," and Shark Whisperer with just this one.  I'm sharing the trailers in this order, beginning with Secrets of the Penguins | Official Trailer | National Geographic.

On the twentieth anniversary of National Geographic’s Academy-Award Winning “March of The Penguins”, SECRETS OF THE PENGUINS changes everything we ever believed to be true. From the Emperor Penguins’ revelatory bonds of friendship to the gritty resolve of Gentoos and Rockhoppers, and the astonishing ingenuity of the migrant penguins that reached deserts and far beyond, their incredible traditions and societies echo ours in ways we never dreamt possible – until now. For over two years, BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer Bertie Gregory collaborates with world leading scientists, using cutting-edge camera technology and unique access to capture three world-first episodes that resonate with our lives like never before. The three-part series is executive produced by National Geographic Explorer-at-Large and Academy Award®-winning filmmaker James Cameron.

This is in the same overall series as Secrets of the Whales, Secrets of the Elephants, and Secrets of the Octopus, all of which earned nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. That, and its award-winning producer and director, bode well for its award chances at these Emmy Awards.

I'm recycling from Spectacular nature films nominated at the 2025 Critics Choice Documentary Awards for the next nominee.

I couldn't find a trailer for The Last Rhinos: A New Hope, but I did find 66-Day Fetus Of Northern White Rhino Marks A Moment Of Hope For A Species On The Brink from IFLScience, the next best thing.

There are just two northern white rhinos left in the world: Najin and Fatu, a mother and daughter pair. They can’t continue the species alone, but a world-first attempt was made to bring a new northern white rhino calf into the world using frozen samples, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and a surrogate southern white rhino.

That surrogate was called Curra, and the successful world-first attempt at this kind of cross-species IVF was achieved by BioRescue, an initiative developing advanced reproduction technologies for saving critically endangered mammals. Jan Stejskal was one of the people who had just landed in Kenya to check on the status of her pregnancy when they received a worrying call: Curra was sick, and it was happening fast.

They’d never get to check if she was pregnant, as she died within an hour of falling ill. The team would later learn that this was the devastating outcome of a chain of unfortunate events. First, there was the shift in El Niño, which caused very heavy rains. Then, those rains washed away the top layer of soil in Kenya, resurrecting mummies that had been stored in the ground for centuries. Inside those carcasses was Clostridia bacteria that can live for 500 years, and that bacteria releases an extremely powerful toxin that can kill a rhino in just 60 minutes.

It was a devastating loss for the BioRescue team and even more so for the guardians who had cared for Curra and the other rhinos on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. There came, however, just one small glimmer of hope.
During an autopsy, the team found a 66-day fetus. It was a male northern white rhino, the last seen since the death of Sudan in 2018. There was nothing that could be done to save Curra or the developing fetus inside her, but it was proof that this kind of IVF was possible – something that had never been proven before.

This story of loss and hope is explored in the new National Geographic film, The Last Rhinos: A New Hope, which premieres Aug. 24 at 8/7c and streams next day on Disney+ and Hulu.

No wonder this earned an EMA Award nomination. I hope it gets nominated at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards next year.

I got my wish!

Now for the Nature episodes, beginning with Katavi – Africa’s fallen Paradise | Terra Mater Studios (Official Trailer) by Terra Mater Studios.

Southern Tanzania. The powerful local tribes of hippo, lion and crocodile struggle for survival while defending their turf from intruders. Only the oldest crocodile matriarch remembers 90 years ago when a similar event occurred…

This allegorical tale offers a fascinating insight into how an animal society can be affected by a changing climate, and how this situation requires new strategies and changed behaviors from everyone to battle despair and to create hope for the future of their lineage…

Yes, this is a Nature episode, but PBS didn't make this trailer, so it looks and sounds distinct. On the other hand, PBS did make the next one, so it's definitely my idea of a Nature promo, Nature | Willow: Diary of a Mountain Lion - Preview from New Mexico PBS.

A unique, non-invasive, mountain lion study uses a giant network of trail cameras scattered throughout Montana's Sapphire Mountains over a decade to piece together the life story of a female mountain lion. This film weaves clips of mountain lions and their complex interactions with each other and the rest of the forest world into a story about life and death that contains never-before-captured events and behaviors at every turn.

National Geographic and Nature on PBS — all this category needs is a Netflix nominee, and it has one in Shark Whisperer | Official Trailer | Netflix.

From the Academy Award®-winning director of My Octopus Teacher comes Shark Whisperer, a provocative and visually arresting documentary that dives into the murky waters of modern conservation, where science, activism, and spectacle collide.

At its center is marine conservationist and social media lightning rod Ocean Ramsey, whose viral videos of swimming freely with sharks have sparked global fascination—and fierce debate. Driven by a desire to leave the cage and decode shark language up close, Ocean strives to connect with these predators on an unprecedented level— hoping to challenge the negative perception of sharks. To her supporters, she’s a fearless advocate giving a voice to misunderstood predators. To her critics, her mission blurs the line between saving the planet and seeking the spotlight.

Through intimate character study and breathtaking underwater cinematography, the film explores the tensions between advocacy and ethics, media influence and ecological integrity. With insight from marine biologists, indigenous knowledge holders, and fellow conservationists—both supportive and dissenting—it paints a nuanced portrait of a polarizing figure and the broader questions she provokes.

This is not just a story about sharks. It’s a story about how we choose to tell stories—about nature, ourselves, and what we’re willing to risk to be heard.

I think the video description is a fair depiction of the subject matter, so I'm not as conflicted about its nomination as I was about Encounters. I was pleased and relieved Science Fair won instead. While I'm rooting for Secrets of the Penguins and The Last Rhinos: A New Hope, in that order, I wouldn't be nearly as perturbed as I would have been if Encounters had won Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary two years ago if Shark Whisperers wins Outstanding Nature Documentary. Fortunately, the metric I use, views of the trailer, favors Secrets of the Penguins over Shark Whisperer; the latter has 454,462 views, while the former has 5,449,091 views. The penguins have the people!

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for Secrets of the Penguins and The Last Rhinos: A New Hope plus more of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards from the 15th year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News.

'Sally' leads Science and Technology Documentaries at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

Instead of exploring fiction for today's Sunday entertainment feature, I'm celebrating the best of nonfiction in television by beginning my examination of this year's 47th News & Documentary Emmy® Awards Nominees with the nominees for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary, as I did last year.

Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary

Critical Condition: Health in Black America
NOVA | GBH [A NOVA Production | Firelight Films]
The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice
Metamorph Films, LLC
Operation Space Station
NOVA | GBH [A NOVA Production | Blink Films | France Télévisions]
Sally
Muck Media [Story Syndicate | National Geographic Documentary Films]
Titan: The Oceangate Submersible Disaster
Netflix [Netflix | Diamond Docs | Story Syndicate]

Sally leads this field with three nominations as the preview image shows, Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary, Outstanding Direction: Documentary, and Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design: Documentary. The rest of the nominees for this category have only this one nomination. On this basis, I'm considering Sally to be the favorite for this award. Time to watch the trailers to see if they confirm my impression, staring with SALLY | Official Trailer | National Geographic Documentary Films.

Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure, she carried a secret. Revealing the romance and sacrifices of their 27 years together, Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, tells the full story of this complicated and iconic astronaut for the first time. From National Geographic Documentary Films, SALLY is directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Cristina Costantini.

That was inspiring. I'm looking forward to announcing any Emmy Awards it wins in June, Pride Month.

I'm going through the rest in alphabetical order by title, beginning with NOVA: Critical Condition-Health in Black America from WLRN Public Television and Radio.

Researchers examine the causes of racial health disparities, and why Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to have chronic diseases than whites.

Why? Poverty and racism. Just because it's obvious doesn't mean it's not worth examining. The details matter.

Next, The Memory of Darkness Light and Ice – Official Trailer - February 2025 by Metamorph Films.

If the ice sheet covering Greenland melts, global sea levels would rise 21 feet, profoundly impacting our planet. How, why, and when could this happen? Scientists have recently found lost sediment from a forgotten secret sub-ice Cold War base in the Arctic that holds clues about a time when the Greenland Ice Sheet had receded. THE MEMORY OF DARKNESS, LIGHT, AND ICE is a 60-minute documentary film about the discovery of this precious sediment core, which holds the key to crucial science around the melting Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the future of sea level rise across the globe.

Watching this trailer reminds me that I showed Chasing Ice to my students last week and this is week is Earth Week, making this a good movie to recommend to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development. It also makes me think that it's the strongest competitor to Sally. Last year, I thought that the "Hunt for the Oldest DNA" episode of NOVA on PBS had the strongest science of all the nominees, but didn't have the best chance of winning. Surprise, it won! That could happen here.

The second nominated episode of NOVA is "Operation Space Station: High-Risk Build." Watch its official promotional video from NOVA PBS Official, How Astronauts Avoided Disaster Building the International Space Station | NOVA | PBS. The field for this category wouldn't be complete without a NOVA episode, and this year's slate has two. Good showing for NOVA!

A dangerous spacewalk, a toxic leak, and a breathtaking view of Earth.

Astronauts faced a life-threatening challenge during construction of the International Space Station.

Sitting in sunlight to evaporate the ammonia serves as a good example of one of Commoner's Laws, "Nature knows best." Environmental content in space!

Like National Geographic and NOVA on PBS, this field wouldn't be complete without a Netflix documentary. This year's entry is TITAN: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster | Official Trailer | Netflix.

The deeper you look, the darker it gets.

Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster examines CEO Stockton Rush’s quest to become the next billionaire innovator and the doomed underwater endeavor that called into question the price of ambition in the depths of the ocean.

The Titan submersible’s ill-fated journey to the ruins of the Titanic dominated headlines in June 2023, yet the shocking decisions that led to the disaster have never been revealed like this before.

This could just as easily have been nominated for business documentary as for science and technology. It's also Sally's chief competition for its journalistic value and public interest; the trailers for both have more than two million views, with Sally slightly ahead. In contrast, the trailers for the rest of the nominees have several thousand views at most. I still think Sally is the favorite, but now I have a better grasp of its chances.

Follow over the jump for Sally's other two nominations and some of the most read entries about the Emmy Awards last year.

'Frankenstein' leads Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards for Friday the 13th

I closed Randy Rainbow sings 'Lyin' and Spinnin' (and Cheatin' and Hidin')' by telling my readers to "Stay tuned as I plan on examining horror movie nominees for Friday the 13th. Frankenstein!" Time to recycle the relevant sentence from Deadline Hollywood: "Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein followed with 11 noms..." followed by an examination of its competitors.

Best Horror Film:

28 Years Later
The Conjuring: Last Rites
Final Destination: Bloodlines
Frankenstein
The Monkey
Weapons

In addition to Frankenstein's eleven nominations, Weapons has five, 28 Years Later has two, and The Conjuring: Last Rites, Final Destination: Bloodlines, and The Monkey have just this one. Weapons is obviously Frankenstein's competition and I wouldn't be surprised if it wins, but I voted for Frankenstein for Best Horror Film. I also voted for Jacob Elordi as Best Supporting Actor in a Film and Frankenstein for Best Film Make Up. While I voted for Wicked: For Good in Best Production Design, Best Film Costume, and Best Supporting Actress in a Film, it could easily lose to Frankenstein in the first two categories and Weapons in the third.

By the way, I found out the answer to a question I posed most recently in Science fiction movie nominees at the Critics Choice Awards for Science Fiction Day.

Speaking of Saturn Awards and what they consider science fiction, I wrote the following two years ago.

That Frankenstein is considered to be the first work of science fiction means that horror is its sister genre, not fantasy, as the movie and television versions of Frankenstein are portrayed as horror. This reminds me of what I wrote most recently about M3GAN and Prey at the Saturn Awards; "if the terror is technological, not supernatural, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films considers it science fiction, not horror." Now I wonder how the Saturn Awards would classify a new movie or TV show about Frankenstein. Hmm.

We'll find out soon, unless they dodge the issue by nominating it for Best Presentation on Television. They did something like that for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, nominating it for Best Animated Television Series or Special instead of Best Animated Film, so I wouldn't be surprised.

The Saturn Awards decided Frankenstein is horror. The tradition begun during the Golden Age of Movie Monsters continues!

I close this post with Alexandre Desplat Performs the Music of Frankenstein Live | Netflix to recognize its nomination for Best Film Music.

Composer Alexandre Desplat performs the Frankenstein score live at the Frankenstein Exhibit Space in Los Angeles.
...
Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro reimagines Mary Shelley's classic tale of a brilliant scientist and the creature his monstrous ambition brings to life.

I think I first found a video like this for Chef's Table, which I embedded in '100 Foot Wave' leads Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series in nominations, but could lose to 'SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night'. It worked; Chef's Table won Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special (Original Dramatic Score). I don't know if it will work for Frankenstein either here or at the Oscars, where Gold Derby has it last in its odds, but I appreciate the performance just the same.

That's a wrap for today's post. I plan on continuing this series for the Sunday entertainment feature with the nominees for Best Action/Adventure Film. That's after a double celebration tomorrow, a late celebration of Darwin Day on Valentines Day. Two holidays at once!

Previous posts about the 53rd Saturn Awards

• 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' leads Best Science Fiction Film nominees at the Saturn Awards
• 'Sinners' leads Best Thriller Film nominees at the Saturn Awards
• 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' vs. 'Superman' for Best Cinematic Adaptation Film at the Saturn Awards
• 'Wicked: For Good' leads Best Fantasy Film at the Saturn Awards

'The Late Show' presents 'Colbert's Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel'

Change of plans — instead of awards show coverage, I'm going to post something holiday-themed, Colbert's Canceled Christmas: The Last Noel.

When Donald Trump cancels Christmas, sends ICE to the North Pole, and bulldozes Santa's workshop to build his new Trumpmas Ballroom, Santa and friends must escape Alligator Elfcatraz and bring joy back to the world. Can they stop Trump before he overstuffs Santa's sack with his big bribin' ball? Will we ever learn the naughty names on the top secret Elfstein List? Does the special have a Celebrity Christmas Narrator? Yes! It's Jolly Ol' Nick Offerman, in COLBERT'S CANCELED CHRISTMAS: THE LAST NOEL!

Sadly, this is the last Christmas for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but at least he, his writers, and crew of animators left this present for his viewers. I couldn't resist sharing it with my readers.

By the way, Stephen's cameo where he mentions the rumor — and it's only a rumor — that he and Rachel Maddow will be hosting a show on Netflix reminds me that I promised to follow through on Sesame Street's eventual distributor once its deal with HBO ends. It's Netflix.

The iconic and beloved children’s series moves to Netflix for its 56th season. Unlike the show’s previous arrangement with HBO, new episodes of Sesame Street will be available on Netflix and PBS Kids the same day.

That's an improvement. Also, if Netflix finalizes its purchase of Warner Brothers, it will mean that the show will have the same parent company after all. That would be ironic, although it's not assured. Paramount could still prevail in its hostile takeover bid, but that's a topic for a future Sunday entertainment feature, but not this Sunday. That will be Yule/Winter Solstice, when I blog about Christmas Monsters. Priorities. Also, stay tuned.

Netflix buys Warner Brothers

The number one story for this week's Sunday entertainment feature is Netflix announces deal to buy Warner Bros. and HBO. Take it away, CNN!

Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. and HBO, which includes the legendary TV and movie studio and assets like the HBO Max streaming service, for $72 billion, plus debt. The deal could reshape Hollywood, but first faces a tough regulatory review process around the world. CNN’s Brian Stelter reports.

Surprise! The attempted Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger didn't and probably will not happen. That means that John Oliver, who did not want to work for Paramount and the Ellisons, avoided that possibility, at least for now. CNN also escaped that fate so far, because they're not part of the deal. Netflix does not want to get into the cable TV business, so CNN and the rest of the Warner Brothers-Discovery channels, other than HBO, which Netflix is buying, remain together to be spun off as a separate entity, Discovery Global. That at least postpones what I was worried about in September: "CBS News and CNN merging would likely result in a more conservative news outlet, which would make Donald 'Hoover Cleveland' Trump get out of the deal's way." He and Pam Bondi's Department of Justice might not be so accommodating with a Netflix-Warner Brothers merger.

There are others who are opposing the deal, as PBS NewsHour explains in What Netflix's deal to buy Warner Bros. means for one of Hollywood's oldest studios.

Netflix has struck a nearly $83 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max, beating out Paramount and Comcast after a bidding war. If finalized, it would unite the world’s largest streamer with one of Hollywood’s oldest studios. The move raises questions about the future of theatrical releases and concerns about market concentration. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Matthew Belloni of Puck.

While this deal is good for Netflix and Warner Brothers-Discovery's management and shareholders, it may not be good for theater owners, actors, and writers, who stand to lose money or at least have smaller paychecks. It may not be great for directors, either, although more artistically than financially; they want their movies shown on the big screen and think streaming them at home diminishes them, literally.

Netflix is playing this deal up as good for consumers. In terms of variety of content and convenience, it probably will be. However, it will probably make subscriptions go up, although viewers like my wife and me, who subscribe to multiple streaming services, might ultimately save money as we will subscribe to one service instead of two. Just the same, the commenters on CNN's video are already grousing about their Netflix subscriptions going up to pay for this deal.

I'm sure I'll have more to write about this deal and the legal hoops it will have to jump through over the next year and more. In the meantime, stay tuned for another evergreen educational entry tomorrow.

'Sinners,' 'KPop Demon Hunters,' and 'Wicked' — movie musicals at the GRAMMYs

As I promised three times, I'm examining the visual media GRAMMY nominees for a late Sunday entertainment feature. Here are the nominees!

Best Song Written For Visual Media

A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television, video games or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

As Alive As You Need Me To Be — From TRON: Ares
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, songwriters (Nine Inch Nails)

Golden — From KPop Demon Hunters
EJAE & Mark Sonnenblick, songwriters (HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI)

I Lied to You — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Raphael Saadiq, songwriters (Miles Caton)

Never Too Late — From Elton John: Never Too Late
Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin & Andrew Watt, songwriters (Elton John, Brandi Carlile)

Pale, Pale Moon — From Sinners
Ludwig Göransson & Brittany Howard, songwriters (Jayme Lawson)

Sinners — From Sinners
Leonard Denisenko, Rodarius Green, Travis Harrington, Tarkan Kozluklu, Kyris Mingo & Darius Poviliunas, songwriters (Rod Wave)

I'm thrilled to see speculative fiction so well represented — animation, horror, and science fiction! Add Wicked in categories below the jump, and fantasy appears in these awards as well. Superheroes? They should be so lucky; they're having a down year.

While Sinners has one more nomination than KPop Demon Hunters, none of the individual nominees has a second nomination. In contrast, "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters has four, two of which the Recording Academy mentioned in Feats & Firsts From The 2026 GRAMMYS Nominations: 'KPop Demon Hunters,' Bad Bunny, Kendrick Lamar, ROSÉ And More.

K-pop joins the history-making fun thanks to ROSÉ and KPop Demon Hunters. ROSÉ's hit collaboration with Bruno Mars, "APT.," and HUNTR/X's chart-topping KPop Demon Hunters smash, "Golden," are the first songs by K-pop artists to be nominated for Song Of The Year, with "APT." also becoming the first song by a K-pop artist to be nominated for Record Of The Year. Both songs are also up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, marking another milestone: the first time two songs by K-pop artists have been nominated in that Category in the same year.

"Golden" is also nominated for Best Remixed Recording and the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media. Because it beats all the other nominated songs in total nominations, I'm embedding “Golden” Official Lyric Video | KPop Demon Hunters | Sony Animation first.

We’re going up, up, up. Watch the official lyric video for “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters. KPop Demon Hunters is now on Netflix.
...
About KPop Demon Hunters:
When they aren't selling out stadiums, KPop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey use their secret identities as badass demon hunters to protect their fans from an ever-present supernatural threat. Together, they must face their biggest enemy yet – an irresistible rival boy band of demons in disguise.

Directed by: Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans
Produced by: Michelle Wong
Co-Produced by: Scott Berri, Jacky Priddle
Cast: Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Joel Kim Booster, Liza Koshy, with Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong and Byung Hun Lee.

Based on the number of nominations, especially for Song of the Year, "Golden" is my pick to win Best Song Written For Visual Media. It's also Gold Derby's, where every expert, 83.3% of editors, and 86.7% of users have picked it to win. "Golden" should also be a lock to be nominated for Best Original Song or its equivalent at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and Oscars, although Gold Derby doesn't include that category in any of it movie nominations predictions, so I can't rely on them for backup. Speaking of awards, I no longer have Flow penciled in for Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards, as I wrote in The 2025 Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards nominees. My vote will be for KPop Demon Hunters, which leads Gold Derby's predictions at all three movie awards shows.

The other songs with support are "Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late with 16.7% of editors and 5.4% of users picking it, "I Lied to You" from Sinners with 6.1% of users choosing it, and "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" from TRON: Ares with the remaining 0.8% of users supporting it. I'm embedding the videos of these nominees. Sorry, "Pale, Pale Moon" and "Sinners"; Gold Derby doesn't give either of you a chance, so I'm skipping you for now.

I begin the likely runners-up with Elton John, Brandi Carlile - Never Too Late (From The Film “Elton John: Never Too Late”).

‘Never Too Late’ with Brandi Carlile - a new original song taken from the Disney+ documentary, ‘Elton John: Never Too Late’. You can listen to it everywhere now here: https://eltonjohn.lnk.to/nevertoolateID

The official music video includes unseen footage from the documentary 'Elton John: Never Too Late', along with Elton and Brandi recording the track in the studio. After watching an early cut of the work-in-progress documentary, Brandi was inspired to write an original song, taking influence and guidance from Bernie Taupin’s style. Brandi brought the lyrics and concept to Elton to continue co-writing together, with Andrew Watt adding additional writing and production.

I didn't mention it in my Oscar prediction post, but "Never Too Late" earned an Oscar nomination last year, so it's not eligible this year. That's good news for the rest of the field when the Motion Picture Academy announces its nominees.

One of those might be Tron: Ares | Nine Inch Nails | “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”.

The Tron: Ares soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails is out now featuring the song "As Alive As You Need Me To Be".

This song is also nominated for Best Rock Song, an award I think it has a better chance of winning. While this song might earn an Oscar nomination, the movie itself is more likely to earn at least two Razzies, Worst Remake/Ripoff/Sequel and Worst Actor for Jared Leto. On a more positive note, it might still garner some Saturn Award nominations. I doubt I'll vote for it. I predicted "a match between Lilo & Stitch and Jurassic World: Rebirth" in 'Dune: Part Two' at the Critics Choice Super Awards, which I would resolve in favor of the dinosaurs.

Now Sinners | I Lied To You Song | Movie Clip | Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Sinners song "I Lied To You,” performed live by Miles Caton as Sammie. The Sinners Movie Clip shows the raw, emotional blues track that channels the character’s longing, defiance, and dream of escape. Look for the horror adventure movie on digital.

Written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, two award-winning multi-hyphenates, “I Lied To You” was filmed and recorded over several days on set, capturing the energy of a live juke joint crowd. It marks Sammie’s breakout as an artist and reflects on the film’s deep connection to the cultural roots and legacy of the blues.

From Ryan Coogler—director of “Black Panther” and “Creed”—and starring Michael B. Jordan comes a new vision of fear: “Sinners.” Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. “You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”

I had no idea the music in Sinners was so good until the nominations were announced. I just thought of it as a horror movie, one that, as I mentioned in 'Sinners' leads Best Horror Movie nominees at the Critics Choice Super Awards, is my current choice for Best Horror Movie at the Saturn Awards.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, and Wicked.

‘Daughters’ and ‘Death Without Mercy’ lead nominees for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

As I promised in 'Mammals' and the remaining nominees for Best Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards, I'm examining the nominees for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary, where Daughters and Death Without Mercy lead with two nominations apiece. The remaining nominees, "Name Me Lawand" on POV, "One With the Whale" on Independent Lens, and "Two American Families: 1991-2024" on FRONTLINE, all on PBS, each have just this one nomination. I'm embedding their trailers in the order above beginning with Daughters | Official Trailer | Netflix.

Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail.

After watching this trailer, I want to wish my readers a happy early Father's Day. The title is Daughters, but it's also about fatherhood.

Shifting gears to its likelihood of winning, Daughters has quite the awards track record heading into the News & Doc Emmy Awards, winning seven awards including Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s) at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, Documentary Award for Black Cinema & Television at the Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Cinema and Television, Best Documentary from the African-American Film Critics Association, Best Documentary from the Indiana Film Journalists Association, and three film festival awards including two at Sundance. It also has 45 nominations, including BAFTA, Directors Guild of America, NAACP Image Awards, Black Reel Awards, Cinema for Peace Awards, Cinema Eye Honors Awards, five more from the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, the Astra Awards, and more critics associations and film festivals than I have the time and energy to list. That's much more than the next nominee, Death Without Mercy | Official Trailer from Red Carpet Trailers.

MTV Documentary Films has announced a May 3 theatrical release for Death Without Mercy (working title), a riveting account of the massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria a year ago this week, killing more than 50,000 people.

Like Tsunami: Race Against Time, this is a movie I can recommend to my future geology students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

IMDB lists only three nominations for Death Without Mercy, including its two nominations at the News & Doc Emmy Awards, which the site doesn't list yet for Daughters. Its director having an Oscar nomination helps it, but I don't know if that's enough to push it ahead of Daughters, which is my pick to win this category. Just the same, its an MTV Documentary Film, and I've learned not to underestimate one of those.

Now for the PBS nominees, starting with Name Me Lawand | Official Trailer | POV | PBS.

Lawand, deaf from birth, seeks a fresh start with his family in the UK after a traumatic year in a refugee camp. At Derby's Royal School for the Deaf, he learns sign language and discovers a way to communicate with the world. As he thrives, his family faces deportation, challenging their stability. Name Me Lawand is a love letter to the power of friendship and community.

That looks touching, inspring, and uplifting. I don't know if it's enough to win.

Next, One With the Whale | Official Trailer | Independent Lens | PBS.

Hunting whales is a matter of life or death for the residents of St. Lawrence. When a shy Alaska Native teen becomes the youngest person ever to harpoon a whale for his village, his family is blindsided by thousands of keyboard activists brutally attacking him online—without full perspective on the importance of the hunt to his community's well-being.

I can recommend this documentary to my current and future environmental science students about the proper place of hunting. Again, welcome to blogging as professional development.

Finally, Two American Families: 1991-2024 (trailer) | FRONTLINE.

Filmed over 34 years, two families struggle to survive in a changing American economy. Through hard times, falling wages, and loss of manufacturing jobs, the continuation of Bill Moyers’ chronicle of perseverance as the American dream slips away.

My students would probably appreciate this documentary as well, although I don't know if I would accept it as extra credit. It does fit the blog's theme of surviving collapse and decline, so it's definitely on-topic here.

Follow over the jump for the second nominations Daughters and Death Without Mercy earned.

'Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story' leads nominees for Outstanding Nature Documentary at the News & Doc Emmy Awards

I'm continuing my coverage of the News & Doc Emmy Awards with the nominees for Outstanding Nature Documentary, which compose a large field of seven.

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story leads the field with six nominations, including Outstanding Writing – Documentary, Outstanding Direction – Documentary, Outstanding Music Composition – Documentary, Outstanding Sound – Documentary, and Outstanding Promotional Announcement – Documentary in addition to Outstanding Nature Documentary. As best as I can determine, it's the most nominated documentary at these awards — certainly the most nominated entry that didn't also earn a nomination for Best Documentary. Our Living World is the only other nominee with another nomination, Outstanding Cinematography – Documentary. All the rest, Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster, Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons, Our Living World, Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier: Win or Die, and Silverback, have just this one nomination. On the basis of it having the most nominations here, as well as six Critics Choice Documentary Award nominations, a BAFTA Award and two other BAFTA nominations, it's the clear favorite.

Time to watch the nominated trailer, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story | Official Trailer | National Geographic.

A heart-warming story of the love between a wild otter, Molly, and her devoted rescuer, Billy, set in the remote Scottish islands of Shetland.

That's moving and uplifting. Imagine what the full documentary is like!

Next, Our Living World | Cate Blanchett | Official Trailer | Netflix.

Discover the secret that connects us all. From the Emmy Award-winning team behind Our Great National Parks comes a revealing look at the secret network of connections that unites us all and sustains our planet’s most magical phenomenon: life itself. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett, this docuseries spans the globe to showcase the extraordinary creatures and ecosystems, great and small, that work together to help restore and sustain Our Living World.

That is beautifully photographed, so I'm not surprised it earned a nomination for cinematography.

Moving on to what passes for the trailer to "Attenborough and the Jurassic Sea Monster" on Nature, The Tyrannosaurus Rex of the Seas | Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster | BBC Earth.

150 million years ago dinosaurs ruled the land, but the oceans were dominated by a mysterious sea monster. Sir David Attenborough joins two of the UK’s most intrepid fossil hunters on their perilous expedition to excavate the skull from its resting place 12 metres up in the cliffs of Dorset...

The BBC Earth title and description are more colorful than the Nature on PBS version, Discovering the Secrets of a Jurassic Sea Monster, "Sir David Attenborough uncovers the secrets of the pliosaur, a monstrous marine predator," even though the visuals are almost completely identical. This is probably my personal favorite among the nominees, simply because it's about fossils and I'm a paleontologist. It also shows the fine line between science and nature at these awards. If this had been an episode of NOVA, it might have been nominated for Outstanding Science Documentary instead.

Speaking of Nature, here's the trailer for the second of its four nominees in this category, Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons | Official Trailer | NATURE | PBS.

Known only by her research number, Grizzly 399 has been a fixture in Grand Teton National Park since 2007, becoming the world’s most famous grizzly bear. Now 399 is raising four new cubs in the face of human encroachment, a warming climate and the threat of losing protection under the Endangered Species Act. Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons premieres on May 8, 2024.
...
Update: We're saddened to share that Grizzly 399 died on October 22, 2024, after being struck by a vehicle on a highway in Snake River Canyon, south of Jackson, Wyoming. The filmmakers reconvened October 30th, 2024 to mourn her loss and celebrate her life and legacy of 18 cubs, their descendants and the countless dedicated fans she inspired worldwide...

A moment of silence for 399.

Now for the third Nature nominee, Patrick and the Whale (Trailer) - LandxSea 2023.

Embark on an awe-inspiring journey into the world of whales with marine videographer Patrick Dykstra in this breathtaking documentary. Prompted by a profound encounter with "Dolores", a female sperm whale, Dykstra immerses himself in the pursuit of understanding these ocean giants. Veteran wildlife filmmaker Mark Fletcher’s lens beautifully captures the whales' intelligence, emotional depth, and complex social bonds. Beyond the visual spectacle, Dykstra grapples with ethical questions surrounding his research and our relationship with the natural world as he delves deeper. Don’t miss this odyssey that reveals the wonder and vulnerability of life beneath the waves.

"They're as close to aliens as we have on our own planet." I agree. We don't need to leave Earth to find non-human intelligence. It's right here in the cetaceans, elephants, great apes, and cephalopods.

Speaking of great apes and cephalopods, I'm moving out of alphabetical order to showcase the fourth nominee from Nature, Nature: Silverback - The Majestic Journey of Gorillas Trailer.

Join us in this captivating episode of Nature as we explore the incredible world of silverback gorillas! Discover the majestic lives of these remarkable creatures, their social structures, and the critical role they play in the ecosystem.

In Silverback, we delve into the daily lives of a silverback leader and his troop, highlighting their interactions, communication, and the challenges they face in the wild. From nurturing their young to defending their territory, witness the strength and grace of these gentle giants.

Highlighting the connection to Oscar winner My Octopus Teacher is smart marketing. I don't know if will be enough to propel this episode over the competition.

I close the trailer portion of this post with Mobilizing the Masses | Photographer | National Geographic, which I'm using as the trailer for "Paul Nicklen & Cristina Mittermeier: Win or Die" from Photographer on National Geographic.

Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier describe how, after posting their photography to social media, the response was tremendous. They mention how the emotional response to pictures can excite people to care about the planet.

That's moving, although in a different way than the trailer for Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story. It also explains why their work is important.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story and Our Living World along with the top posts about entertainment on social media during the 2024-2025 blogging year.

The horse is loose in the hospital again

My response to the event I was pointedly ignoring yesterday like I did in 2017 is to flash back to a sentence from 'SNL' told funny but scary stories about the election on Halloween, "I was half expecting Mulaney to mention Trump being a horse loose in a hospital, but after Trump actually being admitted and then leaving Walter Reed Medical Center, I think that joke has left the barn." Well, the horse has returned, so it's once again time for There's a Horse In The Hospital | John Mulaney | Netflix Is A Joke.

Follow John Mulaney, or the news, to see what the President, hippo, and bird do next.

Watch John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, only on Netflix...

Breaking News: The President Is A Horse | John Mulaney | Netflix Is A Joke

This video cut off the routine a little over halfway through, so here is the complete audio for There’s a Horse In The Hospital.


I can hear why Netflix cut the end of the routine off, although it's still darkly funny.* Also, we now know what the horse can do and he's learned to do more and turned it into campaign "promises" (more like threats that he intends to carry out and some of which he already has). YIKES!

I conclude with a video from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, John Mulaney: Trump Is 'A Horse Loose In A Hospital'.

'Oh Hello' star John Mulaney has a metaphor for Trump's presidency that you probably haven't heard before.

My comment on this video four years ago was "Now the horse actually is in a hospital, although I don't know if that's funny." Maybe not, and he's only in a metaphorical hospital now, not a real one, but laughing hurts a lot less than crying, so laugh I will.

*By the way, John Mulaney's wife then isn't his wife now. In 2018, he was married to Anna Marie Tendler, who actually is Jewish. They got divorced in 2022. He's now married to Olivia Munn, who is Asian-American, so that part of the routine no longer applies.

'Human Footprint' and other Emmy-nominated science and technology documentaries for Earth Overshoot Day

Happy Earth Overshoot Day! I'll get to the international day itself over the jump. Instead, I'm inspired by the event's creator, the Global Footprint Network, to examine PBS's Human Footprint, one of the nominees for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Watch Exploring Our Impact on Planet Earth | Human Footprint | PBS.

Host Shane Campbell-Staton and Director Nathan Dappen explore how humans have impacted and changed the planet in this first look from Human Footprint. Shane explains how PBS has shaped his storytelling.
...
Human Footprint with Shane Campbell-Staton:
Earth has never experienced anything like us: a single species dominating and transforming the planet. Biologist Shane Campbell-Staton travels the globe to explore our Human Footprint and to discover how the things we do reveal who we truly are.

This is my personal favorite, especially because I've used clips from the series multiple times, most recently in PBS Terra on 'the invasive Burmese Pythons of the Everglades' for World Snake Day and Vox and PBS ask 'Why do we have grass lawns?' I might show the former to my students. I've already shown them the first video in Whales and fish, two stories I tell my students. That's how much I like the series and appreciate its educational value.

Follow over the jump to watch the other four nominees' trailers and observe Earth Overshoot Day.

The 2023-2024 Environmental Media Association Awards nominees

I closed Bill Nye joins the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists as the Doomsday Clock remains at 90 seconds to midnight by telling my readers "the EMA Awards are tomorrow, so they're up next." Here are the nominees for tonight's ceremony, which "honor[s] film and television productions and individuals that increase public awareness of environmental issues and inspire personal action on these issues."

Feature Film

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Netflix
White Noise – Netflix
Avatar: The Way of Water – Walt Disney Studios / Lightstorm Entertainment

Oh, look, a film I voted for twice at the Saturn Awards (Avatar: The Way of Water, another movie I compared favorably to a Razzie nominee (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery), which is damning with faint praise, so I didn't vote for it, and another I've never mentioned before (White Noise) but which earned nominations at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes last year. Oh, and all of these movies came out in 2022. What, no 2023 movies with environmental themes had release dates before the deadline? At this rate, I'm looking for Aquaman 2 to earn a nomination at the next EMA Awards.

That written, all of these movies deserve their nominations for their environmental themes, even White Noise, which kicks off with a train wreck releasing hazardous chemicals — sounds familiar, doesn't it, although the movie came out before that particular disaster. Since I voted for it twice, I think Avatar: The Way of Water is the best nominee. I also think it has the strongest environmental themes, so it might just win.

Documentary Film

Deep Rising – The Film Collaborative
Common Ground – Big Picture Ranch
From Devil’s Breath – MSNBC Films, TIME Studios, Day Zero Productions, Sugar23, Mainstay, P&G Studios, Grain Media, Appian Way

This category alone justifies my coverage of these awards, as it includes three films I can recommend my students watch for extra credit. Welcome to blogging as professional development.

The nominees also cover topics I've blogged about. Deep Rising examines the same subject as PBS Terra tells 'The Dirty Truth About Our Clean Energy Future'. Common Ground is another documentary about sustainable agriculture like Food, Inc., King Corn, and The Biggest Little Farm. Finally, I've blogged about wildfires, the subject of From Devil’s Breath, several times. I have no doubts about the environmental content of any of these films!

In 2022, I suspected that star power would sway the EMA voters enough for Eating Our Way to Extinction to win. It did, so I'm making the same prediction for Common Ground. Look at all the famous actors named on the poster, including Laura Dern, who is receiving the EMA Ongoing Commitment Award. It's enough to cancel out Jason Momoa as the narrator for Deep Rising, especially since he is also listed for Common Ground, and Leonardo DiCaprio for From Devil’s Breath, which might be the best-crafted of the three.

Follow over the jump for the television nominees.

'SNL' satirizes Jim Jordan's losing bid for Speaker

Saturday Night Live began last night by satirizing Jim Jordan's 'Groundhog Day' of losing votes in Jim Jordan Cold Open - SNL.

Jim Jordan (Mikey Day) hears from George Santos (Bowen Yang), Lauren Boebert (Chloe Fineman) and Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) after losing the House Speaker vote again.

Yay, a good political skit. That's what I've been waiting for since April 8th, when James Austin Johnson's 'Trump' hijacked the Last Supper on 'SNL' for Easter. Pete Davidson's cold open last week was moving and the right thing to do, but it wasn't it.

Jordan's woes continued to be the topic in the opening segment of Weekend Update: Jim Jordan Dropped as Speaker Nominee, Trump Gag Order - SNL.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Netflix planning to open brick and mortar stores and Ron DeSantis spending $1.5 million on private jets.

As I wrote last week, "Weekend Update...opened with jokes about the reactions to the crisis, not the conflict itself. Those are worth ridiculing." This includes President Biden telling Israel's adveraries "don't." I just hope it's more effective than telling his dogs not to bite Secret Service agents.

Colin Jost and Michael Che also examined Trump's gag order. I admit to being pleased that the former guy found it frustrating. As far as I'm concerned, that's the point.

I haven't mentioned Ron DeSantis this month, so good for SNL bringing him up. He deserves this kind of attention. As for Netflix planning on opening brick-and-mortar stores, I found that a surprising combination of the Retail Apocalypse and entertainment, to say nothing of it being a questionable business decision. That reminds me that I've embedded videos mentioning Blockbuster Video in Ten of the companies that went out of business this decade and 9,300+ stores closed this year, two tales of the Retail Apocalypse and WatchMojo's 'Top 20 Stores That Don't Exist Anymore' for Throwback Thursday, tales of the Retail Apocalypse, I've never written a post highlighting the company's rise and fall by itself. I'll keep that in mind.

Follow over the jump for the rest of last night's highlights.

Talk like a Straw Hat Pirate — 'One Piece' for Talk Like A Pirate Day

Arr! It be Talk Like A Pirate Day! For this year's celebration, I'm looking at a manga turned anime turned live-action pirate show, One Piece. Watch ONE PIECE | Official Trailer | Netflix.

Free Yourselves. Take to the Seas. The Journey to find the ONE PIECE begins August 31. Only on Netflix.
...
With his straw hat and ragtag crew, young pirate Monkey D. Luffy goes on an epic voyage for treasure in this live-action adaptation of the popular manga.

That looks like a lot of fun. It also reminds me that when I was reading the "One Piece" manga 20 years ago, I didn't feel like I was reading a comic for pre-teen boys until I got to the end of each chapter, when the author would put in a bit of history about pirates. Those felt like he was talking to a younger audience. The story itself was fast-paced, engrossing, and enjoyable for all ages. It looks like the live-action adaptation is succeeding in adapting it to the TV screen.

That's all I feel like sharing today. Stay tuned as I return to my regular programming tomorrow, whatever that is.

'The Janes' about pre-Roe America is nominated in four categories at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards

As I've written twice, "Based on total nominations, I'd say The Janes is Good Night Oppy's stiffest competition" for Best Documentary at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. It's time to examine this film and its nominations, beginning with The Janes | Official Trailer | HBO.

["]We had to go underground."

#TheJanesHBO tells the revelatory story of a group of unlikely outlaws. Defying the state legislature that outlawed abortion, the Catholic Church that condemned it, and the Chicago Mob that was profiting from it, the members of “Jane” risked their personal and professional lives to support women with unwanted pregnancies in the pre-Roe v. Wade era. Premieres June 8 on HBO Max.

The timing of the premiere was uncanny, as it happened the same month that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. America needed a look at the pre-Roe situation in order to understand what a post-Roe America could look like. That alone makes The Janes a valuable and moving documentary and a worthy competitor to Good Night Oppy.

Follow over the jump for the nominees against which The Janes is competing in four categories.