Insights Into Entertainment: Episode 138 “Purely for Curiosity’s Sake”

[INTRO THEME]

[INTRODUCTIONS] (2-3 minutes)
Insights Into Entertainment: Episode 138 “Purely for Curiosity’s Sake”
My hard-working and diligent co-host Michelle Whalen

[SHOW SUMMARY] (2-3 minutes)
Today in our Disney Detective, Inspiring Black Youth through Imagineering plus Disney is in the community building business again
In our Tales from the Edge of the Galaxy, Andor gets a season 2 and The Old Republic gets a new trailer
And for our Entertainment News, we remember Ivan Reitman and how do you show the young heads that the old heads have still got it, we’ll talk about it and more…
And as always we’ll finish up with our Insightful Picks of the week

[Show Plugs] (2-3 minutes)
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[TRANSITION]

[SEGMENT 1: Disney Detective] (8-12 minutes)

How Disney Imagineer and Inventor Lanny Smoot Strives to Inspire Black Youth to Chase STEM Careers
https://people.com/human-interest/disney-imagineer-inventor-lanny-smoot-black-history-month-exclusive/?fbclid=IwAR08jevlDiit2QwEglFpf3VvIkTA7AqK0HyL9TPtMnHbjg34hBNkhoW7NlM
https://bit.ly/36fCivr
Lanny Smoot is not your average inventor — in fact, he’s helped create spectacles that Disney fans will instantly recognize.
Speaking with PEOPLE in honor of National Inventors’ Day and Black History Month, Smoot — a 66-year-old Disney Research Fellow for Walt Disney Imagineering — is revealing some of his favorite contributions to Disney Parks over his 24-year tenure with the company.
Among the projects Smoot has tackled with colleagues are various effects used in the Haunted Mansion (such as the Madame Leota floating crystal-ball head in the Séance Room), Spaceship Earth’s “Power City” at Project Tomorrow in EPCOT and many more.
“One of my favorite inventions now, just because it’s current, [is] the very realistic lightsaber,” he says.
Some guests might see it at the soon-to-be-opened Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, says the Glendale, California-based Smoot.
“It is the most realistic lightsaber ever made, and extends, retracts, is super bright and exactly mirrors what you see in the movies,” says Smoot.
“I also designed and patented the effect that will allow people to fight using lightsabers [via] training remote, just as Luke Skywalker does in the movie.”
It’s a feat he accomplished thanks to years of experience and versatility.
With over 100 patents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office — 74 of which came from his work with Disney — Smoot is considered a jack-of-all-trades inventor, electrical engineer, scientist, researcher and more.
He may have never taken that path had it not been for his “self-taught” father, who got Smoot’s “bell ringing” in electrical engineering at a young age.
“It changed my life.
And it’s one of my earliest memories,” he recalls.
“I was probably, I don’t know, 5, 6 years old or something.
And it never left me: that urge to create new things, doing them myself, being able to see it purely for curiosity’s sake.”
Smoot came from a family that “didn’t have a lot of money,” but his passion and talent led him to secure a full scholarship to Columbia University.
He went on to serve as an engineer for Bell Labs before starting at Disney in the late ’90s.
Along the way, he’s received recognition for his 40-plus-year career.
Most recently he was named the inventor of the month at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
He’s also featured in the Breaking Barriers Exhibit at the National Inventors Hall of Fame museum in Alexandria, Virginia, among his many other achievements.
Smoot has also worked on multiple technologies that aren’t even in wide circulation (yet) — for example, the ability to take in three-dimensional imagery without 3D glasses and the “electronic panning camera,” an invention he patented while at Bell years ago, which puts users “in control of the view that you see on television.”
According to Smoot, the latter “might have been a little bit before its time,” as “it required a lot of network bandwidth, which wasn’t quite there because fiber-optic systems weren’t as prevalent.”
Through trial and error, he’s learned that inventors need to be “brave and resolute” in their pursuits — and that includes knowing when to let go.
“You have to be realistic as to whether it will bear fruit — whether it will grow to be a successful idea,” he explains.
“I have ideas for things all the time.
I need to filter myself to say, ‘Okay, Lanny, of the things I could possibly be doing now, which ones have the greatest chance of success and changing the world?’
And you make a seasoned judgment.
You say, ‘Okay, I’ve seen this type of thing before.
It would appeal to this sort of audience.
It would be able to service this many people at a time.’ “
“That’s what I’m going to put a little bit more effort into,” Smoot adds.
Disney Parks, which is honoring Black cast members throughout the month of February, kicked off Black History Month with a blog post about Smoot and his legacy.
“We have Black heroes all over, and it’s time to tell their stories — and to allow young kids, in particular, to see a future where they can contribute as people like them have,” says Smoot, who won the Black Engineer of the Year Award in 1987.
“Our stories are not as fully told as they need to be.
And at least Black History Month gives us a chance to do some of that.”
Though Smoot says he hasn’t experienced “overt” racism in his career, he’s noticed ways in which he’s been treated differently because of the color of his skin.
“Sometimes racism doesn’t come in the form of someone putting up a Confederate flag or anything.
It is not shared,” he says.
“It is more, like in the educational world, maybe not going out of your way to share information, or to be an ally, as we call it nowadays — to be someone that says, ‘I see you need help in this area.
I’m going to extend help to you as I would to a person just like me.’ “
“There will be times in your life where you’ll be reminded that you are ‘other,’ ” he continues.
“And when you’re in school with kids that are different from you, they would say things [like], ‘How did you get to be so smart, and why are you so smart?
You’re Black.
You’re not supposed to be that smart.’ “
“I think you grow a little bit of a thick skin, which I don’t want future generations to have to have,” Smoot adds.
The father of three says his own kids don’t work in technology the way he does, but he is “honored” to have inspired them “to do what they want to do” and “what makes them happy,” as well as to have inspired other Black kids to go into STEM fields through mentoring and being a role model.
“I never saw a Black engineer until I was pretty much a Black engineer,” Smoot tells PEOPLE.
“I did not see role models of what I wanted to be.
I knew internally what I wanted to do.
I didn’t even know the name of it.”
“Young people need exposure to a lot of things to see what catches, some inspiration, seeing other people doing it and having some support, and then a chance to do those things,” he adds.
His biggest advice? Research as much as possible using the resources available to you, and “learn more.”
“I always say, if you love doing something, do it a lot,” he adds.
“You get better at it.
Practice your trade.
Do what you love to do, and it’s an old phrase, but you’ll never work a day in your life.”
As for how he keeps the Disney magic alive while knowing so many ins and outs of the behind-the-scenes tricks, Smoot says it “doesn’t take away from the” illusions and experience.
“I still can enjoy the theme parks because you wrap magic in story,” says Smoot.
“The big difference between a Walt Disney theme park and other places is that you’re completely surrounded by the magic — by the fact that you’re embedded in a place that is as though you are in a movie, or you are actually living in the future.
Or a Haunted Mansion with ghosts.”
“So yeah, it never tires for me.
And I never get tired,” he adds.
“I’m never tired of inventing and coming up with new ideas. Don’t tell my bosses, but I would do it even if I wasn’t paid.”

New master-planned communities will let Disney fans ‘be part of Disney all of the time’
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/theme-parks/2022/02/16/disney-getting-into-residential-housing-market-storyliving/6811164001/?fbclid=IwAR1DVbD21wP9SUTQn29lt7XKlXqvWa4qNWsRk1zgDq_sS4ZXlr2Nu20lmF4
https://bit.ly/3sOp4NV
Have you ever visited a Disney theme park resort, with its perfectly manicured and clean-scrubbed grounds, whimsical, yet reassuring architecture, chirpy employees, and general sense of cheery optimism, and thought how great it would be if you could take up permanent residence there?
That’s sort of the idea behind the Mouse House’s latest venture: Disney-branded, master-planned home communities.
Yesterday, the company announced “Storyliving by Disney, which will be part of the same division that oversees its theme parks, Disney Cruise Line, and other experiences.
The first community, which will be known as Cotino and include about 1,900 housing units, will be in the Palm Springs city of Rancho Mirage, California.
“There is incredible demand for all things Disney.
Our fans continue to look for new ways to engage with us, to keep Disney as part of their lives,” says Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney parks, experiences and products.
At the branded communities, he adds, “you can be part of Disney all of the time.”
As for the “Storyliving” name, the communities will capitalize on the company’s sense of storytelling and placemaking.
Instead of telling Mickey Mouse tales, however, they will focus on the culture, history, experience, food and other attributes of the places in which they will be built.
“Every single element of these communities will be steeped in a story,” D’Amaro notes.
The residents, he says, will be active participants in the stories.
Prices, financing, and other details have not been announced, but the development will include a variety of properties such as condominiums, single-family homes, and estates.
Rental units are not anticipated to be part of the mix.
Families with young children and people of all ages will be able to purchase properties.
Some of Cotino’s neighborhoods, however, will be designated for residents 55 and older, a market in which Disney seems especially interested.
“Baby boomers are moving into retirement.
They’re going to be moving into retirement communities,” says Daryl Fairweather, chief economist for Seattle-based real estate brokerage Redfin.
“Why not have it be a Disney-branded retirement community?”
Disney says that amenities will include live entertainment, wellness programming and seminars.
Plans call for a centerpiece lagoon with a beach that will be accessible to members of the community’s private club.
There will be public components at Cotino as well, including a hotel and an entertainment, dining and shopping district.
Guests will be able to purchase a day pass to visit the beach.
Despite bearing its name, Disney will not own the communities or be the developer of record; nor will it be building or selling the homes.
It will be partnering with third parties to handle those functions.
However, Disney’s fabled Imagineers, the band of creatives who bring the park’s animatronic pirates to life, will have a hand in designing Cotino and future communities.
As the public face of the communities, Disney will manage the marketing and sales efforts.
And once the communities are up and running, its “cast members” – Disney-speak for its employees – will handle day-to-day operations including customer service and entertainment production.
It turns out that the legendary founder of the company owned a home and frequented the Coachella Valley region in which Cotino will be located.
“Walt Disney treated the area like his creative oasis,” says Michael Hundgen, an executive producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, adding that he would often huddle with his fellow artists and designers there.
“We’d love our residents to treat this as their creative oasis and explore the next chapters of their lives.”
Inspired by the historical detail, Hundgen says that Cotino’s clubhouse will be themed as a “modern-day creative studio” with each of its spaces celebrating different art forms.
According to Redfin’s Fairweather, it’s likely that Disney would tightly control the communities.
That could bring both pros and cons to homeowners.
There wouldn’t be a “rowdy bar down the street or obnoxious music from your neighbor,” she says. “But it would come at the cost of your own personal freedom.”
That wouldn’t sit well with everybody, but some Disney devotees, who like the company’s brand and values, would welcome the careful curation of the community.
This isn’t the first time that the company has dabbled in real estate.
Buyers have been snapping up its popular Disney Vacation Club timeshare condos, most of which are located at Florida’s Walt Disney World, since 1991.
That same year, Disney announced that it would build Celebration, a planned residential community located next to its vast Florida theme park resort.
It welcomed its first family in 1996.
The company no longer manages Celebration.
Residents of Golden Oak, a luxury resort home community that Disney opened in 2011, can see fireworks nightly from the nearby Magic Kingdom at Disney World.
Walt Disney had grand ambitions to develop a working city with residents, which would have showcased the latest technology and urban planning concepts, on the Florida property his company bought.
He dubbed the project “Epcot,” which stood for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.”
After his death in 1966, Disney’s successors reinterpreted his vision as the theme park that exists today.
“Walt was trying to build a connected, integrated, story-based community,” D’Amaro says.
“While these [Storyliving] communities are not Epcot, they share that same spirit.
This is something that Walt would have been all over.”
Details about when Cotino would break ground and when the community might be ready for the first residents to move in will be announced later.
The company says that deposits are not currently being accepted.

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[SEGMENT 2: Tales from the Edge of the Galaxy] (8-12 minutes)

Star Wars: Andor Season 2 Is a Go on Disney+
https://thedirect.com/article/star-wars-andor-season-2-disney?fbclid=IwAR3J9b3dbKp02TNbV_3XzzCwFHbjLbUUZCC6qDo-NIdW_kYoD1ZZphi5jOs
https://bit.ly/3BHOAZr
The Book of Boba Fett is currently receiving all of the galaxy’s attention, and rightfully so.
After a slow start, the series has turned into a jaw-dropping ensemble piece, giving Din Djarin, Grogu, Luke Skywalker, and Ahsoka Tano significant screen time.
The latest episodes also saw the live-action debut of bounty hunter Cad Bane, upping the stakes for a thrilling season finale.
When the dust settles on Tatooine, fans will return to the familiar desert in May for the debut of the highly anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
The project, which was in various stages of development for nearly a decade, will finally see the return of Ewan McGregor as the Jedi Master, with Hayden Christensen also stepping into the boots of Darth Vader once more.
Given the excitement for such big shows, one of Lucasfilm’s other 2022 releases has largely flown under the radar.
Andor was announced at the tail-end of 2018, and following development and production delays, is finally slated to drop during Quarter 4 of this year.
The spy thriller boasts an impressive cast and offers serious potential for a compelling story – something that will evidently continue in the near future.
In a recent interview actor Stellan Skarsgard confirmed that Andor will be receiving a second season.
The actor told a Swedish publication that after a brief break, he’ll be returning to a few sets – including Andor, come this fall:
“We start with ‘Dune 2’ in July. And then in the autumn, it’s time for the second season of the Star Wars series ‘Andor’.”
Due to COVID-19’s surge, Andor experienced delays that extended its production.
Skarsgard himself isn’t sure when the first season will begin streaming but suggested the date will be selected with Season 2’s release in mind:
“I do not know when they will start broadcasting it.
It will take some time, so that it does not take too long between season one and season two.”
While the second season of Andor was something of a foregone conclusion, it’s satisfying to hear the words from a member of the project’s team.
There have been rumors suggesting that the Rogue One spin-off would have as many as three seasons, but Skarsgard’s words are the first indicator that things will be continuing in an official capacity.
Andor’s first season underwent a significantly lengthy production – in large part due to the pandemic but also because it was shot on location.
Unlike the projects in the MandoVerse, Andor did not make use of The Volume, with the creative heads instead opting to build practical sets.
The choice will allow the series to follow the look and feel of Rogue One in a seamless manner, but it did come with the drawback of extending the filming process.
Because of the complications COVID-19 introduced to Andor, it’s difficult to predict how long production will take for Season 2.
Given Skarsgard’s words, there’s a chance that all work could be completed in time for a Quarter 4 release in 2023, but that seems to be a pipe dream.
The production team does have the benefit of pre-existing props and sets on hand, which should reduce the pre-production time significantly.
Should creative leads opt to use The Volume for some sequences, shooting will go quicker than expected as well.
It’s been confirmed that Andor Season 1 will be 12 episodes, making it a safe guess that the sophomore run should be the same.
Previous rumors claimed the first season would be split in two, but Skarsgard’s comments thoroughly debunk such a notion.
With the series taking on a new genre in the galaxy far, far away, Andor has the chance to tell a fresh story over the span of several seasons that will show the darker elements of the Rebellion.

EA/Bioware releases ‘The Old Republic: Legacy of the Sith’ and Unveils New CGI Trailer
https://www.starwarsnewsnet.com/2022/02/the-old-republic-legacy-of-the-sith-unveils-new-cgi-trailer.html
https://bit.ly/3GVK9eb
EA and BioWare have released a brand-new CGI trailer for the much-anticipated expansion to The Old Republic that puts back the focus on Darth Malgus: Legacy of the Sith, which finally launched on February 15th
These high-quality, cinematic CGI trailers have captivated Star Wars fans ever since the game was first announced.
They quickly became a tradition for EA and BioWare’s long-lived Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, as they’ve convinced plenty of players to check out the game over the years.
The Old Republic is currently celebrating its 11th year of release, and there are no signs that 2022 will be the last with new content.
The game recently celebrated its 10th year in style, re-releasing the older cinematic trailers in stunning 4K.
Legacy of the Sith is the 8th major expansion to The Old Republic and the latest since 2019’s Onslaught.
You can jump in for free (with some limitations) downloading the game from the swtor.com website or through Steam.
The Premium monthly subscription, unlocks full access (forever, even if you unsubscribe) to all expansion packs released so far.
So it’s not a bad idea to pony up for at least one month of Premium if you plan to explore all the story content the game has to offer, which is a lot.
2022 is cooking up to be a massive year in Star Wars gaming: EA recently announced that Respawn is developing three new games, including the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order that could arrive as early as this fall; LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is finally being released on April 5th; and Zynga’s Star Wars Hunters is opening its combat arenas soon as well.

[AD 2: TEENS]

[SEGMENT 3: Entertainment News] (8-12 minutes)

Ivan Reitman, producer, ‘Ghostbusters’ director, dies at 75
https://apnews.com/article/ivan-reitman-dead-d67947aa895371cd9f5840e6e9339440
https://bit.ly/3uXhJy5
Ivan Reitman, the influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century, from “Animal House” to “Ghostbusters,” has died at age 75.
Reitman died peacefully in his sleep Saturday night at his home in Montecito, Calif., his family told The Associated Press.
“Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” children Jason Reitman, Catherine Reitman and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement.
“We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world.
While we mourn privately, we hope those who knew him through his films will remember him always.”
Known for comedies that caught the spirit of their time, Reitman’s big break came with the raucous, college fraternity sendup “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” which he produced.
He directed Bill Murray in his first starring role in the summer camp flick “Meatballs,” and then again in 1981′s “Stripes,” but his most significant success came with 1984’s “Ghostbusters.”
Not only did the irreverent supernatural comedy starring Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis gross nearly $300 million worldwide, it earned two Oscar nominations, spawned a veritable franchise, including spinoffs, television shows and a new movie, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” that opened this last year directed by his son, filmmaker Jason Reitman directed.
Among other notable films he directed are “Twins,” “Kindergarten Cop,” “Dave,” “Junior” and 1998′s “Six Days, Seven Nights.”
He also produced “Beethoven,” “Old School” and “EuroTrip,” and many others, including his son’s Oscar-nominated film “Up in the Air.”
He was born in Czechoslovakia, in 1946 where his father owned the country’s biggest vinegar factory.
His mother had survived Auschwitz and his father was in the resistance.
When the communists began imprisoning capitalists after the war, the Reitmans decided to escape, when Ivan Reitman was only 4.
They traveled in the nailed-down hold of a barge headed for Vienna.
“I remember flashes of scenes,” Reitman told the AP in 1979.
“Later they told me about how they gave me a couple of sleeping pills so I wouldn’t make any noise.
I was so knocked out that I slept with my eyes open. My parents were afraid I was dead.”
The Reitmans joined a relative in Toronto, where Ivan displayed his show biz inclinations: starting a puppet theater, entertaining at summer camps, playing coffee houses with a folk music group.
He studied music and drama at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and began making movie shorts.
With friends and $12,000, Reitman made a nine-day movie, “Cannibal Girls,” which American International agreed to release.
He produced on a $500 budget a weekly TV revue, “Greed,” with Dan Aykroyd, and became associated with the Lampoon group in its off-Broadway revue that featured John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Murray.
That soon led to “Animal House.”
Reitman seized the moment after “Animal House’s” massive success and raised money to direct “Meatballs,” which would be tamer than the hard-R “Animal House.”
He hand picked Murray to star, which would prove to be a significant break for the comedian, but Ramis later said that Reitman didn’t know if Murray would actually show up until the first day of the shoot.
But it was the beginning of a fruitful and longrunning partnership that would produce the war comedy “Stripes,” which Reitman said he thought up on the way to the “Meatballs” premiere, and “Ghostbusters.”
Reitman also put Schwarzenegger in his first major comedy, opposite Danny DeVito in “Twins.”
There was such uncertainty around the project that all forfeited their fees for a share of the profits, which would prove to be a lucrative deal when the film earned $216 million against an $18 million production budget.
In Sept. 2021, it was announced that a sequel, “Triplets” was in the works with Reitman directing his original cast, plus Tracy Morgan as their long lost brother.
By the time 1990′s “Kindergarten Cop” came around, Reitman had established himself as the most successful comedy director in history.
Though not even being the father of three children could have prepared him for the arduous task of directing 30 children between the ages of 4 and 7 in the Schwarzenegger comedy.
The political comedy “Dave,” starring Kevin Kline as an ordinary man who has to double for the US President, provided a bit of a departure for Reitman.
Roger Ebert wrote at the time that “The movie is more proof that it isn’t what you do, it’s how you do it: Ivan Reitman’s direction and Gary Ross’ screenplay use intelligence and warmhearted sentiment to make Dave into wonderful lighthearted entertainment.”
He continued producing.
His company, the Montecito Picture Co., produced Todd Phillips’ first movie, “Road Trip.”
And with “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” even found himself on the press circuit with his son, providing emotional moments for both with the passing of the baton.
Jason Reitman, who was only 7 when the original came out, included some nods to his father’s films like “Beethoven” and “Cannibal Girls” in “Afterlife.”
“Directing ‘Ghostbusters Afterlife’ was completely intimidating,” Jason Reitman said last year.
“I was lucky enough to do it sitting next to my dad.”
He always took comedy and the power of laughter seriously.
“The great cliche is about how damn tough comedy is.
But of course, nobody really gives that any respect,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2000.
“It’s such a visceral thing, laughing.
So getting to the point where you can get an audience of 600 people laughing is really precise and intricate work. … My sense is we’re laughing at the same things we’ve always laughed at, but the language of the filmmaker and the performer shifts.”

Super Bowl halftime show brought all the hip-hop heat
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/13/entertainment/halftime-show-super-bowl-2022/index.html
https://cnn.it/3GZVGJD
Old skool hip-hop showed the kids a thing or two Sunday night at the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show.
The “original gangsters” Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre performed with Dre’s mentee Eminem, the Queen of R&B hip-hop Mary J. Blige, and rap star Kendrick Lamar.
It marked not only the first time hip-hop artists were the main performers for the halftime show, but also presented Generation X with the opportunity to see if their dance moves were still “da bomb” or if they were “totally buggin” to think so.
And since the game was played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, naturally Snoop and Dre kicked it all off with “The Next Episode” and got us in a “California Love” mood.
Surprise guest 50 Cent then showed up to perform the all-time favorite birthday anthem “In Da Club.”
Then it was time for Blige to take the stage with her emotional hits, “Family Affair” and “No More Drama.”
She was followed by Pulitizer-prize winner Lamar, surrounded by dancers dressed in black and wearing “Dre Day” sashes.
The powerful performance appeared reminiscent in strength and style to Beyonce’s “Formation” during her halftime appearance in 2016.
Accompanied by a band with Anderson .Paak on drums, Eminem was up next with “Lose Yourself,” which, of course, caused the crowd to lose it.
Eminem ended the song and took a knee, a gesture made famous by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as an act of protest against police brutality and racial discrimination.
Then it was time to return to Dr. Dre, who appeared to be producing the entire performance from a sound board on top of a set referencing a South L.A. neighborhood.
Dre played a snippet of “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” on the piano in tribute to former collaborator and West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur, who was gunned down at the age of 25 in 1996.
He then reminded the audience that he’s “still got love for the streets” with some bars from “Still D.R.E.” featuring Snoop Dogg.
And… that is how you show the young heads that the old heads have still got it!

[TRANSITION]

[SEGMENT 4: Insightful Picks of the Week] (8-12 minutes)

Michelle
That’s My Jam
https://www.nbc.com/thats-my-jam
https://bit.ly/3LzUZtY
NBC has given a 10-episode series order to That’s My Jam, an unscripted music and variety game show inspired by Jimmy Fallon’s viral hit Tonight Show segments “Wheel of Musical Impressions.”
Fallon will executive produce the hourlong competition series, which “will be infused with Fallon’s one-of-a-kind comedic style, feel-good energy and a carousel of his classic and brand-new music-based games, featuring a new group of celebrities each week,” NBC says.
“We love playing these games on the show, and it’ll be fun to see it taken to the next level,” Fallon said.
The format was brought to Universal Television Alternative Studio by Fallon, longtime Tonight Show producer Jim Juvonen and writer Josh Knapp. Jeff Apploff will serve as showrunner.
“Jimmy reinvented the late-night genre with his one-of-a-kind celebrity game segments that show our favorite stars at their most clever, creative and relaxed,” said Meredith Ahr, President of the Alternative and Reality Group at NBC Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to bring viewers a new set of games and create a weekly party that is just as much fun to watch as it is to play along.”
From “Wheel of Musical Impressions” and “Musical Genre Challenge” to “History of Rap,” Fallon’s musical games, sketches and challenges have made a mark on late-night TV, drawing moer than 20 million YouTube subscribers.
That’s My Jam mirrors NBC/Warner Bros.’ Ellen’s Game of Games, which also is inspired by recurring segments on Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show, featuring classic and new games.
NBC previously passed on a reality series based on another popular Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon segment, Lip Sync Battle. The project eventually landed at Spike (now Paramount Network), where it has been a hit, currently airing its fifth season.
Broadcast late-night shows increasingly are becoming an incubator for successful unscripted and scripted series. CBS’ The Late Late Show with James Corden has spawned Carpool Karaoke on Apple and Drop the Mic on TBS and now TNT.

Joe
The Private Lives of the Monarchs
Smithsonian Channel
https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/shows/private-lives-of-the-monarchs
https://bit.ly/3gVYi0G
The iconic images of the monarchs, frequently captured in famous portraits and paintings, are part of the very fabric of national culture, in carefully-arranged poses.
This is all well and good, but actually, they were all just human beings, with the same ticks and foibles, bad habits and weaknesses, as the rest of us.
Their collective impact on history fills tens of thousands of textbooks, but what do we really know about these royal figures?
The Private Lives of the Monarchs delves beneath the public lives of monarchs such as Queen Victoria, King Louis XIV, and Henry VIII to shine a light on their private lives.
By eschewing dates and diplomacy for foibles and fetishes, the show reveals the real-life human beings behind the pomp and pageantry.
For instance, when most people think of Queen Victoria, they think of a woman that’s straight-laced and slightly removed from the empire she presides over.
But in truth, the queen was a very passionate woman–witty, rebellious, and flirtatious–who defined the Victorian Age.
Eleven episodes over two seasons each focus on a specific subject
Season one is a look at historical fixtures such as Queen Victoria, George III, Henry VII and Louis XIV
Season two touches on 20th century figures including Princess Margaret, Edward VII and even Hitler and Al Capone

[TRANSITION]

After Thoughts

Jersey Shore Comic Book Show – Nerd Fest
https://jerseyshorecomicbookshow.com/nerd-fest
https://bit.ly/3J0wlRk
This event will take place at the Holiday Inn Swedesboro 1 Pureland Drive, Swedesboro, NJ 08085 – February 27,2022
Nerd Fest will be in full swing from 10am to 4pm. Admission $5 Kids 12 and under Free with paying adult. Plenty of Free parking!
We’ll be featuring Artists, Vendors, Comics, Anime, Toys, Funko’s, Non-Sport Cards, Crafts, Pokemon, Cosplay, Face Painting, Interactive Activities, Collectibles, and much MORE!!!!!!!

ZOLOCON
https://zolocon.com/
https://bit.ly/2UfiDpk
Saturday MARCH 5, 2022 (10:00AM – 6:00PM)
SATURDAY GENERAL ADMISSION = $15.00 (Children $5.00)
Sunday MARCH 6, 2022 (9:00 AM – 4:30PM)
SUNDAY GENERAL ADMISSION = $10.00 (CHILDREN FREE!)
780 Falcon Circle . Warminster Pa. 18974

Listen to audio of Insights Into Entertainment or watch video of Insights Into Things
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Email: Comments@insightsintothings.com
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Audio: http://podcast.insightsintoentertainment.com/#
Video: podcast.insightsintothings.com
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/insightsintothings
Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/insightsintothings
Web: https://www.insightsintothings.com

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http://www.toyshows.org/aboutme.html
https://bit.ly/33veum0
Delaware Train Show Aprilfools Toy Show
Saturday, April. 2nd Sunday, April. 3rd
Nur Shrine Center
198 S. DuPont Highway, New Castle, DE.

FanExpo (Formerly Wizard World
https://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/
https://bit.ly/32VSRen
Philadelphia Convention Center
Apri 8-10 2022

MID-STATE COMIC CON
https://jerseyshorecomicbookshow.com/mid-state-comic-con
Mid-State Comic Con is our newest adventure in the Comic Con Industry. This Comic Con will be held at the Delaware State Fairgrounds Dover Building a large INDOOR venue with plenty of room for our event.
Mid-State Comic Con will take place on Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 10am to 4pm at the
Delaware State Fairgrounds Dover Building 18500 S. Dupont Highway, Harrington, DE 19952
We will be featuring Special Guests, Artists, Vendors, Cosplay, in a family friendly atmosphere at an affordable price.
Our Vendors will have Comics, Manga, Anime, Non-Sport Cards, Pokemon, Funko Pops, Toys,
Steam Punk, Pop Culture, Crafts, Collectibles, and so much MORE!!!
Admission is $10 Kids 10 yrs and younger FREE with paying Adult. $1 off Admission if you are in Costume.
COVID PRECAUTIONS Being that the situation with Covid changes, we will update any precautions or restrictions closer to the show date as recommended by the CDC.

YOU’RE INVITED TO HAN AND LEIA’S WEDDING IN STAR WARS: THE PRINCESS AND THE SCOUNDREL – EXCLUSIVE REVEAL
https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-princess-and-the-scoundrel
https://bit.ly/369WCyf
We’ve seen the courtship of Princess Leia unfold on screen.
Now, a new book cordially invites fans to attend the wedding of Leia Organa and Han Solo.
StarWars.com has revealed Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel, a new novel from author Beth Revis arriving this summer.
Set just after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, the story begins on the forest moon of Endor, where Han proposes in the elation of the rebel victory against the Empire.
After a ceremony at the site of the victory celebration at the end of the film, the newlyweds depart for a honeymoon aboard the Halcyon starcruiser, the luxury vessel at the heart of the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney World Resort.
In their most desperate hour, with the war still raging but the Empire nearing its last gasp, the couple must outwit the Imperial remnants clinging to power.
StarWars.com recently sat down with Revis to talk about her love for Leia, how her husband helped refine the dialogue for Han Solo, and the power of love amid the chaos of a galaxy at war.
StarWars.com: How did you approach this story?
Beth Revis: The first thing I did was watch all three of the original movies again (how am I lucky enough that this is my job?!). My initial instinct was to focus on Return of the Jedi since this book picks up right after it, but as I dug into the story, I found myself watching The Empire Strikes Back on repeat. The emotional beats of Han and Leia’s relationship start to spin out in Empire — it’s not just the famous “I know,” line, but it’s the way Leia relates how she doesn’t trust Lando and Han responds with seriousness, the way their trust builds, all the moments that lead up to their confession of love. By the time Return of the Jedi picks up the story, Leia’s been left with that confession long enough to get comfortable with the idea of it. It’s one reason why the relationship between the two works — Leia was always going to be someone who had to think about something like love, and Han was always going to be someone who just followed his gut. The time lapse between those two movies helped them both evolve so that they’re on the same page by the time Han is unfrozen.
I took pages and pages of notes on their dialogue, their mannerisms, the subtle ways they interacted. Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford are simply brilliant actors, and they gave me a lot to work with! I wanted this to be a story where the past was still present, but they were moving forward into new territory. It’s an emotional journey — the aftermath of war always is, but so is the new foundling steps of love.
StarWars.com: Of course, there’s plenty of time to explore my favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder. What did you find most challenging about writing Han and Leia as individuals and as a couple?
Beth Revis: I tested every single line of banter out loud as I wrote it! Thankfully, I married my own scruffy-looking nerf herder, so I’d corner him while I was writing and we’d go back and forth with the dialogue to make sure it sounded correct. Bickering is Han and Leia’s love language, after all! I can happily blow up ships in space, but finding the right balance between funny and romantic in their dialogue was perhaps the most difficult thing of the whole book.
For Han, I wanted to make sure the emotion was still true behind his bravado. No one has ever accused Han of being in touch with his feelings, but he’s a smart guy with strong instincts, and he knows what he’s doing, whether that’s kissing a girl or shooting a blaster. So he is aware that his relationship with Leia can never truly be uncomplicated, but he still has enough confidence to think that it’s worth the try.
On the flip side, I needed to ensure that Leia’s leap of faith in her personal life rang true. I’ve always seen her as someone who can lead troops better than her own heart, someone who’s compartmentalized herself for her own survival. Unwinding that became crucial, and I found the most helpful resources for those feelings in the comics, particularly the Star Wars comics that bridged The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but also in [Marvel’s comic book series] Shattered Empire.
Han had to learn how to build some walls, and Leia had to learn how to tear some down.
Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel arrives August 16 and is available for pre-order now.