Television News

Pussy Riot take on 'Russian leader' in new House of Cards series

Moscow - The two Pussy Riot punk rockers who served jail time for a stunt slamming President Vladimir Putin have once again struck out at the Russian leader.

Turkey warns channel over 'God instead of Allah' dubbing

Istanbul - Turkey's television watchdog has warned a national private channel over the dubbing of a French show where the word for "God" was dubbed with a traditional Turkic word rather than the Islamic "Allah", media said Thursday.

Bahrain closes Saudi prince's TV channel after less than 24 hours

Manama - Bahrain on Monday permanently closed a Saudi billionaire's pan-Arab news channel after less than 24 hours on air, in what an analyst called a worsening of press freedom.

Grammys: Sam Smith wins 4 as show was heavy in performances

Los Angeles - UPDATE: Sam Smith has won Record of the Year at the 2015 Grammys Awards and it helped him win the night with four. Smith grabbed the award and thanked the person who broke his heart.

Directors boost 'Birdman' as Alejandro Inarritu wins

"Birdman" gets a hearty boost as Alejandro Inarritu wins the Directors Guild of America award last night (Feb. 7). It is now the Oscar front-runner as the directors are a good indicator of what is to come.

Watch the first two minutes of the upcoming Walking Dead episode

AMC gave Walking Dead fans a glimpse of the much-anticipated midseason premiere by posting two minutes of footage on YouTube. The episode airs on Sunday Feb 8 at 9 p.m. ET.

Pan-Arab news channel Alarab off air hours after launch

Manama - Programming at a pan-Arab news channel owned by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was unavailable on Monday, hours after its first transmission from Bahrain.

2014 Golden Globes Updates: Who's won, who's lost?

Beverly Hills - The Golden Globes just wrapped up in Beverly Hills with Meryl Streep awarding "Boyhood" the top award of the night. "Boyhood" caps a 12-year journey of film-making and it took home Best Motion Picture, Drama.

'Fargo' flying high with 5 Golden Globe TV nominations

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands "Fargo" five nominations in the TV categories of the Golden Globe Awards this morning in Beverly Hills, CA.

'Birdman' leads SAG nominations; 'Boyhood' is close behind

"Birdman" has flew to the top with four nominations as the SAG Awards (Screen Actors Guild) were announced this morning (Dec. 10) in Los Angeles. The SAG Awards have an ensemble award, which is basically the equivalent to the best picture.

'The Imitation Game' makes the AFI cut; list has 11 this year

The American Film Institute (AFI) hands out their annual lists and they cover movies and television. Are they the best? Maybe, but do not use the word "best." It is more like honorees.

Grammy noms: Sam Smith, Beyonce lead the way with 6 each

UPDATE: In a long promotional gimmick, the final Grammy nomination was announced as part of a TV special on CBS tonight (Dec. 5). The announcement for Album of the Year nominees was held until this broadcast.

IPA hands 'Birdman' 10 nods; Canada lands with 'Mommy'

The International Press Academy (IPA) has given "Birdman" 10 nominations which were announced today as award season is kicking into gear. These are known as The Satellite Awards.

Annie Awards nominations: 'The LEGO Movie' may be the favorite

Los Angeles - The nominees for the Annie Awards were announced today (Dec. 1). The awards are dedicated to animation and will be handed out Jan. 31 in Los Angeles.

What's available on Netflix in December 2014

Christmas comes early for Netflix U.S. customers, as critically acclaimed films (American Beauty) and popular TV series (American Horror Story: Coven) and star comedians (Nick Offerman) arrive on the streaming service in December.

Cosby lawyer blasts sex claim 'absurdity'

Los Angeles - A lawyer for embattled US comic Bill Cosby lashed out at new claims of rape and sexual abuse dating back several decades, saying they have "escalated far past the point of absurdity.

Cosby under pressure as shows scrapped amid sex claims

Los Angeles - The US network NBC pulled the plug on a new Bill Cosby sitcom following a similar move by Netflix, piling pressure on the veteran comic over growing sex assault claims.

Cosby lawyer slams 'old, discredited' sex abuse allegations

Los Angeles - Bill Cosby will not respond to "decade-old, discredited" allegations of sexual abuse, his lawyer said, following recent claims that the beloved US entertainer had assaulted a string of women over the years.

'Gone Girl' takes top prize at Hollywood Film Awards

"Gone Girl" won the top prize from the Hollywood Film Awards but "The Imitation Game" was the big winner. "The Imitation Game" took home actor, supporting actress and director but "Gone Girl" won film.

Russia launches foreign news service to fight West's 'propaganda'

Moscow - Russia launched a new state-funded foreign news service Monday to challenge the "aggressive propaganda" of the West and provide an "alternative interpretation" of global events.

French reality TV star held on suspicion of stabbing boyfriend

Boulogne-billancourt - A French reality TV star whose trademark "hello? I mean hello?" expression earned her national derision and fame has been detained on suspicion of stabbing her boyfriend in the chest, police said Friday.

Snake 'eats' man, sets off Internet tizzy

Washington - A young American naturalist, filmmaker and adventurer in the Amazon set off an Internet stir after he claimed he offered himself for dinner to a giant snake for a TV show.

Op-Ed: 'South Park' bashes the free-to-play model

The freemuim game model has been one of the most controversial market trends in the gaming industry. As real gamers, Trey Parker and Matt Stone critically dissect the model in the recent South Park episode "Freemium Isn't Free".

CMAs: Luke Bryan wins top award but Miranda Lambert has big night

Garth Brooks came back to a familiar setting and presented the Entertainer of the Year Award as the Country Music Association Awards wrapped in Nashville. The award went to Luke Bryan. It was the last award of the night and the biggest, too.

America Cooks with Chefs reveals its new contestants

Health and wellness body “America Cooks with Chefs” has announced the six contestants who will be paired with professional chefs to participate in a challenge to create the best delicious and healthy dish - the 800 calorie challenge.

As state TV takes over, Venezuela soap stars turn to stage

Caracas - Crowded out of a once-booming "telenovela" industry by a government takeover of nearly half the country's TV networks, Venezuelan soap opera stars are increasingly taking their craft to the stage.

Napa woman's death blamed on last month's earthquake

Napa - A 65-year-old Napa resident who died last week of injuries suffered in the Aug. 24 South Napa earthquake has been classified as the first fatality from the 6.0 temblor.

Joan Rivers, 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by family

New York - Joan Rivers, the caustic stand-up comic and television host who blazed a trail at a time when comedy was all but off-limits to women, died in New York. She was 81.

Joan Rivers, queen of U.S. 'comediennes,' dies aged 81

New York - Joan Rivers, the caustic stand-up comic and television host who blazed a trail at a time when comedy was all but off-limits to women, died in hospital in New York on Thursday. She was 81.