
For Morris Chestnut, R&B Is Therapeutic
When Morris Chestnut first heard about 'Watson,' a new CBS medical mystery set within the Sherlock Holmes mythology, he was interested. But once he read the script by Craig Sweeny — the show's creator and one of the writers behind that other Sherlockian CBS series, 'Elementary' — he grew even more excited.
'He has so many crazy, creative ideas,' Chestnut, 56, said. 'So I rushed to it. I said, 'I have to do it.''
'Watson' opens as Chestnut's character, Dr. John Watson, is rebuilding his life six months after the death of his dear friend and partner, Sherlock Holmes. Holmes has left Watson a parting gift: a medical clinic, in Pittsburgh, devoted to curing rare disorders.
'He's treating patients, and while he's treating those patients, he somewhat also has to treat himself,' Chestnut said.
Studying to be a doctor is stressful, but so is studying to sound like one, and it requires a certain level of sacrifice — especially for an N.F.L. addict.
'When I'm doing the show, I literally have to pick one game on Sunday,' Chestnut said of learning the medical jargon that flows like honey from Watson's mouth. 'In the middle of commercial breaks, I'm looking at the script.'
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Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
George Clooney Previews Saturday's Live Telecast Of ‘Good Night, And Good Luck' on CNN: 'Some Networks Aren't Really Up For Doing This Right Now'
Decades before CNN agreed to a live telecast of Broadway's Good Night, and Good Luck on June 7, George Clooney had originally envisioned it as a special for CBS, not a movie for theaters and a play on Broadway. 'But then there was that mishap with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl,' recalls Clooney to Deadline. 'And suddenly I got a call from the head of CBS saying, 'we're out of the live TV business.' So we wrote it as a movie.' More from Deadline 'Good Night, And Good Luck's Penultimate Performance On Broadway To Air Live On CNN 'Good Night, And Good Luck' Starring George Clooney Recoups $9.5 Million Broadway Investment Biden Blasts Trump Over "False" Claims That Aides Ran Country During His Presidency; Current POTUS Admits He Has No Proof For Allegation - Update Clooney's vision has finally come full circle. For the penultimate performance of Good Night, and Good Luck — which opened in April and has since become the highest-grossing production in the history of the Shubert Organization — Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre will be equipped with 21 cameras for the live broadcast that's set to kick off at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on CNN and CNN International. It will also stream live on and via CNN's apps on connected TVs and mobile devices, without requiring a cable login, as well as on Max across all subscription plans. 'This is just the natural gestation,' says Clooney of Good Night, and Good Luck's trajectory from a 2005 film to a first-ever live telecast of a Broadway play. 'Obviously some of the networks aren't really up for the idea of doing this right now. I think they're all a little shellshocked from tariff talk and lawsuits and everything else.' That's where Warner Bros Discovery came in. In early May, Clooney called CEO David Zaslav about finding the right platform for the play that recently received five Tony Award nominations, including Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Clooney. 'I have a little bit of a history with doing live television,' says Clooney. 'I talked NBC into doing ER as a live show, and then I did a live movie called Fail Safe for CBS. Saturday is a good night for us because it's our last evening performance. Our run is over so it's not costing the play anything anymore. Why don't we open it up and show people how fun it is to come to New York to see a play?' CNN anchors Anderson Cooper and Pamela Brown will lead special live coverage that begins at 6:30 pm ET outside of the Winter Garden Theatre. Immediately following the broadcast, Cooper will host an exclusive special to discuss the production and state of global journalism. Den of Thieves is producing the live show. Executive producers are Clooney, Grant Heslov, Deena Katz, Jeff Skoll and Todd Wagner, as well as Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski. The plan isn't to infringe on the audience who bought tickets a long time ago, insists Clooney. Cameras with long lenses will be perched in the back of the house while others will be hidden in speakers and TV monitors so viewers can get up close and personal shots of the action. 'We're not re-blocking the play,' says Clooney of the drama that he co-wrote with Heslov, who will serve as co-director of the telecast with Micah Bickham. 'We made this play from a movie. We don't need to do another movie. We're not doing that kind of coverage. It's still a play and we want people to see the audience and we want people to see big wider shots, to see how sets are changing and then to get in closer. So it's a bit of everything. We want it to feel like a very unique theater experience.' The only instructions for the theater audience that night will be to get their butts in the seats before curtain. 'It's going to get a little ugly if you come walking in once the show starts. There are no commercial breaks or anything,' says Clooney. 'It's a funny thing that happens in a live show. I remember the Obamas were here the other day and everybody was so excited. The play was four minutes shorter than it normally is. So I expect having done live television before with ER and with Fail Safe, I expect the show will pick up a little pace. But we'll get into a groove.' If there's one message that Clooney hopes to get across to viewers, it's the importance of a free press and speaking truth to power — one of the key tenets of the Clooney Foundation for Justice that the actor has run with his wife, Amal, since 2016. 'Murrow was taking on McCarthy at a time when people were afraid. 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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘Big Bang Theory' star Kunal Nayyar gets candid on if he'd be open to a reboot
We'd love to put this plan into motion. After starring as astrophysicist Raj in 'The Big Bang Theory' for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019, Kunal Nayyar would love to get the gang back together. But, it might be too soon to be shouting 'Bazinga!' just yet. 12 Kunal Nayyar attends the 'South Asians at the Oscars' Pre-Oscars Party. Getty Images for A-Game Public Relations 'First of all, I would be game because I'd love to spend more time with people who are my family,' Nayyar, 44. 'But look, we only ended in 2019. I'm not sure you're legally allowed to have a reunion. What? Six years after the show ends!' 'I think that would obviously have to mature a little bit,' the 'A.J. Fikry' alum continued. 'Even though the show ended in 2019, it's still on every single day, so it feels like even though the show is over, it's still on. So I think some time would have to pass, and hopefully, if I'm not too old to wear a t-shirt or a sweater vest, yes, I would love to come back on.' The CBS sitcom followed a group of best friends and roommates and also starred Kaley Cuoco as Penny, Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter, Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz, and Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler. 12 Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg on 'The Big Bang Theory.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection When the show went off air, fans weren't completely out of the 'Big Bang' universe, as the spinoff 'Young Sheldon' started in 2017, which followed Sheldon Cooper growing up in East Texas. 'There is an entire generation of people who are watching 'Young Sheldon' for the first time, and then they realize there is an entire 12 years of a show after 'Young Sheldon,' so it's the greatest gift,' Nayyar gushed, 'and it was one of the greatest periods of our life, and we are all so lucky to have lived it.' If the network were to get the cast back together for one more hoorah, the actor knows exactly what the close-knit friend group would be up to. 12 Beth Behrs, Kunal Nayyar on 'Big Bang Theory.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection 'I think we would just be sitting on the couch eating Chinese food like we always have. That's the family, and the family always stays together,' the actor told The Post. Looking back at his time on set, the comedian admitted that it was hard to stay in character while dealing with a room full of hilarious stars. And one funny man, in particular, is to blame. 'You know, Simon Helberg, who played Wolowitz, is still the funniest human to have ever lived,' Nayyar stated. 'Any time I'm in a scene with him, he would just do something that would set me off. I'm not sure I was pissing them off, but we show up in front of a live audience. You have to get it right. You can't mess around. I was quite embarrassed because I would always break, and I would wait for the camera to turn to the other actor, and then I would break and come back.' 12 Nathan Fillion, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar on the CBS sitcom. ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection 'But I was terrible so I'm apologizing to everyone,' he added. 'We were very lucky to have a really loving and happy set for 12 years.' These days, the 'Criminal: UK' star is still in touch with 'everyone,' explaining that their bond is one for the books. 'You can't go through a run like that without being [close],' confessed Nayyar. 'I spent more time with them than I did with my actual family. So I'm in touch with everyone. We are all still very close.' 12 'The Big Bang Theory.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection Although, don't expect this cast to have a text chain. 'It's individual text,' Nayyar teased, 'I have like 70 family group chats, so no more group chats!' Over the years, the tech creator has taken on a variety of roles but has one genre in mind that he'd be open to exploring next. 'I would love to do true crime detective, badass kind of work,' revealed Nayyar. 'Just to explore that world, obviously, because I played one specific character on television for so long. I did a TV show on Netflix called 'Criminal: UK.' I got nominated for a BAFTA for that. I did a show for Apple called 'Suspicion.' I did a movie called 'A.J. Fikry.' Predominantly, mostly dramatic work, but it's something different and nice to explore.' 12 Laura Spencer, Kunal Nayyar in 'The Big Bang Theory.' ©CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection Nayyar also shared who his dream co-star would be, although he couldn't pick just one. 'If Philip Seymour Hoffman were alive, he'd be my greatest guest star of all time,' Nayyar detailed. 'I love Jeffrey Wright, Tom Hanks, all the classic actors who I really, really look up to. I would love to work opposite of.' Along with being a seasoned actor, Nayyar is proving he's more like his on-screen character than some may think, having created the new app IQ121 (pronounced IQ One-Two-One). 'I think all of us actors will admit that we bring aspects of our personality to all the characters we play,' Nayyar said about playing Raj. 'If that means a part of me is nerdy, I am happy to accept it.' 12 Kunal Nayyar's new app designed to help individuals, families and professionals organize, manage and safely store essential life documents and digital assets. 12 Kunal Nayyer in season 2 of 'Criminal: UK.' ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 12 Kunal Nayyar in 'Criminal: UK.' ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Biggest similarities, there are quite a few, obviously,' he expanded. 'Obviously, we are very different in real life. I have no issues talking to women. I've been married a long time now, but there are a lot of similarities. I am obsessed with 'Star Wars,' I am a big comic book nerd; there are many ways in which we are similar, and of course, there are many ways in which we are different.' When it comes to putting his all into this work, as long as their is a creative outlet involved that he's passionate about – Nayyar is all in. 'I don't really differentiate between creating an app or acting – for me, it's all a creative process,' he shared. 'I love the idea of creating this app, and I love the idea of being on set and shooting a movie or shooting a TV series, so I don't think there is one or another. I feel, in my heart, I am going to do it with the purest energy I can.' 12 Kunal Nayyar in 'The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.' Vertical Entertainment 12 Kunal Nayyar. Vertical Entertainment Nayyar's new app, meanwhile, was created while he was on a flight from London to Los Angeles, thinking of all the info he needed to get his parents before he booked their trip. 'IQ121 was actually born because I live between Los Angeles, London and New Delhi, and I have family scattered all over the world,' he explained. 'And every time I needed to book a flight for my parents to come visit me, it's like, 'Can you please scan your passport? Can I get your license? I've got to fill this out. So, I was like, why don't we have one place, a digital storehouse for the family, where we can create a place that is safe and encrypted for us to share sensitive documents.' In this day and age of technology, it's more important than ever to have a safe and easy space to access and share documents, as well as pictures and personal information. 12 Kunal Nayyar attends the Royal Film Performance and Global Premiere of 'Gladiator II.' Getty Images for Paramount Pictures 'That is sort of how this came together,' he added. 'For me, it was more out of a necessity. I was like we need to create something so families scattered all over the world [can access it]. This is exactly why I created this and why it's very important for our times.' Nayyar hopes users will use IQ121 for years to come for a multitude of reasons. 'It's not just a digital storehouse for sensitive, familial documents; it's also a place [where] you can upload photographs and memories. I hope ultimately it becomes a digital file you can then hand down to generations in the family.'


Business Upturn
2 hours ago
- Business Upturn
NCIS Season 23: Release date speculation, cast and plot details – Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on June 6, 2025, 19:00 IST Last updated June 6, 2025, 12:41 IST NCIS , the long-running CBS procedural drama, continues to captivate audiences with its compelling mix of crime-solving, character-driven storytelling, and military intrigue. With Season 22 concluding on May 5, 2025, fans are eagerly anticipating NCIS Season 23. Here's everything we know so far about the release date, cast, plot details, and more. NCIS Season 23 Release Date Speculation CBS confirmed the renewal of NCIS for Season 23 in February 2025, alongside other franchise shows like NCIS: Origins and NCIS: Sydney . While an exact premiere date has not been announced, the series has historically been a fall staple. Based on previous seasons, such as Season 22's premiere on October 14, 2024, and industry reports, NCIS Season 23 is expected to debut in late September or early October 2025. Some reports speculate a potential premiere as early as August 11, 2025, though this seems optimistic given CBS's typical scheduling. The show will likely return to its new Tuesday 8/7c slot, following its shift from Mondays in the 2025-2026 lineup, as noted by TV Insider . NCIS Season 23 Cast: Who's Returning? The NCIS Season 23 cast is expected to feature the core team from Season 22, as no major departures were reported following the finale. The main cast members likely to return include: Gary Cole as Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker Sean Murray as Senior Special Agent Timothy McGee Wilmer Valderrama as Special Agent Nicholas 'Nick' Torres Katrina Law as Special Agent Jessica Knight Brian Dietzen as Dr. Jimmy Palmer Diona Reasonover as Forensic Scientist Kasie Hines Rocky Carroll as NCIS Director Leon Vance NCIS Season 23 Plot Details: What to Expect? As a procedural drama, NCIS Season 23 will likely continue its case-of-the-week format, with each episode introducing standalone mysteries tied to Navy or Marine Corps crimes. However, the Season 22 finale set up a significant overarching narrative that will drive Season 23's plot, particularly centered on Alden Parker (Gary Cole) and his pursuit of Carla Marino (Rebecca De Mornay). The Season 22 finale revealed a devastating twist: Carla Marino, Parker's longtime nemesis, is likely responsible for the murder of his father, Roman Parker (Francis X. McCarthy), as suggested by a lipstick stain on a wine glass. This personal tragedy will push Parker into 'very dark places,' according to TV Insider , setting the stage for an emotionally charged arc. The team's hunt for Marino, connected to a high-stakes plot involving stolen nuclear material and the Nexus cartel, will likely dominate the season's narrative. Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at