Latest news with #Bookie
Geek Vibes Nation
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
HBO Max Pulls the Plug on Bookie After Two Seasons
In a surprising move, HBO Max has decided to end its well-received comedy series Bookie after just two seasons, leaving fans of the show disheartened. The series, which wrapped up its second season in December 2024, will not return for a third, marking the end of its run on the streaming platform. A Brief but Memorable Run Bookie first premiered in November 2023, captivating audiences with its sharp humor and gritty take on the world of sports betting. Created by Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay, the show followed a high-stakes narrative filled with chaotic and comedic moments. Its debut season set the tone for a story that blended laughs with the unpredictable nature of its characters' lives. The second season, released a little over a year later, upped the ante with even more daring plotlines and complex situations, further endearing the series to its loyal fanbase. Despite its popularity, the show's fate was sealed, as HBO Max opted not to renew it. The decision reflects the often unpredictable nature of the streaming industry, where even fan-favorite series can face abrupt cancellations, leaving viewers without closure. HBO Max's Statement on the Cancellation In a statement shared with Variety, an HBO Max spokesperson expressed gratitude for the show's creative team and cast, led by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. 'For two seasons, creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay, along with their talented cast, brought laughter and insight into the world of sports betting,' the spokesperson said. 'While we won't be proceeding with a third season, we're thankful for the opportunity to have worked with such an incredible team on this hilarious comedy.' A Stellar Cast Bookie boasted a talented ensemble, with Sebastian Maniscalco at the helm as the lead. The cast also featured Omar Dorsey as Rayfield 'Ray' Ballard, Andrea Anders as Sandra, Vanessa Ferlito as Lorraine Colavito, Jorge Garcia as Hector, and Maxim Swinton as Anthony. Additional notable performances came from Rob Corddry as Walt Dinty and Selina Kaye as Janelle. The show also included recurring appearances by actors like Arnetia Walker, Toby Huss, and Dale Dickey, adding depth to its vibrant world. The Streaming Landscape and Fan Reactions The cancellation of Bookie highlights the challenges faced by shows in the competitive streaming market. Fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment, with many praising the series for its unique premise and strong performances. While the show's conclusion is a loss for its dedicated viewers, its two seasons remain available on HBO Max for those looking to revisit or discover its comedic charm. As the streaming giant moves forward with new projects, the end of Bookie serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of even the most promising series. For now, fans can hold onto the laughter and chaos of the show's memorable run, while hoping for future projects from its talented cast and creators.
Screen Geek
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
HBO Max Cancels Fan-Favorite Series After Two Seasons
The second season of a fan-favorite series on HBO Max came to an end late last year. Sadly, for fans hoping that an additional season would be announced this year, it looks like that's not the case. In fact, HBO Max made the decision to cancel this fan-favorite series after releasing only two seasons. The first season dropped in November 2023, setting the stage with a story full of high stakes and messy situations. A little over a year later, the second season arrived in December 2024 – picking up with even bigger risks and complications. As is the case with many shows in the age of streaming, it is always unclear whether or not a series that viewers have invested their time in will be canceled with little to no warning. While it would have been great for fans to have been treated with a third season by the end of this year, it seems the story of this particular series has come to an end. 'For two seasons creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay and their hilarious cast, led by Sebastian Maniscalco, made us laugh while pulling back the curtain on the world of sports betting,' an HBO Max spokesperson stated to Variety regarding the series – which is none other than Bookie. The spokesperson further confirmed that Bookie would not be returning for a third season: 'We won't be moving forward with a third season, but we are grateful to have worked with such a brilliant team on this laugh out loud comedy.' In addition to Sebastian Maniscalco, the cast of Bookie also included Omar Dorsey as Rayfield 'Ray' Ballard, Andrea Anders as Sandra, Vanessa Ferlito as Lorraine Colavito, Jorge Garcia as Hector, Maxim Swinton as Anthony, Rob Corddry as Walt Dinty and Selina Kaye as Janelle. There were also several recurring cast members including Arnetia Walker, Toby Huss, and Dale Dickey. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for more news regarding the latest trending shows and which titles have been renewed or canceled as we have them. For now, however, it looks like fans of Bookie will have to settle for the two existing seasons of the series since there won't be a third.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sebastian Maniscalco's kids are his world. But he's not their friend.
For Sebastian Maniscalco, few sounds are sweeter than an audience's laughter. Though validation from other parents also ranks pretty high. 'Once you start hearing that what you're doing at the house is working outside the house, it's incredible,' says the 51-year-old comedian, who is dad to Serafina, 8, and Caruso, nearly 6. The son of Italian immigrants, Maniscalco regularly riffs on his childhood in his routines. His experiences growing up in an old-school Italian family have become a hallmark of his comedy style — and his parenting style too. He'll be the first to admit he's the disciplinarian in the household. 'I pride myself on teaching my kids manners,' he says. 'I don't want my kid growing up like some entitled brat who just expects everything to be handed to them. I'm not my kids' friend. I'll say no and be firm with it and not cave in.' But Maniscalco and his wife, Lana, balance each other well. 'She has a lot more patience,' he tells Yahoo Life. He refers to her as the gentle parent, but he draws the line at gentle parenting. 'That takes it to a new level where the kid is basically running the house,' he says. That's certainly not the case at the Maniscalco abode, where the kids make their beds, clean their plates and handle other chores. Never one to shy away from a teachable moment, the comedian will call out bad behavior in public: 'If I see it and my kids see it with me, I'll pull them aside and go, 'You see the way that kid behaved? We don't do that in our family.'' Maniscalco had some time to figure out his approach to parenting: He became a father in his 40s. That wasn't on purpose, he says — he just spent his earlier years building his career. And he wouldn't have it any other way. 'The wisdom and the maturity have benefited me as a father in ways that I never could imagine,' says Maniscalco, whose acting credits include Bookie, The Irishman and About My Father. 'I have lessons that I could pass down to my kids because I've lived a bit more of a life than a man who has kids in his 20s or early 30s.' He's had to find ways to juggle fatherhood with his career, and likes to build his schedule in spurts: a few days on, a few days off. A week on the road, a week at home. 'I love to work, but I also love my family,' he says. 'It's nice to go on the road for three days, do what I love to do and then come back.' That's because being a present dad is a nonnegotiable for him. When he's home, he's a mainstay at his son's Little League games and takes his daughter to gymnastics, calling their car rides 'some of the best times we've ever had' because it's just the two of them, distraction-free. As a family, they recently took in their first baseball game together and love hitting farmers markets. They're also big travelers and are headed to France and Italy this summer. Importantly, Maniscalco gets that parenting doesn't come with a script, so he's happy to pivot when needed and defer to Lana when he's been away. 'There are no egos here when it comes to getting stuff done around the house,' he says. 'It's not like, 'That's not my job' [or] 'I don't do that.' It's very much, 'What do you need?' [It's] very active.' He often jokes about his family, but Maniscalco, who is currently on his 'It Ain't Right' tour, isn't out to put his family on blast. 'I'm just looking to share stories that I find humorous,' he says. 'I feel like whatever I find funny is the type of humor that people are going to enjoy, and that my kids, if they ever look back on it, are not going to be embarrassed [by].' He also stays relatable by sharing too-real parenting moments on his socials, like the time his wife had to sit in their impossible-to-uninstall car seat (don't worry, it was in the back seat), or the realities of having two dogs (a house that 'smells like beef jerky and wet tennis balls.'). Alas, his kids may be some of his biggest inspirations, but they're also some of his toughest critics. Case in point: In December, Caruso fell asleep at one of his dad's shows. Still, Maniscalco wasn't offended. 'I don't blame him,' he says with a laugh.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sebastian Maniscalco's kids are his world. But he's not their friend.
For Sebastian Maniscalco, few sounds are sweeter than an audience's laughter. Though validation from other parents also ranks pretty high. 'Once you start hearing that what you're doing at the house is working outside the house, it's incredible,' says the 51-year-old comedian, who is dad to Serafina, 8, and Caruso, nearly 6. The son of Italian immigrants, Maniscalco regularly riffs on his childhood in his routines. His experiences growing up in an old-school Italian family have become a hallmark of his comedy style — and his parenting style too. He'll be the first to admit he's the disciplinarian in the household. 'I pride myself on teaching my kids manners,' he says. 'I don't want my kid growing up like some entitled brat who just expects everything to be handed to them. I'm not my kids' friend. I'll say no and be firm with it and not cave in.' But Maniscalco and his wife, Lana, balance each other well. 'She has a lot more patience,' he tells Yahoo Life. He refers to her as the gentle parent, but he draws the line at gentle parenting. 'That takes it to a new level where the kid is basically running the house,' he says. That's certainly not the case at the Maniscalco abode, where the kids make their beds, clean their plates and handle other chores. Never one to shy away from a teachable moment, the comedian will call out bad behavior in public: 'If I see it and my kids see it with me, I'll pull them aside and go, 'You see the way that kid behaved? We don't do that in our family.'' Maniscalco had some time to figure out his approach to parenting: He became a father in his 40s. That wasn't on purpose, he says — he just spent his earlier years building his career. And he wouldn't have it any other way. 'The wisdom and the maturity have benefited me as a father in ways that I never could imagine,' says Maniscalco, whose acting credits include Bookie, The Irishman and About My Father. 'I have lessons that I could pass down to my kids because I've lived a bit more of a life than a man who has kids in his 20s or early 30s.' He's had to find ways to juggle fatherhood with his career, and likes to build his schedule in spurts: a few days on, a few days off. A week on the road, a week at home. 'I love to work, but I also love my family,' he says. 'It's nice to go on the road for three days, do what I love to do and then come back.' That's because being a present dad is a nonnegotiable for him. When he's home, he's a mainstay at his son's Little League games and takes his daughter to gymnastics, calling their car rides 'some of the best times we've ever had' because it's just the two of them, distraction-free. As a family, they recently took in their first baseball game together and love hitting farmers markets. They're also big travelers and are headed to France and Italy this summer. Importantly, Maniscalco gets that parenting doesn't come with a script, so he's happy to pivot when needed and defer to Lana when he's been away. 'There are no egos here when it comes to getting stuff done around the house,' he says. 'It's not like, 'That's not my job' [or] 'I don't do that.' It's very much, 'What do you need?' [It's] very active.' He often jokes about his family, but Maniscalco, who is currently on his 'It Ain't Right' tour, isn't out to put his family on blast. 'I'm just looking to share stories that I find humorous,' he says. 'I feel like whatever I find funny is the type of humor that people are going to enjoy, and that my kids, if they ever look back on it, are not going to be embarrassed [by].' He also stays relatable by sharing too-real parenting moments on his socials, like the time his wife had to sit in their impossible-to-uninstall car seat (don't worry, it was in the back seat), or the realities of having two dogs (a house that 'smells like beef jerky and wet tennis balls.'). Alas, his kids may be some of his biggest inspirations, but they're also some of his toughest critics. Case in point: In December, Caruso fell asleep at one of his dad's shows. Still, Maniscalco wasn't offended. 'I don't blame him,' he says with a laugh.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Leanne Morgan Netflix Sitcom From EP Chuck Lorre Will Drop All 16 Episodes in July — See First Photos
Chuck Lorre's latest multi-cam is bypassing broadcast television and going straight to streaming: Netflix on Wednesday announced that Leanne will premiere Thursday, July 31 — and all 16 (!) episodes will drop at once. The half-hour comedy, which Lorre co-created with Susan McMartin (Mom, Two and a Half Men) and stand-up comedian Leanne Morgan, casts Morgan as… well, Leanne! In the show, 'Leanne's life takes an unexpected turn when Bill, her husband of 33 years (played by Two and a Half Men's Ryan Stiles) leaves her for another woman,' according to the official logline. 'Starting over when you're a grandmother and in menopause isn't exactly what she had in mind, but with the help of her family' — including Mom's Kristen Johnston, who plays Leanne's sister Carol — 'she will navigate this new chapter with grace, dignity and jello salad.' More from TVLine Every New Scripted Show Confirmed to Premiere in 2025 — Save the Dates! The Chuck Lorre All-Stars: Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage Cast on Their Long Histories With the Sitcom Titan The Morning Show Sets Season 4 Premiere Date, Confirms Jon Hamm's Return - See First Photos Rounding out the cast are Blake Clark (Boy Meets World) and Celia Weston (Modern Family) as Leanne's parents, John and Margaret; Graham Rogers (The Kominsky Method) and Hannah Pilkes (Would I Lie to You) as her adult children, Tyler and Josie; and recurring guest stars Tim Daly (Wings), Jayma Mays (Glee), Annie Gonzalez (Gentefied) and Blake Gibbons (Bookie). Lorre, McMartin and Morgan executive-produce alongside Nick Bakay (Bob Hearts Abishola, Bookie, The Kominsky Method, Mom, Two and a Half Men, Young Sheldon) and Judi Marmel (Bookie). A trailer for Leanne Season 1 has not yet been released; TVLine will update this page once there is footage to share. In the meantime, scroll down to see a selection of first-look photos, then hit the comments and tell us if you'll be adding to your Netflix watch list this July. Best of TVLine Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More 'Missing' Shows, Found! The Latest on Severance, Holey Moley, Poker Face, YOU, Primo, Transplant and 25+ Others
