Multiple births often involve high-risk pregnancies, premature deliveries, and high anxiety for new parents and their families.
TV loves the drama of carrying this many babies at once, but they don’t always get key details correct.
Will The Good Doctor Season 6 Episode 7 be an exception? It’s done a better job with autism than many other series, so maybe it’ll pull this off too!
World Premature Baby Day was November 17; this episode, originally slated to air on November 21, might have been meant to coincide with it. If that’s the case, that significantly ups the chances that this series will handle the sextuplet birth and aftermath somewhat realistically.
I certainly hope so! As the proud uncle of quadruplets, I hate when multiple births are written inappropriately. There’s enough drama with these high-risk pregnancies without making things up that would never happen.
One aspect that rings true is the anxiety the parents feel when their children have to be immediately whisked off to the NICU because their underdeveloped lungs make breathing difficult.
Parents fear the worst, especially given that their babies are often born exceedingly prematurely. Modern technology makes it more likely that premature children will survive, but it depends on how early they arrive and how developed they are.
In addition, it’s difficult to tell what effects prematurity might have on the babies’ cognitive function.
This often isn’t clear until they’re older, but premature birth can cause developmental and cognitive delays. Hence, parents of premature multiples must be prepared for one or more of their children to have disabilities.
All new parents are exhausted and anxious, but these concerns are amplified when you have several babies at once and don’t know how they will fare physically or mentally! I hope The Good Doctor addresses this as well as the physical problems the children have.
According to spoilers, the hospital will put doctors on teams so that they can attend to all the babies in the NICU. Hopefully, there will be some obstetricians involved in this too!
Anyway, from the photos, it appears there are at least three teams:
Andrews/Jordan
Lim/Powell
Asher/Jerome
Glassman is also working with the babies, and Asher needs a supervising physician — could he have the opportunity to work with the hospital’s former president?
Three teams would mean each one is responsible for two babies, which could be a big ask if they all have serious problems.
The spoiler video has at least one of the babies in danger. While the NICU is often able to save premature babies nowadays, if one or more is seriously underdeveloped, those babies might not be able to survive or live independently of life support.
This will be dramatic and heartbreaking for the parents if it happens!
What is Shaun doing during this dramatic case? He and Lea are discussing starting a family, but surely he is involved in some way with the medical case too.
Dealing with this case might be hard for Shaun and Lea, considering the miscarriage she suffered before their marriage. The miscarriage hasn’t been mentioned in a long time, but having six babies in the NICU should trigger old feelings.
If one or more of the babies dies, it will almost certainly make Lea think twice about having children. She may fear having another miscarriage and not want to go through the process of trying to get pregnant only to lose the baby again.
Shaun will likely see it from more of a scientific point of view and calculate the odds of a second miscarriage. But will this issue — and Shaun’s method of dealing with it — drive a wedge between him and Lea?
The other big question mark here is the type of publicity surrounding this case.
The media often treats multiple births as big news, so this case could put St. Bonaventure on the map!
The parents likely don’t want that type of attention, and the hospital probably doesn’t either, but reporters may find out anyway and start hounding everyone for interviews.
Shaun wasn’t comfortable with the publicity Salen’s diversity campaign brought him on The Good Doctor Season 5; it’s anyone’s guess how he — or the rest of the staff — will handle it if reporters bother them during this case.
Finally, will any of the doctors have religious or other ethical concerns that interfere with making the best decisions for these babies?
Stories involving children who have to be taken off life support are often controversial. Sometimes, the parent or a doctor will refuse to do it because of their religious beliefs.
If any of the babies seem too underdeveloped to survive, there might be an argument over whether or not the parents should let them go.
The doctors can’t withdraw life support without the parents’ consent or a court order, and Shaun might be determined to find a novel solution to save the child’s life.
All in all, this story seems like it has a lot of potential. What do you this, The Good Doctor fanatics? Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know!
Channel 5 Hails ‘Black Cab’ With Robert Glenister, Suzanne Packer & Sean Pertwee
Paramount’s UK terrestrial network Channel 5 has unveiled a four-part thriller, Black Cab, with Robert Glenister (Sherwood) , Suzanne Packer (In My Skin) and Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Gotham) starring. The contemporary thriller, produced by Story Films in association with All3Media International, will air next year. Black Cab will follow Glenister as a down-and-out Liverpool taxi driver, who begins to form an unhealthy obsession and twisted sense of world view of a late-night radio talk show host (Pertwee). Nick Saltrese (A Prayer Before Dawn) has penned the series and Diarmuid Goggins(Kin, Bulletproof) is the director, with Alex Jones (Penance, Witness No. 3) producing. All3Media International will handle global distribution.
ITV Studios-backed Squid Game: The Challenge producer The Garden has signed Small Axe associate producer Helen Bart and Celebrity Race Across the World exec Jo Harcourt-Smith to support an expanded slate. Both join the company as Executive Producers and will work across multiple genres. The Garden most recently won lucrative business from Netflix in the form of Squid Game: The Challenge with Studio Lambert, a spin-off competition format of the Korean smash hit. Bart most recently worked on Fight the Power for PBS and the BBC and collaborated with Steve McQueen on hit anthology Small Axe, while Harcourt-Smith’s credits include the likes of Celebrity Race Across the World and upcoming Netflix format Snowflake Mountain. “Helen and Jo exemplify the breadth of a slate that now stretches from formats to box-sets via a renewed docs heartland and that sees us making premium shows of scale both in the UK and internationally,” said John Hay, Joint CEO of The Garden.
Ealing Studios To Expand On 120th Birthday
London’s Ealing Studios, which calls itself the oldest film studio in the world, is expanding with a £20M development on its 120th anniversary. The Bridget Jones, Downton Abbey and One Night in Soho studio has received council permission to build a 14,000 sqft stage, 10,000 sqft new workshops and 35,000 sqft office space under a Net Zero Carbon Scheme. Ealing Studios said the new buildings will “honour the distinctive Art Deco aesthetic of the original 1930’s Grade II listed sound stages.” “Since the invention of film, Ealing Studios has been at the forefront of every new media revolution – and this is the next stage in our evolution, responding to a need for greater studio space as well as recognising the need to become a more sustainable industry,” said Barnaby Thompson, Ealing Studios Partner.
British Comedy Talent Board Sky Studios Comedy Scheme
Sanjeev Bhaskar, Liam Williams and Timewasters creator Daniel Lawrence Taylor are among the mentors for Sky Studios latest Sky Comedy Rep writing talent scheme with the Birmingham Rep. Eight new writers will spend the next six months on a paid training program to develop a script, each mentored by some of the UK’s biggest writing talents. The partnership was forged last year by Birmingham Rep Artistic Director Sean Foley and Sky Studios Creative Director of Comedy Anil Gupta. This year’s brief was to submit a sample of a one-act play set around the premise of Proposal in the Park.
Jay Leno clearly lives by the credo … if you get injured doing what you love, you gotta get back in the buggy!!!
Jay, who was seriously burned when a fuel leak on a 1907 steamer triggered a fire that burned his face and hands, was back at it again Saturday, taking a spin in a vintage Bentley on the streets of L.A.
Some of the burns are apparent … you see the scarring on his right hand. Jay suffered both second and third-degree burns.
Jay jumped in his Tesla a few days ago and went back to the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills … cookies in hand to thank the medical staff for treating him.
The comedian then beelined it to a Chick-fil-A for a sandie.
MEGA/Backgrid
It’s pretty remarkable … it seemed impossible Jay would bounce back so quickly, but people we know who are close to him were never in doubt.
We were told he’d be back onstage in a week or 2 and that’s exactly what’s gonna happen. Jay’s scheduled to perform at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach in the L.A. area on Sunday. It’s a sold-out show.
The White Lotus Season 2 Episode 5 sent all of the storylines in exciting directions, preparing us for the final two episodes of the season.
Honestly, it’s hard to tell who will die in these final episodes. Aside from Daphne, Rocco, and Valentina, there are many potential victims.
It’s hard to say I’ll be sad to see the backs of many of these people because they’re all pretty despicable.
They’re like walking disasters; thanks to the writing and acting, you don’t want to look away.
It’s no secret that I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding Quentin, but I didn’t expect the final scene to be that shocking.
A part of me thinks Jack, Quentin, and the others are crooks and have kickstarted this plan to try and get money out of Tanya,
Are we supposed to believe that Quentin is this lost soul who recognized a lost soul in Tanya?
A telltale sign there is a lack of funds going around this group is the way Jack bailed on paying the bill and was somewhat proud of it,
If he wanted to make an impact on Portia, he would have had the money available to pay the bill or, at the very least, split it.
I don’t even believe he’s Quentin’s nephew, either. I think the next two episodes will be super telling about who these men are and more importantly, why they’ve taken Tanya under their wing.
It would be great to be wrong, and in the show’s defense, it manages to subvert expectations on an episodic basis, so there’s no telling what could come next.
The tricky part is that Tanya and Portia are well away from the resort in a place that looks like the middle of nowhere.
Tanya isn’t the kind of person who will keep her mouth shut about what she saw in the room, and Portia will have to choose whether to believe her boss or her new love interest.
Portia has already proven that she doesn’t know much about loyalty, based on how she’s spoken about Tanya to everyone who listens, so I’m intrigued to find out how this dynamic plays out.
I doubt Tanya will die because Jennifer Coolidge is an asset to the show, and I don’t think it’d be the same without her. This is Tanya’s world, and everyone else lives in it. It’s that simple.
The Albie-Lucia dynamic could have been a lot of fun, but we’re watching Albie get used here. Lucia has proven to be a master manipulator.
Yes, Alesso — or so we’re being led to believe — showed up at the last minute. Is it possible he is her boyfriend?
Lucia has aspirations of a life away from Italy, and something tells me she won’t get that with Lucia. The only way out of this mess is for Dominic to confess what happened to his son.
It has to come sooner or later, right?
Lucia doesn’t strike me as a bad person. She’s manipulative, sure, but a part of her looked genuinely upset about telling Albie about him owing a debt. #
In the end, I expect Lucia to have sex with Dominic and his son to start a conversation between the father and son about who they really are.
Dominic refuses to take ownership of his actions, and Albie has witnessed his mom learn of his constant affairs. That’s got to lead to a lot of resentment, but Albie struggles to connect with his father because of the lies.
My guess is that Albie will be able to move on once his father starts telling the truth.
I did like the back-and-forth with Dominic and Bert about how Dominic is apparently so messed up. It was another moment for Dominic to lob the blame at someone else.
Speaking of blame, Harper continued to impress because she doesn’t stand for lies. Ethan’s reaction to the condom looked suspicious, probably sending Harper further into her spiral.
Harper may be judgemental, but how would you expect someone to act when they’re on vacation with the worst people? How can she enjoy herself when she thinks her husband is cheating?
It was satisfying watching her call Ethan out about watching porn instead of having sex with her. Their relationship is in tatters because they don’t communicate their wants and needs to one another.
The lack of communication is astounding, and there may be no way back for them at this stage.
Daphne and Cameron are clearly settling for one another while sleeping with other people behind closed doors. If that keeps them happy, who are we to judge? Every relationship is different, but that look from Daphne at the end of the scene was telling.
Daphne thinks her and Cameron’s marriage is and should be the same as everyone else’s. That might change in the next two episodes because we haven’t seen Cameron in the present. Maybe she wisens up and cuts him loose.
You could see the despair on Cameron’s face when he realized Harper knew about that night. I was living for Ethan calling him out and saying that maybe he sleeps with the women he’s interested in to make himself smarter.
Ethan has mostly been relegated to the shadows because Cameron is such an overbearing pain in the ass that thinks everything is about him.
Daphne telling Harper to get a personal trainer, clearly to have sex with, was one of the most casual conversations on this show to date. It’s almost like Ethan doesn’t have an identity at this stage, and he’s starting to break free and say how he feels. That’s progression.
Cameron still owing Lucia and Mia money is something that might come back to bite him.
Mia tricking Valentina into being able to sing and play the piano was expected. Mia has learned some solid manipulation tactics from Valentina.
Valentina continues to be one of the main attractions because she’s so damn hard to read. We’ve been peeling away at who she is for weeks now, and it looks like we’re finally getting somewhere.
What are your thoughts on the action this week? Do you think Quentin and Jack are related?
Do you think Dominic will own up to his actions?
What’s your take on Lucia and Albie?
Do you think Harper went too far?
Hit the comments.
The White Lotus airs Sundays on HBO.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
Wednesday is a new take on The Addams Family, the classic cartoon strip created by Charles Addams. The Netflix series focuses on the titular character played by Jenna Ortega with her family only appearing sprinkled throughout the season.
However, co-showrunner Miles Millar says that Wednesday’s family, which includes Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia and Luis Guzmán as Gomez, could be featured more in a second season.
“We felt like we just touched the surface with those characters and the actors are so amazing in those roles,” Millar told TV Line in an interview. “Catherine is, I think, an iconic Morticia. The relationship between Wednesday and Morticia is also essential to the show, and the idea that Wednesday is trying to forge her own path outside the family is important.”
Although Wednesday has not been renewed by Netflix for a new season, Millar says that they “definitely want to feature the family as we did this season in a couple of episodes if we were to get a second season.”
Ortega is receiving praise for her portrayal of Wednesday Addams, a character that her costar Christina Ricci played in 1991’s The Addams Family and the 1993 sequel Addams Family Values. Even though they both shared a set, Ortega said in an interview that she didn’t ask Ricci for advice because she didn’t want to “rip her off.”
“I think when she was on set, neither one of us said Wednesday once to each other,” Ortega told MTV News. “I don’t think she wanted to get in the way of my performance and feel like she was overbearing. And then I felt like I didn’t want to pull up something that she did 30 years ago, for one, the sake of my own benefit, but two, I didn’t want to rip her off. And I didn’t want to be too much like her.”
All episodes of Wednesday Season 1 are now available on Netflix.
Kathryn Hahn and her hubby Ethan Sandler want name changes for their 2 kids … and it’s all about giving Mama her due.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kathryn and Ethan filed a petition last week in Los Angeles … looking to add “Hahn” as a second middle name before the last name “Sandler” for both 16-year-old Leonard and 13-year-old Mae.
Meaning the teens would now be going by Leonard Henry Hahn Sandler and Mae Marie Hahn Sandler! The couple didn’t get specific about why they wanted the change for their teenagers.
Another celeb recently went through the name change process — TMZ broke the story, Aaron Paul, whose last name is actually Sturtevant, was lookin’ to officially get his last name changed to Paul a few weeks back.
His wife Lauren also wanted to make the switch — and they both wanted to change their child’s name to Ryden Caspian Paul.
Susan and Ava went off a cliff. Xander struggled with what to tell Sarah. Nicole gave Jada some unwanted advice while Salem attempted to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by Horizon from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to debate whether Ava and Susan are really dead, if Eric and Jada can co-parent their baby, if Nicole was out of line, and if Salem celebrated a satisfying Thanksgiving.
If Susan is really dead (or as dead as anyone ever is in Salem), are you upset about it? Would you prefer Susan was saved?
Horizon: With this show, one can’t proclaim deaths with confidence, but at the moment, it does seem Susan has expired.
I have never been able to tolerate Susan, the character, and I don’t find her offbeat cute. Just annoying and grating.
That said, if she does crawl back into the fray in limited doses, I hope I can live with it.
Jack: I find it hard to believe that Susan or Ava is really dead. No one ever stays dead (unless the actor passes away), which makes the grief scenes tedious.
I enjoy Susan’s eccentricity and would prefer she turn up alive. I also am not up for endless scenes of EJ’s grief, especially since we have the real-life death of John Aniston that will have to be addressed on-screen at some point, and I don’t want to be burned out on grief when that happens.
Christine: Susan’s never been one of my favorite characters, but I do enjoy her in small doses, and I like how she brings out EJ’s human side.
So, I will be upset if she’s really, truly dead, and I’m actually hoping she crawls back up from that cliff.
It’s your turn, Days fans! Do you think Ava and Susan are really dead or just Salem dead?
Will Xander tell Sarah the truth? If he does, will Sarah leave him?
Horizon: Since Sarah appears to be almost onto him, it would seem wise for Xander to let the truth fly and explain things in the way he did with Gwen.
A risk for sure, but the alternative of keeping the secret will probably eat him alive, and besides, Sarah might find out anyway down the road. I say bite the bullet. Xander is suffering from the “karma is a bitch” syndrome that Rafe has gone through.
Whereas Gwen kept a dirty secret from Xander to keep their relationship alive, he is hiding something bad from Sarah to keep things going.
One side bit. In a distinct minority, but I am a huge fan of both the Sarah character and Gwen character. But to me, Xander fits better with Sarah. They make a fun couple.
Jack: I doubt it. DAYS’ usual pattern is to start to tell the truth and change one’s mind after an interruption or a long preamble that goes nowhere.
When Sarah finds out, I’m sure she will leave him and say that if he had only told her the truth, things would be different.
Christine: It’s doubtful, although I wish he would, if for no other reason than that would be something different for Days.
If he actually tells her the entire truth, Sarah will struggle, but she might just stick by him, even though guilt might consume them both.
What did you think of Kate and Nicole’s advice to Jada and Jada’s reaction to it?
Horizon: Kate was offering some support and mainly listened. Nicole, on the other hand, is behaving like a borderline stalker.
I loved it when Jada told her to “shut the hell up.” I was sort of rooting for her to slug the obnoxious Nicole.
Jack: Deciding whether to keep the baby is a huge decision, and while I applaud DAYS for taking a pro-choice stand, I don’t think it’s being treated with the seriousness it deserves.
Kate’s advice was for Jada to decide what she wanted irrespective of what decisions Eric might make if she keeps the baby, and that was good solid advice.
But Jada changed her mind almost immediately after talking to Nicole. So she either hadn’t really thought things through, or she was manipulated by Nicole.
As for Nicole’s advice, it was better than I expected from the commercial. I still don’t buy that Nicole would be in favor of termination (after losing two babies, I’d think she’d be more in the “I hope Jada is able to carry to term though I wish the father wasn’t Eric” camp).
Nicole wasn’t really cold or nasty about it, and she did point out aspects of single motherhood that Jada hadn’t considered.
Christine: Kate’s advice was solid. She encouraged Jada to figure out what she wants, aside from Eric or Nicole. And she let Jada talk. Jada has no real friends in Salem, so finding someone who would listen to her was important.
Nicole was horrid. She said everything she could think of to manipulate Jada into ending her pregnancy, and considering how much Nicole went through to have a child, I find that particularly repugnant.
Jada was overwhelmed and exhausted. She’s had virtually no time to process any of this and feels very alone. Hopefully, she gets some rest and takes the time to think this all through without any more “advice” from Nicole.
Do you think Eric and Jada can successfully co-parent this child even if they aren’t a couple?
Horizon: I don’t think Eric can continue to play this tangled weave of multi-partner “hero.” The roof will ultimately leak. And Jada hasn’t ruled out an abortion, so this could go several ways.
Jack: I don’t see why not. Daniel and Chloe did it, and if Kristen wasn’t a total lunatic, Brady and Kristen could have worked it out too.
Christine: Absolutely. Jada and Eric are basically good people and responsible adults. This child can have a wonderful life with two separate but loving parents.
Did you prefer Alex and Stephanie’s Thanksgiving-themed second date or Wendy and Johnny’s Jakarta adventure?
Horizon: Frankly, I didn’t much care for either, but if pressed, I would side with the junior sleuths. Stephanie and Alex plain annoy me.
Jack: I don’t like Alex and Stephanie as a couple, so I’ll go with the adventure. I thought Wendy and Johnny had a lot of chemistry, and I was hoping their near-death experience with Rolf would help them realize life is too short to deny how they really feel.
Christine: I want to like Alex and Stephanie, but something about them isn’t clicking.
So I’m going with Wendy and Johnny. These two are cute more than steamy, but I am enjoying their scenes together and look forward to more.
Rate the Thanksgiving-themed episodes this year? What were your favorite and least favorite scenes?
Horizon: I loved the Rafe, Gabi, and Li chill fest. It felt so homespun with everybody sucking down beers. Especially amusing watching Li in sit-back and knock-one-down mode, casually dressed for a change.
My least favorite was Alex and Stephanie and their muffin love fest. They’re the most annoying couple since Brady and Chloe.
Jack: The biggest positive is we actually had Thanksgiving, and I liked Roman and family discussing what they were grateful for.
I also enjoyed Abe and Paulina’s Thanksgiving in the cafe with Nicole. Nicole seemed more like herself around them, and it was nice to see them acting like her surrogate parents.
Finally, I enjoyed Li showing a more human side when he was at Rafe’s for Thanksgiving.
I wished we didn’t have EJ’s grief on Thanksgiving itself — I wanted a break from that for the holiday! Also, I’d rather Chanel get out of jail than get a Thanksgiving meal in the interrogation room.
Christine: Rafe, Gabi, and Li’s get-together was my favorite. I loved how disappointed Li was that there was no pie. I completely get that!
And Roman, Kate, Jada, and Eric were a close second. I liked that they mentioned why other people couldn’t be there and still enjoyed their day.
As for my least favorite, Stephanie and Alex were eye-roll worthy, but I was mostly disappointed that we didn’t get a Kiriakis Thanksgiving dinner. Seeing Victor, Maggie, Justin, Bonnie, Alex, Sarah, and Xander all at one table could have been epic.
What, if anything, disappointed you the most this week in Salem?
Horizon: Xander even contemplating for one second killing Susan.
Jack: Way too much of this awful Ava/EJ story. Four out of five days were devoted to the accident and its aftermath, and one of those days was a single-story episode, so I couldn’t escape from it at all! And as mentioned above, Chanel should be out of jail instead of stuck in the interrogation room.
I also think Rafe and Nicole had way more chemistry in their awkward Thanksgiving prep scene than Eric and Nicole have displayed in months. I wish Nicole would realize she made a huge mistake and fight for a second chance with Rafe, but sadly I don’t think that will happen.
And Rafe should have donated the pie to a food bank if he didn’t want it. Throwing it away was such a waste of food!
Christine: For all of the buildup to Jada’s big secret, the aftermath has been kind of boring.
And I’m tired of hearing about the whole “broken home” trope and how that ruined Sami and would ruin Jada and Eric’s child.
Sami always had issues, and walking in on her mother cheating on her father is what sent her over the edge.
This child could be raised by two loving parents who don’t have to be married. Not only would that be okay, but it’s a lot better than a lot of kids get in this world.
What was your favorite quote, scene, or storyline on this week’s Days of Our Lives?
Horizon: The way Sarah pronounced “blue suit” to Maggie. Li proclaiming he loves pumpkin pie before finding out Rafe chucked it plus Jada telling Nicole to “shut the hell up.” And EJ calling Ava a “psychotic bitch” to Rafe were the most memorable quotes.
As for the most interesting scenes, its a tie between Rafe questioning Bonnie in front of key characters and the Rafe, Li, and Gabi Thanksgiving get-together.
Also, the cliffhanger Friday as “Susan’s doll” fell off Marlena’s mantlepiece as EJ hears a rustling in the woods.
This was an especially strong week. Two storylines came up aces. First off, the wild escapades between Ava and EJ ending in a horrifying climax. The Xander secret with Sarah and Maggie but getting it off his chest with Gwen in the surprising role of offering kind support.
Jack: I loved Abe and Paulina’s scenes with Nicole, as mentioned above, and I especially liked that Abe had the sense to stay out of her and Eric’s business.
I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed Rafe and EJ’s talk by the side of the road. These two are better off as frenemies than hating each other!
Christine: Everything EJ! I was dreading that Susan might be killed off, but the aftermath has been poignant and dramatic.
Dan Feuerriegel knocked it out of the park in every scene. From coming home and telling Stefan and Chloe, to chastizing himself with Marlena, to the strange bromance brewing between EJ and Rafe, I couldn’t get enough.
And I love how even in grief, EJ still revels in sarcasm. “Well done, Hernandez, putting those crack detective skills to work.” “Commission Dudley Do-Right, drinking on the job.”
As much as I’d like Susan to be alive, I’m actually looking forward to seeing EJ tell Johnny she’s gone because it could be a very moving scene that brings this father and son together.
It’s your turn, Days fans. Hit that SHOW COMMENTS button to let us know your answers to our round table questions. Then check out Jack Ori’s Days of Our Lives review here at TV Fanatic.
C. Orlando is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.
France’s 2-1 victory in the World Cup group stage over Denmark on Saturday evening drew an average 11.6 million viewers to TF1 from the 5PM hour local time. This is second best audience score of the year for all programs and across all channels in the Hexagon. Upon entering the tournament last week, Les Bleus set a record for viewership in 2022, and since June 2021.
Viewing figures peaked on TF1 at 14.6 million for the France/Denmark face-off on Saturday with a 63% share, which is significantly higher than Tuesday’s 48.1% share when France beat Australia.
For the first time since providing World Cup ratings, French audience measurement firm Médiamétrie is also keeping tabs on out-of-home viewing including in bars, restaurants and hotels. This year, owing to the controversy over host country Qatar, major cities in France are not erecting the usual giant outdoor screens. (BeIn Sport, which is carrying the entirety of the tournament, does not communicate ratings.)
In the second half on Saturday, Kylian Mbappé scored both goals for Les Bleus, bringing his total to three in the two matches so far this tournament. Mbappé’s career World Cup record increased to seven goals in just nine appearances.
The striker has also tied Brazilian legend Pelé as the only other player under 24 to mark seven World Cup goals. What’s more, Mbappé now has a total 31 international goals for France, level with Zinedine Zidane. German player Miroslav Klose remains the top scorer in the history of the World Cup with 16 goals across four tournaments.
Now qualified to move on to the round of 16, Didier Deschamps’ reigning world champions will next face Tunisia on Wednesday.
Today’s play includes Japan v Costa Rica, Belgium v Morocco, Croatia v Canada and Spain v Germany.
Michael Armand Hammer, the father of Armie Hammer and business titan, has died … TMZ has learned.
Michael passed away Sunday, sources connected to the family tell TMZ. We’re told he had been quite ill for some time, battling cancer.
The American businessman worked at an investment banking firm in NYC … before getting involved with Occidental Petroleum, the company his grandfather, Armand Hammer, helmed for years.
Michael moved Occidental’s HQ to Los Angeles in the ’80s … becoming VP of the company and landing a seat on the Board of Directors.
Over the years, Michael reigned over Hammer Productions, the Armand Hammer Foundation, Hammer Galleries, and the Hammer International Foundation.
Michael and then-wife Dru Ann Mobley gave birth to Armie in 1986, and Armie’s brother, Viktor, 2 years later.
As you know, the Hammer family was heavily featured in the docuseries, “House of Hammer.”
The family has a mausoleum in the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, where Armand and a number of other family members were laid to rest.
Michael is survived by his wife, Misty, as well as Armie and Viktor.
Irene Cara, best known for performing the iconic title tracks to the 1980s movies Fame and Flashdance, has died.
She was 63.
Cara’s publicist, Judith A. Moose, revealed news of her death on the singer’s Twitter account on Saturday morning.
“It is with profound sadness that on behalf of her family I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” Moose wrote in the statement.
“The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home.”
“Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief.”
“She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”
“Funeral services are pending and a memorial for her fans will be planned at a future date,” the statement continued.
“This is the absolute worst part of being a publicist,” Moose prefaced the statement.
“I can’t believe I’ve had to write this, let alone release the news. Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene.”
“I’ll be reading each and every one of them and know she’ll be smiling from Heaven. She adored her fans.”
Irene won an Oscar and a Grammy for the smash hit song “Flashdance… What a Feeling.”
Cara co-wrote the song from the hit 1983 movie Flashdance, and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance as well as an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
The singer also appeared in a string of series and movies, starring opposite Clint Eastwood and Tatum O’Neal.
Cara was born in 1959 in the Bronx, New York City, as the youngest of five children.
She started her career on Spanish-language TV, and subsequently appeared on-and-off Broadway musicals.
Fame propelled Irene to stardom in 1980 after she landed the role of Coco Hernandez and provided the vocals for the movie’s title track.
Her performance earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 1981 Golden Globe Awards.
May Irene Cara rest in peace.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.
The United States went head-to-head with England on Friday in a historic World Cup match that drew 15.4M viewers for Fox.
The game, which ended in a 0-0 draw, is now one of the most-watched men’s soccer match on U.S. television. The current record holder is still the USA’s 2-2 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in 2014, which was watched by 24.7M people.
Friday’s match is by far the most-watched game of the 2022 World Cup so far in the U.S.
Another 4.6M tuned in via Telemundo Deportes’ Spanish-language coverage of the match on Telemundo, Peacock and digital platforms. That’s the second most-watched World Cup Group Stage Match featuring a U.S. team in Spanish-language history — up 33% for the U.S.’ first match against Wales.
It’s also Telemundo’s second-most watched game of the 2022 World Cup after the Brazil vs. Serbia Thanksgiving matchup.
Friday’s match benefitted from a 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. ET start time on a holiday, which set it up for some impressive viewership. It was already widely expected to be a record-setter, especially after both the U.S. and England managed decent viewership for their first matches.
On Monday, the U.S. vs. Wales match scored 12M across Fox and Telemundo, while England’s fiery 6-2 win over Iran was viewed by 1.6M total viewers in the U.S. across FS1 and digital platforms. That match began at 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT, which explains at least in part why not too many U.S. viewers tuned in. On BBC, that match peaked with 8M U.K. viewers around lunchtime.
Keyla McNeely says she’s proud of her work in the Jeffrey Dahmerseries even though some folks are upset over it … because she thinks there are important lessons to learn.
We got Keyla, who plays Dorothy Straughter in the Dahmer docuseries, at LAX, and she pointed out what she believes are some useful takeaways.
Keyla says she knows lots of folks who didn’t know a thing about Dahmer, his crimes or his victims before the docuseries exploded on Netflix … and says the show shines a light on racial and homophobic bias from cops, which she believes is still present.
As folks who had the stomach to watch “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” know, there’s a narrative about police ignoring obvious clues when it involved gay and/or Black people.
As we reported … some of the families of Jeffrey’s victims think Netflix painted a sympathetic image of the serial killer, and some of the survivors are calling BS on Dahmer’s father Lionel telling Dr. Philhe missed the warning signs with his son.
In any event, Keyla says the Dahmer story needs to be told … if for no other reason than to educate and prevent something similar from happening again.
