Latest news with #AllisonJanney
Digital Trends
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
This Allison Janney comedy is an underrated Netflix show to watch this weekend (July 25-27)
When Netflix's streaming service first launched, it fundamentally changed what television was. In the years since, the streaming service has become the home to so many shows that I find it impossible to keep track. What shows are worth watching, which ones aren't, and how long will they remain relevant? This week, we've pulled together three great, deeply underrated shows that are well worth your time, each for very different reasons. Recommended Videos Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on HBO Max, and the best shows on Disney+. Building the Band (2025-) One of the smartest reality competition series to air on Netflix, Building the Band follows musicians who, as contestants, receive the chance to form bands of their own, auditioning one another. As the bands begin to solidify, they discover just how difficult it is to meld musical styles, personalities, and performance types. The show has celebrity panels who help and advise, but Building the Band turns an almost radical amount of power over to its contestants, and you'll ultimately find yourself deeply invested in the bands that they form. You can watch Building the Band on Netflix. Mom (2013-2021) It never had the ratings of The Big Bang Theory, but Mom was arguably the superior CBS sitcom. What was most surprising about Mom was the way the series managed to meld its most serious ideas with genuine comedy. The series follows a struggling single mother who is also a recovering alcoholic as her mom, another recovering alcoholic, waltzes back into her life. Mom took addiction seriously, and Anna Faris and Allison Janney were both up to the task of playing complex characters. Without fail, Mom was also deeply funny, and that's why it works. You can watch Mom on Netflix. House of Lies (2012-2016) Although it was never the most popular prestige comedy of its era, House of Lies was nonetheless a dark and funny series with an all-star cast. The show follows a group of consultants who are deeply clever and convince corporations of all kinds to pay for services from them that they almost definitely don't need. Led by Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell, this ensemble comedy was a little bit of a precursor to shows like Succession, although the characters on this show aren't quite that wealthy. Unfortunately, though, they might be just as depraved, and that's what makes them so entertaining. You can watch House of Lies on Netflix.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Everything's Going To Be Great' Review: Bryan Cranston And Allison Janney Lead Game Cast In Uneven Dramedy About A Family Whose Lives Aren't In Sync
A spirited rendition of 'There's No Business Like Show Business' during the opening credits gets the oddball dramedy Everything's Going To Be Great off to a promising start, right in line with its optimistic title. What follows though is the story of a fairly dysfunctional family that takes to the road following patriarch Buddy Smart's (Bryan Cranston) somewhat ill-considered dreams in the world of regional theatre. The idea comes from screenwriter Steven Rogers, who grew up in this world where his father worked putting on shows from town to town, something that inspired Rogers to take that idea, place it back in the late '80s, and put on this show. The family here includes the practical and religious matriarch Macy (Allison Janney), wannabe-jock 16-year-old Derrick (Jack Champion) and his 14-year-old brother and budding star Lester (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and seems to be each following their own separate trajectory as Dad exhibits nothing but misplaced positivity that for this family 'everything's going to be great.' Coming from their current home base in Ohio, Buddy gets the opportunity to stage a five-week summer show in New Jersey, a gig he is convinced will lead to much bigger things — notably Milwaukee, where the prospect of a more steady theatrical gig looms. Macy is the practical one, looking at the sorry finances and trying to keep the clan on course, turning to religion for support as well as a cast member of the troupe, Kyle (Simon Rex) who offers her some empathy and perhaps more (at least that is what we are told later) missing from her life. The live wire in this group is Les, brought to vivid life by Ainsworth, who is an actor yet to win any audition for his Dad's shows but with the promise someday he will be the right fit. That doesn't stop him from hanging out backstage and even running on for the curtain call in shows he is not in. He loves playing bagpipes with dad, singing along to Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, Fiddler on the Roof, and belting out the showstopper 'One' from A Chorus Line. There are even fantasy meetings with theatrical legends offering him encouragement including Noel Coward, Tallulah Bankhead, Ruth Gordon and even playwright William Inge. One such invention occurs in the halls of his school as he is confronted by a bully who calls him a 'f*g' for doing shows instead of sports, in which Les answers by envisioning four butt-naked actors from Hair providing support for him in this confrontation. More from Deadline 36 Of The Most Anticipated Movies Of 2025 20 Of The Most Anticipated Movies Coming Summer 2025: From 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' To 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' Disney Leads U.S. Box Office With $1.1B Year To Date, But Warner Bros Is Billion-Bound Too Les' big brother Derrick wants none of this and only hopes to make the football team and get laid so he can stop being a virgin. He also eschews the family business and is distraught when he is forced to move with them to Jersey, where the promised audience fails to show up, still not downing Buddy's enthusiasm as he enlists every church group and denomination in the city to sign up as subscribers. And then his big dream comes true when a promise of a five-year gig in Wisconsin promises to send the family packing again. Rogers has written scripts for a number of star-driven studio vehicles like Hope Floats for Sandra Bullock, Stepmom with Julia Roberts, Kate & Leopold starring Hugh Jackman and more, but his real claim to fame is the terrific I, Tonya (for which Janney won a supporting actress Oscar) with Margot Robbie. That would give promise that this offbeat premise might have some bite to it, but charming as some of it is thanks to a terrific and game cast doing their best to bring it to life, the episodic nature and abrupt changes of tone don't always work, certainly not for other films in this family zone like Little Miss Sunshine and Captain Fantastic which showed how it should be done. Director Jon S. Baird, whose Stan & Ollie and Tetris I really liked, does what he can, but it often feels like a kind of truncated tale that starts to head in one direction only to zig-zag somewhere else. Just when you feel the movie is really going to focus on the quirky irresistible ambitions of young Les, it switches to Macy's downbeat complaints about her life, and later the revelation of regrets about an affair that really comes out of nowhere. Buddy's character completely disappears halfway through, leading to another move for the family to Macy's brother's farm in Kansas. He is played nicely by Chris Cooper. And then it switches to Derrick's sexual longings, mostly talked about except with the introduction of Selena (a wonderful Jessica Clement), a local girl who serves as sounding board to both him and Les at different points and who then gets to kill singing a Christmas song. The whole idea of a family living life against the backdrop of regional theatre is lost along the way. So is everything really going to be great? We can only hope so for this bunch. One thing is for sure: both Janney and Cranston, pros supreme, deliver exactly as you hope they would, even if both of these roles are underwritten to be completely credible. Ainsworth, and to a lesser degree Clement, get the best moments along the way, stealing every scene they are in. Producers are Rogers, Alex Lalonde and Bryan Unkeless. Title: Everything's Going To Be GreatDistributor: LionsgateRelease date: June 20, 2025Director: Jon S. BairdScreenwriter: Steven RogersCast: Allison Janney, Bryan Cranston, Chris Cooper, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Jack Champion, Simon Rex, Laura Benanti, Cady Huffman, Jessica Clement, Mark Caven, Chuck ReidRating: RRunning time: 1 hr 35 mins Best of Deadline Broadway's 2024-2025 Season: All Of Deadline's Reviews Venice Film Festival 2024: All Of Deadline's Movie Reviews Telluride Film Festival 2024: All Of Deadline's Movie Reviews
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
11 new and returning Netflix shows arriving this week (June 29-July 5)
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. We share the list of all the shows, movies, and specials coming to Netflix every month, but with as much content as the streaming service releases, it can be hard to keep track of it all. We are here to help with a breakdown of all the new and returning shows hitting Netflix this week, from comedies and dramas to reality shows and docuseries. Netflix rolls out several original series every week, but licensed shows from other networks have become a rarity in recent years. That's why this week is so notable, as Netflix's streaming library is adding three bingeable series in the form of Mr. Robot, Portlandia, and Mom. If you're looking for shows to sink your teeth into, you've got three great new options. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 Netflix says this harrowing documentary series about the 7/7 bombings on London's trains and subways that killed 52 people and injured hundreds more features 'insider accounts and never-before-seen footage' from the terror attacks. Long-running sitcoms are the comfort food of streaming, and this week, Netflix is getting a large helping with all eight seasons of Mom. The series ran from 2013 to 2021, starring Anna Faris as a single mother and recovering alcoholic who moves to Napa, California, and Allison Janney as her mom, who is also a recovering addict. The search and rescue dog Ryder and his crew are back with two more seasons of the insanely popular children's animated TV show Paw Patrol on Netflix. If you have kids, prepare for them to be completely obsessed with the latest episodes for at least the next few weeks. In 2011, SNL alum Fred Armisen and Sleater-Kinney frontwoman Carrie Brownstein teamed up to create Portlandia, one of the most peculiar sketch comedy shows you'll ever see. Set in and around the city of Portland, Oregon, the show features sketches starring Fred and Carrie as a rotating cast of eccentric characters, often joined by guest stars such as Andy Samberg, Parker Posey, Jason Sudeikis, Greta Gerwig, and Heather Graham. Showtime continues to drip-feed Netflix audiences one of its biggest shows of the decade. This week, the second season of the thriller series Yellowjackets makes its way to Netflix, picking up two months after the death of a major character in season 1. Netflix quietly canceled its behind-the-scenes sports documentary series Tour de France: Unchained earlier this year, but fans still have one more season to watch. The third season covers the 2024 Tour de France, which started in Florence, Italy, and finished in Nice, France. Before Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano face off for the third time live on Netflix on July 11, you can see behind the curtain in Countdown: Taylor vs. Serrano. The docuseries follows their training and preparation leading up to the highly-anticipated bout. Sam Esmail's drama thriller series Mr. Robot aired on USA Network for four seasons from 2015 to 2019, giving Rami Malek a role that catapulted him into stardom. Malek plays Elliot Alderson, a talented hacker who suffers from anxiety, depression, and dissociative identity disorder. He is recruited to join a hacking collective known as 'fsociety,' which seeks to take down the monolithic conglomerate E Corp and cancel all consumer debt. The second and final season of The Sandman debuts this week, kicking off the final chapter of one of the most popular Netflix fantasy shows. The new season begins a few weeks after Dream destroyed the Dream Vortex that threatened to destroy reality. 'Four teams of shark experts and enthusiasts travel the globe trying to find the most elusive shark species in this fin-tastic reality competition,' says Netflix. 'Six months ago, Hikaru vanished for a week,' reads the synopsis for this anime series coming to Netflix this week. 'Now, as his best friend Yoshiki senses something amiss and confronts him, the harrowing truth emerges.' Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Jack Champion And Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Talk ‘Everything's Going To Be Great'
'Everything's Going to Be Great' Poster In Everything's Going to Be Great, directed by Jon S. Baird, Buddy and Macy Smart, respectively portrayed by Bryan Cranston and Allison Janney, are chasing the ultimate theatre dream with their two sons, Lester and Derrick, portrayed by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Jack Champion. The family goes from city to city, living off of small producing contracts with local theatres. Buddy's lifelong dream of becoming a successful musical producer is closer than ever when he and Macy are offered a five-year contract to run a theatre in New Jersey, to the delight of their youngest son, Lester, and to the despair of their elder son, Derrick. The two brothers could not be more different. Lester is passionate about theatre, musicals and he is following in his father's footsteps, whereas Derrick loves American football and hates the idea of moving to New Jersey. Bryan Cranston as Buddy and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Les in Everything's Going to Be Great. Photo ... More Credit: Peter H. Stranks Lester is often bullied at school, and throughout the movie, the teenage boy keeps imagining that he can talk to his theatre heroes. In one hilarious scene, Lester imagines that his bully is being surrounded by naked hippies as he starts singing a song from the musical Hair. 'Les is such a brave and eccentric character. Throughout the script, there were these moments where he interacts with those imaginary heroes of theatre, and that was amazing to research and get into as an actor. I think Les is so brave in that moment, he sees an opportunity to be him. Les is just Les, he's utterly unique. That moment is definitely a standout moment of him being just him.' In the film, Cranston's character tells Lester 'You have to dream things into happening', so I asked the two actors how this quote applied to their careers and how they envision their future. Ainsworth said, 'The film deals with those themes of hope and in the face of adversity, pushing forward and following your dreams. So I think for me personally, it is just following those footsteps, and when things get rough, picking yourself back up, and those around you back up, just like the characters in the film, facing your dream and going for it.' Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Champion added: 'I agree with that, I think you have to dream things into happening and you just have to have your vision and motivation and like Benjamin said, help those around you. Like if I'm ever in England and Ben's like 'Hey man, I need help with this self tape!' I'm like, 'I'm there bro, I got you!' So I think it's also helping each other out.' Music and theatre is a vital, communal experience in the movie, and it ultimately brings the Smart family together. In the car, they all start singing their heart out their favorite songs, with the exception of Derrick, who timidly sings along with them, without anyone really noticing. I asked Champion how the way Derrick is acting in those scenes helped him get a better grasp at who his character was. He said, 'I think it shows that Derrick grew up in that family and to me, it's just second nature, he knows those songs by heart, so even if he doesn't sing with his full energy and chest, he just goes along with it because that's pretty much all he's ever done.' Jack Champion as Derrick I also asked the two actors which song or theatrical experience immediately brings them back to their families and loved ones in their personal lives. Champion said, 'Hamilton! I feel like every mom knows the whole soundtrack, it's not unique, but it's definitely me and my mom!' Wainsworth added: 'We have this local theatre, the East Riding Theatre, it's a lovely place that we go to and visit every winter, so going back there with my family is definitely my main memory when it comes to theatre.' Everything is Going to Be Great takes place in 1989 and 1990, so I asked the actors how the costumes also helped them bring their characters to life. Champion said, 'I feel like I was really embodying the character with the costumes. Derrick has this middle country-cowboy fancy, he's wearing denim on denim, blue jeans with a belt and buckle on it. He grew up traveling from big city to big city, but he wears himself as if he's like some cowpoke guy, and I think that to me, he's wearing his wannabe personality. That's when it came full circle for me.' This interview contains important spoilers past this point. Bryan Cranston as Buddy Smart When Buddy tragically dies, the kids have to move to Kansas with their mother, where she grew up. After a few months, she realizes that she can still live her theatre dream, too, and so does Lester. The family goes back to the initial project of leading a bigger theatre. The movie ends with Lester talking to his father, just like he was always talking to his imaginary musical icons. Right after that, Lester goes on stage, and even if we don't know if either of them will actually reach their career goals, the movie ends on a very hopeful note. I asked the two actors if they had imagined what the futur holds for their characters. Benjamin said, 'It's always interesting to think 'Where is this character going to go? What could happen?' but I also think it's very important to be in the moment and kind of really feel what's going on at the time. And I think there is a beauty in not knowing what's going to happen to these kids, but to know that they are following the dream and that's what you end on, the theme of dreaming.' Champion added: 'I imagined! Well, I think to me, it was the perfect balance of like, you don't dream so much to the point of leading your family into poverty and almost being homeless, but also the balance of like, you're at home in Kansas maybe for half the year, you make money, work small jobs, and the other half you go and support your dreams by going to New Jersey and do theater, that represents a realistic balance to me.' Everything's Going to Be Great is now playing in theatres.
UPI
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Bradley Whitford joins 'The Diplomat' in Season 3 teaser
1 of 5 | Cast member Bradley Whitford attends the premiere of "The Handmaid's Tale" Season 6 on April 2. He will star in the upcoming season of "The Diplomat." File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 12 (UPI) -- The West Wing alum Bradley Whitford is reuniting with former costar Allison Janney in the upcoming season of The Diplomat. Whitford will portray Todd Penn, who is married to President Grace Penn (Janney). In a trailer released Thursday, viewers see the pair embrace. "I love the show," Whitford, who also starred in The Handmaid's Tale, told Netflix's Tudum. "I was jealous of the writing on the show. I love Keri (Russell). I love Rufus (Sewell). And I hear Allison Janney is good at acting too. It's an amazing cast." Season 3 was filmed in New York and London, and follows Kate's accusation that Penn is guilty of "hatching a terrorist plot" despite being the new "leader of the free world." David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Ato Essandoh and Rory Kinnear return for Season 3, which streams on Netflix beginning in the fall. A specific release date has not yet been shared.
