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HBO Max Pulls the Plug on Bookie After Two Seasons
HBO Max Pulls the Plug on Bookie After Two Seasons

Geek Vibes Nation

time5 days ago

  • 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.

HBO Max Cancels Fan-Favorite Series After Two Seasons
HBO Max Cancels Fan-Favorite Series After Two Seasons

Screen Geek

time6 days ago

  • 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.

Sebastian Maniscalco roasts Jeff Bezos' transformation from 'complete nerd' to 'shredded'
Sebastian Maniscalco roasts Jeff Bezos' transformation from 'complete nerd' to 'shredded'

Fox News

time19-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Fox News

Sebastian Maniscalco roasts Jeff Bezos' transformation from 'complete nerd' to 'shredded'

Sebastian Maniscalco has jokes for days. During a stand-up routine at Cannes Lions 2025, the 51-year-old comedian poked fun at Jeff Bezos' "shredded" physique ahead of the Amazon founder's wedding to fiancée Lauren Sánchez. "I see [Jeff] Bezos when he came out about 30 years ago. This guy was a nerd, a complete nerd," Maniscalco told the crowd - which included stars such as Patrick Schwarzenegger, Paris Hilton, "Queer Eye" star Antoni Porowski and Ludacris - per Page Six. Maniscalco went on to praise Bezos, dubbing him a "genius." "You see what this guy looks like [now]? That's beautiful. That's gorgeous. That's 400 billion bucks… shredded on his yacht in the Mediterranean," he added. "You ever get a huge [Amazon] box like, 'Oh, my God, what did we order?' It's coming in this big box. I opened it up. One dental floss at the bottom of the box with air bags. This Bezos is a genius." Last month, Bezos and Sánchez packed on the PDA while soaking up the sun ahead of their wedding later this month. In photos obtained by Fox News Digital, the 61-year-old Amazon founder was spotted getting handsy with the 55-year-old former entertainment journalist as the couple spent a day at sea with friends on Bezos' $500 million sailing yacht, which was anchored off the coast of Cannes, France. Bezos was seen playfully smacking and patting his bride-to-be on her backside while she tanned on a lounge chair next to a friend who smiled at the couple. Sánchez showed off her toned figure in a leopard-print thong string bikini and a straw bucket hat while Bezos wore a navy blue T-shirt with blue and white patterned swim trunks. In several photos, Bezos was seen kneeling on Sánchez's lounge chair as he bent over to kiss and cuddle her. In other snaps, the billionaire was spotted rubbing Sánchez's arms and nuzzling her neck. Sánchez was photographed sitting up on her knees as she raised her fist in the air and bent over to grab her hat from a nearby table. The pair were later spotted side by side as they enjoyed lunch with their friends at a table on one of the yacht's decks. According to Architectural Digest, Bezos first commissioned his yacht, which he named Koru, in 2018, and it was delivered to the Blue Origin founder in 2023. At 417 feet long, Koru is the largest sailing yacht in the world, according to the outlet. It may be the most extravagant wedding of the year, but not everyone is looking forward to the Bezos and Sanchez's upcoming nuptials in Venice, Italy. Last week, Venetians gathered together to protest the couple's upcoming wedding festivities over fears of disruptions in a city that is already impacted by mass tourism. Though most of the details surrounding the wedding are unknown, one Venice citizen said, "we have our moles," per The New York Times. Federica Toninello, a protest organizer, said that one of the venues could be The Misericordia, a famed event hall. The Bezos-Sánchez wedding is reportedly being held later this month. There is expected to be a star-studded guest list, with friends of the couple making appearances. Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Ivanka Trump and Oprah Winfrey are said to be attending, per Page Six. Bezos and Sánchez reportedly met in the mid-2010s but didn't go public with their relationship until 2019 – once Sanchez separated from her then-husband, Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell, and Bezos divorced Mackenzie Scott. Bezos proposed to Sánchez while aboard his $500 million yacht, Koru, in May 2023, she told Vogue in November of that year. W Magazine reported that Sanchez's 30-carat engagement ring is estimated to be worth between $3 million and $5 million. The outlet reported that Sanchez had two engagement parties, one in Beverly Hills and another in Positano, Italy.

Sebastian Maniscalco is a no-nonsense father, says parents need to be 'half-psychotic' with their kids
Sebastian Maniscalco is a no-nonsense father, says parents need to be 'half-psychotic' with their kids

Fox News

time13-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Fox News

Sebastian Maniscalco is a no-nonsense father, says parents need to be 'half-psychotic' with their kids

Though he's made a career out of making people laugh, Sebastian Maniscalco means business in all aspects of his life. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the actor and comedian — who is starring in Apple Podcast's first scripted docudrama, "Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story" — opened up about his new role, how his approach to social media and comedy has shifted throughout the years and why it's necessary for him to be "half-psychotic" when it comes to parenting his two children. "I think kids need structure, they need discipline," said Maniscalco, who shares two children — daughter Serafina Simone, 8, and son Caruso Jack, 5 — with wife, Lana Gomez. "They actually thrive on it. I think if you're a pushover or you're soft with your kids… I come from a middle-class working family who gave me chores to do. I had to cut the lawn, I had to make my bed. I had to vacuum on Saturday. I remember I had to vacuum all the carpeting in the house on Saturday. And my kids are living a different life." "They're growing up with really no struggle," he continued. "I mean, we're not struggling for food here or shelter or what have you, but I'm instilling the values, the core values, and the work ethic that I grew up with in them. And the parenting, it's 24/7. It's like you can't take a day off." "If they don't say 'Please' or 'Thank you,' I'm there beating that into their head," he added. "So it becomes just the standard." He continued, "The parenting that I see, we just had a party here at the house, and the kids are in the pool — 'get out of the pool' and the kid — 'NO'… no, it's like, you've got to be firm." Maniscalco, who's currently on his "It Ain't Right" stand-up tour, said he often pokes fun at his parenting style during his sets. "I joke about it in stand-up. I mean, you have to be half-psychotic almost," he said. "When you talk to your kids — 'GET OUT OF THE POOL' — they have to know when you're serious, and they have to know when you are joking. And the way you do that is tone, pitch, volume. I take it very seriously when I'm on the road." "If they don't say 'Please' or 'Thank you,' I'm there beating that into their head. So it becomes just the standard." "It's very difficult for me because my wife's fantastic. She's not the disciplinarian in the relationship, and I think that's good to have that yin and yang," he continued. "My wife is more of a nurturing, loving… and I could be that way. But I also have another side." "[Parenting] is the most rewarding thing I've ever done in my life, being a parent," he added. "Just to see your kids, kind of mold them and give them the tools that they need to be their own people. It's great. But it's no joke. It's a lot of work." Similar to parenting, his approach to comedy can have its serious moments, too. As his career has progressed throughout the years, Maniscalco said he's become "more reluctant" to post certain content on social media for fear of how people may perceive things. "It's like what I perceive as funny and postings on social media, I'm a little bit more reluctant. I'm reluctant to do that because social media, you don't know how people perceive things and it's there. Once it's out there, it's out there," he said. "When you do stand-up comedy, it's more of a performance. The stuff I'm saying on stage sometimes never happened to me. It's a story I heard, and I interpret it as if it has happened to me. So it's more of writing involved, but you go on social media and you want to comment on maybe something that's happening in the world, and you don't know how people are going to perceive it. You just don't know.." "I'm trying to just make people laugh, not stir up the pot," he added. "But it's sad. It's sad that you even have to think this way because people are so sensitive nowadays. So it's tough. It's tough to be a comedian, at least for me. Not so much the performance, but just going online, trying to just joke around. Those days are not over, but limited." On top of being a family man and stand-up comedian, Maniscalco is also focusing on his latest role in Apple Podcast's "Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story." The eight-part series, which is set to premiere Monday, traces the rise and fall of Charles Ponzi, an Italian immigrant who defrauded the modern-day equivalent of a quarter of a billion dollars. "I've always been a fan of kind of Ponzi schemes from afar," Maniscalco said. "Like the [Bernie] Madoff thing really fascinated me that he bilked all these people out of all this money. I was almost part of a Ponzi scheme in the early 2000s. I saw it up close and personal, and I saw a lot of money being exchanged and was very enticed to get involved as an investor. I ended up not doing it, thank God. But it intrigued me." Maniscalco, who voices Ponzi, said the experience of recording a scripted podcast was one unlike any other role he's taken. "I've never done anything like this before," he said. "I was in a sound booth with no real actors around me and trying to visualize these scenes. And, in my head, I go, 'Is this any good?' And then when I listen back, and I'm like, the sound effects that they put in and the investigative journalism that they did, I mean, it's really an interesting listen over eight episodes, and I'm really proud to be a part of it." "I describe it as an audio motion picture, basically. Although there's no motion, it's like watching a movie. It's funny when you listen to it, you visualize where these people are. At least I did," he added.

Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco help kickstart 2026 Winter Olympics
Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco help kickstart 2026 Winter Olympics

Toronto Sun

time02-05-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Toronto Sun

Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco help kickstart 2026 Winter Olympics

Published May 02, 2025 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 1 minute read FILE - In this combination of images, Ray Romano attends SNL50: The Homecoming Concert on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in New York, left, and Sebastian Maniscalco attends the "About My Father" premiere on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York. Photo by Evan Agostini/Charles Sykes / Evan Agostini/Charles Sykes/Invision/AP LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBC is continuing its strategy of infusing the Olympics with pop culture and celebrity appeal to generate momentum ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Games in Italy next year. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account This time, Italian American comedians Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco will make their debut during a comical promotion, the network said on Wednesday. The commercial will air during NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage on Saturday. In the spot, Romano and Maniscalco stand atop the Italian Alps with snowboards in hand, attempting to discuss thrilling winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and luge. But their discussion is repeatedly sidetracked by their shared obsession with Italian food. 'Ray and I teamed up for the Olympics, two Italian guys trying to figure out winter sports,' Maniscalco said in a statement. 'Let's just say, we thought 'luge' was a type of pasta.' Romano and Maniscalco filmed the commercial in Los Angeles, with the mountaintop backdrop brought to life by Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by George Lucas and recently known for its work on 'The Mandalorian.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The network said Romano and Maniscalco were an easy choice to start building anticipation for the Winter Games. 'Both are instantly recognizable, deeply beloved, and naturally funny,' said Joseph Lee, senior vice president of creative marketing, sports and entertainment at NBC. He said the network is using the same playbook of enlisting entertainers and athletes. Last year, popular figures who appeared in promo spots included Snoop Dogg, Megan Thee Stallion, Simone Biles, Peyton Manning, Cardi B, SZA and Lily Collins. 'We're running the same playbook across the campaign: pairing entertainment personalities with the Olympics (and often Olympians) in fun, unexpected ways,' Lee said. 'It's how we'll continue to keep the Games culturally relevant — and genuinely entertaining.' Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons Canada Sunshine Girls

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