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The Citizen
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
What to watch: ‘Happy Face' deserves a stream
'Happy Face' is inspired by the notorious Happy Face killer, Keith Jesperson, and the 2009 biography of his daughter. There is no spoiler quite like that of a film or television reviewer that intellectualises entertainment and scores a fun or engaging show with a low number. Not every production is meant to be shelved amongst the high-brow and artsy-fartsy top drawer. Many shows can be enjoyed simply by watching them without expectation. Happy Face on Showmax is such a series. The series is a semi-true but muchly made-up look at the other halves of a serial killer's life. The family drama and the hurt, pain and manipulation with concomitant dramatic ebbs and flows. The storyline is based on and inspired by the notorious Happy Face killer, Keith Jesperson, and the 2009 biography of his daughter, Melissa Moore, called Shattered Silence. Records show that Jesperson, a long-haul trucker, strangled his victims. He left a trail of bodies across the United States between 1990 and 1995. He signed his work with smiley faces because someone else claimed his killings at first, though falsely. This is how he earned his nickname. His known victims, despite his claims of over 160 murders, were sex workers or women living on the fringes of society. The kind who wouldn't immediately be missed. He was convicted of eight murders and is serving a life sentence in Oregan, United States, for his murder spree. He'll be eligible for release in 2063. The smiley face emoji killer Happy Face was produced by Michelle and Robert King, who also created The Good Wife, The Good Fight and Evil among others. Beyond the story's initial biographical content in Moore's book, it was also subdivided into a podcast of 12 parts before Hollywood turned it into part-fact, part-fiction fun. ALSO READ: 'So deserved': Viola Davis named among 2025 TV Hall of Fame inductees Dennis Quaid plays an incarcerated Jesperson who exercises a measure of control over his somewhat estranged daughter Melissa Reed, played by Annaleigh Ashford. Reed has married and lives with her kind, Mr Nice Guy husband and daughter in a leafy suburb. She works as a makeup artist on the Dr Greg Show; a true crime talk show. When the production team finds out, by possible design from Jesperson, that Reed's dad was the Happy Face killer, attention turns to her and she becomes the star of, and coproducer of a narrative about her dad. It also becomes her own journey into discovering her past. Watch: Trailer for Happy Face The plot then thickens when Jesperson starts claiming killings that nobody knew of and, through an elaborate smoke and mirrors escapade, he evidences it. Only, the murder was not his and the happy faces were drawn by conspirators and his lover, to aid the plot. All in the name of making good true crime television. All in the name of good true crime show Meanwhile, her teenage daughter Hazel, brattishly well played by Khiyla Aynne, reaches out to grandpa behind everyone's backs. She's a somewhat troubled teen and her growing relationship with Jesperson sends mom, dad and daughter on a sidebar collision course. Then, there's the FBI investigators, the recurring memories of Jesperson's gifts to his daughter every time he made a kill. There are many layers to the story, and it's told reasonably and entertainingly well. And while it's true that some of the performances are as charismatic as a loaf of bread, that Dennis Quaid's skills are underutilised in the show and so on, it's still an entertaining watch. The ponytails and intellectual beards have slammed the show, but it's not fair. Because nobody's looking for perfection, just time out on the couch with popcorn. NOW READ: 'The Rookie' is no amateur of a show
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carrie Preston on fencing with Matthew Broderick and the heart, humor, and growth of ‘Elsbeth': ‘She's more than just quirky'
Carrie Preston has portrayed Elsbeth Tascioni — a delightfully unpredictable attorney — for more than 15 years. What began as a recurring character on The Good Wife evolved into a fan-favorite performance that continued on The Good Fight and now leads her own CBS series, Elsbeth, heading into its third season. With each iteration, Preston has peeled back more layers of Elsbeth's eccentric persona, revealing a character as emotionally complex as she is offbeat. 'I love Elsbeth's curiosity and her wonder and her positive attitude,' Preston tells Gold Derby. 'It takes discipline to approach the world that way. It's infectious. I love getting inside of that mindset every day because it really helps me in my life.' More from GoldDerby Brian Wilson, Beach Boys co-founder, dead at 82 'Deadpool and Wolverine,' 'Thunderbolts,' 'The Last of Us' lead the 2025 Critics Choice Super Awards nominations Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña on Pixar's first Mexican-Dominican animated lead in 'Elio': 'The future of America are Latinos' While 'quirky' is often the go-to descriptor for Elsbeth, Preston believes there's more beneath the surface. 'I don't mind anyone calling her that, but that can be a little bit of a simplification,' she said. 'Especially now that we've gotten to be in her world on a regular basis … she's more than just that. I think we're seeing her vulnerable side, her maternal side. ... We're seeing a deeper side to her, a more complicated side.' That complexity has evolved over the character's journey from recurring guest to leading role. 'When you're a guest, you're really trying to honor and serve the story and the show that you've come onto,' Preston explained. 'But once we got to her being in the center of her own world … I really wanted to make sure that it stayed grounded.' CBS The CBS procedural sees attorney Elsbeth Tascioni team up with NYPD Officer Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson) as they crack cases which each episode kicking off with a crime committed by a character portrayed by a high-profile guest star. Preston reflected on working alongside some of her acting idols: 'It was a couple of times where some of my idols were on the show — Laurie Metcalf, Pamela Adlon, Tracey Ullman. These are actors that I want to be like and I am inspired by. And to have them come on the show was really extraordinary.' One particularly unforgettable moment? Fencing with Matthew Broderick. 'I love to do physical comedy,' Preston said. 'To have that happening while we're doing dialogue with these fencing masks on … wearing full-on fencing costumes that were regulation and making it somehow work … we had to practice a lot.' Preston also recalls being deeply moved during a scene with Ullman, who played a psychic. 'She reads that Elsbeth had a grandmother who really believed in her… the lines between me and Elsbeth were just gone. All I had to do was look at Tracey's eyes … and the actor Carrie was totally in awe.' When asked what other series she'd love to see Elsbeth crossover to, Preston has an idea. 'It would be interesting to see her in the Matlock world,' she said. 'Maybe as a consultant… or somehow she stumbles into a crime there. It could be a really fun little crossover episode.' Preston also noted how playing Elsbeth has changed her real-life perspective — especially living in New York City. 'Elsbeth is so enchanted by New York. It really has made me be that way more… appreciate what someone is wearing and then tell them that, or get to know whoever I'm ordering a coffee from.' As for what comes next on the show, Preston is open to wherever the writers take her. 'I don't like to come up with things that I wish, because then that takes me away from what I have… I do think and hope that the ramifications of the assassination of Judge Milton Crawford will carry over into Season 3.' Preston — who previously received acclaim for her roles in Claws and True Blood—clearly enjoys portraying a character that both challenges her and connects with audiences. 'I'm just so touched at how there's such a love for the show,' Preston said. 'Everybody likes to tell me that their mom loves the show … and that makes me feel like, right, we're doing a good job. We've got something for everyone.' Best of GoldDerby TV Hall of Fame: Top 50 best choices who should be inducted next 'RuPaul's Drag Race': Onya Nurve and Jewels Sparkles dish their 'ride of a lifetime,' stolen jokes, and turning drag 'inside out' Making of 'Mid-Century Modern': How comedy legends created Hulu's freshest sitcom starring Nathan Lane and the late Linda Lavin Click here to read the full article.
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
From 30 Rock to Deadwood: 6 US TV classics to binge on RTÉ player
Just when you think you've watched everything, it might be time to go back and discover (or rediscover) some classic U.S. telly via RTÉ Player - but where to begin? Here are five of our favourites, currently available to binge in their entirety... 30 Rock Liz Lemon, head writer of the sketch-comedy show TGS with Tracy Jordan, must deal with an arrogant boss and a crazy star while trying to run a successful television show without losing her mind... Tina Fey's whipsmart classic is often ranked among the greatest (and most eminently quotable) US sitcoms of all times, and rightfully so; her banter with co-star Alec Baldwin is for the ages - watch all seven seasons here. Deadwood People flee to Deadwood, South Dakota, with the dream of getting rich. However, not everyone can survive the chaos and lawlessness of the town... One of the cornerstones of the modern age of Peak TV, David Milch's western epic boasts one of the greatest anti-heroes of them all, Ian McShane's despicable (and eminently quoatable) Al Swearengen - watch all three seasons here. The West Wing Martin Sheen stars as U.S. President Jed Bartlett in Aaron Sorkin's seminal political drama, documenting the triumphs and travails of White House senior staff - 25 years on, it's a snapshot of a radically different era in U.S. politics, anchored by one of the great ensemble casts - watch all seven seasons here The Good Fight First came The Good Wife, then came this spin-off starring theincomparable Christine as Good Wife scene-stealer Diane Lockhart, a high-flying lawyer scammed out of her life savings and forced to start afresh... It's a choice legal drama, one unafraid to tackle the madness of modern American politics, with a knockout lineup of guest stars (including Matthew Perry's last great performance - watch all six seasons here Frasier One of the few TV spin-offs that holds its own against the original, Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) leaves the bar at Cheers and moves back to his hometown of Seattle, where he lives with his father (the late, great John Mahoney), works as a radio psychiatrist and blunders his way through an endless number of sublimely farcial scenarios - for a masterclass in comedy, watch all 11 seasons here Mad Men In 1960s New York City, an ad agency mixes cutthroat business and social ambition with glamorous allure... Often found vying for the top spot in lists of the Greatest TV Show Of All Time, this gives us another unforgettable anti-hero, Jon Hamm's inscrutable Don Draper, and totally lands the ending, to boot - watch all seven seasons here
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘It's in my contract that I have great clothes, funny lines, and a lover': Christine Baranski on her surging career in her 70s
It's hard to think of two more different characters on television right now than the unapologetically uptight Agnes van Rhijn on The Gilded Age and the unapologetically outspoken Victoria on Nine Perfect Strangers. And the woman playing them both couldn't be happier about it. More from GoldDerby 'One of the things that made it so special was that it wasn't for everyone': 'The Leftovers' EPs and cast on the show's legacy David E. Kelley on the secret of his prolific career: 'Don't ever assume you're smarter than the audience' 'I'm glad I'm still alive': Jon Hamm and John Slattery on 'Mad Men,' 10 years later Christine Baranski has made a career out of scene-stealing performances, from Cybill to The Good Wife, and was recently recognized by the ATX TV Festival with its annual Achievement in TV eXcellence Award. Baranski trained at Juilliard with the dream of being a great theater actor, but then found a mid-life renaissance when she was offered the role of Cybill Shepherd's martini-swilling, sharp-tonuged best friend in Cybill, which earned her an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the first season. 'Nobody really starts a Hollywood career in their 40s, but I did,' she said. That then launched her into a 13-year run as the formidable Diane Lockhart on The Good Fight and The Good Wife. 'How did I get so lucky that my first writer that when I took the jump into television was Chuck Lorre?' marveled Baranski, who also credited Robert and Michelle King (The Good Fight, The Good Wife) and Julian Fellowes (The Gilded Age) for giving her great material to work with. 'You're looking at one very, very lucky dame.' SEEChristine Baranski ('The Good Fight') feels 'genuine sense of pride' about 'dangerous,' 'emotional' series finale [Exclusive Video Interview] Baranski praised Lorre for giving Maryann witty one-liners unlike she'd ever seen before on television. 'I knew how to deliver those lines because I had done Neil Simon, I had done Tom Stoppard. I'd done Terrence McNally,' she said.' I knew how to do that one-liner thing, but I'd never read a pilot where I thought, 'You know, it's going to be commensurate with theater writing.'' And then the role of Diane arrived. 'I said to the Kings many times, 'Let's avoid the stereotypes about women. Let's avoid the stereotype that just because she's the head of a law firm and she doesn't have children and she's not married, can we just avoid like playing her like she's an unhappy bitch?'' said Baranski. 'I'm proud of the fact that Diane Lockhart was something of a breakthrough. OK, she gets dressed for work, she looks fabulous, and at the end of the day she can drink scotch with the guys and go toe to toe with the men. She's not angry at men. She likes men.' Wearing Diane's high heels impacted Baranski personally as well. 'I always felt like I aspired to be Diane Lockhart,' she said. 'It was a learning curve for me. I was glad to play that character for 13 years because I think I was learning how to be a woman in power.' As for the infamous slap at the end of The Good Wife, she said she avoids social media, 'so I guess there was a big reaction,' she acknowledged. Her concern, though, was more with the performance. 'I didn't want to hurt Julianna [Margulies], for one thing,' she said. 'In terms of the acting moment, I think Alicia had lost her moral compass, and how she manipulated my husband and me, it was ruthless and horrible. For me, the slap was just, 'Wake up.' So it was easy for me. It wasn't a bitch slap.' The end of The Good Fight actually overlapped with the launch of The Gilded Age — a deal Baranski actually had to step in and negotiate for herself, with a letter sent to the head of CBS at the time asking to be allowed to do both, even though she was locked into a contract with CBS. An exception was made — although she was told to be discreet at the time — and then COVID wreaked havoc with the shooting schedule so the productions coincided. 'That was really, really challenging, but you know, I call it a champagne problem.' Signing on for Nine Perfect Strangers was a far easier deal to make — she agreed without even seeing a script, once she knew it was shooting in Europe and costarring Nicole Kidman. 'I've been making the joke in press that it seems like it's in my contract that I have great clothes, funny lines, and a lover — otherwise, I don't show up,' she quipped. And now in her 70s, with her choice of roles, she admits she's changed her mind about television. 'Television can open our minds and our hearts,' she said. 'The theater's great if you can afford a theater ticket and get to a play, but you turn on your screen in your living room and the world can open up and your consciousness can open up if it's good writing, and there's so much good writing now.' Best of GoldDerby 'I cried a lot': Rob Delaney on the heart and humor in FX's 'Dying for Sex' — and Neighbor Guy's kick in the 'zone' TV directors roundtable: 'American Primeval,' 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' 'Paradise' 'Paradise' directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra on the 'chaos' of crafting 'the world coming to an end' Click here to read the full article.
Scottish Sun
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Nepo baby daughter of huge US TV star mom and writer dad stuns in plunging top – can you guess her famous parents?
Both her parents worked with some of the biggest stars int he business FAMILY DRAMA Nepo baby daughter of huge US TV star mom and writer dad stuns in plunging top – can you guess her famous parents? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the daughter of a very famous Emmy Award winning actress. Her father was also a very famous playwright who starred in films with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 8 Lily Cowles is known for high profile roles in a huge sci-fi series Credit: Instagram 8 The actress stars as Isobel Evans in Roswell New Mexico 8 The actress regularly gives fans a behind the scenes look at her life on social media Credit: Instagram Lily Cowles, 37, is the daughter of Christine Baranski and Matthew Cowles and like her parents is involved in the entertainment industry. She is best known for her role as Isobel Evans in The CW sci-fi drama, Roswell, New Mexico. The actress also voices the character Helen Park in the smash-hit game, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. But she's also very active on social media and she regularly posts either throwback images of her childhood, snaps with her mother or promotion for upcoming projects. READ MORE ON HOLLYWOOD CLEVER KID Nepo baby with A-list parents graduates from uni - but can you guess who? One post came in the form of a selfie in a plunging and sleeveless jumpsuit. The star held the camera up to make the most of her skinny figure as she gave a gazing look into the lens. Her mother is an internationally recognised actress, having starred in huge productions. She rose to fame playing the role of Maryann Thorpe in the hit nineties sitcom, Cybill. The actress went on to star as Diane Lockhart in the legal drama series The Good Wife where she later reprised the role in the spin-off called, The Good Fight. Christine, 73, is also known for her extensive film work as she starred in Chicago alongside the likes of Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah. Huge period drama with A-list cast returning to screens - and it's just days away She is also known for her role as Donna's friend and band-mate Tanya in the Mamma Mia film franchise alongside Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried. Other high-profile projects have included Into The Woods, Cruel Intentions, and The Big Bang Theory. Most recently, fans could see her in the Lord Julian Fellowes penned period drama, The Gilded Age. She stars as the snobby and stubborn old money socialite Agnes van Rhijn, alongside the likes of Cynthia Nixon and Carrie Coon. Before he passed away in 2014, her father had a supporting role in Martin Scorsese's film Shutter Island alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. His first film came in the form of the 1969 comedy-drama, Me, Natalie alongside Al Pacino. 8 Lily is the daughter of the late playwright Matthew Cowles and actress Christine Baranski Credit: Getty 8 She's also the daughter of A-list actress Christie Baranski Credit: Getty 8 She regularly appears alongside her mother at exclusive star-studded events Credit: Getty 8 Christine is famous for her role as Diane in the legal drama, The Good Wife and the spin-off, The Good Life Credit: CBS
