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The sixth episode of this series reveals to the audience a terrible secret and the trauma that the main characters are afraid to relive again. They are trying their best to remain calm, but they are doing it very badly. Each of the heroines experiences a variety of emotions in this episode. The previous series ended with a very important part — Shauna’s baby is on the way. Will Shauna be able to handle this in such difficult conditions? And will the rest of the Yellowjackets be able to survive this event? And what happens to the adult main characters — they are at a turning point! But what will happen next? So many questions and so few answers. But this is what the series is good at — after all, viewers worry about the main characters and have a feeling that something will definitely happen. But what? We’ll see in this episode…

WILL SHAUNA’S BABY SURVIVE?

This time a terrifying picture appears before the eyes of the audience — get ready to see a lot of blood! But what exactly is awaiting us? Shauna’s baby is on the way, but it doesn’t look like she’s ready for this important event. Everyone calms Shauna down as best they can and tries to help her. But is it really a help? Coach Ben seems so lost and doesn’t know what to do and how to help Shauna get through it all. Natalie and Taissa are in shock and dazed, but at the same time they convince Shauna that she can and will overcome everything.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Travis, Lottie and their small cult are trying to ask the wilderness or the forces of nature to help Shauna in this birth. They bring a small altar and put everything they can on it (the so-called gifts from everyone) and shed blood. But does the wilderness hear them? It seems that Misty should know exactly what to do in this situation, because she knows everything about it. But is it so? Misty has a nervous breakdown after she sees Crystal falling off a cliff and her death again. And Misty did it. She killed her! It seems that the Yellowjackets are in a desperate situation.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

The only one who knows anything about childbirth is Akilah (Keeya King). Shauna sees that Misty is not there and starts to get nervous. But Akilah takes the situation into her own hands and promises that everything will be fine (and what else can she say?). Taissa, Natalie and Akilah ask Shauna to breathe and help the baby to be born. Lottie’s cult continues to call on the wilderness to hear them and help them. But it seems that everything is not going according to plan. Shauna is losing a lot of blood, and the baby still hasn’t arrived.

Lottie tries to convince Misty that Shauna really needs her right now. Misty can’t come to her senses and keeps repeating Crystal’s name. Lottie persuades her that it depends only on her now whether the child will survive or not. Misty comes to her senses and takes matters into her own hands. And it seems that everything is going to be fine. So the baby was born! But Shauna feels that something is wrong. And everyone else is behaving in a very strange way… So what’s really going on?

“WE HEAR THE WILDERNESS AND IT HEARS US”…

While the Yellowjackets are going through difficult events in the woods, adults Natalie and Lottie are trying to understand what they saw in their visions and what it means for them. Did they really take something bad out of these woods after they were rescued and drag it into real life? But what could it be? After Misty quarrels with Walter and asks for an overnight stay at Lottie’s wellness center, she won’t give up trying to figure out what really drives Lottie. She tells Lottie that she is only here to help Natalie escape from Lottie’s treacherous clutches. She doesn’t believe Lottie is just helping her. Lottie asks Misty to stay at her center for a while longer. Misty is clearly not thrilled with this idea, but decides to find out everything and join the team.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Natalie is going through a storm of emotions after a session with Lottie. She blames herself for the death of her best friend Travis. After all, it was she who convinced him that there was something wrong with them, that there was something dark in them. Lisa from the center sees that something is clearly wrong with Natalie and tries to help her. She tells Natalie that she shouldn’t blame herself for Travis’ death, it’s clearly not her fault. Natalie is sure that there is something wrong with her and she only destroys people and that Lisa should not be near her. But Lisa is sure that Natalie is not as bad as she says she is.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Lottie also feels out of place and comes back for a session with her doctor. She tells the doctor that she not only sees visions, but she also has this bad feeling — a return to the past, to those terrible events that they experienced 25 years ago. The doctor tells Lottie that perhaps these visions and a return to the past are just her fear of illness. But Lottie says that the problem is that she is not afraid of illness, but she is afraid of that she has never actually been ill. And that all events happen for a reason. And that some unknown forces brought Natalie and now Misty to the place where Lottie opened her center for helping people. Lottie says that these unknown forces are trying to show that everything that was in the woods was real, and something controlled this place. But what is it?

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

While Lottie is trying to cope with her emotions, Misty continues to find out everything about this place and pretend that she likes it. But this is far from the case. People from the center find out that Misty knows Natalie and Lottie very well. Thanks to this, Misty becomes popular here in a matter of minutes. Suddenly Natalie sees that Misty has not left this place with her friend Walter. Misty tells Natalie that she realized from Natalie’s appearance that something was wrong with her and decided to stay (but, of course, that’s not the point at all!). And Lottie doesn’t look like she’s all right, either. Misty says that at first she underestimated this place, but now she understands that Natalie will benefit from it. But Misty’s intentions are not so pure.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

While Misty is at this center, she informs Taissa that she has met an old friend and that she has opened a wellness center and is helping people. When Taissa hears that this center belongs to Lottie, she can’t believe her ears. Misty suggests that Taissa come to this center and see everything with her own eyes. At this time, Taissa and Van are trying to figure out their relationship and what happened to Taissa at night. Taissa finds Van’s unpaid bills and realizes that she will lose her video store if she doesn’t pay them. She offers Van help as a lawyer. But Van asks Taissa to stay out of her business. Taissa talks about Misty’s call and offers to go to this center with her. Taissa is sure that she needs to go to where Lottie, Natalie and Misty are now. Will Van go with her?

IT WAS JUST A RIDICULOUS AFFAIR!

While Taissa is figuring things out with Van, Shauna is also having a hard time — she is asked to go to the police station and answer a couple of questions. Jeff says that they will be able to overcome everything together, but the problem is that they ask not only Shauna to come but also their daughter Callie. Jeff doesn’t like all this, he’s worried that Shauna has dragged her daughter into their problems. Shauna says that if their daughter had slept with this cop without knowing that he was a cop, then they simply could not do anything to them. Jeff just can’t believe what he just heard. Shauna and Callie go to the police station but neither is sure how to behave in this situation. So what will happen?

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Shauna is being interrogated by Detective Saracusa, and her daughter — by Shauna’s school friend Kevyn. Shauna confesses to the detective that she may not be a very good mother and did not keep track of her daughter, but it’s no secret to anyone. She’s just a bored housewife who wanted to feel young again. But it seems the detective has figured out Shauna’s trick. He shows her Adam’s picture and asks her when she last saw him. Shauna confesses to having an affair with Adam. What’s next? Kevyn tries to convince Callie that she should tell the whole truth about her mother and not lie for her. Would Callie give in too? But that didn’t happen and the daughter turns out to be more cunning than her mother and says that she thought that this guy (Detective Saracusa) loved her and that she was a virgin.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

But it turned out that all he needed was to get to her mother Shauna. Kevyn says that she can’t make such accusations, because Detective Saracusa couldn’t have done this. Callie says the jury will obviously believe her and not some detective. While Shauna and Callie are testifying, Jeff is waiting for them in the car and sees that Taissa is calling Shauna. He picks up the phone and lies about how Shauna just can’t come right now. Then Taissa asks him to tell Shauna that she is going with Van to Lottie’s center, and that Natalie and Misty are in this center. She asks Jeff to be sure to inform Shauna about this and that she should also come there.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Shauna returns from the police station and tells Jeff that she confessed to having an affair with Adam (what a twist!). What will happen now? Jeff says that he is very concerned about Shauna’s condition and that she is clearly not herself. He tells Shauna about Taissa’s call and says that this center holds Lottie. Shauna can’t believe it. Callie returns after the interrogation and says that she used her mother’s advice (accused the detective of sleeping with her). And it seems that everything is fine. But this is not so, because Shauna confessed to her affair! Jeff says that Shauna needs to take a little trip and join her teammates. Maybe if Shauna is far away from here, he won’t do any more stupid things. But is it so?

ARE THE YELLOWJACKETS BACK TOGETHER? BUT WHAT AWAITS THEM?

But let’s go back to the events that take place in the woods with Yellowjackets. After the birth of the child, Shauna is in a state of confusion. It constantly seems to her that something is wrong. Shauna has a son and everyone is very happy about his arrival. But is it so? The child is constantly crying and does not want to drink milk from his mother’s breast. Shauna tries to do it, but each time the baby cries louder and louder. She falls asleep for a while and when she wakes up, she realizes that her son is not there. She sees Lottie singing a song to him and tries to feed him. Shauna chases Lottie away and says it’s her baby! Her condition is getting worse every day. She makes an attempt to feed her son again. And a miracle happens — he finally drinks milk!

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Shauna talks to her son and says that in time he will understand her or maybe not. She says she didn’t want a son but only now she realized how much she loves him. Now she and her son are alone against the whole world. Shauna falls asleep again and when she wakes she finds he isn’t next to her. She has a bad feeling and when she goes out she sees a terrifying scene — her teammates are eating her baby, all covered in blood! Shauna is hysterical and then she wakes up! All this time, she was unconscious and all she saw was just a dream! She doesn’t understand anything and asks to be given her baby. Everyone is in shock and barely holding back tears — the child did not survive. But Shauna can’t believe it and says she can still hear him crying…

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

But even in the present time, our heroines are not experiencing the best of times. Taissa and Van head to Lottie’s center to see everything with their own eyes. Taissa tries to find out from Van how she has been living all this time and whether she has stopped believing in love. Van asks not to touch on this topic and says that being alone is the best option for her. They drive up to the gates of the center and see Shauna’s car, which is rapidly heading to the center. They’re coming for her.

COURTESY OF SHOWTIME

Shauna sees Natalie and realizes that something has changed in her. Misty meets Taissa and sees that Van has arrived with her. She asks Taissa if they are really together again. But Taissa says that Van just gave her a ride, and she’s not going to stay here. Suddenly, everyone sees Lottie, Van falls into a stupor and it looks like she can’t move. It looks like the whole gang is assembled! And in the next series, something really unexpected is waiting for us! But viewers will only be able to find out what it is next week! So buckle up and get ready for anything to happen!

Check out Yellowjackets on Showtime.

To view reviews for the other episodes, click here: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5

The sixth episode of this series reveals

When Max’s And Just Like That… returns with Season 2 in June, fans of Sex and the City will see a familiar face back in the fold—in addition to Aidan (John Corbett).

Candice Bergen will be back as Enid Frick, Carrie’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) Vogue editor reprising the role she brought to life in the original series and the franchise films. Gloria Steinem will also appear as herself. The casting was first announced by EW.

Previously announced new additions this season also include Victor Garber, Oliver Hudson and Gary Dourdon.

A teaser trailer released at the end of April shows Carrie is back into the swing of things following the death of her husband Mr. Big (Chris Noth) and her dating life is heating up. She’s taken on a new Latino luvah as was revealed in the Season 1 finale, her podcast producer Franklyn (Ivan Hernandez).

Who knows how long that will last after Aidan appears in front of his former fiance at the foot of her stoop? Whether or not that will turn romantic and fans will see Aidan back in Carrie’s bed with a big bucket of fried chicken is as yet unknown. The real question is: where is Tater’s mom, Aidan’s fellow furniture designer wife? Did someone send her a Peleton, by chance?

The only thing that’s certain for now is that there will be much more sex in this city.

 

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When Max’s And Just Like That… returns

Rowan Atkinson in Man vs. Bee.

Joining the list of “canceled” series for 2023 is the Rowan Atkinson comedy series Man vs Bee, which won’t be returning for a second season at Netflix.

Released on Netflix in June 2022, Rowan Atkinson, best known for his characters of Mr. Bean and Johnny English, played a housesitter who arrives at a luxurious mansion only to find his time there dedicated to hunting down a rogue bee.

Claudie Blakley, Jing Lusi, and Julian Rhint-Tutt all starred alongside Atkinson in the series, with it getting generally favorable reviews from audiences.

Article Continues Below…

In its review, Decider gave the series a “Stream it” rating concluding that while you have to be in the right mood,  “no one on the planet does slapstick better than Rowan Atkinson and this series shows off all the skills that have made his career so successful.”


Man Vs. Bee has been canceled after a single season

The Sun first reported the news today in their rather clickbaity style titled “Netflix show with A-list star axed after just one series,” whereby they revealed that there are “no plans” for any additional second season.

There’s no word on why the show ended, but usually, it comes down to the performance of the title on Netflix.

The news of a cancelation doesn’t necessarily come as a huge surprise given its short format and Netflix’s string of cancelations in the comedy genre. It still counts as a cancellation, given the show was never labeled a limited series (or a mini-series as they’re sometimes referred to) in either press releases or within the Netflix application, even to this day. That certainly left the door open for more, even if the show is nicely concluded by the end.

In total, Man vs. Bee spent two weeks in the global top 10s picking up 43.61 million hours in total, which is commendable given its shorter runtime:

Week Period Hours Viewed(M) Rank Week in Top 10
June 19th, 2022 to June 26th, 2022 18,210,000 10 1
June 26th, 2022 to July 3rd, 2022 25,400,000 (+39%) 7 2

Perhaps most impressive was the YouTube views the initial trailer got, which clocks in at 15 million at the time of publishing. That makes it one of the best-performing trailers in Netflix history (which is cited to often translate to high viewership on Netflix), putting it in front of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Elite, Enola Holmes, and Our Planet.

Do you wish we got more of Man vs. Bee on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Rowan Atkinson in Man vs. Bee. Joining the

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS

UPDATED: May 9, 2023

2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series

Gabrielle Dennis, Robin Thede and Skye Townsend from “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
HBO

Weekly Commentary: We’re still in the land of make believe when viewing “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Saturday Night Live” as “the same scripted variety show” — when that’s not the case.

Since the announcement of the rule changes in Dec. 2022, Variety reported HBO’s long-running “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” would move into the scripted variety category (formerly variety sketch series) where it will face off with NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” and its cable counterpart “A Black Lady Sketch Show.”

It had been reported that Apple attempted to move “Schmigadoon!” into this category. However, the TV Academy confirmed to Variety the switch would not be occurring.

The scripted variety category is open to series with at least six episodes. It is defined as shows that are “primarily scripted, or loosely-scripted improv” and “discrete scenes, satire, musical numbers, monologues, comedy stand-ups, sketches, etc.” Last year, Netflix’s “Murderville” was denied entry into the category, then titled variety sketch series.

This category has only yielded two nominees the past two years. Per Emmy rules for 2023, the number of nominees for categories with fewer than 20 submissions are determined as follows: when between eight and 19 submissions are entered, divide the number by four, and round to the nearest whole number.

With currently 11 tracking (not all have been confirmed to be submitted), that would equal 2.75 or to round, three nominees to be named this year. Three more entries will bring the final nomination tally to four.

The TV Academy continues to try to streamline the process for networks and creative artists to understand where their visions best fit for recognition at the Primetime Emmys. However, there are still grey areas, as some shows and formats either overlap or don’t quite fit into the defined box.

We’ll see how it all shakes out on this deadline for submissions.

Emmy Nominations voting runs from June 15-26. The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 12. Check back every Thursday for the latest updates. All information is preliminary and is subject to change.


And the Predicted Nominees Are:


  1. “Inside Amy Schumer” (Paramount+)
  2. “Ziwe” (Showtime)

Other Top-Tier Possibilities


  1. “History of the World Part II” (Hulu)
  2. “Documentary Now!” (IFC)
  3. “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News”
  4. “Pause with Sam Jay” (HBO)
  5. “Sherman’s Showcase” (IFC)

All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Network)**


  • “Documentary Now!” (IFC)
  • “Sherman’s Showcase” (IFC)
  • “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
  • “History of the World Part II” (Hulu)
  • “Inside Amy Schumer” (Paramount+)
  • “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
  • “Pause with Sam Jay” (HBO)
  • “Random Acts of Flyness” (HBO)
  • “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
  • “Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News”
  • “Ziwe” (Showtime)

** This official list and/or category submission is not yet complete or confirmed and is subject to change.

2022 category winner: “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) — Season 48 — Lorne Michaels, executive producer; Javier Winnik, supervising producer; Lindsay Shookus, Erin Doyle, Tom Broecker and Caroline Maroney, producers; Steve Higgins and Erik Kenward, produced by


Emmy Awards Predictions Categories

DRAMA SERIES | COMEDY SERIES | LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES | TV MOVIE | LEAD ACTOR (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTOR (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | LEAD ACTRESS (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTRESS (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | TALK SERIES | SCRIPTED VARIETY | GAME SHOW | DIRECTING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | WRITING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) |

Creative Arts and Other Emmy Categories

GUEST ACTING, VOICE-OVER | SHORT FORM | DOCUMENTARY | MUSIC | ANIMATED |

About the Primetime Emmy Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, are given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards have recognized excellence in American primetime television programming. They are divided into three classes – Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (honors artisan achievements), and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards (recognizes significant engineering and technological contributions). The typical eligibility period is between June 1 and May 31 of any given year. The Television Academy comprises over 25,000 members, representing 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans, and executives.

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Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all

DJ Danifox is one of the many Lisbon-born artists committed to batida, the shuffling sound of the city’s Afro-diasporic underground. “Ritual,” the slow-burning highlight of Ansiedad, his second project for Príncipe Discos, chips away at a thick bedrock of tension. Dry-palmed claps and tin-plated percussion ride steadily over rippling waves of synth as he ushers you onto a sweat-lined dancefloor, the shadowy silhouettes of party-goers steadily melting into one. Danifox plays with space across the track, isolating layers of mystical flutes and panging hand drums before building back up to a pounding loop. With an arsenal of from-scratch electronics at his disposal, DJ Danifox summons foot stomps as if to aerate the earth, letting light into the caverns below.

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DJ Danifox is one of the many

Move Me No Mountain is written and directed by Deborah Richards. While the filmmaker has a number of shorts and one segment of an anthology to her name, this drama is her feature-length debut. Is it the start of a promising new career or another lump of coal for the dustbin?

Jenna (Cat Lellie) is a loving mom with a good career as a real estate agent in and around Las Vegas. However, her world is shattered when her daughter is violently killed. This sends the lady onto the streets, where she can dwell on the incident and grieve. While homeless, Jenna makes a few friends, including The Captain (Scott Ables) and Zebra Head (Zachariah Moyes). However, Jenna forms an especially close relationship with Nick (Nicholas Roylance), who was displaced by a wildfire destroying his home.

Jenna’s world gets thrown for a loop when she meets the young Lizbeth (Layla Campbell). The girl is sweet and loves her dog, though it ran away. She’s on the streets with Ruth (Amanda Forstorm), a Bible-quoting maniac who freaks out on anyone for any reason. Throughout all this, Jenna’s mental state deteriorates as she relives her daughter’s horrific death, causing her to contemplate suicide more than once.

Move Me No Mountain is an ambitious look at what grief can do to a person. By all accounts, Jenna had it together until her child was taken away from her. This focused character study is immediately gripping. Richards instantly builds sympathy for her lead, while also creating (mostly) realistic scenarios she’d find herself in. The story is phenomenal from start to finish, with every scene proving necessary.

“…Jenna’s mental state deteriorates as she relives her daughter’s horrific death…”

To that end, it is crucial that Lellie delivers a heighten, empathetic performance to match the emotional beats of the script. Happily, her acting here will go down as one of the best of the year. She carries the heartbreak, anger, and depression believably. There’s a scene where Jenna admits to Nick that she wishes she had the courage to kill herself. It’s a startling revelation, and yet, somehow makes perfect sense. Lellie delivers the line perfectly. Roylance is also quite good, and the two share excellent chemistry.

Forstorm will give some folks nightmares with her over-the-top and creepy portrayal of the volatile Ruth. Campbell is charming and sweet, making viewers instantly want to see her in a better situation. The supporting cast also turns in swell performances.

But what makes Move Me No Mountain true art in every sense is the cinematography. Richards served as director of photography on top of her other duties (including editors) and alternates between dreamy and grimy imagery. The scene of Jenna floating in a pool bathed in light is stunning. Contrast that with the dingy lighting and cramped feeling of the tunnels she lives in with Zebra Head. The picture is simply beautiful to behold.

Move Me No Mountain is an emotional ride that exhilarates as much as it moves. The performances are perfect, and the story is heartbreaking. The cinematography is stunning and makes the film look ten times its budget. Do yourself a favor and check this out as soon as possible, you will not be disappointed.

For more information, visit the Move Me No Mountain official site.

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Move Me No Mountain is written and directed

The official residence of Japan’s Prime Minister is a spooky place. Inspired by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the stone and brick mansion in central Tokyo had been around for only three years when young naval officers charged in and assassinated Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai in 1932. Four years later, Prime Minister Keisuke Okada was forced to hide in a closet during another attempted coup d’état, which killed five and left bullet holes that still pepper the building’s Art Deco facade.

The bad energy became transpacific when, in 1992, U.S. President George H.W. Bush became ill during a banquet here, vomiting onto the lap of Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa before passing out. Despite a reported exorcism by Shinto priests, an association with malevolent spirits was sealed, and the residence went unoccupied for nine years until Prime Minister Fumio Kishida moved in soon after taking power in October 2021.

“I have been warned by my predecessors that you will encounter ghosts in this building,” Kishida, 65, tells TIME in an exclusive interview inside the red-carpeted residence, gazing around at the expressionist wall motifs, which include at least one rather menacing concrete gargoyle. “Of course, it is an old building, so I hear sounds from time to time. But fortunately, I have yet to encounter a ghost.”


Photograph by Ko Tsuchiya for TIME

Kishida is preoccupied by more earthly issues. In Japan, he has launched a “new model of capitalism” to grow the middle class through redistributive policies. Overseas, he has set about revolutionizing the East Asian nation’s foreign relations: soothing historical grievances with South Korea, strengthening security alliances with the U.S. and others, and boosting defense spending by over 50%. Buoyed by a White House eager for influential partners to check China’s growing clout, Kishida has set about turning the world’s No. 3 economy back into a global power with a military presence to match.

But that’s not to say Kishida is untroubled by ghosts. His family hails from Japan’s southern city of Hiroshima, which he still represents as a lawmaker, and he lost several relatives to the atomic bomb dropped by the U.S. in 1945. His earliest memories include sitting on his grandmother’s knee in the beleaguered city and hearing horrific tales of local suffering. “The unspeakable devastation experienced by Hiroshima and its people was inscribed vividly in my memory,” he says. “This childhood experience has been a major driver of my pursuit … of a world without nuclear weapons.”

Read More: After the Bomb: Survivors of the Atomic Blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Share Their Stories

It’s to Hiroshima that Kishida welcomes leaders of the G7 from May 19 to 21, when he’ll hope to leverage the city’s tragic history to convince the world’s most powerful democracies that only collective resolve can face down the authoritarian threat of an increasingly belligerent Russia, China, and North Korea. Tokyo may be 5,000 miles from Kyiv, but the war in Ukraine has alerted Japan to a more perilous world, not least since Japan remains entangled in land and sea territorial disputes with Russia, and regularly sees North Korean ballistic missiles flying overhead. Even more worrisome for Japan has been China’s aggression against Taiwan, the self-ruling island that authoritarian President Xi Jinping has repeatedly vowed to bring to heel. When Beijing launched military drills last summer to protest U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei, five missiles fell into the waters of Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, through which Chinese naval vessels and aircraft regularly intrude.

Prime Minister Kishida walks past a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Type 19 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer and a Type 12 surface-to-ship missile as he inspects equipment during a review at JGSDF Camp Asaka in Tokyo on Nov. 27, 2021. (Kiyoshi Ota—Pool/AFP/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Kishida walks past a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Type 19 155 mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer and a Type 12 surface-to-ship missile as he inspects equipment during a review at JGSDF Camp Asaka in Tokyo on Nov. 27, 2021.

Kiyoshi Ota—Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Against this backdrop, Kishida in December unveiled Japan’s biggest military buildup since World War II, mirroring upticks in defense spending across Europe, including Germany, which like Japan was humbled by that war. The commitment would raise defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2027, giving Japan the world’s third largest defense budget. And while previous Japanese leaders dithered over imposing international sanctions, Kishida has joined U.S.-led measures with alacrity.

Read More: Chancellor Olaf Scholz Wants to Transform Germany’s Place in the World. He’d Just Rather Not Talk About It

It’s a transformation that had long been touted by Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who belonged to the same right-leaning Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and was assassinated during a campaign stop in July. But while Abe’s hawkish reputation was divisive, Kishida’s dovish persona has enabled him to enact security reform without significant pushback.

Still, Japan’s martial resurgence isn’t without controversy. The nation has a pacifist constitution, and critics say its military buildup pours fuel on an already combustive regional security picture. And given that China is Japan’s top trading partner, it’s unclear how Kishida can fund an ambitious domestic agenda while turning the screws on America’s superpower rival, which has proved all too willing to mete out economic retribution. More fundamentally, some believe that Japan’s rearmament chafes with Kishida’s longstanding pledges to work toward a nuclear-free world. The Prime Minister, for his part, says his only goal is to prevent tragedies like Hiroshima unfolding once again: “Today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s East Asia.”


Kishida’s tenure has already encountered drama that belies his reputation as a bland functionary. On April 15, Kishida narrowly avoided joining the ghosts stalking the Prime Minister’s residence when a homemade pipe bomb was hurled at him during a campaign speech, injuring a policeman. “I am living in the world of politics,” he shrugs when asked about the incident. “All sorts of events and developments could happen.”

Wakayama police restrain a man who allegedly threw explosives where Kishida was scheduled to give a speech for by-election of Lower House, in Wakayama City on April 15. (The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP)

Wakayama police restrain a man who allegedly threw explosives where Kishida was scheduled to give a speech for by-election of Lower House, in Wakayama City on April 15.

The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

When he took office 18 months ago, he was thought of as a steady but uninspiring politician, unscarred by scandal but lacking major accomplishments. His father and grandfather were both lawmakers, and he spent part of his childhood in the U.S., attending a public school in Queens. Classes were filled with children of myriad cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and Kishida says he found communication “very challenging.” But because of this, “I was reminded of the importance of listening carefully to the views of others,” he says. “As a child, I was inspired by what makes America the United States, which is respect for freedom and an abundance of energy.”

Kishida was an average student, failing his law school entrance exam three times. After cutting his teeth in banking, Kishida entered politics in 1993. He rose to various cabinet posts and was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2012, serving in the position for five years, a Japanese record. He forged a reputation as a consensus builder, coordinating policy in back rooms by deliberating with various factions. Aides say Kishida takes advice, but once his mind is made up, he doesn’t waver.

As Prime Minister, he’s proved himself a prodigious worker. Kishida has made a dizzying 16 overseas trips since taking office. The day after he sat down with TIME inside his official residence’s vaulted Great Hall, he departed for a four-nation tour of Africa. Aides say he’s barely managed to take any time for himself. “After the [parliamentary] session is over, if some time remains, I hope I will be able to play some golf,” he says with a grin.

But it has not all been smooth on the domestic front. Kishida’s approval ratings plummeted following a backlash to his decision to hold a state funeral for Abe, over both the expense and Abe’s polarizing character. Late last year, Kishida fired four cabinet ministers in two months over a variety of scandals. In February, he dismissed a close aide for saying “quite a few people would abandon this country” if same-sex marriage were legalized, despite a majority of the population’s supporting it. In response, Kishida tells TIME that he is committed to “realizing a society where diversity is respected.” Kishida’s approval rating has since picked up, and his LDP won key seats in local elections in April.

Read More: What Asia’s LGBTQ+ Movement Can Learn From Japan

“He may not be an inspiring leader,” says Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Tokyo’s Temple University. “But he has proven to be fairly effective in terms of promoting his agenda.”

It’s an ambitious one. Japan has the world’s second most educated population and boasts its longest life expectancy, lowest murder rate, little unemployment, and unusually smooth political transitions. But it also has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, stagnated growth, and a severely aging population. In the late 1980s, Japanese people earned more than Americans. Now they earn 40% less on average. Kishida’s mission is to drag Japan back up. He has embarked on a sweeping modernization drive, recently green-lighting the nation’s first casino as well as a dedicated autonomous driving lane for the Shin-Tōmei Expressway, a key logistics artery.

The secretariat of the G7 Summit is set up at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on July 15, 2022. Kishida (left), Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (center), and Secretary General Katsuro Kitagawa hang the signboard in front of its room. (The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP)

The secretariat of the G7 Summit is set up at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on July 15, 2022. Kishida (left), Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (center), and Secretary General Katsuro Kitagawa hang the signboard in front of its room.

The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

Kishida’s domestic agenda rests on a nebulous “income-doubling plan” to boost household earnings, but his big problem is how to pay for redistribution without alienating the affluent. Japan’s ratio of public debt to GDP stands at 256%—about double that of the U.S.—and Kishida has little wiggle room to keep borrowing. When he floated the idea of raising taxes on stock transfers and dividends, Japan’s bourses tanked. “Mr. Kishida has to be pretty careful to keep key right-wing support,” says Mieko Nakabayashi, a professor at Tokyo’s Waseda University and a former Japanese lawmaker.

Kishida also wants to get more women and seniors into gainful employment. Japan ranked 116th among 146 countries—the lowest of developed economies—in the World Economic Forum’s 2022 gender-gap report. But while Kishida’s government has set targets to reach 30% female executives at big firms by 2030, “I don’t think it has clearly stated what kind of action plan it will actually take to achieve the goal,” says Makiko Ono, CEO of Suntory Beverages & Food, Japan’s most valuable company with a female boss.

Read More: Makiko Ono Has a Plan to Get More Women Into C-Suites

Ultimately, Japan remains over 30% less productive than the U.S. Kishida has charged Japan’s Digital Agency to cut red tape and boost efficiency. Digital Minister Taro Kono tells TIME that he’s discovered 9,000 government regulations that still require handling via antiquated technology, such as faxes, floppy disks, and the hanko—an iconic carved stamp that is obligatory for many official documents.

But Kono has only 800 officials to serve Japan’s population of 125 million, complaining that his agency is “desperately understaffed.” It’s a monumental challenge; embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution is crucial for developed societies everywhere, though perhaps none more so than Japan, whose shrinking, aging population has “no precedent in the world,” says Kishida. “This is a matter of survival.”


Kishida visits a mass grave site discovered at Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints in Bucha, Ukraine, on March 21. (Sergei Chuzavkov—AFP/Getty Images)

Kishida visits a mass grave site discovered at Church of St. Andrew and Pyervozvannoho All Saints in Bucha, Ukraine, on March 21.

Sergei Chuzavkov—AFP/Getty Images

It’s a different kind of existential threat that will occupy the G7 in Hiroshima, where posters promoting the summit adorn billboards and vending machines across the city, with countdown clocks inside the cavernous main railway station. Denied a seat on the U.N. Security Council, Japan has always placed great emphasis on the economic grouping, where it is the only Asian member. Close aides to Kishida say that welcoming the G7 to his home city will be the realization of “a lifelong dream.” Not only is it Kishida’s best chance to catapult Japan to true global leadership, Nakabayashi says he also may use any bounce in domestic approval as a platform to dissolve parliament and seek a fresh mandate.

In January, Kishida made whistlestop visits to member states Britain, France, Italy, Canada, and the U.S. to drum up support for his agenda. He also invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to attend as observers. The stakes are high. “Given the very sketchy situation in the international order, with Ukraine and Taiwan figuring prominently, the G7 must step up or risk becoming irrelevant,” says Kingston.

But not all agree with the G7’s combative posture. Setsuko Thurlow remembers Aug. 6, 1945, clearly. She was just 13 when she was recruited to help decipher intercepted Allied communications as part of Japan’s World War II efforts. At 8:15 a.m., she glimpsed a bluish-white flash through the window of the wooden building that served as the military headquarters in what today is Hiroshima’s Higashi suburb. The bomb detonated at a temperature of 7,700°C just over a mile away.

“I had the sensation of flying up and floating in the air,” she says. After she crawled out from beneath the charred timber, “I started seeing moving figures like people, but not really human beings,” recalls Thurlow, 91, who accepted a Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. “They looked like ghosts.”

Read More: A Fire In the Sky: A Schoolboy’s Eyewitness Account of Hiroshima

The bombings of Hiroshima and, three days later, Nagasaki claimed some 170,000 lives. Japan’s more aggressive military posture under Kishida makes Thurlow “alarmed,” she says. “[Kishida] said his top priority was to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons. But right now, I realize he was deceiving us.”

Kishida tells TIME he’s committed to global denuclearization and his government “will not discuss nuclear armament.” And no doubt G7 attendees will have poignant tours of Hiroshima’s Peace Museum and A-Bomb Dome, which was one of the few buildings left standing after the blast, remaining today a rubble-strewn shell of broken bricks and twisted iron girders, rimmed by a neat hedge of flowering azalea.

Prime Minister Kishida at his official residence in Tokyo on April 28. (Ko Tsuchiya for TIME)

Prime Minister Kishida at his official residence in Tokyo on April 28.

Ko Tsuchiya for TIME

Kishida draws a straight line between Hiroshima and the stricken Ukrainian city of Bucha, which he visited in March, speaking of “great anger at the atrocity” in a departure from his trademark equanimity. He wants the G7 to know the true horror lurking within Vladimir Putin’s repeated threats of nuclear war, which “came as a huge shock to me,” he says.

Read More: She’s Spent a Decade Fighting to Ban Nuclear Weapons. The Stakes Are Only Getting Higher

Still, it would be disingenuous to pretend that Russia is Kishida’s sole focus. His intention is also to convey that, just as Ukraine is Asia’s problem, Taiwan is Europe’s—rebutting the sentiments of French President Emmanuel Macron, who when asked about Taiwan in April said that Europe must not get “caught up in crises that are not ours.” For Kishida, “Russian aggression against Ukraine is not a development that happened far away,” he says. “Attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force, wherever they may happen in the world, cannot be allowed.”

Kishida is diplomatic when asked about China’s challenge, citing the need to build on the “positive momentum” forged by his November summit with Xi. However, he admits “China’s current external posture and military trends are matters of serious concern.”

Others in his administration are bolder. Rather than Russia or North Korea, “the major threat is coming from China,” says Kono, who previously served as both Japan’s Foreign Minister and Defense Minister. “We need to be prepared for their military actions as well as economic coercion against Taiwan or others.”

Washington agrees. In recent months, President Biden has committed to enhanced military cooperation with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia. He will be pressuring Kishida to assist not only with defense matters but also to prevent technology transfer to China.

Meanwhile, Beijing has set about courting the Global South with a new forum for international relations, which the nation’s state media has dubbed “Xivilization.” It’s a clash of worldviews that promises to keep heating up. Kishida’s mission at Hiroshima will be to keep focus on the city’s charred remains and paper cranes. To let the ghosts have their say.

More Must-Reads From TIME


Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com.

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Image Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FX/Shutterstock

Former President Donald Trump, 76, was found liable in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit on May 9. The columnist accused him of sexually abusing her in the 1990s and the jury sided with her in the courtroom. The jury found Trump liable for “sexually abusing and defaming,” the 79-year-old writer, as reported by CNN. As a result, she has been awarded a total of $5 million for the damages brought on by the former U.S. leader. E. Jean was awarded $2 million for her civil battery claim, while the remaining $3 million was for her defamation claim against Trump.

celebs react to donald trump E Jean Carroll verdict
Celebrities reacted to news that Donald Trump was found liable in the E Jean Carroll lawsuit. (Matt Baron/BEI/Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup for FX/Shutterstock)

In light of the news and victory for E. Jean, many celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis, 64, took to social media to react to the news. Not only did some A-listers call Trump “disgusting,” but some also publicly applauded the What Do We Need Men For? author for speaking out against him. See the list of stars who reacted, below!

Jamie Lee Curtis

The 64-year-old Oscar-winning actress was one of the first stars to publicly tweet about the verdict on May 9. “His ‘TYPE’ just got served a big plate of consequences! Proud of @ejeancarroll @LisaBirnbach,” Jamie wrote via Twitter. She also took to Instagram and shared a series of posts on the matter. One of them was an illustration of a woman’s figure that read “BELIVE WOMEN,” to which she captioned, “Proud of @ejeancarroll1 @officiallisabirnbach and proud of this jury.” In a separate post, Jamie shared a screenshot of a news article that reported the news. “Thank you @ejeancarroll1 @officiallisabirnbach for standing up to a bully and finally having his words and deeds meet consequences,” she captioned the screenshot.

Mira Sorvino

Later, Mighty Aphrodite star Mira Sorvino, 55, took to Twitter to also express her disdain toward Trump and his actions. “I am so proud and happy for @ejeancarroll for her victory over disgusting sexual assaulter Donald Trump,” her post began. “Justice creeps forward due to her courageous heroism.” Mira’s tweet quoted and included a screenshot of E. Jean’s statements about the verdict. “This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed,” the author’s statement read.

Alyssa Milano

Charmed alum and political activist, Alyssa Milano, 50, was not far behind and also took to Twitter to react to E. Jean’s victory. “#ThankYouEJean,” she wrote on May 9. The 50-year-old also re-shared a breaking news report on the story via Instagram Stories and quoted Trump’s vulgar comments about women from 2005. “‘You can do anything. You can grab them by the p****,’” her story post read, along with another “Thank you,” note to E. Jean.

Bette Midler

Another A-list to react was Hocus Pocus star Bette Midler, 77, who was outraged at Trump’s behavior. “#TRUMP, formerly Donald J Drumpf [sic], must pay #EJeanCarroll $5million for sexual abuse and defamation. A solid win for E Jean,” her first tweet read. Later the actress joined Alyssa in referencing the 2005 vulgar comments from Trump. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,THE TWICE IMPEACHED, 4 TIME BANKRUPT, P**** GRABBER, HIMSELF, #DONALDJTRUMP,” Bette added.

Padma Lakshmi

Taste the Nation host and creator, Padma Lakshmi, 52, joined the other women in speaking out about the matter that Tuesday. “The jury has found that Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carrol. Savoring this little bit of justice on a Tuesday afternoon,” her first tweet read. Later, the Top Chef star added, “Sexual assault survivors are so rarely believed, validated, or given any semblance of justice. This is a win for us all.”

Maria Shriver

In addition to the women above, First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, 67, re-shared The Washington Post‘s article on the news and added her own reaction. “Wow, this is big. Big for her, big for other victims, and a big moment for those who support Donald Trump,” her tweet began. “Is this who you want to lead our great country? Ask yourself this question moving forward.” Although Maria publicly expressed her disdain for the Republican politician, she herself was previously married to former Republican Governor of California and actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, from 1986 to 2021.

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It appears that Tucker Carlson will not be off the air for long.

In a video posted to his Twitter account with the line “we’re back,” Carlson said that he will be bringing “a new version of the show that we have been doing for the past six and a half years to Twitter.”

“We’ll be bringing some other things too, which we will tell you about, but for now we are just grateful to be here,” Carlson added.

Carlson’s website on Tuesday led with the headline “Tucker is back,” with a sign-up so users could get details when they are officially announced. It also included a photo of Carlson — who splits his time between Maine and Florida — wearing a plaid shirt and holding what appears to be a shotgun.

The announcement suggests in no uncertain terms that the Elon Musk-owned social platform will play host to Carlson’s program — or at least a version of it — even as he navigates an exit agreement with Fox News, which is being negotiated by attorney Bryan Freedman.

Musk, who was interviewed by Carlson a few weeks ago on his now-canceled Fox News show, tweeted later in the day that Carlson had “not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever” with Twitter. He explained that the host would benefit from subscriptions and advertising revenue share, which Musk said would be a new feature for the platform. The Twitter CEO added, “I hope that many others, particularly from the left, also choose to be content creators on this platform.”

While the specifics of Carlson’s contract are not public, anchors usually have so-called “pay or play” clauses in their contracts that can see them paid out while keeping them off of competitors’ platforms. It is not immediately clear whether that clause applies in this case.

Fox News parted ways with Carlson just two weeks ago in a stunning move that caught the media business off guard. The specific reason, or reasons, that Carlson was ousted remains unclear, with redacted text messages, ongoing lawsuits and Rupert Murdoch’s whims being among the theories cited by observers.

Assuming Carlson’s show moves forward, Twitter will have a pair of notable video programs on its platform next year. Last week NBCUniversal cut a deal to bring 2024 Olympics coverage to Twitter, including a live show that will be exclusive to the platform.

May 9, 5 p.m. Updated with Musk’s tweet.

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It appears that Tucker Carlson will not

Nathan Fielder wasn’t the only special guest for a Deadline FY House + HBO Max panel on April 20 to discuss his HBO series The Rehearsal. The audience was also treated to an appearance from Kor Skeete, who enlists Fielder’s help in the series premiere.

Viewers will remember Skeete as the Brooklyn teacher who was worried about telling his trivia friend Tricia that he’s been lying to her about his higher education. When the pair first met, Skeete told Tricia that he had a master’s degree when, in fact, he never did. Throughout the episode, Fielder prepares Skeete for a trivia night at the Alligator Lounge, where he plans to let Tricia in on his secret.

“It’s been a very weird ride,” Skeete said of his life since the series aired. He explained that he’d become involved through a Craiglist ad, and he thought he’d merely be participating in a focus group. “What you just saw was the fun house version of my life. Very bizarre.”

The tone of The Rehearsal might lead to questions about whether its subjects are real people or paid actors. Though it has been discussed in the past, Skeete assured the audience he wasn’t aware of the project when he was recruited — and he didn’t know who Fielder was.

“I had not met this gentleman,” Skeete said, adding that the first time he was introduced to Fielder is during their first interaction on screen when Fielder visits Skeete’s apartment to learn more about him. “The shock you saw on my face in a lot of things was natural. I think I was picked out of a lot of people because I’m a natural reactor.”

To be fair, Fielder also added that he wasn’t exactly sure what the series was going to be either when the pilot was filmed. Re-creating an entire bar in a warehouse “unlocked” the concept for where the series should start, but Fielder said he knew he wanted to take it further than that.

“For the rest of the season, I was trying to create an environment that would sort of allow other things to happen. Because the second time you see a bar built, it’s not as cool as the first time,” he said. “But there’s other things related to like rehearsing and the anxiety of what’s going on in your mind and how we delude ourselves, which is like a big part of the show, is that self-delusion.”

Fielder also spoke about developing the series, which he said was inspired by his first HBO series Nathan For You, where he helps struggling small businesses boost their sales through experimental (and often confusing) marketing strategies.

“The goal is always for things that are better than your plan to happen. But I would try to map out like every scenario of what would happen … I would go into a situation, like, ‘OK, if they do this, I’ll do this. And if they do this, I’ll do that,’” he said. “And then all the time, these moments would happen that I didn’t see coming at all. And they’re often like the best moments in the show. But instead of thinking, ‘Oh, that’s like, cool that this thing happened,’ I would always be sort of mad at myself and go, ‘Man, why didn’t I see that coming?’ And so I thought that frustration was funny, because obviously, you can’t predict reality.”

Click on the video above to watch the conversation.

To watch more videos from the Deadline FYC House + HBO Max event series, click here.

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Nathan Fielder wasn’t the only special guest

The sales sorceresses who knew sex sells… especially to women: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews last night’s TV

Mad Women: ****

Turkey: Empire of Erdogan: ***** 

Oh, the innocence of it. And it seemed so raunchy at the time. Male model Nick Kamen unbuttoned his Levi’s and flung them into the wash, while the ladies in the launderette drooled.

‘It was the first time,’ said the 1985 advert’s copywriter Barbara Nokes, ‘that women, us lot, were given the opportunity of ogling a boy. And ogle we did.’

Her hot-and-sudsy fantasy was inspired, she said on Mad Women (Ch4), by a real experience in a London launderette. An Irish workman stripped down to his undies. Yer man might not have been a model but he clearly made quite the impression on Barbara.

Advertisers have always known that sex sells, but this history of female executives in the macho, chauvinist world of TV ad campaigns proves that it sells best to women.

Take the Lynx ads, those tongue-in-cheek promotions for a sickly perfume aimed at men too young to shave. The idea is that it’s loaded with chemicals to make its wearer magically irresistible to the opposite sex — seduction by pheromones.

Mad Women on Channel 4: Advertisers have always known that sex sells, but this history of female executives in the macho, chauvinist world of TV ad campaigns proves that it sells best to women

Rosie Arnold, art director at ad firm Bartle Bogle Hegarty, devised some of the more outrageous scenarios, including one where a spotty teen douses himself with Lynx on the beach while a horde of women in bikinis rush from the waves, a mass attack of Ursula Andresses.

‘We weren’t just selling it to young men,’ Rosie explained. ‘We were selling it to their mums, because they were the ones actually buying it.’

This one-off salute to the sales sorceresses tried to kid us that these ads were somehow striking a blow for feminism. An example cited was the Pretty Polly spot where a lone woman on a Riviera road fixed the engine of her classic car, by unrolling her silk stocking to use as a fanbelt.

Slightly more convincing was the argument by Alex Taylor, who was a junior art director at Saatchi & Saatchi when the Army started recruiting many more women in the late 1990s. Alex helped to come up with the ‘Be The Best’ slogan, still used today.

‘It’s very important to me,’ she said, ‘because it wasn’t a washing powder or a margarine.’

But what’s wrong with an ad for marge, if it’s done with wit and panache? Nearly half a century after Terry Wogan proclaimed Flora to be ‘the margarine for men’, I can still hear his dulcet tones urging the women of Britain to ‘change their husbands’.

If regime change simply meant a different spreadable on our toast, we didn’t know how lucky we were. Turkey: Empire Of Erdogan (BBC2), the first of a two-part potted history of the nation on the fringe of Europe, showed what happens when a military junta oversees the changes.

In 1961, the Turkish generals hanged the Prime Minister, for being a bit too Islamic. And when the firebrand political rebel and mayor of Istanbul Tayyip Erdogan recited dissident poetry in 1997, he was flung into prison.

This profile of Erdogan, Turkey’s leader for the past 20 years but now facing the prospect of defeat in the polls, spelled out the scale of his achievements — defying the army and rooting out the organised crime gangs that pulled the strings of power.

Though his closest political allies gave interviews to camera, this was no whitewash. In his determination to hold on to office, Erdogan has become increasingly ruthless, using show trials to silence opponents and setting his police as attack dogs on protesters.

If you knew little of Turkey beyond its Mediterranean resorts, this compact summary was an education. And David Morrissey’s rumbling, ominous narration made it better still.

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Last Updated: May 10, 2023, 03:14 IST

De Niro has children from previous relationships, including two with Diahnne Abbott, twin sons with Toukie Smith, and two with Grace Hightower. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

De Niro initially revealed the joyous event in an interview with ET Canada while promoting his latest film, appropriately titled “About My Father”

Hollywood Actor Robert De Niro has welcomed a new addition to his family, according to a representative who confirmed the news to CNN on Tuesday.

De Niro, 79, initially revealed the news in an interview with ET Canada while promoting his latest film, appropriately titled “About My Father.”

During the interview, the Oscar-winning actor politely corrected the interviewer when she mentioned his previously known six children, stating, “Seven, actually. I just had a baby.”

While the identity of the mother remains undisclosed, De Niro expressed his delight in being a father, highlighting the importance of displaying love to his children while maintaining a firm approach when needed.

De Niro has children from previous relationships, including two with Diahnne Abbott, twin sons with Toukie Smith, and two with Grace Hightower.

Read all the Latest Movies News and Entertainment News here

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Last Updated: May 10, 2023, 03:14 ISTDe

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS

UPDATED: May 9, 2023

2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Talk Series

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN — Episode 18092 — Pictured in this screen grab: Andy Cohen — (Photo by: Bravo)
Bravo

Weekly Commentary: Apple TV+ and the creative teams behind “The Problem With Jon Stewart” had plans to compete in the outstanding hosted nonfiction series or special category, where its first season received an Emmy nom last year. However, the Television Academy denied its submission and moved the show to the outstanding talk series category, where it will face off against late-night hosts such as Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers.

Last year, 19 shows were submitted for the now-defunct variety talk series category, including HBO’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.” However, the 26-time winner was moved to scripted variety series, where it will face off against its fellow HBO counterpart “A Black Lady Sketch Show” and last year’s winner, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”

The 12-episode sophomore season, hosted by 22-time Emmy winner Stewart, has received critical raves for the comedian and commentator’s unfiltered, no-holds-barred dialogue. Sitting with various lawmakers and political figures, he discusses many of the country’s most urgent topics such as gun control and the legislative attack against the LGBTQ community. Many clips from the series have gone viral on social media.

Emmy Nominations voting runs from June 15-26. The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 12. Check back every Thursday for the latest updates. All information is preliminary and is subject to change.


And the Predicted Nominees Are:


  1. “The Problem With Jon Stewart” (Apple TV+)
  2. “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
  3. “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)

Next in Line


  1. “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)
  2. “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)

Other Top-Tier Possibilities


  1. “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS)
  2. “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
  3. “What What Happens Live” (Bravo)
  4. “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)
  5. “Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God” (Comedy Central)

All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Network)**


  • “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
  • “The Problem With Jon Stewart” (Apple TV+)
  • “What What Happens Live” (Bravo)
  • “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
  • “Hell of a Week with Charlamagne Tha God” (Comedy Central)
  • “The Late Late Show with James Corden” (CBS)
  • “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
  • “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC)
  • “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
  • “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)
  • “Hart to Heart” (Peacock)

** This official list and/or category submission is not yet complete or confirmed and is subject to change.

2022 category winner: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO) — John Oliver, Tim Carvell and Liz Stanton, executive producers; Jeremy Tchaban, co-executive producer; Catherine Owens and Christopher Werner, supervising producers; Laura L. Griffin, Kate Mullaney, Matt Passet, Marian Wang and Charles Wilson, producers


Emmy Awards Predictions Categories

DRAMA SERIES | COMEDY SERIES | LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES | TV MOVIE | LEAD ACTOR (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTOR (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | LEAD ACTRESS (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTRESS (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | TALK SERIES | SCRIPTED VARIETY | GAME SHOW | DIRECTING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | WRITING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) |

Creative Arts and Other Emmy Categories

GUEST ACTING, VOICE-OVER | SHORT FORM | DOCUMENTARY | MUSIC | ANIMATED |

About the Primetime Emmy Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, are given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards have recognized excellence in American primetime television programming. They are divided into three classes – Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (honors artisan achievements), and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards (recognizes significant engineering and technological contributions). The typical eligibility period is between June 1 and May 31 of any given year. The Television Academy comprises over 25,000 members, representing 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans, and executives.

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Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all

On January 2, 2023, Scarlet Johansson was shooting Project Artemis in Atlanta, when she woke up to the news that her Avengers co-star Jeremy Renner had almost been killed in a snowplow accident.

Renner, who broke more than 30 bones and suffered blunt chest trauma, was run over by a 7-ton snowcat while trying to save his nephew from being hit.

Jeremy Renner

Photo: Jeremy Renner on Instagram

“I was very upset,” she remembers.

“Real Superhero Stuff”

Happily, Renner’s prognosis continued to improve over the next few days. Even Johansson and her Avengers co-stars were impressed.

“On the Avengers text chain, we’re like, ‘OK, you beat us all. That’s it. You won,’” she says. “That’s like real superhero stuff. It’s unbelievable.” The thread includes the original six Avengers- Johansson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo.

Jeremy Renner

Photo: Instagram / @jeremyrenner

A few weeks ago, Johansson and Evans flew to Los Angeles together to visit Renner. While the actor still has a long road to recovery, he is in good spirits.

“No tears at all. A lot of laughs and smiles and hugs,” Evans says. “Leave it to Jeremy to take something this potentially tragic and turn it into something so inspiring.”

Jeremy Renner Chris Evans

Photo: Variety

An Emotional Reunion

For Johansson, the reunion was emotional, there was a time when the actress had wondered if she would ever see Renner again.

Johansson Renner

Photo: Access

“I was honestly so [very] happy to see him. I didn’t know if I was ever going to see him again. To not only see him again but to see him thriving and in such an amazing space, mentally,” Johansson says. “He’s a very spiritual person in general and a very soulful person. And you can see that in his work. It comes through. He has such a depth to him. And I just was so happy to see that he is full of life and light, and he’s also hilarious. We laughed a lot.”

GOAT

Source: slashfilm.com

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On January 2,

Creating an entire campaign story arc for your Dungeons & Dragons players can be a monumental task. It requires a lot of thought and work to make it happen. But, it’s absolutely possible to do, no matter how daunting it seems. It all starts with an idea. Thankfully, you can find inspiration for those ideas everywhere, including the D&D 5th edition primary sourcebooks: Dungeon Master’s Guide, Player’s Handbook, and the Monster Manual. Following are six Dungeons & Dragons campaign ideas drawn directly from the Monster Manual. We included quotes and page numbers for reference, along with thoughts on various ways you can turn each idea into a campaign.

Search for the Seven Shards

The Wind Dukes of Aaqa come from a race of elemental beings called the vaati, which once ruled many worlds. A creature known as the Queen of Chaos arose and initiated an interplanar war against vaati rule. To combat the threat, seven vaati heroes combined their powers to create the mighty Rod of Law. In a battle against the queen’s greatest general, Miska the Wolf Spider, a vaati killed Miska by thrusting the rod into him like a spear. The rod shattered into seven shards that scattered across the multiverse. Aarakocra seek signs of the pieces’ locations in order to rebuild what is now known as the Rod of Seven Parts.

(Aarakocra pg. 12)

Drop hints and clues about a possible location of one piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. Or, let your players find a piece in some random creatures’ loot stash and see if they discover what it really is. Then develop scenarios based on their search. Research and throw in encounters with the vaati, aarakocra, and Miska and prepare the party for traveling across the multiverse. Tada, you have a campaign.

Wizards of the Coast

Roots of the Gulthias Tree

Legends tell of a vampire named Gulthias who worked terrible magic and raised up an abominable tower called Nightfang Spire. Gulthias was undone when a hero plunged a wooden stake through his heart, but as the vampire was destroyed, his blood infused the stake with a dreadful power. In time, tendrils of new growth sprouted from the wood, growing into a sapling infused with the vampire’s evil essence. It is said that a mad druid discovered the sapling, transplanting it to an underground grotto where it could grow. From this Gulthias tree came the seeds from which the first blights were sown.

(Blights pg. 31)

Blights in Dungeons & Dragons are “awakened plants gifted with the powers of intelligence and mobility.” During some random quest early in their career, your players discover some mention of Gulthias, or Nightfang Spire, or the journal of some mad druid whose babbling tells of finding a wooden stake he’s searched for his whole life. As your players slowly discover more clues about these blights, they begin encountering them in greater numbers, along with other nature beings trying to drive them from their quest, or perhaps aid them.

Unfinished Business

A ghost yearns to complete some unresolved task from its life. It might seek to avenge its own death, fulfill an oath, or relay a message to a loved one. A ghost might not realize that it has died and continue the everyday routine of its life.

(Ghost pg. 147)

“The surest way to rid an area of a ghost is to resolve its unfinished business.”

A single ghost wouldn’t be much of an adventure for a quality party. So, how about a village of ghosts? What about a town, or even an entire city? Ghosts hang around actively trying to complete some unfinished business, so have multiple ghosts available to provide quests that need finishing to your players. All those quests could lead to whatever great calamity caused them all to become ghosts.

Abyssal Origins

Ghouls trace their origins to the Abyss. Doresain, the first of their kind, was an elf worshiper of Orcus. Turning against his own people, he feasted on humanoid flesh to honor the Demon Prince of Undeath. As a reward for his service, Orcus transformed Doresain into the first ghoul. Doresain served Orcus faithfully in the Abyss, creating ghouls from the demon lord’s other servants until an incursion by Yeenoghu, the demonic Gnoll Lord, robbed Doresain of his abyssal domain. When Orcus would not intervene on his behalf, Doresain turned to the elf gods for salvation, and they took pity on him and helped him escape certain destruction. Since then, elves have been immune to the ghouls’ paralytic touch.

(Ghouls pg. 148)

Doresain was the first ghoul, and his tale would make for a grand campaign. Start with undead encounters, and some obvious (and red herring) indications of Orcus. But then, slowly over time, drop in elves and gnolls to deepen the mystery of what they could possibly have to do with the undead. Guide your party on what they think may be side quests that are actually the main quests, eventually leading to Doresain’s destruction, or redemption.

Original Name

Whether these tall, gaunt creatures were peaceful or savage, cultured or primitive before the mind flayers enslaved and changed them, none can say. Not even the original name of their race remains from that distant time.

(Gith pg. 158)

Or does it? For this campaign, your players come into possession of a single page torn from a book (perhaps a page from a Book of Keeping?) with a single word written on it: the long lost secret name of the gith. As they begin investigating it, word could get around, and suddenly creatures from every plane want to know what they have. Of course, at some time they discover what they possess, which leads them right into the middle of the war between the githyanki and githzerai. And it’s a sure bet the illithid would love to have that name, in order to bring the gith under their control once again.

King Obould Many-Arrows

King Obould of the Many-Arrows tribe is a legend among the orc war chiefs of the Forgotten Realms, and he is the most famous orc chief in the history of the D&D game.

(Orcs pg. 245)

King Obould Many-Arrows spent years plying his violent temper to incorporate thousands of orcs into his own tribe, using them to destroy and conquer what he wanted. Then, suddenly, King Obould made peace with all his enemies with a treaty that baffled the creatures under his leadership. Now, many years later, the peace treaty is in danger of coming undone. This threatens the lives of thousands of civilized and peaceful beings. But what brought about the peace treaty in the first place? Do your players work to take on King Obould’s army directly, or do they investigate the reason for the peace treaty?

We hope these ideas help you create your next epic campaign. For further help, be sure to read “Chapter 3: Creating Adventures” in the Dungeon Master’s Guide.

Originally published on January 7, 2017.

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Creating an entire campaign story arc

Electronic Arts has said that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is off to a “very strong” start.

During the company’s fourth quarter earnings call on Tuesday, the company said the game has reached “millions” of players since it was released for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on April 28.

“Within the first few weeks, millions of players have joined Cal Kestis and BD-1 in their rebellion against the Empire,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson said.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor review

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Later in the call, Wilson said: “On Jedi, we’re overjoyed. We made the bold decision to move the title six weeks to give the team the opportunity to really get to the quality of the game that they wanted”.

He added: “I think we’re building on where we were with Jedi: Fallen Order and it’s certainly been a very strong launch for us.

“It’s very early, I think we’re 11 days in at this point, we’re in a different kind of market dynamic, but I would tell you it’s pacing very strongly against our expectations and against Jedi: Fallen Order.”

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has scores of 86 (PS5), 85 (Xbox Series X/S) and 79 (PC) on review aggregation site Metacritic.

Despite a six-week delay for polishing, the sequel was released with a significant number of issues.

Prior to its release, EA said it was planning to address bugs and performance issues with a series of post-release patches, the latest of which hit consoles on Tuesday.

The director of Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi series, Stig Asmussen, has said he hopes to make a trilogy of games.