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Prime Video is sharing the trailer for the new series Countdown, starring Jensen Ackles as LAPD detective Mark Meachum, who is recruited into a secret task force to investigate the murder of a Department of Homeland Security officer.

The show’s official logline reads, “When an officer with the Department of Homeland Security is murdered in broad daylight, LAPD detective Mark Meachum is recruited to a secret task force, alongside undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement, to investigate. But the hunt for the killer soon uncovers a plot far more sinister than anyone could have imagined, kicking off a race against time to save a city of millions.”

Countdown is created, executive produced and showrun by Derek Haas, and also stars Eric Dane, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Elliot Knight and Uli Latukefu.

As previously announced, the series will launch with its first three episodes on June 25, with new episodes to follow weekly, leading up to the season finale on Sept. 3. See the trailer: HERE.

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The 31st annual Critics Choice Awards is scheduled to kick-off awards season on Jan. 4, 2026, airing on E! and USA Network. The event will take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Per a press release, the awards show celebrates “the finest in cinematic and television achievement,” with television nominations announced Dec. 4, followed by movie categories the next day (December 5th).

Joey Berlin, CCA CEO, in a statement: “The Critics Choice Association is excited to kick off awards season as the first major televised show of 2026. In our expanded partnership with E! and USA Network, we’re joined again in our shared mission to uplift the creative community and their incredible work — while also deepening our relationship with live events audiences and awards devotees alike. Together, we are proud to continue making the Critics Choice Awards a can’t-miss awards season destination, delivering unforgettable speeches and momentum-building moments championing our industry’s best. CCA is excited to build upon our three-decades of experience driving the awards conversation and, this year, take the lead with our show on January 4.”

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A24 is previewing The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson as MMA fighter and two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr.

Written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine tells the story of the legendary mixed martial artist and fighter. The biopic marks Safdie’s solo directorial feature debut from a script he wrote (he previously co-directed and wrote the films “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.”)

Johnson is nearly unrecognizable in the trailer, which shows him wearing a wig and prosthetic makeup to fully transform into Kerr; while Emily Blunt co-stars as Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples. Mixed martial artist Ryan Bader, actor and former mixed martial artist Bas Rutten, and Ukrainian professional boxer Oleksandr Usyk also star in the upcoming film.

The real-life Kerr competed in matchups from 1997 to 2009, winning four ADCC World Championships over the course of his career. His life was the subject of a 2002 HBO documentary, which was also titled “The Smashing Machine” (a reference to Kerr’s nickname). Kerr posted about the upcoming biopic on Instagram, writing, “I am still in disbelief that this is real. I am so proud of the work DJ put into becoming The Smashing Machine. I have so much gratitude, humility and respect for ever litlle [sic] detail production uncovered. Can’t wait to share this experience with the world.”

The Smashing Machine debuts in theaters on October 3; see the trailer – HERE.

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Comedian Nikki Glaser will return for the second, consecutive year as host of the 2026 Golden Globe Awards ceremony, slated to take place in Los Angeles on Jan. 11. The ceremony is frequently held the first weekend of January, but will shift to the second weekend of January in 2026.

The 83rd annual Golden Globes, honoring excellence in TV and film, will be broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif, airing on CBS and Paramount+. Nominations for the awards will be announced on Dec. 8. Also per usual, the Globes

The Globes announced last month that Glaser would return for a second year in a row as host after helming the award show’s 2025 edition. The most recent Globes posted an average of 9.3 million viewers. Glaser said in a statement: “Hosting the Golden Globes this year was without a doubt the most fun I have ever had in my career. I can’t wait to do it again, and this time in front of the team from The White Lotus, who will finally recognize my talent and cast me in season four as a Scandinavian Pilates instructor with a shadowy past.”

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The new Apple TV+ romantic comedy series Prodigies will star Will Sharpe and Ayo Edebiri.

Described in the synopsis as an “unusual take” on a classic romantic comedy, the series “is set to explore the universal complexities of long-term relationships through the lens of a very unique couple. The story follows Didi (Edebiri) and Ren (Sharpe), two ex-child prodigies who have been together since they were children and, now in their early 30s, are starting to question whether their very ordinary existence is living up to the extraordinary promise of their childhood. As the description goes, they, inevitably, find themselves asking the same questions of their relationship … As they reflect on their individual aspirations and evolving desires, their relationship is inevitably called into question. The series explores the myth at the heart of many romantic stories — that everything is resolved once the couple ends up together.”

Sharpe not only stars in the series, but also serves as creator, writer and director. He and Edebiri serve as executive producers alongside Jane Featherstone, Naomi De Pear, and Katie Carpenter. A release date has yet to be announced.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com