Netflix’s ‘1899’ canceled after one season

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“1899” will not receive a second season at Netflix. The news was confirmed by series co-creator Baran bo Odar through a statement shared to his official Instagram. The letter to fans was also signed by Odar’s partner and series co-creator Jantje Freise.

Odar wrote: “With a heavy heart we have to tell you that ‘1899’ will not be renewed. We would have loved to finish this incredible journey with a second and third season as we did with ‘Dark.’ But sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. That’s life.  We know this will disappoint millions of fans out there. But we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you were a part of this wonderful adventure. We love you. Never forget.”

“1899” followed a group of immigrants aboard a ship faced with a series of mysterious events, debuting on Netflix on Nov. 17, 2022. In its first week on the streaming service it cracked Netflix’s top 10 chart at the No. 2 slot, behind only s” Season 5.

‘1899’ Canceled By Netflix After One Season

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Nirvana, Supremes, Ma Rainey among Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honorees

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The Recording Academy has announced the recipients for its 2023 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards, saying in a press release on Thursday that Bobby McFerrin, Nirvana, Ma Rainey, Nile Rodgers, Slick Rick “The Ruler,” The Supremes, and Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson of Heart will receive awards this year.

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said: “The Academy is proud to celebrate this diverse slate of influential music people spanning numerous genres and crafts as our 2023 Special Merit Awards honorees. Each creator on this list has made an impact on our industry — from technical to creative achievements — representing the breadth of music’s diverse community. We’re excited to celebrate this group of legends next month that continues to inspire and shape the music world.”

The artists will be honored at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards Ceremony ahead of the Grammy Awards. The ceremony will be held Feb. 4 at Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, with the Grammys to take place Feb. 5 at Crypto.com Arena.

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Sam Smith to launch 27-Date North American ‘Gloria’ tour in July

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Sam Smith has announced a 27-date North American tour in support of their impending studio album, Gloria, set to drop on Jan. 27. Smith wrote on Instagram: “This is going to be so special, it’s been too long sailors!! Can’t wait to see all your gorgeous faces and celebrate the era of GLORIA together.”

Gloria will feature collaborations with Kim Petras, Reyez, Koffee, and Ed Sheeran. Smith wrote in a statement about the album: “Gloria got me through some dark times and was a beacon for me in my life. I hope it can be that for you. Thank you for waiting so long.”

The tour will kick off on July 25 at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, making stops in Orlando, Nashville, New York, Toronto, Chicago, and Denver before wrapping-up on Sept. 14 at Palacio de Los Deportes in Mexico City. Singer Jessie Reyez will serve as support on tour joining Smith on all but one tour date. General on sale for the tour begins on Friday, Jan. 13 at 9 a.m. local time.

The Gloria Tour marks Smith’s first since 2019 in support of their sophomore effort, The Thrill of it All. Since then, they have released their third record, Love Goes, and scored the No. 1 single “Unholy” alongside Kim Petras.

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“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” becomes Netflix’s third most-watched film

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After just 10 days on Netflix, Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” has become Netflix’s third most-watched movie based on hours viewed in its first 10 days. Between December 26 and January 1, the film accumulated 127 million hours watched.

Following its release on December 23, which raked in 82.1 million hours viewed, Glass Onion has accumulated a total of 209.4 million hours viewed, placing it behind Red Notice (364.02 million hours viewed) and Don’t Look Up (359.79 million hours viewed). The mystery film currently holds the No. 10 slot on the Most Popular Films list.

The movie, starring Daniel Craig as the beloved detective Benoit Blanc, centers on a tech billionaire who invites his friends on his private island for a getaway only for it to turn into a crime scene when someone turns up dead. In addition to Craig, the film features an all-star cast including Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick. The film also includes the final appearances of Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury, as well as guest appearances from Hugh Grant, Ethan Hawke, Natasha Lyonne, Serena Williams and Yo-Yo Ma.

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Jesse L. Martin to star in NBC drama ‘The Irrational’

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NBC has picked up the pilot for the drama The Irrational, starring Jesse L. Martin. The Irrational, written by Arika Lisanne Mittman, is based on Dan Ariely’s bestselling novel Predictably Irrational.

The show follows Alec Baker (Martin), with according to a synopsis is ‘a world-renowned professor of behavioral science who lends his expertise to an array of high-stakes cases involving governments, law enforcement and corporations with his unique and unexpected approach to understanding human behavior.‘ Maahra Hill, Travina Springer, Molly Kunz and Arash DeMaxi also star, with Martin also producing the pilot.

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‘The Office’ superfan Billie Eilish recreates one of the show’s classic scenes

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Billie Eilish, self-proclaimed ‘superfan’ of ‘The Office’, will make an upcoming appearance on Jenna Fischer (Pam) and Angela Kinsey’s (Angela) podcast, Office Ladies.

In the first teaser, Eilish recreates the beloved party-planning scene from the first season of the show — with Fischer and Kinsey playing their respective characters. Eilish recites Phyllis’ lines in character: “Well for decorations, maybe we could do… No, that’s stupid, forget it,” while the committee debates whether or not to have streamers in the office. “But that’s dumb, everybody has streamers, never mind.” After recreating the scene, Fischer tells Eilish that she’s officially one of them. “You’re officially in the PPC,” she exclaimed, referencing the party-planning committee.

Eilish has said she’s seen the entire series fourteen times, and in 2020, she appeared on Steve Carrell (Michael Scott) and Brian Baumgartner’s An Oral History Of The Office podcast.  She said at the time: “Every time I watch it, I understand something new because I started at 12. And honestly, if you asked my parents, this makes me sound so stupid, but the most of the things that I know are because of The Office.”

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Rita Ora announces new single ‘You Only Love Me’

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Rita Ora has confirmed her new single, ‘You Only Love Me’, is due out later this month. The 32-year-old Era shared a clip of new track, and also hinted at her highly-anticipated third album.

Ora posted a clip of herself with husband Taika Waititi on Instagram, celebrating the New Year watching the fireworks, as a snippet of her new song plays in the background. Ora captioned the post: ‘SURPRISE. I’M BACK!You Only Love Me 🥃 XX/01/23 #RO3’. Rita used the hashtag #RO3, suggesting that the song will feature on her third album (which doesn’t currently have a name or release date).

It’s been several years since Rita last released a solo single, with 2018’s ‘Let You Love Me‘ reaching Number 4 in the UK. Ora followed up with collaborations including ‘Carry On’ with Kygo, and ‘You For Me’ with Sigala. It’s also been four years since she released her second album ‘Phoenix’, which featured hits ‘Your Song’, ‘Anywhere’ and ‘For You’ with Liam Payne.

Rita Ora Readies Return with New Single ‘You Only Love Me’ / Unlocks Preview [Listen]

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Dolly Parton and Dionne Warwick to team up on new gospel duet

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Music icon Dionne Warwick revealed on The Tamron Hall Show, that she and country music legend Dolly Parton are coming together for a gospel duet. Said Warwick:“She sent me a song that she wanted me to record. And I said, ‘OK, that sounds like a deal.’ And she’s such a sweetheart, I know her. And then she sent me another song, the one that we’re going to be doing as a duet. A gospel song called ‘Peace Like a River.’ She wrote it … I am very excited about this, I really am. I’ve done so many duets over the years, but this one’s gonna be very special.”

Hall then pointed out how Parton originally wrote and recorded the song “I Will Always Love You,” which was later popularized by Warwick’s late niece, Whitney Houston. Houston covered the song for the soundtrack of the 1992 film The Bodyguard and Parton has repeatedly said that the track has become “Whitney’s song.”  Warwick observed of her upcoming collaboration with Parton: “It’s preordained. God’s got a purpose.”

Warwick’s award-winning documentary Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over, premiered on Jan. 1. The film is narrated by Warwick and blends archival footage with personal photographs and newsreels of her career, following the singer’s career from her start singing in gospel groups with family members in New Jersey, to her becoming a pop music sensation after she teamed with the songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.  Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over is streaming on HBO Max.

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Al Roker returning to NBC’s ‘Today’ show after health scare

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Al Roker is returning to the Today Show following several hospitalizations for blood clot complications at the end of 2022. Today show co-anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Craig Melvin announced Tuesday that the 68-year-old weather personality will appear on Friday’s episode of the long-running program, marking his first time on the how since late last year. Kotb said, “Well, we have our day. He’ll be here Friday. He’ll be right here in Studio 1A. This is his place. He’ll be in his seat right where he belongs. We cannot wait for that,” while Guthrie added: “Not the same without Al. Our sunshine is coming back Friday morning.”

Roker revealed on Nov. 18 that he was hospitalized for blood clots in his leg and lungs, which led to his absence from NBC’s broadcast of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He appeared virtually on the Today show in mid-December,  updating viewers on his condition:“This has been the hardest one yet, and you know, I’ve had my fair share of surgeries. But it gives you a profound sense of gratitude for this outpouring of prayers and thanks. I’m a very fortunate person.” Still, he said, “I feel good, I feel strong. And every day, I feel a little bit better … You lose a certain amount of muscle mass for every week you’re in the hospital, and I was in the hospital for four weeks. So it’s just a certain amount of weakness… I’ve got to just get my strength back.”

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BLACKPINK’s Jisoo to release her debut solo album this year

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South Korean entertainment agency YG Entertainment has confirmed that BLACKPINK’s Jisoo will release her solo debut album this year. YG said in a a press release: “We are currently in the midst of speedrunning the recording process for Jisoo’s solo album. The jacket filming was completed during BLACKPINK’s world tour last year, and Jisoo has been working on the music as and when time permits. We will meet you again with good news about the debut.” Jisoo is the final member of the K-pop quartet to debut as a soloist. Jennie debuted her solo album “SOLO” in 2018, followed by Rosé’s album “R” in March 2021, and Lisa’s album “LALISA” in September 2021.

Jisoo herself had previously confirmed a 2023 release date in response to a fan question on Weverse over the weekend. The solo debut was originally planned for 2022, but it was pushed back to avoid any potential conflicts with BLACKPINK’s recent album “Born Pink” and their current world tour.

In addition, in honor of her birthday on Jan. 3rd Jisoo has created her own YouTube vlog channel as a gift to fans.  You can check it out – here.

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