The Bible Sequel Miniseries ‘A.D.’ Will Air On NBC In 2015

After the success of History’s miniseries The Bible, it should come as no surprise that creators Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are looking to do a follow-up. But it won’t be happening at History. The planned sequel miniseries, titled A.D., will make the leap from cable to network television, airing on NBC in 2015. The Peacock announced today that they’ve greenlit a 12-hour miniseries called A.D., which will come from Burnett and Downey, and serve as a follow-up to The Bible. If all goes as planned, the miniseries will air in the spring of 2015.

History’s The Bible left off with the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the immediate aftermath of that event. From what NBC’s Robert Greenblatt says in the network’s official statement, A.D. will focus on the events that took place after Christ’s death…

“Last year when Mark Burnett was launching ‘The Bible’ on cable, I told him, without hesitation, that if he wanted to tell more of the story, we’d love to do it at NBC. We are firmly in the ‘event’ business and nothing has more event potential than ‘A.D.’ as it continues immediately after the ‘The Bible’ ended. The heft of a broadcast network, combined with the promotional arms of NBCUniversal and Comcast, will push this miniseries to a mass audience. We value our relationship with Mark and Roma and know that no one could bring this story to life better than them.”

The script for the miniseries will be written by Simon Block (The Shooting of Thomas Hurndall). A director has yet to be set, and NBC plans to announce casting at a later date.

The Bible brought in a total of 13.1 million viewers for its March 3 premiere on History when factoring in live-plus-same day viewing, with the final episode bringing in 11.7 million viewers. It’s not hard to understand why NBC would take the opportunity to present the sequel, especially when we factor in what Greenblatt said about NBC being “firmly in the event business.” The network did extremely well with their recent live broadcast of The Sound of Music Live!, and it’s already looking like they’re planning to do another live musical broadcast next year. NBC also announced that they’re developing a four-hour Rosemary’s Baby miniseries, adapted from Ira Levin’s best-selling suspense novel.

NBC isn’t the only network pushing forward with more event programming. Fox has Wayward Pines and 24: Live Another Day lined up, as well as a number of other projects in development, including a possible TV adaptation of Shogun. Meanwhile, ABC has the Cold War-set miniseries The Assets set to air next month. So TV viewers should expect to see more event programming on network TV in the coming years.

As for Burnett and Downey’s next project, while we have more than a year to wait for A.D., Burnett and Downey have feature film Son of God set to arrive in theaters February 28

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Bible-Sequel-Miniseries-Air-NBC-2015-61118.html

Dr Boyce Watkins: Come on Eddie! Either do SNL right or don’t show up at all

by Dr Boyce Watkins

To say that Eddie Murphy is a legend might be both obvious and a severe understatement.  He’s the kind of person who can make you laugh by saying, “hello,” and the reason that many of us ever turned on SNL in the 1980s.   Murphy is the fourth-highest grossing actor of all-time ($6.6 billion worldwide in box office receipts).  He was the first black man to appear regularly on the show, and clearly the funniest.  Every black man after Eddie was pretty much being compared to him, with only Chris Rock coming close to meeting the standard.

Eddie is one of the most brilliant entertainers and greatest filmmakers of all-time, as well as the savior of SNL.  He was to SNL what Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were to the NBA.   SNL deserves credit for making Eddie a star.  Without being granted that platform at the young age of 19, most of us wouldn’t know who Eddie Murphy is.

So, like the rest of the world, I was eagerly anticipating Eddie’s contribution to the 40th anniversary of SNL, expecting to see the performance of a lifetime.  Despite the show’s managerial flaws (i.e. their decision to only hire a couple of black women over a nearly 40-year period), I consider it to be one of the best on TV.

Eddie was introduced by another favorite comedian, Chris Rock.  Rock is like a black version of Bill Maher, only smarter and funnier.  His little jabs at American racism via social media are going to be considered classic and visionary 50 years from today, and he comes off as a man who enjoys using his immense fame and power to say things that might actually help brothers other than himself.  I respect that.

So, I’m sitting there watching Chris do an admittedly long-winded introduction of Eddie.   I noticed that Chris kept clasping his hands over and over again, as if he was nervous.  I thought to myself, “Chris has been famous for over 25 years, why does he appear so nervous?”  In hindsight, I wonder if Chris knew that the audience was about to be in for one of the greatest disappointments of all-time.

After building the crowd up with anticipation, Rock finally introduces the star of all stars.  Eddie walks out onto the stage with a blue suit that is sharper and more expensive than anything I’ve ever worn in my wildest dreams.  He looks like he has aged about 10 minutes since 1984.  He appears ready to tear the house down, and the audience is feeling it too.  The energy is out the door, through the roof, and over the top.  It was crazy.

Eddie receives a standing ovation that was made even longer by the fact that he kept asking the audience to keep clapping…..and clapping……and clapping.  Yes, he got quite a bit of mileage out of those claps.  He then made a couple of awkward comments about how this felt like going back to his old high school, and then asked the audience to clap again.  Eventually, I’m sure people were thinking, “OK, I’ve clapped my ass off, now please say something funny.”

But the funny never happened.  Barack Obama has been funnier.  Hell, even my grandmother Felicia was funnier at her own funeral (I’m not kidding, something funny really did happen at my grandma’s funeral and we all busted out laughing, we’re sick like that).  I’ve laughed more during boring Superbowl commercials.

Eddie gave what might be the biggest 73-second disappointment in recent television history and then walked off the stage.  I now wonder if the source of Rock’s angst was the fact that he was about to be a part of the most awkward black NBC moment since Kanye West said that “George Bush does not care about black people.”  In that moment many years ago, I still remember Chris Rock’s deer-in-the-headlights expression as the camera quickly panned to him so they could get it away from Kanye.  In this case, Rock was kind of like the new Chris Tucker (where is Chris anyway?  Maybe he needs to call Ice Cube).

I don’t know why Eddie let his fans down on such a huge night.  I don’t know what kind of beef he’s had with SNL that has kept him off the show for the last 30 years (April Taylor speculates on some of this).  I don’t even know why he made the appearance in the first place.  All I can say is that millions of people who love Eddie Murphy were left disappointed, caught in the crossfire between a really talented comedian and a show that hasn’t always done right by black people.

I will still go see any movie that Eddie Murphy releases.  He’s still the most brilliant comedian in Hollywood.  He’s still the man who gave us Harlem Nights, Coming to America, The PJs, and a zillion other classics that only he could create.  But watching Eddie Murphy on SNL’s 40th anniversary, for me, was like a 10-year old watching his beloved older brother go into the boxing ring and deliberately lie down on the mat.  Some might even say that Eddie’s behavior was a little selfish.  No matter the reason for Eddie’s zombie-like performance, he probably should have just stayed home and watched the show like the rest of us.  I want my 73 seconds back.

The bottom line Mr Murphy is simple:  I’m a little hurt by all of this, as are millions of your other fans.  You’re the King of Comedy who came off like the guy who gets yanked off the stage at the Apollo.  We know you as the best, so either come CORRECT or don’t show up at all.  We’ll understand either way.  At the very least, don’t waste our time, since many of us were only watching this long, drawn out special to see your appearance anyway.

http://yourblackworld.net/2015/02/17/dr-boyce-watkins-come-eddie-either-snl-right-dont-show/

Barkley Blasts DWade as Not an All-Star; Gabrielle Union Fires Back (Watch)

*Recently, Charles Barkley came for Dwyane Wade on “Inside the NBA” and said he shouldn’t have made the all-star team. His wife Gabrielle Union didn’t take too kindly to Barkley’s remarks, according to Dime Magazine.

“Dwyane’s great, he’s a Hall of Famer,” Barkley said when discussing Dwade’s inclusion at the Eastern Conference.  “But he didn’t deserve to make the All-Star team.”

There was a social media campaign that allowed Kyle Lowry to overtake a recently injured Dwade as an all-starter — who has no set time determined of when he will recover from his hamstring injury.

But Barkley’s comments didn’t stop Wade’s wife from firing back at the analyst who believed Brandon Knight was snubbed and deserved the nod more than Wade.

“Forgive Charles. .. Kenny Smith is a 2x champion & his opinion is most sound… it’s like me talkin bout Meryl Streep but I ain’t won nuthin,” Union said.

Her tweet was flashed on the screen and Barkley responded with, “we get paid to be honest.” Then, he blasted her acting in general and complimented her beauty.

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2015/02/barkley-blasts-dwade-as-not-an-all-star-gabrielle-union-fires-back-watch/#zsYlh6oBTLFQ8yoW.99

Cissy Houston reportedly in line to inherit Whitney Houston’s estate

 

With Bobbi Kristina’s life hanging in the balance, a new report is shedding light on who will inherit Whitney Houston’s estate.

According to the New York Daily News, Cissy Houston – not Bobby Brown – could inherit Whitney’s roughly $20 million legacy.  Bobbi Kristina was reportedly named sole beneficiary in the will, with most of the money was left in a trust fund to be received when Bobbi turned 30.

Bobby Brown was initially named as a beneficiary of Whitney Houston’s will, but their divorce nullified any claims he might have once held, according to the Daily News report.

Some money was to be released when she turned 21, then another would be distributed at age 25, with the remainder at age 30.

The Daily News has learned, however, that the will dictates that mother Cissy Houston and her two sons, Whitney’s brothers, would receive the fortune should Bobbi die before age 30.

But there is a new problem looming over Bobbi’s estate. Nick Gordon, 25, has staked his own claim on the estate, saying that he and Bobbi were married.

Although a family lawyer denies that an official marriage ever took place, Georgia law would give him the inheritance if he can prove his claims. Otherwise, the estate would go to Bobbi’s next of kin: her father, Bobby Brown.

This is all assuming, of course, that Bobbi had not drawn up a will of her own. “If she has a will, that trumps all,” said  Atlanta legal expert Bruce Gaynes.

Cissy Houston reportedly in line to inherit Whitney Houston's estate

Police Launch Investigation into Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Drowning

Authorities have launched an investigation into the drowning of Bobbi Kristina Brown, who remains on life support since being found unconscious in a bathtub last Saturday.

“Foul play is begin investigated,” a family source tells PEOPLE. “Including drug use and possibly cover up to remove evidence from the crime scene.”

At the center of that investigation is Bobbi Kristina’s boyfriend Nick Gordon, a source with knowledge of the case told CNN. Another source close to the family told the news network that the 21-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston had “injuries that still need to be explained.”

In addition, law enforcement insiders told TMZ that police are looking into a possible altercation between Bobbi Kristina and Gordon more than an hour before she was found unresponsive. Multiple sources told the site that there is a history of violence between the two.

According to TMZ, Max Lomas, the friend who discovered Brown’s body with Gordon, claims that he saw Gordon cleaning blood stains.

Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant told PEOPLE that the police are “going to follow the evidence and see where it leads us.”

Family members gathered at Bobbi Kristina’s bedside throughout the past week to offer their support.

In an emotional Facebook post on Thursday, her cousin Jerod Brown asked fans to pray for a miracle.

“Though it seems the odds are against her, though doctors don’t see any hope for change, though we might want to play detective and find out how she got there, though it looks impossible for her to stand again STILL PRAY FOR BK,” he wrote.

Lawyers for Bobby Brown and Max Lomas did not immediately respond for comment.

http://www.people.com/article/police-launch-investigation-bobbi-kristina-brown-drowning

Bobbi Kristina – Doing Significantly Better

12:25 PM PST — The Houston family says, “Bobbi Kristina is fighting for her life and is surrounded by immediate family. As her father already stated, we are asking you to honor our request for privacy during this difficult time.”

Bobbi Kristina — who was revived from death over the weekend — is now doing significantly better … TMZ has learned, but it’s still touch and go.

Sources connected with the family tell us … doctors performed tests Monday morning and determined the swelling on her brain has gone down. In addition, she has been able to “move her eyes” … all important signs.

Perhaps most important … we’re told the oxygen levels in her brain have increased significantly — 4 times better than Sunday.

But the family has been told … because Bobbi Kristina was deprived of oxygen for anywhere between 2 to 5 minutes while she was submerged in a tub, doctors fear neurological damage.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/02/02/bobbi-kristina-update-doing-better-brain-damage-bathtub/#ixzz3QdPVrljo

Bobbi Kristina – One Positive Sign – But Still in Peril

Doctors saw a slight glimmer of hope for Bobbi Kristina Monday morning — but they remain clear she’s not out of the woods.

Sources connected to the Houston family tell TMZ … doctors were testing BK’s brain reaction to different stimuli, and saw “minimal response” during one of the tests. We’re told doctors view this as a very slight improvement — but it’s enough to delay any immediate discussion of turning off life support.

As we’ve reported … the situation has been bleak, and we’re told just last night the family started discussing funeral arrangements.

Bobbi Kristina’s been in a medically induced coma since Saturday … when she was found unconscious in her bathtub.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/02/02/bobbi-kristina-life-support-family-gathers-hospital/#ixzz3QcUbfRx9

Bobbi Kristina’s family is reportedly planning for her funeral

When Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter Bobbi Kristina was found face down in a bathtub this week, there was hope that she would make a full recovery.  But the hope of a recovery is growing more and more bleak, according to ET Online. 

Sources within the family are saying that doctors are telling Bobbi Kristina’s loved ones to prepare for the worst as she lies right now in a medically-induced coma.   They claim that the longer that Bobbi is in a coma, the lower are the odds that she will be able to regain consciousness.

The family is asking for privacy right now as they deal with this difficult situation, but that is unlikely.

“Privacy is requested in this matter. Please allow for my family to deal with this matter and give my daughter the love and support she needs at this time,” Bobby said in a statement.

Bobby flew from LA to Atlanta with Tyler Perry, who was going to Atlanta for business.  According to TMZ, Perry offered Brown the chance to fly with him and the two are standing at Bobbi Kristina’s bedside.

 Police searched the house for drugs after Bobbi’s body was found, but they reportedly found nothing.  The incident occurs almost three years to the date when Bobbi’s mother Whitney accidentally drowned in a bathtub.

Due to Bobbi’s condition, the family has reportedly begun discussing funeral arrangements, which would be tragic due to the fact that Bobbi is only 21 years old.

Bobbi was openly grieving the loss of her mother, which is difficult for anyone at such an early age.   Helpguide.org gives some tips on how to deal with grief in ways that are healthy and will allow you to get better, not worse, from your situation.  They also discuss a few myths about grieving that might be important for the African American community.

MYTH: The pain will go away faster if you ignore it.

Fact: Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from surfacing will only make it worse in the long run. For real healing it is necessary to face your grief and actively deal with it.

MYTH: It’s important to be “be strong” in the face of loss.

Fact: Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal reaction to loss. Crying doesn’t mean you are weak. You don’t need to “protect” your family or friends by putting on a brave front. Showing your true feelings can help them and you.

MYTH: If you don’t cry, it means you aren’t sorry about the loss.

Fact: Crying is a normal response to sadness, but it’s not the only one. Those who don’t cry may feel the pain just as deeply as others. They may simply have other ways of showing it.

MYTH: Grief should last about a year.

Fact: There is no right or wrong time frame for grieving. How long it takes can differ from person to person.

You can read more about their tips on grieving here.

http://naturallymoi.com/bobbi-kristinas-family-is-reportedly-planning-for-her-funeral/

Bobbi Kristina – Situation Break

 

Whitney Houston‘s daughter Bobbi Kristina has “significantly diminished” brain function and doctors have told her family it does not look good … this according to sources connected with the family.

As we previously reported, the 21-year-old was found face down in her bathtub Saturday and not breathing.  She was revived, taken to the hospital where she was placed in a medically-induced coma.

She is currently on a ventilator but we’re told tests have determined her brain function is alarmingly low.

Bobbi Kristina’s dad, Bobby Brown, is at her bedside.

Doctors have told the family they should continue hoping and praying, but the signs are not good.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/02/01/bobbi-kristina-bain-function-bathtub-whitney-houston/#ixzz3QYXaROge

VH1 buries rest of ‘Sorority Sisters’ episodes Friday, January 16

VH1 has finally said no mas to its detractors: the remaining three episodes of Atlanta-based “Sorority Sisters” are being burned off three in a row this Friday night.

How badly does VH1 want to put this show into the grave? The final episode will start at the odd time of 11:10 p.m. and end just past midnight. Plus, it’s not even being repeated later that night for West Coast consumption.  And Friday tends to be a relatively low TV consumption night.

This doesn’t mean the show has been officially cancelled. VH1 rarely makes such announcements when a show is killed anyway, but no network with any intention of bringing a show back would make a move like this. It’s not a stretch to say it’s over for “Sorority Sisters.”

“Sorority Sisters” has been attacked for denigrating the history of African-American sororities by tying these well-regarded Greek names to the silly stereotypical drama that is part and parcel of many of VH1’s reality shows. The formula is now well worn: cattiness, jealousy, name-calling with the occasional fist thrown for good measure.

Two members of Alpha Kappa Alpha were suspended last week for more than two years for participating on the show.

Last summer, when a trailer of a version of “Sorority Sisters” leaked out, critics tried to stop the show before it even aired, sending protest notes to VH1 and a petition online.

But VH1 taped an entire season, then quietly announced the debut air date four days before the actual debut, the shortest promotional window I’ve ever seen for a TV show. When I wrote about it Dec. 11, I wondered if the VH1 executives really had any faith in the show. Why bother airing any show with almost no lead time?

Then the crap really hit the fan. Social media was brutal when the show debuted Monday Dec. 15.

In an essay Dec. 18, my colleague Ernie Suggs wrote, “This show is doing everything in its power to destroy the legacies that these sororities have been building for more than 100 years. And it offends me.” Former Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson’s daughter in law weighed in soon after, saying she was “outraged by the exploitation of our sisterhood.”

VH1 for a time held fort. It even aired a special last week where the ladies on the show defended themselves, saying their critics were lobbing death threats at them.

Ratings for “Sorority Sisters” on Monday nights weren’t bad, averaging about 1.2 million, though it did benefit from a strong lead in (“Love and Hip Hop”).

The problem ultimately wasn’t viewers. It was advertisers. The Greek organizations successfully pressured many advertisers to request they not show up on the program. That is probably what is forcing VH1’s hand: money. Or lack thereof.

(I haven’t reached anybody at VH1 yet for comment though I doubt the network will say much of anything beyond a vanilla statement.)

VH1 over the years has endured plenty of bad publicity and equally bad juju over its edgier shows (e.g. “Flavor of Love,” “Love and Hip Hop,” “Basketball Wives,” “Mob Wives,” et. al).

But if advertisers aren’t willing to support a show, it will die. That’s economics, pure and simple.

http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/01/13/vh1-buries-rest-of-sorority-sisters-episodes-friday-january-16/