| News Short | News Headline |
| HBO renews 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe' for second season | HBO has renewed the Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, for a second season. Created by Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady, the sci-fi/comedy stars Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn and John Ross Bowie. "We're delighted with how this hilarious, genre-bending show from Chuck, Zak, and Bill has connected with the audience, both devotees of The Big Bang Theory and new fans alike," HBO's Amy Gravitt said in a statement Friday. "Along with everyone else, we can't wait to see the worlds they conjure for these beloved characters next season." |
| 'Greatest Showman' musical to open in London's West End next spring | A stage show based on the 2017 movie musical, The Greatest Showman, is set to open in London's West End next spring. Oliver Tompsett will play P.T. Barnum, Samantha Barks will play Charity Barnum, Ben Joyce will play Phillip Carlyle, Vajn van den Bosch will play Jenny Lind and Malinda Parris will play Lettie Lutz. Further casting is to be announced in the coming months. The production will include hits from the beloved movie, such as "The Greatest Show," "A Million Dreams," "Come Alive," "Rewrite the Stars," "Never Enough" and "This Is Me," as well as new music from composers-songwriters Pasek and Paul. |
| Ariana Grande's 'Petal' tops U.S. album chart | Pop star Ariana Grande's Petal is the No. 1 album in the United States this week. Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Saturday is Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem, followed by Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love at No. 3, Ella Langley's Dandelion at No. 4 and Noah Kahan's The Great Divide at No. 5. Rounding out the top tier are Drake's Iceman at No. 6, Wallen's One Thing at a Time at No. 7, Olivia Dean's The Art of Loving at No. 8, Michael Jackson's Thriller at No. 9 and Kahan's Stick Season at No. 10. |
| Famous birthdays for Aug. 15: David Zayas, Tess Harper | Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include: -- French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1769 -- U.S. first lady Florence Harding in 1860 -- Musician Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in 1875 -- Actor Ethel Barrymore in 1879 -- Chef Julia Child in 1912 -- Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly in 1924 -- Actor Mike Connors in 1925 -- Actor Jim Dale in 1935 (age 91) -- Civil rights leader Vernon Jordan Jr. in 1935 -- Actor Pat Priest in 1936 (age 90) -- Former U.S. |
| Jeff Daniels: 'Brink' is relevant because the world's still dangerous | The Newsroom and American Rust alum Jeff Daniels says The Brink of War, his new Cold War-era nail-biter, which tells an extraordinary true story, has themes that resonate today. "The world is still a dangerous place," Daniels, 71, told UPI in a Zoom interview Wednesday. "There are nuclear weapons out there. More countries have them than had them, say, back in 1986. More countries want them and the world seems to be on a path towards setting up mutually assured destruction, again, whether you have star wars shields or not." Written and directed by Michael Russell Gunn, the film follows U.S. President Ronald Reagan (Daniels) as he meets with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (Jared Harris) in Reykjavik to discuss nuclear arms de-escalation. |