Genius: Aretha
National Geographic’s limited series “Genius: Aretha” has ditched its planned May 25th premiere. Cynthia Erivo stars as legendary singer Aretha Franklin in the series which will premiere at a later to-be-announced date due to production delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic. [Source: TV Line]
The Last Dance
ESPN and Netflix have moved up the premiere of the ten-part Michael Jordon documentary series “The Last Dance” to April 19th from June 2nd. The series deals with Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ quest for a sixth NBA Championship in 1998. The series will air on ESPN in the U.S. on Sunday nights over five weeks from April 19th through May 17th and will be available outside of the U.S. on Netflix. [Source: Deadline]
NATO
The National Association of Theatre Owners and the Pioneer Assistance Fund have teamed to pledge $2.4 million in a grant program which provides a stipend to theater workers who meet a specific set of criteria. At minimum, an individual must have worked in theatrical exhibition for a minimum of five years. The aim is to “expand assistance to a larger group of people who work in the motion picture industry, in the event the current crisis continues for an extended period of time.” [Source: Variety]
Some Good News
Actor/writer/director John Krasinski has launched “Some Good News,” the first of a potential series of YouTube videos with this initial episode featuring a guest appearance by his former “The Office” co-star Steve Carell.
Krasinski posted a tweet last week asking people to send in “stories that have made you feel good this week or the things that just made you smile”. Krasinski says his aim here is to deliver a “news show dedicated entirely to good news”. The video spotlights several stories from public cheers for health care workers to toilet paper and hand sanitizer being left for delivery personnel.
