Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Newsmakers
Jon Stewart sets Aug. 6 for ‘Daily Show’ exit
NEW YORK
Jon Stewart says Aug. 6 will be his last night hosting Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”
Stewart set the date in the closing moments of Monday’s edition of the parody newscast. With tongue in cheek, he promised to wear a suit for that finale, and to shower beforehand. Then he recanted, saying he would be clad in overalls and skip the shower.
The network said “The Daily Show” will then go on hiatus for the rest of the summer.
Stewart’s finale will end a 16-year reign of sharp satire and ample silliness. He first broke the news of his planned departure in February.
His successor will be South African comedian Trevor Noah, a recent addition to the stable of “Daily Show” correspondents.
Stamos says he’s ready for ‘Full House’ reunion
NEW YORK
John Stamos will produce and appear in a 13-episode reboot of the sitcom “Full House” for Netflix and said that he hopes as many members of the original cast as possible will return.
Netflix said Tuesday that it has ordered the sitcom “Fuller House,” a spinoff where Candace Cameron-Bure stars as a pregnant and recently widowed mother of two. Jodie Sweetin, who played her sister in the original ABC series, and Andrea Barber, who played her friend, move in to help her.
Stamos told Jimmy Kimmel on Monday that he and the producers had been trying for a while to find the best way to revive the sitcom, which originally aired on ABC from 1987 to 1995.
Netflix said it is still discussing possible returns with Bob Saget, who played the widowed father of three girls in the original series, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
Country awards help CBS dominate ratings
NEW YORK
With Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift leading the way, country music helped CBS to a dominant week in the television ratings.
The Academy of Country Music Awards was seen by just under 16 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in the Nielsen company’s weekly accounting of popular TV shows. Lambert won four awards, Bryan was named top entertainer, and Swift accepted an award for her career’s work presented by her mother, who recently announced she was battling cancer.
For the week of April 13-19, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships: “Academy of Country Music Awards,” CBS, 15.98 million; “NCIS,” CBS, 15.84 million; “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 14.82 million; “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 14.4 million; “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 13.89 million; “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 11.04 million; “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 10.7 million; “Criminal Minds,” CBS, 10.37 million; “60 Minutes,” CBS, 10 million; “The Odd Couple,” CBS, 9.62 million.
Associated Press