Ex-contestants protest guest host Oz
For a show based in science and facts, Dr. Oz’s temporary hosting gig on “Jeopardy!” is antithetical to its very purpose, argue hundreds of former contestants and fans.
As of Tuesday, more than 500 former contestants, as well as dozens of fans, have signed a petition slamming Mehmet Oz’s two-week stint at the late Alex Trebek’s lectern.
“Dr. Oz stands in opposition to everything that ‘Jeopardy!’ stands for,” reads the letter, originally published in late February.
“Throughout his nearly two decades on television, he has used his authority as a doctor to push harmful ideas onto the American public, in stark contrast with his oath to first do no harm.”
The petition specifically calls out Oz’s promotion of unproven supplements, legitimization of gay conversion therapy, “dangerous” autism “cures” and the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19.
Streep, Parker among stars in play series:
Meryl Streep, Mary-Louise Parker, Audra McDonald, Kevin Kline, Carla Gugino and Keanu Reeves have signed on to perform in a virtual play series while Broadway is closed.
The series kicks off Thursday with “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse, starring Reeves, Bobby Cannavale, Heidi Schreck and Alia Shawkat. The April 8 show will feature “Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous” by Pearl Cleage, starring Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad.
Also on tap is Lillian Hellman’s “Watch on the Rhine” with Ellen Burstyn; Adrienne Kennedy’s “Ohio State Murders” with McDonald; Sarah Ruhl’s “Dear Elizabeth” with
Streep and Kline; Paula Vogel’s “The Baltimore Waltz” with Parker; and Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Sisters Rosensweig” with Kathryn Hahn. Dates have yet to be announced.
Individual tickets start at $10. Proceeds will benefit The Actors Fund.
Disney adjusts film schedule:
The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday overhauled its upcoming film release plans, postponing some of its biggest films and shifting Marvel’s “Black Widow,” among other titles, to Disney+ at the same time they arrive in theaters. “Black Widow,” once planned for May 2020, had been set to kickoff the summer on May 7. It will instead premiere July 9 in theaters and on the streaming platform for a $30 early-access fee. Disney will launch its summer with “Cruella” on its previously scheduled date, May 28, in theaters and on Disney+ for $30.
Foxx to play boxer Tyson: On the heels of Hulu’s announcement of a Mike Tyson miniseries to be made without his involvement, the boxing great said he’s producing a limited series starring Jamie Foxx. “I have been looking to tell my story for quite some time,” Tyson said in a statement Monday. He looks forward to creating a series that “not only captures my professional and personal journey but also inspires and entertains.”
March 24 birthdays:
Actor William Smith is
88. Singer Nick Lowe is
72. Actor Robert Carradine is 67. TV personality Star Jones is 59. Actor Lara Flynn Boyle is 51. Actor Jim Parsons is 48. Actor Alyson Hannigan is 47. Actor Jessica Chastain is 44. Actor Amir Arison is 43. Dancer Val Chmerkovskiy is 35.