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Posts tagged as “TNT”

Screen Actors Guild Foundation to Honor Rashida Jones with 2017 Actors Inspiration Award for Philanthropy

By goodblacknews on June 6, 2017

Rashida Jones (photo via lifetailored.com)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
The Screen Actors Guild‘s SAG-AFTRA Foundation announced today that Emmy®-nominated actor Rashida Jones will receive its Actors Inspiration Award, an honor recognizing artists who give back to the community by championing worthy philanthropic causes which make a difference in the world. On Monday, June 12th, the award will be presented to Ms. Jones at the Foundation’s 8thAnnual Los Angeles Golf Classic, an event benefiting its assistance and children’s literacy programs.
Rashida Jones is an actor, director, producer, screenwriter, musician and activist. Her philanthropy includes work with the International Rescue Committee, traveling around the world as an advocate for the nonprofit which delivers lifesaving care to people fleeing conflict and natural disaster; serving on the board and as a celebrity ambassador for Peace First, a youth organization that encourages the development of the world’s next generation of peacemakers; and supporting Oceana in its mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans. In addition, she lends her voice to several other important charities including Amnesty International, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and The Trevor Project. Ms. Jones is also a supporter of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s online children’s literacy program Storyline Online (storylineonline.net) and will be filming a new video for Storyline Online following the Actors Inspiration Award ceremony. She will join the ranks of actors Viola Davis, Lily Tomlin and Chris Pine as Storyline Online advocates. Rashida Jones’ commitment to supporting vulnerable populations around the world, the environment, and children’s literacy embodies the spirit of the Actors Inspiration Award.

Viola Davis & Debra Martin Chase Team Up with "Empire" Writer Ayanna Floyd for TNT Drama Inspired by Michigan Prosecutor Kym Worthy

By goodblacknews on March 23, 2016

Viola Davis Kym Worthy
Viola Davis (l) and Kym Worthy (r) [image via deadline.com)
article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com
TNT is now developing Conviction, a legal drama inspired by the life of Kym Worthy, the chief prosecutor of Wayne County, MI, known as the toughest woman in Detroit.
Chase 1
Debra Martin Chase (photo via deadline.com)

How To Get Away With Murder star Viola Davis is executive producing the project with Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle). Empire co-executive producer Ayanna Floyd is writing the script and executive producing. The project was originally developed at ABC during the 2014-2015 season with another writer. ABC has a legal drama pilot Conviction this season, which is unrelated to this project.
Worthy became the second African-American to serve as a county prosecutor in Michigan when she was appointed chief prosecutor of Wayne County in 2004. She is known for a number of high-profile cases, like filing charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and her campaign to clear a massive backlog of 11,000 unprocessed rape test kits in Detroit.
Floyd
Ayanna Floyd (photo via deadline.com)

Davis and and her producing partner Julius Tennon executive produce through their JuVee Productions, Martin Chase through her Martin Chase Prods. Both companies have deals with ABC Studios, which originally developed the project when it was at ABC but is not actively involved in the TNT version. Also executive producing are Floyd as well as Kim Swann and Leah Keith who brought Worthy’s story to Hollywood. Worthy is a consultant.
To read original article, go to: http://deadline.com/2016/03/conviction-legal-drama-kym-worthy-viola-davis-debra-martin-chase-empire-tnt-1201724486/

Charles Barkley Donates $1 Million Each to Morehouse College, Auburn University and Wounded Warriors

By goodblacknews on June 7, 2015
T-Mobile Magenta Carpet At The 2011 NBA All-Star Game
Charles Barkley at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game (photo via newsone.com)
Former NBA baller Charles Barkley is donating one million dollars to Morehouse College, the Historically Black College for men in Atlanta, Ga. The TNT analyst announced the gift during a media conference call for the American Century Championship’s celebrity golf tournament earlier this week.
During the call, Barkley, who reportedly just signed an eight-to-ten year extension with the TV show “Inside The NBA,” said, “I just got a new contract, and my goal is always to give a million dollars a year away to charity.”
In fact, “the round mound of rebound” announced $3 million in gifts that day. Barkley gave Morehouse $1 million, and he also donated $1 million to his own alma mater, Auburn University. He also announced another $1 million to the Wounded Warriors project, a charity for veterans, saying, “I think it’s a joke the  way they treat our soldiers.”
article by Angela Bronner Helm via newsone.com

TV Review: Dwayne Johnson Rocks New Reality Series "The Hero"

By goodblacknews on June 10, 2013

The Hero Season 1 - Ep 101 Ph: Frank Masi Panama City, Panama
The Hero (8pm Thursdays, TNT)
Host:  Dwayne Johnson
I’ve got to give it to the folks at TNT – it was a smart choice to air a competition reality show hosted by wrestler-turned-movie-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It’s completely entertaining, mainly because The Rock reminds the viewer very early on, well…that he’s got charisma in spades.
The Hero takes nine contestants and makes them endure physical challenges as well as ethical mind games while attempting to gain enough viewer appeal to be voted into the final where the winner’s pot could reach up to one million dollars. I usually get frustrated with the whole audience voter scenario, but The Hero has thrown in measuring a person’s moral compass, and that makes what the home audience thinks a little more appealing.
On top of jumping, rappelling, crawling, and conquering real fears, the participants have their principles tested with offers of cash on the sly.  In other words, the show asks each of them the question: “If no one’s looking, how greedy will you be?”  If every contestant selflessly resists the chance to pocket easy money when it’s offered in private, then it all goes into the team pot.  The way the money is earned and the challenge scenario is tiered and a bit confusing.  Nonetheless it’s easy to grasp that there is a one in nine chance to win up to a million dollars.
James Bond himself doesn’t have to do half the stuff these contestants do.  And the casting is genius.  They’ve got contestants with serious phobias. One can’t handle heights, another freaks out in the dark…um, hello…you signed up for a show called The Hero hosted by the Rock…and you’ve got phobias?  It’s such a fun twist I was sucked into watching human behavior at its rawest.
In a pretty hilarious segment, a female contestant who is terrified of heights is asked to join The Rock atop the roof of a skyscraper. He eagerly awaits her as she chants, “I’m not going to fail … I’m not going to fail.” As she walks up two flights of stairs (yes, only two) to get to him he utters, “You’re not going to fail.” It’s just some stairs and there is railing but she is terrified. She makes it and leaps into the Rock’s bulging , welcoming arms. It’s a terrific human moment. He smiles, hugs and encourages her, but then offers her some money to pocket for herself or put in the pot. A moral dilemma ensues.
It’s a provocative scenario each time it occurs: “You’re broke…here’s some money and you need it… take it or put it in the pot.” As one contestant puts it (I’m paraphrasing here): “These people are not saying no to the money because they are good people. They are saying no because they want to appear to be good for the audience that votes so they will be voted to go to the end and have a chance at a more money.”
All on all, The Hero is a thoroughly watchable show, although I can’t say the title works. Are these people actually heroic? Not really. But Dwayne in all his Rockness and the challenges make for a fun summer series. Set in Panama, I’m not sure they’ll find a “Hero”… but they may just find the ratings.
Lesa LakinReviewed by Lesa Lakin

TNT Renews Jada Pinkett Smith's "Hawthorne"

By goodblacknews on September 15, 2010
Media_httpicdnturnerc_dzkyg
via tnt.tv

TNT has written a prescription for a third season of the powerful medical drama HAWTHORNE, starring and executive-produced by Jada Pinkett Smith (Collateral, The Matrix trilogy). TNT has ordered 10 new episodes of the hit series, which is slated to return in 2011. Created by Emmy® winner John Masius (St. Elsewhere, Providence, Dead Like Me), HAWTHORNE premiered in summer 2009 and ranked as one of ad-supported cable’s Top 5 new series of the year. In its second season in summer 2010, the series continued its success, averaging 3.7 million viewers and ranking as ad-supported cable’s #1 Tuesday program among women 25-54.
“With its memorable characters, powerful performances and moving storylines, HAWTHORNE takes us on a dramatic journey through the world of a hospital on the brink of collapse,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “This series has performed extremely well among our key demos and proven itself to be a great summer series. We are very excited to continue working with Jada and HAWTHORNE’s outstanding production team and cast.”
HAWTHORNE stars Pinkett Smith as Christina Hawthorne, an impassioned Chief Nursing Officer struggling to whip a failing hospital – and her personal life – into shape. Michael Vartan (Alias) co-stars as Dr. Tom Wakefield, who has a complicated personal relationship with Christina. The series also stars Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees), David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites), Christina Moore (90210), Vanessa Lengies (American Dreams) and Hannah Hodson (The Ron Clark Story).
HAWTHORNE comes to TNT from Sony Pictures Television in association with Overbrook Productions and Jamie Tarses’ FanFare Productions. The second season of HAWTHORNE was executive-produced by Pinkett Smith; Glen Mazzara (The Shield, Crash, Life); Jamie Tarses (My Boys, TNT’s upcoming series Franklin & Bash); Masius; and Miguel Melendez.
article via deadline.com

TNT Renews Jada Pinkett Smith’s “Hawthorne”

By goodblacknews on September 15, 2010
Media_httpicdnturnerc_dzkyg
via tnt.tv

TNT has written a prescription for a third season of the powerful medical drama HAWTHORNE, starring and executive-produced by Jada Pinkett Smith (Collateral, The Matrix trilogy). TNT has ordered 10 new episodes of the hit series, which is slated to return in 2011. Created by Emmy® winner John Masius (St. Elsewhere, Providence, Dead Like Me), HAWTHORNE premiered in summer 2009 and ranked as one of ad-supported cable’s Top 5 new series of the year. In its second season in summer 2010, the series continued its success, averaging 3.7 million viewers and ranking as ad-supported cable’s #1 Tuesday program among women 25-54.

“With its memorable characters, powerful performances and moving storylines, HAWTHORNE takes us on a dramatic journey through the world of a hospital on the brink of collapse,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “This series has performed extremely well among our key demos and proven itself to be a great summer series. We are very excited to continue working with Jada and HAWTHORNE’s outstanding production team and cast.”

HAWTHORNE stars Pinkett Smith as Christina Hawthorne, an impassioned Chief Nursing Officer struggling to whip a failing hospital – and her personal life – into shape. Michael Vartan (Alias) co-stars as Dr. Tom Wakefield, who has a complicated personal relationship with Christina. The series also stars Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees), David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites), Christina Moore (90210), Vanessa Lengies (American Dreams) and Hannah Hodson (The Ron Clark Story).

HAWTHORNE comes to TNT from Sony Pictures Television in association with Overbrook Productions and Jamie Tarses’ FanFare Productions. The second season of HAWTHORNE was executive-produced by Pinkett Smith; Glen Mazzara (The Shield, Crash, Life); Jamie Tarses (My Boys, TNT’s upcoming series Franklin & Bash); Masius; and Miguel Melendez.

article via deadline.com