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Christopher Nolan is being linked with umpteen different films at the moment – perhaps it’s best if we rule some of them out.

Speculation has been rife in the last few weeks as to just what Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan’s next film is going to be. Universal Pictures is distributing the film, and it has a 2026 release. But what on earth is it?

Is it a vampire movie? Is it a sort-of remake of Blue Thunder? Could it be an espionage film? With each day comes a different rumour, and with that in mind, we’ve decided to do something useful. Instead of speculating as to what Nolan’s new movie is, we’ve managed to 100% rule out some projects that he won’t be taking on.

Eniac

Micheal Caine stars as The Star, a sleeper agent long masquerading as a Hollywood elder statesmen. When an AI-gone-wrong uses his...

In light of the Christopher Nolan rumours, we take a look back at 1983’s Blue Thunder – a high-tech thriller that deserved more attention on its release.

It’s hard to pinpoint why the vehicular TV and film boom of the 1980s happened. Was it a coincidence that the likes of Knight Rider (1982), Firefox (also 1982), Blue Thunder (1983), Airwolf (1984) and Street Hawk (1985) all came out within a few years of each other?

Whatever the explanation, there was a brief period where vehicles got top billing, whether they were experimental planes (Firefox) helicopters, an ‘all-terrain attack motorcycle’ (Street Hawk) or Knight Rider.

Blue Thunder – the original 1983 film, not the short-lived TV spin-off which emerged the following year – is arguably the best of the lot. An action thriller directed by John Badham, it was one of the most exciting movies of its type released in the early 1980s – and yet, for some reason, several...

The Story: Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider), a helicopter pilot working for the LAPD, is selected to test pilot an experimental government helicopter called “Blue Thunder.” Highly sophisticated, and heavily armed, Murphy discovers the helicopter is being designed for urban use by a group within the government, headed by his old Vietnam nemesis, F.E Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell). Thought to be insane by his LAPD bosses thanks to his troubled history of war-related Ptsd, Murphy steals ”Blue Thunder” in an attempt to reveal the murderous conspiracy behind its creation, culminating in a series of spectacular dogfights in skies above downtown Los Angeles.

The Players: Director: John Badham. Writers: Dan O’Bannon, Don Jakoby. Starring: Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Candy Clark, Daniel Stern, & Warren Oates. Score by Arthur B. Rubinstein.

The History: During the early eighties, the comic book-style techno-thriller was in-vogue. Usually, these thrillers revolved around lone-wolf cops or military men given...

Over the course of a screen acting career that stretched across fifty years, Charles Cyphers racked up 100 credits, but he’s best known for his collaborations with John Carpenter, having appeared in the director’s Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, Someone’s Watching Me!, Elvis, The Fog, and Escape from New York. His most popular character was Sheriff Leigh Brackett from the 1978 Halloween, a role he reprised in 1981’s Halloween II and, after a forty year absence from the Halloween franchise, 2021’s Halloween Kills. Sadly, we’ve lost this great character actor, as Variety reports that Cyphers has passed away “from a brief illness” at the age of 85.

Cyphers’ manager Chris Roe confirmed his passing to Variety and provided the following statement: “Charles was a lovable and sensitive man. He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and...

In genre television series fandom, there isn't a more reliable argument starter than "What is the best episode of X show?" Devotees of "Star Trek" The Original Series will fight to their dying breath defending the likes of "The City on the Edge of Forever," "The Enemy Within," and "Amok Time". As for the original "The Twilight Zone," it could be "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," "To Serve Man," or just about any other episode because the series had very few duds. And then, of course, there's "Airwolf." Where to start with "Airwolf?" The winning move is not to start, because we'll never stop!

This topic becomes especially fraught when you're dealing with a long-running show like "Bones." Hart Hanson's amiable forensics procedural driven by the romantic chemistry between Emily Deschanel's brainy Temperance "Bones" Brennan and David Boreanaz's impulsive FBI Agent...

There’s a reason why Tom Selleck refers to the original Magnum, P.I. television series as just “Magnum” — and it has nothing to do with it being simple shorthand.

Selleck’s 352-page memoir, You Never Know, was released earlier this month (days after the 36th anniversary of Magnum, P.I.’s series finale), and when rummaging for something to read outdoors on a lazy Memorial Day Weekend afternoon, I remembered that I had been floated an advanced copy. Before I knew it, I had plowed through the entire back half of the book, which covers the shooting of the Magnum pilot,...

"All in the Family" might've been Norman Lear's finest half-hour as a sitcom producer, but I'm not sure he ever put a funnier show on the airwaves than "The Jeffersons." For 11 seasons, Sherman Hemsley's dry-cleaning magnate George Jefferson and Isabel Sanford's good-hearted Louise "Weezy" Jefferson led a stellar cast that delivered edgy-for-network-television laughs revolving around race, class, gender, and whatever happened to be grinding the hot-headed George's gears that particular week. It was the African-American answer to "All in the Family" (on which the characters of George and Weezy originated), and might actually be more shocking today for its fearless deployment of the n-word (particularly early in the series' run).

And if you're making a list of the most memorable theme songs in television history, "The Jeffersons" better be in the top five. Anyone who grew up watching the show in prime time or via syndication should...

Believe it or not but the Super Bowl wasn’t always the major media event that it is today.

Before network executives fully understood Americans’ passion for football, the NFL’s championship game received no special treatment. In fact, NBC and CBS didn’t even bother to save their broadcasts of Super Bowl I, recording over the tapes with soap operas. One of the most consequential sporting events in North American history could have become lost media if it weren’t for a handful of fans who made their own bootleg copies.

By now, however, everyone is keenly aware that the most widely-viewed American TV broadcast every year will inevitably be the Super Bowl. Last year’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was the most-watched telecast ever with an average of 115.1 million viewers tuning in across all platforms. There’s every reason to believe that...

Actor Bryan Cranston, who is known for his work in the television series ‘Breaking Bad’, has revealed the secret to making his 34-year marriage to wife Robin Dearden work. The actor attended the London premiere of his latest film ‘Argylle’, and opened up about spending more than three decades with his wife, 70, and his desire to have more quality time with her, reports People magazine.

He said: “Marry the right person,” of the secret to his relationship with actress Dearden, whom he married in 1989.

He told People: “I think there are five things that you should look for in a mate. Whatever those five things are to you, you need those five things. After that, let it go. We’re never going to be completely alike on everything.”

He continued: “Someone said, ‘You don’t go shopping with your wife?’ I go, ‘No! Why would I do that? I don’t like it!

Dick Van Dyke is a Hollywood legend. But he’s not the only entertainer in the family. The Mary Poppins star – who turned 98 on Dec. 13, 2023 – has four kids and multiple grandchildren. Several followed in their dad and granddad’s footsteps with careers both on and behind the screen.

Christian Van Dyke Actor Dick Van Dyke, Michelle Triola, son Chris Van Dyke, and his wife | Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Dick Van Dyke married his first wife Margie Willet in 1948 on an episode of the radio show Bride and Groom. Their first child, Christian, was born in 1950. In 1962, Christian appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show as a kid named Frankie. But Christian didn’t catch the acting bug. Rather than pursuing a career in Hollywood, he went to law school. He moved to Oregon, where he served as a district attorney and worked...

The premise of Glen A. Larson's 1978 sci-fi series "Battlestar Galactica" was high-concept and complex. It took place far from Earth, at the end of humanity's millennium-long war with a species of robots called the Cylons. The Cylons themselves were built by a long-extinct race of humanoid reptiles, and they seem poised to offer the same fate to humankind. Feeling that the writing was on the wall, a human named Count Baltar (John Colicos) betrayed humanity and sided with the Cylons, putting the robots hot on the trail of the Battlestar Galactica, a massive starship carrying most of the galaxy's last-known humans. Their goal is to find a long-lost "thirteenth tribe," a human colony that was said to have settled on a distant planet called Earth. 

The assumption for viewers was that "Battlestar Galactica" was set in the distant future, but at the end of the 24th episode of its only season,...

It doesn't matter how popular a TV series is: If it costs money, the network is going to try to save money. Sometimes that means turning the second season finale of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" into a god awful clip show. Sometimes that means making the whole fourth season of the helicopter action/adventure series "Airwolf" without the original cast... or the helicopter.

In the case of the classic series "The Twilight Zone" — a critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning sci-fi/fantasy/horror anthology created by one of the most celebrated writers working in television, Rod Serling — there was no continuity, and therefore no clip show. There was no regular cast, so no regular cast to cut.

As a result, when the second season of "The Twilight Zone" turned out to be very, very expensive, the producers made a decision that barely saved any money, artistically hindered the program, and left us...

Bryan Cranston is clarifying his recent comments about his retirement plans. In a June 8 interview with British GQ, Cranston, 67, explained that he intends to retire in 2026 when he'll be 70. And his retirement won't just be from acting: he also wants to shut down his production company and sell his half of the mezcal tequila company he runs with "Breaking Bad" costar Aaron Paul.

"I want to change the paradigm once again," Cranston told the outlet about his decision, adding his wife, Robin Dearden, is at the center of his choice. "For the last 24 years, Robin has led her life holding onto my tail. She's been the plus one, she's been the wife of a celebrity. She's had to pivot and adjust her life based on mine. She has tremendous benefit from it, but we're uneven. I want to level that out. She deserves it."

He added that he wants the...

El Alfa’s kids have some flow! On Thursday, the Dominican star released his single “Abloh,” which features rap verses from his two kids Fendi and Emanuel, who are credited as Big League Fendi and Man Serious on the track.

“Look at me my car/Bring me the dough,” rap Emanuel, 6, and Fendi, 9, on the track’s repeating chorus. “You wanna ride on my Virgil Abloh.”

The music video opens with the kids (and the dembow legend) walking out of a private jet and dancing in front of a bouncy house.

Almost an entire generation can talk about their favorite primetime soap opera. The ’70s and ’80s had a fair share of these shows, offering plenty to talk about around the water cooler. One such primetime soap was Falcon Crest. It was popular in its day, with a lineup of big-name appearances. Now that Falcon Crest has been off the air for over 30 years, which cast members are still alive?

‘Falcon Crest’ was the most popular TV show in 1981 The ‘Falcon Crest’ Season 1 cast on Jan. 29, 1982 | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

Falcon Crest was an American soap opera that aired for nine seasons between 1981 and 1990. It revolved around the powerful and wealthy Gioberti family. The Giobertis owned a large vineyard and winery in California’s fictional Tuscany Valle.

Angela Channing, played by Jane Wyman, is the family matriarch. She is determined to maintain control of the family business and keep her clan together.

Created in 1978 by Glen A. Larson, the original Battlestar Galactica featured a great cast. Though the show only ran for a single season, the original series of Battlestar Galactica earned two Primetime Emmys and a People’s Choice Award in 1979 after its short run.

It also laid the groundwork for the 2004 reboot starring Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, which was similarly critically acclaimed and remains one of the most beloved sci-fi series in TV history.

Maren Jensen, Lorne Greene, and Richard Hatch | ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images The original ‘Battlestar Galactica’ released in 1978

In both the original series and the reboot, the plot of Battlestar Galactica begins after a long war with the Cylons. Humans have been diminished to a single fleet captained by Galactica’s Commander Adama. On the run from their enemies and searching for the lost Thirteenth Tribe, members of the Galactica and its...

Bryan Cranston is showing me his Breaking Bad tattoo. Asking an actor about their most famous role can be risky – especially if that role is a decade old, and in that decade they’ve gone on to earn Tony awards, Oscar nods, and do any number of interesting things. Cranston is happy to oblige, though. Thrilled even. “Here it is!” He splays out his fingers so they straddle the camera. On the inside of his ring finger is the tattoo he got on his last day filming the 16-time Emmy-winning series that changed his life. The ink is faded now and the letters bleed into one another, but the symbols are instantly recognisable: Br. Ba.

“This will be 10 years old in another month,” sighs Cranston. He hikes up his eyebrows as if to say, Can you believe it? Cranston is that rare ageless actor, seemingly born into middle age and never growing a day older.

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Chris Ledesma, who served as the beloved music editor of The Simpsons on every one of its first 734 episodes, from the Fox animated series’ premiere in 1989 through a 34th-season installment in November, has died. He was 64.

Ledesma died Dec. 16 in Los Angeles, a spokesperson for the show told The Hollywood Reporter. No cause of death was revealed.

Ledesma had been hired to fill in as a music editor on Fox’s The Tracey Ullman Show, where The Simpsons began as a series of shorts playing in and out of commercials. He then started on the spinoff on Nov. 22, 1989.

“I was skeptical of turning the little 30- and 60-second featurettes on Tracey into a full-fledged, half-hour show,” he wrote on his blog in 2011. “All that went out the window as soon as I saw the first two shows.”

Ledesma noted on Twitter in September...

John Aniston, who starred as Victor Kiriakis in nearly 3,000 episodes of “Days of Our Lives,” died on Friday, Nov. 11. He was 89.

The Greek-born, Emmy-nominated actor was a staple on the NBC soap opera for over 30 years, also appearing on daytime serials “Love of Life” and “Search for Tomorrow.”

In 2022, Aniston received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on “Days of Our Lives.” In 1986, the role earned him two Soap Opera Digest Awards — for outstanding actor in a leading role and for outstanding villain on a daytime serial.

He was also the father of Jennifer Aniston, who wrote on Instagram Monday morning, “Sweet papa…⁣ John Anthony Aniston. You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold...

“Days of Our Lives” legend John Aniston has died. He was 89 years old.

The Greek-born actor portrayed Victor Kiriakis on the NBC soap opera for more than three decades, and was the father of Jennifer Aniston. On Monday, the “Friends” actress announced that her father died on Nov. 11.

A cause of death was not immediately given.

“Sweet papa…⁣ John Anthony Aniston,” the actress wrote in a tribute post on Instagram on Monday, “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now.”

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Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel and Octavia Spencer to Appear in Norman Lear’s 100th Birthday Special on ABC

She concluded her post: “I’ll love you till the end of time.

John Aniston, the veteran soap actor best known in the daytime world for his long-running role of Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives, and, in his personal life as the father of TV superstar Jennifer Aniston, died Nov. 11. He was 89.

A cause of death has not been released.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery Related Story Steve Burton Joins 'Days Of Our Lives' On Peacock Related Story Matthew Perry Credits Jennifer Aniston For Being There For Him In His 'Friends' Drinking Days

In an Instagram post today, Friends star Jennifer Aniston wrote, “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace – and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now. I’ll love you till the end of time.

John Aniston, the charming Greece-born actor who for more than three decades portrayed the ruthless Victor Kiriakis on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, has died. He was 89.

The father of actress Jennifer Aniston died Friday, his daughter announced.

“Sweet papa …⁣ John Anthony Aniston,” the Friends megastar wrote in a tribute post on Instagram Monday, “You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace — and without pain. And on 11/11 no less! You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now.”

She ended the post: “I’ll love you till the end of time.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston)

Aniston had played a different character, a doctor, on Days of Our Lives in 1969-70, then worked on two other daytime serials,...

Harry Flynn, a veteran publicist whose clients over the decades included Bob Hope, Michael Landon, Carroll O’Connor, Donna Reed and various TV networks and film studios, has died. He was 92.

A friend of his family told Deadline that Flynn died October 5 of natural causes in Los Angeles.

He started in the business during the 1950s but left publicity for a while to write for fan magazines. In 1962, Flynn joined the newly formed ABC on-air promotion department as a writer-producer. Two years later he moved to Columbia’s Screen Gems and would run its TV promotion/publicity department for the next five years, working on such classics series as Bewitched, I Dream Of Jeannie, The Monkees, The Donna Reed Show, The Flying Nun and others.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery Related Story Meghan Markle Says She Was Treated Like A "Bimbo" When She Worked On 'Deal or...

The star of John Carpenter’s original Assault on Precinct 13 back in 1976, we’ve learned the sad news today that prolific actor Austin Stoker has passed away at the age of 92.

Rob Zombie, who recently directed Austin Stoker in 3 from Hell, writes on Instagram: “Just heard of the passing of Austin Stoker. Was always a fan of his movies from Assault on Precinct 13 to Battle for the Planet of the Apes. Obviously I was thrilled to have him be part of 3 From Hell. His time on set was brief but fun.”

Austin Stoker’s acting career began back in 1969 with an appearance on “The Mod Squad,” and from there he racked up credits throughout the 1970s in shows and movies including Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Horror High, “Kojak,” Airport 1975, Abby, “Return to the Planet of the Apes,” Assault on Precinct 13, “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Roots.

Ever since letter-writing campaigns got the original "Star Trek" a third season, science fiction fans have beat the drum for their favorite shows that got prematurely canceled. Sometimes it works: "Jericho" got a second season thanks to fans mailing bags of nuts to the studio. Other times it doesn't: "Firefly" fans managed to get a movie, but never the revived series they wanted. Honestly, that's probably for the best given what we now know about Joss Whedon and Adam Baldwin.

While we don't hold out a lot of actual hope for the shows below to come back, this article highlights sci-fi series from the last several decades that should have run longer, either because they ended poorly/awkwardly or just because they were way too short. Where possible, because we're nothing if not constructive, suggestions are included as to how a continuation today might go. Here are 12 canceled sci-fi shows that deserve a second chance.

For people in my feed who've never heard of Street Hawk, following the success of Knight Rider, it was the shameless motorcycle cashgrab. It starred Rex Smith (Daredevil in that Hulk TV movie) & Murphy Brown'S Joe Regalbuto. It had the music of Tangerine Dream and it was Awesome! pic.twitter.com/ZgSYRIobot

— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) December 10, 2021

Marvel writer Dan Slott is right. Street Hawk was awesome. And sadly, criminally ignored within the pantheon of TV action shows.

1984 was a golden year for the creation of genuine pop culture phenomena. While Ghostbusters, Gremlins and The Karate Kid debuted in cinemas, on television, Knight Rider and The A-Team were at the height of popularity. Following a successful launch for the helicopter-themed Airwolf early that year, networks jostled for the next big thing, and had everything had gone to plan, Street Hawk would have broadcast in the fall of ’84. Featuring an ethereal electronica theme tune,...

When Oscar-winning animation director Mark Andrews (“Brave”) called his old Pixar pal Alex Mandel about his latest gig, “Super Giant Robot Brothers,” Mandel was 6,700 miles away in New Zealand managing projects for visual effects house Weta Digital.

Mandel, whose other creative side happens to be classically trained composer, dove into Andrews’ new project and created more than three hours of music for the series now airing on Netflix.

“Super Giant Robot Brothers” is a 3D animated action-comedy from Reel FX about massive metal robots destined to save the world from invading kaiju – giant monsters from space – while trying to overcome their own sibling rivalry. Andrews, a drummer who used to jam with guitarist Mandel at Pixar events, suggested the musical style: synthwave.

Synthwave combines heavy metal with ’80s synthpop, adding ’90s production elements for a retro-meets-modern approach that reminded Andrews of the Japanese animated series he watched as a kid.

Everything old is new again!

It's been 30 years since Scott Bakula's Samuel Beckett bounced through time to pivotal moments in history to right what had gone wrong wherever he landed.

Now, a new team will get in on that action.

The sequel comes from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, with Steven Lilien, Bryan Wynbrandt, Don Bellisario, Deborah Pratt, and Martin Gero producing.

That's a nice pedigree working behind the scenes to bring the show into the light again.

Bellisario created Quantum Leap and a load of other successful shows, including Airwolf, Magnum, P.I., Jag, and NCIS.

Magnum P.I. has already been rebooted successfully, so we know Bellisario isn't stuck in the past, unable to breathe new life into his previous work.

Lilien and Wyndbrandt created God Friended me and have written for or produced series such as Hawaii Five-0, Gotham, and La Brea.

Pratt played Narrator...

Morgan Stevens, who played numerous roles on television before a tragic confrontation with police derailed his career, was discovered dead at age 70 in his home today as part of a police wellness check. No information on the cause of death was released by police.

His death was first reported by TMZ.

Born October 16, 1951, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Stevens headed to Hollywood soon after graduating college. He appeared as Paul Northridge in one episode of The Waltons and in three reunion movies, including A Wedding on Walton’s Mountain, in which his character married Erin Walton (played by Mary Elizabeth McDonough).

His first major role was playing teacher David Reardon during two seasons of the TV show Fame. Stevens appeared in 20 episodes during season 2, then appeared as an occasional guest star when the show was syndicated, writing a third season episode, Catch A Falling Star.

While working on Fame, Stevens also had...

“NCIS” paid memorial tribute to longtime staff member and audience liaison Harriet Margulies on Monday night, thanking her for 19 years of service to the show.

Margulies Oct. 30 in Northridge, Calif., at age 94, according to CBS.

As the audience liaison, she was the go-between Belisarius Productions and the “NCIS” fan base, answering hundreds of information requests from viewers. In earlier years of the show, she helped organize fan participation at an annual fan convention in Los Angeles, organizing a set visit for attendees. She served the same position on “Jag” and “Quantum Leap,” and as a result, many of those fans followed her to “NCIS.”

The character Harriet Sims on “Jag” is named after her, CBS said.

Born in Brooklyn, she first worked as a publicist in New York City and later in Los Angeles, becoming a production assistant for Universal Television in the 1970s. In that capacity, she worked on shows including “Kojak,...

Stuntman Bob Herron, who worked as a stuntman on films such as “Diamonds Are Forever,” “L.A. Confidential” and “Batman Forever” has died on Sunday after suffering for complications from a fall, a family member confirmed to Variety. He was 97.

Herron was one of the founding members of the Stuntmen’s Association in 1961 and a past president.

Earlier this year, the Stuntmen’s Association celebrated 60 years. When asked why he had started the association, Herron said, he had wanted to bring stunt people together. “There wasn’t a network for the stuntmen to organize with each other; we were all separate.”

Herron’s love for stunts began as a young child. In an interview with Variety, the stuntman explained, “My stepfather rented horses to the studios and I started wrangling them for the actors and the stuntmen to ride, and it made more money. I thought, ‘That’s the way I want to go.

Michael Constantine, whose long career produced an Emmy award and many memorable turns as a character actor, died Aug. 31 at his home in Reading, Pa. He was 94 and died from natural causes, his agent, Julia Buchwald, confirmed.

Constantine was best known as the fruit and Windex-obsessed father Gus Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, an indie film that rose out of nowhere to become a smash hit. It spawned a sequel and a third version was in the planning stages, this time set in Greece.,

The original film from 2002 scored more than $360 million worldwide, becoming one of the highest-grossing romantic comedies of all-time.

But Constantine had a long career before that breakout hit. He was the school principal on the popular TV series Room 222. The role of Seymour Kaufman was a key to the show, which ran on ABC-tv from 1969 to 1974. He won an Emmy for the role in 1970.

Beyond that role,...

Alex Cord immortalized by Norman Rockwell for the marketing campaign for the 1966 version of "Stagecoach".

By Lee Pfeiffer

Actor Alex Cord has died at age 88 in Texas. Cord overcame a childhood battle with polio to become an active horseman who could perform impressive stunts. Those abilities, along with his rugged good looks and lanky build, helped him land jobs as an actor. He appeared in popular television series beginning in the early 1960s including "Ben Casey", "Laramie", "Naked City" and "Route 66" before transitioning to the big screen. He made his feature film debut in with an uncredited role in "The Chapman Report" in 1962 but it was in the all-star 1966 remake of John Ford's classic 1939 Western "Stagecoach" that Cord was cast in the star-making role of the Ringo Kid, a sympathetic outlaw on a trail of vengeance. The role had launched John Wayne's career to a new level...

Alex Cord, an actor who portrayed the character codenamed Archangel in the military TV drama “Airwolf,” has died. He was 88.

Cord’s passing was confirmed to TheWrap by his publicist Linda McAlister, who said he died surrounded by friends in his home in Valley View, Texas, on Monday around 6:30 p.m. Ct.

Alex Cord, born Alexander Viespi Jr., was best known for his work on “Airwolf” alongside Jan-Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine. The show ran between 1984-86 for 55 episodes and was the story of a renegade pilot who goes on missions in an advanced battle helicopter. The show spawned a TV movie in 1984.

After being confined to a hospital and an iron lung in much of his youth, Cord eventually pursued a dream of becoming a professional horseman and joined a rodeo circuit at age 16. But after suffering an injury while performing at Madison Square Garden, he pivoted his...

Alex Cord, who co-starred with Jan-Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine in the 1980s attack-helicopter series Airwolf and had a long career onscreen, died Monday morning at his home in Valley View, TX. He was 88.

His talent agent and friend of 20 years, Linda McAlister, confirmed the news to Deadline.

Cord had been working in films and TV for more than 20 years before he landed his signature role as the mysterious, eyepatch-sporting Archangel on Airwolf. The CBS drama debuted in 1984 — the year all three broadcast networks bowed helicopter dramas following the theatrical success of Blue Thunder. Airwolf starred Vincent as Stringfellow Hawke, a brooding loner who was tasked with recovering the titular attack copter from its creator, who had stolen the craft with plans to sell Airwolf to Libya.

Cord was his contact at the Firm, an ultrasecret government group that recruited Hawke. Nattily dressed in crisp white suit, cane and that eyepatch,...

Alex Cord, the actor best known for playing Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, a.k.a Archangel, in the ’80s military drama “Airwolf,” died on Monday at his home in Valley View, Texas, his rep Linda McAlister confirmed to Variety. He was 88.

Cord starred in 55 episodes of the action series, which ran for four seasons from 1984-1987, alongside Jan-Michael Vincent, Ernest Borgnine, Deborah Pratt and Jean Bruce Scott in the first three seasons on CBS. The show followed the military crew of a high-tech helicopter called Airwolf as they undertook various high-stakes espionage missions. The show was canceled on CBS after three seasons, but USA Network picked it up for a fourth with a brand new cast and smaller budget.

Born in Floral Park, New York, in 1933, Cord attended New York University and the American Shakespeare Theater in Connecticut. He became known for appearing in Westerns, action and crime projects across TV and film.

Alex Cord, the rugged former rodeo performer who portrayed Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, better known by the code name Archangel, on the 1980s CBS drama Airwolf, has died. He was 88.

Cord died Monday at his home in Valley View, Texas, his publicist, Linda McAlister, told The Hollywood Reporter.

On the big screen, Cord starred in Synanon (1965), a film directed by Richard Quine that was set in a rehab facility; played Ringo Kid — John Wayne’s role — in a 1966 remake of Stagecoach; and worked alongside Kirk Douglas in The Brotherhood (1968) and with Britt Ekland in Stiletto (1969).

In 1977, he appeared ...

Alex Cord, the rugged former rodeo performer who portrayed Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, better known by the code name Archangel, on the 1980s CBS drama Airwolf, has died. He was 88.

Cord died Monday at his home in Valley View, Texas, his publicist, Linda McAlister, told The Hollywood Reporter.

On the big screen, Cord starred in Synanon (1965), a film directed by Richard Quine that was set in a rehab facility; played Ringo Kid — John Wayne’s role — in a 1966 remake of Stagecoach; and worked alongside Kirk Douglas in The Brotherhood (1968) and with Britt Ekland in Stiletto (1969).

In 1977, he appeared ...

G. Gordon Liddy, a central Watergate figure who spent more than four years in prison but went on to appear in a number of TV series, a few films and hosted a radio talk show for two decades, died Tuesday in Virginia, his son Thomas told media outlets. He was 90.

Unrepentant till the end, the imposing, mustachioed Liddy led the “Plumbers,” President Nixon’s secret White House group, but was not among those caught burglarizing the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in June 1972. Still, he was tried on conspiracy and burglary charges as the mastermind of the scheme. Also convicted of refusing to testify at the Watergate hearings, he served more than 51 months in federal prison.

He famously did not implicate Nixon, but the 37th president of the United States was forced to resign in August 1974 amid the growing scandal.

Liddy is referenced — but his character did...

G. Gordon Liddy, the colorful chief operative in the Watergate scandal who went to prison for his crimes and later cut a wide swatch across pop culture as a talk show host and actor, has died. He was 90.

His son, Thomas P. Liddy, confirmed his death to the Washington Post, but did not provide a cause.

Liddy held many roles during his lifetime, including as a lawyer, FBI agent, talk show host and actor. However, he is best known as the chief operative in the Nixon administration’s White House Plumbers unit, which organized and carried out a burglary of the DNC headquarters in the Watergate building. The scandal rocked American politics and led to Nixon’s resignation from the presidency in 1974. Liddy was ultimately convicted of conspiracy, burglary, illegal wiretapping and refused to testify during the Senate committee hearing on the scandal. As a result, Liddy served over four years in prison.

When CBS premieres its reboot of “The Equalizer” starring Queen Latifah following Super Bowl Lv on Sunday, it will mark something the network hasn’t done in more than twenty years. “The Equalizer,” a reboot of both the 1980s TV series and the Denzel Washington-led films, will be just the third time CBS has ever used television’s best real estate — the post-Super Bowl time slot — to debut a scripted series. The previous two times came in 1990, with the short-lived “Grand Slam,” which was pulled after only 6 episodes, and the sci-fi series “Airwolf” in 1984. Traditionally, networks airing the Super Bowl use the prime real estate to debut something network executives expect to be a broad hit (“four-quadrant” appeal in network-speak), or give a fledgling series a super-sized boost. CBS is used to this. Sunday will be the network’s 21st time carrying the Super Bowl, the most of any network.

Comcast and NBCUniversal are pushing Peacock out of the nest starting Wednesday, April 15, promising to unfurl a rich plume of 15,000-plus hours of streaming content, first for the cable giant’s own TV and internet customers.

Peacock is then slated to be available across the U.S. on July 15 — while NBCU is mulling the possibility of moving that up sooner — in various three tiers across mobile, web and connected-tv devices: paid with ads ($4.99 monthly); paid with no ads ($9.99 monthly); and completely free with ads with a truncated content lineup. With the national launch, Comcast (and Cox) subscribers also will have the option to get an ad-free version of the service for an additional $5 per month.

So what’s on the menu? Peacock will include live and on-demand content across current and past TV shows, movies, news, and late night programming, with some live sports once they resume post-pandemic. Most of...

The man inside the yellow Big Bird suit; TV’s Rhoda; and a “Beverly Hills 90210” heartthrob are just a few of the beloved entertainment figures who died in 2019. Here are some of the unforgettable stars and creators of movies, TV and music who we lost this year.

Movies

Several notable directors died in 2019, including pioneering French New Wave director Agnes Varda, who died March 29 at 90. “Singin’ in the Rain” director Stanley Donen died Feb. 21 at 94, while cult movie director Larry Cohen, who helmed “It’s Alive,” died March 23 at 77. “Boyz N the Hood” director John Singleton suffered a stroke and died April 29 at 51, and renowned documentarian D.A. Pennebaker, who made “Don’t Look Back,” died Aug. 1 at 94. “Romeo and Juliet” director Franco Zeffirelli died June 15 at 96. The colorful studio executive and producer of “Chinatown” and many other films, Robert Evans, died Oct. 26 at 89.

Movie stars who died in 2019 included Doris Day,...

Chicago – In one of Jan-Michael Vincent’s most recent photos, taken in 2016 by photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com, the ex-heart throb actor is revealed as a man who lived his life hard to the end. Vincent died last month in Asheville, North Carolina, on February 10th, 2019. He was 73.

Jan-Michael Vincent was born in Denver, and after high school in Washington state he bounced around with three years of college and a stint in the California National Guard. In 1966, he began to audition, and his rugged good looks landed him in a Robert Conrad film “The Bandits” (1967). After doing several TV and movie bit parts, he scored in the early 1970s with high profile roles in “Going Home” (1970), “The Mechanic” (1972) and in Walt Disney’s “The World’s Greatest Athlete” (1973) as the title character.

Jan-Michael Vincent in 2016

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

The hits continued...

by Nathaniel R

Some stars burn bright and endure, others flame out. The latter was the case with Jan-Michael Vincent, a rising  star of movies and television in the 1970s. He's best remembered today from his leading role in the TV series  "Airwolf" but afterwards it was low profile movies (the kind we used to call "straight to video" - there doesn't seem to be a unified term for those movies anymore) and an increasingly diminished profile, his last screen performance coming in 2002. He died in February at 73 years old and the news was only just released a full month later...

Actor known for string of roles in 1970s and 80s died in February but not revealed until now

Actor Jan-Michael Vincent, best known for his role as a pilot on 1980s TV series Airwolf, has died, aged 73.

According to his death certificate, obtained by TMZ, Vincent died of cardiac arrest on 10 February in a North Carolina hospital but his death was only reported on Friday by TMZ.

Joseph Baxter Mar 8, 2019

Former Hollywood heartthrob Jan-Michael Vincent, star the hit TV series, Airwolf, is revealed to have died last month.

Jan-Michael Vincent, former star of the smash 1980s TV series, Airwolf, has died, reportedly at the age of 73. It’s an occurrence that, in actuality, took place nearly a month ago – on February 10 – and we only just now learned.

According to Vincent’s death certificate, as obtained by THR, the actor passed away as a result of cardiac arrest at Mission Hospital's Memorial Campus in Asheville, North Carolina. His death caps off widely-reported struggles with drugs and alcohol, which led to a tumultuous personal life rife with permanent-injury-inducing accidents and shameful legal issues, notably connected to domestic violence. However, his downfall contrasts sharply with an auspicious early career.

Indeed, Vincent was essentially the Brad Pitt of the 1970s, bearing a name and chiseled-jawed countenance that was synonymous with the...

According to a death certificate first obtained by TMZ, Jan-Michael Vincent, best known for playing the lead role in the 1980s CBS series Airwolf, passed away on February 10th after suffering cardiac arrest. He was 73. Born in Denver, Colorado, Vincent began his acting career in 1967, upon being noticed by a talent scout promptly after completing his duty as a solider to…...

Jan-Michael Vincent, who briefly rose to prominence as a young leading man in films in the 1970s and 1980s then became a TV star with CBS’ action series Airwolf in the mid-’80s, died February 10 in North Carolina. He was 73.

A death certificate obtained by TMZ noted Vincent died of cardiac arrest while a patient at an Asheville hospital. His death had not been previously reported.

Vincent started his career in the late 1960s with guest roles in TV series including Dragnet, Lassie, Bonanza and Gunsmoke before his first feature film, 1971’s Going Home opposite Robert Mitchum and Brenda Vaccaro. That led to a co-starring role opposite Charles Bronson in Michael Winner’s 1972 movie The Mechanic. He starred in several movies in rapid succession in the mid-’70s including trucker drama White Line Fever, World War II-set Baby Blue Marine, John Millius’ surfing pic Big Wednesday with Gary Busey and...

Jan-Michael Vincent has died. The beloved Airwolf star was 74 at the time of his death. TMZ reported this morning that he actually passed away almost a month ago, on February 10, while staying as a patient at a North Carolina hospital. The cause of death has been ruled a cardiac arrest. The site also reports that no autopsy was performed and he was cremated. Jan-Michael Vincent is best known for his CBS hit-show, Airwolf. Despite only running on CBS for three seasons, Vincent became a huge star and earned upwards of $200,000 per episode, making him one of the […]

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