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Category: Entertainment

  • Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 17 Nominees for 2026 Include Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Pink, Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and Wu Tang Clan

    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 17 Nominees for 2026 Include Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Pink, Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and Wu Tang Clan

    The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 17 nominees for its class of 2026, with one of its most widely genre-spanning lists of contenders ever:

    The Black Crowes
    Jeff Buckley
    Mariah Carey
    Phil Collins
    Melissa Etheridge
    Lauryn Hill
    Billy Idol
    INXS
    Iron Maiden
    Joy Division/New Order
    New Edition
    Oasis
    Pink
    Sade
    Shakira
    Luther Vandross
    Wu-Tang Clan

    The 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time are Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.

    The seven returning to the ballot after previous tries at getting elected are the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and Sade.

    If that seems like a large crop of nominees, it is. For 2025, the total number of contenders stood at 14, three fewer than this year’s roster.

    Of the seven returning to the ballot, five were on it just last year and make an instant return: the Black Crowes, Carey, Idol, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The singer for the latter band, Liam Gallagher, disavowed the Rock Hall when his band was previously twice nominated, but the nominating committee did not hold his recalcitrance against him this year.

    The third time being nominated could be the charm for four of the artists: Carey, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The three second-time nominees, meanwhile, are the Black Crowes, Idol and Sade. The Hall is not going back into its ancient history to find return nominees: All of the prior nominations for all of these artists occurred since 2021.

    Pink is the only artist being nominated in her first year of eligibility; her debut album, “Can’t Take Me Home,” came out in 2000.

    This year’s list has what some might consider a recency bias, relatively speaking. All of the 10 first-time nominees having debuted on the scene in the 1980s, 1990s or, as with Pink, 2000, despite the annual cries from fans of older rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s that their favorites are still overdue.

    Collins is the only 2026 contender who already has a spot in the Rock Hall, having been inducted as a member of Genesis.

    Buckley is the rare artist getting a shot at being elected on the basis of releasing only one album in his lifetime. “Grace” came out in 1994; the singer/songwriter died in 1997.

    Those who can be counted on to complain every year that the Hall should limit itself to actual rock ‘n’ roll will have plenty to gripe about this year, although others will be grateful for the wide gamut of genres spanned. Only roughly half of the 17 nominees would be considered “rock” per se: the Crowes, Buckley, Etheridge, Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis… with Collins perhaps straddling the line as a recognized superstar of pop, apart from his duties in the rock band Genesis. That leaves plenty of room in this crop for a sizable representation of pop, with Pink, Carey, and Latin-pop crossover favorite Shakira, and R&B and/or hip-hop, with Hill, New Edition, Vandross and Wu Tang in the mix.

    (Although the Hall strives to be inclusive of different contemporary genres, one wildly popular genre that is not represented among these nominees, again, is country; Dolly Parton remains the only country figure inducted in the last 23 years.)

    The vote will take place over the next two months, with those selected by the Hall’s 1,200 voters revealed in April. At that time, further Inductees will also be named who are entering the Hall under three special committee categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence and the Ahmet Ertegun Non Performer Award.

  • TikTok Discover List 2026: Irene Suwandi, Leana Deeb, Olly Bowman and More (EXCLUSIVE)

    TikTok Discover List 2026: Irene Suwandi, Leana Deeb, Olly Bowman and More (EXCLUSIVE)

    ORIGINATOR

    Carmen Fiorito started sharing her work in her father’s phone shop on TikTok, and in a short time, the videos in which she changed protective films on smartphones with an unusual and engaging style went viral (one of them reached over 470 million views). Thanks to her success on TikTok, she helped her family expand their business, hire staff and open new shops in different Italian cities. New Martina has now become a leading brand in electronic device protection, recognized for its high-quality products and attentive, efficient customer service. Trusted by celebrities from film, television, sports, music and mostly normal people, New Martina has become a beloved brand with over 10 million followers on TikTok, a loyal global community, drawn to its innovation, attention to detail and unwavering customer service.

    What does it mean to be recognized on the Discover List?

    I am so proud and honored to be nominated as an Originator! TikTok was the platform where everything started for me in 2023, and even today, it continues to give me so much satisfaction as I grow my company even more. TikTok has made my company what it is today, changing my company for the better, allowing me to reach millions of people and, above all, to open many stores throughout Italy.

    Who is an entrepreneur, brand, or business that you look up to?

    My favorite brand is Apple, along with Steve Jobs. I absolutely love their way of communicating and marketing, as well as their consistently innovative and original products.

    Describe yourself in three words.

    Courageous, ambitious, stubborn.

  • Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 17 Nominees for 2026 Include Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Pink, Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and Wu Tang Clan

    Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 17 Nominees for 2026 Include Shakira, Lauryn Hill, Pink, Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and Wu Tang Clan

    The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced 17 nominees for its class of 2026, with one of its most widely genre-spanning lists of contenders ever:

    The Black Crowes
    Jeff Buckley
    Mariah Carey
    Phil Collins
    Melissa Etheridge
    Lauryn Hill
    Billy Idol
    INXS
    Iron Maiden
    Joy Division/New Order
    New Edition
    Oasis
    Pink
    Sade
    Shakira
    Luther Vandross
    Wu-Tang Clan

    The 10 nominees appearing on the ballot for the first time are Jeff Buckley, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.

    The seven returning to the ballot after previous tries at getting elected are the Black Crowes, Mariah Carey, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis and Sade.

    If that seems like a large crop of nominees, it is. For 2025, the total number of contenders stood at 14, three fewer than this year.

    Of the seven returning to the ballot, five were on it just last year and make an instant return: the Black Crowes, Carey, Idol, Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The singer for the latter band, Liam Gallagher, disavowed the Rock Hall at the time, but the nominating committee did not hold that against him this year.

    Pink is the only artist being nominated in her first year of eligibility; her debut album, “Can’t Take Me Home,” came out in 2000.

    This year’s list has a bias toward the new, relatively speaking, with all of the 10 first-time nominees having debuted on the scene in the 1980s, 1990s or, as with Pink, 2000.

    The vote will take place over the next two months, with those selected by the Hall’s 1,200 voters revealed in April. At that time, further Inductees will also be named who are entering the Hall under three special committee categories: Musical Influence, Musical Excellence and the Ahmet Ertegun Non Performer Award.

  • Rock Hall Nominees: Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, Oasis and Shakira Among 2026 Class

    Rock Hall Nominees: Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, Oasis and Shakira Among 2026 Class

    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has unveiled the nominees for its 2026 class, with Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Oasis, Pink, Phil Collins and Shakira among the superstars vying for a nomination.

    Also on the ballot this year are The Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley, Melissa Etheridge, Billy Idol, INXS, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, New Edition, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan. The official inductees will be announced in April, along with the Musical Influence and Musical Excellence awards as well as the Ahmet Ertegun Award reserved for a prolific music industry veteran.

    “This diverse list of talented nominees recognizes the ever-evolving faces and sounds of Rock & Roll and its continued impact on youth culture”, John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, said in a statement. “Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is music’s highest honor and we look forward to celebrating the Class of 2026 this Fall.”

    Artists reach Rock Hall eligibility when their debut recording turns 25 years old, so this year’s class’s recordings had to be released in 2001 or earlier. Collins is already a Rock Hall inductee after Genesis was inducted in 2010, though this year marks his first time nominated as a solo act. The rest of this year’s first-time nominees are Buckley, Etheridge, Hill, INXS, New Edition, Pink, Shakira, Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan.

    Carey is hoping to get in on her third nomination after snubs the past two years, and Iron Maiden has its third nomination as well, after previously getting noms in 2021 and 2023. Also getting their third nominations are Joy Division/New Order and Oasis. The Black Crowes, Idol and Sade have all earned their second nomination.

    Last year’s class included Cyndi Lauper, Bad Company, the White Stripes and Soundgarden.

  • ‘Doctor Foster’ Returning for a Third and Final Season With Suranne Jones

    Some good news for Doctor Foster fans: The hit drama is set to return for a third and final season.

    The BBC revealed on Wednesday that season three of Mike Bartlett’s show will see Suranne Jones reprise her award-winning role as Gemma Foster, opposite A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ Bertie Carvel as Simon and Tom Taylor as Tom.

    Made by Drama Republic for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, the five-part series will begin filming in and around Hertfordshire later this spring.

    “Ten years ago, on discovering her husband Simon was having an affair, Gemma Foster enacted a masterful revenge. But the fallout was devastating when her 15-year-old son Tom disappeared. Now, in series three, Gemma is still a GP, still in the same house, but on the brink of a fresh start: She has met someone new and is getting married,” a plot synopsis reads. “But as the wedding day draws closer, and friends and family gather, shadows from the past begin to re-emerge, threatening both her happiness and her reputation. As Gemma fights to protect those she loves and expose whoever’s intent on hurting her, will she be able to put the past to bed, dispense justice, and claim the future she deserves, before it is too late”

    Jones says when she got the call to return as Gemma Foster, she “knew the time was right.”

    “We needed space from the first two series, and we needed Tom — Gemma and Simon’s runaway son — to return as an adult with questions,” said the Gentleman Jack star. “For me, this time around it’s about accountability and questioning: ‘Can we ever truly sever ties with our past and the damage or traumas that haunt us, so we can fully move forward?’ Gemma and Simon have so much to unpick… It’s been an exciting time working with the brilliant Mike Bartlett again, and the team at Drama Republic, on the scripts and now I can’t wait to start filming.”

    Writer, creator and executive producer Bartlett added: “I always hoped that we’d get to tell the final part of Gemma’s story, which is about a woman seeking justice in an unfair world. That feels as relevant now as when Gemma first found a blonde hair on the scarf.”

    Doctor Foster was a U.K. sensation when it aired in 2015 and 2017, with nearly 10 million people watching the finale of series two. It also achieved critical acclaim, with Suranne Jones winning a BAFTA for her performance.

    Series three is produced by Drama Republic, a Mediawan Group Company. It will be directed by John Hardwick (One Day, Buccaneers), with Nige Watson (Killing Eve, The Assassin) as producer. Executive producers are Roanna Benn and Jude Liknaitzky (for Drama Republic), Mike Bartlett and Suranne Jones.

    The third season of Doctor Foster was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, BBC director of drama. BBC Studios is handling global sales of the series and the format, adapted in 15 territories worldwide.

  • HBO Max Acquires Japanese Period Action Drama ‘Song of the Samurai’ From Studio the Seven, Sets May Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

    HBO Max Acquires Japanese Period Action Drama ‘Song of the Samurai’ From Studio the Seven, Sets May Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

    HBO Max is set to bow “Song of the Samurai,” a live-action jidaigeki series rooted in one of Japan’s most enduring manga franchises, on May 9.

    The show is drawn from “Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem,” the long-running manga by Umemura Shinya, whose work on “Record of Ragnarok” earned him a global following after the title was adapted into a popular anime series. “Chiruran” has sustained a devoted readership across more than a decade, with 36 collected volumes and upwards of three million copies sold. It has also spawned anime and stage adaptations over the years.

    The production brings together three major Japanese entertainment players: broadcaster TBS, streaming service U-Next and production house The Seven, whose previous credits include “Alice in Borderland” and “Yu Yu Hakusho.” The series arrives on HBO Max through Warner Bros. Discovery’s existing content partnership with U-Next.

    The drama unfolds in late-Edo period Kyoto and follows the Shinsengumi, the storied samurai corps that served as the shogunate’s last line of defense during one of Japan’s most turbulent political transitions. At its center is Hijikata Toshizo – a former street fighter played by Yamada Yuki – whose unlikely brotherhood with Kondo Isami and Okita Soji shapes the emotional core of the series. Loyalty, betrayal, illness and war all bear down on the group as the old order crumbles around them.

    Rounding out the cast are Go Ayano and Nakajima Kento. Sakai Masaaki penned the scripts, Watanabe Kazutaka helms the direction, and Morii Akira, Inoue Mamoru and Shimomura Kazuya produce.

    Japanese audiences will get an early look via a two-night broadcast event on TBS TV – “Chapter: Youthful Days in Edo” – on March 26 and 27, with episodes streaming on U-Next straight after each airing. The second chapter, “Chapter: Fateful Showdown in Kyoto,” will then roll out weekly on U-Next every Friday as a streaming exclusive.

    James Gibbons, president, Asia Pacific at Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “With a growing appetite for this genre, we hope fans enjoy this captivating new samurai story – rooted deep in Japanese culture, with passionate action and a charismatic ensemble cast.”

    U-Next president and representative director Tsutsumi Tenshin added: “This project was developed with global distribution and broadcast integration in mind, aiming to expand the reach of Japanese content. With The Seven’s production quality, TBS’s creative strength, and a world-renowned manga at its core, we are confident the series will captivate international viewers.”

    TBS Television president and representative director Masamine Ryuho said: “Set against the upheaval of the Bakumatsu era, this large-scale drama captures the spirit of young men living through one of Japan’s most transformative periods.”

    Morii, who serves as VP, CCO and chief producer at The Seven, said the team set out to reimagine the jidaigeki genre for younger audiences. “Built on an exceptional manga original, ‘Song of the Samurai’ is brought to life through the committed performances and action of Yamada Yuki and an outstanding cast, with a contemporary vision of the samurai spirit,” he said.

    Yamada, who leads the series as Hijikata, added: “In mid-19th century Japan, the Shinsengumi were among the so-called last samurai warriors who upheld the way of the sword during a time of profound change. To me, the samurai spirit is the wish to protect someone; a universal feeling that is shared across borders. I hope audiences can enjoy the action, while also feeling the emotion carried within each blade.”

    Local language subtitles and dubs will be available in select markets.

    Meanwhile, HBO Max will launch direct-to-consumer in new markets across Asia Pacific on March 26, including Bhutan, Fiji, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

  • ‘Hijack,’ ‘Lupin’ Creator’s Psychological Thriller ‘Gone’ Going to BritBox for U.S., Canada

    ‘Hijack,’ ‘Lupin’ Creator’s Psychological Thriller ‘Gone’ Going to BritBox for U.S., Canada

    BritBox has struck a deal to take the upcoming psychological thriller series Gone from George Kay, the creator and writer behind the likes of Hijack, The Long Shadow and Lupin, for the U.S. and Canada. The drama star David Morrissey (Sherwood) and Eve Myles (Keeping Faith).

    All3Media unveiled the deal on Wednesday as part of a raft of pre-sales during the London TV Screenings week in the British capital.

    The six-part series, set to premiere in the U.K. on ITV this spring, centers on the disappearance of Sarah Polly, with suspicion quickly falling on her husband, local headmaster Michael, played by Morrissey. “Outwardly respectable and obsessively ordered, Michael finds his carefully controlled world unravelling when he comes up against Detective Annie Cassidy, portrayed by Eve Myles,” reads a synopsis. “What follows is an intense psychological duel, as Annie chips away at Michael’s composed exterior in a tense game of cat and mouse that threatens to expose what lies beneath.”

    Beyond the central mystery, Gone also digs into themes of trauma, trust, and the long shadow cast by elite institutions.

    Further pre-sales for Gone include deals with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, Australian streaming service Stan, and Sky New Zealand, which will show the seeies on Three and stream it on ThreeNow.

    Gone has also sold to BBC Studios for its drama streamer BBC First and its broad-based streamer BBC Player across Asia.

    Kay created and is writing the drama, with Richard Laxton (Mrs Wilson, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe) directing. The cast also includes Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barratt, Rupert Evans, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham, and Clare Higgins.

    The show, produced by New Pictures (The Long Shadow) in association with Kay’s Observatory Pictures, is partly inspired by the book To Hunt a Killer and the real-world work of former Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay and ITV crime correspondent Robert Murphy, both of whom serve as consultants on the series.

    Other pre-sales on the upcoming, starring take in both top broadcast networks and streaming services in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. 

  • A Contracorriente Boards Thriller ‘Hour and Twenty’ Ahead of Malaga Bow (EXCLUSIVE)

    A Contracorriente Boards Thriller ‘Hour and Twenty’ Ahead of Malaga Bow (EXCLUSIVE)

    Barcelona-based A Contracorriente Films, one of Spain’s top independent distributors, has taken Spanish distribution rights to M. A. Romero’s thriller “Hour and Twenty” (“Hora y veinte”), ahead of the film’s March 12 world premiere in the Málaga Festival’s official selection.

    A Contracorriente has also boarded international sales on the film, with the company in talks with regular partner Latido Films sales agency about a potential international rollout deal.

    Written and directed by Romero and inspired by real events, the story is set on Christmas Eve, following Manuela, an emotionally distant mother whose six-year-old son vanishes in a shopping mall. As two Guardia Civil investigators pursue the case, Manuela is driven toward a more unsettling possibility: she may be losing her grip on reality.

    With no evidence of a kidnapping, the case escalates when authorities uncover her criminal past — and no one claims to remember ever seeing her with a child. With time tightening, Manuela must prove her innocence before it’s too late.

    Manuela is played by Goya nominee Macarena Gómez (“Shrew’s Nest”). Rounding out the lead roles are two-time Goya winner Roberto Álamo (“May God Save Us,” “The Skin I Live In”) and three-time Goya laureate Emma Suárez (“The Dog In The Manger,” “Julieta”).

    Boré Buika (“Palm Trees In The Snow”) and Alex Sorian Brown (“Evan Wood”) also star, with a special appearance from renowned Spanish vocalist Álex Ubago.

    “Hour and Twenty” is produced by Luces y Acción AIE, El Orgullo Producciones, Producciones La Cochera, Womack Studios, Sorenfilms and Shift Dif, and was shot on location in Torrevieja (Alicante), Martos (Jaén) and Madrid. The film is backed by Andalusian public broadcaster Canal Sur and Torrevieja’s Town Hall.

    Romero described the film as a “relentless, high-concept thriller” designed to sustain tension throughout, while keeping the emotional stakes grounded. A Contracorriente’s involvement, he added, is “incredibly meaningful” not only for this release but for what he framed as a longer-term creative relationship.

    “As I continue developing new stories, it’s important to collaborate with partners who share the same ambition and vision for taking them beyond borders,” Romero said.

    Actor-producer Salva Reina, CEO of Producciones La Cochera, called A Contracorriente’s boarding “Hour and Twenty” “a true validation of the film’s quality.” “Our hope is ‘Hour and Twenty’ can reach the widest possible audience – in theaters, on streaming services and across as many territories as possible,” Reina added.

    Romero previously directed the crime film “75 Días,” which opened in 2021. He is currently in pre-production on “Todo Sobre Mi Padre,” described as a homage to Pedro Almodóvar, Vicente Aranda and Carlos Saura, slated to begin shooting in late 2026.

  • ‘Gone,’ From ‘Hijack’ and ‘Lupin’ Creator George Kay, Pre-Sold to BritBox for North America by All3Media International (EXCLUSIVE)

    Identifying one of the hot tickets at this year’s London TV Screenings,’ “Gone,” from George Kay, creator or writer of “Hijack,” “The Long Shadow” and “Lupin,” has scored bullish pre-sales across four continents led by a BritBox deal for the U.S. and Canada. 

    Other pre-sales on the upcoming psychological thriller, starring David Morrissey (“Sherwood”) and Eve Myles (“Keeping Faith”), take in both top broadcast networks and streaming services in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Europe. 

    Partners include Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, and Australian streaming service Stan. SkyNew Zealand has also licensed “Gone,” set to air on Three and stream on ThreeNow.

    Across Asia, A3Media International has struck a pre-sales deal with BBC Studios’ premium SVOD drama channel, BBC First, alongside its multi-genre SVOD platform, BBC Player.

    The six-part series will be one of the centerpiece scripted titles at All3Media International‘s London Screenings showcase on Feb. 26.

    In “Gone,” bound for ITV and ITVX for a March bow, Morrissey plays the headmaster of an elite English private school, whose wife suddenly vanishes. Enter Detective Annie Cassidy (Myles) who views Polly as the prime suspect and “Gone” lifts off as a high-stakes cat and mouse psychological drama-thriller between the hard-charging Cassidy and Polly, who keep his own counsel. 

    That comes with his caste and class. Released mid-Feb, a trailer for “Gone” begins not with Polly but his school, which looks to date back to Tudor times, its facade sporting an elegant nineteenth century Anglo-Italianate makeover. It goes on to catch Polly addressing students in the school’s main hall, its coat of arms behind him. Cut to Polly’s country house. 

    This is a man who is the voice of the British establishment, its moral arbiter whose ethics are not to be questioned lightly. Enter Myles Cassidy, caught in the trailer in a slightly larger than normal first close-up, who stares at Polly across a police interrogation room table with an air of not very dissimulated disbelief.

    This is a “story about privilege and prejudice,” Kay said when “Gone” was announced. “The truth is tantalisingly close. Or at least, that’s what Annie thinks,” he teased. Kay’s Observatory Pictures, backed by All3Media, produces with New Pictures, in association with All3Media International.

    ‘Gone’ Eve Myles as Annie, David Morrissey as Michael Copyright New Pictures, All3Media International

    Gone Eve Myles as Annie, David Morrissey as Michael Copyright New Pictures, All3Media International

    “Blending psychological mystery with a claustrophobic thriller and layered character drama, George Kay’s latest series has resonated strongly with international buyers as is evident through this impressive line-up of premium partners at pre-sale stage, including BritBox,” said Jennifer Askin, EVP Americas at All3Media International. 

    “With its atmospheric setting, a stellar cast led by David Morrissey and Eve Myles and a tightly constructed cat-and-mouse narrative, “Gone” delivers sustained tension and broad audience appeal,” she added. “We look forward to unveiling further details to buyers at our upcoming upfronts event this week.”

    “Beyond the central mystery, ‘Gone’ digs into themes of trauma, trust and the long shadow cast by elite institutions, giving the drama a deeper emotional and social edge alongside its thriller elements,” All3Media International noted in a press statement on Wednesday. 

    Written and created by Kay, “Gone” is directed by BAFTA-winning Richard Laxton (“Mrs Wilson,” “The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe”). Cast also takes in Jennifer Macbeth, Arthur Hughes, Nicholas Nunn, Elliot Cowan, Billy Barratt, Rupert Evans, Jodie McNee, Oscar Batterham and Clare Higgins.

    “Gone” is produced by Mark Hedges (“Hanna,” “The Rising”). Kay, Laxton, Willow Grylls (“Des,” “The Missing”) and Matt Sandford (“The Long Shadow”) serve as executive producers.

    “Gone” is fiction, A3Media Intl. stresses It is partly inspired, however, by the book “To Hunt a Killer” and the real-world work of former Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay and ITV Crime Correspondent Robert Murphy, both of whom worked as consultants on the show.

  • Lauren Chapin, the Youngest Kid on ‘Father Knows Best,’ Dies at 80

    Lauren Chapin, who portrayed the precocious Kathy “Kitten” Anderson on the iconic 1950s TV series Father Knows Best, has died. She was 80. 

    Chapin, who said she was molested as a child before dealing with drug abuse, jail sentences, several miscarriages and divorce after her show ended, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer, her son, Matthew, reported on Facebook.

    Following appearances on a 1952 episode of CBS’ Lux Video Theatre and in the Judy Garland-starring A Star Is Born (1954), Chapin was hired for Father Knows Best when she was 9.

    She said she got the job in part because she bore a strong resemblance to one of star Robert Young’s four daughters, also named Kathy. (Norma Jean Nilsson had played the part on the preceding NBC Radio version.)

    Chapin’s older TV siblings were Betty “Princess” Anderson (Elinor Donahue) and James “Bud” Anderson Jr. (Billy Gray), and their mom was level-headed housewife Margaret Anderson (Jane Wyatt). Young played Jim Anderson, an insurance salesman.

    Father Knows Best ran for six seasons, from October 1954 through May 1960, with two stints at CBS sandwiched around one at NBC. Reruns then aired for another couple of years in primetime on ABC and for decades in syndication, and the cast reunited for a pair of TV specials in 1977.

    Chapin was born in Los Angeles on May 23, 1945. Her older brothers, Billy Chapin (The Night of the Hunter) and Michael Chapin (It’s a Wonderful Life), were child actors as well.

    She was signed to a contract at Columbia Pictures and studied with choreographers Gower and Marge Champion and famed French mime Marcel Marceau.

    When she was about 6, her mom, Marguerite, whom she said was an alcoholic, took her brother Billy to New York to build his stage career, and she was left with her father, William, whom she said molested her. By age 11, she said was a “manic depressive personality” and once attempted suicide.

    “I was very difficult to understand how Kathy Anderson could be loved and protected and Lauren Chapin lived a whole different kind of life,” she said during an appearance on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee in 1989. “I didn’t understand how God could let me suffer.”

    Five months after Father Knows Best ended. Chapin appeared on an installment of General Electric Theater alongside Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows, but that would mark her final acting appearance for 16 years.

    She dropped out of Pasadena High School as a junior, and on the Regis and Kathie Lee program, she said got married at 16 and divorced at 18; another marriage was annulled after she discovered her husband was still married. Another man she was involved with turned her into a call girl and on to heroin, which she said she did for seven years until she was 25. Along the way, she lost eight children to miscarriages.

    She said she also had to sue her mother to claim a portion of the money she had earned from Father Knows Best.

    After achieving sobriety in the 1970, Chapin worked as a minister and as a talent manager; on her website, it was noted that actress Jennifer Love Hewitt “got her start in show biz” through Chapin.

    She also published a memoir, 1989’s Father Does Know Best, and appeared on a 2016 YouTube series, School Bus Diaries.

    Survivors also include her daughter, Summer.

    “If I could be on television again, I would pray for a series like Father Knows Best,” she told People magazine in 1981, “one that has no violence, no sex and shows nothing but purity and love.”