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Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large As Carol Burnett turns 90, she bristles at the idea of looking back at her legacy. She’s not one to watch old episodes of her iconic “The Carol Burnett Show,” for example. “I’m not like Norma Desmond,” she quips, referring to the fading star in “Sunset Boulevard.” “The only time I do it is if I have to for a reason.” In this case, NBC gave her a good one. The network is set to air “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” on April 26, and the special features both new performances and clips from Burnett’s storied career. And it gave Burnett a chance to reminisce with old friends — and new. “It’s exactly what I wanted,” Burnett said. “I didn’t want a birthday party with cake and balloons and confetti and all of that. What I wanted was to have an entertaining show. And that’s what we got. It’s a variety show, with live entertainment by Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth, Billy Porter, Katy Perry, Darren Criss and Sutton Foster. And then funny moments with Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney and Laura Dern. We had a 19-piece orchestra live.”

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Daytime Emmys: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Leads In Early Nominations

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is starting to reveal nominees for its landmark 50th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, starting with multiple categories announced on Tuesday night via entertainment shows “Extra,” “Access Hollywood” and “Entertainment Tonight.” Via the categories announced so far, CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” — also in the middle of its 50th anniversary celebration — has taken an early lead in nominations, with six total (including drama series). The rest of this year’s nominations will be announced on Wednesday morning. This year’s main Daytime Emmys telecast will air live June 16 on CBS and Paramount+. It’s part of a new two-year telecast deal that the academy has set with CBS. (The Daytime Emmys Lifestyle & Creative Arts Ceremony will take place the next day, on June 17.)

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Issa Rae and Lily Tomlin to be Honored at Peabody Awards; Jessica Williams Named Host

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Issa Rae will be honored with the Peabody Trailblazer Award, while Lily Tomlin will receive the org’s Career Achievement Award, as the Peabody Awards celebrates this year’s kudos on June 11 in Los Angeles. Also announced on Thursday, “Shrinking” star and “The Daily Show” alum Jessica Williams has signed on to host this year’s ceremony. “Beyond our annual awards recognizing the most compelling stories, Peabody is dedicated to recognizing individuals that inspire and delight us,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Lily Tomlin has made so many people laugh over the decades with her remarkable talent, and Issa Rae has proven herself a profound entertainment storyteller, performer, and force for good. We’re thrilled to recognize Issa and Lily for not only their extraordinary contributions to storytelling, but also for their important role and place for women in comedy and entertainment.”

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Apple TV+ Cancels ‘Dear Edward’ After Just One Season

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Dear Edward” is now dearly departed. The Apple TV+ drama will not move forward with a second season, Variety has confirmed. Executive producer Jason Katims is now set up at Imagine TV, but “Dear Edward” came from his deal with Apple Studios, which produced the show. Written, showrun and executive produced by Katims, the 10-episode “Dear Edward” was adapted from author Ann Napolitano’s novel about a 12-year-old boy who is the only survivor of a commercial plane crash. Newcomer Colin O’Brien played Edward, while “Dear Edward” was also notable for its reunion between Katims and his “Friday Night Lights” star Connie Britton, who played a woman whose husband was killed on the plane. Taylor Schilling also starred as Edward’s aunt, who takes custody of the boy after he loses his parents and brother to the crash.

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Walden Media Hires Benjamin Tappan as President of Production; Naia Cucukov Signs First-Look Producer Deal (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Former Epix exec Benjamin Tappan has joined Walden Media as president of production, overseeing the shingle’s TV and film development, as well as production. Tappan’s hire comes as Walden Media also looks to broaden its programming mix. Tappan will report to Walden Media president and CEO Frank Smith, who announced the hire on Tuesday. “Ben’s vast experience as both a production executive and talent representative along with his great track record of making popular and critically praised content make him uniquely suited for leading our creative team,” Smith said in a statement. “We greatly look forward to his leadership and contributions as we build the Walden Media of the future.”

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‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘Severance’ Among Peabody Award Nominees

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Abbott Elementary,” “Better Call Saul,” “Severance,” “Mo,” “Reservation Dogs” and “We’re Here” are among the entertainment nominees as the Peabody Awards’ board of jurors revealed 42 nominees for this year’s Peabodys in entertainment, arts, children’s/youth, podcast/radio, interactive & immersive, and public service. They join the 27 news and documentary nominees announced by Peabody earlier this week. According to Peabody, the total of 69 nominees were culled from a list of 1,200 entries in those various categories; the final nods were chosen by a unanimous vote of 17 jurors. PBS led all total nominees with 13, followed by HBO Max (6), Apple TV+ (4), Disney+ and FX (3 each), and ABC, Channel 4, Netflix, and Vice (2 each).

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DirecTV Adds Environmental Channel EarthxTV to Lineup as Earth Day Approaches (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Just in time for Earth Day, DirecTV has sealed a deal to add the environmental lifestyle channel EarthxTV to its lineup. EarthxTV will be added to the mix for DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-verse customers starting Saturday, April 15. This marks the widest distribution deal to date for EarthxTV. “EarthxTV is a great addition to bring to our DirecTV entertainment lineup in this week leading up to Earth Day, and we look forward to offering the service for years to come,” said DirecTV chief content officer Rob Thun in a statement. “We’re proud to engage with organizations that help benefit our environment and offer support to their grassroots efforts in the communities where our employees live and work.”

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‘The Masked Singer’ Reveals Identities of the Lamp and Dandelion: Here’s Who They Are

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the Season 9, episode 9 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired April 12 on Fox. It was “Masked Singer in Space Night,” but “The Masked Singer” could have also been celebrating “’90s Night.” That’s because the two celebrities unmasked on Wednesday’s episodes were both TV stars from that era: Melissa Joan Hart (of “Clarissa Explains It All” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” fame) and Alicia Witt (“Cybill,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus”). Hart was revealed to be Lamp, while Witt was Dandelion. Witt had won the previous week as Dandelion, but her journey ended here. For Dandelion, panelist Ken Jeong guessed Witt right. Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Milla Jovovich. Robin Thicke went with Sara Bareilles and Nicole Scherzinger named Zooey Deschanel.

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Fox Orders ‘Stars on Mars’ Reality Show, With William Shatner Pitting Celebrities Against Each Other in a Space Simulation

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Fox has ordered the reality series “Stars on Mars,” a new celebrity unscripted series featuring “Star Trek” star William Shatner in a host-like role. The series, set to air this summer, will follow stars as they are suited up to live in a colony set up to simulate what it might be like to be an astronaut on Mars. “Stars on Mars” premieres on Monday, June 5, at 8 p.m. on Fox. The show comes from Fremantle’s Eureka Productions. The idea centers on the celebrity contestants competing in the Mars-like surroundings until there is just one “celebronaut” left standing. Shatner will deliver tasks to the celebs as “Mission Control.” “The moment I heard the pitch for ‘Stars on Mars,’ I knew a show this bold, this big and this outlandish simply belonged on Fox,” said Fox unscripted programming president Allison Wallach in a statement. “Watching celebrities take giant leaps out of their comfort zone and step into the unexpected will no doubt be truly transformational and comical. Throughout, we will learn a lot about these stars, and when you factor in William Shatner leading the charge from Mission Control, we have the makings of a show that’s ready for blast off.”

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PBS Leads as Peabody Announces 27 Nominees for Documentary and News Honors

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large PBS landed eight nominations, the most of any outlet, as Peabody Awards Board of Jurors announced this year’s 27 nominees for its documentary and news categories. Among PBS series, “Frontline” landed four noms, the most of any program. Peabody Award nominees are “selected to represent the most compelling and empowering stories released in 2022 across broadcasting and streaming media,” the org said. Nominations are chosen by a unanimous vote of 17 jurors from over 1,200 entries from television, podcasts/radio and the web in entertainment, news, documentary, arts, children’s/youth, public service and multimedia programming. Additional nominations in categories including entertainment, arts, children’s/youth, podcast/radio, interactive & immersive, and public service will be announced on Thursday, April 13. The 83rd annual Peabody Awards will announce winners on May 9, followed by a celebratory ceremony on Sunday, June 11 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

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Sports Emmys: ‘NFL 360,’ 2022 Winter Olympics and ESPN Lead This Year’s Nominations

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large NFL Network’s “NFL 360” and NBC’s coverage of the XXIV Olympic Winter Games led the nomination pack, at ten each, for this year’s 44th annual Sports Emmy Awards. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the ceremony, which takes place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall on Monday, May 22. Previously announced: Bryant Gumbel will receive the lifetime achievement award for his role in sports journalism. “Today we honor these esteemed nominees and celebrate those who bring the thrill of competitive sports into our lives on a daily basis,” said Adam Sharp, president & CEO, NATAS. “We are excited by the extraordinary quality of this year’s submissions and equally excited by the opportunity to honor this year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree, Bryant Gumbel, celebrating his more than five decades of sports broadcasting excellence.”

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‘NCIS’: How Kurt Yaeger Became the First Actor to Appear as Different Characters in All Four Editions

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large When “NCIS: Hawai’i” airs tonight, it will quietly make a bit of franchise history — via guest star Kurt Yaeger. The episode will complete Yaeger’s full sweep of all four “NCIS” editions, which is believed to be the first time that an actor has appeared on every version (“NCIS,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “NCIS: New Orleans” and “NCIS: Hawai’i”) in completely different roles. “Given how long these franchises have been in existence, there will inevitably be some crossover with actors,” said CBS talent and casting exec VP Claudia Lyon. “We don’t have statistics on how often that happens, but I wouldn’t be surprised. There are many actors out there who do one or two of them. But what makes Kurt unique is that he’s done all four.”

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Amazon Reveals Marketing Partnerships to Promote Final Season of ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Pastrami-infused martinis, pink and white cookies and a “Maisel Tov” hot dog are on the menu as Amazon Prime Video has partnered with several different brands to help promote the final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” And it’s not just food partnerships. Companies ranging from Pantone to Saks Fifth Avenue are part of an ambitious marketing campaign tied to the April 14 premiere of “Maisel” Season 5. Activities that day include the series’ cast, along with exec producers Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino, ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as a mile-long “takeover” of Fifth Avenue in New York from 46th Street to 56th Street and a 4 p.m. ‘60s-themed fitness class at the TWA Hotel at JFK airport.

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Warner Bros. at 100: Studio Was Early Entrant into TV Production

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large In the 1950s, the motion picture industry wanted nothing to do with the young medium of television — but Jack Warner soon realized that was a losing battle. Warner Bros. was among the first to dive into TV production, when ABC approached the studio about acquiring a theatrical film package. But instead of just running films on TV, the result was “Warner Bros. Presents,” an umbrella series that debuted in 1955 and comprised programs based on existing intellectual property including “Casablanca” and “Cheyenne.” The success of “Cheyenne” ush- ered the era of the Western to televi- sion, as Warner Bros. (initially under Warner’s son-in-law, William T. Orr) brought a movie studio approach to the small screen. “There’s a spirit of independence and innovation that’s so much a part of the legacy of the studio,” says Warner Bros. TV chairman Channing Dungey. Other early Warner Bros. TV hits included “Maverick” and crime dramas such as “Hawaiian Eye” and “77 Sunset Strip.” That legacy continued with “The F.B.I.” and in the 1970s, sitcoms like “Alice” and “Wel- come Back, Kotter,” the Lynda Car- ter-led genre hit “Wonder Woman,” actioner “The Dukes of Hazzard” and the landmark miniseries “Roots.”

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‘The Masked Singer’ Reveals Identity of the Doll: Here’s Who It Is

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the Season 9, episode 8 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired April 5 on Fox. We’re not gonna take it. No, we ain’t gonna take it. Dee Snider’s not gonna be on “The Masked Singer”… anymore! That’s right, the Twisted Sister frontman was the next celebrity to be revealed on Wednesday’s edition of “The Masked Singer,” as the Doll. Snider had won the previous week as Doll, but his journey ended here. For Doll, no one got it right. Panelist Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Iggy Pop. Robin Thicke went with Gene Simmons, Nicole Scherzinger named David Lee Roth and Ken Jeong guessed Austin Butler.

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‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘The Last of Us’ Lead MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023 Nominations

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Stranger Things” and “The Last of Us” led all nominees as the MTV Movie & TV Awards announced this year’s nominations for the upcoming 2023 awards show. Also earning noms this year were first-timers the Cocaine Bear, from “Cocaine Bear,” and creepy murder doll “M3GAN” from “M3GAN.” The MTV Movie & TV Awards returns to Santa Monica’s Barker Hanger for a live telecast on May 7 at 8 p.m. ET. Drew Barrymore, also nominated for an MTV Movie & TV Award this year, will host. This year’s awards show includes 26 gender-neutral categories. Fans can vote on the show from now until April 17 at 6 p.m. ET.

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‘Today Show’ to Receive Peabody’s Institutional Award

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large NBC’s “Today Show” has earned an Institutional Award from Peabody, the org announced Wednesday. The 71-year-old morning news program was selected by the Peabody Board of Jurors for this year’s honor, which “recognizes institutions and organizations, as well as series and programs, for their enduring body of work and their iconic impact on both the media landscape and the public imagination.” “For nearly three quarters of a century, ‘Today’ has been a morning staple for millions of Americans and a consistent cultural touchstone for deeply moving human stories, groundbreaking news, and daily joy,” Peabody executive director Jeffrey Jones said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to recognize the program, not only for their decades of stellar reporting and storytelling, but also for their undeniable impact on culture and an informed public.”

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‘The Masked Singer’ Happy Meal Launches Today at McDonald’s (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Fox has partnered with McDonald’s to launch a “The Masked Singer”-themed Happy Meal at stores starting April 4. Dubbed the ‘Masknificent’ Happy Meal, the item will feature one of 12 plush toys inspired by one of the “Masked Singer” costumes that have been showcased over the series’ nine season. Kids (or adults who — shhh — can order a Happy Meal too) will also finding a guessing game to play before discovering which character is in the box. Each toy will be in opaque wrapping with a special clue as to which character is hiding within. The game, of course, mimics the unmasking seen on “The Masked Singer.” Characters from seasons past that will be included are T-Rex, Peacock, Thingamajig, Miss Teddy, White Tiger, Space Bunny and others. (One toy per box.) The Happy Meal boxes will also include a scannable code that directs customers to a ‘Masknificent’ AR experience in which they can use their phones or tablets to design their own “Masked Singer” stage featuring filters and music. Through the experience, their plush toy will take part in a virtual concert.

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‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ Will End Its Run With Three More Carpool Karaokes and a Segment with the Kardashians

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “The Late Late Show with James Corden” only has 12 episodes left before the show ends its run at the end of April — and they’re making it count. For the next three weeks, there will be one “Carpool Karaoke” segment per week, plus one final “Crosswalk the Musical” segment. Corden will also participate in a “Take a Break” segment featuring the Kardashian family. The news was revealed Sunday evening on stage at “The Late Late Show with James Corden” panel at the PaleyFest LA. Held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the event included Corden, exec producer Ben Winston and exec producer Rob Crabbe. Also on stage: Reggie Watts and the “Late Late Show” Band, who kicked off the night.

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Taraji P. Henson to Join ‘Abbott Elementary’ in Major Guest Star Role (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Abbott Elementary” will finally reveal Janine’s mother on the ABC comedy’s April 12 episode, and even though it’s April Fool’s Day, we’re not (Cookie) Lyon: It’s “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson, who will play Vanetta on the hit comedy series. The casting of Henson was revealed Saturday at the Paley Center for Media’s annual PaleyFest LA event, where an “Abbott Elementary” panel featured stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Wiliams and William Stanford Davis in person, as well as Janelle James and Chris Perfetti via Zoom from New York. Pre-taping a message was star and executive producer Quinta Brunson, who wasn’t able to attend — as she’s hosting tonight’s installment of “Saturday Night Live.”

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Pedro Pascal Added to PaleyFest LA, Which Kicks Off Friday With ‘The Mandalorian’

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Pedro Pascal and Katee Sackhoff are among the additional names who will appear at this year’s PaleyFest LA, which kicks off on Friday night with a panel and screening devoted to Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.” The Paley Center for Media’s 40th annual PaleyFest LA takes place this year between Friday, March 31, through Tuesday, April 4, and features seven current TV series representing a wide variety of genres: Disney+’s “The Mandalorian,” ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’ “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” and Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The PaleyFest will mark the end of “Late Late Show” and “Maisel” during those respective panels.