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Matt James Speaks Out on ‘Bachelor’ Controversies

February 23, 2021

Photo: ABC

While on-screen Monday night the pivotal ‘hometowns” episode aired on ABC, ‘The Bachelor’ himself, Matt James , took to social media prior to the episode to address the recent franchise missteps that include those involving current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell and host, Chris Harrison.

Over the past few weeks, photos of Kirkconnell had surfaced with Rachael at an Antebellum-themed party, and accusations that she had “liked” racist posts on social media, while Harrison put his foot in his mouth during an interview with the former ‘Bachelorette’, Rachel Lindsay, while trying to give Kirkconnell some benefit of a doubt in this time of ‘cancel culture’ as he states, while Lindsay found her actions indefensible.

Photo: ABC

Since that time, Harrison has stepped away from the show, but after last night’s ‘hometowns’, Kirkconnek is still vying for the final rose. Of course, James had no knowledge of the photos of Kirkconnell at the time of the filming of his historic season of The Bachelor where he became the first Black male lead in the franchise.

In a statement on his Instagram, Matt broke his silence on the latest controversies surrounding the reality-dating franchise, expressing: “The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life, and while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly disappointing photos of Rachael Kirkconnell and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and Chris Harrison. The reality is that I’m learning about these situations in real-time, and it has been devastating and heartbreaking, to put it bluntly.”

Matt goes on to say, “Chris’s failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch. It was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that the Bachelor franchise has fallen short on addressing adequately for years. This moment has sparked critical conversations and reporting, raised important questions and resulted in inspiring displays of solidarity from The Bachelor nation. It has also pushed me to reevaluate and process what my experience on The Bachelor represents, not just for me, but for all of the contestants of color, especially the Black contestants of this season and seasons past, and for you, the viewers at home.

“The Bachelor closed with, I will continue to process this experience and you will hear from me at the end. My greatest prayer is that this is an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the better.”

Photo: ABC

So what did you think about the sentiments expressed by Matt? Did you watch last night’s ‘hometowns’ where Serena P decided she was ‘just not there yet’ and exited the series leaving Matt somewhat heartbroken? Who do you think will get the final rose now from the remaining women: Michelle, Bri and Rachael? Comment below.

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Lori Loughlin To Make Holiday Movie For Great American Family

February 7, 2023

Lori Loughlin (Ex-EON and Full House) will be making a holiday movie for Great American Family. Look for production to start later this year.

The announcement of the upcoming Christas pic follows on the heels of Loughlin’s Fall Into Winter which dropped on January 28th on GAF.

The movie marked Lori’s first romantic comedy screen appearance since serving time in 2020 for her part in the college admissions scandal. She returned to acting after her prison time, and after being let go by the Hallmark Channel in When Hope Calls which was a spinoff of When Calls the Heart.

Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media had previously shared: “Lori is a genre-defining star that I have had the honor to call a close friend and collaborator for more than 15 years. We have a shared vision for creating meaningful and memorable movies that resonate with our passionate fans, and I look forward to welcoming her back to Great American Family to anchor our 2023 winter programming slate.”

So what do you think of a Lori Loughlin/Great American Family holiday film on the way for later in 2023? Comment below.

General Hospital

Marcus Coloma On His GH Exit: “I Don’t Know Why That Decision Was Made, But I Don’t Feel Any ill Will and I Didn’t Feel I Got Fired”

February 4, 2023

This week, GH fans saw Adam Huss returning to the ABC soap opera as Nikolas Cassadine to finish out the rest of the scenes originally intended to be played by Marcus Coloma who ended his three-year run on the show a tad early.

As has been previously reported, Coloma came down with Covid-19 as his final tape days neared, and a decision was made for him to not return to finish off his last run of episodes.

With all the rumors and stances taken by everyone involved, Coloma was the special guest on this week’s episode of the That’s Awesome Podcast hosted by Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson and discussed his departure from the long-running daytime drama series.

Marcus expressed that when he took the role on GH, he was excited to be in that kind of environment (working on a soap opera), and only signed on for three years. However, as time went by it became more difficult to reconcile leaving when his contract was up, sharing: “You fall in love with the crew and everybody along with it. So, two and a half years in, this decision that was so clear in the beginning is getting complicated.”

The actor added that while, “I knew the end was coming, it wasn’t like GH was saying, ‘Hey, Marcus, we want you to stay.’ There was no negotiation … and all I can say to that is I don’t know why that decision was made, but I don’t feel any ill will and I didn’t feel like I got fired. It just felt like … there was maybe an understanding that I was going to be there for three years. The big surprise is how much it hurt. Even though I knew I was going to leave.”

In the end, Coloma reflected that this may have concluded as it should, adding, “I really do have some big goals and those goals would have never been realized if I would have stayed. That’s not to take anything away from GH because I admire everything about it.”

Watch the episode of That’s Awesome featuring Coloma below.

Then weigh-in, what do you think of Marcus’ thoughts on his exit as GH’s Nikolas Cassadine? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

News

Sean Kanan’s ‘Studio City’ Scores 13 Indie Series Award Nominations

February 1, 2023

Nominations were revealed on Wednesday for the upcoming 13th annual Indie Series Awards. Sean Kanan’s streaming series, Studio City received 13 nominations in various categories.

Studio City’s nominations are fo: Best Drama Series, Sean Kanan, Michel Kanan, and Timothy Woodward, Jr., producers; Best Director in a Drama Series, Timothy Woodward, Jr.; Best Writing in a Drama Series, Michele Kanan, Sean Kanan and Timothy Woodward, Jr., writers; Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Sean Kanan; Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Carolyn Hennesy; Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Tristan Rogers and Justin Torkildsen; Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Natalie Burn and Juliet Vega; Guest Performer in a Drama Series, Lilly Melgar; Best Ensemble in a Drama Series, Outstanding Cinematography in a Drama Series, Pablo Diaz, and Outstanding Editing in a Drama Series, Fady Jeanbart.

Courtesy/Studio City

In a statement on Studio City’s 13 nods, Sean Kanan shared: “I am overwhelmed and thankful that our show, which I refer to as the little-engine that could series, has received such support from the Indie Series Awards. Our second season was a collaborative effort of creativity, love of our content, and hard work. We look forward to creating more entertaining series in the future.”

Studio City tells the dramatic and comedic story of Sam Stevens (played by Kanan), a long-time soap opera actor starring in the number two most-watched daytime drama, “Hearts on Fire” as he struggles to keep his top spot on the show, break out of soaps into feature films, and deal with his own complicated life which includes a few dark secrets concerning his past, including an aging step-father, the twisted truth of his paternity, and a daughter that he never knew existed. Season two consists of six episodes and is available on Amazon Prime.

For the complete list of this year’s Indie Series Award nominations, check them out here. The Indie Series Awards ceremony will be on Wednesday, April 12th in Burbank, California at The Colony Theatre in Burbank.

What do you think of the nominees from Studio City for the ISA Awards? Let us know in the comment section below.