Morgan Freeman is expanding his celebrated career beyond film and television with a deeply personal project rooted in the music of his Mississippi childhood. The 89-year-old actor narrated and produced “Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience,” a 12-track album tracing approximately 100 years of blues history. The Oscar winner’s latest venture is not simply a celebrity experiment with a different medium. Freeman has maintained a lifelong connection to blues music and is a co-owner of the Ground Zero Blues Club in Mississippi.

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Freeman’s interest in the blues began long before he became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable performers. “I heard the blues for the first time on my grandmother’s porch in the Mississippi Delta, and it has never left me,” Freeman said in a statement obtained by Rolling Stone. That early memory became the foundation for an album featuring musicians Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ and Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, along with the Chineke! Orchestra.

The collection opens with Taj Mahal performing a cover of “Death Letter Blues,” which Delta blues musician Son House originally recorded in 1965. “Having Taj Mahal kick off this album with a cover of Son House’s classic Death Letter Blues strikes the perfect tone for the introduction of this album,” Freeman explained.

The cover was released on Juneteenth, a decision that Freeman emphasized held historical importance. He said the timing “is not just symbolic, it is the truth of where this music comes from and who made it. I hope people listen and remember.” Other songs featured on the album include “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” and “Cadillac Assembly Line.”

The Actor Explains Why The Blues Remains So Powerful

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During an appearance on “CBS Mornings,” Freeman described the blues as a musical form created from fundamental human experiences. “The blues. It’s come from the most basic, visceral expression of humanity,” he said. “It comes from a field holler. African Americans, those people whose closer connected to the origins in Africa, they have their own way of working and it’s a rhythm thing.”

Freeman previously discussed that connection during the 2025 Chautauqua Lecture Series, recalling how the music surrounded him while he was growing up. “I was raised primarily in Mississippi with a few excursions outside, but the best of my growing up was spent in Mississippi in the Delta, Greenwood, Mississippi, to be exact,” he said.

For Freeman, blues music was not something he consciously discovered or decided to study. It was already embedded in the environment around him. “My association with the blues is really not an association at all,” the “Million Dollar Baby” star explained. “It’s just there in the air. You start hearing it at a very young age, because there are a lot of guys going around plucking on guitars and singing sad songs.”

He added, “The blues has this beginning with African Americans because working in the fields, they had a work holler, as it were.”

‘Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience’ Heads On Tour

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“Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience” was released through Decca Records on Friday, August 7. The album is scheduled to become available for streaming and digital download on August 14. Its release is also being supported by a limited three-date concert run.

The tour began in Houston on August 7, the same day the physical album was released. It will continue with a performance in Memphis on September 26, then travel to Gulfport, Mississippi, on October 17. The final stop brings the project back to Freeman’s home state, reinforcing the personal and geographical connection at the heart of the album.

Morgan Freeman Is No Stranger To The Music Industry

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Although the symphonic blues collection represents a significant expansion of Freeman’s work in music, it is not his first appearance on a recording. The actor was featured on B.o.B.’s 2012 track “Bombs Away.” He later brought his distinctive voice to Metro Boomin and 21 Savage’s 2020 album “Savage Mode II,” on which he served as a narrator.

His new project gives him a considerably larger creative role, allowing him to help shape an entire collection around the history and evolution of a genre that has followed him throughout his life. The album also connects naturally to Freeman’s involvement with Ground Zero Blues Club. Located in Mississippi, the venue reflects his ongoing effort to support and celebrate blues music beyond his work in Hollywood.

The Oscar Winner Is Still Busy On Screen

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Freeman has not abandoned acting while pursuing his latest musical endeavor.

He recently returned as Edwin Mullins in the third season of Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ spy thriller “Lioness,” which premiered August 2.

The series also stars Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman and Michael Kelly.

A picture book has no room to hide as compared to a normal children’s book. That’s because a picture book has only a few pages to win a child’s attention, calm a fear, create a rhythm, make an image unforgettable, and leave enough space for the adult reading aloud to feel something too. The greatest ones do not talk down to children. They trust them with hunger, loneliness, mischief, routine, danger, imagination, comfort, and wonder.

The reason a children’s picture book qualifies to be better than others is because it doesn’t talk down to them and trusts them with hunger, loneliness, mischief, comfort, and wonder. That is why these ten books on this list have lasted.

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‘Corduroy’ (1968)

Image via Viking Press

A small bear in a department store should not be able to break your heart this efficiently, but Don Freeman gives Corduroy a loneliness that children understand immediately. Corduroy wants a home, and Lisa wants him even when her mother points out that he is missing a button. That detail is the whole emotional key. Children know what it feels like to be judged by a flaw adults can see too quickly.

The nighttime search through the store is gentle adventure at its best. Corduroy mistakes an escalator for a mountain, pulls at a mattress button, gets returned to the shelf, and still never loses his quiet hope. Lisa coming back with her own money makes the ending feel earned rather than sentimental. She does not buy perfection. She chooses him, then fixes the button herself. The book lasts because it turns being loved into something concrete enough for a child to see: someone comes back for you.

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‘Madeline’ (1939)

Image via Viking Press

Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline has a rhythm children remember before they understand why it works. Twelve little girls move through Paris in two straight lines, and Madeline is the smallest one with the least interest in behaving small. She faces tigers, walks with confidence, and becomes most memorable when an emergency sends her to the hospital.

The book’s genius is its combination of order and disruption. Miss Clavel, the boarding school, the routines, the meals, the walks, and the matching beds give young readers structure. Madeline’s personality keeps poking holes in that structure without destroying it. The appendicitis plot is oddly perfect for a picture book because the hospital becomes scary, then exciting, then almost desirable once Madeline receives attention and gifts. Bemelmans’ Paris feels loose and alive, with yellow skies, crooked lines, and just enough elegance to make the whole book feel personal rather than polished. Madeline is brave, funny, dramatic, and impossible to replace.

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‘The Cat in the Hat’ (1957)

Image via Random House

Dr. Seuss did not just write a funny book. He changed the basic energy of early reading. The Cat in the Hat takes a rainy day, two bored children, a nervous fish, and one wildly irresponsible visitor, then turns reading practice into controlled chaos. The simple vocabulary never feels simple-minded because the rhymes keep moving, the situations keep escalating, and the Cat keeps testing how much disorder the room can survive.

The real brilliance is how well the book understands temptation. The children know something is wrong, the fish keeps saying what every anxious child already knows, and the Cat keeps making trouble look entertaining enough to ignore the consequences. Thing One and Thing Two push the mess into full disaster, then the cleanup comes with that perfect final unease: should the children tell their mother? That question gives the book its little sting. It is funny, readable, disobedient, and still one of the sharpest stories ever written about what happens when fun enters the house without permission.

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‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ (1955)

Image via Harper & Brothers

Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon is one of the cleanest celebrations of imagination ever put into a picture book. Harold does not need a huge cast, a detailed world, or elaborate explanations. He has a purple crayon, a blank space, and the confidence to draw the world as he moves through it. That premise gives children a very specific kind of power: the page changes because Harold decides it should.

The book is wonderful because Harold’s imagination includes problem-solving, not just fantasy. He draws a moon to walk under, a path to follow, a forest with only one tree, a dragon that scares him, water when he falls, a boat when he needs one, and eventually the window and bed that return him to safety. The drawings are spare, but they never feel empty. Johnson understands that children often create stories by correcting their own problems as they go. Harold is not escaping the real world as much as learning how to make one he can manage.

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‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ (1969)

Image via World Publishing Company

Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar is almost unfair in how many child-friendly pleasures it combines. Counting, days of the week, food, color, holes in the pages, transformation, repetition, and one very committed caterpillar all work together without the book ever feeling crowded. It is playful enough for toddlers, satisfying enough for early readers, and visually clear enough that children can follow the story before they know every word.

The food parade is the part everyone remembers, and it works because the appetite keeps becoming funnier and more recognizable. The caterpillar eats fruit in order, then bursts into cake, ice cream, pickles, cheese, salami, pie, sausage, cupcakes, and watermelon. Children understand that kind of want. They also understand the stomachache. Then the book turns toward growth with beautiful simplicity: leaf, cocoon, butterfly. The ending has endured because it makes change feel natural instead of frightening. A creature eats, rests, and becomes something new. For very young children, that is practically a complete life lesson.

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‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ (1902)

Image via Frederick Warne & Co.

Beatrix Potter knew children well enough to make The Tale of Peter Rabbit naughty without making him fake. Peter is told not to go into Mr. McGregor’s garden, and of course that is exactly where he goes. The pleasure of the book comes from how quickly disobedience turns exciting, then frightening, then exhausting. Peter is not punished through a lecture. The garden itself becomes the consequence.

The details are what make the story last. Peter loses his shoes and jacket, hides in a watering can, sneezes at the worst possible time, and barely escapes under the gate. Potter’s illustrations keep the animals delicate and charming, but the danger is real. Mr. McGregor is not a cartoon obstacle to Peter. He is a man with a rake who would absolutely put a rabbit in a pie. That edge matters. Children are allowed to enjoy the thrill of breaking a rule while also feeling the relief of getting home. Peter ends the story sick and tired, while his sisters get bread, milk, and blackberries. No speech could improve that ending.

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‘Make Way for Ducklings’ (1941)

Image via The Viking Press

Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings is gentle, but it has real civic drama inside it. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard search Boston for a safe place to raise their ducklings, finally settling near the Public Garden. Once the ducklings hatch, Mrs. Mallard has to lead Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack through the city, and the whole human world has to pause long enough to let this small family pass.

That is the beauty of it. The book treats the ducklings’ journey with complete seriousness. Streets, traffic, policemen, sidewalks, and public spaces become part of a child’s understanding of how a city works. McCloskey’s brown-toned illustrations give Boston weight and warmth, while the repetition of the ducklings’ names makes the family feel both comic and beloved. There is no villain, no big lesson, no forced drama. The story’s deepest comfort is its belief that a community can notice vulnerability and make room for it. That is a powerful thing to give a child.

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‘The Snowy Day’ (1962)

Image via Viking Press

Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day is quiet in a way that still feels revolutionary. Peter wakes up to snow, puts on his red snowsuit, and steps outside into a world that has changed overnight. The story follows his small discoveries: footprints, snowballs, angels, sliding, watching older boys, saving a snowball in his pocket, and learning that some wonders cannot be kept the way he wants to keep them.

The book’s historical importance is enormous because Peter gave Black children a central place in a mainstream American picture book at a time when that was shamefully rare. Yet the book endures because it is not only important; it is beautiful and emotionally exact. Keats captures the privacy of childhood exploration. Peter is not performing cuteness for adults. He is thinking, noticing, trying things, feeling disappointment, and going out again the next day. The red snowsuit against the white streets remains one of children’s literature’s great visual choices. The book respects a child’s ordinary morning as something worthy of art.

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‘Goodnight Moon’ (1947)

Image via Harper & Brothers

Almost nothing happens in Goodnight Moon, which is why everything works. Margaret Wise Brown takes a green room, a little rabbit, familiar objects, and a slow ritual of saying goodnight, then creates one of the most effective bedtime books ever written. The language does not push children toward sleep by force. It lowers the room’s energy object by object.

Clement Hurd’s illustrations are strange, warm, and slightly dreamlike without becoming confusing. The room gets darker. The colors settle. The repeated goodnights move from visible things to quieter presences: clocks, socks, mittens, stars, air, noises. That widening and softening is the whole emotional design. A child delays sleep by naming the world, and the book kindly allows that delay until the world feels safe enough to leave for the night. Its greatness is easy to underestimate because it is so simple. But simplicity this effective is rare. Goodnight Moon understands bedtime as separation, reassurance, rhythm, and surrender.

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‘Where the Wild Things Are’ (1963)

Image via Harper & Row

Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are sits at No. 1 because it understands childhood anger better than almost any book ever written for children. Max misbehaves, talks back, gets sent to his room without supper, and then his private fury becomes a journey to the land of the Wild Things. The fantasy is emotion given shape, sound, teeth, and room to move.

What makes the book perfect is that Sendak never shames Max for having big feelings. The Wild Things are frightening and funny, but Max becomes their king because his own wildness belongs there for a while. The famous wild rumpus gives children something most books deny them: the right to feel enormous, unreasonable, loud, and powerful. Then Max becomes lonely. That turn is everything. He chooses home, not because imagination has failed, but because love is still waiting beyond anger. His supper is there, still hot. No picture book ending is more emotionally complete. The child was angry. The child left. The child returned. The love remained.

Roommates, it looks like Ari Fletcher might’ve been in a tussle that led to a hand injury. She teased the fight on social media late Saturday (August 8), before promising to circle back with details. In the meantime, fans have been dropping theories in the comment section, especially following her viral club outing with Moneybagg Yo.

RELATED: Whew! Fans Drop Theories After Moneybagg Yo Seemingly Kicks Someone Out Of VIP Section While With Ari Fletcher (VIDEO)

Ari Fletcher Claims She Knocked Someone’s Teeth Out

As mentioned, the beauty entrepreneur posted the photo on Instagram Stories. It shows her seemingly sitting or lying in bed, but the only visible body parts are her wrist and hand. She is wearing a black brace, while her French manicure appears to be intact. In small white text, she wrote: “Fractured my hand knocking teeth out. We will chat about it later.” It’s unclear which hand is injured and when Ari plans to circle back to fans with details of the alleged fight.

Moneybagg Yo Goes Viral For VIP Section Boot

Ari Fletcher’s hand injury comes within the same weekend that Moneybagg Yo went viral for a video of him seemingly kicking someone out of his VIP section inside a nightclub. It’s unclear what led to the boot or who exactly needed to go! However, the clip shows him waving someone off with one hand before putting his sunglasses on. When Ari realizes what’s going down, she looks up at him with a smile before mouthing a message to someone off-camera.

Social Media Reacts To Ari’s Alleged Hand Injury

After The Shade Room reposted the photo message, more than 1,600 reactions poured in within 10 hours. Some reactions included theories about what might have happened, including speculation that the incident involved Moneybagg Yo. Others questioned whether the alleged tussle was captured on camera and asked her to share details ASAP. A few questioned whether Ari’s post was real or if she was trolling her fans. So far, she hasn’t offered clarity on the alleged incident.

Her former friend, Tuson, left a GIF of a man saying, “I don’t believe you.” 

@dominiquechinn commented, “I’m shocked nobody caught it on camera.” 

@r0832t wrote, “Fractured hand but nails remain manicured….never mind, it’s time for bed.” 

“Speedy recovery knuckles ❤️,” @charliexbaltimore said.

“Oh girl plz 😂 she always talking about some fighting and we never ever see it.. cmon now Ariana hang it up,” @ayoooashbash commented.

@cali4ornia.916 said, “This her second lil ‘scuffle’ must be a sisterwife over there 👀😂” 

@eboney1224 weighed in, “😂 so she found out the girl escorted out the VIP section was actuality invited by Moneybagg 😂😂😂😂 but just came at the wrong time 😂😂😂😂.” 

“Now who you did this too I’ll believe it when I see it 😂,” @mayadagoattt wrote.

“Nah come back… chat now while I care. 🥹,” @geishalee added.

@_badaxxcreole commented, “Girl chat about it now while the kids sleep.” 

“If u knock out teeth your knuckles are scratched, swollen and bruised. Thats why you use your elbow instead!!! Trust me I know!!! This ain’t it Ma Ma!!! 😂😂😂,” @aboutfacemakeup_1 said.

@nikaababy24 said, “Never seen someone have so many ‘fights’ n not a single recording from nobody 😂.” 

“Oh girl plz 😂 she always talking about some fighting and we never ever see it.. cmon now Ariana hang it up,” @ayooooashbash added.

@_lovejenee weighed in, “Fractured hand but nails still intact? Lol somebody’s lying.” 

“Hmphhh. Look like a carpal tunnel surgery because them metacarpals would have been wrapped sis but what do I know. I’m just a surgical tech lol,”  @4lexb08 commented.

@sashasimone_ said, “She troll y’all so bad lmao.” 

@thnkucomagain wrote, “She got into a fight with the guy who calls himself Money Bags?” 

RELATED: Ari Fletcher Spills Tea On Wedding Plans With Moneybagg Yo As Fans Zoom In On Her Icy Ring (VIDEO)

Roommates, things are heating UP on the ‘R&B’ tour! Usher isn’t just giving fans the VIP treatment — he’s showing some special guests some too. DreamDoll joined the singer onstage during a recent stop on his tour with Chris Brown, and chileeee, things got a lil SPICY. So spicy that fans are waiting for Dream’s streamer boo, Pudgie, to enter the chat!

RELATED: Messy Boots? Queen Naija’s Ex Chris Sails Shoots His Shot At DreamDoll After Clarence Chills In Her Dorm (VIDEOS)

DreamDoll Got Up Close & Personal With Usher & The Internet Had ONE Question

DreamDoll surprised fans when she popped out onstage with Usher during a recent stop at the ‘R&B’ tour. The rapper appeared on a bed while Usher serenaded her, but chile, things quickly went from cute to SPICY! The moment reached another level when Usher picked her up, and just as he laid her back dowm, the stage went completely dark. Fans in the crowed screamed over the steamy moment, but once the video hit the internet, folks immediately started saying, “Pudgie won’t like this AT ALL!” Peep the video of Dream and Usher here.

Folks online have fallen in love with DreamDoll and Pudge’s collaborations, as they regularly link up for streams. They first connected at Streamer University, and plenty of their moments together have gone viral. Pudgie has also made it clear that he doesn’t play about his Dream Tails. He hasn’t reacted to Dream’s performance with Usher just  yet, but fans are patiently waiting for him to clock the moment.

Social Media Immediately Started Calling For Pudgie After Dream Popped Out With Usher

Once The Shade Room dropped the steamy video of DreamDoll and Usher, the comment section went UP! Plenty of Roomies immediately said somebody better go check on Pudgie.

Instagram user @sheluvsjaay wrote, ‘Don’t let Pudgie see this he don’t play about his dream tails 😂😂” 

Instagram user @___ambitious.dream___ wrote, “Somebody check on my boy Pudgie😔😂” 

While Instagram user @totallyti_ wrote, “Pudgie ain’t even gotta go through that phone no mo this will do😭😭” 

Then Instagram user @jcw_xoxo wrote, “Pudgie it’s just ‘content.’ She love you fr.” 

Another Instagram user @luvclyhn wrote, “I’m calling Pudgie rn!!!🤣” 

Instagram user @krypto9095 wrote, “Pudgie fighting the air right now.” 

Then another instagram user @vinceismissin wrote, “Usher on pudgie hit list 😂😂” 

While another Instagram user @sosasbqckk wrote, “Pudgie ain’t gon like this 😐😂” 

Finally, Instagram user @crazyceeee wrote, “Pudgie gon FLIP😂😂😂😂😂” 

Dream & Pudgie Are Giving Biggie & Faith Evens 2.0

Pudgie and DreamDoll are quickly becoming two of the internet’s favorite streamers, and chile, their videos stay taking over social media. Fans have even started comparing the duo to a new-age Faith Evens and Biggie Smalls, so Dream decided to have a lil’ fun with the comparison. She recently dropped a video on Instagram where she and Pudgie channeled the duo, with Dream putting her own spin on ‘One More Chance’ by adding her own lyrics. Meanwhile, Pudgie pretended to be Biggie while the track played in the background. Peep the video below.

RELATED: What’s Tea?! Shedeur Sanders Reacts After DreamDoll Name-Drops Him & Dad Deion Sanders In New Song (WATCH) 

Liam Payne reportedly accumulated a $550 alcohol bill on the final day of his life despite receiving a written warning from a psychiatrist about mixing alcohol with his prescription medications. The newly obtained documents add heartbreaking context to the former One Direction singer’s longstanding struggle with substance abuse, which he had discussed publicly years before his fatal fall from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony.

Payne previously admitted that isolation, sudden fame and the pressures of touring contributed to his dependence on “pills and booze.” He also confessed that he was uncertain how far his personal “rock bottom” might go.

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According to documents obtained by the Daily Mail, Payne’s psychiatrist had warned him not to consume alcohol while taking his prescribed medications. Despite that warning, the singer reportedly amassed a $550 bill for alcohol at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel on October 16, 2024.

Witnesses previously claimed hotel employees delivered bottles of alcohol to Payne’s room during his final hours. Two women who spent part of the day with him alleged that he ordered champagne for them and two bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky for himself.

The newly disclosed total offers a clearer picture of how much alcohol was reportedly ordered while Payne was also using prescription medication and cocaine. Toxicology testing later found traces of alcohol, cocaine, benzodiazepine, crack cocaine, and “pink cocaine,” which is a mixture of methamphetamine, MDMA, and ketamine.

Liam Payne Worried About Finding His ‘Rock Bottom’

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Payne had spoken openly about his substance-use struggles during a 2021 appearance on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast. “I was worried [about] how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it,” he told the host. “I don’t even know if I’ve hit it yet.”

During the interview, Payne acknowledged struggling with “pills and booze” and experiencing “moments of suicidal ideation” at the height of One Direction’s success. Although the group’s international fame created extraordinary opportunities, Payne said the effort to manage the band’s enormous popularity often left its members isolated in hotel rooms.

“In the band… the best way to secure us, because of how big we’d got, was just to lock us in our rooms. What’s in the room? A mini-bar,” he recalled.

Payne said he responded to that isolation by drinking alone. “So at a certain point I thought, I’m just going to have a party-for-one and that seemed to carry on for many years of my life,” he explained. “Then you look back at how long you’ve been drinking and you’re like, ‘Jesus Christ, that’s a long time.’”

Lonely Hotel Rooms ‘Really F-cked’ The Singer Up

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Payne described feeling “trapped” in “lonely hotel rooms” while touring with One Direction. The experience “really f-cked me up,” he admitted. “There were points where it was toxic and difficult. Don’t get me wrong, we had the best time ever, but… you don’t realize you have a choice at that point.”

His comments became especially haunting after he died alone at a hotel while reportedly under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and prescription medication.

Payne was only a teenager when One Direction formed on “The X Factor.” The group’s rapid rise exposed him to international fame before he had fully matured. “I still feel like a child in so many ways. There is no link between money and happiness. It is a myth. Money is the ability to relax on certain things,” he said.

Payne also admitted feeling relieved when One Direction began its hiatus because he feared continuing at the same pace would destroy him. “The day the band ended, I was like, ‘Thank the Lord.’ I know a lot of people are going to be mad at me for saying that, but I needed to stop or it would kill me,” he said.

Liam Payne Experienced Several Public Warning Signs

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In 2014, while still a member of One Direction, Payne alarmed fans after a photograph showed him standing on the ledge of an apartment building in East London. The image was shared by one of his friends, and Payne subsequently apologized.

Years later, he appeared to be intoxicated during a controversial June 2022 appearance on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast. Payne later revealed that he had undergone treatment and was working toward sobriety.

In May 2023, Payne offered an encouraging update after spending time in rehab. “I’m sober now, over 100 days. I feel amazing, I feel really, really good and the support from the fans has been really, really good, so I’m super happy,” he said at the time.

However, the newly obtained documents suggest that Payne had returned to heavy substance use before his death the following year.

Three Manslaughter Charges Were Dismissed

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Payne died after falling from the balcony of room 310 at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel. Five people were initially charged in connection with Payne’s death in December 2024.

His friend Roger Nores, receptionist Esteban Grassi and hotel manager Gilda Martin faced manslaughter charges. Those charges were dismissed in February 2025 after an appellate court found insufficient evidence of criminal negligence.

Hotel employee Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz still face allegations that they supplied Payne with cocaine.

Pereyra is accused of selling the singer cocaine on October 15 and 16, while Paiz allegedly sold him cocaine twice on October 14. The allegations against both men have not yet been proven in court.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For confidential substance-use treatment referrals, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Fox’s fall TV season is jam-packed with hits shows returning with more episodes.

Best Medicine is coming back for season 2 on Tuesday, September 21. The show follows a doctor who moves from Boston to a small practice in the East Coast fishing village where he vacationed as a child.

In addition to Josh Charles, the cast includes Josh Segarra, Abigail Spencer, Cree Cicchino, Annie Potts, Didi Conn, Clea Lewis, Stephen Spinella, Jason Veasey, Cindy De La Cruz, John DiMaggio, Carter Shimp and dog Wattson.

“The way that [executive producer] Liz Tuccillo has structured the show, every episode we have a great star come on and they get to do something delightful — and maybe something you’ve never seen them do before,” Spencer exclusively told Us in January 2026. “I would say what I particularly loved about the show was that it is a great opportunity for some of our more seasoned actors in the community.”

Related: TV Shows Ending in 2026: See the Complete List

From The Bear to Outlander to Outer Banks, TV fans are gearing up to say goodbye to their favorite shows in 2026. Outer Banks, which debuted in 2020, follows the conflict between two groups of teenagers in a coastal North Carolina town. The social divide is introduced with the wealthy residents (a.k.a. the Kooks) and […]

She continued: “There’s a lot of roles across ages where I’m like, ‘God, we could get so many great actors to come.’ I loved that.”

On the reality TV front, Special Forces is back and as star-studded as ever. Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville will join Jon & Kate Plus 8 alum Collin Gosselin and Selling Sunset’s Bre Tiesi in Malaysia in hopes of completing demanding training exercises led by an elite team of ex-special forces operatives.

Actress Candace Cameron Bure, former politician George Santos and actor Oliver Hudson are some of the other stars who will also roll up their sleeves as they are tested physically, mentally and emotionally.

Keep scrolling for a full schedule for Fox shows airing in the fall:

Friday, September 4
Fox College Football Friday at 8 p.m. on Fox

Monday, September 21
Celebrity Name That Tune at 8 p.m. on Fox
Celebrity Weakest Link at 9 p.m. on Fox

Tuesday, September 22
Best Medicine at 8 p.m. on Fox
Doc at 9 p.m. on Fox

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Wednesday, September 23
The Floor at 8 p.m. on Fox
99 to Beat at 9 p.m. on Fox

Thursday, September 24
Hell’s Kitchen at 8 p.m. on Fox
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test at 9 p.m. on Fox

Sunday, September 27
NFL on Fox at 7 p.m. on Fox
The OT / Fox Animation Encores at 7:30 p.m. on Fox
The Simpsons at 8 p.m. on Fox
Animal Control at 8:30 p.m. on Fox
Universal Basic Guys at 9 p.m. on Fox
Grimsburg at 9:30 p.m. on Fox

If you’re looking for something that explores the paranormal with the same earnestness of the early seasons of Supernatural, but the intensity of a modern crime thriller like Hannibal, then there’s no better procedural to jump into than the aptly titled Evil. Although the program originally aired on CBS, it moved to Paramount+ for its next three seasons, as the Catholic Church assessors from different backgrounds and convictions investigate potential hauntings, miracles, and possessions. Evil is one of the more inventive shows to air on network television in recent years.

‘Evil’ Is an Innovative Take on the Exploration of Miracles and Demonic Possession

What happens when you stick a true believer, a skeptic, and an agnostic looking for a better explanation all together? Often, as you’d expect, folks come to different conclusions — and that’s precisely what made Evil so creatively engaging. As skeptical forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) and atheist technical expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) are paired up with priest-in-training David Acosta (Mike Colter), the trio are tossed into a web of conspiracies and strange phenomena that, on the surface, appear to be unexplainable. Of course, that’s the whole point. The assessors’ entire job is to ensure that whatever new case they are working is not something that needs to be dealt with by the church itself (such as an exorcism), and that’s where the conflict begins. What begins as an intelligent network procedural that finds new and creative ways to explain away the supernatural quickly turns into a streaming series completely enveloped in the demonic world.

For four seasons, Evil fought to find the balance between faith and reason, recognizing at times that these perspectives can often be more linked than one might expect. The more the series — created by Robert and Michelle King — leaned into the otherworldly, offering a glimpse at other perspectives, like that of Sister Andrea (played by the endlessly talented Andrea Martin, who deserves her own spin-off) and Kristen’s mother and four daughters, the more we’re hooked on the entire premise. And that’s not to mention how detailed and disturbing each new demon is from the next. This isn’t exactly the type of CBS-to-Paramount+ drama you’d expect from the folks behind The Good Wife and The Good Fight, but its ability to command one’s attention and consider all possibilities is undeniable.

‘Evil’ Got More Outlandish The Longer It Aired — but That’s What Made It Work

Evil struck an interesting balance between critiquing and defending the Catholic Church, offering both perspectives through the eyes of its leading cast members. This is, of course, not to say that Evil is a series that promotes religion exactly, but more that it uses belief as a tool to funnel interesting conversations about the relationship between science and faith, fact and theory, material and spiritual. One can debate the effectiveness of each episode in this regard (and the show could sometimes be quite disturbing), but it never wavered in its ability to speak to the psychology behind those who have faith and those who don’t. There simply has never been another show quite like it.

Across all 50 episodes, Evil knew how to both mesmerize and terrify its audience. From the CBS-based first season that weaned us into this strange world to the truly out-of-the-box final season that, at times, almost felt like a different show, Evil rarely pulled its punches. It’s no wonder that the King of Horror himself, Stephen King, was a heavy proponent of the series, even calling for a fifth season after its cancellation. While the horror program ended on its own terms, there’s no doubt that it could have gone on for a while longer. For those who have yet to enter the bizarre world of Evil, a great episode to start with is “S is for Silence,” the Season 2 classic that many still consider among the show’s very best — and a perfect one to revisit for fans of the series.

Evil is available for streaming on Paramount+.

Spy movies have always been some level of popular, but it feels like that particular genre had an especially good run throughout the 1960s. The Cold War probably had something to do with that, because there weren’t soldiers fighting in the traditional way, but there were fears about agents, spies, and other espionage-related people operating within all that Cold War conflict behind the scenes.

So, spy movies were a way to explore things that were interesting to people at the time, and either show things happening behind the scenes, so to speak, or make espionage-related things more exciting and cinematic… maybe even a bit escapist, too. There are a particularly large number of great spy movies from the 1960s, including the ones below (though it should also be noted that plenty of good spy movies have been made on either side of this decade, too).

10

‘Thunderball’ (1966)

Image via MGM

To take things out of order a bit here, here’s Thunderball, which was the fourth James Bond movie overall, and the fourth with Sean Connery. As far as the 1960s went, he did appear in one more, in 1967, called You Only Live Twice, but the other four are all a little stronger, so they’re going here. Yes, spoilers, for the rest of the ranking. Thunderball and some of its older brothers are all going to appear.

The shark isn’t fully jumped in Thunderball, but things do get a little silly at times, and there are sharks involved, with Thunderball being identifiable as the “very aquatic,” or maybe the particularly tropical, Sean Connery James Bond movie. It does what all the early James Bond movies do. It’s got the good and the bad, and an unembarrassed willingness to keep to that good old formula.

9

‘Funeral in Berlin’ (1966)

Image via Paramount Pictures

One of the first big leading roles for Michael Caine came in 1965, with The Ipcress File. In contrast to someone like 007, the protagonist in the movie, Harry Palmer, found himself wrapped up in more grounded and less explosive espionage-related stories. The Ipcress File marked the first time Caine played Palmer, but it was a role he returned to surprisingly often; four more times, to be exact.

Of those sequels to The Ipcress File, the best is probably Funeral in Berlin, which was released one year after its predecessor. It’s a very direct spy movie, and the kind that probably won’t surprise too many people (especially anyone familiar with the genre)… but it gives Caine another opportunity to shine in one of his best early roles, and at least contains enough style and narrative intrigue to be a more than solid viewing experience.

8

‘Dr. No’ (1962)

Beginning what would become an immensely long-running film series in style, Dr. No was the first time movie audiences ever got to see James Bond, and perhaps the first time many were introduced to Sean Connery as an actor. It’s not an instance where the first film was the very best in the series, but Dr. No is still very good for its time, an admirable start to the series, and one of the better (albeit not the greatest) 007 films Connery starred in.

The titular character is the villain Bond goes up against here, with his evil plan involving the destruction of the U.S. space program. Many staples of the series that would become beloved as the years went on got their start here in Dr. No, and Connery himself was instantly magnetic in the role he seemed born to play… though there were so many movies of his post-Dr. No that showed he was much more than just James Bond (see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Man Who Would Be King, and The Untouchables).

7

‘The Ipcress File’ (1965)

Image via Rank Film Distributors

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Michael Caine never played the most well-known of all cinematic British spies (you know, that guy who was in the previously mentioned Thunderball and Dr. No), but he did portray Harry Palmer, who’s a character you might know if you really like spy novels and/or movies. Caine played Palmer a total of five times, but the first movie in what became a series, The Ipcress File, is the best of the bunch.

It’s also a more low-key sort of spy story, compared to that other one whose first movies came out in the 1960s, and came to redefine what spies were, in pop culture. But if you’re willing to have a bit more of a slow-burn kind of thing, and a spy film that emphasizes thrills and suspense over action, then The Ipcress File satisfies, with Caine being especially good here (and probably the main reason to watch this one).

6

‘From Russia With Love’ (1963)

Image via United Artists

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For anyone who thought 1962’s Dr. No was a good, though not great, 007 film, 1963 thankfully saw the release of its largely improved sequel, From Russia with Love. It’s another entertaining blast of thrills, adventuring, and action, all following everyone’s favorite charismatic spy who can get out of seemingly any situation, no matter how dangerous, with both the series and the main character feeling more confident in their shared second cinematic outing.

The organization of SPECTRE takes center stage in From Russia with Love, leading Bond on another high-risk mission where the eventually revealed villains prove even more deadly than anyone he’d faced before. It’s got some of the minor flaws and uncomfortable moments one has to grit their teeth and deal with when it comes to early James Bond, but as far as action movies that are over six decades old go, From Russia with Love is a largely impressive and entertaining one. If you want to complain about certain things aging, sure, but the movie is just aged, like, objectively. 1963 was a long time ago.

5

‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (1962)

Image via United Artists

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1962 was even longer ago, than 1963. Not by much, but still. Here, you’ve got a murky, bleak, and anxiety-inducing movie about some very bad people doing very bad things, The Manchurian Candidate is the kind of classic that’s remained feeling paranoid across decades now. The plot concerns Korean War veterans, and the strange things that happen to one in particular after he returns home, with certain nightmares and events potentially suggesting he might be the victim of brainwashing.

He’s intended to be a vital part of a vast conspiracy, basically made into an unwilling spy/assassin of sorts, or so he comes to fear. To put it mildly, The Manchurian Candidate is extremely intense and psychologically dizzying, and it does a scarily good job at putting you in the mind of its disoriented and hopeless main character… and some other characters, too, considering the psychological torment and brainwashing doesn’t just stop with him. And maybe it goes without saying, but The Manchurian Candidate is not really concerned with action, since it’s more of a dark psychological drama (with some thriller elements, too).

4

‘Charade’ (1963)

Image via Universal Pictures

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Released in a pretty strong year for cinema, Charade is one of the most Hitchcockian films not actually directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Also, yes, like with Mr. Bond, some of Hitchcock’s spy movies will get mentioned here, but not just yet. For now, Charade deserves some praise, especially because it’s a genuinely great comedy – and has a perfect lead actor pairing in Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn – on top of being a fun spy thriller.

In the film, Grant and Hepburn play characters who fall for each other, but then get swept up in a madcap series of events involving dangerous associates of the latter’s dead husband. The pair kind of have to become isolated and amateur sleuths to get to the bottom of whatever’s going on, and everything becomes worth questioning, since everyone’s hard to read. Charade is almost farcical, but not to the point where the thrills get undermined, nor to the point where it genuinely feels like an all-out parody of the spy genre, so it’s an exceptionally well-balanced film, all things considered.

3

‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)

Image via MGM

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The first time George Lazenby played James Bond also happened to be the final time, and he is, to date, the only actor in the official Eon Films series to play 007 just once. Thankfully, though, the one he appeared in was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which is a high point of the entire series, and – for better or worse – is often the cool person’s pick for the crown of “Best James Bond Movie.”

Like, Christopher Nolan is a pretty cool person, right? Well, this one’s his favorite James Bond movie, so that’s something. It is a very good film, and one that was able to go into slightly darker and more tragic territory than James Bond movies had up until that point. In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond was still cool and capable, but he also felt more vulnerable and human, and that adds to the drama of this film immensely, as does the action, which was a little grittier and more intense than had been seen in the series before.

2

‘Army of Shadows’ (1969)

Image via Valoria Films

Set during World War II, Army of Shadows concerns a resistance fighter/agent who gets betrayed by someone and subsequently locked up. After he escapes, he sets about trying to get revenge on whoever gave him up, but then that leads to further conflict, even more so than most people are dealing with at a time in history when the whole world was at war and all. But he plunges into a whole web of people and connections that can’t ever really be exited from.

While Army of Shadows is complex, and it wants to unpack quite a bit thematically, it also works well as a thriller, and has a constant sort of reserved suspense throughout. Army of Shadows also looks fantastic, with muted colors adding a lot by way of atmosphere, furthering the sense that things are dark and hopeless, and that conflict/violence might well be eternal, regardless of how proficient you are, as an agent, or a spy, or a person fighting for what you believe is right. It’s a miserable watch, but in a good way, or at least the right way. And it is tonally quite different from the other spy movies being mentioned here, with more despair (and a greater emphasis on realism) than you might find in the 007 films.

1

‘Goldfinger’ (1964)

Image via MGM

The third of all the James Bond movies, Goldfinger, might well remain the very best of the bunch, and that’s saying a lot, considering how many films there are in this decades-spanning series. It’s the best one that stars Sean Connery (though not his only great outing in the lead role), and since Connery was the first and perhaps most iconic big-screen 007, then you kind of have to consider Goldfinger top spot-worthy.

Narratively, it’s not too dissimilar to what you’d expect from most 007 movies, with Bond having to do his usual spy thing in an effort to prevent an ambitious criminal from pulling off a massive heist, with such an operation intended to destabilize the world economy. After Dr. No was good, and From Russia with Love was great, Goldfinger represented another step up in quality, and it feels like classic James Bond in every sense. All the ingredients fell into their right place, and the series never really looked back after this.

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Goldfinger

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Release Date

September 20, 1964

Runtime

110 minutes

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Director

Guy Hamilton

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Writers

Paul Dehn, Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Berkely Mather

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Never-before-seen photographs are providing a closer look at Liam Payne’s final hours inside the Buenos Aires hotel where he died. The new images reportedly show the former One Direction singer drinking, moving through the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, and interacting with two women before his fatal fall on October 16, 2024. Payne was 31 when he fell from the balcony of his third-floor room.

The photographs are among more than 3,000 documents and images obtained from the police investigation by the Daily Mail.

One newly surfaced photograph reportedly shows Payne swinging around a pole inside the hotel on the night before his death. The materials also include photographs of Payne’s damaged room, where the television screen had been broken. Images reportedly show hotel workers delivering alcohol and capture Payne moving throughout the property as his condition deteriorated.

New Photos Capture Liam Payne Meeting Two Key Witnesses

Other images allegedly capture employees delivering alcohol to his room and Payne meeting two sex workers in the lobby. The women, identified in witness statements as Aldana Serrano and Lucila Goitea, reportedly arrived at the CasaSur Palermo at approximately 11:30 a.m. after Payne contacted Serrano through an escort website. The hotel collected their identification before allowing them to enter room 310, making it possible for investigators to locate and question them quickly after Payne’s death.

Serrano recalled that communicating with Payne was challenging because of the language barrier. “He was alone in his room. He greeted us warmly and I asked him for payment. We tried to communicate, but it was difficult because he only spoke English and I only Spanish,” she said.

Witnesses Claim The Singer Requested Cocaine

Inside Liam Payne hotel before his fall: drugs, powders, liquor bottles, squalor and more. Some new footage and photos from his fateful night were released. He sang for his escorts and requested crack at one point. pic.twitter.com/PQLDOsdR4N

— Theresa Longo Fans (@BarkJack_) August 9, 2026

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The women reportedly told investigators that Payne sang for them and shared music he had been developing. Their statements also included allegations about his substance use. They claimed that Payne asked for help obtaining cocaine and discussed making crack.

According to the women, Payne ordered champagne for them and two bottles of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky for himself. Goitea alleged that she observed him handling an unidentified substance alongside pieces of tinfoil.

She also described the hotel room as being in severe disorder, with clothing and suspected drug paraphernalia spread across the space. “It was a mess. There was tinfoil everywhere with traces of drugs. A drawer was full of it, there was more burned tinfoil on the couch… a lot of clothes thrown around… he smelled of alcohol,” she said.

Her account appears consistent with the newly released photographs of Payne’s room, which show a broken television screen, scattered papers and overturned furniture.

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Toxicology Testing Confirmed Drugs And Alcohol

Toxicology testing later confirmed that Payne had consumed alcohol, cocaine and prescription medication before his death. Clonazepam, the medication sold under the brand name Klonopin, was also discovered among the items in his room.

An initial autopsy concluded that Payne died from the traumatic injuries caused by the fall. Investigators found no evidence of a physical altercation and determined that he was alone at the time. The Associated Press reported that prosecutors believed he may have fallen while in a state of “semi or total unconsciousness.”

Hotel Workers Carried Liam Payne Back To His Room

Surveillance images obtained earlier reportedly showed three hotel employees carrying Payne from the lobby back to room 310 shortly before his death. Although he appeared impaired, Payne was reportedly conscious and holding his head upright while being carried. He had been standing in the lobby only minutes earlier.

When employees reached the room, Payne allegedly resisted being placed inside. Staff nevertheless used a master key to enter and left him in the room. According to a police report, they also removed a mirror from the hallway outside, apparently out of concern that it could be damaged.

A hotel employee then contacted emergency services and expressed fear that Payne could hurt himself because the room had a balcony. “I don’t know whether his life may be in danger. He is in a room with a balcony, and, well, we’re a little afraid …” the employee said during the call. Payne fell shortly afterward.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or experiencing a crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For confidential substance-use treatment referrals, contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

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