The sudden death of Hayden Panettiere has reignited a painful conversation that Melissa Gilbert believes Hollywood can no longer avoid. 

The former child star is speaking out after three young actresses from the same generation died within a relatively short period, arguing that their deaths point to a much deeper problem within the entertainment industry. 

Drawing from her own experiences growing up in front of the cameras, Gilbert is now calling for serious reflection on how child performers are treated long after the spotlight fades.

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For Melissa Gilbert, the loss of Panettiere was not an isolated tragedy. It became part of a troubling pattern that has left her searching for answers.

In a Substack essay titled “Enough Is Enough,” the actress reflected on the deaths of Panettiere, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Daveigh Chase, noting that all three were former child performers who died far too young. 

“Within one year, Michelle Trachtenberg, Daveigh Chase and Hayden Panettiere have died,” Gilbert wrote, adding, “Three former female child actors of the same generation are gone. Tragically, heartbreakingly, agonizingly too soon.”

The losses hit especially hard because Gilbert saw herself in them. Having spent much of her childhood working in television, she said the deaths felt personal in a way that outsiders might not fully understand.

“They are gone and the question I have been turning over and over in my head is, ‘WHY?’ Why are these three sweet, wildly talented, vibrant, vital young women gone?” she continued.

Gilbert expanded that thought by pointing to a larger community of women who grew up in the industry, naming stars such as Brooke Shields, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, and Drew Barrymore among those who share similar experiences.

Gilbert Says Former Child Actors Share A Bond Few Others Understand

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According to Melissa Gilbert, former child performers belonged to what she described as a unique “tribe,” one bound together by experiences that often remain invisible to the public.

“We are all members of the same tribe; Female Former Child Performers, and when one of us dies, it runs through all of us like an electrical current,” she explained.

That feeling became even stronger after three deaths occurred so close together. Gilbert argued that the industry should not dismiss the situation as coincidence.

“When three of us die so close together, something is very, very wrong,” she wrote. 

The 62-year-old believed many former child stars carried similar emotional scars because they grew up navigating an environment that often prioritized production schedules and profits over their well-being. 

Gilbert argued that those who lived through it understood firsthand “how the entertainment industry uses, abuses, exploits and then throws away its youngest.”

While concerns about child stardom have existed for decades, Gilbert believed the problem had intensified in recent years. She suggested that modern technology may be making matters worse, citing the rise of smartphones and the constant public scrutiny they create.

Melissa Gilbert Reflects On Her Own Childhood Trauma In Hollywood

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Gilbert’s concerns were rooted not only in observation but also in her own life story.

The “Little House on the Prairie” star recalled how little emotional support was available to child actors during difficult moments. She described working through illness, injuries, and personal trauma because the expectation was always to keep going.

“I can’t tell you how many times I worked while horribly sick, injured or worse,” she wrote.

One memory continued to stand out decades later. Gilbert revealed that her father died when she was just 11, yet she returned to work only months afterward. What remained painful, she said, was the lack of acknowledgment from the adults around her.

“And not one single adult on that set discussed it with me or offered condolences,” Gilbert recalled. “I later found out that the fear was I would become too upset to work. I was eleven, my Daddy had just died and I was shattered.”

Looking back, she believed her character’s frequent emotional scenes became an unintended outlet for grief.

“Thank God my character cried in every single episode,” Gilbert wrote, further noting, “That, as twisted as it sounds, was my therapy. My release.”

Gilbert Addresses Netflix’s ‘Little House On The Prairie’ Reboot

While Melissa Gilbert’s recent essay focused on the lasting impact Hollywood can have on young performers, the actress has also revisited another defining chapter of her career in recent months. 

In July, Gilbert broke her silence on the “Little House on the Prairie” reboot, a project that sparked intense discussion among longtime fans of the beloved series. 

Having portrayed Laura Ingalls Wilder for nearly a decade, Gilbert explained that she had deliberately stayed silent because she questioned whether she could approach the subject objectively. 

“Honestly, I’m afraid that I am unable to be fully objective because I am too deeply involved to weigh in without emotion,” Gilbert wrote per Us Weekly, adding that she also felt it was not her “place to weigh in.” 

However, she said one issue had become impossible to ignore: the debate over whether either version of the series was historically accurate. Her answer was unequivocal, as she stated, “The short answer is no, neither are entirely accurate to the times nor the books.” 

Gilbert then pointed to specific differences, explaining that the real Laura Ingalls Wilder did not spend significant time in Independence, Kansas until she was 60, while the Ingalls family lived in Walnut Grove for only a short period. 

Rather than treating those inaccuracies as a reason to dismiss either adaptation, Gilbert urged viewers to recognize the creative choices involved. “My hope is that folks realize that these are all perfect examples of dramatic license,” she noted.

Melissa Gilbert Fires Back At ‘Woke’ Criticism Of ‘Little House On The Prairie’

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Weeks before Gilbert weighed in on the Netflix reboot itself, she found herself defending the legacy of the original “Little House on the Prairie.” 

As anticipation for the new series grew ahead of its July premiere, some commentators criticized Netflix for potentially taking the beloved franchise in a more politically progressive direction. 

Among the most prominent voices was Megyn Kelly, who questioned whether modern producers were attempting to reshape the beloved story to fit contemporary political and social values. 

Gilbert strongly disagreed with that characterization and argued that critics were overlooking what the original series actually represented. 

According to the actress, “Little House on the Prairie” addressed difficult social issues long before such topics became part of today’s cultural debates. 

Gilbert pointed out that the original show tackled subjects including racism, antisemitism, addiction, domestic violence, sexual assault, and discrimination. “Before people start throwing around words like ‘woke,’ they should probably watch the original series again,” she told Entertainment Weekly, emphasizing that confronting injustice was always part of the show’s DNA. 

Gilbert also noted that the series frequently explored prejudice and inequality through the experiences of the Ingalls family and the broader Walnut Grove community.

Dr. Dre has spent decades shaping the sound of hip-hop, producing the genre’s most celebrated and influential works. As artificial intelligence continues to spark debate across the entertainment industry, the legendary producer isn’t shying away from the technological shift. He is taking an open-minded approach and “embracing” AI as a tool, while suggesting that some people who oppose the technology may simply be afraid to learn something new.

The use of AI in music has sparked a heated debate, with critics raising concerns about originality, artists’ rights, and the potential for the technology to replace human creativity. Dr. Dre, who has collaborated with some of the biggest hip-hop artists, including Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and N.W.A., doesn’t see the technology as something to fear.

Longtime collaborators and business partners Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine share the same stance and are both pro-AI. In an interview with The New York Times, Iovine said that gifted people “make better records” with the aid of AI. However, he acknowledged that AI companies have “the worst public relations,” which results in pushback.

Dr. Dre, on the other hand, said he doesn’t see the technology as a threat, adding, “I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating.”

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Dr. Dre shared that he had discussions with people who oppose AI, comparing their resistance to those who once rejected drum machines and synthesizers when the technologies were first introduced.

“It’s a new tool for creativity. Some people are afraid of learning new things. I’m embracing it. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen with this,” he added.

The producer confirmed that he uses AI as part of his music-making process, but only to alter or build upon material that he has already created. “Yes, I’m using it. Again, as a tool to see what it would do with what I just did,” he emphasized.

Jimmy Iovine Claims There Are Many ‘Closet AI Producers’

Iovine, who also said he uses AI, revealed that many music producers make use of the technology in their work but don’t want that information to become public knowledge, referring to them as “closet AI producers.”

Dr. Dre agreed, saying, “That’s a good way to put it. They’re using it, they just don’t want to admit it.

Iovine and Dr. Dre aren’t the only iconic producers who have admitted to using A.I. Timbaland, who has collaborated with Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, and Justin Timberlake, among others, is also a supporter of A.I. and is actively involved with Suno, the controversial AI music creation platform.

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Timbaland partnered with the company in 2024 and said he spends several hours using the platform to rework existing beats from his library. “You still need that human element to operate this tool. It doesn’t replace anything. All it does is add to your arsenal,” he said, per Rolling Stone.

Dr. Dre Changed T.I.’s Mind About AI

Rapper T.I. said that he was “emphatically against” the use of AI in music, but has since changed his stance after having a conversation with Dr. Dre.

In a December 2025 episode of his podcast “expediTIously,” guest Dallas Austin asked T.I. about what he thought of AI in music. T.I. revealed that Dr. Dre told him he uses AI tools in his process and even sent him some of the work he did.

“He was like, ‘No, it’s still work. You still have to work, be talented, and have programming to do what you want it to do. It’s just an advantage’,” the iconic producer told him. Looking at it from Dr. Dre’s perspective, the rapper said he changed his mind about the technology, adding, “I kind of understood.”

AI Music Creation Platforms Are Facing Lawsuits

Is anyone paying attention to AI MUSIC ?

Suno just hit $300M ARR with 2M PAID users.

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they’re generating 7 MILLION songs per day.

that’s Spotify’s entire catalog
every 2 weeks 😭pic.twitter.com/ePbkhFIB5n

— shirish (@shiri_shh) March 29, 2026

The record label Round Hill Music is suing AI music creation platforms Suno and Anthropic over infringement. The music publishing company claims the AI platforms used thousands of copyrighted songs to train their systems to create AI-generated music.

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Round Hill Music alleges that Suno “built its entire model on copyright infringement” and said the damages could “exceed $1 billion,” as reported by Billboard. The record label’s CEO, Josh Gruss, noted that they are not against the use of AI. Rather, they are suing because the platforms have built businesses based on other people’s creative work.

Music industry giants Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group also filed lawsuits against Suno, and the cases are still ongoing.

Shaquille O’Neal may be best known as one of basketball’s all-time greats, but his talents have extended well beyond the court. After making a name for himself in the NBA, he ventured into acting, appearing in several films and TV projects. His first major starring role came in 1996, when he played the titular rapping genie in the family comedy film “Kazaam.”

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Shaquille O’Neal began acting professionally while in the middle of his NBA career, but it wasn’t until “Kazaam” that he nabbed a starring role.

The musical comedy centers on Kazaam, a 5,000-year-old rapping genie who was unintentionally freed from a boombox by a teen boy named Max. Kazaam must grant Max’s three wishes while helping him navigate his issues at home and helping him reconnect with his estranged father.

The movie received less-than-stellar reviews and currently holds a 5 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer.

Now, 30 years after the film’s release, O’Neal is addressing his critics, saying that the only ones who think “Kazaam” was a “terrible” movie are adults.

“First of all, you shouldn’t have been watching. It was for kids. But then I get young adults that say, ‘Yo, man, that was my favorite movie.’ So it’s what you call a cult classic,” he told PEOPLE.

‘Kazaam’ Director Stands By The Movie’s Idea

O’Neal appeared in the sixth installment of “Scary Movie,” and his cameo had something to do with his “Kazaam” character.

“Kazaam” co-writer and director Paul Michael Glaser said it was “nice” that the movie still resonated with audiences decades later, while acknowledging it could have turned out better.

Glaser shared that he was asked whether he had movie roles in mind for O’Neal, and that he developed the concept of a rapping genie. “At that time, Shaq fancied himself a rap musician, so I wrote it as a rap musical,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Despite harsh comments from critics, Glaser said, “I still believe that was a really good idea. I don’t think we executed it as well as we could have,” adding that regardless, he had a good time working with the NBA icon.

Shaquille O’Neal’s Other Leading Movie Role Also Failed To Impress

A year after “Kazaam,” O’Neal starred in the film “Steel,” in which he portrayed DC Comics superhero engineer John Henry Irons, known by his alter ego, Steel. Just like “Kazaam,” “Steel” failed to impress critics. The movie was also a box office flop, earning only $1.8 million globally.

Director Kenneth Johnson described it as a “frustrating situation,” telling Vice in 2017 that he wasn’t on board with casting O’Neal in the leading role from the beginning, but executives were convinced that it would be a success. “I mean Shaq is a nice guy but he had done two movies, neither of which made any money or noise,” Johnson said.

In 2022, O’Neal told the Austin American Statesman that he wanted to reboot “Steel.” “I did that movie right before the special effects took off… But if I never get a chance to redo that movie I’m definitely… Matter of fact, I’m going to redo ‘Steel’,” he claimed.

The Former Basketball Player Has Had Three Razzie Award Nominations

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The Golden Raspberry Awards, also called the Razzies, recognize the year’s most poorly received films and performances, celebrating Hollywood’s biggest misfires.

Not even entertainment’s biggest stars can escape the Razzies, and some of the winners include Sandra Bullock (Worst Actress for “All About Steve”), Halle Berry (Worst Actress for “Catwoman”), Ben Affleck (Worst Actor for “Daredevil,” “Gigli,” and “Paycheck”), and Al Pacino (Worst Supporting Actor for “Jack and Jill”), to mention a few.

O’Neal has had three nominations at the Razzies, being recognized for his performances in the movies “Steel,” “Blended,” and “Blue Chips” for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst New Star, respectively. Despite the dubious honor, the former athlete has yet to take home a Razzie.

Shaquille O’Neal Doesn’t Let His Acting Critics Get To Him

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O’Neal is well aware that not everyone has been impressed by his acting, but he doesn’t take critics’ opinions to heart.

He offered his response to detractors, jokingly telling them to check out his bank account. “I would give them my Bank of America account information,” O’Neal told Craig Melvin on the “Glass Half Full” podcast, and continued to reveal how much he was paid for each movie.

“‘Blended,’ thank you Adam Sandler. $3 million. ‘Blue Steel’ was about $6 million and ‘Kazaam’ was about 9 [million].”

O’Neal said he doesn’t care about critics. “Every now and then a person will walk by and say ‘Kazaam’ was my favorite movie. That’s all I need,” he added.

Soccer superstar Erling Haaland looks nearly unrecognizable thanks to his new ‘do.

“This beautiful blonde hair, time to let it go,” Haaland, 26, said in a Sunday, August 23, YouTube video. “I was thinking about doing this straight after the World Cup, but I was so busy so I didn’t do it. [The] season starts now, so it’s time to get a fresh start and everything.”

The Manchester City player then shared that he had received hair advice from former Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović, who also sported longer hair.

“The only thing is, Zlatan told me never cut your hair because your strength is in your hair. I’m a bit nervous,” he said. “I want [a] buzzcut, like I’ve been in the military.”

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Haaland then pulled out his phone to show inspiration pics, explaining that he might want a hair style that is “really short.”

“The vikings, they go short as well,” he said.

Haaland proceeded to sit down as his hair was split into several pony tails, which were then cut before going even shorter. In the middle of the styling, Haaland quipped, “I look like Kevin from Home Alone with this haircut.”

“I can’t wait for the fans to sing, ‘Who the f***ing hell is that?’” Haaland joked. “I want Man[chester] City fans to sing that tomorrow.”

Once Haaland was done getting his hair buzzed, his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen, walked into the room to see the new look.

Related: Patrick Mahomes Thinks He Looks ‘Way Better’ With New Haircut

Patrick Mahomes’ cropped haircut was a long time coming — and he’s happy with the results. “I’ve wanted to do it for a while, but it was kind of one of those superstitions [of] ‘I can’t win the Super Bowl,’” the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, 29, told sports reporter Rob Collins in a Wednesday, April […]

“Oh my god,” she said, as she placed her hands over her face. “It looks nice … I think you look really tough. I will wake up in the morning and I’ll be like, ‘Who’s that?’”

Haaland then showed his teammate Jack Grealish and Ibrahimović, who were surprised by his transformation.

“OK guys, that was it. Please let me know what you think about my new hairstyle. Should I [have any] regret? No. No, regrets. Never. But remember, the Vikings always cut it short,” Haaland told the camera, before giving a peace sign.

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Haaland also documented the process on his Instagram, sharing several photos of the stages of his hair trim.

“Short hair don’t care 😅✂️,” he captioned the upload, also adding in another Instagram video, “New season, new trim 💇🏼‍♂️😎.”

Haaland debuting his new haircut on social media comes the same day Manchester City kicked off their season against AFC Bournemouth and won their Sunday matchup 2-1.

Amal Clooney knows how to light up a room, and with this foundation stick, we’re one step closer to doing the same.

The human rights lawyer arrived at the King’s Trust International Awards with a lit-from-within radiance — even more than her baseline glow, which is saying a lot. The secret is Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Skin Tint, a favorite among women who want to look polished without looking painted.

Get the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Tint for $48 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

This Unreal Foundation Stick makes your skin appear luminous, dewy and impossibly fresh, whispering “I sleep eight hours a night” even when your calendar suggests otherwise. The ingredient list proves why.

Related: Top Makeup & Skincare Brands Are Selling Out During CVS‘ Fall Sale

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We get it: You burned through all of your hair, makeup, and skincare products this summer. Luckily, CVS’ Fall Epic Beauty Sale just started, and it means mega savings on everything needed to feel your best this fall. There’s never been a better time to grab essentials and wish-list items alike! As an ExtraCare member, […]

This dreamy formula features hyaluronic acid to hydrate, plant-powered collagen to firm and vitamin E to nourish, all while the sheer-to-light coverage works its blurring magic. One shopper put it perfectly: “It goes on like silk — creamy and smooth, but feels weightless on the skin. It gives me that ‘your skin but better’ finish.”

Another Amazon fan said it doubles as contour when you go a shade darker. They wrote, “It’s turned out to be an absolute dream for contouring. The formula is creamy, smooth, and effortlessly blendable, making it so easy to sculpt and define without ever looking harsh or heavy.”

Plus, the stick format is genuinely clever. It’s easy to carry between London flights and gala appearances, and equally seamless to build up when the flashbulbs demand it. You can swipe it on where you need it, then blend it with your finger. Done!

Whether she’s yachting in Lake Como or winning cases in the courtroom, Clooney’s skin always appears airbrushed. We’re convinced she uses this foundation stick beyond the awards ceremony.

Get the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Tint for $48 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more makeup here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

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If you’re bored with sneakers, you’re not alone. There’s a reason the streets of New York City, Los Angeles and London are overflowing with polished flats, which are a classy and equally versatile alternative. We found 13 luxe-looking pairs that deliver the comfort of sneakers, and seriously, you’ll wish you found them sooner. These timeless […]

Kyle Richards‘ eldest daughter, Farrah Aldjufrie, has confirmed the identity of her baby’s father.

“I don’t even know how to explain how excited I am,” Farrah’s younger sister Sophia Umansky said in a TikTok video shared via Farrah’s account on Sunday, August 23. “It’s a very exciting day.”

The video, which showed Sophia, 26, preparing for a gender reveal party, was captioned, “Zach Goldsmith and I are having a …,” confirming the mystery man with fans.

After Farrah, 37, sat beside Goldsmith while opening a basket to reveal blue flowers that confirmed the baby’s sex, the former Buying Beverly Hills costars squealed with joy. Surrounded by cheering loved ones including Richards, 57, and her ex Mauricio Umanksy, Goldsmith wrapped one tight arm around Farrah as she held onto his other. (Richards shares Farrah with her ex-husband, Guraish Aldjufrie, in addition to sharing Sophia, Alexia, 30, and Portia, 18, with Umansky, 56.)

Towards the end of the clip, Goldsmith, who works with Farrah at Umansky’s brokerage The Agency, was seen planting a kiss on her before holding her head in his hands for another long embrace.

Farrah, who had not publicly confirmed her romance with Goldsmith until now, revealed her pregnancy via a July 3 Instagram post that included a series of maternity photos. “My most exciting launch yet. Coming soon late November 2026,” she captioned the carousel. In the snaps, Farrah sported a white cropped top and jeans as she cradled her baby bump and held ultrasound imagery on her own.

In her new TikTok, just ahead of the baby’s gender reveal, Farrah shared her shock over the news during a conversation with Sophia. “I’m going to be the mom of a son or a daughter … mind blown. I just can’t believe this,” she told her sister.

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Sophia also provided details into the morning of the gender reveal event, telling fans that one of the siblings’ cousins was the only person to have learned of the news prior to Farrah and Goldsmith discovering it. “The gender results came in this morning and my cousin logged onto her [Farrah’s] portal,” Sophia said in the post. “She is the only one that knows the gender. My cousin is going to put together a little reveal situation. I got these little cat collars for Farrah’s kitty, Theo, for my cousin to put on whichever is the correct gender.”

Related: Kyle Richards’ Daughter Farrah Sparks Alex Manos Split Rumors: ‘No Ring?’

Kyle Richards’ eldest daughter, Farrah Aldjufrie, has sparked speculation that she and Alex Manos are over after the Buying Beverly Hills star was spotted without her engagement ring. Farrah, 34, shared photos from her family’s trip to Italy on Tuesday, August 22, geotagging La Conca del Sogno restaurant. In one picture, she could be seen […]

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While Goldsmith, who shares two sons with his ex Jennifer Hamilton-Goldsmith, has not yet posted on social media about Farrah’s pregnancy, Umansky and Richards shared Sophia’s clip via their Instagram Stories on Sunday night.

Goldsmith did, however, share an Instagram Story on Sunday night that had him affectionately teasing one of his sons. “Who else suffers from uncontrollable cuteness aggression?” he captioned the video before telling his son that he loved him and cradling his face.

In 2010, iconic horror author Stephen King recounted some of his top-10 favorite TV shows of the year for Entertainment Weekly. The first three choices were familiar, widely acclaimed titles, including Friday Night Lights, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad. But the fourth entry was a less well-known series that he singled out as something special, describing it as a blend between Lost and 24. Unlike those long-running, Emmy-winning shows, this one only lasted a single season on NBC. For a series with such a short lifespan, The Event packed an impressive amount of compelling story and action across its 22 episodes. The ensemble cast was filled with heavy hitters, and the plot twists were ambitious, driving a sprawling narrative that kept viewers guessing week to week. While its cancellation left audiences hanging, in hindsight, it feels like a show tailor-made for the binge-watch era.

‘The Event’ Was a Very Ambitious Network Drama on NBC

Premiering in the fall of 2010, The Event was billed as a sprawling ensemble thriller blending political conspiracy, science fiction, and interwoven character arcs. At the center of the story was Sean Walker, played by Jason Ritter, an everyman who becomes entangled in a global conspiracy after his girlfriend, Leila (Sarah Roemer), vanishes during their vacation. His desperate search soon collides with President Elias Martinez (Blair Underwood), who is grappling with the moral implications of a secret CIA prison in Alaska housing extraterrestrial beings who crashed on Earth in 1944.

The sci-fi element revolved around these detainees, who appeared to be human but were eventually revealed to be extraterrestrials. Their DNA differed from humans by less than 1%, and they aged at a much slower rate. While some were held in captivity, others, known as “the Sleepers,” had escaped and were secretly living among humans. This twist provided a rich narrative engine, constantly forcing viewers to question which characters might be otherworldly. The impressive cast also included Laura Innes, Željko Ivanek, Scott Patterson, and Clifton Collins Jr. With multiple timelines, shifting perspectives, and relentless cliffhangers, The Event quickly drew comparisons to Lost. The pilot alone set the tone by unfolding across three different timelines, which was ambitious, especially for a weekly broadcast series.

Its complex structure and frequent flashbacks likely confused many casual viewers, while scheduling delays during the 2010-2011 season further stalled its momentum. Ultimately, NBC cancelled the series after just 22 episodes, leaving countless questions unresolved. But with streaming now the dominant way audiences consume TV, it’s hard not to wonder whether The Event would have been a huge hit in a binge-watching era.

‘The Event’ Would Have Thrived on Streaming

Image via NBC

While The Event debuted at the tail end of the network boom for serialized sci-fi and thriller dramas, it may have arrived just a few years too soon. In 2010, TV still operated on a traditional broadcast model, with audiences expected to tune in weekly and keep track of shifting timelines and major interwoven storylines. For a show so reliant on sustained momentum and complex plotting, that was a tall order.

Other series from that period, like ABC’s FlashForward and V, faced similar fates, each lasting just one season despite big budgets and heavy promotion. It was nearly impossible to recreate the lightning in a bottle that Lost captured, but that didn’t stop networks from trying. Even Lost struggled at times to keep casual audiences engaged, but it benefited from being one of the only shows of its kind at a time when appointment TV and watercooler buzz still reigned supreme. The Event, by contrast, was competing in an increasingly crowded landscape with little room for error.

Yet in hindsight, it’s easy to see how The Event could have thrived if it premiered today. In the streaming era, when viewers can binge an entire season in a weekend, complex serialized stories don’t feel like homework. Series like Manifest and Designated Survivor, both of which found second lives on Netflix, proved that audiences are more willing than ever to immerse themselves in layered narratives if they’re able to take it all in at once, or at the very least, watch it at their own pace. Had The Event launched on a platform like Netflix, Hulu, or Apple TV+, it’s not hard to imagine it building a dedicated following that would keep the series alive for multiple seasons.

It’s Not Surprising That Stephen King Loved ‘The Event’

It makes perfect sense that Stephen King gravitated toward The Event. Much like his own work, especially sprawling ensemble pieces like The Stand or Under the Dome, the show balanced an ambitious mix of everyday characters caught in extraordinary circumstances. King has always been drawn to stories that blend high-stakes suspense with high-concept sci-fi elements, and The Event delivered exactly that. For an author who thrives on exploring how ordinary people react when the world tilts into the surreal, The Event was right in his wheelhouse.

It’s also easy to see why a master of suspense like King found himself captivated. In that same Entertainment Weekly column, he called The Event a “clever, suspenseful drama” and singled out Jason Ritter and Laura Innes for their standout performances. His praise highlighted exactly what made the show special, specifically that it borrowed the relentless urgency of 24 while adding the speculative mystery and emotional depth that made Lost a phenomenon.

If you’ve never checked out The Event, it’s worth giving it a shot — even knowing it only lasted a single season. Stephen King rarely gets it wrong when he champions a story, and he certainly didn’t here. Yes, you’ll be left with some cliffhangers, but the show itself pulled DNA from other shows and was original in its own right, making it a suspenseful character drama that still holds up. And still, it’s hard not to imagine an alternate timeline where The Event premiered on a streaming platform, found an audience ready to binge, and stuck around long enough to answer its biggest questions.

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2010 – 2011-00-00

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Nick Wauters

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There are loads of classic Western TV shows that have remained favorites for fans of the genre to this day, but no old-school series is cooler than Wanted Dead or Alive. Long before Taylor Sheridan helped turn the modern Western into one of television’s biggest genres again with shows like Yellowstone, Steve McQueen was already playing the kind of morally complicated, effortlessly cool cowboy audiences still gravitate toward today.

Yeah, Bonanza is great, and people definitely love Gunsmoke, but how do you get better than 94 episodes of McQueen taking in outlaws, helping out his fellow man, and just being a total badass? This series dropped the typical sentimental feel that so many Western shows come with, abandoned the idea of goodhearted, never-to-do-wrong cowboys, and gave us Josh Randall, a cold-hearted bounty hunter. This series does have its nice moments here and there, but by and large, Wanted Dead or Alive is a killer show with just about the coolest cowboy that the Western genre would know for quite some time.

If you’re tired of the same old hokey Western shows that have been around for decades now, then maybe it’s time you shook up your viewing habits and found a different program that isn’t always so nice. Maybe it’s time you fired up Wanted Dead or Alive! This series ran from 1958-1961 for only three seasons, but during that time period, it managed to chalk up 94 episodes (a time when seasons for every TV show were much larger). The show starred Steve McQueen in his first big role, made him the king of cool, and is the vehicle that he used to break into eventually becoming a movie star.

More than six decades later, Josh Randall’s hard-edged antihero still feels surprisingly modern, especially in an era where television Westerns have once again embraced complicated cowboys who don’t fit neatly into ideas of good and bad. If movies like Bullitt and The Great Escape are your jam, but you’ve never seen Wanted Dead or Alive, then it’s time to rethink your life as a McQueen fan and get going with the biggest body of work in his career — this show rocks!

‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ Is the Coolest Classic Western TV Show

Image via CBS

Steve McQueen leads Wanted Dead or Alive as Josh Randall, a veteran and bounty hunter who hunts both those who are truly “wanted dead or alive.” Yeah, shocker, but that’s what makes him so cool! That and the quiet, unsuspecting way he carries himself. Randall might be young, but he’s already seen enough stuff to be a bit of a grizzled drifter. Everywhere he goes, Randall remains a man of few words. He outlaws in without much thought — a job is a job. He’ll have words with folks occasionally, will sometimes start making friendships, and in episodes like “Journey for Josh,” he’ll even come close to having a relationship. If a natural parting of ways doesn’t distance Randall from others, then something tragic will come along and send him back on his lonesome. Wanted Dead or Alive isn’t the most action-packed Western TV show ever, but it is the coolest, and that entirely leans on McQueen’s performance.

That being said, Randall also intervenes with people’s personal conflicts, tries to help random down-and-out folks that he comes across, and does what he can to improve the lives of people around him in general. His often conflicting nature jumping between his easygoing, helpful personality and his emotionally distant, tough guy moments, makes him one of the most interesting protagonists in any Western TV show at the time. Not only that, the variety of missions that he takes on gives Wanted a lot more variety than most other programs that were airing in the late 50s and early 60s.

Most of the time, this show does make good on the promise that its title lays out. Viewers can typically expect episodes to follow Josh Randall as he’s looking for outlaws and gunslingers who are wanted dead or alive, with Randall either handcuffing these guys and taking them in or pumping them full of lead with his “Mare’s Leg,” his short-barrel Winchester rifle. He’s a seasoned cowboy who doesn’t like it when people get too close to him, but he also has a soft side. Randall doesn’t always go where the action is; there are actually moments where he just wants to be a helping hand. You can find some episodes following Randall as he goes to help dysfunctional families settle their problems, helps someone kick their alcoholism and find a better life, and even takes on an eight-cent assignment from a young boy — to bring in Santa Claus. Now that’s a tall order. Yes, Dead or Alive is the perfect show for folks looking to break out of the trappings of other Western shows from this period, but you still have to get a little sweet sometimes.

We Have ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ to Thank for Giving Us Steve McQueen

Image via CBS

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Wanted Dead or Alive came at a time when Western TV shows were all the rage. Everywhere you looked, you were sure to run into a Wagon Train or a Cheyenne, maybe even catch some Rawhide! That being said, no flooded marketplace could have ever kept Steve McQueen from breaking out into being one of the biggest movie stars of his time. McQueen’s performance as Josh Randall immediately caught the attention of the world around him, making the series a total hit. His antihero demeanor proved to make this show’s lead character popular, but it was a performance style that McQueen would continue to carry and eventually perfect in the coming years. While Wanted Dead or Alive was a huge deal for McQueen’s career, by no means was it the biggest moment in his stacked filmography.

Once the actor saw super-massive acclaim after appearing in The Magnificent Seven, it seemed as though his time in TV land was officially up. McQueen would return for another season after filming his first major movie, with the show even making changes to Josh Randall’s costume that made him look more like his Magnificent character. Once the third season finished airing, McQueen already had several movies lined up, including The Honeymoon Machine and Hell Is for Heroes. Once The Great Escape premiered, it was game over for small-screen producers. McQueen was a movie star.

Loads of Western TV shows have a hold on modern audiences still, but too many of those classics from the ’50s and ’60s feel the same. If you find yourself in this predicament, then Wanted Dead or Alive will be your ticket out. Even though it’ll often feel like a hard-as-nails bounty hunter procedural, dig through enough episodes, and you’ll find that Randall’s not as morally ambiguous as he originally seems. Still, McQueen will forever be unmatched, living on as the king of cool for the rest of movie history, and leaving his mark on the Western genre with Wanted Dead or Alive — the coolest classic Western TV show ever.

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Wanted: Dead or Alive

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Release Date

1958 – 1961-00-00

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Directors

Thomas Carr, George Blair, Harry Harris, Richard Donner, R.G. Springsteen, Arthur Hilton, Don McDougall, Frank McDonald

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Writers

Don Brinkley, Fred Freiberger, Samuel A. Peeples, Charles Beaumont, Frank D. Gilroy, Tom Gries, Robert Leslie Bellem

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  Steve McQueen

  Josh Randall

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  Kenneth Tobey

  Vince Slater

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  Richard Arlen

  Damon Ring, Sr.

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Meghan Markle quit acting ahead of her 2018 royal wedding to Prince Harry and before the pair relocated to the United States. Now that the couple are preparing to return to England, is an acting comeback in Meghan’s future?

After securing a handful of TV and film roles, Meghan notably starred as paralegal-turned-attorney Rachel Zane for seven seasons of USA Network’s Suits from 2011 to 2017. She left ahead of the final season before she married Harry the following year.

“I don’t see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change. It’s a new chapter,” Meghan told the BBC in November 2017 about her decision to walk away from Hollywood. “Also, keep in mind, I’ve been working on [Suits] for seven years. We were very, very fortunate to have that sort of longevity on a series.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ultimately stepped down from their official duties as senior working royals in 2020 in favor of a private life with their two children, relocating from England to California. News broke six years later in August 2026 that Harry and Meghan would return to the U.K. in time for kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to start school that fall semester.

Related: Meghan Markle Signs With Talent Agency WME: Will She Return to Acting?

Next chapter! Meghan Markle is making professional moves following her and Prince Harry‘s step back from the royal spotlight. “We are honored to announce that WME now represents Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex in all areas,” read a tweet shared via the talent agency’s account on Thursday, April 27, alongside a photo of the 41-year-old […]

Amid Harry and Meghan’s move, Us learned that the former actress was in early talks to star in season 3 of Guy Ritchie’s The Gentleman. Meghan also had a bit part in Close Personal Friends, which was filmed in 2025.

Keep scrolling to read Meghan’s candid comments about walking away from acting — and whether she would consider returning to Hollywood:

Ready for a Change

While speaking with the BBC in November 2017, Meghan felt ready to leave Suits behind.

“I’ve ticked this box, and I feel very proud of the work I’ve done there, and now it’s time to work with [Harry] as a team,” she told the outlet. “I think what’s been really exciting as we talk about the transition out of my career and into my role is the causes that are really important to me that I can focus even more energy on.”

She’s ‘Done’

Meghan claimed to Variety in 2022 that she didn’t see herself acting again.

“I’m done,” she said. “I guess never say never, but my intention is to absolutely not.”

Years later, Meghan launched her short-lived “Archetypes” and “Confessions of a Female Founder” podcasts. She also appeared as herself on Netflix’s With Love, Meghan, which ran for two seasons and highlighted the duchess’ love of DIY projects, cooking and gardening.

Would Meghan Markle Let Her Kids Follow in Her Acting Footsteps?

The As Ever founder supported the idea when speaking with Variety in 2022.

“I would say, ‘Great!’ When you become a parent, you genuinely want your kids to find the things that bring them complete joy,” Meghan said. “They’re our kids, obviously, and they’re part of a legacy and a tradition and a family that will have other expectations. I want them to be able to carve out their own path. If it’s the entertainment industry, great, and also, good luck. There are so many people that will talk about what opened the door for my children, but it still takes talent and a lot of grit. We’re creating multidimensional, interesting, kind, creative people. That’s who our kids are.”

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Speaking on Camera as Herself Felt Different

Two years after Harry and Meghan’s royal step-down, they sat down with director Liz Garbus for an eponymous Netflix docuseries.

“It’s nice to be able to trust someone with our story — a seasoned director whose work I’ve long admired — even if it means it may not be the way we would have told it,” Meghan told Variety in 2022. “That’s not why we’re telling it. We’re trusting our story to someone else, and that means it will go through their lens.”

She added at the time, “For me, having worked on Suits, it’s so amazing to be around so much creative energy and to see how people work together and share their own points of view. That’s been really fun.”

Rose McGowan issued a firm warning about future child actors in light of Hayden Panettiere’s sudden and tragic death at 36.

“Rest in Power,” McGowan, 52, wrote in an Instagram upload on Friday, August 21. “Don’t put kids in show business. None of this is normal. May her spirit be free of those who orchestrated.”

McGowan and Panettiere had both worked as child actors before maintaining theirHollywood stardom as adults. Panettiere died on August 19 at the age of 36 — just the latest young Hollywood actress who died after navigating a notoriously troubling industry.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” the late star’s father, Skip Panettiere, told Us in a statement shared via a rep, announcing his daughter’s death. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”

Related: Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Nashville’ Costars and More Pay Tribute After Her Death

Hollywood is mourning the tragic loss of Hayden Panettiere at age 36. The Heroes and Nashville alum’s representative confirmed to Us on Sunday, August 16, that the actress had died. Details surrounding Panettiere’s death were not immediately available. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” Panettiere’s father, […]

In addition to her father, Hayden is survived by her estranged mother, Lesley Vogel, and her 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, whom the Nashville alum shared with ex Wladimir Klitschko. (Hayden’s younger brother, Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at the age of 28 after an undiagnosed heart condition.)

Hayden’s death subsequently sparked a conversation about childhood stardom among the likes of actors McGowan, Anna Paquin and Melissa Gilbert.

Related: Alexa PenaVega Reflects on Child Stardom After Hayden Panettiere’s Death

Alexa PenaVega is reflecting on childhood fame after Hayden Panettiere’s death. “Hayden, Michelle [Trachtenberg], Daveigh [Chase] … my heart is heavy today,” PenaVega, 37, wrote via Instagram on Monday, August 17. “These aren’t just names from my childhood. They’re girls I grew up alongside, sharing a world that was exciting and also incredibly hard. We […]

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“It’s not a coincidence that so many former, specially pre-sexualized female ‘child stars’ have profoundly sad lives and untimely ends,” Paquin, 44, wrote via Instagram on Friday. “We were not as protected by the ‘systems’ that look great on paper, as we are supposed to be. It’s a strange, small club we belong to and you are worthy of support no matter how our industry made us feel.”

The She’s All That actress added, “I believe you, and I will stand by your side. You aren’t alone. Let’s have each other’s backs. It might make public discourse less terrifying.”

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Gilbert, 62, reshared Paquin’s statement on her page, thanking the X-Men star for speaking out, writing, “Someone has to say something. Someone has to change this. Someone has to help.”

Gilbert, who rose to fame on the original Little House on the Prairie, further noted in a Substack essay that Panettiere’s death, along with the losses of fellow child stars Michelle Trachtenberg and Daveigh Chase earlier this year, personally affected her.

“We are all members of the same tribe [of] Female Former Child Performers, and when one of us dies, it runs through all of us like an electrical current,” Gilbert noted in her essay. “When three of us die so close together, something is very, very wrong.”