Entertainment

It’s Officially the End of an Era for One of the Best Westerns Ever Made

Published

3 hours ago

30 August 2026

We live in a time when The Super Mario Bros. Movie and various colorful franchise installments have emerged as the dominant form of animation on the big screen. It seems like eons have passed since one of the most challenging animated movies ever made broke through the clutter and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The movie in question is currently streaming in the United States on Paramount+, but not for much longer. It marked a hotly anticipated reunion between star Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski, who were coming off three blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean movies. In many ways, the animated feature was a blank-check project, and true to form, they used the freedom to push the boundaries of the format.

The movie was inspired not by a children’s novel, but by Western classics such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, For a Few Dollars More, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Depp’s prior work such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. One of the most prominent influences on the film’s story was the classic noir film Chinatown, starring Jack Nicholson. Unlike Shark Tale, the DreamWorks movie that borrowed heavily from The Godfather, Depp and Verbinski’s film didn’t exactly target children as its primary audience. The risk paid off, with the movie not only winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but also doubling its budget at the box office.

Here’s How Long You Have Left to Watch the Animated Hit on Paramount+

We’re talking, of course, about Rango. The movie features Depp as a chameleon who becomes the sheriff of a town named Dirt and finds himself in a conspiracy. Other voice actors in the film’s cast include Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Ray Winstone, Harry Dean Stanton, and Timothy Olyphant. Produced on a reported budget of $135 million — virtually the same as the other Paramount and Nickelodeon animated offering of 2011, The Adventures of Tintin — the movie grossed nearly $250 million at the worldwide box office. It now holds a “Certified Fresh” 88% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Rango is a smart, giddily creative burst of beautifully animated entertainment, and Johnny Depp gives a colorful vocal performance as a household pet in an unfamiliar world.” You can watch the film on Paramount+ until September 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date: Advertisement

March 2, 2011
Runtime: 107 minutes
Director: Gore Verbinski
Producers: Advertisement

Graham King, John B. Carls, Gore Verbinski

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Forget ‘Harry Potter,’ Daniel Radcliffe’s Weirdest Movie Is Officially Streaming for Free

Published

9 minutes ago

30 August 2026

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The doors of Hogwarts are opening once again, as HBO’s adaptation of all seven of the Harry Potter novels officially debuts this Christmas Day. Dominic McLaughlin‘s titular The Boy Who Lived, Arabella Stanton‘s Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout‘s Ron Weasley will lead a brand-new cast in the Wizarding World, which also includes Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Orson Matthews as Oliver Wood, Asha Soetan as Angelina Johnson, and John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore.

Back in March, the release of the first trailer for the new Harry Potter series earned 277 million organic views in just 48 hours, breaking a record for HBO in the process. That hype has only built since, in spite of constant controversy surrounding franchise creator J.K. Rowling, with the recent “The Best Is Yet to Come” promotional reel particularly well received. So, with less than four months to go until Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Episode 1, you might be looking for the perfect way to fill the time.

That is about to arrive in the form of Swiss Army Man, one of former Boy Who Lived Daniel Radcliffe‘s best post-Potter projects. The feature directorial debut for Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, who would go on to win seven Academy Awards with Everything Everywhere All At Once, this A24 gem features Radcliffe as a dead body befriended by Paul Dano‘s (The Batman) hopeless Hank, who becomes stranded on a deserted island. Starting September 1, you’ll be able to stream Swiss Army Man for free on Plex, joining an eye-catching catalog of other great modern and classic movies.

‘Swiss Army Man’ Is a Cult Hit

Against a reported budget of $3 million, Swiss Army Man earned just under $6 million globally, flying under the radar in 2016. However, it was a big hit with critics and those who did see the movie, ranked as Radcliffe’s second-highest-rated film since 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Called “one of the wildest films you’ll ever see” by a critic at the time, Swiss Army Man earned a strong 73% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Starting September 1, you’ll be able to stream Swiss Army Man for free on Plex. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.

Release Date: Advertisement

June 24, 2016
Runtime: 97 minutes
Director: Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan

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Billy Bob Thornton’s Explosive $554M Sci-Fi Classic Is Officially Leaving Streaming

Published

22 minutes ago

30 August 2026

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It has been four years since Michael Bay’s most recent film, the action thriller Ambulance, which starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza González. The last big-budget tentpole of his career was the Netflix movie 6 Underground, which was released in 2019. And his last theatrical tentpole was Transformers: The Last Knight, which debuted in 2017. All of this is to say that Bay has never taken this long between projects, especially the kind that he is synonymous with. Although he has directed a documentary feature for the first time in his career, he remains best known for the epic action movies he directed in the 1990s and 2000s, the most well-known of which is currently streaming in the United States on Peacock.

The movie in question will soon be removed from the platform, leaving fans craving some old-school Bayhem very little time to check it out. The movie was released to mixed reviews in 1998, but it was a massive hit at the box office. It grossed more than $550 million worldwide against a reported budget of $140 million; Bay followed it up with another huge hit, Pearl Harbor, which made nearly $450 million globally and cemented him as a hit-maker of the topmost order.

Here’s How Long You Have Left to Watch Michael Bay’s Sci-Fi Blockbuster on Peacock

We’re talking, of course, about Bay’s landmark hit Armageddon. The sci-fi epic starred Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis, and Liv Tyler, alongside a stacked supporting cast that included Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, and Owen Wilson. Armageddon now holds a 42% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Lovely to look at but about as intelligent as the asteroid that serves as the movie’s antagonist, Armageddon slickly sums up the cinematic legacies of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay.” The late critic Roger Ebert was particularly negative about the film, describing it as “an ordeal” in his one-star review. Armageddon will be available on Peacock until September 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date: Advertisement

July 1, 1998
Runtime: 151 minutes
Writers: J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Hensleigh, Robert Roy Pool

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What happened to the cast of “Superman”? Inside the lives of Christopher Reeve and his costars

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35 minutes ago

30 August 2026

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See what became of Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and other stars of the 1978 blockbuster after leaving Metropolis behind.

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Iconic Locations From ‘Casino’ You Can Visit In Sin City

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48 minutes ago

30 August 2026

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“For guys like me, Las Vegas washes away your sins. It’s like a morality car wash.”

If you immediately recognized that quote, you’re likely well versed in the hit movie, “Casino,” that turned Las Vegas into one of Hollywood’s most iconic characters.

Did you know that “Casino” was filmed all around the city of Las Vegas? There were multiple real Vegas properties used to create the fictional Vegas empire depicted in the movie.

From famous Strip landmarks to locations around the valley that helped bring the film’s vision of Sin City to life, The Blast has compiled a few well-known locations seen in the movie that you can still visit today.

This story is part of our weekly series, The Vegas Files. Be sure to head over to The Blast’s social media pages to see a reel that highlights some of the locations in this story.

Anyone who’s ever watched “Casino” can easily recognize the spot the opening car explosion scene was filmed. “Casino” turned Main Street Station into the backdrop for an explosive mob hit and one of the most memorable moments in the movie. The California Hotel & Casino can be spotted in the background.

In the scene, a car is rigged to explode, sending a shocking blast through Downtown Las Vegas. It perfectly captures the movie’s depiction of organized crime in Sin City.

This filming location is still very much recognizable today. While there are slight changes to the doors of the casino, the outside still looks very much the same, so this is a great spot to re-enact the scene (without blowing anything up, of course) for an Instagram-worthy shot.

Neon Lights, Late Nights, ‘Casino’ Vibes: The Peppermill

Another well-known location that you can still visit is the Peppermill.

This is where Ace and Ginger have one of their iconic restaurant scenes. It’s one of the best locations for a modern “Casino” visit because the Peppermill is still open for business and remains looking as it did in the film.

Located on the north end of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, Peppermill is open 24 hours Thursday to Sunday, and from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Wednesday.

According to their website, “Our Fireside Lounge isn’t just where you sip a 64-ounce Scorpion cocktail (although that’s a rite of passage). It’s also where ‘Casino’ filmed it’s famous flame-lit scenes with De Niro and Sharon Stone.”

They have also had cameos in “Showgirls,” “CSI Las Vegas,” “The Cotton Club,” and many others.

Jean Dry Lake Is Another Recognizable Location In ‘Casino’

“At night, you couldn’t see the desert that surrounds Las Vegas. But it’s in the desert where lots of the town’s problems are solved.”

Just outside of Vegas, about 30 minutes from the Strip, lies Jean Dry Lake. This desert location away from the hustle and bustle of Sin City has been seen in many films over time.

Jean Dry Lake gives “Casino” one of its most cinematic Vegas backdrops. The desert landscape was used for scenes that needed to feel isolated and far removed from the neon lights of the Strip.

Other movies Jean Dry Lake makes a cameo include “The Hangover,” “Vegas Vacation,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and many others.

Atomic Liquors: Where Nicky Got Brutal

Atomic Liquors, located in Downtown Las Vegas, is still standing and a place any “Casino” fan can still visit.

This location was used for scenes involving Nicky, played by Joe Pesci. In one infamous scene, Nicky uses a pen to stab a man in the neck and then beats him up inside Atomic Liquors. A nearby garage was also used in the film.

According to the bar’s website, Atomic Liquors is the city’s “first freestanding bar.” It opened in the 1950s and remains a Fremont Street institution. It’s also been featured in other films, such as “The Hangover.”

The Neon Museum Is Another Must Visit Spot On A ‘Casino’ Tour

Another must visit Vegas location on any “Casino” tour is The Neon Museum, also located downtown. Long before it became one of the city’s most photo-worthy hotspots, the collection at The Neon Museum was part of the city’s incredible visual history.

The movie features iconic signs and neon relics of ‘70s and ‘80s Las Vegas. Today, you can see these glowing pieces of Sin City’s history up close and personal, making The Neon Museum a must stop on a “Casino” locations tour.

Also worth noting, a scene in the movie was filmed at the La Concha Motel, whose distinctive lobby was later preserved and relocated to become The Neon Museum’s Visitor Center. The lobby was used in the film for Ace and Ginger’s romantic scene.

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Football Player, 20, Dies After Medical Emergency on Field

Published

1 hour ago

30 August 2026

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Cause of Death Revealed for University of Kentucky Nic Smith

College football player MicahJo Barnett died at age 20 after suffering a medical emergency during his school’s season opener.

William Jewell College announced on Saturday, August 29, that the running back suffered a medical episode on the sidelines during the first quarter of the team’s Division II game against Fort Lewis College at Greene Stadium in Liberty, Missouri.

The incident occurred at around 12.20 pm local time, mere moments after Barnett scored a touchdown with 5:15 left in the first quarter to give his team a 7-0 lead over Fort Lewis College.

Liberty Police Captain Nathan Mulch told The Athletic medical personnel were on standby just as they are for every William Jewell College football game. While the medical team tended to Barnett for several minutes on the sidelines, he was eventually transferred to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

No cause has been announced at this time.

The football game was initially suspended and later cancelled outright following Barnett’s death. Students at William Jewell College held a vigil in Barnett’s honor on Saturday night.

“Our hearts are heavy, and we appreciate all of the support that we have received from the greater community … We join with the greater Liberty community … [to mourn] the passing of MicahJo Barnett,” university president Dr. Dave Van Horn said during a press conference on Saturday. “I want to say that we appreciate the response that we’ve received from the sheriff’s office, the police department, the EMS department, our school, the physician for the team … Everybody responded so quickly, so well.”

A separate statement from William Jewell College confirmed the athlete was a junior majoring in business administration.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with MicahJo’s family, our students, the Cardinal Football family, and the rest of our community during this time of loss,” the school’s statement read. “Students and staff are encouraged to connect with Counseling Services and/or the office of the Chaplain who are ready to provide support to those who need it.”

William Jewell confirmed that school officials will update students when funeral plans for Barnett are decided.

Shawn Jakubowski, the athletic director for William Jewell College’s opposing team Fort Lewis College, also offered his school’s “deepest condolences.”

“Our hearts are with [MicahJo’s] family, friends, teammates, coaches and everyone at William Jewell during this incredibly difficult time,” Jakubowski wrote via X. “Fort Lewis counseling staff is reaching out to our football team to ensure our players have the support they need.”

Barnett grew up with six siblings in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. He led Liberty North High School — located in the same community as William Jewell College — to a state title during his senior year.

The late running back was also recently announced as a 2025-26 Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree. He led the Cardinals in rushing last season despite only playing in five games due to injury, per The Athletic.

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‘Peanuts’ Killed Off This Forgotten Character After Just 10 Appearances

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1 hour ago

30 August 2026

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Charlotte Braun's first Peanuts appearance

For a comic strip built around a remarkably small cast, Peanuts went through a surprising number of characters before Charles M. Schulz settled on the ensemble everyone knows today. Charlotte Braun was one of those early experiments — a loud, aggressively confident counterpart to Charlie Brown who arrived in November 1954 and disappeared just 10 appearances later. Her short tenure is barely a footnote in Peanuts history, but the way Schulz handled her exit is almost impossible to forget.

Charlotte’s disappearance was a result of a reader who wrote to the cartoonist complaining about the character, and Schulz decided to take the suggestion. Then he did something considerably more memorable than simply stopping the character’s appearances: he jokingly told the reader she would have to live with Charlotte’s “death” on her conscience and drew the character with an ax stuck in her head. The original letter, now preserved by the Library of Congress, remains one of the strangest pieces of Peanuts memorabilia around.

Charlotte Braun Was Supposed To Be Charlie Brown’s Opposite

Charlotte’s introduction on November 30, 1954, made her purpose fairly obvious. Her name was a play on Charlie Brown’s, and she even introduced herself as “Good ol’ Charlotte Braun.” Where Charlie Brown was timid, anxious, and perpetually resigned to whatever indignity the universe had planned for him, however, Charlotte was loud.

The contrast gave Schulz an easy setup. Charlotte could walk into a conversation, overwhelm everyone with her volume, and leave Charlie Brown to deal with the aftermath. Several of her strips revolve around essentially the same joke: Charlotte speaks at an absurd volume, someone points it out, and Charlotte responds by insisting that she’s entitled to be heard. Sometimes the joke works, but often, it feels like Schulz is still trying to figure out what else she can do. Ultimately, Charlotte had a trait, but she didn’t have much of a character beyond it.

It is important to note that in Peanuts, even the most exaggerated personalities tend to have multiple angles. Lucy can be bossy, cruel, vulnerable, insecure, confident, and surprisingly perceptive depending on the situation; Linus has his blanket, but he’s also philosophical and anxious, imaginative and thoughtful. Even Charlie Brown’s defining misery is practically an entire personality engine. Charlotte, meanwhile, kept turning up the volume.

Charlotte Braun’s Biggest Problem Was That Lucy Already Worked Better

Charlie Brown History — As Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang looks on, Lucy recounts the history of America.

There was also an unfortunate timing issue. Charlotte was introduced during the period when Schulz was still experimenting with the Peanuts cast, trying different personalities and seeing which ones generated enough material to justify keeping them around. The eventual ensemble wasn’t handed down fully formed.

Charlotte’s loud, bossy personality also pointed toward territory that another character would soon make much better use of. Lucy, who initially had a considerably different personality, developed into one of Peanuts’ defining characters as the strip evolved. Charlotte’s basic function — the loud girl who wasn’t particularly concerned with whether anyone liked her — looked much less necessary, which helps explain why Charlotte feels so thin in retrospect. She was occupying a role that Peanuts would eventually have a more versatile character fill.

Her final appearance came on February 1, 1955. After only 10 appearances, Charlotte was gone. Schulz didn’t give her a dramatic farewell or establish some elaborate reason she had moved away; she just stopped appearing. Schulz’s correspondence with one reader turned that otherwise forgettable disappearance into an unforgettable experience.

Charles Schulz Gave Charlotte Braun the Axe… Literally

The letter that Charles Schultz wrote to a fan who complained about Charlotte Braun

On January 5, 1955, Schulz responded to Elizabeth Swaim, the reader who had written to complain about Charlotte. He told Swaim that he would eventually discard the character, adding that any further appearances would only come from strips already completed or from someone writing in to say they liked her.

Schulz told Swaim that she and her friends would have “the death of an innocent child” on their conscience and asked whether they were prepared to accept that responsibility. At the bottom of the letter, he drew Charlotte with an ax embedded in her head. The Library of Congress catalogs the drawing, dated January 5, 1955, as “The ax,” and identifies Charlotte as an ill-fated Peanuts character.

It’s a wonderfully dark joke from a cartoonist whose work is often remembered primarily for its warmth. And it was very much a joke: Charlotte wasn’t literally murdered in a Peanuts storyline. Schulz was playing along with the idea that Swaim had demanded her removal and giving the reader an appropriately theatrical way to imagine what “discarding” a character meant. The letter resurfaced publicly decades later, when Swaim arranged to donate it to the Library of Congress in 2000, shortly after Schulz’s death. Swaim died three weeks later. According to her sister, the framed response had hung in Swaim’s bathroom — a pretty fitting place for one of the most bizarre pieces in Peanuts history.

Swaim apparently wasn’t the only reader who disliked Charlotte. Harry L. Katz, then curator of popular and applied graphic art at the Library of Congress, said other readers had also wanted her gone, criticizing the character for lacking the warmth and humor of the rest of the cast. So, while Schulz gave Swaim the credit — or the blame — for Charlotte’s demise, it’s unlikely that one letter alone determined the character’s fate. Schulz was already experimenting with his cast, and Charlotte hadn’t exactly established herself as essential.

Peanuts

Release Date: 1965 – 2005
Directors: Phil Roman

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Robert Pattinson Officially Reunites With an ‘Odyssey’ Star in Crime Hit Coming to Free Streaming

Published

1 hour ago

30 August 2026

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Before Spider-Man: Brand New Day stole all box office headlines and broke countless records, the talk of Tinseltown was Christopher Nolan‘s ambitious adaptation of Homer‘s ancient Greek epic The Odyssey. Called an “unrivaled cinematic spectacle” in Joe Schmidt‘s review for Collider, The Odyssey has become a favorite for prizes at the 2027 Academy Awards, and has already earned almost $1.5 billion in global box office revenue after six weekends in theaters.

Key to the success of The Odyssey is its star-studded cast, led by Matt Damon as the King of Ithaca, and including Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson, with this one of the most impressive years in the latter’s career. Before The Odyssey, Pattinson starred alongside Zendaya in The Drama, one of the year’s most underrated movies. Before he leads his next big-screen project of the year, the intriguing A24 feature Primetime, the performance that changed his career forever is about to be available for free.

Nine years ago, Pattinson raced through the gritty streets of New York following a botched bank robbery in Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie‘s Good Time, described as a “heist movie on acid” by Josh Safdie. Pattinson stars as Connie Nikas, who bails his brother out of jail after the aforementioned robbery-gone-wrong, with the film also featuring Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) as Corey, Buddy Duress (Heaven Knows What) as Ray, Taliah Webster as Crystal, Barkhad Abdi (Blade Runner 2049) as Dash, and Necro (The Super) as Caliph. Starting September 1, 2026, you can stream Good Time for free on Plex.

Robert Pattinson Will Return in One of the Year’s Biggest Movies

Zendaya and Pattinson’s third movie of the year, Dune: Part Three, is the final installment in Denis Villeneuve‘s acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s Dune novels and is set to be one of the year’s biggest hits. Scheduled to be released on December 18, the same date as Avengers: Doomsday, the film will see Timothée Chalamet‘s Paul Atreides face the consequences of his power, two decades after seizing control of the Imperium.

Starting September 1, 2026, you can stream Good Time for free on Plex. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date: August 11, 2017
Runtime: 101minutes
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Director: Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie

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The 8 Greatest TV Casts of the ’80s, Ranked

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2 hours ago

30 August 2026

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Al (Ed O’Neill) and Peggy (Katey Sagal) laughing together in Married With Children.

Ah, the ’80s. The decade when the neon was popping, the hair was close to heaven, and we all wanted to “Walk Like an Egyptian” while wearing our parachute pants. It’s no question that the ’80s changed the pop culture landscape, and that included TV as well. From the rich people’s problems of Dallas to saccharine family sitcoms that always strive to teach us a lesson every week, TV in the 1980s was a sight to behold and offered everything to everyone in every genre.

What made TV in the ’80s standout from its decade peers were the iconic casts that brought their own flair to the small screen. Think about it? When was the last time you saw police detectives on TV wearing pastel-colored suit jackets? Only in the ’80s did you see this, and to celebrate the most iconic casts from this decade, let’s rank the best TV casts while rocking out to “Beat It.”

8

‘Married…. with Children’ (1987–1997)

In 1987, the fledgling Fox network took a lot of daring risks with its programming, with one in particular turning the sweet family sitcom trope of the decade upside down. That sitcom was called Married… with Children, which followed the Bundy family in a surreal satire that was an instant hit for the network.

The big reason for Married… with Children’s huge success lies with the hilarious cast. Ed O’Neill as the misanthropic, cynical patriarch Al Bundy may not fly in today’s pop culture landscape, but he changed the way we viewed TV dads with his sarcastic, sometimes cruel wit. Then we have Peggy (Katey Sagal), Al’s self-indulgent wife who was basically the female version of her husband. Rounding things out are their two kids, the promiscuous Kelley (Christina Applegate) and the antagonistic, socially inept Bud (David Faustino). Their next-door neighbor, Marcy Rhoades (Amanda Bearse), represented the typical sweet, wholesome conservative that was widely represented on ’80s television. When you think about it, the cast of Married…with Children was very much antagonistic to everything the ’80s stood for, and we loved it.

7

‘Miami Vice’ (1984–1989)

Crockett and Tubbs stand next to one another in Miami Vice.

The Miami of the ’80s was well-known for its drug violence, which, for creator Anthony Yerkovic and producer Michael Mann, made for a perfect setting for a great TV show featuring well-dressed cops looking to take down the players funneling drugs onto the streets of Dade County. That show was Miami Vice, which premiered on NBC in 1984, and went on to become a pop culture phenomenon thanks to its two leads, James “Sonny” Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas).

Crockett and Tubb had dynamic chemistry, playing off each other’s strengths as they worked to rid Miami of the drugs pouring into the city, and they completely changed how TV cops looked on the screen. There weren’t your Dragnet “just the facts, ma’am” cops. Crockett and Tubbs were made for the MTV generation, complete with name-brand suits, and ’80s coolness dripping from them on a weekly basis.

6

‘Who’s the Boss?’ (1984–1992)

Tony pouring coffee for Angela and Mona on Who's The Boss? — Tony pouring coffee for Angela and Mona on Who’s The Boss?

Only in the ’80s would the central figure of a hilarious sitcom be a retired baseball player-turned-housekeeper. That was the premise for Who’s the Boss?, one of the best sitcoms of the decade thanks to its talented cast led by Tony Danza, who played Tony Micelli, a father who looks for a better life for him and his daughter, Samantha (Alyssa Milano). That better life leads them to an upscale suburb in Connecticut, where he works as a housekeeper for a divorced advertising executive, Angela Bower (Judith Light), who has a son, Jonathan (Danny Pinaturo), and a mother who seemingly has a date every week, Mona (Katherine Helmond).

The cast had great chemistry, especially between Danza and Light, who lit up the screen with their on-screen romance and personalities that play off each other well. Also, Mona was a real treat, with her sarcasm and personality that steals the screen every single time, and Samantha’s growth from a witty, tomboyish girl into a teenager dealing with the usual societal norms facing kids in the ’80s, made her one of the decade’s most relatable teen characters. Who’s the Boss?‘s cast is iconic, and the hilarious, heartfelt comedic moments are why it was one of the decade’s most popular shows.

5

‘The A-Team’ (1983–1987)

The cast of 'The A-Team' holding weapons. — The cast of ‘The A-Team’ holding weapons.

In the ’80s, everyone wanted to be like one of The A-Team, as they looked so cool on TV. The NBC action-adventure featured an ensemble cast of U.S. Army Special Force commandos who become soldiers for hire after escaping from a military prison. The characters of The A-Team were legendary, especially Bosco “B.A.” Baracus, played by Mr. T in a career-making role, creating some of the decade’s most iconic catchphrases.

We won’t forget about the rest of the cast, from John “Hannibal” Smith (George Peppard), who always had an unorthodox plan, but always worked, Temptleton Peck (Dirk Benedict), who gathered the team’s weaponry, and “H.M.” Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who always went along with the team’s plans. The cast made the cartoonish nature of The A-Team work like a charm, and we sincerely hope there are no plans to reboot it. A classic needs to stay a classic, if you know what I mean.

4

‘Smurfs’ (1981–1989)

I know some will find it hard to believe that the Smurfs are considered one of the best TV casts of the ’80s, but the Smurfs were one of the most popular animated sitcoms of the decade, and for good reason. The Smurfs are very well-known and quite diverse. You have Papa Smurf (Don Messick), the elder leader of the clan. Smurfette (Lucille Bliss), the only girl among the Smurf clan and is also one of the main protagonists, and many of the other Smurfs who brought this fanciful world to life.

Some may criticize why the Smurfs clan is on this list, and, trust me, I get it. However, you can’t argue that Smurfs have made an indelible mark on pop culture, with their iconic look and eclectic personalities that made each episode a treat to watch.

3

‘Family Ties’ (1982–1989)

A promotional image of the 'Family Ties' cast — A promotional image of the ‘Family Ties’ cast

The ’80s sitcom landscape was dominated by wholesome family comedies that always managed to solve problems in under a half-an-hour. The family sitcom wouldn’t have boomed in the Regan era without the Keating family of Family Ties, a sitcom that was sort of a mirror to what life was like in the ’80s.

Created by Gary David Goldberg, Family Ties tells the story of the Keatings, led by Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter), who were hippies in the ’60s and held liberal views, trying to raise children who held more conservative views, chief among them Alex P. Keating (Michael J. Fox), a staunch young Republican, and Mallory (Justine Bateman), a typical ’80s teenage girl who held more traditional and conservative views of womanhood than her mother. Jennifer (Tina Yothers), the youngest of the Keaton clan, was more liberal than her siblings, and watching the family navigate these differences while facing the traditional societal issues facing all families at the time made for must-watch TV.

2

‘Cheers’ (1982–1993)

Cast of Cheers including Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson

You want to go where everybody knows your name, and Cheers was definitely that place. When you watch Cheers, you feel like you’re part of the bar’s regular clientele, and it was this feeling of relatability that made the sitcom and its characters one of the decade’s most iconic shows.

Who wouldn’t want to grab a beer with Norm (George Wendt) and Cliff (John Ratzenberger) while watching the budding romance between Sam Malone (Ted Danson) and Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) behind the bar? All with Carla Tortelli (Rhea Perlman) serving up drinks and offering her cynical, wisecracking takes on life? Cheers was one of the best character-driven shows on network TV, and the characters remain iconic to this very day.

1

‘The Golden Girls’ (1985–1992)

All the casts listed in this piece have carved out their spot in ’80s television lore, but there is one cast that triumphs over them all, The Golden Girls. First, you can’t talk about The Golden Girls without mentioning the iconic theme song (“Thank You For Being a Friend”), which is bopping in my head right now as I’m writing this.

Second, the cast is similarly iconic, revolving around four older single women who share a house in Miami and navigate their “golden years” together, led by the homeowner, the promiscuous southern belle Blanche (Rue McClanahan), and the wisecracking Dorthy (Beatrice Arthur), the humorous and wholesome Rose (Betty White), and the always sassy Sophia (Estelle Getty). These four women came together and made sitcom magic that is hard to replicate today.

The Golden Girls

Release Date: 1985 – 1992-00-00
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Showrunner: Susan Harris
Directors: Susan Harris

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Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe Officially Reunited on the Historical Flop Leaving Streaming

Published

2 hours ago

30 August 2026

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The verbal volleys that they have launched against each other in the last few months didn’t come out of nowhere; star Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott clearly don’t see eye to eye. The problems seemed to escalate when Scott began putting together Gladiator II without Crowe’s involvement. The star, who won a Best Actor honor at the Oscars for his performance in the original Gladiator film, had been trying to mount a sequel for a number of years as well. Scott reasoned that since Crowe’s character died at the end of the first film, he had no reason to be brought back for the sequel. Crowe, on the other hand, expressed annoyance at being excluded from the project when it was being made, and has since criticized it more than once. It has been over 15 years since the two former collaborators worked together, and their parting film is now streaming on Peacock in the United States.

However, the movie in question is about to be removed from the service, leaving audiences with very little time to revisit it. The movie was released in 2010 and was positioned as a return to Gladiator-style swords-and-sandals drama for Scott and Crowe. But reviews were mediocre and the box office was underwhelming. It was only a few years later, in 2014, that Crowe starred in what would become his final big-budget studio tentpole as a leading man, Noah. Interestingly, Scott released his own biblical epic, Exodus: Gods and Kings, that same year.

Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott’s Last Movie Together Is Leaving Peacock

Scott and Crowe worked together on a string of movies across different genres in the 2000s, following up Gladiator with A Good Year, American Gangster, Body of Lies, and the 2010 epic Robin Hood. The movie was put together in the aftermath of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which encouraged Hollywood to be more experimental with grounded takes on classic material. Robin Hood was produced on a reported budget of $200 million, but it only managed to gross around $320 million worldwide. It now holds a 43% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Ridley Scott’s revisionist take on this oft-told tale offers some fine acting and a few gripping action sequences, but it’s missing the thrill of adventure that made Robin Hood a legend in the first place.” The movie will be removed from Peacock on September 1. The property seems to be cursed, with an action-packed 2018 reboot starring Taron Egerton and a recent character study headlined by Hugh Jackman both underperforming. However, an MGM+ series with a more classical tone has emerged as a hit. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date: Advertisement

May 12, 2010
Runtime: 140 minutes

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Entertainment

Before ‘Lanterns,’ Aaron Pierre Quietly Starred in This Forgotten 2-Season DC Series

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2 hours ago

30 August 2026

NewsAdmin

Official poster for 'Krypton', featuring Aaron Pierre's Dev Em

HBO’s Lanterns has recently premiered, with Aaron Pierre playing John Stewart and Kyle Chandler taking on the role of Hal Jordan. The series looks to reignite the Green Lantern franchise and play a pivotal part in James Gunn and Peter Safran‘s plans for the new DC Studios. Lanterns is also a major departure from what fans have come to expect, as John and Hal are drawn to the small town of Rushville, Nebraska, to investigate a murder mystery of cosmic proportions. But, as it happens, John Stewart actually isn’t the first role Pierre has played in the DC Universe.

What Is ‘Krypton’ About?

SYFY’s Krypton is set on the titular planet 200 years before Kal-El — aka Clark Kent, aka Superman — is born. The House of El has recently suffered a fall from grace, with Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) eking out a living in Krypton’s lower-class slums after his grandfather Val-El (Ian McElhinney) was sentenced to imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. Seg is visited by a mysterious man named Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos), who tells him that his grandson Kal-El will grow into the greatest hero on Earth and that forces are working to erase Superman’s existence.

While fighting to keep his grandson alive, Seg learns that Val was sentenced because he learned that there was alien life headed for Krypton, and the corrupt ruling council worked to silence his findings. That alien life is none other than Brainiac (Blake Ritson), the malevolent artificial intelligence who collects information from planets and destroys them in the process; he, too, will become one of Superman’s greatest enemies. On top of that, Seg learns that he is meant to be betrothed to Nyssa-Vex (Wallis Day), the daughter of a high-ranking official on Krypton; however, he is still in love with Lyta (Georgina Campbell), a soldier in Krypton’s military guild.

Aaron Pierre Plays a Character With Major Ties to Superman Lore in ‘Krypton’

So, how exactly does Aaron Pierre fit into Krypton‘s narrative? He plays the soldier Dev-Em, who works with Lyta to fight the terrorist organization known as Black Zero. Complicating matters is the fact that Dev and Lyta used to be betrothed to each other, and while he still has feelings for her, she is wrestling with her own feelings for Seg-El. Matters take a turn for the worse when a mysterious stranger, played by Colin Salmon, appears; the stranger is none other than Dru-Zod, aka General Zod — one of Superman’s worst enemies. Zod reveals that he is the son of Seg and Lyta, further complicating matters between the two and Dev. When Zod becomes the new ruler of Krypton in Season 2, Dev joins a group of resistance fighters led by Lyta’s mother, Jayna (Ann Ogbomo).

Dev-Em has a unique backstory in DC Comics lore; he was one of the few Kryptonians who believed Jor-El’s warning that the planet was doomed for destruction and placed himself in suspended animation. When Krypton exploded, he was sent hurtling to Earth, where he met a young Clark Kent… and threw him into the Phantom Zone! Dev-Em would later become an ally of the Legion of Superheroes and helped them during the “Great Darkness Saga,” where they battled the New God Darkseid. Other versions usually paint Dev-Em as a criminal who was sentenced to the Phantom Zone, with Man of Steel reimagining him as one of General Zod’s fathers. Pierre’s take on the character, however, is rather nuanced and leads to some of Krypton‘s best moments.

Aaron Pierre Got To Show Off His Dramatic Chops During ‘Krypton’s Run

Krypton Season 2 is where Pierre’s Dev-Em truly gets his chance to shine. Working with the rebel cells, he finds himself pitted against Lyta, who seems to be willing to carry out any atrocity Zod asks of her (though in true comic book TV fashion, there’s a rather convoluted explanation for this.) Brainiac is also gaining a foothold in his attempts to leech Krypton of its knowledge, possessing various victims while also keeping Seg-El trapped in the Phantom Zone. This leads Dev-Em to make the decision to utilize Doomsday — the monster who will one day kill Superman — as a way to protect Krypton.

Season 2 is a great showcase for Pierre’s dramatic talents, as he paints Dev-Em as a man who will do anything it takes to protect Krypton. He lets Brainiac possess him to spare Lyta from death, and the machine winds up forcing him to try to kill Jayna, which results in Dev losing an arm. Despite Doomsday causing untold damage, Dev sees him as a trump card to keep order on Krypton, showcasing that, like Zod, he is capable of committing horrible acts to keep his planet alive. Pierre infuses Dev with the same kind of calculating fury he brings to Terry Richmond in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge, making what could have been a minor role so much more. Krypton was sadly canceled in 2019, meaning that the plot thread of Dev-Em weaponizing Doomsday never came to pass. Still, it’s worth a watch, both for its fresh take on the Superman mythos and how it proved Pierre could play a major role in the DC Universe.