Denise Richards stepped out looking refreshed and confident at a recent “The Bold and the Beautiful” event, marking her first appearance since revealing she underwent a facelift.

The actress shared that the procedure, done months earlier, was about restoring her look rather than changing it.

While the results have boosted Denise Richards’ confidence, the decision comes amid a challenging period in her personal life, including her ongoing divorce from Aaron Phypers.

Denise Richards Makes First Public Appearance Post-Facelift, Radiates Confidence On Red Carpet

Denise Richards made a striking return to the spotlight, turning heads at a recent “The Bold and the Beautiful” event as she stepped out for the first time since revealing she underwent a full facelift.

The 55-year-old actress looked radiant on the red carpet, wearing a soft pink lace dress paired with glowing makeup and loose blonde waves that highlighted her refreshed appearance.

In a recent Allure interview, Richards shared that she had the procedure about eight months ago, explaining that her intention wasn’t to dramatically change her look but to “put things back up, where they were before.”

She described the decision as nerve-wracking at first, especially given her decades in the public eye. Having been famous since her 20s, she acknowledged that any noticeable change would be impossible to hide.

Still, Richards says the results surprised even her, calling the transformation “night and day,” and even “shocking.” Her surgeon later shared before-and-after images that highlighted the extent of the change.

The Actress’s Facelift Decision Is Tied To Personal Struggles, Insiders Claim

Behind the scenes, however, sources suggest Richards’ decision to go under the knife was influenced by personal challenges.

The “Wild Things” actress is currently navigating a difficult divorce from Aaron Phypers, which has reportedly taken an emotional and financial toll.

According to the Daily Mail, insiders say the procedure gave her a renewed sense of confidence during a tough period.

As one source put it, “[Richards] deserves to have a little joy in her life, and her new face makes her very happy.”

Denise Richards’ Daughters Were Reportedly Against Her Facelift Procedure

While Richards feels good about her decision, not everyone in her inner circle was immediately supportive.

Her daughters, Sami Sheen, 22, and Lola Sheen, 20, were initially against the surgery, believing she was “too young” for such a procedure and didn’t need it.

The “Two and a Half Men” actress has had similar disagreements with her children before. She previously clashed with Sami over her decision to get a nose job, and that earlier tension resurfaced when Richards shared her own plans for surgery.

Reflecting on the situation, Richards recalled how Sami pointed out the irony, reminding her that she had once discouraged her from altering her appearance.

Richards told Allure that, in her view, the situations were different. While she felt a nose job could significantly change someone’s features at a young age, her own procedure was about restoring what she felt had naturally shifted over time, rather than transforming her look entirely.

The Actress Once Swore Off Ever Getting A Facelift

In a post on Instagram Stories after revealing her facelift, Richards got candid about the procedure, branding it a great experience and one of the best decisions she has ever made.

The actress also noted that she had never done anything to her face until this recent facelift.

“I always said I would never get a facelift, because that’s my face. This is how I make my money,” Richards explained. “I’ve been in this business a long time. People know what I look like. I’ve never done anything aesthetically to my face.”

Meanwhile, Richards’ doctor, Ben Talei, has praised her for being open about the process, saying it was “an incredible pleasure and honor  to be trusted with her restoration and, more importantly, the preservation of her character and beauty.”

Talei also praised the actress’s resilience after a challenging year, claiming that her “golden face” is now “hers again.”

Denise Richards Was Recently Ordered To Pay $5K Monthly Support To Her Ex, Aaron Phypers, Amid Their Legal Battle

Meanwhile, Richards’ legal battle with her estranged husband, Phypers, continues to unfold. Following their separation last summer, the court recently ruled that Richards must pay $5,000 per month in temporary spousal support.

As reported by The Blast, she was also ordered to contribute $30,000 toward his legal fees related to the divorce proceedings. The payments have been structured in installments, with the first portion due by the end of March.

The monthly support was also broken down, covering essential living costs including housing, transportation, food, and other general expenses.

Phypers, for his part, is currently facing four felony charges, including allegations related to spousal injury and attempting to influence a witness through force or threats.

He has denied all allegations. He has denied all accusations. During a February court appearance, he claimed to have only $200 to his name, stating that the financial support would help as he takes things “one day at a time.”

The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos is confident Bachelor Nation isn’t done handing out roses.

“Bachelor Nation has done such amazing things,” Joan, 63, exclusively shared with Us Weekly at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday, March 26. “There are so many people who are in this world because of finding love on the show. I am not ready to give that up.”

Although viewers were expecting to watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul search for love on The Bachelorette, ABC decided to pull the season after video footage surfaced from a 2023 arrest.

“I think, you know, maybe we learned a little lesson,” Joan explained to Us from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. “I think that we love the casting of somebody who’s imperfect, because we all go on that show thinking we have to act our best. I love that she knew that she didn’t have to do that, that she put her past out there.”

Related: Inside ‘The Bachelorette’ Reunion for Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season

Taylor Frankie Paul was welcomed to Bachelor Nation by a lot of familiar faces. Last month, Joan, 62, was joined by several former Bachelorettes including Rachel Lindsay, Trista Sutter, Hannah Brown, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Becca Kufrin, Katie Thurston, Rachel Recchia, DeAnna Pappas, Ali Fedotowsky, Andi Dorfman, Charity Lawson, Tayshia Adams, Desiree Hartsock, JoJo Fletcher, Emily Maynard […]

The Bachelor Mansion Takeover star added, “I feel like there is still hope in this Bachelor world that we don’t have to cast somebody perfect.”

Joan first appeared on season 1 of The Golden Bachelor in 2023. After quitting the show in week 3 due to a family emergency, she met Chock Chapple on The Golden Bachelorette and ultimately accepted his proposal in 2024.

In addition to finding a romantic partner, Joan discovered forever friends, like her costar, Kathy Swarts.

“There have been love, families, marriages, children. That show is about finding love, and it will come back bigger and better than ever,” Kathy, 72, proclaimed to Us. “I think [Taylor’s] story was meant to be a redemptive story. It was still about love. It was still about finding love. And the truth is not out yet. We don’t know the truth. We’re watching the headlines just like everyone else. We are praying that it all works out for the best. We’re praying for the kids that the best resolution happens.”

Although ABC has yet to announce any future plans for The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, Kathy joked that she is single and ready to find her man.

As for Joan, she’s heard the online chatter about The Traitors star Maura Higgins possibly stepping into the role.

“I love that I’ve seen the chatter that Maura Higgins is like, kind of, I feel like she’s given some statements that she would do it,” Joan said.  “I think it’s so funny that we’re looking at famous people now. It’s so different from what it’s ever been in the past. But I think we’re kind of embracing that concept. I mean, Taylor started it, but I feel like we’re kind of embracing that concept now.”

Kathy added, “And Robert Irwin for The Bachelor! There’s been a little chatter about that.”

By Robert Scucci
| Published 7 seconds ago

Let’s talk about 1990’s straight-to-VHS crime caper Down the Drain for a minute. The things that happen in this movie are funny. The exchanges between its principal characters are funny. Ken Foree from the original Dawn of the Dead gets in a shootout on a skateboard, but only after getting cavity searched by Andrew Stevens’ Victor Scalla. Teri Copley is a blonde bombshell who knows how to use a gun and seduce her way out of sticky situations. John Matuszak, in his last film appearance before his untimely death, catches bullets with his teeth when people try to shoot him in the face.

Every individual part of this heist movie is hilarious. But for some reason, it never comes together as a fully satisfying movie. It’s one of the most perplexing things I’ve ever witnessed in this genre. I was laughing out loud to myself the entire time I was snapping stills for this article because there are so many great shareable moments. When the thing plays in real time, though, it feels like a straight-to-video movie trying a little too hard to be edgy, because that’s exactly what it is. There are plenty of zingers, and I strongly recommend it to anybody who loves a good old fashioned comedy of errors. The problem is that the jokes miss more than they hit.

Since we’re talking about a numbers game when it comes to jokes per minute, it’s still a valiant effort. This is the perfect movie to throw on and watch passively while working on projects around the house. The plot is nonsensical, but there are individual moments worth seeking out.

The Dumbest Heist Committed To Film

Down the Drain’s heist is so dumb that it just might work. We’re introduced to Victor Scalla (Andrew Stevens), a crooked lawyer with a supposedly genius plan. He recruits his former criminal clients, with the help of his mistress Kathy Miller (Teri Copley), sneaks through the city’s sewer system, and robs the safe deposit boxes at a new bank that’s only been open for a few weeks. Running under the assumption that it’ll be a light haul, the plan is to steal everything and wait for people to report their belongings missing. If anything from those safe deposit boxes is considered irreplaceable, Victor figures people will come looking for it and offer a hefty reward. That’s it. That’s the plan.

Victor cobbles together a ragtag group of criminals like bruiser Jed Stewart (John Matuszak), loose cannon Buckley (Ken Foree), master lock picker Tom Dart (Barry Neikrug), and the flatulent, overweight Jay (Mickey Morton). They break into the vault and take whatever they can get their hands on. Immediately after sizing up the haul, Victor suspects that everybody involved, including Kathy, has skimmed off the top, defeating the entire purpose of the robbery.

The plan hinges on sitting around and waiting until the jewelry and rare coins are reported missing, then selling them back to their original owners at a premium. If anything goes missing from their stash, the whole operation falls apart.

As it so inconveniently turns out, one of the items they stole is a top-secret microchip that kicks off a wild goose chase. Suddenly, an operation built on petty theft turns into a national security issue, as multiple foreign powers come after the chip for their own nefarious purposes.

Plot Notwithstanding, It’s A Very Inconsistent Farse 

I really wanted to like Down the Drain, but the whole thing is all over the place. The gags flirt with Naked Gun or Fatal Instinct territory, but the movie refuses to pick a lane and stay in it. One second there’s highly quotable banter, and the next everyone is playing it completely straight. At one point, Victor hires a Mexican master of disguise named Chico (Sal Lopez), who runs around wearing novelty glasses with a giant nose and fake mustache. Then there’s an extremely confusing car chase where everyone is driving nearly identical red cars, which ends on a low note when we think our hero just got driven off a cliff and killed.

Victor Scalla kills a man with a Rubik’s Cube, has an impenetrable bunker rigged with electricity and knockout gas, but still can’t stop his mistress and accomplice from stealing from him whenever the opportunity presents itself. I see what they’re going for here, but it never quite lands because the movie is so tonally scattered.

If you want to laugh at a bunch of hilarious non sequiturs without getting invested in the plot or its inconsistencies, Down the Drain is perfect background viewing. Throw it on while you’re working around the house and glance up when something ridiculous happens. If you’re planning to give it your full attention, though, it’s a rough watch.

Down the Drain is streaming for free on Tubi, and a lot of your enjoyment will come from the fact that you didn’t have to pay for it.

For the first time in more than 20 years, we have not one, but two The Lord of the Rings movies in development, as Peter Jackson recently announced The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past. This new project is co-written by none other than one of the biggest Lord of the Rings buffs around, Stephen Colbert, and he has already told fans what the story is all about: the very early days of Frodo’s (Elijah Wood) quest carrying the One Ring, told in chapters III to VIII of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. These chapters are not part of Jackson’s film trilogy, so what’s so special about them that prompts a whole new movie?

Chapters III to V of ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ Cover Frodo’s Departure From the Shire

The chapters mentioned by Colbert are part of Book 1 of The Fellowship of the Ring, including “Three Is Company,” “A Shortcut to Mushrooms,” “A Conspiracy Unmasked,” “The Old Forest,” “In the House of Tom Bombadil,” and “Fog on the Barrow-downs.” Although they were ultimately cut from Jackson’s movie, they set up some important and surprising aspects of Frodo’s story as Ring-bearer, as well as how the whole Shire had a part to play in helping him.

Considering Gandalf (Ian McKellen) told him not to draw attention, Frodo had to come up with a plan to justify his leaving Hobbiton, so he actually sells Bag End to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and buys a small house in Crickhollow, closer to Buckland, where his mother was from and his cousin, Merry (Dominic Monaghan), lives. He has help from Merry, Pippin (Billy Boyd), Samwise (Sean Astin), and Fatty Bolger, all of whom already know all about the One Ring.

On their way to Crickhollow, Frodo and his party have their first encounter with the Elves and, later, the Nazgûl (which is being featured in the film). They are also welcomed by Farmer Maggott before continuing on their way. When they arrive in Crickhollow, they decide that Fatty should stay behind to give the impression that Frodo is still there. Finally moving on from the Shire, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin proceed to the Old Forest.

Chapters VI to VIII Cover the Hobbits’ Early Adventures and Introduce a Fan-Favorite Character

The Old Forest shares a distant connection to Fangorn Forest; its trees aren’t Ents, but they are more aware and act slowly out of their own free will. The Hobbits have a hard time passing through it, as the forest doesn’t like strangers, and Merry and Pippin are lulled and almost swallowed by Old Man Willow, an ancient tree. Frodo and Sam are unsuccessful in trying to rescue them, and only when Tom Bombadil arrives, telling it to “eat, dig, drink and sleep,” does the tree comply.

Shadows of the Past also has the chance to finally bring Tom Bombadil to the big screen, as he plays a large role in chapters VI to VIII. He rescues the Hobbits from the Old Forest and welcomes them into his home, where he lives with his wife, Goldberry. Bombadil is one of the most mysterious characters in The Lord of the Rings; the One Ring has no effect on him whatsoever, and he is older than the world itself. When Frodo asks Goldberry who or what exactly Bombadil is, she simply answers: “He is.”

After eating a lot and sharing stories, the Hobbits move on toward Bree. After falling asleep, they wake up in the thick fog of the Barrow-downs, a region east of the Old Forest inhabited by evil spirits known as the Barrow-wights. The party is almost trapped forever there, but are rescued once again by Tom Bombadil, who simply sings a song commanding the Barrow-wights to leave and disperse — and they obey. The Hobbits then collect some ancient Númenórean weapons there and move on to Bree.

Stephen Colbert’s Movie Could Lean More on the Fable Side of ‘The Lord of the Rings’

The whole premise of Shadows of the Past is to tell the story of those six chapters through the eyes of Elanor Gardner, Sam’s daughter, who “has discovered a long-buried secret” about “why the War of the Ring was very nearly lost before it even began.” In those chapters, although the Hobbits knew the importance of the One Ring, their mission was still to simply take it to Bree, where Gandalf said he would meet them and figure out how to take it to Rivendell.

At that point, the whole story still feels more like a fable, filled with magical beings and places instead of the overwhelming evil we usually think about. It’s a much lighter reading, with a more whimsical story, fitting perfectly within the idea of the Hobbits learning the world can be a dangerous place as a prelude to everything they will accomplish later on. Seeing how the movie also suddenly introduces Merry and Pippin, this may feel like a story that Frodo and Sam “hid” from the others so as not to alarm anyone about how much danger the Shire was really in.

As to Elanor, it makes perfect sense that she be the one to find out. When Sam departs into the West, he entrusts her with the Red Book of Westmarch, the book Frodo and Bilbo (Ian Holm) wrote with the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. If Peter Jackson’s trilogies tell these stories, it would make sense that Sam includes these chapters when he has the book, as Frodo and Bilbo clearly left them out. And it also makes sense for someone other than Jackson to tell us this story in our world — someone like Stephen Colbert.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

December 19, 2001

Runtime

Advertisement

178 Minutes

Writers

Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, J.R.R. Tolkien

Advertisement

Producers

Barrie M. Osborne, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Mark Ordesky, Robert Shaye, Tim Sanders

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

By Brian Myers
| Published 14 seconds ago

After being absent from the surface for more than five decades, NASA has scheduled a series of manned trips to the moon. Before brave astronauts are launched into orbit above its surface, private aerospace companies have announced their own unmanned endeavors onto lunar soil as well.

Four separate missions will be carried out in the coming months. Each one carries its own objective, with the overall scope hoping to aid the return of humankind’s 2028 trip to the moon.

The Artemis Program’s Influence

The last time the Earth’s lone satellite hosted people was more than 50 years ago. On December 11, 1972, Apollo 17’s Lunar Lander touched down on the surface of the moon, carrying with it the mission’s Commander Gene Cernan and module pilot Harrison Schmitt. The NASA astronauts stayed nearly three days, collecting lunar samples, setting up testing equipment, and completing three moon walks. On December 14, Cernan and Schmitt departed and returned to Earth in the Command Module that was operated by Ronald Evans (NASA).

Over the next several decades, interest in returning to the moon’s surface was impeded by a variety of factors. Technological advancements led to some arguing that robotics was the safest and most economical option for further exploration, while NASA‘s Space Shuttle Program was more popular politically than returning to the big rock that orbits our planet. Science News Today sums up these sentiments, claiming that “sustained lunar exploration would require infrastructure and investment comparable to Apollo, without the same political motivation to justify it.”

The creation of the Artemis Program in 2017 has helped to ignite a new generation’s passion in human lunar exploration. The next set of human footprints are slated to lay down treads in 2028, with multiple unmanned lunar landing crafts scheduled over the next two years. After two successful missions last year by Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines (USA Today), excitement among the aerospace community and the public at large has begun to swell. 

Upcoming Missions Are Imminent

The series of 2026 missions will begin with Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic and its Griffin-1 program. After the failed attempt of the company’s Peregrine lander in 2024, Astrobotic is aiming to place two moon rovers at the South Pole. This is Astrobotic’s first attempt at a lunar landing since Peregrine burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere after its launch, the result of a massive propellant leak.

A 322-foot rocket designed by Amazon frontman Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is also aiming for a lunar South Pole landing this year. The unmanned craft is expected to carry cargo and rovers for upcoming Artemis manned missions to the moon.

Following up on its success with last year’s Blue Ghost mission, Firefly Aerospace will be aiming for the far side of the moon this year. Touting the upcoming Blue Ghost 2 as “bigger and bolder,” the company will carry equipment and supplies for both the upcoming Artemis missions and future commercial customers. Additionally, Firefly will leave its Elytra Dark Vehicle in the moon’s orbit for surface imaging purposes over the next five years.

In 2024, Houston’s Intuitive Machines became the first private company to successfully place a lunar lander on the moon. Coming in hot on the heels of its Athena Lander, the company hopes that its latest endeavor, named IM-3, will make a soft landing on the moon’s South Pole. The IM-3 is scheduled to launch at the end of the year and will hitch a ride to the moon’s orbit attached to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ship.

Roommates, things are getting messy in North Carolina. TikTok star Brenay Kennard is now on the hook for $40,000 while appealing a whopping $1.75 million judgment tied to the breakup of Akira Montague’s marriage. Now, a Durham judge has made a ruling in the case involving Brenay and her connection to Akira Montague’s marriage, raising eyebrows over what exactly went down with her ex, Tim.

RELATED: Oop! TikTok Influencer Brenay Kennard Must Pay $1.75M After Husband’s Ex‑Wife Wins Affair Lawsuit

Brenay Kennard And Akira Montague’s Court Showdown

Roomies, this all stems from a viral case back in November, when a jury sided with Montague, who accused Kennard of “alienation of affection” and “criminal conversation”—basically claiming she intentionally helped end the marriage while having a fling with Montague’s spouse. These types of lawsuits, known as “heart balm” torts, are rare, recognized in only a handful of states like North Carolina, and they’ve now got TikTok buzzing.

Furthermore, at a recent hearing, Kennard reportedly spent over an hour breaking down her finances, explaining how the allegations have hurt her brand deals and made it difficult for her to earn money online. She also said the case, combined with a cyberstalking charge, has made it tough to land jobs outside social media, like substitute teaching in Wake County. However, Montague’s lawyer didn’t buy it, pointing out that Kennard’s lifestyle doesn’t seem much different—she’s still dining out and shopping despite the court judgment. The saga is far from over, and we’ll keep an eye on how this courtroom showdown unfolds.

Fans Are Serving Hot Takes Left And Right

Roommates, the moment hit TSR’s Instagram and the comment section absolutely erupted. Some fans joked that being “the other woman” in 2026 just isn’t what it used to be, while others were calling out the obvious—y’all need to stop messing with people’s spouses. Of course, a few weren’t holding back, claiming that no man is worth that level of drama or stress in anyone’s life.

One Instagram user @_chvnel5 commented, “There’s no man on earth worth this idc“

This Instagram user @bigghennyyy added, “I’m Confused So The Man Innocent? 😂”

And, Instagram user @teeemarieee_03 claimed, “What’s crazy is i went down the rabbit hole and found out brenay actually dated him first when they were younger 😂”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @nishaa.a shared, “That’s what she gets! Ms. ‘She won’t see a penny of it.’ Now Akira about to see $40k of it🤭🥳”

While Instagram user @flawednfabulous wrote, “Yall gon stop playing with people husbands eventually lol.“

Lastly, Instagram user @_suckafreesi said, “Being a sneaky link used to be free 😪 can’t do nothing in this economy“

High School Flames, Courtroom Drama, And A Bag In Question

TikTok star Brenay Kennard and Timothy Montague’s messy saga finally hit a courtroom in North Carolina, leaving everyone asking—wait, what actually went down? As previously reported, Brenay and Tim go way back to high school, and by late 2023, things allegedly got romantic again—even as Brenay was married to Devon Mayo. Fast forward a few months, and the Montagues separated in March 2024 and divorced in August, while Brenay allegedly ended up with Tim.

Despite her claims that she wasn’t the cause of Akira and Tim’s split, a jury sided with Akira, handing down a $1.75 million judgment. Brenay and Tim both called the ruling “outrageous,” with Brenay insisting Akira had played the victim and lied during the trial. Meanwhile, Akira is cashing in on accountability, not revenge, and the saga leaves fans debating who really deserves the blame—and whether any man is worth this much drama.

RELATED: Chrisean Rock Speaks Out Amid Reports Of Bench Warrant Following Missed Court Appearance

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 14 seconds ago

The latest Star Trek show was so unpopular that it was not only cancelled, but it has salted the earth for many other Star Trek shows and movies. Starfleet Academy couldn’t place even on Paramount Plus’s top streaming shows, much less compete with anything from other services. Yet the show’s supporters, including featured series actors Gina Yashere and Robert Picardo, have found someone else to blame: the fans.

Yashere, who played the Jem Hadar/Klingon hybrid, said in an Instagram post that “I’ll let you guys come to your own conclusions as to why we didn’t get to continue this wonderful legacy… Stay woke. Wokey woke. Wokest of woke. Wokeylicious. A cacophony of woke.”

Holographic doctor Picardo was more specific on X, “Careful! Can’t remind the ‘real Star Trek fans’ on this platform form [sic] what real Star Trek is and was meant to be. They get angry and abusive…” He then went on to single out Jon Del Arroz of Fandom Pulse, who he has blocked on the social media site; Picardo tagged Del Arroz after blocking him.

Hater Conspiracy Theories

To them and other crew of the show, the problem wasn’t that the show disregarded or ignored established Star Trek lore, sent all the Klingons to their version of Hell, or included gratuitous characters like the aforementioned half-Klingon or another Klingon who doesn’t want to fight and wears a dress (both are Klingons are LGBTQ). According to Yashere, Picardo, and others who were enthusiastic about the show, the real reason Starfleet Academy was cancelled was that disingenuous “chuds” review-bombed the show on critic-aggregate sites and launched a campaign against it. Yashere did not hold back that she directly believes bigotry was more involved than valid criticism.

The show’s failure was blamed on disingenuous fans supposedly poisoning the well against it, rather than on any accountability for the show’s flaws. The word is that the “trolls” who didn’t like the show are so culturally powerful that they were able to dissuade fans from watching the show entirely just by saying “mean” things about its plot, characters, and lore.

According to this logic, all the people who normally would have watched failed to do so because they were convinced by “irrational” haters to believe that it was not worth watching. Picardo, Yashere, and many fan accounts claim the show is excellent and the best Star Trek installment yet, so blame its failure on other, more insidious factors. 

The Reality Of What Viewers Want

Star Trek fans don’t seem to want sloppy writing or transparent “representation”; they want a good story, no matter who is in it. There is even a petition on Change.org to convince Paramount to “Batgirl” the second season by writing it off for tax purposes so it never airs.

Many fans agree that it is better for the show’s legacy to be preserved rather than sullied by a second season that the majority of fans don’t seem to want, as evidenced by viewing metrics. This has been a point of debate since Christopher Cushman’s infamous tweet in which he threatened that cancellation of the franchise would result from the “review bombing” of Starfleet Academy.

Internal Politics At Paramount May Be The Real Impetus For Change

However, some are convinced that changes within the Paramount corporation are also an impetus behind the cancellation. The recent purchase of Paramount by the Ellison family (famously supporters of President Trump) as well as the hiring of Bari Weiss as editor of CBS News, has caused Hollywood pundits to have “concerns” about the future of creativity from the studio and its holdings under “right-wing” ownership.

These expressions of concern have grown louder now that Paramount has acquired Warner Brothers, including HBO and CNN. As a result, Starfleet Academy’s few defenders often blamed owner David Ellison’s influence, direct or indirect, for cancelling the show.

Fan Blaming Is An Old Trick

None of these attacks on fans are new. Other IPs have accused fans of every -ism and -phobia available. This has been used to blame fans for the bad reception of other major franchises (Star Wars), of television properties (Doctor Who and the cancelled Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot), feature films (The Bride), and even video games (Dragon Age: Veilguard, Concord). Why make a quality product when you can just accuse the people who want quality of being evil?

What’s really disingenuous is that while Yashere and Picardo blame review bombs for the failure of Starfleet Academy to attract audiences or retain fans, there really is a show, The Pendragon Cycle, that has actively been suppressed by mainstream reviewers. Starfleet Academy has a Tomatometer score averaging 87%, while The Pendragon Cycle still has no score at all, not even a bad one.

For the King Arthur show, part of the problem is that it’s on a niche streaming site, but another part of the problem is that it has not only been ignored but actively suppressed. The hew and cry over Starfleet Academy’s cancellation is hypocritical when the behavior being criticized is the exact behavior these critics themselves have engaged in. It is, as Yashere reminds us, “a cacophony of woke.”

Whether the second season of Starfleet Academy airs or is shelved remains to be seen, but it’s doubtful that any of the show’s flaws will be meaningfully addressed. It’s easier to blame fans for being bigoted against the weak plots and gratuitous characters than it is to accept that you’ve failed.

By continually accusing detractors of bigotry, the showrunners, actors, and fans of Starfleet Academy avoid accountability by taking a stolen moral high ground and dismissing any concerns. It’s too bad the “correct” people didn’t tune in, or maybe they’d have a leg to stand on.

In our post-Yellowstone world, many of the best Western shows out there have been long-forgotten in favor of the Taylor Sheridan brand of the American West (or some other modern take on the locale). Although certain classics like Gunsmoke and Bonanza will never fully fall to the wayside, many of the other TV Westerns of the day weren’t so lucky. If you’re looking for a show that has been off the beaten path for a while, you’ve come to the right place.

For Western shows that have largely been left in the dust, here are the ventures into the Old West that you won’t want to miss out on. Between action/adventure shows, family comedies, and more traditional frontier fodder, these picks include a little something for everyone. So, without further ado, saddle up, because we’re taking a ride back in time.

‘The Young Riders’ (1989–1992)

Image via ABC

Based on the historical Pony Express, The Young Riders was a fictional take on the famed mail carriers that first pushed Josh Brolin and Stephen Baldwin as “Wild Bill” James Hickok and “Buffalo Bill” Cody, respectively. Joining them were a handful of other riders, and together the group tackled all the injustices of the Old West prior to the American Civil War. It’s a great time that is made better by enjoyable characters who keep you invested until the very end.

Seemingly inspired by the success of Young Guns (though that was never proven), The Young Riders pulled in younger demographics as it aimed to make the Western cool again. For the most part, it remained consistent throughout its three-season run, ending quite satisfactory. The beauty, of course, is that this is one of the best Western programs out there that’s available to stream free of charge.

‘How the West Was Won’ (1976–1979)

Image via ABC

After James Arness was forced off the air with the cancellation of Gunsmoke, he returned to the Old West as Zebulon Macahan in the television adaptation of How the West Was Won. The series followed the Macahan family as they escaped the horrors of the Civil War to travel west and begin a new life for themselves, only leading to more hardship and heartbreak along the way. And yet, despite all of those challenges, it’s a hard one to turn off.

After a made-for-TV movie to kick it off, How the West Was Won enjoyed three seasons of hour-and-a-half-long frontier dramas. Each installment was like a standalone film, with serialized hints of the Macahans’ exploits as they ventured further westward. Though not a game-changing Western that forever changed the genre, the series is quite enjoyable, and certainly worth the binge. Don’t believe us? Watch this William Shatner episode for proof!

‘Death Valley Days’ (1952–1970)

Image via McGowan Productions

Despite running for 20 seasons across two decades, Death Valley Days is often overlooked when it comes to classic Western TV. It’s a shame too, because for an impressive 452 episodes, this anthology program uncovered many of the long-forgotten tales of the Old West, with each new installment recounting a new tale of American history. It was both educational and engaging, which is likely partly why it was on the air for so long. It’s just a shame that many have forgotten about it since.

Another classic anthology series that few remember, Death Valley Days was one of the greats. Boasting several hosts over the years, including Ronald Reagan (who even starred in several episodes), the show often challenged our perceptions of the wild frontier by revealing the true stories of those who settled it. Of course, it also gave Clint Eastwood his first on-screen television credit, so that’s a pretty big deal in itself.

‘The Magnificent Seven’ (1998–2000)

Image via CBS

You may think you know the classic story of The Magnificent Seven, and if you’ve seen the original 1960 film (or its 2016 remake), then you probably do. But that’s only the beginning of the story, at least if this CBS series proves anything. A television remake of the original concept, The Magnificent Seven unites seven gunslingers to protect a small town from a band of outlaws — and instead of riding into the sunset, they stick around for a while to keep the peace.

The ensemble cast includes heavy hitters like Michael Biehn, Eric Close, Laurie Holden, and Ron Perlman, with each episode generally focusing on a new member of the title Seven. With two seasons and 22 episodes total, the network Western takes its time to really develop each member of the group. The results rival anything you might expect from a series trying to ride off the success of one of the genre’s greatest theatrical installments.

‘The Loner’ (1965–1966)

Image via CBS

After his work on The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling decided to move away from science fiction in favor of a careful examination of the Old West. The result was The Loner, a Lloyd Bridges-centric series that followed ex-Union officer William Colton as he traveled throughout the open range, dealing with more mature and adult drama than was popular with most Western programs at the time (like The Lone Ranger). Although it only lasted 26 episodes, Serling knew how to make the genre shine.

Bridges played the wandering gunslinger with ease, emphasizing how one man can truly make a difference when faced with the injustices and brutality of the world. One of the genre’s most criminally underrated shows, The Loner is a remarkable piece of television that, sadly, just didn’t make the cut at the time. But revisiting the series now will prove a real treat, especially if you’re looking for something of such high caliber as The Twilight Zone (just don’t expect any time-traveling, supernatural shenanigans like Serlings’ previous Western entries).

‘Harts of the West’ (1993–1994)

Image via CBS

A more comedic take on the American West, Harts of the West is the only Western-based series on this list set closer to present day, technically making it a neo-Western. When Beau Bridges‘ Dave Hart has a life-threatening heart attack and a midlife crisis, he moves his family out of the Chicagoland area to the middle-of-nowhere Nevada, buys a run-down ranch, and fulfills his life-long dream of living like a cowboy. Yeah, it sounds like a wild premise (and it is), but this one-season dramedy absolutely delivers.

Alongside local cowboy Jake (played by Bridges’ father and The Loner star Lloyd Bridges), the Hart family fixes up their homestead and gets involved with the eclectic group that populates the town of Sholo. No doubt, this short-lived CBS gem is both funnier and more heartfelt than you’d expect, perfect for fans of Little House on the Prairie. And, for those hardcore Western fans out there, you’ll appreciate that Dave and Allison (Harley Jane Kozak) named their three children after Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, and John “Duke” Wayne himself.

‘Hec Ramsey’ (1972–1974)

Image via NBC

After several years headlining the six-season Have Gun — Will Travel, longtime TV star Richard Boone returned to the Old West in his later years for Hec Ramsey. With episodes ranging from 90 minutes to two hours in length, the Oklahoma-based program followed the title investigator as he solved crimes in the early 20th century using budding scientific techniques and technologies. Think of it as a cross between Gunsmoke and CSI.

A solid two-season Western worth the binge, Hec Ramsey combined modern procedural investigative techniques with a traditional period setting. In many respects, Boone considered Hec to be a sort of continuation of his Paladin character from Have Gun, though there were no real connections between the shows. Still, it’s hard to say no to such a memorable Western star; just be warned, you’ll wish this 10-episode series ran a bit longer.

‘The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.’ (1993–1994)

Image via FOX

Admittedly, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. isn’t your traditional shoot-’em-up Western adventure. More of a “Weird Western,” the series follows Bruce Campbell as the titular hero who is seeking justice for his father’s murder, only to be thrown into a sci-fi-inspired adventure. No, there are no space aliens or robots, but time travel and rockets are certainly factors.

If you already love Bruce Campbell, then this is one adventure you can’t pass up on — even if it’s not his usual flavor of horror or action/adventure. With its steampunk-themed Western style, Brisco County, Jr. was unlike any other horse opera out there, always pushing the boundaries of what the period could pull off. And yet, it remains a cult favorite for the few who followed it thoroughly.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 13 seconds ago

Part of what makes Star Trek cool is that, like all good sci-fi, it forces viewers to consider perspectives that are very different from their own. After all, when characters like Kirk and Picard go “seek out new life and new civilizations,” they don’t always find perfect mirrors of Earth culture. Often, they find worlds that are alien in every sense of the word, populated by beings with values very different from those of humanity.

In Voyager, the collision of values came to a head in the Season 2 episode “Elogium.” This episode’s B plot concerned itself with whether Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Kes (Jennifer Lien) were ready to have children, a discussion made more intense by the fact that she was undergoing a Ponn Farr like mating drive. That seems relatable enough on paper, but these two have an age gap that goes way beyond problematic. You see, Kes was only one year old in this episode, which basically cemented Neelix as (by human standards) the galaxy’s biggest sex pest.

Groomer Has It

The A Plot of “Elogium” has to do with the ship trying to get rid of a swarm of space critters that keep draining power from vital areas like helm and shields. In the B plot, the swarm somehow triggers a premature elogium in Kes. This is the name her people (the Ocampa) use for a special mating cycle where they feel the urge to reproduce. It normally only happens to Ocampa who are four or five years old. Kes is only one year old, and she and Neelix weigh whether to have kids. They ultimately decide against it, and Voyager’s successful escape from the swarm frees Kes from their influence.

These days, the young age of Kes is a source of dark humor for Star Trek fans who joke about Neelix being a creeper for having a one-year-old girlfriend. Interestingly, script writer Kenneth Biller (whose success on “Elogium” landed him a position on the show’s staff as executive story editor) revealed that producers fretted over discussions about Neelix and Kes having sex.

In an interview with Cinefantastique, Biller revealed that he “wanted them to be living together and doing it, but Jeri [Taylor] and Rick [Berman] had some concerns that she is so young.” Collectively, the producers worried, “Are we sending the right message to say that they are screwing?”

Alien Sex: Even Weirder Than You Imagined

Eventually, the producers convinced Biller that it would be “more interesting if we show the time they have to first confront this issue.” However, he felt that the idea that Neelix and Kes hadn’t yet had sex was pretty unbelievable, given when “Elogium” aired. You see, this episode was filmed for Season 1 but ultimately pushed back to Season 2. “I thought it began to feel less believable and a little odd to tell the audience almost a year later that these people have never had any kind of sexual relationship.”

Biller eventually accepted that what would seem weird to us wouldn’t necessarily be weird to aliens. “Who knows what mating is for an Ocampa?” he asked. “Just because they didn’t have a sexual relationship is open to discussion and people can kind of believe what they want.” These words proved quite prophetic: decades after Voyager aired its final episodes, fans still question whether or not Neelix and Kes had an explicitly intimate relationship. 

Neelix And The Week-Long Erection

Biller enjoyed that Kes’s story doubles as a teen pregnancy metaphor, but he mostly liked how this episode was “trying to play with the weirdness of alien sexuality.” This included that the couple would have to be bonded for a full week before any action: “you see the look on Neelix’s face that he was metaphorically going to have to keep it up for seven days.” Sadly, the show never really returned to this level of sexual tension between the two characters again; they would later break up in Season 3 before Kes left the show to make way for Seven of Nine, arguably the biggest source of sexual tension in all of Voyager.

To this day, “Elogium” remains something of a Star Trek anomaly. As a Voyager episode, its A Plot does a good job of illustrating how weird life on the final frontier can be, making for a fascinating bottle episode. Its B Plot, meanwhile, focused on the quirk of Ocampan biology that would effectively give Neelix a pass to get his one-year-old girlfriend pregnant. In that way, this obscure Star Trek episode gives Neelix a new title. He was already the cook and the morale officer; now, thanks to “Elogium,” he’s also the biggest, weirdest sex pest in the entire Delta Quadrant.

Mixing horror with comedy is a fine line. Throw in too many laughs, and the scares can be stripped away. Make the plot too dark, and there’s no joke funny enough. Movies like An American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Scream, and so many others have pulled it off by delivering on the comedy while also keeping the antagonists terrifying. Then there’s Joe Dante‘s Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. The original is filled with plenty of Christmastime horror as hundreds of pint-sized little creatures descend on a town and start killing the residents. Despite being PG, it gave plenty of kids, including this writer, countless nightmares.

However, the gremlins and their wild antics are also a source of laughs. This is done to great effect in the first film, then turned up to eleven in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. In the sequel, Dante throws everything at the wall, and most of it sticks in a zany, meta comedy that feels like a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon. Considered a disappointment when it was released, the sequel is now a cult classic. Together, Gremlins and Gremlins 2 show the passion of a talented filmmaker let loose.

‘Gremlins’ Was Made More Family Friendly by Producer Steven Spielberg

Before he directed Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and multiple Harry Potter movies, Chris Columbus was a struggling writer when he came up with the idea for Gremlins. His original screenplay was a vicious, R-rated monster movie, with the creatures killing everyone in their path, including the family dog. But then executive producer Steven Spielberg saw the script, and before it went into production with Joe Dante, he suggested several changes. He wanted Gremlins to be a boy-and-his-dog type movie, so he made Gizmo, who was originally supposed to turn into an evil gremlin too, the protagonist alongside Billy (Zach Galligan), and cut down on a lot of the death scenes.

Families went into the theater in 1984 not knowing what to expect. The PG rating alluded to a cute little movie, perhaps with some slightly scary creatures thrown in. What they got was scene after scene of gremlin carnage, with creatures exploding in microwaves and humans chomped on and launched out of windows. Gremlins is tame compared to today’s levels of violence, but in the mid 80s, the outrage was enough that Spielberg helped create the PG-13 rating in response.

Related

8 Movie Masterpieces From the ’80s That Could Never Get Made Today

They don’t make them as they did in the ’80s.

Advertisement

Gremlins perfectly blends genres. It is a boy-and-his-dog type movie reminiscent of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, as Billy forms a bond with the impossibly adorable and wide-eyed Gizmo, a happy creature who is nothing like the vicious spawn that comes from him. Billy is given a sweet romance with Kate (Phoebe Cates), but none of it works without the creatures themselves. The gremlins were created by Chris Walas, who would later go on to win a Best Makeup Academy Award for The Fly. In an era before CGI, and better than CGI could ever do, Walas brought the gremlins to life in a three-dimensional space. They felt like they truly existed, which only heightens both the laughs and the terror.

Warner Bros. Gave Director Joe Dante Creative Control for ‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’

It’s no surprise that Joe Dante would make such a good horror comedy. He’d already done it before with Piranha and The Howling. However, when Warner Bros. came to him hoping for Gremlins 2, he had no interest in repeating himself. But then the studio made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: complete creative control. Dante would be allowed to do whatever he wanted with zero studio interference. How could he say no to that?

Written by Charles S. Haas, Dante took Warner Bros. up on their offer and went for it. Gremlins 2: The New Batch is similar to the first film, with Billy, Kate, and Gizmo returning, but this time the suburbs of Kingston Falls are traded in for a New York City skyscraper run by the Donald Trump-like Daniel Clamp (John Glover). This becomes the setting for all types of havoc where everything you can think of is tried. The mogwai are a little sillier this time around. When they transform, the building’s advancements, including an in-house science lab, leads to the most cartoony monster movie you’ll ever see. One gremlin turns into a spider, another a bat. Tony Randall voices one who puts on glasses and talks. Gremlins 2 is the pub scene in Gremlins if it lasted for two whole acts. Its meta approach, which includes the gremlins shutting the real movie down until Hulk Hogan intervenes, works because, although how the gremlins are created has those three famous rules, the creatures themselves have no rules to their behavior. They are born chaos with zero limitations. Destruction and wild behavior are their entire reason for existing, allowing Dante to push the envelope without ever risking jumping the shark. It was done so well that Key & Peele would parody it brilliantly a few decades later.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch was a dud when it came out in 1990, only making $41 million at the box office compared to the original’s $148 million. Audiences wanted a repeat of the first film and got the exact opposite. It’s the definition of a movie made before it’s time. Today, it’s celebrated as a stellar meta horror comedy, and the type of movie they don’t make anymore. Combined, they’re perfect to watch together to see how a two-film franchise can evolve. Whenever Gremlins 3 is made, it’s going to have a very hard act to follow.

Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch are available to rent or buy on VOD services in the U.S.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

June 8, 1984

Runtime

Advertisement

106 minutes

Director

Joe Dante

Advertisement

Writers

Chris Columbus

Advertisement

Producers

Michael Finnell

Advertisement

• 

  Zach Galligan

  Advertisement

  Billy Peltzer

• 

  Phoebe Cates

  Kate Beringer

  Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement