Fox’s remake of Doc Martin, Best Medicine, is set in Port Wenn — but is the town a real place?

Best Medicine follows a doctor who “moves from the city of Boston, Massachusetts to a small practice in the East Coast fishing village where he vacationed as a child,” according to the official synopsis.

Josh Charles plays Dr. Martin Best while Abigail Spencer, Josh Segarra, Cree, Annie Potts, Didi Conn, Clea Lewis, Stephen Spinella, Jason Veasey, Cindy De La Cru, John DiMaggio, Carter Shimp and dog cast member Wattson make up the rest of the cast.

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While Port Wenn is introduced as a small town in Maine, filming actually took place in Cornwall, New York. During Us Weekly‘s set visit for Best Medicine, Spencer spoke about the change of scenery.

“It’s nice. I’ve actually done quite a few shows where we I lived in a house with my producer and my costars. When I did Rectify, we were in Georgia. It just feels more like you’re going there to make something all together,” the actress shared with Us. “And then you’re really invested in the community. I’ve made friends a lot with the local businesses. That’s part of what we get to do is invest in community as well.”

Keep scrolling for a glimpse at Us‘ behind the scenes visit to the Best Medicine set:

Gracie Abrams is opening up about the two relationships shaping her creative life in very different ways: her friendship with Taylor Swift and her romance with Paul Mescal. In a new cover story, Abrams praised Swift’s creative freedom and prolific output after witnessing her career up close as an opening act on the “Eras Tour.” Gracie Abrams also clarified earlier comments about worrying that a stable relationship could weaken her songwriting drive, insisting that Paul Mescal has actually had “the most amazing effect” on her work.

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Abrams has been a fan of Swift for years, but touring together gave her an intimate look at how the superstar approaches songwriting and her evolving musical eras. “Something I’ve admired so much about Taylor’s career, as a forever fan, is her output, not just from a place of a quantity, but seemingly from a place of freedom within herself, to just be like, ‘Yep, here’s the nutshell from this time,’” Abrams told Rolling Stone.

Rather than focusing only on the number of projects Swift has released, Abrams appears most inspired by her willingness to document distinct periods of her life without becoming trapped by what came before. Each album can serve as a snapshot of a particular emotional chapter, allowing Swift to release it and then continue evolving. That example carries particular relevance for Abrams as she moves into a new phase of her own career and personal life.

Taylor Swift And Gracie Abrams Toured Together

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Abrams opened for Swift during the “Eras Tour,” placing her in front of massive stadium audiences while her own career was rapidly growing. The tour offered the younger artist more than increased exposure. It also gave her the opportunity to observe the creative and professional discipline behind one of the world’s biggest touring productions.

Now, as Abrams releases more music and enters a new level of mainstream success, Swift’s example appears to have given her a model for remaining creatively free without feeling obligated to repeat a previous version of herself.

Singer Clarifies Paul Mescal ‘Threatened’ Her Career Narrative

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Abrams also used the Rolling Stone interview to address the reaction to comments she previously made about Mescal. While speaking with Vogue, the musician admitted that she initially “worried” a stable relationship might end up “threatening [her] drive to write music.”

Some readers interpreted the remark as Abrams saying Mescal himself threatened her career, which caught the singer completely off guard. “I’m like, ‘Are we on crack? Like, what the f-ck?’” she recalled. “That was my cue to be like, ‘Oh, remember why you don’t look [at social media]?’”

Her concern was not that Mescal would interfere with her ambitions or prevent her from working. Instead, Abrams had questioned whether being happy and secure might change the emotional conditions that had previously fueled her songwriting.

According to the singer, that fear proved unfounded.

Paul Mescal Has Had ‘The Most Amazing Effect’ On Her Music

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Abrams said her relationship with Mescal has only strengthened her writing by creating room for reflection. She described the romance as having “had the most amazing effect on my writing.”

The “Normal People” actor has reportedly offered Abrams “the most amount of space to reflect on everything in my life.” That perspective has extended far beyond their relationship, helping the singer reconsider past romances and better understand her other personal connections. “It has held a mirror to me in ways that I didn’t know a relationship with another person of any kind could,” she continued.

Abrams credited the relationship with allowing her to examine areas of her life that may not have previously felt connected. “It has given me all the perspective that I could have ever hoped for, on previous relationships, on my relationship with my family, on my friendships,” she said. “It is the greatest gift, period.”

Gracie Abrams Is Protecting Her Relationship From Online Noise

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The confusion surrounding her Vogue remarks served as a reminder of why Abrams tries to avoid social media commentary about her personal life. A concern about how emotional stability might affect the songwriting process was quickly transformed into a larger narrative about Mescal supposedly threatening her career.

The singer’s decision to step away from online interpretations also allows her to protect a relationship she believes has created greater emotional and artistic clarity. Rather than diminishing the heartbreak and introspection often associated with her music, Mescal has apparently given her new angles from which to examine them.

Jared Leto is seemingly already facing the fallout of the ongoing assault allegations attached to his name.

The actor has been at the center of renewed scrutiny after scores of women came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct.

Now, sources say, Leto has been dropped from a big-time thriller project he was keen on participating in.

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Days after the bombshell claims, Hollywood insiders say the disgraced actor was axed from the political thriller movie “Assassination.”

Production executives of the Barry Levison-directed project reportedly turned down Leto amid the mounting sexual misconduct allegations. An insider told Page Six that the “Morbius” star was long in talks to be a part of the film since last year, expressing extreme interest in being cast. 

One informant noted that it was “seeming like a done deal” until the accusations popped their ugly heads, causing executives to steer clear. 

A separate source, however, said the allegations didn’t just come to Levison and his team’s notice, as they were well aware behind the scenes. It was reportedly even discussed internally, but when more women began coming forward, it was too obvious to sweep under the rug.

Jared Leto’s Hollywood Future Facing Jeopardy

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The reports of Leto’s axing from “Assassination” follow the predictions that his career might not survive the allegations.

The 54-year-old, who was set for a Hollywood resurgence with the release of “Masters of the Universe,” now has to fight against the tide of accusations that threaten his livelihood.

“Jared’s career in film, TV and on stage with his music is very much in trouble. He might be completely done, and he knows it. It is scary for him right now,” the source explained, according to The Blast.

Even if no criminal charges come from the bombshell claims, Leto fears the court of public opinion might sentence him to Hollywood banishment, making him an abomination for casting directors.

The actor is said to be “devastated” by how things have played out.

Inside The ‘Predatory’ Claims Against Jared Leto 

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Nine women came forward with stories of inappropriate behavior from Leto that took place over the last two decades.

According to The Blast, one of the accusers claimed her interaction with the Thirty Seconds To Mars bandleader happened when she was 17 as he “assaulted and traumatized” her at an event. 

The alleged victim Allie Teliz spoke about the incident in a recently resurfaced 2012 Facebook post where she wrote, “Youre [sic] not really in L.A. until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… In a kilt.. And a snow hat.”

She further described Leto’s actions as “predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable,” admitting she informed him of her minor status.

For another woman who remained anonymous, she recalled meeting Leto on the way to the bathroom and exchanging numbers following a quick discussion.

The accuser, who was reportedly 16 at the time, began engaging in late-night text exchanges with the “Suicide Squad” star and he asked her obscene questions to test her knowledge of sex.

The Actor Cried Out About False Allegations From Accusers

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More accusations surfaced in the BBC documentary, “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret,” where one accuser spoke up about having intimate relations with Leto when she was only 17.

Although she pointed out that she was below the age of consent in California to Leto, she claimed he shoved aside her concerns, saying, “Age is just a number.”

Leto has since denied all allegations brought forward about the incidents that took place between 2002 and 2016.

“I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false,” the Golden Globe winner revealed in a statement, per The Blast.

Jared Leto’s Controversy Sparks Legal Insight

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With Leto’s allegations taking center stage, it provoked questions about the trend of victims waiting years to expose their abusers, especially in Hollywood.

Attorney Megan Thomas, who spoke to The Blast, gave insight into the pattern, attributing it to the troubling power dynamics between both parties.

“The reason survivors in the entertainment industry often take so long to come forward is because of the combination of the fame of the entertainer and the shame carried by the survivor,” she explained.

Thomas noted the influence of celebrity status can be overwhelming, as very few people are willing to challenge stars because of the revenue they make.

Shay Martin is opening up about her new husband, Hunter, and how he helped her find love again in the wake of her late husband Tanner Martin’s death.

“‘I would want to get to know Tanner,’” Shay recalled Hunter telling her when they first connected in an interview with Today digital published on Tuesday, August 4, revealing the eight words her new spouse said that opened up the influencer to the possibility of love again.

Tanner died in June 2025 following a five-year battle with stage 4 colorectal cancer. He was 30. He is survived by Shay and daughter AmyLou, 15 months, who the pair welcomed just one month before his death.

After Tanner’s death, Shay confessed that she “cried a whole lot” while processing her grief.

Related: Shay Martin Reveals She ‘Found Love Again’ 1 Year After Tanner’s Death

Influencer Shay Martin is sharing a heartbreakingly beautiful update one year after her husband Tanner Martin died from colon cancer. “I know there are a lot of people on the internet that care a lot about AmyLou and I, so if that’s you this message is for you,” Shay said over a compilation video shared […]

“I didn’t get divorced from Tanner,” she told the outlet. “I still loved him, and I was always going to love him.”

When Shay was ready to start dating again, she wanted to find a person who wouldn’t try to compete with or be deterred by what she and Tanner had

“He was the first guy who didn’t see Tanner as a threat,” Shay recalled. “I think it takes a confident, empathetic man to do that.”

More than a year after Tanner’s death, Shay gave an update on how she and AmyLou were doing. Shay revealed in the post that she found a second chance at love.

“I know there are a lot of people on the internet that care a lot about AmyLou and I, so if that’s you this message is for you,” Shay said over a compilation video shared via Instagram on Sunday, August 2. “I’ve seen a lot of questions asking how AmyLou and I are doing and where we are in life. It’s been a year filled with both heartbreaking sadness but also incredible blessings. In the past year we’ve welcomed AmyLou, we’ve lost Tanner, I moved to Arizona, where I grew up, and I found love again.”

Shay explained that Tanner wanted her to “find someone who would love AmyLou as his own and honor the life” the couple “built together.” Shay shared that Hunter fulfilled that one wish with no hesitation.

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Related: Shay Martin Shares Why Family Still Pays for Late Husband Tanner’s Phone

Influencer Shay Martin is opening up about one way she and late husband Tanner Martin’s family have kept his memory alive after his death. “We are still paying for Tanner’s phone number,” Shay, 29, responded to a fan who asked if Tanner’s phone was still active during a Q&A on her Instagram Stories on February […]

“I am incredibly grateful to say that I found that person. He has never asked me to leave Tanner behind. Never. He honors my memory with Tanner,” she reflected. “He honors Tanner. He celebrates the love that I had and have for Tanner. And he loves AmyLou the way Tanner would want AmyLou to be loved.”

Shay emphasized that “moving forward is not the same as moving on” from Tanner.

“I remember thinking to myself, even during the five years Tanner fought cancer, ‘I’m never going to remarry. I’m going to be alone and I’m just going to live with that,’” she said. “And eventually, I changed and decided that there is enough love to give, you can never run out of love. And I will never graduate from grief.”

Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on August 4, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:

• Meghan Markle marked her 45th birthday by sharing black-and-white photos on Instagram of herself jumping into a pool in a one-piece swimsuit while holding balloons. The Duchess of Sussex captioned the post, “Thank you for the birthday love! 🎈”

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• Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank welcomed their third child, a daughter born August 3 at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, weighing 6 pounds 9 ounces. The couple are also parents to sons August and Ernest.

• Pete Davidson stepped out in Brooklyn with Brooks Nader‘s sister Sarah Jane Nader on August 3 for a night out in New York City. A source exclusively told Us that the pair “are just friends, nothing more.”

Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance

Television adaptations used to be a high-stakes bet that greatness could survive the leap from page to screen. What’s left to the imagination in a novel is rendered real in a series, so the odds are stacked against exceeding reader expectations. But as we’ve moved away from faithful, event-style minis and TV movies and towards expansive, multi-season adaptations, those stakes have changed; it’s now a bet that greatness can be the foundation for a prestige drama to build a new story of its own.

None of it is possible, however, if you don’t start with a truly great book. From domestic, spy, and legal thrillers to speculative, hard, and dystopian science fiction, these must-read novels are standouts in their respective genres, and more than a few spent time on the bestseller charts. Each one now acts as the basis for a prestige drama series, and in every single instance, the read is just as good as the watch.

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‘The Leftovers’

By Tom Perrotta

Image via Macmillan Publishers

Set three years after a rapture-like event that caused 2% of the population to vanish, The Leftovers doesn’t seek to explain what’s now called the Sudden Departure. Instead, through the lens of the increasingly fractured Garvey family, it focuses on the immense psychological weight carried by those left behind in the small fictional New York town of Mapleton, which has been paralyzed by grief, trauma, and confusion. It’s an exploration of the human propensity to seek meaning in the face of unanswerable questions and how, whether by pushing normalcy and clinging tight to the remnants of bureaucracy, mitigating unbearable guilt by joining nihilist cults, or blindly following charismatic prophets who claim to have all the answers, we cling tight to any narrative that might help us survive.

After HBO optioned The Leftovers for television, author Tom Perrotta actively sought out Lost mastermind Damon Lindelof to be his partner and co-creator. The first season of The Leftovers is based on the source material, adopting its gritty, bleak tone and adding a pinch of magical realism. It’s in the latter two seasons, widely praised for their surreal, darkly humorous execution, where you really feel Lindelof’s presence; the show leaves Mapleton and the book behind, and explores the broader global implications of the Sudden Departure in increasingly insane and unbelievably compelling ways. Though the novel arguably remains the best version of the original story, it’s what the show does beyond that story that makes it one of the best prestige dramas in modern HBO history.

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‘The Night Manager’

By John le Carré

Image via Penguin Random House

The Night Manager was legendary spy novelist John le Carré‘s first book after the Cold War, marking a significant shift away from the gritty world of espionage and geopolitical conflict and a headlong dive into corporate imperialism, unchecked capitalism, and institutional corruption in the power vacuum left behind by war. Centered on luxury hotel night manager and former soldier Jonathan Pine, it follows his recruitment by British intelligence to infiltrate the inner circle of untouchable billionaire arms dealer and all-around bad guy Richard Onslow Roper and bring him down. It’s a high-stakes thriller set in a moral gray area, exposing increasingly blurred lines between good and evil and pitting two stunningly rich characters against one another amid a dangerous game of deception.

The first season of The Night Manager, starring Tom Hiddleston as Pine and Hugh Laurie as Roper, was a BBC and AMC co-production and fairly true to its source material, beyond streamlining some of the more exotic locations of the novel, modernizing the timeline from the end of the Cold War to the Arab Spring, and casting the brilliant Olivia Colman to replace Pine’s original male intelligence handler. The most significant divergence, however, was the ending, which paved the way for creator David Farr to extend the story beyond the book and bring it back as a BBC and Prime Video co-production for a new installment nearly a decade after the first. If the explosive, table-flipping new adventures of Pine and Roper are anything to go by, the third and final season could be the best one yet.

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‘Dark Matter’

By Blake Crouch

Image via Pan Macmillan

Dark Matter is rooted in the many-worlds theory of quantum mechanics, which proposes that every possible outcome of an event actually does take place, but unfolds in parallel universes that branch off from our own. For Jason Dessen, the biggest decision of his life was walking away from his career as a quantum physicist to start a family. In a parallel universe, Jason2 made the opposite decision; he’s spent the last 15 years completing his work on a box capable of interdimensional travel, but deeply regrets the sacrifice he made to get it done. Jason2 decides to use his box to kidnap Jason and take his place, depositing him in his lonely universe so he can live the life he wished he’d chosen – but Jason refuses to give up, stopping at nothing to claw his way through the multiverse, facing off against alternate versions of himself to get home to his beloved wife and son, in a thrilling, action-packed journey that also serves on a meditation on identity, love, and what could’ve been.

Author Blake Crouch served as an executive producer on Wayward Pines, co-writing several episodes of the series based on his beloved trilogy of the same name, but opted to become showrunner when adapting Dark Matter for Apple TV. The first season saw stars Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, and Alice Braga navigate the events of the novel as written, and the second will feature a brand-new story centered on Jason and his family hunting for an alternate-free new home in the multiverse. According to Crouch, the television-first storyline was built to unfold across two seasons, so while it’s still far too early to know if it’ll get a green light for a final outing, it’s all but guaranteed there will be another killer cliffhanger waiting for us when the final episode later this year.

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‘Big Little Lies’

By Liane Moriarty

Image via Penguin Random House

Liane Moriarty is the reigning queen of the beach read, known for suspenseful thrillers laced with scathing wit and truth. A sharp suburban satire framed by a mysterious death, Big Little Lies exposes the dark, painful reality hidden behind the facade of perfection, and explores the dangerous toll of the lies we tell ourselves and others to survive. The novel begins with the aftermath of a fatal school trivia night, then recounts a school year through the eyes of three Australian mothers who each carry a dark secret whose trauma and shame threaten to unmake them. As their lives become increasingly intertwined, the web of lies they’ve built to get by begins to unravel, leading to one fateful night where a bond built on schoolyard parenting and shared secrets becomes a solidarity for mutual survival.

When the legendary David E. Kelley adapted Big Little Lies for HBO, he opted to remove the lighthearted aspects of the novel in favor of a darker, more high-end feel, relocating the setting from a fictional Australian beach town to the more opulent Monterey, California. Beyond these tweaks, the first season remained tight to the source material except for the ending, which was changed to allow the show to return. In its second season, the leading trio of Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley began exploring a world beyond the page, officially cementing a legacy beyond a book adaptation and becoming a cultural phenomenon. And the trio’s journey doesn’t end there, as 11 years after the first book, Moriarty is releasing a follow-up novel, Big Little Truths, and seven years after the second season of Big Little Lies ended, it’s officially set to return for Season 3.

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‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

By Margaret Atwood

Image via Vintage Books

Margaret Atwood‘s 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t just one of the best sci-fi books of all time; it’s one of the best books written in the last century, period. Set in a near-future dystopian era after radical extremists known as the Sons of Jacob staged a violent coup to overthrow the United States, the country is now a totalitarian theocracy known as the Republic of Gilead, where a fertility crisis has led to women being stripped of their rights by the patriarchal dictatorship and forced into reproductive servitude. The story follows a Handmaid forced into subjugated surrogacy, Offred, as she goes about her daily duties in service to the elites while trying to cope with her memories of a failed escape to Canada with her family, attempting to survive in this new world while engaging in small, secret acts of resistance.

The first season of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale follows the book down to its ambiguous ending, changing only small details and replicating the iconic final scene in its entirety. From that moment on, however, it’s a whole new story – showrunner Bruce Miller went on to build an expansive universe that spanned five additional seasons, with Elisabeth Moss appearing as June “Offred” Osborne throughout its full run. 34 years after the original novel was published, in 2019 Atwood released a sequel, The Testaments, while working closely with the production team to ensure the sanctity of their respective worlds, enabling Hulu to craft a spin-off series that follows the television canon while using the second book as a framework. The Testaments, which sees Ann Dowd return to the role of Aunt Lydia alongside two new characters, Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), was just renewed for a second season.

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‘Presumed Innocent’

By Scott Turow

Image via Hachette Book Group

When Presumed Innocent was published in 1987, it set a new standard for modern legal thrillers. Unfolding in first person through the lens of flawed, obsessive, and deeply unreliable chief deputy prosecutor Rusty Sabich, the story opens with the discovery of the brutal murder of prosecutor Carolyn Polhemus. After Rusty is appointed to lead the investigation, he decides to withhold an all-consuming affair with Carolyn that ended badly in an attempt to save his fragile marriage, but soon comes to regret that fact; he’s been framed, and all the evidence points directly at him, so he’s charged with her murder and is put on trial. Real-life defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Scott Turow deftly navigates the inner workings and loopholes of the legal system to build a portrait of institutional realism around our unreliable narrator, who remains detached and defensive even after going from accuser to accused, making us question everything that happens from start to finish and making for an unbelievably propulsive, twisty read.

Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent is another David E. Kelley adaptation, and its first season made some significant departures from the book and the 1990 Harrison Ford movie of the same name; the original culprit is reframed as a red herring and blame is placed on someone entirely new, subplots were built out to make it sustain eight episodes, and Jake Gyllenhaal, who made his first television appearance playing Rusty, delivered a character that was far more aggressive, vocal, and violent. The series, much like the novel before it, will also break new ground in adaptations: positioned as an anthology, the next season will keep the iconic novel’s name but leave its story behind entirely, adapting Jo Murray’s novel Dissection of a Murder, with new stars Rachael Brosnahan and Matthew Rhys.

Rosie O’Donnell’s rumored return to “The View” may or may not happen. 

The former TV host recently sparked widespread attention after publicly declaring her intention to return to the show, but new reports quickly surfaced indicating that the discussions are far from being finalized.

This came after O’Donnell claimed that some of the show’s former hosts would likely return for its 30th anniversary celebration. 

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O’Donnell recently created a major stir among daytime viewers after claiming that she “will” appear on “The View.” 

However, despite her public statement, reports reveal that producers currently have “no current plans” to bring the former panelist back to the daytime table. While fans anticipated a big television reunion, network sources clarified that an appearance has not been arranged.

A rep for O’Donnell confirmed that “there was a mention of inviting some of the hosts back to ‘The View.” The rep also added, “There has not been a formal ask from the show at this time,” per Entertainment Weekly. 

To address the conflicting claims, the spokesperson further noted that Ana Navarro “mentioned [to O’Donnell] coming to Season 30 of The View as a guest (at some point during the season).” However, the representative emphasized that “nothing has been formalized.” 

As the network prepares for its traditional autumn return, an official premiere date has not been set, leaving the former host’s return unconfirmed at this moment. 

Rosie O’Donnell Previously Spoke About A Potential Return To ‘The View’

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This update comes on the heels of O’Donnell’s statements during a podcast interview, when she shared her expectation of making an appearance on the daytime talk show.

“I will go on the 30th anniversary,” she said, as confirmed by The Blast. O’Donnell also clarified that her participation would be limited to a visiting guest spot alongside other former panelists rather than a full-time position.

In addition to expressing her support for the current format, O’Donnell reflected on the challenging work environment she experienced when she first joined as moderator in 2006.

She recalled her early tenure as a high-pressure setting where personnel felt easily replaceable and workplace security felt inadequate.

Michelle Collins Claims She Was Snubbed for The View’s Anniversary Special

Following O’Donnell’s comments regarding past panelists being brought back for the upcoming broadcast milestone, former co-host Michelle Collins revealed that show executives have not reached out to her. 

Taking to social media, the comedian expressed surprise upon discovering that former talent had allegedly been approached for the celebratory event.

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PEOPLE Magazine reported that the performer shared her surprise, saying, “Now that was news to me; maybe because I’m traveling so much, my invite somehow got lost.”

Collins, whose single-season tenure on the daytime panel ended in 2016, emphasized that no production representatives have reached out to her regarding a guest appearance.

She noted that she “found that really interesting” given that she has “always behaved very professionally about the show” following her departure. 

‘The View’ Had Its Fair Share Of Explosive Fights Among Co-Hosts

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Just as Collins briefly reflected on her past time on the show, O’Donnell also recently took a walk down memory lane to reflect on her time on the show.

However, she particularly focused on the famous conflict she had with Elisabeth Hasselbeck. 

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O’Donnell named former co-host Hasselbeck as her least favorite panelist, recalling their viral 2007 debate regarding the Iraq War. Reflecting on the clash, she said, “Listen, it’s known that me and Elisabeth Hasselbeck did not have a great ending to our friendship, so I would say that was the most problematic, perhaps.”

Besides reflecting on her personal feelings, the former host also suggested that production staff intentionally orchestrated the on-air confrontation to boost television viewership.

O’Donnell pointed to the sudden technical decision to switch to a split-screen layout as evidence of behind-the-scenes planning, noting that it was likely “prepared,” as reported by The Blast.

Rosie O’Donnell Shares Her Vision Of A Potential Daytime Television Return 

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Looking past her history with the panel show, O’Donnell is also exploring a potential full-time comeback to daytime television on her own terms.

According to The Blast, she revealed that her representatives are actively holding conversations to secure a permanent hosting spot on air.

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Taking a deviation from traditional Hollywood formats, she shared that her ideal project would mirror the structure of her original talk show.

O’Donnell explained that viewers are seeking comfort over star-studded interview circuits because “America wants nostalgia.” She also noted that “celebrity culture is dead in America” and expressed a desire to center the show around uplifting human-interest stories and lighthearted games.

Bethenny Frankel is opening up about an alleged misdiagnosis she said she received for something “major.”

“So I joined a medical community and it has teams of doctors that sort of cross reference your markers, your labs, longevity,” the former Real Housewife, 55, said in a Monday, August 3, Instagram video, adding that the health initiative was comparable to the Mayo Clinic — but conveniently accessible via her home.

“It’s not just some vanity BS concierge doctor,” she explained. “It’s very legitimate.”

Frankel went on to add that the non-traditional medical care she received revealed she was “misdiagnosed with something pretty major.” While the former reality star didn’t divulge any additional details about her alleged condition, or lack thereof, she advised her followers to always obtain a second, third and even fourth opinion when seeking medical advice.

Related: Bethenny Frankel Details ‘Anxiety’ After Kidney Disease Diagnosis

Bethenny Frankel is doing what she can to stay healthy amid her battle with chronic kidney disease. “I slept an extraordinary amount this weekend. You need the sleep because you get exhausted, and then you get dehydrated because you’ve slept so much, and it’s a constant battling of the drinking of the water and then […]

“Be very thorough in your labs, your check ups, your second, third opinions, your crowd sourcing of opinions,” she said.

Frankel also added that you should not “believe everything you hear on the internet.”

“Everybody is saying that they have everything. I’m very confused because I was operating with an idea that I do have this and I don’t want to throw anybody under the bus. I tried to do the right thing and it’s very confusing,” she said. “I just think there’s nothing we should be more thorough about than our medical care, our health and just think about it.”

Frankel shared that it is important to keep a record of your symptoms and any previous diagnoses or inklings.

“Get a notebook out and whatever it is you think you have or someone said that you have or symptoms you are experiencing.” she said. “We are so thorough about restaurants, shoppings and other things … I think we need to be thorough about our health.”

While it is unclear what Frankel was referring to, she revealed earlier this year that she was diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease.

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Related: Bethenny Frankel Through the Years

Bethenny Frankel has made contestant headlines ever since she got her start in reality TV. Frankel made her first reality TV appearance in 2005 on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She finished as the runner-up in the competition for her BethennyBakes business, which made egg-free, wheat-free and dairy-free cookies and meal delivery in New York. Following […]

“[The doctor] said it could be a function of this traumatic experience I had years ago when I almost died from an allergy attack,” she explained in an January Instagram video. “It could have done damage to the kidney. It could be autoimmune.”

One month later Frankel shared an update, revealing that her kidney disease was actually stage 3A, meaning she has mild to moderate kidney function loss, per the National Kidney Foundation.

“So, right now, this is a step in the wrong direction, but not to be totally alarmed and to come back and get tested in a couple of months,” she said in a February video. “I have a little bit of anxiety and I’m sick to my stomach, but I’m remaining calm.”

Fans of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin can’t get enough of the fire-breathing dragons that serve as House Targaryen’s source of power. While there is no denying that Martin’s dragons are well-realized in his world—acting as a stand-in for divine right to rule and the mutual destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons—they do feel less impactful than other dragons from fantasy fiction. A big reason is that Martin wanted them to feel more “natural,” limiting them to four limbs because that’s closer to a real animal, and though they have intelligence, they are far from the cunning intellect of Smaug from J. R. R. Tolkien‘s The Hobbit. Again, this approach fits the deconstruction of classical fantasy that Martin was going for, but it does leave a lot to be desired.

If one is interested in another series that combines dragons and politics, the place to look is E. E. Knight’s Age of Fire books. Released between 2005 and 2011, they are a series of xenobiology books set in a fantasy world populated by humans, elves, dwarves, dragons, and orcs-like beings called blighters. Sounds pretty standard, right? Except that the series is told entirely from the dragon’s point of view, which not only provides a new perspective, but it also presents a radically original approach to the genre that few other books have ever attempted.

What Are the ‘Age of Fire’ Books About?

The first book, Dragon Champion, begins with the birth of five dragon hatchlings: one red-scaled male, one copper-scaled male, one gray male lacking scales, and two green-scaled females. We immediately get our first look into the alien nature of dragons when we see, from the perspective of the gray male AuRon, that the males are compelled to fight to the death until only one is left. AuRon and the copper male team up to slay the red one, then the Copper falls out of the nest, surviving as an outcast while the parent dragons tend to AuRon and his sisters, Wistala and Jizara.

Their lives change forever when a group of dwarves aided by a human dragon hunter called the Dragonblade attacks their nest. Jizara and both of the parent dragons are killed, and the three surviving siblings are separated. From there, each of the first three books is dedicated to the chronicles of one sibling. AuRon travels the world as a wild dragon, making allies among beasts and sentient species, and learning all that he can about dragon history and their weaknesses. Wistala is adopted by an elderly elf named Rainfall and becomes involved in human and dwarf conspiracies as she tries to avenge her family. Finally, the Copper makes his way to the lower world and arrives at the Lavadome, an underground society of dragons full of political intrigue and power-grabbing, where he is given the name RuGaard.

This singular approach by Knight does a great job not only fleshing out each of the three protagonists, but also shifting the audience’s perspective with each book. AuRon’s narrative shows the world at its most base level, with him wandering between territories and interacting with humanoids only when needed; thus, his book is fully immersive in the dragon’s POV. Wistala then switches things up by focusing more on the humanoids and taking place in a more central location, allowing audiences to get to know some of the people of the world better and contrasting how dragons and humanoids view the world. Finally, the Copper spends the most time among other dragons, letting us see what a society of dragons would look like, and how it’s both similar and different to the humanoid ones.

‘Age of Fire’ Goes Hard Into Dragon Biology

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At their core, the Age of Fire dragons come from the classic Western Dragon of European mythologies. They are six-limbed reptilian creatures that live to advanced ages, have powerful scales that can repel most mundane weapons, breathe fire, hoard treasure, and are often found terrorizing the more humanoid races. What makes them stand out is the amount of detail Knight put into their biology. They don’t just collect treasure because it’s pretty, for example—they need to eat metal on a regular basis to keep their scales healthy and durable; otherwise, they become brittle and can fall off. The exception is gray dragons like AuRon, whose softer skin has chameleon-like properties to make up for their lack of protection. They also exhibit strong sexual dimorphism similar to birds, with male dragons possessing scales that include red, blue, copper, black, white, and gold, while females are always green.

Concerning dragon fire, it follows a trend in fantasy that began with the 2002 post-apocalyptic film Reign of Fire, which designed the dragons with two vents in their mouths that produce flame via biological combustion. In Age of Fire, fire is achieved via foua, a fatty substance that dragons spit and ignite into a sort of napalm. Knight’s dragons hatch from the egg with their wings beneath their skin, and it’s not until they reach about fifteen years old that the wings grow large enough to burst from their back. It’s a novel choice that isn’t done often when depicting six-limbed dragons in fantasy stories, offering a fun alternative to just slapping the wings onto the forearms like a bat.

Knight also does a great job of placing the reader inside the head of a dragon. They are sentient creatures, incredibly diverse in their personalities and interests, but there are a few things they have in common, mainly their species-wise superiority complex. Due to being the most physically impressive of the sentient races, all dragons have an in-built belief that they are destined to rule over others. Their long lives also mean that, in-between chapters, readers get to learn that their humanoid companions have reached advanced ages or even died, while the dragons feel like barely any time has passed. It all works together to make the dragons feel truly alien to the human mind, rather than the literary equivalent to humans in draconic costumes.

Political Intrigue Shapes Dragons and Non-Dragons Alike

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The last thing that makes Age of Fire such a compelling read is how it handles dragon politics and their reach in the wider world. At first, it feels more localized, either to the immediate territories around AuRon’s lair, the humans and dwarves Wistala interacts with, or the dragons of the Lavadome, who would feel right at home in Martin’s world with all the backstabbing, secret alliances, and political marriages they partake in. Each of the siblings enacts their schemes in different ways, but the Copper’s methods are the ones that feel the most like A Song of Ice and Fire. Due to multiple injuries in his youth that leave him half-blind, limited in his ability to use fire, and unable to fly without support, he immerses himself in the system and has an ambitious climb that even Petyr Baelish would acknowledge as impressive.

The complexity and scope of the politics only increase as the series goes on. Beginning with book four, Dragon Strike, the formula changes. Instead of one POV per book, the last three alternate between the siblings each chapter, while the scope of draconic ambition becomes truly global. Plans decades in the making come to fruition, new powers rise, and seemingly unimportant people turn out to have been masterminds all along. It does come at the cost of the interesting xenobiology and smaller stories of the earlier books, but still makes for an interesting journey.

In the end, Age of Fire is far from the juggernaut that other fantasy IPs are, but fans of the genre looking for something new and refreshing to read may find it right up their alley. Knight presents his dragons as biologically plausible while still existing in a fantasy setting, giving them plenty of unique characters and ambitions. Not to mention, it’s interesting to see a world where dragons are not just ancient monsters detached from mortal affairs, but political movers and shakers who can lead to the rise and fall of entire nations.

Action cinema reaches masterpiece territory when movement reveals character. A punch should tell us who is desperate. A chase should expose who prepared better. An explosion should change the problem instead of merely making noise. If you notice closely, Alan Ritchson’s Reacher does all of them flawlessly and that’s why it clicks so well with critics. These ten films understand that clearly.

They also know how to entertain without wasting a second. Jungle hunts, sword duels, prison riots, arena combat, alien warfare, skyscraper sieges, simulated realities, killer machines, and one very angry road trip all make the cut. Big action. Bigger craft. Zero dead weight. Let’s dig in.

10

‘Predator’ (1987)

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Predator sends an elite rescue team into a Central American jungle, then quietly changes the mission from military action to survival horror. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his men expect guerrillas. Instead, an alien hunter begins studying them, collecting trophies, and removing every advantage that made the team dangerous. Guns stop feeling powerful very quickly.

The first act builds the squad through swagger, jokes, and absurd physical confidence. Then the jungle starts swallowing them. The thermal vision, clicking voice, camouflage effect, and shoulder cannon give the creature a complete hunting method rather than a random collection of powers. Arnold Schwarzenegger gradually loses the weapons, backup, and certainty attached to his usual screen image. That reversal gives the film its bite. Dillon (Carl Weathers), Mac (Bill Duke), Blain (Jesse Ventura), and Billy (Sonny Landham) also make the team memorable enough for every disappearance to register. Predator is lean, sweaty, quotable, and still capable of making a dark patch of trees look suspicious. Perfect Friday-night material.

9

‘Kill Bill: Vol. 1’ (2003)

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Kill Bill: Vol. 1 follows a former assassin known as the Bride (Uma Thurman) as she begins hunting the people who attacked her wedding rehearsal and left her for dead. Her first targets lead from an American hospital to Tokyo, where yakuza boss O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) commands an army. Revenge is the engine. Style is the fuel. Blood is everywhere.

The film pulls from samurai cinema, kung fu, exploitation movies, anime, and spaghetti Westerns without flattening those influences into decoration. Each chapter changes texture while the Bride remains locked on the same purpose. Uma Thurman gives her anger physical precision, especially during the House of Blue Leaves battle against the Crazy 88. Lucy Liu’s O-Ren receives enough history and authority to feel larger than a checkpoint on someone else’s list. The yellow tracksuit nods to Bruce Lee. The snow-covered garden creates a completely different rhythm moments later. Few action movies shift from funny to savage this confidently. Bring popcorn. Maybe wear white at your own risk.

8

‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ (2023)

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The fourth John Wick movie turns one assassin’s fight for freedom into a globe-spanning challenge against the High Table. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) travels through Osaka, Berlin, Paris, and several beautifully designed rooms full of people trying to kill him. The rules keep getting stricter. The body count ignores mathematics.

Keanu Reeves performs action through persistence. John gets hit by cars, thrown down stairs, shot at from every direction, and still drags himself toward the next obligation. Caine (Donnie Yen) adds wit and emotional pressure as a blind assassin forced back into service. Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada), Akira (Rina Sawayama), Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), and the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) widen the world without stealing focus from the central duel. Chad Stahelski, a veteran stunt performer who built the series from the ground up, stages each major section with a different visual idea. The overhead gunfight turns rooms into a lethal game board. The Arc de Triomphe sequence weaponizes traffic. John Wick: Chapter 4 is excessive by design. Gloriously so.

7

‘The Raid 2’ (2014)

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The Raid 2 takes rookie officer Rama (Iko Uwais) out of one trapped apartment block and drops him into Jakarta’s criminal underworld. He enters prison undercover, earns the trust of a mob heir, and becomes stuck between gang families, corrupt police, and ambitious killers waiting for the balance to collapse. The scale expands dramatically. So does the pain.

Gareth Evans gives the story room to breathe, then unleashes action with terrifying clarity. Every opponent has a distinct rhythm. Hammer Girl (Julie Estelle) and Baseball Bat Man (Very Tri Yulisman) turn simple tools into signatures. The prison-yard riot uses mud, bodies, and limited visibility to create pure panic. A car chase moves through vehicles rather than merely following them. Then comes the kitchen fight, a long, brutal test where exhaustion becomes part of the choreography. Iko Uwais makes Rama fast and technically brilliant while preserving the desperation of someone who knows one mistake will end everything. The Raid 2 demands stamina from its audience. It pays that effort back with interest.

6

‘Gladiator’ (2000)

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Gladiator tells the story of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a respected Roman general betrayed after Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) chooses him to help return power to the Senate. Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) seizes the throne, destroys Maximus’s family, and unknowingly creates the man who will challenge him from inside the arena. The Roman Empire gets very personal.

Russell Crowe brings authority to Maximus before the sword leaves its sheath. His grief keeps the spectacle grounded as the story moves from battlefield command to slavery and public combat. Joaquin Phoenix’s Commodus operates through insecurity, jealousy, and a desperate need to be loved by people he terrifies. The Colosseum battles are enormous, though the film’s quieter details give them weight. Maximus touches the earth before fighting. Juba (Djimon Hounsou) speaks about seeing family again. Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) measures every word around her brother. Ridley Scott presents Rome as power, theatre, and decay packed into the same marble frame. Gladiator gives you roaring crowds and clashing steel. It also gives you someone worth cheering for. Loudly.

5

‘Aliens’ (1986)

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Aliens brings Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) back to the moon where her original crew encountered the xenomorph. Decades have passed during her hypersleep, and a human colony now occupies the site. When communication stops, Ripley joins a unit of Colonial Marines sent to investigate. They arrive armed, confident, and wildly unprepared.

James Cameron expanded the intimate horror of Alien into a military rescue movie without losing the creature’s menace with this installment. The Marines have memorable personalities, clear tactical roles, and equipment that creates confidence before the first major encounter tears that confidence apart. Ripley returns with trauma, experience, and an instinct to protect Newt (Carrie Henn), the colony’s lone child survivor. Their bond gives every strategic decision an emotional purpose. Hicks (Michael Biehn) stays calm. Hudson (Bill Paxton) talks big until panic takes over. Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein) remains cool enough for several people. The motion tracker turns a few glowing dots into unbearable tension, while the power-loader confrontation remains one of action cinema’s great crowd-pleasers. Aliens is fierce, warm, and ridiculously rewatchable. Game over? Never.

4

‘Die Hard’ (1988)

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Die Hard places New York police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) inside a Los Angeles skyscraper during a Christmas party taken over by armed criminals. He arrives hoping to repair his marriage. Instead, he spends the night barefoot, isolated, and communicating with the outside world through a radio while hostages remain trapped upstairs. The setup succeeds through limitations. McClane gets tired, injured, frightened, and increasingly filthy. He survives through observation and improvisation rather than invincibility.

Bruce Willis brought everyday irritation and vulnerability to a genre full of human tanks, permanently changing the shape of the action hero. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is equally important. He is educated, composed, theatrical, and flexible enough to adjust when the plan starts slipping. Nakatomi Plaza becomes a complete playground of elevators, vents, stairwells, glass, offices, and unfinished floors. Each location solves one problem and creates another. Die Hard moves beautifully, jokes naturally, and wastes nothing. Yes, it is a Christmas movie. Start the annual argument after pressing play.

3

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

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The Matrix follows programmer Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), known online as Neo, as he discovers that ordinary life is a simulated reality built to keep humanity under control. Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) believes Neo may be capable of changing that system. Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) helps pull him out of it. Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) would prefer everyone stay exactly where they are.

The Wachowskis combined cyberpunk, philosophy, anime, martial arts, hacker culture, and religious imagery into a blockbuster that felt instantly new in 1999. Bullet time changed action filmmaking overnight, yet the ideas gave those images staying power. Keanu Reeves lets Neo’s confidence grow through experience rather than speeches. Laurence Fishburne makes belief sound like discipline. Carrie-Anne Moss announces Trinity by running across walls and never surrendering an inch of cool. The dojo fight explains the rules through impact. The lobby shootout turns preparation into rhythm. Even the costumes became cultural shorthand. The Matrix is exciting on first contact and richer once you start pulling at its questions. Take the red pill. Obviously.

2

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)

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Terminator 2: Judgment Day reverses the first film’s central threat. A reprogrammed T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back to protect young John Connor (Edward Furlong) from the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), an advanced liquid-metal machine capable of taking almost any human form. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) has spent years preparing for nuclear war, though the world treats her warnings as madness. Then the machines return. Awkward.

James Cameron uses groundbreaking effects to create an enemy who can pass through bars, rebuild after gunfire, and turn his own body into weapons. Robert Patrick’s calm pursuit makes the T-1000 frightening long before the effects begin. Linda Hamilton transforms Sarah into a hardened survivor whose fear of the future has nearly consumed everything tender in her. John’s connection with the T-800 introduces humor and gradually complicates Sarah’s view of machines. The motorcycle chase, canal pursuit, Cyberdyne attack, and steel-mill battle remain astonishingly clean pieces of action storytelling. Terminator 2: Judgment Day delivers scale, emotion, and ideas without slowing down. Blockbuster perfection came wearing sunglasses.

1

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

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Mad Max: Fury Road is a two-hour escape across a ruined desert. Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) drives a war rig away from tyrant Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) while secretly carrying his enslaved wives toward freedom. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) becomes attached to the group through circumstance, then gradually chooses to help them survive the armies chasing them. The plot fits on a fuel receipt. The filmmaking could fill books.

George Miller returned to the series after three decades, revived it, and created an action movie built around movement, geography, color, machinery, and character. Charlize Theron’s Furiosa brings purpose to every mile. Tom Hardy’s Max operates through instinct, trauma, and reluctant cooperation. The wives refuse to remain cargo, while Nux (Nicholas Hoult) begins discovering that sacrifice can mean something beyond serving a ruler. Practical vehicles race through real desert terrain as stunt performers swing from poles, motorcycles leap over trucks, and a guitarist plays through fire because subtlety has left the continent. Fury Road is precise chaos. It is also angry, humane, strange, and thrilling from the first engine roar. Witness it properly.

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Mad Max: Fury Road

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Release Date

May 15, 2015

Runtime

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121 minutes

Director

George Miller

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Writers

Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nico Lathouris

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