By Jessica Wedemeyer
8:19am PST, Mar 1, 2019
Jenna Bush Hager named co-host of the fourth hour of "Today"
NBC announced on Feb. 26 that Jenna Bush Hager will join Hoda Kotb as the new co-host of the fourth hour of the "Today" show, replacing Kathie Lee Gifford when she retires in April.
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Lisa Sheridan, "Halt and Catch Fire" actress, dies at 44
"Halt and Catch Fire" actress Lisa Sheridan died at 44 at her apartment in New Orleans on Feb. 25. Her manager, Mitch Clem, confirmed the news to People magazine on Feb. 27. No cause of death has been released, though Clem made a point of shooting down rumors that the actress took her own life: "The family has unequivocally confirmed that this is not a suicide. Any suggestion to the contrary is absolutely, 100 percent unfounded," he said.
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"Dynasty" shocker: Nicollette Sheridan out as Alexis
Nicollette Sheridan is leaving "Dynasty" to "focus on some personal family responsibilities," The CW said in a statement to TVLine, which reported on Feb. 25 that her role, Alexis Carrington, may be recast. The actress, who joined the drama midway through the first season, released a statement explaining her decision to leave the show: "Working on the 'Dynasty' reboot and reprising the iconic role of Alexis has been thoroughly enjoyable, but the chance to spend precious time with my terminally ill mother is more important to me right now," she tweeted. "I am profoundly grateful to Mark Pedowitz (The CW) and David Stapf (CBS) for graciously allowing me to return to Los Angeles to be with her, and I wish them and everyone associated with the show nothing but continued success. I am hopeful that my fans will embrace my successor with as much passion as they embraced me."
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"The Masked Singer" Season 1 finale recap: Last mask standing
The final three were unmasked on the Feb. 27 finale of FOX's "The Masked Singer." Bee (Gladys Knight) came in third with her rendition of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me." Peacock (Donny Osmond) came in second with his cover of Ray Charles's "Shake a Tail Feather." And Monster (T-Pain) took home top honors with his dance-heavy performance of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It."
Family searches for original Mouseketeer missing for six months
Dennis Day — who was 12 when he was cast as a Mouseketeer on the first season of Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club" in 1955 — has been missing for six months. In late July 2018, his husband and partner of nearly 50 years, Ernie Caswell, reported him missing in Phoenix, Oregon, where they've lived since the '80s. Ernie, who's been hospitalized with colon cancer and dementia, realized something was wrong when Dennis, who's now 76, stopped visiting him. The police were not able to contact the former child star's family in California — who didn't realize he was missing until January — because of his husband's dementia. According to Dateline, a man who was living at Dennis and Ernie's home claims that he last saw the former Mouseketeer leaving the house on foot to visit some friends. According to Dennis's sister, there are no signs of a crime.
NBC renews all three "Chicago" shows
NBC announced on Feb. 26 that all three Dick Wolf-created "Chicago" shows have been renewed: "Chicago Fire" will be back for Season 8, "Chicago P.D." will return for Season 7 and "Chicago Med" has earned a fifth season.
21st Century Fox rocked by $179M "Bones" ruling: Lying, cheating and studio fraud
According to The Hollywood Reporter, an arbitrator handed down a decision earlier this month — which was just made public — concluding that 21st Century Fox executives "lied, cheated and committed fraud" at the expense of the cast (including stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz) and creators of the FOX drama "Bones." The arbitrator has awarded $179 million in damages — including $128 million in punitive damages — to the "Bones" team from the studio, which defrauded them out of their "rightful profit participation" by selling broadcasting and streaming rights to the show to partners — including FOX and Hulu, in which Fox has a 30 percent stake — at a price that's below the series' fair market value. Fox intends to fight the amount of the punitive damages awarded.
"The Munsters" actress Beverley Owen, '60s TV actress Lisa Seagram and "Dallas" star Morgan Woodward died
According to TMZ, Beverley Owen — who portrayed Marilyn on the first season of "The Munsters" but retired from acting when she tied the knot in 1964 — died at 81 in Vermont on Feb. 21 following a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, '60s TV actress Lisa Seagram — who had memorable stints on "Bewitched," "Batman," "Burke's Law" and "The Beverly Hillbillies" — died at 82 following a seven-year battle with dementia. And according to Deadline, "Dallas," "Gunsmoke" and "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" star Morgan Woodward died at 93 in Paso Robles, California, on Feb. 22.
