‘We won’t take this any more!’: the reality TV stars battling to unionise

From traumatic experiences to pitiful pay, reality show cast members are sharing their horror stories. As Hollywood continues to strike, is now the time to demand change?When Gemma Rose Barnes, 32, signed up to appear on Married at First Sight (Mafs) – a reality TV show that introduces couples for the first time on their wedding day – she felt apprehensive. She told the show’s producers that she wanted to meet the love of her life, and was worried she’d be married off to someone who hadn’t gone on the show for the same reason. “They told me that audiences now wanted to see genuine matches, so I had nothing to worry about,” says Barnes.But what was sold to her as the chance to find The One quickly descended into a nightmare. Barnes says she made repeated complaints to the producers about her husband. When she asked to leave the show, she says she was coerced into staying – although Channel 4 claims that she was free to leave at any time. She says contestants were plied with alcohol, and that on one occasion producers snuck extra drinks to certain cast members before filming. Channel 4 denies this, claiming that alcohol consumption is at the discretion of individuals, “but it is monitored and limited by the production team”. Other contestants have spoken of being “smashed” during filming after sneaking in bottles of alcohol, as well as dramatic arguments being sparked by participants drinking on an empty stomach. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-18 12:00:49 UTC ]
News tagged with: #horror stories #wedding day #cast members #production team

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Bonnie Garmus wrote 'Lessons in Chemistry.' She learned the formula for TV would bring changes

The British author discusses having her bestselling book adapted for an Apple TV+ series starring Brie Larson: "It's different from my vision, but it doesn't mean that it's not as good at all." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-31 10:00:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling book #british author


Nielsen and TV networks clash again over Amazon data as MRC debates adoption

Nielsen says networks had months to integrate their own streaming data, but networks deny meaningful talks happened.  Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-08-30 21:14:51 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nielsen


This course examines the dark realities behind your favorite children's stories

A lecturer in English literature gets her students to examine children’s books through the lens of race, class and sexuality. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-08-29 12:24:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #favorite children #english literature


The Morning After: Dolby Atmos will use your TV to expand your speaker setups

Dolby has announced a new Atmos feature to pair your TV speakers with any wireless speakers you have in the room. Officially dubbed Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, the tech will appear first on 2024 TCL TVs.It’s not completely new ground: Samsung has Q-Symphony and Sony has Acoustic Center Sync, for... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-29 11:15:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rolling stone #bon appetit #pretty awesome #generative ai #public libraries #ebooks


Former 'Friends' writer says the stars were unhappy and purposely tanked jokes they didn't like

A former "Friends" writer's new memoir details her experience on the show at a time when the stars seemed unhappy, and the writers room wasn't so friendly. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-25 01:20:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir details #memoir


Can You Guess the Fantasy Book Based on Its 1-Star Reviews?

Are you a fantasy mega-fan? Well, let's put it to the test: Can you guess these fantasy books based only on their 1-star reviews? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-21 10:35:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #1-star reviews #book based


Costume maker to the stars undertakes mammoth task

A Hendon family business houses the largest privately owned costume collection in the world. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2023-08-21 06:34:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #privately owned


‘Strays’ Stumbles at Box Office Without Its Stars’ Promotion

The R-rated comedy opened to a fifth place showing this weekend, while the comic book movie “Blue Beetle” came in at No. 1. Both were hurt by the actors’ strike. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-20 17:07:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #box office #comic book


How did Suits become America’s most-watched TV show of the summer?

The 2010s legal drama has broken records since hitting US Netflix, shining light on viewing patterns in a fragmented television landscapeSince I work in the business of talking television, I am often asking people what they’re watching. And this summer, the predominant answer – usually in the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-17 18:02:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #shining light #guilty pleasure #recently arrived #meghan markle #single week #breaking bad #cable tv #nielsen


Author says the Apple TV+ 'Tetris' movie ripped off his book

The Apple TV+ film Tetris was copied from a book written years ago, according to a lawsuit filed against the tech giant and the Tetris Company. Dan Ackerman, the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo, has accused the plaintiffs of ripping off his book The Tetris Effect, which tells the history of the game... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-09 06:17:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple tv+ #tech giant #desist letter #major source #point home #lengthy list #real life #book written


Paramount sales beat forecasts thanks to streaming TV growth

Company also announced the sale of its Simon & Schuster publishing business to KKR & Co. for $1.62 billion. Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2023-08-07 22:19:36 UTC ]
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An 'alpha vagina' gets top billing in YA star Elizabeth Acevedo's first (very) adult novel

Bestselling YA novelist Elizabeth Acevedo explains why 'Family Lore,' her first novel for adults, features sex, magic and an 'alpha vagina' Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-31 13:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #family lore #first novel


Stars Shine at Comic-Con, Despite Strike

With the SAG-AFTRA strike preventing actors from attending this year's San Diego Comic-Con, the spotlight fell on cartoonists, much to the delight of publishers and creators. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Join the Brewing Legal Battle Over AI

Two new class action copyright lawsuits ramp up the growing scrutiny of large language models and other generative artificial intelligence tools. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Streaming services are removing original TV and films. What this means for your favourite show – and our cultural heritage

As part of recent challenges, multiple services have removed TV and film from their libraries – in many cases, meaning they are gone forever, inaccessible to any fan. Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2023-07-10 20:08:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #streaming services #cultural heritage #multiple services #libraries


How ad platforms are inflating streaming TV performance

The rise of streaming television has threatened to dethrone Nielsen as the standard-bearer for how every single agency and advertiser measured a TV campaign — creating an even playing field for all parties involved. Now, there are too many new players — such as Samba TV, VideoAmp, Comcore and... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-06-20 13:41:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ad platforms #playing field #samba tv #nielsen


Hitting the Books: Why AI won't be taking our cosmology jobs

The problem with studying the universe around us is that it is simply too big. The stars overhead remain too far away to interact with directly, so we are relegated to testing our theories on the formation of the galaxies based on observable data. Simulating these celestial bodies on computers... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-18 15:30:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #existing laws #bear fruit #quantum mechanics #penguin random house


The Study of Reality: On Trauma, Quantum Mechanics, and Writing Science Fiction

Before I dedicated my life to taking pot-shots at the nature of the universe—I mean, before I became a science fiction writer—I was a frightened child. Death scared me, but living was the constant terror. My father told me I had chosen this. I had come to him in a dream before I was born […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-14 08:53:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quantum mechanics #father told #science fiction


Want a Living Wage? You Won’t Find It Working at Most Indie Bookstores

You won't make a living wage working as a bookseller in an indie bookstore. Here's a look at wages across the country. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-12 10:37:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #living wage #indie bookstores #indie bookstore #bookseller


Ubisoft's open-world Star Wars game is 'Outlaws' and it's coming in 2024

Ubisoft's long-awaited open world Star Wars game will arrive in 2024. The publisher announced Star Wars Outlaws on Sunday during Microsoft's Xbox and Starfield Direct showcase with a cinematic trailer that introduces fans to the game's Han Solo-like protagonist, Key Vess. Ubisoft is billing... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-11 17:27:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #worth noting #xbox series #cinematic trailer #key vess #past games #publisher announced