Television

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Revry Celebrates Black History Month With Films, Series, and Music Videos

Revry celebrates Black History Month with an entire February calendar highlighting incredible Black Queer content made by and for the community.  

“Black History Month is a time to celebrate the rich heritage and contributions of Black Americans. It is especially poignant in this moment in history because we are so divided as a nation,” says Black Revry Co-Founder and Army Veteran, LaShawn McGhee. “Taking the time to highlight Black Americans and more specifically Queer Black American voices that unappologeticlaly explore the Black Queer experience is a necessity, and I’m proud to be able to do that through Revry.” To kick off Black History Month, Revry will premiere three new powerfully entertaining documentaries on February 1st: We Can’t Breathe, Voguing the Message, and Heavenly Brown Body. Throughout the month, brand new content will continue to premiere including series like Miseducated, Boys Hurt Too, His Story and Exhale. In addition, Revry Originals will also be featured including Linish about international trans DJ phenom; the Australian comedy Little Sista; To Be Me starring Emmy winner Kim Estes; and the powerful intersection of Black and Queer conversation series, Amplify Voices.  

The global Queer TV network, 75% founded by people of color and 50% Black women, has already been specifically championing Black voices with its existing Black Lives Matter curation of films, series, and music videos. This month is an opportunity for audiences to find even more free Black entertainment playing on Revry’s Live Linear channels and On-Demand at www.watch.revry.tv.
The full calendar of events is below, including hyperlinks on titles available to watch immediately. 
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CALENDAR ON REVRY 
Monday, February 1, 2021
We Can’t Breathe – During a global pandemic, the killing of one man sparks the biggest social movement in history. In Los Angeles, a queer black woman is determined to capture the movement through her lens, so she hits the streets, camera in hand. What she discovers is a diverse world of impassioned protesters from all walks of life, coming together to make themselves heard.
Voguing the Message – A pre-Madonna primer that raises questions about race, sex and subcultural style, and traces the roots of this gay Black and Latino dance form, which appropriates and plays with poses and images from mainstream fashion.
Linish – A Revry Original documentary following the life of the legendary and inimitable DJ Lina Bradford.
Heavenly Brown Body – This Grand Jury Prize for Short Documentary at Outfest 2020 uses the poem “Litanies to my Heavenly Brown Body” by poet Mark Aguhar (she/her) as the text for a queer liturgy with mysterious seers who use the words of the poem as the liturgy for their ritual of cleansing and healing,

Friday, February 5, 2021
Single Record – After reaching his dream of having a hit song, a talented and arrogant rapper learns that his record label will drop him if his next song isn’t a hit. His desperation to save his career will force him to confront his identity, sexuality and bring him to new lows that could cost him everything.
America in Transition – America In Transition, an award-winning, Sundance-backed Revry Original documentary series, explores the community, family, and social issues of trans people of color across the United States – capturing real life for a veteran turned activist, an immigrant seeking home, a woman living with HIV healing from trauma, and a model navigating family life.

Sunday, February 7, 2021
Trade – ‘Trade’ tells the story of two men, one a streetwise hustler, the other a straight-laced lawyer, who meet and form a relationship that brings to light who they really are
Miseducated – It’s time to relive, reimagine, and reblog the gay high school experience. Anton tries to avoid the often isolating halls of high school by dropping out. But his best friend Dillion makes the decision tough, reminding Anton that inside and outside of the halls, all they have are each other.
Boys Hurt Too – Following the death of Jake his brother Bobby and best friend Colt struggle to move on from the high school legend. They soon begin to learn about the monster Jake truly was.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Shorts Block (About Face, Pea Pod, Engaged, Iconoclast, Innocent Boy,Not Black Enough, My Name was January, Light in Dark Places)
My Trans Life Season 1 – Being trans is a mental, physical and emotional journey and MY TRANS LIFE showcases inspiring trans individuals on their journeys of acceptance. From preparing for major surgery, to tackling love lives, to campaigning for equality, MY TRANS LIFE follows transgender people facing the world in the body they were meant to be in.
Friday, February 12, 2021

To Be Me – To Be Me tells the story of a young, mid-western African American who struggles with their gender identity. Played by Kate Rose Wilburn, a non-binary trans female, along with Emmy award winning actor Kim Estes as their father, this Revry Original series is here to shed light on the under represented and supported subject of gender identity. 
Music Block (Mila Jam, Madison Rose, NEO 10Y, Ze Taylor, Cakes da Killa, Alsace Carcione, Davy Boi, Khaos Da Rapper, Lafemmebear, Matt Palmer) 

Sunday, February 14, 2021
Her Story – Her Story is about two trans women in Los Angeles who have given up on love, when chance encounters give them hope. Violet is drawn to Allie, a reporter who approaches her for an interview. Career-driven Paige meets James, the first man she’s considered opening up to in years. Will they risk letting what they are stand in the way of being loved for who they are?
His Story – In this novel series we enter the fantasy of Noah and Chris, two step brothers who get a reality check in a story of lust.
Gina Yashere: Laughing To America – Filmed live in San Francisco, CA, UK’s premier Black female comedian, Gina Yashere, has come to America! Her unique take on being a cultural insider and outsider never fails to raise the roof as she gives us her take on the news gripping the nation.
Threesome – A poly couple, Vanessa & Justin, search for the perfect woman to join their relationship, which proves easier said than done. Along the way, they must navigate through sex addicts, crazy women & the negative opinions of friends in this comedic digital series.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021
My Trans Life Season 2 – Being trans is a mental, physical and emotional journey and MY TRANS LIFE showcases inspiring trans individuals on their journeys of acceptance. From preparing for major surgery, to tackling love lives, to campaigning for equality, MY TRANS LIFE follows transgender people facing the world in the body they were meant to be in.
Cheetah in August – A riveting story about a former high school track athlete whose distorted views on love, negatively affects the people closest to him.
Clash – A critique on the lack of QPOC representation in UK television and film, highlighting inequality and the absence of media engagement with Britain’s colonial past.

Friday, February 19, 2021
Amplify Voices – Amplify Voices is a Revry original series determined to pass the mic to incredible humans you should know more about, and embrace conversations and debates that achieve heightened intersectional understanding across the Queer and POC global community. 
Little Sista – In this Revry Original series, commitment-phobe Charmaine must learn to grow up when she is paired with an at-risk youth in a Big Brother, Big Sister programme.

Sunday, February 21, 2021
Exhale – New – In such chaotic times, viewers escape into the tranquil world of Exhale. As viewers relax they sit back and witness as Marion’s cheating ways interrupts his zen. 
Change in the Family – This documentary chronicles the transgender-transition of Zo Thorpe and the sympathetic response of his family. This is a story of celebration, health, and unconditional love. A much-needed portrayal of trans and gender-nonconforming lives in America.
She – “She” follows Tanesh Nutall, a 50-year old black transgender woman from Rahway, New Jersey. In February 2016, Tanesh was confronted by a city employee for using a women’s restroom in Downtown San Francisco. Throughout the film, Tanesh seeks justice and make amends with family members that were not accepting of her gender identity. Not only does “She” discuss queer people in urban spaces but one’s ability to accept themselves despite the odds against them.

Tuesday, February 23, 2021
My Trans Life Season 3 – Being trans is a mental, physical and emotional journey and MY TRANS LIFE showcases inspiring trans individuals on their journeys of acceptance. From preparing for major surgery, to tackling love lives, to campaigning for equality, MY TRANS LIFE follows transgender people facing the world in the body they were meant to be in.
Vintage: Families of Value – Claiming a space for representations of lesbian and gay African Americans, three sets of queer siblings, provide an unprecedented opportunity for black families to address issues of sexuality, identity, and personal history.

Friday, February 26, 2021
Suicide Khale – While having lunch with another couple, new couple Jasmine and Penny stumble upon an anonymous suicide note and proceed to work to uncover the identity of the author.
Missed Connections – Two strangers meet and form a bond at a festival, but they forget to exchange contact info. As they search for one another and through viral posts, they navigate their careers, lives, and society’s expectations of them as Black, female, and transgender.
Scales – Remy and his two best friends have an epic breakdown in their journeys of finding stable relationships outside of each other.

Sunday, February 28, 2021
Don’t Break Yourself – Everybody’s gotta work. Calen and Tye decide to work smart. Tired of retail, Calen hatches a plan to keep his rent paid while Tye searches for a way to save his dying moving business. Along their journey the two are bonded by their struggle.
Giving Me Life – A dramedy series about six Black and Latinx friends of diverse sexualities as they struggle to live and love in New York City.
ABOUT REVRYWatch Queer TV 24/7 with the first LGBTQ+ digitall cable TV network. Revry offers free live TV channels and on-demand viewing of its global library featuring LGBTQ+ movies, shows, music, podcasts, news, and exclusive originals all in one place! Revry is currently available globally in over 250+ million households and devices and on seven OTT, mobile, and Desktop platforms. Revry can also be viewed on nine live and on-demand channels and Connected TVs including: The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast Xfinity X1, Dell, XUMO TV, Zapping TV, STIRR, TiVo+, and as the first LGBTQ+ virtual reality channel on Littlstar (available on PlayStation devices). The company–an inaugural member of the Goldman Sachs Black and LatinX Cohort–is headquartered in Los Angeles and led by a diverse founding team who bring decades of experience in the fields of tech, digital media, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @revrytv,Revry.tv

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‘Batwoman’ Star Javicia Leslie on Stepping into Superhero Role

There’s a new Batwoman in town. After Ruby Rose’s shocking exit from the titular role last spring, Javicia Leslie will assume the mantle of Gotham City’s newest masked vigilante for the second season of “Batwoman” on The CW.

The 33-year-old actress, best known for her work on the CBS comedy-drama “God Friended Me” and the BET crime drama “The Family Business,” will play Ryan Wilder, who is a new addition to the DC universe.

Image: Javicia Leslie
Javicia Leslie as Batwoman.Nino Munoz / The CW

A former drug-runner that has spent years evading the police of Gotham City, Ryan has a tragic life story: She lost her single mother during childbirth, her adoptive mother was killed in front of her and she served 18 months in prison for a crime she did not commit. Given the scarcity of her job opportunities, Ryan is forced to live in a van by the river, which is where she finds Kate Kane’s Batsuit. After taking the suit for a test drive, she feels powerful enough to take control of her own life and to fight the system that has overlooked her for decades.

It’s a dream role for Leslie, whose naturally engaging and thoughtful presence is immediately reflected in her dazzling debut as the first Black and bisexual actress to don Batwoman’s legendary cape and cowl. As a self-proclaimed “super fan” of the DC universe and Arrowverse, Leslie auditioned for the lead role over Zoom a few months into the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I was really, really shocked,” Leslie told NBC News, recalling the day in early July that she landed the role. “I really thought, when my manager’s number showed up on my phone, ‘Ugh, I guess I didn’t get it.’ When I answered the phone, she said, ‘May I speak to Ryan Wilder?’ And I just lost it. I couldn’t believe it; I started crying. I called my mom, and we cried together.”

Born in the southern German city of Augsburg into an American military family, Leslie was raised in Maryland and earned a business degree from Hampton University, a historically Black university in Virginia, where she also starred in multiple theater productions and began to fall in love with acting.

“I just really loved the idea of being able to get away from life and how I was able to really feel some of the pain that I was going through as a person,” she said. “It made me realize how much I needed acting.”

Instead of pursuing acting after graduation, Leslie decided to find a more stable job in her early 20s and worked for the government on a two-year contract. While she found the work meaningful, she said she felt “stifled” and “couldn’t express myself” in a creatively fulfilling way. After her contract ended in 2012, Leslie moved to Los Angeles with a little bit of saved income to help with her career change, and she has since committed herself to mastering her craft for the better part of the last decade.

In the eight weeks between landing the role and the start of filming, Leslie focused on staying in shape using her background in mixed martial arts and creating her character’s backstory by imagining the harrowing events that transpired before Ryan found the Batsuit.

Leslie said the process of developing Ryan’s character has been a collaborative one with showrunner Caroline Dries, the series’ executive producers and the rest of the creative team, who also made the decision early on to revamp the iconic Batsuit to better suit Leslie.

“It was important that you could see the silhouette of Batwoman,” Leslie said. “I have a lot of muscle tone on my body, and I think it can be tough to accentuate that. It also helps to show my curves.”

“To create an Afro was very important, because it was like, ‘OK, if we’re going to do this, let’s do this. If we’re gonna have a Black Batwoman, let’s have a sistah,’” she added. “I think that this Batwoman is really strong, and you can see the strength just in how she looks when her suit is on.”

Image: Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder in "Batwoman."
Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder in “Batwoman.”The CW

Leslie has been an advocate for diverse on-screen representation and acknowledged that her new role has the potential to be a game changer when it comes to diversity in the superhero genre — especially for Black and LGBTQ performers.

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“This isn’t for me; this is for all of the people that feel underrepresented,” Leslie said. “I think one of the things that’s really made underrepresented people feel like they’re not enough and feel like they have to continue to fight so hard to feel represented is because they couldn’t see themselves.”

While the response to her casting has been largely positive, there are always the social media haters, including some who have criticized the casting of a queer Black woman in the iconic superhero role. But Leslie said she doesn’t let the haters get to her.

“No one’s even seen the show yet, so if they have something negative to say, they’re usually just coming from a place of pain from something that they’re experiencing. When I look at it like that, I don’t take it personally at all,” she said. “This is just one of the many roles that I will do in my life, and because of that, I’m really just able to operate with my goals in mind, which is just to create amazing content.”

Using a fitting analogy, Leslie said she looks at the situation “like good vs. evil.”

“I can’t let evil win because they hurt my feelings,” she said. “It’s imperative that good wins, and good is finally seeing representation. Good is finally being able to see anyone in the Batworld be Black and be queer.”

While her character’s introduction will offset some of the established character dynamics, namely the one between Batwoman and supervillain Alice (Rachel Skarsten), Leslie teases that Ryan’s personal journey will drive the development of the second season.

“Ryan kind of comes in as a solo person on her own mission, and you really watch her have to change her mentality about what this suit means and what the responsibility of this suit means. You watch her go into this journey of becoming a superhero,” Leslie said. “She doesn’t start off as a superhero at all; she just starts off as a normal person that is going into this to get her own revenge for things. As she continues to move through this journey, she really starts to realize what this suit represents, and that’s how she becomes the superhero that Gotham City needs.”

Season two of “Batwoman” premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. on The CW.

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Presence vs. Representation: Report Breaks Down LGBTQ Visibility on TV

From Billy Porter in “Pose” to Dan Levy in “Schitt’s Creek” and Elliot Page in “Umbrella Academy,” LGBTQ people have been increasingly seeing themselves and their stories represented and celebrated on television. But there is still room for improvement, according to Nielsen’s “Being Seen on Screen: Diverse Representation & Inclusion on TV” report.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people make up an estimated 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, and, according to Nielsen’s inaugural report, they were 6.7 percent of the top 10 recurring cast members in the top 300 programs on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms in 2019. The report also found that 26 percent of the top 300 programs included at least one cast member who identifies as LGBTQ.

While the numbers alone paint a picture of increased visibility, Stacie de Armas, Nielsen’s senior vice president for diverse consumer insights, said it’s important to differentiate presence from representation.

“When you look across the TV landscape, the LGBTQ population looks well represented,” de Armas told NBC News. “But when we look deeper, and at intersectional groups, it’s clear there is a need for greater diversity in LGBTQ representation. White LGBTQ people are most represented on screen, while female LGBTQ people of color and Latinx LGBTQ people are below parity compared to their population estimates.”

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Harvey Guillén, an openly gay actor who has a lead role in FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows,” said that in terms of media diversity, “We’ve come so far, but we have so far to go.”

“It’s great that there are more queer actors in queer roles in living rooms consistently, but getting more people of color, of different gender expressions and different body types across different genres is our next priority,” he told NBC News. “Just as the world builds their perceptions of the LGBTQ community from media, we LGBTQ people also form our own identities from media.”

Jack Moore, writer and co-showrunner for Netflix’s “Dear White People,” said part of the effort to diversify LGBTQ storytelling is to diversify the writers’ rooms.

“A huge part of the puzzle the industry has to work on is allowing queer women, queer Latinx people and other underrepresented members of our community to tell their own stories,” said Moore, who identifies as bisexual. “This is one way networks, artists and creators can go beyond telling the same white, queer stories over and over.”

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Chris Rudolph, an editor and producer for Logo, ViacomCBS’ LGBTQ lifestyle channel and entertainment channel, said the queer community has a role to play.

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“Great shows like ‘Vida’ and ‘One Day at a Time’ centered Hispanic and Latinx queer women but didn’t get enough support from the LGBTQ community,” Rudolph said. “If we want to see shows other than the ones that focus on gay, white men, we as a community have to show them the same amount of love and support.”

LGBTQ representation was just part of Nielsen’s diverse representation report. Among its broader key findings are that women, who make up 52 percent of the U.S. population, were just 38 percent of top 10 recurring cast members on the top 300 programs and that people of color, who are nearly 40 percent of the population, represent less than 27 percent of the characters in these top roles.

Nielsen hopes its report sheds light on the importance of diversity and inclusion in news, as well.

When these diverse groups are not visible in news, it raises the question: “Are their stories being told and being told fairly?”

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Hallmark, Lifetime, Others Embrace LGBTQ Holiday Romance

As we move firmly into November, there’s no escaping the fact that holiday season 2020 is upon us – and with the election result and news of a vaccine breakthrough, it feels like we might feel OK about celebrating this year, after all.

Making that easier for us all, of course, is the annual influx of holiday viewing fare that has already begun showing up on our screens, right on cue, to help us get in the mood. For LGBTQ+ audiences, that has traditionally meant having to settle for getting our fix of seasonal spirit vicariously through stories about straight people – but giving us even more reason to celebrate, this time around, is a plethora of inclusive options in which, at long last, we get to see our queer romantic holiday fantasies played out without having to filter them through a heteronormative lens.

Probably the most significant of these new entries – from the standpoint of cultural politics, at least – is “The Christmas House,” which comes amid the heavy slate of holiday-themed romantic movies from the Hallmark Channel, and represents a seismic shift at the formerly conservative network by placing a loving same-sex couple at the center of its warm and fuzzy storyline. Starring out gay actor Jonathan Bennett (best known as high school heartthrob Aaron Samuels in 2004’s “Mean Girls”), it focuses on a gay couple trying to adopt their first child, and co-stars Robert Buckley, Ana Ayora, Treat Williams and Sharon Lawrence.

To recognize why “The Christmas House” (which premieres Nov. 22) is as meaningful as it is, it’s necessary to look back at Christmas 2019. A lot has happened since then, but if you prod your memory, you’ll likely recall the debacle that took place when Hallmark caved to pressure from right-wing homophobic activists (particularly the misleadingly named “One Million Moms,” a front for known hate group the American Family Association) and pulled several ads for the wedding planning website Zola over the inclusion of a lesbian couple. The backlash from the LGBTQ+ community and its advocates was swift and profound, and a week later the ads were reinstated, with Hallmark vowing to work with GLAAD on a plan to move forward with more inclusive programming. It was an unequivocal victory in the “culture wars,” made even more sweet by the context of a flagrantly anti-LGBTQ political administration and the false perception of legitimacy bestowed upon homophobic social attitudes that it enabled.

For proof that the climate had changed – even before last week’s election – one only has to look at the words of Michelle Vicary, executive vice president of programming for Hallmark, whose statement when “The Christmas House” was announced late last month as part of the network’s seasonal lineup opened by saying, “Our holiday table is bigger and more welcoming than ever.” It might have the ring of carefully manufactured corporate-speak, but that sentence still represents the culmination of a decades-long struggle – and while not every member of the LGBTQ+ crowd may be excited about being represented in the kind of feel-good fare that straight couples have been enjoying together since forever, we can all still look at the fact that it’s finally happening as an important milestone worthy of celebration – though it’s worth noting that One Million Moms has another homophobic petition circulating in protest of this one, too.

Hallmark isn’t the only cable titan unveiling its first same-sex Christmas romance this year; the Lifetime Channel, similarly known for being a family-friendly seasonal juggernaut, is dropping “The Christmas Set-Up,” which stars two actors (Ben Lewis and Blake Lee) who are not only openly gay, but are an actual couple in real life. While the network last year aired “Twinkle All the Way,” which featured a same-sex kiss between two supporting characters, this time they are putting the gay love story front and center.

This one follows Hugo, a New York lawyer (Lewis), whose matchmaking mom (played by Fran Drescher) decides to set him up with Patrick (Lee), his old high school friend – and secret crush. According to the synopsis, things go smoothly between the two men at first, but they take a dramatic turn when (in true made-for-TV romance fashion) Hugo gets a promotion that comes with a relocation to London, forcing him to choose between his career and the man of his dreams. It also stars Ellen Wong (“G.L.O.W”) as Hugo’s best friend.

“The Christmas Set-Up” represents Lifetime’s efforts to bolster its own reputation for diversity and inclusion, in a Christmas lineup that also features the network’s first movie centered on an Asian-American family, “A Sugar & Spice Holiday.” In a statement made in September, when Lifetime’s holiday slate was announced, head of programming Amy Winter said, “The world we create on camera should reflect the world we live in.”

She went on to add, “Our hope with these inclusive films and others is that people will see themselves while enjoying universally relatable holiday romances.”

“The Christmas Set-Up” won’t drop until Dec. 12, but for fans of gay romance, it should be well worth the wait.

It’s laudable that these once-resistant cable networks have opened up their programming to include more diverse representation, of course; but while we have been waiting for them to get on board, we should not forget that streaming giants like Netflix and Hulu have already been leading the charge for quite some time. Both of them continue that tradition this season with LGBTQ-centric holiday offerings of their own.

While Netflix doesn’t have a specifically LGBTQ-centered title coming for the holiday season, it is bringing us “Dash & Lily,” based on the popular YA romance book series by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, which includes queer characters – not to mention the non-holiday-themed Ryan Murphy adaptation of the Broadway musical, “The Prom.” 

Hulu, however, is putting LGBTQ love in the spotlight with “Happiest Season,” a romantic comedy from director Clea Duvall, who also co-wrote with Mary Holland.

Featuring two queer icons (Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis) in the leads, and yet another (Dan Levy) in prominent support, Duvall’s film revolves around girlfriends Abby (Stewart) and Harper (Davis), and Abby’s plan to propose at the annual Christmas dinner held at Harper’s family (Davis) home. When Abby arrives for the big night, she discovers that not only is Harper’s family ignorant of their relationship, they don’t even know that Harper is gay, prompting her to question how well she knows the person she’s planning on spending the rest of her life with.

That synopsis might give the impression that “Happiest Season” is more a soul-searching downer than you might want from holiday-themed romance, but official descriptions assure us that this latest lesbian-themed Hulu Original is “a holiday romantic comedy that hilariously captures the range of emotions tied to wanting your family’s acceptance, being true to yourself, and trying not to ruin Christmas.” And if you are enthusiastic to see the movie – which premieres Nov. 25 – you are in good company. Its star, Stewart, said in a statement: “I think I’ve wished to see a gay Christmas rom-com my whole life.”

Many would say – in this case, at least – that K-Stew speaks for us all.

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KRCB to Air “Love Wins Over Hate” October 30

The documentary Love Wins Over Hate will air on KRCB on Oct. 30 at 8pm and on KPJK on Oct. 27 at 9pm.

More info here: https://www.aptonline.org/catalog/LOVE-WINS-OVER-HATE

In this deeply thought-provoking documentary Susan Polis Schutz uncovers the origins and complexities of hatred in America. Through a series of sensitive interviews with former white supremacists and other extremists, Susan explores how these people, who were filled with hate, bigotry and rage were able to change. They find love and compassion with a greater appreciation for all humanity, regardless of race, faith, or sexual orientation. This gripping film offers viewers a rare glimpse into the psychology of why people choose to hate, and how they have overcome it. Ultimately, it is a film about hope, the power of redemption, and breaking apart the systems that uphold hate in order to find true peace for a better community.

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HBO’s ‘Equal’ Explores LGBTQ Life Before Stonewall

We’re still in October, and that means as we cast our eye on our screens this month, it’s inevitable for us to also be casting our eyes on the past. 

The most relevant offering this week is surely the debut of a new HBO Max docuseries, “Equal,” designed to fill in a few gaps in our education about what queer life was like in the days before Stonewall – just in time for LGBTQ History Month. Premiering on Oct. 22, it’s four episodes of slick, smart, and star-powered television that profiles various “leaders and unsung heroes” of the community who stood up, each in their way, to become pioneers in a movement for equality that might never have happened were it not for their refusal to stay invisible.

Narrated by Billy Porter, this look back at the giants upon whose shoulders we stand is not what you might call a “deep dive” into pre-Stonewall queer history; instead, it provides a sweeping overview of LGBTQ life in the middle of the 20th century, through a focus on some of the individuals who cast a long shadow in the ongoing fight for equality. That doesn’t mean it’s short on information though; a lot of detail is packed into each hour-long episode, and viewers are sure to walk away feeling much more informed about this long-obscured era of queer history.

From a collaboration of producers that includes the likes of Greg Berlanti and Jim Parsons, “Equal” looks to shine a light on figures whose stories took place within the shadows of past American culture: founding fathers of the LGBTQ equality movement like Harry Hay, Dale Jennings, Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin; pioneering trans women like Christine Jorgensen and Sylvia Rivera; and men and women of color, like Lorraine Hansberry and Bayard Rustin, who brought their queerness with them into the larger fight for civil rights in the arts and politics of the mainstream world. To that end, real-life archival footage is blended with newly filmed “re-enactments” – and a healthy dose of artistic license – to bring their histories to life.

Among the cast of queer and allied actors taking part are quite a few familiar names and faces. Cheyenne Jackson stands in for One Magazine founder Jennings, with Anthony Rapp as Mattachine Society founder Hay; Heather Matarazzo (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”) and Shannon Purser (“Stranger Things,” “Riverdale”) play Lyon and Martins, respectively; Jamie Clayton (“Sense8”) is Jorgensen, and Hailie Sahar (“Pose”) is Rivera, while Samira Wiley (“Orange is the New Black,” “The Handmaid’s Tale”) and Keiynan Lonsdale (“Love, Simon”) portray Hansberry and Rustin. The cast also includes Sara Gilbert, Anne Ramsay, Alexandra Grey, Jack Starr, Isis King, and Jai Rodriguez, as well as many additional performers, playing a mix of other real-life and fictional composite roles.

If you can’t wait for Oct. 22 to watch, you might be in luck, thanks to NewFest. The series is included as part of the line-up during the long-running LGBTQ Film Festival scheduled run between Oct. 16-27. 

Celebrating its 32nd edition in the year of COVID-19 might not have been what this venerable film fest would have preferred to do, but like other prominent festivals that have had to adapt to life in 2020, it’s taken its show online – at least for the most part. That means that film fans who want to participate in NewFest without actually making the trip to NYC have gained an historic opportunity.

Organizers have put together what they describe as “an incredible virtual lineup” of screenings, special events, and panels, available nationwide for the first time in the festival’s history; and if you feel you must go in person to really feel a part of it all, there are even a few special drive-in screenings scheduled during NewFest’s 11-day run. 

If you’re not a documentary person, NewFest has you covered, too. Don’t get us wrong – it features plenty of them. But it also offers a lengthy list of narrative options, both short and long form, from which film fans will be sure to find something to fit their personal tastes.

Among the highlights: “Ammonite,” the new semi-biographical 19th-century period romance from “In God’s Country” director Francis Lee, starring Kate Winslet and Saorise Ronan; “No Hard Feelings,” a debut feature from German filmmaker Faraz Shariat that explores a romance between two Iranian immigrants who meet in a refugee camp and has already won a German Teddy Award for Best LGBTQ-themed Feature; “Ahead of the Curve,” Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow’s documentary tracing the legacy of the groundbreaking lesbian publication Curve Magazine; filmmaker Mike Mosallam’s feature debut “Breaking Fast,” a cross-cultural gay romcom about a Muslim-American (Haaz Sleiman) whose blossoming romance with an All-American white boy (Michael Cassidy) is set against the backdrop of his family’s celebration of Ramadan; Laurie Lynd’s “Killing Patient Zero,” a riveting documentary about the scapegoating of Gaëtan Dugas, the gay French-Canadian flight attendant who was blamed for spreading AIDS to North America; and Stanley Kalu’s “The Obituary of Tunde Johnson,” a timely drama about a black teenager struggling with coming out to his parents while dealing with the trauma he experiences from both being closeted and being black.

There’s a long list of other features and shorts, most of which are available for the entire run of the festival after their official “screening” times and dates; there are also numerous special events – such as an all-trans cast doing a table read of “Brokeback Mountain. The full line-up can be found, along with all-festival passes, tickets and ticket packages, on the festival’s website at newfest.org.

With so much exciting queer content at our fingertips, even in the middle of a pandemic, even the gloomiest among us would have to call it an embarrassment of riches – more than enough to see us through until long past Thanksgiving. If not, don’t worry. LGBTQ History Month is barely halfway through, and there’s sure to be plenty more, still in store.

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Hugh Jackman, Janelle Monáe, John Oliver, Laverne Cox Set to Appear in First LGBTQ Entertainment Critics TV Awards Special

Hugh Jackman, Janelle Monáe, Regina King, Pose sensation and fashion trailblazer Billy Porter, groundbreaking trans actress Laverne Cox, Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy and vaunted political satirist John Oliver are among the slew of actors, comics and performers lending cheer to GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics’ inaugural Dorians TV Toast 2020 on Revry, airing Sunday, September 13th on the first LGBTQ+ global streaming network Revry.

In the two-hour star-studded virtual event, hosted by famously opinionated entertainer and talk show host Karel, fans will find out which stars and TV shows the LGBTQ+ organization’s 270 members deemed the best, most visually stunning and even campiest of the past TV season. In addition to raising a glass to the honorees—many of whom delight in virtual acceptance videos—GALECA members discuss the nominees’ merits and even controversies (Randy Rainbow and Tiger King don’t get off lightly). 

Going into Revry’s September 13th special, star and co-creator Dan Levy’s riches-to-rags comedy Schitt’s Creek leads the pack with seven nominations, while Hollywood whiz Ryan Murphy’s ambitious, star-studded reimagining of Tinseltown’s early days sashays down the red carpet with six nods. The fact-based TV movie Bad Education and daring miniseries Watchmen each have four Dorian nominations, with the HBO titles’ respective stars, Jackman and King, earning best performance nominations. Singer and actress Monáe, now seen in the centuries-spanning horror film Antebellum, and Porter share a nomination for TV Musical Performance of the Year for their vibrant opening number in this year’s Academy Awards telecast. The full list of contenders, across 14 categories, can be found at DoriansToast.com.
Helping present the TV Dorians: Drag icon Shangela (star of HBO’s We’re Here), What We Do in the Shadows’ vampire-slayer Harvey Guillén; DailyMailTV and Gay Good News host and groundbreaking cable news anchor Thomas Roberts; actor and music artist Alex Newell (Glee and NBC’s Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist); RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars champion Chad Michaels; multi-hyphenate Josh Thomas of the hit Freeform sitcom, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay; actress-comedian Margaret Cho; veteran talk radio host and Sexy Liberal podcast network founder Stephanie Miller; legendary saxophonist Dave Koz; acclaimed actress and jazz singer Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black); rising stars Rafael Casal and Kate Rose Wilburn; and iconic comic Bruce Vilanch. Revry personalities Shira Lazar and Andy Lalwani, of the news and pop culture series What’s Trending, will also be on deck offering insightful commentary.

“It’s really incredible how the industry has so positively responded to our show,” said outspoken host and producer, Karel (otherwise known as Charles Karel Bouley). “While COVID has definitely created challenges, it’s also strangely brought us together in a global way: We’ve got Alex Newell in Canada, Laverne Cox in New York, Lea DeLaria in LA, Margaret Cho in her back yard and even a surprise from Ireland! A pub is a place that brings people together, and we think Oscar Wilde would approve of our virtual Plan B.” “Revry is honored to host the exclusive premiere of the star-studded Dorians TV Toast 2020 on Revry and to stream the show worldwide on our queer network,” said Christopher J. Rodriguez, Esq., Revry co-founder and CBO. “We believe that representation saves lives and while our network focuses on uplifting LGBTQ+ entertainment within queer culture, GALECA has been essential in pushing the broader entertainment industry towards increased representation of LGBTQ+ people in mainstream media. This partnership creates the perfect bridge between these two worlds and allows GALECA and Revry to honor our allies in the industry on a network made by and for our community.” The Society’s Dorian Awards, which in the past have gone to both film and television titles combined, announced the nominees for its first separate Dorian TV Awards on June 30. The Dorians are awarded to both general and LGBTQ content, reminding bigots, bullies and at-risk youth that the world looks to the Q eye for leads on great entertainment. “With September being Suicide Prevention Month and next month being LGBTQ History Month, this is a lovely and loving time to celebrate not just great television, but also how ‘rainbow’ journalists have boosted Hollywood from day one,” said John Griffiths, GALECA.org’s Executive Director and Founder. “Be they black, Latinx, indigenous, white, bi, trans, nonbinary or several of the above, queer entertainment critics and reporters have a distinct perspective born of their culture and oppression that has shaped all of the arts for the better. People should know that—and they will thanks to Revry.” 

GALECA members offering their opinions in what host Karel calls his “virtual pub” include Tre’vell Anderson (Cohost, Maximum Fun’s FANTI podcast), Kevin Fallon (Senior Writer, The Daily Beast), Eric Andersson (Senior Writer, TV Guide Magazine), Tracy E. Gilchrist (Co-Editor in Chief, The Advocate), Liz Shannon Miller (Senior TV Editor, Collider), Dino-Ray Ramos (Associate Editor, Deadline), Erik Anderson (Editor in Chief of Awards Watch), Jose Bastidas (Assistant Entertainment Editor, The San Francisco Chronicle), Tariq Raouf (Entertainment Queerlypodcast), as well as freelance journalists Ren Jender, Manuel Betancourt, Topher Gauk-Roger and Griffiths (former longtime TV critic for Us Weekly). 

Chiming in as well with lively comments are former CNN Headline News show host Jane Velez-Mitchell, legendary showbiz columnist Michael Musto and Revry co-founder Wadooah Wali, all GALECA Advisory Board members. The Emmy-winning Velez-Mitchell, now a crusader for animal rights, veganism and the environment via her #JaneUnchained initiative, is one of five media experts to recently join the Society’s list of advisors. The others are Shane Michael Singh, former executive editor of Playboy turned brand partnerships and development manager at the LGBTQ youth charity The Trevor Project; groundbreaking black film critic and former VH1 talk show host Bobby Rivers; Nick McCarthy, director of programming for the NewFest LGBTQ film festival; and Gil Robertson, co-founder and president of the African American Film Critics Association.

The show is produced and created by Karel.Media, whose creative team includes Brandon Riley Miiller (High the Series, Life In Segments) and talent liaison Makiko Ushiyama, with awards design by Karel and Jason Young of Pearl Image. The special includes an original theme tune: The cozy and festive “Toast,” with music by Morgan Mallory and lyrics by Karel. Viewers can also hear what Karel calls a “power-pub” version of the song, “Toast 2,” performed by Las Vegas-based Irish band The Black Donnellys, featuring a new melody and an added stanza by Donnelly’s frontperson Dave Rooney.

And the Dorians special will include a special message from siblings Rosanna and David Arquette in support of the Alexis Arquette Family Foundation and its missions to offer care and support of the LGBTQ+ community and reflect its namesake’s belief that the arts can transform lives. 

The show will air Sunday, Sept. 13 at 8pm EST, 5pm PST for free on Revry, the LGBTQ+ streaming network, available globally at watch.revry.tv. For more information about the Society and its Dorians Toast, visit GALECA.org and DoriansToast.com. For Commercial Promos and Photo Assets click HERE.

Celebrities set to appear: 
Hugh JackmanRegina KingRafael CasalMargaret ChoLaverne CoxLea DeLariaHarvey Guillén Dave KozDan LevyDamon LindelofChad MichaelsStephanie MillerAnnie MurphyMichael MustoAlex NewellJohn OliverJanell MonáeBilly PorterShangelaThomas RobertsFiona ShawJosh ThomasJane Velez-MitchellBruce VilanchKate Rose Wilburn About GALECAGALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics’ Dorian Awards, a nonprofit professional organization, was founded in 2009. Today, GALECA consists of 270 active critics and journalists who write on entertainment for major and distinctly unique media outlets in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K. Visit GALECA.org for more info, and support us @DorianAwards on Twitter and Facebook and @Dorian_Awards on Instagram. 

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics is a member of CGEM: Critics Groups for Equality in Media, an alliance of underrepresented entertainment journalists and Time’s Up’s CRITICAL database. For more information, visit CGEMCritics.org.  

About RevryWatch Queer TV 24/7 with the first LGBTQ+ virtual cable TV network. Revry offers free live TV channels and on-demand viewing of its global library featuring LGBTQ+ movies, shows, music, podcasts, news, and exclusive originals all in one place! Revry is currently available globally in over 250+ million households and devices and on seven OTT, mobile, and Desktop platforms. Revry can also be viewed on nine live and on-demand channels and Connected TVs including: The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast Xfinity X1, Dell, XUMO TV, Zapping TV, STIRR, TiVo+, and as the first LGBTQ+ virtual reality channel on Littlstar (available on PlayStation devices). The company–an inaugural member of the Goldman Sachs Black and LatinX Cohort–is headquartered in Los Angeles and led by a diverse founding team who bring decades of experience in the fields of tech, digital media, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.  Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @revrytv.Revry.tv

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Queer TV Network Revry Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15th – Oct. 15th) with a lineup LatinX content

Queer Virtual TV Network, Revry, will kick off this Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15th – Oct. 15th) with a lineup of fresh and fabulous LatinX content, including the Revry premiere of Latino Alternative TV’s (LATV) fan favorite THE Q AGENDA–a talk show hosted by a passionate community of Latinx LGBTQ+ personalities and influencers featuring special guests from celebrities to activists for candid and genuine conversations about issues that affect the LGBTQ+ community.

THE Q AGENDA is hosted by executive producer, actor and tv personality Enrique Sapene; comedian Lianna Carrera; beauty influencer, Victor Ramos; and actress and trans activist, Juliana Joel. THE Q AGENDA was featured in GLAAD’s 2020 Pride Guide and received multiple awards from The Los Angeles Blade Magazine. THE Q AGENDA season 3 includes such guests as Monica Trasandes from GLAAD, Rafael De la Fuente (Dynasty), Candis Cayne (The Magicians), Sutton Stracke (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Alexandra Grey (Empire), telenovela star Litzy, Actor Omar Shariff Jr., publicist to the stars Howard Bragman, influencer Tony Directs and singer Tatiana Hazel. 

For the entirety of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15th – Oct. 15th), special THE Q AGENDA episodes from Season 3 will play each week live on Wednesdays at 6pm (EST)/ 3pm (PST) and replay at 9pm(EST) / 6pm (PST) on the Revry News channel.  THE Q AGENDA assets here. ***Request Full Sept. 15th Press Release w/Quotes for Coverage.

Revry’s Hispanic Heritage Month Content Calendar Includes:
FEATURE FILMS

AnnCarmin TropicalCheckmateExtra TerrestrialsLifes a Bitch!Personal BeliefsTí@sVianeyXXY

SERIES
The Q AgendaFunctionalThe Category Is: Mexico CityDele ViajeDos Mas Dos CincoGiving Me LifeSui GenerisThreesomeTiny LaughsTravis

SHORTS
Atmosphere BSXLChasing The DragonFamilia?FluJulia’s PiecePangea

MUSIC VIDEOS
Gabe LopezLibre by Luis GamarraROB.B

PODCASTS
Dead For Filth – #79. Ray Santiago

To learn more about and experience Revry, please visit www.revry.tv. 

Unapologetically LatinX by Revry Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Christopher J. Rodriguez, Esq.

This Hispanic Heritage month, I’m taking the opportunity to consider the role that my heritage has played in my life. Specifically, what aspects of my unique experience as a Mexican/Colombian American helped shape my career and my overall identity. Growing up as a “white presenting Latino,” there were times when I didn’t feel like a real Latino. I didn’t speak Spanish. I’m light-skinned. I didn’t have the same interests as some of the other Hispanic kids in my classes. I’m gay. However, as I got older I started to realize that my heritage and culture inextricably formed who I was and who I continue to be to this day. 

I remember family parties on my mother’s side scored by the familiar music curated by Art Leboe— that tastemaker for the most beloved “cholo” jams. I remember the food. Not just the typical Mexican cuisine but also those specialties favored by my family: potato tacos, my grandmother’s famous “air” enchiladas I also remember the stories! Funny stories. Tragic stories. Tall tales. Urban legends. Many took place in the neighborhood that my mother and her 5 siblings lived for the greater part of their childhood: Echo Park, Los Angeles. I found myself settling into this very same neighborhood. By then of course, much had changed since my mother explored the streets. Many of the corner carnicerias had been replaced with organic wine and vegan pizza shops; old Victorian houses, once occupied by multiple low-income families, had been replaced with upscale (and expensive) Airbnbs; roving gangs of street toughs had been replaced with hipster moms pushing thousand dollar strollers. Luckily for me, the “Elote Lady” is still there. Looking back, it’s a beautiful type of irony that in some ways my mother’s past has become my own present.

This was, however, just one side of my Hispanic heritage. While my mother was second generation Mexican–her grandmother having migrated from Chihuahua to Texas and later to Los Angeles–my father was born and spent much of his formative years in Colombia. His experience was dramatically different from that of my mother. His family was well educated and well off in South America. When his family finally emigrated to the States, they had the advantage of money, but not necessarily, connections. It wasn’t until I was much older that I discovered the immense value in having deep roots in the country in which you are trying to build a life. The likelihood of success in the US is not just dictated by access to money but also access to privilege. And while my immediate family was solidly middle class in my childhood, this provided no meaningful advantages in my education or career. I went to public schools and neither myself nor my brothers could afford to transition directly to a good university following graduation. We also found ourselves in the frustrating position of having a household income too high for public assistance but too low to afford to go to college on our own dime. Like many in my position, I spent 2 years at community college–where, for the record, I received an excellent education–before transferring to UCLA to complete my degree in Political Science. Upon graduation, I knew I wanted to go to law school but also knew that I had no money to do so. Fortunately, I obtained a half-ride scholarship to a great law school which helped alleviate the debt. 

Law was a novel industry for my family. Where we were lucky to have careers, they tended to be in the fields of engineering, healthcare, and law enforcement. Following my admission to the California Bar, I spent the next several years trying to make my own opportunities. I immediately gravitated toward entertainment law but quickly discovered that this field was almost as competitive as the entertainment industry proper. Thankfully, I had unknowingly inherited the indomitable spirit that characterized my family and which was embodied by my maternal grandmother. I found clients who were willing to be represented by a fledgling attorney in exchange for a gratis fee and slowly, but surely, I built my solo entertainment law practice. My later experience in the industry at subsequent jobs was less encouraging. The negativity and nepotism permeating this field, which usually favored non-POC people, was palpable and contributed to the toxicity in many of these work environments. This, in turn, led to my disillusionment with a field that I had spent years fighting to get into. 
The extent to which prejudices against my race, ethnicity, and sexuality played in my struggles is not clear but, nonetheless, I’m thankful for everything I endured as it pushed me even further in forging my own future. This drive toward career independence culminated in 2015 with the founding of my own business along with three other amazing, like-minded people. Revry was born of a desire to create a space by and for the marginalized and the ignored. Rather than cynically taking advantage of a growing minority demographic (i.e. LGBTQ+, POC, multicultural), our network was created by these communities and–I’m proud to say–it shows. In addition, our network is embedded with the unwavering persistence and resilience of my heritage and that of my co-founders. I never let my lack of access or resources hold me back and neither do we. Luck favors the bold, and being bold is one of our company’s greatest assets as well as my own. We take risks in everything from technology to content and we’re not afraid to be unapologetically…us. I like to believe that the struggles of my ancestors in this country and their refusal to give up has played a small yet meaningful role in our success. I know it has in mine.
Christopher J Rodriguez, Esq is the 37 year old LatinX co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Revry, the global Queer streaming network. An entertainment attorney, cancer-survivor, and out and proud gay man, Christopher has used his diverse range of skills as an artist, lawyer, and writer to help bring Revry’s message of inclusivity and entertainment to 250+ million households and devices worldwide. 

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Award-Winning Gay Producer Ash Christian Dead at 35

Lauded producer, actor, director, and writer Ash Christian died in his sleep while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Thursday August 13th, 2020. He was 35 years old. 

Born on Jan. 16, 1985, in Paris, Texas, Christian began writing and directing short films at the age of 14 before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his acting dreams just two years later. 

Christian also operated his own successful New York-based film production company, Cranium Entertainment. Cranium and Christian recently released the acclaimed AIDS drama 1985, directed by Yen Tan and starring Cory Michael Smith and Virginia Madsen. 

I’m 2006 Christian caught Hollywood’s attention with his independent film, Fat Girls, which he also wrote and co-starred in. The movie, co-starring Ashley Fink and Boys in the Band’s Robin De Jesus, was a hit at Outfest, Los Angeles’s LGBTQ+ film festival; Christian won the Outfest award for emerging talent.

Christian also produced Hurricane Bianca, a 2016 film starring RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio. At the time of his death, Christian had several other films in various stages of production starring high-profile actors like Lili Taylor, Dustin Hoffman, Fortune Feimster, Marissa Tomei, Gina Gershon, and Josh Hutcherson. 

Christian’s talents also extended to television, where he appeared on dramas like The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and Law & Order. Christian won a Daytime Emmy in 2014 for his program, ml Promise.

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Ellen DeGeneres Announces Ouster of 3 top Producers after Allegations of Toxic Workplace

Three top producers on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” are out after reports of a toxic work environment behind the scenes sparked an investigation by Warner Media’s employee relations group.

Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman have parted ways with “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” a spokesperson for Warner Bros. confirmed to NBC News.

The departure of the three producers was first reported by Variety.

Sources told NBC News that DeGeneres announced the changes on a video conference call with staff on Monday, which marked the first full day of production on the show’s 18th season.

DeGeneres apologized during the call, saying she had allowed the show to be run like a machine rather than seeing the staff as people, the sources said. She also said she tries to learn from her mistakes and that she hopes she can transform the show into a happy place for workers.

Glavin and Norman did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment.

In a statement, Michael Plonsker, an attorney for Kevin Leman, said “the fact that a deeply flawed BuzzFeed article has led to the termination of an innocent man — a popular figure and a creative force behind the ‘Ellen’ show and a string of other projects produced with Ellen — is shocking.”

“Kevin is devastated by being scapegoated and is not yet ready to comment,” Plonsker added. A Warner Bros. spokesperson had no comment on Plonsker’s statement.

Last month, a source close to the production of the show confirmed that it was the subject of an internal probe by Warner Media.

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The probe followed an April report by Variety detailing some crew members’ dissatisfaction with their alleged treatment by top producers amid the coronavirus pandemic and an article by BuzzFeed News earlier this month in which former employees and one current one alleged a culture of racism, fear and intimidation at odds with the show’s motto, “Be kind to one another.”

The employees said the producers and other managers were at fault for the environment, but said DeGeneres should take more responsibility for how the staff are treated, especially since a large part of her brand hinges on doing good for others. DeGeneres was not a subject of the review, the source close to the production said.

NBC News has spoken to multiple former staffers at “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” who corroborate at least some of the accusations of misconduct by senior management but said they cannot speak publicly because they are bound by nondisclosure agreements and fear retribution.

A later BuzzFeed News report said dozens of former employees of the show appeared to corroborate allegations of top producers sexual harassing subordinates. However, NBC News has not independently verified these additional allegations.

DeGeneres last month apologized to staffers in a memo.

“Hey everybody — it’s Ellen. On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness — no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect,” the host said in the note. “Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case. And for that, I am sorry.”

The 18th season of the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was originally slated to debut on Sept. 9, but has been pushed back to air on Sept. 14. A Warner Bros. spokesperson said stations prefer a Monday debut.

“Ellen’s Game of Games” is in production now, shooting next week, the spokesperson said. Glavin, Leman and Norman are not involved in that show.

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