A few months after reports emerged of a toxic workplace environment behind the scenes of daytime show Dr Phil, 25 production staffers have been let go by the show.

I really love this quote from a production spokesperson:

“Going into season 21, we streamlined production to ensure longevity. As is typical of this process there were some roles we discovered that we could reduce yet still deliver our dynamic, forward-thinking program.”

Dr Phil is absolutely the show we all think of when we think dynamism and forward-thinking on daytime TV.

‘Dr. Phil’ Lays Off 25 Staffers as Daytime Talk Show Returns for Season 21 (EXCLUSIVE)
“Dr. Phil” is downsizing. The long-running daytime talk show, which returns in September for its 21st season, resumed production this month with 25 fewer staffers. The employees, who we…
VarietyMichael Schneider

Jon Batiste leaves The Late Show; band sexily renamed

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert band leader Jon Batiste, whose career is white hot following the release of his 5-time Grammy award-winning album this past year and a 2021 Oscars win, is leaving the show for "personal and professional reasons."

Replacing Batiste on the show will be one of the existing band members, Louis Cato. Also remaining are Joe Saylor, Louis Fouché, Jon Lampley, Endea Owens, and Nêgah Santos.

Leaving with Batiste is the name of the band, Stay Human. The Late Show band will be renamed: The Late Show Band.

The question most viewers are asking is: What is happening to the band's drummer... the guy who wears the hat? Folks, that's the aforementioned Joe Saylor. He's staying put, presumably with hat.

Jon Batiste Exits ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,’ Louis Cato Named New Bandleader
Academy and Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste is leaving “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after seven seasons, Colbert announced Thursday night on the show. He’s exiting…
VarietyMichael Schneider
  • Star Wars film Rogue One is getting a cinema re-release ahead of the launch of Disney+ TV series prequel Andor. Read: Dark Horizons
  • Amy Heckerling looks back at Fast Times At Ridgement High for its 40th anniversary. Read: THR
  • Love, Death + Robots will be back on Netflix for a fourth season. Read: Dark Horizons
  • YouTube is looking to launch a channel store, a place one can go to to subscribe to all of their various streaming services. Read: The Verge
  • Jeffrey Toobin, known best for legal analysis and masturbating on camera in front of colleagues via Zoom, has now left CNN after a 20 year run. Read: THR
  • Revival of the Memory: Bruce Lee’s Home in Metaverse is an upcoming exhibition that will allow you to explore Bruce Lee’s old Hong Kong home in VR. Read: VR Scout
  • Don't expect many, if any, new characters of note in the final season of Stranger Things. Read: Deadline

High School is the new coming-of-age drama based on the high school experiences of musical act Tegan & Sara. It debuts Oct 14 on Amazon Freebee.

That's it for today. It's a new dawn for what is set to be a big week behind the scenes at Always Be Watching HQ (more on that later in the week). Let's chat tomorrow.