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Amazon Just Announced Two More Shows From Whit Stillman and Marc Forster

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chloe sevigny

Amazon is on a roll right now announcing its FireTV set box and greenlighting shows.

This morning, Amazon announced two more pilot series it has in the works.

The first, a comedy from Whit Stillman is called "The Cosmopolitans" with Adam Brody and Chloë Sevigny and will take place and be filmed in Paris.

"Hand of God" will be a drama directed by Marc Forster ("World War Z") and will star Ron Perlman ("Sons of Anarchy") and Dana Delany ("Body of Proof"). 

Both will air later this year on Amazon's Instant Video. Like the streaming service's other pilots, Amazon will rely on consumer reviews to decide which pilots, if any, move forward as series. 

Here's how Amazon describes the shows. Will you check them out?

"The Cosmopolitans"

The Cosmopolitans follows a group of young American expatriates in Paris who are searching for love and friendship in a foreign city. The dramatic comedy pilot stars Adam BrodyChloë SevignyCarrie MacLemoreDree Hemmingway,Shaun EvansFreddy Åsblom and Adriano Giannini and will begin shooting this April in Paris.

"Hand of God"

Hand of God centers on the powerful, hard-living and law-bending Judge Pernell who, after a religious awakening, begins having visions and hearing voices through his ventilator-bound son. The drama pilot stars Ron Perlman as Judge Pernell and Dana Delany as his protective wife, as well as Andre RoyoAlona TalJulian MorrisElizabeth McLaughlin and Garret Dillahunt

SEE ALSO: Amazon greenlights six new shows

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Jon Stewart Mocks The Religious Backlash Against 'Noah'

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Jon Stewart Noah

The Russell Crowe-starring "Noah" has raked in over $180 million at the global box office since its April 8th debut.

While director Darren Aronofsky has called the film "the least biblical biblical film ever made," some didn't get the memo and many Christian groups have criticized the film for straying so far from the bible story — which Jon Stewart finds hilarious.

After showing news clips of anchors explaining that the film is not a documentary, Stewart sarcastically says, "So you're telling me that the movie about a man who lives to age 950 and loads two of every animal onto a 300 cubit long boat  you're telling me that that film won't qualify to submit in the documentary category? That's outrageous!"

Stewart also addressed those who took issue with the lack of "God" in the film, joking, "That is weird, because if there's no God in the movie, who's telling him to build a boat and go all 'Waterworld' and 'We Bought A Zoo' on everyone?"

After more news clips explaining that the film instead uses the term "creator," Stewart asks, "Is creator enough? Creator could be Xenu, it could be [rapper] Tyler the creator, it could be the master elder." 

Ultimately, Stewart says, "The problem is, they made an Old Testament bible movie. The Old Testament has stuff in it that filmmakers don't exactly want to talk about. Just stick to Jesus and you can't go wrong."

Watch the full, funny clip below from Tuesday night's "Daily Show."

SEE ALSO: Here's The Story About Noah And The Ark That They Don't Teach Children In Sunday School

MORE: Russell Crowe And 'Noah' Director Plead For Pope Francis Endorsement At The Vatican

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Sheryl Crow Lists Her 11-Acre Compound In The Hollywood Hills For $12 Million

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sheryl crow hollywood hills home After failing to sell her 11-acre estate in the Hollywood Hills for $16 million, singer Sheryl Crow has relisted the sprawling property for a discounted $12 million, according to Trulia.

Crow first listed the house a year and half ago, then pulled it from the market in December 2013.

The gated estate has three homes. The main house is a Spanish Revival built in 1924, with four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms.

The listing agent for the Los Angeles estate is Myra Nourmand of Nourmand & Associates.

Meredith Galante contributed to this story.

Welcome to Vista Canyon Estate, Sheryl Crow's Hollywood Hills compound.



Crow purchased the main home in 1997, according to a 2012 spread in Architectural Digest.



The two-story entry features a wrought iron staircase, Spanish tiles, and beamed ceilings.



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Katherine Heigl Suing Duane Reade For $6 Million After Drug Store Tweeted Paparazzi Pic

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Duane Reade is in serious trouble with Katherine Heigl after the drug store's Twitter account posted a paparazzi photo of the actress carrying the chain's shopping bags, with the caption: "Love a quick #DuaneReade run? Even @KatieHeigl can't resist shopping #NYC's favorite drugstore."

Heigl didn't appreciate the shameless promotion and is now suing the chain for $6 million, according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ.

The tweet in question, originally posted March 18, is still posted on Duane Reade's account:

Duane Reade boasts over 2 million Twitter followers, while Heigl has just 760,000  yet in the suit she boasts that "Plaintiff is a highly successful television and motion picture actress, producer and celebrity," and goes on to list her various credits.

If Heigl wins the suit, she says she'll donate her monetary judgment to the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, which focuses on animal welfare.

SEE ALSO: Katherine Heigl On Crowdfunding New Movie: 'I Haven't Made That Much Money In The Last Few Years'

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Why 'Mad Men' Paid $250,000 To Use One Beatles Song

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Music has always been one of the most important aspects of AMC's "Mad Men."

Which is why, when creator Matthew Weiner wanted to use a Beatles song in season 5's "Lady Lazarus" episode, he refused to settle for anything but the real deal.

Instead of using a cover of the band's "Tomorrow Never Knows," Weiner insisted they use a master recording that cost the production upward of $250,000.

As we head into the Season 7 (Part 1) premiere this Sunday, here's the behind-the-scenes story of how one pricey "Mad Men" episode came to be.

"The Band of the 20th Century"

From the real-life ad campaigns to the fashions, most everything on "Mad Men" is authentically 1960s. But for Weiner, there was always one glaring inauthenticity on the show.

“It was always my feeling that the show lacked a certain authenticity because we never could have an actual master recording of the Beatles performing," Weiner told The New York Times. "It always felt to me like a flaw. Because they are the band, probably, of the 20th century.”

That isn't to say that the series has never sampled from the band's catalogue. In season 4 episode "Hands and Knees," Beatles song "Do You Want to Know a Secret" played over the credits. However, it was an instrumental cover which only requires the more affordable publishing rights.

The difference between publishing rights and master rights is that while the publishing rights are controlled by the publisher working for the songwriter or composer, master recordings are owned by record labels. Labels get to set the price for how the song is being used and how popular they think it is.

Acquiring the rights to any music can be costly enough, but gaining the rights to a Beatles recording is extremely expensive and difficult — a fact that Weiner and "Mad Men" would soon come to realize.

Don Draper's $250,000 Beatles Record

For television, the Beatles had always been the "holy grail" when it came to licensing.

Revolver, The Beatles

This meant that "Mad Men" had an up-hill battle, but it helped that the remaining members of the band are fans of the show.

"In the case of the Beatles, they're not known for opening up their song catalogue to everyone," show writer Andre Jacquemetton told the Canadian Press. "It just turns out actually that they're huge fans of the show.

According to The Wall Street Journal, it's common to hear Beatles covers, but not the actual Beatles songs. When it does happen, it typically "involves fees of over $1 million." Such was the case with 2010's "Dinner For Schmucks," which used "Fool on the Hill" for a reported $1.5 million.

In contrast, most other popular songs that are licensed for TV shows can be purchased for under $100,000.

Ultimately, Lionsgate — the studio behind "Man Men" — paid $250,000, and used the song for less than 2 minutes in season 5's "Lady Lazarus," as Don Draper tried to stay in tune with '60s youth culture, but was ultimately left unimpressed.

Watch the $250,000 scene below:

The Beatles and "The End" of "Mad Men"

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"Mad Men's" use of "Tomorrow Never Knows" was the first time a TV show had used a Beatles master track, and with that distinction came a price that was about five times the average rate.

Yet, even though the costs were high, this may not be the last time "Mad Men" uses the Fab Four's catalogue.

As we head into the series' final season, the music of Paul, John, George, and Ringo may play into Weiner's end-game for the entire series, as he told Grantland:

"I want to leave the show in a place where you have an idea of what it meant and how it’s related to you. It’s a very tall order, but I always talk about 'Abbey Road. What’s the song at the end of 'Abbey Road'? It’s called ‘The End.’ There is a culmination of an experience of people working at their highest level."

SEE ALSO: How 'Game Of Thrones' Producers Persuaded HBO To Let Them Make An $8 Million Episode

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It's A Terrible Idea For Warner Bros. To Release ‘Batman Vs. Superman’ The Same Weekend As ‘Captain America 3'

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Earlier this week, Marvel confirmed it will release "Captain America 3" May 6, 2016.

It wasn't too much of a surprise since Disney previously planned to release a movie that date.

However, if you're a movie fanatic, or a comic fan, you knew the real news was the giant-sized gauntlet Disney threw down at rival studio Warner Bros.

Previously, WB announced it would release its hugely anticipated "Batman / Superman" movie that same day after pushing back the movie 10 months.

While a bit of competition is healthy (there are usually big movie showdowns at theaters around holidays — "Fast and Furious 6" vs. "The Hangover III" Memorial Day weekend and "Despicable Me 2 vs The Lone Ranger" bowing July 4), but usually these movies aren't competing for the same exact audience and demos.

As it stands, this would be a huge misstep for Warner Bros.

Disney Has Nothing To Lose 

Captain America winter soldier chris evansThere's no way Disney will budge from the May 6 date. It's the only studio that has figured out how to bring multiple successful superheroes to the big screen — something Fox, Sony, and Warner Bros. are now scrambling to duplicate at theaters. 

This past weekend, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" came close to a $100 million openingbetter than the "Thor 2" opening in November. 

In addition, the Mouse House has claimed the first weekend in May for its Marvel movies for several years.

Both "The Avengers" (2012) and "Iron Man 3" (2013) made more than $1 billion at theaters worldwide after early May releases.

As soon as Warner Bros. announced it would push back the currently untitled "Batman / Superman" movie to May 2016, the studio made it clear it wanted to go head-to-head with Disney.

In the past, the sweet spot for Warner Bros.' superhero films has been the third weekend of July. Both "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises," four years later, grossed more than $1 billion.

However, with only Superman at its disposal now, WB's DC characters don't have anywhere near as much klout as Disney's Marvel universe.

This Isn't a Christopher Nolan "Batman" Film

ben affleck batmanBatman may be one of the biggest superheroes at the box office; however, it was Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy that really resonated with fans.

If this was a fourth Nolan film with Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, it would make more sense for Warner Bros. to go head-to-head with a Disney film. It would potentially even cause the mouse to back down fearing lost profits to the Bat. (Disney probably let out a giant sigh of relief when Nolan and Bale said they were done with Batman because it meant he wouldn't be churning the wheels behind a Justice League franchise.)

However, that's not the case.

Now that Ben Affleck has been cast as an entirely new Batman — the eighth incarnation of the Dark Knight on screen —  the DC superhero needs to prove himself again to viewers. Warner Bros. is starting from scratch.

The last superhero we saw Affleck portray on screen was 2003's "Daredevil"  — and while Affleck's grown a lot since then on screen — it's not stopping fanboys from holding that over his head

Can two big superheroes perform better on screen than one who isn't Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man? Probably. Fans have been waiting years for the Dark Knight and son of Krypton to appear on screen together. 

But Warner Bros. has tried time and time again to put the two on the big screen side by side without success. (Remember that logo teased in "I Am Legend" that had audiences going nuts back in 2007?)

i am legend superman batman

With a 10-month delay in the film's production to re-work the script, there are doubts about the direction of the "Man of Steel" sequel. 

It's clear Warner Bros. is going to want to use this movie as its stepping stone to help set up an eventual Justice League film similar to "The Avengers." The question is whether "Batman / Superman" will simply feel like a direct set up for an expanded DC universe to compete with Marvel.

Warner Bros. should take the time to focus on making sure its newest incarnation of Batman sits well with fans rather than throwing their best superhero up against an established Marvel character on screen.

Warner Bros. Will Lose Out If It Goes Up Against Disney's Marvel Titan

nick fury captain america

It's really a loss for either studio, but a bigger one for Warner Bros. which doesn't have a plethora of DC movies at its disposal right now.

When "Captain America 3" comes out, it will look like a sequel to "The Avengers 2," out next summer which should give it a big box-office bump.

"Iron Man 3" came out last May it had a tremendous opening weekend ($174 million) due in part to people seeing it as an "Avengers" sequel.

Sure, Captain America may not be “Iron Man” popular; however, its $315 million gross after two weeks in theaters worldwide says the superhero’s a force to be reckoned with.

It makes sense Warner Bros. doesn't want to make fans wait until June or July for a "Man of Steel" sequel with Batman. It also makes sense the studio wants to be the first big movie of the summer out in 2016; however, there's no reason "Batman / Superman" can't open earlier in April where it can rule the box office for a few weeks ahead of “Captain America 3."

It’s clear blockbuster-sized movies aren’t limited to summer months after both “The LEGO Movie” in February and the record “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” April release. 

No matter how much money both Disney and Warner Bros. make that weekend, it won't be more than each would make if the two sequels were spread out on the calendar.

As it stands, the two films are vying for the same audiences, asking consumers to either choose allegiances to one superhero or expecting them to spend money on two outings to theaters in one weekend.

At the end of the day, this is a case of two stubborn movie studios. One wants to be able to say it can top the other and neither wants to back down.

We’ve spoken to a few insiders who figure its only a matter of time until Warner Bros. backs off the May date.

(Though honestly, I've never quite understood why Disney doesn't release a "Captain America" movie around July 4. Seems like a no-brainer marketing wise.)

If Warner Bros. sticks with the May 6 date, it will definitely be a bit of a surprise.

SEE ALSO: There are 2 end-credit scenes in "The Winter Soldier" — Here's what they mean for future Marvel movies

AND: The 75-year evolution of the Batsuit

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Here Are The Musicians People Listen To Most At Work

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If you listen to music at work, you're not alone.

According to a study by Spotify, 61% of people are streaming tunes during the work day.

The most popular music to listen is pop or anything on the top charts (34%) along with rock (29%).

Who do people listen to the most?

Among the most popular artists people listen to are Adele, Arctic Monkeys, and Mumford & Sons.

Here's the full list:

1. Adele (16%)
2. Arctic Monkeys (14%)
3. Mumford & Sons (13%)
4. Rihanna (13%)
5. Katy Perry (12%)
6. Beyoncé (10%)
7. Bruno Mars (12%)
8. Lady Gaga (11%)
9. Calvin Harris (10%)
10. Daft Punk (10%)

The study, which surveyed a total 1,146 people, also gathered together the reasons many listen to music at work. 

36% — Music helps them feel more productive
20% — It's a welcome distraction from work
16% — To drown out noise and colleagues

Looking for the perfect song to drown out unwanted noise? Spotify suggests Arctic Monkey's "Do I Wanna Know?"

SEE ALSO: Why "Mad Men" paid $250,000 to use one Beatles song

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Stephen Colbert Named Letterman Replacement

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Stephen Colbert

Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" host Stephen Colbert has just been named David Letterman's successor on CBS' "Late Show."

The network just tweeted the news: "Stephen Colbert to be next host of 'The Late Show.'"

Colbert signed a five-year agreement, which will start when Letterman retires next year.

This is the press release from CBS:

The CBS Television Network today announced that Stephen Colbert, the host, writer and executive producer of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “The Colbert Report,” will succeed David Letterman as the host of THE LATE SHOW, effective when Mr. Letterman retires from the broadcast. The five-year agreement between CBS and Colbert was announced by Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation, and Nina Tassler, Chairman of CBS Entertainment. 

Letterman, the legendary, critically acclaimed host of the CBS late night series for 21 years, announced his retirement on his April 3 broadcast. Colbert’s premiere date as host of THE LATE SHOW will be announced after Mr. Lettermen determines a timetable for his final broadcasts in 2015. 

Specific creative elements, as well as the producers and the location for the Colbert-hosted LATE SHOW, will be determined and announced at a later date.

“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” said Moonves. “David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”

“Stephen is a multi-talented and respected host, writer, producer, satirist and comedian who blazes a trail of thought-provoking conversation, humor and innovation with everything he touches,” said Tassler. ”He is a presence on every stage, with interests and notable accomplishments across a wide spectrum of entertainment, politics, publishing and music. We welcome Stephen to CBS with great pride and excitement, and look forward to introducing him to our network television viewers in late night.”

“Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career,” said Colbert. “I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.”  

Adding, “I’m thrilled and grateful that CBS chose me. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go grind a gap in my front teeth.”   

Since its launch on Comedy Central in 2005, “The Colbert Report” has received widespread critical acclaim while earning two Peabody Awards and 27 Emmy nominations, including an Emmy win for Outstanding Variety Series (2013) and three Emmy wins for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (2013, 2010, 2008). Prior to that, Colbert spent eight years as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” as an on-air personality and writer of news satire for the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series.

In addition, Colbert is an accomplished author, with two books, I AM AMERICA (and So Can You!) andAMERICA AGAIN: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren’t, appearing on the New York Times best-seller list. AMERICA AGAIN also won a Grammy Award for Spoken Word (2014).  

In music, Colbert’s original holiday musical special on Comedy Central, “A Colbert Christmas,” won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (2009) and Emmy nominations for Art Direction, Picture Editing and Original Music and Lyrics. In April 2011, Colbert starred as Harry in the New York Philharmonic presentation of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company.”

After graduating from Northwestern University, Colbert was a member of Chicago’s acclaimed Second City improv troupe with Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello. The trio later created and starred in the CableAce-nominated sketch comedy series, “Exit 57,” and created the cult-hit narrative series “Strangers with Candy,” both for Comedy Central.

Colbert has appeared on series such as HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” He was also a cast member and writer on ABC’s “The Dana Carvey Show,” wrote for “Saturday Night Live” and voiced roles in DreamWorks’ animated films “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” and “Monsters vs. Aliens.”

THE LATE SHOW is broadcast weeknights on the CBS Television Network from 11:35 PM - 12:37 AM, ET/PT.

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart Supports Colbert As 'Late Show' Host: 'He's Got A Lot More He Can Show'

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Rolling Stone Explains The Major Historical Inaccuracy On Its Julia Louis-Dreyfus Cover

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Comedic actress/genius Julia Louis-Dreyfus is on the cover of the latest edition of Rolling Stone, and the front page features a historical gaffe worthy of the bone-headed vice president character she plays on HBO's "Veep."

rolling stone julia louis-dreyfuss

A nude photo of the former "Seinfeld" star wearing only the text of the Constitution is sure to pique the interest of newsstand passersby, but here's the thing:

John Hancock, whose fat signature lies just above Louis-Dreyfus' left buttocks, signed the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.

If nothing else, the mistake has certainly drawn plenty of attention to Rolling Stone, Louis-Dreyfus, and "Veep," which aired its third season premiere this past Sunday.  So far, it has earned coverage everywhere from The Wall Street Journal to E! Online, and has been the subject of a whole host of social media chatter.

Dreyfus took to Twitter to humorously own up to the gaffe, citing a "drunken stupor" excuse similar to the one Toronto mayor Rob Ford employed to explain his use of crack cocaine.

Despite JLD's acknowledgment of the error, a spokesperson from Rolling Stone told us that the publication was not trying to recreate a historical document with its cover. The John Hancock signature is instead supposed to be taken as the beginning of a joke whose punchline can be found inside the magazine.

There, readers will find a tattoo artist wearing a white wig and other colonial garb while inking his name into Dreyfus' lower back. The joke, the spokesperson explained, is that the tattoo artist's name is John Hancock.

Even though the real John Hancock did not sign the Constitution, his Declaration of Independence signature is the most recognizable of any early-U.S. document signer.

"The Julia Louis-Dreyfus cover mirrors the farcical tone of HBO’s Veep, and the signature is an Easter egg for fans of the show," the spokesperson said in a statement. "I think it's great that everyone is talking about our cover."

SEE ALSO: Nicole Kidman Is Barely Recognizable In This Heavily Photoshopped Jimmy Choo Ad

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Here's One Reason To Be Depressed About Stephen Colbert Taking Over For David Letterman

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Stephen Colbert will be replacing David Letterman as host of "Late Night" on CBS.

For the most part, people are happy. Colbert is a massive talent, and it will be fun to see what he does with his new show. 

However, respected TV writer Alan Sepinwall worries that Colbert will be wasting his talents on Late Night:

As a fan of Colbert, I'm happy he's got a higher-profile job that will almost certainly pay him more money. (The deal is for five years, with additional details about where his "Late Show" will be produced, and who will produce it, to come down the road.) But I'm also disappointed to be losing the fictional Colbert, especially if his "Late Show" winds up being similar to Dave's "Late Show," and Conan's various shows, Fallon's "Tonight," Jimmy Kimmel's show, etc. 

...

Lots of people can successfully host "Late Show." Very few could pull off the high-wire act Colbert's been doing for close to a decade. I expect he'll be an excellent host, but I fear it'll also be a waste of his talent.

He's got a good point. Doing what Letterman does is nowhere near as difficult as doing what Colbert does. There's a reason Colbert is the only person on TV doing his faux-conservative personality shtick. 

Hopefully Colbert comes up with an inventive way to expand the late night format which has been pretty stale for years. 

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart supports Colbert as "Late Show" host

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Jon Stewart Supports Colbert As 'Late Show' Host: 'He's Got A Lot More He Can Show'

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Stephen Colbert has just been named David Letterman's "Late Show" successor.

One person who fully supports the decision is Colbert's mentor, Jon Stewart, who first introduced the former "Daily Show" correspondent to a wide audience on his Comedy Central show.

While Colbert is now most well known for portraying a caricatured version of conservative political pundits on "The Colbert Report," Stewart insists, "He's got a lot more he can show."

“He is a uniquely talented individual,” Stewart told New York Magazine at a Cinema Society event last night, before the news broke. “He’s wonderful in 'Colbert Report,' but he’s got gears he hasn’t even shown people yet. He would be remarkable.”

Stewart further explained, “He’s got some skill sets that are really applicable, interviewing-wise, but also he’s a really, really good actor and also an excellent improvisational comedian. He’s also got great writing skills. He’s got a lot of the different capacities. Being able to expand upon [those] would be exciting."

Stewart himself has long been rumored to be replacing Letterman, but insists Colbert is better suited for the job.

“I don’t have that gear, I don’t think,” he said of the Letterman spot now. “I just don’t really have it anymore. I really like what I do, not that Stephen doesn’t. But he has a real opportunity to broaden out in a way that I don’t.”

As for how Colbert will stack up against the late night competition, Stewart says his pal is in a league of his own.

“I think Stephen [Colbert] is very different from Jimmy Fallon, is very different from Jimmy Kimmel. But you can’t deny that a performer coming from a different perspective, whether it [is] a different identity, would bring things, not in equal proportion, but would give shading to things that you don’t currently get. But obviously that’s not the sole deciding metric. It’s sort of like when people say, ‘Are we ready for a black president?’ And you say, ‘Well, Barack Obama — yes. Mr. T? Probably not as much.’ 

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert Named Letterman Replacement

MORE: The Most And Least Liked Late Night TV Hosts, Ranked

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Here's What Stephen Colbert Is Like In Real Life

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Stephen Colbert just landed the coveted "Late Show" gig as David Letterman's successor.

And while most of us are familiar with Colbert's conservative character he plays on "The Colbert Report," we still don't know exactly what the Comedy Central star is like in real life.

On "Meet the Press" in 2012, Colbert described his character as "an idiot [who] is willfully ignorant."

Charles McGrath of The New York Times describes the real Colbert as "a practicing Catholic, who lives with his wife and three children in suburban Montclair, N.J., where, according to one of his neighbors, he is 'extremely normal.'"

Throughout the years, the real Colbert has emerged and opened up about his show, character, and personal life.

We've put together a series of clips that show what his true personality is like. 

Before "The Daily Show," Stephen Colbert was hired as a correspondent on "Good Morning America." Below is Colbert's only segment to make it on air.



Stephen Colbert talks to the ladies of "The View" about his mother. "She taught us to still love life and not be bitter" (after the death of his father and brothers)



Stephen Colbert opens up to Oprah about the loss of his father and brothers

Watch the entire interview here >



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Watch The Wonderful Moment When Stephen Colbert Explained His 'Idiot' Character To John Kerry

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Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall has added to the collection of rare clips showing what Stephen Colbert is like out of the character he plays on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."

On Thursday, shortly after the news broke that Colbert will replace David Letterman on "The Late Show" next year, Marshall published a 2007 video he filmed backstage at the "The Colbert Report" where the host explains his "character" to then Sen. John Kerry, who was about to appear on the show.

"You know that I'm in character?" Colbert asked.

Kerry confirmed he was aware of Colbert's onscreen persona. 

"OK, then I'm an idiot," said Colbert. 

"It's wonderful to see you out of character," Kerry replied.

"No guarantee that I'm out of character right now, because I'm—I might prove myself an idiot," quipped Colbert. "I'm an idiot to let them film this."

Colbert went on to explain how he would act during his interview with Kerry.

"I'm willfully ignorant of what we're going to talk about, so disabuse me of my ignorance," said Colbert.  

"Do I have to?" Kerry asked. 

"No, you don't have to," Colbert said to Kerry. "You can join the lie if you want."

Colbert also warned Kerry "my character is thrilled that you're not running for president."

View the clip below and see more footage of Colbert behind the scenes here.  

Updated 3:09 PM

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Here's The Only Clip Of Stephen Colbert From His Days As A 'Good Morning America' Correspondent

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Before future "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert was hired as a correspondent on "The Daily Show," he tried his hand at morning television on "Good Morning America."

The Comedy Central host told MediaBistro in 2003 that in 1996, he "desperately needed a job" and agreed to a stint as a correspondent for the show.

He told MediaBistro:

I had been working for ABC Entertainment at The Dana Carvey Show in 1996. That show got canceled, my wife wasn’t working, and we had a baby. Someone from entertainment division recommended to the news division that if they were looking for somebody who was funny but looked really straight, for a correspondent for Good Morning America, that they should consider me. ... They asked me if I could do it, I said yes, and they hired me. I did exactly two reports.

Only one of those reports ever made it to air. Here it is:

Colbert was just named David Letterman's successor on CBS' "Late Show."

SEE ALSO: Here's What Stephen Colbert Is Like In Real Life

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RUSH LIMBAUGH: CBS 'Declared War On The Heartland Of America' By Hiring Stephen Colbert

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Rush Limbaugh

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh is not happy with CBS' hiring of comedian Stephen Colbert to replace David Letterman as host of "The Late Show." 

"CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America," Limbaugh said on his radio show Thursday. "No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values [and] conservatives. Now, it's just wide out in the open. What this hire means is a redefinition of what is funny and a redefinition of what is comedy."

Colbert said in the announcement that he would retire his faux conservative character from "The Colbert Report" when he starts on CBS. However, Limbaugh argued CBS was "blowing up" the traditional, 11:30 p.m. late-night show with a brazenly political hire. It amounted, he said, to the media "planting a flag."

"They've hired a partisan, so-called comedian, to run a comedy show," Limbaugh said. "So, that's what I think."

Here's the clip:

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FXX Paid $750 Million For An Upcoming 552-Episode 'Simpsons' Marathon

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The Simpsons

FXX has "Simpsons" fans yelling "woo-hoo!" as it announced yesterday that it will air a 12-day marathon of the animated series this August.

The FX spinoff channel will kick off the first-ever cable syndication of Springfield's favorite family by showing every episode of the series consecutively — all 552 of them.

“It will be the longest continuous marathon in the history of television,” FX CEO, Jon Landgraf told Variety.

However, this marathon didn't come cheap for FXX. According to Variety, the syndication rights to the longest running American sitcom was valued at $750 million, making it one of the largest in TV history. 

The other terms of the 10 year deal also allows for the 26 year archive of the series to be available to stream on demand via a new mobile app that is distinct to "The Simpsons."

“Think of it as a comprehensive, beautifully curated digital library of all things ‘Simpsons,’” Landgraf explained. “I’m absolutely blown away by what I’ve seen. This could well be the best app I have ever seen.”

SEE ALSO: Here's How To Calculate The Amount Of Time You've Wasted Watching TV

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Here's Why Stephen Colbert Pronounces His Last Name With A Silent 'T'

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Stephen Colbert ordained minister

New host of the "Late Show" Stephen Colbert pronounces his last name like many French words — "Cole-bear," with a silent "t" on the end. 

Surprisingly, though, his father didn't. Up until Stephen, the Colbert family, which is of either Irish or French nationality, said "Cole-bert."

In an interview with Charlie Rose, Colbert explained that he always wanted to make the change, and a conversation with an astronaut finally gave him the courage. 

While flying to Northwestern University in Illinois, where he studied theater, Colbert already had the idea in his head. "I didn't know Chicago. Nobody knew me there. And I thought, 'Well, if I'm ever gonna do it, it's gonna be now,'" he told Rose. 

That day, the airline bumped Colbert up to first class, where he ended up sitting next to an astronaut. Colbert thinks the astronaut's name was Corley, and he asked the man's opinion, still unsure whether to adopt the hard or soft "t."

"He goes, 'Well, I think you know,'" Colbert relayed, smiling widely.

Colbert's father always wanted to switch, too. But he "lacked the pretentious gene that I have said," Colbert said. 

Watch the clip below, and see the full interview here. 

SEE ALSO: Here's The Only Clip Of Stephen Colbert From His Days As A 'Good Morning America' Correspondent

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Take A 'Game Of Thrones'-Inspired Trip Around Croatia

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"Game of Thrones" is so wildly popular that when Season 4 premiered earlier this week, it caused HBO Go to crashThat's a lot of love for a TV show.

Fans can now relive scenes from the show by visiting some of its filming locations. Several tour companies are now offering "Game of Thrones" trips that take travelers around Croatia

Tour operator Viator is offering a one-day walking tour of Dubrovnik — which became King's Landing in Season 2 — for around $80, while another company, Collete, provides a 12-day Discover Croatia tour with "Game of Thrones" highlights, starting at $2,149.

Tour operators are getting creative to make their tours stand out. Zicasso curated a week-long excursion that includes a visit to the city of Split, a new Season 4 location, and a lesson in falconry — relevant, since falcons play an important part in "Game of Thrones" folklore. The Zicasso tour starts at $3,200. 

"Our guides are experts on Croatia, and they're also big fans of the show," Brian Tan, founder and CEO of Zicasso, told Business Insider. "They have a deep understanding of the show. Because they're all local, they've also seen the filming taking place when the crew is there and they have stories to share with travelers."    

The city of Dubrovnik doubles as King's Landing in the show.



An aerial shot of the ancient walled city, with its characteristic orange-shingled buildings, opens the "Game of Thrones" trailer for Season 4.



"To find a full-on, immaculately preserved, medieval-walled city that looks uncannily like King's Landing, where the bulk of our show is set, that was, in and of itself, just such an amazing find," said D.B. Weiss, the writer of "Game of Thrones."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Why Stephen Colbert’s Move To CBS Shouldn’t Be A Surprise

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Stephen Colbert

CBS announced Stephen Colbert will replace David Letterman on the "Late Show" after he retires next year.

If you're wondering why Comedy Central isn't putting up a fight over losing its "Colbert Report" host, there's a simple explanation: Both networks are owned by the same company — Sumner Redstone's National Amusements.

While Comedy Central's other big name Jon Stewart was considered a possibility to replace the "Late Show" host, he more or less told New York Magazine it wasn't the position for him.

An earlier version of this story said Viacom was the parent company of both CBS and Comedy Central. CBS and Viacom split in 2005 resulting in CBS Corp. and a new Viacom. Redstone’s National Amusements owns both companies. 

SEE ALSO: Jon Stewart supports Colbert as "Late Show" host

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Church Of Scientology Worth More Than $1.2 Billion, According To New Tax Docs

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Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology fills its coffers with millions of dollars in donations from A-list celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta, as well as those from other members, but as a tax-exempt organization its financial dealings have been a closely guarded secret — until now.

One week after RadarOnline.com’s explosive report on never-before-seen Scientology tax documents, still more forms have emerged that paint a picture of just how wealthy the controversial organization is: According to the documents, only two of its many offshoot organizations are worth more than $1.2 billion combined!

Newly leaked 2011 990-T forms for the Church of Scientology International and the Church of Spiritual Technology show that the organizations’ combined “book value,” or the value of their total assets, is $1.2 billion.

PHOTOS: Hollywood Stars Who Are Scientologists

Of that, $790,758,896 in assets belong to the Church of Scientology International, and $434,487,317 is earmarked as from the Church of Spiritual Technology, an offshoot organization of the church.

READ — The Tax Returns Scientology Doesn’t Want You To See

2011 Church of Scientology International 990 T Return by Tony Ortega

READ — Even More Shocking Tax Documents

2011 Church of Scientology International 990 T Return by Tony Ortega

In addition, forms reveal that the notorious Celebrity Centre International in L.A. is worth $39,392,879, according to 2011 tax documents. And Scientology’s Flag Ship Organization in Clearwater, Florida, is worth a staggering $209,655,686, according to 2012 tax forms.

READ — See Where Scientology Money Goes

2012 Flag Service Organization 990 T Return by Tony Ortega

Though the numbers are stunning, these figures represent only a small fraction of the Church’s overall worth. As a tax-exempt organization, Scientology is not required to disclose their overall income, only unrelated business income that is not related to everyday church operations.

In addition, former Scientologist Mike Rinder told TonyOrtega.org, “I suspect the figures listed as ‘book value’ are the lowest valuations of assets they think they can get away with.”

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: Life After Scientology — Church Leader’s Niece Jenna Miscavige Hill

The forms “only a glimpse of a part of the picture,” he notes, but says “This confirms what many have said: Scientology is an astonishingly wealthy organization.”

These revelations, he claims, are “a window into … Scientology.”

SEE ALSO: New Tax Documents Expose Finances Behind The Church Of Scientology

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