On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump called Meryl Streep "overrated."

Then, the Associated Press ran a story under the headline: "FACT CHECK: Streep overrated? Trump picks a decorated star."

Obviously, "overrated" is a statement of opinion, not fact — which the AP notes, before marshaling a list of Streep's many awards and accolades, apparently as evidence against Trump's claim of her being overrated.

Being highly rated is typically a key part of being overrated. Given the very long list of honors listed by the AP, you could argue that Streep is overrated even if she is also really, really great. 

But the key issue here isn't Meryl Streep. It's "fact-checking."

Checking facts is a key part of journalism. If politicians are making incorrect factual claims, journalists should correct them in the ordinary course of reporting stories.

The problem with the "fact-check" operations set up by various news outlets is that they invariably seem to mission creep beyond looking at facts, into evaluations of analyses and predictions and opinions.

Some predictions are solid and some are foolish. Some analyses are better than others. I definitely think that some opinions are stupid. But these are not matters for the fact-checker.

When fact-checkers get into these questions, they reinforce the idea that media outlets are putting their thumbs on the scale, and trying to brand certain ideas as "false" when they aren't really true or false at all.

SEE ALSO: 'One of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood': Trump goes after Meryl Streep following blistering Golden Globes speech

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If you want to get AT&T's DirecTV Now promotional price of $35 a month for 100+ streaming TV channels, this is your last chance.

The promotion will end on January 10 at 4:00 PM PST, according to AT&T. After that, the 100+ channel streaming TV package, which you can watch on your smart TV, phone, laptop, and so on, will jump to $60 a month. If you lock into $35 a month now, you'll always get the 100+ channel package at the lowest-tier price ($35) — otherwise that $35 will only get you 60+ channels.

But the real question is, should you sign on?

When AT&T first announced that it would be offering that breadth of programming for $35 per month, it seemed like a game changer for people who wanted to ditch their big cable packages. (We even constructed the ideal cord-cutter bundle at around $63 per month using DirecTV Now). And for some it is still a good deal.

There have, however, been a few big hiccups for AT&T since the launch.

The service has suffered major outages and strange error messages, including a bunch of false blackouts, particularly of sports, as pointed out by TVPredictions.com. Then there's been issues with some local affiliate stations, which means that some people aren't able to watch their local broadcast stations. There also isn't cloud DVR, though the company says it's coming, and a lot of shows are available on-demand. And there's no CBS.

All that is a pain for you to deal with if you're used to cable. The full experience just isn't there yet.

So the decision comes down to what you want out of your streaming TV service.

If you were looking to shave a bit of money off your cable bill while getting a similar experience, it's probably not for you. You'll be frustrated, at least until AT&T gets the glitches, both technical and programming, sorted out.

But there's a big chunk of people for whom it might still be a great deal: "cord-nevers," or people who have never had their own cable subscription. If you are used to dealing with patching your TV watching together from Netflix, Hulu, illegal streaming sites, and other people's logins, DirecTV Now will, for $35, make it a lot easier to watch TV. And an HBO add-on for only $5 per month is a big plus.

Sure, there might be times when an annoying technical glitch takes down the service, or you'll have to switch to your (no-monthly-fee) digital antenna to watch a broadcast channel, but that's not necessarily a dealbreaker if you're used to that sort of jury-rigging anyway.

AT&T has said that this DirecTV Now package was aimed at people who had already dropped out of the pay TV ecosystem, and that's who I can still see it working for. There was a brief glimmer, with the attractive pricing, that it might cause a ton of people to ditch their cable packages. It isn't quite there yet.

But if you've never had a cable package, you might still want to consider it. You probably won't find a comparable swath of programming at that price from competitors like Dish's Sling, Sony's Vue, and Hulu's upcoming live product (though we don't know the full channel lineup yet) — at least any time soon.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's content boss explained the reason he bet big on 'The Crown,' its Golden Globe winner

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NOW WATCH: Airbus' plane of the future has gyms and cafes on board, but no view

It's a bad year for people who like dragon-riding.

First, "Game of Thrones" gets delayed, and now "Scalebound" is cancelled.

That's right: the long-in-development action-RPG game that was announced as coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs for 2017 is no longer planned for release. Microsoft confirmed as much to IGN on Monday in a statement:

"After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for 'Scalebound.' We’re working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including 'Halo Wars 2,' 'Crackdown 3,' 'State of Decay 2,' 'Sea of Thieves' and other great experiences."

The game was an entirely new series, created in partnership between veteran Japanese game studio Platinum Games and Microsoft's game publishing arm, Microsoft Studios. It was a third-person action game where you played as a stylish hero with a dragon partner. It was originally announced back in 2014 with a tongue-in-cheek trailer, and had likely been in development for some time before that.

"Scalebound" was shown as recently as last year, during the annual game industry trade show E3 in June:

It's not clear why the game is cancelled — likely not from lacking anticipation. The latest trailer for the game (above) looks great! It's got dragons and silly dialog and monsters that make dragons look tiny. 

Just look at this ridiculous monstrosity:

Alas, we'll have to strike this one from the list of our top 50 most anticipated games of 2017. We hardly knew ye!

SEE ALSO: The hottest 50 video games you shouldn't miss in 2017

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NOW WATCH: There's a hidden map in your iPhone of everywhere you've been

When we're wrong, we can admit it. And in our prediction last year, when we predicted beards would die in 2016, we were very, very far off the mark. We apologize.

Beards are not, in fact, dead or dying. Far from it. The clearest sign of that is the way the red carpet looked at the year's first major awards show, the Golden Globes.

It was, as Jon Hamm put succinctly, a "beard parade." Of the eight men who won a spherical statue for their acting, seven of them were sporting beards. The only clean-shaven man among the winners was Hugh Laurie, a British national who splits his time between London and Los Angeles.

The theory we used to posit that the beard was on the downtrend last year was that society had reached "peak beard" — the point at which beards are so dominant, the only way to stick out as an attractive mate would be to be completely clean-shaven.

In our defense, the evidence was on our side. Last year's Golden Globes were not nearly as hairy, so it looked like peak beard had already come and gone. Not so, it appears.

According to an interview The Times UK did with historian Alun Withey, an academic who will run a three-year research project on the beard and its cultural history in the UK, people have been predicting the end of the beard since 2013. Each time, it seems, they've been wrong, and the beard has remained as strong as ever in the eyes of the public.

It's easy to see why. The beard is a shortcut to masculinity, and it will make any man seem older and most seem more attractive (until we reach peak beard).

To save face, we won't be making any more predictions. The beard, it seems, is here to stay for at least the time being. We will say, if you're going to grow a beard, at least do it properly.

SEE ALSO: One style lesson every guy can learn from the best-dressed man at the Golden Globes

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NOW WATCH: Here's why some men have red beards but not red hair

PASADENA, California – Showtime revealed the premiere date for its "Twin Peaks" revival and the number of episodes during the Television Critics Association press tour on Monday.

The continuation of David Lynch’s cult ABC series will debut on Showtime on May 21 at 9 p.m. with a two-hour premiere. Immediately after the premiere, episodes three and four will also be made available on Showtime’s digital platform. The season will span 18 episodes.

Production on the revival has been its own strange drama. Originally set for 2016 (which marked the 25th anniversary of its finale), the series was then pushed to 2017. After money conflicts with creator David Lynch were resolved, the show was back on track.

Kyle MacLachlan is reprising his role as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. Many others from the original series are expected to return, including Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer, in addition to a bunch of new cast members in new roles.

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

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NOW WATCH: Don't be afraid to cancel cable — here's how to watch all of your favorite shows for less than $42 a month

HBO's new documentary about Slender Man — a tall, shadowy monster that has terrified people on the internet for years — will finally premiere on January 23, 2017 .  The character may be fake, but he has also inspired some tragic real-life attacks. Here's a look at the origins of Slender Man and how he has captured the imagination of people online. 

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"South Park" is by far the most popular show on Hulu, representing 5.5% of US TV streaming in November, according to a new report from 7Park Data. Comedy Central's crude cartoon is also, we're told, top almost year-round.

"Family Guy" came second at 2.7%, followed by "Lucifer," "Adventure Time," and "Smallville."

7Park uses data collected from more than 1 billion global consumers. It’s one of several analytics firms trying to analyze what’s really happening behind typically opaque streaming services.

Hulu originals, which get much less buzz than Netflix shows, currently represent only 3% of TV streams on Hulu; however, streams of Hulu original shows did grow by 41% in the past year.

Here’s the top 20:

Conspicuously missing on that list are hugely popular CW shows like "The Flash" and "Arrow," which earlier this year abandoned Hulu for Netflix and other distribution options. Perhaps those departures have to do with slowing growth at Hulu, which saw TV streaming up only 1.4% year-over-year in November versus 42% year-over-year growth in August, according to 7Park.

Hulu, which is part of a joint venture with Disney, Fox, Comcast, and Time Warner, is, in any case, evolving its strategy with a soon-to-be-released live-TV package.

SEE ALSO: The 20 most popular TV shows in the world

DON'T MISS: America and Britain have pretty different tastes on Netflix

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NOW WATCH: Here are all the comic book movies coming out in 2017

PASADENA, California – CBS's "The Late Late Show" has had tremendous success with its "Carpool Karaoke" segment.

In the popular segment, Corden drives music's biggest stars around in a car while singing together on the artist's biggest hits (and sometimes others). In February of last year, the show's Adele segment became the most-watched video on YouTube.

The show's producers said during the Television Critics Association press tour on Monday that "Carpool Karaoke" has become so successful that requests to do the segment have gone beyond music stars to movie and TV celebrities. That's what drove them to create an interview series based on the segment for Apple Music, which premieres later this year. Instead of Corden, each episode will have a celebrity host and guest from all areas of entertainment. Like the late-night segment, the pair joins for a car ride, some conversation, and a sing-along.

"We usually want someone who’s very comfortable with being themselves, someone who with joyous abandon throw themselves into the ridiculousness of singing at the top of their voice in a car," Corden said of what he looks for in "Carpool Karaoke" guests. "That’s what you want."

Though bookings for the popular segment were tough in the beginning before Mariah Carey signed on, Corden claimed that there's no problem booking artists now.

"There’s no tough sells anymore. It’s just timing," Corden told Business Insider.

But when we asked "Late Late Show" executive producer Ben Winston if there's a singer they haven't been able to book yet, he said without hesitation, "Yeah, Beyoncé."

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

DON'T MISS: Showtime has finally given its 'Twin Peaks' revival a premiere date

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NOW WATCH: Tim Cook opened the Apple Event by doing 'Carpool Karaoke' with James Corden and Pharrell

TorrentFreak came up with a list of the 10 most illegally downloaded movies in 2016. Most of them came out within the year, but there were two 2015 releases on the list: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," and "The Revenant." 

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Television personality and former prosecutor Nancy Grace on Tuesday launched a new digital media venture that aims to be the one-stop-shop for those interested in crime news.

The website, Crime Online, will feature stories on various criminal cases, provide information on missing people, and offer resources for readers to combat things like consumer fraud or locate sex offenders who may live nearby. As part of the digital venture, Grace will also produce a daily podcast, "Crime Stories with Nancy Grace."

"It will be the go-to for crime sleuths and people who want knowledge about crime and crime fighting," Grace told Business Insider of the website in a phone interview Monday.

The former HLN host, who left her longtime show in the summer of 2016, said her chief goal is to draw upon the power of the internet to assist authorities in solving various cases.

"I kept noticing over the last two to three years that the cases our show helped crack were solved through Facebook. … The power of the internet helped save lives," she said. "And it struck me then that I wanted my own website. A crime-fighting website."

Grace partnered with Red Seat Ventures, a firm that assists personalities in developing media properties, to launch Crime Online. The digital operation will be staffed by seven individuals in New York City.

The world-famous television personality said she is also excited to start a podcast. She described the platform as "very authentic" and "more genuine than a group of talking heads preening, covered in makeup, trying to get their best eye toward the camera."

"We are starting with a daily podcast, which will feature calling. Because I really like talking to viewers and listeners," she explained. "I mean they have more common sense than I believe any of the so-called intellectuals that are constantly commenting even when they are not asked to."

Grace told Business Insider her website will, nevertheless, include a video component as well, and that readers can expect to see her on camera in the future.

Crime Online will additionally operate its own tip line. Information received will then be given to the relevant authorities.

"This is not just for us to make a story," Grace said. "This is to help fight crime."

That said, Crime Online will feature stories about celebrity crime, teacher scandals, and high-profile trials. On its first day, for instance, the banner story was about developments in last year's armed robbery of Kim Kardashian West.

But its ultimate goal, Grace said, will be to help authorities solve open cases.

"How will I determine whether Crime Online is a success a year from now?" Grace rhetorically asked. "Have we advanced crime fighting? Have we helped seek justice? Have we reported accurately? Have we shed light on any aspect of crime? If I can answer any of those yes, I will say it's a success."

SEE ALSO: Someone is trying to take down the Drudge Report, and it's a mystery who's behind it

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NOW WATCH: These are Stratfor's chilling predictions for 2017

Seth Meyers used his latest "A Closer Look" segment on "Late Night" to address President-elect Donald Trump's recent tweets, including calling Meryl Streep "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood."

Trump lashed out at the actress the morning after Streep called out Trump for making fun of a disabled reporter while on the campaign trail during her speech accepting the Cecile B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes Sunday night.

“Whether these tweets are calculated distractions or just the ramblings of an unhinged narcissist, it’s clear Trump would much rather talk about his feud with Meryl Streep than say the fact that intelligence officials believe Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign to help Trump win the election,” Meyers said on Monday's show.

Meyers also had a hard time taking the claim that Streep is overrated seriously.

“Overrated? She’s so good, people use her to compliment people in other professions,” Meyers said. “Like LeBron James is the Meryl Streep of basketball, or Donald Trump is the Meryl Streep of having thin skin.”

Following the news of the Russian hacks, Trump's incoming administration has begun confirmation hearings on Tuesday, so you can only imagine how Trump, who has said people have proclaimed him "the Ernest Hemingway of Twitter," will react to those proceedings in 140 characters.

"If Ernest Hemingway heard you say that, he would kill himself again," Meyers said.

Watch Meyers' complete "A Closer Look" segment below:

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NOW WATCH: Everything we know so far about the next season of 'Game of Thrones'

Among all the people Casey Affleck mentioned during his acceptance speech for best actor at the Golden Globes Sunday night, including Jeff Bezos and Denzel Washington, one name was conspicuously absent.

Affleck failed to thank his older brother Ben, who had a good time being mad about it (even if he seemed to be pretending) on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday.

"That's not the kind of thing I would do," Ben Affleck said.

In fact, Kimmel pulled up the tape of when the older Affleck did thank Casey during his Oscar win for "Good Will Hunting."

Ben got a chance to rib Casey, including revealing that Casey once thought "Back to the Future" was based on a true story.

Watch the video below:

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PASADENA, California – While Showtime has kept many details of its upcoming "Twin Peaks" revival series close to the vest, it did discuss some new details at the Television Critics Association press tour on Monday.

More than 25 years ago in 1990, "Twin Peaks," a mysterious story set in a quaint Northwestern town rocked by a shocking murder, premiered. Created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, the series only ran for two seasons but went on to become a cult hit.

As if fans weren't already excited about what to expect from the show, Showtime Networks President and CEO David Nevins described the upcoming David Lynch series in glowing terms.

“I think the 'Twin Peaks' you’re going to see is the pure heroin of David Lynch and I’m very excited to be putting that out,” Nevins said after announcing that Showtime had finally set a May 21 premiere date for the series.

In a surprise twist on Monday, Lynch, who wasn't previously announced as part of the show's panel, made an appearance at the press tour and got a chance to respond to Nevins' earlier statement on the series.

"I hear heroin is a very popular drug these days," Lynch joked.

If you're dying to know more about Showtime's "Twin Peaks" revival, here's what the producers and cast discussed on Monday:

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

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David Lynch is directing all 18 episodes.

It has been more than two decades since David Lynch has directed episodic television. When asked what fans should expect from his directing style for the "Twin Peaks" revival, he was fairly vague.

"First, it was just the same as all the others," Lynch said. "I see it as a film, and film in parts is what people would experience. And it was a joyful, fantastic trip with this great crew and great cast. This word 'expect' is a magical word, and people expect things, and their expectations are met, hopefully, when they see the thing."

Despite long days during the shooting of the series, star Kyle MacLachlan expressed his awe of Lynch's work ethic.

"It didn't matter how long [the shoot day was], he was there. He was always up, cheerful, and smiling and so were we," MacLachlan said.

The production returned to shoot in Washington, the fictional setting and actual shooting location of the original "Twin Peaks."

"[It was] both the same and different," Lynch said of returning to Washington. "If you go back 25 years in any town and revisit it again, it's that way. It's many things remain the same. But also, you feel a change."

There are dozens of new characters appearing in the revival.

In April, Showtime released a list of more than 200 cast members for its "Twin Peaks" revival. Among them are dozens of new characters that will be introduced. They'll be played by both stars – such as Michael Cera, Jim Belushi, Laura Dern, Trent Reznor, Amanda Seyfried, Balthazar Getty, Eddie Vedder, among many others – and newcomers. 

"You try to get the right person for the part. That's the rule," Lynch said of the casting. "And so you meet people, you see pictures of people, you see videos of people, and you get a sense by looking at them and hearing them that they are right or wrong for this particular part, and that's always the way it is."

Amy Schumer is taking her next stand-up comedy special to Netflix.

Schumer shot the special last November at Denver, Colorado’s Bellco Theater. The special will debut on the streaming service on Tuesday, March 17 in the 190 countries in which Netflix is available.

“As a comedian, actress, writer, director, producer, and best-selling author, AmySchumer is a boundless threat and a one-of-a-kind talent," Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement. "We couldn’t be more excited that she’s making Netflix her home for her next stand-up comedy special."

The "Inside Amy Schumer" star is the latest A-list talent to choose Netflix over the usual choice of HBO. This news follows recent Netflix stand-up comedy deals with Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, both reportedly being paid $20 million per show. 

Rock, whose previous five stand-up specials aired on HBO, signed on for two Netflix specials. Chappelle sold three specials to the streaming company.

Schumer's last televised stand-up special, "Amy Schumer: Live at the Apollo," was directed by Rock and aired on HBO in October 2015.

While taking a break from her sketch show, "Inside Amy Schumer," for Comedy Central, Schumer has starred in films "Trainwreck" and the upcoming "Snatched" opposite Goldie Hawn. Her book, “The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo,” was released in August 2016.

SEE ALSO: Chris Rock just made a groundbreaking $40 million deal for 2 Netflix specials

DON'T MISS: EXCLUSIVE: Amy Schumer donated $50,000 to AIDS charity (RED) to ride a jet ski with DJ Khaled

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NOW WATCH: Amy Schumer is doing something awesome for veterans and other women who are re-entering the workforce

As awards season continues, streaming giants Netflix and Amazon are battling to decide who makes the most relevant TV shows.

Both snagged a pair of Golden Globes on Sunday, Netflix for its royal drama "The Crown," and Amazon for Billy Bob Thorton's performance in "Goliath" and Casey Affleck's in "Manchester by the Sea."

But awards aren't everything.

Beyond pure popularity, there's also something to be said for being able to capture the cultural conversation more broadly. There is no perfect measurement of this, but one good proxy is the "Certified Fresh" section in reviews-aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. To be considered "Certified Fresh," a show must have over a 75% positive rating on the site, and have 20 or more critic reviews (including five from "top critics").

So how do Netflix and Amazon stack up? Netflix is the clear winner, producing 22 "Certified Fresh" shows to Amazon's 6. This makes sense given the sheer amount of original content it is producing (1,000 hours in 2017!). But it also shows that Amazon shows, while they have done well in awards, haven't gotten into the public imagination in the way Netflix's have. For instance, the second season of Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle" scored a Golden Globe for best comedy series last year, while not even getting enough reviews to qualify it as "Certified Fresh" (its Rotten Tomatoes critic rating was 82%).

Last month at the UBS media conference, Netflix's content chief, Ted Sarandos, took a small jab at the disconnect. Though Amazon is spending a lot of money on shows and movies, "if you look at the buzz it doesn't appear they are gaining much traction," he said. "But maybe it sells Prime memberships."

Perhaps Amazon can cut through that with "The Grand Tour," its a new show by Jeremy Clarkson and the "Top Gear" crew, which cost Amazon a reported $250 million. The show appears to have been a success so far, getting Amazon's biggest premiere audience to date, and becoming the most illegally downloaded show in history.

Here's the full count of "Certified Fresh" shows that Amazon and Netflix have had each year since 2014, provided by Rotten Tomatoes:

SEE ALSO: Netflix, Amazon, and HBO combined for 70% of the best TV show Golden Globe nominations

First, here are the "Certified Fresh" Netflix shows since 2014:

"Orange is the New Black" - Seasons 2, 3 and 4 (2014-2016)

"House of Cards" - Seasons 2, 3 and 4 (2014-2016)

PASADENA, California – There has been some confusion about the new Apple Music series based on James Corden's popular "Late Late Show" segment and Spike TV's upcoming show "Caraoke Showdown."

The Spike show, which is hosted by Craig Robinson and premieres Saturday at 10:30 p.m., takes its passengers on a car trip in which they win money by competing in a variety of karaoke-style challenges.

In contrast, each episode of the new Apple Music series, which premieres later this year, will have a celebrity host and guest from all areas of entertainment. As on the late-night segment, the pair joins for a car ride, some conversation, and a sing-along.

During the Television Critics Association press tour on Monday, one reporter called the Spike show "derivative" and asked what Corden felt about it.

The "Late Late Show" host avoided the question, saying, "I haven't seen it, so I don't know."

To make things more confusing, both Spike TV and CBS are sister companies in the Viacom Family. Business Insider asked "Late Late Show" and "Carpool Karaoke" executive producer Ben Winston where the communication broke down about the projects for the sister companies.

"Oh, I don’t know," Winston told Business Insider. "That’s all above my pay grade. That’s all politics."

Unlike Corden, Winston was open to speaking about the two shows and felt they were different enough from each other that brand confusion wouldn't be a problem.

"I saw a trailer for ‘Caraoke Showdown’ the other day and it struck me as a different show," he told us. "It feels more like ‘Cash Cab,’ which is a show we had in the UK. It feels more like a competition-based thing. But I think Craig Robinson is great. It’s a vehicle for him. I’m not too worried."

Winston feels pretty secure that "Carpool Karaoke's" position as Apple Music's first original series would be enough distinction between the two.

"We have some mega-stars on our show," he said. "There are really fantastic names and we’ve only finished shooting the first half of the season. We still have eight or nine episodes, 18 more people to be booked. I don’t really worry about ‘Caraoke Showdown.’ I wish them the best of luck."

Watch a trailer for the Spike show below:

SEE ALSO: Beyoncé is the one singer James Corden's 'Carpool Karaoke' desperately wants

DON'T MISS: The 22 most exciting new shows of 2017 you have to see

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NOW WATCH: Tim Cook opened the Apple Event by doing 'Carpool Karaoke' with James Corden and Pharrell

PASADENA, California – Dustin Lance Black says he's fully aware of the war being waged by members of the so-called alt-right on his upcoming ABC television miniseries "When We Rise," and how it could affect its success.

"Loud and clear, I want to say because this show is under attack by the alt-right online. We have been targeted. We’ll get absolutely zero ratings on every internet platform," Black said during the Television Critics Association press tour on Tuesday. "But this show is not a war. We are not against anyone. Every single person in this world is a minority in one way or another. It just depends on how you slice the pie. And this show tells us how we are related."

The alt-right community is a fringe conservative movement that has associations with racism, bigotry, and white nationalism. A spotlight has been on the movement recently, since President-elect Donald Trump's recently appointed chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has been accused of promoting bigoted parts of the movement. But Black hopes that people of all backgrounds and beliefs tune in to the show and make up their own mind.

"There’s an idea about the show out there in some small groups. Let’s be real," Black said. "I think a lot of people who voted for Donald Trump will love this show. I don’t see this show as the type of show that’s only trying to speak with half the country. That’s not what this is all about. I didn’t write this show for half the country. I think if Donald Trump actually watches the show, he might like the show."

"When We Rise," which Black wrote and directed, chronicles the American gay rights movement. Black said he began developing the project with ABC (against his business manager's advice) four years ago. And while he hoped the political climate would be different when it aired, he said that he wasn't blindsided by the current conservative re-emergence.

"I would give anything in the world for it to be less topical," Black said of the show's timing. "I never could have imagined it would land in this moment. I’m not entirely surprised. We know that history is not a straight line. We know that history is a pendulum. I knew this kind of moment might happen. I’n grateful for ABC’s courage. I’m grateful for everyone up on the stage and all the artists that helped make this, because I do think it’s a necessary conversation to have right now."

"When We Rise" premieres Monday, February 27 at 9 p.m. on ABC.

SEE ALSO: Adult Swim is in the middle of a civil war over its alt-right TV show

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Author George R.R. Martin has been working on his next book for the "A Song of Ice And Fire" series since 2011. 
• After a year with no updates, he finally told one fan that he thinks "The Winds of Winter" will be out in 2017.
• He also admitted that he thought the same thing one year ago.

George R.R. Martin has broken his year-long silence regarding his next "A Song of Ice and Fire" book, "The Winds of Winter. After a fan commented on a recent blog post, asking for any sort of update, Martin obliged.

"Not done yet, but I've made progress," the author wrote. "But not as much as I hoped a year ago, when I thought to be done by now. I think it will be out this year. (But hey, I thought the same thing last year)."

Here's a look at the original comment and Martin's reply below it:

It's been a full year since fans last had a concrete estimate from Martin about "The Winds of Winter."

In January 2016, Martin also gave a vague and non-committal ETA for the book. After admitting that "The Winds of Winter" was not completed, he tried to give some details about how far along the novel was.

"Yes, there's a lot written. Hundreds of pages. Dozens of chapters [...] But there's also a lot still left to write," he explained in a blog post. "I am months away still ... and that's if the writing goes well. (Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't.) Chapters still to write, of course ... but also rewriting. I always do a lot of rewriting, sometimes just polishing, sometimes pretty major restructures."

Fans were beginning to get extremely impatient with the wait, so this mini-update and Martin's optimism about the book being published in 2017 will be a welcome news. But as Martin admitted, and as his past publishing history shows, his own assessment of expected finishing rates isn't always totally reliable. We'll just have to hope that this time is different, and we really will see "The Winds of Winter" on bookshelves this year. 

And who knows — we could even have the book in hand before "Game of Thrones" season seven airs. But that might be a hope best left for the sweet summer children of the world.

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The first Senate confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet was held Tuesday with Senator Jeff Sessions, Trump's nomination for attorney general, the first on the hot seat. 

"Late Night" host Seth Meyers honed in on the hearing in his "A Closer Look" segment Tuesday night, and outside of the fact that almost all of Trump's proposed cabinet members have not finished the ethics review and background check process, the senators tasked to question Sessions have worked alongside him for years. Many have even exercised with him often.

"Just when you think senators couldn't be more out of touch with everyday Americans they think it's okay to talk to people in the gym," Meyers said.

But there were also more serious takeaways from the hearing. Like Sessions being asked if he would support a ban on Muslims entering the country. He said he wouldn't. However, when asked if he believes Russia was involved in hacking the Democratic Party, Sessions said he hadn't done any research on that.

“You’ve done no research? Did you forget this was happening today?” Meyers said. “I’ve done research on that, and my job is interviewing celebrities in the middle of the night.”   

Watch the complete "A Closer Look" segment below:

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If you thought "The Bachelor" mansion was an ABC real estate holding, think again.

The house — called "Villa De La Vina" — is actually owned by a 59-year-old named Marshall Haraden and his family, who move out of the home (along with their furniture and belongings) twice a year for ABC to come in and film.

The 7,500-square-foot mansion sits on 10 acres of land in Agoura Hills, California. ABC will shoot inside the home twice a year for 42 days, once for "The Bachelor," and a second time for its spinoff "The Bachelorette."

The home was listed for $8.75 million in 2008, according to Berg Properties, but has stayed with Haraden and his family.

Real estate website Trulia rounded up some pictures of the home's interior to show viewers what it looks like inside. Keep reading to see how different it is inside the home.

"The Bachelor" usually films at a 7,500-square-foot mansion in Agoura Hills, California. It's been the base camp for the show since season 11 in 2007.

Source: Us Weekly

The house is called "Villa De La Vina" and was built in 2005.

Source: Villa De La Vina

That same driveway is where the bachelors greet the contestants in front of the house.