Health Plans of SAG-AFTRA will Merge in 2017

The "Screen Actors Guild" (SAG) & The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists" (AFTRA) will merge union health plans beginning January 1, 2017. This also pertains to Native American union members if they have one plan or the other. 

SAG-AFTRA says, "The trustees of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) – Producers Health Plan and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) Health Fund have approved the merger of the two plans. The new SAG-AFTRA Health Plan will provide comprehensive medical, hospital, mental health, prescription drug, dental, vision and other benefits to eligible members worldwide. The merger of the plans will allow SAG-AFTRA members to combine covered earnings from all SAG-AFTRA contracts toward eligibility for coverage in a single health plan. The new plan will be similar to the SAG Plan with two tiers (Plan I and Plan II), both of which will provide family coverage at all qualifying levels."

Click Logo for Health Plan Breakdowns.

(SAG-AFTRA Logo)

There will be no "Dateline" Sunday June 12, 2016

The 2016 Summer TV season is underway & "America Ninja Warrior" will run this Sunday at 10/9 p.m. There will be no "Dateline." There will also be no Saturday Night Mystery on June 11, 2016. This according to the NBC schedule.

Click photo for DATELINE on NBC.

(NBC Logo)

A 2-Hour "48 Hours" This Saturday June 11, 2016

48 HOURS on CBS. The 2-Hour episode is a repeat & it was also the TV season premiere last Fall 2015. It is called, "Hannah Graham: Deadly Connections" which airs at 9/8 p.m. -- Check it out if you missed it because the connections between missing young girls near a University is unbelievable.

CBS says, ""48 Hours" goes inside University of Virginia student Hannah Graham's murder investigation and how DNA may close other unsolved cases spanning a decade. Susan Spencer reports."

Click photo for 48 HOURS TV Preview.

(CBS Logo)

"Marco Polo" Season 2 begins at "Netlfix" July 1, 2016

MARCO POLO on NETFLIX. Actress and Martial Artist - Michelle Yeoh - will join the 2nd TV season. The TV series will begin streaming online beginning July 1, 2016. It looks like there will be 10 action packed episodes after looking at this new trailer. It also looks like Michelle Yeoh will go head-to-head with the blind "Hundred Eyes." This looks fantastic and I am a big fan of this show.

I will TV recap each episode right here on this Blog. - Wahoo!

 

"Person of Interest" The U.S. President is a target for death

PERSON OF INTEREST on CBS. Did you watch last night's episode called, "Synecdoche?." Unbelievable but true. There is another group helping people just like the team of Reese, Shaw & now detective Fusco. The machine gives this new group "numbers" to protect too. Could there be a spinoff on another TV network...?

Root's voice is being used by the machine even though they buried her dead body with no one attending, but Reese and Fusco. Samantha or Sameen is grieving in her own way as their new "number" becomes the President of the United States. 

Click photo for TV recap over at Examiner News.

(John & Detective Fusco)

SAG-AFTRA union members "Do Not Work" for "GAP Digital"

GAP Digital resides in the state of Illinois. That doesn't mean the company will not look elsewhere to find talent for audio-book narration. SAG-AFTRA has put a "no contract-no work" message to union members until GAP Digital becomes a union signatory. They have refused and will pay talent less than union wages.

Press Release, "SAG-AFTRA members are hereby informed that no member may accept work as an audio-book narrator for GAP Digital until such time as GAP becomes signatory to a SAG-AFTRA agreement, and that violation of such order may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Constitution."

Click SAG-AFTRA Logo for full details.

(One Union)

NBC Dateline's "The Trouble on the Hill" is Streaming Online

DATELINE on NBC. Keith Morrison reports on a new "Dateline" about feuding neighbors that might lead to murder. Keith also reported on another feud by neighbors called, "The Trouble on the Hill" (2009). It happened in California between an elderly male and a couple living next to him. The feud over land rights of a small driveway escalated one night. It was caught on a 911 emergency call from a mobile phone. The elder male pulled a gun and the couple was shot. That whole call is chilling and jurors based their decisions on it.

Click photo for DATELINE episode Streaming Online.

(NBC 2009 Episode)

An all new "Dateline" Friday June 10, 2016

DATELINE on NBC. The new episode is called, "The Feud" which will air this Friday at 10/9 p.m. It is reported by Keith Morrison and shouldn't be confused with the 2009 episode, "The Trouble on the Hill." That was another feud over land at California involving the murder of two neighbors by an elderly male. He placed a large rock separating driveways and a gun was pulled one night. It was captured on a 911 emergency call.

NBC says this about "The Feud" episode, "Even in a peaceful place, like just south of Glacier National Park in Montana, tempers can flare and personalities will clash. One man shoots, another dies…but the story can't be that cut and dry, can it? Keith Morrison reports."

Click photo for DATELINE TV Preview.

"Never Watch Alone"

Star confirms cancellation of "Cold Justice" while TNT remains quiet

COLD JUSTICE on TNT. I wrote TV recaps of this show for 3 TV seasons. The cable TV network never announced that they cancelled it. The official website no longer has "Cold Justice" on its' schedule and it is not streaming online episodes. The official Facebook Page has not posted any updates since January of 2016. 

Yolanda McClary was the CSI expert on the show. She told TV fans on her Facebook Page that the show was cancelled. That was back in April of 2016. She also said that producers were trying to pitch the show somewhere else. No word on that from the producers as of June 2016. 

Yolanda and former prosecutor, Kelly Sielger, opened cold murder cases in small towns and investigated them. Some cases would remain cold, but others brought indictments to several suspects who committed murder based on new evidence. The TV show brought in decent ratings too for cable TV, but not enough I guess. Too bad, I enjoyed it very much.

Click below on the TNT logo for news.

(Yolanda McClary and Kelly Siegler)

SAG-AFTRA Digital Magazine Spring 2016 now online

The 2016 "Spring" Digital Magazine from SAG-AFTRA is now available to read online. "On Location" spotlights New Mexico and the defeat of the "Right-to-Work" Bill in that state. (Go below for YouTube video. Patrick Fabian speaks at New Mexico Film & Media Day. Introduced by local SAG-AFTRA President Tom Schuch).

The New Mexico local SAG-AFTRA board members are seen at the SAG Awards Screening. It was held at the Santa Ana Star Casino at Bernalillo, NM. Each State in America has local SAG-AFTRA screenings of the annual award show. Check it out.

The Spring issue celebrates Ken Howard who was the SAG-AFTRA President and had just passed on. (1944-2016). Click photo below for the Online Digital Issue. There are videos attached in several articles.

(SAG-AFTRA Photo)

 

"The Maze Runner: The Death Cure" shut down while main star heals after injuries

5 novels were written by James Dashner called, "The Maze Runner." Three of the first novels have been adapted for movies. "The Maze Runner" was a surprise box office smash back in 2014 earning $102,413,606 in the U.S. It was filmed entirely at Louisiana. 

The second movie "The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" moved filming over to the state of New Mexico.  It grabbed good box office in 2015 with an estimated $81,687,587 in the U.S. 

The third movie "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure" moved filming to Canada. It began filming in 2016 & was scheduled for release on February 17, 2017. The production was halted on March 28, 2016 when star Dylan O’Brien was injured on-the-set. The production was then stopped indefinitely on April 29, because Dylan's injuries were more severe than expected. The film has been moved to a new release date which is now January 12, 2018. 

"48 Hours" A Muhammad Ali special pre-empts "Father and Son"

48 HOURS on CBS. The network pre-empted a repeat and update of "Father and Son" to air a special on the death of Muhammad Ali. CBS has not announced if and/or when they will re-air "Father and Son."

Click photo for CBS special.

(CBS Photo)

"48 Hours" A physically fit mother falls in shower & dies

48 HOURS on CBS. Did you watch last night's episode called, "The Doctor's Daughter?." I am on the fence with this one and confused. Leslie fell in the shower & bumped her head. Her husband Robert couldn't perform CPR because there was low light. He dragged her 60 feet into the bedroom while the 911 call was recording on a house landline phone. His daughter is screaming that there is blood everywhere. My questions are, "How did the blood spatter get on the bed head-board & on the walls? If he was only doing CPR?"

Click photo for TV recap over at Examiner News.

(Robert & Leslie Neulander in happier times)

An all new "Person of Interest" Tuesday June 7, 2016.

PERSON OF INTEREST on CBS. (S05E11). There will be no Monday night episode. Tuesday's episode is called, "Synecdoche" which airs at 10/9 p.m.

YouTube - "Television Promos" says, " The team must unravel a conspiracy and stay ahead of the Secret Service when the President of the United States becomes their newest POI. Also, Finch separates himself from the team and considers taking drastic action to combat Samaritan, on Person of Interest, Tuesday, June 7th on CBS."

"Dateline" A beautiful waitress watched in a "Rear Window"

DATELINE on NBC. Did you watch last night's episode called, "Rear Window?." Sadly, a beautiful waitress could not be left alone by men who are normal and abnormal. Corey Parker was stabbed 101 times and there were too many suspects connected to her murder. DNA sometimes cannot convict anyone of murder, but this time it was concrete evidence inside a complicated crime scene. 

Click photo for TV recap over at Examiner News.

(NBC logo)

"The Doctor's Daughter" on "48 Hours" is a repeat June 4, 2016

48 HOURS on CBS. The episode in the second hour is called, "The Doctor's Daughter" which airs Saturday at 10/9 p.m. This is a repeat.

CBS says, "Can a daughter's frantic 911 call convict or free her father from charges that he killed his wife? CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod investigates for "48 Hours" Saturday, June 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS."

Click photo for 48 HOURS TV Preview.

(CBS Logo)

A "48 Hours" update on Saturday May 4, 2016

48 HOURS on CBS. The repeat episode called, "Father and Son" will air Saturday at 9/8 p.m. This will also be an update. 

CBS says, "A son is determined to prove his father, a doctor, killed his mother, a noted scientist. Will his dad end up in prison? "48 Hours" correspondent Susan Spencer has the latest in the case Saturday, June 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS."

Click Photo for 48 HOURS TV Preview.

(CBS Logo)

Michael Jackson Journey From "Motown" to "Off the Wall" 2016

Spike Lee directed this new documentary on Michael Jackson which had already premiered on "Showtime" in February of 2016. It's called, "Michael Jackson Journey from Motown to Off the Wall." It chronicled Michael's rise from child star to adult pop superstar. Lee interviews a lot of people and how much influence the album "Off the Wall" (1979) had on their careers. It has reportedly sold 20 million copies since its' release. 

What I enjoyed most was Michael's transition from a kid into a focused and disciplined young adult. He really was a perfectionist not only as a singer but as a dancer too. He was still a part of "The Jacksons" when they recorded "Destiny." The disco record "Shake your body (down to the ground) is awesome to watch because Michael was just getting started on his super stardom before "Off the Wall."

It is incredible how Pop Radio in the U.S (1979) would not play music by a black artist because they were regulated to only R&B radio. They couldn't stop "Off the Wall" and Michael broke down one of many barriers in pop music. That alone is extraordinary in itself. Lee's documentary spotlights all the songs from "Off the Wall." My absolute favorite is "Girlfriend."

The "Gathering of Nations" Powwow moves from the "Pit" to the 'Tingley Coliseum"

Well, UNM and THE PIT is now a part of history. North America's biggest powwow has moved to the "Tingley Coliseum" at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds at Albuquerque. The 37th annual "Gathering of Nations" powwow runs from April 27-29, 2017. It will be a part of "Expo New Mexico" for the next four years. 

Click photo for Examiner News.

There will be no "Dateline" Sunday June 5, 2016

DATELINE on NBC. According to the NBC schedule for Sunday June 5, 2016. There will be no Sunday Night Mystery. It will be replaced by a brand episode of "Game of Silence" which will air at 10/9 p.m. "Silence" was cancelled after only one TV season.

Click photo for DATELINE website.

 (No Sunday episode on June 5, 2016)

An All New "Dateline" Friday June 3, 2016

DATELINE on NBC. The new episode is called, "Rear Window" which airs at 10/9 p.m. Summer is here & the networks are switching gears with new TV shows. "Dateline" will continue though with murder & mystery each week.

NBC says this about Rear Window, "When a young woman is found dead inside her Jacksonville Beach apartment, police hope they'll quickly find her killer. Instead, it takes more than a year to find a microscopic clue and a huge stroke of luck to solve their case. Andrea Canning reports Friday, June 3 at 10/9c."

Click photo for DATELINE TV Preview.

SAG-AFTRA Magazine Spring 2016 Local New Mexico

The local New Mexico SAG-AFTRA elected officials had their photo taken at the big TV screening of the annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Jan. 30, 2016. Other U.S. state pictures were taken too for the Spring 2016 magazine.

Click logo for SAG-AFTRA website.

(Official SAG-AFTRA Logo for New Mexico)

2016 SAG-AFTRA Spring Magazine says, "Feb. 8 was Film & Media Day in New Mexico, and a big agenda item was once again the battle against a bid by the governor and some legislators to make New Mexico a "right-to-work" (for less) state. SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local Board member Patrick Fabian gave a moving keynote address. Fabian stressed that unions create the opportunity for workers to acheive a middle-class lifestyle and that "right-to-work" has not lived up to its' "promise" anywhere, while neighboring, union-friendly states are thriving."

"There was strong staff support from the union's GAPP representative, Kerri Wood Einertson, and the members of the local SAG-AFTRA New Mexico Board, who worked alongside IATSE Local 480 and other industry professionals to carry the day. The ill-advised bill failed and New Mexico remains open for business as a labor-friendly state."  

Marilyn Monroe would've turned 90-years-old June 1, 2016

She was the ultimate movie star & most admired sex symbol of the 1950's. Marilyn Monroe would have been 90-years-old today June 1, 2016. She passed away on August 5, 1962 of probable suicide.

Click photo for Vanity Fair news story.

 (1995 "The Seven Year Itch" with Tom Ewell)

"Gathering of Nations" Powwow moves to Expo New Mexico 2017

GATHERING ON NATIONS (GON). The largest powwow in the United States has moved to the Tingley Coliseum which is owned by Expo New Mexico. 

Press Release says, "The 34th Annual Gathering of Nations will be held at Tingley Coliseum and the New Mexico State Fairgrounds from April 27-29, 2017." 

It has been reported that the GON & EXPO-NM have signed a four year contract. The Tingley Coliseum is a smaller venue, but the arena is a lot larger than THE PIT which was so cramped. 3,000 dancers can breathe a little bit better.

Click photos below for KOAT 7 News.

(The GON will stay in Albuquerque)

(New Poster joining the GON with EXPO-NM)

"Person of Interest" Harold Finch becomes the next "number" to protect

PERSON OF INTEREST on CBS. Did you watch last night's Fantastic episode called, "The day the world went away?." I watched in shock as Harold became a "number" whose life was in danger. Elias and Root went down for him and he got away from the FBI. The second machine wanted Harold all along to run "samaritan."

I CANNOT BELIEVE CBS CANCELLED THIS GREAT TV SHOW.

Click photo for TV recap over at Examiner News.

(Shaw protects Root & Harold)