TERRY JONES DIES AT 77: Terry Jones, the founder of the Monty Python comedy troupe, has died at age 77. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, and was unable to speak as of 2017. Fellow Python member Michael Palin described Jones as “kind, generous, supportive and passionate about living life to the full. He was far more than one of the funniest writer-performers of his generation, he was the complete Renaissance comedian – writer, director, presenter, historian, brilliant children’s author, and the warmest, most wonderful company you could wish to have,” he added. John Cleese, another member of Python, said: “It feels strange that a man of so many talents and such endless enthusiasm, should have faded so gently away… Two down, four to go.” Five films emerged from the Python crew, including Holy Grail (1975), Life Of Brian(1979), The Meaning Of Life (1983). In 2016, Jones received a Lifetime Achievement award from BAFTA. He was married twice and had three children.
DREW BARRYMORE TALKS DAYTIME TV: Drew Barrymore conquered her fear of working in TV with Netflix‘s Santa Clarita Diet, which ended after three successful seasons last year. Now, she is set to host and produce The Drew Barrymore Show for CBS. She told Variety that she plans to bring “humor and heart” to the show. She said: “I’m in the joy business. I don’t carry the umbrella of darkness with me.” The show is set to drop in the fall of 2020.
NETFLIX SPENDS $150M IN NEW MEXICO: A year after setting up its first major U.S. production hub in New Mexico by snagging ABQ Studios in Albuquerque, Netflix has spent more than $150 million in the state across a half-dozen productions. Prior to signing the deal, Netflix said it aimed to bring $1 billion in production to the state over a decade, but was only committed to spending $80 million annually.
GLAAD TO HONOR JUDITH LIGHT: The Emmy and Tony-winning Judith Light will be honored at the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York on March 19th. Light will receive the Excellence in Media Award in a ceremony hosted by Lilly Singh, the host of NBC‘s A Little Late with Lilly Singh. Ryan Murphy is also being honored with the Vito Russo Award. “Judith Light stood up for and with LGBTQ people when others in media and entertainment refused to speak up, and she has never left our side,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “When the GLAAD Media Awards first started and was a small event with little visibility, she was one of the few entertainers who would join us in calling for LGBTQ representation, so it is only fitting to now honor her advocacy on what has become the largest LGBTQ stage in the world. From standing alongside LGBTQ people during the AIDS crisis, to fighting for marriage equality, to now uplifting transgender people and issues, Judith advocates with a unique passion and an unending dedication that uplifts.”