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A theater company is using heart monitors to see if Shakespeare shocks audiences more than 'Game of Thrones'

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game of thrones

Is seeing graphic, violent content onstage different than watching it on a screen? The Royal Shakespeare Company is using science to find out.

The British theater troupe is currently performing "Titus Andronicus" in Stratford-upon-Avon. Considered Shakespeare’s goriest play, "Titus" includes scenes where characters are raped and mutilated, or have their hands chopped off. And the RSC production (which The Guardian called “blood-drenched”) puts this graphic content front and center.

The theater wants to find out whether modern-day audiences are desensitized to this violence, or if it still shocks. So, as The New York Times first reported, the RSC—in partnership with the British market research firm Ipsos MORI—will monitor the heart rates of 10 selected audience members at three Titus Andronicus performances (for a total of 30 subjects in all).

Then in August, as a basis of comparison, 30 people will wear heart rate monitors while they watch a screening of "Titus Andronicus" at a British movie theater—the filmed performance will not be one of the three that was monitored live.

The stage and screen groups will be demographically matched based on age, theater experience and gender to achieve a comparable set of results.

RSC head of audience insight Becky Loftus told the Times that the theater is conducting the experiment because audience members have been fainting or getting sick almost every night—the same phenomenon has occurred during the Broadway production of "1984."

“We want to see how the audience reacts physically to the production,” Loftus said. “Are people so used to things like (Quentin) Tarantino and 'Game of Thrones' that they’re not shocked anymore by theater magic, or theater blood and gore?”

Results from the project will be published in November. And any Americans curious about "Titus Andronicus" (which is performed in modern dress like the Public Theater’s controversial "Julius Caesar") can see for themselves when the production is screened here in September.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The best TV of 2017 so far

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Blue Ivy raps on a Jay-Z bonus track — and people are loving it

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jay z and blue ivy

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Blue Ivy Carter takes after her musical parents, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. 
  • She is featured on a bonus track off her dad's newest album.
  • The 5-year-old raps for 45 seconds.
  • The internet loves it. 


Blue Ivy Carter is not shy of the spotlight. The five-year-old raps on a bonus track on her father's new album, "4:44."

Jay-Z released the album on his streaming site TIDAL at the end of June, which featured 10 songs. A physical copy of the album, out on Friday, features three bonus tracks, and one sticks out for its adorable collaborator. On "Blue's Freestyle/We Family," the youngster raps for 45 seconds.

Her most standout lines include, "Never seen a ceiling in my whole life," and "Boom shakalaka, boom shakalaka."

Twitter users shared their excitement over Blue's freestyle.

The new big sister has been featured on her parents' songs before. She made her debut on Jay-Z's 2012 song "Glory," and Beyoncé's 2014 song "Blue."

Listen to her rap below:

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Here's the first look at Veronica's dad on 'Riverdale'

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veronica lodge marisol riverdale

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Hiram Lodge never appears on-screen on the first season of "Riverdale."
  • Mark Consuelos was cast in the role in April.
  • Marisol Nichols, Hermione Lodge, shared an Instagram photo of the Lodge family together.


"Riverdale" has a new dad in town.

During the first season of the hit CW show, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) must deal with the imprisonment of her father Hiram Lodge for fraud and embezzlement. His name is often mentioned along with his criminal activities, but he is never seen.

It was revealed in April that Mark Consuelos would be joining the cast as Hiram for season two. 

Now for the first time, we have a glimpse of the Lodge family back together.

Marisol Nichols, who plays Veronica's mother Hermione, shared a photo of the TV family on her Instagram.

"Lodges are back baby," she said.

Lodges are back baby 😘

A post shared by Marisol Nichols (@marisolnichols) on Jul 6, 2017 at 4:01am PDT on

It's unclear how big of a role Hiram will play on this second season or how the Lodge family will get along on Riverdale, but there's sure to be some insane drama.

"Riverdale" returns for its second season October 11.  

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HBO finally revealed new details for the first 'Game of Thrones' season seven episodes

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Daenerys in Dragonstone Game of Thrones season seven

The long wait is over — we finally have episode titles and descriptions for "Game of Thrones" season seven. Though the showrunners long ago mastered writing maddeningly vague episode descriptions, it's sometimes possible to glean clues from them anyways.

Let's take a look at the first three episode details and what they could mean for the future of our favorite characters.

Episode One: "Dragonstone" (airs July 16)

Jon (Kit Harington) organizes the defense of the North. Cersei (Lena Headey) tries to even the odds. Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) comes home. 

This makes it clear that Daenerys will arrive to Dragonstone in the first episode. We already know from the trailers that she'll be making the ancient Targaryen stronghold her home, so it's nice to know that "Game of Thrones" won't drag out her arrival.

Daenerys Targaryen on beach Dragonstone castle Game of Thrones season seven

"Jon faces a revolt" is worrying. Perhaps he has more trouble than expected while convincing the Northern lords to help fight the White Walkers. It could also mean that Littlefinger is successful in worming his way between Sansa and Jon, but we don't even want to think about the consequences of in-house fighting among the Starks right now.

Episode Two: "Stormborn" (airs July 23)

Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) receives an unexpected visitor. Jon (Kit Harington) faces a revolt. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) plans the conquest of Westeros.

"Stormborn" is one of Daenerys' many nicknames/titles. It refers to the raging storm that happened the night of her birth (on Dragonstone), so you can expect this episode to center on the Mother of Dragons. Stormborn could also vaguely refer to Euron Greyjoy, whose entrance to the series in season six included him saying "I am the storm." 

game of thrones season 6 euron?

So who is Daenerys' unexpected visitor? Perhaps Melisandre, who was banished south by Jon at the end of season six (and appeared in the first season seven trailer in a location that looks like Dragonstone). Or maybe Jorah found a greyscale cure early?

Episode Three: "The Queen's Justice" (airs July 30)

Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) holds court. Cersei (Lena Headey) returns a gift. Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) learns from his mistakes.

Now this is very interesting. "The Queen's Justice" is a play on a title you've heard before — the King's Justice. Ser Ilyn Payne was a prominent season one character. "The King's Justice" was another name for Payne, who was the king's royal executioner. 

Ned Stark's execution

The Queen's Justice likely refers to either Cersei or Daenerys' designated executioner. But who is being killed? Surely Cersei has a plethora of enemies left, and it would make sense for the Mountain to be formally named the Queen's Justice (since he does all of her murderous bidding anyways). 

Perhaps the "gift" Cersei returns is a dead body — a freshly executed enemy.

The final part, "Jaime learns from his mistakes," has us hopeful that he'll turn against Cersei at some point this season. He's long overdue for a wake-up call from his toxic relatioship with Cersei. 

"Game of Thrones" returns on Sunday, July 16. Until then, catch up with our overview of everything we know about season seven so far.

SEE ALSO: Kit Harington says there's definitely more tension between Jon and Sansa in season 7

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The 13 best TV episodes of the year so far

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big little lies

We’re currently living in another golden age of television — there’s so much good TV right now that you could remove yourself from society, hole up in a bunker (à la Andy Samberg in his opening bit to the 2015 Emmys), keep yourself glued to the small screen for months on end and you still might not get completely caught up.

So it’s no shocker that the first half of 2017 has welcomed some compelling new series, emotionally wrenching finales and more than a few Emmy-worthy performances. In short, it’s been a great year for TV lovers — and we haven’t even seen the newest season of Game of Thrones yet.

Now that we’re at 2017’s halfway point, we figured it’s a fitting time to take stock of all the TV that’s aired. So we’ve rounded up and ranked the 13 best episodes of 2017 so far.

13. "Legion,""Chapter 6" (Season 1, Episode 6)

This episode of creator Noah Hawley’s psychedelic, X-Men-adjacent series technically goes nowhere; the main characters are literally frozen in time. But it’s in the midst of this narrative stasis that Aubrey Plaza puts in her finest work as the show’s villain, Lenny, aka the Devil With Yellow Eyes, aka the Shadow King, aka the psychic parasite that’s been haunting protagonist David Haller since his childhood.

In a performance that feels like it’s actually a dozen different roles, Plaza is at her most terrifying while tormenting the other characters in a faux reality, posing as a therapist. She revels in their sorrow and confusion, and in a scene sure to garner Emmy consideration, gyrates around David’s body as she reveals her true, parasitic self. It’s terrific, terrifying stuff. (The hour gets bonus points for a set piece, in which Plaza dances to a remix of Nina Simone’s classic “Feeling Good.”)



12. "The Young Pope,""Episode 9" (Season 1, Episode 9)

While I enjoy trolling HBO’s "The Young Pope" and luxuriating myself in the show’s memes, I will admit it produced some powerful episodes of television in the second half of the season.

None were better than the penultimate episode, which sees the culmination of Monsignor Gutierrez’s investigation into a child abuse scandal in New York and the death of Pope Pius XIII’s mentor, Cardinal Spencer. Gutierrez overcomes his own shortcomings as a lonely, depressed alcoholic to bring justice to the children abused by a powerful archbishop, while Pius shares a tender farewell with the mentor who scorned him most of the season for being vindictive and petty. Gutierrez and Pius, both afflicted by profound alienation, become better versions of themselves by season’s end.

The memes were plentiful and the bizarre story flourishes — the kangaroo hopping through the Vatican, the LMFAO-soundtracked changing montage — are truly bizarre, but ultimately "The Young Pope" proved itself to be a series with a lot of heart. God bless this show.



11. "The Americans,""Dyatkovo" (Season 5, Episode 11)

"The Americans," the spy drama critics will harass you about incessantly for not watching, underwhelmed in a fifth season that was exceptionally sluggish considering this series will be heading into its final stretch in 2018. But it still produced powerful, resonant and incredibly depressing moments, reaching its apex in “Dyatkovo.” The Jennings are tasked with assassinating a Russian war criminal (just another day at the office), but the target reveals a far more disturbing truth behind her crimes — that she was liquored up, threatened and assaulted by soldiers and forced to shoot her countrymen in order to stay alive herself. After hearing her explanation, and once her innocent husband returns home in the middle of the assassination attempt, Philip hits a wall and refuses to pull the trigger. Elizabeth eventually does on both, but with a rare instance of anguish.

It’s a devastating turning point for the Jennings, who enter season six with dwindling faith for their cause. This past season may have been a bit of a letdown, but make no mistake: "The Americans" is still one of TV’s best dramas.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How the 'Game of Thrones' costumes have changed over 6 seasons — and what it means for your favorite characters

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Daenerys Targaryen dothraki Game of Thrones

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones." 

"Game of Thrones" costume designer Michele Clapton makes it her mission to tell characters' stories through their clothing.

"The costumes for me are narrative and you should be able to look at them and understand where [the characters] are mentally in their journey," Clapton said in a recent interview with INSIDER.

We've chosen seven characters to break down season-by-season and see how their shifting storylines are reflected in their outfits. This analysis focuses on their arcs through season six, since we don't yet know for certain where season seven will take them.

Keep reading to learn more.

Daenerys has come full circle in both her storyline and outfits.

Season 1

Daenerys found her way on season one as Khal Drogo's khaleesi. Her leather tops paired with horsehair skirts and pants were both queenly and down-to-earth.

Season 2

After a rough period in the Red Waste, and the loss of her Dothraki husband, Daenerys found solace in Qarth. There, she wore ornate gold jewelry and expensive silks, along with a fluffy crimped hairstyle we'd never see again. 

Season 3

Daenerys' conqueror side began to take hold on season three. She returns to Dothraki-esque silhouettes but with a rich blue coloring. Her new Mother of Dragons identity is reflected in the scaled pattern embroidered on her dress. 

Season 4

Meereen was Daenerys' new home for season four, and there she began slowly transitioning from her iconic blue dress and into the clean styling of a queen. No longer spending time outdoors with the Dothraki or her armies, she began to incorporate more white into her wardrobe.

Season 5

By season five, Daenerys was full-blown royalty in her blindingly white gowns. She donned silver dragon necklaces and ruled from the top of a pyramid. All sense of her fierce Dothraki days was gone — she was both literally and figuratively above getting her hands dirty.

Season 6

That all changed on season six. She fled the fighting pits of Meereen on the back of Drogon, dirtying her white dress in the process. Daenerys literally went back to her roots as she found herself among Dothraki once again. She wore brown leather again, with her top a similar silhouette to the blue dress. 



Sansa Stark's embroidered dresses have reflected her surroundings.

Season 1

Sansa is known for her sewing abilities. She often wore dresses of her own creation on season one, all of which reflected her desire to be a proper southern lady with lighter fabrics and rich detail. 

Season 2

By this season, Sansa's family was torn from her and she was a captive in King's Landing. She fell into a forced role of "good little lady." Her clothing became more similar to the people surrounding her in the capital, and her hairstyle began to mimic Cersei Lannister's braided look. 

Season 3

Trapped in Cersei's plots, Sansa began wearing more light red on season three — the color of House Lannister. Her hairstyles grew increasingly "southern," and she stopped wearing it down. 

Season 4

Littlefinger helped Sansa escape King's Landing early on season four. She wore a purple patterned dress for much of this season — a reflection of the "Purple Wedding" (Joffrey's death scene) and of her move away from the lighter colors of the capital. 

Season 5

Though Sansa dressed in a black outfit while disguised as Alayne for the first part of season five, her real iconic outfit from this time was this northern-style dress and cloak. Sansa shielded herself underneath the dramatic hood while escaping from Ramsay Bolton.

Season 6

Sansa is now in a position of power for the first time in the series. She's sewn a new blue dress with a Stark direwolf embroidered in the front, and she keeps warm under a regal cloak. This is the true Sansa Stark — Lady of Winterfell.



Jon Snow was never meant to wear black for life.

Season 1

Jon began the series wearing muted northern colors (and Stark colors) — browns, greys, and blues. He was dressed in the fine leather of a highborn boy, ready to become a man of the Night's Watch.

Season 2

After formally joining ranks with the Night's Watch, Jon was dressed in black from head to toe. His thick black fur coat accompanied Jon as he ventured north beyond the wall.

Season 3

Jon was captured by the wildlings at the end of season two, and was forced to feign allegiance with them. That meant shedding his black cloak and wearing the warm brown furs traditionally found on the free folk.

Season 4

But he never truly betrayed the Night's Watch. By season four he was back among them, wearing black alongside his brothers. Jon's face bears more scarring by this season, reflective of his seasoning as a leader and warrior. 

Season 5

At the beginning of season five, Jon is elected to be Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He remains in black, but his larger cloak signifies him as the man in charge. Unfortunately, he's killed for showing compassion for the free folk he once lived among. 

Season 6

After his resurrection, Jon decides his oath to the Night's Watch has been fulfilled. He immediately ditches the black cloak, and instead returns to the Stark clothing colors of brown and blue. His hairstyle (a pulled back bun) is also reminiscent of Ned Stark. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Everything you need to know about Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich's real-life love story

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julianne hough and brooks laich

Wedding bells are reportedly ringing this weekend for Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich.

Hough, the 28-year-old "Dancing With the Stars" judge, and Laich, a 34-year-old professional ice hockey player, have been dating since 2014. While the couple stays largely out of the public eye, they share adorable photos on social media documenting their romance.

After being engaged for nearly two years, the couple is ready to tie the knot.

Here's a look at their love story.     

December 2013: Hough and Laich meet.

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The two were introduced by mutual friend, actor Teddy Sears ("Masters of Sex"), while he and Hough were filming the horror film "Curve." The exact details of how Hough and Laich met differs a bit, depending on who's telling the story.

In a 2016 Cosmopolitan interview, Hough said Laich had joked with Sears a few years prior about a Juicy Fruit girl in a commercial that turned out to be Hough.

"He'd seen the commercial and was like, 'Where do I meet a girl like that?' I was the girl in the commercial! Teddy remembered that comment and texted Brooks, 'You're never going to guess who I'm doing a movie with,'" said Hough.

But in a February 2014 interview on 106.7 The Fan, Laich said that Sears asked Hough if she was seeing anyone. Sears was watching a Capitals game, and after Hough said she was single, Sears had an idea. 

"I guess he just showed her the iPad and said, 'Well I've got a guy for you,' or something,'" Laich said. 

Hough traveled to Washington D.C. with Sears in December and met Laich for the first time there. 



February 2014: The couple is spotted in public together for the first time.

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While Laich flew in from D.C. to visit Hough in Los Angeles, paparazzi caught the couple out in public for the first time. 



February 2014: Laich asks Hough to be his girlfriend.

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In a 2017 Instagram post, Laich revealed that he asked Hough to be his girlfriend on February 16, 2014:

"Three years ago today I asked this incredible woman to be my girlfriend, this is the photo we took right after I asked her! And today it's hard to even think of what life was like before her. She is the most kind, generous and loving person I have ever met, and I am so grateful every single day to be by her side."  



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DeMario Jackson says he's returning for the 'Bachelorette' and 'Bachelor in Paradise' reunions

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demario jackson abcThe INSIDER Summary:

  • DeMario Jackson confirmed that he would return for the "Bachelor in Paradise" and "Bachelorette" reunion shows.
  • He left "Bachelor in Paradise" amidst a sexual misconduct scandal.
  • No misconduct was found after an investigation.
  • "Bachelor in Paradise" will air later this summer. 

DeMario Jackson says he's returning for ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise" reunion show, despite leaving the show over a sex scandal

The 31-year-old reality star also said that he would attend the "Bachelorette" reunion. 

"I'm doing the 'Men Tell All' for 'The Bachelorette' and I'll be doing 'Paradise' as well," Jackson told TMZ Sunday. "I owe it to my cast mates. They've been very supportive of me throughout this whole entire thing, and I want to thank them all personally, face-to-face — give them all hugs and bro out, sis out, or whatever. They've been so helpful."

Jackson and co-contestant Corinne Olympios, 25, were involved with a sexual misconduct investigation while taping "Bachelor in Paradise" in Mexico. The investigation temporarily shut down production, but taping soon resumed after no misconduct was found by show producer Warner Bros. Olympios confirmed that she would not return, but Jackson never explicitly said he wouldn't. 

Following the accusations, Jackson said his character had been "assassinated" and has since accused the scandal of being a "conspiracy." 

When asked if he would confront Olympios at the reunion should she attend, Jackson said no.

"That's not who I am as a person. I'm not one of those petty people," he said. "I'll wait for her to [bring it up]. If she wants to come up to me, we can talk on camera. We can talk offline. Whether it's [at the reunion show] or in the future, 10 years from now, it doesn't matter."

He said he would "love to talk with her" and has "nothing but love for her and her family."

Olympios has said that she was a "victim" in the alleged incident. She released a statement to BuzzFeed June 29 that her legal team completed the investigation "to her satisfaction." 

"Bachelor in Paradise" will air later this summer. The original premiere was set for August 8.

Representatives for the "Bachelor" franchise didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment on Jackson's potential return for the specials.

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'Westworld' fans are going wild trying to decode a new season 2 teaser

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Dr. Ford and Dolores finale Westworld

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Westworld" season one.

The "Westworld" tie-in site is teasing an out of control park full of trapped guests in the upcoming second season of the show. The sci-fi western thriller created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO ended its cryptic and puzzling first season last year with a bang leaving audiences hanging after the android hosts took control of the park in the finale which put true meaning to "These violent delights have violent ends."

The second season will not be hitting our screens until 2018, but we do already know that many recurring cast members from season one like Talulah Riley, who played the host Angela, and Louis Herthum, who played Delores' (Evan Rachel Wood) first father Peter Abernathy, being bumped up to season regulars.

Westworld season finale dolores

We also know that the second season is unlikely to feature multiple timelines like the first and won't not pick up right where the first season left off, with the creators promising it's twice as ambitious as the first season – which is a lot to live up to considering the first season broke records for HBO.

Now we are getting another tease for the new season, this time through the "Westworld" tie-in site DiscoverWestworld.com, which has been taken over by a glitchy gif. The "Westworld" subreddit has a closer look at this gif that teases something has gone wrong in the park and that an "unknown user" needs help. Here is a look at the gif found on the website:

Based on last season's finale and this chilling new teaser, things are not looking good for the guests staying at Westworld. When Delores pulled the trigger on creator Robert Ford's (Anthony Hopkins) during his speech and became the person she was meant to be, Ford's army of reprogrammed hosts emerged from the forest and began firing on the unsuspecting visitors causing a possible massacre in the park, so it's no surprise that this early teaser is indicating that there will be human casualties after the hosts go rogue.

The teaser definitely gives hints about the possible plot for next season. One main focus of the second year could be the hosts going totally haywire and hunting down the remaining humans staying at the park – especially interesting considering one of the main themes of the first season was the idea of whether or not true humanity could exist in the hosts. With filming starting very soon, we’re sure to begin hearing fresh, exciting details.

Screen Rant will keep you updated on all "Westworld" news.

SEE ALSO: Even the cinematographer filming 'Westworld' didn't know the secrets of the show

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The 11 best 'Game of Thrones' cosplayers from the first-ever 'Con of Thrones'

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Drogon Cosplay Con of Thrones

The first ever Con of Thrones came to Nashville in June 2017, bringing together "Game of Thrones" and "A Song of Ice and Fire" fans from around the world. One of the highlights from the weekend was the huge number of cosplayers who attended the con, showing off their elaborate (and often homemade) "Game of Thrones" costumes. 

Keep scrolling for a look at the best cosplayers spotted by INSIDER.

Were you cosplaying at Con of Thrones and want to be included in our round up? Email pictures to krenfro@thisisinsider.com

This "Exploding Sept of Baelor" cosplay (complete with a glowing seven-pointed star) blew everyone away.

Cosplayer Morgan Drase came up with the creative take on Cersei's deadly season six plan. Check out more pictures and videos of her outfit on Instagram.



One of the most popular Con of Thrones cosplays was Jon Snow, but Zak McIntosh really nailed the King in the North's brooding look.

McIntosh goes by the cosplayer name "Con Snow" on social media.



I mean, seriously, this is uncanny.

McIntosh had a different Jon Snow outfit for each day, from Lord Commander of the Night's Watch to a perfect "Battle of the Bastards" Jon (complete with a shield).



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Finally, we know when we're getting new episodes of HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'

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The INSIDER Summary:

  • "Curb Your Enthusiasm" season 9 premieres on October 1.
  • It marks the return of the show after six years off the air.
  • HBO released a funny teaser trailer for the announcement.


Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, and Susie Essman will be back on HBO. HBO has officially confirmed October 1 as the premiere date for the ninth season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

From the mind of "Seinfeld" co-creator David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is a fictionalized account of David's life. He deals with the fame of being a wealthy television producer and chafes against other people in Los Angeles — to hilarious effect. The show ran for eight seasons until 2011. The ninth season this fall marks the return of the show after a six-year hiatus.

In addition to the core cast of David (playing himself), Hines (his wife), Garlin (David's manager and friend), and Essman (Garlin's wife and a source of frequent feuds with David), The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen will continue to be recurring characters on the show.

In its announcement, HBO provided a teaser trailer for the new season. It includes the show's theme — "Frolic" by Luciano Michelini — which has in recent years become a meme.

Watch it  below:

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Here's how to get the hidden 'Game of Thrones' Snapchat filter — and how to use it

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The INSIDER Summary:

  • HBO released a new temporary "Game of Thrones" Snapchat lens.
  • You need the snapcode in order to unlock it (scroll down to find it).
  • Once its unlocked it will work for one hour.
  • You can use the selfie-filter to transform into a White Walker.
  • Or use the front camera in order to "kill" a White Walker with a dragonglass dagger.


"Game of Thrones" season seven is just days away, and HBO is hyping up fans with a new exclusive Snapchat filter. The code to download the new filter was sent through the "Game of Thrones" newsletter, Whispers of Westeros, but we're here to walk you through accessing and using the new Night King-themed filter.

First pull up the Snap code for the filter. 

Here's the link to Snapchat's website with the snapcode. If you're on your mobile phone already, simply click on the Snapcode link in that web page.

If you're reading this guide on your desktop, open Snapchat and hold your camera up to the Snapcode below:

Game of Thrones snapchat link

Once the camera focuses, take a Snap of the code. You should feel your phone vibrate and within 30 seconds a notice will appear saying "New Lens Found!"

Game of Thrones snapchat filter.PNG

HBO has made the "Game of Thrones" lens temporary — so you'll only be able to use it for one hour after it unlocks.

Using the "Game of Thrones" lens

You can do two types of Snaps with the lens. The first is a "selfie" snap — simply hold up your phone like you're taking a regular selfie video and click on your face to activate the lens. Then, when you open your mouth, the screen will transform into a wintery landscape and your eyes will turn blue — just like a terrifying wight.

The second way to use the lens is with your front-facing camera. Simply point your camera at the room in front of you, and the snowy landscape will appear again, along with a White Walker. A dragonglass dagger will show up in the bottom right corner, and you can press on your screen to "throw" the weapon at the White Walker and make it disappear.

Now go forth and enjoy the new Snapchat filter! And sign up for "Whispers of Westeros" for access to fun Easter eggs in the future. "Game of Thrones" season seven premieres Sunday, July 16.

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'Game of Thrones' fans are freaking out after a 'beautiful scene' with a direwolf was teased

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Nymeria direwolf Game of Thrones season one

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including speculation of future events.

"Game of Thrones" season seven has been built up as the best time for long-awaited character reunions, and there's one duo fans are especially anxious to see together again: Arya Stark and her direwolf Nymeria. Thanks to a Con of Thrones panel featuring the HBO show's sound designer Paula Fairfield, people are now more hopeful than ever.

"The wolves have been an amazing thing,"Fairfield said. "I've done all the direwolf stuff and there's a beautiful scene this season that I'm very proud of."

Could she be referring to Nymeria?

Arya Stark and Nymeria direwolf Game of Thrones season one

Fairfield's comment was very vague, but hopeful fans are thinking it could be a reference to Arya's direwolf who was last seen on season one. The only other living direwolf on the show is Ghost — Jon Snow's albino companion. And while we do hope to see more of Ghost on season seven, the prospect of having Arya and Nymeria reunite is way cooler. 

In the book series, Arya forces Nymeria to run away (just like in the show) because she fears for her direwolf's life after she attacked Prince Joffrey. Then threaded throughout the following books, we hear of a ravenous wolf pack terrorizing the riverlands. Arya also has "wolf dreams" in the books, where she appears to be temporarily warging into Nymeria.

You can see why we're eager to have Nymeria reappear on the show, hopefully with a badass wolf pack behind her. 

In addition to Fairfield's comments, Time Magazine hinted at the presence of multiple wolves on the "Game of Thrones" season seven set. "During my visit, wolves described in the script as 'skinny and mangy' showed up to the shoot looking fluffy and lustrous," Time reporter Daniel D'Addario wrote in a feature.

Game of thrones season 6 home jon snow ghost davos

The combination of Fairfield's hints and the Time magazine feature have us more certain than ever that Nymeria and her wolf pack will appear on season seven.

Fairfield also clued Con of Thrones attendees into the secret behind the direwolf's sound — it came from her own dog, Angel, who has since passed away.

"I called [the direwolf scene] my love letter to Angel, because she passed just before the new year," Fairfield said. "She is the source of 'voice' for the entire scene."

The hosts of the podcast "Game of Owns," Hannah Panek and  Zack Luye, spoke with Fairfield at length about her work on season seven.

"When I watched this season, I swear to God I had like 13 near heart attacks," Fairfield said. "I was crying inconsolably twice, and I couldn't breathe for about half an hour after. It was crazy."

Listen to the full panel from Con of Thrones on the Game of Owns website."Game of Thrones" season seven returns on Sunday July 16.

SEE ALSO: The final season of 'Game of Thrones' could have episodes as long as feature films

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'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams slams Hollywood for sexualizing young actresses

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Arya Stark

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Maisie Williams called out Hollywood for its sexualization of young women.
  • She plays Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones."
  • Williams was only 12 when she was cast on the show and said she suffered a loss of confidence over the years. 


Maisie Williams is tired of young women being sexualized in Hollywood. 

The 20-year-old "Game of Thrones" star criticized the film and TV industry for its sexualization of young women in an interview with the UK's Sunday Times Style.

Williams was only 12 years old when she was cast as Arya Stark on the HBO show. Since making her acting debut, she's appeared on other series including "Doctor Who." The actress said she counts herself lucky for having been cast as characters who "aren't necessarily the eye candy" throughout her career.

"It's hard for young actresses who still feel like scrappy teenagers but are sort of forced to play characters who are a lot more mature, because, you know, 'young sexy woman' really sells in Hollywood," she said.

As "Game of Thrones"returns for its seventh season, she told Sunday Times Style that pressure caused her confidence to waver.

"At 12, I was fearless and didn't care, so I really enjoyed it. But then, as each season passed, the pressure built and it became a little destructive," she said. "Everyone goes through that dip in confidence. That also came with puberty. It all fizzled out a bit, and I lost my confidence and now I'm slowly starting to get it back again."

"Game of Thrones" returns July 16 on HBO.

SEE ALSO: Why fans are speculating about a long-lost character's return to 'Game of Thrones'

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Freeform's new TV show really gets what it's like for young career girls

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the bold typeWarning: Minor spoilers ahead for Freeform's series "The Bold Type."

Freeform's new dramedy "The Bold Type" follows three girls following their dreams at Scarlet, a fictional women's magazine.

The main cast stars "American Idol" alum Katie Stevens, "Sweet/Vicious" actress Aisha Dee, and "One Life to Live" alumna Meghann Fahy as friends Jane, Kat, and Sutton, respectively, as they navigate their budding careers in the city. 

Why you should care: It's a realistic look at one's first career job.

Inspired by the life of former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles, who also serves as an executive producer, "The Bold Type" offers a fairly honest portrayal of starting a career. The show features personal anecdotes from Coles' time at Cosmo. 

What's hot: The stars have great chemistry and the show doesn't shy away from real-world issues.

Stevens, Dee, and Fahy have the perfect dynamic on-screen and bring a relatable depth to their characters. Melora Hardin ("The Office,""Transparent") is the intimidating and supportive editor-in-chief, who is basically a nicer Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) from "The Devil Wears Prada." The show doesn't shy away from real-world problems and dives into politics, Internet trolls, and sexuality.

What's not: Can move into cheesy territory.

The show can get a bit ridiculous, and some of the lines will have you rolling your eyes at the sheer cheesiness of it all. The show does lean heavy into social media, so some of the conversations occur via tweets and texts on-screen, which can be slightly annoying to read and require your full attention to catch. 

The bottom-line: It's a refreshing look at young career girls and their issues.

Though there may be some cheesy plots, the show is a fun millennial drama that explores the highs and lows of entering the workforce and making a name for yourself. It highlights the value of female friendships as the three girls embolden and support each other, as well as the importance of having mentors in the workplace. "The Bold Type" isn't about petty drama, and that's refreshing.

Grade:

B

"The Bold Type" premieres Tuesday on Freeform.

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Lydia McLaughlin: Why I'm back on 'Real Housewives of Orange County'

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Lydia McLaughlin says that the time was right for her to return to Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

"It was actually really hard to decide to leave," McLaughlin told INSIDER of quitting the show after just one season in 2013. "I think a lot of people thought I was crazy. One of the producers actually said, 'It’s lightning in a bottle and it doesn’t happen twice,' because I told them maybe I’ll just take a break. I just felt like my kids were really young and I wanted to have another kid close in age to them. And so it was the right decision for my family, but it was hard."

Four years later, McLaughlin and her husband, Doug, have added on to her family with a third son and they've created a new high-end men's magazine called "Nobleman." With that, McLaughlin decided to end her break and continue her story on the 12th season of Bravo's longest-running "Real Housewives" show.

"I think that’s a really interesting kind of story to follow, the two of us really going out, and taking a risk, and starting a magazine, working together, just the two of us to fulfill our dreams," the 36-year-old said.

"And then obviously having the new baby being two years old, I felt like he was old enough where he literally isn’t attached to me nursing anymore, so I can be more involved and kind of have something on my own," she continued. "Those six months of taping 'Real Housewives' were great, it was much better even than last time."real housewives of orange county bravo.JPG

After the first time around, McLaughlin said she learned some important lessons about trust that she brought with her to this season.

"Last time, I was really nervous about editing or sharing something, for example, my faith is really important to me and sacred in my life, and I was nervous a lot times when I was filming and talking about that," she said. "I was scared about the way it would be portrayed or how it might be edited. And this time around, I was just more free with it. I think if you do a reality show, you really have to trust the production and trust that your story will get told."

Although she was more prepared for the rigors of production, McLaughlin was somewhat blindsided by the level of feuding between her cast mates. She hasn't caught up on the show after she left – referring to seeing what was happening on the show and with her cast mates without her as "bittersweet," so she didn't have an accurate idea of where the women's relationships stood.

"I hadn’t watched it, so I was assuming that they don’t like each other right now, but they just need to talk and it’ll be fine," the self-titled "Friendship Whisperer" told us.

"And then I quickly realized it’s not something that talking is necessarily going to help, it might make it worse. These ladies have really hurt each other and there’s a lot of pain there, so maybe they’re not ready to move on. You know, a cup of coffee and a lunch date isn’t going to help. So I kind of had to reevaluate my plan and try to figure out what the best thing is for everybody."

"The Real Housewives of Orange County" returns Monday at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

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We finally know when more episodes of 'Stranger Things' are coming this October

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stranger things

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Season two of "Stranger Things" will premiere October 27.
  • Netflix made the announcement Tuesday morning.
  • Fresh off his return from the upside down, Will Byers and his friends will face an even bigger monster than the demagorgon.

Get ready to return to the upside down this October. 

Netflix finally announced when we'll be getting more episodes of "Stranger Things." Season two will premiere on the streaming service October 27, 2017. 

Season two will take place the following year after Will Byers vanished and subsequently returned home. Here's the official description Netflix released for season two:

"It’s 1984 and the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana are still reeling from the horrors of the demagorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down but a bigger, sinister entity still threatens those who survived."

We don't know what that more "sinister entity" will be just yet, but we're sure will learn more later this month when the show heads to San Diego Comic-Con.

Netflix also released a poster for the new season. See it below:

stranger things season 2 poster

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Stephen Colbert made the Donald Trump Jr. scandal into a Bond movie plot

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Stephen Colbert Don Jr CBS final

Stephen Colbert returned from his July 4th hiatus, and dove right back into the headlines of the day.

On Monday’s show, the “Late Show” host tacked the news that President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., met with a lawyer named Natalia Veselnitskaya during the 2016 presidential election with the intent to obtain damning information about his father’s opponent, Hillary Clinton.

“You could knock me over with whatever you use to knock over someone who isn’t the least bit surprised,” Colbert said of the news.

Then while breaking down more of the story — Don Jr. admitting to the meeting, which also included his brother-in-law Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, though stated he didn't who they were going to meet — Colbert turned the whole thing into a silly James Bond movie plot.

“Don Jr. claims he didn’t know her name, but it turns out she’s a Kremlin-connected lawyer named, Natalia Veselnitskaya,” Colbert said with a dramatic pause. “Although she also answers to her Bond Girl name, Corruption Galore.” James Bond music then played as the “Late Show” audience laughed.

Don Jr., defending his actions, has said Veselnitskaya's statements were “vague, ambiguous, and made no sense.” 

“So I assume she was immediately hired as a Trump speech writer,” Colbert joked.

Watch the entire clip below:

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5 major characters from the 'Game of Thrones' books that were left out of the show

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Tyrion Daario Daenerys Missandei and Jorah Game of Thrones Nick Wall HBO

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Game of Thrones," including book material.

You may think keeping track of the many characters on "Game of Thrones" is already tough, but the reality is there are even more in the original books series, "A Song of Ice and Fire." 

In order to make the series more digestible for a television audience, the HBO showrunners had to leave out many side characters. We rounded up five abandoned book characters fans were looking forward to seeing onscreen for the HBO adaptation, but wound up never making an appearance.

Strong Belwas: A bodyguard to Daenerys.

This goes out to those who have read #GoT. #strongbelwas #belwas #character #gameofthrones #big #art #cartoon #animation #drawing #sketchbook #sketch

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In the books, Strong Belwas is sent to Daenerys along with Ser Barristan. They both serve her as their queen, and become part of her council and bodyguards. Much to the disappointment of book readers, the show introduced Ser Barristan without Belwas by his side. As the seasons go on, Belwas remains absent.

Belwas is an ex-slave known for his many victories in the fighting pits. He has a big belly covered in scars — one for every man he's killed. At one point, after defeating an enemy of Daenerys', Belwas defecates on the ground near the man's severed head. If only that had made it onto the show. 

Vargo Hoat: The leader of a mercenary group hired by the Lannisters.

144. Vargo Hoat

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On the show, Jaime Lannister has his hand chopped off by a plain-looking man named Locke. The book version of this character was Vargo Hoat, a man with a long goatee and strong lisp. Book readers were most looking forward to seeing Hoat refer to Jaime, often called Kingslayer, as "Kingthlayer." 

Another one of his classic lines involves Brienne of Tarth, who Hoat mistakenly believes is from the Sapphire Islands, making her a valuable prisoner. "Thee'th worth a bag of thapphireth," he says in the book. 

But instead of giving viewers the lisping Hoat, the showrunners simplified things by having Locke take over this role.

Patchface: A jester and companion to Shireen Baratheon.

#patchface #stannis #stannisbaratheon #baratheon #housebaratheon #oursisthefury #gameofthrones #gameofthronesfamily #asongoficeandfire #asoiaf

A post shared by stephen yonushonis (@threeeyedcrow_of_novigrad) on Aug 27, 2014 at 7:05am PDT on

Shireen Baratheon, the daughter of Stannis Baratheon who has greyscale, spends a lot of time with a jester named Patchface in the books. His face is covered in red and green motley tattoos — a mark of his former slave life. Patchface speaks in rhymes and incoherent phrases. His brain was damaged after barely surviving a shipwreck, but sometimes his "jests" are creepy and prophetic.

For example: "Fool's blood. King's blood, blood on the maiden's thigh, but chains for the guests and chains for the bridegroom, aye, aye, aye." Not exactly a cheerful rhyme, and it seems to allude to the infamous Red Wedding. Sadly, the showrunners not only left Patchface out of the show, but they've now killed off Shireen (who is alive so far in the books). 

Arianne Martell: Niece of Oberyn Martell who kidnaps Myrcella Lannister.

Season five of "Game of Thrones" introduced the Sand Snakes — a trio of Oberyn Martell's bastard daughters who were determined to avenge his death. But in the books, the main relative of Oberyn was Arianne Martell. She is a princess of Dorne, daughter to Doran and niece of Oberyn, and she seeks revenge against the Lannisters by kidnapping Myrcella.

The show producers swapped out Arianne's plot with the Sand Snakes, and fans were not happy. The Sand Snakes were often pointed to as the weakest part of season five. Myrcella is now dead on the show, so there's little hope of seeing Arianne in the future seasons. 

Garlan and Willas Tyrell: The older brothers of Margaery and Loras.

Everyone is familiar with Margaery and Loras Tyrell, but show-only fans might not know about the two brothers left out of the Tyrell family tree. Garlan and Willas Tyrell were important side-characters in the books, despite being mentioned only briefly. Garlan is the second-eldest son in the Tyrell family, and known as a great fighter and knight.

Willas is the oldest, and therefore the heir to the family house of Highgarden. Leaving these two out of the show automatically made Loras the heir to Highgarden. This meant that when Cersei killed Loras, Margaery, and their father Mace on season six, there was no one left in the Tyrell family to carry on the family name (other than Olenna).

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