Entertainment News Roundup: Actress Jennifer Hudson wants her new talk show to give guests a platform; Greek actress and singer Irene Papas dies aged 96 and more

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs. Actress Jennifer Hudson wants her new talk show to give guests a platform American singer and actress Jennifer Hudson this week debuted her own one-hour nationally syndicated talk show, "The Jennifer Hudson Show." As the youngest woman in history to gain 'EGOT' status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner), Hudson said she is thrilled to share her personality with viewers while highlighting empowering stories. Quinta Brunson helps broadcast break through at TV's Emmy awards Network sitcoms have rarely won Emmy awards in recent years as Hollywood has showered honors on shows at streaming outlets.

Following is a summary of current entertainment news briefs.

Actress Jennifer Hudson wants her new talk show to give guests a platform

American singer and actress Jennifer Hudson this week debuted her own one-hour nationally syndicated talk show, "The Jennifer Hudson Show." As the youngest woman in history to gain 'EGOT' status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winner), Hudson said she is thrilled to share her personality with viewers while highlighting empowering stories.

Greek actress and singer Irene Papas dies aged 96

Greek actress and singer Irene Papas, who gained international recognition starring in classic 1960s films such as "Zorba the Greek" and "The Guns of Navarone", has died at the age of 96, Greece's culture ministry said on Wednesday. Papas enjoyed a 50-year film career capped by John Madden's "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" in 2001 alongside Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz, and Manoel de Oliveira's "A Talking Picture" in 2003, her final performance alongside Catherine Deneuve and John Malkovich.

Quinta Brunson helps broadcast breakthrough at TV's Emmy awards

Network sitcoms have rarely won Emmy awards in recent years as Hollywood has showered honors on shows at streaming outlets. On Monday, Quinta Brunson helped change that when she won the prize for best comedy writing for ABC show "Abbott Elementary." Brunson, 32, is the first Black woman to be nominated three times within the comedy category in the same year. She received nominations for writing, lead actress and series for the show that she created.

'Succession,' 'Ted Lasso' repeat as winners of top Emmy awards

Media dynasty drama "Succession" and feel-good comedy "Ted Lasso" took the top trophies at the Emmy awards on Monday, and a "Squid Game" actor landed a major acting prize as Hollywood handed out the highest honors in television. "Succession" was named best drama series, an award the HBO show had won in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its production schedule. The show, which secured four trophies overall, tells the story of the wealthy and back-stabbing Roy family as members jockey for power.

Factbox-Key winners at the 2022 Emmy Awards

The Emmy awards, the highest honors in television, were handed out at a live ceremony in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

Following is a list of winners in key categories.

For 'Women Talking' at the Toronto film festival, an urgency to listen

Years out from her most recent film, director and screenwriter Sarah Polley says she felt an urgency to bring a story of rape and rebuilding to the big screen. Based on a book by Miriam Toews, "Women Talking" tells the story of women members of a cloistered Mennonite community debating how to respond to a series of systematic rapes perpetuated by men in their community. Do nothing? Stay and fight? Leave, even if it means losing the only home they have known?

Leading New Wave film director Jean-Luc Godard dies aged 91

Film director Jean-Luc Godard, the godfather of France's New Wave cinema who pushed cinematic boundaries and inspired iconoclastic directors decades after his 1960s heyday, died on Tuesday aged 91, his family and producers said. Godard was among the world's most acclaimed directors, known for such classics as "Breathless" and "Contempt", which broke with convention and helped kickstart a new way of filmmaking, with handheld camera work, jump cuts and existential dialogue.

Emmys telecast audience slumps to an all-time low

This year's U.S. television viewership for the annual star-studded Emmy awards ceremony fell roughly 24% to 5.9 million people compared to 2021, broadcaster NBC said on Tuesday, making it an all-time low according to the industry trade publication "Variety." NBC combined viewership from its Peacock streaming service and its network TV broadcast to calculate total views. Both NBC and Peacock are units of Comcast Corp.

The season premiere of 'Handmaid's Tale shows women resisting oppression

Elizabeth Moss is returning for Season 5 of the Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” as June Osborne, a woman resisting the oppressive government of Gilead. The series has gained popularity for addressing the timely issues of reproductive rights and women’s rights with acclaim for the depth of its characters. The dystopian storyline is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by author Margaret Atwood.

HBO reclaims its Emmy crown with 'Succession,' 'White Lotus' wins

The dysfunctional dynasty of "Succession," the teen drama "Euphoria" and a comedy series set in the fictional White Lotus resort helped propel HBO to the top of the Emmy Awards heap Monday, surpassing streaming rival Netflix Inc. The Warner Bros Discovery Inc division entered the night with the most nominations of any network or streaming service, with a total of 140 nominations for HBO and its companion online offering, HBO Max.

(With inputs from agencies.)