In this March 30, 2017 file photo, Katherine Langford attends the LA premiere of "13 Reasons Why" at Paramount Pictures Studio in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Netflix has decided to remove a graphic suicide scene from the Season 1 finale of its show "13 Reasons Why" as the series prepares to launch its third season.
Show creator Brian Yorkey says in a statement on Twitter the intent in portraying the suicide in such graphic detail was to "make sure no one would ever wish to emulate it." But the producers have heard concerns from mental health experts and decided, along with the streaming service, to re-edit it.
Yorkey says the edit "will help the show do the most good for the most people while mitigating any risk for especially vulnerable young viewers."
Suicide prevention groups support the decision.
The series drew praise and criticism when it debuted in 2017. The show included warnings about its graphic nature and Netflix established a website of crisis helplines.
Tom Llamas appears on NBC's Today show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York on Sept. 3, 2021. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)
NBC News appointed Tom Llamas on Wednesday to replace Lester Holt as anchor of "Nightly News" starting this summer, but he's not abandoning his streaming newscast.
The elevation of Llamas, 45, was widely anticipated. He has been Holt's chief substitute on the broadcast news summary since switching from ABC to NBC in 2021. He's also essentially the lead anchor for the NBC News Now streaming service, hosting the one-hour "Top Story" show.
Holt said last week that he was stepping down from "Nightly News" after a decade. He plans to stay at the network to work at "Dateline NBC."
"Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity — all characteristics that have long been trademarks of NBC `Nightly News,' said Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News' executive vice president of programming.
That leaves ABC's David Muir as the longest-serving evening news anchor at "World News Tonight," as well as the ratings leader. CBS News earlier this year replaced Norah O'Donnell with the team of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
While news is a far different environment from the days Walter Cronkite was beamed into millions of homes at dinnertime, the ABC, CBS and NBC newscasts collectively reach more than 10 million viewers a night. The anchors are generally considered the face of the broadcast news divisions.
Llamas will be the first to take that role while retaining his job on the streaming service. His "Top Story" newscasts will begin each weeknight after "Nightly News" ends.
