In this Jan. 23, 2020 file photo, Amber Ruffin attends the NBC midseason 2020 press day party in New York on Jan. 23, 2020. Peacock is launching a pair of weekly late-night comedy series with Larry Wilmore and Ruffin. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Peacock is launching a pair of weekly late-night comedy series with Larry Wilmore and Amber Ruffin to focus on current events.
"We can't wait to write sketches, songs and jokes about this terrible time we call now!"" Ruffin said in a statement Monday announcing the "The Amber Ruffin Show."
A writer and performer on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Ruffin was among the first African American women to write for a late-night show.
Wilmore is a sitcom creator ("The Bernie Mac Show," "grown-ish") who's also known for his on-camera Comedy Central work that included the 2015-16 "The Nightly Show." His Peacock show is as-yet untitled.
"Apparently there's a lot going on in the world right now and a big election happening soon, so I'm happy to have a place in the conversation," Wilmore said in a statement.
The shows are set to launch in September, with 11 episodes ordered for Wilmore's series and nine for Ruffin's, Peacock said.
This image released by Hallmark Media shows Hunter King, left, and Tyler Hynes in a scene from "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. (Joshua Haines/Hallmark Media via AP)
Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.
"Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.
She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."
Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.
"There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."
Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.
In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.
Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More
