NBC 5 Chicago celebrates Women’s History Month NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will commemorate Women’s History Month with an in-depth, weeklong series on the mental and physical changes associated with perimenopause/menopause, along with numerous dedicated feature stories highlighting the…

Patricia Frontain set to direct Lifetime’s Paradise with You Chicago’s Patricia Frontain is heading to warmer shores as she prepares to direct the upcoming Lifetime film Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You. The romantic drama will star Taye Diggs (The Best Man, All American) and Heather…

The Bear will close its kitchen with Season 5 After five remarkable seasons, The Bear is preparing to serve its final course. Sources indicate that the upcoming fifth season of the FX series will bring the story of Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto and his fiercely loyal restaurant family to a close. Since…

Seth Rogen excepts SAG Award for Catherine O’Hara in moving tribute A night already brimming with emotion reached a peak of reverence and reflection when Catherine O'Hara was honored with the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.…

Chicago’s Harrison Ford gets emotional during Actors Awards speech Chicago-born Harrison Ford brought the audience to tears as he accepted the Life Achievement Award at Sunday’s Actor Awards. The 83-year-old screen legend, whose six-decade career spans The Fugitive, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and,…

Chicago Irish Film Festival returns for its 27th year The Chicago Irish Film Festival returns February 26 through March 1, 2026 for its 27th annual celebration of Irish storytelling, once again bringing a carefully curated slate of features, documentaries and shorts to Chicago audiences, both in…

WGN-TV cuts eight on-air reporters and anchors in major shakeup It was a tough week inside the newsroom at WGN-TV. Eight on air reporters and anchors were let go Monday in a move that sent shockwaves through Chicago media circles and longtime viewers alike. Those departing include Sean Lewis, Ray…

One Chicago crossover brings back Halstead and Upton NBC’s One Chicago crossover returns March 4 with a unified storyline running across all three shows. Titled The Reckoning, the event brings together Firehouse 51, Gaffney Medical Center and the Intelligence Unit in a single high-stakes case that…

SRW and The Colonie hit the spot with Brazi Bites As health-conscious consumers continue to look for better alternatives to traditional baked goods, Brazi Bites have carved out a lane of their own with authentic flavor and simple, wholesome ingredients. When founder Junea Rocha moved to the United…

Polar Plunge Chicago returns March 1 to support Special Olympics More than 5,000 participants are expected to take the icy leap into Lake Michigan when Polar Plunge Chicago returns to North Avenue Beach on Sunday, March 1, 2026 beginning at 10 AM. Benefiting Special Olympics Illinois and presented…

Chicago screenwriter Eric Anderson lands fourth Grey List honor Chicago screenwriter Eric Anderson has earned his fourth consecutive Grey List selection. The Chicago native is the co-founder of Chicago-based Cornbread Films, and his latest script, Wolves, has been named to the 2026 Grey List. The…

Patrick Lives On unites Chicago’s film community for a cause The 2026 Patrick Lives On Film Showcase will open with a curated slate of selected short films and PSAs, bringing filmmakers and Chicago’s production community together for an evening that blends storytelling with purpose. This year’s…

Warner Bros. / HBO Max bring American Blue to Chicago Chicago prepares for an HBO Max series. The streamer has ordered a pilot for American Blue, starring Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) and directed by David Ayer, with filming expected in the Chicago area in April. If the pilot moves forward to a…

Civil Rights titan, Rev. Jesse Jackson dies at 84 The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the fiery civil rights leader who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and twice mounted historic bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, died Tuesday at 84. “Our father was a…

Is Mexico’s Cinema Tax Incentive a threat to Illinois production? Mexico has officially entered the global production incentive race with the announcement of a new national cinema tax credit, but the move is not expected to shift the competitive landscape for established U.S. production hubs like…

Kingsford slows things down in ‘Savor It’ campaign In a culture built on speed, scrolling and split screens, Kingsford is asking people to take a breath. The charcoal brand’s new Savor It campaign, created with BBDO Chicago, pushes back against the chaos of modern life, encouraging consumers to…

Chicago Med Production Assistants vote to unionize Production assistants on NBC’s Chicago Med have voted to unionize, according to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter. Crew members on the long-running medical drama voted 11–1 in favor of joining Production Assistants United during a National Labor…

FactSet calls our generic AI in new campaign FactSet, the Norwalk, Conn.-based financial intelligence company, has unveiled “Fluent in Finance,” a new brand campaign that takes direct aim at generic, off-the-shelf AI tools and the growing noise around “AI-powered” everything. Created by…

Tim Moore joins AbelsonTaylor as VP, Creative Director AbelsonTaylor Group has announced that award-winning creative leader Tim Moore has joined the agency as Vice President, Creative Director. Moore brings more than 20 years of experience leading integrated creative work for Fortune 500 brands…

White History Month to premiere at Chicago Indiecon Film Festival The Chicago made short film White History Month, starring Wesley Jonathan (Roll Bounce, City Guys), will have its Chicago premiere at the Chicago IndieCon Film Festival on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Written and directed by Aaron…

How Chicago is Celebrating Black History Month 2026 Must see exhibits, concerts, neighborhood events, and cultural tributes happening this February Chicago is the birthplace of Black History Month itself, first established in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson. A century later, the city continues…

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with our favorite One Chicago couples Valentine’s Day arrives February 14, and in true One Chicago fashion, we’re celebrating 14 of the most memorable couples across Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med. For more than a decade, the franchise has balanced high-risk…

Reel Black List celebrates: Nick McCord, VP of Finance at Cramer-Krasselt Editors’ Note: Black history is American history. Reel 360 News’ Reel Black List is a commitment to recognizing the impact of Black voices across film, television, music, media, and culture every single day of the year. In a…

According to LC’s Vincent Geraghty, the best Super Bowl ad wasn’t an ad By the time this story runs, the Super Bowl commercial winners and losers will already have been declared. Rankings finalized. Hot takes archived. But advertising history suggests that immediate reaction does not always…

Chicago Med alum Dominic Rains joins Power: Origins Dominic Rains, known to NBC audiences as Dr. Crockett Marcel on Chicago Med, has officially joined the cast of Starz’s upcoming series Power: Origins. Rains has been cast in a recurring role as Detective Fred Drexel, a law enforcement figure…

Google tops Kellogg Super Bowl Ad rankings Google reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the 22nd annual Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, with its Gemini-powered spot “New Home” earning the highest marks from the panel. The emotionally grounded ad, which shows how AI can help people navigate…

ECD Matt Kuttan weighs in on last night’s Big Game spots Super Bowl LX is officially in the books, and the marketing machine did exactly what it always does. For weeks, our feeds were flooded with everything from fully baked cinematic flexes to cryptic 15-second teasers engineered to spark just…

Two by Four’s Adam Von Ohlen weighs in on the Super Bowl ads These days, you just can’t escape AI. And now you can’t when it comes to Super Bowl ads either. But hey, there were some good ones. For me, Claude’s spot stood out. It featured a chatbot in human form who, while giving advice to a young…

Nissan puts ingenuity on snack Table with Matty Matheson Just ahead of the Big Game, Nissan is celebrating one of America’s most sacred game-day rituals, chips and dip, with a playful new social campaign spotlighting the versatility of the 2026 Nissan Rogue. The lighthearted activation stars chef,…

Frontier makes good on the Super Bowl jet that got away Thirty years ago, during the Big Game, a Pepsi loyalty promotion promised something so audacious it became legend: collect enough points and you could get a jet. One man believed it. John Leonard followed the rules, gathered the points, and…

MANSCAPED makes Super Bowl debut with singing Hairballs MANSCAPED is officially taking its place on advertising’s biggest stage, and it’s doing so with puppets, power ballads, and a whole lot of unwanted hair. Talk about a hairband! The global men’s grooming brand will make its Super Bowl debut…

Jeep skips Big Game but steals the week with Big Mouth Billy Bass Jeep may be sitting out the Super Bowl broadcast this year, but the brand is still making waves during Big Game week. Instead of a game-day media buy, Jeep has dropped an online-only film timed to land amid the Super Bowl…

Lay’s celebrates the journey from farm to fam in two Big Game ads Lay’s is showing up to the Super Bowl with a rare double play this year: two national ads and a fan-facing activation, from Highdive, all centered on the humble potato and the people behind it. The brand’s Big Game presence blends…

NERDS x Andy Cohen debut Juicy Gummy Clusters in Big Game NERDS is returning to the Big Game for the third consecutive year, this time with a juicier twist. The Ferrara-owned candy brand is introducing NERDS Juicy Gummy Clusters, its most significant product innovation since the breakout success…

It’s love at first bite with Sabrina Carpenter and Pringleleo Sometimes love means taking matters into your own hands, and maybe stacking a few crisps along the way. For the biggest snacking moment of the year, Chicago-based Pringles is teaming up with Once You POP Star Sabrina Carpenter to…

“Grubhub will eat the fees,” says George Clooney at dinner “feest” Grubhub is making a bold play to reset expectations around restaurant delivery by tackling the issue consumers complain about most: fees. In its first-ever Big Game national commercial, the Chicago-founded delivery platform teams…

Ortega declares “Now It’s a Fiesta” with major brand relaunch While Old El Paso has long dominated the space, Ortega is making a play to shake things up. The B&G Foods flagship brand remains the top-selling taco sauce in the country and a familiar household name, but sales have declined in recent…

Molly Ringwold is a hard no when it comes to John Hughes’ remakes Molly Ringwald has made it clear she’s not interested in seeing the films of John Hughes remade and says the late writer-director felt the same way. The 57-year-old actor, who starred in Hughes’ defining run of teen classics Sixteen…

Walkabout Theater Company returns with Poor Poor Lear After a period of restructuring and creative evolution, Walkabout Theater Company returns to Chicago with the production that launched the company more than two decades ago. Poor Poor Lear, written by Nina Sallinen and Katja Krohn, will run…

Catherine O’Hara to be honored with private service Catherine O’Hara’s family will honor the late actress with a private celebration of life, according to details shared in an obituary released following her death. The Home Alone and Beetlejuice star died Friday at the age of 71 after what was…

The real reason Chicago Justice was canceled NBC has spent decades building one of television’s most reliable brands around the Law & Order franchise. Created by Dick Wolf, the legal and law enforcement universe has produced multiple long-running series, including Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order:…

Groundhog Day still trying to match up Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell Each year on February 2, the movie Groundhog Day reenters the cultural conversation, looping endlessly on television and streaming platforms as audiences revisit one of the most enduring comedies of the 1990s. More than three…

“Mama I thought we had time” Macauley Culkin, others pay tribute to Catherine O’Hara The death of Catherine O’Hara at age 71 has prompted an emotional outpouring from colleagues, collaborators and friends who worked alongside her across a career that spanned more than five decades. Revered for her…

Rachel McAdams wasn’t prepared for the backlash to Mean Girls Rachel McAdams admits she had no idea just how much animosity audiences would feel toward her iconic Mean Girls character, Regina George. The actress, now 47, starred opposite Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, and Lizzy…

Clorox tackles everyday allergens with PURE campaign Clorox is expanding its role in everyday home wellness with the launch of Clorox PURE Allergen Neutralizers, a new line of daily air and fabric sprays designed to neutralize common household allergens before they trigger symptoms. Developed in…

Catherine O’Hara, ‘Home Alone,’ ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ star, dies at 71 Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actress whose five-decade career spanned sketch comedy, film, television, and voice work, has died. She was 71. Her manager confirmed the news, and her agency said O’Hara passed away Friday at her home…

Terminex hits high notes with musical ‘Ahhh’ campaign Terminix is giving pest control a voice, and it’s surprisingly melodic. The brand’s new national campaign, “Ahhh,” turns prevention into a performance, transforming the familiar relief of a pest-free home into a full-blown musical moment.…

Barry Burdiak unpacks what Super Bowl advertising gets wrong Editor's Note: Barry Burdiak is an award-winning creative director at Chicago-based independent agency Schafer Condon Carter (SCC). With more than three decades in the agency world, Burdiak has built a career working primarily with…

Chicago State University student films to stream on Tubi Two award-winning short films produced through Chicago State University’s CSU CINEMA program will begin streaming on Tubi on February 1, offering national visibility for emerging Chicago filmmakers. The films are Whole, co-directed by Ericka…

Blockbuster 2026 lineup of Chicago festivals and events Here's a reminder of warm days ahead and fun in the sun because nobody does summer better than Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) unveiled the 2026 lineup of Chicago festivals and…