Ziggy's proclivity for misfortune makes him much more closely attuned to humankind's demise...

R.I.P. PJ, brained by a hammer, beheaded by a saw, his safety ignored by an apathetic parent...

Julius Dithers rose to corporate heights by staying true to his own vision and relying on gut choices. Now his continued absorption with social media has sapped his critical thinking faculties and left him susceptible to all kinds of misinformation...

Is there anything more relaxing than reading LOVE Magazine, sipping a bottle of water through a straw and forcing an impecunious patient to go into debt for routine medical care?

CNN on Edge: Staffers fear what Paramount's takeover will mean for the business of the news giant, which is projected to turn $600M in profit over to WBD in 2026 “I don’t have glimmers of hope and don’t see reasons for any,” says one staffer variety.com/2026/tv/news...

The New York Times Co. has games. Disney has theme parks. And Versant Media has golf The one time NBCU spin-off is expanding its golf business, the latest media co. to seek revenue beyond the traditional fields of advertising, distribution and syndication variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Officer-on-enlisted-abuse in our nation's military forces is an issue too pressing to be put aside on July 4!

Happy Fourth of July from 'Gil Thorp,' where a nuclear accident appears to have devastated much of the landscape, and left just two people to carry on the scared tradition of noting our national birthday -- even if 'countries' no longer exist in this post-apocalyptic milieu...

HOW WE'RE CELEBRATING 250: We're blowing up our neighbor's living room....

Wilbur is the last person who should be disparaging romantic choices, as his last significant other (a woman named Belle Batsfrey) had mental-health issues and tried to kill his daughter with poisonous tea. Perhaps this will come up in tomorrow's comic...

It's rough trying to sustain a regular editorial feature built on reader contributions. I once had to do a bi-weekly Q&A about advertising when I worked at WSJ, and it became a real s---show. So I wonder if NYT Metropolitan Diary will keep up its new flow of solicited anecdotes?

'Do you think people will understand if we use the word 'busking' in a comic,' asked the creator of 'Rex Morgan, MD,' clearly believing the answer would be 'no.'

SCOOP: Paula Reid, the chief legal affairs correspondent at CNN, is expected to join MS NOW in a a new role, per a person familiar with the matter, in a move that shows talent may seek to leave the news giant as it is acquired by Paramount Skydance... variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Paula Reid is laying down the law at CNN. CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent has decided to leave ahead of an expected takeover of the news giant by Paramount, per two sources, citing uncertainty around CNN's direction..... variety.com/2026/tv/news... via @variety.com

The kids from "Zits" refuse to be shown up by the newly randy twentysomethings from "Luann"...

Bruce Springsteen once decried TV as a venue that offers “fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on.” He apparently doesn’t feel that way about PBS. variety.com/2026/music/n...

Characters from 'Mary Worth' pretend they're living in 1986, with a young woman going to something called 'the mall' for a social outing while her father dives into some odd printed compendium of pages that appear to feature stories of general interest to broader audiences...

Wilco and Billy Bragg together playing songs from 'Mermaid Avenue' at Solid Sound

The divide between so-called “creator media” and mainstream TV news continues to narrow — and quickly. variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Scoop: MS NOW to fill weekend evening schedules completely with video podcasts from Crooked Media, others, w new content alliances to be unveiled in coming weeks Alex Witt, the network's longest-serving anchor, to exit variety.com/2026/tv/news...

I just saw an email that read "DATELINE" TO AIR SIREN SONG SATURDAY and thought 'Why would NBC kill Dateline?' SIREN SONG is title of the mystery in this week's telecast. Thank you.

DAMN YOU AETHERIC HARPOON!

Jill Schlesinger launches new CBS News podcast 'Money Moves,' focused on financial advice variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Gil Thorp does his best David Caruso impression in case there's a chance for a reboot of 'CSI: Miami'....

Even Vikings in centuries long gone by sang songs about outmatching 'Marvin' in panels focused on toilet humor...

Actual sex in horny-teens-who-never-act-on-it 'Luann'? What's next, actual military action in 'Beetle Bailey'?

Like you, I had long believed that Blondie and Dagwood gathered in front of the TV *only* after dinner was over. Turns out they sit there all day!

Disney is asking fans of 'The View' to get involved in its ongoing slog with the FCC.... variety.com/2026/tv/news...

'I'm open to having friends in my life, though....even some like you, who have troubles connecting an open mouth with a waiting hot dog.'

'Frazz,' realizing where the money really comes from, issues urgent call for return to print media..

A subtle dig at the high costs of a Disney vacation? Menace level: To infinity and beyond...

Tariffs, once an unthinkable economic policy that boosts prices on everyday items into the stratosphere, are now just another topical item our nation's funny-page creators use to capture our increasingly short-term attention. Tomorrow: a real zinger about drone attacks

General Amos Halftrack possesses one of the most brilliant minds for strategy in our nation's military, so it's puzzling to see him enjoying what appears to be a martini, not a Manhattan or whiskey sour, festooned with a maraschino cherry?

The moment we've long expected? Aunt Fritzi from 'Nancy' appears to go trolling at a lesbian bar....

It probably makes all the sense in the world for Bird People of Mongo to dine on sea quiche, but, still, it's a little creepy to envision feathered, flying creatures eating eggs?

BREAKING: TV's 'upfront' market is down, but Fox's upfront is up. The trick? Fox has lots of sports to sell and little of the traditional cable inventory with which Madison Avenue is no longer enchanted... variety.com/2026/tv/news... via @variety

Can anyone guess what's going to happen in 'Mary Worth' by the end of the week?

NEW: Fox teams up with animation studio Toonstar to offer advertisers a chance to create their own original cartoons and series and distribute them in digital venues.... variety.com/2026/tv/news... via @variety

Is anyone else starting to worry about Jim VandeHei?

That 'Snuffy Smith'-'Gasoline Alley' team-up your great-grandfather was yearning for is finally here!

Countdown to anxiety-inducing near-drowning incident is on in 'Mary Worth'....

ESPN has decided to swap out 'Sunday Night Baseball' for a women's-sports showcase this summer. And there are already plans for expansion.... variety.com/2026/tv/news...

No supermarket can have too big a supply of rocks from Cape Cod! Seasoned by the salt air and financial gap between people who ignore the stones and people who must eat them as snacks, Cape Cod Rocks are really the best!

ESPN makes a big bet on the draw of the WNBA, NWSL and other women's sports in Sunday primetime, and seems ready to create new studio shows and 'event' formats to make sure viewers catch on.... variety.com/2026/tv/news... via @variety

CNN has tapped Kyla Scanlon, a financial-content influencer and creator, as a new contributor and analyst variety.com/2026/tv/news... via @variety

Verizon taps casts of 'Austin Power' and the original Spanish-language 'Ugly Betty' to introduce a new 'Simplicity' plan that eliminates certain annoying phone-plan fees.... variety.com/2026/tv/news...

Lachlan Murdoch has been wary of streaming, going so far as to forbid Fox to promote the Fox One streaming service to old-school TV viewers. With a deal to buy Roku now in place, Murdoch is poised to give put a bear hug around the popular technology. variety.com/2026/tv/news...

This young man has wisely decided to kick his dependence on distilled French liqueurs before getting back into the social scene...

'...and it certainly didn't feel like something I needed to share with our readers....

The opening panel of this particular 'Beetle Bailey' gave me high hopes this military-comedy comic, never particularly interested in current affairs, might take a turn for the topical, but no luck. The pot reference is just a set up for the same ol' gag about Cookie's bad food...