‘Pee-wee as Himself’ Trailer: HBO Documentary Explores the Life of Paul Reubens (TV News Roundup) (2025)

The trailer for HBO documentary “Pee-wee as Himself” has been released.

The documentary consists of two parts and follows the life history of the late Paul Reubens, the performer who portrayed Pee-wee Herman. It’s a “a window into his never before discussed personal life. Determined to correct the record and tell the factual story of his life, Reubens excavates his kaleidoscopic influences, origins in the circus and avant-garde performance theater, and career choices,” according to the official synopsis.

Directed by Matt Wolf, the documentary also includes interviews with Reubens’s sister, Abby Rubenfeld, Tim Burton, Judd Apatow, Natasha Lyonne, Laurence Fishburne, David Arquette and Laraine Newman.

Executive producer credits include Wolf, Reubens, Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Candace Tomarken, Kyle Martin, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Sara Rodriguez.

Part one debuts May 23 at 8 p.m. ET, with the second part airing immediately after at 9:40 p.m. ET. Watch the official trailer below.

FIRST LOOKS/TRAILERS

First look images for Prime Video’s young adult adaptation, “We Were Liars,” show a vibrant summer getaway — and some unanswered questions.

The series is based on E. Lockhart’s book of the same name and features Cadence Sinclair Eastman (Emily Alyn Lind) and her friend group, called the Liars. The Liars hang out on a private island that belongs to Cadence’s wealthy grandfather. “After a mysterious accident changes Cadence’s life forever, everyone, including her beloved Liars, seems to have something to hide,” according to the show description.

The cast also includes Shubham Maheshwari playing Gat Patil, Esther McGregor playing Mirren Sinclair Sheffield and Joseph Zada as Johnny Sinclair Dennis. Additional cast members are Caitlin FitzGerald, Mamie Gummer, Candice King, Rahul Kohli and David Morse.

Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie serve as co-showrunners. The series drops with the full eight episodes on Prime Video June 18. “We Were Liars” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

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The trailer for Prime Video’s documentary special “Octopus!” has been released.

The two-part special is narrated by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose company Wells Street Films, co-produced with Jigsaw Productions.

Niharika Desai directed the documentary, which follows the Giant Pacific Octopus and the people whose lives have been impacted in some way by the creature. Tracy Morgan is one such person who developed a fascination with the octopus. The documentary also highlights a scientist working on protecting the species.

Executive producers include showrunner Melissa Wood, Waller-Bridge and Jenny Robins via Wells Street Films and Stacey Offman and Richard Perello via Jigsaw Productions.

“Octopus!” arrives on Prime Video May 8. Watch the official trailer below.

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The first trailer has as arrived for “Bad Boy,” a new drama series from original “Euphoria” creator Ron Leshem. The series, an international co-production between Sipur and Peter Chernin’s North Road Company, is created and co-written by Leshem and Hagar Ben Asher, who directed the entire series. “Bad Boy” premieres on Netflix May 2.

Inspired by true events, “Bad Boy” tells the story of Dean Scheinman, a teenager imprisoned in a juvenile detention facility. The series “Offers a gripping exploration of youth, redemption, brotherhood and friendship, following Dean’s narrative from imprisonment to discovering his unique creative ability to heal deep wounds,” according to a press release.

Daniel Chen, Havtamo Farda and Guy Manster star. “Bad Boy” was created by Leshem, Chen, Roy Florentine, Moshe Malka, Amit Cohen and Daniel Amsel, and is written by Leshem, Asher, Chen, Malka, Cohen, and Amsel.

Netflix acquired the global streaming rights to “Bad Boy” following the series’ world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023. “Bad Boy” debuted on Israel’s HOT in November 2024, and would go on to win 7 awards at the Israeli Academy for Awards for Television, including Best Drama, Best Writing, Best Directing, Best Sound Design & Editing, Best Casting Cinematography and Best Editing.

PROGRAMMING

American Public Television will release the documentary “American Delivery,” which traces nurses’ efforts to address the national maternal mortality crisis, on public television stations May 1. The film will also be available to stream on PBS.org at that date.

Kino Lorber will bring an extended cut of the documentary to DVD and digital platforms like Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play and Fandango at Home starting May 6.

Carolyn Jones directed the documentary, which was filmed in California, Ohio, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York and Tanzania. The film is presented by WHYY.

During National Nurse Appreciation Week, May 6-12, there will be screenings of the film in every state.

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VICE TV’s “United Gangs of America” makes its return with Season 2 on June 3.

The season will have ten one-hour episodes, releasing on a weekly basis. The first episode of Season 2 delves into the Pagan Biker Gang, and the rest of the season will unpack organizations like Fresno Bulldogs, Nuestra Familia, Black Mafia Family, Vagos and Aryan Sisters of Texas.

“United Gangs of America isn’t just about gangs – it’s about power, loyalty, fear, and survival,” VICE TV president Pete Gaffney said in a statement. “We’re going inside worlds most people never see, and every episode is as gripping as it is eye-opening. This show has connected with our audience in a big way, and Season 2 raises the stakes even higher.”

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“Rock Paper Scissors,” an original animated series premiering May 28 on Paramount+, has been renewed for a second (10-episode) and third season (also 10 episodes) by Nickelodeon. In addition to the series, Nickelodeon has greenlit 20 one-minute shorts to “further dive into the character’s lives and adventures,” set to debut across Nickelodeon’s channels and networks later this year.

Produced by Nickelodeon Animation, the series follows the exploits of the titular anthropomorphic Rock, Paper and Scissors. Season two will debut this fall on Nickelodeon in the United States and internationally in 2026. The animated comedy stars Ron Funches as Rock, Thomas Lennon as Paper, and Carlos Alazraqui as Scissors. Melissa Villaseñor plays Pencil, the trio’s neighbor, while Eddie Pepitone plays Lou, a garbage can and their angry landlord.

Originally launched in 2019 as a short, Rock Paper Scissors (created by Kyle Stegina and Josh Lehrman) was greenlit for series from Nickelodeon’s Intergalactic Shorts Program. Stegina and Lehrman executive produce with Conrad Vernon and Bob Boyle. Production is overseen by Daniel Wineman, and the series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

DATES

“Dept. Q,” a new series starring Matthew Goode, releases on Netflix May 29.

The series is written and directed by Scott Frank, who was behind “The Queen’s Gambit.” It follows DCI Carl Morck, an Edinburgh cop who gets saddled with running a cold case unit called Department Q.

“Dept. Q” has nine episodes. Cast members include Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Kelly Macdonald and Leah Byrne.

Frank, Rob Bullock and Andy Harries serve as executive producers.

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Fox has announced a slate of summer premiere and return dates for 2025 original programming, including the series premiere of “Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service” May 21, “The Snake” June 10, and new seasons of “LEGO Masters” May 19 and “MasterChef” May 21. “The Quiz with Balls” will return June 2, while “The 1% Club” premieres June 10. New episodes of “Animation Domination” featuring “Bob’s Burgers” and “Family Guy” arrive May 29, with additional summer programming to be announced.

The season 5 premiere of “LEGO Masters,” hosted by producer Will Arnett, will once again feature two teams of creators going head-to-head to build creations inspired by IPs including “Star Wars,” “Wicked,” and Batman. Pip Wells executive produces with Sharon Levy and Michael Heyerman rom Endemol Shine North America; Karen Smith and Steph Harris from Tuesday’s Child; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner from Plan B; and Jill Wilfert and Robert May from the Lego Group.

Fox’s summer cooking lineup includes the 15th season premiere of “MasterChef: Dynamic Duos” on May 21, followed by the series premiere of “Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service,” which follows Ramsay as he goes undercover to fix restaurants from the inside. “MasterChef: Dynamic Duos” also stars Ramsay, who judges alongside restaurateur Joe Bastianich and new judge Chef Tiffany Derry. “MasterChef: Dynamic Duos,” will be the first time home cooks will participate in pairs, with the winning duo awarded a $250,000 grand prize.

To see the full list of Fox summer TV premieres and returns, visit http://www.foxflash.com.

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The first two episodes of the four-part docuseries “Earnhardt” will premiere globally May 22 on Prime Video, three days before Prime Video’s first presentation of a NASCAR Cup Series race, the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway. The final two episodes will be released a week later on May 29. Prime Video has also revealed the official trailer and new key art for the docuseries, which takes a “a multi-generational look at the sacrifice, hardship, and drive of one of the most famous families of NASCAR,” according to a press release.

Nicknamed “The Intimidator,” Dale Earnhardt earned 76 race wins and a record-tying seven NASCAR Cup Series championships over a 26-year career. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., eventually became one of NASCAR’s most popular racers in his own right. The four-part documentary features archival footage, races, and interviews with Earnhardt’s children, rivals, and closest friends.

“Earnhardt” is produced by Imagine Documentaries, Everyone Else, and NASCAR Studios, in association with Dirty Mo Media. The series is directed by Joshua Altman and executive produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein, Christopher St. John and Justin Wilkes for Imagine Documentaries, Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin for Everyone Else and Tim Clark and John Dahl for NASCAR Studios.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

The so-called SpinCo, the Comcast spinoff of various media brands, has three new top leadership appointments. Matt Hong has been named president of sports, Jeff Behnke has been named executive producer and senior vice president of sports production and Roy Cho has been named president of distribution and partnerships.

Hong, whose previous experience includes serving as president and chief operating officer at PlayOn! and chief operating officer at Turner Sports, will be in charge of the sports rights portfolio. He reports to Mark Lazarus, SpinCo’s chief executive officer.

Behnke, previously NBC Sports vice president of motorsports production, will helm the daily sports portfolio work as well as studio and remote productions. He reports to Hong.

Cho, who worked as AMC Networks executive vice president for distribution and business development, will lead distribution and monetization efforts. He reports to Dave Pietrycha, SpinCo’s chief revenue and business officer.

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AMC Network’s Eric de Cholnoky has been promoted to executive vice president of distribution and business development. De Cholnoky takes over for distribution EVP Roy Cho, who will leave AMC Networks at the end of April. De Cholnoky will report to chief commercial officer Kim Kelleher.

“Eric is a proven leader and terrific colleague. We are thrilled to elevate him into this important role and look forward to his leadership of this highly functioning team,” Kelleher said in a statement. “Thanks also to Roy for his many contributions over the years and during this period of change. We wish him well.”

In his new role, de Cholnoky, who joined AMC Networks in 2015, will run a distribution team responsible for representing the company’s programming and brands as well as commercial and distribution partners.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to lead this best-in-class distribution team,” de Cholnoky said. “I am looking forward to further strengthening the relationships with our partners to reach and engage our audiences through our fantastic AMC Networks shows and brands.”

EVENTS

Jon Stewart, Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers, “Saturday Night Live” cast member Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell are set to perform at the annual National Comedy Center Festival, which runs August 7-10 in Jamestown, N.Y.

“An Evening with Jon Stewart” will commence Saturday, August 9 with Stewart’s stand-up comedy at the national museum’s arena. On Sunday, August 10, Murray and His Blood Brothers will perform in a Rock ‘n’ Blues concert.

National Comedy Center’s executive director Journey Gunderson said in a statement: “Jon Stewart is one of the most influential comedic voices of our time — providing his signature social commentary at a pace responsive to the news cycle, while deeply thoughtful about our shared humanity.”

The National Comedy Center Festival runs August 7-10.

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CJ Vice Chairwoman Miky Lee will deliver the commencement address at the USC School of Cinematic Arts 2025 graduation ceremony, held May 16 at the Shrine Auditorium. SCA Dean Elizabeth M. Daley also revealed SCA alumnus Jon M. Chu (class of 2003) will speak at this year’s university-wide commencement ceremony May 15 at the Los Angeles Memorial Colosseum.

Lee founded CJ’s entertainment and media division and led the company’s investment in DreamWorks SKG in 1995. As an executive producer, Lee’s work includes Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave,” and Celine Song’s “Past Lives.”

“Miky Lee is a champion of artists and storytellers and a trailblazer in the evolution of multinational film collaborations,” Daley said in a statement. “She loves international cinema and brings that appreciation to every project she produces. Her career stands as a global model of success in the creative industries, and her dedication to creating cultural connection is an inspiration for us all. We are so pleased to welcome her to USC.”

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The Paley Center for Media will host “An Evening with Andor,” the latest event in its PaleyLive program. The evening will feature a screening from season two, followed by a discussion with the series creator and stars. The event, taking place at The Writer’ Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, will be held on Friday May 30, the first time the cast and creator will gather for a live program following the series finale.

“Andor” returned for its second and final season April 22 on Disney+. The new season of the series, which serves as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” begins before the war, as Cassian Andor becomes a key player in the Rebel Alliance. The discussion with the cast and creative team will include creator, writer and executive producer Tony Gilroy, and star/executive producer Diego Luna as well as Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma) Adria Arjona (Bix) and moderator Patton Oswalt.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 5 at noon PT. Tickets are currently on member presale to President’s circle, patron circle, and partner members with individual, family and supporting member tickets going on sale Thursday April 24 at noon PT via paleycenter.org.

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Spectrum Laboratory will wrap World Autism Month with an April 28 improv comedy show at the Sunset Strip Laugh Factory club entitled “Neurodiversity Night of Laughs.” The event features sketches from The Spec-Ond City Players!, a neurodivergent comedy team, as well as stand-up from emcee Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin and Nic Novicki.

In addition, Spec Labs co-founders Garth Herberg and Jason Weissbrod have joined forces with management firm Sandstone Artists for representation of 10 individuals on the autism spectrum, including “Love on the Spectrum”’s Dani Bowman and “Atypical” star Domonique Brown. Bowman, Brown and 8 other Spec Labs alums are now listed on the firm’s roster.

Admission ticket proceeds from “Neurodiversity Night of Laughs” benefit Spectrum Laboratory (speclabs.org), a California non-profit organization that “empowers and educates neurodivergent artists in film production, on-camera acting, voiceover, and music.” The event is the third in a series of neurodivergent comedy nights created in collaboration between Rob Kutner, Mike Rotman, Maja Watkins, Autism in Entertainment and the Laugh Factory.

Ticketing information for “Neurodiversity Night of Laughs” can be found via https://www.tixr.com/groups/laughfactoryhw/events/neurodiversity-night-of-laughs-139836

INITATIVES

The nonprofit Moonshot Initiative has selected seven fellows and their female-centric feature scripts for the inaugural Moonshot Feature Accelerator, includingLauren Brown(“Deadbeat”),Briana M. Cox(“The Sum of Our Parts”),Elizabeth Dwyer(“When Ani Met Jo Met Cris”),A.K. Espada(“This Is Our Home”),Julia Morizawa(“Something About the Tide”),Katerina Munis(“A Singular Girl”), andSylvia-Anne Parker(“600 Steps”).

The fellows will have the opportunity to participate in a three-week development program before pitching to top companies like Netflix, HBO, Neon, Yes, Fusion Studios and Norman Productions, among other studios. They will also hear directly from industry insiders at United Talent Agency and Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment.

“We’re proud to launch our Moonshot Feature Accelerator with a cohort of seven talented emerging screenwriters, with features ranging from a dystopian horror to a queer rom-com to a family drama,” Moonshot Initiative’s co-founder and co-executive director Katrina Medoff said in a statement. “We’re proud to be able to provide the training and connections that they need to break into this industry.”