After nearly a quarter-century on television, Curb Your Enthusiasm came to an end last year with 12 seasons and 120 episodes... but if you were thinking that Larry David was just going to ride off into the sunset after making his second hit comedy series, you were wrong. The TV icon and co-creator of Seinfeld has worked out a deal to develop a brand new show at HBO, and this project is not only wildly different than Curb, but it sees David collaborating with President Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground.

The project was announced today via press release, and while the show doesn't have an official title yet, it's being described as a "half-hour sketch comedy limited series" that will poke fun at American history. The timing of the development is apropos, as the idea is that it will be ready to premiere for 2026 – the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The show is being scripted by Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm's Jeff Schaffer, who will not only co-writing scripts but is also an executive producer and will be directing.

The official statement from Larry David about the show's development has been released, and it's a delight unto itself – with shots fired in the direction of Jeff Bezos and his star-studded wedding thrown in for extra fun. Says David,

I didn't realize that taking retirement advice from recent Jason Statham movies was a thing, but Larry David makes me believe it.

Beyond David's involvement, it's unclear who else will specifically be starring on the show, but the HBO press release promises notable names. As you probably expected, there will be other Curb Your Enthusiasm stars in the mix (nobody is specifically mentioned), and the sketch series will also feature "noteworthy guest stars."

It will be curious to see how the show comes together, if not especially because Larry David got his start in sketch comedy. Prior to the creation of Seinfeld, the comedian hot his small screen start as a writer and performer on the short-lived show Fridays (which also featured Seinfeld star Michael Richards), and after that show was cancelled, he went on to be one of the writers on Saturday Night Live.

Be on the look out for more about the Curb Your Enthusiasm follow-up here on CinemaBlend in the coming months as more information about the show is made available – and if you're now in the mood for some Larry David-centric laughs, you can watch all 12 seasons of his hit premium cable comedy with an HBO Max subscription.

Something that can be easy to forget about as we all enjoy the new episodes of television currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule is how important all of those guest starring roles are to the actors who play them. In fact, it’s not uncommon for actors to get their start by playing small parts on TV, and big stars from Jennifer Lopez to Timothèe Chalamet have done just that. Speaking of Chalamet, he was recently among the celebs who took a drink at the SAG Awards because of a before-fame appearance in the Law & Order franchise, but the also long-running NCIS has had its share of major talent guest-star, as well.

Which Celebs Should Take A Drink For Appearing On NCIS?

Before you ask why this has to be a drinking game, you should know that I’m just following the path set forth by the wonderful Keke Palmer. She presented at the SAG Awards in late February and announced that she’d come up with a drinking game for those in attendance, with her asking everyone to take a drink if they’d ever appeared on Law & Order.

Not only did Timothèe Chalamet respond by taking a swig, but so did Elle Fanning, new 2025 Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña and co-presenters Palmer and 2024 and 2025 Oscar nominee Colman Domingo.

As one might imagine, though, the NCIS franchise (which celebrated its 1,000th episode in April 2024) is also no slouch when it comes to snagging up and coming or established talent to fill its many guest starring roles. The OG series started in 2003 and has already spawned five spinoffs (with a sixth, NCIS: Tony & Ziva, premiering in the near-ish future), so there have been hundreds if not thousands of smaller parts to cast over the course of 22 years. And, a number of celebrities have filled the NCIS ranks, with some of them netting their part before they were famous.

For instance? Well, Twisters star Glen Powell stepped up to play a Marine in Season 10, Episodes 6 and 7. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown appeared in the sixth episode of Season 12, while This Is Us and Paradise actor Sterling K. Brown had an important part in Season 11, Episode 10 in December 2013, and The Iron Claw lead Zac Efron showed up in the thirteenth episode of the third season, which aired mere days before High School Musical premiered and made him a superstar.

Other famous folk have also popped up on the franchise, including Lily Tomlin, Drew Carey, Jamie Lee Curtis and even Michelle Obama. So, all of this is to say that we can never discount the guest roles on our favorite shows, because you just never know who you might see.

When you've been around as long as NCIS has, there are bound to be a ton of big stars who have made cameos or had early roles in their career on the show. Some of the biggest stars of today have popped up on the long-running CBS procedural. Here is a list of quite a few stars who have appeared on NCIS.

Millie Bobby Brown

Before Millie Bobby Brown hit the really big time as Eleven in Stranger Things, she was working steadily from a young age. One of her first roles on American television came in Episode 6 of Season 12 of NCIS back in 2014. She had only had a couple of roles before it. 

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has emerged as one of the biggest stars around. His first huge break came in Top Gun Maverick, and even though that made him an A-lister, he'd been a working actor for decades at that point, going back to roles he had as a kid. An early role in his adulthood came in Season 10 of NCIS, where he played a Marine in a double episode. 

Lily Tomlin

You just never knew who might show up on NCIS. In Season 9 viewers were treated to an appearance by the legendary Lily Tomlin. In true Tomlin style, she plays a quirky but capable grandmother to one of the team members, McGee (Sean Murray). 

Billy Dee Williams

If fans ever wondered why Gibbs (Mark Harmon) had the first name Jethro, they learned why in Season 10. In the episode, the great Billy Dee Williams plays Jethro Moore, a World War II hero, and Gibbs' father's best friend. Moore and the older Gibbs had had a falling out, but by the end, the younger Gibbs had smoothed everything out between them. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Hollywood legend Jamie Lee Curtis had a bit more than just a cameo. On the show she played Dr. Samantha Ryan over five episodes towards the end of Season 9 plays a possible love interest for Gibbs, but alas it was not meant to be and she is forced to go into hiding, never to be heard from again on the show. 

Terry O'Quinn

In the early days of NCIS, there was another show about to make its network debut: Lost. It turns out that quite a few actors who became known for their roles on Lost also popped up on NCIS around the same time. One is none other than John Locke himself, Terry O'Quinn. O'Quinn plays a Marine Colonel in an episode in the show's first season. 

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar is best known as Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years. She also had a great, if somewhat brief, run in The West Wing as Will's sister. On NCIS, she appeared in the Season 2 episode called "Witness," as the titular witness of a crime. In the years since McKellar has found a home in made-for-TV Christmas movies and remains popular with her fans. 

Sean Astin

Sean Astin has carved out a pretty amazing career. His very first role, as Mikey in The Goonies, is one of the most beloved movie characters of all time. Plus he was in that little trilogy known as the Lord of the Rings, something he was nervous about. More recently, he was a key cast member of Stranger Things. In between, he was never not working, including a guest spot in Season 9 of NCIS. 

Taye Diggs

You could say that Taye Diggs got back to his roots in his guest appearance in Season 13. While Diggs plays a Marine on the show, he's a marine with the voice of an angel and at the end of the show, Diggs sings "Hallelujah" with the help of the real-life MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band. Diggs, of course, got his start on Broadway in musicals like Carousel and Rent. 

Samantha Logan

Samantha Logan is best known for roles in Netflix's 12 Reasons Why and CW's All American, but before both of those roles she played the daughter of a character played by Taye Diggs on NCIS. Logan made her acting debut way back in 2009 when she was just 13 and had a small role in Gossip Girl. 

Bob Newhart

What can we say about the late, great Bob Newhart? His TV career is the stuff of legends with two massively popular shows that bore his name and for a younger generation, he'll always be Will Farrell's character's adoptive father in Elf. He also popped up in NCIS, playing a character very much in his wheelhouse. 

Jon Cryer

Jon Cryer started his career in some classic '80s movies like Pretty In Pink and Morgan Stewart's Coming Home. In the 2000s, he became a TV legend as one of the men in Two and a Half Men. He's since even played Lex Luthor, in the Supergirl TV show. Somehow he also found the time to pop into an episode of NCIS playing a battlefield doctor. 

Drew Carey

He started in stand-up. Then had a hit show named after himself. Then he became a superstar of daytime TV as the host of The Price is Right. Drew Carey has done it all, including showing up for one episode of NCIS as a retired marine. Carey was a marine in real life, so the role is actually perfect.  

Michelle Obama

Okay, okay so technically Michelle Obama isn't an actress, but she did show up in one episode of NCIS while she was First Lady of the United States. She played herself of course, there's no way she could be anyone but herself, right? She welcomed Gibbs and others to the White in an episode called "Homefront."

Abigail Breslin

As one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever, at age 10, you might think that Abigail Breslin just burst on the scene in Little Miss Sunshine. That's not the case though. Breslin was already a working actor with a bunch of credits on her resume, including a supporting role in one episode of NCIS in the Season 2 premiere. 

Sterling K. Brown

The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning actor Sterling K. Brown was a veteran of prime-time TV long before his own show, This Is Us, made people cry every week. As he was coming up in Hollywood, he popped up on all kinds of network shows, including one episode of NCIS in 2013.

Dean Norris

Dean Norris is most famous for Breaking Bad, but he's been snagging roles for decades. One role was as a Marine in a very early episode of NCIS. In Episode 12 of Season 1, Norris plays a soldier with a past run-in with Gibbs when Gibbs was still an MP.

Zac Efron

Zac Efron became a huge star thanks to movies like High School Musical and Neighbors, but he was a child long before those movies exploded. One of his early roles came in a Season 3 episode of NCIS where he played a trouble-making kid that he was perfect for. 

Jesse Plemons

A quick glance at Jessie Plemons resume will show that the actor took the long road to fame. While he would eventually be leading men and key supporting characters in some of Hollywood's biggest movies, he started more humbly. One such example is his role as a teenager getting in trouble with the team at NCIS on the show. 

Colin Hanks

Tom Hanks is often called "America's Dad" and so that must make Colin Hanks our collective brother, right? Well, maybe not, but he is a great actor in his own right and he shows it in roles like the one he starred in on NCIS in two episodes at the end of Season 10. 

Sherilyn Fenn

As one of the breakout stars of Twin Peaks in the '90s, Sherilyn Fenn is no stranger to network TV. With over 100 credits to her name on IMDB, she's been on shows all over the dial over the last 30 years or so. One of those credits came in Season 1 of NCIS.

Josh Holloway

Josh Holloway's star shined the brightest when he starred as Sawyer in Lost starting in the fall of 2004. Just a few months before that, he played a local sheriff in Season 1 of NCIS. Since then, he's been a regular in shows like Yellowstone, Colony, and Intelligence. 

Frank Whaley

It's crazy to think that Frank Whaley's career goes all the way back to the '80s. IT's even crazier to realize he's over 60 years old now. The guy hasn't aged a day since Career Opportunities in 1991. Come to think of it, neither has his co-star in that movie, Jennifer Connelly. Connelly, however, hasn't been in an episode of NCIS and Whaley has, playing an escaped convict. 

Jim Rash

Jim Rash is most beloved for playing the hapless dean of the community college in Community, but he's been in tons of over shows. He's been in some quirky shows too, like a voice role in Mike Tyson's Mysteries and as a semi-regular on Reno 911!. He's a writer as well, co-writing the George Clooney movie The Descendants. He also found time to star in an episode of NCIS way back in it's first season. 

Julie Benz

Julie Benz's first big TV role was on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and later its spinoff Angel, playing Darla. Later she was a regular on Hawaii Five-O and Defiance. In Episode 22 of Season 1 of NCIS, Benz played the grieving wife of a soldier. 

Emilie De Ravin

It turns out that NCIS was a good place for cast members of Lost to star right before they all got super famous on the ABC show. Emilie de Ravin is one of those stars who appeared in a Season 1 episode of the show just like her fellow Lost cast members Josh Holloway and Terry O'Quinn. 

Bellamy Young

Before Bellamy Young became a regular on the hit show Scandal, she worked on a lot of shows on TV, including two early episodes of Law & Order, where she played two different roles, something it turns out a lot of actors did. Young played an undercover ATF agent in an episode in Season 1 of NCIS.

Daphne Zuniga

For anyone who grew up in the 1980s, Daphne Zuniga will always be Princess Vesper in Mel Brooks' classic Space Balls and Alison in The Sure Thing alongside John Cusack. In the 2020s she was still turning in great performances, like that of a Navy commander with very questionable motives in a Season 17 episode of NCIS.

Zoe Perry

In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon's mother was played by the great Laurie Metcalfe. When the spinoff Young Shelton hit the airwaves. Zoe Perry took over the role and played it perfectly. She had a lot of experience at that point, including a guest spot as a police officer in two episodes of NCIS during the show's 13th season.

Ray Wise

Ray Wise is one of the great character actors of his generation. He's most famous for playing Leland Palmer, the father-turned-murderer in Twin Peaks, but his career stretches back to the 1960s. On NCIS he plays the father of a guy who thinks he's a superhero, which as you can imagine, he has no patience for in Episode 15 of Season 9. 

Tyler Ritter

Actor Tyler Ritter, who is the son of the beloved John Ritter, seems to pop up all over the place. He's played a detective in Arrow, he was in Homecoming, and he played  Abby Sciuto's (Pauley Perrette) brother Luca in an NCIS crossover event with NCIS: New Orleans when the spinoff began. 

Don Lake

You might not know his name, but you know his face, especially if you are a fan of the Christopher Quest-verse. Don Lake was a cast member in Waiting for Guffman, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and even Mascots. Usually, he plays the straight man, but that doesn't mean he's not hilarious. Even in serious roles, like his in a Season 17 episode of NCIS, you can't help but crack a smile when he's on screen. 

The Parks and Rec cast by itself is legendary. Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott and more served as regulars on the series for years, and to this day their characters are beloved. However, what made this show even more special was its constant stream of guest stars played by living legends. Everyone from Bill Murray to Michelle Obama to Ben Schwartz appeared on the NBC classic, and today, we’re here to talk about them. 

Paul Rudd

Now, I know we love Paul Rudd for his movies, but we also need to appreciate his brilliant work as Bobby Newport on Parks and Rec. During Season 4, the actor joined the cast to play the man running against Leslie Knope for a city council position. Overall, Bobby is childish, not smart and spoiled, and Rudd plays this silly idiot brilliantly. 

Bill Murray

Obviously, Bill Murray’s funniest roles include iconic characters like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day and Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters. However, his guest spot on Parks and Rec was unexpected and incredibly memorable. I write this because, for one episode in Season 7, the Saturday Night Live legend played Walter Gunderson, the dead mayor of Pawnee. 

Kathryn Hahn

Playing the cutthroat campaign manager Jen Barkley, Kathryn Hahn made a glorious (and a smidge evil) impact on Parks and Rec. She played a cutthroat manager who worked for Bobby Newport at first, and across ten episodes she popped in from time to time to both help and harm Leslie’s political career. 

Ben Schwartz 

Arguably, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is one of the best recurring guest stars in Parks and Rec history. The rich boy who is friends with Tom is ridiculous, scammy and he’s constantly trying to flirt with everyone and sing whenever he can. While he’s 100% the worst, he’s also totally not “the WORRRRRRSSSSSTTTT,” if you know what I mean.  

Jenny Slate

In a stroke of perfect casting, Jenny Slate popped into Parks and Rec to play Jean-Ralphio’s sister Mona Lisa Saperstein. The siblings truly are the most chaotic duo, however, they’re also the two of the funniest extra side characters the sitcom has to offer. Just don’t fall for it when they ask for “money please!”

Henry Winkler

After getting to know Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa, we meet their father, Lu Saperstein in Season 6. Played brilliantly by Henry Winkler, the patriarch of the Saperstein family is a successful doctor who is willing to go to any financial length to help his kids. 

Sam Elliott

In the later seasons of the show, we met the Eagleton Parks Department. Ironically, each member of that crew matched up with a member of the Parks and Rec cast, and when it came to picking someone to play Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson’s counterpart, they cast Sam Elliott as Ron Dunn. While they both have legendary mustaches and an appreciation for the outdoors, that’s where the similarities stop, and seeing Ron and Anti-Ron go head-to-head was hilarious. 

Joe Biden

Leslie loves her politicians and had a massive crush on then-Vice President Joe Biden. As an engagement gift, Ben decided to give her the perfect present and prove that he’s the ideal man, by coordinating a meet and greet between Leslie and Joe Biden.

Patton Oswalt

When Leslie tries to change Pawnee’s charter to get rid of some silly laws – like throwing a Ted into a lake – Garth Blundin makes his disapproval clear. Patton Oswalt plays the historian, and he challenges Amy Poehler’s character to a filibuster and a day of living like a colonial person. Ultimately, he and Leslie find common ground, and he joins forces with her to help preserve the laws…he also volunteers to get thrown in the lake.

Michelle Obama

As Leslie tries to figure out if she should take a job at the National Parks Department and leave Pawnee, Michelle Obama comes in to tell her about why she should take it. Let’s just say if I met the First Lady, I think I’d be just as star-struck as Leslie Knope. How could you not stumble over your words if you casually bumped into the First Lady of the United States?

Bo Burnham

Some of the funniest stand-up on Netflix comes from Bo Burnham, and in his special Make Happy, he sings a “Country Song” that pokes fun at the cliches in the genre and how some artists are masters at pandering to their audiences. On Parks and Rec, he worked with that idea as well by playing country singer Chipp McCapp who Leslie and Andy tried to hire for a performance at the Unity Concert. His songs like “Beautiful Like My Mom (Support the Troops)” were truly hilarious, and they complimented the stand-up comedian's sense of humor very well. 

John McCain

Parks and Rec knows how to do a political cameo, and one of the best ones came when Leslie didn’t even realize she’d just met John McCain in a coat closet. She was so distraught over interacting with #4 and #26 on Leslie’s list of amazing women, that she didn’t even notice she was speaking with the senator. 

Megan Mullally

You know chaos mode has been activated when Ron’s second ex-wife Tammy II enters the chat. She’s constantly trying to simultaneously take Ron down and get back together with her, and his efforts to avoid it are truly hilarious. However, what really makes this dynamic duo so hysterical and one of the best recurring inside jokes on Parks and Rec is the fact that Tammy II is played by Nick Offerman’s real-life wife Megan Mullally. 

Will Forte

Amy Poehler and Will Forte were both in some of SNL’s best casts, and it was such a treat to see them reunite on Parks and Rec. In his episode, Forte played Kelly, a man who really wants to get the Twilight books put in Pawnee’s town time capsule. When Leslie refuses and then agrees, it starts an outcry over what can and can’t go in the capsule via a chaotic town meeting. 

Jon Hamm

According to Leslie, Jon Hamm’s Ed is the “most incompetent person I’ve ever worked with.” He worked for our leading lady when she was at the National Parks Department, and he was swiftly fired by her not long after we met him. 

John Cena

In an epic episode of Andy’s show, the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show, Burt Macklin, FBI, arrested John Cena – who was wearing so much of his own WWE merch – and took him to the dunk tank. Talk about a dream come true for Andy and viewers.

Keegan-Michael Key

There’s no question that all our hearts grew a few sizes when Donna married Keegan-Michael Key’s Joe. The comedian played the “Treat yo’ self’ queen’s boyfriend-turned-husband in Seasons 6 and 7, and it’s safe to say that we all adored this music teacher. 

Bradley Whitford

Considering Parks and Rec is a show about government and Rob Lowe is one of its stars, it made perfect sense for a West Wing cast member to pop into the sitcom. It was done perfectly too, because the team brought in Josh himself, as Bradley Whitford played Councilman Pillner, the man Leslie replaces on City Council and a model boat enthusiast. 

J.K. Simmons

Remember Ice Town? Well, Ben’s hometown of Partridge and J.K. Simmons’ Mayor Stice sure do. And that became clear as day when an episode of Parks went back to Adam Scott’s character’s hometown so he could get a key to the city, which ended up just being melted water in a box…because Ice Town. 

Patricia Clarkson

While Megan Mullally’s Tammy II is truly unhinged and chaotic, Tammy I is cold, calculated, and manipulative. She’s played by Patricia Clarkson, and she really adds to the hilarious chaos that is Ron Swanson’s love life. 

Andy Samberg

Back when Andy Samberg was still on Saturday Night Live and before he led his own sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he guest starred on Parks and Rec as the incredibly loud Park Ranger Carl. During Season 2, Leslie worked with Carl on a few issues of Parks security, and let's just say that she “might not be so confident, when [she has to] walk a mile in [Carl’s]  size sevens.” 

Rachel Dratch

In the final season of Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler’s Saturday Night Live co-star Rachel Dratch appeared as Roz Pinwheel, the nanny of Leslie and Ben’s triplets. While a small role, it was such a nice (and funny) nod to the two comedians' time together on the legendary sketch comedy show.

Nick Kroll

If you were looking to get humiliated on the radio look no further than "The Douche." This hilarious and terrible radio host was played by the mastermind behind one of the best animated shows, Big Mouth, Nick Kroll, and anytime he showed up to host a radio spot on the series, you knew something wild was about to go down.

Chelsea Peretti

While Leslie ran for City Council, April filled in for her one time, and during one of her seminars Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chelsea Peretti showed up as one of the attendees, Zelda. Fun fact: before Peretti was part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she actually wrote two episodes of Parks and Rec, which helps explain her lil cameo in the series. 

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell was quite literally the perfect person to play Leslie Knope’s Eagleton councilwoman counterpart, Ingrid de Forest. It turns out, Bell was born to thrive on a comedy like this, because after Parks and Rec, she went on to lead the cast of The Good Place, which was Michael Schur’s next show after Parks.  

Dax Shepard

When Tom decides to become Andy’s manager as he works on Johnny Karate, they have a run-in with Hank Muntak, a TV executive in Pawnee who is played by Dax Shepard. Before this guest spot, the actor had spent a lot of time on NBC as one of the stars of Parenthood, these days you can find him hosting his podcast Armchair Expert. 

Will Arnett

Before Leslie meets and falls in love with Ben, she goes on some wildly terrible dates, including one with MRI technician Chris. At the time, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were actually married (they’re divorced now), making this blind date even funnier because they were a real-life couple too. 

Sean Hayes

Bobby Wood was Indianapolis’ best talk show host, and he was played by Sean Hayes. As television appearances tend to go for Leslie and co. her interview with him didn’t exactly go well, and both comedic actors were so funny in the moment. 

Fred Armisen

You can always count on Fred Armisen to play the wildest goofy guys, and he did exactly that on Parks and Recreation. In the episode “Sister City,” the SNL vet appeared as Raul Alejandro Bastilla Pedro de Veloso de Maldonado, the Venezuelan officer who came to represent his city on a trip to Pawnee. 

Tatiana Maslany

Tom Haverford’s love life was always a funny point of interest on Parks and Rec, especially because it was only brought up occasionally. For instance, in Season 6, he had a short-lived relationship with Tatiana Maslany’s Nadia Stasky, a doctor who eventually left Pawnee and moved to Rwanda.  

Parker Posey

Indie darling Parker Posey came on to Parks and Rec to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay. The character was Leslie’s counterpart from Eagleton, meaning she was the Deputy Parks Director in Pawnee’s fancy rival town. The twist here was that Lindsay was actually Leslie’s friend and went behind her back a long time ago to take the job in Eagleton. 

Jason Schwartzman

Jason Schwartzman’s role in Parks and Rec presented an interesting issue for Pawnee when he decided to turn his video rental store into an adult store. Watching Leslie flounder as she figured out how to help the character played by the Asteroid City star was so funny, and the character of Dennis was perfect for Schwartzman.  

Honestly, the guest stars from Parks and Rec are next level. From comedy geniuses to beloved dramatic actors, so many notable names took a quick trip to Pawnee, Indiana and I love that for them, this wonderful show and us. 

I don’t know about you, but I really miss the Obamas in the White House. And that’s the furthest I’ll go when making a political statement, because this is an entertainment website (where we talk about fictional Black presidents!); not a political website.   

That said, just because Barack and Michelle Obama have been out of the White House for several years now, that doesn’t mean that they’ve stayed out of the public eye. Unlike other former presidents who have built houses, or taken up painting, the Obamas have been busy with their company, Higher Ground Productions.   

And, being the most diverse presidential family in America’s history, it only makes sense that their production company would be equally diverse. In fact, with Higher Grounds, they even have it in their mission statement that they aim to elevate “new and diverse voices in the entertainment industry.” I’ve sampled many of these “diverse voices,” over the past few years, and here are some of my favorites (with one that is reportedly in the works that I am dying to see).  

Rustin  

Directed by George C. Wolfe, and starring Chris Rock, Aml Ameen, Audra McDonald, Jeffrey Wright, and an exceptional Colman Domingo in the titular role, Rustin is one of the best Civil Rights movies that I didn’t know I needed. It tells the story of Bayard Rustin, an openly gay Black man in a time when being openly gay (and Black, for that matter) was not only frowned upon, but also seen as being dangerous in this country.   

The story concerns how Rustin helped organize the famous March on Washington with Dr. King. But, here’s the thing. Rather than focusing primarily on MLK, which multiple movies have already done, it instead focuses on some of the key players of the movement that you may not have heard of, primarily Bayard Rustin, who I had honestly never heard of before this movie.  

What makes this film so special (and highly diverse) is that it doesn’t shy away from the fact that Rustin was both a Black man and a gay man, and both were equally important to him as a human being. I’m really happy that Rustin finally got his time in the spotlight. Now, if only we could get a few long overdue biopics for some other deserving Black figures...Just sayin’.     

Leave The World Behind 

Based on the novel by Rumaan Alam, directed by Sam Esmail, and starring Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, and Julia Roberts, Leave the World Behind has been a really big hit for Netflix. 

It might be because this is an apocalyptic movie for our era. Instead of zombies, or some Mad Max-fight over gasoline, we instead get a story about a technological apocalypse. Like, what would happen if all the wi-fi was cut off, or if there was a cyberattack? That’s the kind of drama that we’re dealing with in this psychological thriller. The film feels both prescient, and yet, like a throwback at the same time. It also ratchets up the tension to like 11.  

Leave the World Behind actually has me really excited for the future of Higher Ground, as it showcases that the Obamas are not only interested in producing educational content, but also taut thrillers. Because this movie is attached to the Obamas, of course, there are conspiracy theories aplenty. Oh, and if you’re still digesting that ending, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.    

Becoming  

I have a copy of Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, in my basement that I’ve been meaning to read, and I will get to it. Someday. But, in the meantime, I’m happy that there was a documentary made about the former First Lady, as this film follows her around on her book tour.

What’s great about this documentary is that it also goes into Michelle Obama’s upbringing, and what made her into the woman that she eventually became (and is still, in a way, becoming). Through interviews, and old footage, we get a glimpse into her world. 

Unfortunately, being that this documentary is only about an hour and a half long, it really only goes into so much about her. I guess that’s why I really need to crack open that book, because what we get here is definitely still enticing.  

Working: What We Do All Day 

Directed by Caroline Suh, this four episode docuseries (narrated by Barack Obama!) features multiple people from all different walks of life discussing what they do on a day-to-day basis. We get people from different industries, such as home care, and a tech company, and we come to understand that even though they are all living very different lives, their jobs somewhat intersect in ways that one probably wouldn’t even imagine. 

What’s particularly special about this docuseries is that it feels very here-and-now. We have people worrying about how automation may affect their futures, but also how some people need to actually leave their jobs because the schedule is just too much. It’s both a hopeful, and yet sobering show that has its eyes on the present, but also the immediate future. 

Waffles + Mochi 

Along with all of the adult content from Higher Ground, they also have some great children’s programs. One of my favorites is Waffles + Mochi, which is an educational/cooking show where its puppet characters go to different parts of the world and sample new kinds of foods. 

Michelle Obama herself acts as a sort of host, as her character owns a grocery store, and she sometimes sends Waffles + Mochi out on adventures around the world. It’s a fun, silly show, with one of the weirdest catchphrases — “Listen to your vegetables, and eat your parents!” — that I’ve ever heard, and I love it. And, oh yeah, my kids love it, too!

We The People  

Created by Chris Nee (who also created Doc McStuffins), this series is pretty much Schoolhouse Rock!, but for the modern era. We get really short clips about topics such as the First Amendment, taxes, and immigration, all set to catchy tunes.  

As a writer who is also a teacher (and if you’re a teacher who’s reading this, then I love you), I now have a great resource when any of my students ask me about topics like the three branches of government, or federal vs. state power. I’m not sure if we’re getting a second season since this series debuted back in 2021, but I sure hope so.    

Ada Twist, Scientist  

Based on the picture book of the same name, the TV series Ada Twist, Scientist is kind of like Doc McStuffins. But instead of having fantasy elements, such as McStuffins using her imagination to make her toys come to life, this is more focused on scientific solutions, which makes sense, because the TV series is also from Chris Nee, the creator of Doc McStuffins. 

There are currently four seasons, and even though my kids of 8 and 7 are a bit too old for it, I recommend it for any parents who have pre-school aged kids. 

One That I Can't Wait To Watch - White Mountains 

Though there is no official confirmation yet of what is rumored to be titled White Mountains, there is apparently a Netflix film in the works about the first reported alien abduction in America, and I can't WAIT to see it if it turns out to be real.  

Based around the accounts of interracial couple, Barney and Betty Hill, the film would hopefully chronicle this bizarre account that took place in 1961, and Higher Grounds has reportedly been in the talks to produce it. Let me tell you. If this movie comes into fruition, and it’s anywhere near as good as Leave the World Behind, then sign me up! 

Those are just a few of the shows and movies from Higher Ground Productions, but they have so much more! Check them out if you haven’t already!    

When it comes to pets, I’m a pretty big fan of them. I’ll spend hours watching movies starring dogs, whether they be happy movies or sad ones like Marley & Me (there are some days I just feel like absolutely sobbing). But, you know who else loves dogs? Celebrities. Truly, they are just like the rest of us. 

Whether it be actors, singers, or any other famous folk, celebrities love their dogs just as much as we do and often share their pets online for the world to see, such as Chris Evans, Alexandra Daddario, and so many others. Are you in need of some cuteness? Because I sure am. Here are some of the best photos of celebrities being absolutely adorable with their dogs. 

Alexandra Daddario 

First up, we have the lovely Alexandra Daddario. While she’s been making plenty of headlines recently with some of her starring roles, like appearing in The White Lotus cast (which got her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series at the 2022 Primetime Emmys) or Songbird, she’s just like us and loves to cuddle in bed with her puppy. 

In a cute Instagram post, Daddario captioned it simply, “a few minutes of dog snuggling” while holding her own beloved pooch. I mean, I think we could all use some minutes of dog snuggling. Gotta go and cuddle my own pupper. 

Justin And Hailey Bieber

Justin Bieber has been having a troublesome 2022, with his most recent diagnosis regarding a facial paralysis, but he’s still going strong alongside his wife, Hailey Bieber, with close friend Usher saying he is "doing good" as of July 2022, according to Music Times. What’s the best way to get through a rough patch? Dog cuddles, of course. 

Bieber posted a picture of him and his wife on Instagram, laying down with their little dog between them, captioning the photo, “Good Morning from the Bieber Family,” with the couple smiling and a little furball between their heads. Adorable. 

Chris Evans 

If you’ve been on the internet at all, you’d understand just how much Chris Evans loves dogs. While he’s been busy doing so much in Hollywood, from starring in The Gray Man cast to working on several upcoming projects, there’s something he pretty consistently posts on his Instagram page - and that, my friends, is his rescue dog, Dodger. 

In an Instagram post, Evans put up a simple picture of him and his dog riding along in a car with his dog’s head on his shoulder, captioning it in celebration of National Rescue Dog Day on May 20th. Truly, the sweetest photo - and seriously, if you want to see more of his dog, Evans posts about him all the time on his Instagram. You just have to love it. 

Selena Gomez

In recent years, singer/actress Selena Gomez has been making a name for herself with roles in shows like the recently renewed Only Murders in the Building, which has received critical acclaim, and her own cooking show on HBO Max. But what you might not know is that she is a dog lover as well!

Gomez posted a picture of her and her two dogs, Daisy and Winnie, that she adopted last year on Instagram. It was of her cuddling the two of them on the couch and captioning the photo, “These two,” with a cute emoji to go along with it. They just look so dang fluffy. 

Russell Wilson And Ciara

Football and singing isn’t the only thing these two devote their time to - they have a new member of the family! While Russell Wilson is known for his pro skills in the National Football League (NFL) and Ciara is a worldwide superstar, these two have come together to raise a little puppy together alongside their family. 

Ciara took to Instagram to welcome the puppy into the family, who is perfectly named “Bronco” after Wilson’s football team, The Denver Broncos, captioning it, “Meet Bronco! The kids call her Bronco Love Brownie :)”

Hailee Steinfeld 

Hailee Steinfeld has been a consistent force in Hollywood for several years, whether that be starring in the Apple TV+ original, Dickinson, or appearing as Kate Bishop in the Disney+ series, Hawkeye, but that doesn’t change the fact that she loves dogs just as much as all of us - and welcomed a new pupper to the family. 

In an Instagram post put up in April 2022, Steinfeld posted a picture of her new puppy, Brando, simply captioning it, “meet brando,” with a series of photos of her with the dog. Just so cute - I need more pictures as soon as possible, please. 

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore has been famous since she was a young child, and has done so much in her time, from some of Barrymore's best movies to other ventures like Drew Magazine and her self-titled daytime talk show. In this Instagram post, Barrymore’s starting her morning off right - reading the latest issue of her magazine while chilling with Douglas, one of her dogs. What a way to begin the day.  

Chrissy Teigen 

Chrissy Teigen has had some of the funniest Instagram posts out there that have featured not only her but her family, and this one just happens to be about her two dogs staring at her on Instagram.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like much, but the simple caption of, “what,” paired with the picture makes me snicker every time, and I can almost imagine Teigen looking at them suspiciously. They’re planning something - you can see it in their eyes as they sit on that plant pot. You just have to love it. 

Jennifer Morrison 

Sometimes, all we need are some good doggy cuddles, and that’s exactly what Jennifer Morrison was doing when she decided to post this picture on Instagram. Morrison is shown to be holding her dog while laying down, getting some good TLC, simply captioning the photo with several red heart emojis. 

Michelle Obama 

Last but not least, we can’t not feature a picture of Michelle Obama’s beloved family dog. While the Obamas' dog that they had during their time in the White House, Bo, passed away in 2021, according to the NY Times, they recently adopted another dog and called her Sunny, and Michelle Obama took to Instagram to celebrate her on National Pet Day. 

Captioning the photo, Obama typed, “Happy #NationalPetDay, Sunny! I just love spending time with my furry gal - whose snuggles bring so much joy and delight to everyone she meets,” featuring a happy Sunny sunbathing. How perfect. 

If you want doggies and more doggies, these are just a few of the celebrities who love to post about their canine friends. Now I’m going to go and watch all the cute videos of Dodger that Chris Evans has put up on his Instagram page. Do not disturb me until I have absorbed all the cuteness. 

Over the eight years Barack Obama served as the 44th U.S. President, his wife Michelle found her voice both beside him and on her own. Following the Obama era, the couple have continued to be involved in the public space, such as through their deal with Netflix. A documentary about Michelle Obama called Becoming recently hit the platform, but the spotlight is firmly pointed on the former First Lady.

Becoming follows Michelle Obama during the 34-city book tour of her 2018 memoir of the same name, as she shares her personal journey of growing up in the south side of Chicago, college life, motherhood and other experiences. The documentary showcases Michelle inspiring Americans, especially young people of various backgrounds and visiting her family members along the way. Becoming director Nadia Hallgren discussed the choices made in the new Netflix film with these words:

While it might be expected for the former president to be at the center of Michelle’s story, Nadia Hallgren sought out to make a movie truly from the perspective of the First Lady. As Michelle explains in the documentary itself:

Becoming includes moments of Michelle returning to her childhood home in Chicago and reflecting on the struggles she faced long before she married Barack and entered the White House. Barack Obama certainly does come up over the course of the film, such as when Michelle dives into the personal attacks the former president received as the U.S. leader.

The new documentary has received positive reviews from critics, who have collectively awarded the film a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Entertainment Weekly’s Kristen Baldwin called Michelle Obama “a natural storyteller – candid and witty, punctuating anecdotes with perfect pause-for-applause comic timing.” Other critics have applauded the film for highlighting Michelle’s side of things.

Barack Obama produced Becoming alongside Michelle following another collaboration with Netflix on the March documentary Crip Camp, which is about a New York summer camp that bred a group of activists who campaigned for disability rights. The Obamas will also produce the adaptation of sci-fi drama Exit West that explores refugee issues through a story about a city that has doors that can serve as portals to other places. Rogue One’s Riz Ahmed is set to star.

Becoming is available to stream on Netflix now. Check out what else is hitting the platform this month here.

Back in 2018, Michelle Obama published her bestseller Becoming, a memoir of her early life, motherhood, and her relationship with Barack Obama leading up to election night in 2008. Now the former First Lady is expanding her platform with new Netflix film Becoming and we’ve finally gotten a look at the first trailer for the new series.

The new series’ trailer kicks off with Michelle Obama declaring, “I am from the south side of Chicago. That tells you as much about me as you need to know.” She talks candidly about her childhood before embarking on a journey of helping other young women reach their potential. Take a look at the documentary movie below.

The new documentary series filmed the former First Lady from behind-the-scenes as she was on a 34-city tour following the publishing of her memoir, giving audiences unprecedented access to Michelle Obama during a time of transition. As the First Lady, a lot of Obama's initiatives revolved around young people, including encouraging young people to get active as well as get involved. Let's Move was a big focus during the time President Barack Obama was in office and Michelle Obama's written memoir also looks at some of these initiatives and the goals behind what she was doing.

As such, Netflix's Becoming looks to be more of a follow-up to the book than a rehash of the book Michelle Obama penned, although it seems like it would be a good introduction to Obama for those who haven't yet read the book as well. We see scenes where the former First Lady sits next to young people to hear out their ideas and struggles. There's a bent of positivity to the early look at Becoming. Obama herself shares that she believes "the energy that's out there is much better than what we see."

That's a timely message given how 2020 has been panning out. Michelle Obama has been active in recent weeks, talking to Ellen and others -- and admitting to watching a lot of Netflix -- ahead of the release of Becoming. This glimpse into her life was filmed before current world events, but it's good to know that under these circumstances her life has been pretty similar to the rest of us. OK maybe like the rest of us plus having a huge overall content deal with Netflix along with her husband Barack Obama who spent eight years in the White House. Follow-up: I wonder if this means they get free Netflix?

Previously Barack Obama explained why he and Michelle Obama wanted to work with the streaming service, noting it had to do with informational entertainment being a way to reach a wide swath of people.

It's always pretty interesting to see what former presidents and first ladies do with their time and luckily, we won't have too much longer to wait to see Michelle Obama in action on the small screen. The new series is part of Netflix's brand new slate this month and will be out May 6. To see what else is coming to the streaming service soon, take a look at the full upcoming schedule.

In the weeks since we’ve all gone into self-isolation, there's been plenty of television to go around, but daytime and late night hosts in particular have had to really re-evaluate and rework the way they are doing things. We’ve seen hosts from Ellen Degeneres, Jimmy Fallon, James Corden, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert expand their platforms through celebrity interviews on YouTube and Instagram, but a lot of them have one thing in common: There’s not much to talk about but TV right now.

Well, that’s not strictly true, as celebrities like the ever-charming Kristen Bell and Dax Shephard have been honest about what life in isolation is like – they’re sick of each other, as they told Katie Couric. However, normally celebrity interviews do not touch on the mundanity of their regular lives, yet in this case they have, and for a lot of people that means TV.

Jimmy Fallon’s been doing something he’s dubbed The Tonight Show At Home, and I’ve seen him talk to a lot of celebrities about television. Here’s Fallon talking to Adam Sandler about watching old basketball and baseball games.

Adam Sandler at the time even said, “It’s like wow, I can’t believe this is what we do.” But he’s not the only one. When Jimmy Fallon interviewed Kim Kardashian West, they totally spent time talking about Netflix’s viral new documentary series Tiger King as well as Love Is Blind after commiserating about not having enough stuff to do at their homes.

Kevin Hart talked about not being able to watch the TV he wants to watch in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, noting “his son” runs the household among other funny complaints during quarantine. Ellen DeGeneres also talked to Michelle Obama about television and the former First Lady admitted her family has been doing a lot of “Netflix and chillin” before Ellen copped to doing the same.

The point is, quarantine is pretty similar for a lot of people, including people who normally have their days peppered with a variety of promotional or even on set opportunities. Some people, like Martha Stewart, have told late night hosts (in this case Seth Meyers) about various other at home activities they have been doing (she’s been gardening to fill the time). Meanwhile, Daniel Radcliffe has been killing time by doing insane LEGO sets as he revealed to Stephen Colbert.

While The Ellen Show and The Wendy Williams Show are getting back into production this week, it could still be a while before sports, new movie projects and other facets of entertainment get off the ground. Luckily, though, Chrissy Teigen has a new show coming to Quibi when it launches, so that’s actually more of the usual TV bent we get on talk shows.

The point is, we often think of celebrities and even late night hosts as living these interesting and colorful lives. Right now, they’re all watching TV like the rest of us and some of them are bored.

In any event, I don’t blame Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon or any others for these impromptu YouTube shows for the many questions about what celebrities are currently watching. They are all giving fans unprecedented looks into the lives of celebrities during this unique and sometimes frustrating time period in society. And they’ve done a lot more than ask about Tiger King, sharing memorable stories from their pasts, finding ways to put on musical performances and more.

Stuff is likely to continue to change and advance in the late night game as people are kept away from work, but if any more television goes viral, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Michelle Obama has finally explained her viral moment with George W. Bush at John McCain's funeral. During the remembrance, there was a brief moment when the 43rd President of the United States extended his hand and provided Mrs. Obama with a cough drop, which some people saw as a small gesture between former presidential figures, while other people saw as something a little more substantial, perhaps even a reach across the political table during turbulent times.

It was one of those small moments that became bigger than anyone involved ever expected it would be, but it ultimately turned into a viral sensation online, and Michelle Obama explained what happened during this much-discussed political moment at the funeral.

As former First Lady Michelle Obama notes, it was a moment she didn't expect to be caught on camera. But that hasn't stopped viral moments from happening before, and she doesn't seem upset that this small gesture became a big deal online. Rather, she took the time to explain what happened. She also touched on why she was seated next to George W. Bush, which is apparently a pretty common occurrence during public and formal events.

Michelle Obama explained the moment she received a cough drop from the former United States president, which was talked about relentlessly online, during a recent appearance on Today. She admits that she actually asked George W. Bush for a cough drop, and she explained that they weren't, shall we say, minty fresh. In fact, Bush joked (or, perhaps, didn't) that they were actually from his time in the Oval Office, still collected during all these years. Obama continued:

While it was a simple gesture, as Michelle Obama noted earlier, it was seen as a bipartisan effort, and Michelle Obama is ultimately aware of that. She stated:

Meanwhile, George W. Bush was recently in the news when one of his daughters, Barbara Bush, got married in a private, secretive wedding in Maine.

By locking in big TV creators such as Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, Netflix once again proved its dedication to bringing subscribers as much popular and mainstream fare as independently produced shows. But it was a different situation when the streaming giant confirmed its development deal with ex-First Couple Barack and Michelle Obama. The former publicly spoke about the Netflix partnership and shared why he and Michelle made this large and interesting jump from politics to informational entertainment. In his words:

Netflix's big deal with Barack and Michelle Obama was first rumored back in March, at which point it was posed that the programming they would be creating would lean away from politics and fall into the other social interests the couple have promoted over the years. And when speaking about those future projects at a tech conference in Las Vegas (via Business Insider), Obama really hammered home how focused they are on getting to the heart of the country by telling the vast and varied stories of its many different citizens. With part of the point being to inform, of course, but also to bring people together, which Netflix is able to do in a way that few entertainment outlets can. (Even if "being together" in this case technically consists of "enjoying the same content while many miles apart.")

No stranger to appearing in front of the camera on talk shows and other projects, Barack Obama most recently sat across from late night legend David Letterman for the host's chat series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, where he got to share many a story about his life and legacy. And during the tech conference, he stated that he wouldn't have made it to the Presidency had he not long-grasped the importance of stories. With the Netflix deal, they're looking for others with equally interesting and eye-opening tales. He went on to say this:

Barack Obama, who is the subject of another TV project that may one day come to life, aims to bring opposing sides of the country together with this new deal, which certainly won't be an easy feat. (I mean, at least it's not Upside Down creatures, right?) But if anyone is going to have the abundant resources to come anywhere near making harmony a reality, it's going to be Netflix and a former world leader. And if Lin-Manuel Miranda wanted to get involved, that could only help.

At this time, the projects are assumedly just now starting to take shape, so it's rather impossible to know when Netflix will debut its first series and documentaries from Barack and Michelle Obama. In the meantime, our 2018 Netflix schedule and our summer premiere schedule will clue you in on everything coming to streaming and elsewhere soon, such as Matt Groening's new animated series.

Former President Barack Obama may be directly getting into the world of show business, and a very big streaming service is wanting to lock him down. Obama, who has graced many TV programs during and after his presidency, is reportedly in serious talks with Netflix for a television deal unlike anything the world has ever seen. Netflix is reportedly prepared to pay Obama and his former First Lady Michelle Obama for a selection of exclusive content that would give the couple a global platform to continue their civic business even beyond their White House exit.

No concrete deals have emerged detailing what this content could be, but a lot of ideas have reportedly been floated in this negotiation. One pitch reportedly would see Barack Obama hosting a roundtable discussion of issues that were prevalent during his time in office, while another pitch suggested Michelle Obama could host a documentary about fitness and healthy eating in America. Another idea envisioned Obama producing fictional content, but with an inspirational message that would spotlight the ideas or issues the couple is most interested in. Right now, the only thing we know for sure is that neither side has nailed down exactly what show formats the Obama's could utilize for the platform, but it sounds as though Netflix is up for whatever it takes to get them on board.

For those expecting biting commentary on the current President, Barack Obama's Netflix deal will not attempt to undermine Donald Trump's administration. The New York Times' sources claim that Obama in no way wishes to directly respond to Trump or any conservative critics with this new programming. Considering the former President would have a potential Netflix audience of around 118 million people with any potential projects, it's undoubtedly smart to uplift and inform rather than target any other political entities or ideals. That, in addition to both of the Obamas' massive social media followings, provides quite an enormous platform to get a message out there.

If Netflix is unable to seal the deal with the Obamas, it's possible another platform still has a shot at snagging them up. Amazon and Apple are both reportedly also interested in bringing Barack and Michelle Obama to their respective platforms, although it hasn't been confirmed whether or not the former President has met with either company. Netflix has a solid chance of sealing the deal, though, since Barack Obama has solid relationships with Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos and chief executive Reed Hastings. Still, Netflix reportedly declined to comment when asked about the discussions with the Obamas.

Netflix doesn't have a Barack Obama series yet, but subscribers can see #44 on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, or learn about the former President's formative years in the biographical film Barry. For a look at other things that are guaranteed to be heading to Netflix, visit our Netflix premiere guide, and to see all the other upcoming shows on television in general, visit our midseason premiere guide.

The praise for Marvel's Black Panther has been coming from all corners since the film debuted this weekend. While moviegoers and celebrities all seem to love the film, that overwhelming support is now also coming from a former First Lady. Michelle Obama has posted her opinion of Black Panther to social media, and she thinks the movie will inspire an entire generation, not simply those of a particular background.

Michelle Obama took to Twitter to compliment both the movie Black Panther and everybody involved in bringing it to the big screen. She mostly focuses on the representation that Black Panther provides, showing a cast of almost entirely black actors in positions of authority and strength. However, she also points out that you don't have to be an African-American youth to take inspiration from Marvel's newest feature. It's the sort of story that anybody can enjoy and find courage in.

Black Panther may have inspired a lot of people over the weekend as it had one of the best openings in the history of film over the three day weekend. It surpassed the film's already high expectations in a big way, bringing in over $200 million in the first three days and is expected to bring in $235 million over the four-day weekend.

While Black Panther may be out inspiring your people all over the world, the words of praise from Michelle Obama have been inspiring the people who made Black Panther. Co-star Lupita Nyong'o saw the tweet from the former First Lady and was clearly touched by the sentiment.

From Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey to countless others, both famous and not, it seems that nearly everybody is in love with Black Panther. Even in fictional stories, there are lessons to be learned and inspiration to be had and it looks like Black Panther could become a major source of that inspiration, not simply for now, but for years to come. One has to assume that Marvel is trying to figure out right now what's next for the King of Wakanda. There's a good chance he'll be a major part of the MCU going forward.

The storied relationship between President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama is the stuff of movies (called Southside with You). However, the tale in its entirety includes an aspect that people sometimes forget: the Obamas met in the latter half of their twenties. The Obamas became acquainted when their work lives crossed paths at Sidley & Austin, a Chicago law firm. Before that time, both Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, née Robinson, lived full lives and dated other people. In fact, a new report indicates that Barack Obama was once engaged to a woman named Sheila Miyoshi Jager.

These days, Sheila Miyoshi Jager is a professor at Oberlin College in Ohio, but long ago, before Barack Obama could even admit to many people that he thought about running for president of the United States, Jager was on the cusp of marrying him. Pulitzer Prize-winning author David J. Garrow includes discussion of Mr. Obama's relationship with Jager in his new book Rising Star.

Rising Star out the story of Barack Obama's former relationship with Sheila Miyoshi Jager (via the Washington Post), indicating that Obama proposed to Jager in the summer of 1986 before he headed off to Harvard Law School. From the sound of it, Obama grappled with uncertainty about his life's direction---like people sometimes do, especially in their early twenties. Jager said in the book that she felt like Barack Obama proposed to her "out of a sense of desperation" over the idea that they were eventually going to break up once he moved away for law school. She indicated that Obama seemed not to have a lot of faith in the relationship, which led to him proposing to her out of fear of the unknown.

Apparently, the relationship became strained because his career ambitions and personal goals were pulling him in opposing directions. Barack Obama tried hard to "compartmentalize his work and home life," and Jager began to feel isolated from the professional life he was cultivating. The engagement began to dissolve when Barack Obama and his former fiancé reportedly started arguing about whether their relationship was a detriment to his public service ambitions and if social attitudes toward interracial marriage would prevent him from making his way to the top. According to Garrow's book, Obama "felt trapped between the woman he loved and the destiny he knew was his."

Today, of course, Barack and Michelle Obama have made history together, and they get to enjoy the perks of some well-earned vacation time. Sure, the story about Barack Obama's early love is chock full of twenty-something drama and heartache, but it is refreshing to get a glimpse at his rather "normal" life before the wheels began turning. Besides, we think it is safe to say everything turned out the way it should have.

Hidden Figures tells the little-known story about the African American women who were involved in the early days of NASA. The film is receiving early screenings in order to be eligible for awards, but one of those screenings is more high profile than the others. First Lady Michelle Obama is hosting a special screening of the film at the White House today. In addition to the first lady, the real Katherine Johnson, who is played in the film by Taraji P. Henson, will be in attendance.

Hidden Figures is set for a limited Christmas Day release in order to be considered for year-end awards like the Oscars. It will see a wide release on January 6. However, before all that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, there will be a special screening at the White House. The movie will be even more resonate now than it might have otherwise been. The film tells the story of John Glenn's historic orbiting of the earth. The former Astronaut and U.S. Senator recently passed away.

The fact that African American women were involved in the space program in the 1960s is one of those stories that not only are most people unaware of, it's also the sort of story that doesn't seem likely considering the state of race relations in the decade. That makes it all the more important that the story be told. The First Family clearly has a desire to help spread the word of the film as much as possible. Apparently, Michelle Obama has already seen the movie once already. Whether or not the President of the United States will be in attendance is unknown. We'd assume he'll sneak in if he has the time, but as President, it's surprising the guy has the time to watch a movie anytime in eight years.

The story of these women is so unknown that the stars themselves have lamented that they never heard the story growing up. Considering how important it is for many to promote STEM fields to girls of all ethnicities, hopefully, movies like Hidden Figures will help to be sure that this story isn't lost to future generations.

Those of us not lucky enough to score an invite to the White House screening will need to at least wait for Christmas Day to check out Hidden Figures. Will you be spending the holiday learning about this part of history you were previously unfamiliar with?

Michelle Obama wasn't going to let Demi Lovato leave out one of her hit songs during her White House performance earlier this year. Though the singer had purposely left her provocative single "Cool for the Summer" off of the set list for the event, she was coerced into performing it at the request of the First Lady.

Demi Lovato tells the story in the latest cover story for Glamour, admitting that when she was invited to perform at the Nordic state dinner at the White House in May, she made the decision to not sing "Cool for the Summer," despite the fact that it was one of her most well-known singles. Though Lovato found the sexually-charged song to be inappropriate for the setting, she quickly changed her tune once Michelle Obama asked her to perform it.

But Demi Lovato admits that it was still pretty awkward to sing about a brash anthem about sexual experimentation in front of a bunch of Nordic political leaders and the President of the United States. The singer says that she avoided eye contact with President and First Lady Obama throughout the song, but she still managed to throw in one winky little lyric change.

The first single from her fifth studio album Confident, "Cool for the Summer" ushered in a decidedly bolder and more self-assured direction for Demi Lovato and her music. The former Disney star had grown from bubblegum pop-rock in her career beginnings to soulful ballads following her public struggles with self-image and substance abuse, and then took her turn as a bona fide pop star by releasing the sultry song of the summer contender "Cool for the Summer" last year.

But Michelle Obama wasn't the only famous lady that Demi Lovato talked about in the cover story. The singer was also asked about Taylor Swift, whom she's criticized in the past for using feminism as a brand rather than an ideology, and spoke more about some of the harmful aspects she sees in Swift's famous "squad" of friends.

Demi Lovato, who's struggled with eating disorders and self-image, pointed out that she doesn't see a "normal body" among Swift's group of gal pals, and said that it gives people a false image of what they should look like. Lovato was also critical of Swift's "Bad Blood" music video --- a rallying cry for war against a former friend that's been rumored to be about Katy Perry --- and said that it wasn't empowering for women since she was trying to bring down another woman with it.

After the Glamour interview went online, Demi Lovato posted a string of tweets defending her answers to the questions, most likely in reference to her criticism of Taylor Swift. She reminded her followers that words can be taken out of context in interviews, but assured them that she is standing by what she said without apology.

However, at the end of the string of tweets, Lovato wrote that she will be taking a break from music and the spotlight in 2017, writing that she's "not meant for this business and the media." Well, at least she got to sing at the White House before stepping away from the mic --- that's pretty damn cool!

If you look at all of the shows in TV's history, it would be hard to find a show that has amassed a bigger and/or better group of guest stars than The Simpsons. One would imagine that nearly everyone these days would be interested in getting Simpson-ified for the long-running show, but that isn't always the case. In particular, current First Lady Michelle Obama apparently had no interest in making a cameo, and co-creator and TV legend James L. Brooks shared that her response was far more amusing than a polite refusal.

Because the note is so short, I'm going to just assume/pretend that Michelle Obama actually wrote or typed that message herself, chuckling to herself as she watches the Season 4 DVDs for the thousandth time. I also like to think that she had the stipulation that she had to be romantically involved with Ned Flanders. Now there's a power couple.

Regular Simpsons viewers know that the show did indeed bring out Michelle Obama as the first lady within its universe, for a Season 21 episode back in 2010. But it wasn't Obama herself doing the voicework, which was performed by the always stellar American Horror Story actress Angela Bassett. It isn't clear if Brooks was referring to attempts to get her involved before that, or if they've tried to get her involved in the years since. The latter is probably the case, as she wasn't in office that long when Season 21 went into production.

The Simpsons is no stranger to mixing up its storytelling with the current political climate - George H.W. Bush was once a neighbor of Homer's, let's not forget - so it makes sense that Michelle Obama would have been someone to approach with gusto. I mean, she's done quite a few shows in recent years, from NCIS to Billy on the Street to Parks and Recreation, among many others, so I imagine Brooks and others were optimistic about their chances of getting the First Lady involved. Sadly, it didn't happen. But at least she appreciated the effort.

James L. Brooks shared this little tidbit with Variety after learning that Michelle Obama recently namechecked his Mary Tyler Moore Show as one of her favorite TV shows. If only he'd asked her to appear on that show, although it would have been less obvious then why such a cameo would matter.

The Simpsons will return to Fox for its amazement-inducing 28th season on Sunday, September 25, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Don't forget to also check out the latest "Treehouse of Horror" episode, which will feature the return of Frank Grimes. To see when everything else that won't have Michelle Obama on it is coming back, check out our fall TV schedule.

Avid TV fans are pretty lucky at the moment. There is a ton of great content out there through various networks and streaming services, and now cancelled shows don't stay dead forever, with Netflix and Hulu coming to the rescue and giving shows new life. One of the most highly anticipated television reboots is the new season of Gilmore Girls, which will be released on Netflix. While we're all eager to see how the denizens of Stars Hollow have changed throughout the years, we may have just gotten a sneak peek into Rory's life. And it involves The White House.

Gilmore Girls' official twitter recently posted a video that has Rory chatting it up with none other than First Lady Michelle Obama. Check it out below.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Rory Gilmore is hanging out at White House with Michelle Obama talking about (you guessed it) books.

While it seems unlikely that Rory is actually working within the White House, she presumably does have ties with the Obama Administration. At the point where Gilmore Girls was tragically cancelled, Rory had just gotten her first grown up job after graduating from Yale. The job was following Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and we all know how that ended. So it could be entirely possible that Rory made some powerful friends and therefore gotten herself some sort of gig working for the Obamas.

Then again, Rory had always seemed focus on her journalistic career throughout Gilmore Girls' seven seasons. From the time she was a new student at Chilton, Rory was determined to attend an Ivy League school, and eventually spend her days in investigatory journalism while traveling the world. So Rory somehow managing to get a job within the White House, while exciting, would be going against everything we've ever learned about the character. It might even prove that Logan's father Mitchum Huntzberger was right about her all along, and she truly didn't have what it takes to be a successful journalist.

It's still unclear if the above video actually has anything to do with the new episodes of Gilmore Girls, or if it was a way to continue attracting attention and anticipation for the series. But one thing is clear: the Gilmore Girls are still counting Pop-Tarts as a main food group. I love the idea of Lorelai sending Rory with blueberry Pop-Tarts for the First Lady because her healthy eating habits simply don't jive with that of the Gilmore ladies. Michelle Obama would probably lose it if she saw the all junk food and coffee diet that Rory and Lorelai usually partake in.

This isn't Michelle Obama's first television appearance, as she's had roles in Parks and Recreation, Jessie, and NCIS. Like her other small screen roles, The First Lady is usually plugging one of her initiatives or causes, this one being the Let Girls Learn initiative.

We still have no word as to when Netflix will release Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, but we will be sure to keep you updated as more information becomes public.

Big changes have been happening for NCIS lately, with the departure of cast member Michael Weatherly and the preparation for two new characters. Fortunately, a big guest star is soon to appear on the show that could eclipse all the other complications of the series these days. First Lady Michelle Obama will be part of an upcoming episode, and we now know just what she’ll be doing with her time on screen. She will promote the Joining Forces initiative.

Joining Forces is a nationwide initiative designed to support service members, veterans, and their families. Michele Obama joined with Jill Biden to launch the program in 2011. In the years since, Joining Forces has called upon Americans to help service members, veterans, and families through education, wellness, and employment opportunities.

Joining Forces is certainly a worthy cause, so Michelle Obama could have gotten away with just directly addressing the audience to spread awareness. Instead, however, her appearance will be carefully incorporated into the plot of the episode. The First Lady will welcome Agent Gibbs to the White House to attend a Joining Forces roundtable. He’ll be accompanied by the wife of a Marine. Interestingly, all of the extras present for the roundtable scene in the episode were real life military spouses.

The episode – entitled “Homefront” – filmed Michelle Obama’s scenes on-location at the White House. We’ll be able to see the First Lady in action on the small screen on Tuesday, May 3 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. It should be an event worth catching.

Of course, Michelle Obama’s appearance on NCIS won’t be the first time that she’s dropped in on a show to support a cause. Memorably, she ran into a very excited Leslie Knope in a Season 6 episode of Parks and Recreation to pitch her Moving Up campaign. The format of Parks and Rec meant that she could smash right through that fourth wall and talk directly to viewers. Personally, I have to say that I’m excited to see how she does on NCIS in comparison. At the very least, we can probably rule out Gibbs bouncing up and down in glee at crossing paths with her.

NCIS is going to be a different show in Season 14 thanks to the big cast changes, so it’s hard not to be a little bit anxious about what the series will look like next season. Luckily, Michelle Obama’s appearance in “Homefront” should be a great distraction from any worries about what the future will bring on NCIS, and her Joining Forces cause definitely deserves the primetime attention.

Don’t forget to tune in to CBS on May 3 at 8 p.m. ET to catch the First Lady on NCIS. For a refresher on some of the other fabulous guest stars from NCIS, check out our list of the ten greatest of the first thirteen seasons so far. Don’t forget to have a look at our schedule of summer TV premiere dates to see when your favorite shows will return to the airwaves in the not-too-distant future. 

NCIS has attracted its fair share of famous guest stars over the thirteen seasons so far, and the show still manages to surprise with some of the big names that it brings to primetime television. Now, NCIS may have just surpassed itself on the guest star scene. First Lady Michelle Obama will be part of an upcoming episode.

The First Lady won’t even have to leave home to film for NCIS. The show is coming to her at the White House, according to The Washington Post. The scoop comes courtesy of star Mark Harmon, who was spotted leaving the White House. He revealed that the show would be filming on location outside and inside the building.

Harmon didn’t give away just what role the First Lady would be playing in the show, so there’s no saying whether she’ll have a major role in the plot or just make a cameo appearance among the characters. Who knows? Maybe NCIS became a favorite show sometime over the past few years and this will be a dream come true for her. No matter what the context is for her appearance, we can count on the episode being one to remember. It isn’t every series that can land a member of the First Family.

Of course, Michelle Obama turning up in an episode of NCIS won’t be the first time that she played a part on a primetime TV show. She dropped by Parks and Recreation back in Season 6 to pitch her “Moving Up” campaign to a very excited Leslie Knope. NCIS doesn’t have the same tone as Parks and Rec nor the talking head style that pretty much allowed the First Lady to address the audience. If Mrs. Obama’s screentime on NCIS is also used to promote one of her causes, we can bet that the fourth wall will remain much more intact.

A lot of the news coming out of NCIS lately has been tinged with sadness thanks to the departure of Michael Weatherly as Tony DiNozzo, and even the announcements of new characters haven’t been as exciting as they might have been if they weren’t replacing Weatherly. The First Lady visiting the series is the exact kind of news that some of us have needed to cheer up about what’s ahead in the near future.

There’s no word just yet of when the episode featuring Michelle Obama will hit the airwaves, so be sure to tune in to NCIS on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET to see what happens to prompt Gibbs to drop by the White House. Don’t forget to check out our schedule of summer premiere dates to figure out when your favorite shows will be back.

The aca-awesome tones of the Barden Bellas ruled the box office over the weekend as Pitch Perfect 2 took on all comers and emerged victorious. The sequel to the surprise 2012 hit about an underdog collegiate a cappella group made more than $70 million in its debut, dusting Mad Max: Fury Road’s $44 million opening take, and knocking Marvel’s superhero extravaganza Avengers: Age of Ultron out of the top slot for the first time since its release.

While it may not be as strong a movie as the first film—there’s not as much story or character development, and it relies heavily on the bond established with these people last time—Pitch Perfect 2 is still a damn blast. The musical numbers are as good as you hope, and the jokes land more often than they don’t. One fun element is a number of cameos, some surprising, some less so, and to celebrate the success of Pitch Perfect 2, we thought we’d run through them real quick.

It should go without saying, but there are some SERIOUS SPOILERS for Pitch Perfect 2 beyond this point. You’ve been aca-warned.

One quick note: Part of the plot revolves around the Bellas, now the rock stars of collegiate a cappella, being disgraced in very public fashion. It involves Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy dangling from the ceiling and a lack of undergarments. This becomes big news, and in an early montage there are faux clips of various news shows, like The View, Today, and even Jimmy Kimmel, covering the incident. We decided to leave these out because they’re essentially just these people pretending to do their day jobs, and there are enough cameos that are way more fun to talk about.

Pentatonix

You can’t have a movie about a cappella without an appearance from arguably the most famous a cappella group in the world, Pentatonix. During the climactic scene at the world championship of a cappella, which is a thing that really happens, where the Bellas face off with the German aca-super group Das Sound Machine, the winners of NBC’s The Sing Off—Avi Kaplan, Kirstie Maldonado, Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, and Kevin Olusola—play the Canadian champions. They start off a montage to Journey’s "Any Way You Want It" that goes down in a multiple languages and features a number of other real life a cappella groups.

Robin Roberts

When Good Morning America host Robin Roberts shows up on screen for a moment, it got way more of a reaction from the audience than you might expect. Not only is she a famous TV journalist, we now know that she is a Barden Bella herself. As the Bella’s take the stage to sing an original song, "Flashlight," written by new addition Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), generations of former members take the stage along with the current crew. It’s a big emotional peak that cements their ultimate victory and hints at the larger history of the group (is Pitch Perfect going to get a Marvel-esque expanded universe now?), and Roberts is one of the trailblazers, donning the group's signature blue and yellow handkerchief for one last aca-hurrah.

Snoop Dog

This is, hands down, my favorite cameo out of an awesomely eclectic group of such appearances. Not only does Snoop Dogg show up—I’ll watch and listen to him do just about anything—but he’s in the studio recording a mash up of classic Christmas songs. A big plot point is Beca (Anna Kendrick) finally trying to break into the music business by interning at a recording studio run by Keegan-Michael Key’s neurotic producer. Relegated to getting coffee and performing menial tasks, when she sees an opportunity to make her mark, she takes it. And if you never knew that you wanted to see Anna Kendrick do a mash up of holiday songs with Snoop Dog, you really need to add that to your bucket list. It’s delightful, and this is the only Christmas album I can imagine willingly listening to.

David Cross

This isn’t a huge surprise since he shows up in a number of trailers and clips, but David Cross, playing the world’s biggest a cappella enthusiast, is the impetus behind what may be the best scene in Pitch Perfect 2. The wealthy aca-nut stages an epic vocal throwdown in his home that takes the game from the Riff Off in the first movie and kicks it up a notch with categories like "90s Hip Hop Jams," "Songs About Butts," and "I Dated John Mayer." (The last category has a fun reveal of its own.) The reason for this scene existing in the movie is a little specious, but it’s so damn good that you don’t care that it’s a bit overlong and doesn’t accomplish much in a narrative sense. And Cross lords over the whole thing like a maniacal wizard in an awesome bathrobe.

The Voice Coaches

Bumper Allen (Adam Devine) is still trying to break into the music biz on his own, and, after taking a slight detour for love, during the credits he winds up on NBC’s singing competition The Voice in a scene reportedly shot during the current season. Belting out "All Of Me," he catches Blake Shelton’s attention in short order, though the country star regrets that decision almost immediately. The rest of the crew, Pharell, Christina Aguilera, and Adam Levine all join the party by turning their chairs around, though after an awkward exchange—would you expect anything less from Bumper?—Aguilera has some definite second thoughts about the choice she made.

Barack And Michelle Obama

This isn’t your standard cameo, as it’s comprised of what appears to be news footage taken elsewhere and inserted into the movie, but it’s hilarious and kind of perfect. Fat Amy having a massive wardrobe malfunction and flashing her privates at the most powerful man in the world, Barack Obama, and the First Lady Michelle Obama, even if it’s just archival footage, is the inciting incident of the whole movie. And if you’re going to go for it, you might as well go big. You’re just not going to get the same reaction and public outrage if you flash Joe Biden or some random senator. Maybe if this had happened during half time at the Super Bowl, but that’s already been done, and the Bellas are all about breaking new ground.

Joe Lo Truglio/Reggie Watts/Jason Jones/John Hodgman

The Tonehangers have a memorable scene in Pitch Perfect, especially Joe Lo Truglio begging Fat Amy to use a trophy in inappropriate ways, and they’re back for another in Pitch Perfect 2, though with a mostly new lineup. Lo Truglio and Jason Jones are still getting off performing their oral magic, but they’ve enlisted a couple of replacements for Har Mar Superstar and Donald Faison in Comedy Bang! Bang! star Reggie Watts and The Daily Show regular John Hodgman. With Bumper Allen joining the team—shocking, I know—they’re as solid as ever, chasing that dream, with some sweet dance moves to up the ante at the Riff Off.

The Green Bay Packers

Again, this one isn’t a surprise, as numerous trailers and clips gave it away early on, but when the Green Bay Packers show up to compete in the Riff Off, it’s even better than you ever hoped for. Clay Matthews has shown that he’s down for some ridiculousness, appearing in things like The Mindy Project, but this time he’s enlisted teammates Josh Sitton, T.J. Lang, Don Barclay, and David Bakhtiari—who reportedly lobbied hard for this appearance—and it doesn’t disappoint. You haven’t really lived until you’ve watched a bunch of beefy professional athletes in matching blazers harmonize to a Destiny’s Child cut. And no, Clay Matthews, we are not ready for this jelly.

Kether Donohue

As stated, in the climactic scene in Pitch Perfect 2 Barden Bellas from across generations show up to get in on the fun. In particular, eagle-eyed viewers will recognize Kether Donohue from the first film. She’s only in the movie for one scene, playing Alice, the Queen Bee of the Bellas who laments that she has to hand the pitch pipe over to Aubrey (Anna Camp) and Chloe (Brittany Snow)—you can only imagine how she felt after the vomit-palooza that followed. But apparently bygones are bygones, as she joins her sisters one more time for their triumphant moment on the world stage.

Lana/CJ Perry

Another of the Legacy Bellas you may recognize from Pitch Perfect is C.J. Perry, perhaps better known as professional wrestler Lana. As so many from that line of work are wont to do, she has been making inroads into acting in recent years, including as one of the Barden Bellas from the opening scene of the first film (she also played one of the Footnotes later on), a role she reprised for the finale this time around. She, too, couldn’t resist the pull of one last turn on stage, though if you blink, you might miss her.

First Lady Michelle Obama is still tirelessly working on her “Let’s Move,” campaign, and this week she headed back to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to teach the audience some groovy moves. You can check out Michelle Obama and Jimmy Fallon in “The Evolution of Mom Dancing, Part 2,” below.

While I personally wish Michelle Obama would get back to potato sack races with Jimmy Fallon, I still like these dance moves sketches, especially considering the cute pink sweater sets that Fallon and FLOTUS don in order to show us how various shaking and shimmying moves are accomplished. I particularly enjoyed several of the dances, including “Getting A Bag From Your Collection Of Bags Beneath The Sink,” the “This ‘Ol Thing, I Got It At Talbots,” and the “Oh My God, I Didn’t Know You Were Coming Here,” which features Fallon and Obama faux squeeling like young girls.

Let’s take a second to marvel at a world that let’s the prim and proper First Lady cut loose in support of healthy eating. Her “Let’s Move” campaign has worked to get kids active and get healthier food in lunchrooms, but it means we’ve also seen Michelle Obama get up to other shenanigans with Fallon, as well as hang out with Big Bird in grocery stores.

Of course, her late night appearances are less prominent than her husband’s, but in a way that’s more appealing. She’s free to be a bit goofier, and often have a lot more fun. That doesn’t mean President Obama has been immune to funny talk show bits, however. He recently popped up on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to read mean tweets. Plus, before Stephen Colbert’s The Colbert Report ended its run, President Obama popped up to do the opening monologue, reading the words exactly as they were written for Stephen Colbert. It’s pretty amusing stuff.

If you liked Michelle Obama and Jimmy Fallon’s “Evolution of Mom Dancing Part 2” segment, be sure to catch the original “Evolution of Mom Dancing, below.”

And catch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET, only on NBC.

While President Barack Obama’s appearance on Between Two Ferns was arguably one of the coolest pop culture moments for a White House resident, I do believe First Lady Michelle Obama has topped it with the following grocery store visit for Billy on the Street with comedian Billy Eichner. It’s ridiculous, uncomfortable, and consistently gut-busting, and includes the Facts of Life exclamation “Yes! Big Bird loves Tutti!” and a slow dance between Obama and Big Bid while Billy Eichner anti-croons Aerosmith’s “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Enjoy!

Billy Eichner is a master at creating unpredictable situations, and that talent is taken to extremes in this mostly indoor version of Billy on the Street, which is essentially the silliest, most high-volume PSA for vegetables that has ever been. The First Lady, who appeared on an episode of the Eichner-starring Parks and Recreation, teamed up with Sesame Street for a campaign to essentially make healthy foods look appealing by putting characters on the labels. Whatever works, right?

To be expected, there is one veggie reference for every ten oddball jokes and “game show moments,” and I know that this show might not be for everyone, but I laughed my ass off the entire time. It’s clearly one of those rare instances when the First Lady doesn’t quite know what she’s gotten herself into, but she’s game for anything. Even hide-and-stay-hidden-until-Billy-says-come-out. It’s downright delightful to watch how startled she gets for Eichner’s random outbursts. To his credit, he does start off pretty quietly before Eichner-ing it up as it goes along, eventually getting Obama to push him around in a shopping cart while he read-yells Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oscar speech.

Once recurring guest Elena comes in (and gets her mind blown by seeing who she’s competing against), things get truly hysterical. Eichner is so good at punching up moments with a quick line, and Elena’s blasé attitude about most things allows him frequent opportunities to do just that. His exasperated yell when she buzzes in before a question is asked should feel so rude, but Eichner pretty much has carte blanche on his reactions to people. Such as saying the First Lady is offensive to Mary Todd Lincoln for thinking President Obama is sexier than Abraham Lincoln.

It all ends with a more traditional on-the-street segment, where Eichner and Big Bird cause the usual amount of surprise and questioning looks. The best inquiry of the bunch, said to a woman who had no clue of anything beyond instant fear: “What if it’s an avocado that looks like Emily Blunt? Huh?”

You can soon catch Billy on the Street when it moves to Tru TV later this year.

President of the United States Barack Obama has revealed that his favorite movie of 2014 was none other than Richard Linklater's Boyhood. Apparently the Commander in Chief has decided to take a break from his political duties to try his hand at film criticism, and in the process he made a pretty wise choice.

According to Politico, Barack Obama was recently asked by the press what his favorite movie of the year was, and his response was, "Boyhood was a great movie. That, I think, was my favorite movie this year." It's a rather smart choice, as Linklater's drama has been found on many professional critics' Top 10 lists of the year so far. Of course, we also don't necessarily know how much time he gets to go to the movies. maybe he hasn’t actually seen that many films this year, and Boyhood only triumphed because its main competition came from Transformers: Age Of Extinction, The Purge: Anarchy, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If that’s the case it would be understandable. I mean he is the President of the United States after all, so he is quite a busy man.

During the discussion, Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, also voiced her opinion on Gone Girl. It turns out that she wasn’t that fond of David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s engrossing novel. Here's what Mrs Obama declared,

Poor David Fincher. Surely he deserves a bit more respect than that, especially from the First Lady.

Boyhood has had a rather impressive year. The coming-of-age drama was filmed intermittently over an eleven-year period that stretched from May 2002 all the way through until October 2013, and it depicts the trials and tribulations of the young Mason Evans, Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), as well as his relationship with his mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette), his older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), and Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke), his father. The film sumptuously moves from being tragic one moment to amusing another, while it's constantly compelling and intimate. Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette give the best performances of their careers, while Richard Linklater’s direction is composed throughout, never stretching for drama and constantly remaining patient and trusting its plot to engross. Over the last few weeks it has finished on top of a number of year-end lists, including those of The New York Times, The Washington Post, Indiewire and the British Film Institute. So it’s safe to say that Barack Obama chose wisely then.

President and First Lady Obama have always striven to be hip when it comes to staying savvy with pop culture. On the rare occasions he gets some major downtime, the President has professed a love for TV shows including Homeland, Game of Thrones and House of Cards. The First Lady, on the other hand, has taken a love for TV a step further. In February, she took a cameo on Parks and Recreation. Then this week, ABC announced that Michelle Obama will be joining Nashville for a special episode later this season.

The impending Parks and Rec cameo makes a lot of sense, as the comedy series has used political cameos to connect small town Pawnee to the larger political scope in the past. On the opposite token, how will a country music-based drama like Nashville work in a political cameo? The answer lies in ABC’s press release. According to the network, lead character Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton) has decided to throw together a huge charity concert and a few very famous guests will be in attendance, including Obama, who will be playing herself. Here’s the episode synopsis:

Obama's cameo will air at the beginning of May, and First Lady isn’t the only special guest star joining the cast for the episode, called “All or Nothing with Me.” Former American Idol contestant and country hitmaker Kellie Pickler will also be joining the episode, and like Obama, she will appear as herself. The episode will mark Pickler’s first big TV gig since she popped up on 90210 in 2011.

It should be a pretty special penultimate episode for fans of the series, and if you are invested in ABC’s Nashville, you’ll be able to catch the episode on Wednesday, May 7 at 10 p.m. ET. You can also catch recent episodes of Nashville over at ABC’s site. Alternatively, if you would like to watch the famous First Lady in action before then, her big Parks and Rec stint airs on NBC on April 24.

With its focus on local politics, Parks and Recreation is well set up for political cameos, and while Michelle Obama certainly won't be the first big name to drop by the series, she's definitely a notable one. NBC announced today that Michelle Obama will be making a special cameo appearance on the season finale of Parks and Recreation. The episode will air Thursday, April 24 at 8:00 p.m. ET, and it'll make the close of Season 6.

The First Lady's scene has already been filmed for "Moving Up." It was done this month in Miami "where she celebrated investments in healthier out-of-school programs as part of her 'Let's Move' initiative," which is dedicated to helping solve the issue of childhood obesity. As NBC's announcement also notes, Mrs. Obama's cameo is one of a list of notable guest spots over the course of the series' run, with Vice President Joe Biden having previously visited Parks and Rec. The same can be said for Arizona Senator John McCain, California Senator Barbara Boxer and former Main Senator Olympia Snow.

It'll be exciting to see how the First Lady factors into the finale. Is it safe to assume her path will cross with Leslie Knope's somehow? And the other obvious question, will this be a funny appearance?

We know that Michelle Obama has a sense of humor and that she's not opposed to demonstrating that for an audience. In fact, she recently visited The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and showed off her sense of humor alongside Fallon and Will Ferrell in an "Ew" segment...

She also worked a bit of her fitness enthusiasm into the act with kale chips and "Exercise is not ehhew!"

Like much of NBC's primetime programming, Parks and Recreation went on a mini-hiatus during the Olympics, but the series will be back with a new episode tonight, and airing new episodes pretty much straight to the April 24 season finale.

Here's the description for tonight's episode:

Jimmy Fallon’s first week behind the desk of The Tonight Show will play host to a bevy of impressive guests during his premiere week run hosting the NBC late night series. And with some of his close friends and favorite guests on track to appear, there may just be a few tricks up his sleeve to make the introduction to the Fallon era of the show more memorable. And there might just even be another "History of Rap" in our future.

Previously announced were Fallon’s first show guests — Will Smith and the band U2 — who will appear on the show Monday, February 17th. Following that a seriously impressive roster is slated for the inaugural week, set to air at midnight (since, you know, Olympic coverage and all that) that might just have you saying "Jay who?" The list of names includes First Lady Michelle Obama, Jerry Seinfeld, Lady Gaga, and to top it all off: Justin Timberlake, who will have the entire Friday, February 21st show to himself as guest and musical act. Say it with us now, America: ooh yeah.

As is often the case when Timberlake and Fallon get together, musicomedy magic happens. Previous appearances on Fallon’s Late Night have included four “History of Rap” segments, which have quickly become fan favorites as well as viral hits. No doubt whatever the duo break out for the host’s big first week will have to top all of those.

Additional guests include Bradley Cooper, Kristen Wiig, Tim McGraw, Will Ferrell, and Arcade Fire. The full line-up is below:

Monday, 2/17: Actor Will Smith and musical guest U2

Tuesday, 2/18: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actress Kristen Wiig, and musical guest Lady Gaga

Wednesday, 2/19: Actor Bradley Cooper and musical guest Tim McGraw

Thursday, 2/20: The First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, comedian Will Ferrell, and musical guest Arcade Fire

Friday, 2/21: Musician Justin Timberlake

I suppose its safe to say — at this point — that the relocation of the show to New York City from Los Angeles hasn’t affected their ability to nab great guests, even when competing with other New York based shows like The Late Show with David Letterman and Fallon’s predecessor, Late Night with Seth Meyers.

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is set to launch following Sochi Olympics coverage on midnight February 17th, with subsequent episodes through the 20th also airing at that time. Fallon’s Timberlake-centric show on the 21st will find the series airing in its regular time slot, 11:35PM.

Check out this video compilation of Fallon and Timberlake’s four previous “History of Rap” segments to get yourself excited for their impending reunion. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Michelle Obama is cooking up a new project for her “Let’s Move” campaign and it is probably nothing like you would guess. OK, maybe it’s something like you would guess. The First Lady has proven through her appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that she likes to keep things hip. She recently decided to sign on as the honorary chairwoman for the organization Partnership for a Healthier America. That organization teamed up with the Hip Hop Public Health Foundation in what seems to be a pretty convoluted partnership. The results are what matters, however, and the team-up will yield a free, 19-song album called Songs for a Healthier America.

That’s right, the lengthy collection will be free and, as the Partnership for a Healthier America site notes, the album is meant to get families “moving to the beat.” The album will drop on September 30, but for now, the video for the very first single off of the album has been released. It includes Jordin Sparks, Dr. Oz, Doug E. Fresh, Ryan Beatty, and the Hip Hop MD. You can check it out, below.

In the video, Obama pops up to talk about her own campaign, “Let’s Move,” which was put together to combat childhood obesity across the nation. It’s that campaign that this video seems to be specifically geared towards, with a classroom full of kids clapping, dancing, working out, running, and even eating healthy foods. The kids even get to help Jordin Sparks sing the track, called “Everybody.”

I wish we had actually gotten to see Obama take a stab at rapping in the video. After all, Dr. Oz takes a stab at the artistic medium. He also looks completely ridiculous in scrubs and a purple glove, all topped off with huge rings on his fingers. However, it’s all for a good cause. Maybe one of the other songs on the album will feature a more adventurous version of the First Lady.

The contributors on “Everybody” aren’t the only famous names on the album. According to HHPH, Ashanti, Matisyahu, Travis Barker, Ariana Grande, Ryan Beatty, Nils Lofgren, DMC, Iman Shumpert, Our Time Theater Company and many more. Other tracks on Songs for a Healthier America include “You are What you Eat (Salad Bar)” and “Veggie Luv.”

I’m not sure how effective the whole endeavor will be, but the key word in the equation is free. Maybe the kids will love it. We’ll have to wait and see when it drops next month.

The goal of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign isn’t to get people to join organized sports teams or to get them to run on the treadmill, though both of those options work. The goal is to get people (and more specifically kids) to move around in whatever ways they feel most comfortable, and for a certain segment of the population, mom dancing is a hilarious and legitimate way to burn calories.

So, in order to spread the message and have a whole lot of fun, Mrs. Obama appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night for a special video entitled Evolution Of Mom Dancing. Together, she and the host, who was dressed in drag, demonstrated some of the more classic moves in mothering history. Take a look at the hilarity below…

This is why First Ladies usually have higher approval ratings than their husbands. Instead of making world-altering decisions and figuring out budgets, they get to pick one important issue and be an ambassador for it. Luckily for Mrs. Obama, her ambassadorship allows her to do hilarious and fun activities like dancing with Jimmy Fallon.

President Obama might be good at basketball, but there’s no way in hell he’s a better dancer than his wife. She’s clearly very coordinated, and when she’s by herself with the music on, I’m sure she cuts a crazy rug.

The Kiss Cam tradition at pro sports events can always be a little dicey, whether they accidentally train it on a pair of people who aren't actually together, or a couple who was visibly squabbling just minutes earlier and can't stand the sight of each other. But you probably think you have a slam dunk when the couple in question is the President and First Lady… right?

Actually, when Barack and Michelle Obama attended a warm-up match for Team USA's men's basketball lineup, their first appearance on the Kiss Cam didn't go so well. The camera operators at Washington D.C.'s Verizon Center, according to USA Today, zoomed in on the Obamas late in the first half of the game, only to have the President respond by putting his arm around his wife and grinning--- no kiss. If you've ever been to a game with a Kiss Cam, you know that not obliging can lead in boos-- and the crowd at the Verizon Center responded in kind. Yeah, that's not going to work for a President seeking re-election.

So the camera operators gave the Obamas a second chance, and when the Kiss Cam returned to them in the second half, the President finally went for it. And they're probably the only Kiss Cam couple in history who got the crowd chanting "four more years" by smooching.

Oh, and in case you're curious-- Team U.S.A. won the game against Brazil, led by LeBron James's 30 points. Maybe the affection from the Obamas will bring some luck to James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and company as they compete in the Olympic Games in London later this month.

You know what the great thing about children is? They like what they like. There’s no strange motives or alternate angles; they just do what seems right. In Sasha Obama’s case, that’s apparently eating at Red Robin. The youngster is turning eleven tomorrow, and when asked where she wanted to hold her birthday, she, of course, picked Red Robin.

Being the wonderful mother she is, Michelle jumped at the chance to give her daughter what she wanted. A get together with Sasha’s sister Malia and ten classmates was arranged earlier this week at a Red Robin in Virginia, and by all accounts, the afternoon couldn’t have gone more swimmingly. The girls chowed down on chicken sandwiches, burgers with avocado and milkshakes, while mom set aside her preference for healthy eating for a few hours.

According to US Magazine, sources at the restaurant have gushed about how easy to get along with and generous the whole party was. Mrs. Obama apparently left a sizeable tip for the waitresses who brought the food, and she even took the manager aside and offered her thanks just before everyone left.

Sadly, the President himself wasn’t able to get his own Red Robin fix in as he was off campaigning, but something tells me he picked up something special to celebrate Sasha officially becoming a tween. I love it when the Obama’s do regular American things, and there are few more regular American things than overindulging at a chain restaurant.

Michelle Obama has a pretty good gig going on. She gets to wear awesome clothing as the First Lady, she gets to run political events, and she’s even out there making a difference with her active and healthy children platform Let’s Move. Plus, the very busy First Lady and mother of two makes certain she has a little time with her even more busy husband.

Obama recently told People the President tucks her in at night. The cute little event does not just happen on special occasions, either. Every evening the President comes in, hits the lights and the couple talk.

That’s potentially the sweetest thing I have ever heard a President get up to during his tenure in the Whitehouse, but apparently Mrs. Obama would give it all up for a shot of pop star glory. In the story, Obama also discusses her admiration for pop star Beyonce and how if she could be anyone in the world she would pick the long-legged singer. For a woman who does all of the aforementioned stuff I noted, plus lives in the White House, has produced a fine marriage, is internationally known, and even just published a gardening book called American Grown, that’s pretty high praise. I wonder if the first lady would still say that if she had seen those pictures of Beyonce smoking a cigar on her personal website?

During President Obama’s term, First Lady Michelle Obama has been working hard on her own issues. The leading lady started “Let’s Get Moving!,” a program aimed to motivate obese children to activity. Now, she is implementing the first change in 20 years meant to improve food plans within the United States armed forces.

Though obesity is a problem for many Americans, the armed forces are facing their own sets of nutritional issues separate from the average populace. The Defense Department shells out a whopping $1.1 billion per year on issues that arise due to obesity. Secondly, obesity causes problems for people attempting to join U.S. armed forces. Recruits need to pass physical examinations and qualifying regimens. According to CBS News, problems due to weight have held people back from making it past the first enlistment stage.

On Thursday, Michelle Obama visited an air force base in Little Rock, Arkansas that was implementing a new nutrition plan for the first time. She spoke to the airmen in an address about their altered diets and with some of them individually afterward.

The rollout of the plan was just the first in a national initiative that will eventually spread to the 1,100 armed forces dining halls in the U.S. Next step: adding more leafy greens to school lunches. With any luck, that'll be able to offset the idiocy of pizza being declared a vegetable.

I’ve come to develop an appreciation for the goofier segments on late night television. In fact, after a long day, there’s little I enjoy more than sitting back and watching Conan, Kimmel and Fallon deliver their opening monologues and whatever silly segments they might have packaged for us. In the case of last night’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, first lady Michelle Obama got in on the act for a segment related to her “Let’s Move” children’s fitness initiative.

It seems likely that the First Lady’s willingness to participate in the segment was to build awareness of her program, and maybe Fallon made the most of that by making sure she was actively (literally) involved in the bit. Following a comment she made about making a fool of herself for the sake of her program, Fallon paid a visit to her and here’s what happened....

I wouldn’t say she makes a fool of herself, but she does demonstrate her willingness to have fun by showing off her lighter side and sense of humor for the sake of her cause. What do you think? Funny or just silly?