TV/STREAMING . . .

Gina Rodriguez Memorized That 6-Page Jane the Virgin Premiere Monologue In an Hour and a Half. Gina Rodriguez had one hell of a job to do during the Jane the Virgin final season premiere. It was already an emotional mountain of an acting job due to the fact that she had to react to the return of the husband she thought was dead, but Rodriguez also directed the episode, and she had to direct herself doing a six-page monologue, filmed all in one take. On screen, it took up seven minutes and 15 seconds. That is bonkers on every level, and Rodriguez didn't just show up to filming with the monologue memorized. She arrived at the table read with the whole thing on lock. We were there, and it was wild. She stuffed a whole cupcake in her mouth! "Well, yesterday [EP] Brad Silberling said he would give me a hundred bucks if I came memorized, so I would say it took me about an hour and a half," Rodriguez told reporters after the table read when asked how long it took her to learn. And how many times did she run through the whole thing before performing it in front of the entire cast, a bunch of crew members, and a group of press? "Maybe about four," she said. It was a hundred bucks well earned. That Jane soliloquy, which came after Jane learned that her husband was alive but had amnesia and had absolutely no idea who he or she was, happened in the Villaneuva house while Alba and Xiomara just sat and stared. Jane worked through a whole lot of feelings in those few minutes, wondering if she's still married to her dead/no longer dead husband because Google had no answers, and wondering if Michael is still Michael even if he's not Michael, and she should really write, but she should also make tea, and change her pants, and what does she even write now that her husband has come back from the dead, but may never remember who he is, because the brain isn't an exact science? Rodriguez said that this stream-of-consciousness speech was a major part of the pitch that EP Jennie Snyder Urman made to the network about the final season, which Rodriguez was on hand for. "She could have done the entire six-page monologue better than me," Rodriguez joked. "She said it in the season pitch 'and then this big soliloquy by Jane, it's going to be many pages long! I was sitting next to her, and she's like, 'you're doing that.'" "I wanted to set a precedence for this last year," Rodriguez said. "We've been given this opportunity so we're not going to take it for granted. We're going to do great art again, as we've done for four years. One more year we're going to do with all of our hearts. So, I wanted all of the actors to see that I will embody that whether they want to join me or not. I will bring everything I possibly can to this last year, because God forbid I never get this chance again. I wanted them to feel that." It wasn't just a feat of acting and memorizing, but it was also a summary of where Jane is and where she's been over the past four seasons. "It's what I told Jennie too when she wrote it and she was like, all right, how do you feel about this? I was like, it just makes so much sense. It's so easy to memorize because it falls and I know the story and it's not like she threw in some wacky new information. she had me talking like a normal human being would that goes from one thought to the next very seamlessly and realistically, and so it's well written," Rodriguez said. "I think any artist will know that if you read something that's not the greatest, it's hard to memorize. When you've got magic, it's butter. It's nothing." It also helps if you're an actor like Gina Rodriguez, probably. Jane the Virgin airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW. (Eonline)

Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists reveals Spencer and Toby [spoiler!]. Alison (Sasha Pieterse) and Mona (Janel Parrish) might be in the middle of all kinds of drama in Beacon Heights, but at least things in Rosewood seem to be going well. During the second episode of Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, otherwise known as the Pretty Little Liars spin-off, Mona called an old friend and got an update on some of the flagship show's central couples. Specifically, Mona called Hanna and asked about Caleb and the baby. (Reminder: Hanna revealed she was pregnant in the PLL series finale.) And then, Hanna -- whose voice was not heard on the episode -- gave Mona an update on Toby and Spencer, who ended PLL by finally rekindling their romance. According to Hanna, Spencer and Toby eloped! Although the real shocker is that they didn't tell anyone, including Hanna. It's one thing to elope, but Spencer didn't want Hanna, Aria, and Emily there? Does Alison know?! This is the second time the spin-off has brought up characters from the original series, with last week's premiere answering questions about Emily and Alison's relationship. Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Freeform. (Entertainment Weekly)

Survivor Finally Does Something With the Edge of Extinction. The merge has arrived, and so has the end of the Edge of Extinction. Or so we thought. As soon as Survivor merged its three tribes into one, Jeff Probst announced the return of the first six castaways voted out. They had to compete in an obstacle course to get back in the game, and while Aubry had an early head start, news anchor Rick Devens ended up winning and being welcomed into the new tribe. We thought that was the end of Extinction, but Jeff revealed that Extinction was about to begin again for anyone else who was voted out. Then, after having a sad conversation with the Extinctioners who didn't get back in the game, he revealed another twist: they could all go right back to the Edge of Extinction and try again. They all went for it, but then Keith and Wendy decided they were done and they raised the flag to leave, which was probably the right decision if we're being honest. We later learned that all inhabitants of Edge of Extinction would also be on the jury, which is very fun. Devens then discovered that he had been gifted an idol, but not a regular idol. It was an idol in two halves, and one half had to be given to someone else. After the next tribal council, it could be put back together and used. That was inconvenient because unbeknownst to Devens, the former women of Lesu were all planning on voting him right back out immediately. Julie, a person we'd barely ever seen before because she'd never had to do anything as a member of Kama, won the first individual immunity, which she didn't really need in terms of keeping herself safe, but it did empower her to make her plans. She told Devens about the plan to send him home and that it was never going to happen as long as he voted with Kama, and Devens went to David to tell him the plan and give him the other half of the idol. The plan seemed to be either Kelley or Joe would go home, and then the votes were sort of a mess. Two for Devens, three for David, two for Kelley, and then sadly, five votes for fan fave Joe. This exact scenario feels like the reason Edge of Extinction is even a thing, because we can't imagine Joe not making it back into this game at his first opportunity. Mostly though, all we can focus on is the merge, because now we actually get to see everybody play Survivor, instead of just poor, sad Lesu. Survivor airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS. (Eonline)

The new season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians is almost here -- and, from the looks of a new trailer released, it won't be short on drama. Though season 16 was mostly finished filming before news of the Jordyn Woods and Tristan Thompson cheating scandal broke, it appears that the season will feature Khloe Kardashian and Thompson's first cheating scandal as a plot line. (According to Bustle, the season officially wrapped after the Woods drama, but it's unclear how much will be included in this season.) But the first cheating scandal should provide enough drama to last a season. In April 2018, just days before Khloe gave birth to their baby girl True, photos and videos surfaced of Thompson getting close to other women. Though the new mom initially forgave the basketball player, she ultimately decided against moving to Cleveland in the fall to be with him. The clip mostly focuses on Khloe, who opens the trailer in a voiceover where she can be heard saying, "It just sucks it has to be so public. I'm not just a TV show. Like, this is my life!" Early in the trailer, Khloe can also be seen yelling into a cellphone, saying "My family was ruined!" In the next clip, Kris Jenner says, "Here's to Jordyn and Kylie [Jenner]," raising a glass to cheers the two now-estranged BFFs. As Khloe's voiceover continues, she says, "Tristan might love me, whatever that means, but he has no respect for me whatsoever." Khloe adds later in the trailer about her daughter, "True is the best thing that's happened to me." In another heated scene, Khloe screams "LIAR!" at her cell phone while sitting at a table. "Sometimes the world forgets just to be kind and that we're all going through something," Khloe says at the end of the trailer. "Maybe just be a little more understanding because it f -- ing sucks." Other dramatic moments teased in the trailer include Kim Kardashian saying that husband Kanye West's plans to move to Chicago could be a "breaking point" for her. Teasing an unknown scandal, Kylie says, "I just hope that there's a light at the end of this tunnel, but I don't see it right now." Kourtney Kardashian can also be seen saying she's only been in love with "one" person, right before a clip of her ex, Scott Disick. The newest season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians premieres March 31 at 9 p.m. ET on E! (People)

One of the stars of "Little Women: Atlanta" is cutting her time on the show short ... Monie's leaving the franchise after losing a custody battle over her son. We've obtained a clip from the season 5 premiere ... and you see Monie getting super emotional after coming up short in her legal battle to move her teenage son from Dallas to Atlanta. It's her last episode ever, we've learned Monie's quitting the show to move home to Texas and live closer to her 13-year-old. Monie's starred on the show since it began ... but our sources tell us she feels like her son, Derrick Beckton Jr., needs his mom's influence and care at a critical point in his life -- so she's dropping everything to move to Dallas. As fans of the show know ... Monie's been trying to gain custody of her son for over a year, battling her ex-husband in the Texas courts. She was traveling between Atlanta and Dallas for 3 years to see her son and wanted to permanently move her kid to Atlanta to live with her and her new hubby ... but a judge slammed those doors shut. Sounds like quitting the show was an easy decision ... we're told Monie will always put her son before her career. (TMZ)

Rob Lowe Has No Regrets About Turning Down Playing McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy. Imagine a world where Rob Lowe had played Derek Shepherd. The Grey's Anatomy doctor known as McDreamy was almost played by the Parks and Recreation star, a fact that the actor revealed back in his 2014 memoir and recently joked about it again on an episode of the podcast WTF with Marc Maron. "That's probably cost me $70 million," he said, but not even that would have made it worth it, apparently. "Eh, it's just money." It actually sounds like it was the McDreamy aspect that made Lowe realize he was not the right man for the job (even if you wouldn't exactly be wrong to describe Lowe as dreamy). "At the end of the day it was like, I watched it when it came out. And when they started calling the handsome doctor 'McDreamy,' I was like, 'Yeah, that's not for me.'" Of course, Patrick Dempsey went on to play McDreamy for 11 seasons while Lowe went on to star in Brothers and Sisters, Parks and Recreation, The Grinder, and Code Black. At the time though, Lowe was choosing between Grey's Anatomy and a show called Dr. Vegas. Grey's is still going, and you likely do not remember Dr. Vegas, because it lasted five episodes on CBS in 2004. Lowe got the call about Grey's just at the end of negotiations for Dr. Vegas, which somehow also starred Amy Adams, Sarah Lancaster, and Tom Sizemore. "After a week of negotiating, my deal was done, although not yet signed. It was then that I got an urgent call from the producers of a potential new show for ABC called Grey's Anatomy," Lowe wrote in Love Life. "I agreed to meet with the people making Grey's Anatomy. I had read it and loved it -- the writing was crisp, real and very entertaining -- and it's always been a good idea to hear out talented people." Lowe said he was offered the part of Derek right off the bat, and he was "torn." "Grey's was a much better script; in fact, there was no comparison," he said, but... "Year after year after year, all of ABC's new dramas flopped. CBS was on a hot streak that continues to this day. Although Grey's was a much better script, I chose Dr. Vegas. The odds were just too stacked." Ah, hindsight. Maybe, if Lowe had played him, Derek Shepherd might even still be alive. Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC. (Eonline)

Shadowhunters To End With 2 and a Half Hour Finale. Shadowhunters is saying goodbye with a bang. The Freeform series, which is currently in the midst of its final season, will end with a massive two-and a half hour series finale on Monday, May 6, the network announced on Wednesday ahead of its second annual summit. That's even longer than Game of Thrones' 80-minute series finale! That's like the length of an Avengers movie! Freeform also announced that, along with Disney, it will match the $25,000 raised by fans for The Trevor Project in honor of the show (and in an effort to save the show from cancellation) and its message of inclusion, compassion, and acceptance. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under 25. Other news from Freeform includes the opening titles to a new series called Motherland: Fort Salem, about witches being trained in military combat. It stars Ashley Nicole Williams, Taylor Hickson, Jessica Sutton, Amalia Holm, and Demetria McKinney, and calls Will Ferrell and Adam McKay two of its executive producers. Grown-ish will make its summer return on Wednesday, June 5, Good Trouble will return on Tuesday, June 18, and Siren will be back on Thursday, July 11. Shadowhunters airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Freeform. (Eonline)

The Big Bang Theory Makes TV History as Longest-Running Multi-Camera Sitcom. The Big Bang Theory is making history in its 12th and final season. The long-running sitcom, which will come to an end on May 16, is earning that "long-running" title this year. With episode 276, the CBS comedy is officially now the longest-running American multi-camera sitcom. Cheers previously held that title with 275 episodes. "And there you have it... this script officially makes us the longest running sitcom in the history of television, just surpassing the show Cheers. So cheers to that:) lil Delhi boy, making history," series star Kunal Nayyar posted on Instagram along with a photo of his script. "What a dream come true. Thank you for your kindness over these past 12 years, there are no words in any language that could ever express the love I have for all of you... so, from my heart to yours, I love you." Kaley Cuoco posted a group photo with the cast and crew and said she was "blessed, humbled, amazed, grateful." She also thanked the viewers who supported the show over the last 12 seasons. The episode, which is not the finale, will air in May. Ahead of the series finale, Cuoco told E! News the show is "going out with a bang." "I'm glad we're going out with a bang. I hate saying that, but it's kinda true," she told us. "We wanted to go out on top." The Big Bang Theory airs Thursdays, 8 p.m. on CBS. The one-hour finale airs Thursday, May 16. (Eonline)

Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone reboot has a gripping new trailer. There's a signpost up ahead: Next stop, a new extended trailer for Jordan Peele's reboot of the classic anthology series The Twilight Zone! The revival of the Rod Serling series includes episodes starring Ike Barinholtz, Zazie Beetz, John Cho, Taissa Farmiga, Betty Gabriel, Ginnifer Goodwin, Greg Kinnear, Luke Kirby, Sanaa Lathan, Kumail Nanjiani, Seth Rogen, Adam Scott, Rhea Seehorn, Alison Tolman, Jacob Tremblay, Jessica Williams, DeWanda Wise and Steven Yeun. Peele executive produces and hosts the show. The series begins April 1 on CBS All Access. (Entertainment Weekly)

No, HBO's Top Attorney Doesn't Know How 'Game of Thrones' Ends. There's not much Hollywood Reporter's 2019 Raising the Bar Honoree Eve Konstan hasn't seen during her 20 years with AT&T's new crown jewel -- except the highly anticipated finale of the drama series. There's no spoiling the end of Game of Thrones for HBO's lead lawyer, Eve Konstan. She avoids any information fans don't have, so she'll find out who takes the Iron Throne along with tens of millions of other viewers when the final episodes air beginning April 14. Meanwhile, her firm is in the midst of a power shift after parent Time Warner's 2018 merger with AT&T. It's been good for Konstan, who on March 21 was tapped as general counsel for all of WarnerMedia Entertainment, after CEO Richard Plepler stepped down and former NBC chair Bob Greenblatt stepped in. She joined HBO 20 years ago, became its lead lawyer in 2014 and now oversees the Turner networks (TBS, TNT, truTV) and direct-to-consumer. "They have supported our belief that we should be investing more in original content," says Konstan of AT&T leadership. The Columbia law grad began her career at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where she spent six and a half years and met her husband, Synchrony Financial general counsel Jonathan Mothner, before moving to HBO right after the premiere of its first cultural sensation, The Sopranos. A series of critical darlings (Six Feet Under, The Wire) followed, as did a move into streaming with HBO Go and HBO Now. It's created opportunities she wouldn't have seen coming two decades ago, like working with the Northern Ireland Film Commission, managing anti-piracy efforts and negotiating Super Bowl spots, all for Game of Thrones. It also creates challenges, as her team of about 60 lawyers is tasked with handling legal work for 50 percent more scripted series without racking up proportionate costs. One thing is certain: whom she's rooting for in Westeros. "Daenerys," she says. "That's an easy answer." (Hollywood Reporter)

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