title: Kevin Federline

text: Federline was featured in a Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company commercial during Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007, as part of its "Life Comes at You Fast" ad series. In the commercial, Federline initially appeared in a music video, rapping about living a high-flying lifestyle. Then reality sets in as Federline is shown now working in a fast-food restaurant with his manager yelling at him, the punchline of the ad being "Life comes at you fast".


title: Kevin Federline

text: Federline guest-starred during several episodes and was subsequently added as a regular on the television series "One Tree Hill" on The CW. However, he did not appear on the show again after his guest slot.


title: Kevin Federline

text: Federline appeared on the seventh season of the weight-loss reality television show "Celebrity Fit Club".


title: Kevin Federline

text: In November 2011, on a weight-loss show in Australia called "Excess Baggage", Federline was hospitalized for what was called "heat stress". Filming was taking place in November which is the hottest time of the year in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia.


title: Kevin Federline

text: Federline was engaged to actress Shar Jackson, with whom he has a daughter, Kori Madison Federline (born July 31, 2002), and a son, Kaleb Michael Jackson Federline (born July 20, 2004). The couple separated shortly before their son's birth. Federline ended things with Jackson for a relationship with pop singer Britney Spears. Jackson later commented that Federline's relationship with Spears "wasn't like just breaking up a relationship. It was like breaking up a family", but sustained an amicable relationship with Federline, complimenting his parenting.


title: Kevin Federline

text: After three months of dating, Federline and Spears announced their engagement in July 2004; they were married on September 18 in a nondenominational ceremony at a residence in Studio City, California, filing legal papers on October 6. Due to the fact that Federline got into a relationship with Spears when his ex-girlfriend Shar Jackson was pregnant with Federline's second child, the romance between Federline and Spears received intense attention from the media, with accusations of Federline leaving Jackson when she was pregnant to get with Spears and Federline being seen as a "gold digger". The controversy of his breakup with Jackson, the controversy of his relationship with Spears, the accusations of him being a "gold digger", and the disparity in fame between him and Spears all made Federline both a frequent target of ridicule and an extremely disliked celebrity. Federline and Spears have two sons together, born in September 2005 and September 2006. Federline and Spears appeared in the 2005 reality television series "", which consisted of their home videos. He also appeared in the 2004 movie "You Got Served", and subsequently guest-starred in an episode of "" that premiered in October 2006. He also guest-starred on the NBC show "1 vs. 100", along with the cast of "Las Vegas", in the episode "Delinda's Box".


title: Kevin Federline

text: Spears filed for divorce from Federline on November 7, 2006, citing irreconcilable differences and asking for both physical and legal custody of their two sons, with visitation rights for Federline. The following day, Federline filed a response to Spears' divorce petition, seeking physical and legal custody of their children. According to a representative for Federline's lawyer, the divorce filing "caught Kevin totally by surprise". On December 4, 2006, MSNBC reported that Federline set up a home for himself and his family in the Hollywood Hills. The couple reached a global settlement agreement in March 2007 and their divorce was finalized on July 30, 2007. Federline maintains a relationship with Spears' parents for the benefit of their children. Members of Spears' family have been photographed in and out of his home and babysitting the boys while Kevin was out of town.


title: Kevin Federline

text: On October 1, 2007, a court ruling granted Federline sole physical custody of his children, with legal custody to be decided. On the late evening of January 3, 2008, police were called to Spears' home after the singer reportedly refused to relinquish custody of her children to Federline and locked herself in a room with her younger son, Jayden. Spears was taken from her home on a stretcher and hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for appearing to be under the influence of an unknown substance. As a result of this, Federline was "awarded sole legal custody and sole physical custody of the minor children".


title: Kevin Federline

text: On July 26, 2008, court papers were filed stating Federline would retain sole legal and physical custody of the children while Spears would get visitation rights that would increase over time. In addition to this, Federline will receive $20,000 per month from Spears in child support as well as additional funds to cover any custody-related legal expenses.


title: Kevin Federline

text: As of 2008 he was linked to former volleyball player Victoria Prince. The two were on the same recreational bowling team, the Party Animals. Their daughter Jordan Kay was born in August 2011; she is Federline's fifth child and Prince's first. They were married on August 10, 2013. In April 2014 they had their second child together, another daughter.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of family comedy films based on the book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. The series consists of four theatrical films and two animated films and is owned by the Walt Disney Company.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: Principal production began on September 21, 2009, and was completed on October 16, 2009. The film was directed by Thor Freudenthal and starred Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley, Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Rachael Harris as Susan Heffley, Steve Zahn as Frank Heffley, Devon Bostick as Rodrick Heffley, Connor and Owen Fielding as Manny Heffley, Chloë Grace Moretz as Angie Steadman, Grayson Russell as Fregley, Laine MacNeil as Patty Farrell, and Karan Brar as Chirag Gupta. It was the only film in the series to be directed by Freudenthal. The musical score was composed by Theodore Shapiro. The film received mixed reviews from critics. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was released on March 19, 2010, as it moved up from a previously scheduled April 2 release date.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: Based on the second book, "Rodrick Rules" with elements from "The Last Straw". Principal photography began on August 23, 2010, and was completed on October 27, 2010, with filming taking place in Vancouver and New Westminster. "Rodrick Rules" was directed by David Bowers, with Zachary Gordon reprising his role as Greg Heffley. New main characters include Holly Hills (Peyton List), Grandpa (Terence Kelly), and Bill Walter (Fran Kranz). Edward Shearmur composes the original score for the film. The film also received mixed reviews from critics. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" was released on March 25, 2011.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: Based on the third book "The Last Straw" and the fourth book "Dog Days", the film was directed by David Bowers and features the same familiar cast of characters, introducing a few new ones, and also focusing on lesser characters not elaborated on in previous films, including Frank Heffley (Steve Zahn), Mr. Jefferson (Alf Humphreys) and Holly Hills (Peyton List). "Dog Days" is the last film to feature the original cast, as they had outgrown their roles after filming wrapped. The film also received mixed reviews from critics. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" was released on August 3, 2012.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: Featuring an entirely new cast, the plot follows Greg and his brother Rodrick unwillingly being taken on a family road trip to their great-grandmother's house for her 90th birthday. Greg sees this as an opportunity to meet his internet idol named Mac Digby, and get people to forget about him being dubbed as a meme known as "Diaper Hands". The film was panned by critics and audiences, with most of the criticism aimed at the casting change. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul" was released on May 19, 2017.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: In August 2018, 20th Century Fox CEO Stacey Snider announced that a fully animated television series based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was in development. On August 6, 2019, after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the project was confirmed to be still in development for their streaming service, Disney+.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: In December 2020, the project was confirmed to have been redeveloped as an animated film. On September 2, 2021, Disney officially confirmed that the new movie would be simply titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", and would be released on December 3, 2021. The movie is a re-adaptation of the first book and the characters appear similar in design to their appearances in the book series. The first trailer was officially released in October 2021. Unlike the previous films, which were produced by 20th Century Fox, this film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, although it was originally in production at 20th Century Animation.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: On October 23, 2021, ahead of the first film's release, Jeff Kinney revealed that sequels are already in development. For Disney+ Day, Kinney revealed that the sequel, based on "", was released on December 2nd, 2022. Unlike the first animated film, a copyright notice at the end of the trailer indicates that 20th Century Studios has involvement in the film.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: An animated short film set after the events of the third film, titled "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown", was released on the home media release of "Dog Days" in 2012. The short is told through Greg's point-of-view as he explains his humorous experience. Zachary Gordon reprises his role as Greg Heffley along with other cast members voicing their characters from the films in minor roles.


title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (film series)

text: In 2012, Jeff Kinney, the author of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books announced the possibility for an animated film to be based on "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever" as the next installment. In an interview for "", Kinney stated he was working with Fox on a half-hour special based on "Cabin Fever", which was scheduled to air in late-2014. The special was meant to be an animated production developed at 20th Century Fox Animation, and had begun development while Kinney worked on the live-action films. Nothing regarding the special ever materialized.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weaver's two most famous roles were as Marshal Matt Dillon's trusty partner Chester Goode/Proudfoot on the CBS western "Gunsmoke" and as Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on the NBC police drama "McCloud". He starred in the 1971 television film "Duel", the first film of director Steven Spielberg. He is also remembered for his role as the twitchy motel attendant in Orson Welles's film "Touch of Evil" (1958).


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri, the son of Walter Leon "Doc" Weaver and his wife Lenna Leora ("née" Prather). His father was of English, Irish, Scottish, Cherokee, and Osage ancestry. Weaver wanted to be an actor from childhood. He lived in Shreveport, Louisiana, for several years and for a short time in Manteca, California. He studied at Joplin Junior College, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he studied drama and was a track star, setting records in several events. During World War II, he served as a pilot in the United States Navy, flying Grumman F4F Wildcat fighter aircraft. After the war, he married Gerry Stowell (his childhood sweetheart), with whom he had three children. Under the name Billy D. Weaver, he tried out for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon, finishing sixth behind 17-year-old high school track star Bob Mathias. However, only the top three finishers were selected. Weaver later commented, "I did so poorly [in the Olympic Trials], I decided to ... stay in New York and try acting."


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver's first role on Broadway came as an understudy to Lonny Chapman as Turk Fisher in "Come Back, Little Sheba." He eventually took over the role from Chapman in the national touring company. Solidifying his choice to become an actor, Weaver enrolled in the Actors Studio, where he met Shelley Winters. In the beginning of his acting career, he supported his family by doing odd jobs, including selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, and women's hosiery.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In 1952, Shelley Winters helped him get a contract from Universal Studios. He made his film debut that same year in the movie "The Redhead from Wyoming." Over the next three years, he played in a series of movies, but still had to work odd jobs to support his family. While delivering flowers, he heard he had landed the role of Chester Goode, the limping, loyal assistant of Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) on the new television series "Gunsmoke." It was his big break; the show went on to become the highest-rated and longest-running live action series in United States television history (1955 to 1975). He received an Emmy Award in 1959 for Best Supporting Actor (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: According to the Archive of American Television interview with Weaver, the producer had him in mind for Chester, but could not locate him, and was delighted when he showed up to audition. Never having heard the radio show, Weaver gave Chester's "inane" dialog his best "method" delivery. Disappointed in his delivery, however, the producer asked for something humorous, and Weaver nailed it. The stiff leg came about when the producer pointed out that sidekicks almost always have some failing or weakness that makes them less capable than the star. Weaver decided that a stiff leg would be just the right thing.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In 1957, Weaver appeared as Commander B.D. Clagett in a single episode of the television series "The Silent Service" titled "Two Davids and Goliath". Having become famous as Chester, he was next cast in an offbeat supporting role in the 1958 Orson Welles film "Touch of Evil," in which he played a face-twisting, body-contorting eccentric employee of a remote motel who nervously repeated, "I'm the night man." In 1960, he appeared in an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" titled "Insomnia", in which his character suffers from sleeplessness owing to the tragic death of his wife. He also co-starred in a 1961 episode of "The Twilight Zone" titled "Shadow Play". In that episode, Weaver's character is trapped inside his own revolving nightmare, repeatedly being tried, sentenced, and then executed in the electric chair. Later, from 1964 to 1965, he portrayed a friendly veterinary physician raising an adopted Chinese boy as a single father in NBC's comedy drama "Kentucky Jones." He had a significant role in the 1966 western "Duel at Diablo", with James Garner and Sidney Poitier. His next substantial role was as Tom Wedloe on the CBS family series "Gentle Ben," with co-star Clint Howard, from 1967 to 1969.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In 1970, Weaver landed the title role in the NBC series "McCloud," for which he received two Emmy Award nominations. In 1974, he was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series ("McCloud") and in 1975, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series. The show, about a modern Western lawman who ends up in New York City, was loosely based on the Clint Eastwood film "Coogan's Bluff." His frequent use of the affirming Southernism, "There you go," became a catchphrase for the show. During the series, in 1971, Weaver also appeared in "Duel," a television movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg selected Weaver based on the intensity of his earlier performance in "Touch of Evil."


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver was also a recording artist, with most of his tracks being spoken-word recordings with musical accompaniment. He released several singles and albums between 1959 and 1984, most notable of which was his eponymous Im'press Records LP in 1972, the cover of which featured a portrait of Weaver in character as McCloud; it was the first of seven albums he recorded.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: His later series during the 1980s (both of which lasted only one season) were "Stone" in which Weaver played a Joseph Wambaugh-esque police sergeant turned crime novelist and "Buck James" in which he played a Texas-based surgeon and rancher. ("Buck James" was loosely based on real-life Texas doctor James "Red" Duke.) He portrayed a Navy rear admiral for 22 episodes of a 1983–1984 series, "Emerald Point N.A.S."


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In 1977, he portrayed a husband who physically abused his wife (portrayed by Sally Struthers) in the made-for-TV movie "Intimate Strangers", one of the first network features to depict domestic violence. In 1978, Weaver played the trail boss R. J. Poteet in the television miniseries "Centennial," in the installment titled "The Longhorns". Weaver also appeared in many acclaimed television films, including "Amber Waves" (1980) with Kurt Russell. Also in 1980, he portrayed Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was imprisoned for involvement in the Lincoln assassination, in "The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd" and starred with his real-life son Robby Weaver in the short-lived NBC police series "Stone." In 1983, he played a real estate agent addicted to cocaine in "Cocaine: One Man's Seduction." Weaver received probably the best reviews of his career when he starred in the 1987 film "Bluffing It," in which he played a man who is illiterate. In February 2002, he appeared on the animated series "The Simpsons" (episode DABF07, "The Lastest Gun in the West") as the voice of aging Hollywood cowboy legend Buck McCoy.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: For his contribution to the television industry, Dennis Weaver was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6822 Hollywood Blvd, and on the Dodge City (KS) Trail of Fame. In 1981, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers with the Bronze Wrangler Award at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In the 1980s and 1990s, Weaver as McCloud was used to promote a rock show in New York City. He also hosted segments for the Encore Westerns premium cable network in the late 1990s and 2000s.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver's last work was done on an ABC Family cable television show called "Wildfire," where he played Henry Ritter, the father of Jean Ritter and the co-owner of Raintree Ranch. His role on the show was cut short by his death.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver married Gerry Stowell after World War II, and they had three sons: Richard, Robert, and Rustin Weaver. Dennis Weaver was a vegetarian since 1958 and student of yoga and meditation since the 1960s and a devoted follower of Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian guru who established the Self-Realization Fellowship in the United States. Gerry died April 26, 2016, at 90.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver's home in Ridgway, Colorado, exemplified his commitment to preserving the environment. In the late 1980s, he commissioned architect Michael Reynolds to design and build his new residence, which incorporated into its construction various recycled materials, such as old automobile tires and discarded cans, and featured passive solar power and other ecotechnologies. Weaver called his home Earthship, the same name given to the design concept pioneered by Reynolds and advanced by him as part of what was then a growing interest in "sustainable architecture" by environmentalists. Weaver and his family lived at Earthship for over 14years, until 2004.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In July 2003, Weaver lost a daughter-in-law, Lynne Ann Weaver, wife of son Robby Weaver, in Santa Monica, California, when a car driven at high speed plowed through shoppers at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. She was one of 10 people killed in the incident.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver was an environmentalist, who promoted the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and wind power, through the Institute of Ecolonomics, a nonprofit environmental organization he established in 1993 in Berthoud, Colorado. "Ecolonomics" is a term formed by combining the words ecology and economics. He was also involved with John Denver's WindStar Foundation, and he founded an organization called L.I.F.E. (Love is Feeding Everyone), which provided food for 150,000 needy people a week in Los Angeles.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver was also active in liberal political causes. He used his celebrity status as a fundraiser and organizer for George McGovern's campaign for President in 1972.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: In 2004, he led a fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles across the United States to raise awareness about America's dependence on oil.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver was consistently involved with the annual Genesis Awards, which honor those in the news and entertainment media who bring attention to the plight and suffering of animals. Established by the Ark Trust, the award has been presented by the Humane Society of the United States since 2002.


title: Dennis Weaver

text: Weaver died of complications from prostate cancer at his home in Ridgway, Colorado, on February 24, 2006.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a British screenwriter, producer and film director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994), "Notting Hill" (1999), "Bridget Jones's Diary" (2001), "Love Actually" (2003), "" (2004), "About Time" (2013) and "Yesterday" (2019). He is also known for the drama "War Horse" (2011) and for having co-written the sitcoms "Blackadder", "Mr. Bean" and "The Vicar of Dibley". His early career saw him write material for the BBC's "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and ITV's "Spitting Image".


title: Richard Curtis

text: In 2007, Curtis received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He is the co-founder, with Sir Lenny Henry, of the British charity Comic Relief, which has raised over £1 billion. At the 2008 Britannia Awards, he received the BAFTA Humanitarian Award for co-creating Comic Relief and for his contributions to other charitable causes.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis was listed in "The Observer" as one of the 50 funniest figures in British comedy in 2003. In 2008, he was ranked number 12 in a list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture" compiled by "The Telegraph". In 2012, he was one of the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork—the cover of The Beatles' 1967 album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis was born in Wellington, New Zealand. He is the son of Glyness S. and Anthony J. Curtis. His father was a Czechoslovakian refugee who moved to Australia when aged thirteen and became an executive at Unilever. Curtis and his family lived in several different countries during his childhood, including Sweden and the Philippines, before moving to Great Britain when he was 11.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis attended Papplewick School in Ascot, Berkshire (as did his younger brother Jamie). For a short period in the 1970s, he lived in Warrington, Cheshire, where he attended Appleton Grammar School (now Bridgewater High School). He then won a scholarship to Harrow School, where he joined the editorial team of "The Harrovian", the weekly school magazine, and this, he asserts, is “where I learned all the skills that made me a sketch writer. I did reviews, comment pieces and funny articles where I’d try to conjure something out of nothing.” While at Harrow, Curtis directed a school performance of Joe Orton's play " The Erpingham Camp "; this controversial choice was given the 'green light' by his classics master, James Morwood. Later, Curtis commented that Morwood’s support had helped him understand that it was all right ‘’to push boundaries and to be funny.” Curtis didn’t approve of fagging at the school, and at 18, when he became head of his house, he banned it.


title: Richard Curtis

text: He achieved a first-class Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford. At the University of Oxford, he met and began working with Rowan Atkinson, after they both joined the scriptwriting team of the Etceteras revue, part of the Experimental Theatre Club. He appeared in the company's "After Eights" at the Oxford Playhouse in May 1976.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Collaborating with Rowan Atkinson in the Oxford Revue, he appeared alongside him at his breakthrough Edinburgh Fringe show. As a result, he was commissioned to co-write the BBC Radio 3 series "The Atkinson People" with Atkinson in 1978, which was broadcast in 1979. He then began to write comedy for film and TV. He was a regular writer on the BBC comedy series "Not the Nine O'Clock News", where he wrote many of the show's songs with Howard Goodall and many satirical sketches, often with Rowan Atkinson. Curtis co-wrote with Philip Pope the Hee Bee Gee Bees' single "Meaningless Songs (In Very High Voices)" released in 1980 to parody the style of a series of Bee Gees' disco hits. In 1984 and 1985, Curtis wrote material for ITV's satirical puppet show "Spitting Image".


title: Richard Curtis

text: First with Atkinson and later with Ben Elton, Curtis then wrote the "Blackadder" series from 1983 to 1989, each season focusing on a different era in British history. Atkinson played the lead throughout, but Curtis was the only writer who participated in every episode of "Blackadder". The pair continued their collaboration with the comedy series "Mr. Bean", which ran from 1990 to 1995.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis had by then already begun writing feature films. His first was "The Tall Guy" (1989), a romantic comedy starring Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson and produced by Working Title films. The TV movie "Bernard and the Genie" followed in 1991.


title: Richard Curtis

text: In 1994, Curtis created and co-wrote "The Vicar of Dibley" for comedian Dawn French, which was a great success. In an online poll conducted in 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom, it was voted the third-best sitcom in British history and "Blackadder" the second-best, making Curtis the only screenwriter to create two shows in the poll's top 10 programmes.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis achieved his breakthrough success with the romantic comedy "Four Weddings and a Funeral." The 1994 film, starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell, was produced on a limited budget by the British production company Working Title Films. Curtis chose Mike Newell to direct the film after watching his TV film "Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill". "Four Weddings and a Funeral" proved to be the top-grossing British film in history at that time. It made an international star of Grant, and Curtis' Oscar nomination for the script catapulted him to prominence (though the Oscar went to Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary for "Pulp Fiction"). The film was also nominated for Best Picture, but lost to "Forrest Gump".


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis' next film was also for Working Title, which has remained his artistic home ever since. 1997's "Bean" brought Mr. Bean to the big screen and was a huge hit around the world. He continued his association with Working Title writing the 1999 romantic comedy "Notting Hill," starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, which broke the record set by "Four Weddings and a Funeral" to become the top-grossing British film. The story of a lonely travel bookstore owner who falls in love with the world's most famous movie star was directed by Roger Michell.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis next co-wrote the screen adaptation of the international bestseller "Bridget Jones's Diary" for Working Title. Curtis knew the novel's writer Helen Fielding. Indeed, he has credited her with saying that his original script for "Four Weddings and a Funeral" was too upbeat and needed the addition of the titular funeral.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Two years later, Curtis re-teamed with Working Title to write and direct "Love Actually". Curtis has said in interviews that the sprawling, multi-character structure of "Love Actually" owes a debt to his favourite film, Robert Altman's "Nashville". The film featured a "Who's Who" of UK actors, including Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Andrew Lincoln, Alan Rickman and Keira Knightley, in a loosely connected series of stories about people in and out of love in London in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Its regular festive screening has seen it labelled as being arguably a modern-day Christmas staple.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis followed this in 2004 with work as co-writer on "", the sequel to "Bridget Jones's Diary". Curtis then wrote the screenplay to "The Girl in the Café", a television film directed by David Yates and produced by the BBC and HBO as part of the Make Poverty History campaign's Live 8 efforts in 2005. The film stars Bill Nighy as a civil servant and Kelly Macdonald as a young woman he falls in love with at a fictional G8 summit in Iceland. Macdonald's character pushes him to ask whether the developed countries of the world cannot do more to help the most impoverished. The film was timed to air just before the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005. It received three Emmy Awards in 2006, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for Kelly Macdonald and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special trophy for Curtis himself. Curtis said of Yates' direction that he made "a much more beautiful film, and a surprising film and a better film than I could possibly have made."


title: Richard Curtis

text: In May 2007, he received the BAFTA Fellowship at the British Academy Television Awards in recognition of his successful career in film and television and his charity efforts. Curtis next co-wrote with Anthony Minghella an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel, "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency", which Minghella shot in mid-2007 in Botswana. It premiered on the BBC on 23 March 2008, just days after Minghella's death. The film did not run in the US until early 2009, when HBO aired it as the pilot of a resulting six-episode TV series with the same cast, on which Curtis served as executive producer.


title: Richard Curtis

text: His second film as writer/director, "The Boat That Rocked", was released in 2009. The film was set in 1966 in the era of British pirate radio. It followed a group of DJs on a pirate radio station run from a boat in the North Sea. The film starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans, Gemma Arterton and Kenneth Branagh. The film was a commercial and critical disappointment in the UK. Curtis re-edited the film for its US release where it was re-titled "Pirate Radio", but also failed to find an audience. He followed that with "War Horse", which he rewrote for director Steven Spielberg based on an earlier script by playwright Lee Hall. Curtis was recommended to Spielberg by DreamWorks Studio executive Stacey Snider, who had worked with Curtis during her time at Universal Studios. Curtis's work on the World War I-set "Blackadder Goes Forth" meant he was already familiar with the period.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis then wrote "Mary and Martha", a BBC/HBO television film directed by Phillip Noyce. The film starred Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn as two women who bond after they both lose their sons to malaria. The film was broadcast in the UK on 1 March 2013. He next wrote and directed "About Time", a romantic comedy/drama about time travel and family love. It starred Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, Lydia Wilson and Vanessa Kirby. It was released in the UK on 4 September 2013. Soon after the film came out, Curtis delivered a screenwriting lecture as part of the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters' Lecture Series. He followed that with "Trash", which he adapted from the novel by Andy Mulligan for director Stephen Daldry. With three unknown Brazilian children in the lead roles, the film co-starred Wagner Moura, Rooney Mara and Martin Sheen. It was filmed in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro and released in Brazil on 9 October 2014 and in the UK on 30 January 2015.


title: Richard Curtis

text: He next wrote "Roald Dahl's Esio Trot", a BBC television film adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's novel. Receiving acclaim, the film starred Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench, with James Corden as the narrator, was directed by Dearbhla Walsh and was broadcast on BBC on 1 January 2015. His next film, "Yesterday", was adapted from an original screenplay by Jack Barth (who received only "co-story" credit, reportedly at Curtis's insistence). The film, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Lily James and Himesh Patel, follows a young man who discovers that the entire world except for him has no memory of the Beatles, allowing him to become a global pop star by performing their songs as his own. While Barth's original screenplay depicted an obscure musician unable to capitalize on his windfall, Curtis's more conventional script featured an independent musician unable to control his own career once the music industry takes over. It began filming on 21 April 2018 and was released on 28 June 2019.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis together with Lenny Henry are co-founders and co-creators of Comic Relief and Red Nose Day. Curtis is also a founder of Make Poverty History. He organised the Live 8 concerts with Bob Geldof to publicise poverty, particularly in Africa, and pressure G8 leaders to adopt his proposals for ending it. He has written of his work in "The Observer" in the Global development section in 2005.


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis helped spearhead the launch of the Robin Hood tax campaign in 2010. The campaign fights for a 0.05% tax levied on each bank trade ranging from shares to foreign exchange and derivatives that could generate $700bn worldwide and be spent on measures to combat domestic and international poverty as well as fight climate change.


title: Richard Curtis

text: He talked the producer of "American Idol" into doing a show whereby celebrities journeyed into Africa and experienced the level of poverty for themselves. It was called "American Idol: Idol Gives Back". In 2014, Curtis publicly backed "Hacked Off" and its campaign in support of UK press self-regulation by "safeguarding the press from political interference while also giving vital protection to the vulnerable."


title: Richard Curtis

text: In August 2014, Curtis was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to "The Guardian" opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.


title: Richard Curtis

text: In October 2010, a short film created by Curtis titled "No Pressure" was released by the in Britain to promote climate change politics. The film depicted a series of scenes in which people were asked if they were going to participate in the 10:10 campaign, told there was "no pressure" to do so, but if they did not, they were blown up at the press of a red button.


title: Richard Curtis

text: In March 2011, Curtis apologised following a complaint by the British Stammering Association about 2011 Comic Relief's opening skit, a parody by Lenny Henry of the 2010 film "The King's Speech".


title: Richard Curtis

text: Curtis lives in Notting Hill and has a country house in Walberswick, Suffolk with script editor and broadcaster Emma Freud. He previously dated Anne Strutt, now Baroness Jenkin of Kennington, before her marriage to Sir Bernard Jenkin, a Member of Parliament (MP). Curtis has named characters in his writing Bernard (reputedly after Bernard Jenkin). It is claimed he used the Jenkins' wedding as inspiration for "Four Weddings and a Funeral". He is irreligious.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", having served in the same role on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" from 2009 to 2014.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots are known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip hop featuring live musical instruments and the group's work has consistently been met with critical acclaim. ThoughtCo ranked the band #7 on its list of the 25 Best Hip-Hop Groups of All-Time, calling them "Hip-hop's first legitimate band."


title: The Roots

text: In addition to the band's music, several members of the Roots are involved in side projects, including record production, acting, and regularly serving as guests on other musicians' albums and live shows.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots originated in Philadelphia with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter while they were both attending the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. They would busk out on the street corners with Questlove playing bucket drums and Black Thought rapping over his rhythms. Their first organized gig was a talent show in 1989 at the school where they used the name Radio Activity, which began a series of name changes that progressed through Black to the Future and then The Square Roots. Another MC, Malik B., and a permanent bass player, Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, were added to the band before the release of their first album. In 1992, they dropped the "Square" from "Square Roots" because a local folk group had claim to the name.


title: The Roots

text: Unable to break through in their native Philadelphia, the band briefly moved to London, where they would release their 1993 debut, "Organix". The album was released and sold independently. In the span of a year, the band developed a cult following in Europe, boosted by touring. The Roots would receive offers from music labels, and the band eventually signed with DGC/Geffen.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots' first album for DGC, "Do You Want More?!!!??!", was released in the United States the year following the signing. During the recording process, beatboxer Rahzel and keyboardist Scott Storch joined the band. The addition of the two members provided additional depth to the band's sound, and energized the Roots' Philadelphia jam sessions, which the band would later sample for songs on "Do You Want More?!!!??!". The album's opening track features Black Thought introducing the band's sound as "organic hip hop jazz"; the album is characterized by a combination of contemporary East Coast hip hop and jazz influences, with a heavy reliance on Storch's Fender Rhodes and the occasional saxophone of guest musician Steve Coleman. The album spawned three singles with accompanying videos: "Proceed", "Distortion to Static", and "Silent Treatment". The album was a moderate hit among alternative music fans, boosted by the group's appearance at Lollapalooza. In 1995, the band performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In the years since its release, "Do You Want More?!!!??!" has come to be considered to be a classic jazz rap album.


title: The Roots

text: The 1996 release "Illadelph Halflife" was the group's third album and their first to break the Top 40 on the "Billboard" 200 chart, spurred in part by MTV's airplay of the video for "What They Do" (a parody of rap video clichés) and "Clones", which was their first single to reach the top five on the rap charts. The band added "What They Do" was also the group's first single to hit the Top 40 of Billboard's charts, reaching a peak of No. 34. Scott Storch left the band and was replaced by a new keyboardist, Kamal Gray. The band's sound would take a darker turn during this period, heavily influenced by the Wu-Tang Clan and the RZA's grimy and haunting production style, replete with samples from old jazz and classical music. The album is also notable for its many guests and collaborators, including Common, D'Angelo, Q-Tip, and others. These collaborations would provide the foundation for the creation of the Soulquarians and forged the Roots' association with the neo-soul subgenre.


title: The Roots

text: The group released "Things Fall Apart" in 1999 (named after "Things Fall Apart", a novel by Chinua Achebe, which in turn was named after a line from "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats). This was their breakthrough album, peaking at No. 4 on the "Billboard" 200 charts and earning a gold record, signifying U.S. sales of at least 500,000 units. The album was eventually certified platinum in April 2013. Mos Def contributed to the track entitled "Double Trouble". The track "Act Two" features African-Belgian band Zap Mama and Common. The track "You Got Me", a duet with R&B singer Erykah Badu and Eve and Jill Scott intended by Black Thought for the "unconscious" population, peaked at No. 39 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 charts. At the 42nd Grammy Awards "You Got Me" won the award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group and the album was nominated for Best Rap Album.


title: The Roots

text: Steve Huey of the website allmusic.com perceived "a strong affinity for the neo-soul movement" in the album. First-time cameos on "Things Fall Apart" for Philadelphia natives Beanie Sigel and Eve helped to earn them major record deals later (with Roc-A-Fella and Ruff Ryders, respectively). After this album, Dice Raw left the collective to record his solo debut album "Reclaiming the Dead". In the summer, the band performed at the Woodstock '99 concert in New York state.


title: The Roots

text: Several members, including longtime member Malik B., left the group. In December 2001, the Roots backed Jay-Z for his "" concert. With heightened popularity came mounting pressure. The Roots released "Phrenology" (named after the pseudoscience of the same name) in 2002. Despite not charting as high as "Things Fall Apart", reaching a peak of No. 28 on the charts, "Phrenology" was commercially successful, being certified gold, and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. At the time, however, there came rumors that the Roots were losing interest in their signing with MCA. During this time, the band backed Jay-Z for his 2003 farewell concert in Madison Square Garden and appeared in the accompanying "Fade to Black" concert film.


title: The Roots

text: After "Phrenology", Ben Kenney and Scratch both left the group; Kenney joined the rock band Incubus. This culminated with the release of 2004's "The Tipping Point", the byproduct of several jam sessions. The album earned two more Grammy nominations: one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Star/Pointro" and another for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for the track "Don't Say Nuthin'." "The Tipping Point" peaked at No. 4 on the "Billboard" album chart. In 2005, "Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Roots, Volumes 1 & 2", a two-disc compilation album, was released. The Roots were among several performers on the 2006 film "Dave Chappelle's Block Party", whose event took place on September 18, 2004, and was released on film two years later.


title: The Roots

text: "Game Theory" was released August 29, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. Questlove describes the album as being very dark and reflective of the political state in America. The first single from the album, "Don't Feel Right", appeared on the internet in May 2006, and is available for free download on several websites. The album's first video, titled "The Don't Feel Right Trilogy", premiered on August 21, 2006, and features three songs, "In the Music", "Here I Come", and "Don't Feel Right". It earned an 83 on Metacritic and two Grammy Nominations. The late J Dilla is honoured on different occasions throughout the album. Track 1 is credited to be "Supervised by J Dilla". Track 13 "Can't Stop This" is devoted to his persona, the first part being an edited version of a track ("Time: The Donut of the Heart") of his "Donuts" album, released three days before his death. This version comprises vocals by Black Thought. Secondly, a string of kindred artists reminisce about J Dilla in the form of answering machine messages.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots' eighth studio album, "Rising Down", was released on April 29, 2008, the 16-year anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. In the weeks before the album's release, the original first single "Birthday Girl", a radio-friendly collaboration with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump was removed from the album reportedly because it did not fit in with the album's tone. It remained as a digital download available from iTunes as a bonus track, as well as on international releases. Picking up where "Game Theory" left off, the album maintains a dark and political tone, with Black Thought and several guests venting about the ills of society. The album's guests include Chrisette Michele, Common, Mos Def, Saigon, Styles P, Talib Kweli, and Wale; it also features Philadelphia artists Dice Raw, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Peedi Crakk, Greg Porn, and Truck North, as well as former member Malik B. "Rising Down" features the Roots incorporating a more electronic and synth-heavy feel into their sound. "Rising Down" was released to critical acclaim, garnering an overall score of 80 on Metacritic. The album's first single was "Rising Up" featuring Chrisette Michele and Wale.


title: The Roots

text: "How I Got Over" reflects the relief the band felt at the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of the Obama presidency. Guests include Blu, Phonte, and Patty Crash. A cover of Cody Chesnutt's song "Serve This Royalty" was expected to be covered on the album, similar to the group's reworking of his single for "The Seed 2.0" on "Phrenology". Rather than relying on samples, the album was recorded live, with covers (including "Celestial Blues", featuring the song's original artist, Andy Bey) being reinterpreted by the band. The album was released on June 22, 2010.


title: The Roots

text: On June 24, 2009, the Roots debuted the first single and title track from the album live on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon". The song features longtime Roots collaborator Dice Raw. The Roots collaborated with R&B singer John Legend on the album "Wake Up!". The album was released on September 21, 2010, and was publicized two days later with a live concert at Terminal 5 in New York City with John Legend and Jennifer Hudson that was streamed on YouTube. On October 30, 2010, the Roots and John Legend played live at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, D.C.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots released their 13th album "Undun" via Def Jam Records on December 6, 2011. The first single "Make My" leaked on October 17, 2011. "Undun" tells the story of their semifictional character, Redford Stephens, who struggles unsuccessfully to avoid a life of crime and fast money. The album's name is inspired by The Guess Who's song "Undun", and the character was named after the Sufjan Stevens song "Redford". The album features artists including Aaron Livingston, Big K.R.I.T., Phonte, Dice Raw, Greg Porn, Truck North, Bilal, and Sufjan Stevens. The Roots also collaborated with R&B singer Betty Wright on the 2011 album "", credited to Betty Wright and the Roots. The album, co-produced by Wright and Questlove, was nominated for a 2012 Grammy in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance."


title: The Roots

text: The Roots and Elvis Costello released "Wise Up Ghost" on September 17, 2013, via Blue Note Records. On July 22, 2013, they released a music video for the first single, "Walk Us Uptown". The Roots released "...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin" on May 19, 2014. The first single, "When the People Cheer", was released on April 7, 2014. Black Thought described the album as a satirical look at violence in hip-hop and American society overall.


title: The Roots

text: In an interview with Fuse TV, Questlove said he also had "two or three secret, major musical projects that I'm working on that I can't really talk about." In September 2016 The Roots backed up Usher at a Global Citizen benefit concert in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, launching speculation of a major collaboration between the two acts. In October 2016, the group announced their 17th studio album, "End Game". Black Thought in June 2017 further revealed that producers 9th Wonder and Salaam Remi will contribute to the album, and in March 2019, Questlove revealed there will be an unreleased J Dilla beat on it as well.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. Responding to an earlier "Times" report, Questlove confirmed that the masters for "Do You Want More?!!!??!" and "Illadelph Halflife" were among those lost in the fire.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots' original lineup included Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter (MC) and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (drums), classmates at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. As they began to play at school and on local streets, they added bassist Josh "The Rubberband" Abrams, who went on to form the jazz group The Josh Abrams Quartet. They later added another MC, Malik Abdul Basit-Smart ("Malik B.") and Leonard Nelson "Hub" Hubbard (bass), and Scott Storch (keyboards). Kenyatta "Kid Crumbs" Warren (MC) was in the band for Organix, the Roots' first album release. Another MC, Dice Raw, joined the band in cameo appearances on later albums. The band filled Storch's position with Kamal Gray (keyboards), who continues in that capacity. Kamal Gray did not play with the Roots on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" between April or May and early September 2012. His absence was not publicly explained, however on the September 17, 2012 (NBC's 'Late Night' 700th) episode, Gray returned to the group.


title: The Roots

text: Beatboxer Rahzel was a band member from 1995 to 1999. Alongside Rahzel was turntablist/vocalist Scratch, who also DJ'd in live concerts. However Scratch left abruptly in 2003.


title: The Roots

text: Malik B. left the group in 1999 due to personal reasons but continued to record, making occasional cameos on some albums. Guitarist Ben Kenney had a brief stint with the group and contributed to the "Phrenology" album, but left to join Incubus as bassist. Percussionist Frank Knuckles joined the lineup in 2002 and guitarist Kirk "Captain Kirk" Douglas replaced Kenney. Vocalist Martin Luther toured with the Roots in 2003 and 2004 and contributed to the "Tipping Point" album. The group announced in August 2007 that its longtime bassist Leonard Hubbard was leaving. Owen Biddle was the band's bassist in 2007–2011.


title: The Roots

text: The band announced on August 25, 2011, that Owen Biddle left the band, replaced by Mark Kelley. On "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", James Poyser plays additional keyboards.


title: The Roots

text: Because most of the band members hail from Philadelphia and its surrounding area, they showed their support for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees, displaying Phillies memorabilia when performing on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon". On the episode which aired the day after the Yankees clinched the title, Questlove stated "No comment!" on the show's intro (when he usually states the episode number), and had a Yankees logo purposely displayed upside-down on his drumset. In 2010, the group showed support for the Philadelphia Flyers during their run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals by having the team logo on their drumset, and again in 2014 when the Flyers faced the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".


title: The Roots

text: In April 2017, Frank Knuckles left the Roots due to family issues, and has not appeared on "The Tonight Show" since then. Later in August 2017, Knuckles sued Questlove, Black Thought, and the band manager Shawn Gee over unpaid royalties.


title: The Roots

text: In June 2017, Questlove announced in an interview that producer and performer Stro Elliot is an official member of the Roots.


title: The Roots

text: The band tours extensively, and their live sets are frequently hailed as the best in the genre. The Black Eyed Peas opened for The Roots in a performance at Rochester Institute of Technology in May of 2001. In 2006, the band played a concert in NYC's Radio City Music Hall with Common, Nas, Talib Kweli, and Big Daddy Kane. Also in 2006, they backed Jay-Z for his Reasonable Doubt Concert, a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the release of his first album.


title: The Roots

text: In 1994, the Roots appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, "". The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by "Time" magazine. They have been highly involved in many other Red Hot Organization productions, including the 1998 album "Red Hot + Rhapsody" and the 2001 album "Red Hot + Indigo", a tribute to Duke Ellington.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots have been featured in four movies: "Dave Chappelle's Block Party", both performing album songs and playing as a backing band for other artists; Spike Lee's "Bamboozled"; Marc Levin's "Brooklyn Babylon", in which Black Thought plays the protagonist, Solomon, and former band member Rahzel narrates; and "Chasing Liberty", starring Mandy Moore. Black Thought and Questlove were both featured in the movie "Brown Sugar". Black Thought made an appearance in the film "Love Rome" as Tariq Trotter, and Questlove currently appears in the recent documentary movie about TBC Brass Band called "From the Mouthpiece on Back", which lists the Roots as one of the executive producers of the movie.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots were featured on the album "True Love" by Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani / No Doubt, Ben Harper, Bonnie Raitt, Manu Chao, Ryan Adams, Keith Richards, Toots Hibbert, Paul Douglas, Jackie Jackson, Ken Boothe, and The Skatalites.


title: The Roots

text: The band guest-performed with the Dave Matthews Band during their 2007 summer tour. Members of the Roots played in various forms as well as a whole band on DMB's back to back concerts at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. In 2007, the band performed at an NAACP tribute to Bono, covering U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)." Black Thought mixed in lines from the band's own "False Media."


title: The Roots

text: The group hosts a highly anticipated jam session every year the night before the Grammys. The Roots jam session, produced by Okayplayer, Goodtime Girl Entertainment, and Keldof, has been attended by celebrities ranging from Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Tom Cruise to Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven, and Prince, with impromptu performances from Snoop Dogg and Corrine Bailey Rae to Queen Latifah, Matisyahu, Fall Out Boy, and Dave Chappelle.


title: The Roots

text: Billed as "The Roots," Questlove, Douglas, and Biddle made an appearance on "The Colbert Report" on April 15, 2008, when Stephen Colbert spent a week in Philadelphia prior to the 2008 Pennsylvania Democratic primary. During the appearance, they performed the intro song to the show, and closed the episode with a rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner."


title: The Roots

text: The Roots are featured on the "Men in Black Original Soundtrack" (1997) with the song "The Notic" with neo-soul singer D'Angelo. The song "Here I Come" was featured in the films "Superbad", "Hancock," and "Step Up 3D". "Here I Come" is also featured in many video games including "Project Gotham Racing 4". The song "The Seed 2.0" featuring Cody ChesnuTT was featured in the movies "Collateral" and "I Think I Love My Wife", as well as the "Without a Trace" episode "Candy." The song "Don't Say Nuthin" was featured in the first-season episode, "Busey and the Beach," of HBO's "Entourage". The song "Guns Are Drawn," featuring Aaron Livingston, was featured in a season six episode of CBS' "Cold Case". The band also collaborated with musician BT on the song "Tao of the Machine," which was featured in the film "Blade II" along with the Japanese bonus disc for the album "Emotional Technology".


title: The Roots

text: They performed on the popular kids' show "Yo Gabba Gabba!", performing "Lovely, Love My Family" in 2008. They also did a secret jam session at the Oulipo Ballroom in Kentucky in 2009. In 2012, they played during the NHL Winter Classic at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia and at Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) in Austin, Texas. In 2013, they performed at the Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Connecticut.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots host the Roots Picnic, an annual all-day music festival in Philadelphia, every June. In 2017, they headlined the 2017 NBA All Star game pregame introductions and performed a musical show with various guests titled "The Evolution of Greatness."


title: The Roots

text: In March 2009, the Roots became the official house band on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon", with "Here I Come" as the show's theme. When Jimmy Fallon became the host of "The Tonight Show" in February 2014, the Roots became the house band for that show.


title: The Roots

text: The Roots are featured heavily throughout the show, providing the bumper music in and out of commercials, as well as the opening song "Here I Come" and playing the show off the air. Fallon frequently interacts with the band during the course of the show, and they occasionally provide snippets of music for some monologue running jokes such as Funkin' GoNuts. They also provide music and drum rolls for the games with show guests, along with theme songs for the games and segments like Darts of Insanity, Wheel of Carpet Samples, and Christmas Sweaters.


title: The Roots

text: On November 22, 2011, US Congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was a guest on "Late Night". For her entrance, the Roots controversially played a snippet from Fishbone's 1985 song, "Lying Ass Bitch" resulting in apologies from Fallon, Questlove for The Roots, and NBC. The incident nearly resulted in the Roots being dismissed from the show, but the timing of the Thanksgiving holiday and a national security gaffe by Bachmann shortly after helped defuse the situation in the media. As a result of the incident, NBC approves all walk on songs prior to the filming of each show.


title: The Roots

text: The founding members of The Roots attended a creative arts school in South Philadelphia called CAPA, and through a donation helped set up the CAPA Foundation, where they now sit on the board. The Roots partnership with the CAPA Foundation also includes opportunities for students to perform on national stages, learn through internships the business side of show business and a master class series.


title: The Roots

text: After watching the 2010 documentary "Waiting for Superman", Questlove was inspired to raise money for Harlem Village Academies, a group of charter schools.


title: The Roots

text: A distinctive feature of the Roots albums is the way tracks are numbered. With the exception of their collaboration albums, the Roots have used continuous track numbering beginning with their first studio album "Organix" through all following albums:


title: The Roots

text: Questlove references this numbering system in his book "Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove" (specifically to the release of "Illadelph Halflife"), and explains it was "...our way of saying that it was a continuation of the work we had started on "Organix" and "Do You Want More?!!!??!"."


title: The Roots

text: Similarly, the Roots' 2005 compilation albums, "Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding The Roots, Vol. 1" and "Vol. 2", feature a continuous track numbering beginning at negative 29 and counting up to zero. The implication is that this "Beginners Guide" would introduce new fans to the Roots and lead them to consuming the Roots' discography beginning at "Organix".


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1985, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and TLC. In 2018, the company acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, adding networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel to its portfolio. Since the purchase, Discovery described itself as serving members of "passionate" audiences, and also placed a larger focus on streaming services built around its properties.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Discovery owned or had interests in local versions of its channel brands in international markets, in addition to its other major regional operations such as Eurosport (a pan-European group of sports channels, most prominently the rightsholder of the Olympic Games throughout most of Europe), GolfTV (an international golf-focused streaming service, which is the international digital rightsholder of the PGA Tour), Discovery Communications Nordic (which operates general-interest channels in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland), TVN Group in Poland, and a portfolio of various free-to-air channels in Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In May 2021, AT&T announced its proposal to merge its media subsidiary WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc. The transaction was approved by the European Commission in December 2021 and was completed on April 8, 2022, forming Warner Bros. Discovery.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: The company was established in 1985 as the Cable Educational Network. Its namesake and flagship brand, Discovery Channel, first launched on June 17, the same year. In 1991, Discovery Channel's owners acquired The Learning Channel. Three years later, Cable Educational Network was renamed Discovery Communications.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In October 1996, Discovery launched several new spin-off networks, including Animal Planet, and the digital cable channels Discovery Kids, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Civilization, and Science Channel. This was followed by the 1997 purchase of a 70% stake in Travel Channel, and the 1998 launches of Discovery en Español, Discovery Wings, and Discovery Health Channel. Also in 1998, Discovery acquired a stake in the struggling CBS Eye on People channel; Discovery eventually acquired the remainder of CBS's stake, leading to its January 1999 relaunch as Discovery People. The network quietly folded in 2000, being replaced by other Discovery channels on providers.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On September 1, 2001, Discovery Communications bought The Health Channel, and announced that it would be re-branded as FitTV. In 2002, Discovery relaunched Discovery Civilization as Discovery Times, as part of a joint venture with "The New York Times". In June 2002, coinciding with Discovery's 17th anniversary, the company launched a 24/7 high definition channel known as Discovery HD Theater. In 2003, Discovery Communications moved its headquarters from Bethesda to Silver Spring. In 2003 and 2004, Discovery acquired academic film companies such as AGC, AIMS Multimedia, and Clearvue & SVE to form Discovery Education, which is now led by Bill Goodwyn. In 2019, Discovery Communications moved its headquarters to New York City, keeping 300 employees in a smaller hub in Silver Spring.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Former NBCUniversal executive David Zaslav was named president and CEO of Discovery Communications on November 16, 2006. In the years that followed, Zaslav placed a major focus on bolstering Discovery's core networks, programming, and expanding the company's reach into digital media. He described these goals as reflecting an expansion into becoming a "content company" rather than just a "cable company".


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In March 2007, Discovery sold its stake in Travel Channel back to Cox Communications, in exchange for the stake in Discovery that Cox owned. Cox would later sell the controlling interest in the channel to Scripps Networks Interactive in 2009. In June 2008, Discovery Home was replaced by Planet Green, a network devoted primarily to environmentalism and sustainable living.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In 2007, according to Crunchbase, TreeHugger was acquired by Discovery Communications on August 1, 2007, for $10 million. In 2012, Mother Nature Network, founded by Joel Babbit and Chuck Leavell (now Narrative Content Group) acquired TreeHugger.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On January 15, 2008, Discovery announced that it had entered into a joint venture with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions to relaunch Discovery Health as a new service, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, in 2009. In 2008, Discovery Times was relaunched as Investigation Discovery, a new brand that would be dedicated to true crime programs and documentaries. The company also formed its Emerging Networks Group, and named Clark Bunting as president and Clint Stinchcomb as executive vice president and general manager. On April 30, 2009, Discovery announced a joint venture with Hasbro to relaunch Discovery Kids as a new youth- and family-oriented entertainment channel. The channel, ultimately named The Hub, launched on October 10, 2010. After multiple delays, OWN officially launched on January 1, 2011.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On March 17, 2009, Discovery Communications sued Amazon.com for patent infringement by its Kindle e-reader line, regarding "secure distribution of electronic text and graphics to subscribers and secure storage". The patents were originally developed by Discovery founder John Hendricks, who had been developing technologies related to e-books and the digitization of television programs. While Discovery had divested the television-related patents, it retained the e-book patents. Amazon subsequently accused Discovery of violating a patent for an "Internet-based customer referral system"; The two parties settled in 2011.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On October 4 of 2011, due to the wider implementation of high-definition feeds for mainstream cable channels, HD Theater was relaunched as Velocity, a new "upscale male" network focusing on automotive programming. On May 28, 2012, Planet Green (which had begun to abandon its original concept in 2010 due to poor viewership) was relaunched as Destination America.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In April 2014, Discovery made an investment and strategic partnership with Dog TV, a television network made specifically for dogs.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In May 2014, Discovery and its shareholder Liberty Media acquired British television studio All3Media for $930 million in a 50/50 joint venture. The new ownership stated that All3Media would be operated as an independent company. In October 2014, Discovery acquired controlling interest in Hub Network from Hasbro and re-branded it as Discovery Family. In November 2014, Curiosity was spun out as a venture-funded startup, receiving $6 million in funding.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In December 2015, Discovery launched Discovery Go, a TV Everywhere service offering access to live streaming and on-demand content from Discovery Communications' cable networks.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In May 2016, Discovery initiated a restructuring plan aiming to save $40 to $60 million by the third quarter of 2016, including a shift in strategy to "maximize" its linear television business whilst plotting larger investments in content, digital media, sports, and international markets. In August 2016, Discovery purchased a minority stake in the Hong Kong-based digital talent and content company VS Media; Discovery intended to have VS distribute Discovery Digital Networks content in China, and to offer their own resources to VS.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In October 2016, Discovery purchased a minority stake in Group Nine Media, a digital media holding company consisting of Thrillist Media Group, NowThis, The Dodo and Discovery's digital network Seeker—for $100 million. The transaction gave Discovery an option to acquire a majority stake at a later date.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On July 31, 2017, Discovery announced it would acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, owner of networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and DIY Network, for $14.6 billion, pending regulatory approval. On March 6, 2018, the acquisition was completed, with the company renamed as Discovery, Inc. afterwards. Following the purchase, SNI shareholders owned 20% of Discovery's stock. Discovery retained an operational hub in SNI's home city of Knoxville, but planned to move its corporate headquarters from Silver Spring, Maryland, where it had operated since 2003, to New York City in late-2019.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Discovery's brands were reorganized into two groups under different chief brand officers: SNI's chief programmer Kathleen Finch became chief brand officer of Lifestyle, overseeing TLC, the six former Scripps channels, and Discovery's other lifestyle networks. Rich Ross, who formerly served as group president of Discovery and Science, stepped down, and would be replaced by TLC president Nancy Daniels as chief brand officer of Discovery & Factual.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: An on-air result of the acquisition were multiple programs featuring crossovers between TLC and Scripps talent, such as the Food Network series "Buddy vs. Duff" (a cake design competition series starring Buddy Valastro and Duff Goldman of the TLC and Food Network programs "Cake Boss" and "Ace of Cakes"), and a revival of TLC's "While You Were Out" incorporating HGTV personalities.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On August 3, 2017, Discovery announced that it would contribute Velocity into a joint venture with the digital, live events, and direct-to-consumer businesses of automotive publisher TEN: The Enthusiast Network. Discovery will hold a majority stake in the venture; it will not include TEN's print brands, but there will be opportunities for cross-promotion. In April 2018, it was announced that TEN had been renamed Motor Trend Group, and that Velocity would be re-branded as an extension of its namesake magazine "Motor Trend".


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In December 2017, Discovery announced that it would acquire an additional 24.5% stake in OWN that it did not already own, for $70 million. Oprah Winfrey will remain as CEO of OWN, and extended her exclusivity agreement with the network and Discovery through 2025. Harpo Productions retains a "significant minority stake" in the venture. In February 2018, Discovery sold a majority stake in Discovery Education to the private equity firm Francisco Partners.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: During its 2018 upfronts, Zaslav stated that the company was now strongly focused on serving "passionate fans and passionate audiences", and was preparing to increase its focus on direct-to-consumer offerings targeting such audiences. The SNI purchase, Eurosport's Olympics rights, and the aforementioned "Motor Trend"-branded network were described as being examples of this strategy. Food Network Kitchen would also launch in 2019, with a focus on live and on-demand cooking classes.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In June 2018, Discovery announced a 12-year agreement to acquire the international media rights to the PGA Tour, with plans to develop an international streaming service to house these rights. The service was officially announced in October 2018 as GolfTV, with Eurosport executive vice president Alex Kaplan named the president and general manager of Discovery Golf. Former Amazon executive Peter Faricy, who was named Discovery's chief executive of global direct-to-consumer operations in August 2018, considered GolfTV consistent with the aforementioned strategy, as golf was one of several sports "where people's passions and their interest in participating and learning more becomes a core part of their life."


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: With Discovery choosing 230 Park Avenue South as its new New York City headquarters, Discovery sold its former Silver Spring headquarters to Foulger-Pratt and Cerberus Capital Management in September 2018, and leased a smaller space at nearby 8403 Colesville Road.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In November 2018, Chip and Joanna Gaines of the former HGTV series "Fixer Upper" announced on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", that they were in early talks to form a "lifestyle focused media network" with Discovery named after their personal company Magnolia. It was reported that Discovery had considered rebranding either DIY Network or Great American Country as this new channel. In April 2019, Discovery confirmed its Magnolia joint venture, which is scheduled to launch in 2020 and replace DIY Network, with an over-the-top subscription component to launch later. Magnolia Network was originally scheduled to launch on October 4, 2020, but it was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It was also announced that "Fixer Upper" would be revived for the new channel.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In January 2019, Discovery increased its ownership of Play Sports Group, operator of the YouTube channel Global Cycling Network, to 71%. Discovery previously acquired a 20% share in 2017. The group is the foundation for an in development global cycling OTT service.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On April 1, 2019, after a previous agreement with the broadcaster lapsed six years prior, Discovery announced a 10-year global content partnership with BBC Studios, under which it will become the exclusive subscription video-on-demand rightsholder of programming from the BBC Natural History Unit (which will become the basis of an international subscription service by 2020) outside of China, Ireland, and the UK. In addition, Discovery and the BBC reached an agreement to break up their UKTV joint venture (which was inherited from Scripps), with Discovery acquiring the BBC's shares in the Good Food, Home, and Really channels, and BBC Studios acquiring Discovery's shares in the seven remaining channels, and its streaming platform UKTV Play. Home was later rebranded as a local version of HGTV, and Good Food was closed in favor of the local version of Food Network.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On May 13, 2019, Discovery announced that it would acquire "Golf Digest" from Condé Nast to integrate into its Discovery Golf division.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In March 2020, Discovery began to deploy a new direct-to-consumer brand known as Discovery+, initially in India, which would focus on content from across its factual and lifestyle television brands, as well as the BBC. In December 2020, Discovery announced that it would launch Discovery+ in the United States on January 4, 2021, which would feature new exclusive programming from across Discovery's brands, and previews of Magnolia Network (whose linear launch had since been delayed to 2022).


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On May 17, 2021, AT&T announced that it had reached an agreement to merge its content and broadcasting subsidiary, WarnerMedia (the former Time Warner, which AT&T had acquired in 2018 for just over $85 billion in an attempt to become a vertically integrated media conglomerate) with Discovery Inc. to form a new company, subject to regulatory approval. The merger, scheduled to be completed in mid-2022, would be structured as a Reverse Morris Trust; AT&T shareholders will hold a 71% interest in the new company's stock and appoint seven board members, and Discovery shareholders will hold 29% and appoint six board members. AT&T will receive $43 billion in cash and debt from the spin-off.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Zaslav will lead the new company. He stated that the new company's goal would be to "[tell] the most amazing stories and have a ton of fun doing it", and emphasized that the two companies spend over $20 billion annually on content (outpacing Disney, Netflix and even Amazon). The company will aim to expand their streaming services (which includes WarnerMedia's HBO Max) to reach 400 million global subscribers.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On June 1, 2021, it was announced that the merged company would be known as Warner Bros. Discovery, and an interim wordmark was unveiled with the tagline "The stuff dreams are made from"—a line from the 1941 Warner Bros. film "The Maltese Falcon". Zaslav stated that the name would reflect "the combination of Warner Bros.' fabled hundred-year legacy of creative, authentic storytelling and taking bold risks to bring the most amazing stories to life, with Discovery's global brand that has always stood brightly for integrity, innovation and inspiration". On June 7, 2021, Discovery announced that it would divest Great American Country to GAC Media, a new Fort Worth-based investment group led by Tom Hicks and former Crown Media Holdings CEO Bill Abbott.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Electronic Arts, who were a bidder in the proposed sale of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, purchased the mobile gaming studio Playdemic from WBIE for in the same month.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In September 2021, Fox Corporation acquired TMZ from WarnerMedia in a deal worth about $50 million with TMZ being operated under the Fox Entertainment division.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In November 2021, Discovery and WarnerMedia discussed a plan to combine the two streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, into one streaming service in two phases: an initial phase that allows for quick bundling of the services and a second phase that allows for a common service on one tech platform. In the same month, it was announced that Discovery will rename itself Warner Bros. Discovery and reclassify and convert its stock into stock of WBD.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On December 22, 2021, it was announced that the transaction was approved by the European Commission and it is expected to be completed in mid-2022, subject to approval by Discovery shareholders and additional closing conditions.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On January 5, 2022, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that WarnerMedia and Paramount Global (at the time known as ViacomCBS) were exploring a possible sale of either a majority stake or all of The CW, and that Nexstar Media Group (which became The CW's largest affiliate group when it acquired former WB co-owner Tribune Broadcasting in 2019) was considered a leading bidder. The news led to speculation that, should a sale take place, new ownership could steer the network in a new direction, transforming The CW from a young adult-oriented network into one that featured more unscripted and even national news programming. However, reports also indicated that WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS could include a contractual commitment that would require any new owner to buy new programming from those companies, allowing them to reap some continual revenue through the network. Network president/CEO Mark Pedowitz confirmed talks of a potential sale in a memo to CW staffers, but added that "It's too early to speculate what might happen" and that the network "must continue to do what we do best."


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On January 26, 2022, it was reported that the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. was expected to close sometime during the second quarter of 2022. This was later narrowed down to mid-April 2022. On February 1, 2022, it was reported that AT&T had elected to structure the merger as a spin-off of WarnerMedia, followed by a merger with Discovery Inc. to form the new company. The company had been contemplating structuring the transaction as a split-off (under which AT&T shareholders would be given the option as to whether to exchange their shares for those of the new company, rather than receive them pro rata). On February 7, the merger was approved by the Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade. It was approved by the United States Department of Justice two days later.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: The transaction was approved by Discovery shareholders on March 11, and formally completed on April 8, 2022.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On September 17, 2008, Discovery Holding Company completed a restructuring plan. Discovery Holding's Ascent Media business was spun off, and the remaining businesses, Discovery Communications, LLC and Advance/Newhouse Communications, were combined into a new holding company, Discovery Communications, Inc. The new fully public company and trades on the NASDAQ stock market under the symbols DISCA, DISCB, and DISCK. SEC filings are submitted by the Discovery Holding Company.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In May 2014, the company announced a special dividend of shares of the company's Series C common stock payable to holders of record of the company's Series A common stock, Series B common stock and Series C common stock as of the close of business on July 28, 2014. As a result of the dividend, each holder of a share of the company's Series A common stock, Series B common stock or Series C common stock will receive one additional share of the company's Series C common stock on or about August 6, 2014.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Liberty Global and Discovery Communications paid approximately $195 million for a 3.4% stake in Lionsgate Entertainment in November 2015. Discovery CEO David Zaslav joined the Lionsgate board of directors as part of the acquisition.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: DCI operated its businesses in the following groups: U.S. Networks, International, Digital, Discovery Studios, Lifestyle Studios, and Discovery Global Enterprises.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Discovery Networks also had a stake of some networks operated by CTV Speciality Television Inc., a joint venture between Bell Media and ESPN Inc. such as Discovery and Animal Planet.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Discovery Networks International had three regional operations: Asia Pacific, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and Latin America, with regional headquarters in Singapore, Amsterdam, London, Milan, Warsaw and Miami.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: As part of its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018, Discovery added Asian Food Network (which SNI had acquired from the co-founders Hian Goh and Maria Brown in 2013) to its Asian portfolio.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On September 7, 2020, MediaWorks New Zealand Limited announced that Discovery would be purchasing the television arm of their business including Three, Bravo, The Edge TV, Breeze TV, streaming service ThreeNow, and current affairs service Newshub. MediaWorks said in a statement that the transaction was subject to “a number of pre-completion approvals” but was expected to completed by the end of the year. . The sale was finalised in December 2020, with the new entity being rebranded as Discovery New Zealand.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On 27 April 2021, Discovery Inc. confirmed that it would be restructuring its business operations in Australia and New Zealand with the goal of incorporating Three, Bravo and Newshub into a single trans-Tasman organisation. Discovery also announced that this new trans-Tasman organisation would be headed by two general managers, the Sydney–based Rebecca Kent and Glen Kyne in Auckland. Discovery had also separately acquired MediaWorks' TopTV operations in 2019. In mid-May 2021, Newshub closed its Dunedin office as part of a restructuring of Discovery's business operations in Australia and New Zealand. Following the closure of the Dunedin newsroom, the network's South Island operations will consist of its Christchurch–based bureau and freelancers.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On November 27, 2012, Discovery announced it would acquire Dubai-based broadcaster Takhayal Entertainment, which owns MENA lifestyle channel Fatafeat. This acquisition was then completed.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On December 21, 2012, Discovery announced it had acquired a 20% stake in the pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport from TF1 Group for €170 million (US$221.6 million). On January 21, 2014, Discovery acquired an additional 51% share to gain controlling interest, and subsequently acquired the remainder for €491 million in July 2015 to receive sole ownership.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In June 2015, Discovery acquired pan-European rights to the Olympic Games from 2018 through 2024, excluding Russia, on all platforms, in a €1.3 billion deal. Discovery will primarily broadcast the Games on local outlets (including Eurosport), but will sub-license coverage to over-the-air broadcasters in each region.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In August 2016, Discovery renewed its distribution deals in 12 countries with shareholder Liberty Global. On January 31, 2017, after nearly facing a carriage dispute, Discovery renewed its distribution deals in Germany and the United Kingdom with Sky plc.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In November 2016, Discovery partnered with the streaming media company BAMTech to create a joint venture to serve Europe. In May 2017, ProSiebenSat.1 Media and Discovery announced a joint venture to create a German over-the-top content service, built upon its existing 7TV service.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In August 2017, Discovery announced that it would acquire the remaining 51.06% of Green Content, the operator of the Polish DTT channel Metro, from Agora SA for PLN19,000,000 under a share buyback agreement.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Through its purchase of SNI, Discovery added the Polish broadcaster TVN Group to its European portfolio, which SNI had acquired in 2015 from ITI Group and Canal+ Group., as well as the UKTV joint venture with BBC Worldwide (later BBC Studios).


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On July 3, 2020, Discovery agreed to acquire the German free-to-air station Tele 5 from Leonine Holding.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In December 2020, the Discovery-backed GB News received a licence from Ofcom to broadcast on their service on various British platforms, such as Freeview, in 2021. GB News was set up by Andrew Cole and Mark Schneider from Liberty Global.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In March 2021, Discovery was made available to beIN Media Group subscribers in the Middle East and North Africa. The two organizations have worked together since 2016, but this is the first time that Discovery Channel itself has been made available.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: In June 2016, Discovery acquired a 27.5% stake in Bethia Comunicaciones S.A., a division of Chilean conglomerate Bethia that owns Red Televisiva Megavisión S.A., a company which in turn owns both the private television network Mega and a 70% stake in the anime-, Korean drama- and K-pop-focused cable television channel ETC (which is co-owned with its creator, who is businessman and television executive Hernán Schmidt Fuentes). As a result, Bethia now owns 72.5% of the company.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: On September 1, 2010, the Discovery headquarters were the site of a hostage taking; a lone gunman identified as James J. Lee (c. 1967 – September 1, 2010), armed with two starter pistols and an explosive device, took three people hostage inside of the Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, prompting an evacuation of the building.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Lee's motive was believed to have been grounded in environmental activism. Lee had previously been arrested in 2008 while protesting in front of the same site.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland has since labeled the crime a terrorist attack.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: The incident began at 1:00 p.m. ET, when the 43-year-old Lee entered the building with two starter pistols and fired a single round at the ceiling of the lobby. The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) confirmed that Lee had an explosive device and was holding three people hostage in the lobby. The building was placed on lockdown and most of the 1,500 employees were evacuated. Children from a day care center inside were safely removed to a nearby McDonald's restaurant on Colesville Rd. Lee was shot and killed by an MCPD SWAT team at 4:48 p.m. ET after the hostages made a run to escape. The remaining hostages were immediately freed. The incident was described by the FBI as the first instance of a would-be suicide bomber taking hostages in the United States.


title: Discovery, Inc.

text: Lee was an environmental protester who, in 2008, was given six months of supervised probation and fined $500 after he was arrested during a protest outside the Discovery Communications headquarters. Lee had published criticisms of the network in an online manifesto at Savetheplanetprotest.com, among which was a demand for the company to cease the broadcasting of television series displaying or encouraging the birth of "parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions". His manifesto also railed against "immigration pollution and anchor baby filth", leading commentators such as Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center to decry Lee as an "eco-fascist". Lee's opinions were dominated by Malthusian analysis, though he also cited works ranging from Daniel Quinn's novel "My Ishmael" to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". "The Washington Post" credited the Twitter community for initially breaking the story.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Hu Yaobang (; 20 November 1915 – 15 April 1989) was a high-ranking official of the People's Republic of China. He held the top office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1981 to 1987, first as Chairman from 1981 to 1982, then as General Secretary from 1982 to 1987. Hu joined the CCP in the 1930s, and rose to prominence as a comrade of Deng Xiaoping. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Hu was purged, recalled, and purged again by Mao Zedong.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: After Deng rose to power, following the death of Mao Zedong, Hu played a role in the "Boluan Fanzheng" program. Throughout the 1980s, Hu pursued a series of economic and political reforms under the direction of Deng. Hu's political and economic reforms made him the enemy of several powerful Party elders, who opposed free market reforms and Hu's reforms of China's government. When widespread student protests occurred across China in 1987, Hu's political opponents blamed Hu for the disruptions, claiming that Hu's "laxness" and "bourgeois liberalization" had either led to, or worsened, the protests. Hu was forced to resign as Party general secretary in 1987, but was allowed to retain a seat in the Politburo.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Hu's position as Party general secretary was taken by Zhao Ziyang, who continued many of Hu's economic and political reforms. A day after Hu's death in 1989, a small-scale demonstration commemorated him and demanded that the government reassess his legacy. A week later, the day before Hu's funeral, some 100,000 students marched on Tiananmen Square, leading to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. Following the 1989 protests, the Chinese government censored the details of Hu's life within mainland China, but it officially rehabilitated his image and lifted its censorship restrictions on the 90th anniversary of Hu's birth, in 2005.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Hu Yaobang's ancestors were Hakkas from Jiangxi. During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) they migrated into Hunan, where Hu was born. Hu Yaobang was born into a poor peasant family, and received little formal education. As a child he never attended school, and he taught himself to read. Hu participated in his first rebellion when he was twelve, left his family to join the Chinese Communist Party when he was only fourteen, and became a full member of the Party in 1933. During the factional struggles that polarized the CCP during the 1930s, Hu supported Mao Zedong and opposed the 28 Bolsheviks.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Hu was one of the youngest veterans of the Long March. Once Mao was removed from power, shortly before the beginning of the Fourth Encirclement Campaign, Mao's supporters were persecuted, and Hu Yaobang was sentenced to death. Just before the beginning of the Long March, he and others were on their way to be beheaded. However, a powerful local communist commander named Tan Yubao intervened at the last minute, saving Hu's life. Because of Hu's support of Mao, he was deemed unreliable and ordered to join the Long March so that he could be placed under surveillance.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Hu Yaobang was seriously wounded in the battle of Mount Lu, near Zunyi, close to the area where Mao Zedong rose back to power via the Zunyi Conference. After Hu was wounded the communist field medic teams chose not to help Hu, and left him in the battlefield to die on the side of the road. Hu was rescued by a childhood friend of his, a Chinese Red Army commander, who happened to pass by. Hu called out his friend's nickname to ask for help, and the friend helped him catch up with the retreating main force of the Chinese Red Army and get treatment for his wounds.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: In 1936, Hu joined an expeditionary force led by Zhang Guotao. The objective of Zhang's 21,800+ strong force, was to cross the Yellow River, to expand the communist base west of Shaanxi, and to link up with forces from the Soviet Union or with the Xinjiang warlord Sheng Shicai, who was an ally of the communists and the Soviet Union. Zhang Guotao's forces were soundly defeated by the local Nationalist warlords, the Ma clique. Hu Yaobang, along with Qin Jiwei, became two of the thousands of prisoners-of-war captured by Ma clique's forces. Hu was one of only 1,500 prisoners-of-war whom Ma Bufang decided to use as forced labor rather than execute.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Ma Bufang sent several Muslim cavalry divisions under General Ma Biao to fight against the Japanese. However Chiang Kai-shek pressured Ma Bufang to contribute even more of his troops to fight Japanese invaders, Ma Bufang decided that, instead of using more of his own troops, he would instead send the 1,500 Chinese Red Army prisoners-of-war as conscripts. Since the marching route had to pass the border of the communist base in Shaanxi, Hu Yaobang and Qin Jiwei decided to return to the Communists, and secretly organized an escape. The escape took place as planned and was a success: out of the total 1,500 POWs, more than 1,300 successfully returned to Yan'an. Mao personally welcomed these returning communists, and Hu Yaobang returned to communist forces, where he would remain for rest of his life.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: After Hu arrived in Yan'an, he attended the Anti-Japanese Military School. While studying in Yan'an, Hu met and married his wife, Li Zhao, who was also a student in Yan'an. After his training, Hu worked in the political department, and was assigned to work as a member of Peng Dehuai's Third Front Army.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: Hu befriended and worked closely with Deng Xiaoping in the 1930s. In the 1940s, Hu worked under Deng as a political commissar in the Second Field Army. In the final stages of the Chinese Civil War, Hu accompanied Deng to Sichuan, and communist forces successfully took control of the province from Nationalist forces in 1949.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: In 1949, the CCP successfully defeated Nationalist forces on mainland China, and the communists founded the People's Republic. In 1952, Hu accompanied Deng to Beijing, and Hu became the leader of the Communist Youth League from 1952 to 1966. Hu rose rapidly up the Communist Party hierarchy, until Mao sent Hu to work as First Party Secretary of Shaanxi in 1964, saying: "He needs some practical training". Hu may have been assigned to work outside of Beijing because he was judged as being not sufficiently enthusiastic about Maoism. Unlike many of his colleagues, Hu was able to keep his membership within the Party Central Committee until the 9th Party Congress in April 1969.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: During the Cultural Revolution, Hu was purged twice and rehabilitated twice, mirroring the political career of Hu's mentor, Deng Xiaoping. In 1969, Hu was recalled to Beijing to be persecuted. Hu became "number one" among the "Three Hus", whose names were vilified and who were paraded through Beijing wearing heavy wooden collars around their necks. The other two "Hus" were Hu Keshi, who was the second most senior member of the Communist Youth League, and Hu Qili, who was third most senior in the Communist Youth League and who had also become a close associate of Deng Xiaoping. After being publicly humiliated, Hu was sent to an isolated work camp to participate in "reformation through labour" under strict security. While in political exile Hu was forced to work hauling large boulders by hand.


title: Hu Yaobang

text: When Deng was temporarily recalled to Beijing, from 1973 to 1976, Hu was also recalled; but, when Deng was purged again, in 1976, Hu was also purged. After his second purge, Hu was sent to herd cattle. Hu was recalled and rehabilitated a second time in 1977, shortly after Mao's death. After Hu was recalled, he was promoted to directing the Party's organizational department, and later directed Party propaganda through a department of the Politburo. Hu was one of the main leaders responsible for re-assessing the fates of people who had been persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. According to the Chinese government, Hu was personally responsible for exonerating over three million people. Hu tacitly supported the 1978 Democracy Wall protesters, and invited two of the activists to his home in Beijing. Hu opposed Hua Guofeng's "Two Whatevers" policy, and was an important supporter of Deng Xiaoping's ascent to power.