NBC has greenlit a primetime television adaptation of The New York Times’ Wordle, to be hosted by “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and executive-produced by Jimmy Fallon. The fast-paced format, scheduled to premiere in 2027, will translate the five-letter puzzle experience into team-based competition, with squads competing in a “Wordle” arena for a yet-to-be-disclosed cash prize. Universal Television Alternative Studio, Fallon’s Electric Hot Dog banner and the Times are production partners; episodes are expected to begin shooting this summer and will be filmed in Manchester, England. Casting is open now (deadline for initial submissions reported as May 29, 2026) and NBC says the show was developed over roughly two-and-a-half years. The series marks the first time the Times has partnered on a prime-time entertainment show and underscores the publisher’s ongoing strategy to expand and monetise its games business following the 2022 acquisition of Wordle. Guthrie’s announcement came on the May 11 broadcast of Today; she has been publicly managing the ongoing disappearance of her mother, and producers delayed earlier production plans out of consideration for her circumstances.

The 52nd American Music Awards took place May 25–26, 2026 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, hosted by Queen Latifah and broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+. K-pop supergroup BTS made their first awards-show appearance in four years, opening with a pre-taped performance from their Allegiant Stadium Arirang tour and receiving strong fan reaction onstage. The group won Artist of the Year and Song of the Summer for “Swim.” New categories and high-profile honorees highlighted the telecast: Billy Idol received a Lifetime Achievement Award, Karol G the International Artist Award of Excellence and Darius Rucker the Veterans Voice Award. Breakout acts and winners included KATSEYE (New Artist of the Year), The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X (Song of the Year for “Golden”) and Black Eyed Peas (Best Throwback Song). Sombr captured multiple rock/alternative awards and delivered a featured performance. Taylor Swift led nominations with eight but did not take home a televised prize. The fan-voted ceremony featured a broad lineup of performers and marked a major weekend for BTS, who sold out multiple Allegiant Stadium dates as part of their Arirang World Tour.

Queen Latifah returned to the American Music Awards on May 25, 2026, solo-hosting the ceremony at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas more than three decades after co-hosting the show in 1995. The 56-year-old music and film star said she was “nervous” but excited and pledged to bring warmth and energy to performers and fans. Latifah attended the show with partner Eboni Nichols and their six-year-old son Rebel. The program featured a wide-ranging lineup — including The Pussycat Dolls with Busta Rhymes, Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Karol G, Sombr, Teddy Swims and others — while Taylor Swift led nominations with eight. Broadcasters Dick Clark Productions and CBS streamed the AMAs live on Paramount+; Latifah noted she may release new music in 2026 and has other high-profile projects, including a forthcoming Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Early Influence induction and a role as a coach on The Voice.

A surprise hour-long appearance by Stephen Colbert on Monroe, Michigan public-access show Only in Monroe — staged the day after his final Late Show broadcast — went viral and briefly triggered copyright takedown notices from CBS/parent Paramount. The episode, which featured guests including Jack White, Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi and a filmed cameo from Eminem, was financed and produced by CBS Studios and posted to Colbert’s new YouTube channel in collaboration with Monroe Community Media and The Late Show’s channel. Several other YouTube uploads had already attracted large audiences, prompting CBS to issue routine copyright notices to unauthorized reuploads. After widespread online backlash and reporting, CBS said it would “waive further enforcement” of takedowns for the episode pending review. The program concluded with the hosts dismantling and burning the makeshift set — a stunt reportedly cleared by Eminem — and drew attention amid continuing debate over Colbert’s July 2025 Late Show cancellation and broader questions about corporate control of content and platform distribution.

HBO’s Euphoria eliminated one of its central figures in the penultimate episode of season three, “Rain or Shine,” which aired May 24, 2026. Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs — abducted by loan shark Naz over a reported $1 million debt — was buried alive in a coffin with a breathing tube; a rattlesnake slithered down the vent and fatally bit him before rescuers unearthed his body. Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Maddy (Alexa Demie) helped procure Alamo (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), who killed Naz during a rescue attempt, only to find Nate already dead. Creator Sam Levinson told Esquire he planned Nate’s exit to deliver “justice or karma” while making it “horrific and anxiety-inducing.” Production used live rattlesnakes for exterior shots, though Elordi said the snake inside the coffin was a boa constrictor fitted with a fake rattle; he described filming the sequence as “bittersweet” and called the on-screen death “a cool way to go.” Elordi is not credited in the upcoming season finale, which is set to air May 31. The episode’s shock staging and moral framing have produced intense audience reaction and critical debate.

A UK anti-ageism analysis published this week found that the 100 highest-grossing films in the UK between 2023 and 2025 were more likely to feature a lead actor called “Chris” or a talking animal than a female lead aged over 60. Researchers working with the Centre for Ageing Better’s Age Without Limits campaign and the University of West London reviewed box-office charts and found six top films led by a man named Chris (half of those featuring Chris Pratt) compared with five that starred a woman over 60. The study also found talking animals were four times as likely as older women to headline a top-grossing movie. Named examples of older-woman-led films in the top 100 include Allelujah, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Book Club: The Next Chapter, The Substance and Freakier Friday; Chris-led titles included the Super Mario Bros and Guardians franchises, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Transformers One. A separate public poll of 4,000 people showed one in three believe there are too few films led by women over 60, with higher concern among women.