Eugene Cordero to Host 20th Unforgettable Gala in December; Top Honorees Announced (TV News Roundup)

EJ Panaligan
·6 min read
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Unforgettable Gala, which bills itself as the nation’s longest-running Asian Pacific Islander awards show, is set to celebrate its 20th annual ceremony with actor Eugene Cordero serving as host. Cordero’s hosting stint will be the first time a Filipino American has emceed the entertainment gala. The gala, with the theme “Illuminate,” will take place on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Beverly Hilton.

Also set to appear are honorees Ke Huy Quan (actor in film) and Stephanie Hsu (breakout in film) of “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The Breakout in TV Award will go to Minha Kim of “Pachinko,” with the hit series also receiving this year’s Vanguard Award. Bretman Rock will receive the digital influencer award, while Domee Shi and Julia Cho will receive the writer award for “Turning Red.” Awards selection committee co-chairs Daniel Dae Kim and Lisa Ling will deliver the gala’s keynote address.

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“As the first Filipino to host the Unforgettable Gala, I am honored to represent the diversity of the Asian American community,” Cordero said. “APIs have made great strides in entertainment in recent years, but we still fall short in representation in lead roles on camera and leadership roles off camera.”

The black-tie affair was founded and created by James Ryu in 2002. Ryu is the founder and publisher of magazines KoreAm Journal, Audrey Magazine, Kore Asian Media and Character Media. UNFO’s 2021 honorees included John Cho, Simu Liu and Sandra Oh, among others.

Also in television news today:

SERIES

Showtime Sports Documentary Films announced “Boys In Blue,” a four-part docuseries from filmmaker Peter Berg that spotlights the football team of North Community High School in North Minneapolis during the 2021 season, as its players come of age in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. The series will premiere on Friday, January 6 at 8 p.m. ET, and subsequent episodes will air in the same timeslot in following weeks. All four episodes will also release on demand and on streaming platforms for Showtime subscribers on January 6.

The series follows North High School’s Polars football team, where mostly Black student-athletes are coached and mentored by members of the Minneapolis Police Department. Working through their differences, the officers and students seek to find common ground on the field in efforts to win a state championship.

Berg also executive produces the series through Film 45 with partners Matthew Goldberg and Brandon Carroll, alongside Rob Ford. The series is produced by Mandon Lovett and co-executive produced by Emily Webster Jackson, Giselle Rodriguez, Ryan Schiavo and Andre Gary. Check out the trailer below.

DATES

Peacock’s “Bel-Air” will return for its second season on February 23, with new episodes airing weekly on Thursdays. The streamer also shared a teaser for the show’s upcoming season, which can be viewed below.

The new season picks up with Will at a crossroads when a new figure in his life challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air, while competing for control of his influence. This all comes while he navigates his home life with the Banks family, trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of the first season. The second season will consist of ten hour-long episodes and is spearheaded by showrunner Carla Banks Waddles and executive producer Morgan Cooper.

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The Kennedy Center and CBS announced that the 45th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will air on Wednesday, December 28 on CBS and Paramount+. The celebration will take place at the Kennedy Center Opera House stage on December 4.

Actor and filmmaker George Clooney, contemporary Christian pop singer-songwriter Amy Grant, R&B singer Gladys Knight, composer Tania León and rock band U2 were previously announced as this year’s honorees.

Done+Dusted executive produces the special in association with ROK Productions, represented by Elizabeth Kelly, who serves as executive producer alongside David Jammy and Ian Stewart. Alex Rudzinski will direct the special.

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“Letterkenny” will return for its 11th season via Hulu on December 26. The new season will drop all six episodes at once, which will pick up on the small town contending with the best chip flavors, lost dogs, an influencer invasion, Skid business, a mystery at the Church Bake Sale, unwanted guests at beer league and the Degens stirring up trouble, among many other scenarios.

Returning series cast includes Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales, Michelle Mylett, K. Trevor Wilson, Dylan Playfair, Andrew Herr, Tyler Johnston, Evan Stern, Jacob Tierney, Patrick McNeil, Lisa Codrington and Dan Petronijevic. Keeso, the show’s creator, also serves as writer and executive producer alongside Jacob Tierney, Mark Montefiore and Kara Haflidson.

SCHEDULING

FOX has made changes to its Sunday, November 27 primetime lineup, with “Welcome to Flatch” now airing immediately following the NFL doubleheader. This will replace a special preview of new animated comedy “Krapopolis” from creator Dan Harmon.

“Flatch,” the mockumentary-style sitcom based on British comedy “This Country,” is currently airing its second season on the network. It follows a documentary crew who is sent to Flatch, Ohio, to explore the lives of its eccentric, small-town residents.

The “Krapopolis” preview will be rescheduled to a later date, closer to its planned series premiere which will be announced in the future. The ancient Greece animated comedy has already been renewed for a second season by the network.

PROGRAMMING

Prime Video and One Championship announced the final two events of their inaugural 2022 season: “Abbasov vs. Lee” on November 18 and “De Ridder vs. Malykhin” on December 2. The bouts will be available exclusively to Prime members in the U.S. and Canada, with the lead cards beginning at 8 p.m. ET and the main cards following at 10 p.m. ET.

Returning to the Singapore Indoor Stadium, “Abbasov vs. Lee” will feature One Lightweight World Champion Christian Lee challenging Kiamrian Abbasov for the One Welterweight World Title. Additionally, One Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Joseph Lasiri will take on longtime One Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Two weeks later at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, “De Ridder vs. Malykhin” will cap off the year with four world title fights across four different martial arts. In the main event, two-division One World Champion Reinier de Ridder will defend his title against Interim One Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin. Additionally, American One World Champions Janet Todd and Kade Ruotolo will also be in action, along with top MMA free-agent signee Roberto Soldic who will be making his One debut.

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Beginning Thanksgiving Day, FAST channel Backstage — which highlights the behind-the-scenes stories of pivotal music artists — will begin premiering six original music documentaries featuring rap artists Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., along with a feature on singer Rihanna.

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