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Issa Rae explores history of Black representation in TV in documentary: “It makes such a difference”

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Issa Rae explores history of Black representation in TV in documentary: “It makes such a difference”


Award-winning actor producer and writer Issa Rae is opening up about what inspired her new documentary, “Seen and Heard: The History of Black Television.” She’s executive producer of the two-part series that explores the history of Black representation on TV and how Black artists and creators revolutionized the industry while confronting major challenges.

The series, which Rae and her collaborators started creating in 2019, features media icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross, Norman Lear and Shonda Rhimes.

“What inspired me to even get my start was just seeing the people that I love, the people that I know, the people that raised me on TV, and that representation was so essential for me to recognize that I could do it,” Rae told “CBS Mornings” Tuesday about her inspiration growing up in the 90s.

In the early 2000s, Rae said there was a “disappearance all of the sudden” of Black characters and shows on TV, but they reemerged about a decade later.

In the 2010s, “there were just so many new shows, new shows of color,” she said. But now, Rae said TV and media is once again in an era where Black characters and shows have disappeared.

“I think the advent of cable made a huge difference where, you know, now these networks had to try to capture the broadest audience possible because they were losing audiences to different niche cable networks and so they were like, ‘how can we maximize the audience we have?’ and they have a tendency to go broad then, and broad sometimes just means White, the most eyeballs that you can get,” she said.

Even though shows like “Family Matters” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” were universal and watched by a broad audience, there is sometimes a feeling that Black shows may exclude an audience, she said.

The documentary also explores the importance of representation behind the camera.

“It makes such a difference when you’re thinking about something as small as set design. I’ve seen that just even on my own productions and watching movies. Sometimes you’ll watch a movie and you’ll see a Black character’s bedroom, and you’ll be like ‘they would never, what? They would never have that.'”

The details in a show could also apply to how a character dresses or their hair.

“I don’t want to be taken out of a story. If I’m immersed, like those small details really, really matter, and there’s just — also there’s a different level of honestly, pride that goes in, in creating something that you know you’re a part of and you understand on a different level,” Rae said.

She said the changing media industry is challenging, “but it’s another time that I’m confident we’ll get through. There’s so many opportunities in the digital era and that’s where I came from. I find hope in knowing that I can create. If I want to tell a story I’m going to tell a story regardless.”

The HBO documentary film “Seen and Heard: The History of Black Television” debuts Sept. 9 on HBO and HBO Max.



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Extended interview: Don Cheadle – CBS News

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Extended interview: Don Cheadle – CBS News


Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle has appeared in more than 100 films and TV shows. But it had been a quarter-century since he appeared on stage in the Off-Broadway hit “Topdog/Underdog,” until he made his Broadway debut this spring in a revival of “Proof.” In this web exclusive, he talks with Tracy Smith about the lessons of his parents; catching the “theater bug” as a child; the “hamster wheel” of an actor’s career; and his emotional investment in works like “Hotel Rwanda.”



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Charlie Sheen updates on relationship with old pal Jon Cryer

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Charlie Sheen updates on relationship with old pal Jon Cryer


Charlie Sheen updates on relationship with old pal Jon Cryer

Charlie Sheen has admitted he still hasn’t reached out to his Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer despite repeatedly saying he intends to, and took a playful swipe at his old friend for being “a little grudgy” more than a decade after their famous falling-out.

Sheen was speaking at a For Your Consideration event for the Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen in Los Angeles on 22 April, where he was asked about reconnecting with Cryer, who also participated in the film.

“Every time this comes up, I say I’m going to [reach out to him] and I never do,” he told PEOPLE. “I don’t like to bother people. But I think Jon would be open to that. Jon’s a lovely man and a very talented guy.”

During the panel portion of the evening, Sheen couldn’t resist a gentle jab at Cryer’s absence. 

“Jon’s not here tonight, is he? No, he’s a little grudgy like a decade and a half later. I’m like, ‘Dude, what the f—? I got over it. What are we doing, Jon?'” 

He quickly softened, expressing genuine appreciation for everyone who agreed to participate. 

“They could have easily said, ‘Go f— yourself. I’m not interested. I lived it. I don’t need to talk about it again.’ And I would have been, ‘OK, that’s fine.’ But they didn’t, and they stepped up.”

The documentary and Sheen’s memoir The Book of Sheen both landed in the same week in September 2025, with Sheen describing the experience of finally documenting his story as a relief. 

“It’s documented, and I think told beautifully, visually and, hopefully, decently. There’s stuff in the book that’s not in the doc and vice versa, because there are things I couldn’t capture with the written word that [director Andrew Renzi] did visually, because some things you just have to see to feel it.”

He also recalled being uncertain about taking part at first, until Renzi laid out his case. 

“He said, ‘Because you have a story that is unlike anyone who’s ever just in the business, but also outside of it.’ And then he went through listing stuff, and I’m like, alright, OK.” 

Renzi put it plainly: “There’s only one Charlie Sheen… and there’s just not many people that would have had the life that he had that would want to talk about it, or are alive to talk about it.”

Sheen, who has been sober for eight years, said he would not have taken on either project while still in the grip of addiction. 

“I think it always sort of had a happy ending attached to it, regardless of where the story went.”





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Here’s real update on POTUS’s health

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Here’s real update on POTUS’s health


Trump dozed off at White House meeting: Here’s update on Here’s real update on POTUS’s health

In a recent White House meeting, U.S. President Trump momentarily dozed off .

The incident sparked speculations about the 79-year-old president’s health, with a prominent medical expert indicating the symptoms may point to sleep apnea.

This video, which was recorded at the affordability event at the Oval Office on Thursday, displays Trump sitting with his eyes shut, jaw hanging loose, and head slumped down. Even though there have been no medical warnings made by the White House, it has generated a lot of discussions on social media.

A medical expert, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor of Medicine and Surgery linked with CNN, weighed in on the matters.

Reiner wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “When a patient tells me that they can’t stay awake in meetings, we do formal sleep testing to look for sleep apnea.”

“The president continues to struggle with daytime somnolence. This is a common problem, and there are things that can be done to improve these symptoms,” he added.

In medical terms, sleep apnea is a condition where the patient suffers from a pattern of interruptions in breathing while sleeping.

The White House does not acknowledge any such medical condition, and President Trump has not yet had an officially scheduled annual physical examination in 2026, although he has been known to undergo semiannual physical exams. It has been observed that President Trump, who is turning 80 in June, holds fewer public meetings than he did in his first presidential term.

Concerning the POTUS ‘health, Congressman Ted Lieu said: “There’s something mentally wrong with the President of the United States. There is also something physically wrong… he can’t stay awake at public events with the cameras rolling.”

However, White House has maintained the stance of Trump’s good health. Until now, no official medical evaluation has been released.

Given these rising concerns, another video of Trump is circulating where he can be seen falling asleep and violently hitting his head on the desk. However, that specific video is fake and AI-generated. 





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