Roseanne Barr tweet 'joke' about Cosby taken down

Here's a safe strategy for the moment: Don't joke about Bill Cosby.

Roseanne Barr learned this on Wednesday when she tweeted a selfie of her swollen, bloody, misshapen face and joked about a "tussle" with Cosby.

Splat. That did not go over well.

So she deleted the tweet and provided an explanation: Kidding!

Also, she got a chemical peel.

You have to hand it to Barr: She's not afraid to look like a beat-up Macy's parade balloon on social media and show what she does to try to look young in Hollywood.

But she might be a little more afraid of misjudging the zeitgeist when it comes to discussing Cosby, the entertainment icon who is rapidly losing his beloved status as allegations pile up daily that he drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women going back decades.

PD James, queen of crime fiction who gave the world detective Adam Dalgliesh, dies aged 94

The acclaimed crime novelist PD James has died at the age of 94.  

James, who became Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991, is the author of 20 detective novels and creator of popular Adam Dalgliesh series. 

She is survived by her two children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren

Her most famous works are the Adam Dalgliesh series, immortalised by actor Roy Marsden in film and television. 

The actor today said her death was a 'great loss'.  

'It is with great sadness that the family of author P D James, Baroness James of Holland Park OBE, FRSL, FRSA, announce that she died peacefully at her home in Oxford on the morning of 27 November 2014, aged 94, a much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

'The family have requested privacy at this time,' a spokesman for the novelist said this morning.

Since publishing her first novel at the age of 42, Baroness James has become known as one of the country's finest crime writers.   

The author, born Phyllis Dorothy James in Oxford in 1920, always showed a keen interest in literature, inventing fictional characters for her younger siblings when they were children.

Besieged by austerity and put in charge of her two siblings at the age of 14, she was forced to abandon her dreams of writing for a job at the theatre.  

A career in the NHS,  and in various departments of the British Civil Service followed, providing the writer with a vast understanding of such environments which would become commonplace in her later crime series.  

She did not publish her first novel until the age of 42 after months of secrecy, her only confidante being her husband who, at the time, was being treated in a psychiatric hospital. 

A doctor in the war, he returned in poor mental health and died some years later. 

Describing herself in interviews as a 'late starter', Baroness James was quickly rewarded for her literary talents. 

The Adam Dalgliesh novels, starting with Cover Her Face, were adapted by ITV in 1983 in a 10-part series starring Roy Marsden.

In 2003 the BBC took over to adapt two more starring Martin Shaw. 

Her 1992 novel Children of Men was made into a film by Alfonso Cuarón in 2006. 

Five years later,  the then 91-year-old reproduced Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to critical acclaim. 

Her other fictional work, The Children of Men, also received praise. 

Among her many accolades is the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame 2008 and the Grand Master Award from Mystery Writers of America, 1999.  

In her role as Governor of the BBC, Ms James challenged the then-director general of the BBC while guest-editing the Today programme in 2009. 

She urged that the salaries of BBC executives become public knowledge, which they now are.  

While Baroness James spoke of her lack of sentimentality in fiction, she enjoyed a strong connection to the Church and its values in reality. 

Speaking at St Paul's Cathedral in May last year, she told the congregation: 'Even our religious duties must come secondary to meeting the need of another human being. 

When we see that need we should meet it and not have excuses.' 

Roy Marsden, who gleaned his most prolific role as Baroness James's Adam Dalgliesh, led tributes to the writer today. 

'She was a gentle, slightly coquettish, but gentle woman. She was great, it's a great loss,' Mr Marsden, 73, told MailOnline this afternoon. '

‘She used to write, better than anything else I’ve read in my life, a description of place. She'd have made the greatest travel writer if she turned her pen to it. She could evoke the most extraordinary places, when you read her books it was that that you were drawn to, and out of that were these extraordinary characters.'

Speaking of his time working with Baroness James, he added:

'It was a wonderful period and a very good period of television, when it was in a powerful and strong place, we were making a lot of good dramas.

‘I always associate her (stories) with a very happy, creative period in my life.

‘It's always been good, I'm very lucky.' 

Her publishers Faber & Faber said: 'This is a very sad day for us at Faber.

'It is difficult to express our profound sadness at losing PD James, one of the world's great writers and a Faber author since her first publication in 1962.

'She was so very remarkable in every aspect of her life, an inspiration and great friend to us all. 

'It is a privilege to publish her extraordinary books. 

'Working with her was always the best of times, full of joy. We will miss her hugely.' 

Fellow crime write Ian Rankin was among the first to publically pay tribute to Baroness James this morning.  

'So sad about PD James. Every event I did with her was a joy. Sharp intellect, ready wit. She will be missed,' he wrote on Twitter.

US crime writer Patricia Cornwell said: 'RIP PD James and thanks for encouraging me when I was getting started,' while Chelsea Clinton wrote: 'Very sad to hear of P.D. James passing, one of the all time great mystery writers. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.'

The Prime Minister paid tribute to one of the country's 'greatest crime writers who thrilled and inspired generations of readers'.  

'Saddened to hear of the death of PD James, one of the UK's greatest crime writers, who thrilled and inspired generations of readers,' David Cameron added. 

The Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor of St Paul's Cathedral and a friend of Baroness James, said: 'We are desperately sad to hear of P D James' death. 

'Her creative genius put her alongside the great authors of detective fiction, not least Dorothy L Sayers whom Lady James greatly admired. 

'She was a woman of sharp intellect and profound grace and those of us who met her here at St Paul’s were hugely privileged to have done so.' 

The Rev Richard Coles added: 'RIP PD James. I looked after her when she stayed at my theological college researching a book. "Call me Phyllis," she said, "while I'm here"'

BBC Women's Hour Jenni Murray praised the writer whom she described as a 'great friend' to the programme. 

Baroness Stowell, Leader of the Lords, said: 'In addition to being an acclaimed novelist who brought so much pleasure to so many through her writing, PD James also made a great contribution to public life as a civil servant, a BBC Governor and as a peer of the realm.

'She was a loyal member of the Conservative party and was much loved by all sides of the House of Lords. 

'Her contributions in the chamber were characteristically modest and considered, and we shall all miss her greatly. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.'

Lions' opponent: Bears want to shake 1st-quarter blues

The Chicago Bears have not been able to get their offense rolling in normal weeks. Now they will try something entirely different.

With only a few days to prepare for today's game at Ford Field, the Bears were trying to find a way to score in a first quarter and start faster than they have in their last six games.

"It's a challenge, but it's something that's universal throughout the league — everybody's playing Thursday night games," coach Marc Trestman said this week.

"We've all had experience in putting game plans together and knowing how much information the guys can handle going into a game without practice time."

Trestman said the thinking behind the game plan will have to be to "... at least keep thinking at a minimum and go out there and play. Everything we're doing today is designed to put a plan in tomorrow that they can handle and function in, get on a plane the next day and go play a game."

The offense has been anything but game-ready much of the season with normal preparation time. On Sunday, the Bears gained 68 yards and three first downs during the first half. They trailed 10-0 before the defense triggered a comeback to beat Tampa Bay and former Bears coach Lovie Smith, 21-13.

"I think it's been disturbing that we haven't been able to move the ball the way we would like to in games; that's a fact," Trestman said.

The Bears have trailed 10-0 or worse in each of the last five games before the offense scored.

"It's hard to get into a rhythm playing like that," quarterback Jay Cutler said after Sunday's win. "It's happened a few times to us. It's unacceptable."

Cutler said Trestman challenged offensive players at halftime Sunday and it could have been a factor in better production.

"Verbally, we questioned guys, made sure everyone was in this for the right reasons, made sure when we left that locker room everyone's mind was right on what we wanted to accomplish," Cutler said.

Tackle Jermon Bushrod called it a situation requiring more than one or two players to step forward and correct.

"We all took our turns messing up, and we had to find a way to come together and that's what we did," he said.

Cutler rarely threw down the field on Sunday and finished with 130 yards.

"We didn't go up the field as much as we would have liked to," Trestman said, blaming penalties for some of the pullback.

Before the win over Tampa Bay, coaches had talked about moving Cutler around in the pocket more, as they had done against Minnesota. It never happened.

"We were so out of sequence in the first half, we didn't get as much opportunity to do that," Trestman said. "We did it a couple times."

Tight end Martellus Bennett caught two passes when Cutler rolled out of the pocket, but the Bears' offense struggled along and had only one long scoring drive: 58 yards for a touchdown to start the second half. The other two TD drives were 13 and 15 yards after Tampa Bay turnovers.

"In the second half we were fortunate we had the short fields because of turnovers and the one drive," Trestman said. "Pretty good field position (Sunday)."

Offensive players know they have to improve because their defense will be challenged more today — and not simply because of Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and the Lions' offense.

"We're just trying to focus on what we can do better and that is to be more consistent on offense and to use opportunities to make plays," Trestman said. "We need to do that from start to finish. We haven't done that the last couple weeks.

"We've finished, but we haven't started the way we'd like."

Movie Review: Horrible Bosses 2

Like many sequels, specifically comedic ones, 'Horrible Bosses 2' has a good amount of laughs and a lot of similarities to the first film. But it also has quite the assortment of ups and downs.

There are some things that work and some things that don't, and from a writing and acting perspective there are a handful of quality scenes. At the same time, there are copious amounts of ridiculousness, sporadic improvisation, and one attempt at comedic bits or chaotic antics after another.

'Horrible Bosses 2' features a likeable cast of old and new characters, and a mixed bag of tricks and plot points that closely mirror the original movie. In the end, it really comes down to whether you liked or disliked the first film and its style of humor.

Following the first film, 'Horrible Bosses 2' once again features three friends, Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day), and their quest to find tolerable careers and take vengeance upon someone who has been unfair to them in the business world.

In this film, the gang has quit their previous jobs and has come up with their own invention, "The Shower Buddy," which acts like a car wash in your shower. After going on TV to try and attract potential investors, they have a run in with a big distributor, operated by CEO Burt Hanson (Christoph Waltz) and his son, Rex (Chris Pine). When a request for a large shipment of units is ordered and eventually canceled by the company for no reason, Nick, Kurt, and Dale decide to come up with a revenge plan to get back at Burt and Rex.

In many ways, the 'Horrible Bosses' franchise is much like 'The Hangover' movies. They both feature a group of guys, coincidentally being three in both cases, who find themselves in absurd, comedic, or dangerous situations and constant trouble. From start to finish, it's as if these guys are on some sort of mission to find something or someone, or in this case, seek payback.

Watching these characters fumble and fool around while on their quest is almost like watching slapstick comedy or major improvisation. Each installment follows a very similar plot and features many of the same characters. From the standpoint of having to recreate the same chemistry and style of humor, the sequels are usually not as good as the original.

But that doesn't mean there isn't good entertainment and quality cinema mixed in with the chaos. As previously mentioned, the comedy is all over the place. Slapstick, improvisation, and a handful of offensive, sexual, and racist humor; there's comedy in all areas. It's basically like watching a modern day version of The Three Stooges trying to pull off a major crime or heist. They get themselves in one sticky situation after another, bantering amongst each other and having conversations that are intended to be funny. Unfortunately, more times than not, the quality of the material feels a bit lazy or downgraded from the first film.

A good amount of credit for the comedy and entertainment is attributed to the cast, Bateman, Sudeikis, Day, Jennifer Aniston as the dirty-mouthed sexual dentist, Jamie Foxx as the unhelpful, want-to-be convict who gives terrible crime advice, Kevin Spacey as one of the mean ex-bosses, the original, who is now in jail, Christoph Waltz as an arrogant head of a large company, Chris Pine as the crazy, trouble causing son, and actor, Jonathan Banks. With a cast like that, there is no shortage of familiar, quality performers. Sometimes it feels as if these characters are used in the wrong ways or underused, but they all have a specific role to play in the make up of this film. Most characters that return from the first film are given more screen time, and their style of humor is very similar to other comedic films of theirs (especially the main cast).

It's an interesting idea to have three known comedic actors get into trouble and attempt to do everything from murder, to stealing, and countless other crimes, yet they are not very good at it. At the same time, these characters are really presented as more of the heroes of the story, or those who have been wronged, all the while breaking the law to seek revenge. The unfortunate and unrealistic situations these characters find themselves in make the audience feel for them and label the slightly more criminal or bad people as antagonists and the true villains of the story.

Overall, 'Horrible Bosses 2' has its share of entertaining, comedic moments, but also has more than a few weak spots. The film gives somewhat of a nostalgic feeling, while also providing new adventures for the characters. Some elements stay the same, and some differ or are taken in a different direction than the original film. Whether audiences like and appreciate what this sequel is going for heavily depends on viewers' desire to sit through something of this nature, or whether or not you saw and/or liked the first one. Either way, the three main characters are intriguing and humorous to watch on some level, and it wouldn't surprise me the least bit if they made a third movie.

This film opens in theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 26 and wouldn't make for the worst Thanksgiving getaway movie for guys, but it's not exactly family friendly.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars.

'Horrible Bosses 2' is rated R for strong crude sexual content and language throughout. Running time is 1 hour and 48 minutes.

Former comedy club manager claims Cosby gave her a Quaalude... and hours later woke up naked in his friend's bed

A former comedy club manager claims she woke up naked next to a friend of Bill Cosby bed after the comediam gave her a sedative after complaining of a migraine.

Joyce Emmons told TMZ that the comedian slipped her Quaalude when she was in his Las Vegas hotel suite in the 1970s. 

Hours later she was in bed with one of the 77-year-old's acquaintances. 

When he gave her the substance, she claims Cosby told her it was a 'little strong', but it it caused her to black out.  

She added that, even though she never saw Cosby drink or take drugs, he had a drawer full of pills.

Emmons, who was born in Brooklyn, said women would sometimes take the drugs 'knowingly or voluntarily' while men partied after taking them. 

She claims Cosby drugged her, but has not accused him of sexual assault.  

Quaalude, which is also referred to as Methaqualone - a sedative-hypnotic substance that acts as a depressant to the central nervous system.

Lisa Bonet's cyrptic tweets may hint at Bill Cosby scandal

“Cosby Show” star Lisa Bonet may have posted a cryptic tweet seemingly aimed at her embattled TV dad — and it wasn’t a smiley face, reports The New York Post.

“According to the karma of past actions, one’s destiny unfolds, even though everyone wants to be so lucky . . . Nothing stays in the dark 4ever!” read a tweet from the 47-year-old actress’ purported Twitter account, which was later deactivated.

Bonet played Denise Huxtable on the hit NBC series starring Bill Cosby.

At least 15 women — including model Janice Dickinson — have come forward to accuse the 77-year-old ¬comedian of being a sexual predator.

For years, bad blood was rumored to have existed between Bonet and Cosby, who was reportedly incensed by her sex scene with Mickey Rourke in “Angel Heart” in 1987 and a nude magazine photo shoot she did a year later.

In 2002, tabloids reported Bonet refused to join the cast for a 10th-anniversary special, quoting an unnamed castmate as saying: “Year after year, we watched Bill throw Lisa one bone after another, and all she did was bite his hand. The rest of us were happy to be on a hit show, but Lisa didn’t seem to appreciate her good fortune.”

Saturday Night Live recap: 'Cameron Diaz and Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars'

Cameron Diaz's monologue wasn't quite a monologue: It was more a, "I'm going to answer dumb audience questions and hope that someone thinks it's funny." Sadly, it was not funny — or even entertaining.

Diaz is quite charming, so it's disappointing to see that charm wasted on a half-hearted monologue that includes her answering questions like, "I think you're hot" and "was working on The Other Woman, like, so much fun?" It's obvious the humor is supposed to be in the ridiculousness of these audience members, but they're not even that ridiculous — they're just bringing up past Diaz projects (Shrek, Gangs of New York) in a way that seems to say, "hey, remember Cameron Diaz was in these movies too?"

But the monologue was only three minutes of the entire episode, which had some bright spots including the night's...

Best SketchAny time the ladies of SNL get together is a good time. Last season they memorably worked together for "Dongs All Over the World" featuring Anna Kendrick and this time around, they used a similar style for a song called "Back Home Ballers" about, well, lady-ballers returning home for the holidays. It's over the top and features Leslie Jones going on for way too long about bowls (yes, bowls) — in other words, it's magical.

Honorable MentionExperimental theater is often — okay, always — weird, and the "Theatre Showcase" captures that weirdness and multiples it by, oh, 100. A group of actors dressed in black moves boxes around between seconds-long scenes, and the camera cuts to parents' reactions every so often to hone in just how strange it all is. "They moved all those boxes for that?" Kenan says at one point. "That scene was like three words!" We don't get it either, Kenan.

Best Commercial for a Strange ProductWhat America has always wanted: A Nespresso machine that incubates chicken eggs. Vanessa Bayer plays the product's saleswoman who knows little to nothing about the actual product. Case in point: Kate McKinnon and Taran Killam ask how the machine works only for Bayer to enthusiastically answer, "I don't know that part!" Bayer's positive energy combined with her ignorance about the very thing she's selling is recognizable — who hasn't asked a salesperson a simple question only for them to stutter in response? — and hilarious.

Funniest Turkey ReferenceThanksgiving's coming up — have you heard? SNL has, and worked in a few turkey mentions. Not all of them quite landed though, including Diaz's line about Rock Center's light-up turkey. But the "Night Murmurs" one was weird and wonderful: McKinnon stars alongside Diaz and Cecily Strong in a commercial trying to sell phone sex, but McKinnon is more focused on selling how bad she is at bets. "I lost a bet so now I have to get videotaped while someone throws a 20-pound turkey at my back," she says with a twinkle in her eye. "That was a bad bet to make. Who knows what I'll do next!"

Erica Mena Responds To Tony Rock’s ‘Full Blown Whore’ Comment

Tony Rock got under Bow Wow’s skin this week when he tweeted that Erica Mena was a “full blown whore.” Replying to the quip by stating that he would see Rock “face to face,” Bow later tweeted that “the homies just dropped the dime” on the comedian, leading to speculation that an altercation occurred.

And in true Erica Mena fashion, the reality star offered her two cents on Rock’s insult, referring to the comedian as "bitch Rock:"

It also turns out Rock did a comedy bit on Wednesday night (Nov. 19) where he addressed his comments about Mena. After asserting that he would never fight Bow Wow, Rock acknowledged the comment as inappropriate, but refused to take it back:

[I said] “Everyone falls in love with a whore at least once in their life. 50 motherfuckers are like, “Yo! That’s crazy funny! Mad funny, mad funny! Fuckin Bow Wow responded, okay? And he was like, “we’ll talk when I see you face to face cuz” which made all my n-ggas fall on the floor laughing. But then everybody kept retweeting it and kept retweeting it.

[…]if he wants to turn it into something else, we can do that. But I’m not fighting Bow Wow, okay? I will fight one of his dudes, but I’m not fighting Bow Wow..AT ALL! In any regard of me and this n-gga like this **does fighting stance.*** That’s not going to happen. But I will say this, he proposed to her, she accepted the proposal. She’s going to be his wife. This is a man marrying a woman. I should’ve respected that, so I’ll say, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that,” but I’m not taking it back. I said it. It’s out there.

Netflix To Premiere Tina Fey & Robert Carlock Comedy Series UNBREAKABLE KELLY SCHMIDT, March 2015

Netflix, the world's leading Internet TV network, has picked up two seasons and will be the exclusive home to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the new comedy series from Universal Television from co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

The series stars Ellie Kemper (The Office) as a woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts life over in New York. The 13-episode first season was originally slated to premiere on NBC and instead will now launch exclusively across all Netflix territories in March 2015.

"The very construct of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt its offbeat premise, hilarious and rich characters and serialized storytelling make it a perfect Netflix comedy series," said Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix. "Tina and Robert's unique comic voice and sensibility come through in this series and we could not be more excited to present Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt exclusively to Netflixmembers around the world."

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to debutUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt exclusively on Netflix, which has proven to be such an outstanding place for distinctive, original programming," said Fey and Carlock. "Happily, we will still collaborate with our longtime partners at Universal Television to fulfill Netflix's two-season order. We grew up at NBC and will continue to develop broadcast projects with them as well. We found the inspiration for this series in Ellie Kemper's shining all-American face, and we know that she and Kimmy Schmidt have found their best possible home at Netflix."

NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt stated: "When the opportunity arose for Tina Fey and Robert Carlock to premiere their new show on Netflix with a two-season commitment, we decided this was the best possible scenario to launch this captivating new series. While it was originally developed for NBC, we have a very drama-heavy mid-season schedule so we're thrilled about this Netflix opportunity; it's an instant win-win for everyone, including Tina, Robert, and Universal Television. We're already talking to these extraordinary creators about new development for NBC, but meanwhile, everyone here from Universal Television will do everything possible to see that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidtbecomes a long-running hit on Netflix."

Bill Cosby: Mr. Huxtable or All-American Huckster?

Huckster: One that acts primarily from mercenary motives. One that employs persuasive showmanship to attain an objective (Webster's Third New International Dictionary).

My earliest memory of Bill Cosby goes back to the mid '60s, when he, along with actor Robert Culp, starred in the highly successful TV action-espionage series "I Spy." Resultant of his role in "I Spy," Cosby became the first African-American to co-star in a dramatic TV series.

After "I Spy" came the popular TV cartoon show "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," which ran from the early '70s through the late '70s.

Next then came "The Cosby Show" in 1984, a cultural barrier-breaker that ran until 1992. In "The Cosby Show," Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad portrayed husband-and-wife "Cliff and Claire Huxtable." Cliff, a physician, and Claire, an attorney, successfully raised five children in an affluent neighborhood. The show stressed clean humor, strong work ethics, and wholesome family values. "The Cosby Show" aired weekly for those eight seasons and would become--at some point-in-time--"the highest ranking sitcom of all time."

Further, it is common knowledge the idea and storyline for "The Cosby Show" came from Bill Cosby's real-life family situation and his personal philosophy: If black people study hard enough, work hard enough, and have the right value system in place, they can be as successful as any other race of people.

And let's not forget that while Bill Cosby was accomplishing all of the above, he was entertaining millions with his witty, everyday-life, easy-to-follow brand of comedy. In addition to being a regular on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" (arguably the hottest venue for an entertainer, at the time), Cosby sold out comedy clubs the nation over and recorded comedy albums that attracted the "thinking" crowd. Back in the day, mid '70s, if you were inside a friend's college dorm room, it would not have been out of the ordinary to have seen Cosby's hit comedy album "Bill" on a shelf wedged between The Beatles' "White Album" and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon."

And who could ever forget Cosby's TV commercial for Jell-O Pudding!

Thus, we are in agreement Bill Cosby is an accomplished and respected actor, producer, comedian, author, activist, musician, educator . . . was respected, anyway, with emphasis on "was"!

For the past few days, Bill Cosby has been all over the media. At the epicenter of the media's current interest in Cosby are . . . wouldn't you know it . . . tell-tale sex scandals!

Back in October 2014, during a stand-up comedy show in Philadelphia, comedian Hannibal Buress referred to Cosby as a "rapist." For whatever reason, Buress's comment/allegation about Cosby went "viral," and, well, to pun a bit, America hasn't been able to get enough!

If there is any validity to what we read and hear, three women did file sexual assault cases against Bill Cosby in 2005 and 2006. Supposedly, one was settled out of court.

Since comedian Buress's "rapist" allegations in October 2014, several more women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Cosby. Cosby has been lambasted by the media for not responding to questions about his guilt/innocence in these sexual misconduct allegations.

True enough, rich, powerful men, such as Bill Cosby, are in the habit of getting whatever they desire whenever they desire it. However, on the flipside, women have been known to levy false sex-related allegations against rich, powerful men, such as Cosby, solely for the purpose of cashing in: settling out of court, selling a story to a newspaper/news station, writing a book, etc.

Is Bill Cosby still our lovable "Mr. Huxtable," everyone's favorite dad, who's being wrongfully accused by female "hucksters," who, in turn, are being propelled by a rating-hungry media?

Or is Bill Cosby, himself, the "All-American Huckster," guilty as charged, who's using the "Huxtable" persona to pull one over on the public?

Beyoncé looks chic in flowing red dress for date with Jay Z... as couple continue to brush off split rumours

She premiered an outrageous music video of her dancing around in her underwear on her website Friday night.

But the next day, Beyoncé felt the need to slip into something a bit more chic.

The 33-year-old singer was seen stepping out for a night on the town in New York City with her husband Jay Z while dressed in a stylish red number on Saturday.

The pair have been putting on a united front after a leaked snippet of Beyoncé's upcoming song Ring Off sparked split rumours with the lyrics: 'So tired of the lies and trying and fighting and crying.'

For their date night, Queen Bey's 44-year-old husband Jay Z looked dapper in a navy blue suit as they enjoyed an intimate date night together.

The Run This Town rapper paired the two-piece suit with a smart white shirt and brown dress shoes as they headed out for a night in the Big Apple.

Beyoncé looked absolutely stunning in the flowing sleeveless midi dress, which she teamed with a pair of shiny, strappy magenta heels.

Unwrapping the season's new Christmas TV

What are the ingredients for a merry Christmas? Judging from TV, we can make this list: Adorable children. Cookies. Second chances at love. Wishes that come true. And this year, cats.

Nearly two dozen new movies (I count 23) arrive this month and next, most on Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel, which have been competing to see which can start the season earliest. Hallmark won this year, launching its “Countdown to Christmas” the day after Halloween.

But among its five new movies, Lifetime landed the season’s biggest star: Grumpy Cat, the famously sour-looking Internet sensation.

Meanwhile, uplifting UP (formerly the Gospel Music Channel) joins in with four new movies among its 500 promised hours of Christmas programming.

There are specials, too, and plenty of music. Frosty and the Grinch make their annual appearances, as do decades of classic Christmas movies. How-to channels show us what to cook and how to decorate.

It’s enough to make you panic if your gifts aren’t all wrapped, even if a jack-o’-lantern remains on your porch and Thanksgiving is days away.

Because there’s so much Christmas TV, and you can’t just drop everything and watch, I’ve tried to sort out the highlights, creating a Top 10 list of movies and specials worth your notice. More highlights of this season’s new offerings follow in chronological order.

Then, in Friday’s Go! magazine, look for my perennial Christmas must-sees, plus a list of where to find your favorites. Note that most movies and specials have repeat airings, sometimes many, so check your listings.

1. ‘Peter Pan Live!’

7 p.m. Dec. 4 on NBC

For its second big holiday event designed for families to watch together, NBC chooses the musical about a boy who won’t grow up and the children he takes on a magical flight to Neverland. Maybe you remember watching the Mary Martin version, from 1960, which last aired on network TV in 1990. The new, live production (following last year’s “The Sound of Music”) stars Allison Williams as Peter, Christopher Walken as Captain Hook and St. Louis’ Taylor Louderman as Wendy. Look for more about “Peter Pan Live!” in this section next Sunday.

2. ‘Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever’

7 p.m. Nov. 29, on Lifetime

Who says cats can’t act? The Grumpster makes the most of her fame by starring as a sad pet-shop kitty (voiced to perfection by Aubrey Plaza of “Parks and Recreation”) who finds a soul mate in a 12-year-old girl. (Go ahead: aww!) Despite the heartwarming factor, don’t expect too much Christmas sap here. Plaza is also an executive producer, and her acerbic wit is apparent throughout, as the movie mocks both itself and Lifetime.

3. ‘One Christmas Eve’

7 p.m. Nov. 30 on the Hallmark Channel

Maybe I forgot to mention that cats don’t have an exclusive on starring roles this Christmas. Dogs bring people together, too. In this new entry in the “Hallmark Hall of Fame” franchise, now airing exclusively on Hallmark’s own cable channel, Anne Heche has to save a puppy (and a kid) from a hole. In “The Christmas Shepherd,” 7 p.m. Sunday on Hallmark, widow Teri Polo loses her late husband’s beloved German shepherd, only to find him living with a single dad and his daughter. There’s even a dog, a big one, in the Grumpy Cat movie.

4. ‘Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas’

7 p.m. Dec. 16 on NBC

Jim Parsons is the voice of Buddy in a stop-motion animated special that promises to combine the look and feel of Christmas specials past with the wit and absurdity of the 2003 Will Ferrell movie. The nine songs are from the stage musical “Elf,” which played at the Fox Theatre last December.

5. ‘iHeart Radio

Jingle Ball 2014’

8 p.m. Dec. 18 on the CW

For anybody who got sick of carols the third week they took over radio, this concert from Madison Square Garden promises to “capture the holiday spirit,” although you can’t be sure anyone will perform “The Little Drummer Boy.” Acts include Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, Pharrell Williams, OneRepublic, Meghan Trainor, 5 Seconds of Summer, Jessie J, Shawn Mendes and Nick Jonas.

6. ‘Call the Midwife

Holiday Special’

8 p.m. Dec. 25 on PBS

Christmas Day episodes of favorite series are a tradition in England (on “Downton Abbey,” that’s when a certain favorite character met his death), and PBS is getting in on the act. On “Midwife,” the nuns and nurses of Nonnatus house prepare for the Sunday School Christmas concert and ponder what’s ahead in 1960. There’s also a “Vicious Holiday Special” (9:30 p.m.), in which Freddie and Stuart (Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi) host a Christmas party with a too-truthful game of Truth or Dare.

7. ‘The Sing-Off’

8 p.m. Dec. 17 on NBC

The a cappella singing competition returns as a holiday event special with six groups competing for a $50,000 prize. Shawn Stockman and Jewel are joined at the judging table by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, with Nick Lachey as host.

8. ‘Christmas in Palm Springs’

6 p.m. Sunday on UP

The four new original movies on UP this Christmas are joined by this TV debut in which separated parents (Patrick Muldoon and Dina Meyer) living on opposite sides of the country are brought together in Palm Springs by their kids, with help from a guardian angel (Bill Cobbs).

9. ‘Santa Hunters’

6 p.m. Nov. 28 on Nickelodeon

Nine-year-old Alex (Benjamin Flores Jr.) sets out to prove Santa is real, but his meddling may cause Claus to lose his Christmas powers forever. Kids, kids, kids. You know seeing Santa isn’t allowed.

10. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’

7 p.m. Dec. 6 and Dec. 24 on NBC

You could have bought this on DVD for a few bucks years ago, but waiting for it to come on TV has become a tradition, ever since copyright restrictions ended the once-ubiquitous holiday airings. So, here are your two chances this year.