Songs, Movies & Moments: February 2023
DeMarco Morgan to replace TJ Holmes; Donald Glover presents new series; Ja Morant confrontation; Viola Davis achieves EGOT
A Look at Entertainment
by T.J. Moore –
After ABC completed its investigation of former GMA3 hosts Amy Robach and TJ Holmes, the network may have found Holmes’s replacement in DeMarco Morgan.
According to Page Six, TV insiders are saying that Morgan, a former New York local newsman, will replace Holmes permanently on GMA3 once ABC News officially dismisses him from the show.
Morgan lives in Los Angeles but has been flying in to co-host GMA3 with ABC’s Rhiannon Ally, who’s been Robach’s fill in. Will Ally be Robach’s permanent replacement? According to an insider, the ratings have been steady and the numbers have been good enough for consideration.
Atlanta show creator Donald Glover is bringing a new series to television inspired by Beyoncé’s megafame and the dark side of fandom that comes with it. Glover’s Swarm is inspired by the culture of Beyoncé’s BeyHive.
Following the end of Atlanta’s run, show writer Janine Nabers described Swarm as a “sister show” to the drama that ran on FX for four seasons.
Swarm follows the life of Dre (played by Domonique Fishback), a young black 20 something who’s stan like obsession with a pop star “takes her to weird and dark places.” According to Vanity Fair, the fictional pop star at the center of Dre’s life has an aesthetic similar to Beyoncé’s.
You can catch Swarm on March 10 on Amazon Prime Video.
Acquaintances of Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant claim he “aggressively confronted” members of the Indiana Paces staff after their game at Memphis’ FedEx Forum weeks ago.
According to the Athletic’s Bob Kravitz and Sam Amick, Morant’s entourage allegedly pointed a red laser onto Pacers’ staff from an SUV. Morant was reportedly a passenger in the SUV and the Pacers’ staff and additional security believe the laser was attached to a gun. It’s unclear and inconclusive on who was controlling the device.
“We felt we were in grave danger,” one Pacer staff member told the Athletic.
The alleged incident took place after what was a contentious game between the two teams on Jan. 29. The Grizzlies beat the Pacers 112-100. The postgame incident followed the third quarter in which one of Morant’s longtime friends, Davonte Pack, actually walked out onto the court and yelled at Pacers players. The game was halted briefly and Pack was removed from the floor after he, along with Morant’s father, Tee Morant, and members of both teams verbally sparred.
With her Grammy win on Feb. 5, actress Viola Davis has officially achieved the elusive EGOT status. Davis won a Grammy for her memoir Finding Me, under the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording category.
The historic win was the last award she needed to complete her EGOT collection. Davis already won an Emmy for her role as Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder. In 2017, she won an Oscar for her role in Fences. In 2019, she won two Tonys for her Broadway theater role in the 2001 August Wilson play King Hedley III, and one in 2010 for the Broadway adaption of Fences.
