TV

There's MORE sand in that hour glass, after all -- "Days of Our Lives" ... the soap opera just got renewed for its 56th season on the heels of the cast being released from their contracts.

Sources involved in production confirmed the long-running sudser got the good word Thursday from executive producer Ken Corday. The green light means the cast doesn't have to sweat the bad news they got just 10 days ago.

As we reported, producers let all the actors out of their deals, but the show was still scheduled to air through the end of this season ... in summer 2020. They've taped that far ahead.

You'll recall ... Chrishell Hartley, who plays -- or played (spoiler alert) -- Jordan Ridgeway on the soap, told us the situation wasn't as dire for 'Days' as it seemed, and she predicted more episodes after the current well ran dry. Turns out, she was right!

Brad Rutter says he came out on top in previous battles with fellow "Jeopardy!" champ Ken Jennings thanks to a little luck, but Ken got the biggest break of all ... from the TV gods.

Rutter -- the highest money winner of all time on the game show -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about his storied rivalry with Jennings ... which is set to be renewed on the upcoming 'Greatest of All Time' tournament.

Brad reminds us his past matchups with Ken were very close and could have gone either way, but points out that you make your own luck too. So, yeah ... fair to say he's suggesting he's a LITTLE better, and that's why he's slightly favored over Jennings.

Despite their history, and the fact Rutter's never lost a match (to a human, anyway), Jennings is the more famous of the 2 "Jeopardy!" champs.

Why? Brad has a pretty solid explanation -- face time equals fame ... and Ken was lucky to get more of it.

It's all in good fun, of course ... Brad tells us he and Ken are friends outside the show, and a very notable butt-kicking they both received brought them closer together. Like we said, Brad's undefeated ... if you don't count robots.

Rutter also says Alex Trebek is doing an astounding job hosting the game show despite dealing with pancreatic cancer ... and marvels how he seems to be getting better.

"Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time" will air in January, and it should be noted -- recent phenom James Holzhauer will be the third champion looking to take the title from Brad and Ken.

Jamie Lynn Spears and the cast of "Zoey 101" are finally back together for a reboot ... but it's for another beloved show Nickelodeon brought back to life.

TMZ's learned Spears and several of her former castmates reunited Thursday on the set of "All That" ... the long-running sketch comedy show from the '90s that returned to TV this summer with an all-new cast.

It's unclear if Jamie and company were filming for an episode of the "All That" reboot or if it's some sort of promo shoot ... but it definitely suggests a 'Zoey' revival is close to becoming a reality.

We broke the story in July ... Spears was in talks to reprise her iconic role, as the grown-up mom version of Zoey a decade later. A bunch of cast members even got together for dinner amid talks the show was coming back.

Our sources say the entire cast is willing to make the reboot happen, but negotiations with the network still haven't gotten off the ground. We're told there are some meetings planned for next week.

Along with featuring Spears ... "Zoey 101" is known for helping launch the careers of stars like Victoria Justice and Austin Butler. The original "All That" is known for launching the careers of Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes and Nick Cannon.

Dustin McNeer -- best known for appearing on cycle 22 of "America's Next Top Model" -- has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman believed to be his girlfriend ... TMZ has learned.

Cops arrested McNeer Wednesday in Charlotte, NC after a 21-year-old woman reported him for domestic assault the day before ... according to police docs.

The model turned bodybuilder was booked on 2 misdemeanor charges -- one count of assault on a female, and one count of injury to personal property. Sources close to the situation tell us the female is McNeer's GF.

Cops say she told them the incident happened on November 8, and she suffered minor injuries, but did not get any medical treatment. She also claims her iPhone was also damaged during the alleged confrontation.

McNeer's being held on a $500 bond.

Dustin appeared on 'ANTM: Guys & Girls' in 2015 and finished in 7th place. He's since moved on to the world of bodybuilding.

Terrell Owens just ripped Stephen A. Smith for his Colin Kaepernick criticism ... and straight-up told the ESPN star his white cohost, Max Kellerman, "almost seems blacker than you."

SAS has been one of Kap's biggest detractors since his NFL workout over the weekend ... essentially blasting the QB for not publicly explaining his situation further.

TO has taken major issue with the TV talent's takes, and even sent Stephen A. a private text message about it -- so Smith invited Owens on "First Take" to air it out.

The two were arguing alongside cohost Max Kellerman over the issue ... when Owens interrupted the discussion to say, "Max almost seems blacker than you, Stephen A."

SAS was FURIOUS about the comment -- calling a "timeout" and telling Owens he "crossed the line."

"Imma check you right now," Smith said. "You done crossed the line."

Eventually, Owens explained his comment by telling Smith, "You're taking it as disrespect. There's no disrespect ... it's tongue-in-cheek."

Doesn't seem Smith saw it that way ... 'cause he went on his ESPN Radio show later Thursday and said he wished he were on another network so he could curse about the whole incident.

Owens hasn't talked about the drama on social media yet ... but we're sure a tweet or IG post will be coming soon.

Courteney Cox's dogs got loose and darted into traffic, and despite her efforts to save them ... it was a good Samaritan who came to the rescue.

The "Friends" star was desperately trying to chase down her 2 beloved pups on treacherous Pacific Coast Highway Wednesday after they ran off from her nearby Malibu mansion ... and she couldn't keep them from running into a very dangerous situation.

Fortunately for Courteney, a quick-thinking paparazzo driving by saw the dogs and pulled over, jumped out of his car to stop traffic ... and managed to scoop up both little pooches before they got hurt.

Much of the dramatic scene -- in the L.A. rain, no less -- was captured by the guy's dashcam.

We're told when he returned the dogs to Cox, she thanked him profusely and told him, "You saved my dogs' lives!"

Diddy is calling out one of his biggest business partners -- potentially risking his own neck -- in order to take a stand in a Supreme Court case that will effect discrimination laws for all Americans.

Diddy's pissed off at Comcast, because the cable provider used his name and REVOLT channel as an example of how inclusive it is of minority-owned channels. Comcast is being sued by Byron Allen, who claims it refuses to carry his channels ... while it airs "lesser-known, white-owned" networks.

The case is now being heard in the high court, and when Comcast puffed its chest by using Diddy, the mogul had enough. Diddy says, "It is not accurate to use my name or my network as an example of inclusion." He adds, the cable company is putting "its legal tactics ahead of the rights of millions of Americans to be heard. This is not OK."

In the simplest terms ... Comcast wants the Supreme Court to rule that under the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Byron must prove racial discrimination is the "sole cause" for it rejecting his channels.

As Diddy points out, "If they [Comcast] are successful, it will become much harder for any victim of discrimination to seek justice in court."

Beyond the Supreme Court case ... Diddy's making it clear he's not thrilled with this biz relationship with Comcast, anyway. He says, "REVOLT has never been in a position to truly compete on a fair playing field because it has not received the economic and distribution support necessary for real economic inclusion. Our relationship with Comcast is the illusion of economic inclusion"

Dog the Bounty Hunter wants it known -- he's NOT dead like the Internet might have you believe ... and we got our hands on a good old-fashioned "proof of life" photo to back it up.

The reality TV star took this hilarious photo of himself Tuesday holding a handmade "I'm Alive!" sign in one hand and that day's Denver Post to prove he is, in fact, still with us. We're told this was in response to a fake death story that was going around on Facebook.

Tons of fans were flooding Dog's social media with condolences and "RIP" posts, and our sources say Dog's team even reached out to him to make sure he was all good.

We're told Dog was on his way to a workout when his phone started blowing up and he first heard about the hoax -- which claimed he'd died because his grief over his late wife, Beth Chapman, caused a flare-up of his recent heart problems.

Yo, Jim Cornette ... WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!

The longtime wrestling commentator said some insanely offensive stuff during an episode of "NWA Power" ... and it's so bad, the company has PULLED the episode.

Cornette was calling a match between champion Nick Aldis and Trevor Murdoch -- when the announcer tried to praise Murdoch for his toughness ... and went super racist.

"He’s the only man I’ve ever known that can strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia."

WILDLY RACIST.

Of course, there was IMMEDIATE outrage -- prompting NWA Vice President Dave Lagana to issue an apology on behalf of the company.

"On tonight's episode of NWA Power airing on November 19th 2019, one of our talents made comments which some viewers found offensive. We deeply regret the error and apologize."

Lagana added, "We have temporarily taken the program down while we correct this error."

Cornette has been in hot water for comments made on-air in the past -- in fact, NWA previously issued an apology when Cornette was "making light on the subject of suicide."

58-year-old Cornette has been a staple in pro wrestling for decades -- working for major promotions like WWE and Impact Wrestling.

So far, no word yet from Cornette on the incident.

The top 3 "Jeopardy!" contestants to ever win big are going head-to-head (to head) on TV -- and one guy who had a great run thinks he knows what sorta questions will be asked.

We spoke to Austin Rogers -- who had a 12-game winning streak in 2017 -- and he mused with us over what Alex Trebek and his crafty writers are gonna ask Ken Jennings, Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer come Jan. 7 for "Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time."

It's exactly what it sounds like -- these guys have amassed the most cash out of anyone on the show, and it's time find out who's the true king in a 3-way face-off. As for what'll be asked -- or answered, rather -- Austin tells us the "Jeopardy!" crew will get diabolical.

Fact is, Austin says the writers know exactly how to tailor the topics for these three -- and he believes they'll be throwing pop culture curveballs instead of ancient history softballs.

Check it out -- Austin even weighs in on who he thinks has an edge here among these titans of trivia, and it sounds like our boy, James, is in the driver's seat with his scattered approach in hunting for Daily Doubles ... and his go big or go home wagers.

Good luck, fellas!!!

The newest Laker Girl is ... GRONK?!

Yep, the (ex?) NFL superstar hit the court at Staples Center on Tuesday night to join the Laker Girls with Venus Williams and James Corden ... and it was ... something!!!

There were high kicks, hip thrusts and some booty poppin' ... and LA's home crowd LOVED IT!!!

If we had to guess, seems the routine was all for a bit for Corden's "The Late Late Show" ... because why the hell else would this happen?

One person who was (sorta) impressed? Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend Camille Kostek, who used to cheerlead for the Patriots.

"Still deciding if I’m a proud girlfriend over this," Camille said. "Nevertheless .... this is an EPIC #NeverNotDancing moment I am proud to witness by Mr James and Robert James I LOVE YOU BOTH"

The wild show capped off an eventful day for Gronk ... 'cause just hours before he broke it down at Staples Center, he announced he was staying retired this season and opting to party instead.

As for how the Lakers fared with the 6'6", 265-pound beast rootin' them on ... they kicked ass, beating Oklahoma City, 112-107.

Kanye West's appearance and performance at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church was one of the biggest Christian events in recent memory, with streaming numbers that shattered records.

Kanye's Sunday night service was broadcast across 4 Lakewood-related platforms on Facebook and YouTube with 4.17 million unique viewers total. We're told by comparison, Joel's Sunday morning service usually pulls between 700k and 1.3 million sets of eyeballs.

The 4.17 million is certainly impressive, considering Kanye's appearance at Joel's service earlier in the day also amassed hundreds of thousands of viewers. It was also broadcast on SiriusXM radio and will hit television sets in the coming weeks.

People in Christian circles tell us the Kanye collab was one of the biggest faith-fueled events in recent history ... and the effects are still being felt around the community.

Emilia Clarke says she was pushed to perform in the nude as a young actress getting her start on "Game of Thrones" ... and she's had fights on sets over her refusal to bare all again.

Emilia -- who rose to fame playing Daenerys Targaryen on 'GoT' -- opened up on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast about her experiences with nudity ... explaining that going nude early on Season 1 of 'Thrones' made others assume she was comfortable acting naked.

She says she was told she needed to perform nude so as not to disappoint her 'GoT' fans. Emilia says she fought to keep her body covered by issuing a "f*** you" to folks on set.

It's a pretty fascinating conversation ... Khaleesi says she didn't feel comfortable saying no to a "f***ton" of nudity as a 'GoT' rookie, but eventually learned she could set the barriers on how much she was willing to reveal after working with Jason Momoa, her onscreen love interest.

Rep. Eric Swalwell seemed to cut the cheese live on national TV ... but the cheese, as it turns out, was apparently a studio mug.

The California congressman was doing an interview Monday on MSNBC's 'Hardball' with host Chris Matthews -- and while he was going on and on about Ukraine and alleged malfeasance by DT ... something that sounded like a loud, wet fart blasted through the airwaves.

It certainly seemed like flatulence, and Rep. Swalwell even paused a moment right afterward in what many viewed as an acknowledgment of the ripped gas. And, of course, #fartgate and #shartgate soon started to trend everywhere on Twitter as a result.

Funny enough, the official 'Hardball' account excused the noise away as someone dragging a coffee mug across a table in the studio -- which just happened to get picked up on a mic.

Swalwell was ecstatic, quickly using the network's cover as what he described as "TOTAL EXONERATION!" -- very Trump-like, right?! And yes, everyone had a good laugh over it -- Republicans and Dems alike. It might've been the most uniting thing in a while, actually.

And, for those looking to go even deeper down the rabbit hole ... some have pointed to a theory that the would-be fart actually came from Matthews. Apparently, there's a history of gas being passed on his show over the years, as one Twitter user dutifully pointed out.

Anyway, if these impeachment hearings are lacking pizzazz -- as NBC News itself noted last week -- then Swalwell (or Matthews) just dropped a much-needed fun fart bomb.

'Memba these iconic Disney Channel stars?

With the launch of Disney+, these faces have been brought back to the screen and plenty of childhood memories are coming back with it.

Movies from "The Luck of the Irish" and "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century" to "Gotta Kick It Up!" and "Motocrossed" have all the nostalgic feels returning.

Take a good look through our gallery of Disney Channel Original Movies and see if you can remember the faces featured in these films ... Keep scrolling and get a look at what the actors look like now!

C. Thomas Howell is ready to spring into action and help his alma mater in Santa Clarita recover ... after the California school became the site of the 366th U.S. mass shooting this year.

Tommy tells TMZ ... he was absolutely stunned when he heard Saugus High School -- where he graduated from in 1984 -- had been placed on lockdown Thursday after a 16-year-old student opened fire ... shooting 5 students, killing 2 and then turning the gun on himself.

The actor -- star of the cult classic "The Outsiders" -- said the news of the shooting stopped him in his tracks because he grew up in the sleepy town ... a town he says is known for being a safe neighborhood and a city where anyone would wanna raise their family.

Tommy, who splits time between L.A. and his home in Georgia where he's currently at, says he's getting in touch with the school and will see if there's anything he can do to help out.

He says he would talk to the students to offer some comforting words and help in any other way possible. Tommy -- who currently stars in the AMC hit show "The Terror" and is known for his role as a brash LAPD cop in the hit show "Southland" -- says he's praying for the family of the victims and the community.