TV

"Saturday Night Live" poked fun at the classified documents scandal engulfing President Biden, but the most biting humor was reserved for his Veep.

'SNL's Mikey Day played Attorney General Merrick Garland, kicking things off with a speech about how former Trump VP Mike Pence found classified docs at his Indiana home. Kenan Thompson, as an FBI agent, followed with a few wisecracks about Pence.

Then came the bit about Kamala Harris ...comedian Ego Nwodim, playing an FBI agent, bluntly said: 'Come on now. Joe Biden won't even give this woman a pen. You think she has classified documents? Please, Kamala Harris with classified documents."

Ego then walked away as Day returned to the mic, adding..."Well, we had to at least check."

Funny skit, but it also had to sting, since it implied Joe didn't trust Kamala enough to share the nation's secrets. Harris, as you know, has been dogged by criticism about her competence in her role as second in command.

Steve-O's new opening act for the first 9 shows of his comedy tour is Bam Margera ... and the 'Jackass' alums hit the stage together to workshop some new material.

We got video of Steve-O shocking the packed house at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Oregon last Sunday -- and Bam's surprise appearance drew huge applause from the crowd.

In the video, Steve-O helps Bam work on some jokes ... comparing Bam's life to Britney Spears' and telling a few stories from rehab.

Steve-O told the crowd he's bringing Bam along for "The Bucket List Tour" because he was terrified Bam was going down a path that would end in an early death. He said he wants his buddy on the road with him to see if it's possible for him to lead a healthy life and find a happy ending.

Remember ... Bam recently revealed on Steve-O's podcast he was pronounced dead in a hospital back in December, when he had 4 seizures and a nasty blood infection.

"Pitch Perfect" star Skylar Astin has fallen victim to a crime that appears to be happening all too frequently in Hollywood ... his home was hit by thieves during a trip away.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Skylar's Los Angeles-area pad was broken into late Wednesday night. We're told the crook(s) made their way inside after breaking a rear window and then tore the place up ... presumably looking for valuables.

Our sources say Skylar got an alert to his phone about suspicious activity inside his home, so he sent a friend over to check things out, who in turn discovered evidence of a break-in and called the cops.

As of now, it's unclear what may have been stolen from the home, but once Skylar makes it back home, he'll assess the damage and figure out what, if anything, is missing. We're told the house was equipped with security cameras ... so it's possible the criminals will be caught.

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis seem to have waived their white flags following a drama-filled year in the wake of their split -- because they're out here looking very simpatico.

The former couple -- who share two children together -- hugged it out in public Friday here in L.A. ... this after a meeting we're told they attended together, which apparently went really well. Check out the photos for yourself ... they're straight-up embracing and smiling.

OW and JS were dressed down, but their spirits seemed to be pretty high ... chit-chatting in the parking lot and eventually going in for the big hug before going their separate ways.

It's startling to see this ... in a good way. Remember, they had a tumultuous 2022 -- Olivia, especially -- which was chock-full of low blows and finger-pointing from both sides in the wake of their breakup, not to mention what was said about their relationship by outsiders.

It all started with Olivia being served legal papers at a public event in April ... which turned out to be sent on behalf of Jason, who was trying to get her to respond to custody matters.

He denied that he'd done that intentionally, but she went on to call it a "vicious" move ... so, at the time, it seemed like there was no love lost between them -- even more so with Harry Styles in the picture, whom Olivia had been dating for at least a couple years by then.

Adding insult to injury ... their ex-nanny started to spill alleged dirt about their breakup, plus their pet tendencies. They came together for that one, though, and denied the claims.

Looming large over all of this was Olivia's "Don't Worry Darling" spat with Florence Pugh ... and Shia LaBeouf. Since then, she and Harry have split -- and the dust has settled, it seems.

Bill Maher has a confession -- something he's kept under wraps for years -- he flies private, and if anyone expresses outrage they can suck it, because they'd do it too if they could.

The "Real Time" host bore down on climate change and how ridiculous the "everyone pitch in" concept has become. As Bill says, we gotta do something, but shopping with a laundry bag isn't gonna do the trick.

Bill says, "Humans are not good people," and when asked to pitch in to save the environment, their response is, "What's in it for me?"

We are now talking about banning gas stoves, yet people are more than happy to pollute the earth with Amazon deliveries, because it's so damn convenient. Cell phones use more energy than refrigerators, but getting rid of your cellphone ... hahahahaha.

Now the confession ... Bill Maher flies private. There it is -- he's a polluter/offender, but at least he's honest about it.

He regales us with image after image of socially conscious people -- some huge environmental activists -- who are more than happy to jump on a private jet -- because they can. Just a few -- Oprah, George Clooney, Leo DiCaprio, Paul McCartney, Harry and Meghan, Sting, Beyonce and Jay-Z, and on and on.

Maitland Ward from "Boy Meets World" says she's in costar Ben Savage's corner as he makes his run for congress ... even if it might be an uphill battle for him.

We got the actress, who played Rachel on the hit show, in Bev Hills and she had nothing but positive things to say about Ben ... adding he's always been into politics, so his drive for a seat in the House of Representatives makes sense.

She does seem kinda doubtful about him getting a W, though ... admitting it's gonna be a very tough fight. However, she has some killer Cory Matthews-themed campaign ideas to give him a leg up on the competition!

As we reported, Ben filed paperwork this month expressing interest to run for CA's 30th district, which includes parts of Los Angeles and its northern cities.

The filing came after he unsuccessfully ran for West Hollywood City Council back in November.

Maitland, who's famously transitioned into the porn industry, was all for Ben's decision to join that race, but says he might not have had enough brand recognition that time around.

Sophie Hawley-Weld, half of the DJ duo SOFI TUKKER, says the 'White Lotus' theme song will go down as the best in TV history ... and that's exactly why she remixed it.

We spoke with Sophie at LAX earlier this week who not only shared her love of the show, but the massive success of the theme song as well. If you didn't know, SOFI TUKKER has a super popular remix of the theme song ... that's giving the jam even more life.

Obviously, the remix has become a fan favorite at her shows, and she says they pretty much play it during every set.

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are both out at ABC ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the network tell us, after a marathon mediation session Thursday, ABC and the 2 'GMA3' anchors have severed ties, and both will receive payouts per their contracts.

We're told the mediation was "extremely contentious," with ABC reps accusing both Amy and T.J. of various forms of misconduct, which one source characterized as "a witch hunt."

We're told one of the accusations is that Amy had liquor in her dressing room, which the ABC folks said was a violation of policy. One source called the accusation "ridiculous," noting some of the bottles were sent from top ABC News execs. The source said those execs sent other on-air talent liquor as well, so this just looked like a way to justify getting rid of her.

We're told another accusation was that Amy went to the College Football National Championship game a year ago, and came to work the next day drunk. One source called that "insane," adding she was simply tired.

As for Amy and T.J., we're told it became clear in mediation they did not handle their romance appropriately ... waiting too long to disclose it to ABC execs. ABC also made it clear ... their "behavior on set" was "uncomfortable" for some ABC staff.

Our sources say the mediation will continue as both sides negotiate the fine points of Amy and T.J.'s exit.

It's a stunning change from what the network initially said when the relationship was made public -- stating the two had not broken any rules -- as they were essentially considered equals at the show in position.

It was December 2 when both T.J. and Amy were last together on "GMA3" desk. ABC honchos pulled them as they investigated whether the couple's relationship had violated company rules -- or if company resources had been used in keeping it a secret.

We don't yet know what the two will do career-wise moving forward ... but they certainly haven't slowed anything down in the relationship department, our sources say they've remained a united front throughout the entire ordeal.

Jay Leno got into a motorcycle crash last week and his injuries were no joke -- he shattered several bones.

The comedian told the Las Vegas Review-Journal he suffered a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs and two cracked kneecaps during the January 17 accident that went unreported until now.

Jay said he's currently feeling "Ok," but he's still recovering.

This accident comes on the heels of his frightening car fire in which he sustained severe facial burns and other injuries in his Burbank garage.

In his latest accident, the former 'Tonight Show'  host said he was riding a vintage motorbike and started to smell gas leaking, so he turned into a parking lot, heading directly for trouble.

“Unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it,” Jay said. “So, you know, I didn’t see it until it was too late. It just clotheslined me and, boom, knocked me off the bike."

Jay added ... “The bike kept going, and you know how that works out."

Rui Hachimura made his debut as the Los Angeles Lakers' newest addition on Wednesday ... but a lot of his fans back home missed out on the action -- 'cause the historic moment caused the NBA's streaming service in Japan to crash.

The Lakers acquired the 24-year-old from the Washington Wizards earlier this week ... shipping Kendrick Nunn and a handful of second round picks to secure the deal -- making Rui the first Japanese-born player in Lakers franchise history.

Fans were quick to complain on social media about not being able to watch Rui check in towards the end of the first quarter of the Lakers' home win over the San Antonio Spurs ... forcing the streaming service to address the issue.

Rakuten -- the Association's official streaming partner in Japan since 2017 -- released a statement on the matter ... saying, "Starting around 12:20 PM Japan Time on Thursday, January 26, the NBA Rakuten site became inaccessible when a sudden surge in user traffic caused a server issue," according to The Sun.

"This was around the time that the San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers game tipped off."

To resolve the issue, Rakuten says it made the game available on YouTube until the site was back up and running again.

Rakuten claims the problem was fixed ... and service has returned to normal.

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are hanging out in her home state ... and we've got them looking cute and getting flirty on date night.

The country music singer and "Outer Banks" star went out Tuesday night in Nashville, hitting up Robert's Western World for a little bit of live music with their dinner.

We got this video of Kelsea and Chase sitting face to face at a table ... and he leans in to whisper in her ear before putting his hand on top of hers. Fair to say, things are moving along for the new couple.

Folks who were there say it was clear they were enjoying each other's company over an appetizer -- no kissing or any other heavy PDA, but they were vibing, chatting and generally getting along well.

Sounds like this could've been one stop on a night of honky-tonkin' in downtown Nashville ... because they were only at Robert's for about 30 minutes before they left.

TMZ broke the story ... Chase confirmed he and Kelsea are an item, after they kicked it at the National Championship football game at L.A.'s SoFi Stadium. He told us she's a sweet girl and they're having a good time together.

ABC does not yet have eyes on potential replacements for T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach, despite speculation the 'GMA3' anchors are on the way out ... TMZ has learned.

Sources at the network tell us the main focus for honchos is still completing a full investigation into whether or not T.J. and Amy's relationship violated company protocols. They're also looking into additional reports of affairs Holmes might have had while employed at 'GMA' -- including one with an intern -- and any potential issues there.

While some reports have speculated DeMarco Morgan -- who has been at the 'GMA 3' desk during T.J. and Amy's leave -- has already been tapped to fill Holmes' spot permanently, our network sources say that just isn't the case, and he isn't currently being "tested" to take over the position.

The same is true for Rhiannon Ally, Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos -- who have all covered the show's anchor desk in Amy and T.J.'s absence.

We're told if and when ABC looks to fill spots, it'll be after the investigation has totally wrapped and Amy and T.J.'s fates are decided.

TMZ broke the story ... both T.J. and Amy have lawyered up in recent weeks -- Amy with Andrew Brettler and Holmes with Eric George -- to possibly take legal action against ABC.

We're told if the anchors are shown the door, their attorneys are ready to file suit, and raise the issue of race -- asking the network, "Has ABC ever used the morals or conduct clause to fire or discipline 2 consenting adults at equal levels when both were white?"

Of course, we've seen T.J. and Amy out and about living their lives as a couple since getting pulled off the air ... spending the holidays together and even hanging out the day before he filed to divorce his estranged wife.

Tim Allen says Pamela Anderson's claim he flashed her behind the scenes on "Home Improvement" is a lie ... but there's a newly resurfaced clip showing the actor flashing another costar in a playful blooper.

The scene includes Tim and Patricia Richardson, who played Tim's wife, Jill Taylor, on the popular sitcom. Allen's dressed in a kilt, and Patricia says, "Hangs long, I just wish it was shorter."

Allen then lifts his kilt, and while the camera doesn't show what's under it, Patricia tells TMZ, "People ask me what was under the kilt when he flashed me, he was well dressed under there, I was just shocked that he lifted the kilt, not by a man in boxer shorts."

As we reported, a section from Pamela Anderson's upcoming book 'Love, Pamela' claims Allen flashed her backstage while he was wearing a robe on her first day at "Home Improvement."

Pamela writes, "He said it was only fair, because he had seen me naked. Now we’re even. I laughed uncomfortably."

We should say, Allen's flashing of Patricia happened in front of a live studio audience, so there were plenty of other people around ... making it feel all the more light-hearted, and tough to compare to Pamela's claim.

Demetrius "Lil Meech" Flenory is winning rave reviews playing his father in 50 Cent's hit "BMF" series, but his dad Big Meech isn't as easily impressed as regular viewers.

Lil Meech recently revealed to Lore'l on "The Morning Hustle" that the senior Meech -- who's currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for drug trafficking -- calls him out for stuff he sees on the show that he wouldn't do in real life!!!

Lil Meech explained the smallest things ... such as having his shoestrings tied a certain style, and spiking his dad's antenna -- but one scene, in particular, caused him to flare up from the cell.

During the first season, Wood Harris' character "Pat" punches Lil Meech in the stomach ... a complete fallacy in Big Meech's book, who says he's never been beaten up in his life, and we believe him!!!

Lil Meech says he tried to explain to his dad it's simply a TV show with various arcs, but his pops isn't trying to hear it.

Of course, those little white lies make for good drama -- the series was picked up for a third season last week, capping off a string of good fortune for Lil Meech, who just saw the charges in his airport gun case dropped like a bad habit.

Sesame Workshop co-founder Lloyd Morrisett, who famously got the ball rolling on "Sesame Street," is dead.

Lloyd died Monday, according to Sesame Workshop, but a cause of death has not been revealed.

Back in 1968, Lloyd and Joan Ganz Cooney created Children's Television Workshop, the organization that created the revolutionary TV show, "Sesame Street." CTW has since rebranded to Sesame Workshop.

Cooney says there would be no "Sesame Street" without Lloyd, because ... "It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and numbers."

The idea started in December 1965, when Lloyd noticed how engaged his 3-year-old daughter Sarah was with the family TV set ... causing him to wonder if the medium could be used to educate kids. He posed the question to Cooney at a dinner party a few months later and they ultimately found the answer with "Sesame Street."

Sesame Workshop is remembering Lloyd as "a wise, thoughtful, and above all kind leader" ... who was "fascinated by the power of technology and constantly thinking about new ways it could be used to educate."

Lloyd was 93.

The Yankees gave Aaron Judge 360 million reasons to return to New York, but it wasn't just about the money ... #99's adorable puppy is best friends with teammate and friend Anthony Rizzo's little pup, and the MVP couldn't split them up!

Judge -- who signed a 9-year, $360 million deal with the Yanks this offseason -- joined Jimmy Fallon on 'The Tonight Show' where he revealed Rizzo's dog Kevin was one of the reasons he ultimately came back.

Judge, whose pending free agency hung over the team as he met with different organizations who pitched him on leaving NYC -- told Fallon that Rizzo texted and called him daily, letting the slugger know he needs to resign!

But, that wasn't all Rizzo did ... the 4x-time Gold Glove first baseman pulled on Judge's heartstrings, constantly reminding him of the bond that his dog shares with Aaron's dog, Penny -- and it worked!!

AJ said Penny and Kevin are best friends, adding that Rizzo leaned into their relationship to convince him to return to the Yankees.

Following his MVP season, Judge was the hottest free agent in baseball, and former Yankees like Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher publicly said the team should do whatever it takes to bring him back.

Rizzo understood the assignment.