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Here's Dave Chappelle hanging with David Letterman in Chappelle's hometown for what looks like a new episode of Letterman's show ... and possibly for one of Dave's socially-distanced comedy shows.

The two comedy giants shared a laugh and a cup of coffee Wednesday in Yellow Springs, Ohio, sitting on a bench outside Dark Star Books and Comics. You don't see this every day.

Chappelle and Letterman, who had a Chappelle-branded face mask hanging off his ear, were followed by a big camera crew -- which seems to indicate they're shooting an episode of Letterman's interview show, "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction."

However, Chappelle's been doing socially-distanced comedy -- which he's dubbed 'Chappelle Summer Camp' -- and Letterman popped up there too. It's unclear if Letterman actually did a little standup.

Chris Rock's already flown in for one of Chappelle's shows, which have featured Jon Stewart, Jon Hamm, Tiffany Haddish, Michael Che, Erykah Badu, Common, Donnell Rawlings, Talib Kweli and Michelle Wolf.

In any event, whatever Chappelle and Letterman are cooking up, it's sure to be funny!!!

Erik Cowie, one of the ''Tiger King' stars who you saw caring for the zoo's animals, has a nice new set of chompers -- a gift from the man in charge, Jeff Lowe.

Sources close to the GW Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma tell TMZ ... though Erik interacts with the public daily -- leading tours and answering questions about all the animals -- he has a hard time connecting with people, because he's always been self-conscious about his smile and felt bad about his teeth.

We're told Jeff and his wife Lauren wanted to do something nice for Erik -- who's still the head zookeeper like he was for Joe Exotic -- for all the hard work he does at the park.

So, our sources say Jeff surprised Erik and flew him down to Florida, where he'd arranged for him to get permanent teeth implants installed at Done In One ... which does the job in 48 hours.

We're told the dental center got his mouth all fixed up, and even decided the procedure was on the house. As you can see, Erik's one happy customer.

As you may recall ... Cowie was a sympathetic character in the 'Tiger King' docuseries, as he seemed greatly impacted by Joe's alleged mistreatment of animals. He later testified at his trial that Joe killed older tigers to make space for new animals, and expressed guilt he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Erik's also on record saying he doesn't believe Joe should get out of prison.

BTW, Erik's not the first 'Tiger King' star to get new teeth ... Exotic's ex-husband John Finlay blazed that trail months ago, and almost looked like a whole new person afterward.

The 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' are falling in line with the other 'Housewives' -- they're getting back to work, safely, and Teresa Giudice is reassuming her role as top dog ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell us the Jersey gals are going to begin shooting for their 11th season very soon, much like 'Real Housewives' in Atlanta and Orange County have recently started to do as well. Bravo halted filming on all the shows in March due to the pandemic.

The Jersey cast and crew will go through the same safety precautions as the other shows -- everyone on set gets daily temp checks, folks are encouraged to socially distance and a lot of scenes will be outdoors.

We've heard the crews will be required to wear masks, but it doesn't sound like the cast members will be forced to do so.

As for season 11 storylines? We're told Teresa will be heavily featured again ... especially her co-parenting with her estranged husband, Joe, who's in Italy after losing an appeal in his deportation case last year. Season 10 covered some of the fallout from that, including the family trip to visit him.

We're told Joe and Teresa's frequent FaceTime calls and phone chats will likely be documented -- they're on good terms right now, and there's no hint of a looming divorce, even though they're technically split up. No word on whether Joe's getting his own camera crew in his motherland, but it seems unlikely when you consider the cost.

The 'Real Housewives of Orange County' will not halt production just because one of their own is positive with COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell us ... Bravo isn't hitting the brakes as it continues to shoot the other housewives for season 15 -- despite the fact, Shannon Beador announced last week she and her 3 teenage daughters all recently tested positive for coronavirus.

ICYMI ... the reality star said, "This photo was taken pre-pandemic. Today, we are Covid positive times 4. The girls and I are blessed to be quarantining in the same home (but isolating in separate rooms)."

She added, "A huge thank you to all of the medical personnel that have been patiently guiding us through this illness. Sending prayers to all of those affected. 🙏🏻❤️"

Now, as for why Bravo and the other ladies -- including Braunwyn Windham-Burke, Kelly Dodd, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and newbie Elizabeth Vargas -- are forging on? We're told the team doesn't feel like they're in danger of getting sick.

When production resumed a couple weeks ago, our sources say the above-mentioned women, sans Shannon, took a cast trip to Lake Arrowhead. Because Shannon wasn't there, the others didn't come in contact with her ... and as a result, they're confident in moving forward with current safety guidelines, without having to close up shop again.

Speaking of those ... we're told the precautions being taken right now are similar to those being administered to the 'RHOA' cast -- Bravo's doing temp checks, avoiding filming in crowds and having the crew members wear masks on set. Same stuff across the board.

The only difference here -- an actual cast member is sick -- but not even that can stop the 'Housewives' train.

Charlie Balducci -- best known for his time on the MTV reality show "True Life" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Balducci was found unresponsive in his bed Saturday. He was last seen around 2 AM that morning and they found him on his right side of his bed later that evening around 9 PM. Paramedics responded, but pronounced Charlie dead at the scene.

We spoke to Charlie's mom who tells us Balducci passed away unexpectedly since he didn't exhibit any kind of sickness. She said the last words he spoke to her were that he's happy to have his boys, who are 17 and 19, respectively.

Balducci was a trailblazer of sorts as a pioneer of reality TV. In 2001, Balducci allowed MTV cameras to follow him 4 months before getting married to Sabrina ... resulting in one of the most infamous rants ever caught on TV.

On the day he was set to get married, the limo driver was running late, prompting Balducci to threaten the limo driver, "I will gut you like the piece of s**t you are" and "I'll hunt you down like cattle."

Charlie and Sabrina were one of 3 couples featured on the reality show "True Life: I'm Getting Married." They were discovered during a dress fitting after Sabrina said a woman came up to them saying they were hysterical. And when the opportunity to appear on the show came up, Balducci jumped all over it.

Charlie and Sabrina were married for over a decade and had two children together.

He was 44.

Regis Philbin has died ... TMZ has learned.

The iconic TV host, actor, singer and all-around media personality who was once dubbed "the hardest working man in showbiz" passed away this weekend -- this according to a statement from his family.

They told People, "His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career."

A source tells TMZ Regis died early Saturday after suffering a heart attack at his home, possibly the one in Connecticut -- although, we have not confirmed that with the family at this point.

We know he'd been battling heart disease for a while now -- even having an angioplasty done in the '90s, not to mention a triple bypass surgery in 2007. Up until last year, Regis had said he was feeling relatively healthy in retirement.

In light of his death, we must say ... Regis was a star among stars, and had a storied career.

Regis got his start in Hollywood back in the '50s while working on "The Tonight Show," under which he served as a page. He went on to work in local news for a bit and even had his own show before getting more network exposure in the '60s on "The Joey Bishop Show."

From there, the ball kept rolling -- he went on to replace talk show host Steve Allen on his own show, but fell short up against Johnny Carson's strong ratings. Regis then bounced around in media, but stayed on with hosting gigs ... everything from radio shows, variety shows, game shows, lifestyle shows, talk shows and more. The guy was getting airtime.

In the late '80s, he perhaps got his biggest break by landing a co-hosting gig with Kathie Lee Gifford, which most know as "Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee" -- a nationally-syndicated morning talk show that has continued to this day, with other hosts filling in over the years ... perhaps most notably, Kelly Ripa, who replaced Kathie Lee when she left her hosting gig.

Regis co-hosted the show until 2011, when Michael Strahan replaced him. But, even during all those years in between, the man stayed busy -- as game show fans might already know.

Of course, Regis is also super well known for being the original host for the uber game show, 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' -- which he hosted from 1999 through 2002 ... as well as a couple different special event series spinoffs in '04 and 09. He hosted other game shows as well throughout the 2000s, not to mention the first season of "America's Got Talent."

Regis has worked on countless TV series and shows over the years as a special guest, guest host, co-host or just cameos in general, including recurring appearances on "Today," 'Rachael Ray,' "The Talk," "The Meredith Vieira Show," 'The Tonight Show,' "Entertainment Tonight," "The View," "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," "Late Show with David Letterman," "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "Good Morning America," "Wheel of Fortune," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Jeopardy!," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," and on and on.

Regis is survived by his wife, Joy, his three children as well as his grandchildren. His son, Danny, died in 2014.

He was 88. RIP

Fans of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" can rest assured they'll get their fix for a new season soon enough -- and even better ... it'll look like the show they know and love, but with tweaks to accommodate these crazy times.

Production sources tell TMZ ... 'RHOA' got back to filming in-person this week, but they did it with a safety plan in hand -- one they'll continue using as the season progresses.

For starters, we're told everybody on set -- including the cast and crew members -- all get their temperatures checked every day before shooting starts. If anyone shows any COVID-19 symptoms or has a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher ... they can't film. Plain and simple.

There's more the showrunners are implementing to keep folks safe -- we're told the plan is to film the housewives themselves in more outdoor locations, rather than congregating inside if they can help it. They'll also keep the ladies away from large crowds and stick to their immediate families as much as possible. Only essential crew members -- camera people, hair/makeup, etc. -- will be around the housewives, and only when necessary.

Another thing during filming ... mask-wearing, for the production crew anyway. We're told everyone behind the camera will have one on while working, but it's unclear if any of the on-camera talent will wear them. The state of Georgia is kinda in limbo on the issue -- ATL's Mayor is trying to mandate them, but the Gov.'s suing to stop her.

At any rate, the good news is that the show's gonna look a lot more like viewers are used to in seasons past -- unlike this past season's reunion, which was shot digitally from everyone's home. That was all fine and good, but people tune in to see in-person reactions/fights.

As for who's coming back ... it'll be the familiar faces people have gotten to know of late -- Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, Porsha Williams, Kenya Moore. There'll be some new cast members too ... actress Drew Sidora and Youtube personality LaToya Ali.

The jury's still out on if longtime fan fave NeNe Leakes is coming back -- word is she's still in negotiations.

KJ Smith's enjoying her time in quarantine, because thanks to Tyler Perry ... she's able to work, make new friends without worrying about her health ... and the food's good too!

The "Sistas" star joined "TMZ Live" Monday to describe what life's been like inside Perry's massive studio complex in Atlanta, where she's been the past couple weeks filming her BET dramedy series.

KJ says the cast and crew are undergoing consistent COVID-19 testing, which makes her feel safe and secure, and everyone's being treated with their best interest in mind ... beyond just focusing on the business side of things.

On that note ... the actress says the bubble-like setup for shooting "Sistas" is allowing everyone to make real human connections they wouldn't otherwise make if it was a traditional Hollywood set.

KJ even called the experience fun ... and said on set they all refer to it as "Camp Quarantine."

Nick Cannon will NOT make his daytime talk show debut this fall ... it's being pushed to next year on the heels of his anti-Semitism controversy.

Lionsgate's Debmar-Mercury -- the co-producers behind his nationally syndicated daytime talk show -- announced Friday, Nick's debut will be pushed from this September to fall 2021. The production company said, "After conversations with Nick, we do believe that his public comments don’t reflect his true feelings and his apology is heartfelt and sincere."

The company added, "We want to continue the healing process as he meets with leaders of the Jewish community and engages in a dialogue with our distribution partners to hear their views. We are standing by Nick in our hope that by fall 2021 he will be able to use his extraordinary talent and platform to entertain, enlighten and unite his audience on the ‘Nick Cannon’ talk show."

As we reported ... Nick said Thursday night the black community turned on him after he apologized for the anti-Semitic remarks he made on his "Cannon's Class" podcast. The comments triggered ViacomCBS to cut ties with him ... because the company said he refused to apologize

Grant Imahara is getting a TV memorial, of sorts, from the TV networks where he became a famous and beloved host.

Honchos at Discovery and Science Channel tell TMZ ... the networks are paying tribute to Grant this weekend with a marathon line-up of his favorite "MythBusters" moments and other engineering programs.

As you know ... Grant, a brilliant electrical engineer, became a TV star with Discovery as one of the hosts of "MythBusters."

Discovery says some of Grant's favorite "MythBusters" moments from his 10 years on the show include episodes where he and his team tested "armor" made of folded paper, and tried to see if a hotel room shower curtain could be transformed into a life-saving parachute.

Imahara was a BattleBots champion, and the networks are also airing Grant's appearance in "Killer Robots: Robo Games 2011," when he served as a tour guide for the international competition.

As we reported ... Grant died suddenly this week at just 49 years old from a brain aneurysm.

The tribute marathon airs from 8 AM to 1 PM Friday on Discovery, and picks up Saturday on Science Channel from 3 PM to 9 PM ... ending with one of Grant's other famous hosting gigs, "White Rabbit Project."

The 1950s house that served as the home for "The Golden Girls" just hit the market for the first time ... and you can live inside a part of TV history if you've got the cash.

The 4-bedroom home in the super-exclusive Brentwood area of L.A. is one of the most famous houses in TV history, and it's listed for a cool $2,999,000.

The home's exterior was used in the first season of 'Golden Girls' for establishing shots of a fictional house in Miami shared by the 4 main characters -- Betty White's Rose, Rue McClanahan's Blanche, Bea Arthur's Dorothy and Estelle Getty's Sophia.

In later seasons of the NBC sitcom, which aired from 1985 to 1992, Disney's Hollywood Studios built an exact replica of the home. The replica also hosted backlot tours for years, but in 2003 it was demolished.

The real home, built in 1955, is still standing ... and it's a beaut. The original owners recently died, and now the home is being sold by a trust.

Easy to see why TV location scouts were drawn to the property ... the grounds are covered with lush vegetation giving it a Miami feel, including a wide variety of different palm trees standing tall in the front yard.

The home's beautiful interiors never appeared on the iconic show ... and now you can click through the gallery to see what it's really like inside.

There are no pastel pink hues or wicker furniture, unlike the fictitious 'Golden Girls' pad ... instead, the 3,000-square-foot home features a tricolor kitchen painted turquoise, avocado and yellow. BTW ... avocado is a dead giveaway for the '50s and '60s.

A wraparound porch expands into a veranda outside the front living room, and the rear living room has a fireplace and beamed ceilings. The interior, built in a Japanese style, is separated into different areas by sliding shoji screens.

Floor-to-ceiling glass windows welcome tons of natural light, and the home still has it's original oak floors.

And, get this ... the original owners weren't even fans of the show!!!

Grant Imahara complained of migraines in the days before doctors discovered his brain aneurysm, and emergency surgery, sadly, couldn't save him ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the "MythBusters" host's family tell us ... he'd been experiencing painful headaches for a few days before Saturday night, when he was having dinner with his girlfriend at a home in L.A.

We're told at some point during the meal, Grant's pain worsened and he felt dizzy, along with experiencing severe neck and back pain and numbness in his legs. After he showed signs of being unresponsive, his GF called 911 ... we're told this was around 9 PM.

Our sources say when paramedics arrived, Grant's vitals were normal but he was still in serious pain, so he was rushed to a hospital. We're told doctors soon realized he had a brain aneurysm, and he underwent emergency surgery.

Grant survived the surgery -- no small feat when dealing with an aneurysm -- but we're told he never fully recovered. He had another operation Sunday, but again came out unresponsive and in critical condition.

On Monday, we're told he had an MRI to prep for a third surgery ... but doctors discovered the extent of the damage was too severe. Grant was wholly unresponsive, and the decision was made to take him off life support.

As we reported ... the accomplished electrical engineer, roboticist and beloved Discovery host's sudden death, at just 49 years old, was a severe shock to his friends and longtime coworkers.

Former "MythBusters" host Adam Savage said, "Grant was a truly brilliant engineer, artist and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON. Working with Grant was so much fun. I’ll miss my friend."

Tyra Banks is moving from judging the catwalk to hosting in the ballroom ... the OG top model is taking over MC duties for "Dancing With the Stars."

Just a day after ABC dropped Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews leading into season 29, TMZ has learned the former supermodel is strutting her way into that role.

In addition to smizing in front of the camera, Tyra will also be an Executive Producer of the show. We've learned she was in talks with the network long before ABC cut ties with Tom and Erin.

On Monday, Tom announced the show would be continuing without him, and said his 15 years hosting were the "most unexpected gift of my career." ABC and BBC released their own statement about Tom and Erin's departures ... saying the show is embarking "on a new creative direction."

Sources close to Tom tell TMZ the news came as quite a shock to him, and he was only informed of his departure this week.

The pair had been co-hosting together since 2010, after Erin was a contestant on the show -- but now, as Daily Mail first reported, the "America's Next Top Model" creator will be stepping into that glittery, disco-balled arena.

Some of Joe Exotic's most prized possessions, like his crown and penis pump, are now in Zak Bagans' hands ... and the 'Tiger King' memorabilia is heading to a haunted museum.

Zak was at the original 'Tiger King' zoo, now owned by Jeff Lowe, over the weekend to film an episode of his show, "Ghost Adventures," and he left with a treasure trove of Joe's old things -- a gift from Jeff.

Some of the items in Zak's hilarious -- and possibly haunted -- haul include Joe's infamous jeweled crown, pill bottles, flashy clothing, wedding trinkets, penis pump and Travis Maldonado's glass pipe.

Zak's also heading back to Sin City with the park's original 'Exotic Animal Park' signage, complete with some super cool tiger imagery, and a section of an art mural wall featuring a bullet hole from Travis' suicide.

The memorabilia is the centerpiece of an upcoming 'Tiger King' exhibit at Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas ... and an October "Ghost Adventures" episode will feature ZB's eventful trip to Joe's stomping grounds, which included cadaver dogs searching for human remains.

In the meantime, click through the gallery to see what Joe left behind for Zak.

The popularity of "Hamilton" on Disney+ can't be denied, and now ... neither can the theater-loving audience's lust for more plays and musicals.

TMZ's learned that the release of Lin-Manuel Miranda's masterpiece has resulted in renewed interest and traffic for several leading theater-streaming services ... and people are wanting to get more than just their "Hamilton" fix.

A spokesperson for Filmed on Stage, the largest online database for filmed Broadway musicals and plays, tells us ... its website saw a spike of nearly +250% in the 2 weeks leading up to the July 3 premiere of "Hamilton."

We're told traffic peaked on that Friday -- with an increase of nearly 400% compared to an average Friday -- and interest in the site's filmed Broadway Musicals section has been steadily increasing ever since ... from users all across the U.S.

Filmed on Stage says its most popular titles this past week include "Newsies," "Rent" and "Kinky Boots," but it's also been receiving hundreds of emails from users asking why their favorite Broadway show isn't available to stream.

The rep tells us ... "While we are used to receiving such emails, I can safely say we received an unusual amount in the past week with visitors mostly asking for other hit Broadway musicals -- 'Wicked' leading the list."

Thespie is another streaming platform that allows visitors to discover more than 1,000 theater performances. A rep for the company tells us total traffic has increased by 86% compared to last week ... largely based on people searching for where they can watch "Hamilton."

We're told views of all the "Hamilton" and Lin-Manuel resources available on Thespie have increased by a whopping 277% since July 3 ... while non-"Hamilton" titles are also up 62%.

Of course, with Broadway shut down for the rest of the year amid the pandemic, these streaming services are more important than ever to keep theater fans satisfied ... but the "Hamilton" hype has certainly given them a shot of adrenaline.