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The original cast members from the 'Real World' are going back to their roots ... for a reunion show in the famous New York City loft where they first met.

The "seven strangers" are getting the band back together for the first time in almost 30 years for a new docuseries now streaming exclusively on Paramount+ ... "The Real World Homecoming: New York."

Yes, it's been that long since Eric Nies, Julie Gentry, Heather B. Gardner, Kevin Powell, Norman Korpi, Andre Comeau and Becky Blasband were under the same roof ... and ya gotta check out the gallery to see how they're looking these days!!!

Talk about a blast from the past ... the gang first moved into the loft way back in 1992, laying the foundation for 'The Real World' franchise. Don't worry, the digs have been spruced up a bit since, and the loft looks super cool. Oh, and we will finally get an answer to the big question -- what's up with Eric?

The new 'Homecoming' episodes stream Thursdays ... all ya gotta do is sign up for Paramount+ and try it for free.

The 'Jersey Shore' stars are back in a bubble to shoot the rest of their family vacation, but this time the gang is a lot closer to home.

"Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" has begun shooting the second half of season 4 ... and it appears Pauly D, Vinny, Ronnie, JWOWW, Deena, Angelina, The Situation and their family members are locked down inside Pennsylvania's Woodloch Resort.

Situation's wife, Lauren, dropped the first clue on their new home away from home this week by posting shots of a picturesque lake.

Pauly D's girlfriend, Nikki Hall, also posted a photo in front of a fireplace -- and we took their hints and lined them up to other pics from inside Woodloch resort.

TMZ broke the story ... the 'Jersey Shore' cast shot the first half of season 4 in a "Shore Bubble" at a fancy resort in Nevada, with production adhering to local, state and federal COVID-19 health and safety requirements to get the job done.

Our sources tell us production is taking the same approach for the second half of season 4, except in a new location. While Pennsylvania still isn't Jersey, it's a lot closer -- plus wherever this crew goes kinda becomes the Shore.

Will Smith says his encounters with blatant racism all involved pure stupidity -- as in, really stupid people, but he also has a theory about smart racists.

The actor dished on the 'Pod Save America' podcast, in which he discussed his experience with racism both before and during his time in Hollywood ... all with the backdrop of a new Netflix series he produced about the 14th Amendment, 'Amend: The Fight for America.'

Will was asked about how his own personal run-ins with prejudice helped steer the project, and he didn't hold back ... saying he'd been called the n-word to his face at least 5 times before.

Then, Will got a bit philosophical ... saying everyone who'd said that to him wasn't very bright -- which he chalked up to ignorance. But, he goes on to distinguish that form of racism from its ugly "twin" ... evil.

Watch the clip to see how Will phrases it, but essentially ... he's saying ignorance can be treated with education, but there's no easy fix for evil, if that's what's at the core of someone's racism.

Snooki's retirement from "Jersey Shore" was short-lived ... 'cause TMZ's learned she's filming again and we have some of the first images.

TMZ's obtained a picture that shows Snooki grabbing lunch with co-star Angelina last week at Lucco Cucina + Bar in Florham Park, New Jersey. You can see a producer -- wearing a mask -- at a table next to them and we're told the restaurant was fully lit (for TV, not a party) as cameras rolled on their convo.

It's unclear how involved Snooki's gonna be in the MTV reality series -- guest appearance or full cast member -- but her shooting any scenes at all is significant because she swore off all things 'Jersey Shore' back in December 2019. She told us as much back then when she even shot down a possible spin-off.

Also interesting is the pairing with Angelina -- true GTLers know they've almost always been at each other's throats since Day 1. That tension really amped up when Snooki, Deena and JWOWW took shots at Angelina during what was supposed to be a toast to her ... at her wedding!!!

One theory ... Angelina recently made up with Jenni and Deena following the wedding fiasco. That backlash, btw, is part of the reason why Snooki quit the show -- so, it's possible the lunch was them squashing that beef.

Questlove says Amy Poehler and Tina Fey calling out the Golden Globes organization for a lack of diversity doesn't amount to much more than a performance ... at least for now.

We got "The Tonight Show" band frontman heading into work Monday at NBC Studios in New York City and asked about Amy and Tina taking shots at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for having NO black members during the award show.

It certainly seemed strange for the show's own hosts, and other celebs, to openly raise the issue during the broadcast -- but Quest, for one, was not impressed.

He called the remarks purely "performative," and put it squarely on the HFPA to actually add Black members. Until then, he's basically saying ... spare me the lip service.

There's been a lot of backlash against the HFPA, whose members vote on the Golden Globes. As you might have heard ... it's got 87 members, and not a single one is Black.

Taylor Swift is picking up the battle her fans started with Netflix -- ripping one of its hit shows for a sexist and misogynistic joke targeting her dating life.

Taylor fired back Monday morning at the streaming service and the writers of "Ginny and Georgia" over the show's finale which showed Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and her mother Georgia (Brianne Howey) arguing about relationships. Ginny quipped, "What do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift."

Well, Taylor ain't laughing. She says, "2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse s**t as fuNny."

Swift's fans are also peeved ... #RespectTaylor started trending overnight, and one fan tweeted, "It's not sitting right with me [that] Netflix has two Taylor Swift projects on their platform and they are okay with treating her like this!!! RESPECT TAYLOR SWIFT."

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are about to drop some bombshells about their Royal lives ... at least that's how Oprah's teasing her sit-down with the couple.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex apparently allowed O to broach any topic she wanted for their upcoming 2-hour primetime TV special, "Oprah with Meghan & Harry," which hints at some "shocking" revelations ... including a suggestion Meghan's been "silenced" by Queen Elizabeth and the Palace.

As for Harry ... both promo clips show him talking about his late mother, Princess Diana, and expressing his concern that his life would tragically end up like hers if he didn't do something about it.

As we reported, Harry recently confided in James Corden that he stepped away from his senior Royal responsibilities and left the UK with his family to protect them ... and his own mental health.

Rachel Lindsay has disabled her Instagram account because of what's described as a torrent of hate by members of Bachelor Nation.

As you know by now, Rachel's interview with Chris Harrison led to him stepping away from the show after he defended current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell over a photo taken 2 years ago where she attended an antebellum party.

Van Lathan, who co-hosts the 'Higher Learning' podcast with Lindsay, tore into her critics, saying "Y'all have got to get a f***ing life." As he puts it, "Rachel is not responsible for Chris Harrison, a 49-year-old man who can't read the room in these 2021 times."

Bill Maher took aim at cancel culture, saying it's become McCarthyism in reverse.

Maher ended 'Real Time' Friday night with a blistering attack on cancel culture, using examples like Chris Harrison and Justin Timberlake, but warning it's not just about celebrities anymore ... he says it's coming to a neighborhood near you. Bill grouses he can't keep up anymore with who's on the s*** list.

Maher scoffs at the Chris Harrison and "The Bachelor" -- which he calls the "F*** a Stranger Show." And, he says San Francisco has canceled Abe Lincoln. In case you didn't know, back in the day, Lincoln embraced white supremacy ... despite ending slavery.

Prince Harry says he moved his family to L.A. to protect his family like any husband and father would -- and blamed the media for "destroying my mental health."

Harry's episode with James Corden for 'The Late Show' finally aired Thursday night and while riding an open-air double-decker bus -- COVID-safe -- he denied leaving the Royal family.

In his eyes, "It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment. As I think a lot of people saw, we all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health. This is toxic. I did what any husband, any father would do. I needed to get my family out of here."

Just last week, Buckingham Palace said Harry and Meghan had "confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family."

James and Harry, who are mates off-camera, also talked about Netflix's "The Crown" ... with Harry saying even though the series is clearly fictional it's loosely based on the truth.

With Chris Harrison stepping aside for Matt James' "After the Final Rose" ceremony, it's up in the air who will fill his shoes -- but we've learned it might be someone outside the franchise.

Sources directly familiar with the production tell TMZ ... ABC appears to be seeking someone who's not part of 'Bachelor' nation to replace Harrison for the swiftly-approaching shoot. That means no former bachelors, bachelorettes or their suitors ... no matter how popular they are.

Essentially, our sources say producers now seem to have their sights set on someone without ties to the series -- but who's still part of ABC's talent pool. That said, they did make a run at one alum.

We're told Rachel Lindsay -- the first Black 'Bachelorette' -- was asked to take up the mantle, but she declined. She's publicly suggested they consider FS1 sports analyst Emmanuel Acho -- who's not only Black, but also outspoken on issues of race. Let's face it, that's going to be a major topic when cameras roll for 'ATFR.'

Despite Rachel's endorsement, Emmanuel's rep tells us no one's reached out to them yet.

Fans have also been clamoring for Tayshia Adams -- the second-ever Black 'Bachelorette' -- to step up in Harrison's place. She's been vocal about the show's racism controversy lately, but producers have not tapped her

It's unclear if ABC's specifically looking for a POC for this gig -- but all signs seem to point to that being highly considered. It's gonna be a sensitive episode ... not just because of the Harrison fallout, but a potential faceoff between Matt and Rachael Kirkconnell, who's rumored to be the winner.

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Sheree Whitfield is free to love whoever she wants ... now that the guy she wants is free from prison!

Sheree's boyfriend, Tyrone Gilliams, tells TMZ ... he was released from prison in Kentucky last week and ever since then he's been spending lots of QT with Sheree. We're told they've mostly been spending time in Philly ... going out and enjoying cheesesteaks, naturally.

We're told Sheree's helping him acclimate back into life on the outside ... which includes helping him catch up with the latest technology.

True 'RHOA' fans know Tyrone and Sheree dated briefly nearly a decade ago, but he cut off contact when he realized the feds were going to indict him in a wire fraud case. Tyrone was ultimately sentenced to 10 years back in October 2013.

They reconnected around her birthday in 2016, and decided to start dating again -- which meant communicating as much as possible, and Sheree visited him in prison.

Things went south, though, in 2018 when Tyrone says he lost an appeal ... so they stopped dating.

Now that Sheree's single and he's scored an early release -- due to COVID spreading in prison -- he says the time was right to rekindle that old flame.

'Jeopardy!' was short on guest hosts after Ken Jennings' stint expired -- so a chief showrunner had to lace up himself and get on the field ... which turned out to be a beaut of a decision.

Executive producer Mike Richards stepped in Monday to serve as host of the quiz program -- kicking off the broadcast by introducing himself and explaining to viewers at home why there wasn't a more well-known face on their TV sets ... like a celeb, or a 'Jeopardy!' alum.

Long story short ... the team behind the scenes had a hard time booking someone -- which he explains was, in part, due to COVID fears -- so he decided to take up the mantle himself and present answers to this week's contestants. He says it best ... the show must go on.

As the rest of the half-hour played out ... it became clear Richards was a natural, and the reviews online were stellar. People loved him -- his style, his wit and humor ... all very reminiscent of the late, great Alex Trebek.

The show went off without a hitch -- and Richards says he'll be doing hosting duty for the next 2 weeks.

As we reported, the show's already announced a slew of celeb guest hosts in coming months, but folks seem to really like Mike!

'Bachelor' Matt James is finally opening up about Chris Harrison excusing historical racism and Rachael Kirkconnell's racist behavior ... calling it incredibly disappointing and devastating.

Matt didn't mince words expressing his disappointment in Harrison over how he conducted himself in an interview with Rachel Lindsay -- the first black 'Bachelorette' -- as they discussed photos showing Kirkconnell attending a 2018 antebellum south party.

The 'Bachelor' said, "Watching Chris's failure to receive and understand the emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining the racist history of the Antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand intimately, was troubling and painful to watch."

Matt said he's glad the controversy has, at least, sparked critical conversations and raised important questions ... but he's still in the middle of processing all of this as a few more episodes remain on his season of "The Bachelor." He also thanked 'Bachelor Nation' for their solidarity on an issue that has left former black contestants divided on how to proceed with the host's future.

The return of "The Real Housewives of Miami" will not feature the return of 2 big names from its original run -- Lea Black and Joanna Krupa.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the timing simply doesn't work out for Lea, an OG Miami Housewife, because she spends several months out of the year on the opposite coast at her L.A. home.

As for Joanna -- who starred on seasons 2 and 3 of the show -- we're told she has no interest in coming back ... plus, she no longer calls Miami home. She says as much herself, telling TMZ ... "In 8 years I have grown a lot as a person and my priorities in life have changed especially after having an amazing little girl. I love to work, I have great and long-lasting TV shows in Poland, and continue doing other projects."

She adds this about 'Real Housewives' ... "Women need to uplift and support each other and I would never at this point in my life consider doing a show that would cause me stress and engage in unnecessary drama. I wish everyone luck and huge success that will be part of the reboot." Lea didn't get back to us with official word, but we know she's not participating.

Our sources say over the past couple months, casting producers have reached out to several other former 'RHOM' cast members to gauge their interest in the reboot ... but it's shrouded in mystery who's in and who's out, other than Lea and Joanna.

Rumors are swirling Larsa Pippen may return, and there could be some notable newcomers ... like Phil Collins' ex, Orianne Cevey.

The folks at "Saturday Night Live" clearly had a hard time figuring out what to lead with, so they decided to lead with everybody!!!

The opening skit was pretty hilarious ... talk show host "Britney Spears" interviews "Ted Cruz," "Gov. Andrew Cuomo" and "Gina Carano" ... all of whom were brought on the show to apologize for their misdeeds.

"Ted" is back from his cut-short vacay, clutching a fruity drink in one hand and his rollaway suitcase in the other.

What's really funny ... how "Cuomo" and "Carano" -- who have their own issues -- want nothing to do with Cruz.

The dancing interludes in between guests are pretty hilarious, as are the subtle signs Britney flashes regarding her own circumstances.