The Phillies kick off a four-game series with the New York Mets Thursday, but fans will need to do a bit of channel surfing to catch all the games.
Thursday night’s game will air on Fox beginning at 7:15 p.m., with Kenny Albert and Tom Verducci calling all the action. Ken Rosenthal will report from Citi Field.
Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.69 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for the Phillies. Nola hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start since way back on July 22, when he gave up five to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’ll face Mets rookie Nolan McLean (11-9, 3.24 ERA), who gave up just two hits and struck out 10 in a win against the Phillies on July 19.
On Friday, the Phillies jump off TV and onto streaming for their final appearance on Apple TV’s Friday Night Baseball this season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., with Alex Faust and Ryan Spilborghs on the call and Tricia Whitaker reporting from the stadium.
Apple TV also has its own pregame show hosted by Sierra Santos alongside former outfielder Chris Young and MLB insider Russell Dorsey.
It’s the fifth season of Apple TV’s seven-year, $595 million deal with MLB, which runs through the 2028 season. Over that time, the cost has nearly doubled from $6.99 to $12.99 a month.
While Apple TV’s exclusive games remain an annoyance for baseball fans without the streaming service, they do come with one important perk — the ability to switch the audio feed over to 94.1 WIP and Scott Franzke and Kevin Stocker calls.
The quality of Apple TV’s broadcast is also generally very good, with crystal-clear footage and minimalist graphics (though the constant probabilities and live gambling updates become a bit annoying).
Scott Franzke (left) and Ruben Amaro, Jr. will call the final two games of the Phillies-Mets series on NBC Sports Philadelphia. NBC Sports Philadelphia
The final two games of the Phillies-Mets series will be back on NBC Sports Philadelphia Saturday or Sunday. With Tom McCarthy calling Sunday’s NFL matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on CBS, it’ll be Franzke calling the games alongside former Phillies general manager turned announcer Rubén Amaro Jr.
John Kruk will be back Tuesday along with McCarthy to call the Phillies’ series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the second-to-last of the season. And World Series MVP-turned-broadcaster Cole Hamels will be back in the booth for the final Phillies game of the season on Sept. 27 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Phillies playoff picture
NL East standings
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There was a moment where it seemed like the Phillies might overtake the Braves in the standings. But after dropping two of three against Atlanta last weekend, the Phillies’ chances of winning the National League East appear distant as best.
The Phillies enter Thursday’s series opener against the Mets 4½ games behind the Braves with 10 remaining. Atlanta faces the AL West-leading Houston Astros this weekend, but finish the season against the lowly Cincinnati Reds and Miami Marlins. An epic collapse along the lines of the 1964 Phillies — who blew a 6½ game lead with 12 remaining — doesn’t seem likely.
NL wild-card standings
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If the season ended Tuesday, the Phillies would end up in the second wild-card spot, meaning they’d travel to Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs.
The good news is the Phillies are just a half-game down from the top wild-card spot entering Thursday. Overtaking the Cubs would move that three-game series to Citizens Bank Park.
The bad news is the Cubs, who are off Thursday, own the tiebreaker against the Phillies. Chicago kicks off a three-game series against the Reds Friday before finishing the season with series against the Marlins and Boston Red Sox.
The MLB playoffs begin Sept. 29 and will air on NBC.
Phillies magic number
That is the combined total of Phillies’ wins and/or losses by the teams on the outside looking in that are needed to secure at least the third wild-card berth and a spot in the playoffs.
Vigilante Jack Reacher's shadowy dealings spilled out across Philadelphia for the Reacher’s fourth season, which is now available in full on Amazon Prime. Starring actor Alan Ritchson as the hulking retired Army investigator, the series was spotted filming around town in 2025.
Based on Lee Child's 2009 novel Gone Tomorrow, the fourth season of Reacher has its titular character facing off against he CIA, federal agents, and international mercenaries following a woman's suicide. And while much of the on-screen action appears to have been filmed elsewhere — namely Toronto, which looks a lot like Philly, but with space — the City of Brotherly Love does show up quite a bit.
Here, we've rounded up all the Philly spots we could identify in season four. Check out the map below for where Reacher and his cohorts went in the city.
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Seen in episode 1
City Hall
Michael Bryant / Staff Photographer
Reacher's fourth season immediately sets the scene with a shot of the William Penn statue atop City Hall as a nightscape of Center City shines in the background.
Seen in episode 1
Uptown Beer Garden
Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
We catch our first glimpse of our hero, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), as he exits Uptown Beer Garden, walking out of the establishment silently with a beer in hand.
Seen in episode 1
LOVE Park
Michael Bryant / Staff Photographer
Reacher speaks for the first time this season, ordering a "wiz wit" from a nondescript food truck in Love Park.
Seen in episode 1
Avenue of the Arts
Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Here, Reacher strolls down the sidewalk on the west side of Broad Street, chomping on his cheesesteak. Canonically, it is just after 2 a.m., and the street is deserted as he descends into the Walnut-Locust entrance of the B line, which runs along Broad Street.
Seen in episode 1
Walnut-Locust Station
Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
As he enjoys his cheesesteak, Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) heads down into the Broad Street Line at this Center City station. Several interior shots of the station are shown, including one in which a rat munches on a hot dog.
Seen in episode 1
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
Thomas Hengge / Staff Photographer
Philly is shown off in all its nocturnal glory in episodes one, and seven with a low-light shot of Center City from the Ben Franklin Bridge. Episode five features a skyline shot from the bridge, showing the One Water Street Apartments building.
Seen in episode 1
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
For the first time in the season's first episode, the sun rises on Philadelphia. And it does so in this stunning aerial shot showcasing many of the Ben Franklin Parkway's gems — Logan Circle, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the works.
Seen in episode 1
Parkway Central Library
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
We get a great glimpse of the exterior of the Parkway Central Library before heading inside, where Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) and Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette) do research on Congressman John Sampson (Marc Blucas), a North Carolina representative who is launching a presidential bid.
Seen in episode 1
Parc
Courtesy of HughE Dillon
Parc briefly plays host to Reacher, Lila Hoth (Agnez Mo), and Jacob Merrick (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette) as the trio settles in at an outdoor table to evade police.
Seen in episode 3
Walt Whitman Bridge
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Reacher and his cohorts travel back into Philly via this bridge after escaping Washington, D.C. In the background, the old Southwark Generating Station is clearly visible.
Seen in episode 3
Schuylkill Expressway
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
As Reacher and his crew traverse Philly at night, the action leads to a shot of the west end of Center City near 30th Street Station from the Schuylkill Expressway.
Seen in episode 3
Schuylkill Expressway
Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Here, we get another nightscape shot of Philly's skyline, again from I-76 near 30th Street Station looking east. In the foreground, Locust on the Park is lit up green and is featured prominently.
Seen in episode 4
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The Philly skline is again featured in a sprawling shot from the Parkway. In the lower left, the Parkway House is visible.
Seen in episode 4
City Branch tunnel
Ed Hille / Staff Photographer
Fresh off a victory over some goons following a battle in the subway, Reacher makes his way back above ground here as he evades police.
Seen in episode 5
Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
Margo Reed / Staff Photographer
While on the run from the police, Reacher and Tamara take refuge here, only narrowly avoiding capture in the Gardens' maze-like interior.
Seen in episode 5
The Rail Park
Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Reacher and Tamara continue to evade capture, cutting through the Rail Park before dangling from its side to hide.
Seen in episode 6
12th and Market Streets
Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Reacher and Tamara's mugshots appear on a screen at the corner of 12th and Market, which they see after passing by the Hard Rock Cafe.
Seen in episode 6
Italian Market
Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Yet another Philly skyline shot, but this time from South Philly. If you look closely, you can see St. Paul Parish, as well as the seating area for the Di Bruno Bros. 9th Street Bottle Shop.
Seen in episode 7
56th and Market Streets
Kate McCann / Staff Photographer
This skyline shot looks east along the Market-Frankford El line, with one of Steve Powers' "A Love Letter For You" murals clearly visible.
Seen in episode 7
Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
The Mann becomes a plot point as a potential demonstration site for a toxin being sold on the dark web thanks to an orchestral concert of movie scores.
Seen in episode 8
Schuylkill Expressway
Tamara, Reacher, and Jacob travel along I-76 in South Philly, with a clear view of Kindy's Christmas Factory Outlet in the background. Reacher and his cohorts continue their journey on I-76, getting off at exit 349 and crossing over Packer Avenue. If you squint, you can just make out the Chickie's & Pete's sign in the background.
Seen in episode 8
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
We get another aerial shot of the Parkway zooming into City Hall, but this time the camera travels over the roof of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The building's bronze winged horses and griffins are the stars of the shot.
Seen in episode 8
45th and Market Streets
The season closes out on, you guessed it, an aerial shot of Center City. This one looks east from West Philadelphia as Reacher rides the subway to parts unknown, Drexel University's Vidas Field barely visible to the left.
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That was every location we could spot in this season of Reacher. Explore the map of all locations featured. Tap onHover overa pin to learn more.
Staff Contributors
Design and Development: Garland Fordice and Sam Morris
Philadelphia talent was on full display at the 2026 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Monday night, but only one of the nominated actors, crew members, or shows took home trophies.
The big, surprise exception was Tom Pelphrey, a Rutgers University alum from Howell Township, N.J., who won for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his performance as Robbie Prendergrast on Season 1 of the Delco-set HBO crime thriller Task.
“I thank God for my life and my sobriety. I thank my family and my friends for all your love and support all these years, from Emmys to, you know, black box theaters and everything in between,” said Pelphrey in his acceptance speech before thanking Task creators including directors Jeremiah Zagar (son of South Philly mosaicist Isaiah Zagar) and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and fellow cast members Mark Ruffalo, Emilia Jones, and Raúl Castillo.
Ruffalo was nominated for outstanding lead actor in a drama for his role as Tom Brandis but lost to Noah Wyle of The Pitt. The Pittsburgh-set emergency room drama received a whopping 25 nominations and took home seven Emmys, including outstanding drama series; Pelphrey beat out three supporting actor nominees from The Pitt for his win.
Brad Ingelsby, writer/executive producer of “Task” and “Mare of Easttown,” in his office in Berwyn on July 17, 2025. Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
“Thank you to Brad Ingelsby for this incredible role and this opportunity and your friendship. You are an amazing human being. I’m so proud to be your friend,” Pelphrey continued onstage as the camera showed a beaming Ingelsby, the Berwyn-based showrunner. Ingelsby is the writer/executive producer behind Task, which is currently shooting its second season in the Philadelphia area, and the Emmy-winning Mare of Easttown.
In Task, Pelphrey played a heartfelt but troubled trash collector who begins stealing from drug houses in Philadelphia’s collar counties run by a local motorcycle gang that killed his brother. Starring alongside two-time Emmy winner Ruffalo, Pelphrey was a complicated foil to Ruffalo’s priest-turned-FBI agent who hunted him down. The recognition marks Pelphrey’s first Emmy win after he was previously nominated for outstanding guest actor in a drama in 2022 for his role in Ozark.
“Brad is desperately insistent upon each individual’s humanity, so every character he writes is justified, in some sense, with a reason why they’re doing everything that they do — and that’s incredible, because usually that stuff gets sacrificed for plot,” Pelphrey told The Inquirer in a 2025 interview.
Tom Pelphrey accepts the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for “Task” at the Television Academy’s 78th Emmy Awards telecast at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Content Services)AP Photo/Danny Moloshok
Task received six Emmy nods, including outstanding writing for a drama (recognizing Ingelsby’s heart-wrenching finale), directing, picture editing, and cinematography. The dystopian Apple TV+ show Pluribus won for outstanding writing and picture editing, while the directing trophy went to the British spy show Slow Horses and cinematography went to Spider-Noir.
“Abbott Elementary” cast and crew pose with the Phanatic and Phillies player Kyle Schwarber at Citizens Bank Park on Aug. 28, 2025.Vaughn C. Page Jr.
However, the horror-tinged newcomer Widow’s Bay swept nearly all the comedy categories, dominating the stage with a record-breaking 14 wins. Abbott Elementary actors Tyler James Williams and Janelle James were up for outstanding supporting acting in their respective categories but both lost to Widow’s Bay.
Previous two-timeEmmy-winner Brunson was briefly in the spotlight when Emmys host and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay asked celebrity attendees about their first jobs.
“Oh, I was a student dance schoolteacher,” Brunson answered. Fellow West Philly-raised star Colman Domingo, who was nominated for outstanding guest actor in a drama for Euphoria and outstanding supporting actor in a comedy for Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons, also joined in. His first job, he said, was working the fries station at McDonald’s. (Domingo lost the former category to The Pitt and the latter to Widow’s Bay.)
Tina Fey as Kate and Colman Domingo as Danny in Season 2 of the Netflix comedy series “The Four Seasons.”Emily V. Aragones/Netflix
To celebrate the 30-year anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Villanova-raised actor and Malvern Prep alum David Boreanaz joined star Sarah Michelle Gellar for a reunion moment onstage. The son of famous 6abc weatherman Dave Roberts, Boreanaz played the vampire with a soul Angel and later received his own spinoff show. (He’s also a diehard Philly sports fan.)
“You know, Sarah, I always thought that Buffy and Angel would end up together,” Boreanaz said as the pair reflected on the groundbreaking show. “Well, I guess we won’t find out,” Gellar replied in a pointed critique of the recent cancellation of the Buffy reboot that had been in the works.
Actor David Boreanaz, wearing a Randall Cunningham jersey, and his son, Jaden, in a Saquon Barkley jersey, at Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.Courtesy of David Boreanaz
Ahead of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosted the Creative Arts Emmys in two events honoring artists behind the scenes in technical categories. Winners from those ceremonies included South Philly comedian Rob Mac — the showrunner behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia — whose FX show Welcome to Wrexhamwon for outstanding sound mixing for a reality program. (It was also nominated for outstanding picture editing and outstanding unstructured reality program.)
Bucks County pop star Sabrina Carpenter also won during the Creative Arts Emmys earlier this month for performing in and executive producing the 50th anniversary special of The Muppet Show, which earned a gold statue for outstanding variety special (prerecorded) — putting her halfway to EGOT status.
Another Philadelphia-connected nominee was Tires, the Shane Gillis-led Netflix comedy recognized for outstanding sound mixing for a half-hour comedy or drama; the trophy went to Widow’s Bay.
At Monday night’s ceremony, one more Pennsylvania celebrity made a cameo: Superstar singer Taylor Swift, who grew up in Reading was not in attendance, but appeared in a prerecorded skit with Hargitay spoofing Law & Order along with Swift’s cat, named for Hargitay’s character, Olivia Benson.
“The Great One” is coming to Philadelphia to kick off the NHL season, and he’s bringing a few friends with him.
TNT is renting out Stateside Live! and bringing it’s full NHL studio crew — including Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky — for the Flyers’ opening night matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins (Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.), the latest edition of their Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry.
Liam McHugh will host the festivities beginning at 6 p.m. He’ll be joined by TNT analysts Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, and Gretzky, who signed a multi-year extension with Turner Sports last year.
Gretzky joined TNT as a hockey analyst in the 2021-22 season after it secured its media rights deal with the NHL. He appears on TNT’s coverage infrequently, but is there for all the major events, including the Winter Classic and the Stanley Cup playoffs.
TNT’s NHL studio crew (from left) Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, and Henrik Lundqvist.Turner Sports
“This city lives and breathes sports, and the passion of Flyers fans creates an incredible atmosphere that you can feel the moment you arrive,” said McHugh. “We’re excited to bring NHL on TNT back on the road, celebrate the start of another season, and give fans a front-row seat to all the energy, intensity, and personalities that make this sport so special.”
It could be a busy night in South Philly. In addition to the Flyers’ opening-night game, it’s possible the Phillies could be hosting a wild-card game.
TNT is scheduled to get nine of those, including two matchups against the Washington Capitals in what could be Alexander Ovechkin’s final NHL season.
Ross Tucker shines amid Tony Romo CBS drama
Eagles preseason announcer Ross Tucker will call Sunday’s Eagles-Commanders game on CBS.CBS
Ross Tucker shined in his debut in CBS’s No. 2 booth Sunday, which he’ll remain a part of for at least the next few weeks.
CBS announced its broadcast schedule for Weeks 2 and 3, and the Wyomissing native and former NFL offensive lineman will continued to be paired with veteran play-by-player Ian Eagle.
On Sunday, Eagle and Tucker will call a Week 2 matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos. In Week 3, the pair will broadcast an AFC North battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tucker, who also serves as the Eagles preseason announcer, impressed fans and critics Sunday during CBS’s broadcast of the Buffalo Bills’ narrow win against the Houston Texans.
Early on, during a failed fourth-down run by Josh Allen, Tucker was quick to note offensive lineman Dion Dawkins “took too big of an angle” on Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter, allowing him to undercut the block and make the play.
“The Bills would have had it if Dawkins could have sealed that block,” Tucker said.
Later in the game, when a pass went right through the fingertips of Texans receiver Xavier Hutchinson, Tucker pointed out the often-overlooked difficulty in making that type of catch.
“That’s a tough spot to catch a football, right above your helmet, because your arms are restricted a little bit by the shoulder pads,” Tucker said. “It’s one of the tougher places to catch than you would think.”
Going unmentioned in CBS’s announcement of its upcoming schedule was Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who remains suspended after pleading no contest to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. J.J. Watt will remain in the No. 1 booth alongside Jim Nantz for at least the next two weeks.
The network has yet to respond to Romo’s statement tjat he plans to return to CBS “in time,” leading to speculation the network might be looking to part ways with its highly paid top NFL analyst.
“What feels on the horizon is the use of the morals clause and other language in Romo’s contract to try to reach a settlement on the final $72 million on his contract,” wrote The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. “It could end up in a legal fight to determine how much Romo will receive to leave.”
Quick hits
Hall of Famer Drew Brees is in his second season with Fox as a color analyst. Tyler Kaufman
Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees will call his first Eagles game Sunday when the Birds take on the Tennessee Titans on Fox. Brees was run out of NBC in 2022 after a bad performance calling his first NFL game — a wild-card game — but has since rebounded in his second year with Fox.
Former Penn State football coach James Franklin is coaching Virginia Tech this season, and after Monday’s win against Old Dominion, he really wanted to know how Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Howes was doing.
James Franklin really wanted to know how my day was this morning.
Couldn’t see him on Zoom and thought the audio was glitching. My apologies, James. pic.twitter.com/tIAOGa4dzm
97.5 The Fanatic program director Scott Masteller is retiring following a 45-year career, the last three spent in Philly. Masteller’s last day will be Dec. 31, and it’s unclear where the station will turn after that. The last few years have seen a number of notable departures, including John Kincade, Anthony Gargano, and Mike Missanelli, who was unceremoniously dumped last year.
LOS ANGELES — A “Widow’s Bay” wave slammed into the Emmy Awards on Monday night as the Apple TV show set a single-season record for a comedy with 14 wins, including best comedy series and best actor for star Matthew Rhys, who personally took home three trophies.
“The celebrations will be long, varied, and I hope at times wild,” Rhys said backstage while holding two of his Emmys.
“The Pitt” won best drama series for the second straight year, and star Noah Wyle repeated as best actor in a drama, but the HBO Max emergency room drama won no other Emmys and underperformed its expectations.
Rhea Seehorn won best actress in a drama for “Pluribus,” and Jean Smart won her fifth best actress in a comedy award for the fifth and final season of “Hacks.” No actor had won an Emmy every year for a series that lasted more than three seasons until Smart did it Monday.
Every other comedy award went to “Widow’s Bay,” which unequivocally owned the night and broke the comedy series record set last year by “The Studio” when it won 13.
The ‘weird’ ‘Widow’s Bay’ sweeps across categories
Along with best actor in a comedy, Rhys won best actor in a limited series for “The Beast in Me,” becoming the first man to win two leading actor categories in the same year, and he gets one of the best comedy series trophies as an executive producer for “Widow’s Bay.”
The first-season series created by Katie Dippold leans hard into both comedy and horror as it tells the story of a New England island community, with Rhys as its mayor, reckoning with a centuries-old curse.
“Thank you, Apple, for letting us take this crazy, creative swing,” Dippold said as she accepted the best comedy award. ”They truly just let us do this weird show.”
Apple TV solidified its status as the owner of the Emmy comedy categories. Between “Widow’s Bay,” “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” it has won best comedy series four times in six seasons. The latter two shows were between seasons and not eligible this year.
“Widow’s Bay” also won for directing for Hiro Murai and for writing for its creator Dippold, a first-time Emmy winner and first-time nominee who was previously best known for a decade-old viral tweet showing her awkwardly dressed as “The Babadook.”
“When I was sitting there in that costume,” Dippold said backstage after the show, “I did not think that this moment would happen.”
“Widow’s Bay” had won eight Emmys in a previous ceremony before sweeping all six of its categories Monday night. Stephen Root won best supporting actor in a comedy series and Kate O’Flynn won best supporting actress.
‘The Pitt’ and ‘Hacks’ fail to run up numbers
“The Pitt” was the top drama nominee with 25 and “Hacks” was the top comedy nominee with 24, but neither made much of a splash when it came time to claim trophies.
Smart’s was the only win for “Hacks” on Monday night.
“What a ride this has been,” an emotional Smart said after getting a standing ovation.
The 75-year-old has won eight Emmys overall in a career that was already more than respectable when she landed her defining role of Deborah Vance, a brash stand-up comic pushing back against age, obscurity and sexism in the HBO Max series.
And best drama and best actor were the only wins for “The Pitt,” though it had won four at an earlier ceremony.
Wyle won for playing Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a role that brought him a major career revival after starring in “ER” in the 1990s.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted to do, and this is the only club I’ve ever wanted to join,” Wyle said in his acceptance.
Seehorn gets her first Emmy, Janney and Pelphrey beat ‘Pitt’ competition
Seehorn won her first Emmy for playing the lone central character on Apple TV’s “Pluribus.”
The 54-year-old had been nominated twice without winning for her breakthrough role on “Better Call Saul,” a show from “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan, who put Seehorn at the center of “Pluribus.” Gilligan won his fifth career Emmy for his writing on the show.
Allison Janney won best supporting actress in a drama for “The Diplomat,” and Tom Pelphrey won supporting actor in a drama for “Task,” both beating several nominees from “The Pitt.”
“DTF St. Louis” won best limited series. Stars David Harbour and Linda Cardellini both won for supporting acting at a previous ceremony on Sept. 6 as the Television Academy moved several categories off the main telecast to shorten the show. “DTF St. Louis” won seven Emmys overall.
‘Widow’s Bay’ gets rewarded for its elite cast
“Widow’s Bay” brought a combination of younger, well-respected unknowns and widely known and beloved veterans to work on the show.
It was the first Emmy for both O’Flynn and Root.
O’Flynn, a 40-year-old British actor whose previous acclaim came mostly for her work in theater, plays Patricia Moyer, a city worker and social outcast dealing with a demonic darkness on “Widow’s Bay.”
“This is the role of a lifetime,” O’Flynn said from the stage. “This is for all the Patricias out there.”
Root, one of the most ubiquitous character actors of the last few decades, beat out Harrison Ford, who many thought would get his first major competitive Hollywood award for his role on “Shrinking.”
“Thank you, sir, for all your many years of great, great, great acting,” Root said to Ford during his acceptance.
Root, 74, is the oldest person to win the category.
Sally Field, 79, became the oldest woman to win best actress in a limited or anthology series or TV movie for “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”
Colbert wins after cancellation again
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” taken off the air by CBS, won best variety series. It’s one of six Emmys the show has won this year after the show was cancelled for what the network said was economic reasons while many believe it was his criticism of the Trump administration.
“If you like the comedy tonight, my old writers wrote it,” Colbert said.
Mariska Hargitay hosted the NBC telecast held at the traditional Emmys home of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
“NBC is celebrating its 100th year, and I have been on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ for all of them,” said Hargitay, a three-time Emmy winner who has starred in the show for 27 seasons, during her opening monologue.
Hargitay closed the show — which came in at a relatively lean three hours with the shortened awards slate — with the famous “Law & Order” gavel sound.
Michael J. Fox, a nominee for his work with Ford on “Shrinking,” received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
Tearful tributes to Parton, O’Hara and Reiner
Field paid tribute to her “Steel Magnolias” co-star Dolly Parton, who died last month, in a tribute during the telecast that also included Reba McEntire.
There were also emotional tributes to Catherine O’Hara, who died in March, and Rob Reiner, who was killed along with his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their home in December.
Reiner, who won a posthumous Emmy at an earlier ceremony for best guest actor in a comedy series for his role on “The Bear,” was honored by his friend and “Bear” co-star Jamie Lee Curtis.
“He was generous, kind and funny as hell, and a friend to all,” Curtis said. “And we all miss Rob and Michele and all those we lost this year.”
After a long offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles are finally back in action Sunday, taking on the Washington Commanders to kick off a season filled with “Super Bowl or bust”-level expectations.
“There’s no way this team should lose more than three games, four at the most,” writes Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes. “They’ve got a Pro Bowl quarterback, a superstar running back, a franchise receiver, and a genius running a defense with more talent than any defense in team history that didn’t include Reggie White.”
Calling the Birds’ season opener on Fox is a familiar figure — former Super Bowl villain turned top broadcaster Tom Brady, who is entering his third season as the network’s top NFL analyst.
To Brady’s credit, he made steady improvement in the booth last year, developing into one of the best analysts currently calling games. The future Hall of Famer worked six Birds games last season and is in line to call at least four this year, including the Eagles’ Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite his other commitments outside the booth, which include being a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady expects to fulfill the 10-year,$375 million deal he signed with Fox in 2024.
“I have a lot to prove to myself, to my teammates. I have a lot to prove to the executives,” Brady told the Sports Business Journal. “I want to go earn it and I don’t want anything given to me. I hope they’ll have me through the end of this contract.”
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the Eagles’ season opener against the Commanders.
How to watch and stream Eagles vs. Commanders
Tom Brady (left) and Kevin Burkhardt will call Eagles-Commanders on Fox Sunday.Fox Sports
Sunday’s Week 1 game between the Eagles and Commanders is scheduled to start at 4:25 p.m. Philadelphia time on Fox.
Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will report from the sidelines at Lincoln Financial Field.
The game will stream on Fox One, the network’s subscription streaming service. It’s also available on any so-called skinny bundle that carries Fox, including fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream. Most offer a free trial.
If you live in Philadelphia or any other TV market where the game is airing, you can also stream the game on NFL+, the league’s subscription streaming service, which runs $6.99 a month.
If you’re looking to stream the game for free and you live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is to use a digital antenna, since the game will air on broadcast television on Fox 29.
Merrill Reese and Mike Quick back together on radio
Video: How Merrill Reese, the voice of the Eagles, prepares to go on air
Another familiar voice returning this year is Merrill Reese, who is back for his 50th season calling Eagles games on 94.1 WIP.
Reese began his long career as the team’s pre- and postgame radio host before being promoted to color analyst in 1975. He became the voice of the Eagles suddenly in December 1977 after his partner Charlie Swift died by suicide, and has remained in the booth ever since.
While Reese, 84, is by far the longest-tenured announcer in the league, he has no intention of this being his last season in the booth.
“I always kiddingly say they’re going to have to remove me with a crane,” Reese told The Inquirer’s Matt Breen in a lengthy interview. “My greatest pleasure is to sit there and broadcast an Eagles game. There’s nothing I love more. I even enjoy doing the preseason games. … I have no intention of stopping.”
Merrill Reese (left) and Mike Quick promoting their own beer in 2022. ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
Back alongside Reese is former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick, who joined the booth in 1998. Reese has had a number of broadcast partners over the years — Jim Barniak, Bill Bergey, Stan Walters — but none had the staying power of Quick.
“I believe we’ve become like members of the family,” Reese said. “We’re like their old friends who’ve been with them for many, many years. … They can identify with us. They feel comfortable with us.”
Ron Jaworski not returning to NBC Sports Philadelphia
Ron Jaworski, seen here speaking with Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie before an Eagles game. NBC Sports Philadelphia
Ron Jaworski, the former Eagles quarterback known to most fans simply as “Jaws,” won’t be part of NBC Sports Philadelphia’s pre- and postgame coverage this season.
The former Eagles quarterback and longtime NFL analyst made the decision to pull back on his broadcasting duties last week after four years with the network.
Michael Barkann, who has hosted Eagles pre- and postgame since the Comcast SportsNet days, is back for his 30th NFL season. He’ll be joined by Reuben Frank and two former Birds players — offensive lineman Barrett Brooks and wide receiver Jason Avant.
While Steve Gerben is known for having cocreated one of the year’s most popular Netflix comedy series, his friends and the internet are attempting to crown him with a more ribbing title: The “King of West Chester Golf.”
The Berwyn-born actor, comedian, and costar of Netflix’s Tires says the nickname is just a joke created by his costar and fellow Pennsylvanian Shane Gillis after Gerben “broke 80″ for the first time, scoring 79 on 18 holes of golf last year. It’s something that fewer than 10% of golfers worldwide reportedly do in their lifetime.
“I thought I would just get my friend to start videotaping in case it happened on the 18th hole. And then I did it,” Gerben, 43, remembers with fondness. “So Shane saw that video and was making fun of it on his podcast, calling me the ‘King of West Chester Golf.’”
Gerben’s character on Tires, Will, an anxious go-getter who sees the best in those around him, is not unlike Gerben in real life. Even when receiving praise for his golf prowess or growing television career, Gerben is more comfortable sharing credit with others and not taking the spotlight. And while he downplays his claim to the West Chester golf throne, Gerben does play golf every week in the Philadelphia region — from West Chester courses to the occasional charity event at Ardmore’s Merion Golf Club.
As his profile has grown with the success of Tires, Gerben continues to live in West Chester, cultivating a life around golfing near home and creating a local television production alongside his best friends.
“I can’t see myself leaving the area. I really love it here and it’s home,” he said. “Also, just given how I feel about golf, suburbs make way more sense — it’s just scratching the right itch for me.”
It also helps that the hit show Gerben cocreated with Mechanicsburg-born Gillis and Philadelphia’s John McKeever is filmed in West Chester off East Gay Street, inside an addition to the real-life tire shop of Gerben’s father.
Tires, which had its season three premiere Aug. 13, follows two cousins, Will (Gerben) and Shane (Gillis) as they run the fictional Valley Forge Automotive Center, named after the previous real-life automotive business of Gerben’s father, which was sold in 2011.
“I remember after season one, my dad was on the boardwalk and he saw a Valley Forge Auto shirt in one of the stores, and he was just like, ‘This is insane,’ because it’s this company that he had for 20 years, and then gone, and now we brought it back in a way,” Gerben said.
With Gerben and Gillis on screen, and McKeever as the magic behind the camera, the Tires crew navigates the world of a Pennsylvania small business, rivalries with a national tire chain, and coming to terms with life and romance in your late 30s and 40s.
Tires was recently renewed for a fourth season. That renewal, along with the suburban life he’s created with his girlfriend and cat, has Gerben doubling down on the Philly region. One factor that now rules his life is golf, and how to keep enjoying the sport that eases his mind and boosts his confidence.
“Playing golf is a flow state for me. I get out of a perfect golf swing what I’m sure people that meditate get out of meditation or when people feel a piece of art really speaks to them,” Gerben said.
What started as something to do as a senior at Conestoga High School, joining the Valley Forge Golf Club for $8 after school, has grown into a passion that has seen him playing alongside Eagles players like Jason Kelce and appearing in vlog-style golfing videos with comedian Andrew Santino.
Golf feels like meeting up with an old flame for Gerben, who essentially gave up on the pastime as he attempted to make it in the East Coast stand-up comedy circuit in the 2010s. That’s where he met Gillis and McKeever, doing open mics at the now-closed Raven Lounge and Helium Comedy Club.
While Gillis would continue to rise in stand-up comedy, Gerben said he struggled to find footing. Yet, constants in his life were Gillis and McKeever, who reportedly were known to not take on certain projects unless Gerben could be involved.
But one thing that always sat in Gerben’s back pocket was a script for a show based on his experience working at his father’s Valley Forge tire shop that he initially wrote nearly 15 years before Tires would premiere on Netflix in 2024. Two years later, Tires’ third season debuted in the No. 9 spot on Netflix with 2.4 million views in its opening weekend.
The success doesn’t get to Gerben’s head, as he’s focused on enjoying life in the burbs and golfing as much as possible, he said. With golf swinging back into his life, the sport brings a chance of pace in a busy work schedule and/ allows Gerben, who has had arthritis since he was 2, to stay active.
“I feel so unbelievably healthy because I think it’s about like a five- or six-mile walk each golf session, and you’re not even paying attention to that, given you’re doing this thing that you just absolutely love doing, and is a little bit easier on the joints,” Gerben said.
Gerben also sees golf as a way to meet friends.
“Golf is just a weird addiction that some people have that cuts across generational barriers because you spend so much time with people on the course who have the same passion as you,” he said.
In the meantime, Gerben will continue flirting with the idea of starting his own golfing YouTube career, like “Bryan Bros Golf.” But until Tires is wrapped, Gerben said there would be no official online golf career on the horizon.
Besides, if Gillis finds Gerben’s golf videos, Gerben will never hear the end of it from his best friend, he said.
Nick Foles has a tendency to shine in the spotlight.
He did it in 2018, when he led the Eagles to an unlikely Super Bowl victory against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. And it did it again Thursday night during his debut as an NFL analyst for Netflix.
The Birds legend was loose and informative during a pre- and postgame show sandwiching the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-7 blowout of the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
With Foles, Elle Duncan, Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, and former Green Bay Packers defender Clay Matthews III, Netflix shed the blatant self-promotion that dominated its early sports broadcasting attempts and put the focus on the game and its setting.
That being said, it’s still a pregame show with lots of time to kill. Foles seemed comfortable mixing it up with his new colleagues. He took the opportunity to troll Irvin a bit about the declining popularity of the Dallas Cowboys.
Putting his hand on Irvin’s shoulder, Foles praised “America’s team — the Philadelphia Eagles.”
To his credit, Irvin didn’t trash the Eagles. Instead, he devoted some time to defending Jalen Hurts, who has been a frequent target of critics (including on Philly sports talk radio) despite leading the Birds to two Super Bowl appearances and a championship during his five-year tenure as the team’s starting quarterback.
“You wrap his accomplishments around Trevor Lawrence, they’d be the happiest team in the world,” Irvin said. “For some reason, in the City of Brotherly Love, that brother gets no love.”
While he didn’t bring a dog mask to Australia, Foles was the only member of the crew to correctly predict the 49ers would win, noting he “loves an underdog.” He also let his hair down a bit and downed an unspecified beverage poured into a boot, an Australian custom known as a “shoey.”
“Who’s shoe was that?” Foles asked. “I tasted a little foot right there.”
Netflix’s entire broadcast, which NBC helped produce, was solid. Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly impressed critics during his debut in the booth alongside Noah Eagle. The footage was crisp and clean thanks to Netflix’s 4K ultra HD stream (for those on the premium tier). Even the scorebug drew praise.
About the only misstep was a Netflix-branded kangaroo hoodie the streamer had Foles, his colleagues, and even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wear. The less written about that, the better.
But the best moment of Foles’ trek to Australia wasn’t on Netflix; it was on SEN 1116, a sports talk station based in Victoria. Prior to the game, Foles sat with announcer Gerard Whateley and watched his call of the “Philly Special” during Super Bowl LII.
“When we ran that play, we had no idea what it would represent,” Foles said. “It was aggressive, … we weren’t fearful, and that’s what radiated through our team throughout that 2017-18 season.”
🗣️ “When we ran that play, we had no idea what it would represent.”
A familiar Phillies radio voice will return to NBC Sports Philadelphia this weekend to call the team’s pivotal three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.
Scott Franzke, the veteran radio announcer in his 21st season calling Phillies games, will take his talents to TV to fill in for Tom McCarthy while McCarthy makes his annual trek over to the NFL.
Franzke and John Kruk will call all three Phillies-Braves games at Truist Park, beginning with Friday’s matchup. On the radio, pre- and postgame host Gregg Murphy will fill in for Franzke alongside Larry Andersen, who’s making his first road trip of the season.
Scott Franzke and John Kruk will call this weekend’s Phillies-Braves series. NBC Sports Philadelphia
While McCarthy’s jump to football isn’t anything new — it’s his 13th season as a play-by-play voice for CBS — the timing is unfortunate. The Phillies have a chance to cut into the Braves’ narrow lead in the NL East, but weren’t helped by Jhoan Duran surrendering a ninth-inning homer Thursday.
Instead, McCarthy will be about five hours south in Jacksonville, Fla., to call the Jaguars’ Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. This season he’s paired with a new partner: former Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks running back Robert Turbin, whois in his first season as an NFL color analyst.
“As the former voice of their preseason, I’m kind of used to it,” McCarthy said of the antics that seem to perennially plague the Browns.
The rest of the season, McCarthy benefits from a Phillies weekend schedule filled with national broadcasts.
Last season, Tom McCarthy called NFL games alongside Ross Tucker. CBS
Next weekend, McCarthy will miss the final two games of the Phillies’ four-game series against the New York Mets. The first two won’t air on NBC Sports Philadelphia — Thursday’s game is being broadcast by Fox, while the Sept. 18 game will be part of the Friday Night Baseball doubleheader on Apple TV.
He’ll also miss the final game of the season, Sept. 27 against the Tampa Bay Rays, which will feature former Phillies pitcher turned broadcaster Cole Hamels. McCarthy will call the first game of the Rays series Friday, while Saturday’s game will be broadcast on Fox.
McCarthy’s schedule also benefited from this year’s late Labor Day.
“It worked out that I’m missing less games this year than I normally do because the NFL season’s starting a week later,” McCarthy said.
The Eagles are set to appear twice on CBS — Oct. 18 against the Carolina Panthers and Nov. 22 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers — but McCarthy isn’t in line to call either and has yet to broadcast a Birds game on TV.
“I would love to do an Eagles game. I think it’d be a hoot,” McCarthy said. “But it’s one of those things where I roll with wherever they send me.”
Why McCarthy hasn’t been posting on X
Tom McCarthy gives food to a fan during a broadcast from behind home plate at Citizens Bank Park in June. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
While social media tends to be a hateful cesspool of negativity toward announcers, McCarthy has been a prolific poster for years.
Sometimes that meant answering a fan’s question about why the Phillies game wasn’t on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Often it was a funny rebuke of a nasty comment. He’s also used Twitter, now X, to defend his allegiance to the Phillies because he spent a couple seasons calling Mets games and his son, Patrick, handles New York’s pre- and postgame coverage on radio.
But his last post on X was more than two months ago. Why the long silence?
“I just got to the point between the algorithms and all the negativity and all the stories that were untrue,” McCarthy said. “It wasn’t something I really wanted to be associated with it anymore.”
If you miss interacting with McCarthy on social media, you can always follow him on Instagram, where he posts photos from the broadcast booth and connects with fans. He also likes that his feed is focused on baseball and golf.
“I can reset it pretty quickly if I feel like it’s too, let’s say, political,” McCarthy said.
NL East standings
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NL wildcard standings
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Phillies magic number
That is the combined total of Phillies’ wins and/or losses by the teams on the outside looking in that are needed to secure at least the third wild-card berth and a spot in the playoffs.
If it weren’t for Abbott Elementary, longtime TV director Randall Einhorn thinks he probably would’ve retired by now.
After decades working behind the camera on essential sitcoms like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Parks and Recreation, Einhorn could’ve stepped back from the industry — but then he met Quinta Brunson. The West Philly comedian approached him for the Abbott Elementary pilot in 2021 because she was such a big fan of his Scranton-set hit. Einhorn quickly realized Brunson and her show were special, so it was easy for him to say yes.
“From the day we started filming the pilot, it just felt right. It always felt right,” said Einhorn, 62, who also serves as an executive producer on Abbott.
Janine (Quinta Brunson) gets ready for a Phillies game in “Abbott Elementary.”Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Now the beloved comedy has become an Emmy Awards darling and is about to premiere its sixth season this fall. Its fifth season alone is up for seven Emmys at the ceremony on Sept. 14. Einhorn is a nominee for outstanding directing for a comedy series, marking his second nod in that category for Abbott Elementary (he was also previously nominated for cinematography on Survivor).
Einhorn received the recognition specifically for his ambitious work filming the “Ballgame” episode during a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park in August 2025.
Phillies fans remember it as the night Kyle Schwarber hit four home runs, making baseball history and leading the team to a 19-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves. After the field cleared, Schwarber joined the Abbott Elementary cast to film his guest appearance.
“Abbott Elementary” actors Tyler James Williams (Gregory Eddie) and Quinta Brunson (Janine Teagues) chat with Phillies star Kyle Schwarber and director Randall Einhorn at Citizens Bank Park in August 2025.Louie Escobar
“What a great dude! He had all the time in the world for us, and he was tremendous,” said Einhorn. “Nobody expected Kyle Schwarber to hit four home runs … there’s no type of energy like that. You can act that energy, but also you can’t. We fed off of that energy, which I think was really, really fun.”
As exciting as the game was, the Abbott cast and crew had already been at Citizens Bank Park for days leading up to the live event so they could capture the scenes with dialogue. That meant bringing in some 400 local background actors to play Phillies fans as well as roughly 200 workers from the Phillies and Aramark to staff the ballpark.
Jacob (Chris Perfetti) and Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) at a concessions stand at Citizens Bank Park in the “Ballgame” episode of “Abbott Elementary.”Disney/Gilles Mingasson
The complicated logistics required precise coordination between the Abbott crew and cast, the Phillies staff (especially those behind PhanaVision), and Major League Baseball. Einhorn’s biggest challenge was ensuring that the dialogue scenes matched up with the baseball action and vice versa. That meant carefully plotting the camera’s focus to whip between the actors, the field, and the PhanaVision screen. The 14-page script had more than 70 instances of “whip offs and whip ons,” according to Einhorn.
“I had to have this really meticulous plan to connect the game day to dialogue day, which were two separate days. That was quite complex, I mean, I’ve never had so many notes to myself in the margins of, ‘Don’t mess this up, Randall,’” the director said. “I really enjoy something with a high degree of difficulty because once you stick the landing, it’s just so rewarding.”
The teachers from “Abbott Elementary” captured on PhanaVision at Citizens Bank Park.Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Serendipitously, Brunson and her fellow writers had already planned to feature Schwarber as a guest star before he made baseball history as the 21st player in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game. (A diehard Phillies fan, Brunson was thrilled to meet Schwarber — and the Phanatic, of course — for the special opportunity to spotlight Philly’s robust sports culture; she called the episode a “complete fan service.”)
The Abbott team developed contingency plans to ensure that they’d capture at least one Schwarbomb for the show — even if they had to cheat it by filming a Schwarber hit and panning to another ball soaring in the sky — but that night, those plans were totally unnecessary. The episode, which aired on Oct. 15, wound up including multiple Schwarbombs.
“The camera operators did just spectacular work … the more times [he hit], the better we got at filming it,” said Einhorn. “It’s amazing how much of the show was from game day footage and our cast reacting to it.”
As Einhorn and the Abbott team prepare for the Emmy’s red carpet, Schwarber has continued to deliver wow-worthy performances on the field. If Einhorn’s “Ballgame” episode wins the Emmy, Schwarber will have one more thing to celebrate.
The 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, on NBC.
