• CBS has ordered a pilot for a TV series version of the James Ellroy novel, "L.A. Confidential," which was an Oscar-winning movie in the late 1990s.
• Walton Goggins will play the character of Jack Vincennes, which was played by Kevin Spacey in the movie.
• Goggins told Business Insider the TV show will not be a remake of the movie, which is a good sign.
• There's so much great stuff from the book that the movie left out, especially elements of the Vincennes character.

Since director Curtis Hanson adapted author James Ellroy's gritty pulp novel "L.A. Confidential" into a movie in 1997 — which went on to win two Oscars — Hollywood has been trying to continue telling the story in different ways with little success.

There was the 2003 show starring Kiefer Sutherland that didn't get picked up, and a decade later Ellroy pitched around town a series that would be a sequel to the movie; but no takers. Now CBS is the latest to give it a shot.

The network has ordered a pilot to be written and executive produced by Jordan Harper ("The Mentalist,""Gotham") to star an ensemble that includes Walton Goggins, Mark Webber, and Shea Whigam.

Like the book and movie, the pilot will be set in 1950s Los Angeles and explore corrupt cops, tabloid journalism, and the seedy side of Hollywood.

But Goggins, who will play detective Jack Vincennes (the role Kevin Spacey played in the movie), recently told Business Insider something very refreshing about the show: "It isn't a remake of the movie," he said. "It is a telling of James Ellroy's novel."

And that is a good sign because the movie only touched the surface of what's in the book.

Arguably Ellroy's most famous novel from his famed "L.A. Quartet" series of crime fiction books, "L.A. Confidential" follows three policemen as they investigate a series of murders. The book found high acclaim for its colorful characters and fast-paced dialogue that seemed stripped right from a film noir.

Hanson's movie (which also starred Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and earned Kim Basinger a best supporting actress Oscar win) captures the essence of the book perfectly, and touched on the broad strokes of the plot. But like any movie, a lot of the guts of the book never made the screen. If the pilot is picked up, hopefully a series could delve into that better.

There's especially more to explore with the Vincennes character.

Spacey played "Trashcan Jack" as a slick detective who loved being the technical advisor of the hit TV show "Badge of Honor" and spill tips to the sleazy tabloid "Hush-Hush" for some extra cash. But what it left out was Vincennes' drug and alcohol addiction, and that he once killed two innocent people.

Goggins is perfect to play Vincennes and hopefully the show will delve deeper in that darker side of this character.

It's one of the reasons why the 15-year TV veteran loves the small screen so much.

"With TV it's just rewarding because in a serialized story things can play out over a very long time so the opportunities to really explore nuances are there," he said.

SEE ALSO: We talked to Walton Goggins about how he came up with the "grounded" villain role in "Tomb Raider" and his Oscar — yes, he has an Oscar

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• Digital media companies are looking to diversify revenue, especially as Facebook becomes an unreliable partner.
• Traditional TV shows have been considered a good opportunity, however, they can be hard to actually complete.
• We spoke to The Dodo's leadership about their upcoming collaboration with Animal Planet, "Dodo Heroes," with an eye toward what can get a show the green light.

The digital media world is in a twitchy mood, and the culprit is Facebook, which has been sending gradually less traffic to publishers over the last few months, even in an area that it once called the future of the platform: video.

This has led to belt-tightening around the industry and at least one death (Little Things) already. And smart publishers are looking at the projects they hoped would diversify their revenue away from a reliance on a single tech giant, and assessing when they will bear fruit.

For video publishers, one of the growth opportunities bandied about has been the development of TV series: either on linear TV or on premium streaming outlets like Netflix. But getting a TV show on the air is tough, and many get killed in various stages of development. Not every digital media outlet has had the success of Vice when it comes to actually getting shows on the air.

Nevertheless, a handful of shows from digital upstarts like BuzzFeed (Oxygen), Vox (PBS, FYI, Netflix), Ozy (PBS), and Attn: (Showtime) have beaten the odds and received the green light.

To understand what it takes to land one of these deals, and how they work, Business Insider spoke to The Dodo’s CEO Izzie Lerer and president YuJung Kim about their collaboration with Animal Planet, "Dodo Heroes," which is currently in production and whose 6-episode first season will debut June 9 at 9 p.m.

It helps to have a partner

The first big point to understand is why getting on linear TV is so attractive for digital media outlets, some of which have talked about television like it’s a dying medium.

The short answer is “money,” but a longer one is the idea of extending a brand into a premium product. In the digital video system, it’s currently very hard to make enough money to support the kind of high-cost production that can help define a brand and impress big advertisers. And while the ad dollars might not be in traditional TV forever, they are certainly there now, and a TV show gets a video company a much bigger budget.

But people don't just throw money at you to make a TV show.

“Once we could proved ourselves in short form, we could play in mid form, then longer form,” Izzie Lerer told Business Insider in an interview, explaining the way video brands like The Dodo hope to add layers.

But getting a TV show on the air is a long and arduous process, and takes a lot of capital and capabilities many digital media companies simply don’t have. That’s why it helps to have a partner in traditional TV who understands your brand and has a stake in your financial success. In The Dodo’s case, that was Discovery.

“The linear [television] conversations really came about with Group Nine, coinciding with The Dodo maturing as a company,” YuJung Kim said.

In late 2016, the Group Nine holding company was created to tie together four media brands: Thrillist, NowThis, The Dodo, and Seeker (Discovery's digital network). Discovery, which owns Animal Planet and had previously invested in The Dodo, put another $100 million into Group Nine at the same time.

That financial stake in mutual success helped solidify the trust between Animal Planet and The Dodo when it came time to develop a show together, Lerer said.

“There has been a lot of trust on both sides around what we each know, a lot of willingness to bring social and digital know-how,” she continued.

Susanna Dinnage, the global president of Animal Planet, told Business Insider she was also struck by the “common purpose of the two brands.”

Pitching the data

With the trust established, Animal Planet and The Dodo could embark on the process of actually making the series.

“Our real bread and butter is telling stories where the animal is the center, making animal the protagonist, their quirks, their likes and dislikes,” Lerer said, before adding “that’s more challenging for linear” television. Not all of The Dodo's bread and butter stories would translate easily.

Lerer said that when thinking through what would work on traditional TV, the team decided to focus on stories that were more relationship-centric and human-centric, settling on "Dodo Heroes," which spotlights humans who go above and beyond to help animals.

Then they decided on potential subjects using data on what had performed well for The Dodo in short form online.

“Given that the concept came from us, they were looking for a rec from us around casting,” Lerer said. “In almost all cases we had data around the heroes we ended up featuring.”

“That was the very starting point, pulling data on those specific stories,” Kim added.

One of those stories in the upcoming season that Kim specifically pointed out centers around a vet, Derrick Campana, who makes animal prosthetics. He works a lot with dogs, but in the episode “we get to see him work with an elephant which is incredibly unique,” Kim said.

Enter a third party production company

To make the show, The Dodo and Animal Planet worked with a third-party production company.

“Animal Planet agreed on a production partner, Nomadica Films,” Lerer said. “They are out in the field shooting. We have been extremely involved every step: casting, providing shot lists, talking them through our approach, what we want it to feel like and look like.”

The use of a third-party production company is an important point, and is a common arrangement for TV shows coming from digital media companies, though some have done production in-house (like Vice).

Why use a production partner?

“Everything from equipment, to experience shooting that kind of production,” Lerer said. “We don't have a built out originals team. These shoots are all over the world they are very time intensive. We are also a really lean shop.” The Dodo currently has 63 employees.

Other industry insiders Business Insider spoke to also emphasized that a company like Nomadica was a known entity for Animal Planet, and while this would minimize risk, it could also limit the financial upside for The Dodo.

This is markedly different from many of the TV-like shows appearing on Facebook’s Watch platform, which digital media companies like The Dodo have been making entirely in-house.

“We have been able to use the people we’ve had,” with a few additional hires, Kim said of The Dodo’s Facebook Watch shows. These include "Comeback Kids: Animal Edition," which Lerer described as the “number one” show on the Watch platform.

Is it a hit?

When the show comes out this summer, it will be time to measure its success.

“I want to reach every audience with this show,” Dinnage said. “Total consumption becomes a really interesting point. Everyone living in world of linear ratings, that’s only part of a story.”

One point Kim stressed was that from an ad-sales perspective, Group Nine had made “a bundle that is pretty rare in the market, a true digital-linear package. 'Dodo Heroes' is perfect example in one product being able to bring together digital and linear,” she said.

But though both Lerer and Kim pointed to The Dodo’s moves to diversify platforms — “we are the No. 1 animal channel on YouTube” — the spectre of Facebook is still hanging over many brands that built huge followings on that platform.

“Engagement is the key word in the [Facebook algorithm] shift,” Kim said. “Content that generates engagement will rise to top … On [Facebook] Watch we have three of the top five when it comes to shares per episode.”

That sentiment is true when comparing competitors in the space, but the absolute Facebook numbers have not been kind for video views, even for video publishers with engaging videos.

The Dodo's total video views on its main Facebook page have fallen from their peak of around 1.2 billion in April 2017 to around 560 million in February 2018, according to data from CrowdTangle.

That drop is not out of step with many of The Dodo's competitors, but it does raise the question of how much having an engaging brand can help one beat against the Facebook tide. That is one reason why diversification is so important, Kim said.

"Our approach to being a distributed media company has always been about creating exceptional programming wherever audiences are — whether that's on Facebook, TV or beyond,” Kim said in response to the decreased reach of video publishers on Facebook. “It's about being diversified, and most importantly, creating engaging content that people love. Time spent on our content was at an all time high in February, and I think that's a testament to our ability to optimize content for our audience across all our platforms."

The Dodo grew from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion monthly video views over the last year on all platforms, the company said, even with the Facebook drop.

For distributed media companies to continue to grow revenue, initiatives like The Dodo’s upcoming TV show will be important to understand where to lean in, and where to lean away. With Facebook no longer the silver bullet, we’ll see which brands that grew enormous from it can extend beyond it.

SEE ALSO: Why a Wall Street analyst says Netflix will probably end up spending more on marketing than a traditional TV network — not less

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NOW WATCH: There's a surprising twist at the end of the 'synchronized global growth' story

It’s easy to think of the kind of stories that get told in the comic book world as just one genre or tone, but as seen below, graphic novels, comic strips, and other sequential art have offered up an incredible range of storytelling.

And these stories have been inspiring great TV shows for years, even before superhero stories dominated the box office.

There were plenty of options that nearly made the list, like the WB’s “Smallville,” which squandered its early potential after running just a few seasons too long, and “Marvel’s Runaways,” which is still discovering the depths of what it can do. 

Because one of the most exciting things about these stories is that there’s a rich variety to choose from.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 6 original Marvel superhero shows, ranked from worst to best

20. “Jeremiah”

Based on the Belgian comics by Hermann Huppen and created by J. Michael Straczynski (“Babylon 5,” “Sense8”), this intriguing post-apocalyptic drama ran for two seasons on Showtime. The excellent premise — a virus wipes out everyone on Earth “over the age of innocence,” and 15 years later the world is still in ruins — springboarded a number of twist-packed storylines, as star Luke Perry proved his ability to play characters who aren’t some form of Dylan Walsh, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner got to kick ass and swear. While the original run ended rather ignominiously, the show is now available to stream on Hulu and Amazon Prime, and is worth checking out.

19. “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”

Archie Comics has been going through a revival with The CW’s “Riverdale” putting a murder mystery twist on the classic high school story and Netflix now starting to cast its darker take on “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” But before that Kiernan Shipka-starring series begins, it’s helpful to remember that the title once existed in a sunnier form. As Sabrina, Melissa Joan Hart exuded an endearing goofiness that set the tone for the frothy series that lasted a whopping eight seasons. Bad puns, teen angst, and ridiculous situations were the show’s bread and butter, and despite the show’s title, we all know who the real star was.

Voiced to pompous purr-fection by Nick Bakay, the witch-turned-cat Salem Saberhagen had all the best lines and cat-oure. His animatronic puppetry somehow complemented Bakay’s delivery, and to this day, there’s a Salem gif appropriate to almost every situation. We don’t know exactly how Salem will be handled in the revamped series, but Bakay’s version will always be first in our hearts.

18. “Supergirl”

Mistakenly launched on CBS, “Supergirl” eventually settled into her true identity on sister network The CW. And this is where she really earned the cape and flew. Once you move past the overly schmaltzy, inspiration-heavy first season spent bafflingly in the office for much of the time, the series takes off with the type of female-led superhero action that we’ve been all been craving.

“Supergirl” fulfills a need that some other superhero shows may not, bringing positivity — hell, even the production is lighter and brighter — and a strong moral code to the forefront. As much as we appreciate the grittier and more morally gray Marvel shows on Netflix, there’s something to be said about Kara Danvers, played by the luminous Melissa Benoist, having an unshakable instinct for what’s right and wrong. The supporting cast has brought in some surprising depth to the show as well, with Calista Flockhart as the intriguing mentor Cat Grant stealing scenes that are only rivaled by that more famous cousin, Clark Kent, played to perfection by Tyler Hoechlin.

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for "Westworld" season two.

"Westworld" returns for its second season on April 22, and fans have yet another peek at what's to come. In 15 new photos released by HBO, we have a look at new characters and familiar faces — including the return of Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson).

Keep scrolling for a look at all the new pictures from "Westworld" season two.

SEE ALSO: The 13 movies that made $1 billion at the box office the fastest, including Marvel's 'Black Panther'

First we have the Man in Black — aka William — standing among the carnage left after the season one finale robot-revolution.

William is comfortable among brutal violence in the park.

It looks like Bernard/Arnold will meet up with Charlotte Hale in the day following the giant massacre.

"The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" made living in a hotel look like a dream. 

The Disney Channel series featured twin brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse as Zack and Cody Martin. The twins lived in the Tipton Hotel, because their mother was the lounge singer. With the help of some of the hotel's wacky employees, hijinks ensued and often landed the kids in trouble. 

It's been 13 years since the show first premiered, so here's what the cast has been up to since. 

Cole Sprouse played the studious twin, Cody.

He was the smart brother. 

Cole took a break to attend New York University where he studied archaeology, but he's back to acting.

He currently plays Jughead Jones on The CW's hit drama "Riverdale." 

Dylan Sprouse played the troublemaker, Zack.

He came up with a lot of hijinks. 

Netflix has begun to cancel shows, but that doesn't mean it's getting rid of your favorites.

Nearly 40 Netflix original series will be returning with new seasons in the near future.

Only a handful of the series have official release dates, including the upcoming premieres of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Marvel's Luke Cage." 

But other hit Netflix shows like "Stranger Things" and "Mindhunter" have been renewed by the streaming service and are either currently in production or awaiting release.

For this list, we have only included renewed Netflix series that are yet to air, and we've included official release dates if applicable. We've excluded children's shows and reality series.

Here are the 38 Netflix original series that are coming back for another season:

SEE ALSO: All 54 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Santa Clarita Diet" (Season 2) — Premieres March 23

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" (Season 2) — Premieres March 30

"Trailer Park Boys" (Season 12) — Premieres March 30

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sunday's episode of AMC's "The Walking Dead,""The Key."

While Rick was busy fighting with Negan, Sunday's "The Walking Dead" introduced three mysterious new characters into the fold who aren't in the comics: Georgie and her companions Hilda and Midge.

Who are they and what are their intentions? INSIDER spoke with Jayne Atkinson, who plays Georgie, to learn all about the newest leader in the zombie apocalypse.

This is your last chance to head back before spoilers.

Maggie was thrown for a loop on Sunday's episode when she received an invitation to barter with a mysterious figure. They accepted and she, Enid, and Michonne came face to face with Georgie (Atkinson) and two guards who offered to trade knowledge in exchange for food and phonographs.

While Maggie wasn't buying their act of kindness at first, she eventually came around. Her trust was rewarded when Georgie gifted her with a book of knowledge about rebuilding civilization. 

Instead of taking food from Maggie, Georgie left some of hers with the Hilltop surmising they could use it more than them. After collecting some records, the trio went on their merry way. But Georgie promised she would be back some day.

That was far more kindness than we're used to seeing on "The Walking Dead." What was their deal?

Here's what we learned about Georgie and her companions from Atkinson.

She's an intellectual and may have been a professor

"I found a character that I thought she might be like [in the "Walking Dead" lore, but this is definitely [showrunner] Scott [Gimple's] brainchild and I was told that she might possibly have been a professor," Atkinson told INSIDER. "She was a history buff. So I extrapolated that maybe she was a history professor. But she clearly had access to libraries and was fascinated by civilizations. So I think that's why they chose the glasses. Even her look, I think they chose almost a professorial sort of look."

Atkinson believes going around from community to community spreading the knowledge about rebuilding civilization is her mission

"I believe it is. I don't know that she has made this deal with very many communities," Atkinson says of spreading hope to other communities being her character's calling. "As she says, 'There are very few like you.' And so I believe that she is looking for where she can plant the seed of hope and I believe she chooses Hilltop very, very deliberately."

"Wherever she's from she has whatever she needs to not only survive, but thrive," Atkinson adds of Georgie's character.

Are Georgie's intentions pure? 

"I think they're right in being suspicious of her," Atkinson says of the survivors' initial reaction to Georgie's offer to barter. "[Georgie] expects them to not trust her, she expects that. And so she does not show any aggression, she stays light and confident by design. That's my sense of her."

However, Atkinson believes her character isn't a danger to the group, at the moment. 

She's probably not the leader of the Commonwealth

While diving into the "Walking Dead" lore, Atkinson thought her character may be one who was introduced recently in the comics, but she says that's not the case.

"I think her name is Pamela," Atkinson said. "There's a picture of her, my son showed it to me. She looks a little like I would look on 'House of Cards,' almost presidential or some sort of leadership position. But her name isn't Georgie so that could be just a red herring."

Pamela Milton is the leader and governor of a group of about 50,000 survivors living in Ohio who have found a way to rebuild civilization.

In the comics, Milton isn't the one going around from community to community searching for survivors. She has others do that for her and they're dressed in impressive military gear. We're not of the belief they're one and the same.

Atkinson sees Georgie as a person of great power

Why Georgie wants phonographs

Georgie makes a perplexing bartering trade to Maggie in exchange for her manual on rebuilding civilization. She asks for Maggie to fill a crate full of records.

It seems like a pretty specific and obscure ask, but Atkinson says if her character is a historian, there may be a useful reason to want some old records. 

Atkinson hopes so!

Georgie tells Maggie before she leaves that she'll return and when she does she expects great things. 

You can follow along with our "Walking Dead" coverage here and sign up for our weekly "TWD" newsletter throughout the rest of the season here.

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NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sunday's "The Walking Dead,""The Key."

"House of Cards" actress Jayne Atkinson appeared on Sunday's episode of "The Walking Dead" as a mysterious new leader who traded knowledge with Maggie at the Hilltop.

Though she was working on the Netflix series and "Madam Secretary," her surprise cameo on the AMC series came about pretty easily.

"They offered me the part, I read it, I felt so excited and I loved her," Atkinson told INSIDER. "I loved who she was and what she had to say in this universe, this very broken universe of the 'Walking Dead.' And so I said yes."

Once she said yes, Atkinson said everything about her character was kept tightly under wraps.

"Everything's shrouded in secrecy," she said. "They keep things very close to the chest. Even our director Greg [Nicotero] said they don't tell us much."

Atkinson wasn't told much about the character who doesn't appear in "The Walking Dead" comics or games other than that she may have been a professor before the apocalyspe began.

She then couldn't tell anyone about her appearance, but there was one person she shared the news with.

"I've had to keep it a secret. And I was going to keep it a secret from my son, because that and 'Game of Thrones' are his favorite shows," she said hoping her son would just see her on the show and be surprised. "He's off at his first year of college, so I sort of said, 'Are you gonna watch Walking Dead this year?' And he said, 'Mom, I don't think so, I'm just too busy.' My heart sank."

After she spilled the beans, Atkinson says he showed her an image of who she thought her character may have some ties to in the comics.

"I think her name is Pamela. There's a picture of her, my son showed it to me," said Atkinson. "She looks a little like I would look on 'House of Cards' ... almost presidential or some kind of leadership position. But her name isn't Georgie, so that could be just a red herring."

In the comics, Pamela Milton is the leader of the Commonwealth, a group of nearly 50,000 survivors living comfortably in Ohio.

Before you start making comparisons between the two, Atkinson was clear Georgie appears to be her own original character.

"This is definitely [showrunner] Scott [Gimple's] brainchild," she said.

You can read more from our chat with Atkinson where she breaks down Georgie's mysterious character with us here.

Follow alongwith our "Walking Dead" coverage here and sign up for our weekly "TWD" newsletter throughout the rest of the season here.

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NOW WATCH: I quit cable for DirecTV Now and it's saving me over $1,000 a year — here's how I did it

Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead for AMC's "The Walking Dead" episode, "The Key."

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" was full of a few surprises and one big action-packed showdown between Rick and Negan. 

While Rick was exacting revenge on the Savior leader, there were some smaller details you may have overlooked, including an indirect nod to a fun comic cover. Keep reading for everything you may have missed on Sunday's episode.

Dwight empties a cigarette box to look at a wedding ring.

There's also a partially used cigarette that falls out of the box. Both hold a special meaning to him. 

The ring belongs to his ex-wife Sherry along with the used cigarette.

Dwight holds onto both as a reminder of his ex-wife Sherry who became one of Negan's wives to save Dwight's life. She fled the Sanctuary on season seven and left Dwight a note along with her wedding ring at their old home where she apologized for how she changed him.

"You've killed and you've become everything you didn't want to be, and it's my fault," Sherry's note read. "You were better than me. Most people are. I let Daryl go because he reminded you of who you used to be, and I wanted to let you forget."

Since then, Dwight has been trying to reform — or at least stay true to himself and be more of the man Sherry may remember. He's currently double-crossing Negan's Saviors to try to help Rick's group, even if they're questioning his motives.

Rick and Daryl gather together at a grave.

After losing his son, Rick's paying his respects to another person he recently lost.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sunday's "The Walking Dead,""The Key."

Sunday's "The Walking Dead" introduced a group of new characters led by a mysterious woman named Georgie (Jayne Atkinson).

While the name didn't ring any bells in "The Walking Dead" universe, fans thought she looked a lot like a newer character from the comics, Pamela Milton. 

Who is Pamela? 

Pamela Milton is the leader of a group of about 50,000 survivors called the Commonwealth. They're located pretty far from Rick and the crew in Ohio. 

Her character doesn't appear for some time in the "Walking Dead" universe so fans were surprised to see someone who reminded them of Pamela on Sunday's episode.

The two even share a resemblance.

Why it's probably not Pamela

INSIDER spoke with Atkinson about her new role on the show. She was also of the belief she may be Pamela at first.

"I found a character that I thought she might be like in the "Walking Dead" lore, but this is definitely [showrunner] Scott [Gimple's] brainchild and I was told that she might possibly have been a professor," Atkinson told INSIDER.

"There's a picture of her [Pamela], my son showed it to me," she added. "She looks a little like I would look on 'House of Cards,' almost presidential or some sort of leadership position. But her name isn't Georgie so that could be just a red herring."

You can read all about the trio of new characters from our interview with Jayne Atkinson here.

Follow along with our "Walking Dead" coverage here and sign up for our weekly "TWD" newsletter throughout the rest of the season here.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The rise and fall of Hooters Air — the airline that lost the 'breastaurant' $40 million

• John Oliver announced on Sunday's episode of "Last Week Tonight" that he'd published a parody of a children's book that the family of Vice President Mike Pence released on Monday. 
• The episode skewered Pence's conservative views, including "his hostility to LGBT rights."
• While Pence's book depicts a "day in the life" of the Vice President's White House pet rabbit, Oliver's book is instead about a "Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny."
  

On Sunday's episode of "Last Week Tonight," John Oliver announced that he'd published a parody of the children's book the family of Vice President Mike Pence released on Monday about Pence's pet rabbit. 

Oliver focused the episode on skewering Pence's conservative views, including "his hostility to LGBT rights." He parodied Pence's children's book as a means to address Pence's record of having "never been a friend to the gay community." 

Pence's book, titled "Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President," is written by Pence's daughter Charlotte Pence and illustrated by second lady Karen Pence, and it depicts the Pence's White House pet rabbit. 

"It turns out, in a complete coincidence, we also wrote a book about Mike Pence's rabbit that has also been published," Oliver said. 

Oliver's parody book, published by Chronicle Books, is instead about a "Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny," according to the book's description on Amazon. 

The "Last Week Tonight" host noted that Pence's book tour for his children's book includes a stop in Colorado at the Focus on the Family organization, which Oliver said promotes gay-conversion therapy. 

“This is a real children's book," Oliver said of his parody book. "This isn't some adult book telling Mike Pence to go f--- himself. Although, in buying it, that’s exactly what you would be doing." 

Oliver said that all proceeds for the book will be donated to The Trevor Project, which supports LGBTQ youth, and AIDS United. 

Watch the clip below: 

SEE ALSO: John Oliver compares bitcoin to a $15,000 Beanie Baby: 'You're not investing — you're gambling'

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NOW WATCH: You can connect all 9 Best Picture Oscar nominees with actors they have in common — here's how

• Katy Perry has been feuding with Taylor Swift since 2013.
• Perry brought it up again on ABC's "American Idol" when a contestant said he looks up to Swift as an artist.
• Swift hasn't publicly paid attention to the feud since 2015.

Katy Perry took yet another swipe at Taylor Swift on ABC's "American Idol" Sunday night, reigniting a feud that had been dormant since August.

One of the judges, Luke Bryan, asked one of the contestants who he looks up to as an artist.

"I'm sorry for this, Katy," the contestant said. "Taylor Swift. I love Taylor Swift."

Perry, who is also a judge on the show, seemed fine with it. But she couldn't resist taking a jab.

"Oh, you don't have to be sorry at all. I love her, as a songwriter, as well," Perry said.

Perry and Swift used to be close friends in the music industry, but they began warring in 2013. It all started when Perry apparently poached some of Swift's backup dancers for her own concert tour. Perry maintained that Swift knew the dancers had already planned to work for Perry when her tour was scheduled to start.

Instead of getting over it, the two escalated the dispute into a drawn-out feud. Swift released "Bad Blood" in 2014, a song and music video widely understood to be about how Perry backstabbed her. Perry released "Swish Swish" in 2017, widely understood as a diss track against Swift.

At that point, Swift began to project her image as being above the fray. She kept silent while Perry went on a press tour for "Swish Swish" and her album "Witness."

In August of 2017, she released "Look What You Made Me Do," her first single for her latest album, "Reputation." But the song was more about feuds in general than specific grievances against Perry.

Taylor Swift barely seemed to care about the feud. The last time she publicly addressed it was during press tours for her previous album, "1989," in 2014 and 2015.

This isn't the first controversial moment for Perry as an "American Idol" host. Last week, she came under fire for kissing a contestant without his permission.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I quit cable for DirecTV Now and it's saving me over $1,000 a year — here's how I did it

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

The Insider Pick:

• The best TV is big enough for your needs, has a high resolution, and offers some smart features. You may think that such a fancy TV will cost you thousands of dollars, but our top pick, the TCL 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV, has all those great features and costs less than $500.

TV technology has come a long way over the past few years. Gone are the days when buying a 4K TV meant having to shell out thousands of dollars. These days, you can get a decent, large, 4K TV without going past the $500 mark.

In fact, it’s so easy to get a great TV under $500, that there are a ton of options out there. That’s why we’ve put together this guide: To help you figure out which of those affordable TVs is best for your living room.

As usual, there are a few things to consider when you’re buying a new TV. Some of them are obvious, but some of them are a little subtler.

• Resolution: The first thing you’ll want to consider is the TV’s resolution. At under $500, you can get a 4K TV, but you may not find it worth buying if you don’t have access to any 4K content. Still, it is worth considering how future-proof you want your TV to be. More and more 4K content is being released, and you’ll want to be ready to take advantage of that.
• Size: Typically, bigger is better in the TV world, but too big can be a pain. You’ll want to think about how big of a TV you want to watch on, to be sure, but you’ll also want to consider whether you actually have the space for a big TV, or if something a little more modest would work better in your home.
• Connectivity: If you have a ton of devices you want to connect to your TV, you’ll need a lot of ports on the back of the TV. Wireless connectivity may also be important. Increasingly, TVs are offering Wi-Fi connectivity and smart TV software, so you can stream without the need for an external box like the Apple TV.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the TCL 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV is our top pick and why you should also consider the Element 43-inch Amazon Fire TV, the Samsung 40-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV, the TCL 49-inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV, and the Insignia 39-inch 1080p Smart TV.

SEE ALSO: The best HDMI cables you can buy

The best TV under $500 overall

Why you'll love it: The TCL 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV has a huge screen, 4K resolution, and Roku’s excellent smart TV platform.

TCL may not be the first company that comes to mind when you think of premium TVs, but at least in the budget range, TCL has the market on lock. The TCL 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV is, in our opinion, by far the best TV under $500. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s 4K, and it comes with Roku’s TV operating system.

One of the best things about the TV is that it features the Roku streaming platform, so you’ll get access to a range of apps, like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and more. With Roku's easy-to-use software, you’ll be able to quickly and easily access your favorite content. In our testing, we found that Roku works great, though the included remote isn’t the best for accessing more complex TV features. It works well under normal use, though.

Around the back of the TV, you’ll find three HDMI ports, a USB 2.0 port, Ethernet port, video composite, and an optical audio output. That should be everything you need for the vast majority of situations.

The image quality on this TV is very good, but not incredible. Colors are strong, though a little less impactful than what you'd find on a $1,000+ TV. However, the contrast is decent for the price. There are TVs with a better-looking image under $500, but they’re generally quite a bit smaller and don’t offer 4K resolution, either.

All in all, the pros here far outweigh the cons. The screen is big with a 4K resolution and a decent image quality for the price.

Pros: Huge display, 4K resolution, Roku TV, excellent value for money

Cons: Image quality isn’t as good as some others, remote is a little basic

Buy the TCL 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV on Amazon for $369.99 (originally $599.99)

The best smart TV under $500 with Alexa

Why you'll love it: The Element 43-inch Amazon Fire TV has a 4K resolution and plenty of ports, but the best thing about it is that it boasts Amazon’s Fire TV and Alexa voice control. 

Looking for a great TV with an emphasis on intelligence? Most of the TVs in our guide are so-called “smart TVs,” but they’re not all as smart as the Element 43-inch Amazon Fire TV. Why? Well, because of Amazon’s Alexa.

The TV has Alexa built right into it, so you can use your voice to search for shows to watch, control the TV itself, and so on. In our experience, Alexa is the best voice assistant on TVs right now. Google Assistant may well catch up, but at least on TVs, Alexa can just do more.

On the back of the TV, you’ll find four HDMI ports, a USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, and an SD card slot. You’ll also find an Ethernet port, an antenna connector, component video inputs, an optical audio output, and a headphone jack. That’s a nice selection of ports, which means that the majority of people should be able to plug in everything they need to.

The image quality is good too. Now, this is a budget TV, so it’s not spectacular. In general, colors may be a little undersaturated, and there’s no HDR here, but it does have a 4K resolution, and unless you’re a TV image quality snob, it should do the job perfectly fine.

Plenty of reviewers like the Element 43-inch Amazon Fire TV, too. PCMag and CNET both gave it a 3.5/5.

Pros: Plenty of ports, Fire TV and Alexa built-in, 4K resolution

Cons: Image quality could be better

Buy the Element 43-inch Amazon Fire TV Edition at Target for $449.99

The TV the best picture under $500

Why you'll love it: The Samsung 40-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV has excellent image quality and smart features for a good price.

All of the TVs in our guide offer great picture quality, but the Samsung 40-inch 4K TV steps things up a little. Safe to say, if you want excellent image quality, and don’t mind the slightly smaller size, this may well be the TV for you.

As you might expect, the TV has a 4K resolution on a 40-inch screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz, which is very good, especially for gamers.

When it comes to inputs, the TV has three HDMI inputs and two USB ports, plus it has built-in Wi-Fi, which means you’ll be able to stream a lot of your favorite content from Netflix and other sources without having to connect the TV to a streaming box or another device.

The TV runs Samsung’s Tizen software, which is similar to what you see on Samsung's phones. Although many prefer the interface used by Roku or Amazon's Fire TV, Tizen works just fine.

We aren’t the only ones that like the Samsung 40-inch 4K TV. The TV boasts an average rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon, which is an excellent score.

Pros: Good image quality, 4K resolution, smart TV features

Cons: Software may take some getting used to

Buy the Samsung 40-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV on Amazon for $459.98

• Critics are praising Netflix's new original series "Wild Wild Country," a six-part docuseries about the scandals of a "sex cult" led by the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.
• The series traces the group's attempts to construct a utopian city in Oregon's Wasco County in the early 1980s.
• The Rajneeshees came into conflict with the local population and went on to commit the largest bioterrorism attack in US history.
• "Wild Wild Country" stands at a 100% "Fresh" rating on the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Critics are praising Netflix's new original series "Wild Wild Country," a six-part docuseries about the scandals of a "crazy sex cult" in the early 1980s.

The series focuses on the controversy surrounding the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who in 1981 led his followers to construct a utopian city in Oregon's Wasco County and came into conflict with local ranchers.

After the group was denied permits to construct their city, one of Rajneesh's followers, Ma Anand Sheela, led an attempt to take over the county's municipal legislature by busing in thousands of homeless people to vote Rajneeshee members into state government positions.

The group also committed the largest bioterrorism attack in US history when it contaminated 10 local salad bars with salmonella in an attempt to depress voter turnout among Oregonians.

"Wild Wild Country," directed by the brothers Chapman and Maclain Way, traces Rajneesh's cult through archival footage and new interviews, and it has a 100% "Fresh" rating on the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

The Hollywood Reporter's Dan Fienberg praised the docuseries for the way it represents a "slice of partially forgotten history in which real life just keeps getting more and more outlandish and implausible."

Writing for RogerEbert.com, Nick Allen described the series as possessing a "profound, mesmerizing power itself" in "handling this story so intelligently and by opening its heart to a very complicated idea of good and evil."

Watch a trailer for the series below, and find the show on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: All your favorite Netflix original shows that are coming back for another season

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• "Sex and the City" premiered in 1998, and completely changed TV.
• From its frank discussions of sex to its exploration of the then-radical idea that women over 30 could be single and happy, the show's impact can still be felt today.
• Even though plans for a third film have been squashed, fans continue to be passionate about their favorite show.
  

It's been 20 years since audiences were introduced to Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. These women represent four different archetypal personalities that people identify with to this day — it's not uncommon to hear someone say "I'm such a Samantha." 

In the two decades since the show premiered, there have been six seasons and two movies, and even though it seems supremely unlikely right now, fans are hungry for a third movie. It speaks volumes that the feud between stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall is still making headlines to this day.

Whether you're Team Sarah or Team Kim, take a stroll down memory lane and find out what your fave Manhattan residents with unrealistically huge apartments are up to today.

Sarah Jessica Parker recently returned to the HBO family with her new show "Divorce."

After leaving Carrie Bradshaw behind, Parker focused on her movie career, starring in films such as "The Family Stone" and "Failure to Launch." She also returned to the stage (where she got her start), starring in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" alongside her future husband Matthew Broderick.

Parker, 52, also capitalized on her status as a fashion icon by creating a clothing line named BITTEN for Steve & Barry's, and a shoe collection for Nordstrom's called the SJP Collection.

Even though she stated that she'd never do a television show again, she returned to TV for a guest spot on the fourth season of "Glee" in 2012. Five years later, Parker announced that she was starring in a new HBO comedy called "Divorce."

Parker and Broderick are one of Hollywoood's longest-running marriages. The couple have three children: their son James and twins Marion and Tabitha.

Kim Cattrall was poised to be the breakout star of "Sex and the City," but hasn't been able to replicate that level of success with recent projects.

Cattrall's sexually confident Samantha Jones was the show's breakout character — the role won her a Golden Globe and five Emmy nominations. But since the show ended, Cattrall, 61, has distanced herself from the spotlight.

She's starred in multiple Canadian TV shows and and BBC shows, but nothing has come close to the success she had with "Sex and the City." Ironically, she was considered the most famous cast member going into season one. Cattrall can currently be seen on the second season of "Modus" on BBC Four.

Recently, her feud with former co-star Parker has put her in the headlines, along with the tragic death of her brother Christopher.

Kristin Davis took a step back from acting after her time on the show and has been concentrating on activism and non-profit work.

Davis, 53, also won critical acclaim for her portrayal as Charlotte York, the most old-fashioned member of the bunch. She was nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a SAG Award.

While "Sex and the City" was airing, Davis appeared on two other extremely popular TV shows at the time, "Friends," and "Will and Grace." But after that, she didn't appear on another show until 2014's "Bad Teacher." She did, however, appear in a few feature films including "Deck the Halls" alongside co-star Parker's husband Matthew Broderick.

She's also an Oxfam ambassador (Oxfam is a collection of international charities focused on ending global poverty), won the Humane Society's 2010 Wyler Award (an award given to a celebrity who has made news on behalf animals), and is a patron of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Personally, Davis adopted a baby girl in 2011 and named her Gemma.

For some celebrity couples, working together is a fun thing to do. 

Guest roles often lend opportunities for fun cameos for a star's partner or spouse. 

Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally have popped onto each other's shows throughout the years. And "How I Met Your Mother" featured multiple stars' partners. 

Here are 17 celebrity couples who've worked together on TV. 

Megan Mullally was on a few episodes of "Parks and Recreation" with husband Nick Offerman.

Mullally perfectly portrayed Ron Swanson's evil ex-wife Tammy II during the show's run. Their strong sexual attraction was detrimental to Ron. 

They have been married in real life since 2003. 

Nick Offerman has also guest-starred on Megan Mullally's show "Will & Grace."

Offerman has played two different characters on "Will & Grace."

While he and Mullally were dating, Offerman played Nick the plumber. He showed up again on the show during its 2018 revival. This time, he played a chef named Jackson Boudreaux who sleeps with both Will and Grace.

Brad Pitt made an appearance on "Friends" with his then-wife Jennifer Aniston.

Pitt and Aniston were married from 2000 until 2005. During that time, Pitt played a guy named Will Colbert on a "Friends" episode. His character went to the same high school as Ross, Monica, and Rachel. He ran an "I Hate Rachel Club" in the school because Rachel was mean to him. 

Oftentimes, it seems like reality TV gets a pretty bad rap. But reality TV is responsible for many celebrities' successful careers in entertainment and beyond and it's also helped bring couples together for decades now. Sure, it might be a little bit unsettling or unethical, but over time, reality television seems to have evolved.

However, when reality TV was just beginning, the shows and their concepts were anything but realistic. Though some shows of the early-aughts saw major success, others barely lasted a season. These 11 shows varied in length and quality, but they represent the absurdity of the era and the beginnings of TV as we know it today.

Fox's "The Swan" was actually pretty disturbing.

Though they weren't that long ago, the 2000s were actually a pretty different time. If one TV show proves that, it's "The Swan," which aired on Fox for two seasons.

The makeover show's name came from the idea of "ugly ducklings" turning into "beautiful swans," in this case meaning that contestants would get extensive plastic surgery in order to drastically change their looks with the help of a panel of experts. Some of the women would then move on to compete in a pageant at the end of the season, where one would win the title of "The Swan."

The show immediately received criticism for perpetuating the sexist idea that a woman's sense of self-worth should be totally on her looks.

You probably don't remember this show at all, so it's likely that you don't recall the identity of one of its featured plastic surgeons. Dr. Terry Dubrow was one of the doctors responsible for the women's makeovers. Later, Dubrow would shoot to fame through appearances on shows like "Botched" and "Real Housewives of Orange County."

Before Meghan Markle, there was "I Wanna Marry Harry."

Now that someone is actually marryingPrince Harry, it's even funnier to look back on just how absurd this quickly canceled Fox reality show was.

The show followed 12 American women as they vied for the love and affection of a person whom they believed was "Prince Harry." At the end of the show, it was revealed that "Harry" was actually just a redheaded man named Matthew Hicks, vaguely reminiscent of England's prince.

Not only was the idea itself preposterous, the show was extremely ill-fated in terms of ratings and production. It aired partially for one single season in 2014.

"Next" was the best of the best when it comes to MTV reality shows.

In MTV's golden era of amazingly corny and obviously scripted reality dating shows, "Next" was by far the shallowest and most reminiscent of its era, if not also the most hilarious series on the network. "Next" was on the air from 2005 to 2008.

Basically, busses full of young adults would travel far and wide to go on themed dates, with each dater getting a dollar for every moment they lasted off the bus with an "attractive" date, whose affection they were all vying for. If they heard "next!" the cashflow would come to an end and they'd have to return to their spot on the bus. Eventually, there'd be a choice of Herculean proportions for the final, favored dater: money or love.

Highlights of the series include a contestant who likes to text people when she goes "poopy" and alarming series regular Dicky.

A handful of beloved TV shows are coming to an end in the next few months, so it's time to get ready to say goodbye.

Some shows with series finales soon include "New Girl,""Scandal" and "Portlandia."

These shows gained momentum and popularity throughout their runs, and some were once (and still are) considered the best on TV.

But every story must come to an end. These shows have run their course, and their respective networks decided they must end before they ruin themselves by running too long. 

Here are all the shows coming to an end in Spring 2018:

SEE ALSO: All the TV shows coming in spring 2018 — and whether you should watch them

"Portlandia"— ends March 22, after eight seasons on IFC

"New Girl"— ends May 15, after seven seasons on Fox

"Scandal"— ends April 19, after seven seasons on ABC

• Last week, people were outraged to learn that Claire Foy was paid less than her male co-star, Matt Smith, in hit Netflix show "The Crown." 
• Claire Foy plays Queen Elizabeth II on the show and Matt Smith plays Prince Philip
• The producers apologized to Foy and Smith for the "media storm" caused by these revelations. 
• Left Bank Pictures said in a statement that the actors are not aware who gets paid what and should not be held personally responsible for their colleagues' pay.

Left Bank Pictures, the producers of "The Crown," has issued a statement about the revelation that Claire Foy was paid less than co-star Matt Smith on the Netflix series.

"We want to apologize to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the center of a media storm this week through no fault of their own. Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on 'The Crown' have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity," Left Bank said.

It added: "As the producers of 'The Crown,' we at Left Bank Pictures are responsible for budgets and salaries; the actors are not aware of who gets what, and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues."

The pay scandal erupted last week at the INTV conference in Jerusalem, where Left Bank revealed that Smith, who plays Prince Philip, was paid more than Foy, who stars as Queen Elizabeth II.

The UK-based producer, which is backed by Sony Pictures Television, said Tuesday that it supports the drive for gender equality in film and TV and is eager to talk to the British Time's Up campaign and is already speaking to Era 50: 50, a group campaigning for gender equality on screen and stage. However, Left Bank did not say whether it would redress the imbalance between Foy and Smith, and did not comment on a public petition that was started this week calling on Smith to donate the difference between his pay and Foy's to Time's Up in the UK.

"We understand and appreciate the conversation which is rightly being played out across society and we are absolutely united with the fight for fair pay, free of gender bias, and for a re-balancing of the industry's treatment of women, both those in front of the camera and for those behind the scenes," it said.

Neither Foy, Smith, nor Netflix have commented on the pay controversy.

Two seasons of the lavish series have been produced, and Netflix has ordered a further two. The producers have already committed to pay parity for the upcoming runs of the show, which will see a full cast refresh, to reflect the aging of the characters. Olivia Colman will play the British monarch on the next two seasons, and Helena Bonham Carter will play Princess Margaret. Other key casting decisions are still to be made.

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Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for "Jessica Jones" season two.

Jessica Jones's newest love interest is unlike any other man the powered private investigator has ever been with.

During the Netflix show's second season, Jones slowly starts to form a relationship with Oscar, her building's new superintendent.

"He's been through a lot so he's able to relate to her and sees her in a way that we haven't seen anybody else see her, which is why she opens up to him in a way that she kind of didn't to Luke [Cage]," JR Ramirez, the actor who plays Oscar, told INSIDER.

Cage and Jones struck up a friendship and sexual relationship during the Marvel series's first season. Her on-screen relationships have generally been physical, and that's because Jones uses sex as an out, actress Krysten Ritter told INSIDER about her character.

"What draws Jessica to [Oscar] is that he's hot and she wants to f--k him," she said. "Jessica is somebody that uses sex the same way she uses alcohol — for escape, to get out of her own head for a minute. She's not an emotional sentimental person."

But despite her initial reluctance to open her heart, her relationship with Oscar is more intimate than with any of her other lovers, Ramirez said.

"He has a good heart and he's extremely family-oriented, and I think that's different values and traits she's not used to," he said."Let's be real, she'll always have one foot in and one foot out, but ... I think that's why you'll get to see her in a way that you've never seen her before. He gets to wear her down a little bit and break down some of the levels of trust. He gets under her skin in a way."

One major reason for Jones letting her guard down is Vido, Oscar's son. When Oscar is initially rude to Jones because of her powers, it's Vido who strikes up conversations with her and tries t0 grow close. Oscar wants to keep Jones at bay because he fears for his son's safety and also doesn't want to lose him while embroiled in a custody battle. 

"In the beginning, it's all about protection," Ramirez said. "He realizes she has powers ... and that means trouble, cops, danger — all things that he doesn't want anywhere near Vido, so he puts up a front for sure. But Vido breaks the ice big time. " 

Jones eventually trusts Oscar enough that she goes to him for help. Oscar is a pro at forging documents and puts his skills to use for her, despite the possible consequences of his actions.  

"He's breaking the law for her, and he knows what that means," Ramirez said. "He finds something in her that he's willing to break the law for...regardless of how many demons she's trying to work out, there's some way he really relates to her. He becomes extremely patient with her, and I think it's because he sees the good in her. He sees beyond all the trauma and darkness that she's trying to get away from."

Rather than ending the season with Jones diving into a bottle of alcohol and choosing to be alone, the final shot shows Jones sitting down to eat with Oscar and Vido. It's a hopeful scene promising more growth for the hero. 

Read more "Jessica Jones" coverage here. 

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