Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Mar 4, 2021

Casting call: It's gonna be an all-star cast for Disney’s live-action version of “Pinocchio.” TOM HANKS will play Geppetto, JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT will be doing the voice of Jiminy Cricket, CYNTHIA ERIVO will play the Blue Fairy, LUKE EVANS will play The Coachman, plus a couple of cool characters: KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY will do the voice of Honest John and LORRAINE BRACCO will do the voice of Sofia the Seagull, a new character.

Variety reports JANET JACKSON will get a two-night documentary celebrating her life next year on Lifetime and A&E as they mark the 40th anniversary of the release of her first album --“Janet Jackson”-- back in 1982 when she was just 16. The documentary promises to show some concert video as well as some never-before-seen home videos, along with interviews with some people who are close to the singer.

Good news for “Simpsons” fans --Variety reports the show has been renewed for a Season 33 and 34 at FOX. “The Simpsons” is the longest-running primetime scripted show in television history, having surpassed “Gunsmoke” during its 29th season, and will have 757 episodes at the end of season 34.

Yikes: SKY News reports that cops in China and South Africa have arrested 84 people and seized 24-hundred doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines in raids.

It's not the first time people have attempted to pass off fake COVID vaccines --since the pandemic began, agents here in the US have seized $33 million worth of fake COVID-19 products and arrested 200 suspects.

Finally, the BBC says a Connecticut woman picked up a white porcelain bowl at an outdoor market sale and paid $35 for the antique. When she had it examined by an expert, she found out it was actually a rare 15th-Century Ming Dynasty Chinese bowl --and probably worth between $300-500-thousand dollars, since it's only one of only seven such bowls in existence. Now, of course, she's decided to auction it off... (I'm sure it was either that or take out a LOT of insurance!!!).

Question for your listeners: What's the best bargain you ever bought --and how much is it worth?