In today’s roundup, a premiere date is announced for upcoming drama series “King Ester” and Starz acquires six new titles to premiere this fall/winter.
DATES
Drama series “King Ester” is slated to premiere on Issa Rae Presents: Issa Rae Productions Youtube channel on Oct. 17, Variety has learned exclusively. Starring “Pose’s” Angelica Ross and Janet Hubert of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” the series follows an audacious transgender woman named Ester (Rowin Amone) in New Orleans as she navigates her sexual identity and journey to fame while the wrath of Hurricane Katrina terrorizes the city and lives around her. Following its premiere, new episodes will air every Thursday for the next seven weeks.
FIRST LOOKS
Hulu has released a teaser trailer for its upcoming drama series “Reprisal.” From the executive producer of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the show details the story of a relentless femme fatale who, after being left for dead, sets out to take revenge against her brother and his gang of gearheads. Abigail Spencer, Rodrigo Santoro, and Mena Massoud are among the stars of the series. “Reprisal” will premiere all episodes Dec. 6.
After long built anticipation and a few teaser trailers, HBO revealed the official trailer for “His Dark Materials.” Based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy, the series will follow a young woman from another world, Lyra (Dafne Keen), as she begins her quest to find her kidnapped friend. The journey eventually leads her to unusual encounters with extraordinary beings, discover the evil plot of a secret organization, and protect dangerous secrets. Andrew Scott, Lin Manuel Miranda, James McAvoy and Ruth Wilson star in the forthcoming series set to premiere Nov. 4.
CBS All Access unveiled the first look at season two of “Tell Me a Story.” Created by Kevin Williamson, the latest season of the psychological thriller will reimagine different fairy tales including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Cinderella.” Paul Wesley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Odette Annable, Eka Darville, Matt Lauria, Natalie Alyn Lind, Ashley Madekwe, Garcelle Beauvais, Caleb Castille, Christopher Meyer join previous cast member Danielle Campbell in the latest season. “Tell Me a Story” premieres Dec. 5.
DEALS
Endemol Shine Boomdog has signed an overall deal with Marie Leguizamo to produce and develop both Spanish and English content. The two time International Emmy-nominated producer’s portfolio includes a number of hits with programs such as “La Voz Kids” for Telemundo and Univision’s “Pequeños Gigantes USA,” the latter of which ran for 55 episodes on the network. Prior to the deal, Leguizamo also produced “Mira Quien Baila,” “Nuestra Belleza Latina,” “Viva El Sueño,” “Premios Juventud,” “El Juego de Oro,” “Billboard All Access,” and “Jencarlos Canela En Concert” for the company.
ACQUISITIONS
Geena Davis’ “This Changes Everything” and Idris Elba’s “In The Long Run” are among the six titles Starz has acquired. Set in 1985 in London, “In The Long Run” follows the story of the Easmon family, led by Walter Easmon (Elba) whose home is turned upside down when his party-loving younger brother arrives from Sierra Leone. The series loosely based on the actor’s life will premiere Nov. 1.
With interviews from Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Anita Hill, and “Power” creator and executive producer Courtney A. Kemp, Davis’ documentary explores underrepresentation and misrepresentation of women in the entertainment industry. The program will debut Dec. 16. Other titles slated to premiere on the network include “The Professor and the Madman” (Oct. 5), “The River and the Wall” (Oct. 21), “Stockholm” (Dec. 14), “My Days of Mercy”(Dec. 27).
EXECUTIVE NEWS
TNT/TBS veterans David Hudson has been named executive vice president of original programming for Katz Networks, where he will oversee the development and production of all original programming for Bounce, Brown Sugar, Court TV, Court TV Mystery, Grit, and Laff. Hudson will be joined by Sophia Karteris Kelley as senior vice president of original programming. Most recently, Kelley was the senior vice president of programming at UPtv where she oversaw programming, acquisitions and movie co-productions.
EVENTS
Amazon Prime Video will present an interactive pop-up exhibit entitled Museum of Modern Love (MoML) in honor of its upcoming series “Modern Love.” Taking place Oct. 10-13 in New York City, guests will have the opportunity to experience exhibits including an aura portrait booth, a collaborative map of love, a creative confessional, and a “growing” family tree. Additionally, guests will be able to shop curated pieces from the Domino x Amazon Wedding Registry. Other programs include a panel conversation called Fire TV Presents: Love on Screen. The experience will end with a party hosted by Entertainment Weekly Oct. 13. “Modern Love” will premiere Oct. 18.