In today’s roundup, VH1 drops a trailer for “RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular” and sets a return date for “Love & Hip Hop: New York.”
FIRST LOOKS
The official trailer has dropped for the YouTube Originals comedy series, “Wayne.” All 10 episodes of the series will be available on YouTube Premium on Jan. 16. “Wayne” tells the story of a 16-year-old who sets out to take back the 1978 Pontiac Trans Am that was stolen from his father before he died. The series will star Mark McKenna (“Sing Street”) and Ciara Bravo (“Big Time Rush”), and feature Joshua J. Williams (“Mudbound”) in a recurring role.
VH1 has released the trailer for Season 9 of “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” which will premiere Monday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Cast members include Remy Ma, Papoose, Safaree Samuels, Juelz Santana, Kimbella, and more. The reality show, which helped raise Cardi B’s profile before her rap career took off, focuses on people trying to stay on top or make it in the world of hip-hop.
VH1 has also released a preview of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular,” which will air Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The one-hour special brings back eight fan-favorite contestants of the past to compete for the title of Drag Race Xmas Queen. During the show, viewers will be treated to an extended first look at “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4.”
DATES
Netflix’s six-part documentary series, “The Innocent Man,” will launch globally on Dec. 14. Based on John Grisham’s non-fiction book of the same name, the series focuses on two murders that shook a small Oklahoma town in the 1980s. Directed by Clay Tweel (“Gleason”), “The Innocent Man” includes interviews with victims’ friends and families, residents, attorneys, journalists, and others involved in the cases. The series is produced by Maura Anderson and Shannon Riggs, and executive produced by Grisham, Tweel, David Gernert, and Ross Dinerstein.
HBO has announced Sunday, Jan. 20 as premiere dates for the third season of two of its series: “Crashing,” at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and “High Maintenance,” at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Drawing on star Pete Holmes’ own experiences as a comic, “Crashing” offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the world of stand-up comedy. John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, and Ray Romano are among comedy guest stars for the new season. “High Maintenance” stars Ben Sinclair as a marijuana dealer who serves as an entry point to stories about New York life.
USA Network’s legal drama “Suits” is returning Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT for the back half of its eighth season. After surviving leadership turmoil and the loss of key partners, the trio of Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), and Donna Paulsen (Sarah Rafferty) continues to tackle top corporate cases with the support of Alex Williams (Dulé Hill) and Katrina Bennett (Amanda Schull). Powerhouse attorney Samantha Wheeler (Katherine Heigl) joins the ranks of Zane Specter Litt and challenges the status quo.
CASTING
ABC News has announced Janai Norman as the co-anchor of its New York-based shows “World News Now” and “America This Morning,” joining anchor Kendis Gibson. Norman was previously a multi-platform reporter for ABC News in Washington, D.C., covering the Trump administration and Capitol Hill for local ABC affiliates. She is succeeding Diane Macedo, who will transition to a correspondent position for ABC News in New York.
EXECUTIVE NEWS
PBS Distribution has appointed Jen Robertson to the newly created role of vice president of marketing. In this position, Robertson will lead marketing and communications strategy supporting multiple brands and businesses including retail, e-commerce, and transactional and subscription video on demand, with a focus on customer acquisition and retention strategies for direct-to-consumer subscription businesses including PBS Masterpiece and PBS KIDS on Prime Video Channels.
Kelli Raftery has been promoted to executive vice president of communications at CBS Corporation. In her new role, Raftery will work with Chief Communications Officer Dana McClintock and Chris Ender, executive vice president of CBS Corporation, guiding the company’s overall media relations and communications strategy. Raftery was mostly recently senior vice president of communications, and she will continue to work closely with all CBS Corporation businesses, to help steer the messaging of the company for its external and internal constituencies.