Television

Protesters took to the streets Friday in Los Angeles, New York City, San Jose, Atlanta, D.C. and other major hubs across the country following the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers in Minneapolis. In Atlanta, the protest began peacefully but took a destructive turn, as demonstrators smashed the doors of

Much like many other producers and showrunners, Ramy Youssef has spent his quarantine editing remotely, frantically trying to finish Season 2 of “Ramy” on time. Youssef submitted the final locked episodes on Tuesday, only three days ahead of the launch on May 29, and discussed the “intense experience” on the “Variety After-Show,” presented by National

Leaders of the Writers Guild of America have told the major studios that they need to improve their practices on diversity and inclusion as part of the guild’s negotiations on a new master TV and film contract. “For many years, some WGA writers have faced unfair discrimination based on factors that have nothing to do

HBO Max launched on Wednesday with the entire library of “Friends” as its cornerstone selling point. But for completists, HBO Max is still missing a component of the “Friends” Creative Universe: The spinoff series “Joey,” which is nowhere to be found on the new streaming service. An HBO Max spokesperson confirmed that the streamer hasn’t

In today’s TV News Roundup, Apple TV Plus announced the premiere date of its upcoming series “Ted Lasso,” and HBO Max announced it would accelerate the release schedule of “Love Life.” DATES Apple TV Plus has announced that is upcoming comedy series “Ted Lasso” will premiere on the streamer on August 14. The series follows

SPOILER ALERT Do not read if you have not yet watched the series finale of “Defending Jacob,” streaming now on Apple TV Plus. Apple TV Plus’ adaptation of “Defending Jacob” ends with closure regarding the murder case in which the titular character is embroiled, but not necessarily justice, let alone the ultimate truth. Jacob Barber

President Donald Trump gave a press conference on Friday, where many expected him to address the riots taking place in Minnesota sparked by George Floyd’s death. However, Trump focused entirely on China and the coronavirus. The main takeaway from his speech is his intent to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization,

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not seen the series finale of “Defending Jacob” on Apple TV Plus.  “Defending Jacob” reached its explosive conclusion this week, which began with Jacob (Jaeden Martell) being set free after Leonard Patz (Daniel Henshall) was found dead in an apparent suicide. Patz left behind a note taking

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was seen on video using his knee to pin down George Floyd, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington, who made the Friday announcement at a brief news conference, said he did not have information about the charges, or about the

Disney Plus has renewed the scripted series “Diary of a Future President” for a second season. The second season will consist of 10 episodes like the first, with the first season having premiered in January. The series follows the adventures of Elena Cañero-Reed as she navigates the ups and downs of middle school on her

The year 2020 already started on a pretty high note for Kelvin Harrison Jr., with an Independent Spirit Award nod and a BAFTA EE Rising Star award nomination for his breakthrough performances in “Luce” and “Waves.” And with turns in “The Photograph” and now “The High Note,” the young actor’s star is primed to rise

Cush Jumbo will not be returning to “The Good Fight” when the CBS All Access show comes back for its fifth season, Variety has confirmed. “I have had the most amazing time over the last five years working with Robert, Michelle and the crews of both ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘The Good Fight,’” Jumbo said. “I

President Donald Trump’s animosity toward the mainstream news media has fueled the conditions that led a CNN reporter and three crew members to be arrested while covering the unrest in Minneapolis sparked by the death of an unarmed black man at the hands of police. George Freeman, executive director of the Media Law Resource Center,

For four glorious weeks in April and May, Fridays on VH1 belonged to “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” First, viewers could watch the 90-minute episodes of the Emmy-winning reality show’s 12th season, in which 13 drag queens (well, actually 12 — more on that later) compete to be crowned “America’s next drag superstar.” Then they could take

A different type of journalist is getting booked on “Meet The Press.” The venerable NBC News Sunday public-affairs program will test a five-week series featuring college journalism students on a panel with the show’s moderator, Chuck Todd. The assemblage will even take part in one of the program’s central rituals – quizzing newsmakers on pertinent

Facebook has created an app that’s designed to lure the eyeballs of sports fans from their televisions to their mobile devices. The app, dubbed Venue, comes as fans increasingly watch games while holding a mobile device, or second screen, where they engage on platforms devoted to things like social media and sports betting. It’s designed

A bevy of working TV-news correspondents from a range of media outlets expressed surprise and outrage after a CNN correspondent was arrested while covering protests in Minneapolis. Police arrested CNN journalist Omar Jimenez and his crew on air early Friday during a live broadcast in Minneapolis, as they covered riots sparked by George Floyd’s death,

Police arrested CNN journalist Omar Jimenez and his crew on air early Friday during a live broadcast in Minneapolis, as they covered riots sparked by George Floyd’s death, sparking intense outrage as well as an apology by Minnesota governor Tim Walz to top executives at the cable-news network. CNN called the arrests a “violation of

Movistar Plus action thriller “Riot Police” (“Antidisturbios”), one of the most buzzed up of drama series from Spain this year, at least among the few who have caught its first episodes, will be brought onto the international market at next month’s Conecta Fiction Reboot. The unveil comes as Movistar Plus, the pay TV/SVOD arm of

Netflix’s explosive four-part docuseries, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” debuted this week on the streaming giant and chronicles the sex trafficking crimes of the high-profile financier – whose social circle included the likes of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and Harvey Weinstein, among others. Through sit-down interviews with his accusers, interrogation footage of Epstein, and

Amid the increase of anti-Asian racism and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on American communities of color, Endemol Shine North America’s diversity and inclusion committee, launched last year, held its first virtual event for its offices in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil to discuss how the entertainment industry can address these issues. The panel featured

In today’s TV News Roundup, Hulu released a trailer for upcoming documentary “We Are Freestyle Love Supreme,” and CMT added new celebrities to the line-up for its upcoming special celebrating those continuing to work amid the coronavirus pandemic.  CASTING CBS has announced the 12 challengers competing on its upcoming reality series “Tough as Nails,” which

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has confirmed new dates for this year’s Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards. Originally scheduled for spring 2020, both awards were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Television Awards will now take place on July 31, with the Television

Only day after its launch, HBO Max is the latest platform to set-up its own piece of quarantine-inspired content. The streamer has given the greenlight to “Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020,” a scripted special which will give high school students whose spring musicals have been canceled the opportunity to sing and dance in front of

MTV is currently working with numerous government and health agencies in hopes of mounting its annual Video Music Awards live from New York this August, Variety can report exclusively. The show is eyeing an Aug. 30 broadcast date from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for its 36th edition of the VMAs, where MTV honors the best in

The Gal Gadot-led series about film legend Hedy Lamarr is on the move. Variety has learned exclusively that the project is now set up at Apple with a straight-to-series order after having previously been in the works at Showtime. The eight-episode series hails from writer and executive producer Sarah Treem, who previously served as co-creator

Emmy-winning “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck is in talks to direct “The Magus,” an adaptation of John Fowles’ famously cryptic cult novel. The TV miniseries is being produced by “1917” production house Neal Street Productions, headed by producer Pippa Harris and filmmaker Sam Mendes. The news leaked in a suitably mysterious way Thursday when Renck posted

In 2001, the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” was a global TV phenomenon. And in the U.K., where the show had originated, there was such a frenzy for the show that a large underground network of fans communicated ways to game the system and get on the show. Around the same time,

On top of her packed singing and acting schedule, Cynthia Erivo is adding documentary producer to her list of credits. Erivo, who is set to play the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin in the Nat Geo series “Genius” later this year, will executive produce a new docuseries coming to Quibi called “What We Keep.” The

Stu Mundel, perhaps the most well-known of L.A.’s TV helicopter reporters — specifically for his frequent coverage of police car chases and brush fires across Southern California — is boarding a new chopper. Mundel has exited his longtime perch at the CBS-owned KCBS/KCAL duopoly for a new gig at crosstown rival KTTV “Fox 11.” KCBS/KCAL