Television

For the first time in “Challenge” history, players will be paired with their closest ally in real life for Season 38 of “The Challenge: Ride or Dies.” MTV announced Thursday that Season 38 will premiere on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. ET. The cast features “best friends, exes and couples as they navigate the

“Saturday Night Live” is trying to replenish its ranks after many of its best-known cast members have signaled they intend to leave the show. The venerable NBC late-night program has enlisted four new featured players for its 48th season, a move that will lend some ballast to the cast after mainstays like Kate McKinnon and

There has never been a better time to be a VFX vendor. With so much content coming from streaming, high-quality television, feature films and commercials, the demand for visual effects and VFXartists continues to grow. Santa Monica-based visual effects studio Luma Pictures, which celebrates its 20-year anniversary this month, has seen an increase in everything

There will be lots of teams worth following this NFL season, be they the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the returning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Even so, many people in the media business have their eyes on a very distinctive player: Amazon Prime Video. The streamer, which once shared “” games with Fox, now

There’s a last-minute change brewing at “60 Minutes.” When the venerable CBS newsmagazine launches its 55th season this Sunday, viewers may notice a twist at the end of the hour. The show is debuting a new end segment, something that its top producer hopes will resonate with crowds as much as previous codas like “Point/Counterpoint”

Kevin Bray has inked a first-look deal with FX Productions. As part of the agreement, Bray will be developing new content for FX. The deal further expands Bray’s relationship with FX. Bray directed the first three episodes of FX’s “The Patient” as well as several episodes of “The Americans” and “Snowfall.” In partnership with Color

The “Star Wars” series “The Acolyte” at Disney+ has added Manny Jacinto to its cast, Variety has learned from sources. Jacinto joins previously announced series lead Amandla Stenberg in the series as well as cast members Jodie Turner-Smith and Lee Jung-jae. According to sources, Stenberg, Jacinto, and Lee will be the three main characters in

Blumhouse Television has promoted Chris Dickie to executive vice president of scripted development and programming, Variety has learned exclusively. A five-year veteran of the Jason Blum-founded company, Dickie oversees a team of eight working on current and development across ongoing and limited series, domestic and international, television movies and streaming features, animation and podcasts. “Chris

The “Yellowstone” prequel series “1923” at Paramount+ has added Brandon Sklenar to the cast, Variety has learned. Sklenar is the latest addition the cast of the series, joining previously announced cast members Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as well as Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, James Badge Dale, Marley Shelton, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves, and Julia

Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg and Donnie Wahlberg have signed a three-year first-look deal for unscripted projects with Lionsgate Television. The deal will see the couple produce and develop unscripted and reality projects, documentaries, short form productions, and non-fiction podcasts via their newly formed company, Work Baby Productions. Lionsgate company Pilgrim Media will provide development support and

Amazon has formally ordered a “Blade Runner” sequel series, Variety has learned. The live-action project, titled “Blade Runner 2099,” was first announced as being in development at the streamer back in February, while Ridley Scott first revealed the show was in the works in November 2021. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps, but

In the thriller series “Euer Ehren,” a German-Austrian adaptation of the Israeli series “Your Honor” (“Kvodo”), Sebastian Koch (“The Lives of Others,” “Homeland”) plays Michael Jacobi, a judge caught up in his own web of deception as he struggles to protect his son. The project was brought to Koch by Al Munteanu, producer and founder

Canal+, France’s leading pay TV group, has signed distribution deals with Universal and Sony to ramp up its programming of U.S. movies. Under the pact, Canal+ now has access to the studios’ new films six months after their releases, a spokesperson told Variety. Sony’s “Spiderman : No Way Home” is currently being broadcast on Canal+’s

Atresplayer Premium, the burgeoning OTT service behind HBO Max hit “Veneno,” has renewed “The Gypsy Bride” (“La novia gitana”), whose Season 1, from “Penny Dreadful” director Paco Cabezas, world premieres at the San Sebastian Film Festival.  Atresmedia Television will produce with Banijay Iberia’s Diagonal TV, producer of Netflix hit “Heirs to the Land.”Produced by VIS

George Stephanopoulos has been many things over the years. A political operative. A TV anchor. In his next project, he’s taking on a decidedly different role. In “Power Trip — Those Who Seek Power and Those Who Chase Them,” a new eight-part series set to stream on Hulu starting September 25, Stephanopoulos will serve as

The BBC has reportedly received only 670 complaints regarding “excessive” coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s death compared to over 100,000 it received following the death of her husband, Prince Philip. The BBC’s schedules were thrown into chaos last Thursday (Sept. 8) after Buckingham Palace made a rare public statement regarding “concerns” for the Queen’s health.

ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios, has acquired English language adaptation rights to TF1’s hit detective show “HIP (High Intellectual Potential).” The U.S. adaptation is currently in development, and a showrunner, writing team and cast will be announced at a later stage. The original series, created by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Stéphane Carrié and Nicolas Jean,

The Finnish Film Affair, a showcase for new films from the host country and the Nordics, will for the first time feature TV dramas at this year’s event, which runs parallel to the Helsinki International Film Festival — Love & Anarchy (HIFF). Alongside the 26 feature film and documentary projects being presented to industry guests

Stoked by raves and strong receptions to their world-premiering Toronto festival films, “Brother” producers Damon D’Oliveira and Clement Virgo, “Black Ice” producer Vinay Virmani, and “Alice, Darling” producer Noah Segal are warming up a new basketball-themed crime series, “The Count,” for this fall’s marketplace, Variety has learned. A modern spin on French author Alexandre Dumas’

During Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue on Wednesday evening’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” the late-night host was interrupted by “Abbott Elementary” creator Quinta Brunson — a comedic bit of retaliation after Kimmel faced criticism for his appearance during the Emmys. “You know how when you win an Emmy you only have 45 seconds to do an

ABC announced a slew of news regarding their fall programming at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on September 14, headlined by guest star announcements for the second season of recently-anointed Emmy-winner “Abbott Elementary.” Read below for a summary of ABC’s announcements from the TCA press conferences. GUEST STARS Debuting on Wednesday, September 21,

Filming on “Chicago Fire” was halted on Wednesday afternoon after a gunman fired at a group of people nearby the production set for NBC’s marquee drama series. In a statement to news media, the Chicago Police Department shared that an unidentified individual carrying a handgun shot at a group of people standing in the 5900

To (extremely) paraphrase Benjamin Franklin: nothing is certain in storytelling but love, death, and vampires combining the two. In the last 30 years, give or take a “True Blood,” some of TV’s most popular interpretations of one of the world’s eldest mythic creatures have tended to lean toward the teenaged variety, whether plucky and battle-scarred

The upcoming “Spiderwick Chronicles” TV series at Disney+ has cast Mychala Lee, Variety has learned. Lee joins previously announced cast members Lyon Daniels and Noah Cottrell as well as Christian Slater and Joy Bryant. The show is based on the book series of the same name by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Per the official

Melissa Fumero, Tim Meadows, Tim Robinson, Mitra Jouhari, Dale Soules and Guz Khan have joined the cast of “Digman!,” Comedy Central’s upcoming adult animated series from Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell. The series is set in a world where archaeologists are massive celebrities and the coolest people on the planet, with Samberg voicing the protagonist,

Sheryl Lee Ralph has made her feelings known on Jimmy Kimmel’s bit during Quinta Brunson’s Emmys acceptance speech. During a virtual panel for ABC’s presentation at the TCA’s summer press tour, “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Brunson was asked Kimmel lying down onstage as she won the award for comedy writing on Monday night. She

Paramount Global has likely explored the idea of a bundled product that includes Showtime and Paramount+ with cable and satellite distributors, the company’s top executive said, as it continues to mull over the best way to package its various products for consumers. “We should have that conversation,” Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said during remarks at

Nothing is official until it’s official, but sources tell Variety that ABC is all-but-set on Zach Shallcross being its next star of “The Bachelor.” Two individuals familiar with “The Bachelor” search have told Variety that Shallcross is the network’s pick to lead Season 27, which will likely air in early 2023. Shallcross is expected to

“Masterchef” has been renewed for a thirteenth season at Fox. Chef and executive producer Gordon Ramsay, chef Aarón Sánchez and restaurateur Joe Bastianich all return to judge the cooking competition series. The news comes ahead of the finale of Season 12, which airs Wednesday and features the return of former judge Christina Tosi, chef and

Timothy Olyphant is set to star in the upcoming HBO Max series “Full Circle” from Steven Soderbergh and Ed Solomon, Variety has learned. Olyphant is the latest addition to the cast of the six-episode series alongside previously announced cast members Zazie Beetz and Claire Danes. The official logline for the show reads, “An investigation into