Television

There’s been no shortage of drama in the entertainment industry this year, from mega mergers, massive restructurings, sudden executive ousters and plummeting values for media giants on Wall Street. But from the perspective of a well connected, well funded and highly motivated producer with a track record like Seth MacFarlane, business has never been better.

Mindy Kaling knows a thing or two about balance. As an actor and producer, she’s juggled multiple jobs for years. On “The Office,” which aired from 2005 to 2013, she not only starred as Kelly Kapoor, but also served as a writer, executive producer and director. In fact, after the comedy, which won five Emmy

Netflix has released a brief teaser for the second season of its hit drama series “Squid Game,” along with a message from creator, writer, director and executive producer Hwang Dong-Hyuk dispatching details on which characters are returning for the sophomore outing. “Red light… GREENLIGHT!” reads the message alongside the teaser, which features a brief animation

Samuel L. Jackson and Viola Davis are both veterans of the New York theater scene, and embrace the opportunity to dig into their shared experiences before addressing their latest work on TV. On Apple TV+, Jackson takes the lead role in “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey,” an adaptation of Walter Mosley’s novel about an

Jenna Ortega has Christina Ricci’s stamp of approval. The “Scream” star is set to play Wednesday Addams — a role Ricci famously played in the 90s movies — in Netflix’s upcoming Addams Family series, “Wednesday.” On Saturday night, Ricci shared with Variety what it was like stepping back into the Addams Family world. “It’s super

From the very start, “Julia” producer Chris Keyser decided there wouldn’t be any shortcuts when it came to creating the food scenes for HBO Max’s origin story of the famous TV chef. It had to taste good and look even better to honor the spirit of Julia Child. Production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein and food

SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Glorious Five Year Plan,” the June 10 episodes of “The Boys.” The week’s episode of “The Boys” Season 3 was all about super powers — yes, more so than any standard episode of the Amazon superhero series. That’s because it delved into people getting

Tom Hiddleston told Lily James during their conversation as part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, presented by Apple TV+, that the Marvel Cinematic Universe must “reflect the world we live in.” That’s why the actor is so happy his Disney+ series, “Loki,” finally made it clear within the MCU that his eponymous anti-hero is

For “Downton Abbey” alum Lily James, 2022 has been a year of glamour and drama. She took on the role of Pamela Anderson in Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy,” which looked sympathetically at Anderson’s attempt to be taken seriously. Tom Hiddleston’s work is similarly multifaceted in “Loki,” where he plays Marvel’s trickster god, who’s gone from

Josh Lucas will return to the ranch this November. The actor will return to hit drama series “Yellowstone” for Season 5, Paramount Network announced on Friday. Lucas plays the younger version of main character John Dutton (Kevin Costner). He will return in a recurring capacity to the series, after having last appeared in an episode

Disputes over Antonio Campos’ HBO Max adaptation of “The Staircase” have some in the documentary community questioning whether they would readily allow a narrative director to turn their facts into fiction. “The Staircase” revolves around the death of Kathleen Peterson and the murder trial of her husband Michael, as the filmmakers chronicling the case for

The conclusions of dramas like “Ozark” and “Better Call Saul” have ruled cultural conversation about TV in 2022, while new shows such as “Bel-Air” and “As We See It” are a sign of the innovation and creativity to come. Creators and showrunners of some of the top dramas on the small screen came together for

A reporter for the National Enquirer testified Friday that she was angered when the publication refused to run a story about a sex assault allegation against Bill Cosby in 2005. Robin Mizrahi was called to the witness stand by Cosby’s defense lawyer in a civil trial underway in Santa Monica. Judy Huth is suing Cosby

Few British dynasties have inspired as much material in recent years as that of the Tudors. From Showtime’s aptly named “The Tudors,” to Hilary Mantel’s book/play/series “Wolf Hall,” to the current Broadway musical “Six,” the turbulent reign of Henry VIII and his six equally turbulent marriages have clearly had no shortage of retellings. At this

Actors, producers, directors, executives, writers and more joined together to discuss the ins and outs of their TV programs in a stacked season of small-screen excellence for the 2022 Variety Virtual TV Fest. From shows moving to new streaming platforms to the boom in true crime series on television, there was a lot to discuss

What’s harder to work with when it comes to writing a limited series — true stories taken from real life, or the stuff of fiction? A panel of top writers debated the challenges of working with headline-driven and historical material during the final hour of Variety‘s Night in the Writers’ Room on June 9 at

“Made for Love” has been canceled at HBO Max after two seasons, Variety has confirmed exclusively. “We are tremendously grateful for the truly spectacular journey of these past two seasons, courtesy of Alissa Nutting, Christina Lee, Cristin, Billy, Ray and the entire ‘Made for Love’ cast and creative team – especially Zelda the talking dolphin

Jason Woliner’s upcoming Peacock series has added five new cast members. Rosanna Arquette (“Florida Man,” “Love is Love is Love”), Melinda McGraw (“Mad Men,” “The Dark Knight”) Frank Grillo (“Kingdom,” “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”), Dennis Haysbert (“Lucifer,” “The Unit”), and Dee Wallace (“E.T.,” “Cujo”) are all set to star in the untitled project. The show was

Eleven of the TV industry’s top comedy creators and showrunners came together to talk about the so-called return of the broadcast sitcom, the daunting task of reshaping and adhering to beloved IP and why the workplace comedy is still a tried-and-true format during Variety‘s “A Night in the Writers’ Room” event Thursday. During the comedy

For years, film has been featuring the antagonist front and center — see “Joker,” “The Shining,” even “The Godfather” and “GoodFellas.” TV, however, usually works a bit differently. Placing the bad guy at the head of the story isn’t an easy task, one that only works when both the writer and actor at hand can

Warren Littlefield is looking to make more Must-See TV with Disney’s 20th Television and ABC Signature. The network president-turned-producer, whose prolific output in recent years has included “Fargo,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Dopesick,” has sealed a multi-year overall deal with 20th and ABC Signature that will keep him exclusive with those studios through 2026. Littlefield

Lesley Manville is set to appear in Alfonso Cuarón’s upcoming Apple series “Disclaimer,” Variety has learned exclusively. Manville joins previously announced series leads Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline in the series, as well as cast members Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Hoyeon, and Louis Partridge. Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight,

On “Evil,” Katja Herbers plays forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard, one of a trio of investigators who assess potential demonic possession and other possible supernatural activity for the Catholic Church. Kristen is also in a will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic with David (Mike Colter), a fellow assessor and newly ordained Catholic priest. The show, created by Robert and Michelle

Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez’s Peacock series “Mrs. Davis” has cast Margo Martindale, Andy McQueen, and Ben Chaplin. The trio join previously announced series leads Betty Gilpin and Jake McDorman in the series. Exact plot details are being kept under wraps, aside from the fact the show is described as an exploration of faith versus

When it came time to film the death of Jung Ho-yeon’s “Squid Game” character Kang Sae-byeok, Ho-yeon found herself to be strangely happy. “Maybe it’s weird to say it, but while I’m shooting my death scene, I was so happy,” Ho-yeon told Sandra Oh during their Variety “Actors on Actors” conversation, presented by Apple TV+.

When “Grey’s Anatomy” premiered in 2005, it catapulted the ensemble of actors playing the Seattle Grace Hospital staff to fame. For Sandra Oh, who played Cristina Yang on the series for 10 years, that spotlight came with downsides for her own health. The acclaimed actor opened up about the effects that her sudden “Grey’s Anatomy”

Jeff Bridges is back in action after a life-threatening battle with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and COVID-19.  At the Wednesday night premiere of his FX thriller “The Old Man”, the Oscar winner described the surreal experience of returning to set after a year-long hiatus due to his health struggles. “I was sick for a year and then

One week after exploding genitalia in its Season 3 premiere and increasing viewership by 17% from Season 2’s debut, “The Boys” has been renewed for a fourth season at Amazon. While “The Boys” star Karl Urban previously spilled the fourth-season beans when he said at Variety‘s SXSW Studio on March 12 that he was “shooting

Apple TV+ announced that “Schmigadoon!” has been renewed for a second season. Additionally, Tituss Burgess and Patrick Page have joined the cast. The series stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a couple named Melissa Gimble and Josh Skinner, two doctors from New york who go on a backpacking trip when their relationship hits a

Outdoor adventurer Bear Grylls has teamed up with Bollywood star Ranveer Singh for interactive adventure reality special “Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls.” Singh takes off on a date with nature, fending for himself and learning new survival skills as he ventures into the depths of the wild to find a rare flower for his