Bravo has greenlit “Top Chef Amateurs,” to be hosted by longtime “Top Chef” judge Gail Simmons. Production on the show will begin later this month in Portland, Ore., where the next season of “Top Chef” has been filming under COVID-19 protocols. “Top Chef Amateurs” will be produced in a similar production bubble, and will premiere
Television
The widow of cameraman Mark Milsome, who was killed in an accident on the Ghana sets of BBC/Netflix series “Black Earth Rising” in 2017 hopes that a new inquest into the death will end her three-year quest for answers. Milsome, 54, was fatally injured when a Land Rover Defender crashed into him during filming. The
HBO has released the first teaser for “The Vow: Part 2,” which sees Keith Raniere, leader of the NXIVM cult, head to court. On Friday, HBO announced that the hit docuseries would be returning for a second installment with filmmakers Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer after the success of the premiere season. The news also
To capture the crisp received pronunciation of the royal family, “The Crown” dialect coaches teach cast members to say the word “ears” when saying “yes.” Like her co-star Josh O’Connor, who plays Prince Charles, Emma Corrin found one particular word was the key to unlocking Princess Diana’s slightly dispossessed-sounding posh drawl. “Mine was ‘alright.’ I
“The Voice” was slightly off pitch with its season 19 debut, at least compared with the last two cycles. The NBC singing show still managed to top the night overall with a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 and just under 8 million total viewers, which represents the biggest entertainment telecast of the season thus far.
Move over ESPN Ocho, Netflix will launch the doc series “We Are the Champions,” which chronicles some of the most unusual competitions around the world, on Nov. 17. Rainn Wilson serves as the narrator and is an executive producer on the show, which comes from producers Dirty Robber. Season one features faceoffs including cheese rolling,
Hit drama “Ugly Betty” is coming to South Africa, and will feature the show’s first Black lead. Pre-production begins next month, and principal photography will start in January, on “uBettina Wethu,” the South African remake of “Yo soy Betty, la fea,” the megahit Colombian telenovela that inspired the America Ferrera-fronted ABC series “Ugly Betty.” Borrowing
Japanese broadcaster and content investor Nippon TV has created a dedicated animation division for the first time. Launched as part of the company’s international business division, the anime department will be headed by Kuwahara Kako, as executive VP of business development. The division will launch with 12-part fantasy series “Tsukumichi – Moonlit Fantasy” adapted from
Dominic West is one of the final key players joining “The Crown.” Sources tell Variety that West is in late-stage discussions for the role, though the deal isn’t done. The actor would play Charles in the final two seasons of the Netflix drama. He will star opposite Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. Seasons 5 and
British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen was his usual outrageous self on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on Monday in his avatar as Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev as he does the final promotional rounds for “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Cohen brought the house down as he entered, spraying the sets with liquid from a canister and announcing that Kazakh
Netflix is not renewing science fiction drama series “Away” for a second season, Variety has confirmed. The cancellation comes just six weeks after the show’s first season was released on Sept. 4. “Away” stars Hilary Swank as astronaut Emma Green, who leads the first crewed expedition to Mars aboard the spaceship “Atlas,” called the Mars Joint
“The Mandalorian” — and more importantly, Baby Yoda — is returning to Disney Plus on Oct. 30, but before that, the show released another look at the new season during Monday Night Football. The new clip builds upon the previously released trailer for the series’ second season, showing off the many landscapes and impressive special
The cast of “Happy Days” is reuniting to raise money for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the state in which the classic show is set. Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Don Most, Anson Williams, Marion Ross and writer Lowell Ganz will all make an appearance at the virtual fundraiser on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. CT.
“Succession’s” Logan Roy and Gerri are reunited and looking to get the vote out. Several cast members of HBO’s hit drama — Brian Cox (Logan Roy), J. Smith-Cameron (Gerri Kellman), Peter Friedman (Frank Vernon), David Rasche (Karl), Fisher Stevens (Hugo Baker), Alan Ruck (Connor Roy) and Justine Lupe-Schomp (Willa) — gave fans a peek of
Sandra Lee is getting into the Christmas spirit. The Emmy-winning lifestyle expert has signed a deal to host broadcast and digital segments for Lifetime during the network’s holiday programming, titled “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime.” The pieces will cover a range of holiday subjects, including decorating, baking and gift giving. “For decades, Sandra has helped time-starved
Director Barry Jenkins shared a teaser for “The Underground Railroad,” and Apple TV Plus announced that “Peanuts” specials including “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” will be made available on the platform. RENEWALS Vice TV announced that it has renewed “Dark Side of the Ring,” a docuseries about controversies in the wrestling world, for a
Dana Baratta, known for her work writing and co-executive producing “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” “Good Behavior” and “Private Practice,” died on Sunday at age 59 due to complications from ovarian cancer. Known as a consummate storyteller, Baratta’s other credits as a writer and producer for TV and film include “Dawson’s Creek,” “Providence,” and the 1994 feature
“Euphoria” fans will have to wait well into next year for season 2, but in the meantime, HBO has officially confirmed two special episodes of the popular teen drama. The first is set to air Sunday, Dec. 6 on the premium cabler, before heading to stream on HBO Max. Both episodes were produced under COVID-19
Variety‘s 10 Animators to Watch will be honored this year during an hour-long panel presented by Nickelodeon. The discussion will celebrate the up-and-coming talent in the industry and present Variety‘s annual Creative Impact in Animation award to “Book of Life” and “Maya and the Three” animator Jorge Gutiérrez. The panel discussion is taking place today,
Ben Stiller was just a kid when he met a niece of Henry Winkler at school. When she found out he was a fan of The Fonz, Winkler’s iconic “Happy Days” character, she offered to get Stiller an autograph. “I got this picture sent to me and it was The Fonz and it said, ‘Hey,
Variety has announced additional programming for its virtual Power of Women summit, presented by Lifetime, taking place Oct. 28 and 29. The panels will feature prominent women in the industry who create content that empowers communities. The newly announced panels include an exclusive first look at the upcoming season of “The Crown,” joined by Gillian Anderson (who plays Margaret Thatcher) and Emma Corrin (who plays the Princess of
APA executive Julia Johnson has joined ICM Partners as general counsel and executive VP overseeing all business and legal affairs. At ICM, Johnson will take on some of the duties now handed by general counsel Rick Levy, who is exiting the agency at the end of the year. Johnson is expected to begin in November.
Regina Hall is expanding her relationship with Showtime. Fresh off her comedy series “Black Monday” being renewed for third season, Hall has inked a first-look deal with the premium cabler. Under the new pact, Hall will develop and produce TV projects for Showtime via her production company, Rh Negative. Sources say she is poised to
HBO has ordered the satirical limited series “The White Lotus.” Hailing from writer, director, and executive producer Mike White, the six-episode series is set at an exclusive tropical resort and follows the exploits of various guests and employees over the span of a week. Production is set to begin this month in Hawaii under COVID-19
WarnerMedia’s recent restructuring was “spot on,” and the company accelerated those changes to the media division — which had been eyed for 2021 — because of the COVID pandemic to boost the profile of the HBO Max streaming service, according to AT&T CEO John Stankey. Stankey, speaking Monday at the Wall Street Journal’s WSJ Live
Media barons have long acknowledged that the future will be streamed. Over the coming weeks, as the world’s largest media and tech conglomerates report earnings for the July-September quarter, it will become increasingly clear how well entertainment companies are handling the pivot away from cable bundles and theatrical releases, and toward streaming services. Investors expect
WarnerMedia wants to take another swing at celebrity golf. The AT&T-owned media operation unveiled plans Monday for another of its golf telecasts featuring two celebrity teams squaring off against one another. The new foursome will feature Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley taking on Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning. The live golf competition is slated to
A Los Angeles judge ruled on Monday that the rape case against actor Danny Masterson can go forward, rejecting a defense argument that the allegations are too old to be prosecuted. Masterson, 44, is accused of raping three women at his home between 2001 and 2003. The former “That ’70s Show” actor could face 45
Welcome back to Tune In: our weekly newsletter offering a guide to the best of the week’s TV. Each week, Variety’s TV team combs through the week’s schedule, selecting our picks of what to watch and when/how to watch them. As many across the country continue to practice self-isolation due to coronavirus, why not while away
The U.K.’s Three Tables Productions has partnered with London’s Royal Opera House to create a scripted drama series that will chart the story of the institution’s continuing evolution over centuries. The first season will focus on the Royal Opera House’s recovery from its complete destruction in the Victorian era, when it was hit by a