In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announces the premiere date for “Emily in Paris” starring Lily Collins, and ABC owned and affiliate stations launch fundraiser phone bank for those affected by West Coast wildfires. DATES “Emily in Paris,” a romantic comedy series starring Lily Collins in the titular role, will premiere Oct. 2 on Netflix.
Television
The Kid Mero and Desus Nice just got some more than nice news. Showtime has officially renewed their late-night talk show “Desus & Mero” for a third season. News of the pick up comes as the pair are producing season 2 from their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show, which is Showtime’s first
This year’s New York Comic Con will be available to fans across the globe, not just those lucky enough to be in town for the event. The 2020 panels featured will be made virtually available, with live and prerecorded content available to watch on the NYCC YouTube page. “Star Trek” and “The Stand” have been
ABC is developing a single-cam comedy from two former “Single Parents” writers. The project is titled “Happy for You.” Taylor Cox is attached to write while Kim Rosenstock will serve as executive producer. The network has given the project a script commitment with a penalty attached. 20th Television, where Rosenstock is currently under an overall
“Saturday Night Live” has tapped Jim Carrey to play Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden as the show gears up to put a satirical touch on the run up to Election Day – typically one of the series’ most influential periods. Carrey gets a role that has been played by others
Elaborate at-home video kits are on their way to at least 130 Emmy nominees, the production team behind this year’s ceremony said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters via a virtual press conference, executive producers Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart shared a photo of the equipment that’s being loaded up and sent to nominees in 20
Veteran cable executive Chris McCumber is leaving NBCUniversal. The exec, who announced his departure in a memo to staff in Wednesday, played a key role in USA Network’s success during the aughts “blue sky” era and later developed and launched that channel’s most prestigious hit, “Mr. Robot.” Most recently he oversaw USA and sibling channel
Mona Scott-Young had been in the music business as a manager for years when opportunity knocked in the form of a reality TV show about the significant others of hip hop stars. That was a decade ago. The durable VH1 franchise “Love & Hip Hop” is now the cornerstone of Scott-Young’s Monami Entertainment banner, which
With the Emmys going virtual this year and most nominees and presenters “attending” from home, that means Hollywood can finally bring its dogs to the big show. Whether you want to glam up your Pomeranian or go sporty for your French bulldog, there are so many options for breeds of all shapes and sizes. “Have
Laverne Cox, Sterling K. Brown, Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Sesame Street’s” Count von Count are among the next round of stars who have signed on to appear and/or present awards during this Sunday’s Emmy Awards. The news comes as producers for the 72nd Emmy Awards are scheduled to share more details about this year’s most unusual
Even amid a global pandemic, you can’t keep a good producer down! Some had to pivot the most recent seasons of their shows to remote writers’ rooms, while others came up with brand new, social distancing-inspired material. Many also signed new overall deals, guaranteeing to deliver fresh content ready to be shot whenever they deem
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the second season of “Criminal: U.K.,” streaming on Netflix. George Kay and Jim Field Smith created and premiered the “Criminal” franchise (four unique series across four different territories: the U.K., France, Germany and Spain) with a storytelling focus on a “did the guy do
Robert and Michelle King are attached to executive produce a series adaptation of the iHeart Media true crime podcast “Happy Face” currently in development at CBS All Access, Variety has learned. “Happy Face” is inspired by the true story of Melissa Moore, who discovered at age 15 that her father, whom she loved dearly, was
The 2020 Emmys feature a slate of exciting nominees, from first-timers to veterans getting their due. Variety’s chief TV critics Daniel D’Addario and Caroline Framke discuss. Daniel D’Addario: It’s been a while since we’ve had categories of just five nominees, but one thing I’m struck by this year is just how big the Emmys feel.
While other singing competition series feature contestants hoping to become household names, Netflix’s “Sing On” has created a star in one of its technical elements: the vocal analyzer. The new series from Hello Dolly puts six purposefully “eclectic” singers together on the same stage, notes executive producer and Hello Dolly co-founder Stuart Shawcross. Standing equidistant
Court TV, the channel that covers U.S. criminal trials, has launched in the U.K. on Comcast’s Sky network, with more distribution deals expected soon. One of Court TV’s most high-profile cases in the coming months will focus on the four Minneapolis police officers who will be tried in the death of George Floyd, which launched
Fox News Media expects to cut less than 3% of its overall staff as the unit, the financial engine of parent Fox Corporation, works to make its operations more efficient after a period of expansion. “As Fox News Media has evolved into a streamlined multi-platform organization, we are realigning several functions and restructuring various divisions
Production on long-running ITV soap “Coronation Street” was temporarily disrupted after a cast member tested positive for coronavirus, but shooting has now resumed. The disruption happened at the end of last week, but resumed on Monday, with the cast kept apart with the use of two-meter-long sticks. “We can confirm a member of the ‘Coronation
In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky reports its latest Diamond diversity data, Abacus Media sells “Trickster” abroad, Channel 4 commissions a new home remodeling format and Pier 21 announces two executive appointments. DIVERSITY Sky in the U.K. has released its latest Diamond diversity data, reporting progress towards diversity targets for original U.K. productions. The Diamond system
WarnerMedia is joining the growing parade of media companies eager to court consumer interest in sports betting. During coverage of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals, TNT will present an alternate live-streamed feed of the games that includes commentary on betting analysis and odds. The feed, known as “TNT Bets” and made available to cable and
Andre Braugher cops to being “pretty freaked out” the first season he played the sophisticated but stern Capt. Raymond Holt on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Braugher was a Juilliard-trained actor who had already won two Emmys (including one for landmark drama “Homicide: Life on the Street”) and an Obie Award for performing Shakespeare in the Park —
BritBox U.S., the streamer operated by BBC Studios and ITV, has acquired “Lennon’s Last Weekend,” an original documentary that looks at legendary musician John Lennon’s final interview before his death. Directed by Brian Grant (“Video Killed the Radio Star”), “Lennon’s Last Weekend” features Lennon’s BBC Radio interview with Andy Peebles, the last he gave in
Leading Finnish streaming company Elisa Viihde is partnering up with A+E Networks on a new original series, “Next of Kin,” a mystery drama set in the near future. The eight-part series is scheduled to begin filming this week in Helsinki, Finland, and will be distributed worldwide by A+E Networks. “Next of Kin” will the first
The multi-camera comedy “United We Fall” has been canceled after one season at ABC. News of the cancellation comes about three weeks after the show’s season finale. It starred Will Sasso, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Jane Curtin, Guillermo Diaz, and Ella Grace Helton. The series followed Jo (Vidal Mitchell) and Bill (Sasso), parents of two young
Brandi Carlile, Cyndi Lauper, Cynthia Erivo, Yola and Laurie Anderson will be among the stars paying tribute to honorees like John Prine, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Philip Glass, Chicago and Philip Glass in “Great Performances: Grammy Salute to Music Legends,” set to air Oct. 16 on PBS. The annual special, now in its fifth year, offers
The second night of the Creative Arts Emmys Awards kicked off Tuesday. Among the big winners for the night were “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” which won three Emmys. That includes a win for best writing for a variety series. In addition, “Saturday Night Live” walked away with yet another win in the best
In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix has announced the premiere date for “Social Distance,” and Showtime has revealed the premiere date for “Moonbase 8.” RENEWALS Shaftesbury announced “Departure” has been renewed for a second season and started production in Toronto, ahead of the first season launching on Peacock in the U.S. Archie Panjabi and Christopher
David Kopple is joining Management 360 from CAA, where he has worked since 2010. He currently serves in the agency’s motion picture lit department. Among the clients joining Kopple at Management 360 are José Padilha, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Craig Zobel, Pablo Trapero, Peter Sollett, Adam Robitel, Joe Swanberg, Emily Jerome, and John Curran.
Prof. Alan Dershowitz filed a libel suit against CNN on Tuesday, seeking $300 million for allegedly taking a quote out of context during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Dershowitz defended Trump from the charge that he had abused his power by leaning on Ukraine to open an investigation of Joe Biden’s son. On
Rana Joy Glickman has produced lots of independent films over the last 20 years. But on her latest project, “The Blazing World,” she did something she had never done before: she did not buy cast insurance. Ordinarily, it’s an essential item. Without it, a production could face a total loss if the director or principal