December 2, 2019 11:41AM PT Time’s Up, a woman’s advocacy group formed as the #MeToo movement roiled Hollywood, issued an unflinching condemnation of NBCUniversal following Variety’s exclusive reports surrounding the departure of “America’s Got Talent’ judge Gabrielle Union. Newly appointed Time’s Up CEO Tina Tchen decried what she observed as a “pattern” within NBC as
Television
Netflix has announced the main cast of its upcoming thriller series “Clickbait.” Zoe Kazan, Adrian Grenier, Betty Gabriel, and Phoenix Raei will all star in the eight-episode series. It is said to explore the ways in which our most dangerous and uncontrolled impulses are fueled in the age of social media and reveals the ever-widening
Never one to hold back, Howard Stern has weighed in on the ongoing “America’s Got Talent” controversy, calling out creator and judge Simon Cowell for his treatment of female judges on the series. A former judge on “America’s Got Talent,” Stern slammed Cowell and said he “orchestrated” the situation that saw NBC releasing judges Gabrielle
The HBO Max pilot “Gumshoe” has added five series regulars to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively. Sonya Cassidy and Miles J. Harvey will play the lead roles in the comedy, with Carla Jimenez, Max Casella, and Phillipa Soo also cast. The project follows sweet, optimistic young cop Cassie (Cassidy) and creepy, crime-obsessed teenager Eamon (Harvey)
In a fictional world rife with female serial killers, women in mourning and ladies whose mindsets don’t always make them the most likeable or even cheerful leads, mental health and the role it plays in a woman’s world may finally be getting its due. As a record number of television outlets compete for attention among
After being nominated for an Oscar for her short film “New Boy” in 2007, Steph Green has consistently carved out a space for herself as a sought-out small-screen director. This year alone she has helmed high-profile episodes of equally important new series, including the Looking Glass (Tim Blake Nelson) backstory chapter of HBO’s “Watchmen” adaptation
“The Immortal,” a film prequel to the hit TV series “Gomorrah,” is set for release Thursday on 450 screens in Italy in what its distributors are touting as a unique cross-media experiment. Helmed by actor-director Marco D’Amore, who plays ruthless central character Ciro Di Marzio on the gritty mob show, “The Immortal” is not just
With peak TV refusing to actually peak, the consistent influx of new television content not only brings with it new opportunities to tell female-centric stories, but also more chances for women to take pivotal production positions. That includes cinematographers, who have the opportunity to tell these stories in ways that subvert the traditional male gaze.
After five years of wild misadventures and invaluable life lessons emerging through generous clouds of pot smoke, the final season of Comedy Central’s “Broad City” pulled one of its riskiest moves to date: it let its brassy heroines grow up. After spending most of their 20s attached at the hip, Abbi (co-creator Abbi Jacobson) and
Melina Marchetta’s young adult novel “On the Jellicoe Road” is being adapted for TV by Germany’s ZDF Enterprises, Australia’s Werner Film, and Wild Sheep Content, the fledgling producer formed by Erik Barmack, Netflix’s former head of international originals. Australian author Marchetta’s book was first published in 2006 in Australia. It was published in the U.S.
SAG-AFTRA has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Gabrielle Union’s departure from “America’s Got Talent.” In a statement sent to Variety Sunday night, a spokesperson for the performers’ union said, “While we have taken steps to investigate this matter, we have nothing to report now.” Variety reported exclusively Tuesday that Union was let go
Shelley Morrison, who played Karen Walker’s sharp-tongued yet endearing maid Rosario Salazar on “Will & Grace” from 1999-2006, has died. She was 83. Morrison died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from heart failure after a brief illness, Morrison’s publicist, Lori DeWaal, told The Associated Press. Rosario, who hailed from El Salvador, was originally
“CBS Evening News” is pushing deadline. Though executives had originally hoped to have the show move to Washington, D.C. in November, the venerable CBS News evening newscast will on Monday start to broadcast from the nation’s capital on most nights. The move to D.C. is a bid to gain new traction and relevance – not
December 1, 2019 11:31AM PT “America’s Got Talent” network NBC and producers Fremantle and Syco have released a new statement regarding former “AGT” host Gabrielle Union’s exit from the series. “We remain committed to ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees and take very seriously any questions about workplace culture,” the group said Sunday in
As Christmas nears, Netflix will ring in this holiday season with new Kris Kringle-themed films including “A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish,” “Home for Christmas” and “A Family Reunion Christmas.” Tiffany Haddish, meanwhile, will be celebrating Hanukkah with her newest stand-up special “Black Mitzvah,” in which she shares how she’s embracing her roots after discovering her
Whatever you do, never tweet at a Pete Davidson comedy show. The “Saturday Night Live” cast member has recently been dolling out non-disclosure agreements before each of his recent comedy shows. Most recently fans attending Davidson’s standup at the Sydney Goldstein Theater were asked to sign a lengthy contract that forbid them from tweeting or instagramming
The 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which featured the whacky highlight of a man dressed as a stick of butter interrupting Al Roker, was down in total viewership from last year’s edition. The show averaged 22.1 million viewers, down around 7% on last year’s 23.7 million viewers. It scored a 5.5 rating among adults 18-49,
It’s no secret that as a content producer, Netflix Originals have contributed heavily to the peak TV era. In fact, earlier this year the streaming behemoth announced a focus on originals to bank new subscribers. But that is far from all the platform does. In fact, in the sea of series on the service, there
(SPOILER ALERT: Do not read on if you have not watched the first four episodes of Disney Plus’ “Star Wars” spinoff series “The Mandalorian.”) After the action-packed shootout that bookended episode 3, this week’s edition of “The Mandalorian” was largely a more relaxing watch. Mando and Baby Yo arrived on a remote planet to lay
ABC’s hottest new star doesn’t have a long resume of previous sitcom gigs and character roles. But the network is hoping viewers like what they see. Facebook’s Portal, a mobile device that facilitates video chats, is turning up in some of ABC’s most popular programs as part of a broader ad deal. A Portal figured
The IFP tweaked its Gotham Awards categories this year to better reflect the rich landscape on the small screen, and nominated two animated series in the process. “Tuca & Bertie” and “Undone” will both compete for breakthrough short-form series honors this year, vying with “Pen15,” “Ramy” and “Russian Doll.” “Chernobyl,” “David Makes Man,” “My Brilliant
It might not rise to the level of a Left Shark moment, but a pastor from Westchester County had his moment in the media spotlight on Thanksgiving Day when he became a running gag during Al Roker’s live coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. The “Today” weatherman rode in a motorcycle sidebar
In this week’s International TV Newswire Variety digs into Latin American news following Mip Cancun where Viacom International Studio’s “El Nudo” featured as one of the year’s best-selling formats. Telefe has announced it’s bringing back its popular gameshow adaptation of “Hole in the Wall.” Spain’s Atresmedia begins shooting “Benidorm” on location. And in Scandinavia “Moscow Noir” producers
HBO Asia has given the green light to a third season of fantasy action series “Halfworlds.” The eight-part season will be directed by rising star Philippines filmmaker Mikhail Red. Production will begin from January, with the completed season to screen exclusively on HBO and HBO Go later in 2020. Season 3 is produced by HBO Asia
HBO Max will show “White House Farm” in the U.S., having snagged the streaming rights to the upcoming British drama series. WarnerMedia has pre-bought the show, which centers on the notorious real-life murder of three generations of one family at an isolated English farmhouse in 1985. Freddie Fox (“Year of the Rabbit”), Mark Addy (“New
November 29, 2019 2:48AM PT France’s Federation Entertainment and Australia’s Essential Media Group have teamed up to co-develop and co-produce “Aftermath,” an eight-part crime series created by Erin White, whose directing credits include “Sando” and “Doctor Doctor.” Set in Australia in 1992 and in the present day, “Aftermath” follows two forty-something estranged high school best
British celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, who collapsed during a break in shooting a new show for ITV, died of bleeding in the head, his family said. Rhodes, 59, collapsed at his home Tuesday in Dubai, where he ran two restaurants and was filming the new program. He died shortly afterward. In a statement issued to
November 29, 2019 12:43AM PT Smithsonian Channel has boarded Ancient Egyptian docu-drama “Secrets of the Pyramid Builders” and will launch the series in the U.S. The channel has signed on as a co-producer on the six-parter from Vivendi production and distribution arm Vivendi Entertainment and Pernel Media. The 4K documentary series was commissioned by Canal
Womens’ advocacy group Time’s Up and numerous top stars are sending messages of support to Gabrielle Union, following accounts of a toxic culture on the set of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” from which she was dismissed last week. The outpour comes on the heels of an exclusive report from Variety that Union would not return
When Hallmark Channel contacted American Cinema Intl. president Chevonne O’Shaughnessy about producing a movie set in the Amish community, she immediately sent an outline for one. ACI had already produced three Amish-themed movies for other outlets, so she figured she’d quickly be brought on board. But O’Shaughnessy says Hallmark didn’t call her back. And she couldn’t