Television

Leaders of the Writers Guild of America are maintaining their hardline position with talent agencies and are not interested in a compromise. “We’ve had negotiation conversations over the past two months with a number of unsigned agencies, including major agencies,” the WGA’s negotiating committee said in an email sent to members late Friday afternoon. “It

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix releases “The Kominsky Method” Season 2 trailer and Freeform announces second annual “Kickoff to Christmas” launch date. DATES Quibi‘s new series, “Life-Size Toys,” will premiere Oct. 4. The reality series features Nitro Circus ring leader Travis Pastrana working with his crew to build giant versions of millennials’ favorite toys.

“Watchmen” showrunner Damon Lindelof says he has been asked not to mention Alan Moore’s name — by the graphic novel creator’s own request. But that doesn’t keep Lindelof from wanting to pay homage to the originator of the story on which his new HBO drama is based. “We are just trying to live up to

October 4, 2019 3:33PM PT In today’s NYCC TV news roundup, “Harley Quinn” gets a Nov. 29 premiere date and Nickelodeon debuts the official trailer for “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” DATES “Harley Quinn” will premiere Nov. 29 on DC Universe, executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker announced. The animated original series follows the

October 4, 2019 2:42PM PT The CW’s new “Batwoman” series sent up the signal for someone to play a radio personality with a “penchant for snark,” and Rachel Maddow answered the call. The MSNBC host has been cast in the role of Vesper Fairchild, who is described as a TV and radio figure who once

SAG-AFTRA has asked the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to rescind its recognition of SBS Broadcasting CEO Raul Alarcon, citing multiple instances in which the performers union has clashed with the network. “We find it troubling that a person and business with this type of track record would be recognized by the USHCC, an organization that

Universal Television has promoted Erik Rechsteiner to senior vice president of current series and brought on Kristen Del Pero as senior vice president of current series and international development. Del Pero and Rechsteiner will both report to JoAnn Alfano, Universal TV’s executive VP of current series and international development. “I’m extremely proud of the unprecedented

ESPN, as expected, said Friday it will devote less attention to so-called “overnight” ratings for many of the live sports broadcasts it televises every week, part of a broader industry move away from using an early tabulation of local markets as a proxy for daily consumer TV viewing. Simply put, changes in the way Nielsen

October 4, 2019 12:09PM PT “The Crown” creator Peter Morgan is staying in business with Netflix. Morgan has signed a multi-year overall deal at the streaming giant for both film and television projects. News of the deal comes ahead of the premiere of “The Crown” Season 3 on Nov. 17. In addition to his work

Longtime HBO execs Karen Jones, Ronni Cobern-Basis and Laura Young are expanding their roles throughout WarnerMedia’s entertainment and direct-to-consumer units, a restructuring of the company’s communications exec team amid the departure of veteran HBO comms chief Nancy Lesser, who is leaving her post after 35 years at the premium cabler. “When I arrived here a

Diahann Carroll, the Tony-winning, Oscar-nominated singer and actress who paved the way for black actors by becoming the first African American woman to star in her own TV series, “Julia,” died on Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 84. Carroll is also known for her work on “Dynasty,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and her Oscar-nominated

October 4, 2019 10:54AM PT ABC’s new drama “Stumptown” was among the strongest performers in the Live+3 ratings for premiere week. The Cobie Smulders drama doubled its rating from Live+Same Day, jumping from a 0.7 rating to a 1.4, and up the freshman show leaderboard to second place. The top new show remained Fox’s “Prodigal

Seven Bucks Productions and The Nacelle Company are teaming to produce the docuseries “Behind the Attraction” for Disney Plus, Variety has learned exclusively. The series takes viewers into the history of how popular Disney attractions and destinations came to be, how they have changed over time, and how fans continue to obsess over them. The series

Long before Tyler Perry entered Hollywood, he built an audience through plays that he wrote, produced and often starred in. His strategy was spurred by his pursuit of ownership, and he says his prayers led him to create and showcase stories about religion, family and their triumphs over worldly evils. Since then, he has built

Haut et Court TV is re-teaming with “Possessions” showrunner Shahar Magen and co-writer Valérie Zenatti on “Labor,” an international war mystery series. “Labor” takes place during the Suez War in 1956 and brings together Israeli, French and British soldiers. Following a supernatural event, they have to deal with strange physical changes that will affect future

“TED Talks India: Nayi Soch,” hosted by superstar Shah Rukh Khan, launched in 2017 on the Star Plus channel and earned 96 million viewers. Khan is back to host Season 2, titled “Ted Talks India: Nayi Baat.” The new title reflects a change of direction. “What stands out for us about Shah Rukh is his

Spanish journalist and editor David Jimenez’s revealing autobiography “El Director” is being made into a TV series by Fremantle. Jimenez was a seasoned international correspondent, covering conflicts, disasters, and major events for over two decades, before becoming editor in chief of Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo in 2015. In his book he details how he

In today’s film news, 25th anniversary showings of “Friends” draw impressively, Screen Gems is developing a Santa Muerte movie and Australian story “ATM Boy” is in the works as a feature film.  ‘FRIENDS’ ANNIVERSARY Fathom Events’ three-night showing of NBC’s sitcom “Friends” generated $2.9 million from over 1,600 North American theaters — the second-highest-grossing 2019

October 3, 2019 4:30PM PT NBC is developing a drama series on which CNN political correspondent Dana Bash will serve as a consulting producer, Variety has learned. Titled “The Hill,” the series is described as a character drama that lives at the supercharged intersection of media and Capitol Hill where everything is transacted: information, sex, love,

In today’s roundup, a premiere date is announced for upcoming drama series “King Ester” and Starz acquires six new titles to premiere this fall/winter.  DATES Drama series “King Ester” is slated to premiere on Issa Rae Presents: Issa Rae Productions Youtube channel on Oct. 17, Variety has learned exclusively. Starring “Pose’s” Angelica Ross and Janet

October 3, 2019 4:15PM PT Renowned media investor John Malone has sold off his remaining stock holdings in Lionsgate, the studio that has grappled with a steep decline in its share price during the past two years. On Thursday, Malone and Malone-affiliated trusts sold a total of 2.4 million shares for $22 million to Mark

October 3, 2019 4:00PM PT The team behind “Big Mouth” is doing another animated show for Netflix. Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett and Kelly Galuska are now working on the show “Human Resources” for the streamer, which is described as a workplace comedy set in the world of the monsters from “Big

October 3, 2019 2:31PM PT Lee Daniels is getting into business with ABC. The Disney-owned network has issued a put pilot commitment for “Cupcake Men,” a comedy series executive produced by the “Empire” creator and hailing from his Lee Daniels Entertainment banner, as well as SMAC Productions, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios. The

CBS has given a put pilot order to the one-hour drama with Dolph Lundgren attached to star and Sylvester Stallone attached to direct. Titled “The International,” Lundgren would star as Anders Soto, described as a one-man covert black-ops team working for the U.N., who is called in to find asymmetrical solutions to the world’s most

The series premiere of All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) “Dynamite” on TNT came out on top against WWE’s NXT on USA Network in the Wednesday night Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings. “Dynamite” averaged a 0.68 rating in adults 18-49 and 1.4 million viewers over two hours, compared to a 0.32 rating and 891,000 viewers for NXT. This

NBC is in tune with “Perfect Harmony” executive producer Jason Winer, developing another show from Winer’s 20th Century Fox TV-based Small Dog Picture Company. The Peacock network has bought the script “Forever Family,” a comedy from writers Austen Earl and Joel Church-Cooper. Winer will serve as a non-writing executive producer on “Forever Family,” which centers

October 3, 2019 12:30PM PT A+E Networks has named Fox veteran Steve MacDonald president of its global content licensing and international division, Variety has learned. There, he will oversee the company’s multi-platform and library content licensing initiatives and international activities. “MacDonald is a highly accomplished sales executive who has been a major force behind many

Olly Alexander, Keeley Hawes and Neil Patrick Harris are set to star in “Boys,” a new series from “Queer as Folk” creator Russell T. Davies that charts the lives of a group of young gay men who find themselves caught up in the blooming AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. The five-part series starts filming next

Starz is developing a series spinoff of the Lionsgate film “Blindspotting,” Variety has learned exclusively. In addition, Jasmine Cephas Jones has been cast in the lead role, reprising the role of Ashley from the film. The series centers on Ashley, who was nipping at the heels of a middle class life in Oakland until Miles, her

Here’s some news David Muir probably won’t deliver on ABC: In recent months, his “World News Tonight” has become one of the most-watched programs on the network — and much of broadcast TV.  Since Muir joined the evening newscast as anchor in 2014, the program has experienced what ABC executives might call a happy reversal: