September 25, 2019 2:27PM PT The new NBC sitcom makes quick work of a familiar premise. With fewer than 25 minutes to introduce a compelling story and cast of characters, the makers of broadcast-network comedy pilots have one of the hardest jobs in television. It’s no wonder, then, that so many turn to familiar shortcuts
Television
The upcoming HBO Max pilot “Generation” has found its main cast. Justice Smith, Michael Johnston, Chloe East, Uly Schlesinger, Nava Mau, Haley Sanchez, Nathanya Alexander, Lukita Maxwell, Chase Sui Wonders, and Sam Trammel have all been cast in the pilot. It follows a group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and
After blessing the television world with his “hot priest,” Andrew Scott is about to make viewers sweat some more. The “Fleabag” star has been cast as the titular lead in “Ripley,” a drama based on Patricia Highsmith’s bestselling Tom Ripley novels, which has been handed an eight-episode series order at Showtime. Scott’s Ripley is described
September 25, 2019 12:36PM PT Hulu has decided not to move forward with Marvel’s “Ghost Rider,” a live action series that had been set to star Gabriel Luna, Variety has learned. The split was due to a creative impasse, according to a source familiar with the situation. Luna had been tapped to suit up as
September 25, 2019 12:00PM PT Jennifer Morrison has signed on to direct the drama pilot “One of Us Is Lying” for NBCUniversal’s upcoming streaming service Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively. Based on the Karen M. McManus YA book of the same name, “One of Us Is Lying” tells the story of what happens when five high
September 25, 2019 9:00AM PT John Stamos and Graham Phillips have been cast in ABC’s upcoming live musical “The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!” Stamos will reprise his role as the eccentric French cook Chef Louis in the one-night only special televised event. He previously portrayed the part during a Hollywood
“This Is Us” may have returned empty handed from the Emmys, but the NBC smash hit hasn’t lost its place atop the ratings charts. The season 4 premiere scored a 1.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic and around 7.7 million total viewers on Tuesday night, comfortably winning the night and almost matching the rating put
“Carol’s Second Act” is aiming to be Patricia Heaton’s third, a defining hit series for a performer who’s previously had defining roles in “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle.” But compared to those shows, built around families whose dynamic informed the shows’ stories, this sitcom has an awful lot of situation. We meet Carol, a
In the TV world, 1999 was a pretty important time. The multi-Emmy Award-winning drama series “The Sopranos” and “The West Wing” premiered that year, as did Nickelodeon’s beloved “SpongeBob SquarePants,” which has spawned two movies and even a Broadway musical, and Seth MacFarlane’s raucous Fox animated “The Family Guy.” But one of the most fondly
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards offered up several pleasant surprises — wins for Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Billy Porter, to name two — as well as a few less well-received moments. Here are the top five takeaways from the night. A Long, Host-Free Affair Fox followed in the Oscars’ footsteps and opted for a host-less Emmys
Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”) will direct showrunner Frank Spotnitz’s high-end “Leonardo” TV series, which will portray the Renaissance genius in new ways, including as a gay outsider. Commissioned by Italy’s Lux Vide, the ambitious eight-episode English-language show is expected to screen next year to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da
Fox is hardly concealing its commitment when it comes to “The Masked Singer.” The network, which is embarking into the unknown in the aftermath of the Disney merger, has doubled down on the show, handing it a third season renewal before season 2 even begins, as well as the much coveted post Super Bowl spot
Nick Cannon has been tapped to host a nationally syndicated daytime talk show next year in partnership with Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury and in co-production with his Ncredible Entertainment production company. “We are excited to be able to announce this collaboration with Nick, who has proven himself to be such a dominant creative and entrepreneurial force across
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Strangers,” the fourth season premiere of “This Is Us.” For three years NBC’s audience has fallen in love with (and cried over) the Pearson family on “This Is Us.” But for the majority of the fourth season premiere episode, aptly titled “Strangers,” most of those
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “What Is Love,” the sixth season premiere of “Empire.” Before “Empire” could go forward with its final season, it had to look back. Every season of the Fox musical family drama has ended with a cliffhanger to tease the turmoil that awaits upon the
September 24, 2019 5:21PM PT After Democratic speaker Nancy Pelosi launched a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump, celebrities took to Twitter. Pelosi’s impeachment inquiry is in response to a phone call President Trump made with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy where President Trump reportedly used his political position to pressure Ukraine into investigating Vice President
In today’s TV news roundup, Blythe Danner has joined the cast of “American Gods” and Showtime debuted a trailer for the seventh season of “Ray Donovan.” CASTING Blythe Danner has joined the third season of Starz’s “American Gods” in a recurring guest role. She will play a Greek goddess named Demeter who is entangled in an
With its new season, “Robot Chicken” will be hitting two very special milestones — a 10th season and a 200th episode — but the team behind the Adult Swim show are not focused on such industry markers. “Whenever I see the anniversary episode of a sitcom or anything, the time they take to celebrate the
There are fewer “Lost”-alikes nowadays than there used to be: Given how frequently hour-long puzzle-box shows seeking to draft off of the ABC smash’s success were met with utter indifference, the networks, give or take an occasional attempt like NBC’s “Manifest” (really more of a procedural than puzzle-box show, despite the mystery at its center)
“Bachelorette” Hannah Brown is taking the lead on “Dancing with the Stars,” but she also has another trophy in mind. After “Bachelor in Paradise” was featured during Sunday’s Emmys telecast, Brown put her backing behind the franchise to get real recognition by the Television Academy. “I wish they would be considered because it is a
When Matt Ainiwaer visited the West Village building used as the establishing shot of Monica’s apartment on “Friends,” he got “like, very excited,” with the pop culture pilgrimage even bringing him to tears. At least four times a week, he goes to a Central Perk-themed café, modeled off of the sitcom’s fictitious coffeehouse, “just to
Ahead of its milestone 10th season, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” cast and crew assembled at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday night for a special screening of the premiere episode, set to debut on Oct. 6. “I still get nervous at these things,” Norman Reedus told Variety. Following the major character departures
Comscore, a company that vies with Nielsen to measure media audiences for entertainment companies and advertisers, has paid a $5 million settlement related to charges it overstated revenue and made false statements about performance under a previous CEO. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday that the company and its former CEO, Serge Matta,
The latest entry in Kenya Barris’ televisual “-ish” universe is “Mixed-ish,” ABC’s new sitcom that follows in the footsteps of “Black-ish” as a heartwarming family comedy with built-in lessons about race and the perception thereof. “Mixed-ish,” unlike the 2018 collegiate spinoff “Grown-ish,” travels back to 1985 to tell a story of family members grappling with
After six seasons and a historic Emmy win under its belt, “How To Get Away With Murder” will be signing off of ABC. The Shondaland drama is one of only three left on the broadcaster, and one that has left an indelible mark not only on that network’s schedule but also on the landscape of
Variety has learned that The CW is developing a new “Arrow” spinoff that would focus on the crime-fighting team The Canaries. The show would star Katherine McNamara as Mia Smoak, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, and Juliana Harkavy as Dinah Drake. An episode of the upcoming final season of “Arrow” will serve as a backdoor
As he works on the final season of Fox’s “Empire,” Hollywood Walk of Fame honoree Terrence Howard says he is preparing to say goodbye to his media-mogul patriarch Lucious Lyon, but also acting in general. “I’m through performing for people,” Howard says. “Those days are done. That ends with Lucious.” After years of playing other
September 24, 2019 7:18AM PT Jesse Pinkman is well and truly back, and this time, he’s fighting for his life. Aaron Paul, who of course plays the iconic “Breaking Bad” character, has shared the full trailer for the forthcoming “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.” The trailer sees Pinkman on the run from the cops
Dick Wolf’s latest production isn’t centered on the detectives, lawyers, firefighters or cops who have made his many series so popular. The story he wants to tell is much more personal. The creative force behind TV’s “Law & Order” behemoth, NBC’s various “Chicago” series and the CBS drama “FBI” will today launch a new corporate
The Motion Picture and Television Fund’s (MPTF) Giving Day — a 24-hour fundraiser — will take place on Sept. 26, followed by an open house with Emmy-winning television host Tom Bergeron as master of ceremonies on Sept. 28. Giving Day aims to raise at least $100,000 for the more than 50 services the MPTF provides