New York Comic Con (NYCC), running from Oct. 3-6 out of New York’s Javits Convention Center, will have TV fans covered with a wide array of sneak-peeks, screenings and exciting cast panels for today’s most popular shows. Raunchy animated comedy “Big Mouth” from Netflix will kick off the long weekend with a teaser of its
Television
Whether it was constructing a science fair volcano or standing up to a bully, Peter of “The Brady Bunch” was always a resourceful go-getter. Christopher Knight, the actor who starred as the show’s middle son, hopes to channel that ambition into the launch of a production venture, Former Prodigy Media, with producer Phil Viardo. Based
September 4, 2019 12:00PM PT Kevin James is set to star in and executive produce a multi-camera comedy that has been ordered to series at Netflix, Variety has learned. Titled “The Crew,” the series is set in a NASCAR garage. James will play the crew chief. When the owner steps down and passes the team off
September 4, 2019 11:20AM PT The upcoming second season of Amazon’s “Homecoming” has cast Oscar winner Chris Cooper in a key role. Cooper will play Leonard Geist, an eccentric botanist, more at home in his greenhouse than in the boardrooms of the company he created. He joins previously announced “Homecoming” Season 2 stars Janelle Monáe,
“Band of Brothers” writer John Orloff has called into question the tactics of the leadership of the Writers Guild of America in its long battle with Hollywood agents. Orloff, in an email to the 10,000 WGA West members, said Wednesday he’s disappointed by the acrimony that the dispute has produced and by the strategic mistakes
NBC is developing an untitled project from writer and executive producer David Slack, to be helmed by Phillip Noyce, who will also be exec producing. Sony is the studio behind the show. The series, about an “enigmatic billionaire” who has gathered more than 250 people who “have attempted to cheat death by having their bodies
Amazon’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” series has found one of its leads. Will Poulter has been cast in one of the show’s lead roles, Variety has learned exclusively from sources. The exact nature of Poulter’s character is being kept under wraps. Variety reported in July that Australian actress Markella Kavenagh was in talks for
Nearly five months after the Writers Guild and the Assn. of Talent Agents failed to reach a new franchise agreement, leading to thousands of writers firing their agents, it’s mostly business as usual at the TV networks and studios — for now. But as the impasse drags on and there’s no concrete sign of movement
Daniel Henney has been cast in the upcoming Amazon series based on “The Wheel of Time.” Henney will play the role of al’Lan Mandragoran. He joins previously announced cast members Rosamund Pike, Josha Stradowski, Marcus Rutherford, Zoë Robins, Barney Harris, and Madeleine Madden. Henney previously starred in the popular Korean series “My Lovely Sam-Son” as well
September 4, 2019 8:00AM PT Samie Kim Falvey is poised to be promoted to chairman of Imagine Television as the unit’s longtime leader Francie Calfo eyes a transition to a production deal with the company. Falvey, an alumnus of ABC and AwesomenessTV, joined Imagine Television as president in October 2017. Calfo left ABC to join
The number of women in speaking roles on television hit a new high in 2018-2019, as did the number of women working behind the camera. According to the 22nd annual Boxed In report from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, female characters comprised 45% of
Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, writers on hit Italian drama “Gomorrah,” have signed on to be writers and showrunners on “The Kollective,” another true-life-inspired scripted series. The show hails from Amsterdam-based producer Submarine. It is inspired by its well-received feature documentary “Bellingcat – Truth in a Post-Truth World,” which was directed by Hans Pool. It
Lester Holt has traveled to war-torn spectacles in foreign lands and America’s smallest towns, all on behalf of NBC News. For his next journey, Holt had to go somewhere even more unusual – prison. As part of “Justice for All,” a broader NBC News report on criminal justice reform, Holt made his way to Louisiana
“Grace and Frankie” has been renewed for Season 7 at Netflix, which will also be the show’s final season. The final season will consist of 16 episodes. With the renewal, the show will close out with 94 total episodes, making it Netflix’s longest-running original series to date. “It’s thrilling and somehow fitting, that our show
Several protests have been filed over the re-election of Gabrielle Carteris to the SAG-AFTRA presidency last week. Carteris won the contest handily to remain as top elected officer of the performers union with 13,537 votes, or 44% of ballots cast, to 10,682 for Matthew Modine and 5,048 for Jane Austin, 1,096 for Queen Alljahye Searles
September 3, 2019 5:17PM PT Ryan Murphy continues to add to his Netflix development slate. The prolific TV creator and producer has revealed that he has a multitude of projects in the works at the streaming giant beyond those that have already been announced. Murphy told Time that he has projects in the works that
September 3, 2019 3:47PM PT In today’s roundup, HBO’s “Watchmen” gets a premiere date and Netflix has ordered the animated musical series “Centaurworld.” DATES HBO‘s “Watchmen” will premiere on Sunday, Oct. 20. The series will follow an original story based on the world of the graphic novel of the same name. Nicole Kassell directs the
September 3, 2019 2:50PM PT SAG-AFTRA is teaming up with SeeHer, the Association of National Advertisers’ campaign for gender equality in advertising and media, to further more nuanced depictions of women on screen. “Equity and inclusion are core values of SAG-AFTRA, and we are thrilled to partner with SeeHer to bring about greater gender equality
Christoph Waltz is set to star opposite Liam Hemsworth in an untitled action-thriller series which is in the works at Quibi. Waltz is the latest name to join the Jeffrey Katzenberg-founded short form content company. The series centers around Dodge Maynard (Hemsworth) who, desperate to take care of his pregnant wife before a terminal illness
September 3, 2019 12:00PM PT Martha Plimpton has been cast in the HBO Max half-hour dramedy pilot “Generation.” The series follows a group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and all) tests deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community. Plimpton will play Megan,
September 3, 2019 12:00PM PT The task of lining up advertisers to support new seasons of “The Walking Dead” now falls to Kim Kelleher. Kelleher, a magazine ad-sales veteran who has held top jobs at Conde Nast and the former Time Inc., was named Tuesday as AMC Networks’ new president of advertising sales and partnerships.
Unscripted veteran Todd Hurvitz has signed an overall deal with Industrial Media, Variety has learned exclusively. “Securing the best development and show running talent is critical as we expand to meet the demands of this vibrant marketplace,” said Eli Holzman, CEO of Industrial Media. “Todd has consistently been one of the most creative and well-rounded producers
September 3, 2019 11:07AM PT Apple will not proceed with the Richard Gere-led drama series “Bastards,” Variety has confirmed. The project was ordered straight-to-series last year and was based on the Israeli series “Nevelot.” Gere was set to star in one of the two lead roles, with Howard Gordon and Warren Leight set to write and
Fox is continuing its run in animated comedy. Variety has learned that the broadcaster is developing an animated series titled “Saloon” that hails from Elliott Kalan and Jenny Jaffe. it is set in the frontier outpost of Timmy’s Town. Kevin (a woman) runs the local saloon, McClanahan’s, where she functions as the townspeople’s unofficial leader/therapist/protector.
The kid cast of the PBS series “Odd Squad” is gearing up for its usual challenge, teaching kids about math and science. While the four new members of the team tape scenes in New York’s Central Park, however, a bigger threat looms. Viewers of “Odd Squad” will not be all that familiar with Valentina Herrera,
John Stankey will have more than AT&T’s newly acquired WarnerMedia to consider in the near future. The longtime AT&T executive was named on Tuesday to be the company’s president and chief operating officer, a move aimed at bolstering the telecommunications giant’s ranks in the wake of the announced retirement of John Donovan, the head of
The top-billed stars of “Unbelievable” don’t appear at all in the first episode. Emmy winners Toni Collette and Merritt Wever are the big names in this limited series, playing police officers who team up to solve the case of a serial rapist. But the first hour — and the viewer’s most strongly held sympathies throughout
September 3, 2019 1:56AM PT German media giant ProSiebenSat.1 has launched another strategic review of its Red Arrow Studios and is looking to sell or set up an industry partnership for the unit’s international production and distribution business. Red Arrow Studios comprises 20 production companies which span Europe and the U.S. and which make dramas
Seventeen years after launching an aggressive charm offensive to convince the American public that romance can be won and lost, “The Bachelor” franchise has finally been forced to acknowledge that love isn’t always as simple as “boy meets girl” or “Cinderella story meets opportunistic producer.” Instead, this season of “Bachelor in Paradise” has made history
Writers Guild of America West President David Goodman has blasted Hollywood’s top talent agencies for allegedly lying about the fundamental issue of owning affiliate production companies. “We’re in the middle of an historic and difficult campaign to change an entrenched system of agency conflict of interest,” said Goodman in his official election statement. “Thus, this