February 22, 2019 2:30PM PT Josh Cooke has been cast in a lead role in the ABC hybrid comedy pilot “Nana” opposite Katey Sagal, Variety has learned. Cooke will play Alex, a fire chief in Indianapolis who is a newly widowed single father of two girls. It’s clear that he is in over his head
Television
February 22, 2019 2:15PM PT Maggie Lawson has been cast in one of the lead roles of the Fox multi-camera comedy pilot “Geniuses,” Variety has learned. The pilot follows a blue-collar couple in South Jersey trying to get by and raise four kids, three of whom just happen to be certified geniuses. Lon Zimmet will write
February 22, 2019 1:30PM PT The CW’s “Batwoman” pilot has cast Elizabeth Anweis, Variety has learned. Anweis will play Catherine Hamilton-Kane, the stepmother of Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman. Catherine made her fortune as a savvy, bullheaded defense contractor, and all those billions position Catherine as one of Gotham’s most powerful residents. For Catherine, it’s a matter
Welcome to “TV Take,” Variety’s television podcast. In this week’s episode, Variety’s executive editor of TV, Daniel Holloway, talks with Charley Pride, the subject of the new “American Masters” documentary, “Charley Pride: I Am Just Me,” which premieres Feb. 22 on PBS. Pride was one of country music’s biggest stars in the ’60s and ’70s,
February 22, 2019 11:25AM PT Co-showrunners and EPs Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier have been taken to hospital after an accident on the set of “L.A.’s Finest,” Variety has confirmed with sources. The accident occurred Thursday afternoon at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro where the show was shooting. Friday’s production of the show
After spending eight seasons on a premium cable drama (Showtime’s “Dexter”) and one on a broadcast procedural (CBS’ “Limitless”), Jennifer Carpenter is placing her bets back on broadcast. She stars as former CIA agent Erica Shepherd, who gave up classified information to some very bad people in order to keep her daughter safe, in the
“Desus & Mero” — the late-night series that made its debut on Showtime Thursday — isn’t new, precisely. The hosts Desus Nice and the Kid Mero, who make an art form of embroidering wit and delicious flourishes of delivery onto frank talk, had previously had a show similar in format on the Viceland channel. But
February 22, 2019 10:00AM PT Netflix has put out a straight-to-series order for 10 episodes of “Firefly Lane,” Variety has learned. Based on the novel of the same name by New York Times bestselling author Kristin Hannah, the show will revolve around Kate and Tully, two women who meet as young girls and become inseparable
The upcoming DC Universe series “Stargirl” has rounded out its main cast. Amy Smart, Neil Jackson, Hunter Sansone and Trae Romano have all joined the show in series regular roles, Variety has learned. Smart will play Barbara Whitmore, the mother of Courtney Whitmore, a.k.a Stargirl. Now that her teenage daughter Courtney (Brec Bassinger) is older, Barbara
“Young Sheldon” has scored an early renewal for a third and fourth season at CBS, the broadcaster announced Friday. The single-camera comedy series serves as a prequel to the hit multi-cam sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” It follows 10-year old Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) as he struggles to fit in with his family and classmates
February 22, 2019 9:28AM PT Ryan Murphy has announced that his third Netflix series will be titled “Hollywood.” Murphy described the show as “A love letter to the Golden Age of Tinseltown” in a post on Instagram. The project has received a straight-to-series order at the streamer. Murphy co-created the series with Ian Brennan. The
Natalie Dormer has been cast in upcoming drama series “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” in a lead role, Variety has learned. Described as a spiritual descendant of the original “Penny Dreadful,” the new series opens in 1938 Los Angeles. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega is embroiled in a story that
Neil Gaiman has spent two years working on the TV adaptation of his and Terry Pratchett’s novel “Good Omens” and told an international TV crowd this week he dedicated himself to the task to honor a request from his friend and co-writer, who died in 2015. “I didn’t in any real sense of the word
February 22, 2019 1:09AM PT The BBC has greenlit “The Goes Wrong Show,” a new series based on Mischief Theatre’s popular “The Play That Goes Wrong” stage production about a troupe that puts on disastrous plays. The stage show has transferred from London’s West End to Broadway for a J.J. Abrams-produced version described by Variety
February 21, 2019 8:13PM PT [embedded content] As the Jussie Smollett saga continues to unravel, late night hosts are echoing the incredulity expressed by many by poking fun at the “Empire” actor’s alleged attempt to fake a hate crime, reportedly because he was dissatisfied with his salary. “This dude may have faked a hate crime
Fox has announced the casting of three lead characters for its multi-cam comedy pilot “Patty’s Auto,” including the eponymous Patty. Inspired by Patrice Banks’ Girls Auto Clinic, an auto repair shop with all female mechanics, the project centers on Patty, the intimidating owner of Patty’s Auto who will be played by “Straight Outta Compton” alumna
February 21, 2019 4:00PM PT NBC pilot “Uninsured” has cast four of its series regulars, with Adam Pally (“The Mindy Project,” “The President Show”) and Abby Elliott (“Saturday Night Live,” “Odd Mom Out”) playing the young married couple at the center of the show. Pally will play Dave, who is described as a “natural hype man
In May 2018, Jussie Smollett appeared as the narrator and correspondent in an episode of the Epix documentary series “America Divided” that explored the subject of hate crimes, specifically lynching, in the state of Tennessee. Now that the “Empire” actor has been charged with filing a false police report and Chicago police are convinced he
In today’s TV news roundup, CBS All Access has released the official trailer for the rebooted “Twilight Zone” and Sophia Bush will guest star on “Jane the Virgin.” CASTING “One Tree Hill” actress and Time’s Up activist Sophia Bush has been cast as a guest star on the fifth and final season of “Jane the
It’s become a cliche to say that America is more polarized than it has been for decades, but the strange saga of Jussie Smollett and the hate crime that may have become a hoax is fresh evidence of the divisions roiling this country. Chicago police assert that the “Empire” actor was looking for a raise
Jussie Smollett is back on the set of “Empire” in Chicago following his release from police custody on Thursday, Variety has learned. Smollett was released after posting bail in Chicago after police charged him with staging what was originally reported as a hate crime last month. He was originally intended to film throughout this week
In terms of accolades, “Workin’ Moms” is at the top of the Canadian food chain. In two-and-a-half seasons the half-hour scripted comedy has garnered an International Emmy nomination, a dozen Canadian Screen Award nominations, and a 20% higher audience retention rate than the average series on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Meanwhile in its 2017
CW’s pilot “Glamorous” has cast two key roles and found its director. Brooke Shields and Jade Payton have been cast in the pilot, while Eva Longoria has come onboard to direct, Variety has learned. The pilot follows a gender non-conforming recent high school graduate who lands the gig of a lifetime interning at a cosmetics company
February 21, 2019 11:20AM PT The estate of Michael Jackson sued HBO on Thursday, accusing the cable channel of violating a non-disparagement clause by agreeing to run “Leaving Neverland,” a documentary accusing Jackson of sexual abuse. The suit seeks to compel HBO to litigate the matter in a public arbitration process, and claims that the
February 21, 2019 11:19AM PT A week after her candid interview with Jussie Smollett about the actor’s alleged attack, “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts has reacted to news of Smollett’s arrest. In a turn of events, Smollett was taken into police custody Thursday and is being charged with filing a false police report. “This touches
February 21, 2019 11:17AM PT Mindy Kaling is departing Universal Television after more than a decade at the studio. The “Mindy Project” creator has signed a new six-year overall deal at Warner Bros. Television. Under the deal, Kaling will develop, write and produce new television projects for all platforms, including broadcast, cable channels, and streaming.
February 21, 2019 11:06AM PT Following the arrest of Jussie Smollett on Thursday, with the “Empire” star facing charges of filing a false police report and disorderly conduct after allegedly staging an attack, celebrities and politicians were quick to weigh in on social media. President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday morning, “What about MAGA and the
February 21, 2019 11:00AM PT Shelby Shaftel has been promoted to senior vice president of alternative programming and development at NBC. There, as part of her position, she will oversee projects from concept through post-production and direct creative, staffing decisions, talent, marketing and high-level brand partnerships. Among the shows she currently oversees are “The Titan
Jennifer Lopez is the latest celebrity to hop on TikTok, the short-form video app owned by Chinese internet giant ByteDance — more proof of the app’s growing traction, and reflective of media companies’ desire to reach its young-skewing base. Lopez had a very specific aim: to get fans excited about “World of Dance,” the NBC
TNT has pulled an upcoming episode of its hip-hop roast battle show “Drop the Mic” featuring “Empire” star Jussie Smollett. The episode, set to air March 6, was yanked following the arrest of Smollett on Thursday for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself. In the episode, Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee on “Orange Is