At CBS News, President David Rhodes has a series of important decisions to make that could affect the trajectories of some of TV’s best-known news programs. As its parent company seeks to move forward from recent seismic events – the ouster of its former CEO, Leslie Moonves; a corporate probe into its workplace culture; and
Television
In a competitive situation, Bravo is developing a new version of “Queer as Folk,” Variety has learned exclusively. Russell T. Davies, the creator of the original UK series, is onboard the new project as an executive producer. Stephen Dunn is attached to write, direct, and executive produce. Nicola Shindler of Red Productions, who executive produced the
Amblin Television has acquired the rights to Akira Kurosawa’s acclaimed film “Rashomon” with plans to develop it as an anthology series. Each season of the 10-episode series would focus on a singular event told from multiple points of view where each of the main characters provides a unique and different perspective of the event based
December 18, 2018 11:45AM PT Timothy Simons is staying in business with HBO. Variety has learned that the “Veep” star is developing a half-hour comedy at the premium cabler titled “Exit Plans.” In the series, when assisted suicide is legalized in 2019, a man from California opens a small business helping people transition into death peacefully while
December 18, 2018 11:26AM PT A group of advertisers say they are pulling their commercials from Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson’s 8 p.m. program, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” after remarks he made last week about immigration. The passel of sponsors includes SmileDirectClub, Nautilus Inc’s Bowflex, Ancestry.com, NerdWallet, Indeed.com and Pacific Life Insurance. Carlson sparked the
George Takei has boarded “The Terror” Season 2 both as a series regular and consultant. The second season of the AMC anthology series takes place during World War II and is set, in part, in a Japanese-American internment camp. Takei himself was imprisoned in two such internment camps when he was a child. As a consultant,
Penny Marshall, who starred alongside Cindy Williams in the hit ABC comedy “Laverne & Shirley” and then became a successful director, died on Monday night at her Hollywood Hills home due to complications from diabetes, Variety has confirmed. She was 75. Marshall was the first woman to direct a film that grossed more than $100
“State of Happiness,” “The Flatey Enigma” and “The Inner Circle” are among the six Nordic drama series which will be presented at Goteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision and compete for the Nordisk Film & TV Fond Prize. Written by Mette M. Bølstad (“Nobel”), “State of Happiness” follows four young characters who come from different
December 18, 2018 9:03AM PT Syfy has renewed “Van Helsing” for a fourth season ahead of the Season 3 finale. 13 new episodes of the action-horror series will air in 2019. In addition, Jonathan Walker has come onboard as showrunner for the new season, taking over from Neil LaBute. The third season finale will air on
Sometimes the truth is wilder than anything a writer could dream up. A woman calling her arresting officer “my love” as she’s being put into a cop car? A knock-down, drag-out fight over pasta? A nationally televised proposal that turns into a breakup? All of these things would seem completely over the top or perhaps
Netflix has renewed “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” The streamer has ordered another 16 episodes of the series, which will be split into two parts. Netflix initially ordered 20 episodes of the show, which was split into two 10-episode segments. The new season will begin production in 2019. The second half of Season 1 is set
David Schwimmer will play a power-hungry NSA agent relocated to the U.K. in “Intelligence,” a new six-part comedy series for Sky in the U.K. Schwimmer is best known to U.K. audiences for his role in “Friends,” but was recently in the news after British police posted a video of a suspect thief who bore a
December 18, 2018 4:15AM PT The BBC has named Fiona Campbell the new boss of its youth-skewing online channel, BBC Three, replacing outgoing controller Damian Kavanagh, who is leaving in the new year to run Endemol Shine-owned producer Tiger Aspect. Campbell has been heading up the documentary unit at BBC Studios, the U.K. pubcaster’s production division. She
Rüdiger Böss, who as head buyer for ProSiebenSat.1 negotiated the German broadcast giant’s deals with U.S. studios for many years, is leaving after more than a quarter of a century at the company. Böss is a well-known figure in the international TV business and a familiar face at major events and markets. ProSiebenSat.1 CEO Conrad
Rebel Wilson and David Wenham will star in Australian drama series “Les Norton.” Adapted from the novels of Robert G. Barrett, the show is presented by The Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Screen Australia. Set in 1985, the series will follow the exploits of a country bloke from outback Queensland, played by rising star Alexander Bertrand
South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM has acquired a majority stake in Stockholm-based rights-management and sales company Eccho Rights. A leading entertainment and merchandising company in Asia, CJ ENM will give Eccho Rights the resources to expand its global footprint across Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Eccho Rights has offices in Stockholm, Istanbul,
“The world is dark, but tonight we are going to bukakee it with joy,” Samantha Bee declared at the start of her “Full Frontal” holiday special, “Christmas on ICE.” “And your hearts are going to swell with good will towards your fellow humans if it’s the last f—ing thing I do!” Like a foul-mouthed Santa,
December 17, 2018 5:00PM PT Liz Heldens has signed a new multi-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television effective immediately. News of the deal comes ahead of the midseason launch of the Fox series “The Passage,” based on the book trilogy by Justin Cronin on which Heldens is the writer and executive producer. The
“America’s Got Talent” rocker Courtney Hadwin has signed a deal with Arista Record in partnership with Simon Cowell’s Syco Music, the label announced today. “It feels amazing to be joining Syco and I am super excited and feel so lucky,” said the native of Hartlepool in Northern England. “I’ve always wanted to work on original
December 17, 2018 4:05PM PT “Elementary” is coming to an end on CBS, Variety has confirmed. The procedural will wrap up following its upcoming seventh season on the broadcaster, which does not currently have a premiere date. All 13 episodes of Season 7 have been shot. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, the
Muse Entertainment has acquired the rights to Sarah Selecky’s novel “Radiant Shimmering Light” with plans to develop it for television, Variety has learned exclusively. The story follows Lilian Quick, a 40-year-old struggling pet portrait artist whose life changes drastically when she starts working for her motivational guru cousin, Eleven Novak. The job helps Lilian improve
In today’s TV news roundup, TBS announced the premiere date for season 16 of “American Dad!,” and YouTube released a trailer for season two of “Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television.” DATES “American Dad!” is returning for its sixteenth season Feb. 11 at 10 p.m. ET/ PT on TBS. This season, show creator Seth McFarlane will
A lawyer for Leslie Moonves has blasted the conclusions of the CBS internal investigation that cost the former CBS Corp. chairman-CEO the $120 million severance package he was due prior to his Sept. 9 ouster amid a swirl of sexual misconduct allegations. Moonves continues to assert that his workplace-related sexual encounters were consensual, despite numerous
The media brand whose identity is having no identity has just hired an executive who made her name on her taste. Netflix’s news Monday that Channing Dungey was entering the company in a newly created role as vice president of original content would seem to be a step forward for a company whose vast volume
The CBS board of directors has denied former chairman-CEO Leslie Moonves any of the $120 million severance he was due under his employment contract after conducting a five-month internal probe of his conduct and the corporate culture at CBS Corp. “We have determined that there are grounds to terminate for cause, including his willful and
ABC Studios completed an investigation this year into alleged misconduct by Frankie Shaw, creator and star of the Showtime series “SMILF,” Variety has confirmed. The studio launched a probe into Shaw’s behavior after being made aware of a complaint by Samara Weaving, an actress who appears in the show’s first and upcoming second seasons. According
As the number of scripted series continues to grow (more than 500 in 2018), it is not just a race to produce the biggest quantity, but also the highest quality programming. Looking at the upcoming slate for 2019, there appears to be no shortage of unique stories coming. Here, Variety previews the most anticipated scripted
CBS All Access has renewed “Tell Me a Story” for a second season. The renewal comes ahead of the first season finale, which is slated to air in January. The series, which has aired seven episodes thus far, takes the world’s most beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Set
HBO is developing a female skateboarding comedy series that hails from Crystal Moselle and Lesley Arfin. Inspired by the film “Skate Kitchen,” which Moselle directed and co-wrote, the untitled series is set against the backdrop of New York City and will follow a diverse group of young women navigating their lives through the predominantly male oriented
December 17, 2018 10:30AM PT Director-producer Justin Lin has planted his Perfect Storm Entertainment banner with Apple in an exclusive overall TV development pact. Lin moves to Apple after six years with Sony Pictures TV. During that time Perfect Storm delivered three drama series for CBS — “Scorpion,” “S.W.A.T.” and the reboot of “Magnum P.I.”