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A potentially dangerous liaison is brewing between Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden.

The Loki and Bodyguardactors will lead Trinity, a high-stakes drama from Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio. The eight-episode series follows a valiant naval officer (Mbatha-Raw) whose newfound connection with the secretary of defense (Madden) catapults her into a world of political intrigue. But how does Marcia Gay Harden’s powerful CEO, and the rest of the newly announced cast fit into the plot?

Keep reading to find out more about this exciting new show.

A heroic female naval officer becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic secretary of defense, only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.

Mercurio, who serves as showrunner and writer, will executive produce the series alongside Jimmy Mulville for Hat Trick Mercurio and Wendy Mericle. Michael Cuesta will direct and executive produce the first and second episodes.

There’s no official...

The Netflix thriller series “Trinity” is adding seven recurring cast members, Variety has learned.

The new additions to the cast are: Bruce Greenwood as Special Agent Eric Colby, Robert Wisdom as Admiral Griff Tatum, Kirk Acevedo as Captain Jock Campbell, Ben Cotton as Special Agent Jake Ryan, James Remar as President Paul Barnard, Jason Ralph as Brooks Vandenburg, and Mark O’Brien as Dr. Brian York.

The new additions will star alongside previously announced series regulars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden, Marcia Gay Harden, and Jd Pardo.

“Trinity” was originally announced in June with an eight-episode order. The official logline for the series states, “A heroic female Naval Officer (Mbatha-Raw) becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense (Madden), only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.”

Jed Mercurio serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series under his Hat Trick Mercurio (Htm) banner.

The recurring cast of Netflix’s Trinity is taking shape with the addition of 7 actors: James Remar, Robert Wisdom, Bruce Greenwood, Kirk Acevedo, Ben Cotton, Jason Ralph and Mark O’Brien.

They join the previously announced series regulars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden, Marcia Gay Harden and Jd Pardo.

From showrunner, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio, Trinity follows a heroic female Naval Officer who becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense, only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.

Mbatha-Raw stars as Commander Katherine Decker, second-in-command on the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine and one of the deadliest weapons on Earth. Madden portrays Secretary of Defense Webb Preston,...

Exclusive: Jd Pardo has been cast as a series regular in Trinity, the new Netflix drama from showrunner, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio. He joins the previously announced stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden and Marcia Gay Harden.

The series follows a heroic female Naval Officer who becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense, only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.

Mbatha-Raw stars as Commander Katherine Decker, second-in-command on the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine and one of the deadliest weapons on Earth. Madden portrays Secretary of Defense Webb Preston, who has a technology background that sets him apart from most politicians. Webb’s innovation and purpose are seen as a threat in more ways than one. Harden will play Margaret Vandenburg, the CEO and matriarch of her family’s business empire, guiding them to become a prominent family with political ties.

Oscar and Tony Award winner and 4x Emmy nominee Marcia Gay Harden joins Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden as part of the leading cast of Trinity, the new Netflix drama from showrunner, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio.

The series follows a heroic female Naval Officer who becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense, only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.

Mbatha-Raw stars as Commander Katherine Decker, second-in-command on the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine and one of the deadliest weapons on Earth. Madden portrays Secretary of Defense Webb Preston, who has a technology background that sets him apart from most politicians. Webb’s innovation and purpose are seen as a threat in more ways than one.

In a series regular role, Harden joins the series as Margaret Vandenburg, the CEO and matriarch of her family’s business empire,...

Who still remembers the political thriller series Bodyguard that took Netflix by storm when it landed on its platform in October 2018? Fans are still holding on to hope for a potential Bodyguard season 2, but with so much time that has passed, the chances of a follow-up seem slimmer by the day. But it's not all bad news. We've just learned that series creator Jed Mercurio has a new Netflix show in the works, and it just might be the perfect next thriller to fill the Bodyguard-shaped void.

It's titled Trinity, and Mercurio is playing multiple major roles in the production of the series. Not only will he serve as showrunner, but also writer and executive producer. He's doing all of this under his production company, called Hat Trick Mercurio (Htm).

Jimmy Mulville, who is also part of Htm, will be an executive producer too. Wendy Mericle, known for working...

Netflix is going inside the Pentagon with its latest series order.

The streamer has picked up Trinity, a thriller from Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio and Disney’s 20th Television. Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden (who starred in Bodyguard) will play the lead roles as a U.S. Navy officer and the secretary of defense.

Mbatha-Raw (Apple TV’s Surface and The Morning Show) will play Commander Katherine Decker, the second in command of the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine. Katherine becomes involved with Secretary of Defense Webb Preston (Madden), then discovers “he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy,” per the show’s logline.

Madden’s character is described as having a background in tech, making him different from most politicians, and his drive for innovation is seen as a threat.

Mercurio’s Bodyguard scored a pair of Emmy nominations (best drama series and best writing for a drama...

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden will star in Netflix‘s next political thriller, titled “Trinity.”

“A heroic female Naval Officer becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense, only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy,” a logline for the eight-episode drama series reads.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw will star in the series as Commander Katherine Decker. She serves as second-in-command on the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine and one of the deadliest weapons on Earth. She is also set to star in the upcoming BBC series “The War Between the Land and the Sea” and Sky Television’s “Inheritance.”

Richard Madden will star in the series as Secretary of Defense Webb Preston. With a technology background that makes him different from most politicians, Webb’s innovation and purpose are seen as a threat in more ways than one. Madden is set to appear in Season...

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden have been set as the leads of the new Netflix drama series Trinity.

The eight-episode series follows a heroic female naval officer who becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense, only to discover that he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.

Mbatha-Raw will play Commander Katherine Decker. She serves as second-in-command on the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine and one of the deadliest weapons on Earth.

Madden will play Secretary of Defense Webb Preston. With a technology background that makes him different from most politicians, Webb’s innovation and purpose are seen as a threat in more ways than one.

Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard) is the show’s showrunner, writer and executive producer. Executive producers include Jimmy Mulville for Hat Trick Mercurio and Wendy Mericle. Michael Cuesta will direct and executive produce the first and second episodes of the 20th Television-produced series.

Netflix has greenlit a new thriller series from Jed Mercurio with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard Madden attached to star.

Variety has learned that the series, titled “Trinity,” has been picked up for eight episodes. The official logline states, “A heroic female Naval Officer (Mbatha-Raw) becomes involved with the outwardly charismatic Secretary of Defense (Madden), only to discover he may be at the heart of a dangerous conspiracy.”

Mbatha-Raw’s character is named Commander Katherine Decker, described as serving “as second-in-command on the USS Kansas, a nuclear submarine and one of the deadliest weapons on Earth.” Madden will star in the series as Secretary of Defense Webb Preston. “With a technology background that makes him different from most politicians, Webb’s innovation and purpose are seen as a threat in more ways than one,” per the character description.

Mercurio serves as writer, executive producer, and showrunner on the series under his Hat Trick Mercurio (Htm) banner.

Exclusive: It was the bust-up that was long predicted, but spectacular nonetheless. Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s steady separation suddenly went thermonuclear on Thursday, with the former Maga mates exchanging Molotovs across two social media platforms.

Deadline hears that the fireworks broke out as Hat Trick Productions was recording the final episode in the current season of BBC comedy series Have I Got News For You. Cameras were about to be shut down for the night when producers decided to throw the Trump-Musk meltdown at presenter Richard Ayoade and teams led by Ian Hislop and Paul Merton.

Have I Got News For You is always filmed up to the wire to maintain its topicality, but it’s rare that producers toss a breaking news story into the mix. We hear that Trump vs Musk will feature towards the end of the show, with Merton and Hislop offering their typically...

CNN has renewed “Have I Got News for You,” the American version of the long-running British comedy series, hosted by Roy Wood Jr. with co-stars Michael Ian Black and Amber Ruffin, TheWrap has learned. The cable channel is set to announce the show will be coming back for its third season as part of CNN’s Upfront presentation in New York City on Wednesday.

“Now that we know that none of us will be Pope, we proudly announce our return for Season 3 of ‘Have I Got News for You’ this fall,” Wood Jr., Ruffin and Black joked in a joint statement shared with TheWrap.

“Have I Got News for You” will enter its new season with momentum, having finished its second season as CNN’s second most-watched show. It averaged 722,000 viewers during the second season — up 66% compared to the ratings CNN’s 9:00 p.m. Et time slot was getting before.

Enthusiasts and industry insiders alike will be getting an exclusive peek behind the curtain of the world of television with the launch of Insiders: The TV Podcast, a brand-new ten-episode series from Expectation TV.

It will be hosted by two of the most influential figures in British television, Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville.

Peter Fincham joined TalkBack in 1985 and became Managing Director the following year. He executive produced many of their biggest shows including The Day Today (BBC Two), Brass Eye(Channel 4), I’m Alan Partridge (BBC Two), Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC Two), Smack The Pony (Channel 4), Da Ali G Show (Channel 4). TalkBack enjoyed many successes in other genres including dramas such as The Lost Prince (BBC One) and Sword of Honour (Channel 4) and factual/factual entertainment programmes including Grand Designs (Channel 4) and The Apprentice(BBC One).

In 2000 TalkBack was sold to Fremantle and two years later Peter became CEO of TalkBack Thames,...

Two of the UK’s most well-known names in TV production arm making a podcast about the biz.

Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville will front ten-part series Insiders: The TV Podcast, in which they promise to take “enthusiast and industry insiders alike” an “exclusive peek behind the curtain of the world of television.” Fincham’s indie, Expectation, and Mulville’s Hat Trick Productions are making the show.

Each week, the pair, who bills themselves as “fierce friends and former rival TV bosses,” will deliver “personal stories, insider anecdotes and expert analysis on trends, triumphs and controversies that have shaped television over the decades and today.”

Fincham has been a commissioner and producer for the likes of Talkback throughout a four decade-year career. He began at Talkback in 1985, becoming its Managing Director a year later and exec producing the likes of The Day Today, I’m Alan Partridge and Never Mind the Buzzcocks for BBC Two,...

Exclusive: BBC comedy Smoggie Queens, which was inspired by the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race, is coming back for another season.

Hat Trick Productions’ show created by and starring comedian Phil Dunning follows a group of people in the LGBTQ+ community as they navigate love, life and their pride for Middlesborough, a town that feels neglected in its own little corner of the UK.

Season 1 starred Dunning as Dickie alongside Mark Benton, Alexandra Mardell, Patsy Lowe and Elijah Young, with guests including Peaky Blinders star Charlotte Riley and RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage. No word yet on whether Riley or Visage will return. The first season consolidated to around 600,000 viewers per ep at the back-end of last year.

Season 2 “promises to bring more slapstick and silly laughs, with some excellent one liners from Dickie (Dunning), and a copious amount of joy for viewers,” according to the BBC.

The show...

Exclusive: The BBC assembled some of the UK’s finest drama and comedy producers to discuss the scripted funding crisis currently gripping the industry, we can reveal.

Described as a “gathering of the families,” BBC director general Tim Davie and content chief Charlotte Moore invited the group of seasoned executives to a lunch meeting at London’s Charlotte Street Hotel in late November.

Deadline is disclosing details from the private talks for the first time after Jane Featherstone, the Black Doves producer who was in attendance last year, told British Parliament yesterday that the BBC is struggling to fund “multiple” series on its books.

Others at the BBC meeting included The Crown producer Andy Harries, Ludwig maker Kenton Allen, The Traitors producer Stephen Lambert, and Jimmy Mulville, the maker of Derry Girls. Tim Hincks, producer of Alma’s Not Normal, was also in attendance.

Sources familiar with the gathering said the talks were constructive and pragmatic,...

Dissident Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf and his filmmaker children Maysam and Hana, alongside producer of TV series Have I Got News For You Jimmy Mulville, have called on the UK government to resettle Afghanistan’s creatives.

They spoke during a hearing with the cross-party culture, media and sport (Cms) committee today, highlighting the danger Afghan creatives are facing in their home country.

“The Taliban is an anti-cultural movement… Bringing these people here is not just saving the life of individuals. It’s saving culture,” said Makhmalbaf, drawing on several examples of artists who have been killed in Afghanistan.

“There are...

“This is a matter of saving the culture of Afghanistan,” Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf said to a parliamentary committee this morning as he pled with the UK government to house dozens of creatives in danger from the Taliban.

Makhmalbaf, a decorated auteur who has been campaigning and helping around 800 Afghani creatives and their families exit the nation for the past three years, appeared in front of the UK’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee (Cmsc) alongside his children, filmmakers Hana Makhmalbaf and Maysam Makhmalbaf, and Hat Trick boss Jimmy Mulville, to call on lawmakers to take action. This came after Hana Makhmalbaf made a documentary feature about the plight of Afghani creatives titled The List, which played at several festivals.

Mohsen Makhmalbaf stressed that accepting Afghani actors, journalists, poets and dancers into the UK would be of net benefit to the nation while simultaneously helping save lives and enrich local culture.

Have I Got News for You, CNN’s American adaptation of the long-running BBC comedy panel series, has been renewed for a second season, the network said Thursday. The decision comes ahead of the show’s Season 1 finale this Saturday.

Season 2 will air early next year as part of CNN’s Saturday primetime lineup. Produced by Hat Trick Productions for CNN Originals, the show aims to serve up a smart and edgy take on the news of the week, as a comic trio led by host Roy Wood Jr. guides a rotating collection of guests through an array of comic games and quick-witted panel conversations that test their knowledge of current events.

Mainstays appearing alongside Wood are team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black. Have I Got News for You‘s 10-episode freshman season premiered September 13 and joined CNN’s encore presentation of Real Time with Bill Maher as...

We’ve got news for you about “Have I Got News For You.”

The comedy roundtable program that asks comics and newsmakers to pick and probe the week’s most important and sometimes off-putting headlines will get a second season at CNN, part of a bid by the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet to build a Saturday-night schedule that hinges on newsy analysis and comedic satire.

“For its inaugural season, ‘Have I Got News For You’ has been a welcome and lively extension of the CNN brand, and our viewers continue to show enthusiasm for comic relief on Saturday nights” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development, in a statement. The show is led by Roy Wood Jr. and features Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black.

The network has been quietly experimenting with a different genre of programming on Saturdays, pairing “Hignfy” with repeats...

CNN has got some more news for you.

The cable news channel says that it has picked up its comedy panel series Have I Got News For You for a second season, which will debut in 2025. The first season finale is set for Nov. 23.

The U.S. adaptation of the long-running BBC series will continue to be hosted by Roy Wood Jr. along with team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black. The format sees teams of special guests partner with the team captains in a series of games and quizzes based on current events.

Guests during season one have included Robin Thede, Andy Richter, Mark McKinnon, Ana Navarro, Larry Wilmore, Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Scaramucci, Bomani Jones, Representative Tim Burchett

“For its inaugural season, Have I Got News For You has been a welcome and lively extension of the CNN brand, and our viewers continue to show enthusiasm for comic...

News junkies relished the break in pre-election noise this week in celebrating the 25th anniversary of The West Wing, a show that portrayed politicians as “competent and committed.”

Aaron Sorkin, its mastermind, might be caught off-guard when discovering CNN’s new show, Have I Got News for You, which consigns all politicians to a state of buffoonery.

Derived from a steadfastly outrageous BBC format, Got News defies CNN’s codes of impartiality (it tilts liberal) not to mention propriety. Panelists casually offer sexual references that might even startle Bill Maher, whose show also re-runs on CNN these days.

Will angst-ridden American viewers accept a panel show steeped in snark – a sort of political snark tank? It’s worth a try, says Mark Thompson, the former BBC and New York Times executive who now runs CNN.

Almost 800,000 viewers checked out Got News in the post-debate period when the overall news audience...

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max streaming service in October. The Max October 2024 lineup includes the debuts of the comedy series The Franchise, a Seth Meyers comedy special, the competition series Roller Jam, Max original films Caddo Lake and Salem’s Lot, and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Trap.

The October schedule also includes the Max documentary Louder: The Soundtrack of Change, HBO documentaries I Am Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders and Breath of Fire, a new season of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, CNN original Have I Got News for You, and A24’s MaXXXine.

Salem’s Lot Featured Programming

Salem’S Lot (Max Original Film)

Debuts October 3

Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.

“I believe the word we’re looking for … is motherf*cker.”

This was a correct answer to a question on a CNN comedy quiz show.

That’s right, a quiz show.

That’s right, comedy.

That’s right… CNN!

The show is Have I Got News For You, which debuted Sept. 14 and is now streaming on Max. Hosted by Roy Wood Jr. and featuring comedians Michael Ian Black and Amber Ruffin as regular panelists alongside two guests per episode, the program satirizes and reflects on the week’s news. And...

(Courtesy image)

CNN has tapped acclaimed comedians Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black to serve as the team captains for its forthcoming news-based quiz show “Have I Got News For You.”

The show, scheduled to launch in September, is an American take on the British quiz of the same name, which infuses comedy with current events ripped from the headlines. Former “Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. was previously announced as the host of the program, which will debut on CNN in September.

Ruffin is an Emmy- and Tony-nominated writer, comedian, host and performer who is best known for her appearances on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and her own self-titled show for Comcast’s streaming service Peacock.

“It is an honor to get to work with comedy favorites Michael Ian Black and Roy Wood Jr,” Ruffin said in a statement. “It is our hope that this show will take people from saying,...

Exclusive: Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show) and Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer) are set for the team captain roles on Have I Got News For You, CNN’s forthcoming American adaptation of the long-running BBC comedy panel series.

A British institution produced by Hat Trick Productions since 1990, Have I Got News for You will be hosted in the States by The Daily Show alum Roy Wood Jr., as we were first to report. The series will deliver comic observations, from the satirical to the surreal, through the lens of a news quiz show, serving up a smart and edgy take on the news of the week.

Together with Wood, Ruffin and Black will guide a rotating collection of guests including notable entertainers, political figures and comedians through an array of comic games and quick-witted panel conversations that test their knowledge of current events.

Produced by Hat Trick Productions for CNN Originals,...

(Courtesy image)

Warner Bros Discovery-owned cable news channel CNN has hired former “Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. to serve as the host of the American version of the BBC’s comedy news program “Have I Got News For You.”

The show will premier on Saturday, September 14 on CNN, with the on-demand version available across cable, satellite and some streaming platforms the following day. Have I Got News For You will air Saturdays at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific every week thereafter.

“For far too long immigrants have been coming to America and taking black jobs, kudos to CNN and the immigrants at Hat Trick Productions for bringing a Black job to the States,” Wood Jr. said in a statement “It is an honor to be a part of such a hallowed British institution to help make sense of the American institutions of chaos, name-calling, disinformation, reality television and the eight-hour news cycle.

CNN named Roy Wood Jr. as the host of “Have I Got News for You,” the U.S. version of the long-running BBC comedy series, the network announced on Thursday.

The comedian and former “Daily Show” correspondent will host the 10-episode run which is slated to debut on Saturday, September 14 at 9 p.m. Et on CNN. The program will air regularly on Saturdays and will also be available to stream on Max the following day.

The BBC version of the program has been on the air since 1990 and the format features two teams of panelists answering questions about the news of the week. CNN is developing the U.S. version of the show with Hat Trick Productions, which produces the BBC program.

“For far too long immigrants have been coming to America and taking Black jobs, kudos to CNN and the immigrants at Hat Trick Productions for bringing a Black job to the States,...

Roy Wood Jr. is getting back into the news-and-comedy game.

The comedian and Daily Show alum has been named the host of Have I Got News for You at CNN. The cable news outlet will debut its version of the long-running BBC panel show on Sept. 14.

Have I Got News for You is a BBC staple, having been on the air since 1990. The show features two teams of panelists answering questions about the week’s news, with a heavy dose of humor. CNN announced in May that it was developing its own version of the show with Hat Trick Productions, producer of the BBC show.

“For far too long immigrants have been coming to America and taking Black jobs, kudos to CNN and the immigrants at Hat Trick Productions for bringing a Black job to the States,” Wood said in a statement. “It is an honor to be a part...

CNN is tapping Roy Wood Jr. to help it make Saturday nights a place for comedy tied to the headlines.

The former “Daily Show” correspondent has been named to host “Have I Got News For You,” a U.S. version of the long-running BBC comedy series. A ten-episode run will debut Saturday, September 14 at 9 p.m. eastern on CNN, and will air regularly on Saturdays before being made available on Max, the streaming service that is owned by corporate parent Warner Bros. Discovery.

The series joins rebroadcasts of Bill Maher’s HBO roundtable program, “Real Time.” CNN has hopes of branching out into news-driven comedy, according to Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president of talent and content, who told Variety of such plans in a May interview. Weekend viewers might like a break from the intensity of the news week with programs about lifestyle or “have a laugh about...

Exclusive: The Daily Show alum Roy Wood Jr. has been tapped to host Have I Got News For You, CNN’s adaptation of UK’s long-running comedy panel show. Produced by Hat Trick Productions, the company behind the BBC original, for CNN Originals, the ten-episode limited series will premiere Sept. 14 and will air Saturdays at 9 Pm. It will be available to stream on Max the following day.

The panel comedy series features comic observations from the satirical to the surreal through the lens of a news quiz show. And Wood, who spent eight years on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and headlined the 2023 White House Correspondents dinner, did not miss the opportunity of his Have I Got News For You hosting announcement to comment on current events, taking a jab at Donald Trump’s “black jobs” remark during the June Presidential debate.

“For far too long immigrants have been...

“Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee has started production on her upcoming comedy thriller series “How to Get to Heaven From Belfast” in Northern Ireland and has revealed the lead cast for the Netflix show.

Roísín Gallagher, Sinéad Keenan and Caoilfhionn Dunne will play Saoirse, Robyn and Dara, three childhood friends, now in their late 30s, who come together over news of a fourth friend’s death, leading them on a what’s described as a “dark, dangerous and hilarious odyssey” through Ireland and beyond as they try to piece together the truth of the past.

“I couldn’t be more excited to start production on ‘How To Get To Heaven From Belfast,'” said McGee, who create and wrote the series and serves as exec producer. “I’ve loved writing Saoirse, Robyn and Dara — three flawed, funny women who are about to embark on the most thrilling and terrifying adventure of their lives.

“How to Get to Heaven From Belfast,” the new series from “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee, has moved to Netflix from Channel 4.

Produced by Hat Trick Productions, the comedy thriller will start shooting in Northern Ireland later this year.

The project was announced by Channel 4 in August 2023. In a statement to Variety, the network cited “changes in editorial direction” and “rising costs” as to why the series could no longer move forward there.

“We loved Lisa McGee’s ‘How to Get to Heaven From Belfast’ and offered a substantial license fee to be its U.K. home,” a Channel 4 spokesperson said. “Unfortunately due to changes in editorial direction as the development process progressed, coupled with rising costs and the recent cooling in the U.S. co-production market, it became impossible to get the right international partner and funding plan in place. We wish Lisa and Hat Trick Productions all...

Exclusive: The Kumars are plotting a return — this time on American television. Fox has ordered a presentation for multi-camera comedy Meet The Kumars, a followup to the award-winning 2001 BBC series The Kumars At No. 42. Most of the original cast is back for the U.S.-flavored revival of the family sitcom/talk show.

Fox also has come in as a partner on The Donut (working title), a single-camera family business comedy in development at Canada’s CBC from Catherine Reitman and Philip Sternberg, stars of CBC/Netflix’s popular comedy Workin’ Moms, which Reitman created.

The two commissions are part of Fox’s international content expansion, which involves developing and producing scripted series with local creators and studios in English-language territories, currently Canada and the UK and ultimately Australia as well.

Fox’s live-action comedy night ambitions

Meet the Kumars and The Donut also are part of a new...

Exclusive: Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has penned an ITV drama about a doctor in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic starring Joanne Froggatt.

Mercurio co-wrote Breathtaking with Rachel Clarke, the author of the 2021 novel that the show is based on, and Prasanna Puwanarajah, who played Martin Bashir in The Crown Season 5. All three are qualified doctors.

Filming wrapped quietly earlier this year in Belfast.

Breathtaking is based on Clarke’s unflinching memoir having looked after the most gravely unwell patients in the early days of the pandemic. Amid the tensions, fatigue and rising death toll, she witnessed the courage of patients and NHS staff alike in conditions of unprecedented adversity.

Golden Globe-winner Froggatt, who most recently starred in James Graham’s BBC drama Sherwood, played lead Dr Abbey Henderson and Craig Viveiros (The War of the Worlds) was director.

“Everyone has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke...

Exclusive: Ricky Gervais has directed his first BBC project for a decade as the corporation’s Comedy Director Jon Petrie unveils his debut batch of 11 Short Films since taking on the role last year.

Deadline can reveal that The Office and After Life creator Gervais has directed 7 Minutes, a show about two people awkwardly contemplating suicide from his own Derek Productions.

Penned by Harry Carlile and Jonathan Parramint and starring Joe Wilkinson and Seroca Davis, 7 Minutes’ logline reads: “A desolate train track seems the perfect spot to end it all, until someone else turns up with the same idea. Awkward.”

Gervais’ last BBC project was the Warwick Davis-starring Life’s Too Short, which ran from 2011 to 2013 and was co-written with long-time writing partner Stephen Merchant. Since then, he has mostly made shows for Netflix such as global smash After Life.

Petrie’s Comedy Shorts are comprised of 10-15 minute one-offs,...

Graham Linehan has spoken out about the resulting fallout after sharing his views opposing the trans rights movement, claiming he was asked to disassociate himself from the Father Ted stage musical.

Linehan is known to many for being the co-creator and co-writer of the classic sitcom, along with Arthur Mathews, as well as of shows including Black Books and The It Crowd.

He was suspended from Twitter in 2020 after making a series of controversial remarks about transgender people, but has since been reinstated on the platform.

Though he was reinstated in 2022, Linehan has claimed that his career and social status have not recovered since he began making critical remarks about the trans community.

In an interview with The Times, Linehan claimed that despite previously being involved in reforming Father Ted for the theatre, he’d been asked to end his involvement with the show due to the controversy surrounding him.

Distributor Hat Trick International (Hti) has closed multiple international sales on ITV series “Di Ray,” from “Line of Duty” creator Jed Mercurio’s Htm Television.

Both seasons of the crime drama, created and written by former “Line of Duty” actor Maya Sondhi, have been acquired by PBS Distribution in a multi-rights deal that will see it broadcast across PBS’s 330+ member stations in the U.S. and streaming on PBS Passport, the PBS Video app and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel. The deal was brokered by Germaine Sweet, PBS Distribution’s managing director of content acquisitions and Jonathan South, Hti’s North American senior sales executive.

“Di Ray,” executive produced by Mercurio, debuted to strong ratings in 2022 as a 4 x 60′ series on U.K. broadcaster ITV, leading to a second season order of six episodes. Set in Birmingham, the series revolves around Rachita Ray, a Leicester-born police officer who...

Exclusive: Hat Trick Productions, the storied British production company behind Derry Girls and Have I Got News For You, is courting sale talks.

Co-founded by Jimmy Mulville in 1986, Hat Trick has been a bastion of truly independent UK producers but is now entertaining interest from groups including All3Media and Fremantle.

The company has not formally declared it is up for sale and has not engaged the services of an M&a broker, but Deadline hears that it has recently held promising conversations with potential suitors.

Mulville has toyed with the idea of selling in the past, most recently in 2018, when he compared the process to a real estate agent valuing a house. Four years on, sources said there had been a flurry of interest in Hat Trick amid the success of shows including bomb squad drama Trigger Point.

Three sources said that All3Media, the super producer owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Liberty Global,...

As if Prince Andrew wasn’t already disgraced enough, a musical TV special is set to satirize the embattled British royal still further.

Featuring Harry Enfield, one of Britain’s best-known impressionists, “Prince Andrew: The Musical” will focus “on the key events, relationships and controversies of Andrew’s life, including a reimagining of the former-hrh’s bombshell interview with Emily Maitlis,” according to the logline.

Andrew’s disastrous 2019 interview with then “Newsnight” anchor Maitlis was widely mocked and condemned and proved to be the catalyst in Andrew’s banishment from public life.

The musical was written by Kieran Hodgson, who will also play Andrew.

“Kevin & Perry Go Large” star Enfield has been cast as former Prime Minister Tony Blair while Emily Maitlis will be played by “Starstruck’s” Emma Sidi.

Joining them are Munya Chawawa (“Taskmaster”) as Prince Charles, Jenny Bede (“Catastrophe”) as Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson (nicknamed Fergie...

Emma Sidi has landed the role of broadcaster and MacTaggart Lecture giver Emily Maitlis in Channel 4’s upcoming satire Prince Andrew: The Musical.

Maitlis’ bombshell BBC interview on Newsnight with Prince Andrew, in which the royal denied a friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and made several eyebrow-raising statements, led to cascade of events that saw him step back from royal duty.

Maitlis has since left the BBC and was credited for delivering a barnstorming MacTaggart at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival. The musical special will feature a reimagining of her interview with Prince Andrew, with emerging British comedy star Sidi playing the journalist.

Kieran Hodgson (Two Doors Down), who has written the show to a musical score along with Freddie Tapner, plays the royal and will focus on events, relationships and controversies in his life.

Further central cast announced today are Munya Chawawa as Prince Charles and Jenny Bede as Prince Andrew’s former wife Sarah Ferguson.

Also cast are Joe Wilkinson as a newspaper vendor; Harry Enfield (Harry Enfield and Friends) as Prime Minister Tony Blair and Baga Chipz (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Hat Trick Productions is making Prince Andrew: The Musical, with Adam Reeve producing and Stu Mather and Jimmy Mulville the executive producers. Hodgson is an associate producer.

The program was first unveiled in August at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

Acting head of drama Ben Irving, senior commissioner Manda Levin to leave, while development head Tom Lazenby has deparated.

The BBC drama department has been hit with a triple departure: acting director of drama Ben Irving and senior commissioning editor Manda Levin are leaving the corporation, and head of development Tom Lazenby has already departed.

The trio of departures represents a significant change to the team, and will give incoming director of drama Lindsay Salt scope to reshape it after she joins from Netflix UK on Tuesday.

Irving is leaving to join Severance producer Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) in...

Acting head of drama Ben Irving, senior commissioner Manda Levin to leave, while development head Tom Lazenby has deparated.

The BBC drama department has been hit with a triple departure: acting director of drama Ben Irving and senior commissioning editor Manda Levin are leaving the corporation, and head of development Tom Lazenby has already departed.

The trio of departures represents a significant change to the team, and will give incoming director of drama Lindsay Salt scope to reshape it after she joins from Netflix UK on Tuesday.

Irving is leaving to join Severance producer Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content) in...

The “History of a Pleasure Seeker” pilot is not moving forward and will not be be picked up to series at Hulu, Variety has learned exclusively.

The show was first ordered to pilot at the streaming service back in March 2022. It was based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name. Per the official logline, the show was a musical drama “set in Amsterdam in 1907, a tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.”

The cast for the pilot included Carla Woodcock, Callum Kerr, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Olumide Olorunfemi, and Bebe Bettencourt.

“History of a Pleasure Seeker” was based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name. Mason adapted the novel for the screen and also served as an executive producer. Julie Anne Robinson directed and executive produced the pilot. Christopher Read executive produced in addition to serving as composer.

ITV has unveiled a slate of new comedy commissions, most of which will premiere on Itvx, its upcoming free streaming service.

New comedy titles include “Plebs: Soldiers of Rome,” “Deep Fake Neighbour Wars,” “Ruby Speaking Count,” “Abdulla” and “Significant Other.”

“The arrival of Itvx gives us more opportunities to commission a broad range of comedies and a dedicated place for the genre to call home,” said Nana Hughes, ITV’s Head of Comedy. The executive added that ITV aspired to showcase a “huge cross section of contemporary, diverse and inclusive comedy.”

“We want to take risks but most importantly we want our audiences to find shows that reflect them and make them laugh,” Hughes continued.

“Plebs: Soldiers of Rome” is a a feature-length special based on the award-winning comedy series “Plebs” which has had five successful seasons. “Plebs” is directed and written by Sam Leifer and co-written by Tom Basden.

Exclusive: Ato Blankson-Wood, star of Jeremy O. Harris’ Broadway show Slave Play, is the latest star added to Hulu’s musical pilot History of a Pleasure Seeker.

Blankson-Wood joins leads Carla Woodcock and Callum Kerr, Lesley-Ann Brandt, who Deadline revealed earlier this week, and Olumide Olorunfemi and Bebe Bettencourt in the project.

The project, which is based on Richard Mason’s novel, is a musical drama set in Amsterdam in 1907 — a tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.

The book, which was published in 2012 by Penguin Random House, follows Piet Barol, who has an instinctive appreciation for pleasure and a gift for finding it. When his mother dies, Piet applies for a job as tutor to the troubled son of Europe’s leading hotelier – a child who refuses to leave his family’s mansion on one of Amsterdam’s grandest canals.

Exclusive: Lucifer’s Lesley-Ann Brandt is joining Hulu musical pilot History of a Pleasure Seeker.

The project, which is based on Richard Mason’s novel, is a musical drama set in Amsterdam in 1907 — a tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.

The book, which was published in 2012 by Penguin Random House, follows Piet Barol, who has an instinctive appreciation for pleasure and a gift for finding it. When his mother dies, Piet applies for a job as tutor to the troubled son of Europe’s leading hotelier – a child who refuses to leave his family’s mansion on one of Amsterdam’s grandest canals. As Piet enters this glittering world, he learns its secrets and finds his life transformed.

Brandt will play Jacobina in the project. Powerful, beautiful and always in control, Jacobina has achieved everything her privileged childhood taught her to wish for.

Exclusive: Peacock is to be the U.S. home of ITV’s Jed Mercurio-produced thriller Trigger Point.

The high-pressured drama starring Line of Duty’s Vicky McClure and Life’s Adrian Lester follows the streamer’s acquisition of similar UK scripted shows such as BBC double The Capture and Vigil.

The NBCU streamer will launch the series on July 8.

Trigger Point, which was produced by Line of Duty creator Mercurio’s Htm Television and written by newcomer Daniel Brierley, stars McClure and Lester as frontline officers who must risk their lives during a terrorist campaign in the heart of London. When a terrorist campaign threatens the capital over one summer, the Expos are at the forefront of urgent efforts to find out who is behind the bombings before fatalities escalate.

With Mercurio’s reputation for ratings-grabbers preceding him, the six-parter performed extremely well with audiences, amassing almost 10M for some of its later episodes.

The Hulu musical drama pilot “History of a Pleasure Seeker” has added Olumide Olorunfemi and Bebe Bettencourt to its cast, Variety has learned.

The pair join previously announced cast members Carla Woodcock and Callum Kerr in the pilot, which is based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name.

“History of a Pleasure Seeker” is set in Amsterdam in 1907 and tells the tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.

Olorunfemi will play Sisanda, a Xhosa woman raised in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. She’s used to being the most admired young lady in her village. She did not imagine she’d spend her life cleaning other people’s floors.

Olorunfemi was recently featured in the Marvel film “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” as the younger version of Naomie Harris’ character, Shriek. She is repped by Independent Talent Group.

Hulu pilot History Of A Pleasure Seeker continues to add to its cast.

Olumide Olorunfemi, who recently featured in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Bebe Bettencourt, who starred in Australian drama series Eden, have joined.

The project, which is based on Richard Mason’s novel, is a musical drama set in Amsterdam in 1907 — a tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.

The book, which was published in 2012 by Penguin Random House, follows Piet Barol, who has an instinctive appreciation for pleasure and a gift for finding it. When his mother dies, Piet applies for a job as tutor to the troubled son of Europe’s leading hotelier – a child who refuses to leave his family’s mansion on one of Amsterdam’s grandest canals. As Piet enters this glittering world, he learns its secrets and finds his life transformed.