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TV is firmly in its reboot, revival, and reunion era. Shows such as Frasier and Sex and the City have been revisited, with varying degrees of success. Some of these exploits, like the newsmaking Fresh Prince reunion, have added valuable perspective to the original show.

But with all the nostalgia floating around Hollywood, it’s surprising that HBO’s The Wire, a prescient, innovative chronicle of urban blight in America, told through intersecting characters in Baltimore, hasn’t had a large-scale reunion. In the 23 years since the show’s debut,...

Beyond cult status today, The Wire is propelled by its complex plot and the quality of its numerous characters. Diving into various facets of Baltimore's criminality, The Wire has an honest and well-penned approach to problems in society, and the series highlights its great writing by adding one quote from a character at the start of each episode.

Some are seen throughout the five seasons of the show, while others are only in the story for a limited time. Yet every character in The Wire is relevant, nuanced and fascinating. With dozens of compelling individual developments, certain protagonists stand out as the most memorable and best-written in the HBO drama.

Update: 2025/01/12 21:09 Est By Brian Cronin

I've updated this fine look at The Wire's best characters by simply adding five more characters to the list.

Related 10 Best Police Procedurals With The Best Twists

TV's best police procedurals, like The Wire,...

While there is still so much horror content and thrillers left to be released in 2024, we've already begun to look at what's coming out next year. In fact, there's an upcoming indie psychological thriller slated to be released in select theaters in 2025. It's titled Both Eyes Open, and we now have the gripping official trailer to watch to hold us over until its release. You can check it out above!

We first learned of this thriller back in June 2024. It was announced that Ariel Julia Hairston had written the script and directed the film. Production had already wrapped in Atlanta at the time. RodFather Productions was revealed to be the production company behind the movie with the involvement of Oasis Ave Films. In addition, executive producers of the film include Hairston, Roderick McClure, Joshua Ferrell, and Gail Bean.

In Both Eyes Open, a woman’s attempt to escape her abusive...

HBO’s The Wire is widely celebrated as one of the best TV shows ever made. Spanning five seasons, the show, created by David Simon, offered a deep dive into Baltimore’s complexities. It explored themes like the drug trade, labor unions, political corruption, public schools, and the media, all while showing the intertwined systems within the city.

The Wire | Credit: HBO

When The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002, critics praised it, but it didn’t immediately gain a large audience. Over time, however, the show found its footing, eventually becoming a beloved favorite and even launching the careers of several prominent actors.

At the start of the series, the cast featured well-known names like Dominic West, Sonja Sohn, and Lance Reddick. As the show progressed, it introduced rising talents who would later become Hollywood stars. Michael B. Jordan, Idris Elba, and Tristan Wilds are now recognized as some of the...

After an initial run of 10 seasons, Beverly Hills, 90210 was given new life in the form of CW's 90210 reboot. While most of the original cast avoided appearing in the new incarnation, a few key cast members returned, reprising their original roles. Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling, and Jennie Garth all signed on for the initial season of the reboot, but over the first two seasons, the characters disappeared on screen, with the series moving in a different direction. Unfortunately, the situation is not fondly remembered by Garth, who seemingly regrets her participation in 90210.

Garth recently reunited with several of her former co-stars for 90s Con in Daytona, having plenty to say about her time on the 90210 sequel series. According to People, despite Brian Austen Green acknowledging the concept of the series being something he likes, Garth couldn't help but express her desire to turn back the clock and...

Jennie Garth isn't thrilled about her involvement in 90210, a reboot of the hit TV series Beverly Hills, 90210. She now says she wishes she wouldn't have returned for the newer show.

Garth is known in part for her starring role as Kelly Taylor in Beverly Hills, 90210. She was also a big part of 90210, which saw Garth return alongside other franchise stars like Shannen Doherty, Ann Gillespie, Tori Spelling, and Joe E. Tata. Per People, Garth shared her thoughts on the reboot while attending a 90s Con panel with original series co-stars Brian Austin Green, Gabrielle Carteris, and Ian Ziering, per People.

Related A Forgotten Crossover Brought Together Two of the Best '90s Sitcoms

Few people remember the crossover between these popular sitcoms.

"I wish I hadnt done it. No offense to them," Garth admitted about the reboot. "The producer was a friend of a friend, and...

Bel-Air is a teen drama series developed by Morgan Cooper, Malcolm Spellman, Tj Brady, and Rasheed Newson. Based on the popular Will Smith comedy series titled The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air by Andy and Susan Borowitz, the Peacock series follows the life of Will Smith, a 16-year-old boy as he is sent to gated mansions of Bel-Air to live with his rich aunt and uncle by his mother from the streets of Philadelphia. Bel-Air stars Jabari Banks, Cassandra Freeman, Jimmy Akingbola, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Simone Joy Jones, and Jordan L. Jones. So, if you loved the teen drama, tons of glamor, and a heartfelt story in Bel-Air, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Credit – NBC

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a comedy series created by Andy and Susan Borowitz. The NBC series follows a fictional version of...

Mayor of Kingstown returns for a brilliant third season with Jeremy Renner returning as the lead after an injury-related break. The Paramount+ series follows the McLusky family, who are a very big deal in their town Kingstown. The series stars Renner in the lead role with Kyle Chandler, Emma Laird, Natasha Marc, Nichole Galicia, Hugh Dillon, Dianne West, Necar Zadegan, Tobi Bamtefa, and Taylor Handley starring in supporting roles. So, if you love the family drama, crime thriller, and political navigation in Mayor of Kingstown here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Yellowstone (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Paramount+

Yellowstone is a neo-western thriller drama series created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. The Paramount Network series follows the story of the Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in America as they deal with internal and external problems to protect their property and keep the family together.

Exclusive: Gail Bean (Snowfall) will topline Both Eyes Open, an indie psychological thriller from writer-director Ariel Julia Hairston (The Comeback), which has wrapped production in Atlanta.

Additional cast for the pic from RodFather Productions includes Taye Diggs (The Best Man), Joy Brunson (This Is Us), Christie Leverette (You’ll Never Leave Me), Tristan Mack Wilds (The Wire), Michael Oloyede (This is Paradise), and Carla Fisher (The Boss).

Both Eyes Open centers on Ally (Bean), a woman who emerges from an abusive relationship hoping for a fresh start. Haunted by persistent hallucinations of her abuser, she begins to receive mysterious messages that suggest her tormenter may still be lurking in the distance. As the cryptic messages escalate and the ground beneath her starts to crumble, Ally discovers that the answers she seeks may lie closer to home than she could have ever imagined.

Pic’s exec producers are Roderick McClure, Joshua Ferrell,...

Patrick Muldoon and Jennifer Taylor (“Two and a Half Men”) are joining the cast of “The Bay,” playing the parents of Caleb McKinnon (Mike Manning) for the show’s upcoming ninth season.

According to Deadline, the storyline finds Caleb’s conservative parents reconnecting with their son after previously abandoning him after he married Daniel Garrett (Eric Nelsen).

In addition to Muldoon and Taylor, other cast announcements for Season 9 include Dee Wallace, Olivia d’Abo (“The Wonder Years”), Tristan Mack Wilds (“90210”), Rhonda Rooss (“Another World”) and Jordi Vilasuso.

According to TV Insider, Wallace will play Charlotte Grace, while d’Abo has been cast as Felicia “Fifi” Martin, daughter of Commissioner Lex Martin (Tristan Rogers) and Dr. Liza Garrett (Ilene Kristen). Meanwhile, Wilds will take over the role of Will Campbell, previously portrayed by actor Derrell Whitt during the show’s third season.

As for Ross, Deadline reports she’ll play Colleen Givens,...

Exclusive: The Bay character Caleb McKinnon is about to come face-to-face with the parents who abandoned him in the upcoming season.

Patrick Muldoon (Melrose Place) and Jennifer Taylor (Two and a Half Men) are joining the Popstar TV! sudser as the conservative dad and mom to McKinnon (Mike Manning), who lost touch with his parents after they essentially abandoned him when he married Daniel Garrett (Eric Nelsen).

In other casting updates, Rhonda Ross (Another World) is joining the soap as Coleen Givens, the biological mother of Pete Garrett’s (Kristos Andrews) wife Vivian (Karrueche Tran). Garrett goes on the search for Colleen after Vivian becomes ill. Colleen is a jazz singer who gave Vivian up for adoption at birth and resurfaces in Bay City this season as the only hope to save her.

Vivian was adopted by police captain Mackenzie Johnson, who will now be played by Gordon Thomson (Dynasty...

The daytime drama series, The Bay, is ramping up its casting for Season 9, tapping familiar faces to play out the upcoming drama in Bay City. Dee Wallace, best known to movie audiences as Mary, the mom in the 1982 blockbuster E.T., has been cast in the pivotal role of Charlotte Grace. Wallace is familiar to soap audiences from her 2015 turn as General Hospital‘s Pat Spencer, sister to Luke (Anthony Geary) and Bobbie (Jacklyn Zeman) and more recently as Margaret Buckley on 9-1-1 and Emma Rauch in the miniseries Fatal Attraction. The Wonder Years alum Olivia d’Abo joins the cast as Felicia “Fifi” Martin, daughter of Commissioner Lex Martin (Tristan Rogers) and Dr. Liza Garrett (Ilene Kristen). Tristan Mack Wilds, who memorably played Michael Lee in The Wire and Dixon Wilson on Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot 90210, will assume the series regular role of Will Campbell, previously played in Season 3 by Derrell Whitt.

We hate to see a love story end in tragedy, but it's especially disappointing when the subject invites their fans in to bear witness to the journey, thus forcing their audience to experience the breakup or divorce as well, much of which takes place on reality television. Fans of Fox's former midday girl talk session, The Real were minding their business when co-host Jeannie Mai decided to share several of her celebrity crushes. She took fans down several rabbit holes with Grammy award-winning emcee Common, Mack Wilds, and a few other hip-hop crushes before she settled on Atlanta rap star Jeezy. After naming Jeezy as her celebrity crush and detailing him as a man who seemed sexy and a bit dangerous, Jeannie Mai smiled flirtatiously into the camera and waited for fate to take its course. It wasn't long before one of Jeezy's connections alerted him about his admirer, and...

Swagger is a sports drama in the Apple TV+ series created by Reggie Rock Bythewood. Loosely inspired by the real-life experiences of NBA player Kevin Durant, the Apple TV+ series explores the world of youth basketball through the players and their families and all the people involved in making the youngster’s dream come true. Swagger stars Solomon Irama, Tessa Ferrer, Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, O’Seah Jackson Jr., Caleel Harris, Tristan Wilds, Isaiah Hill, James Bingham, and Ozie Nzeribe. So, if you loved Swagger and all of its drama and a look into the world of sports here are some similar shows you should check out next.

All American (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – The CW

Inspired by the real-life of pro football player Spencer Paysinger, All American is a sports drama that will show you the story behind the legend just like Swagger did. Created by April Blair,...

Swagger is not returning for a third season. Apple TV+ has cancelled the basketball drama, which takes viewers into the world of elite youth basketball clubs. Season two wrapped on the streaming service in early August.

Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, and Tristan Mack Wilds, the Swagger series, inspired by the life of NBA star Kevin Durant, follows the players, their families, and coaches on and off the basketball court.

Read More…...

Swagger star O’Shea Jackson Jr. is speaking out about the Apple TV+ basketball drama’s cancellation after two seasons.

“Damn near no promotion. Couldn’t even talk about it when it aired because of the strike. And it still got up to Apple’s Top 4. But “the numbers weren’t there”. Right. Ima miss my boys,” Jackson wrote on X (fka Twitter).

Inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid, Swagger explored the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches. In addition to Jackson, it starred Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Riveram.

In an Instagram post sharing news of the cancellation, series creator Reggie Rock Bythewood thanked Apple for allowing him to make “the show I wanted to make.”

“What an amazing adventure. In our two seasons,...

Swagger will not be getting another season at Apple TV+.

The sports drama, inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid, has been cancelled after two seasons at the streamer. Series creator Reggie Rock Bythewood shared the news of the cancellation on Instagram Thursday.

“What an amazing adventure. In our two seasons, we have launched careers, disrupted genre, brought forth humanity through our characters, told stories we care deeply about, revolutionized the way to shoot basketball and had fun,” he wrote.

He added: “Apple, while you are not ordering a season three, I made the show I wanted to make. Thank you for that. Cast, writers and crew, you have my gratitude. Walk off the set with Swagger. For our FAMbase, you lifted us in ways we could have never imagined. To the industry, don’t take your foot off the gas. Keep telling our stories.”

View...

“Swagger” has been canceled at Apple TV+ after two seasons.

Series creator Reggie Rock Bythewood shared the news with fans via Instagram. “What an amazing adventure,” he wrote. “In our two seasons, we have launched careers, disrupted genre, brought forth humanity through our characters, told stories we care deeply about, revolutionized the way to shoot basketball and had fun.”

Bythewood went on to thank the creative team behind the show as well as producer CBS Studios. “Apple, while you are not ordering a season three, I made the show I wanted to make. Thank you for that,” he continued.

“For our FAMbase, you lifted us in ways we could have never imagined. To the industry, don’t take your foot off the gas. Keep telling our stories,” he concluded.

“Swagger” is inspired by the life of NBA star Kevin Durant, who serves as an executive producer on the series. The...

Apple TV+ has canceled its drama series Swagger after two seasons.

The series about a high school basketball star (played by Isaiah Hill) and his journey through the world of youth hoops is loosely inspired by the life of NBA star Kevin Durant, who’s an executive producer. The cancellation comes a few months after season two’s final episode streamed in August.

Series creator, showrunner and director Reggie Rock Bythewood shared the news of Swagger’s end on Instagram. “What an amazing adventure. In our two seasons, we have launched careers, disrupted genre, brought forth humanity through our characters, told stories we care deeply about, revolutionized the way to shoot basketball and had fun. That’s a blessing,” he wrote.

After thanking fellow executive producers Durant, Brian Grazer and Rich Kleiman and producers Imagine Television and CBS Studios, Bythewood added, “Apple, while you are not ordering a season three,...

In our Q&a series Popsugar Crush, we get to know some of our favorite celebs' more intimate details - from their signature scent to their perfect date night. This month, we're crushing on "The Chi" star Luke James.

Luke James loves a challenge. That much is evident from the singer-actor's accomplished onscreen career. From portraying music icon Johnny Gill in BET's "The New Edition Story" to R&b bad boy Noah Brooks in Fox's hit musical series "Star," James has taken on a handful of roles through the years that have propelled him from an acting novice to a pro. One of his most notable roles to date is in Lena Waithe's "The Chi," the all-too-relatable Showtime drama that depicts the struggles of a group of South Side Chicago residents, all linked by coincidence but bonded by their common circumstances.

The show returns for its two-part sixth season,...

The Apple TV Plus original sports drama series Swagger impressed audiences during its first two seasons, but details of season 3 are slow to arrive. Debuting in 2021, the show follows an ensemble of characters who are swept up into the political world of youth basketball as they all vie for a future on the sport's grandest stage, the NBA. Swagger is loosely based on the real-life story of NBA player Kevin Durant, who also serves as an executive producer, and this gives the series a more realistic tone. Unlike other sports series, Swagger paints a clearer picture of what the life of an aspiring professional athlete is actually like.

Immediately met with glowing reviews, many critics praised Swagger's messaging and confidence which helped elevate it above the usual sports fare (via Rotten Tomatoes). Joining a long list of well-received original series on Apple TV Plus, Swagger is seen as Ted...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for No Hard Feelings, I’m a Virgo and Downey’s Dream Cars.

Downey’s Dream Cars premiere

Robert Downey Jr. made a rare red carpet appearance to debut his new Max series at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on June 16.

Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey

No Hard Feelings premiere

Jennifer Lawrence joined director Gene Stupnitsky and co-stars Andrew Feldman, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Hasan Minhaj, Kyle Mooney, Scott MacArthur, Zach McClarnon, Jordan Mendoza, Matthew Nozska, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Amalia Yoo at the New York premiere of their new comedy on Tuesday.

John Phillips, Laura Benanti, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Gene Stupnitsky, Natalie Morales, Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Feldman and Matthew Broderick Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Feldman

I’m a Virgo premiere

Stars Jharrel Jerome, Brett Gray,...

In our Q&a series Popsugar Crush, we get to know some of our favorite celebs' more intimate details - from their signature scent to their idea of a perfect date night. This month, we're crushing on "Swagger" actor and singer Tristan Mack Wilds.

Tristan Mack Wilds has had quite the career. At 33 years old, the acclaimed actor and singer has checked plenty off his bucket list - from starring in notable TV shows, films, and a Broadway play to releasing a Grammy-nominated album and working with Adele. He also stars in Apple TV+'s "Swagger," which returned for its second season on June 23. We'd be here all day naming Wilds's many achievements, though his greatest, by far, are his two daughters, Tristyn and Naima, with wife Christina Wilds. Still, after a nearly 20-year career, the Hollywood veteran says, "I still feel very young in the game."

Wilds's years-long journey in...

Exclusive: Ahead of Saturday’s Season 2 premiere for his Apple sports drama series Swagger at the Tribeca Festival, actor Isaiah Hill has taken on new representation, signing with APA in all areas.

In the series created by Reggie Rock Blythewood, which returns to Apple TV+ on June 23rd, Hill plays Jayce Carson, a character loosely inspired by pro basketball player Kevin Durant, which examines his experiences as a young phenom on the Aau circuit before he made it to the NBA.

Durant, Blythewood and Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer are among the show’s exec producers, with O’Shea Jackson Jr., Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, Jason Rivera-Torres and Tristan Wilds rounding out its cast.

The breakout star of the series, which premiered in October of 2021, continues to be represented by Artistry Collective and Strategic PR.

Apple TV+ has unveiled the season 2 trailer for ‘Swagger,’ the acclaimed and emotional sports drama helmed by creator, showrunner and director Reggie Rock Bythewood.

Inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s experiences, the series explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.

In season two, we meet the man-children Jace, Phil, Nick, Musa, Drew and Royale as they are entering their senior year of high school. All but Phil will be attending Cedar Cove Prep; a predominantly White institution where wealthy board members control the entire operation from the hiring of faculty to the enrollment of students.

It is a school of power and influence. For all of their academic success, their basketball program has not been competitive until Emory Lawson,...

In Season 2 of Swagger, everything is at stake for Jace and his teammates.

On Monday, Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for the second season of its sports drama based on NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s experiences, which premieres Friday, June 23.

More from TVLineSilo: Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins Preview Major Power Shifts -- Plus, Did Juliette Just Learn How to [Spoiler]?Foundation Season 2 Release Date Revealed -- Plus, Watch a New TeaserIs Ted Lasso Setting the Stage for a Season 4 Without Ted Lasso?

In Season 2, which will release a new episode every Friday, we meet “Jace (Isaiah Hill), Phil (Solomon Irama), Nick...

The wait is over! The Peacock original film Praise This is now available to watch exclusively on Peacock! But, first, check out the “first look” featurette of the film (above).

About The Film

Genre: Musical, Comedy, Drama Cast: Chloe Bailey, Druski, Anjelika Washington, Quavo, Tristan Mack Wilds, Birgundi Baker, Crystal Hayslett, Loren Lott, Jekalyn Carr, Koryn Hawthorne Director: Tina Gordon Screenplay: Tina Gordon and Brandon Broussard & Hudson Obayuwana and Jana Salvage Story: Brandon Broussard & Hudson Obayuwana & Jana Salvage Producer: Will Packer, Tim Story, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett, James Lopez

Praise This is streaming exclusively on Peacock on April 7, 2023!

For More Information, Please Visit:

Official Site / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / TikTok / #PraiseThis

The post Look Inside “Praise This” Featurette Released first appeared on CinemaNerdz.

A new Peacock movie, “Praise This,” follows a young woman hoping to make the big time in the music industry. However, she ends up in an unexpected place with a shot at jumpstarting her career. Will she continue chasing her huge dreams despite this not being exactly what she had in mind? Grammy-nominated actress and musician Chlöe Bailey stars in the new film. Don’t miss the premiere on Friday, April 7 on Peacock. You can watch Praise This with a subscription to Peacock.

How to Watch ‘Praise This’ When: Friday, April 7, 2023 Where: Peacock Stream: Watch with a subscription to Peacock. Sign Up$4.99+ / month peacocktv.com About ‘Praise This’

Sam (Bailey) is a rising star in the music industry, but she hasn’t had her big break yet. Her dad, played by Philip Fornah, expresses his concerns about the people she’s hanging out with. In an attempt to get his daughter onto a better path,...

Image Source: Getty / Christopher Polk

Chlöe's mentor and confidant Beyoncé once said, "You know you that b*tch when you cause all this conversation." These days, Chlöe is used to being a trending topic on social media. Not that the 24-year-old singer, songwriter, and actor pays attention to it, seeing as she occasionally removes apps like Twitter and Instagram from her phone when the negative comments get overwhelming.

"It's been hard, difficult, [and] unsettling," Chlöe tells Popsugar of dealing with constant judgment from some of her biggest critics online. "I could go down the whole negative path but I have to learn to not really care and to know that as long as I am being authentically and unapologetically myself, then I'm good."

"Everything that I'm doing right now I've prayed for and God has given it to me."

Between her viral series "Swarm," freshly-dropped solo debut album "In Pieces," lead role in Peacock's "Praise This,...

In the pleasantly amusing “Praise This,” Chloe Bailey is the self professed nonreligious Sam, a musical artist in the making who finds her niche in Atlanta’s competitive gospel youth choir scene. Director Tina Gordon crafts a musical that’s carried through by a charming cast and highly entertaining ensemble performances. Streaming April 7 on Peacock, “Praise This” adds a mostly delightful entry to the genre, even if it doesn’t offer a unique take. More successfully it acts as a winning introductory calling card to the acting and musical talents of its rising star, the slightly-older sister of upcoming “The Little Mermaid” actor Halle Bailey and one-half of the sibling R&b duo Chloe x Halle.

The story starts with Sam forced to leave Los Angeles by her dad because of some rebellious behavior. He entrusts her care to her aunt and uncle (Kendrick Cross and Janora McDuffie), but the...

Praise This is the latest project from Will Packer’s Will Packer Productions and Tim Story’s The Story Company. Directed and co-written by Tina Gordon, this original musical comedy follows a struggling Praise Team that finds its shining light of hope in the wayward wannabe pop star Sam, played by real-life singer Chloe Bailey. Faith and a coming-of-age story come together in a heartwarming, sometimes funny but underwhelming musical comedy that arrives on Peacock in time for Easter.

After acting up and getting arrested in LA, Sam, an aspiring singer and music producer, gets sent to live with her Uncle Larry (Kendrick Cross) in Atlanta. Sam’s nightmare is her cousin Jess’ (Anjelika Washington) dream come true, as the upbeat, quirky church girl has always wanted a sister. Jess is part of a struggling Praise Team for The Oil Factory, the church run by the reformed PG (Tristan Mack Wilds...

The official trailer for the Peacock original film Praise This has just been released. The film will stream exclusively on Peacock on April 7th!

Five-time Grammy nominee Chloe Bailey, star of Grown-ish and half of the sibling musical duo Chloe x Halle, stars in a new cinematic musical event set in the world of Atlanta’s competitive gospel youth choir praise teams.

From director Tina Gordon, writer-director of Little and the writer of What Men Want and Drumline, Praise This follows aspiring musical superstar Sam (Chloe Bailey), a young woman driven, at almost any cost, to break into the music business. So, when her father, worried that Sam is associating with a dangerous crowd, moves them from Los Angeles to Atlanta to live with Sam’s sunny cousin, Jess, Sam is . . . not happy.

But when Sam is forced to join her cousin’s struggling, underdog praise team in the...

Image Source: YouTube user Peacock

Art imitates life for Chloe Bailey, who stars in the upcoming movie "Praise This" as an ambitious young singer named Sam whose music career seems to be taking off in a huge way. There are some big differences about her life and Sam's, though - Bailey is already a massive star, and also, "Praise This" follows Sam's journey into the world of competitive gospel youth choirs.

The trailer, released on March 6, finds Sam unhappily stuck in Atlanta after being sent away from Los Angeles for the summer by her concerned father to live with her upbeat cousin Jess (Anjelika Washington). Things start to take off when Jess persuades Sam to join her faltering praise team, and Sam eventually dives in, determined to help the group win a national championship competition while launching her music career.

Related: Dominique Fishback Obsesses Over a Beyoncé-Like Pop Star in...

Today at the 2023 Winter Television Critics Association press tour, Apple TV+ announced that “Swagger,” its acclaimed and emotional sports drama from creator, showrunner and director Reggie Rock Bythewood, is set to return for its second season in June of 2023, and unveiled a first look at the eight-episode, next chapter of the series, executive produced by Bythewood, Kevin Durant, Brian Grazer and Rich Kleiman.

Inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s experiences in youth basketball, “Swagger” explores the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches, and “the game within the game.” Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.

Season two welcomes back returning stars O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, Jason Rivera, Christina Jackson and Sean Baker, and adds...

The second season of Swagger will debut on Apple TV+ in June. The streamer announced the news Wednesday, along with a few first look images of the cast.

The images don’t give much away, showing a few moments with star Isaiah Hill’s character Jace Carson. One appears to be on the court after a game with O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s Ike, a former star player-turned-youth basketball coach. Another image appears to be a more tender interaction between Jace and Quvenzhané Wallis’ Crystal.

Season 2 comes just under two years after the premiere of the first installment, which prompted a bit of a time jump to accommodate the aging of the younger cast, as well usher in a more compelling storyline, creator, showrunner and director Reggie Rock Bythewood said during Apple TV+’s Television Critics Association panel.

During its presentation at the Television Critics Association’s winter 2023 press tour, Apple TV+ revealed a trailer for comedy series “Shrinking” starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford, which premieres on Jan. 27.

The series follows Jimmy (Segel), a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives, including his own. Ford plays Jimmy’s boss, who runs the therapy practice. Also starring are Christa Miller, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie and Lukita Maxwell.

Segel, Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein co-created “Shrinking,” which is produced by Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence is under an overall deal, and Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Executive producers include Lawrence, Segel, Goldstein, Neil Goldman, director James Ponsoldt, Randall Winston, Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer.

See the trailer below.

Apple also revealed a first look at Season 2 of “Swagger.

Vinessa Shaw has signed on to join Apple TV+’s “Swagger” for Season 2, Variety has learned.

Inspired by NBA champion Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid, the sports drama takes viewers deep inside in the world of elite youth basketball clubs and follows the lives of the players, their families and coaches and “the game within the game.” Outside of the gym, the show offers a glimpse into what it’s like to grow up in America. The series is created by Reggie Rock Bythewood.

Shaw joins the series playing Diane, the Chairwoman of the Cedar Cove Prep School Board and also the mother of one of the school’s basketball players who is very invested in her son’s performance on the court.

O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Rivera...

Exclusive: Apple is solidifying the cast for Season 2 of its sports drama Swagger. Orlando Jones (Winning Time) and Shannon Brown (Setup) have joined as new series regulars, and Christina Jackson and Sean Anthony Baker, who recurred in Season 1, have been promoted to regulars.

Created by Reggie Rock Bythewood, Swagger is inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid. It explores the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches and “the game within the game.” Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America. Stars O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Rivera are reprising their roles for the second season.

Jones will play Emory Price, the athletic director at a nearby prep school. Brown will play Cj Ryder, an elite high school basketball player.

Exclusive: Universal Pictures has rounded out the musician-heavy cast for its film Praise This, starring Grown-ish‘s Chloe Bailey, with Anjelika Washington, Quavo, Druski, Koryn Hawthorne, Tristan Mack Wilds and Jekalyn Carr among those signing on for roles. Other new cast members include newcomers Kiara Iman Heffner and Ilario Grant, Birgundi Baker, Loren Lott, Crystal Renee Hayslett, Cocoa Brown, Vanessa Fraction and Kountry Wayne.

Praise This is a music-competition feature comedy set in the world of youth choirs, announced earlier this year as one of three Universal films coming to Peacock in 2023. Tina Gordon (Little) is directing, having penned the latest draft of the script, which was based off an original idea by The Story Company. Earlier drafts were written by Camilla Blackett and Brandon Broussard, Hudson Obayuwana and Jana Savage—the trio otherwise known as Murder Ink.

The film falls under Will Packer Productions’ first-look deal with Universal,...

Swagger is returning to Apple TV+ for a second season. The streaming service has renewed the basketball drama which stars O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, and Tristan Mack Wilds. The series explores the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families, and coaches -- both on and off the court.

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Swagger, the sports drama inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid, is returning for a second season.

The series has been picked up by Apple TV+ after premiering in October.

The news was unveiled on the Instagram account of Durant’s investment firm Thirty-Five Ventures, as you’d expect.

Cancellations/Renewals Scorecard: TV Shows Ended Or Continuing In 2021-22 Season

Swagger explores the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches. It stars O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Riveram who are all set to return for the second season. The series is produced by Boardroom, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema, and executive produced by Bythewood, Durant, Brian Grazer, and Rich Kleiman. Francie Calfo, Tony Hernandez, Kristen Zolner and Joy Kecken also serve as executive producers.

“Swagger” has been renewed for Season 2 at Apple.

The first season debuted on Apple back in October 2021. O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Rivera are all set to return for the second season.

“I’m excited to share more of the beautifully complicated lives of these incredible characters,” said creator, showrunner, director and executive producer Reggie Rock Bythewood. “In season two, they will search and discover what it means to be a champion on and off the court, and the basketball playing will continue to be groundbreaking. We are grateful to Apple TV+ for the platform.”

“Swagger” is inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experience in the world of youth basketball. The show delves into the elite world of youth basketball clubs from the perspective of players, coaches, and their families.

With the recent Broadway cancellations and Omicron knocking New York City for a holiday loop, it’s easy to forget that Broadway’s fall season was, artistically speaking, stellar, with a slate of excellent new shows opening, some fine holdovers from pre-shutdown days returning and significant strides made in the representation of Black theater artists.

So as a reminder of better times, and with hope for a post-Omicron return to full vigor, here’s my list of the 10 Best New Broadway Shows of 2021.

The Lehman Trilogy Sam Mendes’ production of the Stefano Masinni play, adapted by Ben Power, is an astonishing amalgam of history and stage magic, chronicling the true and unlikely tale of how a trio of immigrant brothers became a founding force in the American economy and an integral part of our national story. The entire cast – Simon Russell Beale, Adrian Lester and Adam Godley – was superb, but...

The lineup of performers for the Soul Train Awards telecast Thanksgiving weekend is coming into place, with a slate that will include recent chart mainstays like Silk Sonic, Ari Lennox, Leon Bridges and Lucky Daye as well as two artists getting lifetime achievement awards at the ceremony, Maxwell and Ashanti.

The show will also feature a freestyling event, the annual “Soul Cypher” jam, that this year will include D-Nice, Musiq Soulchild, Jac Ross, Koryn Hawthorne, Elle Varner and Tone Stith. The freestyling will take off from the late Aaliyah’s 20-year-old hit “Rock the Boat.” Former show host Erykah Badu started the Soul Cypher tradition.

The show airs on BET Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt and will be broadcast for the first time from New York’s world-famous Apollo Theatre. Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold have been previously announced as returning as co-hosts.

Newly announced as presenters are top...

Apple TV+ subscribers will be getting an inside look at the world of youth basketball via “Swagger,” the streaming service’s upcoming drama inspired by NBA star’s Kevin Durant’s childhood. Apple unveiled the trailer for the 10-episode series, which debuts Friday, October 29, on Thursday.

The series, which hails from creator and showrunner Reggie Rock Bythewood, will dramatize an aspiring NBA player’s experiences, as well as the families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. The series is led by an ensemble cast of stars including O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe, Tessa Ferrer, Tristan Mack Wilds, and Jason Rivera.

Per Apple, Jackson stars as Ike, a former star player who’s now a youth basketball coach; Hill plays Jace Carson, a basketball phenomenon who is one of the...

NBA superstar Kevin Durant‘s experiences in the world of youth basketball are the basis for the new Apple TV+ drama Swagger.

Premiering Friday, Oct. 29 with its first three episodes, the 10-episode series focuses on the “the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption,” according to the official logline. Off the court, meanwhile, the series aims to explore “what it’s like to grow up in America.” (Subsequent episodes will unspool weekly, through Dec. 17.)

More from TVLineJason Segel Comedy Shrinking Ordered at Apple TV+; Ted Lasso's Bill Lawrence and...

Apple TV Plus debuted a trailer for “Swagger,” the upcoming drama series inspired by the life and childhood of NBA player Kevin Durant premiering with three episodes on Oct. 29. The following seven episodes will debut weekly on Fridays.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. stars as Ike, a former star player who’s become a youth basketball coach. In the series, his focus is dedicated to Jace Carson (Isaiah Hill), a 14-year-old who is one of the top ranked youth players in the nation. The cast also includes Shinelle Azoroh as Jace’s mother Jenna, Quvenzhané Wallis as another top player named Crystal, Caleel Harris as team point guard Musa, James Bingham as a player from a more affluent neighborhood, Solomon Irama as rival team enforcer Phil Marskby, Ozie Nzeribe as a less talented but more wealthy player named Royale, Tessa Ferrer as a rival coach, Tristan Mack Wilds as a shoe company...

This Broadway season, as stop and start as it has been, has been blessed with some truly stellar moments – and spotted with blessedly fewer disappointments. The vibrant Pass Over was an ideal curtain raiser for an industry waking up. Lackawanna Blues felt like a tonic, and Is This A Room is as wrenching a work of art as any with roots in the Trump era to date.

And as worthy of applause as those productions were and are, all feel a bit like preamble to Keenan Scott II’s remarkable Thoughts of a Colored Man opens, the first fully realized reflection of the shutdown era. A play of immense compassion and keen insight, with a vise-grip on the dreams and disappointments of its characters, Thoughts of a Colored Man is a paean to life as both survival and celebration, a tribute and exploration of the Black men who find beauty,...

Thoughts of a Colored Man, the new Broadway play by Keenan Scott II and directed by Steve Broadnax III, is moving up its official Broadway opening by more than two weeks, with the new opening date now on Wednesday, October 13.

The play at Broadway’s Golden Theatre had previously been set to open Oct. 31. No reason was giving for the date change, but such moves have been relatively commonplace this fall season as numerous Broadway productions juggle their openings and re-openings following the industry’s recent return from the Covid pandemic shutdown.

Thoughts of a Colored Man features an ensemble cast including Dyllón Burnside (Pose), Bryan Terrell Clark (Hamilton), Da’Vinchi (Starz’s upcoming Black Mafia Family), Luke James (The Chi), Forrest McClendon (The Scottsboro Boys), Tristan Mack Wilds (The Wire) and Esau Pritchett (Prodigal Son). The play is produced by Brian Moreland, Ron Simons, Diana Dimenna, Kandi Burruss, Sheryl Lee Ralph,...

Exclusive: Apple TV+ has rounded out the ensemble cast for Swagger, its new basketball-themed drama series from NBA superstar Kevin Durant and Imagine’s Brian Grazer. Joining leads O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Oscar-nominated Quvenzhané Wallis are series regulars Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Tristan Mack Wilds, Caleel Harris (When they See Us), Tessa Ferrer, Jason Rivera, Solomon Irama (Supergirl), Ozie Nzeribe (Shameless) and James Bingham. The series hails from Durant and his Thirty Five Ventures, Shots Fired co-creator Reggie Rock Bythewood, Imagine Television Studios and CBS Studios.

Written and directed by Bythewood, who also serves as showrunner, Swagger is inspired by Durant’s youth basketball experiences. It explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption.