News

NBC has given out a pilot order to the single-cam project “Stumble.”

The show is described as “A mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes competitive world of junior college cheer.” The project was originally set up with a put pilot commitment at NBC in late 2024.

Jeff Astrof and Liz Astrof are writing and executive producing the pilot. Dana Honor is executive producing via Defining Eve Productions, with cheerleading coach Monica Aldama also executive producing. Universal Television is the studio.

Both Jeff and Liz Astrof, who are brother and sister, are veteran comedy writers and producers, but this marks the first time they have teamed up to create a series.

Jeff recently created the Starz series “Shining Vale” and previously co-created the NBC mockumentary series “Trial & Error.” His other credits include “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Grounded for Life,” and “Friends.”

Liz recently worked on the ABC comedy “Not Dead Yet...

Patrick Renna, a longtime actor with credits across film and television, is teaming with actor Kyle Howard and actress/marketing executive Lynsey Bartilson Moore to launch a production banner that has a slate of scripted and unscripted projects in the works.

The banner, titled Hambino Media, nods to Renna’s breakout role in 1993’s sports comedy The Sandlot.

Among the planned non-fiction projects is an untitled series in development with the MLB, an untitled series with Golf Digest as well as two untitled projects with Blind Nil, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ production company.

Renna, Howard and Moore are also developing a half-hour comedy series set in the world of fan conventions titled The Big Con, with Ethan Sandler and Adrian Wenner writing and Victor Nelli to direct. The Hambino Media team is also working on developing a feature treatment of World of Hurt, based on the fiction of horror novelist Thomas Tessier,...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation with multiple bidders, NBC has landed single-camera comedy Stumble with a put pilot commitment. It is written by Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof, each a comedy showrunner in their own right teaming up for the first time to create a series together.

Stumble is a mockumentary about the ridiculously high stakes and competitive world of junior college cheer.

Cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, known for her appearance on the Netflix docuseries Cheer, is executive producing the comedy, which is expected to feature a female coach character. Liz Astrof and Jeff Astrof also executive produce alongside producer Dana Honor through her Defining Eve Productions.

With the pitch landing at NBC, Stumble will be produced by sibling Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The Astrof siblings have worked together, with Liz serving as a consulting producer on two series co-created/executive produced by Jeff, NBC’s...

That ’90s Show is one of the only spin-off comedy series that is actually good. Created by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Lindsey Turner, and Gregg Mettler, the Netflix series serves as a sequel show to the popular period teen comedy series That ’70s Show. It is set in the 90s and it follows the story of Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti as she visits her grandparents in Point Place, Wisconsin, and makes a group of friends there. That ’90s Show stars Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Reyn Doi, Sam Morelos, Maxwell Acee Donovan, and Laura Prepon. So, if you loved the 90s vibes, classic Red and Kitty Forman energy, and heartfelt friends moments in That ’90s Show here are some similar shows you should check out next.

That ’70s Show (Peacock & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Fox

That ’70 Show...

A new Hallmark movie is coming to television. The film is a Christmas movie based around the Kansas City Chiefs. With so many Chiefs players that fans might want to see in the movie, two names rise to the top — Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. However, some fans might do a double-take when they see who was cast.

The new Hallmark Christmas movie has cast Catrick Mahomes, and here is what you need to know.

Who Is Catrick Mahomes?

When Hallmark cast Catrick Mahomes in its new Christmas movie about the Kansas City Chiefs, many fans might have thought it was a misspelling. However, it is not misspelled at all. This is not Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. This is Catrick Mahomes. He is a cat.

Today’s Jenna Bush Hager | YouTube

Catrick Mahomes is a seven-year-old Bengal-Tabby mix, whose real name is Sly James the Cat. He even has an Instagram page.

The Native American Media Alliance has revealed the selections for its fifth annual Native American Showrunner Program. See the list below.

Sponsored by Comcast NBCUniversal, Cherokee Film and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Native American Showrunner Program is a multi-month intensive that offers mentorship from television showrunners and series creators to experienced Native American writers. The program has expanded to include Native American producers in unscripted as well.

Program fellows take part in several meetings with assigned showrunner mentors who offer guidance on furthering the fellows’ writing and producing careers and provide creative feedback on current projects. The program consists of weekly one-on-one mentoring to develop the writers’ and producers’ abilities, offer advice as it pertains to producing for television and provide overall insight into running a television series.

The Native American Showrunner Program is designed to propel experienced Native American writers to the highest levels of television writing and producing.

American TV bosses obviously didn’t learn many lessons from “Episodes,” the Showtime/BBC co-production which brilliantly skewered the habit of adapting British sitcoms, and removing all nuances, subtleties, and idiosyncrasies in the process. In the 13 years since its premiere, there’s been numerous failed pilots (“Spy”), ratings disasters (“Free Agents”), and entire series considered unfit for public consumption (“Us and Them”) which originated across the pond. Now the most singular UK comedy of the 2010s is going transatlantic.

The BAFTA-nominated “Friday Night Dinner” — which served up 37 episodes from 2011-2020 —stemmed from creator Robert Popper’s real-life secular Jewish family and their weekly Shabbat meals, explaining why everything from its suburban London home to its lovable oddballs feels so wonderfully specific. Disappointingly, Amazon Freevee’s “Dinner with the Parents” is as generic as its title.

The 10-part series on Freevee does attempt to retain some of the original’s quirks.

Office Space is celebrating its 25th anniversary following its delayed path to success, although hopefully no one would get their ass kicked for saying something like that.

Released Feb. 19, 1999, director Mike Judge’s enduring and endlessly quotable workplace satire follows computer programmer Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston), who decides to stop caring about his day job and teams up with Initech co-workers Michael Bolton (David Herman) and Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu) to defraud the company. The Fox comedy — featuring such on-the-rise performers as Jennifer Aniston, John C. McGinley, Gary Cole and Stephen Root — collected just $10 million at the time but became a cult favorite after finding a following through cable and home video.

Other standouts from the cast include Richard Riehle as engineer liaison Tom Smykowski, who defends his job (“I have people skills!”) to Paul Willson and McGinley as the two Bobs who are put in charge of layoffs. In...

Malin Akerman, known for her roles in romantic comedies, stars in The Christmas Classic, making her the perfect choice for the film. The film follows Elizabeth Bird as she navigates love, family, and an important decision during the holidays in a small town. The cast of the film, including Amy Smart and Ryan Hansen, have extensive experience in romantic comedies, and Akerman and Hansen make for a perfect combo.

Malin Akerman is back home for the holidays in the fist trailer for upcoming Christmas rom-com The Christmas Classic, coming to theaters on November 3rd by Quiver Distribution. The most wonderful time of the year is still a month or so away, but you know how it goes — just as Halloween fades into November, society puts down the bats and ghosts and start singing carols. It's the time when we collectively start watching some of the best Christmas movies like Home Alone...

Exclusive: Actress Arielle Kebbel, known for roles in The Vampire Diaries and John Tucker Must Die, has signed with Independent Artist Group.

Kebbel is perhaps most familiar to television audiences given her role on the aforementioned CW show, in which she played the charismatic and wise-beyond-her-300 years vampire, Lexi Branson. Previously, she’s held prominent roles on HBO’s Ballers opposite Dwayne Johnson, as well as the NBC series Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector and Midnight, Texas. The actress has also been seen on shows like UnREAL, Gilmore Girls, Grand Hotel, Life Unexpected, Grounded for Life, The League, The Grinder, and 90210, among others.

On the big screen, Kebbel has recently been seen in the final three installments of the popular After series of YA romantic dramas, based on the novels by Anna Todd: After We Fell, After Ever Happy, and After Everything. She also starred in Fifty...

The free streaming platform has made additions in key categories, including sports, kids and family and even Spanish-language channels.

The free streaming revolution is already well underway. A recent report from Samba TV found that one in three American streaming users are signed up for a free streaming service like The Roku Channel, and that number is sure to rise along with the costs of ad-free streaming.

Roku Channel has announced the addition of 17 new free streaming channels. Highlights include the Fox Sports channel, selections from NBCUniversal and PBS, and Spanish-language channels. The streamer has recently added an NFL content hub and other new features to encourage user engagement. Watch Now Tba roku.com What New Channels Are Available on The Roku Channel?

The 17 new additions announced by The Roku Channel this week span several genres, increasing the service’s reputation as being a one-stop source for free TV no matter what programming you enjoy.

Four simultaneous protests occurred in New York City on Friday, the first day of the SAG-AFTRA strike, with Writers Guild, IATSE, local Democratic Socialists of America members and more from other unions joining in on the picket lines and similar protests occurring in Los Angeles.

Amid beating, hot sun and spurts of rain, picketers rallied in front of the Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery Offices near Union Square, Amazon and HBO in Hudson Yards, Paramount in Times Square and NBCUniversal at 30 Rock.

Among the hundreds that walked the New York picket lines Friday were Ted Lasso’s Jason Sudeikis, Survival of the Thickest’s Peppermint and Sagan Chen, Numb3rs’ David Krumholtz, Grounded for Life’s Kevin Corrigan, Severance stars Zach Cherry and Jen Tullock, as well as Runaway’s actors Ariela Barer and Clarissa Thibeaux.

At Netflix/Wbd alone, picketers saw a brief, but early police presence as officers...

Herb Lazarus, the veteran TV distribution executive who spent nearly 70 years in the business, including the past 27 with Carsey-Werner, died Tuesday in Los Angeles, a spokesperson for the company announced. He was 88.

At Carsey-Werner Television Distribution, where he most recently served as international TV president, Lazarus put into place massive deals globally — many still in place today — for such hits as That ’70s Show, Roseanne, The Cosby Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun, A Different World, Cybill, Grace Under Fire and Grounded for Life.

“Herb was so warm and fun to be around, but when it came to getting business done, he was among the greats of the industry,” Carsey-Werner Television president and COO Robert Dubelko said in a statement. “Everyone here is extremely sad but can’t help but smile recounting his poker-playing face and the countless laughs it delivered to all of us.”

Added Alexandra Taylor, Carsey-Werner’s...

Herb Lazarus, who spent the past 27 years as international TV president for Carsey-Werner Television Distribution during his nearly 70-year career and is in the International TV Distribution Hall of Fame, died Tuesday. He was 88.

Carsey-Werner Television announced the news but did not give other details.

At Carsey-Werner, Lazarus put into place massive global deals for its comedies including The Cosby Show, Roseanne, That ‘70s Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, A Different World, Cybill, Grace Under Fire and Grounded for Life — – many of which remain in place today.

“He saw the lighter side of our business and always said that we were lucky it didn’t involve decisions of life and death,” said Alexandra Taylor, Carsey-Werner’s London-based EVP international. She recalled one incident at MIPCOM in which a Belgian buyer apologetically notified them at the last minute that he couldn’t make a planned lunch.

“Herb’s reaction was...

Peter Werner, the Oscar-winning director known for his television work that spanned five decades and included helming episodes of such popular series as Moonlighting, A Different World, Justified and Law & Order: Svu, has died. He was 76.

Werner died Tuesday morning in Wilmington, North Carolina, his younger brother, Tom Werner (producer on The Cosby Show, Roseanne, That ’70s Show, The Conners), told The Hollywood Reporter. “He had a torn aorta that the doctors weren’t able to repair. So sudden,” he wrote in an email.

As a student project while attending the American Film Institute, Peter Werner directed the 1976 short film In the Region of Ice, which was based on Joyce Carol Oates’ short story and starred Fionnula Flanagan. The project won the Oscar for live-action short film.

His career kicked off from there, with Werner helming a 1977 episode of Family. The ABC drama counted Mike Nichols and Aaron Spelling as executive producers.

Sex/Life is a Netflix series based on the book by Bb Easton. It stars Sarah Shahi, Mike Vogel and Adam Demos.

Sex/Life comes to us with the same pretensions as the first season: to warm up the audience’s mood with these handsome protagonists and their adventures full of desire, dreams and, of course, sex.

About the Series Sex/Life

The story of a woman who, fed up with a boring marriage, sees in her new lover new ways to explore and rediscover herself.

A series created from the production and from the intelligence of its author, Bb Easton, who has known how to read the market and give the public what they want, now in television format and just the day when spring begins.

You know, a whole awakening of the hormones for these dates so natural, full of life and with many new adventures for everyone, this time in the always frenetic New York,...

Mike Vogel is an American actor, director, and producer. He has appeared in a variety of films and television series, including The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), Cloverfield (2008), and Bates Motel (2013-2017). He has also directed several episodes of the hit show, Under the Dome.

Mike Vogel. Depostiphotos

Vogel began his acting career with roles on television shows such as Grounded for Life and That ’70s Show. After establishing himself as an actor, he starred in films like Blue Valentine (2010) and Open Graves (2009). His performances have consistently been praised by critics for their realism and depth. Additionally, Vogel’s work often involves complex characters who struggle to come to terms with their pasts or navigate intense situations.

In addition to acting, Vogel has taken on directing duties; he helmed several episodes of Under the Dome and two episodes of The Brave. As a producer, he executive...

George Lopez marked his return to the sitcom landscape on Nov. 4, 2022, with the first episode of Lopez vs. Lopez. The show centers around his character as he reconnects with his estranged daughter while the working-class duo makes ends meet.

There are similar shows to Lopez vs. Lopez that ranges from the working-class aspect like The Conners or the matter of generational and culture clashes such as My Wife and Kids. With Lopez vs. Lopez airing weekly, fans have ample to check out shows along the same lines to fully hype themselves for a new episode from NBC sitcom.

Grounded For Life (2001–05) Buy On Prime Video

Lopez vs. Lopez has the characters dealing with their Hispanic culture, which is an aspect that can be found in Grounded for Life. This sitcom has an Irish-American Catholic family, with the parents and children having differences over their backgrounds in humorous ways.

Also like Lopez vs.

Paul Schreiber has been upped to president of North America at Carsey-Werner Television, taking over all day-to-day distribution operations for the company, which houses a library that includes “That ’70s Show” and “3rd Rock from the Sun.” The news was announced on Tuesday by COO Bob Dubelko.

Schreiber replaces domestic distribution president Jim Kraus, spent 20 years leading Carsey-Werner’s distribution operation and who will now take a senior consultant role with the company. Kraus, whose 45-year career in TV syndication included a lengthy stint at McA-tv (then Universal’s syndication unit), first joined Carsey-Werner in 1999 as exec VP/general sales manager.

As for Schreiber, he’s also a Carsey-Werner longtimer, having first joined the company 26 years ago, back when Carsey-Werner was still active in first-run production. Carsey-Werner exited the active production realm in 2005 but kept a small staff going to continue handling its lucrative library. In recent years, Carsey-Werner has...

Carsey-Werner Television has tapped executive vice president Paul Schreiber to lead its day-to-day domestic distribution operations as president. The exec, who has steadily risen through the sales ranks of the company since his arrival 26 years ago, succeeds longtime North American president Jim Kraus, who will transition to occupy a senior adviser role, chief operations officer Bob Dubelko announced today.

Schreiber will lead all distribution and licensing efforts for the company’s portfolio featuring more than 2,000 half-hours of off-network scripted comedies. His responsibilities will include overseeing sales for basic cable, digital broadcasting and streaming for both the U.S. and Canada. Programming includes “That ‘70s Show,” “Roseanne,” “The Cosby Show,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Grace Under Fire,” “Grounded for Life” and “A Different World.”

Also Read:

Kenneth Branagh to Return for New Hercule Poirot Film ‘A Haunting in Venice’ With Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh to Star

Additionally, Schreiber...

Fans looking forward to Netflix’s Grendel series will be disappointed to learn that the adaptation of the Dark Horse Entertainment property is not moving forward. The Grendel series, led by Abubakr Ali, initially received an eight-episode order as a part of Netflix’s first look deal with the publisher. Thankfully, Grendel could have the chance to be sold to another platform. If another outlet picks up the show, Ali will be the first Arab Muslim male actor to portray a series lead in a comic book adaptation.

Resident Evil and Supernatural alum Andrew Dabb wrote the Grendel series in addition to serving as showrunner and executive producer. According to Deadline, Grendel follows Hunter Rose (Ali), a gifted fencer, writer, and assassin, seeking to avenge the death of a lost love. He goes to war with New York’s criminal underworld, only to realize…why beat them, when you can join them?...

It's been barely a year since the automatic doors came to a close on the NBC workplace sitcom "Superstore," but the show's influence continues to be felt today. Created by Justin Spitzer, "Superstore" follows the lives of the workers at Cloud 9, a Wal-Mart-esque big box store in St. Louis. For the most part, the sitcom centered on Amy (America Ferrera), a woman who never imagined she'd be a lifer when she started working there, and Jonah (Ben Feldman), a man who was hired in the pilot episode and saw the job as a way to keep...

The post Superstore's Dina Was Inspired By a Classic Danny DeVito Character appeared first on /Film.

Exclusive: Patrick John Flueger is set to return to the world of The 4400 as he takes on a guest star role on The CW’s revival of the sci-fi series.

Based on the original TV series created by Scott Peters and Renee Echevarria, 4400 hails from Riverdale co-executive producer Ariana Jackson, who wrote the pilot; Sunil Nayar; and Anna Fricke and Laura Terry of Pursued By a Bear.

In 4400, over the last century at least 4,400 people who were overlooked, undervalued, or otherwise marginalized vanished without a trace off the face of the planet. Last night, inexplicably, they were all returned in an instant to Detroit having not aged a day and with no memory of what happened to them. As the government races to understand the phenomenon, analyze the potential threat and contain the story, Jharrel (Joseph David-Jones), an empathetic social worker, and Keisha (Ireon Roach), a hardened community corrections officer,...

Exclusive: Kathryn Busby, EVP and head of TriStar Television, is leaving the Sony television label to become President of Original Programming at Starz. Reporting to Starz President and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch, Busby will lead the programming and development team, staying the course set by the premium network and global streaming platform several years ago with a programming mandate committed to narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences.

She succeeds Christina Davis, who left Starz in June.

“Kathryn is an incredible well-seasoned executive who has a long-running track record of developing series with unique voices,” said Hirsch. “We are excited to welcome her to the Starz team where I know she’ll be instrumental in furthering the company’s commitment to deliver programming for women and underrepresented audiences.”

Busby, who has 25 years of experience developing and producing content across multiple platforms, emerged as a frontrunner for the Original Programming...

The Staten Island vampires mourned a huge loss in the Season 3 finale of What We Do in the Shadows… but it led to a number of new beginnings.

The vamps are all sad following the demise of their roommate Colin Robinson last week. (“Vampires are no strangers to death. They deal with it every day with the people that they kill,” Guillermo says, but this is different.) They sit for a family portrait, as is tradition after a vampire death, joined by The Guide, Baron Afanas and The Sire — and painted by Donal Logue! (“I took up painting during Season 2 of Grounded for Life,...

The show that taught 1980s kids not to hide in an abandoned old refrigerator — or, at the very least, learn CPR in case one of your friends does sneak into one of those scary old latch iceboxes — will not continue with its revival. The updated “Punky Brewster,” which Peacock brought back as part of the streamer’s first-year lineup, will not be renewed for more episodes.

Peacock debuted all 10 episodes of the new “Punky Brewster,” featuring original star Soleil Moon Frye (who also served as an executive producer), on Feb. 25. The show reunited Frye as Punky with her old friend Cherie (Cherie Johnson), and updated her story to focus on Punky raising her three kids after separating from her husband (Freddie Prinze Jr.). A photographer like her foster dad Henry in the original series, Punky brings a foster child, Izzy (Quinn Copeland), into her home.

“Punky Brewster” is the third...

Exclusive: Writing/producing duo Bill Martin and Mike Schiff (The Unicorn) have signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation.

Martin and Schiff most recently created and executive produced comedy series The Unicorn, starring Walton Goggins, which aired for two seasons on CBS.

The duo began their television writing careers on In Living Color and soon were staffed on 3rd Rock From the Sun. They served as showrunners for three seasons on 3rd Rock before leaving to create their own series Grounded for Life on Fox. More recently, they reunited with John Lithgow as writers on the murder documentary spoof Trial & Error. Additional credits include Fam, Living Biblically, The Soul Man and Ground Floor.

Martin and Schiff continue to be repped by Michael Gendler and Kevin Kelly at Gendler & Kelly.

Peacock’s “Punky Brewster” revival is getting a little more power with the addition of “NYPD Blue” alum Sharon Lawrence, TheWrap has learned exclusively.

The streaming series is a continuation of the iconic ’80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, featuring Punky (played by original “Punky” star Soleil Moon Frye) as a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy (Quinn Copeland), a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.

Lawrence will guest star on Episodes 9 and 10 of Season 1 of the “Punky Brewster” revival, which launches Thursday on Peacock, playing Susan, a woman who helps Izzy find her lost dog at an ’80s themed block party that Punky organizes.

Readers can get their first look at the character via the image above.

Peacock’s “Punky Brewster” stars Frye as Punky,...

You can take Soleil Moon Frye out of Punky Brewster, but you can’t take Punky out of Frye, as actress said she and her character are nearly one in the same.

During Peacock’s leg of the TCA Winter Tour on Wednesday, Frye joined fellow cast members Quinn Copeland, Cherie Johnson, Laurien Lindsey Donzis and Freddie Prinze Jr. and executive producers Jim and Steve Armogida to tease the upcoming Peacock revival.

“Punky is such a part of me. I don’t know where she ends and I begin because we are so much the same,” Frye said during the panel.

The reboot sees Frye reprise her childhood role as the grown-up Punky Brewster, a single-mother of three trying to keep her life on track when she meets Izzy (Copeland), a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punk a lot of her younger self. The “continuation,” as Frye dubbed the series,...

Punky Brewster may be older and wiser, but she still refuses to wear matching shoes.

Peacock dropped the first trailer for its upcoming revival featuring Soleil Moon Frye’s ’80s-era sitcom star on Tuesday, which you can watch above. All 10 episodes of the new show will launch Thursday, Feb. 25 on the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service.

Per Peacock, “In this continuation of the iconic ’80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy, a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.”

Frye (Punky) and Cherie Johnson (Cherie) will reprise their original roles for the show. The new “Punky Brewster” also stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Quinn Copeland (Izzy), Noah Cottrell (Diego), Oliver De Los Santos (Daniel) and Lauren Lindsey Donzis (Hannah...

Every time I turn around…her spirit’s lifting me right off the ground! If you are familiar with the iconic and colorful ’80s TV series Punky Brewster, you might recognize those words from the theme song. We don’t know if the theme song will be the same, but what we do know is that Peacock’s revival of the series is set to drop all 10 episodes of the new Punky Brewster on February 25. In addition, the streamer released the first look of the cast which you can look at above.

In this continuation of the iconic 80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy, a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.

Soleil Moon Frye and...

Peacock has set the premiere date for its “Punky Brewster” revival and released a first-look image of the Soleil Moon Frye-led comedy.

All 10 episodes of the new show will launch Thursday, Feb. 25 on the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service.

Per Peacock, “In this continuation of the iconic ’80s sitcom about a bright young girl raised by a foster dad, Punky is now a single mother of three trying to get her life back on track when she meets Izzy, a young girl in the foster system who reminds Punky a lot of her younger self.”

Frye (Punky) and Cherie Johnson (Cherie) will reprise their original roles for the show. The new “Punky Brewster” also stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Quinn Copeland (Izzy), Noah Cottrell (Diego), Oliver De Los Santos (Daniel) and Lauren Lindsey Donzis (Hannah).

Peacock’s “Punky Brewster” revival is written and executive produced by Steve and Jim Armogida. Frye executive...

Indie Rights has announced the release of writer/director Scott Dunn’s sci-fi horror comedy, Mandao Returns, the sequel to Dunn’s spectral comedy, Mandao of the Dead. The third feature from Scott Dunn and producer Gina Gomez Dunn, Mandao Returns was successfully funded via Kickstarter in only 11 days and finished filming only two days before the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered film productions. Dunn was forced to tackle post-production remotely to finish the feature in time for a December debut.

Mandao Returns is headlined by Jenny Lorenzo, Jim O’Doherty, Sean Liang (American Horror Story: 1984), Scott Dunn, Sean McBride, Gina Gomez Dunn and Alexandre Chen.

Jay Mandao is not your average hero. He’s an astral projecting time traveler who spends his days hanging with his adult nephew Jackson, crashing on his scheming cousin Andy’s couch, and riding with his cabbie friend Fer. In the days leading up to Christmas, Jay...

Paul Schneider, Shantel VanSanten, Kevin Corrigan, and Moises Arias will round out the cast of “American Murderer.”

They join previously announced stars Tom Pelphrey, Ryan Phillippe, Idina Menzel and Jacki Weaver in the story of a charismatic con man turned party king who bankrolls his high living through a series of scams.

The film is written and will be directed by Matthew Gentile, and is based on the true story of Jason Derek Brown. When Brown’s funds run low, he plots an elaborate scheme, one that makes him one of the FBI’s top ten fugitives. Principal photography has started in Salt Lake City, following Utah state and SAG/AFTRA Covid-19 protocols.

Schneider currently stars on Amazon’s “Tales from the Loop,” and is best known for his roles on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” and Warner Bros.’ “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.” Other...

Clone High, the early-2000s era-defining cult-classic animated series, is about to have its story genome extracted and spliced into a new television series vector, with MTV now set for franchise revival plans.

MTV has announced the long-awaited return of Clone High, which will manifest as an all-new small-screen series that will “re-imagine” the 2002-2003 single season original series. Auspiciously, the revival will see the return of creators Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Bill Lawrence, who will develop alongside its appointed showrunner, Erica Rivinoja, who served as a writer on the original series. Thusly, Rivinoja will co-write the pilot with Lord and Miller.

As Chris McCarthy, President of ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth Group, expresses in a statement:

“We are thrilled to reunite with Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Bill Lawrence to re-imagine this cult classic as we rapidly grow our portfolio of beloved and iconic adult animation series.”

MTV’s...

Former TNT/TBS and Gemstone Studios exec Kathryn Busby has been named executive vice president of TriStar Television, a division of Sony Pictures Television.

“Whether at Spt’s networks or our boutique production label, Kathryn has had a strong track record of developing original series in an innovative way. Kathryn’s creativity and passion for the artist are infectious, and we are thrilled for her to bring her unique vision to TriStar,” said Sony Pictures TV Studios co-presidents Chris Parnell and Jason Clodfelter, to whom Busby will report.

Busby was most recently the senior vice president of development at Sony Pictures Television’s Gemstone Studios, a boutique production unit. There, she led development and production of Amazon’s Stana Katic-starrer “Absentia,” which is going into a third season and has been picked up by Axn in Spain, Portugal, Central Europe, Latin America and other territories. Before that, Busby served...

Sony television executive Kathryn Busby has been named Evp of TriStar Television. She will lead the TV label, reporting to Chris Parnell and Jason Clodfelter, co-presidents of Sony Pictures Television Studios.

Busby fills a void left by the October departure of TriStar head Hannah Minghella to become head of film of film of J.J. ABrams’ Bad Robot. For the last nine months of her 14-year Sony tenure, Minghella had a dual role as President of TriStar Pictures and TriStar Television, adding TriStar TV duties in January 2019.

At the time of her exit, TriStar Evp Nicole Brown was named as her replacement at the Sony label, supervising TriStar’s film operations, while Parnell and Clodfelter took over running TriStar TV until a replacement was found.

Most recently, Busby was Svp of Development at Spt’s boutique production unit for lower-cost TV series Gemstone Studios, headed by Marie Jacobson. At the unit,...

Louie Anderson may have found the purr-fect role.

Variety has learned exclusively that Anderson is set to star in and executive produce the multi-camera comedy “Tigsley” at Fox. The project has received a script commitment with a penalty attached. “Tigsley” is described as an adult comedy about a family dealing with life, love, the pursuit of happiness, and their obnoxious insult-hurling talking cat (Anderson). According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Anderson will appear onscreen in a cat costume rather than lending his voice to a CGI or puppet character.

Anderson and Mike Sikowitz developed the story for the series together, with Sikowitz serving as writer and executive producer. Anderson’s frequent collaborator Abraham Geisness will also executive produce. Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment will produce, with Sikowitz currently under an overall deal at Sony.

In addition to his work as a stand up comedian, Anderson recently...

In 2004, indie comedy powerhouse Carsey-Werner abandoned its efforts to sell the company after none of the three bidders was willing to pony up close to a billion dollars, which the company estimated its library was worth. A year later, amid rising vertical integration and a comedy downturn at the broadcast networks, Carsey-Werner shut down its production operations as the last of its big hits, Fox’s That ’70s Show, was winding down its eight-season run.

Carsey-Werner became a sales/distribution company, with Jim Kraus, President of Carsey-Werner TV Distribution, and his team, mining the company’s library for off-network sales in broadcast and cable syndication. That library includes over 2,000 episodes of hits on all of the Big 4 networks from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, including Roseanne and Grace Under Fire on ABC, The Cosby Show, A Different World and 3rd Rock From the Sun on NBC, Cybill and...

Adesuwa McCalla, the principal of literary management firm MetaMorphic Entertainment, has signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. Under the pact, McCalla will develop original series via MetaMorphic to be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

As principal of MetaMorphic, McCalla identifies under-the-radar fresh voices that reflect different worlds and perspectives. Her client roster includes critically praised film and TV writers and directors whose projects include the Oscar-nominated Hotel Rwanda, HBO’s Emmy-nominated The Tuskegee Airman as well as series Counterpart, 13 Reasons Why, Unsolved: The Murders of Notorious B.I.G & Tupac, Star Trek, How to Get Away With Murder, The Flash and Tell Me a Story.

She previously worked at the BBC, ITV, Nickelodeon and MTV in various roles and collaborated with prolific actor-writer-director Bill Duke to identify marketable fan-engaging series which led her to a programming role at The WB, where she shepherded series Angel, Smallville and Grounded for Life.

Adesuwa McCalla, the principal of literary management firm MetaMorphic Entertainment, has signed a first-look deal at Amazon.

Through MetaMorphic Entertainment, McCalla will develop original series to be available exclusively on the streaming platform.

“Since inception, Metamorphic Entertainment has been staunchly committed to developing fresh, inclusive talent,” said McCalla. “I can think of no better partner to further that mission than Amazon Studios. It is an overwhelming honor to join them as they embark on shaping the narrative of current cultural conversation. I am thrilled to continue working with emerging and established talent as they bring their underrepresented stories to life.”

Through MetaMorphic Entertainment, McCalla looks to identify new voices that reflect different worlds and perspectives. Her clients include film and TV writers and directors whose projects include films like “Hotel Rwanda” and “The Tuskegee Airmen,” as well as series such as “Counterpart,” “13 Reasons Why,” “Unsolved: The Murders of Notorious B.

The final episodes of the hit DC/Wbtv series lay the foundation for the city’s iconic future as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment gets set to release Gotham: The Complete Fifth and Final Season on Blu-ray and DVD for $29.98 / $24.98 Srp. Out on June 11, 2019, the new release includes DC Super-Villain-filled extras that explore the characters and world of the Dark Knight that fans have come to know and love.

Gotham: The Complete Series, which includes all five seasons of Gotham will also be available for fans to own June 11, 2019 on Blu-ray and DVD for $112.99 / 99.99 Srp.

The fifth and final season of Gotham wraps up the iconic series in an unforgettable event that focuses on Bruce Wayne’s ultimate transformation into the Caped Crusader, while Jim Gordon struggles to hold together a city on the edge of chaos. Following the epic events of season four, the Legend of the Dark Knight resumes...

Hulu and Marvel Television have partnered to produce four adult animated series, Variety has learned.

The shows will be based on the following Marvel characters: Howard the Duck, M.O.D.O.K, Hit-Monkey, and Tigra and Dazzler. Like the Marvel-Netflix “Defenders” shows before them, the four characters will then team up in the animated special “The Offenders.” Marvel’s head of TV, Jeph Loeb, will executive produce each project. Disney–which owns Marvel–will become a majority shareholder in Hulu once the Fox-Disney merger is completed.

“Howard the Duck” will be written and executive produced by Kevin Smith and Dave Willis. Smith is known for his Askewniverse films, including “Clerks,” “Mallrats,” and “Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.” Smith has also written for Marvel Comics in the past, writing for popular characters like Daredevil and Spider-Man. Willis previously co-created popular animated shows like “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and...

NBC is taking another pass at the multi-camera comedy “Friends-in-Law.”

The broadcaster has ordered a new pilot for the comedy series after passing on the pilot they ordered last season. In the series, Brian and Jake are polar opposites who must quickly figure out how to coexist when their respective best friends decide to get married.

Brian Gallivan is the writer and executive producer with Tom Werner also executive producing. Warner Bros. Television will produce. The original pilot starred James Davis, Devere Rogers, John Gemberling, and Nicole Parker, none of whom are currently attached to the new pilot.

Gallivan most recently wrote for the ABC series “Imaginary Mary” and “Splitting Up Together.” He previously created the CBS sitcom “The McCarthys.” Werner is an executive producer on the ABC revival of “Roseanne” (now “The Conners”), having served in the same role on the original series. His other executive producing credits include “That ’70s Show,...

In today’s film news roundup, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” leads the box office in China, “Bumblebee” spent $84 million in California and Katrina Begin gets a starring role in “The Secret.”

China Opening

Sony’s opening day of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” led the box office Friday in China with $6.6 million, topping three new local titles.

It was the top first day for a Hollywood animated film in 2018 in China, surpassing “The Incredibles 2” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet.” Projections are for a $26 million to $28 million for the weekend. As of Dec. 21, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” had taken in $48 million in North America and another $28.5 million internationally.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is Sony’s seventh pic about the webslinger. The six “Spider-Man” movies have collectively generated $4.9 billion worldwide. Last year’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” starring Tom Holland, hauled $880 million globally and a sequel will bow next year.

“Spider-Verse” features Shameik Moore voicing Miles Morales,...

Joseph Baxter Nov 22, 2019

NBC crime drama Lincoln Rhyme adapts The Bone Collector, the 1999 crime thriller based on the novel by Jeffery Deaver.

The Bone Collector is about to be collected by NBC. The Peacock Network is set to debut a serial television adaptation of the Jeffery Deaver crime novel-turned 1999 movie, which starred Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. However, the small screen adaptation will brandish the formal title, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector, after its main character.

NBC is bringing the murky murder mystery of The Bone Collector to television with a premium script – adapting Deaver’s original 1997 novel of the same name – by the duo of VJ Boyd and Mark Bianculli. The series – a production of Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television in association with Keshet Studios – will see the scribes joined by executive producers in Avi Nir, Alon Shtruzman, Peter Traugott, and Rachel Kaplan.

Serving as director...

Exclusive: Tasha Brown, whose career has included development exec stints at Chernin Entertainment, Chelsea Handler’s Borderline Amazing Productions and most recently as Svp Television at Craig Zadan and Neil Meron’s Storyline Entertainment, has joined Apa as a TV literary agent.

“Tasha is an accomplished development executive with extraordinary taste and an exemplary track record,” said Lee Dinstman, partner and Evp Television Literary at Apa. “Her experience in identifying and developing both writers and hyphenates is invaluable and we are thrilled to have her join our team as we continue to expand our ranks to meet the needs of our growing roster.”

Brown joined Borderline Amazing Productions as head of development in February 2012 after being VP Comedy Development at Chernin Entertainment, where she helped develop the company’s first hit series, Fox comedy New Girl.

She started as a writer on Fox’s Grounded for Life and ABC’s Married to the Kellys,...

A Dark Knight Emerges In Gotham While Familiar DC Super-villains Threaten The City’S Safety As Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Releases Gotham: The Complete Fourth Seasonon Blu-raytm And DVD August 21, 2018

Features all 22 Episodes of the Hit Fourth Season Plus Villain-Filled Bonus Content

Burbank, CA – The latest season of Gotham, the hit Fox drama, shows the first signs of the emergence of Gotham City’s iconic Super Hero along with other DC characters that fans have come to know today. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) is set to release Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season on August 21, 2018 featuring every episode that drew an average of 4.4 million Total Viewers weekly along with brand-new extras exploring the DC characters that fans have come to know, love and love to loathe. The set will be available on Blu-rayTM (including Digital Copy) and DVD for $44.98 / $49.99 Srp.

Horror fills the streets as season four of Gotham witnesses...

Burbank, CA – The latest season of Gotham, the hit Fox drama, shows the first signs of the emergence of Gotham City’s iconic Super Hero along with other DC characters that fans have come to know today. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) is set to release Gotham: The Complete Fourth Season on August 21, 2018 featuring every episode that drew an average of 4.4 million Total Viewers weekly along with brand-new extras exploring the DC characters that fans have come to know, love and love to loathe. The set will be available on Blu-rayTM (including Digital Copy) and DVD for $44.98 / $49.99 Srp.

Horror fills the streets as season four of Gotham witnesses the emergence of the criminal landscape for which Gotham City is best known while Bruce Wayne begins the path to vigilantism, showing signs of the caped crusader to come. Gotham City Police Department Captain Jim Gordon and Detective Harvey Bullock remain at...

Image Source: Netflix

After the booming success of season one of 13 Reasons Why, we weren't surprised when Netflix renewed the series. There are a bunch of new characters with their own unique stories coming to Liberty High and beyond this season - one being Mackenzie, Cyrus's sister who is artsy and not afraid to speak her mind. She's played by Chelsea Alden, who is no stranger to being in front of the camera.

Before filming 13 Reasons Why, Alden appeared in Grey's Anatomy, Veep, Jane the Virgin, and Speechless. She also had a recurring role on American Horror Story: Roanoke as a production assistant on the show within a show. Going back even further, the redhead appeared in iCarly and Grounded For Life.

Image Source: FX

You can expect to see more of the Southern California-born actress this year with the release of the film The Tale, starring Laura Dern.

See...