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Fox Sets Summer Premiere Dates for ‘Wayward Pines,’ Others
38 minutes ago
Fox has set its summer premiere dates for a slate that includes the global premiere of M. Night Shyamalan’s event series “Wayward Pines,” the return of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” and also announced spring finale dates for current series.
As previously announced, “Wayward Pines” kicks off Fox’s summer on May 14, the final Thursday of the television season, as the psychological thriller opens globally in more than 125 countries simultaneously. The network is working alongside Fox International Channels for what it says will be the world’s largest day-and-date launch ever for a scripted series.
“MasterChef” cooks up its sixth season on Wed., May 20 with a two-hour premiere, and will begin airing in its regular 8-9 p.m. timeslot one week later. This season, chefs Gordon Ramsay and Graham Elliot welcome judge Christina Tosi, the renowned pastry chef, owner and founder of New York City’s Milk Bar. »
- Rick Kissell
Steven Weber to Star in CBS Comedy ‘Joe Time’
40 minutes ago
“Wings” alum Steven Weber has been cast as the title character in the CBS comedy pilot “Joe Time.”
Weber will star as Joe, a family man who’s put aside his own desires so that his loved ones can follow their own bliss — but he struggles with the fact that everyone around him is pursuing their dreams and enjoying their lives more than he is.
Also cast are Duane Martin and Eric Peterson. Martin will play Theodore, Joe’s successful music producer neighbor, and Peterson will play Scott, Joe’s gay brother who works with him in the family construction business.
The multi-camera project comes from exec producer/writer Bill Wrubel and will be directed by sitcom vet James Burrows. Warner Bros. Television will produce.
Weber most recently appeared in a major role on ABC Family’s “Chasing Life,” and had guest gigs on “How To Get Away With Murder, »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Mad Men Dining Week Lets New Yorkers Dine Like Don Draper
1 hour ago
In anticipation of the final seven episodes of “Mad Men,” AMC announced on Monday that more than 30 New York restaurants will participate in Mad Men Dining Week from March 23 to 29.
Fitting with the timeline of the show, the lunchtime menus will cost $19.69 (excluding gratuities and taxes). Diners can choose from a two-course set menu (an appetizer and entrée or entrée and dessert), or two drinks, all of which were inspired by popular food and drink from the 1960s.
“The men and women of Madison Avenue inspired [show creator] Matthew Weiner’s story, and we couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate than by eating, drinking and raising a glass together in their honor,” said AMC president Charlie Collier.
The event is a partnership between AMC and NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization. The list of restaurants includes 1960s mainstays ’21’ Club, Barbetta, Brasserie, Delmonico’s, El Parador Café, »
- Seth Kelley
Sam Simon Remembered for Career, Philanthropic Achievements
1 hour ago
Sam Simon, who died Sunday of colorectal cancer, will not just be remembered for his work on “The Simpsons,” “Taxi” and other memorable TV shows. He was also an active philanthropist, including creating the dog-focused nonprofit the Sam Simon Foundation and serving as honorary director of PETA.
Here, Variety has gathered tributes that have highlighted both his personal and professional endeavors.
“The Simpsons” creator-executive producer Matt Groening:
“We will miss Sam’s phenomenal talents, sharp intelligence, and sly sense of humor. He is gone from our industry too soon.”
“The Simpsons” executive producer James L. Brooks:
“He was truly one of the great ones. He found so much outside the work to give him pleasure and left so much behind for others.”
“The Simpsons” executive producer-showrunner Al Jean:
“He was a genius and a great humanitarian in ways public and private. I personally owe him more than can be repaid, »
- Variety Staff
‘Ash vs Evil Dead': Lucy Lawless Reunites with Bruce Campbell on Starz
2 hours ago
“Spartacus” alum Lucy Lawless is returning to Starz for a role on “Ash vs Evil Dead,” the “Evil Dead” spinoff series which stars her “Xena: Warrior Princess” costar Bruce Campbell.
Lawless will play Ruby, a mysterious figure who is myopic in her quest to hunt down the source of the recent Evil outbreaks. The only problem: she believes that Ash (Campbell) is the cause of it all. Lawless’ casting also reunites her with executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, with whom she worked on “Xena” and “Spartacus,” as well as their feature films including Raimi’s “Spider-Man” and Tapert’s “Boogeyman.”
Lawless joins previously announced cast members Ray Santiago (Pablo Simon Bolivar), Dana DeLorenzo (Kelly Maxwell) and Jill Marie Jones (Amanda Fisher).
The series will consist of 10 half-hour episodes. Bruce Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has »
- Laura Prudom
USA Gives Pilot Commitment to Sniper Drama Based on Mark Wahlberg Movie
2 hours ago
USA has given a pilot commitment to a one-hour scripted drama based on author Stephen Hunter’s 1993 novel “Point of Impact” and “Shooter,” the book’s 2007 film adaptation that starred Mark Wahlberg.
Penned by “The Shield’s” John Hlavin, the project uses the same name as the Wahlberg film and centers on an expert marksman living in exile who is coaxed back into action when he learns of a plot to kill the president. He is ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, causing him to go on the run to track the real killer and find out who set him up and why.
“‘Shooter’ takes a fascinating look at a realistic conspiracy and an American hero who emerges from it. The script is topical and suspenseful,” said Jackie de Crinis, USA Network exec VP of original programming. “Audiences have embraced the book series and feature film, and now we »
- Whitney Friedlander
Don Johnson Set to Exec Produce and Star in ABC’s ‘Boom’ Pilot
2 hours ago
Don Johnson has locked down the lead role in ABC’s pilot “Boom,” Variety has learned. He is also set to exec produce the drama.
The drama centers on the biggest oil discovery in American history, which has triggered a geopolitical shift and an economic boom in North Dakota — the greatest since the American Gold Rush in 1849. Set in a modern-day “Wild West,” the potential series tracks the pilgrimage of a young, ambitious couple, seeking a better life, to the oil fields of the Bakken, where they come across roughnecks, grifters, oil barons, criminals and fellow prospectors.
Johnson will play Hap, the smart, tough, patriarchal figure of an oil town in North Dakota.
Scott Michael Foster (“Chasing Life,” “Once Upon a Time”), Rebecca Rittenhouse (“Red Band Society”) and India De Beaufort (“Chicago P.D.,” “Jane by Design”) will co-star.
The project hails from ABC Signature Studios and writers Rodes Fishburne and Josh Pate, »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Watch: Daenerys Has Big Plans for Westeros in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 5 Trailer
3 hours ago
The new trailer for season five of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” contains all the dragon fire, throat-slitting and steamy sensuality that keeps fans coming back year after year.
All of Westeros’ major players show up in the action-packed trailer, with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) explaining that each of the families vying for power is just a spoke on a wheel, with the top family in constant rotation. “I’m not going to stop the wheel, I’m going to break the wheel,” she declares.
The two-minute clip forecasts a bloody fifth season based on George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels “A Feast for Crows” and “A Dance with Dragons.” Martin recently warned fans that they may be in for a shock if they expect the television series to be identical to the book, per the Independent.
“People are going to die who don’t die in the books, »
- Marianne Zumberge
Mark Pellegrino and Carlton Cuse on ‘Lost,’ ‘The Returned’ and Yes, That Finale
3 hours ago
A&E’s “The Returned” marks a reunion for executive producer Carlton Cuse and star Mark Pellegrino, who last worked together on the final season of “Lost.”
Variety asked them about their memories of the show that redefined network TV.
Carlton, why did you want to work with Mark again?
Cuse: I love so many of the actors who were in “Lost.” I thought a lot of them were really great and they didn’t get the chance to show everything they could show in the course of that show. Mark played a very stoic, mythological figure on “Lost.” In “The Returned,” he plays a very flawed, human guy. He gets to do stuff he couldn’t do playing Jacob on “Lost.”
Mark, what is it like working with Carlton?
Pellegrino: Carlton is like a kid, a super-intelligent kid who is always learning all the time. When you see someone »
- Debra Birnbaum
‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoff Lands Two-Season Order at AMC
4 hours ago
“The Walking Dead” companion series has landed a two-season order at AMC, the cabler announced Monday.
The spinoff, which will be set in Los Angeles and will feature new characters and storylines, will debut this summer.
The first season has been given a six-episode order. The second season is slated for 2016.
Cliff Curtis, Kim Dickens, Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam Carey will star in the series, which is exec produced by “Twd” team Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero and David Alpert. Dave Erickson, who co-created and co-wrote the pilot with Kirkman, will also exec produce and serve as showrunner. AMC Studios will produce.
“We take incredibly seriously the notion of building a satisfying companion series to the number one show on television,” said Charlie Collier, AMC president. “From the beginning of ‘The Walking Dead’ on AMC, we’ve been asked questions about what was going on in other parts of the zombie apocalypse, »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Sam Simon, Co-Creator of ‘The Simpsons,’ Dies at 59
4 hours ago
Nine-time Emmy winner Sam Simon, who wrote episodes of “Taxi,” “Cheers” and “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” before co-creating landmark animated series “The Simpsons” and eventually becoming a philanthropist, died Sunday of colorectal cancer at his home in Los Angeles, his reps confirmed. He was 59 and was diagnosed with terminal cancer in late 2012.
“Simpsons” showrunner Al Jean also confirmed the news with a tweet on Monday.
Simon shared seven Emmy Awards for “The Simpsons” and two for his work on “The Tracey Ullman Show.”
In 1989 he developed “The Simpsons” with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, and he subsequently co-wrote nearly a dozen “Simpsons” episodes during his tenure on the animated comedy, also serving as co-showrunner, character designer, creative consultant, creative supervisor, developer, and writer. He left the show in 1993 while retaining an exec producer title.
The animated sitcom, he said, gave him more freedom than live action. “You »
- Carmel Dagan
‘Scandal’ Cast Talks Secrets, Early Days and Upcoming Plotlines at PaleyFest
5 hours ago
The inner workings of Olivia Pope and Associates and “Scandal” may be kept tight under wraps by Shonda Rhimes, but the cast didn’t let that keep them from spilling some info at the annual PaleyFest at the Dolby Theater Sunday night, where they talked about what makes “Scandal” fun yet poignant, and still managed to tease a couple of upcoming stories.
The panel was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who didn’t hold back from asking the hard-hitting questions.
“Are any of you on Twitter?” he asked, rousing a roar of laughter from the audience and the social media savvy cast, who are known for taking over Twitter on Thursday nights when the show airs.
The cast also reminisced with the host over their first memories from the show’s early days.
“During the pilot we were all trying to figure out what ‘Scandal’ is and our characters, and there »
- Shelli Weinstein
Discovery Communications, Liberty Global Buy Stake in Formula E
5 hours ago
Discovery Communications and Liberty Global are revving up for the motor sport scene, announcing that they will become part of the group of shareholders in Formula E Holdings Ltd, which oversees the fully electric car Formula E racing series.
“It is a significant step forward for Formula E to receive the backing of two major global media companies when we are barely halfway through our first season,” said Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag. “The experience and know-how they bring will provide a significant boost to Formula E. We look forward to creating new opportunities together to develop and promote premium content for a global audience.”
Niall Curran, president of Liberty Global’s media investments group, said the investment was a perfect fit for his company because “like Formula E, our business is closely connected to sustainability, speed and entertainment, so this is a great match. We are delighted to be »
- Whitney Friedlander
Gale Anne Hurd Launches Kickstarter Campaign for ‘Mankiller’ Documentary
5 hours ago
Gale Anne Hurd wants to make a movie about Wilma Mankiller — and she wants the public to help.
“The Walking Dead” exec producer is teaming up with director and producer Valerie Red-Horse to produce a documentary, “Mankiller,” celebrating the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.
The documentary will be partially funded via Kickstarter.
“As producers, we have the skills necessary to develop the project from conception to screen,” Hurd said. “However, we come to Kickstarter not only as producers, but as people who love Wilma’s story and want it to be told as authentically and passionately as possible.”
She added, “If the financiers share your passion for the project and are dedicated to the same singular vision, this ensures the final film will retain its sense of honesty and artistic integrity. That’s why we have come to Kickstarter, to find the community of people who will fall »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
HBO Europe to Remake Conspiracy Thriller ‘Mammon’
6 hours ago
London — HBO Europe, which operates cable services across Central Europe and in the Netherlands, will produce a Czech remake of the Norwegian conspiracy thriller “Mammon.” It also has acquired Polish remake rights to the six-part miniseries.
The drama centers on a journalist who gets hold of evidence of a financial fraud that implicates his own brother. A search for the truth involves the media, political and financial elites.
“Mammon,” which first aired on Norwegian broadcaster Nrk, was created by brothers Gjermund and Vegard Stenberg Eriksen. Vladimir Michalek, whose credits include “Autumn Spring,” is helming the Czech version.
Drg handles the licensing of the scripted format rights to the show; 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment picked up U.S. remake rights in 2013. Beta Film has sold the finished show to multiple countries, including the U.K., Australia and Germany.
»
- Leo Barraclough
‘The Returned': Mark Pellegrino and EPs on Dispelling the Ghosts of the French Original
6 hours ago
How would you react if a loved one who died suddenly reappeared? That’s the central mystery behind A&E’s “The Returned,” a supernatural thriller debuting March 9, exec produced by Carlton Cuse and Raelle Tucker. It’s a remake of the French version “Les Revenants,” which debuted in 2013 on SundanceTV.
“I felt like the French show was really great,” says Cuse. “There wasn’t any reason to change the stuff what was working. To me, the model was the British and the American ‘Office.’ They both started in the same place, but they quickly became their own thing.”
Plus, he adds, “We definitely smoke a lot less cigarettes in the American version.”
Here, star Mark Pellegrino and executive producer Tucker offer more insight into the remake:
What drew you to the show?
Pellegrino: Carlton asked me if I would read for the part, which piqued my interest immediately. I »
- Debra Birnbaum
Viacom Sees Cost Savings of $250M After Wrapping Restructuring by End of March
6 hours ago
Viacom expects to complete most of its restructuring efforts by the end of March, the entertainment company’s chief executive said at an investor conference Monday, and should be able to save around $250 million as a result.
Speaking at an event organized by Deutsche Bank, Viacom chief executive Philippe Dauman said the company, which operates MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, was reorganizing and would retire certain kinds of programming that were less effective as more content its networks might show turns up on subscription-video-on-demand services.
Some older programming “just doesn’t work anymore, especially when you have off-broadcast programming that is on Svod,” Dauman said. “We are going to abandon some of that programming as we go forward, and continue to invest in what works, and that will help us grow”
Dauman’s remarks come as Viacom has worked to reorganize its TV networks as they grapple with ratings shortfalls. »
- Brian Steinberg
Michael Kenneth Williams Cast as Lead in Two Cable Series
7 hours ago
It’s a big day for Michael Kenneth Williams.
“The Wire” and “Boardwalk Empire” star has been cast as a lead in Sundance TV’s “Hap and Leonard,” plus IFC’s “The Spoils Before Dying,” alongside Will Ferrell, both cablers announced Monday.
In “Hap and Leonard,” an original series from Sundance TV that tells the story of an unexpected friendship between an unlikely duo, Williams will co-star as Leonard Pine.
Williams’ character, Leonard, is an openly gay black Vietnam war vet who struggles with anger issues, and was raised by his homophobic uncle, causing him to lean on Hap — a white, working-class laborer — for support in the non-progressive rural South of the 1980s. Hap (who has yet to be cast) spent time in prison for refusing to be drafted and serve in the Vietnam War. Now in his 30s, he works on a plantation picking roses with little financial means, »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Ratings: Fox’s ‘Last Man on Earth’ Drops From Big Bow; ABC’s ‘Secrets’ Holds Up
7 hours ago
Fox’s high-concept comedy “Last Man on Earth” lost a chunk of its impressive premiere-night young-adult audience Sunday but still performed pretty well in its second week, while ABC’s “Secrets and Lies” retained nearly all of its opening score and CBS’ “Battle Creek” dipped from its already low-rated premiere.
As usual, the start of Daylight Saving Time affected the night’s numbers, especially for shows earlier in the evening. According to Nielsen, primetime TV usage among adults 18-49 was down 7% week-to-week, with the 7 o’clock hour seeing a 14% decline and the 8 p.m. hour down 10%.
ABC and Fox ended up tied for last night’s broadcast lead in 18-49 while CBS dominated in total viewers.
According to preliminary national estimates from Nielsen, “Last Man on Earth” averaged a 1.8 rating/5 share in adults 18-49 and 4.3 million viewers overall in the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, down 25% (0.6) in 18-49 from its week-earlier »
- Rick Kissell
‘Bates Motel': Freddie Highmore and Kerry Ehrin Talk ‘Delicious’ Season 3
7 hours ago
It’s just a simple love story — of a boy who’s in love with his mother. “Bates Motel” returns for its third, oh-so-twisted season on A&E on March 9.
“This is the best season yet,” promises star Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates) who, along with executive producer Kerry Ehrin, talked to Variety about the violent twists ahead, their writing partnership and the possibility of Highmore taking a seat in the writers’ room.
How would you describe this season?
Ehrin: It feels like convergence and pressure.
Highmore: Internal and isolated, especially from Norman’s point of view. He becomes the manager (of the motel). He starts home-schooling. The people that he’s interacting with become fewer and fewer and he goes into himself. He’s more removed from everything but himself and the voices he hears.
You’ve said this is the best season yet. How so?
Highmore: You see the »
- Debra Birnbaum
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