Hold onto your hats, TV Fanatics, because this will be a long ride to the finish.
There is so much news out of the TCA Winter Press Tour today that we can hardly keep up.
Here’s a roundup of some new and returning shows that you do not want to miss. What a way to start the weekend!
Starz announced today that their upcoming limited series, The Gloaming, will premiere on Sunday, March 21, across all available platforms.
When a woman is found brutally killed, the clues surrounding her death connect to murders both past and present. Political corruption and shady business dealings are soon entwined with sinister crimes and occult practices.
At the center of this web are two detectives, Molly McGee (played by Emma Booth, Once Upon a Time) and Alex O’Connell (played by Ewen Leslie, Top of the Lake), who share a tragic past.
In a harrowing journey to find the truth, their fate is coerced by the ghosts of the unsettled dead that linger in the liminal space between life and death — known as The Gloaming.
Additionally, the series stars Martin Henderson (Grey’s Anatomy) as Gareth McAvaney, Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road) as Inspector Lewis Grimshaw, Rena Owen (The Orville) as Grace Cochrane, Josephine Blazier (True History of the Kelley Gang) as Lily Broomhall, and Matt Testro (Nowhere Boys) as Freddie Hopkins.
Today, Amazon Prime Video released the official trailer for Robert Kirkman’s (The Walking Dead) upcoming, hour-long animated series Invincible, as part of Skybound Xpo: Creatorfest.
The first three episodes of season one will premiere Friday, March 26, with new episodes available each Friday following, culminating in an action-packed season finale on April 30.
From The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, and based on the Skybound/Image comic of the same name by Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, Invincible is an hour-long, adult animated superhero show.
It revolves around seventeen-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), who’s just like every other guy his age — except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.
Invincible will also star Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Seth Rogen (This is the End), Gillian Jacobs (Community), Andrew Rannells (Black Monday, Girls), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), Mark Hamill (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), and Walton Goggins (Justified).
Not to mention Jason Mantzoukas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Melise (The Flash), Kevin Michael Richardson (The Simpsons), Grey Griffin (Avengers Assemble), Khary Payton (The Walking Dead) and more.
Wow! That’s an incredible array of talent in one place.
Holly Madison’s book, Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny, is getting the television treatment in conjunction with Sony Studios.
While a network isn’t yet attached, Samara Weaving (Ready or Not) will star as Madison in the series.
THR reports that Australian writer Marieke Harduy will write the adaptation, while Will Gluck and Richard Schwartz will executive produce under their Olive Bridge Entertainment banner and Peace Out Productions’ Judith Verno and Madison herself.
Madison published the book in 2015 when it landed on the bestseller list.
Sony describes the series as a look beyond the Playboy brand’s polished facade to depict the visceral, often deeply damaging stories of the women who entered following a dream to find themselves manipulated, controlled, and abused by the machine.
Madison starred on her own reality series on E! titled Holly’s World, which came on the heels of her participation on the series The Girls Next Door.
Weaving already has another series in the works. She’ll be a part of Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers miniseries.
Fans of The Young and the Restless on CBS will recognize The Flash film’s Supergirl.
Sasha Calles, who currently stars on The Young and the Restless as Lola, sister to Rey Rosales and Kyle Abbot’s ex-wife.
While the character achieved success with her culinary skills, becoming a chef in Abby’s restaurant, Society.
Once front and center daily, causing mental strife for Summer Newman because of her marriage with Kyle, Lola has recently been stuck in the kitchen, which seems to have given Calles the opportunity she needed to make the leap to The Flash in what could be the opportunity of a lifetime.
Once you’re in the DC film universe, the opportunities seem limitless, so we look forward to seeing how Calles breathes new life into Supergirl.
One of J.J. Abrams’ original ideas is coming to life at HBO Max.
Subject to Change follows a desperate college student who signs up for a clinical trial that begins a wild, harrowing, mind- and reality-bending adventure.
Written by Abrams, he will also be executive producing alongside Jennifer Yale, who will be acting as showrunner on the new series.
“It’s been incredible fun weaving this rather insane yarn with Jenn, and I am grateful to her and everyone at HBO Max for the opportunity to bring this story to life,” Abrams said in a statement Friday.
Yale said, “I have felt so privileged to work with J.J. and Bad Robot on expanding J.J.’s exhilarating story to create a twisty, thought-provoking thriller where almost anything is possible, and yet everything is planned. Now partnering with HBO Max to make it a reality is a dream.”
Head of Originals at HBO Max also weighed in. “We cannot wait to bring this complex, eye-opening thriller to HBO Max. It will take viewers on an unexpected ride, showcasing the creative brilliance of J.J., Jennifer, and the Bad Robot team.”
Lisey’s Story, the highly anticipated Apple Original limited series from creator and executive producer Stephen King, executive producer J.J. Abrams, director, executive producer Pablo Larraín, and starring and executive produced by Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore, will make its global debut this summer on Apple TV+.
Today, the news was revealed at the Television Critics Association Winter 2021 Press Tour, along with a first look at the star-studded eight-episode series.
Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King and adapted by the author himself, Lisey’s Story is a deeply personal thriller that follows Lisey Landon (played by Moore) two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon (played by Owen).
A series of unsettling events causes Lisey to face memories of her marriage to Scott that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind. Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan, and Ron Cephas Jones star alongside Julianne Moore and Clive Owen.
An Apple Original limited series, Lisey’s Story, is directed by Pablo Larraín and hails from J. J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television. In a rare step, every episode of the series was personally written by King. King, Moore, and Larraín executive produce alongside Abrams, Ben Stephenson, and Juan de Dios Larraín.
Apple TV+ unveiled a first-look at Schmigadoon!, a new musical comedy series executive produced by Lorne Michaels, and starring Emmy Award-nominee Cecily Strong and Emmy Award-winner Keegan-Michael Key that is set to make its global debut this summer on Apple TV+.
Schmigadoon!, a parody of iconic musicals, stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover a magical town in which everyone acts as if they’re in a musical from the 1940s.
They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”
The first season of the six-episode series also stars Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski, and Ann Harada.
Hailing from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Schmigadoon! is co-created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio.
Cinco Paul serves as showrunner and wrote all of the original music for the series. Barry Sonnenfeld directs and executive produces.
Cecily Strong serves as a producer in addition to starring, and Ken Daurio serves as consulting producer and writer. Andrew Singer executive produces with Lorne Michaels on behalf of Broadway Video.
And we have one more thing that might be of interest. While the TCAs is a bustle of activity, nothing will get your juices flowing like this tremendous news.
Paramount+, formerly called CBS All Access, is reviving Criminal Minds.
There’s barely a blanket over the final season yet, especially in terms of COVID viewing. Many of our favorites have been off the air for as long in this atmosphere.
But the streamer knows a good thing when it has it, and with the rebranding, they’re looking to hook new viewers with familiar content not just by way of reruns of favorites but a return to one of their most successful franchises of all time.
Making it even more attractive, Erica Messer, longtime showrunner and executive producer, is expected to return for the reboot.
While we don’t know if any of the original cast will return for the reincarnation, with original stars returning to CSI’s upcoming return, it’s a likely possibility.
Plus, Criminal Minds was a broadcast network show. Airing on Paramount+ offers a much wider breadth of content and situations they can use to reinvent the franchise. Why wouldn’t some original stars want to be a part of it?
We’ll keep you updated on all of this news and more drops.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.