TV News Wrap-Up: ‘Modern Family’ Gets Farewell Season, ‘NCIS’ Teases Return, New ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Teaser Trailer
There’s renewal news, casting news, and more this week in the world of television. With seasons of old favorites winding up to make their return, we’ve got a round-up of teases and surprises that you’re not going to want to miss.
Take a look at this week’s television news recap to find out more!
New & In the Works
The Superbowl gave us a new trailer for the Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3. The new preview shows shots of Gilead with a voiceover talking about how great life is going in the dystopian, when June cuts in with “Wake up, America. Morning’s over.”
TV Line reports that there might be a Maggie-centric The Walking Dead movie in the works. At the Television Critics Association winter press tour, Lauren Cohan teased fans a little bit about the fate of her character. Cohan is also signed on to star in ABC’s Whiskey Cavalier. “There may have been some conversations,” she admits, “but everything is so early-days, ambiguous. [Again,] we’ll have to see what happens,” said Cohan.
Upcoming Series & Spring Premieres
Freeform is rebooting the 1994 series Party of Five, and the executive producer teased that the new series will have a slightly different story than the original. TV Line reports Freeform series will focus on The Acosta family who find themselves parent-less when their mother and father are deported to Mexico. While there is a slightly different story, executive producer Amy Lippman teased that there are easter eggs for longtime fans to find.
We finally have some news on the final season of Game of Thrones. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter series creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have teased that the Battle of the Bastards will seem like a schoolyard scuffle in comparison to some of what goes down in Season 8. They also teased some exciting new effects for Season 8. The new season premieres April 14th on HBO.
It’s been a couple years since Pretty Little Liars ended, but Freeform has finally announced a premiere date for its spinoff series The Perfectionists. The new series relocates Ali and Mona to Beacon Heights, Oregon where they encounter a deadly mystery in which everyone is a suspect. The new series will premiere Wednesday, March 20th on Freeform. Watch the trailer for the series here.
The final season of VEEP has a premiere date! The Julia Louis-Dreyfus helmed comedy is set to end with a seven-episode final season that will begin airing on March 31st. In a TV Line report, Executive Produce Dave Mandel says that despite this final season is only seven episodes, fans will find that there is plenty of story to be told.
The HBO hit Big Little Lies is premiering in June. The network announced that the Emmy-winning series would return this summer. The network also released a few photos including one featuring Meryl Streep as Mary Louise Wright.
Cancellations & Renewals
NBC has renewed New Amsterdam for Season 2. A show about Doctors who fight again New York City’s broken healthcare system, New Amsterdam is currently tied with Chicago Med and Chicago Fire to be NBC’s third biggest hit. You can check out our report for more details.
The FX series Legion is set to end with Season 3. The announcement came at Television Critics Association winter press tour on Monday. Variety reports that series creator Noah Hawley always imaged Legion to be a three-season show, and this final run will bring the series to its natural conclusion.
ABC has renewed both A Million Little Things and The Good Doctor. New network chief Karey Burke told TV Line that A Million Little Things Season 2 will set in motion a new mystery but she couldn’t say what that mystery would be. Similarly, The Good Doctor is getting a third season.
DAVID GIUNTOLI, JAMES RODAY, ROMANY MALCO JR
Modern Family has been renewed for an 11th and final season! ABC announced the end of the series during the Television Critics Association winter press tour. TV Line reports Karey Burke, network chief at ABC, announced that the final season would have several milestone events that longtime fans won’t want to miss.
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS, ERIC STONESTREET, TY BURRELL, ARIEL WINTER, JULIE BOWEN, SARAH HYLAND, ED O’NEILL
CBS renewed Mom for Seasons 7 & 8. The multi-cam sitcom starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris as Bonnie and Christie Plunkett, a mother-daughter duo who are also recovering alcoholics. “We’re exceptionally proud to have Mom on our air; a high-quality, signature comedy with characters viewers love, that also brings strength and stability to our lineup,” Kelly Kahl, President of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. “Under Chuck Lorre’s extraordinary leadership and with his outstanding writing and production team, we look forward to having Mom on CBS for many years to come.”
Casting News
NCIS fans will see a familiar face making an appearance on an upcoming episode. The promo for NCIS Season 16 Episode 13, “She,” teases the involvement of former NCIS agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) when the team discovers notes Ziva had been keeping about a cold case. De Pablo left the series after the Season 10 finale, but her story concluded in Season 13 when the NCIS team got news of her death. The episode is currently scheduled to air Tuesday, February 12th.
Grey’s Anatomy is finally going to reveal Derek’s elusive fourth sister. In a TV Line exclusive, Michael Ausiello talks about the hour-long Amelia-centric episode coming later this season which is set to finally see the elusive Kathleen, known as Kate, at Seattle Grace.
We don’t know much about Kathleen but we do know that she, like her siblings, is a doctor. Her specialty is psychiatry. Details surrounding Kate’s appearance have been kept pretty quiet, but in last week’s round up it was announced that Michelle Forbes would be making an appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. Could there be some overlap?
CATERINA SCORSONE
Speaking of Grey’s Anatomy, Jennifer Grey is set to play Betty’s mother. There have been weeks of speculation that Grey would be playing Jo Wilson’s mother, but not TV Line has learned that Grey will actually be playing Betty’s mom.
Rachel Skarsten is set to play the villain opposite Ruby Rose in The CW’s new series Batwoman. Deadline reports that Skarsten will play Alice, the lead of Gotham’s Wonderland-inspired gang and who has made it her mission to undermine any sense of security the citizens of Gotham have. This isn’t the first time Skarsten has visited Gotham City, she previously played Dinah Lance in The WB’s short-lived Birds of Prey.
Chad Michael Murray is headed to Riverdale! The One Tree Hill star has been cast as cult leader Edgar Evernever. His casting puts a face to the name that fans have heard so many times before.
Superstar Octavia Spencer will be making an appearance on black-ish this month! TV Line reports that the Oscar-winning actress will appear on the February 26th episode entitled “Black History Month.” The episode will center around Dre’s ire that Jack and Diane are receiving the same minimal education about Black History Month that he did as a child.
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What television news are you the most excited for this week? Are you waiting on any new series premieres? Let us know in the comments below.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.