TV News Wrap-Up: ‘Game of Thrones’ Prequel Nears Pilot Order at HBO, The CW Plans Resurrection of ‘Dark Shadows,’ Apple TV+ Gets Launch Date, and More

We might be nearing fall TV premieres for the networks, but things haven’t slowed down for cablers and the like.

This week there are plenty of teasers floating around for reboots and spinoff series as well as some news in the college bribery scandal.

Take a look at this week’s TV news wrap-up to see what’s new and coming up in the world of TV and streaming services. 

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The Righteous Gemstones has been renewed for Season 2 by HBO. The renewal comes just four episodes into the show’s run. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Through its first three episodes, the comedy is averaging 572,000 viewers for its initial airings, retaining nearly all of the audience from lead-in Succession. The series premiere drew 844,000 viewers, including replays and streaming, on its debut night, making it HBO’s most-watched comedy series premiere since Vice Principals in 2016.”

Could Dark Shadows be making a return to The CW? TV Line reports that the campy 1960s vampire soap opera could be coming back from the dead with a sequel series. Mark B. Perry (Revenge, Brothers & Sisters) will be penning the pilot. Reportedly, “The new series, titled Dark Shadows: Resurrections, would be a continuation of the original cult classic, catching up with the supernatural Collins family in modern-day Collinsport, Maine.”  This won’t be the first time that someone attempted to resurrect this cult classic. The WB attempted a revival in 2004 that never got past the pilot stage, and the series got a big-budget movie treatment in 2012 with the help of Tim Burton. 

Richard Dormer has joined the BBC adaptation of The Watch. The Game of Thrones veteran has wasted no time getting back into the fantasy fray, signing on a Discworld adaptation. TV Line reports, “The Watch is set in the fictional city of Ankh-Morpork, where crime has been legalized and centers on a band of misfit cops trying to save their city from total anarchy.” The eight-episode series begins filming later this month and will star Dormer as Sam Vimes, captain of The Watch.

Uzo Aduba is joining the cast of Fargo for their fourth season. It looks like the Orange Is the New Black alum isn’t out of the penal system yet. Aduba is set to play an escaped prison on Fargo Season 4, according to Deadline. The fourth season will take place in Kansas City, Missouri where two crime syndicate–one Italian, one African American–have an uneasy peace cemented by both families trading their youngest sons. 

Felicity Huffman gets two-weeks in jail for her role in the college bribery scam. Deadline reports that Huffman learned her legal fate on Friday in Boston. The hearing lasted just over an hour and the American Crime star was sentenced to fourteen days behind bars. In a statement released minutes after the verdict was passed, Huffman said, “I accept the court’s decision today without reservation. I have always been prepared to accept whatever punishment Judge Talwani imposed. I broke the law. I have admitted that and I pleaded guilty to this crime. There are no excuses or justifications for my actions. Period.”

9-1-1 spinoff series, 9-1-1: Lonestar, adds Liv Tyler opposite Rob Lowe. According to TV Line, Tyler will play Chief Paramedic Michelle Blake, who is described as compassionate and ruthless with bad-girl wit. Lowe will play Owen, a firefighter who relocates to Austin from New York, but Blake has an interesting backstory on her own. Tyler’s character is deeply invested in what happened to her younger sister Iris, who went missing two years ago. 

OWN has renewed Queen Sugar for Season 5. The news comes one day after the Season 4 finale. In a TV Line article, series creator Ava DuVernay is quoted saying, “I’m thrilled to further explore the beauty, pain, and triumph of this African-American family, with hopes that their story will continue to resonate with audiences who see themselves in the Bordelons. It’s a real honor to create this work with Warner Horizon and OWN as their support is rock-solid and wonderful.”

Apple TV+ revealed its launch date as well as a subscription price. According to TV Line, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced this Tuesday that the new service will launch on Friday, November 1st. Cook also shared that the service will will have a $4.99/month subscription cost. Cook didn’t specify if an annual subscription would be available. The release strategy for Apple TV+’s original content is still in the works, but we do know that it will be ad-free and downloadable. Currently, Apple TV+ has 23 shows in development including a Jason Mamoa-led drama called See.  

A Game of Thrones prequel centered on House Targaryen is in the works at HBO. Deadline reports that the spinoff series is nearing a pilot order by the cabler. The series will be set 300 years before Game of Thrones and chronicle the glory day of House Targaryen. George R.R. Martin’s companion book Fire & Blood serves as the template for the new series. 

Lupita Nyong’o to star in HBO Max’s Americah. As reported by TV Line, the project, based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel of the same name, HBO Max has ordered the project direct to series. Nyong’o will play Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman who travels to American. The project is a 10-episode limited series and will be written by The Walking Dead‘s Danai Gurira. Gurira will also serve and showrunner and Gurira and Nyong’o will be executive producers. 

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