TV News Wrap-Up: Michael Rosenbaum Nixes Lex Luthor Reprisal, ‘God Friended Me’ Casts Trans-Pastor, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Signs Overall Deal With Amazon, and More

Welcome to premiere week, where shows kick off their seasons (or series) with twists and the like. 

But while we may be settling in for some wild rides with network shows there are plenty of series that are still developing. Coming off the 2019 Emmy Awards this past Sunday, we have exciting casting news and a few cancellations. 

Whether it’s good or bad news, it’s all exciting. Take a look at some of the highlights from television news this week below. 

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Netflix has renewed GLOW for a fourth and final season. TV Line reports that Netflix delivered the news last Friday, and while it’s sad news, it also means fans will get closure on the devastating Season 3 cliffhanger. There is no word yet when the final season will drop on Netflix, but in the meantime read our review of GLOW Season 3 right here. 

Erica Durance will join her former Smallville co-star Tom Welling on the Arrowverse crossover ‘Crisis of Infinite Earths’ in December. Durance will reprise her role as Lois Lane. This is not Durance’s first foray into the Arrowverse. She previously played Kara’s mother on Supergirl. Read more about Lois Lane’s return to the Arrowverse right here. 

Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon have joined the cast of HBO’s The Gilded Age. According to TV Line, the upcoming drama from Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has recently cast a quartet of casting announcements including Amanda Peet and Morgan Spector. The Gilded Age follows Marian Brook, the orphaned daughter of a Southern general who is sent to live with her aunt and is thrust into high society. Julian Fellowes will serve as writer, creator, and executive producer. Gareth Neame, Fellowes’ co-creator from Downton Abbey, will also serve as executive producer. The series was originally developed by NBC and earned a 10-episode order from the cabler in May. 

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is cashing in on a $20 million a year deal with Amazon. After Fleabag swept up six Emmys last weekend, Vulture reports that she’s signed a deal with Amazon Studios that means she’ll be producing a bunch of television in the future that will premiere only on Amazon Video. “I’m insanely excited to be continuing my relationship with Amazon,” Waller-Bridge said in a statement. “Working with the team on Fleabag was the creative partnership dreams are made of. It really feels like home. I can’t wait to get going!” Waller-Bridge also created the BBC America series  Killing Eve, has the series Run coming to HBO, and did some work on the next James Bond script.

Stana Katic led drama Absentia has been renewed for a third season with a new showrunner. TV Line reports Amazon Prime announced the renewal on Thursday. Will Pascoe will succeed Samantha Corbin-Miller who succeded Matt Cirulnick from Season 1. Season 3 of the drama will pick up three months after Season 2 left off with Emily Byrne nearing the end of her suspension from the FBI and trying to be the best mother for her son. Then one of her ex-husband’s criminal cases hits too close to home and threatens the family Emily is trying so hard to keep together. 

Jared Padalecki is going to headline and executive produce a reboot Walker, a reboot of Walker: Texas Ranger. The Supernatural star will play Cordell Walker in a reimagining of the 1990s action/crime series that ran for eight seasons on CBS. The CW is currently considered the frontrunner as the home for the series, but CBS is also in the running having produced successful reimaginings of Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I, and MacGyver. Read more about the plans for the reboot right here. 

Michael Rosenbaum nixes the idea of returning to ‘Crisis of Infinite Earths’ with his Smallville co-stars. TV Line reports that Rosenbaum broke the news to fans on Twitter on Tuesday expressing that while he was grateful that so many fans wanted to see him reprise his role as Lex Luthor he wouldn’t be making a return. He went on to explain that the producers called his agent with no script, no idea what Rosenbaum would be doing, no idea when he’d be shooting, almost no pay, and needing an immediate decision. 

The CW has set the stage for a backdoor pilot in Arrow‘s final season. Katherine McNamara, Katie Cassidy & Juliana Harkavy will headline the new series as Mia Smoak and the Canaries. The series will debut with a backdoor pilot during Arrow‘s final season. Read more about the plans for the spinoff series right here. 

Freya from The Originals will be coming to Legacies Season 2.  According to TV Line, Riley Voelkel will be appearing in episode 6 of the spinoff. There’s no word on exactly why Freya will be doing, when she visits her niece, Hope, but given all that’s been going on, she’s bound to find something. She’ll be the latest in a growing line of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals actors to appear in the franchise’s third installment.

The 100 has added another new cast member to its final season. Chad Rook, from Freeform’s Siren, is joining the cast a convict from Eligius IV. TV Line reports that Rook will recur as a convict who wants to forge a better life for himself. Rook has also guest-starred on The Flash, Timeless, Supernatural and Once Upon a Time. This isn’t the first casting news from The 100‘s final season. Previously they’ve announced Alaina Huffman would recur as Nikki and Shelby Flannery recurring as grown-up Hope. 

Star of The WB’s Birds of Prey, Ashley Scott will be reprising her role as Huntress on ‘Crisis of Infinite Earths.’  A TV Line exclusive reports that Scott has joined the callsheet for the crossover event as Helena Kyle. The 2002 series ran for 13 episodes on the now-shuddered WB. The series was canceled due to low ratings. It also starred Dina Meyer as Batgirl and Rachel Skarsten as Black Canary. Skarsten is now set to play Batwoman’s adversary on the new series. 

Peppermint will be coming to God Friended Me as a trans-pastor. According to Entertainment Weekly, the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9 runner up will be breaking new ground on Season 2 of the CBS dramedy. She’ll be playing Pastor Olivia, who leads an LGBTQ-friendly congregation that Ali decides to join after leaving her father’s church. “This role is proof that we’ve come so far. A transgender pastor is not something you’d see being written or cast even five years ago. This season, they are raising the bar both in front and behind the camera. You ain’t ready, y’all!” Peppermint told EW. Peppermint will guest star for a two-episode arc starting Sunday, October 6th. 

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What is your favorite bit of TV news from the last week? Let us know in the comments below. 

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