TV News Wrap-Up: ‘Friends’ Revival Officially Ordered at HBO Max, ‘Stranger Things’ Fan Favorite Promoted to Series Regular, Lead Writer Named for ‘Killing Eve’ Season 4, and More

February is flying by much faster than January, and it’s bringing with it lightning-fast updates in TV news. 

Pilots are underway and series are being ordered so this week there’s a lot of casting and development news. 

Take a look and see if your fave might be attached to a new project.

—

Sandra Oh has been cast in a new dramedy. According to TV Line, Oh will play the titular role in a six-episode series called The Chair, which centers around the chair of the English department at a major university. Amanda Peet is attached to write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner. Also attached to the project are Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Bernie Caufield and Oh will also Executive Producer titles. Fans of Killing Eve won’t have to worry, because Oh remains attached to the BBC America/AMC series, which was renewed for a fourth season last month.

Speaking of Killing Eve, Laura Neal has been named lead writer of Season 4. Neal’s previous credits include Sex Education and Secret Diary of a Call Girl. The fourth season will go into production later this year. In a Deadline report, Sarah Barnett, President, AMC Networks Entertainment Group and AMC Studios says, “Killing Eve smashes television tropes in every way, both on the screen and behind it. We have a remarkable squad of ferociously smart women writers passing the baton to each other on this show, aligned around a coherent vision but bringing it to life with their own specific sparkle and brilliance. Laura Neal is the latest incredible leader of the pack on Killing Eve.” Neal will follow season 1’s lead writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, season 2’s Emerald Fennell and current lead writer Suzanne Heathcote for season 3 which will premiere on April 26th.

Schitt’s Creek alum Annie Murphy has been cast as the lead in the AMC series, Kevin Can F*** Himself. TV Line reports that the series is a dark comedy that explores the secret life of a character we all think we know: the sitcom wife. Murphy’s character will reportedly break free of her confines and discover her rage. The series will alternate between single and multi-camera mediums to explore life through the eyes of the sitcom wife. 

Delroy Lindo will be exiting The Good Fight at the end of the upcoming fourth season. Lindo plays Adrian Boseman, a named partner at the firm Reddick, Boseman, and Lockhart. According to Deadline, the original cast member is currently in talks to star in the Harlem’s Kitchen pilot for ABC Family. Lindo’s contract for The Good Fight is up at the end of Season 4, he was reportedly offered a new deal and would have taken it, but became passionate about the pilot project. The exit is happening on good terms with the producers adjusting filming to support Lindo’s involvement in the Harlem’s Kitchen pilot.   There is talk of Lindo returning to The Good Fight, should Harlem’s Kitchen not be ordered to series.

Priah Ferguson has been promoted to a series regular for Stranger Things Season 4. Ferguson plays Erica Sinclair, Lucas’ Sassy sister who was first introduced in Season 2. Ferguson received critical praise for her role as Erica Sinclair and was featured prominently on Stranger Things Season 3 in a plot that saw her work closely with Gatten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke. Variety broke the story, and reported the Netflix declined to comment on the casting news. Among the other things known about Season 4, is the reveal in the first Season 4 teaser trailer. 

Supernatural alum Mitch Pileggi has been cast in the Walker: Texas Ranger reboot. According to Deadline, Pileggi will play Bohman Walker, Walker’s father. Boham is described as, “…[a] sturdy, conservative and tough as nails but a family man through and through. A third-generation Texas rancher, he’s most comfortable taking care of business on the ranch — in the bullpen, supervising cowboys, training horses. Bonham is a man who speaks his mind. He’s not about to mince words when it comes to talking to his kids.” 

NBC has renewed The Blacklist for Season 8. The series is currently in the middle of its seventh season, which returns March 20th. According to TV Line, Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming at NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. “Congratulations to our incredible cast, producers, and crew, all of whom continue to reach excellence week in and week out. We couldn’t be more excited to continue Red and Liz’s story into Season 8.”

Friends has received an official order for their revival with a May premiere date on HBO Max. TV Line reports that the revival will be available upon the launch of the platform. Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will all return to the original soundstage, Stage 24 at the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California. All six stars will executive produce alongside original series EPs Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. Ben Winston is on board to direct. Previous reports have indicated that the revival will be unscripted and not a full-fledged production of the NBC sitcom. 

—

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

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

Friends: The 25 All-Time Best Episodes, Ranked!