TV News Wrap-Up: Female-Focused ‘Star Wars’ Series in the Works at Disney+, ‘Westworld’ Gets Season 4, ‘Leverage’ Reboot Ordered by IMDb TV, and More
Television continues to keep people entertained in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. While previous weeks have been full of announcements, casting, and more this week is quieter, but it’s not exactly cause to panic just yet.
The business of television is still moving, at least in part. NBC recently scheduled it’s canceled upfront as a virtual event to take place on May 11th. Classicly, this is the time when networks would announce their new slates for the 2020-2021 television season and present it to their potential advertisers.
Production companies and crews do want to get back to work, but are also wary of some of the cahllenges that coronavirus presents. Variety exclusively reports that new document has emerged with ideas for how film and TV productions could return to work safely and limit the spread of coronavirus.
As you may recall, many productions shut down in mid-March over coronavirus concerns, causing truncated seasons and many pilots to be put on hold.
However, this could mean good news for bubble shows, who are awaiting their fates. The process of pickups and cancellations has always been an arduous process, and there is concern that there will be a downtick as overall deals could potentially be canceled en masse.
This is a situation that’s still developing and may not reach its conclusion for several more months, but there are still a few things that we can look forward to.
Here are a few specific news items that were announced this week.
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A Leverage reboot starring Noah Wyle is in the works at IMDb TV. A Deadline exclusive reports that that the series will technically be a sequel with an update on the original concept of “…reformed crooks using their unique skills to right corporate and governmental injustices inflicted on common citizens.” Original cast members Beth Riesgraf, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, and Aldis Hodge are set to return. It will be helmed by original series creator Dean Devlin who is sphereheading the follow-up series. Devlin told Deadline, “While Leverage centered on a crusade to avenge the death of a child, this series is propelled forward as a redemption story of misdeeds that need amends. I could not be more excited and fired up about returning to the world of Hitter, Hacker, Grifter, Thief!!” IMDb TV’s properties were recently acquired under the Amazon umbrella.
WarnerMedia sets the HBO Max launch date for May 27th. The series slate is set to include some popular series including Friends, South Park, The Big Bang Theory, and Doctor Who as well as original series including Kaley Cuoco’s The Flight Attendent, Ansel Elgort’s Tokyo Vice, and the reboot of Gossip Girl. It was reported last week that the Friends reunion, part of the HBO Max’s lynchpin would be delayed for the launch. Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer said in a Deadline article, “Even in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic, the all-star teams behind every aspect of HBO Max will deliver a platform and a robust slate of content that is varied, of the highest quality, and second to none. I’m knocked out by the breadth and depth of our new offering, from the Max originals, our Warner Bros library and acquisition titles from around the world, and of course the entirety of HBO.”
A female-focused Star Wars series is in the works at Disney+ to be head by Russian Doll‘s Lesley Headland. Variety broke the news that the new project would be “…a female-centric series that takes place in a different part of the Star Wars timeline than other projects.” The exact plot of the series is still under wraps. Headland co-created Netflix’s Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler.The first season was nominated for 13 Emmys and won two.
HBO’s Westworld is getting a fourth season. The cabler announced that it is renewing the sci-fi drama this week. Deadline reports that series creator Jonathan Nolan will continue to showrun the fourth season with Lisa Joy. Casey Bloys, president, HBO Programming said, “We can’t wait to see where their inspired vision takes us next.”
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What’s your favorite bit of TV news this week? 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.