TV News Wrap-Up: ABC Renews 13 Series and Cancels 5, ‘Smash’ Broadway Musical Gets Green Light, ‘Some Good News’ Sold to ViacomCBS

Heading into the unofficial start of summer, networks are starting to look ahead at how they can survive the recent shutdowns.

While some series are being pushed to next year, more are getting renewed, and new series are still being ordered. 

Take a look a the highlights in this week’s TV news wrap-up. 

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John Krasinski’s Some Good News is set to become a CBS All Access Series. While the final episode of the web series dropped on May 17th, TV Line reports that after advanced negotiations with ViacomCBS, Some Good News is set to be distributed to the company’s various platforms. However, Krasinski will not be host like he currently is on the YouTube channel and will instead executive produce and likely have a recurring presence. 

Georgia has released an 11-page document detailing re-opening rules for coronavirus era film sets. The Los Angeles Times says that the document Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was developed with the studios based in Georgia and with every department from art to electrical weighing in. The guidelines suggest circulating digital call sheets and contracts, having actors wear masks until they’re about to shoot, keeping actors behind barriers until filming commences, reducing the number of background actors, a number of background tricks, and individual pre-packaged food at craft services. It even goes so far as suggesting that productions use actors from the same household. Meanwhile, a Deadline article states that California is a month away at least from reopening sets despite the Governor’s intention to reopen production sooner. 

Yael Globglas has been cast in a new HBO Comedy from the Jane the Virgin boss. TV Line reports that the potential series, entitled Here She Lies, will center around a pathological liar who is trying to free herself from the web of lies she cannot stop weaving while falling for someone is equally damaged. The series will be produced by Jennie Snyder Urman and Gracie Glassmeyer will pen the project. Glassmeyer is also working on a follow-up series to The Little Mermaid entitled Washed Up for Peacock.  

Fans of the television show Smash may finally get a Broadway musical. The movement on this long-gestating adaptation was announced after a charity live stream with the cast. TV Line reports that Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote much of the original series’ music, will pen the score, while Bob Martin (The Prom) and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) will co-write the book. Choreographer Joshua Bergasse, who won an Emmy for his work on the show will return for the musical. While fans can expect to see many characters from the series on stage, the adaptation will depart liberally from the TV show. There is currently no timeline for when fans can expect Smash: A New Musical to take the stage.

Fox has handed out renewals to both The Resident and Last Man Standing. Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment delivered the news that Last Man Standing will be given its ninth season overall and its third season on Fox. The Resident will enter its third season Fox.  

Netflix announced a premiere date for The Umbrella Academy Season 2. The streamer has announced that the sophomore season will return on July 31st. According to Deadline, “The first season of The Umbrella Academy dropped on February 15, 2019, and was ranked third on the list of Netflix’s most popular series releases of 2019. It was one of only three series to crack Netflix’s overall Top 10 list of its most popular 2019 releases.”

The Handmaid’s Tale creator, Bruce Miller, will be adapting Ivy Pochoda’s novel These Women to series. Miller will oversee the project and will bring in a writer to pen the adaptation. Deadline reports that the newly released novel is “…a serial killer story like you’ve never seen before – a literary thriller of female empowerment and social change.” This project is part of White Oaks’ overall deal with MGM/UA. 

Elite has been renewed for a fourth season by Netflix.  TV Line reports that six cast members of the Spanish-language drama confirmed the news of the renewal via a Twitter video. There was also a “goodbye” video that heavily implies video heavily implies the departures of cast members Ester Expósito, Danna Paola, Mina El Hammani and Jorge López will not be back. Netflix did not comment on the possibility of their exits.

CBS has announced the programming for its 2020/2021 season. Their lineup consists of 23 returning series, one new comedy, and two new dramas. Additional new series will be announced at a later date. Shows debuting in the fall include B Positive, from Chuck Lorre and Marco Pennette, starring Thomas Middleditch and Annaleigh Ashford, and the drama The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah. The much anticipated Clarice series will debut later in the season.  Get all the details right here.

Left Bank, the producers behind The Crown, will be adapting Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache novels for Amazon. The series will be entitled, Three Pines.  Deadline reports, “Left Bank has attached The Tunnel and Law & Order: UK writer Emilia di Girolamo to pen the show, while The Crown and Humans director Sam Donovan will be the lead director, helming four episodes.”

Ginnifer Goodwin has landed her next role starring in Fox’s comedy Pivoting. The Once Upon a Time alum’s new role will be opposite Eliza Coupe. The project hails from Liz Astrof, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and Warner Bros TV.  Pivoting follows three women after the death of their childhood best friend. “Faced with the reality that life is short, in desperate attempts to find happiness, they make a series of impulsive, ill-advised and self-indulgent decisions, strengthening their bond and proving it’s never too late to screw up your life,” says Deadline. 

Ruby Rose announced her exit from the Batwoman series. Rose announced her departure in a statement and the studio is committed to casting another LGBTQ actress in the titular role. Read more about this news right here. TV Line later reported that Rose decided that television wasn’t for her after experiencing the grueling hours of episodic talent. 

Prodigal Son is getting a second season on FOX. According to TV Line, “Across its 20-episode freshman run, Prodigal Son averaged a 0.75 demo rating and 3.4 million total viewers (in Live+Same Day numbers). Out of the seven dramas Fox aired this TV season — three of which have ended or already been canceled — it ranked third in the demo (trailing the two 9-1-1s) and fourth in audience. It also enjoys the largest increases via DVR playback of any Fox series.”

What We Do in the Shadows has been renewed for Season 3 at FX. This news comes ahead of the June 10th finale. “FX said that the second season, which is averaging 3.2M total viewers across linear and digital platforms, including FX on Hulu, through its first six episodes, was up 25% on season one,” a Deadline article reports. 

Freeform has renewed Motherland: Fort Salem and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay while moving Grown-ish, Good Trouble, and Cruel Summer to 2021. A Deadline report states that the network is looking to get ahead of the COVID-19 production shutdown which has impacted a number of its original series including the three pushed to next year. Freeform’s summer programming will feature new episodes of The Bold Type, returning June 11th, and the remotely produced limited series Love in the Time of Corona. It has also planned several events for the rest of 2020, including a Summer Singalong and the premiere of Disney’s live-action Aladdin. 

ABC has renewed thirteen series and canceled five. The renewed series include Stumptown, The Rookie, Mixed-ish, Black-ish, The Conners, American Housewife,  The Goldbergs, and A Million Little Things. Returning shows also include unscripted series The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars, Shark Tank and 20/20, plus the Jimmy Kimmel-hosted reboot of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. The network also canceled Schooled, Bless This Mess, Single Parents, Emergence, and Kids Say the Darndest Things.

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

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