‘The Crowded Room’: First Look at Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried in Apple TV+ Limited Series (TV News Roundup)
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Apple TV+ has released first-look images of its upcoming limited series “The Crowded Room,” which stars Tom Holland, Amanda Seyfried and Emmy Rossum.
The 10-episode thriller series will premiere with its first three episodes on June 9. The remaining seven episodes will then air one episode per week, concluding on Friday, July 28.
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“The Crowded Room,” according to its official plot description, follows “Danny Sullivan (Holland) after he was arrested for his involvement in a New York City shooting in 1979. Danny unveils his life through a series of interviews with interrogator Rya Goodwin (Seyfried), and slowly details to Rya, and the audience, his mysterious past that led him to the fateful incident. As Danny retrospectively examines his life, he reckons with his past and a few pivotal moments, that ultimately leads him to uncover a life-altering revelation.”
The series also stars Sasha Lane (“Conversations With Friends”), Will Chase (“Dopesick”), Lior Raz (“Fauda”), Laila Robins (“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”), Henry Eikenberry (“Euphoria”) and guest stars Jason Isaacs (“Harry Potter”), Christopher Abbott (“Catch-22”), Thomas Sadoski (“The Newsroom”) and Zachary Golinger (“A Quiet Place”).
Created by “A Beautiful Mind” Academy Award-winning writer Akiva Goldsman, “The Crowded Room” is a co-production between Apple Studios and New Regency. Goldsman executive produces through his Weed Road Productions, along with Alexandra Milchan for EMJAG Productions and New Regency’s Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Michael Schaefer. Kornel Mundruczo directed several episodes, including the show’s pilots, in addition to executive producing.
See “The Crowded Room” first-look images below.
FIRST LOOKS
Disney+ has released a first look into their original series “The Muppets Mayhem,” with all episodes set to debut on Wednesday, May 10.
The teaser showcases The Electric Mayhem Band, which is comprised of Muppets including Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot and Lips. The series will follow the beloved band on their journey to releasing their first-ever studio album. Norah Singh (played by Lilly Singh) steps in and helps the Muppet band reach their star potential in the modern day era.
Aside from Singh, Tahj Mowry and Saara Chaudry will star in the series. Based on characters created by Jim Henson, “The Muppets Mayhem” is developed and written by executive producers Adam F. Goldberg, Bill Barretta and co-executive producer Jeff Yorkes. Michael Bostick, Kris Eber and The Muppets Studio’s David Lightbody and Leigh Slaughter also serve as executive producers. Original music comes from executive music producer Linda Perry.
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Paramount+ has released brand new character art for Season 2 of its original drama series “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” that will premiere on Thursday, June 15.
Ahead of the second season of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” the new character art features Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.
The series is set in a time where Captain Christopher Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One were a part of the U.S.S. Enterprise before Captain Kirk was aboard. Together, they explore the galaxy, uncovering new and exciting worlds.
Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners of the series. Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet serve as executive producers in addition to Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth. Season 2 of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
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Apple TV+ has announced the premiere date for its new dark comedy “High Desert,” along with a first look image of the new series. “High Desert” is set to debut three new episodes on Wednesday, May 17, with new episodes following weekly.
The series stars Patricia Aquette, who also serves as an executive producer, in the role of Peggy. As an addict, when Peggy’s mom dies, she decides to transform her life with a new start, which means pursuing a career as a private investigator.
Aside from Aquette, “High Desert” stars Matt Dillon, Christine Taylor, Weruche Opia, Brad Garrett, Bernadette Peters, Rupert Friend and Keir O’Donnell. The series is directed by Jay Roach, created by Nancy Fichman, Katie Ford and Jennifer Hoppe, and executive produced by Ben Stiller.
GREENLIGHTS
Roku has greenlit the brand new eight-part docuseries “WWE: Recruits” (wt), that will be executively produced by John Cena and A. Smith & Co. Productions.
The series will give audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the careers of WWE athletes. Following a group of young men and women, viewers will be able to watch the hard work and dedication that goes into becoming a professional wrestler as they train and compete for the title of WWE Superstar.
Cena will appear in the series alongside other iconic WWE superstars including Paul “TRIPLE H” Levesque, Shawn Michaels, Ettore “Big E” Ewan, Bianca Belaire and Ric Flair.
“Millions around the world watch and dream of it, but only a handful of extraordinary individuals can become a WWE Superstar,” said Cena “I am so excited to bring ‘WWE: Recuits’ to The Roku Channel and look forward to giving viewers an exclusive all-access perspective on how the WWE turns the dreams of talented young people into a reality.”
TRAILERS
Apple TV+ released the first official trailer for its upcoming drama series “Silo,” set to premiere on May 5 with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday through June 30.
Based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling dystopian book trilogy of the same name, “Silo” follows the remaining ten thousand people on earth, as they seek shelter in their mile-deep home from the toxic and deadly world outside. Although their way of life, none of the inhabitants know when or why the silo was built, and anyone who tries to find out faces fatal consequences. As Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) seeks answers about a loved one’s murder, she falls into a deep mystery that is far more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
Ferguson stars alongside Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones and Tim Robbins. Created by showrunner Graham Yost (“Band of Brothers,” “Justified”), the series is executive produced by Ferguson, Nina Jack, Fred Golan, Rémi Aubuchon, Ingrid Escajeda, Yost, director Morten Tyldum and “Silo” author Hugh Howey. “Silo” is produced Apple TV+ by AMC Studios.
Watch the official trailer below.
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Paramount+ has released the official trailer for its upcoming original series “Fatal Attraction,” which is set to premiere on Sunday, April 30 with three episodes exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada.
The show is a refurbished take on the classic 1980s thriller “Fatal Attraction.” The series follows the story of Daniel Gallagher (Joshua Jackson), a man who has just served 15 years in prison for the murder of Alexandra Forrest (Lizzy Caplan), the woman he cheated on his wife (Amanda Peet) with. Now, after his release, Dan has big dreams of proving his innocence while fostering his relationships with his family.
Alexandra Cunningham joins the series as writer, showrunner and executive producer alongside executive producers Kevin J. Hynes, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey for Amblin Television. Silver Tree also serves as executive producer and directed five episodes.
Watch the official trailer below.
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National Geographic released the first official trailer for its upcoming limited series “A Small Light,” set to premiere on Monday, May 1 across National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Lifetime.
“A Small Light” is based on the true story of when Otto Frank (Lieve Schreiber) met Miep Gies (Bel Powley). Frank asked Gies to help hide her family from the Nazis during WWII, to which she doesn’t hesitate to help. Alongside her husband, Jan (Joe Cole), Miep protects the Frank, van Pels and Pfeffer families in the midst of turmoil.
The limited series is produced by ABC Signature and Keshet Studios for National Geographic. Joan Rater and Tony Phelan serve as executive producers, writers and showrunners while Susanna Fogal directs many episodes and WIlliam Harper executively produced.
Watch the official trailer below.
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Apple TV+ has revealed the trailer for its new French-Japanese drama “Drops of God,” that will premiere on Friday, April 21.
“Drops of God” is based “in the world of gastronomy and fine wines.” When Alexandre Léger, creator of the renowned Léger Wine Guide, passes away, his estranged daughter, Camille (Fleur Geffrier), flies from her home in Paris to her late father’s in Tokyo. Upon arrival, she finds out that her father has left her a legendary wine collection, and only one thing stands in her way of claiming that inheritance — a young oenologist, Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita). The two go head in head in a trio of wine tasting tasks, and the winner will walk away with Léger’s wine empire.
The eight episode series is adapted from the New York Times bestselling Japanese manga series, “Drops of God” by Tadashi Agi. Two episodes will debut on its April 21 premiere date, with weekly episodes airing every Friday through June 2.
“Drops of God” is written by Quoc Dang Tran, executively produced by Klaus Zimmermann and directed by Oded Ruskin. The show is produced by Les Productions Dynamic in association with 22H22 and Adline Entertainment while being presented in partnership with France Télévisions and Hulu Japan.
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Peacock has released the trailer for its newest unscripted original series “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning,” which is set to premiere on Thursday, April 27.
“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” is inspired by Margareta Magnusson’s bestselling book with the same name. The TV series will feature eight individuals at varying stages of their lives who will be presented with the opportunity to transform and declutter their spaces. Organizers, designers and psychologists from Sweden — better known as the “Death Cleaners” — travel to the United States to bring order and sort out each subjects life, taking audiences through an emotional journey while doing so.
The series will be narrated and executive produced by Amy Poehler, with Katarina Blom, Ellinor Engström and Johan Svenson joining as hosts. J.J. Duncan serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Kate Arend, David Collins, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, Renata Lombardo, Stephen Morrison, Faye Stapleton, Margareta Magnusson, Jane Magnusson and Susanna Lea.
“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning Studio” is produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, with Scout and Paper Kite Productions
Watch the official trailer below.
PROGRAMMING
HBO has announced the return of Sarah Silverman, with the comedian returning this May for her second HBO special. Silverman’s new special will feature all new material, which was taped in front of a live audience at the Wilbur Theater in Boston.
“We absolutely love working with Sarah. She’s truly one of the all-time greats, and her new special is smart, bold, and as insanely funny as ever,” said Nina Rosenstein, executive vice president, HBO programming. Silverman’s upcoming special follows her second HBO special, “Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles,” which earned her an Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety special.
The special is executive produced by Silverman Amy Zvi, John Skidmore, Brooke Posch and director Jonathan Krisel.
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Tubi has signed an exclusive content deal with Vice Media Group, in which the two will debut eight original documentaries, beginning with “The Cult of Elon” and “Vigilante, Inc.”
The first documentary, “The Cult of Elon,” will debut on April 24 and detail the story behind Elon Musk and the rise of Tesla. Throughout the inclusion of interviews with journalists, industry experts and Musk superfans, “The Cult of Elon” will explore how Musk became a prominent but controversial businessmen.
The second documentary, “Vigilante, Inc.” will debut on May 6, and will investigate the recent rise of online vigilantism, exploring how the internet age has changed consumers’ understanding of cyber criminal justice, privacy and policing. The documentary follows a Los Angeles manhunt, after a group of neighbors got word an arsonist was on the run. The crime and neighborhood watch app Citizen then blasted out the possible suspect’s photo to its one million LA users, and issued a $30,000 bounty for the suspect — but the suspect they were tracking was the wrong guy. “Vigilante, Inc.” provides an exploration of how extreme online vigilance can slip into the real world, and ultimately providing unexpected consequences.
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Netflix has announced the premiere of their first Latin music competition series “La Firma” which will feature artists and icons Rauw Alejandro, Tainy, Yanfel, Nicki Nicole and Lex Borrero. The eight-episode series follows 12 eager contestants as they compete for a record deal with Neon16.
Contestants hail from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, Peru, Puerto Rico and the United States. In each episode, their creativity, skill and discipline will be challenged as they write and perform their own original music.
The first five episodes of the show will be released on April 4, with the final three episodes premiering on April 12. The show is created by Lex Borrero and developed by Howard T. Owens. It is executive produced by Santiago Zapata and Nikki Boella, and is produced by Ntertain and Propagate. Spotify is the official music platform for the series.
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Fox has announced the network’s summer slate of original programming, including “Crime Scene Kitchen,” “Beat Shazam,” “Don’t Forget The Lyrics,” “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars” and “MasterChef.”
“Crime Scene Kitchen” returns May 22 at 8 p.m., with a special two-hour premiere. Joel McHale returns to the baking competition series, where contestants must decipher what type of dessert was made based on a series of culinary clues. The bakers then have to recreate the recipe for celebrity judges, chef Curtis Stone and cake artist Yolanda Gampp, who will evaluate whether or not they correctly solved the culinary puzzle.
“Beat Shazam” returns May 23 from 8-9 p.m. Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne Foxx will return to the game show as co-hosts this summer. “Beat Shazman” pits two teams against each other, and the clock, to identify some of music’s biggest hits to score the $1 million jackpot.
“Don’t Forget The Lyrics!” will also return on May 23. Following “Beat Shazam,” the game show will air from 9-10 p.m. Niecy Nash will host the competition series that challenges contestants to perform and remember the lyrics to a variety of music’s biggest hits. If the contestant correctly sings along to nine songs they have one more opportunity to correctly guess a tenth song and collect $1 million dollars.
“MasterChef: United Tastes of America” will premiere with its 13th season on May 24 at 8 p.m. Gordon Ramsay, chef Aarón Sánchez and restaurateur Joe Bastianich return to judge the ultimate cook-off. Cooks from the West, Northeast, Midwest and South will battle out which region reigns supreme, and Ramsay, Sánchez and Bastianich will award the winning cook with $250,000.
“Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars” will follow “MasterChef” and premiere on May 24 at 9 p.m. Ramsay will search for the next culinary entrepreneur, with contestants entering a series of challenges that are evaluated by guest judges and focus groups. The winning culinary entrepreneur will receive Ramsay’s support with a future investment into their culinary endeavor.
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MX Player, India’s #1 OTT platform, is collaborating with Paramount Content Distribution to bring the brand new season of “WOW – Women Of Wrestling” to Indian audiences. MX Player has acquired streaming rights to 52 episodes of “WOW – Women of Wrestling.”
“At MX Player, we have a track record of presenting our audiences with the best in different genres. The first-of-its-kind sports deal with Paramount Global Content Distribution for the new season of ‘WOW – Women of Wrestling,’ is another step in that direction. We believe that a fascinating sports entertainment series about strong and inspiring women wrestlers will resonate with our audiences as the individual stories of the challenges, grit and determination of each of the WOW Superheroes are so powerful that it surely makes for a compelling watch,” said MX Player spokesperson.
“WOW – Women of Wrestling” is an all-women wrestling sports show in which a group of women (aka WOW Superheroes) come together to “inspire and encourage with their fight for championships, justice, and revenge.” The WOW Superheroes go head to head in a series of competition in and outside of the wrestling ring.
“We are thrilled to bring the action-packed series WOW – Women Of Wrestling to empower audiences throughout India,” says Lisa Kramer, president, international TV licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution. “Viewers in the U.S. and abroad have been inspired by the athleticism of the WOW Superheroes and their uplifting stories.”
EXECUTIVE NEWS
AMC Networks has announced that executive vice president of development and original programming for WE tv Lauren Gellert is stepping down from her position. Gellert has spearheaded growth and success at WE tv through the development, launching and management of several reality television franchises.
“I’m so grateful for my time at this company, for the shows we were able to bring into the homes of millions of viewers. I’ve loved every minute of the experience and feel incredibly blessed to have been able to work with our talent, our incredible production partners and our internal team to drive the business and brand forward,” said Gellert. “Our sweet spot at WE tv has always been putting real and relatable people up on screen, and that’s why the network has been able to have such an impact in the hearts and minds of our fans, across so many shows and reality franchises.”
Gellert has dealt a hand in the success of several WE tv reality TV shows, including “Marriage Boot Camp,” “Growing Up Hip Hop” and “Love After Lockup,” in addition to a variety of series that focused on “Mama June” Shannon and her family. While Gellert has been a part of the network, WE tv has been #1 cable network for Black women on Thursday nights, and for the past four years, it has been #1 with Black audiences.
EVENTS
SeriesFest has announced the 55 titles set to participate in the festival’s International Independent Pilot competition. The festival will kick off with the premiere of CNN’s documentary series “The 2010s” and close out with a night of comedy, including a screening of Fox Entertainment’s “Animal Control” and stand-up sets from Joel McHale, Jay Pharoah, Adam Ray and Chelsea Handler.
SeriesFest: Season 9 will take place from May 5 to May 10 in Denver, Color. at the Sie FilmCenter, Hotel Clio, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and other places throughout the city. In addition to the pilot competition, the festival will host a number of screenings and panels for episodic storytelling lovers.
“Year after year, the projects submitted to our Independent Pilot Competition continue to impress,” said Claire Taylor, director of programming for SeriesFest. “Connecting with emerging creatives is a pillar of our mission. We are honored to see such incredible original work from creators around the world. They bring so many unique and brilliantly told stories to our audiences in Denver.”
Over seven countries are represented throughout this year’s pilot competition. Categories include “Independent Pilot: Drama,” “Independent Pilot: Comedy,” and “Independent Pilot: Unscripted,” “Pilots In Progress,” “Pitch-A-Thon,” “Late Night,” “Collegiate Creator Spotlight” and “Digital Short Series.”
In addition to their annual festival, SeriesFest offers year-round educational programs and professional development for television creators.
SCHEDULING
NBC’s “Lopez vs Lopez” will be moving to a new timeslot for its final three episodes beginning on April 25. The show will now air on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. The move will give “Lopez vs Lopez” a “Night Court” lead-in.
The series follows a father and daughter, played by George Lopez and his real-life daughter Mayan Lopez, as they rekindle their relationship and relish the ups and downs of family life. “Lopez vs Lopez” premiered in November 2022 and now holds the spot as the No. 2 NBC comedy launch on Peacock.
The cast includes George Lopez, Mayan Lopez, Selenis Leyva, Brice Gonzalez, Matt Shively and Al Madrigal. Debby Wolfe is the creator and showrunner of the show, and executive produces alongside Bruce Helford, George Lopez, Michael Rotenberg and Katie Newman.
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