Showtime Announces Release Date for Upcoming Limited Series ‘Fellow Travelers’ (TV News Roundup)

Jaden Thompson, McKinley Franklin and Sophia Scorziello
·12 min read
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Showtime has announced the release date of their upcoming limited series “Fellow Travelers,” starring Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey. The eight-episode drama will premiere on Oct. 27.

Created by Academy Award nominee Ron Nyswaner and based on Thomas Mallon’s novel of the same name, “Fellow Travelers” is both a romance and a political thriller, depicting the secret relationship between two men who meet in McCarthy-era Washington. Bomer plays Hawkins Fuller, a man with a lucrative behind-the-scenes job in politics, and Bailey plays an idealistic, religious young man. Their romance begins at the same time that Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants.” The show tracks the protagonists over four decades, through the Vietnam War protests, the drugs and disco of the 1970s, and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.

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“Fellow Travelers” also stars Jelani Alladin, Allison Williams and Noah J. Ricketts. Daniel Minahan serves as executive producer and directed the first two episodes. The show is co-produced by Fremantle and Showtime. It can be streamed on Paramount+ with Showtime.

CASTING

World of Wonder has announced the drag queens who will compete in season one of “Drag Race Germany,” the first German iteration of the award winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” franchise. The show is set to premiere on Sept. 5 on streaming outlet WOW Presents Plus. Hailing from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the cast of eleven drag queens includes Barbie Q, Kelly Heelton, LéLé Cocoon, Loreley Rivers, Metamorkid, Nikita Vegaz, Pandora Nox, Tessa Testicle, The Only Naomy, Victoria Shakespears and Yvonne Nightstand.

This season’s drag queens come from all different backgrounds: Barbie Q, for example, is a masters’ degree student from Munich, and Kelly Heelton is an educator living in Bad Schwalbach.

Host Barbie Breakout and co-host Gianni Jovanovic will guide contestants and audiences throughout the competition. Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell and RuPaul Charles serve as executive producers.

FIRST LOOKS

Netflix has released the trailer for the final season of the animated comedy-fantasy series “Disenchantment.”

“Disenchantment” Part 5 will follow Queen Bean (Abbi Jacobson) fighting to save Dreamland from the wicked Queen Dagmar, who is also Bean’s mother. The plot description reads that “Bean must vanquish her mother and outrun a prophecy that foretells she will kill someone she loves.” Bean is joined in her journey by her companion Elfo (Nat Faxon) and her “personal demon” Luci (Eric Andre). Featuring a dramatic orchestral version of “The Final Countdown,” the trailer depicts familial angst, epic battles, romance, life or death situations, and plenty of jokes.

Additional voice talent includes John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Noel Fielding, Meredith Hagner, David Herman, Sharon Horgan, Maurice LaMarche, Lucy Montgomery and Billy West.

“Disenchantment” is produced by the Ululu Company and comes from the animation studio Rough Draft Studios. There will be ten episodes in the final season, each about 30 minutes long. The series was created by Matt Groenig; he executive produces alongside Josh Weinstein, Claudia Katz and Deanna MacLellan.

Watch the trailer below.

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Hulu has released the first official trailer for its original series “The Other Black Girl,” which is based on Zaikya Dalila Harris’ best-selling novel.

Editorial assistant Nella finds herself “tired of being the only Black girl at her company, so she’s excited when Hazel is hired. But as Hazel’s star begins to rise, Nella spirals out and discovers something sinister is going on at the company,” per the shows official logline.

Sinclair Daniel, Ashleigh Murray, Brittany Adebumola, Hunter Parrish, Bellamy Young, Eric McCormack and Garcelle Beauvais are set to star in “The Other Black Girl.” The full series will be available for streaming on Sept. 13 via Hulu.

Harris, Rashida Jones, Adam Fishbach, Jordan Reddout, Gus Hickey, Tara Duncan, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey serve as executive producers. Reddout and Hickey also serve as co-showrunners.

Watch the official trailer below.

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Apple TV+ unveiled a first look at its new eight-episode drama “The Buccaneers” on Wednesday, which will make its debut on the streamer come Nov. 8.

The series will spotlight a group of American girls as they venture into the corseted London season of the 1870s. They will “kick off an Anglo-American culture clash as the land of the stiff upper lip is infiltrated by a refreshing disregard for centuries of tradition. Sent to secure husbands and titles, the buccaneers’ hearts are set on much more than that, and saying “I do” is just the beginning,” per the show’s official logline.

“The Buccaneers” is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton’s unfinished novel of the same name from creator Katherine Jakeways.

Kristine Frøseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, Mia Threapleton and Christina Hendrick star in the series in addition to Josh Dylan, Guy Remmers, Matthew Broome and Barney Fishwick.

The series is led by a fully female creative team, being written by Jakeways who also serves as an executive producer alongside Beth Willis.

See the first-look images below.

STREAMING

NBCUniversal and Roku have launched a new suite of FAST channels, including library content such as “Murder, She Wrote,” “Little House on the Prairie,” and “Saved By The Bell.” The Global Distribution Studio Entertainment Channels include TNBC (Teen NBC), with coming of age shows like “Punky Brewster,” and “Major Dad” and “Hang Time.”

The reality show “Bad Girls Club” will also be available to stream, while later this year, the new Universal Action channel will feature series like “The A-Team,” “Magnum P.I.” and “Knight Rider.”

“NBCUniversal has an unrivaled catalogue of iconic series that have withstood the test of time and entertained audiences around the world,” said Bruce Casino, executive vice president of sales and distribution, U.S. for NBCUniversal Global Distribution. “We are excited to expand upon our longstanding relationship with The Roku Channel and dive into the dramatically growing FAST sector by partnering with them to bring our beloved TV shows to their viewers.”

Viewers can access the channels through The Roku Channel’s Live TV Guide.

DATES

First-run syndicated series “Women Of Wrestling” (“WOW”) will return for Season 2 the weekend of of Sept. 16 on stations across the country. The all-female sports entity is co-owned by sports executive Jeanie Buss and David McLane, founder of the original “GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.”

“WOW” world champion The Beast will return in Season 2 following multiple injuries that sidelined her in Season 1. Additionally, Season 2 will feature new faces including punk rocker Rebel Haze, cheerleader Patty Pep, hip-hop dancer Lil J Boogie, East Hampton Dog Show champion Goldie Collins, feline lover Katarina Jinx, and the high-flying Mighty Mights. Returning personalities include Kandi Krush, Tiki Chamorro, Tormenta and Princess Aussie.

New key art for season two has also been released, which can be seen below.

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Emmy-nominated trial attorneys Dana and Keith Cutler will lead the syndicated courtroom series “Cutlers Court,” which is set to premiere on Sept. 11.

The series will produce 150 original half-hour episodes and began production began in July. “Cutlers Court” is Crazy Legs Productions’ first venture into daytime syndication.

“We are thrilled to be bringing this production to Atlanta and adding ‘Cutlers Court’ to our prolific portfolio,” said Tom Cappello, executive producer and co-founder/CEO of Crazy Legs. “This series will join our growing content library of feature films, both narrative and documentary, true crime, sports and docuseries.”

EXECUTIVES

Noticias Telemundo has announced that award-winning journalists Nicole Suárez and Octavio Pulido will be the new co-anchors of the network’s midday newscast at 12:30 p.m. ET. They will start their new roles on Monday, Aug. 21.

As co-anchors, they will concentrate on breaking news, live reports on developing stories and also conduct interviews. “Mediodía” can also be streamed on YouTube, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), covering daily news, politics, the economy, the environment, health and pop culture.

“Nicole and Octavio are two highly talented journalists with strong connections to our audience and a deep passion for reporting on stories impacting the Latino community,” said Patsy Loris, executive vice president of Noticias Telemundo. “The midday newscast will feature a new dynamic two-anchor format with powerful storytelling and insightful reports, building on our commitment to provide viewers with the most complete, reliable and up-to-date information.”

Suárez is an Emmy-award winning journalist who was previously an anchor on hoyDía, Telemundo’s morning news program. Pulido has won three Emmys and previously worked at Telemundo Arizona, where he was lead anchor for the 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. newscasts.

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Fox Television Stations is merging its local, national and digital sales divisions as part of a new restructuring in Fox’s advertising sales divisions. In addition, Patrick Paolini has been named executive VP of ad sales by Jack Abernethy, CEO of Fox Television Stations.

“Patrick’s unique ability to execute, developed from years in both news and sales, makes him ideally suited to lead the FTS sales organization,” said Abernethy. “I am confident that this newly elevated dynamic team will move quickly and decisively given their depth of knowledge and proven track record, including the successful creation of FLX, our CTV/OTT ad platform.”

FTS has also promoted current sales execs Sheila Bruce, Tom Fleming and Michael Page. Bruce and Fleming have been moved up to senior VP of Fox ad sales for FTS, while Page has been promoted to senior VP of digital sales for FTS. “I am excited to have Sheila, Tom and Michael join me as we transform FTS’s ad sales strategy during this pivotal time of growth,” said Paolini of his new team. “Each of them is a talented executive who challenges the status-quo and will continue to create and redefine solutions in this ever-evolving new advertising landscape. I can’t wait to get started.”

AWARDS

Morgan Wallen, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs and other artists have been nominated for this year’s People’s Choice Country Awards. From Aug. 16 to Aug. 25, fans around the world can vote for nominees across 12 categories including best male and female artist, song and concert tour of 2023.

Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Old Dominion and Zach Bryan are up for People’s artist of the year, while song of the year noms include Luke Comb and Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Hardy’s “Wait in the Truck.”

The People’s Choice Country Awards will take place at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on Sept. 28, airing live on NBC and Peacock. The evening is set to be hosted by country music group Little Big Town.

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The 2023 International Emmy Award nominees for news and current events were announced on Tuesday by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, with the award ceremony taking place on Sept. 27.

Nominees in both the news and current affairs categories spans the countries of Brazil, Israel, Qatar, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Nominated news programs include stories covering the War in Ukraine, the death of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh and the disappearance and deaths of Brazilian researcher Bruno Pereira and British journalist Dom Phillips.

The nominated current affairs programs include investigations into the death of 30 asylum seekers trying to cross the sea from France to Britain on an inflatable boat and the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire in the Ukraine War.

“In a world full of turmoil and conflict, the need for true journalistic voices is more vital than ever,” said Bruce L. Paisner, president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. “We salute the journalists around the world who take great risks every day to bring important human and political issues to the forefront.”

GREENLIGHTS

“The Chicano Squad,” a four-hour documentary series set to spotlight a real-life team of Houston patrol officers, has been greenlit by A&E.

The Chicano Squad members started out as a group of patrol officers, swiftly becoming detectives to form the first all-Latin homicide unit in Houston. Amid rates of Latin homicide cases in 1979, the group of men came together for the next three decades to become “one of the most highly decorated law enforcement units in the history of Houston.”

The series will incorporate first-hand accounts and interviews with original squad members Jim Montero, Jose Selvera, Raymond Gonzalez, U.P. Hernandez, and Cecil Mosqued, diving deeper into just how the group broke down barriers and served their community.

“The Chicano Squad were a groundbreaking group of law enforcement officers who broke down barriers and served their community with distinction,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive VP and head of programming for A&E. “This documentary will tell the untold story of the Chicano Squad, from their humble beginnings to their trailblazing work building trust between the police and the communities they served.”

Patrick Reardon, Brian Nashel, and Eric Wetherington serve as executive producers while the project was developed for Jupiter Entertainment by Chris Spry. Lawrence Bender, Kevin Kelly Brown, Sergio Selvera and Nancy De Los Santos also serve as executive producers alongside showrunner and director Mario Diaz. Maitee Cueva, Brad Abramson and Elaine Frontain Bryant join as additional executive producers.

INITIATIVES

Stage 32, the online film & TV education resource company, is giving away $100,000 worth of educational resources for SAG and WGA members and others affected by the Hollywood strikes.

The company is offering one free online workshop or webinar for each new or existing member (valued at around $300 per class) until the $100,000 cap is reached. Stage 32’s 3,000-hour catalogue is filled with master classes from industry professionals like Nick Vallelonga, Martine Guigui, Tiller Russel and Vijal Patel.

“While productions may be on hold right now, our members creative and professional journeys can and will carry on,” said Richard Botto, CEO of Stage 32. “Our goal is to keep workers motivated, inspired and full of hope for what lies ahead.”

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