HBO Max Sets ‘Baketopia’ Premiere Date (TV News Roundup)

In today’s TV news roundup, HBO set the release date for its new baking competition series “Baketopia,” hosted by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino, and Syfy announced the premiere date for the fifth and final season of “Van Helsing.”

DATES

BET Plus announced that the second season of Will Packer-executive produced comedy series “Bigger” will premiere April 22. Tanisha Long, Angell Conwell, Rasheda Crockett, Chase Anthony and Tristen Winger will return as series regulars while Angela Ko, Bechir Sylvain, Alyssa Brooke and Warren Burke will return as recurring guest stars. The new season also features notable guest stars including Tori Spelling, Jasmine Guy, Christopher “Play” Martin, Eva Marcille, Devale Ellis, Toccara, Karlie Redd, Debbie Morgan, Curtis Washington, Charmin Lee, Alexa Rachelle Jennings and more. Created by showrunner Felischa Marye, “Bigger” follows a close-knit group of 30-somethings as they balance love, friendships and career ambitions. Season 2 will kick off three months after the arrest of Layne (Long) and her friends, testing the group’s relationships.

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Tribeca Enterprises and Comedy Dynamics will release four stand-up comedy specials that were filmed over the course of four nights at the Tribeca Drive-In at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. last summer. The specials, featuring comedians Dave Helem, Ester Steinberg, Daniel Webb and Erica Rhodes, will release on a rolling basis beginning March 23 on multiple streaming and cable platforms. “Dave Helem: D.J. The Chicago Kid,” which will release March 23, will feature the writer, actor and comedian in an hour-long special that explores everything from his former math teacher days to why protesting doesn’t look the same for everyone. In her postpartum pandemic special airing March 30, “Ester Steinberg: Burning Bush,” the comedian opens up about a risqué photoshoot and a wild bachelorette weekend, sharing stories from her first year of marriage and what it’s like giving birth during a pandemic. “Daniel Webb: Hoe’s Parade Live at the Rose Bowl,” set for an April 6 release, will feature his signature queer comedy, touching on topics like slutty pandemic survival stories and men that lie about STDs. Premiering April 13, “Erica Rhodes: La Vie en Rhodes” brings the comedian and actor’s signature confessional style to the screen, featuring topics like nonmotivational quotes, emoji etiquette and narcissistic exes. All four specials were directed by Brian Volk-Weiss and executive produced by Cisco Henson. Tribeca and Michael Epstein served as producers.

The fifth and final season of Syfy fantasy-drama “Van Helsing” is set to return April 16 at 10 p.m. The 13-episode, hour-long drama returns with cast members Kelly Overton, Jonathan Scarfe, Tricia Helfer, Aleks Paunovic, Kim Coates, Keeya King, Nicole Muñoz, Jesse Stanley and Jennifer Cheon, among others. In Season 5 of “Van Helsing,” Vanessa (Overton), Violet (King) and Jack (Muñoz) will risk everything to finally bring an end to the Dark One, leading to an epic showdown between the Van Helsings and the Dark One. The series is executive produced by Chad Oakes, Michael Frislev, Jonathan Lloyd Walker, Neil Labute and Dan March. Watch the Season 5 trailer below.

HBO Max baking competition series “Baketopia,” hosted and executive produced by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino, will premiere March 25. The 12-episode series features brilliant bakers taking on viral-worthy challenges in a larger-than-life baking wonderland complete with every ingredient and tool a baker could use. In each episode, competitors fill their carts with unique ingredients to create trendsetting desserts in hopes of impressing Pansino and her “cake council” to win $10,000. Pansino, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, is the internet’s top foodie creator as the host of the popular YouTube series “Nerdy Nummies.” “Baketopia” is executive produced by Rhett Bachner and Brien Meagher for B17 Entertainment. Patrick J. Doody serves as showrunner. Watch a trailer below.

LATE NIGHT

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will feature guests Nick Offerman, Hailey Bieber and Freddie Gibbs, while “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” will feature Dr. Anthony Fauci.

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