HBO Original Series ‘The Gilded Age’ Drops Season 2 Trailer (TV News Roundup)
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HBO original series “The Gilded Age” has dropped a trailer for its eight-episode second season, premiering Oct. 29 on HBO and streaming on Max. Julian Fellowes (“Downton Abbey”) serves as creator, writer and executive producer.
Set in the titular time period around the 1880s, this historical drama chronicles the divisions in wealthy society. It chiefly follows Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), an aspiring socialite whose husband, George Russell (Morgan Spector) is a railroad tycoon. Bertha enters the New York high society scene, only to find that the other ladies look down on her “new money” status. She makes an enemy of “old money” Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), who believes that Bertha doesn’t belong in their world.
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Season 2 sees the conflict between Bertha and the “old system” ramp up after Bertha’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music is rejected and she decides to fights back.
“You seem to have won the first battle,” George tells his wife in the trailer.
“I intend to win the war,” Bertha responds.
Watch the trailer below here.
In other TV roundup news:
FIRST LOOKS
Apple TV+ has debuted the trailer for Season 4 of the space drama “For All Mankind,” premiering on Nov. 10. One new episode will air every Friday through Jan. 12.
The Season 4 logline reads: “Rocketing into the new millennium in the eight years since season three, Happy Valley has rapidly expanded its footprint on Mars by turning former foes into partners.”
The summary continues, “Now 2003, the focus of the space program has turned to the capture and mining of extremely valuable, mineral-rich asteroids that could change the future of both Earth and Mars. But simmering tensions between the residents of the now-sprawling international base threaten to undo everything they are working towards.”
Returning cast members include Joel Kinnaman, Wrenn Schmidt, Krys Marshall, Edi Gathegi, Cynthy Wu and Coral Peña. New series regulars include Toby Kebbell, Tyner Rushing, Daniel Stern and Svetlana Efremova.
Emmy Award-winner Ronald D. More and Emmy nominees Ben Nevidi and Matt Wolpert are the series creators. Nedivi and Wolpert are executive producers with Moore and Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions; David Weddle, Bradley Thompson and Seth Edelstein also executive produce. The series is produced for Apple TV+ by Sony Pictures Television.
Season 4 includes ten episodes. Watch the trailer below.
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Netflix animated drama series “Blue Eye Samurai” has released an official trailer.
Set in Edo-period Japan around the mid-1600s, this epic eight-episode series follows a mixed-race samurai, Mizu (Maya Erskine). Mizu seeks to kill the four white men who took her mother and turned her into a monster, in particular Abijah Fowler (Kenneth Branagh). Mizu’s revenge oath takes her on a violent, epic journey throughout Japan searching for clues about the men’s whereabouts.
The creators, Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, sought to emphasize Asian representation by casting stars such as George Takei (“Star Trek”), Brenda Song (“The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”), Darren Barnet (“Never Have I Ever”), Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Ming-Na Wen (“Mulan”). For Noizumi, it was important that “everybody [in the cast] was actually Asian.”
Noizumi and Green spoke with Netflix about their inspirations for the show in crafting the character of Mizu and her racial identity.
“There’s the internalized self-hatred that marginalized people feel, and the harm and rage and the destruction that come as a result of it,” said Noizumi. “Mizu had no control over how she was made and how she’s perceived, and she has no other option but to pursue this life of vengeance.”
Green echoed Noizumi’s thoughts, saying that Mizu’s “outsider status” as a mixed-race samurai made for rich story material.
Noizumi, Green and Erwin Stoff serve as executive producers. Noizumi and Green also served as writers along with Yana Bille-Chung. Jane Wu is supervising director and producer.
The series premieres Nov. 3, streaming on Netflix.
Watch the trailer below.
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Paramount+ has released the trailer for the upcoming Taylor Sheridan anthology series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” premiering Nov. 5.
The series stars David Oyelowo, Lauren E. Banks, Demi Singleton, Forrest Goodluck, Barry Pepper, Donald Sutherland and Dennis Quaid.
Per the logline, the series “follows the journey of Reeves (Oyelowo) and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during the course of his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family.”
Guest stars include Shea Whigham and Garrett Hedlund and recurring stars include Joaquina Kalukango, Lonnie Chavis, Grantham Coleman, Tosin Morohunfola, Dale Dickey, Rob Morgan, Ryan O’Nan, Margot Bingham, Mo Brings Plenty, Justin Hurtt-Dunkley and Bill Dawes.
Future seasons of the anthology series will feature different “iconic lawmen and outlaws who have impacted history.”
Oyelowo also serves as executive producer alongside creator and showrunner Chad Feehan; additional executive producers include Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Jessica Oyelowo, David Permut, Christina Alexandra Voros, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and David Hutkin. The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, Bosque Ranch Productions and Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon.
Watch the trailer below.
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AMC Networks’ “Orphan Black: Echoes” has dropped a new teaser trailer.
Created by Anna Fishko (“Fear the Walking Dead”) and executive produced by Krysten Ritter (“Marvel’s Jessica Jones”), the sci-fi thriller is a spin-off from the original “Orphan Black” television series (2013-2017).
As per the press release, the show centers on the “scientific manipulation of human existence.”
“[‘Orphan Black: Echoes’] follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal,” the series description reads.
Ritter stars as Lucy, a woman who wakes up and doesn’t know who she is or when it is. The trailer sees Lucy being told that she’s had an “operation.” What follows is Lucy desperately trying to figure out what happened to her, as she finds pink coating underneath her fingernails and finds a vault filled with pink liquid. At one point, Lucy herself emerges from the vault, ripping the pink rubber-like coating off her face.
AMC also announced that Rya Kihlstedt (“A Teacher”) and James Hiroyuki Liao (“Barry”) will star as brilliant neuroscientist Eleanor and self-made billionare Darros, respectively.
“Orphan Black: Echoes” will premiere on AMC, AMC+ and BBC America in 2024.
Watch the trailer below.
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The name of the new Leo Messi-inspired animated series has been revealed as “Messi and the Giants.” The series will be produced and distributed by Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television — Kids, together with Leo Messi Management, and introduced at Mipcom, the international TV conference.
“We’re thrilled to present ‘Messi and the Giants’ at Mipcom, the global market for entertainment content,” said Fernando Cabral of Sony Music Entertainment in a statement. “With our partners at Sony Pictures Television – Kids, we can’t wait to share the vision and creative direction behind this inspirational series with full support from Leo and his incredible team.”
Intended for children and young adolescent audiences, “Messi and the Giants” follows a 12-year-old Messi who confronts various obstacles while traveling throughout a video game on a quest to go home. The series will feature original music from Sony Music Entertainment artists and composers.
Guy Toubes has joined the project as lead scriptwriter, and Atlantis Animation will serve as the lead creative studio driving graphic development and art treatment.
“Football is the only sport around the world that can inspire excitement and connection in the same way that storytelling does. What makes this series special is that it focuses on the same principles of good sportsmanship … it’s about perseverance, resilience, teamwork and believing in yourself,” Joe D’Ambrosia of Sony Pictures Television – Kids said in a statement.
Watch the teaser clip Messi posted on Instagram below.
GREENLIGHTS AND RENEWALS
At New York Comic Con, Adult Swim announced a new stop motion series called “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads” and the renewal of their animated comedy series “Yolo” for a third season.
“Women Wearing Shoulder Pads,” Adult Swim’s first Spanish-language series, “follows a wealthy Spaniard living in Ecuador as she journeys through the complicated world of love, family, commercials, and cuyes, a.k.a. South American guinea pigs.”
The series is a quarter-hour comedy featuring an all-female cast, centering on an affluent and driven Spanish character named Marioneta who is living in South America, “pursuing both business and pleasure.” “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads” is created by Gonzalo Cordova (“Tuca and Bertie,” “Adam Ruins Everything”) in partnership with Cinema Fantasma, a studio based in Mexico City.
Additionally, Adult Swim has renewed Michael Cusack’s “Yolo” for a third season entitled “Yolo: Rainbow Trinity.”
“While we’ve all seen a million stop motion shows in Spanish featuring an all-female cast centered on the plight of guinea pigs, Gonzalo’s unique voice and the visually rich stop-motion from Cinema Fantasma meant that we couldn’t pass up on ‘Women Wearing Shoulder Pads,’” said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim. “We are also big fans of Michael Cusack’s creative vision, and it’s a huge win for us to continue working with him on the hilarious ‘YOLO.’”
STREAMING
BBC Studios will launch five new free-ad supported (FAST) channels on Amazon Freevee beginning Oct. 17. The FAST channels will showcase over 1,000 hours of titles such as “The Catherine Tate Show,” “Misfits” and “Without Limits.”
Amazon Freevee viewers will have access to BBC Comedy, BBC Gameshows, BBC Sci-Fi, BBC Travel and Silent Witness/New Tricks.
“With an extensive catalog spanning countless genres, we’re uniquely positioned to curate new entertainment experiences, that leverage the best of our fan-favored British content, for every type of audience,” Beth Anderson of BBC Studios said in a statement. “As more and more viewers discover the joys of discovering classic TV shows on FAST platforms, we’re delighted to debut our new suite of customized channels on Amazon Freevee in the US.”
This deal with Amazon Freevee marks BBC Studios’ latest launch since entering the FAST space in 2019. BBC Studios has launched seventeen editorially-curated FAST channels in the United States.
Amazon Freevee is a streaming service with thousands of movies and TV shows, including originals and FAST channels. All FAST channels available on Freevee can be accessed through the Freevee app, Fire TV and Prime Video.
RATINGS
Nickelodeon has scored with Halloween content, averaging 2.6 million viewers across platforms for “Monster High 2” and 1.9 million for “A Really Haunted Loud House.”
“Monster High 2,” which aired Oct. 5, ranked number one across all cable television for kids ages 2-11 and 6-11 in its timeslot. It also boasted double-digit increases for Nickelodeon in the category of Live + Same Day with a 33% year-over-year increase with the 6-11 age group and a 25% increase in 2-11.
Additionally, the sequel to “Monster High” brought in double and triple-digit increases in Live \+3, up 125% with children 6-11 and 80% with the 2-11 demographic versus Live + Same Day.
“Monster High 2” also outperformed last year’s “Monster High: The Movie” with its ratings and share increases in Live + Same Day in the 6-11 demographic.
“A Really Haunted Loud House,” which aired Thursday, Sept. 28, brought in double and triple digit increases in Live+3, up 100% for children 2-11.
Viewers tuned in to watch these Halloween specials on Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nicktoons and TeenNick.
EVENTS
“Shark Tank” star Daymond John, who serves as CEO and founder of hip hop apparel company FUBU, has announced that this year’s Black Entrepreneurs Day (BED) will take place Nov. 1 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The event will be livestreamed via the Black Entrepreneurs Day website, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms.
This is the fourth annual BED, which celebrates Black business leaders to inspire the next generation of Black entrepreneurs. Whoopi Goldberg, Shaquille O’Neal and Cedric the Entertainer, among other Black professionals, will be in attendance to discuss their work. These one-on-one conversations will be moderated by John.
“We may be three years out from the George Floyd travesty and the height of support for Black Lives Matter, but the need for resources and community support for our Black businesses remains paramount. I salute our partners who year after year, support our mission to educate and inspire Black entrepreneurs around the globe,” John said in a press release.
The event will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Rick Ross, American rapper and music producer, will perform in honor of hip hop’s cultural legacy.
Through the “NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant,” BED will offer over $750,000 in business grants to Black entrepreneurs and business owners who seek financial support. Those selected will receive $25,000 to promote the growth of their businesses.
DEALS
The Patricia W. Mitchell Trust has established a $5 million endowment at the USC School of Cinematic Arts to develop the John H. Mitchell Program in Episodic Television and give additional support to the John H. Mitchell Business of Entertainment Program.
This endowment will improve existing courses in single-camera television dramatic series and advanced multi-camera television as well as create courses in documentary series and single camera comedy series. Additionally, the funds will support the Business of Entertainment Program with the development of curriculum focused on ethics and the effects of advanced technology, like AI, on the entertainment industry.
“We are so grateful for this continued funding from the Patricia W. Mitchell Trust,” said Dean Elizabeth M. Daley. “The establishment of the John H. Mitchell Program in Episodic Television, a form which John Mitchell helped to create as the first president of Columbia Pictures Television, and the enhancement of Mitchell curriculum further honors the legacy of John and Patricia Mitchell and will go a long way in supporting students as they learn to be sound and ethical content creators and business leaders in the industry. We deeply appreciate the support of Mitchell Trustee Bill Allen for these important additions of our curriculum.”
PARTNERSHIPS
Roku has joined a multi-title international distribution partnership with global film and television studio Fifth Season. In this partnership, Fifth Season will serve as Roku’s international format and tape distribution partner for a selection of unscripted Roku originals.
Fifth Season has invested in and will exclusively handle the sales of worldwide rights to projects, excluding the United States, Canada and Latin America.
Fifth Season will oversee the rights of Roku originals including Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis’ “Honest Renovations”; the survivalist competition “Fight to Survive,” “Morimoto’s Sushi Master” featuring “Iron Chef”’s Masaharu Morimoto; “Celebrity Family Food Battle” executive produced by Sofia Vergara and hosted by Manolo Vergara; Jay Brewer’s “Reptile Royalty”; and “The Cupcake Guys” starring football players-turned-bakers Brian “Rak” Orakpo and Michael “Griff” Griffin. More titles will be added in the future.
Brian Tannenbaum, head of originals at Roku Media, said of the partnership, “With millions of streamers already enjoying our lineup of Roku Originals, we look forward to working with Fifth Season to bring our standout original programming to an even larger audience across the globe.”
OBITUARIES
Craig Oliver Sjodin, Disney staff photographer who covered every season of “The Bachelor” franchise, died on Sep. 15 from injuries in a bicycle accident. He was 67.
Sjodin was known for the 39 years he spent at Disney as a still photographer. He was set to retire just two weeks after his death.
During his extensive career, Sjodin was a photographer for the daytime television series “General Hospital,” where he took many of the show’s anniversary portraits. His work was also seen in shows like “Dancing with the Stars,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Castle.”
In honor of his contributions to the “The Bachelor” franchise, the season nine premiere of “Bachelor in Paradise” featured a dedication in loving tribute to Sjodin, who took the iconic photographs of contestants standing with their roses before each season.
Sjodin is survived by his wife, Esther Bekhore Sjodin, his son Ryan and his sisters Brenda (Dave) Rickey, Nancy Nickoloff and Linda Hughes, as well as other relatives.
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