TV News Roundup: Netflix Reveals First Look at ‘The Umbrella Academy’ Season 2
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In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix reveals a first look at Season 2 of “The Umbrella Academy,” and Showtime will host a virtual concert on June 21 benefitting the Equal Justice Initiative.
CASTING
Nickelodeon has signed an overall deal with 13-year-old social media influencer and hip-hop artist Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High. Nickelodeon and High will work together to develop programming across multiple platforms, create music initiatives and build a consumer products business spanning across fashion, accessories and publishing. High has been rapping, singing, writing and producing since the age of five and has already impressed the likes of Nick Cannon and Le’Veon Bell. She became the youngest female rapper to sign a recording contract with Fresh Rebel Muzik/Empire at age 11 and released her debut album “Tha Cheat Code” in September 2018.
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DATES
Amazon Prime Video announced that Jim Gaffigan‘s newest stand-up comedy special, “Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist,” will be available on July 24. The two-part special sees Gaffigan on his worldwide tour in Ontario, Canada and Barcelona, Spain, where he challenged himself to arrive with no material and base his performance off of his cultural experiences in each city. “Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist” was produced by Comedy Dynamics for Amazon Prime Video and executive produced by Brian Volk-Weiss, Cisco Henson, Jeannie Gaffigan and Alex Murray.
FIRST LOOKS
Netflix has revealed the official synopsis and first look images for Season 2 of “The Umbrella Academy” premiering July 31. The second season sees the Hargreeves siblings scattered throughout the 1960s in Dallas, Texas. Five lands in the middle of yet another apocalypse and must find a way to reunite his family in order to stop it and return to the present day, all while being haunted by a trio of Swedish assassins. “The Umbrella Academy” stars Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher, Emmy Raver-Lampman and Justin H. Min and is executive produced by showrunner Steve Blackman, Jeff F. King, Keith Goldberg and Mike Richardson along with co-producers Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá.
SPECIALS
Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries are bringing Christmas to July once again with special programming events. Hallmark Movies and Mysteries’ “Gold Crown Christmas Event” will begin June 29 at 5 p.m. and will feature three original Hallmark Christmas movies each weeknight. “Double Feature Fridays” will play two movies from the same franchise back-to-back, with “Time For Me to Come Home for Christmas” and “Time For You to Come Home for Christmas” on July 3 as well as “Christmas in Angel Falls” and “Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday” on July 10. July 4 will feature day-long programming of Christmas movies centered on the military, including “Operation Christmas,” “Holiday for Heroes” and “A Veteran’s Christmas.” In addition, Hallmark Channel’s “Keepsake Christmas” event will begin July 10 at 12 p.m. with “Christmas at Dollywood” and continue through July 27 at 6 a.m. for 17 total days of Christmas-themed favorites.
Showtime has announced a virtual concert, “The Chi With Love,” to raise money for the Equal Justice Initiative along with a $500,000 donation from Showtime and ViacomCBS to honor their series “The Chi.” The hour-long special will take place June 21 at 7 p.m. on Showtime’s YouTube channel ahead of season premiere of “The Chi,” and will feature a headlining performance from Common and remarks from Lena Waithe, creator and executive producer of “The Chi.” Other performers include “The Chi” star Jacob Latimore and Chicago artists Twista, Ravyn Lenae, Jamila Woods, BJ The Chicago Kid and MFnMelo.
PODCASTS
Audible has announced a new set of scripted Audible Originals coming this summer. “Phreaks,” a period drama about a group of phone hackers in the 1970s, stars Christian Slater, Carrie Coon, Ben McKenzie, Justice Smith and Bree Klauser. “Yard Work,” written by David Koepp and starring Kevin Bacon, is a novella in which a vine infects a widowed man’s bloodstream. Alicia Silverstone heads up “Eat Sh-t Kenny Daniels,” a comedic murder mystery created by Tony Wilson, Luke Kelly-Clyne and Susanna Wolff. Lastly, from award-winning writer Josh Koeningsberg, “Vroom Vroom” follows a car dealership trying its best not to go out of business and stars Andy Richter, Yvette Nicole Brown, John DiMaggio, Rick Gonzales, Lucy DeVito, Mic Daily and Azhar Khan.
FESTIVALS
SeriesFest has revealed new additions to its virtual festival taking place June 18-24, including a screening of “Ghostwriter” followed by a conversation with Academy Award-winning director Luke Matheny and executive producer Kay Wilson Stallings, as well as a screening of the documentary “Silent Rose” and panel discussion with director Mitch Dickman and producer Shane Boris moderated by executive producer Evan Shapiro. “Heredia Vision: The Quarantine Collection” and “Hot Spot” are now also set to screen during the fest. In addition, SeriesFest has announced its annual International Spotlight on eight original series from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Peru and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, Aaliyah Williams has joined the panel “Innovation Talk with Terri Weinberg“; Mattea Conforti and executive producer Joe Hill will make an appearance on the panel for “NOS482“; “Mythic Quest: Quarantine” cast members Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch and Imani Hakim will participate in a Q&A; and Patrick Wimp, HaJ and Dahéli Hall will join the “Amplify Inclusion Through Independent Series” panel.
LATE NIGHT
Tonight, Gwyneth Paltrow, Zachary Quinto and Alec Benjamin will appear on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” while Mark Ruffalo is tonight’s guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!“; Hasan Minhaj and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will be on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert“; Kevin Bacon and Rita Wilson will join “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Yvonne Orji and Black Pumas will be on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.”
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