TV News Roundup: Steven Yeun, Seth Rogen and More Join ‘Invincible’ at Amazon

In today’s roundup, Steven Yeun and Seth Rogen are among additions to “Invincible,” and “Russian Doll” releases its second official trailer.

CASTING

Related stories

Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells Talk Snorting 'Coke' on 'Black Monday'

TV News Roundup: Steven Yeun Joins 'Twilight Zone' at CBS All Access

Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg to Produce 'Console Wars' as Limited Series

Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Seth Rogen, Gillian Jacobs, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beetz, Mark Hamill, and more will star as voices in Amazon Prime Video’s new hour-long animated series “Invincible” from “The Walking Dead” writer Robert Kirkman, co-creator Cory Walker and artist Ryan Ottley. Based on the comic book series of the same name, the eight-episode series will premiere globally in 2020. “Invincible” will also star Walton Goggins (“Justified”), Jason Mantzoukas (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Mae Whitman (“Good Girls”), Chris Diamantopoulos (“Silicon Valley”), Melise (“The Flash”), Kevin Michael Richardson (“The Simpsons”), Grey Griffin (“Avengers Assemble”), Max Burkholder (“Imaginary Order”) and more. “Invincible” is an adult animated superhero show that revolves around 17-year-old Mark Grayson (Yeun), whose father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father’s legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.

Fox Nation has signed Abby Hornacek as a travel and lifestyle host. She will make her debut on Feb. 3 as host of the Fox News Channel special entitled, “Fox Nation: In Depth,” which will air during halftime of the Super Bowl. Hornacek will then appear frequently across the FOX Nation platform as the host of two new upcoming series.

FIRST LOOKS

Netflix’s “Russian Doll” has released the second official trailer for Season 1. The dramedy series will premiere Feb. 1, and stars Natasha Lyonne as a woman who gets caught in a mysterious loop, repeatedly attending the same party and dying at the end of the night, only to awake the next day unharmed. The series is co-created by Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland, who all serve as executive producers, with Headland and Lyonne as writers for the series. Watch the video below.

The teaser trailer has been released for Allison Flom’s YouTube “Freelance” series. The five episode 8-minute dramedy series follows the personal and professional interactions of six people who work from home in New York City as they get in their own way, face profound yet mundane challenges, cope with the loneliness all-too-familiar to freelancers, and are forced to change their plans when they cross paths with each other. Flom wrote and directed the show, which launches Friday, Feb. 1. Watch the teaser below.

Hulu has released the teaser for “Shrill,” the comedy series starring Aidy Bryant as Annie, a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body. Annie is trying to start her career while juggling bad boyfriends, a sick parent, and a perfectionist boss. The series is executive produced by Lorne Michaels, Elizabeth Banks, showrunner Ali Rushfield, Lindy West, Andrew Singer of Broadway Video, and Max Handelman of Brownstone Productions. The six-episode season will launch on Friday, March 15. Watch below.

DATES

Michael Bublé returns to NBC on Wednesday, March 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with “bublé!,” his seventh music special on the network. The show takes the audience on a musical journey through his career and features six songs from his new album, “love,” as well as his popular hits including “Home” and “It’s a Beautiful Day,” and classic tunes like “Fly Me to the Moon” and “La Vie en Rose.”

“Mental Samurai,” the first “obstacle course for the mind,” premieres Tuesday, March 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. Hosted and produced by Rob Lowe, the competition series will feature contestants being tested in categories of knowledge, memory, puzzles, sequencing, while being transported in a capsule which can rotate 360 degrees.

“Late Night with Seth Meyers” will air a live telecast on Tuesday, Feb. 5 to offer real-time analysis on the State of the Union address delivered earlier that evening by President Trump. Taylor Schilling and Ana Navarro will join as guests, and drummer Tucker Rule will sit in with the 8G Band. In addition, the monologue for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will be taped following the State of the Union that same night. “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie will join Fallon on the show as well to discuss the president’s address.

EXECUTIVE NEWS

Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that Hannah Minghella, president of TriStar Pictures, will expand her role at the studio and also assume oversight of TriStar Television. The role expansion will further strengthen the studio’s synergistic efforts between all lines of business. Minghella will be named president of TriStar Pictures and TriStar Television, effective immediately. On the film side she will continue to report to Tom Rothman, chairman of SPE’s Motion Picture Group, and on the television side to Chris Parnell and Jason Clodfelter, co-presidents of Sony Pictures Television.

INITIATIVES

Cartoon Network Studios has selected six artists for its inaugural Storyboard Artist Training Program, a paid educational course aimed to expand career opportunities for up-and-coming creative talent. The finalists will embark on a 12-week journey where they will work alongside Cartoon Network employees to gain firsthand television storyboarding experiences. Staffed on rotating in-house production crews, participants will receive mentorship and training to refine their craft. The finalists are Marcy Bones, Miranda Harmon, Christine Le, Alabaster Pizzo, Jazzlyn Weaver, and Briggite Woltjen.

EVENTS

Comedy Central, Superfly, and Outside Lands co-producer Another Planet Entertainment, announced today that Comedy Central Presents Clusterfest, the three-day comedy and music festival, will return to San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Friday, June 21 to Sunday, June 23. Now in its third year, this celebration of comedy and music continues to combine a collection of established and up-and-coming talent performances with immersive fan experiences based on popular comedy series. The talent lineup will be announced in March.

DIGITAL

AMC announced that viewers will be able to watch the upcoming Season 9 mid-season premiere of “The Walking Dead” a full week before it appears on the linear television network. The episode will be available to AMC Premiere customers on the afternoon of Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, and will remain on the on-demand platform all week leading into the “official” premiere on AMC at 9 p.m. on Feb. 10. AMC Premiere is available through the AMC app to viewers who receive AMC as part of a pay television package.

Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!