Seann William Scott has boarded ABC’s upcoming comedy series, “Shifting Gears.”

He will join series lead Tim Allen, as well as Kat Dennings, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis in the new sitcom. Scott’s casting comes months after “Shifting Gears” was ordered to series by ABC after initially receiving a pilot order from the network in March.

The new series centers on a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop named Matt (Allen). “When Matt’s estranged daughter Riley (Dennings) and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins,” according to the official logline.

Scott joins the cast as Gabriel, a family friend of Matt and Riley who works in the shop. Mitchell will play Stitch, while Simkins plays Carter and Margolis stars as Georgia.

By the time “Shifting Gears” was ordered to series in July, writers Mike Scully and Julie Thacker-Scully,...

Seann William Scott has joined the upcoming ABC comedy series “Shifting Gears,” Variety has learned.

Scott will appear alongside series leads Tim Allen and Kat Dennings, as well as cast members Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins, and Barrett Margolis. The show was picked up to series in July with plans to begin shooting in November.

As previously announced, Allen stars in the series as Matt, “the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop,” per the official logline. “When Matt’s estranged daughter (Dennings) and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.”

Scott will appear in the newly created series regular role of Gabriel, who is described as a “family friend of Matt & Riley who works in the shop with Matt.”

This will be just the third series regular role Scott has had in his career. He previously starred in the Fox mockumentary comedy “Welcome to Flatch...

Seann William Scott has been tapped as a lead opposite Tim Allen and Kat Dennings in the upcoming ABC multi-camera comedy series Shifting Gears.

The sitcom, which will go into production in November, stars Allen as Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter, Riley (Dennings), and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.

Scott will play Gabriel, a family friend of Matt (Allen) and Riley (Dennings) who works in the shop with Matt.

This is a newly created character that replaces Nick from the pilot. Originally played by Froy Gutierrez, Nick, Matt’s son and Riley’s game coder younger brother, will not be part of the series.

The cast also includes Daryl “Chill” Mitchell as Stitch, Maxwell Simkins as Carter and Barrett Margolis as Georgia.

Michelle Nader serves as showrunner. She succeeded Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Scully...

As “Reykjavik,” a look at a critical summit between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that helped determine the fate of the two superpowers, begins shooting in Iceland this week, the drama has brought on Hope Davis, Branka Katic and Aya Cash. They join the Sk Global feature, which has already lined up an impressive ensemble that includes Jeff Daniels as Ronald Reagan, Jared Harris as Mikhail Gorbachev and J.K. Simmons as Secretary of State George Shultz.

Davis, who appeared on Broadway opposite Daniels in “God of Carnage,” will star as Nancy Reagan. Katic is set to play Raisa Gorbachev, wife of the Soviet leader, and Cash has been tapped to portray a young journalist covering the Reykjavik Summit. Production officially commenced Tuesday on location in Reykjavik, where the cast and crew started filming in and around Höfði House, the actual site of a 1986 meeting that happened as the...

Stapleview, the producer of TikTok’s first longform sketch comedy show, is expanding its horizons.

The company is relaunching itself in the fall with a slate of half-hour shows that will run on several social platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Stapleview, headed by Sam Grey and Daniel Lantsman, will premiere five shows in the fall and is starting production on three more.

“Ultimately, it comes down to empowering talent that can speak authentically, not only to digital natives but to all fans of comedy. This is the heart of what we are developing and producing,” Grey and Lantsman said in a statement. “The magic is combining talent discovery and having a clear understanding of how digital platforms are the new networks for fans of comedy. As our partnership and company grows with exceptional advisors and investors who believe in us and our path, it’s exciting to be at...

Exclusive: Dan Magnante has been hired by 2Am, the production/ management company founded by Christine D’Souza Gelb, David Hinojosa and Kevin Rowe. Magnante will join as a producer with a focus on television.

Overseen by Hinojosa, 2Am’s film and TV production division just launched with a Venice Film Festival World Premiere Halina Reijn’s Babygirl—starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, and Antonio Banderas. A North American premiere is upcoming at TIFF, as is one for Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, on which Hinojosa was exec producer. The company is also in post-production on Celine Song’s Materialists, featuring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Previously, 2Am produced Song’s directing debut, the Oscar-nominated film Past Lives.

Magnante will be based in 2Am’s Los Angeles office with D’Souza Gelb and Julia Nelson. Magnante has produced both film and television, and he spent over a decade at Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment.

Exclusive: Kingston Rumi Southwick (Presumed Innocent) and Banks Repeta (Armageddon Time) will topline Henry’s Ebb, an indie horror thriller marking the feature debut of writer-director Thomas Mendolia.

Others starring in the film, which recently wrapped production in North Carolina, include Ashley Shelton (War Pony), Will Holland, Rebecca Ann Koon (The Menu) and Austin Willard.

Described as a southeastern-set story in the vein of Stand By Me or Mud, with genre elements, Henry’s Ebb follows Henry (Southwick) as he runs away from an abusive home with his imaginary best friend, Ebb (Repeta). The journey tests their friendship, as well as Henry’s inner “need” for Ebb as Ebb’s control and manipulation over Henry intensifies.

Lucas Ford and Joey LePage are serving as the film’s producers, with Ford Films as the production company. Tracy Kilpatrick (The Peanut Butter Falcon) oversaw casting.

Exclusive: Sony Pictures International Productions and Mucho Mas Media are in development on The Pet Nup, an original rom-com to be directed by Elaine del Valle (Midnight Hustle). Cast for the pic will include Emeraude Toubia (With Love), Gregg Sulkin (Runaways), Halston Sage (Dark Phoenix) and Emmy winner Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl).

Scripted by Tate Hanyok (Sex Appeal), the film’s logline is as follows: While a recently divorced couple navigates new life and love apart, the arrangement in their “Pet-Nup” forces them to extremes as they fight for custody of the one thing in their life that can’t be split in two: their dog.

Javier Chapa will produce for Mucho Mas Media (The Long Game). Phillip Braun will exec produce for Mucho Mas, along with Sherrese Clarke Soares for Harbourview Equity.

Previously starring in Gloria Calderón Kellett’s Prime Video series With Love and Freeform’s Shadowhunters,...

Exclusive: BBC Studios Productions, which is behind series such as ABC’s Dancing With The Stars and CBS’ Ghosts, is bringing together its U.S. and UK production teams in a restructure that will see the departure of Valerie Bruce.

The company, which is the commercial production division of the British public broadcaster, is aligning its U.S. unscripted entertainment and scripted teams, largely based out of LA, with their UK counterparts.

As such, Bruce, who is General Manager of its LA Productions unit, is leaving after 13 years.

The move will see Ryan O’Dowd, EVP, Entertainment & Music, reporting directly to Matt Forde, BBC Studios Productions’ MD, Global Entertainment, who is based in London. O’Dowd, who is understood to have renewed his deal with BBC Studios, will now work closer with the company’s UK development team as it looks to develop more formats that can travel into the U.

Exclusive: Only Murders in the Building is expanding its recurring cast with Desmin Borges (You’re The Worst), Siena Werber (Brand New Cherry Flavor) and newcomer Lilian Rebelo (Our Dear Drug Lord).

They join stars/executive producers Steve Martin, who also co-created the hit Hulu series, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as well as new recurring players Zach Galifianakis, Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy and returning Meryl Streep in the upcoming fourth season.

All new characters will be integral to the twists and turns of the investigation into the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Martin) stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent Deadline interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio, Charles, Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles...

You can always expect Allison Janney to deliver a great performance any time she shows up in a movie or TV show, and she even won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in the 2018 film I, Tonya. Next up on the list of projects she’ll be gracing with her presence is A Simple Favor 2, which reteams Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters director Paul Feig with his A Simple Favor stars Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. Filming is expected to begin this spring, and the film is heading for a streaming release on Prime Video.

There are several more returning cast members this sequel. In addition to Lively and Kendrick, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack will all be reprising their roles from the first movie. Variety reports that Janney’s fellow new additions include Elena Sofia Ricci (Loose Cannons), Michele Morrone (365 Days...

Exclusive: Following recent confirmation from Amazon MGM Studios and Lionsgate that A Simple Favor 2 is a go, the film has added seven new cast members: Elena Sofia Ricci, Michele Morrone (365 Days), Elizabeth Perkins (Minx), Alex Newell (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Taylor Ortega (Grand Death Lotto), Lorenzo de Moor, and Aparna Nancherla (The Drop).

While Nancherla reprises her role as Sona, all other roles are new and under wraps for now.

Deadline was first to report on the sequel two years ago, as stars Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively and director Paul Feig signed on to return. Others set to reprise include Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Bashir Salahuddin, Joshua Satine, Ian Ho, and Kelly McCormack.

Released by Lionsgate in 2018 to critical acclaim and more than $97 million at the worldwide box office, A Simple Favor is a mystery thriller that adapts the same-name novel by Darcey Bell. The first film introduces...

Exclusive: Hit CBS comedy Ghosts came out of an interesting deal between BBC Studios, the production arm of the British public broadcaster, and Lionsgate.

That deal, which was initially signed in 2018, has now come to an end, Deadline understands.

This comes as two of the key executives involved in the co-production pact, Rachel Bendavid and Angie Stephenson, have secured new roles at BBC Studios LA Productions, the Culver City-based division of the BBC.

“Our scripted co-production partnership with Lionsgate has been successful and productive, leading to one of the biggest hit comedies on television. While we have mutually agreed not to extend our formal business agreement, Lionsgate will remain a valued partner, and we will continue to work together for years to come on the hit show Ghosts and on an array of projects in development,” a BBC Studios spokeswoman told Deadline. “We are pleased to welcome Rachel Bendavid to...

Drew (Colin Burgess) believes he’s gonna have a bunch of sex if he just quits his desk job. In “Free Time” (as in reality), it doesn’t quite work out that way.

In Ryan Martin Brown’s debut feature film, shot over 10 days on the streets of New York, the main character hits a quarter-life crisis — hard. Drew chooses life over work … until he realizes life isn’t really happening while everyone else is at work. Drew quickly cycles through hobbies (including literally cycling), friends, and every which way to watch a DVD. As it turns out, what he really wants is the mundanity of structure. Drew wants a job.

If stand-up comedian and actor Burgess feels like perfect casting as the lead, well, that’s probably because the movie was written for him, Brown said. “Free Time,” distributed by Cartilage Films, also stars Rajat Suresh (“Severance”), Holmes (“Welcome to Flatch”), James Webb,...

Exclusive: The cast for the American High and Hartbeat Hulu movie Prom Dates has been set with Chelsea Handler and Best in Show‘s John Michael Higgins, but also Julia Lester, Antonia Gentry, Kenny Ridwan, Jt Neal, Jordan Buhat, Zión Moreno, and Terry Hu. The movie will hit the service this spring.

The Kim O. Nguyen directed, D.J. Mausner scripted movie follows best friends Jess and Hannah (Gentry and Lester), who make a pact at 13 to have the perfect senior prom. Despite the impending changes that college will bring over the next four years, the two are committed to honoring their prom pact. But with only 24 hours left before the big event, everything falls apart when they break up with each of their dates. Jess and Hannah are left with one night to find new dates and live out their middle-school fantasies.

Producers are Jeremy Garelick, Will Phelps and Molle DeBartolo...

Check back for latest … The fall TV season was upended by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but the beat goes on, though heavy with reality and other unscripted fare like game shows. As Hollywood begins to recover from the dual labor actions, here again is Deadline’s annual list of premiere dates for new and returning TV series.

The roster covers hundreds broadcast, cable and streaming programs debuting through 2023. It includes series and season debuts, shows returning from hiatus and some one-offs such as live sports and awards specials but not movies. The list includes shows that had been set for the fall season but are in limbo for now. Note that older 2023 premiere dates are listed at the bottom.

Related: TV Series Fading To Black In 2023 & Beyond: Photo Gallery Of Canceled Shows

We update this post daily as more dates are revealed. Please send any additions or adjustments to erikpedersen@deadline.

Exclusive: Ken Jeong, Sarah Chalke and Krystal Smith have been cast in guest roles on the upcoming Season 2 of Animal Control.

Jeong’s role will reunite him with his Community co-star Joel McHale, who leads the Fox workplace comedy. The comedian, who is also a judge on Fox’s The Masked Singer, will play “Lee Park,” a well-respected, moderately unhinged dog whisperer.

Chalke has been cast for the guest star role of “Yazmin,” Frank’s (McHale) “one who got away.”

Smith will appear in a recurring guest star role as “Bettany,” Emily’s (Vella Lovell) tenacious and tough new assistant. Smith returns to Fox, having previously starred as “Mandy Matthews” in Welcome to Flatch.

Animal Control got the Season 2 go ahead in May after a successful launch as Fox’s most-streamed scripted debut of all time. The second installment is set to premiere on March 6.

The series is a workplace...

Fox is the latest broadcast network (following CBS, ABC and NBC) to reveal its game plan for midseason, and it features three live-action scripted series, a lotta reality-tv (including America’s Most Wanted‘s first new episodes in years), and Family Guy‘s first non-Sunday time slot in more than two decades.

As previously reported, 9-1-1: Lone Star is being held for next fall, as are the new dramas Doc and Rescue: Hi-Surf; Season 2 of the anthology Accused is also Mia below, but Fox says that additional schedule announcements are forthcoming.

More from TVLineThe Masked Singer's Poodle Moth Revealed? This Is...

Exclusive: Netflix will not be going forward with more seasons of live-action series Shadow and Bone and Glamorous and adult animated comedies Agent Elvis, Farzar and Captain Fall.

The decision was made a week after the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike and a month and a half after the end of the WGA work stoppage as networks and platforms continue to evaluate the impact from the strike-related seven-month production shutdown.

While there had been a slew of series cancellations and un-renewals by linear networks and streamers during and immediately after the strikes, Netflix had largely refrained from making cancellation decisions during the past 6½ months while announcing a number of renewals, including One Piece (S2), Ginny & Georgia (S3 and S4); The Lincoln Lawyer (S3), Xo, Kitty (S2), Heartstopper (S2 and S3), The Night Agent (S2 picked up on the eve of the WGA strike), The Diplomat (S2), Fubar (S2), Sweet Magnolias...

Oscar winner Mira Sorvino, who has been co-starring with Courteney Cox on the horror comedy TV series Shining Vale lately and also had a role in this year’s box office hit Sound of Freedom, brings to life a dangerous AI security system in the upcoming psychological thriller Home Safe, which recently wrapped production and is now being presented to potential distributors at the American Film Market.

Directed by Jacob Vaughan (Bad Milo) from a screenplay by Juddy Talt, Home Safe also stars Felisha Terrell (The Company You Keep), Jason MacDonald (Welcome to Flatch), Emily Topper (The Thing About Pam), and Michael Shenefelt (The First Lady). The story centers on Anna (Terrell), the editor-in-chief of a news magazine, and her husband Daniel (MacDonald), the founder of an AI-centered home security company, watching as they’re threatened by a mysterious houseguest as they are expecting their first child. Becoming a threat...

Exclusive: Felisha Terrell (The Company You Keep), Jason MacDonald (Welcome to Flatch), and Oscar winner Mira Sorvino (Shining Vale) are set to topline Home Safe, a psychological thriller directed by Jacob Vaughan (Bad Milo) that has wrapped production and will be taken to market this fall.

The indie from Crazy Legs Features centers on Anna (Terrell), the editor-in-chief of a news magazine, and her husband Daniel (MacDonald), the founder of an AI-centered home security company, watching as they’re threatened by a mysterious houseguest as they are expecting their first child. Becoming a threat with her growing sentience is Kiera (Sorvino), an advanced-ai home security system created by Daniel.

Also starring Emily Topper (The Thing About Pam) and Michael Shenefelt (The First Lady), Home Safe was written by Juddy Talt. The film is produced in association with Uncle Easy Productions, with Scott Thigpen, Marie Halliday, and Jessica Fox-Thigpen producing for Crazy Legs Features.

Welcome to the 234th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

This week, we return to format with Headlines and discuss the latest in the SAG-AFTRA strike, how streamers are saving shows made for other platforms and much more. Here’s how the episode plays out:

1. Headlines

Melissa McBride, The Crown and Welcome to Flatch lead the week’s industry news headlines.

2. Strike Zone

This week, as the performers strike inches closer to the 100-day marker, talks between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP broke down. This segment explores the central issues at play and...

A vast majority of Writers Guild of America members voted to ratify a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Monday, bringing an official end to the WGA’s 146-day-long strike.

“We are pleased to announce that 99% of WGA members have voted in favor of ratifying the 2023 Mba,” the WGA said in a statement. “Of the 8,525 valid votes cast there were 8,435 ‘yes’ votes and 90 ‘no’ votes (1%). The term of the agreement is from September 25, 2023 through May 1, 2026.”

More from TVLineWelcome to Flatch Cancelled at FoxWhoopi Goldberg Dings Rachel Bilson for Reverse Slut-Shaming Men: 'Why You Bitching?'...

Network: Fox

Episodes: 27 (half-hour)

Seasons: Two

TV show dates: March 17, 2022 -- February 2, 2023

Series status: Cancelled

Performers include: Seann William Scott, Chelsea Holmes, Sam Straley, Taylor Ortega, Krystal Smith, Aya Cash, and Justin Linville.

TV show description:

A mockumentary comedy series, the Welcome to Flatch TV show is based on the BBC format, This Country, by Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper.

Read More…...

In its first season, Welcome to Flatch attracted low ratings and was reportedly only renewed because producer Lionsgate was willing to make a really good deal. Will the comedy's numbers improve in season two? Will Welcome to Flatch be cancelled or renewed for season three on Fox? Stay tuned. *Status Update Below.

A mockumentary comedy series, the Welcome to Flatch TV show stars Holmes, Sam Straley, Seann William Scott, Aya Cash, Jaime Pressly, Taylor Ortega, Krystal Smith, and Justin Linville. When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives, dreams, and concerns of residents in a small American town, they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch. The community is made up of many eccentric personalities that include Joseph "Father Joe" Binghoffer (Scott); cousins and best friends Kelly Mallet (Holmes) and Lloyd "Shrub" Mallet (Straley); Flatch Historical Society operator Nadine Garcia-Parney (Ortega); magnetic force-of-nature Mandy Matthews...

Barb is looking to shake up the town in the second season of Fox's Welcome to Flatch TV show. As we all know, Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Welcome to Flatch is cancelled or renewed for season three. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustrated when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the second season episodes of Welcome to Flatch here. *Status Update Below.

A Fox mockumentary comedy series, the Welcome to Flatch TV show stars Holmes, Sam Straley, Seann William Scott, Aya Cash, Jaime Pressly, Taylor Ortega, Krystal Smith, and Justin Linville. When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives, dreams, and concerns of residents in a small American town, they stumble...

The residents of a certain small town are moving on. Fox has cancelled Welcome to Flatch so there won't be a third season. The second season finished airing in February.

A mockumentary comedy series, the Welcome to Flatch TV show stars Holmes, Sam Straley, Seann William Scott, Aya Cash, Jaime Pressly, Taylor Ortega, Krystal Smith, and Justin Linville. When a documentary crew sets out to explore the lives, dreams, and concerns of residents in a small American town, they stumble upon the midwestern town of Flatch. The community is made up of many eccentric personalities that include Joseph "Father Joe" Binghoffer (Scott); cousins and best friends Kelly Mallet (Holmes) and Lloyd "Shrub" Mallet (Straley); Flatch Historical Society operator Nadine Garcia-Parney (Ortega); magnetic force-of-nature Mandy Matthews (Smith); local newspaper editor Cheryl Peterson (Cash); and Shrub’s frenemy, Mickey St. Jean...

Fox will not be moving ahead with “Welcome to Flatch” Season 3.

“While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled,” a Fox spokesperson told TheWrap. “We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.”

Shortly after the WGA strike started in May, Fox announced updates for its scripted series. The only two series the network hadn’t made an announcement about were “Welcome to Flatch” and “HouseBroken,” both of which were up for a third season.

“You can expect some announcements as soon as the strike ends,” president of scripted...

Fox is further paring down its live action comedy roster.

The network has canceled Welcome to Flatch after two seasons. The mockumentary series, created by Jenny Bicks and based on the BBC series This Country, finished its second season in February. The series also counts Paul Feig among its executive producers.

“While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled,” Fox said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.”

Welcome to Flatch follows the eccentric residents of a small Ohio town, centered on two cousins...

Fox has canceled the comedy series “Welcome to Flatch” after two seasons, Variety has learned.

The mockumentary series aired its final episode on Fox on Feb. 2, with that now serving as the series finale. The show was inspired by the British format “This Country.”

“The comedy ‘Welcome to Flatch’ will not be returning to Fox for a third season,” Fox said in a statement. “While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled. We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper.”

The logline for Season 2 states, “The documentary crew...

Flatch is no longer a welcoming place.

Fox has canceled comedy Welcome To Flatch after two seasons.

“While audience response was not as strong as we had hoped, we were thrilled with the creativity of the enormously talented Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, as well as the outstanding, dedicated cast and crew they assembled. We look forward to collaborating with them again in the future and are thankful for all of our partners at Lionsgate, Jenny’s Perkins Street Productions, Paul’s Feigco Entertainment, BBC Studios’ Angie Stephenson, and Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper,” a Fox spokesperson said.

It’s not a surprise given that the U.S. remake of cult British comedy This Country was on the bubble.

The series followed a documentary crew that sets out to explore the lives of residents in the small American town of Flatch.

It starred Holmes, who plays Kelly Mallet, Sam Straley,...

Amidst a steady flurry of last-minutes changes by the broadcast networks, TVLine’s presents the latest version of our annual Fall TV Grid. And it’s looking mist unusual, rife with reruns, acquired fare and a whole lotta reality-tv.

Back in May when only the Writers Guild strike was officially in play, ABC and The CW came out of the gate with “strike-proof” schedules, whereas NBC and CBS were more optimistic, penciling in fresh seasons of their well-watched procedurals and such.

More from TVLineFallout to Get Early Full-Season Drop on Amazon - Find Out WhenThe Voice: Night 1 of the Knockouts Leaves Us Seeing (and Hearing!

Exclusive: Cartilage Films has taken worldwide rights to Ryan Martin Brown’s feature directorial debut, Free Time for a 2024 domestic release.

Pic stars Colin Burgess as Drew, who is approaching the end of his twenties and, with it, his relative youth. Looking to make a sudden change, he decides to quit his cushy desk job and “embrace life” — only to realize he has no idea what to do with this newfound freedom. Cycling quickly through friends, hobbies, and goals, it’s not long before Drew’s search for meaning leads him back in the direction of his recently vacated post. Brown also wrote the pic which stars Rajat Suresh, Holmes (Welcome to Flatch), Jessie Pinnick (Princess Cyd), Michael Patrick Nicholson (Socks on Fire), James Webb and Eric Yates,

Free Time was produced by Mackenzie Jamieson, Paula Andrea González-Nasser, Justin Zuckerman and Nolan Kelly.

Krapopolis has a new trailer — watch it above.

The Dan Harmon-created animated series will launch on Sunday, September 24, on Fox. It will launch with a special two-episode preview following the NFL doubleheader on the network.

Krapopolis then will become part of the network’s Animation Domination block from Sunday, October 1, where it will air at 8:30 p.m. after The Simpsons and before Bob’s Burgers and Family Guy.

This comes after the series scored a third-season renewal before a frame of the toon has been seen by the viewing public.

Fox previously shifted Krapopolis to the 2023-24 season, shaking up its plans to premiere the series in a four-episode, two-hour block in May.

Krapopolis has had a very long gestation period. Harmon signed a direct deal with the broadcast network in July 2020 with a series commitment. In February 2021, the then-untitled show was handed a formal series order, making it...

Stan Refreshes Lionsgate Output Deal

Australian streamer Stan has refreshed its output deal with Lionsgate. The new agreement means Stan lands the local first-run of shows including the upcoming CIA thriller series Gray, starring Patricia Clarkson, Lydia West and Rupert Everett. Also on the menu are Son of a Critch, Welcome to Flatch and Steven K. Knight’s Spartacus sequel series. Theatrical features include White Bird, Alice and Darling. Stan will remain the Aussie home of the Power franchise, The Serpent Queen, Minx, Bmf, Gaslit and Hightown and also picks up Lionsgate catalog titles such as Mad Men, Weeds, The Spanish Princess, Black Sails, La La Land and Twilight.

Indigenous Canadian Stand-Up Show Readied

Exclusive: Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the Canada Media Fund are among the backers of a comedy TV series billed as the first all-Canadian and Indigenous stand-up show. They have signed on to develop...

Stan, the Australian streaming service owned by Nine Entertainment, has renewed its content supply partnership with Lionsgate. The multi-year output agreement secures a slate of first-run premium scripted dramas from Starz and Lionsgate and a new slate of theatrical films exclusive to Australian audiences.

The agreement follows Stan’s renewal last year of a deal with Sony Pictures Television.

Headlining the new shows expected to flow from the Lionsgate deal is espionage drama “Gray,” starring Patricia Clarkson (“Six Feet Under”), Nathalie Emmanuel (“Game of Thrones”) and Rupert Everett (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”) which is based on an original concept by bestselling novelist David Baldacci.

Other premium dramas coming soon to Stan from Lionsgate and Starz will include: a sequel series based on the groundbreaking hit “Spartacus,” currently in development from creator Steven S. DeKnight; “Welcome to Flatch,” a mockumentary series following a group of young adults in a small American town,...

Stan has broadened its partnership with Lionsgate, signing a multi-year output agreement for a slate of first-run premium scripted dramas and exclusive features. The deal includes dramas from across both Lionsgate and Starz, encompassing Gray, Son of a Critch, Welcome to Flatch and a Spartacus sequel series, and features such as White Bird, and Alice, Darling. Stan has had a long-standing partnership with Lionsgate, which has meant it has been the Australian home of the Power franchise, The Serpent Queen,...

The post Stan expands partnership with Lionsgate appeared first on If Magazine.

When TV academy voters sit down to fill out their 2023 Emmy nominations ballots, they have to consider 95 shows for Best Comedy Series; this is down by 23 contenders from last year. After six years of there being no restrictions on the amount of entrants they could vote for, each member’s selections can now not exceed the number of eventual nominations in a given category, which, in this case, will be eight.

Reigning Best Comedy Series winner “Ted Lasso” is seeking a third consecutive victory, but five of its seven 2022 rivals can put a stop to its streak. Those previously nominated shows that also aired during the eligibility period of June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023 are “Abbott Elementary,” “Barry,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” and 2018 champ “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The two contenders from last year missing from this ballot because they did not return in time...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Luke Kirby in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Weekly Commentary: Commentary to be added.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.

The rankings for the category are below.

The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug.

Hours after NBC made decisions on the bulk of its bubble comedy fare, ABC has passed on nearly all of its remaining pilots.

The Disney-backed broadcaster has passed on dramas The Hurt Unit and Judgment as well as comedies Keeping It Together (formerly Drop-Off) and Public Defenders, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Of the four drama and two comedy pilots that ABC developed this season, only the Good Doctor spinoff, The Good Lawyer, remains in contention. (Kaitlin Olson drama High Potential was previously ordered to series.)

Also remaining on the bubble are comedy Home Economics (awaiting word on a fourth season) and The Rookie spinoff, Feds (awaiting word on season two). Sources say producers ABC Signature is expected to shop medical drama The Hurt Unit, which counts Ben McKenzie and Michelle Ortiz among its cast.

Reps for ABC declined comment.

The decisions come as options on the cast for pilots...

Fancy watching a no-nonsense Yorkshire cop on the brink of retirement finally taking down her nemesis? How about an Oxford scholar pitting his wits against a decades-long conspiracy? These are the premises for just two of the exciting British TV shows about to arrive in the US but that’s not all: there’s also globe-trotting sci-fi with big ideas, a fast-paced dark comedy, a remarkable depiction of marriage by two British acting stalwarts, and more besides.

From cosy crime to original comedy, here are the UK TV highlights coming to America:

Happy Valley Series 3

BBC America, Acorn TV, AMC+ – 22nd May at 10pm Et/Pt

Sally Wainwright’s excellent Yorkshire-based crime drama Happy Valley had been off UK screens since 2016, but returned for its highly-anticipated third and final series earlier this year.

The show centres on the straight-talking police sergeant Catherine Cawood, and her ongoing feud with the dangerous criminal Tommy Lee Royce.

“We have to love the creative and we have to love the business model.”

That’s what Fox CEO Rob Wade told reporters Monday ahead of his network’s upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers, as he and his fellow broadcast network executives usher in a harsh new reality that confronts the nearly flatline linear ratings for pricey scripted originals.

That’s also how Wade described the decision to let 911 — Fox’s highest-rated scripted show — move to ABC for the upcoming 2023-24 broadcast season while still keeping its lower-rated spinoff, Lone Star.

Wade, who took over as CEO for Charlie Collier in October 2022, is one of few broadcast execs who carved out time for the press during upfronts week. What has historically been a busy week lined with numerous press calls and presentations for television trade press has now become an afterthought of sorts as Fox, for the second year in a row,...

Production on the Fox game show You Bet Your Life has halted amid the ongoing writers strike as the AMPTP continues to stall negotiations with the WGA. Series host Jay Leno, who has been seen at multiple picket lines delivering donuts, supports the move.

“As a member of the Writers Guild for almost 40 years, I truly understand and stand in solidarity with my fellow union members,” Leno said in a statement. “For that reason, we are suspending production of our game show, You Bet Your Life until such time when an agreement can be reached. I’m sorry I ran out of glazed, I now realize powdered sugar is not the same thing. Yours truly, Jay Leno.”

The news arrives as Fox’s Upfront presentation is set to begin in just under an hour in New York City on the fourteenth day of the writers strike. Picketers were out in...

Things aren’t looking great for Fox comedy Welcome To Flatch.

The series, which is a remake of British comedy This Country, was the only live-action series that the network hasn’t made a decision on and it take a while.

Michael Thorn, President of Scripted Programming, Fox Entertainment, said that “launching our next great live action comedy is a top priority, so you can expect some announcements as soon as the strike ends”.

Welcome To Flatch, which comes from Jenny Bicks and Paul Feig, has aired for two seasons on Fox with its second season finishing in February.

The series, which stars Sean William Scott, Holmes, Sam Straley and Aya Cash, is produced by Lionsgate, BBC Studios’ LA production arm and Fox Entertainment.

When asked about a renewal decision on Flatch, Thorn pointed to the renewal of Joel McHale-fronted Animal Control for a second season. “Right now we...

It looks like Fox is taking a wait-and-see approach to the Hollywood Writers strike.

The network on Monday picked up more series for the 2023-24 season but didn't announce a fall schedule.

CBS and NBC announced their fall plans last week, with ABC and The CW to follow this week, but it looks like Fox is holding off on confirming which shows will be airing in the year's final months.

This isn't much of a change from last year when Fox held off on a fall schedule until June.

Given the work stoppage due to the Wtiers Strike, there's a good chance many of the network's scripted shows won't be available for a fall bow.

As a result, the fall schedule will likely be governed by what happens in the coming weeks regarding the strike.

"Rather than announce a schedule today that we may not be able to meet, we're...

For the second straight year, Fox is not releasing a fall schedule at its upfront presentation. Whenever the network does announce its plans, it will include a healthy dose of unscripted programming.

The broadcaster did release its slate of primetime series for the 2023-24 season Monday morning, and it features near parity between the number of scripted (13) and unscripted (12) shows. The latter category includes renewals for Farmer Wants a Wife and Special Forces; new game shows Snake Oil, hosted by David Spade, and We Are Family, hosted by Jamie and Corinne Foxx and from the same producers as Beat Shazam; and the returns of I Can See Your Voice, which took the 2022-23 season off, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, last seen on Fox way back in 2014 — when it shared space on the schedule with the first seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Sleepy Hollow.

(The news of We Are Family...

For the second year in a row, Fox is not releasing a fall schedule ahead of its upfront presentation.

Fox did the same thing in 2022, opting instead to announce their content slate for the upcoming broadcast season but holding off on announcing a formal schedule until a later date. Last year, the move came as the network was still waiting on decisions on the dramas “9-1-1” and “The Resident.” But with the latter show canceled and the former moving to ABC, this year’s move comes as the writers’ strike enters its third week.

Networks like CBS and NBC have already announced their fall lineups, but whether or not any primetime scripted shows across all the networks debut as scheduled remains to be seen as the strike drags on.

“Obviously nobody wants this strike and our thoughts go out to the writers at the moment,” said Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade...

Jamie Foxx, Hannah Waddingham, Will Arnett and “Shameless” producer John Wells are among the big names set to bring their talents to Fox’s 2023-24 programming slate. Whether the broadcast network’s next TV season will begin this fall, however, remains unclear.

In an unusual and astute turn, Fox opted to go vague ahead of their upfronts presentation to advertisers Monday, not promising new programming for the fall as the writers’ strike puts most productions on pause.

“Rather than announce a schedule today that we may not be able to meet this fall, we will hold back until we have a better handle on what programming will be available,” Executive Vice President of Program Planning and Content Strategy for Fox Entertainment Dan Harrison said in a conference call. Executives repeatedly emphasized that the Covid-19 pandemic taught the network “how to pivot and be flexible.” Fox will be using the same...

Fox Entertainment will have its new CEO, Rob Wade, making his debut at the network’s upfront presentation today. In a sign of continuity, he will unveil the Fox content slate for the 2023-2024 television season but not a schedule. The network first broke with tradition by not presenting a fall grid at the upfront last year; Fox announced fall schedule and premiere dates June 6.

The network did away with unveiling a fall schedule at its May 2022 presentation because, in media companies’ multi-platform pitch to advertisers, that does not have the importance and urgency it once did. That strategy is even more timely this year because of the uncertainty surrounding the networks’ fall schedules amid the ongoing WGA strike.

“One of the big lessons we learned from the pandemic is how to pivot and be flexible. The WGA strike has a similar effect on our business requiring us to be...

Animal Control is sticking around at Fox.

The workplace comedy, starring Emmy Award nominee Joel McHale, has been renewed for a second season, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of Scripted Programming, Fox Entertainment.

The single-camera show, Fox's first wholly-owned live-action comedy, launched as the network's most-streamed scripted debut ever and most-watched comedy series this season to date.

"We are thrilled our viewers have responded to Animal Control as much as we did," said Thorn.

"The incredibly talented ensemble cast, led by Joel McHale, along with our creative team, Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg, Dan Sterling and Tad Quill - not to mention a menagerie of wild animal method actors -- have delivered a hilarious series that is sharp, witty, and warm, week after week."

Created by Bob Fisher, Rob Greenberg and Dan Sterling, Animal Control follows a group of local Animal Control workers whose lives are complicated by...