Editorial Staff
Mayor of Kingstown
MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, today announced that production is underway on the highly anticipated upcoming series Mayor of Kingstown. Currently filming in Toronto, Canada, the new series hails from Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan – co-creator of Yellowstone, cable’s most watched show of 2020. Locations in Toronto include Kingston Penitentiary and the new Stratagem Stages, marking Mayor of Kingstown the first production at the stage.
Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.
Previously announced cast includes Academy Award(R) nominee Jeremy Renner as series lead with Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest, Emma Laird (From Life, In Conversation With A Goddess), Derek Webster (9-1-1: Lone Star, NCIS: New Orleans) and Taylor Handley (Bird Box, Vegas) also set to star. Additional casting is forthcoming.
Mayor of Kingstown will be executive produced by Sheridan, co-creator Hugh Dillon, Jeremy Renner, Antoine Fuqua, David Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari and Michael Friedman. MTV Entertainment Studios, Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions and 101 Studios will produce.
Super Pumped
SHOWTIME has given a series order to SUPER PUMPED, an anthology series with the first season based on Mike Isaac’s bestselling book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. Emmy winner Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Trial of the Chicago 7) has signed on to star in the first installment as Travis Kalanick, Uber’s hard-charging CEO who was ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup. Brian Koppelman and David Levien (BILLIONS, Rounders) and Beth Schacter (Soundtrack) will executive produce, write and serve as showrunners on the series. Paul Schiff, Stephen Schiff and Allyce Ozarski will also executive produce and Isaac will co-executive produce the project. The anthology series will be produced by SHOWTIME and is part of Koppelman and Levien’s overall deal with the network. The announcement was made today by Amy Israel, Executive Vice President, Scripted Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.
“Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a remarkably intelligent and charismatic actor, embodying charm with an unpredictable edge,” said Israel. “We are beyond excited to see what he will bring to the role of Travis Kalanick, the hyper-brilliant and controversial CEO whose ambition and reckless drive threatened the very enterprise he was determined to build. We are equally thrilled to be partnering on another series with Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Beth Schacter, who always deliver provocative and deeply entertaining shows that drive cultural conversation.”
SUPER PUMPED tells the story of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns, Uber. Pivoting on Kalanick, the SHOWTIME series will depict the roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley. Even amid the radical upheaval generated within the global tech capital, Uber stands out as both a marvel and a cautionary tale, featuring internal and external battles that ripple with unpredictable consequences. SUPER PUMPED is the first installment of an anthology series in which each season explores a story that rocked the business world to its core and changed culture.
The Boss Baby : Family Business
Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) and Peacock today announced DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby: Family Business, the sequel to the Oscar(R)-nominated blockbuster comedy that earned more than $500 million worldwide, will debut as Peacock’s summer movie event for no additional charge to Peacock Premium customers in the U.S. beginning July 2, day-and-date with its theatrical release.
The Boss Baby: Family Business moves from its previously announced September 17, 2021 North American theatrical release date to become the perfect all-audience animated offering over the July Fourth weekend to provide ideal viewing options for both families who are ready to return to theaters or for those who want to watch, and re-watch, at home.
The Boss Baby: Family Business will begin its international theatrical rollout in select markets with the North American release on July 2.
Love and Death
Jesse Plemons (“Fargo,” “Black Mirror”) will star opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the Max Original limited series LOVE AND DEATH as “Allan Gore.”
Two church going couples, enjoying small town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an axe.
The limited series is inspired by the book “Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs” and a collection of articles from Texas Monthly (Love & Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I & II). Elizabeth Olsen was previously announced to star as Candy Montgomery.
Powerpuff
The CW has announced that they’re retooling the pilot for the live-action “Powerpuff Girls” series.
“The reason you do pilots is because sometimes things miss, and this was just a miss,” said The CW chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz tells Variety.” “We believe in the cast completely. We believe in Diablo [Cody] and Heather [Regnier], the writers. We believe in the auspices of Greg Berlanti and Warner [Bros. TV] studios.”
“In this case the pilot didn’t work,” he said. “But because we see there’s enough elements in there, we wanted to give it another shot. So that’s why we didn’t want to go forward with what we had. Tonally, it might’ve felt a little too campy. It didn’t feel as rooted in reality as it might’ve felt. But again, you learn things when you test things out. And so in this case, we felt, let’s take a step back and go back to the drawing board.”
Red Queen
Peacock is developing a series adaptation of the Victoria Aveyard novel “Red Queen” with “Charlie’s Angels” helmer Elizabeth Banks attached to executive produce, direct and appear in a major supporting role. ”The one-hour drama is set in an alternate near-future America where democracy is replaced by a monarchy led by a group of humans with superpowers who rule with an iron fist over those without powers. Mare, a fiery young woman born to poverty without powers, is doing the best she can to survive and protect her family when she discovers the unthinkable: She somehow has powers too. This shocking discovery turns our world upside down and catapults our unlikely hero to become the face of a revolution for the oppressed while searching for the truth behind the greatest mystery of all…how she became so powerful in the first place.” [More…]
The CW
The CW Network will officially launch its new seven-night 2021-22 primetime schedule in Fall of 2021 with a strategic mix of new and returning original scripted series and alternative programming, it was announced today by Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The CW Network. The CW’s 2021-22 network image campaign and new season highlight trailer features the newly released single “Higher Power” from the legendary band Coldplay.
“This year, as we begin to return to more normalized production schedules, The CW is firing on all cylinders. The CW dares to defy by expanding our primetime schedule to include Saturday night and becoming a full 14 hour, seven-day-a-week broadcast network for the first time in its history, offering more original series on both our linear and digital platforms, providing more opportunities for our advertisers and affiliates,” said Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The CW Network. “We are rolling out an exciting line-up of our signature returning series which will be joined this upcoming season by the new, reimagined 4400 and the highly anticipated, brand new revival of LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE along with new series slated for midseason, ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING and NAOMI. The CW continues to grow and innovate on a multiplatform basis with more original programming and more ways for advertisers to connect with our audience.”
Sundays are competitive game nights filled with action, adventure and intrigue with the series debut of the reimagined LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), followed by the new U.S. version of KILLER CAMP (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
The CW’s signature hit and most streamed series ALL AMERICAN gears up for its fourth season, returning to Mondays (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), paired with the reimagined, new series 4400 (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
The eighth season of THE FLASH (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) and the sixth season of RIVERDALE (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT) both start their new seasons this fall with special five-episode events on Tuesdays.
TV’s motley crew of superheroes return for a seventh season of DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW on Wednesdays (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), followed by the third season of BATWOMAN (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
The CW’s new hit series WALKER gallops into its second season returning to Thursdays (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT), once again paired with the supernatural students from Mystic Falls for the fourth season of LEGACIES (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
The magic is back with a new season of PENN & TELLER: FOOL US on Fridays (8:00-9:00pm ET/PT) followed by a third season of ghostly mysteries on NANCY DREW (9:00-10:00pm ET/PT).
The CW’s inaugural Saturday schedule kicks off with night one of the iHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL on Saturday, October 2 (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT). When The CW moves to regularly scheduled programming, Saturdays will be nights of laughter with back-to-back episodes of fan favorite WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (8:00-8:30pm & 8:30-9:00pm ET/PT) followed by the second season of WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS (9:00-9:30pm & 9:30-10:00pm ET/PT).
The CW also has nine original scripted series on deck for its 2022 midseason which includes two new series, ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING and NAOMI, joining returning series CHARMED (Season 4), DC’S STARGIRL (Season 3), DYNASTY (Season 5), IN THE DARK (Season 4), KUNG FU (Season 2), ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO (Season 4) and SUPERMAN & LOIS (Season 2).
Additionally, every episode from the upcoming 2021-2022 season of 4400, ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING, BATWOMAN, DC’S STARGIRL, KUNG FU, NAOMI, NANCY DREW, SUPERMAN & LOIS and WALKER as well as KILLER CAMP, LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE, PENN & TELLER: FOOL US, WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? and WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS will be available to stream on The CW’s free digital platforms (The CW app and CWTV.com) following its broadcast on The CW Network.
Following is The CW’s Fall Primetime Schedule for the 2021-2022 Season and accompanying details on each new series.
THE CW’S 2021 FALL PRIMETIME SCHEDULE
SUNDAY
8:00-9:00PM LEGENDS OF THE HIDDEN TEMPLE (New Series)
9:00-10:00PM KILLER CAMP (New U.S. Edition)
MONDAY
8:00-9:00PM ALL AMERICAN
9:00-10:00PM 4400 (New Series)
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00PM THE FLASH
9:00-10:00PM RIVERDALE (New Night)
WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00PM DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (New Night)
9:00-10:00PM BATWOMAN (New Night)
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00PM WALKER
9:00-10:00PM LEGACIES
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00PM PENN & TELLER: FOOL US
9:00-10:00PM NANCY DREW (New Night)
SATURDAY
8:00-8:30PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (New Night)
8:30-9:00PM WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (New Night)
9:00-9:30PM WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS (New Night)
9:30-10:00PM WORLD’S FUNNIEST ANIMALS (New Night)
