Anthony Anderson to Star in ABC Comedy Pilot ‘Public Defenders,’ Liz Astrof Set as Showrunner With Randall Einhorn Directing

Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson will lead the sequel to the Silent Hill film, Return to Silent Hill.

EXCLUSIVE: Jharrel Jerome, the Emmy winner, Moonlight actor and EP/star of the upcoming Prime Video series, I’m a Virgo, which just premiered at SXSW, has signed on to star in Artists Equity’s tentatively titled Unstoppable, the Jennifer Lopez starring, Billy Goldenberg directing project we first told you about yesterday.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Ronny Chieng’s Hulu comedy pilot is not being picked up to series at the streaming service, Variety has learned. The untitled pilot saw Chieng star as an analyst who is unexpectedly given the chance to be the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets when the entire front office staff quits. It was inspired by real-life Nets owner Joe Tsai. Variety exclusively reported the pilot was in the works in May 2022. Little was announced about the pilot beyond the initial report, but sources say Chieng co-wrote the pilot with Jon Pollack. Both also served as executive producers along with Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan, and Hannah Pham. Greg Mottola directed the pilot. 20th Television was the studio, with Mar and Kasdan under an overall deal at 20th TV via The Detective Agency. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, 20th TV and the producers plan to shop the project to other outlets.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Terry Crews has been tapped as the lead and also will executive produce JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip. Wayne Conley (The Best Man) penned the TV adaptation for the project from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Wendi Trilling’s TrillTV and CBS Studios. Phill Lewis will direct and executive produce the pilot, replacing Kelly Park due to changes in the production schedule; Park is directing NBC’s comedy pilot Non-Evil Twin instead.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Terry Crews will star in the CBS comedy pilot based on the “JumpStart” comic strip, Variety has learned. The multi-cam pilot was originally ordered at CBS in February. The official logline states that the show “follows Joe (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy, a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it!” The character Joe is further described as “a devoted husband , son, father and Philadelphia police officer. He is also a proud Black man and often feels pressured to be flawless in each of his roles, especially in light of controversies surrounding cops. He is a charming and exuberant role model in his community. Joe loves his wife and family, but does come up short in hilarious and endearing ways that keep audiences cheering for him.”

EXCLUSIVE: As The Goldbergs is wrapping its 10-season run on ABC, series star Wendi McLendon-Covey has been tapped to lead another single-camera broadcast comedy, NBC pilot St. Denis Medical.

BreAnna Bell Nancy Lenehan has signed on to join Ellie Kemper’s forthcoming comedy pilot “Drop-Off” at ABC as a series regular. She’ll play Marianne, the warm, caring and responsible mother of Julia (Kemper) who’s been taking care of her kids for the last six years. “Having been a working single mom herself, Marianne is not without compassion for Julia’s situation and she loves her grandchildren, but she’s done. Marianne has decided to live her own life from now on, and that includes having an affair with a guy named Rene and firmly taking some time for herself,” reads the character description. In addition to Kemper, she joins previously announced cast member Judy Greer.

Nancy Lenehan is set as a lead opposite Ellie Kemper in ABC’s Drop-Off (working title), a comedy pilot based on the British series Motherland, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Judy Greer, Karan Soni and Michaela Conlin also star.

EXCLUSIVE: Michaela Conlin has been cast as a series regular opposite Ellie Kemper in ABC’s Drop-Off (working title), a comedy pilot based on the British series Motherland, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Judy Greer and Karan Soni also star.

EXCLUSIVE: Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) and Hannah Emily Anderson (Jigsaw) will lead horror reboot Return To Silent Hill.

ABC has assembled the lead cast opposite Anthony Anderson of ABC’s single camera comedy pilot Public Defenders. Erika Henningsen, Arturo Castro, Kimrie Lewis, Natasha Lopez and Isaiah Dòdó-Williams have been set as series regulars in the pilot, written by Eddie Quintana and to be directed by Randall Einhorn.

Judy Greer is set as a lead opposite Ellie Kemper in ABC’s Drop-Off (working title), a comedy pilot based on the British series Motherland, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Karan Soni also stars.

canceled in January after one season. Last summer, Greer shot the Disney+ feature “Hollywood Stargirl” with Uma Thurman and Grace VanderWaal for director Julia Hart, which recently dropped on the streamer.

New Duke Of Edinburgh Opens Sky Studios Sound Stage

ABC has confirmed a pilot order for Drop-Off (working title) a comedy based on the British series Motherland, with Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) to star and executive produce. As we previously reported, Karan Soni (Deadpool franchise) also is set as a lead in the project, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) will direct.

Versace really brought out all the stars.

wrote on Twitter that he would only join him after Carlson “admits to his viewers live on air that he has been lying to them about the 2020 elections and about what happened on January 6.”

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large After conquering primetime, Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer have their sights on prime beef. (Not to mention chicken, pork and everything else.) The actors are partnering to launch their own barbecue label, AC Barbeque, and will document their quest to perfect the skill of the grill via the new A&E Network series “Kings of BBQ.” The series, which is still being developed under that working title, will follow the pals as they travel the country looking for advice and techniques from barbeque experts. A&E announced the greenlight of the 10-episode unscripted series on Wednesday as part of a flurry of news tied to its upfront meetings with advertisers.

A&E has announced a whole slate of unscripted programming, including the expansion of its weekend lifestyle block, as well as additional culinary content and Biography documentary specials.

A year after Black-ish ended its run, Anthony Anderson is returning to ABC as a star of another single-camera comedy, pilot Public Defenders. Randall Einhorn has come on board to direct the pilot, written by Eddie Quintana. Liz Astrof is set as showrunner.