‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ Reboot Set at Comedy Central Under New Animation Deal With Mike Judge

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“grown-ish” star and executive producer Yara Shahidi has signed an overall deal with ABC Studios.As part of the deal, Shahidi is forming a production company with her business partner and mother, Keri Shahidi. The company is called 7th Sun.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDon Johnson and Chris Redd have signed onto a starring role in “Kenan,” the upcoming NBC series starring Kenan Thompson.“Kenan” was originally ordered to series last year for a spring 2020 debut, but NBC announced in January that the show was being pushed to the 2020-2021 season to continue developing it.Johnson will play Rick, Kenan’s father-in-law in the series. He takes over the role from Andy Garcia.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSuper Frog, the production company founded by Hiro Murai and Nate Matteson, has signed first-look deal with FX Productions.Under the deal, the company will develop scripted and unscripted programming for FX and potentially other divisions of Walt Disney Television.“We are thrilled to continue our relationship with FX as we build our company,” Murai and Matteson said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon is developing a half-hour comedy series with Crab Club Inc. and SB Projects.The series is titled “The Undesirables.” It is set in a near-future Los Angeles that explores the unexpected relationships that form when a group of outcasts are forced to bond under unusual circumstances.Ken Cheng of Crab Club and Arvin Chen will write and executive produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterGreg Kinnear has signed on for a leading role in the Starz pilot “Shining Vale.”He joins previously announced series star Courtney Cox. “Shining Vale” is a half-hour horror comedy about a dysfunctional family that moves from the city to a small town into a house in which terrible atrocities have taken place.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichael Che has set up his own sketch comedy series at HBO Max, Variety has learned.The streamer has given the series a six-episode order. Che will star in the series, with each episode set to tackle a different theme or incident — such as police brutality, unemployment, or falling in love — from a Black vantage point.“I’m really excited to be working on this show with HBO Max” said Che.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIdris Elba and his Green Door Pictures production company have signed a first-look deal at Apple, Variety has learned. Under the deal, Elba and Green Door will produce both series and features for Apple’s streaming platform, Apple TV Plus.Elba is an actor, producer, director, and musician.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCate Blanchett and her Dirty Films production company have signed a first-look TV deal with FX Productions.Dirty Films is headed by Blanchett along with Andrew Upton and Coco Francini. News of the deal comes after Blanchett and Francini served as executive producers on the FX on Hulu limited series “Mrs.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPamela Adlon has signed an overall deal with FX Productions. In addition, Adlon’s critically-acclaimed FX series “Better Things” has been renewed for a fifth season.Adlon’s new deal covers all scripted and unscripted programming.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJuVee Productions, the production company of Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, has set an expanded first-look deal with Amazon. The deal will now include television in addition to extending their film deal.JuVee previously had a TV overall deal at ABC Studios.“We are excited to continue our partnership with Amazon Studios, bringing our TV division along with Film,” Davis and Tennon said.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLucy Liu has been cast in the lead role of Shana Goldberg-Meehan’s multi-camera workplace comedy pilot at ABC formerly known as “Bossy” and “Kids Matter Now.”Liu will play Devin, described as the fierce and powerful head of Shelter, a large and successful modern furniture company. She is a force and is unfamiliar with failure.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has landed the rights to develop the 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist New York Times story and podcast “The Jungle Prince of Delhi” as a drama series, Variety has learned.The story, written by Ellen Barry, delved into the history of the royal family of Oudh, deposed aristocrats living in a ruined palace in the Indian capital claiming to be the heirs to a fallen kingdom.Mira Nair is attached to direct the project and will also executive produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA reboot of “The Wonder Years” has landed a pilot production commitment at ABC.The new half-hour comedy series would focus on how a black middle class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960’s made sure it was The Wonder Years for them too.  That puts the new show in the same time period as the original series, which was set between 1968 and 1973. A mini writer’s room for the show will be opened once ABC approves a pilot script.Saladin K.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX and Hulu have partnered to launch the documentary series “The New York Times Presents.”The show hails from the team behind FX’s “The Weekly.” The new show will present standalone documentaries on major stories via the journalists at the New York Times.“The New York Times Presents” will feature 10 individual documentaries that will air on FX and on Hulu on Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPeter Lenkov’s relationship with CBS has been terminated due to accusations the producer and showrunner created a toxic work environment on his sets, Variety has confirmed.Lenkov was the showrunner on the CBS revivals of “Magnum P.I.” and “MacGyver,” but has been fired from those shows. In addition, his overall deal with CBS Television Studios has been ended.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterUniversal Content Productions (UCP) is continuing its push into the true crime space with a new limited series starring Elisabeth Moss.Moss has signed on to star in a series titled “Candy” for the studio, based on the true story of Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJohn Mulaney is bringing the “Sack Lunch Bunch” to Comedy Central.Variety has confirmed that Mulaney has signed a deal with the cabler to host and executive produce two new “John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch” specials.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Batman” director Matt Reeves is expanding his relationship with Warner Bros.Reeves and his 6th & Idaho production company have signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNBC has picked up a comedy series that will be filmed entirely through video chats.Titled “Connecting,” the series is described as an ensemble comedy about a group of friends trying to stay close (and sane) through video chats as they share the highs and lows of these extraordinary times. It is unknown at this time when the series will air or if it will be part of NBC’s fall schedule.NBC has given the show an eight-episode straight-to-series order.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSpringHill Entertainment, the production company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, has signed a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios.“SpringHill Entertainment makes the shows LeBron and I want to watch,” Carter said. “We look at every project as a way to connect with our community and ask ourselves if it will entertain and empower them.