‘Dark Winds’ Season 2 at AMC Adds John Wirth as Showrunner

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Jennifer Connelly is set to star opposite Joel Edgerton in the Apple series adaptation of the Blake Crouch novel “Dark Matter,” Variety has learned. The nine-episode series was ordered at Apple in March. It will follow Jason Dessen (Edgerton), a physicist, professor, and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the multiverse of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of mind-bending realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Conners” star Michael Fishman is leaving the ABC sitcom ahead of Season 5, Variety has confirmed. Fishman played DJ Tanner in the series, reprising the role he played for 10 seasons on “Roseanne.” Exact details on how Fishman will be written out of the show are currently under wraps, but it will supposedly leave the door open for him to return. Jayden Rey, who plays DJ’s daughter Mary in the show, will also not be back as a series regular, though she will appear in a guest star role. John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, Jay R. Ferguson, and Katey Sagal will all return for the new season. Fishman first began playing DJ Tanner in 1988 in the second episode of “Roseanne.” He stayed with the show throughout its first nine seasons, returning along with the rest of the original cast for the 2018 revival. He has also directed five episodes of “The Conners” since 2020, most recently directing the Season 4 episode “Messy Situation, Miscommunication and Academic Probation.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Naveen Andrews has signed on for a series regular role in Season 2 of “The Cleaning Lady” at Fox. Season 2 of the drama series picks up with Thony (Élodie Yung) desperately trying to find her son, Luca (Sebastien & Valentino LeSalle), after he was kidnapped by his father, Marco (Ivan Shaw). With nowhere else to turn, she enlists the help of FBI Agent Garrett Miller (Oliver Hudson) to track him down before they leave the country. Meanwhile, an incident involving Chris (Sean Lew) forces Fiona (Martha Millan) to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child. Andrews will play Robert Kamdar, Nadia’s (Eva De Dominici) gregarious and charming ex-lover, who is intent on driving a wedge between Arman (Adan Canto) and Nadia.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The live-action “Resident Evil” series at Netflix has been canceled after just one season. The eight-episode first season premiered on Netflix July 14. The show was originally ordered to series at Netflix in 2020. The series debuted to a mixed critical response, registering just a 55% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes coupled with a 27% audience approval rating. Per the weekly Netflix Top 10 rankings that the streamer issues, “Resident Evil” was streamed for over 72 million hours the week it debuted, making it the number two program of the week behind only “Stranger Things” Season 4. It dropped to number three in its second week and fell out of the top 10 by week 3.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Netflix has ordered a limited series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Perfect Couple.” Jenna Lamia (“Good Girls,” “My Best Friend’s Exorcism”) will adapt the book for the screen and serve as executive producer and showrunner. 21 Laps will produce via the company’s overall deal with Netflix, with The Jackal Group also onboard to produce. Netflix has given the series a six-episode order. In the show, which is described as a soapy mystery, it’s Fourth of July weekend and Celeste Otis is about to marry the perfect man, who just so happens to be from the wealthiest family on Nantucket. But when a body is discovered floating in the harbor on the morning of what was to be the wedding of the year, suddenly everyone at the party is a suspect.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Umbrella Academy” has been renewed for Season 4 at Netflix, which will also be the show’s last. “I’m so excited that the incredibly loyal fans of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ will be able to experience the fitting end to the Hargreeves siblings’ journey we began five years ago,” said series creator, executive producer, and showrunner Steve Blackman. “But before we get to that conclusion, we’ve got an amazing story ahead for season four, one that will have fans on the edge of their seats until the final minutes.” Netflix has also announced its overall deal with Blackman and his newly-formed Irish Cowboy production banner with plans to partner on a number of new projects. Two are already in development, including a series adaptation of the PlayStation game “Horizon Zero Dawn” and the original series “Orbital.” More information about those projects can be found below. Blackman has also brought Abbey Morris onboard Irish Cowboy as his senior vice president of development. Morris was previously an executive for Fabrik Entertainment.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Dania Ramirez is poised to take the lead role in the upcoming Fox drama series “Alert,” Variety has learned. The show was ordered to series at the broadcast network in May as part of Fox’ s upfronts presentation to advertisers. Ramirez will star as Nikki, described as a salt-of-the-earth woman whose life was ripped apart six years ago by the disappearance of her 11-year-old son. She found her calling as the head of the Missing Person’s Unit. Her zeal and personal connection to the victims and their families infuses each and every case, and she helps others find their loved ones even as she couldn’t find her own.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Toni Collette and Josh Charles have signed on for roles in the Amazon series “The Power,” Variety has learned. Collette (“Hereditary,” “The Staircase”) takes over the role previously held by Leslie Mann, who departed the show when production was delayed due to the pandemic. Charles (“We Own This City,” “The Good Wife”) will play the part previously held by Tim Robbins, who himself took over the role from Rainn Wilson. In addition, Raelle Tucker (“Jessica Jones,” “True Blood”) has joined “The Power” as executive producer and showrunner. Her role on the show is part of an overall deal she has signed with Amazon.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Curb Your Enthusiasm” has been renewed for Season 12 at HBO. Season 11 of the critically-acclaimed comedy series began airing on HBO in October 2021. That season picked up four Emmy nominations, including best comedy series and best guest actor in a comedy series for Bill Hader. The show has received 51 Emmy nominations in total to date. “Playing the role of Larry David has been the greatest honor of my life,” Larry David said. “In researching this multi-faceted, multi-talented man, I discovered that there’s more to him than I ever could have imagined: He speaks six languages, brines his own pickles, and spearheads a national movement to install a bidet in every home. I’ve also been told from numerous sources that he is the most generous of lovers. I am so excited to once again transform into this force of nature. I only pray that I can do him justice.”

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Villains of Valley View” has been renewed for Season 2 at the Disney Channel, Variety has learned exclusively. The multi-cam comedy show, which hails from Disney Branded Television, follows a family of supervillains forced to hide their powers and adopt “normalcy” in suburbia. Season 2 will begin production this fall in Los Angeles. New episodes from Season 1 will resume airing on Oct. 7 “It isn’t hard to see why audiences have fallen in love with the villainous Madden family,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Despite a penchant for utilizing their superpowers in everyday life, Amy and family ultimately care about and support one another. Even though life can be messy, ridiculous, and sometimes frightening, the Maddens demonstrate the (super)power of family and togetherness.”

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAshley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, the creators of the hit series “Yellowjackets,” have signed an overall deal with Showtime.In addition to creating “Yellowjackets,” Lyle and Nickerson serve as executive producers and co-showrunners on the Showtime series, with Jonathan Lisco also serving as executive producer and co-showrunner.“Ashley and Bart are not only great writers, but they are also wildly original thinkers and creators,” said Gary Levine, co-president of entertainment for Showtime. “I’m not sure I would want to go camping with them, but I sure as hell love working with them, and I’m thrilled they will be working at Showtime for years to come.”“Yellowjackets” has been nominated for seven Emmy Awards for its inaugural season, including best drama series, best actress for Melanie Lynskey, and best supporting actress for Christina Ricci.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterElijah Wood is the latest addition to the cast of “Yellowjackets” Season 2 at Showtime, Variety has learned.Wood will appear in a season long guest starring role as Walter, a dedicated Citizen Detective who will challenge Misty (Christina Ricci) in ways she won’t see coming.Wood is the latest addition to the second season of the critically-acclaimed drama. It was previously announced that Simone Kessell would appear as adult Lottie, while Lauren Ambrose will play adult Van.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowrunner, playwright, and performer Rick Cleveland has signed with APA for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. Cleveland will continue to be represented by Rain as well as attorney Ken Richman at Hansen Jacobson TellerCleveland is a six-time Emmy nominee, winning the award for best writing for a drama series alongside Aaron Sorkin for the first season episode of “The West Wing” titled “In Excelsis Deo.” Cleveland was then nominated three times as part of the producing time on the hit HBO series “Six Feet Under” and again as part of the producing teams behind the Showtime series “Nurse Jackie” and the Netflix series “House of Cards.”Cleveland has also worked on a number of other critically-acclaimed shows.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Feud” Season 2 at FX has added Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, and Calista Flockhart to its cast, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.The trio join previously announced series stars Naomi Watts and Chloë Sevigny. The second season of the Ryan Murphy anthology series will tell the true story of how Truman Capote was friends with numerous members of New York high society until he published excerpts of his unfinished novel “Answered Prayers,” with the excerpts serving as a tell-all about the city’s elite.It was previously announced that Watts will play famed socialite Barbara “Babe” Paley, while Sevigny will play C.Z.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “John Wick” prequel series “The Continental” will now air on Peacock rather than Starz.The series is expected to debut on the streaming service in 2023, with Peacock currently having all three of the “John Wick” films released to date. The series hails from Lionsgate, which also produces the film franchise.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterRon Perlman, Nick Nolte, Charles Melton, and Tim Blake Nelson have all joined the cast of the upcoming Peacock series “Poker Face,” Variety has learned exclusively.Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Hellboy”), Nolte (“Warrior,” “Graves”), Melton (“Riverdale,” “American Horror Stories”), and Nelson (“Watchmen,” “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”) join the show’s already expansive cast. Natasha Lyonne will lead the series, with previously announced cast members including: Adrien Brody, Audrey Corsa, Benjamin Bratt, Chloe Sevigny, Danielle MacDonald, Dascha Polanco, Ellen Barkin, Jameela Jamil, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, Lil Rel Howery, Niall Cunningham, Nicholas Cirillo, S. Epatha Merkerson, Simon Helberg and Tim Meadows.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Love, Death, and Robots” has been renewed for Season 4 at Netflix.The streaming giant made the announcement Friday via Instagram. The acclaimed episodic anthology series dropped its nine-episode third season on Netflix on May 20, 2022.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJon Ham has joined “The Morning Show” Season 3 at Apple, Variety has learned.Hamm will appear in the third season of the drama series as Paul Marks, a corporate titan who sets his sights on UBA, pulling Cory (Billy Crudup), Alex (Jennifer Aniston), and Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) into his powerful orbit.In addition to Crudup, Aniston, and Witherspoon, Hamm joins a cast that includes Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean Terry, Janina Gavankar, Tom Irwin, Marcia Gay Harden, Greta Lee, Ruairi O’Connor, Hasan Minhaj, Holland Taylor, Tara Karsian, Valeria Golino, and Julianna Margulies.Hamm’s casting comes after Apple previously released a humorous ad called “Everyone but Jon Hamm,” where Hamm laments that seemingly every big-name actor has a project on Apple’s streaming service except him. Hamm is best known for his critically-acclaimed lead role of Don Draper in the AMC series “Mad Men,” for which he won the Emmy for best actor in a drama series in 2015.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJoe Keery, Lamorne Morris and Richa Moorjani are the latest additions to the Season 5 cast of “Fargo” at FX, Variety has learned.The trio join previously announced season leads Jon Hamm, Juno Temple, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Most details about the character each will play is being kept under wraps. As previously announced, the new season is set in 2019 and asks the questions when is a kidnapping not a kidnapping, and what if your wife isn’t yours?Keery will play the character Gator Tillman.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMatt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi –the co-creators, showrunners and executive producers of “For All Mankind” — have extended their overall deal with Sony Pictures Television.The writing duo has been based at Sony for the past two years. Under the deal, they will continue to serve as showrunners on “For All Mankind” while also developing scripted dramas for all networks and platforms.“We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with the amazing team at Sony,” said Wolpert and Nedivi. “’For All Mankind’ has been a dream come true for us both and we can’t wait to keep pushing forward on Season Four of the show and other exciting new projects.”“For All Mankind” airs on Apple’s streaming service and was recently renewed for a fourth season.