DGA Awards TV Noms: Five ‘Succession’ Episodes Vie For Dramatic Series; ‘Ted Lasso’ Leads Comedies

Hannah Waddingham had quite the eventful Valentine’s Day last year.

Hannah Waddingham is discussing one of the more memorable moments she had on the Ted Lasso set!

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorHannah Waddingham made her Super Bowl commercial debut during today’s telecast of the championship game.The “Ted Lasso” star is featured in a spot for cash back shopping service Rakuten. She plays a villainous (and glamorous) character that could easily appear in a “James Bond” film — she has a hairless cat named Leonardo! — in a high stakes poker game who loses to a Rakuten user. The 60-second commercial, directed by Matt Aselton, was shot at Hatfield House outside of London.“They came to me because they wanted a very specific kind of type,” the Emmy winner told Variety.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBill Lawrence is staying put at Warner Bros. Television, with the TV writer and producer inking a massive five-year deal sources value at nine figures, Variety has confirmed.WBTV would not comment on the financial terms of the deal.

“This is a very sad message for us to tweet. We are devastated. Goodbye, for now, from Gaston and Le fou,” Luke Evans wrote on Twitter shortly after reports surfaced that Disney+ cancelled the “Beauty and the Beast” prequel series, “The Little Town”, it had been working on.

Luke Evans wrote on Twitter shortly after reports surfaced that Disney+ canceled the prequel series, , it had been working on. Evans, who played Gaston in the live-action film, was set to reprise his role alongside Josh Gad as LeFou in an eight-episode musical series written and produced by creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis. This is a very sad message for us to tweet. We are devastated.

Judd Apatow is returning to host the 74th Annual DGA Awards and Beth McCarthy-Miller has been named chair of the event, which will be held March 12 at the Beverly Hilton.

Ethan Shanfeld Judd Apatow will return to host this year’s Directors Guild of America Awards, taking place on March 12 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. Beth McCarthy-Miller has been appointed as the event’s awards chair.Apatow previously hosted the ceremony in 2018 and 2020.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorWelcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”Add Hannah Waddingham to the list of actors who would love to be in a superhero movie. “Why do you think I’ve done sci-fi things in the past?” says the “Ted Lasso” star, whose credits include the television adaptation of “12 Monkeys” and “Krypton,” a Syfy series about Superman’s grandfather.

Hannah Waddingham has no idea what to expect!«They are just brilliant, brilliant brains, but they know better than to tell me anything at all,» said the actress, who plays AFC Richmond team owner Rebecca Welton, of the beloved Apple TV+ show's creative team, which includes creator and star Jason Sudeikis.Waddingham confirmed to ET that after some delays, the show is due to start production on season 3 in early March. Much ado has been made about the series' planned three-season run, which would make the upcoming episodes their last, but, given that the show has been such a hit with fans and critics alike, many, Waddingham included, can't help but wonder if Sudeikis might end up changing his mind.«He has always said that there is a beginning, a middle and an end,» she recalled, «which is why he was very specific about telling everyone that [season 2] was the middle, kind of vibe.»However, Waddingham admitted, «If I were Apple and Warner Bros., I'd be leaning on him like a lunatic and putting him in a corner in a little cage and giving him a notebook and a pen… It's too beautiful.»If the series ends up extending its run, it would be far from the first surprise for the actress, who earned acclaim on the West End before breaking through in television with her role as the ice queen-turned-supportive team owner.

Ted Lasso is one of the most popular shows to have premiered during the pandemic and fans are sadly going to be waiting a while for a third season.

EXCLUSIVE: Djouliet Amara (Devil in Ohio, Superman and Lois), Ally Maki (Home sweet Home Alone, Wrecked) and Crystal Fox (The Haves and the Have Nots, Big Little Lies) are set as series regulars opposite Chris O’Dowd, rounding out the cast of  Apple’s The Big Door Prize, a half-hour comedy based on M.O. Walsh’s bestselling novel. The series hails from Emmy-winning Schitt’s Creek writer/executive producer David West Read, Skydance Television and Parasite producer CJ ENM/Studio Dragon. Gabrielle Dennis, Damon Gupton, Josh Segarra and Sammy Fourlas also star.

West Side Story‘s Steven Spielberg, The Power of the Dog‘s Jane Campion, Dune‘s Denis Villeneuve, Licorice Pizza‘s Paul Thomas Anderson and Kenneth Branagh of Belfast have been nominated for the top feature film prize as the Directors Guild unveiled nominations Thursday for its 74th annual DGA Awards.

EXCLUSIVE: Comedy Central is launching the first new original series under ViacomCBS network’s current push in adult animation. Fairview, executive produced by Stephen Colbert and the team behind Paramount+’s Emmy-nominated Tooning Out the News and Showtime’s Our Cartoon President, will debut Feb. 9 at 8:30 pm, following South Park. 

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeCall it now: “Succession” will win the DGA Award this year for drama. That’s because it’s the only nominee this year for drama: Five episodes of the series’ third season filled all five nominated slots for this year’s DGA Awards category for dramatic series.The “Sucession” sweep comes as the Directors Guild of America has revealed this year’s TV nominees for its 74rd annual DGA Awards, including achievement in drama, comedy, limited/TV movie, variety, reality, children’s and commercials.

binge-worthy show, or simply trying to find a new series to wind down with each night? Look no further than Apple TV+. From comedy to drama to horror, this relatively young streaming giant manages to have everything you could want to watch, and more.

third season, but not even Sam Obisanya knows what lies ahead for the beloved comedy!«Nobody is telling me anything,» series star Toheeb Jimoh told ET's Nischelle Turner in a recent interview. «Everybody's keeping stuff close to the chest. But I have ideas, they've dropped me hints. I've got clues, none of which I will share with you today!»Jimoh was a breakout star in season 1 as AFC Richmond's cheerful and talented young defenseman, and shone through once again in season 2, as Sam spoke out against a team sponsor that was wreaking environment havoc in Africa and weighed a tempting offer from a Nigerian tycoon hoping to build a powerhouse team in his home country.While born and raised in the U.K., Jimoh's parents are of Nigerian descent and he spent time in the country growing up.

Joseph Reidy will receive the DGA’s Frank Capra Achievement Award and Garry Hood will receive the guild’s Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award at the 74th annual DGA Awards on Jan. 27 in recognition of their “extraordinary contributions” to the guild.