Freshman Comedy Sensation ‘Abbott Elementary’ Renewed for Season 2 by ABC

William Earl Estelle Harris, who memorably played George’s mother Estelle Costanza on “Seinfeld” and was the indelible voice of Mrs. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” franchise, has died at 93 years old, her representative Michael Eisenstadt confirmed to Variety.Harris was best known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, forever cemented by her role as the mother of George (Jason Alexander) in “Seinfeld,” where she appeared on 27 episodes.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeThe Alec Baldwin-hosted “Match Game” isn’t expected to return to ABC, as the Alphabet web begins to firm up its plans for its annual game show-heavy summer lineup.Also unlikely to return are “Card Sharks,” “Celebrity Dating Game” and “The Hustler,” while “Celebrity Family Feud,” “Press Your Luck” and “The $100,000 Pyramid” are expected to be back.The fate of “Match Game” had been the source of speculation in the wake of Baldwin’s accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the independent production “Rust” last fall. But ABC’s decision to cancel “Match Game” is not related to that incident; “Match Game” hasn’t been in production since 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — and only aired two new episodes in 2021, which had been left over from the previous year. The latest revival of “Match Game,” hosted by Baldwin, debuted in 2016, and ran for five seasons.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticAs anyone who’s even fleetingly dipped into the vast, storied genre of the British spy thriller can attest, there are a few different games afoot in “Slow Horses.” What looks at first like a story of restless, demoted spies finding their purpose gets quickly twisted up in MI5 politics. Then, a couple of hours into the six-episode season, the show tries to turn everything we thought we knew inside out.

Emily Longeretta “Chesapeake Shores” has been renewed by Hallmark Channel for its sixth and final season, the network announced on Tuesday. The 10-episode final season, based Sherryl Woods’ books, will premiere this summer.“With a top-notch ensemble cast and creative team, ‘Chesapeake Shores’ has shared stories that are relatable, poignant and unforgettable,” says Laurie Ferneau, SVP of programming. “We look forward to honoring the journey viewers have been on with the O’Briens with one final, special season.”Robert Buckley, Meghan Ory, Treat Williams, Barbara Niven, Laci J.

Ethan Shanfeld The Byrde family makes one last effort to escape their criminal empire in the Season 4 Part 2 trailer of “Ozark.” The series will come to an explosive finish on April 29 when the final seven episodes debut on Netflix.According to the official logline: “Marty and Wendy are rid of Helen and climb to the top of Navarro’s empire. They find another opportunity to get out of the Ozarks but some past sins won’t stay buried and the most dangerous threats come from blood.”In the trailer, Marty (Jason Bateman) fears for the survival of his family as Ruth (Julia Garner) seeks revenge.

Hallmark Channel has renewed its popular multi-generational family drama Chesapeake Shores for a sixth and final season. Based on the bestselling series of books by Sweet Magnolias author Sherryl Woods, the 10-episode Season 6 will premiere this summer.

Jesse Metcalfe's departure, will return alongside longtime cast members Ory, Williams, Barbara Niven, Laci J. Mailey, Emilie Ullerup, Brendan Penny and Andrew Francis. Based on the novels by Sherryl Woods,  explores the lives and loves of four generations of the O’Brien family, after the homecoming of eldest daughter Abby (Ory) and has seen the family reconcile following a painful chapter in their past.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeABC’s Rob Mills was sitting in the Oscars production trailer on Sunday night when the show’s producers and director Glenn Weiss realized things were starting to go awry.“Chris Rock came on and he was doing, I think, material based on what happened that night as any comedian will do,” Mills recalled to Variety the day after the now-infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock Oscar Slap. “He made the [‘G.I. Jane’] joke.

Caroline Framke Chief TV CriticSPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the entirety of “Starstruck” Season 2, which is now available to stream on HBO Max.The first season of “Starstruck” was one of 2021’s most purely delightful TV surprises. Somehow, over six episodes running just 20 minutes each, creator and star Rose Matafeo managed to both embrace and upend the romantic comedy genre with the story of how normal girl Jessie (Matafeo) accidentally slept — and then fell in love — with movie star Tom Kapoor (Nikesh Patel).

Wendy Williams is looking for answers from both her bank and manager.

Five months after the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the production of Rust, the film’s star Alec Baldwin is set to make his screen comeback in a pair of Italian Christmas features.

EXCLUSIVE: Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, Modern Family), Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos), and Tony Darrow (Goodfellas) have joined the cast of for Season 2.

The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2021-22 season will be Thursday, April 28, leaving the May opening of POTUS outside of this year’s race.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeAs “Hacks” takes Deborah Vance’s show on the road, she’s encountering a bevy of new characters in Season 2. The series, which is expected to return later this spring on HBO Max (premiere date still TBD), has added Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly and Ming-Na Wen as recurring guest stars this season.

EXCLUSIVE: Mathew Knowles, father of Beyoncé and former manager of Destiny’s Child, is gearing up for his own King Richard-style origin story as part of a wide-ranging deal with investment fund APX Capital Group.

Naman Ramachandran Filming will commence next week on contemporary British Asian comedy feature “The Effects of Lying,” directed by Isher Sahota (“Hollyoaks”). The cast includes Ace Bhatti (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Line of Duty”), Laila Rouass (“Holby City,” “Spooks”), Navin Chowdhry (“The End of the F***ing World,” “Our Girl”), Shaheen Khan (“Mogul Mowgli”), Lauren Patel (“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”) and Mark Williams (the Harry Potter franchise).Based on a script by James Hey (“Doctors”), the film follows a dutiful husband and loving father (Bhatti) whose life falls apart when decades of festering secrets are exposed and he’s forced to face up to who he really is.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeWarner Bros. Television Group and HBO have sealed a new first-look deal with producer Stephanie Allain (“Dear White People”) and her Homegrown Pictures banner.

Katt Williams wrapped up his Nashville comedy show early and abruptly over a bomb threat.