‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ Pop-Up to Turn Mel’s Drive-In Into the Frosty Palace (EXCLUSIVE)

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Pastrami-infused martinis, pink and white cookies and a “Maisel Tov” hot dog are on the menu as Amazon Prime Video has partnered with several different brands to help promote the final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” And it’s not just food partnerships. Companies ranging from Pantone to Saks Fifth Avenue are part of an ambitious marketing campaign tied to the April 14 premiere of “Maisel” Season 5. Activities that day include the series’ cast, along with exec producers Amy Sherman Palladino and Daniel Palladino, ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as a mile-long “takeover” of Fifth Avenue in New York from 46th Street to 56th Street and a 4 p.m. ‘60s-themed fitness class at the TWA Hotel at JFK airport.

"Grease" fans: a new series is here.  The new Paramount+ TV musical "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies" takes place four years before Sandy Olsson ever attended Rydell High or met any of the Pink Ladies and tells their origin story. It stars Marisa Davila, Ari Notartomaso, Cheyenne Isabel Wells and Tricia Fukuhara as the founders.

The Grease casting director is slamming a complaint about the iconic movie and it’s cast – that the stars were too old to believably play teenaged highschoolers.

McKinley Franklin author “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” might not spotlight characters from the original 1978 film like Didi Conn’s Frenchy or Stockard Channing’s Rizzo, but it does set the stage for their impending reign on Rydell High. Though tampering with any reiteration of the cultural cornerstone that is “Grease” has proven unsuccessful in the past, showrunner Annabel Oakes was clearly up for the challenge. So, how does one begin to cast the characters for a prequel television series based on the beloved movie? Casting directors Leigh Ann Smith and Conrad Woolfe of Indigo Casting accredit showrunner Oakes’ clear vision. “[Oakes] had lived in that world with these characters for so long,” Smith tells Variety. Adds Woolfe, “We didn’t necessarily feel pressure [casting these characters] because Oakes had done such an incredible job of expanding the universe in her imagination before we even came to the table to do the casting.”

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. For some, one of the best scene in 1978’s “Grease” is when Sandra sleeps over with her new group of girl friends from Rydell High as they sing “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” hair rollers in and heartthrob celebrities like Elvis plastered on their teenage girl bedroom walls. Now, the origins of that beloved girl gang, who call themselves the Pink Ladies, are at the center of a new prequel series on Paramount+, released today. Set in 1954, four years before Sandy and Danny’s whirlwind romance, “Grease: The Rise of the Pink Ladies,” explores how four Rydell High outcasts forged a friendship and became the forebears to the Pink Ladies from the original film, such as Rizzo and Frenchy. However, despite the retro time period, the directors chose to present the story through a more progressive 2023 lens, imbuing ideas about sexual orientation and race throughout its 10 episodes.

told The Guardian in an oral history for the movie recently. “It is a non-PC fairytale that is better for the cast not being teens,” the filmmaker went on.

, an all-new installment in the  franchise that expands the world of Rydell High and its two most formidable school cliques, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds. In fact, the original musical series focuses on the former as it shows how an unlikely group of girls came together to form a refuge for the female misfits that they were on the verge of becoming and helped them transform into the coolest coeds in school.Simply put: «It's about four outcast girls [who] can’t really find their place at Rydell High, so they come together and they decide to start breaking rules,» Cheyenne Isabel Wells tells ET, before Ari Notartomaso adds, «And join a girl gang.»   The cast, including Wells (Olivia), Notartomaso (Cynthia), Marisa Davila (Jane) and Tricia Fukuhara (Nancy), as well as showrunner Annabel Oakes and music producer Justin Tranter break down what's in store for, from the catchy new song-and-dance numbers to the many connections to the original films.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you have not watched the Season 9, episode 8 of “The Masked Singer,” which aired April 5 on Fox. We’re not gonna take it. No, we ain’t gonna take it. Dee Snider’s not gonna be on “The Masked Singer”… anymore! That’s right, the Twisted Sister frontman was the next celebrity to be revealed on Wednesday’s edition of “The Masked Singer,” as the Doll. Snider had won the previous week as Doll, but his journey ended here. For Doll, no one got it right. Panelist Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg thought it was Iggy Pop. Robin Thicke went with Gene Simmons, Nicole Scherzinger named David Lee Roth and Ken Jeong guessed Austin Butler.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Stranger Things” and “The Last of Us” led all nominees as the MTV Movie & TV Awards announced this year’s nominations for the upcoming 2023 awards show. Also earning noms this year were first-timers the Cocaine Bear, from “Cocaine Bear,” and creepy murder doll “M3GAN” from “M3GAN.” The MTV Movie & TV Awards returns to Santa Monica’s Barker Hanger for a live telecast on May 7 at 8 p.m. ET. Drew Barrymore, also nominated for an MTV Movie & TV Award this year, will host. This year’s awards show includes 26 gender-neutral categories. Fans can vote on the show from now until April 17 at 6 p.m. ET.

Amber Dowling Even in the streaming wars era, with programmers gambling on new concepts in order to gain and retain subscribers, schedules aren’t brimming with musicals. That’s because TV musicals are hard. And as a general rule, they rarely stick — even when well executed. Sure, for every “Galavant” and “Eli Stone” there’s a “Glee,” a “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” or a “Smash,” which was a delightful disaster for two seasons. But even “Glee” had its own set of pacing and storyline problems after the surprising first season. “Smash” failed to catch fire in the ratings despite its cult following, and “Zoey” barely held on during its two-season (and a movie) run. As for Apple TV+’s “Schmigadoon!,” the proof will be in the (corn) pudding as to whether it can sustain its momentum when Season 2 debuts this month.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Fox has partnered with McDonald’s to launch a “The Masked Singer”-themed Happy Meal at stores starting April 4. Dubbed the ‘Masknificent’ Happy Meal, the item will feature one of 12 plush toys inspired by one of the “Masked Singer” costumes that have been showcased over the series’ nine season. Kids (or adults who — shhh — can order a Happy Meal too) will also finding a guessing game to play before discovering which character is in the box. Each toy will be in opaque wrapping with a special clue as to which character is hiding within. The game, of course, mimics the unmasking seen on “The Masked Singer.” Characters from seasons past that will be included are T-Rex, Peacock, Thingamajig, Miss Teddy, White Tiger, Space Bunny and others. (One toy per box.) The Happy Meal boxes will also include a scannable code that directs customers to a ‘Masknificent’ AR experience in which they can use their phones or tablets to design their own “Masked Singer” stage featuring filters and music. Through the experience, their plush toy will take part in a virtual concert.

, an all-new installment in the  franchise that expands the world of Rydell High and its two most formidable school cliques, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds. In fact, the original musical series focuses on the former as it shows how an unlikely group of girls came together to form a refuge for the female misfits that they were on the verge of becoming and helped them transform into the coolest coeds in school.Simply put: «It's about four outcast girls [who] can’t really find their place at Rydell High, so they come together and they decide to start breaking rules,» Cheyenne Isabel Wells tells ET, before Ari Notartomaso adds, «And join a girl gang.»   The cast, including Wells (Olivia), Notartomaso (Cynthia), Marisa Davila (Jane) and Tricia Fukuhara (Nancy), as well as showrunner Annabel Oakes and music producer Justin Tranter break down what's in store for, from the catchy new song-and-dance numbers to the many connections to the original films.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Abbott Elementary” will finally reveal Janine’s mother on the ABC comedy’s April 12 episode, and even though it’s April Fool’s Day, we’re not (Cookie) Lyon: It’s “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson, who will play Vanetta on the hit comedy series. The casting of Henson was revealed Saturday at the Paley Center for Media’s annual PaleyFest LA event, where an “Abbott Elementary” panel featured stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Wiliams and William Stanford Davis in person, as well as Janelle James and Chris Perfetti via Zoom from New York. Pre-taping a message was star and executive producer Quinta Brunson, who wasn’t able to attend — as she’s hosting tonight’s installment of “Saturday Night Live.”

Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies has been praised in early reviews, albeit with some caveats.The musical comedy series serves as a prequel to the 1978 classic Grease, taking place four years prior in 1954 to tell the origin story of the Pink Ladies girl gang.According to a synopsis, the show “follows four fed-up and misfit students who band together to bring out the moral panic that will change Rydell High forever and become the founding mothers of the first high school clique known as the Pink Ladies”.Ahead of the show’s UK premiere on Paramount+ on April 7, critics have released reviews of the show’s first four episodes which paint an encouraging picture.Entertainment Weekly, who awarded the show a B- rating, described the show as “uneven” but “when Rise Of The Pink Ladies leans in to this vision of the protagonists as equal-rights innovators, it sings”. It adds that these highlights are “too often muffled by a surplus of mostly forgettable music, overly long episodes, and lukewarm central love stories”.ScreenRant particularly praised the show’s cast and said the series “offers plenty of enjoyment” even if it doesn’t justify its existence: “Regardless of whether this is a show that needed to be made, Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies is an entertaining trip into Rydell’s past, and one that deserves some credit for facing thorny topics head on.”In a C+ review, Consequence was slightly more critical, saying that it suffers from being connected to the Grease IP.

Charna Flam “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” music producer and songwriter Justin Tranter says their prolific career actually started with a passion for musicals. “Musicals are why I started making music as a kid. Even though I was in a rock band and now I make pop music, musicals are why I started making music in the first place,” the Grammy-nominated songwriter told Variety at the Paramount+ series’ premiere Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Tranter has worked with Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, the Chicks, Leon Bridges, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, just to name a few. After “fighting hard” to join “Rise of the Pink Ladies” and providing demos for showrunner Annabel Oakes, the two then teamed up with choreographer Jamal Sims for the series. Along with some co-writers, Tranter wrote and produced 30 original songs for the 10-episode season.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Pedro Pascal and Katee Sackhoff are among the additional names who will appear at this year’s PaleyFest LA, which kicks off on Friday night with a panel and screening devoted to Disney+’s “The Mandalorian.” The Paley Center for Media’s 40th annual PaleyFest LA takes place this year between Friday, March 31, through Tuesday, April 4, and features seven current TV series representing a wide variety of genres: Disney+’s “The Mandalorian,” ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” Paramount Network’s “Yellowstone,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’ “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Showtime’s “Yellowjackets” and Amazon Prime Video’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The PaleyFest will mark the end of “Late Late Show” and “Maisel” during those respective panels.

Lorna Luft is excited to be passing the baton on to the next generation of Pink Ladies. ET's Denny Directo spoke to the  star at the  premiere Wednesday, where she talked seeing the legacy of the long-loved franchise continue.«We had so much fun, and to know that Olivia and John and Stockard — they passed us the baton, and now we're getting to pass it on to a whole new generation,» Luft, who was wearing her original Pink Ladies jacket, said. Discussing 's popularity, Luft said just as the prequel will target a streaming audience, the sequel found its fans on cable television.«I think that  found its home with cable television.

Naman Ramachandran Australian stars Jason Donovan and Peter Andre will return to Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s iconic musical “Grease” at the Dominion Theatre in London’s West End following their acclaimed performances last year. Donovan will play the role of Teen Angel at some performances from Aug. 14-Oct. 28. Andre will play the roles of Vince Fontaine and Teen Angel at certain performances from Aug.29-Oct.19. Louise Redknapp will play Teen Angel from June 2-July 29, excluding Mondays. “Grease,” directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, follows the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies as they navigate the trials and tribulations of their senior year at Rydell High. Transfer student Sandy Dumbrowski speaks of her whirlwind summer romance with heartthrob Danny Zuko. Little does Sandy know that Danny’s also at Rydell High.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Bob Odenkirk could find himself in the rare Emmy air this year. AMC will submit Odenkirk’s new series, “Lucky Hank,” in comedy categories for this year’s Emmy competition, Variety has confirmed. Of course, AMC is also submitting the final episodes of Odenkirk’s “Better Call Saul” in the drama fields. Should Odenkirk be nominated in both the best drama actor and best comedy actor races, he would become the first performer in history to be nominated in both genres in the same year. Several performers have been nominated and even won Emmys as both drama and comedy leads — but never at the same time. It’s a possibility: Odenkirk has been nominated five times in the best drama actor category for “Better Call Saul,” and this will be his final opportunity to compete in that race for “Saul” (which has received 46 nominations through its run, but has yet to win a single Emmy). Meanwhile, Odenkirk has been known first and foremost as a comedy performer, making him a real contender in the comedy race this year for “Hank.”

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large It’s “Country Night” on this week’s episode of “The Masked Singer,” and Variety can reveal some of the celebrities who will be revealed. Well, sort of: These aren’t the actual contestants under masks, but they are they stars who will appear to hand out special clues that provide hints to the identities of each player. Among the guest stars on Wednesday night’s episode: Country music star Deana Carter, comedian Bill Engvall and NFL star Robert Woods each deliver a special clue for Macaw, Fairy, and Axolotl (respectively). Next week, when “The Masked Singer” dives into its “80’s Night,”  Young MC busts a move with his hit “Bust a Move,” kicking off the show with a performance. Also seen on the episode are “CHiPs” actor Erik Estrada and “Dallas” star Charlene Tilton; all three guests deliver clues that evening.