‘LA Law’ Sequel Series ABC Pilot Adds Original Series Star Corbin Bernsen

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLegendary Television and Scholastic Entertainment are developing a TV series based on “The Royal Diaries” books, Variety has learned exclusively.“The Royal Diaries” is a series of 20 fiction books published by Scholastic Press between 1999 and 2005. Each book is written as the fictional diary of a real female royal at a key moment in history as well as her adolescent years.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Perry Mason” Season 2 at HBO is building out its cast.Katherine Waterston (“Inherent Vice,” “Alien: Covenant”) is joining Season 2 as a series regular, while Season 1 star Diarra Kilpatrick is being upped to series regular. Peter Mendoza (“NCIS,” “Shooter”), Hope Davis(“Your Honor,” “Love Life”), Jon Chaffin(“BMF,” “The Haves and the Have Nots”), Fabrizio Guido (“Mr.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC has put the drama “No Good Deed” into development, Variety has learned.The project has received a script commitment with a penalty attached at the network. Jeannine Renshaw will write and executive produce.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Patricia Arquette-led Apple comedy series “High Desert” has added six new cast members, Variety has learned.Matt Dillon (“Wayward Pines,” “Crash”), Rupert Friend (“Homeland,” “Death of Stalin”), Weruche Opia (“I May Destroy You”), Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Fargo”), Bernadette Peters (“Mozart in the Jungle,” “The Good Fight”) and Christine Taylor (“Search Party,” “Zoolander”) will all star alongside Arquette in the half-hour series.The series follows

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJonathan Majors and Simu Liu are both set to make their hosting debuts on “Saturday Night Live.”Majors will host the long-running NBC sketch series on Nov. 13.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterShowtime has promoted Jessie Dicovitsky to the role of senior vice president of original programming.“Jessie Dicovitsky has been a tremendous asset to our dynamic original programming team,” said Amy Israel, Showtime’s executive vice president of scripted programming, to whom Dicovitsky reports.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterEugene Levy is set to host and executive produce a new travel series for Apple.“The Reluctant Traveler” will see Levy visit some of the world’s most remarkable hotels, as well as explore the people, places and cultures that surround them. Self confessedly not your average travel show host, he’s agreed the time is right for him to broaden his horizons.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLindsey Morgan is exiting The CW series “Walker” after two seasons, Variety has confirmed.The show, which stars Jared Padalecki in a reboot of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” is currently airing its second season.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLila Byock has signed a two-year overall deal with ABC Signature, Variety has learned exclusively.Byock spent five years on the editorial staff of The New Yorker magazine.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Three-Body Problem” series at Netflix has officially added a dozen cast members, Variety has learned.The cast now includes: Jovan Adepo (“Watchmen,” “When They See Us,” “Fences”), John Bradley (“Game of Thrones,” “Moonfall,” “Marry Me”), Tsai Chin (“Lucky Grandma,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), Liam Cunningham (“The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” “Game of Thrones,” “Hunger”), Eiza González (“Baby Driver,” “I Care A Lot,” “Ambulance”), Jess Hong

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJon Hamm will voice the lead character of the new Fox animated comedy series “Grimsburg.”The series, which is slated to debut on the broadcaster in 2023, will see Hamm play Marvin Flute, maybe the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown or correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. But there’s one mystery he still can’t crack — his family.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Amazon YA pilot “Shelter” has added three new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.Adrian Greensmith, Abby Corrigan, and Sage Linder have all joined the pilot, which is based on the first novel in Harlan Coben’s Mickey Bolitar book trilogy.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterFX has ordered a new comedy pilot from Peter Tolan, Variety has learned exclusively.Titled “Belated,” the half-hour project is about an unexpected intergenerational friendship between Owen, a recently out man in his 40s, and Clay, a 17-year-old trans teen, as Owen and his ex-wife and children attempt to find their new normal. Tolan will write, direct, and executive produce the pilot via The Cloudland Company.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterGeorge Lopez and his daughter Mayan Lopez are set to star in a multi-cam comedy that has been picked up to pilot at NBC.The series, titled “Lopez vs. Lopez,” originally received a put pilot order at the broadcaster in June.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMichael Gandolfini and Zack Schor have joined the cast of “The Offer” at Paramount Plus, which tells the story of the making of “The Godfather.”“The Offer” is a 10-episode series based on the experience of Oscar-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy (Miles Teller), detailing the behind-the-scenes events of the original 1972 film.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “John Wick” prequel series at Starz, “The Continental,” is rounding out its main cast with five new additions.Mishel Prada (“Vida”) will play KD; Hubert Point Du-Jour (“Blindspot,” “Madame Secretary”) will play Miles; Jessica Allain (“The Laundromat,” “Thriller”) has been cast as Lou; Nhung Kate (“Swapping Fate,” “The Better Man”) has been cast as Yen; and Ben Robson (“Animal Kingdom,” “Vikings”) has been cast as Frankie.The five join previously announced series lead

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMel Gibson will star in the “John Wick” prequel series “The Continental” at Starz, Variety has confirmed with sources.“The Continental” was originally ordered at Starz in 2018 and is said to focus on the inner workings of the titular hotel from the film franchise, which is a refuge for assassins.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBetty Gilpin is set to star in the series “Blood Sugar” that is currently in development at HBO, Variety has learned.In the series, when the Sharks of “Shark Tank” laugh the delightful Margot Schultz (Gilpin) and her frozen food business off stage, little do they know they’re setting in motion one of the bloodiest and wildest rises to fame and fortune this country has ever seen.The project is co-written by Duke Merriman (“So Good to See You,” “Monos”) and Preston

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBrianna Bennett has been named senior vice president of network drama for ABC Entertainment, Variety has learned.Bennett comes to ABC from CBS Studios, where she served as vice president of drama development since 2014. She takes over heading up drama for the broadcaster from Brian Morewitz, whose exit was announced back in July.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Ted Lasso’s” Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence are uniting with Jason Segel on the Apple comedy series “Shrinking,” Variety has learned.Goldstein, Lawrence, and Segel will all serve as writers and executive producers on the series, with Segel also set to star. Lawrence will executive produce under his Doozer Productions banner along with Jeff Ingold.