Noah Jupe Among Eight Cast Opposite Michael Douglas in Benjamin Franklin Series at Apple

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Oyelowo is set to star in a dramedy series that is nearing a pickup order at Apple, Variety has learned exclusively.The show is titled “Government Cheese” and is based on the short film of the same name made by Paul Hunter. Hunter serves as co-creator on the series version with Aeysha Carr (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “The Carmichael Show”).“Government Cheese” follows Hampton Chambers (Oyelowo), a man recently released from prison who struggles to keep his criminal past at bay and win back his family, all while processing moments of divine intervention that seem to happen with increasing frequency.Hunter and Oyelowo originally brought the short film to MACRO and Apple, which will serve as co-studios on the series.

Apple TV+ has given an eight-episode series order to a one-hour drama inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton’s unfinished final novel The Buccaneers, with Kristine Froseth (The Assistant), Alisha Boe (When You Finish Saving The World), Josie Totah (Saved by the Bell), Aubri Ibrag (Dive Club), Imogen Waterhouse (The Outpost) and Mia Threapleton (Shadows) cast as the buccaneers.

Robert J. Ross, the former senior vice president of east coast operations for CBS Broadcasting, died June 19. He was at the network from October 1998 until his retirement in 2017.

EXCLUSIVE: HBO Max has rounded out its cast of series regulars for comedy pilot Wild Life, which is fronted by Izabella Alvarez in the role of Ciara.

There have been some new additions to the cast of Wolf Pack.

Wilson Chapman editorParamount+ has found its “Wolf Pack.” Armani Jackson, Bella Shepard, Chloe Rose Robertson and Tyler Lawrence Gray have signed on to play the leads of the streamer’s upcoming supernatural teen drama series.Although “Wolf Pack” revolves around werewolves and is developed for television by Jeff Davis, the series is unconnected to his former MTV series “Teen Wolf” or the upcoming Paramount+ film sequel. The series is instead based on the book series of the same name by Canadian horror author Edo Van Belkom. The show focuses on two teenagers who are caught in a wildfire and are wounded by a supernatural creature.

EXCLUSIVE: Armani Jackson (Honor Society, Chad), Bella Shepard (iCarly, The Wilds), Chloe Rose Robertson (Wildflower) and Tyler Lawrence Gray (Our Town, Macbeth) are set as the young leads in Paramount+ series Wolf Pack. The series hails from Jeff Davis, developer and executive producer of the 2011 MTV series Teen Wolf, and MTV Entertainment Studios where Davis is under a deal.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNatasha Lyonne and Rian Johnson’s Peacock series “Poker Face” has added five new cast members, Variety has learned exclusively.Tim Meadows (“Saturday Night Live,” “The Goldbergs”), Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place,” “She-Hulk”), Nicholas Cirillo (“Outer Banks,” “Jesus Revolution”), Audrey Corsa (“All Rise,” “Dear Edward”) and Niall Cunningham (“And Just Like That,” “Life in Pieces”) have all been cast in the series.The five new cast members join previously announced series lead Lyonne in the series, along with cast members that include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Benjamin Bratt, Stephanie Hsu, and David Castañeda. Plot and character details for the series are being kept largely under wraps, though sources say the show will follow a procedural format and see Lyonne’s character working to solve different murders in each episode. Meadows is repped by CESD and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

IATSE members employed at four Fox TV stations in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., have ratified a new three-year contract, bringing to a close one of the longest-running contract negotiations of all time.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWattpad Webtoon Studios, the fan-driven global entertainment and publishing arm for Webtoon and Wattpad, and GMA-7, the Philippines’ leading linear television network, Thursday announced a series of upcoming television adaptations of popular Wattpad web novels.The first of these is “Luv Is: Caught In His Arms,” an adaptation of the hit Wattpad web novel “Caught In His Arms,” viewed more than 55 million times, from author Ventre Canard (@VentreCanard).The show will launch from October and air daily Monday through Friday on GMA-7. It os set to feature some of the Philippines’ hottest rising stars.

Netflix’s new scripted comedy Unstable has added 7 new cast members to its roster including series regulars Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Rachel Marsh (Head of the Class), Emma Ferreira (Transplant), and Aaron Branch (Kenan); and recurring stars Fred Armisen (Portlandia, Our Flag Means Death), Tom Allen (Barry), and JT Parr (Hawaii Five-O, Real Bros Of Simi Valley).

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Netflix drama series “The Brothers Sun” has set its main cast, which includes Michelle Yeoh, Variety has learned.Yeoh will star alongside series regulars Justin Chien, Sam Song Li, Highdee Kuan, and Joon Lee. Alice Jewkin, Jon Xue Zhang,  Jenny Yang, Madison Hu, and Rodney To will appear in recurring roles.The show was ordered to series at Netflix back in February with an eight-episode pickup. It is set in Los Angeles and Taiwan and features an all-Asian writers room and all-Asian cast.

Coronation Street favourite Sally Carman looked a far cry from her mechanic character Abi Franklin as she struck a pose on the red carpet at The British Soap Awards. Sally, who is currently at the centre of the drama in Weatherfield in her fight for custody of her baby boy Alfie, swapped Abi's overalls for a glitzy black jumpsuit for the awards in London.

Rosanna Arquette, Melinda McGraw, Frank Grillo, Dennis Haysbert and Dee Wallace are the first to be cast in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm director Jason Woliner’s Peacock series, from The Disaster Artists producers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Caviar.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJason Woliner’s upcoming Peacock series has added five new cast members.Rosanna Arquette (“Florida Man,” “Love is Love is Love”), Melinda McGraw (“Mad Men,” “The Dark Knight”) Frank Grillo (“Kingdom,” “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”), Dennis Haysbert (“Lucifer,” “The Unit”), and Dee Wallace (“E.T.,” “Cujo”) are all set to star in the untitled project.The show was ordered straight-to-series at Peacock in May. The show is said to mix fact and fiction to tell a bizarre and incredible tale, per the official description. No other plot details are available at this time.

Ramin Setoodeh Executive EditorTo many fans of “Sex and the City,” Kim Cattrall was the definition of glamorous. So perhaps it’s only fitting that her next TV project will be “Glamorous,” a Netflix series in which Cattrall will be starring as a makeup mogul.“Glamorous,” which had originally been ordered as a pilot at The CW in 2019, tells the story of Marco Mejia (played by actor, singer and YouTuber Miss Benny), a gender non-conforming queer person who goes to work for Cattrall’s cosmetics queen Madolyn Addison.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dead Boy Detectives” series at HBO Max has brought on Beth Schwartz to serve as co-showrunner and executive producer, Variety has learned exclusively.Schwartz will now co-showrun the series with Steve Yockey. This is not the first time Schwartz has been at the helm of a show based on a DC property, as she served as the showrunner on the final two seasons of “Arrow” at The CW.