Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Amazon Freevee is getting into business with Bishop T.D. Jakes, signing a two-year deal with the spiritual figure to launch a FAST (free, ad-supported streaming) channel and provide on-demand access to 300 hours of Jakes’ content. The deal, which launches Dec. 1 and covers rights in the U.S., UK and Germany, will include sermons, interviews and other unscripted, faith-based programming from Jakes’ library — which has been amassed over 45 years. While the programming will be available on demand at that time, the FAST channel will launch in early 2023 on Amazon Freevee and within Prime Video. Michael Phillips, the chief operating officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, will oversee the programming output.
Norman Lear’s Laverne Cox and George Wallace Comedy Lands Series Order at Amazon Freevee
06.09.2022 - 17:41 / variety.com
Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Amazon Freevee has given the greenlight to “Clean Slate,” a new comedy from Norman Lear’s Act III Productions, starring Laverne Cox and comedian George Wallace. The original comedy has been in development at Freevee since February 2021, back when the ad-supported streamer was known as IMDb TV. “Clean Slate,” which comes from Cox, Wallace and Dan Ewen, centers on car wash owner Henry (Wallace), whose estranged child comes home to Alabama after 17 years. But he must do some soul searching as he comes to terms with the fact that his adult child is a trans woman, Desiree (Cox). There’s no word yet on an episodic order, when the series might shoot or an estimated premiere date.
Ewen serves as executive producer and writer on “Clean Slate,” and he has story credit along with Cox and Wallace. Cox will also serve as an executive producer on the show, while Wallace is a producer. Act III’s Lear and partner Brent Miller will serve as non-writing executive producers, while Paul Hilepo serves as a non-writing producer.
“Clean Slate” was one of two projects Lear and Act III had set up at IMDb/Freevee through their deal with Sony Pictures TV. It’s unclear if “Loteria,” the other project (based on the iconic board game) will move forward. Lear, who recently turned 100 years old, and Miller have a busy lineup of projects in the works, including a “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman” remake from “Schitts Creek” star Emily Hampshire; Netflix’s animated take on “Good Times” from Carl Jones, with Seth MacFarlane and Steph Curry also on board ; and others. It’s unclear yet whether there will be a new installment of “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” this fall or which sitcoms from Lear’s library the next
‘Icons Unearthed: Star Wars’ Picked Up By Amazon Freevee In The UK
EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Freevee has picked up Icons Unearthed: Star Wars for the UK, the doc series that features the first tell-all on-camera interview with George Lucas’ former wife Marcia Lucas.
Norman Lear's 100th Birthday Special - Full Celebrity Lineup Revealed!
Norman Lear celebrated his 100th birthday over the summer and ABC is continuing the celebration with the special, Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter.
Kenya Barris, Mackenzie Phillips and James Burrows Recall Meeting Norman Lear for the First Time
Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor ABC is celebrating Norman Lear’s 100th birthday with a television special on Sept. 22. Variety was on hand for exclusive interviews with Lear and his starry guests as they made their way into the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel earlier this month for the filming of the show, “Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter.” Lear, who turned 100 on July 27, has famously credited laughing as the key to living a long life. He also told me that staying in the present is equally as important. “We don’t pay enough attention to the words ‘over’ and ‘next,'” he said. “When something is over, it’s over and we’re all onto the next. If there was a hammock in the middle, that would be the best description I could offer for living in the moment.”
Amazon Freevee’s YA Drama ‘Beyond Black Beauty’ Begins Shooting In Canada And Europe
EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Freevee coming-of-age drama series Beyond Black Beauty has begun principal photography, with shooting of the Amazon Studios, Sinking Ship Entertainment and Leif Films show underway in Canada.
Regé-Jean Page & Glen Powell To Star In ‘Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid’-Inspired Series At Amazon
Regé-Jean Page and Glen Powell are set to star in a series inspired by Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid for Amazon.
Amazon Freevee Has Secretly Made A Jury Trial Docu-Style Comedy Series Starring James Marsden
EXCLUSIVE: There have been whispers for months about a top-secret courtroom docu-style comedy series filming to run on Amazon Freevee. We can reveal that the project, starring James Marsden (Enchanted, Westworld), is now in post-production and headed to the screen.
Laverne Cox Channeled Madonna and Her Cone Bra on the Emmys Red Carpet
, she's still the in my heart. The actor wore a dramatic mini dress on the , complete with exaggerated hip padding and swirling boob cones—a silhouette associated both with the French design house and Madonna. The rest of outfit was simple: sheer, black tights and pointed-toe pumps helped keep all eyes on her silver zippered dress.
E! Red Carpet Host Laverne Cox Wears Futuristic Look at Emmy Awards 2022
Laverne Cox is rocking a cool design on the red carpet at the Emmys!
Laverne Cox Comedy Series ‘Clean Slate’ Gets Green Light at Amazon Freevee With Producer Norman Lear
Amazon Freevee has given the green light to comedy series “Clean Slate,” written by George Wallace, and Laverne Cox.Cox and Wallace also star in the series, which hails from Sony Pictures Television and Norman Lear’s Act III Productions. Dan Ewen also helped write the story of the show and wrote the script for its pilot.Here’s a logline for the series: Old school and outspoken car wash owner, Henry (Wallace), is thrilled his estranged child is finally returning home to Alabama after 17 years. However, Henry has a lot of soul searching to do when the child he thought was a son returns as the determined, proud, trans woman, Desiree (Cox).“Clean Slate” has been in development at Amazon Freevee for over a year after moving from NBCUniversal’s development slate in early 2021.
Laverne Cox & George Wallace Comedy ‘Clean Slate’ Produced By Norman Lear Gets Amazon Freevee Series Order
Amazon Freevee has picked up to series the Laverne Cox-George Wallace comedy Clean Slate, from Norman Lear’s Act III Productions and Sony Pictures Television where the company is based. This is a formal order for the half-hour project, starring Cox and Wallace, which I hear was unofficially made around Lear’s 100th birthday on July 27.
2022 Creative Arts Emmys: Full Winners List, Night 1 (UPDATED LIVE)
Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Night one of the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards is underway at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. The first of two Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies this year, the Saturday night event focuses on mostly unscripted fare, including reality and documentaries, as well as variety shows and specials. (Animation is also included on the evening.) High-profile awards on Saturday include animated program, character voice-over, documentary or nonfiction series, documentary or nonfiction special, exceptional merit in documentary filmmaking, music direction, narrator, short form comedy/drama/variety series, structured reality program, unstructured reality program, variety special (live) and variety special (pre-recorded). Among the possibilities for the evening: Norman Lear is in line to become the first-ever 100-year-old Emmy winner. Also, President Barack Obama is up for an Emmy in the outstanding narrator category, and Chadwick Boseman, Jessica Walter and/or Norm Macdonald could win posthumous Emmys in various categories.
Suze Orman’s Financial Advice Show Archives Coming To Amazon Freevee
Financial advisor Suze Orman has inked a a two-year licensing deal with Amazon Freevee to bring back all 14 seasons of The Suze Orman Show.
Laverne Cox hilariously responds to being mistaken for Beyoncé at the US Open
Laverne Cox has shared her hilarious reaction to a fan mistaking her for Beyoncé when she attended the US Open to support Serena Williams. On Instagram on Monday, the 50-year-old shared a screenshot of a tweet that showed her cheering in the stands at the tournament. At the event, she could also be seen in an all black outfit and wearing a black face mask.
Laverne Cox reacts to being mistaken for Beyoncé: ‘These tweets are funny as hell’
Laverne Cox had the last laugh at the US Open tournament, after the actress went viral all over social media for being confused for Beyoncé.The Hollywood star had a similar shade of honey blonde hair as the iconic singer, and was wearing an all-black ensemble, hoop earrings and a face mask.The viral moment started when an online user took to Twitter to point out that Beyoncé, who is known for staying away from the public eye, was among the audience at Serena Williams’ first singles match in her last US Open tournament.I think that is Laverne Cox https://t.co/zW0AE7MJf7pic.twitter.com/4J4i3KKY3S“I got too excited to see #Beyoncé and thought it was her my bad.. it’s @Lavernecox,” the online user wrote after noticing the mistake.
Laverne Cox Reacts After Being Mistaken for Beyonce at U.S. Open: ‘Funny as Hell’
Not her — but she’s flattered! Laverne Cox had a hilarious reaction after she was misidentified as Beyoncé while attending the U.S. Open.
That's Not Beyoncé at the U.S. Open, but Laverne Cox Is Flattered by the Confusion
in public. Fine, one of us is lying, but I'm told daydreaming is healthy and normal. The attended the U.S. Open on Monday, August 29—an event notorious for drawing a who's who of high-profile celebrities.