‘Reacher’ Star Willa Fitzgerald to Headline Pair of Scripted Podcasts for Fictionz (Podcast News Roundup)

Wilson Chapman editorTubi has announced the casting and director for “Crushed,” a coming-of-age comedy set to premiere this April on Fox Entertainment’s ad-supported streaming service.“Crushed” follows Kate (Bebe Wood), a romantic high schooler who has a huge crush on classmate Jason (Nicholas Alexander Chavez). But, as she unsuccessfully tries to get together with Jason during their senior class trip, things spiral out of control.In addition to Wood and Chavez, “Crushed” also stars Brenna D’Amico (“Descendants: Wicked World”), Valerie Azlynn (“Sullivan & Son”), Kylee Russell (“Zombies: Addison’s Monster Mystery”), Lisa Yamada (“All of Us Are Dead”), Meg Wright (“Jeepers Creepers III”) and Bailey Stender (“Pop Music High”).

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorIn today’s podcast news roundup, Vince Vaughn teams up with two former NFL pros to launch podcast production firm Audiorama; media startup Puck is launching podcasts with Spotify’s The Ringer and Audacy’s Cadence13; Spotify’s 2022 Sound Up accelerator program is geared toward family podcasters; and more.Vince Vaughn (“Wedding Crashers,” “Brawl in Cellblock 99”), along with former Carolina Panthers players Greg Olsen and Ryan Kalil and venture fund Powerhouse Capital, this week launched Audiorama, a podcast network and production company centered on “transformative podcasts” that enlighten, entertain and inform. Mikey Fowler, formerly with Barstool Sports, is VP and GM of the newly founded venture.

The new live production “Blue’s Clues and You! Live on Stage” will embark on its U.S. tour this fall, Nickelodeon and Round Room Live announced Tuesday.

Bel Air” is about to feature a “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reunion — of sorts. Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played Will’s aunt on later seasons of “Fresh Prince,” and Vernee Watson-Johnson, who recurred as Will’s mom on the show, are returning to Bel Air — in guest starring roles for Episode 9 of Peacock’s new drama.Maxwell Reid and Watson-Johnson portrayed Aunt Viv and Viola “Vy” Smith, respectively, in the original series. For their upcoming guest roles on “Bel-Air,” the two will play “Helen” and “Janice,” members of the Art Council Board of Trustee.Peacock’s “Bel-Air” reimagines the beloved “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” sitcom — with a new lens on Will’s (Jabari Banks) complicated journey from West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.

NBC has partnered with Studio Lambert to bring “Million Dollar Island” to the U.S. In “Million Dollar Island,” based on Talpa’s international adventure reality format, 100 contestants compete and build alliances to stay on a remote desert island for up to 50 days — in hopes of winning their share of a $1 million prize. Each contestant is given a bracelet worth $10,000, which they gain and lose during the show’s challenges.

Hulu has released an official trailer for “The Girl From Plainville” — a limited series inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s “texting suicide” case.Based on Jesse Barron’s Esquire article of the same name, “The Girl From Plainville” dives into Carter’s (Elle Fanning) relationship with Conrad Roy III (Colton Ryan) and his following death, which led to her conviction of involuntary manslaughter.“All he thought about was dying… I really just wanted to help him,” says Fanning’s Carter in the gripping trailer, which is full of unsettling text messages and moments both following and leading up to Roy’s death.In addition to Fanning and Ryan, the series also stars Chloë Sevigny as Lynn Roy, Cara Buono as Gail Carter, Kai Lennox as David Carter and Norbert Leo Butz as Conrad Roy II. Hailing from UCP of the Universal Studio Group, “The Girl From Plainville” is written and executive produced by showrunners Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus.

HBO Max has unveiled the first trailer for “Julia,” an upcoming series about the life of beloved culinary icon Julia Child.Created by Daniel Goldfarb (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), “Julia” focuses on Child (played in the series by Sarah Lancashire) during the years following the publication of her iconic cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” The series sees Child kickstarting her first television series, “The French Chef,” at the public television station WGBH.

MarVista Entertainment is entering into a development and production deal with TelevisaUnivision to produce 10 original Spanish-language films for ViX Plus, both sides announced Monday. ViX Plus is TelevisaUnivision’s Spanish-language subscription-based video on-demand offering; MarVista will produce 10 films across the genres of family, comedy, romance and holiday that will be available to stream exclusively on the service.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfolds, Sky News has decided to air two daily, hour-long specials dedicated to covering the crisis across its TV, radio and digital/social media platforms.Starting on Monday (Feb. 28), the British outlet will air the specials each day at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m — with programming coming from Sky News’ team of correspondents both on the ground and at home.

WeCrashed,” a new drama limited series starring Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway.Based on the podcast “WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork” by Wondery, “WeCrashed” tells the story of WeWork, a commercial real estate company that provides shared workspaces for technology startups. The show focuses on the rise and fall of Adam Neumann, the Israeli businessman who founded the company and stepped down in 2019 as its value plummeted.The trailer shows Neumann starting the company with his wife Rebekah (Anne Hathaway) and developing it into a global brand.

Paramount Plus has announced that its upcoming live-action “The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder” series will premiere March 31.Season 1 of “The Fairly Oddparents: Fairly Odder” will be made up of 13 episodes. The series follows Nickelodeon’s animated “The Fairly OddParents” program, which ran from 2001-2017 and focused on the adventures of Timmy Turner and his fairy godparents, Wanda and Cosmo, who magically granted wishes.The latest chapter is set to focus on Timmy’s cousin, Vivian “Viv” Turner (Audrey Grace Marshall), and her stepbrother, Roy Raskin (Tyler Wladis), as the two face life in Dimmsdale with the help of the fairy godparents.

Nichelle Nichols' impact on American culture and the TV landscape cannot be overstated. The celebrated actress' legacy is truly unique and it began with her role on a TV series that would become an iconic franchise.In 1966, Nichols appeared in the utopian sci-fi drama.

South Park” is celebrating its upcoming 25th anniversary with the announcement of a new episode set to premiere on March 2, as well as a 30-piece orchestral rendition of its hit song, “Chocolate Salty Balls.”The song was featured on the show’s first season, and went on to claim the No. 1 spot on the U.K. charts.

Al Roker's wife, Deborah Roberts, has proudly taken to Instagram to share a new snapshot of her son, Nick – and sparked a big fan reaction in the process.Deborah uploaded a candid photo taken from inside the family home, showing Nick beaming for the camera, and giving a thumbs up.WATCH: Al Roker's son receives incredible news!He is smartly dressed in a blazer, open shirt, and blazer jacket – compete with pocket square – and his glasses. But it's his sunny smile that steals the show.In the caption, his mom sweetly wrote: "Now that's a winning smile.

Critics Choice Real TV Awards will open Feb. 21, the Critics Choice Association and nonfiction producers organization NPACT announced Friday.First launched in 2019, the Real TV Awards were established as way of providing the growing nonfiction TV sphere critical attention and support. The awards celebrate programming across streaming and linear platforms, and honor industry leaders for their work in advancing unscripted television.This year’s Real TV Awards ceremony will honor shows that premiered at least six episodes between June 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022.

The Terminal List,” a new thriller series starring Chris Pratt, will premiere on Prime Video July 1, the streamer announced Thursday.Based on the novel of the same name by Jack Carr, “The Terminal List” follows James Reece (Pratt), a Navy SEAL who returns to civilian life after his team is ambushed during a high-stakes mission. Struggling with conflicting memories of the event, Reece soon has to go back to action when he discovers threats against his family and loved ones.Pratt anchors the large ensemble cast of the series, which also includes Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Riley Keough, Arlo Mertz, Jai Courtney, JD Pardo, Patrick Schwarzenegger, LaMonica Garrett, Stephen Bishop, Sean Gunn, Tyner Rushing, Jared Shaw, Christina Vidal, Nick Chinlund, Matthew Rauch, Warren Kole, and Alexis Louder. The series is showrun by David DiGilio, along with writer Daniel Shattuck and Carr.

Al Roker has had some momentous occasions in his career and in his family life too, and he and his wife Deborah Roberts are ready for another. The Today show host reminded fans on Friday, that his son Nick is about to embark on a life-altering challenge and it appears he can't get it off his mind. MORE: Al Roker deemed 'inspirating' by fans after health revelation in hilarious video Because 19-year-old Nick will soon be headed off to college after being accepted at the end of 2021. WATCH: Al Roker's son receives incredible news and his parents are thrilledAl is clearly relishing every moment with his youngest as he shared a photo of his breakfast - made for his boy - on social media and it sparked an emotional response. Alongside the simple snapshot of an egg and bacon croissant, the weatherman wrote: "When your #collegebound kid asks you to make #breakfast."A post shared by Al Roker (@alroker)Even Al's breakfasts are making him nostalgic about his son going to collegeIt turns out that it's not just Al and Deborah who are noting how quickly Nick is growing up as fans commented: "Al, I’ve been watching you for years and it’s hard to believe that Nick is college bound this year," and another added: "Such a great dad."Al is incredibly proud of Nick and shared the moment he found out he had been accepted to college on Instagram too. MORE: Al Roker and son Nick open the doors into their never-ending living room as they watch the Super BowlMORE: Al Roker majorly divides fans as he shares Today Show change for 2022 OlympicsThe 30-second clip showed Nick Wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with a vaccinated sign, he smiled and admitted he was excited at the news as his mom hugged him and dad congratulated him too.

The Amber Ruffin Show” will return with new episodes Feb. 25, Peacock announced Tuesday.The critically acclaimed late-night variety series is hosted by comedian Amber Ruffin, who made history as the first Black woman to write for a late-night network TV show when she joined the writer’s room of “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in 2014. Ruffin’s own show premiered in 2020, as one of the first originals for the Peacock streaming platform.