Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Ted’ Peacock Series Sets Cast, Showrunners

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMost of the cast of “That ’70s Show” is coming back for “That ’90s Show” at Netflix, Variety has learned.Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Wilmer Valderrama are all set to make guest appearances in the spinoff series, once again playing their characters from the original series. The only main cast member not returning is Danny Masterson, who played Hyde, as he is preparing to stand trial on multiple sexual assault allegations.As previously announced, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp are set to star in “That ’90s Show,” reprising the roles of Red and Kitty Forman.

Pete Davidson is set to write, star and executive producer a new comedy series,, for Peacock. The live-action, half-hour comedy will be about “a heightened, fictionalized version” of the star’s real life while combining “grounded storytelling with absurd elements from the unfiltered and completely original worldview for which Pete is well known.” The series marks Davidson’s first major solo TV project since first joining in 2014. In addition to the series, Davidson has also starred in and co-wrote the loosely autobiographical 2020 film, . “Pete Davidson is one of the most sought-after comedians today with his smart, one-of-a-kind humor and honest point of view,” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.

EXCLUSIVE: Steven Pasquale (American Crime Story: The People v OJ Simpson), Stephanie Szostak (A Million Little Things) and Tony Curran (Your Honor) are set for key recurring roles in David E. Kelley’s The Missing, Peacock’s eight-episode series based on Israeli crime writer Dror A. Mishani’s international bestselling novel The Missing File. Details of their characters are being kept under wraps.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Adrien Brody has been cast opposite Natasha Lyonne in Poker Face, Peacock’s 10-episode mystery drama series from Rian Johnson, his T-Street banner and MRC Television.

A shakeup no one saw coming. After Cruel Summer‘s critically acclaimed premiere on Freeform in 2021, the series will be saying goodbye to its cast and showrunner — and there will be a completely different story explored in season 2.

Cruel Summer is returning to Freeform as an anthology series.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Netflix spy series led by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro has set its main cast, Variety has learned.Appearing in series regular roles in the series are: Jay Baruchel, Aparna Brielle, Andy Buckley, Milan Carter, Fortune Feimster, Barbara Eve Harris, Gabriel Luna, Fabiana Udenio, and Travis Van Winkle. Additionally, the following actors will appear in recurring roles: Devon Bostick, David Chinchilla, Rachel Lynch, Stephanie Sy, and Scott Thompson.Full character descriptions for all the new cast members can be found below.The untitled spy drama was ordered at Netflix in May 2021, with the streamer giving the one-hour show an eight episode order.

Zack Sharf Seth Meyers dragged Ted Cruz for discussing Mickey Mouse and Pluto having sex in reaction to the escalating fight between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBenjamin Bratt has been cast in the Natasha Lyonne-led Peacock series “Poker Face,” which hails from creator Rian Johnson.Variety has learned exclusively that Bratt is the latest addition to the rapidly expanding cast. Another recently announced cast members include Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 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.Bratt most recently appeared opposite Rosario Dawson in the HBO Max limited series “DMZ,” which debuted in March on the streamer.

EXCLUSIVE: Kitao Sakurai (The Eric Andre Show, Bad Trip) will direct multiple episodes of Peacock’s Twisted Metal. He is also expected to executive produce.

There are many paths to stardom, but the blueprint used by Los Angeles pop icon Angelyne was especially ahead of its time. While attempting to jump-start her music career in the 1980s, she appeared on a series of billboards and soon rose to fame as “L.A.’s Billboard Queen.” Before long, she was scoring television gigs and cameo roles in films like 1988’s “Earth Girls are Easy.” In a post-Kardashians world, celebrity for its own sake has become a perfectly normal pursuit.

EXCLUSIVE: Concord Originals has partnered with Outfest Fusion to launch a one-of-a-kind short film financing and IP licensing initiative, in support of up-and-coming LGBTQIA+ filmmakers of color.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Castañeda is the latest addition to the cast of the Natasha Lyonne & Rian Johnson series “Poker Face” at Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively.Lyonne will lead the drama series, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephanie Hsu also set to appear along with 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.Castañeda is best known for his role in the hit Netflix series “The Umbrella Academy,” on which he plays Diego. The third season of the show is due out on June 22.

Stephanie Hsu has landed a role in the upcoming Peacock series Poker Face!

Ted in a new TV series.The Family Guy comedian will be reprising his role from the 2012 film, which co-starred Mark Wahlberg, for a live-action show at Peacock.MacFarlane will be directing, writing, executive producing and sharing showrunning duties on the forthcoming project.The show takes place in 1993, before the two films starring Wahlberg. In the new series, Ted lives with 16-year-old John Bennett and his parents and cousin in a working class home in Boston.“Ted may not be the best influence on John, but when it comes right down to it, Ted’s willing to go out on a limb to help his friend and his family,” Variety added in a plot description.Giorgia Whigham, Max Burkholder and Scott Grimes have all been cast in the new series, but it has not been revealed whether any actors from the films will reprise their roles.MacFarlane confirmed the Ted news on his Instagram account, writing: “Time to sing the thunder song.”A post shared by Seth MacFarlane (@macfarlaneseth)Elsewhere, MacFarlane’s Ted co-star Mark Wahlberg recently revealed he has kept the prosthetic penis he wore on the set of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film Boogie Nights.Wahlberg appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this week (April 12), during which DeGeneres asked the actor: “Is it true that you still have the prosthetic you wore in Boogie Nights?” “Yes, yes.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Everything, Everywhere All at Once” star Stephanie Hsu has joined Natasha Lyonne in “Poker Face,” the Peacock series created by Rian Johnson.Hsu is the latest casting to be announced for the series. Variety exclusively reported that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also set to appear on the show.Plot 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. Details on the character Hsu will play are also being kept under wraps.Hsu was most recently seen in the critically-acclaimed feature “Everything, Everywhere All at Once” opposite Michelle Yeoh. She also plays Mei in the popular Amazon series “The Marvelous Mrs.

EXCLUSIVE: Rowan Atkinson’s Netflix comedy Man vs Bee has set cast, with Crazy Rich Asians star Jing Lusi joining the show that will launch on June 24.

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount+ has given a formal series green light to The Turkish Detective, an adaptation of Barbara Nadel’s CWA Silver Dagger Award-winning novels featuring Detective Inspectors Cetin Ikmen and Mehmet Suleyman. Haluk Biligner (Baba), Ethan Kai and Yasemin Kay Allen (The Usual Suspects) have been tapped to star in the series, set in modern-day Istanbul and produced by Miramax and leading Turkish production company Ay Yapim, in association with VIS, Paramount’s international studio. Filming is set to begin this month in Istanbul. The Turkish Detective is slated to debut globally on Paramount+ in 2023.

The Orville has been a passion project — and a big undertaking — for Seth MacFarlane who created, writes, directs, executive produces and stars in the space comedy-drama. As the series is preparing for the June 2 launch of Season 3 on Hulu, there are no current plans for a fourth season. I hear the cast of the series was released in August when their most recent options expired.