‘Walking Dead’ Star Melissa McBride Exits Carol-Daryl Spinoff Series at AMC

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNBC is in negotiations on a pilot order for a multi-cam comedy from Mike O’Malley with Jon Cryer in talks for a lead role, Variety has learned.The untitled series follows Jim and Julia, who decide to still live together to co-raise their children after an amicable divorce. But navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated when a rich suitor for Julia’s heart enters the picture and sees them (Jim included) as the family he never had.Lionsgate is the studio behind the project.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Daria” spinoff “Jodie” is taking shape, but will now be an animated film rather than a series as originally announced. In addition, Variety has learned exclusively that the spinoff has set its main cast.It was previously announced that Tracee Ellis Ross will voice the title role of Jodie, Daria’s friend from high school.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“9-1-1: Lone Star” has been renewed for Season 4 at Fox, Variety has learned.The announcement was made ahead of Fox’s upfronts presentation to advertisers on Monday afternoon. At the time of this publishing, there is still no word on a renewal for “Lone Star’s” companion series, “9-1-1,” though an announcement is expected soon.CLICK HERE to follow Variety’s coverage of Upfronts 2022“9-1-1: Lone Star” stars Rob Lowe as Owen Strand, who moves with his son (Ronen Rubinstein) to Austin, TX, to rebuild a firehouse after it experienced a tragedy.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterABC has picked up “The Rookie” spinoff starring Niecy Nash-Betts as well as the drama “Alaska” starring Hilary Swank and the comedy “Not Dead Yet” starring Gina Rodriguez for the 2022-2023 broadcast season.“The Rookie” spinoff aired as a two-part backdoor pilot during “The Rookie’s” fourth season. The spinoff is titled “The Rookie: Feds.” Nash-Betts stars as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “True Lies” series adaptation has been ordered at CBS for the 2022-2023 broadcast season.The series order comes after the show was originally ordered to pilot at CBS in February 2021 before it was pushed off-cycle for consideration during this year’s pilot season.In the series, an unfulfilled suburban housewife (Ginger Gonzaga) is shocked to discover that her bland and unremarkable computer consultant husband (Steve Howey) is a skilled international spy. She is propelled into a life of danger and adventure when she’s recruited to work alongside him to save the world as they try to revitalize their passionless marriage.Along with Howey and Gonzaga, the cast includes Erica Hernandez, Omar Miller, Mike O’Gorman, Annabella Didion, and Lucas Jaye.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterKerry Washington and Delroy Lindo are set to star in a new comedy series set up at Onyx Collective on Hulu, Variety has learned.The series is titled “Unprisoned” and has received an eight-episode order. It is inspired by the life of series creator Tracy McMillan. In the show, a messy but perfectionist relationship therapist and single mom (Washington) has her life turned right-side-up when her dad (Lindo) gets out of prison and moves in with her and her teenage son.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterGarrett Hedlund has joined the cast of the Sylverster Stallone-led Paramount+ series “Tulsa King,” Variety has learned exclusively.The series follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone) just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, OK. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters, to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.Hedlund will appear in the series regular role of Mitch Keller, an Oklahoma native and ex bull-rider who retired prematurely after injuries led to addiction.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterStephanie Hsu is set for a guest starring role in Disney+ series “American Born Chinese,” Variety has learned exclusively.The role reunites Hsu with previously announced cast member Michelle Yeoh, with whom Hsu starred in the hit film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, the series follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a teenager juggling his high school social life with his immigrant home life. When Jin meets foreign exchange student Wei-Chen (Jim Liu) on the first day of school, their worlds collide as Jin becomes entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” breaks new ground among the more recent “Trek” shows by going back to the old ways — that is to say that the show is much more episodic as compared to the heavily serialized “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Picard.”In an interview with Variety, series star Anson Mount said that the idea of the show following that format was always the intention of its creators and allowed the cast to “get ourselves out of the way a little bit.”“I like to think that Pike is not the star of the show,” said Mount, who plays Captain Christopher Pike. “The star of the show is the Enterprise.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterViola Davis is eyeing a return to the role of Amanda Waller in her own spinoff series currently in the works at HBO Max, Variety has learned from sources.Exact plot details are mostly under wraps at this point, but sources say the show will build off of Waller’s appearance at the end of the “Suicide Squad” spinoff series “Peacemaker.”SPOILER ALERT: In the Season 1 finale of “Peacemaker,” Waller’s daughter and spy Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) outs her mother publicly for her work with Task Force X and the Suicide Squad. Davis made brief cameo appearances in the first and last episodes of the show.Davis would executive produce the series in addition to starring.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterVictoria Pedretti will no longer star in the “Saint X” series at Hulu, Variety has learned, with Alycia Debnam-Carey stepping in to take over her role.According to an individual with knowledge of the production, Pedretti decided to leave the show over creative differences. The news also comes after it was reported that production on the series had shut down in the Dominican Republic after a large number of crew members walked off the show reportedly over a pay dispute.“Saint X” is based on the Alexis Schaitkin novel of the same name.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLouis Partridge has joined the cast of the upcoming Apple psychological thriller series “Disclaimer,” Variety has learned exclusively.Partridge joins previously announced series leads Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline and cast members Sacha Baron Cohen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Hoyeon.Based on the novel of the same name by Renee Knight, “Disclaimer” will star Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful and respected television documentary journalist whose work has been built on revealing the concealed transgressions of long-respected institutions. When an intriguing novel written by a widower (Kline) appears on her bedside table, she is horrified to realize she is a key character in a story that she had hoped was long buried in the past.

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.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterBruce Greenwood is joining “The Fall of the House of Usher” series at Netflix, taking over the role previously held by Frank Langella.Langella exited the series earlier in April after it was reported that he was under investigation for misconduct on the set, which it was later confirmed involved making an inappropriate joke to a female co-star.Greenwood will now star in the series as Roderick Usher, the head of the Usher family in creator Mike Flanagan’s modern re-telling of the Edgar Allan Poe story. The show draws on other Poe works as well.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterHulu has ordered a limited series adaptation of the Georgia Hunter novel “We Were the Lucky Ones” with Joey King attached to star, Variety has learned.Hulu has given the show an eight episode order. It is inspired by the true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive—and to reunite.Erica Lipez is adapting the book for the screen and will executive produce. Thomas Kail will direct and executive produce via Old 320 Sycamore.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterA “Harley Quinn” spinoff series titled “Noonan’s” has officially been ordered at HBO Max, Variety has learned exclusively.The series will focus on lovable loser Kite Man and his new squeeze, Golden Glider, as they moonlight as criminals to support their foolish purchase of Noonan’s, Gotham’s seediest dive bar. Matt Oberg will reprise the role of Kite Man, whom he voiced on “Harley Quinn.” HBO Max has given the show a 10 episode order.The show is executive produced by “Harley Quinn” co-creators Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, as well as “Harley Quinn” star Kaley Cuoco via Yes, Norman Productions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterWhen Jamie Hector heard the true story of the dirty cops at the heart of the new HBO limited series “We Own This City,” it wasn’t the corruption that surprised him.“What surprised me was how well-documented it was,” Hector told Variety.“We Own This City” is based on Justin Fenton’s book of the same name. It tells the true story of the Baltimore Gun Trace Task Force, who routinely robbed drug dealers and citizens alike while also re-selling drugs they confiscated on the job.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Succession” breakout Nicholas Braun and Chris Buongiorno are developing a series together at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively.The half-hour series is titled “One for the Road.” It is described as candid and intimate story of a talented but dysfunctional band struggling to survive the rapidly changing landscape of independent music in the early 2000s. Braun and Buongiorno will co-write the series in addition to serving as executive producers.Braun has received widespread acclaim for his role on the hit HBO series “Succession,” on which he has played Cousin Greg in each of the show’s three seasons to date.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterWell, that was fast. AMC has formally greenlit the dramedy series “Straight Man” starring Bob Odenkirk a little over two weeks after announcing the show as in development.The show is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Russo. It is described as a mid-life crisis tale set at Railton College in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterIlana Glazer is in talks to star in and executive produce a comedy series currently in the works at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is titled “The Suck” and hails from writer and executive producer Ally Israelson. The show asks the question “What if the last year on earth was the best year of your life?” It follows Lydia (Glazer) to London, in search of an other-worldly end.