All the TV news that you need to know… in just 10 minutes.
Oscar-winning film actress Meryl Streep is heading to TV to star in (and coexecutive produce along with JJ Abrams) limitedseries The Nix. It’s about a family torn apart by a son’s scathing tell-all book about his estranged, high-profile mom. The series is in the early stages of development and no network or episode count has been confirmed yet. Meryl Streep is heading to the smallscreen.
The Great British Bake Off (2010-current) could be set to flop after British broadcaster BBC lost to the rights to air the popular cooking series, currently in its seventh season, to rival Channel 4. The good news is that Bake Off has been renewed for three more seasons, but there’s bad news too: hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc won’t return for next year’s season 8. At the time of going to print, judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood were expected to be quitting the series too. Devious Maids (2013-2016) might have just been cancelled but some of its stars have already lined up new roles. Judy Reyes (Zoila) has been cast in the pilot of dramedy Claws, which is set in a nail salon, while Roselyn Sanchez (Carmen) will produce and star in Lifetime movie Death Of A Vegas Showgirl.
Devious isn’t the only show to be cancelled recently – also getting the cut are dramas Mistresses (2013-2016), Tyrant (2014-2016) and David Schwimmer’s Feed The Beast (2016), British cop series Happy Valley (2014-current), and music-themed sitcom Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll (2015-current).
Netflix’s sci-fi hit Stranger Things (2016-current) has been renewed for a bigger second season of nine episodes set to premiere in 2017, while Gordon Ramsay’s cooking meltdowns will continue now that his reality show Hell’s Kitchen (2005-current) has been renewed for two more seasons. Action show The Last Ship (2014-current) has just been renewed for a fifth season, less than a month after being renewed
Will Paul and Mary be back for the next Bake Off Season? for season 4. Plus, we’ll see more of reality show Bachelor In Paradise (2014-current), sci-fi series Killjoys (2015-current) and Dark Matter (2015current), as well as Netflix drug-themed drama Narcos (2015-current) which has been renewed for seasons 3 and 4. There’s also good news for Trevor Noah who’ll return for a second season of The Daily Show With Trevor Noah (2015-current).
He may have died an awful death as Robb Stark in Game Of Thrones’ (2011-current) infamous Red Wedding, but Richard Madden is getting new TV life with the lead role in Amazon’s upcoming sci-fi limited series Strange New Things, based on a 2014 novel about a priest who leaves his wife to travel to a distant planet. Ex-Game Of Thrones star Richard Madden is taking on the world of sci-fi Also in development is a boyband-themed drama for NBC about the formation of a massively successful group of young male singers. The potential series, titled Boys, is being co-produced by former
Jane The Virgin (2014-current) has snagged more high-profile celebs to guest-star in the campy drama – following in Britney Spears and Kesha’s footsteps are singing super-couple Gloria and Emilio Estefan, who’ll play themselves (but won’t be performing) in season 3. Instead, they will help Rogelio (Jamie Camil) adapt a Latin telenovela for US audiences.
TV shrink Dr Phil McGraw’s fascinating life has been dramatised into a series about his life with Bull (2016, currently airing in SA on Mondays on M-Net) and now it’s Judge Judy’s turn. The no-nonsense TV judge will be the subject of a semi-autobiographical drama called Her Honor, focussing on her younger days and troubled family life. Judge Judy (real name Judith Sheindlin), who’s said to be TV’s most profitable star, is co-writing the pilot script along with Michael Chernuchin of Chicago Justice (2017) fame.
Sci-fi show The Vampire Diaries (2009-current) is bringing out the big guns for its eighth and final season. In addition to the rumoured return of Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert (who left at the end of season 6 in May 2015), fan-favourite Michael Trevino will be back as Tyler Lockwood too.