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Creepy anthology thriller American Horror Story (2011-current) has a name for season 7 – Cult – but it has lost a big name from its cast list. Kathy Bates, who’s been in three of the seasons so far, won’t be back – she is filming upcoming Netflix comedy Disjointed. Long-time stars Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson will be joined by Colton Haynes (Roy Harper in Arrow, 2013-current), as well as returning Horror Story star Emma Roberts, who tweeted “I’ve joined #ahscult will you?”
Fans of Big Bang Theory (2007current) are hoping that upcoming prequel comedy Young Sheldon is going to address something only mentioned briefly in season 7 of Big Bang: Sheldon’s relationship with his father George. Show creator Chuck Lorre teased that Big Bang fans will get to know “a great deal” more about George and his super genius son Sheldon. “George has only been mentioned before and now we will get to explore him,” adds Chuck.
Deaf actress Marlee Matlin is joining season 3 of action show Quantico (2015-current). The Academy Award winner will play Jocelyn Turner, an ex-FBI agent and one of the Bureau’s top undercover agents. The series is also expected to have a rebooted feel, thanks to the departure of executive producer Joshua Safran who revealed that season 3 will simplify the storylines to attract new audiences.
Greg Rikaart confirmed in May that he would be leaving soapie The Young & The Restless (1973- current) after 14 years as Kevin Fisher. Now, just two months later, it’s been announced that he will be returning. For how long and why is still unclear, as is whether Chloe (Elizabeth Hendrickson) will return to Genoa City with Kevin.
Allison Williams (Marnie in dramedy Girls, 2012-2017) has been cast in upcoming drama Patrick Melrose alongside Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes in action series Sherlock, 2010-current). Based on the novels of the same name by Edward St Aubyn, Benedict will play an aristocratic and outrageous playboy who battles to deal with his childhood memories of an abusive father. He turns to drugs and alcohol to cope with this issues. Also joining the cast are Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in The Matrix movies, 1999-2003) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Chantal in the 2017 reboot of Twin Peaks). Kevin James is being reunited with his former TV wife Leah Remini. The pair, who played man and wife in sitcom The King Of Queens (1998-2007), will be working on Kevin’s new show Kevin Can Wait (2016- current) at the expense of character Kevin’s wife Donna (Erinn Hayes), who is being killed off after show bosses saw how well actor Kevin and Leah gelled during her season 1 cameo. The network has assured fans and Erinn that “Donna will leave with dignity and respect”.
Guess who’s returning for more devilishly evil fun on soapie Days Of Our Lives (1963-current, see more on p25)? None other than Vivian Alamain, played by Louise Sorel for the past 25 years. Despite the villain having left Salem and our screens a couple of times (most recently to find fame and fortune in India in 2011), it seems there’s no place like home.
It’s still early days but action detective series Miami Vice (1984-1990) could be getting a reboot from network NBC if rumours are to be believed. The team behind the production is One Race Television, movie star Vin Diesel’s production company, so action fans will be expecting crazy car chases, shoot- outs and other explosive scenes. There’s no word on who’s being linedup to play Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas’s famous detectives Crockett and Tubbs.
And while The Biggest Loser (2004-2016) was cancelled over a year ago, the real reason for the axing has been revealed by UK newspaper The Daily Mail. Turns out the contestants were given supplements and other “medication” to lose weight.