Stars on screen
Bigger ‘big shots’: The talent is growing on NBC. No, not the talent on display in the network’s perennial summer hit “America’s Got Talent,” which continues to wow audiences for another season by showcasing the wild and incredible things of which its contestants are capable.The growth is happening in the talent series “Little Big Shots” — and I mean that quite literally.
The Steve Harvey-hosted series that usually features kids showing off incredible levels of talent saw its highly anticipated spinoff premiere last week. “Little Big Shots: Forever Young” keeps the sky-high level of talent for which its parent show is known on display while raising the age category of its stars by a few generations.You can catch a new episode airing Wednesday, June 28, on NBC.
“Forever Young,” as the name subtly suggests, is a talent show for seniors. Harvey is at the helm of this one, too, doing double duty as both host and executive producer (with Ellen DeGeneres joining him in the latter role). He earned an Emmy nomination as host of the first season of “Little Big Shots,” with his quick-witted interactions with the kids delighting audiences and critics alike.
“The idea of doing a followup to ‘Little Big Shots’ focusing on seniors struck us as a no-brainer,” said Mike Darnell, president of unscripted and alternate television for Warner Bros. “Just like the kids, they have insane skills that will amaze and surprise you — not to mention the often hysterical (and sometimes shocking) things they say.As good a host as Steve Harvey is, he may have finally met his match with this incredible set of elder statesmen.”
Talent is king, and with “America’s Got Talent,” “Little Big Shots” and “The Voice” all in its lineup, NBC was already pretty secure on its throne. With “Little Big Shots: Forever Young” now airing Wednesday nights, its position just got even stronger.
Real ‘Law,’ real ‘Order’: “Law & Order” is set to spawn yet another spinoff, only this time the stories are real. Although the original series wrapped in 2010 following an astounding 20 seasons, its spinoff “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is still going strong on NBC.
Slated to air Thursday nights starting this fall, the new “Law & Order: True Crime” joins the fray of real-life crime anthologies that have been all the rage in recent TV seasons. For the first season, the new show will recount the infamous and brutal murders of Jose and Mary Menéndez by their sons, Lyle and Erik, in their Beverly Hills home.
Casting is ongoing, but the series has already netted a proven winner. Four-time Emmy winner Edie Falco (“The Sopranos”) was the first major casting announcement. She’ll be portraying flamboyant defense attorney Leslie Abramson, who gained nationwide fame during the televised and highly publicized trial.
She’ll be joined by Miles Gaston Villanueva (“The Young and the Restless”) and Gus Halper (“Power”) as the two brothers who stand accused of the grizzly killings.
Like other true crime anthologies, this non-fiction version of “Law & Order” will focus on a different crime each season. In true “Law & Order” style, the anthology will blend elements of both a police investigation and a courtroom drama, unfolding the events of the fateful night, the investigation and the trial that followed.