From renewed for Season 4 / Fox and Hulu are sticking together / Abbott Elementary books Rocky star Talia Shire
PLUS: Illinois Supreme Court overturns Jussie Smollett's hate crime hoax conviction.
From renewed for Season 4
MGM+’s acclaimed Harold Perrineau-led horror series, which unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps those who enter, has been picked up for a 10-episode fourth season ahead of its Season 3 finale this Sunday. Season 4 is expected to premiere in 2026 after filming in Nova Scotia 2025. “From has been a sensation for MGM+, capturing the attention of millions of viewers and helping us to shine a bright light on our MGM+ brand,” said MGM+ head Michael Wright in a statement. “Our talented show creators and cast have brilliantly and carefully crafted this wonderful show, and we look forward to providing the answers the From audience so enthusiastically craves in season 4!”
Illinois Supreme Court overturns Jussie Smollett's hate crime hoax conviction
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled today that the special prosecutor’s decision to retry the former Empire star over his alleged January 2019 hate crime hoax violated his rights. Smollett was retried after charges were dropped in March 2019 in a deal that included Smollett taking part in community service and forfeiting a $10,000 bond. “We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,” read the court’s opinion. “Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the State was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied." In December 2021, the former Empire star was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself in January 2019. He sentenced to 150 days in county jail, plus 30 months of probation and $130,000 in restitution. The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision “was a stunning reversal in a case that has seen more than five years of twists and turns." says The New York Times' Julia Jacobs and Matt Stevens. "Mr. Smollett was initially regarded as the victim of an ugly hate crime, drawing widespread sympathy and outrage over an apparent attack on a Black and gay actor. But as the Chicago police investigated his report, they grew skeptical of his account, and Mr. Smollett went from victim to suspect to defendant and finally, to convict, when he was found guilty of staging the attack himself and filing a false report. That prompted another wave of outrage. The court’s decision to overturn the verdict — which rested on the way the case was prosecuted, and not on the underlying facts — may not change many minds in case that polarized the nation." In a statement, Smollett's attorney Neny Uche wrote: “This was not a prosecution based on facts, rather it was a vindictive persecution and such a proceeding has no place in our criminal justice system. Ultimately, we are pleased that the rule of law was the big winner today.”
Fox and Hulu are sticking together in a 4-year deal worth $1.5 billion
"The two companies have struck a new multi-year content partnership that includes in-season streaming rights for Fox’s programming slate," reports Deadline's Peter White. "The broadcast network and the Disney-owned streamer have also expanded their multi-platform marketing arrangement in the deal, which sources tells Deadline is worth more than $1.5B over four years with the ad-load included." White adds: "The move also means that the long-running Disney-produced animated series, particularly The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers, which are all produced by 20th Television Animation, will likely remain on the network. The three shows are currently renewed through the end of this 2024/25 season."
Abbott Elementary books Rocky star Talia Shire
Shire, the actress best known for the Rocky and The Godfather franchises, is headed back to "Philadelphia" to guest as Teresa Schemmenti, the mother of Lisa Ann Walter's Melissa Schemmenti.
CNN renews Roy Wood Jr.-hosted Have I Got News for You for Season 2
The American adaptation of the long-running BBC comedy panel series has been picked up for a second season ahead of this weekend's Season 1 finale. Season 2 is expected to premiere in early 2025.
Amazon taps Jennifer Hudson, Martha Stewart and Eva Mendes to sell Black Friday deals
They, along with Kimberly Schlapman of country supergroup Little Big Town, will appear on Amazon the day after Thanksgiving in a series of live shopping shows produced by video-commerce company TalkShopLive.
Duffer Brothers' Netflix The Boroughs adds Ed Begley Jr., Dee Wallace, Jane Kaczmarek and Rafael Casal
Eric Edelstein and Mousa Hussein Kraish are also joining the Duffers' Netflix supernatural drama. They join previously announced cast members Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters and Bill Pullman.
Landman is Taylor Sheridan's biggest Paramount+ launch in two years
The Texas oil series joins Sheridan’s Tulsa King and 1923 as the top three biggest launches in Paramount+ history.
Max will use AI to create targeted ads for ad-supported subscribers
"Using artificial intelligence, the company can create an advertising unit that identifies items within television shows and films and pairs them with related products from an advertiser and then sets up a QR code that can help a consumer go to a specific second screen where they can learn more and make a purchase," explains Variety's Brian Steinberg. "Another format now available identifies specific moments in Max content that are tied to particular consumer interests, such as cooking, real estate, gaming or science."
Mekhi Phifer to guest on Law & Order in a potential ER reunion
It's unknown if Phifer will appear with Maura Tierney, his ER co-star who now stars on Law & Order. But he did post a photo from the set that included ER's Eriq La Salle, who has directed Law & Order episodes.
USC names drama school building after Dick Wolf
The newly named Dick Wolf Drama Center will honor the creator of the Law & Order franchise. “Education has always been a priority for me and for Wolf Entertainment," Wolf said in a statement. "It is my privilege to be associated with USC and this state-of-the-art facility. At Wolf Entertainment we will have our eye on the next generation of talent to emerge from the School of Dramatic Arts.”
Sex and the City fans used to scream at Ron Livingston on the street
That's according to actress Rosemarie DeWitt, who married Livingston in 2009 after co-starring with him on the Fox drama Standoff. Livingston's Sex and the City character Berger infamously broke up with Carrie Bradshaw via Post-It note. “Back in the day, when we first started dating, we’d be walking in the West Village, and there’d be those Sex and the City tours, and Ron would be like, ‘Go left! Go left!’” DeWitt recalled on The Drew Barrymore Show, according to EW. “We’d have to duck into Magnolia Bakery or something because women would come up and scream at him. They’d be like, ‘You broke up with her on a Post-it!’ You know what I mean? So he really got a lot of heat for a long time.”
Check out the first look at Gavin & Stacey: The Finale
The BBC has released images comparing the sitcom characters played by James Corden, Matthew Horne, Joanna Page and Ruth Jones as they appeared in Season 1 in 2007 and as they appear in the finale, airing on Christmas Day.
Black Mirror storylines to get the comic book treatment
Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of Black Mirror ancillary rights holder Banijay Entertainment, has struck a deal with Neil Gibson’s UK-based Twisted Comics to create comics based on storylines from the dystopian Netflix anthology series.
Max's Friends-themed game show Fast Friends to premiere in December
The four-episode game show testing contestants on -themed trivia, puzzles and games debuts on Dec. 19.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will re-create an element of the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special
"We thought we would be may be able to use some preexisting footage, but no. It was way too low resolution and it was the wrong angles," said Skeleton Crew co-creator Jon Watts in an interview with The Holo Files. "We had to create this moment from multiple angles, because you see it in various parts of the scene. So we rebuilt the whole thing from scratch. Skeleton Crew premieres on Disney+ on Dec. 3.
Dr. Pimple Popper responds to Joy Behar's The View joke that she'll be Trump's next nomination
"They might as well pick Dr. Pimple Popper. I mean, the guy is qualified to do heart surgery, not necessarily run Medicare," Behar joked on Wednesday's show, in reaction to President-elect Donald Trump selecting Dr. Oz to run Medicare. In a statement to EW, Dr. Pimple Popper star Sandra Lee said: “Thank you for the shout-out, Joy! We love The View! As a board-certified dermatologist in practice for over 2 decades, I think I could probably lend a valuable voice to any discussion about our healthcare system. In the meantime, I’ll ask our 30 million followers what they think."
Hallmark Christmas Cruise is coming back next year
The announcement comes after the Hallmark Christmas Cruise kicked off on Nov. 5. A second one launched on Nov. 17. The cruises, each featuring 10 actors and host Jonathan Bennett, were both sold out.
ESPN's Hubie Brown to retire after calling one more NBA game
The 91-year-old legendary broadcaster and will be assigned one more game, though the specific game hasn't been revealed. Brown has been an NBA broadcaster since 1981.
Watch Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet in Peacock's Laid trailer
Premiering Dec. 19, Laid is described as a “f*cked up rom-com” about a woman (Hsu) whose exes all seem to be dying in unusual ways.
Noah Wyle's The Pitt gets a premiere month and a teaser that confirms its real-time format
ER alums John Wells, Wyle and R. Scott Gemmill reteam for the medical drama will follow the action in real-time over the course of a single ER shift with the tagline “15 episodes, 15 hours, 1 shift.” The Pitt premieres in March.
XO, Kitty sets a January return for Season 2
Watch the Netflix To All the Boys film series spinoff's "Date Announcement" trailer announcing a Jan. 16, 2025 premiere date.
Netflix releases a final trailer for Keira Knightley's Black Dove
Knightley plays “a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother — and professional spy" in the thriller series premiering Dec. 5. Black Dove has already been renewed for Season 2.
Netflix unveils the trailer for Prince Harry' Polo docuseries
The five-episode docuseries, produced by Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, takes a behind-the-scenes look at the fast-paced and glamorous world of polo.