Hot Ones to compete for Primetime Emmy Award / Why All American and Walker aren't on The CW's fall schedule / The Mole taps Ari Shapiro as new host
PLUS: Young Sheldon's series finale won't leave viewers "wallowing in grief."
Hot Ones allowed to compete for the Primetime Emmy Award against traditional late-night talk shows
The Sean Evans-hosted spicy chicken wing YouTube interview series, which has had massive viewership with guests like Jennifer Lawrence and (recently) Conan O'Brien, "has successfully petitioned to be included in the outstanding talk series category. It will compete against late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert," reports Variety's Clayton Davis. "Created by Chris Schonberger and produced by First We Feast and Complex Media, Hot Ones has garnered over three billion views since its debut in 2015. With three seasons airing per calendar year, seasons 21-23, totaling 36 episodes, all fall within the Emmy eligibility window from June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024." Davis adds that Hot Ones' "engaging and viral format could disrupt the talk series category, which lacks a clear frontrunner. In 2022, Hot Ones was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding talk show entertainment, with Evans receiving a talk show host nomination the previous year." Hot Ones isn't the only YouTube show vying for Emmy attention. “Good Mythical Morning, created by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal (better known as Rhett & Link), is also back on the Emmy ballot after a thwarted attempt to enter the talk series race in 2018," says Davis, adding: "British creator Amelia Dimoldenberg, fresh off her stint as the Oscars’ social media ambassador, is entering the short form race for the first time with her series Chicken Shop Date." The Hot Ones news comes days after YouTube CEO wrote a Hollywood Reporter column urging the Emmys to allow more content creators into the Primetime Emmy space.
Why All American and Walker aren't on The CW's fall schedule
Both hit CW series were noticeably absent on The CW’s fall schedule released this morning. The CW bosses Dennis Miller and Brad Schwartz tell Deadline that both hit shows, along with spinoff series All American: Homecoming, haven't been renewed because talks with their studios are still ongoing. “We didn’t feel any need to rush to meet some upfront deadline," says CW Entertainment president Schwartz. "All American is on the air right now, so we’re seeing how that does. Walker is about (seven) episodes in. We don’t need to make a decision on those anytime soon, unless except for some artificial upfront deadline. I feel like we have really gotten to a 12 month a year development and greenlight cycle. You’ll hear some pickups in the next few weeks.” Schwartz adds that an announcement on All American should happen "soon." But with a different financial model, Walker’s renewal is more of a challenge. “It appears that you really need to have a multi-platform architecture in order to do scripted programming,” says Miller, The CW's president. “It became a question of strategically what kind of SVOD or AVOD deal should we have so we could justify the economics of scripted.” In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schwartz reiterated that the new CW has a different development schedule. "We said a year ago that we’re gonna develop 12 months a year, we’re going to greenlight things 12 months a year, we’re not going to be held to this upfront week, in this upfront schedule," he says. "So we have our fourth quarter locked; we’ve had it locked for a long time. But, we will have decisions on All American, on Walker, on Sight Unseen. All American: Homecoming hasn’t even aired yet. We have the second season of Sullivan’s Crossing coming; we’ll have a decision to make on season three. We have Wild Cards to pick up, Penn and Teller to pick up; we have Son of a Critch and Children Ruin Everything. There’s a lot of shows out there that we’re all very excited about and did very well. Wild Cards was the biggest new show of the year. We just didn’t make those decisions this week."
ALSO:
The CW's fall schedule includes Superman & Lois' final season airing on a new night: Thursdays: Superman & Lois will air with The Librarians: The Next Chapter. The CW's only other scripted night, Wednesdays, will feature Season 2 of acquired drama Sullivan’s Crossing and Sophie Turner’s jewel thief drama Joan.
Walker's Season 4 finale will be "extraordinarily satisfying," whether it's the series finale or not
The CW’s Canadian procedural Wild Cards is expected to be renewed for Season 2: The procedural starring Giacomo Gianniotti, Vanessa Morgan and Jason Priestley has been a strong performer for The CW. Since Wild Cards is a co-production between The CW and Canada's CBC, it may be formally picked up next week when the CBC holds its upfronts.
The Mole returns in June with new host Ari Shapiro
Shapiro of NPR’s All Things Considered will be the new Mole master of ceremonies, succeeding Alex Wagner. "The only reality show I have ever submitted an audition tape for in my life was the original Mole, Season 2," Shapiro tells EW. "And I did not get so much as a callback. But I have been a fan of the show since its very earliest days. And so I was thrilled when Netflix brought it back, and I am even more thrilled that now I get to be a part of it. And I just have to say the fact that I've been sitting on the secret for nearly a year now and I finally get to talk to you about it is so exciting to me. I cannot keep my chill." The Mole returns to Netflix on June 28.
Sarah Drew to lead Hallmark's Mistletoe Murders
The Grey's Anatomy alum has been cast as Emily Lane in Mistletoe Murders, in the TV adaptation of the hit Audible podcast of the same name. Lane is described as "smart, tough, and observant, but also kind, empathetic, and charming with a great — albeit dry — sense of humor."
Young Sheldon's series finale won't leave viewers "wallowing in grief"
Showrunner Steve Holland says tonight’s series finale originally intended to feature George Sr.'s funeral — until co-creator Chuck Lorre stepped in. "As we were talking about it, it was Chuck who said, 'This show has been such a positive family show,'" Holland tells EW. "'Let's not leave the audience wallowing in grief. Let's give them a little bit of ramp out of it, not do that in the finale, and give the finale room to have a little bit more hope to it.' That's how those last two episodes shifted out."
ALSO:
Emily Osment says Young Sheldon’s series finale will "break your heart. Make sure you're sitting down and you have Kleenex"
Watch Iain Armitage transform himself into "Young Stephen Colbert"
The CW to investigate the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA bullying and harassment allegations
Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava recently stepped down, accusing their parent organization of abuse and bullying. Their stepping down comes weeks after The CW signed an exclusive, three-year deal to keep both pageants. The CW president Brad Schwartz tells Deadline that his network will investigate the allegations. “We don’t condone any kind of bullying, obviously all of that stuff is very, very concerning," he says. "We’re going to take a minute and investigate it and have all the conversations and gather all the information before we make a decision."
Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery unveil the name of their sports streaming bundle: Venu Sports
“We are excited to officially introduce Venu Sports, a brand that we feel captures the spirit of an all-new streaming home where sports fans outside of the traditional pay TV ecosystem can experience an incredible collection of live sports, all in one place,” Pete Distad, CEO of Venu Sports, said in a statement. “As preparations for the platform continue to accelerate, we are singularly focused on delivering a best-in-class product for our target audience, built from the ground up using the latest technologies to engage and entertain discerning sports fans wanting one-stop access to live games.”
The Thundermans is getting a spinoff series
In wake of Paramount+’s The Thundermans Return revival movie in March, "the as-yet-untitled new show will follow Jack Griffo‘s Max and Kira Kosarin‘s Phoebe as they’re sent undercover to deal with a threat in the coastal town of Secret Shores," according to TVLine's Kimberly Roots. "Maya Le Clark’s Chloe will accompany her siblings, who will help her develop her superhero talents." The Thundermans originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2013 to 2018.
9-1-1 stars raise funds for late crew member Rico Priem
Peter Krause, Kenneth Chi and Aisha Hinds are among the cast members who have donated to help out the family of Priem, a grip on the ABC drama series who died in a solo car crash Saturday morning after working a 14-hour overnight shift.
The Good Doctor stars release a farewell video
"We've always wanted this show to be more than just a television show," says lead Freddie Highmore in a video also featuring his co-stars. "If, in some small way, we've been able to help challenge stereotypes surrounding autism, that would certainly be the thing that I'm most proud of."
Paramount+ lands We Will Dance Again, a documentary about Hamas‘ Oct. 7 terrorist attack at the Nova Music Festival
The documentary originally announced after the attacks took place features new interviews with more than a dozen survivors, who recorded their experience throughout the attack, plus exclusive footage.
British detective drama Dalgliesh is returning for Season 3
The Acorn TV and Channel 5 series has begun filming its third season in Northern Ireland.
Peacock's Queer Planet delves into the queerness of the animal kingdom
Premiering as part of Pride Month on June 6, the documentary Queer Planet explores "the rich diversity of animal sexuality — from flamboyant flamingos to pansexual primates, sex-changing clownfish, multi-gendered mushrooms and everything in between."
Watch Criminal Minds: Evolution's Season 2 trailer
Criminal Minds returns to Paramount+ on June 6.
HBO releases the trailer for MoviePass, MovieCrash
The Mark Wahlberg-produced documentary, premiering May 29, looks at the alleged fraud behind the MoviePass subscription service, dubbed "the Netflix of the movie theater."
Disney Channel presents Zombies: The Re-Animated Series trailer
The animated spinoff series of the beloved Zombies franchise premieres on June 28.