NBC renews Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU / 9-1-1: Nashville casts LeAnn Rimes and Kimberly Williams-Paisley / Celebrity FTX ad lawsuit dismissed
PLUS: Chicago's Cardinal Robert Prevost selected as the new pope: ABC News uses his selection to take playful shots at the Chicago Cubs.
NBC renews Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order, which NBC revived in 2022 for its 21st season, has been renewed for Season 25. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will be back for Season 27. The renewals comes days after NBC renewed Wolf's Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. "The pickups assure that the two franchises — which come from mega-producer Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment and Universal TV — will remain intact on NBC next season as the broadcaster likely reduces its scripted footprint to make room for primetime NBA telecasts," says The Hollywood Reporter's Rick Porter. "(The third current Law & Order series, Organized Crime, now streams on Peacock and is midway through its fifth season.)" Porter adds: "Both shows are still reliable audience draws for NBC, with SVU averaging about 5.9 million viewers and Law & Order about 5.2 million in Nielsen’s seven-day linear ratings — and significantly more on streaming. NBC says streaming of L&O on Peacock has more than doubled this season (though it doesn’t provide detailed numbers) vs. 2023-24."
Chicago's Cardinal Robert Prevost selected as the new pope: ABC News uses his selection to take playful shots at the Chicago Cubs
ABC News Papal Conclave anchors David Muir and Terry Moran took some affectionate shots at the Cubs upon the ascension of longtime Cubs fan Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. "You know, something you said struck me, that he was a Cubs fan from the south side of Chicago, and yet you hear him, the Vatican described, for his quiet, humble way," said Muir, per Mediaite. "That’s perhaps how he survived being a Cub fan, from the South Side." Muir responded: "That’s a great point, David. And another thing that you know, because he’s a Cubs fan, is he is well-equated with suffering in the sporting world. The Cubs didn’t win a World Series for 108 years. Any team can have a bad century. And he knows that. And hope springs eternal. They’re a contender this year, it looks like. And so maybe this is an auspicious sign for his ball." ALSO: Father Robert Sirico, the brother of The Sopranos star Tony Sirico, helped out with the Conclave.
Joe Biden's return to The View was a botched attempt at restoring his legacy
Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden appeared on today's show in the former president's first post-presidency visit to The View, following his last appearance last September. "As a former president, Biden’s appearance will inherently be newsworthy," says Daniel D'Addario. "And yet there was something fundamentally frustrating about the hourlong broadcast (joined at the midway point by his wife, Jill), part of what is reported to be a concerted push to shore up his legacy. Asked admirably direct questions about whether the late timing of his decision to quit the presidential race hurt the Democratic ticket’s prospects, Biden was unreflective. Equally unproductive were responses that lent themselves to unfortunate sound bites, as when Biden said he “wasn’t surprised” that Harris lost the election (due, he claimed, to the Trump campaign’s leveraging sexist attitudes toward Harris), and, later, that he would have won had he stayed in. While Biden was sharper than he was at, say, the cataclysmic June 2024 debate that led to his dropping out, he did himself no favors by allowing Jill Biden to jump in and finish the answer to a question about his cognitive abilities. As she spoke, Biden cast his gaze downward and allowed his expression to go blank." Biden, "in attempting to define himself against his successor," "fell short," says D'Addario.
9-1-1: Nashville casts LeAnn Rimes and Kimberly Williams-Paisley
They'll join Chris O’Donnell and Jessica Capshaw on the second 9-1-1 spinoff. Details of their characters are being kept under wraps. This would mark the Grammy-winning artist Rimes’ first regular TV role. She previously guest-starred on three episodes of Days of Our Lives in 1998. Williams-Paisley previously starred in the ABC music drama Nashville and the ABC sitcom According to Jim.
Federal judge dismisses class-action lawsuit against Larry David, Tom Brady and other stars of FTX ads
Shohei Ohtani, Stephen Curry, Gisele Bundchen, Shaquille O’Neal and Naomi Osaka were also named in the 2022 lawsuit that accused the celebrity endorses of aiding in FTX's fraud. Larry David famously starred in a 2022 FTX Super Bowl ad. On Wednesday, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying that while the celebrities were "uninformed, negligent, or even reckless," they aren’t liable for investor losses because they didn’t have prior knowledge of FTX’s fraud, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson is staying at Apple TV+ with a role on heist drama 12 12 12
The actor, who has recurred this year on Apple's Severance and Your Friends & Neighbors, will join Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan on their heist series in a role yet to be revealed.
Reasonable Doubt bringing back Morris Chestnut in a recurring role, adds Rumer Willis
Chestnut, who joined the Hulu legal drama as a series regular for Season 2, will have less screen time now that he's starring on CBS' Watson. Reasonable Doubt is also adding six cast members for Season 3, including Rumer Willis, Kyle Bary, Brandee Evans, Richard Brooks, April Parker Jones and Keith Arthur Bolden.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav compares HBO to NBC's "Must-See TV" era: "This is the strongest HBO has ever been”
Speaking to Wall Street analysts during Warner Bros. Discovery’s first-quarter earnings call this morning, Zaslav saluted HBO and Max content chief Casey Bloys as a “generational talent,” noting his senior leadership team has been together for 15 years. When asked how HBO is able to have so many hits, Zaslav responded: “The idea of, it’s not how much, it’s how good is something we identified. We’re not going to flood the zone. We want to be telling the best stories and we want to also be taking advantage of all of the great quality content over the years, like Game of Thrones and come out with House of the Dragon.”
Could Jeanine Pirro leave Fox News for the Trump administration?
ABC News is reporting that President Trump is "strongly considering" installing The Five co-host and former prosecutor as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. An announcement about a new interim U.S. attorney could come as soon as Thursday. In January, Pirro denied through a Fox spokesperson that she was joining the Trump administration.
Seth Rogen turned down Apple's request to have CEO Tim Cook replace Netflix boss Ted Sarandos in The Studio cameo
Netflix co-CEO Sarandos made a cameo on Wednesday's episode of Rogen’s Apple TV+ comedy, marking his first appearance on a scripted series. Apparently, Apple had some notes on that casting, but Rogen didn't take them. "They asked if we could use Tim Cook instead, and we said no," Rogen told Business Insider at the red carpet premiere for The Studio at the SXSW Film & TV Festival in March. Reps for Apple TV+ did not respond to a request for comment.
Tom Ellis confirms he's returning for Tell Me Lies for Season 3
"Yes, I'm going back. I'm actually going there on Saturday to start shooting," the former Lucifer star, who is married to Tell Me Lies creator Meghan Oppenheimer, tells People.
That's So Raven dad Rondell Sheridan asks for help paying medical bills amid pancreatitis hospitalization
Sheridan, who played titular star Raven-Symoné's onscreen dad Victor Baxter on That's So Raven and Raven's Home, shared an Instagram video from a hospital bed on Tuesday requesting assistance in paying his medical bills. "Hey friends, it's Rondell Sheridan here," he begins. "On April 10, I was on the road and got sick. Went to the hospital and they thought it was gastric."
Tubi animated series Breaking Bear adds Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Annie Murphy, Elizabeth Hurley and Josh Gad
Created by Julien Nitzberg, Breaking Bear is billed as “a fur-flying, law-breaking, forest-saving rampage following a dysfunctional family of bears who go full criminal to stop frackers, mobsters, and a psychotic wolf pack from destroying their home. As they spiral deeper into the criminal abyss, they face off against biker gangs, an egomaniacal news anchor, and their own spectacular talent for self-sabotage.”
Meryl Streep and Martin Short filming Only Murders in the Building Season 5
The rumored real-life couple fueled dating rumors with their fictional passionate kiss on Tuesday.
Diablo Cody to adapt the novel Fang Fiction for TV
The Oscar-winning One Mississippi co-creator is working on an adaptation of Kate Stayman-London's novel Fang Fiction, which the author describes as "my love letter to every romantasy reader who’s dreamed of waking up inside the world of her favorite novels (and maybe making out with the sexy villain!)," adding: "I can’t wait to bring these adventurous, funny, passionate characters to television, and I will never forget the day I found out that one of my favorite writers, Diablo Cody, had read and loved the novel. I am so grateful to the team at Madison Wells for their passion and dedication. Working on a story I hold so dear with collaborators I respect so deeply is every writer’s dream.”
Lea Michele says she learned from Glee boss Ryan Murphy of the internet rumor that she can't read
On the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast, Michele debunked the longstanding rumor by actually reading a note card. Michele said she first learned of the rumor in 2015 when “Ryan Murphy called me, and he was like, ‘Have you heard this rumor?’ And I was like, ‘No, what’s going on?’ And the fact that we’re here all these years later,” she said, per People, before jumping up in her chair and reaching out for several notecards Shane was holding. “Give me the notes. I’m reading that. Jonathan (Groff) is not here to read this for me.” ALSO: Lea Michele says a Hollywood tour bus would drive by her home after Glee co-star/boyfriend Cory Monteith's death, sharing "the details" and playing "eerie music."
BET Awards to celebrate 106 & Park's 25th anniversary
106 & Park vets Bow Wow, B2K, Amerie, Jim Jones, Mya and T.I. are set to hit the stage for the June 9 ceremony. “106 & Park served as a cultural touchstone, embodying the energy, creativity and authenticity of a generation,” says Connie Orlando, who serves as the EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “It provided artists a direct connection to their fans, transforming everyday moments into lasting memories. The show’s legacy continues to influence how we engage with music, connect with talent and celebrate Black creativity. We are thrilled to commemorate 25 years of this iconic series at this year’s BET Awards.”
Jodie Sweetin will lead a Lifetime movie that tackles incel culture among teenage boys
In Dateless to Dangerous: My Son’s Secret Life, the Full House alum plays the single mother of a son who "starts to spiral into the toxic world of incels, it fuels his growing resentment of women at large."
Check out Mark Ruffalo as an FBI agent in Mare of Easttown creator's new HBO drama series Task
Brad Ingelsby is returning to his home turf of Pennsylvania with his new HBO drama series, set outside Philadelphia. Ruffalo plays FBI agent Tom Brandis, who heads up a task force to end a string of drug-house robberies led by an unsuspecting family man. Tom Pelphrey plays the small-town garbage man who’s been robbing the drug houses while trying to manage his broken family life. Task was inspired by Ingelsby’s uncle, a former priest who left his position after meeting a woman. “I’m really close to my uncle, so I’m always asking him questions,” Ingelsby tells Vanity Fair. “Essentially, why did he leave? What’s his relationship like with God? How has that changed, evolved over time?” Ingelsby discovered that priests sometimes help out the FBI, assisting them at mass casualty events.
Max will get "more assertive" with its password-sharing crackdown
“It’s going to increase and really be a 12- to 18-month initiative as it rolls out to more subscriber cohorts here in the U.S. and globalizes later in the year and into ’26 and as the messaging on the password sharing gets more assertive over the course of the back half the year” and into next, says Warner Bros. Discovery streaming boss JB Perrette.
LinkedIn removes a fake Elmo post about being laid off from Sesame Street due to federal budget cuts
The viral post that was shared Wednesday on X is fake. LinkedIn later took down the post.
Former NBA star Paul Pierce walks 20 miles through L.A. after saying on FS1 "I’m walking" if the New York Knicks lose Wednesday's game
“If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home, I promise you, I’m walking here tomorrow,” Pierce said on Wednesday's FS1’s Speak. “I’m walking here, 15 miles. I’m walking here, in my robe, no shoes on, bare feet. I’m walking. I’m telling you right now, I’m taking this serious. I’m gonna be up at three. I guarantee this one. Put the house on this game. Put the house on it. No shot we lose. You got a better chance at walking out of this studio and seeing a dinosaur than seeing the Celtics losing.” After the Celtics lost Game 2 Wednesday, Pierce has been documenting his walking journey through the streets of L.A. on Instagram Stories, insisting that he walked 20 miles in his robe from the valley to Fox Sports’ studios lot in Century City.
Amazon is expected to name Michael Grady as its lead WNBA play-by-play announcer
Grady could call both NBA and WNBA games for Amazon and NBC.
James Foley dies: The Glengarry Glen Ross director who helmed Madonna music videos and episodes of House of Cards and Billions was 71
Foley, who died today after battling brain cancer, is best known for his collaboration with Madonna. He directed the 1987 Madonna film Who's That Girl and many of her iconic music videos, including “Live to Tell,” "Dress You Up," “Papa Don’t Preach,” “True Blue,” “Who’s That Girl” and “The Look of Love.” His TV directing credits include 12 episodes of House of Cards, including three from Season 1, two episodes of Billions, one episode of Wayward Pines, one episode of Hannibal and one episode of Twin Peaks.
Georgia is under house arrest in Ginny & Georgia's Season 3 trailer
Brianne Howey's character faces a murder trial when the Netflix drama returns June 5.
Owen Wilson mentors a young golf protégé in Apple TV+'s Stick trailer
Marc Maron, Mariana Treviño, Lilli Kay, Judy Greer and Timothy Olyphant also star in the comedy series featuring cameos by real-life golf superstars Collin Morikawa, Keegan Bradley, Max Homa, Wyndham Clark and more.
Watch FX's trailer for Adult
The comedy series from executive producer Nick Kroll and former Tonight Show writers Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, previously known as Snowflakes, follows five friends and "puts a slightly heightened twist on the wins, losses and humiliations of starting out in the adult world. Whether they’re trying to get ahead at work, navigating the healthcare system, hosting a dinner party or dating in the age of Find My Friends, the group is finding that nothing about the real world is simple, and all their best intentions tend to make things worse.” Adult premieres May 28.