Netflix's Willy Wonka-inspired reality competition is a go / LL Cool J returning to the NCIS universe / Kat Dennings: Shifting Gears is not a red state show
PLUS: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backs the creators' call to show Adolescence in schools.
Netflix's Willy Wonka-inspired reality competition The Golden Ticket is a go
The streamer released a teaser and has begun casting for the competition series, first revealed last July, as part of its acquisition of the Roald Dahl Company in 2021. In the first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired series, "lucky contestants will have the chance to enter Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, but there’s a catch—only players who find a coveted golden ticket will gain entry to the factory. But a golden ticket doesn’t guarantee a sweet ride once the gates open; only those who can adapt, strategize, and withstand the unknown will make it through. Set inside a retro-futuristic dreamscape, this high-stakes social experiment will challenge players not just physically, but mentally as they navigate games, tests, and temptations designed to probe their instincts, resilience, and ability to thrive in chaos." ALSO: Netflix is only considering applicants 18 and up, so no actual children will be competing.
LL Cool J returning to the NCIS universe
The former NCIS: Los Angeles star will reprise his Sam Hanna role on NCIS' April 21 episode. “Back on set, baby! NCIS. Let’s get it,” LL Cool J announced in an Instagram video this morning.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backs the creators' call to show Adolescence in schools
Starmer was asked about the Netflix series at Prime Minister's Questions. "At home we are watching Adolescence," he said. "I've got a 16-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, and it's a very good drama to watch. This violence carried out by young men, influenced by what they see online, is a real problem. It's abhorrent, and we have to tackle it."
Apple is reportedly losing $1 billion per year on Apple TV+
According to The Information, Apple TV+ has spent over $5 billion a year on content since launching Apple TV+ in November 2019. But that number is down to $4.5 billion. Still, for a company that earned $124.3 billion in revenue in the last quarter, losing $1 billion doesn’t seem as big a deal, says Indiewire’s Brian Welk. “It’s been common knowledge for a while that Apple TV+ is something of a loss leader for Apple,” says Welk. “The company would rather be able to offer the perk of getting a free trial of the service when you buy a new iPhone and being able to say it’s the home to Severance and the Best Picture winner CODA than it is in turning a hard profit or depending on it for the bottom line. Apple TV+ is also bundled into all the other services via Apple One, so it’s unclear how many people are subscribing to get cloud storage and music streaming and deciding they may as well tack on Apple TV+, versus subscribing solely because they want to watch The Gorge.”
The Wire's David Simon is sticking with HBO with a new two-year deal
Simon's longtime partnership with HBO has resulted in The Corner, The Wire, Generation Kill, Treme, The Deuce, The Plot Against America, Show Me a Hero and We Own This City.
Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show Sherri renewed for Season 3
Sherri, which replaced The Wendy Williams Show, will now continue through the 2025-2026 TV season.
Lauren Graham jokes about not earning residuals from Gilmore Girls on Netflix: "I’ve been paid in love"
“There really are no residuals on Netflix,” Graham admitted when asked on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, hinting at the series’ second life on the streaming service as well as its 2016 reboot. “But I’ve been paid in love. And I have never been drunk on set.”
Big Mouth's final season to premiere in May with Cynthia Erivo, Quinta Brunson and Holly Hunter among guest-stars
“In the end, our kids step into the harrowing unknown of the future, made less afraid of what’s to come because they have each other," reads the official description for the eighth and final season, premiering May 23.
Department of Defense scrubs web page honoring Bea Arthur
The Golden Girls star was honored for Women's History Month on the DOD web site as one of the first women to serve in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve during World War II. But under the Trump administration's war on DEI, Arthur's web page has been removed.
BBC reveals the cast and first-look images of trans coming-of-age series What It Feels Like for a Girl
The eight-part series, based on the memoir by transgender trailblazer Paris Lees stars Ellis Howard as Byron, "a working-class school kid who escapes a small town for Nottingham and discovers more than just the hedonistic world of the noughties clubbing scene."
Elsbeth bringing back nine guest-stars for its Season 2 finale
Alyssa Milano, Ethan Slater, Retta, Stephen Moyer, Gina Gershon, Elizabeth Lail, Arian Moayed, André De Shields and Mary-Louise Parker will all be back for the second season finale on May 8.
The Last of Us' Bella Ramsey opens up about being diagnosed with autism
“My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person,” they said in an interview with British Vogue. “There’s no reason for people not to know.” Ramsey added that the diagnosis "enables me to walk through the world with more grace towards myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do."
Kat Dennings: Shifting Gears is not a red state show
In a recent article titled "Hollywood Pivots to Programming for Trump’s America," The Wall Street Journal cited the ABC comedy Shifting Gears, starring Dennings and Tim Allen, as among the shows that are part of the "Trump effect” on television — though it was already in the works before Donald Trump was reelected. Asked about the article, Dennings told Deadline: "No, I wouldn’t agree with that. I can understand why, because there’s a conservative viewpoint from Tim’s character, but I think the fun of the show is the dynamic between Tim’s character and my character because they have completely opposing viewpoints. It’s about how they navigate that in their relationship. That’s kind of where the core of the comedy comes from." ALSO: Kat Dennings discusses the "Ross and Rachel" dynamic of the Season 1 finale.
Doc Season 1 ends with viewership gains
"The finale of the freshman medical drama, which aired Tuesday, secured 2.4M total live + same-day viewers, per Nielsen, marking a 9% increase from the series premiere," according to Deadline's Katie Campione. "In the 18-49 demo, the finale skyrocketed 56% over the premiere to a 0.28 L+SD rating. The demo success is particularly noteworthy, since its the strongest 18-49 growth for any major broadcast network scripted series, drama or new show, over the course of its premiere season since Fox’s Empire in 2015."
Abbott Elementary's big twist is part of a "longer play"
"It’s not something that’s going to resolve itself super quickly," co-showrunner Patrick Schumacker says of the twist on Wednesday's episode.
David Magidoff will reprise his Dexter: New Blood role on Dexter: Resurrection
Magidoff played Officer Teddy Reed from the Iron Lake Police Department on Dexter: New Blood.
The Kelly Clarkson Show hits 1,000 episodes as execs downplay the host recent absences
Showrunner Alex Duda and NBC Universal syndication boss Tracie Wilson discussed Kelly Clarkson's milestone Thursday and the news over her recent absences. "I love that they missed their Kelly, but we’ve done this before," Wilson told Deadline. "I can’t even tell you how many texts I got from family and friends too. Yes, we’ve had guest hosts a lot over the years, so it’s just something about this year. But you’re right, people love their Kelly and they want her on the air, so we appreciate that.” Duda adds: "We’re going to start the show a little differently. It’s a cold open. We don’t usually do that. We usually either start with a Kellyoke or Kelly walking out the doors and then throwing to a Kellyoke. Today, we are going to have the set decorated with these three big monitors that are framed in wood and gold that say 1000. And then we have a big 1000 lit up that’s going to be center stage."
Mae Whitman teams with Mary McDonnell and Jane Seymour for Hallmark's The Twelve Days of Christmas
The six-episode limited series based on the novel of the same name by Jenni Bayliss "follows Saville Row textile pattern designer Kate (Whitman), who lives in the quaint village of Blexford, England next door to her father Mac (Parker), who is long-divorced from Kate’s mother Delilah (McDonnell), a globe-trotting American always on an adventure," according to Deadline. "When not at work, Kate looks after Mac, who’s recovering from a motorbike accident and is inclined to spend his days sitting in his recliner."
Tracker adds Pej Vahdat
The Old Man alum will recur on Season 2 of the CBS drama series as a demanding client.
Glee ended 10 years ago today
The hit Ryan Murphy Fox series wrapped its 2009-2015, 121-episode run on March 20, 2015.
Starz acquires docuseries on Atlanta's iconic Magic City strip club
The five-part Magic City: An American Fantasy from creator Cole Brown and executive producer Jami Gertz will delve into the strip club that has had a massive influence on hip-hop. “From politicians, to artists, to drug kingpins, Magic City has been a home for a broad cross-section of Black Atlanta for decades,” Brown said in a statement. “Everyone should know the unbelievable story of this institution and the man who founded it, and Starz is the perfect partner to bring it to the world. We’re thrilled.”
WWE star Seth Rollins to guest-host NFL Network’s Good Morning Football
”I love hearing myself talk and I love football,” says Rollins, who will guest-host next Monday through Wednesday. “It’s something that I’ve always kind of been interested in, especially in the past few years.
Call My Agent Berlin is headed to Disney+
This will be the 10th iteration of the Call My Agent franchise, which originated in France. There have been versions made for Britain, Italy, India, Canada, Poland and Turkey.
The Chi gets a Season 7 premiere date and teaser
Lena Waithe's Showtime drama returns on Paramount+ on May 16 and on Showtime on May 18.
Watch Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo and Will Forte in Netflix's The Four Seasons teaser
Kerri Kenney-Silver and Marco Calvani also star in the TV remake of Alan Alda’s 1981 film about a group of friends going on vacation with their significant others'. The Four Seasons premieres May 1.
The Librarians: The Next Chapter unveils its trailer
The follow-up to TNT's The Librarians was initially ordered for The CW, but it will air on TNT.
Maggie and Negan fight for control of New York City in The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 trailer
”You see power equals power,” says Negan. “So if you ain’t with us…I guess you’re in for … a bit of a shock.” The Walking Dead: Dead City returns May 4.
America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation gets a Season 2 premiere date and trailer
Jeannie Mai returns to host the Amazon Prime Video reality cooking competition, with Season 2 premiering April 1.