Simon Cowell will search for the next big boy band on Netflix / Assassin’s Creed live-action a go after 5 years / Netflix orders age-gap dating reality show
PLUS: Jon Stewart on report Skydance could drop him once the Paramount merger is complete: "I’ve been kicked out of sh*ttier establishments."
Simon Cowell will search for the next big boy band on Netflix
In Simon Cowell: The Next Act, The X Factor creator, who famously helped assemble One Direction, will attempt to “create the next global boy band sensation.” The six-episode reality show premieres in December. "From raw open casting calls to the release of the group’s debut single, this is an all-access pass for viewers to catch every moment of Cowell’s next chapter. Will he strike gold and break industry records once again?" Netflix says of The Next Act, noting that "reality and music fans alike have watched Cowell build acclaimed bands on television many times before" via Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and America's Got Talent.
Jon Stewart on report Skydance could drop him once the Paramount merger is complete: "I’ve been kicked out of sh*ttier establishments"
“Unfortunately, we haven’t heard anything from them,” Stewart said on his The Weekly Show podcast, per Deadline, after Status’ Oliver Darcy reported last week that Skydance CEO David Ellison may not have the appetite for Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s brand of liberal political comedy. “They haven’t called me and said like ‘Don’t get too comfortable in that office, Stewart,’” Stewart added. “But let me tell you something, I’ve been kicked out of shittier establishments than that. We’ll land on our feet.” Stewart said that he “honestly” doesn’t know if Skydance would axe The Daily Show, which has been on the air since 1996 and just posted big ratings. “I’d like to believe that without The Daily Show… I don’t know. Comedy Central is kind of like muzak at this point,” he said. “I think we’re the only sort of life that exists on a current basis other than South Park. But it’s the only thing on there. I’d like to think we bring enough value to the property. If they’re looking at it as purely a real estate transaction, I think we bring a lot of value. But that may not be their consideration. They may sell the whole f*cking place for parts, I just don’t know. We’ll deal with it when we do.”
Netflix's Assassin’s Creed live-action series has officially been greenlit five years after it was first announced
In October 2020, Netflix and Ubisoft announced they were teaming up for a live-action series based on Assassin’s Creed. Today, Netflix announced that Assassin’s Creed is moving forward from creators and showrunners Roberto Patino and David Wiener. Assassin's Creed was previously turned into a movie in 2016. “Assassin’s Creed is a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind’s future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will," reads the official logline. "The series follows its characters across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity’s destiny.”
ABC unveils its fall premiere dates: 9-1-1 franchise is moving to Thursdays
9-1-1 will be joined by 9-1-1: Nashville on Thursdays starting on Oct. 16, with Grey's Anatomy capping off the night at 10 p.m. The Golden Bachelor returns Sept. 24 with a two-hour premiere. Dancing with the Stars returns Sept. 16, leading out to High Potential's second season premiere.
Peacock announces price hikes for its premium tiers, will test a new cheaper "Select" plan
"Starting Wednesday, July 23, the NBCU-owned streamer will begin charging new subscribers $3 more per month, with the cost of the ad-supported plan increasing nearly 40 percent to $10.99, and the price of the ad-free tier rising about 20 percent to $16.99," reports Vulture's Josef Adalian. "(Existing subscribers will see the new rates starting with bills on or after August 22.) And while Peacock is also going to be testing out a new slimmed-down version of its offering for $7.99 called Peacock Select — more on that below — this price hike means Peacock’s most popular plan (ad-supported) will cost $1 more per month than Max, Hulu, and Disney+ with ads; $2 more than stand-alone Prime Video; and $3 more than the ad-supported tiers at Netflix and Paramount+. It’s the biggest price jump for Peacock since the platform’s launch five years ago this week, and it means the NBCU service (for now) has the most expensive ad tier of any major streamer." Adalian adds of Peacock Select: "Though it won’t be heavily marketed, and could even go away at some point — hence messaging that this is a 'test' — the new price plan will give customers access to all next-day NBC and Bravo entertainment content (i.e., your Dick Wolf dramas, SNL, and the Housewives), former NBC soap Days of Our Lives (now a Peacock original), plus 'a broad assortment of library titles.'"
Invincible earns an early Season 5 renewal, with Matthew Rhys joining the Season 4 cast
"Season f*cking 5! You know what that's called? A success!" Walton Goggins says in a video announcing the renewal. Details of Rhys' character are being kept under wraps.
Nick Viall and wife Natalie Joy will host Netflix age-gap reality dating show Age of Attraction
Premiering in 2026, Age of Attraction will follow a group of singles ages 22 to 59 as they date each other, hosted by the 44-year-old Viall and the 25-year-old Joy. "In this new dating experiment, it simply does not matter how many candles were on your last birthday cake or how few wrinkles have formed on your forehead," says Netflix. "Age is thrown out the window as singles search for their soulmates with help from hosts Nick Viall and Natalie Joy. The daters range from 22 to 59 years old, so potential matches will see if age is just a number. Or will the years come between them?"
Arian Moayed to reprise his Agent Cleary role in Marvel's Wonder Man series
"Succession‘s Arian Moayed will feature prominently in Wonder Man, the new series from Marvel Television that’s set to premiere on Disney+ in December," reports Deadline's Matt Grobar. "Moayed reprises his role from 2021’s Spiderman: No Way Home, where he played Agent Cleary, a high-ranking agent from the government agency known as the Department of Damage Control, who’s responsible for dealing with the aftermath of events caused by superpowered individuals. The Tom Holland film found Cleary looking into the events surrounding Spider-Man’s identity being publicly revealed. Moayed previously reprised the role in Ms. Marvel, the series released to Disney+ in 2022."
WNBA All-Star Game viewership is expected to take a major hit without Caitlin Clark
The Indiana Fever star announced she would miss the All-Star Game and the 3-point contest after suffering a groin injury in Tuesday’s game. "Speaking strictly from a viewership perspective: This is a major hit to Friday and Saturday's viewership number," says The Athletic's Richard Deitsch. "Last year's All Star Game averaged a record 3.4 million viewers. If I had to guess, this now comes around the 2 million mark. That's separate from how cool the weekend will be."
Harry Jowsey will look for a wife on Netflix's Let’s Marry Harry
"After traveling all across the Netflix Reality Universe in search of his soulmate (see: Too Hot to Handle and Perfect Match as evidence), Jowsey will date a new pool of potential matches in hopes of finding what he truly wants: authentic love and marriage," Netflix says of the Let's Marry Harry, which will feature Call Her Daddy's Alex Cooper as Jowsey's consultant. “Having a show of my own is incredible, but also having my family at Netflix stop at no end to help me find the love of my life is the most amazing feeling,” says Jowsey.
Freida Pinto to star in Netflix's Unaccustomed Earth
The Slumdog Millionaire star is set to have a major role in Netflix's adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's short story collection Unaccustomed Earth. The official logline for the show states that it is “an epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging. Rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters, Unaccustomed Earth invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA. When a star-crossed romance between a devoted wife and her long lost love comes to light, a scandalous affair is born and new battle lines are drawn in this intensely interconnected immigrant community.”
General Hospital’s Tristan Rogers has been diagnosed with cancer
“While he remains hopeful and is working closely with his medical team on a treatment plan, this is a challenging time for Tristan and his family,” a representative for the Emmy-winning actor said in a statement, without specifying which cancer he has. “As they face both the emotional and physical burdens that come with this diagnosis, the family kindly asks for privacy and understanding. They are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support and love from their friends and family."
Denise Richards has been granted a temporary domestic violence restraining order against estranged husband Aaron Phypers, who recently filed for divorce
In court documents obtained by People, the Bravo star accuses husband Aaron Phypers of domestic violence, sharing alleged details and photos accusing her ex of physical assault. Phypers recently filed for divorce after six years of marriage. The couple were featured on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. "Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me and hack into my laptop and phone and download all of my text messages," Richards alleged in the court documents. "Aaron regularly threatened to 'break my jaw' and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help — none of which ever happened." She also alleged, that her ex "has caused me at least three concussions." Richards said she has been "afraid" to report Phypers' alleged behavior to the police "because he has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police, among his other threats of harm to me and himself if he is reported for his abuse to anyone." In an interview with Us Weekly, Phypers said Richards’ allegations are “not true. Conjured up. I have the real evidence.”
Netflix adds Drew Brees to its NFL Christmas Day NFL games
The future hall of fame QB, who was one-and-done as an analyst for NBC, will serve as an analyst in one of Netflix's two Christmas Day games.
Fox Sports and Dave Portnoy's Barstool Sports officially announce their "wide-ranging deal"
Portnoy and his Barstool stoolies will join the team of Fox's college football pregame show Big Noon Kickoff, with other Barstool personalities, with the company also creating a new two-hour daily studio show for FS1. “This is the 1st time in our illustrious and notorious history that we’ve got a Tv partner we believe in and believes in us,” Portnoy tweeted. “I can’t wait to see what we create together.” Additionally, the Barstool College Football Show will stream on Fox Sports digital channels and Tubi ahead of Fox’s own pre-game show, with a college basketball show to follow later this year. “We’re excited to welcome Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports to the Fox Sports family,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & executive producer for Fox Sports. “Dave has built a one-of-a-kind brand that connects with a new generation of sports fans – authentic, bold, and original. Their unique voice and loyal fanbase makes them a natural fit for our evolving multiplatform content strategy.”
Netflix announces reality show Calabasas Confidential
The streamer will go behind the scenes of the wealthy Los Angeles suburban city known for the Kardashians. Calabasas Confidential follows "a group of childhood friends, exes, and rivals who have just returned to their hillside mansions in Calabasas after four years apart," per Netflix. "Fresh out of college, they’re plunged right back into the drama they thought they left behind. As old romances rekindle and buried tensions resurface, these young adults are forced to confront unfinished business and uncertain futures in the town that raised them."
Netflix will let viewers experience "impressive prosperity" with Members Only: Palm Beach
"Set within the exclusive enclaves of Palm Beach County, the eight-episode first season will follow a group of women navigating the unspoken rules, inherited traditions, and high-stakes hierarchies of America’s most rarefied social circles," per Netflix. "In this manicured world of privilege and private clubs, reputations are built over brunch and alliances shift over champagne. While wealth is ubiquitous, power, influence, and access are the true currency."
The Tinder Swindler's Cecilie Fjellhøy to star in Netflix's Love Con Revenge
In this six-episode reality series, Fjellhøy partners with a fierce female private investigator Brianne Joseph to expose romance scammers and help victims reclaim control, one takedown at a time.
Dexter: Resurrection has a solid debut
Paramount says the season premiere of the Dexter sequel series opened to 3.1 million cross-platform viewers over its first weekend. That's up from the 2.1 million that watched prequel series Dexter: Original Sin last December.
Netflix renews The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On and King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch
They'll return for Season 4 and Season 3, respectively.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! taps Alan Cumming and Fortune Feimster as next week's guest-hosts
Cumming will host Monday for one-night only. Feimster will host Tuesday through Thursday. ALSO: Jelly Roll makes his Kimmel guest-hosting debut by putting Logan Paul through a table.
XO, Kitty has added three to its Season 3 cast
Sule Thelwell, Soy Kim and Christine Hwang joined the Netflix series for its third season, which recently wrapped production in South Korea.
Amazon's Every Summer After unveils its cast, with Sadie Soverall and Matt Cornett set as leads
Aurora Perrineau, Abigail Cowen, Michael Bradway and Joseph Chiu will also star in the drama series based on based on Carley Fortune‘s bestselling romantic novel. "Told over the course of six years and one week in Barry’s Bay – the quintessential lake town –Every Year After is described as a romantic, nostalgic story of first loves and the people and choices that mark us forever," per Deadline.
Timothy Olyphant briefly forgets his young Stick co-star Peter Dager's name on Late Night with Seth Meyers
"Not because I can't remember his name right now, but I think it's important for a young actor to just be, like, for a while, just be like, you know, 'He's the kid on the golf show,' " said Olyphant, prompting Meyers to say that they had to "make their own name."
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation Season 7 Part 2 gets a premiere date
The Jersey Shore spinoff returns to MTV on Aug. 6.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood reveals its opening title sequence
Showrunner Matthew B. Roberts wanted the new title sequence to bring new energy to the Outlander franchise, with the help of composer Bear McCreary.
Disneyland opened 70 years ago today: Watch Ronald Reagan serve as a correspondent for ABC's live coverage
Walt Disney opened Disneyland on July 17, 1955 with funding help from the then-fledgling ABC network. As part of the deal, ABC agreed to air the live special Dateline: Disneyland on the opening of the theme park, hosted by Art Linkletter and with future president Ronald Reagan serving as a correspondent. ABC also agreed to air a show called Disneyland, which would become The Wonderful World of Disney. ABC was a longtime partner with Disney, leading to The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of ABC in 1995.
Connie Francis, “Who’s Sorry Now” and “Pretty Little Baby” singer, dies at 87
Francis, who dominated the pop charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s with sobbing ballads like “Who’s Sorry Now” and “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You,” as well as up-tempo soft-rock tunes like “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” and “Vacation,” has died. Her death was announced late last night, two weeks after she was for extreme pain after suffering a pelvic fracture. Francis was a fixture on variety shows in the 1950s and 1960s, including 28 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. Francis' song "Who's Sorry Now" was also memorably used in the introduction of Tony Soprano's mom Livia Soprano in The Sopranos pilot.
Platonic's Season 2 trailer features a Freaks and Geeks reunion, plus SNL alums
Seth Rogen will reunite with former co-star Sam McMurray on the Apple TV+ comedy he stars in with Rose Byrne. SNL vets Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett are also guest-starring. Platonic Season 2 premieres Aug. 6.
Alien: Earth's second official trailer features even more monsters
FX has revealed a new "Greener World" trailer ahead of the Aug. 12 premiere.
Netflix's WWE: Unreal trailer takes WWE fans inside the writers' room for the first time
The five-episode docuseries narrated by the WWE's Paul “Triple H” Levesque premieres July 29.