Simon Says to become a Netflix reality competition / Quinta Brunson moving Warner Bros. for Disney / Ryan Coogler to develop shows exclusively for Netflix
PLUS: Fallout adds Manny Jacinto, Emily Mortimer and Thomasin McKenzie for Season 3.
Simon Says to become a Netflix reality competition
The streamer announced today it is giving the classic children’s game a reality TV twist. “A new reality competition series based on the OG playground game of the same name is premiering on Netflix in 2027,” Netflix said. “But this isn’t the Simon you remember from recess. In a mischievous and high-stakes twist, contestants will face a gauntlet of cunning challenges, strategic mind games, and unexpected pivots as they compete for a life-changing prize. One rule remains the same: if Simon says it, you’d better listen. To win over Simon and his prize money, players must decide when to follow orders or risk elimination. Obedience may buy another day, but every choice comes with consequences.” Simon Says is from Bunim/Murray productions and The Challenge veteran showrunner Emer Harkin.
Quinta Brunson moving Warner Bros. for Disney
The creator and star of the Warner Bros. TV comedy series Abbott Elementary, which airs on Disney’s ABC, has signed a big five-year overall deal with Disney’s 20th Television. Brunson is coming off a four-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Under the new pact, Brunson will write, develop and executive produce series across Disney Entertainment Television’s brands and platforms via her banner Fifth Chance Productions, says Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva, adding: “This marks a rare studio switch by a creator whose series is at the height of its popularity. Going to Disney will keep Brunson in the Abbott family as she will be based at the series’ co-producer 20th TV, with the show’s network, ABC, also a Disney corporate sibling. Abbott Elementary, broadcast’s No.1 comedy in young demos and streaming viewership, is heading into its sixth season this fall as a rare series that still produces 22 episodes a year. It has won four Emmys to date, including two for Brunson, for writing and Lead Actress In a Comedy Series.”
Tyra Banks returning to Project Runway as a Season 22 recurring judge
The former America’s Next Top Model host previously appeared as a guest judge in Season 21. ALSO: Watch Project Runway’s Season 22 trailer.
Ryan Coogler to develop shows exclusively for Netflix
The Sinners director’s Proximity Media production company has signed an overall deal with Netflix to develop series for the streamer. The deal comes after the expiration of his five-year deal with Disney that includes the upcoming The X-Files reboot and Southern Bastards, both for Hulu.
Liza Colón-Zayas and Jeff Hiller to announce Emmy nominations
The respective The Bear and Somebody Somewhere Emmy winners will announce the nominations for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on July 8 at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET.
Fallout adds Manny Jacinto, Emily Mortimer and Thomasin McKenzie for Season 3
The three join previously announced new Season 3 cast addition Aaron Paul.
Stephen Colbert surfaces at the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago wearing a tan suit
Colbert paid homage to one of former President Barack Obama’s biggest controversies in his first public appearance four weeks after signing off from The Late Show.
Matthew McConaughey-Woody Harrelson Apple TV comedy Brothers gets a premiere date
The comedy reuniting the former True Detective co-stars premieres Sept. 23, 3-1/2 years after it was announced in May 2023. “After Woody’s daughter’s wedding falls apart, he loads up the family and heads to Austin for an extended stay at Matthew’s ranch,” reads the official description. “But what begins as a healing getaway quickly spirals when Matthew’s mother, Ma Mac (Holland Taylor), accidentally lets slip a long-buried secret that the two friends might actually be brothers. As Woody turns the ranch upside down in pursuit of the truth, Matthew finds himself juggling an entirely different identity crisis: a potential run for governor of Texas. The result is a heartfelt, chaotic, and wildly funny story about friendship, family, fame, and the messy line between myth and reality.”
More Jimmy Kimmel Live! summer guest-hosts revealed: First-timers Jelly Roll and Ike Barinholtz, plus returning Tiffany Haddish and Anthony Anderson
Haddish, who guest-hosted for the first time last year, will be the first guest-host of the summer, starting the week of July 6. Jelly Roll, Ike Barinholtz and the previously announced Colman Domingo will be first-timers. Anderson will continue as Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s most frequent guest-host, having already hosted 24 episodes.
Shark Week kicks off July 26 with Ken Leung and REI AMI and K-Pop Shark Heroes
This year’s Shark Week will also feature the return of Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, plus Bull Shark Dinner Bell, House of Sharks, Jaws vs. Orca, What Shark Attacked? and Alien Sharks: Untamed America.
NBC will continue celebrating America 250 in August with Kelsey Grammer hosting The Great American Journey
Premiering Aug. 22, the series will follow the former Frasier star as he “travel the country celebrating American history and exploring the people, places and ideas that have shaped our nation,” per the official description. “The series will examine how the American story continues to evolve and the role each generation plays in defining what comes next.”
Jimmy Fallon has its biggest 2026 viewership without a sports lead-in this year thanks to New York Knicks
Monday’s Knicks takeover of The Tonight Show averaged 1.4 million, which was below Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s 2.215 million, according to LateNighter.
Disney orders a Warrior Cats adaptation
Premiering in 2028, the series based on Erin Hunter’s feline book series that follows the adventures and drama of multiple clans of feral cats. As Deadline’s Max Goldbart notes, “the Warrior Cats books, which are written by a team under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, have sold more than 90 million copies and been translated into 38 languages. According to Disney, Warrior Cats generates 50 million views per month across user-generated content on YouTube and nearly 3 billion views on TikTok. The Roblox game, meanwhile, has been played more than 735 million times.”
Tracy Letts, John Gallagher, Lola Kirke and Colton Ryan among 14 joining Netflix’s The God of the Woods
The series adaptation of Liz Moore’s bestselling novel has rounded out its recurring cast.
The Traitors: New Blood civilian series sets a September premiere date on NBC
Host Alan Cumming will welcome 22 everyday Americans for The Traitors spinoff, premiering Sept. 17 with a two-hour episode.
JD Vance says “Joy Behar is way tougher than the Iranians” as cites his The View appearance as proof he has experience with tough negotiations
“Now, I have seen some progressive criticisms of me personally saying, ‘What experience does the vice president of the United States have with hostile, high-stakes negotiations?’” the vice president told reporters today. “And I would point those progressive critics to the fact that just two days ago, I spent over an hour on The View. So I actually have great experience in very hostile negotiations, and I’ve used that- I mean, look, Joy Behar is way tougher than the Iranians. And she and I are best friends now.”
Here are the best moments from the Las Culturistas Culture Awards in their second year on Bravo
Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers started off the night with a nod to Heated Rivalry, breaking out into song in their hockey gear. But they couldn’t secure Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, who were busy attending the Canadian Screen Awards.
HBO Max cuts prices 40% ahead of House of the Dragon’s Season 3 premiere
The sale cuts the cost of all three HBO Max streaming tiers — basic with ads, standard or premium — but only if you pay for 12 months in advance.
Outer Banks unveils the trailer and premiere date for its fifth and final season
The Netflix action-adventure mystery teen drama series returns Aug. 20, nearly two years after its Season 4 premiere.