Small Screen: Deric Augustine Joins ‘The Rookie,’ ABC Announces Fall Television Lineup
Deric Augustine - SOPA Images
Broadcast: ABC's The Rookie has cast Deric Augustine (Godfather of Harlem) as a recurring guest star in its seventh season. Augustine is cast as Texan-born LAPD rookie Miles. He joins fellow cast members such as Mekia Cox (Chicago Med), Richard T. Jones (Judging Amy), Alyssa Diaz (Shark Night), and Lisseth Chavez (Chicago P.D.), to name a few. The series follows the story of John Nolan (Nathon Fillon) as the oldest rookie in LAPD.
ABC has announced its fall series schedule, featuring a blend of returning favorites and new series across drama and comedy. Their returning series premieres consist of the eighth season of 9-1-1, the 21st season of Grey's Anatomy on September 26th, and the fourth season of Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary on October 9th. For ABC's new series premieres, High Potential led by Kaitlin Olson airs September 17th, Doctor Odyssey starring Joshua Jackson premieres September 26th, and docuseries Scamanda airs October 9th. The new seasons of The Rookie, Will Trent, and the final season of The Conners have yet to announce their episode dates. ABC’s programming can be viewed on Hulu after television airing.
NBC's medical series Brilliant Minds added André De Shields (Hadestown) and Mandy Patinkin (Death and Other Details) as guest stars to the season one cast. De Shields was cast in the pilot episode as a patient with Alzheimer's, and Patinkin was cast as a family doctor at the Bronx General Hospital. The series is based on several books by Oliver Sacks and tells the story of neurologist Oliver Wolf (Zachary Quinto) and his interns in the neurology field. The upcoming season will have a 13-episode run starting September 23rd.
Josh Andrés Rivera - Dia Dipasupil
Cable: FX has announced the premiere date for their two upcoming series The English Teacher for September 2nd and American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez for September 17th. The English Teacher stars comedian Brian Jordan Alvarez (M3GAN) as a Texas high school teacher as he deals with students, parents, and the ever-changing rules of working in education. American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez stars Josh Andrés Rivera (West Side Story) and follows the story of Aaron Hernandez, an ex-NFL player for the New England Patriots, and his murder conviction. Both series can be streamed on Hulu after their television release.
Syfy announced the cancellation of their horror comedy series Reginald The Vampire. After two seasons, Syfy decided to cut the show following the move of Resident Alien to American cable. Starring actor Jacob Batalon (Tarot) as Reginald Andres, the series explored the story of a not-so-beautiful yet vain vampire and his impossible romance, threats, and newfound superpowers, as told in Johnny B. Truant’s books of the same name. The series finale premiered on July 10th.
Starz announced a list of cast members for their series Spartacus: House of Ashur. Tenika Davis (Jupiter's Legacy) and Jordi Webber (Choose Love) join Nick Tarabay (Spartacus: Vengeance), who plays the main character, Ashur. Davis will play Achillia, a female gladiator determined to pass her male gladiators, and Webber will play Tarcon, an overconfident gladiator. The series explores an alternate ending to Spartacus: Vengeance where Nick Tarabay no longer dies, but instead went to gladiator school after killing Spartacus and ending the slave uprising.
Liza Colón-Zayas - Tommaso Boddi / Stringer
Streaming: Paramount+'s sci-fi series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has cast Kerrice Brooks (The Prom), George Hawkins (Boiling Point), and Bella Shepard (Orange Is the New Black). The three will play cadets, joining Holly Hunter as the captain and chancellor and Paul Giamatti as the season’s main villain. The series follows young cadets navigating friendships, drama, romance, and a new enemy under their instructors' guidance. Production will start in Toronto with Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau as co-showrunners.
MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video's upcoming live-action series Spider-Noir has cast Lamorne Morris (New Girl). Morris will portray Robbie Robertson in telling the story of a 1930s private investigator-turned-superhero Spider-Noir (Nicholas Cage). As Robbie Robertson, the character is said to be a Black professional journalist who “won't take no for an answer.” The “Spider-Noir” spin-off comes from Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal's Into the Spider-Verse films and is the second series announced from the Amazon and Sony collaboration.
Netflix's limited series Sirens has cast Josh Segarra (Abbott Elementary), Trevor Salter (She-Hulk), Britne Oldford (Hunters), Felix Solis (Ozark), and Emily Borromeo (Blue Bloods). They join fellow cast members such as Jenn Lyon (Claws), Kevin Bacon (City on a Hill), Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon), and Meghann Fahy (The Bold Type), to name a few. Segarra is cast as Rayond, a manager of a restaurant chain in Buffalo, Solter is cast as Jordan, a yacht captain and charmingly handsome, Oldford is cast as Missy, housekeeper for the Kells family, Solis is cast as Jose, a gardener and manager of The Cliff House and head of security and surveillance, and Borrmeo will play Astrid, one of the three Fates trio. The series tells the story of a weekend at a beach estate covering relationship drama with Devon's (Fahy) sister Simone (Alcock).
The Boys actor Laz Alonso has been advocating for a feature film to conclude the series, suggesting that the final episode of season five ends on a cliffhanger leading into film. Alonso shared this idea during a live taping of the Happy Sad Confused podcast. However, showrunner Eric Kripke has consistently dismissed this idea. Kripke has confirmed that season five will be The Boys last, stating he always envisioned a five season arc. Actor Antony Starr, who plays Homelander, echoed this sentiment, explaining that Kripke planned for five strong seasons from the start.
“I think everyone wants to go out on a strong note, and I think there’s nothing worse...you do that last season and it’s shit,” said Starr. “And you get remembered very poorly and you have to kind of wear that. I like to think that we will go out on a really strong note and I think we all deserve that.”
Liza Colón-Zayas has discussed her experience playing Tina on The Bear and how her character has grown into the third season. In an interview, Colón-Zayas praised Ayo Edebiri's directorial debut as a surreal and beautiful experience. In this episode, Tina and her husband handled financial struggles, followed by Tina losing her long-term job and facing a series of rejections, all leading her to work at Mr. Beef. When asked about experiencing acting with her husband David Zayas as her on-screen husband, Colón-Zayas expressed joy in portraying a loving, stable relationship amidst their character's struggles. To continue, she described the challenges working-class characters like Tina face in a gentrifying environment and the importance of the supportive relationships formed within the restaurant.
“At this point in time, the main concern is making [The Beef] succeed. Because the reality is that where we were in season one, it was going to fail. Period. So not only do we get a second chance, but I, Tina, got a second chance,” said Colon-Zayas, “Is it scary that these types of places are popping up everywhere around her? The gentrification, and people who look a certain way and don’t have the credentials are just pushed out? Yeah. But that’s not where she is right now, today. And there is genuine love. We’re all just trying to do the best we can. If it was just about getting the cream of the crop, I would have been let go a year ago.”
Paramount+ with Showtime cast Jodie Turner-Smith (The Acolyte) in their spy drama series The Agency. Turner-Smith will play Sami Zahir, a professor of social anthropology. She joins fellow cast members such as Richard Gere (Pretty Woman), Michael Fassbender (The Killer), and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction). Based on the French series Le Bureau des Legendes, the series tells the story of undercover CIA agent Martian (Fassbender), who must return to London Station. Eventually, he reunites with his old lover and his real identity is put on the line.
Marvel Studios and Disney+'s action series Wonder Man cast Byron Bowers (Lady In The Lake) in an unknown role. Bowers joins Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) in this adaptation of Stan Lee, Don Heck, and Jack Kirby's The Avengers #9 comics. In this edition, Simon Williams, also known as Wonder Man, finds himself gaining superpowers and becoming enemies of the Avengers. The series will be directed by Daniel Destin Cretton and Stella Meghie.
Paramount+ with Showtime's series The Chi cast Rotimi (Power) in the upcoming seventh season. Rotimi joins cast members Jacob Latimore (House Party), Yolonda Ross (Bull), Shamon Brown Jr. (Tales of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), and Birgundi Baker (Praise This), in telling the story of South Side Chicago residents. The series is executively produced by Lena Waithe (Twenties). Rotimi will portray Charles, a past assistant at Pastor Ezekiel's church. He made his first appearance in the sixth season, and will have his own story arc in the upcoming season.
AppleTV+ has announced that Aaron Pierre (The Underground Railroad) will join the fourth season of their drama series The Morning Show. Pierre was cast as Miles, a visual artist working for upper class New York executives. The series follows the lives of morning news broadcasters. Pierre joins co-stars such as Jennifer Aniston (Murder Mystery), Greta Lee (Problemista), and Mark Duplass (Creep).
CBS Studios and Paramount+'s drama series NCIS: Tony & Ziva cast Amita Suman (Shadow and Bone), Nassima Benchicou (Emily in Paris), Terence Maynard (Coronation Street), and Lara Rossi (The Watch) in its upcoming first season. The actors join leads Cote de Pablo (The 33) and Michael Weatherly (Bull). Suman will play Claudette, chief technical officer and a bright, unstoppable code solver; Benchicou will play Martine, an elegant former French intelligence agent; Maynard will play Dr. Lang, a gentle therapist; and Rossi will play Sophie, a caretaker. The show is currently in production in Budapest.
Max announced the development of an upcoming drama series, The Untitled John Hawkins Project. The story will be based around Ole Miss's first Black cheerleader, John Hawkins, who refused to carry a Confederate flag in the 1980s. Kristen SaBerre (KnightFall) will write and executive produce the series with John Hawkins as a co-executive producer. Hawkins shared that his motives behind not carrying the flag onto the football field were inspiration for the series.
“I was not going to carry that flag. I understood what it represented. I understood that for some students, for some people who embraced the flag that it was the symbol of school spirit for them. I also knew that there were other motives, in terms of people that supported the flag that were more consistent with the original intent which was an oppressive symbol representing slavery and I did not want to be a part of that,” said Hawkins.
Amazon Prime Video greenlit the first authorized scripted series about Muhammad Ali, titled The Greatest. The series stars Jaalen Best (All American: Homecoming) as Ali, and it will be produced in collaboration with Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali. The series will follow Ali's life in and out of the boxing ring. The series also plans on featuring other industry heavyweight boxers to showcase Ali's legacy in the field. Amazon MGM Studios head of television Vernon Sanders expressed his excitement to show the audience the collaboration.
“Muhammed Ali defined commitment and passion for multiple generations of Americans. His journey is best told in full by a team whose dedication reflects that example,” said Sanders.
BBC and CBS's collaborative period project, King & Conquerer, cast Elander Moore (Kaos), Jason Forbes (My Lady Jane), and Indy Lewis (Industry). Moore is set to play Morcar, the son of the Earl of Mercia. Forbes will play Thane Thomas, a loyal servant to the Godwin family. Lewis was cast as Margaret, a younger woman from Mercia attempting to speak out about the world around her. The series explores the battles that shaped the future of England and the families that fought for power. The series is currently wrapping up filming and will broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and through Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Laughing Dragon Studios confirmed its new children’s animated Christmas series, Coal. The series is set to debut in December 2025 and follows eight-year-old Ethan Bishop. After landing on Santa’s naughty list, Ethan is guided by a legendary Lump of Coal on a journey that reveals his artistic talent. The cast includes Zariah Ellis (Blue's Clues & You), Lucinda Davis (Winx Club), Bruce Dinsmore (Arthur), and Briauna James (The Bold Type). Written by Astride Noel, the series aims to develop into a "festive tradition that can be cherished year after year."
Showtime's series Dexter: Original Sin added Randy Gonzalez (Bloodline), Raquel Justice (One Day at a Time), Roberto Sanchez (Palm Royale), Carlo Mendez (The Bay), Isaac Gonzalez Rossi (That's Amor), and Aaron Jennings (Pure Genius) as recurring characters. The first season of the drama will be 10 episodes long and take place in 1990s Miami. The series follows student and Miami Metro Police Department intern Dexter (Patrick Gibson) as he learns to kill those deserving of death with the help of his father, Harry (Christian Slater). Gonzalez was cast as Santos Jimenez, Justice as Sofia, Sanchez as Tony Ferrer, Mendez as Hector Estrada, Rossi as Gio, and Jennings as Clark Sanders.
Pat Colbert - Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer
Industry: On June 23rd, television and film actress Pat Colbert passed away at 77 in Compton. Beginning her television career in 1979's Eischiled alongside Joe Don Baker, she went on to appear in notable films and series such as The Fall Guy, Flamingo Road, Benson, A Death in California, and Knots Landing. Colbert became most well-known for her role as Dora Mae in Dallas from season seven until the series's conclusion in 1991. Colbert's funeral is set for July 20th.
Fremantle and Roughcut TV have agreed to partner with a first-look deal in developing Roughcut's drama slate. Founded by Ash Atalla and Tim Sealey, Roughcut made a name for itself with comedy hits like Big Boys, Coma, and We Might Regret This. With the new leadership under Atalla, head of drama Marianna Abbotts, and creative director Alex Smith, the company is determined to strengthen its drama series offerings. Fremantle will house Roughcut's projects, focusing specifically on international outreach.
“This Fremantle deal is a game-changing moment for Roughcut as we accelerate our push into drama. Our goal is to build fast and become one of a new generation of global drama suppliers. And with the success of Coma, and recently commissioned Little Disasters, the work starts now,” said Atalla.
Tyler Perry endorsed the merger between David Ellison’s Skydance Media and Paramount Global at the premiere of his film Divorce in the Black. Regarding reports of Paramount Global potentially selling BET for around $1.6 billion, Perry stated that he is “100% supportive” of Mill's ability to work a deal, and he praised the leadership of Shari Redstone and Mills as partners for his past projects. Perry has developed a new multi-year deal with BET Media Group renewing eight of his series on the BET+ platform. With regards to the premiere of Divorce in the Black, the film tells the story of Ava (Meagan Good) and her sense of abandonment after the unhealthy divorce with her husband and her growth in a new relationship. Good emphasized that Divorce in the Black's themes of empowerment and resilience were what she wanted the audience to focus on the most.
“I want people to feel empowered. Every woman, every man who sees this — whether they’ve gone through domestic abuse, whether they’ve gone through a divorce, whether they’ve gone through heartbreak, whatever it is — to just feel how important they are, how lovable they are, how worthy they are, how they don’t have to settle, and how sometimes the worst moments in life are actually blessings.”
The terms of Skydance Media's acquisition of Paramount Global were revealed. Paramount are able to seek better offers for 45 days but will be required to pay a $400 million separation fee to Skydance if they accept another bid. Paramount needs Skydance's consent for significant moves involving Paramount+, such as joint ventures or major content licensing deals. Their board has a 45-day period to actively solicit alternative proposals, which can be extended if promising bids arise that reduce shareholder litigation risks. Alternative offers during the 45-day period have not emerged, and Sony Pictures and Apollo, who expressed previous interest, have backed down. Despite this turmoil, Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Paramount Media Networks, emphasized the potential for international partnerships.
“[W]e are advancing talks with potential partners that will significantly transform the scale and economics of the [streaming] service, making it profitable and driving long-term value. This approach could also serve as a model for the U.S.,” McCarthy said.
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) secured a $3 million settlement with CBS Studios after a battle over unpaid dues to 24 writers. This settlement addresses claims for CBS Studios dramas MacGyver, SEAL Team, and Hawaii 5-0, whose writers were pressured to continue delivering scripts during hiatus periods without proper compensation. The settlement covers owed weekly pay, parental leave, health, pension, and interest. WGAW emphasized its ongoing commitment to enforce fair practices and secure owed payments.
“Guild members providing writing services on these series were required to continue working even though the studio had declared the rooms closed and stopped making weekly compensation and benefit contribution payments to the impacted writers. When there are reports of writers and showrunners who have experienced these kinds of unacceptable practices by their employers, the WGAW has and continues to pursue enforcement on behalf of our members and ensure the studios comply with the MBA,” said WGA in a statement.
