Small Screen: Abraham Popoola Joins Prime’s ‘Spider-Noir,’ ‘Summer Of Gold’ Gets Series Adaptation
Maya rudolph - Saturday night live/NBC
Broadcast: Maya Rudolph returns to play her role in sketches as Vice President Kamala Harris for NBC’s Saturday Night Live's 2024 presidential election episodes. Rudolph first portrayed Harris on SNL in December 2019 and has won two Emmys for her guest appearances. As the presidential election approaches, Rudolph’s Harris is expected to face off against James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump in a debate sketch. SNL's 50th season will premiere September 28th.
Toya Turner (Warrior Nun) has been cast in NBC's Chicago P.D. twelfth season. Turner will play series regular Officer Yara Page. In previous runs with One Chicago, Turner was cast in Chicago Fire and Chicago Med. With Tracy Spiridakos leaving her role as Detective Hailey Upton and Jesse Lee Soffer leaving as Jay Halstead, Turner will be filling out the missing cast.
Punkie Johnson is departing Saturday Night Live after starring for four seasons. Joining the cast in 2020, Johnson was promoted to repertory status in 2022. During her time, she was most known for her impressions of celebrities like Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige. Johnson shared the news during a stand-up comedy show in Brooklyn and confirmed it in an Instagram video. In this video, Johnson expressed gratitude for her time on the show, describing it as “a dream I didn’t even know that I could achieve,” and emphasized her ongoing love for the SNL team.
“After four seasons, I will not be returning to ‘SNL’ for the 50th... It’s no bad blood, it’s no bridges burned, it’s no hard feelings,” said Johnson.
The upcoming soap opera The Gates has announced two additional executive producers Robert "Bob" Guza and Julie Hanan Carruthers, who are industry veterans. Outside of The Gates, Guza is renowned for his work on ABC's General Hospital as head writer and executive producer, with additional writer credits on Santa Barbara and Sunset Beach. Aside from her career as a successful real estate agent, Carruthers has served as executive producer on All My Children and General Hospital. Including Guza and Carruthers, The Gates features a total of seven executive producers, making it the first and only soap with seven executive producers. Joining them is the head writer and highest-ranking executive producer Michele Val Jean, along with Leon Russell, Sheila Ducksworth, Kimberly Doebereiner, and Derrick Johnson. The series is set to release in January 2025 and will follow the story of a wealthy Black family in a posh neighborhood.
In the same vein, in a recent social media post, Michele Val Jean, the creator and co-executive producer of the upcoming CBS daytime soap opera The Gates, announced the addition of Skyy Sandifer to the team. Sandifer, who began her career as a production assistant on BET's Sunday Best, Starz's Survivor's Remorse, and Disney Marvel's Ant-Man, joins the new series as a scriptwriter. Sandifer has served as script coordinator for multiple series, including nine episodes of BET+'s dramedy Sistas, two episodes of Nickelodeon's comedy Young Dylan, 22 episodes of BET's sitcom House of Payne, eight episodes of Starz's dramedy Blindspotting, and 18 episodes of OWN's short-lived primetime seasonal soap opera Ambitions. The Gates is set to debut in January 2025.
The Gates delves into the lives of the Jacksons, a wealthy Black family residing in the exclusive Fairmont Estates. Set in the Maryland/Washington D.C. area, the Jackson family, often regarded as “Black Royalty,” will navigate various trials and tribulations within their tight-knit community, focusing on subjects of power, loyalty, and family dynamics.
The creative team is currently casting for four primary characters: Jessica, Betty, Joseph, and Sara. Jessica is a psychiatrist in her early 50s, is warm, empathetic, and hard-working. Betty, a matriarch in her late 60s, is a famous singer who had two daughters with her Senator husband. Joseph is a charismatic criminal defense attorney in his 50s and is Sara’s well-connected ex-husband. Sara, who is in her late 40s, is the “wild child” of the Jackson family who left high school to pursue modeling but was persuaded by Joseph to become a full-time mother and housewife. The four roles are arranged to be contract players.
Chris redd - Matt Winkelmeyer
Cable: Starz’s drama series Power Book III: Raising Kanan has added Chris Redd (Resurrected Rides) and rapper Pardison Fontaine to the cast of its upcoming fourth season. The series follows the early life of villain Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis). Redd is cast as Early Tyler, an ally to Kanan and good at keeping secrets, and Fontaine portrays B-Rilla, a rapper serving time for an armed robbery. Before the season 3 finale this past February, the series was approved for a fifth season and is currently in production in New York.
Ramy youssef - Sarah Morris
Streaming: Netflix has partnered with Ramy Youssef (Poor Things) and Cairo Cowboy production company to develop scripted TV projects. Youssef previously produced Netflix's Mo and comedy series Golf. On Hulu, Youssef created a series called Ramy to tell the story of his life as an Egyptian-American Muslim in America. Besides starring and producing these series, Ramy has directed projects such as HBO's More Feelings, Prime Video's #1 Happy Family USA, and an episode of FX's The Bear.
Tubi has acquired the rights to the second season of the dramedy Boarders in North America and Latin America. The season will be released in six episodes and is a co-production with the BBC, produced by All3Media’s Studio Lambert. Created by BAFTA-nominated Daniel Lawrence Taylor. The series follows five talented Black teenagers from London as they tackle boarding school. In the upcoming season, the series will challenge the students with the headmistress and her goal to remove them from school. Returning cast members include Sekou Diaby (Mistakes), Jodie Campbell (Bulletproof), Myles Kamwendo (The School for Good and Evil), Josh Tedeku (SupacelI), and Aruna Jalloh (Much Ado About Nothing).
Prime Video's Spider-Noir live-action series has added Abraham Popoola (Atlas) to the cast. Popoola will join as a yet-to-be-revealed series regular, but his character has been described as “a World War I veteran who is looking for an opportunity to get ahead.” Popoola will join cast members Li Jun Li (Babylon), Lamorne Morris (New Girl), and Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin), to name a few. The series will follow an aging private investigator, played by Nicholas Cage, in the 1930s as he reminisces on his time as a superhero in New York.
Peacock has announced that the reboot of Battlestar Galactica has stopped development. The project was announced in 2019 and has never advanced to a series order. The series faced multiple changes, including writer Michael Lesslie's departure in 2021. The studio UCP plans to shop the project to other outlets despite this. The original Battlestar Galactica aired in 1978 and followed humanity's war with the Cylons and their quest to find Earth.
Paramount+ has announced its production of a currently untitled live-action comedy series for the Star Trek universe. Alex Kurtzman, steward for Star Trek, is partnering with Justin Simien and Tawny Newsome to co-write the half-hour episodes. The project will mark the first live-action comedy for the Star Trek franchise and comes in time for the upcoming animated series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Further details have yet to be announced.
Leila Cohan (Bridgerton) has signed on to co-write and showrun Jennifer Lopez's Netflix adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestseller Happy Place. The story follows Harriet and Wyn, a “perfect” couple who broke up five months ago but haven't told their friends, so now they are forced to share a bedroom at their annual group getaway in Maine while pretending they are still together. Jennifer Lopez is producing the series through her Nuyorican label, along with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina.
Showrunner Ryan Condal announced that the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon will extend for two more seasons and end after season four. The third season is being written, with preparations set to begin in the fall and production starting in early 2025. George R.R. Martin, co-creator of the series, has previously suggested that the House of the Dragons storyline might require four seasons of ten episodes each, but HBO had not confirmed this until now.
In the same announcement, Condal also addressed why the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet was not included in the Season 2 finale, explaining that the team wanted to allocate sufficient time and resources to “do the event justice.” He hinted that the Battle of the Gullet will be a major highlight in future episodes. Additionally, Condal teased that Otto Hightower’s brief appearance in imprisonment in the Season 2 finale will be explored further in Season 3, indicating that “the Otto Hightower tale has not yet come to an end.”
Prime Video's Citadel announced the casting of Merle Dandridge (The Last of Us) and Rahul Kohli (The Fall of the House of Usher) to the second season of the spy series. Dandridge and Kohli will join the cast alongside Michael Trucco (Midnight Mass), Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada), Richard Madden (Bodyguard), and Priyanka Chopra (Love Again), to name a few. Executive Producer and CCO Angela Russo-Otstot teased the subject of the next season.
“The second season will build on the intense action and complex characters introduced in the first season, promising even more thrilling twists and intrigue,” said Russo-Otstot.
Roku, Stan, and the CW's dramedy Good Cop/Bad Cop has announced the addition of Devon Terrell (Berry), Grace Chow (The Twelve), and Shamita Siva (Foe) to the cast. They join Blazey Best (Significant Others), Philippa Northeast (In Limbo), William McKenna (Queen of Oz), Scott Lee (Five Blind Dates), and Clancy Brown (The Penguin) in the one-hour episodic procedural. Terrell will portray Detective Shane Carson, Chow is cast as Lily Lim, an EVPD dispatcher, and Siva will play Officer Sarika Ray. The series will air on The CW and The Roku Channel in the U.S. and Stan in Australia. The series is part of a trend of U.S. networks collaborating with Australian partners.
Jeanne Mau - NBC
Industry: On July 29th, 2024, actress Erica Ash passed away at 46 years old from breast cancer. Ash is most well known for her role as M-Chuck in Starz's drama series Survivor Remorse. Alongside this series, Ash also starred in The Big Gay Sketch Show, In Contempt, and Family Reunion. Before getting into entertainment, she graduated from Emory University for Pre-Medicine. Ash's mother Diann Ash released a statement in honor.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved daughter, sister, and friend Erica Chantal Ash (1977-2024). After a long and courageous battle with cancer, she transitioned peacefully surrounded by her loved ones. Erica was an amazing woman and talented entertainer who touched countless lives with her sharp wit, humor, and genuine zest for life. Her memory will live eternally in our hearts.”
HBO and Max's senior vice president of multicultural marketing Jackie Gagne departs after four years. Her leave comes as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's recent job cuts affecting nearly 1,000 positions. The multicultural marketing team will now report to Pia Barlow, executive vice president of HBO and Max Originals. Gagne joined Warner Bros. Discovery in 2011 and used her role to promote engagement among diverse audiences, including Black, Latinx, AAPI, and LGBTQIA+ consumers. She led marketing strategies for notable projects such as A Black Lady Sketch Show, Insecure, and The Last of Us. HBO and Max's executive vice president of brand content Zach Enterlin praised her for her time at the company.
“I’m immensely grateful to Jackie for the leadership and thoughtful expertise she has brought to HBO and Max over the last 13+ years,” Enterlin said. “Her talent for crafting campaigns that authentically resonate with diverse audiences has been impactful throughout her career here, and her legacy will endure through the many she has so exceptionally coached and mentored.”
Mira Jacob's novel We Killed Anji Alexander has signed its rights to Sony Pictures Television to develop a movie-like series based on the story’s plot. The novel is set to be published in 2026 and was sold to Ecco Press for seven figures. The mystery book follows the solving of the murder of an Indian actress, addressing topics of race, addiction, feminism, and fame.
CBS Studios is set to produce a limited series of the Summer of Gold podcast from Dear Media. The podcast was created to tell the story of American female athletes in the 1996 Olympic Games. The series will be produced by Uzo Aduba (Painkiller) and athletes Sue Bird and Alex Morgan. In the series, they want to highlight the media coverage, and financial, and gender equity problems in sports. Aduba expressed the importance of partnering with the women who experienced the stories told in Summer of Gold.
“The impact of 1996 by women in sports had a lasting reach on the world. The tectonic shift from that time continues to reverberate today, touching the lives of so many people. My company, Meynon Media, is proud to partner with Alex Morgan and TOGETHXR to bring these important stories to the screen that shaped lives both athletically and culturally.”
UK agency YMU's senior agents Rebecca Dowell, Minnie Harding, and Lizzie Barroll Brown are leaving, along with top TV personalities like Munya Chawawa, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Robert Rinder, and Angela Scanlon. Dowell now represents Chawawa and Dimoldenberg at Three Six Zero, Harding joined MVE, and Leigh Francis has moved to Ashton Artists. Barroll Brown has launched her agency, Castle Place. These exits follow a series of changes at YMU, including the departure of Phillip Schofield and a sale to Permira Credit.
Hispanic-American company Eclectic Media has signed with 3Point0 Labs. Eclectic's heads are Nicole Pritchett and Maria Betania Fernandez, and the two highlight the goals of Eclectic: to tell stories that transcend borders, connect cultures, and start debate." Previous projects from the company include music videos for Steve Aoki, Rick Ross, Sting, Amazon Music, Vogue, and many more. Luz Films, another 3Point0 Hispanic partner, will assist Eclectic with partnerships and projects. Chief Business Officer of 3Point0 Andrew Cutrow expressed his excitement on behalf of the company.
“We are thrilled to partner with Eclectic Media on this exciting journey to not only help brands tell their story through culturally relevant campaigns but also to bring an impressive slate of compelling film and TV projects to life,” said Cutrow.
Miranda Wayland has been appointed to lead the UK's Creative Diversity Network (CDN). The CDN oversees Project Diamond, a diversity data collection project. Wayland replaces Deborah Williams who was previously the Head of Workforce and Creative Diversity and Inclusion at the BBC and later became Head of International Content Strategy for DEIA at Amazon MGM Studios. In joining CDN, Wayland will manage Diamond's annual reports, diversity monitoring tool development, and spearhead cross-industry inclusivity efforts for underrepresented groups with industry officials.
Nexstar and Paramount have renewed their affiliate agreement for CBS TV stations. These stations span 42 markets, including 40 owned by Nexstar and two by its partner Mission Broadcasting. These stations cover 15% of the U.S. audience, reaching nearly 19 million households. Starting September 1st, Paramount's stations in Miami (WBFS-TV) and Detroit (WKBD-TV) will join Nexstar's CW network. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Walt Disney Co. announced a 5% increase in ad commitments during the 2024 "upfront" ad sales market. This news comes during a decline in linear TV audiences and increased competition from ad-supported streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Disney attributed its success to an expanding number of marketing partners and growth in advertising. Disney also made strategic decisions to lower CPM rates for Disney+ by up to 15% to secure higher overall ad volumes. The company reported strong advertiser interest in sports, especially women's sports, which saw triple-digit growth. Streaming ad commitments increased by 10% across Hulu and Disney+, and commitments for multicultural audiences rose by 15%. Disney's president of global advertising Rita Ferro emphasized their focus on "world-class storytelling, automation, and new ad products" as key differentiators.
NBCUniversal has promoted their SVP Jeanne Mau to Executive Vice President of TV Programming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Mau will now report to Pearlena Igbokwe and Frances Berwick and oversee inclusion efforts across NBCU’s entertainment television portfolio, including NBC, Bravo, E!, and streaming platform Peacock, and its four television studios. Since joining in 2021, Mau has reintroduced talent development programs and launched inclusion initiatives for unscripted programming. She has also formed partnerships with advocacy groups like Black Beauty Roster.
“Jeanne has systematically expanded and elevated our inclusion efforts in television,” said Chairmen Igbokwe and Berwick. “She has introduced us to new voices in front of and behind the camera and become an invaluable resource to our showrunners and internal creative teams.”
Lionsgate Television has confirmed the development TV series John Wick: Under the High Table. The series stems from the John Wick films to continues the story after John Wick: Chapter 4. The series will focus on John Wick's (Keanu Reeves) exit after leaving the High Table in a fragile state and will introduce new characters with old ones staying loyal. The series will mix new and established elements, bringing the Wick universe into a new phase." Keanu Reeves, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski will executive produce. Stahelski will direct the pilot and Robert Levine will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Lionsgate is currently shopping the project to networks and streaming services.
