Small Screen: Michele Val Jean Exits ‘The Bold and The Beautiful’ to Develop A New Daytime Drama ‘The Gates’
Michele val jean - CBS
Broadcast: Michele Val Jean left The Bold and The Beautiful, where she worked as a scriptwriter since 2012. She has amassed great respect from her peers as the first Black head writer on General Hospital. She also wrote on shows like Generations, Santa Barbara, and Port Charles. Val Jean’s exit from The Bold and The Beautiful was announced via her Facebook page.
“I left Bold & Beautiful a couple of weeks ago. It was an amazing run and I loved being there, but it was time for a change,” wrote Val Jean. “I’m forever grateful to Brad Bell for giving me a soft place to land when I needed one and to have been part of that writing team full of tremendous people. You guys are always in my heart.”
Upon the exit of Val Jean, it was announced that she would be developing a daytime soap opera for CBS with a predominately Black cast. The soap is titled The Gates and is said to follow a wealthy Black family who lives in a gated community. The series will be produced by CBS Studios/NAACP production venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble, and is the second soap opera in history (the short-lived Generations being the first) to feature a large Black cast from its inception.
In a statement, Sheila Ducksworth, the president of the CBS Studios/NAACP venture had this to say about the new daytime soap opera.
“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective. This series will salute an audience that has been traditionally underserved, with the potential to be a groundbreaking moment for broadcast television. With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, The Gates will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture. I’m excited to develop this project with CBS and P&G, two of the longest and most passionate champions of broadcast and daytime television, and the NAACP, whose enduring commitment to Black voices and artists is both powerful and inspiring.”
Val Jean will serve as the head writer and co-executive producer of The Gates alongside Duckworth, Kimberly Doebereiner, Derrick Johnson, and Leon Russell.
CBS renewed The Young and the Restless through the 2027-2028 season. The daytime soap is the network’s longest-running scripted series, which will reach its 55th season in 2028. The Young and the Restless attracted about 3.5 million daily viewers in the 2023-2024 season, reaching its 36th consecutive season leading soap ratings. Of the cast members, 10 have been with the show for at least 30 years, including Eric Braeden, Sharon Case, Melody Thomas Scott, Peter Bergman, and Joshua Morrow.
CBS also renewed The Bold and the Beautiful for two more seasons. This renewal will bring the daytime soap to its 37th season. To celebrate its 35th anniversary this month, the series will air a standalone episode on March 24th dedicated to Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) and “five of her true loves.” This phrase from the official synopsis refers to Nick Marone (Jack Wagner), Thorne Forrester (Winsor Harmon), Eric Forrester (John McCook), Bill Spencer (Don Diamont), and Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye). The Bold and the Beautiful takes place against a background of the Los Angeles fashion industry, with 8,734 episodes in its catalog and 100 daytime Emmys.
Suits L.A. cast Lex Scott Davis (The First Purge). She will star alongside Stephen Amell (Arrow, The Flash) and Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead) in this Suits spinoff created by Aaron Korsh. Suits L.A. follows federal prosecutor Ted Black (Amell) who moves from New York to Los Angeles to start a law firm with his old friend Stuart Lane (McDermitt). Black Lane Law specializes in criminal and entertainment law for the most powerful people in the L.A. drama scene, and crises ensue as Ted’s past catches up to him. Davis will play Erica Rollins, a savvy employee of Black’s, who can sniff out the loyalty of her associates. Victoria Mahoney (Night Sky, The Morning Show) will executive produce and direct. Production for Suits L.A. begins later this month in Vancouver.
Under a new deal with Channel 4, Hollyoaks will cut down to three episodes a week. The long-running soap was operating at five episodes a week before its production company, Lime Pictures, made the announcement February 29th. A consultation period will be implemented to determine how the output reduction will affect jobs and production efficiency. The staff was informed that up to 135 jobs may be impacted, which accounts for one third of the workers. Channel 4 explained this change by citing that many fans only watch three episodes a week, as they decide between increased entertainment options. Savings from the cut will be invested into Channel 4’s content budget. Three episodes seems to be working well for fans of the series, as January’s hour-long episode accrued a record viewership for Hollyoaks.
Fox’s Doc cast six new actors. The new medical drama series will star Molly Parker from Kissed and Lost in Space. Newcomers include Omar Metwally (Rendition, Ocean 14), Amirah Vann (How To Get Away with Murder), Jon Ecker (Queen of the South), Anya Banerjee (The Blacklist), Scott Wolf (Party of Five), and Patrick Walker (Lessons in Chemistry). Wolf and Walker will play recurring roles, while the others are set as series regulars. Doc is based on a popular Italian series following Dr. Amy Larsen (Parker), the chief of internal medicine at Westside Hospital in Minneapolis. Larsen must navigate an unfamiliar world after a brain injury erases the last eight years of her life. She must come to terms with old patients, colleagues she’s crossed, her old romantic partner, and the tragedy that took her memory. Metwally plays male lead Dr. Michael Hamda, Vann plays neuropsychiatrist Dr. Gina Walker, Ecker plays chief resident Dr. Jake Heller, and Banerjee plays third year resident Dr. Sonya Maitra.
Staz nair - Unique Nicole / Stringer
Cable: Starz renewed BMF for a fourth season. From executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the drama series follows a Detroit crime family in the 1980s, or the Black Mafia Family (BMF). The story is based on the lives of lead actor Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. (Euphoria) and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, who turned a successful drug business into success in the world of hip-hop. Season three also stars Da’Vinchi (All American) and Russell Hornsby (The Hate U Give). As the show enters its third season, BMF attracts an average of 10.6 million multiplatform viewers per episode. Season three premieres March 1st on the Starz app at midnight and on the network at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Production for season four begins this spring in Atlanta.
The Last of Us cast Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Tati Gabrielle (You), Ariela Barer (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), and Spencer Lord (Riverdale) in season two. The HBO series is based on the hit video game created by Neil Druckmann and adapted by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl). Modern civilization has been destroyed, so survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) is tasked with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone and across the United States. Ramirez will play Manny, a loyal and optimistic soldier, while Barer will play Mel, a young doctor committing to saving lives in the face of war and tribalism. Gabrielle’s character is Nora, a military medic, and Lord plays Owen, a gentle warrior who does not believe in violence. Pascal and Ramsey will return for the second season. A release date has not been announced.
Staz Nair will replace Sacha Dhawan in BBC’s upcoming Virdee. Dhawan, known for his role in Doctor Who, left the show due to scheduling conflicts. Nair (Rebel Moon, Game of Thrones) will step in to play the character of Harry Virdee in this crime thriller. Virdee is an adaptation of AA Dhand’s book series, which officially features music from iconic composer Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, The Dark Knight). The series stars Aysha Kala (Criminal Record, Indian Summers) as Saima Virdee, Harry’s wife. Nina Singh (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) plays Harry’s niece and crime reporter, Tara Virdee. Additional cast members include Vikash Bhai (Crossfire, Limbo), Kulvinder Ghir (Foundation, Blinded By The Light), Sudha Bhuchar (Expats, Rules of the Game), Elizabeth Berrington (Good Omens), Danyal Ismail (All the Lights Still Burning), and Tomi May (Line of Duty). Harry Virdee’s story follows his estrangement from his Sikh family for marrying Saima, a Muslim. His personal life grows complicated as his son begins asking questions about his family. Meanwhile, Virdee must use his detective skills to hunt down a serial killer targeting the Asian community.
Colman Domingo (Rustin, The Color Purple) commented on Euphoria’s season three delay. The HBO hit series’ storyline was adjusted by creator Sam Levinson so it better reflects the real world.
“[Sam is] a person who writes and rewrites and writes and rewrites again, because I think he’s wrestling with what’s important,” Domingo told GQ in an interview recently. “He’s responding immediately to what the ills of the world are. I know that the one thing I can tell you is that he’s very much interested in the existential question of who we are right now. Our souls. That’s what he wants to figure out with season three.”
Domingo plays Ali, a recovering drug addict who sponsors and mentors Rue (Zendaya). Levinson previously teased that season three would be a “film noir” and that Rue would “explore what it means to be an individual with principles in a corrupt world.” Euphoria takes place in the fictional town of East Highland, California, discussing themes of love, loss, and addiction.
Streaming: Jennifer Yale joins Peacock’s untitled espionage thriller series as co-showrunner. Created by Thomas Brandon, the series stars Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), with James Wan (The Conjuring, Aquaman) as an executive producer. Liu plays an American intelligence analyst, Alexander Hale, who realizes his brain was hacked by perpetrators who now have access to his sight and hearing. He must perform 24 hours a day until he can sort through the unknown hackers and his suspicious agency. Yale recently wrote for the AppleTV+ series See. Her other credits include Dexter, Legion, Underground, Outlander, and Chambers. She is currently developing De La Resistance, an A24 series that follows the life of Josephine Baker.
Alfre Woodard joins Apple TV+’s The Last Frontier. Woodard (12 Years a Slave, Star Trek: First Contact) joins previously announced cast members Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty), Haley Bennett (The Girl on the Train), Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!), Simone Kessell (Outlaws), Tait Blum (Home Team), and Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs). The Last Frontier will follow U.S. Marshall Frank Remnick (Clarke), whose jurisdiction over remote Alaska pulls him into international politics when a prison transport plane crashes into the wilderness and frees detained inmates. Woodard will play Bradford, a top CIA official, in this 10-episode series created by Jon Bokenkamp and Richard D’Ovidio.
Sara Ramírez will not return for the third season of And Just Like That…, the Sex and the City revival. Production for season three starts later this year for a 2025 release on Max, and Ramírez’s widely discussed character, Che Diaz, will not make an appearance. Diaz was a nonbinary standup comedian who began a romantic relationship with Miranda, though their breakup at the end of season two allowed for a smooth departure for Ramírez. Diaz’s plotlines and dialogue were the source of mocking internet posts and memes during the first two seasons, upon which showrunner Michael Patrick King commented that Diaz was a typical standup with a strong personality. There is speculation that Ramírez was fired on the basis of their political views regarding the Israel-Hamas war, but a representative from Max declined to comment on these rumors.
Paramount+ greenlit a U.K. thriller series titled Curfew, where men are obligated to a nightly curfew. Curfew will star Sarah Parish (The Wedding Date, The Holiday), Mandip Gill (Doctor Who), Mitchell Robertson (Mayflies), and singer Alexandra Burke (Pretty Red Dress). Characters live in a society where men must abide by the “Women’s Safety Act,” under which men cannot go outside from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and their movements are tracked by an ankle tag. The plot thickens when a violently beaten female corpse is left on the steps of the Women’s Safety Centre and the police must investigate a case where a man cannot technically be responsible. Parish plays lead investigator Pamela alongside Robertson as rookie cop Eddie. Producer Nathalie Peter-Contesse described Curfew as a show that will push boundaries and contribute to conversations about violence against women. Joasia Goldyn (Britannica) will direct and Lydia Yeoman (The Haze) will serve as lead writer.
Paramount+ also released a series trailer for the Dora reboot. With new animation and new adventures, Dora will return to kids’ television on April 12th. The series is produced by Nickelodeon and will premiere on Paramount+.
Apple Greenlit is a series adaptation of the sci-fi novel Neuromancer. Written by William Gibson, the story follows a hacker named Case who finds himself in a world full of digital espionage and crime. Case’s partner, Molly, is an assassin with mirrored eyes who seeks to execute a heist on a corporate dynasty. Produced by Skydance Television, Anonymous Content, and Drake’s DreamCrew Entertainment, Neuromancer will be 10 episodes. Executive producer Graham Roland (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Dark Winds) will be the showrunner, and executive producer JD Dillard (Devotion, The Outsider) will direct the pilot.
George Wallace will guest star in the third season of Hacks. Wallace (The Wash) will be joined by guest stars Helen Hunt (As Good as It Gets), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal, Air), and Tony Goldwyn (Scandal, Oppenheimer). The third season of the Max comedy series follows Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) enjoying the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) chases new opportunities in Los Angeles. A premiere date has not been announced.
Tubi released the official trailer for Boarders. Written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor (Timewasters), the series follows five Black teenagers from London as they navigate the world of elite boarding schools. Boarders premieres on the streamer on March 8th.
Justina Machado will star in Netflix’s first procedural medical drama Pulse. Created by Zoe Robyn (The Equalizer), the series takes place at Miami’s Level 1 Trauma Center as the characters navigate medical emergencies. Dani Simms plays the lead, a young ER doctor who is surprised to hear she was promoted to chief resident just as her romantic relationship implodes. Machado (One Day at a Time) stars as Natalie Cruz, chair of surgery and emergency medicine. Lost and Jack Ryan’s Carlton Cuse will executive produce and be the showrunner alongside Robyn.
Prime Video’s The Terminal List: Dark Wolf cast Dar Salim in a recurring guest role. Salim (The Covenant) will play Mohammed “Mo” Farooq, an Iraqi Special Operations Forces officer. Previously announced cast members include Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights), Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World), Jared Shaw (Civil War), Tom Hopper (Black Sails), and Luke Hemsworth (Thor: Love and Thunder). Dark Wolf takes place five years before the timeline of The Terminal List, following Ben Edwards (Kitsch) as he transitions from a Navy SEAL to a CIA paramilitary operator. The Terminal List book series was written by Jack Carr, co-creator of the original series.
Netflix’s The Abandons cast Lamar Johnson and Natalia del Riego. This Western drama series from Kurt Sutter (Suns of Anarchy) follows a collection of families pursuing Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon. Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Gillian Anderson (The X Files) star in this story about wealth, power, land, and tribes. Johnson (Brother, The Last of Us) and del Riego (Promised Land) are joined by cast members Nick Robinson (Love, Simon), Diana Silvers (Booksmart), Lucas Till (X-Men), and Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale). The Abandons will be a 10-episode series produced by Kurt Sutter’s SutterInk.
The Abandons also cast Clayton Cardenas in a recurring role. Cardenas appeared in Mayans M.C., American Crime, and The Cleaning Lady. He performs spoken-word poetry and paints large-scale canvas work that has caught the attention of collectors.
Netflix also filled out the cast for Lena Dunham’s series Too Much. Janicza Bravo (Zola), Adwoa Aboah (Top Boy), Kaori Momoi (The Yellow Handkerchief, Suspicion), and Prasanna Puwanarajah (The Crown, Patrick Melrose) are among the actors recently cast. Too Much follows Jessica (Megan Stalter), a New York workaholic who must recover from a broken relationship and decides to take a job in London. She meets a British man named Felix (Will Sharpe) with whom she experiences an unusual connection. Dunham (Girls) created, wrote, executive produced, and directed this 10-episode series alongside her husband, Luis Felber.
Noma Dumezweni joins the cast of Apple’s Murderbot. Dumezweni (The Little Mermaid, Marry Poppins Returns) stars alongside Alexander Skarsgård (The Legend of Tarzan, Big Little Lies) in this sci-fi series from Chris and Paul Weitz (About a Boy). The story is based on Martha Wells’ book series The Murderbot Diaries, following a self-hacking security android who is averse to human emotion and simultaneously attracted to vulnerable clients. Dumezweni plays Mensah.
Showtime’s The Chi added four new cast members to season six. Kadeem Hardison (A Different World), Brett Gray (On My Block), Leon (Cool Runnings, Little Richard), and Daniel J. Watts (Werewolf by Night, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) will assume recurring guest roles in this coming-of-age story that takes place on the South Side of Chicago. Hardison plays Professor Gardner, a college literature professor, while Leon plays Alaonzo, a savvy attorney with old ties to Alicia (Lynn Whitfield). Gray will play Damien, a whip-smart young man who becomes involved with Emmett’s (Jacob Latimore) life and Watts will play Pastor Ezekiel at a megachurch. Additional cast members include Birgundi Baker (Black Lightning), Luke James (Star), Yolonda Ross (Whitney), Rolando Boyce (Lights Out), Iman Shumpert (38 at the Garden), and Alex Hibbert (Moonlight). Part two of season six premiers on Showtime and Paramount+ on May 10th.
Lincoln Lawyer added new faces to season three. Newcomers include Merrin Dungey (The King of Queens), Allyn Moriyon, John Pirruccello (Incarnate), and Philip Anthony-Rodriguez (Good Trouble, SEAL Team). The Netflix series is based on The Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly, with the third season based on the fifth book, The Gods of Guilt. Returning actors include Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (A Man Called Otto), Becki Newton (How I Met Your Mother), Jazz Raycole (My Wife and Kids), Angus Sampson (The Mule, Insidious: Chapter 3), and Yaya DaCosta (Chicago Med, Whitney). Dungey plays Judge Regina Turner, a former public defender, and Moriyon plays Eddie Rojas, a fitness fanatic who needs a great lawyer. Pirruccello plays William Forsythe, a prosecutor who opposes Mickey Haller (Garcia-Rulfo), while Anthony-Rodriguez plays Adam Suarez, the Chief Deputy DA. Co-showrunners and executive producers Ted Humphrey (The Good Wife) and Dailyn Rodriguez (The Night Shift) shared that season three will feature flashbacks that inform the audience about Haller’s past and his rise to become a criminal defense lawyer. Season three is currently in production.
Netflix canceled The Brothers Sun after one season. The crime drama starred Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Crazy Rich Asians), Justin Chien (Continuum, The Resort), Sam Li (Take the Night), Highdee Kuan (Proximity), and Joon Lee (Neh) in a story about Taiwanese organized crime in San Gabriel Valley, California. Created and executive produced by Brad Falchuk (American Horror Story, Glee) and Byron Wu (The Getaway), the eight-episode series premiered on January 4th to modest ratings. Chien plays Taiwanese mob boss Charles who travels to Los Angeles to protect his estranged mother (Yeoh) after his father is assassinated in Taipei. Yeoh’s acting received positive reviews, yet The Brothers Sun did not survive evaluation by Netflix as streamers, studios, and major networks across the industry realign their content expenditures.
Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building began shooting season four. The show’s official Instagram account posted a sneak peak into production, featuring photos of cast members Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place, Monte Carlo), Steve Martin (Father of the Bride, Pink Panther), and Martin Short (Innerspace). This new season also stars Eva Longoria (Desperate Housewives), Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada), Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek), and Molly Shannon (Superstar). Exact plot details have not been released, though the characters are confirmed to take a trip to Los Angeles.
Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, Eternals) will also join the cast of Only Murders. His recurring role is being kept under wraps, but it is rumored to be central to this season’s investigation.
Peacock is adapting Jasmine Guillory’s novel Drunk on Love with Malcolm D. Lee’s (The Best Man) Blackmaled Productions. Under Lee’s first-look deal with Universal Television, this drama series follows Margot Noble. Her life is changed when she inherits a struggling vineyard in Napa Valley alongside her estranged brother, Elliot. Upon returning home to her small town, Margot meets a new love interest. Drunk on Love’s adaptation will help amplify the voices of diverse creatives in entertainment. Sister duo Attica Locke (When They See Us, Little Fires Everywhere) and Tembi Locke (From Scratch) will write the series.
R.F. Kuang
Industry: Whoopi Goldberg invested in Blkfam, a new kid-friendly streamer for Black audiences. Goldberg (Ghost, The Color Purple) is an equity investor in the free, ad-supported service that launched on February 26th across several platforms. Blkfam’s content library will supply more than 20 syndicated series, over 1,000 hours of animated works featuring characters of racial and gender diversity, and hundreds of hours of original music-driven content. The company also has 10 original live-action and animated series in development that will premiere on the platform throughout 2024. Goldberg will lead the creative development of Blkfam’s exclusive programming projects. She is well prepared for this position as the author of the children’s book Sugar Plum Ballerinas. Blkfam is the first and only Black-owned, Black-centered family streamer, which was founded by marketing professional Larry Adams. He is partially credited for the design and launch of HBO Max and DirecTV Now, which he worked on when he was WarnerMedia’s SVP of digital strategy.
“Black culture and content is so often stereotyped, siloed or written off, so I wanted to create a platform where my kids and I can be entertained without having to face those same daily biases,” said Adams. “By curating authentic content — proven through data and AI — primarily from Black storytellers, we’ve built a service reflecting true inclusion and diversity, where Black parents and children especially can feel holistically represented.”
Lynda Gravátt dies at age 77. The Broadway actress was known for her theater acting in New York and Washington, D.C., as well as her presence on TV shows Law & Order, The Good Wife, and The Hoop Life. Gravátt died on February 23rd in a New Jersey hospital, which was confirmed shortly after by the National Black Theatre. A performer since the age of four and a graduate of Howard University, she was a prolific actress who gave back to her community as a theater teacher at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Howard, and Rutgers University.
“Greatness,” wrote Viola Davis on social media. “That’s what you will be… great heart, great actress, great friend… I will love you forever. Rest well Lynda Gravat.”
The fantasy novel Babel will be adapted into a television series. Independent studio wiip optioned the novel for adaptation, with Temple Hill Entertainment (Twilight) onboard to produce. R.F. Kuang’s bestselling historical fantasy tale reimagines 19th-century Oxford as the Royal Institute of Translation, or Babel. The institute welcomes Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan who must decide whether to use his magical powers to aid the institution’s imperialistic goals or to fight the system. A writer is not yet attached. Executive producers Paul Lee and Josh Stern compared the breadth of Babel to that of Harry Potter, describing it as “transporting, evocative and relevant.” Kuang’s other bestselling books include Yellowface, The Poppy War, and the upcoming Katabasis.
Gersh signed Jaime Camil. The actor and producer is known for his lead role in The CW’s Jane the Virgin, his role in Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon!, and his recurring role in NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez. Camil will guest star in the upcoming season of Apple TV+’s Acapulco. He is also preparing to narrate and executive produce Desde La Raíz, a Roku series about the origins of Mexican coffee, chili, corn, and mezcal. Before his success in the English-language market, Camil starred in telenovelas La Fea Más Bella, Por Ella Soy Eva, and Qué Pobres Tan Ricos.
BBC Studios bought a stake in BritBox International. The 50% stake was purchased from British broadcaster ITV’s property for £255 million ($322 million). Britbox is a streamer founded in 2017 as a joint venture between BBC and ITV, but ITV shared they are now focusing on its ad-funded streamer ITVX. This new agreement establishes that ITV will continue to receive content revenue from Britbox and Britbox will continue to feature BBC content as part of other long-term agreements. Britbox’s subscriber count has grown by more than 300% in the last four years, with 3.75 million subscribers and an enterprise value of about £500 million. Featured content includes Archie, Death in Paradise, Father Brown, Line of Duty, Sherwood, and Shetland. Accordingly, the streamer will become part of BBC Studios’ global media and streaming division. Britbox is available across the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland.
U.K. industry unions Equity and Bectu are taking legal action against U.K. casting agency Mad Dog, which provides background actors for major productions. Mad Dog failed to pay actors in a timely manner, so Equity and Bectu are pursuing legal claims on behalf of members who are missing thousands of pounds from 2023 jobs. A significant number of actors from Doctor Who and Call The Midwife are owed money. Early this year, Mad Dog promised to deliver outstanding payments by the end of January, yet several extras have not received their pay. While the number of involved Bectu members has not been published, 24 Equity members are filing claims. Mad Dog is estimated to owe a minimum of £21,000 ($26,000). The agency has issued apologies, sent some paychecks, and claims jobs undertaken in 2024 will be compensated in a “normal manner.” The Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate was notified of the issue but neglected to share if there would be an investigation.
The Georgia House of Representatives approved a bill to limit annual film and TV production tax credits. Known as HB1180, this new legislation caps the transferable tax credits that once attracted entertainment production to the state of Georgia. Those affected will be companies or producers without Georgia tax liability who sell, or transfer, tax credits to local high-worth individuals and businesses for significant profit. Georgia-based producers like Tyler Perry will not be affected because they can use their tax credits directly. Opponents of the bill, including members of Hollywood and Georgia sound-stage owners, argue that the tax credit trade system has generated $4 billion dollars for Georgia, creating countless jobs and rapid industry growth. Separately, the legislation is certainly harmful to smaller productions, independent films, and student programs who rely on tax credits. HB 1180 will go to the Senate and then the governor’s desk, with changes taking effect in 2026 upon ratification. Representative Clint Crowe described the bill as a “delicate balance between incentivizing production companies and safeguarding taxpayers’ interests.” The GA Department of Economic Development estimated there were $1.3 billion in tax credits during 2022.
“The [tax] credits catapulted our state to the forefront of the entertainment industry,” said Crowe. “However, as the industry has flourished, so too have the costs to our state revenue.”
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers and Netflix announced their 2023 Women of Color Incubator class. This initiative is supported by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, and it allows five women of color the opportunity to access mentorship and production support so they can develop and produce their own original short films. The filmmakers receive a $30,000 film grant, as well as guidance on pre-production, filming, post-production, and distribution. Selected from over 100 applications, 2023’s cohort boasts Sonia Gonzalez (Heartbreak in Another Tongue), Michelle Salcedo (Bye Bye Barbarito), Jackie! Zhou (Good Boy Banjo), Lorena Duran (Last Day Home), and Fabiola Andrade (Natural Selection). Gonzalez is a Mexican American writer and filmmaker from L.A.; she studied French literature at Stanford University and learned television development in Paris, France. Salcedo was awarded Best New Filmmaker in 2020 and she has over 20 years of experience in entertainment. Zhou is an L.A. multidisciplinary artist, director, and sound designer who is passionate about “blurring the lines between formats and disciplines.” Duran is a Dominican American director and cinematographer whose films have been selected for several festivals. Finally, Andrade is a Honduran, U.S.-based filmmaker whose inspiration is her “multicultural heritage and interdisciplinary background.” The cohort’s short films will be presented at a special screening at NALIP’s Diverse Women in Media Forum on April 18th at The London West Hollywood.
The new BBC chair, Samir Shah, stated that the corporation’s finances and independence are his top priority. Through an internal memo, Shah described his role as “protect[ing] and champion[ing] the BBC,” and that his most important responsibility is to “safeguard its independence.” The BBC is entangled in an ideological battle over impartiality under director general Tim Davie because some have accused the corporation of lack of action. Shah’s leadership promises to uphold partiality, especially in the inevitable debate about how to fund the BBC. Currently it is funded through a public levy.
The fourth edition of the U.K. TV Breakthrough Leaders Initiative features the BBC, Fremantle, ITV, Prime Video, and Sky Team. The program seeks to identify and empower 50 professionals from Black, Asian, and global majority (people of Indigenous, African, Asian, or Latin American descent) backgrounds who are situated to become future leaders of the U.K. TV industry. This year’s fourth edition was co-devised by Remy Blumenfeld, who is responsible for the initiative’s collaboration with major networks. The first three years of Breakthrough Leaders witnessed more than 150 TV professionals benefit from the initiative, with 95% of participants citing improved career prospects. The industry experienced a 30% advancement rate for Black, Asian, and global majority leaders, obtaining promotions to more senior roles within the U.K. TV. This year, the program is supported by the Film and TV Charity, which supports the mental health and financial well-being of behind-the-scenes workers and the BBC. The 2024 initiative will seek to address unemployment, declines in opportunity, financial strain, career stagnation, and fear of discrimination. Participants will have access to masterclasses, networking events, bespoke career guidance, and continuous support from leading industry figures throughout the year. Nominations for the program are now open, and the 50 participating leaders will be announced on April 30th.
Tisha Campbell signed with Mainstay Entertainment and Paradigm. Campbell currently stars opposite Neil Patrick Harris in Showtime’s Uncoupled. Her other acting credits include My Wife and Kids, Martin, School Daze, and House Party.
