Small Screen: Piper Curda Joins ‘Matlock’ Releases Premiere Date, WGAW Rolls Out Direct Deposits
Natalie Morales - ETIENNE LAURENT
Broadcast: ABC's drama series Grey's Anatomy has upped Natalie Morales (The Morning Show) to a recurring role for its 21st season. Morales guest-starred as Dr. Monica Beltran, a pediatric surgeon in the series' 20th season, and is confirmed for an additional six episodes. In Season 20, Dr. Beltran was portrayed as a no-nonsense professional, mentoring Dr. Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) while dealing with a divorce. The latest season of Grey's Anatomy is set to premiere on September 26th, 2024.
Jason Diaz - imdb
Cable: Comedy Central's animated series Everybody Still Hates Chris will premiere on September 25th.The show is inspired by Chris Rock's (Grown Ups) original sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, which aired from 2005 to 2009. The new cast includes original cast stars, such as Paul Ben-Victor (Blood and Money), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), and Tichina Arnold (The Neighborhood), alongside newcomers like Tim Johnson Jr. (Saturdays) and Ozioma Akagha (Delilah). The series follows Rock's experiences growing up in a working-class family in Brooklyn during the late 1980s. The series is produced by CBS Studios and Chris Rock Enterprises.
Disney Channel's reboot series Wizards Beyond Waverly Place is adding Raven-Symoné (Raven's Home) and Danielle Fishel (Girl Meets World) to their director line-up. The series will premiere on October 29th and will be available to stream on Disney+ the day after. The series follows Justin Russo (David Henrie) partnering with his sister Alex (Selena Gomez) to teach a wizard-in-training. The story continues after the original Wizards of Waverly Place series, with Gomez starring as a guest star and not a series regular.
MGM+ upcoming series The Institute has added Simone Miller (Run The Burbs) and Jason Diaz (Vampire Academy) to the cast. The series is inspired by Stephen King's novel of the same name and follows adolescent Luke Ellis's kidnapping at The Institute for Unusual Children. Miller is cast as series regular Kalisha, a friendly inmate and soon-to-be-friend of Luke, and Diaz will play Tony, an orderly who torments children. The two join Mary Louise Parker (Red 2) and Ben Barnes (Shadow and Bone) for the eight-episode thriller.
Ritu Arya - Kevin Winter
Streaming: CBS's drama series Matlock has added Piper Curda (May December) to the cast in a recurring role. Curda will portray IT specialist Kira, the love interest Sarah (Leah Lewis). The series stars Kathy Bates (Disjointed) and Madeline “Matty” Matlock and comes from the original TV series Matlock. In the latest version of the series, Matlock returns to the law firm to work with attorney Olympia (Skye P. Marshall).
Amazon Prime Video's untitled comedy series featuring Riz Ahmed has added Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) and Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You) to the cast. Arya and Opia will be recurring characters, but their character details are not yet announced. The series follows struggling actor Shah Latif (Riz Ahmed) finding himself inserted into a conspiracy thriller. The two join existing cast members Guz Khan (Army of Thieves), Aasiya Shah (We Might Regret This), Sajid Hasan (Aik Sitam Aur), and Sheeba Chaddha (The Trial).
Apple TV+ has renewed the comedy series Acapulco for a fourth season. Star and executive producer Eugenio Derbez expressed his excitement about continuing the series, as the series centers on Latino stories. The series was created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman and is inspired by the film How to Be a Latin Lover. The story alternates between present-day Máximo (Derbez) returning to a changed Las Colinas and his younger self's (Enrique Arrizón) rise in 1985.
“Getting to a fourth season only happens when a show has an incredible team of actors, crew members and producers,” said Winsberg. “We couldn’t be more excited to get back to Las Colinas and collaborate again with such a talented, hard working and kind group of people.”
Peacock's limited series Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy has added Gabriel Luna (FUBAR) to the cast. Luna joins as a series regular alongside James Badge Dale (The Empty Man), Michael Angarano (This Is Us), Chris Sullivan (Presence), and Marin Ireland (The Umbrella Academy). The series is inspired by Peacock's docuseries of the same name and is written by showrunner and executive producer Patrick Macmanus. The show follows serial killer John Wayne Gacy, his investigation, and his eventual arrest.
Apple TV+ has finalized the main cast for its upcoming series Down Cemetery Road. Joining the previously announced leads Emma Thompson (Cruella) and Ruth Wilson (The Affair) are Adeel Akhtar (Fool Me Once), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Femme), Ken Nwosu (Hollington Drive), Fehinti Balogun (Hideous), and Aiysha Hart (We Are Lady Parts). Akhtar will play Hamza, Stewart-Jarrett as Downey, Nwosu as Rufus, Balogun as Amos, and Hart as Paula. The series follows the story of Mick Herron's novel of the same name. The main character Sarah Tucker (Wilson) wants to uncover the truth behind the story of a missing girl, so she partners with private investigator Zoë Boehm (Thompson).
Peacock's second season of Twisted Metal has added Saylor Bell Curda (High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) and Michael James Shaw (The Walking Dead) to the cast. Curda and Shaw will join as recurring characters alongside Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Joe Seanoa (Genesis), Will Arnett (Murderville), and Anthony Mackie (Altered Carbon). The series follows an outsider played by Mackie maneuvering obstacles in a post-apocalyptic wasteland to deliver a package. The series is based on the PlayStation game of the same name. Production is currently underway with Mackie, Arnett, and Michael Jonathan Smith as executive producers.
Tubi's upcoming comedy series The Z-Suite has added Nico Santos (Crazy Rich Asians) to the cast. The series is executively produced by lead Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) and follows a New York ad agency and the C-Suite executives clash with Gen Z employees. Santos is cast as Doug, the right-hand to agency CEO Monica (Graham). The series was created by Katie O'Brien (Teachers) and is Tubi's first live-action original.
Netflix has canceled Dead Boy Detectives after one season, against fan disagreements. The series premiered on April 25th, 2024 after originally receiving a pilot order from Max in 2021, a series order in 2022, and being sold to Netflix in 2023. The show starred George Rexstrew (In Creative Company) and Jayden Revri (The Lodge) as characters who solve supernatural mysteries. Despite positive reviews and a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the show struggled with viewership, peaking at number two on Netflix’s Top 10 English TV charts but dropping off after three weeks. The series was developed by Steve Yockey, who served as co-showrunner alongside Beth Schwartz.
Paramount+'s comedy series Crutch has added Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts) to the main cast. Fowler will play Jake, an Ivy League lawyer who leaves a prestigious law firm to offer low-cost legal aid in Harlem. The series comes from the world of CBS's The Neighborhood and follows Francois 'Frank' Crutchfield (Tracy Morgan), a Harlem shop owner whose son and daughter move back home. Owen Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, and Eric C. Rhone will all serve as executive producers.
Obi Ndefo - imdb
Industry: The Writers Guild of America West is rolling out direct deposits for their increase in residual payments from the 2023 strike. The direct deposit plan will roll out in phases, starting with registration emails to writers over the next weeks. Many writers are going to social media to joke about the “green envelopes” they're going to lose for their physical residual payments.
“While I do miss the green envelopes, it's been really nice,” said writer Nina Weinman Swift (A Nashville Legacy).
DirecTV and Disney are struggling to agree on terms as their current carriage deal approaches expiration. DirecTV aims to use this renewal to challenge traditional models and push back against rising costs following a court ruling that blocked Disney's Venu Sports streaming bundle. Disney, however, counters that it has been flexible, offering various package options similar to its recent deal with Charter. DirecTV's Chief Content Officer, Rob Thun, has said that the pay-TV industry needs to find a new sustainable business model to benefit customers, distributors, and programmers.
“We’ve hit the point of what people are willing to pay,” said Thun.
Erika Alexander (Living Single) and her non-profit Color Farm Impact are collaborating with WeScreenplay Diverse Voice Labs to work with underrepresented groups in the entertainment industry. Co-founded with Ben Arnon, Color Farm Impact will launch workshops, writing labs, and mentorship programs with WeScreenplay. These initiatives guide industry professionals to diverse writers and give them the chance to develop their scripts to potentially be put on screen. Applications for the first round of programs open on August 15th, with a launch event planned later 2024.
“At a time when DEI is historically under attack, it is more important than ever that we stand tall and boldly protect the ability for all people to gain access to opportunities to share their own stories,” said Alexander. “Marginalized people, especially Black people, have shaped culture for decades. Color Farm’s partnership with the WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Labs enables us to support underrepresented voices who hold the keys to unlock a brighter tomorrow.”
On August 27th, 2024, actress and acting coach Betty A. Bridges passed away at 83 years old in Phoenix. Over her 40-year career, Bridges made guest appearances on numerous popular TV shows, including Good Times, Charlie’s Angels, Lou Grant, Hill Street Blues, ER, and 2 Broke Girls. Beyond her acting career, Bridges became a prominent Hollywood manager and co-founded Kane Bridge Academy, where she mentored many aspiring actors, focusing on children and people of color. In her memory, the family requests donations to the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation.
Actor Obi Ndefo passed away on August 28th, 2024 at 51 years old in Los Angeles. His sister, Nkem Ndefo, revealed that his death was due to complications from a long battle with orthorexia, an eating disorder. Obi Ndefo played Bodie Wells on Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2002 and the Jaffa warrior Rak’nor on Stargate SG-1 from 2000 to 2005. His career also included appearances on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The West Wing, and more. His family hopes that sharing his story will raise awareness about the severity of orthorexia and promote donations the Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation
