Small Screen: Reboot Of ‘L.A. Law’ In The Works; Freeform Is Adapting ‘Everything's Trash,' But It's Okay;’ Teaser Trailer For ‘The Game’ Is Out
Bruce Glikas
Broadcast: Blair Underwood is headlining/reprising his role as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the upcoming reboot of L.A. Law. The pilot episode was given a green light by ABC and has been in the works since December. ‘The sequel pilot is written/executive produced by Marc Guggenheim — who is a lawyer by trade — and Ubah Mohamed, and executive produced and to be directed by Anthony Hemingway via Anthony Hemingway Productions. In it, the venerable law firm of McKenzie Brackman reinvents itself as a litigation firm specializing in only the most high profile, boundary-pushing, and incendiary cases. Underwood’s Jonathan Rollins has gone from idealistic to more conservative as he clashes with millennial JJ Freeman to decide the best path forward for the firm to effect political and legal change.’
RuPaul - Stefanie Keenan
Cable: RuPaul, the mastermind behind Drag Race, has signed a first-look scripted television deal with Sony Pictures TV. He has teamed up with Jay Marcus, the former State Street Pictures executive to create the new production company entitled RuCo. With their new deal, the novice production company will be focusing primarily on queer, character-driven dramas, comedies, and animated programs that feature/highlight RuPaul’s brand positivity, empowerment, and music. Earlier this week RuPaul gave a statement saying “Not only I am thrilled and honored to join the Sony Pictures Television family, but I’m also extremely grateful for the opportunity to tell unique stories that push the conversation forward.”
James Clavell’s Shōgun is coming to FX and the full cast has just been revealed. The limited series will star Hiroyuki Sanada (Army of the Dead, Lost), Anna Sawai (F9, Apple’s upcoming Pachinko), and Cosmo Jarvis (Raised by Wolves). The ensemble will also feature Tadanobu Asano, Fumi Nikaido, Tokuma Nishioka, Takehiro Hira, Ako, Shinnosuke Abe, Yasunari Takeshima, Hiroto Kanai, Toshi Toda, Hiro Kanagawa, Néstor Carbonell, Yuki Kura, Tommy Bastow, Moeka Hoshi, Yoriko Doguchi, and Yuka Kouri. ‘Sanada will play Yoshii Toranaga, a powerful daimyo (lord) from a feared lineage but someone who is isolated and outnumbered by his enemies in Osaka Castle as the series begins. However, he’s a brilliant strategist and master of the long game. Jarvis will play Blackthorne, an English pilot major whose mission is to find a path to the Pacific islands and disrupt Spanish and Portuguese interests in Japan. His ship washes ashore in Toranaga’s territory, and the daimyo becomes both his captor and spiritual mentor. Sawai plays Lady Mariko, the revered daughter of an infamous samurai traitor, whom Toranaga enlists to avenge her father’s death.
Freeform is adapting the book Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay, landing a series order. Phoebe Robinson the author and upcoming star of the comedy series will portray ‘Phoebe, a 30-something podcast star with a messy life who’s forced to grow up when her Blerd-y older brother Jayden (Jordan Carlos, BET’s First Wives Club) emerges as a leading political candidate. (Robinson’s brother, Phil, serves in the Ohio state legislature.) She relies on a group of friends and her close-knit family to help her figure out adulthood.’ President of Freeform and the Onyx Collective Tara Duncan said “Phoebe has one of the most unique and hilariously sharp voices in the business. Everything’s Trash is the perfect addition to the Freeform slate, bringing a distinct point of view to a woman navigating adulthood on her own terms.”
Streaming: Karen M. McManus’ novel, One Of Us Is Lying is being adapted into a series at Peacock. Alimi Ballard has been cast as a heavily recurring character as Kevin Clay. He is an ex-athlete, he’s Cooper’s (Uche) intense but loving father/coach, who just wants for his son to become a baseball star and have a (much) better life than he ever did. The series is being penned by Erica Saleh but will follow the basic plot of the book that is as follows: five high schoolers walk into detention and only four make it out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide. The rest of the ensemble cast are played by Marianly Tejada, Cooper van Grootel, Annalisa Cochrane, Uche, Jessica McLeod, Barrett Carnahan and Melissa Collazo.
Sascha Penn, creator and showrunner of the Starz smash hit Power, is creating a new prequel entitled Power Book III: Raising Kanan. KJ Smith (Sistas) has been cast in a pretty big recurring role. She will play Palomar. One of Famous’s new neighbors, Palomar is a young mom who’s frequently mistaken for her daughter, Corinne’s, older sister. Any responsible parent wouldn’t let their daughter within a mile of Kanan, Famous, and their friends, but Palomar is not that parent. ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan takes viewers back to the ’90s and the early years of the now-deceased Kanan Stark, portrayed in Courtney Kemp’s original series by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Power Book III: Raising Kanan is executive produced by Kemp through her company End of Episode and Jackson through his G-Unit Film and Television. Penn is the creator/showrunner of Raising Kanan. Also executive producing are Mark Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment MM, End of Episode’s Chris Selak and Danielle DeJesus, Shana Stein, Bart Wenrich and Kevin Fox with Rob Hardy executive producing and directing the premiere episode. Lionsgate TV produces the series for Starz.’
Tasha Mack and Malik Wright are back in the new teaser trailer for the upcoming reboot of The Game. Bearing the same title, the reboot is from Paramount+ and set to hit the screens on November 11 this year. Kicking off its comeback in Las Vegas with a brand new group of players and original cast to match. The show will offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the lens of professional football. This season the team will tackle more than just players, including themes such as racism, sexism, classism and more. ‘The series stars Wendy Raquel Robinson as Tasha, Hosea Chanchez as Malik.The teaser gives viewers a sneak peek at the team’s new turf, and an even more ambitious Tasha Mack who claims she’s “changing the game.” The Game also features Adriyan Rae as Brittany Pitts, the daughter of Jason and Kelly Pitts; Vaughn Hebron as Jamison Fields, an undrafted free agent; Analisa Velez as Raquel Navarro, Brittany’s best friend; and Toby Sandeman as Garret Evans, the top football player in the league.’ Check out the teaser above.
Tori Sampson, who penned the script for Three Women and Hunters, is teaming up with Tessa Thompson to co-create/co-produce The Secret Lives of Church Ladies at HBO Max. Sampson will also write the script with the author behind the book, Deesha Philyaw. ‘The Secret Lives of Church Ladies was published in September 2020 and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. It contains nine stories about Black women, church, and sexuality. The short story collection explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. Different generations of women characters grapple with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church’s double standards and their own needs and passions. With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be, and as free as they deserve to be.’
