27th Annual TV Preview: New Shows by Media Company (Ad-Supported) | The Walt Disney Company
ABC | BY CHRIS BRUNO, MEDIA DIRECTOR
FALL PREMIERES
THE ROOKIE: FEDS | TUESDAY 10P-11P | DRAMA | WATCH TRAILER
The Rookie spin-off features Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911) as the oldest rookie in the FBI Academy. Introduced during a two-part event in The Rookie’s 4th season, Nash-Betts’ humor mixed in with the drama that has pulled in a strong audience for The Rookie, makes for a great pairing. The series will also star Frankie Faison (The Wire).
ALASKA DAILY | THURSDAY 10P-11P | DRAMA | WATCH TRAILER
A disgraced New York City reporter tries to start over in a place that is nothing like the big city. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry) stars in this new ABC drama, where she goes to the outer reaches of North America to try and rediscover what made her fall in love with journalism in the first place. Along the way, she just may discover a little more than that.
CELEBRITY JEOPARDY! | SUNDAY 8P-9P | GAME SHOW
Celebrity game shows have been around for years, so that’s nothing new, but Celebrity Jeopardy! has always aired just a few shows a year. That will change this fall when celebs come together to win money for their favorite charities. The host will be familiar as Mayim Bialik (Big Bang Theory, and of course, Jeopardy!) will run the prime celebrity-filled hour.
MIDSEASON REPLACEMENTS
AVALON
Set on Catalina Island in the main city of Avalon, this tourist attraction sees new guests arrive daily. Heading up the small law office in Avalon is detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy. Every day, when the local ferry brings new people, it also brings possible drama, crime, death, and more. It’s Nic’s job to help make sure the island stays a safe place and problems are kept out of Avalon.
NOT DEAD YET | WATCH TRAILER
Looking for something a little out of the ordinary for a midseason replacement? ABC’s got you with the comedy Not Dead Yet. Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) will star as Nell Stevens, who is newly single (and broke), which leads her to return her roots as a writer. Not having been in the writing game for a while means she must start from the bottom and she takes a job writing obituaries. You can’t get more boring than writing about the dead… unless you get a little help from the beyond.
WILL TRENT
ABC will bring Karin Slaughter’s bestselling series to the small screen midseason. The series will star Ramon Rodriguez (The Affair) as Special Agent Will Trent. Trent works for the GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) and uses his unusual background of being raised in the Atlanta foster system to be the top agent in his office. The series is also slated to star Erika Christensen (This Is Us).
CABLE NETWORKS | BY MELISSA LONG, MEDIA DIRECTOR
FREEFORM | THE COME UP
This reality show is about Gen Z-ers navigating the ups and downs of coming of age in post-pandemic New York. We’ll follow six young disruptors as they emerge from downtown to chase their dreams and pursue love and art on their own terms. The cast is made up of Gen Z New Yorkers who are rising stars in their respective fields of modeling, fashion design, photography, acting and nightlife organizing.
FX | DEAR MAMA
From Emmy-nominated director Allen Hughes (The Defiant Ones) comes a five-part cinematic television event exploring two voices, activist Afeni Shakur and her son, hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur, that could not be silenced. Told through the eyes of the people who knew them best, Dear Mama is an intimate, wide-angle portrait of one of the most inspiring and dangerous mother-son duos in American history, whose unified message of freedom, equality, persecution and justice are more relevant today than ever.
DISNEY+ | BY JAMIE RUDENSTEIN, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT
HOCUS POCUS 2 | WATCH TRAILER
It’s been 29 years since someone lit the black flame candle and resurrected the 17th-century Sanderson sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
WILLOW | WATCH TRAILER
An epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty, Willow features a diverse international cast, and Jonathan Kasdan, Ron Howard, Wendy Mericle, Kathleen Kennedy, and Michelle Rejwan serving as executive producers. The series takes place years after the events of the original “Willow” film. The story begins with an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms, who together helped destroy an evil queen and banish the forces of darkness. Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY HOLIDAY SPECIAL
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is written and directed by Guardians of the Galaxy veteran James Gunn. Gunn has confirmed that the show will not just be a one-off special, but rather will fit into the overarching MCU plot and will be the conclusion of Phase Four of the MCU.
NATIONAL TREASURE: EDGE OF HISTORY
This Disney+ original series is an expansion of the National Treasure movie franchise told from the point of view of a young heroine, Jess (newcomer Lisette Olivera), a brilliant and resourceful DREAMer in search of answers about her family. She embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about the past and save a lost Pan-American treasure. The series will premiere in 2023.
STAR WARS: VISIONS VOLUME 2
Star Wars: Visions stretches beyond any one form of animation and serves as a broader framework for celebratory expressions of Star Wars storytelling. Premiering in 2023, Volume 2 will showcase that potential as the shorts go on a global tour, celebrating the incredible animation happening across countries and cultures, through the mythos of Star Wars.
SECRET INVASION
Secret Invasion is a newly announced series which stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos – characters who first met in Captain Marvel. The crossover event series showcases a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. This series is slated for Spring 2023.
ECHO
The origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward. Echo will premiere in Summer 2023.
HULU | BY JAMIE RUDENSTEIN, ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT
DRAG ME TO DINNER
If you want a great party, hire a party planner. If you want an outrageous, unforgettable party, call in someone who can make something fabulous and supremely entertaining out of almost nothing… a drag queen! Created and executive produced by and featuring Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka and their celebrity friends, Drag Me to Dinner is the new close-ended comedic competition for 2023 that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE
This drama premiering in 2022 centers on a recently divorced forty-something (Toby Fleishman, played by Jesse Eisenberg), who starts using dating apps and enjoying his newfound freedom before his ex-wife mysteriously disappears, leaving him with his kids. Now, Fleishman will have to examine what happened to their marriage to figure out what happened to Rachel (played by Clare Danes), all while balancing parenting, promotions and hookups. Toby reconnects with his college friend Libby (played by Lizzy Caplan) following the split, who also narrates the series.
THE HAIR TALES
Hulu is teaming with OWN for the first time on The Hair Tales, a docuseries that focuses on Black women, beauty and identity through the distinctive lens of Black hair. This will be produced by Tracee Ellis Ross and will premiere in 2022.
HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 2
A continuation of the 80s cult classic movie by Mel Brooks, this version will extend the running time from a feature-length film to an eight-episode series, full of the type of off-the-wall humor for which Brooks is known. Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz, and Wanda Sykes have signed up as writers and co-stars, with other cast members to include Seth Rogen, J.B. Smoove and Rob Corddry. Other big-name actors are rumored to be up for cameos and unspecified roles, as well. Look for this one in 2022.
KOALA MAN
This animated show will premiere in 2022 and follows Kevin and his not-so-secret identity, whose only superpower is a burning passion for following rules and snuffing out petty crime in the town of Dapto. Though it may seem like any other Australian suburb, forces of evil both cosmic and man-made lie in wait to pounce on unsuspecting Daptonians. On a quest to clean up his hometown, and often roping his frustrated family into his adventures, Koala Man stands at the ready. He’ll do whatever it takes to defeat villainous masterminds, supernatural horrors, or worse: jerks who don’t take their rubbish bins down on the proper days. Hugh Jackman recently joined the cast and will voice Big Greg, the most well-liked man in Dapto and head of the Town Council.
SECRET CHEF
From Executive Producer David Chang comes a radical twist on the cooking competition, as ten chefs anonymously rank each other’s food through a series of blind tastings. With their true identities concealed, everything will be hidden except the one thing that matters most… the food. Secret Chef will premiere in 2023.
UNPRISONED
Onyx Collective, the Disney content brand focused on underrepresented audiences, has picked up its first comedy series. Premiering in 2022, the half-hour comedy revolves around a messy but perfectionist relationship therapist and single mom (Kerry Washington) whose life is turned right-side-up when her dad gets out of prison and moves in with her and her teenage son.
UP HERE
A musical romantic comedy set in New York City in the waning days of 1999, following the extraordinary story of one ordinary couple as they fall in love – and discover that the single greatest obstacle to finding happiness together might just be themselves. They must navigate the treacherous world of memories, obsessions, fears, and fantasies that live inside their heads. Up Here is slated to premiere in 2023.
WELCOME TO CHIPPENDALES
Premiering in 2022, Kumail Nanjiani and Juliette Lewis will star in the upcoming eight-episode series which will tell of the rise and fall of the famous 70’s male dance troupe. The show will detail the “insane, darkly comedic, crime-ridden story behind the unique male revue that became a cultural phenomenon.”
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