Videoage International May 2020

May 2020 T he coronavirus health crisis happened right in the midst of preparations for the new U.S. TV season. On March 12, the networks announced that they were canceling the liveUpfronts, which was followed on the same day by the cancellation of the Live L.A. Screenings by the studios. For the 2020-2021 TV season, the five major U.S. broadcast networks had commissioned pilots for 32 dramas and 28 comedies. However, before the production shutdown on March 13, the networks had already ordered nine shows straight to series. This is because the studios had already been preparing for a possible work stoppage in May, when the contracts for the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were set to expire. Listed below is the updated slate (as of June 9, 2020) of new TV series ordered so far, sorted by international distribution company. Some new cable series are included. ENTERTAINMENT ONE DRAMA Last Summer (Freeform) This mystery thriller tells the tale of a popular teen, who has been abducted. In a seemingly unrelated story, another girl goes from awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town to the most despised person in America. Production Team: Allius Barnes, Bert V Royal, Blake Lee, Brooklyn Sudano, Chiara Aurelia, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Jessica Biel, Max Winkler, Michael Landes, Michelle Purple MGM DRAMA Clarice (CBS) Set in 1993, a year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, this personal story continues to follow Clarice Starling as she returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators while navigating the high-stakes political world of Washington. Production Team: Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, Heather Kadin NBCUNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION COMEDY Mr. Mayor (NBC) Originally conceived as a 30 Rock spinoff, the series revolves around a wealthy businessman who runs for mayor of Los Angeles for all the wrong reasons. Once he wins, he has to figure out what he stands for, gain the respect of his staff, and connect with his teenage daughter. Production Team: Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Jeff Richmond, David Miner, Eric Gurian Young Rock (NBC) Based on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s for- mative years. He will appear in every episode, bookending flashbacks to early points in his life growing up in Hawaii and becoming a wrestler- turned-actor. Production Team: Nahnatchka Khan, Jeff Chiang, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz, Jennifer Carreras DRAMA Buscando A Frida (Telemundo) Revolves around the life of the Pons family, which is changed forever when their 16-year- old daughter disappears on her father’s birthday party. Production Team: Telemundo Global Studios The Equalizer (CBS) A reimagining of the classic series inwhich Queen Latifah portrays an enigmatic figure who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. Production Team: Queen Latifah, John Davis, JohnFox, DebraMartinChase, Richard Lindheim, Shakim Compere Malverde, El Santo Patron (Telemundo) Tells the story of a Mexican boy who grows up to become a legendary figure, protector of the poor and dispossessed. Production Team: Telemundo Global Studios Untitled Law & Order: SVU Spin-off (NBC) Centers on the NYPD organized crime investi- gation unit led by Elliot Stabler. Christopher Meloni is back in the role. Production Team: Dick Wolf, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski SONY PICTURES TELEVISION COMEDY Call Your Mother (ABC) An empty-nester mom wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. As she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might need her more than they thought. Production Team: Kari Lizer VIACOMCBS GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION GROUP DRAMA Florida Man (FOX) Since personal tragedy struck five years ago, eccentric Bell Prescott hasn’t left the rambling property that he shares with his mother. When Bell discovers a dead body, he’s forced to venture beyond his agoraphobic boundaries and partner with the sole remaining cop in town. Production Team: Nick Stoller, Carla Kettner, Conor Welch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (CBS All Access) Follow Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the decade before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. Production Team: Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth The Republic Of Sarah (The CW) Faced with the destruction of her town at the hands of a greedy mining company, a rebellious high school teacher utilizes a cartographical loophole to declare independence. Leading a group of misfits, she attempts to start her own country from scratch. ProductionTeam: JeffreyPaul King, Kat Candler, Marc Webb, Mark Martin, Jeff Grosvenor, Leo Pearlman Walker (The CW) A reimagining of Chuck Norris’ Walker, Texas Ranger , the drama follows Cordell Walker, a widower and father with his ownmoral code, who returns to Austin after being undercover. He will attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family, and find common ground with his new partner, while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death. Production Team: Anna Fricke, Dan Lin, Lindsay Liberatore, Jared Padalecki WARNER BROS. INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION COMEDY B Positive (CBS) Facedwith finding a kidney donor, newly divorced dad Drew runs into Gina, a rough-around-the edges woman from his past who volunteers her own. Together, they begin a journey that will change both of their lives. Production Team: Marco Pennette, Chuck Lorre Call Me Kat (FOX) Carla is a 39-year-old woman who struggles every day against society and her mother. With money her parents set aside for her wedding, she opens a Cat Café in Louisville, KY. Based on the BBC UK original series Miranda created by Miranda Hart. Production Team: Darlene Hunt, Mayim Bialik, Jim Parsons, Todd Spiewak, Angie Stephenson, Miranda Hart, Eric Norsoph, Mackenzie Gabriel- Vaught DRAMA Kung Fu (The CW) When a young Chinese-American woman returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community. Inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman. Production Team: Christina M. Kim, Martin Gero, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter Superman & Lois ( The CW) The world’s most famous superhero and comics’ most famous journalist deal with all the stress that comes with being working parents. Production Team: Todd Helbing, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Geoff Johns INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY TBA Housebroken (FOX) The animated comedy explores human dys- function and neurosis through a group of neighborhood animals who live in the suburbs. Production Team: Sharon Horgan, Clea DuVall, Jennifer Crittenden, Gabrielle Allan Big Sky (ABC) A private detective partners with an ex-cop to find two sisters who have been kidnapped by a long-haul trucker. Based on The Highway by C.J. Box. Production Team: David E. Kelley, Ross Fineman, C.J. Box * As of June 10. This list is updated regularly. 2020-21 New Primetime TV Series * 18 New U.S. TV Season