AMC Networks has released a sneak peek for Season 2 of “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon,” this time subtitled “The Book of Carol.” Normal Reedus is reunited with “The Walking Dead” co-star Melissa McBride in the new season, which is set to premiere this summer on AMC and AMC+.
Reedus and McBride reprise their roles as Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier in the series. The official Season 2 description reveals that “they both confront old demons while she fights to find her friend and he struggles with his decision to stay in France, causing tension at the Nest.”
The rest of the cast includes Clémence Poésy, Louis Puech Scigliuzzi, Laika Blanc Francard, Anne Charrier, Romain Levi and Eriq Ebouaney. Showrunner David Zabel executive produces in addition to Scott M. Gimple, Reedus, McBride, Greg Nicotero, Angela Kang, Brian Bockrath, Daniel Percival, Jason Richman and Steve Squillante.
Watch the sneak peek below.
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In other TV roundup news:
PROGRAMMING
Jenifer Lewis will guest star on the CBS series “So Help Me Todd” in an episode premiering Thursday, April 11 at 9 p.m. ET. The episode, “End On a High Note,” will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
Lewis is featured as a character named Jacqueline. An official description of the episode reads, “Margaret and Todd work together to defend international opera star, supreme diva and Lyle’s mother, Jacqueline.”
“So Help Me Todd” stars Marcia Gay Harden as Margaret, a lawyer who hires her former private detective son Todd (Skylar Astin) to serve as an in-house investigator at her firm. The series debuted in 2022 and is now in its second season.
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In collaboration with the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks and NBC Sports have announced the first ever locally animated real time sports telecast, featuring full volumetric animation of the players during the match. The alternate broadcast is set to air Saturday, April 6 at 2:30 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago Plus as the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Dallas Stars.
“Every day, we’re challenging ourselves to bring hockey to fans in new ways, and we’re incredibly excited to bring the first-ever local animated game to kids across Chicagoland and beyond in partnership with NBC Sports Chicago and the NHL,” says Jaime Faulkner, president of business operations for the Chicago Blackhawks. “It’s our highest priority to introduce Blackhawks fandom to our youngest generation, and this passion project of ours is fueled by our ongoing efforts to share the game we love with families in ways that connect with their daily lives.”
Chris Vosters will provide color commentary with in-game analysis by Dominic Moore. Adam Burish and Tony Granato will be in studio providing family friendly game insights during intermission.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity to combine the talents at NBC Sports Chicago, the Chicago Blackhawks and the NHL to produce this first-ever, local, animated pro game telecast,” says John Schippman, VP of sports content at NBCUniversal Local Chicago. “We’re excited and proud to be delivering a new and fun way for families and younger fans to experience this wonderful sport like never before.”
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Free TV Networks will launch a new national broadcast network called Dare, featuring unscripted series from the library of A+E Networks. The new network will include series like “Storage Wars,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Pickers” and more.
Dare, which will debut on July 1, marks the third broadcast network for Free TV Networks following the launches of THE365 and Outlaw.
“We are thrilled to partner with A+E Networks and offer value-conscious consumers a differentiated and world-class reality channel delivered for free, over-the-air,” said Jonathan Katz, president and CEO of Free TV Networks.
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Fox First Run has announced renewal for “25 Words or Less,” “Pictionary” and “Person, Place, or Thing.” The game shows will continue to air on Fox-owned stations through the 2024-2025 season.
Also coming in time for the September 2024 season is the expansion of the company’s “Super Fan” initiative for all three programs. Every episode, a “super fan” will be invited on the show for an interview and be given the opportunity to win a prize. On “Pictionary,” if the “super fan” can guess what host Jerry O’Connell is drawing, they win a prize. On “25 Words or Less,” if any team wins $10,000, the “super fan” wins $1,000. On “Person, Place, or Thing,” if a contestant wins the grand prize, the “super fan” gets $500.
As part of the announcement, EVP of programing for Fox Television Stations Stephen Brown said, “The success of the Super Fan initiative on ’25 Words or Less’ last season further proved that engaging with our audience in a meaningful way is how we best develop loyal fans who watch more than the average 1.2 times a week.”
EXECUTIVE NEWS
The Television Publicity Executives Committee, a non-profit organization that fosters collaboration among senior communications professionals across the television industry, announced its leadership team for the year.
Irina Bobker (Freeform), Brian Eley (Crunchyroll) and Alice Rao (Hallmark Media) join the executive committee. TPEC chair Wendy Zocks, Todd Beck, Joe Schlosser, Eileen Quast and former co-chair Dustin Smith remain on the executive committee and oversee this year’s TPEC Awards in May.
The team guides the organization by encouraging working relationships between entertainment publicists and the media. TPEC will continue to host virtual panels and networking and professional development opportunities.
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Fox Television Stations has hired John Brauer as its senior vice president of insights and media measurement. In his new role, Brauer will manage media analytics, insights and audience measurements across all sectors of Fox Television Stations with the goal of boosting advertisement sales.
“John is a veteran of multi-platform data analytics with a commitment to utilizing the most advanced technologies to inform critical business decisions,” said Patrick Paolini, executive vice president of advertisement sales for Fox TV Stations. “With his innovative approach, FTS will shape the future of television measurement and deliver greater return on investments and an unparalleled value to our advertisers and viewers.”
EVENTS
ReedPop had announced the guest lineup for their Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, which is set to take place from April 26-28 at McCormick Place.
Hugh Dancy will join his “Hannibal” co-star Mads Mikkelson at the event, marking the first time they appear at a convention together in the U.S. C2E2 will also bring together Phil Dunster and Cristo Fernandez of “Ted Lasso,” Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes of “Clerks” as they celebrate its 30th anniversary, and Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwright of “Alien.”
Additional guest stars include Josh Brolin, Maya Hawke and the cast of “Rick and Morty,” including Chris Parnell, Spencer Grammer, Harry Belden and Ian Cardoni.
Visit here for more info on C2E2.
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Ahead of the April 14 premiere of the HBO limited series “The Sympathizer,” Max is partnering with 626 Night Market for a two-day pop-up experience in Santa Monica.
From 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 13, and Sunday April 14, “guests can immerse themselves in the vibrant world of Vietnamese cuisine, art and performance.” The experience is free and open to the public, featuring Vietnamese DJs Demonslayer and Annalog in addition to a special performance by Vietnamese artist Dolly Ave from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on April 13.
Vietnamese food vendors will include All Dat Dumpling, All Dat Noodle, Café 949, Ridges Churro Bar and The Ugly Bao. The night market will also feature merchandise from Steve Minty, HBO x “The Sympathizer” branded elements and photo moments.
“The Sympathizer” is described as “an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles, where he learns that his spying days aren’t over.” The show is adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.
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Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, will be the 2024 commencement speaker at her alma mater, Dillard University. She will deliver the keynote address on Saturday, May 11.
“My journey has been profoundly shaped by my Dillard education and the extraordinary DU community that I’m so proud to be a part of,” said Davis. “It’s a deep privilege to join the Class of 2024 for this milestone occasion and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to President Ford and everyone at Dillard for this incredible opportunity.”
Davis has served as president of Disney Branded Television since 2021; she previously served as executive vice president of talent and casting at ABC Entertainment and Disney+. She earned her bachelors degree in communications from Dillard.
CASTING
Starz has announced that Brian McCardie, Jhon Lumsden, Sara Vickers and Peter Mullan have been added as additional cast members of “Outlander: Blood of My Blood.” McCardie plays Isaac Grant, the leader of Clan Grant; Lumsden plays his son Malcom; Vickers has been cast as the Lovats’ housekeeper Davina Porter and Mullan joins the cast as Red Jacob MacKenzie, laird of Clan MacKenzie.
Matthew B. Roberts will serve as showrunner and executive producer with Ronald D. Moore and Maril Davis. Story Mining & Supply Company will also executive produce, and Diana Gabaldon will act as a consulting producer. “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” is produced by Sony Pictures Television.
PODCASTS
Seth Meyers and The Lonely Island have launched a podcast, “The Lonely Island & Seth Meyers Podcast,” with the first episode set to release on April 8. The music/comedy group The Lonely Island is made up of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone.
The description for the podcast explains that Meyers will join the music group to “discuss their wildly popular and groundbreaking series of SNL Digital Shorts that aired on Saturday Night Live beginning in 2005. Episode by episode they’ll discuss how each short was created, what the response to it was at the time, and what impact, if any, it still has today. Aided by Seth, the guys will relive their time at SNL and reminisce on the nearly 50-year-old show from a time when putting short comedy sketches on the internet was so novel that they maybe even helped launch YouTube to do it. Along the way they’ll talk all things SNL from guests, fellow cast members, and favorite live sketches including many that never aired.”
Episodes will air every Monday, wherever podcasts are found.
STREAMING
The first ever NBA FAST Channel and the NBA Zone channel have launched on Roku through a partnership with the streaming platform and the National Basketball Association.
The NBA FAST channel will feature classic games, highlights, recaps, documentaries, original series, studio shows and interviews among other content. Roku will also be exclusively distributing over 40 live NBA G League games on a national basis during the upcoming season.
As part of the launch, the NBA App will be integrated within the NBA Zone channel, giving viewers access to the latest league news, behind-the-scenes stories and game clips. NBA League Pass, the NBA’s premium live subscription service, will also be available to purchase within the offering.
DEALS
Fox has announced the launch of AdRise, its new expanded audience network and ad tech platform. Acquired with Tubi in 2020, the integrated technology platform for CTV and linear inventory will now power Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox News Media and Tubi.
“AdRise has a reputation as a first mover in CTV advertising and has pioneered and underpinned the growth of our Tubi streaming business from the very beginning,” says Paul Cheesbrough, CEO of Tubi Media Group. “We’re now extending the team and technology platform to power our audience network and video inventory across all of Fox, unlocking unique value for our agency and advertising partners.”
“Our approach with AdRise breaks down the walls between media ecosystems, merging the scale of linear and the targeting of streaming into one centralized system,” adds Jeff Collins, president of advertising sales, marketing and brand partnerships for the Fox Corporation. “We’ve increased our focus and investment in ad tech to develop the tools brands need for today’s evolving environment. In doing so, we’re ensuring that transacting with the Fox Portfolio – no matter the mix of platforms – is easy, frictionless and, most importantly, effective.”
FIRST LOOKS
MGM+ has released a first look for “Hotel Cocaine,” a crime thriller about a hotel manager operating in the heart of the Miami cocaine scene during the late 1970s. The eight episode series is set for a global premiere June 16 with new episodes streaming every Sunday.
Cast members include Danny Pino (“Law & Order: SVU”), Michael Chiklis (“Winning Time”), Mark Feuerstein (“The Baby-Sitters Club”), Yul Vazquez (“Severance”), Tania Watson (“The Head”), Corina Bradley (“Star-Crossed Romance”) and Laura Gordon (“Late Night with the Devil”).
Chris Brancato is the creator, executive producer and showrunner on the series. Guillermo Navarro directed the first episode and executive produces with Michael Panes and Alfredo Barrios Jr.. Hotel Cocaine is produced by MGM+ Studios in association with Stan in Australia.
Check out the teaser below.
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Starz has released first look images and a teaser trailer for the second season of “The Serpent Queen” which is set to premiere in summer 2024. The historical drama follows Catherine de Medici (Samantha Morton) who was one of the most feared and longest-serving monarchs in the history of France.
The photos reveal Academy Award nominee Minnie Driver as the “Virgin Queen” Elizabeth I who will act as Catherine’s rival in the upcoming season.
Returning cast members include Danny Kirrane, Ray Panthaki, Raza Jaffrey, Enzo Cilenti, Amrita Acharia, Ruby Bentall, Beth Goddard, Ludivine Sagnier and Rupert Everett. New to the cast are Angus Imrie, Emma McDonald , Stanley Morgan, Philippine Velge, Rosalie Craig, Isobel Jesper Jones, Bill Milner, Ashley Thomas and Alexandre Willaume.
“The Serpent Queen” is based on the novel “Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France” by Leonie Frieda. Justin Haythe serves as writer and executive produces with Francis Lawrence and Erwin Stoff. Starz by Lionsgate Television and 3 Arts Entertainment produce the series.
Watch the teaser below.