I have gotten a plethora of cool press releases have been flooding my inbox recently that you may find interesting. This post will include blurbs on Dollface, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Looking for Alaska, Reprisal, Snow Patrol, The Avett Brothers, Gary Clark Jr., Phantogram, Jeremy Zucker, Hero The Band, The Handmaid’s Tale, Love, Beth, Padma Lakshmi, Ramy, Marvel’s Runaways, Designing Women, Hunt for Eagle 56, Sid and Judy, Sick Girl, and Big Boy’s Neighborhood.
- New Original comedy series Dollface follows Jules (Kat Dennings), a young woman who – after being dumped by her longtime boyfriend – must deal with her own imagination in order to literally and metaphorically re-enter the world of women, and rekindle the female friendships she left behind. The 10-episode series will debut all episodes on Friday, November 15. Dollface stars Kat Dennings, Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell and Esther Povitsky. The series created by Jordan Weiss, who serves as an executive producer alongside showrunner Ira Ungerleider; Margot Robbie, Brett Hedblom and Tom Ackerley for LuckyChap Entertainment; Bryan Unkeless and Scott Morgan for Screen Arcade; Kat Dennings; Nicole King and Stephanie Laing (VicePrincipals). Matt Spicer (Ingrid Goes West) will executive produce and direct the first episode. Dollface is produced by ABC Signature Studios, part of Disney Television Studios.
- Previously announced, Wu-Tang: An American Saga will debut on Wednesday, September 4 with three episodes, followed by a new episode every Wu-Wednesday. Based on one of the most influential and important groups in hip-hop history, the 10-episode Wu-Tang: An American Saga is inspired by “The Wu-Tang Manual” and “Tao of Wu” and based on the true story of the Wu-Tang Clan. Set in the early '90s New York at the height of the crack cocaine epidemic, the show tracks the Clan's formation, a vision of Bobby Diggs aka The RZA, who strives to unite a dozen young, black men that are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories. Wu-Tang: An American Saga stars Ashton Sanders, Shameik Moore, Dave East, Siddiq Saunderson, Marcus Callender, Julian Elijah Martinez, Zolee Griggs, Erika Alexander, TJ Atoms and Johnell Young. The series is created and written by Alex Tse and The RZA and executive produced by Tse, The RZA, Method Man, Brian Grazer, Michael Rosenberg and Francie Calfo. Wu-Tang: An American Saga is produced by Imagine Television.
- Also previously announced, Looking for Alaska, the limited series based on the best-selling John Green novel of the same name, will debut all eight episodes on Friday, October 18. The series centers around teenager Miles “Pudge” Halter (Charlie Plummer), as he enrolls in boarding school to try to gain a deeper perspective on life. He falls in love with Alaska Young (Kristine Froseth), and finds a group of loyal friends. But after an unexpected tragedy, Miles and his close friends attempt to make sense of what they’ve been through. The series stars Charlie Plummer, Kristine Froseth, Denny Love, Jay Lee, Landry Bender, Sofia Vassilieva, Uriah Shelton, and Jordan Connor. Also starring are Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) and Timothy Simons (Veep). Looking for Alaska is created for television by Josh Schwartz; the series comes from Paramount Television and Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s Fake Empire. Savage and Schwartz serve as executive producers alongside Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, John Green, and Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner of Temple Hill. Fake Empire executive Lis Rowinski serves as co-executive producer. Sarah Adina Smith (Hanna, Legion) directs the first episode.
- On December 6, Hulu will launch all 10 episodes of new Original drama series Reprisal. The series is a hyper-noir revenge tale following a relentless femme fatale who, after being left for dead, leads a vengeful campaign against a bombastic gang of gear heads. Reprisal stars Abigail Spencer, Rodrigo Santoro, Mena Massoud, Madison Davenport, Rhys Wakefield, David Dastmalchian, W. Earl Brown and Gilbert Owuor. The series is created by executive producer and showrunner Josh Corbin and executive produced by Warren Littlefield, Barry Jossen and Jonathan Van Tulleken, who directs 5 of the 10 episodes.
- Snow Patrol announce the first of 2 Reworked EPs, released on August 9th, including a stunning new version of Crack The Shutters available to hear now.
- This week Grammy Award®-nominated collective The Avett Brothers have reached the top Americana Radio Airplay Chart with “High Steppin’” coming in at #1. “High Steppin’” is the first single from The Avett Brothers’ anticipated album Closer Than Together [American/Republic Records], out Friday, October 4, 2019.
- Multiplatinum Icelandic quintet Of Monsters and Men release their anxiously awaited third full-length album, FEVER DREAM, via Republic Records. Check out Fever Dream Here! The band announced on their social media channels last month they have been in the studio over the last few months and are releasing a new track ahead of more music later this year, celebrating the 25th anniversary since Snow Patrol formed.
- Front and Center, the critically acclaimed concert series that kicked off its ninth season this month, announced that GRAMMY Award-winning artist Gary Clark Jr., best known for his fusion of blues, rock and soul music with elements of hip hop, is featured in its next episode on public television (check local listings).
- Phantogram unveils the video for their latest single, “Into Happiness”—watch and share HERE! Of the video, Phantogram says, “‘Into Happiness’ is a song about growth and realization of a lot of things in our lives over the years. We teamed up with Floria Sigismondi, whose work we’ve loved for some time; it was fun to put ourselves in her hands and let her take the video and song where she saw it going. Since we’ve known each other since preschool, she wanted to show our journey together throughout our lives.”
- Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter and producer Jeremy Zucker drops a new song for his fans called “oh, mexico” today—listen and share HERE! “oh, mexico” follows in the footsteps of his 2018 groundbreaking song, “comethru,” which has not only reached over a staggering 140 million Spotify streams and 100 million video views to date, but was recently re-added to Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits playlist over 10 months after its release.
- Hailing from Decateur, GA, Hero The Band makes a splash with their debut single for LAVA Records/Republic Records called “Back To Myself,” out today—watch the video HERE! Hero The Band—a quartet of brothers each born a year apart—emerge at a sonic crossroads between arena rock, experimental alternative, and swaggering R&B. “Back To Myself,” produced by Pete Nappi [Meghan Trainor, Kesha, Thirty Seconds To Mars], pairs a steady beat with earthquaking guitars and a soaring chant, “I’m getting back to myself.”
- Hulu’s 11-time Emmy®-winning drama series The Handmaid’s Tale has been picked up for a fourth season. The Handmaid’s Tale is executive produced by Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, Ilene Chaiken, Eric Tuchman, John Weber, Sheila Hockin and Frank Siracusa. The series is produced by MGM Television. New episodes of the current third season stream weekly on Wednesdays.
- Hulu has joined forces with Emmy® Award-winning powerhouse comedian Amy Schumer for a first-look deal that will kick off with her new comedy series, Love, Beth. The 10-episode, half-hour comedy series from Endeavor Content stars Schumer as Beth. Love, Bethis created, directed, written, executive produced by and starring Amy Schumer. Executive producers also include Kim Caramele and Kevin Kane. Endeavor Content is also representing international sales. Further details about the series will be announced at a later date. Love, Beth is expected to launch late 2020.
- The Untitled Padma Lakshmi Series is a living cookbook made up more from people and culture than recipes. Curated by Emmy®-nominated host and author Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef), the series embraces culinary traditions from the first Americans to the latest arrivals alongside Padma’s perspectives and personal connection to each story. Filmed around the country, each episode starts with a single dish that represents and connects to a community’s history and traditions, and explores the evolution of that immigrant community through that cuisine. From family recipes and street food to high-end restaurants, each dish explored is a symbol of a unique journey and story that provides viewers a window into where communities came from and the tale of how they set roots in America. In the hands of different families and waves of immigration, an organic evolution emerges between traditional recipes and new approaches, different perspectives and emotions, all captured thru Padma’s eyes. Each 30-minute episode follows Padma as she learns, immerses and celebrates communities from around the world that have taken root in America, changed it and been changed by it. The 10-episode series is produced by Part2 Pictures.
- Two-time Academy Award® and Golden Globe® Award-winner Mahershala Ali has been cast as a special guest star in the Hulu Original comedy series Ramy. Ali, who is a huge fan of the series, will join creator Ramy Youssef in the second season, which is slated to premiere in 2020. Ali was recently nominated for an Emmy® Award for his critically-acclaimed performance in HBO’sTrue Detective. Marvel announced last week at San Diego Comic-Con that Ali has signed on to play BLADE in an upcoming feature for them. His credits include MOONLIGHT and GREENBOOK for which he won Academy Awards® for his performances. Ramy follows first-generation, Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan (Ramy Youssef) who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy brings a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it’s like to be caught between a religious community who believes life is a moral test, and a millennial generation that might not believe in an afterlife. In the second season, Ramy will delve further into his spiritual journey, finding a new Muslim community and embracing a deeper commitment to Islam. Ramy is written, executive produced, created by and starring Ramy Youssef, executive produced by Jerrod Carmichael, A24’s Ravi Nandan, co-creators Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, and produced by A24.
- Marvel’s Runaways will return for season three on December 13 with all 10 episodes. In an action-packed Season 3, the Runaways frantically search for their captured friends Chase, Gert and Karolina. The kids go head to head with an unstoppable enemy who has targeted Leslie — or more accurately, the child she’s carrying. Nico draws them all into a dark realm where its ruler Morgan le Fay, played by Elizabeth Hurley, is much more nefarious than anyone the kids have yet to face. The series stars Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Annie Wersching, Ryan Sands, Angel Parker, Ever Carradine, James Marsters, Kevin Weisman, Brigid Brannagh, James Yaegashi, Brittany Ishibashi, and Elizabeth Hurley. Marvel’s Runaways is executive produced by series showrunners/writers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage (The O.C. and Gossip Girl) along with Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger) and Quinton Peeples. Marvel’s Runaways is a co-production with ABC Signature Studios, part of Disney Television Studios. It is based on the Marvel comics created by the award winning-team of Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona.
- Yesterday, in a deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT), Hulu has announced that it has acquired the rights to fan favorite comedy Designing Women set to stream on Hulu August 26...Women's Equality Day! Superfans can catch the entire series (163 episodes across 7 Seasons) starting August 26 to relive the 80’s hit following the women’s no-nonsense wit, humor and day-to-day antics!
- Smithsonian Channel will reveal the exclusive story of the discovery of the “Holy Grail” of missing World War II warships, the USS Eagle 56. The new three-part series, Hunt for Eagle 56, will follow the Nomad Exploration Team – a group of New England wreck divers who made the discovery – as they unearth cryptic clues 200 feet below the ocean’s surface off the coast of Maine. The revelation confirms that Eagle 56 is the last U.S. Navy warship sunk by a German submarine off the U.S. East Coast during WWII. HUNT FOR EAGLE 56 will premiere on Smithsonian Channel on Sunday, September 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Hunt for Eagle 56 features moving interviews with relatives of Eagle 56 sailors and never-before-seen accounts from survivors. Eagle 56 Seaman First Class James Cunningham will be posthumously awarded a Purple Heart for his service at a ceremony this Saturday, July 27 at NOSC Memphis in Millington, Tennessee. The Purple Heart will be presented by Rear Admiral Hughes, Navy Personnel Command (2-star) to Cunningham’s sister, Clara Cunningham Osborn, who will be accepting this honor on her late brother’s behalf.
- Showtime Documentary Films today announced it will premiere the new documentary Sid and Judy from director Stephen Kijak (STONES IN EXILE, WE ARE X), producer Diane Becker and Academy Award® winning producer John Battsek (ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS, LISTEN TO ME MARLON) on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Narrated by Emmy® winner Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Academy Award nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh (PATRICK MELROSE), Sid and Judy explores the dramatic career and personal struggles of the talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland through rare concert footage, never-heard-before voice recordings and personal photos. The film premiered at the Frameline Festival in San Francisco in June and will screen at Outfest Los Angeles on Saturday, July 27 at the iconic Ford Theater in Hollywood.
- Sick Girl, is the feature-film debut for writer/director Jennifer Cram (“Inception,” ”22 Jump Street”). Nina Dobrev (”xXx: Return of Xander”) serves as both star and executive producer on the film. Dobrev is joined by Wendi McLendon-Covey (”The Goldbergs”), Brandon Mychal Smith (”Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Sherry Cola (”Good Trouble”), Stephanie Koenig (”The Gay And Wondrous Life Of Caleb Gallo”), Hayley Magnus (”The Dressmaker”), Dan Bakkedahl (”Veep”), and Ray McKinnon (”Ford Vs Ferrari”). Sick Girl, is a female driven comedy about a woman who feels that she and her life long friends have grown apart. This is very much a ‘be careful what you wish for’ film where a simple little lie begins to tear a whole community apart. The cast is led by Nina Dobrev as ”Wren Pepper,” whose white lie takes them all on an unexpected ride.
- Fuse Media has renewed Big Boy’s Neighborhood for a third season. Premiering Thursday, August 1 on Fuse at 7:30 A.M., the televised version of iHeartMedia’s nationally-syndicated hit radio show starring radio legend Big Boy is one of the youngest-skewing series on the network, attracting an audience with a median age 5-6 years younger than the Fuse average.
