‘Drop-Off’: Nancy Lenehan Joins ABC Comedy Pilot Based On British Series ‘Motherland’

Onyx Collective has rounded out the series regular cast for Hulu comedy pilot 1266 starring Gabourey Sidibe. Karim Diané (One Of Us Is Lying), Kristin Dodson (Flatbush Misdemeanors) and Kassandra Lee Diaz (You Married Dat) are set as leads alongside Sidibe in the pilot from 20th Television.

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Lawson (Mortal Kombat), Kahyun Kim (Cocaine Bear) and Mekki Leeper (The Sex Lives of College Girls) have been cast in the NBC comedy pilot St. Denis Medical. They join previously announced leads Wendi McLendon-Covey and David Alan Grier.

Ryan Michelle Bathé is set as a lead opposite Terry Crews in JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip, Deadline has confirmed.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Ryan Michelle Bathé has been cast in a leading role in CBS’ comedy pilot based on the “JumpStart” comic strip, Variety has learned exclusively. Bathé will now star in the pilot opposite previously announced cast member Terry Crews. The multi-cam pilot was originally ordered at CBS in February. The official logline states that the show “follows Joe (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy (Bathé), a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it!” Marcy is further described as “a hard-working nurse who is naturally maternal and wise beyond her years. She and Joe share a close bond and are supportive of one another even when they don’t agree. The two have a good life in their middle-class Philly neighborhood with their two teen kids — meeting all challenges, and enjoying their share of goofy times as well.”

Reunited and it feels so good! Victoria’s Secret has tapped a legend to unveil its newest perfume.

EXCLUSIVE: Dexter Darden (Chang Can Dunk), Chloe Bridges (Maggie) and Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill) have joined the cast of Amber Ruffin and Kenny Smith NBC comedy pilot, Non-Evil Twin.

EXCLUSIVE:  Zoë Kravitz (The Batman) has signed on to star in Biter, a new dark comedy based on the short story by Cat Person‘s Kristen Roupenian. Kravitz will also produce via her company This Is Important, with Paperclip Ltd and Winterlight Pictures co-producing.

EXCLUSIVE: Tony winner David Alan Grier is set as a lead opposite Wendy McLendon-Covey in NBC comedy pilot St. Denis Medical.

Naman Ramachandran The U.K.’s Channel 4 has commissioned Wonderhood Studios to produce a documentary film charting the life of Angel Lynn, a young woman who suffered severe life-changing injuries while trying to escape an abusive relationship. The life of Lynn, an 18-year-old college student from Loughborough with ambitions to become a forensic scientist, changed forever when she started a relationship with Chay Bowskill – it soon started to become increasingly coercive, controlling, as well as mentally abusive. Eventually, after she claimed that Bowskill had injured her by violently throwing her against a wall, Lynn took the decision to leave him. While what happened next is unclear, Lynn apparently fell out of a van driven by Bowskill.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson have signed on to star in the untitled CBS comedy pilot starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr., Variety has learned. In addition, Andy Ackerman has signed on to direct the pilot. The multi-cam pilot was first announced at CBS in February. Per the official logline, “Legendary talk radio host and happily divorced ‘Poppa’ (Wayans) has his point of view challenged at work when a new female co-host (Atkins) is hired, and at home where he finds himself still parenting his adult son (Wayans Jr.), a brilliant dreamer who is trying to pursue his passion while being a responsible father and husband.” Atkins character is named Dr. Ivy Reed. She is further described as “intelligent, savvy, and bold” and hosts the radio show “Ask Dr. Reed,” where she gives “helpful advice to listeners with a modern approach on life” before she is brought in as Poppa’s new co-host.

Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson are joining Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr in the latter pair’s CBS family comedy.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Ronny Chieng’s Hulu comedy pilot is not being picked up to series at the streaming service, Variety has learned. The untitled pilot saw Chieng star as an analyst who is unexpectedly given the chance to be the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets when the entire front office staff quits. It was inspired by real-life Nets owner Joe Tsai. Variety exclusively reported the pilot was in the works in May 2022. Little was announced about the pilot beyond the initial report, but sources say Chieng co-wrote the pilot with Jon Pollack. Both also served as executive producers along with Melvin Mar, Jake Kasdan, and Hannah Pham. Greg Mottola directed the pilot. 20th Television was the studio, with Mar and Kasdan under an overall deal at 20th TV via The Detective Agency. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, 20th TV and the producers plan to shop the project to other outlets.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Terry Crews has been tapped as the lead and also will executive produce JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip. Wayne Conley (The Best Man) penned the TV adaptation for the project from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Wendi Trilling’s TrillTV and CBS Studios. Phill Lewis will direct and executive produce the pilot, replacing Kelly Park due to changes in the production schedule; Park is directing NBC’s comedy pilot Non-Evil Twin instead.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Terry Crews will star in the CBS comedy pilot based on the “JumpStart” comic strip, Variety has learned. The multi-cam pilot was originally ordered at CBS in February. The official logline states that the show “follows Joe (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy, a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it!” The character Joe is further described as “a devoted husband , son, father and Philadelphia police officer. He is also a proud Black man and often feels pressured to be flawless in each of his roles, especially in light of controversies surrounding cops. He is a charming and exuberant role model in his community. Joe loves his wife and family, but does come up short in hilarious and endearing ways that keep audiences cheering for him.”

EXCLUSIVE: Geoff Stults (Little Fires Everywhere) is set for a key recurring role in ABC’s The Company You Keep, starring and executive produced by Milo Ventimiglia.

EXCLUSIVE: As The Goldbergs is wrapping its 10-season run on ABC, series star Wendi McLendon-Covey has been tapped to lead another single-camera broadcast comedy, NBC pilot St. Denis Medical.

BreAnna Bell Nancy Lenehan has signed on to join Ellie Kemper’s forthcoming comedy pilot “Drop-Off” at ABC as a series regular. She’ll play Marianne, the warm, caring and responsible mother of Julia (Kemper) who’s been taking care of her kids for the last six years. “Having been a working single mom herself, Marianne is not without compassion for Julia’s situation and she loves her grandchildren, but she’s done. Marianne has decided to live her own life from now on, and that includes having an affair with a guy named Rene and firmly taking some time for herself,” reads the character description. In addition to Kemper, she joins previously announced cast member Judy Greer.

EXCLUSIVE: Michaela Conlin has been cast as a series regular opposite Ellie Kemper in ABC’s Drop-Off (working title), a comedy pilot based on the British series Motherland, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Judy Greer and Karan Soni also star.

Judy Greer is set as a lead opposite Ellie Kemper in ABC’s Drop-Off (working title), a comedy pilot based on the British series Motherland, from writer Julieanne Smolinski, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford’s Merman Television, Paul Feig’s Feigco Entertainment, Lionsgate and ABC Signature. Karan Soni also stars.