Kelsey Grammer & His Grammnet NH Productions Inks First-Look Deal With CBS Studios

Nick Cannon shared some insight into his life as a dad once again.

Naman Ramachandran Entertainment One (eOne) has solidified its collaboration with U.K. independent production company Hardcash Productions through an exclusive first-look agreement. Under the deal, brokered by Kate Cundall, eOne’s VP of acquisitions, and Robin Barty-King, Hardcash’s business affairs consultant, the partnership aims to develop and produce investigative factual content for the global market. eOne will handle international rights for all projects resulting from this collaboration. Previously, eOne and Hardcash worked together on the distribution of award-winning documentaries such as “Inside China,” “Fearless: The Women Fighting Putin” and “Outbreak: The Virus that Shook the World,” which have been sold to over 160 territories worldwide.

McKinley Franklin editor Asylum Entertainment Group has partnered with rocker Tom Morello for a first-look co-production deal with Morello’s recently formed company Comandante Productions, Variety can reveal exclusively.  Morello’s Comandante Productions and Asylum aim to build a portfolio of documentary films and series surrounding Morello’s history in the music industry, social consciousness and dedication to activism.  Morello, of course, is well-known for his work with both Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, two bands that have amassed more than 30 million album sales worldwide. He’s also a Grammy-winning artist and a recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (as part of this year’s class of honorees).

Angelique Jackson On the heels of winning a Peabody Award for the Showtime docuseries “We Need to Talk About Cosby,” W. Kamau Bell has launched a new production company, Who Knows Best, and inked an overall deal with Boardwalk Pictures. Bell, an Emmy-winning producer, director, host and comedian, founded Who Knows Best Productions (WKB), an Oakland-based company, with the mission of “fostering a diverse creative community and telling revolutionary non-fiction stories by any medium necessary.” WKB launches with a multi-year overall deal with Boardwalk Pictures (the award-winning production company behind “Chef’s Table,” “Cheer” and “Welcome to Wrexham”) after the parties partnered on the critically acclaimed four-part documentary “We Need to Talk About Cosby.”

EXCLUSIVE: Wilmer Valderrama’s production company WV Entertainment has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Telemundo’s TPlus brand.

EXCLUSIVE: Oliver Trevena, who recently starred alongside Gerard Butler in Plane, is moving further into unscripted content.

BBC Studios has struck an investment and distribution deal with Bonafide Films, the producer of buzzy BBC breakout drama Mood and Peter Moffatt’s The Last Post.

Since they began throwing people around the world into fits of laughter with several Netflix comedy specials and global stand-up tours, fans have become curious about Hannah Gadsby’s net worth.

HBO, Warner Bros. TV, NBCUniversal and other major struck studios will be suspending some first-look and overall deals amid the ongoing writers strike. Sources close to the situation tell Variety that Amazon will be sending letters out Monday notifying those affected. The studio does have some carveouts for creatives who are rendering producing services but non-writing. HBO is said to be making calls to alert the individuals, but formal letters have not been sent yet. On May 2, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) called for a strike after failing to ink a new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Picketing quickly ensued in New York City, Los Angeles and Atlanta and several productions were shut down due to the strike.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Now that’s an entrance. The stage for Kali Uchis’ “Red Moon in Venus” tour is bathed in red-pink light, centered around an elevated platform with stairs leading up either side and archways beneath. A gradually brightening, supernova-like light fills the video screen behind it. The singer enters the stage, slowly carried by her six dancers, but obscured by the kind of giant frilly feathers you see in old movies, where a luxuriating empress is being gently fanned with them by servants. They scale the steps, gently set her down in the middle of the platform, then pull away the feathers as the crowd shrieks, revealing Uchis standing regally with her back turned, looking at the audience over her shoulder, clad in an all-red ensembled of a halter, short skirt, stockings, sleeves and a pair of towering boots with needle-thin heels. As “Telepatia” starts, she busts some slinking moves while the dancers peel off until one of them returns, delivering her microphone.

strikes for the first time since 2007-08, more details are being released over what exactly led to the impasse in its talks with Hollywood studios on a new bargaining agreement. In its statement announcing the end of talks, the studios’ labor representatives, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said that “mandatory staffing,” and “duration of employment” were the “primary sticking points” when it came to the failed negotiations.

EXCLUSIVE: Insecure alumna Yvonne Orji has signed a two-year first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television. Under the pact, the Emmy-nominated actress, comedian, writer, author and producer will develop scripted drama and comedy series for cable and streaming. There is a possibility for her to star in any of the projects she develops for the studio.

EXCLUSIVE: Anonymous Content, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates and United Agents have set former ITVS Creative Director Patrick Spence (Spy Among Friends) as Managing Director of their UK film and TV production joint venture.

EXCLUSIVE: Toni Braxton is extending her decade-long relationship with Lifetime and A+E. The Grammy-winning singer, actress, executive producer and entrepreneur has entered into a production deal, in which her Braxtoni Productions will oversee and executive produce multiple projects for the network. The production company will be headquartered at Lifetime’s LA offices.

Another familiar face is returning to TV.

reboot continues to round out its ensemble, featuring new faces and original cast members.The Paramount+ series returns Kelsey Grammer in the title role of Dr. Frasier Crane as he embarks on the next chapter of his life.

EXCLUSIVE: Just ahead of the premiere of Shea Serrano’s upcoming comedy Primo on Amazon Freevee, Serrano is expanding his relationship with Amazon Studios, the studio behind the series. The bestselling author, screenwriter and podcaster has signed an overall television deal with Amazon Studios, and a first-look podcast pact with Amazon’s Wondery.

Roz is back!

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Peri Gilpin is the latest original “Frasier” cast member to join the series’ revival at Paramount+. Gilpin will guest star in an episode of the series, reprising the role of Roz, whom she played throughout the original show’s 11-season run on NBC. As previously announced, Kelsey Grammer will reprise the role of Frasier Crane, with Jack Cutmore-Scott, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Toks Olagundoye, Jess Salgueiro, and Anders Keith also starring. Bebe Neuwirth will guest star in one episode as Dr. Lilith Sternin. The revival series will take place in Boston, which was the setting for “Cheers.” The official logline states, “Frasier is off to a different city with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge, and an old dream or two to finally fulfill. Frasier has re-entered the building!”

AJ McLean is committed to becoming the best version of himself amid separation from his wife Rochelle DeAnna McLean.