‘Ted Lasso’ Season 2 Adds Sarah Niles

Joe Otterson TV ReporterPatrick Coker and Adam Wiesen have been named the new head writers of the BET series “Tales” going into the show’s third season, Variety has learned exclusively.The series is a scripted anthology of “song stories” weaving classic and current hip-hop songs into visual narratives from the lyrics of some of hip-hop’s greatest hits.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Giannis Antetokounmpo movie at Disney is taking shape, with Variety learning exclusively that the film has found three of its leads.Newcomer Uche Agada will star as the NBA great in the film, which is titled “Greek Freak” in honor of the nickname Antetokounmpo earned for his otherworldly basketball skills.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The L Word: Generation Q” at Showtime has added Vanessa Williams in a recurring role for Season 2, Variety has learned exclusively.The new iteration of the series follows the intermingled lives of Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals), Shane McCutcheon (Katherine Moennig) and Alice Pieszecki (Leisha Hailey) from the original “The L Word” drama series that aired from 2004 to 2009.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNatalie Portman and Sophie Mas’ MountainA production company has set a first-look TV deal at Apple.News of the deal comes a week after it was reported that Portman had signed on to star in the Apple series “Lady in the Lake” with Lupita Nyong’o. Portman is also an executive producer on the series, as is Mas via MountainA.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Resident Alien” has been renewed for Season 2 at Syfy.The news comes ahead of the first season finale, which is set to air on March 31. Based on the Dark Horse comic of the same name by Peter Hogan and Stephen Parkhouse, “Resident Alien’ follows Harry (Alan Tudyk), an alien that crash lands on Earth and passes himself off as a small-town human doctor.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Killing Eve” will end with its upcoming Season 4.The critically-acclaimed BBC America series was renewed for a fourth season in January 2020, but filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production on Season 4 is now slated to begin in early summer in the U.K.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“One Night in Miami” star Kingsley Ben-Adir has been cast alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn in the Disney Plus Marvel series “Secret Invasion,” Variety has learned.Exact character details for Ben-Adir’s character are being kept under wraps, but according to sources he will be playing a main villain.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Outlander” has been renewed for Season 7 at Starz.The news comes as the show is currently in production on Season 6, which was supposed to begin last year but was delayed due to the pandemic.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is officially in production, Paramount Plus announced Friday.The announcement came in the form a video featuring series leads Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, and Ethan Peck, as well as newly added series regulars Babs Olusanmokun, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, and Melissa Navia.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Flight Attendant” star Michelle Gomez is staying in business with HBO Max with a role in “Doom Patrol” Season 3.Gomez will star as Madame Rouge, described as a complicated and electrifying eccentric who arrives at Doom Manor with a very specific mission, if only she could remember it.Gomez starred as the deadly Miranda Croft in Season 1 of “The Flight Attendant,” with the show having received multiple SAG and Golden Globe nominations.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNatalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o will star in a series adaptation of the Laura Lipman novel “Lady in the Lake,” which has been ordered straight-to-series at Apple.The series will be co-written by Alma Har’el and Dre Ryan, with Har’el writing the pilot. Endeavor Content is the studio.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Netflix series “First Kill” has cast Imani Lewis and Sarah Catherine Hook in the lead roles, Variety has learned.The one-hour show is based on the short story of the same name by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab that was published in the Imprint story collection “Vampire Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite” in September 2020. Netflix ordered eight episodes back in October.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAnnie Murphy has been cast in “Russian Doll” Season 2 at Netflix.News of Murphy’s casting comes as the series recently began production on its second season. The details of Murphy’s character are being kept under wraps.Murphy is best known for her role as Alexis Rose in the hit comedy series “Schitt’s Creek.” The role won her an Emmy Award for best supporting actress in a comedy in 2020, part of the show’s historic sweep of the comedy categories at the Emmys.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Queen of the South” will end after Season 5 at USA Network.The drama series was originally renewed for a fifth season in August 2019. Filming commenced on it last year but was shut down upon the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“Pose” will end with Season 3 at FX.The groundbreaking series was renewed for a third season back in 2019. The seven-episode final season is now set to debut on May 2 at 10 p.m.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming NBC drama series “La Brea” has added four new castmembers.Eoin Macken, Jack Martin, Jon Seda, and Lily Santiago have all joined the series. They join previously announced cast members Natalie Zea, Zyra Gorecki and Chiké Okonkwo.In the show, when a massive sinkhole mysteriously opens in Los Angeles, it tears a family in half, separating mother and son from father and daughter.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDakota and Elle Fanning have formed their own production company, Lewellen Pictures.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSaycon Sengbloh is the first cast member confirmed for the “Wonder Years” reboot pilot at ABC.The project will show how a black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the turbulent late 1960s, made sure it was The Wonder Years for them too.Sengbloh will star as family matriarch Lillian Williams. Sharp as a tack, Lillian is confident, kind, perceptive and has a good sense of humor. She knows exactly the right thing to say to convince you of anything.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDakota Fanning has signed on to play Susan Ford in the Showtime anthology series “The First Lady,” Variety has learned.Susan is the only daughter of Betty Ford and President Gerald Ford, who will be played in the series by Michelle Pfeiffer and Aaron Eckhart respectively.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCBS has given out a pair of pilot orders to comedy projects from Sarah Cooper and Mark Gross.Cooper’s untitled single-camera project is inspired by her book, “How to be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings.” It follows three women at different stages in their careers at a male-dominated company who help each other navigate modern gender politics in their professional and personal lives.Cooper will serve as co-writer and executive producer, with Cindy Chupack also