David E.Kelley Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large David E. Kelley has heard it for most of his career — that he has a knack for writing compelling female leads. Case in point: “Ally McBeal,” written at a time when there weren’t many strong leading women on television. “I usually duck for cover,” Kelley says about the mention of this part of his TV legacy. “More times than not I feign ignorance and just go, ‘Look, I just try to write characters as interestingly, and with as much dimension as possible.’ I’ve not ever felt that I’ve got an inside track on female characters or the feminine mystique in any way. I just try to write characters. I’m always a bit confused [when people say], ‘you write your females just as strong as the men.’ And I’m like, why wouldn’t I?”

India’s Kajol To Star Disney+ Hotstar Remake Of ‘The Good Wife’

William Earl Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner will return in-person on Sept. 8, to celebrate the year in television ahead of the 74th Emmy Awards. The event will be presented by A+E Studios and will feature opening remarks by Barry Jossen, president and head of A+E Studios.   The Creative Conscience Award will be given to writer and producer David E. Kelley for his prolific career in television. David remains one of the most influential figures in television – having created iconic roles for women in “Ally McBeal,” “Big Little Lies” and “Big Sky.” Kelley is a trailblazer for creating complex female characters on television, especially in his early career when such characters were unknown in primetime television.  

EXCLUSIVE: Demetrius Grosse, coming off playing one of the leads in ABC’s untitled Kay Oyegun drama pilot, has been cast by the network as a lead opposite Neve Campbell in another drama project, Avalon. The series, based on Michael Connelly’s short story, comes from David E. Kelley, A+E Studios and 20th Television.

EXCLUSIVE: Bill Camp (The Queen’s Gambit) will reunite once again with his American Rust and The Looming Tower co-star Jeff Daniels in A Man in Full, Netflix’s six-episode limited series from David E. Kelley and Regina King based on Tom Wolfe’s 1998 novel.

EXCLUSIVE: The Walking Dead: World Beyond star Alexa Mansour has been cast as a lead opposite Neve Campbell in Avalon, ABC’s drama series based on Michael Connelly’s short story, from David E. Kelley, A+E Studios and 20th Television.

EXCLUSIVE: Roslyn Ruff (Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector) has been tapped as a lead opposite Neve Campbell in Avalon, ABC’s drama series based on Michael Connelly’s short story, from David E. Kelley, A+E Studios and 20th Television.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is opening up about taking an acting break following the death of Robin Williams. The actor stepped away from her career after her The Crazy Ones co-star died to reflect and process the life-changing event.

A new iteration of the beloved TV show “Ally McBeal” is said to be in the works.

EXCLUSIVE: Exactly two decades since David E. Kelley’s Ally McBeal ended its five-season run on Fox, the Emmy-winning legal dramedy starring Calista Flockhart is plotting a comeback with a sequel series, which is in early development at ABC, I have learned.

A new Ally McBeal series might be coming to small screens soon.

Steven Pasquale has been tapped as the male lead opposite Neve Campbell in Avalon, ABC’s drama series based on Michael Connelly’s short story, from David E. Kelley, A+E Studios and 20th Television. Avalon, which received a straight-to-series order from ABC, takes place in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island, where L.A. Sheriff’s Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy (Campbell) heads up a small office. Catalina has a local population that serves more than 1 million tourists a year, and each day when the ferries arrive, hundreds of potential new stories enter the island. Detective Searcy is pulled into a career-defining mystery that will challenge everything she knows about herself and the island.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterSteven Pasquale is set to star opposite Neve Campbell in the upcoming ABC series “Avalon,” Variety has learned.The announcement of Pasquale’s casting comes just one day after Campbell’s, with Campbell set to play the lead role in the show. It hails from co-creators David E. Kelley and Michael Connelly, with the show based on a short story that Connelly wrote.

Neve Campbell will be returning to broadcast television in the upcoming ABC show Avalon, which already has a straight-to-series order.

Neve Campbell is returning to television.The star, who rose to prominence on “Party of Five” and had a main role on “House of Cards” in its later seasons, is reuniting with her collaborators on Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” creators/executive producers Michael Connelly and David E. Kelley, for a new ABC series called “Avalon.” “Avalon” is based on a short story by Connelly, whose novels inspired “The Lincoln Lawyer” and who once again executive produces and serves as the co-creator.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterNeve Campbell is set to star in the upcoming ABC series “Avalon,” Variety has confirmed.The show hails from co-creators David E. Kelley and Michael Connelly, with the show based on a short story that Connelly wrote. It was ordered straight-to-series at ABC in February.The series takes place in the main city of Avalon on Catalina Island, where LA Sheriff Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy (Campbell) heads up a small office.

EXCLUSIVE: Neve Campbell has been tapped as the lead of Avalon, ABC’s drama series based on Michael Connelly’s short story, from David E. Kelley (Big Sky, Big Little Lies), A+E Studios and 20th Television.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterLucy Liu is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Netflix limited series “A Man in Full,” Variety has learned exclusively.Liu will star in the series alongside previously announced leads Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane as well as cast members William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Tom Pelphrey, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill, and Chanté Adams.The series is based on the Tom Wolfe novel of the same name. Variety exclusively reported the show had received a straight-to-series order at the streamer in November 2021. It hails from David E.

EXCLUSIVE: Zoe Terakes (Nine Perfect Strangers, Wentworth) has joined the cast of the Disney+ series in a key role, sources tell Deadline. Details regarding their role are being kept under wraps.

Rosanna Arquette has joined the third season of ABC’s Big Sky in a key recurring role opposite Katheryn Winnick.

William Jackson Harper (Love Life), Tom Pelphrey (Ozark), Aml Ameen (Boxing Day), Sarah Jones (For All Mankind), Jon Michael Hill (Widows), and Chanté Adams (A League Of Their Own) have been cast opposite Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane in A Man In Full, Netflix’s six-episode limited series based on Tom Wolfe’s 1998 novel, from David E. Kelley and Regina King.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe upcoming Netflix limited series “A Man in Full” has added six new cast members, Variety has learned.William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Tom Pelphrey, Sarah Jones, Jon Michael Hill, and Chanté Adams have all joined the show opposite previously announced leads Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane. The series is based on the Tom Wolfe novel of the same name. Variety exclusively reported the show had received a straight-to-series order at the streamer in November 2021.

Kate Aurthur editorLast week, more than 400 TV creators and showrunners — all of them women — sent letters to top executives at Hollywood studios demanding that specific safety protocols be put in place for pregnant employees in states where abortion has been outlawed, or soon will be. Now, letters of support signed by 594 men — including J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele, Greg Berlanti, Donald Glover, Aaron Sorkin, David E.

EXCLUSIVE: Master, Black Monday and Girls Trip star Regina Hall has signed with APA for representation. She follows her longtime agent at ICM Andrew Rogers who was recently named Global Head of Talent at APA.

It’s pilot season in July! The lasting impact of the pandemic on the traditional broadcast pilot cycle continues to be felt as production and pickup decisions on a sizable number of broadcast pilots has shifted off-cycle. ABC and NBC have five and six off-cycle pilots this year, respectively, while CBS has a decision to make on a project with a pilot production commitment, and Fox is eying more script-to-series orders. As usual, information is scarce and not always reliable early on but here is what I am hearing about various pilots. Keep in mind that not all projects are on the same timetable so if they are not mentioned, that could mean that there is not enough feedback on them yet. I hear NBC is ahead of ABC in the pilot evaluation process and may start making pickup decisions as early as this week. The networks have a little bit more time as most pilot cast options are believed to expire at the end of August.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid Arquette and Elizabeth Marvel are the latest additions to the cast of Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez’s Peacock drama series “Mrs. Davis.” In addition, Alethea Jones (“Rise of the Pink Ladies,” “Evil”) has boarded the series to executive produce and to direct multiple episodes.Arquette and Marvel join previously announced cast members Betty Gilpin, Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Ben Chaplin and Margo Martindale.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterDavid E. Kelley’s upcoming Peacock crime drama “The Missing” has added five new recurring guest stars, Variety has learned exclusively.Constance Zimmer (“Unreal,” “Big Sky”), Chris Sullivan (“This is Us,” “The Son in Law”), Ben Shenkman (“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Billions”) Rafael Cebrián (“Acapulco,” “Narcos”) and Danielle Davenport (“Sneaky Pete,” “The Breaks”) will all appear in the series. They join previously announced series lead Jeff Wilbusch and cast members Juliana Canfield, Karen Robinson, and Michael Mosley.Based on the Dror A.

Netflix has renewed “Lincoln Lawyer” for a second season, the streamer’s head of global television Bela Bajaria announced Tuesday at the Banff World Media Festival.Dailyn Rodriguez of “Queen of the South” joins the legal drama as co-showrunner and executive producer with Ted Humphrey, who developed the show with David E. Kelley.The 10-episode second season will be based on the fourth book in Michael Connelly’s “Lincoln Lawyer” series, “The Fifth Witness.”Since its May 13 launch, “Lincoln Lawyer” has ranked high on Netflix’s Global Top 10 and the Top 10 most-watched TV series in the U.S.

Netflix has renewed The Lincoln Lawyer for Season 2 with Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, and Angus Simpson set to return. The 10-episode second season will be based on the fourth book in The Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly, The Fifth Witness.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter“The Lincoln Lawyer” series has been renewed for Season 2 at Netflix.The series adaptation of the book series by Michael Connelly debuted its first season back in May. The first season consisted of 10 episodes and was based on the book “The Brass Verdict.” Season 2 will also be 10 episodes and will be based on the book “The Fifth Witness.”It was also announced that Dailyn Rodriguez will board the show in its second season in the role of co-showrunner and executive producer.