Amid Disney's companywide cutbacks, which include the elimination of 7,000 jobs, ABC is taking a measured approach to its scripted series renewals. Only one show, award-winning sophomore comedy Abbott Elementary, received a very early Season 3 pickup in January. It was joined on Friday by drama stalwart Grey’s Anatomy, which was renewed for Season 20. That leaves the majority of the network’s scripted roster in a holding pattern — all except the two already renewed as well as The Goldbergs and A Million Little Things, which are ending their runs this spring.
With four drama pilots (including The Good Doctor spinoff) and two comedy pilots — the most for a broadcast network this season and all headlined by big-name stars — ABC is expected to take longer than usual on most renewals. It would use the time to evaluate a number of the current series against the pilots for the limited slots available as broadcast networks’ programming budgets are tightening amid sliding linear ratings, and with spending across Disney currently under the microscope amid a corporate cost-cutting mandate. Plus, of course, there's also a possible writers strike looming. >>> See All Renewal Report Cards |
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| Deadline Exclusives & Originals |
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Swimming Deeper - Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Discovery Kids, tells Deadline he sees a calmer operating environment taking shape at Warner Bros Discovery after 2022's upheaval. In May, Adult Swim's nightly programming block will expand by one hour and anticipated series Unicorn: Warriors Eternal will debut. >>>Balancing Streaming And Linear
Starry Red Carpet Incoming - Wes Anderson's comedy Asteroid City is headed to the Cannes Film Festival. Multiple sougood rces confirmed to Deadline that longtime rumors are true that it’s locked for a Riviera bow in May. The film is a starry project even by Anderson's standards, featuring Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Margot Robbie and many, many more. The film's trailer has also just debuted. >>>Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention
Enter The (Slimmer) 'Dragon' - The upcoming second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon will consist of eight episodes, two fewer than Season 1 of the Critics Choice Award-winning Game of Thrones prequel. It is part of a long-term plan for the show, which includes HBO mulling a green light for a third season. >>>Cost-Cutting?
Distaff Death Wish - Paramount Pictures is developing the action thriller Bella with Scream VI actress Samara Weaving set to star. Set against the backdrop of a crime wave that gripped New York City in the 1980s, Bella is a hyperstylized action thriller about a cop’s daughter who, as her father clings to life following an assassination attempt, goes on a rampage to unearth his attacker. >>> "Rock ‘n’ Roll Edge"
Monstrous Remake - Universal Pictures continues to dig into its classic monsters vault. The studio has acquired a take on a revamp of 1956 horror film The Mole People pitched by Chris Winterbauer, who’ll write the script. >>>Produced By Robert Kirkman
In Brief - Gravitas Ventures has nabbed North American rights to the Shia LaBeouf-led drama Padre Pio from filmmaker Abel Ferrara… Showrunner and producer Ingrid Escajeda has signed a first look deal with Universal TV to develop and produce projects for broadcast, cable and streaming platforms… Kerry Washington‘s comedy series UnPrisoned has become Onyx Collective’s most-watched Hulu premiere to date. |
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Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar have officially gone public with their engagement. Viewers saw Shallcross get down on one knee during Monday’s Bachelor finale, but in all actuality, the pair have been together for several months since production ended.
During the proposal, Biggar put it all on the line when she confessed her love for Shallcross, telling him, “If it’s not you, it’s not anyone.” Luckily, he agreed. >>>Spoiler Alert |
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Exclusive With the final season of his hit HBO series Succession premiering Sunday, Matthew Macfadyen looks to have found his follow-up project as sources tell Deadline the Emmy winner is the latest addition to Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3. It is unknown who Macfadyen will be playing. Exclusive Eiza González ( Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul are attached to star in sci-fi thriller Ash, the sophomore feature from producer, rapper and filmmaker Flying Lotus ( Kuso). Exclusive Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina and Ron Perlman are the latest additions to Apple Original Films’ The Instigators, starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. The ensemble also includes Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser and Michael Stuhlbarg. Doug Liman is directing. Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti will star in an Off Broadway production of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters for a (very) limited run: The production at the Irish Repertory Theatre will run from May 30 to June 4 for eight performances. |
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BY THE NUMBERS
168.7 million hours - Total viewing for Shawn Ryan’s 'The Night Agent' last week, making it the third-best premiere week of viewing across Season 1 for any Netflix series |
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More News
❄️ Actor Jeremy Renner will sit down with Diane Sawyer in his first interview since being hospitalized after a serious snowplow accident. The ABC News special will air April 6.
👽 There’s a new version of The X-Files on the horizon from Ryan Coogler, according to the series' creator. "I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount The X-Files with a diverse cast," said Chris Carter.
✊ Former Directors Guild presidents Paris Barclay and Thomas Schlamme have been named co-chairs of the DGA Outreach Team in advance of what the guild predicts will be “difficult” negotiations for a new film and TV contract, which are set to start May 10.
📺 There’s some succession planning going on in The Handmaid’s Tale universe. As the Hulu drama series enters its final season, showrunner Bruce Miller is stepping down and moving his focus to the TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s book sequel The Testaments.
👀 The UK government has published its long-awaited draft Media Bill to bring U.S. streamers under its regulatory framework. The bill could see the likes of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video fined up to £250,000 ($308,000) or restricted in the UK entirely if they break rules around harmful material that have applied to the public broadcasters for decades.
In Brief - Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera had yet another smashing, down-to-the-wire week at the Majestic…Mike Pence must testify before a grand jury about his conversations with Donald Trump as part of a special counsel investigation of efforts to overturn the election on January 6. |
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Trending  Two time Emmy-winner Zendaya is set for another honor in April: CinemaCon 2023’s Star of the Year Award.
🔻 All of the major news networks saw double digit erosion in March from the same month in 2022. |
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On the Radar
Wed - Riverdale S7 premiere
Fri - NCAA Women's Final Four; PaleyFest starts
Sat - NCAA Men's Final Four
Mon - Disney annual shareholder meeting
Tue - Warner Bros. 100th anniversary; Tron ride opens at WDW |
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Vampire's Bliss - Nicolas Cage brought sartorial splendor to the premiere of Renfield on Tuesday night at MOMA. The Oscar-winner plays the Prince of Darkness in the Universal pic, which is being released April 14. |
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